Rust

by J. M. Walker

  “Yeah.” He placed a soft kiss on my inner wrist. “But not literally.”

  ***

  (Stone)

  She didn’t know I knew about her brother already. I didn’t know what exactly he had planned until she told me but doing research on the guy when I started sleeping with his sister, I found out he was shady as fuck. I was surprised he let Creena go on for so long without dragging her back into their family.

  Family.

  Fucking please.

  And I thought mine had issues.

  “Hey, Kenny.” Creena looked my way from across the table. “Yeah, I got your messages. No, I’ve been working.” The muscle beneath her jaw clenched. “I don’t give a shit if you believe me or not. Call the hospital. They’ll tell you when I clocked in and when I left. No. Because I’m not a sadistic bitch.”

  My heart thundered against my rib cage. I knew she loved her brother but I didn’t like how he spoke to her. I didn’t even have to hear his voice and I knew he was giving her shit. But I also knew when to pick my battles. He was the head of her family. After doing some digging thanks to Coby’s friend, Lucas Crane, I found out it was Kenny who made her parents disappear. I could only assume he was the reason for their deaths. I wasn’t sure if Creena knew or not but I had a feeling she was beginning to understand the true error of her brother’s ways.

  “Yeah. He is.” She winked at me. “Because he tastes good.”

  A slow grin spread onto my face. She was baiting him and I fucking loved it.

  “Tomorrow?” She feigned a yawn. “No. I’ll be over on Saturday. And I want you to listen to me, dear brother. I don’t give a fuck who you are or who you know. If you send your men to get me before Saturday, I’ll have my own security at my back. And you don’t want that. They’re mean and annoyed as hell that these entities are stepping on their homes. So, like I said, Saturday.” And with that, Creena hung up and let out a slow breath.

  “You good?” I asked, reaching for her hand.

  She shook her head and rose from the chair.

  “Creena,” I said, my voice rough.

  “No, Stone.” She jumped in my lap, crushing her mouth to mine. “No, I’m not good. Not one fucking bit.”

  ***

  (Creena)

  I had never threatened my brother before. He was a dick, the biggest asshole I had ever come across, but I loved him. He was family. He had always been good to me until these past couple of months. I didn’t know what his deal was but I knew something was brewing from inside our family. I just couldn’t figure out what because no matter who I talked to, everyone told me to contact my brother. If I pressed for further information, they would go running back to him. I didn’t need that. I didn’t need him being suspicious.

  “I have to talk to my girls,” I told Stone when we pulled into the clubhouse parking lot later that day. “I need to tell everyone.” I took a deep breath. “I can’t deal with my brother on my own. I get that now.”

  “Hey.” Stone squeezed my knee. “I got you. Whatever you need.”

  His words hit home for me. After I had hung up on Kenny, Stone gave me an hour to use him. I couldn’t control myself. The urge to dominate. To rip him apart. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough but it was a start. And a delicious start it was.

  I needed to get away but I knew that wasn’t possible. Kenny would find me and he would hogtie me and drag me back to his damn house kicking and screaming if he had to.

  I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Let’s get this over with. Maybe talking to everyone will help shed some light on the situation because I have no idea what the hell to do.”

  “Good plan, Creena.” He squeezed my knee again. “Remember” —he put the truck into park before turning to me— “Whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”

  With shaky hands, I scrubbed them down my face and stepped out of the vehicle. “Round everyone up,” I told Stone. “I’ll be inside.”

  ***

  With Vice-One and the King’s Harlots all under one roof, it made me feel small. All eyes were on me. And that made me feel even tinier.

  “I know you all are wondering what you’re doing here and why I asked to meet up.” I met Jay’s hard stare. “I also know you’re thinking that I have some serious balls demanding to meet with all of you when you have better things to do.”

  Jay crossed her arms under her chest, leaning back in her chair. With Angel standing behind her and his hand on her shoulder, they looked like the King and Queen of the motherfucking world.

  “So, tell us why we’re here.” Jay sat forward. “We’ve already had these random women show up. I don’t want any more surprises.”

  “Uh ...” I took a deep breath and that was when I felt a warm hand grab mine. I looked down, finding Stone’s fingers laced with mine. That small touch sent strength soaring through my body. I turned back to Jay.

  “My family is part of the Yakuza. The Japanese mafia.”

  “I told you the nursing job was just a ruse,” Dale grumbled, playfully elbowing Coby in the ribs. “What did I tell you?”

  He rolled his eyes, his gaze landing back on mine. “We can still trust you, right?”

  I nodded, swallowing hard. The accusatory glances from my friends should have come as expected but it still hurt. “I’m nothing like my brother. I don’t know what he wants or what he’s trying to do. But I do know my father was trying to end the shady side of our family as much as he could. But weapons and drugs brought in the money. He was a desperate man and did anything he could to make sure his family was well taken care of.”

  “Your brother didn’t like that, I’m assuming,” Brogan said, sitting down on the couch beside Coby.

  “As much as I thought I knew him, I don’t know anymore.” I took a deep breath. “He wants me to meet up with him. I’m not sure exactly why although I could take a guess but I told him I’d be over on Saturday.”

  “What do you think he wants?” Jay asked, leaning forward.

  “I’ve done some shitty things in my life. That’s all I’m going to say about it but he needs me.” I glanced at Dale. “And yes, my nursing job may be all a ruse but I still know at least five ways to kill you without ever getting caught.”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “You and Brogan should team up.”

  “So, what do we do?” Jay asked, ignoring our banter. “I love you and I know he’s your brother but something isn’t sitting right with me.”

  “I know.” I blew out a slow breath and rubbed the back of my neck. “As much as I hate asking for it, I need your help.”

  “What do you need?” Brogan asked. “We’ll do anything to help you.”

  Suddenly, it hit me. I told everyone my idea, hoping, praying with everything in me it would work. All of the people who lead us to believe that they were the front runners of the Organization were dead. But a storm was brewing. All of us felt it. And I had a feeling I knew exactly who was right in the eye of it.

  “YOU THINK IT will work?” I asked my sisters later that night.

  “It has to.” Jay grabbed my hand. “We got your back. I just wish you would have come to us sooner.”

  “And say what? Oh, hey girls, I used to be a hitman. Pssh. No big deal.” I stood from the chair and started pacing back and forth.

  “Brogan does the same thing as you. She may not be a hitman but she’s still lethal. Creena,” Jay’s voice softened, “it’s okay.”

  I spun on her. “No. It’s not. You guys don’t know my brother. He’s losing his fucking mind.”

  “Say what you really mean,” Jay coaxed. “Let it out.”

  “I think my brother has a hand in this.” I rubbed the back of my neck, easing some of the tension racing through my body. “I don’t know how but I would bet my life that his hunger for power ...” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. “My brother is going to lose his shit.”

  “Like I said. We got your back.” Jay rapped her knuckles on the tabletop. “Brogan will be
in on this with you. As well as the guys.”

  I nodded.

  “I would be there too but ...” Meeka’s cheeks reddened. “I kind of can’t.”

  I knelt at her feet, placing my hands on her swollen belly. “You babies treat your mommy good, okay?”

  Meeka laughed, cupping my hands.

  “I mean it,” I told her stomach. “And when you’re big enough, Auntie Creena and Auntie Brogan will show you how to kick asses.”

  “No,” Meeka cried, laughing harder. “My babies are going to be ass kicking free.”

  “If they’re girls, they’re going to have to kick the men’s asses in their lives who won’t let them date,” Brogan pointed out.

  “Oh, God.” Jay rolled her eyes. “I’m already dreading the day Angelica starts dating. Angel has talked about setting up some booby traps just to get to our front door.”

  All of us laughed.

  “I think Asher wants to put a dungeon in our basement, take the boy down there, and lead him right to a St. Andrew’s Cross. He said if he shows him how freaky we are, he won’t want to date his daughter.” Meeka rolled her eyes. “We don’t even have a St. Andrew’s Cross. The basement is going to be a playroom for the babies, I don’t care what that man of mine says.”

  “Hmmm ...” I rubbed my chin. “A St. Andrew’s Cross. Wait, how the hell do you know what a St. Andrew’s Cross is?”

  Meeka blushed but patted my hand that was still on her stomach. “The same way you do.”

  “Porn,” we both said at the same time.

  We erupted into laughter.

  “God, what am I going to do with you two?” Jay shook her head, her eyes shining with amusement.

  “My house isn’t big enough but I’m sure I can talk Stone into getting one.” What I wouldn’t give to see him strapped to that delicious slab of wood.

  “Well, that’s some information we didn’t need to know about,” Jay teased.

  “Oh as-fucking-if you guys don’t embrace your inner freaks.” I rose from the floor and brushed off my knees. “Come on, Jay. Tell Mama what you like.”

  “Oh, God.” She laughed, holding her ribs. “I can’t with you.”

  I shrugged, laughing along with her. “We need more laughter in this place. I always aim to please,” I said, stepping out of the room and right into a hard body.

  “And please,” Stone crooned, “you do.”

  I shivered at the deep timber of his voice.

  He chuckled, placing a soft kiss on the side of my neck. “Hmm ... you smell good.”

  “I taste good too,” I whispered, grazing a hand down his stomach.

  “Fuck yeah you do,” he muttered against my skin.

  “I love you,” I murmured, enjoying the taste of those words on my tongue.

  His body relaxed into my touch. “You said it.”

  I leaned back, cupping his face. “I did.” And he didn’t have to force me this time.

  He kissed my palm.

  “All right you two, get a room,” Dale grumbled, walking by us. He did a quick two-step jog toward Max, lifted her, and spun her around.

  “Put me down,” she giggled, brushing her thumb over the bruise beneath his eye.

  “I’m fine, kitten,” he muttered, placing her back on her feet and landing a hard smack on her mouth.

  My heart jumped. “Can we all go to the back? Just hang out for a bit?”

  “If that’s what you want.” Stone wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “You need this?”

  “Yeah.” I snuggled my face into his chest. “I need you but this will do. Just for a little bit.”

  “Hey.” Stone whistled. “Let’s head out back, have some drinks and shoot the shit before ...” He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

  “I like that idea.” Jay asked Angel as he walked toward her, “Have a drink with me?”

  He sighed. “If I must.” He grinned, charging for her.

  She screamed which erupted into a bubble of laughter.

  While everyone filed out of the club, Stone and I hung back.

  I sat on the bar stool, pulling him between my legs.

  “You two joining us?” Coby asked, his arm wrapping around Brogan’s shoulders.

  “In a moment,” Stone answered, cupping my nape.

  “You did good today, Creena,” Brogan pointed out. “I’m proud of you for coming to us.”

  I nodded, my throat tightening. “Thank you.”

  Coby whispered something in her ear.

  She nodded, giving him a small smile.

  “You two okay?” I asked, brushing my hand under Stone’s shirt. When I came into contact with his stomach, the smooth skin beneath my fingers eased some of the stress on my shoulders.

  “Yeah.” Brogan snuggled into Coby’s side. “We are.” Both her and Coby headed out back, leaving Stone and me alone.

  “Why didn’t you tell them everything?” Stone asked, moving to sit when I stopped him. I needed to touch him. It was the only thing that was constant at the moment.

  “What was I supposed to say?” I ran my hand beneath his shirt, up to his heart. The thumping of the strong muscle pounded beneath my palm.

  “Your brother wants me dead, Creena,” he grit out. “I think that’s something they should know about.”

  “I told you, I’ll deal with it.” I released him and stood from the stool. “And that won’t happen. You know it won’t.”

  “I have enough fuckers to deal with.” He sat, pulling me roughly between his legs. “I’m not dealing with your brother too.”

  I looked away. I shouldn’t have told Stone. He was my weakness and Kenny knew that. I wasn’t sure exactly what Kenny wanted besides me going back and working for him. But why the hell was Stone involved?

  “Hey,” Stone muttered, holding me tight against his hard chest. “Stop thinking about it. We’ll deal with this shit on Saturday.”

  “We?” I asked, leaning back.

  “You think I’m going to let you go there by yourself?”

  “Well, you sure as hell can’t go with me.” I pushed away from him. “That will only make things worse.” I started pacing back and forth. “I can’t deal with this shit.”

  “I never said I’m going in there with you but I’ll be around.” Stone grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him. “Geeze, Creena. You need to calm the fuck down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm—” A hot mouth crashed to mine, silencing me. I sighed, opening everything I was to the man kissing me. Stone slid his tongue between my lips, stealing my very breath, my words lost in the open air.

  He pulled away, staring at me with warmth and determination.

  “You can’t keep kissing me when you don’t like what I have to say,” I told him.

  “I kiss you” —he reiterated his words by placing a soft peck on the side of my neck— “To calm you down.”

  I sighed, wrapping my arms around his waist. “How did you know it would work?”

  “Because kissing you calms me down too.”

  ***

  (Stone)

  This shit with Creena’s brother was forcing her to lose it and jump to accusations before using her head. It was dangerous, this game he was putting her in.

  While we sat outside behind the back of the club, our friends chatted, laughed, and drank, but the unnerving questions on when this organization was going to strike next, still hung over our heads.

  We were so far deep into this shit, we couldn’t find a way to dig ourselves out.

  When Vice-One accidentally stumbled upon a bunker full of women over a year ago, it made me wonder if that never happened, would we be here. Would I be a part of this team? This brotherhood? Would I have found Creena? I would like to think that no matter what had happened, however our stories played out, we were meant to be together. All of us. No matter what.

  Creena snuggled into my side, pulling the blanket up and around us. “I like this. All of us just sitting here.”

  “I like it too,”
I murmured even though I was still on edge.

  Angel threw a slab of wood into the makeshift fire pit, his gaze flicking to mine. He gave me a curt nod.

  I nodded back.

  Everyone was with their respective others while Lian and Henley stood off to the side. I had told them to take a breather but they refused. Family came first, they had said. I had asked them about their girl but all they told me was that she would understand.

  Watching our friends was surreal. I was never close with my previous team. I tried reaching out but a guy could only handle getting a door slammed in his face so many times before he gave up.

  Coby and Brogan didn’t speak much while Dale kept Max close to his side. Angel and Jay talked amongst themselves. Asher and Meeka sat on a blanket laid out on the ground beneath them with him massaging her lower back.

  This was nice. It was needed but the tension hanging in the air, still threatened to choke us. Just once I would like to have one of these parties and not worry that our loved ones would be taken from us. We needed to relax, but I didn’t know how.

  “What’s wrong?” Creena asked, turning her body toward me.

  “Just thinking how beautiful you are.” It was cheesy but the smile it pulled from her lips was damn worth it.

  “We used to have fires like this in our backyard when I was a kid.” She pushed a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. “Until my parents died. I forgot what this was like. If I could go back to those moments and take you with me, I would.”

  My heart skipped a beat. Sienna had meant everything to me only because she was the mother of our daughter but with Creena, this was more. I knew she would be a wonderful mother to Luna.

  “Every summer, I have at least one backyard party at my place,” I said. “I invite my sister, the kids, and even her dick of a husband.”

  Creena laughed. “And Luna?”

  “Definitely Luna.” I grinned through the tightness in my chest. I missed her. I missed her so fucking much but I did as my sister had asked and stayed away. I just wasn’t sure how much longer I could take it.