by Sam Crescent
“He didn’t move out any of the other women,” she said.
“That’s because they don’t matter. Half of the women are there for the easy life. All they’ve got to do is give up their bodies to the men, and they don’t have to do anything.”
“Apart from what they’re told,” she said.
“Again, not a bad life considering the alternative. The women know the score there. They’re not victims. They seek out the club, not the other way around.”
“I didn’t seek out the club. I was taken. Lord was supposed to kill me.” She squeezed her hands together. “I don’t know if I was supposed to tell you that.”
“Instead, Lord fell for you?”
“Lord didn’t fall for me. I’m…” Her cheeks started to heat. There was no way she could tell this stranger what uses Lord had for her.
“I can imagine what my good friend would say and do to get what he wanted,” Rancher said. “Lord’s rough around the edges. There was a time I didn’t think he had a heart, then I was proven otherwise.”
“How?”
“I’m here. Alive and well. Living a life I never thought possible. I’m here because of him. You’re here because of him.”
“You don’t have to sing his praises.” The last thing she wanted to hear right now was how good Lord could be. She wanted to hate him. It would be a lot easier if she did. Even when he said he couldn’t get rid of her, he had.
“You love him?”
She looked up at Rancher. “I don’t know what I feel.”
“I’m guessing you hate him a great deal right now.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She picked some more runner beans and decided she’d ruined that plant enough for now, and so she went to go and use some of the peas. Betty had given her a list of vegetables that were needed for the next couple of days. Being out in the garden wasn’t something she considered fun, but it beat being in the house missing Lord. At least outside, she could pretend to live a normal life.
“He’s a hard man to love.”
“It’s just an arrangement,” she said.
“You’re pissed at him?”
She snapped off a few pods and threw them into the basket with the other beans. “You really want to talk to me?”
“I consider Lord a good friend. I worry about him.”
“Then why don’t you go and help him? I know this stuff with the Skull Nation is getting to him.” Even as she wanted to hate Lord, she couldn’t help but be worried about him. Who wouldn’t be? The life he led brought nothing but danger.
There was no way she could help him. She hadn’t been able to help herself.
“It’s not my place. I just don’t want you thinking bad of him. He’s doing this for your own good and what’s more, the fact you’re the only one he moved speaks volumes.”
She stared at him for several seconds but didn’t say a word.
“I’ll let you get back to your picking.” He nodded at her and then left the garden. Alone with her thoughts, she blew out a breath.
Snapping each new pea pod, she filled her bucket and then carried them into the kitchen where Betty waited with a sink full of water.
Tipping the food into the sink, she sank her hands in and started to wash them. She placed them on the clean drainer and waited to see how Betty handled them.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Did you send your husband to talk to me?”
“Nah. Rancher has a tendency to do whatever the hell he wants. I didn’t ask for him to quit the club the way he did. He just wanted to start a fresh life for me. I was pregnant at the time and they’d just had an attack on the compound. It shook him up.”
Ally paused. “Really?”
“The clubhouse gets attacked. Not all fights are at businesses. It was a long day because after the attack, I got these pains. I’d never felt them before. The doctor put me on bed rest. I nearly lost the baby. Rancher blamed himself, of course. To him, you can’t have the club and kids.”
Ally wiped at her forehead.
“I never wanted him to leave as I know there are times he worries, even now. At least we’re able to do his for him. Lord is a good man.” Betty frowned and laughed. “I know it’s really hard for me to say that in one sentence, but he is. Don’t get on his bad side. Then you’re in real trouble. The club will always hold his loyalty.”
Ally took a deep breath. “Why are you and Rancher doing this? I’m not going to leave Lord.”
“I know it can be challenging, falling for a hard man. There is always goodness in them.”
She thought back to what she witnessed within the first twenty-four hours of being in Lord’s company. He’d killed a man, threatened her life, and then gave her a chance to earn her freedom.
Do you even want to be free?
Having sex with someone for the first time didn’t mean anything. Women gave up their virginity all the time.
“I’ve upset you?” Betty asked.
“No. I’m … worried. I haven’t heard from him today. I know he only dropped me off yesterday, but I’m still concerned.”
What if the Skull Nation attacked the clubhouse? Lord could be dying right this second and she wouldn’t know.
“Do you think I could call him? Talk to him?” she asked.
“Sure. We’ve got his number.” Betty wiped her hands on a towel and disappeared. Ally finished washing the last of the beans, followed by the pea pods when Betty returned. She had a phone in one hand and a number in the other. “We’ve never used this number. I don’t know if it’s working. Rancher would be the best one to tell you, but you could try it.”
She took the cell phone and the number. “Thank you. Do you mind if I … go?”
“Of course. Go right ahead. I’ll still be working on these when you’re done.” Betty smiled.
Ally made her way to the spare bedroom.
Calling Lord, was it desperate? She missed him and the clubhouse. Even with all the people who couldn’t stand her.
She typed the number into the phone and waited for a second before pressing the button to activate the call.
Chapter Ten
They’d gotten a few leads. Lord knew where the Skull Nation VP was hiding out. The other club had spread out, trying to remain untouchable, invisible. They didn’t know how capable the Straight to Hell MC really were. Once Lord got his hands on the VP, he’d torture him, make an example of the fucker. He’d let him call for backup, then the real party would get started.
Their businesses up north had been cleaned up and he had extra men patrolling to ensure their enemies didn’t try to infiltrate again. Lord wasn’t ready to hand over one of his cash cows on a silver platter. He’d die before he let his enemies get the better of his club.
Tank and Tarmac had been making bullets on their presses for the past few days straight. They were ready for Armageddon. The amount of lead they’d stockpiled was impressive. The boys were getting ready. They were riding out after sunset.
Lord sat in his office. Alone. He didn’t want anyone near him now. He needed to stay focused on tonight, but it was next to impossible when he kept thinking of Ally. She was supposed to be temporary, not take over his whole world. No one had to tell him, even though he’d never experienced it before … he was falling in love. And his love was unlike any other man’s. It was deep and dark, had a life of its own. Just thinking of her made his entire body come alive. His heart would beat faster and his gray mood would improve.
He was thinking of stupid bullshit that he had no right to be thinking. What would happen to her if he got killed? Who’d take care of her?
No one had ever put him first. His childhood was a shitstorm that started his road into trouble and crime. But now Ally had become his everything. He lived and breathed for that slip of a girl and there was nothing he could do to backtrack his feelings now.
His cell went off. Lord leaned back in his office chair, the hinge giving a slight squeak. It was an old n
umber he vaguely remembered. One he’d given to Rancher a long time ago. Why would he call from that number and not his new one?
Was there trouble?
He sat up straight, bringing the phone to his ear. “Rancher?”
The line was dead.
He tensed, his jaw twitching. A hundred horrific scenarios played in his head.
Rather than drive himself crazy, he dialed back the number.
It kept ringing, stirring his anxiety into overdrive.
“Hello?”
It was her voice. The perfect, musical voice of his little virgin. She was alive.
“Are you okay?”
Silence.
“Ally? Answer me now.”
“I’m sorry for calling. I know it’s only been a day. I’m sorry,” she said.
“Why’d you hang up?”
“I didn’t want you to think I was being clingy. I don’t want to push you away more because it seems I’m already very good at that.”
“You’re not pushing me away, baby. I’m just keeping you safe. But, trust me, I haven’t stopped thinking of you.”
“Really?” More silence. “When will I see you again? I keep thinking something horrible is happening. I hate being here not knowing anything.”
“Soon.”
“I need you, Lord.”
The yearning in her voice only mirrored how he felt. How was he supposed to focus tonight with his mind on Ally and his cock hard for her?
He didn’t think long. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said. “Meet me in the lane behind the barn. Wear a skirt with no panties.”
He hung up the phone and mentally kicked himself. This had to be his secret or the boys would call him pussy-whipped. He felt like a love-sick teenager, but there was no doubt he had to see Ally. Last night, in bed alone, he’d had too much time with his own thoughts. He needed her by his side. She was healing. Innocent. She chased away his demons without even realizing it.
Now he’d promised himself as much as her that they’d be together within the hour. No backing out now. He was an idiot, always taking risks to be with Ally.
Lord headed out to his bike. The sky was clear, the sun reflecting off the chrome. This would be a short and sweet trip. He’d be back long before they had to get ready for tonight. Seeing her would give him enough peace until he had her back at the club again.
He kicked his bike to life, the purr stirring his body. Reaper approached him before he could escape unseen. “You need someone to ride with you?”
“Not this time. I won’t be long.”
His enforcer raised a brow. “You’re seeing her, aren’t you?”
He revved his engine. “Rally the men as we planned. I’ll be back in time.” Then he rode off without further explanation.
He didn’t understand why Rancher would leave the club. Lord didn’t understand love. Couldn’t understand sacrificing everything for one woman.
Now he knew exactly what his old friend had gone through.
He craved the same thing with Ally, only he couldn’t give up his club. Lord needed to find a balance between the two, and the biggest obstacle would be keeping Ally safe. In his world, enemies sought out weaknesses. The greatest target was a loved one. They could be used against you, make you weak. Lord had done the same thing for many of his enemies. Ally was in his life for this reason alone. He wanted to make her father suffer, to exact revenge for his lack of loyalty. Now he had to protect her from men just like himself.
The lane was unpaved, so he slowed down his bike as he neared Rancher’s back gate. Just the anticipation of seeing Ally make his cock stir in his jeans.
He hoped she was there waiting for him.
He needed her.
There were overgrown trees in the way, so he couldn’t see if she was near the gate. As he pulled closer, he noticed her outline in the shadow of a new outbuilding that hadn’t been there before.
He parked next to the shed and cut his engine.
It had only been twenty-four hours. He shouldn’t crave her this much. It felt like she’d been away from him for weeks or months, not hours.
Lord braced an arm on the low split rail fence and hopped over. He approached her, slowly, cautiously.
“You came.”
“It’s okay, Ally. I wasn’t stupid enough to come straight here. I wasn’t followed.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
He cupped her face and kissed her. It felt like their first kiss all over again—deep and addicting. She tasted sweet and he wanted more.
“I couldn’t keep away,” he whispered against her lips.
“Good.”
He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her flush to his body. Her soft curves pressed against his hardness.
“They treating you right here?” he asked
She nodded, toying with the buttons on his cut.
“You behaving yourself? Keeping safe?”
“I want to come home,” she said.
His insecurities must run deep. “Where’s home?”
She scowled, a look of confusion on her face. “With you. At the club.”
He exhaled. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. When she used to talk about leaving or returning to her old life, it made him anxious because he couldn’t lose her. He was keeping her regardless, but knowing it was her choice to stay was the ultimate high.
“I want you there too. Tonight, we’re riding out, cleaning up some shit.”
“Will it be dangerous?”
“Don’t worry about me, Ally. I’m invincible, remember?”
“You’re not.” She ran her fingertips along the scar beside his blind eye. Normally, a touch like that would make him see red. She broke down all his barriers.
He kissed her hard on the mouth, walking her backward until she was pinned to the new shed. Lord raked his fingers into the hair behind her neck, holding her in place as they kissed. With his free hand, he reached low between them to see if she’d followed his instructions.
Her pussy was nice and smooth, no panties in his way. He impaled two fingers hard into her cunt and she gasped into his mouth. “Do you like that?” His words sounded rough, like a man on the edge. He felt like a fucking man out of prison for the first time in twenty years.
“Yes.” She breathed the words, barely above a whisper. “I want you inside me.”
Ally was playing with fire. She had no idea how pent-up he felt.
He unbuckled and attempted to get his jeans open, but her little hands were there trying to help, hindering his progress. By the time he released his cock, he groaned with relief. She wrapped her hand possessively around his length.
Lord grabbed her wrist to stop her. “I’m too far gone for that, baby.” He hoisted her up against the building, immediately seeking out her entrance. She was wet, so he easily impaled her to the hilt. She cried out, squeezing his shoulders, and he rammed into her hard and fast. Her tight little pussy felt like heaven wrapped around his dick.
“Oh, God, Lord. That feels so good.”
“You’re all mine, Ally. Mine to fuck. Mine to keep.”
“Yes, I’m yours.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he began to thrust inside her. He felt whole having her in his grasp.
“Take it all, baby.” He fucked her deep, holding each thigh just under her ass.
“Give it to me.”
****
Each time Lord thrust inside her, he rubbed against her clit. Over and over, the stimulation had her close to orgasm. As she’d waited alone near the back gate, the drone of crickets her only company, her mind had been a whirlwind of thoughts and desires. She could already feel him, smell him, and once she saw him ride up on his Harley, her pussy throbbed in anticipation.
He was her everything.
Once her captor, now her only love.
His big, hard body made her feel safe. The scent of his cologne mixed with the leather of his cut was unique to him. As their bodies molded together, his cock connecti
ng them intimately, she felt whole. She didn’t want to live a life without Lord. Looking back, she wasn’t even sure how she managed.
He took care of her, made her feel beautiful and wanted.
Right now, even though he wasn’t taking his time, it still felt like they were making love. Every time they kissed, she always felt a unique passion between them. The entire world went away and it was just the two of them.
He kissed her as he fucked her, his tongue claiming her mouth. Lord devoured her, body and soul. His rough stubble scraped her face, his big hands squeezing her ass as he supported most of her weight.
“I need you, Lord.”
Her breathing became labored. She was so close to coming but tried to hold off. She wanted this day to last forever. Nothing was ever guaranteed in his world.
“Come for me, Ally. Come now!”
His growled words and forceful tone brought her over that edge, and she couldn’t hold off for another second. She allowed herself to embrace her orgasm, waves of heat and energy racing through her core.
Lord rammed into her, the entire shed buckling. With his final groan, he filled her with his seed, his cock throbbing on and on.
He exhaled, his shoulders briefly resting against her. “I haven’t stopped thinking of you since I dropped you off yesterday. It killed me to leave you behind. The bedroom was too quiet, too lonely without you beside me in bed.”
Every word he spoke was music to her ears. After what Rancher and Betty had told her, she should believe that Lord loved her. All the signs pointed to it. But she still had doubts and nagging insecurities. Hearing the truth from Lord’s own mouth made her feel complete, wanted.
“Same here. I cried myself to sleep last night. I felt like you just wanted me gone. I’m the only one you sent away.”
“Because you’re the only one who matters.” He lowered her down to her feet and buttoned his jeans.
“Are you leaving again?” She knew the answer but didn’t want to believe it. There was always that hope inside her.
“We have to ride out tonight. I just needed to see you before then.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. He stroked her hair. It felt so good that she closed her eyes, trying to hear his heartbeat. It was too tempting to tell him everything on her mind.