by Harley Wylde
“Thanks. Let’s go get her.”
He nodded and told the pilot to take off. It was the longest fucking flight of my life, but I was thankful someone had thought about transportation when we reached our destination. Several SUVs were waiting. I didn’t know where the command center was located, but I wanted to get there quickly and figure out how I was getting Pepper back.
There were pictures pinned to the hotel room walls. I didn’t know who was paying for all this shit and didn’t care. They could take it from my account, as long as Pepper was safe, that’s all that mattered. I saw the surveillance pictures from when Galetti had taken Louis, and the new ones showed my sweet Pepper tied to a chair. Her face was bloody and there were more bruises on her arms than had been there previously. I hadn’t even realized I’d fisted my hands at my sides until my knuckles cracked.
Rocky made the introductions, but I barely heard their names. I didn’t give a shit what their names were, as long as they would save my Pepper. Every last fucker in this room was expendable, including me, if it meant she would go home. I needed to tell them my fear that she was pregnant, but the words were stuck in my throat.
I tried to focus long enough to hear the plan and remember my part. My gaze kept straying to those pictures and my heart ached. Galetti was going to die. I’d make certain of it. I didn’t give a shit who took his place, but anyone who came after my family was going to pay in blood. Pepper was my old lady, and I’d damn sure marry her one day. Assuming I lived long enough. Nothing was guaranteed in life, especially in my life. Flirting with the darkness, doing illegal shit, always came with a price. I’d been willing to pay it thus far, but I had a family to think about now. I’d always had my brothers, and they were family even if they weren’t blood, but now I had a woman and possibly a kid to think about.
“I think Pepper’s pregnant,” I said, the words coming out soft, but they almost seemed to echo in the quietness of the room.
“That asshole has my daughter and my grandkid?” Sarge asked.
“Yep. Think so. Don’t know for certain, but…” I shrugged. I wasn’t about to tell the entire room that I thought she’d missed her period. Pepper would have my balls if I embarrassed her like that.
“Shit,” Rocky muttered. “All right. Let’s move the fuck out. Get Pepper out of the building at all cost, and do it gently. Once she’s clear, we’re taking down every last one of the fuckers.”
One of Rocky’s friends and one of the Savage Knights both dropped bags onto the bed. They unzipped them and started passing out guns. I’d packed my own and retrieved them, noticing that Tex had brought his as well, and so had Sarge. I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. It was time to get my woman back.
Galetti’s building was only a few miles from the command center. It was in a secluded area, which meant we didn’t have to worry about civilian casualties. Small blessing, but I’d take it. Tex, Sarge, and I waited while Rocky and his men took care of the perimeter. When they gave the all clear, we approached the building, our guns gripped and ready to fire.
Using one of the dead men’s keycards, Rocky opened the doors and we crept inside. Two men were within our sights and went down quickly, each receiving a fatal headshot from the men at my sides. When we got to the elevator, I remembered what Rocky had said before. I checked for a scanner and saw it required a handprint. I dragged one of the bodies inside and used the asshole’s print to gain access, then pressed the button for the top floor.
Before the doors shut, the others joined me, including Casper. The Savage Knights accessed another elevator and piled inside. When we reached Galetti’s floor, he was ready for us, a gun pressed to Pepper’s head. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and her cheek was turning black. She was holding her mouth funny and I hoped like hell he hadn’t broken her jaw.
“I knew you’d come,” Galetti said. “One more step, and your precious Pepper will have her brains splattered everywhere.”
I focused on my woman, knowing the others were watching Galetti.
“Baby girl, look at me,” I said.
She lifted her chin, but I could tell she was having trouble focusing. My poor baby had been beaten to hell. My throat grew tight as I looked at her.
“Pepper, you’re getting out of here. You hear me?”
She nodded.
Galetti laughed, but he wasn’t laughing for long. Casper had done that shit where he hid in the darkness and he’d crept around behind the man. He nailed Galetti in the head with the butt of his rifle. The asshole fell to the floor with a groan, but he was still awake. Casper nodded for me to get Pepper. I rushed to her side and unfastened her. She collapsed into my arms, unable to hold herself upright anymore.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart. We’re getting out of here, okay?”
I pressed a kiss to her temple and walked straight to the elevator. Sarge gave me a look that let me know he’d handle Galetti personally. Tex rode down with me, along with two of the Savage Knights.
“Your club ever needs anything, I’m there,” I said.
“We don’t tolerate the abuse of women,” the one called Seeker said. “He’d have killed her.”
“And your kid,” the other said, the name Doc stitched on his cut.
Pepper made a gurgling sound and I looked down at her. Her breath rattled and a trickle of blood slid from the corner of her mouth.
“Shit,” Doc muttered. “She’s worse off than I thought.”
He pulled a phone from his pocket and made a call. I didn’t pay much attention, too busy watching Pepper, and making sure she was still breathing. I heard sirens when we exited the building and tensed, but Doc placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Easy. No one’s going to prison. I have some connections around here. Called a bus for your girl.”
“Bus?” I asked.
“Ambulance,” he clarified. “The ER doctor is a friend. He’ll take care of her. If any questions are asked, he knows how to make this shit disappear. You’ll be in good hands.”
The ambulance pulled up and the paramedics took Pepper from me. I rode along with her, not wanting to leave her side for a second. I didn’t give a shit what happened to Galetti and any men he had left. I knew my brothers and the other men would take care of the problem. No one was leaving that building alive unless they were on our side. Right now, Pepper was my main focus.
Everything happened in a blur when we got the hospital. The doctor let me stay with her. I tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but I was holding onto Pepper’s hand and willing her to stay with me. When they cut her clothes from her, the bruises lining her body made me want to scream and beat the hell out of someone.
“Broken rib,” the doc said. “Maybe two of them.”
“Your friend, Doc, said she was pregnant,” I said, worried that the hospital wouldn’t check and might harm the baby. “I don’t know how he knew. I’d said she might be, but he sounded one hundred percent certain.”
“We’ll do a test before we order any X-rays or anything that could harm the baby. But knowing Doc, he’s probably right. He has an uncanny ability to look at someone and know something is wrong, and if he tells you that you have a certain ailment, you likely do. Never seen anything like it.”
I nodded.
It felt like days passed, but the clock showed it had only been hours. They confirmed Pepper was pregnant. She also had two broken ribs, two missing teeth, her jaw was bruised and swollen but thankfully not broken, a black eye, more bruises on her body than I wanted to count, and two of her fingers had been broken. The ER staff patched her up and made her comfortable. When Sarge walked in, I knew that Galetti had been handled.
I relayed everything I’d learned about Pepper’s condition, and left to get some coffee while Sarge sat with his daughter. I knew he needed a moment with her, and I honestly needed to clear my head a bit. After getting the shittiest coffee I’d ever had, I stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air. Or as fresh as it got in Vegas.
&nbs
p; “They’re all dead,” Rocky confirmed, coming to stand next to me. “Savage Knights said they’d handle the cleanup. Once your girl is cleared, we can go home.”
“She’s pregnant. They confirmed it,” I said. “I damn near lost her and my kid today.”
“But you didn’t.” Rocky slapped me on the back. “Whatever Pepper needs, we’re here. She’s one of us, Flicker, and you know we’d all die to protect her. Mara has already called to see if she’s okay. The ladies will be more than happy to help care for her when we get home.”
“Thanks.”
He gave a nod and went back inside. I finished the sludge the hospital called coffee, then went back to Pepper. They were going to move her to a room when one was available, and wanted to keep her for at least a day or two for observation. I knew they wouldn’t hold onto her too long since everything was being swept under the rug, so to speak, but I also knew they wanted to make sure she’d be all right when she left. I was so damn thankful to everyone who had helped not only retrieve her, but those at the hospital who were making sure she healed. That she lived.
Without Pepper, I was nothing. If anything happened to her, they’d have to bury me right next to her. I might not have known her long, but she was my entire fucking world.
Epilogue
Pepper
Six months later
I watched Flicker outside the window, pacing and smoking a cigarette. He’d promised to quit, but I noticed when he was stressed he couldn’t seem to resist. My ribs were still tender, but the rest of me had healed nicely, and I was starting to look like I’d swallowed a basketball. The kid inside of me was fucking huge, and I was getting worried our son was going to split me in half when he was born. We hadn’t decided on a name yet, but there was still time.
“If he’s this bad now, wait until you go into labor,” Ridley said.
“No kidding.” I smiled as Flicker paced by the window again. He hadn’t wanted to leave my side for a second since he’d found me in Vegas. Even though Ridley, Mara, and Darian were visiting, and he’d given us space, he hadn’t been able to walk away from the house. It was starting to drive his brothers crazy, and they’d been giving him shit over it.
“Any word from Sarge about his mystery lady?” Mara asked.
“You mean Lily?” I asked. “He won’t talk about her. I’m not really sure what happened between them, but it’s obvious something did. He’s constantly pissed-off these days, and while he still goes to the diner, he sits in another section, then just stares at her.”
“Not creepy at all,” Darian said, then laughed. “He’s going to chase her off for sure.”
“How are you feeling?” Ridley asked.
“Swollen. Achy. But it’s all from the pregnancy. Everything else is fine. My ribs still hurt a little, but Doctor Myron said those would take some time to heal completely.”
“I think we’re about to be evicted,” Mara muttered.
Sure enough, the front door opened and slammed shut. Flicker stood in the living room doorway, folded his arms over his chest, and glared at my guests. He was so damn adorable. Not that I’d dare tell him that.
“Out,” he said, jerking his head toward the front door.
Mara and Darian patted his arm as they passed, but Ridley stopped in front of him.
“She might put up with your surliness, but I won’t. Treat her right or I’ll kick your ass.” Ridley flipped him off and followed the others outside.
Flicker narrowed his eyes in the direction of the women, then turned to face me.
“She’s a menace,” he said.
“You love her and you know it.”
He knelt in front of me, placing his hand on my belly. “I love you and our son. The others are tolerable.”
“What about Laken?” I asked.
“She’s a menace too.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. The day we’d come home from Vegas, Laken had already been in the house. She’d made a few dinners and stuffed them into the freezer so Flicker only had to reheat them. She’d also cleaned the house, changed the bed linens, and had some balloons for me. I hadn’t had a chance to spend much time with her because Flicker was always running her off, but she seemed sweet. I hoped once he calmed down that I could be friends with her. Even though I was healed, and would be delivering our son in the next few months, he still didn’t tolerate anyone in our home for more than fifteen to twenty minutes.
It would be cute if it weren’t so damn annoying.
“You feeling okay?” he asked.
“Never better.” Well, that was mostly true. Even though he constantly hovered, he hardly ever touched me intimately. It was almost like he was afraid I’d break. I’d put up with it so far, knowing that finding me so badly beaten had left him shaken. “Although, there is one spot I hurt a little.”
He tensed. “Where?”
I slowly slid my knit dress up my thighs and spread my legs. “Here,” I said, pointing to my pussy.
His heated gaze locked with mine, and that was all the warning I had. Whatever had held him back before didn’t seem to be an issue now. Flicker ripped my panties off, then gripped me tightly. He pulled my legs over his shoulders before his lips fastened on my clit. I nearly screamed from the intensity, it had been so long since he’d touched me like this. I was panting in minutes and ready to explode. He licked, sucked, and teased until I was ready to beg him to let me come.
“Please, Daniel. I feel so empty.”
“Come for me, sweetheart. Give me your cream, and then you can have my dick.”
“Daniel.” I gripped his hair, and then I was coming, so fucking hard. I screamed out my release, my body going tight as pleasure zinged through me from head to toe. He licked me until the last tremor shook me.
He quickly stood, shoving his pants down his thighs, then he was over me and filling me. He drove in hard and deep, just the way I liked it. I gripped his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his waist. It felt like forever since he’d taken me, given me all of him.
“I missed you, missed this,” he said, thrusting harder and deeper.
“I missed it too. Don’t make me wait ever again,” I said.
“I won’t. Christ! Pepper, you’re so damn tight. So fucking wet. I can’t last.”
He shifted so that he brushed my clit with every stroke and soon I was coming again. It seemed to be all he was waiting for. His grip tightened and he drove into me, fucking me like a man possessed. He roared as his cum shot into me, and still he kept fucking me. His cock didn’t even soften after his release, and Daniel didn’t slow down even a little.
He made me come twice more, and I was boneless with mind-numbing pleasure. I stroked his shoulders, his arms, murmuring nonsensical things as he continued to thrust into me. When he came a second time, I felt his cock jerk and twitch inside me. He was panting so hard it sounded like he’d run a marathon. Without separating our bodies, he lifted me and carried me down the hall. In the bedroom, he kicked the door shut, then somehow managed to get out of his boots and pants without dropping me. I helped him remove his shirt, then pulled my dress over my head and popped my bra clasp. Naked and sweaty, he carefully laid us down on the bed, grinding his pelvis against me.
“You sore?” he asked.
“No, and if I were, I wouldn’t tell you. I expect at least five more orgasms before morning. You owe me after keeping your distance.” I smiled and kissed his jaw. “Think you’re up for it?”
“I was giving you time. You were so badly injured, and pregnant. I was worried I’d hurt you.”
“Daniel, I’m fine. More than fine.”
The words had no sooner left my mouth than I felt him growing hard again. I couldn’t help but laugh and cling to him.
“I love you, Daniel. So fucking much.”
“Love you too, baby girl. More than anything in this world.”
“Then show me.”
He winked and did exactly that, all night long. Best. Night. Ever.
Di
xie Reapers
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing a copy of Flicker (Dixie Reapers MC)! I hope you enjoyed the book. For those of you who have read the series from the beginning, you know that Flicker’s story was long overdue. I had to pair him with just the right type of woman, and I think Pepper is perfect for him in every way. She can go toe to toe with him when necessary, but also knows when to let him take care of her. Flicker isn’t the last story in the series so stay tuned for more Dixie Reapers this year, as well as Devil’s Boneyard, and I plan to kick off Hades Abyss later in 2019 as well.
We hadn’t heard much about Sarge up until now, but if you’ve picked up Dixie Reapers MC -- Encounters (an Amazon exclusive), then you got a teensy taste in One Night Only. I have plans for Sarge, and the poor man just has no idea what’s heading his way. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
I appreciate your support! If you love the Dixie Reapers and Devil’s Boneyard as much as I do, please check out Harley’s Wyldlings on Facebook! We have a lot of fun in there, but be advised it is an adult group.
Until next time…
Harley
Playlist For Flicker
My playlists aren’t so much to set the scene, but more to motivate me to keep going. I’m not a morning person, but I do most of my writing before 8am. I’m addicted to Starbucks so the caffeine helps jump-start my brain, but sometimes I need something a little extra -- like music! You’ll notice a band below you may not be familiar with called Rock Sugar. I discovered those guys back around 2013. They do classic rock mashups (kind of like the girls in Pitch Perfect, where they combine songs). Check them out on Facebook if you get a chance!
These are the songs I listened to the most while working on Flicker:
I’m Not Jesus by Apocalyptica
Let it Go (Metal Cover) by Connor Engstrom
With You by Linkin Park
Bad Company by Five Finger Death Punch