by Erin Trejo
“Yeah. They all seem so defensive and not so much family like anymore,” she says.
I bring my beer to my lips and sigh. I never thought that she’d sense it too, but she was around a lot. If anyone would notice it, it would be her.
“They don’t seem very friendly,” Chip adds.
“We stay to ourselves. We don’t give them a reason to get pissed at us and we’re good. I just want information then we’re outta here,” I remind them. Chip nods and Harper snuggles into me. As I watch my old life flash before my eyes, I wonder what happened to them.
Chapter 20
Harper
I sit right at the edge of the tree line looking at the same trees that I used to run through to go between my place and Lynx’s. I’d never felt so much fear and happiness mixed together in my life. I feared going home, but even more than that, I found myself so damn happy with Lynx at my side.
“Remembering the good times?” I glance up and smile at Chip before he sits next to me.
“Things were different back then. Some days were good others scared the hell out of me,” I admit.
“Isn’t that life?”
“I suppose.”
“I wanted to ask you something. I don’t know much about this lifestyle but I heard some of the guys talking. I guess they thought I went with Lynx,” he starts to say something more but cuts himself off. I turn to face him, not understanding.
“What? What did they say?” I can tell by looking at him that there’s something wrong. “Chip?”
“They were…they said, uh…things about hurting you. That Lynx wasn’t one of them anymore and his dad is on the way back. Someone told him he was here.”
“What?” I gasp as I stand to my feet. What does that mean? I know his dad didn’t like me, but to go as far as to hurt me? I didn’t think he would do that. I know him and Lynx didn’t always get along either, but I never thought he would say those things about him. “Are you sure?”
Chip stands, wiping his jeans as he does. Standing next to me, he leans closer. “Uh, I don’t know for sure but I think his dad just pulled in,” he says, nodding toward the clubhouse.
As soon as I look my heart sinks. I can hear the yelling and I damn sure can make out the words.
“We need to run,” I tell Chip in a hurry. He must have heard them too. Grabbing my hand, he drags me through the trees. We both run as fast as we can when the house comes into view. I stop in my tracks, assaulted by the memories that plagued me for years.
“We need to go, Harper!” he hisses but I can’t move.
“Always such a pretty little girl,” he said as his fingers lingered on my cheek. His eyes were unfocused and dancing all over my face. When he leaned in I almost vomited. He saw the struggle. His fingers dug into my cheek, breaking the flesh until blood slowly trickled down my cheek.
“Little bitch!” he roared right before he pulled back and punched me. It hit so hard that I blacked out. When I woke up, I was sore all over, my body and head ached. When I looked down and he was passed out on my chest, I did throw up. He didn’t wake, not even when I dragged myself out from under him and hid in the shower for hours.
I hear myself groaning only to find a hand clamp over my mouth. I’m about to fight and scream when I hear Chip’s voice.
“It’s okay, don’t scream,” he whispers. I nod my head letting him know that I’m okay. That is until I look around the room.
“No. I can’t stay in here, Chip. You don’t understand.” I almost scream again when he grabs me and pulls me into his lap. Holding me tightly, he pushes my head against his chest and rocks me like you would a baby. It’s soothing.
“I kind of figured out what this place was when you froze outside. I know you don’t want to be in here, but this is the first place I found to hide out.”
Reality slams into me. I did freeze out there. I thought I was over this. I thought I’d moved on from that fear, but it’s still there.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as tears slide down my cheeks.
“Don’t do that. I get it. The rest of the house is a mess so I figure the attic was best,” Chip adds. I nod my head but refuse to move out of his arms. I need that reassurance right now.
“I can’t believe they would do this,” I whisper.
“I don’t get it either. That Vic guy was so nice and open about shit.” I can hear the anger in his voice. I feel it too but I don’t know what to do.
“What are we going to do?”
“Wait until Lynx is back. I don’t know, Harper. This isn’t my specialty. Do we go to the cops?” he asks, not knowing what to do.
“No. Cops can’t help us now,” I say sadly. I do remember that much about the club. A majority of the cops are in their pocket.
“We can wait it out in here. I figure by morning Lynx will be back and see we’re gone.”
“What if that was the plan all along?” I gasp as tears continue to flow.
“I don’t know, honey. We’ll figure it out. Just rest, I’m awake. Okay?” I nod my head and snuggle into his chest but that does little to ease the ache inside of me.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep when a noise startles me. My eyes snap open to see a shadowy figure moving around in the darkness. I reach up and shake Chip, trying to get his attention. He must have fallen asleep too. My stomach tumbles and my heart near leaps out of my chest when I hear the growl.
“Lynx?” I ask softly. The shape inches closer until I can make out his face in the pale moonlight. “Oh my God,” I nearly yell when I catch sight of him. I leap from Chip’s hold and slam into Lynx. His arms wrap around me tightly, keeping me close. I can smell blood, but I don’t ask. I don’t want to know.
“You okay?” he whispers in my ear and I shiver. He chuckles.
“I am now.”
“You’re back,” Chip says through a yawn. “How’d you know where to find us?” he asks, shifting so he can sit up straighter.
“You had my girl in your lap,” Lynx growls again.
“Yeah, discussion for later. Right now we need to know what the fuck is happening,” Chip says in a calm tone.
“Why are you not freaking out?” I ask curiously.
“He made one too many jokes in the pen about havin’ you on his lap,” Lynx says in an evil tone.
“You what?”
“It was a joke. I was just trying to rile him up. It worked too,” Chip smirks.
“Yeah it did. I busted your fuckin’ lip. Need a repeat?”
“Stop. I froze up when I saw the house. How did you know we were here?”
“Taught you well, baby. Taught both you well. Keep your enemies close. When I heard a few of the guys talkin’ about how you took off I knew somethin’ was wrong.”
“You’re bleeding!” I nearly scream when I feel the warmth touch my fingers. Lynx closes his mouth over mine, kissing me speechless.
“I’m fine but we need to go,” he says softly.
“No shit. They were planning on hurting her,” Chip tells him. I can feel Lynx’s body vibrating.
“Yeah, well they won’t be,” he hisses. “Let’s go while they’re out lookin’.”
Chapter 21
Lynx
I close my eyes trying to drown out the sound of the bar next door. We hauled ass out of Texas and back to Tennessee. I wanted as far from there as possible but I still didn’t have much to go on. I had friends that I called in a marker with to get us back here but my mind hasn’t eased once. If they found us once, they will again. The problem is I’m still not sure who it is.
“Are you okay?” Harper asks, looking up at me.
I open my eyes and shake my head, peering down at where her head rests on my chest. “I don’t like this shit. I don’t know why they did this,” I tell her. When I went out with Vic, he left. He took off saying he had something to check out and left me with the others. That’s when shit changed. They jumped my ass, beating the fuck out of me until I thought that was it. I thought that’s ho
w I’d die. When I got ahold of that knife, they were sorry. I guessed I learned something while on the inside.
“Isn’t it pretty obvious?” she asks almost sounding disgusted with me.
“No it isn’t. I’ve never done shit to them but be a loyal soldier, Harper. None of this makes sense to me.”
Harper shifts and sits up next to me, her face a maddened mess. “Your dad wants me killed, Lynx! They beat you, what more do you need to be sure?” she screams louder at me. The back door pops open and she jolts, but it’s just Chip and Stan bringing food and drinks. They set the bags down before pulling up some chairs and glaring at us where we still sit on the bed they brought in for us.
“What do we need to do?” Chip asks first. I chuckle and sit up now.
“Nothin’. I’m callin’ in some back up and I’ll handle this,” I tell him.
“You don’t need them, you got us. What are we doing?” he asks again.
“No, Chip. This isn’t about you. This isn’t your fight.”
“You’re my best friend! This is my fight. You remember saving my ass more than once in there? Let me fucking return the favor, Lynx.”
I can see the look in his eyes and I hate that it’s there. I nod my head once and blow out a breath. What we lived through while in the pen bonded us in a way that is closer than what I had at the MC. Chip is truly my brother and won’t let me fight alone.
“They’ll come. How they know we’re here? I don’t fuckin’ know, but they will. We need to be ready for that shit. We need to keep our eyes open and never walk around alone. They’ll use that against us,” I tell them. Chip nods keeping himself hardened. That’s the man I met inside. The man who sits in front of me now.
“Any idea at all?” he asks.
“None. I went Nomad as soon as I got out. I didn’t have any issues with them.”
“Your dad always hated you, Lynx,” Harper says softly. I sigh, pulling her back down to sit with me.
“Enough to kill me?” I ask her. She shrugs.
“Doesn’t matter. Either way they started shit and we need to finish it. You guys need to rest tonight. Tomorrow, we make a plan. Lure them in?” Stan asks, looking between us.
I run my hand through my hair wondering how we do that. I don’t know exactly who we’re messing with.
“You’re right. We need to rest and think this over. They ain’t comin’ today but we need to figure it out,” I yawn as I look over at Chip. He nods his head and him and Stan stand to leave.
“You sure you should be staying here next to the bar?” he asks me. I nod.
“Yeah, we don’t need any more shit comin’ to your place, man. We’ll be alright here,” I tell him pulling Harper closer to me. I lean my face down into her hair and inhale her scent. God, I need this woman. I hate that I love her so much. I hate that my life is now threatening hers.
“Do you think Vic has something to do with this?” She asks the question that has lingered in the back of my mind since we left that place.
I knew it was a mistake going back there yet I thought I had a friend in Vic. He’s never done anything to make me think otherwise, but now I’m wondering if I’m wrong and have been wrong this whole time. And why in the fuck would he betray me like that? Or was there ever any true friendship and brotherhood between us?
“I don’t wanna think he did,” I say hoarsely. “But there’s just too much coincidence. How did they know where I was? Vic knew. Goddamnit, I fuckin’ brought him right to you!” Anger courses through my veins when I move to stand up. I pace the floor, clenching my hands into fists. I want to rip those assholes apart. I want to watch them bleed, but how the hell do I do that when one of them is my best fucking friend? How could he have betrayed me like this? I don’t pay attention to what Harper is doing until I turn to look at her and see she’s naked. Her long red hair hangs around her shoulders, her eyes dark and hooded.
“What are you doin’?”
“What’s it look like?”
“You know someone wants to hurt you and you stand there naked?” I couldn’t hide the lust in my voice if I had to. The woman knows what she does to me. She drives me crazy, she turns me on, she fucks with my head.
“Those things aren’t important right now,” she purrs, moving toward me slowly.
“Someone could come in here, Harper.”
“Then I’d die happy, Lynx.”
As soon as she’s in front of me, I lean down, sucking her nipple into my mouth. Harper shivers but she started this. Lifting her in my arms quickly, she wraps her legs around my waist. Walking her to the counter, I set her down gently before kissing her lips. Each touch of her sends my heart into overdrive. Each soft caress has me on edge. I pull away from her, listening to her whine. Begging for my touch. I chuckle before grabbing the stool and pulling it over.
“What are you doing?” she whines.
“I’m about to eat,” I growl before moving in. As soon as my ass hits the stool, I pull her pussy lips apart and dive in. My tongue slowly slides over her clit as I listen to her gasp. Harper lies down on the counter and I get to work. Slipping a finger inside of her, I suck her clit into my mouth. Slow, soft strokes keep her on edge. I work my finger in and out of her, keeping my tongue flicking over her clit. I bend my finger, rotate my hand, and get deeper inside of her. Pants come from her lips as I draw her closer to her orgasm.
“Lynx!” Harper cries out just as she comes.
I keep my tongue there to clean up any that leaks out of her before standing up. Harper pushes up on her elbows, eyeing me as she catches her breath. I lean over her, sticking my soaking wet fingers into her mouth. She sucks them in, curls her tongue around them and moans.
“You like that?” I ask her. She just moans louder. I pull my fingers free before stripping out of my clothes. As soon as I’m naked her eyes are on me.
“What do you want?” I ask as I stroke my cock.
She keeps her eyes on my hand as I move it up and down. I can see the lust, smell the arousal. Fuck, this girl is going to kill me. Harper slides off the counter and straight to her knees. She leans in, pressing a kiss to my stomach causing me to suck in a breath. I run my fingers through her hair, slowly feeling the strands as they slip through my fingers. Harper’s hand comes up and wraps around my cock, slowly stroking me up and down.
“You gonna tease me or you gonna suck me?”
Harper gives me a long hard jerk and I nearly come in her hand. I grunt and groan until her lips touch the tip of my cock. My hips jerk, shoving into her throat. Harper moans around my cock, the vibrations rushing through me. I keep my hand wrapped up in her hand as I thrust into her sweet little mouth. Each suck, each thrust they both mingle together. I don’t know who belongs to who anymore. We’re one. When I feel myself getting closer, I pull out of her mouth. Lifting her quickly, I spin her around shove her over the stool and plunge into her.
“Hold on tight,” I grunt. I watch her hands wrap around the legs of the stool as I pound into her. Her ass shakes, her body bleeds into me. Everything about her is mine.
“Lynx! Shit!” she cries out as I thrust deeper. Each time my balls slap against her body, I feel that much closer to her. I need this right now because I know something bad is going to happen and there’s no way in fuck I’m going to let them hurt her. Running my hand down her back, she arches into me. With my free hand I slap her ass roughly, watching the print turn red before I groan. It’s too much. She’s too much. I come hard, filling her with everything I have.
Chapter 22
Harper
Lynx is always on edge. It’s been three months since we went back to Texas. Every day we move. We’ve keep moving. I hate it. I wanted to stay with Josie but I couldn’t tell him no. I couldn’t leave him again. It almost crushed me last time we were apart. I won’t let that happen again. So, we travel. We do what Lynx does. We’ve stayed at different clubhouses and some hotels. I’ve meet some interesting people on our journey. I’ve also been afraid. What’s t
aking them so long? What are they after?
“Stop fidgetin’,” Lynx says. I look over and smirk at him but he isn’t smiling.
“Lighten up!”
“Really? Lighten up when I know what’s out there?”
This is how he’s been since the minute we left Tennessee. He’s on edge and very irritable. I reach over and grab his hand, clasping it mine. I squeeze it hard, keeping it there.
“You have been like this for months. They haven’t found us, Lynx. We’re okay.”
“For how long, Harper? How long until that changes, huh?”
“Lynx, really? Calm down. Aren’t you happy that we’re together?” I see his resolve slowly slip away. His eyes brighten if only a little. He pulls me into his lap, holding me against his chest.
“You have no idea how happy I am to have you back, Harper. I just hate that this is us now. I didn’t want you to have to leave your friends,” he whispers as he presses kisses down my neck.
“Then let’s go back. They haven’t showed up there and they haven’t bothered us out here. Maybe they gave up,” I say trying to sound positive, but inside, in that secret place I don’t want to give a voice, I know they haven’t. They’re waiting for something but I’m not sure what. I can feel it deep inside. I watch the internal struggle in his eyes. I know he wants to go back and help Chip. I know he wants to be there as much as I do. It’s hard for Lynx to express himself most times but I can feel it.
“What if they show up?” he asks softly and I shrug.
“Then we deal with it. Do you really want to run your whole life?”
Lynx shifts under me, pulling my face so that I’m looking directly at him. “The only place I wanna run is to you, Harper. I never want to lose you again. If you really wanna go back, we’ll go.”
A smile slips across my face as I lean in and press my lips to his. To say I’m excited is an understatement. I’m past that. I never really had a home before, but I found one in Nashville with Josie. My job was amazing and she was the best friend I’ve ever had.