Her face softens and she moves closer to me, “Have you slept with her?”
Why can’t she let this go?
“Only the once, but you’ve slept with Dean countless times I assume but I don’t bring it up cause we didn’t know each other then. You see where I’m going babe? We’ve both got a past we can’t change but we can change what happens next. I don’t want you to leave. If you want a councillor, talk to me and I’ll help you. ”
“Everyone knows what I was here, I can’t turn around without someone watching me.”
I pull her against me, more to make sure she can’t go nowhere but to make sure she hears me too.
“Everyone here used to be something they didn’t want to be and some still are, every brother and their old ladies have pasts they want to forget. You are not the only one, and they’re not watching you, they’re watching out for you,” I grind out, pointing out the difference.
Before she can put herself down anymore, I push my lips against hers and enjoy the warmth they create. She feels tense in my arms but she kisses me back before pushing me away.
“You shouldn’t want to kiss me.”
“I want to do more than kiss you, babe and unless I show you I don’t think you’ll ever believe me.”
A short burst of laughter escapes from her as I hike her up around my waist and walk her around the corner and out of sight.
Pushing her up against the wall, I loosen my grip on her and wipe her cheeks dry.
“I don’t want to see you cry again, if something upsets you, you come to me.”
Once she agrees I forget about words and show her how I feel about her.
Slamming my lips onto hers, I kiss her until my lungs burn from lack of oxygen. The harder she grinds against me the harder I become. She slips down from around my waist and her fingers nimbly undo my belt. As fast as she has my jeans undone, I have her skirt bunched up around her waist and I’m pulling her panties down past her thighs and let them fall to her ankles.
“Do you have a condom?” she asks, her blush visible in the darkness.
“I do,” I say, digging in my pocket for my wallet.
“Do you always keep one handy?” she giggles.
“Best to be prepared and protected,” I grin.
Her small giggle is a relief from her earlier angry outburst. I push her back against the wall and claim her lips again, her hand wraps around the base of my cock and when she squeezes, it sends me into overdrive. I have the condom on and lift her back up around my waist before she sees it coming.
“Are you ready for me?” I ask, my voice raspy.
She looks down at me and her eyes are on fire. She smiles and weaves her hands into my hair, pulling me towards her, she lightly kisses me before saying, “Yes, more than you know.”
I don’t need to be told twice, manoeuvring her higher a little, I push into her and immediately stop. We haven’t had any foreplay and I’m already fit to burst my load. She can’t understand my pause because she begins sliding up and down my cock and the more she moves, the more I lose my mind and can’t stop her. I don’t want to stop her. She feels so fucking good. The harder she rides me, the deeper she digs her thighs around my waist. Her grip on my hair becomes her lifeline as she finds her climax, I take over and pump into her like I can’t get enough of her and it doesn’t take me long before I’m releasing everything I have into her and holding onto her so I don’t crash to the ground.
Resting my forehead against hers, I try to get my breath back when it strikes me what’s actually just happened.
“Maybe you should hide in your mom’s trunk when she leaves otherwise I’m gonna have to go on the run. Your dad is going to kill me.”
Her giggle fills my ears and she slides back down to her feet.
“I won’t run if you won’t,” she says.
“Deal,” I grin, buckling my jeans back up.
After she’s righted herself, we walk back into the clubhouse separately and I leave her to talk to her parents alone, knowing I have to do the same very soon if I want to be with Kyla and remain alive.
“You owe me big time,” Sparky tells me as I take a seat at his table.
“Owe you for what?” I ask, keeping my eyes on Kyla sitting with her mom and dad.
“For turning the cctv off that films the side of the clubhouse. What do you think Pope would’ve done if he saw you buryin’ your balls in his daughter?”
I definitely owe him and from the smug look on his face, he knows I know.
“I think he would’ve cut your balls off,” Cas says.
“Then he would’ve fed them to you before he shoved his gun down your throat and shot the shit out of you,” Slade finishes off.
On the outside I’m smiling in front of my brothers but on the inside, I feel every spec of fear of their guesses because they are right. I can’t believe I forgot about the cameras. However, given the opportunity to be inside her again, I would.
CHAPTER NINE
Pope
“Dear Lord, we thank you for the food on our table this beautiful evening, prepared by mother. We thank you for the air in our lungs and the love in our family…”
I tune out my father’s droning voice.
I’ll thank my mother for the food as she is the one who hauled her ass to the store and brought the groceries and then spent her afternoon in the kitchen cooking it all, making sure everything from the mash to the steaks were perfectly cooked as not to upset my father. What I won’t do is thank the Lord. As for the love in our family, again, what do I have to thank him for? There is no love in this family, I hate my father, my mother is scared of him and my father treats us both like objects, rather than humans. I used to be scared of him, if he moved too quickly I would flinch assuming he was going to strike me. Most of the time he did strike me because in his eyes, I was a sinner. The pathetic thing is, as a child I beat myself to please him. Life changed for me after my fourteenth birthday, my eyes opened for the first time and what I saw changed my attitude from that day to this.
I saw I was taller than my father, I was heavier and I didn’t give a single fuck about him or the fucking Lord.
It was like he sensed what I now knew about myself because for the next seven months he didn’t strike me or my mother.
I even began to reassess my opinion of him. Just as I was letting my guard down with him, I came home from school, it was a Thursday and the sun was warm on my neck as I walked home. I remember it so clearly. I could hear her screams before I opened the gate my father painted white every spring. I opened the gate with such force in my haste to get to my mom, it came off its top hinge. Running into the house, I stumbled onto my father yelling in my mom’s bloodied face something about condemnation. There was no red mist descending on me, nothing of the sort, I cleared the distance with open eyes and a clear mind. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to pay him back all the pain he caused me and my mom. I poured everything I had into punching him over and over again. My mom’s screams died in my ears. My knuckles split and the sting of pain biting into me fuelled me. Years of resentment came out that day and turned out to be what I class as the first day of my life.
The police were called and my mom never owned up to it but I know it was her. They didn’t believe my version of events and ate up the story my father fed them that I came home from school full of the devil’s rage and attacked my parents. I spent nine months in a detention centre and was released into my aunt’s care until I turned eighteen. The day after my seventeenth birthday I left, choosing to live on the streets than stay another night under her roof. My parents disowned me and I haven’t spoken to them since. I don’t want that feeling of unsettlement for Kyla. My parents, more my mom, chose the Lord over their blood and there will never be a day I choose anything over my daughter.
“What has you looking like you want to punch something?” Sally asks.
I thought she was asleep, she hasn’t moved in my arms for a long while. I didn’t see her move to look at me
.
“I was remembering a certain time in my life, and it’s made me realise we have to set Kyla up in town. I want her to feel at home here and settled.”
“What do you have in mind?” she asks, getting comfortable against me.
“I’m going to buy her a house.”
Yes, that’s what I’m going to do. If she has a house she can make it a home and in turn, make Willows Peak her home.
“Thomas, you don’t need to buy her a house, we can find one up for lease and pay the first few months’ rent to help her.”
“No, I’ll buy one. I want to do this, I mean, I need to do this for her.”
As her father it is down to me to set her up whether it be for selfish reasons or for her to be happy, hopefully this can make us both happy.
“Can you afford it?”
I can, my expenses have been minimal over the years, I haven’t spent a penny unless I’ve had to.
“Don’t you worry about that.”
“I suppose it’s time she should move out of the clubhouse, now she’s recovering there isn’t a need for her to be there every night.”
I smile, I wondered how long it would be before Sally wanted her out of there.
“Do you have a house in mind?”
“Yeah, I do actually.”
“And this would have nothing to do with getting her away from Ricky at the club?”
“Why? What’s going on?”
She leans up on her elbow and raises her eyebrows.
“Come on, for someone who sees everything, you sure missed the way she went from upset storming out to returning calm and more than happy to stay. They either have a very strong friendship in this short time, or…”
She doesn’t have to finish, I’ve seen the way he looks at her and her at him, I’ll be keeping a closer eye on them.
“This is because Kyla needs a home, if it happens their friendship turns into something more I’ll cross that bridge when I have to.”
And Ricky best man up and come talk to me if he does have intentions towards my daughter.
“He has been there for her, I think he’s half the reason she recovered with ease.”
“I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I want to buy Kyla a house because I want her to stay in town, she can have her own space and I can help her out until she gets on her feet again.”
Her face smooths out and her eyes glisten.
“I was right to bring her here. I’ve come regret my decision to keep her away from here just because of our insecurities, but, I will never regret bringing her home to you, Thomas. In this moment, she belongs here with you. She needs her dad.”
Shuffling down the bed, I roll us over until I am on top of her and lean down to claim her mouth.
It isn’t only my daughter I want living here in Willows Peak.
Kyla
“The sooner you talk to him, the sooner we don’t have to sneak around,” I remind Ricky.
I only have ten minutes left on my break and it looks like I’ll be spending it coaxing Ricky into telling my dad about us.
“It’s not as easy as you think it is. Every time I go to talk to him he gives me this death glare like he already knows or something.”
“His bark is worse than his bite, I’ll talk to him if you’re too scared of him,” I mock him.
“Babe, what you just said proves we know two different sides of Pope. I’ve never heard his bark because he only bites, and even then he only uses his gun.”
“All I hear from you is fear,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“You’re damn right you do, you must be the only person who isn’t afraid of him. He is my brother, I shouldn’t have touched you without talking to him first. I’ve crossed so many lines, I’ll be surprised if I don’t end up in a hole and set on fire.”
The more he goes on about it, the more I feel like we shouldn’t tell him about us. I don’t want Ricky ending up dead because of me. This world is so surreal sometimes, I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to their way of thinking and living.
“How about we talk to him together, that way I can protect you if he goes for his gun,” I say teasingly.
I don’t want to keep anything from my dad and I don’t want to hide how I feel about Ricky. While doing my research I read recovering addicts shouldn’t start up any new relationships for up to a year but when I’m with Ricky, I couldn’t imagine waiting.
“It’s okay, I’ll talk to him when I get back to the clubhouse. Give me a kiss though, it might be the last one I get.”
Shaking my head, smiling, I lean over the counter and press my lips to his. I could kiss him forever, his lips are so enticing and warm.
“You know, it was your all male attitude that drew me to you. I’m starting to think you’re just one big drama queen,” I tease, breaking the kiss.
“I think you need reminding how manly I am.”
“I think I do,” I retort, the air around us growing thick with sexual tension again.
The spell is broken when Kristen comes over from the other side of the shop.
“Kyla, can I have a quick word?”
She looks flustered and frustrated holding a sheet of paper in her hands.
“Sure, what do you need?” I ask, standing up and straightening my blouse.
“Mrs Mayweather has come in to buy out her diamond ring but it isn’t in the back,” she explains and stops.
“Is it not in the safe?”
“No, I’ve checked everywhere. Is there any chance you could have moved it by mistake when you’ve been collecting other items?”
“No, I’m always careful not to move anything I don’t need to. I haven’t seen it.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, clearly not believing a word I’ve said.
“Just ask me what you really want to ask me, Kristen,” I try to say calmly.
“I don’t want to ask you anything, Kyla, but I remember putting the ring in the safe and now it isn’t there and there hasn’t been an incident like this before.”
“You mean before I came to work here?”
“That’s not what she is saying, babe,” Ricky inputs.
“Yes it is, she put the ring there and now it’s gone so the junkie must have taken it.”
I can’t hold the tears back, but this time it isn’t from self-loathing, it’s from anger.
“I didn’t call you that, Kyla and I never would. I just want to know where it’s gone. Only the two of us know the code.”
Reaching for my bag under the counter, I snatch it out and sling it over my shoulder.
“I don’t know where it is because I didn’t take it, just to make sure it doesn’t happen again, I quit.”
I don’t need this working for pennies. I shouldn’t be here anyway.
“Kyla, let me call your dad and we can work this out,” Kristen calls out after me.
Ricky stands there looking between us, what an ass, a little support would’ve been nice.
Throwing open the door, I don’t look back or answer her. I’ll call my dad myself now I need a ride back to that fucking clubhouse where everyone will no doubt question whether I took the ring or not. First a junkie, now I’m going to be looked on as a thief.
Ricky soon follows me out and I can’t bear to look at him.
“I didn’t take the fucking ring,” I blurt out before he can ask.
“If you say you didn’t then I believe you, come back in and keep your job.”
“There’s no way I’m going back in there,” I say, beginning to break, “It was always a matter of time before something like this happened, like you said, no one trusts a junkie.”
“Don’t start that again, you’re Kyla now, nothing else.”
I can’t do this with him right now, “Please leave me be, I want to be on my own for a bit.”
I turn and head towards the diner and thankfully he doesn’t follow me this time.
I’ve barely ordered a coffee before my father is storming in the place. Perfec
t Kristen obviously called him and he must have been nearby. He searches me out and strides over.
He sits opposite me and grips onto my wrist across the table.
“I’ll ask you once and what you tell me I will believe, you got me?”
I nod quickly.
“Did you take the ring?”
“No, I swear it, dad. I never touched it.”
He lets go and clenches his hands into fists.
“I heard you quit your job.”
“I can’t work there now and I don’t want to go back to the clubhouse either.”
“You don’t have to, it was meant to be a surprise but I’ve got you somewhere you can call home.”
What?
“Come on,” he says, throwing a bunch of small bills on the table, “I’ll take you home.”
My new home turns out to be a two bedroom town house in town, no more long rides to and fro.
“It used to be Slade’s before they moved, it has all the locks and safety you need and I’m only a phone call away.”
“It’s perfect, thank you,” I gasp.
It’s not a big place but it’s big enough for me and it already feels like home.
“All your stuff is here from the club, and I’ve been to the store and stocked up on groceries and shit too.”
“You did all this today?”
“Well, the last couple of days. I want you to be happy here, I like having you around,” he says, uncomfortably.
I look around the house again and I think I can be happy here, as long as I get a job soon to pay for it.
“When is the rent due?”
“It’s not, I own it now. I’ll cover you for the bills until you’re set up in a real job you’re qualified for and a prospect will drop groceries off as and when you need them. This is an opportunity for you to get straight in all directions of life and figure out who you want to be. Use it and make me proud.”
Crossing the living room, I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him tightly.
“I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you and mom through, I love you so much. I’m going to repay you every penny.”
He squeezes me back and kisses the top of my head.