“Are we doing this or are you just going to stand there?” she rasps, turning her head towards me.
In answer, I ram into her from behind and repeat until she is shuddering beneath me and until I am shuddering myself.
I lean down over her, still inside her and twist her head to claim her lips again.
“If you’re quite finished using my cock, I’m going to let every fucker know you’re mine,” I growl, against her lips.
“I’ve always been yours,” she chuckles, leaning up on one elbow.
Staring at her flushed face, it hurts how fucking beautiful she is. With all the bad in my life it is Lana who brings me the good and when she says ‘I do’ I’ll be keeping a tight hold on that goodness.
“Get dressed, you’re goin’ to show that ring off to everyone,” I grin.
Today I feel more exhilarated than the day I was patched into the Lost Souls. What more does a man need in life? I have my woman and my club. It has taken a long fucking time to get the club back on a good footing. When I took the gavel there had been a lot of bad business left by Michael. Rearranging our dealings have taken too long to adjust to and now we’re finally on a level where we can relax to a certain extent. It looks like we have some motherfucker trying to blow it up again.
I’m not afraid of whatever is to come. I’ll protect what’s mine and I am going to enjoy erasing the threat that is currently at our backs.
For now I am going to enjoy what is at my side and that is Alannah. Fully dressed and tying her hair in a band, I can’t wait any longer.
“Can you take any longer babe?” I ask, losing my patience.
“Forgive me if I don’t want to have I-just-had-sex-hair when we go out there,” she smirks playfully.
“I think that’s a good look on you,” I grin.
“You would,” she laughs, “Okay, I’m ready.”
As we enter the bar, a lot of brothers are still hanging around. I call out for their attention and they all fall quiet.
“I’ll make this real quick. I’ve asked Alannah to marry me and she said yes,” I yell for everyone to hear. Under the calm and collected persona I try to maintain, I couldn’t be happier.
I release Lana’s hand and sling my arm around her neck, pulling her closer to my side.
When she smiles it makes everything worthwhile and today her smile stretches right across her jaw.
She holds her left hand up and shows off her ring. Oak is the first one over to congratulate us and scoops Lana up in his arms.
“That’s some good fuckin’ news,” he smiles.
“It’s about time,” Sparky adds, slapping me on the back and swinging Lana round in his arms as soon as Oak has put her down.
To think I used to be jealous of Sparky’s relationship with Lana. They have such an easy going way between them and back when I couldn’t go near her it drove me crazy. Now I know she is mine, his love for her is what gives me peace of mind if I’m ever not around and any shit goes down.
Our engagement announcement has become an excuse for a celebration and everyone quickly finds a drink.
Alannah makes the rounds showing her ring off and I sit back at the bar watching my family. Whoever wants to take us on, I wish them luck.
Chapter Five
Kristen
My decision this morning to stick around was easy. Both Zachery and I could do with a break from the driving and it would give me a chance to figure out where we are off to next.
I feel satisfied Alannah was only a friend to Billy, not that I have any rights to him to be jealous about her. When Billy left I knew I probably would never see him again and to be honest. I hadn’t given him a second thought until I saw the positive pregnancy test result.
I still think they’re hiding something from me. I don’t have a clue what that could be and I haven’t given much thought as to how I am going to find out either. I do know I am going to leave it for tonight. Zachery’s demanding whines can only mean it is dinner time.
“Mommy’s hungry too baby,” I agree, picking him up into my arms.
His deep brown eyes are nothing like my green ones, they are definitely inherited from his father. Unlike his father, Zachery’s eyes are deep pools of purity and innocence. However, when he gets his mischievous streak on, the brown pools alight. That’s how I remember Billy’s gaze.
“Shall we go and get something to eat?”
Of course I get no answer. He doesn’t speak much yet, he doesn’t show any signs of trying either. The most I hear from him is when he’s hungry or tired.
Putting him back on the floor with his toy bricks, I make sure I have my purse and car keys before heading out to the diner.
I wasn’t able to bring all his toys with us, only his favourites. The rest are back in Miami in storage.
As for the motel we are staying in, it’s the nicest and cleanest one we have stopped in so far.
I have never not known where my life is going before. Even as a child I always had goals and I always achieved them. One time I wanted a bigger bicycle but my dad said I was too small to ride it. I spent a very wobbly week proving him wrong. When I began high school I wanted to make the cheerleading team. After a lot of sore muscles and bruises from failed flips, I eventually got on the team and spent high school on the popular side with the jock boyfriend and the blonde smile-at your-face and then stab-you-in-the-back friends.
Even when my dad was sick, I always knew I had to make sure his business didn’t suffer just because he was. Between my mom and me, we kept everything afloat. When Zachery was born, we had to work a lot harder to cope but we managed. We made a pretty good team. But, when my dad died, we we’re both lost. I couldn’t face opening the shop while he wasn’t coming back and my mom couldn’t face living in the house they shared for over thirty years.
Billy’s death whacked my plan completely into the air. My plan is now non-existent but I’m comfortable with that.
There is a loud knock at the door. I assume it is the motel manager again, asking if we are okay. But, when I sneak a peek out of the window all I see is leather and jeans.
He knocks again and I jump back and look down at Zachery. I didn’t see Alannah with him. Why would he come here on his own?
“I know you’re in there.” A deep alluring voice oozes through the door.
Moving quickly, I pull the chain across and open the door as far as the chain will allow.
Without the door blocking his full view, it’s Slade and he is carrying containers of what looks like food.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, not meaning to sound so clipped.
“I thought you might prefer some home cooked food instead of Hank’s shit from the diner.”
He’s right, I would prefer some home cooked food. It has been too long since we ate something that hasn’t been fried or cooked in grease.
“Are you gonna open the door? These aren’t gettin’ any lighter,” he smirks.
Spying on his muscled arms, I highly doubted he was struggling with the weight of the food.
I closed the door again and unlatched the chain. When the door was open he came in looking around, when he spotted the small table in the corner, he put the containers down and pulled out a chair.
“Sit.”
Who the hell does he think he is coming in and ordering me around?
“Zachery needs to eat too.”
I don’t know why I say this.
“Of course he does,” he says, unable to hide his laugh at my awkwardness, “There’s plenty for him too. Now, come and eat before it goes cold.”
He’s even brought plates and silverware with him. While he is dishing up the food that has my mouth watering, I pick up Zachery and sit him on my lap at the table.
“Are you gonna be able to eat like that?” he asks, pointing to Zachery.
“Yes, you learn to adapt at meal times when you have to,” I tell him, “Also, there isn’t a high chair here,” I shrug.
He places two pl
ates of Pasta and chicken in front of us and takes the second chair for himself, loading up his own plate.
“Did you cook this?” I ask.
Judging on his appearance, I wouldn’t have pegged him to stand at a stove and cook.
“No, one of the old lady’s did,” he replied.
That’s more like it. I hope the lady isn’t too old, I’d hate the thought of him making her cook just for me.
Zachery wasn’t attempting to touch his food, he was more interested in watching Slade.
I was halfway through my meal before Slade began eating. As soon as Zachery noticed this he began eating too.
When Slade placed his fork on the plate and took a sip from his beer, Zachery put his fork his fork down too and reached for his juice cup.
How strange.
Apart from Zachery slurping his juice, the room was quiet, too quiet.
“Do you always drink and drive?” I ask, nodding at his beer.
“Not always, but it’s only the one.”
When Slade began eating again so did Zachery.
Great, he won’t say momma but he will copy everything the freakin’ biker does.
“This really is good food, thank you for thinking of us,” I say politely.
It is in this moment when he smiles a lop-sided grin that I see him differently. He doesn’t look like a criminal in leather anymore, he looks like a regular guy.
Just a regular guy with a sexy as smile who was thoughtful enough to bring us food.
“It was nothin’, I was owed a favour,” he mumbles.
“How does an old lady owe you a favour?” I ask, intrigued that he would take favours from the elderly.
“Do you know much about clubs like ours?” he asks amused.
I shake my head no and await to see where he’s going next.
“When I say ‘old lady’ I don’t mean an actual old lady. In a club like ours, when we settle down in a long term relationship or we get married, the woman is given the title of ‘old lady.’ It means she belongs to a brother and no one else, she isn’t shared around the club. Everyone knows who she is and treats her with respect.”
I take this information in and part of me feels like it should be controlling to be classed as belonging to someone, then the other part feels the safety of having someone that committed to them.
“Do you have an old lady?” I ask.
Once again, he looks at me with his lop-sided grin.
“No.”
“Would you like an old lady or do you like sharing women around the club?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth I internally cringe at how far my curiosity is going.
“I’m sorry, that really isn’t any of my business.”
“Don’t worry about it. To answer your question, I’m not against settling down like some of my brothers. When I do, I’m not going to fuck about, as soon as I know it’s her, I’ll know she’ll be my old lady,” he says, leaning forward on the table.
I lean closer myself.
“How will you know it’s her?”
“Because she’ll be beautiful. She will be everything I need, everything I want. Pure and kind but strong and feisty all in one,” he pauses and covers Zachery’s ears with his hands, then whispers, “She’ll make my dick so hard it will constantly ache. She’ll be mine and she’ll want me as much as I want her.”
As soon as he’s finished he releases Zachery’s ears and leans back leaving me breathless.
For a split second and I mean split second, I imagine what it would be like if he felt that intense desire for me. Then I snap back into reality and regain myself.
“Oh Zachery, look at the mess you’ve made,” I say quickly, trying to change the conversation.
When I move his plate away, he squirms down off my lap and toddles over to his bricks.
“He didn’t eat a lot,” Slade murmurs.
“He ate enough.”
As I clean the pasta off the table, one by one Zachery brings his bricks over and hands them to Slade. I couldn’t help smirking, he obviously wasn’t comfortable around children.
I take the plates and scrape the leftovers into the bin and rinse them off in the bathroom sink.
“You’ll have to remember to wash these properly later,” I call through from the bathroom.
“I will. Come here, my turn to ask questions,” he calls back.
Unlike my early suspicions of them hiding something from me, I don’t have anything to hide. With Zachery playing quietly with his toys, I sit back down at the table.
“Ask away,” I smile.
“What were you expecting to happen when you thought Billy was here?”
“I was expecting to find Billy and I hoped he would accept Zachery and be a part of his life.”
“And a part of your life too?” he asks.
“Billy and I weren’t like that. We were friends who slept together a couple of times,” I explain once again.
“How did you meet Billy?” he asks.
“He tried pawning some gold, turned out half of it was fake. He hoped I’d only check a few pieces and pay him for the weight. When I said I’d only pay him for the real gold, he laughed and said he was trying his luck. He came in a few more times and each time he stayed a little longer, we talked and from there we’d meet up for drinks. Then one night just as I was locking up, he came in saying he was leaving, he didn’t say what he had done, only he was in trouble. We stayed in touch for a couple of months then I couldn’t reach him anymore.”
“You worked in a pawn shop?” he asked, looking completely surprised.
It was like he took in everything about my life but not about Billy’s part in it.
“It was my dad’s business. When he got sick I took over and ran it for him. I’d been to the shop with him millions of times growing up so I knew how it all worked.”
“You must be able to handle yourself then working in a place like that?”
“I’m not a walk over if that’s what you mean. How did you meet Billy?” I asked, flipping the conversation back to him.
From the day I arrived and drove into their biker world, I’ve wanted to know why Billy joined them.
He was taking too long thinking of his answer, it can’t be that difficult to remember how you met someone.
I felt like pushing him for an answer but I held back, Slade doesn’t look the type who likes to be pushed in anything.
“I first met him after he became a prospect. I didn’t really know him myself. Michael brought him into the club out of nowhere, it was Alannah who spent time with him the most.”
It seems like none of us knew him that well.
“What do you think you’ll do now?” he asked, bringing the questioning back to me.
“We’ll probably move on in a few days, I just have to figure out where.”
“You could stay around here,” he suggests.
“I don’t know anyone here.”
“You know us,” he argues.
I didn’t know who ‘us’ was. I didn’t know if he was referring to himself and Alannah or his club.
It didn’t matter who, if Billy wanted to stay here that was his decision. I can’t see myself staying here.
“I’m not sure about that.”
“Well, if you change your mind I can help you find somewhere more permanent,” he offers.
“Thank you,” I say chuckling.
“What’s so funny?”
“I got the impression you didn’t want me around then you turn up with home cooked food and now you’re offering to help me find a house.”
The amusement left his face, it was like he had realized what he had offered and was regretting it instantly.
He stood abruptly. I had been too nervous when he first arrived to notice but even though he wasn’t particularly a big guy, his presence managed to fill the room.
There was no doubt he has a dark, dangerous side but there is something about him that screams he’s different.
&nbs
p; The first biker I met here was Linc. I had him judged correctly from the first time I caught him leering down my cleavage.
“I should go, it’s getting’ late and you need to sort your boy out,” he said, completely ignoring what I’d been saying.
The sudden change in him had me regretting I had caused it.
While he put the lids back on the containers, I got the plates and silverware from the sink and passed them over.
“Make sure you lock up after I leave,” he orders, heading to the door.
Before I can get a word out he is gone.
Chapter Six
Slade
I shouldn’t have left like that last night but I couldn’t stop myself from coming out with any more crap. The best thing for her to do is to leave town and move on with her life, not stay round here. I can see why Billy hooked up with her, she is hot and her body is rocking. When she speaks she makes you want to listen, not only to hear what she is saying but because you want to hear her voice.
Hearing her say she was only friends with him made the jealousy I feel calm slightly but it still grates on me that he has been with her at all.
After I got home last night, the thought of her staying at the motel riled me. She shouldn’t be in a place like that with a kid.
She doesn’t know where she’s going next but something about her tells me she has a good head on her and she won’t do anything lightly.
Cas wants me to keep an eye on her, so that is what I’m going to do. Once I’ve got all the shit I need to do today out of the way I’ll find another excuse to see her.
Knocking at Sparky’s door I am greeted by a dishevelled looking Bonnie.
“Christ, don’t you two ever leave each other alone?” I tease, as I follow her through to the kitchen.
“I can’t help it if my husband can’t leave me alone,” she laughs, “Why are you here so early anyway?”
“I wanted to bring these back before they became a permanent fixture in my truck,” I say, putting the containers on the counter and taking a seat at their table.
“Was the food okay?” she asks.
“Food was great as always Bon, she loved it,” I smile.