CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
B-ry
I was surprised by Laurel today, though I really shouldn’t have been. She shocked the shit out of me when she asked to go with me to the gym. I didn’t think it was the greatest idea but when I saw that look in her eyes I knew there was no way I’d ever let her down. She needed this. She needed to grab some kind of power and feel like she wasn’t helpless. And I got that. I got it because I had once needed something to help me feel like I had some control.
I was proud of her. She worked her ass off and listened to every direction I gave. She let me push her until her body just couldn’t take anymore. And yeah, maybe that was a little shitty of me, but I knew Laurel and she didn’t want me to treat her like she was broken. Like she was weak and needed a free pass. No, she wanted me to find her limits and take her further still.
I knew she’d be hurting come tomorrow but I didn’t want to tell her that. I figured I’d let her have her victory for now.
I still didn’t have a clue where this whole thing was going. I felt like she needed me even if she didn’t want to admit it. And because I was desperate to have every part of this woman that she would allow, I stayed as much as she let me.
Even now, as I lay curled up around her, I was unsure of where her head was.
“I love you,” she said abruptly. The words seemed like they had been there, waiting to push themselves out.
I froze because I wasn’t sure I’d really heard her say that.
But I knew I had.
And that she’d meant to say it to me.
I rolled onto my back as she turned around to face me. Her hair tickled my shoulder as she plastered herself to me, her head resting on my chest and I was sure she could hear how loud my heart was pounding.
“I know that this is probably the worst time to say that with everything going on,” she said, her words slightly muffled against my chest. “But I want it all with you too. I can’t forget everything I have been through and I don’t know if I will ever really be alright with all this club business stuff, but I want to be the one that stands by your side through everything.”
Her head lifted and she looked into my eyes. Even though they were shining with wetness, they were bright and so open for me.
“You are my King, and I want to be worthy enough to be called your Queen.”
“You always have been,” I said and softly cleared my throat because I was slightly choked by the thick emotions flowing through me. “You have the grace and the strength of a thousand queens. You are the only person I want by my side.”
She kissed me. And I gave her everything I had.
It was desperate.
It was chaotic.
It was soft.
It was strong.
It was needy.
And it was passionate.
It was everything we were and all the things we hoped to be.
“I love you,” I said. “I have for a while now. I don’t want anyone but you. Even if you are a pain in my ass sometimes.”
She laughed and it was so beautiful to witness.
“Me?” she asked feigning shock as she pointed to herself. “I’m the pain? No, biker boy, you are—”
“Let me guess, princess. The most insufferable man you’ve ever met?”
“Exactly.”
“But you love me?”
“Somehow, I do,” she said in a breathy sigh.
I kissed her again. I needed her lips on mine.
I needed her like I’d never needed her before. It could have been because this was such a big declaration for both of us. And I felt like I’d been holding my breath for this very moment for a long time. How many times had I wished I could hear those words from her lips? Too many to ever count.
I rolled over, pinning her body beneath me as I looked into her eyes.
“I read your letter,” I confessed.
Her eyes widened with surprise and I was thankful she didn’t seem angry.
I wanted to say more but I wasn’t sure what. Words seemed to escape me right now.
“Who am I?” she whispered.
“My Queen.”
“And who are you?”
“Your King.”
I smiled because it was a little silly but it felt so perfect for us. It felt like everything was right. I finally saw myself through her eyes.
“Now,” she said with a twinkle in those silver eyes. “Show me I’m yours, my King.”
I stripped her bare and worshiped her body. Every single part of it. I left my mark all over her with pride. And when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, I slid inside her and proved her wrong.
“Bryan,” she moaned out as her nails dug into my back. “Please.”
I kept my pace slow because I was hell-bent on making this last all night. Her body rocked against mine letting me know how desperate she was to come for me. Every time I pulled away, her tight pussy seemed to hug me even more.
I had missed her. Everything, not just this part. I wanted my mark to be lasting. I wanted it to be forever.
We were both on the verge of losing control. Her whole body was shaking. Her little whimpers started to turn into loud moans and she began to beg me for more.
“I love you,” I whispered against her lips as I gripped her hips and changed my angle.
That was all it took for her to come for me and I followed right behind.
“I love you too,” she said as I rolled over and collapsed beside her.
I kissed her, then rolled out of bed and dealt with the condom. By the time I returned to the bed with a warm, wet washcloth, she was already sound asleep.
I chuckled as I cleaned her up. I crawled in beside her and pulled the covers over us.
This was where I wanted to be. Every day and night. And all I had to do was not fuck it up again.
Two days later, I got the call I’d been waiting for.
We were at the hospital visiting Blade. Laurel had insisted on sneaking Biscuit in. But only after she took the dog to the groomers to have a bath and a nail trim. I didn’t have it in me to tell her no. Not even when she asked in her own way if she could get a stupid purple bow to go in the dog’s hair. I was sure Blade was going to love that.
The look on his face had been worth it though. Unlike I had expected, the guy was thrilled about his baby’s new accessory. I blamed it on the pain medication. At least I tried to. But I really felt like I was seeing another side of Blade. He was dead serious when he called Biscuit his baby in his gruff, deep voice. Thank fuck he didn’t talk baby to her, that would have sent me over the edge.
My phone rang.
I stepped out of the room leaving Laurel and Blade chatting about some kind of nail polish for dogs. I was almost glad to get away.
“Yeah?” I answered Iron’s call.
“Get your ass to the diner. He just showed up there. Mouse and Cable will meet you with a van. Prospect has eyes on him.”
“On my way,” I responded automatically.
“Need you cool, brother.”
“I am,” I said rather calmly.
“Good. I’ll meet you in the container yard.”
A sinister smile spread across my face. This fucker was going to get everything owed to him and more.
I stepped back into the room.
The instant her eyes met mine it was like she knew.
Her body went stiff as she clenched her jaw.
“I gotta go, baby.”
I expected questions but got none.
“Be safe,” she said with a firm nod letting me know that she got it this time.
Then she turned her attention back to Blade pretty much dismissing me. But I wasn’t mad. I got her. And I got that this was a good thing.
I watched from across the street as he had his fucking bacon and eggs. I watched as he chowed down on his last fucking meal. I smiled because he didn’t even have a damn clue that it would be.
He paid, counting out his cash like he didn’t have a care in the world. The guy wasn’t even on alert at all which gave me the chance to cross the road and hunker down behind his car without being noticed. He had no idea we were there and it was almost like he thought he was untouchable.
I waited until he was at the driver’s side door.
Then I casually stood up, taking him by surprise.
He tried his damnedest to get the key in the lock but I was too fast. Two hits to the back of the head with the butt of my gun, and he crumpled to the ground.
We loaded him in the van with no problems. And then the prospect drove Steve’s car back to the compound where we would figure out what to do with it later.
Iron was waiting in the far back corner of the yard with the door to a rusted out container already open.
Inside, I strung him up with the chains that had already been welded to the top of the box.
“Now what?” Mouse asked.
“We wait,” I said planting my ass in one of the metal folding chairs.
It didn’t take long for him to come around.
“Here’s the thing, Steve,” I said slowly. “We know why you did it. We know what your plan was. We also know you’re a dumb fuck that has only managed to piss us off. But what we don’t know is who is the man that you work for?”
“Fuck you. I work for no one.”
It seemed like he really wanted to believe that.
“Who is the man with the accent?” I asked.
“You are calling me a dumb fuck when you can’t even figure that out.” He laughed despite the fact that we had his number right now.
So there was something we were clearly missing.
Something that was probably so obvious that we were overlooking it.
“Tell us. Or don’t.” I shrugged. “Either way, you die in here. I don’t give a fuck if you make it easy on me or not. You took my fucking woman and for that, there will be hell to pay.”
I stood then, knowing he wasn’t going to say anything else. I reached for the shears that were on the floor.
“You said you were going to cut off her finger and send it to me,” I said as I drew closer to him.
He started to wiggle and squirm.
“How about you tell me who I should send yours to.”
His scream bounced off the metal walls as I slowly pulled the handles together. The blades around his finger cut clear through and the digit fell to the floor with a wet thump.
“Nothing to say?” I taunted. “Maybe I should take another one. Ya know, just for the hell of it.”
I snipped another finger with ease.
He screamed like a bitch and I wasn’t surprised by it even a little.
His body trembled as he looked up at his bloodied hand.
I smiled, taking in the missing ring and middle fingers.
“Three weeks is a long time to be locked in a cage. I couldn’t imagine how that must feel. Can you?”
I had to admit there was an eerie edge to my tone that I’d never had before.
“Oh, Steve, don’t worry. You won’t have to imagine it.”
With that, I turned around and left the crying fucker alone. Once we were all outside, I closed and locked the doors.
“That it?” Iron asked me with a questioning brow.
“For now,” I said with a smirk. “Give him a little time in there alone. Let him think we’re gonna leave his ass all alone in there that long.”
“It’s your show,” Iron said with a shake of his head. “But I want fucking answers.”
“I’ll get them,” I said confidently. Because I would. I would wear him down until he was spitting out everything. “Have someone keep watch. I’ll be back in the morning. After all, I have to make this last three weeks.” I smiled, maybe a little creepily.
Knowing that someone had brought Laurel back to the compound, I headed back there. I showered, then made her dinner, which she seemed to really like. It made me oddly happy but in a good way. And I found myself desperate to have that feeling every single fucking day for the rest of my life.
She didn’t ask questions but I was pretty sure she knew. She had an understanding that we had something big going on. I wanted to tell her, but I also wanted to enjoy my night with her. It was maybe fucked up that I took even more pleasure in spending time with her knowing that fucker was suffering.
Later that night, she settled down into my side and rested her head on my chest. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if I wanted to.
There was a heavy load on my shoulders as well as the club’s.
But right now, I let myself focus on the things I did have. And one of those was the most imperfectly perfect woman right by my side.