16. If you’re sad, add more

lipstick and attack.

- Coco Chanel

The sounds of multiple motorcycles draw Mercenary’s attention the next morning. He hops from the bed, nearly tripping in my sheet on his way to the window. We were supposed to go back to the club but wasted the day away talking about anything and everything. Then the night was spent filled with passion, wrapped in each other’s bodies between the sheets on my bed.

“Shit, are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” he waves me off and mutters dismissively but not rude as he stares out the window to the parking lot below. “Fuck!” He curses as his eyes go wide at the scene. He flips around, scanning over every surface, not saying a word.

“What is it? You’re freaking me out over here!”

“The fucking Iron Fists.”

“So, shoot them!” I point to the tranq gun, my voice a higher note than normal.

“There’s too many. Fuck!” Both hands rake through his spiked, inky hair in frustration. His stomach muscles clench as he paces, the movements offering up a delicious view of every toned inch. He’s all strength and corded steel, strung tight at the impending fight the Fists will no doubt bring to The Pit.

“Can you shoot any of them or something?”

He tosses me his phone. “First number listed,” he orders. “Dial it and tell them we need backup—quick—and to bring a fuck ton of it.”

Fumbling with the phone, I do exactly as he says, watching as he points the tranquilizer gun and curses with each shot.

“O,” a gruff voice answers the phone.

“Uh, Odin?”

“Yep, who’s this?”

“It’s Chevelle.”

“Chevelle? You okay, chick?”

“Yes, there’s no time to explain, but Mercenary says to bring a lot of backup to The Pit.”

Merc hisses, a curse drawing my attention. He’s fumbling with the gun. “What is it?” I ask, forgetting about Odin momentarily.

He flicks his gaze to me, not stopping his fingers from jiggling the metal. “I hit three, missed two and then this jammed.” He briefly holds the gun up before turning his concentration back to it.

Odin yells through the phone, and I scramble to get it back to my ear. “What the fuck did he say? He shot three?”

“Yes, with the tranquilizer gun,” I reply, not taking my gaze from Mercenary.

He grumbles. “Fucking shit, how many are there?”

I call to Mercenary, “How many are there?”

“I didn’t stop and count the fuckers, tell him at least a dozen.”

“Holy shit,” Odin murmurs, yelling to people in the background. “Tell my brother to take you somewhere safe and wait us out. There’s too many for you two to fight off. Your lives are too important to waste trying to stop the Fists. They’re dangerous. If I thought you two could take them all without getting hurt, I’d say differently.”

“Okay,” I whisper, and he hangs up.

Mercenary pulls his Glock off the side table and checks to make sure it’s fully loaded. I highly doubt his weapons aren’t ever unloaded or not cleaned. He’s too meticulous for any of that.

“He said for us to hide until they get here, cupcake.”

He nods, yanking up his pants and tucking his feet into his boots. “Get dressed Chevy, quickly.”

A loud boom shakes us, drawing my breath. I fall over my feet, hurrying out of bed toward my dresser and yank on the first thing I find. “What the hell was that?”

I want to scream but refrain. I’m not a screamer but whatever they blew up downstairs has me jittery. Mercenary’s mood change has me a bit fidgety as well. I’m not used to him on edge except for when it comes to arguing with me. Even then, he’s not as solemn as now.

“My guess is they couldn’t get in, so they made a new door.”

“Ugh!” The exclamation leaves me in a furious, unladylike growl. “I’m going to wrap each of their nuts around their throats and make them chew on them like fucking bubble gum!”

He smirks and tosses me the tranq gun after I slide my feet into a pair of Toms slip-on shoes. “Damn sweetie, you’re mesmerizing when you’re pissed.” He gestures to the metal contraption. “Use that on any fucker who comes at you.”

“I’d rather fight.”

“If you want to make it safely out of here, you’re going to have to trust me on this, Chevelle. I know you can fight, but what if there are three coming for you? Take out whoever you can safely, and then use your fists.”

I huff but refrain from arguing with him. He knows this type of life better than I do. I got through the streets as a kid; I’ll make it through a pack of rabid bikers.

“You’ll wear yourself out too fast, and we may need to fight at some point to get out of here. If we can take some of the threat out with weapons, then let’s use it to our advantage. I couldn’t handle it if one of them hurt you. It’d be a bloodbath as I tore them limb from limb for it.”

“I get it.”

“Good, now where can we hide for the next twenty minutes or so where no one will think to look for us? We need to wait for backup to get here. I won’t do anything to jeopardize your safety.”

“Follow me.” I gesture toward the door with him in tow. I lock it on our way out, and we walk down the hall between my office and my apartment, stopping in front of the maintenance door in the middle. “I need to lock my office.”

“No, we don’t.”

“It’ll be a distraction if they think we’re locked in one of these rooms.”

He has an ‘ah-ha’ moment and takes off jogging to my office. He opens the door and quickly locks it before closing it silently. “Locked.” He tilts his head to me, coming to stand at my side.

I nod, remaining silent and open the janitor closet door. He rakes a hand through his spikey dark hair and then massages the back of his neck. “Locking three doors wasn’t my idea of hiding out, sweetie.”

“Shh!” I shoot him a glare and lock the thick metal maintenance door behind us.

He huffs, not so patiently watching me with a raised eyebrow. I head for the corner in the back right of the small ten-by-ten-foot room, lined with metal shelves and various cleaning supplies. I wave him to come near and point at the small square cut in the roof covered by thin wood. It’s painted to match the ceiling, so you don’t notice it right away when coming in the room.

“An attic?” he guesses.

I whisper, replying, “No, it’s access for an electrician or to fix the dome, that sort of thing.”

“Ah.” He nods again, concentrating on listening for anyone coming up to this level.

“I’m too short; you have to pull the lip down.”

He pulls me behind him and hops, easily touching the ceiling. His fingers skirt over the lip, missing. Taking a deep breath, he jumps again, this time finding purchase when his middle finger sinks into the one-inch-sized slot. He pulls the door all the way open, so it hangs toward us.

“I’ll lift you.” His hands go out to grip my waist, hefting me up. The man is definitely stronger than any other I’ve been with. He lifts me with such ease, and I can’t help but think of what else he could do with my body like this if we were naked and not being hunted down by an irate MC club.

My hands reach for the opening, and I help to pull myself into the small entry area. Turning over, I sit on my butt and slide backward to give him some room. My hands come away covered in dust, and I quietly clap them together to remove the scratchy feeling. The area’s a bit musty, the air stale like a closed-up attic. Good thing I don’t have asthma—this would be an attack waiting to happen.

Good thing he enjoys pull-ups so much; a weaker man wouldn’t make it. A few beats pass, and I’m about to pop my head back over when his hands appear, grasping the sides. He easily pulls himself up, high enough to readjust and get his elbows planted on the beams running along each side of the opening. This is just another randomly placed work out for him I suppose. Who needs a gym when you have ceiling beams to keep you fit?

He finds me. His brows jump, and I see he has a flashlight gripped in his mouth between his teeth. I go to reach for him to try and help pull him in, but he shakes his head. I reach for the flashlight and free it from his clenched teeth. He blows out a breath, his muscles bulging as he finishes lifting himself up. Once he makes it, he flips around, lies on his stomach, and reaches for the door, securing it to the ceiling before scooting back beside me.

“Good thinking,” I praise, holding up the flashlight.

He nods, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. Sweat dots his brow as he peeks around me. “Now what?”

“We should probably move farther away in case any of them find the ceiling entry and pop their heads up to look for us.”

He agrees, and I click on the flashlight, crawling on my hands and knees under the low roof until we make it next to the air conditioning unit. I edge around it until I’m safely hidden from sight, and he does the same.

“It’s hot up here,” he releases a breath, as more sweat droplets drip down his brow.

“There are roof fans around the dome. Otherwise, the only cool air is what escapes right here.” I thumb toward the big machine and the leak in a huge tube leading off of it. The tube’s been patched twice since I took over The Pit, but the air’s so strong that the patches keep bursting. The tube needs to be replaced, but I can’t afford it yet. “Switch me spots, so you’re closer to it.”

His head cocks to the side, his lips tucked into a thoughtful grin. I smile in return and his dusty palms land on my cheeks, pulling me to him. His kiss is sweeter this time rather than all-consuming. It’s different than we’ve shared before like he’s rewarding me for being thoughtful. His tongue tangles with mine before he draws away, taking my bottom lip with him. He sucks it in his mouth, making me groan with pleasure.

We switch spots, and he pulls me to sit next to him. “I’m sweaty, but I prefer you close.”

My shoulders bounce in a shrug. “I don’t mind you sweaty. You forget we’ve been naked and sweaty together.”

“I could never forget,” he mumbles, and it could be one of the sweetest things I’ve heard from him yet.

Having her next to me, smelling her scent and mine mingled has my groin tightening and my cock growing heavy. I just fucked her not even an hour ago, but I can’t seem to get enough of being inside her. Once I started last night, I couldn’t seem to stop. We’re both going on barely any sleep, and I can’t think of a better reason to be up all night than being with her.

“What do we do now?” she whispers.

“We could make out,” I mutter, and she laughs.

“I think we’re way past that point already.”

“Nah, you can never be.”

She grins and my lips land on hers again, only this time my kiss is far more heated. Pushing her onto her back, I brace myself over her. The massively sized air conditioning blocks our bodies to keep us out of sight from the ceiling door. The cool air blows over both of our bodies in this position, rewarding us for our lust.

I take her mouth with a fervor closely matching the first time I wrapped her tightness around my cock in front of the clubhouse. Pushing her shirt up to bare her breasts, my mouth leaves hers to suck each of her nipples into my mouth. She’s delicious with creamy skin that reminds me of silk. I could touch her for hours and never have my fill of her.

“Mmm...” She hums in her chest, the sound drawn out as her hips twist side to side. Her nipples are a direct link to her core. I learned that if you want to get Chevelle turned on immediately, go for her tits. She loves when I play with her pussy too, but her breasts are hypersensitive.

“You should pierce these succulent tits, with just a flick of my tongue, your panties would be drenched.”

“They already are.”

“Damn, I love it that your pussy gets so wet for me.”

My tongue trails over her tummy, licking at the soft, smooth flesh, tasting a bit salty. It’s hot up here, and we’re both sweating. Rather than it turning me off, it does the opposite. I want to see her drip with it, all because my body drives her completely wild.

Her chewed-down fingernails rake through my spikey hair that’s the color of freshly poured asphalt. Our features closely match, both of our flesh is dotted with a light tan. Her hair and mine are nearly the same—the only big difference is our irises; mine are like ice—blue, cold, and ruthless. Hers, on the other hand, are like embers—the light tawny color full of warmth and honey.

“Oh yes. God your mouth is perfect,” she whimpers with desire. Her hips rise until she can create some type of friction for her pussy against my arousal.

My teeth clamp down, biting into the only fleshy part of her tummy. The move elicits another enticing moan from her. The sound makes me feral inside, wanting to rip her jeans away and take her with a force some would deem unsafe. She belongs to me, and with every breath, I want to mark her so deeply that another wouldn’t dare attempt to take her from me.

Is this love? No. Not yet, anyhow. This is passion so fierce with each thrust, claiming another’s body so desperately that when you do finally fall in love with them, it consumes your soul entirely.

When I give Chevelle all of me, she’ll have the power to take my life if she desires. That’s the amount of devotion she’ll gain from me. At that point, I will no longer be able to survive without her. I’d simply cease to exist if I loved her as she deserves, without knowing she’s enraptured the same way in return.

My fingers land on her pants button and in my haste, yank the material apart. The zipper protests but then relinquishes its hold as well. Chevelle’s palms land on each of my cheeks, wrenching my head up to meet her fiery gaze. On a wispy breath, she demands, “Take me, Mercenary, please.”

I’ll take her all right. I’ll fucking keep her too. My hands fly back on course, and I sit back on my haunches. Stripping the tight jeans free from her, I toss them to the side. She’s bare. In our hurry, she never stopped to put on panties, and at her exposed pink folds I groan with desire.

Leaning in, I plant my nose to her pussy and inhale deeply. She smells sweet with her need. The scent mingles with my come from earlier, and the knowledge has me wanting to roar in pleasure. She’s pure sex, and it calls to everything inside me to slam my cock into her deep, to keep my scent on her.

“You’re so goddamn enthralling,” I murmur, tilting my head to lick up the inside of her thigh. “I knew you needed to be fucked when I first laid eyes on you. This pussy needed to be owned and now look at it, soaked for me.”

She moans, and I in turn to do the same. My tongue caresses her other thigh, lapping at the wetness from her excited core. I want more. I want to bury myself in her and never come up for air.

“You want me to lick your wet pussy, sweetie, or you want me to fuck it?” I’ve never given her a decision before, but I’m feeling generous after she’s taken my cock so wantonly all night.

“I want you inside,” Chevelle admits. She meets my eyes as I trail my gaze from her pretty pink center to over her flat tummy. I take in every inch of her curvy hips and full, round breasts. She’s utterly sensational. Her body’s made for a man’s pleasure—for mine.

“Mine,” I let out a growl as my tongue trails upward again. It moves over her stomach, through the valley of her tits and stops with me tenderly biting her chin. My lips find hers soon after, a kiss overtaking her mouth as I line up the head of my dick to her blissful center.

She breaks away from my lips to heave in a deep breath and firmly proclaims, “Mine.”

Her dainty hands grab my ass cheeks, yanking me to her, my cock impaling her pussy. Rather than scream at my huge size plunging inside her fully, she moans against my throat. Her little mouth finds my flesh with her teeth, biting as I adjust to go deeper and draw a whimper from her. She wants all of my length in her, even if it brings a touch of pain laced with the pleasure.

“You know my cock’s big, sweetie. Why’d you hurt yourself with it?”

“Mmm,” she hums, sucking my skin between her lips.

She releases me, and I move again as her tongue licks along my neck to draw my lobe into her mouth next. Her palms apply more pressure to my ass, and I grind against her in response. Breathily she orders, “I want to be fucked biker boy. I have so much adrenaline inside, I could tear you up right now. If I didn’t have to be quiet, I’d scream the walls down right now with how badly my body craves yours. Make me come.”

“Careful with your words, little woman, or I’ll be the one tearing this pussy up. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you provoke me. I fuck to own, Chevy.”

“Please?” she begs, moving her hips to create more friction between us and it’s my undoing.

Grabbing her hands from my ass, I pin them both in one of mine above her head. My free hand wraps around her throat, holding her in place as I gain my bearings and start to pummel into her. She’s frightened but doesn’t want to admit it. I can feel it in my gut. She needs me to take the control from her. She craves this more than anything, to keep her distracted from the danger literally underneath us.

Her mouth falls open as near silent moans and whimpers escape her as I continue my assault. Mere moments pass before her cunt grips me like a vise, squeezing and pulling. The hungry muscles attempt to force the come from my cock with its needy little sucks. Her pussy wants me to claim it.

“You’re mine, Chevelle.”

Her mouth closes to swallow as her climax begins to fade away, and I squeeze her throat in my grasp, stealing the air from her. “Say it,” I demand, never pausing in my assault. My nuts grow heavy, full of my seed wanting to mark her in ways others won’t be able to see.

She gasps, and I squeeze tighter. I don’t stop until her other hand pushes against my hand, as she attempts to break free. She fights with my fingers stealing her oxygen.

Thrusting into her hard, I offer an ultimatum. “You’ll say it, or else I’ll squeeze your fucking throat until you pass out.” My dick expands, my come nearly about to burst as I take her as she desired but also demand her to admit my ownership. There’s a price for her pleasure, my own pleasure.

“Yes,” she mouths, and I briefly release my hold. My hand rubs against the bruised flesh in soft massaging circles to get the blood flowing again.

“What was that?” I order and again squeeze her sensitive flesh. This time my grips tighter than before, but only for a beat. I want to cut off her oxygen quick enough to immediately spike her adrenaline.

She throws her head back, a deep moan braking free as an even stronger orgasm overtakes her body. I move my hand, resting the palm in the middle of her breasts. Her eyes meet mine, and she breathes, mid climax, “I’m so fucking yours.”

The way she proclaims the words makes them powerful. I roar out my own release. The come bursts from my tip, coating her insides with my dense essence. I brace over her until I’m fully spent. My face drips with sweat. It trails over my bare back and chest. My breaths come deep, as I try to regain my bearings.

Chevelle’s so utterly divine right now—lying below me sated and thoroughly fucked after she’s admitted to being mine. “Beautiful,” I whisper. Her body flushes for an entirely different reason than the heat and spontaneous bought of sex.

She’s like a flower. Soft and colorful with breathtaking beauty on the outside, full of thorns to protect herself with, and resilient on the inside, always seeking out the sources to keep her alive. She’s strong, stubborn, and motivated. Those three on a woman make up such a magnificent creature.

And she’s mine. I think that’s the part that fills me the most. Being in her presence and knowing that I’m lucky enough to have her in my life. She could have chosen anyone and yet she’s let me in. Not anybody else.

“Did I break you?” I mumble, and she giggles. Chevelle actually giggles, and I find myself wishing I could wrap the tinkling sound around me always. “And what is the sweet smell on your throat?”

“Oh, it’s Calvin Klein Eternity Air for women.”

How fitting, I think with a pleased grin. Air. It definitely suits her when I think of being without her—not being able to breathe properly. She’s my own air.

“I like it.”

“I’m glad,” she replies and reaches for her shirt. I grab it before she can and shake out the dust, and then help work it over her head. “I can do it.” She takes over.

“I know,” I mutter, even though I didn’t want her to. I was enjoying dressing her after undressing her. Rather than sulk like a child giving up his most precious belonging, I go about pulling my jeans over my ass and buckling them.

I was so consumed with her I don’t recall even unbuttoning them or shoving them free from my cock. One minute we’re sitting here, she’s asking me to fuck her and then I was. That sums it up in my mind. Once her tits were bared, everything else just faded away.

She attempts to stand, but the ceiling’s too low. When she starts to fall, losing her balance, I reach out, steadying her so she can finish getting her pants on. “Thanks.”

“Of course. I’m the one that took them off, after all.”

She grins about to respond when an even louder boom than before shakes the building.

Her eyes grow wide, her mouth dropping in surprise. “Shit! What was that?”

I shake my head. “I have no clue.”

I’m a lying bastard too because I’m pretty sure that was another bomb and those fucks down there just blew something big up.