Skid
Skid waved off the next beer Stomper offered him. He’d already had enough, and it was time to sober up a little before he had to ride home. He didn’t normally mind riding when he was a little buzzed, but there was that something in him that had changed. It was like he was a different person looking back on himself and shaking his head.
“You sure?” Stomper was having a good time. His grin stretched from ear to ear, and he waved his half-full mug back and forth. “There’s nothing like kicking back and relaxing with an old army buddy! Tell me, have you heard anything from Johnny? That guy was always the luckiest motherfucker. He had a woman to come home to every time he went on leave, and his mom and grandma were always sending him those huge care packages. Everybody wanted to be Johnny.”
“At least he said he had a woman to go home to,” Skid reminded him. “We never had any proof of that.” Skid remembered how difficult it had been to have any sort of girlfriend when he was overseas. He had gotten laid where he could while he was away, but he’d always had to work harder for it once he got home. One time, he’d had a chick who wanted to be his girlfriend even though he was scheduled to go back on duty in less than a week. With nothing to lose, he had agreed. She’d sent naked pictures of herself once or twice, but he’d never heard from her again. Skid could only assume she had moved on to bang someone else, and those photos had made their rounds in the barracks.
“That’s true, but I wouldn’t doubt it.” Stomper shook his head and laughed. “He could fall in a pile of shit and come out smelling like a rose. Remember when he almost got hit by that IED when we were on the road? The damn thing went off right next to his truck and almost blew his fucking arm off.”
“I’m not sure I would call that lucky.”
“He got to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s more luck than either one of us had ever had.” Stomper drained his glass and signaled a waitress for another one. “Boy, those were the days.”
Skid nodded and fiddled with a paper napkin, but he kept a close eye on his old commander and the other Sons of Chaos. It seemed strange that the leader of a rival club would want to talk to him like this, even if they did have a common past. There was a possibility it could cause trouble with Park once Skid made it back to the clubhouse, but he could also blow it off by saying he had been collecting information. That wasn’t entirely untrue, but Stomper hadn’t had much to say about his current life yet.
“So when did you form the Sons of Chaos?” Skid asked, trying to sound casual. “I’ve heard of you guys, but I had no idea you were the president.”
Stomper shrugged and made a face. “I don’t know, exactly. I think it was something I always wanted to do. I spent a little time in a different gang when I was living in Denver, but it just didn’t work out. I thought it would be better to just make my own club. I make all the rules, and everybody has to do what I say. Kind of like the army, except the food is better.” He slapped the table and laughed loudly, making the rest of the patrons turn to stare.
“And what are you doing in Chicago? I didn’t think you were based anywhere near here.” Skid forced a smile that he didn’t feel.
Stomper leaned close. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to gather some intelligence. But let me tell you something, Skid, this isn’t like the army. There aren’t any enemies hiding behind bushes. They’re right out in front of you, ready to attack from the front.” He nodded confidently as he looked around the room. “That’s why it’s so important to have someone at your back at all times, someone you can trust. I want you to know that if you ever need anything, I’ll be that guy at your back. I know how it is out there. It’s a harsh world.”
“That it is.” Skid wasn’t sure exactly what Stomper was up to, but this was one thing they could agree on. His stint in the army had been difficult at times, but it had given him a healthy respect for authority. “Sometimes I miss the army. I miss having a set schedule every day, where it was someone else’s job to decide what I ate and when, what I wore, and where I went. There’s a certain amount of comfort in knowing you don’t have to make those sorts of calls, even though they’re small ones. But then I remember some of the things I saw while we were overseas, and I wish that I had never enlisted.”
“You’re talking about Richardson, aren’t you?” He took a long pull of beer. “They were such idiots. They had their orders to remain put.”
Skid nodded. He had been given those same orders, and he had chosen to follow them, but he understood the reason Richardson had led the others out of safety. “The sad thing is, their hearts were in the right place. They thought they were doing good by charging out into that square and challenging the enemy. They didn’t want to be hiding behind an old brick wall and shooting through the cracks. They wanted glory, and they truly thought they could get it.” He stared at the wood grain of the table, but in his mind’s eye he could clearly see the way Richardson’s eyes had lit up as he came up with his master plan. His fellow soldiers had tried to bring Skid along with them. He’d thought about it, but only for a moment before he realized what was going on. Skid wasn’t going to be the one to defy orders. He still wasn’t—most of the time.
“They thought they were heroes, but you and I both know they didn’t deserve the funerals they got. I must have changed my mind a million times as to what I would say. I thought I should be honest, but it didn’t seem fair to claim their insubordination after we had seen them shot down like that.” Stomper slammed his fist on the table. “And they kept shooting, the fuckers! Even when Richardson and the others were dead, their bodies were still twitching from all the bullets. I wasn’t expecting anyone to die that day—it was supposed to be an easy mission—but at the time I could only think of how much ammo they were wasting.”
“That didn’t matter to them. They knew we were watching.” Skid had never felt so hated as he had in his time overseas. It was clear that some of the citizens they were supposed to be helping had no use for their assistance, or at least they thought so. Skid wasn’t entirely sure himself how much good he and the other soldiers had done, but they had tried. Besides, they were following orders. It didn’t matter what they thought about them. He frowned. He was still doing the same thing with Park, just following orders blindly. Park didn’t want anyone to mess with his daughter, and Skid would do anything to hide the fact that he had gone directly against orders. That wasn’t like him. Mina really had changed him. The question was: what was she changing him into?
“You know, maybe it was that sort of thing that made me start this club. When you enlist, you hear all this wonderful stuff about doing a few years on the backside of a gun, and then employers will practically throw themselves at you when you’re done. You’re guaranteed to get a good job because you’ll have learned all this discipline and leadership skills. But you know what?” Stomper leaned forward drunkenly, one elbow on the table and his finger in Skid’s face. “Nobody wanted me when I got out. They were too worried about whether or not I had PSD. No, PTD. STP? Whatever the fuck it’s called, they were worried about it. I worked at a fucking bowling alley when I got home. Can you believe that?”
“I can. I had the joy of working as a dishwasher in a greasy little diner. I thought it wouldn’t be too bad. I didn’t really have to talk to anyone, and I liked that part. But the shit people leave on their plates is disgusting. I could have gotten a lot of discounted food from the restaurant, but I’d already seen it all chewed up and spit back on the plates. I lost a lot of weight that month.” Skid laughed a little, feeling himself relax for the first time in months. He hadn’t thought much about anything but Mina, and it was good to let reality go. “Then I got a great stint working as security at an amusement park. When I didn’t have anything else to do, they had me clean puke off the rides.”
Stomper howled his laughter and slapped Skid hard on the shoulder. “Man, it’s so good to talk to you. Nobody else out there understands. They think they have things rough, but they don’t have a clue. I’m glad to see things have gotten better for you.” He must have seen the slight shift in Skid’s eyes at those words. “They have, haven’t they? Are you happy in Satan’s Legion?”
Skid felt the need to immediately jump to the defense of his club. “Of course! Absolutely! The president is a great guy, and he makes sure we’re all taken care of.”
“Yeah? I heard he can be kind of a hard ass.”
“Only when he needs to be,” Skid assured the man. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t imagine my life without the club.”
“I’m glad to hear it. But if there’s ever anything you need, I want you to come to me. I know I’m not your commanding officer anymore, but I’m still happy to help you out. You just let me know.”
“Will do. Now I’d better get out of here. I have some business to attend to.”
As Skid pulled out of the parking lot, he could feel the breeze yanking his worries away. While he tried hard not to talk about his army days, he realized how good it had been for him to do so. There was such a contrast with his life five years ago to now, and it made him appreciate what he had all the more. Sure, he had some explaining to do to Mia. But she was a reasonable woman, and she would understand. And someone might have run on home to the clubhouse, eager to tell Park that Skid had been in cahoots with the Sons of Chaos. But the president would sit down and listen to what Skid had to say, and everything would work out fine. Even the baby would be fine, although he didn’t quite know how he would tackle that issue yet. Still, everything was great.
He went straight past the small crowd in the living room, not interested in watching whatever game they had on the television or drinking any more beer. He was headed up to his room to think. But when he pushed open his door, he could immediately sense that something was wrong. The lights were off, but he wasn’t alone. He carefully shut the door behind him, keeping his hand on the knob while his eyes adjusted to the dim light. Skid checked the corners of the room, waiting for someone to burst out from the closet or from behind the dresser to attack him. As his eyes rolled around to the bed, it was obvious where the intruder was. The dark form against the white sheets was unmistakable.
“Are you just going to stand there staring at me, or are you at least going to say hi?”
Skid jumped, then flicked on the light. Mia blinked against the sudden brightness, but she was smiling. “What are you doing in here?”
“I’m not in here,” she insisted, sitting up in bed and pulling the sheets with her. “I’m in my room, because my father thinks I’m still young enough to be grounded. But there are a few things I wanted to ask you.”
“All right.” Skid took a step away from the door, but he stood hesitantly near the edge of the bed. “At least you seem to be in a good mood.”
“Oh, I see.” She scrunched up her eyes and studied him. “You think I’m going to be pissed at you because I saw you with Jewel.”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“Well, I am pissed about that. That’s one of the things I wanted to ask you about. But it was so funny scaring the shit out of you that I lost my head and smiled for a moment.” She pulled up her knees under the sheets and wrapped her arms around them. She was bare skinned from the top of the sheet where it covered her breasts on up.
It made Skid wonder what she had on under there. “Ask away.”
“All right. Fine.” Mina looked away for a second before she turned back to him. “What were you and Jewel doing tonight?”
“Fighting, if you must know.”
“About what?”
Skid pressed his lips together. “You, to be honest. She said some things about you that weren’t true. I think she’s jealous of all the attention you’re getting, even if it isn’t necessarily good attention. There at the end, she was just trying to make you mad.”
“She got it, all right.” Mina rolled her eyes. “Okay. Next question.”
“Shoot.”
“Did you conspire with my father to ask me to get rid of the baby?”
This one was a shock to his system, and he took a staggering step backwards as though her words had hit him like a fist. “What? No! Of course not!”
“You’re sure?” Mina raised one dark eyebrow.
“Yes, I’m sure! Besides, I’d have to tell Park the truth about the baby to make that happen.” He had only spoken with Park about club business and had carefully avoided the subject of Mina and the pregnancy.
“Not necessarily.” She put a finger to her lip. “I can easily see the two of you sitting in his office, talking about what’s best for me. You’re the vice president, after all, and he listens to you.”
While Skid had certainly had conversations like that with Park, none of them had ever involved getting rid of the baby. “Stop it, Mina. This isn’t funny.”
“I agree, and I’m not amused that he insinuated I do such a horrible thing.” She ran a hand through her hair defiantly, making the ends twist in different directions. “Now then. I have one final question. Are you using me?”
“What’s wrong with you tonight, Mina?”
“That’s not an answer to my question, Skid. Don’t avoid it. I want to know if you’re seeing other women and leading me along like a stupid dog. I know we never made any official commitment to each other. I know what your past is like. But I want to know exactly what I’ve gotten myself into so I’ll know exactly what I need to do in the future.” Mina looked up at him with determined eyes. She’d always had a fire in them, but it was different somehow. She had changed as well.
Skid hadn’t realized how much he needed to see that. Mina hadn’t just changed him; they had changed each other. His heart melted as he looked down at her with those questions in her eyes, as though things could really ever be different than they were. “I didn’t see it at first,” he murmured. “So I guess it makes sense that you wouldn’t see it, either.”
“What?” she demanded. His answer had confused her, and her fingers curled so that her nails dug into the flesh of her skin. “I just want to make sure I’m not being taken advantage of.”
“Mina, you’re the only one I want. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.” His voice had gone deep and husky, and he felt that fire he had seen in her eyes spreading to his own body. “It’s a shame we had to waste so much time before we could figure it all out, but at least we know now.” He reached for her, pulling her arms away from her knees and lifting her so that she knelt on the bed where he could put his arms around her. The soft white sheets fell away, revealing her swollen breasts and the firm roundness of her stomach. In her golden skin with those pale tattoos, she looked like a mythical creature come to life, something that even in his imagination wasn’t as amazing as the reality. “I didn’t know you were naked under there,” Skid whispered approvingly.
She gave him a crooked smile. “Let’s just say I was hoping this would go well.”
“I want you, Mina. I want you so badly, and it has killed me to stay away from you. You have no idea how many nights I lie here wishing I could have you by my side, wanting to have you again and again. I’ve needed you so badly—”
Mina cut him off with a kiss, parting her lips and luring his tongue out with her own. “You have me now.”
He kissed her back, every cell in his body pulling toward her. Only his clothes stood between them, but he refused to break their connection while he stripped off his vest and undid his belt. Mina’s soft fingers lifted the thin fabric of his T-shirt, running appreciatively over his abs and up to the broadness of his chest. Her eyes widened as she explored his skin, tracing his tattoos. It was as though she had never seen him before, and Skid realized that she really hadn’t. Their tryst had been dark and fervent, but there hadn’t been time or light for taking each other in like this.
Returning the favor, he ran his hands up her arms, pausing to swirl his thumbs on each of the lacy tattoos until he got to her shoulders. He cupped the base of her skull in his hands, holding her as gently as an egg as he kissed her. She pressed her body against his, her skin cool at first but its temperature instantly rising. Skid felt the heat building inside himself as he pulled his hands down to trace the lean lines of her back and flow around the smooth curves of her buttocks. She was exquisite, something that belonged in a museum.
But when she reached down and opened the button on his jeans, Skid was reminded that she was so much more than something beautiful to look at. She was real, she was alive, and she needed him just as badly as he needed her. Mina needed affirmation that he wanted her, that she belonged to him, and he intended to give it to her. His hardness burst forth as she undid his fly and slid his pants off his hips. Skid helped her get them the rest of the way off.
Completely naked, there was nothing stopping them now. There were no worries about her father or the other members of the club. Stomper and the memories he had brought up instantly faded into the background and disappeared. There was only need.
Gently, Skid lowered her back down to the bed with one arm, swiping the covers aside with his free hand. She spread her legs and wrapped them around him as he brought himself on top of her, moving slowly so as not to hurt her. She gasped as he entered her, but the spark in her eyes let him know it was a gasp of pleasure. Mina was hot and wet, and just being inside her brought a satisfaction he hadn’t felt since the last time he’d been with her. He kept himself braced on his arms to keep his weight off her delicate body. “God, you feel good.” He wanted to close his eyes to focus on the sensation, but he couldn’t stop looking at her.
“I’ve needed you so badly,” she whispered, moving her hips in rhythm with his. “I know you were mad when I wore those tiny tops and acted like a flirt, but I was just trying to make you see what I wanted from you. I didn’t think you would listen if I just told you.” Her eyes rolled up and she grabbed fistfuls of sheets on either side of her.
Skid leaned down to plant a kiss on each of her nipples. “Then I was a fool, Mina. I should have known we couldn’t stay away from each other. There’s no way, not really.” He bit his tongue as his equipment tightened. “We’re going to have to stop.”
“No, please. We can’t stop now.”
But Skid was out of her, and he had her by the hips. “I meant we’re going to have to change position, or else I’m going to come. I want to make sure you get everything you need tonight, but you feel too damn good. I’m not sure how long I can control myself.” He rolled over, picking her up and setting her down on top of him.
Mina’s hair flew around her face, and she giggled at the motion. Planting her knees on either side of his hips, she plunged herself down onto him and sighed with contentment. She sat straight up on top of him, lifting herself before letting him sink all the way inside once again.
Skid bent his knees so that she could lean back against the strength of his legs, and the angle at which her core pulled him made him realize this wasn’t going to keep him at bay like he’d thought. She was so sexy as she rode him, her hands running over her breasts and through her hair as she got herself worked up. He kept his hands on her hips, running his thumbs in small circles against her skin and feeling lucky beyond measure at the sight before him. “You’re incredible, Mina. I’m not going to be able to stop myself.”
She flexed her hips so that her flesh pressed into his, and she held herself there for a moment with her eyes closed. Every muscle in her body felt tight, and when she began moving again he could feel the tiny pulses that were taking over her inside. They increased, undulating around him, encouraging him to feel the same thing she was feeling. “Yes, yes. Just like that.” She clawed at her body as it took over.
There was nothing he could do. The heat of her and the motion of her core made him want to feel her come over and over again until she was spent, but that wasn’t meant to be. His balls tightened against him as he shot his load, filling Mina as her body commanded him to. His toes curled as he pushed every ounce of energy he had out through his member, feeding on a sense of gratification he never thought possible.
Mina continued to pulse for a minute once he was done, and he watched with fascination as she got everything she needed. He would let her stay there all day if needed, just to see her happy. He would give her everything just to know she had been satisfied.
She opened her eyes and grinned at him before getting off and lying next to him. “I can’t believe we waited so long to do that.”
“We had our reasons.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. It was cool in the room, but the heat they had generated between them was enough to keep them warm for the moment. “How did you get in here, anyway? I usually leave my door locked.”
Mina snuggled in closer against his ribs. “I used the fire escape and came in the window.”
He sat up and looked at her. “Really?”
She shrugged, a movement of her slim shoulders against his skin. “The locks on the windows are really easy to pick. It’s the kind of thing I would probably bring up except that I can use it to my advantage.” Her giggle was cute enough that he was willing to forgive her for letting a security issue like that slide.
With her next to him in his bed, he could easily continue pretending that nothing was wrong. They could act like they were a couple with nothing to worry about, but that was so far from the truth. Making love had been wonderful, but it had only complicated things.
“Mina, I want you to know that this hasn’t really changed anything. Well, other than hopefully making you realize that you’re the only woman in my life. But I still think we need to keep things under wraps for a little while. I want to find a way to tell your dad, and at some point I will, but I think it needs to be at the right time. That isn’t now.” His evening at the bar came rushing back to him. He had spent a long time talking with Stomper, and there was no way that wouldn’t get back to Park. If the president heard of Skid sleeping with his daughter and talking with a rival club, it would give him the wrong idea.
She gave a small sigh. “I don’t really like it, but I get it. If I was anyone else, none of it would really matter. Can you just promise me one thing?”
“Anything.”
“Promise me we’re going to be together. Even if it’s not right now or even in the next couple of months, that’s fine, but promise me that it will happen eventually.”
Skid couldn’t remember a time when anyone had needed him so much. He’d never been popular as a child, he’d never had a relationship that had really meant anything, and even when he had been in the army, he had been easily replaceable. Mina needed him. She truly relied on him. It scared him and thrilled him at the same time. “We will. I promise.”
The words seemed to soothe her. Mina’s breathing got deeper, and she was soon asleep next to him. Skid smiled and pulled up the sheet, knowing they would need it as the night wore on.