BRONX:

“Brother, you alright?”

We were at a bar near Philly, waiting on one of the Presidents from a club to discuss the Guardian expansion outside the city of brotherly love and how each member could help with recruitment in other states. Contrary to popular belief about the city, there were some hard-core brothers that were really on point in the region. Razor was the District President, so we needed to go through the cities and meet with the prospects and local Presidents, especially the ones about to retire. If we expanded, then more Presidents and District Presidents were needed.

“No,” I said simply. “I ain't alright. This fucking woman.”

I blew out a frustrated breath.

“Ha!” Razor exclaimed as we waited in the car while Apollo was on his bike behind us. “Here's that rough patch we all go through. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. I know that look from any-fuckin-where.”

My head turned to face him as my arm rested on the car handle. “Say your peace.”

“Not my peace, but it could be yours,” Razor chuckled. “Brother, all I’m saying and I have no idea what happened but you got to make a decision. Fight for her your way or fight on her terms. Shay has a lot of them, so you could be outnumbered or bring her to your turf, and you may have a chance. You're going to have to disarm her. She's locked and loaded. This, I know. Probably wants time to figure it all out. Set a fucking limit to that time.”

“She has till we get back,” I interrupted.

“Good. Got to get her ass in gear and back on your turf because the bottom line is you're fucked, and she has your balls.” Razor burst out laughing with his gravelly voice.

I was about to tell him to fuck his self, but then I realized, he was right.

“You would know, huh?” I retorted, instead.

“Abso-fuckin-lutely.” He continued to laugh.

Closing towards the end of our two-day trip around Pennsylvania, we had every President on board with the expansion. We had one more meeting before we headed home and I’d never want to be home so bad in my life. A few of the brothers planned to meet us there but stayed behind us in case of trouble. Razor and I wanted to put the shit that happened with me and the Vipers behind us, so we planned to visit our chapter in the area and see the President of the other club.

When we arrived, Swag, the Norristown President was in the middle of his dinner.

“The fuck you doing here, eating alone.” Razor walked in and embraced the husky man. It looked like he wrestled for a living, as he only had his cut on with a toned bare chest and muscles popping out of each arm.

“Don’t have an old lady like you,” he laughed, slid off the stool to embrace Razor. “Need to be like my man Bronx, live free or die trying.”

Razor laughed so hard that he started coughing. “Fuck, man. Not no more.”

“What the fuck,” Swag laughed. “Say it ain’t the fuck so.”

He looked at me, and all I could do was shake my head.

“It’s so, Swag. Fuck if I know what happened.” I had to laugh my damn self.

“I need to go over there and check out the ladies in Manor. Last time I was there, it was a sweet one, but she was hawking your Sergeant of Arms. Her friend was cute too, but I’d have to tan her ass with that mouth.”

Razor started laughing again.

“Yeah, her friend. She’s mine,” I nodded. “The other one, she left town.”

“Oh fuck. You got to be shitting me. You tied a lasso around that beauty?” Swag shook his head. “Well, fuck me. I need a sweet one. Shame about the brunette.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“So, come on, eat with me. There’s plenty.” He sat back on the stool.

“We’re not staying, we know you’re on board with what we’re trying to do, but wanted to swing by before we saw the Viper’s lair.”

“Ah, yeah.” He nodded as we both took a stool and sat in a circle.

Apollo was outside on guard, while the others were patrolling further out. We wanted to be prepared for any and all surprises.

“Heard there was a misunderstanding in Manor but I didn’t connect the dots that it was with y’all.” He shook his head. “Those shit heads over there got no gall. The Pres is one weak mother fucker. A few of his members, especially Haz, are reckless tools. He would set up his own Mama if he thought it would benefit him. Word is, he set up a prospect, that he brought in to take the fall for some missing guns. Then turned on his ass and was hunting him.”

Razor and I both must have had the same expression because Swag stopped and said, “Shit on a stick. That was y’all?”

“No, no. But that is what spilled over to us. Haz, what does he look like?” I asked.

“Looks like a damn coward if you ask me with a braided beard and he must have stolen some little girl’s hair beads because he got that shit in his beard too.” Swag was clearly disgusted by the man. “No fucking honor.”

“I hear you, brother,” Razor agreed.

They were like two peas in a pod. I guess we all were, which is why we were all Guardians. Honor, integrity, loyalty, and community meant something to us.

“Yup, that’s the motherfucker.” I would not forget him anywhere. “He’s the one that had the knife to Shay’s neck.”

Razor nodded, and his face grew dark, “You say, he’s rogue?”

“Rogue is right.” He turned to me and said, “Wait, you were involved?”

“Fuck yeah,” I nodded. “A knife to my woman’s neck. He’s lucky to be breathing.”

My head was shaking as anger started to cloud my mind. The images of her standing there, his hairy arm around her neck, her body pressed up against his with the jagged edge of a hunting knife pressed against her jugular.

“Fuck, why didn’t you call me up. I just need a reason for these mother fuckers. They are a horrible example of a club. The whole goddamn tribe,” Swag started to get upset. “Fuck, if I woulda known it was y’all. Your old lady? Fuck that. What y’all want to do?”

“Right now,” Razor interjected, “we need to find out what these guys are doing. I talked to their Pres, but we both figured he didn’t know what the fuck was going on. So, we wanted to scope the layout and see exactly what we’re dealing with.”

“Okay, I got that.” Swag wiped his mouth, stood and left our circle.

When he returned, he had blueprints, recon, and a few thick folders.

“Here is the layout of the compound.” He spread out the building documents across the bar. “Here are names of the key members and the type of shit they are into. Which, let me warn you, don’t read that shit drunk. You’ll be like me, ready to kill one of those mother fuckers. And here, are the rap sheets for the ringleaders, including the President and Haz.”

“Damn, brother!” Razor exclaimed. “You don’t fuck around.”  

“Fuck no. Told you, those sons of bitches are on my list. I just need a reason.”

“Well, here it is,” I added.

We talked and planned for a lot longer than we had intended, but it was all good. Swag was a stand-up guy and breaking bread with real people was always good.  On our way back, we circled the Devil’s Vipers lair so we could scope the place. It was exactly like the blueprints Swag gave us which was a relief since we could study them.

Just in case.

******

WE ARRIVED BACK TO Manor around nine o’clock in the evening, and I went straight to Shay’s place. Big Joey had texted me and shared that Greg’s stupid ass and Shay got into it to the point where he heard that shit about his sister. That fucker was asking for me to pound his smug face into the concrete. The only reason I didn’t lay my hands on him was because of his sister. That was the only reason, but if he didn’t leave Shay alone, we would have problems that even she wouldn’t be able to fix.

After two knocks, she answered the door in plaid pajama bottoms, a tank top and bare feet. She stared at me as I leaned on the outside door seal with my arms above my head.

“You coming in?” she asked.

“No, come out.” I stepped back to let her through.

At first, she stood there, then Shay walked out on the porch. I closed the door, then sat on the top stairs. Once I patted the space next to me, she sat as well.

I muddled through my thoughts, trying to figure out where I should start. I thought about what my brothers have said, what I’ve heard over the years and even where I went wrong in the past. Then I thought about what I wanted with her, and that propelled me to say, “I should have told you about Shelly.  I wasn’t sure of the timing as I wanted you to get to know me better and not be clouded with what happened between us four years ago. Get to know the type of man I am and establish what we had, before I told you some shit like that. That man was weak and afraid. I’m ashamed of that man, which is why I set about to make some changes in my life. The brotherhood was an added bonus, but weakness is never an option.”

Our bodies weren’t connected in any way because I wanted her to hear my words without any other forces playing a part.

“Shelly was a beautiful woman and deserved way more than I could offer her at the time,” I scoffed. “She followed me around everywhere and had my back, but I was too fucking young and damaged. I was an island without a home. I won’t deny loving her and more importantly the role she played in my life. However, the more I looked down the road, even in my fucked up state, fighting every week, underground and in tournaments, I could not provide for someone else. I barely could take care of myself. Which was fine, but I couldn’t face her. At the time, I didn’t want to tell her because it would have confirmed what I knew deep down. What I couldn’t admit to myself. I was not the man I portrayed to her, to them, to the world. I wasn’t him. I was a scared fucking kid who took boxing classes to defend my alcoholic mother against her dates. I was angry that I had to do that. I resented the fact and being tied to a woman without addressing that shit was a shit recipe.”

Shay exhaled but remained quiet.

“I just need you to know why I left. It was fucked up, and I’ve regretted it ever since. I don’t regret not marrying her, I regret not having the goddamn balls to discuss it with her. I will always regret that. It used to haunt me but now,” I sighed. “Now, I refuse to have regrets. I know it seems like I’m rushing you or us and I am. I’ve wanted you for years. Fucking years and then after that night, I had that same fucking feeling that you could do so much better than me. Financially, I can take care of you but it wasn’t until you said, you had to take care of yourself that I realized, I was kidding no one. You’re mine. Made just for me and fuck, Shay, I don’t deserve you, but I swear on everything I know, I’d fight tooth and nail for you. Give my fucking life for you. Kitten, you have my heart. All those things that I want for you, I want them with you. What you want for me, I want them with you, Shay. No one else. Now, what do you want?”

She remained silent for what felt like an eternity, then she said, “I want that Bronx. I want those things with you, but I won’t lie. I’m scared. You, somehow, have the power to break my heart. I’m scared Bronx, and that’s my truth. I, uh,” she exhaled. “I don’t know how to stop.”

“That’s because we’re not supposed to stop,” I quickly said. “That shit will consume you, believe me, I know.”

“Now what?” she asked.

My arm extended to pull her close to me. Then I whispered in her hair, “We keep moving forward. Going full-speed ahead towards our goal.” Using both of my hands, I lifted her and placed her, so she was straddling my lap as I looked up at her beautiful face. “We’ll get engaged, then married. Then, I’m going to plant little babies in your belly, and you’re going to be even crazier than you already are. So I’m going to have to buy chocolate ice cream by the tub. Then you’re going to keep doing your thing, and I’ll keep loving you, till our kids bury us over in Manor somewhere. You’ll go down in history as the craziest old lady in the Guardians, and we’ll both live our lives without regrets. I might get slapped or tackled, but we’re going to live. That’s what we do now. Live.”

All of Shay’s hair was in her face as her head was tilted down, looking at me. Yet, the shimmering of her teardrops streaming down her face could not be mistaken.

“I hate when you cry.” I wiped them with my thumb.

“They are good tears,” she said through a few hiccups.

“Still,” I said as I moved the hair out of her face. "My mom used to cry after every drunken episode, after I kicked the men out and the next morning. Just tears, all the fucking time. You're not her but as a result, I hate tears."

Shay poked her bottom lip out attempting to pout, and then she gave me a half of a smirk.

“Any other questions?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said with a smirk. “You keep threatening to tie me up and spank me, but I’m beginning to think that’s all talk and no play.”

I growled and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her face towards mine.

“I’m not sure you’re ready for that.”

Shay started squirming on my lap, awakening the beast that missed her hot body.

“Think so, huh?” she smirked before I took her mouth in a searing kiss.

She moaned in my mouth while grabbing my head in an attempt to guide me. I wrapped her long hair in my right hand and pulled, so her face was lifted and I could take my fill of her lips. Each nip, lick, and peck continued to send me over but I knew her cousin was there, and my place was fifteen minutes away. I pulled back and said, “Dessy is a light sleeper.”

“Not that I know of.” She laughed. “There is always music.”

“True. So true.”

In one motion, I wrapped my arm around Shay’s waist and lifted her as I stood up. She yelped and started to laugh.

“Oh my God, you’re so fucking strong.”

“Don’t forget it,” I smirked, as I walked us to her bedroom.

Once I put her down, she went to her stereo and turned it on as I sat on the bed.

My cock was raging since all I wanted to do was get inside of her. Shay was equally antsy because she was pulling down her bottoms while changing the station. By the time she reached the bed again, she was in light pink panties.

“Turn around,” I told her.

The back of her panties had the letters FO with a picture of lips after them.

“What does this mean?” I tapped her ass.

“Focus.” She wiggled her behind. “It means focus on what you’re doing?”

After slapping her on the ass, I pulled down her panties and began to kiss each globe. Then I turned her around and pressed my lips against her stomach while grabbing her two perky breasts. They weren’t overly huge, but big enough for my hands, which was all that mattered. She was made for me only.

Shay’s warm hands wrapped around my head as she rubbed it up and down. She murmured something, but I didn’t hear her.

“Hmm,” I moaned against her stomach.

Her leg lifted up on the bed, and she said, “Make love to me, Bronx.”

Fuck.

My head pulled back as I looked up at her beautiful brown eyes. They were clear, acute and bearing her entire soul. She was all in.

More importantly, she was mine. Not because I said it but because she was giving herself to me.

Wrapping my arm around her, I put her on the queen size bed as I turned over and opened her legs and flicked my tongue directly on her clit.

My girl was wet and waiting for me, but I wanted her to come first. I inserted one finger and kept grazing my tongue over her taut clitoris. Then I inserted two fingers in her tight pussy until her fingers started digging in my head and her moans grew louder. After inserting another finger, her body jerked as she erupted with my mouth sucking on her taut clit.

I rose, pulled off my shirt, jeans, and boots before I crawled up over her. My lips drew in her puckered nipples as I teased and caressed them with my tongue.

“Bronx,” she moaned. “Oh God.”

As I did the same thing on her other nipple, I pulled off my briefs, spread Shay’s legs open so she could accommodate me and slid into home base.

Her sigh and mine mixed resembled the sound of a melodic tune. It felt like the heavens had opened up and angels were singing as we connected. The shit was deep and almost spiritual. We rested there for a minute and then I began to rock into her tight channel. Our eyes were locked on each other with no words exchanged between the two of us.

Shay’s arms were wrapped around my neck, and I was leaning on my elbow beside her. I lifted her left leg, so that I could push in and out of her on an angle. She began to moan louder, but our eyes were still on the other.

“Beautiful,” I murmured as I felt my ending coming soon.

“Bronx,” Shay moaned.

“So fucking beautiful.”

My pace sped up as I saw her eyes flutter and her arms loosened.

“Oh my God, you feel so good,” she cried.

“Take me, baby.” I was about to burst. “Take it.”

“Yes!” she screamed, and I released my seed into her.

Our bodies were jerking with the orgasmic release and ecstasy. It was unreal. I came down on the side of Shay and pulled her into me. Sweat covered my body, but she continued to rub the pools of water into my skin.

“God, Bronx,” she exhaled. “I said make love to me, not put me in a coma.”

I laughed as much as my strength would allow me and kissed her lips.

“Love does put you in a coma,” I explained.

Shay’s eyes rose to mine, but she didn’t say anything. A few moments later, she grabbed both of my ears, then said, “It sure does,” and kissed me softly.

I woke up the next morning, tangled in sheets and her tight body pressed against me. She was out like a light and snoring like a sailor. I closed her nose, causing her to jolt awake with her arms swinging.

“Wha-what?” She looked around.

Through my laughter, I said, “You were snoring.”

Shay blinked twice, then picked up a pillow and swung it towards me, aiming for my head. I tackled her on the bed, causing her to scream out.

“Okay, okay,” she conceded. “I give up.”

“Smart girl,” I said before I nipped her neck.

She extended it, so that I could have full access. My mouth continued to nip and lick further down her collarbone.

“Bronx,” she whined. “I need to freshen up. I’m all sticky.”

“No matter.” I wrapped my lips around her taut nipple. “You’re about to get stickier.”

She kept squirming, so I lifted her and took her to the master bathroom, where she was able to rinse off as I fucked her against the shower wall. She slid up and down my cock as I fingered her tight little hole, preparing her for anal sex.

Over breakfast, Shay and her cousin, Dessy shared about her shadowing some male nurse and Dessy’s new job at Pepper’s. They both seemed excited about it, and she definitely looked like she could hold her own in a biker bar but time would tell. It always did.

“So, any advice?” Dessy asked me.

“Yeah, don’t take no shit,” I responded as I ate the waffles Shay toasted.

She nodded her head and followed up, “That’s it?”

“Well,” I finished chewing. “Yeah.”

“Bronx is a man of little words,” Shay chimed in. “But he’s right.”

We were all sitting at the bar-style kitchen area eating, and Dessy was facing both Shay and me.

“This is such a great opportunity.” Dessy was all smiles. “Thanks again cousin.”

“Stop.” Shay pointed to her cousin. “Told you.”

She resumed eating, then Dessy looked at me and smiled wide.

“Shay doesn’t take gratitude well,” I said.

“She’s family, that’s unnecessary,” Shay commented.

I shrugged and said, “You’re family.”

That’s what family did.

Real families.

Shay would be a great mother.