~Chapter 20
~Shadow
“Peach,” is all I can say after pounding on the locker room in search of her. The Prez and VP gave me a nice stern talking to and left me with absolutely no doubt in my mind as to what I needed to do. Claim my woman, and make sure that she had no doubts in her mind who owns her. They also gave me exactly one month off as “punishment” for my behavior, and the keys to the house up on the Drive in Milwaukee that the club owns.
I think it is more of a “honeymoon” type of vacation, cause Prez and Tank sure as shit didn’t lay into me the way I thought they would. Thinking back to the conversation all I can hear is Blaze saying, “Are you a fucking dumbass, Shadow. She has been waiting for you, doing her best to get herself right, and you have done little other than watch her from a distance.”
“Why the fuck are you two in this shit? You sound like a bunch of little girls gossiping and shit. Leave me and Rebecca outta this. If you wanna fire me or something for my behavior tonight and the other nights than get to that shit, otherwise leave me, no, leave us the fuck alone.”
Tank is the next to speak, but only after he takes the few steps over to where I am sitting and punches me dead in the face. “You are one dumb motherfucker, Shadow. I don’t give two fucks about what happened tonight or what’s been happening for the past two years. The only thing I give a fuck about is that little treasure that you have been toying with.”
Standing up, I am toe to toe with this boy before I feel a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Don’t do it, Shadow. Tank might be a little outta line, but he is saying exactly what all of us have been thinking, well anyone that has seen you and her together. The fire between you two is something that only comes once in a lifetime and I, for one, am not sure why you are fighting it so much. We felt that fire the moment we were together with Pearl.” Taking his hand from my shoulder Blaze steps back, “I have had your girl in my house so many times or had our woman or one of the other ol’ ladies go to her after some shit has gone down here too many times and it needs to end. You need to claim her or let her go plain and simple.” Taking a deep breath on his gruff exhale he adds, “That is an order from your boss, your Prez, your friend, and your brother, Brother.”
Drawing in a breath, I gotta calm myself before I speak or some shit will come out that shouldn’t. “I know that you two are trying to help, but what is between Rebecca and I is more than a little fucked up. There is shit in play that neither of you could even fathom.”
“We know everything that has happened between the two of you. Fuck, we probably know more about your little treasure than you do. Have you not paid attention while you were stalking the poor girl? She spends more time with the ol’ ladies, at the clubhouse, and as of late in this fucking building than you do. Have you been so busy watching her and taking care of that list of hers, that you really haven’t seen the change in her? The way that she has grown into her own in all these different situations? The way that she is much more of a woman and much less the little girl that she came here to us as?” Seeing the blankness in my face, a wicked grin takes hold of him before he goes on. “You really have been too wrapped up to notice. She is gonna make a run for it if you don’t make your move, Emmanuel. She has been waiting for it and you have been too busy being her father and not being her Daddy…”
Knowing in a, instant what he means, my mind heads to only minutes ago when I was buried inside my Peach. The sweet sound of her calling out “Papi” when I was fucking her. Remembering that, I think back to the way I have been seeing her these last few years. I’ve been so protective and treating her for the most part with kid gloves because I have been scared at what she has gone through and what might happen.
Tank’s voice cuts into my thoughts, “Stop treating her like she’s fucking breakable, Brother. Go get her and claim her, we will take it to the brothers at church for you while you’re gone. But you better make sure that she doesn’t have a doubt in her when you return, that you have made her yours in every way- or she will leave.”
Nodding my head in agreement, I think of my Peach leaving and my heart seizes in my chest. That can’t fucking happen. She is MINE. And I know what needs to be done.
Throwing a hand up as I turn to leave, I give a wave before striding from the room. Stopping to change, I throw on my jeans, cut, and boots, grabbing up the collar that has been in my locker for long years, collecting dust, waiting for my Peach to be ready to wear it. I just didn’t realize that I was the one that was doing the stalling until now, when my brothers brought it to me.
Heading to the lady’s locker room to collect my Peach, my fist comes down on the door loudly. I know that this is gonna be explosive and can’t wait to get her beneath me for the long haul. Growling out, “Peach, come out here to your Papi, these games end tonight, YOU ARE MINE!” I wait impatiently for her to come to me.
Waiting only moments, the door starts to slowly open as I see my Peach come into view looking even more delicious than she was earlier tonight. Wearing jeans and a V-neck sweater, I don’t even pause as I pull the collar from my bag and fasten it tight around her neck. Asking her to belong to me without words. Bobbing her head in response, she raises her eyes to me, the twinkle that I see come to her eyes as I collar her is something that I hope never goes away. Taking my Peach by the hand, I nod to the other women standing inside the room as I turn tugging her towards the exit.
Grabbing my helmet off the bike, I drop it onto her head, before buckling the strap. “We’ll stop and get what little you will need, but then we are heading north for a little bit. We need to get this shit between us sorted and we need to have privacy to do it.”
Nodding her head in answer, her eyes drop down to the ground before I can catch the twinkle in them again, and something just rubs me wrong. Grabbing her chin, I demand her attention and eyes before continuing. When I see them, tears are slipping down her cheeks and my heart would break if I didn’t see the twinkle behind those tears. “Hear me now, little girl, you will have eye contact with me in all things. Those fucking twinkles that I just saw when that collar went around your neck, is something I always need to see. You will do this for me, little girl.”
Squeezing her chin between my fingers draws a small gasp from her lips, stealing a kiss before I go on takes both of our breaths away. “I will not tolerate you sharing it with another man though. That twinkle in your eye is for me and me alone. What your Papi wants is what he will get. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” comes out breathy and she needs to steady herself with a deep inhale before going on, “Of course Emmanuel.”
“NO!” is out loudly before I can help it and she is bent over my bike with my hand landing heavily before I can even finish my thought. “Not Emmanuel, little girl, Papi.”
“Yes, Papi,” is groaned out shortly after the forth slap lands and I know that my girl is close to cumming.
“Don’t you cum, little girl. You have had your freedom and done what you’ve wanted these last few years, while I have watched. It has eaten me up alive that I have not claimed you for my own, that you have been alone in this. That freedom is fucking gone, little girl. You will ask for every pleasure, and if you’re lucky, your Papi will give it to you.”
The shiver that runs through my Peach at my words lets me know that she is right there with me. God, why the fuck did I wait this long to claim her? This thing between us could have been happening and in that instant I know that I will spend the rest of my days being her Papi and she will be my little girl.
Throwing my leg over the bike, I motion for my Peach to get on behind me. Wrapping herself tight around me has me feeling at peace and I know this thing between us is fucking right. Pulling the bike outta the lot, I head towards her house. As we are pulling up I notice a car parked across the street and wonder who the fuck it could be. Pulling the bike into the drive, I take note of the license as the car pulls away. Knowing that I will need to get that info to Tank before we leave I grab for my phone and text it over to him before even cutting the engine.
Taking her hand, I give Rebecca a little help getting off the bike, before following her off. Wrapping an arm around her, she snuggles into me as we walk to her door. Grabbing up for the key that she is fumbling for, I use it to unlock her door. “Hurry up and grab only essentials. What you might need for about a month, my Peach. Medicines, personal items, etc. You will not need much clothing because I plan on being buried in you most of the time, and anything else that you need we can buy.”
“Okay, Papi,” is squeaked out as she catches my meaning. Running off in the direction of her bedroom, I make the call to Irene that I have been somewhat dreading for years. Irene, I’m sure however, has known it was coming and is gonna put me through the fucking ringer.
Answering on the first ring, Irene doesn’t waste any time laying into me. “She better have that fucking collar on her neck, a ring on her finger, and ink on her before she comes back Emmanuel, or I will take your fucking dick off.” Only pausing long enough to draw a breath, she adds, “Do you understand me young man?”
This being one of the few things that has scared me in life doesn’t stop my haunches from raising at her little speech. “Irene, I am only a few years younger than you for fucks sake. You know why I am calling it seems, so just take a step back and let’s discuss this like reasonable grown-ups.”
“Reasonable grown-ups,” she spits at me through the phone. “Reasonable would have been claiming that girl the moment you knew. Reasonable would have been showing her what a man, what a good man, can do for her. Reasonable would have been showering that girl with the things that she has been working hard for. Reasonable would have been supporting her through all the doctors and therapists and years of shit that she has been going through. Reasonable would have been what I have been doing. Picking up the pieces each time her world crumbles from whatever happens between you.”
I can’t help the venom that I speak with, “I would watch the way you are speaking to me, woman. Men have been put to ground for less and I don’t think she would like for that to happen.”
“Don’t raise your voice to me, boy. I have lived through enough not to be threatened by the likes of you.” Then I hear another voice, and this one has little but wrath laced through it.
“Shadow, I would watch your next words. I will fucking lay you out and put you under for speaking to her that way. I have little patience for that shit and you damn well know it. Don’t make me get up and come over there to fucking do it.”
Growling out at the words Preach speaks, I know exactly what he means. That man will fuck anyone up that disrespects a woman- if she is known to him or not. “Sorry, brother, I apologize for speaking outta turn, I am just pretty riled up still from claiming Rebecca and I…”
Irene is quick to cut me off, “It’s about fucking time. When is the wedding?”
“Jesus, Irene, I just collared her. We are heading up to Milwaukee for a month and we will have answers to all those questions when we get back. I was just calling to let you know and make sure that you weren’t worried about her while we were gone.”
“Thanks for that, Emmanuel, I guess. You will be sitting down with me as soon as you get back and you will give me the answers I have been looking for since the day you brought her back. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, you hear me?”
Answering the only way I can, “Yes, Ma’am that can be arranged.”
“Safe travels, give her my love, and Shadow”
“Yeah,” I grunt in reply.
“I’m so happy for you, finally.” is the last thing I hear before the line goes dead.
“She went easy on you, you know that right,” comes out softly behind me. Turning I see my Peach smiling wide, wearing traveling clothes with nothing but a small bag in hand. Cutting the distance between us I scoop her up in my arms before taking her mouth with my own.
“I would battle the devil himself to have you here with me like this, little girl. Irene is as close as I have come in my life, though.” Smiling at my words, I bring my head down again, claiming her mouth with my own in a lazy kiss. Knowing that this is only the beginning of our story, the beginning of us.