CHAPTER 11

Flick

I winced as I glanced past the doctor through the doorway. Not that I doubted whose voice I’d heard.

“I don’t have to let him in, Felicity.”

I waved him off. “No, it’s no problem. I know Taz, um, quite well. I just wasn’t expecting him here, that’s all.”

With a nod the doctor left the room and Taz prowled in, closing the door behind him.

“What the ever loving fuck, Flick?”

Yeah, I felt like asking him the same thing.

“Hey, Taz. Um, how did you know I’d be here?”

His gaze flicked to the bed where my Uncle Gus lay sleeping after his bypass surgery.

“I spent a lot of time out at the range with Gus. When I heard he’d been brought in last night I came to see how he was doing. Scout told me his niece was here, but he didn’t know her name. Won’t take him long to find out though, and when he sees it’s you, shit’s gonna hit the fan. The hospital has you as Felicity Vaughn, while your ID says you’re Felicity Abbott. Not good, babe. That shit’ll come bite you on the ass sooner rather than later.”

Blowing out a breath, I ran my fingers through my hair. I needed to call Greg, to somehow get them to change my name on the records here at the hospital. Fuck it all to hell. I hadn’t even known Gus was here in town!

“I know. I need to make some phone calls. I didn’t know he was here in Bridgewater, nor did I know he had me listed as his next of kin. None of this was something I could have planned for.”

“You need to stay here now? Or can you come back to my place with me? Be better to talk there. Safer.”

I glanced over at my sleeping uncle. “Yeah, I can go. I’ll tell them to call me on our way out. C’mon, it’s damage control time.”

After giving my uncle a kiss on the cheek and whispering to him that I’d be back, I turned and followed Taz out of the room. I found the nurse in charge and told her I needed to go deal with some stuff but would be back later. She promised to call me if anything changed, and then I found myself being guided from the hospital by Taz, out toward his bike.

“I’ll follow you in my car.” I could see in his face he was about to start arguing, so I held up my palm. “No. I need to be able to leave if something happens with my uncle.”

He frowned, then sighed. “Fine, but if you’re not right behind me the whole way, I will come after you. Understand?”

“Yeah, I hear you.”

I went to step away, but his hand snapped out and caught my wrist. He dragged me in against him before I could twist free. Then his lips were on mine, and I forgot all about trying to escape. By the time he ended the kiss, I was leaning against him and trying to chase his lips as he pulled back.

“Dammit, you make me lose my head, woman. We’ll work this shit out. Probably best if you quit the bar and pull out of this assignment while you can, though. Keys will find out your real name, and there’ll be hell to pay.”

Taking a step back, I straightened my shirt and pushed my hair back behind my ears. “Which is why I need to get to your place soon, so I can make some phone calls about altering my name in the hospital records.”

With a nod, Taz released me and I made a beeline for my car. The sooner I could ring Greg, hopefully, the sooner this could all be sorted out and I wouldn’t have to leave. So far Taz hadn’t mentioned anything about my real last name, so I was still hopeful he hadn’t worked out I had anything to do with my brother. Vaughn wasn’t that common of a name, but maybe Taz hadn’t known my brother’s real name, just his handle. Because as much as I wanted to quiz him about my brother, now wasn’t the time. Nope, what I needed to do now was deal with my name being changed, then figure out why the hell the club was so interested in my uncle. Because Taz had said Scout had told him about Uncle Gus being in hospital, which meant it was club business.

Bridgewater was small enough of a town it didn’t take long to get anywhere and within fifteen minutes I was pulling up behind Taz’s bike at his house. Pushing aside all my worries, I hopped out and silently followed the man inside. The moment the door was shut I had my phone out and was dialing my boss.

“Cave.”

“Vaughn here, boss. I have a situation.”

“Let me have it.”

“I’ve hit something unexpected. My uncle, who I didn’t realize lives in Bridgewater, had a heart attack last night and has me listed as his emergency contact. So, I’m currently listed at the hospital here as Vaughn, not Abbott. And my uncle has the interest of the Charons. Taz came to the hospital to check on him, not expecting to find me there. Is there any way to have my name changed in the system over there?”

“Dammit. I’ll get on it and have it changed. I didn’t know you had an uncle?”

“Long story, he’s technically a half-uncle. I won’t bore you with the family drama behind it.”

“So, I’m guessing you have no idea why the club is interested in him?”

“Not yet. I’ll report in when I do know.”

“Right. Well, go find that out and I’ll deal with fixing your cover before it blows wide open. Watch your back down there, Vaughn.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hanging up, I pocketed the phone and with a groan, scrubbed my face with my palms. What a fucking mess.

“Wanna bore me with the family drama behind you having a half-uncle?”

With a sigh, I turned to face Taz. Taking in his stance, I didn’t think no was really an option.

“Only if you’ll tell me what the club’s interest in him is, and only if we can do it with beer.” I frowned. “Just one, since I’ll probably need to be driving later. But a nice, cold beer would go down real well right about now.”

With a chuckle he gave me a nod. “Follow me, babe.”

I followed him through to his kitchen where he retrieved two bottles of beer from the fridge, before leading me over to a table.

“Ladies first. Then I’ll tell you why the Charons are interested in Old Gus.”

Taz popped the lids off the bottles and I took a long drink before I started to speak.

“My mother’s father cheated on his wife. The result of the affair was Gus. Grandpa Vaughn was a bastard. I never liked him, even as a child I avoided him. According to my mother, she’d had no clue she wasn’t an only child until Gus turned up on their doorstep one day. His mother had died in a car wreck and while going through her things, he found his father’s identity. Poor kid was sick with grief and simply looking for some family connection, and instead got a door slammed in his face. He’d just turned eighteen the month before, so at least he didn’t have to deal with foster care or anything like that. Anyhow, my Mom had been eavesdropping on the conversation and when she realized her dad was going to shut him out, she took off. Got a wad of cash from somewhere and was out the back door before anyone could stop her. She chased Gus down and gave him the money, told him she’d help him however she could. He thanked her and told her he’d write, then he was gone.”

Pausing to take another drink, I watched Taz’s reaction. His jaw had gone tight and his eyes glazed over with ice. Had that happened to him as a teen? When he’d been shipped to the US from Australia after losing his parents. Had he been shut out of his new family?

“It was a while before he wrote. He’d signed up for the Army, just in time to go to Vietnam. They corresponded while he served. Then after he got back, he disappeared for the most part. He’d turn up on our doorstep every now and then, but we never knew where to find him. I honestly had no idea he was here in Bridgewater, or what he was doing here. I’ve also got no clue as to why he’s listed me as his emergency contact.”

Taz

I’d never realized how much I had in common with Old Gus. I knew why he’d listed Flick. No doubt, on one of those random visits, Flick had sat down with him and gave him some fucking affection and care. Because I’d been in Gus’s position myself. But I hadn’t been eighteen and able to walk away. Nope, I’d been forced to push through that fucking slammed door.

I could vaguely hear Flick’s voice, but I wasn’t tracking her words, not now the memories were bubbling up. My chest tightened like it had on that day when child services had picked me up from the airport and taken me to my new home. Fuck, I’d been a scared, fucking thirteen year old kid, one that had just buried my mum and sister. The thought of sweet little Gracie dead and cold in the ground still made my eyes sting. It wasn’t fair. That Mum and Grace were dead while that fucking bastard was alive. He was still in jail doing hard time for setting that fucking fire after strangling my mother, but he was fucking above ground. And that shit wasn’t right.

“Children are to be seen, not heard. And I’d prefer it if I didn’t see you either.”

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the memory of the words my Aunt Pam had said so often. She’d first lost her parents to illness, then her baby brother, my father, died while off at war. By the time I was dumped on her doorstep, she’d had no love left to give. She’d been cut too deep to heal. As an adult I understood that, but as that thirteen-year-old boy who’d just lost everything, all I’d seen was a door slammed in my face. I’d needed some fucking compassion, some comfort, but all I’d gotten was cold hard reality. Aunt Pam had taken on the family ranch and worked hard to keep things running. From day one, I was put to work too. Only good thing I could remember about those years was working with those horses.

“Taz? Come back, babe.”

Another shake of my head and I found Flick standing in front of me, between my spread thighs. Her palms reached forward and cupped my face, the warmth of her skin seeping into all the cold dark places deep within me. I closed my eyes on a shudder and she moved even closer. I widened my legs as I wrapped my arms around her to bring her in flush against me. I needed more of her, needed her to thaw me out inside. I rested my head against her chest, and she leaned down to press a kiss to the top of my head.

Fuck, this was such bullshit. I wasn’t that lost kid, any more than Gus was that young man. I needed to grow a set and toughen the fuck up. I was a Marine, dammit. Not some pansy-ass, metro-sexual, bullshit man. With a growl I pushed to stand, breaking her hold on me. On a gasp she stumbled backward. Feeling like a bastard, I caught her before she could trip and hauled her back in close. Her sweet scent filled my head and I slammed my mouth down on hers, losing myself in the kiss. Yes, this is what I needed. To sate my body with hers. Then, maybe, I’d be able to think straight.

Reaching down, I attacked her pants, ripping them open before shoving them down her thighs. I didn’t take my lips off hers until I was forced to so I could get her shirt off over her head. Lifting her onto the table, I moved to tear off her shoes and jeans. Her knickers went the same way. Taking her mouth again, I reached to flick open the front clasp on her bra. I palmed her tits, squeezing them, before tugging on her tight little nipples. The scent of her arousal rose up between us, and with a growl, I pushed back from her and dropped to my knees so my face was at the perfect height to make a meal out of her.

With one of her legs over each of my shoulders, I pulled her forward so her ass just hung off the edge before I set my mouth over her pussy. She was slick with cream already and I lapped it up before demanding more from her. Rubbing a thumb over her needy little clit, I drank down everything she gave me.

I rode her hard, using my fingers, tongue and teeth to send her higher and higher. She thrashed around on the table, moaning and whimpering as I pushed her body even harder. Thrusting my tongue deep, I pinched her clit and slipped a finger, slick from her juices, into her ass and was rewarded with her climax. She screamed out my name, shuddered and gushed more cream straight into my mouth. I swallowed it all down, needing her taste to fill me up.

But it wasn’t enough. I needed more of her, all of her.

Rising to stand, I ripped my shirt off and shoved down my jeans, lining my cock up with her entrance. Desperate to feel her, I thrust in balls deep on the first slide, groaning as her soft channel rippled around me. Fuck, that felt good. Too good. Pulling out, I thrust back in.

She wrapped her legs around me, digging her heels into my ass as she moved with me. Planting one hand on the table near her head, I leaned over to take a nipple into my mouth, I suckled, then tugged on one, then the other. I kept at her until she was thrashing her head on the table. Lifting my upper body back up, I gripped her hips and thrust in deeper, but with her legs around me, I couldn’t get in deep enough.

With a growl, I tugged her legs off my ass, and slipped my cock out of the warm haven of her pussy. Before she could utter a protest, I flipped her over onto her stomach and pulled her back until her feet were on the ground. Then, I lined up my cock and slammed back in. She tensed and squealed when I bottomed out, getting much deeper than earlier.

“Fuck, babe, that feels so fucking good.”

With a tight grip on her hips, I began thrusting into her, hard and fast, making sure to line up my piercing over her g-spot with each stroke. Within minutes my balls were drawing up and sweat slicked her back. Her smooth ink-free skin lay before me like a blank canvas. In that moment I decided she needed some color. I’d take her down to Silky Ink and get her something kickass to break in her virgin skin. The thought of her wearing ink because I’d suggested it had my cock kicking within her, my come bursting free and filling her up.

Fuck! No condom. No fucking wonder it felt so good. I’d never taken a woman without gloving up first. Damage was done now, though, so I didn’t slow down or stop. Nope, I kept sliding in and out of her hot, slick pussy, making sure I ground her clit in against the edge of the table with each stroke. As my cock twitched with the last of my orgasm, she started hers. Slipping over the edge with a scream, she gripped down on my cock like a vise. The sensitive flesh jumped back to life at the stimulation so I continued to pump gently into her as she came down from her climax. Once she went limp, I pulled free and rolled her back over. Her face was flushed with her arousal, her eyes hooded as she smiled up at me lazily.

“You’re too fucking sexy for your own good, kitty.”

Lifting her legs so they rested up my torso and chest, I lined my cock back up with her dripping entrance and easily slid back in. With a groan she arched her back and slapped her palms against the table.

“Tell me this is okay, babe. If you’re too sore, I’ll stop. I’m not trying to hurt you here.”

She shook her head. “No. Feels good. That fucking piercing is insane without a condom. I’m on the pill by the way. And I’m clean.”

Holding my pelvis against hers, I let her legs slip down my arms, so her knees were hooked over my elbows, before I leaned forward and took her mouth in a deep kiss.

“I’m clean too, babe. Never forgotten to glove up before today.”

Keeping her legs over my arms, I held her open and watched as my cock slid in and out of her pussy. So fucking hot. Wanting to send her over the edge again, I moved her legs back up so her heels rested on my shoulders. With a firm grip on her hips, I slid her so her ass was off the edge enough for me to reach what I was after.

Keeping one hand on her hip, I moved the other down under her. And after running my fingers around my cock to wet them, I slid my hand between her cheeks and started to play with her asshole. Fuck, I wanted to take her there.

“Ever had a man take you back here, kitty?”

She shook her head, and a grin spread over my face. “You’ll take me here. Not yet, gotta work you up to that. But you’ll fucking love it. You like my fingers up there, dontcha?”

I slid a finger inside her tight little hole, thrusting in as I pulled my cock out of her pussy. Keeping the rhythm up, I added a second finger in her ass.

She groaned in answer to my question, clenching down on my cock and my fingers. Damn, this woman was so fucking perfect for me.