Emma

I was pushed aside and marginalized most of my life. Whatever. I had Ruth and loved her so much. Then I get overmedicated, married, beaten and raped? Over something my so-called husband and mother are now working to get?

That shit ends now.

I look up at Jasper, I’m spitting mad but not at him.

“Please, I have no right to ask you for anything; but can you have your attorney do the paper work first thing tomorrow? I have a witness, Henry. He took pictures and documented what he saw.” I plead.

“Uh, yeah, I took pictures of your back when Roy was looking at you that night. Sorry I didn’t tell you, but I know how the law is with evidence.” I know his admission should bother me, but at least it works in my favor and I need that now.

“Your lawyer, Jasper, I can’t pay him in advance.” He stands slowly and comes towards me.

“I’m sure he’ll work that out with you, but I want you to remember; I wanted you with me before I knew any of this. I’ve wanted to keep you since I found you.” Reaching out, he cups the back of my head to tilt my gaze up to his. “I give you my word, and I’ll sign whatever document that you put in front of me – I don’t want any money or any part of that land from you.” His hands are on my hips by the time he finishes speaking.

“I only promised the week, Jasper.” I whisper.

“That’s a good start though. Let’s get this moving. Let me get you safe? Okay, Darlin’?” Looking at him, I really want to believe in him more than ever.

I nod.

He pulls out his phone and calls the attorney he knows, explaining everything while on speakerphone. Then he calls the town Sheriff and explains what he’s set in motion. The second call surprises me. I mean? The head of a criminal enterprise that has the Sheriff’s cell number? Next, he looks back to me.

“How do you feel about Mexican food?”

“Who doesn’t like cheesy tortilla yumminess?” Is all I can think to say, surprising a laugh out of him.

“Well, I’ve never heard it phrased like that. So, its Mexican food night at the clubhouse, do you want to come and see the place or we can go somewhere and be alone?”

“I’ve never been on a motorcycle before, Jasper…”

“You just hang on. I’ve got a truck at the clubhouse we can ride back in if you don’t like it. Don’t need to stay long, we can just eat. Roy will be there, too.”

Suddenly more self-conscious than I’ve ever been around him, I can’t help but stare at the floor. “But my face, Jasper, I don’t have any cover up.”

He gently cups either side of my face, kissing my nose lightly. “Don’t mind that, Darlin’. Let’s show them all how brave you are.”

I can’t understand why he considers me brave; or strong, as he had whispered to me earlier. All I did was run from a beating; not just one either. I wasn’t strong enough to leave after the first one. His confidence makes me want to believe in myself again. Before long, I’m in jeans and a clean shirt; having done the best I can with my hair. I place my hand in his as we head out.

Neither of us had considered the helmet issue, while it was a bit painful along the side of my head I refuse to consider riding without one. Soon, I’m wrapped tightly around him and we’re off. It wasn’t very far to the clubhouse, but the ride was enough to leave me looking forward to a longer one once my body heals.

The parking lot is a mixture of bikes and trucks, the group of men outside the door all greet Jasper and look me over without a comment. Several of the men move to cover the view of a woman getting it from behind up against the side of the building, her moans and breasts out there for all to take in. I quickly looked away but can’t help the blush that spreads up my neck.

Not acknowledging it, Jasper leads me in through the double doors and everyone turns to look our way. I try to keep Jasper’s words foremost in my mind, but keeping my head up is difficult under the stares of so many intimidating men.

Gunner barrels through the crowd, closely followed by Roy. “Hey Baby, that bruise really brings out the color of your eyes.” Gunner quips, taking his ever present cigarette out of his mouth.

Jasper tenses up and tries to drop my hand, stepping forward as though to push Gunner back. Holding tight to his hand, I decide I need to handle this.

“Hi Gunner, sure you should be eating Mexican tonight?” Looking over at Roy, I continue, “Have you ever been trapped in a vehicle with him?”

Jasper relaxes as they all start laughing. Giving me a smile and a nod, he leads me back to a table and introduces me to Wrench and Hawk. While Wrench explains that his Ol’ Lady is home with a sick child, Hawk excuses himself to get his wife / Ol’ Lady who’s in the kitchen helping out. The volume has steadily risen back to the level it was before we entered, although I know I’m still being closely watched.

A woman nearly Hawk’s height, precedes him out of the kitchen; she holds herself confidently, even with a large strawberry mark on one side of her face. I can’t help but notice how different they seem, Hawk’s face is open and warm, he wears his black hair long and is incredibly handsome although nowhere near as tall at Jasper and Gunner. His wife’s short blond hair suits the shape of her face perfectly; she is well put together but has ‘resting bitch face’ going on.

Nodding at Jasper, she reaches a hand out to me. Indicating the table behind us, we sit to talk while Jasper and Hawk go get us drinks. Wrench and Roy takes seats at our table, while I notice Gunner heading down a hallway with the woman who had just been having sex with someone else outside. Alrighty.

Anne doesn’t seem to do small talk. Immediately asking about my bruises and quickly taking in that I barely have more clothes than what’s on my back, she offers to stop by the following day with some clothes. I thank her, but let her know I won’t be staying long enough to need much more.

“Does Jasper know that?” One of her eyebrows has shot up nearly to her hairline in surprise.

“It’s up for discussion, isn’t it Emma?” Comes Jasper’s voice from behind my chair. “I brought you some ‘cheesy tortilla yumminess’ to get you started.” He says, setting some queso fundido with tortillas on the side in front of me. Roy, Hawk, and Wrench all grin at his comment, I decide it’s better to dig into the food than say anything else.

Hitting the buffet at different times then sitting back and getting more comfortable with Anne and the others. I finally start looking around the room to quietly study the other bikers. Many had come by to exchange greetings, including those who came up with their Ol’ Ladies, all of whom wear ‘Property of’ vests to indicate their partners.

It was quickly obvious what the social structure is with the women, the Ol’ Ladies aren’t touched by anyone but the man they’re with; while the other dozen women hanging around the edges of the room were showing off a lot, I mean a lot, of skin and seemed very casual hanging on various men. I sigh to myself, this isn’t a church picnic after all.

The woman who had disappeared with Gunner wandered back up the hallway, alone. Looking around, she spots Jasper at the bar and quickly set sights on him, pushing off another man on her way over. She threads her arm around him and Jasper’s body language couldn’t have been more clear. Watching the exchange out of the corner of my eye, he tenses up and quickly removes her arm from his body. Looking angry he says something to her I can’t make out and she raises her hand to slap him.

My head spins around, I can no longer pretend I’m not watching.

Not only does he catch her arm, but another man catches her other arm as she brings that up, fingernails extended towards Jasper’s face. Through sudden silence, he loudly announces: “You’re no longer welcome here,” Looking at the man holding her other arm he says, “Vice, get her back to where you found her.”

“About time.” Anne comments from beside me. “Vice picked her up a couple weeks ago and she’s been whoring it up around here since then.”

“Um, is she a Girlie?” I ask, remembering the term Jasper had used.

“God no, even trashier than most Honey Holes. Watch out for them. The Girlies aren’t too bad, well some of them are, but they don’t make waves. That’s Betsy over there, she’s a Girlie and actually pretty likable. Deb is a table over and a backstabbing bitch. She’s starting to tell the other Girlies that Gunner’s gonna make her his Ol’ Lady. Can’t wait to see Gunner’s reaction when he hears about that.”

“Gunner’s kind of…” I don’t know why I opened my mouth.

“Rough around the edges? The last person you’d want to see in a dark alley? Yeah, he’s all that, but he’s loyal to his Brothers,” She pauses to shoot back her drink. “Not much of a talker on a good day, I just don’t see him taking an Ol’ Lady and if he did he would be territorial as hell. Have you meet Flint?”

I shake my head, “No. He was the last President, I think?”

“He took over after his father was killed. His wife left him when things got bad a long time ago; before our time in the MC. He’s a father figure to half these guys, Gunner is one who’ll follow his lead and stay single, I think.”

Jasper had turned back to the bar to pick up the drinks, making his way slowly back to us; he searches my face for my reaction to the scene. He puts a drink in front of me and I slide it Anne.

“Can we go?” I ask, getting a slow nod from him in return. “Anne, nice to meet you.” She replies in kind, accepting my drink.

Jasper gives me his hand to help me stand, nods to the table as he leads me back outside. “Bike or truck?” Is all he asks. Indicating the bike, I watch him get on first then accept the second helmet from him.

Standing beside him, I wait until he looks up. Leaning in, I kiss him. Gasping from surprise, he quickly wraps an arm around my waist to draw me closer. He deepens the kiss then nips at my bottom lip.

“Oww!” I cry as he squeezes the cut.

“Shit! Darlin’, I forgot.” He places a quick kiss on top of my wound, “To make it feel better.” His arm still around me, he places a finger under my chin, studying my face. “Tonight wasn’t too much for you, Emma?”

“It may take a little getting used to,” I shrug.

“And me?” His dark eyes burn into mine.

“You take a little getting used to, also.” I say, before slipping on behind him. Waiting for me to put my helmet on and wrap my arms around his waist, he takes us back to his house.

Jasper

My heart sunk when she asked to leave. I didn’t realize how invested I really was in her until I got to the clubhouse and saw that wanna-be Honey Hole outside getting fucked by one of my Brothers. Knowing that would be Emma’s first impression, talk about ripping a fucking bandage off.

Then the same whore didn’t get the goddamn memo I was there with someone and tried for me again. Emma was hanging on Anne’s every word as I headed back to them and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. When my woman kissed me, I almost fell off my Hog. Her lips are so soft and she tasted so sweet I got carried away, forgetting about the marks on her face and body.

Now with her pressed against my back, all I can think of is burying myself in her tight body. Teaching her how much pleasure there will be between us. Never was in to rough play, which works out for the best given what she endured.

No matter how much I want her, part of me wants to wait to touch her after I’ve buried that motherfucker she’s married to; not sure that I can though. Still, there’s no way he gets to walk away from what he did to her.

Getting home, I pause a moment as she walks ahead, carrying her helmet. I picture this old house once it’s completely restored and of Emma walking into the house proudly wearing a cut that tells everyone who she belongs to. When she reaches the steps, Emma stops, turning to look at me she tilts her head to the side and extends a hand towards me.

My cock leaps toward her. I get so fucking hard it hurts to walk and I have to cover the bulge in my pants with my helmet. Joining her and entering, I turn on the lights for us.

“Jasper? I’m going to shower, then can you, um, would it be okay, if…” The side of her face without bruises is slowly turning pink.

“OK for me to lie beside you again tonight, Emma? That old couch is a killer.” I interrupt; just thankful she wants me beside her. She smiles and nods, heading off to shower. And I know I’m in for a long fucking night with my cock standing at attention.

I wait for her to finish up then take my turn in the bathroom. Although I spend the time in the shower rubbing one out thinking of the woman in my bed, it doesn’t do much good. I get hard again the minute I see her lying there facing the center of the bed. Knowing that my noble thought of waiting until her husband is buried was hasty; no fucking way I’ll push her but fuck knows how long till I can bury that bastard.

“Move over a bit, Darlin’. I get the side near the door.” I let her see me put my gun in the built-in slot Gunner carves into his headboards. Good for her to know where it is. “You ever shot a handgun before?”

“No, just shotguns and rifles.” She answers, a response I expected based on where she grew up.

“Ok, I’ll show you the basics tomorrow; let you take enough shots so you’ll be comfortable around it.” I tell her, knowing it’s important.

She has repositioned herself carefully, making it obvious she’s still in some pain. Moving close to her, I pick up a strand of her wet hair, twirling it around a finger. “What did you think about tonight?”

“Anne is, interesting. Hawk is really funny and you know I like Roy. Wrench was quiet but he was paying attention to everything. Gunner’s surly, you know that, too.”

“Yeah, the women all say you could freeze water on Anne’s ass, but hold your ground with her and she’ll be fine. Hawk would do anything for her – I think that goes both ways. No one’s better than Gunner when shit’s going south. Wrench doesn’t talk very much, Amy, his Ol’ Lady, is the opposite and more open than Anne.”

“I meant to ask about that. Are Wrench and Amy married? Just the way Hawk phrased it when he mentioned getting Anne and how Wrench did with Amy sounded different?”

“Just like the rest of the world, Darlin’, some couples commit but don’t get married. Now, Hawk and Anne married just as soon as he returned from active duty; pretty sure they met in first grade and that was it for them.” I laugh, knowing they were slightly older but everyone likes to make it sound like they were just out of diapers when they decided to get married.

I can see the questions behind her eyes and wonder if she would want to get married again. “Anything else bothering you about tonight?”

“No, Jasper.” She’s studying my neck and blushing a bit; man, do I want to take a bite out of her.

“Think you want to kiss me again, then, Darlin’?” She smiles and closes the distance between us. Holding myself back from putting pressure on her split lip, I give her everything in that kiss. Willing her to know I want her here beside me. And sure as fuck, not just for a week.

Holding back isn’t my strong suit but it’s my only option right now. I will seduce her slowly, tenderly; then when I’ve put that son of a bitch down, I’ll be the first man to make love to her. Pulling back from me, she caresses my cheek.

“I wouldn’t have met you if this hadn’t happened, you know?” She smiles sweetly at me.

“Fuck that. Somehow we would have.” I hold her face gently in my hands. “Doesn’t matter anyway, gonna need you here a lot longer than a week, Darlin’.”

Her eyes fill with tears she can’t hold back. “No, Jasper. Don’t. I can’t be with you. I can’t be with anyone. I’m sorry, just the week.” She tries to break my embrace but I won’t let her. I hold her tight as she cries herself out. I just whisper, “Shh, I’ve got you now,” Over and over, while running my fingers all through her hair.