Chapter Eleven

 

Ned’s arrival

Natalie picked up the large trays filled with burgers and made her way outside to where Devil had set up the grill. It was Sunday afternoon, and all the guys were buzzing about something.

Happiness was in the air, and standing in the backyard of the clubhouse, she felt part of it all.

“Hello, baby,” Slash said, kissing her neck and wrapping his arm around her waist at the same time. He pulled her against him, and she leaned back, loving the feel of his lips, even though she still held the burgers in her hands. “I’ve missed you.”

“You saw me this morning.”

“Wasn’t the same.”

“Hey, hey, watch the food,” Devil said, taking the trays from her. “It would have been your ass on the line, Slash.”

“Yeah, and everyone would want to beat the shit out of your ass,” Pussy said, slapping Slash’s behind.

“Dude, anyone tell you you’re a little messed up in the head?” Slash said, rubbing his butt.

Natalie burst out laughing. She loved this club. They were all a family, and always together as a team.

“I think he’s got a fascination with butts,” she said.

“He’s a fucking weirdo.” Slash turned his attention back to her and smiled. “Now, where were we?”

When he went to kiss her, she took his hand, and pulled him away from all the people at the clubhouse. She rounded the building until she found a secluded spot.

Slash pressed her against the brick wall, cupping her face as he kissed her.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moaned as one of his hands moved from her face, down to her hip, and around to her ass.

He’d begged her to wear a skirt that morning, and she’d given in to him. The skirt was a wraparound that fell to mid-calf. She didn’t like exposing too much flesh.

“You look beautiful today.” The hand on her ass squeezed and heat flooded her body. She wanted him more than anything else in the world.

Her pussy was already soaking wet.

“There’s something I want to tell you,” she said, placing a hand on his chest.

“There is?”

“Yes, and before you do anything that will make me forget, or want you even more, I’m going to tell you.” She licked her lips, and took a deep breath. Never had she been so scared in her life, but she’d decided she was going to tell him. “I’ve never said this to anyone else before.”

“I’m kind of scared, babe. That could be a lot of different things.”

“It’s not bad. Well, not completely bad. It depends on if you want to hear it or not, and I’m yammering away, so I will just spit it out.” She took a deep breath, stared into his eyes, and told him. “I’m in love with you.”

He didn’t say anything.

In fact, he didn’t even show any signs of having heard her, so she told him again. This time, he smiled, and she said again.

“I heard you the first time. You’re in love with me?”

“Yes, which to me means a lot more than just love, because I love a lot of people. I love Lexie and Devil, Simon, the whole of the club. But I’m not in love with anyone else but you. It’s you I’m in love with.” She cupped his face. “And I’ve spent way too long fighting it and I don’t want to fight it. I’m kind of scared, actually. What if my being honest with you freaks you out?”

He slammed his lips down on hers, silencing her. His tongue plundered her mouth, and the hand at her ass gathered up the fabric of her skirt. The palm of his hand pressed against her pussy, and she cried out, which he swallowed so no one could hear.

“I love you, too,” he said. “I’m in love with you, Natalie. There are not words strong enough, and I now know why the guys always struggle with telling their women their feelings.” He slid a finger beneath the fabric of her panties, and she cried out as he teased across her clit.

The pleasure was instant, amazing, and driving her to reach for him. She unbuckled his belt, and pulled out his cock.

“Baby?”

“I want you to take me right here,” she said. “Take what belongs to you. I’m all yours, Slash.”

He lifted her up. His cock already rock hard, and slowly pulled her down onto his length.

They both cried out at the same time. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he held her ass and began to slide deep inside her. The feel of him within her was amazing, and she kept her gaze on his, not wanting to let him go, not even for a second.

He held her tightly and fucked her against the wall. Their pleasure consuming both of them, as they swallowed each other’s cries in heated kisses.

Slash reached between them, touching her clit, knowing at any moment, they could get caught, but didn’t care. He wanted her to come all over his cock before he filled her with his cum.

They were fire together, and with a few strokes of her clit, she came. Her cunt clamped around his cock as he continued to thrust inside her.

His own release didn’t take long, and as they came down from their peak, he kissed her lips, face, and neck, just wanting to touch every single part of her, and not let go.

“I love you, Slash,” she said.

He was completely in love with her. “I want to take you back to our home, make love to you, and forget about Ned’s arrival today.”

She giggled. “Then you can think about what we can do after you’ve gotten business out of the way.” She wasn’t going to pull him away from the club, or try to change him. Slash was the man she loved, and when you love someone enough, you don’t need to change them.

“I’m going to be thinking about you all day now.”

“Good.” She kissed him again, and he pulled out of her pussy. Her cheeks heated as she felt the heat of his cum sliding down her inner thighs.

She was about to make her escape, but Slash pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket. He lifted up her skirt and got her to hold it in place.

“Do I want to know why you have a handkerchief?”

“In all of those fancy romance novels you read, the hero always has a handkerchief. Normally to wipe away tears.”

She giggled. “This is the X-rated version,” she said.

He wiped away his cum, and she saw the heated gaze he gave her. Was he thinking the same thing she was? About one day being pregnant with his child?

She placed a hand on her stomach, and watched his eyes flare, and knew they were.

One day they’d have a child.

First, she wanted to enjoy being with him.

Holding hands, they left their comfort, and rejoined the party just as Ned arrived with several of his fighting buddies.

She was more than aware of what Ned did. His business and name were legendary. He commanded respect from a lot of different places, and he liked that. Even being old, a grandpa, he still put the fear of death into everyone who opposed him.

“I’ve got to go,” Slash said.

He kissed her, and Natalie watched him go. She’d finally told him her feelings, and rather than feeling afraid or worried, she felt … on top of the world.

****

“Are you for fucking real?” Ned Walker asked.

His face was a dark red and his anger palpable as he stared off with the Chaos Bleeds crew. They were all in church as Ned and Devil faced off.

Slash sat in his seat, wondering if the old guy was going to explode. He didn’t look healthy, not at all. His thoughts kept returning to Natalie.

She’d told him she loved him, and he couldn’t get over her precious smile or her beautiful words. Damn, he was going to marry that girl—he had the ring already. He’d picked out the ring before her father died, and had even asked for his permission to marry his daughter.

Arnold Pritchard had given him a letter not long after. He’d asked Slash to wait until she agreed to marry him before giving it to her, and that was what he intended to do.

“Be careful, Ned,” Devil said. “We’re friends here. Let’s remain so.”

“You’re a bunch of fucking pussies, that’s what you are.”

Devil stood up, slamming his hand down on the table. “And what you’re doing is crossing the fucking line. This is my club, my boys, and you will treat them with respect, or I swear, Ned, I will forget that you’re Tiny’s father-in-law and dispense with you as quickly as I can.”

Ned and Devil faced off, each one glaring at the other.

“You have other clubs to ask,” Devil said. Each word pushed out through clenched teeth.

“They don’t know how to keep their mouths shut, Devil. You, Lash … you’re both making a big mistake.”

“No, you’re making a big mistake by not getting out when you can. You think you’re invincible, is that it? My club, my men, my responsibility, and the decision was unanimous. We don’t want to do any business with you.”

“What about the rush? That excitement that keeps you riding?”

“What about a prison term?” Pussy said.

“Or your wife finding someone else because they’ve handed you a life sentence?” Death asked.

“Or they take your kids from you because you’ve been caught in possession, and you’ve been deemed not good enough to look after your own kids?” Ripper said. “You want me to look at Judi, and her to look into our empty nursery, all because you didn’t go elsewhere?” Ripper looked toward Devil. “I will follow you wherever you are, Devil. I don’t consider you a pussy, but a man I fucking respect and admire. This is about more than drugs and guns.”

“This is about family,” Dick said, speaking up. “This is our family. Fucked up as it may be. We’ve got each other’s back, and Piston County is our home. This is where we’re going to spend the rest of our life.”

“And you’re not going to tell us how to live it,” Devil said. “There are plenty more clubs out there.”

“And if you don’t get offered any special deal, what then?” Ned asked.

“This isn’t about taking any kind of deal,” Devil said. “We know what The Skulls have done, and if we’re offered, we’ll take a vote. This was just to stay out of trouble, Ned. We’ve done our time on the road. We’re moving on, and we suggest you do as well.” Devil stood up, and held out his hand.

Slash wondered if Ned was going to be an asshole and walk away without shaking hands.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as slowly, Ned took Devil’s hand and shook it.

Ned left first, leaving the club at the table.

“None of us want to leave,” Sexy said. “Dick’s right. This is our home. You guys are my family.”

“I’m going to ask Natalie to marry me,” Slash said.

He’d been at this table many times as a club brother said those exact same words, and they’d never meant anything to him, not really.

“You’re ready for that?” Devil asked.

“She told me she loved me,” Slash said. He knew he wore a goofy smile as he told the club, and he didn’t care. “I love her more than anything in the world.”

“You’re everything she needs,” Butler spoke up. He got up out of his seat and stood before Devil, holding out his hand. “If two old dudes can shake hands, it’s got to be hot for two sexy ones to do it.”

“I’m going to kick your ass,” Devil said, but he was laughing.

Standing up, Slash shook Butler’s hand. They were friends, club brothers, and they’d be united to the very end. Through thick and thin.

There was a sudden knock at the door. A loud, insistent knock.

No one ever interrupted meetings at the club.

It came again, and Devil sighed. “We done?”

“Yeah,” everyone said.

“Come in.” Devil yelled to be heard through the thick wooden door. Lola appeared, and she looked straight at Devil. “What is it?”

“Five men have just entered Naked Fantasies, wearing hoods.”

“So?”

“John called from the back office. It’s them. I got some sound on the images that you got me to install at the club, and they’re bragging about the attacks that went down. They’re laughing about taking out Natalie and John.”

Slash was on his feet, along with the club.

“Wait,” Devil said. “This is our bar. Slash, Sexy, Pussy, Ripper, and Dick, join me as we get our friends. I want you guys to stay. Enjoy the party. Let everyone know we’re going to be back soon.”

The moment he could leave, Slash was outside on his bike. He didn’t bother with a helmet, and he gunned his machine toward the strip club they owned. It was already getting dark, which meant the club was about to get really fucking busy.

Devil rode up beside him, and together they led the way to Naked Fantasies.

They would follow Devil’s lead like always, and he didn’t have a problem with that.

Parking their bikes at the private area at the back. Pussy had the van ready to transport them out.

Devil took the lead as they entered the club. One of the strippers was already on stage, dancing her ass off. She didn’t wear a bra, only a pair of panties as she gave it her all. Men called for her to take everything off, but she ignored them, dancing to her own tune. He wasn’t paying attention.

Slash had already seen the guys who were yelling a little louder than everyone else.

“I’m so sorry, sir. I’ve asked them to keep it down, but they just slapped my ass,” Darla said. She was a single mom, struggling to make ends meet. After dropping out of high school, she wasn’t qualified to do anything more than wait tables.

“Go and get yourself a drink, Darla. We’ll handle this, okay?” Devil said.

The woman nodded and left.

Devil didn’t waste any time. He made his way over to the table, leaning against the side of the private booth.

The men couldn’t be older than twenty. Each one had an evil look in their eye. Slash had heard of gangs of kids attacking people and uploading it on social media for some fucked-up kicks, but seeing the men who hurt Natalie, he was fucking angry. He wanted to hurt them all.

“Hey, old man, get the fuck out of the way,” one of them said.

“Do you even know who you’re messing with right now?” another asked.

They were laughing.

“I heard a story about you,” Devil said. “I heard you beat the shit out of a guy and his girl up near the movie park. That true?”

“Who wants to know?”

“A guy looking to get a job done. We want it messy,” Devil said. “Heard you could make it as messy as possible.”

Everyone turned to the guy sitting in the center. “Yeah, that was us. We don’t like fat chicks, and any guy who dates a fat chick needs to get his head examined, so we made sure they learned their lesson.”

Slash was going to make sure they learned theirs.

“I’ve got the details out in the back. Come on. Fifty big ones for you,” Devil said.

The promise of money led them out to the car, when they were there, the guys were already waiting, knocking them out and stashing them in the truck.

“You ready for this?” Devil asked, looking at him.

“They hurt my woman, and I’m not going to let that stand. Not now, not ever.”

The door was locked.

“Lola’s waiting for us at the clubhouse,” Pussy said. “Sinner’s there with her.”

“Let’s do this,” Slash said.

They rode out to the clubhouse, Pussy driving the truck. The men were still passed out when they arrived.

Lola wanted their IDs, and as they got them tied up, she checked to see who they were.

“They’re runaways. They’ve been in the system for a long time, but were kicked out when they turned eighteen,” she said.

“What do you want to do?” Devil asked, looking at Slash. “I’ve got no problem killing these fuckers for what they did to Natalie, but she’s your woman. You get to make the final call.”

Slash stared at the men. He’d killed a lot of people during his time. Killing each of these men and making them suffer would be so easy.

It would be fast, swift, and … he’d feel nothing. They meant nothing to him.

Thinking about Natalie’s smiling face, her beautiful eyes, and he just knew.

“Call the Sheriff,” Slash said. “Let them know we’ve found the men responsible.” He turned to Lola. “Make sure you can pin every single attack on all of these men, with no chance of them ever being able to strike a deal.”

“Already on it.”

The men looked at him in shock. “I know you think I should end their lives, but what would I tell Natalie? That she doesn’t need to be afraid because they’re dead? They’re six feet under? I can do that for you guys, but I don’t think that’s going to help my woman. Telling her that they’re locked up, that is what she’ll need to hear.” He turned toward Devil. “It’s a new path. You just put Ned Walker on his ass and told him to get the fuck out. This is our new path, and killing these five men … we may as well take the deal with him. Not going to happen.”

“I’ve got no problem with those fuckers being in jail. I know for a fact we’ve got a few friends who would enjoy the company,” Pussy said. “Besides, blood is a bitch to get out of clothes!”

The Sheriff was on his way, and Slash stared at the leader of the little group. Slowly, he came around and glared at Slash.

“What the fuck is this?” he asked.

“I just wanted to look you in the eye one final time, and let you know that the woman you beat up is mine.” He wrapped his fingers around the man’s neck and squeezed. “If you ever think of trying to hurt what is mine again, I’m going to keep you as my own little toy to use when I need it.”

The Sheriff cleared his throat, and he let the man go.

The club brothers smirked. It would be a lot harder to drop his Chaos side, but he had a long time to get used to it.