Chapter Thirteen
~Gentry~
Judge and Tamalyn leave not long after I fill Judge in on the danger. He is going to let the rest of the guys know what’s going on. Rowdy and Michele aren’t here so we are a man down. Collector, X, Judge, and Trapper will set up a rotation to keep someone on Arika and someone on Tempest while I confirm my suspicions on who sent the email.
I settle on the couch with Tempest beside me when Arika comes from her room.
“Thank you for dinner, Deacon,” she says smiling at me.
“I believe in truths, Arika, so I wanna be real with you. I’m in a motorcycle club. We travel – a lot.”
I see the disappointment hit her face and it causes me to pause. She doesn’t want me to go. I read it in her eyes. It fills me with pride.
“So, this is goodbye? I mean we don’t know you. Mom knows you more, but you come in and actually listen to me just to take off. Why buy me dinner? Why treat my mom like you wanna protect her? Men and their games.” She huffs standing to take off. “No wonder all the women at the shelter are man-haters. I get why they wanna be in that club. Bye Deacon.”
She dismisses me. A fifteen-year-old girl just dismissed me.
“No!” I half shout getting her to stop. “What I want to talk to you about is me staying. The club, well the boys, most of them, plan to ride back to Alabama soon. I wanna stay here with you and your mom. Get to know you both.”
Arika turns and faces me and I see the unshed tears building in her eyes. “You wanna stay? With us?”
“I told you I believe in truths. Truth is, I got these feelings for your mom. I don’t know you well, but I get you. I think we have a lot in common Arika. So I would like your permission to take your mom on a date. I would also like an opportunity to stay around and get to know you both.”
Her mouth hangs open in shock. “You wanna build a family with us?”
I nod. Tempest playfully slaps my stomach. “Hello, I’m here, people, and this involves me. I don’t think you should ask my daughter before talking to me.”
I laugh. “Oh baby, I gotta clear the way so I can focus on winning you over solely.”
Arika rushes over and practically climbs in my lap as she hugs my neck. “You really wanna be with us. You think ahead, Deacon. You think about the day ahead my mom and I have. You worry and you took the time to listen to me without knowing me. No one has ever given my mom a break.” She pulls back and looks to Tempest. “Not even me. Mom, I take for granted that you will just put up with whatever I dish out. Deacon, he thinks of you. In your journal to me, one of the lines you say is find a love that puts you first, a love that thinks ahead. I know you leave me these notes with opinions and advice. I know you don’t believe in happily ever after and romance, but Deacon, Mom he’s good and you always say seek out the good.”
“Oh baby girl, those journals are for your future. I should have known you would use my own words against me.”
With my arm draped over Tempest’s shoulders I give her a squeeze. “Wanna fill me in on these journals?”
Arika excitedly answers, “Since I was a baby, my mom writes me journals with notes that she would have told herself as a child now that she’s an adult. She shares them with me, but I’m not allowed to write in them until I am eighteen when she’s going to give them all to me.”
Heart.
That’s Tempest. Where her daughter is concerned her heart is on her sleeve.
Arika’s phone rings in the other room sending her shooting off. Now that I have a moment of quiet with Tempest, I need to tell her what I know.
Before I can, she turns to me, reaching out and cupping my face in both her hands she pulls me in and kisses me. Pulling away after a few moments, she smiles softly at me.
“I’m gonna mess this up, Deacon. I think you’re crazy to want to be more involved with a woman like me. You had a good thing just driving in, getting laid, and heading out. Are you sure you wanna change things?”
I press my lips to her forehead and pause. “I fucked up. Your body, it’s undeniable. You aren’t a drive-thru where I place my order, hit the box, and ride on without a look back. I wanna kick my own ass for that. There is something more between us. There has been for a long time now. Am I crazy? About you, yes.”
“This feels crazy.”
I sigh, “Maybe so, but we can talk about us for the rest of our days together. I’m not going anywhere, Tempest. But, I gotta tell you something.”
Her eyes grow serious. “You aren’t a murderer are you? A married man? I don’t think I can be a sister-wife. I’m not good at sharing, Deacon.”
I can’t help but laugh even though this is a very serious moment. “First, you can call me Gentry. Deacon is what everyone sees and knows. I want you to know all of me, including the man my mom raised me to be – and he isn’t Deacon who walks the line between outlaw and law-abiding. Gentry is the boy my mom believed in, loved, and gave everything to. Gentry is the piece of me no one gets but you and your daughter.”
She blows out a hot breath. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me other than the day Stephanie placed Arika in my arms.” She pauses. “You should know I freaked out then and I’m sorta freaked out right now.”
Shifting, I turn so I can look her in the eyes, “Second, I’m not a murderer. I’m also not married because I have never felt an ounce of what I feel for you for any other person in my life. You have me twisted in all the right ways, Tempest. As for sharing, baby, you gotta know, I don’t share either. This is you and me. You, me, and Arika. Other than a dog, if you want a puppy, that’s it. This is us.”
“Whew.”
“What we need to talk about is your email?”
She jerks back a little in surprise. “What about it?”
“Today, when I was looking into Arika’s dad, I installed an application to alert me to your emails. You got one today. Baby, it’s not good.”
Pulling out my phone, I let her see the email. I won’t keep something from her.
“Shawn Callahan is in the dust. The paper trail is non-existent for him. I called in some favors and learned he’s going by Marvin Deen. At first, when he was released, he went to South Carolina. Then North Carolina. It took some time, but a few months ago, he set himself up about an hour from here. He has a job doing construction where he gets paid under the table. Tempest, I know the training Callahan has had in tracking someone. He is closing in on you … on Arika.”
Tempest jumps up and rushes to her room. I follow closing the door behind us so Arika can’t hear. In case she tries to come in, I lock the door not wanting her to walk in and catch the wrong information.
Temptest goes to the closet grabbing two suitcases. She opens the smaller of the two on the top of the bed where her pillows are revealing the bottom layer covered in stacks of cash.
“What are you doing?”
“Go bag. The other suitcase has clothes, shoes, and papers for Arika and I. This one I’ll add a few things to since I have time. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get her transcripts from school and set her up to do a virtual classroom on the road and we’ll be gone.”
She moves around the room like I’m not even standing here. At her nightstand, she pulls out a picture of her and another girl, I assume to be Stephanie, along with three journals, that I also assume are the ones she is currently working on for Arika.
“I’ve always had a back-up plan,” she says moving around the space. “Time to put it into action.”
Reaching out, I stop her movements grabbing her arms. “Baby, breathe. I give you my word. I will keep you and Arika safe. I just wanted to make you aware.”
“He can’t get her. I don’t care about me. But I promised Stephanie. He can’t get Arika.”
Pulling her in to me, I hold her close. “I know you are supermom and take on the world by yourself. Tempest, you are not alone. Let me carry this burden with you. I understand, baby. I promise I will keep you both safe and you don’t have to run.”
I feel her shudder in my embrace. I slowly trail my hands up her back until I reach her neck. From there I cup her jawline on both sides tilting her head to get her eyes on me.
“My word, Tempest. He’ll not get to hurt either of you. Together, we’ll tell Arika the truth about her father, her mother, and where she comes from. She was made from love. Just Callahan got lost in a war-zone he never should’ve been in. Doesn’t make shit right, but your daughter is strong enough to handle the truth. I’m strong enough to stand by your side through it all, and baby, you’re strong enough to stay put, keep up the work you do, and not have to feel threatened.”
“You’re too good to be true, Gentry.”
My name on her lips, I am rattled. “Fuckin’ falling hard and fast, Tempest Mae Adams. Twisted up in you.”
The words come out of my mouth before I can stop myself. This is a risk, exposing my feelings to her. I have never been this raw, this open before. Feeling vulnerable, I lean in to kiss her, soft, slow, and with passion.
What starts out tenderly, quickly becomes so much more. Her arms come up, pulling me to her tighter.
My tongue devours her mouth as I keep my hands on her jaw, my thumbs tracing her cheeks keeping her face exactly where I want it.
Her hands roam grabbing my ass. Tempest pushes her body against me. I move us to the edge of her bed never breaking the kiss. When I sit on the side, she straddles me and grinds herself against my jean covered erection. The sensation sends fire through me. I want her. I need her. Pulling away, I lick her neck before sucking her earlobe gently.
Her hands come up my shirt teasing my sensitive nipples. She tugs and pulls, making me separate just enough for her to pull my shirt off.
“Gentry, please,” Tempest begs, working her hips as she dry humps me almost over the edge like a teenage boy.
I remove her shirt and bra, immediately taking her nipple into my mouth. Licking and sucking, I love the whimpers coming from her mouth.
“Please, Gentry. Please don’t let him get us.” She pleads and I release her tit so I can look her in the eyes.
“You’re safe with me, Tempest. You’re always safe with me. Believe it.”
Panting, she replies, “I believe in you, Gentry Hawkins.”
Her words, her belief, her confidence in me has me ready to explode inside her, marking her as mine inside and out. My name coming off her lips is a gift from Heaven.
She climbs off me just long enough to remove her pants and panties. I undo my jeans, sliding them off and releasing my cock.
Taking my hand, I stroke myself a few times before moving to her thighs. Rubbing her pussy, I tease her. She bites her lips while tweaking her nipples. Moving my thumb, I press between her lips and make circles on her clit bringing her just to the edge.
“Need you, Gentry. Need Godzilla,” she begs stepping closer.
“Can we talk about you naming my cock?”
“Not up for discussion, sailor.”
I slide my finger in her tight, wet heat, feeling her inner muscles clamp around my digit. I finger fuck her, slow, steady, knowing she’s close. Rocking into me, I let her lose herself to my fingers.
“Gentry,” she moans my name and I let out a groan as my cock throbs to be inside her.
Tempest puts her hands on each of my shoulders to balance as she climbs over me. At this angle, I have to remove my fingers from her. She rocks her wet pussy lips over the tip of my aching cock before sliding down and taking me deep inside her.
Instantly, I grip her hips to hold her still so I don’t blow my load.
“Fuckin’ got me, Tempest. You got me.”
She rolls her hips and I am lost to her. She is in charge and I have to let go because all I see are sparks of colors in my mind as she works us both up.
Her lips crash to mine. There is no pace, no rhythm as we fuck, hard, fast, slow, soft, and everything in between before we finally find ourselves so lost in each other we come, we come together and we do it hard.