Chapter Seventeen
MATT
I WAS STILL TRYING TO catch my breath a long while later as Rory lay on top of me on our bed. She was still gasping, her body still trembling from the force of the last orgasm I had just given her only a few minutes before.
As my heart began to settle into its normal rhythm, I stroked my hands up and down her spine. “So you saw your dad today?” She nodded. “Did you run errands for Raven?” She shook her head. “You should have fucking woken me up, Rory.”
She lifted her head. “Why? You going with me would have only made that meeting more stressful for me.”
“Why?”
“Because he uses you against me!” she cried and rolled over onto her side on the mattress facing me. “It’s what he did today. He threatened your freedom, wanted me to break up with you or he was going to have Campbell charge you for the rape of Steph and her slutty friend Casandra.”
Regret at ever having touched Steph hit me in the gut again, but it didn’t stop me from being pissed that Rory had faced her dickhead father without me. Rory was mine, and that meant I protected her, not the other way around.
“Just to clear everything up regarding those two bitches, did you fuck Casandra too?”
I caught her chin and forced her to look at me. “No,” I told her honestly. “I didn’t touch her. But Tanner had some fun with that one. I think he actually invited a few of the brothers over and had an orgy with her in our living room. I was drunk off my ass at the time, so I can’t say a hundred percent for sure, though.”
Her face scrunched up in disgust, but I saw the relief she wanted to hide. “Your brother was gross.”
“He had his moments,” I agreed, feeling the loss of the man who’d had my back every day of my life, all over again. “But until I met you, I wasn’t any better, baby. I wasn’t a good guy, and all I cared about was having fun.” I didn’t want her to think I was some hero she should put on a pedestal. Until I met her, I hadn’t cared what I did or who I did it with. But when she walked into Hannigans’ on a dare, she turned my life upside down for the better.
She was silent for a long moment, but then she blew out a frustrated sigh. “The past is the past. I don’t want to talk about it, don’t want to think about you with anyone but me.”
“You’re the only one that counts.”
“Good.”
“Now, tell me what happened with your dad today.” Her lips pressed together, and I knew she had been hoping I had gotten too distracted to bring up her father again. “Campbell and Bates haven’t shown up to arrest me, and I sure as fuck am not letting you leave me. Which means you must have handled things with your father.”
She lifted her shoulder in a casual shrug. “We came to a mutual understanding that satisfied us both in the end. He won’t bother us again, I promise.”
“That simple?” I frowned, knowing there had to be more to it than what she was saying. Derrick Michaels was too full of himself to let it go so easily.
“That simple,” she said with a sly smile and sat up. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten much today. Can we go and see if the chili Raven was making earlier is ready?”
When I heard her stomach growl, I gave in and dropped the subject of her father for the time being. I would get it out of her eventually. If her father really was out of our lives, then there was no rush.
***
It was late when Uncle Jack came back from checking out Boomer’s apartment. I was sitting on one of the couches in the main room with Rory, Flick, Gracie, and Hawk when he walked through the door. As soon as he entered the clubhouse, every brother in the room went silent. The old man’s gaze found mine, and he gave a nod in the direction of Bash’s office.
I kissed Rory quick and hard before getting to my feet. Hawk followed me as I climbed the stairs two at a time to get to my cousin’s office. I walked in as Raven was leaving, but as soon as the door closed behind her, Uncle Jack was talking.
“It had to have been him,” he said to Bash, who was already seated behind his desk. “The place was littered with paraphernalia that could be used to build a bomb. That bastard could have a few with him for all I know.”
My skin began to crawl with the need to slaughter Boomer. He had been a prospect, but he’d still been like a brother to me. I had trusted him—my fucking brother had trusted him, goddammit!
“Any leads on where he might be heading?” Hawk asked.
“One or two. No fucking way he would go back to the Texas charter. Even if Snake is a piece of shit, he wouldn’t welcome Boomer back after he blew up another brother.” Uncle Jack popped his neck left and right, as if gearing up for a fight. “I have my narcs keeping their eyes open. A few are sticking close to Santino’s compound as well.”
“Santino isn’t the one we gotta worry about,” Hawk grumbled. “It’s Enzo Fontana. We gutted his brother looking for Jr. back in New York. He’s the one who wants our heads.”
I didn’t give a fuck who was behind the bombing. I just wanted to make someone bleed, wanted to hear their screams as I flayed their skin back from their muscles and poured salt into their wounds.
There was a double tap on the door. Bash called for the person to come in, and Trigger walked into the room. My tension skyrocketed. “What is it?” I demanded.
“It took a half-dozen calls, but I finally got some answers on the prospect. He was helping the cartel get drugs across the border down in Texas and skimming a little of the profits and the products off the top for himself. The Colombians put a hit on him, so he decided to come this way.”
“No fucking wonder he’s under Santino’s thumb. They own his ass now,” Bash gritted out. “Santino has just as big a hard-on for those bitches as he does for Vitucci. He’s just pissed because he doesn’t have the manpower or the balls to play with the big boys, let alone the men.”
I crossed to my cousin’s desk and slammed my fists down on top of it. “I want Boomer. I don’t give a fuck about Enzo or Santino or the goddamn Colombians. I get that motherfucker. He’s why Warden and my brother are dead.”
Bash’s eyes flicked with electricity, but he gave me a grim nod. “He’s yours. But you do nothing until after the memorial tomorrow. We take the day to respect the dead, and then and only then can you take him out.”
I gave him a nod in appreciation.
“I want Jet and Hawk with you when you go looking for him.”
“Not me,” Hawk spoke up. “Gracie has been too sick lately. I’m not leaving her.”
“Then me,” Bash said without a pause. “Me and Jet.”
“I don’t care who comes, as long as you stay the fuck out of my way when it comes time to put a bullet in his brain,” I told him point-blank.
“You have my word,” my cousin assured me.
After taking care of a few more things, we all left Bash’s office. Rory was still sitting where I had left her half an hour before. Raider had taken my place beside her, with Quinn on his lap, leaving no room for me. Rory stood up when I crossed the room to her.
“Everything okay?” she asked in a quiet voice that only I could hear.
I gave her a stiff nod. “I’m good.”
“Holy shit!” Raven yelled out and came running out of the kitchen.
All eyes were on her as she grabbed the remote and turned on the huge flat screen mounted on the wall. “You guys aren’t going to fucking believe this,” she said to the room at large, but her eyes went to Rory after she found the right channel.
It was the local news, and one of the three news anchors was standing outside of the mayor’s office building. “…no news as to what’s behind the sudden resignation of Mayor Michaels…” My gaze shot to Rory, but she kept her eyes locked on the television. “…but sources speculate that he will be putting in his bid to run for governor at the end of the year. A special election will be held next month to fill the position, and we already have confirmation of two of the candidates. District Attorney Royce Campbell will be stepping down so he can put in his bid for the seat, and the other is our very own Jacob Jenkins.”
“Yes!” Gracie squealed. “I knew he would do it.”
“You knew about this?” Hawk asked.
“Oh, it was just something that came up at work today. He asked me not to say anything because he was undecided about running or not.”
“Well, he’s going to get my vote,” Flick said from where she was still seated on the couch.
“What did you do to convince him to give up his job?” Raven demanded with a bewildered look on her face, pulling Rory’s gaze from me to her.
“Does it really matter?”
“No, but I’m curious. I don’t think you just asked him to pretty please go away, and he gave in out of the goodness of his heart.”
“I’d rather not talk about it,” Rory muttered, turning away from everyone, including me. “Just be thankful that he’s leaving.”
“Oh, I’m beyond thankful,” Raven assured her. “I think everyone in this room is thankful.”
“Yup,” a few of the brothers called out.
“Fuck yeah,” Bash and Jet both seconded from behind me.
“Thanks, Rory!” a handful of men called from across the room. “You’re our new best friend, babe!”
I had no fucking clue what was going on, but my gut was telling me that my girl had done something life-changing to get her father to agree to resign and leave me alone. I didn’t like it. She didn’t need to play her father’s games for me. I could take his ass on any day of the week.
Grabbing her hand, I pulled her out of the room and down the hall to our bedroom. I didn’t say anything until the door was shut and locked behind us. “What the hell did you do?”
“What I had to,” she answered deadpan, but there was no fear in her eyes, not even a flicker of nervousness.
Everything inside of me turned to ice, trepidation eating me alive with fear for her. Michaels was a slimy bastard, sure, but he was still dangerous. What the hell did my girl get herself into? “Rory.”
“I gave him what he wanted,” she said with a shrug, as if it was nothing, and sat down on the chair across the room.
“Which was?”
“Money. He was nearly broke, and my mother’s money comes to me the minute I turn twenty-one. I’m giving him almost all of it.”
“You gave up everything your mother left you?”
For me. Shit, I couldn’t let her do that.
“How much did you give up for me?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“How much?” I barked.
Her brow puckered into a frown. “Why does it matter?”
“Because you shouldn’t have to give up anything for me. Ever. You’re not supposed to be the one taking care of me.”
Her frown turned into a glare, and she was on her feet in a flash. Marching across the room, she punched me in the chest. “That’s not how this works, asshole. You aren’t the only one who gets to do all of the taking care of and providing and whatever else alpha shit fills that thick head of yours. We’re partners. That means we share everything, including the bad shit. You only get to take care of me, protect me, as long as I get to do the same for you.”
I caught her fist before she could hit me again. “How much did you fucking give him, Rory?”
“Two hundred and forty-nine million,” she snapped and pulled her hand free. “But I kept a little for myself. He didn’t get everything. I still have a million dollars, dammit.”
I let her go, too stunned to hold on to her. My jaw dropped, nearly landing on the floor, as I tried to comprehend just how much money she had given up to be with me. I knew her parents were well-off. Fuck, she had told me once just how big her grandparents’ house was where she had stayed in the three years we were apart. But, fucking hell, I hadn’t imagined she had that much money to her name.
This girl—my girl—was too good for me. No goddamn wonder her father had wanted her to stay away from a screw-up like me.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” she growled and caught my face between her hands. “You shut those damn thoughts down right now, Matthew Reid. I can see the wheels turning in that head of yours. I didn’t want the fucking money. I have never wanted anything more than you, and as long as I have you, I don’t care about the money. I don’t need it. Not when I have you.”
I covered her hands and pulled them away. “You deserve better than me, Rory.”
“I deserve to be happy!” she yelled in my face, those green eyes spitting flames at me. “I deserve to have a man who loves me and only me and who would give up his last breath for me. Are you telling me that you aren’t that man?”
“Fuck no!” I yelled back. “I would give up everything I have to protect you. You are my entire goddamn world.”
“Then don’t you ever tell me I deserve better, because it doesn’t get better than what we have.”
I caught her around the waist, jerking her against me and covering her mouth with my own. Her fingers tangled in the back of my hair as I lifted her, her lips devouring my mouth as I carried her over to the bed. Clothes went flying, and as soon as I had her pussy bared and my cock out, I thrust into her hard and fast.
“This…mmm… This doesn’t mean I’m not still pissed at you,” she panted.
“Oh, yeah?” I grabbed a pillow and stuffed it under her perfect ass. “What the fuck are you mad about, girl?” I asked with a smirk.
“Because you…you… Shit, I can’t talk when you do that, Matt!”
“This?” I thrust deeper and felt her walls start to contract around me. “Okay, I’ll stop,” I lied and thrust even deeper.
“You’re such an asshole,” she gasped out, her eyes rolling back in her head the instant my thumb touched her clit. “Matt!”
“You still pissed?”
“Yes!”
“You sure?” I kissed her neck then bit into her shoulder and sucked hard, marking what I would kill to keep.
“Yes… No…” she whispered.
“Which is it?”
“No,” she whimpered, her nails slicing into my back. “No, just keep doing that.”
I pushed up onto my knees and wrapped my arms around her thighs as her feet fell over my left shoulder. “I. Love. You.” I punctuated each word with a thrust that took me even deeper inside her drenched pussy.
“Oh God,” she moaned as she fell apart for me. “I love you too!”
A handful of thrusts later and I was falling on top of her as my cock emptied inside of her.