Chapter 5

Gagging during a blowjob means the world to a man. It means that you’re choosing his pleasure over oxygen. Trust me, they’re aware of the sacrifice.

-The way to a man’s heart

Ridley

“What’s up, pretty boy?” my brother asked.

I rolled my eyes and sank further into the piece of shit bed that I had been given.

“I’m not so pretty anymore,” I informed him dryly. “You should see how long my beard is. I could compete with Jase from Duck Dynasty right now.”

Wolf chuckled and I heard some metallic banging in the background.

“That’s good to hear,” he chuckled. “You were always too vain.”

I threw a racquet ball against the wall, catching it easily as it bounced back to me.

“How’s my sister?” I asked.

“Pissed,” he said. “She doesn’t understand why you’re in jail.”

No, she wouldn’t.

But then she also didn’t want to hear the truth. She was what one would call a gentle soul. She never saw the worst in people. Never saw the hatred or blackness that surrounded those evil souls.

She would literally give everyone everything she had if she had the chance.

Which was why I did everything I could to ensure no one took advantage of her.

Especially our brother.

Our brother who I hadn’t been able to get into contact with since I’d been in this joint.

“So what’d you learn?” Wolf asked.

Wolf was my best friend.

Literally, out of all the men that were in my club, Wolf was the one that I went to first.

He was always the first one to hear my problems, and I was always the first to hear his.

It was why I was calling him in the first place. I’d tell him the news I’d been able to get today, and leave it up to him to decide whether he shared the information with Kelly or not. Kelly may be posing as a prison guard at times, but I can’t always get information to him.

A high pitched scream signaled Wolf’s son, Nathan, had come into the room, effectively halting any explanation until we could hear again.

“Please go sit down and eat the popsicle at the table, Nate. You’re dripping blue juice all over the white carpet,” Wolf growled in frustration.

Nathan replied, and the sound drifted away, meaning the boy had actually listened.

“That was lucky,” I said to him, trying not to smile.

“The kid is trying my patience, that’s for sure,” Wolf admitted. “I thought terrible twos ended when they were two. He’s fuckin’ five now and still acting like an asshole.”

I snorted.

“I think that’s just because he’s a boy, not because he’s an asshole,” I told him.

Wolf sighed.

“Kid’s just like his father,” Wolf said, sounding kind of happy about that fact.

My heart kicked in my chest, and I held my breath, waiting for more, but it never came.

Wolf and me were alike, not because we were both part of the same club, but because we’d both lost our loves about a month’s time apart.

Wolf had lost more, though.

Around the time he lost his wife and unborn child, he’d also lost his best friend, who happened to be Nathan’s father.

Nathan had almost been taken in the attack as well, and he’d been shot in the face and left for dead.

Miraculously, a SWAT officer from Kilgore, Michael Perez, had saved Nathan’s life.

Nathan definitely had a long road ahead of him, but he would live, which was more than could be said for his biological parents and Wolf’s wife and unborn child.

“Alright,” Wolf said. “Tell me what you found out.”

I outlined what I’d learned today from Tasty, the ex-sergeant at arms for The Coller Gang.

“He finally talked to me,” I said. “Only took him six fuckin’ weeks to do it, but I think I got something worthwhile.”

“Okay, shoot,” he ordered.

My eyes went to my cell as I stared at the guard who was making his evening rounds.

I raised a chin in greeting at Bull, then went back to my phone call, feeling free to talk since the two cells on either side of me were currently empty, their occupants enjoying a time out in the hole for less than virtuous behavior.

They were going to be there for the next week, too, for all the shit they pulled at Christmas when they started a fight in the meeting room.

During the process of protecting whatever innocents I could, I’d inadvertently saved Tasty’s life as well, and the life of his old lady.

The same one who’d tried to get handsy with Freya for taking the family room.

“He said that the president of the Coller Gang, Hanson Coller, will be holding some tryouts later this week, or early next, for a few key positions in his motorcycle gang,” I drawled.

I was hoping it would sound about as fucked up to him as it did to me the moment I’d heard it.

“Tryouts,” Wolf tested, clarifying that.

I laughed.

“Yeah, tryouts,” I confirmed.

I could practically hear his mind screaming in denial.

“Their gang is so fucked up I can’t even begin to tell you,” Wolf said in exasperation. “Who the fuck holds tryouts to get members into their gang?”

I laughed, long and loud.

“Apparently they do,” I admitted. “I’m pretty sure you can tell Kelly this. I bet he’ll be able to get a few men in place to try out.”

Wolf made a sound deep in his throat, and I guessed it was a confirmation at the same time he was trying not to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded.

“Okay, what else?” Wolf continued once he’d written down what I’d said.

“He said there was some rift between him and his president. Apparently, he was supposed to be bailed out of this place by now, but he’s still sitting here. Been sitting here for over two years with promise after promise from Coller and nothing to show for it,” I explained.

“So you think you can turn him?” Wolf asked.

“Yes,” I said. “But I’ll have to get him out of here to make that happen.”

Papers shuffled and then a computer’s keyboard started to click, followed by, “That’s not going to work.”

“Why?” I asked. “I looked at his file before I got here, it was nothing besides a couple of drug charges.”

“No,” Wolf said. “It was the drug charge.”

“What?” I asked.

“The drug charge that was known as the find of the century, remember?” Wolf asked.

“Fuck,” I said. “Motherfuck.”

Griffin would never let this stupid fucker out.

“You’re telling me Tasty was involved with the fuckwads who killed his son?” I asked, hoping I was wrong.

“Righty-O. He was only loosely associated with the case against Tanner but he was in on the arms sale,” Wolf confirmed. “So you’re SOL. Griffin will never let him out. They’re all screwed.”

He was right, too.

Griffin had gone for maximum charges when he’d put the people into jail who’d had a hand, whether on purpose or by accident, in the murder of his son.

There was no way in hell I’d get Tasty out of here, not even if I begged.

“Shit,” I groaned in defeat. “What else is in there?”

“I think the key to this all is his old lady,” Wolf started. “I’ll meet you during visiting hours, and give you the information. You tell him that his wife is in danger, and that Coller got her arrested for trying to help break him out two weeks ago. Get a few of the guards in on it, confirming the story. Make it sound like a botched breakout that was Coller’s half-assed attempt at helping him.”

“I like it,” I mumbled tiredly, tiredness starting to leach into my voice. “I got to go to bed. These long hours are kicking my ass.”

“You mean the inmates are kicking your ass,” Wolf supplied helpfully.

I growled. “Yeah, that, too.”

“Alright,” he said. “Hit me up tomorrow with anything else you remember, and if I don’t get back to you beforehand, plan on putting that plan into action this Saturday. I’ll keep the woman away, too.”

“Got it.” I thanked him. “Appreciate it.”

After we hung up, I closed my eyes, tucking my phone underneath my pillow, and let my muscles start to slowly unwind.

Then my phone buzzed, making my belly tighten in anticipation.

Freya (10:20 PM): You never told me your sister lived with you.

A smile broke out over my face.

Ridley (10:20 PM): Didn’t know I had to, why do you ask?

Freya (10:21 PM): I wanted to grab that book you mentioned. I was going to ship it to you. And you told me there was a key underneath the flower pot in the tool shed. I went in there, got the key, then opened the side door only to find your sister sitting at the kitchen table naked as a jaybird with her husband sitting across from her, also naked.

I winced.

Ridley (10:22 PM): They’re newlyweds, and next time you see them, tell them I said to stop fucking on the furniture…that I have to eat at that table when I get home.

I could practically see the smile lighting up Freya’s face as she read that.

Freya (10:23 PM): I did tell them I was sorry, but I was too embarrassed to say anything else. Then I ran to my car and went home.

A smile worked over my face as I thought about all that she’d probably witnessed.

Ridley (10:25 PM): They’ve done it to me, too, if it makes you feel any better. Go back after four in the afternoon and knock at the door next time. They’re always there then. Or you can go really early in the morning. They’re both either at work or doing errands.

Freya (10:26 PM): I don’t think I’ll ever be able to show my face to them again. That was the most humiliating and shocking five minutes of my life, So, sorry, but no. I’ll buy you a new book on Amazon and ship it to you.

We spoke on and off for a few long minutes, and somehow we got into the subject of Amazon selling sex toys.

Freya (10:27 PM): Bullshit. I saw them on there last night.

Ridley (10:28 PM): Why were you on there looking for sex toys?

It was out of my mouth before I’d even realized I sent it to her, and the moment the icon underneath the bubble read ‘Read 10:28’ I blushed like a teenage girl.

Shit.

That had not been where I was trying to take what we had.

But then she replied, and my mind and mouth…err fingers…got away from me.

Freya (10:30 PM): I think you would know why I would be looking at stuff like that.

Freya (10:30 PM): I hear orgasms make you happier and relieve stress.

My mouth went dry.

Freya (10:31 PM): Too bad you’re not here to take care of the itch. :P

My eyes widened, and my heart started to pound as I finally let myself see the possibilities.

Freya was beautiful, yes.

She was honest, playful…and most of all, she needed me.

And I wanted to be needed.

Right after Aerie died, my sister moved in and hadn’t moved out since.

Now she had Apple and Emily, and I had…no one.

And I was left with reality.

I was lonely.

I wanted someone like my sister had.

I wanted someone to take care of, someone who would give me the same in return.

And the more I spoke with Freya, the more I realized just how much I wanted that someone to be her.

All of her.

Which was my excuse for what I said next.

Ridley (10:33 PM): Which one did you pick? Send me a picture.

But life always had a way of making me rethink things, always getting in my way and never letting me forget that my life wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Not a day went by that I didn’t put my life in danger, and I knew within minutes of sending that message, and receiving hers in reply, that this was a mistake.