Troy

“I’m out of smokes again!” Tyler snapped, looking at us. “I told you lot to stop using my packet!”

I glanced at Jax, who was smoking Tyler’s last cigarette.

“I told you to replace my packet,” Jax said, taking the cigarette from his mouth, sounding and looking calm. I don’t know what had changed. One phone call from Amber and he was back to his normal self.

Hell, I wanted him involved but he was basically taking over from me; finally stepping back up to his position. After over a month of doing his work and mine, I had got over it. If I’d known one phone call from Amber would have got his work off my plate, then I would have made him call her earlier.

Jax and Tyler started to get into an argument, while my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out.

Amber.

“Would you lot shut up, it’s Amber,” I shouted at them, and immediately their argument ended.

“Yeah Amber?” I answered.

“Did you know dad’s dating?” She basically barked at me.

“So?”

“So I don’t want a stepmom!”

“Dad never lets one get close, you know that.” I sat back in the chair. I was panicked for minute, she never just called. I thought something was seriously wrong. “Has he left yet?”

“Yes. I was forced to meet this one.” Amber made it sound like it physically hurt her to meet someone dad was dating.

I grinned. “Lucky you. Is that why you called? To rub your luck in our face?” I knew Amber hated the thought of dad dating anyone.

“No!” She blew out. “I was actually wondering what you’ve got planned for tomorrow?”

Weird question. We actually had the gun deal tomorrow. “Nothing of importance, why, need me to do something?”

“Yeah I do.”

“Name it.”

“Pick me up.”

My eyes widened and I stood up. “Wait, are you saying…”

“Yes, I’m coming home.” She answered the question I hadn’t even managed to get out. I could basically see the smirk that would be on her face as I went speechless for a second.

I grinned. “You’re coming home?”

All eyes snapped to me. I didn’t believe it. Amber was coming home. Was it dad making her come home? All this time I thought she would never come back on her own.

Tyler started firing questions at me, and Cole started barking them and I waved an arm at them to shut up.

“What time do we have to pick you up?”

“My flight gets in at ten in the morning. I suggest you bring a car.”

“I’ll make sure there is a car.” I was grinning so fucking wide. “When do you leave?”

“I’m boarding now,” she answered, and I could now hear the muffled sounds in the background.

“Wait, are you going to stay at the clubhouse, or did you work things out with dad?”

She scoffed. “Trust me when I say dad and I are not on good terms. No, I’m staying with a friend.”

“And who might this friend be?”

“Tae.”

“What, your boyfriend?” She couldn’t be serious right now. She was coming back and he was following her? “How serious are you two?” I had to ask. Surely they had to be serious if he was heading back here with her. “You make it sound like he lives here!” I picked up on it. She said staying with a friend, implying he had a house here.

“He has houses across the globe. One just so happens to be in our city. Actually, he is the one paying for my flight. I’m kind of tagging along on one of his business stop-overs.”

“What does he do again?” I remembered he was a suit. That was it. I was really kicking myself for not looking closer into him.

“Computer software; he is CEO.”

“And he is paying for your flight?” I said slowly. “Again, how serious are you two?” They had to be serious for him to be paying for her flight.

“He is a friend. A really good one Troy, so don’t make a bad impression when you meet him. Tell the rest that too,” she said sharply. “He has been paying for everything.”

“What?!  You’ve been relying on this guy! If you needed money, why didn’t you ask? When did dad cut you off?”

“You knew he cut me off.”

“Yeah, but you said you had your trust fund.”

“No, I implied it because I didn’t want you worrying.”

Cole was barking questions at me by this point and was a second from taking the phone off me; I pushed him away.

“So, what are you his escort or something?” I didn’t hide my disgust. “You never rely on a man. Ever.”

“I’ve relied on Blake. I’ve relied on dad and now I’m relying on Tae so don’t screw things up for me when you meet him, and he wants to meet you.” She lowered her voice. “I’m begging you Troy, make a good impression.”

She was saying that like my life depended on it.

“Fine, I’ll tell everyone to behave,” I said, finally seeing it was very important to her. The last thing I wanted was for her to decide not to come back because she was scared we would scare off her boyfriend.

“See you tomorrow.” She hung up.

“Amber’s coming home?” Tyler looked delighted. “I knew she would change her mind.”

“Yeah, she is, but I don’t know if she is staying in town for long,” I muttered, finding holes in her story. She said she was tagging along on one of his business trips so did that mean when he flew out, so would she?

“What do you mean?” Jax got up and looked way too interested in the answer to that question.

I frowned. Why was he so interested? Did he still love her? I hadn’t seen him with another woman since she’d left. He’d even made it a point to push women off him. Did he still love her?

Was he thinking he could get her back? Because I wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Answer the question!” Jax snapped at me. Again, sounding too interested in the answer.

“She is coming along with her boyfriend. She said she is tagging along on one of his business trips.” I glanced down at my phone. “I don’t know if she is staying or flying out with him when he leaves.”

“Is it that Tae guy?” Cole asked. Cole had been the one to find out about Tae to begin with. We’d run him through the system; he was clean.

“Yeah, and she told me dad cut her off. She never got a trust fund and he is paying for everything, including her flight back here.” I gave my brothers a pointed look. “She wanted to make sure we made a good impression. Like our lives depended on it.”

“When I looked him up, it said he was single and a billionaire from designing software. Surely Amber wouldn’t settle for that type of guy,” Tyler said. “She’s never gone after a man for money.”

“No.” I glanced at Jax. When it came to Amber, she always followed her heart. “She must like him.”

“Well, that means we must be nice,” Cole said really clearly, causing all our heads to snap in his direction. “What!” He snapped at us. “I want Amber back. If that means she is dating a billionaire, so be it. I don’t give a fuck. I just want her back in the same country so if us being nice means she stays, then we will be nice!”

Cole was actually being level-headed and making sense. His normal temper usually goes up at the thought of Amber with any bloke but he had missed her so much he was willing to put that aside and let her date someone we would have no control over.

Hell, when it came to Amber and her boyfriends, we never had control.

“Ok, we play nice,” I said, confirming Cole’s plan. “We need to buy a house too. I don’t want her living in one of his places while he flies around the world screwing whoever he wants.”

Adam scoffed. “If Amber can do one thing, it’s make sure a guy is faithful to her.” Then he glanced at Jax. “Even you were.”

“Until you didn’t trust her,” Cole barked at him. “And we lost her.” He pointed a finger at Jax. “You and her are done. Don’t even think about breaking up her new relationship.”

Jax had been calm all week, but that calm expression he usually had on his face was gone. He was pissed off. Was hearing Amber had moved on hurt him?

“Amber isn’t in a relationship. You lot are jumping to conclusions.” Jax looked between us. “Seriously, she says a guy is supporting her and you all think her heart is involved.”

I scoffed. “Amber follows her heart. And we put up with it. We put up with it when she picked you, and if anyone is her friend, it’s you.” I took a step closer to him. “Don’t even think about crossing a line of friendship.”

“Like she is even going to be his friend!” Tyler looked at me like I was stupid. “She moved to another country to get away from him and now is coming back with her ‘friend’ who just so happens to pay for her lifestyle. She’s moved on.”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, she has, and we don’t screw that up.” I looked at Adam. “Organise a house.” With that said, we could all go back to doing what we were doing, which was waiting for this gun deal to be settled.

But I wouldn’t lie. I was looking really forward to seeing my little sister tomorrow. I just hoped this time she had picked a boyfriend that was worth her time.

Jax

Nerves. Wasn’t something I did. Never got nervous. My hand never flinched when I took a life. I never got nervous when it came to club decisions. Never once got nervous over a woman, but all that changed when I met Amber.

She made me nervous.

And right now I was nervous. I had played the chess game, put all the pieces together so she would end up back here. And now, as we waited at the airport for her, I kept clenching my hands into fists so the boys wouldn’t see I was that nervous.

They actually all looked pretty nervous themselves. Cole was saying in the car that he was freaking out a little about seeing her, seeing as they didn’t leave things on good terms, although he did say he actually made more of an effort to speak to her while she was away.

It was the first conversation Cole and I had had where he wasn’t barking at me, or disrespecting me. I had opted to go in the car, because I knew she would be in the car once we picked her up, so I left my bike at the clubhouse, and caught a ride with Cole. I had expected him to bark orders at me to stay away from her, but he politely asked me to be nice to her boyfriend.

Like he knew if he threatened me I would just take it out on Tae.

I kept reminding myself of my conversation with Amber. She said she worked for him. She said she didn’t date, but the voice in the back of my head told me there could be something more between the two of them.

The boys didn’t know the money Tae was giving her, she actually earned. They thought some billionaire was claiming their little sister.

They weren’t thrilled with it, but I think they would pick Tae over me. I was in a sour mood as soon as I realized that.

“Is that her?” Cole said, who was showered, clean and even had a shave.

I followed his eye line and saw the crowd part. And there she was. She didn’t look like her normal self. She wasn’t wearing jeans, or a dress. She was wearing a business suit; jacket and skirt. She looked like she had just stepped out of an office. Her hair was down though. My eyes were glued to her body as she moved. That suit framed her perfect figure.

People were stepping out of their way. My eyes bounced to the man I had competition with. Tae..

God, the way they were laughing and walking together, they looked like a happily married couple. Not business partners.

I knew then. This guy had feelings for her. Then I watched him take her hand, smiling at something she’d said.

“Looks like we were right about the couple thing,” Tyler all but groaned. “Seriously, she is going for someone like dad!”

That was exactly what Tae looked like. An upstanding businessman, with money. His suit, his rings, even his hair screamed it.

“Yeah, well our job is to not give her a reason to fly out when he does,” Cole grunted. “Behave, all of you.” He looked at me. “Don’t upset her.”

They all thought I would upset her, being here.

I looked back at her, and then I found her eyes were locked with mine. She had spotted us. Wasn’t hard to; people were giving us space.

Well, she hadn’t spotted us. She had spotted me and her eyes were glued to mine, and immediately I saw pain. She gulped and ripped her eyes away from me, and smiled when she looked at her brothers.

“Behave.” Cole said again just as Amber burst into a sprint, which was impressive in those heels.

“God, she looks older,” Adam said what we were all thinking.

Troy pushed Cole out of the way and walked towards Amber; seemed like he wanted to be the first to welcome her home.

I watched her wrap her arms around his neck, a wide smile on her face. We all walked towards them. Her boyfriend had grabbed the handle of the suitcase she had abandoned.

“Amber, you look,” Troy pulled her off him, “Professional!” He grinned. “And really happy.”

“I am!” She frowned, “Although I don’t know how to take the professional comment. Sounds like something dad would say.” She gave him a pointed look.

“Move over!” Cole pushed Troy over and wrapped his arms around her. “You forgiven me yet?”

“I told you Cole, months ago, I’m not upset with you,” she said into his chest, her voice muffled. “God, have you put on more muscle?”

“Says the girl who looks like she has given up eating,” he grunted back. “Seriously Amber, you have always been small, but I don’t approve of this new skinny frame.”

“I just train a lot. Tae is very into exercise.” She pulled back from him, grinning up at him, looking like she was telling the truth. Actually, I looked closer at her expression. She was telling the truth.

Cole let go of her and Tyler was quick to take the opportunity to get a hold of her.

“I’ve missed you little sis.” Tyler lifted her off the ground.

“Yeah. I’ve missed you too Ty,” she said into his shoulder. “I like your neck tattoo by the way,” she said as he put her back on the ground.

“Got my other leg done too.”

“You will have to show me.”

“Yeah, Cole got the rest of his back done. In fact, we’ve all been getting our tattoos finished,” Tyler made conversation with her. He was right, we all had been spending more time at our tattooist.

Even me.

And I had one particular one that I had got yesterday that I wanted her to see.

“Must be in our blood or something cause Tae just paid for my back piece,” she said, and my eyes widened. She had done what?!

“What?!” Cole snapped at her. “Since when did you do tattoos?”

“Well, first I got that awful mark on my stomach covered, then I got the HellBound tattoo covered, which turned into a theme, which resulted in a back piece.”

“I thought you were never going to get that tattoo covered?” Adam picked up on something she had said a long time ago, and moved to hug her.

“I just had to let go of the past. Covering that was well, a needed step.” She was hugging him and then frowning. “Why didn’t you answer the other day?”

Adam and her relationship I never got. He wasn’t overly protective of her. They didn’t have the unhealthy relationship she had with Cole. She didn’t play with him, like she did with Tyler and she didn’t treat him seriously, like she did Troy.

If anything, they just supported each other. Maybe it was because they were closest in age but he was the one that had made the rest of her brothers come around when it came to me. He was the one encouraging me to make up with her.

In fact, he always supported her and I. Like he knew what her heart wanted, and he supported it, but he had told me not to muck up her new chance with a new guy. If she had moved on, I had to let her.

He was the only one of them that knew I hadn’t moved on from her.

And right now, they were having a silent conversation with their eyes.

So I was half surprised when he stepped out of my way, letting go of her. Her eyes went from him to me, and that’s where they stayed.

After how I treated her, I would understand if she ignored me. The old Amber would have punched me, insulted me, screamed all the reasons I was wrong for doing what I had done.

But the Amber I was looking at right now, well, she wasn’t doing any of those things.

Her eyes mirrored mine; pain. It was painful seeing her. After all this time, it still hurt to see her. Hurt more knowing she’d said I’d never get her back.

She took a big gulp of air in, and all her brothers were watching her reaction. Was she going to be childish? Was she going to play a game? Amber knew I loved her. She had all the cards. She could flirt and dance with fire by teasing me with Tae, and I would have to suffer it. Hell, if teasing me was all she was going to do… I deserved a lot worse.

Instead, she took a step closer to me, and then another, until she was standing in front of me.

It was instinct now to reach out for her, so I did, wrapping my arms around her, and she hugged me back. I think I took my first easy breath since she’d left; holding her now. I could breathe easy.

The nerves were gone.

Holding her just felt right.

Everything always became easy when I was with Amber which was why I’d fought so hard, because you don’t get handed the perfect woman and then have being with her as easy as breathing more than once.

She was thinner; there was barely anything of her.

“Thank you,” she whispered in my ear.

She was thanking me for bringing her back? Did that mean she didn’t hate me completely?

“I said I would get you back,” I whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek, and then she stepped out of my grasp.

Pulling away from me with a sad smile on her face.

“Amber?”

She turned and my eyes went to Tae.

“We need to change your phone,” he glanced at us, but looked like he didn’t have any time for us whatsoever.

Which I think shocked the boys.

“Right, sorry Tae,” she said and walked to him, taking the phone he was offering her. “Thank you.” She smiled. She looked really thankful too. It just proved to me again there was competition here.

His phone started ringing and he cursed. “That will be Lee, making demands as usual.”

“He doesn’t demand things,” Amber was still smiling at him. As if they had had this conversation before. “You just don’t want to pick up because you don’t know your schedule this week.”

He arched his eyebrows at her. “You know me too well.”

“Here, give it to me,” she said and put her hand out.

“Like always Amber, this is one of the reasons I love you,” he said, sending a direct punch to my gut... He just said he loved her. I was mortified. Amber said she would never risk her heart again; had she changed her mind over the course of the week? Less than a week.

She rolled her eyes and answered the phone, her heels clicking as she walked off, riddling off details.

All eyes were on Tae and he didn’t seem one bit fazed by that. He looked at all of us, one by one. Summing us up. He was an underworld figure; he knew us, but we weren’t meant to know he was the face of an underworld figure.

He wouldn’t go into business with us, unless he knew every detail about us.

“So, you must be her brothers,” he said, somewhat polite. I think the only reason he was giving them time was because of Amber. “She has told me a lot about you lot. Her stories always seemed to feature one of you.”

So they spent time together. Enough time for her to tell him personal stories. Some business relationship.

I glanced at her back. She had some explaining to do.

I wasn’t letting her date him. Hell, I wasn’t letting her be with anyone apart from me. I was going to get her back. I needed her back. I ripped my eyes off her back, in time to watch the boys introduce themselves and shake hands.

Tae was really making an effort. For a man meant to be as ruthless as me, it looked like we both had it hard for one woman and were willing to do anything to get her.

Amber walked back to us, just as Cole was making conversation with Tae.

“Ok. So your schedule is locked in with Lee.” Amber handed him the phone. “And we are locked in for dinner at six.”

He grinned at her. I sure as fuck didn’t know the man ruthless enough to run TNS to smile or grin, but he did with her.

“Formal or private?” he asked, taking her hand, and pulling her towards him. “I’m hoping for private.” He sounded hopeful. It made me sick.

Amber told me she wasn’t dating him!

“Private,” she smirked.

“At my place or a hotel?”

“Your place.”

“Good, just where I want you.” He took his eyes off her, and glanced at her brothers. “I just met your brothers. They are everything you said they were”.

Her expression changed instantly, she looked defensive. “Are they just?”

He nodded his head. “We can confirm that seven appointment, but you aren’t handling it. I want you home.”

I knew instantly what he was talking about; he had just confirmed our gun deal. Looks like it wasn’t going ahead until he met them. We must have passed, although I made a point not to introduce myself to him. He knew who I was. I knew who he really was.

And the only reason I was doing this deal was so Amber could be here, but it sounded like she wasn’t going to be having anything to do with it.

“I’ll confirm it, and we can talk about it tonight. You should go, your car is waiting and you have a twelve o’clock.” Amber pulled her hand from his, and he was quick to kiss her on the cheek.

“And while I’m gone, I don’t want to hear anything on what we discussed on the plane,” he looked at her, as if he was telling her off.

She sighed. “I told you I could handle it.”

“And I told you I don’t want you to.”

She pursed her lips. “Fine,” she said, but the Amber I knew never backed down.

“I’ll see you at my place, tonight. Call me if you change your mind about the seven appointment.” He gave her one last glance and said goodbye to her brothers, and left.

So, if the deal was going to go through, it seemed the decision was in her hands. She smiled at her brothers.

“Ok, so I’m tagging along with you lot for the day,” she said and went to get her suitcase but Cole was quick to grab the handle and drag it along.

“Good, because we bought a house,” Cole said, walking next to her.

“What? You moved out of the clubhouse?” She frowned, like it wasn’t possible.

“Yep,” they all chimed

“And we are hoping you will be looking to move in.” Tyler grinned at her. “Troy said you weren’t going back to dad’s?”

“I’m staying with Tae.”

“Yeah, but he is going to fly out, right? He is visiting?” Troy said, I knew he was dying to know the answer to that question.

Was Amber back for good, or not? I watched her expression, and it wasn’t readable.

“Depends on something,” she muttered, dodging their intense looks. “And, before you even ask, Tae is a friend; he’s not a boyfriend and we aren’t dating.”

We walked outside.

“So, what’s with the private dinner?” Adam smirked at her. “You don’t have to lie to us.”

“Not lying, and that just means he wants to talk.” She came to a stop at the boys’ bikes. “He doesn’t like having private conversations in public.”

“You seem like a couple.” Troy only said that because of what we had just witnessed.

I was still staring at her and it was when she glanced at me that I saw the pain in her eyes.

“We aren’t,” she said firmly, still looking me in the eye. “I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to relationships.”

That was my fault.

“Speaking of which…. I have to see Blake while I’m in town.” She wouldn’t look me in the eye again.

“Why?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. She said she would never go see him again. She had promised me that. It was on the same night I broke up with her. Was she going back to him?

“He is using my name,” she mumbled, frowning. “And it’s bothering me.”

“How is he using your name?” I took a step closer to her, pushing Adam out of the way, so I could read her expression properly.

She looked up. “He is telling people I’m in charge. I haven’t even been in the country and I’m getting heat for it.”

“We can handle it,” Troy said as he pushed me back towards the car. “No need for you to be brought down by his crap.”

She sighed. “Letting my brothers handle him. Tempting.”

“Come on Amber, we owe you one,” Cole pointed out as he unlocked the car. “I don’t know how many times I’ve been tempted just to be put in holding, just to give him a fight.”

“That’s exactly what he is after. A fight.” Amber ran a hand through her hair. “It mightn’t even matter. I might not stay. Then if I fly out, I guess the problem stays here.” She was staring at the pavement. “He is making my life hell; God, some days I wish he would just go back to hitting me. At least that would bruise and heal.”

My eyes widened. I don’t think she realized what she’d said. That she’d admitted to her brothers that he used to hit her. They were all staring at her, and she was still staring with no emotion at the pavement. She appeared to be in her own world.

“Amber, what did you just say?” Cole dumped the suitcase in the back seat and walked towards her, gripping her by the shoulders and breaking her eye lock with the pavement.

She frowned. “What?”

“Did he used to hit you?” Cole was calm, not a hint of anger. It was the very rare side of Cole you would see, before he started shooting or choking someone to death.

She frowned. “Did I really just say that?” She seemed shocked for a second.

Cole nodded his head.

“Um, well.” She pushed his hands off her shoulders. “Yeah, he did. It was why we broke up. Wouldn’t have broken up if he could control his temper.”

“He’s dead,” Cole said simply, and all her brothers nodded in agreement. “Dead,” he repeated. “As of tonight.” Cole glanced at me. “You don’t really need me tonight, do you?”

He wanted to go and kill Blake. Fine by me. I shook my head. “We can handle it,” I said. “But for the record, Blake got a beating for touching her.”

Their heads snapped to me. Even Amber was looking at me slightly shocked. I shrugged my shoulders.

“She came back to her house black and blue, and her dad said she had a boyfriend. Turned out to be Blake.” I answered their unsaid questions.

“So, that explains his reaction to you when he saw you at my house that morning,” Amber said, like she had just put a puzzle together. “And why he was beaten up the day he came and saw me at the house to break up.” She smiled at me, and it hit me hard. “You did a good job.”

“Well, I didn’t love you then so he got off lightly.” I’d just said it. I was sick of hiding the fact I still loved her. I didn’t fucking care what her brothers thought of me for loving her, but they looked at me like I couldn’t possibly have said I still love her. “So, should we go?” I said as they just stared at me.

“Yeah. I have a prison to visit.” Cole was the first one to snap out of staring blankly at me.

“You can beat up him Cole, but you can’t kill him,” Amber said directly. “I don’t want you to deal with murder charges and he isn’t worth it, but, considering the hell he has been putting me through, I would like it if he beat him to the point of nearly an early death.” She smiled knowing Cole would like that.

His expression hardened like he wasn’t about to accept that. He would go to prison for murder. Cole wouldn’t care.

“Fine, but only because you asked nicely. Now, get in.” Cole opened the back seat door for her. “And, are you serious when you say you aren’t dating this Tae guy?”

She nodded her head.

“Then you aren’t staying with him. No sister of mine is a fling.” He closed the door after telling her that.

Good. I liked this even better. Their eyes went back to me.

“Don’t even think about making a move Jax,” Cole grumbled as he passed me and got in the car.

His request fell on deaf ears. That was exactly what I was going to do. I was going to make a move on her.

I walked around the car. If the boys were banning her from going to Tae’s place tonight, it meant she would be staying at their place. I smirked. The boys could handle the gun deal without me. I had more important things to do tonight than hand off millions worth in guns.

***

I pulled up to the boys’ new house. They had pulled strings and got the set up on the same day they bought it. When it came to money, they didn’t care. They wanted to give Amber a home.

And that’s what they did.

I don’t think she realized that they bought it for her though.

I killed my engine. The boys were handling the deal and I was going to spend time with the woman I loved.

Yeah. I loved her - incredibly and completely loved her, and I wanted her back.

I leaned my bike to the side and got off. Walking towards the house; I knew she was inside, and that she’d spent the day with her brothers. Her and I didn’t get a chance to talk.

In fact, she made it a point not to be by herself with me. The one opportunity we had had, she’d fled.

I rang the doorbell and waited.

The door opened and I grinned immediately on seeing her. She was still wearing her suit skirt and top, but the jacket was gone and so were the heels.

She frowned at me. “The boys aren’t her,” she said slowly, looking at me. “But you know that.”

I nodded my head. “Not here to see them, sweetheart.”

Her eyes hardened. “Why aren’t you at the deal?”

Because you are more important. I shrugged my shoulders. “Why aren’t you?”

She lifted her phone and flashed it to me. “I am.”

I saw the camera feed on her phone. “Being the invisible hand?”

She sighed and nodded her head.

“Can I come in?” I took a step closer to her and noticed her clench the door tighter. “Please, sweetheart.” I took another step closer to her. I had learned the hard way. I had learned that my life was nothing without her. There was no life without her.

How could I ever think I could live without her? 

She was glaring at the porch steps, not answering, not moving, and not letting me in.

“Come on Amber.” I reached out for her. My hands landed on her hips, and, dipping my head, I tried to get her to look me in the eye. I lowered my voice. “Please sweetheart.”

She looked up and I saw the debate in her eyes. “You should be at the deal. Not here.”

The deal was merely the pawn I’d used to get her back. She was the point of the chess game to begin with. I didn’t say anything. She had to know I would do anything to get her back, to make up for my mistakes.

She brushed my hands off her, and I thought if she rejected me right now, well I wasn’t sure what would be left of me. The only way I had been functioning was because I had known she was coming home but, as of tonight, my purpose to get up tomorrow morning wouldn’t be there. I couldn’t look forward to her coming home because she was home so I was hoping and praying she didn’t reject me.

I’d hoped at the very least it would take her time before she pushed me away, if at all. I’d used everything in me to get her to be close to me. To prove to her I had changed.

But, from the look on her face, she wasn’t going to give me a second of her time. I had to think of something. Quick. I had to say something. Stop her ending us altogether. Stopping my chance of getting her back.

“Just give me an hour.” I pleaded with her. “I won’t stay a second longer.”

Surely, she could spend an hour with me? Hell, there was a time in our relationship when she was the one wanting to be with me, when she was pleading to spend time with me.

And I always pushed her away.

And right now as she looked up at me, with hardness in her eyes. I was beginning to feel what she would have felt when I did it.

Please don’t do it Amber.

The look in her eyes didn’t soften. She was about a second away from slamming the front door in my face.

I panicked. “Half an hour?”

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she looked down at it. “Deal’s happening.” She looked up. “You did a good job putting that together.”

“Does that mean I get half an hour of your time?” I hoped.

She clenched her eyes shut. “No.”

Rejection. I wouldn’t accept it. “Please, Amber. Just five minutes then. Just let me explain what happened.” All my life I had been taught never to be weak, but, in this moment, I was weak. Never let anyone see you as weak. Dad’s words repeating in my head.

He was the only role model I had. I admit he was a shitty one and, yeah, I picked up his bad habits. Like the need to be bulletproof. To never let anyone close. To never let anyone see you as weak. Strength was something Johnston’s prided themselves on.

But right now, I didn’t give a fuck. I was going against every word of advice dad had ever given me.

I reached out for her, cupping her face; God, I needed her to open her eyes. “Please, Amber. Five minutes.” She had me begging! God, I couldn’t be any more pathetic. “Please.” My voice wavered with emotion, just at the mere thought of the emptiness I felt without her. I never let emotion show, so she heard it, her eyes springing open.

Was that what she needed to hear? That I was empty without her?

“Five minutes.” I repeated. “Then I’ll leave.” How the hell was I going to convince her to take me back in five minutes? I didn’t care about that right now. Right now the mission was to get inside.

“Ok.” She said deflated and stepped back, my hands dropping from her face.

I closed the front door.

“God, I’m an idiot,” she muttered to herself and walked into the lounge room. I followed.

She sat down on the couch, tucking her legs under her. Her attention went to her phone. I just stood there staring at her.

“Stop looking at me,” she snapped, and looked up. “Seriously Jax, you are acting like you’ve never seen me before.”

“I’ve missed you.” I walked in and sat down on the couch next to her. “Sorry.”

“For staring?” she arched an eyebrow at me, as if I would be saying sorry for that.

I shook my head. “For not trusting you the night Mai came. For not believing you.” I reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, needing to see her face. “I’m sorry for breaking up with you. I’m sorry for all the hurtful things I said and I’m really sorry you had to move because of me.”

She took a nervous breath in. I could see how nervous she was. She was flipping her phone around in her hand. I placed my hand over her nervous one, and her eyes snapped to mine.

“I’m so sorry Amber.”

She finally nodded her head. “Well, you’ve got it off your chest.” Her words hardened. “You can go now.”

She was just pushing me away. I sighed. “I still have three minutes.”

She scoffed but didn’t say anything. I would do anything to hear what she was thinking. Did she still love me? She said she would always love me. What could I do in three minutes to prove to her I had changed?

I had to get her mind off our break-up. The pain in her eyes, on her face… it was killing me.

“You know that history report you didn’t do? On that soldier?” I said, recalling something I did want to tell her.

“The one you thought I would do? I did tell you I wouldn’t do it.”

“Yeah, that one.” She knew what I was talking about.

“What about it?”

“Well, you didn’t do it, and it scored me an extra month on my parole.” That one bad grade. “So, really, you owe me months’ worth of your time cause you cost me a month.”

“We were partners. You were meant to help!” She shook her head. “Seriously, you did an extra month because of it?”

I nodded my head. “Worst month of my life.”

She reached for the coffee table and grabbed her beer; so she still drank. “Well, I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not. I hated school.” She shrugged it off, like a month of my life wasted wasn’t a big deal.

“Well, I got to stay an extra month because of you.”

“Did you graduate?”

“No,” I scoffed. “I left as soon as my parole was done.”

“I did.”

I frowned. “But you said you left school?”

“After I passed by correspondence.” She shrugged. “I just was too stubborn to tell dad that I had finished my education. So, instead, I lied and said I dropped out which resulted me being cut off. And..” She sighed. “Me doing everything Tae says.”

“You can get rid of him.”

“I can’t.”

“You don’t need money.” My hand was still on hers and she realized, pulling her hands away.

“Yeah, I do.”

I took my hand off her lap and turned to face her more. “Your brothers won’t let you go without a thing.” I moved slightly closer to her, reaching out and lifting her chin. “I won’t let you go without anything,” I said firmly.

“You aren’t my boyfriend Jax. You broke up with me. I told you if you did, there was no coming back.” She looked panicked. Like she was saying that but her body was screaming she was all mine. “Don’t look at me like that.”

My eyes flashed to her lips. All those times we had had sex played through my mind. All the times she was calling out my name, because that is who she belonged to. Me.

Maybe I just had to remind her. I dipped my head.

“Don’t you dare kiss me!” She pushed my hand off her face and got up like the couch burnt her. “DON’T SIT THERE AND ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!”

“I said I was sorry.”

“SORRY DOESN’T CUT IT!” She was mad. No. She was furious. The lid on her temper was off, and I was happy to see it come off. I could deal with her rage; I couldn’t handle her being distant and accepting.

“What do you need me to do?” I said getting up and walking towards. “Just tell me what you need to hear.”

“Time. That’s what I need. Time to get over you! Cause I’ve had over a month and I’m still fucking addicted to you! AND IT’S NOT FAIR!” She screamed. “JUST LEAVE. YOUR FIVE MINUTES ARE UP!”

Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes and she looked at me like she hated me, but, at the same time, loved me unconditionally.

Good. She was pissed off. Now I needed her to get it all out of her system.

“Mai lied,” I said firmly.

“I know she did! I told you that! You didn’t believe me!” Frustrated, she threw her beer bottle at my head. “I TOLD YOU TO TRUST ME!”

I dodged the bottle and it smashed into the window. Now, this side of Amber I knew well.

“AND I SAID I WAS SORRY I DIDN’T!” I yelled back at her. Ok. Don’t yell at her. I took a deep breath in. “I was too late Amber, but I’m here now and I am begging you. Just give me a chance.”

“No.”

“Amber.”

“NO!”

I stood in front of her, taking her clenched fists in my hands. “I love you.”

Tears dropped from her eyes. “Stop saying that.”

“No.”

“Just stop it.” She unclenched her fists. “Just please let me go. I can’t go through this again. I can’t handle your mood changes. I can’t handle you wanting me one minute and hating me the next.” She wiped a tear away. “I’m not strong enough.”

“When it comes to you, everything else comes second.” I pulled her closer to my chest. “I mean it Amber, everything else doesn’t matter.”

“What about the club that you love so much?” She scoffed, sounding hurt. “How many times have you pushed me away because of it! You can’t just expect me to believe you.”

“Have I ever lied to you?” I said firmly. She was glaring into my chest. I cupped her face, forcing her look me in the eye. “Everything, and I mean everything, is second to you. I lost you once and it’s never going to happen again.”

Her eyes showed debate. “You don’t do weaknesses. I’m a weakness.”

“No Amber, the only thing you give me is strength.” It was what I had been missing since she’d left; the strength to keep going. “I didn’t know how important you were in my life Amber, but you have to believe me when I say, you are my purpose.”

I was expecting for her to push me away, push my hands off her face, but she didn’t; instead her fingers ran down my jaw.

“You’ll find a new purpose,” she mumbled. “Women go to you easy, Jax.”

“I don’t want women. I want you!”

“You broke my heart.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “And I don’t even have one back together to give you.” A depressed smile appeared on her face. “Even if I wanted to Jax, there is nothing left. I can’t give you something I don’t have anymore.”

“You have a heart.” If there was one thing I was certain about, it was that. The way she loved her brothers. In order to love someone as much as she loved them, she had to have a heart.

She tilted her head; the hollowness that was in her eyes that night we were on the phone was back in her eyes.

“If I had one, I would give it to you again,” she said, ever so softly. “Because I never learn from my mistakes.”

She was shutting down. I could see it. She was pulling back from me. I wanted her screaming at me again, at least then she felt something towards me. Panicked, I lowered my forehead to hers.

“Let me prove to you that you have one.” I was desperate. I knew she had one. I hadn’t completely destroyed her heart.

“I don’t want to feel what I felt for you again. That all-consuming need to be with you. I don’t want that. Can’t have that because you will leave me.” And she pushed my hands off her and walked away from me. “And then I’ll be back here. Hollow again. So what’s the point, Jax?” She sighed, turning to look at me.

She still loved me. It was on her face right now.

“I won’t ever hurt you again like that Amber.”

“Don’t promise me that.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I can fake a smile. I can fake a conversation with my brothers. I can fake love. My acting skills have got better, but I can’t fake what we had.”

“Then don’t. Just risk it again Amber.” I walked to her, feeling all I did was follow her around this room as she attempted to get away from me. “Take a chance on me.”

“Which part of the ‘I don’t have a heart to risk’ don’t you get!” She looked at me like I was stupid. She let out a frustrated sigh. “You and I were poison.”

“We were complicated.”

She scoffed, her eyes going wide. “Yeah, that’s another word for us.”

Us.

I smiled. “You know I love you, right?”

“You keep saying that, but a man that loved me wouldn’t have hurt me.” She squared her shoulders back, staring me in the eye. “If you really loved me, I would know.”

I peeled my vest off and she frowned at me.

“What are you doing?” Her voice rose as I unclipped my holsters, dropping my guns on the table and reaching for the hem of my t-shirt and taking it off. “Why the hell are you taking your clothes off?”

I dropped it on the ground. The tattoo I wanted to show her… well, now was time to show her.

Her eyes were still on mine. I reached for her hand and she let me take it.

I placed it over my heart and lowered it, just slightly. “You’re right there Amber. In my heart. It’s where you will always be.” Whether she wanted to love me or not, I would always love her.

She glanced down, her eyes widening when she slowly spread her fingers and then took her hand off, staring at her name tattooed on my chest.

“You’ll always be with me. Even if you don’t want to be,” I said. She could push me away but I would always love her. “I will always do anything for you, and if you can’t take a chance on me, I hope I can at least be your friend.”

It had come to that point of the evening when I had to admit defeat. I would rather be her friend than nothing. A friend could ask how she was. A friend could spend time with her. I hoped she would let me be her friend.

She was gobsmacked and then she started to do something that shocked me..

“Why are you taking your top off?” I said, my mouth hanging open as she undid the last button, and shrugged it off.

Amber was always beautiful but I wasn’t used to seeing it, so it sent me into shock, seeing her perfect skin. My eyes ran across her tattooed stomach and then up her beautiful rib cage and then she turned and lifted her arm.

And then I didn’t believe what I was seeing.

“That’s my name.” I was in shock.

Jackson was tattooed so perfectly on her side.

She put her arm down and turned to look at me. The hollowness that had been in her eyes earlier was gone.

“Like I said. I was marking my body. And you. Well, you left a mark on my heart so I thought it only fitting you had one on my body.” She looked down and sighed. “We were good while we lasted.”

It had barely fucking started. We spent most of our time fighting or me pushing her away.

“Start fresh with me.” I couldn’t stop myself from running my hand down her side, my hand following her skin and going to her lower back and pushing her into me. “Make a fresh start with me. One where you come first. One where the club is second and I promise Amber, I won’t push you away.”

She looked me in the eye. “You won’t push me away, even if it is in my best interest?” She was challenging me.

Well, she had me there. If it was in her best interest, I would push her away; it was a habit. It’s the only thing I had regularly done to her, push her away.

“If there is another option, no.” I couldn’t say to her completely I wouldn’t put her best interest first. I wanted her, but her safety came first and I would never want to hold her back.

Not now. Not ever. If I wasn’t adding to her life, I wouldn’t be a part of it.

“My love for you will always come first. Anything I do is because I love you.” I pushed her more into me, the fact she was only wearing a bright pink low cut bra hadn’t gone unnoticed.

It was basically taking all my willpower to not unclip her bra right now. My other hand reached around her, brushing the clasp of her bra. I could just unclip it. I needed to see her, naked, and completely in front of me.

But I needed her to want me like that.

Her hands went to my chest and I loved her touch. Her hands moved up and stopped on my shoulders. She didn’t fight me, as I pushed her completely into me and she dropped her head to my chest.

“How will we work?” she said into my chest. “I can’t do hot and cold again.”

Her breathing on my chest was welcoming. It was hot and sharp.

“We will take it one day at a time.” I ran my hands down her spine. “We can go as fast as you want or as slow as you want.”

She pulled her head from my chest and looked up at me. “You really want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“You’re willing to take shit from my brothers?”

“Yes.”

“You will stay away from other women?”

“Yes.”

“You will actually show me respect?”

I frowned. “I’ve always respected you.”

“You’ve always seen me as a weakness.” She ran her hand down from my shoulder and I could feel her staring at her name. She sighed. “What does it even matter anymore, I can’t give you my heart when I don’t have it.”

“I’ll help you get it back.” I held her closer to me, feeling like she was a second from bolting from me. “I promise you Amber, I will help you get your heart back. I broke it. I’ll fix it.”

She looked up at me, blinking back tears, “How? I’ve tried. I can’t feel anything. I kill without even so much as caring. I don’t feel guilt. I just don’t feel. So how, Jax? How are you going to fix the hole in my heart?”

“I’ll show you.” My hands went to the skirt that was at her waist and I slowly undid the zipper. I kissed her shoulder as her skirt fell to the ground. “Starting tonight, I’m claiming back your heart.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Yes you do. I broke it. I’ll fix it.”

“I’m not your bike, Jax.”

I smirked. Now, that sounded more like Amber. My hands went to her hips and I lifted her up, and, as if she knew what I wanted, she wrapped her legs around my waist.

 

Looking her in the eye, taking all her weight, I took one hand off her and pushed a stray hair that was in front of her face, behind her ear.

“Can I make love to you?” I asked, lowering my forehead to hers.

“You sure you don’t just want to fuck me? Less strings in the morning.”

I shook my head. “Nah sweetheart, I want to love you.” I kissed her cheek. “All night.” I kissed her forehead. “Every night.”

“You’re doing it again.” She sighed and dropped her forehead to mine.

“What?”

“Promising me something you can’t give.”

“Amber, I promise you I’m going to love you every day for the rest of my life.” I kissed her lips, at first gentle, but once I got a taste, I was going back for more. I was addicted to the taste of her mouth.

I had forgotten just how sweet she was. How had I forgotten that? It was like being off drugs, stone sober, and then you get your first high. It was sending my body into shock at first, and then I couldn’t get enough. The adrenaline rushed through my body as I greedily kissed her.

I didn’t even realize I was doing it, but I was moving, needing to get us to a bedroom before I lost control and took her on the couch.

Where her brothers could easily walk in, any minute.

“Wait.” She pulled away from my lips. “My clothes. If the boys come home and see them, they will know.”

I smirked. “I think they will know when I’m here in the morning.” I kissed her cheek. “When I’m kissing you.” I kissed along her jaw. “When I’m dragging you off to the bedroom.”

She laughed, and I loved the sound of it. It was something I’d missed, hearing her laugh.

“Clothes!” she said, and I walked us back into the lounge room.

“Don’t see the point in hiding the evidence.”

“You would if your brothers loved to take the piss out of you.” She wanted me to let her go but I wasn’t going to. She looked at me, knowing what I was doing. “You have to let me pick them up.”

“And you promise I can pick you back up as soon as you’ve got them?” I arched an eyebrow at her, not wanting her to take this opportunity to bolt from me.

She nodded her head, but it was the small smile on her face that had me easing her body down. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she picked up her clothes and I was taking in the view as she bent over.

Darn. So fucking perfect, and, just like that, my self-control snapped.

She had them in her hands and that was enough for me; a squeal left her lips as I took her legs from under her and carried her, bridal style.

My eyes ran over her again, drinking her in. I was going slow tonight. At least the first time.

Then that nagging question was back in my head and I found myself needing an answer this time.

“So, what’s with you and Tae?” I walked her up the stairs.

“Nothing.”

“Has he seen you like this?” I couldn’t stop the jealousy that ran through my veins at the thought that someone had had what was mine.

She tilted her head and then did something I wasn’t expecting. She kissed me. Her hands bringing my face to hers. She kissed me harder, and I groaned. She’d just got me addicted again.

I stopped at the top of the stairs, not knowing which direction to take her. As much as I didn’t want to pull away, I had to.

“Which room is yours?” I said, my lips barely from hers.

“Ummm…” She frowned. She looked so cute, and it wasn’t helping that her breasts were rising and falling sharply with her breathing as she thought.

“Sweetheart, you’re killing me. We need a room.”

“Door at the end, I think.” She frowned again, looking more adorable. “Cole put my suitcase in my room and I wasn’t paying attention.”

“I think your brothers will kill me if they hear I had sex with you in one of their beds.” I smirked from just thinking about their reaction, and walked to the door at the end.

“They mightn’t come home tonight.”

“I hope they don’t.” With what I was planning on doing to her, it was best no one was in the house.

I twisted the handle to the door, and opened it up. Her suitcase was at the end of the bed.

“Looks like you got the right room,” I said, slightly deflated that I wouldn’t be doing one of her brother’s worst nightmares.

She yawned. “Good. No brothers walking in on my one night stand.”

“We aren’t having a one night stand.”

She gave me a look to say that was all I was capable of.

“We aren’t!” I snapped at her. “When are you going to realize I’m seriously in love with you?”

She yawned again.

“You’re tired.” I stated the obvious. I should be putting her to bed. As much as I wanted to make love to her, she needed sleep. Maybe after a solid night’s sleep back in the same country as me, she would wake up in the morning realizing how much I loved her.

“What are you doing?” she said, as I lowered her onto the bed. I then let go of her. Grabbing the blankets which were already pulled back, I pulled them over her.

“Putting you to bed.” I kissed her forehead. “I’ll come back in the morning.”

She locked her arms around my neck. “You aren’t really leaving, are you?”

“I’ll be back in the morning.” As soon as she was awake, I’d be back. “I promise.”

I pried her arms from the deadlock around my neck, and lowered her arms to the bed.

“I promise when you wake up, I’ll be back.” I ran a hand through my hair. It was going to nearly kill me to leave her like this. I kissed her forehead again, needing to.

I went to leave her but her hand wrapped around mine, stopping me. I frowned, looking at her hand now locked around mine.

“Then why leave?” She sat up, and yawned again.

“You want me to stay?”

We had never once just slept in the same bed.

She nodded her head, confirming what I thought couldn’t be possible. She wanted me to stay. My five minutes had turned into a full night with her.

“Are you going to stay or not?” She sighed. “You don’t have to. I know you don’t do that. Just sleep with someone.” She yawned again. “You can go,” she said, deflated, and let go of my hand, like she had made up my mind for me, and laid back down.

I moved across the room and heard her mutter something, but didn’t catch it. I turned the light off and closed the door.

I walked back to the bed. The curtains were open, so I could make out her figure and the fact that she had her eyes shut, and had rolled onto her side.

I got into the other side, my arm slipping under her head.

“Jax?” She sounded alarmed.

“Who else do you think it would be?” I kissed her bare shoulder and, with my other arm wrapped around her, I pulled her back to me.

“I thought you left.”

“Like I would leave you.” Had she not listened to a word I had said tonight?

“It’s early, you don’t have to go to sleep.” Her hand ran down my arm, stopping over the hand I was holding her with.

“I don’t care.” Having an early night wouldn’t kill me. Actually, my body needed one, with the lack of sleep I was running on.

She turned in my arms. “You don’t sleep over. Even when we were on the road, we didn’t share a room.” Her fingers ran across my jaw and I pulled her in, not settling until her head was on my chest.

“I always wanted to, but your brothers were always in the way.” My hand ran down her bare back.

“And what, they aren’t anymore?”

“I’m never letting anyone get in my way again when it comes to you.”

She sighed. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Just go to sleep.”

“If you leave, I’ll understand.”

I kissed the top of her head. “Not leaving.” And I wasn’t leaving her now. Not now. Not ever. “Amber?”

“Um?” She was nearly asleep.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

My eyes went wide. “You know?” She had said earlier she would know if I loved her. She hadn’t believed me. What had changed?

“How?”

“I saw it in your eyes.” She moved over me, until she was straddling me. “When you said you would be my friend.”

“You saying you believed me when I said I’d be your friend?” I couldn’t believe that is what made her see it. Her mind was twisted.

“Yep.” She lowered her mouth to my ear. “Want to know a secret?”

I rolled my eyes. She was sounding more like her normal self. Her and her games. I gripped her waist and flipped her over, her back sinking into the bed.

My mouth went to her ear and I felt her skin shiver. “When it comes to you, I want to know everything.” 

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my head down to hers. “I want to revisit those girlfriend rules.”

Was she saying? Wait a sec… surely not? Had I got her back? I leaned over to the bedside table and turned the lamp on, needing to read her expression.

She was squinting from the light for a second.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked. “Are you saying…?” My words dried up, not believing my luck.

She smiled. “You’re speechless.”

I nodded my head. She made me speechless because the thought of getting her back had me speechless. I was going to wait until she was ready. I was going to take her slow but, at the same time, as fast as I could - as fast as she would let me.

I cleared my throat. “So, you want to be…”  I needed my brain to work. It had stopped functioning properly as soon as she said the word girlfriend.

“Your girlfriend?” She finished my sentence.

I nodded my head.

She frowned for a second. “I don’t know if I have a heart anymore but whatever I have left,” she paused and the honesty in her eyes had me “well, you can have it.”

“You have a heart.” I leaned down and kissed her just over her heart. “I’ll prove it to you.” I smirked. “I think I want to add a few things to the girlfriend rule list.”

“Well, we can’t sneak between rooms anymore. It’s not like you live here.”

“We need to fix that.” I couldn’t be apart from her. “You should move out.”

“I just moved in! It’s literally my first night here.”

“Fine, I’ll just live here.”

“You can’t just move in!”

“Watch me.” I kissed her cheek, and my hand started to wander down that perfect body of hers. “New rule. We don’t sleep apart.” I had only had a small taste of what it would be like to sleep with her, and it was fair to say, I was not spending a night away from her, unless it was forced.

“I want boyfriend rules.” She nibbed my bottom lip.

I smirked. “You setting rules. Now, that’s funny.”

“I’m serious!”

“Ok, then name one rule.” I rolled on to my side, and she turned to face me, that adorable smile I fell in love with on her face.

“One rule. There is only one boyfriend rule,” she said matter of factly.

“Ok. I can stick to one rule. What is it?” I was interested in what she had come up with.

“Any woman you touch, dies.” She grinned. “By my hand.”

“You can’t just kill women that touch me!”

“No, I said women YOU touch, and you left out the part about it being at my hand.”

I rolled my eyes. “You aren’t killing anyone.”

“It’s what I’ve been doing. I’m actually very good at it.”

“I know.” I gave her a pointed look. “And it’s stopping.”

“You always were protective. More protective than my brothers.” She put her hand under her head. “I’ll stop when I’m allowed to.”

“You aren’t working for Tae anymore.”

“I don’t want to have a fight so back to the rules. My one rule. You touch her, she dies.” She ran a hand over my chest “By my hand,” she added smugly.

She looked like she wasn’t backing down on this. I couldn’t simply walk around giving women the mark of death if I touched them!

“We do my one rule, and I’ll follow any of yours.” She seductively licked along my jaw. “Any rule you set.” Suddenly, she didn’t seem so tired.

I groaned. “Anything?”

“Anything.” She looked at me smugly.

“So, if I wanted a mandatory weekend sex marathon, every weekend, Friday through to Sunday, you would be up for it?”

“I’ll be naked and ready,” she kissed my lips, “Every weekend.”

I groaned. That was even worse, knowing she was up for anything. One rule. I could follow one rule. I never followed rules. Always made sure to break them. Every rule that was given to me, I was hell bent on breaking.

“You’re being unreasonable,” I blew out as she kissed down my neck.

“One rule Jax, just one rule.”

“Yeah, one rule that gives you the right to kill women!”

“Only women you touch.” She moved over me, straddling me. “You keep saying you love me. So why would you be touching another woman?”

She had a point. “What is the definition of touch? What if I brushed her arm?”

“I’m not that petty!” She scoffed. “God, if that was the case, I’d be taking people out in the supermarket!”

“Fine then, what is your definition?”

“If your hand so much as lingers on her breast or ass, she’s dead…. and I have a question.” She sat up, looking rather determined.

“Weren’t you tired?” I arched my eyebrows at her.

“I’ve passed exhaustion. It’s a recurring pattern lately. Tae’s been having me work at night, and if I don’t get to sleep within a small window, I won’t sleep for the day.”

“How long have you been awake?”

“Don’t know.” She shrugged and her looked sharpened. “I still have that question.”

“Fine sweetheart, hit me with it.” I would answer any question she had.

Her face soured and she blew out hotly. “Cole told me something.”

I grunted. Well, this was off to a great start. “What shit has Cole been filling you with?”

“He said…” She chewed on her bottom lip. “You and Mai had a special relationship; that I needed to respect that your way of life comes with women who you have special relationships with.”

I frowned. Mine and Mai’s relationship was not special! I just trusted her.

“How many other women are there that you have a special relationship with Jax?” she asked, sounding slightly anxious to know the answer.

“I didn’t have a special relationship with Mai.” I wanted to make that fact clear.

She looked me in the eye and that pain that was in her eyes at the airport, well, it was back. “You trusted her more than you did me.” Her eyes dropped to my chest like she couldn’t look me in the eye for a second longer.

“I fucked up, Amber. I should have trusted you. Not her.”

She wouldn’t look up.

“It won’t happen again.” I had learned my lesson. You don’t trust women. Well, that wasn’t completely true. I could trust one woman and I think she needed to hear that. “From now on Amber, you are the only woman I trust. All women do is give me a fucking headache.” And if I had her, I didn’t need, nor would I ever would need, another woman.

Realizing that made me see her one rule wouldn’t kill me.

I sat up, holding her to me. She still wouldn’t look me in the eye. I lifted her head up, her eyes still on my chest.

“That one rule you want,” I said, and her eyes sprung up to look at me. “I agree to it.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” I kissed her cheek. “As far as I’m concerned, if I’m doing that shit, you should be pointing the gun at me.”

She grinned and then her grin fell.

“What’s wrong?” I said watching her grin of delight going to unsure within a second.

“You didn’t answer my question.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “How many girls are an exception to that rule?”

“I told you the only woman I trust is you.”

“I didn’t ask that,” she snapped. “I asked how many women you have a connection with; like you did with Mai. You dropped everything for her.” She sighed. “Even me.” She went and pushed herself off me, and I gripped her, forcing her to stay put.

“I trusted Mai. That was it; and she has paid the price of breaking my trust.” I stopped her from getting off me again. The subject of Mai brought back bad memories for me, so I was sure it was bringing up bad memories for her as well. “So, the answer to your question is zero. I don’t have a connection, or whatever Cole called it, with any other woman.”

Amber looked me back in the eye, “So, there is no exception to the rule?”

“The only woman I want is you.” My eyes dropped to her side, seeing my name tattooed right there.

“Can I tell you something?” she sounded sheepish, so I looked back at her. I read her expression; she had done something.

“What did you do?” I sighed.

“I may have made a call,” she smiled, “and got Mai’s connections cut.”

“How could you, when I did that?”

“What? You banned her from the club?” Amber said, slightly alarmed. Like I wouldn’t do that.

I nodded my head. “Not to mention what else I did.” I had made it my mission to make sure Mai suffered for what she had done. She’d cost me Amber.

“Well, I got Grant to cut his own daughter off,” she said smugly. “He didn’t have a heart attack by the way.”

“Yeah, Mai spat that out after you left.”

“Yeah, well I actually was worried about Grant so I called and told him what happened.”

“I see you called him, but wouldn’t call me.” It still bugged me that she hadn’t picked up my phone calls that night. If she had, I could have explained what had happened. Could have started begging for her to take me back then, starting that night.

“You didn’t want me then.”

“I called you an endless number of times that night Amber. You never picked up.”

She frowned. “I’ve learned you can’t change the past, but you can change the future.” She linked her hands with mine. “So, how about we leave the past where it is. I won’t bring Mai up again, if you don’t.”

I liked the idea of that. I nodded my head. “We’ll focus on our future.” I loved the idea of having a future with her. I smirked. “New rule. You answer every one of my phone calls.”

“That might be hard!”

“Another rule. If you have a problem, you come to me, not your brothers.”

“Again, that’s going to be hard!” She pulled her eyebrows together. “Why are you making such hard rules?”

“How’s not going to your brothers when you need help hard?”

“Well, I don’t go to them to begin with,” she said, and from the tone of her voice, she thought I was threatening her relationship with them.

“You let them handle your problem with Blake. That should have been a problem you were telling me.”

“Well, you weren’t my boyfriend this morning and that rule didn’t exist,” she said smugly, and leaned forward, quickly kissing my lips. “So I get out of that one.”

“Fine, but from now on?”

“I come to you.” She rolled her eyes.

“Repeat that.”

“I come to you!” She did just as she was told. “Happy?” Both her manicured eyebrows arched up.

“Nearly, but I have more rules.”

She sighed. “I’m going to regret ever saying I’d follow anything, aren’t I?’

“You only answer to me. No-one else.”

“I like that one,” she smiled.

“I’m in control,” I said.

“Well, that one didn’t need to be a rule.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re always in control Jax.”

“When it comes to sex, and everything else, my word is law. Understand?”

She nodded her head.

Now to the fun rules. “Every time we have sex, you come a mandatory of twice.”

“Is this shower sex, or bedroom sex, or a quickie?”

“Whenever we have sex. I don’t stop until you come at least twice.”

“You can’t have that rule!”

“You said you would follow any rule I set,” I smirked. She was really going to regret saying that.

“Yeah, I did say that.” She nodded her head. “Fine. You can have me coming twice. IF you can get me there.”

“I’ll get you there.” My hands paused on the back of her bra. “You tired still?”

She shook her head. “Why?”

I unclipped her bra, giving her a clue to what I was thinking.

She threaded her arms out of it and dropped it on the floor. My eyes were glued to her. God, she was perfect. I had never loved a pair of breasts more than hers.

“New rule. You sleep topless.” I flipped her over, seeing her smile. “Every night,” I added.

“What if you aren’t with me?”

“I’ll always be with you.”

“What if you are on a run or crash at the clubhouse for a night?”

“You’ll be coming, and I won’t be. Cause one of the rules is we make love every night.”

“You really enjoying fucking me that much?” She looked at me like it was impossible.

My hands started to pull her G-string off. “Every night, I want a good dose of you and we don’t stop until I say so.” I would never get enough of her. Every night I wanted her. “Naked and in my bed, every night.”

“Our bed,” she corrected me.

I nodded my head. I’d never shared a bed with someone before. “Our bed.” I kissed down her neck.

“I don’t know how my brothers will feel about you moving in,” she mumbled, her eyes closed as I slowly kissed down her body. She was enjoying this, and that is exactly what I wanted. I wanted her to enjoy me touching her.

“Couldn’t give a fuck how they feel about it,” I said in between kissing over her breast.

“It is their house.”

“If it really is a problem, I’ll just buy a house and you can move in with me.”

Her eyes went wide. “Wait, did you just say move in with you?”

“What’s wrong with that?” I frowned, seeing her startled expression.

“We’ve been back together for a matter of an hour and you want me to move in with you?” She said it slowly, like I was stupid or had said it by mistake.

I nodded my head and stopped kissing her. “So, if your brothers really have a problem, you’ll move out?”

She looked at me gobsmacked. “You are serious?”

“Come, Amber, what’s the difference between me moving in here and us getting a place?”

“Nothing, I guess.” The startled expression slowly eased on her face. “I guess I just didn’t expect you to want that. Crashing here is one thing, moving in with you, well, that’s a bit more serious.”

Actually, when she said it like that… “You’re moving out.” I wanted serious. Her moving into a house I owned. I wanted that. “I’ll give you a few months here while you pick a house, but that’s it.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Pick a house!”

“I want you happy.”

“I’ll be happy here.”

“Let me re-phrase that. I want you happy in our house. A house you’ve picked.” I went back to kissing her. “Say yes sweetheart.”

“I, um, well…”

“Just yes, Amber. You’ll pick a house.” I wanted her to relax again and close her eyes, but I don’t think she was going to do that until we sorted the house issue. “You have a month to pick and a month to move out” I said, making the decision for her.

She opened her mouth to argue, but sighed. “You really want that? Me living in your house?”

“Yes, and it will be our house.”

“I guess I don’t get an option.” She smiled. “Because of the rule that says you are always in control and your word is law.” She arched an eyebrow at me.

I smirked. “Good girl.” I went back to kissing her, “Now, I want you to relax.”

“I don’t relax.”

“You did before.”

“My guard slipped. Won’t happen again.”

“Amber,” I said her name as a warning. If she wanted me to tell her off, I would. “Relax.”

For some reason, I had a feeling that was the last thing she had been doing. She hadn’t been taking care of herself and I was going to correct that, starting now.

I pulled my boxers off and moved in between her legs. I was going to take her slow, at first. “You still on contraception?” I asked, hovering near her; one push and I’d be in her.

“Injection.” She opened her eyes. “You still not fucking randoms not shielded?”

“I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

She frowned. “That’s impossible.”

I shook my head. “I told you I love you. Every woman they threw my way, I just pushed away.”

“Who threw your way?”

“Your brothers.”

Her face melted in understanding. “Well, I’m still on the injection so we are safe.”

“Two years.”

She frowned. “What?”

“In two years you stop it.”

“The injection?”

“Yep. I want you having my kids and in two years, I think we’ll be ready.”

She looked at me in shock. “Are we seriously talking about kids now? First, we are moving in together and now you are telling me in two years you want to have children with me?”

“I want to have as many children as I can with you.” I was about to thrust into her, but first, we had to agree. “Two years, you stop all contraception?”

“You want to have children with me?” She repeated herself like she hadn’t heard what I’d just said.

“As many as I can.”

“You are serious.” Finally, she’d picked up on it.

I kissed her lips quickly “Two years?”

“I’ll be twenty.”

“Perfect age.” I kissed the top of her breast, wanting nothing more than to push into her.

She looked me in the eye; I was serious, she knew that now. She nodded her head. “Ok, two years.” She took a staggered breath in. “Next, you’ll be proposing.”

I smirked. I was going to propose to her, but not tonight. I needed to get her the perfect ring. Something made just for her finger. Yeah, the jeweler was going to love seeing me and the amount of money I was going to throw down to make sure it was one of a kind.

“You ready sweetheart?” I kissed her cheek and she slowly nodded her head. I pushed into her slowly, in no hurry. We had all night.

God, she was warm. I knew every curve of her body as my hand explored her again. Her breasts were made for me. I locked my lips at the base of her neck. Sucking on her, I started to pick up speed. She was meeting every thrust; even though she was running on no sleep, she was enjoying this, nearly as much as me.

“You ok?” I pulled my mouth off her neck; she had her eyes shut and was doing what she said she didn’t do - relaxing.

“With you, I am.” The words just coming off her lips. I knew it was the truth as soon as she said it; I could hear it in her tone.

“You happy if I pick up the speed?” I said, not automatically doing it. I was happy to go slow with her. Her body was exhausted, and I had to factor that in. She had traveled nearly twenty hours and, from the looks of it before that, she hadn’t exactly been resting.

Her eyes opened and the sweetest smile spread across her face. “You’re in control, remember?”

“You aren’t too tired?”

Her lips parted just as I thrust into her harder. “No, not now. Fuck me like you are never going to again.”

“That’s never going to happen.” I was never letting her go again. Her days of traveling overseas were over but if she wanted it hard, I’d give it to her hard so I started to thrust into her harder. Watching her face as her lips twitched up, I knew she was getting exactly what she wanted.

“You like that sweetheart?” I went in deeper; the whole going slow thing disappeared now. I wanted her panting. I wanted her coming. I needed to hear her moan my name. I kept going deeper into her; faster. I could feel her clenching around me. She was close, and seeing her face, I decided on a new rule.

“Another rule,” I said as I thrust into her, “You come when you’re told.” I could feel she was so bloody close. “Like now!” I growled.

“I can’t.” She was out of breath, her back arching. “I can’t,” she repeated.

“You can!” I thrust harder into her, feeling her slowly clench around me. She was ready to burst. I just had to get her over the edge. “And when you come, you say my name.”

I increased our speed, knowing what she needed. I felt her walls clench around me, her face melt in pleasure; I’d got her there. My name coming off her lips as she finished. She was breathing sharply, her arms locked around my neck.

“Good girl sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead. “That is exactly what I wanted.” Every night. I wanted to see that look on her face, and hear her say my name as she came.

“I don’t think I can do that again,” she said, out of breath, basically still trembling around me.

“Yes you can sweetheart. You’re going to be doing it again in a few minutes.” I was going to make her come over and over again. I started picking up my pace, seeing she was recovering. I didn’t want her to recover completely. She was sensitive; I knew that as my hand slid off her breast and between her legs.

“No…” her hand shot out, as if she knew what I was going to do. “I can’t take any more.”

“Do I have to remind you of the rule that says I’m in control?” I growled. I thrust into her deeper for defying me and she moaned, loving everything I was giving her. “You’re mine, remember?” I gave it to her harder. 

She took her hand off mine. “You’re going to kill me.”

My fingers explored her sensitive skin, and she arched her back as soon as I touched her. I smirked. She was going to come again, whether she wanted to or not. I could read her body. I knew when to tell her to come. Like right now, as she started to shake.

“Come on sweetheart, open that mouth of yours.” I kissed her clamped lips. She was keeping it all built up. “You ready sweetheart?”

She shook her head.

But her body was ready. A few sharp pumps, and she would explode again.

I picked up my pace, “Come Amber.”

She shook her head, fighting it.

I thrust into her harder, feeling her walls clenching. “Start moaning, or I’ll drag it out.” I took her nipple in my mouth and my warning didn’t fall on deaf ears; she moaned as soon as my mouth touched her. “You ready sweetheart?”

She nodded her head, breathing sharply. “Just don’t make me wait any longer.”

She was waiting for me to tell her she could. I smirked. She really did listen. When she wanted to. “Come for me,” I whispered in her ear, and I felt her tremble around me again, bringing her forehead to mine, as she panted and my name came off her lips again. “I’m never going to get sick of hearing you come or seeing you come.”

“You’re going to kill me. Remind me again how many times is mandatory?”

“Twice.” I kissed her lips. “But, tonight, we are going for three.”

She groaned. “Can’t you be happy you got me there twice?”

“I want to set a good record. One I can try and beat every night.”

“This! Every night!”

I smirked. “Yeah, sweetheart. Every night.” I pulled out of her and flipped her over. She was on her knees when I entered her again. “Now, are we going to set a good record, for our first night back together?”

“One to really mark our relationship starting again?” She kneeled, sitting up, and I placed my hands over her breasts. 

“Yeah, one that is memorable.”

“I think three would be a benchmark.” She turned to look at me, with a smirk on her face. “But I want to know what your personal best is.”

“Oh sweetheart you shouldn’t have challenged me. You’re going to regret that.” I picked up my speed, easing her down, my hand running up her back.

“I think I already am,” she said through gritted teeth.

I kissed her shoulder. “I’m aiming for six.”

She groaned. “God, that isn’t possible.”

“Now you come when I say, and you say what?” I said, picking up speed again.

“Your name,” she said, getting breathless.

“Which is?”

“Jax.”

“I want to hear it louder this time.” I didn’t just want her moaning it, I wanted her screaming it.

“What if someone hears?” She said that like it would be a terrible thing. She also said that like that was the reason she had been keeping her mouth clamped shut.

“I don’t give a fuck. Now I want to hear it louder.”

“You really want everyone to know you are fucking me?”

“Yes.” My fingers started to tease her nipples. “I want you screaming Amber.”

“You’ll have to make me.”

“Awe sweetheart, you shouldn’t have said that.” I laughed; she was going to regret that. She really shouldn’t be setting me challenges.