Forever Zara: (novella 9.5)

by V. Theia

  Unashamed by her nakedness, she all but flung herself from the warm bed and tiptoed lightly across the floor and into their private bathroom, Rider chuckling behind her.

  She was prone over their his and hers sinks countertop when he sauntered in, closing the door behind him.

  Navy eyes flared when he saw her, and it took seconds for him to fit himself at her back.

  They watched their mirror images. The eroticism of it spiking her already too hot blood.

  “Open your mouth, baby.” Rider gruffed. His mouth fixed to the side of her neck, watching her through the mirror. She opened obediently. Thank god he plugged her mouth with this thick thumb for her to suck, because he found her pussy from the back, and immediately nestled two fingers into her. Muffling her whisper of pleasure.

  It was fast.

  And so damn glorious.

  A perfect way to start the day, she thought.

  Even if she did leave deep teeth marks on Rider’s thumb.

  * * *

  It wasn’t a stretch to figure if Rex had a hand in the rebirth of the Raging Rebels, then he probably would have rekindled his love affair with the crooked mayor too. Rider wasn’t leaving anything to chance when he ruined his uncle.

  Snake braced a shoulder on the wall inside the flower shop as they both surveyed through the window. Across the street was a gentleman’s club for those who had a big enough ego and the pricey membership fee. Clubs like that were for pretentious pricks, and Rider didn’t get wanting to sit around to brag and mental-fuck each other’s egos.

  The florist was one of Souls businesses. A legit front with an underground gambling den. It was the original site. Now they had two more. Birdie, the woman who managed the place for him, didn’t pay the pair any attention other than to bring coffee. She was paid a lot to not ask questions.

  “Catch a gander at who’s pulled up, Rider.” Snake announced. Joining his brother, Rider looked through the window in time to see a police cruiser pulling up outside. Officer Eager, aka Sofia Fielding, stepped out of the vehicle as the gentlemen's club's big black door swung open and out strode his uncle and the mayor. They were laughing it up, shaking hands and back-slapping like old fucking buddies. The officer stepped up to the mayor, and they shared quiet words before she nodded, accepted a package from him and climbed back into her cruiser, and then drove off.

  “Nice little coven of corruption.” Rider murmured as he eyed his uncle deep in a conversation. They looked pally like this wasn’t the first time they’d met. Not even a minute later, after another car pulled up, Rider recognized one of his cousins behind the wheel. Rex laughed at something the mayor said and climbed in. Then the mayor got in his town car and left.

  “Looked cozy as fuck.” Snake remarked as the pair traipsed through the florist shop and left out the back way to walk to their bikes.

  “Least we have proof which cunt is funding Rex. It’s gonna be all the fuckin’ sweeter now we’re taking it from the mayor too.”

  “Do you want to put a prospect on him?”

  “Nah, we got all we need. Rex saw how big Tag’s fight was in January. He’s been making noise about investing more. The good ole mayor wants a foothold in the Souls via the back door.”

  “He needs kicking out of the job.”

  “One thing at a time, brother.” Rider smirked. “A man like him will burn himself without us having to do shit. The cop, though, she’s one to watch.”

  Rider was right because it wasn’t half a day later when she pulled him over in his Ford Raptor. There was no reason to pull him. He had Zane in his car seat, which meant Rider would never drive over the limit. And his vehicles were always up to date. He leaned a forearm on the opened window and let her do her power-mad posturing.

  “We done here? My kid needs feeding.”

  “We’re done when I say we’re done.”

  Rider held his smirk when his stare made her blush.

  “Do your superiors know you’re harassing my boys and me?”

  “If you have nothing to hide, there’s nothing to worry about being pulled over for a routine vehicle check.” She snapped, making a show of typing into her tablet. When she let him go, he looked through the rear-view mirror at her on the roadside, watching him drive away.

  Yeah, she needed closer consideration, he thought.

  His boys and prospects regularly used these roads to bring back the green or head out to the bunkers. The last thing he needed was to have her lurking in the bushes, waiting to bust them.

  They knew she was hung up on Tag, had a shrine to him no less in her house, but being lovesick wasn’t gonna get her kicked off the force. Nah, he needed something deeper to get rid of her. Heading home, his youngest son sucking wildly on a pacifier, Rider put a call through to Grinder on speakerphone.

  “Yo, Prez. What’s up?”

  The tracker had been at home for the past few weeks enjoying his new son. He hadn’t wanted to call Grinder in if he could help it, but his brother had contacts in every department of law enforcement.

  “Tag’s cop is working with the mayor and Rex.”

  Grinder snorted, amused. “Can’t say it’s a surprise. Rex will suck any dick to get a sense of power back.”

  He wasn’t wrong.

  “You want me to look into the cop?”

  “Yeah, if you can without tripping wires. She told Tag she transferred here a few years ago. It’s only now we’re hearing about her, but she’s somehow moved up in the corruption ranks. I wanna know what people know about her or if she’s jumped on an opportunity with the mayor.”

  “Got it. I know who to reach out to under the radar. You thought about talking to Timmons?”

  “Only if it’s necessary. She’s a pain in the ass right now, being a lackey for the mayor.”

  “Better to stop her now.”

  Rider made an agreeable noise.

  She wasn’t high on his priority list.

  But she was on it, which made Sofia Fielding a problem.

  “If it comes to it, Prez, we can ask my Luxe to break into her place and plant some shit on her,” chuckled Grinder.

  It was a thought and one he’d keep on the table.

  He didn’t give a fuck about cops until they started giving a fuck about him, and then Rider did what a decent man wouldn’t do.

  He didn’t know the next day would be so much fucking worse.

  He was gonna wish he’d done something today while she peacocked her authority outside of his truck.

  FOURTEEN

  “Only a sociopath wouldn’t know he’s a family man.” - Hawk

  Wedding: T-minus 6 days.

  Wedding fever had overtaken the clubhouse in the past week.

  Hawk was a typical lunatic by wishing for a full-scale murder spree.

  Or a little one to ease the tension and frustration of listening to asinine conversations about flowers or what-the-fuck-ever else the old ladies liked to gab about for hours on end.

  His old lady was not exempt from this trait, as he’d found out months back when wedding fanaticism reached a pitch of hysteria.

  And because he loved the skin and bones of that woman and always craved to be around her, he opened his goddamn ears and listened to her chittering joy.

  He didn’t begrudge Rider and his girl for their happiness. That shit was a long time coming, even if it took Rider being shot to get Zara in the mood for some wedding cake.

  Females, he’d never understand them for as long as he lived.

  But if he had to hear once more about the dress or venue, he might explode his lunacy all over the place.

  It didn’t help that his half-brother was dogging his steps today, not giving Hawk time to breathe without a shadow on his ass.

  Cutting his gaze up from the ground where he was draining oil from an engine, he watched Juicy grinning at his phone like an A-grade clown. This guy was supposed to have the same DNA… he couldn’t see it.

  He laughed too much for one.

  Sure,
he could use his fists and could turn on the bad guy face when needed. He’d proven he was efficient with lying by deceiving Rex all these months.

  But personality-wise, he and Juicy were not even on the same planet.

  His Gia liked him, so did Krusher. Hawk was still on the fence.

  Hawk wasn’t friendly.

  He didn’t welcome the guy with open arms.

  Why he wanted to be around was anyone’s guess. The minute the kid was back in Armado Springs, he made a beeline for Hawk. Every damn time.

  It was fucking annoying. And confusing.

  While Hawk strode outside to empty the pan of oil, he listened to the chuckling behind him. He hunkered down next to the bike again and called out over his shoulder, “If you’ve finished cackling at your phone, toss me the oil filter wrench.”

  Hawk’s brows folded in at the eager way Juicy rushed over, getting down on his haunches. “She’s a beauty.” The other man remarked. “I need to do some work on my girl. She got a little battered on that last crash I had.”

  “Because you drive like a maniac.”

  Juicy chuckled. “It gets me places faster.”

  The one thing Hawk knew about the kid, he was never quiet.

  Never. Fucking. Quiet.

  While he finished up on the engine, Juicy ran with a sprinting commentary of his week until Hawk thought his ears might burn off. Thank fuck when Juicy’s phone rang. The guy sprang up from the ground like he was on fire. A big goofy grin on his face as he rubbed a hand over his mohawk.

  “Hey, babe. Everything okay?” He asked. “Nah, it’s good. I’m in the club garage. Yeah, I’m sure. How did that test go? Fucking smartass, I knew you would ace it. Can’t wait to see you. Yeah? I need my mouth on you, boy. Fucking miss you too. It’s been too long since you were under me, only a few days, and I’ll be there.”

  At that point, Hawk tried to fucking deafen himself.

  “Goddamn, you horny little shit. You better video me later. You got it, boy? I wanna see your face when you tell me that again. Yeah? Think you can, huh?” Juicy chuckled throatily, “we’ll see about that.” And then. “Nah, I’m hanging with Hawk. Good, yeah. He loves me.”

  Hawk rolled his eyes.

  Thank god for his woman strutting through the door. Or he might have conked Juicy over the horny head with a hammer, so he didn’t have to listen to the one-sided smut show.

  He rose from the floor and peeled off the black latex gloves before he headed to the sink to scrub his hands. He didn’t like to dirty his woman, though she always said she didn’t mind.

  “Hi, Juicy.” She called out, he replied and then added, “Bale says hi, and he’s still thinking about your lemon bars he had at Christmas.”

  Gia chuckled. “I’ll bake him some more before you go there next.”

  He didn’t care what they were talking about, not when he turned around to see her waiting patiently behind him, her eyes smiling.

  His heart kicked like it didn’t know how to function properly when he saw her. She came into his arms immediately and lifted her face for his kiss.

  The obsession he would always feel for his old lady howled awake, yawning a gaping hole inside him only she could fill. He reached out, roped her in by the waist until he felt the softness of her up against him. Only then did he exhale. There was never any noise in his head when his little bit of a thing was near.

  “Hi, baby.” She grinned.

  Hawk let his lips do the talking when he crushed a kiss on her mouth. Knowing every cue and reaction from her. He’d studied her long enough, hadn’t he? So when she sighed, his inner monster was fucking thrilled.

  If not for the clown boy over there, he might have taken the kiss further, knowing how his old lady liked a quickie. Hawk was more than happy to provide because it meant he got to be inside her again.

  Some lucky bastard he was, that’s for damn sure.

  He still didn’t know what she saw in him.

  She was smiling dreamily when he set her mouth free. “Oh, wow.” She sighed, listing into his chest. Smug, he buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair. His Gia kept about fifty bottles of smelly shit in the bathroom. He had to build special shower shelves for easy access. She smelled different every day. Sometimes lemons, other days coconut. He fucking loved dipping his nose all over her skin and inhaling her into him, calming the beast from within.

  “Missed you,” he shared for her ears only. He’d gotten better at emoting with words, and not only with his grateful dick and tongue.

  “I missed you too,” she smiled, stroking a hand along the edges of his beard. If she pulled it, he knew it was gonna be game over, and he’d kick Juicy out of the garage.

  His good girl didn’t, though, pity.

  “That’s why I brought you and baby brother some lunch.”

  He scowled.

  Not over the food, he was fucking starving.

  She insisted on needling him about Juicy, urging him to get to know the kid, let him in their lives. What more did she want? He let the kid come to the house, didn’t he? He was never away from Hawk’s door when he was in Colorado.

  Baby brother.

  Not sure if he’d ever think about him that way.

  Hawk wasn’t wired to love anyone other than Gia and Sunny. All his learned affection giving was for his girls. But he let the kid hang around, annoying the piss out of him.

  “Yeah? Whatcha bring, little bit?”

  “Your favorite.”

  His lips stroked over her forehead, down to her ear. “You being naked on my lap?”

  He knew she’d laugh. But he was deadly serious.

  “Not quite, baby. A big Rueben sandwich with chips.”

  “Second favorite.” He gruffed. He’d go without food forever if he could only have Gia in his mouth.

  Whenever she blushed, Hawk had the urge to filthy her as badly as he was.

  “Have you two been busy here?”

  “Hmm.” He offered noncommittally. His Gia knew what he meant when she giggled into his chest. She never tried to domesticate him, knowing he was a fucking animal, but she’d encouraged spending time with Juicy to get to know him. “Give him a chance. He’s looking for a family, Colton. He’s desperate for you to be his brother. Try being his friend first.”

  She didn’t understand he only had enough love in him for his girls, but he’d do anything for Gia, even letting a yammering clown hang around him.

  Keeping an arm around her lower waist, he led her out of the garage. “Do you see clients today?” He asked. Hawk wasn’t the most romantic husband, but he tried, and he wanted to take her out tonight.

  “Three. I’m nearly finished here. Then I’ll head to the office for group therapy. I was helping Zara with…” Hawk then listened to ten minutes’ worth of female shit. Only ‘cause it was his beautiful Gia, he didn’t shoot his brains out. He swooped down and took her mouth with a hard kiss.

  “You do that on purpose,” she grinned, tugging his beard a little, dreaminess in her eyes.

  “Only so much I can take, little bit of a thing.”

  This amused his wicked wife.

  After he’d walked Gia over to the clubhouse for more of the wedding nightmare stuff, he strolled back to the garage. No such luck that he was alone. Juicy was cleaning up the work area. He’d even given Hawk’s Harley a polish.

  “You’re going to New York?” He asked, knowing Snake’s youngest brother was at Columbia University.

  “Hoping to after the wedding.”

  “You’re still messing around with Snake’s brother?”

  Juicy scowled. “Not messing with Bale, we’re dating. I’m his man.”

  So that’s how it was. It would thrill his Gia when he passed it on tonight. For months she’d asked him what he was doing with Bale, and Juicy would reply they were messing around, nothing serious. Something had shifted recently.

  “How does that work? He’s there, and you’re here.”

  “We make it work. He was h
ome at Christmas, and I get out that way when I can. Or I send him a plane ticket when I’m in Texas. Dating’s changed since your day, old man,” he smirked over. “Long-distance isn’t the kiss of death anymore.”

  Fat lot he knew, Hawk hadn’t ever dated, not until Gia. He was still learning that shit.

  Juicy was looking seriously at Bale now. Huh, how about that? Maybe he would have to step in if Snake tried to kill him.

  Didn’t mean he liked Juicy or anything.

  Their conversation was cut off suddenly with the many sounds of police sirens growing closer. The pair looked at each other, then headed to the garage opening with fast strides.

  Fucking Hell, four cop cars came through the gates like bats out of Hell.

  They hadn’t had a raid in a long time. It used to be regular as clockwork once over.

  “Holy fuck. What’s going on?”

  “Don’t know. Go give Rider the heads up.”

  Juicy took off toward the clubhouse while Hawk watched the squad cars pull up.

  Something told him it wasn’t a raid. There were usually more than a handful of beat cops to come calling; usually, the sheriff was in charge leading the show, sometimes the FEDS. Hawk didn’t see Timmons anywhere as cops spilled out.

  One face stood out among the rest. Hawk scowled, watching officer Fielding try to approach the clubhouse entryway.

  He stepped in her way. “Something you want?”

  “Out of the way, Hawk. We’re not here for you. This time.” she warned like she had bigger balls than he did.

  Once again, he stepped in her way. “Got a warrant?”

  Cop bitch didn’t like being stopped, he observed, her features turning sour and angry.

  “We’re here for him.” She said, looking beyond him.

  That’s when Rider stepped out, followed by a few brothers and old ladies. Zara at Rider’s side.

  “Officer Fielding, what a surprise. No sheriff with you?” Rider inquired. Hawk stepped up to his right.

  “He’s out of town. We need you to come to the station.” She informed with a snapped tone.