by Em Petrova
A low growl sounded, along with footsteps. He counted them. Two men coming his way, their boots pounding into the floor of his sister’s home that just hours ago they vacated.
Blade had his gun at the ready and his fingers hovering over the knife in his boot, prepared for anything.
In a crouched position, he waited to spring at the men hunting him.
Juliette, I’m sorry I didn’t take you home from the party like I promised.
A shot exploded, the bullet chipping out the corner of the wall where he stood. He wouldn’t be a sitting duck—he fired too. When he heard the soft thwap of bullet meeting human flesh, a dark victory filled his soul. In this evil game, it was kill or be killed. He had no idea which man he struck down or if he’d taken a life. He only knew he had to fight his way back to Juliette.
Rough noises like somebody rasping for breath sounded just around the corner from him. He stuck his weapon out and hot pain shot through his arm.
He fell back, blinded with the sear of the bullet cutting through his upper arm. He sucked in a sharp breath. Smelled his own blood.
Scrambling to his feet again, he braced himself for whatever came next. He had no intention of going down at the hands of the Engers tonight—or ever.
“Get him outta here,” he heard someone say in a grating whisper.
More footsteps and he realized they must be carrying the man he shot out of the house to find him help.
“Where is that son of a bitch?” another man demanded, storming through the house.
Blade wouldn’t wait another minute. He jumped out and fired. His bullet missed the other Enger brother, but the man lunged at him. His heavy weight sent Blade careening into the wall. They hit the ground in a battle of wills and fury.
“Your father killed my father. You killed my brother. And I’m going to kill you!” Sweat dripped off the man and hit Blade’s chest. He gripped the brother’s shirt and tried to throw him off, but he was heavy and in a frenzy of madness. He clung to Blade like a burr.
Locked face to face, steel against steel, Blade’s mind started to slip. What if he didn’t make it out of here alive? He’d leave Juliette devastated and unfulfilled. Fuck, he never even told her he loved her.
And he did—with all his goddamn heart and soul. The bond they shared defied all intelligent thought and would defy the odds too, dammit.
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” he roared in Enger’s face, bringing his knee up between their bodies and ramming it into any soft spot he could. With all his strength, he flipped the man onto his back. Two others gathered, ready to jump in and help their buddy.
A shot ricocheted past him and Enger’s head.
“Stop shooting! You’re going to shoot me!” Enger huffed with exertion to regain the control that Blade refused to give him.
With a quick punch at Enger’s throat, he made the man fold up long enough that Blade dominated him. No one ever taught him to fight clean as a kid, and he wasn’t about to start now. He rammed him in the balls. Broke his nose. He’d do anything to get out of here and back to Juliette. But he had to finish this family’s vow of vengeance here and now—or risk carrying it to the woman he loved.
From somewhere else in the house, he heard more men rushing in. The odds were too great for him to survive, but he wasn’t giving up. He glared into Enger’s eyes. “If I’m going down, you’re comin’ with me.”
Someone grabbed Blade by the calf and shoulder, yanking him up and off Enger. He twisted in the hold of two men. They didn’t see the blade in his fist until it was protruding from one’s stomach.
With a growl, Blade yanked it free and went after the other man restraining him. Someone punched him in the kidney, and pain rocketed through his body. He’d be pissing blood for a week after that, but he only grinned at his attacker. They bloodied his mouth and he smiled through that too.
He lashed out and felt his knife slice through cloth and flesh. A man screamed. Another kicked Blade in the thigh, aiming for his balls, but he twisted at the last moment. He needed those to make beautiful little blonde babies with Juliette.
Blade fought his way out of their clutches to his feet. He wobbled but held it together as he faced down no less than five adversaries at once. He smiled again, tasting blood on his teeth.
He curled his fists. “This is gonna be fun.”
He didn’t get one punch in before the house flooded with more men, these ones dressed in black leather and wearing glares to make a grown man hit his knees and beg forgiveness.
Rio looked straight at Blade and grinned. Then bodies started flying.
So did bullets. A scream rang out, and glass shattered. Blade whipped around in time to see Rio hit the floor. He jerked his leg up and clapped his hands over his shin. Blood soaked his fingers, and Blade didn’t hesitate. He lunged at the shooter’s back.
He knocked him to the floor and scrabbled for the gun on his sister’s living room carpet. The sounds of fists and boots hitting flesh became a macabre music he clung to just to remind himself he was alive. He was getting to Juliette, goddammit.
He head-butted the man who shot Rio. Pain from the blow shot through his own skull, but he knocked the guy out.
The fight seemed to rage on for hours, but he knew it must only be minutes with all the Dark Falcons on his side. Every officer, Rio and four others had his back tonight. And he’d be forever in their debt.
“Tie up any man who’s got a pulse,” Dixon commanded.
Tank gripped Blade and helped him up. He wavered on his feet but stayed upright. Tank looked him over, taking in the bullet wound in his arm and the rest of his bruised, bloodied and battered body.
They shared a nod of brotherhood. Tank was there for him—their friendship went deeper than the patches they wore.
One of the Dark Falcons dragged a man across the living room. Blade broke away from Tank to walk up to the man.
As he lowered himself to crouch over him, Blade fought to keep from wincing at how stiff and sore he felt. When he looked into Enger’s eyes, he saw a flicker of fear in those depths.
“This is over. You hear me? Whatever blood was spilled here tonight between us is done. Don’t make me kill any more of your family members.”
Enger didn’t speak as Patriot and Diesel tied him up and left him lying on the living room floor with the rest of the men.
Dixon grasped Blade’s good shoulder. “Anything else you need to do here, brother?”
He grunted. “Call the sheriff. He can deal with them, though I suspect they’ll be handed over to the feds pretty quick for other crimes.”
At that moment, another man entered the house. He stood in the doorway, taking it all in. When he looked up and his gaze met Blade’s, he smiled. “I see you handled things here, cousin,” Creed said.
He walked across the room to clasp his cousin’s hand. “We finished it. It’s over now.”
“Good. It’s about time you kick your feet up and take a vacation with that pretty little schoolteacher you’re in love with.”
Blade’s heart warmed at the thought of Juliette—of putting her on the back of his bike and riding up into the mountains for a week or more. Just the two of them, with no interruptions from the outside world.
He turned to look at his brothers. “Let’s get outta here.”
Chapter Eight
Blade hovered over Rio’s hospital bed.
While the bullet that struck Blade had only done superficial damage, Rio wasn’t so lucky. He’d just come out of surgery. The bullet had torn through his shin, shattering the bone. After the surgeon removed the shards of bone and pinned everything together in order to heal, the Dark Falcons had been vigilantly watching over Rio.
The waiting room was filled with black leather and patched members. Prospects and honeys even came in support of their newest member. Blade couldn’t think of a single person who wasn’t there except Juliette. She’d run home to grab a few items she knew Rio would want when he woke.
After sleeping for hours, Rio opened his eyes and saw Blade. He closed them again with a groan. “Can’t I get a prettier nurse?”
Blade chuckled. “Sorry, you’re stuck with me for a while. How you feelin’?”
Rio cracked an eye. “Better than you look, I reckon.”
He pulled up a chair and sank to it. Rio’s gaze moved to the bandage circling Blade’s upper arm.
“I need to thank you, Rio.”
More of the anesthesia fog left Rio’s eyes. “No thanks. You’d do the same for me.”
He nodded. “I would.”
They assessed each other for a moment. “I’m glad to see you patched in to the club now. What changed your mind?”
Rio shifted on the bed and winced. “You did.”
Blade’s chest welled with affection—hell, love—for his brother. “I appreciate it. And I owe you.”
“All you owe me is a promise to look after Juliette. I get wind of her being unhappy and whatever friendship’s between us will dissolve.” Rio’s fogged brain put that much together.
“That will never happen,” Blade said quietly. “I love her, man. I plan to make her happy for the rest of my days.”
“Good.”
“What about you staying out of the club for your daughter?”
He fell silent for a bit, and Blade thought he might have fallen asleep. Then Rio said, “Her mother doesn’t have a problem with me having partial custody of Harley, and she knows I hang with you guys.”
“She’s good with it?”
“Yeah…” His eyes closed and opened again. “Why are you still here? Go to Juliette.”
Blade rested a hand on Rio’s shoulder. “Because you were my family long before she became my world.”
Rio covered his hand with his own and squeezed. “Thanks, bro. Now get out of here and let me sleep. When I wake up, the next face I better see is Courtney’s.”
“I’ll make sure that happens. She’s waiting to take care of you.”
Rio’s eyes drifted shut. “Always wanted to have sex in a hospital…”
Laughing, Blade left his buddy sleeping and made his way out to the waiting room. He told everyone he was sleeping again and would be all right. The guys agreed to take shifts to sit in the hospital as guards over their brother in case of more trouble with the Engers, but the sheriff gave them a detailed rundown of how many crimes the family was wanted for, reaching in the double digits up and down the East Coast.
Blade walked over to Courtney and hugged her. “He wants you beside him. Take care of him.”
Tears of happiness lit her eyes, replacing the ones of worry. “I will.”
“I’m going home to Juliette,” he announced.
Just speaking those words aloud erased some blackness from his soul. He swung out the door and jumped behind the wheel of a car he’d borrowed from Patriot. With his arm fucked up for the time being, he couldn’t ride his Harley. To his surprise, he didn’t notice the confines of the car or the fact he didn’t feel the mountain wind on his face. He only saw Juliette waiting for him at the end of the road.
When he reached her, he intended to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. To cup her face and tell her he loved her.
The drive took far too long, and he screeched tires as he braked in front of her house. She came running down the sidewalk to him before he even climbed from the car. He held out his arms, and she gently stepped into them. Laying her head on his chest, just beneath his chin where it fit perfectly, she wrapped her arms around his torso and gave a light squeeze.
“Thank God,” she whispered, words muffled against his shirt.
He closed his eyes. He had a lot of people to thank for having this moment with Juliette. “Let’s go inside.”
She nodded and pulled away. Their gazes locked, and he spotted the fire of desire burning in the depths of her blue eyes. He cupped her delicate jaw and brought his lips to hers. The tender kiss wove through him and left him aching.
She smiled against his lips and reached up to cover his fingers with hers. Then she turned for the house. Hand in hand, they walked to the door and locked it behind them.
When she twisted into his arms again, he yanked her off her feet.
“Your arm!” she burst out.
“To hell with my arm.” He crushed his mouth over hers, drinking in her sweet essence as he carried her to the bedroom, supporting her weight on his good arm.
“Blade! You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“No, I’m about to pleasure myself—and you.” His knees hit the mattress as he laid her down in the center of the bed. Her hair spread over the covers and her lips already appeared swollen from the few kisses he’d stolen.
He paused, staring down at her. “Christ, you’re beautiful, Jules.”
A soft smile tugged at her lips. “And you’re gorgeous. Rugged. I want to rip this leather off you and kiss every inch of your body.”
He groaned in a low rumble. “And you will. But first, I want to say something to you.”
She waited. From the expression in her eyes, he thought she might be worried about what it was he wanted to say.
He brushed his thumb across her knuckles. “Don’t be afraid of me. I’ll never hurt you, baby doll.”
Her eyelids fluttered.
“You need to know that when I was in that house, fighting for my life…”
She sucked in a harsh rasp.
Staring into her eyes, he went on, “I was fighting for you.”
When her eyes slipped closed, he braced an arm on the bed and leaned over her. Her breasts met his chest, and his cock began to harden. She kept her eyes shut, and he dropped a kiss to her full lips.
“I love you, Juliette.”
Her eyes flew open, and a cry burst from her. “Oh my God, Titus! I love you too. So much. I was dying with fear when you didn’t return to the clubhouse. I—”
He took her mouth, kissing her long and deep and cutting off anything but her moan of desire. She slipped her arms around his shoulders, careful not to bump his wound and kissed him with growing intensity until they were both gasping.
Stripping her took long minutes, because he wasn’t willing to go fast. Not this time.
As Blade drew her top off, his eyes smoldered. A smile tugged at his lips. “Marry me, baby doll.”
She gasped at the proposal. Taken completely off guard, she buried her face against his shoulder and squeezed out a few happy tears before she could find her voice.
“Yes! Yes, Titus. I’m yours.”
“And I’m yours.” He took her mouth again in an all-claiming kiss.
She wished he wasn’t so bruised so she could hold him as tight as she wanted to, but she settled for gliding her palms down the planes of his spine. The dark desire pushing up from her core turned to shivers of lust as he slid his hand between them to cup her pussy.
She bucked upward, riding his fingers. Her panties were soaked, and the shorts she wore hardly proved to be a barrier. He stroked her pussy through her clothes until tingles built in her lower belly. When he pulled out of the kiss again, he rumbled, “You’re drenched.”
“I want you so much.” Her voice came out on a whimper as he rubbed her again. She rode his fingers even more, and he pushed down on her swelling clit. Thrashing on the bed, she bumped his arm and saw his wince.
“Lay down. Let me be in charge.” She pushed on his chest until he rolled into the covers.
Looking up at her with glowing eyes, he watched her shed her shorts and panties, stepping out of the puddle of fabric on the floor. Then she stood at the beside and worked his jeans open. His thick erection snaked beneath the cotton trapping it, and her mouth watered with the need to taste him.
Once she had his clothes off—maneuvering his sleeve over the bandage took some TLC—she mounted him. Legs straddling his hips, she pressed her slick pussy against the rigid length of his cock. Their gazes locked, and she began to explore all the injuries that she hadn’t yet seen.
A b
lack bruise in the shape of a boot heel. A cut on his thigh that looked to be from a knife blade.
Sadness overcame her, and she bowed her head.
“Hey.” His whisper came out soft, and he cupped her cheek.
She leaned into his touch and met his stare. “They hurt you.”
His chest inflated. “They never will again.”
“I realized when you didn’t come back that I can’t live without you, Titus.” Emotion clogged her throat.
He captured her hand and strummed his fingertip over her fourth finger where a ring would soon sit. “You don’t have to think of that.”
She leaned over his big body and kissed him. The passion lingering in the caress brought a moan to her throat. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue over hers in heated pass after heated pass. When she began to rub against his length, he grabbed her hip and pressed her downward.
The tip of his cock slid right in. She rocked up onto her knees, looked into his eyes and eased over every inch until he was firmly seated inside her.
Her inner walls squeezed and released. His jaw clenched in reaction, and she knew neither of them would be holding back this night.
As she sank over his cock again and again, their kisses spiraled out of control. He clutched her ass and guided her in a frantic rhythm until she felt his cock reaching deeper inside her and knew he was about to blow.
“I love you,” she said hotly between frenzied kisses.
“Fuck! Come with me—now!” She seemed to hover in a subspace for a long minute as she lost her grip on control and began to pulsate. Waves hit. She tumbled into the dark waters of ecstasy as her orgasm blasted with a force that stole her breath.
She rubbed her body over him as her hips had a mind of their own, slamming up and down to the heated spurts filling her pussy. When she felt his lips brush over the crest of her cheek, she gave a final shudder and collapsed atop him.
For long minutes, neither moved. She regained her breath bit by bit. And he toyed with a lock of her hair, stroking where it lay along her cheek.
“Juliette.”
