He tries to calm me by stroking my back. “We’ll fix this, darlin’.” But I know there’s nothing he can do. I’ll have to go back to England and run the risk of Ethan catching up with me.
Peg must have moved fast because hardly any time passes before he’s knocking at my door. Wraith goes out to meet him, taking the offending item with him. I hear deep voices murmuring but can’t make out the words. I sit alone, rubbing my arms with my hands as if I’m cold, feeling as though I’ve lost my leg all over again. I’m still staring down, vacantly looking at nothing when I hear them come back in. Life just seems to be one blow after another.
Walking over to me, Peg puts his hand under my chin and turns my face up to his. “Not your fuckin’ day, is it darlin’? But don’t worry, we’ve got this.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” I tell him despondently.
“Hey,” he speaks more sharply now. “I told you we’ve fuckin’ got this. When have I lied to you, darlin’? Now pull yourself together and show me the woman who’s worked so hard to get walking again.”
The confidence that there’s something they can do, and the brief pep talk he’s delivered starts lifting my spirits once again. Peg understands prostheses. “Can you repair it?” I ask hopefully. I don’t see how, but perhaps he knows a way.
But he shakes his head, confirming what I expected. “No, it’s important that cup is a good fit and a repair isn’t gonna cut it. That’s a pretty standard one you’ve got anyway. We can probably do better than that.”
“It was on the National Health.” I just took what they’d given me, of course. And at least it was free.
“Yeah, the standard issue I expect. But I think there’s a lot more choices out there. I’ll set up a meet with the people I use and see what they recommend.” Peg’s talking about it as though it’s no problem.
But he’s ignoring the one thing I’m most worried about. “Peg, I won’t be able to afford to replace it over here. I don’t have insurance.” I can’t see any way around it.
Wraith laughs. “Hey, babe, don’t worry about that.”
The force with which he rejects my concerns makes me look up.
Peg’s on the same wavelength. “Reckon the club owes you a new leg. Least we can do. You are under our protection, and that motherfucker should never have gotten near you.”
What? My mouth opens as I stare at them. Does he really mean it? I never thought for a moment they’d replace my prosthesis for me. But the thought they’ll change their minds when they realise the cost dashes my hopes.
“In fact, I’ll go make an appointment now,” Peg says. “I don’t see that there’ll be a problem getting Drum to agree.” Then, before leaving, turns to me. “Wheels, don’t worry, darlin’. We’ll sort everything out for you. We’ll have you back walking in no time.”
As the sergeant-at-arms leaves the room, Wraith tells me, “Peg’s a good man. He’s battled his own demons and I’ve watched him go through exactly what you are. And if he says you’re getting’ a new prosthesis, darlin’, just trust him to sort it out for you. Now, shall we go and see what we can rustle up for lunch?”
I’m still mulling over them paying for a new prosthesis for me, but even if the money’s taken care off, I’ll be waiting for months if it’s anything like it was in England. Leaning forward, I put my head in my hands, wondering how this day can get much worse. Then Wraith’s words sink in. He wants me to go to the clubhouse with everyone able to see I’m missing a leg? At least with my prosthesis I can pretend to be a whole person. “Can we just have something here?” I ask, hoping he’ll understand.
But he doesn’t. “What happened last night isn’t on you, there’s nothing to be worried about.”
So it’s down to me to explain. I lower my eyes, embarrassed, and mumble, “But everyone will be able to see…”
The light dawns. “That you haven’t got a leg? Hell, we already know that, babe. And no one’s bothered about that, I can assure you.”
“But it’s horrible…”
“Hey, stop that now.” He brushes his hair back and then stands, stroking his beard. “The fact you’re missing a leg doesn’t define you, babe. If someone has a problem with it, then it’s on them, not you.” He moves until he’s standing right in front of me and takes both my hands in his. “You’re a beautiful woman, Wheels. Just take a good look and you’ll see exactly the effect you have on me, and most of the other men here if they’re not dead.”
Raising my eyes, his swollen cock bulging at the material of his jeans is blatantly obvious. Swallowing rapidly, my stomach clenches and I feel myself getting wet in response.
I know Wraith would be true to his word and wouldn’t force me. Involuntarily, my breathing has increased, and a flush has come to my cheeks. He must see how he affects me. If I told him I didn’t want him now, I’d be lying.
Falling to his knees, he curls one hand behind the back of my head, looking into my eyes, checking he’s reading me right. Satisfied with what he sees, he brings his lips closer to mine and then waits.
Can I? Can I risk his rejection? He might say it doesn’t bother him, but what if it does? But how can I not take the chance? I want him as much as he says he wants me and have ever since I first saw him. The old Sophie would have been there weeks ago. Knowing he’s caught me with my defences down, I take the leap. Closing the distance between us, I bring my mouth to his and move my lips gently over his.
He takes over, applying more pressure, then murmuring, his voice a vibration I feel as well as hear, “Open for me.”
Trembling slightly, I let him inside, tentative at my first kiss in months as though I’m a teenager on her first date. Our tongues touch, sliding and mating together. He doesn’t hurry or rush me, just lets me get used to his unique taste. His lips are soft as they brush against mine—so gentle for such a big, tough man—and his beard brushes against my chin. As I breathe in, his unique scent fills my nostrils—some sort of cologne mixed with motor oil, and also, strangely, an acrid lingering odour of smoke.
He pulls me more tightly against him and deepens the kiss. My breasts brush against his chest, my nipples peaking as my arousal heightens. With one hand on the back of my head, he fists it in my hair, and with his other he reaches up to caress my cheek. My arms go around him and I hold him close, feeling the soft worn leather of his cut beneath my fingertips.
I open my eyes to find his gazing into mine, deep brown with flecks of gold, his pupils dilated with pleasure.
His touch is sweet, unhurried. I’m relishing everything about it. I don’t think I’ve ever been kissed so tenderly before, though the tension in his body tells me he’s holding himself back. What would it be like if he released all that passion? A shiver of delight runs down my spine and my womb clenches.
But he takes it no further. Slowly, he breaks away, nipping at my bottom lip before removing his mouth completely from mine, leaving me slightly bereft.
His eyes crinkle at the corners and the sides of his mouth turn up. “Now,” he looks ruefully down at his crotch where it’s easy to see his cock bulging at the denim of his jeans, “do you still fuckin’ think I find your missing leg a turnoff?”
I feel myself redden, and half turn away. “You haven’t seen it yet.”
“Believe me, babe,” he smirks, “when I get you naked your legs are going to be the last things I’ll be looking at.”
Feeling almost inebriated, drunk on his taste, I giggle, realising for the first time in months the thought of exposing myself to a man doesn’t worry me quite so much.
“And if we don’t get to the clubhouse, that might happen sooner rather than later, and darlin’, our first time? I don’t want to rush it.”
“You’re quite sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” Now it’s his turn to smirk.
And I have no inclination to contradict him.
Chapter Thirteen
Wraith…
After a little persuasion, Wheels agrees t
o come to the clubhouse with me. Not too many people are around, but Carmen’s in the kitchen, so I get Wheels settled by a table and go grab us some food. While I’m loading the plates, I feel a touch on my arm. Glancing up, my eyes meet Carmen’s for an instant and see them narrow as she glares at the person behind me who’s put their hand on me.
I stiffen and am not surprised to hear a breathy voice. “Hi Wraith, can I help you with that?” Her hand moves from my arms to the front of my jeans, and her fingers try to grasp my now, thankfully flaccid cock beneath the material. It had taken a while to go down after that kiss which, if I hadn’t already been on them at the time, would have brought me to my knees.
Incensed, I swipe her hand away. “You do not touch a brother without invitation!” I snarl. “If anyone wants in your overused hole, they’ll let you know.”
Chrissy’s cheeks flush red, in anger or embarrassment—I neither know nor care. All I want is her grubby mitts off me and to get back to the woman I want. But as always, she doesn’t realise that I’ve had enough.
“I’ve got two working legs, Wraith. Remember what it feels like when they’re wrapped around you? The cripple can’t give you what I can.”
My hands clench into fists before I remember that I don’t hit women, but if she carries on like this, I’ll be making an exception. Quickly spinning around, I take hold of her shoulders, squeezing tight and give her a little shake. “Bitch, if I hear one more disagreeable fuckin’ word out of your mouth, you won’t like the consequences.”
Eyes filling with fake tears, she tries once more. “But Wraith, I love you. We were so good together.”
She thinks she loves me? Christ, she’d love any brother she thought would give her the patch. And she’s set her sights on the wrong one here! “Good together? We fucked. End of story. Now if you don’t fuckin’ get lost, I’ll throw you out of the clubhouse myself.”
With an exaggerated sob, she seems to get the message at last and turns and walks away. I hear slow clapping behind me and rotating see Slick standing there.
“Bitch has got a hard-on for you, Wraith.”
“Fuck knows why,” I tell him. “And that’s not the first time I’ve told her to leave me the fuck alone. In her head she thinks we had something between us.” I run my hands through my hair in exasperation. I hadn’t fucked her for weeks, having run as soon as I picked up the sign she was looking to be an old lady.
“Bitch is forgetting her place here. Seems like we need to remind her. Drum would fuckin’ kick her out if she tried it with him.” Shaking his head, Slick gets his phone out, checking the time. “Church in fifteen minutes,” he reminds me.
“I’ll be there. Just give me a few to eat this.”
Carmen walks toward me. “Tell Wheels to come in here while you’re in church. Amy’s coming over shortly with Crystal. We’ll keep her company and try to take her mind off last night. I might see if she wants me to give her hair a trim, make her feel better.”
I thank Bullet’s wife—the old ladies are a supportive lot who seem to have taken Wheels under their wings. Then, at last, I return to Wheels with her lunch, happy she’s not going to be left alone to stew while I’m gone.
“Wraith, the club whore…” Running my hand through my hair, I know she’d seen my altercation with Chrissy and I’m going to have to give her an explanation.
“Haven’t fucked no whores since you’ve been here, Wheels. And that’s the fuckin’ truth. Some of those bitches want to get their claws into a brother and build up their services as being something it’s not…” I break off, and then add forcefully, “Believe me, darlin’, anything that bitch assumed was all in her fuckin’ mind.”
I know how the club runs is still something she doesn’t completely understand, but she’s been here long enough to know the club whores have to make themselves available to anybody, and being bikers, we take advantage. Of course we do, or I did, until I met Wheels.
But instead of harping on about Chrissy, she’s picked up on something else I said.
Putting her hand on my arm, a touch that this time I welcome, she says quietly, “Why haven’t you been with them since I arrived?”
I breathe in deeply and tell her the truth, “Because you took my fuckin’ breath away, darlin’. I’ve just been waiting until it was the right time.”
She sucks in air through her teeth, and the light fades out of her eyes. There was something about my reply that she didn’t like, and for the life of me I don’t fucking understand it. But I don’t get the chance to delve into what it is, as Slick passes by, slaps me on the back of my head, and tells me it’s time for church.
Entering the meeting room a couple of minutes later, I am still wondering what I’d said to cause the unexpected reaction, but have to put it out of my mind for now as I see everyone is already here. One less seat around the table now, of course. And that gives us a problem—Buster used to work at the strip club we own in Tucson, which now means someone else needs to be deployed there. Beef volunteers, we all agree, and Drummer’s gavel bangs down confirming it. Nudges, winks, and outright crude comments fly around the table, but to be honest, Beef will probably be able to keep his hands off the strippers better than Buster could.
It’s the usual Friday night meeting. We run through the state of our other businesses, which all seem to be in relatively good health, discuss a run that’s coming up the week after next, and then Drum asks if there’s any other business.
Before I can open my mouth, Peg starts, “Buster broke fuckin’ Wheels’ prosthesis. She’s helpless without it. I want to take her to Utah to my specialist to either get it fixed or preferably to get a new one. I think they can give her a better one than she’s using at present.”
“Lucky he’s already dead,” Slick starts. “What kind of sick fuckin’ bastard does something like that?”
Murmurs of agreement go around the table. “Hope you made him hurt!” Mouse drops in.
I assure him we did.
“She got insurance?” Drummer asks.
Peg and I shake our heads in unison. “I’m proposing the club coughs up for it. She was under our protection after all.” I make my suggestion.
“We shouldn’t have to protect a woman from our own fuckin’ members,” Drummer snarls out. He runs his hand over his beard as he thinks for a moment. That’s our prez, not rushing into a decision. Although if we’re in a tight spot, he can call the shots pretty damn fast. It’s not long before he speaks again, “I agree with you, VP. Club should foot the bill.”
“Thought that would be the case. I’ve already made a provisional appointment for Monday. I propose I’ll take her up there Sunday night and stay over until Wednesday. They’re usually pretty quick there and have a two-day turnaround.”
My eyes widen. “Wheels said it took months to get her first prosthetic.”
“Prosthesis,” Peg corrects me. “She’s got a prosthetic limb, but the actual artificial leg is called a prosthesis. And that’s the British health system for you! Taking ages and supplying shit, but then, she wouldn’t have had to pay for it,” Peg answers me.
Drum bangs the table. “I don’t want a fuckin’ debate on semantics or on the English National Health. Just do it, Peg. But take someone with you. We can’t forget someone’s very interested in getting a hold of her, and I’d be happier if you had backup.”
“I’ll go.” The words came out of my mouth, but I don’t recall making the decision.
Peg and Dart both throw me knowing grins, then jerk their chins at the other brothers around the table. I narrow my eyes, not getting the joke, but knowing I’m the butt of it.
Drummer’s looking at me carefully, his brow furrowed, then he smirks. “Okay, VP, she should be safe with you and Peg.” The emphasis suggests he doesn’t think I’m just offering out of the goodness of my heart. But it’s a relatively quiet time for the club, so he doesn’t seem too bothered about losing his VP for a few days. Then, after giving it further thought, he adds, “Take
a prospect with you.”
Mouse’s fingers tap on the table and the way he’s shifting in his seat shows he’s got something to say. Prez has noticed. “Spit it out, Mouse.”
After clearing his throat, our computer geek speaks up, “I’ve been monitoring the dark web. The contract’s been taken down.”
“Could he have given up?” Dart leans forward, interested.
But Mouse shakes his head. “Nah, it’s more likely that someone has taken on the job.”
“Can you find out who?” I put in.
Mouse grins. “Have I ever let you down? But it just might take me a bit of time.”
Drum leans back in his chair, his finger moving around, indicating all of us. “Right, I’m taking it we’re all in agreement that the club coughs up for Wheels’ new fuckin’ leg?”
There’s no dissent, and Heart writes it in the book.
“So recorded. Church fuckin’ over!” Drum bangs the gavel for the final time, and we get up to go and party.
When I get to the clubroom, I see the old ladies have disappeared, and the club whores and hangarounds are out in force, the latter being girls coming up from Tucson for the delights of sharing their bodies with bikers. It always amazes me how there are so many who treat us like rock stars, always hungry for biker cock.
I’m pleased to see Wheels is nowhere in sight and assume she’s been here long enough to know she doesn’t want to be at a full-on biker party. But I need to make sure she’s safe. I take out my phone and text.
Wraith: You okay? Back in your room?
Wheels: Yes, I’m fine.
Though I’d trust any other brother with my life, the incident with Buster has unnerved me, so I feel relieved she seems settled for now. Knowing I’ve no wish to sink my cock into any pussy other than hers, I don’t want to stay and get involved with any of the whores or visiting girls, but I could do with a drink or two.
Wraith: I’ll be in the clubhouse for a while.
Wheels: No problem. Hank’s with me.
Hank’s with her? Inside her room, or does she mean outside? The prospect better not be in her fucking room. Or her bed. Suddenly that drink doesn’t look quite so attractive anymore. Christ! I can trust the fucking prospect, can’t I? He’s not going to be doing anything to upset a brother. Especially his VP. Pull yourself to-fucking-gether!
Satan's Devils MC Boxset 1 Page 17
