by Zara Teleg
Chapter Fourteen
Rage
I went to get a damn blanket and within minutes, “pretty boy” Ace was hitting on her. I couldn’t leave Juliet alone for a minute. Ace was the Kai of the Tallahassee chapter. A real charmer that all the girls loved. When I saw the two of them chatting, I wanted to toss her over my shoulder and scream MINE! I knew she wouldn’t appreciate that, so I made it known by giving Ace death looks as I pulled her into my side. While she set up our seats, I had a chance to catch up with the brother. Before the short conversation was over, I noticed his eyes on Juliet’s ass as she spread the blanket on the ground. She was crawling around the blue and red flannel when her shorts rode up as she smoothed the corners and placed the cooler on it to keep it down. “Easy, brother,” I grunted. My eyes narrowed where he was looking.
“Woah, Rage.” His hands went up. “Sorry, man. So, are you two a thing?” he asked, fiddling with his shark-tooth necklace that dangled from his neck.
“Not yet,” I said, annoyed.
He sucked his teeth, grabbed his chin, and nodded. “Good to know,” he said, still staring at her ass.
I sent him the evilest stare I could, squeezing my lips in a tight line and grinding my jaw. I abruptly turned my back to him and stomped straight for the blanket.
She was smiling at me from her spot, one hand shielding the sun while the other clutched the beer she’d just opened for me. We made ourselves comfortable listening to the band. She sang along to the songs she knew. Juliet made it so easy to relax and be me. I didn’t feel like I’m a time bomb, always on edge, except when men kept hitting on her.
She dug through her bag, pulling out the organic sunscreen that smelled like her. I watched the motion of her hands massaging the cream into her thighs; I had to look away to keep from attacking her on the spot. She applied it to my arms, running her slender fingers up and down my skin, making sure it was all rubbed in. I was a masterclass in self-control.
I played with the color streaks that fell from her hair as she lay flat on her stomach, legs in the air and crossed at the ankles, her fists under her chin, entranced entirely by music. We sat by ourselves almost the whole first set before Ivy found us. I liked the girl, but it seemed like she was always causing some kind of stir. Hawk always said, “Where Ivy goes, trouble follows.” She forced a few shots onto Juliet before the band introduced Becca on stage.
When a Carrie Underwood song came on, Ivy, who looked exhausted with her head on Juliet’s lap, suddenly stood and ripped Juliet off the ground. She pulled her to the grassy area in front of the stage. They spent the next hour dancing, while Grayson had Colt get me between the second and third sets.
“Rage,” Grayson said, tipping his hat. Blake and the other guys also extended hellos.
“We got to talking about that time you played with us in that little dive bar when you first moved to Tennessee. Remember the rendition of Hallelujah we did?” Grayson asked.
I shook my head and smiled at the memory. That night I knew my time in Tennessee was going to be all right. We jammed in the little bar ‘til four in the morning. “I remember.”
“Well, we were thinking, being a special night, you might want to do it again?” Grayson asked, hoping.
I shook my head. “Nah, I think you guys can do it without me.”
“Come on,” Blake insisted, “don’t let those sick harmonica skills go to waste.”
“Fine,” I agreed, thinking maybe this would get to Juliet.
We spent the next ten minutes going over the plan. I wasn’t shy, but it felt a little awkward performing in front of my brothers. When I was in my early twenties, I would whip out my harmonica whenever I got the chance. Panties dropped easily, not that I needed any help.
The stage was dark as I sat on the stool in front of the drums. Grayson stood to my left, smoking his last cigarette before the set began. I scanned the crowd, looking for Juliet. She wasn’t where our blanket was set up. In the field below, the bonfire began to blaze. Small groups were making their way down there when Grayson got on the mic.
The light was only aimed at him and the rest of us were shadows in the background. When he said my name, the entire place cheered. A small bundle of nerves rolled through me. I had been performing this song since I was a boy, I must have played it thousands of times. There was no reason I should be nervous.
Everything faded away as the lights went out, then a single pale-yellow light was only on me. Screams, whistles, and catcalls came from the area below, followed by a silence so deafening that I could hear the crackling of the bonfire.
Adjusting the mic one more time, I took a deep breath before I bowed my head and brought my harmonica to my lips. A few whistles came from the otherwise quiet crowd. I began the song by myself, blowing into the chrome. With each sad note I played, I hoped Juliet was listening, somewhere in the crowd, recognizing the plea through my sound. I played like it was only for her. The bright fire that burned down the hill glowed in the sky, reminding me of the night I first played for her. The image of Juliet on the blanket and me wiping the stray tear from her eye made the emotion I felt shine through each verse.
Grayson joined in halfway through the first verse. His gravelly voice was a perfect match for the song, and Blake finally came in with his acoustic guitar and brought it all together. Lighters and phones swayed in the air back and forth in perfect motion, the crowd moving to the slow beat. Grayson sang the final lyrics, and I finished the song the same way I started, alone. The last rift flowed out of my small instrument, creating an emotional stir. The audience went crazy as the final note ended. I looked at Grayson and then at Blake, who were smiling proudly.
Unexpectedly, I had not yet taken three steps off the stage when women rushed at me. The crowd was still applauding as I got pulled from one girl to the next in a frenzy. I only had eyes for one woman, but she wasn’t among any of the faces pulling and tugging at me. A good head taller than everyone, I scanned the area, looking for the only face I wanted to see.
Two thin arms pulled me into a huge set of tits covered by only a tiny piece of fabric that resembled a bra. Her red hair flamed under the lights. Leann. Without saying a word. Her nails scraped down my cut before she grabbed both sides and slammed her lips into mine.
Juliet
Ivy and I danced for almost the whole set. I was exhausted and quite thirsty. Walking back, I noticed there weren’t many kids left running around. Now, the real party would begin. I didn’t see Rage anywhere, so Ivy and I headed to the newly lit bonfire, hoping to escape the mosquitoes.
We stopped in our tracks when Grayson’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” he asked. The stage was dark except for the light that illuminated his stool. “The boys would like to welcome an old friend on stage to play along with his harmonica.” My ears perked up. “Rage,” the lead singer called out as the crowd of bikers cheered.
Grabbing Ivy’s arm, I dragged her to where everyone else was heading. We couldn’t get any closer, so I stood at the back, watching from behind the women, as the stage went black. One spotlight dimly illuminated Rage. He sat quietly for a moment. Suddenly, breaking through the silence, the sweetest sound filled my ears.
Hallelujah began to flow through the speakers. Rage poured emotion into each note. It was like a beacon calling out to me. I wondered if he remembered the night he played for me. Women rushed the stage, waving their phones in the air. The deep smoky voice of the lead singer began, with an acoustic guitar joining in next. My whole body felt a tremble as the sweet sound took over. Goosebumps covered my arms. Tears pricked at my eyes. I was so enthralled by the music, I felt like I was alone for a moment, the rest of the party and the world were blocked out.
Everyone went wild as Rage blew out the final sad note. Immediately, half-naked women were throwing themselves at him. I didn’t know if it was the sun or the alcohol, but I felt like a fool watching him. He had women like that every night. Why the hell would he even w
ant me? Was I just another to add to his collection? Jealousy burned my cheeks as my temper flared. I stomped toward the next tray of shots I saw being passed around and took one. The liquid burned my throat. Then I took another. My eyes locked on the women still pawing at him. My legs were moving me closer to them when I was stopped just a few feet before reaching the harem.
Ivy grabbed at my wrist. “Whoa, you never do shots like that. What’s eating you?” My head swiveled to the familiar redhead who had her ginormous boobs pressed up against Rage. When their lips met in a kiss, a knife plunged straight into my heart. I spun around quickly—I didn’t need to see them run off into the sunset together.
Ivy stopped me again, placing both hands on my chest. “Wait, Juliet, stop.” I pushed her hands off and marched down the hill back to the bonfire. In my haste to get away from there, I slammed into a wall—someone’s solid bare chest, with a shark tooth between his pecs. Ace. Fuck, not again.
“Whoa, you okay?” I looked up through my lashes into his glassy blue eyes. “Well, well, well, we meet again. You better stop running into me, or I may think you are doing it on purpose.” A huge grin covered his face, accentuating his dimples.
Ivy finally caught up. “Holy dimples, who is this?”
“Ace, darlin’, nice to meet you.” The panty-dropping smile almost left Ivy wordless.
“Ivy,” she said staring at him, swooning.
He politely kissed her hand, making her blush, then turned to me. “Miss Juliet,” he bowed, “may I walk you to wherever you are going?”
“Yes,” Ivy said for me, pushing me toward him. I looked to see if Rage and the redhead were still there. They were gone. They probably went back to his room. Liquor fueled my imagination. Anger surged through me, and lava flowed through my veins. I turned to look at Ace and took his hand.
“You know what, Ace? Yeah, let’s go.”
Rage
It took ten minutes to get the hell away from Leann and the other half-naked women pulling at my jeans. These girls were crazy.
I wandered around looking for Juliet or Ivy. I would have asked Kai, but he was busy with a girl on each knee who took turns kissing him and each other. It was the same almost everywhere I looked.
I was relieved when I found Shelly. “Hey, Shell, have you seen Juliet or Ivy?”
She gave me a look and shook her head at me. She obviously didn’t want to tell me something.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Shell?” I stood in front of her, blocking her way.
The petite blond tucked her hair behind her ear before blowing out air. Her eyes deflected to the ground to avoid eye contact with me.
“Spill it, Shell,” I demanded.
“Well,” she said in a high-pitched voice as she twirled her hair, “after your beautiful performance—I loved it, by the way. I think Leo needs to learn to play the harmonica. It’s fucking sexy as hell—”
“Shelly…” I was about to lose my shit. “What happened with Juliet?”
“I was near her and Ivy when you finished. She looked pretty pissed when you got off stage and swapped spit with that hoe, Leann.”
I took a big deep breath and exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Where is Juliet now?” I asked, defeated.
She sucked in a breath and quietly said, “I think I saw her near the bonfire...with Ace. Sorry, Rage, that boy’s a real charmer.”
Red. I felt red. I didn’t know it was even possible to feel a color, but I felt it—heat, rising from my boots all the way to the top of my head, the vein in my neck pulsed. “That little…”
A small hand pulled on my arm, bringing me back. I looked down at Shelly’s pleading face. “Rage she only went with him because she was pissed at you and thought you and Leann were together. I saw you and Leann both disappear, I didn’t know if she was wrong, so I couldn’t say anything.”
Doesn’t Juliet know me by now?
I thanked Shelly, then off I went toward the towering flames. My strides were long and heavy as my boots thumped through the damp grass. I ignored anyone who tried to talk to me as I passed. My eyes only focused on the light of the bonfire glowing from below.
My head swiveled around from person to person; the area was lit only by the ember flames. Then I heard a familiar giggling. When my eyes adjusted to the light, the outline of Juliet with Ace standing behind her came to my view.
She held a long branch into the flames. When she pulled it out, the marshmallow on its end was still on fire. Her laughter stopped as she blew out the flame. She pulled the charred marshmallow from the stick and popped it into her mouth.
“That is the third one. Come on, darlin’, I want to make actual s’mores before they start the fireworks. You need to stop stealing the marshmallows,” Ace teased, holding the graham crackers and chocolate in one hand as he added a new marshmallow to the stick.
“Juliet, do not eat it.” Ivy stood next to her, licking her fingers and laughing along as she took the long stick from Juliet.
Ace leaned into Juliet, making his move on her, no doubt to brush off some of the sticky marshmallow that was on her mouth, the little shit. But he wasn’t quick enough—I was there to pull Juliet back. She crashed into my chest, and I cupped her startled face and sucked away the sticky residue from her lips. Juliet’s eyes widened in shock and then anger.
“What the fuck, Rage!”
I didn’t answer her. Instead, I kissed her again before I savagely picked her up off the ground, threw her over my shoulder, and carried her away. I looked back to Ace and extended to him my middle finger and mouthed “MINE.”
Whistles and catcalls chased us as I claimed Juliet in front of my brothers. I carried her the entire way to my truck, which was parked on the opposite field. She pounded my back, insisting I put her down. “Nope” was all I said.
“Rage, you had no right. We’re just friends, remember? You agreed.”
“Yeah, we are friends, so why did you run off, friend?”
I threw the tailgate down with one hand, sitting her on its edge. I parted her legs and stood between them as I cupped her face once again, but she refused to meet my gaze.
“Fuck friendship. You know how I feel. Fuck, the whole fucking club and visiting chapters know how I feel.” Her eyes finally met mine, the pools of green looked almost black under the moonlight. I said emphatically, “You are mine. You’re lying to yourself if you think we are just friends.”
“Yeah? Well, from the looks of it, you have a lot of ‘friends’ around here.” She pushed me back and crossed her arms. “Looked like you were some redhead’s ‘friend’ only a half hour ago.”
“Babe,” I stepped closer to her again and lightly held her chin. “I want you. I don’t know how much clearer I can make it.” Again, she attempted to turn away.
“If Ace would have touched you,” my nostrils flared, “I would have broken the brothers’ code and beaten the fuck out of him. His brothers would have taken him home on a stretcher.”
“Nothing was going to happen between Ace and me,” she said, pushing my hand from the light grip that held her chin.
“Good.”
I pulled her in, kissing her and gently biting her lip until she began returning the kiss. I knew her enough by now that she would start getting in her head about this, so every time she opened her mouth to speak, I would pull her in further and rougher until moans of pleasure formed instead of sentences.
I pulled her hair back, exposing her neck. My tongue traced her jawline to her ear, licking, sucking. I kissed her neck and throat until her one hand was grabbing my curls and the other was scratching my back. “Don’t fight this, Juliet. I need you.”
She wrapped her legs around my waist, molding her body to mine, squeezing them tightly. “I, I shouldn’t…” My hands ran over her smooth, strong thighs before grabbing her perfect ass.
“Oh, God, Rage.” She tugged at my shirt, bringing it over my head, and her hands ran over my pecs and down my stomach before moving quick
ly to remove her shirt and bra in one swift action.
Moans of pleasure escaped her as my mouth took in her breasts, tasting them one at a time. Her head leaned all the way back. She tasted sweet as honeysuckles.
Our hands roamed over each other. I kissed her long, deep, and hard. Two months of sexual tension exploded in a moment of frenzy. Juliet unbuttoned the top button of my jeans, her hand finding its way in my boxers. My eyes rolled back as her warm fingers gripped me. I felt like I was going to explode just from her touch. I deepened the kiss, and she gripped me harder pulling herself as close to me as she could get. I kissed along her stomach, reaching the top of her panties before making my way back up to her mouth. This was just the beginning and I didn’t want it to end. I could stay pressed against her body like this forever.
Fireworks began shooting over the horizon, exploding beautiful colors into the black sky.
“It’s a sign,” she whispered in my ear, giving me chills.
I pushed her back and kissed her inner thighs, then ran my tongue along the sensitive flesh. She squealed, grasping my hair.
“Oh, God, Rage” her plea mixed with the loud pops and whistles that filled the air. Just as I unbuttoned her shorts and began pulling them down, louder, closer pops rang out. My head snapped up in realization. I knew that sound. Gunshots!
“Lay back!” I shouted, covering her body with mine. I pushed her down the bed of the truck. Terrified screams replaced the sounds of cheers from the field below.
“What’s happening? What’s going on, Rage?” Juliet looked scared and confused.
“It’s gunshots.” I could see her face change as fear took over. “Juliet, it’s going to be okay.” I grabbed my gun from its holster in my jeans. “Get dressed. Lock yourself in the truck and stay on the floor until I come back for you.”
