by Zara Teleg
I set the table outside and carried out two huge plates of pasta with grilled veggies. Rage should be here any minute. I had made dinner almost every night; he had supplied the ingredients many of those nights. Not once had he complained about eating a plant-based meal. I even offered to included meat in his. I know he thought as much as he worked out that he needed it. But he had declined and said if I looked this ripped on a plant-based diet then he would be happy to eat anything I made.
Antonio had rarely eaten my vegan meals, except my eggplant parm, but almost no one who had tried it ever turned that down. He had complained all the time about everything I did. How could I have been blind for so long about Antonio? He had been such a controlling asshole. First loves could do that to you, I guessed.
I sipped on the sun tea I had made earlier today, its coolness made me feel a little better in this end-of-summer heat. The mint I had added from the garden was Rage’s favorite.
The condensation from the glass wet my forehead as I ran the icy drink across it. I felt overheated after being in front of the stove. The cabin had gotten stuffy when I was boiling the pasta earlier.
I smiled and relaxed back in my chair as I heard the rumble of his bike getting closer to my house. I crossed my legs tightly as a naughty thought about what I wanted for dessert crossed my mind. What has this man done to me?
Two large hands landed on my shoulders from behind me, squeezing gently before the calloused skin tickled me as they ran their way down to my elbows and a wet kiss touched my cheek. “Dinner smells almost as good as you,” he whispered in my ear before rounding the table and taking a seat.
Lord ran to greet him with his favorite drool-coated ball grasped between his teeth. “Hey, bud, how’s my boy?” he said, taking the wet ball and tossing it to a grateful Lord, with ears flapping as he chased it across the yard.
A strange feeling caused me to shudder. A sense that I’d almost forgotten because it had been so long since it was part of my life—family. We felt like a family. Since my parents and Paige disappeared from my life, I had not really felt that kind of happiness and security. I took in a deep, heavy breath and stared at my plate, pushing around the food.
“Babe, you okay? What’s wrong?” Rage asked. He was getting to know my sounds and sighs too well.
“It’s nothing,” I tried to play off the feelings with a smile. “How was your day?”
He stretched, his long arms revealed rippling muscles as he reached back. “Much better now. This pasta is, mmmm, amazing! I thought you were going to wait for me to grill the vegetables?”
“I was, then I started prepping and thought it would be nice to have everything ready for you,” I raised my glass of tea and he did the same with his.
“Thanks,” he pushed out a breath. “I know it has been a little crazy for me, with club business taking up a lot of my time. You know I can’t discuss it, but you should know, we are so close to closing in on the men that Richard is working with.”
I felt a mixture of anger and relief. My eyebrows raised, my eyes widened. “You guys are still pursuing it?” I asked cautiously. His forehead wrinkled, a scowl forming as he ground his jaw. “Of course. There’s no way we’re letting this go. You could have been hurt or more. Other women have been hurt already. This is not something the club takes lightly.”
“I see.” I straightened, surprised at the bitterness in his tone. “I’m glad you’re getting somewhere. I hope anyone involved pays,” I said, meaning every word.
The music filled my yard as we sat at the fire pit, watching the sun’s last light fade over the mountain. I sat on Rage’s lap, wrapped in his arms. We made out like teenagers. I loved the long kisses that were hard to break. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he held me. It felt like home, a place I never wanted to leave. But every time I got too comfortable and felt like I could have a chance at forever, there was that haunting voice inside my head, reminding me that it wasn’t possible. I hated that voice.
The mountain chill was setting in for the evening, Rage held me tight, warming me with his body. His face reflected the glow of the warm fire, making all his deep-set features more prominent. He was beautiful.
“I never thought I could be here,” he admitted.
I glanced at him, puzzled. “Not here like your house, but here like in this moment,” he breathed hard, “caring about someone… For years, I’ve sworn I would never. I find it hard to trust people, to let them in, especially women. My mother was a liar and an abuser, now, I tolerate neither.”
Pain pricked at my eyes, but I didn’t want him to stop. At the same time, guilt overwhelmed me.
He took another drink of his Long Island Iced Tea. “Losing people I loved, like my brother and Grandma, caused me so much pain and anger. I never could have imagined that anyone could ever feel that raw and alone. I would gladly take a thousand beatings over the pain of losing someone you love. I was left with a hole so big, I thought it could never be filled…” He took a deep breath, and I could hear the sorrow in his voice.
“So, I spent the last decade being an angry dick that most people didn’t want to be around. That’s how I wanted it, no one too close. Leo and Hawk were the only two people who truly knew me. It’s funny, when I first got back to town, both of them tried to give me hints about you. Like they knew. They knew you could be the person who could pull me out of the miserable life I’ve made for myself.” He gently touched my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“Juliet, you are a pure soul. So good, kind, generous, and nurturing. I don’t deserve you, but you’ve changed everything. You’ve changed me. You are my healer.” He cupped my face and covered my mouth with his before I could even say anything.
It was a kiss I would never forget. The pain and love mixed in the kiss made my toes tingle and fever rip through me. Rage stood up, lifting me in his arms and holding me to his chest like a bride.
He carried me into the bedroom and set me down onto the bed. I watched hungrily as he removed his shirt, then his jeans. My eyes roved over his glorious body. Just looking at him had me ready. I pulled the cotton dress over my head, leaving me in just my panties. I leaned back on the bed waiting for him to join me. His eyes held something I’d never seen. He was looking at me like it was the first time he saw me.
He knelt on the bed, hooked his fingers into my white lace panties, and tugged them down my legs. I could feel myself coming alive as his fingers skimmed down my thighs. He brought his body over mine, until we looked into each other’s eyes. I was at a loss for words. He placed a hand on each side of my face and touched his lips to mine so gently, like a feather.
“Juliet, I’ve never said these words to anyone.” My heart was hammering. “Juliet, I love you. Before you came into my life, I was barely getting through each day. I had no purpose; I was a fighter with nothing to fight for. But now I finally know how it feels to love.” The emotions I felt slammed into me like a freight train.
“Rage, I love you, too.” I told him, admitting the truth out loud. I loved Rage.
His lips crashed over mine. I could feel the warmth of his body as he pressed against me, leaving no space between us. He ran his hands up my arms, holding them above my head as his lips caressed my neck, causing me to moan. His fingers reached down to touch my flesh, making my back arch and body tingle. I could feel my orgasm building…he must have felt it too, and flipped me on top of him, straddling him. I ran my fingers over his smooth skin, his pectoral muscles were rock hard. He shivered when the tips of my fingers glided over his ribs, tickling him.
Now it was my turn to bring him to the edge. I worked my way down using my tongue and lips. I pulled back slightly every time I could feel him inching near his release. When we both could barely hang on, I crawled up his body to once more taste his lips before sinking onto him. Inch by glorious inch, my entire body shuddered as intense pleasure sparked through me. He sat up, causing me to scream in pleasure. Rage grabbed my face, kissing me as he controlled my body wi
th his hips. I was so close. My breaths were shallow gasps. I couldn’t take it any longer, I felt like I was going to explode.
“Please Rage, don’t stop.” I cried out in ecstasy as he moved his hips, pushing me back to hit the spot that took me straight to heaven. As he was about to climax, he gripped my hair and sucked on my lips, making me feel all his pleasure. I collapsed on his chest. His rock-hard arms wrapped around me, holding me so tight, like he thought I would disappear if he let go.
We didn’t say another word to each other. We didn’t need to. We just stayed there entangled in each other. His words repeated in my mind, “Juliet, I love you.” They both consumed me and crushed me. Body, mind, heart, and soul, I was consumed by Rage.
Rage
We sat around the maple table again. The discussion was the same as last week’s. How were we going to infiltrate the cartel and uncover the band of bikers that were helping them?
“There has to be a weakness,” Colt said. “We have it narrowed down. Two MCs are on our radar. Devil’s Damned and Cajun Kings, the two are sworn enemies, but both have increased their drug trade along the coast. It was the trafficking of women and arms that has us focusing on the Devil’s. Their club has no respect for anyone. Now that Viper, their president, is temporarily out of commission, Joker and Blade are going to want to take over. Even though Viper kept things friendly between us a few months ago, we all know the others are not so inclined to play nice.” He took a long breath before he continued, “We also got a lead on this Columbian, Marco Cordona. He is a drug lord who has been making his presence known in a growing number of small coastal towns. He uses MCs to move his merchandise up and down the coast. His family was primarily dealing in Florida and Louisiana. Now they are branching out.”
Colt looked around the table, taking in our responses. “These are the type of men that if you let them in your town, it’s impossible to get them out. Then their MC will be making a home here. It happened to a few of Outcast’s chapters along the coast. Their small ones had to patch over to other clubs to stay alive. This is a threat we cannot take lightly. We also have seen Richard Ramsey with an MC contact. I know the guy is an asshole, but I didn’t think his arrogant ass was that stupid. He has no idea what he has gotten himself into.”
“Hack has a meet with an informant later this week. We should have all our answers then. For now, any of you,” he pointed his tattooed finger around the table at each one of us, “has a run-in with another MC, you keep it calm and do not retaliate. One thing I know is, we cannot handle a cartel with only one chapter, let alone a cartel that is fully armed and dealing with other outlaw clubs. You see or hear anything, you bring it here. Don’t try to take care of it yourselves, understood?” We all groan in agreement, except for Kai.
Kai cracked his knuckles and asked, “So we just sit here and let them come to our town?” He pushed his chair out roughly and stood, slapping both his hands down on the table. “Let them think they can just come in and take over our streets?” He looked at all of us. “How long are we supposed to let that happen?”
“Kai, sit the fuck down,” Colt commanded. “I just said we got intel. It may take Hack a few days, but we will handle whichever club it is. There has got to be a way to put pressure on this Marco character and push him out. We just don’t know what it is yet.”
Kai sat down, pushing his long hair from his face. He laced his fingers through his hands, resting them on his head as he leaned back and groaned, “Fine. But you know I can’t hold my temper for long. We need to get this shit under control.”
I watched the exchange knowing that I was going to be a part of the plan. I had to leave town for a few days and meet with our founding chapter. I was leaving tonight and didn’t have much time to spend with Juliet before I went. I was not too fond of the idea of leaving her there alone. I knew she had been fine on her own for years, but now I wanted to be there for her and protect what was mine.
She answered on the third ring. “Hey, so glad you called!” Her giggling, sweet angelic voice came through the phone and I almost forgot why I was calling. Damn, I got it fucking bad.
I shook my head and responded, “I wanted to see if you had any time to see me today. I got to go out of town tonight on club business and probably won’t make it back until late tomorrow night or the next morning.”
“Really, tonight? That sucks. I was going to invite you to watch a band and have a few beers at Stallions with Ivy and me.”
“Aww, babe, I wish I could, but I got to take care of something. You know, I don’t like the idea of you going to the bar without me, don’t you?”
“Come on, Rage, I used to go there with Ivy all the time. Besides, no one will bother me. It’s no secret that we are together, and I don’t think anyone wants to get on your bad side,” she laughed.
“Maybe I will send a prospect with you girls, just to be safe.”
“Fine,” she gave in more easily than I thought. “Just make sure he is eye candy for Ivy, or she will be pissed.”
“I have two hours between my private lessons and the evening class I teach. I could meet you at Juiced for a late lunch.”
“Yeah, that works. I have to go to Stained Skyn before I hit the road. I was hoping to be having more than just lunch since I won’t see you for two days.”
“Haha,” she giggled. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
Juliet
This was the second night in a row that Rage had not been in my bed. I held the pillow that still smelled of his cologne and squeezed it as I tried to sleep without him. Even though I had Lord to hug, I had gotten way too used to the security that his big, sexy body next to me had brought to my life.
Ivy and I had fun last night at the bar, laughing, singing, and torturing the poor prospect. Ivy had kept giving Bodie a hard time. The entire evening, I had felt something was missing. How pathetic was I? There I’d been, having a good time with my best friend and a few other girls we knew from Fluid and all I could think of was that I would do anything just to be sitting at my fire pit and getting bit by mosquitoes in Rage’s arms.
Tonight was not any easier. I did everything I could to distract myself from thinking about Rage, to no avail. I spent the next hour in bed fighting with myself. I was torn between missing Rage and knowing that I had created this giant mess and that very soon I would have to leave him. If I missed him this much after two days, knowing he was coming back to me, how could I abandon him forever? Seeing him with that little boy at the store had melted my heart and made me fall even deeper in love with him. How was I going to do this? I never intended on falling in love. Never. It was 11 pm, and I was hugging his pillow like a pathetic teenager in love.
My phone vibrated and flashed. A goofy smile crossed my face as I threw Lord off me and leaped across the bed to grab it, knowing who it would be. My heart swelled at the sight of his name illuminating my screen.
Rage: Babe, you up?
Me: Yes, lying in bed missing you.
Rage: You are killing me.
Me: I’m all alone and wearing nothing but the sheet.
I bit my nail. What the hell was I doing?
Rage: Fuck, babe, you make me want to jump on my bike right now and race home.
Me: I wish you would, I would much rather it be your hands on me than mine.
I smirked at my wit, waiting for his response.
Rage: ahhhhhhhh…I’m dying! Stop.
Me: If you promise to be back soon, maybe I’ll wait for you. Maybe.
Rage: I miss you like hell, but I don’t think I’ll be making it back before noon tomorrow.
Me: Aww, that’s too bad. I guess I’ll just have to think of you…
Rage: You better wait for me. I’ll make it worth every minute I was away.
Me: Maybe.
I clutched the phone, wishing I could feel his touch through it.
Rage: Babe…
Me: Where are you anyway? Can you tell me?
Rage: I had to meet a fe
w brothers from Tallahassee. We met in the middle.
My stomach flipped at his words. Tallahassee? Why was he meeting the club from Tallahassee? Don’t freak out. Just act like nothing’s wrong.
Me: Oh, really, are you with Ace?
Rage: Really?
Me: I’m just messing with you
Shit, I hoped he wasn’t mad.
Me: Hurry home. I miss you.
Rage: I will. Fuck, I want to be home with you right now. I promise I’ll call you in the morning. I got to go. Sleep well.
Me: You, too. Drive safe. I miss you.
Rage: Babe, you better WAIT FOR ME. I’ll be home soon.
Home, I thought. Did he mean home to me or home to Sugar Maple? Have I…have we…become home? I read his texts over and over. And then I read them some more. Fuck.
I set the phone down and buried my head in his pillow again, sucking up every bit of his scent that I could breathe in. My inner overthinker started again. First, I was sexting, then I was saying home—what the hell was I doing?
After tossing and turning for a good hour, I took some valerian root and magnesium, which usually promised a restful sleep. I couldn’t figure out if the bout of insomnia was caused by Rage being away or the fear of another nightmare. I turned my phone to a Beatles playlist. My mom used to sing Here Comes the Sun to help Paige and me sleep. It worked, the combination had me dozing off minutes later.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rage
I swung the door to the clubhouse open, stomping to the meeting room. My mood was apparent. It was bad enough that I had spent nearly three days away from Juliet, but as soon as I thought I could make up time, my phone rang, with a fucking club meeting. I went straight to Juliet’s from my trip and hadn’t been back to the clubhouse since. I had Kai deliver the info we’d collected. I needed to get a new change of clothes, but I wasn’t ready to leave her yet. I could stay wrapped around her in bed forever. Everything I used to think was important now carried little meaning. Juliet had filled all the empty space in my heart. She had given me a home again. She had made my life have meaning. Now, anything that took time away from that just pissed me off.
