Finley's Adoration

by Elizabeth Knox

  It isn’t the fact Preacher is trying to step in on my territory. That’ll come at a different time. I know he’s playing games and waiting until he thinks I’ve got my guard down. I’ll play along and let him think this because when he goes to make his move, I will be ready.

  No one fucks with my girls, my business, or my family. Least of all men like Preacher.

  I glance from the computer screen to see Mara-Lee coming in through the door. She doesn’t look happy. Great. Who pissed in her Cheerios?

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, looking away from her to check on Dominic sleeping in his pack ‘n play. He’s never far away from Ainslee or me. If he has to be, I don’t allow anyone to watch him besides one of my people or family we trust. Not even my cousin has had the chance to watch him. Lex is a part of the Devil’s Riot MC now, so he knows how I am. There’re no hard feelings when it comes to me not asking them to watch Dominic. If I want him to watch Dom, I’ll ask.

  “You need to get to the basement,” Mara-Lee mutters.

  “What’s happened?” I demand. Placing my hands on the desk, I stand and round my desk.

  “I went to run an errand for the girls on the second floor. When I came back, I overheard some guys outside talking. They didn’t see me, so I called Cedric. I knew he was probably in his office by the back door.”

  “Okay . . . what did they say?” My hands begin to ball into fists.

  “It’s not what they said that worries me. It’s the girl’s body they were talking over.” Tears are spilling down Mara-Lee’s cheeks.

  “What the fuck do you mean, girl?”

  Shaking her head, she jerks her head toward the door. Linc comes through with Dalton right behind him, a woman in his arms. Both men look pissed, and I can’t blame them.

  Fuck.

  The girl has been beaten to the point you’d struggle to recognize her, even if we knew who she was.

  Both her eyes are swollen shut, blood is caked on her face, and she’s covered only by a blanket.

  “They were talking about what they did to her. Finley, they were bragging about how they brutally raped her. They said they were going to use her as an example.” Mara-Lee wipes away the tears that were spilling down her cheeks.

  Example for what?

  “Is she one of Preacher’s girls?” I sneer, meeting my men’s eyes.

  “No, but Cedric told me to tell you to get to the basement before he kills the fuckers himself,” Linc mutters.

  Nodding, I steel myself for what I’m going to find.

  “I’m going to take her and Dominic to the Fort,” Mara-Lee says.

  “Good, I’ll be there when I can. Have Dalton and Linc take you. They’ll stay until someone else gets there,” I mutter and leave the room.

  I take the stairs leading straight to the first floor, two at a time, rushing to get downstairs to the basement. Getting to the first floor, I bypass all the club-goers and make it to the basement doors in record time. The beat of the music pulsing is loud enough you don’t hear the screams of men. Upon opening the door, it’s the first thing I hear.

  I close the door behind me, and the sound of the music immediately softens to a barely-there noise. I slow my steps to keep my anger in check, needing control at this moment.

  “Tell me.” I hear Cedric snarl. He sounds beyond pissed. The sounds of flesh hitting flesh greet my ears as I make my way down the stairs.

  Fuck me. Cedric’s not himself right now.

  Stepping fully into the massive basement, I’m met with the sight of four men. Three of them are bound to the wall farthest away from the middle, while the fourth man is strung up by a meat hook. Halton is standing off to the side, struggling to keep his temper in check from the looks of it.

  “Started the party without me?” I ask, announcing my presence.

  “Just getting the party started, boss,” Cedric mutters, not taking his eyes off the fucker in front of him.

  “Step back, Cedric. While you’re at it, tell me who these fuckers are and why they beat the fuck out of that girl,” I command. Cedric might be my right-hand man and my best friend, but he knows I’m the boss here for a reason. I don’t hold back, and I don’t fear anyone.

  “These men brutalized her,” Cedric says, finally turning to look at me, and my heart skips a beat at the sight of burning rage meeting my own. “They haven’t said why they did it. Only that their boss was leaving a gift for us. For me in general.”

  Furrowing my brows, I look to the men.

  “Why would they want to send you a message?” I mutter. Cedric isn’t just anyone. I know his past just like he knows mine. It’s why I trust him with my life and vice versa.

  Then it hits me. I know exactly why these men would be leaving a gift for Cedric. His father’s the head of the Gheata Family.

  Fuck.

  Cedric’s a bastard child. His mother was his father’s mistress. When Gheata’s wife had a son, he cast them aside but expected Cedric to become part of the family business when he was old enough. It obviously didn’t happen, and now Gheata is making a statement he’s not pleased with his eldest son. The old man needs to accept he did this to himself.

  “Cedric,” I mutter.

  “I know,” he growls. “Fuckers are working for my father. What I want to know is who the woman is.”

  The man strung up by the hook sneers. “You should know who she is.”

  Cedric takes a step forward and slices his knife across the asshole’s stomach. Not deep enough to gut him, but enough to cause him immense pain. The man struggles to keep his composure. I understand they’re trained for this, but training is nothing compared to when it’s actually done to you.

  “Tell me,” Cedric snarls like a lunatic.

  “You tell him, or I step in,” I snap.

  “What the fuck can you do? You’re nothing but a whore running a whorehouse,” the asshole grinds out through clenched teeth.

  He didn’t just say that. Stepping forward, I hold out my hand for the knife in Cedric’s. “We want answers, and I’m not going to wait for them.”

  Nodding, he hands me the knife. I turn to the asshole who’s smirking at me, then I round him and go to one of the others. I’m leaving this asshole for Cedric to finish off when he’s ready.

  I scan through the group and carefully survey them all to find the weakest link. “Tell me who the girl is and why you beat and raped her,” I demand as I lift the tip of the blade and run it along the man’s throat.

  “Go to hell, whore,” he spits brazenly.

  “Wrong answer.” I grin and pull the blade back to shove it into his stomach. “Now, answer me. Who is the girl?”

  “Fuck you,” he grinds out.

  I yank the blade from his stomach and slam it in once again to the hilt, closer to his sternum.

  “Tell me and I might kill you faster.” Mercy is the only thing he’ll want at this point. Hell, I don’t even know if I’ll offer it to him.

  “He doesn’t know shit,” another man yells.

  “She was supposed to marry Cedric. Their marriage was planned from the day Cedric was born. Bastards alike but connect families.” The man I have the blade stuck into cries out. Like I said, he’s the weak link. Releasing the knife, I leave it embedded in his chest and look at Cedric to see him in a state I rarely see him in. He’s barely holding on to his control. He likes to keep so much to himself.

  “Have your fun. I’ll see you at the Fort. The girl will be okay,” I mutter. This shit just got more complicated than I thought it could.

  Dammit.

  Shaking my head, I leave the basement and go straight out the back door to get in my car. I start the ignition and put the car in drive. Hitting the gas, I pull out of the parking lot and head for home. As soon as I get home, I’ll take a quick shower and get the blood splatter off me. The last thing I want to do is traumatize this woman anymore. Not when she’s already been through enough.

  Chapter Eight

  Ainslee

  W
alking into the Fort, I’ve never felt like such a disappointment. My entire cover has been blown, all because of a stuck-up bitch who has the hots for my girlfriend. Shaking my head, I try to fight back the tears. Not only am I disappointed, but I’m so frustrated too. I’m here as a regent for my club, which means I need to get the job done. I literally had one job to get more information on this fascist cult. The same cult that’s already caused us so much pain to begin with. Rage, Boss, Venom, the list of victims will go on and on. I know too many people who have been hurt or are hurting because of the cult.

  The only family I have is the club. It’s been this way for years since the one I was born into abandoned me. They couldn’t swallow the pill I kept hidden for so many years. I don’t understand how my sexual orientation is such a big deal, but they were furious. I can’t tell anyone how many times they asked me ‘are you sure?’, ‘have you tried with a boy yet?’. It was disgusting how they couldn’t accept me for the woman I am. Even now, I still can’t wrap my head around it. I won’t ever treat Dominic the same way. It doesn’t matter who he’s attracted to. He’ll always have support from Finley and me.

  Walking into the main living area, I slump down on the couch and pull out my phone. I type in my passcode, tap on my contacts, and scroll for Boss’s name. I stare at it for a good minute before I strum up the courage to call and tell her what happened tonight.

  “Hey,” Boss’s voice is normal. She doesn’t sound aggravated or intrigued, which I guess is good for me.

  “Hey there. Are you busy? I want to give you an update on what happened tonight.” A few moments of silence pass by before she speaks.

  “No, I’ll make time for this. Hold on one second. Babe, can you go check on Des? Okay, perfect. Sorry about that Vex, tell me what’s goin’ on.” Cowboy is Boss’s ol’ man, and Des is their daughter. He’s not Des’s biological father, but he adopted her. Her biological father is Stoney, the Prez of the Devil’s Riot MC.

  I suck in a deep breath before I tell her how my night went. “I got to the party and everything was normal. I dressed provocatively and found Victor, so I went up to him, got a little cozy, and then his girlfriend walks in.”

  “Girlfriend?!” Boss’s voice says it all. Hell, she’s probably as shocked as I was when it happened.

  “Yep, his girlfriend. It gets worse, though, so buckle up. His girlfriend is a bitch who worked for Finley at Night’s Bliss. She outed me in front of him and said who I am, who I’m dating, and what the club is doing.”

  “You’re kidding me . . .” Boss grits, and I know the woman well. Fury is running through her veins right now. Not that I blame her. If I were in her position, I’d be upset too.

  “I wish I was. He asked me if it was true, but I walked out. I didn’t want to play with fire or put myself at risk, so I left and came back home.”

  “Okay, good. Your safety is our number one priority. What’s his girl’s name?”

  “Lacey. She worked for Finley for a while. Not to bring you into personal shit, but the girl’s obviously in love with her and disrespected me multiple times, so we did what we had to. She no longer works for Finley anymore, obviously.”

  “Well, I’d hope not. Do me a favor and have Finley or one of her people give me a call. I want this girl’s information, so I can get Beretta to look into her background. I want to know everything I can about her.” Beretta Bosco is one of the toughest private investigators in all of New York. Boss has worked with her a few times, but when it comes to situations like this, she has no problem calling the woman. Beretta is the best, and Boss knows it.

  “Will do. Uh, Prez, I hate to ask this, but I gotta know. Are you upset at me for letting the club down tonight?”

  “Upset? Why would I be upset with you? Vex, you didn’t do anythin’ wrong. You analyzed the situation, saw the risk, and beelined it out of there. I would’ve told anyone to do the same. You did a great job getting as much intel as we needed, and now we can take a closer look at Lacey and this Victor guy. I’ll be in touch with you soon, but if you find anythin’ else out, give me a call.”

  “Will do, Prez,” I reply, and Boss ends the call.

  I rise from the couch, grab my phone, and head into the kitchen. The one thing I’m craving right now is a magnum almond bar. I get to the freezer, open the door and find the ice cream. So, I grab it, peel off the plastic and bite the chocolate and almonds off the side. It’s how I always eat chocolate-covered ice cream.

  Turning around, I spot Finley standing in the doorway of the kitchen with her arms crossed. Her gaze is fixated on me and her hair is wet. She’s wearing a black tank top and a pair of jeans, but I catch a glimpse of the sapphire blue lace bra underneath her top. It must be new, considering I haven’t seen it before. “How long have you been standing there?” I ask, but she doesn’t answer. She only smiles back at me.

  “Does it matter? Fuck, you look ravishing,” Finley mutters as she walks toward me. Her eyes scan across my body, settling on my boobs, and then she stops on my arse. She comes right up to me, wraps her hand around mine, and licks my ice cream. Her tongue flicks against the soft creaminess, and I can’t help but watch her.

  She stifles a chortle after a minute, and I know she’s doing this on purpose. She grabs the ice cream from my hand and wraps her mouth around the small nub that’s left, almost going down in a blowjob motion. What’s crazy is that I’m not attracted to men, but what she’s doing is hot as fuck.

  She takes her mouth from around the ice cream and hands it back to me. “You look too good, so good I need a taste right now.” Finley wraps her arms around me and lifts me onto the counter. She pushes my skirt up forcefully and pulls at my magenta thong until it’s hitting my ankles.

  “Fuck, you’re so pink. Glistening for my tongue, aren’t you?” Finley cocks a brow and looks up at me.

  Instead of answering, I give her a nod, and she’s quick to drop to her knees. She hooks her arms under my legs and pulls me closer to her face. She sucks on my clit first, sending fireworks through my entire body. But it doesn’t last long. She releases my hard button and drives her tongue into my entrance.

  “Fin, fuck,” I moan, weaving my hands into her hair. This is exactly what I need after my night.

  The buzzing of her smartwatch on her wrist causes her to stop. Finley stands up, grabs me by the back of the neck, and fiercely kisses me. As she does, my essence coats my lips and tongue. I breathlessly moan into her mouth, only craving more of this, needing our bodies to connect.

  She breaks our kiss and looks into my eyes. “I have to go handle something, but I’m not done with you yet. Meet me upstairs. I’ll be there soon.” And with that, she walks away, leaving me aching for more on the countertop.

  Well, I’d better get my ass upstairs. Though, I do have to say I’m glad I wore this outfit.

  Chapter Nine

  Finley

  I’m damn certain waking up to Ainslee laying against my chest is the best way to start the day. Last night wasn’t only a rough night for me, but for her too. We ended up making love to each other. When it comes to Ainslee, she’s my heart, and I love her more than I’ve loved anyone. She and Dominic are the two most important people in my life. Other than them, it’s Cedric and Mara-Lee.

  Sighing, I run a hand along Ainslee’s spine, aching to touch her smooth skin. I need to get up and run a few errands this morning, but fuck, I don’t want to leave this bed. We have plans to go get some things from the store today before hitting the beach for a little while to decompress.

  It’s typical family shit. I never did any of this stuff with my family. My mom did her best, but there wasn’t much she could do. Not with my sperm donor of a father fuckin’ with her. Thank fuck Lex killed him when he did. Otherwise, I think I might’ve taken the opportunity to gut him myself. I should have done it years ago, but I didn’t. He got away with far too much, too much that’ll haunt me for the rest of my life.

  Sometimes, I can still hear my mother’s screams of a
gony as he raped her while I was forced to watch. My mom took what he did to her to protect me, but she wasn’t fully able to keep me safe from it. All the same, she endured this torture until I was eighteen and she finally took her own life. Not many people know she did this. It’s because I don’t talk about it. Why would I? It’s one of the most horrific parts of my life.

  Justin, my sperm donor, knew to leave me alone. I made it clear I didn’t want anything to do with him when I took a blade to him when I was seventeen. He tried to let one of his men come at me. I killed him, then put the tip of the blade to Justin’s chest, where I started to press, ultimately drawing blood. I told him to never again come near me, and I thought he was respecting my words. Little did I know, he was hurting my cousin’s woman for years while also hurting Lex. The man was completely sick in the head. He needed to be put down like the dog he was.

  Because of what he did to my cousin, I felt responsible. Hell, I still do. Lex might be older than me, but still, it’s my own father who forced himself on Lex when he was a little kid. Lex and I have had some exceptionally long and extensive talks about what he endured to protect his little sister, Annabel, from it all. Inwardly I shake myself out of it. Nope, not gonna go there today. I can’t. If I do, I’ll be going down a rabbit hole. If I do that, I’ll be no good to anyone.