Heart Ripper

by K. A. Merikan

  David knew what the answer would be just from the way Hunter’s exposed forearms flexed. “Are you kidding me, David? What he did was inexcusable. I didn’t want to say anything when we were with Mom, but there is no reason for you to defend him. He made his bed, and he should sleep in it.”

  David sighed. “But I don’t know many gay people…”

  “You will know more gay people eventually. If you meet this sonofabitch again, he could... you know, seduce you again, and you should be free of him. You don’t need a guy, who fucks strangers every single night.”

  “I mean… he can change. I’m assuming.” David cleared his throat. Unless Raja was lying to him all the time, and he doubted that was the case after all the raw honesty of that fateful night in Toledo. “And it’s not like he can seduce me. I’ve got my own mind.” Though Raja could be pretty persuasive when he wanted to.

  Hunter exhaled and shot David a brief glance. “I get it, you have a crush on the first guy you slept with. It was the same for me when I first had sex with a woman, but this is just a crush. You don’t need someone like him in your life, and I don’t need him either. Not after what he did to you.”

  David let out a long exhale. Raja was the one to seek him out despite having already slept with David. Sadly, Hunter would have to deal with David’s relationship with Raja just like Mom had to deal with David being gay. And after all that he now knew about Raja, he was set on giving him a place to belong as well. A place that was different than what he had with his biker brothers. Raja might not realize that he needed it, but David would take care of him.

  Chapter 27

  When Raja first joined a motorcycle club, he expected many things. The lifestyle was about the open road, brotherhood, and then lots of women and booze. It certainly didn’t invoke images of hunky, oiled-up men dancing on the tabletop of a bar and colorful drinks, yet this was exactly what was happening in the clubhouse of Coffin Nails MC Detroit tonight. To be fair, it was all because of Lucky’s birthday, and the bulk of the actual bikers were out drinking beer and watching a game at a sports bar nearby, but Raja did not mind watching the handsome stripper with colorful tattoos all over his body and just a leather codpiece covering the tan skin. He was glad he stayed.

  The man was a good dancer, and he dedicated so much attention to the birthday boy that Raja found himself eyeing Tooth, just to make sure the poor stripper wouldn’t end up with a few teeth knocked out. But Tooth watched the show with a calm interest, and Raja half-expected him to come up with a bundle of one-dollar bills by the end of the set.

  Despite the easy-to-dance-to pop music dominating the playlist so far, Lucky was wearing a Behemoth T-shirt and his usual combo of skinny jeans and black combat boots. The crowd that came to the party was a mixture of club hangarounds, Lucky’s friends and clients, who were all drinking, dancing, having fun in the biker bar, as if homosexuality had stopped being an issue in the macho world of bikers. Nothing like this could have ever taken place at the old Rabid Hogs clubhouse, yet another reason Raja was so happy with the patchover. Granted, not all the Coffin Nails chapters were as accepting, but he supposed, as the president’s only living son, Lucky did have some privileges.

  David must have visited Lucky’s barber shop before the party, because his undercut looked freshly trimmed, and he even sported a braid on top of his head, going all the way to the knot at the back. He’d changed so much Raja was only waiting for David to arrive at his doorstep one day with full-sleeve tats. Yet despite the more edgy style and the piercing, he wore a button-up short-sleeve tonight with his jeans, which made an appealing combination and was in sharp contrast to almost everyone else present.

  Raja gravitated closer to Tooth, walking past Milk, who was already drunk and danced on the outskirts of the crowd with his wife. The colorful strobe lights that had been rented for the occasion danced over the walls and climbed up sweaty bodies, adding a punch of absurdity to the drunken prancing, the stripper, and three female hangarounds playing spin the bottle in the corner. Even David’s boss was there, embracing his partner as they too watched the show, drinking Coronas with lime. Watching them together caused an odd, warm sensation to spread in Raja’s stomach, but the whole party made him feel at ease. The clumsy touching and games played on the edges of the lounge reminded him a bit of his teenage years, before the banishment to the conversion camp.

  He rarely went to gay venues, since by the time he started getting interested in sex, the convenience and relative anonymity that was the Internet had already been around, but the gay bars he’d been to were a bit like this party too. Generic, easy music, lots of alcohol, and men freely interacting, even if visually they seemed like pieces of different puzzle sets gathered into one pile. And there were always the token straight people.

  Milk whistled when the stripper sat a grinning Lucky in a chair. “You okay with that, Tooth?” He crossed his arms on his chest with a silly grin under a nose that was too big for his face. Raja was glad the music wasn’t overwhelming, and back here, conversations were a possibility even without the necessity of awkwardly screaming into someone’s ear.

  Tooth glanced his way and gave a sparse chuckle, tugging on his long beard. “It’s all good fun. I’m gonna enjoy watching.”

  “Aren’t we all?” asked Raja, and Milk’s wife snorted, just as captivated by the stripper’s fit, colorful body.

  Milk gave her a sharp glance and scowled. “I mean, he’s gay, so it doesn’t matter in my case.”

  “‘Cause you don’t have an open relationship, do you?” Raja asked Tooth.

  Milk laughed out loud and pulled his wife closer. “Why? You got the hots for Lucky?”

  Tooth’s eyes instantly became sharper, and the ghost of a pair of icy pliers trailed down Raja’s spine. “He’s a hot guy, but he’s not mine to fawn over.”

  Tooth snorted and relaxed into the chair, and Raja quickly pulled one over and sat next to him. Asty and Hunter were here too, and they were going out of their way to show him how much they ignored his presence. It was middle school all over again. Raja had expected this to happen when he received Lucky’s invitation, but he was ready to deal with the bad vibes coming from his favorite Satanic couple if that meant he’d get to attend a gay party at an MC clubhouse. After being in the closet for so long and hiding his true self from his biker brothers, he wouldn’t miss an event like this in a million years.

  But no matter how enjoyable it was to watch the stripper or pick up pieces of drunken conversations, Raja’s eyes kept straying to David. It had been a month since he and David became a couple, and Raja was surprised that instead of becoming sated with David’s sweet, fragrant body, the need for his smile, his voice, his time, was only growing. He resented every time David needed to go home, and even though he’d never admitted it to David, he did fantasize about what it would be like to have David living with him. To get the lovely avocado toast for breakfast every day, and have him around whenever he felt horny. And they could binge-watch all of the X-Files together instead of enjoying one or two episodes at a time. He’d definitely enjoy that more than watching David ogle the stripper, his bright red cheeks in stark contrast with the blue cocktail he was holding.

  Milk shrugged next to him. “I just think it’s so funny. It’s like lap dance inception.”

  His wife raised her eyebrows. “How so?”

  “Because Lucky used to be a stripper too.”

  Tooth squeezed his fist so hard, even in the semi-darkness his knuckles looked pale. “Milk, shut your mouth, will you?”

  Milk’s wife slapped the back of his head, and he opened his eyes wide, looking at her with a hurt expression. “What was that for?”

  “Being less funny than your dad,” she said with a pout.

  Milk shook his head and looked at Raja. “Never mind. You like anyone here, Raja? I bet you could have your pick out of Lucky’s friends.”

  Raja grinned, glad they changed the topic. “There’s plenty of juicy meat around tonight. Who
do you fancy?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

  Milk laughed. “Me? I’m as straight as they come. And I’ve only got eyes for one piece of ass.” He patted his wife’s buttocks.

  Raja didn’t miss Tooth briefly rolling his eyes, but at least the atmosphere cleared a bit. He smiled. “I like the guy with the dreads. I bet I could get him to suck me off in the corner, without even leaving the room.”

  “No,” said Tooth calmly.

  “But I could if this wasn’t a family-friendly event.”

  Once Milk’s wife went off to get more drinks, Milk put an arm over Raja’s shoulder. “Man, if I were gay, I’d be sleeping with a different guy every night. Guys are so fucking easy. No stupid mating rituals. No third dates. No fucking flowers.”

  “And Milk knows that more than anyone,” said Tooth, calmly drinking his beer.

  Raja laughed and slapped Milk’s back. “But you still need to be hot. Only then it’s easy.”

  Milk shrugged. “I suppose. But if an ugly girl wanted to suck my dick, I’d let her. I’m an equal opportunities fucker.”

  “Is this some kind of beggars can’t be choosers situation?” asked Raja and winked at Milk.

  “I’m not bothered anyway. Got myself a hot piece of pussy.”

  The handsome stripper finished his act sitting in Lucky’s lap. They both laughed, lively talking about something, but soon enough Lucky was up and drifted their way through the crowd. Tooth leaned back and accepted him in his lap. Lucky pulled off his sweaty T-shirt and shoved it at a nearby table, uncaring that it knocked down a bottle.

  “Best party ever!” He gave Tooth a kiss, and for the first time since Raja came over, the big, serious biker looked genuinely relaxed. He grabbed Lucky’s ass and pulled him close.

  “What is this? Did the stripper make you hot for me?” he asked and gently slapped Lucky’s ass.

  “I can’t wait to get home now. Then again… it’s not like we have to wait until going home.” Lucky licked Tooth’s face, from his cheek to his ear. Something Raja had never seen him do before. Was it all the alcohol he’d had, or the fact that there was no one here who’d take offence?

  “So, Lucky, which of your friends is the best fuck?” asked Raja, watching the sweaty bodies tumble to the music from the corner of his eye. The stripper was gone, and with everyone’s attention back to their fellow guests, the atmosphere was starting to be somewhat steamier.

  “How is he supposed to know?” asked Tooth, nuzzling Lucky’s cheek.

  “By reputation?”

  Lucky wrapped an arm around Tooth’s shoulders and rolled his hips in a way that made Raja both envious and sorry for Tooth. “Exactly. See that guy in the straw hat? He told me he usually comes to parties already stretched with a small butt plug, because he doesn’t like to wait.”

  Raja grinned and pretended to grab slim hips in front of him. The straw hat guy was pretty hot. Not David-hot, but hot. There was no shame in admitting that the imagined butt plug in the guy’s ass made Raja hot. “Maybe he’d be up for a plowing later tonight,” he said, thrusting his hips forward, though he was already imagining David’s hot little ass in his bed, milking his cock dry.

  Lucky wiggled his hips. “You met anyone lately? Soon enough, you’ll fuck your way through the area and you’ll have nothing left. Or you’ll have to be checking when new guys turn eighteen.”

  “Or not,” said Milk, but no one laughed.

  Raja frowned. “There’s always some new meat around.” His eyes briefly strayed to David, who did some improvised disco dancing with another guy, and he smiled, enjoying the way David’s slim body flexed to the rhythm. “There is this one guy that I have a thing going on with. He is so thirsty. You have no idea. The other day, he just walked into my apartment and kneeled in front of me right away.” David was so hot in his need for Raja that it was hard to deny him, even when Raja’s balls had already dried up for the night.

  Milk let out a long moan. “Man! My wife doesn’t even let me eat her out just like that. She needs to take a shower every time.”

  Lucky laughed out loud, and poked him. “Maybe you’re just lousy at it. I bet Raja’s hookup deep throats and the whole shebang, right?”

  Raja smirked and discreetly glanced at David again. He noticed a new person on the dance floor, and only a split second later did he realize that it was the stripper, who was back in his pants but hadn’t lost any of his moves. “He’s getting really good at it, but I needed to drill him open first.”

  Tooth pulled on his beard. “So... is that some kind of boyfriend, or...?”

  “No, no, no. It’s just a hookup,” said Raja quickly, not wanting anyone to ever connect this to David. “A bit of a charity case, really. Late gay bloomer. I thought I’d help him out.”

  Milk started laughing like maniac. “Oh, fuck. And the guys were asking me why I wanna stay at this party tonight. This gossip is priceless. So you helped him out with your dick?”

  Lucky grinned. “Raja’s considerate like that.”

  Raja nodded, drinking up all the attention he was getting. “I’m a saint. Without me, this guy could have been forced to suck some lousy dick, because he’s too shy to approach someone attractive. This should be considered social service.”

  “Is he a troll then?” Lucky poked Raja’s knee with his foot.

  Raja rolled his eyes as his mind filled with images of David spread out on white sheets, red-faced and pleading for Raja to fuck him harder. “I wouldn’t say that. I like my meat well done,” said Raja, wiggling his eyebrows. “And I tenderize it every other night.”

  Milk hissed, then laughed so hard he got tears in his eyes.

  Lucky bit his lips. “That’s kinda hot actually.”

  “I wish he could be here and laugh with us,” said Tooth, making the temperature drop to Arctic levels so suddenly Raja could practically see his exhale turn into vapor.

  “Come on, man, it’s just some innocent fun. He’s not showing us his naked pics,” said Milk, giving Raja a few precious seconds to pick himself up from this slump.

  Lucky slapped Tooth’s arm. “You’re no fun!” He got up and walked off to get a drink, but truth was that Lucky wasn’t exactly spilling any details about his and Tooth’s sex life either.

  Raja sighed and picked up a fresh bottle of beer, opening it with the provided opener. “Lucky might teach you a thing or two about loosening up.”

  Tooth sighed. “I’ve always been discreet.”

  Milk opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, but closed it the moment Tooth’s gaze settled on him. Raja wondered what the story was there, but then a new song came on, turning Raja’s attention back to the dance floor. More people poured in, already mouthing the lyrics, as if this was a hit Raja somehow missed. Jumping up with everyone else, Lucky pulled David between the tumbling bodies, and the stripper followed them, rocking his hips as if he were already fucking someone’s ass. Raja laughed, hypnotized by his boyfriend’s pretty face, but his smile faltered when Lucky started popping open the buttons of David’s shirt. He stopped breathing and stared while his brain slowly turned into a black, pulsing mess. There was no logic behind the jealousy punching him in the throat, as Lucky wouldn’t try to bed David, but seeing David touched by another guy awoke a cold sensation that originated in Raja’s gut and turned him into an icicle.

  The stripper joined in and molded his buff body to David’s back. David looked over his shoulder and laughed, dancing between the two men as if he hadn’t been a closeted virgin just a few months ago. Cold sweat dripped down Raja’s back when David pinned him with his gaze from across the room, oddly expressionless when Lucky took off his button-up.

  “You ever been in a threesome?” Milk’s question came like a fly trying to sit on Raja’s face. He’d love to swat the guy right now out of general agitation.

  “Er... yeah, done that,” said Raja, just to get rid of the intruder. There was something weird about the way David looked at him. What was going on? />
  “Lucky might be in one soon.” Milk snorted and patted Tooth’s arm as if that made his joke any funnier. Was Milk getting off on talking about gay sex? Raja had fucked guys who claimed they were completely straight and just loved dick, so maybe Milk was a weirdo like that?

  David arched against the stripper, and laughed when the man, who now wore his spiked codpiece over leather pants, said something into his ear. The big, powerful hands climbed up David’s naked chest as they both rocked in a suggestive dance that Raja knew very well. It was a mating ritual. A prelude to a hard fuck. And it had him fuming. With so much heat gathering in his head, he wasn’t even sure whether he wanted to slap David or just enjoy the show.

  And there it was, David glanced at him again, as if this was some fucked-up challenge. David had never acted this way before, and the stripper’s hands sliding up, over David’s bare nipples, had Raja snarling over the self-imposed gag. He looked to the side, but Hunter and Asty were gone, unable to see this public display of sexuality and so unable to keep David chaste tonight.

  Raja exhaled, making one heavy step forward, stiff with an indescribable feeling that both pushed him forward and kept him in place. He didn’t know what to do. He—

  The stripper licked his way up David’s cheek and nipped on his ear, and Raja’s legs finally pulled off the floor, along with the roots that held Raja’s fury back. He stormed to the dance floor, his vision narrowed to only one point—the stripper’s mouth on David, all too close to those sweet lips. Raja was hot. He was also cold. And all the rage inside him was put into one hard shove that made the stripper lose his balance and drop to the floor.

  In Raja’s mind, the whole place went quiet, and everyone turned around to look at him, but in reality, the music still pounded just as loudly, and the only people who noticed something going on were the people affected by the stripper’s fall.