“No, it’s not. Franco will kill him!”
“No, he won’t,” Sledge countered. “It’s not like Rafa’s going in there by himself.”
What? Ink hadn’t said anything about Rafa having protection. She glanced at Ink, and then to Doc. They seemed to be just as surprised by that news as she was.
“Who’s going with him?” Steph asked.
“You,” Sledge replied, simply. “No one has more at stake in keeping him alive as you do. So, I would suggest – Doc, get her bandaged, and ready to rock and roll. We move out tomorrow night.” And with that, Sledge hung up the phone.
Steph stood there speechless, staring down at the device in her hand.
“He can’t be serious?” She heard Rafa say.
“Nah,” Ink answered. “I think he was just playing.”
“Sledge doesn’t play,” Steph said to the group. “He was a hundred percent serious.”
“I won’t sign off on this,” Doc stated, shaking his head. “You can’t.”
“I don’t think my dad cares,” Ink offered.
“This is bullshit!” Doc said, outraged.
Steph felt the same way, but she also knew Sledge was right. “Nobody else would protect Rafa the way I would.”
“What?” Doc asked.
“Think about it.” She shrugged. “Who has the most to lose if something happens to him? Me. So really, there’s nobody better than me to go in with him.”
“Great reasoning!” Doc threw his hands in the air. “However, there is one tiny little flaw here. You have two bullet holes in you, Steph! Hello! Earth to target-girl!”
“Then I guess I better rest up and make sure I’m ready to go in…” She looked down at her watch. “Less than twenty-four hours.”
“I need to go,” Doc sighed. “I’ll be back tomorrow to change out the dressings.” She watched as he stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
“What is his problem?” she asked Ink.
But he shrugged. “I don’t know, but I better go with him. Or that bed is going to get awfully crowded tonight.”
“Alright,” she sighed. Steph gave him and hug and wished him safe travels.
As the door closed, Rafa walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “It’ll be okay,” he told her. “I will go in alone.”
She turned in his arms. “No,” she shook her head, “you will not.”
“Stephanie, you are in no position…”
“I don’t care,” she interrupted him. “I’ll figure it out. But you aren’t going in alone. End of story.”
She hobbled back over to the bed, and with a bit of effort, finally got into a comfortable position. “Might as well try to get some rest,” she told him. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“Let me help you get undressed,” he offered. “You aren’t going to sleep well in that.”
“I’ll be okay,” she argued. “Plus, if I just sleep in my clothes, I won’t have to waste energy tomorrow putting it all back on.”
“Stephanie.” He just stared at her.
“Fine,” she sighed.
She let him help her sit up and then lifted her arms while he removed her shirt. There was a slight twinge in her bicep, but it was a pain that she could manage. The arm wasn’t that big of a deal. Her leg, on the other hand, was a different story.
“Lie back,” Rafa said, his voice suddenly low.
She looked into his eyes and saw a heat in them that she hadn’t seen in a long time. She swallowed hard as she tried to dislodge the lump that was suddenly in her dry throat.
He helped her to lie back, then instructed, “Use your good leg to hold your weight and lift your butt.”
She did as he suggested. There was still a pain that radiated up and down her leg, but not as much as when she had stood.
She watched closely as his hands gripped her waistband and slowly slid her shorts down the length of her legs. His knuckles dragging over the outside of her thighs almost had Steph pressing her legs together. The only thing that stopped her was the pain she knew would follow. There was something extremely intimate about the moment and Steph felt more vulnerable than she ever had before.
“There ya go.” He smiled down at her. “Beautiful, as always,” he whispered.
She felt her skin flush.
Silently, she watched as Rafa slipped out of his t-shirt and basketball shorts, and the act caused her mouth to go even drier if that was conceivably possible. She had no idea what he’d been doing the last four years, but looking him over, Steph knew it involved a gym. From his muscular shoulders to his narrow, but chiseled hips, the man was a walking god. And she was hit with a sudden need to lick the very prominent V of his lower abdomen.
Lawd! There’s eight of them, she thought as she stared at his abs. She almost fanned herself.
“Like what you see?” he asked, smiling at her.
Dry mouthed, all Steph did was nod her head.
Rafa chuckled.
He climbed into the bed next to her and moved as close as he could to her side. Leaning on his elbow, he stared down at her. His hand lightly touching her face, he slowly moved it south – down her neck, across her collar bone, over the swell of her breasts.
Steph inhaled sharply.
“Easy,” he whispered.
Easier said than done! she thought to herself but didn’t say anything out loud.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, staring down at where his hand laid over her breasts. “I’ve missed the feel of your skin against mine. I’ve missed the sound of your voice. You know,” he chortled, “I still have a voicemail from you on my phone. I used to listen to it every night before I went to bed.”
His admission surprised her.
“I used to dream about having you beside me again.” His head shook. “But I never thought it would ever come true. So many nights, I prayed to just have you one more time. One more kiss. One more hug. One more dinner. One more night of sitting on the couch watching those stupid Hallmark movies that you secretly love.” He chuckled.
Steph grinned. She could remember all the times he grumbled when she’d force him to watch them, especially during the holidays. Rafa hated chic-flicks, whereas Steph loved them. However, even though he disliked them, he still sat through each one – for her.
“I haven’t watched one since you…” she couldn’t finish the sentence.
Rafa laughed. “And I haven’t missed one since then. Hell, I don’t think my TV has been on any other channel.”
Steph had to laugh at the irony. If not, she would cry.
His eyes moved to hers. “I’ve missed you, baby,” he said, right before his lips touched hers.
The kiss seemed to break something inside of her. Her arms wrapped about his neck as she tried to pull him closer. She ignored the pain in her arm. Right then, Rafa’s lips were everything. The feel of him against her was everything. They were everything.
She felt his hand skim down her stomach and the muscles bunched in its wake. The tips of his fingers toyed with the band of her panties. While she wanted nothing more than to feel him inside of her, Steph knew she couldn’t. Her leg wouldn’t hold out.
“Rafa…”
“Shh,” he said in response. “No sex. Just let me feel you. Feel me.”
She sighed, then nodded her consent.
His fingers dipped below the fabric and at the first touch, she sucked in a breath. A single finger eased between her folds and slid through her wetness.
“I’m glad to see some things never change.” He grinned.
His finger dipped inside of her and Steph moaned.
Slowly, he moved it in and out of her heated center. Once. Twice. A third time. Then pulling free from her, he used the same finger to circle her clit. Over and over he alternated his methods of pleasure.
Steph panted. It had been four long years since her body felt desire from someone other than herself.
She tried to reach for him, but he moved her hand away. “Not ton
ight,” he whispered. “Tonight is all about you. This right here is all I need.”
His lips descended onto hers again. His tongue dipped into her mouth and his finger did the same down below.
And she moaned.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rafael
The sound of her was like music to his ears. So many nights, he’d laid awake, taking himself in hand, as he imaged her riding his cock, making the same noises she was making now. So many nights, he’d wished to hear them again. And now, his wish had finally come true.
His dick was as hard as steel. It ached for her touch, but tonight wasn’t about his physical needs. It was about something much more. Tonight, was about spiritual healing. It would be the start of a long process for them both – if they made it through tomorrow. But Rafael pushed that thought from his mind. He wouldn’t think about tomorrow. Tomorrow was just that – tomorrow. Tonight was about them and the present. A moment in time that Rafael would always cherish.
Stephanie was his guiding light. She was his hope and his future.
As his mouth devoured hers, his finger dipped back inside, followed by another. Moving in and out of her he imagined his dick there. The feel of her wrapped around him. With her panties still on, it made movement a bit more difficult, but Rafael found a way to make do. He didn’t want to cause her any more discomfort by removing them.
He could feel her getting closer and he pulled his fingers from her pussy and circled her clit. The tight little bud hardened beneath his tips. He added a bit more pressure and Stephanie groaned. The sound hit him straight in the gut and sent a bolt of lust to his balls.
He dipped his fingers back inside and moved them faster. Harder. The muscles twitched and pulled at him until he was deep inside of her tightness. Her moans of ecstasy got louder until suddenly, she clamped her legs shut, and screamed out her release.
But it was only short-lived. Because seconds later, Stephanie was grabbing at her leg as the pitch of her groan changed to one of pain.
“Shit!” Rafael pulled from her and sat up in the red. “Shit. Shit. Fuck.” He watched as the small red spot on the bandage started to grow.
He quickly climbed out of the bed and hurried over to the table. Unzipping Doc’s bag, he dug inside of it until he found what he was looking for. Opening the bottle, he shook out two pills and then tossed the bottle back into the bag. Grabbing gauze, tape, a new ace bandage, and a few other supplies, he went back to the bed.
“Let me take a look,” he said. “But take these first.” He handed her the pills and a bottle of water that was sitting on the side table. “I’m so sorry.” He felt like a total ass.
“It’s okay,” she groaned, still holding her leg. “Not your fault.”
“It’s completely my fault,” he countered, looking at her like they both knew his words were true.
“I was just as much here for the party,” she retorted.
“Whatever.” He didn’t want to argue with her and nothing she said would change his mind. His selfishness had caused this. Period.
He waited for her to take the pills, and then carefully unwrapped her leg. Removing the sterile pads, Rafael sucked in a breath as he saw the wound oozing blood. “Fuck!”
He carefully lifted her leg and slid a sterile sheet under her leg. Opening a bottle of cleaning solution, he slowly poured it over the wound.
Stephanie sucked a breath between her teeth.
He knew it burned, which only made him feel worse.
Rafael spent the next thirty minutes making sure that her wound was cleaned properly and then carefully and meticulously rebandaged it and wrapped a new ace bandage around her leg. When he was finally finished, he silently cleaned up his mess and then slid back into the bed beside her.
He felt her move toward him and place her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her back and held her close. Closing his eyes, he sent up a silent prayer that his need for her hadn’t caused Stephanie any more harm. If it had, Rafael would never forgive himself.
“Well, that will definitely make this moment unforgettable,” she joked.
Rafael chuckled. “For sure.”
“Now, stop,” she told him. “I’m fine.”
“Doc can decide that in the morning.”
“Whatever,” she replied. “Until then, just love me.”
“That I can do.”
He felt her snuggle closer against him. “Get some sleep,” he told her.
“You, too.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed, but he didn’t know if sleep would ever come for him.
So, he laid there listening to the sound of her breathing. He knew the exact moment she fell asleep, and he smiled to himself. Tonight had been a dream come true for him, aside from the wound care. He knew he should be overcome with joy to have her next to him again, but the fact that he could very well lose her again tomorrow overshadowed his happiness. All Rafael could feel was fear. And that fear kept him awake throughout the night and into the first light of day.
Finally, unable to lie there any longer, Rafael carefully slipped out of the bed and dressed. He needed something to keep his mind busy, so he headed outside intent on chopping more wood, not that he needed to, considering there was some already stacked by the door, but it was physical labor. And he needed that most of all, at the moment.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Stephanie
The morning had been tense. When Steph had woken up to an empty bed, she knew something was wrong. However, not long after she’d awaken, several of the guys from the club had arrived so she hadn’t had the time to talk to him and Rafa had spent the day doing his damnedest to pretend as if everything was okay.
The entire thing annoyed her. But she knew she needed to get her head in the game. If not, they’d both end up getting killed.
“Are you ready for this?” Joker asked, not at all thrilled that Sledge had nominated her for the coming job.
“Yeah,” she replied, lying through her teeth. She was not ready, at all. Mentally, emotionally, or even physically, but she’d be damned if she told anyone that.
“You look it,” her brother countered, not believing her.
“I don’t have a choice.” She shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“Bullshit,” Joker said. “You tell Sledge that you can’t do this. Simple.”
“I can’t do that,” she argued. “As a woman in this family, I’m supposed to be ten times stronger than the men. To admit weakness, would be to admit that we don’t belong. And I refuse to do that to myself, or Ava or Kailyn.”
“Steph…” Joker said, almost sadly. “That’s not true. You, Ava, and Kailyn are invaluable to this club. We need y’all. Hell, nobody can snipe like the three of you!”
Steph smiled woefully. While she appreciated her brother’s kind words, she knew they weren’t true. Maybe he believed them, but others didn’t. Steph and the other girls had spent most of their lives trying to fit into the club. Working harder than the others to groove out a place for themselves. While a man could just walk in a prospect, easily earning his spot, for them, it was so much more.
“I’m gonna talk to Dad and Sledge,” Joker said.
She grabbed his arm to stop him. “No, you aren’t. Leave this be, Alex.”
“No,” he argued. “You aren’t ready for this. Hell! You were shot less than a week ago, Steph! Come on.”
“I’ll be fine,” she told him as she willed herself to believe her own words.
Joker stood there staring at her, but finally just shook his head. “If anything happens to you,” he pointed at her, “I’ll raise six-hundred levels of hell. Just so you know.”
She smiled. “I would appreciate that.”
He pulled her into a hug, and she returned it. While it wasn’t often that Alex gave out doses of brotherly love, Steph knew, without a doubt, that he cared deeply. Family meant the world to him, especially after everything he’d gone through in his own life.
“Alright,” S
ledge called. “Everyone knows their roles?”
The crowd nodded.
“Okay.” He nodded back. “Rafa and Steph, come here.”
She gave Joker’s hand a final squeeze before limping over to where Sledge and the other council members waited. She wasn’t looking forward to the next part, but at least she was prepared, thanks to Doc. He’d triple wrapped her leg and put her into a brace to help keep it stabilized. The idea was that hopefully, it would help her to bear some type of weight.
“How are you doing, kiddo?” her dad asked.
“Fabulous,” she said sarcastically. “You?”
“You will be fine,” he whispered to her.
Steph didn’t reply. She turned toward Sledge and waited to be led to slaughter.
“Alright,” Sledge finally addressed them. “First, I want to thank you both for everything y’all have done for this club. Steph, without you, some things just wouldn’t have been possible.”
She felt like he was reading her her last rites. She fought back tears as he continued.
“Your dedication to me and this club will never go unnoticed,” Sledge said. “One of the best decisions I ever made was to allow you to join. We are all better because of you. Know that and remember it. As president of the Devil’s Henchmen, and as your uncle,” he whispered the last part, “I love you, kiddo. Now both of you take your asses back inside. Do not leave until you hear from one of us.” Sledge moved his hand around to indicate the council.
Steph stood there for a moment, confused.
“What?” Rafa asked.
“You didn’t seriously think I would allow y’all to go back to that place, did you?” Sledge questioned.
“Well…” Rafa stammered.
“Wow.” Sledge placed a hand over his heart. “I’m wounded.”
“I told you,” Diesel said to Steph, “you’d be fine.”
“You both are to remain here,” Reaper explained. “Until further notice. We don’t want either of you seen. A prospect will be by this afternoon to deliver enough food, water, and medical supplies to last the next month.”
“Month?” Steph croaked.
“Month,” her dad repeated in a tone that left no room for argument.
Capturing Stephanie: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book Three Page 12
