by R. E. Bond
“You know all the girls at school would cut their tits off to sleep with Skeeter. Claire might be your sister, but up until recently, you two didn’t even know each other. Skeet is really sorry, you know? His way of dealing with pain is by causing more. You of all people know that’s how he expresses himself.”
My body sagged in defeat, my voice scratchy as I spoke.
I was such a fucking push over.
“I fucked it all up, didn’t I?”
“No,” he responded lightly, a loud snort coming from me.
“I dumped all five of you, ran off to partner up with Slash and the Psychos…”
“We all screwed a lot of shit up too. No one’s to blame,” he cut me off, the argument I expected, obviously not going to become an argument.
He wasn’t going to allow it, so I wouldn’t push.
Not this time.
“Can I use your phone to call Diesel to pick me up?”
“Skeet’s already on his way. I messaged him when you wandered down. Is that okay?”
No.
“Yeah, as long as he plays nice,” I mumbled, making him chuckle.
“Help yourself to a shower to wake up a little, if you want. I’ll stay down here to wait for Skeet.”
Wasn’t going to say no to that.
I enjoyed the hot shower, staying in there longer than I needed to.
When I finally got dressed and made my way downstairs, I took a deep breath and headed into the kitchen, my eyes locking straight onto Skeeter’s.
He gave me a playful smirk, breaking any tension that might have been there.
“Hey, baby girl. You ready?”
I nodded, fiddling with my hands awkwardly as I glanced at Caden.
I didn’t even know why I was shy all of a sudden.
Caden rolled his eyes, smiling sweetly at me for reassurance.
“Stay safe, okay? Let me know if you need me.”
I let him wrap me up in his arms and kiss my forehead, giving him a small smile and thanking him before I followed Skeeter outside to the McLaren.
I didn’t think he was going to speak to me at all, but he glanced at me once we were on the road, his voice gentle.
“Are you feeling up for tonight? Going to head to mine first because the guys aren’t running on time. Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah. Hey, Skeet?” I replied, making him hum in response.
Even his hums were sexy.
Fuck.
“I’m sorry I was a bitch.”
“Wouldn’t have you any other way, my little fire Queen,” he chuckled, placing a hand on my knee to stop it bouncing from nerves.
I hesitated before resting my hand on top of his, causing him to glance at me again with question.
“You okay?”
I shrugged, not really sure how to answer him.
“Please tell me you have whisky at home?”
A grin spread across his face, his eyes lighting up with amusement.
“I always have whisky at home for you. Look, I’m sorry I’ve been a little on edge lately. I never meant to hurt you like I did when we had that fight at the shed. I didn’t even know you were really hurt, or I never would’ve left you like that.”
“I wouldn’t have let you stay anyway. What about the shit with Claire?” I asked with more bitterness than intended.
He took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I regret that more than you’ll ever know.”
Well, I couldn’t be fucking mad at him now.
He looked miserable about it.
Good, it was a dick-move.
I peered over at him, my voice quiet.
“Do you believe me when I say I didn’t sleep with Slash or Hunter?”
“I do, baby,” he replied softly without taking his eyes off the road ahead.
“Good,” I mumbled, turning my attention out the window and watching the world go by in silence until we arrived at his house.
He let me inside and I got comfortable on the couch while he grabbed us both a whisky before sitting beside me.
He tossed his cigarettes on the table and turned to me, his voice warm and kind, but I could hear uncertainty in it.
“I love you, Rory. So fucking much.”
I glanced over at him and gave him a tiny smile, watching as his green eyes flickered over my face as he waited for a response.
“I love you too, Skeet.”
He seemed surprised for some reason.
“Really? You still love me?”
“Of course I do,” I sighed, shuffling closer to him and curling up under his tattooed arm.
I felt the change in him as he dropped his guard, his arms going around me as he pressed his cheek to the top of my head.
His voice cracked slightly as he spoke.
“I need you.”
“I’m still here,” I promised, his fingers moving under my chin to tilt my face up to meet his tormented gaze.
“I mean, I need you. Now. Everything’s fucking killing me, and I just need it to stop.”
A hard fuck would make me feel better too, but I wasn’t sure it was a good idea when we were both so raw.
“Skeet…”
“Please, Aurora. I’m fucking drowning here,” he murmured, resting his hand on my cheek and letting me see the pain he’d been hiding in his eyes.
I’d been selfish in mourning Slash, letting everyone look out for me while I let the pain consume me.
Slash had grown up with Skeeter and the Psychos, and I’d completely forgotten to be there for them in return as they dealt with their brother dying right in front of them.
They were breaking too.
I hesitated before placing my hand on the back of his neck to pull him down to kiss me, a loud groan of relief leaving him at my surrender.
He pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling him as he deepened the kiss, his hands running through my hair as he hardened beneath me.
My hands ran up under his shirt so I could rest my palms on his muscular chest as he became rougher with me, yanking my shirt over my head and kissing down my chest almost desperately.
My shoulder pinched from the stiches, but I ignored it as his voice rumbled, opening his heart for me piece by piece.
He wasn’t usually the type to get mushy, so I craved every sweet word he’d willingly give me.
“You’re so fucking beautiful. I need you around me, just so I feel like I can breathe clearly.”
I gasped as he flipped me onto my back and kissed down my body until he reached my sweats, yanking them down my legs impatiently, my panties going flying with them.
He sure as shit didn’t waste any time.
My breath caught as he nipped the inside of my thigh, trailing his lips further up until he wrapped them around my clit, my hips bucking in surprise as he ran his teeth over it gently.
His arm pressed against my stomach firmly, holding me in place as he worked me up until I exploded, my fists gripping his hair tightly as I arched up against his mouth, moaning loudly as I rode his face.
I felt no shame for enjoying it.
I couldn’t physically feel embarrassed around him anymore.
Not after all the things we’d done to each other.
I’d hardly caught my breath when he moved up my body and unlatched my bra, tossing it aside and lifting one of my legs over his shoulder.
He pushed inside me with a hard thrust, and I closed my eyes at the bite of pain.
His body went still above me so I could adjust to the sudden intrusion, which made me worry slightly.
He never worried about hurting me in bed.
Usually he wanted to hurt me.
After a few moments he started moving, not in the rough way that I thought he would, but gently and tenderly as he buried his face in my neck.
I ran my hands ran down his back, and I dug my nails into his skin as he hesitated.
I didn’t like seeing him so unsure with me.
“Skeet? W
hat’s wrong?”
He moved back to meet my gaze, continuing to slowly move inside me.
“Nothing, why?”
“You hate taking it slow,” I frowned, his gentle thrusts slowing even more until he’d stopped completely.
What the fuck?
He sighed, appearing torn.
“I don’t want to hurt you. You’ve got bullet wounds and stitches and…”
“I always loved the fact that you weren’t gentle with me. Maybe I want to hurt. Maybe I need you to be reckless with me to anchor me again,” I said softly, his eyes roaming over my face as if to see if I was lying.
He was trying to do what he thought was the right thing, but it was unnecessary.
“But…”
“But, nothing. Hurt me, I want you to. Fuck me like you hate me,” I whispered, a growl ripping from him before he slammed into me hard, a gasp of surprise leaving me at his sudden change of pace.
Was I going to regret saying that?
Probably.
“Thank fuck. I need that more than you fucking know,” he bit out, and the moment he grabbed his pants from the floor and pulled his blade from the pocket, I knew he was going to give me everything I’d fucking asked for.
Skeeter
I shouldn’t have done it.
I tried to hold back, but I couldn’t.
Not with her.
She ignited a fire so deep inside me, that once I started, I couldn’t control myself.
I knew I’d told Caden and his guys that I’d stop slicing her up, but nothing made me hornier than making her bleed like that.
She was just as fucked up as I was, and she fucking begged me to cut her every time I got my blade out.
No one’s ever gotten to me as much as Aurora, and I had no idea why.
I mean, sure, she was badass and looked super-hot when she was pissed off and staring down her gun, but I was just drawn to her like a magnet from the start.
Her smile, the way her eyes lit up when I pull my blade out and she knew what was coming, the way her lips trail over my skin as if she’s fucking starving for me.
All of it.
Watching her fuck Caden on her birthday nearly made me bust in my fucking boxers.
No one really understood how I tolerated sharing her either.
I saw her less than the others, and I was usually more possessive with things that were mine.
I guessed we had all slowly become a family.
I just needed to convince her to let us all back in.
She was broken.
I was broken.
Fuck, even Holloway’s guys all had a fracture inside themselves that ate away at them all the time.
My gaze trailed over her naked body as she showered, the blood mixing with the water droplets as they ran down her back, and there was nowhere else I’d rather be.
Fuck, how was I hard again?
No wonder Slash had fallen for her too.
She was the light in our fucked-up world, taking our pain away with just a simple smile.
I’m sorry brother.
I wished I’d pushed for her to let him in, instead of trying to keep her away.
You needed her just as much as I fucking did.
Chapter eleven
Rory
I knew the crew were watching me curiously as I walked into the shed with Skeeter after our afternoon sex-spree.
Probably because the fresh cuts along my shoulder were still bleeding slightly and I looked well fucked.
Diesel frowned as I walked up to him and grabbed a bottle of whisky from behind the bar, downing a large mouthful.
My body ached from Skeeter trying to put us both back together with his destruction, and the throbbing ache between my legs was a reminder that he’d never let my thoughts eat me alive.
I didn’t give a fuck if it wasn’t healthy, I could handle the physical pain over the emotional.
Skeeter would always be there to keep me on my feet, regardless of the destructive path we left behind.
Diesel took my hand gently, tugging me closer as he looked at the cuts.
“You okay, babe?”
“No, but I could be worse, I guess. What have you guys been up to?” I asked, swigging on the bottle again.
I wasn’t sure if I needed stitches.
Skeeter said I was fine, but they should have stopped bleeding by now.
“Who cut you up?” He asked, ignoring my question entirely.
I glanced over at Skeeter from across the room, receiving a playful smirk from him before he started talking to one of the other guys.
Diesel snorted. “You two jumped into bed together as a coping mechanism? Those are nastier than normal, Donovan. You need to bandage them up to keep them clean.”
I wanted to snap at him to mind his own business, but I knew he was just worried about me, so I sighed.
“Yeah, I will.”
“C’mon, I’ll do it,” he offered gently, taking my hand again and towing me into the office to rummage through the cupboard for a bandage.
I hesitated before sitting on Slash’s desk, feeling wrong for sitting there now that he was gone.
Guilt nipped at my chest sharply, but I jolted out of it as Diesel walked over with the bandage, giving me a small smile.
“Found one. Hold your arm out and I’ll wrap it right around for you.”
I did as I was told, avoiding his gaze the whole time.
Did anyone blame me for Slash’s choice?
If I’d just stayed away from Skeeter’s life like he’d asked, would it have kept everyone safe?
Once Diesel was finished, he tilted my chin up with his fingers, forcing me to look at him.
So many emotions swam in his worried hazel eyes, but his voice was calm and balanced.
“Everyone copes with loss in their own way. Trust me, I know. You do whatever you need to in order to get through this, but I’ll be here whenever you want to just talk, okay?”
“Who’s going to lead the crew now?” I asked, changing the subject to avoid my buried feelings.
I knew I’d cry again, and I was sick of feeling so helpless and weak.
He shrugged, not seeming fazed.
“We’ll figure that out later tonight. For now, Skeet will step up. Chances are high that he’ll just take over. Most of us knew he would eventually if Slash were to ever step down. Stick by him, alright? He’ll probably need a hand dealing with it all, and you keep him strong. Also, Hunter was looking for you before, so probably go and see him at the warehouse later, yeah?”
I nodded as I climbed off the desk, earning a sly smile from him. “Then again, maybe the guys will want you to lead?”
“Doubt it,” I snorted, making him chuckle as we wandered back out into the main room, where I ran right into Skeeter’s chest.
He gave me a naughty grin, teasing in his light green eyes.
“I know you can’t keep your hands off me, but we have things to sort out, baby girl. You’ll have to be patient.”
I playfully swatted his arm but rolled my eyes.
He wasn’t that irresistible.
Then again, I was always down for a quickie.
“I know. Were you listening to us? Stop loitering around the door like a creeper.”
“Trying to hide things?” He asked as his grin widened, but I motioned to my fresh bandage, my voice sarcastic.
“Not likely. He was just patching me up so I don’t bleed all over the cement.”
“Drama queens, the both of you,” he retorted, turning and sauntering back to the bar.
We hung out with the other crew members for a while, until Skeeter silenced everyone, getting our attention.
“We’ve suffered a major loss to our family, and we will be retaliating. The Soldiers are staying just outside of town, and the Devils are keeping an eye on them for us so we can continue on with everything in the process. One of the first things we need to discuss is leadership.”
One person spoke up, suggesting Sk
eeter just stayed in charge, most others nodding in agreement.
Diesel on the other hand leaned against the bar, cocking his head thoughtfully, not being able to resist stirring the fucking pot.
“I vote for Donovan.”
Quiet chuckles and whispers went around the room as Skeeter raised an eyebrow at him.
“Rory? Why the fuck would you vote her in when she hardly knows how we run, let alone how to actually lead a crew? We’re about to go to fucking war, dick head.”
“It’s what Slash wanted,” he replied casually, taking a journal out of his back pocket and tossed it onto the bar.
Skeeter frowned as he picked it up, flipping through the pages.
He seemed surprised by whatever he was reading silently.
He sighed and looked up at everyone with mixed emotions on his face.
“Slash has a lot of shit written in here that we obviously need to go through. A lot to do with Rory.”
I blinked at him with confusion, a smirk stretching across his face as he watched me.
“Seems even Slash couldn’t help but fall in love with you. Most of his journal is just about you, babe. His desk is yours, his house is yours, his cars, and even his booze is yours. It states it’s all in his will, apparently, so I’ll look into that for you. You’re about to have comfortable money again, trailer trash.”
I shook my head and took a step back, ignoring his joke as I spoke softly.
“No, all of that should go to you guys.”
“If it’s what he wanted, he would have put it in his will. Slash had his own demons to drown, and you soothed them somehow.”
My mind was reeling.
He wanted me to have it all?
Not his crew?
“If Slash wants me to have his house, I will, but use mine for business. It’s under the radar so it’s a safe spot to move drugs and guns. Or kill people, whatever floats your boat,” I shrugged as I tried to keep my expression blank.
I didn’t want to fall apart again in front of them, but I swore I was going into shock again.
Skeeter smirked as the others chuckled at my idea, motioning for me to stand beside him.
“Well, I guess we better put a vote in to figure out this leadership problem. I personally don’t think it’s a safe idea for you to run us, not because you aren’t capable, but because with this war coming, you really need to know how it all works properly first. You’re also a nasty target for other crews.”
