Release

by Jade Chandler

  “You know it, now serve me while I’m young.” I smacked my hand on the bar.

  He slid two pops toward us. Lila and I stood shooting the shit with him until bikers headed his way. We stopped where Dare and Rock talked with Jericho, I wanted to sit with Rock, but he stood, kissed me so hard my knees went weak before he patted my ass. “See you in a bit.” He grinned and glanced over at Lila, approval in his gaze.

  As we moved through the club, I swear Lila talked with every group we passed, introducing me, and chatting. How did she know everyone so well? My brain swam with all the names coming my way. My glass was empty by the time we made it to the door, so we returned to Mark. He gave me a refill.

  “You like it here? The club?” I wanted to be sure he was happy with his choice. Having so many of his former friends abandon him had to be hard. Was that what I had to look forward to?

  He grinned wide and looked just like the kid who’d pushed me on the swings in grade school. “Yeah! Man, this is the right step for me. In fact, Jericho made Rock my sponsor.”

  “He did? When?” I glanced at Lila who didn’t look surprised either. That didn’t seem like some big club secret. I wished Rock had told me. I was glad Mark had him to go to.

  “Couple weeks ago. When I started at Marked Man, learning piercing then tattooing, like an apprenticeship. I’m gonna take a few classes online. The whole enchilada.”

  Mark had always been the artist in our group, and like Glory, I worried he’d never find his path, but now he had.

  “Freakin’ awesome. You know I popped my cherry.” Excited I pulled down my bustier just a bit so he could see my label.

  “I can’t believe you did it. About damn time.”

  “Sounds like I’m too late, too bad sweetie, I’m a master at popping cherries.” A skinny biker with cold steel for eyes flashed a cocky smile my direction.

  Lila leaned over to make eye contact with the biker. “She’s Rock’s property, so down, Vex.”

  He laughed and chills swept up my spine, not the good kind. But I also didn’t want to be weak. Lila moved around me and asked a question. I didn’t hear it because my heart beat too loud to hear anything.

  Mark rested his hand over mine. “Save a spot for when I’m let loose with the ink, I want to write Goof here.” His finger swiped my forehead.

  I pushed his hand away. “Whatever, how’s it going with the parents?”

  He shrugged. “Not a lot of free time to see them but they haven’t disowned me, yet.”

  I was glad his parents weren’t being jerks, not like my parents would be. When, or if, I told them, it wouldn’t go well. But that was a worry for another day, now I had to survive this party. But I was feeling more comfortable now that I had Mark and Lila here. We talked for a few more minutes. A familiar face probably was as welcome for him as it was for me.

  “So prospect, get me some whiskey, JD, the bottle,” Vex barked beside me and I jumped. “Easy there cherry, I’m not a bad guy.”

  Generally people who had to tell you that were not bad guys were definitely bad guys. I gulped, noticing for the first time I’d lost Lila. I scanned the room. Dare, Rock and Lila were out of sight. Shit.

  “I’m Rock’s property, go convince him.”

  Vex moved closer and I made myself stand still.

  “Not so valuable if he abandons you to his slave boy.” He sneered.

  Mark set the bottle down.

  “Go on, prospect. Stay away from me,” he ordered Mark.

  I gave him a silent look but he didn’t even meet my eyes, just moved to the far end of the bar.

  How had I ended up here and why had Lila left me? Because I hadn’t told her I needed to stay with her. I was so stupid.

  “So you wanna take a walk, get to know each other?” His hand closed over my wrist.

  My stomach tried to climb out of me, right up my throat and out my mouth. I needed to channel bad-ass. I met his dead eyes. “I’m Rock’s property, so you’ll need to—”

  “Get your fuckin’ fingers off what’s mine. Like she said.” Rock spoke from behind me, but it didn’t sound like him.

  I’d never heard him pissed off with a dangerous edge to his voice.

  His hand clasped my wrist. “Go to Mama, follow her.” He sort of flung me behind him.

  I stumbled, eyes filling with tears. Lila tugged me along down a hall and through a door to a cheap imitation of a hotel room. Bed, nightstand, closet, bathroom. It smelled like Lysol and stale cigarette smoke. Shaken more than I wanted to even think about, I sat on the bed.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were supposed to stay with me?” Lila hissed. “Damn, Avery, I’ve never seen Rock so pissed.”

  “Way to cheer me up.” I buried my head in my hands. “Why did that guy treat me like that?”

  “You can’t just make it up as you go. A lot of these guys have no respect for women, for other bikers, for anything. And you just walked into the smelliest pile of shit you could.”

  I was trying to understand what I’d done wrong, but the door crashed open. Rock glowered at us and pointed to the door. Lila hurried out.

  He kicked it shut and a loud boom echoed in the room.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rock

  I laced my hands behind my head and sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the fuck down. Not even smashing Vex’s nose, breaking it I bet, did anything to calm me down. I counted backward, focusing on each breath. I held tight to my temper, hating when I didn’t control my anger. I wasn’t like my no-good father and brother.

  I’d walked out of the hallway to see one of my biggest fears. Renegade’s right-hand-man with his hands on my girl. If Mark hadn’t texted me, I wouldn’t even have known she was in trouble. She’d ignored my command, and shit had gone bad. But I’d taken satisfaction, maybe too much satisfaction, in breaking Vex’s nose—no one touched my girl.

  Staring at the dull paneled wall I started counting backward again. The only noise in the room was Avery’s quiet sniffles. She tore my fucking heart out of my chest, and I doubted she even understood the danger or the consequences for me. Impossible for her to know anything since she wasn’t part of the club.

  “You didn’t even bother to tell Mama you were her shadow.” Anger had replaced the blood in my veins.

  She shook her head no, but didn’t look at me.

  “Look into my eyes,” I commanded.

  Slowly her head came up.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she nodded and then opened her mouth.

  “I’ll tell you when to speak.” I paced the length of the room. “I can’t tell you how many things you put in danger tonight.” I moved to her, staring down into her sad, water-logged eyes. But I couldn’t let that change what I had to do. “Obviously you, which is bad enough, but you put Mark in even more fucking danger.”

  I never asked for the leadership role but now that I was in charge of the shop and Mark, I took my responsibilities seriously. I understood the code of silence we maintained, but I fucking hated seeing the consequences. If I’d been able to tell her, then maybe she’d have listened.

  No, that wasn’t the club.

  Hell, there was tons of shit I didn’t know. Rule number one—you did what you were told, asked questions if you wanted, but no answers were guaranteed. Now I had access to shit other brothers didn’t know, she’d have to trust me, obey me when we were at the club. Otherwise I’d go insane, knocking out every brother she came across because I would protect her at any cost.

  She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. Endangering Mark was the last thing she’d choose to do, but she did it all the same. When we weren’t at the club, I never told her what to do, hell I was happy letting her set the agenda. Had that been my mistake? How had this party turned into my nightmare?

&n
bsp; “He’s property, any brother says dance like a fucking chicken, he has to do it. If he refuses he gets beat or kicked out, and he’s mine, so by fucking with my woman in front of my prospect, Vex was pissing all over me.” Anger exploded in my head. I smashed my fist into the bathroom door, leaving a hole in the center. Damn hollow doors anyway.

  “How can this shit work between us if I can’t trust you?”

  “Why? Why didn’t you explain it to me?” Tears ran down her cheeks.

  I wanted to kiss those tears away, and I wanted to make her ass bright red for disobeying me. The conflicting emotions fueled my anger. “You will never get answers like that. I’m part of the club, at most, you become my property, property of the club, like Mama. Brothers, especially the club leadership, don’t share club business with their old ladies. You get that by making me head of the shop it put me in that fucking group?”

  Her eyes widened. “You are?”

  I blew out a frustrated breath. “Yeah. And you’re outside the club, so I can’t and won’t tell you shit about what I do here. That’s the whole reason you fucking do exactly what I say when I say it. You’ll never have enough information to make your own decisions here. Maybe you need to rethink if this works for you.” I’d forced those words out of my mouth despite the crack splitting my soul into sharp, nasty pieces.

  I wasn’t a leader, a fighter. Tonight was the first time in my five years as a brother I’d hit another club member. I didn’t fight my brothers, hell I’d fought for them. The rage that flooded me when I spied that motherfucker’s hand on my girl—it scared me. Maybe I was as vile as my dad after all, full of that same rage.

  Avery stood, bringing me out of my head and back to this moment. Was it the last moment of my happiness?

  “I’m sorry. I’ll do better, I need you, need us so much, please don’t send me away.”

  My arms went around her, pulling her tight to me, unable to resist anymore. She sobbed into my chest, I gathered her in my arms and brought her to the bed, holding her tight. My body constricted but I kept my hold gentle on the woman in my arms.

  I should let the whip fall and take the pain. Breaking the connection now would be best for both of us, but I’d gone weak and made it a choice. I hope she learned the lesson because I never wanted to feel like this again.

  I’d woken up this morning hard from a dream about her. Red ropes around her tiny wrists and ankles secured her to my bed. A silk blindfold caressed her face. I stared down at her with my tools of pleasure at my side. I could still hear her moans and taste her cream, that’s how real the dream was. Now I shook with anger, not able to trust what I’d say.

  “Rock.” Avery sniffed.

  I flinched and met her red, puffy gaze. I’d fallen for those eyes the color of Jameson that first night we danced together.

  “Do you agree you were wrong?”

  She nodded but kept her gaze on her fingers, which fluttered in circling swirls on my chest.

  “And being wrong, you need to be disciplined.” I crossed my arms.

  “I’ve always thought it’d be sexy in my fantasies.” Her cheeks burned brighter but her sweet gaze met mine.

  “Almita, how could I say no to that?” I was a man on a mission. “You get naked. I’ll be back.”

  “Here?” she squeaked.

  “Yup. Get ready. I’ll be back.” I closed the door behind me.

  I moved to the small bedroom next to Jericho’s pad. Mostly it was a store room for this kind of thing. I walked through the maze of boxes and the bed that was a tiny single sleeper to the chest of drawers on the far wall. It was always stocked with new items for almost every kink a biker could think of. I found the red rope and matching blind fold. I snagged a variety of tools for sensation play, and one small flogger for her ass. I stuffed it all in a sack and grabbed one of the black trays on top of the chest. Humming, I debated scenarios that would bring her the most pleasure, maybe even a few she might be too shy to ask for.

  I opened the door and ran into Zero. He gazed down before he gave me a shit-eating grin.

  “Shut it.” I bumped his shoulder passing him.

  “Looks like you’re having fun.” He shouted after me.

  Of course that led to a chorus of questions from the main room. I flipped them all the bird and entered the room where I’d left her. She lay on the bed spread eagle, perfectly positioned to be tied to the bed.

  “Beautiful.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “I see binding interests you.” I caressed her cheek. “You should have told me.”

  She crinkled her nose. “I thought binding was a thing with discipline.”

  “It can be, and will be tonight.”

  Her nipples pebbled into tight nubs.

  “I’m punishing you, dominating you, but this is our first time, so I want to hear every thought you have. We’re experimenting. I must know what you feel, think, like. And you will be rewarded or punished based on how you follow commands.

  “Final thing we need is a safe word for you, so I know if I ever push outside your limits.”

  “Stop?”

  “That works for me.”

  “I will tell you what I’m doing and you share your thoughts.” I leaned down and brought out the ruby red blindfold. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lift your head.” I slipped the blindfold in place and tugged on the slide to secure it tightly to her face. “Lie back. I’ll secure you.”

  “Yes.” Her fast shallow breaths made her tits bounce.

  I set up my work station on the table next to the bed, with the bindings, ticklers, a variety of textured cloths, temperature teasers, an assortment of clamps and two vibrators.

  Silk ropes in hand I turned to her. She worried her lip with head tilted listening to every noise. I trailed my finger down her beautiful arm. She sucked in a breath, a shiver stole down her arm. I stopped and waited. Her arm twitched, but I stood silently finger unmoving. Seconds ticked by and her mouth showed her shifting emotions. I definitely hadn’t paid enough attention to those expressive lips.

  “I thought you’d never touch me, then you did and I didn’t know touching my inner arm could excite me.”

  “Good girl.” I wrapped the red rope around her arm to her wrist in three loops before tying it tight to the corner post. Taking the second rope, I trailed it across her tits and down her stomach.

  “It tickles and excites me.”

  I stepped around the bed to her right hand and tied it again.

  “Why not one side at a time? I like the sensations, but it surprised me. I’ve never been tied up before.”

  Satisfaction quelled some of the rawness the anger created. I didn’t answer but moved to her feet, tying first her left ankle and then her right. Her toes wiggled, on impulse I bit her big toe.

  “You did not just bite my toe,” she squealed. “And I just didn’t like it.” That part was barely a whisper.

  “You are delicious tied up like a beautiful present just for me.”

  “I’m just for you.”

  Her words hit me hard and settled deep inside me. I started with my tongue on her inner ankle, moving slowly up her slim, half-moon calves, continuing until I’d traced all but her most intimate parts with my tongue.

  “I need you to make me come, I can’t stand the way I feel. Out of control yet not satisfied.”

  “That is exactly the perfect way to feel right now.”

  Her mouth made the perfect pout.

  “You will feel a pinch to your nipple.” I attached first one padded clamp and trailed the cool metal chain across her chest before attaching the second. “Too much?”

  “It hurts, but not too much.” Her words were both rushed and hesitant.

  “If it does hurt too much I command you to tell me im
mediately.”

  “I will.”

  For a moment all I could do is stare at her, so beautiful in her ropes and chain. Focused on her neck, I bent and nipped the jugular, letting a bit of my excitement transfer to my kisses.

  “More please. I love this.”

  I sucked the other side of her neck. When she arched up I fingered the chain, exerting the slightest pressure.

  “Fuck that’s so good. More, now.”

  “Good girl.” I dropped the chain and lightly kissed her lips. When she hungrily tried to devour me with her kiss, I stepped away, just out of reach, but I’m sure she could feel my breath on her. She relaxed onto the bed, waiting.

  I peppered kisses on her chin, her nose and hairline before returning to her lips. This time she didn’t try to take control of the kiss, even when I shifted the chain to her nipple clamps from side to side with my pinky.

  Her body squirmed. I moved away.

  “I feel so alive, every touch affects me so much. I want to burst free and take what I want but then you do something new and I want to see what you will do next. It confuses me.”

  “It is my job to know your body and how to give you the most pleasure you can take.”

  “But what about you?”

  I peeled off my jeans. “Taste this.” I guided my cock into her mouth. “I may even be more turned on than you.” I let her tongue lap at my tip, sharp stabs of need shot through me, reminding me of the pleasure-pain I experienced when a cane struck my back.

  “Stop now.”

  Her greedy tongue sucked faster. I stepped back and tugged the nipple chain.

  “Ow.” Her surprised hurt stung me, but she needed to understand the immediacy of commands.

  “Why did you hurt me?”

  “I gave a command, you didn’t follow it, so what happens?”

  “Punishment.” She whispered the word and turned her head from me.

  I chose the feather and sensation glove, each finger a different texture. With care, I removed the clamps to reveal red, irritated patches that spread from her nipples.

  “I didn’t need them removed, but it feels good. Did you do it because you feel bad?”