Release

by Jade Chandler

  She was running from the woods, still pulling down her shirt. I’d interrupted naughty Dare time, too bad. He followed behind looking none too happy.

  “What?”

  “Rock asked me to be his old lady, just now! Isn’t that the best? I mean—”

  She hugged me to her. “We’ll be biker sisters.” Tears streaked both of our faces.

  I heard the back door smack back against the frame and turned to see Rock coming out just in jeans, totally barefoot—why were men in jeans and bare feet so freaking sexy?

  “Good going, bro. You need someone who wins at poker.” Dare gave him a back slap hug. “When you doing it?”

  “Fuck, tonight, whenever.”

  “No, not tonight we got plans—”

  “Red,” Dare growled.

  “What about Saturday?” She looked to me. “We have all day tomorrow to shop.”

  I glanced to Rock and he had a big stupid smile on his face, so I nodded. “Saturday, when the sun sets, and the party starts.”

  Rock moved to me. “Give me back my woman.” He frowned at Lila then laughed. “All mine.”

  “Dude, you gotta let everyone know.” Dare clapped his back and they walked inside together.

  The rest of the day floated past. Rock didn’t let me two steps away from him all night, which irritated Lila, since she wanted to plan, but we’d declared tomorrow shopping day, so she’d just have to wait.

  We went to bed early but not to sleep, he stared at me with a soft smile. “I need to make love to you tonight.”

  My body stilled. I needed what he’d just promised.

  “Almita, you are perfect for me, too good, but I’m going to take you anyway.” He knelt between my legs and slid a finger through my seam. “Ready for me before I even touch you.”

  “Touch here.” I pointed to my lips, not wanting him so far away from me, no matter what wonderful things he could do, I needed his lips to mine, his heartbeat to my heartbeat. “Make love to me.”

  “Hell.” He worked up my body and his cock pushed at my opening.

  I shifted my hips trying to seat him inside me, but he moved just enough to frustrate my attempt.

  “You are beautiful, kind, funny, sneaky at poker, and mine.” He pushed into me then and I arched to meet him, but once he filled me he stopped moving. “And this gift, to be bare inside you, no words for that.” He circled his hips.

  I groaned as he stretched me, teased me. Two could play that game. I clenched my inner walls tight squeezing him.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tugged him closer until I could taste his lips, sweet with a hint of whiskey. Invading his mouth, I moved my tongue in and out faster, and his rhythm matched our kiss. My body lit up and I kissed deeper holding on, wanting to be as close to him as possible. When I tightened my muscles around his cock again, he pulled back and ended the kiss before driving into me. “You. Are. Mine.” He matched the words to his movements.

  “I love you. I’m yours forever.”

  Eyes widening, Rock’s face transformed, suddenly he pounded into me. “Hell yes, you are,” he panted. “Come with me.”

  I thrust up to meet him and together we raced toward a climax, bodies slapping, gulping breaths. I shuddered, my womb tightened in release. “I love you.”

  Rock groaned and I felt him come inside me, pure bliss. Then, in that brief moment, I was one with him in every way. He made me braver, released me from a cage—the cage of conventions my family had forced on me. With him, I could soar as high as I dreamed, and he’d always be right there with me.

  * * *

  The next day Lila and I headed out before ten for our girls’ day, all in preparation of becoming Rock’s old lady. It was an hour into the nearest decent town, and I hoped they had what I wanted, I’d give anything to find a shop like mine since a six-hour round trip was overboard, even for me.

  I’d called Glory this morning and she’d sounded dead tired, but she’d answered. She pretended to be happy for me, but she was at least as worried as happy. Life in Vegas was kicking her ass, at least that’s what she said, but I had my doubts anything could keep her down long. I’d hung up, nostalgic and disappointed, not even my best friend since before grade school could let go and be happy for me.

  “God, this is so great.” Lila beamed at me. She sat in the middle of the truck cab and Mark drove us into town.

  “Fucking A.” Mark slammed his hand on the steering wheel honking the horn. “My Goof as part of my family.”

  Rock had assigned Mark to escort duty and while I didn’t get the need for a biker bodyguard, I didn’t argue, especially not since it was Mark, my only other friend I’d had since we’d started school. He’d been our next door neighbor and Chet’s best friend, even though he’d been a year older, my age.

  All the way to town, I gave them the blow by blow of how Rock had asked me, well technically I’d asked him first—but the first time didn’t count since he was completely wasted.

  Mark snorted when I got to that part. “You don’t ask the biker, Goof.”

  “I didn’t mean to, but he kept going on about how there were dangers I didn’t know.”

  I caught the look that passed between Lila and Mark, but kept talking. “So I said, make me part of it, you know how I hate not knowing, and we’d already told each other we loved each other so, then last night when I was using the paddle—”

  Mark coughed.

  “I never heard that story.” Lila smacked my thigh. “Don’t keep the good stuff to yourself.”

  I gave her a smug smile, knowing exactly how to shut her up. “Trade you story for story—Dare for Rock.” She never wanted to share any of their sexy times no matter how I’d begged.

  “Deal.”

  “What the hell?”

  “Please, no,” Mark said at the same time I spoke.

  “You’re on, Mark will just have to get over his scars.” She patted his cheek.

  “Please, ear plugs. I don’t wanna know that shit about my brothers, especially not from the chick side.”

  “Too bad.” I’d waited way too long to hear these details. “You go first.” I pointed to Lila. “And you might learn something.” I frowned at Mark who already had a red face.

  “Just never tell the guys, they’d kill me.”

  “Deal,” I said again and Lila nodded.

  “Dare has a thing for knots and restraints—it’s the real reason he furnished my place.” She stared off into the distance, and I bet she was reliving one of those times.

  Lila squeezed me in a one-armed hug. “When I became an old lady,” she glanced at Mark like she was apologizing, “Dare put ben-wa balls and a plug in me, I was so aroused, Bear thought I was high.”

  Mark sputtered.

  “So that’s why you were so...freaky.” I laughed. “You were hot and bothered. I couldn’t figure it out.”

  She shrugged. “Spectacular sex.”

  “Is that why I heard him scream?” Mark shut his mouth and turned away. “Shit forget I said a goddamn thing, I want to live longer.”

  “I learned how to use a paddle, Rock likes pain.” I shot Mark a look that said I’d kill him if he ever spoke a word.

  “Fuck, all the brothers know that.” He grinned.

  Lila nodded.

  “But you don’t know I had to have ten strokes of the tools she taught me. And you know I hate pain.” I bit my lip. “And I plan to go back for more lessons.”

  “So we both have kinky-ass men, and do you like it, I mean really like it, not just for him?” She peered at me like she wanted to read my soul.

  Pausing, I thought about it, not in the heat of the minute, but really thought it through. Last night’s session had turned me on in a way I never expected. The power felt good, but more, the ad
renaline kick of giving what he needed had driven me insane. Yeah, I liked it, and even more, I liked being his—knowing he protected me released me to expand my boundaries.

  “Totally. I mean, not at first, but Marr—”

  “One cool Domme.” Mark nodded.

  I studied him. “Pain, domination, or humiliation?”

  Fire truck red now, he glanced back to the road. “I pick door two on occasion.”

  “She said I have a natural submissive and dominant headspace, whatever the hell that means.” I sighed. “We’ve become friends, but she’s out there, not the easiest person to befriend.”

  “Avery, you can be friends with anyone.” Lila laughed. “Hell, I’m not even sure you’ve ever met a person you couldn’t be friends.”

  “So the sex is fantastic.” Lila stated it in a way that didn’t need answered but I was compelled anyway.

  “What’s the word above fantastic? That’s what it is. We’ve been living together, and so this seemed like the next thing.” I frowned at both of them. “Since it seems like he wants to tell me shit, but I have to have the cut to know it. And of course because I’m crazy for him.”

  “You know.” She frowned at me as Mark slowed, hitting the town limits. “There’s a lot, and I mean a lot, Dare never tells me and I can’t even ask—it’s a rule. You can’t either, some things he’ll tell you, but not much.” She stared hard at Mark. “Never repeat this.”

  His eyes widened and shook his head.

  “It pisses me off still.” Lila did a credible imitation of her man’s pissed-off expression. “And that does me no damn good, but it’s the one thing I don’t like, but not enough to even amount to a gnat’s ass of all the shit I love about him, and my life now.”

  I blew out a breath and thought about what to say. “I hear you.” I didn’t want to hear her because she was warning me, not as my best friend, but as an old lady that I couldn’t push that door, it had to stay closed.

  Mark met my gaze, nodded and I nodded back, yup, message received.

  We ended up in four different stores before we finally found one that had some biker stuff. I wanted a leather skirt, all the other stores had nothing but crappy pleather imitations. I found two and went to their bathroom/dressing room. When I came back, Lila was gone, but Mark wolf whistled and had me twirl. Lila rushed into the store right as I paid for the skirt and some new sexy undies. She had her own bag tucked under her arm.

  “What did you buy?”

  “You’ll see tomorrow.” She held her sack tighter and walked up to the counter. The guy behind the counter wore a cut and gave Lila a nod of respect, even though he wasn’t Brotherhood. “So we’re patching in a new old lady at the lake.” She pointed to me. “Any chance you got a pull away top to do a reveal deal?”

  The gray-bearded guy grinned. “Don’t stock ’em on the floor but I keep a few like that for the boys in the club.”

  I suddenly had an idea what was in her bag. “You got me a special shirt.” I hugged her.

  “I will not admit to any such thing.” She laughed along with the guy who showed us to the back storeroom where there was a bunch of Four Horsemen, their club, merchandise. “Now I always put our patch on these, but I do it when we need one, so I got five here, maybe a bit big for you.” He appraised me in a way that was creepy. “You’d be small but I only got medium and bigger.”

  “Medium works great.” My cheeks turned hot.

  He chuckled. “You blush a nice shade of pink.” Handing me the shirt he moved back to the front.

  “How much do I owe you?” Lila asked him once we were back out front.

  “It’s yours, with the good wishes of the Horsemen.”

  “Thank you.” Lila grinned as we left together.

  “That was creepy.” The old guy gave me chills.

  Mark squeezed my arm. “He’s all right, just fucking with you a little.”

  We stopped for lunch and drove back to the lake. I heard the party before we turned down the dirt road to the cabins. I hopped out and hurried for the crowd of bikers hoping to find my guy. Money changed hands as we approached.

  “Shit, missed it by thirty damn minutes.” Zero complained, weaving on his feet.

  In the middle of the bikers, Rock was sprawled on the dock, out cold. Dare walked over to us, maybe the most sober person there, not that he was close to sober.

  “Had to show our boy off in style, he’d been holding out, holding on until Jericho challenged the fucker to a drinking contest, and that’s all there was.”

  “Goddammit, I’m barely drunk,” Jericho slurred. “I need a new opponent.”

  Zero sat across from him, but I turned away.

  “Do I need to—”

  “Prospects will carry him to bed in a bit. You good?”

  I wasn’t sure what he was asking me.

  He waved at someone behind me. “Keep her safe.”

  I turned to find Mark jogging up from the dock. Dare nodded to me. “Watch her. Got me?”

  Mark nodded. “Got it.”

  Then Dare swept Lila up in his arms and carried her toward their cabin. That had been my plan for the afternoon.

  “Now what?” I kicked the grass, out of sorts to have my plans ended and nothing to do.

  “We’ll cook, the ones that stay upright will need food.” So I followed Mark through the house grabbing brats while he pulled out the burgers and we walked to the grill. Once we’d got the charcoals hot and the food cooking I sat with my feet propped up.

  “This good for you?” I asked him while he faced the grill.

  He kept flipping and I thought he wouldn’t answer. He turned to me with his face dead serious. “Yeah. It’s where I belong, just wish I hadn’t waited so damn long.” He took a pull on his beer and sat next to me. “This good for you?”

  I frowned, thinking I’d answered him already.

  “Not what you’re getting, what you gave up?” He drank deeper. “I gave it up too.”

  I’d hoped better of his parents. “I was sure your parents—”

  “They ain’t pleased, but we text and call some, but man my older brother, and sister, they’re done with me and our old friends—gone.”

  “Not Chet.” I frowned, hoping my little bro hadn’t lied to me.

  He sighed. “Not Chet, he’s a lot like my parents. Not ready to give up on me, but not there for me either, not that I expected it...”

  But he had. He’d expected his best friend, my brother, to stick by him.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you heard about my dad’s craziness and my mom too, I’m,” my throat constricted, “dead to them. But, I think our friends and my family were gone long before I made this decision. Glory found her place, we found ours.”

  Renegade sauntered back then and my stomach dropped to the floor. What if he sent Mark away? Why was everyone afraid of him? Shit, I knew too little and feared a lot more.

  “Go on boy, give me some privacy.”

  I stared over at Mark afraid he had to go.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t go, Dare’s orders to stay with her until Rock or he relieves me.” Mark stood by me, tall and strong.

  I was never as grateful as I was at that moment.

  Renegade’s face twisted into an ugly snarl then just smoothed out. “No never mind, better this way, I wanted to congratulate Rock, but he’s out cold, so I extend my congratulations to you. You must love him to give up everything for him.”

  “I do love him.”

  “You know that when you become his property everything you own becomes his, and by default ours—I mean the Brotherhood’s.”

  My stomach flipped and chest constricted as his words hit a secret worry that I’d successfully ignored until now.

  “You’re lying,” I blurted. “Rock wou
ld have said.”

  “Bitch,” He was inches from me in a second. “Never call me a liar.” His fetid breath was hot on my skin.

  “I ain’t heard of any property clause like that,” Mark piped up. “You need to move back. She’s not yours.”

  I gawked at Mark. There wasn’t a bit of fear in his eyes as he faced down Renegade.

  “Then you ain’t read your bylaws.” Renegade’s laugh was low and creepy. “No reason to lie when the truth is so easy to verify. I can’t believe your boy didn’t even tell you. Well, true love and all that.” He strolled away whistling.

  I turned to Mark, anger and fear warring inside me. “Black Label is mine, right, he was blowing smoke up our ass?”

  Mark had already started moving to the house, I followed not wanting to be left alone.

  “This is where you’re supposed to say, ‘Right, Goof, your love would never lie to you or take what’s yours.’”

  In his room, Mark rooted through his backpack and pulled out a stapled set of papers. He flipped through and read. “Motherfucking bastard,” Mark exploded. “It’s right here in black and white, by default the business is considered your old man’s and he pays a percentage to the club.” Mark’s sad eyes met mine. “He wasn’t lying.”

  “I gotta go, gotta get out of here. I can be property, be less, but no one takes her, Mark, I’ve babied my store, built her, for me, not this stupid biker gang. I’m going, leaving...” I thought about Rock and my soul broke into shards. Why hadn’t he told me? Only one reason—to have me all wrapped up in his world before he took what was mine. “Give me paper.”

  Mark handed me the back of the bylaws page I’d just read. I wrote:

  I love you and you lied to me. Was it always about my business or is that just a bonus? How can I ever trust you again? Goodbye. Avery.

  I really didn’t think he wanted me for my business, but he could definitely have not told me so I’d be his. But what did I know? The Rock I loved wouldn’t have done either. I laid the note on the night stand next to a hangover cure, one last kindness. Tears plopped from my chin down on the paper, but what did I care. I picked up my purple bag and almost ran down the hall to the front door.