by Olivia Jones
Mr. Kramer began to cry. “Please don't kill me. I'll never touch a woman again. I swear it!”
Mason looked to Caleb. “Did you believe that?”
Caleb thought about it for a moment, tapping his finger to his chin. “Seemed a little forced to me.”
Mason nodded. “Yeah maybe we should just shoot him and get out of here.” I loved the way he interrogated people. He played with them until they almost exploded.
“Fuck, fuck!” Mr. Kramer waved his hands. “I'll do anything you ask. Just don't kill me.”
Mason lowered his gun. “Fine. We'll let you off with a warning. You better thank your wife when you see her. We're only keeping you alive because she requested it.”
“I will,” he replied desperately.
Mason lowered his gun and nodded to me. I begun stuffing all the cash from the poker table into my pocket. There was probably only a thousand dollars but it would a nice addition to what Mrs. Kramer paid us.
Mason walked away and Slade approached Mr. Kramer. We weren't going to kill him but we weren't going to leave him unharmed either. Slade grinned and cracked his knuckles. Big Mike grabbed Mr. Kramer by the arms and hoisted him up. Two minutes later and Mr. Kramer was spitting blood and teeth onto the ground. His black eyes were going to be ten times worse than his wife.
We left Mr. Kramer and went back outside to our bikes. Slade was wiping the blood off his fists and Isaac couldn't stop laughing about the piss. In the corner of my eye, I spotted one of Mr. Kramer's friends. He had a gun pointed right at Isaac. I yelled for him to get out of the way but it was too late. The gun fired sending two bullets into Isaac's left chest and shoulder. I watched as Isaac fell to the ground, his mouth opened in shock
I lifted my gun and returned fire—the safety was still on. I cursed and flicked the switch. The shooter turned towards me but I let him have it. I emptied my entire clip into him as I walked forward, screaming at the top of my lungs. The man's head exploded like a watermelon, spraying massive amounts of blood everywhere. I pulled the trigger a few more times but the gun was empty.
I ran over to Isaac and Caleb was already by his side, holding his hand. Blood spat out of his mouth as he tried to talk.
“I couldn't warn you in time,” I told him, bending down on my knees. The rest of the MC members surrounded us.
“We need to get him to the hospital,” Caleb shouted.
Isaac shook his head and coughed hard. He tried to speak but nothing came out. I put my hands on his chest to apply pressure and tried to stop the bleeding. But with the way things looked, Isaac was in bad shape.
All I could think about was that the only one who could save him was Grace. I gathered Isaac's body in my arms and lifted him to the van. But it was too late. He went limp and when I laid him down in the van, he was already gone.
“No dammit!” I yelled at him. I slammed my hands on his chest, hoping to bring him back.
Caleb pried me off him. “He's gone, Tanner.”
I turned towards Mason, my eyes tearing up. “If only I had seen him a second sooner.”
Mason began to cry and hugged me. “It's not your fault, Tanner. There's nothing you could have done.”
Caleb went back into the coffee shop and shot off two rounds. Mr. Kramer was dead now too.
“We need to get out of here,” Slade said. “The cops will be swarming around here any minute.”
Mason nodded and released me from the hug. “We'll take his body to the clubhouse. Everyone meet back there.”
I stumbled back to my bike in shock. I couldn't believe it. Isaac was gone. Over something so stupid.
Chapter Sixteen
Grace
I arrived at the apartment and the smell of chicken and potatoes were in the air.
“I'm home,” I announced, throwing my purse on the floor next to the door.
“I'm in the kitchen,” Rachel replied.
I wandered in to a mess of pots, pans, and a lot of smoke. “Did you try and cook dinner?”
“Only the potatoes are burnt. The chicken came out really nice,” Rachel gave me a half-smile.
“You've never cooked dinner before,” I stated.
“I thought it would be nice after the hell you went through last night. And because I wanted to celebrate.”
“Celebrate?”
Rachel fixed the plates and set them at the small dinner table. I sat down with her and the smell of the food was a lot better than it looked. I took my first bite of chicken and it melted on my tongue. How could she make something so good?
Rachel took a bite of potatoes and spat them out. “So I went out today...and found a job!”
“What?” I dropped my fork on the plate. “You finally got a job?”
Rachel nodded. “Photographer's assistant at a studio.”
“I didn't even know you were into photography.” I took a bite of the burnt potatoes and spat them back out too. At least the chicken was good.
“I didn't know either. I saw a help wanted sign on the way to the grocery store. I popped my head in and they hired me on the spot.”
I wiped my mouth with the napkin. “We really do need to celebrate.” I went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine that was half-full.
Rachel clapped her hands in delight. I poured our glasses and returned to the table.
“What's wrong, Grace? You seem happy but I can tell something's bothering you. Still thinking about Tanner?”
I was hoping I could hide my feelings. But Rachel knew me too well. “He came by the hospital today.”
Rachel slammed her glass down. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “He wanted to apologize.”
She rolled her eyes and took a sip of wine. “Of course he did.”
I sighed, trying not to stress out too much. “I didn't even really listen to him and walked away.”
Rachel smiled and returned to her food. “Good girl. Better to give him no satisfaction. Maybe he won't try the same thing twice with the next woman.”
Next woman? I didn't even want to think about Tanner with anyone else but me.
I finished my red wine and grabbed the bottle and set it at the table. “But maybe I should've heard him out. I kind of ditched him at the bar without hearing his explanation.”
Rachel waved me off. “There could be no valid explanation for what he did to you. You just need to forget and move on. I was thinking about trying this pilates class next door to the photography studio tomorrow morning. We should do it together. It will keep your mind off all this bad stuff.”
“That sounds fun. It's been a long time since we've gone out and done anything together.”
“Beats watching the same movie over and over again.”
“I'll cheers to that.” We clinked glasses and giggled the night away. My sister always knew how to make me feel better. But now that she had a job, was she going to move out? There was a time that I begged her to leave. But we were so close now. The thought of living alone terrified me. I couldn't even bring up the question to her.
A knock at the door interrupted our girl time. “I'll get it,” Rachel said.
She left me at the table and I listened hard to see who it was. “What are you doing here?” Rachel mumbled.
My curiosity got the best of me. Who would be coming by at this hour? I got up and approached the door. Rachel kept the door open a sliver and blocked the way. “You need to go away now,” she repeated. “Grace never wants to see you again.”
“Just please let me see her.” The voice was so familiar. I pushed Rachel to the side and opened the door all the way. Tanner was standing there, his head down, his hands and clothes covered in blood. This couldn't be the same strong man who saved my life.
I pushed Rachel out of the way. “Come in.” I grabbed Tanner's arm and pulled him inside.
“What are you doing, Grace?” Rachel yelled.
“Let me handle this. Stay in your room, Rachel.”
Rachel waved a finger at me. “If he lay
s a hand on you, by god, I'll kill him.”
Chapter Seventeen
Tanner
Somehow I ended up at Grace's apartment. I didn't even remember riding here. “I'm sorry Grace, I didn't know where else to go.” Tears fell down my cheeks.
“Are you injured,” she asked, checking my body.
I shook my head. “I don't think so.”
“Let's get you fixed up.” Grace took my arm and led me to the bathroom.
I felt like a zombie as I followed her down the hallway. Her sister peeked at me through a cracked door and then closed it. Not the best first impression.
“Take off your bloody clothes and I'll wash it for you. A nice warm shower will make you feel better,” Grace said softly. She went under the sink and pulled out a fresh towel.
I stood there while she turned the knobs and made the water hot. I pulled off my bloody t-shirt and remembered Isaac dying in my arms. I collapsed onto the bathroom floor, sobbing. Grace bent down and held me.
“What happened?” she asked.
The tears burned my throat and I could barely speak. “The guy came out of nowhere and fired. I tried to warn him but it was too late.”
“Who? Who did you try to warn?”
“Isaac...he's dead.” I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't find the words to explain what happened.
“I'm so sorry, Tanner.” Grace held me close, her fingers massaging my scalp. I cried like a little baby, my face pressed against her chest. I had lost MC members before but Isaac was different. He had been there ever since I joined and we were close. He felt like a true brother to me. And now he was gone.
“He died in my arms, Grace. I tried to get him to you but I wasn't fast enough.”
Grace put her fingers to my lips. “Hush. You did everything you could.”
I don't know for how long we sat on the cold bathroom floor. Time didn't seem to matter anymore. Grace just held me until I was finished crying.
I reached for toilet paper and used it to blow my nose. “I'm sorry you had to see that. Isaac would be laughing at me right now for being such a little bitch.”
Grace shook her head. “He knew you cared for him.”
I looked up at Grace, her face only inches from mine. I stared into her eyes, wondering how somebody as hot as her could still be single. She was everything I ever wanted. I glanced down to her full and parted lips. I bet she tasted good.
I reached up and planted my lips on hers. Grace breathed in sharply, pulling me in. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pushed my body against her. She tasted better than I ever could've imagined.
Chapter Eighteen
Grace
I deal with death everyday of my life. I learned early on that you can't save everyone. No matter how much experience you have—sometimes people just die.
I wished I could take away all of Tanner's pain and anguish. He didn't explain exactly what happened but I got the idea that one of the members was shot and killed. What were they doing? It didn't matter. My poor King.
I held him close on the bathroom tiles for what seemed like hours. His whimpering slowly faded away and he blew his nose and cleaned up his face. Kiss me, dammit! I didn't want to force it. He might not be in the mood.
Tanner looked deep into my eyes. My heart beat quickened and the butterflies crashed around in my stomach. He leaned in and kissed me. Time froze as his tongue ran over my lips and into my mouth. I moaned against him as our heads moved side to side.
My hands rested on his strong chest, the black widow tattoo burning brightly. Tanner bent my neck and nestled in my crook, showering me with kisses. He tugged at my baggy shirt that I suddenly felt embarrassed about for wearing. I didn't know an unbelievably sexy man was going to drop by. I thought it was just going to be a quiet night with Rachel.
Tanner pulled the shirt over my head and marveled at my big breasts in a lacy black bra. His fingers traced over my peaks, sending shivers down my spine. He kissed me again on the lips and moved his way down my neck and to my chest. I unhooked my bra and threw it across the bathroom. Steam from the hot shower was filling the room. Tanner pinched my nipples until I cried out. He rubbed them between his fingers, elongating them.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?” Tanner asked.
I shook my head and my face flushed crimson.
Tanner bent over and sucked on my left breast. I held his head against my chest, taking in every little sensation. The teasing was absolutely tortuous. How much longer could I last?
I quickly slid my sweatpants off and Tanner ran his hands up my thighs. His eyes blazed desire and I knew he wanted me. His fingers hooked into my black thong and slowly peeled them down my smooth legs.
“Take me, Tanner. I can't wait anymore,” I moaned.
He grinned, wide-eyed, looking around at the bathroom. “Right here?”
I bit my bottom lip. “Right here. Right now.”
His fingers brushed against my sex, gathering my wetness. “You're so ready, baby.” Tanner moved me over to the bathroom rug and lay me down. He fiddled with his belt and pulled his jeans down along with his boxer briefs. His massive erection flung out and was pulsing up and down. I sat up and reached for his shaft, stroking him. Tanner arched his head back and moaned.
“Lay back down,” he ordered.
I let go of his manliness and lay down, ready to do whatever he wished. “Let me warn you that I haven't been with a man in years. Be gentle.”
Tanner's eyes narrowed. “Spread your legs.”
I moved my legs as far as they could go. Tanner came over until he was right between my thighs. His erection was so close yet so far. Tanner kissed me on the mouth, claiming me again. I felt his tip at my entrance, knocking to come in. I gyrated my hips, trying to get him inside. But Tanner wasn't done teasing yet.
“I've wanted this ever since I woke up in that hospital bed,” he whispered in my ear.
“Me too,” I replied but barely coherent.
He pinned me beneath him, his perfect body hovering above. Tanner pierced me with one thrust. We both cried out as he filled me up. “You're so fucking tight,” he murmured.
I couldn't even respond. My brain had shut off and all I could do was feel. Feel his body against mine. Tanner inside me, pulling in and out. I swayed my hips towards him, forcing Tanner deeper and deeper. The pleasure was too much to handle. I couldn't last much longer.
“Come for me, Grace,” Tanner ordered.
My whole body tensed up and a sudden explosion rippled through me as I came around him. My legs locked around his waist and held him inside me. Tanner continued to fuck me harder and harder. Our bodies were red hot from the steam. Our sweat was sticky sweet.
Tanner stilled and bit his bottom lip hard. “Come with me, Grace.” Tanner found his release, saying my name over and over. I shattered into a million tiny pieces, experiencing the most intense and uncontrollable orgasm ever. Tanner collapsed on top of me, panting and full of happiness. Our heart beats raced together.
“I'd forgotten what that felt like,” I said, exasperated.
“I've never felt so close to somebody before,” Tanner replied, rolling over next to me.
“I've never come so fast before. How did you do it?”
Tanner ran his fingers through my hair. “We work well together, don't we?”
I nodded and rested my head against his chest. My fingers traced the black widow tattoo. Underneath it was a Latin phrase that I didn't understand—In Pace Ultio. “What does that mean?”
Tanner looked down at his chest. “Means Peace in Vengeance.”
My eyebrows raised in suspicion. “Not a very happy motto.”
“That's not the point. In my life, things can go very wrong at any moment. There's only one thing that can bring you peace.”
I lifted my head up off his chest. “Did you already take revenge for Isaac?” I knew it was wrong to ask the second it left my lips. How could you be so stupid, Grace.
Tanner looked lost,
staring off into space. “I did get revenge.”
“Did you find peace?”
Tanner sniffled and shook his head. “Nothing will bring back Isaac. But at least he can rest knowing that his killer was brought to justice.”
A tattoo of a small gun was marked on his side. “What's this one for?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
