by Wilder, L.
“I don’t know about that, but it does look pretty amazing.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” he said proudly.
“It does. You did good. I’m sure Dallas will appreciate it, too. She’s been working so much with her new job, and she hates not being able to spend as much time with Dusty. I’m sure it means a lot to her,” I told him while I started to clean up the mess we’d made.
“Just glad I could do something to help. I’ve gotta check in with Guardrail. Just leave the rest, and Dusty and I will finish it up later.”
“Okay. Just give me a shout if you need me,” I told him as I looked down at my hands and clothes. I was covered in paint and glue, so I decided it was time for a hot shower.
When I got to my room, I immediately headed for the bathroom and turned on the hot water. I stepped into the shower and methodically started scrubbing away all the dried paint and glue from my fingernails. It was the first time I’d been alone since my night with Cotton, and I finally had time to let everything that had happened sink in. An involuntary smile crossed my face when I thought about our night together. He’d taken that step, and I couldn’t remember a time when I’d ever been this happy. He was different from any man I’d ever known, and I’d often wondered why I felt such a pull to him. It didn’t hurt I found him to be devastatingly handsome, but it was so much more than that. Maybe it was the fact he was older, more mature and confident than men my age. Or maybe it was his loyalty to his family, always putting them before himself. It was everything about him. It was all the little things he’d do or say that made me fall for him, like watching raindrops fall one by one, never realizing I was about to be caught in a storm.
After Big Mike walked Guardrail and me through all the information Sara had uncovered about Derek, I called church so we could discuss our next move. We needed to make our move before Derek had time to build his resources. We decided to leave for Anchorage first thing in the morning. Driving thirty-eight hours in the bitter cold wasn’t an option, so Big booked flights for me, Stitch, Maverick, and Sara. I wanted extra eyes on the club while we were gone, so I put in a call to Rip. He agreed that his club, the Forsaken Saints, would secure our territory while we were gone, ensuring that no one entered the area without our knowledge. Knowing that Derek’s threat against the club was no longer imminent, we decided to lift the lockdown, but all members were expected to be on high alert. It was important for all of us to keep our families under close watch.
Once the meeting dismissed, I headed over to my mother’s loft to let her know I would be leaving. Over the years, she’d become accustomed to the club life, but that didn’t mean she was happy about it. I wanted her to be comfortable whenever she was forced to join our lockdowns, so I made her a small apartment over the main garage, giving her a space of her own whenever she was at the club. When I walked in, she was sitting on her sofa, drinking a cup of coffee. She watched quietly as I poured myself a cup and joined her in the living room.
Sensing the tension I was carrying, she asked, “Hey, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”
“Sara’s here.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name. I take it she’s doing well,” she huffed as she placed her cup of coffee down on the table and crossed her arms. I could see she wasn’t happy Sara had returned. When she left for college, mom wanted me to go with her and hated the fact I had no interest in following her. She’d always wanted my brothers and me to go to college and start lives outside of the club, and even though she’s seen that we’ve had a good life, she’s always wanted more for us. Sara had gotten out, and a part of my mother resented her for it.
“She’s doing alright, I guess,” I answered, hoping she wouldn’t push for more.
Without skipping a beat, she smiled and asked, “Has she finally come back to claim her lost love?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “No. That ship sailed a long time ago.”
“Are you sure about that? You know, there was a time when you really loved that girl,” she asked with regret in her eyes. There was one thing I always knew for certain when it came to my mother, she loved us. She was hard on us, had to be with three boys, but she’d move mountains to make sure we were happy.
“I’m sure. It’s all good, so don’t worry.”
“I’ll always worry, Cotton,” she cried as she brought her hand up to her chest. “You know, I’m not getting any younger, and all this worrying isn’t good for my heart. It sure would make it easier on your old mother if you’d just settle down and have me some grandchildren. Just one or two—enough to keep me distracted.” And there it was. She always managed to get it in one way or another.
“You’ve already got two grandkids, mom,” I scolded.
“And they are precious, but they aren’t yours,” she smiled.
“Ok, I’m working on it,” I laughed. “I just came by to let you know we’re going out of town for a little while. Joe and Luke will be around if you need anything, and you can go back to the house whenever you’re ready.”
“Does this mean the trouble you were in is over?” she asked.
“Not exactly, but it’ll all be over soon enough.”
“Then I’m staying right here till you get back. Besides, I like being close to my boys whenever I can,” she smiled.
I stood to leave, but before I could get out the door, Joe came in, and when he saw me standing there, said “Hey, bro. When ya leaving?”
“Early tomorrow morning. Gonna need you to keep an eye on Mom and Cass while we’re gone.”
“You got it. You sure you don’t want me to go with you? Luke can watch over Mom and Cass,” he offered.
“No, need you here more. Luke will have his hands full with Katie and the kids,” I told him as I walked toward the door. “Guardrail’s in charge while we’re gone. Let him know if anything comes up.”
He nodded as I turned to leave. Before I walked out, I turned to Mom and said, “Joe’s got himself a new lady friend. Heard they were an item,” I taunted. “Bet he’d be more than happy to give you some grandbabies.”
When I shut the door, I heard Joe yell, “Thanks a lot, bro!”
Feeling the need to recharge, I was ready to lay my eyes on Cass, but it was getting late and I needed to let Sara know we were going to be leaving in the morning. I hated the thought of leaving Cass, but Derek had to be dealt with, the sooner the better.
When I knocked on her door, she called out, “The door’s open.”
When I walked in, she had her back propped up against the wall and a stack of papers resting in her lap. “Got a minute?”
“Sure. Come on in,” she answered and motioned for me to enter.
“Just wanted to let you know we’ll be leaving at five-thirty tomorrow morning.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.” She quickly sifted through the stack of papers, and when she found the page she was looking for, she said, “I’ve been looking at all the stuff Seth sent over, and I wanted to show you something. Seth has been trying to locate the rest of Derek’s men. From security footage, we already knew Joe Delaney made it back, but other than him, we’ve only been able to locate two of the guys who left with Derek two weeks ago. That means most of the others were killed during their attack on your club.”
Typical Sara, she’d managed to put two and two together before I’d even started to explain everything that had happened with Derek. With the information she’d gathered, we’d have no problem locating Derek and putting an end to this whole thing once and for all. “Good. We’ll have less to contend with when we get to Anchorage.”
“I really appreciate you doing all this,” she said softly. “I didn’t know who else to turn to.”
“Glad you came to me,” I smiled. “You’ve helped us more than you realize.” I paused for a moment, thinking about what Doc had told me about her ex, then said, “I’m sorry about you and Ben.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Cotton. It was good for a while, but we grew apart. And i
t didn’t help he slept around,” she laughed.
“He didn’t know how good he had it,” I smiled.
“Guess not. Doesn’t matter. I’m over it,” she said. She glanced back at the papers in her hand, and asked, “What do you know about Delaney?”
Figuring she was ready to change the subject, I answered, “Not much. Whatcha got?”
We spent the next half hour going over everything she had on Derek’s three remaining men. One of the older guys had a connection to another club, while the others were just tagalongs Derek had acquired months earlier. By the time we’d gone over everything she had on them, it was after eleven. When I closed her door behind me, I found Clutch walking down the hall in my direction.
“Late night, Prez?” he smiled as his eyes darted over to Sara’s door.
“Tying up some loose ends,” I answered. “We’re leaving before dawn. Need you to keep an eye on Cass while I’m gone. You gonna be up for that?” Clutch had always been my go-to guy, but he was still healing and I needed his word he could handle her.
“I’m up for it. Anything you need, Prez.”
“Good. If you need anything, you know how to reach me.”
He gave me a quick chin lift and headed to his room. When he shut his door, I set out to find Cass. I thought I’d find her in the bar, but with the lockdown lifted, the place was completely deserted. Coming up empty-handed, I headed to my room, hoping to find her waiting for me in my bed. Regrettably, I found both empty. Fuck. I’d been waiting all day to see her, all fucking day, and I wasn’t going to wait a second longer. I stormed down the hall, and without even knocking, opened her door. I walked over to her bed, and when I pulled her comforter back, her eyes flashed open.
“Cotton! What are…” she gasped.
Her mouth clamped shut when I leaned over her and quickly lifted her out of bed, cradling her in my arms. She didn’t resist; instead, she smiled and rested her head on my shoulder. Damn. That’s all it took. With just the feel of her body pressed against mine, the tension I’d been carrying around began to lift from my shoulders. When we got to my room, I kicked the door shut and eased her down onto my bed. I stood over her, crossing my arms as I growled, “I thought you understood.”
Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she asked, “Understood what?”
“I want you… all of you. Your taste, your smell, the feel of your body next to mine, and I won’t spend one night in this bed without it.”
“I just thought…”
“Tonight, and every night after, I fall asleep with you in my arms,” I interrupted. “And when I’m not here, I still want you in my bed.”
With her eyes locked on mine, she whispered, “Okay.”
I pulled off my t-shirt and along with my jeans and boots, tossed it to the floor. Her eyes flickered with appreciation as she watched me crawl into the bed next to her. Once I was settled, she curled up next to me and laid her head on my chest.
With the tips of her fingers, she began to trace the lines of my tattoo as she said, “I couldn’t stop thinking about you today.”
“Is that right?” I smiled.
“I didn’t even realize I was doing it until I caught myself smiling. I guess I do that a lot… probably more than I should,” she admitted.
I took her hand in mine and lightly kissed the palm of her hand as I said, “I’ve thought about you a time or two.”
She smiled and said, “Hmmm… A time or two, huh? I must be losing my touch.”
“Not a chance,” I told her as I ran my fingers through her long hair. “How’d Dusty’s project go?”
“You should’ve seen it. Clutch went all out and bought all kinds of stuff we didn’t even need. It was a mess, but Dusty was tickled to death with it.”
“I’m sure he was. I would be, too. I used to love doing projects like that, but mine usually involved blowing something up,” I laughed.
“Blowing stuff up? I’m sure your mother loved that.”
“Yeah, we gave her a run for her money. My brothers and I were always getting into stuff. When Joe discovered what would happen when you put Mentos into a soda bottle, it was a game changer.”
She was quiet for a minute, then looked up to me and asked, “What time are you leaving tomorrow?”
“Early. An old friend…” I let out a breath, then continued, “Sara needs our help. The sooner we get to Anchorage, the better.” The light mood instantly changed as her eyes dropped to my chest and concern washed over her face. I didn’t like the thought of leaving her any more than she did, but it was something that had to be done. I brought my hand to her chin, forcing her to look at me, when I said, “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I know. It’s hard not to worry though, especially when you’ll be so far away, and … just please be careful.”
“Always,” I told her and dropped my mouth to hers, kissing her long and hard. Her mouth was warm and wet, and all of her little moans and whimpers made my cock ache with need. When she pulled her nightgown over her head, exposing her perfect, round breasts, I was done. I had to have her. I leaned over her and watched the goosebumps rise along her skin as I began to trace the slope of her breast with my fingertips. She was perfect, every damn inch of her, and I was determined to have her… over and over again. I settled myself between her thighs and ran my tongue across the edge of her lace panties, teasing her, tormenting her as she squirmed beneath me. Her scent was intoxicating, and I was overcome with the need to taste her. I slipped her panties down past her ankles while trailing kisses down the thick of her thigh.
I slid my hands under her ass as I lowered my head between her legs and watched as her back arched off of the bed when I brushed my tongue across her clit. Damn. I loved how her body responded instantly to my touch. I couldn’t get enough. I continued to lick and suck her clit while easing my fingers deep inside her, finding the spot that drove her wild. I covered her with my mouth, sucking and nipping until her body jolted and bucked beneath me. With the sounds of her moans echoing through the room, I placed my hands on her thighs, holding her in place while I continued to work her over with my mouth. Her taste had my cock throbbing with an uncontrollable need to be inside her, and when I could wait no longer, I quickly removed my boxers and settled myself between her legs.
I placed my mouth close to her ear and whispered, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you.”
Without saying a word, she pressed her lips to mine in a possessive, demanding kiss and wrapped her legs around my waist, pressing my cock against her. There was no doubt she wanted me just as much as I wanted her, and I had every intention of giving her all I had to give. I spent the entire night making love to her, taking my time to burn every inch of her body into my memory. I wanted to remember every moment, every touch, so I’d have some part of her with me while I was gone.
My hand drifted over to Cotton’s side of the bed, longing to touch him one last time before he left, but I was too late. He was gone. The warm spot where he’d once lain was now empty and cold. I brought my knees up to my chest, curling myself into a ball as I tried to hold it together, but it was no use. Once the first tear fell, I was lost. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I reached for his pillow and was immediately hit with his scent. Damn. How could I already miss him? He’d only been gone for a couple of hours, and I was already a complete mess. I had to stop. Trying to pull it together, I sat up in the bed and wiped the tears from my face. I was too strong to just let myself fall apart. I got up and headed down the hall. As soon as I was in my room, I turned on one of Norah Jones’ soundtracks and blared it while I took a long, hot shower. Even with the distraction of my favorite song, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, like something bad was going to happen. It was eating at me, and I had to do something to distract myself from my thoughts. Henley was the best distraction I knew, so I set out to find her.
Since we were no longer under lockdown, most of the families had left, but since Ma
verick was with Cotton, I knew she’d still be at the club. It was still pretty early, so I decided to try their room first. When I tapped on the door, she yelled, “Give me a minute.”
Several minutes passed, but she never came to the door, so I cracked it open and peaked inside. The room was empty, but I heard a commotion in the bathroom. Just as I stepped in the room, she came walking out of the bathroom with a wet rag in her hand, looking like something the cat had dragged in. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Stomach bug or something,” she groaned. “I must’ve caught something from one of the kids.”
“I thought you were feeling better.”
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and said, “I was. I mean… I’ve been a little tired, but then it hit me again this morning.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, looking like she might get sick again, and said, “This sucks.”
“How about some saltines and ginger ale?” I offered.
“I’m fine. Can you just sit here with me for a minute?”
I sat down next to her and placed the palm of my hand on her forehead, checking to see if she had a fever. “I don’t think you have a temp.”
“I’m okay. Just a little tired,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. She paused for a minute, then cocked her head to the side as she brought her hands up to her boobs and lightly squeezed them.
I got tickled watching her and asked, “Feeling yourself up, Sis?”
“My boobs don’t feel right. They don’t exactly hurt, but they ache or something,” she whined.
“Maybe you’re about to start your period,” I suggested.
Pure terror washed over her face as she asked, “Oh shit. What’s today’s date?”
“The eighteenth.”
“Shit. Shit. Shit!” she shouted as she stood up from the bed and reached for her phone, quickly searching her calendar. “Shit! I was supposed to start on the ninth, and with all this lockdown stuff, I didn’t even think about it. Cass, I’m almost two weeks late!”
