by Harley Wylde
I gave him a nod and got up to leave. If he thought Doolittle was in trouble, then he likely was. I just didn’t know if it was club related, woman related, or something else, but I’d damn well find out. Like Grizzly said. Once you were part of this club, you were family. Only way you left was by death, or by fucking up so royally you ended up dead anyway, by the hands of your brothers. The Devil’s Fury wasn’t the type of club you joined, then walked away from, not without a price. Doolittle was still a patched member, but he’d been so damn young I knew Grizzly wanted more for him than this life, and he’d done it. Or so I’d thought.
I got on my bike out front and started her up, then pulled through the gates. First place I checked was the vet clinic, but I didn’t see his truck in the lot. I couldn’t remember a time Zach took a day off. Not voluntarily. He rented a duplex not too far off the main strip so I went there next. The driveway was empty and the stack of newspapers on the porch made the hair on my nape prickle. It looked like he hadn’t been home for days, but Griz had seen him in town. So where the fuck was he?
“You looking for the vet?” a neighbor called out.
“You seen Zach lately?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Got in his truck a few days ago with a duffle bag and I haven’t seen him since. Even loaded up his pets.”
The Zach I knew wouldn’t do something impulsive, but if he’d taken everyone with him, he didn’t plan to return anytime soon. The question was where the fuck had he gone? And why? I thanked the woman, then pulled out my phone and tried to call him. When he didn’t answer, I waited a moment, then called again. The third time, he finally picked up.
“Steel, I’m a little busy,” Zach said.
“Griz was worried about you and sent me over to your clinic. Except you weren’t there and you aren’t at home. In fact, the neighbor said you packed up and left. What’s going on, Zach? And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”
He sighed. “I was going to call Grizzly if I couldn’t handle it on my own.”
“What’s the issue?”
“A girl I went to college with called me. She sounded frantic and once she calmed a little, I found out her piece of shit boyfriend beat the hell out of her. The cops released him after twenty-four hours because one of his buddies gave him a false alibi. She’s scared and alone, Steel.”
“How far out?” I asked.
“We’re in Reckless Kings territory. I already called so they would know I’m here. Got a motel room for a few nights. She was in rough shape, and I didn’t think she could handle the drive.”
“You bringing her to your place?” I asked, hoping like hell he didn’t want the club to put this girl up. We were fast running out of room, and we weren’t a damn hotel or halfway house for abused women.
He was quiet a moment and I knew he wasn’t taking her home. No, he was about to ask me if she could stay at the compound. Fucking hell. Grizzly would no doubt tell him yes, then we’d have to scramble to figure out where the hell to put her. With the other ladies already in the apartments, there really wasn’t another spot open. Unless…
“If you want her to stay at the compound, you’ll have to be there too. There’s still a few of the smaller homes available. Just say the word and we’ll make sure it has the basics. Enough for you to get by until you figure shit out,” I said. “But don’t wait until the last minute. The club is dealing with a fucked-up mess or two right now.”
“Do you need help?” he asked. “I’m still a patched member, even if the lot of you try to keep me out of everything.”
“For good reason, boy. You have a good life. Don’t fuck it up.”
“Steel, you didn’t answer my question.”
“My woman has some bad people after her. And yes, I said my woman. Got a wife and daughter. We’ve also had some other issues crop up, namely that some asshole got into the compound wearing the cut of a dead member. Someone who’s been buried for decades. We still don’t know where he got it, or if there are others out there. So you come to the compound. Just know there’s trouble brewing and coming at us from multiple sides.”
Zach cleared his throat. “Steel, I know you think I’m just some kid, but I earned my patch same as everyone else. Just because there’s a DVM after my name now doesn’t make me any less Devil’s Fury than you. If there’s trouble, I want to help.”
Grizzly was going to have my ass for this, but I didn’t want Zach to think we didn’t want him. Hell, we were all proud as fuck of what he’d accomplished. As the youngest patched member, he’d been a bit like a surrogate son to some of us. We’d all attended his high school graduation, and a few of us had even traveled to his college one as well. I didn’t want him to screw everything up by associating with us, but it sounded like he’d found trouble on his own.
“Bring your girl,” I said. “We’ll have a house waiting for the two of you. Just to be clear, it’s just two of you, right?”
“Yes, it’s just two of us. And my animals.”
“I’ll make sure a fence is put up as well, or a pen at the least. You’ll only have the basics for furniture, and I’ll have a Prospect stock the kitchen. Just be safe, Doolittle.”
“You too, Steel. I’ll see you soon.”
The line went dead and I headed back home. Better to tell Grizzly in person that Doolittle was coming back and might be staying a while, and that he wasn’t alone. Then I’d assign Beau and Henry to make sure the place was ready. Just as soon as the Pres said which house Doolittle would get. I knew of several, but two only had two bedrooms. If Doolittle decided he was there to stay, he might want something a little bigger. The smaller homes would be fine for now, but he was so young he’d want a family someday.
If even half our Prospects patched in, we’d need more homes soon enough. I wondered if Griz had thought about it. There was a chance he’d already set up contractors, or at least had a plan in place. More homes weren’t high up on the list with everything else going on. For that matter, I wasn’t sure when we’d patch someone else in. Guardian was the most recent addition, but since he was in a relationship with Dagger and Zoe, he hadn’t needed a house of his own.
When I got back to the compound and pulled through the gates, I immediately turned toward Grizzly’s house. As much as I wanted to get back to Rachel and Coral, I had a few things to finish first. I parked my bike and hadn’t even made it to the front door before the Pres stepped outside.
“What’s going on with Doolittle?” he asked.
“He wasn’t home, but I reached him on the phone. Some girl he met in college is in trouble. Boyfriend beat her to hell and back. He wants to bring her home, but not to his house. They want to come here.”
Grizzly nodded. “Give them the blue house a few doors down from you. It’s empty but a few Prospects can have it sorted by nightfall or at least by morning. Did the kid say when he was coming back?”
“He was waiting on her to be healed enough to travel. I’m guessing we’ll see him by tomorrow night, possibly sooner. He’s already been there a few days.”
“Put whoever you want on the task of getting the house ready. Just not Harlan. He’s already working on something for Demon.”
I turned to go back to my bike, then hesitated. Turning to face Griz again, I asked the question I’d wondered on the way over. “We’re running out of homes. What happens when we patch in more members?”
“We’ll have it handled by then.”
I wasn’t about to question the Pres. It seemed he had a plan and I knew he’d share it when he was damn well ready. For now, I’d focus on the shit circling my family and handle it. Just needed more information, and I hoped Outlaw came up with it soon. I didn’t like sitting and waiting.
I got on my Harley and drove back to the house. I didn’t see Zoe’s vehicle in the driveway, but her house was close enough she could have walked. As much as I liked the women my brothers had claimed, I was hoping no one was inside except Rachel and Coral. I was ready for some time with my girls, es
pecially now they were officially mine not just on paper but by club law too.
Chapter Nine
Rachel
I’d enjoyed getting to know Zoe, and Coral had a blast with Luis. I didn’t know when I’d meet the others, but I looked forward to it. Steel had come home, kissed me like he hadn’t seen me in years, and hadn’t said a single word about where he’d been. I hated that he’d left the way he had, but something told me it would happen somewhat often.
Coral had passed out shortly after Luis left, and she still slept soundly. It had given me some alone time with Steel, but he hadn’t said much. Zoe had explained club business was exactly that, and Steel would never tell me what was going on with the Devil’s Fury. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I could understand to some extent. Either way, I trusted Steel to keep us safe. Might be a little crazy with how little I knew about him, but my gut told me he would never hurt me.
Steel sprawled on one end of the couch, a contemplative look on his face. He spun a beer bottle in his hands, but it seemed more like an afterthought than something he did consciously. I sat next to him and placed my hand on his thigh.
“You know you can talk to me, right? I’m not here just for you to solve all my problems. I’m happy to listen if something is bothering you,” I said.
He placed his hand over mine and gave it a squeeze. “Just worried about someone.”
My heart kicked. Someone? He’d said he wasn’t in a relationship before our rather strange marriage. Since he’d not been with a woman in a while, I’d thought that mean he didn’t have anyone special in his life at all. Had I been wrong?
Steel kissed my cheek. “Calm down, Rachel. I can practically hear your thoughts. It’s not a woman. There’s this kid I kind of took under my wing a while back. He’s now a patched member of the club, even though he hasn’t been at the compound much since he left for college.”
“Is he okay?” I asked.
“Doolittle is all grown up now, but he’s coming here soon. Bringing a woman with him. Someone who got into a bad relationship and Doolittle ran to her rescue. I’m not sure if she’s taking advantage of him, or if she’s a love interest he never talked about. Either way, him being here isn’t good.”
“Why?” I asked.
“He’s a veterinarian now. Has a nice little house in town. We’ve tried hard to make him keep his distance from the club. I won’t lie. We don’t always do legal shit around here, and I don’t want that tainting Doolittle. He deserves the chance at a normal, safe life.”
I cocked my head and studied him. So, he wanted Doolittle away from this life, but he wanted me and Coral here? I wasn’t sure what to think. If the compound was so safe, why wouldn’t he want this Doolittle person here too?
“You said he’s grown up. Wouldn’t it be his decision whether or not he wants to be part of the club still? Or live here?”
Steel grunted and took a swallow of his beer.
“It’s okay for you to worry about him. You just can’t make his decisions for him. If he’s an adult, then he has to learn things the hard way. Maybe being here isn’t the right move, but he won’t know that for certain until he tries it, right?”
“I hate when you make sense,” he muttered.
I bumped my shoulder against his. “No, you just hate not being in control of something. Time to let go and let Doolittle live his life. Doesn’t mean you can’t be here for him if he stumbles.”
Steel finished his beer and set the bottle aside. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, heaving a sigh. I had a feeling it was more than Doolittle weighing on him. He was trying to tackle my issue, and who knew what else. It made me wonder who was there for Steel? I knew the club had his back in times of trouble, but who did he have the rest of the time? Me. Or at least now he did, if he’d let me in. The sex between us was great, but I wanted more than good sex.
“What do you want from me, Steel?” I asked softly.
“What’s that mean?” His gaze focused on me.
“We’re married. Obviously, the sex is amazing. Do you want more than that out of this relationship? I feel like I’m walking through the dark and tripping over my feet. I don’t know what you want from me, or what I can do to help you.”
“Haven’t had anyone give a shit in a while,” he said. “Everyone in this club has their own issues on top of whatever we’re dealing with together. We just deal with stuff in our own way. Guess my way is to bottle everything up. When it gets to be too much, I go shoot something or blow shit up.”
I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. With some guys, that probably meant they played some macho game on the Xbox or PlayStation. With Steel, I had a feeling he meant he literally went shooting or set off explosives. He’d mentioned going to the gun range during one of our conversations. I had to admit, I wouldn’t mind going to watch him sometime. I’d never personally shot a gun, and I didn’t think I wanted to start now, but it might be a little hot to see him in action.
I eyed him from head to toe. It hadn’t escaped my attention he owned more than one pair of camouflage pants. In fact, he seemed to prefer them over jeans. It made me wonder if that was a holdover from his military days. His black tee was tucked into his pants and he still wore his cut. Steel might not have abs for days like a lot of younger men I’d seen shirtless, but he was fit. When he held me, I felt safe and wanted. More than that. I felt desired, and everything in me warmed and craved his touch.
“Woman, you keep looking at me like that, and you’ll end up bent over with your panties around your ankles.”
My breath caught at the mental picture. I didn’t think Coral would sleep quite long enough for him to fuck me, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t have a little fun. I got off the couch and stood between his legs, then knelt. His gaze was dark. Hungry. I worked his belt free, then unfastened his pants. He made me work for it, but I freed his cock and stroked him.
“Playing with fire, Rachel. Gonna get burned.”
I lapped at the head of his cock. “Then burn me.”
I took him into my mouth, flicking his shaft with my tongue. Steel shifted, spreading his legs more and relaxing back against the cushions. I felt the coiled tension in his thighs as I ran my hands up and down them.
“No touching,” he said. “Hands behind your back.”
My heart stuttered for a moment, then took off. I removed my palms from his thighs and crossed my wrists behind my back. There was a part of me that thrilled over his bossiness in the bedroom. I liked it when he ordered me to do something, or took what he wanted.
“My lovely wife going to show me how good she sucks cock?”
I hummed my agreement, my mouth too full to speak.
“Thing is, a man my age is set in his ways. Likes things done just so.” He gripped my hair in his fist. “You sucked a lot of cock before, Rachel?”
I tried to shake my head, but I couldn’t.
“Take a breath, little girl.” I sucked air through my nose, then he forced his cock to the back of my throat. He held me there and I strained to breathe. “Swallow.”
My gag reflex kicked in and I fought the urge to pull away. I finally managed to swallow and he praised me as he dragged me off his cock, only to force his way between my lips again. This time I swallowed on my own. Saliva pooled in my mouth and ran down my chin as Steel worked his cock into my mouth, using his grip on my hair to guide me. When he grunted and came, I struggled to swallow but didn’t quite manage. I felt his cum leaking from the corners of my mouth.
He pulled me off and wiped my chin and mouth. “Good girl.”
I squirmed, pressing my thighs together. I might have gotten him off, but now I ached even more. My nipples were so tight they hurt, and my pussy throbbed. I glanced at the doorway, and listened intently, but I didn’t hear a peep from Coral. Would she possibly sleep a little longer? Long enough for Steel to make me come? Did he even want to?
I held his gaze and he reached for me, lifting me to my feet. Without a word, he y
anked my pants down to my knees, panties too, then bent me over his lap. My ass was in the air and my cheeks burned, not just from embarrassment but because it also turned me on. He ran his hand over my ass, then teased the lips of my pussy.
“So wet,” he said, spreading my pussy open and teasing my clit. I whimpered and squirmed on his lap. I kicked my legs, wanting to spread them more, but I couldn’t.
Steel yanked my pants and panties the rest of the way off. I opened my thighs wider and bit my lip to stifle my cries. He got me off within seconds, but didn’t seem satisfied. I felt his fingers stretch me as he thrust them in and out. I was getting wetter, and I knew it wouldn’t be enough.
“What do you need, Rachel?” he asked. “Tell me what you want.”
“I need you to fuck me. I want your cock, Steel. Please.”
He pulled his fingers free and tapped my hip.
“Kneel next to me, ass facing the door.” I scrambled off his lap and hurried to obey. He pressed me down until my nose practically touched his cock. “Suck it. Get me hard so I can fuck you.”
I took him in my mouth again, and nearly screamed from pleasure as he shoved his fingers back into my pussy, working me hard and deep as I sucked him. I reached between his legs and cupped his balls, rolling them in my hand. I’d never done something like that before, but I’d read it in a book. If Steel’s reaction was anything to go by, he enjoyed it. His cock lengthened and got thicker. I sucked him harder.
He growled and pulled his fingers free, then lifted me. It happened so fast my head spun, but he settled me on his lap facing the TV and impaled me on his cock. I moaned, not able to hold back, as he filled me. I braced my hands on his knees, my legs spread, as he gripped my hips to lift and lower me, fucking me with long, deep strokes.
