"You can't leave me here, Runner! Not now. Not because some jerk with a gun decides to take pot shots. You hear me?" She looked up, her eyes meeting mine. For a moment they radiated anger, all her fear channelled at me as glorious rage. Then she crumbled, tears falling down her beautiful cheeks, her body collapsing into mine.
"Hey," I caught her as she fell, gently easing us both to the floor. "I'm okay, Baby Girl."
She sobbed into me, her arms reaching up to twine around my neck. "You got shot."
"But I'm here. It's a scratch."
"You got stitches!"
"And I'll get stitches again, no doubt." I pulled her into my lap, cradling her close. "I want to tell you I'll always be fine, Ellie. I want to tell you we'll be together forever, and I'll never put myself into a position where I'm in danger. But I can't."
She jerked, pulling away, but I didn’t let her get far.
I brushed tears from her cheek with the knuckles of one hand. "I'm sorry, Baby Girl. I can't give you those platitudes, not in the after. Not now when you've got psychos shooting from roof tops, and danger around every corner."
I blew out a breath. "But while we're together, I can promise you this. It's just you and me. I'm going to make you mine, Ellie. In our club that means property. You'll be my old lady. You'll wear my name on your back, and you'll be untouchable. If I die, you get to choose what comes next, but either way my brothers will take care of you. They'll throw down for you, love you, protect you like I would."
Her lip wobbled but she bit it, tears shimmering but no longer falling.
"I love you, Ellie. Baby Girl, I can't imagine a life without you." I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to hers. "Will you give me this, Ellie? Will you agree to being my old lady?"
She nodded but I need the words.
"Say it."
"I'm yours, Runner. Today, tomorrow, forever. As long as you'll have me."
I shifted us, gently laying her onto the floor. I pulled her jeans from her body, discarding them and then pulled my own down, only far enough to free my cock.
I wedged a hand between us, my fingers finding her wet little clit. I played with her, pressing as she panted beneath me, hot little whimpers escaping her body.
"You want this Baby Girl? You want me in your greedy little cunt?"
She moaned, and I grinned. Fierce possession still rode me hard, but I needed her to be as desperate as I felt. Needed her aching and begging for my cock as I fed it to her.
Her scent perfumed the air, her slick arousal coating my hands and her thighs as I continued to stroke her, play with her, worshipping my woman.
I bit the side of her neck, immediately kissing away the sting. Her hands raked my back, her lips moving over my chest, my good shoulder, my neck.
"Lips," she demanded. "Need to taste you. Please, Runner."
I allowed that, granting her wish, knowing it would feed her need.
"Close," she panted against my lips. "So close."
I pressed her, capturing her protest with my mouth, using her gasp to slip my tongue past hers lips as I withdrew my hand. I swiftly replaced my hand with my cock, rubbing her, coating my shaft with her arousal.
"You ready Baby Girl? You want this?" I asked, teasing her, drawing out the anticipation.
"Yes," she breathed; her eyes wide, feverish. "Please."
"Please what?"
"Please, Runner. Please…"
I grinned, knowing it was feral, knowing it was a grin filled with satisfaction and desire and my filthy fucking fantasies.
"Gonna fuck you right here, Ellie girl. Gonna fuck you raw today. Fill you with my cum. Then I'm gonna fuck you with my fingers until you cum again. Then we're going in the bedroom and I'm gonna start all the fuck over again."
And then I thrust, hard and fast. She was tight, so fucking tight. I had to work her, stretch her, both of us beginning to shatter as she adjusted, her hot little cunt accommodating me.
"You like this, don't you Baby Girl? You like me owning this hot little pussy, don't you?"
She groaned, head tipping back, hips tilting up, granting me more access as I thrust into her, fucking her with a steady, hard, purposeful rhythm.
I reached up, hand cupping her throat, pressing just enough to get her attention, to make her open her gorgeous eyes and look at me.
"Say it."
"Yes, Runner." The words were no sooner out of her mouth than my control snapped. I fucked her into the floorboards, thrusting again and again as she cried out, urging me to go faster, harder, her body welcoming me. When she finally shattered, her entire being vibrating with her orgasm. Clutching at my cock her pussy milked me. But it wasn't enough. I gripped her head, bringing her mouth to my chest.
"Bite me," I ordered, my thrusts now brutal. "Fucking mark me, Ellie. Do it!"
Her teeth gripped my skin and the sharp pain, brutal and desperate, tipped me over. I broke, my cock pumping into her again and again, my cum painting her insides.
"Fuck yes," I grunted, "fuck Baby Girl. Fuck."
We collapsed, Ellie languid and panting under me. The blood still thundered through my veins; my need barely dented.
I rolled off her, then sat up, hand gliding down her body as I leaned over her, my face close to hers.
"Brace, Baby Girl. I'm not even close to fucking done."
I captured her lips, our tongues tangling as I fucked her with my fingers, finding her g-spot and pressing. Showing absolutely no mercy. She bucked under me, hands desperately clawing at my arm, my back; her legs shifting restlessly as I forced her to cum again for me, relishing the knowledge that some of the wet on my finger was my cum. Fucking her with it, some distant, primitive part of my brain roaring approval.
Ellie broke, her mouth tearing from mine, her body arching, rippling as she came, a scream breaking free.
"Own it," I ordered. "Take it, Ellie. Fucking own your pleasure."
She did, riding my hand, clenching until finally, after a long moment she dropped, her body sated.
She panted, trying to catch her breath and I gave her pause. It took her a minute but finally, she looked at me, blinking as if this were the first time she'd seen me.
"Runner?"
"Yeah, Baby Girl?"
"Wow."
I chuckled; her smile was infectious, beautiful, stunning. I felt lighter than I had in days. "Fucking oath, Baby Girl. Fucking oath."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ellie
The thing about the after was that there was little downtime. Where before it may have been permissible to spend a full day in bed with Runner, in the after there were people who relied on us – who relied on me – to produce. To keep things running.
We arrived at the warehouse early but already there were men and women walking around, surveying the big shed.
"Your rodeo, Baby Girl." Runner told me. "Let the people know what you need."
The first step to setting up my lab was making it clean and weather proof. The warehouse had once been used for storage, as evidenced by the large shelving units stacked to one side.
There were a few minor leaks in the roof, likely from storms rather than significant structural issues. While they hadn't been used in close to twenty years, the bikers had kept the shed's in decent condition.
While the men dealt with the external issues, the women and a few prospects got to work cleaning the interior and setting up work stations. Birds needed to be removed, leaves and dust cleared out. The purity of the fuel depended upon a sterile work environment, if dirt got into the mix, it could damage engines.
In a surprisingly short amount of time the lab began to come together.
We broke for lunch, Yana arriving with a car full of sandwiches and snacks. I moved to help her unpack, but Beast intercepted, nudging me aside and lifting a full crate from the trunk.
"He's useful to have around," Yana remarked, watching him carry the heavy load to a makeshift table we'd set up in the sun.
"And not bad to look at
," I added, giving her a hip bump.
He wasn't pretty like Pope, or handsome like Runner. But there was an earthy, ruggedness to him. He radiated power, drawing the eye with both his size and beautifully marked skin.
Yana rolled her eyes. "A man like that isn't going to be interested in a woman like me."
I raised an eyebrow, giving her a look.
"He's only interested in food. I'm a chef. That's the extent of it."
I hesitated, wondering if I should intervene. I'd seen how he looked at her, as if he were starving and she a full feast.
Runner came up, looping his arm around me, pulling me against him.
"Let them sort it out," he murmured in my ear, nuzzling my hair.
I laughed, looking up at him. "How did you know?"
He shrugged, giving me a filthy grin. "Wanna show you something."
I felt his erection press against the curve of my butt.
"I think I've already seen your 'something'."
He chuckled, twisting us until his arm hooked around my shoulders and I was pressed into his side. He walked us away from the gathering, telling one of the prospects to save us some food.
Catcalls and friendly ribbing followed us. He raised a hand, flicking them the bird but we continued, walking past my lab and into the next warehouse.
"Need your opinion." He gestured with his free hand to the space. "A brother wants to set this up as a green house. Thoughts?"
Which brother?
"It'd work," I said, imaging how we could do it. "We'd need a lot of equipment though. And either energy to run halogens or we'd have to modify the roof to allow for sunlight."
"You think Kate would be open to helping with it?" I nodded, "makes sense to get it up and running. But this is a conversation you should have with her."
"But then how would I get you alone?" Runner crowded me, easing us back until my back pressed against a wall. "Need to taste you, Baby Girl."
I huffed out a laugh, my body immediately responding. "You're insatiable"
"Only because you taste so good."
He dropped, pulling down my jeans and underwear, his mouth immediately finding me.
"So wet, Baby Girl."
I sighed as he teased me with tongue and lips, his fingers joining to drive me higher. As I tittered on the edge of climax, we were interrupted by a cough.
Runner pulled back, gun raised, glaring in the direction of the cough.
"Wrath," he greeted.
"Runner," the man stepped out of the shadows, rubbing a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted, dark circles ringed his eyes, his face gaunt.
I reached down, tugging up my jeans and covering myself, my cheeks hot with embarrassment.
"What're you doing in here?" Runner asked, getting to his feet, and holstering his gun.
"Trying to catch a few winks, thought this would be as good a place as any to bed down"
I looked beyond him, squinting into the dark to see a pallet on the floor, no more than a thin sleeping bag and a backpack hidden between the metal shelving units.
"You're bringing news from the Plantation?" Runner asked. Wrath nodded.
"Good news?"
"Your President'll be calling Church tonight. I'll update you then."
Your President?
Runner nodded. "Wrath, this is Ellie, my old lady."
Wrath took me in with dark eyes and a grim face. I wasn't sure what he saw as he looked at me, but his eyes held a glimmer of approval.
"Nice to meet you, Ellie." He tucked hands into his jean pockets, leaning against a shelving unit. "You're one of the girls Kate brought."
It wasn't a question but I still answered with a nod.
He considered me but asked nothing further.
"How did you know about us being here?" I asked.
"Met Whip on the road. Got the update."
Whip, our Secretary, had been the biker dispatched the night Gus had been overthrown. Chief had tasked him with delivering the message of the changeover to the other chapters.
Wrath's lips twisted down. "Don't know if your boy will make it back. The fuel stops are running on fumes. Barely managed to baby my ride here last night."
I felt Runner tense beside me, his head bowing for a moment. A tension filled silence followed.
"She's well, if you wanted to know. Kate, I mean." I finally said, needing to break the silence. "She's sorting seeds up at the Hen House today. We found a box."
Wrath raised an eyebrow. "Hen House?"
"Where the women are staying," I clarified.
Wrath didn't react. I wasn't sure what to make of this man with his black as sin eyes.
"You heard about Ice yet?" Runner asked.
He shook his head. "Got in early this morning, came straight here."
Runner filled him in on the events since Gus' overthrow. His face remained impassive, simply absorbing the news.
Wrath looked around at the warehouse. "This one still available?"
Runner nodded. "You decide you wanna settle here then it's yours, brother. Always has been."
Wrath considered the large space. "We'll see." He looked back at Runner. "Hazard?"
"Up at the Club house."
He nodded. "Guess I better pay my respect."
"Come grab some food first. The brother's will be happy to see you."
We returned to the assembled workers, sharing food with Wrath before he took off, headed out to find Hazard.
The rest of the afternoon was spent setting up the workshop inside. I directed where items needed to go, set up tables, and showed them how to connect equipment to build the different parts of the biofuel set-up.
On the roof, Pope, Beast and Ghost installed solar panels, pilfered from houses and businesses that no longer needed them.
As the sun began to set, Runner pulled me close. Most of the workforce had left, just a few prospects remained, hanging around cleaning up.
"What do you think?" He asked, setting his head on my shoulder.
The lab was now airtight, the lights and other electrical outlets would be wired tomorrow but the main equipment was set-up, ready for use.
"It'll do nicely," I said, leaning back against him. "I just hope it works."
"It will," Runner said, pressing a kiss to my neck. "You got this, Baby Girl."
I hope so.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Runner
Church was in session.
Hazard had weighed his conversation with Wrath and called the brother's together to hear what the Club's National President had decreed.
Texas, our tail-gunner, and the stand-in Secretary for Whip, called us to order.
"Alright, settle the fuck down," he called, slapping hands on the table. Previously, Gus would've called us to order, banging that fucking gavel. But Hazard's first decision had been to burn the fucking thing, explaining that this was an opportunity to start afresh.
"First agenda item is fines and finances." He nodded at me.
I ran through the outstanding workloads, assigning the shitty work like septic tank disposal or stall mucking as fines. Only a few grumbled. The rest of the roster was allocated and settled quickly.
Texas gestured at Wrath, "and now a word from our magnanimous messenger boy."
There were sniggers around the table but the levity was lost within moments.
"Shield's retreated to the Plantation. They're recalling the local chapters."
Silent dominated the room.
Shield, the Club's National President, had been transferring between chapters for the last few months. Checking on the clubs, keeping everyone moving. Last update had come before an end of season cold snap had slowed the other brothers. At that time, words had been that Shield had been planning to make his way down to us, visiting with each chapter in-between.
"What changed?" Chief asked. I glanced at Hazard, finding his face blank as he watched the gathered men process the news.
"Fuel," Wrath ran a hand through his hair. "An
d the army. And zealots, cannibals, and preppers. Not to mention the cartel, groups of roving grifters, bastards and the odd lunatic who just wants to watch the world burn."
Wrath shook his head. "Our safe houses are still good, or at least they were, last I checked. But the fuel supplies are low. Without a steady resupply we're all gonna be fucked."
Communications were down, had been since the country went dark. We'd been exploring options like telegraph or even fucking carrier pigeon, but no one had been able to figure out how to make that work yet. As an interim, brothers like Wrath, nomads with no home club, travelled up and down the coast, delivering messages and sharing news.
If the fuel had dried up then we'd be fucked.
"Why'd Shield pull them back to the Plantation?"
The Plantation was a sprawling, luxurious estate up in Lake Proserpine. Once owned by the cartel, the brothers had taken it over a decade back. I wasn't sure what had happened, but once it'd exchanged hands, Shield had razed it, rebuilding it into a fucking fortress.
"Shield's consolidating. The chapters are facing extinction if we don't protect our people. He wants us to enact Plan B."
Wrath pulled a long cylinder from his bag. He unscrewed the top, removing rolled sheets of paper from a protected plastic bag. He spread them across the table, placing stones on each corner to keep them in place. He nodded at Ghost near the door.
"Lights, brother."
Ghost turned them off, then hit the black light, revealing a glowing map.
The map and it's accompanied explanation outlined Shield's plan. All chapters were to consolidate in three major points. Up at the Plantation, at the Cunnamulla chapter's bunker, or here in the compound. Here, Hazard would remain President – at least for the moment.
But there were stipulations, including a fight night where the president would be the last one standing, if Hazard's leadership was disputed. Goddamned unlucky son of a bitch.
"Shield's sending men to all the chapters. They have a choice, join you or leave."
"When do you go back?" Chief asked.
Wrath glanced at Hazard who nodded, his face still blank.
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