by Zoey Parker
“Shame,” Jameson raised his good arm to order another beer.
“So, what are we going to do about this asshole stirring stuff up in Colridge?” Zack demanded, his nostrils flaring. He’d normally be more relaxed about such things, but Brittany being there made the intrusion feel personal.
“Nothing for now.”
“If we do nothing, we look weak.”
“If we react too swiftly and cry over spilled milk, we look weak.”
“Mmm,” Zack mumbled half in agreement and half in frustration, as he drank more of his beer. The Red Riders was always consumed with towing a fine line between being threatened and threatening. Disputes between the King could turn deadly and neither club wanted to lose members over something trivial.
“So you think this guy is nothing to worry about?” Zack questioned, wiping a hand across his mouth.
“He’s just one guy,” Jameson shrugged and tilted his head up towards the television which was showing a cage fighting match. The powerhouse fighter Bulldog Schumer was just stepping into the ring.
“What can one guy do?” Jameson asked. “Unless, of course, he’s me,” he added with a cheeky grin.
Zack patted his friend on the back and laughed. “You are a one-man whirlwind.”
“You bet.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, just watching the fight and drinking their beers. Zack could still remember the night Jameson and he were attacked. Zack was only seventeen, Jameson a few years older but not many. They were still new to the club and didn’t understand the fragile territories. They went to watch a rock band play at a bar a few miles outside of town. It pained Zack to remember what a good time they had. The beer had been flowing, the music was great, and the small venue pulsated with energy. But when they stepped out into the parking lot everything changed.
A group of burly men was waiting for them, their motorcycles circled behind them. Zack knew immediately who they were and how much trouble they were in. The men flew at the young pair. Zack was pinned down and severely beaten. He didn’t trouble himself with fighting back too fiercely, he knew he was out numbered. But Jameson fought. He clawed at everyone who came near him and even ripped out a nose stud with his teeth. The man who had lost his stud clutched desperately at his nose, wailing, while another stalked back to his bike. He came back holding a small jug of something which emitted smoke and a strange odor. By the time, Zack realized what was happening it was too late. He screamed as the acid was poured onto Jameson’s face as four men held him down, laughing wickedly. Jameson screamed in agony as the air turned foul with the stench of his burning flesh.
Zack had done everything he could for Jameson. He’d rushed him to the nearest hospital and sat with him as the doctors painstakingly did their best to remove the worst of the acid. But the damage had been done. Though Jameson had been lucky to live, he would be scarred for the rest of his life. He’d been a handsome, impulsive young guy, and now he’d forever be a gruesome reminder of how fiercely the Kings would protect their territory.
“I think I might pay my sister a visit,” Zack declared suddenly, the anger from that night burning hot in his veins once more. “Ask a few questions around town, see if I can’t root out this snake that’s causing trouble.”
“Just be careful,” Jameson offered cautiously.
“Don’t worry, I will be.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“You’re coming to visit?” Brittany was a heady mixture of excitement and nerves at the prospect as she talked to Zack, pacing around her apartment as she kept the cell phone wedged against her ear with her shoulder.
“I was thinking this weekend,” Zack replied.
“Does this have anything to do with Nancy?” Brittany teased.
“No,” Zack insisted sharply. “I just want to spend time with my little sister, is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Brittany laughed nervously. She could feel Max watching her from where he sat on the sofa, his long, muscular arms spread out across the back of it. “I can’t wait to see you.”
Plans were made, times decided upon, and then the call was ended. Brittany exhaled deeply and shoved her phone back into her jeans pocket.
“So, your brother is coming to visit,” Max noted after a few moments’ pause.
“Uh huh,” Brittany nodded nervously.
“Maybe we could all…get together?” Max suggested casually. Brittany smiled in gratitude at the offer. She knew that he was just being kind, was making an effort to get to know her brother, but she also knew Zack. Springing a boyfriend on him would only make him mad and their new-found dynamic was still so fragile. She didn’t want to go and drive a wedge between them, when he’d so far been so good about her living away in Colridge.
“Maybe next time,” Brittany gave Max her sweetest smile, hoping it was enough to deter him from the subject. It wasn’t.
“Why not this time?” Max pressed. “I’d really like to meet him.”
“My brother is just…” Brittany looked down helplessly at her hands. “He can be so over protective. I think it’s better if you hold off meeting him, just for now.”
Max nodded gravely with understanding.
“Okay. But I do want to meet him.”
“I know.”
Max was standing up and striding over to her, a cheeky smile now fixed upon his face.
“Because I’m such a loving boyfriend that it really matters to me that my girlfriend is happy.”
“I know.” He was now standing directly before her. His presence was enough to make Brittany’s heart skip beats in her chest. She felt breathless and lightheaded. She was amazed that a man can do that to her.
“Come here,” Max reached out for her, scooping her up into his powerful arms and carrying her over to the small kitchen table in the center of the room. She gasped as he laid her down on it and began removing her jeans.
“I’m such a loving boyfriend,” Max continued flirtatiously. “Always making sure you’re happy.”
“I’m a lucky girl,” Brittany gasped as he removed her panties with a flourish and dropped them to the floor. With her bottom half exposed to him she panted heavily in anticipation of what would come next. She was surprised when Max bowed his head and squatted towards the floor. She shuddered with uncontrollable desire when his tongue brushed up against her aching clit.
“Am I the best boyfriend in the world?” he breathed teasingly before parting his lips to gently suckle Brittany’s engorged clit.
“The best!” she insisted desperately. “The best!” He was making her so wet and excited that she could barely think straight.
Max pressed his knees against the floor and reached for Brittany’s hips, guiding himself closer to her warm pussy. He expertly slid his tongue between her lips, savoring how she tasted. He felt her body flex and shudder beneath him which made him hard.
“Oh, Max,” Brittany helplessly flailed against the table, feeling like fireworks were about to explode within her.
“Max!” she panted his name as she came over and over, his mouth hot and amazing against her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“It’s a nice place,” Zack commented amicably as he sat at the table eating the noodles Brittany had made for him. She had to suppress the smirk which threatened to bloom across her lips when she thought about what had happened on that very table just a few hours earlier.
“Are you settling in okay?” Zack wondered. He seemed tenser than he had during his last visit. His shoulders were hunched as he sat over his dinner, and he jumped at the slightest sound. Brittany wondered if he was sleeping okay. At first she’d struggled to sleep alone in her apartment at night, but now most nights she was curled up beside Max, which meant that she slept soundly.
“It feels more like home now,” Brittany admitted honestly with a soft smile.
“Hmm,” Zack frowned.
“Of course, I still really miss our real home,” Brittany quickly added.
&nb
sp; “It’s different without you there,” Zack said quietly.
“Different how?”
“I don’t know,” her brother bristled at the question. “Just different.”
For a few minutes, they just ate in silence.
“Have you made many friends?” Zack wondered.
“A few.”
“Anyone outside of the tattoo parlor?”
Brittany tensed but managed to fix a pleasant smile upon her face. Did Zack know about Max? Was he trying to trick her into making some sort of admission about him?
“Not really,” she replied sweetly. “I’m either at work or here.”
“Huh,” Zack nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, good.”
They continued to eat.
“Have you noticed anyone strange come into the tattoo parlor?”
“Define strange,” Brittany laughed. But her smile quickly sagged when she saw Zack’s stern expression.
“Zack, what do you mean?” she sighed. “If you’ve got a specific question for me, just ask it.”
“I did ask it.”
“Fine,” Brittany groaned. “Strange people come into the tattoo parlor all the time. Unique people. Nice people. I’m very safe here in Colridge, Zack. I thought you coming here to visit was you being nice, not you checking in on me.”
“I’m not,” Zack lowered his head in defeat. “I’m not checking in on you, sis. I am trying to be nice.” he gestured around the apartment. “This is new for me, okay? I’m doing my best.”
“I know,” Brittany agreed softly. She knew how hard Zack must be trying to get along as he was. Not too long ago they were living under the same roof, with her barely going out anywhere. Now she lived in another town, it must be quite the adjustment for him to get used to.
“How’s work?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“It’s shit,” Zack scowled.
“Oh, sorry.”
“No,” Zack pushed away his now empty bowl. “There’s just some stuff going down. Stuff that needs to get sorted.”
“Sounds intense.”
“It can be,” Zack gazed distantly across the room.
“Nancy suggested we all go out to this bar in town tonight,” Brittany declared brightly. As she’d hoped her brother’s expression softened at the mentioned of her neon-haired boss.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, it’s this cool bar a few blocks from the tattoo parlor.”
“Sounds good.”
Brittany tried to remain nonchalant but inside she was buzzing. She was going to go out for drinks with her friends and her brother, it was the kind of thing normal people did. It was the kind of thing they’d surely have done if they’d not lost their parents so young. They were actually starting to become friends, and Brittany couldn’t be happier about it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Brittany groaned and pulled her pillow tighter against her head, trying to drown out the sound of Zack having sex with Nancy in the main room of her apartment. She could hear the springs in the sofa squeaking beneath her boss’ moans. Zack remained oddly silent during their encounter.
“Yes!” Nancy cried breathlessly. “Yes!” the sound traveling far too easily through the thin walls of her apartment.
“Urgh, just cum already,” Brittany muttered to herself as she released the pillow to reach for her cell phone. Drinks in town had been a bust. Zack had spent the evening staring at all the locals before getting drunk on tequila. As soon as he was suitably sauced, he was all over Nancy. Brittany suddenly became invisible. She wondered if her brother was always like that on a night out – sullen and then raunchy, or if he was just acting that way because he was nervous to be in such an unusual social interaction. Brittany had hoped that the evening would be full of shared laughter and fondly recalled memories of better times. Instead, she had to watch her brother suck face with her boss until closing time.
Brittany deftly called Max’ number. He answered after three calls, his voice hoarse as though he’d been sleeping.
“Hey, babe,” he murmured. It was comforting to hear him so close even though he wasn’t actually there.
“Hey,” Brittany stretched out on the bed, burning with longing to touch him, to hold him, even to smell him. She physically ached for him whenever they were apart. Thankfully Zack was heading off early the next day, so she could be with Max again.
“You have fun with your brother tonight?”
“Oh, tons,” Brittany replied sarcastically. She held her phone up so that it could capture Nancy’s rapturous screams as they bounced around her small apartment.
“Jesus,” she could hear Max laughing. “Who the hell is that?”
“My boss,” Brittany stated flatly. Max laughed harder. “She’s hooking up with my brother.”
“Well, it sounds like she’s having fun, maybe you’ll get a raise.”
“Hmm,” Brittany yawned and wished that Nancy and Zack would start winding down a bit so that she could get some sleep.
“So your brother comes to see you and ends up bringing a girl back to your place?”
“He was pretty wasted,” Brittany said defensively.
“It’s still a douche move.”
Brittany was silent, unsure how to defend Zack. She was sorely disappointed not to have gotten to spend more time with him. But then, if he liked Nancy she knew she shouldn’t monopolize him. It was important that they both start to have separate lives from one another. They were still in a transitional period, maybe that was why she felt so hurt by his lack of attention to her at the bar.
“He likes her,” Brittany shrugged. “I just want him to be happy.”
“As I’m sure he does you. Which is why I think I should meet him.”
“Next time.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Max teased.
“Please do.” Brittany yawned again.
“Sweetheart, you should get some sleep.”
“I would if I could,” Brittany sighed. “They’ve been at it for the best part of half an hour. I’m exhausted just listening to it.”
“Impressive,” Max laughed, “on your brother’s part.”
“What can I say, we are a family of over achievers.” She smiled sleepily to herself, wishing she could just press up against Max’ strong chest and close her eyes. She loved to fall asleep feeling the steady, reassuring beat of his heart so preciously close to her own. With her finger, she’d trace the line of the tattoo she’d emblazoned on his chest, the tattoo which had bought them together.
“Can you come over tomorrow?” she asked as her eyes closed. Talking with Max, she was finally able to drown out Nancy and her cries.
“Sure,” Max confirmed softly. “It might not be until a bit later, though, I have to work in the morning.”
“Okay,” Brittany murmured, nuzzling against her pillow. She could feel herself edging closer to sleep, and she was eager for the respite it would bring. As much as she loved having Zack visit it was exhausting to fret over everything she said to him. He seemed even more sensitive than usual, like something was bothering him. She hoped it had nothing to do with her. If it did, he wouldn’t say anything. Zack was the kind to bottle things up until they suddenly exploded out without warning.
“Try and get some sleep,” Max urged gently.
“I will.” Brittany sleepily ended the call. In the darkness of her room, she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep. She failed to hear Nancy reach her dizzying climax, or the heavy footsteps of Zack stomping around as he left the apartment to return to the night, to prowl Colridge’s dark streets for whatever it was he was seeking.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
When Brittany awoke, the sun was burning brightly in her eyes. Stretching out her arms, she yawned and for a moment she was blissfully unaware of events from the previous night. But then the memories of Nancy’s euphoric cries came back to her, and Brittany sagged against her pillows. She wondered if Nancy was still at the apartment, s
huffling around wearing nothing but one of Zack’s T-shirts. It was going to be awkward for Brittany to see her like that, but she had to leave her bedroom, she needed to get ready for work.
Taking a deep breath Brittany ventured beyond her bedroom into her apartment. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows in there too, bathing everything in a beautiful golden glow. If Brittany were in a better mood, she’d have appreciated what a gorgeous morning it was. But she was too nervous about her inevitable encounter with Nancy. If she didn’t see her in the apartment, she was definitely going to see her at work.
