Free

by Kristen Ashley

  But this sensation was not sexual in the slightest.

  “She’s not feeling the love, Benito,” she whispered. “Delgado had her looked over, you know, by professionals. Pictures taken. And there were three other Doms at work in that building that day, two of them saw you enter, one saw you leave. Rape carries a sadly short sentence, but I don’t think it’d be enjoyable for you once Mamá Nana shares this tape with the underground video library in the big house. It’s one thing to get it when you want it. You can ask Mistress Fury, it’s an entirely different thing to have it taken from you. Are you understanding me?”

  He said nothing, just stared into her eyes.

  “Oh, I forgot to cover something,” she stated, assuming a false contrite expression. “You’re probably worried about your men at the door. You should know, we’re very fair. They didn’t rape anybody. So, while you were being played with, we had a chitchat, as well as shared some live entertainment.” She tipped her head on her fists. “Is the phrase ‘rats leave a sinking ship’ familiar to you?”

  He felt his mouth get tight.

  Not surprisingly, she needed no response.

  “Now,” she said brightly, “just in case we haven’t fully communicated your situation to you, we have another friend. He’s delightful,” she breathed. “Oh so much fun. If your devious little mind is thinking payback, or how you can get yourself out of this mess you created, really, in all fairness, I feel I must advise you to let that go. We’ll leave you intact, at least physically. We unleash him, you won’t just be walking with a limp. The last man he went after for hurting a Domme bit off his own tongue during the festivities. Let’s make that not happen to you. Are you with me?”

  “I’m with you,” he said between his teeth.

  “Good,” she agreed cheerfully, shifting, and the men shifted with her.

  They got off the bed and moved to the door but stopped, and all three turned back.

  “You can keep that one,” she said, tipping her head to the television. “We have the master. And just to say, added insurance you can carry out orders when a cock is not fucking you up the ass, before your meeting with Allen and Sebring tomorrow, they’ll be getting a copy too. Everyone you’ve been spending years not making very happy will have you by the balls.”

  He thought of Kane Allen viewing that tape, hearing that tape, sharing it with the brothers of Chaos and even the feeling of his cold changed.

  It didn’t feel empowering.

  It just felt chilly.

  The brunette regained his attention by speaking.

  “Pussy really causes problems, don’t we?” She smiled. “But I guess dick does too. We’ll be in touch. Ciao.”

  Then with additional grins from the men who tossed their arms around her shoulders, attached, they walked out.

  Benito stared at the door.

  Then he looked to the TV just in time to watch himself climax.

  Ten million dollars would nearly wipe him out.

  He had investments. Real estate. But he’d had to sell a number of them in order to finance his comeback, and having to give up his production facilities would be a massive blow, not only to future income that he was counting on, but to his current assets.

  Liquid, once he paid that money, he’d be nearly penniless.

  Strike that.

  It was ten million, fifteen thousand dollars.

  Yes.

  Nearly penniless.

  He watched himself get fucked at both ends with a spent condom on his shrinking cock.

  And it was then, Benito Valenzuela learned how to feel humility.

  Legacy

  Rush

  Five fifty, Sunday evening . . .

  “You got her?” Rush asked into his phone, walking into the Chaos Compound.

  “Yeah, we’re hangin’ at Essence’s for a while,” Diesel told him. “But I think we’re gonna be movin’ it to Rebel’s. Feelin’ my sis needs some home time. One of us will text you if we’re over there before you get here.”

  “Right. Thanks,” Rush muttered.

  “Just to say, we got a room at the Halcyon tonight. You guys need some alone time. And after today, we could use some space to let loose.”

  Rush stopped by the bar because that was big shit.

  They trusted him with Rebel.

  “You know I don’t mind,” he reminded Diesel.

  “I know, bro,” Diesel replied. “But we’re crampin’ your style, her style, and doin’ it’s cramping our style.”

  If they’d been holding back, he didn’t want to know.

  “The night. We’ll hook up again tomorrow to take the day shift. Yeah?” Diesel went on.

  “Yeah. Thanks, Diesel.”

  “You gonna be long?” he asked. “Rebel’s asking. She wants to know if we should go out, buy shit so she can make you dinner.”

  Rush thought of the phone call he got from his dad, asking him to meet him at the Compound. So he was at the Compound, but he didn’t know what this was about.

  “I don’t know. I’ll text when this is done,” he told him.

  “Cool, later, man,” Diesel said.

  “Later. And when I get there, don’t plan to leave right away. I’d like to hear what you two got up to with Sixx.”

  There was deep humor in his, “You totally wanna hear it. Figure it’ll make your year.”

  He could use his year made.

  Then again, meeting Rebel, even with all this shit swirling, it felt like that already happened.

  “Great. Later, Diesel.”

  “D.”

  “What?” Rush asked.

  “Good friends, family call me D, brother,” Diesel said low.

  He had no idea how he earned that.

  Then again, he didn’t hide he was into their sister, wanted her safe, and was totally down with who and how they were.

  So maybe he did know.

  “Right, D. Later.”

  “Later, bro.”

  They hung up and Rush moved to the door that would lead him to the meeting room.

  When he hit that room, he saw his father at the end of the table in his usual seat with a laptop open, a bunch of papers spread out, an opened bottle of beer and a spent one in front of him, head down.

  Shit happening, business still needed to be seen to. Five stores, five garages and the custom shop, books had to get done, bills had to be paid, checks had to be cut. Tyra was a big help, but when it came down to the final business, the eyes on it had to be directly Chaos.

  His dad.

  Tack looked up at him, putting a pen down. “Yo, Rush, wanna grab a beer before we talk?”

  Rush shook his head, moving to the chair next to him, Hop’s normal place.

  “Not to be a dick, wanna get this done. Got some extra shuteye this morning, but Diesel and Maddox are hittin’ a hotel tonight. Means I can have some quiet time with Rebel. We haven’t had any of that, and I want some of it.”

  Tack nodded, reaching out to nab his own beer as Rush took his seat.

  Tack threw back a swallow, put the beer down and leveled his eyes on Rush.

  “Meet tomorrow with Valenzuela, you’re goin’ in with me,” he announced.

  Rush instantly went alert.

  “It’s taking place in Ally Nightingale’s conference room,” Tack carried on. “Neutral ground. Knight, Rhash, Valenzuela, you and me. In case Valenzuela plans to do something stupid, Hound’ll have the underground parking garage covered. Snap and High’ll be on their bikes, riding the perimeter of the building. Hop’s comin’ up but standing sentry outside the offices. Shy’s got the lobby. The other brothers will be close and on alert.”

  “Why’m I goin’ in with you?” Rush asked.

  Tack sat back. “Because it’s time, son.”

  “Time for what?”

  “We’ve got the bones.”

  Rush expelled a long breath like someone had landed one in his gut, but the blow had hit slowly.

  And letting out that air felt good.<
br />
  “Your girl’s brother, his man and their friend delivered them to us a few hours ago. They’re now in a pit with lye. It’s done,” Tack declared.

  Apparently, D and Maddox did have something to celebrate.

  They all did.

  Good Christ.

  Christ.

  Rush allowed the relief of that to filter for a beat before he asked, “How’d they pull that off?”

  “It was her way, I’d ask that woman to recruit the Club. First female to wear a patch. She’s somethin’ else.”

  The little he saw, what Diesel and Maddox said, he was getting that.

  Still.

  “That doesn’t explain how she pulled it off.”

  “She made friends with Mamá Nana.”

  There it was.

  Slowly, Rush smiled.

  “So she’s a miracle worker,” he noted, having met Mamá Nana twice in his life.

  Once when he was a kid, and she’d given him a warm smile and a bag of Mexican candy.

  Once when he was a patched-in brother, and she’d stared at him like she knew he’d fingered Donna Winters to an orgasm in the janitor’s closet at school his junior year, and she did not approve of that behavior even a little.

  “No, she’s just got a vagina. Mamá’s partial to women. And finally, Valenzuela made an enemy of someone who could outmaneuver him.” He paused. “Make that two.”

  “Righteous, Dad,” he murmured.

  “Gets better, Rush,” Tack said. “Apparently Sixx, Diesel and Maddox made a sex tape starring Valenzuela that he’s not gonna wanna get out. I don’t know what that’s gonna show, but she says she’ll be burning us a copy. Consequently, he’ll be sharing with us tomorrow he’s leaving Denver. And Sixx investigated his finances. His payoff to that Mistress he worked over will cripple him. He’ll have enough to get out of Denver and then it’s done.”

  Holy fuck.

  Years of dicking with this motherfucker were over?

  “It’s done?” Rush asked.

  “With Valenzuela it is,” Tack confirmed.

  Jesus.

  Well okay.

  Right.

  Back to business.

  “In other words, he’s no longer a problem, so you don’t need both your lieutenants with you,” Rush deduced about the meeting.

  “In other words, we find Chew, it’s finally done and it’s time for you to take over.”

  Rush’s head jerked before his whole body stilled.

  “Puttin’ it out there so you get it,” Tack went on. “Hop’s battle fatigued. This gets done, he wants it to be about Lanie and Nash, Mol and Cody. He’s earned that. He should get it.”

  Still in shock, Rush forced himself to nod.

  Tack kept going.

  “Shy says, soon, he and Tab are gonna try for my second grandchild. Two little ones at home, Tab wants to go back at work, he’s gonna have to pitch in more because he doesn’t want his kids to spend all their time with Big Petey, ’cause they’re gonna start thinking Pete’s their daddy. He won’t have the time. But he’ll make a good Vice President.”

  Rush just stared at his dad.

  “Joke is about the builds, Carissa and knockin’ her up again as soon’s it’s safe seein’ as she wants about fifteen kids. Snap’ll be a good Sergeant at Arms, but he’ll be putting a ring on Rosalie’s finger soon and they’ll be starting a family. Hound doesn’t have the temperament for it, or the diplomacy, but it doesn’t matter. He’s all about Keely right now in a way that won’t change for around about eternity.”

  That was definitely right.

  All of it.

  But Hound especially.

  Tack kept at it.

  “Zadie and Cleo are gettin’ old enough to appreciate what they’ll get out of it, so High wants to start takin’ them and Millie on trips. They enjoyed the fuck outta Paris. Italy’s next. Then Australia.”

  Rush sat immobile, kept his mouth shut and his mind focused on his dad’s words.

  But it couldn’t help but leak in, how much life had been put on hold for fucking Benito Valenzuela.

  And motherfucking Chew.

  “We all know why Arlo can’t have the gavel,” Tack said.

  “Yeah,” Rush pushed out.

  “Brick’s goin’ back to the western slope. Stella’s good to be here while this is going down, but she wants to go home. And Brick’s president of that charter now Dog’s back in Denver. He needs to see to his crew. You know Dog and Sheila been havin’ problems conceiving.” His voice dropped. “Sheila’s not getting any younger, Rush. She’s begun to give up hope. They’re gonna be starting some new treatments. Dog wants his focus on gettin’ his woman through that with hopefully a baby at the end.”

  “Right,” Rush said when his dad didn’t go on.

  So his dad went on.

  “Roscoe and Speck aren’t ready. You do a couple of terms, my grandkids get older, Shy might be on board to take over. Or Snap. Maybe Joker. Though I see Dutch in the future, he just has to earn his patch, and we both know he will. But you’ll have your time to take the Club where you want them to be.”

  “Dad—”

  “For me, I want to give Tyra and Ride and Cut what I could not give you and Tabby.”

  These words were so heavy, Rush did not interrupt them when they kept coming.

  “That was what cut the worst, Rush. I wanted a certain life for my babies, and it was not in my power to give it to them. They had to watch me fight for it. They had to feel the loss of a man they loved dying for it. I got a second chance, son, and I wanna take it.”

  Rush sucked in a big breath to hold in just how much he wanted his dad to have that.

  Tack kept going.

  “I want to give a life to my woman where she doesn’t have shit hanging over her head, and her man’s called down the mountain, leavin’ her to look after our boys and watch them grow up and fight and pull shit and be funny and be sweet, all of that, I’m gone so fuckin’ much taking care of business, I’m missing. I want my phone to stop ringing. I want my Sundays not to be this,” he tossed a hand over the papers in front of him, “but instead kicking back in front of the TV with my wife and making my family big Sunday meals.”

  Rush was glad most of the feeling he had sounded in the words when he said, “I want that for you too, Dad.”

  Tack nodded, his face warming.

  “It won’t be a dump and dash,” he assured. “I’ll show you. I’ll teach you. I’ll help you. And no way Red is gonna give up what she does. If she doesn’t have something outside our home, she’d lose her mind. So you’ll have her and it goes without saying, you’ll always have me.”

  “Right, but Dad—”

  “This gets done, we’re focusing on Chaos.”

  Rush’s entire frame turned to stone.

  Was he saying . . . ?

  “No more patrolling,” Tack declared.

  Another blow to the gut.

  And this one felt twice a sweet.

  Tack carried on.

  “Benito’s mortally wounded and soon to be gone. When Chew’s neutralized, my vision will finally be realized. Chaos can be about custom cars, bikes, auto supplies, hog roasts, havin’ a good fuckin’ time and lookin’ after our families. It took a fuckuva lot longer than I thought it would, but I’ll be leavin’ you the Club I wanted you to have. I wish you didn’t have to earn your place in it the way you did, but that didn’t happen. You got what you got. And in the end, the way you got it is good. The men will trust you. They’ll follow you. I know this because they already respect you. I have no doubt when the vote comes, it’ll go your way. In fact, when I step down and the nominations come, your name will be the first one out of every brothers’ mouth.”

  Rush felt his heart thumping at all his father was saying, all it meant, how colossal it was, as he watched Tack’s gaze go even more intense before he said his next.

  “It’s important you know, son, that it isn’t about the others not wanting it. It’s about y
ou earning it. I just shared all that shit so you’d know you weren’t steppin’ over a brother to have it.”

  Tack drew in a breath.

  Rush stared in his father’s eyes.

  His father finished it.

  “Bottom line, Chew’s gone, I can finally give you what I’ve been working nearly three decades for you to have. My legacy.”

  Processing as much emotion as it was, he couldn’t hold it up any longer, so Rush dropped his head and stared at his lap.

  “You’re a good son. You’re a good man,” his dad whispered. “I have no idea how, through all the shit you had to wade through that was not in my power to protect you from, you turned into the man you are.”

  Rush tipped his head back to again catch Tack’s eyes.

  “But you did and I’m damned proud, Rush. You’re the man I wanted to be. You’ll have the Club I wanted to make. And I did more. I made Tabby. I had a hand in makin’ Ride and Cut. I earned the love of your stepmother. I debate it every day, what makes me the proudest. And I gotta tell you, son, havin’ that to debate is the best place a man can be.”

  His voice was hoarse when he said, “Dad.”

  His father’s voice was thick when he continued, “No pressure, Rush. You don’t want it, we’re surrounded by good men. The best. The Club will survive.” He leaned toward Rush and put his elbows to his knees. “The Club will survive.”

  He did that.

  Against crazy odds, his father did that.

  He made it so the Chaos Motorcycle Club would survive.

  Rush leaned toward him and put his elbows to his knees.

  “I’m the man you wanted to be. You’re the man, Dad, I worked hard to turn out to be.”

  What came at him next was rough.

  But it felt good.

  “Son.”

  They held each other’s gaze, Chaos’s Club table with its first flag in Plexiglass the only thing between them.

  In other words, there was nothing between them.

  “Hog roasts,” Rush whispered.

  “And family,” Tack replied.

  “Rebel’s the one.”

  Tack nodded then slowly grinned. “I was feelin’ that. Felt the same with Red. The minute she threw her attitude at me, that red hair, those eyes, I was gone. Saw that in you the first time you saw your girl. She’s beautiful, got a heart of gold, and she’ll give you a run for your money. I like that for you, Rush. I like it a fuckuva lot.”