by J. M. Walker
I swallowed loudly, not quite sure what to say to that. I searched his face, looking for any sign that he was lying, but his gaze stayed on mine, his mouth set firm and grim. He was falling for me. Everything I had hoped for had come true. It was a start. For us. For me.
“I don’t expect you to tell me you feel the same,” he said, loosening his hold on my throat and rubbing his thumb back and forth over my collarbone. “But I do know you feel something. I can sense it.”
“I do.” I nodded. “There is no way I can deny that.” I gripped his arms, rubbing my hands up and down the thick muscles. “I’m not trying to do everything by myself. It’s just how I’m wired. Please understand that.” And I was making excuses. I was delaying the inevitable. Tell him, Jay. God, I was so dumb. “Angel.” I inched closer to him, my mouth a hair’s breadth away.
“Yeah?”
“I…I’m…” My heart started racing.
“Jay, girl, there you are,” Max said a little too loudly and headed behind the counter to the coffee machine. Dale followed her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Another time, princess,” Angel whispered, his lips caressing the shell of my ear.
“Yeah,” I mumbled.
He pulled me in front of him, switching spots with me, and sat me in his lap.
“Boss,” Dale called out. “You good?”
“Yup,” Angel grunted. “You?”
Dale kissed Max hard on the mouth. “Definitely.”
She giggled, smacking him playfully on the arm. “Jay, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” I said, relaxing into Angel’s hard body.
“Good,” Max slid into the booth across from us. “Did you still want to have the meeting today?”
“She needs some rest, baby,” Dale suggested, sitting beside her.
“No,” I shook my head. “I’ve had enough rest.”
“Okay,” Max took a sip of her coffee. “You do know that Hell’s Harlem is stopping by, right?”
I know now. Shit. “I forgot.”
“Who’s Hell’s Harlem?” Dale and Angel asked in unison.
“Brogan’s step-brother’s MC,” I told them.
“They’re the good guys,” Max said when Dale shifted in his seat.
“Are they?” Angel whispered.
“Yes.” I patted his knee reassuringly. “It’s just an inconvenient time.” I would rather go back to bed but not to rest. I also had to stop by my shop.
“You’re burning the candle at both ends, Nugget.”
My father’s words bounced around in my mind. So true. Always damn true.
A rumble of engines interrupted my thoughts. It would be good to see the guys again.
“They’re here! They’re here!” Brogan appeared out of nowhere, clapping her hands together, and threw open the doors. “Hurry up and get off your damn bike. I want a hug, asshole.”
Angel chuckled. “Family love.”
I smiled. “They’re best friends. It’s pretty amazing.”
“Yeah and he’s hot,” Max swooned, fanning herself.
“Excuse me?” Dale bit out.
“Oh, whatever, baby. Just because I’m tied to the fence doesn’t mean I can’t bark at cars.” she kissed him on the cheek. “And so can you.”
“Woof woof.” He rolled his eyes, but when they landed on her again, they were filled with warmth.
She gave him a smile, one that was meant for him.
Do I smile at Angel like that? Do I give him a look that is just for him? I liked to think so, but I honestly had no idea.
“Where are my favorite bitches?” Greyson Mercer called out.
“Who the fuck is he calling a bitch?” Angel growled.
“Hey.” I cupped his cheek. “He doesn’t mean it. We’re family, baby.”
“I’m not used to this,” he muttered.
My chest tightened at the pain in his eyes. “That includes you,” I whispered in his ear and rose to my feet. Kissing his cheek, I slid my fingers between his.
“Fucking A,” he said, puffing out his chest and smacking me lightly on the butt.
I laughed, shaking my head. “Now, let me introduce you. What’s mine is yours, Angel.” It wasn’t everything I felt, but it was a start. And I knew he accepted that when he kissed me hard on the mouth. So hard it took my breath. It took everything in me not to push him down on the bench and show him how I felt. Show him that he meant more to me as each day passed. That he was enough.
TWENTY-THREE
Angel
“HAVE YOU TOLD her you love her yet?”
I stared across the table at Greyson and took a swig of my beer.
He smirked when I didn’t answer. “What do you want with her?”
“I want to make her happy,” I answered. “That’s it.”
“Good,” he nodded. “She needs a strong man at her side. Not a fucker like Tyler.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “I don’t know the whole story but I know there’s bad blood there. I haven’t officially met him.”
“He’s a fucking bastard. Only good thing he’s ever done is keep that MC in line when Brian can’t.” Greyson rested his arm on the back of the booth. “I’m guessing you don’t need the whole don’t hurt her or I’ll kill you speech.”
“Nah. Max and Brogan took care of that already.” I chuckled to myself, remembering their idle threats.
“They could probably do more damage than I can anyway.” He leaned forward. “These girls are my sisters. My family.”
“I get that.” He didn’t have to tell me twice. I nodded toward Vice-One. Dale and Asher played a round of pool with Coby and Vince watching. “They are my family. I would lay my life on the line for those men. We have been through shit—some of us more than others.” I glanced back at Greyson. “I don’t have to tell you that if anything happened to them, I will fucking kill you.”
“Touché.” He scratched his jaw. “I promise you, Hell’s Harlem is not out for blood. We do what we need to to get by.”
“Understood.”
“Well, I guess we’re all family now.” Greyson winked.
My eyes scanned the room until they landed on the back of Jay’s head. She was in the middle of a conversation with Max, but as I allowed my gaze to roam down her curvy body, her back stiffened. She looked at me over her shoulder, catching me staring at her. She excused herself from Max and headed my way. Her hips swayed side to side, teasing me. Her long, curly, red hair brushed her arms with each step.
“Greyson, can you meet me in the office?” she asked him, not taking her eyes off me.
“Yup. I’ll round everyone up. It was nice meeting you, Angel.” He tapped the table once and left us alone.
As soon as Jay stepped between my legs, her mouth crashed to mine. Forcing her tongue between my lips, she took my breath and swallowed it deep into her lungs, forcing the moment of submission. Her fingers ran through my hair, tugging my head back. Allowing her the control, I kept my hands to myself. As much as I wanted to take over, I needed to give her that. A hot shiver ran down my spine, piercing me straight in the dick. My pants tightened to the point of painful, the offensive material cutting off the blood supply to the part of my body that craved Jay’s touch.
I growled, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Harder,” I demanded.
Opening her mouth wider, she licked her tongue against mine. Dancing. Tasting. Taking from me what rightfully belonged to her. Everything about me belonged to her. My skin. My body. My fucking soul. It was hers. I realized it then. I was in love with this woman but it was more. So much more. She was everything I needed. She was the air I breathed. The sustenance I tasted. The light in the shadows that haunted my dreams.
“Jay,” I breathed, swallowing her purrs of pleasure.
“Later,” she said as if she knew what I was going to say. Her mouth pressed to mine in a firm kiss. She cupped my cheek, staring intently into my eyes. “Definitely later.”
“No.” I pulled
away.
“Yes.” She kissed me one last time before stepping away from me. “Later,” she repeated and spun on her heel.
My fingers reached up to touch my swollen lips. The tingle reminded me of where she had been. Where she would always be.
***
(Jay)
That kiss told Angel everything my words couldn’t. What I felt for him. What I wanted from him. Instant attraction was common, but instant love? It wasn’t normal in my part of the world. It may have happened for some, but not me. Weeks later and I had realized that I wanted to spend time with Angel. More time. For how long? I couldn’t be sure, but as I sat there in the meeting room, listening to the demands and questions of my friends and confidants, all I could think about was staking a claim on what rightfully belonged to me.
“Why didn’t you call me when this happened?” Greyson boomed, pacing back and forth.
“It was taken care of,” I told him. “Angel picked me up and took me to the hospital.”
He paused in his steps, his hard gaze meeting mine. I knew he wanted to say that Angel wasn’t family and I should have called him instead, but he was smart enough not to. Angel had been the one person the last couple of weeks who gave an unbiased opinion about…everything. He knew me in ways no one else did. Not even Violet. She was my twin and would always be a piece of me, but Angel, he owned every inch. Every fiber ingrained in my soul.
“I didn’t know when you would be in town anyway,” I explained. “It didn’t make sense for me to call you.”
“I know.” He gripped the edge of the table, leaning on his knuckles. “What do we have?”
I explained to him and everyone what I had come across when going through the articles and news clippings again. There were grumbles, curses, raised voices, but we were all in agreement that the woman who attacked me had something to do with the disappearances. How much she was involved, we had no idea.
“I’ll get my guy on this. He’ll have an unbiased view, so he’ll be able to see something that we haven’t.” Greyson motioned to his VP, Carter Jones. “Write this down.” He nodded toward me.
I repeated the description of the woman I saw the day before. “And I also need my bike back.” In one piece, preferably. I sighed, closing my eyes, and leaned my head against the back of the chair. I listened to the voices surrounding me. Greyson continued to chat with Carter. Max and Brogan spoke with the other guys about possible ways to maim the people who hurt me. Meeka carried on a conversation with Smoke, the newest prospect for Hell’s Harlem. All of the voices had one thing in common. The women who disappeared. The police weren’t doing shit. The FBI had their own way of doing things. The military? I had no idea what they were capable of but I knew that Angel’s team was doing the best they could even if they had to go against orders.
My eyes grew heavy. Taking a break, I leaned my head against the back of the booth. A moment later, a warm mouth caressed mine, making me jump. My eyes popped open.
“You fell asleep.” Angel chuckled. “Everyone is in the bar having a drink.”
“Oh.” I scrubbed my hands down my face. “I guess I needed more rest than I thought.” I yawned.
“I guess so.” He lifted me and sat in my chair, placing me in his lap. “How did the meeting go?”
“All right.” I snuggled into him, savouring the warmth his body created every time I touched him. “Greyson is getting someone to look into the articles a little more.” I shrugged. “I feel like nothing is moving forward. We’re stuck in this time loop. A girl goes missing. We freak out. We search. Nothing. Same thing. Different day.”
“The disappearances are happening more frequently.”
My back stiffened. “They are?”
He nodded. “I’ll show you on your laptop, but now they’re running a month apart.”
“Oh God.” Bile rose to my throat. “This can’t be happening.”
“We’ll stop this.”
“We have to, Angel,” I cried, desperation coating my voice. “I feel like I’m losing my fucking mind.”
“Jay, look at me.” He grabbed my hands, turning my head.
I still couldn’t meet his eyes. I couldn’t see the expression of pity in his gaze. The wonder of what he was getting himself into.
“Look at me,” he repeated, his voice firm.
I did as I was told, meeting his gaze.
“You are not losing your mind.” His eyes burned into mine.
I scoffed.
“Hey.” He pinched my chin. “You are not losing your mind. Do you understand me? You’re stressed. Your sister has been missing for years. You live in a world dominated by men and you’re trying to fit in. You’re trying to make it easier for your sisters. For other like-minded women. You’re also trying to save these girls that are disappearing. I’d say you have every reason to be stressed, Jay.”
“I just want this over.” My chin quivered. “I want these people stopped. I—”
A soft knock sounded on the door, Max appearing a moment later. “Hi, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but, Jay? This package came for you.”
I thanked her and placed it on the table, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” Angel asked, coming up beside me.
“I never get mail,” I told him.
“Don’t open it.” Angel pulled open the door abruptly and whistled. All of Vice-One appeared within seconds, surrounding me and the small box.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my heart racing.
“Jay, I want you to take a step back,” Asher said gently, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“No. If you’re concerned about what’s in it, I’ll open it slowly.” I didn’t know why I was arguing, but I refused to let those fuckers win. Whoever they were.
“Jay,” Angel barked.
“Fine,” I stepped back. “But I’m not leaving,” I said, crossing my arms under my chest.
Dale chuckled, earning a glare from Angel.
Coby came up on my left, standing as close to me as possible without touching my skin. For some it would be uncomfortable, but for me, I realized it made me feel safe. The hard man glanced down at me, giving me a curt nod. A muscle in his jaw ticked every so often, but other than that, he didn’t show any hint of emotion. My heart panged for the guy.
“It’s impolite to stare, Genevieve,” Coby muttered under his breath.
I let out a small gasp. “You are the first person to call me that in years.”
“It’s your name, isn’t it?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.
“Yes. It is.” I enjoyed hearing the sound of my full name. It was a different part of me. A part I had hidden so long ago. A part I was desperate to get back but I didn’t know how. It was the light to my dark, much like my relationship with Violet. She was wild where I was tame. If she could see me now… “Thank you.”
He nodded.
“Do you know who delivered this?” Angel asked Max, who stood at the door.
“No. I’m sorry, I don’t,” she answered, her voice shaking.
“Come here.” I reached out for her.
She ran to my side, hugging her arm around me, mumbling how sorry she was.
“Fuck me,” Angel growled, moving in front of me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to see over his shoulder.
“Stay here,” Asher took a step toward us, shielding Max and me from the view of the box.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Dale bit out through clenched teeth.
Coby and Vince didn’t say anything. They just looked at each other, a knowing glance passing between them.
“Please tell me what it is,” I demanded, but no one budged. They continued talking amongst themselves. Well, as-fucking-if. It was my club. My house. My rules. I may not like what I saw, but what my brain conjured up was way worse. “Angel.” He didn’t move. Not one word. Not one acknowledgement. “Excuse me.” Nothing. I released myself from Max, patting her hand and stood my ground. “I said, excuse me,” I sho
uted.
All heads turned toward me.
“If you don’t let me see what is in the package, I will call every biker I fucking know and get them to force you to show me.” Hey, it was worth a shot. I was a Daddy’s girl through, and through and I could be a whiny brat when I didn’t get my way. This was one of those times, and I had every right to know when I was being threatened.
“Is that so?” Asher asked, raising an eyebrow.
Angel didn’t respond, but a slight smirk tugged at his lips.
“I like her,” Dale said in awe.
Vince shook his head and Coby kept his back to me. Smart man.
“You know I will call them,” I told Angel.
“I thought you could handle things on your own.”
“You guys are all bigger than me. I know when to pick my fights. One of you I could take, but not all five.” I crossed my arms under my chest, lifting my chin defiantly.
“Wow.” Dale whistled. “Where did you find her?”
“She is the president of some bad ass bitches,” Greyson answered for him, coming up behind us. “I would listen to her.”
“You’re not going to like it,” Angel mumbled, reaching out for my hand.
My heart skipped a beat when our fingers touched. I knew I wouldn’t like what I saw. But I was prepared. “Can’t be any worse then what’s in my head,” I muttered.
My mind ran wild with thoughts of what it could be. I had seen enough movies to know that if a package came from an unknown source, it was probably something I wouldn’t want.
Blood pounded in my ears. It was so loud I was surprised no one could hear it. Palms sweaty. Stomach twisted into knots. I knew I shouldn’t look in the box, but I had to. No matter what it was, I knew I needed to see it before I drove myself crazy with what it could actually be.
“Take a breath, princess,” Angel said gently, pulling me in front of him. “I’m here.”
Those words didn’t register until my gaze landed on the contents of the box. “Oh…” I gasped, clapping a hand over my mouth. My heart raced against the walls of my ribcage, my stomach twisting and turning. My body numb. A bloody finger stared up at me, the nail painted black. The edge of the finger was jagged, the bone sticking out like it had been chewed off the hand by a savage animal.
