by J. M. Walker
Brogan wanted the details on what was going on between Asher and me. Well, she was going to have to wait because I had no idea. If I said it out loud, a part of me feared it would be over. It would be too real. We were best friends having sex, but would we still be having sex if he never kissed me the first time?
“Stop thinking so much, Hummingbird.” Asher’s voice slid over me like melted chocolate.
My face heated, the desire for him tingling between my legs. I squirmed, squeezing my thighs together and hoped for the best that he didn’t catch my reaction. But when I looked up at him, a slight smirk had appeared on his face.
“I’m always thinking,” I mumbled, ignoring the scrutiny from the man who had invaded my thoughts.
He pulled my stool closer to him, leaning forward. He placed his hands on my thighs, moving them up to my hips ever-so-slowly. The path caused a burn—a painful ache that set my body on fire.
“Let me take you out of your head.” His head moved down to my ear, his hot breath scorching the side of my face. “Pet.”
***
(Asher)
Feeling Meeka tremble gave me the confidence I needed. The back of my neck burned from the eyes staring at us, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about any of them. I only cared about the woman sitting in front of me. The woman who had invaded my bed the past couple of nights.
Meeka stared up at me with wide eyes, her full mouth parting slightly.
I gripped her hips. She shivered, giving me the reaction I craved. The power play between us sent blood rushing through my body. Something switched. In that moment, that time and place, it became more than just us fucking. I wanted to devour her. Own every inch of her skin. Feel her deep within my soul.
“Asher,” she panted, placing her hands on my forearms. Her nails dug into my skin. We were hardly touching but I could feel her all over me.
I didn’t say anything as I pinched her chin. Brushing a finger over her bottom lip, I smiled when she inhaled a sharp breath.
Oh, little girl. What I could do to you. What I want to do to you. Our time together has only just begun.
“Asher,” a barked command came from behind me. As much as I didn’t want to turn around and lose focus of the sight in front of me, that voice belonged to the one person I shouldn’t mess with.
“What?” I reached for Meeka’s hand, giving her the option of linking our fingers or not.
She smiled up at me, sliding her hand in mine.
“We have a problem,” Coby stated. “Angel needs us.”
“What’s going on?” I asked just as Dale and Stone jumped up from a table and headed outside.
“Meeka—” his gaze slid between us “—you should come as well.” And with that, Coby followed our brothers out of the club.
“He’s intense,” Meeka muttered.
I bit back a scoff. If she only knew.
Rising from the stool, I pulled Meeka with me and led us out of the club. The moment we stepped foot outside, my gaze zeroed in on the reason everyone had left the club.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jay snapped, pushing back Tyler Bone. The fucker was her ex, and he didn’t leave her alone. A couple weeks before, he had tried blaming Vice-One for the disappearance of her sister and for the others.
“I heard there was a party.” Tyler’s gaze moved around the crowd watching their little spat. “It seems like the party has come to us.”
“What’s going on?” I asked Angel, stepping up beside him.
“The bastard thinks he can show up whenever he wants. Causing problems for me and my woman,” he grumbled, crossing his arms under his broad chest.
“Need us to take care of it?” I asked, watching Meeka walk up to Max and Brogan who were huddled by Jay.
“Not yet.” He jerked his chin toward Jay. “Jay seems to be handling it.”
***
(Meeka)
My hands clenched into fists at my sides while the rest of me stood on guard. Waiting. I was ready to jump in at any moment if Jay asked me to. We may have had our problems, but she knew I was there for her no matter what. It was an unwritten code between all of us. If one goes down, the rest follow. We were a unit much like Vice-One. None of us were blood related but we were family.
I did a quick scan of my surroundings, making sure nothing or anyone was out of place. Asher stood by Angel, both of them watching Jay. Probably to see if she would need their help. I admired that in them. We had dealt with men trying to knock us down because we were women. There couldn’t be a female MC. It wasn’t normal. We weren’t tough enough. Blah, blah, blah.
“Why didn’t you invite me to the party, Jenny?” Tyler asked, using the name only he was allowed.
Please. The guy was a douche nozzle and controlling as shit.
“Did you have something to say?” He glared at me.
Asher took a step forward.
“Not yet.” I moved in front of him, placing a hand on his chest. “Don’t.”
Tyler chuckled. “You men call yourselves Navy SEALs? I wouldn’t want you protecting my country. You’re worthless as shit and you let women tell you what to do.”
“We don’t let anyone tell us what to do, but we’re also not stupid enough to go against them.” Angel stepped up beside Jay, placing his hand at the small of her back.
She stood taller, jutting out her chin. “You’re not welcome here, Tyler.”
“You see, the funny thing is that I’m always welcome. You don’t have a choice in the matter because your dad still owns this property.” Tyler smirked. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
What the hell?
“What’s he talking about, Jay?” Max asked, placing her hands on her hips. The movement caused her tiny bump to become more pronounced. That was when I caught Dale’s lingering stare on her lower belly. Those two had problems of epic proportions. I couldn’t even begin to understand what was going on with them.
“He’s not talking about anything,” Jay bit out. “You’re full of shit, Tyler. My dad has nothing to do with this place. I am the one who bought it. I am the one who pays to keep this fucking place maintained. You can tell my father that.”
“Oh, he already knows,” Tyler leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you think of me when he fucks you?”
A deep growl came from Angel. “You mother fucker.” He charged for Tyler, pushing him back a foot. “I’ll kill you.”
“Try it, asshole.” But Tyler only laughed. He actually laughed at Angel. Even I had to chuckle knowing it would be the end for him.
In a quick move, Asher had his arms around Angel’s shoulders, pulling him back.
A flutter of disappointment traveled through me. Tyler deserved everything he got. He was a chauvinistic bastard who had his clutches in Jay for years.
“You need to leave,” Jay said, her voice calm. “Right now. Before I tell Asher to let Angel go.”
Tyler threw his head back and laughed. “God, you haven’t changed. Always depending on others to fight your battles for you.”
Seriously? “I’ve had enough,” I interrupted. “You come in here, expecting a grand entrance, and when you don’t get the reaction you want, you get pissy. Or maybe you did get the reaction you wanted. Were you trying to get a rise out of Jay? Does it turn you on knowing her boyfriend is ready to kick your ass? I should just tell Asher to let him go.”
“Who do you think you are, little girl?” Tyler snapped at me.
“She’s my fucking sister so you leave her the hell alone.” Jay got in his face. Even though he was a head taller than her, she didn’t back down.
“Oh, yeah, Jenny.” Tyler licked his lips. “I remember how our fights went. Maybe we should give your boyfriend a little show.” Before any of us knew it, he kissed her.
Angel pulled them apart, his fist flying into Tyler’s jaw. He pummeled him to the ground, hitting and beating Tyler like he was the punching bag in our gym.
If it were me, I would have
screamed and attempted to pull Angel off of Tyler but Jay only stood there. A darkness passed behind her eyes, her jaw clenching. Other than that, there was no reaction as to what was taking place before her. Her and Tyler had a dangerous history. Rumors went around, but I didn’t know what actually happened between them. All I knew was that it was toxic.
“Should we stop him?” Dale asked.
“Not yet.” Coby looked between the duo on the ground and Jay.
Jay closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded once.
“Now,” Coby demanded, his voice gruff.
Asher and Stone pulled Angel off of Tyler.
Much to my surprise, he didn’t fight them, but when he walked past Jay, she kept her gaze on Tyler.
Angel leaned down to her ear, saying something only she could hear. Her breath caught.
Dale and Stone picked Tyler up off the ground. He only smirked, rubbing his jaw. A dark bruise had already started to set in. Blood was dripping from his nose. He may have just been beat but by the grin on his face, you would think he won the lottery.
Jay didn’t say anything as Dale and Stone pushed him forward.
“You need to leave,” Dale barked. “Now.”
“What’s going on with you two, Jay?” Max asked, grabbing her hand.
“He’s an asshole,” she mumbled.
“No, I mean with you and Angel.”
“Yeah.” Jay’s eyes welled. “I know.” And with that, she walked away.
“Um, is it just me, or was that really weird?” Brogan stepped up between us.
“It was weird,” I agreed; something odd was going on. Jay and Angel were like the hierarchies of our two groups. When they were fighting, a shift in our universe was felt between all of us.
Nothing mattered anymore when we were all tense. It was so thick it could be cut with a knife. As clichéd as that sounded, it was the damn truth. Angel and Jay were having problems with Tyler. I didn’t know how far that went but he had always been a man who didn’t take no for an answer. As sick as it was, he loved her.
We followed Jay into the clubhouse, and much to my dismay, she went up to Angel and pushed him. He only glared down at her, shrugging off his brothers who hadn’t let him go.
“What the hell was that?” she demanded, pushing him again. “You can’t do that, Angel. I don’t need men after you because you’re fucking jealous.”
“I am not jealous.” He frowned. “You are mine, and no man, I don’t care who the fuck he is, gets to lay his mouth on you.”
“That doesn’t mean you should beat him within an inch of his life,” she shouted, smacking him in the chest. “You have no idea who he is or what he’s capable of.”
“Please.” Angel rolled his eyes. “He’s still alive, isn’t he? I’ve been to fucking war. You think I’m scared of some bastard who can’t let my girlfriend go?”
“I don’t care about that shit.” She grabbed his shirt, pulling him close. “I care about you. That’s it. It would kill me if something happened to you.”
“Nothing will happen to me as long as he stays the hell away from you.”
They stood there in silence, staring at each other.
My heart raced, not knowing what to expect next.
“What if he doesn’t?” Jay asked, crossing her arms under chest. “I can’t control what they do, and you can’t jump him every time he comes by.”
“Then he needs to stay away.”
“He’s the vice-president of my dad’s club. That’s not going to happen.”
“Make it happen.”
“Angel,” she bit out. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Are you sure?” Angel raised an eyebrow. “Or is it because you don’t want to?”
Jay’s mouth opened and closed. “Are you seriously asking me this?”
“I am. Tell me, princess.”
Jay moved past him. “I’m not talking about this with you in front of everyone. You have an issue with me, be a man and talk to me, but don’t accuse me of shit.”
“Fuck,” Angel muttered, following Jay to her room at the back of the club.
“Shit.” Dale whistled, rubbing a hand over his head. “That’s some heavy shit right there.”
Stone grunted. “And this is why I’m glad I don’t have a crazy ex.”
Coby pulled out his phone, sent a text, and put it away a moment later. “I’m taking a walk.” And with that, he left.
“He does that a lot, doesn’t he?” Brogan asked, staring after him.
“He does.” Asher slid into the booth, meeting my gaze, and patted the empty spot beside him.
I sat down, a soft sigh leaving my mouth at the feel of his arm brushing against mine. It was safe. Home.
“He’s trained to protect,” he explained. “When I go into battle, knowing he’s at my back is all the strength I need to fight.”
“Truth,” Dale agreed. “I remember one time where we didn’t see him for three days but we knew he was around.”
“How did you know?” Brogan asked, a keen interest for the man we hardly knew anything about shining in her gaze.
“The bastards kept dropping like flies.” Dale chuckled. “It was the greatest thing. Those fucks had no idea what was coming to them. You should have seen their faces.”
Asher shook his head. “Dale gets off on other people’s misery.”
“Maybe.” Dale winked at me.
I had come to know that Dale hid behind his joking exterior. He and Max had their own problems when she told him she was falling in love with him and that she was having his baby. A double whammy at its finest. Unfortunately for Max, he didn’t feel the same way and wanted nothing to do with the kid. That was the rumor, but I didn’t believe it. He was a good guy. I couldn’t imagine that he would just toss Max aside when she was having his kid. He was better than that. At least, I hoped he was.
The crowd that had filled the large room of the bar dissipated as time wore on. Angel and Jay had disappeared, hopefully calling it a truce or working out whatever was going on between them.
“Well—” Dale knuckle rapped the table “—I’m calling it a night.” He slid out of the booth just as Max walked by. He paused, staring back at her.
“Whatever you are thinking, don’t say it,” she told him, her voice dripping with venom. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“I wasn’t going to say shit,” he bit out and turned back to us. “I’m definitely out.” He made his way to the door, slamming it open before heading out into the night.
“Well, that was fun,” I muttered.
“Training is going to fucking suck tomorrow with these shit heads not in the right frame of mind,” Stone grumbled, rubbing a hand down his face.
“Asher.”
I jumped at the deep voice coming from beside us, surprised to find Coby standing there.
“He does that.” Asher laughed. “What’s up?”
Coby handed him his cell.
Asher took it, his eyes moving over the screen. The smile left his face when he glanced up at Coby. “When?”
“Now.”
“Shit.”
TWENTY
Asher
“WHAT’S GOING ON?” Meeka asked, looking between Coby and me.
“I’ll tell you later,” I told her, motioning for her to move so I could leave the booth.
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
The thought of lying to her crossed my mind, but I knew it wouldn’t work. She knew me better than I knew myself at times. Only she could set me straight and bring me to my knees without me knowing.
“It’s work related.” That was partly true. Sort of.
“Yeah,” she scoffed, sliding out of the booth. “Okay.” Crossing her arms under her chest, she frowned.
“I can’t tell you now.” I pinched her chin, forcing her to look at me. I didn’t want to leave it like this between us. Our friends were already going through shit without our problems being added to the pile. “I will explain
later.” I kissed her fully on the mouth, not caring in the least who saw. She was my woman, and I was damned determined to make her and everyone else see it.
She sighed, kissing me back before she pushed out of my hold. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glassing over with lust. “Later.”
I nodded. “Damn straight.” Clearing my throat, I swallowed down the urge to bend her over the table and take what rightfully belonged to me.
Out of all the women I had been with, none of them had me going all possessive caveman. If Meeka didn’t enjoy the fact that I physically needed her, I would have toned down the Domination raging inside of me. But when I realized she was sexually submissive, that Dominant part of myself took full control. It was something I had been searching out for years, and I finally met my match.
“Asher.” Coby was at the door, waiting.
I followed him, not giving Meeka the chance to ask me anymore questions for fear that I would spill everything.
“You’ll have to tell her eventually,” Coby stated.
“I liked it better when you didn’t talk at all and just disappeared into the night,” I mumbled, following him.
“I only talk when I have something to say,” he stopped, waiting for me to catch up and stared up at the dark sky. “And right now calls for me to talk.”
“I don’t tell you my shit, and you don’t tell me yours,” I reminded him. All of us were close, but we had spent so many days and weeks together, day in and day out, that we needed to keep some things to ourselves. Like Meeka and myself.
“I have nothing to tell.” Coby continued walking.
“Why aren’t we driving?” I asked, ignoring his statement. He had something to tell. A story of his own. But none of us knew what that story was. I only knew that my shitty childhood was perfect compared to his. “We would get there faster.”
“We’re walking,” he said, his voice final.
