Bash, Volume II

by Candace Blevins

  When we finished eating, I followed him around town as he avoided traffic. He trusted me to keep up, didn’t act like he had an inexperienced rider following, and I appreciated it. When we finally made it to the pier on the river outside of town, I was ready to sit and commune with nature.

  He sat on a bench, but I sat directly on the pier a few feet in front of him and let my feet dangle. We were high enough there was no danger of my boots touching the water, and I leaned forward on the lowest railing, watching the movement of the ripples below.

  “What color is the water?”

  Seemed an odd question, but I answered, “Muddy brown, mostly.”

  “Tell me it’s hot pink.”

  “The water is hot pink.” I smelled the lie coming from my pores, even though he’d told me to say it.

  “Now, look at the water under the other side of the pier, and then tell me it’s hot pink.”

  The pier was in a Y shape, and a little girl and her grandfather fished on the other end. She wore a hot pink tutu with a white shirt announcing she was a Princess in hot-pink, sparkly letters. The water below reflected the pink, and I said, “The water is hot pink,” and didn’t smell it as a lie.

  I spun my head around to look at him as the implications swam through my brain. “So, it’s a matter of sidestepping the truth? Telling a truth that is, and yet isn’t?”

  “Sometimes, but it’s usually a lot more complicated. You have to learn the alphabet before you can read words, then you start reading sentences, then stories. What you just did was learn the two sounds the letter A usually makes.”

  I nodded. “Okay, then teach me about the letter B.”

  He chuckled. “Close your eyes, imagine the water’s purple. Come up with a reason it’s purple, if you need to. Then open them, look me in the eyes, and tell me.”

  I imagined someone dumping purple food dye in the river, tried to see it as purple in my mind’s eye, and then opened my eyes to tell him, “The river’s purple.”

  I smelled the lie a few seconds after I said it. Not the full stench of one, but enough someone would know I wasn’t telling the truth.

  “Damn,” I said, disappointed.

  “It’s okay, I caught you off guard with the pink. Now that you know the object of the game you’ll have to get back to being able to trick yourself into it.”

  We worked at it another thirty minutes with minor success, but not as good as it’d been the first time.

  When it came time for us to go, he said, “Gonna tell you something, and I’ll trust you not to talk to anyone but me and Bash about it.”

  “Okay,” I said, unsure of where he was going.

  “Your dad hit the Disciples in Atlanta, in retaliation for them going after you. Hit ‘em hard enough they’ve remembered what he’s capable of, and that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and they’ve put you off limits nationally. You don’t have to worry about them comin’ after you again.”

  I nodded. “Thanks for telling me. I’m not used to being let in on stuff like that.” I wanted to hug him in thanks, but was still unsure of how far we could go with our friendship when Bash wasn’t around. He’d said we could hug, and kiss on the cheek, but I didn’t want to push it.

  “I’ll follow you partway, but I’ll split off at Wilcox,” he said as we mounted our bikes. “You need me for anything, let me know.”

  I touched the gun on my hip a brief second before lifting my helmet and settling it on my head. “I’ll be fine, Dawg. Thanks.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Angelica

  Two hours later, I was in bed with a book when my cellphone beeped for an incoming text.

  Put the plug in and play with yourself. You can take it out in thirty minutes, or when you’ve had two really strong orgasms. Whichever comes first.

  I stared at my phone, ignoring the way my pulse sped from a damned text from him, and debated my response before typing:

  And if I don’t?

  I looked at it a few heartbeats before hitting send, and a few seconds later, my phone rang. He started talking as soon as I accepted the call, before I had a chance to say anything.

  “I’m taking your ass this weekend, Princess. Eventually, you’ll do as I say for this kind of thing, or you’ll feel my belt. We aren’t quite there yet, but it would still behoove you to get as used to penetration back there as you can.”

  “Behoove me?”

  I could almost picture his eyes dancing and see his happy smile as he said, “Yeah, Princess. Behoove. Now it sounds like you’re just askin’ for a spanking.”

  My heart skipped a beat, and I took a breath and tried to sound calm. “A spanking? Sure. Just not with the belt.”

  “How’s this, then. You do as you’re told and I’ll give you a hand spankin’ this weekend.”

  “That’s fucked up, Bash.” Spanking wasn’t supposed to be the reward.

  “No. You want the spanking, I want you to wear the plug and have orgasms. Since I can’t be there to make it happen, I’m offering incentive.”

  “Please tell me everyone who went with you can’t hear what you’re saying.”

  “I don’t have long to talk. They’re otherwise occupied, but I need to get back to them. You gonna do as I instructed?”

  “I’m going to consider it. I’ll let you know.”

  “I’d appreciate a text before you go to sleep. Something simple like mission accomplished would be nice.”

  “Yeah. I bet it would, but the only promise I’m making is to think about it. Now, get back to whatever you’re there to do, so you can get home. Take care of yourself, okay?”

  “Always, and right back at you. Dawg’s stayin’ at the compound instead of goin’ home, so he’ll be close if you need something.”

  We disconnected, and I opened the box with the plug in it.

  And stared at it a few minutes.

  I’d been all intent not to do it, but the idea I’d only get the spanking if I did it was fucking with my head. I wasn’t supposed to want to be spanked, was I? Didn’t most normal people avoid that kind of thing? Except, I knew Bash’s fun spanking would be totally different than when he used the belt on me, and I really wanted to experience it. The belt is harsh and horrible, and then it’s over almost as soon as it starts.

  When Thomas had spanked me, I’d wanted more, and more, and more. It lasted a while, and it’d taken me places I hadn’t known existed.

  I had a feeling Bash knew about even more exotic and wild places.

  I took my underwear off, put some of the lube he’d given me onto the plug, and touched it to my asshole. My other hand went to my clit, massaging the area around it as I pressed the plug into myself with my other hand.

  The idea I was doing this for Bash, his voice echoing in my memory, promising me he’d warm my ass with his hand… I pushed the plug in farther, and farther, spreading my opening wider, and wider. I gasped when it finally slid all the way in and the flared part on the outside made it come to a jarring stop.

  I rolled onto my stomach, my left hand still working my clit, and imagined Bash taking my ass, then imagined him spanking me, his hand hitting my bottom over and over, holding me in place so I couldn’t get away. The first orgasm came surprisingly fast, but I had to work a little for the second.

  When I was finished, still gasping for air, I waited a few moments before taking it out. My world was spinning, my equilibrium shot. I’d never given myself that intense of an orgasm before, but then, I’d never had Bash order me to get myself off before, either. It’d been his voice I was hearing in my head when I came.

  He gave me the orgasms, even if he hadn’t been there.

  When I finally took the plug out, I was both relieved to have it gone, and yet sorry to lose the feeling of fullness it gave me.

  I caught my breath, and used the RTMC app to text Bash, “You’re an ass, but I did it. Now you owe me.”

  I had no idea whether LEO was watching our messages, but if they were, no way
in hell was I ever explaining that one.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Bash

  We had three new wolves. Duke had turned two and Brain had turned the other.

  Two of the guys had seemed okay when I left. The first days were always rough, but so far they were remembering who they were enough that I felt confident they’d eventually gain control.

  The third had me worried, though. Not everyone survived the change with their humanity intact, and I had concerns he wouldn’t.

  Nothing I could do about now, though, and I had shit to deal with.

  As much as I’d missed Angelica, I had to handle some issues with the girls before I could go to her when I returned Friday afternoon.

  Bobcat, Slick, and Dawg had handled the office, and as far as I could tell had managed to control the daily stuff just fine.

  I was looking through the laptop, reading through their notes, when I heard an unfamiliar bike engine. I stepped out to see who it was, and did a doubletake as I recognized Dawg’s bike. I’d been bugging him for months to let me tear his engine apart and rebuild it, and I’d only been gone a few days… who’d worked on it for him?

  I stepped outside as he pulled his helmet off. “Doesn’t sound like the total rebuild it needs, but someone’s worked on it.”

  “Your girl can be kind of insistent. She made me sit and talk to her, and hand her tools while she tuned it up a little last night.”

  I smiled. “She’s damned good with a bike engine. If you can do without it a few days, maybe I can talk her into dismantling it with me and rebuilding it. Been too long since I had my hands greasy, and I’d love to take on a big project with her.”

  “Yeah, she seemed troubled by the idea you haven’t worked in the shop for months.”

  I nodded. She wasn’t the only one troubled by it, but I’d been insistent we start this avenue with the girls, and Duke had made it my responsibility. I had everything up and running now, though, and things seemed to’ve run smoothly while I was gone. Maybe I could go back to working in the shop part time, and just oversee whoever I put in charge of day-to-day operations over here. It was really too bad it had to be a full-patch, because Bobcat would’ve been the perfect man for the job.

  I nodded for Dawg to follow me, and I sat in one of the lobby chairs. “Girls, go somewhere else for a bit. Need to talk to Slick and Dawg.”

  When they were gone, I looked to Dawg. “Slick doesn’t think Bambi’s a good fit.”

  Dawg shook his head. “Have to agree with him. Maybe it’s because she didn’t have a choice when her Alpha whored her out, and now she does… whatever the reason, she’s dying on the inside, a little more every day.”

  “Any customer complaints?”

  “No,” Slick said with a sad shake of his head. “She satisfies them, does a damned good job.”

  I looked at Dawg. “Any waitressing spots open?”

  “No, but she couldn’t earn anywhere near what she’s making here, anyway. Doubt she’d take it, if we offered.”

  Dawg was pretty good at guessing what women would do, how they’d react, so I took his word for it.

  “So what do we do?”

  “Most pimps wouldn’t give a shit. They’d use her till there was nothing left,” Dawg noted.

  “Not a fucking pimp, asshole.”

  He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Yeah, we kinda are. We take better care of the girls than most, but the title still fits.”

  I wasn’t going to have this argument again. “She still stayin’ here?”

  Slick shook his head. “Jayde told her about a studio for rent in her complex, and she’d made enough for the deposit and first month’s rent. The girls went to a few secondhand places with her, and she got a mattress and sheets, a few dishes, some pots and pans.”

  If I fired her, she’d lose the little bit of independence she’d achieved. If I didn’t, she’d lose what little bit of self-respect she had left.

  “Okay then, so what do we do?”

  “Hell if I know. If Randall hadn’t specifically said not to send her to Bran, he’d be my next choice for her,” said Dawg.

  “Abbott?” I asked.

  “She’s too needy for Abbott.”

  I nodded in agreement, knowing he was right. “Okay, I’ll check in with Duke before doing anything. He’ll probably want me to notify Randall he can either step up and find a solution, or we’ll go to Bran, but I need to read Duke in before I do anything.” The Pack and Club were getting along, but we all knew it was a tenuous situation. If someone broke the peace, I didn’t want it to be me.

  “I got the feeling you had something bigger to talk to me about,” I told them.

  “Bobcat’s on his way in with an update,” said Slick, “but the gist is that Jayde’s ex-boyfriend was seen with some Disciples last night.”

  “Fuck. Well, can’t say I’m not looking forward to a rematch with them,” said Dawg. The Disciples had nearly killed him last time, with a hollow-point bullet straight to the heart. Duke and I had put our hands on him and given him energy to force the last of his change, or he’d have died. It shouldn’t have been possible for Duke and me to do it. Only an Alpha, or someone high up in the Pack with permission to use the Alpha’s energy, should be able to do it. We aren’t Pack. Aren’t bonded together magically. It shouldn’t have worked.

  * * * *

  I texted Angelica on the app, let her know I was back in town but still handling club business and might not finish until after midnight. My heart soared at her return text, telling me to come climb into her bed when I could get away.

  Brain was at the compound, and I buzzed into the control room to talk to him in person. He patched Duke in via the app so we could all talk, and I let them know we might be looking at a situation with the Disciples. I gave Brain the asshole’s information, and he was going to see what he could find on him before we made any decisions.

  Next, I talked to Duke about Bambi, and he said he’d talk to Randall.

  Once that was handled, I told them, “I’m not sure I’m the right person to be leading this department. I took it on because I felt so strongly we needed to jump into it, but I’d like to discuss phasing me out and someone else in. I’ll still play a part, still take care of unruly johns, if needed, but…”

  “You’re both the right person, and not,” said Duke, sitting back in his chair on the monitor.

  I stayed quiet, waiting for an explanation, and Brain said, “Ideally, the person over the girls will be intuitive and caring enough to see problems and make sure the girls are okay, even when they don’t talk to us. But, we need the person over the division to be enough of a hard ass to make the difficult decisions — the ones that make the best financial sense for the MC. However, that person also needs to be human enough to know when the right financial decision isn’t the right direction. Like this situation with Bambi.”

  I sighed and sat heavily in a chair. “I can’t do this indefinitely.”

  “I know,” said Duke. “We need you in the shop, and you need to be in the shop. Engines and transmissions make a whole helluva lot more sense to you than people.”

  “Damned straight they do.”

  “Recommendations for your replacement?”

  “Any chance we can change the rules so Bobcat can take over?”

  “No, but there’s another alternative,” Brain said as he lifted a tablet, opened a file, and handed it to me. “Duke had me draft this. He’ll be presenting it to Bud and a few other presidents next weekend.”

  I scrolled through the document and focused on the paragraph stating it was time to allow other shifters — species without a direct alpha — to join the club. He’d used documentation from various LEO offices around the country who’d realized the club disappeared en masse around the full moon, and pointed out how bringing in other shifters would resolve this, as they can shift anytime.

  “I agree,” I told them as I set the tablet back on the table. “I hope you can convince th
em, but we’re two months out from the big ride where all the presidents can vote on this kind of thing.” This would have to be decided nationwide — individual chapters didn’t have the ability to change this rule internally.

  Duke nodded. “Until then, you’re still officially in charge, and you’ll oversee Bobcat’s actions, but you can start letting him fill in for you more. We’ll plan for you to start part-time back at the shop in three or four weeks. You’ll still need to have your ass in your chair at the hotel at least two nights a week, and you’ll be on call for problems. Figure out how Bobcat will keep you apprised of issues — a phone call through the app every night before he leaves work, or an encrypted document he sends… don’t care, just keep it safe and untraceable.”

  * * * *

  I texted Angelica to let her know I was on my way to her place. She sleeps with a gun by her bed and I’m not a fan of getting shot. I let myself in, leaned over her bed to give her a kiss, and told her I needed a shower before I came to bed.

  When I finally crawled into her warm bed, she was sound asleep again. She snuggled into me as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and I immediately decided this was enough. I’d planned on waking her and reminding her who owned her — but the wolf and I were in agreement that holding her was all we needed at the moment.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Angelica

  It was daylight when I awakened, and I could tell from Bash’s breathing he was still asleep. I had no plans for the day, and wanted to play with him, so I only glanced at his face for a microsecond. Much more and he’d sense me looking and rouse. I dove under the covers with a smile, and took him into my mouth with no warning.