Devil's Advocate: Vlad (The Bedlam Horde MC Book 1)

by Sarah Zolton Arthur

  Whatever, if they want to be hypocritical, they can be hypocritical. It’s time to face the music, and by music, I mean a room full of bikers who are more like protective older brothers. When I walk out of the room Vlad is pouring a steaming mug of coffee that must be for me because the others already have ones with them and there’s a filled mug sitting next to Vlad’s arm.

  I get a few smirks and side-eyes as the men bring their drinks to their lips, but nothing more. My guess is that Vlad had a talk with them this morning. I smile at that thought just as he turns to hold the mug out to me.

  “It’s just coffee, baby,” he says, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek.

  “It’s more than coffee, and you know it,” I manage to whisper in his ear before he pulls away, stopping him. Stopping time for that one blissful moment.

  “Baby,” he says. And oh yeah, his ‘baby’ is the most expressive word in his vocabulary.

  We get down to the business of eating breakfast before the men have to leave. Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. It’s nothing special other than it was made by men I hold dear to my heart. Men. Who would’ve thought I’d hold men dear to my heart? The me of three years ago wouldn’t believe this either.

  As the suite has a dishwasher, cleanup is easy. I hug my Lords family goodbye but am puzzled when Sarge prepares to leave as well.

  “Not staying?” I ask.

  “You’re in good hands, sweetheart. Besides, they’re my ride and I need to check on Greer.”

  “Looks like she’s in good hands, too,” I tease him. What I don’t say is if they don’t kill each other first. He hugs me, slaps Vlad on the shoulder, and takes off out the door along with the rest of the men.

  Until Caitlin gets here, Vlad and I are officially alone.

  “I really want to fuck you again.” He wraps his powerful arms around me, trapping mine until I tilt my head up to stare him in his drop-dead gorgeous eyes.

  “Okay,” I agree readily, licking my lips.

  “I said I want to, not that we can.”

  Uh… come again? I narrow my eyes at the evil tease of a man.

  “I get going, you’ll need to shower again and we don’t know how long it’ll take Duke and Caitlin to get here.”

  “Nuts.” I grumble and he throws his head back to laugh at my pain, and mark my words, wanting some glorious Vlad loving and not being allowed to get it is the definition of painful.

  “How’s your head today?” he asks, eyeing me up and down.

  “I could do with a another redose. So instead of getting up to the naughty shenanigans that I want to start, he walks over to the counter to grab the medicine bottle and a drink for me, then joins me on the sofa, pulling me onto his lap, where he positions my head to rest against his shoulder. He flips through the television stations, deciding on The Terminator—the first one, where we get a naked glimpse of Arnold. Though, sorry to Arnold, but he’s got nothing on Vlad. Or maybe he does and it’s just me.

  We watch, with me quietly content to be held by this man, until we startle from a knock on the door. He lifts me off of him to stand and sets me back on the sofa, bending down to kiss me, short but sweet. “Be right back.”

  Watching Vlad’s backside as he strides confidently away is a thing of beauty—and in this moment, I really appreciate the poet John Keats and his truthful sentiment: A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

  My joy quickly abrades when Vlad steps aside to allow Duke and Caitlin inside—not that I’m not happy to see them. I like Duke and love Caitlin. No, it’s the pity on their faces that’s the huge turnoff.

  Caitlin greets me. “Hey, Nic.”

  I smile back at her through my, “Hey.”

  “Glad to see you, girl,” Duke says. “You’ve got no idea.”

  “Since I’m glad to be seen because that means I’m here with Vlad and you fine folks and not with Rage, I have a fair idea.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek response. I’m trying to be lighthearted, trying to replace those pitying thoughts. Shit happens. You pick yourself up and get on with things. What other choice do we have?

  Though, from the frowns on all their faces at the mention of Rage, it’s a safe bet that my attempt at witticism fell ruefully flat.

  “I suppose you need to check me out now.” I pointedly change the subject.

  “That’s what we’re here for, yes,” Caitlin replies. I walk to the bedroom with her and Vlad following. She holds up a hand, even going as far as to press it to his chest, halting his steps. “Not you, big guy.”

  Vlad growls at the brave or possibly suicidal woman. She rolls her eyes at him. “Your growl doesn’t intimidate me. I live with bikers, remember?” Then to me she says, “I’ve seen this reaction a time or twelve. Good luck house hunting.”

  I laugh uncomfortably while Duke laughs in a way that I know she’s not kidding. My man simply stands there looking annoyed with the whole situation. “I have to know the extent of her injuries,” he demands.

  “And if she decides to tell you, she will.” Then Caitlin shoos me to get me moving again. “You,” she says to me. “In the room. You,” she says to Vlad. “Visit with my husband.”

  The next thing I know, I’m sitting, then lying on the bed while she pushes and prods different spots, asking all the appropriate questions. The tired has stuck with me despite getting full hours of sleep, which makes her question me more. Since I’d gotten the shit beaten out of me a few times, she uses a portable ultrasound machine to check that nothing important has ruptured. Though she assures me that if I’m not feeling acute pain in specific areas, and no shortness of breath, that’s most likely not an issue.

  “No,” I tell her honestly. “The only pain I have is a shade lower than where you’re checking.”

  Her back goes rigid. “Did any of those men—”

  Shoot. I forgot that she’d jump to that conclusion. “No.” I stop her. “I meant because of Vlad, and before you ask, it’s residual. The man is hung like a prize-winning stallion.”

  “And was it good?”

  I laugh, feeling my eyes go all soft and dreamy remembering exactly how good it was. “You have no idea.”

  She outright laughs along with me. “I’m glad to hear he lives up to his reputation, but I actually meant no pain in the areas that there shouldn’t be.”

  And don’t I just feel stupid? “Oh, right… Nope. It was all good.”

  She’s very thorough with this appointment. All in all, she spends about forty-five minutes with me. The last thing she checks is my head again, which was also the first thing she’d checked. “Please don’t forget that you have a moderate concussion and the fractured eye socket. Luckily your nose isn’t broken. I’m leaving you these sample antibiotics and a prescription that you need to be filled. You don’t want to risk infection in your eye. No blowing your nose. Vlad will need to pick you up the nasal spray because you can’t blow your nose for a few weeks. Then, keep up with the over-the-counter pain meds.”

  “I can handle that.”

  “I’m sure you can, but I’m not done yet. You won’t like hearing this, but I’m not going to recommend any more sex for the next week. I’ll recheck you again then.”

  “Vlad’s not going to be thrilled by that news.”

  “Girl.” Caitlin lays her hand to cover mine, gently squeezing. “The man who met us at the door wants more than sex from you.”

  “I’d like to think so.”

  “No thinking required. If I told him he couldn’t touch you for six months, he wouldn’t think twice about it, just head down to the pharmacy for lube while he spends the next half a year getting reacquainted with Rosy Palm.”

  I giggle, who could blame me? It’s been ages since I heard someone refer to jerking off as time with Rosy Palm. “Just—please don’t tell him that. I wouldn’t last six months.”

  21

  Vlad

  Spending the last couple of days holed up in a luxurious hot tub suite with Nic hasn’t sucked. This woman is everything to me. Aside
from fucking like teenagers with no parental supervision, we’ve spent the time making plans for our now as well as into the future. I kind of went out of my mind when she finally admitted that Caitlin had taken sex off the table for at least a week. I wouldn’t have touched her if I’d known she had a concussion. She’s lucky she got it in when she did because now, she doesn’t get my dick until Caitlin specifically tells me it’s safe.

  Once we’re home, I’ll have her checked again to make sure there are no new issues thanks to her conveniently leaving out that important bit of information.

  “I’m fine,” she whined when I informed her of such. “Look at all the sex we’ve been having. Nothing happened—I mean, things happened, but those were really, really good things.”

  My returning snicker wasn’t exactly what she was after, but all she was going to get for the time being. To say ‘really good things’ happened was an understatement. “Baby, you should’ve told me. We’re not fucking around with a head injury. It’s too risky.”

  She seriously harrumphed, which only succeeded in causing me to laugh harder.

  Once we’re back home and settled on Kentucky soil, Nic and I are finding us a place closer to Bentley and the compound. The cabin is nice and all, but I no longer feel safe leaving her there when I have to work. It’s a great location for a new safehouse, however. The only reason Rage found it was because Greer had needed medical attention at the hospital and the way I reacted to that prick, Chit, approaching us in the waiting room. It’s the only reason he followed us back. That, and he’d already made contact with Rage and knew full well that I’d led the takeover.

  Neither Chit nor Rage or any of Rage’s men will be an issue with the new women we bring to stay. There’s no reason. He’s out to bring me down and destroy the Lords. With Nic in Bentley where’s his incentive to hit an empty, old hunting cabin?

  Confident that Rage isn’t anywhere close to Kingsport right now, Nic and I decide to head home. All good things must come to an end and this good thing ends with me checking us out.

  She climbs on the back of my bike, letting me properly tighten the helmet strap before climbing on in front of her. I only have the one helmet; that needs to be rectified too. My head is bigger. She needs one to fit properly, but also, I didn’t always care if I wore one or not. Now, though, with Nic in my life, the thought of leaving her alone in the world because my head split open on the blacktop after laying my bike down for whatever reason sickens me.

  This woman has me completely pussy-whipped and I can’t think of any reason to be pissed about it. Normally, on a warm, sunny day like today, I’d take the backroads to get home. I can’t risk backroads, instead hopping on the interstate to get us home. It’s a couple-hour drive with the wind whipping at my face. I used to think there was no better feeling; now I know better. Having the wind whipping at my face with Nic’s arms tight around my waist, her tits pressed up against my back, this is the best feeling.

  When I finally see Bentley on the horizon, for the first time since the day I first sat my ass on a bike, I’m ready to be off it. Ready to make Nic feel at home. We breeze through the main drag to head up into the mountains on the opposite side of town. It sickens me not seeing the virgin on the gate. Things turned so drastically that we didn’t have time to properly mourn. Or at least I didn’t. Aside from a few dark spots on the pavement in front of the compound, you’d never know that a fucking massacre took place only a week ago.

  Another prospect, this one hasn’t earned a nickname yet either, so we just call him the noob, opens the gate for me. They brought him up from cleaning toilets and shit. I tip my chin up and he smiles, using his chin tip as a way to say he wants an introduction to Nic. “Baby,” I call to get her attention. “This is the noob. Noob,” I direct it back to him, “this is my old lady, Nic.”

  She squeezes me tighter when I tell him she’s my old lady. Fuck yeah, she likes the new title.

  “What’s going on?” I ask him considering there’s music blaring loud enough through the clubhouse to be heard outside. With everything that’s happened, I’m not sure now is the time for a party. They should’ve gotten a hold of me first.

  “Brothers didn’t know when you’d be back. They’re having Dietrich’s memorial.”

  “Dietrich?” I ask. Do I know a Dietrich?

  “You always called him ‘the virgin,’” Noob responds sadly. And then I feel like a major asshole because I didn’t know the virgin’s real name.

  “Right,” I try to cover. “My bad.” Then, without anything else to say on the subject, I continue on inside the grounds, finding a spot close to the clubhouse, then help Nic off the back of my bike. “C’mon, woman. Let’s go greet the brothers.”

  Fuck, it’s too loud to think inside. At least it’s good music. Bikers tend to get stuck in the 1970s rock genre. Zeppelin, Skynyrd, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath among others. Someone blew up a picture of the virgin that obviously came from a cell phone and set it on a stand on the bar top. There’re unrolled condoms hanging off it and shots and beer bottles surround it. Lastly, his prospect patch.

  Seeing that patch guts me. Nic must sense it. She squeezes my arm only enough for me to feel it. The woman gets it. Then the pussy descends.

  “Vlad.” A bitch, I think her name is Ashlynn shakes her ass as she saunters over to me, completely ignoring Nic. “Been waiting for you to show up all night.” Then I kid not, she begins unbuckling my belt. And I regret ever letting a woman suck me off in front of everyone, especially with Nic at my side.

  “The fuck you doing, woman?” I shove her off, glancing over to Nic to gauge her level of pissed off. Her expression is harder than the one she usually wears for me, but it’s wholly aimed at Ashlynn. “The bitches not tell you? I’m done with empty pussy. You want dick, plenty of other brothers around to service. Second…” My voice gets louder for this part. “You bitches have already been warned. Last time, I’m off the fucking market. This is my old lady, Nicola. Nic’s the only pussy I’m fucking. Don’t bother trying; you’ll only embarrass yourself.”

  Ashlynn’s posture goes rigid and she folds her arms under her fake tits as if she’s about to scold me. Bitch better not.

  “Horde don’t take old ladies,” she protests.

  “And then came Nic.”

  The stupid woman doesn’t get it, moving in close, she shoves Nic out of the way to grab my junk. Nic looks at me, eyes wide and then they narrow. Oh, shit just got real. I shrug. We play this however she wants. I’ll step up, but if Nic’s going to be around, she needs to stake her claim, like now. Nicola seems to consider this. She looks to the kid behind the bar, raising her eyebrow. He slides her a shot of bourbon. She slams it back, slams the glass down on the bar top, then balls her fist and brings it up, catching Ashlynn under the chin hard enough to knock Ashlynn, arms flailing, on her ass.

  “I help women,” Nic forces her words through clenched teeth. “Hate that you made me hurt you.” Then she lifts her head up to address every other pussy in the room. “Vlad is my man.” She shoves a thumb to her chest. “He’s mine and I’m not sharing. Think to come at me? Think to go behind my back? You better fucking think again. I’ll end every one of you bitches.”

  Ashlynn stares up at her from the sticky floor, a mouth full of bloody teeth. Damn, Nic messed her up. The rest of the women move away.

  “Fuck, baby, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “I’ve seen Sons of Anarchy.” She shrugs, like what she just did was nothing. I see respect on the faces of all the brothers close enough to witness the scene and she’ll get the same respect from the brothers who didn’t get to see but will quickly hear about it.

  Cut and Roughneck make their way over to us.

  “It’s good to see you two up and around.” I raise my beer to them.

  “It’s good we don’t have to compete with your legendary dick any longer,” Cut teases. “Nic, good to see you again, girl.”

  “It’s good to be s
een.”

  He leans in to hug her. Roughneck pushes his way in next. “Good to see you, girl,” he whispers.

  It’s a shit reason for a celebration. The kid deserved better than to die at the hands of Rage. I hate that he’s gone and Rage is still breathing—for the time being. Only the time being. Thinking on that is for another time. Now we honor the life of a friend.

  Nic spends another half hour meeting the brothers she hasn’t met before and getting reacquainted with the brothers she has, but I can see it on her face, the way she squints more than she was earlier, the music and smoke and everything else is getting to her.

  “Let’s go rest for a while,” I order her.

  “No. I’m fine. This is the virgin’s memorial. We owe it to stay.”

  “Woman, he’d want you taking it easy if you don’t feel well. That’s why he was guarding you, to take care of you.” The arguing I could do without, but I know there’s something behind it, and because of that, I wrap my arms around her shoulders, cradling her head to my chest. “Hungry, baby?”

  Her head nods, rumpling my shirt in the process.

  “Right. Let’s see what they’ve got in the kitchen, then we’re heading to my room. We’ll lie down and chill.”

  “Okay.”

  Okay. Her head must be hurting for her to agree so readily. I could make her a grilled cheese, but greasy food when you have a headache doesn’t always sit well. In the end I make us a couple of PB&Js with strawberry jam because my brothers aren’t gross enough to ruin a good sandwich with grape jelly.

  If she’s staying here, I’ll have to hit the grocery store to make sure there’s food for her when she wants it.

  Plates in hand, I lead her down the hall, stopping in front of my door. She takes mine in order for me to fish my keys out of my pocket, and I open the door ushering her inside. “Room sweet room,” I joke. It’s not much, but I’ve been busy. She’ll get a proper home as fast as I can procure one.