Wait on Me (Knights of Retribution MC Book 2)

by Elizabeth Knox

  “I’m surprised you two are awake,” I murmur as we approach the door.

  “We wanted to make sure you were welcomed. Hospitality is very important,” the blonde one says before extending a hand. “I’m Astrid, and this is Johanna.” She looks to the brunette, who smiles deviously, not moving her eyes from mine.

  I’m old enough to know what women want and when they want it. Johanna seems the type who doesn’t have a problem giving the signals, and I’ll be receptive. Maybe Needles is right. Maybe it’s about time I get my dick wet.

  “Astrid is lying. She’s heading out, as you can see.” Johanna looks over at her sister. I didn’t even pay much attention to her outfit. She’s wearing a soft blue mini dress with knee-high boots. I don’t know if it’s suede, but it looks like a soft sort of material.

  Astrid pushes past us and waves her hand. “Bye, nice to meet you.”

  Johanna smirks and shakes her head. “She loves to party. Please, do come in.” Johanna opens the door further for Needles and me, and we both funnel into the apartment. “You’re more than welcome to sleep in Astrid’s bed. She won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, more than likely.”

  “Cool. I’m beat. Which one’s hers?” Needles asks.

  Johanna points to the bedroom on the left side of the kitchen while I drop my duffle bag by the door and look at her. She smirks slightly and her eyes rake over my body. I haven’t had a sip of alcohol and I don’t smell it on her breath. There’s nothin’ stoppin’ me from sinkin’ my dick into her. She’s as good as any other woman, and fuck, she’s attractive.

  Johanna walks up to me slowly and as soon as she’s within reach, I grab her by the throat, force her down onto her knees, and my cock pulsates in excitement. She fumbles with my belt, unbuckles me, and pulls my cock out. It stands at attention for her, needing some tension to be relieved.

  Johanna licks her lips slowly and peers up at me through thick lashes. Her makeup looks impeccable, like one of those chicks where you know she took a long time to look this nice. By the time I’m done with her, I want her mascara to be running down her fuckin’ face.

  I dip my fingers into her mouth and pull her open for me. I’m not wasting my time here. I want her and I want her for one fuckin’ thing.

  My balls tighten while I rock my dick into her hot, wet mouth. She rubs her tongue against the bottom of my shaft, and I claim her mouth like it’s her slutty pussy. I have both hands on her head at this point and fuck her like she’s a whore I’m paying for. She gags around my cock, but I don’t stop. The way she struggles only makes me want her more. It makes me want to bust a nut down her throat.

  I shut my eyes and envision her soft brunette hair, but hers isn’t what I see. Instead, chocolate brown locks fill my vision and the same dark eyes to match it.

  I’m not seeing Johanna. Instead, I see a ghost from my past. One that’s very recently begun to haunt me again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Marisole

  While Bull drives, my heart pounds in my chest, unable to stop as my worries flood through me. I wrap my arms around myself in an attempt to keep my shit together. Chills run up my spine and Bull clears his throat once we’re out on Route 1.

  “My ol’ lady was captive for a while, so, I think I know a little about what’s goin’ through your mind right now. Just know you’re safe. No one is gonna hurt you.”

  Rosa offers me a half-smile and grabs onto my hand, giving me an encouraging squeeze. “Bull’s right. You’re going to be okay. You won’t ever have to live life like you were. I promise this is over.”

  Immediately, I shake my head. “No, it’s not. He’s my husband. He won’t give up. Scar isn’t the type of man who will let someone take what he believes is his.”

  Rosa’s worry-filled expression turns into tight-lipped determination. “If he even tries to do anything, he’ll be killed on the spot. This is something I can promise. You’re my sister, Marisole. No one is going to fuck with you. If they even try, they’ll have the Reapers Rejects on their tail.”

  “Alright,” I murmur, not truly believing what she’s saying.

  “Sweetheart, why don’t you take a breath and shut your eyes. I’m sure you’re exhausted. We’ll be to our destination in about twenty,” Bull speaks up, and I nod, close my eyes and only focus on the movement of the truck. It’s all I can bear right now.

  I open my eyes after a while as Bull’s making a right and we head down a road that looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere. I keep my eyes open and look through the windshield. We come to a crossroad area where there’re a few buildings on each side, almost like a small town. It’s the kind that’s gone in the blink of an eye. Bull continues driving forward and we must go straight for five or six miles. The next thing I know, I see a massive farm on the right. There are quite a few structures. A farmhouse, a couple of cottages, another small house, and then I spot a medium-sized house in the back near the barn. There are multiple silos on each side of the barn and Bull makes a right into the lane.

  I make sure I’m looking around everywhere, needing to know my surroundings in case I need to get out of here. I know Rosa said I’m safe . . . but it’ll take me a long time to believe it. As I look out Bull’s window, the sun glimmers against the ocean. Holy hell, we’re so close to the water. “Where are we?” I somehow muster up the courage to ask them.

  “We’re in Kitts Hummock,” Rosa tells me. “Our friends have a club here, so we’ll stay here for a bit and get settled.”

  Immediately, my neck tenses up at hearing this news. “Why are we staying here? It’s too risky. Scar will find me.” My worries slip past my lips and I realize I’m holding myself tighter than I was a few moments ago. I drop my arms and set my hands in my lap.

  “I know you’re worried, but this is for the best. I’m sure you need to rest after everything you’ve been through and—”

  “No, what I need is to get out of here. Scar is going to come for me, Rosa. You don’t know him. You don’t understand what he’s capable of.” My voice is laced with fear. Normally, I’d keep it at bay, but I don’t believe with my sister I need to. I have no problem showing her how terrified I am, and I have every right to be.

  Rosa scoffs, appearing to be completely unimpressed. “I’ve dealt with men worse than that piece of shit back there. I hope you believe me when I say you are safe. You don’t need to worry anymore, not at all. Okay? Just . . . just trust me,” Rosa pleads with me, her eyes showing every bit of sincerity she has.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I nod, and Bull pulls his truck next to one of the buildings and throws the truck into park. He unbuckles his seatbelt and looks right at me. “Rosa, how about you go out and let Gamble know we’re here? I’m sure she’s gonna wanna hear a rundown of what happened anyway.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Let me just help Marisole get out first and then I’ll go find Gamble,” Rosa replies.

  “Go on ahead, I’m good.” Bull waves her off, and Rosa ends up unbuckling her seatbelt and hops out the passenger side door. Bull gets out his side, slams the door, and walks around the front of the truck. He leans up against the door Rosa left open.

  “She’s not tryin’ to suffocate you. I hope you know that.”

  “I do. She’s only trying to help,” I murmur lowly.

  Bull shoots me a half-smile and nods. “Yeah, she rallied as many as she could to come down here and help you get out of that hell. Rosa’s shit when it comes to admittin’ her feelings, but fuck, she loves you. You’re lucky to be related to someone as headstrong as she is.”

  “I know it. I’m grateful to have her in my life, but Bull.” I stop speaking while I try to find the right words. Looking into his dark eyes, I say exactly what I’m thinking. “He’ll stop at nothing. Scar will find me and he’ll kill people to get to me.”

  Bull inhales deeply through his nose. “Sweetheart, I heard what he said to you. He called you an addict and I’ll be straight up with you. The bastard doesn’t give a flying f
uck about you.”

  Unable to help myself, I scoff, “It’s all a front. He’s done this before, where he acts like he doesn’t care about something. He does it to throw people off his game. Scar is possessive, Bull. He doesn’t give up on anything.”

  Bull chuckles and raises his brows. “Trust me when I say he will, or he’ll be six feet under. We don’t play around with this kinda shit, sweetheart. You feelin’ up to meetin’ everyone?”

  It doesn’t matter if I’m feeling up to it. I need to do it regardless. I unbuckle myself and scoot to the side, put my legs over the seat and jump to the gravel. I weave a little to the left and right, and Bull puts an arm around me to steady me. Nervousness swarms over me and I breathe in and out slowly.

  “Alexa, my ol’ lady, when I pulled her out of the hellhole she was in, she acted like you are now. Take it a day at a time. I know you’re gonna feel a lotta pressure to be normal, or like you’re fucked up or some shit, but know you aren’t. You have been through some shit and it’s alright to give yourself some time.”

  I don’t know this man at all, but I’m so grateful he’s the one here with me. It helps that his ol’ lady has been through something similar. He’s not only being kind but patient as well. “Thank you, Bull.”

  Bull and I make our way to the clubhouse and he pulls the door open. I walk out of his grasp, knowing I can do this myself and I’m in awe. Is this what a clubhouse is supposed to look like? I’m used to torn up flags, chairs that wobble, and tables that have chips out of them from when fights break out.

  The living area is massive, with nice leather couches. The type that has the buttons in them. I think they’re called pleated? There are area rugs, a massive bar with ten stools and a built-in tap. Behind it is a state-of-the-art fridge, the type that tells you the temperature. Lord. Pictures hang on the wall of women in silhouettes. They’re obviously nudes, but they look classy as hell.

  “Everything alright?” a blonde woman comes up to me and asks. Her hair stops around her shoulders and there’s a slight wave to it. She’s wearing a cut, so I figure she’s one of the ol’ ladies, but as she grows closer, I see her patch that visibly reads she’s the Prez.

  No fucking way. A woman Prez? What planet am I living on?

  “Yeah, sorry, just . . . taking all of this in,” I murmur lowly, not liking all the attention on me. I can feel the eyes of the other guys in here staring me down. I’m sure they don’t trust me at all. I can’t even blame them. If they know where I came from, then they probably think I’m a spy or something.

  “I’m Gamble and take your time. I actually have a room set up for you at the house across the lane. It’s on the first floor, and there are rooms for the rest of your sister’s club too. I’m sure it’s been a crazy day, so how about we get some food in your stomach and you go rest?” Her eyes sparkle with sincerity, and I give her a nod.

  Bull walks with me as I go forward, and Gamble leads me to a kitchen where she pulls out a prepared meal from the fridge and pops it in the microwave. “I’m so glad Rosa was able to get you out, Marisole. All of the madness is over with now.”

  I’m sure Gamble believes what she’s saying, though I seriously doubt it. If you ask me, the madness is just beginning.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ravage

  “Fuck, I’m glad we’re back,” Needles comments as he gets out of the truck. I hop out myself and grab my duffle bag, glad this job is finally done. We made Konstantin beg for his fucking life and even then, we didn’t let him live. After what he did, he deserved every bit of pain he got.

  I throw my duffle over my shoulder and walk to the clubhouse, dropping the duffle bag in front of the door as I walk inside. A few of my brothers are here, but I spot Zane, Axel, Bull, Doom, Grim, and Zorro. “Hey, brothers.”

  “Hey, man.” Zane rises and pulls me in for a hug. “How you doing?”

  “Not bad, not bad. Good to see you.”

  “Likewise,” Zane comments.

  Gamble comes over to me and pulls me into a hug. “Thank you.” And the moment she sees Needles come in, she unwraps her arms from around me and hugs him. “Thank you both so much.”

  “You’d better watch out. I gotta jealous ol’ lady,” Needles cackles, and Gamble smiles brightly as she pulls away.

  “Somethin’ happen?” Zane questions with a cocked brow.

  “Needles and Ravage just got back from the Ukraine. They just dealt with Konstantin. He’s the one who shot Ace.”

  Zane’s jaw clenches and he nods. “Good. ‘Bout time the fucker suffered.” Zane’s a father too, so I’m sure he can empathize with how Gamble’s felt all this time.

  “Don’t ya think we should toast to this shit?” Zorro asks, making sure his gaze hits everyone.

  Gamble smiles. “You know what, I think Z’s right.”

  She heads over to the bar and Jugs is behind it, filling up shot glasses with vodka. Within a few minutes, everyone has a shot in their hand and they’re all lookin’ to Gamble. “To evening the scales, and never letting anyone fuck with us, or our loved ones.”

  We all down the shots and vodka burns the inside of my throat. I set the empty glass on the bar and make my way to the clubhouse doors. I really wanna get my shit back into my room and take a few minutes to chill. I don’t say a word to anyone, walk out of the club, grab my duffle bag and cross the gravel lane until I’m at the house. I go in the side door, walk forward and make a right. I’m the last door on the left, so I go to the end of the hallway.

  The door across from me is open and chocolate bronze hair catches my attention. Who is this? She turns, and my heart practically falls out of my asshole. I drop my bag in utter shock at who’s standing before me.

  “R . . . Ravage?” Marisole says my name in a breathless whisper, about as shocked as I am.

  God, she’s all skin and bones. Starin’ at her like this causes me to be worried. What’s wrong with her? Is she sick? I scan my eyes over her body until I see the bruises and sores on her arms, wrists, hands . . . and it hits me. She’s an addict.

  She shakes her head and backs up closer to the bed. “You can’t be real. You aren’t here. I’m hallucinating. I have to be.” Her voice cracks with every word and emotion takes over her before I know it.

  What the fuck do I do? Do I console her? Do I leave her alone?

  Marisole drags her fingernails along her arms and scratches. She doesn’t want to keep her eyes on me and looks all over the room. Dark circles are under her eyes, and I can see every bit of her collarbone. God, what happened to her? I haven’t seen her in years . . . not since I left her in Mexico. She ripped my heart straight out of my chest and broke up with me the night I proposed.

  I take a step closer to her, and she backs away like I’m some demon she’s trying to get away from. “Marisole,” I say her name soothingly, hoping she’ll let me come closer.

  “N-no. You’re not real. You’re in my head. You can’t be real.” Her last few words come out in a cry.

  “I’m real. I’m right fuckin’ here. Look at me, Mari.” I call her by the nickname I gave her back when we were dating and her eyes widen. She’s terrified. Her hands are shaking and her lips are trembling, but she quickly starts scratching herself like there are fire ants crawling over every inch of her skin.

  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s wrong. “How long have you been using?”

  Marisole’s eyes lock onto mine and she deflects, “It doesn’t matter. I need a hit. I’m going through withdrawal and I need a hit of something.” Her eyes hit the floor, and I watch as the lightbulb goes off in her head. She walks right over to me with hope in her eyes. “Y-you can get it for me, Ravage.”

  “Why would I do that? You haven’t answered my question.” She’s desperate to get high, craving the one thing that numbs it all.

  “If you get me the drugs, I’ll tell you anything you want. I promise. I just . . . I need it, Ravage. I need it so bad.” Tears form behind her eyes and for a split
second, I feel sorry for her. I don’t support this shit. Drugs only take you to one place—the ground.

  Marisole’s hope-filled eyes turn dark and angry. She tears herself away from me and pulls her arms close to her body. She mutters to herself, “I’ll get some. I can get some for myself.”

  Marisole’s a woman on a mission and walks past me, heads down the hallway, and I do something I don’t think I’d ever do. “Wait. I’ll get it. I just . . . I need you to wait on me. I’ll get you some but give me some time.” The last thing I want is for her to get something off the street, it could be laced with fentanyl and she could overdose. I don’t want that for her. I know it’s been years since we’ve last seen each other, but I’ve never stopped caring about this woman.

  She narrows her eyes and looks nervous as hell like she’s paranoid I’m gonna do somethin’.

  “Come here. Sit in my room.” I wave for her to follow me and she does, but she’s not walkin’ in a straight line and she keeps lookin’ over her shoulder. Once we’re in my bedroom, I pull the top drawer of my dresser open and grab a vape pen and hand it over.

  “What is this?” She looks down at the purple and black pen.

  “Weed.”

  “I don’t need weed. I need some dope,” Marisole grits with hunger in her eyes.

  “I know you do. It’ll take me a little bit of time to get you some, so, in the meantime, you stay here and smoke. It’ll take the edge off for now. Trust me.”

  Marisole looks like she’s debating what I’ve said, but she backs up to the bed and sits down. She brings the pen to her lips and inhales deeply, so I head to the entrance of my room. “I’ll be back in an hour. Just stay here.” Without waiting for her response, I leave, walking faster than I normally do. I need to get this shit for her and I know a guy. I mean, he sells dope, so he’s not a great person, but I bet it’s clean. He sells to lawyers, businessmen, and the uppity types. All I have to do is get there and hope she stays in my room until I get back.