Betting on Forever (Battle Born MC Book 1)

by Scarlett Black

  From the other side of the barn, I hear steps and turn to see Ghost, Fuego, Snake and Stryker walking over. My mouth wants to drop open, but I reign in my features. “What was it you said, Blade? Oh yeah, finish what I started, right, honey? I recruited Ghost. You know he’s a sniper, right? You didn’t think I knew Solo was on my tail? Of course I did. I only let him see what I wanted him to see.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Stryker, my old man, walks over and takes the timer from Jenn, grinning at me in fascination, then watching Vegas, looking really unhinged. Vegas turns to focus on her targets, closes her eyes, takes a deep steadying breath and opens them back up. She raises her handgun and pulls the trigger three times in quick succession, nailing all three cans.

  “Fuckin A,” I say out loud, not sure if I can beat that. Fuego beams with pride at his daughter, and Snake fist bumps his sister. Walking over to the stick, I pull my nine from behind my back. I take a deep breath also, aim and pull the trigger three times. I hit all three cans and am damn happy about that.

  Dana brings Vegas’ cans and Axl brings mine. Dana shows us Vegas hit all three cans in the red tape, time is four seconds. Her score is five. Axl pulls mine, and I too hit all the cans in the red tape, my old man tells us my time was five seconds. She wins the first round with two points ahead.

  Walking over to Vegas, I haul her to me and smack her with a big kiss. “That was hot, babe, but you got to win the next round too. Or you’ll wear my tat. What other way are you going to tell everyone I’m your Ol’ Man if you’re not wearing my ink, baby?”

  Vegas stills, her eyes bugging out at me. Seeing her father behind her, he nods his head my way, approving. That gives me a little more confidence to win this bet, so I step over to one of the more difficult targets I had setup. “Okay, Vegas, this one is not timed, but at fifty yards. Every circle you hit in the bullseye is three points, the outer center is one point.” Vegas nods back to me in agreement.

  Stepping over behind a rock, I take aim at the target. Pulling the trigger, I hit all five circles. Each time one is hit, the circle drops back leaving the others propped up. Axl grabs mine and scores them, handing them to Dana to double check. She agrees and says, “Blade hit a score of sixteen.” Dana looks over to Vegas who pulls together her determination to win.

  She walks over to the rock where I’m standing. Moving to the side, I block the view to everyone else. Running my hand up her skirt, I palm her ass and lean over to tell her, “Good luck, Alessia.” Then I kiss her temple and back away allowing her to get set up.

  Standing right behind her, I watch her confidently aim and shoot the first two in the center. Perfect bullseye, each one. She aims at the third target, takes a deep breath and moves off center just a hair. What the fuck is she doing? In the corner of my eye, I see Stryker hand Fuego a hundred. What. The. Fuck.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Vegas

  I truly hope Blade is in this relationship for real, because I’m taking the biggest risk of my life. Betting on a permanent tattoo is no joke. Neither are my emotions. Blade will really fuck me over if he isn’t serious about us. So, I do what I have to do. I’m going to take a dive for the man I love. Yeah, I can’t believe this either. So here I am, staring at my last target, and I blow it. I hit the outer circles on purpose. I am that good, but I want Blade more than I want to win.

  Dana is smiling wide at me when she counts out my score. “Vegas unfortunately lost the last round with a score of thirteen, total score of eighteen to Blade’s score of nineteen. Step forward, Prez, and claim your prize, you lucky bastard.”

  Blade struts his very fine ass my way. A devilish look is plastered across his goatee, handsome face. “Doesn’t matter to me how we got here, Vegas, as long as we got here. Come on, I have something special for you in the shop.”

  “You have the stencil ready already?” I ask in disbelief because when did he have time to do all this?

  “Yeah, babe, it wasn’t hard to draw it out, you inspire the hell out of me. Move your cute ass, I’ve got work to do.” Making our way to the shop, Blade unlocks the door to the shop, then takes me to his workstation in the back corner. Everyone fills in, wanting to see what Blade drew for me.

  “Everyone out, you can see it when it’s done. The first person to see it will be Vegas. We’ll head over to the bar when we are done.” Blade stands at the doorway to his station with his arms crossed.

  Dana and Jenn pout mumbling on their way out that Blade is no fun. “Fine, we’ll go to work then, sheesh.”

  The girls and the rest of the guys head over to the bar. Blade yells out to Axl, “Yo, bro, lock the door on your way out, yeah?”

  “Yeah, Prez, we’ll see you next door, I got a cheerleader to make out with anyway.” Axl locks the door behind them, arguing with Dana that he’s helping her bartend tonight.

  Blade sets up his supplies, then rolls his stool over to me, sitting me in what looks like a massage chair. “Alessia, I know you blew the last round of the bet. Why did you do it?”, Blade asks, his face full of worry.

  “I could have hit that mark, and part of me really wanted to. Blade, I wanted to bet on you more than I wanted the winning bragging rights. It all hit me, I could win either way. The biggest payoff was the one with the biggest risk. I want it all, Blade. What our parents have is priceless in this world. I bet on you, I’m all in this with you.” I start running my hand up his arm, stopping at his elbow.

  Blade leans forward and pulls my shirt over my head, leaving my bra in place. “I thought that’s what you were doing. I love how hard you show love to others around you. When I saw you rig the first bet against Dana, so she would win, I think you seeped in a little deeper. When you make or bring me dinner, a little deeper. When you kiss and touch me, a whole lot deeper.”

  Blade grabs one of my pigtails and pulls on the curly end. “I really love these things, too.” He smiles reaching for the sides of my face and pulling me close to kiss my lips. Devouring me with everything he has.

  Softly pushing me back and looking softy into my eyes, Blade rasps out, “Not having all of you would crush me, Alessia, I need you as much or more than I need everything else. You needed to protect your heart, I needed you to soften mine up. You have the magic touch to reach me, baby.” He pecks my lips, then bends down to kiss my chest, making my heart speed up with his passion. “I love your heart, the soft, the bold, the tough, every piece that makes you, you. I love you, Alessia.”

  My hands reach for Blade’s face, pulling him back to my face to kiss his mouth. “I love all of you, Blade. The strong, determined, powerful and soft side you have just for me. I love every part of you. Always.” Standing, Blade follows to stand with me. Unzipping his pants and pushing them down with his boxers, he runs my hand over his hard cock. Blade’s soft touch runs up the back of my thighs, reaching my thong under my short skirt, taking them down until they hit the floor. Stepping out of them, my hand guides him to sit back into the chair I was just in, I straddle him and slowly fill my body with his.

  Looking up at his face, I can see into his soul. I see the love in his heart. I bare my feelings to him by kissing his lips, running my hands around his head and cradling his head as he moves down. He kisses the tops of my breasts and takes my bra off, his thumbs rubbing over my nipples, making me arch my back. His hands push me forward, teeth grazing my tits, then sucking them into his mouth. Feeling everything but still not enough, I beg him, “Come inside me, please.”

  Lifting my hips, Blade pushes me slowly up and on his dick. My eyes are memorizing everything, taking in his arms and chest that flex and move under my body. Needing more, wanting more, my hips start moving back and forth, grinding hard onto him. I feel his deep moan roam through his body into mine, somehow pulling us closer. Kissing his shoulder and up to his ear, I whisper to him, “I love you, Blade, promise me forever, promise me everything.”

  “I promise you, baby, as long as I breathe, my life is your life. I promise you all of me is yours. Fore
ver.”

  Pushing myself up and down, I pick up the pace. Feeling my clit rub against him has me on edge, but not enough yet. Blade pushes me back a bit, forcing me to rest my hands behind me. He licks his thumb and rubs my clit while bucking his hips harder into me. Unrelenting hard and quick thrusts. His thumb pushes down, circling quicker.

  I come around him, screaming his name, “Blade!” I can feel my heart explode along with my love. He roars his release after me, pulling me back to him, kissing my chest and breast, then my lips, cradling my body to his. We breathe heavily, relaxing into the comforting feeling of our chests rising and falling together.

  “I thought for sure I would fuck you in your office before mine,” he murmurs in my neck.

  His blunt thought makes me laugh and I hug him tighter. “Ruined your sex plans for tonight, did I?”

  “Nah, never ruined, I’ll get you in there. I wanted you to be the first I gave a tattoo to in here. Now I will love this shop even more, but we better get to work, babe.” He swats my ass, getting me to move off him and heading to the bathroom to clean up.

  I grab my underwear and bra off the floor, then, with them back in place, I ask, “Where do you want me? I assume, since you already drew it, you know where you want to put it?”

  “You would be right about that. Sit in the chair the opposite way, straddling it, with your back to me.”

  Moving to how and where he said, I sit down. Blade undoes my bra again and cleans the middle of my back between my shoulders blades, all the way over to my left shoulder. He slowly places the stencil on my back, looks it over, drawing in some areas. Then starts up his gun, tracing the outline. Over the next several hours, we talk and laugh while he lets me play songs off my phone on the small speakers he has there.

  “Okay, babe, I think we are done. I’ll touch up a few spots after it heals, but you’re done for today.” Blade rubs ointment into my skin, then takes a picture with his phone and hands it to me.

  “Oh my god, Blade! It’s so pretty! I really love what you did, it’s so different. I thought I was getting what the Ol’ Ladies usually get. This is much more badass!” Standing and moving to the full length double mirrors, I turn sideways to look at it over my shoulder. Right in the middle of my back is the face of a black wolf with gray shading and a touch of blue eyes. The roses on my right-side fade from the black and red to just black and gray around the wolf, then fading into black and gray with blue over to the left shoulder.

  “Can we add more blue roses later?”, I ask all amped up about this. Blade hands me a strapless bra and cami he must’ve taken from my dresser this morning.

  “Whenever you want it, we can. Come back over here and let me wrap that.”

  He wraps plastic over the tattoo, helping me slide the bra over the plastic and pulling the black cami over my head. Pulling my pigtails out, he places a kiss on the back of my neck.

  Smiling, he says, “You ready to head over there and party with the rest of them?”

  “Hell, yeah! Let’s head over.”

  We walk there and Blade holds the door to the bar open. We walk through, then stop two steps in. Playing on the loud speakers is Cherry Pie by Warrant. Axl is up on stage dancing around in the football jersey I had made for Blade. On the stage, Dana is sitting in the chair and letting Axl give her a lap dance in front of everyone. He even painted black lines under his eyes. He’s taking his task very seriously. Walking over to my Mom and Papa at the bar, I yell and point, “What the hell is going on?”

  Mom giggles my way and starts explaining, “Well, Dana told Axl to get lost, that he probably has other girls here anyway. He tells her, there are no other girls. She said there’s no way to prove it, and she was still pissed over whatever he did before. He grabs her hand, hauls her up there and starts to make a fool of himself for her. I sure miss you girls. I’ve been so bored without all of you around,” she giggles while Papa rolls his eyes.

  “She’s just watching and enjoying you girls fall all over these shit heads a little too much,” Papa grumbles while watching Axl toss his Jersey on Dana. Dana laughs, picks it up with two fingers, pretending smelling it like it stinks, then dropping it to the floor.

  “This shit is stupid.” Snake turns around back to the bar, signaling Solo to hand him a beer.

  “Aww, is big brother mad Dana found someone and moved on? I think he’s jealous,” I taunt him.

  Snake moves over to me, cornering me against the bar. “Did someone just get a fresh tatt? Did anyone set it for you yet, Vegas?” The sly little fucker snickers at me. Snake raises his hand ready to strike. Cringing, I close my eyes, I’m ready for impact, then… nothing. I look around wondering what happened. Blade has a grip on Snake’s wrist. My mouth pops wide open in surprise, then a dirty ‘Can’t fuck with me smirk’ crosses my face.

  “Why the fuck does it look like you’re about to smack my woman, Snake?” Blade drops his wrist and I laugh at Snake which makes him glare at me.

  “Fuck, Blade, we are just fucking around. We’ve had this game for a while now. If we ever catch the other with a fresh tatt, we smack it because it hurts like a bitch.” He tosses his hand at me like I started it. Well, I did, a very long time ago.

  Blade moves to stand by my side and wraps his arm around my waist. Snake glares at me and mouths ‘Later’, then walks back to his beer.

  “Baby girl?” My mom calls me while moving off her stool to look at my back and over my tattoo. Then she eyes Blade, asking “Did you do this?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I did. Do you like it?”

  “Blade, unless you want Fuego to kick your ass, do not call me that again. Call me Cindy. This is beautiful.”

  Mom lightly runs her fingers over the plastic, tracing the lines. “It is stunning, you are very talented. Will you copy one of these roses for me? This means so much to me, Blade, you have no idea.”

  Mom hugs me with tears in her eyes. “My baby girl is finally in love, isn’t she?” I don’t answer, just hug her back. Then mom goes to stand in front of Blade, leaning forward toward him to kiss him on the cheek.

  By that time, Stryker, Moxie, Jenn and Dana spotted us, and they all join our group. Stryker says, “Let’s see my son’s work.” Feeling a little anxious, I turn to show the group and I hear the girls gasp. Blade says, “Who’s your man, baby?” sounding all proud and smug.

  Huffing at his enjoyment, I say as plain as possible, “Blade is my man.”

  “That’s right, you’re my Ol’ Lady.”

  “Okay, okay, I told everyone, the bet is over.” Blade gives me a smacking kiss, then whispers, “Now it’s over.”

  Chapter 18

  Blade

  Spider, Tank and Cowboy follow me out of Vegas’ office and through the back door for a smoke. First we check around the building that no one is listening. Lighting up my smoke, I take in a long drag and blow out a long puff. “Got any updates?”

  Tank nods back, “Yeah, the trucks Axl set up for the brothers to follow worked out well, man. One brother didn’t report back that he found anything or anyone hauling, even though he followed him all the way to his drop in Wells, Nevada. He shanked the driver and tossed him in the dumpster. He made a call we couldn’t trace. He’s our rat. It’s one of the old President’s men, Skid. I’ve kept eyes on him. He hasn’t made any moves yet.”

  “That old fucker followed him then dumped him and took off, then reported it to whoever he works with now.” I pull in another drag that my nerves crave. “We need to get his phone and see what’s on there. We can’t let him meet with whoever he’s working with. Who’s with him now?”

  Spider laughs, “I’ve got Fawn and CC getting that old horny dick liquored up with a roofie. As soon as he passes out, I’m heading back to the club house to open his phone. Stupid fucker uses his thumb print to open the screen. If he’s smart, he would have erased everything. But I have a plan. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before a crazy bitch did.” Spider shakes his head kicking dirt. “The other da
y sitting at the bar, I heard this crazy bitch telling the girls how she caught her boyfriend cheating. She logged onto his Apple account, copied his log in name and password. She goes into her phone account changes her cloud account to match his. Not only does she get her own text messages but his too. I went and bought a new phone. As soon as he falls asleep, I’ll use his thumb to unlock the screen, his password will be saved automatically on the cloud. I’ll log in, get the info and log out. Add the account to my new phone and I’ll be able to track his texts, who’s in his contacts, and track his whereabouts with the Find My Phone app.”

  “Fuck, man, I can’t say I’m not surprised a crazy bitch thought that scenario out, they are relentless cunts when they’re onto something.”

  We hear the rumble of a bike pull out front. Striding in that direction to check who it is, I’m relieved to see Cuervo’s finally made it. The crazy fucking nomad tracks down shit you never thought you could resurrect off grid.

  “Fuck, brother, you made it!” Slapping Cuervo on the back, I watch him kicking out the kickstand, then shaking hands with the rest of the brothers.

  Cowboy tells him, “You haven’t changed at all in a decade, brother. Same long black hair in a ponytail, same old devil stash, I think you have the same black vaquero boots from the eighties.” Cowboy would be right, he looks the traditional Mexican he always has.

  Cuervo spits his chew down by Cowboy’s boot, and with his gravely deep voice asks, “What? I’m not pretty like my brother, Fuego, that crazy fire-starting motherfucker.” Cuervo turns his gaze my way, “Heard you tatted his daughter up, Blade? Better treat her right, brother, or you’ll see what the end of my machete in your skull feels like. No shit, I love Vegas like she’s my own. Don’t fuck with her.”