by Wilder, L
“I wish…. That kiss was the most action I’ve seen in weeks. It’s getting to be depressing,” Cassidy pouted. “The guys don’t even look in my direction anymore. It’s like I’ve grown a third eye or something.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Cass. Besides, we all know there’s only one of them you really care about anyway. You could give two shits about the others,” Henley fussed as she took another drink of her beer.
“Yeah, well… he doesn’t even acknowledge my existence anymore. I don’t get it. All the guys are watching over the women, making sure they’re safe and all that bullshit. Who’s watching out for me? Certainly not him! His sorry ass is completely ignoring me. Hell, he won’t even look at me,” she replied sarcastically. I had no idea who she was talking about, but it was obvious that his lack of attention was hurting her. Quickly changing the subject, she said, “You know what? I think we need something stronger to drink. Let’s do some shots!”
“I’m in,” Emerson said, sitting down on the stool next to me. “I could use a few. My thesis paper just about did me in, and I’m pretty sure the professor is going to rip it to shreds since I’ve missed so many days of class.”
“Sounds like a great excuse to get plastered. What about you, Wren? You in?” Cassidy asked.
“Sure. Why not?” I told her, knowing I could only have a couple or they’d end up scraping me up off the floor.
It was like we had our own personal bartender as Cassidy lined the shot glasses along the counter and poured us each a full shot of tequila. She reached for the salt and limes and placed them in front of us. Then, she lifted her glass and said, “Here’s to the men that drive us insane. May their tattoos fade, their muscles deflate, and their balls shrivel up!”
“You’re a nut, Cassidy,” I laughed. “An absolute nut!” I was so glad that she’d been able to take the night off and just hang out with us tonight. She was absolutely hilarious.
We spent the next forty-five minutes laughing and drinking as they gave me a rundown of everything that goes on at the club. I had no idea that there was so much involved with being in a club like this.
“Just remember – club business is just something you don’t talk about. It’s the guys’ way of protecting us,” Cassidy explained.
“Club business? What business?” I asked.
“It’s best to just stay out of it, Wren. Trust me. I learned it the hard way,” Henley laughed. “Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it.”
“It’s pretty awesome to have so many people that are willing to be there when you need them. When you become an Old Lady, you’re part of the family. They’ll do anything for you and your son,” Cassidy explained.
“I don’t know if I’d ever be able to get used to the whole Old Lady thing,” I admitted.
“If it’s right, you’ll think it’s the best thing that ever happened to you,” Henley said smiling.
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said laughing.
Each of them had their own wild story to tell about the club, and my cheeks were actually getting sore from laughing. I liked being here with them, and I was beginning to understand why they chose to be involved with the club. It was awesome. Even the men were nice, trying to make me feel at home with them. I was actually looking forward to coming back.
“I wanna know about you and Sti-itch,” Henley slurred.
“Umm, well… I like his lips,” I giggled. Leaning closer to her, I said, “And those eyes…God, I love the way that man looks at me, like he could devour my body and soul one minute, but cherish my very existence the next.”
“Oh yeah, I don’t think any of us missed that panty-melting stare he was giving you from across the bar earlier. It was… wow,” Henley snickered.
“Hey! That’s my brother you’re talking about, hooker,” Emerson grumbled as she took another shot of tequila.
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t hot, smartass. You should be proud,” Henley told her. Quickly turning back to me, she continued her inquisition, “Wren darling, you aren’t telling us anything we don’t already know. We want details. We wanna know how you, Ms. Refined and Red Wine, ended up with our Mr. Badass?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” I explained. “He just kind of happened.”
“Girl, a man like Stitch doesn’t just happen,” Cassidy weighed in. “He’s there for a reason.”
“Yeah… that’s because he’s a bad… ass. He’s the freaking club Enforcer. Enough said,” Henley told us, throwing her hands up in the air. “And, he’s hot. You can never go wrong with that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s an Enforcer?” I asked.
“It’s one of the positions in the club,” Cassidy started. She was interrupted when Henley said, “He’s like…you know… the Enforcer. He serves and protects his brothers,” Henley explained, sounding more intoxicated by the minute. “Like Batman protecting Gotham City from evil.”
“Batman? Really Henley?” Emerson said, shaking her head in disbelief. “Dear lord, do not let Griff hear you refer to him as Batman.”
“What? It’s a compliment. Batman is a total badass,” Henley said defensively, slightly swaying from side to side as she took another shot.
“Henley, what are you twelve?” Cassidy asked, rolling her eyes. As she poured us all another round of shots, she said, “You’ve got to get out more, girl.”
I was just about to grab my drink when Stitch walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. The warmth of his breath sent goosebumps down my spine when he whispered, “You know if you have many more of those, I’ll be carrying you out of here over my shoulder.”
I leaned into him, resting myself against his chest with the back of my head on his shoulder, and teased, “Is that a bad thing?”
The bristles of his beard tickled against my neck when he said, “Not at all. Looking forward to it.”
“Well, that’s good, because I stopped counting after the third shot,” I laughed.
“She’s a total lightweight,” Henley chuckled, barely able to keep her eyes open. “She’s only had three. I’m on number six.”
“I wouldn’t brag,” Cassidy scolded. “Maverick is going to have your ass when he finds you like this.”
“A girl can hope,” Henley said wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
Emerson turned to Stitch and said, “Just so you know, I approve.”
“Of?” he asked.
“Your girl Wren. She’s pretty cool,” Emerson said laughing. “But, Henley’s right. She’s a total lightweight. You probably ought to get her home.”
“You ready to go, baby?” he asked me.
“Yeah, I should probably stop while I’m ahead,” I confessed. Feeling a little brazen, I continued, “But, I don’t want to go home yet. Umm… if it’s okay, I’d kinda like to hang out with you for a little while.” Even though I’d had a great time being with the girls tonight, I hadn’t really had a chance to spend any time with Griffin. Knowing Wyatt was with my parents, it was one night I knew we wouldn’t be interrupted and I wanted to have a chance to be alone with him.
“You could always take her out to your place,” Emerson suggested with a mischievous grin.
I looked over to him, looking a little too eager, and said “I’d love to see your place.”
“Done. Grab your stuff,” he smiled. He took my hand and led me outside, holding me close to his side so I wouldn’t stumble and fall. When we made it to the parking lot, he asked, “Where’s your car?”
“Umm… it’s over there,” I answered, pointing to the side of the parking lot.
“Need your keys,” he said as he held my arm so I wouldn’t lose my balance.
I fumbled around in my purse and after several seconds of searching, I finally found them and placed them in the palm of his hand. He helped me get into the car, closing the door behind me, and then settled himself in the driver’s seat. Without saying a word, he started up the car and headed towards his house. I n
oticed him checking the rearview mirror several times, like he was checking to see if anyone was following us, and it made me think back to our conversation at the bar about him being the club’s Enforcer.
Curiosity got the best of me and I finally asked, “How long have you been the club’s enforcer?”
“So you were talking about me tonight,” he smiled.
“I guess I really don’t know that much about you,” I confessed. “Until tonight, I didn’t even know you had a sister.”
“Not much else to know.”
“Doubt that,” I laughed.
I was far from drunk, but I could still feel a light buzz from the alcohol. I had so many more questions running through my head, but I kept them to myself, riding the rest of the way to his house in silence. We’d been riding for several minutes when the twists and turns of the road started to make me feel a little nauseous. I was relieved when he finally pulled into his driveway and parked the car. I quickly opened the door and stepped out, leaning against the car as I took a deep breath of fresh air. Griffin mumbled something under his breath behind me as he shut the car door and started walking over to me.
“Regretting that last shot?” he smirked.
“I guess they were right. I am a total lightweight,” I laughed. Before I had a chance to move, he leaned down and slipped his arms under my legs, positioning me into a bridal hold. Feeling safe and cozy in his hold, I laid my head on his shoulder and let him carry me inside. It felt so right to be there in his arms, feeling secure like he had made me feel from the first time we’d met. He took me into the living room and gently laid me down on the sofa.
“I’ll be right back. Gotta lock up,” he told me before disappearing into the kitchen.
I glanced around the room and was surprised to see how beautiful it was. It had all the elements of a log cabin that I adored, right down to the cobble stone fireplace and large brown and white fur rug. The furniture was simple and masculine, yet there was a warmth to the room that made it feel like a home. Looking around, curiosity got the best of me so I decided to take a little self-guided tour. I quietly stood up and wandered down the hall. Ironically, the first room I stumbled into was his bedroom. His large king size bed looked so inviting with its thick comforter and oversized pillows. I ran my hand across the soft fabric, and I just couldn’t help myself. Thinking that I would be okay if I could just lay down for a minute, I pulled off my jacket and boots and crawled into his bed. That’s all it took. I rested my head on his soft pillowcase, smelling a hint of his cologne, and fell sound asleep.
Chapter 12
Stitch
‡
After I’d locked up the house, I went into the kitchen to get Wren some water and two pain relievers. She’d had a good time tonight, a really good time. I liked having her at the club, seeing her loosen up a bit. Since she wasn’t used to drinking, I figured that she was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning, so I went into the living room to bring her a glass of water and a couple pain relievers. When I walked back into the room, I was surprised to see that she was no longer lying on the sofa. Thinking that she might have gotten sick, I went to check if she was in the bathroom, only to find her snuggled up in my bed. Fuck. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at her, marveling at how beautiful she looked lying there in my bed, before I walked over and placed the bottle of water and the pain relievers on the bedside table. Fighting the urge to crawl in next to her, I covered her up with my comforter, knowing that I needed to give her time to sleep off the alcohol. Reluctantly, I headed to the living room and turned on the TV. Some news channel rumbled in the background, but I wasn’t paying any attention to what they were saying. I had other things on my mind.
I should’ve been thinking about the conversation Cotton and I had earlier about our upcoming meet with the Forsaken Saints. They were coming in to discuss our plans for ending this shit-storm we had going with the Pythons and whether I liked it or not, we needed their help. I also should’ve been thinking about Wren’s predicament with Michael. I needed to get inside that man’s head and figure out what the hell he was going to do now that he’d lost the only connection he had to Wren. But I wasn’t thinking about either of those things. There was only one thing that was consuming my thoughts – the woman in my room, lying in my bed.
I was at a loss. I didn’t know what the hell to do about her. A part of me wanted to walk into my room and devour her, claim her body as my own and show her how she’d been driving me wild all these weeks, but I couldn’t move. Doubts had begun to creep into the crevices of my mind, making me wonder if this thing between us would ever work. I looked at her and all I saw was good. She was just so very fucking good, and she deserved love and kindness – gentleness. I didn’t understand those things because I’ve never had them, except those occasional glimpses from my grandmother so very long ago. I’d long since forgotten those times. I’d become a man who didn’t know how to be gentle or tender. I only knew violence, brutality, physical pain. I could do those things, I understood them. How could I go to her, be with her, when all I knew was the complete opposite of what she really was? Yeah, I was the exact opposite of someone decent, someone good. I sat there wondering if it might be possible for me to learn those things, to be those things for her. I had my doubts that I could change and after everything she’d been through, I wondered if she’d be strong enough to handle what I really was.
“Hey,” she whispered from the doorway. It was almost two in the morning and she was standing there wearing one of my old t-shirts and a pair of my thick white socks. Sexy as fuck. She bashfully pulled at the hem of my t-shirt and said, “Hope you don’t mind. I had to get out of those jeans.”
“Don’t mind at all,” I answered. Looking at her in that moment, everything became crystal clear. It snapped tight in my mind. I didn’t give a fuck about my doubts. I wanted her, and I was going to do whatever it took to make her mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better. I’m really sorry about falling asleep on you like that. I’m not used to being out, much less having a few drinks,” she started. “I was just going to lay down for a minute to rest my eyes, but your bed was so unbelievably soft. I just couldn’t help myself.” She smiled and started walking over to the sofa, casually sitting down next to me. I pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and tossed it over her legs as she nestled into my side. When she laid her head on my shoulder, she asked, “Whatcha watching?” Her actions were simple, no hesitation at all. It was like she’d done the exact thing with me a hundred times, feeling totally relaxed to be sitting there next to me.
“Nothing much,” I told her as I passed her the remote.
A wide smile crossed her face when she took it in her hand and said, “Seriously? You trust me with the all-powerful remote. That’s huge!”
“Yeah, I trust ya. Don’t disappoint,” I told her smiling.
“No pressure there,” she teased as she started to scroll through the channels, briefly stopping on some chick flick. She looked up at me, quickly noticing my disapproving facial expression, and turned back to the TV as she continued to search through the channels again. She finally stopped at one of the older Batman movies and laughed when she said, “I hear the two of you might have something in common.”
“Batman?”
“Mmm hmmm. Batman,” she said, fighting back a smile.
“No… Nothing like him, darlin’.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Henley was pretty out of it when she mentioned it,” she laughed. I was about to ask her what she was talking about when she said, “Don’t bother asking. It’s in the vault.” Then she lifted the remote and changed the channel again, finally settling on some old comedy. She dropped the remote in my lap and pulled the blanket over her feet, cuddling up in the crook of my arm.
“The vault?”
“Yep,” she clipped. “In the vault.”
“You know I’ve got ways to make people talk,” I warned.
&
nbsp; “Don’t use your Enforcer threats against me, mister. It’s in the vault,” she smirked. “Now behave.”
“Easier said than done,” I smiled.
She rolled her eyes playfully and asked, “What made you want to join a motorcycle club in the first place?”
“Cotton.”
“How so?”
“There are people that you come across in your life that can see your mistakes, all the things you’ve done wrong in your life. Maybe it’s the way you carry it on your shoulders or a look on your face. Not sure what it is, but Cotton has always been one of those people who just knows. Back then, he saw me for what I was, and instead of judging me, he asked me to be his brother. Joining the club gave me a place to move forward, gave me a chance to forget my past,” I explained.
“You don’t seem like the kind of guy that makes mistakes,” she smiled.
“Made plenty. Still make them,” I told her.
“Then, I’m glad that you have Cotton and your brothers. They’re like your family.”
“Exactly, and I’d do anything for them.”
She sat there staring at me for a minute, then a goofy grin spread across her face. I knew she was still feeling her buzz when she said, “I like your beard and you have pretty eyes.”
“Nothing about me is pretty, Wren,” I scolded.
“I disagree,” she laughed as she rested her head on my chest.
As we sat there watching the movie, I slowly ran my fingers through her long soft hair until she drifted off to sleep. When the movie credits started to play, I carefully pulled her into my lap, cradling her in my arms as I carried her back into the bedroom. I gently laid her in the bed as I pulled the covers over her. I had just turned to leave when she called out to me, “Don’t go.”
Chapter 13
Wren
‡
He stopped, frozen in his tracks, looking at me with an intensity I didn’t quite understand. I could see the doubts raging in the back of his mind as he considered my plea, and I couldn’t help but wonder what made him hesitate. There was so much about him that I didn’t know, but I knew how he made me feel. A sense of security washed over me whenever he was near, giving me a feeling of peace that I hadn’t felt in years. I trusted him. I truly did, and believe me, my trust wasn’t something that was earned easily or given lightly. I knew Griffin was different. Right from the very beginning. That first time I met him in the diner, I just knew – I knew that he was different. He sat there in his leather jacket and with all of those tattoos talking to my son, who was looking at him with pure wonder in his eyes, and then he turned and looked at me. Suddenly, I saw past the biker – straight to the man, and like a magnet I felt a pull to him that I could not comprehend. In my gut, in my heart, I was certain that he was someone that I wanted to know. Every self-preserving instinct I had (and trust me, those instincts were finely honed) screamed that he was going to be someone important in our lives.
