by Wilder, L
“I love you,” I whimpered over and over again as he drove into me harder with each and every thrust, our bodies slamming into each other. He felt so good inside me, driving me wild with a passion I’d never known. I couldn’t restrain myself, and began rocking back against him, meeting each and every thrust. His hand reached for my hair, pulling my head back towards him so he could kiss and suck along my neck.
“You’re mine. Now and forever,” he growled as his rhythm increased. As the need to climax began to overtake me, my body began to spasm around him, signaling him that I was about to lose control. With his free hand, he reached around me, pressing firmly as he circled his fingers around my clit. I tilted my ass towards him, grinding harder against his cock as he drove deeper inside me. My body began to tremble as my orgasm took hold, my muscles contracting around him and pulling him deeper inside me. His growl echoed around us as his entire body tensed and he came inside me.
“Fuck!” he roared as his fingers dug into my hips, holding me firmly in place. After several seconds, his breathing began to slow and he released me, just long enough to turn me around to face him. He placed his hands on my face, forcing me to look at him when he said, “I’ve never known love like this, never felt it, never even knew I wanted it. But I want it now, and nothing is going to stop me from having it. I love you, Wren.”
Chapter 26
Stitch
‡
Wren’s face twisted into a worried frown as she checked my wound and said, “I think you may need stitches.”
“It’ll be fine,” I assured her.
“It’s not fine. You need to let Doc take a look at it,” she scolded.
“You’re looking at it. Don’t need Doc,” I provoked as I dropped my towel to the floor and reached for my sweats, slowly pulling them over my hips as Wren watched intently. Her face flushed red with desire when her eyes dropped, roaming slowly over my body. I loved the way she looked at my body, like she’d never be able to get enough of me. I stared at her standing there in my t-shirt, looking sexy as fuck, and she completely captivated me. I found myself wanting to take her all over again.
Sensing my thoughts, she took a step back and said, “Don’t even think about it, mister. I’m going to bandage your arm before there is any more of that.”
“Come here,” I commanded.
“Griffin,” she warned.
“Wren,” I said firmly as I leaned against the dresser. My lips immediately curled into a smile when she stepped closer, settling between my legs. She placed the palms of her hands on my chest, looking up at me with anticipation. When I didn’t move, she gave me a puzzled look. I placed my hand under her chin and said, “You need to know that you’re it for me, Wren. I’m claiming you as mine.”
“Claiming me?”
“Yes. I want everyone to know you are mine,” I explained.
Her hands slipped around my neck as she smiled and said, “So, you want me to be your old lady?”
“For now. But when things settle down with the club, I’m going to put a ring on your finger, make you mine in every way.”
“I like the sound of that,” she answered before pressing her lips to mine. With just a simple touch, the kiss became heated, full of need and want. I couldn’t get enough of her. I reached for the hem of her t-shirt, but quickly stopped when there was a knock on the door.
“Momma?” Wyatt cried. As Wren quickly turned and headed for the door, I reached for a clean shirt.
When she opened the door, she knelt down in front of him and asked, “Hey, Buddy. What’s wrong?”
“This cast is bothering me. I want to take this stupid thing off. I can’t sleep with it on. I keep bumping it on the rails of the bed and the wall,” Wyatt pouted. “And it’s starting to itch a little.”
“Sorry, honey, but you’re pretty much stuck with it for the next few weeks,” she explained.
He let out a disgruntled sigh and said, “Okay.”
“You want to sleep in here with me?” Wren asked him.
“No. I’m going back to Dusty’s room. His bunk beds are cool, and he’s letting me sleep on top,” he answered. Just before he turned to leave, he looked over to me and asked, “Hey, Griffin. Will you sign my cast tomorrow?”
“You know I will. I’m sure some of the other guys will want to sign it, too,” I told him.
His eyes lit up with excitement when he said, “That’d be awesome.” He paused for a minute, then asked, “What about your president? You think he’d sign it?”
“Yeah. He’ll sign it for ya.”
“That would be so cool. The president of Satan’s Fury… Thomas never had anything like that,” he said excitedly as he stepped forward and gave Wren a quick hug. “I better get back before Dusty wakes up and sees that I’m gone.”
“Okay. I’m here if you need anything,” she told him as she watched him take off down the hall. When she knew that he was in Dusty’s room, she closed the door and headed over to the bed. She down on the edge of the bed and asked, “So, what’s the story with Dusty? He is such a cute kid, and Wyatt seems to really like him.”
“Awesome kid. He’s had a rough go of it, but you’d never know it. He lost his dad a few months back, and it was pretty hard on him,” I explained.
“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on him and his poor mother,” she whispered with an anguished look.
“It hasn’t been easy on any of them, but they’re finding their way. I think Dusty has been a real comfort to his mother.”
“She’s lucky to have him. He seems like a sweet child,” she smiled. “He’s definitely made an impression on Wyatt.”
“He’s made an impression on all of us.”
With a silent yawn, she laid back in the bed and said, “I guess you have that in common with him, then. You tend to make a lasting impression on people, too.”
“Is that right?” I asked her as I turned off the light and settled in the bed next to her.
She nestled into my side, resting her head on my chest and said, “Yep. Very impressionable.”
“Get some sleep,” I laughed.
“I love you,” she whispered and the room fell silent as she quickly drifted off to sleep.
I looked down at her, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she slept. She was perfect, more than I ever dared to dream for, and she was mine. I loved the feel of her body close to mine, and I wanted this moment with her to last, but I could barely keep my eyes open. I reluctantly I closed them, finally giving in to my own exhaustion. Hours later, my phone started ringing. When it started ringing for the second time, I reluctantly got up, cursing under my breath, and answered the call.
Before I even had a chance to speak, Guardrail said, “Cotton’s called us into church. Be there in ten.” Then the phone line went dead.
I quickly got dressed, and as I headed for the door, I looked over to Wren curled up in the covers. She was still sleeping soundly, completely content lying there in my bed, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl back into the bed next to her. Unable to stop myself, I walked over to her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, and I pressed my lips against hers once more and said, “I’ve gotta go for a bit. Cotton has called us in, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” she answered sleepily.
“Try to go back to sleep,” I told her as closed the door behind me and headed to church. When I walked into the room, Cotton was already sitting down at the front of the table, and my brothers were quickly following suit.
Once we were all seated, Cotton said, “It was Derek. He was the man who we caught on the security feed.” The room fell silent as we all tried to comprehend what he’d just said. I’d heard about Derek in random conversations, but never thought much about him. He was before my time, long before I ever joined the club.
“Your cousin?” Guardrail asked, running his hand through his hair in aggravation.
“Yeah, that’s him. Until last night, I h
adn’t seen him in almost twenty years,” Cotton explained.
“So why do you think he’s back now?” Maverick asked.
“Vengeance… an ultimate, horrific kind of vengeance.” He paused, letting out a deep breath, then said, “We were close once, but when we got older, things changed. Derek was different… there was an evil about him that set everyone on edge.”
He looked down at the table as he took a moment to collect his thoughts. Then, he continued, “Even though he loved Derek, my uncle knew that he could never take his place as President. It was then that he took me under his wing. When the time came for him to step down, he named me as his predecessor. Derek stood there, listening to the news and it just broke something inside of him. He was never the same after that.”
“It was the right decision,” Doc interrupted. “That boy was a loose cannon. Always getting into shit. None of us wanted him taking over the club.”
“Maybe so, but Derek didn’t see it that way. He tried to stick it out with the club, but jealousy got the best of him. Never could get past thinking that I had taken what was his. I can still remember the night he came into my room with that fucking knife. Stuck the damn thing to my throat while I was sleeping. We both knew he could have killed me, but he just fucking laughed in my face. That night he promised that he’d be back, and he would do whatever it took to destroy me. I’m not a man that gets shaken easily, but the way he looked at me, the hatred in his voice… it got me,” he explained.
“So this is a vendetta?” I asked.
“Absolutely. Actually surprised it’s taken him this long to come back,” Cotton replied. “When I saw him on that screen, I knew this wasn’t over. He didn’t have the look of a man that felt threatened by us, worried that we were about to take him down. It was just the opposite. He stood there gloating, knowing that we were playing right into his fucking hands.”
“What are you planning to do now?” I asked, knowing that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to his club. He’d worked too hard to let this motherfucker come in and take it all away.
“This is about him wanting to get to me. Make me pay for what I took from him. I’m not going to let that happen… we’re not going to let that happen,” Cotton declared. It was obvious that the news he’d shared was taking its toll on him, and we all wondered just exactly how he planned to handle it. Whatever he decided, we would have his back. When things in my life hit rock bottom, Cotton was there, and he’d been there, standing by me ever since. It was that way with all of us. Cotton never failed to be there for his brothers, and it was our time to be there for him. “For now, we stay on lockdown. Keep our families close, and I’m going to make contact with Derek. In the meantime, I think it’s time to have a vote on Two Bit and Q’. They’ve proved themselves loyal and true to the club, and it’s time to patch them in,” Cotton explained. “All in favor of Two Bit being patched in say aye.”
“Aye,” we all answered.
“Q’?”
The room was filled with another unanimous, “Aye.”
“The vote has been made. Two Bit and Q’ will be patched into the club. Tonight we’ll celebrate and put all this shit with Derek on hold while we show our new brothers some heartfelt gratitude,” he ordered. With that, he slammed his gavel on the table and stood to leave.
Chapter 27
Wren
‡
“So, it’s official,” Henley smiled. “You’re an old lady.”
“Never thought I’d be happy to be called that,” I laughed.
Emerson leaned forward and smiled as she teased, “You sure you’re up for this? He can be pretty bossy.”
“I think I can handle it,” I laughed.
“I never thought I’d see him so happy. I’m so glad that he found you,” Emerson explained.
“I think this calls for a celebration,” Cassidy announced. “Who’s up for a round of shots?”
“Ah… you and the damn shots. Are you trying to kill me?” Henley whined.
“I didn’t say you had to drink ten of them,” Cassidy scolded.
“I totally blame you for letting me get carried away the other night. You’re supposed to watch out for your little sister,” Henley feigned a pout.
“Yeah, well, that’s a full time job, kiddo,” Cassidy laughed.
“I’ll have one,” Allie answered as she looked behind her, checking to see if her husband was still playing pool. “Maybe two if Guardrail’s game doesn’t end soon.”
Cassidy reached behind the bar and pulled out the bottle of tequila, placing it on the counter next to the salt and limes. Henley took the shot glass in her hand and tilted her head back, quickly swallowing it as she reached for a lime. When she was done, she sat the glass on the counter and said, “I heard Maverick telling some of the guys that you got out of a trunk all by yourself. Kicked your way out! Girl, color me impressed.”
“There’s nothing like the drive of a mother’s determination,” I laughed. Then I took my drink and said, “I’m just having one. Dallas is watching the boys, and I told her I’d be back early to put Wyatt to bed.”
“It’s been good to see Dallas again. She seems to be doing better. Losing Skidrow hit her hard, but she’s finally getting back on her feet,” Henley explained.
“I think knowing Victor has been taken care of helped her with that,” Cassidy mumbled under her breath.
“Victor?” I asked.
“Victor is the guy that killed Skid,” Cassidy answered. I knew the name Victor. I don’t think I will ever forget it. My thoughts instantly drifted back to my conversation with Doc. I remembered him telling me that Stitch did whatever it took to protect his brothers, and I knew then exactly what he’d meant. Before I had a chance to question her further, she quickly changed the subject by saying, “How does Wyatt like the clubhouse?”
“He loves it,” I answered.
“Wyatt is too cute for words,” Allie told me. “When I mentioned that I had a German Shepherd, he told me everything about the breed and how important it was to train them properly. Even told me how to get him to stop chewing on the legs of my furniture.”
“I’m sure he did! He’s been begging me for a dog for months. He researched every breed from Shih Tzu’s to Great Danes,” I explained. “When he sets his mind to something, it’s hard to get him to think about anything else.”
“Well, you should definitely bring him by to meet Charlie sometime,” Allie offered. “He’s really friendly, and I’m sure that Wyatt would love him.”
“I’d love to bring him by. I’m sure he’d love that,” I told her.
“I’ll get Guardrail to grill out for us. You girls should come, too. Bring the guys,” Allie told them.
“I’d love that,” Henley answered.
We spent the next hour talking, and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them a little better. Tonight was the first time I’d gotten to spend any time with Allie, but I could tell that we had a lot in common. I looked forward to getting to know her even better. Cassidy poured us each another shot, but her expression immediately changed when Cotton came in and sat down at the end of the bar. Tension washed over her as she glanced over at him, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was bothering her.
When she let out a deep sigh, I whispered, “Are you okay?”
She forced a fake smile and said, “Absolutely. Never been better. Just need…”
“Cass,” Cotton called, interrupting her.
With an overstated eye roll, Cassidy answered, “Yeah?”
“Need a beer.”
“And?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.
His eyebrows furrowed in anger when he said, “Cass.”
She hesitated, but gave in and walked over to him, handing him a beer from the cooler. I couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but it was clear that he wasn’t happy with her. With an irritated scowl, he leaned closer to her, talking to her in a disapproving tone. When he was done scolding her, she turned her back to him an
d started to walk out of the bar. She was clearly angry, but he quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to his chest. He said something else to her, but when she snapped back at him, he instantly stood and with his hand still wrapped around her elbow, he led her out of the bar.
“It’s about damn time,” Henley said smiling.
“I’m lost. How is what just happened a good thing?” I asked.
Henley let out a deep breath and said, “There’s always been a push and pull with those two. I’ve never really understood it, but it’s worked for them. But lately, for whatever reason, Cotton has been trying to keep his distance from Cassidy, and she hasn’t been handling it very well. Actually, it’s made her bat-shit crazy. Maybe now they will either end this thing between them once and for all, or get their shit together.”
“What do you think they’ll do?” I asked.
“There’s no telling,” Henley said. “But I know Cassidy, and if there’s something she wants, she isn’t going to let it go without a fight.”
Chapter 28
Stitch
‡
A year later
“Can I have mine plain?” Wyatt asked anxiously. “I don’t like ketchup. Tomatoes are gross.”
We were in the kitchen, and Wyatt was watching as I put the seasoning on the burger meat. I’d managed to convince him that I made better burgers than the ones that they made down at the diner, but I could see that he was having his doubts. “Yeah, you can have yours plain.”
“What else are we having?”
“Haven’t really thought about it. Whatcha got in mind?” I asked.
“Mom usually makes something healthy,” he said with his nose crinkling with dislike.
“We could do fries or chips? What do you think about that?”
“Yeah, I like French fries, but I like them plain. No ketchup,” he reminded me.
“You got it,” I told him. “You want to help me start up the grill?”
