Her brow puckered. “Really? I was hoping they’d—”
“They have cocks, Lucie, not endless prescriptions of Valium,” Flame replied for me, and received a cutting look for his pains.
Cupping the back of my neck, I admitted, “They’re not as bad—”
“Miracle dicks,” Dagger taunted, and while he was laughing, I saw the concern in his eyes.
“Not exactly,” I mocked. Things had been platonic between us for about a week. We hadn’t said a word to Ama, as we’d been waiting on her to make the next move. She was the one who knew when she was ready, and I wasn’t about to push her.
Maybe my name should be Saint too. I totally understood where he got his road name from now, because with any other woman, I’d have fucked off by now. But Ama? Jesus. She was keyed into my soul. With her, I had an endless well of patience, and if it wasn’t so unlike me, I’d marvel over it. Instead, I was just left metaphorically shaking my head as I tried to process why she had this much power over me.
“Anyway, fewer nightmares, but it’s hard to get to sleep afterward. That’s all.”
Lucie winced. “Well, I’m glad to hear there are fewer, even if I’m sorry it’s hard to sleep.”
I shrugged. “Not a problem.” I’d been dealing with this for two years, but this week, I was just more tired than usual.
Well aware that the ATF would probably return, we’d been shuffling our loads between four different warehouses.
They were all within a day’s ride of each other, meaning Saint and I were back every night, but with the stress of managing the council and the upcoming church, I was just more exhausted than I would be if our routine hadn’t been fucked to hell.
Shit, I hadn’t even opened Black Ink myself for a week. Ama was there, manning the desk, and taking appointments. She was designing for potential clients too, which she shouldn’t technically be doing, but hell, I was looking forward to getting my hand on a tattoo machine and making her work come to life.
It was going to be a treat all round.
Axe cleared his throat. “To get this back on track, we need to think about opening another factory.”
Lucie grimaced. “Think that’s wise with them breathing down our neck?”
“Maybe not, but we sure as hell can’t use our old location. Not for a while. Not until the ATF gets over the hard-on they have for us.”
“What if that doesn’t happen for years?” she questioned grimly.
“It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been on an agency’s radar. We just have to outmaneuver them.” Wolfe shrugged. “We’ve been lucky, and that’s made us sloppy. If it wasn’t for your dad coming down and telling us about what the Knights were dealing with, then we’d have been fucked. As it stands, we’re good, and we’re ahead of them.”
“Not exactly ahead,” I corrected. “We’re still up against the wall with what we’re doing.”
Dagger nodded. “The books are good, but losing those triple K’s from that last run has stung us bad.”
“But,” I countered, “we have a new deal with the Brighton Beach Russians. They’re interested in our merch.”
“Thought they shipped in from the motherland,” Lucie tossed down.
“Yeah, they do, but they said they were having problems getting them here. Something to do with the docks. Might not be forever, but I think it would be stupid to turn them down.”
“How many do they want?”
“A thousand.”
Around me, the councilors whistled.
“Yeah, that’s why I called church,” Axe said with a laugh. “We need to get back to full production.”
Wolfe twisted in his seat, dipping back so his head was on the rest as he thought the problem through.
“We could convert one of the warehouses. The one in Sandover contains most of the gear from the factory anyway.”
Axe winced. “That place is inches away from burning down.”
Wolfe snorted. “Well, after this, we’ll push it over. The guys will just have to be careful.” He cut Lucie a look. “Might be wise to just have your best men working on it. Shorter shifts, longer breaks, before getting back to it. Maybe we could even make a break room with beds or something?”
“That could be a good idea. Everyone knows it’s all hands on deck at the minute.” She tapped her nails against the table. “I don’t think they’ll mind pulling double shifts or sleeping where they work for a while. Not if I’m there as well.”
Flame scowled. “Is it safe for you to be there at all hours?”
Her lips twitched. “I’m surrounded by guns, babe. I think I’ll manage to fire one if anyone comes after us.”
She looked bright and breezy, but her men didn’t, and although it was evident they wanted to argue, that they weren’t going to was also pretty clear.
I got that.
Not even four men who had a rep the size of Texas, as well as rap sheets as tall as the six-foot bastards themselves, were going to fight with Lucifer Steeler when she had the bit between her teeth.
“I think we need to keep shit as business as usual until we hear otherwise,” Lucie stated calmly.
“What about Kenzie?”
“So far, no slipups,” she grumbled her reply at Axe. “Trust me, I’m trying.”
“What was her BS excuse for the bruises?” Wheels inquired, before he took a deep sip of water from his bottle.
“That she needed a way back home and figured it would get Keys to help her.” She shrugged. “It stinks. To me, it reeks. But I know for a fact she and Keys don’t get on, so I doubt he’d have helped her to be fair. He’d have thought, like most of you would, that she’d made her bed and had to lie in it.” When her words got a bunch of nods as a reply, she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Well, though that fits, nothing else does.”
“The baby’s Hex’s, yeah?”
“Apparently.”
I reached up and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “It’s too soon to know if the heat’s gone off the Knight’s, isn’t it?” I mumbled.
“Yeah, way too soon.” Lucie pulled a face. “Unfortunately. But Dad’s got feelers out with the cops on his payroll and—” She blinked when everyone gaped at her. “What? What is it?”
“You called Martin ‘dad.’” Axe’s eyes were round. “That has to be the first time I’ve ever heard you call him that.”
She scowled. “I didn’t.”
“You did, babe,” Flame retorted, but his lips were twisted in a smile. “You’ll make his day if you call him that to his face.”
Lucie grunted. “Don’t be a baby.” When Flame just snorted, and the snort was punctuated by the flicker of his lighter, Lucie grumbled, “Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted, he says he’ll get back to us ASAP if there’s any news on just who their rat might be.”
“Good. Well, I guess we’ve all got shit we need to be doing. Axe, I think we need to call church tomorrow. The brothers have been patient, but it’s time to let them in on the clusterfuck.”
“They’ve only been patient because they’ve been up to their eyeballs in work,” I retorted drily. “It’s not like we’ve had time for church with most of us all over southeast Texas hiding our wares.”
Wolfe shrugged. “True, but you know I like to keep them in the loop.”
And that was exactly why he was a fucking awesome Prez. I’d been there for the latter years of Bomber Steeler’s presidency, and it hadn’t sucked too hard, but we’d been at war with the Knights and that had blown. Lots of brothers were lost to a rebellion nobody really understood… until Lucie had returned and, with it, she’d brought answers.
As church disbanded, I went upstairs with Dagger. He was the one I was closest to, mostly because we’d worked together once upon a time.
Before Lucie had brought home the ghost gun operation, we’d had a kill-for-hire service that had netted us a lot of dough. Flame had one team, Dagger the other.
“Ama doing okay?” he asked when we made it upstairs.
“Yeah. I think she’s enjoying the tattoo parlor. I’m not sure if she’s made out for the inking, but we’ll see.”
Dagger tipped his head to the side. “What do you mean? Why don’t you think she’s cut out for inking?”
“She doesn’t like the sight of blood.”
His mouth worked and he gaped at me. “How the fuck did I not know that?”
I shrugged. “She hid it from you.”
“Little fucker,” he mumbled under his breath.
My lips twitched. “Hardly. I mean, she probably hid it because she thought people would make fun of her.”
“You’re not making me feel better,” he snarled, running a hand through his hair. His cheeks pulled taut as he gnawed on the inside of one for a second, and as he leaned back against the wainscoting, he murmured, “Get her to persevere, yeah?”
“Of course. She’s no way near ready to pick up a machine, so there’s no problem on that score.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why isn’t she ready?”
“Calm down, papa bear,” I mocked. “She can’t use one until she can put it together. Them’s the rules,” I carried on teasing.
“Fuck, she never was good with anything mechanical.”
“It’s hardly fucking rocket science,” I retorted. “But she keeps fumbling it, and until she can break it down so she can use the autoclave to get things sterilized, and then put it back together again, she can’t try it out.”
“You’re not going soft on her, are you?”
I stuck my tongue in my cheek, because in so many ways, I was soft around Amaryllis. To the point where it was probably bad for my street cred. But in this? Yeah, I was being tough. I wanted her to be the best she could be, and if she wasn’t tested, if she wasn’t made to strive and work hard? Then she might as well just give everything up now.
“No.” I cut him a look. “And don’t ask me to.”
He raised his hands, his watch clinking against the heavy silver bracelet he wore. “Not asking you to do shit. Just questioning.”
“Questioning what? My ability to teach?” I shot an arched brow his way. “She might well be my first student, Dagger, and I ain’t lying about that, but you and I both know that Roper was one of the best.”
Dagger’s lips quirked up the side as he nodded in agreement. “True. Did my back piece a long time ago.” He whistled under his breath. “A long ass time ago.”
“You were one of the lucky ones to get him before his sight really cut out.”
Dagger hummed. “Fucking tragedy, that.”
“Ain’t no word of a lie. But I’m teaching her how he taught me, and that’s the only way I know how to move on with this, okay?”
He dipped his chin. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to micromanage.”
“I’m sure you didn’t,” I said with a soft laugh, punching him in the arm. “But I tell you what, I ain’t being unfair, just making sure she’s got the skills, the training, and the know-how.”
“How do you even start with that shit?”
“First, orange peels, then a side of pork.” His nose wrinkled, making me hoot. “You’re the one who keeps most of the pigs around here well-fed. You can’t be squeamish about that.”
“Just trying to imagine Ama’s face.”
“See, that’s what I mean. I’m not sure how she’ll be around that side of things. And hell, maybe that’s not her forte. Maybe it’s mine. Maybe she should do the designing and I should do the inking.”
Dagger’s brows lifted. “You wouldn’t mind that?”
I shrugged. “Don’t see why not. I want the best for my clients, and if she gives them that? Well, hell, why not? Business marriage made in heaven.”
“As well as real marriage.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “You meant that before, didn’t you? About wifing her?”
“Of course.” I shot him a look, stared him straight in the eye, and murmured, “I’ll do right by her.”
He slapped me on the back and, as he walked off, muttered, “See that you do.”
And if I didn’t, I was under no delusion I’d have four shotguns buried in my back.
A thought that had me laughing as I headed on back to my place to get ready for my shift at Black Ink.
❖
Saint
Ten days later
“What is it?” I peered down the hall and saw Ama, standing there in one of our tees, a box in her hand.
That she’d answered the door like that fucked me off. That she’d answered the door like that made my cock hard…
Hell. The sight of her all tousled and shit made my heart bang in my chest. Her legs were on display, her tits somehow managed to strain through the baggy tee she wore, and her bright gold hair was all over the damn place.
“You should have woken me. What if it was—”
She snorted. “It was the mailman.”
“Surprised they come out this far,” I muttered, staring at the box. “What is it?”
The box was already open when she said, “Dunno.”
“Ama! Fuck’s sake,” I growled, striding toward her. “Don’t open the goddamn box!”
She sniffed. “It’s hardly gonna be anthrax, is it? It’s the cops that are after the MC, not rivals.” Then, as she peered into the box, her lips twitched. “Oh.”
“Oh, what?” I grumbled, and staring into the cardboard box, I laughed. “You ordered sex toys?”
Her eyes narrowed on me. “No. I didn’t. But I may have suggested the necessity of some.”
“Why? Because three dicks ain’t enough?” I grinned. “Baby, we’re wearing you out.” And she was sleeping a shit ton better as a result. Certain parts of the night, she’d start whimpering in her sleep, but she wasn’t waking up screaming. Not as often, anyway. Maybe three times a week. But in comparison to the regular seven?
Sex was definitely a miracle worker.
And we were more than happy to be her willing victims.
She slapped a hand against my chest, but as her hand dropped, she grabbed my nipple and twisted it. I howled and backed off. “Fucking hate when you do that,” I grumbled, cupping my nipple and patting it.
“That’s why I do it. Plus, you deserve it for even suggesting I get a piercing.” She shuddered. “Ink can do anything he wants to my tits, but that ain’t one of them.” Her attention shifted to the discretely packaged box that was inside the larger container, before she cut me a look. “Want to use it on me?”
“A dildo?” I scowled. “My cock is more than—”
“It’s a butt plug,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Oh.” My grin was swift. “Ohh.”
“Yeah. Oh,” she replied, amused. “At least, I think it is. I suggested it to Ink but the package has my name on it… have to figure it’s the butt plug.”
My cock was more than ready for that lesson. “Okay, let’s try it now.”
She chuckled as she headed into the kitchen. “Gotta wash it first,” was her prim response, and like a dog panting after its bitch in heat, I followed her.
Watching her open the box, then peer at the plug that had one of those jewels in the base before washing it, I shook my head. “That ain’t big enough.”
“Something to start with, considering all your cocks are bigger than this, I have to start somewhere.” She scowled at me. “Why you all gotta be so big?”
“Trust me, you’ll be grateful someday soon.” I peered at the silver plug and at the false ruby that twinkled in the morning light that came in from the window behind the sink. The blinds were half down but the sun was more than definitely up. “Where’s Keys?”
“He had to go to the clubhouse.” She pouted. “Him leaving is what woke me up. Just as I was about to fall back asleep, the mailman came.”
I nudged her in the side. “Came bearing gifts though, right?”
Her smile was cheeky, then she delved inside the box and found a small package of lube. I grabbed the tester sample and murmured, “Come with me to my lair, my pretty.�
�
She snorted, then tapping my ass, hard enough to sting through my briefs, went running down the hall, whooping all the way.
It was my turn to roll my eyes at her, even though it was definitely wasted on her back. Instead, I shucked off my underwear in the kitchen, dumped it in front of the washing machine, then tore open the lube sample. Spreading some onto the plug, I used the excess on my cock which, of course, was already getting hard.
As I stepped down the hall, wondering at how I’d become quite comfortable in this new place in such a short space of time, I heard shuffling in the bedroom and found Ama tossing most of the pillows on the bed onto the floor.
Laughing, I leaned my arm against the doorjamb and asked, “You making a pillow fort or something?”
When she twisted to shoot me a smile, she murmured down at the bed, “We need a bigger bed.”
“Sure as fuck do,” I agreed, stepping toward her.
I could feel the fire in my eyes, and maybe she saw it, maybe it burned her too because her own rounded in surprise. She licked her lips and slowly took a few paces back until the bed was touching her calves. When she crossed her arms at the waist, I knew she was going to remove her tee, and I groaned as her tits bounced free a second later.
She bit her lip, evidently still a little uncomfortable with being naked in the light of day, then held out her hand for me. I reached for it, reached for her, and slipped my arms around her waist and pulled us together so that we were touching all the way along our fronts.
When Ama shivered, I smiled down at her and whispered, “You’re gonna love it.”
She tipped her chin back. “Having something shoved in my butt?” Her lips twitched. “Sounds like something to love that’s for sure. I mean, I’m sure you’d appreciate it—”
“Yeah, no chance, babe,” I informed her before I reached down and grabbed her ass cheeks, pulling them wide apart and dipping my fingers between her crack. When she squeaked at the abrupt move, I grinned, leaned down, and slipped my mouth along the line of her jaw. “My ass is exit only.”
She shivered as my tongue traced her jaw too. “No fair. Sexist.”
I snorted. “You love me as I am.”
A grunt escaped her. “There’s always room for improvement.” She reached between us, grabbed my cock, and shaped it with her hand. With the slick lube on it, her fingers made short work of making my half-erection turn full mast. Her grip tightened to the point of discomfort as she twisted out of my hold then twisted us around so that my back was to the bed. Within seconds, I was plopping against the mattress, dropping the plug at my side, and she was astride me.
Their Saint: Hell’s Rebel’s MC Part II Page 18
