Betting on Forever

by Scarlett Black

  Feeling once again completely lost here, “Ahh, who would that be?”

  Jenn points her fork at Alessia. Alessia grabs my fork from my hand and takes another bite. Leaning forward to grab her hand that has the fork with pie on it, I steal her bite, then release her hand. “That’s your road name, huh? This is a story I really wanna hear.” Apparently, I have the same affliction as my VP because I can’t stop staring at Alessia like he can’t stop staring at Dana. My hand lands down near her knee, rubbing up and down the inside of her leggings.

  Jenn jumps right in again saying, “You see, Vegas here,” she points at her again, “quit her job, cashed out her retirement, and put it all down on this bar, bet it all on herself that she could make it work”, Jenn waves her hand around the bar. “Right after she kicked that dumb… ow fuck!” I feel Alessia’s leg flex out from under my hand, and Jenn jumps back hitting her knee on the table.

  “That’s enough of that story.” Alessia is squinting her eyes at her friend.

  Jenn pouts over towards Tank’s direction. “She busted my toe, Tank! Look at it!” She lifts her foot up, taking her sandal off to show Tank and he starts rubbing her foot.

  James snarls at her, “I’m sure it’s fine, Jenn, put your foot down.” Clearly James is frustrated and storms off outback, slamming the door. I turn to Tank, looking at him like I’ll end him if he keeps this shit up. He drops Jenn’s foot like a brick, throwing his hands up like he didn’t do it gesture. Jenn is clueless, or pretending to be, at this drama she’s creating by stringing these two dipshits along.

  “Anyway,” Alessia says pulling everyone’s eyes back to her, “We had Johnny, my lawyer, go over your offer, it’s an agreeable amount. The only thing I had asked him to change is that if you decide to sell, the space comes back to me to rebuy within reasonable market value.”

  Rubbing my chin, I think on whether I like this change in the contract. Honestly, I didn’t truly expect her to change anything. Though, this does impress me. I look over at Axl and Tank to see what they think. They’re both smiling at her. She just one upped me, and I’m finding this little power move really hot. I pull my hand off her thigh, rubbing my head and pretending to be in deep thought over it, then decide to agree. “Okay, so if, or when, we decide to sell, I come to you first. Deal.”

  Jenn jumps up excited, shouting, “Oh, thank god!” Mocking me like it was a huge relief, “Can we chill now or what?”

  Alessia has a hellish smile for her, “Yeah, bitch, let loose. Hey, Blade, why don’t you invite a few more of your brothers over? We have half a keg of beer they can have, anything else is on them.” Alessia finishes signing the papers and hands them back to me.

  “Sounds good, I’ll call Spider and a few others, tell them to head over.”

  We finished eating our steaks, macaroni salad and fruit when Alessia scoots in a little closer, snuggling into my side. My arm is stretched behind her chair. I’m watching her watch her friends dance and enjoy my brothers. She looks happy and comfortable. I’m hoping she doesn’t move or get up from our spot.

  Some other members that weren’t busy came over with their Ol’ Ladies or bitches to drink with us. It’s nice for a change to not worry, but to take a moment to relax. Getting all these people together was a good idea. In these small moments, with Alessia at my side, I get why my Dad leans so heavily on my Mom for his peace.

  Earlier, I sent Axl, Tank and Spider a text telling them to keep their eyes open. I need them watching the newer members for anything that looks shady. I don’t need someone bringing this night down, but I also have to keep my eyes open for all the problems we’ve been having.

  Axl has finally chilled the hell out and is not trying to piss Dana off any further. Jenn changes another track and yells across the floor, “As I promised the other night to play a real dirty song for you boys…”

  We all stop and look at one another because what’s coming out of those speakers isn’t the kind of dirty I was thinking. “What do you say? We get a little mud on the tires…”

  Tank yells over to Jenn, “Are you fucking telling me this is your dirty song? A country shit kicking redneck song? Prez, we ain’t moving in next door to a country bar, fuck, no!”

  Jenn laughs menacingly at the boys “Too late, fuckers, your Prez already signed the papers!” The girls and James are laughing hard, and my boys are glaring at me, and I can’t help but laugh with them. It feels good to laugh with Alessia and her crazy as fuck crew.

  Jenn sets them straight though. “Relax, fuckers, this ‘ain’t no hick bar, dumb shits.” She laughs with one hand on her ear phone and mixes in some G-Easy, Lady Killers. Jumping off the stage, she bows, and some guys glare, while others laugh. She proudly flips the whole room off with two middle fingers. These crazy bitches, I can’t quite figure out how, but they seem to blend in with these crazy as fuck assholes.

  Alessia, or Vegas now, gets up, clearing the table we all ate at. Her hands full of plates and glasses, she is heading back to her small kitchen. Trailing right behind her is her black dog, his tail wagging back and forth. Not wanting to miss a moment alone with her, I pick up a few plates and glasses myself, following her back to the kitchen.

  She turns to look at me walking through the double swinging doors while she rinses glasses off, stacking them onto a tray. Placing the rest of the dishes in the sink, I feel her dog jump up on my legs. “Whoa there, boy, you pretty happy, aren’t ya? What’s his name?” Kneeling, I pet his soft fur.

  “Down, Tugg. His name is Tugger. I found him when he was a puppy. He’ll jump all over you if you let him,” she advises me, but her voice changed, like she’s scolding Tugger to behave.

  Giving Tugger one final pat, I stand to help hand Alessia a few plates. “Thanks for this tonight, Alessia. My boys haven’t been relaxed since we moved up here, it’s been a tough year for all of us. We haven’t had too many good moments lately,” I explain to her.

  “I know, Blade, I can see the stress in your eyes. I love my bar, I enjoy bringing people together, and sometimes a change in scenery helps.” She peers down at her hands. I can see the forlorn sadness in her thoughts. My hands grab hers softly to pull her toward me, away from her task. This feels so right, our hands touching, but also very foreign to me. I don’t do intimacy with women. I don’t hold hands. This gentle side of me, I have never experienced it before. Gathering her hands to my chest, I hold them there a minute, allowing our souls to connect through our eyes. Something in my concrete heart cracks open, a place I’ve never felt open before. Letting a little of her seep inside of me.

  Bringing her hands to my lips, I kiss them softly. Never wanting to let them go. Her eyes are opened wide at my actions. In that small period of time, I see her pain and feel her sadness or loneliness, I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I do know I want to protect her from it.

  Dropping her hands, I feel her pulling back her true self from me. Small steps, l tell myself. “You want to dance with me?” A mischievous grin covers my face. I need to see her smile and laugh again.

  “Yeah, let’s go dance.” She smiles at me over her shoulder, walking back out. Looking down at Tugger, I see that he’s right behind her, out the door.

  Chapter 7

  Vegas

  My heart is lodged in my throat as I look up into Blade’s deep, whiskey brown caramel eyes. There is a softness there, a feeling in his eyes I haven’t seen in a man’s eyes before. This feeling terrifies me, but I don’t pull my hands away, I don’t back away from him. Some place inside of me wonders if he can feel this too. The last thing I want is to give a man my love or trust again. So, I don't. I can’t let myself be open only to be destroyed by a man again.

  Thankfully, he has other ideas. “You want to dance with me?” He looks very handsome when he smiles like that at me, when no one is around to see it. The softer side of his strong as stone side. It makes me feel more comfortable around him when he opens small pieces of himself to me.

  I can dance, I just ca
n’t do this feeling, not ever. “Yeah, let’s go dance.” Walking out of the kitchen, I point to the small bed under the bar where Tugg jumps on to settle in. I smile when I see Dana, Jenn and the Battle Born boys all dancing and laughing.

  Turning around and walking backwards, I grab Blade by his cut and lead us to the dance floor. I start bouncing to the beat as Talk Dirty to Me by Jason Derulo plays. I pull us to the middle of the group. I see a couple of other chicks that must have just arrived while we were in the kitchen, and if everyone keeps it mellow, that’s okay with me.

  Turning my body around, my hands are thrown up in the air, and I start moving my hips to the beat. Blade grabs one hip tightly, squeezing me from behind. Tingles race up my spine from his strong hand. I feel his hard chest rub against my back, his head dips down by my ear, his hot breath on my neck. Dropping my hands back behind his head, I run my hands up and down the back of his neck. Mmm, I love the way his smooth skin to his prickly short buzzed hair feels under my hands. Swaying my ass back and forth, I grind against his front. I let my thoughts and feelings get lost in the songs. Dance after dance, we all laugh, drink and enjoy the late-night hours, and somehow make it home before the sun comes up.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Blade

  Watching Vegas move her body back and forth, it’s killing me not to touch her. Especially when I spot Spider and a few others watching the same show I am. Oh, fuck that, I’m gonna make shit real clear. I reach out and grab her hip, pulling her luscious ass to my dick. Bending over her, I want it to appear that I’m either talking to her or kissing her neck, either way I’m staking a claim on her.

  Taking a deep breath, I inhale her scent, running my nose from her collarbone to under her ear. With one hand still firmly on her hip, the other wraps around her flat stomach. Alessia doesn’t know this, but I never dance, so I know these assholes will damn well know better than to try and touch her now.

  Her hot hands rub the back of my head, and damn, I want her small, soft hands all over my skin. Her hands ignite a hot wave rippling down my body and I desperately want to continue making this burn hotter, but I know this is as far as this is going tonight.

  When this woman is Alessia, she’s open, sweet, caring and thoughtful. Piss her off or show her a good time, and my little vixen comes out to play as Vegas. Right now, all I want is a whole lot of Vegas. Take her to her office, pin her to the wall and fuck her little pussy that has never been given a real dick to pound it till she comes for me.

  She turns flashing me a smile, running her hand up my chest, pushing my cut back off my shoulders. Catching it in my hand, I toss it into Cowboy’s face, his focus solely on the show we are giving him. Both of her hands are on my chest rubbing over my nipples. This little bitch is playing with me getting herself off on the excitement.

  My hands wrap around her waist, sliding up her sides till they hit her bra. She holds her breath waiting and watching my eyes, daring me to finish what I started. Tracing my thumbs up and over her hard nipples, I can feel the bumpy lace of her bra under her shirt. Fuck, I really want to see her tits in crimson red lace.

  She throws her long hair back, wrapping a leg around my thigh, leaning backwards, making both of my hands grab onto her hips to help her stay up. She’s grinding her pussy against my dick to the beat. I start rubbing my dick hard against her pussy like I would if I had it in her.

  She arches herself back up while biting her lip. She stares into my eyes, focused on the heat I’m showing her. She grabs my hips and drops herself low with her legs open, popping up and down, swinging her wild hair back and forth. She finally comes back up after her bump and grind on the floor.

  I’m about to attack her and make good on my fantasy of me and her against the office wall when hoots and hollers fill the air. Laughing, Alessia turns and grabs my shirt, pecking my lips and laughing some more.

  Jenn gets on the speaker, “Down, you dirty ho, keep it clean for the ones who aren’t getting laid tonight. For all of you who don’t know, the ho’s name is Vegas.” Jenn points her fingers like she has six shooters instead of hands. Shooting at Vegas, she then blows off the barrels of her pistols, and holsters them with a wink.

  We dance a few more songs, drinking a few beers in between. We cool it on the floor show for the rest of the night. Thank Fuck. Taking her hand, I pull her over to a table, sitting down and pulling her in my lap. Spider and Cowboy pull up a chair and sit with us.

  “Hey, I’m Spider, this is Cowboy.” Spider introduces himself nodding towards Alessia and pointing at Cowboy with his thumb, which really surprises me because usually he’s a dick, unless you’re an Ol’ Lady. She nods and bumps her fist with them both, which has even Spider cracking a barely there grin. Fuck, she made friends with Spider. This cannot be good, pairing these two up.

  “So, you got his grumpy ass out on the dance floor,” Cowboy laughs looking at me, then at Alessia, “but I imagine if he knew you were going to give that show, there’s no way he wouldn’t be there.”

  Alessia turns more in his direction, eyeing him curiously. “I don’t know you, Cowboy, so I’m not going to pretend I get what the fuck you were just trying to say. Spell it out or shut the fuck up.” Spider scoots closer eating this up, while I cough trying to hold laughter back.

  Cowboy pops some Doritos in his mouth and chews, using one finger to push the brim of his hat up. Kicking his feet up on the open chair next to him, he says, “You’re straight, so I’ll give it to you straight. Blade doesn’t fuck around with bitches on the dance floor, ever. So, he did that to show to the rest of us that he’s claiming who his woman is. Watcha think about that, honey? Are you going to claim Blade, or was that all to show off to these other bitches that you have the Prez?”

  Alessia looks right at Cowboy, unwavering resolve in her voice. “Cowboy, I may be a bitch,” she points to her chest, “I don’t sit around in a sewing circle sharing my feelings. However, I don’t run from shit that I want. As for the rest, you can fuck off.” She reaches over and grabs the bag of Doritos, which she is now sharing with Spider only.

  Spider kicks Cowboy’s feet off the chair, smiling. He shakes his head at him, not that Cowboy cares. I know my brothers are testing her to see if she’s real. In this life, we all prove we are strong enough to be in it. Even though I am proud of her, I want to punch Cowboy for saying that shit so soon. I glare over his way to tell him to fuck off from fucking with my woman. Cowboy, in his dumb ass hick hat, smiles back. Fucker.

  Alessia is focused on the floor, watching Jenn dance and laugh with James and Dana. She grabs her beer from the table to take a drink. Wrapping my hand around hers, I take her drink from her. Drinking half of it, I set it back on the table.

  She glares at me, grabs my shirt and pulls me to her, taking a hot, fast kiss. While I’m not paying attention, she grabs her drink back. Lifting her head up, she chugs the rest. She winks at me like I lost, and that causes me to smile up at her.

  She leans in, whispering in my ear, “I love the taste of beer on you.” It’s those little things she does that get me to be a different person no one else has seen. Wrapping a protective hand around her waist, I pull her tighter to me.

  My job is twenty-four seven, never do I ever drink more than a couple of beers. It’s my job to take care of the brothers. I’m enjoying seeing the softer side of Alessia, seeing her joy and excitement is my high. She hiccups and yells out for the drunk crowd, “Last call was an hour ago, it’s time to get the fuck out! You don’t have to go home, but you sure as hell can’t stay here!”

  A resounding boo hits the walls in response. With a wave to the crowd, Alessia wanders back to her office, shutting the door behind her. I catch James’ attention when I walk by. “Hey, James, the girls are pretty gone, you got Dana and Jenn?” I ask him.

  “Yeah, dude, I’m going to take them home in Jenn’s car. You mind carrying Vegas out to the car, too?” He wants to take Alessia home? Fuck no, that’s not happening, I take care of her.

  �
��Bro, you have two drunk chicks to stuff in that little ass car. I’m going to drop Alessia off, man, and before you give me massive shit, remember I’m not going to fuck her over. Two of my prospects dropped off a few SUV’s. Let me help?” James nods warily in understanding right before he runs off to grab Jenn from one of the prospects.

  Heading back behind the bar, I call Tugg on my way to the office. “Tugger, you ready? Let’s go grab Alessia, boy.” I pat my leg and he jumps up all happy to get home too. Peering inside Alessia’s office, I see that she’s passed out in her chair, arms folded on her desk, with her head resting on them. Making my way around the desk, I scoop up my little vixen, cradling her to my chest.

  “Blade, why are you so soft with me?” Alessia asks me and keeps mumbling on, “We can only be friends, my sexy man.”

  Chapter 8

  Vegas

  Oh, shit, my head hurts. What was I thinking?! Well, I do know what I was thinking. And it had a lot to do with how crazy hot my body was burning for Blade’s touch. I haven’t been that drunk since my early twenties. Shit, never again. Then I hear something. Did my shower just turn off? Who stayed over last night? Who’s in the shower? What the hell did I do last night?

  My eyes are wildly moving around trying to see if I can bring back the memories. The bathroom door opens, and I jerk my head to the right just as Blade walks out with a gray towel wrapped around his waist. I openly watch him walk around my side of the bed. The man is covered in sexy tattoos and has a body that he obviously takes good care of. I don’t think you could fit another tattoo anywhere on his arms, chest or back. Holy shit, the man is fine.

  Blade raises his eyebrows at me, “You loving on my body, Vegas? Because I’m really loving those pink panties I can peek at.”