Just because it can be explained, it doesn’t make it right.
“Look, man,” Trapper adds, leaning against the kitchen counter at Em’s house, “I’m happy you’re gettin’ your dick wet. Really proud of you for working some shit out. Sonnie’s cool as shit, even if she’s a screamer when you hit that spot.” He smirks at me, knowing I’m ready to bang his head into the wall. “You know the one … Anyway, point is, you may be getting yours and gettin’ it damn good, but the rest of us are sleeping on fucking cots in the living room. As much as I love the fish, they don’t drown out Judge’s snoring or X rubbin’ one out in his sleep.”
Since Em has an issue with locking the fucking doors, me and the guys moved ourselves in until we could get everything squared away. I guess the time has come for us to move on.
“Think about it, Collector,” Rowdy says, locking me into a stare. “If you wanna let us ride on, we get it, man. If my woman could come back, I’d damn sure settle where her pussy was every fucking night. Brothers or not, there is a spot none of us can fill for ya. You found that shit with Sonnie; you best hold on to it.”
I gaze around the room at each of the men who have had my back for years. “You takin’ a vote to take my cut?”
X huffs. “Hell fucking no!” He smiles at me. “I see what you’ve got, brother. Not one of us wants to see you give that up.”
Truth be told, I don’t want to give it up, either, not when I feel like it’s just beginning. My life is finally mine again. For the first time in my adulthood, I feel like I have something good starting. Can I simply ride away?
I can’t turn my back on the five men in front of me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. The fucking Bradley brothers would still be creating devastation everywhere they went. No, I need the Devil’s Due MC as much as I need Em. How can I have them both?
“Nothing needs to be decided right this minute.” Deacon stands and stretches, reading my expression. “Sonnie’s sortin’ out the shop. Let’s go be useful.”
“Your woman’s hot as hell, doesn’t ever cook, and eats more cake batter than I think is healthy, but Collector, she needs to learn about guest rooms and beds.”
I laugh, thinking about her full-sized, sideways bed and the way it forces her to sleep practically on top of me. She could use a guest bed since the guys are sleeping on these cheap-ass cots in the living room, but I’m pretty good with the bed she has just like she has it. In fact, if she were home right now, I would take her to that bed and see how many angles I could have her in while I’m balls fucking deep.
“Time to ride before Collector here gets a chub he can’t get down,” Trapper says, drawing attention to my hardening crotch. He raises his hands in surrender. “Not knockin’ it, brother. Just thoughts of hot, tight heat have me getting hard. Sonnie, she’s even got that shit they say love’s all about. You know … personality.”
“If you weren’t such a fucked up son of a bitch, Trapper, I would put a bullet in you for all the times you talk about my woman.”
He puts a finger under his eye. “Let me cry a river. Don’t do me any favors, brother.” Then, in the same second, he smiles wide. “I am a fucked up son of a bitch and damn proud to be part of this fucked up family we got for ourselves.”
X makes his way out the back door first. “You need fuckin’ meds, Trapper. One day, we’re gonna tie you down in a shrink’s office.”
Trapper reaches out, grabbing X on both his shoulders firmly. Jumping up, he forces X to give him a piggy back ride or push him off into a wall. “Now, now, X, I know you’re into that kinky shit, but I don’t know if I like restraints, brother.” Hopping off his back once they get to the edge of the porch, he bypasses the man. “Besides, do you really think there’s anything that could truly hold me down?”
“Duct tape,” Deacon replies, following behind them. “If it doesn’t hold you down, it’ll at least shut you up.” He laughs.
“Don’t you know he’s stronger than Hercules? Ain’t nothing that could stop him,” I joke as I walk out last, stopping myself from locking the door behind me since Emerson doesn’t even know where the key is anymore.
“Superman, fucker, it’s Superman. Hercules is, like, part god or something. Those are powers I’m not going anywhere near. My ticket to Hell is already printed; no need to make it come sooner.”
“Dipshit, those are not the same kind of gods.”
Trapper shrugs before climbing on his bike. “Went to the school of hard knocks. Last I checked, as long as you live to see the light of the day, God or gods were shining down on you. Don’t matter which kind you believe in.”
The more Trapper gives little crumbs about his past, the more the cop inside me wants to figure him out. He’s the only one who hasn’t given us a clue to help him. From the day we found him at Old Dog’s shop, bleeding and half dead, he’s not one time allowed us to seek retribution for whoever fucked him up. We are all messed up, all have a past with unfinished business, but Trapper doesn’t even seem to care that we could help him close the door to everything that went wrong so long ago.
Pulling up to the shop, I can feel a shift in the air. The lights in the front are off.
Opening the door, we walk in to hear the only noise being the steady buzz of Em’s tattoo gun. The guys all stay in the waiting area while I go down the hall. The back room door is shut, and I know Em hasn’t gone in there since Earl died. She allowed Trapper to get her supplies and move them to Earl’s station. She’s been inking clients there, but only the work she had previously scheduled. Once she completes all booked clients, she says she’s closing the shop.
Earl had no family. Emerson Flint was the closest to him, and he did put measures in place for her to be left the business, a little bit of insurance money, and his pickup truck.
The guys and I have helped clean up. Together, we spread Earl “Old Dog” Wilbur’s ashes over the open road from the back of my Harley like he asked.
We haven’t discussed what happens next. Night after night for over three months, I have stayed with her, but the time is coming to say good-bye.
I don’t think it’s supposed to hurt this much. In all the places I have been and all the things I’ve seen until now, there hasn’t been one time I couldn’t ride away without looking back.
Until Emerson Flint.
Leaning on the doorjamb, I watch her focus as she works. The woman in the chair doesn’t react as Emerson pauses to look up at me.
“Almost done here.” She gives me a smile then goes back to the piece she’s designing on the woman’s shoulder.
“No rush.” I mean it, too. I could watch her work all night and simply be fine in her presence. She calms something inside me that I never knew needed to settle.
It doesn’t take long before she’s gooping up the fresh ink and covering it.
The woman stands, stretching. Her dark hair is pulled into a crazy ponytail on top of her head. She’s skinny in an unhealthy way. The woman has curves in her hips that are meant to be more filled out. She’s wearing a bikini top due to the location of her ink. The fullness of her breasts scream they are of the paid for variety. What draws me to her is her overdone eyes. The makeup is like a mask, making me wonder what she needs to cover.
It also makes me appreciate the curves of Em’s body, the healthy, lush ass I get to call mine … even if only for the time. Em’s face is flawless and has never required makeup. She carries herself in a way that says confidence without needing to be overdone.
The woman beside her is broken. I sense it.
When her eyes meet mine, she immediately drops her head. Quickly covering up, she brushes past me.
“Hey, sweet thang,” Trapper is the first to greet her as she tries to make her escape.
“I’m off the clock tonight,” she says with trepidation.
“Well, that’s good because I don’t pay for pussy,” Trapper fires back, not missing a beat.
One day, he’s going to read someone, and they are g
oing to beat the shit out of him for calling them out.
“Consider me a gift to you. I’ll give you a hard-earned orgasm you won’t soon forget.”
The sound of her hand hitting flesh has both Em and me rushing to the front.
“Trapper, what the fuck! Shut the hell up sometimes, shithead,” X says as Em makes her way to her client.
“Hadley, I’m so sorry. He forgot to take his meds this morning.” Emerson makes a dramatic face and waves her hands around crazily. “We don’t let him out much, and today, we thought he’d be okay.” She glares at Trapper. “Please accept my apologies. Your next piece is on him. Whatever you want, he’ll pick up the tab. Won’t you, Trapper?”
With a smile while rubbing his reddened cheek, he nods.
Something crosses between X and Em’s client as their eyes meet. A darkness shadows his eyes as his jaw ticks in frustration.
“Hadley Combs?” X asks the woman who immediately bolts from the shop without giving a second look back.
“Hot damn,” Trapper slaps X on the back. “I’m proud of you, fucker. You remembered the hooker’s name.”
With a shove, X steps away from Trapper. “That’s no hooker!” Then he storms out the front after her, and we are all left standing in wonder over who the woman is and what she means to X.
Rather than dwell on questions we can’t answer, Emerson takes me by the hand. “Before the shop closes, I have one last piece I want to ink.”
“On me?”
With a soft smile, her eyes meet mine. “Yup.” She pauses for a beat. “For Raleigh,” she whispers, and my heart beats wildly in my chest.
Chapter Twenty
~Emerson~
Taking off his shirt, I rub the spot over his chest I plan to mark. Then I plant a soft kiss against his chest and smile when he grumbles, “Gonna fuck you so hard.”
“Promises, promises,” I tease.
“Then it’ll be nice and slow. Once I get inside you the first time, I’m not gonna be able to hold back, darlin’.”
My core throbs with need. More so, my heart pounds with emotions.
Stepping back, I point to the chair for him to sit. Then I pull out the sketch and the transfer sheet onto my table and close my eyes tightly. I’m greeted by dark hair with a little yellow ribbon and a smiling face with those beautiful iris eyes. I let the tears fall as I turn back to the man who has breathed new life into my existence.
“Em,” he says softly. I have been Sonnie for so many years that, every time he calls me Em or Emerson, it gives me this feminine feeling I haven’t had before. “Wanna tell me about it?”
Wiping my eyes, I shake my head. I don’t want to talk about it because the last thing we need is for him to misinterpret my mood. The sadness is not as raw, the emptiness is no longer the same, and all things Raleigh don’t make me feel angry and helpless anymore. Sure, there is a sadness and emptiness over my best friend truly being gone. On the other side, though, her killer has been served his justice. She’s always going to be part of me, but for the first time, I feel like I can move on without looking over my shoulder for what should have been.
I revel in the trust Dover gives me. This will permanently mark his body, and he’s not hesitating to allow me.
Deciding to have some fun, I bite my bottom lip before reaching for his shirt. He doesn’t move, only raises an eyebrow in question.
“Can I blindfold you?”
He laughs, and I swear my heart skips a beat from the sound. “Depends on whether I get the pleasure later.”
My nipples instantly harden at the thought as I feel my panties dampen. Dover blindfolding me has appeal.
“If you behave yourself for me to get this done, I’ll think about it.”
Two firm hands reach out and grab me by the hips, yanking me to him. Turning sideways, I fall onto his lap. Then I press my lips to his, and I kiss him softly before pulling back. When his iris eyes meet mine, I whisper, “You make me happy, Dover Ragnes, in a way I never thought possible.”
“Makin’ me hard, darlin’.” He shifts, and I feel his erection under my thigh.
On a laugh, I push up. “Reckon we should get this ink done so we can take care of that, then, huh?”
“We could take care of it first and ink me later.” He winks. “I mean, I’ve heard friction isn’t good for fresh ink. I don’t want to mess up your hard work and all.” Dover feigns innocence.
Leaning over, I wrap the shirt around his head so he can’t see. “Nah, baby, that just means we get to be creative later.”
I settle in then place the transparency on his skin, carefully removing the paper so only the outline remains. Then focus and emotions all drive me as I begin to work. Time passes without a word shared between us. The connection and pull is stronger than ever before.
Lifting the shirt off his head, I see the heat in his eyes as he meets my gaze. I go back to work, and I use his look to get every highlight exact, bringing my gargoyle to life.
After wiping him off, cleaning up the freshly marked skin, I lean in and place a soft kiss on Dover’s lips. Trepidation hits me when I turn the chair for him to look in the mirror. The words, the circle, and the gargoyle in fancy script have Dover reaching up to trace them without touching the freshly marred skin.
Made of stone,
She never crumbles;
She never wavers;
She never fades.
Always solid,
Always strong,
Always watching,
She’s been with me
All along.
“You have to know she’s with you, watching, guarding. She’s never left you because you, Dover Ragnes, were the biggest part of who she was. You never let her down, and her spirit is always watching, so she never lets you down. Don’t forget, Dover.”
“Em.” His voice is raspy with emotion. “She gave me you. After everything I’ve done wrong in this life, my baby sister still gave me the greatest gift she ever knew: her best friend.”
Tears fill my eyes and run down my cheeks as he cups my face and wipes the waterworks away with his thumbs.
“Gotta tell you, Em, that I never saw it coming until I couldn’t pull myself back. There hasn’t been a single day since Raleigh disappeared that my life hasn’t felt like I was on a hamster wheel … until I walked through the door of this shop to find Old Dog Earl going on about his artist Sonnie inking me and my boys. The minute my eyes met yours, recognition hit. From that instant, I was alive again, or maybe for the first time ever—I don’t know. Now, I can’t be without that.”
“Dover,” I whisper. “You’ll always have me with you.” I look at the fresh tattoo.
“I want more, Em.” He presses his lips firmly to mine yet doesn’t deepen our kiss. “If that’s not what you want, then you’ve gotta walk away. I’m a strong man, Emerson Flint, but it would take super powers to get me to give you up.”
“Then don’t,” I say against his lips.
The opening is his chance, and he claims my tongue with his own as he grabs the back of my thighs to scoop me up and onto his lap. I’m careful to keep the distance between my chest and his as our lust takes over. Soon, I’m rushing to lock the door to my station room as we both strip, and I ride Dover as he sits in my work chair. It’s not long before we are both panting as we come down from our orgasms.
“I’m not walking away, Dover Ragnes,” I say as I kiss him softly.
When I get up to get dressed, I’m pulled back to him.
“Good thing, darlin’. I don’t think I’m man enough to let you.”
Epilogue
~Emerson~
“I wish I may, I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight.” The wind blows as I look to the sky. The stars seem to sparkle in the clear, black night. “I’m sorry for what you went through. I know I’ve said it before. I hate that you went through so much pain before you died. More than anything, I hate that you were alone. I’m sorry I let you down.” Emotions overwhelm me.
&nbs
p; “Raleigh, I never thought my happily ever after would be like this. Who would believe happily ever never could turn into this almost magical feeling between Dover and me?”
Leaning on the railing of my front porch, I continue talking to the night air. “Am I crazy? I can’t let go of you, and it’s been too many years. I can’t let go of Dover, either. Little girl dreams may just be reality. I don’t know what the future holds, but in my heart, with or without your brother, you are my sister, Raleigh.” I let my tears fall. “I promise to never forget you. I promise to help others in the hopes that no other best friends get separated the way we were. I promise every ride is for you.”
Two strong hands wrap around my waist from behind. I smell the scent of leather and his cigarettes.
“Dover.” I lean back against him as my back rests against his chest. “She’s at peace.”
“Yeah, Em, she is.”
“It hurts,” I admit.
He rests his chin on top of my head. “Yeah, it fucking hurts.”
“Dover, it feels good to get justice,” I say with a smile.
“Yeah, it fucking does.” He turns me to face him. “Gotta know, Emerson, the time is here. You wanna ride out with me?”
At first, I look down, avoiding his stare. Then, under my hooded eyelids, I find those iris eyes.
“Everywhere and every time, I’ll be with you as the devil gets his due.”
“I fucking love you, Em.” His lips crash to mine before I can respond.
I smile against his kiss as I think to myself, I guess, on this ride, Dover ‘Collector’ Ragnes collected my heart, body, and soul.
Bottom Line
Bonus Scene
~Trapper~
“Roll tide,” the high voice greets me.
“You just wake up?” I shouldn’t ask, but I did. I shouldn’t care, but I do. I shouldn’t even consider it, but I’m too far gone now.
“No, and would it matter if I did?” There is hope laced in each word. It needs to die. All I’m doing is making this worse in the long run.
In The Red: Nomad Bikers (Devil's Due MC Book 1) Page 13
