Point of Surrender

by Stacey Lynn

  He looked so much like his dad that for months after Byron’s death my heart would squeeze painfully when I caught certain glimpses of Byron in Brayden’s face.

  That diminished when I was faced with the reality that my husband had lied to me. For years he’d hidden his problem from me, and once he was gone, I had to wonder if I’d ever known the man at all.

  Sighing heavily, I slowly scooted out from underneath the covers and tiptoed out of the room.

  After splashing water on my face in the bathroom, I gripped the edges of the counter. My cheeks were flushed and my hair was a complete ratted mess.

  My shirt, which I’d had on all day and fell asleep wearing when I’d climbed into Brayden’s bed, still stuck to my skin.

  “He’s safe,” I muttered, forcing myself believe it.

  Knowing the woman in the mirror didn’t hold answers on how to pay off loans, get my kid safe, and allow me to head home anytime soon, I pushed off the edge of the counter and went to my room.

  I wasn’t going to get any more sleep after that dream.

  After stopping in my room and sliding into a pair of cotton pajama shorts and a fresh tank top, I headed downstairs to make hot tea.

  The clock read four o’clock and I breathed a sigh of relief that I’d at least gotten a few hours of sleep.

  It’d make taking care of Brayden the next day easier if I wasn’t a complete zombie.

  I poured water into a kettle, turned the stove on, and stared out the window over the kitchen sink.

  The full moon shone just enough light across the row of trees at the back of Ryker’s property to have shadows swaying with the wind.

  My hands crossed over my stomach protectively and I sniffed. The dream had seemed so real. It was real until the card fell to the ground.

  Picking Brayden up from school last Friday had been the worst moment of life, knowing that he’d been so close to danger and yet so unaware.

  A part of me didn’t know if I should explain it somehow, but I figured at least in Jasper Bay, he would never be alone.

  “Rehash the stranger-danger conversation with him in the morning,” I muttered and then rolled my eyes at myself.

  “You always do that?” a masculine voice drawled from behind me.

  I recognized Finn’s accent immediately and jumped from the shock of not being alone. He sent my already racing heart surging faster for completely different reasons.

  “What?” I asked and reached for the whistling kettle.

  Finn grinned a half-smile and pushed off the doorway. “Talk to yourself.”

  I shrugged. “Sometimes.” I poured water into my mug and waved the kettle toward Finn. “Want some tea?”

  He waved a hand dismissively and took a seat at the kitchen table.

  With my tea bag steeping in the hot water, I wrapped both hands around the mug and stood in the middle of the kitchen.

  Finn kicked at one of the wooden chairs and it ground against the floor as it slid from the table.

  “Sit.”

  It didn’t sound like a suggestion, so I sat.

  “You had a lot of shit thrown in your lap earlier.”

  “Mm-hmm,” I muttered and took a sip of tea. It burned my throat and I flinched slightly.

  “You okay?”

  I took another sip and tried to figure out what he wanted, but his face gave nothing away.

  “I’ll survive.” I always did. Somehow, I always figured it out.

  “Woman like you should be able to do more than just survive. And while I know Ryker has good intentions, it’d probably be safer for you and the kid to stay at the club. It isn’t the prettiest place, but you wouldn’t be bringing trouble to Ryker’s front door if it comes to that.”

  The idea of something happening to Ryker and Faith made me choke on my tea. I hadn’t thought of that. But Finn was right. I almost wanted to say yes on the spot.

  Instead, to try to hide the fear his words caused, I tilted my head to the side. “Aren’t you supposed to be the one keeping me safe?”

  “Club full of men would be better. No one would fuck with you there.” A muscle on the side of his nose jumped. His eyes blinked in a way that told me that was the wrong thing to say. For doubting him? I didn’t know.

  “What are you doing up?” I asked, changing the subject.

  The pressure in the room disappeared when he smiled.

  Something fluttered in my chest when he leaned forward and I was fully able to take in his inked arm. Light from the fixture above the table hit his hand and I watched the red eyes tattooed just above his hand flash.

  They looked evil—like the face I saw in my nightmares—and I winced.

  “Light sleeper,” Finn said and gave me a wry look.

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t mind waking up in the middle of the night when my first view is a pair of legs like yours.”

  Fire hit my cheeks and I looked away from him.

  He didn’t mean it. I might have thought he was hot and sexy too, but now certainly wasn’t the time to act on it. Besides, underneath the newly flirtatious grin, he’d still been a giant jerk for ignoring me the last several days.

  It still did not stop me from smiling into my mug when I brought it to my lips.

  “That’s flattering,” I whispered.

  “I’m not typically a liar.” His voice deepened then and sounded rougher.

  My eyes snapped to his and what I saw in them had me inhale a quick gasp.

  Frustration mixed with hunger.

  “Finn,” I breathed out, and it didn’t sound like nearly as much of a warning as I wanted it to.

  “You give me a few hours, and I’ll have you forgetting everything you’re worried about. Have you screaming my name and then feeling so relaxed you’ll be able to sleep like a baby for weeks.”

  I wanted it. Based on the pulsing his words caused at the apex of my thighs and the odd flutters wracking my nerves, my body wanted it too.

  Still, I shook my head. “Ryker would kill you.”

  At that, Finn threw his head back and laughed.

  “Darlin’,” he drawled, and oh my hell—the endearment coupled with the accent had my body quaking. “Ryker can try to kick my ass, and he’d be pissed if I touched you, but that doesn’t mean I’d listen. Never been good about following the rules.”

  “Yet you joined a motorcycle club.”

  His lips thinned instantly and the air chilled. I would probably never figure out the mercurial man in front of me.

  “Story for another day,” he said and his eyes shifted to something behind me.

  “Am I interrupting something?” Faith asked as she made her way into the kitchen.

  I thought about what Finn had just said and ducked my head to hide the blush I knew was threatening to stain my cheeks.

  “Nope,” I choked.

  Faith laughed lightly and headed toward the kettle, turning on the stove to re-heat the water.

  “Can’t sleep?” I asked, trying to ignore Finn. I could feel his eyes on me. Why, I didn’t know.

  But as Faith kept her back to us, I couldn’t help but look at Finn across from me. He pushed back his chair and slowly stalked toward me, leaning over my back when he reached my chair. His hands fell to the table at the sides of my own hands, caging me in.

  I felt his breath hit the side of my neck, and he laughed when I trembled.

  “Think about what I said,” he whispered and pushed off.

  I kept my eyes focused on the mug, because although I figured he meant those hours he’d promised me of making me forget—which sounded really damn good—there was also the warning about trouble landing at Ryker’s feet.

  There was no way I’d forgive myself if something happened to them and I could have done something to prevent it.

  “Wow,” Faith said quietly, her eyes lit with humor. She slid into the seat next to me, and I tried to ignore the glint in her voice. “I figured Finn’s sex voice would be good, but I d
idn’t dream it’d be that good.”

  “Huh?”

  Faith chortled. “Don’t play dumb. I heard him talk about making you scream and forget.”

  She bumped her shoulder into mine and took a sip of her own tea.

  “Shut up.”

  She bumped me again, almost spilling my tea. “You should take him up on that.”

  “What?” A laugh bubbled from my lips when I caught her mischievous look. “You’re joking.”

  She shrugged. “Not really. I have a feeling he’d hold up his end of the bargain, and you look like you could use the stress relief.”

  “Sex while I’m worried about my kid’s life and my future doesn’t exactly sound like fun.”

  She grinned. “Even if it comes with multiple orgasms?”

  She had a point.

  Still. Other than a few pointless one-night stands, I hadn’t been with anyone since Byron passed away over four years ago. I couldn’t lie and say Finn didn’t intrigue me with his whiplash of emotions from masked indifference to annoyance to looks that made my thighs tremble with want.

  I stayed silent because I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.

  But it didn’t mean I’d be crazy enough to jump in bed with a man who could crush me with the weight of his palm on my throat.

  5 Finn

  “Didn’t the women just have an excuse to party?”

  Ryker rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but Faith wants Meg to meet everyone. Whatever,” he said, shaking his head. “If Faith wants to throw a damn party, who am I to argue? She likes it.”

  And who was I to argue? The urge to get shit-faced drunk sounded like a good idea to me. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking of the stupid shit I’d spewed to Meg before the sun rose.

  I should have kept my mouth shut.

  The last thing I should have been doing was tempting her away from Ryker’s house…or pulling her toward me.

  I’d ruin her.

  “Daemon and Olivia will be back tonight anyway, so they’ll want to see everyone.”

  I snorted. I doubted a man who had to cut his honeymoon short would want to hang out with a bunch of men instead of fucking.

  “Yeah? He excited about cutting his honeymoon short to come deal with shit that doesn’t have crap to do with us?” I regretted the words as soon as I said them.

  Ryker’s hand caught my throat and he pushed me against the wall. My hands flexed at my sides. I could have taken him. Ryker was a few inches shorter than me and weighed about thirty pounds less. He was lean and tall and built where I was bulky and thick.

  I could have planted his ass into the floor with my boot before he saw me coming if I’d wanted to. I’d had years of learning how to fight dirty, taking down men twice my size when I should have been focused on looking up girls’ skirts and studying for university.

  But my life had never been normal. Or clean and easy.

  My nostrils flared when Ryker leaned in.

  “What the fuck is your problem? You’ve been a dick ever since Meg showed up. Is there something I should know about?”

  “Nah, man.” I grinned and relaxed my shoulders. “Just figuring Daemon wouldn’t want his honeymoon interrupted by something we can handle without him.”

  Which wasn’t the truth, but it was what he wanted to hear.

  I was a master at filling people’s heads with what they wanted to hear. Years of lying and hiding and creating a new persona for me to safely fly under the radar of their questions and accusations had made me a pro.

  “Meg is family. And so is Brayden. They’re my family,” Ryker enunciated, as if I hadn’t heard it already.

  The problem with that was…if Ryker wanted to think of Meg as a sister…then I wanted to fuck his sister.

  I wanted to sully her—spread her out on my sheets and lick her sweet pussy until she shattered beneath the weight of my hands that pinned her to the bed.

  And I had a feeling Ryker would take issue with that.

  Yet I was tired of trying to stay away, too.

  Four days of watching Meg and I was walking around with a constant hard-on. Club pussy could only do so much to quell that ache.

  My dick wanted something tight and clean and pure.

  I lifted my hands in surrender, and Ryker let me go.

  “Want me to kick your ass in the ring?” I grinned.

  It was more fun when there was always a hint of anger under the bullshit we flung in the ring. The jabs were quicker.

  More like a real fight, even if I always had to hold back more than I wanted.

  His hands ran through his hair and he exhaled. “Grab Jaden. He’s always wanted to kick your ass.”

  He turned and walked away, but I held back, surveying the club room. A few brothers threw glances in my direction, but I ignored them.

  I didn’t talk much, figuring the truth was always easier to hide when you kept your head down. But I liked the brothers. I liked the club life.

  To an extent, it suited me more than anything else I could have imagined doing.

  What I couldn’t see was anyone like Meg fitting into a place like this long-term. But where else would she go if she couldn’t go back home? She wasn’t fucking stupid.

  She’d already realized the truth before Ryker did.

  And why in the fuck was I thinking of Meg or caring what in the hell ended up happening to her?

  “Jaden!” I shouted to the blond prick behind the bar.

  He lifted a shot glass in my direction.

  “Ryker thinks you can kick my ass.”

  He couldn’t. But today, I just might let him get a few solid punches to my head. Maybe it’d knock the lust for those sexy legs and innocent blue eyes out of my brain.

  It was worth a shot.

  “Ryker’s usually right,” Jaden said and slammed the shot glass on the wood bar.

  I headed out, Jaden following, all smiles and laughter ever since he and Jules finally figured their shit out. His assholery had leveled to a five out of ten instead of bursting at a constant eleven.

  He credited it to Sophie.

  I figured it was the pussy he was getting on a regular basis.

  Regardless, as we strapped on our gloves, I inhaled the stench of sweat and blood in the ring, preparing myself.

  And then I let him kick my ass as best as he could.

  6 Meg

  “It’s so awesome to finally meet you!” Olivia exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me tight. “Faith and Ryker talk about you and Brayden so much I feel like I already know you.”

  I smiled uncertainly before pulling back. I wasn’t typically shy, but the party at the Nordic Lords MC clubhouse was so far outside my comfort zone, it wasn’t even on my map.

  Everywhere I turned, someone was making out. Music thumped so loudly in my ears that I worried Brayden or I could lose our hearing.

  There was enough alcohol to satisfy the entire U.S. Army still stationed in Afghanistan.

  And everyone was happy.

  It was astounding. And surreal.

  And completely nerve-wracking.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” I finally said, returning the sentiment. It was true. I knew how important Olivia and Jules were to Faith, because she talked about them all the time, and they all grew up together.

  I never had close friends like that, or a family like they had, even as twisted as their family might be. But the longer I was there, the more I saw that was exactly what went on in this club.

  “Where’s Brayden?” Olivia asked, twisting her neck to look around. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “He’s playing with Sophie in our room,” Jules said, cutting in.

  I’d met her earlier and she was just as nice as Olivia and Faith, which rattled me. Somehow I expected these women to be hardcore like the men, but they weren’t. They were sweet and fun and girls I could have seen myself being friends with in college, had I had the chance to go.

  “Ryker told me that’s where
the kids usually hang out.”

  Olivia nodded when I said it and smiled when I bit my lip. “They’ll be safe there, I promise. No way would anyone mess with you here.”

  “Thanks.” I looked away, uncomfortable. It could have been the atmosphere of the place or the circumstances of why I was there.

  It could have been the warning Finn gave me that morning.

  “Finn thinks I should start staying at the club,” I blurted out. Faith jerked back, Jules frowned, and Olivia grinned wide and laughed.

  “I bet he wants you close,” she said through her laugh.

  Heat suffused my neck, creeping to my cheeks at the implication. To hide my reaction, I took a sip of my beer. It was warm and I’d been nursing it for the last two hours—ever since we’d shown up there—but I wasn’t much of a drinker. Plus, there was a large group of leather-clad men around the bar. I’d been too intimidated to go over there, especially with the fact that Finn had been sitting on his stool at the bar, nursing a bottle of whiskey and scowling at everyone who came near him ever since we showed up.

  I thought he’d stop being so angry around me all the time after he propositioned me for sex.

  But apparently that didn’t happen.

  “Tell them what Finn said to you.”

  My eyes snapped to Faith and widened.

  She grinned wickedly when I shook my head. “No.”

  “Oh, yes!” Olivia clapped her hands. “Tell us.”

  “Leave the girl alone, woman.”

  I slid a thankful glance to Jules.

  She shrugged one shoulder. “These two are crazy. Don’t let them get to you.”

  “But you have to!”

  I squeezed my eyes shut. Olivia’s squealing sounded so similar to Brayden’s when he spied a pile of presents on Christmas morning, just for him.

  “He said…” Faith started in a whisper, leaning in.

  “It doesn’t matter what he said,” I snapped, glaring at her.

  “…that he could make her forget her stress while she screamed his name and he’d leave her relaxed and sleeping like a baby.”

  Olivia gasped.

  I planned ways to murder Faith in her sleep.

  “You suck.” I leaned in and hissed.