by Lila Rose
“We’re gettin’ the picture, sweetheart. We’ve witnessed you growin’ into a beautiful, young, brave woman,” Eli said.
“Good.” She nodded to the floor and then raised her eyes and looked at me. “Can you tell me what’s going on, if it doesn’t have anything to do with the club?”
“Yeah, precious. I can tell you, but fuck, baby, it ain’t good.”
She reached her hand up and ran it down my cheek, then took my hand in hers. “I know.”
Closing my eyes, I braced myself. Christ, I didn’t want to tell her. I wanted to protect her from the fuckin’ wrong things in life, but she was right. We couldn’t keep her in a bubble. To know us, she had to know everything that was goin’ on.
“You know I had a shit past. My mum sold my body and got me to do shit I didn’t like so she could stay high. What you don’t know...the men who, fuck, who took advantage of me.” Shit what would she think of me? I needed to get it out quick, see where I then stood with Josie. Looking to our joined hands, I continued, “I hunted them down and killed them all, but there was one I couldn’t find, until recently.” I didn’t pause for breath, needing to get the words out there. “He’s Cameron’s father. Eli and I went to meet with them. Told his dad that he had to keep his son away from you or else his past would be shown to the press.”
Eli pressed on for me. “We thought he’d listened. It’d been two weeks. Until this morning. Caden had a delivery at the compound, which was why we had to go. There was a box. Let’s just say Nigel, Cameron’s fucked-up father, has told Caden if he doesn’t hand you over to his son, he is going to kill Caden’s mum.”
She gasped and squeezed my hand. I looked to her and she said, “I’ll go. We can’t let—”
“No way in hell, Josie,” I growled. “I’d go there myself and kill the lot of them before I let them take you. I have enough blood on my hands, what’s more—”
“And they deserve it,” Josie said quietly.
Eli’s eyes widened and my head jerked back. I then uttered, “What?”
She stood suddenly, dropping our hands to face us her hands went to her hips, her eyes glared with an intense gleam to them and she leaned forward to speak her next words. Fuck me, she was furious on my behalf. Even her cute nose was scrunched up. “They deserve death, Caden. I know I’m a bad person saying that, but...but...fuck it. Your mum is a bitch and if I had a gun myself, I would shoot her for what she put you through. I’m sorry, but I would. People like that, like Nigel,” she snarled, “they deserve nothing but death. Hell, if I had my chance I would have loved to have killed David with my bare hands for what he did to me. But I can’t.” She took a deep breath. Her gaze flittered to the floor and then back up to me. “I’m sorry your mum is in that situation, but she’s...crazy, Caden. Crazy to have damaged her son, her own flesh and blood like she did. I know you won’t give me up...but, I know you have a big heart, Caden.” Christ, she got to her knees in front of me and moved her way between my legs, taking my hands in hers. “So I know you don’t want your mum’s death on your shoulders.”
“Fuckin’ pure beauty,” Eli growled.
Only Josie and Eli could get me to smile on such a fucked-up day. So I smiled down at Josie and told her, “You’re right, on all accounts, baby. Which is why I called Lan. He’s heading over to Nigel’s estate now to see what he can do.”
She licked her lips. “Why...why didn’t you want to go? He doesn’t deserve jail and you could have saved your mum.”
Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I said, “I never want to see that woman again. She is no one to me, not when I’m finally fuckin’ living.” I kissed her lips and ran my hands to her shoulders before I shrugged. “Besides, if there isn’t anything Lan can do, at least I tried.”
“You are an amazing man, Caden Parker.”
“And you’re a lioness hiding under sheep’s clothes. I’ve never heard you swear so much.” I chuckled when she glared.
“The moment was right for it.” She sighed. “But what about that man who—”
“Even if Lan can find something and he does go to jail, he’ll know what hell is. We have brothers on the inside. Just one call and Nigel will want to die, but they won’t let him.”
Our precious girl nodded and then said, “Good. I’m glad.”
“Baby,” I groaned. “I just told you I have blood on my hands. I’ve taken lives and I’m gonna make a call, if it comes to it, to take another life and all you can say is good?”
She bit her bottom lip and her brows drew down like she was confused. “Well, yes. I mean, it’s not like you went on a killing spree and killed innocent people. They deserved everything they got and so will Nigel.”
That was when Eli and I threw our heads back and laughed.
“How am I being funny?” She glowered and stood.
I sobered and took her hand dragging her to stand between my legs. Her breath caught as she looked down at me. “Can’t fuckin’ believe how lucky we are that we have a woman who is everything and more. You were made for us, precious. Just us. No one else.”
She smiled down at me and before touching her lips to mine, she said, “Never anyone else but you and Eli, always.”
“Our girl is comin’ into her biker-babe stage,” Eli said.
Josie giggled and then gave us a mock glare. “So look out, you don’t want to annoy me.” She leaned over and kissed Eli, only to pull back and ask, “Is this where we have good make-up sex?”
Eli snorted. I laughed.
“Nothing good about it, baby,” Eli said. “It’ll be mind-fuckin’-blowin’.”
It was then we heard the front door slam and footsteps coming down the hall.
“Everyone decent in there?” Simone called before knocking on the door.
“No,” Eli yelled.
“Never,” I said.
“Good,” Simone said as she opened the door.
“What happens if I was naked?” Josie asked with a gasp.
“I would enjoy the show.” Simone smiled, but her smile faded from her face when she took us all in. “You’re not ready?”
“Oh, um, I forgot.”
Simone stamped her foot. “Stop distracting her.”
“What’s this about?” Eli barked.
“Girls’ night,” Simone sang. “Now that her shit has calmed down, we’re heading to the pub.”
Standing, I pulled Josie in front of me to hide my hardness for my woman. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I said, “Girls’ night just turned into girls’ and guys’ night.”
Simone gasped. “You can’t.”
“Why the fuck not?” Eli demanded.
Simone glared. “We’ll be talking about your cocks and how good you are in bed.”
Eli shrugged. “Like we give a fuck. What pub? I’ll ring the brothers. They can meet us there.”
“You’re not coming,” Simone snapped.
“Try and stop us, woman. Josie is not going out without us and that’s fuckin’ final,” I barked.
Simone looked to Josie with pleading eyes. So fuckin’ glad our woman knew the shit wasn’t totally over because then she knew we’d want to be by her side. Hell, we’d want it anyway. No fucker was goin’ near our woman.
“Sorry,” Josie offered her friend.
“Bloody hell, you’re lucky they’re good looking,” she said and stomped off, but not before she yelled back, “Be ready in half an hour and the pub is called Blow Hard.”
Chapter Sixteen
Josie
A night out with my men. I was excited. Yes, we had been on dates, but we had never been to a pub before where there would be dancing and drinking. Plus Simone had always gone on about how good drunken sex was. My excitement about that was an understatement.
When we arrived at Blow Hard, I expected it to be a large, loud and busy place being a pub in Melbourne. However, it wasn’t. It was a small pub on a corner. The music wasn’t loud where you had to shout over people and the crowd wasn’t over the top.
I liked it.
Simone walked ahead dressed in vinyl pants and a red halter top. Eli was next. He and Caden were dressed in their usual; jeans, tees, biker boots and their club vests over the top of their tight tees. Honestly, they looked delicious. I walked down the small hallway where the coat stand was, between Eli and Caden. Simone had talked me into wearing a short denim skirt and a green corset.
Earlier, when I’d walked into the living room, where my men were waiting for us, I thought it funny how their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Only, they quickly controlled it and Caden growled, “You stick by our side tonight.”
“Why?” I asked. I had been looking forward to dancing because it had been so long since I last went out.
“Baby.” Eli chuckled. “The way you look, it won’t be only our dicks being hard tonight from watchin’ you. Every fuckin’ guy will be. They need to know you’re claimed by us.”
Simone, who was walking down the hall, had heard Eli and burst out laughing. “Maybe tonight will be fun with these two coming along.”
“Should I change?” I asked Caden and Eli.
“Fuck no.” Caden smiled. “Let’s get outta here so we can get back and have our own fun.”
“Shit yeah,” Eli said, slapping Caden on the shoulder.
From then on, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. Simone headed straight to the bar across from the front hall. Goodness, the place looked like something out of a western movie. Wooden floor, walls and a bar surrounded us.
I was too busy looking around, I didn’t notice Eli had stopped until I walked into him. He moved aside and I smiled at the men in front of me as Caden came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Hi, guys,” I said to Dallas, Dodge and Dive. Then I giggled when I realised all their names started with D. “Dive, when did you get here?” I asked, covering my laugh.
“Just yesterday, love. Good to see your smiling face. Hope these two idiots are treating you well.”
I couldn’t stop the blush, which they all saw and laughed. “I can see they are,” Dive teased.
“Holy hotness, Batgirl. Who do we have here?” Simone asked as she sidled up to me and handed me a fruity looking drink.
Even though Dodge and Dallas had been to the apartment before, each time they had, they’d either missed Simone or she was still out with her, now ex, boyfriend.
“Simone, I would like you to meet Dallas, Dodge and Dive. Guys, this is my friend Simone,” I offered as I pointed out each one. They were all similarly dressed like Eli and Caden. Jeans, some dark or light tees with their Hawks cut over the top and biker boots. They all looked very handsome, which probably explained why Simone was currently drooling.
Dallas sent her a chin lift. Dodge smiled with a nod and Dive stretched out his hand and took Simone’s. “I think I’ve found my happily ever after.” Dive smirked and winked.
Simone laughed. “You play your cards right for the night, I could just be. However, for now, Josie and I are going to that booth over there to talk.” She pointed to a booth close by. “Will that be okay, close enough you can both keep an eye on your prize?” Simone smirked at Caden and Eli.
“Smartarse,” Eli said.
“Fine.” Caden smiled and sent me a wink.
“I wouldn’t want her fuckin’ far either,” Dodge said as Simone steered me to the booth. “She looks fuckin’ fine,” he added. I heard a slap and looked over my shoulder to see Eli glowering at Dodge who rubbed the back of his head.
While I sat on one side of the booth, giggling at their antics, Simone sat on the other and sighed. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It feels like it’s been so long since we’ve caught up.”
Nodding, I had to agree. Usually, it was just Simone and I; however, with my men in my life, I was occupied. “You’ve also been busy. But I know what you mean. Please tell me what’s been going on with you.”
She smiled brightly, her teeth showed and all. “Nothing as exciting as you. Even though I hardly see you,”—she reached across the table and took my hand—“I’m so happy for you, honey. So happy. Never have I see you shine so brightly before. Which is why I’ll put up with their bossiness because it’s obvious they make you happy and you know you do the same for them, right?”
“Yes. They tell me.”
“Good. I’m so glad you have that in life now. But honestly, sweetie, you’ve got to tell me who is better in bed and who has the biggest dick?”
My head fell back, my eyes to the ceiling and I laughed loudly. So loud I knew I would draw attention and when I looked to my men, they were already watching me, both smiling satisfied grins.
“I’m serious, woman. You have to tell your sister from another mister. I need deets, stat.”
A blush rose. “Um, they are both very, very good in bed. And I haven’t actually measured their parts.”
“What? Get on that woman and let me know.” She sat back in her seat and studied me while she drank from her drink. Looking down at mine, I noticed it was already empty. No wonder though, it tasted like heaven. “Have you been with them while the other is in the room?”
Goodness. If Simone was going to grill me about my sex life, I was going to need another drink. Someone must have read my mind because a waiter stood beside our table and placed two more fruity drinks on it.
“Thank you, but who are they from?” I would never take a drink from someone I didn’t know.
“The one with the buzz cut,” he said with a smile and thumbed behind him to Caden. I waved and mouthed ‘thank you’ to my man. He winked.
“Aw, isn’t that cute. I need me a good man.” She pouted and finished her first drink to start on the next as the waiter disappeared.
“We haven’t had the chance to talk about Jack, I thought you liked him. What went wrong there?” I asked while swishing my drink around with the straw. I just realised I’d never mentioned to my men I hadn’t drank before. I guessed they’d soon find out.
Simone looked away, over to the men and back. Her smile disappeared, only to come back full force, but wrong. It wasn’t her usually happy, carefree smile. “Hey now, you didn’t answer my question from before. Do they share well?”
“Simone—”
“We’re here to have a good night,” she snapped.
Drink forgotten, I leaned forward and met her glare with my own. “I know that, honey. And to answer your question, yes they share well and yes we do it with everyone in the room. Now I want to know what just happened then. What aren’t you telling me, Simone Michaels?”
She scoffed and turned back to looking at the men. “Wow, they really have brought you out of your shell.”
“They have and if you don’t talk to me, honey, you won’t like what I do next.”
Her head snapped back to me. “What?”
“I’ll involve them.” I gestured with my head to the guys.
“Holy shit.” She smiled in a proud way. “You can be manipulative.”
“Some say I take after my sister Zara when I want to. She did the same thing to her best friend. Don’t make me worry like her friend did to her. Please tell me what’s going on. I want to help. You’ve always been there for me. This time I’m here for you.”
She shrugged. “It’s nothing really. Jack turned out to be an arse.”
I glanced over to see my men watching. They knew something was going on. I could tell by their tense forms. They were worried. Eli raised his brows at me, but I shook my head.
“Did he do something to you?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” She smirked, only it was sour.
“Simmy, what happened?”
She rolled he eyes. “He was an arse, that’s all.”
Frustrating woman. “How was he an arse?”
“I was told, from a trustworthy source, he had a girlfriend. I was just the side piece, because apparently, I’m easy.”
My eyes widened. “He had a girlfriend and he called you easy?”
She nodded. “Yeah, apparently I’m only good to be someone’s side piece. And the easy part came from his friends saying I’d slept with them, when I hadn’t. It was just a few kisses. Anyway, it’s over.”
“Do you need me to get Caden and Eli to rough him up a bit?” I smiled.
Finally, she laughed free and easy. “Thanks, but no. Well, not just yet anyway.”
We sat and talked about uni and about Parker being absent for longer than usual. I hadn’t had the chance to tell her what Parker had said before he left and when I did, she squealed. “I knew he had a thing for you. The way he looked at you when you weren’t watching was damn hot.”
Shrugging, I said, “I honestly never thought of him in that way. He was nice to look at, but that’s it. Though, I do worry about him in a brotherly fashion.”
“What do you think his job is?”
We’d pondered that many times and all ideas seemed ridiculous.
“I wouldn’t have the foggiest.”
“Yeah, me neither. Uh-oh, looks like you’ve got competition over there. Actually, knowing your guys, it’s not competition just annoying trolls.”
Looking over to the men standing at the bar, I saw they’d received some visitors. In the type of hussies. Two girls in slutty dresses, one with peroxide blonde hair and the other had long black hair. The blonde was standing beside Caden and the other was next to Eli. I couldn’t really say they were hussies. I didn’t know them. They could be nice women...if they weren’t rubbing their boobs against my men’s arms.
Standing, I stalked my way over to them. Dodge and Dive saw me coming and started laughing. Maybe they hadn’t seen my scowl before. Dallas stood leaning against the bar with a smirk upon his face.
Ignoring them, I stepped between my men. Before I could say anything, Simone got there first. I hadn’t even realised she’d followed. “I wouldn’t bother, ladies.”
The women looked at her and then me. They both gave us the once over and dismissed us.
Now that annoyed me.
“Excuse me,” I started. They looked back.
