by A. M. Myers
“Well, hell… if y’all are voting now, there’s something I’d like you to take into consideration.”
Storm nods. “What?”
“I, uh… I’ve been thinking a lot over the past four days… about family and legacy and I’d like to join… if y’all will have me,” he answers, wrapping his arm around Emma as she walks over to him and everyone stares at him in shock. One night about a week back, I asked Travis about the relationship between Nix and Blaze because there was some tension and it was impossible to miss. He informed me that they were thick as thieves when Nix was a kid but when Nix didn’t want to join the MC, a rift formed between them and they didn’t speak for years. Emma was actually the one that brought them back together and things were good until all of the stuff about Sarah, Tate’s mom, came out last year and they had been struggling to rebuild their relationship a second time.
“You sure about this?” Storm asks. “You’ve never wanted to be part of the club before.”
Nix nods. “Yeah, I am. Back then, the club was so different than it is now and this legacy, the one y’all have built in the last seven years, feels like something I’d be proud to carry on in my dad’s memory.”
“I suppose you’ll want the president patch,” Storm replies, shooting Nix a wry smile and he laughs, shaking his head as he takes a step back.
“Uh, no. I’ve already got plenty of kids to wrangle. Besides, Pops chose you for his VP, knowing that someday you’d take over for him. That’s the way it should be.”
Storm nods, running his hand through his hair as he looks out at his brothers. “This is highly unusual but let’s fucking vote, I guess. If you want to patch in Nix as a full member, say “yay” and if you don’t, say “nay”.”
“Yay!” Eight voices ring out together, all approving Nix’s entry into the club and people raise their glasses in a toast as Nix thanks them, looking proud as hell to be part of the club his dad built. When I think about all he’s lost in the last four days, he might be the one my heart hurts the most for. To lose your parent is horrendous, a soul-changing experience, but to lose your dad when you weren’t on good terms yet and knowing that you’ll never get a chance to make it right, it has to be so fucking hard. I turn to Travis again but the chair next to me is empty and I sigh as I look up, scanning the room. Finding him in the kitchen, I watch him slip out of the back door with the bottle of whiskey in his hand and sigh again as I stand up and go after him. Thankfully, no one stops me to talk as I work through the crowd and when I step outside, I cross my arms over my chest to ward off the chill that seems to settle into my bones.
Travis walks over to the chairs under the big oak tree in the middle of the yard before I take off after him, trying to think of something I could say to get him to open up to me. There is this distance between us right now that kills me and as much as I want to help him, I also miss him like fucking crazy. I want my Travis back. He hears me approaching and looks up, warmth in his gaze for just a second before it’s snuffed out by pain and he sighs, shaking his head as he takes another gulp of alcohol.
“Just go back inside, Rowan,” he slurs, his eyes glassy and I shake my head as I stop in front of him, step between his legs, and run my fingers through his hair.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He sighs. “You shouldn’t be out here.”
“Neither should you,” I argue and he sighs again before grabbing my hand and pulling me down onto his lap. He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer as he takes another sip of whiskey and I lay my head on his shoulder, looking out at the water with a sigh.
“Will you please talk to me?”
He shrugs. “What is there to say?”
“Come on,” I snap as I sit up and meet his eyes. “Don’t fucking give me that. You’re going through hell and everyone can see it so please talk to me.”
“What the fuck do you want me to tell you, Rowan? That it’s my fault Blaze is dead? That I should have done more to help him instead of just staring at him as he fucking died in front of me? That I’m motherfucking cursed?”
My brow furrows and my heart breaks. “What do you mean you’re cursed?”
“Just drop it,” he growls, lifting the bottle to his lips again but I yank it away before he can spill another drop of liquor down his throat. His lip curls back as his gaze snaps to mine and he reaches for the bottle again. “Give that to me.”
“No. What do you mean you’re cursed?”
His eyes meet mine, fierce and determined as I glare down at him, demanding an answer to my question but he refuses to give in. But I won’t either. Not when I know how much he needs me and he can get as angry as he fucking wants, he’s not going to drive me away, now or ever. He holds my glare and reaches for the bottle again but I keep it away from his grasp as I arch a brow, silently telling him to start talking but before he can, a scream rips through the air. It came from the direction of the house and we both jerk up, looking up at the back door. My heart jumps into my throat as possibilities run through my mind, possibilities of what fresh hell Warren has gifted us with for a second time today as Travis jumps up and sets me on my feet.
He glances back at me, grabs my hand and nods, letting me know that we’re going to run before he takes off toward the house, dragging me along behind him. My mind spins with horrid thoughts that I desperately wish I could push from my brain and my heart pounds against my ribs, a mixture of fear and exertion, as we reach the house. Travis rips the back door open and we step inside as every head snaps up to look at us.
“What is it?” Storm asks a sobbing Emma and she drops a card on the counter, her hands shaking, and that same haunted look in her eyes I saw on the day Blaze died. Lowering my gaze, I suck in a breath when I see the sympathy card sitting on the counter with a photo of all of us that day, surrounding Blaze as he slipped away and tears sting my eyes.
“What did it say, Em?” Moose asks and she shakes her head, gasping for air as she turns into her husband’s chest and he wraps his arms around her. I turn back to Storm as he drops the card back down on the counter and clenches his fists, looking up at all of us.
“Two down, three to go.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Rowan
“Morning, Princess,” Travis says as he steps out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and I open my eyes, yawning as they burn and my head throbs relentlessly. I managed to catch about two hours of sleep last night but I spent most of it tossing and turning, tormented by horrific images every time I closed my eyes. And when I wasn’t reliving Blaze’s death or seeing Warren’s face in my mind, I was making myself sick with worry over the man standing in front of me. “Sleep okay?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Baby,” he sighs, his brows knitting together as he studies me for a second before sighing and pulling the towel away from his waist. He crawls back into bed and pulls me into his side, wrapping his arms around me as he kisses my forehead. His hand cradles the back of my head, massaging his fingers into my scalp as he takes a deep breath, breathing me in before he kisses my forehead again. “Go back to sleep, okay? I’ve got you.”
My heart cracks wide open at the gesture and I bury my face in his chest as tears sting my eyes. The last few days have just been hell and it’s all catching up with me… with all of us. Travis sighs and pulls one hand away from my body. I peek up in time to see him reaching for the bottle of booze on the bedside table. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I choke back a sob and reach out, laying my hand on his arm as he wraps his fingers around the neck of the bottle and he looks back at me, his brow shooting up as I shake my head.
“Not today, baby. Let me be your whiskey,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to his chest and he stares down at me, his eyes blazing, and his nostrils flaring. I hold my breath, waiting for his answer and finally, he nods, releasing the bottle. I swing my leg over his body and straddle his waist as he grips my hips in both hands and rises up off of the bed to press his lips t
o mine as his arms wrap around me, holding me tightly against his body. There is a desperation in his kiss, an intensity that was never there before and every ounce of his pain is on display as his tongue flicks at my lips, demanding entrance and I give it to him. I’ll do anything, say anything, give him whatever his heart desires if it means I can ease just a fraction of his suffering.
With his arms locked around me, he scoots back along the mattress until his back hits the headboard and he relaxes, thrusting a hand into my hair as his tongue tangles with mine, stroking and teasing me to the brink of madness. Moaning into his kiss, I rock my hips against him, annoyed that the lace of my panties separates us. I want to … no, I need to feel him against me. He reaches down and grabs my tit, twisting my nipple between his fingers as he nips at my bottom lip and my pussy clenches.
“Travis,” I breathe and he growls, his head falling back for a second before his lips are back on mine. He grabs my panties and I jerk away from him as he grabs his pocketknife off the table with his other hand, flicking it open. My heart pounds in my chest as he lowers the knife to my waist and effortlessly slices it through one side of my panties before moving to the other side and doing the same. As he tosses the blade back on the table, he pulls the scrap of lace away from my body and flings it across the room, groaning as my bare sex rubs against his cock.
“Fuck, baby,” he groans, his fingers kneading my hips as his head drops back again. I fucking love when he does that, loses himself in the pleasure of being with me and I crave more of it so I slip out of his grasp, kissing a line down his chest as I lower myself on the bed. When I peek up at him again, his eyes are focused on me, blazing with need and he lifts his hips slightly, encouraging me to suck his length into my mouth as he drags his teeth over his bottom lip.
Wrapping my hand around his cock, I watch his face as he fights to keep his eyes open and each breath punches past his lips, reveling in the power I have over him in these moments before I lean down and wrap my lips around the tip. His hand immediately slips into my hair and he releases a soft groan that sounds something like a prayer as his head falls back and his eyes close. The hand in my hair slips down my back, dragging over my skin with reverence as I take all of him, letting him hit the back of my throat as he releases another groan.
“You’re so perfect, Row. So fucking perfect,” he murmurs and my skin tingles with need as his hands roam over my body, touching me everywhere but it’s still not enough. Pulling back, I trail the tip of my tongue up the underside of his cock, teasing him as my fingers wrap around the base and I begin pumping him. He groans again, reaching down to play with my nipples and as soon as he grazes them, they tighten with need.
“Oh, God.”
He shakes his head and grabs my arm, pulling me back into his lap with a feral look on his face as he leans in and peppers my face with kisses. “I need you, Princess.”
“Yes,” I whisper, reaching behind me to grab his cock and line it up with my entrance as every cell in my body shakes with anticipation. He presses against me and I glance back at his handsome face as I slowly sink onto his length, inch by glorious inch. A groan slips past his parted lips as his eyes bore into mine and his hands grip my hips. When he’s buried inside me fully, he holds me in his lap and I grab his face in my hands, pressing my lips to his as I circle my hips, loving the way he fills me completely. He drags his lips down my neck to my shoulder and I arch my back as he kisses down to my tit and gently smacks my ass.
“Move, baby.”
I do as instructed, lifting up and slowly sinking back down as he catches my nipple with his teeth and sucks it into his mouth, flicking the little bud with his tongue. I shudder, leaning back and bracing my hands on his thighs as I set a slow, seductive pace with my hips. He releases me with a pop and leans back against the headboard as he grips my waist, watching me ride his cock with fire in his eyes. I can’t stop watching him as he stares down at where we’re joined, skating his tongue over his bottom lip like he wants to taste me and I moan, fighting to keep my eyes open.
His gaze snaps to mine and he growls, reaching forward and hooking a hand around the back of my neck as he drags me back to him and claims my lips. The kiss is fierce, protective, demanding, and possessive like he’s branding me with his lips and everything inside me crumbles at the thought. It’s what I want more than anything - to be truly his and even though I know it will never happen, I let myself dream for a moment. Dream that he and I have a future together, that we could be happy and tears sting my eyes. With a groan, he rips his lips from mine and tucks my head into his neck as he braces his feet on the bed and begins thrusting up into me, wringing every drop of pleasure from my body as I shake in his arms, an orgasm quickly building in my belly.
“Travis,” I cry and he groans, his fingers digging into my hips as he flips me over onto my back and looms above my body, sinking his cock into me again. I cling to him, my nails digging into his back as I wrap my legs around his waist and throw my head back with a moan. He slams into me mercilessly and my pussy throbs, demanding more as I spiral out of control. I’m desperate, frantic, needy as I cling to his body and beg for my release. Each time the word “please” passes my lips, Travis groans in my ear, panting and grunting as he fucks me within an inch of my life as sweat pours down our bodies. He pulls back and I meet his eyes.
“Please, baby,” I beg, grabbing the sheet underneath me in one hand as I lift my hips off of the bed to meet him as I reach down with the other hand and circle my clit. “I need to come.”
He groans again, unable to take his eyes off of me as I circle the sensitive little bundle of nerves and my body jerks, so close to the release I’m craving. Reaching up, he wraps a hand around my throat and it is exactly what I need. With a scream, my body erupts and convulses beneath him as waves of pleasure slam into me, again and again, rendering me paralyzed as I coast through them. Travis leans down and presses his lips to mine, the hand around my throat tightening as he thrusts into me two more times and stills above me with a guttural roar before his body relaxes. He drops his forehead to mine and releases my throat as we both gasp for air, drifting down slowly from the intense pleasure and after a few seconds, he sighs and slips out of my body.
I open my eyes and meet his gaze. There is something different shining down at me, something I don’t recognize, and I cock my head to the side as I study him but he doesn’t say anything, just shakes his head and presses his lips to mine again before lying next to me and pulling me into his arms.
“Pretty sure we probably woke up the whole house,” Travis says and I laugh as I cuddle into him. Maybe I should care but I just don’t - especially when I know our time is limited. Sighing, I drag my fingertips over his chest.
“What’s the plan for today?”
He shrugs. “I figure it’s about time I get back into the case and try to figure out who the fuck Warren is.”
“I saw him, you know.”
“What?” he snaps, jumping up and caging me in between his arms as he stares down at me. “What do you mean you saw him?”
I suck in a breath and shudder at the memory. “After he rode by with the knife, you all were distracted by Blaze and he lifted his visor and let me see his face. He smiled and winked at me… it was fucking terrifying but you were right about him, he’s completely unmemorable.”
“Shit, baby,” he whispers, falling to my side and staring up at the ceiling as his jaw ticks. “I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t do a better job of protecting you.”
I prop myself up on my elbow. “It’s not your fault, Travis. The whole thing was… no one was thinking clearly, okay? Hell, even Tate wasn’t acting like herself.”
“I’ve fucking let Blaze and this whole club down, Rowan. I should have…” Tears shine in his eyes. “I should have found something sooner, worked harder, and maybe he would still be here with us.”
“Baby…”
He shakes his head. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear you fucking say this isn’
t my fault because everyone knows it is. This is my thing. This is what I do and I failed this time.”
“What do you mean this is what you do?” I ask, scowling down at him and he meets my eyes as a tear glides down the side of his face.
“I catch the bad guys… it’s what I’ve always done, what I’ve always known.”
There’s a deeper meaning behind his words, I know there is, but I can’t see it and I know there is no way he’ll tell me. Not with that look on his face. His walls are up, high as hell, and completely unbreachable right now. Laying my hand on his chest, I set my chin on top of it and look up at him.
“Want some help going over the cases?”
He glances down and forces a smile to his face. “From you? Always.”
I smile as he climbs out of bed and goes over to his bag, pulling the files out as I scoop one of his shirts up off of the floor and pull it over my head. He glances back at me and nods in approval as he carries the stack of files back over and plops them on the bed. Grabbing the first one, I flip it open and stare down at all of the information Travis has been able to find on Warren but it’s not much. As I stare at the name, I keep being drawn to the unusually spelled last name and I glance up at Travis as he flicks through another file.
“Have you ever gotten anywhere with Warren’s name?”
His head jerks up. “You mean besides the fact that it’s fake as shit? No.”
“Right,” I say, pursing my lips as I glance back down at the name. “But he had to get it from somewhere, right? And it might mean something to him so why this name?”
Travis stares at me, his brows furrowed, and I can see the wheels turning in his head as he slowly nods. “Okay… so what are you thinking?”
“Well… the easiest would be an anagram, right? And it would explain why his last name is spelled so weird.”
“You think there is another name hidden in Warren’s name?” he asks and I nod. He studies me for a second before jumping up and grabbing a notebook and a pen. When he climbs back into bed, he flashes me an expectant look.
