by Jayna King
"So she and Moses exchanged letters after he left Mexico?"
"Not exactly. Moses wrote to her, but she never answered a single one of his letters. He told her everything that was going on -- from his first meeting at the FBI to the way he felt about the meth business. He told her that the whole thing -- the MC itself -- sickened him."
"He never said a word," Sable said, shaking her head.
"No, he didn't," I agreed. "But I could tell that something was different about him when he came back from that trip. At first he just withdrew -- wouldn't talk, wouldn't laugh. I knew something was wrong, but he wouldn't let me get close enough to figure out what it was."
"You and Moses were very close."
"We used to be. Before Nadia. I think part of me loved Moses like a brother. He was kind of an asshole. I mean, some of the stuff that used to go on in his tattoo shop -- let's just say he had a good time and didn't really care who he hurt. But I think Maria changed him. Once I heard her story, everything made sense. He'd finally been smacked in the face with the ugly, awful consequence of the kind of business the Sons were getting into. He couldn't just walk away scot-free from her."
"I told Luke that something had gone on with Joker and Moses in Mexico. I could just feel that something had shifted between them. I had no idea that Moses could hide all that he did from us. Knowing that he was telling the FBI all the details about the businesses they were in -- Jesus, we're lucky we're not all spending the rest of our lives in prison."
"It's scary, huh?"
"You know that the Sons aren't gonna forgive Luke easily."
I sighed. "Luke and I have talked this to death, Sable. He thinks that they'll be willing to move on because what Joker did was so evil. He may be right -- I mean, they seem to have taken him at his word about what was going on, but I have my doubts. I don't think Luke can ever really understand these men. He thinks he's one of them, but at his core, I don't think he'll ever really be an outlaw. It's not in his nature."
Sable studied me, and I wished that I could read her mind.
"Krystal, it makes me happy to hear you say that. I think you're right. I knew right away that Luke wasn't cut out for the Savage Sons. When he said that Joker was going to get him voted in, I never thought it would happen. It's not that I think he's better than Sally and Nate and the guys, but he's different. He took a couple of rides on a bike, liked the feeling of the wind in his hair, and he thought he could do it. He never realized that being an outlaw isn't like a t-shirt you put on. It's in your soul, and Luke just isn't an outlaw."
"I'm going to try to get him to get out. He can do it without any blowback since he's not a full member. Since we have other things to worry about -- with a baby on the way -- he needs to change his priorities. This MC bullshit has nearly wrecked his life, when you think about it. He ended up in jail, could have been killed a week ago or in Mexico. He's been forced to see his father for the horrible person he is. It's just too much. I want some peace."
Sable covered my hand with hers. "Can I give you some unsolicited advice -- as your soon-to-be mother-in-law?"
"Of course."
"If you tell him to quit the MC, he'll resent you, maybe for the rest of his life."
"What?" I stood up and went to the sink to get a glass of water. "I thought you'd be on my side. Don't you think he should get out?"
"Of course I do. And I'm not saying that you can't encourage him to do it. But you have to find a way to do it so that Luke thinks it's his idea."
I smiled and shook my head. "You're pretty smart, Sable. I hadn't thought it through, I guess. You're right. If I start nagging him to leave, then I'm the bad guy every time he sees a bike on the road and wishes he were on it."
"Exactly. You're going to have to be smart. And you have one thing going for you."
"And that is?"
"Actually, you have two things. One: Luke loves you and wants to make you happy. And two: I'm on your side. I want my grandchild to grow up better than his grandfather. And I'm going to see that it happens."
I walked over to Sable and gave her a hug. "Thanks. For everything. I'm going to try a do-over on last night. I'm going to cook Luke a good meal, take him to bed, and tell him he's going to be a daddy tonight."
"I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you'll need it. You have a lot to be proud of, Krystal."
"I know I do. And I am proud. It wasn't that long ago that I was a coward -- flinching anytime Bug made a move toward me. I'll never go back to living that way."
"You deserve to be happy."
"For the first time in my life, I agree with you."
"Well, I'm off to do a little quality control," Sable said, putting on a jacket.
"How are the plants?"
"Couldn't be better. Nate's going to meet me at the clubhouse, and we're going to harvest a bud. The thing is fucking huge. We may even sample a little, even though it'll be better after we've cured it."
It occurred to me that I had no idea what Sable was going to do now that her soon-to-be ex-husband was in jail and her direct connection to the MC was gone. I planned to bring the subject up later. All I could think about was getting home and getting my fiancé into bed. I had wicked plans for the father-to-be.
I spent the afternoon alternating between thinking about how much I didn't envy Luke for having to spend another full day at the FBI building and thinking about how much I wanted to spend the evening having mind-blowing sex. We hadn't done anything other than sleep together since I'd gotten home from the hospital, and I don't know if it was the dry spell or early pregnancy hormones, but all I could think about was sex.
Since the night before hadn't gone exactly the way I'd planned, I decided to step things up a notch. The grocery store had already-prepared individual beef wellingtons, and the puff pastry-wrapped morsels of beef were ready to go into the oven the second Luke walked through the door. I'd gotten him a bottle of red wine, and I'd washed and peeled carrots, potatoes and parsnips to roast with the main course. Dinner was going to be delicious, but I planned for Luke to be my appetizer.
I got out of the shower and decided to take my time getting ready. I left my hair loose, and put on one of the obscenely-expensive gowns that I'd bought while Luke was in jail. The black cherry colored silk gown had wide, braided straps and fell nearly to the floor. A high slit that ran all the way up my right thigh kept the design from being too modest, and the color looked fantastic next to my skin. I ran my hands over my stomach, knowing that it wouldn't be completely flat for much longer, but I realized that I was actually looking forward to seeing a baby bump.
I thought about putting on a little makeup, but Luke had always said that he preferred me without it. I sat down on the sofa in front of the fireplace to wait for my man to come home. I got a little reading done for school, and when I heard the garage door open, I hurried to dim the lights, turn the oven on, and put dinner in. I figured we'd have a chance to take the edge off by fooling around at least once before dinner, and I set a timer just in case we got distracted for too long.
Luke hadn't even gotten all the way inside the door before I attacked him, winding my arms around his neck and pulling him down so that I could kiss him.
"Well, my goodness," he said, kissing me back and running his hands down my sides. "I guess you're feeling better?"
"You'd better believe it," I answered. "Can I pour you a glass of wine?"
"Absolutely. Crap day."
"I'm going to take your mind off your crap day for a few minutes, then I'm going to feed you dinner and take you back to bed. That okay?"
"Krystal, that's the best news I've heard in a very long time."
I poured the wine and handed it to Luke, who took a huge gulp.
"Better," he said, setting the glass down on the counter. "You look gorgeous, and I want you, Krystal."
"You can have me. Any way you want me," I answered, feeling the tingling sensation of thinking about Luke's hard cock penetrating me.
He walke
d over to where I leaned against the counter, and he kissed me hard and deep. I could feel his hard-on through his jeans, and I gasped when he ran his fingers over my hardened nipples. He squeezed, and I could feel myself getting wet between my legs.
"Luke, will you take me to bed and make love to me? Right now?"
"You wish is my command," he said, and I was startled when he scooped me up and carried me into our bedroom.
He tossed me onto the bed. "As gorgeous as you look, I want you naked," he said, pulling his shirt off.
I looked at him -- firelight showing his flat, chiseled abs off to perfection, and I lifted my hips to wriggle out of my nightgown. I lay on the bed, naked but for the string bikini panties that matched my gown.
"The rest is your job," I said, enjoying the sight of Luke unbuttoning his jeans and slipping them off his hips. He kicked off his boots, stepped out of his jeans, and was on top of me in no time.
"It feels like it's been forever," I sighed and he bent to drop kisses on my breasts and belly.
"It has," he said, lifting his head to kiss my lips. He reached down and slid the panties from my hips, and he tossed them dramatically across the room.
I started giggling at his silly flourish, and he leaned on his elbow, smiling down at me.
"How did I get so lucky?" he asked me, his erection pressing into my thigh.
"I don't know, but you're about to get lucky again," I said, rolling over and pressing his shoulders back. "I can't stand it any longer. I have to feel you inside me."
Putting my hands on his chest, I swung my leg over him and got ready to sit down on his cock. I held him in my hand, feeling the throbbing that matched the beat of his heart. I positioned him just right, and I slowly lowered myself on top of him, savoring the feeling of his cock stretching my pussy. I'd never felt so full as I did with Luke, as he lifted his hips to push himself even deeper inside me. I know that at only eight weeks along, the baby wasn't big enough to feel, but I could have sworn that Luke felt bigger inside me -- like there was less room.
I rode him, and I ground my hips down, rubbing my clit into him, pushing closer and closer to release. Luke watched me on top of him, and I could tell that he was struggling not to climax too quickly. It felt so good that I didn't want our lovemaking to end, but I also couldn't wait to cum on his cock.
"I'm gonna cum," I said breathlessly, unable to control myself any longer. I moved quickly, lifting my body a short ways and relaxing, letting my weight force him back inside me. I was soaking wet, and I couldn't wait. Luke reached up and squeezed my nipples hard, and it completely pushed me over the edge. I cried out his name as I felt the orgasm take control of my body, and as my pussy contracted around his cock, I could feel Luke push even harder inside me as his own climax began. I felt him pumping into me as he came, and as my orgasm subsided, I leaned down, shaking with the release, and kissed him.
"I love you, Luke Callaway," I said.
He put his hands on my hips. "I love you, too. And I want us to get married right away."
I kissed him again, and reluctantly moved off to his side. "That was pretty quick for both of us. I can see that I didn't need to worry about dinner being done before we were."
"Can't help it, babe. Do we have time to do it again before dinner?"
I laughed and got up. "No. I want to talk to you."
Chapter 18
Luke
"A baby?" I repeated, completely unable to wrap my head around what Krystal had just told me. "Are you sure?"
She smiled. "Yup. The doctor in the hospital confirmed it. I'm eight weeks along."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm telling you now. Actually, I was afraid you'd be upset."
"How could you have thought that? I'm surprised, but I'm not upset."
"It was silly, I know." Krystal looked a little embarrassed.
I reached out and took her face between my hands. "Krystal, I can hardly put my feelings into words, but I'm thrilled that you're going to have our baby." I laughed. "I see why you were so concerned about the wedding date.
"It may sound vain, but I'd like to have some wedding pictures in which I don't look like a whale," she said with a smile.
"Baby, I'll marry you tomorrow, if that's what you want."
She looked relieved. "Let's wait until Christmas. Sable has said we can get married at her house. She always has it decorated so beautifully for the holidays, and there will be room to invite a few people."
"I haven't seen the house at the holidays, obviously, but that sounds perfect. If it's alright with you, I have a few friends I'd like to invite. I can't wait to show you off."
"Luke, you just don't know how happy it makes me to hear that. I think it's important that you keep your contacts with the friends you knew in Arizona. You never know when you might want to go back to your professional life, rather than hanging around with a bunch of poorly-educated bikers."
I was a little taken aback by her words. "What? You mean the same bikers you've been hanging around with for years? They were okay for you. Why not for me?"
"Oh, I didn't mean it that way. It's just that I'm working hard and will be finished with school soon, and we're going to be parents. We have to start thinking about the kind of life we want for our son or daughter."
I was a little puzzled by what Krystal had said, but I decided that I didn't want to upset her or get into an argument on the special evening she'd planned. I decided to change the subject. "Goddamn, dinner smells good." I went over to the timer to see how long we had left. "Anything I can do to help?"
The distraction worked. Krystal joined me in the kitchen. "I have it all under control. Just have a seat, and we should be sitting down in about fifteen minutes."
I watched her work and realized that I really was happy about the baby news -- a little scared, maybe -- but happy. "So tell me about tonight's dinner. It can't possibly be better than the fish from last night." I remembered her throwing up and going to bed early last night. "By the way -- are you feeling better?"
"I am, thanks," she said as she pulled a baking sheet from the oven. "I think it was just a late spell of morning sickness." She described the dinner to me, and my mouth was watering by the time she had plated everything. "Dinner is served," she said, putting the plates on the table with a flourish.
"Amazing."
We sat down, and the table was silent except for the clink of silverware for a few minutes.
"Absolutely heavenly," I said, finally coming up for air after having eaten half of the beef. "You're brilliant."
"Whole Foods had the individual beef wellingtons already made," she explained. "All I had to do was pop them in the oven with the veggies."
"Still brilliant," I repeated, taking a sip of the wine.
"So you said you had a lousy day?" Krystal asked, obviously enjoying the meal as much as I was.
I sighed, deciding whether I wanted to go into it or not. "Yeah. Yesterday, both Tanner and Singer promised me that they'd get Maria out of Juarez. Today, they were barely speaking to one another, and it appears to me that Singer made the promise and had no intention of keeping it. Tanner's still working on it, but it's an uphill battle for her without Mark's support. I'm pissed at him, but I feel like I have to go through with what I'm doing. If every one of those Mexican fuckers doesn't end up dead or in jail, the Sons will go down there and do the job for the DEA. I want the cartel to pay, but I want it done clean."
"Why would Mark lie to you?" Krystal asked.
"It's exactly what Bryan warned me about. This case is huge for Mark, and he'll say whatever he thinks he needs to to get me to feed him information. A lie won't trouble his conscience a bit."
"But Kate was honest?"
"Yeah. At least, I think so. I think you were right about her after all. When she said she'd get Maria out, I really think she meant it."
"And you told them her story? How can they not want to help?"
"I think Kate does. When I was telling them a
bout Maria and Nadia, Singer kinda looked like he was tuning me out. Kate listened." I took another sip of wine. "You know what's weird? She seems different from when I first met her. When she was dealing with me while I was in jail, she seemed like such a hardass, like all of the Sons were scum. Something seems to have softened her a little. It's like she almost thinks of us as human beings."
"Imagine that," Krystal said, looking thoughtful. "Treating people like human beings," she said with a little laugh. "I had a good feeling about her."
"I didn't at first, but I think you were right. I'm just worried that the DEA will go into Mexico and arrest Don Roberto and hang Maria out to dry. There's no way that the members of the cartel will ignore a prostitute who spread stories about the Don."
"But what will you do?"
"I don't know. I wonder if talking to Kate one-on-one might not be a better strategy." Something occurred to me. "Wait a minute! Kate liked you. Maybe I can get her to agree to talk to the both of us."
Krystal looked at me and shook her head. "You're sexy and smart and good, all at the same time. I'm a lucky girl. I'll be happy to talk to Kate if you think it will help in getting Maria to the U.S. Do you think it would be a good idea if I call Maria to check in? Make sure she's okay?"
"Absolutely."
We finished up dinner and I handled the dishes, since Krystal looked a little tired. Afterwards, we curled up in front of the fireplace. Krystal stretched out on the floor with her head in my lap.
"Baby, you look tired," I said.
"I am. I've done some reading, and it's not unusual to be really tired in the first trimester. It should get better in another month or so."
"I've been thinking."
"That sounds dangerous," Krystal teased.
"I want you to stop working at the bar." She opened her mouth to respond, and I held up a hand. "Listen to me. You're only working a day or two per week, and with everything you have going on -- the baby, the end of your semester -- you should give your notice. It's not like we need the money."
Krystal shook her head. "Luke, I already feel guilty about not contributing very much. You bought the house. You pay the bills. I don't want to come ask you for money every time I need to put gas in my car."
