by Wilder, L.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
“I certainly hope not.”
I was just about to lean over and kiss him when I heard Kate clear her throat. I turned to find her standing in the doorway, looking even worse than she had when she first got to the apartment. “Is everything okay?”
“I just got off the phone with Mom. They will be here in the morning around nine.”
“Okay,” was the only reply I could muster.
When she twirled around to go back into the living room, I turned to Rafe and whispered, “This is going to be a long night.”
“We’ll get through it.”
I was right to worry about Kate being at my place for the night. It was absolutely miserable. When she wasn’t sobbing on the sofa, she was blabbing about how great Eric was and how much she missed him. It was almost too much to stomach. Thankfully, Rafe was there to help me keep my sanity.
When Mom and Dad finally showed up to get her, it was awkward at best. Things had always been strained between us, but now that the whole adopted thing had been revealed, it was even worse. Mom would barely look at me as she said, “I’m sorry, Marlowe. I know I made my mistakes with you. I know I wasn’t a very good mother, but I was afraid to love you.”
“Why would you be afraid?” I asked sharply.
“I was always worried they would come for you ... that they’d take you away, so I kept you at a distance.”
“Then, why did you adopt me in the first place?”
Before she could answer, my father stepped into the kitchen carrying Kate’s bags. “Come on, hun. We need to get back to the airport, or we’ll miss our flight.”
“Oh, okay. I’m ready.”
“Good to see you, Marlowe.” My dad gave me a quick nod, then rushed towards the door. “Hurry up, Kate. We don’t want to be late.”
“Coming!” Kate came into the kitchen with her shoulders slouched, her eyes puffy from crying, and her lips pursed like a two-year-old. I had no doubt she was going to milk this thing with Eric for everything it was worth and more. Without so much as a hug or a thank you for being her shoulder to cry on, Kate waved her hand as she walked by me. “Bye, Marlowe.”
Once they were gone, Mom reached into her purse and took out a small envelope. As she handed it to me, she said, “I thought you might like to have this.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see.” She reached over and gave me a quick hug. “Take care of yourself, Marlowe.”
Seconds later, they were gone. I knew it was the last time I would see them, and honestly, I was okay with that. I was a little curious about the conversation my mother had started in the kitchen. I wanted to know what else she had to say, but then again, maybe it was best I didn’t hear the rest of her story. Some secrets are simply not meant to be shared.
Chapter 23
Rafe
When it comes to war, it’s not always about who’s stronger, who’s smarter, or who has the upper hand. It’s about timing. It’ll trump every fucking card you have in your hand. Stark thought he had us. He thought all his planning and conniving would enable him to come into our city, our territory, and finish what Polito started. He’d bought Crockett’s and established it as his base of operations. Menace had read through the police reports and discovered Stark had brought in enough artillery to take out half the east side. The asshole actually thought he had us. He was wrong. We were the ones with the right timing, and with one mighty blow, we ended Stark and any chance he had of taking over our territory.
After ensuring the club was no longer in any danger, Viper removed the club’s lockdown, and the brothers were free to go about business as usual. I’d hoped I would be able to make up for lost time with Marlowe, but that didn’t happen—not with Kate underfoot. Anytime I got close to getting intimate with Marlowe, Kate would either call for her, pleading that she didn’t want to be alone, or she’d just barge into the room, acting completely clueless about the fact she’d just interrupted something. I just didn’t get it. You’d think the girl had some kind of fucking radar that would kick in whenever I was around.
Needless to say, we were both relieved when Marlowe’s folks came to get her. I thought Marlowe would’ve been ecstatic to see them go, but from the moment they left, she’d been sitting in the living room staring at an envelope her mother had given her. Curious to know what had her so upset, I sat down next to her and asked, “Bad news?”
“I don’t know.” She lifted it up to show me. “I haven’t opened it yet.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. There was something about the look on Mom’s face that gave me a weird feeling about it.” She looked down at the envelope and mumbled, “I don’t know if I can take any more bad news.”
“Then, toss it.”
“But it could be good news.” She studied the envelope a moment longer, then took it and slapped it against my chest. “You read it. If it’s bad news, then you can just burn it and we’ll forget she ever gave it to me. If it’s good news, then we forget about what a spaz I’m being about all this, and we celebrate.”
“You sure?”
“Yep, now read it before I chicken out.”
She dropped her head in her hands, shielding her eyes. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to watch. I’ll know by the look on your face if it’s bad news.”
“Hold up...I’ve got a poker face.”
“Ummm, no. You don’t.” Still shielding her eyes, she shook her head back and forth. “I can always tell what you’re thinking.”
“No way.”
She looked up just long enough to ask, “Have you ever actually won a game of poker?”
“No, but that...”
“Point made.” She returned her head to her hands as she mumbled, “Now, read.”
Even though I felt certain she was wrong, very wrong, I didn’t bother arguing. I knew she was eager to know what was in the envelope, so I carefully opened it and pulled out the letter inside. I looked down at the piece of paper, and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. These past few days, Marlowe had been hit with so much about her past. It seemed as if all her family secrets had been revealed except for one, and I held it in my hand. I was still sitting there staring at it when Marlowe asked, “Well?”
“Yeah.” I handed her the letter, I said, “You’re going to want to read this.”
“Is it bad?”
“Only you can answer that.” I gave her a little nudge. “Go on. Read it.”
Marlowe let out a sigh, then looked down at the letter. I watched as her eyes widened with surprise. When she finally finished going over every line, she looked up at me and said, “I don’t believe it. The whole time I was growing up, she was just two cities away from me.”
“No way you could’ve known. Your parents never told you that you were adopted.”
“I still don’t get why they kept it from me.”
“I’m sure they knew who your father was.”
Her eyes narrowed as she replied, “But he was just a kid.”
“I’m sure it was his family they were concerned about.”
“If that’s so, it would explain so much.” She glanced down at the letter once more as she muttered, “Marie Sanchez. 26 Chapel Drive, Bandera, Texas.”
After several moments, I asked, “So, are you glad you looked?”
“I think so.” She looked back down at the paper as she said, “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this.”
“Do you want to meet her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I mean, she is my biological mother. It would be nice to actually meet her.”
“Then, reach out to her. Let her know you’re interested.”
“But what if she doesn’t want to meet me?”
“You won’t know unless you try.”
“I guess you’re right.” She looked up at me and smiled as she said, “Thank you ... for everyt
hing. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you these past couple of days.”
“Anything for you, babe.” I chuckled as I teased. “I’ll even deal with your snoring.”
“I already told you, mister!” Her eyes narrowed. “I do not snore!”
I reached over and grabbed her, pulling her into my lap as I taunted, “Sorry, babe, but you do. Don’t worry. I don’t mind. In fact, I kind of like it. You’re my own personal sound machine.”
“Rafe! Stop!” Marlowe looked absolutely adorable as she gave me a light shove and pouted. “I might rattle a little, but it’s not as bad as all that.”
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I like you just the way you are...snore and all.”
“I like you, too, even when you’re making up wicked lies about me.”
“Wicked?” I lowered my mouth to her shoulder and started trailing kisses along the curve of her neck. “Baby, you haven’t seen wicked yet.”
My mouth met hers, and as soon as her lips touched mine, I was done. Like every time I was close to her, I found it impossible to restrain myself. My hands had a mind of their own, and it wasn’t long before they started drifting over her body. Marlowe moaned with pleasure as her fingers raked through my hair and down the back of my neck. Her hips rocked against me, making the blood rush to my cock, and I couldn’t take it a moment longer. I had to have her.
Without any warning, I stood, lifting her up along with me and started out of the living room. Her legs instinctively wrapped around my waist as I carried her to the bedroom. As soon as I dropped her down onto the bed, she reached for her jeans and began shimmying them down over her hips. When she got them to her ankles, I grabbed them and gave them a quick tug. As I tossed them on the floor, I was growing more impatient to be inside her. My cock was practically prying against the zipper of my jeans as I pulled my t-shirt over my head and dropped it. I made quick work of my jeans, kicking them onto the floor beside hers. As I reached for my boxer briefs, Marlowe bit down on her bottom lip. Her eyes were fixed on my cock as I removed my boxers and quickly slipped on a condom.
A soft smile crossed her face as I approached the bed, but when I yanked her panties to the side and spread her thighs wide on the mattress, her face instantly went serious. Her eyes darkened with desire as her mouth opened with a small gasp as I drove into her with a hard, tormenting thrust. I watched as her back arched off the bed and her mouth stretched into an exaggerated O.
Again and again, I drove into her with a punishing rhythm. Our bodies fused into a tangle of lust and desire, and it wasn’t long before her body clenched around my cock, squeezing me like a fucking vise. She felt so good, so damn tight, it was impossible for me to slow my impending release. I drove into her one last time, burying myself deep inside her as I came long and hard. I stayed there for a moment, relishing in the sensation, then removed my condom and tossed it in the trash. I lay down next to her, and we both remained perfectly still as we stared up at the ceiling in a complete haze.
After catching her breath, Marlowe rolled to her side and studied me for a moment. I could tell by the way she was looking at me she had something on her mind, so I asked, “Whatcha thinking about over there?”
“You.” I held her gaze as she whispered, “I know this might sound crazy and it’s probably way too fast, but...I love you, Rafe.”
Hearing those words got to me in a way I didn’t expect. She gasped as I pulled her close and pressed her lips against mine. When we finally came up for air, I told her, “It’s true what people say: ‘A kiss is just a kiss until you find the one you love.’ Hell, until you, love was just another word. Now, it means everything.”
A warm smile crossed her face as she whispered, “That’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s the truth.” I ran my knuckles across her cheek as I whispered, “I love you, Marlowe.”
“I never thought I’d know love like this.”
“That makes two of us.” I kissed her, then teased, “Aren’t we just the pair?”
“I know.” She giggled. “It’s almost sickening, isn’t it?”
“Little bit, but I’m okay with it.”
“I’m more than okay with it.”
We both settled back on the bed, and after a few minutes, I turned to her and asked, “So, now what?”
“What do you mean?”
“Things are finally settling down. Things at the club are back on track, and your sister is finally out of your hair. So, what’s next on the agenda?”
“I don’t know. I have my college classes starting in a couple of weeks, so there’s that. I’m also thinking I might try to find a new apartment.”
“I thought you liked it here.”
“I do...Well, I did.”
“What’s changed?”
“It’s hard to explain.” Her nose crinkled with uncertainty. “After everything that happened with Eric, this place just doesn’t feel the same. In all honesty, I wish I could pack up and go somewhere else to stay for a while.”
“You can.” I slipped my arm around her waist and pulled her close. “We could go stay at my place tonight. For that matter, you can stay as long as you like.”
“Wait.” She eased up on her side. “I didn’t even know you had a place. I thought you lived at the clubhouse with the brothers.”
“I stay there now and then, but yeah, I’ve got my own place in mid-town. Nothing fancy. Just a three-bedroom house, but it’s mine.”
“Sounds pretty great to me.”
“Well, get dressed and pack a bag.” I threw the covers back and eased out of bed. I grabbed my boxers off the floor and was putting them on when I noticed Marlowe hadn’t moved. “Well, what ya waiting on?”
“Are serious about this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t want you to feel like I’m barging in on you.”
“What aren’t you getting here?” I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. “I meant it when I said I wasn’t going to let you go. You’re mine, Marlowe. So you decide. Here. There. Wherever you are, I’m going to be right with you.”
A smile slipped across her lips as she replied, “I guess I better get packing then.”
“That’s my girl.”
I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, then got up and finished getting dressed. While Marlowe got ready, I stepped into the living room and sent a message to Country, letting him know I wouldn’t be at the club tonight. Marlowe was off, and since we no longer had to cover shifts, I would be spending the night with her. I was just putting my phone away when Marlowe came out to tell me she was ready. I helped her put her bags in her car, then had her follow me over to my place. When we pulled up to the house, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Marlowe. After meeting Kate and her parents, I could only imagine the house she’d grown up in was much more extravagant than my New Orleans-style shotgun house. I was relieved to see she seemed to be pleasantly surprised as she got out of her car and started up the front steps.
“This is your house?”
“Yeah.” I walked up to the front door and unlocked it. “It’s not much, but it’s mine.”
“It’s amazing, Rafe.”
Her eyes were wide as she stepped inside and meandered into the living room. After saving for several years, I bought the place, then had it completely renovated with new hardwood floors and custom fireplaces. I decided to keep the vintage millwork and twelve-foot ceilings but gave the rest of the house a complete overhaul with paint, new furniture, and even a couple of pictures on the wall. But of all the changes in the house, I liked the screened-in porch and private courtyard the best. From the way Marlowe was going on and on, it was her favorite too. She ran her fingers along the marble countertops and said, “I can’t believe you never brought me here.”
“Does that mean you like it?”
“Are you kidding? I love it!”
“Good.” I walked over to he
r and placed my hands on her hips. “I’ll go grab your stuff, and you make yourself at home.”
“Thank you, Rafe. For everything.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I gave her a quick kiss, then headed outside to grab her stuff. When I came back in, Marlowe was in the bedroom sitting on the edge of my bed. She looked so beautiful—like she was meant to be there, and if I had my way, I would start and end my day looking at her in that very bed.
Chapter 24
Marlowe
When Rafe mentioned we were going to the Sinners’ clubhouse for a party, I was a little apprehensive. It wasn’t that I was worried about the guys. I’d been around them plenty at Stilettos, but I hadn’t spent much time with the brothers’ ol’ ladies. Sure, I’d met both Delilah and Remington, but I’d never really spent much time with them and knew little about them—just that they were incredibly beautiful. Delilah was a petite, red-headed nurse with a spitfire personality, and Remington was a gorgeous brunette with a smile that could bring any man to his knees. It was impossible not to feel a little intimidated, but thankfully, it didn’t take long for me to realize I’d worried for nothing. They, along with everyone else, were not only friendly, but they were also a blast to be around. The girls and I were all talking and laughing as we had a few drinks at one of the back tables of the bar.
We were on our second round when Delilah, Hawk’s ol’ lady, leaned over to me and asked, “Did you ever decide to reach out to your biological mother?”
“Yes, I’ve written to her a couple of times, and she responded. I actually think we’re going to meet soon.”
“How do you feel about that?” Delilah asked. “Are you nervous about meeting her?”
“A little, but I’m sure she’s just as nervous about meeting me.”
“I’m sure she is.” A smile crossed her face as she said, “I’m really glad things are working out.”
