by April Lust
“Help!”
“Nicolette? Nicolette? Are you okay?”
My skin was clammy with icy cold sweat and my heart was pounding. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. I was in a small room, with a window. Then it hit me. I wasn’t in Carlsbad. I was in St. George, Utah, with Charlie. The man who had saved me.
“I had a nightmare,” I said. Before I could take a deep breath, I was hit with a wave of uncontrollable sobs.
Charlie wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “What happened?”
I bit my lip. “I was back with Jack,” I whimpered quietly into Charlie’s chest. “And he was hitting me again.” I sniffled and wiped my eyes on the sheet. “Please don’t ever let me go back there, Charlie. Please protect me. Please keep me safe from that monster!”
“Shhhh,” Charlie whispered. He stroked my damp hair with one hand and kept me close with his other arm. “You’re right here. You’re not going anywhere.”
I shifted closer. We were still naked, and I slowly began to remember that I’d fallen asleep in bed with Charlie after having sex with him. The nightmarish visuals of Jack’s angry face were still floating through my head. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, breathing in deep. Charlie’s calming, masculine scent washed over me with every breath and soon I felt my heart rate slowing.
“Just try to sleep, okay?” Charlie whispered. He slid his hand down my arm and found my fingers before squeezing them gently. “I promise, we’re safe here. Jack’s not going to find us. Everything’s going to be okay.”
I didn’t sleep very well for the rest of the night. Thankfully, I had no more horrible dreams about Jack, but I drifted in and out of a thin sleep until dawn had broken.
Charlie was gone by the time I finally woke up for good. It felt weird to be alone in his room. I’d never even stepped foot inside before the previous evening, and here I was, sprawled out in his bed like I owned the damn thing.
I pulled on my clothes and put my hair up into a messy bun. When I walked into the living room, Charlie was sitting there with a cold slice of pizza and a bottle of beer.
“Hey,” I said shortly. “I’m…I’m really sorry about last night.”
Charlie nodded. “Look, Nicolette, I’m really sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.” He closed his eyes and balanced his slice of pizza on top of the open beer bottle. “I should have. I should’ve listened to every fuckin’ thing you ever said about Jack, but I was a stubborn asshole and I thought I knew better than you.”
I snorted. “Glad you listened,” I said. “I’d probably be dead by now if you hadn’t.” I put a hand on my belly. “And I don’t think this little nugget would be here, either.”
The silence between us felt awkward for a moment. Finally, I scooted closer and put my hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
“I want to talk to you about something,” I said slowly. “I want you to quit the Steel Gods.”
Charlie frowned. “I mean, I can’t really go back,” he said. “Jack is probably onto the fact that I ran. He’s been calling me every day, for weeks. I don’t answer, but….”
I paled. “You have to call him and tell him you’ve quit, and then do something about your phone,” I said. “He could be tracking us!”
Charlie snorted. “Babe, if he were tracking us, he would’ve found us by now.” He rolled his eyes. “I know, I know, you’re paranoid about him finding us here. But you don’t have anything to worry about! We’re safe, and everything’s gonna be okay.”
I glared at him. “I don’t think that’s true,” I said softly. “Jack could be waiting. He could be biding his time, waiting for you to leave me alone. Or waiting for me to go into the hospital, so he can fuck you up when I’m not around to call the cops.”
Charlie shook his head. “Nicolette…You’re sounding a little crazy right now,” he said softly. When he saw the look on my face, he backed down. “I mean, not crazy,” he said diplomatically. “And I know you’re afraid. But Carlsbad is hundreds of miles away. He’s not stalking us! I promise.”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe you,” I said stubbornly. “I want you to call him and tell him you’re out. Please,” I begged. “Please do this for me. I don’t want him showing up and killing you because he says you still have some kind of obligation to him! That’s not fair, Charlie.” I glared. “And you’re not going back to the Steel Gods after this baby is born. You can form your own MC, I don’t care. But I’m not ever seeing Jack again. I can’t handle it. It would kill me,” I said softly. A tear came to my eye and I wiped it away. “Please,” I added. “Please do this. Please do this for me.”
Chapter 19
Charlie
My heart sank as Nicolette kept talking. I knew she was right. Deep down, I knew I had to call Jack once and for all and tell him that I was done. That I was done with the Steel Gods, done with him, done with everything involving California. Even though I thought it would wind up being my home, I knew now that my home was with Nicolette and our child. Our son, or our daughter. Whatever she had, I’d love it like it was my own child. This was my chance to finally make things right.
Sometimes, that was all I thought I’d really wanted. Maybe I hadn’t wanted some big badass life as a biker, but maybe I’d just wanted a fucking family. After all, I’d never had a real family before. Even the guys in the Steel Gods…We were close, like brothers, but I didn’t really know much about them. We just knew to look out for each other, that was all.
But I knew Nicolette was right.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll call him right now.” Nicolette didn’t move. “You wanna go outside or something?”
After a moment, she got up and walked down the hall to her room. When the door closed behind her, I wasn’t expecting to feel as hurt as I did.
With nervous fingers, I dialed up Jack. He took a while to answer, and for a moment I was relieved, thinking he’d have to call me back later. You’re such a pussy, I thought as I tapped my foot on the ground. Man up and fucking deal with this like an adult.
“Yo,” Jack answered. “Charlie, where the fuck are you? Where is she?”
“She’s gone, Jack,” I said. “She’s gone to California. I was tracking her for a couple of weeks. She got real suspicious every time I got close, but she’s not here. I went to grab her this morning, and her landlord says she skipped town without paying rent. She’s wanted here, but she’s back to Cali. Northern Cali, probably.”
There was a pause. “What the fuck,” Jack growled. “You asshole, I gave you one fucking job—”
“And I’m not coming back,” I said sharply. “I’m staying here in Colorado. I’m quitting the Steel Gods. I’m forming my own club, and riding at the front.”
Jack didn’t answer. I counted to ten, then hung up the phone. My heart was racing and my palms were sweating. I was more anxious than I’d felt in a long time, and suddenly it occurred to me that while Nicolette was more likely than not just paranoid, she had a point. Phones could be tracked, real easy. Even here in Utah. Sure, it was remote. But we still had enough cell towers in town.
I shoved my phone in my pocket and went outside. There was a box of tools in the bed of the truck and I pulled it open, letting the metal box clatter to the ground at my feet. In exasperation, I opened it and began digging through as quickly as I could. When I found what I wanted, I pulled it out and wrapped my hand around the handle.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I set it down on the concrete and swung the hammer in the air behind me. It whistled through the air with a dangerous quiet sound. When the head of the hammer connected with the phone, I cringed. Plastic flew in every direction. I kept smashing it until it was little more than a pile of glass and plastic shards on the ground. Still, I wasn’t satisfied. I pulled a heavy wrench out of the toolbox and began smashing the bits of phone into smithereens. It looked like a bottle had smashed into a thousand pieces.
By the time I was done, I was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
“Bravo,” Nicolette called. She was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “That was nicely done.” She smiled and I couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Thank you,” she said. She walked over to me and slowly pulled the wrench and hammer out of my hands, setting them down on the driveway. When she kissed me, I thought my heart was going to explode.
“You’re welcome,” I told her softly. “Are you okay?”
Nicolette nodded. “I think I will be,” she said. “And I owe you a new phone. Want me to get you one of those phones from Target?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’ll buy one later.” I pulled her close and kissed her roughly. The kiss wasn’t passionate but after a moment, Nicolette’s tongue poked against my lips and I felt my knees go weak.
She pulled away, then kissed me once more lightly. She swallowed nervously. “I love you,” Nicolette said softly.
“I love you, too,” I told her. For a moment, we stared at each other. Then Nicolette jumped into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist. My lips pressed against hers and my tongue slipped into her mouth. The sensations filling my body were hard to describe – I wanted her, so badly, but it was more than just that. I didn’t want to have sex with her. I wanted to possess her, to own her, to make her completely mine forever and ever.
I carried Nicolette inside and slammed the door behind me, not bothering to lock it. As we stumbled back towards my bedroom, she moaned softly. I could feel her belly moving against my body and the sensation was odd, but I almost enjoyed it. Her hot little legs were wrapped around my waist and I could feel the heat from her pussy warming my whole torso. Nicolette moaned as I tangled my hand in her hair and yanked it back, exposing her perfect white neck. Breaking the kiss, I trailed my face down her skin, kissing her delicate neck and collarbone. She was only wearing a robe, and I pulled it away from her body as we crashed into the bed.
Nicolette giggled. “I can’t believe this,” she whispered, leaning over and tugging my shirt off my head. “I can’t believe we’re in love.”
I felt giddy just thinking about it. Nicolette stroked her hands down my bare chest and began fumbling with my belt. I watched as she pulled it off, tossed it to the side, then got to work on my pants. As she unfastened them and began tugging them down my legs, I reached down and yanked them off, tossing them to the side. I wasn’t wearing underwear, and my cock sprang to life at the sight of Nicolette’s gorgeous, naked body. She was so beautiful and her pregnancy only seemed to enhance that. I ran my hands over her tits, rubbing her nipples between my thumb and forefinger, enjoying the loud moans that came from the back of her throat as I worked on her body.
“Charlie,” Nicolette growled. She planted her hands on my chest and pushed me back, climbing on top of me.
Her breasts swung in the air and I reached for them, thumbing her hard nipples until my cock was throbbing with lust. I wanted her, right then and there. I wanted to plunge inside of her and bury my cock inside that perfect wet pussy until she was screaming for more, screaming my name, helpless and unable to move.
Nicolette rolled onto her back and pulled me on top her. We kissed – slowly this time, really taking our time – and I shivered with pleasure as Nicolette’s soft hand wrapped around my cock, beginning to pump up and down. She knew exactly how to touch me, exactly how to drive me wild. I could feel myself throbbing with desire and I growled, gently pushing her away and rolling her onto her belly.
Nicolette’s ass had always been perfect, but ever since she’d gotten noticeably more pregnant, it was fuller and rounder than before. I spanked her gently, enjoying the cries of pleasure that rose from her body as my hand made contact. Nicolette spread her legs and moaned, and when I saw her glistening pussy, I knew I could barely wait any longer. I lowered my mouth to her ass, gently kissing the perfect, round skin, and slipped a finger between her legs and inside of her pussy lips. Nicolette let out a cry and her body tensed. She grabbed fistfuls of the sheet and began writhing against me and moaning loudly. A layer of sweat broke out over my body and I grabbed her thighs and pulled them apart. Nicolette raised her hips in the air, clearly ready for me.
She looked over her shoulder. “I want you,” she begged. “I want you so much. Take me now, Charlie. Take me!”
I couldn’t ignore her forceful cries. As I buried my fingers in the sweet flesh of her ass cheeks, I mounted her thighs and positioned the tip of my erection against her pussy. Nicolette cried out and rocked her body back and forth until just the tip of my cock was inside of her. She moaned softly and wriggled beneath me on the soft bed as I plunged inside of her. It felt so good that I groaned. I stayed on top of her like that for a moment, then began to rock my hips and fuck her gently. From this angle, Nicolette’s pussy felt tight and deep and I tangled my fingers in her hair and rode her hard. “God,” I groaned. “How do you feel so fucking good? I don’t understand it.”
Nicolette moaned in response. She buried her face in the pillow and bucked her hips under me so I had to grip her shoulders and ass in order to stay on top of her. With each thrust, I felt myself coming closer and closer to the brink of a powerful orgasm. My balls ached with lust and I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as I rode her hard. Nicolette was so wet that the bed beneath us was soaked with her juices. The air was thick and heavy with the mingled scent of our sweat and arousal, and I breathed in deeply as I slid inside of Nicolette’s perfect pussy, over and over again.
Nicolette groaned and shuddered. I felt her whole body tense up as she held her breath, burying her face into the pillows. She reached behind her and I took her hand in mine. She was sweating and shaking and I squeezed her fingers as I plunged inside of her. Before I knew it, I was holding my own breath and diving as deeply as I could inside of the woman I loved. This is fucking, I thought as I rode her breathless. This is everything I’ve been missing out on and what I’ve always wanted. This is exactly how I want the rest of my life to be.
Nicolette moaned loudly. She lifted her face up from the pillows to scream my name and a powerful bolt of lust went through me. I knew then that I’d do anything, anything, to keep her safe and make her feel loved.
As I came, I screamed and buried my fingers deep in Nicolette’s ass. She cried out in response and moved her body against mine. I felt her pussy gripping and clenching down on my cock with the force of her own powerful orgasm. We moved together on the bed, pulling the sheets off the mattress, tangled in a lustful pile of limbs.
Afterwards, I climbed off Nicolette and wiped the sweat from my brow. The smell of sex hung heavy in the air and I sucked in, closing my eyes and grinning. Nicolette rolled over and pulled me close. She was sweaty and hot, but I desperately wanted to hold her.
“I meant what I said,” Nicolette said shyly. She looked up at me through a tangle of highlighted brown hair. “I love you, Charlie. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before now.”
I snorted, then brushed her damp hair away from her face. “Don’t worry about it, babe,” I told her. I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I never thought I’d love a woman. But what I feel for you…god, it’s powerful. I love you, too.”
“Promise me we’ll give our kid a perfect life,” Nicolette whispered. She traced her fingers over my chest and I jumped as she touched my nipples. Nicolette giggled. “Sensitive much?”
“We’ll try to give our kid the best life possible,” I replied quietly. I pulled her closer and kissed her forehead again. Nicolette’s eyelids fluttered closed and I felt a relaxed, warm happiness drift through my limbs. “I promise, Nicolette.”
“And promise you’ll never call me names,” Nicolette whispered softly. “Please, don’t ever be cruel to me, Charlie. I couldn’t take it anymore. If you don’t love me, just tell me. But don’t ever abuse me. I couldn’t deal with another man who hurt me so much.”
I was suddenly overcome with a powerful urge to simultaneously wrap Nicolette in the tightest hug of life while killing Jack in the slowest, most torturous way possible. I h
ated him. I couldn’t believe that I’d ever defended his actions. I was ashamed of myself. “God, Nicolette, I swear,” I whispered. “And if he ever comes close to us, I’ll kill him in seconds. I’m not letting anyone hurt my family. Nicolette, you’re what I’ve always wanted and I’m never letting you go. I’m never letting anyone hurt you or our child. I promise, I’ll always protect you.”
Nicolette snuggled closer. She kissed my chest and buried her face in my armpit.
“And I’m sorry I was such a stubborn asshole,” I added quietly. “I should have always believed you. Nicolette, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make that up to you.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I know, Charlie.”
Chapter 20
Jack
I knew something was up. Charlie had always been a real good stooge. The kind of idiot who listened to every order I gave him, and then some. He’d always been desperate for a family, and the Steel Gods were about as close as he was ever gonna get. He was a real loser, a reject who’d grown up in foster care.
