THE DEVIL’S BRIDE

by April Lust

  This isn’t a sustainable situation either, I think as I stroll into the kitchen and start the coffeemaker. I know that sooner or later, something big is going to happen and then who knows where Steel will send me. It’s not like I can spend the rest of my days at the hideout, playing house with Vivian.

  As a member of Blacktop Chaos, there are more important things that I’ll have to do.

  When my phone rings, I’m almost shocked. Ever since I’ve started staying here, I’m not used to being on-call.

  Steel’s name flashes across my phone display and a knot forms in my throat. Suddenly, I wish that I could just ignore the call and throw my phone out the window.

  But I know that’s asking for trouble.

  “Hello?”

  Steel chuckles. “Hey, Lan-man,” he grunts into the phone. “How’s it going?”

  “Going good,” I say, trying not to sound nervous. I yawn. “I was asleep. What’s up?”

  “You’re turning fuckin’ domestic, Lan-man. It’s only eleven o’clock,” Steel teases. “Listen, I need to talk to you later. You gotta come over here.”

  I blink. “What about Vivian?”

  “Blade’s gonna head over and watch her,” Steel says. I can practically hear the smirk in his voice. “How is she, by the way? Is she keeping up with her work?”

  “What?”

  “Her schoolwork,” Steel says sharply. “Is she doing her work?”

  Oh, fuck. “Uh, yeah,” I say quickly. “Yep, she’s doing it. She actually just wrote a paper last night.”

  “Good,” Steel says. I can hear the pride in his voice. “My little girl’s gonna move mountains one day,” he says. “I just know it. She’s the smartest girl I’ve ever met, and she’s a damn hard worker.”

  The image of Vivian “working” herself over my cock pops into my mind and I groan as my dick stiffens in my jeans.

  “Lan-man? You there?”

  “Right,” I say quickly. “Well, yeah, sounds good, Steel. I’ll come by later. What time?”

  “After one,” Steel says. He yawns. “I gotta take a nap. I’m startin’ to feel really old.”

  Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better. “Right,” I say. “Well, see you then.”

  Steel hangs up without saying goodbye and I sink lower into the plush leather of the couch. I can still smell Vivian’s pussy all over my body and the scent is driving me crazy. Again, I’m tempted to run back into the bedroom, rip the sheets off the bed, and fuck her until we both pass out from exhaustion.

  But Steel’s angry face pops into my mind and my boner shrinks. I know that I have to play it cool. It’s something I’ve done my whole life, but now that Vivian’s in the picture, it’s gonna be a real challenge.

  I can’t stop thinking about how Steel sounded on the phone. Although he joked around with me like usual, something felt off. But maybe that was because I’d just woken up with Vivian’s juices still drying on my cock. I shudder at the thought of Steel peering through a window in the hideout, spotting me in bed with his beloved daughter.

  “Hey.”

  I turn to see Vivian standing in the doorway. She’s wearing one of my t-shirts and it falls around her upper thighs, making her look incredibly sexy. Her light brown hair is messy, and her eyes are dark with sleep.

  “Hey,” I say quietly. Please don’t bring up ‘us,’ I think as I watch Vivian pad into the room. She takes a seat on the other couch and glances over at me.

  “Couldn’t sleep?”

  I shrug. “I woke up and didn’t want to bother you,” I say, not wanting to tell her about the Herculean effort I had to make in order not to start fucking her once again. “And your dad called.”

  Vivian’s cute little button nose scrunches up in confusion. “He did? What did he say?”

  “He wants to see me later. Blade’s coming over here to watch you,” I add. “Maybe he’ll bring Robin. I can call him and see if she’s free.”

  Vivian’s face is expressionless. She takes the remote from the coffee table and twists it around in her fingers, looking down.

  “Vivian?”

  “What?” Her head snaps up and I can see that her face is contorted with emotion. “What is it?”

  “Er, nothing.” I stand up and stretch, grazing the ceiling with the tips of my fingers. Vivian doesn’t take her eyes away from my body. She lets her gaze fall hungrily over my muscles and tattoos. I can see the desire written on her face as clearly as the sprinkling of light brown freckles that covers her nose.

  “So, when are you meeting my dad?”

  I wince. Even though I’ve tried to internalize the fact that I’m fucking the daughter of my boss, it still hasn’t sunk in.

  “Later. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’s nothing. Just club business, you know.”

  Vivian shrugs. “Does he know about us?”

  “I hope not.” I sigh. “He didn’t really sound like he did. But he might’ve just been playing a trick, trying to make me relax.”

  Vivian nods.

  “By the way, you keeping up with your schoolwork?”

  Vivian glances over towards the handsome desk I had brought in for her when this whole thing started. She gives me a guilty look.

  “I should really get on that,” she says, rising from the couch and walking over to the desk. I can’t tear my eyes away from the perfect, heart-shaped curve of her ass. Despite my unease, my cock stirs between my legs.

  “Alright, well, I’m gonna get ready to meet your old man,” I say. “See you later, Viv.”

  Vivian glances over her shoulder and nods. She looks serious and wounded. I feel another sharp pang of guilt for having put her off for so long, but I know that starting a conversation about our relationship at the moment wouldn’t be a good idea.

  I dart into the bathroom and turn on the shower. Seeing the glass-walled stall makes me think of fucking Vivian in there, and I groan at the realization that now everything makes me think of Vivian. I can practically smell her sweet scent as the hot water gushes over my body, washing me clean. I’m almost tempted to use her body wash–the strawberry pink bottle hanging in the shower caddy–but instead, I reach for my trusty Old Herb and try to scrub myself clean of lust for the boss’s daughter.

  After my shower, I pull on a fresh t-shirt and a pair of jeans. By the time I get my boots pulled on, I’m so nervous that I’m practically shaking. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. I’ve never acted like such a pussy before.

  But then I think of Steel’s angry face looming against mine, and my bravado disappears.

  When I get back to the living room, Blade and Robin are curled up on one of the couches, talking animatedly to Vivian. I’m drawn to Vivian. I want to walk over and kiss her. But I’m hesitant to show emotion in front of Blade. What if word gets back to Steel?

  I hate thinking that I can’t trust Blade, who’s one of my best and oldest friends in the world. This is what loving Vivian has done to me–it’s made me question and doubt everything that I’ve ever known.

  “Hey, I’m heading out,” I say, jerking my head to the side. “I’ll be back in a while. You guys need anything while I’m out?”

  “We’re good, man,” Blade says. He holds up a six pack of beer and Robin giggles. “We’ve got everything we need here.”

  I smile tightly. “Good,” I say. “See you, Viv.”

  Before she can reply, I walk out the door. I thought it would be a relief to climb on my bike. Riding has always calmed my mind, but today it only seems to make me more tense. My heart is pounding along with the thrumming of the engine below my legs. I try to concentrate on the ride, try to become one with the bike, but the usual calming feelings fails to appear.

  “I’m so fucked,” I mutter under my breath. “I’m so screwed. This is gonna be bad.”

  At headquarters, Steel is sitting at his usual place at the head of the table. The absence of the other guys makes him look oddly formal. When I walk into the room, he doesn’t stand
up.

  “Hey, Lan-man,” Steel says. “Long time, no see. How the hell are you?”

  Act normal, I think as I walk closer. You can’t let him smell the fear…or the scent of his daughter’s wet pussy.

  “I’m good,” I say with a forced grin, dropping into a seat next to Steel. “What’s up, man? Why bring me out here?”

  “Eager to get down to business?” Steel raises his eyebrows. I bite fiercely at the inside of my mouth until I taste blood spilling across my tongue.

  “Well, yeah,” I say. “I mean, I’m watching Vivian, you know. I feel a little weird leaving her alone.”

  Steel’s face turns stony. “She’s not alone. She’s with Blade and his old lady,” he says. “They did arrive, yeah?”

  I nod. My heart is thumping so loud that I can practically hear it knocking against my ribs.

  “Lan-man, I gotta say, I’m real fuckin’ disappointed in you.”

  I frown. “Why, sir?”

  “Because,” Steel says. “I thought I made myself clear when I told you to watch my daughter. You were to make sure that no harm came her way. Do you understand?”

  I rack my brain, trying to think of what he’s talking about.

  “Well, you know, she did try to leave that one time, but I caught up with her almost immediately,” I say quickly. “And she knows that she can’t leave again. She’s agreed to as much, and I don’t doubt that she’ll keep her promise.”

  Steel nods his head slowly. “And you, Lan-man,” he says in a drawl. “What do you think about all of this?”

  “I just hope we get those bastards soon. I can’t wait to make them pay for what they’ve tried to do.”

  Steel nods again. “Lan-man, a source told me that he saw you and Vivian kissing that day near the grocery store parking lot.” He stares at me so intensely that I’m convinced he can see straight through to my soul. “Tell me about that. Does that have any truth?”

  I wince. Here it is. The truth. At least he doesn’t know anything else.

  “Well, the thing is, sir—“

  “You shut the fuck up when I’m talking to you,” Steel orders. “I’m your fucking president, do you understand?”

  I nod.

  “What the fuck did you do to my little girl?” Steel slams his fist down on the table. “And don’t lie,” he says, his voice a deadly quiet threat. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Lan-man. I’ll have your ass out on the streets faster than I can tear that patch away from your chest.” He points to the MC patch, stitched to my leather cut.

  “I slept with her.” The words leak from my lips before I can stop myself. I force myself to stay looking into Steel’s eyes. For a moment, his expression doesn’t change. Then his eyes narrow slightly and I see his jaw twitch in anger.

  “You did what?” Steel’s words are deadly and thin–the blade of a knife sent to murder me. “You did what?”

  “I slept with her.”

  “Get out of my sight,” Steel growls. “Get the fuck out of here, Landon.”

  My heart shudders in my chest. Steel’s almost never called me Landon before. It’s always some nickname, something to show that he feels affection for me. Ever since I met Steel and the rest of the MC, I’ve been like a son to him. But just one look at the anger in his eyes tells me that his affection and love are gone forever.

  “Steel, I can—“

  “Get the fuck out of here!” Steel thunders. He stands up and bangs his fist down on the table. “Get the fuck out, you fucking dog! You asshole! You fucked my little girl, my princess angel. You fucking ruined her life.”

  As much as I’m tempted to stay and argue, I know that I can’t. It’s only a matter of time before Steel calls Blade and tells him what I’ve done. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to Blade, but Blade’s still an MC man, through and through. If Steel tells him to kick my ass, well, let’s just say I’ll be expecting a few punches when I get back to the hideout.

  “You will never see Vivian again, do you understand?” Steel yells at me as I’m walking out of the clubhouse. “Never again! And if you try, I’ll throw your ass in the hospital. You’re lucky you’re not dead, you fucking dog!”

  Steel’s words are heartbreaking. In any other circumstance, I’d be dead without the club. Blacktop Chaos has been my entire life until this point. But now, oddly, all I can think about is Vivian and her beautiful face.

  Chapter 16

  Vivian

  As I watch TV and talk with Blade and Robin, I get a feeling that something’s seriously the matter.

  “Blade, do you know why my dad wanted to see Landon?” Even saying Landon’s name aloud makes me blush. I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I know that my life has completely changed. I’m never going to be able to go back to the way things were before. No matter how hard I try, Landon’s always going to be burned into my brain.

  It’s like he owns me. I have to stifle a giggle when I think back to my first conversation with Robin when I commented on her patch that labeled her as Blade’s property. I’d always thought the concept of bikers owning their girlfriends was outdated and misogynistic.

  But when I thought about belonging to Landon–about what that would really mean–it kind of thrilled me. Not because I wanted to be owned by anyone, but because I’d fallen in love with Landon and I wanted to be his. It was like my whole mindset had changed almost overnight. Besides, I knew that if I became Landon’s old lady, he wouldn’t abuse my trust and respect. He’d treat me right. He may have been a biker, but he knew how to take care of a woman.

  “Robin,” I say. “Can we go into the kitchen and talk?”

  Robin nods. “Sure,” she says. “Babe, you want anything?” Turning to Blade, Robin grins. She’s so obviously happy with him. It’s almost like her eyes are full of little pink pastel hearts.

  “Just you,” Blade says. He smirks. The two of them kiss for so long that I glance away, blushing hotly.

  When Robin and I are in the kitchen, I grab a bottle of iced tea from the fridge. Part of me craves the tingly sensation that I’d gotten from the beer earlier, but I have a feeling that now isn’t the time.

  “What’s up?” Robin pops her gum and leans against the counter. “Did you talk to him?”

  My blush deepens. “Not exactly,” I admit. I pull the collar of my sweater down past my shoulder and show Robin the purple bruise of a hickey.

  Robin’s eyes widen. “That wasn’t the first time, though,” she says. “What happened? Did he say anything?”

  I frown and shake my head. “I haven’t brought it up again. But I feel like…well, I feel like he’s really changed. I feel like he’s really…um, I don’t know how to say it.” I glance at Robin for help.

  “In love with you?”

  I nod quickly. My throat feels tight at the mention of love.

  “I mean, I don’t know for sure,” I babble. “But I really feel like something’s changing between us.”

  Blade’s shouted curse words from the next room sends Robin running through the door. My palms turn damp with anxiety as I follow her, stumbling through the house and back into the living room.

  “Blade, what the hell?” Robin has her hands on her hips and she’s glaring at her boyfriend. “What the fuck are you yelling about?”

  Blade glances up at me. “I just got a call, from Steel,” he says.

  “Oh my god,” I cry loudly. Horrible, terrible thoughts start running through my head and I sink down on the couch, feeling faint. Twisting my hands in my lap, I look at Blade. “What happened? Is everyone okay? Did something happen to Landon?”

  Blade sighs. “Landon’s coming back,” he says, glancing at Robin. “He’ll tell you all about what happened as soon as he gets here.”

  The way he’s not telling something is making me angry, but I don’t want to get into a shouting match with Blade. Robin sits down with me.

  “Blade, you can tell her,” she says, in a way that makes me think she knows what the bad news is. />
  Blade shakes his head.

  “Come on,” I snap, standing up and wiping my sweaty hands off on my jeans. “I’m not a fucking kid, okay? I’m twenty-five years old. You don’t have to treat me like I’m too fragile to hear this.”