I buzzed by the bar and didn’t see Jace’s bike, so I turned around and headed for the main lodge.
I took the back roads and stayed off the interstate so I could drive as quickly as I needed. My head was spinning, and my hands were white-knuckling the steering wheel, but all I could think about was Talon. Was he safe? Was he capable of defending himself? If Jace was confronting him about last night, then I had to take into account all angles. I had to take into account the possible fact that Talon might not know how to defend himself. I had to take into account the possible fact that Talon would tell him everything. I had to take into account the possible fact that this could cause all backlash on me and I could experience Jace’s wrath for the first time in my life.
I drew in a deep breath as I drove by the main lodge, but it was as deserted as I’d ever seen it.
Luckily, the last place I had to look was attached to the main lodge. I drove around the massive compound and parked outside of the mechanic shop, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Jace’s bike. There were other bikes I recognized, too. Mac’s, in particular. He was always replacing parts on his bike with shiny new things, and right now his tastes seemed to be steeped in red, black, and chrome.
I would’ve taken my time to admire the bike if I wasn’t in such a panic.
I parked my car while the dust rallied around it, then I scurried to the front door of the mechanic’s shop. I tried to open it to no avail, but I did hear a commotion going on behind it. I started banging on it as loud as I could. I banged, and I kicked, and I yelled at the top of my lungs. And for a while, the commotion continued.
But then I shrieked, and the commotion ceased.
“Let me the fuck in there!” I said, screaming.
I continued to bang on the door with my fist until it was ripped open in front of me. Compared to the bright sun shining outside, the mechanic's shop was dark and dank. I saw Fox staring at me with wild eyes before his eyes fell to my neck, and in an instant, my cheeks heated with embarrassment.
I now realized what ‘church’ meant.
It meant the core group was getting together to discuss something.
Fox stepped to the side and let me in, but it took my eyes a while to adjust. I could hear panting and heavy breathing, but it was what I could feel that caught me off guard. I could feel the tension and the anger brewing in the room. I could feel the thirsty rage filling the corners of the shop. I drew in a deep breath as my eyes finally adjusted, and as I took in the sight before me, my eyes went directly to Jace.
Mac had him in his arms, fighting to keep him still.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked him.
“He hurt you,” Jace said.
“So you hurt him. Is that how this works? Where is he,” I said.
“Gemma.”
His voice pierced my chest like a thousand lightning bolts. Automatically, I felt my toes being filled with warmth. The same warmth I’d felt against his body while I slept close to him all night. I could feel the wetness of my hair trickling down my back as I turned towards his voice, and in an instant, I clocked the bruises already emerging on his face. His eye was blackening, and his jaw was swollen.
And all the while, Talon was staring at my neck.
I took a step towards him as Jace began to struggle. I whipped myself around and stared at him, shooting him a look I could’ve sworn shivered Mac himself. In an instant, Jace stopped struggling, then I turned my attention back to Talon.
“I tried calling to warn you. I’m so sorry,” I said.
“Out of all the people in this room, you are the one who owes absolutely no apologies,” Talon said.
“I was so angry at you this morning,” I said. “I still am.”
“And you have every right to be. But I promise you, there’s an explanation.”
“What in the world could possibly explain a random woman dressed the way she was wandering up onto your doorstep?” I asked.
His silence filled my ears, and I could feel tears filling my eyes.
“The way she touched you. The way she… gravitated towards you. I know that feeling now. Personally. That wasn’t just any woman,” I said.
“You’re right,” he said. “It wasn’t. But there is an explanation. One that doesn’t go against what I told you last night.”
I watched while his hand came into view, his gaze rooting me to my spot. His beautiful eyes danced along my skin while his fingertips touched down onto the skin on my neck. I couldn’t help but snicker while he fingered the marks he’d left behind with his teeth, reminding me of the beauty we’d shared when our bodies connected last night. I felt like I was melting into him again. I felt like I was being drawn into his magnetic field. He was the earth, and I was his moon, and while I may have controlled his tide, without his gravitational pull, I was floating endlessly.
Effortlessly.
Wildly.
Like I’d done all through college.
I felt the warmth of Talon’s skin against mine, and suddenly all was right with the world. That woman fell to the back of my mind and the anger I’d felt that morning suddenly dissipated. All that was left was him and I, with his fingers tracing the outline of his passion while my knees shook underneath my form.
I wanted to slap him and kiss him. I wanted to shove his chest before drawing his body to mine. I wanted to sit on his fucking face and smother him before I allowed his tongue to drive me to the ecstasy I knew he could. I felt his other hand plant onto the side of my neck, pulling goosebumps from my skin while a small smirk crossed his face.
“Didn’t realize they would be this bad,” he said.
“I kind of like them,” I said, whispering.
I could feel everyone’s eyes on us. Even Jace’s. I had no idea what they were all thinking, but at this moment I didn’t care. I wanted to know Talon’s explanation. I wanted to know why in the world that woman was there this morning. I wanted him to tell me she didn’t mean anything to him. That he didn’t want her the way, I knew she wanted him. I could see that look in her eyes. That look of wanting to claim her territory.
Talon was mine, whether anyone wanted to admit it or not. I might’ve been the one with the marks, but I wasn’t the only one that had been claimed last night.
“I was so angry with you,” I said breathlessly.
“And you had every right to be,” Talon said.
“I-... I told him-”
“It doesn’t matter what you told him. I’m just sorry you were the one that had to. I made you a promise last night, and I broke that promise.”
“No, you didn’t,” I said.
I looked up into his eyes, and I could see the confusion wafting behind them. I took one of his hands within mine and brought it up to my lips, kissing each of his fingers as I heard Jace struggling behind me again.
But Mac kept his hold on him, and I was thankful for it.
“I told Jace I was upset because I thought you loved me, and you didn’t,” I said.
I watched Talon’s face drop in an instant, and I knew I’d made a terrible mistake. I didn’t know what I’d misread, but it was obviously something. Even though Talon was putting on a good game face, I could see the hurt rushing behind his eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, whispering.
But the moment was short-lived.
“Get your fucking hands off her!” Jace exclaimed.
And in an instant, I was shoved to the side before I heard a fist connect with someone’s body.
Only this time, it wasn’t Talon’s voice I heard howling out in pain.
It was Jace’s.
Chapter 19
Talon
For the first time in my life, I felt like I was being swept away. Gemma’s bright blue eyes were pulling me in, and I was allowing myself to swim in them. She looked so beautiful, especially with those marks on her skin, and all I could think about was giving her more. I wanted to imprint the outline of my fingerprints upon her thighs and pepper
her breasts with thoughts of my teeth. I wanted to suck and lick every inch of her until she begged for mercy, then deny her the very thing she asked for. I wanted to sweep her up off her feet and tell her about Calista. About what we were doing and all the intel I was gathering from her.
I wanted to tell Gemma that I’d always loved her and that nothing in this world could ever change that.
But before I got the chance, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. In an instant, I was trying to wrap Gemma around my back, but Snake shoved her to the ground before I could do it. What the fuck was this man thinking? He just shoved his own fucking sister to the concrete floor!
I drew my fist back and clocked him against his jaw before he could even land his running punch.
“Holy shit!”
Snake cried out while I looked around for Gemma. She was on the floor, her hands planted and her face mere millimeters from the cold, hard concrete. I went to go pick her up to get her out of here, but Snake was already back up on his feet. I felt him rush me before a massive pain ricocheted through my ribcage, and suddenly I was being propelled back into the wall.
“Hey! The two of you cut this shit out!” Mac exclaimed.
Snake through a punch to my gut that almost knocked the wind out of me. He reared back and poised himself, ready to throw another punch. But I grabbed his wrist and twisted it around before locking his arm behind him.
“Fucking hell, you two,” Hawk said.
I felt Hawk’s arms wrap around my body. Instinctively, I threw my elbow back, clocking him right in the nose. Snake came up with his head and knocked me right in the shoulder, sending a massive pain streaking down my arm. It was enough for him to get out from underneath my grasp, but before he could launch at me, Mac threaded his arm around Snake’s chest.
I balled up my fists in order to clock Snake right between his beady fucking eyes when a voice pierced the throbbing red of my anger.
“Stop it now!”
The red slowly began to fade while Snake finally got his legs underneath him. My ribcage hurt and my jaw was sore, and all I wanted to do was tear into this man. He punched me in my face, then pushing aside his only fucking sister to the ground just to get to me. He didn’t give a shit about what happened to us or whether we fucked or not.
All he cared about was proving his cock was bigger than mine.
And I knew damn good and well it wasn’t.
I looked over at Gemma, whose hands were bleeding. In an instant, my body unlocked, and I rushed over to her. I grabbed her wrists and turned them upwards before I shot Snake a dagger-laced glance, then I wrapped my arm around Gemma.
“Why don’t we get you to the bathroom?” I asked. “I’ll clean you up there.”
“You won’t fucking take her anywhere,” Snake said, growling.
“Well, had you not shoved your own sister to the damn ground, I wouldn’t have to,” I said.
I took her back into the bathroom, and I could feel her trembling. I closed the door behind us and locked it, just to make sure no one could interrupt us, then I started running some warm water before I washed my own hands.
We stood there in silence for what seemed like ages. I dried off my hands before I reached for the first aid kit, then quietly Gemma began to run her hands underneath the water. I could see her wincing while she did so, her hands red and swelling. I swallowed down the urge to go pummel Snake’s fucking head in and decided instead to start running an alcohol wipe over the hurt area.
Gemma hissed in pain while tears rose to her eyes, but if she wanted to say something she didn’t make a move to.
When I knew I had her good and cleaned off, I took out some gauze. I covered it in some salve that would prevent it from getting infected, then I placed it on her hand. It had a cooling effect that made her sigh with relief, and I couldn’t help the little grin that crossed my cheeks.
And when she looked up at me with those big blue eyes, she grinned as well.
“How do your hands feel?” I asked.
“Better now. Thank you,” she said.
“I’m sorry. For the fighting,” I said.
“Is that all you’re sorry for?”
I looked deep into her eyes and saw the hurt I’d caused this morning. The betrayal that was swimming behind them. It never occurred to me that Gemma could equate a woman standing on my porch with me lying to her, but when I thought back to what Calista was wearing it made sense. My cut thrown over her shoulders. The red high heels. The blood red lips. The tight dress that left almost nothing to the imagination.
The comment Calista made to her while she pushed past me…
“No, it’s not,” I said as I wrapped the gauze with tape.
I could feel Gemma’s eyes on me. I could feel her pleading with me to continue. I kept my eyes trained on her hands, my mind wanting to make sure that gauze was secure before we left. I was shocked no one was trying to bother us, including her bullshit brother, but I assumed Mac probably had him in a corner somewhere trying to breathe.
I brought Gemma’s hands to my lips to kiss once I was done, and immediately she pressed her body into mine. She threaded her arms around me and placed her cheek against my shoulder. I could feel her breath pulsing in the crook of my neck while her hair billowed down her body. In an instant, my arms were around her. Cloaking her from the sadness and anger that had permeated our morning.
I started running my fingertips through her hair, feeling her nuzzle into me, and I smiled before I kissed the top of her head.
“What you saw this morning wasn’t what you thought it was,” I said.
I felt her arms tighten around me, but she didn’t make an effort to step back.
“That woman’s name was Calista. She’s the wife of the President of the Devil Saints,” I said.
“Wait… I know that name,” she said.
She stepped away from me and looked up, and everything inside of me screamed not to pull her back. Right now, it wasn’t about controlling her. It wasn’t about giving her commands or knowing what was good for her. Right now, I wanted her to feel as if she was free to do and react the way she felt necessary.
Though I hoped that reaction wouldn’t be to run.
“I can’t tell you much more than that,” I said.
“Jace mentioned something about you being in trouble,” she said.
“It’s not me that’s in trouble. It’s… Gemma, please trust me when I tell you that the less you know, the better,” I said.
“Then why did this woman show up at your place this morning?” she asked. “You know… dressed like she was. And wearing your cut.”
“I’ve been using Calista for information. Willingly, on her part. She knew the arrangement from the very beginning.”
“Why?” she asked.
“It… is really long and involved,” I said, sighing.
“Then give me the short version,” she said.
Was there a short version to all this? How in the world was I supposed to tell her everything from the beginning without leaving pertinent information out? If I gave her the short version, she’d have more questions. But if I gave her the long version, she’d become a risk. A valued asset The Devil Saints could prey on.
And that wasn’t gonna fucking happen.
“Gemma, I swear to you when this is all over, I’ll start from the very beginning. Going back six, seven years if you want me to. But right now, all I can do is tell you what I can. Part of me wants to inform you, and all of me wants to keep you safe,” I said.
Her eyes swam within mine, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. I reached out for her hand, and she let me take it, but she was still putting distance between the two of us. And I couldn’t blame her. After what we shared last night and what we’d both revealed to one another, her heart was on the line. The dreams I knew she’d had all through college were on the line.
Her own self-worth was on the line.
“Calista was wearing my cut because she turned up
scantily clad and she was cold. Nothing else,” I said.
“Why was she dressed like that in the first place?” Gemma asked.
“Because the Devil Saints have forced some of their women to prostitute for money for the club and run their drugs,” I said.
Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw grew lax. I saw tears rise in her eyes and I hugged her back into my arms. She didn’t wrap them around me… but instead pressed her hands into my chest.
Then I felt her cling to the leather of my cut before she pulled me even closer to her.
“Why would they do something like that?” she asked breathlessly.
“I don’t know, Gemma. I honestly don’t,” I said. “But I promised her and her daughter freedom in exchange for feeding me information. The problem was, I had to look like a neutral paying customer to do it.”
I felt her brace at that comment, but she deserved to know the truth.
“I met with Calista the night before last and cut things off with her. I told her it was too dangerous and that us getting together was going to blow everything,” I said.
“So… you guys weren’t… a thing…”
“Not even a little bit. She came by this morning to feed me more info I needed to know. Shit went down hard at their compound last night, and she wanted to inform me of a threat that had popped up,” I said.
“What threat?” she asked.
I crooked my finger up underneath her chin and tilted her gaze towards mine. Her eyes were wide with innocence even though I knew the things she was capable of begging for in bed. I watched her eyes flicker down to my lips, just for a millisecond to take them in. I felt a sort of pride well in my chest before my face descended to hers, then I captured those plump little lips with mine.
She tasted just as sweet as she had last night, and it took every ounce of reserve I had not to strip her down, pin her to a wall, and fuck her senseless.
“Calista never meant anything to me. Ever,” I said into her lips.
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