by LeAnn Ashers
Liam walks over to me and hugs me tightly. Then does the fist bump hug thing with Ethan. He winces when they bump fists, causing Ethan to look down at his hand.
“What happened?” I remember I forgot to tell him what happened. Before I can start, Liam tells him for me.
“Some dudes were trying to steal our shit and one pushed Brae to the ground. I knocked his ass out. Torch took care of the other one,” Liam explains. Ethan’s face turns into one of rage.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he growls at me and then turns me around, looking me over.
“I’m sorry, I kind of forgot.” I grimace knowing that’s not a good excuse. After he looks me over thoroughly, he tucks me into his side tightly and turns back to Liam. “Thanks, man, for watching over her.”
Liam shrugs and blushes under Ethan’s praise. “It was nothing.”
“Well, let’s get the rest of the stuff in.” Ethan tells Liam and lets me go. He grabs my hand and bends down so we are more eye level. “Stay here.”
Biting back a smart remark, I just mutter, “Yes, sir.”
His dark eyes let me know I’m getting it later for that. Grinning saucily, I reach forward and grab his dick through his pants. His eyes narrow and turn impossibly darker. He pulls away from me and walks out of the room without taking his eyes from me.
I giggle as I bend down to grab one of the bags. Taking out the shirts, I go to the closet and hang them up while Ethan and Liam carry the rest of the bags in one trip.
“Liam, you hang your jeans on this side and I’ll hang up all your shirts.” His closet has double doors. Finishing hanging the last shirt in that stack, I move on to the rest, while Ethan takes over setting up the Xbox.
An hour later, we are finally finished. Wiping the sweat off my brow, I walk downstairs and fall down onto the couch.
“Want to order a pizza?” Ethan yells from upstairs.
“Yeah!” I yell back and pick up the remote, turning on Dog the Bounty Hunter. Let’s be honest, the only reason we women watch that show is to see Leland in action, not that I would tell Ethan that. Ethan is very, very easy on the eyes to the point I feel like having to carry a stick to beat off all the women.
“Cheese?” Ethan yells again. I roll my eyes and yell back, “Yes, honey!”
“Smartass.” I hear him say but not as loud.
“Heard that.”
“Oh shit, you’re going to get it, man.” I hear Liam laugh. I grab the blanket off the back of the couch as I smile from ear to ear and snuggle deep into the cushions. Then I spot a water gun on the coffee table. Why is that here?
Smiling wickedly, I go to the sink in the kitchen to fill it up with cold water. Then I crouch down beside the stairs. “Ethan! I fell and can’t get up!” I yell. I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle my laugh.
I can hear Ethan running down the hallway to the stairs, then hear him running down the stairs and into the living room, where he stops and looks around the room. I stand up and walk up behind him.
“Ethan,” I say behind him while pumping the gun.
He turns around, his eyes narrowed. I pull the trigger and get him in the face and chest. He stands perfectly still for a few seconds even after the spray is gone. His eyes open and then an evil grin slowly crosses his face.
I chant oh shit in my head over and over as I turn around and run up the stairs at a dead sprint to Liam’s room. Ethan laughs and I can hear him walking up the stairs like freaking Jason who can just walk and still catch up to you.
Liam is sitting on his bed, playing Xbox. I slam his door and lock it. Liam jumps and stands up. Grinning at him, I sit in the middle of the floor with my water gun at the ready, knowing Ethan has a key.
“What are you doing?” Liam asks, confused.
“Having a water fight,” I whisper yell to him.
I watch the doorknob move as Ethan unlocks it. The door slowly opens. Pumping the water gun, I ready myself, but he doesn’t come into the room. I roll to my feet and peek out the door. I try to jump back when I see Ethan standing there with an evil grin on his face.
He throws open the door and grabs my hands before I can spray him. He bends down and lifts me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, my face at the middle of his back. He carries me out of the room and straight into our room.
Liam’s door shuts behind us, which Ethan takes as his cue to smack me hard on the butt. Yelping, I pinch his butt in retaliation. He pushes our door open and then slams it shut and locks it.
Hearing the click, I gulp and clench my legs together in anticipation. Ethan’s hand rubs my stinging butt. He bends down so I fall onto the bed with a smack. He tugs on the bottom of my shirt and lifts it above my head, then unclasps my bra and throws it down onto the floor.
His eyes darken as he looks at my breasts. They harden under his gaze and goose bumps ghost over my skin. His hands go to the waistband of my pants. I lift my hips so he can pull them off easily.
He strips off his clothes and pushes me down onto the bed, pressing his lips to mine. Sighing, I sink deeper into the kiss. My hands entwine in his hair. Ethan sucks my lip into his mouth, biting slightly. I moan as I tug on the ends of his hair.
His hand travels down my side and then to my pussy, where he trails a finger around my clit, teasing me. Closing my legs together, I trap his hand and raise my hips in the hope his fingers will do what my body is screaming for.
“Please,” I mutter against his lips. He chuckles and kisses down to my neck, nibbling slightly against the crook. I look up at him with needy eyes. “Do you want my fingers or my mouth?”
Need pools between my legs at his words. “Please,” I whisper, needing anything.
“You got it, babe.” He winks and slinks down my body. My toes stiffen in anticipation. His tongue dips into my belly button. I suck in my belly at the jolt.
Ethan spreads my legs, then his flattened tongue strokes my clit. My body jerks at the sensation. I put my legs over his shoulders onto his back while I can hear the sounds of him kissing and licking me.
His tongue strokes my slit before pushing in while his nose grinds against my clit. Then it moves back up to my clit while two fingers enter me and I explode, my legs strangling him.
“Turn over,” Ethan growls and smacks my hip for emphasis.
Doing as I’m told, I flip over onto my knees. He teases my clit with his dick before slamming home. I close my eyes and cry out at the sudden intrusion. He stills, letting me adjust until I push back against him.
His hand goes to the back of my shoulder and pushes me down until my face is against the mattress and my arms reach above my head to brace myself against the headboard.
Ethan pulls all the way back until only the tip is at my entrance. I let out a rush of air as he slams back in. My knees fly off the bed from the power of his thrust. He continues his powerful thrusts as the whole bed moves along with him.
His hand goes to my hair and lifts my head so my back is arched even more. Crying out, I lift one of my hands from the headboard so I can stifle my cries. Ethan lets go, and I bury my face back in the bed.
He reaches around and strokes my clit, sending me off like a rocket launcher. My toes curl under and my body jerks. My legs tremble while he continues to pound into me before he roars his release. My legs are shaking as he strokes me leisurely until he pulls out. I collapse down onto the bed.
Ethan lifts me off the bed and into his arms. My legs go around his waist, my head against his shoulder. My body feels like a limp noodle.
“Pretty sure I will be walking bow legged for days.” My voice is muffled against his shoulder.
“Good.” Ethan laughs. I giggle and hug him tighter to me as he lifts us up off the bed and into the bathroom.
He steps into the shower with me in his arms and washes me gently. I close my eyes, just feeling the movements of his hands cleaning my body, taking in the comfort of his hands running all over me.
Those hands that hold me tightly at night, the hands
that protect me against my demons, hands that stroke my body as he makes love to me. I take one of them and place it against my cheek before kissing his palm.
Opening my eyes, I look up at him. His expression shows what I’m feeling. “I love you, Ethan.”
He closes his eyes for a second, shaking his head, then opens them and smiles. His hands go to either side of my jaw. “I love you too, Braelyn. You are my world.” He leans down and kisses my forehead.
He shuts off the water and carries me to bed just as the doorbell rings. “Get dressed, baby, and meet me downstairs.”
I can’t resist tilting my head to the side so I can check out his toned butt. “Eyes off the goods, woman!” Ethan shouts over his shoulder as he shuts the bedroom door with a click. Giggling, I go to my closet and get an old pair of shorts and an old tee.
I walk to Liam’s room to let him know to come get some pizza. I hear him tell me to come in after I knock on his door.
“Pizza is here.”
He nods and puts the Xbox controller back onto the bed.
When I get downstairs, I see Ethan taking three plates out of the cabinet. “What do you guys want to drink?” I ask.
“Soda,” Liam says at the same time as Ethan says, “Water.”
I grab two sodas and a water. Soda may be bad for you, but sometimes you have to live a little. I went without this stuff for years.
I set them on the table and pull out a chair then put a slice of pizza on my plate. Liam and Ethan are already sitting down, stuffing their faces.
“Liam, we need to go and get you registered for high school tomorrow,” I tell him as I grab a second slice before the pizza is gone.
“Okay.” Liam smiles with a mouth full of pizza.
Laughing, I grab my slice and take a bite. Ethan laughs too because we aren’t used to Liam being goofy, nor did we expect it.
We finish our meal in silence. Liam offers to do the dishes, and who am I to object? Ethan grabs my hand and leads me to the couch in the living room. Seeing another Dog the Bounty Hunter episode on, I see Leland first thing. Looking out of the corner of my eye, I smile at Ethan sweetly. He rolls his eyes and sets the remote back down, as he was about to change the channel.
Liam walks into the living room. He stands looking at us, uneasy and unsure what to do. I pat the couch beside me, motioning for him to sit down.
“Dog the Bounty Hunter?” Liam asks me incredulously. I shrug my shoulders and lay my head down on Ethan’s shoulder. Not ten minutes into the show, I’m out.
Chapter Seventeen
Braelyn
A few days have passed since the day I took Liam shopping. Today is the day he starts school. Ethan and I are both taking him. When Liam hops out of the car and waves at us before walking up the steps to the entrance of the building, I watch as teenage girls stop and stare at him, while the guys the girls are with glare at him. He notices and winks at the girls, who immediately start giggling, causing the guys to glare even harder, which in return makes Liam smile cockily.
He is dressed in a new pair of jeans, a gray shirt with a leather jacket over it, and a pair of biker boots.
“We are in trouble, aren’t we?” I laugh as I watch him walk into the school with a crowd of girls following him.
“Oh, yeah.” Ethan chuckles with mirth in his eyes. That kid is handsome. Smiling, I motion for Ethan to drive me home so I can get my car before work.
~*~
Someone tried to break in again at work today, but they didn’t even get into the building and were picked up by Ethan. Now, everything is locked up even tighter. The ladies were shaken, the kids even more so, and that’s where my job comes in.
I love my job and I love helping these kids overcome their pain and fear. Some of the things they have seen will haunt them for the rest of their lives, but I help them understand it doesn’t have to control their life. They control their own fate.
I leave work at 2:30 p.m. and head to the school to pick up Liam. I am about twenty minutes early, but I wanted to make sure I was there on time. Torch is behind me on his motorcycle; he has to pick up his daughter too. When I pull up in front of the school, I spot Liam instantly.
He is fighting a man. Not a student, a grown man. I hop out of my car and run over to him. Just as I reach him, Liam throws the right hook that knocks the man flat out. His hand is still clenched to his side. His face is full of rage, which is kind of scary, so I take a step back.
He doesn’t acknowledge me but runs over to the side of the building.
“Liam!” I yell, afraid he is running away.
When I follow him, I see a teenage girl with her shirt torn around her breasts, bruising on her wrists, and dirt caked all over her body. I check her jeans and am relieved to see them perfectly intact. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
The girl has a busted lip and a black bruise forming around her eye. Torch is standing behind me, unable to see because Liam is blocking almost girl’s the whole body; I can see because I’m to the side of him.
He slips his arms under her legs and around her back, lifting her off the ground. When he turns around with her in his arms, Torch’s whole entire body stiffens before he roars, “NO!” and runs to Liam. It hits me then: this is his daughter.
Oh my God! My hand flies to my mouth at seeing Torch’s expression. Liam tightens his grip. Torch grabs his phone and calls his MC buddies to get down to the school, giving them only a short explanation. Then he takes his daughter from Liam and kisses the top of her head, whispering, “He will pay for this, baby.”
His jaw is clenched and his eyes are dark as he stares at the unconscious man. Why do people want to hurt someone like this? Especially a little girl who can't be more than fifteen years old.
A huge roar of motorcycles fills the air a few minutes later. My eyes widen at the sight of the thirty or so motorcycles pulling up in front of the school.
The man who attacked Torch’s daughter starts to come to, and Liam walks over to him and kicks him in the face, knocking him out again.
I can’t wrap my head around what has happened. I can’t believe this. I snap out of it and go to Torch so I can check on his little girl. She is crying against his chest. My heart breaks at the sight.
Kyle walks up first with all the men behind him. He takes in what happened and snaps his gaze to Liam and me, then to Torch. He points at Liam. “Talk.”
Liam explains, “I noticed this fucking janitor following Paisley around all day and got the creeps. I was at my locker, which is right by the entrance to the school, when I saw Paisley walk out the door. I’m assuming because he was picking up her up.” He points at Torch.
“Then I saw the janitor walk around the school a minute later in the same direction Paisley went. I got a bad feeling because of how he’d been staring at her. So I ran after them.”
He stops and rubs his face. Pain is written all over him as he braces himself to talk about the next part. My hands are itching to hug him.
“I turned the corner and saw him pinning her to the ground. She was begging him to stop, pleading and sobbing.” He clenches his jaw and shakes his head.
“He told her, ‘It's okay, baby, it’s better to get you broken in before I turn you over to the guys to sell.’ He taunted her. He had her hands above her head.”
“I tore him off her and we started to fight. I knocked him out and Brae and Torch showed up,” Liam finishes with his eyes on Paisley, who is hugging her father tighter at hearing what happened and having to relive it all over again.
“Boys,” Kyle snaps his fingers and motions for them to take the man. Two men walk up. One grabs his arms and the other grabs his feet. I watch as they carry him to the van. I know not to ask questions.
“Techy, clear the cameras,” Kyle orders another man.
“Torch, take your baby girl home. We’ll be waiting for you.” Torch grins evilly and nods.
Kyle looks at Liam for a few seconds with his head tilted. “How would you li
ke to be a prospect?”
Liam looks shocked for a second before he grins from ear to ear. “Yeah, man. I’d like that.” He steps forward and shakes Kyle’s hand.
What are they going to do to that man? Nothing good, obviously, but I can’t bring myself to be seriously worried. We all know what he was planning if Liam hadn’t stopped him. The thought of what could have happened makes me sick to my stomach. I know it will haunt her, no matter nothing more serious happened..
Torch walks up to me still carrying his daughter. “Will you take us home?”
“Of course!” I look at Paisley while my heart breaks for her. School is supposed to be a safe place.
My bug is small, but it has a backseat. Liam pushes the passenger seat up so Torch can step in. He bends down and gets in easier than I expected.
The drive to Torch’s house is silent as we are all lost in thought. Liam looks out the side window the whole time. I sigh and tighten my grip on the steering wheel.
We pull up in front of Torch’s house. I’m instantly in awe of it. It’s huge. A huge log cabin that probably has ten rooms. How can he afford this? Then I remember the MC owns almost forty businesses throughout the state of Texas.
Liam gets out and lifts the seat back up. Torch steps out with ease. He had Paisley when he was just eighteen years old and has raised her alone since. “Hey, Torch, if she needs to talk, have her call me.”
He nods and walks up to the front door of his house. Liam gets back into the car and pushes the seat back so he can sit comfortably.
“I can’t believe this shit,” he groans and rubs his face in frustration, then looks at me with a sad expression I can see out of the corner of my eye. “I will never ever forget her screams. And that man…” He stops as his voice hitches.
I pull over to the side of the road and wrap my arms around his shoulder. His body is shaking with emotions. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Liam.” I kiss the top of his head.
My phone ringing has me pulling away. Liam wipes his eyes and rests his head against the back of the seat.
