by Sam Crescent
Brick had every intention of dropping Callie off and going to deal with her boss. Instead, one look inside her pitiful apartment, and he knew what he needed to do. While she rested on the sofa, he called the boys at the clubhouse and told them to get everything ready for him. He was coming back home and bringing his woman with him. She’d have full round-the-clock care, and it meant she could start to get used to being around him and the club.
He made her a coffee and disappeared into her bedroom, packing away her paltry belongings. The clothes she wore weren’t suitable. Most of them looked like they’d been purchased from thrift stores and should have gone straight into the trash. Holes, and he saw stitch mark after stitch mark.
His woman wasn’t going to be dealing with second-rate belongings anymore.
Still, until he got the time to go shopping with her, he packed what he thought was suitable for the club. Some of the brothers just needed to see a little slither of skin and were ready to fuck.
Damn, this was a fucking nightmare. For a woman like Callie to capture his attention, she was going to be the spectacle of the year. The guys were going to be ribbing him about this for months, and the women, he didn’t even want to think about them.
They were all going to be told she was off-limits.
She was his woman.
There was no way he’d allow anyone else to go near her or to fucking touch her. She belonged to him and him alone.
With a case packed, he returned to the living room, finding Callie with her eyes closed.
He walked closer, and she opened them. “Hey,” she said.
Her gaze fell to the bag. “Are you stealing my stuff?”
“No, you’re coming with me.”
“Brick, I’m really tired.”
“This isn’t a request. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not.”
Her eyes went wide. “Brick, don’t.”
“You either walk to the car, or I’ll carry you. The choice is yours, and you’ve got less than a minute to make it.”
“I’m not leaving my place.”
“Ten … nine … eight…”
“You can’t be serious?” she asked.
“Seven … six…”
She got to her feet, and he was a little gutted as he’d hoped she’d pick a different path. He would’ve loved a reason to have her body pressed up against his.
Callie was a strong woman. She was clearly in pain, but she hid it. The pinched lips and stilted gaze gave it away. He wanted to take the pain from her.
Following close behind, they walked down to his car. He helped her inside before throwing her suitcase in the back.
It was a long drive back to the clubhouse.
Neither of them spoke for the longest time.
“I didn’t want you to freak out about me,” Brick said.
“Why do you think I would’ve done that?”
“Before I got a chance to say who I was or what I did, you already made assumptions, Callie. I tried to hide it all because I didn’t want to expose you.”
“You can’t be like that,” she said. “I’m not weak. I can handle anything.”
He glanced over to see her rubbing at her temple.
“Babe, you passed out.”
“I was in pain. Jeff had hurt me.” She shrugged. “It was no big deal.”
“Why do you justify men hurting you?”
“I’m not. I mean, I know it sounds like it, but I don’t mean to. I need this job.” She blew out a breath. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Why?”
“Because … I don’t know. You’re a guy, and it’s different in this world for you. I’m a woman.”
“You’re playing the sexist card?”
“Were you hoping I’d play the ‘you’re a criminal card’ and say you’ve never done an honest day’s work in your life?” she asked. “I know for a fact you’re a hard worker.”
“Oh, yeah, and what makes you think that?” he asked.
“Your hands.”
He glanced down at his hands gripping the steering wheel. “My hands?”
“Yeah. Someone who doesn’t work hard has smooth, baby-soft hands. You have calloused hands. I don’t know what you do, but you work hard. I’m not going to insult you, Brick.”
“But you want to play the sex card?”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
He stared out of the window.
She chuckled.
“What?” he asked.
“I had no idea what it would take to get you to be quiet.”
“There are a lot more fun ways to get me to be quiet and have you screaming for more.” He chanced a look at her and saw her face had flamed.
“You can’t say stuff like that,” she said.
“Why not?”
“Because…”
“You don’t have a reason, and I want you to know that this changes nothing. You’re still mine, Callie.”
“But are you mine?” she asked.
“Always.”
He pulled into the clubhouse parking lot and went to the first available spot. After climbing out, he went straight to Callie’s side, helping her and grabbing her case. Then, with several of the guys and club pussy mingling outside, he guided her up to the main building.
Lord waited inside.
The smirk on his face made him want to put his punch it off. Instead, he offered a tight smile and an even glare.
“I didn’t think it could be true.” Ally, Lord’s old lady, broke through the tension. The other woman rushed forward. “I’m Ally. When Lord said that Brick had a woman and was bringing her here, I was so excited. Brick doesn’t like me very much, but I think we’re going to get along really well.”
“Ally, baby, let Brick get her settled.”
“Oh, right. We’ll talk soon.”
Callie offered a tight smile and followed Brick through the main clubroom, going toward the stairs.
“Who was that?” Callie asked.
“That was Lord’s old lady. Whatever you do, don’t insult her. She never used to talk so much, but since they’ve gotten married and had a kid, well, things have been, how do I say this, chatty. She won’t shut up.”
“She has a child?”
He nodded.
“Oh.”
“We all live like civilized people here. We’re not heathens.”
“Right. Right. I’m sorry. This is all a little surreal. I guess your place looks kind of normal.”
He snorted. “What did you think? We’d have sacrificial virgins, or drugs spread out across the table?”
“I don’t know. You hear so much bad news about biker gangs. I judged you before knowing anything. I’m sorry,” she said.
He stopped outside his door and placed a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Don’t be sorry.”
“I … I don’t want you to hate me.”
“That is never going to be possible.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I like you way too much.” He flicked his tongue across her lips and she opened up.
Brick had no choice but to pull back. With her in his room, sleeping in his bed, this was going to prove to be stressful for him. He would need to show some restraint, even though all he wanted to do was fuck her hard and fast. She needed time to recover.
Once inside, he stepped back to allow her space to enter.
“You need to rest. I’ve got a couple of errands to run. Do you want some food?”
“No, I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll bring some back when I’ve finished. This is your home now,” he said.
“Brick, I can’t stay here. I’ve got a life and plans.”
“We’ll talk.”
She didn’t need to think about the future right now. She just needed to accept him and their time together.
Callie may not know it yet, but he owned her. She belonged to him, and there was nowhere else for her to go.
He pressed a kiss to her head, then showed her the e
n-suite bathroom. A couple of rooms on the floor beneath them had to share one. There was no way he was going to let anyone see her naked. That privilege would be for him and him alone.
“I’ll be back.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Some club errands. I’ll be back before you know it.”
He kissed her head again and headed out of the room. Leaving her was so fucking hard. Walking downstairs, he saw Lord was already waiting for him.
“Ally wants to meet her. She’s really excited.”
“Soon,” he said.
“We going to fuck this guy up?”
“You got it.”
He headed out to his bike and was surprised Lord, Stump, and Reaper followed him.
“What are you guys doing?” he asked.
“Do you think you’re the only one going to have the fun giving a message not to fuck with the Straight to Hell MC?” Lord asked.
“Yeah, let’s go and fuck with some assholes,” Reaper said.
Stump climbed on his bike.
“You’ve got the whole backing of the club, Brick. You’re not alone,” Lord said.
He breathed deep. He wasn’t going to cry like a fucking pussy. But, right now was a reminder of why he was so fucking loyal to his club. They were a family.
“Let’s do this.” He straddled his bike, turned it on, and allowed the engine to purr to life. It felt so fucking good hearing the sound.
This was his life, and he wanted Callie to become part of it.
They took off, heading toward the address he’d gotten from Stitch. It was where he’d find Jeff. The fucker lived in a really nice house in a decent neighborhood, and he had a feeling Skull Nation MC had a lot to do with that.
They pulled up to the country house. For a guy who owned a hardware store, he certainly had a nice place. Brick knew deep down something else was going on here. The hardware store and lumber yard wasn’t even a chain. It was a single store in a town barely on the map. He needed to look into Jeff.
Brick climbed off his bike as Jeff came to the front door.
“I suggest you think twice about whatever it is you’re going to do. I’m protected,” he said.
Interesting.
He didn’t stop moving forward. Jeff had a bat in his hand.
“Do you want me to use this?”
Please do.
“Do you think I’m going to let you get away with hurting my woman?” he asked.
Jeff paled. “You need to leave.”
“And you need to learn not to mess with my business.” He drove his fist into the guy’s face.
Callie had asked him not to mess with her boss. Well, she wasn’t going back to work, regardless. He’d take care of her and all of her plans.
****
Hunger hit Callie hard and she rubbed at her stomach.
Brick said he’d bring food back, but she was starting to feel a little sick, and with the medication she’d been given, they had told her to eat. Now she was in pain, hungry, and achy. She wouldn’t take any medication without food.
Settling down onto the bed, she felt the comfort of the mattress beneath her. It was a nice bed. It smelled like Brick.
She smiled to herself, giving it a little bounce as she did.
There was no risk of bed bugs or rodents here, or even cockroaches. She released a shiver just thinking about her place. No matter how hard she cleaned or decorated, her place seemed to always have a problem, from the damp to the bugs.
Tucking her hair behind her ears, she lay back and snuggled up to a pillow. It didn’t smell like him, and seeing as she was alone, she reached for his pillow, pressing it against her face and breathing in.
This smelled like him, and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.
Smoothing out the fabric, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d already kicked her shoes off and taken a shower. Her hair was dry, and she was bored.
Hungry. Bored. Tired.
But the doctor’s orders said to rest, so she had to get used to this for a little while.
How had she found herself in the Straight to Hell MC’s clubhouse? She promised herself years ago she’d never get mixed into this kind of crowd.
The memory of her life before her grandmother had taken her bombarded her. The cops making late-night visits. The way they treated them like trash. She hated all of it.
Her grandmother had shown her another life, even though modest, with the warning to stay on the straight and narrow.
She ran fingers through her hair. Would her grandmother like Brick? He wasn’t like her parents, or even her two brothers.
With her face pressed into Brick’s pillow, she breathed in deeply, only to panic, releasing a squeal, when the door opened.
She quickly looked to see Brick struggling with a large box of food.
His gaze was averted, and she quickly put his pillow back, hoping he hadn’t caught her breathing in his scent like a crazy person. What kind of woman sniffed a guy’s pillow? She was going crazy.
He kicked the door closed and turned toward her.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said.
“Hey.” His compliments always took her by surprise. She wasn’t used to men finding her attractive. “Did you finish running your errands?”
“Yep. All done.” He put the food on the bed. “You know, anytime you want the real thing, I’m right here.”
“Real thing?”
He winked at her as he looked at the pillow.
She immediately covered her face. “You saw that?”
“Kind of hard to miss.”
She groaned. “No. You can’t say stuff like that. It’s not very nice.”
“What? I can’t say that I love seeing you cuddling with my pillow and it made me hot as hell?” he asked.
Heat filled her cheeks. Did he really mean that or was he just saying it to be nice?
Silence fell between them. She didn’t know what to say or do.
“I got us food. I hope you love Chinese food.”
“I do.” She gave him a smile, hoping he knew she appreciated him not making her feel any more embarrassed than she usually felt. “I’m starving.”
“And I’m here to feed you.” He gave her a wink, removed his leather cut, and took a seat on the bed. “Have what you want.”
He opened a carton, and she watched him grab an egg roll out, taking a large bite out of it. “So good.”
Her mouth watered, and she chose a spring roll. “You got so much food.”
“I had no idea what you liked.”
She giggled. “Look at me, I like most foods.”
“Don’t do that anymore. I don’t like it.”
“Do what?”
“You know what you were doing. Stop putting your weight down. I don’t like it. All of it.”
She picked up another carton and some chopsticks. The scent of fragrant noodles was intoxicating. “I’m just … I guess I’m used to it. It’s easier to make fun of yourself when everyone else seems to do it.”
“Don’t get used to it. It doesn’t suit you.”
She nibbled on her lip. After men like Jeff in her life, and pretty much most men she’d met, she wasn’t used to any of them complimenting her. Liking her the way she was without insisting she needed to lose weight to look pretty.
Brick ate his food, and she liked watching him dig in without a care in the world. She slurped up her noodles, and he opened up another carton, presenting her with a piece of fried tofu. He’d dipped it into a spicy sweet and sour sauce. “You’ve got to try this.”
She took a bite, eyes closed, and hummed her appreciation. “So good.”
“Yeah, you’ve got that right.”
They finished most of the food, and Brick took the remainder down to the kitchen. He came back with a glass of water for her to take her pain pills.
“How about I take a shower and then we sit and watch a movie?”
“If you’d like to?”
“
Yes,” he said.
She watched him tug his shirt off over his head, presenting her with his heavily inked back. Callie held her breath as a wave of desire swirled through her body. He disappeared into the bathroom.
Nerves hit her hard.
Alone with Brick in his room, watching a movie. Could she do this?
She already wore a pair of pajamas, and she quickly scrambled beneath the covers. The sound of the water running and the occasional grunt drew her attention. At first, she tried to ignore the sounds, but they kept on coming.
She pushed off the blanket and stepped away from the bed. With one foot in front of the other, she moved closer toward the door, praying the floor didn’t creak. The sounds grew louder.
The door was open wide enough for her to look through without making a sound.
I shouldn’t be doing this.
This is his private room.
Go back to bed.
Don’t be rude.
She glanced around the door, and at first, she couldn’t make out what was going on. Slowly, she saw. The curtain didn’t hide much, and it was clear exactly what he was doing.
His fist was wrapped around his cock, working up and down the length. The heavy sounds of his grunts filled the air, and she quickly pulled back from the door.
Why was he masturbating?
Was he thinking about her?
Other people?
There were plenty of willing and available women for him to claim around here.
Jealousy struck her hard, and she went back to the bed.
Seconds passed, even minutes.
She kept on waiting, and finally, after what felt like a lifetime, he came out. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. There was more ink on his chest and abdomen. She even caught sight of some on his legs. It surprised her how much it aroused her.
“You know, you don’t have to be embarrassed.”
“What?”
“I was thinking of you,” he said.
“Oh, you saw me?” Callie wanted to die right there.
“Babe, I’ve lived my life while constantly watching my back. Believe me, I notice everything.”
Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. “I … I didn’t mean to spy.”
“I’ve got no problem with you watching me. I would’ve liked you to come in and join me.”
“Brick, I’m not like that,” she said.
“Like what?”
She didn’t want him to think she was like the women at the club, ready to do anything a man wanted. Her nerves picked up. What if he really thought of her that way?
