by K E Osborn
Wraith moves over to the desk chair, pulls it out, turns it around, and straddles the seat, putting some distance between us as expertly as he always does.
“Is somebody gonna start talking?” I grunt.
Wraith scratches his head, like he’s unsure where to start, but he does anyway. “I got a call from the Sergeant at the jail.”
Clenching my eyes, I tighten my hand on Cherry’s just waiting for the inevitable news I don’t want to hear. My breathing stops as I wait for my world to stop spinning.
“Zero was stabbed in his cell last night—”
“Jesus Christ, Wraith, you said he was okay? You promised me, you promised that you would get him out of there safe!” Cherry blurts out.
I open my eyes to Wraith holding his hands up in surrender.
“I never should have promised you that. I’m sorry, Cherry, but he’s in recovery in the medical unit of the jail… under strict supervision and protection. The perpetrator’s in isolation. He can’t get to Zero again.”
Cherry huffs, folding her arms over her chest in some sort of angry pose while I sit trying to comprehend Wraith’s words.
Zero was stabbed.
So badly, he needed to be moved to a medical ward.
“Is he going to be okay? Is he going to pull through?” My voice is barely a whisper.
Wraith’s eyes focus in on me. “Yes. He’s strong, Prinie. He has far too much to fight for.”
My eyes well with tears as I try to gather all the emotions racing through me right now.
Zero was stabbed.
He could have died.
But, he didn’t.
And right now, I am so fucking glad for small mercies.
“Prinie, I know this is a lot to take in right now. I want to be here for anything you need and to help you get through thi—”
“Actually, Wraith, Zero is alive,” I cut in. “That’s worth celebrating. I want to embrace the fact my brother survived. He’s strong. I don’t know if he’s going to make it through the entire time he’s in that place, but today… today is a win for us and the club.”
Cherry smiles with an enthusiastic drop of her chin. “Hell, yeah, it is. My old man wouldn’t want us moping around and fucking about. He’d want us celebrating the small stuff.”
Wraith’s eyes shift, they were dark, a shadow had taken them over, but now a small ray of light beckons beneath the blackness. “You wanna do something to celebrate, princess?”
I stand, running my hands down my sweatpants. “We need a club party.”
Cherry chuckles. “Yes, it’s what Zero would want.”
Wraith rubs the back of his neck. “You sure this isn’t just an excuse to get wasted and drown your sorrows?”
I roll my eyes. “You can do that if you want, but me and Cherry, we’re celebrating the guy we love making through another day in lockdown. Right, Rayne?”
Cherry stands with a firm nod of her head. “Exactly! We’re doing this, Wraith, with or without you.”
Groaning, I stand with a shrug. “Fine! We will have a very small, low-key party. No outside visitors. No heavy drinking… either of you. I don’t need anything happening. No drunken, boozy, bender behavior, you got me?”
I fold my arms over my chest. “Same goes for you, Mr. President.”
Wraith simply nods as Cherry exits my room to obviously get ready, which leaves us alone.
Wraith looks to the door, then walks over, closing us in. “How are you… really?”
I raise my brow. “You care?”
A low growl reverbs from his chest as he steps closer to me. “Don’t talk to me like that, Kharlie. For fuck’s sake, I’m trying here.”
My eyes shift to the floor in regret. “Sometimes it’s hard to know if you care or whether you just wish I weren’t here. Like it would be easier if—”
Wraith grabs my biceps so tightly it shocks me. My head snaps up, seeing a fire burning in his eyes.
“Don’t you ever fucking say shit like that. Prinie, you mean more to me than I can even express. I just… it’s fucking hard. This… is fucking hard!”
My insides begin to tremble as I stare at Wraith, the whiskey color in his eyes turning into a rich amber as the intensity in them grows. His breathing becomes labored while he stares into me so fiercely, I feel like the energy between us is connecting and merging together. It’s like I can feel his blood pulsing, his heart beating at the same rhythm as mine, we’re so in sync.
“Why?” I whisper so quietly, I’m not even sure if I said it.
Wraith softens his grip on my biceps ever so slightly as he leans in closer, the electricity pulsing between us. “Why what, princess?”
“Why is this so damn hard?”
“Because I want you so fucking much.” He spins me, pushing me against the door. His body flush against mine, his erection pressing into my throbbing clit. Sliding his hand up and around my throat, I pant frantically at the rising heat between us. He tightens his grip, carefully squeezing as his mouth moves to my earlobe, biting down on it. I whimper, letting out a soft moan, my clit throbbing so fucking hard. All I want is for him to kiss me as his teeth hold my ear, then slides it out of his mouth with a forceful pop.
Wraith grinds his cock against me, I feel everything as his tongue careens down the side of my neck. With my eyes closed, my head lulls back against the door, and I surrender to him. He presses a hard kiss on the side of my neck then slowly pulls away.
My eyes fling open to see him staring at me, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say his eyes are red with lust.
“Princess… point to something blue,” he pants.
I furrow my brows but pull my shirt to the side and show him my turquoise bra strap, and with that, he takes in a deep breath, clenching his eyes like he’s relieved within himself. Wraith releases his hand from around my neck, sliding it gently down the side of my body, and it confuses me.
While trying to catch my breath, I wonder why this is all slowing down, but he leans in pressing a tender kiss to my forehead. “Thank you.”
Thank you?
“You’re… welcome?” I reply not really knowing what just happened.
All I know is that I’m aroused as hell, and I wish he would kiss me already.
“We should get ready for the party,” he states, gesturing for the door.
What the actual fuck?
WRAITH
Prinie’s soft lips stretch upward, but don’t quite reach her darkened eyes. Even with the happiness she’s trying to exude, her eyes give away the sadness behind them. They tell me the forced expression is all for show. Even if she’s trying to fool herself, the precious dimple which crinkles in the side of her cheek is something that makes my heart skip a beat. I know she’s confused by what just happened. I should open up, but I don’t want to tell her that it came seconds away from me choking her again, and I know if that happened, she could be done with me for good. Even though I’m not sure we can ever be anything, the idea of never talking to her again scares me more.
Prinie reaches out, grabbing my hand in hers, even after my weirdness. “Thank you for the party, Wraith. The club needs this.”
I nod my head, tightening my hand in hers, then move past her for the door.
She’s right.
The club needs something to celebrate, but I don’t know if this is all a little premature.
Leaving her room, I hesitate outside the door, wanting more than anything to turn back around, to go back in and finish what I started, but I can’t. I was barely in control in there. So, I head downstairs toward the chapel. I’m fucking glad I was able to focus myself. I might have some explaining to do if she asks me about the ‘show me something blue’ thing, and whether I tell her is something I’ll need to think about. In the meantime, I have more important shit to do.
Walking to the chapel, I don’t hesitate to enter, swinging open the door and stepping inside to a heavy discussion taking place.
All eyes turn to me.
<
br /> Texas stops talking mid-sentence, his eyes dart to me then he starts again. “So, it’s true, pres? Zero’s okay?”
I close the door behind me, moving into the seat I don’t want to sit in at the head of the table. “Yeah, he’s all right for now. He’s in the medical ward of the jail under protection. In recovery. As far as I know, he should recover. Perhaps Ethan has eyes on him. Though, we can’t understand why for the life of us Ethan stepped in.”
Everyone turns to Kevlar.
“Ethan did this?” Texas scoffs.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Ethan did something. I’m gonna call him after this meeting to confirm, but I believe he stepped in.”
“Who would have thunk it?” Texas sits back in his chair and shakes his head like he’s as shocked as I was when I found out.
“This is all the details we have. Zero’s alive. He’s in recovery. Even though we thought he had no one with eyes on him, it’s just not the case. The girls want to celebrate by having a small, low-key party today in honor of Zero, and I agreed.”
“We’re havin’ a party?” Ax asks. I dip my head in answer. “Well, that’s greater than an armadillo in cowboy boots.”
Texas groans. “You say the weirdest shit, country boy.”
“And what? You don’t, city slicker.”
Texas chuckles. “Touché. Back to business, you need us to do anything, pres?”
“Nah, just have a good time, but don’t get fucking wasted. I want you to enjoy yourself, but I need you to function. I have no idea what’s around the corner. Got it?” I bang my gavel on the table, and we all stand.
Neon walks over to me. “You think Zero’s okay in there now?”
“Honestly, no, I’m still waiting for the call. Because what we don’t know is who’s on the Baron’s payroll. Zero’s not safe anywhere but here at the clubhouse with us. The one positive to come from this is… we now know there’s someone willing to look out for him. That’s got to count for something, and that fact gives me belief that maybe things are not as dire as we think they are.”
He grips my shoulder. “Let’s hope so.”
PRINIE
The party’s been in full swing for hours. Everyone’s having a great time. I’ve probably drunk a little more than I should. I’m not drunk, but I have had enough to numb the pain.
I should be happy. I tried to fake it as much as I could.
Zero is alive.
That’s fucking amazing.
But the fact is, he’s still in there, and while he’s still in there, he’s in danger.
So, yeah, we’re celebrating this small victory, but we may still lose the damn war.
Cherry has let her hair down, and it’s good to see her unwinding. She’s been bossing everyone around, getting shit organized. She’s not the wallflower she once was when we were in Chicago. She fits into this life so much better than I could ever have imagined. I’m not sure why I didn’t see it in her when I met her over a year ago.
I know what it takes to be an Old Lady.
You need to be strong.
You need to carry the weight of the club on your shoulders and do it without showing any emotion.
Cherry does that easily. She has turned out to be the strongest woman I know.
I wish I had a quarter of her strength. For me, it’s like half the time I am freaking out about what this club has done to my family or about how my family has been torn apart, and the other half I’m scared about what’s coming next for me and the club.
I wish I could find a balance.
An even keel for me to sit on.
Because right now all of this is teetering on a fine edge, which at any moment, could topple over.
I hate that fact.
I used to be so strong, so self-assured in my actions.
Then my parents were killed in front of me, and my entire persona changed. That’s when I started covering up in dark makeup and wearing grunge-style clothing. I try to show everyone how I feel by my appearance. I’m not sure why, I guess it’s the only way I can express it without losing control.
Since being back in Houston, I’ve toned down the clothing a little, but the grunge girl is still inside me. The dark-rimmed eyes, the dark hair, the attitude are still there.
Wraith doesn’t help. Seeing him, having him constantly hot and cold is so frustrating. I can’t tell from one minute to the next what headspace he’s in.
So, maybe I should stop trying.
Taking another long sip of my whiskey, it’s clear the brothers have started passing out around me as I sit by the fire pit on a beautiful spring night. There’s less humidity in the air, which makes it perfect for the fire. The moon shines brightly in the darkened sky while the stars twinkle like diamonds above me. It’s peaceful and calm as I sit curled in a ball on the seat simply staring at the sky.
Movement to my right startles me. As I turn, Wraith slides into the seat next to me. He looks tired. Worn out. Exhausted. He really should get some sleep. “Did you enjoy your night, princess?”
I inhale appreciating the fresh spring night air. “I really did. I needed this more than I knew. You?”
He tilts his head to the side. “I was on guard, making sure no one did anything stupid. You know how these guys can get.”
“So, you didn’t relax at all?”
Wraith leans back in his seat and exhales, observing all the comatose bodies lying around on the ground. “Maybe I can now.”
“You’re taking this president gig pretty seriously.”
“Got damn big shoes to fill. Honestly… don’t want to fuck anything up.”
Wow.
I wasn’t expecting that answer from Wraith. I didn’t think he would take on this role so seriously. “You need to let your hair down a little,” I suggest, handing him the remainder of my drink.
He takes my short glass, throwing back the finger of amber liquid left with careless regard. His face scrunches from the burn, and I love that even when pulling a face, he’s still sexy as sin.
“Something funny, princess?”
“No, just glad you’re finally joining the party.”
Wraith’s eyes shift around the area. “Party’s over. It’s time we all went to bed.” He goes to stand, but I reach out grabbing his hand to stop him. He stalls, his eye meeting mine, and I exhale.
“Wraith, sit. Let’s talk for a while.”
“Talk?”
I snort out a laugh. “God, is the concept that foreign to you?”
He huffs, slumping back on his chair. “Hit me. What do you wanna talk about?”
Shit, I didn’t think this through.
“So, no politics, or religion—”
“You’re not supposed to talk about those things on a date, Prinie. We’re not on a date.”
Burn.
“Okay, grumpy pants. Geez. You know that’s not just a dating no-go, it’s a generalized conversation tactic. You’re so defensive tonight. Relax a little, will you. It’s just me.”
“It’s hard to relax around you, Prinie.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re thinking too much. Unwind. Let go of whatever you’re clinging to, and bask in the warmth of the fire, stare at the moon, breathe, Wraith. You’re wound too tight. If you’re not careful, you’re gonna pop a blood vessel.”
He actually chuckles as he sinks further into his seat like he’s following my instructions. “Okay, I’m listening. You know, for someone who’s so uptight all the time, you sure know how to relax when you want to.”
I tilt my head. “Whiskey helps.”
He raises his hand in the air. “Bar wench… another round of whiskey for me and the princess,” he yells, full of sarcasm.
“Did you just make a joke?” I giggle.
He shrugs. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Unfortunately, all the bar wenches are probably in bed.”
“Then we’ll have to get our own drinks. Up you get.” Wraith grabs my arm, lifting me from my comfy chair.
We start walking inside toward the bar where more people are passed out.
“I think we’re the only two still awake.”
“Does that mean we get to draw on everyone’s faces?” He mocks as we dodge over comatose bodies.
“Holy shit! Who are you right now?” Laughter bubbles up from inside my chest.
“Should I get the markers?” He narrows his eyes on me, but I can tell he’s joking.
“You know… when you’re relaxed, you’re actually pretty fucking cool.”
A genuine, happy laugh makes the corner of his lips turn up ever so slightly. A sight very rarely, if ever, seen from him. My eyes widen as I point at him. “Oh my God, you nearly smiled.”
He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t,” he defends.
As we reach the bar, I lean in close. “I bet you have a great smile,” I tease.
Wraith’s face lights up as he tries to fight it, but the corner of his lips turn up, the hint of his perfect teeth shining through. It’s the first time I’ve seen this much of a smile, and it’s fucking dazzling. It’s drawing me in as the energy in the room begins to change. It swirls around me, pulling me closer. I feel it, the happiness in the moment.
We’re in a good place right now, and all I want is to share it with him.
So, I take it.
I lean forward in a rush, pressing my lips to his. I ignite in an insatiable fire, it burns all the way down to my chest. He hesitates, but as I push my tongue inside his mouth, his hand instantly rushes up, grasping my hair. His fingers grip and pull, sending a tingle through my scalp in the most delicious way. He tastes of whiskey and desire as his other hand claws at my hip. He backs me frantically against the bar, our tongues colliding, dancing with each other in the frenzied kiss. My hands run up his back, clinging on, pulling him closer, needing him closer. I’ve wanted this kiss for so fucking long, now it’s here, it’s everything I remember but so much more. A low growl rumbles from his chest, the sound so fucking powerful it has me wanting to fall to my knees and worship him.
