“Always, Everly. I’m always worried about you. You know that.”
He took a step. My body warmed up even more.
I looked at the water. All the bubbles had dissipated. I was completely visible. Fully naked. Christ, I was so turned on right now.
“Can you help me up?” I asked.
I blushed as I looked at Layne. He seemed hesitant for a second but then nodded and approached the tub.
What the fuck are you doing, Everly?
I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just going with my mind and body. Not so much my heart though. That was still torn, hurt, missing a few broken pieces.
Layne crouched down and looked at me. His eyes blinked fast. He gritted his teeth. “Fuck, Everly. I don’t know…”
“You’ve seen me before,” I whispered.
“Christ, I know. But how many times…” He looked at me and swallowed.
Does he want me?
“What?” I asked. I slowly reached up and touched his face. The scruff tickled my fingers. “What is it?”
“I already told you before,” he said. “Drunk, maybe, but they were sober words, sweetie.”
I shivered again. My breasts were hurting to be touched. I was wet and it wasn’t the warming bath water.
I opened my mouth but closed it. I opened it again. Christ, I had no words right now. I needed to have words. Either words that kicked Layne out… or words that brought him closer…
He let out a sigh. “Let’s just get you out of this bath. You shouldn’t be moving without your crutches. You’re going to end up hurting yourself.”
“I’m tired of feeling weak,” I admitted. “And used. Or useless.”
Layne touched my hair. He moved wet hair from my forehead and cheek to behind my ear. He cupped my cheek and I settled into his rough touch.
“You’re not weak. Or used. Or useless. This life is hard, Everly. On everyone. Not just those wearing a patch.”
“How’s your patch treating you?” I asked.
He smiled. “It’s fine. We’ll all be fine. I can’t say happy, sad, or whatever. We’ll be fine though. Come on, let me help…”
His hand slid behind my neck. His left hand moved over the water and then he kind of froze. His fingertips grazed the water.
“I need to reach under…”
I swallowed hard. I bit my lip, needing to moan. I needed relief. There was a wild pressure between my legs, desperate to be touched.
“Like this,” I whispered.
I put a hand to Layne’s hand and forced it into the water. I took him right between my legs. My fingers curled around his fingers curling around my sex. I pressed and held there, gently lifting and groaning.
Layne looked at me, his face like stone. “Everly…”
“Shut up,” I growled. “Shut the fuck up. Just… a little…”
I was out of breath already.
I moved my fingers, forcing Layne’s fingers to move. I did it for a few seconds and then took my hand away. I gripped my own leg and shuddered as Layne kept moving his fingers.
Two fingers touched my tender slit, sliding up and down, but not really penetrating me. He was fucking teasing me… or maybe trying to fight temptation. But what did it matter? This whole thing was about temptation. We all deserved to fall into it once in a while. Death waited right outside these walls.
I couldn’t believe how it felt. Layne’s two fingers sliding up my sex and pressing against my achy clit. It was like I hadn’t been touched in months. In reality, it was like waiting for months for Layne to finally do this.
I arched my back and groaned. My leg hurt, but I didn’t want this to end. I lifted my chest out of the water and sighed.
“Layne…”
“Goddammit,” he growled.
I thought he was going to stop.
But he didn’t.
I looked at him and saw his mouth moving down to my chest. I tried to gasp but lost my breath when his lips slid over my left nipple. He suckled gently, his tongue moving up and down, making me thrust my chest at him.
I wanted more. So much fucking more.
Layne pulled back and grunted as his teeth grazed my nipple. He then looked at me. He inched in but stopped. His fingers kept playing, but he wouldn’t penetrate me.
I gasped for a breath and my mouth shivered as I tried to find words.
Layne slowly slid his hand up. He left my slit warm and achy. His hand moved along my mound and to my belly. His hand at the back of my neck pulled, bringing me closer to him. His other hand moved around from my belly to my ass and he lifted me up.
He took me from the tub and helped me to my feet. I was completely naked, turned on, trying to balance on one leg. Layne kept a hand to my lower back and reached back to grab me a towel. He stuck the towel between us and looked at me, smiling.
“What the fuck?” I managed to ask.
“I told you, sweetie. When it’s time…”
“I can’t do this. I can’t live with this.”
“I know,” Layne said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m not asking you to hurt me. I’m asking you to fuck me.” I shuddered and then gasped.
Did I really just say that?
Layne helped put the towel around me. He didn’t respond to what I said but rather helped me from the bathroom to the bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and he crouched down before me, touching my injured leg.
“What can I get you?” Layne asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “I’m fine.”
“Pills? A shot of whiskey? Talon?”
I swallowed hard. “Is that why you won’t…”
“I’m not talking about it,” Layne said. “Right now, the club needs peace.”
“And what do you need, Layne? I’m not waiting around forever. I hope you know that. I’m going to make a decision soon. I’m tired of being trapped.”
Layne touched my chin. “Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. Even if you leave. I’ll make sure you’re protected. You won’t suffer because of this club. Because of Talon’s decisions. Because of my decisions.”
“What if I don’t want any of that?” I asked. “What if I just want to disappear?”
“Talon will kill himself.”
“I’ll already be dead on the inside.”
“Christ, Everly,” Layne said. “I don’t know how to fix everything.”
I looked at Layne and saw him vulnerable. I’m not sure that was a good thing for the President of a MC. But I saw Talon vulnerable too. The wars out there were mounting and getting worse by the second.
I reached out and took Layne by the hand. I caressed his fingers, the fingers that had been touching me.
“You brought me here,” I whispered. “With intentions. I wish you’d live out those intentions so I can live out mine.”
“It has nothing to do with what you think,” Layne said. “I don’t want you to be a pawn…”
“I don’t care.”
Layne lifted my hand and kissed it. He then left the bedroom and I sat there, alone and cold. Wearing nothing but a towel. And I was turned on. I wanted someone to touch me. Fuck me. Make me feel okay.
Deep down inside, I just had a terrible feeling that before this all calmed, Talon or Layne would be gone.
8.
(Talon)
I took care of the hand as needed. Soon enough Jony would be taken away for the murder of Hollis. Murder in itself was bad, but the idea of Rilen Lost taking out a guy from Devil Call would make the thing hotter. Because there would be implications of revenge. It would create worry, tension, and most of all, it would create fear.
And when Jony would be killed in prison, without someone from Devil Call MC doing it, that’s when we’d get complete respect. Rilen Lost would be done for a while.
I throttled my ride and pulled right up to the door of the Rilen Lost bar. What I was about to do next was nothing short of a suicide attempt. I climbed off my ride and walked to the door. I opened it and walked right in
to the bar. Ever see a movie where the entire place goes silent? The scratch of a record needle? Followed by crickets?
That’s what happened here.
I had twenty guys looking at me. Some in mid shot in a pool game. Guys with cigarettes dangling from their lips. Guys with drinks held to their lips, not moving. It was like I walked into a wax museum or some crazy shit.
And then all at once, every single fucking one of them pulled their guns out. They pointed their weapons at me, everyone ready to take me out. Sadly enough, I was fair game right now. I had no fucking extra patch on my cut. I had no right and no respect to walk into a rival club’s bar like this. I wasn’t a VP. I wasn’t a President. I was just a patched in member and here I was, standing in the middle of a shit storm.
“I want to talk to Jony,” I called out.
“Go fuck yourself,” someone yelled.
“No. I said I want to talk to Jony. I know half of you don’t know your stub of a cock from your pinky…”
I waited for the bullets to rip through me.
But they didn’t.
I was still fucking Talon to them. President or not, I was a crazy asshole who wasn’t afraid to die. But the secret? I actually was afraid to die. If I died, who would take care of Everly? If I was dead, it would be Layne to have it all. My club… my woman…
I couldn’t believe that death was no longer a friend to me.
I waited, and from the back of the bar came a stumbling and drunk Jony. He looked like shit and when he got close enough, he smelled like it. He walked right up to me and then pointed behind me.
“Where’s the rest of them?”
“Just me, Jony. I’m alone.”
“Fuck you.”
I opened my arms. “Listen, not sure what you heard. I’m nothing now. I lost the vote. I’m not President. Layne is.”
Jony laughed. “So you come here? To what? You want to join us?”
The rest of the bar laughed.
“No,” I said. “I wanted to have a drink with you. Let the pieces fall as they may now. I have no power, Jony. There’s nobody out there for me.”
Jony pointed to two guys and had them leave the bar to check. He then eyed me, not trusting me one bit.
Christ, if he only knew what I had planned…
When his two guys came back inside and nodded, Jony walked to the bar. He cleared two spots for us. I approached without caution. No need to be hesitant here. Just a drink. A goodbye drink. The last time I’d see Jony alive and well.
But he didn’t know that, of course.
I sat and Jony ordered up two shots of whiskey.
“What the fuck do you really want?” he asked.
“I never thought I’d lose the vote,” I said. “I realized I lost some respect of the guys. For shit I was doing. My mentality is stuck like I’m in prison. That’s a whole different world in there, man.”
“Yeah.”
“I shouldn’t have disrespected Jimmy like I did. I know I hurt Jack bad. Our fights should be over land, drugs, booze, pussy. Not me barging in on a dark ride and messing that up. I deserved what I got from Jack. I just wanted to apologize and bury that part of it.”
Jony eyed me again. He was good and drunk already. Some men were fighters when they got drunk. Some men were lovers. Jony… he forgave when he was drunk. He pictured a world of peace. I had picked the right time to come in and bother him.
“Jesus Christ,” Jony said. “What the fuck is Brocke coming to when Talon is apologizing?”
“Maybe I’d seen enough. Being on the inside. Seeing the changes on the outside.”
“Well… salut…”
Jony lifted his glass. I lifted my glass and hit it against Jony’s. We both took the shots. The whiskey tasted like shit. It burned, making my eyes water. I flipped the shot glass over and put it on the bar.
I licked my lips.
“Another one?” Jony offered.
I laughed. “No, man, I’m good. Last thing I need is to go back to the clubhouse stinking of Rilen Lost.”
Jony grinned. “Then get the fuck out of here.”
“Will do, Jony. Will do.”
I stood and put a hand to Jony’s shoulder. He looked back at me. We stared each other down. Maybe to him it was a peaceful stare, but I was just memorizing his face. Taking in this moment. He thought I was weak, but I had the power. More than he knew… but he’d find out soon enough.
I left the Rilen Lost bar with two guys on my ass. They made sure I got on my ride and left without anything happening. Everything was already in place.
I flew down the road, the wind at my face. The open road before me. The thundering power of the motorcycle. I couldn’t quite figure out where everything went so wrong because this felt so right. This was what it had been all about. Just riding. Just being free. Just living on the edge with our own set of laws and outlaw justice.
When I saw the nose of the car a quarter mile up the road, I sped up even more. I knew who the fuck it was and I know he was going to pull me over. It was me who engaged the entire thing.
I sped by Detective John’s car and he flew out, cherry top going, speeding up behind me. If I wanted to get away, I could. I could burn him and leave him days behind me. But I pulled to the side of the road, shut off my ride, and climbed off. I crossed my arms and watched as the asshole detective pulled up next to me. He stood from the car, tearing his sunglasses off.
“What do you have for me, son?”
Son.
I cringed.
“It’s big,” I said. “You need to trust me before things get crazy.”
“Crazy? Heard you lost your patch.”
“I gave it up,” I said. “I just never got it back.”
“I’m sorry, son. It’s cruel. That’s why I’m trying to help you. Trying to protect you. And now Everly is hurt.”
“Leave her out of it.”
He made a fist and slammed it to the roof of the car. “Goddammit, she’s hurt! And I knew it was going to happen!”
Watching him slam his fist took me right back to a dark place. When I used to be the roof of the car. Punches. Kicks. Getting beat at the back of my legs. Not to mention what he did to my mother. The only comfort I took in her death was that she was free. Truly free. From everything worldly and mortal.
“She survived,” I said. “And what do you want with her?”
I saw the look in his eyes. I knew what he wanted with her. It made me fucking sick.
“What do you want, Talon? I have work to do.”
“Like what? Chasing your tail? Trying to find something that’s not there?”
“How about I arrest you.”
“For what?”
“I’m sure there’s an illegal weapon on you somewhere. Maybe a little booze on your breath.”
I opened my arms. “Come on. Find what you want. I can’t promise you’ll ever walk again though.”
“Threatening me?”
I laughed. “You’re a real piece of shit, John.”
“You used to call me Dad.”
“I never wanted to. I was forced to.”
“That’s right,” he said. “Respect. I’ll get that back from you too. I promise.”
I nodded. “Want to settle a beef between Rilen Lost and Devil Call?”
“How?”
“Jony from Rilen Lost killed Hollis.”
“What?” Detective John said. “Hollis was done in on the inside…”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what happened to him. Getting lost in drugs and then getting murdered. It’s not right, John. We’ve tried to stay calm about it. You know damn well we could be out there causing some serious problems. But we didn’t. We just did our own digging. And we found a part of Hollis.”
“A part?”
“He wasn’t all put together after being murdered,” I said. “Was he?”
“Talon…”
I lifted my hand and wiggled my fingers. “He was missing his fucking hand. That’s how Jony kn
ew it was done for real. So there was double crossing. He made the call and arranged it. And he has the fucking hand.”
“You’re joking.”
“No. We’ve done our homework on this. Layne is ready to make the call.”
“The call for what?”
“To start a fight,” I said. “I stopped him. Which is risky since he’s the President.”
John rubbed his forehead. “What the fuck…”
“We’re ready to take the bar down,” I said. “And the only way I can stop it is if you go get him. Find the hand, arrest Jony. Then we have nothing.”
“Why the fuck are you telling me this? You’re setting me up.”
“Whatever,” I said. “Layne has the patch. Layne isn’t violent like me. If I won the vote… I’d be up there burning the fucking place down with all those assholes in it. But Layne wants to keep the peace. He figures if Jony gets put away, it’ll leave Rilen Lost scrambling and quiet.”
“So you guys can regain your power?” Detective John asked.
“Exactly. Not my way of doing business, but whatever.”
We stood there in silence, staring each other down.
He slowly grabbed his sunglasses. “If I call in help and there’s nothing there… I’m coming to arrest you, Talon.”
“I’m not lying,” I said. “I know what’s there. Okay? And it makes me fucking sick that Jony is going to get protection from your version of the law. Lawyers. Judges. A jury. Fucking rights. It’s disgusting. He had one of our guys killed. I know Hollis was fucked up on shit, but he was still a patched in Devil Call member.”
“And Layne doesn't want to fight.”
“To be honest, he wants you to get wrapped up in this and leave us alone. This shit with you talking about a video… bothering Everly… lurking all the time… it’s not good for us. So, yeah, we benefit in this. I’d rather put a bullet in Jony’s head, but this works too.”
“I’m not giving up,” Detective John said. “You fucking fool, Talon. You were always dumb. And you let that big ox Layne take you down even more. The two of you together are idiots. I’ll go up there. If I find something, I’ll believe you. If I don’t, I’m coming after you and I’m taking you in.”
“Do what you have to do,” I said.
I turned and got back on my ride.
RAW MERCY (A Devil Call MC Book) (Talon & Everly Book Six) (Devil Call MC Talon & Everly 6) Page 6
