The entire room froze. It felt like time had been completely stopped. I could have heard a pin drop ten miles away with how silent it went. I sat there, staring into Diesel’s eyes. If there was one thing I ever learned from my father, it was never be the one to break eye contact first.
So, I held Diesel’s gaze until he turned his attention out to the room.
“I think this is the first time I haven’t had to quiet down the club after an argument,” he said.
Everyone in the room chuckled as I peered over at Cage.
“A motion has been brought to the floor to help protect Cage and Sutton. All in favor?” Diesel asked.
And as hands slowly went up in the room, there was one man who didn’t comply. One man who stood out among the rest. I looked over at Knox, watching them as his eyes slowly cased me. He looked over at Cage, eyeing us as if we were criminals. As if we were infiltrators in a place where we didn’t belong.
“How do we know they aren’t lying to us?” Knox asked.
“The Dead Souls don’t turn their backs on someone that needs help. Something we learned with the Black Hornets. Are you really starting to play favorites?” Diesel asked.
And with a grumble, Knox jutted his hand into the air.
“All are in favor, so the motion stands. Cage, Sutton, the two of you can stay here with us until we figure out what our next move is. But, Cage?” Diesel asked.
“Yep?”
“That means you’re fighting with us. As one of us.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.
I grinned as I drew in a deep breath. A breath of relief. A breath for a new beginning. Because I didn’t know how I knew, but I knew this was the start of something great. Something safe. Something new, for both of us.
“Wait,” Brewer said.
I bit back a groan, hoping this wasn’t yet another person kicking back against what has just happened.
“I’m already a step ahead of you, Brewer,” Diesel said. “Cage and Sutton, you guys will be staying here. At the lodge. The rest of us will be packing up and getting our families to safe places until we can figure out what our next move is. I want you guys here so we know how to find you easily, and this place is already stocked with toiletries and food you guys can use,” Diesel said.
“Everyone can come to mine and Everly’s cabin until we can get it all sorted,” Grave said.
“You have a cabin?” Cage asked.
Grave nodded. “Don’t like the noise and the riff raff that comes with a not-cabin.”
I giggled. “A ‘not-cabin.’ I like it.”
I finally managed to get a grin out of one of the guys, and it gave me hope. It brought me peace. It gave me the idea that things would be okay.
“Is there anyway the two of you can get back to Sutton’s stuff she said she had in her car?” Diesel asked.
Cage paused. “Not without compromising this, I don’t think.”
“Then, there are some spare clothes in the drawers here I’m sure the girls won’t mind you using. I’ll make sure it’s okay with them beforehand, but as long as you take care of them and wash them, I don’t think it’ll be an issue,” Diesel said.
“I really appreciate it, thank you,” I said.
“So, does this mean we need to start packing up?” Rock asked.
Diesel nodded. “The sooner we can get the kids out of here, the better. Get your stuff and head to Grave’s place. And Cage?”
“Yep?” he asked.
“The safest room is at the very back. It doesn’t have windows, but it also doesn’t have windows,” he said.
“I got it. That’s where we’ll be, then,” Cage said.
“Great. Does anyone else have any other issues to air out?” Diesel asked.
The guys standing around shook their heads slowly before their president drew in a deep breath.
“Then, I officially end this church meeting,” he said.
And with a clap of his hands, everyone dispersed.
13
Cage
“Diesel, wait up.”
I trotted up to him just as he ushered Brynn and their little one out the door.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Look, man. I just—”
He nodded, almost as if he knew what I was trying to say.
“You’re family. I’ll help in any way I can. We’ll figure this out, one way or another. But right now? All of us just need to get settled down. It’s late, and the kids need baths and shit,” he said.
“Stuff,” Brynn said, correcting him.
“Sorry. Yeah. Stuff,” he said.
I chuckled as I reached out, clapping his upper arm with my hand. The more time I spent around him, the more he reminded me of Dad. I wondered if that was an appropriate thing to tell him.
Probably best not to open too many cans of worms at once.
“You two get some rest. We’ll all be back in the morning to lay out some plans,” Diesel said.
“The guys left their numbers tacked onto the fridge, if you guys need to get in touch with us,” Brynn said.
“Thank you. Sutton and I appreciate that,” I said.
“You two get some sleep. Keep your ears out, and if anything happens, pick up that landline in the kitchen and dial one. You don’t need to talk to anyone. Just hit the number one and hang up,” Diesel said.
“Number one, if in trouble. Got it,” I said.
“Oh! Tell him about the clothes!” Brewer called out
“Ah, yes. Um, on the bed in that back room I was telling you about is a small stack of clothes. Two or three pairs of jeans. Some t-shirts. Socks. An unopened package of boxers. Figured you’d want at least a few changes of clothing. Because I know damn good and well bikes don’t pack down much in terms of necessities,” Diesel said.
“You guys have done more than enough. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you,” I said.
“We’re family. I’m sure there will come a time when we’ll need you. And I’ll expect you to be there.”
“Of course. You’ve got it.”
“Good. Now, the two of you get some dinner and some rest. We’ll be back.”
I stood there as Brynn and Diesel headed out, then closed the door. I locked it, walking around the room to make sure the windows were locked, and the blinds were drawn. I was getting hungry. Dinner was almost upon us, and I wasn’t sure what there was to eat. So, I made my way into the kitchen before I heard a soft pair of footsteps behind me.
“How do I look?” Sutton asked.
I turned around and found her in a very tight summer dress. She smoothed her hands over it, and I watched with a dry mouth as the fabric rumbled over her curves. As her hands softly gripped at her wide hips and her thick thighs. My eyes slowly cased her, taking in the slope of her breasts and the pert globes of her ass.
“You look great, Sutton. But I thought you didn’t have a change of clothes?” I asked.
“I don’t. Well, I didn’t. Until the girls practically donated half their wardrobe to me. I take it those folded clothes on the bed are for you?” she asked.
I nodded. “A few things the guys are letting me borrow.”
“I can’t believe how nice they are. I mean, really. After all that has happened.”
I chuckled. “It’s a bit jarring. But, nice.”
“Are you hungry?”
“A bit. I think I’d like some coffee, though. Want me to make some?”
“I’ve got it.”
“Cage, you need to rest and heal.”
“I’ve been resting and healing just fine. What I need right now is a purpose,” I said.
And with a nod of her head, Sutton quickly relinquished the kitchen to me.
I was pretty sure that was the first time I’d ever witnessed her not automatically fight with me on something. It was nice. But I also wondered where it came from. Why it was happening.
I could already see this situation changing her. And I wanted to make sur
e she didn’t lose herself in all this.
The two of us stayed quiet as I put on a pot of coffee. I pulled out some things to make a quick salad, then found some cold chicken to top it all off. I pulled it apart, tossing in a bunch of vegetables that were already chopped up. No use in making up more food when there were leftovers to be eaten. I tossed everything together and grabbed a few salad dressings. I put everything on the table just as the coffee pot was finished. I pulled out things to make up sandwiches and tossed it onto the kitchen table, then grabbed a couple of mugs for us to use.
“Thanks for putting this together,” Sutton said.
“Didn’t take me any time to do it, and I’m always happy to,” I said.
I poured us each a mug of coffee before I placed the pot between us. She got up to rummage around for cream and sugar while I downed my black coffee like it was nothing. I was already pouring myself a second mug by the time she sat back down, and before I knew it, she was wolfing down a massive portion of salad.
“Not really hungry, huh?” I asked, grinning.
“Shut up,” she said.
I chuckled as I fixed myself a nice sandwich, then took a massive bite. My stomach kicked into full gear, and soon I had two sandwiches as well as a large salad filling my gut. I sipped my third mug of coffee as Sutton leaned back, rolling her shoulders back to accent her breasts. I knew she never did that intentionally, but it was my favorite move she had in her arsenal. Not only did it give me a wonderful view of her ridiculous curves, but it showed her confidence. It showed her strength. It showed how she saw herself as equal to everyone around her, and I liked that about her.
I liked her independence. And I hoped to fuck on high this situation didn’t bleed her dry of all that.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.
She sighed. “You mean, talk about how my father is now going to want me dead?”
I shrugged. “Any part of it. All of it. Some of it. How are you feeling?”
“That’s more of an apt question for you to answer.”
“My wound is fine. Piper has me on pain medication. I’m sure I’m past the worst of it.”
“It’ll take more than a day for you to get over that hump.”
“But for now, I’m fine. Now, what about you? Because I know you aren’t,” I said.
She sipped her coffee for a while, and I watched a war rage behind her eyes.
“Just like your father, my father is the last shred of family I have. And he wants to kill me,” she said.
“We don’t know that for sure,” I said.
“I can pretty much predict what he’s going to do. His men will report back to him, he’ll demand a bit more evidence. We’ll be surveilled until he has that evidence, then my father will come for us personally. He’ll put a gun to my head and demand answers before making sure the both of us are dead in his wake.”
“I can guarantee you that last part won’t happen. So long as you’re with me, you’re protected. No matter what it cost me.”
“That’s what I’m saying, Cage. It’s already cost you once.”
“So… what? Are you thinking about leaving?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Would it make you any safer if I left?”
“You’re not leaving. We just got the guys to agree to protect both of us, even though they know who you father is. Both of us stand the best chance together. Not apart,” I said.
“That’s not how you felt after jumping from my balcony at my father’s place.”
I sighed. “You were being pretty stubborn, and we were on a time crunch.”
“You were. I wasn’t. I still got to you before he did.”
“How did you find me, by the way?” I asked.
She sat her mug down. “After my father came back to the house, I asked him how things went with work. I saw he was pissed off, and I got him to open up enough to tell me that his business wasn’t completely finished. He said he had a ‘meeting’ with someone that night, but they didn’t show.”
“Meeting. Right.”
“Then, he said that if the person didn’t want to come to him, he knew where to go to get to you. Somehow, he knew where you were headed. Which meant he probably already knows about these guys.”
“And my relationship to Diesel,” I said.
“Yeah. I don’t know how, but I knew I needed to get to you first. I faked starting my period and my father was more than willing to shove me out the door with money in my hand to get whatever it was I needed. I went to your father’s house, found some papers and a picture you left behind on his desk, and a quick Google search led me to Redding.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You did all that for me.”
She nodded. “I knew I’d never be able to forgive myself if I knew something happened to you when I could have stopped it. So, I left my cell phone at my place in case my father decided to track it, I packed up my things, I purchased myself a few disposables—all of which are still in my car at that damn gas station—and I got on the road. It was only by pure happenstance that I ran into you at that gas station, and I’m glad I did.”
“So am I,” I said.
“Cage, I don’t know—”
“You’re remarkable, you know that?” I asked.
There had never been a moment where Sutton had ever been speechless. There had been times where I came close. Times where she stuttered over her words. But there’d never been a time where something I said or did shocked her so greatly that she couldn’t speak. As I sat there, though, across the table from her, I saw her lips part in shock. Her arms fell to her sides, limp from the power of my words.
“You’re incredible, piecing together all of this the way you did,” I said.
And still, she didn’t know what to do except shake her head.
I stood up from the kitchen table and walked to her side. I took her hand within mine and helped her onto her feet, feeling her fall into me. Her hands pressed against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close to me. I gazed into those stunned brown eyes, watching them sparkle with flakes of yellow I’d come to admire more than the peaks and valleys her body had to offer. I wrapped my good arm tightly around her waist before cupping her cheek with my other hand. And as my thumb smoothed against her soft skin, she finally found her voice.
“I just listened to my father growing up. That’s all,” she said softly.
“I’ve never met another woman like you. Ever,” I said.
“I was so worried about you, Cage. Why the fuck did you leave me like that?” she asked breathlessly.
“I won’t ever leave you like that again. I was pissed off and upset at the situation. Confused, and raw from what I’d just witnessed. But I promise you, Sutton, I’ll never leave you like that again. Not unless I feel it’s for your own good. Your own safety.”
“You let me be the judge of that, Cage.”
“Not if it means your life, I won’t.”
She snickered and shook her head before she rested against me. I wrapped both of my arms around her, holding her close as I kissed the top of her head. She sighed, her body weakening against me with exhaustion. I could only imagine how she felt. Sleeping in a chair in a place that was unfamiliar to her.
We both needed a good night’s sleep.
“I need a shower,” she murmured.
She pulled away from my arms as a grin spread across my face.
“Want some company?” I asked.
She quirked an eyebrow. “And how do you suppose you're going to take a shower with that wound on your shoulder?”
I shrugged. “I know where the first aid kit is. I’m sure there’s some waterproof something or other in there we can use.”
“And if there isn’t?”
I took a step toward her and slid my hand through her hair, gripping her tendrils softly.
“Then, I’m sure a bath won’t compromise my shoulder,” I murmured.
And before I knew it, Sutton slid my hand from her hair and le
d me down the hallway. Into the windowless bedroom. She kicked the door closed before leading me into the bathroom, where there was a shockingly-massive tub. She peeked over her shoulder and grinned at me before she bent over the edge. She turned on the water with steam already filling the space around us before she bent back up.
“Looks like a bath is the quickest fix, then,” she said, giggling.
14
Sutton
I put the bubbles in the tub, then turned around and stood up. Cage’s eyes ran over my body, and I was ready for him. Ready to show him exactly what was underneath this dress. I loved how hungry his eyes were. How his body seemed to grow with need right in front of me. And as I slipped the straps of the dress down my shoulders, he licked that plump lower lip of his.
“Sutton, you don’t—”
“Shut up, Cage,” I said, snickering.
“Fine by me,” he said.
I slid the tight fabric over my breasts, watching his reaction as a soft growl fell from his lips. I wiggled it down my body, over my waist before it caught at my hips. I smiled brightly as I pushed it over my love handles, revealing myself to him. And when he saw I didn’t have any panties on, he audibly groaned.
“You bad girl,” he said, grinning.
“I’ve been called worse,” I said, winking.
I kicked the fabric of the dress away before walking up to him. I gazed up into his eyes, craning my neck back to keep his gaze in view. Slowly, I stripped away his clothes. Revealing his body for me and keeping tabs on his wound. I was careful around his hurt arm, but not even the grunt of pain falling from his lips could have kept my eyes off his body.
Off his God-like chiseled form.
After stripping him down, I ran my eyes over him. Head to toe, taking in the peaks and valleys of his strong body. This man I had lusted after for months was finally in front of me, and I couldn't get enough. The taut muscles pulled over his shoulders fell into a swollen chest. The divot alone made my tongue ache to trace the outline as his muscles trickled into a set of rock hard abs. The thick rings around them called to my fingertips. So much so that I danced them along his sides. And as Cage gasped, I caught sight of the lines that pointed me right to the swinging cock between his legs.
Dead Souls MC: Prospects Series Books 1-5 Page 9
