by L. Wilder
Seth:
That’s the last time that motherfucker touches you.
Me:
I’m sorry you had to see that.
Seth:
In exactly one hour, the power will go off. Don’t leave your office.
Me:
What are you going to do?
Seth:
Stay put, Zoe.
Me:
Okay. I will.
Seth:
That’s my girl.
Me:
I don’t know what you’re about to do, but please be careful.
Seth:
Always.
I shoved the phone back in my purse and tried to focus on my work, but I couldn’t get the messages out of my head. I was consumed with worry as I pictured them charging into Nudie’s with their guns blazing. I could almost see the bullets flying past me as they wiped everyone out, but deep down, I knew that wouldn’t happen. There was no way Seth would put innocent people at risk.
Trying to distract myself, I turned on my laptop and started sorting through all my emails. They all seemed like junk mail except for a message from my aunt. I hadn’t talked to her since the night I’d rushed out of the hospital after seeing Seth’s tattoo. Apparently, she’d noticed that I was upset and was checking to see if I was okay. I quickly replied, letting her know that I was fine and promised to come see her soon.
I’d checked all my other messages and was about to start working on my lit assignment when the power went out. The room was filled with darkness, and my heart raced when I heard all the commotion coming from the bar. I was tempted to go see what was going on, but then I remembered what Seth had told me.
I hated being in the dark. My overactive imagination didn’t help matters. My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe as I sat there scared out of my mind, listening to every sound, every thump. There was no light coming in from the outside window, and as I stared out into the darkness, I could only make out large lumps of furniture. Even though it seemed like an eternity, after a few minutes the lights flickered back on. I could hear the hoots and hollers coming from the next room along with the blaring music from the stage.
I sat there anxiously waiting and listening, but nothing happened, at least not that I could tell. After an hour, life at the club was going on as usual, and I was beginning to think Seth’s plan had failed.
When my curiosity finally got the best of me, I headed out to the main room to check things out. I spotted Kat behind the bar. As I made my way over to her, she gave me a strange look.
“What’s wrong?”
“Slider.”
I glanced around the room and found him sitting at a corner table with Casey, one of the younger, more well-endowed strippers. She had her legs wrapped around him, straddling him, and like usual, he was pawing all over her like a horny teenager. “Yeah? What about him?”
“Zoe,” she scolded. “You’re supposed to be his ol’ lady. Seeing that should piss you off.”
“But it doesn’t. I couldn’t care less,” I scoffed.
“You’re not seeing my point, knucklehead. You’ve got to go over there and give him hell,” she ordered.
I groaned like a pouting two-year-old. “Do I have to?”
“Yes, you have to. Otherwise the brothers will think something is up. The last thing you want is for them to think you’ve been lying to them.”
“Damn it,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Go put him in his place.”
As much as I didn’t like it, I knew she was right. I had to keep the act up, just for a little longer. I looked over at the camera and wondered if Seth was watching. I’m sure he’d wonder what the hell I was doing as I walked over to Slider’s table. When I approached, they were really going at it. His tongue was down her throat, and she was grinding against him like she couldn’t get enough. I cleared my throat, but neither of them even noticed I was standing there. I was growing tired of watching their little display, so I finally shouted, “Slider! What the hell?”
He looked up at me with aggravation. “What do you want, Zo?”
“I want to know what the hell you’re doing!”
“Well, I was having a good time until you came over here and fucked it up,” he spat.
I was about to respond when several cops came barreling through the front door. Surprised by their presence, I eased into the back corner and watched in disbelief as they swarmed the bar. In a matter of seconds, the entire place was covered with them. It was totally unexpected. For the most part, the cops didn’t mess with the club. They came in from time to time when there was a fight that got out of control, but usually, they let the guys do their thing. This time was different. I could tell by the looks in their eyes that they were out for blood. They immediately started making arrests for underage drinking and disorderly conduct.
It was already bad, but then it got worse. They brought in the drug dogs, and I could feel the tension radiating through the room. The brothers knew they were in trouble, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Hawk and Tank tried talking to them, but it didn’t stop them. The police continued to hand out tickets and make arrests.
I hadn’t moved from my spot. I couldn’t. I was completely stunned and hadn’t even realized that Scotty had come up beside me. “You doing okay over here?”
With a startled jump, I turned to him and gasped, “Shit, Scotty! You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry, Zo.” His eyebrows furrowed with concern. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine, I guess. Just a little surprised by all this.”
“Been a long time coming,” he muttered under his breath. When the police started poking around the bar, he turned to me and said, “Stay put. This will be over soon.”
“Okay.”
“Just give me a shout if you need me.”
“I will. Thanks, Scotty.”
I did like Scotty told me. I didn’t move from my spot, hoping that no one would see me, but my attempt to go unnoticed failed. I broke out in a cold sweat when I noticed a tall, broad shouldered officer walking in my direction. He glared at me with his menacing green eyes as he asked, “Do you have your ID?”
“Yes, sir. I do. It’s back in my office,” I answered nervously.
Before I could offer to go get it, he asked, “You work here?”
“Yes, sir. I’m the bookkeeper.”
He shined a small flashlight back and forth across my eyes. “Have you been drinking?”
“No, sir.”
“Taken any drugs tonight?”
“No, sir. I don’t do that stuff.”
He lowered his flashlight and asked, “Are you aware of any illegal activity that’s been happening here?”
“Umm… Not that I’m aware of.” I knew the brothers were involved in all kinds of illegal crap, but the truth was, I had no idea what they were up to. I had nothing I could tell him.
“Are you sure about that?”
I glanced over the man’s shoulder, and in the mist of all the chaos, I spotted one of the officers arguing with Slider. I had no idea what either of them were saying, but it was clear from Slider’s expression that he was livid. His face was red with fury as he shoved the policeman in the chest. In a split second, the cop had him pinned to floor and placed cuffs on each of his hands. Slider continued to bitch and moan as he was pulled to his feet, and I watched with wonder as the officer led him out the door. Slider was gone.
I returned my attention to the officer in front of me. “Can you repeat the question?”
“I have all I need, miss.” He gave me a quick wink and then walked away. It was then that I realized something was up.
Seth.
He’d done it. He’d kept his word, and Slider was out of the picture.
My eyes were glued to the screen as I watched the cop carry that piece of shit out to the squad car. As expected, he didn’t go without a fight. He knew the charges were trumped up, but no matter how hard
he tried to convince them that the two kilos of cocaine they’d found in his saddlebags weren’t his, they weren’t buying it. By the time the cops rolled out, over ten arrests had been made, and the club had been slammed with numerous fines. Once the cops were gone and the dust settled, Tank and several others stood around talking. Having the mics up and running made a world of difference. We could hear them perfectly as they discussed how they could get their brothers out of jail. They might be successful, but it would take some time—time we could use to our advantage.
After Tank finished talking, the others all started to leave. One by one each of them walked out the front door, all except Hawk. He remained standing next to his president, and it was clear from their actions that they were rattled, angry and set for revenge. Neither of them had any idea who was behind the raid, which infuriated Hawk. After several minutes of talking to Tank, Hawk stormed over to the bar.
Zoe was busy helping Kat when he approached her. “Did one of you call the cops?”
Kat rolled her eyes as she snapped, “You’re kidding, right?”
“No! I’m not fucking kidding!”
“We didn’t call them, Hawk,” Zoe said calmly.
“Somebody sure as hell did!”
I clenched my fists at my side, trying to control my rage as I watched him get in her face.
Sensing my distress, Stitch walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Hang in there, brother. She’ll be fine.”
“He better back the fuck off,” I growled.
“Look at her. She’s holding her own. You’ve got nothing to worry about, brother.”
“She’s not who I’m worried about.”
We both watched as Hawk leaned towards her, whispering something under his breath before he turned to leave. From the expression on her face, it was clear he’d threatened her, but I couldn’t make out what was said. Hawk walked out the front door with Tank following behind him, leaving the girls alone to close down the bar. They wasted no time, and within half an hour, they were both walking out the back door.
“See. Everything’s going as planned,” Clutch assured me.
“Have you heard back from Cotton?”
“Yeah. Nitro made the exchange, but some of your load was missing. Fuckers kept part of it. Cotton and the others will be here first thing in the morning”
Before I could finish my thought, there was a knock on the door. Clutch and I turned to Stitch as he announced, “It’s her.”
When he opened the door, Zoe came rushing in. She came straight over to me, wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, and whispered, “Thank you.”
Holding her and knowing for certain that she was okay made all the tension building inside of me start to fade. I kissed her lightly on the forehead before I asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. An hour ago, I might’ve told you something different, but right now… I’m good.” She lifted up on her tiptoes and quickly pressed her lips against mine. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “That was amazing. How in the world did you do all that?”
“Called in a few favors. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, Seth. I’m fine.”
“I saw Hawk talking to you. What was that about?”
“He said he was going to be watching me…. That he didn’t trust me as far as he could throw me.”
“You think he knows something?”
“No. That was just Hawk being Hawk.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I’m not exactly thrilled about it either, but I’ll be careful. You don’t have to worry.”
“When it comes to you and your safety, I’m always going to worry.”
Once I was certain she was okay, I followed Zoe back to the hotel. After a crazy day, I wanted to spend the night with her—alone. When we got to the room, I handed her the remote. “See what you can find to watch.”
She started flipping through the channels. “I know it’s kind of late, but… I’m starving.”
I looked down at my watch, and when I saw the time, I suggested, “How about a pizza?”
“Pizza would be perfect.”
I pulled out my phone, and after a few calls, I finally found a place that was still open. I placed our order, and when I was done, I told her, “All set.”
After several minutes of searching, she finally found some comedy on TV. I laid back on the bed, and she curled up next to me while we waited for the pizza to arrive. It felt right having her there with me—easy, like she was meant to be there. Every so often, she’d giggle or sigh, and it was music to my fucking ears. I was falling for her—falling hard.
When the pizza arrived, we sat down at the table. After she helped herself to a slice, she asked, “You never told me what made you decide to join an MC.”
“It wasn’t something I planned, if that’s what you mean. I’d always been one to do my own thing. Drove my folks crazy growing up.” I took a bite of pizza, then continued, “When I stumbled on the club, I just knew. It’s hard to explain.”
“I get it. There was a time when being at the club really made me happy. I loved riding with my dad, and back then, the guys were different. It’s still hard to believe how much everything’s changed.”
“That’s gotta be tough.”
“It is, but I just have to believe that things happen for a reason.” She finished off her second slice of pizza, then asked, “Umm… do you mind if I take a quick shower?”
Remembering how Slider had his hands all over her, I couldn’t blame her for wanting to wash away any remains of him. “Sure.”
I reached in my bag for a clean t-shirt and offered it to her. As she took it from my hand, she smiled and said, “Thanks. I won’t be long.”
“Take your time.”
When I heard the water kick on, I lay down on the bed and tried not to think about the fact that she was in the shower. She’d had a long day and needed time to decompress, so I tried not to imagine the hot water flowing down over her perfect naked body. It wasn’t an easy task. I tried to distract myself, but nothing worked. My resistance faltered, and I found myself taking off my clothes. Once I was undressed, I walked towards the bathroom door. When I stepped inside, I could see her silhouette standing behind the curtain. I’d only been standing there for a moment when Zoe peeked her head out from behind the curtain. Desire flashed through her eyes as she glanced down at my bare skin and smiled.
“What took you so long?” she teased playfully. Without hesitation, I pulled back the curtain and stepped inside the shower. Her arms wound around my neck, and my dick immediately grew hard when I felt her perfect breasts pressed against my chest. Noticing my aroused state, she smiled and then slowly dropped down to her knees.
My cock twitched as her hands trailed up my legs. Her greedy eyes stared at my growing erection, and her fingers gently wrapped around me, moving ever so slowly up and down my dick. I was completely lost the moment her tongue flicked across the head of my cock. She started slowly, swirling her tongue lightly against the tip before taking it deeply into her mouth. A deep growl vibrated through my chest as her fingers tightened around me. Her mouth felt so fucking good wrapped around me, sucking with just the right amount of pressure. My hands twisted in her damp hair, guiding her as she continued to suck and stroke me. Unable to control myself, I pushed further into her mouth. Knowing that she was driving me wild, her pace quickened, making my cock throb with need. The combination of the hot water from the shower and the soft warmth of her mouth had me in a state of ecstasy, but I wanted more.
Confusion crossed her face as I reached down and gently lifted her to her feet. As I handed her a towel, I told her, “I need to be inside you. Now.”
Once we were dried off, I bent down and lifted her into my arms, carrying her into the room. I dropped her onto the bed, then reached for my jeans. I took out a condom, and she watched with anticipation as I rolled it down my long, thick shaft. Her flushed body squirmed against the mattress as she pleaded, “Hurry.
”
“Are you sure you want me to do that?” I teased as I lowered myself between her legs. I raked my tongue firmly across her clit, causing her to squirm beneath me.
Her fingers dug into the sheets, twisting them tightly in her hands as she gasped, “Oh, God.”
Her back arched off the bed as I pressed the flat of my tongue against her sensitive flesh. I softly teased back and forth in a gentle rhythm against her sensitive flesh, loving the way her body instantly reacted to my tongue. Needing more, my hands slid under her ass, pulling her closer to my mouth as I relished in her taste. Her body tensed as little groans and whimpers vibrated through the room. I loved seeing her come apart, knowing that I was in complete control of her as I watched her body respond to my touch. Her fingers dove into my hair, guiding me as her knees opened wider.
She was close to the edge, and I couldn’t wait a minute longer. I had to be inside her. Her eyes locked on mine as I lifted my body up between her legs.
“Yes,” she moaned as I centered myself at her entrance. She wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me towards her, and wound her arms around my neck. I felt her tremble beneath me as I slid deep inside her. I stilled, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. She felt so perfectly wet and tight that I had to fight the urge to come from just being inside her.
“You feel so damned good,” I growled as I started to move, grinding against her until I found the steady, hard pace that I knew she was desperate for. I wanted to watch her come apart, to hear all those little sounds she made, and feel her body grow rigid as she found her release.
I began to drive deeper and harder. Her head reared back as she moaned, “Oh, God! Seth, don’t stop!”
