Tears are flowing over my cheeks and leave a hot trail in their wake. I’ve been strong all week, keeping things locked away and not thinking about it and just working my ass off. But all this talk is ripping open old wounds and I’m left raw and emotional.
Joaquin wraps his arms around me. “Don’t deprive yourself of things you need and long for, sweetie. You deserve happiness, even in a time of grieving.”
My body shakes and my vision turns blurry. I feel a shift of arms before I’m being pulled close against a hard chest. I know who the strong arms belong to when his scent wraps me in a cocoon of comfort. Weston. He’s here and he’s holding me close. At this point the emotion raging inside me is unlocked and all I can do is cry and let it all out.
“You owe me one.” Cassidy’s voice is a hushed whisper, but I do pick up on it.
The harsh rumble through Weston’s chest flows through my body when he replies, “I owe you more than that. Thank you for telling Roper she needed me. I won’t forget and I promise I won’t fuck up: she means too much for me to fail her.”
“Good. She deserves happiness and a strong man to protect her. I only allowed for you to be here because from what I’ve heard you were the one who stood up for her. And I know you will keep her safe and handle the Trixy issue.”
“I will,” Weston vows.
“And I’m cashing in the favor you owe me. I only need one thing from you, and that’s to keep Roper away from me. He did his part with using me to stay close to Harlene. That ends now.” Cassidy’s voice is void of all emotions, all while she’s always the one who is never afraid to blurt out her feelings.
I wipe my tears away and face my friend while I feel Weston’s chest rumble.
“I didn’t force him to keep an eye on my old lady, Cassidy. Roper wants you. Even if I order him to keep his distance, he won’t listen,” Weston says.
“I don’t care. You owe me. You make it happen.” She doesn’t leave room for discussion but spins on her heels and stalks off.
I’m about to go after her but Weston stops me. I try to push at his hands but it’s useless.
“You two need to fix you. I’ll handle Cassidy,” Joaquin says and rushes after Cassidy.
Weston lets his hands fall away from my body.
“I don’t want to fix us,” I tell him in anger and yet the lie tastes badly on my tongue.
“Too bad because I ain’t giving up,” Weston says with determination. “I gave you enough space these past few days but that shit ends today.”
I can only glare and cross my arms in front of my chest. His eyes travel over my body and I should care how I look, but I don’t. I just finished surgery on a dog, cried my eyes out, and had a hell of a last few weeks. I couldn’t care less about my appearance and yet this man looks amazing. But when I really look, I notice the black underneath his eyes and the pain in those tormented windows of his soul.
There’s no doubt in my mind he’s suffering and I know it’s because of me; because of us.
“I don’t know how to move on,” I ultimately state.
Weston reaches out and takes my fingertips into his hand and brings them to his mouth to press a soft kiss on each one of my fingers.
“We lean on each other, that’s how.” His throat bobs as he swallows hard. “We talk things through, get it all out and move forward. Because these last few weeks have shown me I need and want you in my life, no matter what.”
“No matter what,” I echo.
My mind fills with the sound of his voice when he told that man how he’s going to kill him. And I know by the way he voiced that threat he would do it too. It’s in his eyes, how I’ve seen him and gotten to know him in our time together. He faces a bull with the biggest of horns without an ounce of fear and doesn’t shy away from any confrontation. Head on, and headstrong. And he’s standing here telling me he wants me in my life no matter what.
“My father never trusted my mother with club business. Hell, he never even trusted her with anything on the ranch either. He fucked around on her and in my eyes lacked respect in every way. She walked in on him having sex with one of the hang-arounds. He didn’t stop when he noticed her and kept fucking. He even had the balls to tell her to go home. How he would deal with her once he was done fucking.”
My heart is racing and anger and disgust are filling my veins.
“She killed herself. She walked into the kitchen and slit her wrists. That’s how I found her, slumped down against the kitchen cabinets, murmuring how she hated my father and repeating what she walked in on. Voicing my father’s last words as the final ones for herself.”
Anger and disgust inside me switch to sadness and pain for the man in front of me. I reach out and bury my fists in his leather cut to pull him close and wrap my arms around him. I need to feel him close. I need to comfort him.
“That’s how I know I won’t ever hurt you like that. I won’t ever hide anything from you either. I was sixteen years old and knew more about the club, the ranch, the women, than my mother. But that moment when she died in my arms, I knew the one woman who would manage to steal my heart would have all of me. I never thought I’d take an old lady. I didn’t want to in case I would fail. But when I saw you my heart fucking lurched and I wanted you. And then I got to know you and I knew...I knew deep down I could protect you and make it work. Together.”
“Together,” I croak.
“No matter what,” Weston vows.
“No matter what,” I echo.
“Babe?” Weston chuckles.
I glance up into his eyes, filled with emotion.
“Stop being so compliant, I really like your feistiness and smart mouth.”
I shove him hard against his chest and grumble, “Way to ruin a moment.”
His head tips back and he barks out a laugh. He pulls me close and kisses the top of my head while he murmurs, “Don’t ever fucking change.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
— Weston —
“We’re close to wrapping this shit up once and for all,” Roper informs me.
I check the saddle one more time and let my hand slide over the neck of my horse. “How close?”
“I expect Decker to call me any second. He said he would when he has a visual.”
I give Roper a nod and grab the reins. We’ve been actively hunting for Trixy. She’s been missing for well over a week. This is also the reason why we let her father escape. But not before we put a tracker on him, because we knew he would lead us to her.
When we checked the junkyard, we discovered that not only did they steal cash, they managed to set up a whole secret bank account only they had access to, showing us they have been transferring loads of our money into it for years on end.
No wonder the bitch disappeared; she had all the means necessary and received a text from her father when we left him alone for a few minutes when I was outside rushing after Harlene. It took us a while to get to them, but they will be dealt with today.
Anger flares right back up when I think about the fact that Decker found papers hidden away underneath some floorboards. A tiny safe underneath the floor contained ownership papers and it all indicated they wanted to somehow force me into signing the junkyard over to them. Probably while getting my dick sucked by Trixy. Fucking idiots, as if they would ever get away with that shit.
Roper’s phone rings and he picks up on the second ring. “It’s Decker, hang on.”
He switches to speaker and Decker’s voice flows through the air. “I just got here but it seems there aren’t any loose ends left to deal with.”
Roper and I share a look and Roper questions, “How’s that?”
“A lot of action in the cabin and I’ve just watched them pull out two bodies. They’re dead. They are wrapping them up in body bags as we speak. From what I’ve overheard them talking, seems like carbon monoxide did the job for us,” Decker says and I can hear the roar of his bike. “I’m heading back, talk later.”
“Talk later,” both me
and Roper say in sync.
“That’s an easy solution,” Roper says as he slides his phone back into his pocket.
I grab the saddle and jump up and swing my leg over the horse. Looking down at Roper, I tell him, “Nothing in life is simple. The bitch and Leo got hit with a dose of karma. Too fucking easy if you ask me but it’s still a vivid reminder for us how twisted some people are in this world.”
Roper nods. “Are you going to check on the herd?”
“I need to double check the fence of the quarter horses and how they are doing. Then I’ll check the new herd of Texas Longhorns. You good?”
Roper shrugs but I know he’s been struggling with my order. He almost took a swing at me when I told him Cassidy wanted him to back off. We both know he didn’t stay around to protect Harlene, though it was one hell of a convenience.
But according to Roper, Cassidy is simply it for him. But Cassidy doesn’t want to hear it, no matter who is telling her how it is. From what Harlene has told me, Cassidy has been burned too many times in the past by people who she let inside her heart. And now she’s not opening up to others, no matter how badly she wants to be with Roper. Because even Harlene sees how her friend longs for Roper but is depriving herself.
“Harlene coming over later?” he questions.
“Alfie has an eye on her. She should be done working at the clinic within the hour. Let her know where I am since this will take me about an hour or two to wrap up.”
“Will do,” Roper says and smacks my horse’s ass.
I spur Cisco on and ride off to the pasture where the quarter horses are. Time passes and I’m observing the Texas Longhorns when I see Harlene strolling toward me. I check my watch and see it’s been two hours since I headed out and I could curse myself for staying out here that long.
“I’m late, I know,” I grumble and dismount.
She shoots me a grin and stretches on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. A kiss I want to live in for the rest of my life. It’s warm, comfortable, loving, and filled with the promise of pleasure. She pulls back and a sound in the back of my throat relays my regrets of the broken kiss. Harlene giggles and playfully smacks my chest. She turns and faces the herd in the pasture ahead of us and gasps when she takes in the captivating beauty.
“That’s gorgeous,” she breathes.
I step closer and pull her back against my front. “My mother used to come here and paint.”
Her head leans back and she murmurs, “I remember the painting in your cabin. She was really talented.”
The both of us fall silent and watch the sun go down. The wind picks up and we decide it’s time to head back. We could ride together on my horse, but we really want to enjoy the stroll and the scenery, letting the horse follow along behind us.
Returning the horse to the stable, easily sharing tasks, indicates how well we fit together. Our shared interest and strong connection show our relationship will last. Even if she could get called away in the middle of the night for an emergency, it’s her passion and I understand it the way she understands the ranching parts as well as the MC parts of my life.
“What did you want to do for dinner?” Harlene asks.
She’s sitting on bales of hay and looking completely edible.
“You,” I hoarsely reply and stalk toward her.
Her eyes dilate and when I’m standing in front of her, she stops me with two hands on my thighs.
“I always did have a dream of sucking off my very own cowboy biker. I guess my dream is about to become reality.” Her delicate hand rubs my hard on through my jeans and carefully unbuckles my belt before sliding the zipper down. My leather chaps stay in place and her eyes slide over them as she swirls her tongue around the tip of my dick. I hiss through my teeth when she easily takes me to the back of her throat.
“Fucking hell, woman. That feels so good,” I groan and wrap her thick braid around my fist to guide her head and fuck her mouth the way we both crave.
With my free hand I lean down and slide it underneath her shirt and bra, easily finding her nipple. She starts to suck harder, relishing in the attention her body is getting. Back and forth—taking and giving—the perfect play and components of a solid relationship. That’s all us.
My balls start to draw up, indicating my pending orgasm is just around the corner, but I refuse to give in. Stepping back, I force her to let go of my cock. Her lips are swollen and her eyes show confusion. She’s so damn gorgeous and I’m thankful each day and the next to have this woman in my life.
“Turn around. Hands on the hay and that pretty ass of yours in the air,” I rumble and she quickly obliges.
Leaning over I unzip her pants and drag them down to her knees so her legs are still captive, squeezing her pussy even tighter than she already is. I line up my cock with her slick pussy and easily slide in.
“Fucking heaven above and beyond for me to visit over and over again.” A groan rips from me when I start to pound deep inside her.
Surging up with force to relish in the way her walls clamp down on my hard length. Greedily sucking me back in each time I almost pull out all the way. I don’t have to stimulate her clit; my cock is all she needs to fire up her orgasm. Clenching. Unclenching. Coating my dick with her juices while my name falls from her lips.
More perfect than this doesn’t exist in my book.
Even though I’m on the edge of tipping over, I need to taste her. Pulling out, I drop to my knees and bury my face into the sweetest pussy ever created. Lapping her juices while she grinds her pussy into my face makes my cock harder than ever.
I’m about to spill my cum over the floor of the stables and that’s something I can’t live with. I need to keep branding her over and over with my seed. Carnal. Possessive. What. Fucking. Ever. But this woman is mine, body and soul.
The feeling of my cock exploding deep inside her with hot jets to fill her up—as my name spills from her mouth and in return hers falls from mine—is what life is all about. And it feels utterly divine when I turn it into reality, the both of us orgasm simultaneously.
I hold her tight around the waist and spin us around so I’m sitting on the bale of hay while I’m cradling my woman in my arms. The both of us need a moment to come down from our high and calm our racing hearts. Though I’m fairly sure with the fire we have for one another, our hearts are a perfect match to keep up with whatever we put our bodies through.
“We need to do something about Roper and Cassidy,” Harlene murmurs.
I place a kiss on her temple. “Roper is all in. Cassidy is the one who is blocking all attempts.”
“Yeah,” Harlene grumbles. “She’s way too stubborn for her own good.”
“Roper is giving her time. He’s a patient man but he does have his limits.”
She shifts on my lap and throws me a serious look. “He can’t give up on her. Everybody has. The only ones she’s let close are me and Joaquin. The whole relationship angle is different though.” Her shoulders sag and she leans back against me. “She considers herself unfit for love. Something about a heart of ice unable to melt.”
A smile spreads my face and I’m sure she can hear it in my voice when I tell her, “She hasn’t met the real Roper yet.”
Harlene pulls back again to face me. “What do you mean?”
“Roper is the one who brands the cattle and gets shit done no matter how hard or impossible. Not to mention the fact that he’s a two-time world champion bull rider, the man clearly has the longest breath when it comes to holding on. Roper never gives up once he’s made up his mind. And when it comes to Cassidy...he has made up his mind, he already considers her his. She doesn’t have a choice even if she wanted to.”
Harlene’s face lights up. “Good. Now, about Joaquin—”
“Fuck, no. We’re done matchmaking for today. Come on, we’re heading to the cabin for a hot bath, some food, and a second round of fucking.”
“All in that order?” she fucking croons.
I slowly shake my he
ad. “Nope. We could start with the second round of fucking right here, right now. Life backwards, rocky rides, or as steady as the breeze blowing over the pasture...it’s all good as long as we’re together.”
Her eyes fill with love and she echoes in return, “All good as long as we’re together.”
And it really is as simple as it sounds; for a life shared with the one person who completes you, truly is living life to the fullest.
EPILOGUE
Seven years later
— Harlene —
“Stand still for one damn moment,” I grumble. “If you kick me, I’ll do more than take away your balls.”
“Woman, you’re about to take his balls, give him a little slack,” Decker says—who is holding the bull’s tail up while it’s locked inside the squeeze chute—and winces when I clamp the bull standing in front of me.
I shoot Decker a glare, frustrated with the slow process. “You need to stop talking or I’ll clamp you next.”
“She’ll do it,” a little sassy voice informs Decker. Internally I’m all smiles when I hear my six-year-old daughter add more words, “My mommy is an awesome vet who can cut away any balls. She cut away my pig’s balls and let me watch. Snip, snip and it’s all done and gone.”
Magdalena pushes her fingers—which she’s mimicking a scissor movement with—in front of Decker’s face. Laughter rips from my mouth right when Weston strolls into the barn.
“Your old lady and daughter are vicious,” Decker grumbles.
Weston shoots him a blinding smile as he opens his arms to catch Magdalena who launches herself at him. When we found out we were expecting a little girl both of us agreed to name her after his mother. Such a beautiful name and a way to let her memory live on.
The loss we both suffered has in a way brought us together and let decisions and choices go in a direction life leads us in. I can’t imagine my life without him or our daughter. The ranch, the clinic, every piece in life is hectic and blends together and yet we make it work.
Cowboy Bikers MC #1 Page 5
