Blood Revealed (Brimstone Lords MC Book 6)

by Sarah Zolton Arthur

  He has them exchange rings and the ones Hero picked absolutely gleam on her finger as he slides both the engagement ring and wedding band on. She slides the one he picked out to go with hers onto his finger. As much as he loves his woman, the brothers are never going to believe that Hero tied the knot. This is huge. I’m glad to be here. With all the darkness we’ve faced over the last few weeks, it’s great to give the club something to celebrate.

  “Then I won’t make you wait any longer. Seal this deal with a kiss.” Elvis gives another hip wiggle. Hero grabs his new—almost—wife, planting a huge kiss to her lips. While he’s busy with that, Elvis says, “By the power invested in me through the great state of Nevada, I now pronounce these two lovebirds husband and wife.”

  Hero doesn’t let her up for air until Elvis clears his throat. “Sorry, son, one more to go.” Only then does Hero releases her, pulling her deep into his side with his arm around her neck. “Now let’s turn to Miss Hannah and Raif. Tell me, Raif, do you take this exquisite young lady to be your wife? Through the sick times as well as the healthy ones? To have and to hold through thick and thin? Lean times as well as prosperous times until death do you part?”

  “I sure as hell do,” I say, feeling fucking giddy and smiling like a fool.

  “What about you, Hannah?” He does another swivel. “Do you take this seriously hot dude to be your husband? To have and hold through sick times as well as healthy ones? Lean times as well as prosperous times, through thick and thin, until death do you part?”

  “Can I think about it?” Hannah puts the tip of a finger to her lips, and Elvis looks like he’s about to shit himself. The rest of us bust a gut laughing. Finally, she says, “Yes. A hundred thousand times yes.” She looks right at me. “I love you, babe. I’ve loved you for seven years.”

  Fuck me.

  “Right,” Elvis says. “Now I need you to show this little lady the ring.”

  I pull the box out of my pocket and open it using my thumb. She gasps.

  “Raif,” she whispers. “It’s—I don’t have words.”

  “Saying you’re marrying me are words enough, baby.” I slip the rings on her finger.

  After handing her off the one for me, she looks me in the eyes. “Guess this means you’re stuck with me.” And she slides it up my left ring finger.

  Again, Elvis concludes the ceremony. “With the power invested in me by the great state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife, uh-huh. Raif kiss your lady.”

  I take her in my arms in an attempt to show her exactly what today means to me. We aren’t new, even though we are. I’ve been waiting for years to make this woman mine and today she is. Forever.

  Excitement overcomes me and I lift her up, swinging her around and yell, “I got me a wife!” We all begin laughing.

  Elvis looks to Ann-Margret and says “I’m so happy to introduce for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Levi and Brinley Hendrix and Mr. and Mrs. Raif and Hannah Baxter.”

  Ann-Margret begins jumping up and down clapping. She has real tears shimmering in her eyes as the sequence from her dress casts disco ball-like colors over the walls.

  “I just love my job,” she says.

  “Now don’t forget, you all want this legal like, head down to the Clark County Marriage Bureau. Get the license and bring it back here toot-sweet.”

  “It’s our very next stop,” I assure him.

  Last stop, we get our wedding photos taken before heading out. Ann-Margret takes a photo of just me and Han. Then one of Brin and Hero. Finally, one of all four of us. She snapped off shots of the ceremony as well.

  “I’ll have them printed by the time you get back,” she tells us.

  Hannah and Brin wave goodbye as we head outside to the parking lot. The four of us navigate the Las Vegas streets to make it to the Marriage Bureau before it closes, only to find out it stays open until midnight. The wait time isn’t bad. I think we missed rush hour. Once we get up to the window, Hannah and I fill out the form. Brin and Hero wait behind us for their turn. We finish, pushing the paper and our I.D.s to be photocopied to the worker waiting on us. From there it’s a couple more minutes before we’re granted the license. Han and I move out of the way to let the newly vowed Hendrixs fill out their form.

  That done, we return to the wedding chapel where Ann-Margret greets us again. “He just finished a ceremony. I’ll rush these into him now. You can access the Clark County Clerks office on line to order your marriage certificate no more than ten days from now.”

  “Thank you kindly, “I say.

  “I’m just so happy for you all. This was truly a special day.” Before heading out she hands us off the wedding photos and that’s it. We’re officially married.

  “There’s this bakery that serves wedding cake,” Hero tells us. “It has strawberries on top. Brin and I watched a show about it last night, I think we should go there. Then we can go to the casino, eat at that great steak place, and then I can go back to the room to fuck my wife.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I agree. “Han? Sound good?”

  In response, she pushes up on her tiptoes to kiss me.

  The rest of the night is spent smashing a delicious wedding cake in each other’s faces with the bakery owner taking our pictures. Then it’s gambling and dinner at the steakhouse. We finally leave Hero and Brinley at their room. I unlock the door and hold it open for Hannah.

  “After you, Mrs. Baxter.” She smiles, patting my cheek as she walks by.

  “Hannah Baxter,” she mumbles. “I never thought…”

  “Told you I was serious, baby.”

  When I take her to bed, and I do that right away, I take my time with her. This is the first time I get to make love to my wife and I want it to be everything it should be for her. Peeling her dress down her body, I trail kisses on her skin. The dress being fitted and strapless, she’s not wearing a bra. I take that as a welcome to lavish each breast with attention. She moans, arching her back.

  “I bet we can get you to do that louder,” I tease, blowing a soft current of air over her wet nipple. Her legs shift as she squirms. Then I take my ministrations to the other nipple. Hannah squeezes her thighs together when I blow.

  “Ohmygod,” she moans, pressing her back up for me to take her harder. I suck deep.

  As I make my way down her body, she widens her legs for me, moving my hand where she wants me to touch. I press my thumb against her, manipulating her center. She pushes up off the bed.

  “Get the dress off,” she orders. While playing, I left it bunched up around her belly. The dress and her panties get tossed to the floor.

  “In a hurry, Mrs. Baxter?” I tease her more by giving her my mouth and tongue between her thighs. The walls of her sex quiver. It’s one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen, Hannah coming undone. With her eyes pinched shut and her chest still heaving, I move her hand to press and manipulate herself. “Don’t stop, baby. I want to watch you make yourself come again while I get undressed.”

  She gasps and whimpers as she pinches and presses that glorious little pleasure nub, giving it to herself. I’m naked, stroking myself before she makes herself come again. When her hips shoot up off the bed, widening her legs to better reach what she’s after, she’s at the perfect height for me to enter her. I glide in, holding on to her knees, and take my wife in every way she lets me have her tonight. We don’t stop until we pass out from sheer exhaustion.

  Best fucking night of my life.

  Unfortunately, the shit of a new day dawns when my phone lights up. It’s Hero.

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “Got reamed by Duke for taking off. Told him what’s what, but we still need to get back.”

  “Should’ve turned your phone off, man.”

  “No kidding,” he replies. “I’m dumb and had a sexy wife to undress. Whatcha gonna do?”

  We both laugh. “You tell him about Hannah and me?”

  “Nope,” he says, a smile in his voice. “I told him yo
u were with us, but that’s your news to share.”

  “Right. Brin doing okay this morning?”

  “Brother? It was her wedding night. I’m gonna to guess she’s as okay as Hannah right now.”

  “So you’ll be carrying her down to the van, then,” I tease.

  He laughs again. “Something like that. Get dressed. We’ll meet you down in the buffet for breakfast. I ain’t leaving without pancakes.”

  Hero and his damn pancakes. The man has issues. But I hang up and roll back over to see my wife with hooded eyes staring up at me, come-hither lips begging to be kissed. Fuck me. “Back to reality?” she asks, and with her sleepy voice it sounds so damn seductive.

  “What’re you up for, baby?”

  “I know we don’t have a lot of time, but we could work in one last memory here.”

  Hero and Brinley must have had the same idea as us because they wander into the buffet a couple minutes after me and Han. We eat and drink copious amounts of coffee; even Brinley forces herself to drink the decaf because there’s still caffeine in the decaf, just greatly reduced.

  At checkout, we get complimentary hotel perks to go toward another stay for celebrating our weddings with them. Then it’s goodbye, Strip. Goodbye, Vegas. We’ve got a thirty-hour trip ahead of us. Gas tank full again. Drinks and snacks to go, we hit the open road. I get Duke being concerned, but nothing’ll make me regret this little detour. I wish Chaos had been there with us, but it happened as it was supposed to happen, I guess.

  After about fifteen hours of driving, we find another hotel to stop in for the night. Especially with Brin being pregnant, she shouldn’t be spending thirty hours in a van driving straight through. It’s not really good for any of us, though we all got out to stretch at every stop.

  I’m wiped from doing the driving. We pretty much sleep, maybe there’s a little fooling around in there, but we need to be fresh-faced for the second leg of the trip.

  The next morning, we check out. Find a Mickey D’s for sustenance and Hero takes the wheel this time. Both Hannah and Brinley have offered to drive, but I don’t get driven around by my woman. Period.

  Fifteen and change hours later, we roll up on the Lords compound. It’s nice to be home.

  When we walk in there’s a big sign congratulating Hero and Brinley. The party is on. I feel bad that Hannah doesn’t get her sign too, but when we see Chaos in a chair, alive and awake, that’s all I need.

  I tug on Hannah’s hand. “Over there, baby.” She and I make our way through the crowd. My sister is pressed to Chaos’s back, keeping people from knocking into my best friend.

  When we come to stand in front of my brother and Liv, he’s wearing his killer got-into-a lot of women’s panties grin. “Wish I could’ve been there, man,” he says.

  “What?” I ask.

  He uses his chin to point to Hannah’s finger. “All I see is asses sitting in this fucking chair. Think I’m missing something that bling?” We both snicker.

  Liv comes around the chair to grab Hannah. “Welcome to the family, officially, sister-in-law,” she whispers. “I’m so happy for you and my brother. It’s about damn time.”

  “Liv,” I warn.

  “What? I know there was shit keeping you two apart. You were gone for several days before the women went to find Elise. Don’t be a tool, big brother.”

  A tool? Who says that anymore? I bark out a laugh as I pull my sister into my arms. “Love you, sis. It would’ve been perfect if you and Chaos had been there.”

  “I get it. We take the happy when it presents itself. I’m just glad you’ve got who you’ve always wanted to be with. Trust me, I understand.”

  She would. Those two spent fucking years apart and most of that was because they didn’t want to piss me off. I’d been a bit slow on coming around to their relationship. Wouldn’t have it any other way now.

  “I can tell them,” I whisper to Hannah. “Make an announcement.”

  “Naw,” she says, swiping her hand in the air. “My sister hasn’t had much in her life that’s just hers. Let her have this. Let them have this. We’ll tell the group tomorrow.”

  We sure as fuck will.

  11.

  Hannah

  It’s been three days since Raif not only officially declared me his old lady within the club, but we also told them we’d been married in a double ceremony with Hero and my sister. We partied into the night. The club had seen some rough tides in recent weeks and it was the little reprieve we all needed, today though, it’s back to business.

  I’ve been looking at the contents of my closet for ten minutes. It’s Carver’s funeral today and I find it hard to concentrate. I’m in my heels and thigh-high stockings, but that seems to be as far as I can get myself to ready.

  With everything else happening at once, I never really got the chance to grieve the loss of my friend. He accepted me as his little sister from the moment we met. The man had a light about him that most bikers never find. It was a wonder he hadn’t been snatched up by some lucky woman by now.

  “Baby? You’re still not dressed.” Raif walks up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder and hugging my waist from behind.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just kind of hitting me now that he’s gone. He shouldn’t be gone, Raif. He should’ve been here cracking jokes at your expense about why it took you so damn long to claim me.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “I love him like he’s my own flesh and blood brother. Not loved. Love. And I never got to say goodbye.”

  “Baby,” he whispers. “He’s here. You think that stubborn ass would willingly leave us? He made those jokes. We just couldn’t hear them.”

  “But I want to hear them, Raif. It’s not fair and in a way, it’s my fault, just like Duke said. If I’d have been—”

  “Stop it, Hannah,” Raif says, cutting me off. “You did what you felt you had to do to protect the club. I get it. Duke was hurting, but he gets it now. Even Carver got it. That’s why he was there to have my back, baby. Don’t take that on.”

  “It’s already there. I don’t feel like I have a right to show up today.”

  “Not only do you have the right, but baby, you gave vows that said you’d be there to help me through this kind of shit, just the same as I made those vows to you. Through thick and thin, remember?”

  Right. He helps me pick an appropriate dress. It’s mostly black with purple trim because it’s appropriate to wear some color to funerals now.

  As we gather at the back of the property where the service will take place, I’m not met with glares like I thought I might be. Even Tommy Doyle and a very pregnant Maryanne show up to pay their respects.

  Duke stands up to give the eulogy. Then other brothers and some of the women stand to talk about him. Even though I’m probably opening myself up to a whole lot of ire, I stand up too, and with Raif at my side, I walk up to face the group.

  “When I was eighteen, I ended up here. I was scared and lost. Aside from Raif”—I reach my hand up to stroke his face—“there were two people who took me in and made me feel the most comfortable, the most at home. They’re both gone now. Dawna Ellis and our friend and brother Howie ‘Carver’ Stolz.” The crowd sort of laughs. “Bet most of you didn’t know his name was Howie, did you? He didn’t want most people to know, but he told me because we just clicked. Throughout the past seven years, he told me a lot of things. I thought of him like the older brother I never had. Now it’s hard to imagine a future without him in it. But, Carver,” I say to the air, “if you’re here with us today, know that I’m only ever calling you ‘Howie’ from now on.”

  The crowd laughs. I’ve given them the tension-breaker we’ve all needed. Raif and I sit back down. Once the service ends, we walk back to the clubhouse, where several of the pieces who knew Carver and knew Carver set up a potluck for us.

  It’s a nice gesture and just goes to show what the man meant—means to all of us. The room begins to grow rowdy as the alcohol begins to flow,
the rock music gets played way too loud, and every other word out of a biker’s mouth is fuck.

  We eat and celebrate a life well lived and well-loved, even if taken from us too soon. The pieces even do the clean up so we don’t have to. Though the party goes well into the night.

  The next morning, I get up early to pack for Raif and get him some food to take with him. Today the men leave to give Carver his last ride as they release his ashes along the way. It’s a tradition the Lords have done since the beginning.

  Several of the men aren’t healed enough to make the ride but are choosing to go against Caitlin’s orders. Chaos says, “Just trading out one set of wheels for another. If I’m well enough for that damn chair, then I’m well enough for my bike. I’m still sitting.”

  Crass agrees. My sister doesn’t even try to persuade her husband to stay behind. His shoulder hit wasn’t as bad as Chaos’s and Crass’s injuries, but all the injured brothers are still healing. Sneak, Boetcher, Boss—there’s no convincing them to postpone the ride. We women simply have to deal with it and go on with our day to day lives.

  Raif kisses me sweetly. “Love you, baby,” he says. “You need to think about where you want to live while I’m gone, okay? We can stay here on the compound or get a place in town. It’s up to you, but now that we’re married, we have to get our own place, yeah?”

  “Yeah, babe. We’ll figure that out once you get home. Promise me you’ll keep your eyes and thoughts on the road, okay?”

  “I always listen to my wife.” He snickers and I swat at his behind. Always listens, my ass.

  Once we see the men off, it becomes business as usual. The women go back to work, with guards, which means I have to prepare to head back to the club tonight. Duke got word through a contact that Escalante was called back to Mexico a few days ago. That means the chances of him making another move right now are almost nonexistent, also known as the reason they picked today to send Carver off on his last ride. Even though my bosses are flexible because I work for the Lords, I still have to earn a paycheck. I’ve never lived off a man and don’t plan on starting now.