Courageous (Rock Bottom #3)

by Jennifer Ann

  Kissing her deeply, I pull out and thrust in a little harder, drawing a whimper from her throat. She rocks against me, her elated noises becoming absorbed in our frantic kisses. I’m reluctant to let loose on her, considering her past, but she sets the pace with her good hand locked on my hip. Soon I’m ramming into her harder than intended, and she’s arching her head back while crying out my name.

  Pleasure ripples through my balls with the force of a lightening strike. I release into the condom, feeling another zap when Andie cries out a second before becoming still. I pull out and slide down next to her, caressing her beautiful face until her eyes flutter open.

  “I didn’t know it could be like that,” she confesses in a wavering voice.

  Her words are a blow to the gut. When imagining what she went through because her old man was too much of a coward to protect his daughter, I sneer, “It should always fuckin’ be like that. Maybe even better. No fuckin’ way I’ll let anyone touch you again like that bastard did. You deserve so much better.”

  Tears pool in her eyes. “Stone…you can’t make a promise like that.”

  “The hell I can’t. You’re mine now, lil’ mouse. I wouldn’t wanna be in the shoes of any poor bastard who tries to come between us.”

  With a sad little smile, she slips her fingers through the hair on the back of my head, bringing our lips back together. Don’t get to kiss her for more than a few seconds before someone’s pounding on the door.

  “Stone!” Rook hollers. “You in there? We need to talk!”

  Huffing, I reluctantly release Andie and run my thumb along her trembling lip. “It’s going to be okay. Your father and Diesel won’t ever hurt you again.”

  Looking away, she slips out from beneath me to gather her clothes off the floor.

  Zoe and Brooke insist on giving Andie and Sasha time to catch up alone. Can’t fuckin’ stand how hard it’ll be on Andie to hear the details when she blames herself, but not sure I’m ready to absorb them myself anyway. The rest of us gather in the kitchen, staring at the drinks Zoe pours. No one’s in the mood for breakfast, so Ryker suggested we start the day off with a shot of something strong. I slam the tequila down in one blinding gulp.

  Things just keep getting more fucked up with every minute…shit’s getting real. Not sure what’ll happen with me and Andie after the intensity of this morning, but it was the best sex imaginable. There was a connection unlike anything between us. Can’t fathom moving on with another woman. Whether or not she’ll stick around, I won’t let the Martyrs near her ever again.

  “They’re both gonna get through this,” Brooke promises, touching my arm. “It’ll just take time.”

  Nudging her off, I meet Rook’s defeated stare. He was the closest to Sasha of any of us, so I know this is killing him just as much. “Those bastards need to pay for what they did to those girls.”

  Zoe groans, dropping her head into her hands. “Not this again.”

  “You can’t just keep adding to your list of people to seek revenge against,” Raven scolds from where she perches on Morrison’s lap.

  “Why the hell not?” I snap.

  Zoe looks up, crinkling her nose. “Because that shit isn’t healthy, Stone. Your anger isn’t healthy. One day you’re gonna snap, and…” Cheeks reddening, she motions to Brooke. “Back me up here, sister.”

  Brooke meets my frown. “Bating them with Terrance’s name might’ve helped. If it doesn’t, we’ll find another way.”

  “I know a fool-proof way to bring them down—both the Martyrs and Terrance Fisher,” Andie interrupts, stepping into the room with Sasha at her side. Both women look exhausted, eyes rimmed bright red from crying. “It involves a trip out to California.” Her gaze locks with mine, and her lips turn up with a bright smile so beautiful that my fucking heart sings. “The fact that you served as a Marine might come in handy.”

  From the way she’s looking at me, like I’m the only one she’ll trust with the fate of her future, there’s no question I’ll agree to whatever shit-storm she’s planning.

  8

  Andie

  Stone’s warm, thick thumb soothes over the back of my hand locked with his throughout the flight to LAX, keeping my body highly electrified. I can’t tell if he thinks I need comforting, or if he’s merely trying to calm himself, but I’m grateful for the gesture either way.

  Getting our small entourage to the airport without raising any flags was an event all in itself. I was on edge the entire time Stone was checking his unloaded gun in with TSA. Nearly gave me a heart attack when we discovered two of my father’s men keeping vigilant watch near the main gate. Between the complete makeover from the girls that made me look the part of a college student, and the fact that Stone literally stayed attached to my hip—kissing me and showing non-stop affection like we’re old lovers—we snuck past without grabbing the Martyrs’ attention.

  Having spent the majority of my existence around men with Stone’s kind of anger—who would turn violent in the blink of an eye—I’m still a little weary of accepting his tenderness. But I enjoyed every minute of the “act” as much as I enjoyed the sweet way he took his time in gifting me with my first orgasm that wasn’t self-induced before we made love sweeter than I’d ever imagined it could be with a man. It was nothing like the mild rush of tingles that set off in my belly when I use a vibrator. The sensation took over every inch of my body, plunging deep into my core. It was enough to forget my name…catapult me to another universe.

  The sex itself was unparalleled, sending me into another blissful release. The way our bodies joined together with tenderness and ease connected us on an entirely different level—one that I can’t help wondering if it has something to do with love, although Stone didn’t say those four little letters. He didn’t have to. With every impassioned look he cast, every gentle stroke of his fingers, I could feel something so profound that it took my breath away. Coming from a man of his ferocity, that level of tenderness doesn’t go unnoticed.

  Going on this trip so soon after we finally gave into each other was icing on the cake. I’ve never seen the ocean, never been on an airplane. Even though we’re not going to California for pleasure, it’s exciting to experience even more firsts with Stone.

  I’m starting to believe I might actually have a fair shot of a happy existence away from the Martyrs. A part of me wishes I could convince Stone to stay in California and never come back. We could live a tranquil existence, far away where my father would never find us. But I couldn’t ask Stone to leave his family and the band. Besides, I want revenge even more than the fierce, beautiful man at my side. I won’t live in peace until my father, Diesel, and Bane have suffered for all they put Sasha through.

  Once the stewardess announces we’re preparing to land, Stone’s spine stiffens. “Still not sure we’re doin’ the right thing, lil’ mouse,” he whispers in my ear. “Looking your father’s enemy in the eye…too many ways this could go to shit. They could decide hurting the president’s daughter is their best option.”

  “We’ve been over this already.” I sigh heavily, tightening my grip on his fingers. Pain shoots through my wounded arm the way it has constantly since I ditched the sling, knowing Diesel would look for someone with an injury. “We’re not going to tell anyone that I’m Ajax’s daughter. If they really spied on the Martyrs before killing my father’s friend the way he believes, they’ll know I’m one of the old ladies. That should be enough for them to believe my warning.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  “The fact that they built their club solely out of veterans makes me think there’s a good chance they’ll seriously consider anything you have to say. Besides, they’ll have to believe we’re telling the truth about Ajax wanting to intercept their deal. What other motive could we possibly have in giving them a heads up?”

  Across the aisle and up a few rows, Liam peers back at us, his expression weary. The way Bender rests his head against the plane’s window beside him, neck awkwardly
extended, he appears to be sleeping. Stone’s crew went back and forth when contemplating who should come along. In the end, it was decided that Sasha needed to lie low so she can heal, Brooke should stay with their son, and Zoe wanted to stick around to keep Charlize in line. Ryker felt compelled to stay behind as their protection. Raven and Morrison too.

  “Liam’s taking what happened to Sasha the hardest,” I say as Stone pulls me up against him. “Is he gonna be able to handle this meeting without losing his cool?”

  Lips brushing over my earlobe, Stone lets out a low grunt like he’s not convinced. “Rook’s been through hell and back. Almost killed his old man for beatin’ on him when we were in high school. Then he was forced to watch Trask die. He’ll get through this too.”

  I suck in a sharp breath, both amazed and stunned by Liam’s history. It hits closer to home than I’m willing to admit.

  The plane’s wheels touch the runway, jarring us forward. Stone’s strong arms lock around me, providing a barrier safer than anything I’ve ever felt. “Once shit settles down, you and me are goin’ somewhere even better than Cali, lil’ mouse.” His lips nuzzle the top of my head, and he breaths in a contented sigh. “Somewhere far away where you can relax on a beach with a drink in hand, and not worry about anyone wantin’ to hurt you.”

  The notion that people actually do such a thing—lay on the sand with the goal of getting drunk—is almost laughable. Part of me knows before we could live out that kind of fantasy, I’d have to unload the ugly truth of my past on the man I’m falling for a little more with every minute and every act of compassion. My stomach surges with the truth dancing across my lips.

  Would he still look at me the same way, like I’m something to be cherished? Would he still touch me like I’m delicate? Would he be able to sympathize with my story the way he does with Liam?

  Before I can make a decision, it’s our turn to grab our luggage and head down the aisle. Confessing the reason behind why my father held me captive all those years will have to wait for another time.

  Having spent the past two years accompanying Diesel to biker bars, it takes mere minutes to locate one in the small town on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Without an exact address, the center of town’s as close to finding Inferno Glory’s clubhouse as we’ll get for now. I only hope Stone doesn’t implode in the time it could take before we catch a break. The way his dark gaze shoots around the place, I’m worried he’s looking for any excuse to start a fight.

  “Relax,” I plead over the classic rock music, squeezing his hand. “We don’t want anyone to think we’re here to cause trouble.”

  He merely grunts in reply. The place is fairly empty, most likely as it’s mid-afternoon on a weekday. I only hope the club president isn’t off somewhere far away on business.

  Before we’ve fully bellied up to the bar, I hear the squeak of chairs against the wooden floor, and turn to see Bender and Liam settling in at a table several yards away. It was decided they’d keep their distance and pretend we’re not together in case things go awry.

  We’re greeted by an attractive man behind the bar with strawberry blond hair and blue-green eyes that twinkle with mischief in the bar’s flashing lights. He alludes a boyish charm with the crooked smile he throws my way. “Haven’t seen you around before. What can I get you folks?”

  “Darkest beer on tap,” Stone answers, barely holding back a scowl.

  “A water,” I say, quickly adding, “Thank you.” The minute the man turns away, I curl my hand around Stone’s thick arm. “Give him another look like that, and you’re waiting in the car. If this guy knows the club’s president, he’ll tip them off by saying some surly dude’s waiting, and we’ll start off on the wrong foot.”

  When the bartender returns with our drinks, I throw him a hundred dollar bill. “Any way you can get us in touch with someone from Inferno Glory? We have some business we’d like to discuss with their president.”

  Brow raised, the man’s eyes pass between me and Stone, finally landing on my sling. “Hope you’re not planning on causing any trouble.”

  “Just the opposite,” I answer quickly, squeezing Stone’s hand under the bar as a warning to keep his mouth shut. With all the pent up anger he’s projecting, he’ll only come off as hostile. “We’re here to help…just flew in from Minnesota to discuss something urgent. They can search us for weapons, and even meet us here if they’d like. But it’s crucial we relay a message to them.”

  When the bartender eyes Stone reluctantly, I nudge Stone with my elbow. Hard. “Don’t mind him. He’s just a little overprotective after some shit I went through. You have my word that we’re not here out of malice.”

  “What about your two friends behind you?” the man asks.

  “They’re here to keep the peace,” Stone says, sounding relatively friendly.

  The man scratches at the stubble on his chin with one hand before grabbing a pen and piece of paper from beneath the bar. “Leave your name, number, and the address of where you’re staying. I’ll pass the information along to Colt.”

  “Thank you,” I say, throwing the man a grateful smile. Holding the man’s stare, Stone merely grunts.

  Ryker made reservations at what seems to be the nicest hotel in the little town, and I’m relieved to discover Stone and I have a room to ourselves. I deposit the bag Zoe loaned me onto the king bed before approaching my sullen man still frozen in the doorway.

  Hooking my finger through the belt loop on his jeans, I drag Stone inside until the door closes behind him. “If this Colt guy agrees to meet with us, you have to lighten up.” His beautiful eyes meet mine, but the scowl on his lips remains. I rise to my toes and brush my lips over them, lightly dusting my fingertips over his broad chest. “While you’re standing here, wasting energy on being angry over the situation, I’ll be soaking in a nice, hot bath.”

  “Not without me, you’re not.”

  Before I step foot inside the bathroom, he’s sweeping me into his arms. Our mouths reconnect with a fiery wanton, and soon our clothes are littering the tiled floor. The severity of Stone’s rock-hard body in the flesh, thick cock bobbing between his muscular thighs, sends a violent quake through me that settles in my pussy.

  It’s the first time I’ve experienced blinding desire with anyone, and it only seems to intensify with every moment we’re together.

  Standing a single stride apart, his eyes devour my naked body. It’s amazing that a man’s able to appear so sexy and feral at the same time. “Sweetheart, you have no idea what you do to me.”

  “I think I do,” I counter, stepping close to wrap my hand around his hot shaft.

  A quiet grunt’s my only warning before he gathers me off the floor in a tight embrace. I hook my legs around his waist before our mouths come together in an epic connection—one that’ll stay etched in my memory for years to come.

  Camden Stone kisses with fervor and intent, erasing any feelings of modesty or apprehension I’ve been carrying around since the night he found me outside the clubhouse. The power behind his soft lips, intensity of his minty tongue, and grip of his hands on my body are mind-boggling at best. It’s not gentle by any means, but in no way is he hurting me. I’m fairly certain I’m so wet that I’m dripping on his stomach.

  Good arm hooked around his neck, I draw back to study his handsome face, flushed with lust. “I want you, Stone. Give it to me hard this time.”

  A low growl rumbles against his throat. “There a rubber in—”

  “I’m clean,” I say with a shake of my head. “And one of the old ladies took me in to get birth control. I wanna feel you.”

  Unintelligible words fall from his lips as he positions me above him, penetrating my slick opening with his engorged tip. Then he fills me in one gloriously long stroke. I cry out as his smooth cock stretches me wide, tapping a new kind of sensation. It’s as if I’m coming undone and healing simultaneously. Most of all, it’s the only time I can remember feeling as if I’m right where I belong—ho
me.

  I ride him like a deranged cowgirl, bucking and twisting while grinding against him with all I’ve got. We bump into the wall and knock a picture to the floor, but don’t stop with the sound of glass shattering. Stone moves in the opposite direction, setting me down on the cool marble vanity, and gripping my ass while pounding me into submission. Our heated gazes lock, and he loses all control. Hissing through a clenched jaw, the veins in his broad neck strain as he pumps into me one last time.

  Watching him come is the most beautiful thing in the world, eliciting the start of my own release. I peak when his cock twitches inside me, spewing his warm liquid. My limbs seize with the euphoric sensation, every last nerve in my body sparking to life. Stone absorbs my orgasm with his mouth, kissing me until I’ve floated back down to reality.

  The closest I’d ever been to experiencing this level of bliss involved a little silver bullet vibrator I’d snuck off to purchase once while on a run with Diesel. Lord knows that bastard didn’t know the first thing about satisfying a woman.

  “You alright?” Stone asks, sliding his warm lips along my cheek.

  Humming, I keep my eyes closed as his mouth continues down my neck. “I feel kind of like that picture we broke…shattered…but in a good way. And satisfied. I feel thoroughly…fucked.” When his teeth graze over one of my hard nipples and his fingers slip into my wet opening, I grip his hair in my fist. “Stone! What—”

  “Not done making this gorgeous body sing.”

  I’ve never attempted to get myself off twice in a row, so I’m shocked when my body immediately sparks back to life, tingling beneath his skilled fingers. His teeth and lips wreck havoc on my breasts, pleasuring me on a whole new level as his fingers stroke and flick my sex with precision. When I remember the way he looked strumming that guitar in Ryker’s studio, eyes closed and head titled back, my orgasm ebbs and rocks my entire body. I drop my head back and cry out his name with an explosion ripping through my limbs and belly.