Chapter Seven

I woke alone in Chief's bed with the scent of frying bacon in my nose. Bleary eyed, I took the two pills he left on the bedside table and drank the glass of water. I chased the scent as my stomach growled.

I didn't suffer nausea when hungover. Actually, I rarely got hungover, a fact Jolie hated. I angled toward the kitchen as my BFF's voice echoed from the area.

“My girl went to you last night,” she commented.

“Yeah, she did.”

“It'd be easy to dismiss anything she said, what with her inhaling so much tequila, but you should know something.”

I froze, my stomach lurched. What the hell was Jolie doing? I peeked around the corner and watched Tony half-turn to face my BFF at the bar. A loose white T-shirt and gray shorts looked sexier than hell on him. Jolie wore a dark green t-shirt and shorts, both huge on her. My man made sure she was taken care of. My heart swelled.

“Someone lives life locked away, cut off from the shit normal kids get to have and enjoy, she latches on quick and hard. That doesn't make what she feels any less intense. It just means she recognizes it quicker than most would.” Jolie's voice lowered. “Don't hurt her.”

He turned a nob on the stove and settled the pan on a different burner. He faced Jolie fully. Hands on the counter between them, he stared at her with an intensity that curled my toes.

“You get this play once because you cut her deep and know better now. You're working hard to understand something so far from your comfort zone it terrifies you. I saw the fear you locked down for her last night. I saw you fighting it because you want to understand what she craves, needs more than the air she breathes.” Tony's strong, confident voice boomed. “You're right. She was locked away, cut off from normal. She won't ever find the zone you live in comfortable. It's not her. What she gets with me, the MC. That's the normal she needs. You get that now.”

“I do,” Jolie whispered. “Still, don't hurt her. I know she went to you last night. I know what she told me before she did.”

“What she says to me stays between her and me. My bed, this house, my arms. I'm her safe zone. Whatever she gives to me, I'll take. Make it safe for her, no matter what. She feels deeper and faster than most, and I'm okay with that. That's Harmony, and she's mine. Always.”

“You love her,” Jolie accused.

“I do, told her so last night.”

“How can you share her? Let Ray and Max and Fist and Dawg and Amber have a piece of her?” Jolie held up a hand. “I'm not judging, Tony. I need to understand. I get that she needs this, but I don't get why you are okay with it.”

“Because I see the beauty in the gift she offers me, and them. Her trust. She trusts I'll know what she needs and they'll give it to her. I'll ensure they do. The dark she talked about with you isn't a depraved need to get hurt or fuck men. It's about giving herself over to someone and letting go long enough to feel.”

“It scares me, Tony. I don't understand it all, but I see how much you care for her. Last night, the way you explained stuff to me and answered my questions. I know you didn't want me there. You gave me that because I needed it.”

“And you matter to Harmony.”

“Thank you,” Jolie said. “You're good for her. I've never seen her so relaxed, comfortable.”

I cleared my throat and headed inside. I'd eavesdropped enough. My man loved me. My heart swelled as I went to him. He drew me in and kissed my lips. Jolie smiled at us, a twinkle in her eye.

“Sit. We'll eat, then shower. I've got to go into town, have a chat with the Rangers before they pull stakes and head back to Austin.”

“So it's over? Just like that?”

“It never was an official investigation,” he replied. “Jolie's uncle phoned the Ranger headquarters, had a long chat with their supervisor. They're good men who made a bad decision.”

“So you're safe? Ray and the guys, too?”

“Blade will lay low a while, just in case. Tensions are high in town, so Ray's keeping the club activities under wraps a while, including back room events at Tops.” He smirked. “We had a long chat about a few things while you two were getting trashed.”

“Ugh. Don't even mention it.” Jolie rubbed her temples. “Did I really tell Amber I'd do her first if I ever wanted girl on girl?”

“Yep,” Chief replied with a grin. “Made Dawg's night.”

“God, I'm never drinking again,” she said.

“She says that a lot,” I offered. “We're meeting up with Amber in town, doing a girl’s day.”

“We are?” Jolie asked.

Yeah, we were. I gave my friend a side-eyed just-go-with-it-stare. She nodded. Chief chuckled. Whatever. He fed me a piece of bacon, then turned to work on the mountain of egg batter he had made up. My stomach rumbled. My man could cook. I approved.

Breakfast kicked ass. Bacon crispy to the point of almost burned, scrambled eggs with peppers, cheese, onion and a hint of cilantro. Yum. Chief fixed buttered toast and pulled out a jar of orange marmalade. I almost teared up. How the hell did he know that was my fave?

“Please, the whole Grove knows you're why The Last Drip keeps it in stock,” Jolie explained.

Oh, yeah. The Grove gossip mill knows all. Plug in for an hour and you walk away with the entire town's life story. I smiled my gratitude anyway and slathered it onto my toast. As we finished the meal, I let my mind wander to the one concern I hadn't shared with Chief.

“I'm okay to see the guys now, right?”

“Yeah, with caution for a little while. Why?” He took a sip of coffee and studied me.

“I saw Ray and Max yesterday. And Dawg was with Amber, who I spent time with last night.” I ran my toast through the picante on my plate.

“You need a check-in with Fist,” he finished.

“Yeah.” I swallowed the embarrassment crawling through me as I looked at my best friend, then my man. “I can't explain it. He always takes a back seat, but he worries about me just as much and I don't want to go much longer without seeing him.”

Chief wrapped a hand around the back of my neck and drew me closer. “You don't need to explain why unless I ask. I get it, Harmony. You need a pulse check with him. You'll get it, okay?”

“Thank you.” Then I remembered what I wanted to do in town. “I'm not sure how long it'll take in the Grove.”

“I'll coordinate a plan with Fist.” The firm statement calmed me. “That's not yours to take on. I decide the schedule.”

I nodded, relieved.

“Clutch is keeping you company while you're in town, an escort. He requested the detail.”

Shit. Clutch. I'd been so worried about everyone else I forgot I hadn't seen him in a while.

“Bathroom boy?”

“Yeah.” Chief laughed. “You'll listen to him. Do whatever he says.”

“Yes, Master.” Replying that way made my insides clench as I looked over at my best friend.

Her fork stilled as her gazed moved between me and Chief. I hadn't ever left the door into the dark open for her. It was a simple thing, listening to his orders, responding. Yet it was huge. A peek into the core of what I needed, craved.

“Amber will keep Jolie company if he requires privacy. I've given him full access.”

“Yes, Master.”

Jolie sipped on her juice. Face red, eyes huge, she made no reply. I'm sure I'd hear all about it when we were alone.

“You good for a while, Jolie? We still need to shower.” Chief rose and took my hand.

“I'm good. Go, do whatever you need to. I'll just sip on my juice. Don't mind me.”

“Remote's on the coffee table, make yourself at home.”

He fucked me in the shower, then washed my hair and scrubbed me clean. We dressed and he was off to do police business and Jolie and I were heading to town.

“So, why are we meeting Amber?”

“She set up an appointment for me with Ink, the club's tattoo artist. I want ink, something to make a statement to Chief. And the guys.” I watched the landscape roll by. “Thank you, for not making this morning awkward.”

“He's good with you. I saw the tension building in you, you weren't looking forward to being in town.”

“No, people aren't always good to be around, especially with everything that's happened.”

“Well, as soon as he started telling you how things were going to be, you relaxed. Like a whole different Harmony.”

I had. I'd reacted so instinctively, I hadn't realized it until just now. “That's why Clutch is on my agenda, an escort. Chief knew I was nervous about town and he wouldn't be there.”

“I thought the club was laying low.”

“They are, but he's a prospect. The gossip mill only pays attention to Ray, Max and the officers. They don't recognize the others when they're alone. Or they don't care,” I offered.

“And when Tony said he'd given full access, that meant what?”

“I do whatever Clutch tells me to.” My pulse quickened. “That's why I was in the bathroom with him. I was ordered to go there.”

“And you went, not knowing what would happen or who you were going to see?”

“Right,” I answered.

“Wow.” She was quiet a moment. “Okay, I just have to say that is crazy wild, but kind of hot.”

“Yeah.” I chuckled.

“So today he can tell you to do anything and you'll do it? Just like that?”

“More or less. It has to be something Chief's okay with and I have a safe word. If he tries something I'm not okay with, I can say it and he'll stop.”

“And you'll get to see Fist too soon, right? You sounded really worried about him.”

“He's a good guy. He melts into the background. I just want to make sure we're okay.” I swallowed and glanced at her. “He's pretty intense.”

“Well, with a name like Fist I imagine so,” she commented dryly as we pulled up outside a small shop on the edge of town. “This is the address she texted. You ready?”

Yeah, I was. Amber met us outside and we headed in. The small entry held a loveseat and a small table. Photographs and artwork covered every inch of wall space, swallowing the room with beauty, darkness and endless possibilities. My heart thundered in my chest.

The door opened behind us and my throat clogged. Clutch engulfed what little remained of the room. He glanced at Jolie and Amber, then settled the intensity on me.

“Chief know you're here?”

“It's a surprise.” I lowered my voice like it mattered. “Please don't spoil it.”

“I have final say,” he growled.

“Okay.”

A burly man more beard than face opened a door and motioned me in. Black hair, long bushy beard. Ink covered his fingers, his arms and every inch of area exposed from the jaw down. I gulped. Amber and Jolie held onto me on one side, but Clutch latched on to my left arm and hauled me through the door.

“I'm Ink.” He sat on the small stool and motioned me onto his work area. “Amber said you wanted ink for your man. Piercings. Where?”

“Nipples for the piercings.” Heat rolling up my face. “And I tried drawing something out. Maybe something like this here.”

I motioned toward my lower abdomen, where Chief always put his hand when he thrust deep inside me. Just above my mound. I unfolded the piece of paper I'd tucked in my bra. Tony in a script style font with a lock as the O. The word Chief on the lock.

“No piercings. She'll be back with her man for that.” Clutch grabbed the paper and grunted, then handed it to Ink. “Yes to the tat.”

He leaned against the back wall. Hands folded, his intensity swept through the room. I glanced at the artwork and knew I was missing a huge piece of what it represented. How could I convey the whole context in one design?

“Can I?” Jolie asked.

Ink handed her the paper. She grabbed a pen and leaned over the small table. Art had come easy for her when we were in high school. I held my breath. With a smile, she held the design up for everyone to see. Tears formed in my eyes. Perfect.

She kept the scripted Tony with the lock. But Chief was etched on a key inside the lock. Several keys hung from the keyring. Ray. Max. Fist. Dawg. Amber. Clutch. Seven keys total with Chief. I reached to hug her as Ink took the artwork and handed it to Clutch for approval.

“It's perfect,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

“I-I...” Amber cleared her throat. “You should wait on the keys. Add them later, after Chief says it's okay.”

“He was firm about this yesterday, when we made this official. I'm his slave. He makes all the decisions, but I obey all of you without hesitation. I know I'm spending the night with you and Dawg soon. I want your names inked on me when I do. Please, this is important.”

“Spread the keys out, in case others are added later,” she recommended.

“Her new slave collar is red,” Clutch said. “Make it match. Bill the club.”

I settled onto the table as Ink got to work designing an image that'd fit the space he had to work with. Clutch oversaw how much skin I showed off. Amber and Jolie held my hands as Ink started inking my dark into my skin. Each prick pushed life into the vacuous space I'd never opened to anyone. Now it had a place, one safeguarded by the names embedded on me. They were a part of me, owned a piece of my heart and soul, which belonged to Tony. Master Chief Tony.

Jolie had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face as she held my hand and guided me to the mirror. Amber watched from beside me, her face watery. It was beautiful. Red lettering for the Tony with a gold lock. The black lettering on the small keys stood out in perfect contrast to my light skin.

“It's perfect,” I whispered to Ink. “Thank you.”

“It's a hell of a design. Your girl's got an eye. You ever want a job, Jolie, you let me know.”

He and Clutch did a weird multi-step handshake thing, then we were off. Clutch climbed into the driver's seat and headed us toward The Last Drip. It'd taken longer than I expected for the tattoo. He held the door open for us.

“You and Jolie grab a booth in the back section. Go ahead and order. I want a cheeseburger, fries. Tea. Get whatever Harm would want. We'll be there in a while,” he told Amber.

Jolie's eyes got huge, but she followed our new redheaded friend as she headed to the back of the small eatery. Clutch took my hand and guided me to the back, past the kitchen area and into a small office. He closed us in a locked the door.

“Strip, slave.” He pulled a condom from his wallet and undid his belt.

My adrenaline spiked. Anticipation beaded along my skin the moment he said we'd be there in a while. I set my clothes on a chair and waited.

“On the desk, legs spread wide. Back on the wood. I'm going to eat you til you cum, then fuck you hard.”

A tremble settled in me as I complied. He stroked my thighs, then played with my tits until my nipples turned harder than erasers. He kissed his way down my stomach, across my covered tattoo, then my mound.

Tony was a god in bed, but no one was better at devouring a pussy than Clutch. The man was an immortal with his mouth. My entire body responded to his ravishing tongue, the graze of his teeth. His full lips and long, thick fingers.

He pulled away the moment I came so hard I almost passed out. He loomed over me as he ripped the condom open and rolled it onto his cock. I watched, my entire body taut with anticipation and need. He powered into me and fucked me hard and fast, the tempo slamming me further back on the desk with each thrust.

Firm hands latched on my hips. He grunted and watched as his dick disappeared into me. He powered into me again and again until he finally held me down and came with a loud cry.

“Next time I'm fucking your ass. Gonna take you to my place outside of town, tie you up and use you so hard you feel me for days,” he said. “Never been on someone's skin. Earned my cut the other night. Didn't think anything would come close to being as important, then you put me on you, marked you as mine. You won't ever regret it, slave.”

“I missed you,” I admitted. “I can't wait to see your place.”

“I can't wait either.” He smiled and pulled out his cell. “Hold still, slave. I want a few shots of your tat.”

He gently pried the bandage off and snapped pics. I held my breath though my pulse thundered wildly. He pinned me with a hand on my belly and his body pressed between my legs. I freaking loved it.

“Come on. Let's grab some food, then take you to your man.”