Charisma
I’d met some of the old ladies over the last week, but Jordan hadn’t been among them. Clutching Phantom’s hand, I’d walked into their home and come to a halt. Havoc had still been home, and the huge man intimidated me. At least, he had until I saw him with his kids. The man turned to mush when it came to his girls. Phantom had hugged me once more before leaving. Now it was just me, Jordan, and a house full of kids and teens.
Jordan handed me a cup of hot cocoa, and I noticed everyone else had one too. The kids were sprawled around the living room with a cartoon playing for the younger ones. I settled in a chair near Li, Taggart, and a pretty girl who looked like she’d be sassy as hell. I hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet. I lifted my eyebrows at Li, hoping he’d take the hint.
Li started signing as he spoke. “Mom, this is Nelly. She’s my girlfriend.”
Nelly nudged him in the ribs and Taggart leaned a little closer. “Actually, they’re both mine. She’s seeing both of us, and…”
Li glared at Taggart. His cheeks flushed and I saw him tremble a little. I reached over to pat him on the arm. Whatever he had to say, it wouldn’t change how I felt about him. He had to know that, right? He started talking again, with both his lips and his hands. “I’m bisexual, Mom. So is Taggart. We’re with Nelly, but we’re also together.”
I set my cup aside and hugged him tight, then hugged the other two as well. I didn’t want to use my voice, knowing I would possibly be too loud, so I signed to Li and left it to him to decide if he wanted to translate.
I love you, Li, and so does your dad. All we want is for you to be happy. You have our support. I hope you know that. If anyone has a problem with who you love, I’m sure your dad will be happy to talk to them. Probably with his fists.
Li smiled. “Thanks, Mom. We weren’t sure how the club would react, so we didn’t say anything. Havoc was surprisingly cool about it. So was Dad.”
So he’d already told Phantom. Part of me felt a little hurt that I’d found out last. At the same time, it warmed my heart to hear Li had confided something like that to his father. It meant they were building trust and bonding. Li hadn’t had a male role model in so long.
Jordan came over to stand in front of me, waving her hand to get my attention. “There are some who may give the boys a hard time, even here at the club, but Havoc will straighten them out. If he doesn’t, I will. I understand why they didn’t want to say anything. I’m also glad they decided to come clean. I don’t like the idea of them sneaking around because they didn’t feel safe enough at home to be themselves.”
Taggart rolled his eyes and I waited to see if he’d say something. He shook his head, looked at Nelly and Li, before talking to his mom. “Because it had nothing to do with Dad possibly scaring the shit out of Nelly. There were multiple reasons we didn’t tell anyone.”
Li signed and spoke. “But Jordan is right. It was mostly about the club and how they might react. I also didn’t want to disappoint you and Dad.”
I made a sound and placed my fingers over my throat, wanting to speak to him without having to sign. Jordan gave me a nod of encouragement.
“We could never be disappointed, Li. Well, all right. If you bring home Fs on your report card, that would be different.” I reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. “We love you, Li. All of you. There wasn’t a caveat when we adopted you. Nothing that said we’d love you only if you were a certain way.”
He hugged me again and Taggart had a smile on his face. It was good to see Li happy and accepted. I knew he’d gotten to the age where he’d want to date. Or had he not been through so much trauma he would have. I hadn’t known what to expect in all honesty. Until Phantom had come along, I’d not wanted anyone to touch me. The same could have happened with Li. Or maybe it had. I had to wonder if Taggart and Nelly were what he’d been waiting for. I didn’t think kids met their true love, or loves, anymore, but it would be nice if he did. Li deserved all the best things in life.
“Do you think they’ll be long?” I asked Jordan.
She shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes they call Church and come back home in a half hour. Other times they’re gone just about all day. It depends on how long it takes for them to find a solution.”
“And we just sit and wait? Every time?”
“Yep. Sometimes the old ladies go to the clubhouse too. We commandeer the main room and talk while we wait on the guys. I’m not about to take the kids there without the place being scrubbed first, though, so we’re stuck here for now.”
“Am I talking too loud?” I asked.
Jordan grinned. “A bit, but it’s okay. It’s nice hearing you talk instead of trying to figure out what you’re signing. We’ll all learn. It just won’t happen overnight. If it makes things easier on you, we’re happy to take classes, use YouTube or whatever.”
“Thank you.” I signed when I spoke, thinking maybe they’d pick up a few things just from repetition.
Jordan tipped her head toward the kitchen. “Why don’t you come help me figure out a snack for everyone. We can talk. Taggart, Li, and Nelly can keep an eye on everyone.”
I stood and carried my mug with me. I finished off the cocoa and rinsed the mug. Jordan offered coffee but I shook my head. I hadn’t been feeling very well today. Out of nowhere I’d been so tired I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes open. My body felt like it weighed a ton. I wondered if all the changes were catching up to me.
“What’s the deal with this Mason guy?” Jordan asked.
“He wants Jian.” I glanced behind me, worried I’d spoken too loud.
Jordan seemed to understand and shut off the room with hidden sliding doors. She poured herself some coffee and took a seat across from me. Pulling out her phone, she opened the music app and started a playlist. Even though I couldn’t hear it, I could feel the vibrations through the table.
“Now we can talk without worrying too much the kids will hear something they shouldn’t,” she said.
“What do you know about where we came from?” I asked.
Her lips thinned and anger flashed in her eyes. “The woman who hurt Samurai had control of the boys, and Havoc said you stayed to try and protect them.”
I nodded. “He’s right. I wasn’t much good to them, but a reprieve here and there was better than nightly abuse. And I’d gladly do it all over again, even knowing I’d lose my hearing.”
“What about those implants?” she asked.
“They won’t work.”
Her brow furrowed. “There has to be something that would make your life easier. How do you maneuver when you’re out and about? What about driving? You couldn’t hear a car honk, or a train whistle.”
“I pay closer attention to my surroundings when I’m driving. It actually makes me a more cautious driver than a hearing person.”
“I guess that makes sense. Well, if there’s ever anything I can do to help in some way, please let me know. I realize I have the reputation of being the bad bitch around here, and I’ve earned it, but it doesn’t make me heartless.”
I smiled. “I know. You wouldn’t have adopted Salem and Taggart if you were. You’ve given them a good home, loving parents, and clearly shower them with affection and whatever they might need. No one could ever say you’re a bad parent.”
“Did that woman ever hurt you or your daughter?” Jordan asked.
I pushed my hair back so she could see my ears. “She threw acid on me one time. Both ears got the brunt of it, and my hair. Thankfully, she didn’t get it all the way to my scalp and the hair grew back.”
“Is that what caused your hearing loss?” Jordan asked. “I’m sorry if that’s too personal. Tell me to shut up if I ask the wrong thing.”
I waved her off. “It’s fine. And no, it didn’t. The man who’s here for Jian is why I can’t hear. He slammed my head into a wall repeatedly, both sides, and it ruptured my eardrums. The damage is permanent, and nothing will help.”
“What about a dog?” she asked. “Not Momo. I love her, but she’s just a pet. I mean a working dog who’s trained to help deaf people?”
“They’re expensive. I’ve been fine without one so far.”
“So this Mason guy… he’s hurt the boys and you. Do you think he’d try to actually get inside the compound? Or will he wait and get you or the boys while you’re out? I don’t like being blind when our family is in danger. Drives me batshit fucking crazy. Havoc tells me more than he probably should, and by this point, the club just expects it.”
“I don’t think he’d try to come in. He might be tough against women and kids, but Mason will also protect himself. He wouldn’t chance going up against the club to get to us. Not unless he thought they could be bought. He wouldn’t hesitate to offer money in exchange for what he wants.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Interesting. I bet we could use that to our advantage. Let me just text Havoc and let him know. Might be useful to them while they’re plotting.”
She tapped out a message and sent it to her man before focusing on me again. I hadn’t talked to someone so much in forever. I spoke with Phantom quite a bit, but this was different. And really nice. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a friend. I didn’t know Jordan well enough to give her that label just yet. Didn’t meant it couldn’t happen quickly, though.
“I’m sure Shade will pull a picture of the guy and pass it around so everyone knows what he looks like. We’ll all watch for him. Until he’s caught, I’d suggest you and the kids not going anywhere alone. I know Taggart is taking Li with him to the high school. Havoc already arranged for someone to follow them and meet them when school lets out to come back home. He’s not taking chances.”
I could tell she was getting wound up because she was starting to talk faster. I lifted a hand. “Slower. I can’t follow if you talk too fast.”
“Sorry.” She winced. “Anyway. Just make sure you keep someone with you. A man. As sexist as that sounds, I doubt a guy like Mason will be deterred by me or anyone else being with you.”
Jordan had a good point. Mason would likely try to use another woman. He’d think he had two people to leverage for what he wanted. The last thing I wanted was anyone getting hurt because our past had come knocking at the gate. Since Samurai had been a victim of Heather, I knew we weren’t the only ones with demons. He might have moved on and put his past behind him, but what if someone else had suffered a trauma? At the party, I’d learned Meg had a troublesome past, and same for Darby. What would happen if Mason got his hands on them? And what about the other children… I didn’t want them in harm’s way.
I wondered if Phantom had considered that. Yes, Mason was here for Jian. It didn’t mean the man wouldn’t hesitate to snag any other kids he could. Even if they weren’t to his taste, his friends might buy them. It sickened me just thinking about any of the children here being in that situation -- or any child at all. They should be able to grow up, build happy memories, and not have the ugliness in the world touch them.
The only comfort I had with Mason so close is that I knew if anyone dared to take a child from any of the bikers here, hell would be unleashed until that kid was safe at home again. I’d seen what Phantom did to Heather. Samurai had been his cousin and was now a grown man. He’d still exacted revenge, not only for his family but for every child ever touched by that vile woman. He’d already promised to do worse to Mason.
Was it wrong I wanted to buy him more weapons so he could make the man suffer as much as possible?
“You have a ferocious look on your face,” Jordan said.
Did I admit I wanted Phantom to make that man hurt and make it last? Heather had gotten off too easy, in my opinion. She’d hurt kids day after day, and yet her end had come quickly. I didn’t want the same for Mason. What sort of person did that make me? I rubbed at my stomach, feeling the acid bubble.
“You want blood, don’t you?” Jordan asked, tipping her head to the side like an inquisitive puppy. “It makes you feel bad because you want Mason, and all the men like him to die a bloody, horrible, nightmarish death. Am I right?”
“Yes. It’s wrong to want another person to die. Except I don’t just want them dead.”
“I understand. Trust me. Every old lady here will get it. We’ve had hurdles to overcome, people we wanted our men to torture and kill. The club has come through for us each and every time. Mason Reynolds may have money, but he doesn’t know what he’s stepped in by coming here. You, Nova, Jian, Li… you’re all family. Because you belong to Phantom, that makes you property of the Devil’s Boneyard, and these men won’t rest until that filth is in pieces and buried in multiple shallow graves.”
“Good. I only wish we could rid the world of all of them. Every last man and woman who preys on those weaker than they are. They don’t deserve to live happy lives.” I leaned back and folded my arms over my chest.
Jordan smiled. “Honey, they don’t deserve to live at all.”
And that was the moment I knew I’d just found my best friend.
* * *
Phantom
We all eyed Havoc with varying degrees of horror.
“Did your woman seriously suggest we invite that weasel to our compound under the guise of letting him buy Jian?” Irish asked. “I’m not sure if that’s diabolical, downright insane, or fucking scary as hell.”
“It can’t be all of the above?” Stripes asked, his Russian accent more pronounced. I’d noticed it happened when stress was high, and our women or kids were in danger.
“Can I just say I wouldn’t mind a Jordan of my own some day?” Gator smiled. “That woman is a force to be reckoned with.”
Ripper snorted. “Not me. I like them soft and sweet. I’m hard enough already -- pun intended.”
Charming slammed his fist onto the table. “Enough! Can’t the lot of you focus? One of our own is in danger and you’re running off at the mouth like a bunch of teen girls. Fucking useless!”
I leaned back in my chair, surveying the room. It was my family on the chopping block. Mason Reynolds IV -- apparently the fucker really did use the full name -- was here for my son. Had they forgotten that part? I’d been as quiet as I could, but if this kept up, I’d have to leave the damn room. Charming was right. We weren’t getting anywhere. We’d been here for an hour or more and other than seeing a picture of Mason, checking out his bank records, and an accounting of where he’d been the last few days, we hadn’t done shit.
“I’m not putting Jian on lockdown. It’s not fair to him, or to the other kids. Besides, if this man is willing to take my son, what makes you so sure he won’t decide to scoop up everyone else’s kids too?” I asked.
“Pedophiles tend to have a type,” Magnus said.
Fucker. Like we didn’t all know that? What was his point? That Mason would take my son and leave? Did that make this any less crucial? No! Which was why we were all in damn Church trying to figure this shit out.
“Yes, but do you think he doesn’t know other men and women just like him? He found Jian through Heather. How many other men know my kids and might come looking for them? I can admit I fucked up. When I took out Heather, it was in the heat of the moment. I didn’t cover my tracks well enough. The motel I stayed at was the type not to ask questions, but it didn’t mean no one else around town saw us. Hell, Heather’s neighbors could have very well been watching and reported what happened.”
I heard the Pres’s chair creak as he shifted. A few men around the table looked pissed, others looked concerned. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the entire thing. I’d gained a wife and kids. Saved them from Heather and made sure she’d never hurt anyone again. But I’d also put them at risk by not being careful enough. If I hadn’t let rage control my every step, maybe I’d have done things a little different. No way of knowing now.
“What would they have seen?” Charming asked.
I thought about the day I’d waited for Heather, watching her house from the nearby park. How Charisma had taken my breath away the moment she’d stepped out of the car. And I replayed every action I took, and every word I said. There were several things I’d have changed if I could. The end result would still have been the same… Charisma by my side, Heather dead, and three kids calling me Dad.
“The kids and Charisma getting into my Jeep. I didn’t haul Heather to the old barn, though. Shade’s friend took care of that part. I did head over there and take my pound of flesh. She was still breathing when I walked out, even though I left her rather bloody.”
Charming’s eyebrows lifted and he glanced at Shade. “Any idea what happened to Heather? Is she really dead and where did he put the body?”
“Axel isn’t the type to spill all his secrets. Just know she won’t be found. And yes, she’s dead. He sent me an encrypted file of her last moments. I don’t have it anymore.” Shade closed his laptop. “I trust the guy. He could have doctored the video, but it looked legit.”
I eyed Cinder and noticed he’d zoned out a bit. Or at least, he appeared to be elsewhere inside his head. He’d said he was too old for this shit, and I was starting to understand what he meant. He had roughly two decades on me, but I knew my time would come to step down and let someone else be the club Treasurer. It was more than that, though. Five years ago, I’d have never made the mistakes I did. Not even as angry as I’d been. Had I lost my edge?
“We aren’t really considering letting that man into the compound, are we?” I asked. “Because I’m not sure I want him inside the gates. That’s too damn close to my family.”
“Too close to all our families,” Cinder muttered. “I may not be President anymore, but I vote we don’t let that asshole in here. If you want to set up some sort of trade to lure him in, I’d rather do it away from the compound. Cash for the kid.”
I seconded that. Although, if they wanted to use Jian to get the guy’s attention, they were shit out of luck. I wasn’t letting my kids anywhere near that man. I didn’t want them breathing the same air, and if I had my way, they wouldn’t be. He’d either be six feet under, or in a prison far from here. Prison wouldn’t be the ultimate goal. He’d eventually get out, want revenge, and possibly try to hurt my family again. Dead would be better. At least then I wouldn’t worry about him anymore. Didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t come looking, but one thing at a time.
“He’s not going to come if he doesn’t see the kid with us,” Shade said. “He’s not stupid, even if he’s trash. Thanks to his daddy, he’s also loaded. From what I can tell, he’s never had anything stick to him. A few parking violations, a drunk and disorderly, and he even got busted for a DUI. They were all thrown out and he walked away squeaky clean. Either he has a shark for a lawyer, or he’s been untouchable thus far Could be paying off city officials. Wouldn’t put it past him.”
“No one is untouchable,” I muttered. “Not even us.”
I cracked my neck and stared at the table. There had to be a way to take him out. As much as I wanted to feel his blood on my hands, and watch the life drain from him, at this point I didn’t care how we got rid of him. If the police wanted to lock his ass up and throw away the key, I’d deal with it. It would at least give me time to figure out a plan for when he got out. With the prisons overcrowded, as long as he followed the rules inside, he’d get an early release. The justice system was a joke sometimes.
I just didn’t want him anywhere near Jian or the rest of the family. Too much could go wrong in the blink of an eye. Besides, accidents were known to happen inside. No reason I couldn’t arrange for Mason to tragically die during a fight in the yard or something. The club had some allies in a few prisons within a one-hundred-mile radius. And if he didn’t end up at one of those, I’d find someone who could handle the problem.
Luring him out made sense. I just didn’t agree with how they wanted to do it. There had to be something, another way… anything. A man like Mason probably did have a lawyer on retainer. If they’d gotten him off so far, they’d try to clear his name if he were accused of being a pedophile. And right now, we didn’t have a damn bit of evidence against him.
Or did we …
“Shade, when you were digging up shit on Heather, how closely did you look at her bank records?”
“Which ones?” he asked. “The ones she inherited from her dead husband? Or her offshore account?”
I leaned forward and braced my elbows on the table. “The second one. What sort of deposits went in there? Were they traceable?”
He tapped at his keyboard, probably pulling up whatever he’d found on her. After looking at his screen for a few minutes, he frowned and shook his head. “I didn’t dig any further. We knew it was her, and I gave you what you needed to take her out. It never occurred to me we’d need a paper trail from her to anyone else.”
“How much time would you need to see if there’s a connection between her and Mason, other than him looking for Jian and the fact Charisma and the kids knew who he was?” Charming asked. “Because I don’t think time is something we have a lot of. This guy has been here long enough to figure out who we are, where the kids are being kept, and he’s trying to get cozy with the locals.”
Shade cracked his fingers and started typing again. His eyes narrowed and his jaw tensed as his fingers flew faster over the keys. After a moment, he sat back and laced his fingers behind his neck.
“She did a decent job of hiding things, but whoever she hired wasn’t the best. Give me a few hours. Maybe a little longer. If I run into any snags along the way, I’ll call up Wire and Lavender. Wouldn’t hurt to get them to help anyway. Maybe ask them to see what they can find on Mason. I could have missed something. While I’m good, I’m nowhere near their level.” Shade reached for the laptop again. “I’ll just stay here if that’s all right. I have my power cord with me so I can plug in and get to work.”
If I hadn’t known the club hacker had installed a secure system in every damn building and house at the compound, I might have worried. He could work his mojo in here just as safely as he could at his home. Didn’t make sense for him to run back and forth. But I sure the fuck hoped they didn’t want all of us hanging around while he did his thing. I needed to see Charisma. Hold her. Reassure myself she and the kids were okay.
Stripes stood. “I’ll have one of the girls bring you something to drink and a basket of fries.”
Shade gave him a thumbs up and started getting his workspace set up for whatever the hell he did to get us the answers we needed. Computers and I didn’t get along very well. Mine kept blowing up. Not literally, although I’d have preferred that to them just randomly deciding not to turn on anymore. I had the shittiest luck with the damn things.
I stood and made my way into the main part of the clubhouse. One of the club whores sat at the bar, staring into a beer like it had all the answers in the world. I knew the feeling well, and hoped she found more than I ever did. At another time, I’d have stopped to check on her. Right now, I had enough on my plate and a family to care for. Someone would either cheer her up, or figure out what the fuck was wrong, and try to fix it. Not my problem today.
I pushed through the doors and went over to my bike. After I swung my leg over, I started it up and walked it back from the line of bikes. I had to pass my house to get to Havoc’s place and I stopped long enough to let Momo out. I should have sent her with Charisma. I didn’t know how much protection she’d be, but at least she wouldn’t have been alone. The kids might have enjoyed playing with her.
At Havoc’s place, I could hear the TV playing and the kids laughing. I smiled, grateful they weren’t huddling under blankets, terrified of the Boogeyman waiting to get them. Unless no one had told the younger kids yet. They’d need to know, or they might not be as cautious as they should be.
I hadn’t even gotten off my bike when Charisma pulled open the door and hurried down the steps toward me. I’d barely managed to turn off the engine before she threw herself at me. I caught her and pulled her over the seat in front of me, cradling her against my chest. The way she burrowed into me made me smile. I tipped her face up so she could see my lips.
“Did you miss me?” She clung to me and nodded. If she hadn’t hidden her face against my chest, I’d have told her I’d missed her too. I glanced at the house and saw Li standing in the doorway.
“Why don’t you take Mom home for a little while? I’ve got Jian and Nova. We’ll be fine here. If for some reason we go to another house, I’ll let you know. And I swear we won’t leave the compound or go anywhere near the fence or gate.”
“You sure?” I asked, not wanting him to feel obligated to babysit his younger siblings.
“Positive. She’s having a hard time keeping up with all the conversations going on, and I can tell she’s getting anxious and stressed. I think some alone time with you might be what she needs right now.”
“You’re a smart kid, Li. And thanks for offering to stay with Jian and Nova. Call if you need us and we’ll come back.”
I patted Charisma’s thigh and told her to get on the bike. She wrapped her hands around my waist as I backed out of Havoc’s driveway and went home. I didn’t know why he hadn’t gone straight home, but I had a feeling he’d get an earful from Jordan when she realized I’d picked up Charisma. She’d want to know what he’d been doing that was more important than checking on her and the kids.
I pulled in next to my Jeep and waited for my wife to get off the bike before I swung my leg over the seat and took her hand. We went inside and I decided to leave Momo out for a little while. While there was a bite to the air, I could hear her racing around the backyard and knew she wasn’t finished playing and stretching her legs. I led Charisma to the bedroom and shut the door behind us.
We didn’t have to worry about dinner just yet, and I didn’t think Shade would be calling for a few hours. Maybe longer. Which meant we had some quality time together for at least an hour or two, and I knew just how I wanted to spend it. I’d already realized I’d never get enough of Charisma. She was like a drug, and I was hooked on her. If she were to leave, I’d wither and die.
As badly as I wanted her to know how I felt, I couldn’t say the words. Not yet. Instead, I’d show her and hope she understood. I shrugged off my cut and set it on the dresser before grabbing the neck of my shirt and pulling it off. I tossed it aside and Charisma’s eyes flared as she licked her lips. She reached out, running her fingers over my chest and down my abs. It seemed to be her favorite thing to do. She took the same path each time, her touch light and reverent.
“I think we need a distraction for a little while. What about you?” I asked.
“Yes. Make me forget, even if it’s just for now.”
I kissed her, slow and deep. “We aren’t going to forget, beautiful. Just put it on the back burner for an hour or so. It’s been too long since I got to touch you.”
“You made me scream your name so much last night I thought I’d lose my voice,” she said as she took off her property cut. She placed it with mine on the dresser, and I liked the sight of the two of them together. It reminded me of how damn lucky I was. “It hasn’t been all that long ago.”
“That was a different day. I haven’t yet held your naked body against mine today. I need you, Charisma. Want you more than my next breath. You make me feel so many things. Having you here, not just in my home or my bed, but here…” I patted my chest over my heart. “It’s been the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
“Only the truth.”
Her eyes went soft, and she kissed me again as she pressed herself against me. I felt her nipples harden through her shirt and knew she was telling me in her own way that she felt the same. I worked her shirt up her body, breaking the kiss long enough to divest her of the garment. My lips were back on hers as I reached behind her to unclasp her bra and let it slide down her arms to the floor.
Backing her toward the bed, I toppled her to the mattress before latching onto a nipple, sucking it hard. Her fingers wrapped around the back of my head, and she arched her back, offering herself to me. I’d take everything she wanted to give, and demand even more. I wanted to push her boundaries, watch as she blossomed and became the woman she’d always been intended to be. I’d set her free from Heather, but she hadn’t yet realized I’d shackled her again. She wasn’t my prisoner. If anything, I was hers. But she did belong to me. All of her. One day she’d be healed enough for all the things I wanted to do to her. With her.
I trailed kisses down her stomach and when I reached her jeans, I unfastened them and tugged them down her legs. I had to stop long enough to remove her shoes and socks, then yanked the jeans off and tossed them aside. Her panties went next, until she was bare. I kicked off my boots and finished undressing. By the time I was done, she’d scooted farther back in the bed and already waited with her thighs parted.
If she thought I was going to fall on her like a ravenous wolf… well, she’d be right. Except I wasn’t going for the main prize. I’d made it a challenge of sorts, one only I knew about. She had to come at least three times before I gave us both what we wanted. Sometimes I pushed her to four or even five orgasms. She’d begged me one night, claiming she couldn’t come again. I’d proven her wrong twice more.
I ran my hands up her legs and knelt next to the bed. Yanking her ass to the edge of the mattress, I smiled when she let out a squeal and flailed her arms. The glower she gave me was cute as fuck. Before she had a chance to lay into me for startling her, I bent down and blew on her pussy. She sucked in a breath and went completely still. Yeah, she knew what was coming. If she could hear me, this would be the part where I told her she was my favorite meal.
Dragging my tongue along the seam of her pussy, I pushed her thighs farther apart, giving me more room to work. Spreading her pussy open, I plunged my tongue inside her before using it to circle her clit. Her muscles tensed under my hands as she fought her desire to come. After the one and only time I’d gloated a bit for making her come on my tongue after a similar move, she’d done her damnedest to hold back. I knew I could play her body and make her beg and scream. She knew it too. For some reason, she seemed to think it was a bad thing that she reacted so strongly to everything we did in the bedroom. Making her come was my favorite thing to do.
“That’s it, pretty girl. Make me work for it. Only makes it that much sweeter when you give in,” I murmured to myself, knowing she couldn’t hear me. I circled her clit again before flicking my tongue across the hard bud. She jerked and made a strangled sound.
I blew on her clit before sucking it into my mouth. Her thighs trembled and I noticed she’d started gripping the bedding. She didn’t have to use words for me to know she was close. Releasing one of her legs, I slipped two of my fingers inside her, curling them slightly as I used shallow thrusts. I worked her clit with my tongue and within seconds she was soaking both me and the bed. She came so hard she squirted, and I lapped up all her cream.
I could hear her panting and rose over her, only to flip us. She sprawled across my chest before she sat up and straddled me. I tapped her hip and she lifted only to lower herself on my cock. “Not what I meant.”
She wrinkled her nose at me as she lifted herself only to take me a little farther into her on the next downstroke. The fact I’d only made her come once made me feel like I hadn’t done my job right. Taking care of her meant pleasing her too. Charisma rode me, her movements slow but steady. Until I reached between us and rubbed her clit. Her hips jerked and soon she rose and fell on my cock fast and hard. She rode me, her pussy clenching my shaft. Charisma tossed her head back, and I watched her breasts bounce as she took what she needed.
I worked her clit, feeling my own climax rising. When she came, I knew I couldn’t hold back. I flipped us again, driving into her. Gripping her hip, I held her still as I thrust into her over and over. My balls drew up and my cock twitched inside her. I didn’t even have enough time to draw enough breath before I was coming, filling her up with my hot cum. Not for the first time, I wished I could give her a baby. A little boy or two who was half her and half me. Didn’t make me love her any less, knowing that would never happen.
I ravaged her mouth, pouring everything I felt into the kiss. My heart hammered in my chest, and it felt like I’d run a marathon when I rolled to the side and pulled her against my chest. She cuddled against me, and I breathed in her sweet scent. Running my hand up and down her back, I thought about what the future held for us. I loved Nova, Jian, and Li, but it wouldn’t be long before Li was off living his own life. Jian would only be a few years behind him, then little Nova would leave our nest. I wasn’t ready for any of that. I wanted to hold onto them forever. Realistically, I knew I couldn’t.
I leaned up on my elbow and traced Charisma’s eyebrows, marveling at how beautiful she was. A lot of people wouldn’t think so, but her scars and imperfections made her unique, and proved she was a fighter. Maybe not in the same way as Jordan. I had a hard time picturing my woman going after someone with a bat or taking them down with a well-placed punch. No, her strength was a quieter sort. More like Grey and Clarity. Although, Clarity had become a force of nature over the years.
I wondered if Charisma would be like that one day. It seemed all our old ladies became bolder, more outgoing, and overall badasses the longer they were here. Except Jordan. She’d been that way from the beginning, which was why Havoc had wanted her. They were very well matched.
“I want to enclose the attic and add two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.” She blinked at me, and I realized I’d tossed that at her out of the blue. I needed to back up a bit since I’d clearly lost her. “The kids will be grown and gone before we know it. With Shade digging more into Heather’s life and finances, I’m thinking we might get a lead on some of the kids. I want to adopt another one or two, if you’re all right with that?”
“Yes! Yes, I want more children. Are you sure you don’t care they aren’t ours by blood?”
“Blood doesn’t make someone family. All right, technically it does in a strictly biological sense, but the kids we have now aren’t from my sperm. Doesn’t mean I don’t love them.”
“You really think we’ll find them?”
“Not all of them. It may honestly be too late for a lot of them. But I’m hopeful we’ll find a few, or maybe stumble across some just by tracking her finances to possible pedophiles she brokered adoptions for. There’s no guarantee.”
“How soon can we start?” she asked.
“Tomorrow. They already added some flooring so they could store some of my stuff up there. There’s enough space to section off part of the attic for storage and make rooms out of the rest. The house has more square footage than you probably realize.”
“What if we find the kids before we get it done?” Her brow furrowed and I reached over to smooth out the frown lines between her eyes.
“We’ll make it work. Whatever it takes.”
My phone started chirping where I’d left it in my pants pocket, and I knew I had incoming texts. I rolled away from Charisma and got out of bed long enough to retrieve the damn thing so I could shut it up. Until I saw it wasn’t from anyone in my club. It was from Wire. And as I read the words, my gut tightened.
Does your woman know she’s the daughter of a biker? Or more specifically a Reckless King?
I looked over at Charisma and wondered if I was about to lose her. She’d thought she was alone. She wasn’t. Not even fucking close. And her daddy might very well be pissed enough to try and drag her out of here.
I ran my hand up her calf and gave it a slight shake, getting her attention. I couldn’t even attempt to sign. My hands were too damn shaky.
“You knew your dad was a biker. You mentioned only knowing his road name.”
She nodded. “Yes. Mom said he was called Drifter.”
Motherfucking fuck. “Wire found your dad.”
She bolted upright in the bed. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed hard. The Reckless Kings had been allies to us on more than one occasion, and we’d worked together in the past to help the Dixie Reapers. At one time, I wouldn’t have thought anything of Charisma being one of their kids. Now that they’d started settling down and starting families, I couldn’t help but worry Drifter wouldn’t want to let her go once he came to meet her. “Do you want me to call him?”
She touched her ears and paled a little. I tossed the phone onto the bed and crawled back in next to her, wrapping her in my arms. No matter how many times I told her the scars didn’t make her ugly, they still bothered her. And meeting her father for the first time? Yeah, my woman was going to be self-conscious.
“I think we need to talk to him, Charisma. He has a right to know about you. The Reckless Kings are nice guys. That’s the club he belongs to, up in Tennessee.”
“How did my mom meet him if he’s from there?” she asked.
I brushed her nose with mine before leaning back a little. “You said his name is Drifter. I think that answers your question. I imagine he got the name because he didn’t like sitting in one place for long.”
“Tomorrow. I can’t…” She bit her lip. “Not tonight. Please.”
“All right. We’ll call him tomorrow. I’ll let Wire know so he doesn’t run his mouth to the Reckless Kings before we’re ready.”
I reached for my phone and cursed before I got a chance to respond because Wire had sent another message, and this one wouldn’t be good news to my wife. She was about to lose her shit.
He’s on his way. Never knew about Charisma. He’s pissed as fuck and not too happy with you either. Already alerted Charming.
“Worse than a fucking old woman gossiping during bingo. I swear to Christ, someone is going to end up kicking Wire’s ass one of these days.” I sighed and looked at Charisma who had paled again. “Sorry, beautiful. Your dad is already on his way here. Looks like you’re meeting him whether you’re ready or not.”
“How long?” she asked.
“Maybe six hours. Have a feeling it will be less.”
I held her as all the tension we’d just released built right back up. Her muscles tightened, she started shaking, and I felt her tears against my skin. Yeah. Someone was going to kick Wire’s ass all right. And it was going to be me the next time I saw him.
Meddlesome fucking bastard.