Page 21 of Bruiser's Reckoning

“Gwyneth, look at me,” Bruiser commands. I know it’s a command, but he keeps his voice calm and gentle, though his body is stiff and ready to strike at any moment if a threat arises. With it just us in the room, there’s nothing of the sort except for the story he seems to want to hear.

Slowly, I lift my gaze back to his. “Those six months, I endured everything my mother ordered for them to do. She said it was for me to learn my place in society. That I need to know how to be a wife to someone of our stature. She claimed that the man who was to become my husband would want someone to know how to please him in every way and never talk back. Thankfully, Simon never had to go through any of that.”

“All right, Princess, that’s enough. You don’t need to say anymore. I just needed to know why you do things that you do,” he remarks, leans forward, and presses his forehead to mine.

“I do what I do because I learned no one else is going to protect me. I needed to be able to save myself. Never let another person get a hold of me and put me through the hell like my mother allowed. I can’t even blame both parents for it. It was all her. My father didn’t even know about it. She told him I was spending six months of school over in France.”

I give myself a moment to get ahold of my emotions, and Bruiser doesn’t say anything while I do so. Because of this, I take another moment before relaxing into him.

“Swear with all I am, Gwyneth, you’ll never go another day without knowing someone’s got your back,” he says, loosening his arms from around me. He slides one hand up my spine until he’s tangling his fingers in my hair, and the other cups my rear. “You can protect yourself, but that doesn’t mean I won’t protect you.”

I don’t know what to say to those words, so I don’t. Instead, I lift my head away from his and show him in other ways what he said means to me.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BRUISER

“Brother, are you ready to get out of here?” Dagger asks, coming through the station’s doors to where both our bikes are parked.

“Damn right.” I’m more than ready to get out of here. I’m ready to have my woman all to myself again. Well, as much to myself as I can get.

For the past two days, I’ve spent my time following Gwyneth and her team around. I’ve had enough with the men who work at the station all but eye fucking what’s mine. If I have to deal with the bastards ogling her body in that uniform she wears one more minute, I’ll kill someone. I didn’t even know a uniform of tactical pants and a fitted tee with the EMS logo on the back could be sexy, but damn if seeing her in it hasn’t had my dick hard for her. I should have left this part strictly in Dagger’s hands rather than following them around. But I told Gwyneth I had her back, and I meant it. She needs to know I’m going to be there to watch out for her. No matter whether she thinks she needs me there or not.

The only saving grace for the men who work around her is that they don’t dare fuck around and flirt with her. I’m sure they didn’t because not only Dagger and myself were around, but Captain Grady and his son, Ross, would probably kill ‘em.The first day she was back on shift, I saw how both men watched over her, checking her pulse, ensuring themselves she was good. I didn’t blame them for it either. She’s still not exactly a hundred percent. The woman is getting there, though she’s hiding something, and it has to do with her working at the gym.

I talked to Colt and Carbine to see how she acted at the gym. They both said exactly what they’d reported to Hammer. I figured when I took her there tomorrow, I’d talk to Rico and see if he’s noticed something off about her. He’d know her best other than Angie and Mick, who she works with.

I’ll be happy when she finishes the day out, and I can get her ass back in bed and then bury myself deep inside her pussy.

I have plans for the two of us, plans I intend to enjoy. I’m thinking instead of going to her apartment, we’ll go to the clubhouse. Stay in my room there. The club’s having a party tomorrow night, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Gwyneth cut loose and have a bit of fun. I don’t have to worry about her and the slobber crawlers. They fuck with her, it’s their funeral. I know it. My brothers know it. So do the ol’ ladies.

“You takin’ her to the clubhouse or apartment?”

“Clubhouse,” I answer seeing the look on Dagger’s face. One of sweet relief. “What’s with the look?”

“After being on shift with those three, I’m ready to do my head in. I need to get away from the headache,” Dagger grumbles while straddling his bike. “If I have to hear either of those women, or Mick, for that matter, talk about sex, orgasms, and the best positions to reach ultimate climax. I can’t deal with more of it. I don’t want to know about Mick and his girl’s relationship, how they’re off once again. I don’t want to hear about Angie’s need for sex. Hell, the woman even offered to take me for a spin. No damn way would I touch Grady’s daughter.” He blows out a frustrated breath and glares at me. “I also don’t need to hear about your ugly ass and the spanking you gave Gwyneth.” He grimaces.

I throw my head back and burst out laughing. I can’t help it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother this put out about anything.

“What has you laughing?”

I cock my head in Gwyneth’s direction and grin at the sight of her. She changed from her uniform into a pair of form-fitting jeans, ankle boots, and a tank top that covers her tits just the right amount not to be inappropriate. The woman is damn lucky she’s walking out of that station and to me rather than into it.

Fuck me. She’s sex on a stick, and I can’t wait to get my mouth on that sweet pussy again.

“Nothing, Princess,” I answer, sobering. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.” She makes her way to me, and my dick hardens even further with the way she sways her hips. “What are we doing?”

“Going to the clubhouse,” I inform her while straddling my bike and motioning for her to hop on. The other day was the first time she’d been on my bike or any bike. I like the fact no one else has ever given her a ride, and my bike is the only one she ever gets on the back of.

The moment she’s got her arms wrapped around my waist, her body firmly pressed against mine, I squeeze the throttle and jerk my chin up toward Dagger. Time for me to show my woman how to have a good time.

“We’ve got a problem,” Cy says, taking a sip of his beer, sitting next to me, eyes focused on the women dancing in the middle of the room.

Tonight, we’ve got more than just the slobber crawlers or the ol’ ladies here. Every so often, we let hangarounds and some strange in for a party. We haven’t done it much lately, and it’s all good, it means less to clean up afterward. Granted, that’s nothing I handle.

“What’s the problem?” I ask, not taking my eyes off my woman as she dances, swaying to the music thumping through the speakers, with a few of the other ol’ ladies. I might not have officially claimed her, but damn, if I don’t like the idea of her being just that for me. I’ll have to get her a property cut like the others have on.

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