Page 58 of Nikolai (Kansas City Reapers)

We were all going stir-crazy sitting around this place, even with the work that needed to be done. The vintage car in the large garage was almost finished, sitting there waiting on a part that was fucking back-ordered, so we were lying in wait — and growing increasingly antsy with tedious energy.

“How long will you need, Deacon?” Jax asked, not lifting his eyes from the laptop he had set up at the table. Why he needed his laptop here when his office was just down the hall, I’d never understand.

“Maybe two hours? Tops,” he shrugged off, finishing his coffee and placing the dirty mug in the dishwasher. Deacon was the easiest of us all to live with. Quiet and solitary, he kept to himself most of the time.

“Sounds good. Need someone to go riding with you?” Sully asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“No way. Not on your life, Sully. The last time you came with me, we didn’t evengetto ride, because you wouldn’t stop feeding Honey carrots. She was so stuffed with them that she was useless the rest of the day. Not happening.” Sully pouted, quite convincingly. The brute of a man enjoyed riding, just as the rest of us did, but Deacon was persnickety about his horses.

“Who is Honey, and why are you guys riding her?” Maddy asked, sashaying her way into the kitchen where the rest of us were gathered.

“Mornin’, Maddy! Want some breakfast?” Sully asked with delight.

“Sully, I was down here an hour ago eating breakfast with all of you. Why would you ask that?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes with a smile.

“Well, there’s always second breakfast, obviously!” Sully gibed, giving her grief. “Plus, you could use some meat on your bones. You’re so teensy, girl! Let me make you a snack.”

Before Sully could weasel his way back to his beloved oven, Maddy stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“First of all, I ate plenty. You are feeding me well, big guy. And second, my bones look just fine without more meat on them.”

“I disagree.”

“Well, Niko doesn’t, and he’s the one who matters here, isn’t he?” She leveled him with a narrowed look that had my heart pounding with pride and my cock swelling with arousal. Her laying claim on me in such a way, infront of my brothers, had quite an effect on me. Quite an effect indeed.

“From what we’ve heard over the last week and a half, I’d say so,” Jax snickered to himself. I reached over, whacking him over the back of the head and pinning him with a look. “Hey, buddy. I’m not your submissive. You don’t get to look at me that way.”

Maddy, who had now sat down next to Jax to relax while we all talked, snapped her fingers in his face. “Hey, dude. I get to call him buddy. Not you.” She pinned him with a stare that mirrored my own. I swear to any god that’s ever been created, my heart grew two sizes.

“Message received,” Jax muttered, whistling low and holding his hands up in defeat.

I looked over at the woman I called my submissive, my eyes drifting down from the smirk on her face to the shape of her body in her clothes. She wore athletic clothing; leggings, and an oversized razor-back tank with a sports bra beneath. And, fuck me, did I want to rip it off her body, right then and there, in front of everyone.

She was calling to my more possessive side, something that had not happened with a submissive in far too long a time.

“Want to go for a ride, Maddy? I’d be happy to let you ride Honey while I take Storm out on the trail,” Deacon offered, but immediately, Maddy scrunched her face in distaste.

“Not for me. Me and horses don’t mix well.” She shrugged him off kindly, but Deacon wasn’t about to let that slide.

“Maybe that’s because you don’t know how to ride well,” he teased with a smirk.

“Oh, trust me, sugar. I can ride quite well,” she shot back with a wink as she took a sip from her water bottle.

“Damn, the cat’s got claws, doesn’t she, Niko?” Sully guffawed, the sound ringing through the room.

“I do, and don’t you forget it, big guy,” she snarked back, narrowing her heated glare at him. Immediately, his hands went up in defense.

“Hey, I’m not looking for a fight. I’m happy to keep y’all fed and healthy.” Sully took his seat at the table, one chair over from where Maddy sat and across the table from me.

“And that’s why you’re the best, Sully,” she added, finally trading in her glare for a smile as she stood from her seat, ruffling the bit of hair on the top of Sully’s head.

“I’ll be back in an hour-ish. Two, tops.” Deacon rushed out the back door, waving as he went.

“Happy trails,” Jax called after him, still not letting his eyes drift from his laptop screen. “But be back by then! I’m going crazy being cooped up in here!” He shouted, a full five secondsafterthe back door had slammed shut.

“So, what’s happening when Deacon gets back?” Maddy asked, reaching for an apple that sat in a fruit bowl in the center of the table. Sully opened his mouth to complain, but immediately closed it when I shot him a look.

“The guys and I are going out for a bit. Jax will stay behind with you while we’re gone,” I answered firmly, praying to Jesus that she would listen and not fight me on this.

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