Page 66 of Charger

TWENTY-SIX

Jules

Despite the drama that went down today with the Skulls and Venom, I have a sense of relief. Having Zach finally know about him, and not having to worry about stepping on any toes, makes me breathe a little easier. I smile to myself like a weirdo and Joe looks at me strangely.

“I’m glad to see you smiling, honey.”

“Thanks, Joe, I’m feeling pretty good tonight.” I sway my hips to the song playing, “Fire Up the Night” by New Medicine, as requested by Lucy. She loves her music. I do too. He shakes his head, laughs, and drinks his beer. Lucy comes over and shakes her hips while grabbing the tray of drinks. She’s so petite she gets lost in the crowd. One of my bartenders comes alongside me. I tie the full trash bag, tugging it free of the can. “I’ll be back. I’m taking the trash out.” She nods and I head for the side door.

I inhale the summer night air, whipping the bag over the open dumpster. But my newfound happiness is about to end.

Before I can turn around, a rough hand grabs the back of my neck and walks me against the building. First confusion, then panic sets in, bringing me back to reality. My cheek feels like it’s getting violently scraped along the hard, uneven brick. No matter how much I want to scream, I can’t choke out the words. The air feels like it’s kicked out of me.

“So, you’re fucking him, huh, Jules?” He spins me around to face him. A surge of terror enters my body, shooting down my spine.

“G-Get off of me, Venom,” I manage to choke out, but his hand still holds the front of my throat. “You’re hurting me.”

He quickly releases his hold, giving the air a chance to return to my lungs. His focus lands on the scrape across my cheek, staring with sadness and regret. If I didn’t know better, it looked like he showed a hint of remorse.

His breath brushes against my face as he leans in. “Answer my question. Are. You. Fucking. Him?” I try to move around him, but he’s too strong and his body is smashed against mine, making it nearly impossible.

The tears let loose, falling down my cheeks, and the darkness in his eyes lighten.

“He’s Chloe’s father. I don’t owe you an explanation, but he’s Chloe’s fucking father!” More tears fall as I yell, though I doubt anyone can hear me with the music.

A roar of a motorcycle engine sounds nearby, then it stops. I’m hoping it’s not more of his buddies.

“I told you that you’re mine, Jules. Remember that?” he sneers at me.

“I am not yours. Now get away from me.” I push at his chest. Surprisingly he stumbles back and right into Zach, who then grips Venom by his vest before looking over at me, while I am still rubbing my (probably) bruising throat. Zach’s eyes turn menacing; there’s an underlying darkness like nothing I have ever seen before.

“Did you fucking touch her?” Venom smirks as Zach brings the son of a bitch up to his face. “You’re fucking dead.” Zach releases him before cocking a fist back and into his jaw. Venom plummets to the ground.

Why does it look like he’s not even trying to defend himself at this point? My money is all on Zach, but it’s not like Venom to go down so easily, so why is he not fighting back? Zach throws himself on top of the prone figure, launching punch after punch.

“Zach! Zach, stop!” I pull him back with all the strength I have, but it’s like trying to move a wall. “Stop!” He pauses midair before landing just one more blow. “Just stop. Come on.” I tug at him and at last, he gets up, standing just above Venom, who is left bloodied and bruised on the ground. He lies there another second before he climbs to his feet, spits out blood, and wipes his face with the back of his hand.

“I ever see you near her again, and I swear on my life… I will kill you.” Zach’s chest puffs in and out as he points at the battered biker. He doesn’t take his eyes off Venom until the creep starts walking back to his own bike.

He turns around, giving us parting words. “You just signed your death warrant, asshole.” He laughs and takes off. I’m no genius when it comes to biker lingo, but that wasn’t exactly code; the word death certificate was pretty obvious.

“Zach, what did he mean…”

He charges for me and takes my face in his hands, avoiding the open cut. “He hurt you,” he whispers, tenderly rubbing his thumb over my neck, in a soothing and comforting way. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to fucking kill him. And you can’t stop me next time, Jules.”

I shake my head. “No, no, stop. I’m okay.”

He runs his hands down both of my arms, stops at my waist, and pulls me to him. My wrists are pressed against his chest and I’m engulfed in his massive embrace.

“You’re mine, Jules. Do you understand that? You’ve always been mine. Every day, for the past six years, you were still mine.” I pull away, each of us staring at the other like nothing else exists right now. He grips my ass with both hands and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around him, and his lips crash to mine. They feel like home. His lips, his arms, it all feels like home. He walks me backwards until I’m against the uneven wall. His tongue teases mine, reminding me how he tastes. Mint and oranges, that’s what he tastes like. Like fucking citrus.

He pulls away, breathing heavily, then slowly starts kissing my neck. I moan from the pleasure soaring through me. My lady bits are screaming for him. “Fuck, I’ve missed you so fucking much. Your taste, your smell, your body.” His breath tickles my ear and he holds me with such strength.

The back door of the bar swings open. “Oh, shit, sorry.” We both look at Lucy, who is standing there like a deer in headlights. “Ignore me. I’m not here. Well, I am here but you know what I mean. Just seeing where you went off to and well, I see why, so I’m just going to shut up and walk back inside now.” She turns around. “One more thing, we got the bar covered. I don’t want to see you for the rest of the night.” She winks before closing the door. We turn back to each other, our faces so close and the hot air of his breath on my cheek.

“Chloe staying at your parents?” I nod, my mouth parting. “Good.” He walks us off the wall and upstairs to my place. He sets me down, only so I can get the key out of my pocket. As soon as we’re inside, he kicks the door shut with his boot and has me against the wall in seconds. He lifts my shirt from the hem, and I raise my arms as he pulls it off. He takes in my breasts, his eyes roaming all over my body. But he’s not making me feel insecure; no, he’s making me feel like the sexiest woman on the planet.

He closes the gap between us, grabs my face with his hands and crashes his mouth to mine again. I need his hands on me. I want to feel them everywhere.

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