Page 17 of Never Wed an Outlaw

I didn't run this club into the ground, old man.

I didn't get brothers killed for nothin'.

I didn't shit on Ma and leave her heart in a million pieces just for strange pussy.

All those truth bombs and more lodged in my throat.

Worst of all, I knew it wasn't really Early, coming up from his grave to taunt me like a ghost. It was my own brain, pulling make believe demons out of nowhere, mining them in my subconscious.

Deep down, some evil, screwed up part of my soul fought the rest of it, trying to tell me I wasn't good enough to bring my boys everything they deserved.

Good fuckin' luck.

I'd keep fighting, damn it. And one of these days, I'd spread the legs of the angel laying next to me, when she wanted it so bad I'd feel her little teeth digging into my skin.

She belonged on my cock, one way or another. I belonged in her, teaching her sweet young ass the dirty, addicting things a woman oughta know at least once in her life.

Wanted it. Needed it. Imagined it, right down to how her face would look when I took what was mine.

Opening her up, tasting her, fucking her with everything I had. Wasn't a question of if, but when.

Whenever that day came, I had a feeling it'd be the same day this club smiled on me for leading it to glory, bringing every brother a woman, a bottle of whiskey, and enough peace to enjoy it.

5

The Good Fight (Hannah)

It was early morning, and I fought the good fight.

Despite my worries, Dust was a total gentleman the whole night through. At some point, his arm strayed over to my side. I woke up with it wrapped around my waist, the tattoos inked in his skin shining beneath the sun.

Why didn't I push it away, or wriggle out of his grasp? Deep down, I already knew.

He made me crave his lips again, even when I just laid there and looked at them, studying the rough contours and tiny scars in his strong face.

He made me wet like nobody else ever had. Sure, I had a weakness for men with loud bikes and ferocious tattoos. Went with the territory in the dirty, dangerous place I'd grown up in, especially after Firefly found his place among their ranks.

Dusty made me think about taking my V-card and burning it in the worst way, and that wasn't going to change. Not when we finally got up and went about our day, or when I inevitably thought about him again the next time I wandered through my phone's contacts.

My nerves tingled in the best ways. Lust, fear, adrenaline, and disbelief all clashed in my blood, raging louder than the tremendous storms that swept over us last night, landing us in the same bed.

It wouldn't take much to give away everything now, if I wanted.

My instinct was raw, hungry, urging me over and over to pull the covers down, climb on top of him, and start to lick every sweet inch of his gorgeous skin.

Obviously, I had bigger problems to deal with once he brought me home. I'd need a whole new build for my app to cover everything, including the bastards telling me I'd die if I didn't cover their asses, too.

Thinking about what Dusty thought in his dreams each time he groaned should've been the least of my worries. But the biggest, baddest, most beautiful problem I'd ever seen was sprawled out next to me, his hand pulling at my hip a little more each time his face twitched in his sleep.

If only I could've given into him for a single second. Just reached out, touched him, slid one hand down the delicious stubble covering his cheek. Maybe it would've wrecked my worries for the rest of the day, cast Dom and his devils into the dark and dirty part of my head where they belonged.

My fingers stiffened. Slowly, my hand came up, moving toward Dust's face.

One little stroke, I told myself, just enough to feel his skin. I was nearly to his cheek when his eyelids opened, so suddenly I gasped.

Two bright, fearless grey eyes stared into mine, beamingwith total control. If he was surprised, he didn't show it.

“I-I'm sorry,” I stammered. “I was trying to get the change you threw on your nightstand. Just wanted to get a drink from the vending machine, maybe see if they had a little coffee. I would've paid you back, obviously.”