Page 54 of Tainted Saints

“So where will I sit?” I ask, just as he settles himself in his chair. He gives me an answer by patting his knee, and I roll my eyes before doing as commanded and sitting in his lap.

His arms wrap around me and he pulls me closer, his lips against my ear. “Don’t make me have to show all these fine folk who your Daddy is, sugar. I’m not above making you come in front of this whole damn room.”

All my nerve endings tingle, my breath shuddering out of my lungs as his words penetrate my brain. Fucking hell. How does he know that exhibitionism is a kink I never knew I had until I met him? His low chuckle when I clench my thighs together lets me know that he is well aware of the effect of his words.

He toys with the top of my thigh, drawing circles with his fingers as he chats to the various members of the Saints gang who grab his or Blaine’s attention. Even through my wool trousers, it sends tingles racing up and down my body, and I can barely concentrate on what they’re talking about. There are tumblers with what looks like red wine in them, and when I reach out to Forest’s and take a sip, the full-bodied flavour of a pretty decent vintage makes my taste buds tingle.

“Diana’s been having some trouble,” I hear Reg say to the guys, the name one I recognise. It takes a second, but I realise that was the name of the place where Officer Anne bought me a sandwich when I was with Blaine in the county jail. “With the Ravens.”

“Those fucking assholes are getting too big for their boots,” Forest hisses under his breath. “You and Snake hang out there this week, show them that Diana’s is under our protection and if they keep fucking with her we’re gonna have a problem.”

“Yes, boss.” Reg nods, turning to a guy on his other side and relaying the instructions. I assume that’s Snake, especially given the snake tattoo that winds its way around his neck and up the side of his head.

“Can I ask you something?” I whisper, twisting so I can look at both Forest and Blaine.

“Sure, sugar,” Forest replies, taking a sip of his wine, his lips over the place that mine were.

“I heard that you guys do protection,” I start, my gaze darting between them as I try to formulate my question. “And I wondered, what does it cost the people who you protect?”

“Cost them?” Blaine rumbles, tilting his head to the side.

Forest barks out a laugh, drawing eyes to us, and my cheeks heat as I fidget on his lap. “You've been watching too many Godfather reruns, sugar.” He chuckles, and I narrow my eyes at him. Then his face softens, his fingers squeezing my thigh. “It don’t cost them nothin’. Well, Diana feeds our guys when they’re staking the place out, but we do it because we like to take care of our community, Little Lady. Make everyone feel that bit safer.”

My mouth opens a little, surprise scrambling my filter. “But, how do you make money?”

Forest chuckles, and Blaine joins him, his laugh a deep rumble that does bad things to me.

“We have jobs, like normal people,mi tesoro,” Blaine answers. “Forest helps out at the Pound on the weekends, and Lan and I fix up motorbikes in a garage a couple blocks away.”

“Everyone here works when they can and helps when they can,” Forest tells me, pride shining in his eyes. “It’s a family, angel. We look out for each other, and anyone else that needs it, because most here don’t have anyone else on their side. Don’t get me wrong, we have the odd job that sits on the line of the law, but we try not to make that kind of work a habit.”

“Oh,” I say weakly, my mind spinning with the information they’ve given me. I thought their infamy was because of being like every gang I’ve ever heard of, into all sorts of illegal shit, but it really does sound like they are one big family, looking out for each other and taking care of their own.

“Food’s ready!” Lan calls out as he walks in carrying a huge bowl of steaming pasta sauce with what looks like meatballs in it while several other guys bring in spaghetti and other bits and pieces for our meal. It smells delicious, as Lan’s food always does, and my stomach rumbles even though I only ate a few hours ago.

People pass the dishes around, and my throat goes tight seeing just how much of a family they have here, everyone smiling and chatting with ease.

“Duchess?” I twist to look and see Lan sitting next to me, holding out a fork with spaghetti covered in sauce wrapped around it.

“Thank you,” I whisper, the rest of the room disappearing as I lean forward. My mouth opens and he slides the fork in, the sweet, tangy tomato and herb sauce bursting on my tongue. “Oh my god, Lan,” I moan, blushing when ruckus laughter and lewd comments follow from the rest of the gang. Blaine silences them with a death glare and Lan scowls at his gang who quickly shuts up. Forest’s lips twitch up in a smirk, and I can’t help wondering if a part of him enjoys the attention of his gang admiring me.

He continues to feed me from his plate, Forest giving me sips of wine, and Blaine leaning over to feed me small morsels of bread. It’s the best meal I think I’ve ever had, and when I lean back into Forest’s chest, too full to eat another bite, the song that’s just beginning to play filters in past all the noise.

Closing my eyes I sing along to Peggy Lee’s version of “Bella Notte,” allowing the wine and music to relax me enough to forget about everyone else here and just enjoy the moment.

When the final note leaves my lips, I blink my eyes open to find silence, every eye on me, and the bubble bursts as I squirm under their shocked gazes.

“Duchess…” Lan breathes out, and I tear my eyes away from the people around us to get lost in his midnight gaze. His lips are parted, his eyes wide and sparkling.

Before I can say anything, he pulls my mouth to his, his large palms holding my face as he devastates me with his kiss. It’s beautiful, everything a girl could ever dream of in a kiss from a stunning man. He worships me with his lips and tongue, telling me that our souls have belonged together for aeons, and tears spring behind my lids at the sweet perfection of the embrace.

Words race to my mind, three words that shouldn’t be there after only such a short time, but denying them is like trying to stop the tide. A small sob falls between us, which he swallows, kissing me deeper in return, claiming me with no words spoken.

“You’re perfect, Little Lady,” Forest whispers in my ear, his lips skimming the column of my neck. “And you belong to us as surely as the sun belongs to the sky.”

My breath hitches, my hands clutching the front of Lan’s shirt as our kiss slows.

“Lan,” I breathe out against his lips in a choked whisper, a maelstrom of feelings raging inside me and making it hard to speak properly.

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