Page 11 of Ink's Devil

“She worth giving a try?”

I make a seesaw gesture with my hands, while trying to hide the fact I’m gritting my teeth. “Wouldn’t say that. She was pretty vanilla.”

Mace’s way of fucking is very similar to my own, so his face falls. Then his eyes narrow. “But six condoms, man?”

“Nah, fuckin’ with ya, Bro,” I contradict myself. “Once was enough. It was marginally better than using my hand.”

He doesn’t seem to know which of my statements to believe. As he eyes the waste bin the other side of the room and makes as though to enter, I place my hand firmly against his chest and push him out the door, pausing only to grab my saddlebag and my thick leather jacket which I’ll surely need. Outside, it will be fucking cold.

He chortles. I’m transparent it would seem. “You staying to eat here?”

“Nah. Had enough mixing with civilians last night. Want to take my chance riding home while the snow is still melted. There’s more forecasted for later.”

“Not until tonight, thank fuck. Hey, you just don’t want to face her today, do you?”

Yes and no. Yes, because my evil side wants to make her uncomfortable with knowing looks and winks, maybe a comment about the stiff way she’s walking. No, because the sooner she’s out of sight, she’ll be out of mind. But of course, I don’t make that admission. “Don’t give a damn one way or another, Ground Pounder.”

“Bet you do, you fuckin’ Leatherneck.”

Mace was in the United States Army, I’m an ex-Marine. We often trade insults. Well, he invites it as he still wears his hair military short, mine I’ve allowed to grow out. We continue verbally sniping at each other and exchanging playful punches while waiting for the elevator to arrive.

“Christ, this is a fuckin’ fancy hotel. Should have known it was too good for rabble like you two.”

“Hey, VP.” I move aside to make way for Steph, Beef’s blind wife, to step inside the elevator that’s just arrived, her guide dog Max competently leading her into it. “How you doing today?”

“I’m tired,” Steph says, turning toward me. If it wasn’t for my knowledge of her and that she’s not quite looking high enough to meet my eyes, you’d never know she couldn’t see out of them.

“Yeah,” the VP takes over, “some asshole in the room next to ours kept us awake until the early hours. Fuckin’ headboard knocking against the fuckin’ wall. And screams, of ‘fuck yeah, just like that, right there,’” he mimics in a falsetto.

Mace chokes back a laugh.

Seeing Beef’s arched brow, I know he knows fucking well, he wasn’t in the room next to mine.

“Asshole,” I tell him.

Mace slaps my back. “Probably had a knock-on effect through the rooms.” He pauses and considers his words. “Knock-on effect. Literally.” He cracks up.

I try to glare but can’t keep the stern expression on my face. Fucking assholes, the lot of them, these brothers that I profess to love. By the time we exit the hotel, I’m chuckling myself as I do up the zip of my jacket right to the neck, pull on my winter riding gloves and place a beanie on my head, then take out my bandana. Before I wrap it around my mouth and nose, I nod to Beef’s bike.

“Those heated grips work?”

“Yeah. Keep my palms warm, anyway,” Beef replies as he waits for Steph to steady herself and put her arms around him. I notice him watching the prospect he must have summoned as Karl opens the door of the truck and Max hops inside. That’s our VP, making sure everyone’s accounted for, whether canine or human.

As Steph rests her head against his back, I wonder what it’s like to have a bitch up behind you. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never taken anyone on my bike before, never wanted to, which is why I only have a single seat on mine. But their closeness, their love is almost palpable. Just for one teeny second, I’m jealous. The alien sensation proves the thought I had yesterday is right. Weddings really do fuck with your mind.

But hey, there’s a cure for that. By now all the sweet butts will have returned to the compound, and I can take my choice. Unless they’re in high demand, which they might well be. It wouldn’t surprise me if everyone was like me, and Pyro and Mel’s nuptials will have made them horny.

The ride to the compound is a chilly one, but the roads have been gritted and cleared, just needing a little extra care to be taken, and one eye kept out for black ice. As the weather determines how often we can ride now, I enjoy the cold air rushing past, relishing in the freedom of the road. The VP’s in front as he should be, Mace and I ride alongside each other.

This is the life. Whatever the elements throw at us.

Nevertheless, I rub my hands together briskly then blow on them once I enter the warmth inside the clubhouse.

“Need someone to warm you up, Ink?” a voice full of seduction murmurs into my ear. It’s easily recognisable as Sheila.

Now that would definitely melt the cold that seems to have seeped into my bones. “Sure, doll. Why not?”

Detouring only to grab a bottle of beer from the bar, I head on up to my room, confident the sweet butt will be following.

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