The Book of Kings, page 18
"I know. You need to rest. That was a lot, New Girl." He runs his knuckles down the side of my face, kissing my forehead gently as my eyes flutter closed.
I’m not sure how long it’s been when I startle awake in an empty bed. I should’ve known he wouldn’t stay. He never does. But something about the intensity of what we did together, mixed with him not being here, shoots fire in my veins. That fucker left me, again.
As much as I know that he could have had something come up, or that club business could have taken priority over staying in bed with me, I’m still furious. He’s never been that intense with me before—that commanding. And then there was the choking. Lock’s always had a penchant for wrapping his hand around my throat, but this was different, darker. Shooting straight up, I glance at the clock radio on the nightstand. Ten-thirteen at night. Not even midnight, and the man has already fled.
I swipe at the comforter, ripping it off of me, and plant my feet on the floor. With each step I take, my wrists burn from the bite of the leather that was wrapped around them, and my legs tremble. My phone, where is it? Remembering I dropped my crossbody somewhere near the steps, I collect my clothes and get dressed as quickly as possible. I have to walk into the hallway to locate my bra and shirt, but before I make it halfway down the steps, I spot my bag.
Grabbing it and quickly pulling out my phone, I send two texts knowing my battery is on three percent. Only one is met with a response.
Hey, way to fuck and run! I’m gonna have Key take me home.
Hey Key! Any chance you can pick me up at Lock's and take me to The Factory?
The Sweet Sibling
Sure! I’ll come right now, but how do you feel about dancing instead?
How do I feel about dancing? Normally, that’s a hard pass. But since her big brother didn’t think he should stick around or tell me when he’d be back—I guess I feel pretty good about shaking my ass and letting out some of this pent up frustration. I shoot off a response and hope it goes through as my phone shuts off and I run into the bathroom to freshen up.
I feel great about it! Let’s have a girl's night.
24
Lock
When I got back to my house after taking care of the business that landed Nina with stitches across the palm of her hand, it was fucking empty. The last time I was here, my girl was sleeping soundly in my bed—the same bed where I finally played just about all of my cards and Nina not only survived, but she thrived like the goddamn goddess she is.
Something about the words she said to me at the lookout made me feel like I was finally free to have her in all the ways I needed to. When I turned off onto my street instead of passing through town, without second guessing, I wasn't surprised. The instant that she told me she was staying, I felt a peace wash over me that I couldn't place at first. I'm not used to not constantly feeling like I'm crawling out of my skin. But Ace was right. Nina has this way of calming parts of me she doesn't even know exist yet. Parts that I hope she never has to find out about.
Her words on the hill are what got us to my house, but the ones she spoke with her face in the mattress and her ass in the air are what pushed me over the edge, right along with her.
"I’m not leaving. I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me."
"I’m not leaving. I’m yours."
"I’m not leaving."
All of it was important, but those three fucking words—about me, not Shelby—ripped through me like my orgasm itself. I don't think I even realized just how they would affect me until I heard them out loud and from her mouth. My brothers—the guys in the club—have to stand by me. They took an oath that takes their life if they ever decided they wanted to leave. Ace and Piper, the only parental figures I have, same thing. As much as I'm sure they'd stick around anyway, a promise was made a long time ago to the Kings, not to me, that they weren't going anywhere.
Key is the only person in my life that could take off tomorrow and never look back. If I'm honest, it's a huge reason why she's so intertwined with my life—the club, The Factory, hell, I make sure every penny she has comes from me or my bar. It's my fucked-up way of making sure that she needs me. Making it so she would lose a lot more than her shitty ass brother if she ever decided enough was enough. It's probably wrong that I think of it this way—I love and respect her enough to do better—but she's all I have. She's the only person in this world with a choice that hasn't left me already. The only one I didn't push away or force to leave.
Nina knows nothing about my past. She doesn't know the images that haunt me every waking second and the ones that replay when I fall asleep. She doesn't know the damage that I've caused this world—the domino effect I've inevitably dropped on my sister almost three decades ago. But she's here. She's here, and she's staying, and she promised me that.
And that I'll hold on to that for as long as I can.
Which is exactly why, despite the night that we had and the intensity we shared, I couldn't risk her waking up to my nightmares. It might not have been planned to handle Johnny's guy today or this late at night, but when Nina fell asleep, I knew she needed to rest. What we did would take a lot out of anyone, let alone someone not used to the way it can drain you. Rather than leave her so obviously alone in my bed, I decided I'd use the time wisely—and so I had an excuse. I'm sure Pipes wasn't happy when I woke Ace up once he finally stopped talking. Or maybe she was being that his old ass snores like a sleeping bear in the winter. But I had to capitalize on the time that I needed to waste anyway. And what better way to do that than to go to bat for the girl who just told me she's staying.
I left Doc and Buck to handle the cleanup. I settled my score with that part of this job when the votes came in. But I was there long enough to see that business was handled. It's just that Nina wasn't in my bed long enough for me to tell her.
It took another stop at The Factory, which was also empty, for me to put in two calls to Key and a reminder to tell my girl to charge her fucking phone. On the third ring of my second call, Keylee finally answers.
"Hey, big brother!" she calls. A thumping bass creeps through the phone, muffling the sound of her too-chipper voice.
"One ring, Key," I snap loudly. "It should take one ring from me for you to fucking answer your phone."
"You know, I can't really hear you! Could you possibly growl a little louder?"
"Where's Nina?"
"Who?" Now she's just fucking with me.
"Nina," I repeat through gritted teeth.
"Oh, you're looking for the new girl. I think she might have walked off with some big, handsome—Ow!" The sound of palm hitting skin rings in my ears, followed by the only laugh I have memorized.
"Where are you?"
"Hmm… "
"I'm not fucking around, Key. Where the hell are you?"
"God! You are absolutely zero fun, you do know that, right?"
"Put it on my tombstone. Location. Now."
"Fine. But I'm also putting World's Biggest Ass Hat underneath that too. We're at Lenny's."
Running my hand down the back of my neck, I exhale through a clenched jaw and tight teeth. "You took her to a goddamn club?"
"It's not a club, Lock, rel—"
I hang up the phone, waiting not one second longer to snatch my helmet off the counter and stomp toward my bike. Not a club? It might as well be. It's one of those trendy bars where they serve drinks that are slushy and have fucking fruit hanging off of them. There are lights and a DJ… and a mother fucking dance floor.
Stopping right in front of the bar, I wedge my bike between two cars. It's not even remotely close to a spot, but it's close to the door, and that's good enough. I might lose my head if I don't get to Nina. Leaving my helmet in the bag and stomping past the three people in line to be ID'ed by the bouncer, I approach the door. With one very quick bout of hesitation, the massive guy with a security shirt steps aside and lets me through.
Lenny's is dark, the only lights coming from those that beam toward the dance floor, different colors bouncing off of the people all moving together. I scan the bar first, hoping Nina at least had the common sense to be seated away from the crowd, but all too quickly, I see I'm wrong.
Bringing my gaze toward the sea of people bumping and grinding into each other, I'm forced to listen to some song about sweet dreams and fucking in the morning. It's the ironic icing on the goddamn cake that I need to home in on Nina swinging her hips with her hands in the air.
It's the back of her head, but I know that it's her, her long blonde hair tinted different hues of blues, greens, and purples as the lights dance above her. Without hesitation, or thinking about the proximity to other people I'll be forced into, I bound toward her.
The ones paying attention step aside quickly to let me through. Those who aren't looking get a quick toss to my left or right, only pausing their reactions when they see it's me. When I finally reach Nina, her waist is still swaying, her arms still above her head.
I place my palms on the outside of her wrists and drag them down to the base of her shoulders as I shove my body against hers as hard as I can without pushing her over. Keylee is in front of her, dancing wildly with her eyes closed, oblivious to my presence.
As if she knows it's me, Nina counters my pressure, and I lean down to whisper into her ear. "I know you're not out here dancing with my cum still sitting inside of you, New Girl."
She instantly spins around in my arms, lowering hers around my neck and continuing her movement on my motionless body.
"Nina."
"Lockland." She reaches up behind me and puts her hands in my hair.
"You weren't in my bed."
"Neither were you." Leaning into me, she kisses my neck, and I tilt my head toward her touch like a plant does to sunlight. "Dance with me."
"No," I say sternly, standing up straighter. "Do I look like I dance?"
Dropping her hands to my ass, she pulls me to her, grinding her body against my hardening cock. "It feels like you want to."
"What I want is for you to still be between my fucking sheets, Nina."
"Well, that's what I wanted from you, but it looks like we don't always get what we—"
With that, I reach underneath her thighs and pick her up, her arms flying back up to my neck to hold on. "Lock!" Her legs tighten around me, and goddammit, it only makes my dick twitch beneath her.
"Keylee, we're leaving!" I call to my sister.
She looks at Nina in my hands and crosses her arms. "Hey! Where's my ride?"
One of the several guys who have been gawking at me and our interaction steps toward her. I shoot him a look that I mean to say don't even think about it, but in hindsight might say more along the lines of I'll kill you and your family if you touch a hair on her head.
He leaps backwards with his hands up in surrender, and Key shoots me the evil eye. "Now," I say, turning around.
I wait to feel Keylee's small frame step beside me and use Nina's ass to nudge her toward the door. Nina giggles. "You can put me down now."
"No, you want to act like a child. I'll treat you like one."
"Oh my God, Lock. Don't be so dramatic," Key huffs as she glares up at me. Nina just laughs, looking at me with knowing eyes. She's not being the child here, I fucking am. But Keylee took my toy to play with herself, so I'm taking it back.
"Well, in that case," Nina says as she reaches between us, lifts up the hem of my shirt, and attempts to put her hand in my jeans.
I smother a laugh, but can't hide my smile. The audacity of this girl is unmatched, but I can't afford to shove myself inside her before we even exit the bar, so I put her back on her feet. "Both of you, out." The three of us walk back outside and almost smack right into Pockets, who I called from The Factory.
"Why are you up on the sidewalk?" Keylee asks him.
"The boss said to be ready, and there were no fucking spots." He winks in my direction, and I nod back at him.
"I can't fit you both on my bike. Key, Pockets will take you home."
"I don't want to go home," she whines, looking down at her phone. "It's not even late."
"And I had a good nap," Nina says, raising her brow in my direction. "I'm still good for a while."
Pockets shrugs his shoulders at me, and I huff out a breath. Normally, I'd want nothing more than to just go home and go to bed, but my blood's been pumping since I saw Nina was gone, and I could use a fucking drink or three.
"Alright, The Factory then."
"Yes!" Keylee yells.
"Works for me," Pockets says as he nods for Key to hop on the back.
"Softy," Nina whispers in my ear.
My jaw grows tight. "Bike. Now."
I watch as she slings her leg over my seat, much steadier than she did the first time. The idea that Nina now has muscle memory for getting onto my bike makes me hard all over again. With all the need that I have, I plant a kiss on her mouth, dipping my tongue in to meet hers.
"Mmm," she moans. "Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all."
"Don't push it," I say, sitting in front of her. Pockets and I both start our bikes while Key and Nina fasten their helmets.
I see Key glance back at Nina and nod toward my brother, one finger in the air telling her to wait. "Hey Pockets," she says, much louder than necessary. "You got anything to eat?"
Nina's arms tighten around me, her chin resting excitedly on my shoulder.
"Uh, yeah, actually." He reaches into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls out a taquito, then hands it to Key.
My sister smiles widely at Nina behind me. Nina places her forehead into the crook of my neck, snickering uncontrollably. Pockets and I just look at each other, both of us confused by the girls' interaction.
Nina controls her laugh and takes a deep breath. Scooting closer to me, she whispers under her breath. "Un-fucking-believable."
25
Nina
The Factory is different at night. Aside from the obvious no customers, it’s not like the other bars I’ve worked in. Usually when everyone leaves and the lights come on, cracks become evident and dirt is exposed. But Lockland, as with everything else, has high standards. While I wouldn’t call it a fancy place by normal measures, it’s clean, and Keylee takes pride in having everything in top order so that morning setup is easy. That, or maybe she just enjoys bossing the prospects around and making them do her dirty work.
"Hey, Lock. Where did you disappear to tonight, anyway?" Key asks, sipping honey whiskey. She spins on her stool that she placed conveniently behind the bar so she could reach the glasses and refills our drinks. She’s quite a little hostess, and her diligence in assuring we all leave with a good buzz is unmatched.
I wink at him and nudge his shoulder, "Uh, yeah… where did you go? What was it that was more important than staying in bed with me?"
"You mean where did I go before you decided to go fucking dancing?"
"Which we wouldn’t have done if I didn’t wake up all alone, Killer." I suck in my lips, daring him to keep giving us shit.
Instead, Pockets and Lock exchange a look, and with the shake of his head, he starts to fess up. "We had business to take care of…" He gulps down the remaining liquor in his glass and taps the edge of the rim so Key will refill it. "Johnny had to be dealt with. And I thought, I'd be able to slip back into bed before anyone went missing, New Girl."
Lock pulls my stool closer to his, pressing a quick couple of kisses to my neck, in an attempt, I assume, to make me forget with his touch. It’s well played, I’ll give him that, but my stomach flips for a whole different reason. I know deep down that he didn’t plan to come back to bed; he never does. And I still don’t understand why.
"Gross!" Key shouts, while Pockets shakes his head in what has to be disbelief.
"But did you handle it? I didn’t receive my finger so… what happened?" I ask, sipping my drink. I grin at him and try to tamp down any doubt or questions I have about his lack of post-coital snuggling.
Keylee’s eyebrows shoot to her hairline. "Wait, he let you choose? And you asked for the man’s finger?" She begins pulling shot glasses down from the shelf behind the bar and lining them up in front of us. "I’m impressed, Nina, not gonna lie. Didn’t think you had it in ya."
"Shut the fuck up. You knew I was crazy the second we met. It’s the number one reason we're friends." I mean, she had to have some sense that I’m not completely straight-laced, even if I am a cop's daughter.
Al, with all his nonsense, is my favorite customer, but you have to be a little off-kilter to handle him. Not to mention, while most everyone else cowers when Lock looks in their direction with his eyes narrowed, I live for it and seek out chances to stir him up. I just might be the only person on the planet, other than Keylee, who’s not afraid of that man.
Lockland squeezes my leg, grinning at me like he loves the fact that I'm a little more shades of gray than black or white. Pockets tips his beer to his lips, taking a long pull before standing up. "Alright, I'm gonna head out." I guess he wasn’t planning on hanging with us. We haven’t been here for more than ten minutes.
"Don’t you fucking dare," Key says, glaring at him until he sits back down. "This night is not over. We're playing a game." If I hadn’t seen it firsthand with all of the Kings, I’d think he had a little crush on my new bestie. But, all of them look at her like that, and all of them obey her commands. She might be hell on wheels wrapped up in a tiny package, but she’s theirs and they respect her.
"I’m not a game kind of guy, Key. You know that,” Lock says. Keylee puts her hands on her hips and stares him down, but he doesn’t seem fazed. "Pockets, let’s go to the office," he adds, moving to stand.
"God dammit, all I wanted to do was have a little fun for fucking once." She brings out the daggers again.
I shift toward him, leaning on the edge of my chair and motioning for him to bend down with my finger. "If you play, I’ll reward you later," I say so only he can hear, nipping his neck with my teeth. Lock noticeably adjusts his cock as he sits back down.
