Wolfe: The Biker Next Door, page 13
I put what was left of my sandwich down and leaned back in my chair, suddenly not hungry anymore. My mind raced with the possibilities of what was meant by, I need you now, and who the woman who was texting was to Wolfe. Damn. Had I been played? He was a biker after all, and didn’t they have a reputation with the ladies? And we hadn’t worn protection! Shit! Shit! Shit! My heart began to race as I worked myself up. Had Wolfe lied to me?
He was fully dressed when he returned. I held my tongue, because I’d learned a long time ago not to jump to conclusions, and Wolfe didn’t strike me as a liar. I plastered a smile on my face and looked up at him as he reached for his phone and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Thanks for lunch, babe.”
“Thanks for the orgasms.”
He grinned. “That, too.”
Then he surprised me by leaning down and kissing me. Like a fool, I surrendered eagerly, opening my mouth to his searching tongue. Maybe Delta was his aunt or something.
“See you later.”
“Okay.” What else could I say?
He turned and left, leaving me with a new ache between my legs and a swollen, wet mouth. I was a fool. And I was falling too fast for Wolfe. Breaking the rules. Why couldn’t women be more like men? Men didn’t seem to have any problems sleeping with women and then going their own way. I was beginning to understand what a meaningless hookup was all about, and I didn’t like it.
Sighing, I picked up our plates and went to the sink. I tossed the uneaten half of my BLT into the trash and finished my coffee before putting everything in the dishwasher. I glanced out the window to see Bear and Eagle pulling into Wolfe’s driveway. Demo was jumping around them, clearly happy to see them. It made me smile. Then Wolfe joined them, and they walked out of view behind the trees that bordered our property.
My phone rang and I picked it up off the counter, smiling when I heard Val’s voice.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?”
I laughed at the excitement in her cheery tone. “You’re the one who called me,” I pointed out.
It didn’t take her long to explode. “I’m so excited, El! Guess who came by last night?” She was practically out of breath. “Bear!” she said before I could say anything. “Just out of the blue. And it was late. I heard a knock on my door, and when I opened it he was just standing there with a big, sexy grin on his handsome face. He seemed wound up about something, and he said that he needed me. Needed me! Before I could say anything he backed me up against the wall and the next thing I knew we were kissing and fucking like wild animals. Wild animals!” She finally took a breath. “Ohmygod! Who does that?”
Apparently, the Soldiers of Retribution, I thought to myself. Welcome to my world.
But I didn’t say it. Sounded like the bikers were men in a class all their own. Nothing in Val’s tone suggested that she hadn’t liked anything Bear had done. I was happy for her. Unless Bear was just using her. I didn’t want to see her hurt.
I took a breath and giggled, and because we were best friends and told each other everything, I bragged, “You weren’t the only one who got some last night.”
Silence. And then, “No! With who?” She quickly figured it out. “Wolfe?”
I didn’t deny it.
“Ohmygod, honey! Tell me everything!”
We spent the next thirty minutes sharing our wild and erotic antics in graphic detail.
Chapter 27
Wolfe
My sister lived twenty minutes away, so by the time I pulled into her driveway her asshole boyfriend’s truck was gone. I didn’t bother knocking. She would have heard me arrive anyway. It didn’t surprise me to find the front door unlocked--she never locked the fucking thing--nor did it surprise me to find Buck standing in the middle of her living room with Delta in his arms. He lived across the street.
Buck’s eyes met mine over Delta’s head when I entered the house. I raised my brows in a question, but before he could say anything, Delta stepped away from him and turned toward me. I lost it the second I saw her face. Her right eye was already turning black and blue, and her lip was split and swollen. The sleeve of her blouse was also hanging from where it had been ripped at the seam.
I saw red and snarled the first thing that entered my mind. “He’s dead.” I met her brown, tear-swollen eyes. “Where the fuck is he?” When she didn’t answer right away my gaze darted to Buck.
He shrugged, his own face revealing his anger. “Dude tore out of here when he saw me crossing the street.” He snorted. “Had a bloody nose, Prez.” He looked at Delta with pride in his eyes. “Baby girl got in a few licks of her own.”
I watched the exchange between Buck and Delta, picking up on the vibe. Was there something going on between them? Had the fight between her and Tommy been about Buck?
I stepped up to Delta and took her chin in my hand, scrutinizing her face closely and pressing my lips tightly as I thought about what I’d like to do to Tommy when I got my hands on him. Never had liked the lazy fucker, but I recognized my sister was an adult and free to make her own decisions.
“I’m okay,” she said softly, but I could tell that she was trying not to cry. Her bottom lip was quivering. “Tommy’s history.”
I smirked, because I’d heard that before.
“I mean it this time,” she insisted. “I told him if he comes back I’ll shoot him myself.” A smile ghosted across her face as she glanced at Buck.
I knew that she could. I’d taught her how to shoot, and she had her own gun.
“You’d better,” Buck grumbled next to her, his expression serious. “And then you call me.”
I narrowed my eyes on him for a minute. The possession in his tone wasn’t lost on me. I was glad Buck lived close enough to protect Delta. I knew that he looked out for her. As an ex-Navy SEAL, he was lethal. He didn’t pull away from my stare, and that alone revealed how serious he was. He was a good friend and brother.
I dug out my phone and hit Tommy’s number. Of course it went straight to voice mail. “If I get my fucking hands on you you’re going to wish that you were never born,” I growled into the receiver. “You’ve got ‘til tomorrow to come by and get your shit. It’ll be at the end of the drive. Don’t even think about seeing Delta again.” I hung up.
“I could have done that, big brother.” In spite of her spirit, I saw the relief in her eyes.
“You can be tough some other time.” My head was bent as I focused on texting Lynx to get his ass over there. “Does he have a lot of shit here?”
“His clothes. The bedroom set belongs to him.”
I nodded and returned my gaze back to her. Delta was three years younger than me and tiny compared to my six-foot four-inch frame. She had a wealth of thick, brown hair, while I kept mine cut close to my scalp. She had our mother’s delicate features and a mixture of both our parents’ personalities. “Piss and vinegar with a dose of smooth honey,” our mom was fond of saying.
“Lynx is coming over to help you and Buck put all his shit out by the road.”
A loud sigh and slightly regretful expression were her response. Breakups were hard, and Delta had put up with Tommy for too fucking long. “I’ll send a prospect to stand watch—”
“I’ll stay,” Buck cut in firmly with a rigid expression. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I have a few choice words for the son-of-a-bitch.”
Words? I smirked. Knowing Buck, they’d be at the end of his fist. His blue eyes were intent on Delta, as if he were daring her to interfere in some way.
I felt the need to make sure that Buck didn’t cross the line, though. Tommy wasn’t worth going to prison for. But if he dared contact Delta again, much less touch her, I’d kill him myself. “Just don’t kill him.”
“Why not?” Delta asked, and both Buck and I burst out laughing. Realizing what she’d said, she broke out in a laugh, too, until the injury to her mouth caused her to stop with a wince. She reached up and gingerly touched her lip where it had been split.
“What were you and numb-nuts fighting about anyway?”
A sheepish look spread across her swollen face, and I knew that she was going to say as little as possible to try and pacify me. “I was tired of his lazy ass and broke up with him. In a nutshell.”
I raised a brow at her inadequate explanation. She knew better than that to pull that shit with me.
“Okay, I caught him cheating on me and doing drugs with the married hag next door.”
If she meant Connie Sayers, the woman looked pretty good for a forty-year-old mother.
“The woman with five rug rats?” Buck frowned in disbelief. Delta nodded reluctantly. “Man’s a fucking fool,” he snarled. “Didn’t know what he had, baby doll.”
My sister blushed ten shades of red and lowered her eyes. Interesting.
“I think I’ll go take a look at my face and see what I can do to minimize the damage.”
She started to leave the room when I asked, “This the first time Tommy lay a hand on you?” Delta didn’t turn back to face me, but she did halt. “Have you been lying to me?”
Her shoulders stiffened before she breathed out a reply, “Um, he may have slapped me once or twice before.” She took off for her bedroom.
I knew she was downplaying it, but I didn’t question her further. Buck and I exchanged a look. I was beginning to question my decision not to kill Tommy. Sometimes I wished we were one percenters, but from the time we’d first started up the club, we’d decided to go down a different path, keeping the Soldiers of Retribution as clean as we could and focus on doing good in our town. We were respected by other MCs, those who were trying to adopt our ways because we’d proven we could still bring in a lot of money while living legal. We made it work.
“Fucking asshole,” Buck muttered. “If I’d suspected he was smacking her around, I would have made him disappear long ago.”
“You and me both, Brother. I never noticed any bruises on her. But then, we don’t spend a lot of time together. And she’s reminded me enough times that she’s an adult and can make her own choices.”
“Your mom would have mentioned it,” he stated. “Adult or not.”
I nodded in agreement. “True. Mom would have called me right away.” No way she would have put up with Delta being hurt. Since Delta had left the room, I figured it was a good time to do a little digging. “Is there something going on with you and my sister, Brother? Something I should know about?”
He snorted. “You just said she’s an adult and can make her own choices. But to ease your mind, I love her, Brother. I’ve fucking loved her for a long time. Watched her boyfriend’s come and go, figuring I’d never make my move because she was your sister.” He paused for a moment. “I’m done waiting. Gonna give her time to get through this and get her head on straight, and then I’m gonna make my move. And when I do, it’s gonna be fast and hard.”
I let Buck’s words sink in, downing the anger that wanted to surface because he was right--brothers didn’t mess with each other’s sisters, exes, or any other kind of woman they’d been involved with. Sweet tarts didn’t count. But truth be known, I’d welcome Buck in Delta’s life. As long as he respected her and didn’t hurt her, I was okay with him pursuing her.
I sucked in a deep breath and released it. “She could do worse than getting with a brother,” I began in a sincere tone. “Long as she’s happy and you don’t hurt her…” I could tell my acceptance of his plans wasn’t what he expected. “But if she comes crying to me about anything, your ass is going to pay.”
He nodded. “You don’t have to worry about that, Prez. Delta will be my fucking queen.”
The vroom of a bike indicated that Lynx had arrived. I left him and Buck to take care of things and headed to the bar. I had stock to order and a new server to hire. Usually I enjoyed that part of the business. Enjoyed the girls that came in looking for work. Most of them knew what kind of bar The Animal’s Den was. They came in dressed to get tips, their tits and ass on display in their sexy, form-fitting attire, Although the only thing I really looked for was the type of experience they had.
As the owner, and the president of the local MC, I got hit on often. Sometimes I took them up on it. But this time when I thought about fucking a new hire over the back of my office chair, Ella’s beautiful face came to mind and ruined the thought. Damn! That woman had me tied up in knots.
And why did the notion of betrayal come into my mind when I thought about fucking another woman?
Chapter 28
Ella
I was sitting out on the end of my dock, feet splashing in the water as I drank my first cup of coffee for the day. It was early. The sun had just come up, and I found myself feeling lonely as I stared out at the calm water. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about Wolfe and the last time we’d been together. For a minute it had seemed like we were a normal couple, spending the night together, and waking up in the morning and having breakfast. Then he’d received that text, had rushed off, and I hadn’t seen him since.
Every time I heard his motorcycle come and go, I wondered about him and Delta. She must be someone special to him. An old friend? An ex-girlfriend he still had feelings for? Another friend with benefits? That thought left a bitter taste in my mouth, because we hadn’t used protection. If there was a next time, I’d have to insist on it. And then I scolded myself for being so available. I’d never accepted a relationship with someone who was also seeing someone else before. Was I really that desperate for Wolfe?
I was weak. There was no other explanation for it. He was unlike anyone I’d ever known. Too sexy and charismatic for his own good, even when he was being all dark and brooding. My phone buzzed on the dock next to me. I set my coffee cup down and reached for it. Smiling, I read Val’s text.
mornin steff & i r coming this weekend
That meant Steffy’s brother’s leave was over. I texted back, great im feelin lonely
why arent u spendin time with wolf
My thumbs flew across the keys. think he has another friend with benefits
god honey im sorry
don’t b he warned me
got sum good news 4 u
I could almost hear the excitement in her tone. what
decided 2 move in
Now I was the one who was excited. I felt my smile reach from ear to ear as I thought about all the fun we would have. took u long enough 2 decide
lol its only been 2 weeks
this weekend?
yup so get my room ready lol c u sat afternoon sometime
I gave her my thumbs up icon and set my phone back down feeling a rush of happiness inside. Steffy must not have been too mad at us if she was coming up with Val on Saturday. She was pretty wrapped up in her boyfriend, Jimmy, these days anyway. She’d met him in college.
A noise and movement behind me alerted me that Demo was approaching, and then he rushed up next to me. It took effort not to let him push me over the dock into the lake when he threw his heavy body against me excitedly.
“Good morning, baby,” I laughed, accepting his doggy kisses along my neck and cheek. I wrapped my arm around him and hugged him tight. “You’re a sweet boy, aren’t you?” He kept nudging me, and I pushed back. “You trying to push me into the water?” I laughed.
“Demo!”
I turned at the forceful command to see a beautiful woman coming our way. My heart dropped when I recognized her as the same one I’d seen leaving Wolfe’s house the morning Val had come over for a visit.
“Looks like you two know each other,” she smiled. Demo moved away from me, his stubby tail wagging as he greeted the woman.
My heart wasn’t in it, but I smiled in turn. It wasn’t her fault we wanted the same man. She really was stunning. Like, model beautiful. “Yeah, we’ve been friends since I moved in.”
“Most people are terrified of him because of his looks, but he’s really just a big baby.” She patted his head. “Aren’t you, baby?” It was clear that Demo loved her, too.
I couldn’t have disliked her if I’d tried. She was naturally outgoing and the kind of person I gravitated toward.
“Name’s Delta,” she offered in a friendly tone.
“Hi, I’m Ella,” I responded.
“I’m hoping to adopt a Pit this afternoon.” The excitement in her voice matched the look on her face.
Wolfe chose that moment to appear, and my eyes moved from where Delta was standing to where he was walking up behind her in his sexy, confident gait, wearing nothing but a pair of low-riding sweats. Our eyes met briefly before his did a thorough sweep of where I was sitting, taking in the boy shorts and cropped top I’d slept in. My hair was a wild mess, too, but the look in his eyes darkened and smoldered on me long enough to make my nipples hard. My pulse throbbed with awareness. I was surprised by his lazy, suggestive stare, because Delta was right there.
