Page 31 of Gash (The Skulls #13)

Charlotte chopped the ingredients for the salad, trying her hardest not to listen to him, or to pay any attention to him. They were going back to The Skulls clubhouse. She never had anything to do with the club seven years ago, and Gash wasn’t the same man he used to be. Then again, she wasn’t the same woman. A lot had happened over the years to change her, and there was no way she’d ever be that same carefree woman again.

He ended the call, and she heard him move away from the table. She kept on chopping even as he moved up behind her.

“Did you have any other friends when we were younger?” he asked.

He moved her hair off her shoulder, exposing her neck. His breath fanned across her ear, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes. Gash was stirring feelings and memories inside her that he couldn’t even remember. She recalled another night where he’d been like this, touching her, caressing her.

“Back away,”

she said, whispering the words. It was hard as the two different times seem to merge in the one. She fought it. Charlotte wasn’t about to let herself be brought down by memories. They were her memories.

“You don’t sound like you want me to move away.”

His hand gripped her hip while the other forced her to pause on chopping the salad. “Did you have a friend back then besides Rebecca?”

“I’ve told you before, Rebecca and I were roommates, that’s all. There was no one else.”

Charlotte knew why he was asking, but she wouldn’t tell him what happened between them. He’d only laugh in her face. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Gash wanted to believe there was someone else there rather than see that it was her all along. He didn’t even suspect it could be her, and that fucking hurt.

“You feel so familiar, and you smell so damn good.”

He pressed his face against her neck, taking a deep breath.

She gasped out at the flood of arousal that he caused, taking her off guard.

She was transported to another time.

The only difference between then and now was the fact he didn’t have the scent of alcohol on his breath.

Last time, he’d been drinking, and at first, she had brushed him off.

The biggest problem for her was the fact she had always had a crush on him, always.

From the moment she first met him, she’d loved him.

She had watched him with Rebecca, and even though there had been moments of jealousy, she never did anything about it.

That night though, he’d been different.

Yes, he’d been drunk, but she truly believed he had been himself.

Gash had been sweet, nice, and tender, and he’d made her fall for him even more. He’d told her how beautiful she was, and how he couldn’t stop looking at her.

Even though he’d been drunk, she’d been pulled into his words, and that had been her mistake, and she shouldn’t have fallen for him.

“What do you want?”

she asked.

“Why does this feel good?”

She closed her eyes, allowing herself a few seconds of enjoying his closeness when reality came back. He had attacked her. Gash had been more than ready to kill her, and she wasn’t ready to give in to him. She pushed him back with her ass. “Give me some space. It’s not very nice to invade my personal area.”

Charlotte finished chopping the salad, tossing the ingredients together and giving it a quick dressing before serving. Gash hadn’t moved away, but she ignored him. The last thing she wanted to do was cave. She had only known him for a short time when he was screwing Rebecca. She’d never wanted to be one of those women that dropped her panties the moment a guy looked her way, but Gash, he’d been different. At least, she thought he’d been different.

Putting his plate on the table, she took a seat, opening the food magazine that she had been reading that morning when her life had seemed so normal. She tried her hardest to ignore him. When he sat down, and his knees grazed hers, she struggled not to tense up from the simplest contact.

“You’ve changed,” he said.

Glancing up at him, she took a bite of her chicken, staring. “So have you. The last time I knew you, you wouldn’t have snuck into my apartment with the intention of killing me.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

Charlotte twirled her fork on the plate as she thought about her next question. “Why have you waited so long?”

“Long for what?”

“Looking for them? Looking for Rebecca and that … man.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say his name. Charlotte never in all of her life considered herself a violent person When it came to him she wanted to witness his suffering, to be laughing in his face as he took his final breath. “It has been seven years.”

“I was in prison for five of those.”

I was in a mental hospital, trying to kill myself.

“What about the other two?”

Gash sat back, chewing his food. “The Skulls is my family. It’s the only family that I recognize.”

“You have more family?”

“A brother. I’ve not seen him in years. To be honest, he’s probably dead. He’s the one I was looking for when I was looking for Rebecca.”

“You don’t care?”

“Like I said, my family is The Skulls.”

“I never knew you had a brother.”

Charlotte found it hard that he didn’t seem to care, but then she didn’t know his brother. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Blood doesn’t make family, Charlotte. Actions, loyalty, and love, that’s what makes a family. The Skulls were going through some serious shit by the time I was released. Tiny, my club Prez, he asked me to not go looking. I didn’t see a reason to bring more shit to the club. We’re all in a good place right now, and so I’m looking. I want to end this.”

“That’s a long time to wait.”

“I’m a patient guy.”

Biting her lip, she rolled the chicken and bread around her plate. “What happens when we find them?”

“We kill them.”

“Yes, we will.”

She couldn’t look at him right now. Charlotte couldn’t tell him that when he was on trial she had been in a psych ward, trying to kill herself at every opportunity. How could she have helped him when she’d been doped up on drugs to stop her from trying to slit her wrist? Her hunger disappeared, and she got to her feet, dumping the contents of her plate into the trash. She needed to do something with her hands, and to stop nearly telling Gash about what happened. He blamed her for not coming forward, and she blamed herself as well. If she’d not taken that damn promotion, she’d have been here when he was first arrested. She had been thinking of herself, and her future.

“You’re coming with me. I believe you, but I need to get shit resolved. I need both of them to be dead, and gone.”

She gripped the counter, recalling the way he laughed at her screams. The way he looked so damn smug when she had woken in the hospital to find out what they’d done. Jeff Wright, the one man she wanted to kill more than anything else in her life. She truly believed she could kill him without care or thought.

“What happens to me after?”

she asked.

“I don’t know. That’s up to you, and if you get cold feet, we’ll handle it.”

“You’ll kill me?”

She was finding it hard to not be scared. This Gash scared her and he was nothing like the man she once knew. This man could easily kill her without a second thought.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

Charlotte stared at him for several seconds. It may have even been minutes as she looked at the man who had haunted her dreams for years. She’d once been in love with Gash, wanting him from afar. For one night, she’d gotten her dream, only to have it shattered the next morning. It was part of the reason she’d taken the damn promotion, to get away from him and from Rebecca. Her heart had been fragile, and witnessing Gash with Rebecca had broken a part of her over the days they had been together. Whenever she thought of her feelings about Gash, she was always all over the place. There was no set feeling. She loved and hated him. He made her sad, angry, and aroused. He was bad for her.

“I’m tired.”

She had enough drama for one night. The best solution was for her to just sleep, and end this uneasiness inside her. Everything looked better in the morning.

Without waiting for him to give her instruction, she left the kitchen, and walked the few steps toward her room. Her apartment was modest, and her only bathroom was through her bedroom. She closed her bedroom door, which had no lock. Charlotte had learned long ago to not even bother putting a lock on her bedroom door. If people wanted to get into her apartment, they could get inside without any struggle, and she would be sent to her fate.

Taking a quick shower, she didn’t take her time, enjoying the peace and quiet. Gash had invaded her apartment, and ruined any kind of peace she thought to have. Her night shirt was hanging on the back of the door, and once she finished with her shower, she dried quickly, placing the towel over the radiator, and then getting dressed.

She walked back into her bedroom, and came to a stop when she saw Gash already in her bed.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

she asked. He could have taken the floor in the sitting room, or the small couch. She didn’t want him in her room, not now, not ever. It brought back too many memories, and tonight she was really struggling to keep all of those memories locked up tight.

“Getting comfy.”

He snuggled into her bed, which pissed her off.

“Get out.”

“No.”

“This is my bed, and you’re not going to take my bed from me.”

“I’m not taking it from you, babe. Far from it.”

He patted the bed. “Join me.”

“No, get out.”

She moved toward her dresser and started to brush her hair. “This is my room. You’re the one attacking me, coming into my apartment, and you weren’t even invited. Get out.”

She placed her brush back down on the dresser, and stared at him. “Well?”

“I’m not moving,”

he said. “You may as well get in.”

Gritting her teeth, she folded her arms, and glared some more. “Why are you being a pain in the ass?”

“Because it’s awesome to be so.”

“Whatever. You’re not going to move?”

“Nope, and I’m going to stay right here, and this bed is damn comfy.”

He wriggled a little, sighing as he did.

Asshole.

****

Gash wasn’t going to move, but he liked it when Charlotte did. Her tits, without the bra constraining them, bounced, and her nipples were rock hard pebbles, pressing against the front of her shirt. He wanted to see her without that shirt, to feel her body next to his, and to fill his hands with her full, rounded tits.

Desire hit him hard, and his cock thickened. Moving on the bed, he did his best to hide the evidence of his arousal so he didn’t frighten her. Charlotte always seemed like a little mouse to him, ready to scurry away. At least that hadn’t changed about her.

“Fine! I’m not going to give up my bed.”

She stomped to her side of the bed, and withdrew the cover. Charlotte pushed it back enough for her to see his naked thighs. “You’re naked. What the hell are you doing in my bed naked?”

“I don’t wear clothes to bed.”

He hadn’t worn clothes to bed since getting out of prison. For five years he was forced to wear the colors of the prison he was in. He’d made a vow that he would never, ever wear shit like that again. “Don’t worry, babe, I won’t bite.”

“Put some clothes on.”

“No. It’s not going to happen.”

She released that growl again and climbed into bed. Gash watched as she gave him her back, then moved, thumping her pillow.

“You know, some people believe that the whole tossing and turning could be down to sexual frustration.”

“Shut up.”

“I could relieve you if you want me to.”

He wanted to. Damn, he wanted to touch, to taste, and to fuck her so bad.

“Gash, you may be stronger than me, and be here intent on revenge on two people I despise, but if you lay a finger on me, I will kill you.”

He laughed. Her threat was so cute, and he told her so.

Again, another growl, and more thumping. He loved hearing that little growl. It made his cock harder than fucking rock.

Gash rolled over and stared at her back. Her wet hair trailed down her back, and he reached out to stroke her hair.

“Do you have a death wish?”

“I’m touching the hair on my pillow. I’m not invading your space.”

She was so tense, and Gash settled down on the pillow, suddenly interested in what she’d been doing with her life. “What has happened to you the past seven years?” he asked.

“Why?”

“I’m curious. You know I was in prison, and then I was with the club. What have you been doing?”

“Nothing. Living life.”

“And there’s no boyfriend?”

“None,” she said.

“How long has it been since you were with someone?” he asked.

“None of your business. Gash, we’re not friends.”

“We’re not enemies.”

“Yes, we are. I don’t make a habit of being nice to men who grab me around the throat as a way of a hello.”

He may have been a little drastic with his introduction.

Seven years he’d waited to see her again.

Not once had she tried to see him, not even to visit him in prison. Gash had always waited to see if she would turn up. They hadn’t been total BFFs, but he’d always thought they had some kind of connection.

Watching her back, he waited as she grew soft, and slowly gave into sleep. When she was completely asleep, he thought about the couples at the clubhouse. Lash and Angel were a force to be reckoned with. The love between them was strong, and Gash had witnessed what true love really was. He’d always thought it was a fantasy, but being released from prison, he’d seen his Skull brothers falling, or having fallen in love. The club was still tough, and the men were not the kind to be messed with. Gash had felt out of place. He was filled with anger and a need to kill. The brothers, they needed him to be the better man, to be the man he’d been before he’d been incarcerated. That man was dead.

Sliding across the bed, he moved his hand beneath her head, and molded against her back. He gripped her hip, and breathed in her scent.

Home.

This felt like heaven to him, pure heaven, and for a change, he didn’t feel like leaving this moment.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to finally relax, and fall into sleep.

****

Lash stared up at the clubhouse, wondering what he was going to do. Devil had been in touch, and Master had threatened the Chaos Bleeds women. His first instinct was to open his home, and to allow the man to send them to The Skulls. He liked Devil, and it had upset him when the two clubs had fought, separating. They had survived many enemies by working together. Tiny had screwed that up with fear, and it was the one time in Gash’s life where he didn’t agree with his then-Prez.

The club, it was busier than ever. They had some of their nomad men staying with them, Adam, Twisted, and Happy. Fighter, Baker, and Ink were now full-fledged members. That had been one of the biggest decisions he ever made for the club. Initiating three new members, he had to be sure that they were loyal to the club, and wouldn’t put anyone else before them.

“Son, you should be in the club, cuddled up against your wife,”

Tiny said.

“This coming from the man who has a new baby at home.”

“Something told me you needed to talk.”

Tiny shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. “It’s cold out.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“You’re doing good, Lash.”

“If my father was here, I wouldn’t be doing this right now.”

“Lash, your father and mother died for this club. I took you and Nash in because it was a bad decision on my part that got them killed. They loved the club.”

Tiny chuckled. “Your mother, she was a firecracker. She loved the club, but she also wanted your father to know that you boys were going to have a choice. They would fight, but I swear it only made them both mad for each other. It’s why your mother called you Nigel and your brother Edward.”

Lash remembered his parents, or at least small memories of happiness. He didn’t like being called Nigel. Even Angel didn’t call him that. He fucking hated the name. What kind of biker was named … Nigel? He recalled his parents, the few things that he’d not forgotten. His mother loved baking, and his father loved building shit. God, it seemed like a lifetime ago since he thought about them.

“Being a leader was always going to happen, Lash. It’s not just about being a hard ass or having muscle that makes a good Prez, a good leader.”

Tiny rocked back on his heels. “I’ve been a good and bad one. I learned on the job. After shit went down with The Darkness, I knew I wanted Fort Wills to be a town that everyone felt safe in.”

“Devil wants me to create a safe house for their women.”

“A war is coming, and we have to be ready. I fucked up with Devil, but this is your call on what you make.”

“What would you decide?”

Lash asked.

“Son, I’m not about to give you the answers you’re looking for. I didn’t have anyone to rely on when I had to make a choice. It’s not easy, and I know it fucking sucks, but you’ve got to have faith in yourself. What is your heart telling you?”

“My heart?”

“It’s corny and shit, but your heart is in the club. Your woman, Angel, I never would have put her as a strong woman, and she’s certainly proven that I can be wrong. She’s strong enough to take on the club women, and she doesn’t even need to use violence.”

Lash smiled, thinking about the last few months of him training her, not only to fight but to also use a weapon. She was becoming one hell of a shot. He was never going to piss her off or risk getting his dick blown off.

“What do you want to do?”

Tiny asked.

Taking a deep breath, he stared up at the clubhouse. It had been broken into, burnt down, rebuilt, and invaded. This was his home, it was his life, and he was never going to leave it.

“We’re going to have Devil’s back when his enemy comes to call. Chaos Bleeds, they’re our allies, and it’s time the world knows it.”

Tiny nodded, slapping his back. “Go and rest. There’s plenty of time to fight, but resting, it’s a luxury during times of war.”

They made their way into the clubhouse together, and Lash didn’t wait around. He headed toward his room, and opened Anthony’s door first. His little boy was sleeping. Anthony was already in school, and learning fast. Resting his head against the doorframe, Lash watched him sleep before entering his room.

Angel was curled up on her side, looking beautiful like always. He removed his clothes quietly so he didn’t wake her.

As he climbed in behind her, she released a sigh. “Where did you go?”

she asked.

“I had some thinking to do.”

“Did you come to a decision?”

“Yes, I did. We’re going to help Devil.”

“I knew you’d come to the right decision.”

She wriggled into his arms, and he cupped her stomach.

“You know I was going to let the Chaos women come here?”

“It’s the right thing to do. It’s why I love you, and I’ll always love you no matter what you do. You’re a good man.”

He would never understand Angel, but he loved her with his whole heart.