Page 11

Hawk

Once the storm passed and Carrie settled into an exhausted heap against my chest, I picked her up and carried her to bed.

She looked so small, so vulnerable. The fierce, deadly woman who’d walked into our compound covered in blood was now curled up against me, her eyes red-rimmed from crying, her body trembling with aftershocks of emotion. The instinct to protect her, to shelter her from everything, was so overwhelming it felt like a physical ache in my chest. And I would absolutely answer that call.

“I’ve got you, baby,” I murmured, stroking her hair as I settled us on the bed. “I’m not going anywhere.” I held her close, letting her absorb my warmth, my presence, hoping it would ground her.

“It’s so much,” she whispered against my chest. “I don’t even know how to process all this.”

“You don’t have to do it all at once.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We take it one day at a time. Together.”

She lifted her face to mine, those beautiful eyes searching my face. “You’re really in this with me? No matter what?”

“Carrie, honey, I was in this the moment you walked through our gate.” I traced her cheek with my thumb, wiping away a stray tear. “Believe it or not, I love you, too, Killer.” I tried to smile gently at her, but she was breaking my fucking heart. I never wanted anything for this woman but laughter and complete happiness.

She gave me a watery smile that hit me right in the gut. “I’ve never had anyone who was all mine. Someone who chose me.”

“I choose you, Carrie. And I’ll keep choosing you every fucking day.” I leaned down to kiss her softly, wanting to convey with my lips what words couldn’t fully express. “I really do love you, Carrie. You’re it for me.”

Her eyes widened slightly, a fresh sheen of tears forming. “I didn’t think you’d say it back so soon.”

I laughed, the sound rumbling through my chest. “Baby, I think we both know this wasn’t exactly a slow-burn situation. When you know, you fucking know.”

“Yeah.” She snuggled closer, her hand finding its way under my shirt to rest against my skin. “I think I knew the moment you asked me if I was covered in the blood of my enemies.”

“For me it was when you spat out that piece of ear.” I grinned when she smacked my chest lightly. “What? It was fucking hot.”

That got a real laugh out of her, the sound washing over me like a cooling balm. “You’re a twisted bastard.”

“Damned straight. And I think you love it.”

“You know I do,” she murmured, her eyes holding mine for a long moment before she leaned up to kiss me softly. “I need a shower.”

“You want company?” I brushed her hair back from her face, searching for signs of what she needed most right now.

“Well, it wasn’t a request. I kind of expect you to just come with me.” She grinned. “You know. Like a good boy.”

Yeah. The sass was going to get her fucked good and hard. I got the feeling that’s what she needed and I was more than willing to provide.

I swooped her up into my arms, her weight a welcome burden. “I was just waiting for the invitation.”

She laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck as I carried her to the bathroom. “You never need an invitation for this. Never.”

“You don’t either, honey. I’m yours whenever you need me.”

“You’re going to spoil me.”

“Good.” I set her down on the bathroom vanity. “You deserve to be spoiled.” I turned on the shower, letting the water heat up as I helped her undress. My hands lingered on her skin, tracing the bruises forming from our tumble off the bike. “You’re gonna be sore tomorrow.”

“Worth it,” she murmured, her eyes growing darker as I touched her. “Every bit of it was worth it to get to here . To you.”

I stripped off my own clothes quickly, eager to feel her skin against mine. When I helped her into the shower, she hissed as the hot water hit her tender muscles, but then sighed as the heat began to work its magic.

I took my time washing her, my hands gentle as they moved over her body. This wasn’t about sex -- though my body certainly responded to her nakedness -- this was about care. About showing her that I would be there for all of it, not just the good times.

“Turn around,” I murmured, reaching for the shampoo. She complied, and I massaged the soap into her hair, my fingers working against her scalp. She moaned softly, leaning back against me.

“That feels amazing,” she whispered, her eyes closed.

“Good.” I continued my ministrations, rinsing her hair before applying conditioner. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.”

There was a bench along the back and part of one wall of the shower. Once I’d rinsed her hair, I moved us to the bench and saw with my back against the wall, one leg stretched out in front of me along the length of the bench, while the other foot rested on the shower floor. Carrie sat between my legs, resting with her back to my chest.

She pulled me down for a soft, slow kiss. I deepened the kiss, one hand coming up to cup her face. She shifted position so she straddled me, her slick body sliding against mine in a way that had my cock hardening instantly.

“I need you,” she whispered against my lips, her hips rocking against me. “Please, Hawk.”

I growled, my hands gripping her hips. “You sure, baby? You’ve been through a lot today.”

“I’m sure.” Her eyes met mine, clear and determined. “I need to feel alive. I need to feel you.”

That was all I needed to hear. I swiped my fingers through her pussy to find her already wet and needy. I lifted her slightly, positioning her over my cock before slowly lowering her down. We both groaned as I filled her, her tight heat enveloping me inch by inch until she was fully seated.

“Fuck,” I hissed, my forehead pressed against hers. “You feel so fucking good, Carrie.”

She began to move, slowly at first, her hands braced on my shoulders. I let her set the pace, watching her face as pleasure washed over her features. With her eyes half-closed, lips parted, cheeks flushed, she was the most exotic, sensual woman I’d ever known. And she was all fucking mine.

“God, you’re beautiful,” I murmured, watching her move above me. The water cascaded down her body, making her skin glisten. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, the way her breasts bounced with each movement, the look of pure pleasure on her face as she rode me.

Her rhythm increased, her breathing growing more ragged. I slid one hand between us, finding her clit with my thumb and circling it gently. She gasped, her inner walls clenching around me.

“That’s it, baby,” I encouraged, my other hand gripping her hip to help guide her movements. “Take what you need.”

“Hawk,” she moaned, her head falling back, exposing the elegant line of her throat. I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her pulse point, feeling it race beneath my touch. “I’m so close.”

“Come for me, Killer,” I growled against her skin, increasing the pressure on her clit. “Let me feel you squeezing my cock like you want my cum inside you.”

Her movements became erratic, her thighs trembling against mine. With a cry that echoed off the shower walls, she came, her body shuddering around me. The sight of her coming was the most erotic sight imaginable.

I gave myself the go ahead and pulled her to me, encouraging her to move faster until I was slamming inside her to the sharp slaps of skin on skin. When she screamed again, I let loose, filling her pussy with my hot, sticky cum.

I held her close against me, both of us panting and shaking as the water continued to beat down on us. Her forehead rested against my shoulder, her breath hot against my skin. I stroked her back, savoring the weight of her in my arms.

“I needed that,” she murmured, her voice muffled against my chest.

“Yeah, I think we both did.” I kissed the top of her head, feeling more content than I had in, well, ever. “Water’s gettin’ cold. Let’s get you dried off and into bed.”

She nodded but didn’t move immediately, seemingly as reluctant as I was to break the connection we’d built between us. Finally, with a sigh, she lifted herself off me, wincing slightly as my softening cock slipped from her body. I stood and shut off the water, then grabbed towels for both of us.

After drying her off, I wrapped her in a fresh towel and led her back to the bedroom. She crawled into bed naked, her movements slow with exhaustion. I joined her, pulling her against me, her back to my chest. She fit perfectly against me, like she was made to be there.

We lay there in silence. I was too keyed up to sleep, and I thought Carrie was drifting but not really going under like she needed to.

“Hawk?” Her voice was quiet in the fading evening light shining through the open window.

“Yeah, baby?” I ran my hand along her arm, feeling her warm skin beneath my fingertips.

“Is it always going to be like this? Dangerous, I mean.”

I considered lying to her, telling her everything would be smooth sailing from here on out, but I respected her too much for that. “Sometimes. This life isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it for the family you get in return.” I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “The club will always have your back, Carrie. I’ll always have your back. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“I’m not worried about me.” She turned in my arms to face me, her expression serious in the dim light filtering through the blinds. “I can handle myself. I’m worried about you.”

That caught me off guard. “Me?”

“You put yourself between me and danger without hesitation. Every time.” Her fingers traced the line of my jaw. “I don’t want to lose you because you’re trying to protect me.”

I captured her hand and brought it to my lips. “That’s what partners do, Killer. We protect each other. I know you can handle yourself. Hell, I’m pretty sure you can handle yourself better than me. But I’m still going to be between you and any danger if I can possibly help it.”

“I’ve heard…” She stopped and took a breath. “I’ve heard everyone here has served time in prison at some point in their lives.”

“It’s true, baby. Including me.”

“What happened?”

I knew this was coming and admitted to myself I’d been dreading it. I’d never been one to shy away from who I was, but with this woman, I didn’t want her to think bad of me.”

“Same as most of these guys. I killed someone. I was a young hothead. Got in a fight with some asshole in a bar. He got fresh with a waitress I had a crush on. She turned him down in front of his buddies. He smacked her.”

“Yeah, I don’t see you standing for that.”

“Nope. I slapped him back. Only he lost his balance and fell. On the way down he took the corner of the table to his eyeball, then hit his head on a concrete step. Took him a couple days, but he died. I was indicted for manslaughter.”

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry!”

“I’m not. I learned two very valuable lessons. First, I had to get a handle on my temper. Second, don’t get crushes on waitresses unless you actually talk to them first.”

“Wait. What?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah. I was a busboy. Right out of high school. Worked at a nearby garage too because I was a damned good mechanic, but the view at the restaurant was a sight better. Unfortunately, I wasn’t always the social butterfly you fell in love with. I was terrified of talking to her.”

“Wow. And you fought that guy for hitting her.”

I shrugged. “Wasn’t much of a fight.”

Carrie frowned. “I think I’m jealous of the bitch.”

That made me laugh. “Killer, you’ve got no cause to be jealous. Mainly because I’m so far gone on you, I turned in my man card the second I saw you. But also I saw you covered in the blood of your enemies. I’d rather you not be covered in my blood.”

She stretched as she giggled, the sound so content I wanted to puff out my chest. I’d done that for her. I’d made her happy.

Yeah. I was officially pussy whipped.

“Not something I planned on doing.” She smiled and leaned up to kiss me again. “You’re a good man, Hawk. I’m proud to be yours.”

She nestled against my chest and her breathing gradually slowed and deepened as she drifted off to sleep.

The burner phone I kept on me in the clubhouse buzzed and I picked it up. Opening it, I saw a text from Knuckles.

Knuckles: All done .

So, Flagg and Randall were dead.

Me: Thanks .

I shut the phone and laid it back on the nightstand. Carrie mumbled something in her sleep and adjusted her position before settling back into a deep sleep.

I thought about what had happened over the last several hours. The club dynamic was about to change drastically. If we took over operations for The Hammer, it would mean more money for the club. There would be risks, but we’d use every resource available to minimize those risks.

There were lots of challenges ahead for Kiss of Death, but I knew we’d come out on top in the end. I also knew that we were gaining glaring vulnerabilities in our women. I also knew those vulnerabilities were in our having so much to lose. Not our women. They were all badasses. Carrie more than the others, but they could all hold their own.

I thought it was fitting that the biggest warrior of our three old ladies was the woman of Kiss of Death’s sergeant at arms. She was a fighter just like me. She’d be my biggest asset and my strongest supporter.

“God, I love you, Killer.” I whispered the declaration against her hair. “So Goddamned much.”

She tilted her head up and smiled at me. “I love you too, Hawk. I love you too.”

I loved my life…