Page 31
Chapter
Thirty
Smoke
A fter checking in with Blackjack and Edge and ensuring everyone is safe and accounted for, I make my way to the cabin. While I walk, I pull out my phone and fire off a message to Wolf, asking him when he’ll be back at the clubhouse. I thought he’d be back by now. In some ways, I’m grateful that he isn’t. I hate that he has no idea what has gone down here, that his son is dead. Still, at least it’s given us the time to clean Cub up. The cuts to his face and body are far from superficial, but now that his wounds are cleaner, the bulk of the bloody mess gone, it’s less horrific to look at. Not that Wolf is squeamish, nonetheless this is his son, and no father should have to see his child like that, let alone outlive them. The pain he endured when he lost his woman I could relate to. I’d lost the love of my life, too. Still, the loss of a child, a brutal one at that, I can’t even begin to comprehend .
The response I get back from my message to Wolf is that he and the girls are going to be at least another hour as they’ve had to drive over to the next town to get some of the supplies needed. I send him a simple thumbs up emoji in response.
I want to be waiting for him when he gets back, but I desperately need to see Tenley.
I don’t knock; I power through the door, not even stopping to kick off my boots. Don’t give a shit if the floor gets scuffed. I’ll pay for the wood to get professionally cleaned if needed.
Stone is standing in the living room with Sasha in his arms. As soon as he sees me, he strides towards me, meeting me halfway.
“Uncle Smoke,” Sasha gushes before Stone has time to get a word in. She holds out her arms to me, the biggest smile on her face. A perpetual shining light amongst the current darkness.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Despite my need to see Tenley, I don’t hesitate to take Sasha into my arms, and place a kiss to her forehead.
“I’ve not seen you in like forever,” she drags out the ever, her hands coming to each side of my face, a signature Sasha move.
“I know, I’m sorry.” I drop another kiss to the tip of her nose. “I promise I’ll do better, but forgive me, I need to go check on Tenley.”
“Okay.” She wriggles in my arms, which tells me she wants to get down. I place her feet on the floor, not letting go until I know she’s gained her balance.
“I need you to get back to the clubhouse?” I instruct Stone. “Once Doc has done, can you send him up to check Tenley over?”
“Sure thing, Prez.” Stone immediately stepping up without question.
“Come on, Aunt Tenley is in her room.” Sasha’s little hand catches mine, and she pulls me towards the back of the house.
“Just one second, sweetheart.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze. I turn my attention back to Stone. “I want to know as soon as Wolf gets back. Don’t want him to face this on his own. I need to be by his side.”
“I’ll ring you as soon as he gets here and keep him out of the clubhouse until you get down there.”
“Thank you, brother.” For a few moments, we stand face to face, no words needed to express the crushing pain of our mutual loss. I give out a heavy sigh before turning my attention back to the sweetness in our life. “Lead the way, Sasha.”
With her hand firmly in mine, Sasha leads me towards the back of the house, towards the room that Oriana had when she first arrived to take up the position of nanny to Sasha. In truth, it wasn’t that long ago, but strangely, it feels like Oriana has always been here.
When we get to the bedroom door, it’s open. Tenley is sitting at the top of the bed, her knees pulled up, her chin resting on the top. She’s cradling the arm that she hurt with the other. Oriana, who sits at her side, has her arm slung across the back of Tenley’s shoulders. I can’t hear what she’s saying to her because it’s nothing more than a whisper. Whatever it is, Oriana’s face is full of concern for her stepsister, a far cry from the first time I saw them in a room together.
“Can I come in?” I ask with a light wrap of my knuckles against the door frame. Oriana looks to her sibling for approval and when Tenley gives her a quick nod of the head, she pushes up off the bed and walks towards me.
“She’s hurting,” she whispers fiercely, so only I can hear what she has to say, protecting Sasha from the drama. “I’m not just talking about physical pains. I’m worried about her mental health, so tread gently Smoke, otherwise, I will make your life a living hell.” Like a switch has been flicked, Oriana’s demeanor changes instantly. “Come on, Sasha, let’s go make Aunt Tenley some chicken noodle soup.”
“Chicken soup, yes, that always makes you better when you’re hurting, doesn’t it, Mummy?”
“I don’t know why I bother trying to talk quietly,” Oriana huffs. “She’s got supersonic hearing, I’m sure.” I place my hand on Sasha’s head, her sweet face lifts towards me, a knowing smile on her face. “Come on,” she swings Sasha up onto her hip and walks back towards the kitchen.
I step inside Tenley’s room and slowly push the door closed behind me. Tenley looks devastated. Pain and fear etched on her face. ‘
“How are you feeling?” I stupidly ask. Look at her; she’s a far cry from the Tenley that came crashing into my office full of confident and gall. The Tenley that has a profound effect on me, testing me, having me questioning my loyalty to Violet .
“It’s all my fault,” she repeats what she had been insisting earlier.
“This is not your fault,” I reply, harsher than intended, but I’m not letting her hold the responsibility of what has happened today on her shoulders. “This is undoubtedly Dunne and the Irish, not you.”
“But I should have come to you earlier, I… I…” Coming to the side of the bed, I perch myself on the edge, facing her.
“Tenley, you’re not making sense. Start from the beginning, baby. Help me understand why you think you’re to blame.”
“Last night, I couldn’t sleep, so I saw what else I could find out about the Death Valley Irish. I’d already researched Paddy Dunne extensively, but not any of his known associates, to any extent.” She sniffs and blinks back her tears before swiping the wetness of the previously shed ones from her face with the back of her hand. I take that hand and hold it in mine, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. Her breath hitches before she starts talking again. “I found a number of old news articles relating to the people back in Northern Ireland that were linked to Paddy and the Death Valley Irish.” Tilting her head up towards me, her tearful eyes, that are full of remorse, find mine. “It got me thinking, what if his ‘guests’ are those people and the reason they’re here is that Paddy is planning something big? A hit against the Young Outlaws?”
“Ten, we’ve come to that conclusion too, but what happened just now, why on earth would you be responsible for it? ”
“With the way Paddy came at me at my apartment that day, and his parting words of warning, with that and what I found in the news clippings, the chances he was planning something were high. I came to that conclusion last night. I should have come to you then, but it was late, so I thought it could wait until the morning. Then, when I got up, Sasha was vying for my attention, so by the time I’d got dressed to come and find you…to tell you...”
“Tell me what, darlin’?”
“Dunnes associations have been linked to a number of bombings.”
“Fuck,” I curse out. “That just confirms the fucker Dunne was behind this.” Taking a hold of her shoulders I turn her to face me. “You couldn’t have known they would target us like that and you’re certainly not to blame for what they have done. This is not your fault,” I say firmly.
She doesn’t look convinced; her eyes are steeped with unnecessary guilt.
“The guy, Cub.” She looks so pale, so fearful. Her body trembles against my touch. “The one who went to check the car?” I knew she would ask; still, I don’t want to answer.
“You don’t need to worry about anything.” I cradle her face in my hands, my palms to her cheeks, keeping my voice soft in an attempt to soothe her. “If anything, I’m to blame for putting you in this fucking messed up situation in the first place. This should never have touched you, or put your life at risk.”
God, I’ve played this so fucking wrong. I have put everyone I hold dear in danger by stirring up a hornet’s nest. I should have known that Dunne would find out Tenley was a plant, feeding back information to us, not that he gave much away. What she had got had allowed us to follow him from his residence in the city out to what seemed to be his new HQ, out near Yerington. Ghost has been staking the place out for a couple of days now, feeding back what information he could, yet there’d been no indication that the Irish were about to hit us today.
I fucked up. I fucked up big time, risking my club, my brothers, but what devastates me the most is that I put an innocent woman’s life on the line.
“Tenley,” I lean closer, run my tongue against my dry lips. “I’m so fucking sorry,” I tell her earnestly.
“For what?” her lips part as she gasps, her warm breath wisps against the coolness of my wet mouth, and the need to kiss her is real.
“For using you, for standing back while you walked into dangerous territory, when I should have been the one protecting you.” I move in so our lips are so close that when I continue to speak, they almost touch. “For foolishly pushing you away when all I really wanted to do was to hold you closer, kiss the fuck out of you, and be inside you.”
Her eyes go wide, a pinkness blushes her cheeks as she stares back at me. I can see it in her eyes that she’s unsure whether to trust what I say.
“I don’t think I’ll ever regret anything more than walking away from you that day, when all I wanted was to stay and explore every inch of your fucking beautiful body. Just the two of us getting lost in each other, making you come, over and over again. To tease your sweet pussy with my mouth, then bury my cock deep inside you and watch the flush on your cheeks when you scream out my name with your orgasm.”
“You hurt me,” she throws back, but there’s not a hint of malice within it.
“I know, and I fucking regret it,” I drop my head, shoulders slump as my remorse hits hard gripping my chest having me gasping for breath. “I’m not going to pretend to be a good man, you’re well aware of who I am, and what the Young Outlaws are about, but I can promise you I will never intentionally hurt you again, and will protect you with my life. I’ll try my fucking hardest to be a better man for you.”
“You don’t have to change, Smoke,” she smiles. “You just need to cut the leash that’s wrapped around your emotions.”
“What you don’t realize is that you’ve already had an impact on me.” I brush my lips against hers. It’s a soft kiss, that is far from what I really want to do, yet for now it will have to be enough. “I loved a woman once, still do, but I lost her. It ripped my world apart, and the pain was immeasurable. The only way I could cope with the hurt inside was to bury it even deeper, rain in my emotions and to concentrate on the club.”
“You’re talking about Violet?” she breathes.
“Yeah, she was sweet, loving and had an inner strength that was awe-inspiring.”
“She was the love of your life. Of that I know, from what little I could find out about your background.” She shuffles further towards me until she’s almost sitting in my lap. Her hand comes to my cheek. “She was murdered, wasn’t she?”
“She was. What I’m trying to say is that I never thought I could think of another woman the way I did, still do, about Violet. I thought that to have that intense connection, the kind that makes you feel forever seventeen, that injects a love for life deep into your very soul was a once in a lifetime thing. But you,” I cup her face in my hands. “You’ve changed that, and I truly think I can find that with you. If you’re willing to give me the chance.”
Before I give her chance to respond, I put my hands to the back of her head, holding her exactly where I want her while I cover her lips with mine and devour her mouth. Her response tells me exactly her answer, loud and clear, when she meets my kiss with equal fervor, having us both taking exactly what we need.
Moving my hands down past her shoulders to her back, I pull her gently into me, twisting us both until our bodies are entwined.
When we finally break the kiss we cling onto each other, breathless and dizzy from the incredible electricity that flows like lava in our veins.
“I want to be with you, Tenley. I want you to be mine. I can’t promise to be the man who abides by the law, does everything by the book. Still, I can promise you, I will worship you, love you and, if necessary, die for you.”
“How the hell can a girl say no to that?” she smiles before sealing the deal with another hot and steamy kiss .
Tenley
His kiss is so much more than I’ve experienced before. It’s powerful and demanding and takes away my breath with its intensity. The way he sucks on my lower lip before his tongue sweeps against mine sends a surge of sensations to my pussy, causing it to pulse, making it greedy for more.
“I need to see you,” he growls and slides one of the straps of my dress over my shoulders. It’s not enough to expose me to him and he curses with frustration. “Fuck it,” he hisses before bringing the thin strap between his teeth and pulling. One quick tug and the strap snaps, and the fabric falls further.
“Smoke! This is Oriana’s dress,” but my attempt at chastising him is quickly dismissed when he sucks my nipple into his hot, wet mouth. “Oh my God,” I pant as the sensation of earlier multiply tenfold. I can feel the arousal building between my legs, my panties wet from my juices. His mouth leaves me and I let out a frustrated whimper.
“Patience,” he says, before kissing me hard on the mouth. He moves until his knees are resting on each side of my hips. With his hands on my legs, he pushes up the fabric of my dress painfully slowly, while his gaze is firmly fixed on mine. The feel of the rough pads of his fingers against my inner thighs make goosebumps scatter across my skin. “You want to come, baby?” his deep voice rumbles in the otherwise quietness of the room, his fingers finding their way under the edge of my panty leg.
“Y… ye s,” I plead when he touches the seam of my pussy.
“Jesus, you’re wet,” he growls as he slides two fingers inside me. “Fuck me, Ten. You’re so responsive to my touch. You’re fucking perfect.” His fingers thrust in deeper before pulling them all the way back to my entrance. Then he’s pumping them in and out, building up the speed. I barely manage a whimper when he slows, curls his fingers inside of me and begins stroking my G-spot.
“Fuck, fuck,” I gasp out at last, finding my voice. “Fuck… that feels… oh… argh!” An orgasm like no other hits me hard. So hard that I seem to be devoid of my body’s reactions. My legs tremble uncontrollably, my vision hazy and my heartbeat racing like I’ve run a marathon.
When I regain focus, I find Smoke watching me while sucking my cum off his fingers. The smile on his face is captivating.
“Sweet, so fucking sweet.” He falls forward, once again caging me in with his arms, still careful not to make contact with my arm. So caring, so aware of my needs. He kisses me, his hot tongue pushing firmly into my mouth so I taste myself, too. “See how good you taste?” His sexy, playful expression, one that has honestly taken me by surprise, suddenly drops from his face. His eyebrows furrow, jaw ridged, eyes dark and intense. I ready myself, expecting him to pull away from me. To get up and leave like he did before. But he doesn’t. He just stays there, eyeing me, lost in thought. I wait. What else can I do? The silence between us only punctuated by the sound of our breathing.
“You’re mine,” he demands. “No other fucker is ever going to touch you, you understand?”
I should tell him to fuck right off, that no man has the right to demand anything from me. That only I decide what I do or don’t do, because that’s how I have lived my life. Until now.
Now, I want this. I want Smoke to be the person I share myself with completely, for him to protect me, to be his only one. So, I lay my hand to his cheek, smoothing the scruff of his beard and nodding my head like a crazy woman.
“I need to hear the words, baby. I need to know that you’re all in, because there will be no going back.” He palms my cheek. “You know enough about the Young Outlaws to know exactly what you’ll be getting into. Do you want this?”
“I never understood why Oriana had fallen so quickly, so deeply for an outlaw, but the last few days here, living with them, I understand.” When I try to push myself nearer to him, his arm slides behind my back to aid me. I brush my lips across the surface of his. “I want that, and one hundred percent, unequivocally, I want you.”
He brings me into his lap, his hand holding the back of my head, and kisses me fiercely, sealing the deal. We move together, one-handedly pulling off my dress. Smoke shook off his cut, then tugs his t-shirt over his head. I watch as his hands work on the waistband of his jeans, but when his phone begins to ring, he comes to a sudden stop.
“Shit,” he airs his annoyance. “I’m sorry baby, I gotta take this.”
Disappointed is not a strong enough word for what I’m feeling in this instance, but I understand and accept his loyalty, and responsibility to the club.
“It’s okay, take it,” I encourage.
Hitting the answer button, he brings the handset to his ear.
“Yeah.” He focuses on me while he takes the call. “Okay, I’m on my way. Keep him out of the clubhouse until I get there.” He reaches for his t-shirt that he’d only just dropped to the floor. “And Stone, Church; one hour. Make sure every Young Outlaw is there, and I mean every fucking one.”
Feet slightly apart, he stands with his hands on his hips, t-shirt hanging down his side. He sucks in a deep lungful of air before letting his head drop forward. You can see the tension on his shoulders from here. I scuttle to the edge of the bed, uncaring that I’m naked.
“Smoke?” As he brings his head up his eyes meet mine.
“I gotta go, club business,” he sighs, pulling his t-shirt over his head. “I’m not running, I promise you that, however, it’s important, something that can’t wait.”
“Wolf?” I offer. He looks surprised, but despite his attempts to keep me in the dark to spare my feelings, knowing that I hold myself partially accountable for this devastating mess, I know Cub is dead. That Wolf, his father, was unaware as he wasn’t on club ground when the explosion went off. I’d overheard Stone and Oriana whispering earlier despite their best attempts to keep it from me. “Go, do what you need to do. I’ll be fine.” The narrowing of his eyes tells me he’s not sure that I’m being truthful. “Go, asshole,” I laugh, trying to lighten the mood between us. I can tell that he’s hurting over Cub’s horrific and unnecessary death, not just for himself, but for the crushing pain this will cause Wolf. Nothing I can say at this moment can make that situation better; still, the last thing I want is to add to his worries.
I push onto my feet, pick up his cut from where he’d draped it over the end of the bed and hand it to him. “I’ll be here when you’re ready, however long it takes. I promise you.”
Threading his hands into my hair, he brings me to him. One last mouth-blistering kiss and he steps away. His eyes don’t leave me until he’s stepped out of the room, and the door closes behind him.