Page 12

Hound

The scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm bread assaults my senses as I step into the kitchen, and I stop for a moment, taking it all in.

The breakfast spread, the flowers on the counter, and the gorgeous woman bent over the island dressed in nothing but a shirt that exposes those long, beautiful legs and a pert ass I want to touch, all still feels strange even a week later.

She’s on her phone with her back to me, her hair a textured expanse of brown curls, framing her shoulders. She’s humming a tune I can’t quite place as she rapidly taps on her phone. I don’t announce my presence, instead to just watch her.

How did we get here?

Chelsea was supposed to be on lockdown in my apartment until her brother came up with the funds.

The vases of wildflowers around my place are proof that it hasn't been happening that way. When she’s not making love with me or on the couch binging some show she’s obsessed with, Chelsea has been hanging out with the other women in the clubhouse, coming and going from the apartment as she pleases, though never leaving the clubhouse grounds. Not that I would stop her if she tried.

It is reckless of me to allow these feelings to cloud my judgment.

She could easily sneak out and flee with her brother, but she always comes back to me.

I’ve made it clear to her that I won’t kill Ransom.

But his debt must still be repaid. Saint isn’t about to let someone walk after stealing half a million dollars from the club, regardless of me falling in love with that person’s sister.

One week.

That’s how long we’ve been playing house. We act like a normal couple in every sense of the word, not a woman and her temporary keeper.

Christ, what the hell is happening to me?

I’m acting like this thing between us is forever, but it can’t be.

At the end of the day, Chelsea is only here until her brother repays what he stole.

A dark thought causes me gut to twist painfully.

I’ve developed intense feelings for Chelsea, and she acts like she feels the same, but is she simply biding her time?

Making the most of her situation until her brother comes to retrieve her?

As if sensing my presence, Chelsea turns and I watch as a blush creeps up her neck when she catches my stare.

Just a single glance, and my world tilts on its axis.

That sexy mouth stretches in a wide smile, and her eyes light up as she sets her phone aside and straightens to give me her full attention.

“Good morning,” she beams, reaching up to slide a curl behind her ear. “I made breakfast.”

I nod, my eyes firmly on her honey brown ones. “I see that.”

“You got home late last night, and I wanted to let you sleep in.” Chelsea takes a step forward but must see something in my face that makes her hesitate. “I hope I wasn’t making too much noise in the kitchen. I tried to be as quiet as…”

I’m already striding toward her before she can complete her statement. I wrap an arm around her waist and yank her hard against me, then I kiss her. Chelsea is clearly startled as she freezes for a second before her arms circle my shoulders and she’s kissing me back.

It’s unnerving.

That I need this as much as my next breath.

Before Chelsea, there was no one. First came a family that never gave a shit about me and then an uncle who only let me stay because I could help him with his small garage.

Then I joined the military when I turned eighteen because I had no idea what to do with my life, spent eight years of my life learning how to track bad guys for Uncle Sam on the other side of the world before coming home to do pretty much the same thing for the Steel Rebels.

Then I met her, and suddenly, I had everything.

I am a fool to allow myself to get lost in the light of a sun that will soon be taken from me. To get drunk off her lips. but I can’t help myself. The same way I couldn’t stop myself from falling for her.

Chelsea sighs into the kiss, the sound deep and content.

It brings to the surface an animal inside of me, and in the blink of an eye, I have her against the counter, licking into her mouth like a hungry man.

With her so close, surrounded by her soft body and addictive scent, my mind goes blissfully blank.

I kiss her with complete abandon, my lips clinging to hers like she holds the air I need for my lungs, and she responds in kind.

Her body is pliant against mine, her little whimpers turning into moans when my hands drop to her pert ass, squeezing the perfect mounds with my hands.

My dick is hard as steel, and I realize that if I don’t pull back, I’ll soon have her bent over the counter, fucking her into oblivion.

Chelsea whines when I break the kiss, those gorgeous eyes blinking up at me in confusion, and I almost give into the desperate need to fuck her where we stand, but I can’t.

I’m already running late for the meeting Saint set up yesterday.

I’ve been neglecting my duty to the club and spending too much time holed up in here with her.

“That was my apology,” I say, my voice rough even to my own ears. “I can’t stay for breakfast.”

Her face falls, and I force my eyes away from her swollen lips, pushing back the need to damn it all to hell and kiss her again.

I wish we could make love in the kitchen like we did yesterday morning.

I’d lay her on the counter and eat out that pussy until she’s all warm and wet for my cock.

We could make love in the kitchen and then move to bed, spend the rest of the day huddled together until the sunlight fades.

But I have a duty to the club. One I’ve been overlooking.

“I have a meeting with Saint,” I tell her. “We have a lot to do, and I’ll probably be downstairs all day.”

Chelsea smiles, circling a finger around my peck. “It’s so tempting to try and convince you to stay,” she says, and I have no doubt in my mind that she would succeed. In fact, she wouldn’t have to use that much effort in her attempt.

“I’ll be thinking of you the entire time,” I promise, taking her hand and bringing it to my lips. She blushes at the move, the pink in her cheeks deepening into a pretty red, and once again, I’m tempted to stay.

“Miss me,” she whispers, leaning in and brushing her lips over mine before pulling back. She leans against the counter and angles her body to reveal her shapely legs and the sexy outline of her tits. “See you later.”

Fuck, now how the hell am I supposed to focus on the meeting with the image of a half-naked Chelsea floating in my mind?

When did my shy virgin become such a siren?

I force myself to walk away, adjusting my erection as I move toward the door, hoping it goes down before I get to the office, and grateful that it’s a bit easier to conceal tucked into the waistband of my tight jeans.

Saint is not alone when I get to his office, but I am not surprised to find the club’s VP, Knox, present as well.

But seated on the leather couch across from him are Gray and Scarlett.

Now them, I am surprised to see. Scarlett is the daughter of the Chrome Vipers’ late president.

A month ago, Gray was sent to spy on our rival MC and find evidence of their involvement with trafficking women and auctioning them.

While falling in love, he and Scarlett were able to prove that the Vipers were indeed the scumbags we thought they were and brought them down.

The money that was earned through their illegal activities was set aside to open and fund a women’s shelter.

The same money Chelsea’s brother stole.

“You’re right on time, Hound,” Saint calls out when I let myself in, slowly closing the door behind me. I nod to the others before walking to the only empty chair in the office. “Another sum was deposited to the account two days ago.”

Saint’s words give me pause, and for a panicked moment, I imagine Chelsea’s brother covering the amount and taking her away. I thought I had a month with Chelsea. It’s only been a week, goddamnit! I force my hammering heart to calm down as I ask, “In full?”

“No, we’re still short two hundred grand.”

I try to hide my relief at his words, keeping my expression carefully neutral.

Though it isn’t lost on me that somehow Ransom has managed to come up with over half the sum in only one week.

He’s clearly motivated to get his sister back sooner rather than later. “So, what is it you wanted to discuss?”

“Right,” Saint claps his hands and turns to the couple.

“I called Scarlett here because the money that was stolen was hers to begin with, and since she’s also a whiz with math and did all of her father’s accounting, we need her help to see if we can go ahead with the shelter even without the full funds. ”

“Then what is he doing here?” I ask, nodding toward Gray, whose hand is firmly clasped with Scarlett’s.

“I go where she goes,” the man says, and I snort, putting on a disgusted look at the cheesiness, all the while pretending I don’t want to leave this room and seek out Chelsea.

“Co-dependent much?”

“Don’t be an ass,” Gray snarls, showing teeth. “Last I heard, you’ve been locked up in your apartment with a woman for the better part of a week. The way I see it, you’re in no place to judge me.”

Touché.

“Quiet down, children,” Knox, who’s been quiet until this moment, calls out, earning a glare from us both. “If you two don’t mind, can we get back to the business at hand?”

Scarlett gives us a breakdown of the expenses needed to fund the shelter, and since we’re already using the building where the auction was taking place, we’re saved the cost of having to secure a location.

That particular location was also selected to make a statement and turn a place that was once filled with fear into one of hope.

I was there when we raided The Den, an auction house that was disguised as a gentleman’s club.

While Saint was busy rescuing Jade from a backroom, Knox and the rest of us went in and cleaned house.

At the time, we had no clue who was funding the auction, so we sent Gray to spy on the Chrome Vipers.

I was there too when we attacked their clubhouse and brought the fuckers down.

Perhaps this is why I wanted so badly to punish Chelsea’s brother. He’d threatened to halt all our hard work and plans by stealing our money. Chelsea showing up when she did saved the man’s life.

“We can manage even without the remaining funds.” Scarlett’s words cut through my thoughts and bring me back to the present. “If there’s a problem, I can always sell one of the Vipers’ other holdings and make up for the deficit. I guess it’s a good thing everything is under my name.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Saint tells her. “That money is yours.”

“I don’t mind. My father put everything under my name so I would take the fall if he was ever caught,” she says with a sad smile. “I don’t mind using the money for good when needed. For now, what we have will be enough to start work on the building.”

“Perfect.” Saint claps his hand, and he’s about to say something else when there’s a sudden knock on the door. We all turn around when the door is pushed open and a frizzy-haired prospect peeks in. “What is it, Kyle?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, Prez, but there’s a man in the bar asking to see you,” Kyle answers. “Says he’s here to discuss his debt and see his sister.”

Ransom.

My heart nearly stops at the thought of Ransom coming for Chelsea.

Suddenly, I get the urge to get up and run to my apartment, pack my shit, grab my woman, and leave the damn city.

Hide her in some shack in the middle of nowhere and keep her with me for the rest of our lives. But I force myself to remain seated.

“Bring him in,” Saint says, but I can feel his stare on me. “He could be here to clear his debt.”

I don’t give Saint the satisfaction of seeing me panic. I don’t allow anyone in the room to read the fear spreading in my heart. Christ, I just found her! Her beautiful smile and those eyes that light up every time they look up at me.

I’m about to lose her.

Then I’ll be back to having nothing.

The room is quiet as we wait for Ransom to be brought in, and when it finally happens, I have to force myself to stay still. The man tosses a glare in my direction when he spots me before turning to look around the room.

“Where is my sister?” he asks, and I have to admit to some grudging respect at the steadiness of his town. “I’m here to see my sister.”

“No,” Saint says calmly, leaning back in his chair. “You are not in a position to make any demands.”

Ransom takes a step forward. “My sister—”

“Is safe and will stay here until we have our money as agreed,” Saint’s voice is firm. “Now, do you have the rest of it?”

My eyes are firmly on Ransom, and I read fear in his eyes despite his bravado; the man is terrified, but I have to give him credit. Not many men would come in here willing to go toe-to-toe with Saint.

A little twisted, sick part of me wants to make him disappear. That way, I’ll never have to worry about his sorry ass coming for Chelsea and taking her way. She’s mine, goddamnit. But she’d never forgive me for hurting her brother. How the fuck do I go back to a life without her?

Will I survive?

I’ll have to, because hurting this man would mean hurting Chelsea. I would first cut off my own hand before I did that.

Fuck!

“I’m not discussing anything until I see my sister,” Ransom says again. “I want to verify with my own eyes that she is unharmed. Then we can talk about the remaining debt.”

My heart cracks, at least what was left of it before Chelsea arrived. I feel those shards practically chip off, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. Chelsea is leaving , echoes over and over in my mind, but there’s still hope, and Saint’s next words give me that.

“You have the money then?” he asks.

I hold my breath, anticipating Ransom’s answer—fearing it. And when it comes, whatever’s left of my heart shatters into pieces.

“Yes.”