Page 9

Always Choose the Steak

G rizz

“You couldn’t take me if you tried,” Sabre said, slapping my shoulder as he walked past me. The smirk bouncing at the corner of his lips let me know he wasn’t serious.

A smirk settled on my lips as I thought about who would win.

I was taller now, with more muscle mass, but he was a scrappy son of a bitch.

We’d probably even things out, but there was also a part of me that never wanted to find out who would win.

Sliding my leg over my bike, I stood and followed behind him.

“Come on, mama. You said your piece.” Sabre wrapped his arm around Grace’s shoulder and tried to steer her towards the front door of the clubhouse.

“I wasn’t done.”

Bye, Sabre. If looks could kill, he’d drop dead in the middle of the yard. Grace wasn’t playing, and the fight was still very much alive in her eyes.

“You’re done.” He took a step back to turn towards the front door, not giving Grace any choice.

She tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his arm around her shoulders.

“You’re just giving the brothers more bullshit to bet on, and I know how much you love that.

Leave Meredith alone, and when she’s ready, we’ll be the first people to give her our full support. ”

“I don’t like you right now,” she huffed, curling closer into his side.

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head as they took the first porch step, ushering the rest of the brothers back into the clubhouse.

Meredith stood in front of me, facing the clubhouse. I could have reached out and touched her, but it felt like there were a million miles separating us. It didn’t help that an eerie silence had settled in the yard once everyone had gone back inside. I wracked my brain for something to say.

“They’re sickening.”

I couldn’t help the hyena laughter that gushed out.

I was acting like it was the funniest thing I’d ever heard, but I was more concerned I was losing my sanity.

The day wasn’t over, but I was going to take a few extra minutes alone before I had to get back to business.

Stepping up to her, I wrapped my arm around her bare shoulder.

“I gave them something else to talk about.” Meredith wrapped her arm around the back of my waist.

“Eh, it wasn’t as bad as you think. Although, you left little to the imagination.” I ran a finger down the strap of her bra and over the top of her breast.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. They just kept gawking at my side, and it made me angry.” She sighed, laying her head against the side of my chest.

“It’s done. Don’t worry about it.” I dragged her around to my front and held her against me. “I’ll stay out here as long as you need, but the minute we head inside, I have business downstairs.”

She rubbed her nose against my shirt and tightened her arms around my back. “I know. You need answers. Just give me a little longer.”

Quiet settled around us again, but I didn’t rush her.

Burying my nose in her hair, the images of what would have happened bombarded my mind, and I tightened my hold on her.

There was no doubt I could have lost her.

The cartel soldiers would have thrown her into the back of their SUV, and I would have spent years trying to pull favors, chasing one dead end after another.

“You going to marry me, Mer?” I asked her.

“Seriously, Jonathan? We’re having a moment. Don’t ruin it.” She turned her head, rubbing her forehead against the middle of my throat.

I kissed the top of her head. “Going for broke, then. The scars are out, and there’s no hiding them from me anymore.

” I slid my hand gently over her shoulder and down her arm until I linked our fingers together.

“Shower sex is my favorite, and we’ve only tried bike sex once.

It was hot, but I’d like a repeat to make sure it’s in my top five. Definitely basic sex. All. The. Time.”

“As long as you’re not having any babies with Sparkles.”

“Who the fuck is Sparkles?” I didn’t want to push, but if she thought I was cheating, she had another thing coming. The only woman I wanted to be buried in was my wife.

We separated, and I held her hand as we walked towards the clubhouse. Standing on the porch, I tried again to sort this out before we entered. “Who the fuck do you think I’m fucking?” She pulled away from me, but I tightened my grip on her hand. “Who, Mer?”

“I’m not putting out, and there’s plenty of easy access.”

“Why would I want chopped liver when I have a steak in my bed every night?” She raised her eyebrow at me as I placed her hand on my dick. I had been hard since she pressed against me on my bike. “My balls are blue because I haven’t been with anyone else,” I said, pushing into the cup of her hand.

“They were right. You should sleep with one eye open.” She gripped my dick and shoved her tongue down my throat.

“I’m going to shower. If you weren’t busy, you could join me,” she whispered against my lips, giving me one last squeeze, before she turned and walked through the front door of the clubhouse.

I didn’t take her seriously as I followed her across the threshold.

I stopped just inside the door, watching as she made her way across the main room towards the stairs.

She never looked back, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from her as she swung her hips seductively.

This was the woman I’d fallen for. My Meredith.

“She’s not healed.” I hadn’t seen DeadZone appear at my side.

“I know, but it’s a step in the right direction,” I said.

He nodded at me. “She still has to purge the demons, but it’s nice to see her living, at least for the moment.”

I knew what he meant, but I preferred to bask a little longer.

“Sabre told the rest of us to stay close because once you’re done in the Playroom, he’s calling an emergency church. I thought I’d watch TV, but if I don’t see her in an hour, I’ll check.”

Before I could thank him, Dead was halfway across the main room, yelling at one of the newer brothers to turn the TV to the animal channel.

Shaking my head, I headed for the basement stairs.

I had a score to settle with a cartel member, and the quicker I had answers, the better off we would be.

We weren’t housing anyone, and it was quiet as I walked past the jail cells.

We had dealt with Jig’s body, and Luna had paid for her crimes, never to be seen again.

Pint was sitting outside the Playroom door as I reached the end of the hallway.

“How is she?” he asked.

“Good.” I kept it simple, not wanting to show how shocked I was. No one ever asked about Meredith.

“Good. They’re waiting for you, VP.” He held out his fist, and I bumped it before opening the door.

Taking a minute, I leaned against the wood.

Berry and Twig stripped the cartel soldiers naked, and the leader was hanging from the chains in the ceiling.

Blood pooled underneath him as Scrub worked to repair the damage Meredith had caused.

Someone must have called him on their way back to the clubhouse, as he was in his hospital scrubs.

“I thought we were going to have to come get you, and my fragile eyes couldn’t handle any more of the hotness.” Pretty was sitting on a table, nearly on top of Sabre, eating a Popsicle.

“You needed a snack?” I asked, not quite believing my eyes.

Pretty pointed to himself as he tongued the Popsicle. “I’m an expert at ball removal, so I kept my strength up in case you needed help.”

“How do you put up with him?” I directed at Wreck, who was leaning against the far wall.

“Same way you deal with your bitch. They don’t talk with their mouths full.”

“Not just a pretty face.” Pretty used one hand to circle his face, but the other waved the Popsicle around. He wasn’t paying attention, and cherry flavor dropped from the stick, landing on Sabre’s jeans.

Sabre shoved his elbow into Pretty’s stomach.

“Why you got to be so violent? I’m telling Flo.” Pretty noticed the stain and instantly smiled widely. “Oops.”

Sabre ignored him. “So, they’re prepped and ready to go, but we figured you would want the honors. They didn’t have any identification, but there was a cell phone in the SUV. Cyph’s upstairs cracking it, but he’s not sure how long it’s going to take.”

I nodded, acknowledging I’d heard him as I removed my club cut and hung it on the hook by the door.

Grabbing the back of my t-shirt, I pulled it over my head in one smooth motion and laid it on top of my cut.

There was going to be an obscene amount of blood spilled in this room, and I didn’t want to carry any of it upstairs.

I’d clean up in the sink and then shower in my room.

Scrub stepped away from the hanging man.

“I stitched the holes so he wouldn’t bleed out, but he has lost a lot of blood in the transfer.

You’ll be okay, as long as you’re strategic, but if you just want to wail on him, let me know.

I’ll hook you up with some basic bitch blood.

It doesn’t have to type because the dude won’t live long enough. ”

“You staying?” I wasn’t really sure why I had asked him. Scrub lived for this type of shit.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Scrub went to stand next to Wreck.

I rolled my shoulders, eyeing the man hanging from the chains. Every instinct screamed to break him, but I needed answers first. “Look, I’m going to kill you for touching my wife, but this can go one of two ways. One: you tell us what we want to know, and I’ll slit your throat. Easy.”

“That’s generous. You should probably take the deal,” Sabre interjected, but the man said nothing.

“Two,” I continued, “I will break you until you feel the pain and the fear you caused my wife. Either way, one of you is going to talk.”

The soldier spit onto the floor. “Is her pussy as cold as her mouth?”

“Wrong answer.” Pretty was having too much fun opening another Popsicle.