Dark As Coal

Chapter 10

Adeline

I thought weeks ago that things with Coal and I had changed drastically, but I had no idea on how things could really change.

Everything but the furniture and a few pieces of clothing now had a home in my house.

If we didn’t spend the night at the club, then we were in our bed at our house.

The morning after he told me everything, I pulled open my junk drawer, tagged the extra set of keys for my house, walked over to him, wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, pressed a kiss to his temple, and then I sat the keys beside his mug of coffee.

That got me those crinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Once we were both ready for the day, he walked me out to my truck so I could head to work, and when I whispered against his lips, “I love you, Coal Baby”, that got me a soft smile and a wink.

But what got me the full smile, that was when I whistled at him as he walked to his bike to head to the clubhouse, “Take me to bed or lose me forever you handsome stud.”

Now, we were at the clubhouse for a barbeque and then we were headed for a bike run that was raising money for a local charity. Allied clubs had been invited, including the members of Wrath MC and their ol’ ladies. As well as the Immoral Saints MC but since none of them had ol’ ladies, they had their eyes on some women that had been invited and brought by other clubs.

Coal was standing with Asher, Stoney, Piney, Whit, Priest, Rome, Pipe, Irish, Cotton, Garret, Xavier, Powers, Cam, Gage, Skinner, and a bunch of other men I didn’t know the names of yet.

I was sitting with Gabby, Sutton, Lizette, Stella, Chloe, Angelyn, Novalie, Marley, Valerie, Miriam, Phoebe, Lucy, Sydney, Fiona, Lil, June, Michelle, Mackenzie, Harlow, Conleigh, Collins, Shiloh, and Savannah.

We were laughing about trying to see which of the guys would fall for letting us get our clits pierced and letting a man do it when a couple of the guys who wore Immoral Saints kuttes walked over to the table.

One of them, had I not laid eyes on Coal first, I would have wanted him, the name on his kutte read, Beast.

The one with the name Magnum on his kutte spoke, “Afternoon ladies. Tell me, did those fuckers create y’all in a lab. Cause goddamn y’all are fine.”

We all snickered.

“So, I’m not getting filled with bullets, I’m talking to those of you without property kuttes on,” and it took me a minute to realize that his eyes were locked right on me.

But before anyone could say a word, a shadow fell over me.

Titling my head back, I looked up at Coal, his frame was locked, and when he looked down at me, it was to say, “Tired of all the motherfuckers hitting on you, not knowing you”re taken. That shit stops now.”

Then he placed something in my lap that I hadn’t realized he had been holding.

Tears hit my eyes when I realized what it was.

I didn’t hesitate to stand up and slide it on, then I spun, brought my hands to Coal’s face, pulled it down, and then I crashed my lips to his.

His growl, the tightening of his arms as they came around my body, my panties were instantly soaked.

When we both broke apart, it was to see Coal’s eyes hot with hunger, yum.

“Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?” The man named Magnum asked with laughter in his tone.

Coal responded with two words, “Fucking nope.”

Then without a word, Coal sat down in my chair and pulled me into his lap.

Irish walked over then and got behind Sutton’s chair.

Asher came over then and got behind both Stella and Chloe’s chairs’ his arms crossed at his chest.

But something I didn’t see coming, Rome walked over and got behind Collin’s chair. Say what?!

Charlie said, “They called the charity run off.”

“What the fuck?” Asher asked.

Cotton growled, “Why the fuck for?”

Charlie shrugged, “Bad weather rolling in, they were hoping it would hold off, but it’s not.”

That was when Cotton lowered his head and asked Novalie, “Now, Kitten, wanna tell me what the fuck y’all were laughing about?”

All at once we looked at each and then started laughing our asses off.

It was Mackenzie who sobered up first and said, with a straight face, and I didn’t know how she managed it, “We want to get our clits pierced. Think Clutch can squeeze us all in?”

The men went silent. Deathly so.

Coal placed his hand on the side of my face and turned it, I bit my lip and then he whispered, “Fuck. No. I was your first. And I’ll be your only. Ain’t no motherfucker seeing that beautiful little clit but fucking me.

“Yeah, what he fucking said,” Savage muttered.

A round of nods followed suit from all the men.

That was how the brothers got to talking and the women started playfully trash-talking each other about their men being the best.

Because every one of the men got into the ring that night and showed just how badass they really were.

In the end, there were more ties than anyone thought possible.

Cotton tied with Asher.

Skinner with Rome.

Knox with Tyne.

But my man, he didn’t tie with anyone. Cause he made Beast fucking submit.

And the way my man celebrated? Well, I now had a fondness for making love in the rain. That storm that called the charity run off had come in just as the fights had finished.

Even though Coal made sure he covered my body with his the entire time, someone had watched.

Someone had gotten jealous… and it would be months before anyone truly realized that she hadn’t been coming around the clubhouse like she had been.

And everyone knows that jealousy can make a person do stupid things… well, I figured all that bleach had finally ate her brain cells.

***

The feel of him moving started the wake-up process for me.

And damn, but he was a good man.

He wouldn’t admit to it.

No one would ever say that about him.

But I did.

And I could.

Just like right now. He was moving quietly around our bedroom, softly cursing when he bumped into something that made the barest noise, trying his darnedest not to wake me up… yeah, that was a good man right there.

A thought suddenly hit me, I wanted to see my name on his skin.

I wanted to be on that space right above his heart that he’s left bare.

I felt a tingle between my legs as I watched his back move, the tattoo twisting and turning with the movements. Recalling a few nights ago when I pressed kisses up and down his back as I rubbed out the muscle knots in his back.

“Coal?” I called softly.

He stopped what he was doing, which was pulling his boots on, and looked at me.

“Thank you for being quiet, but you move and I’m up. You don’t have to be quiet.”

He winked at me, telling me he appreciated the sentiment, and then finished pulling his boots on.

Once that was done, he strode over to me, pressed his lips to mine, and whispered, “Love you, Soulshine. Be careful going to work. See you later.”

I nodded and smiled. “Love you too, Coal baby.”

***

“Coal? Who do you think is going to win?” Priest asked.

Coal didn’t say a word but pointed at the Falcon’s logo.

“Fucker. Why do you always pick the underdog?”

Coal shrugged but didn’t say anything.

Asher leaned down and whispered in Coal’s ear, “You got that man pissing blood yet?”

Coal’s hand tightened on my thigh, it was almost imperceptibly, but I felt it.

I knew what Coal did for the club.

How could I not when it was me that watched him strip out of the bloody clothes, place them in a black garbage bag, and then carry them out to the pit, Whit had started.

Once Coal nodded at Asher, he looked up, locked his eyes with mine, and lifted his brow.

I shrugged, took a pull from my beer, and said, “The only man’s cock I want to suck is the one that removes filth from this earth. It’s makes me sleep better.”

The entire room went quiet. So quiet if a bike started, it would have broken the sound barrier.

And then very slowly, clapping started to fill up the room.

Piney cackled then, “Hot damn, that was a mic drop if I’ve ever heard one.”

Something happened then, and it was something that it took me a beat to realize what it was.

Coal removed his hand from my thigh, got up, and walked outside.

The girls looked at me with pity in their eyes, but they didn’t need to feel that way.

I learned that when Coal started to feel more than he could handle, he disappeared for five minutes.

I started the countdown in my head.

Four minutes and forty-five seconds later, Coal came walking through the door, locked eyes with mine, then retook his chair, tagged his beer, took a pull, and at the same time he put his hand back on my thigh. And squeezed.

I winked at him, I got you, Coal Baby.”

He locked eyes with mine, and even though he never shied from telling me loved me, I could see it blazing in those steel-gray eyes of his.

Eyes I loved with every fiber of my being.

What we all missed, and I mean what we all missed, was something that I should have thought about the very day my contract ended.

And that something became a something exactly five weeks after our wedding.

Coal

Without warning, the door to church opened, and if there was one thing that could get every weapon in a room pointed at you, that was to open the door to church.

The moment I saw who it was, I was out of my chair, my body blocking hers.

I felt the guns lowering as I wrapped my hand around the side of Adeline’s neck, “Soulshine, just cause you’re my ol’ lady doesn’t give you the right to interrupt church.”

I hated doing it, berating her.

But it had to be said.

Only, when I stared into her eyes, I knew that she wasn’t bothered by my words.

Not. A. Fucking. Thing.

“I know. But I also know you. And I vowed on our wedding day, that I’d protect you. Protect every part of you. And I knew that if I didn’t tell you this the moment it happened, and you found out I kept it to myself for even a minute longer, that it would hurt you.”

I couldn’t fault that logic.

And she knew it.

That was why she shot me that beaming smile, and I was a sucker for it.

Irrevocably so.

“Okay, Soulshine. You’re right.” I tagged her hand and started to pull her with me until she stopped me.

“Coal baby, you’re not going to want to sit down.”

I lifted a brow, “And why is that?”

“Because you’re bound to wrap me in your arms and twirl me around and I’m wanting to have as long as I can with you, and that means you need to be able to pick me up and fuck me against the wall every chance we get because it turns me on. Like majorly turns me on. And sitting down, and then rising super-fast is only going to put stress on your knees.”

And that was when Asher said in that particular tone that he used when he was getting aggravated, “Darlin’, for those of us that don’t get the dynamic between the two of you, other than y’all are fucking perfect for each other. Can you get to why you interrupted church?”

Adeline did nothing but smile, and then she pointed one finger at Asher and said, “Look here, you told me that when I first came here, I had nothing to be afraid of. So, don’t you use that voice on me. Also, the only person in this room that will be guaranteed to walk out of here, is me.”

And yes, she finished that equally true statement with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow raised.

Then, I took in the eyes of everyone in the room and saw it, they knew it.

She would be the only one to walk out of this room still breathing, and not a hair on her body touched.

That was when Adeline turned to me, tagged my hand, and then placed it on the very last part of her body I expected.

On. Her. Stomach.

Thankfully, it didn’t take my brain to come to terms with what she was telling me, and then, I lifted my brow at her, “You were right about everything you said earlier. Except one thing.”

Her eyes twinkled and a brow lifted, “And that is?”

“You were precious cargo before you walked in this room, and you”re even more precious cargo now. So, no way in hell am I going to risk anything happening to you and the baby by twirling you around.”

“Okay…” and she stopped talking when I carefully lifted her in my arms and then looked at Asher.

“Anything else that needs me, it can fucking wait. Now, I’m going to carry my woman to my room, and worship her body like I was meant to do.”

And that… well… that was why the music in the clubhouse half an hour later was loud and drowning out the sounds I was making my woman make.