Chapter 17 #2
Two more Diggers step between us. They move faster than the others.
One throws a punch that misses by inches.
I grab his arm and twist, locking his shoulder into a hold he can’t break.
I drive him down, keep the pressure on the joint, and feel it dislocate as his body hits the floor.
The other one hesitates and Rider runs right into him, tackling him to the floor.
Then I see Lynch coming from the back hallway. He’s got that same smug look I saw in the photos Marauder showed us. He stops a few feet away and sizes me up.
“You think being with the Legion makes you somebody important?” he yells.
I don’t answer. I walk towards him.
He swings first. Wide and fast. I duck under and drive a punch straight into the muscle that connects his shoulder to his chest. He grunts and stumbles back. I’ve heard he fights dirty. Well, that makes two of us.
He shoves me back and lands a punch to my jaw.
It stuns me, but I pull myself together pretty damn fast. Blood runs down my chin.
I grab his arm—the one holding a blade—and slam my other hand down on the inside of his elbow.
His arm folds, causing the blade to scrape against the side of his face.
I slam his head against the concrete wall, not once but twice.
His body starts to sag, but I bring my elbow down on the back of his neck, driving him down to the floor.
When he tries to get up, I stamp my boot once across the inside of his knee.
There’s an audible pop, and Lynch howls in pain.
I rush over to Beth, bringing my fist up to punch the man standing over her in the face.
He grabs my wrist and slips to the side just in time to miss my punch. “I’m your fucking inside man,” he growls, before walking off.
I kneel down in front of Beth—my poor, sweet wife looks much worse than she did when she left home earlier today. “Are you okay?”
Her expression crumples, and she scrambles backward to press herself into the corner. I hold both hands and try my best to soothe her emotional distress. “Everything is going to be alright.”
I should never have let her leave alone today.
Worried about how she’s responding to me, I glance over my shoulder to find the fighting is over.
The majority of the Diggers are down. There are still a few backing away with their hands up.
They clearly want no part of the kind of violence the Legion is dealing out tonight.
I look at Siege. He gives a nod, indicating that it’s over.
I turn my attention back to Beth. She’s got some scrapes and bruises, but I think she’s just in shock. Her arms are still locked around her knees. She flinches when I gently move forward and begin looking her over. All her injuries look superficial.
“Darlin’, it’s me,” I say. “You’re safe now.”
She falls forward, and I catch her before she hits the floor. I get the lock undone on the restraint around her ankle and lift her into my arms. Her grip tightens around my neck, and her face presses into my shirt.
I carry her past the wreckage our club made of the Diggers’ hideout. They’re all staring at me, silent and anxious.
When we reach my bike, I settle her on the seat in front of me. I don’t trust her to hold on in the state she’s in, so I hold onto her by wrapping one arm around her waist. When we take off, the rest of the Legion follows, leaving Marauder to clean up his own club.
When I leave, he’s standing over Lynch’s body gazing down at him.
***
The house is quiet when we pull up. The front door shuts behind us with a soft click. I carry her upstairs with one arm under her knees, the other cradling her back. She hasn’t let go of me since the ride. I don’t want her to.
I carry her straight to the master bathroom and sit her down on the toilet while I run her a bath. Whatever Lynch’s got coming for him he deserves it for thinking he could buy my fuckin’ wife and pimp her out. She’s worth a thousand Lynches in the general scheme of things.
I kneel beside the tub and turn on the faucet, adjusting the temperature. When it’s just right, I undress her and lift her into the massive tub.
Beth hasn’t said a word since we left the Diggers’ sad excuse for a home base. Her eyes stay on my chest, staring blankly. I run my hand gently over the back of her head, not pushing, just trying to soothe her.
“You’re back home now, Beth,” I tell her. “Everything’s going to be okay. We took that whole club apart, so they can’t hurt you anymore.”
She nods once, glancing away.
Her chin dips to her chest. I grab a soft cloth, lather it up, and start gently cleaning the grime off her skin.
She winces when I get to her elbow. There’s a scrape there, raw and red. I say nothing, just rinse and move carefully. I find bruises along her ribs and shoulder. Nothing deep, but I still take my time. I clean around them without pressure.
When I reach for the shampoo, she finally looks up.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” she says. “They were hidden away and bragged that they had been right under the Legion’s noses for years. I thought I’d die there.” Her voice is rough, probably from screaming at them.
“There is no place anyone can hide that I wouldn’t find,” I assure her. “Marauder had an inside man. He’s the one that stayed close and did his best to keep you safe.”
I pour the shampoo into my hands and lather it gently into her hair. Then I rinse with a cup of warm water, shielding her eyes with my hand.
She blinks up at me as water slides down her cheeks.
“That’s how you found me?” she asks.
“Yeah. I’ll always find you, no matter what.”
I help her out of the tub and wrap her in a towel. She doesn’t let go of my hand as we walk to the living room. I grab the med kit from the hall closet and sit her down on the couch. I take a minute to light the fireplace before going back to kneel in front of her.
I dry the last bits of water from her skin. Her legs are drawn up. I gently clean the scrape on her elbow and dab antiseptic cream on it. Then the one on her knee. A row of cuts on her ankle. Nothing that won’t heal, but I treat them anyway because there’s no reason to risk them getting infected.
When I finish, she leans forward and puts her arms around me.
“I’m going to be okay,” she whispers. “It was just hard going from just getting over what happened before to something even worse happening today. It’s a bit of a mind fuck.”
“I imagine that it was,” I say. “None of us saw that coming. If we had, we’d have done something about it.”
She nods again, but this time it’s slower. “Why do you think this keeps happening to me? It makes me feel like I’m destined to be used by men for my body, like I don’t matter as a person.”
I pull the blanket off the back of the couch and wrap it around her shoulders. Then I sit beside her and pull her into a loose hug. When she leans into me, I hold her a little tighter against my chest.
I finally answer her question. “I think you were just unfortunate to have a horrible man for a stepfather. If you think about it, he’s at the root of all this mess. Vincent and Lynch never would have known your name if Robert Jefferies hadn’t tried to exploit you the way he did.”
“Maybe you’re right,” she murmurs.
I give her a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s nothing you did or didn’t do, darlin’. I promise you that.”
For a long while, we don’t speak.
Then she shifts closer to me. When she looks up, her eyes are clearer. “Thanks again for saving me.”
I smile at her. “Keeping you safe is my job as your husband, and it’s an honor. I won’t be taking any chances with you in the future.”
Finally, I get a genuine smile. “You’re a good man, and I’m lucky to be your wife.”
I dip my head and give her a chaste kiss on the lips. When I pull back, she cups my face and kisses me back. Her kisses are sweet, and my stupid cock can’t seem to get it through his head that now is not the time for sex. I slide one hand down as inconspicuously as possible and adjust myself.
When I look back up at Beth, she tells me, “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight. I want you to remind me what’s good in the world and make me forget about the Diggers.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask.
“Yes.” She places her hand on my chest, right over my heart. Her expression is so open and loving that it’s hard to say no to her. Oh, who am I fucking kidding? I’d do anything for this woman.
“Alright then. If you change your mind at any point, all you have to do is let me know.”
I lift her in my arms again and carry her to the bedroom. When we lie down, there’s no rush. I press my lips to her forehead, then her cheek, then her shoulder. She sighs, clearly loving the gentle approach.
She moves closer, and I keep my hands on her back. I let her guide what comes next.
I’m not surprised when she climbs on top of me. It makes sense—she might not want to be under my big body with all the scrapes and scratches still healing on her body.
I’m more than thrilled to have her ride my cock. I slap my chest and say, “I want you on my face. I need to taste you, and you need an orgasm to make sure you’re ready to take my thick cock.”
She grins down at me. “You like talking dirty, don’t you.”
“Talking about cocks is not dirty talk. If I said that I wanted lick your pussy until she came all over my face and then watch your pretty breasts bouncing while you ride my cock, that might come close.”
Her hands come up to cup her breasts, and she asks, “You really like my breasts? They aren’t to small?”
“Fuck no. They’re the perfect size for your body.
” Reaching up to slide my hands under hers, I give them a gentle squeeze before toying with her nipples until they turn into taut little points.
“I love your breasts. They’re one of my favorite things in the whole world.
Now move up so I can feast on your pretty pussy. ”
I have to encourage her with both hands, but she eventually moves into place.
When she does, I dive into her folds with my tongue, exploring the feel and taste of her all over again.
Every time I lick her, it feels like the first time.
Once she’s a hot squirming mess, I suck on her clit until she comes shouting my name.
I’d like to say we stopped at that point so she could rest but that would be a gigantic lie.
I ease her down onto my cock until she’s taken every inch of me. Then she just sits there, proudly staring down at me. When I don’t respond, she gestures to where our bodies are joined, “See what I did?”
I grin up at her, because she’s really adorable when she’s playful like this in bed. “I see and I feel it too, princess. You did a good job of taking my thick cock.”
“You always say thick. Why?”
“Because I feel compelled to remind you of all my good qualities, so you’ll feel like you got a better deal than you did by marrying me.”
She shifts he hips, pulling out and then bearing back down, causing hot sparks of pleasure to spark up my cock. “You’re the one I always wanted. So, don’t think you have to impress me to get me to stay. Fifty pounds of dynamite couldn’t blast me out of your life.”
I can’t help but laugh, even as she picks up the pace, driving me wild.
Beth has got to be one of the strongest, most resilient women I’ve ever met.
She rides me hard, chasing her own pleasure.
She looks beautiful when she’s on top of me.
I wrap my hands around her waist and steady her as she picks up speed.
In no time at all, she’s coming all over my cock.
I pull her down one last time on my cock and spew deep inside her.
She collapses on top of me, and I wrap my arms around her.
We stay tangled in each other’s warm embrace. I pull the blankets higher and press my mouth to her temple.
***
Beth wakes up still wrapped in my arms. She stirs a little, shifting under the blankets, then turns her face towards mine.
“Hey,” she says, voice rough with sleep. “Did you sleep well?”
“Of course. I’ve got my arms around my loving wife,” I tell her teasingly.
She smiles, tracing a slow line across one of my chest tattoos with her fingers. I love lying in bed with Beth. I’d stay right here forever, if I could.
I know this is the right time to bring up the thing I’ve been wanting to ask.
I slide out from under the covers and reach into the nightstand drawer beside the bed. A small box has been there for weeks, just waiting for when the time was right. When I turn back, she’s sitting up, the blanket pulled to her chest.
“What’s that?” she asks curiously.
I sit up as well, then open the box. Inside is a new ring—gold, simple, but a little weightier than the first one.
“I want to get married again,” I say. “The right way this time. I want to give you the wedding you deserved from the beginning.”
She doesn’t speak. Her eyes well up, and her lips press tight together like she’s holding everything in.
“I’ve got twenty acres of yard that haven’t been used for anything but target practice and cookouts.
We could get one of those big white tents, long tables, and a million chairs.
Maybe string up lights in the trees. We’ll have live music, a huge wedding cake, and the prettiest wedding dress you can find.
We’ll have everything we didn’t have before.
I want to give you the wedding of your dreams—because you deserve it. ”
She leans forward, hands gripping the edge of the blanket.
“And the brothers?” she asks, her voice soft. “What about them?”
“They’ll be there,” I say firmly. “All of them. The whole damn club. You can pick one to walk you down the aisle. Any one of them would consider it an honor, because you’re one of us now.”
Her chin trembles, but she nods, and she answers without hesitation. “I want all of it.”
I slip the ring onto her finger. Her hand shakes, but she doesn’t pull away. She leans forward, presses her forehead to mine, and breathes deep.
“I never thought I’d get a real wedding,” she says.
“You’ll get more than that,” I tell her. “You’ll get everything I’ve got. I’d give every lost thing I own and everything I am to make you happy.”
She kisses me because she loves me. Not because she wants my property, cut, or my money. Beth is too innocent to be deceitful like that.
The worst is behind us. Now, we get to build the life we want.
Building a life together has got to be easier than what we’ve been through already.
I never realized how much I wanted those things until Beth came along with her big blue eyes and sharp mind.
I know I’ll never want another woman for as long as I live.
I’m too obsessed with Beth to think of anyone else.