Chapter Twenty-Seven
June
Groping Theo while riding was almost as much of a high as the actual ride. Or maybe more of a high by the way he let himself loose on me in the office. The power I felt on the bike, combined with the near-degradation in his office, was invigorating.
After several hours of dancing and drinking at the Iron Cage, Theo and I return to his house and fuck again in the kitchen.
Each time is more addictive than the last, like a drug that gets better every use.
Or maybe our disagreement Friday and the following conversation after church has added a layer of intimacy that I didn’t expect.
I know telling me about Scottie was significant for Theo, an invitation to not only see his pain but lay among it.
The presence of another so close to the bruises of your past is both uncomfortable and comforting.
At least, that’s how I felt telling Theo about my family.
The abuse, foster care, fear, death… I haven’t thought about how the satisfaction of finally ending my dad’s miserable life was tainted by Imogen’s rejection in a long time.
Saying it out loud was like throwing up.
Excruciating in the moment, but worth it when the nausea alleviated.
I think about Imogen’s little boy all the time. My mom and Calvin have sent me pictures of Grayson, and I wonder if my mom suspects who his real father is. He looks so much like Michael that I can’t imagine she’s never considered it.
No one has mentioned anything to me, though.
It’s not lost on me that Theo is the only person in the world I’ve told that story to. Sadie, Rose, and Evelyn have gotten versions, but not everything. I can’t tell them how I stabbed my dad in the neck and smiled at the shock and fear in his eyes when he realized he was about to die.
Something shifted in my chest on Friday.
Lying next to a sleeping Theo tonight, still feeling the aching pleasure from having him between my legs, sends my brain on a rollercoaster.
Not a smooth one, either. One at a state fair that’s too fast to be held together with rusted bolts and flimsy wheels.
I want this to be simple. I want to examine the feeling in my chest without being obstructed by preconceived assumptions, others’ opinions, or fears.
I want to be able to use normal words for whatever this is.
I want to scrub the beginning of my association with Theo, those months of following him and the first few weeks being here, from existence.
If we weren’t weighed down by our beginning, then maybe we’d be strong enough to have a future.
All I’m certain of is here and now, and even that isn’t pure. I still have questions. He still has secrets. There are hurdles I’m not sure I can clear because I have no idea how tall they are.
But maybe I can eliminate just one unknown.
While Theo sleeps, I unlock his phone with no problem since I’ve known his code for weeks.
Going through his messages somehow feels like too much of an invasion of privacy, so instead, I open his call history.
Most of the calls are with other Saints, a few are to someone named Lorry, and a ton are spam or random numbers.
But there’s one from over a week ago to Cottonwood Tucson, and a quick Google search reveals it's an addiction treatment center.
Just like that, I’ve found the rehab facility where Amber is. According to their website, visitation hours are on Sunday. Unfortunately, I’m not Amber’s family. Fortunately, I’m a licensed professional counselor and a very good liar.
I could ask Luna to take me, but I don’t particularly want Theo to know where I’m going. So, I text Sadie, who’s more than happy to “go on an adventure” tomorrow morning. She’s even happier to come back to Theo’s house, especially while he’s home.
With that settled, I return Theo’s phone to his bedside table and settle into his side, letting my eyes shut and my brain take a break from the jolting roller coaster.
He’s awake before me the next morning. I find him sitting on the couch, phone in hand.
“Hey, Tink,” I say, dragging my finger along the arm of the couch.
He looks up at me, frowning at the nickname.
The frown quickly disappears when I swing a leg around to straddle him.
“Sadie had a bad date last night.” I rub my hands down his chest, and his expression turns suspicious.
“She needs a girls’ day. So, we’re going shopping for a few hours. She’s coming to pick me up.”
“Are you asking permission to go out with your friend?”
“No, I’m telling you I’m going out with my friend. I think we’re past the whole jailor routine, don’t you?” My hands travel under his shirt, meeting hot skin. He hisses at the contact, and I feel him harden beneath me.
He grips my hips, pulling me closer. “When is she getting here?”
I purse my lips in thought. “Ten minutes.”
“That’s enough.” He surges forward, lips latching onto the base of my throat, and sneaks a hand between us, cupping me over my pants. “Take these off,” he says, pushing me off his lap. I look toward James’s room, and Theo says, “He’s asleep.”
“It’s almost ten in the morning.”
“On a Sunday, he’s asleep. Now hurry. We’re down to nine minutes.”
I obey, shoving my pants and underwear off.
Theo simultaneously pushes his sweatpants down enough to free himself.
Already slick and ready, I straddle him again, positioning over his cock.
He holds the base, guiding me down, and the cool metal of his piercing sends a shiver up my spine.
We both moan, our foreheads pressing together until I’m fully seated.
With my hands around his neck, I start rising until only the tip is still inside.
Before I get the chance to lower again, he simultaneously thrusts up and pulls my hips down, setting a rhythm.
The fact that James could walk out of his room and see us, or Sadie could arrive at any second, only makes this hotter.
I rock forward, grinding down on him to alleviate the throbbing.
We both pick up the pace, chasing release.
His head falls back to rest on the couch cushion, blowing out a heavy breath.
Briefly, I think about the fact that this is the fourth time we’ve had sex in two days, and he hasn’t kissed me once. I didn’t expect to miss that part of fucking, but as I stare at him biting his bottom lip to keep from yelling, I long to replace his teeth with mine.
Instead, I dig my nails into his skin through his shirt and continue bouncing until I feel myself reaching the crest.
“Theo!” I shout without thinking. He abruptly covers my mouth, muffling my next moan.
He lifts his head, eyes boring into mine. “Now, little reaper.”
Fuck , I should be worried about how turned on I get when he orders me around. But hearing the demand in his voice mixed with a croak of desire sends me over the edge. I gasp into his palm. The sensation of my orgasm drags Theo with me. We slow down, both breathing heavy.
My body begs to stay put, but Sadie will be here soon, and I don’t want to still have Theo inside me when she arrives. So, I carefully lift off him, then reach down and cup myself, catching his cum before it can leak down my thighs.
Theo lifts an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to have to change my pants,” I say, scooping up my underwear and pants, then running to the bathroom. Clean and redressed, I’m in the process of washing my hands when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it!” I yell through the shut door. I stumble from the bathroom in my rush, but Theo beats me there.
“Miss Oliver, so good to finally meet you,” he says.
“Sexy biker!” Sadie replies. She leaps forward, wrapping her arms around Theo in a tight hug. She’s taller than me, so she barely has to lift onto her toes to hug him.
Theo looks back at me, a bemused expression plastered on his face. His arms are out to the side awkwardly, like he’s not sure what to do. I’m tempted to let him figure out how to deal with my best friend, but I want to get her out of here more than I want to see Theo struggle.
“Sadie, seriously?”
She lets go, turns in my direction, and beams. “What? I’m finally meeting the man who managed to not only capture your attention but also have you essentially living in his house in less than three weeks.”
“I don’t live here,” I lie.
“No, you’re just having girls’ nights here and sleeping here most of the week and having me pick you up from here when your car is in the shop.”
He tilts his head forward. I try to communicate with my eyes that I had to come up with a lie about why I don’t have my car that’s not the fucked-up truth. The slight rise of his lips tells me he understands.
“Can we go now?” I ask.
“Uhm, no?” Sadie says. Then she grabs Theo’s hand and tugs him to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair and dropping across from him. I grudgingly sit between them, accepting that she won’t give up any time soon.
“So, tell me, Mr. Criminal Biker Man—”
“Sadie!”
“Are you a wizard?” she asks, smoothly ignoring me.
Theo frowns. “What?”
“Do you have a magic ding dong? Are you blackmailing her?”
If I had coffee, I would’ve choked on it.
“Or, I know!” She claps her hands together. “You’re a US Marshal, and Juney here is in Witness Protection?”
“If I were in Witness Protection, I’d have a new name and be moved to a different state.”
She waves her hands in the air, brushing me off and keeping her attention locked on Theo. “So?”
He still looks confused, which makes me laugh. “I don’t…”
“She’s trying to figure out how you got me so… captivated.”
“Oh,” he smiles and nods. Turning to Sadie, he winks and says, “I knocked her on her ass.”
“Theo!”
“Wait, what?” Sadie gasps. Her grin widens further as she looks between us. When she asked how we met, I gave her some vague answer about running into each other after Taco Tuesday.