Chapter 17 #2
His panting breaths are hot against the side of my face before I turn my head toward him. Barrett kisses me hard on the mouth, his sweat-slicked chest sliding against my back.
“It just keeps getting better and better.” He looks me in the eyes, and I see a smile in his before he presses a quick kiss to my mouth then lifts himself.
I roll over and watch him walk into the bathroom, naked as the day he was born.
When he returns, he’s carrying a damp cloth.
Spreading my legs, he stares down at me for a moment. “Fuck, you have a pretty pussy.”
“Thank you.” I chuckle softly, and the corner of his lips tips up in a half smile.
“I almost don’t want to clean you up. You look fucking good with my come dripping from you.”
“I would appreciate it if you would. I’d rather not have sticky thighs while I’m trying to sleep.”
“Mmm, you’re not making a compelling argument in favor of it, sweetheart.”
“Fine, I’ll do it myself.” I move to close my legs, but Barrett stops me with his hand.
“Nope. My mess. I’ll do it. Let me just look for another minute.”
I throw my arm over my eyes and laugh. “Stop. You’re making me self-conscious.”
When I remove my arm and look at Barrett, he looks almost confused.
“I don’t know why you would be. You’re fucking perfect.” He finally has mercy on me and swipes the cloth through my center. “I like staring at my woman. Sue me.” He shrugs then throws the towel in the hamper.
“Well, the only person to examine me the way you do has been my gynecologist, and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t as impressed as you are.”
“Fuck, baby. I’d hope not.” He lies down on the bed and gathers me in his arms. I rest my head on his chest and we tangle our legs together as he runs his fingers through my damp hair.
“I’ve never had this, Camryn,” he says after a few minutes.
“Sometimes when I look at you and you smile at me, or when I kiss you, I almost feel as though I should pinch myself. Like, how did an asshole like me end up with someone like you? It must be some kind of dream, you know?”
“Maybe it’s good karma. I am quite the catch.”
I smile up at him, and he huffs out a small laugh. “Trust me, baby, there isn’t a whole lot of good karma coming my way.”
“I don’t know about that. Look at what you have. An awesome daughter—”
“True.”
“A family who would lay down their lives for you if they had to—”
“Also true.”
“And an amazing girlfriend who is just as addicted to you as you are to her.” I smile wide and bat my eyelashes for good measure.
Barrett’s shoulders shake with silent laughter before he leans down and kisses me. “That is absolutely true.”
“So, all in all, you’re not doing so bad.”
Barrett’s fingers gently slide over my cheek, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I like the way you see me, Camryn. You make me believe I can be better than I was.”
I don’t know what to say to that. This is the first time I’ve been with someone who is so open and free with his appreciation of me.
It’s a little daunting to have Barrett’s undivided attention and focus, especially when he says things I never would have thought anyone could feel about me.
I want to tell him it’s effortless for me—seeing all these different sides to him is easy once you get past the bravado and see what an incredibly kind and thoughtful man he is.
He cares more deeply about the people in his life than he gets credit for.
I know I didn’t give it to him when we first came here.
With my head resting on his chest, I listen to the steady beat of his heart for several minutes as we enjoy simply being together, skin to skin.
“How was work?” he asks, his hand still running through my hair.
“Good. Not too busy.” Then I remember the strange interaction I had with the three guys before closing the bar. “It’s probably nothing, but these guys came in and there was something kind of weird about them.”
Barrett’s hand stops moving. “Weird how?”
“Nothing I can really put a finger on. It’s just this needling feeling, but nothing concrete. I don’t know…it left me…unsettled.”
“What did they say?” I can tell he’s trying to sound casual, but he’s doing a piss-poor job, which puts me on edge.
“Do you think I have an accent?”
“Huh? No…”
“One of the guys said he could tell I lived in New York because of my accent, but he also pointed out he could tell I wasn’t from there originally.
That I was from Connecticut. It was weird.
I think I’m just paranoid about having that flash drive.
I don’t know, it’s almost like it’s a bomb that’s going to explode in all our faces, you know?
” He nods. “I’ll be relieved when your friend has a chance to look at it.
At least then we’ll know what or who we’re dealing with. ”
Barrett said the man he knows, who is some sort of tech wizard is out of the country, but as soon as he gets back, Barrett is going to hand it over to him.
“I know, baby.” He kisses the top of my head. “Did they say anything else?”
I shrug. “That they heard Shine was safe because the Black Roses run the town. That you guys have a tight leash on things around here, or something like that. I just chalked it up to me being paranoid about that damn flash drive.”
Barrett is quiet for a few moments and when I look up at him, his jaw is tight as he stares at the ceiling.
“What?” I ask.
He blows out a breath and meets my gaze. “We had some…trouble with another club not too long ago. Personal shit because of who we work with.”
“Work with? Like at the strip club or something?” Maybe a jealous boyfriend? It couldn’t have anything to do with Thorn and Thistle. Maybe at the shop?
“How much do you want to know about what the club does, Camryn?”
I roll my lips between my teeth and sit up, pulling the sheet over me. For some reason, I feel like some sort of armor is needed for this conversation.
“I guess as much as you’re comfortable telling me.
I don’t need details. I’m not sure I want details.
” It’s not like I didn’t know these guys weren’t necessarily on the right side of the law, but I always…
I don’t know, assumed it wasn’t anything that could put them in federal prison.
I’m starting to think that my assumption was a mistake.
“Okay.” Barrett sits up and places a reassuring hand on my thigh. He rests his head against the headboard before turning his face toward mine. “We work with the Monaghans. They’re a family out of Boston.”
“A family? Like the mob or something?” I let out a small laugh because that’s crazy, right?
“Irish mob, actually.”
I look at him with wide eyes. “You work for the Irish mob?”
“No, not for. With. We helped them out during a transition of power, and we move product for them. Another family was selling girls. Neither the Monaghans nor my brothers stand for shit like that. A group from New York didn’t like losing their gravy train and now they’re targeting us.
They tried to use another club, but it…didn’t work out how they wanted.
We’ve been waiting for them to make another move since we haven’t had much luck pinning them down. ”
“And you think those guys from tonight could be part of their group?”
“I don’t know, pup.” He lets out a slow breath. “But if they’re sending people to town to spook us, it’s fucking working. If anything happens to you or Syd…” He doesn’t have to finish his sentence. It would destroy him the same way it would me.
I take a few deep breaths as what he told me tumbles through my thoughts.
“I just have one question. Do you hurt people? Sell drugs to kids? Anything like that?”
Barrett shakes his head. “Absolutely not. We stay clear of the drug trade. Always have. And we keep that shit out of Shine, too. Girls and drugs are our hard limit.”
“But not hurting people? Killing people?”
Barrett blows out a long breath. “Only fuckers who deserve it. If they attack us or ours, they’re signing their own death warrant.”
This is the furthest thing from my wheelhouse. I’m a fucking art teacher, for chrissake.
I think about the brothers I’ve gotten to know—and their women and kids.
I think about Tanya talking about raising her boys here and being the former president’s old lady.
The families who depend on the brothers, the ones they look at as extended family.
And I think about what preserving this life they’ve built means.
That sometimes, ensuring their safety has meant they’ve had to meet fire with fire.
Not for more money or glory, but to keep the people they love safe by whatever means necessary.
I may not be accustomed to said means, but that doesn’t mean I can’t support it, or that I don’t understand it.
I’d be willing to do anything for my niece.
I look into Barrett’s eyes and see so much emotion shining back at me. He needs me to understand—needs me to accept this part of his life. He needs me to stand next to him.
To stay.
“I won’t lie. This is a lot to take in.” I release a humorless chuckle. “A whole lot.” I place my hand over his. “But I’m in this, Barrett. I know what’s important to your family—our family. You can give me a babysitter, and I won’t complain, but what about Syd?”
Barrett nods his head. “We have church in the morning, and I’m going to bring it up to the club.
Most likely, Knox or I will be keeping an eye on Syd and Mia while they’re at school.
It’s just as a precaution, pup,” he says, clocking the worried look on my face.
“We’ll keep you and Syd safe. You can trust me on that. ”
“I trust you with everything, Barrett.”
Including my heart.