3. Needled
Chapter 3
Needled
Steel
My bladder woke me up at a quarter after three. I trudged to the toilet, wincing against the bright light.
I finished my business, washed my hands, and stepped out of the bathroom. I caught sight of Simone in the bed and I wished I had another condom. She was so fucking beautiful with her olive skin and that mane of hair spilling over her shoulder. I recalled gripping that hair tight while I railed her from behind.
Fuck.
I turned off the light so I didn’t stand here staring at her and getting hard – or harder. She had taught me something, though. I needed to find a woman who wasn’t in the MC life. A crazy-ass part of me wanted to drag her back to Augusta, but I knew better.
Hell, the more I thought about it, the way she reacted to my name, I got a feeling she knew about bikers – but that had to be my imagination. A powerful yawn reminded me I needed more sleep before a five-hour ride. When we woke up, I’d give her another orgasm by eating her out. That sounded like a plan.
On my side, I pulled the covers up to my shoulder. She let out a sleepy sigh and her body shifted toward me on the king-sized bed. Her sigh sounded similar to the sounds she made when I’d used my last condom and fucked her missionary-style. Somehow I’d restrained myself and took her slow and gentle. That memory had me craving a repeat, but I was out of condoms.
That was my life. I had planned a meeting with my ‘son,’ but wound up meeting a college girl who turned out to be phenomenal in bed.
I rolled to my back as I wondered if there was another way I could corner Jordan. He needed to know the truth. I wasn’t really his father – though I would always be his dad. In reality, I was the dumbass his conniving mother had fleeced for twenty-one years. Maybe he could learn the value of a paternity test, even if I didn’t.
My thoughts had distracted me from Simone’s sleeping form next to me, which was exactly when she rolled so she was facing me and put her arm over my waist.
I should have shifted her off me. I never let women sleepover. Having her warm, soft body next to me like this felt like a rich dessert. Decadent in more ways than one. Her pressing against me, it felt as though she were mine. Something about this felt satisfying and right.
I hadn’t had that even when I lived with Debra and Jordan. She didn’t sleep close to me or gravitate toward me in her sleep.
I allowed myself to indulge one last time and held Simone close while I fell back to sleep.
I had steeled my heart to women. I’d reinforced that barricade after I learned about Debra’s deception. No woman would ever be in my bed permanently.
Hotels needed silencers for their doors. While that would never happen, it sucked waking up to multiple doors banging and slamming.
I rolled over and my hand hit rumpled sheets.
“The fuck?” I whispered, propping myself up on an elbow and opening my eyes wide.
The emptiness in the room felt like a weighted blanket. I fell to my back.
“Goddamnit,” I bit out.
How the hell had that slip of a woman snuck out on me? I was a light sleeper. Talk about plans going to shit. I hadn’t woken up with such hard morning wood in months. Simone’s sweet mouth would have been the perfect remedy.
Shit.
My disappointment had me muttering to myself, “Get your shit together.”
It also bothered me that the flirty bombshell had taken a play out of my book. Love ‘em and leave ‘em.
The rational part of my brain said it was better this way.
No awkward goodbyes or any of that shit.
With my eyes closed, I fisted my cock and gave it a few good tugs.
I couldn’t get the vision of her entering that restaurant out of my head. She would make some lucky man very happy.
Jealousy coursed through me, weakening my erection. Everything was out of whack in this damned town. I didn’t struggle with the green-eyed monster, but I hated the idea of another man having her.
Yeah, it was good one of us had been smart today.
After a shower and breakfast, I stood next to my Harley in the hotel parking lot. The sun glared off the surrounding vehicles and the apartment windows across the street. At least it wasn’t raining.
I gave Jordan one last call. It rolled to voice mail and I locked my cell into the phone mount on my bike. Even though Simone had ditched me without saying goodbye, I didn’t hate Gainesville as much as Jacksonville
But it was high time to get home.
I parked my bike behind the Devil Lancer’s clubhouse at five o’clock. As I approached the clubhouse, the back door opened. Torque, my Vice President, sauntered out with a groupie under his arm. His sandy brown hair was pulled back in a low-ponytail, and his cheeks appeared to be shaved.
He shot me a lazy grin. “Yo, you made great time, Steel.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Everything good here?”
His grin widened to a smile and his light brown eyes gleamed with mischief. “Very. You missed a helluva bonfire last night.”
After giving him a chin lift, I went inside. The scent of smoke wasn’t as strong as usual, but the bonfire would have kept everyone outside. I rounded the bar toward the corridor to my room.
Josie, a sweet-butt I’d never been with, came out of the kitchen and stepped into my space. It was fifty-two degrees outside and she wore a black, lace-up corset – her breasts nearly spilling out, along with tight black short-shorts. She left nothing to the imagination.
After last night, that didn’t appeal.
She skimmed her fingers down my arm. “Hey, Steel. Wanna fuck? Put one of those two condoms in your wallet to good use.”
My mind tripped over her words. Once they sunk in, my body tightened.
I stood straighter, towering over her. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“What?” she asked, fake innocence dripping from a single word.
“Repeat yourself,” I thundered.
I didn’t know if she was stupid or brave, but she didn’t cower at my tone or volume.
“I asked if you wanna fuck.”
My eyes widened and I vaguely heard the back door open.
“And?” I demanded when she went silent.
“And what? Everyone knows a man keeps a condom in his wallet.”
My fury had a stranglehold over me.
“That’s not what you said,” I roared.
Torque moved into my line of vision. “Brother. What’s the problem?”
I took three deep breaths. They didn’t calm me, but I controlled my rage. I glared at Josie. “How did you know I have two condoms in my wallet?”
Fear hit her blue eyes for a second, then she shook her head. “I didn’t say that. I said one of the two—”
She realized her fuck-up and snapped her mouth shut.
I turned my head and blew out a long exhale. This woman had no idea the wrath I wanted to rain down on her right now. I faced her. “One goddamn question – and you better answer it the first fucking time. Did you mess with my condoms?”
I watched Torque’s face cloud with anger on my behalf. Our brotherhood ran deep.
The silence stretched.
“Answer him,” Torque shouted, making her jump.
The fear returned to her eyes and she spoke in a simpering voice. “Only the ones in the opened box… and your wallet.”
“How the hell could she do that?” someone asked.
That didn’t matter. I couldn’t believe this shit. Two months ago, I found out I wasn’t Jordan’s father and had been trapped twenty-one years ago, only for this bitch to fuck with my stash and—
“Fuck!” I yelled while thoughts of last night hit me like a hail of bullets.
Simone needed to know about this… and I had no fuckin’ way of reaching her.
“Get her out,” I hissed, turning away.
“What? I didn’t—”
I whirled on her. “You fucked with my wallet. I’d kill a man for less. Count your fucking blessings, bitch.”
“Let’s go,” Torque ordered, grabbing her arm.
I stormed to my room, yanked open my nightstand drawer and threw the box of condoms against the wall.
A primal yell tore out of me and I shoved my fingers into my hair.
That action reminded me of Simone’s nails dragging along my scalp not even twenty-four hours ago.
“Goddamnit,” I whispered.
Someone had the balls to knock on my door.
“Go away!” I yelled.
“Not happening, brother. Let me in,” Torque demanded.
“Come in and make it quick, motherfucker,” I hollered.
He came inside, shut the door, and eyed the box of condoms on the floor. His lips pursed and he kicked the box toward the en suite bathroom.
“Guess you won’t need those any more. I’ll get a prospect to take out your trash.”
I paced the room, my hands still in my hair.
Torque wasn’t known for being patient. “Jesus, man. She got to your wallet, fucked with your rubbers. You went to visit Jordan, not get laid. But you’re acting like you went to a fuckin’ orgy bare or some shit.”
In two strides, I grabbed Torque by the throat and had him up against my door. “You think I want to be trapped by another fuckin’ woman? You think I want to bring another kid into the world without knowing a bitch planned on that?”
“No, man. I get that,” he rasped out.
I stared at him a long moment and finally let him go. I hated that I’d harmed Simone. My anger wasn’t dissipating. I paced to the other side of the room.
“What the hell happened in Gainesville? Did you talk to Jordan?”
I scoffed. “No. My fucking shit timing… I went to his apartment, a woman across the hall told me he’d moved out, get this, that fuckin’ day.”
He shook his head. “Your timing sucks, man. But, what’s got you so pissed? I’m guessing you got laid.”
Just thinking about my time with Simone calmed me down, a little. “Yeah. It’s a long fuckin’ story, man. You seemed to be on your way somewhere. I’ll… figure shit out.”
Torque scoffed. “Screw that, Steel. I’ll go get a bottle of Jack—”
“No,” I snapped, my eyes boring into him.
His head reared back. “Christ. You always drink whiskey, man. What the fuck is up with you?”
I closed my eyes and exhaled. How had she gotten so up in my head? I couldn’t drink Jack Daniel’s without thinking of her, I couldn’t stand that I might have impregnated her and she didn’t even know it yet.
I opened my eyes. “Bring some beers. I can’t afford to get shitfaced tonight, no matter how much I want that.”
Torque came back with a bucket of beers on ice and a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue label.
My vice president poured two shots, slid one to me and we downed them without preamble… or fucking toasts.
Christ, every damned thing reminded me of her.
Torque uncapped a beer and handed it to me. “Tell me about her. A woman across the hall told you Jordan moved, did you bang his neighbor?”
I took a swig of beer. “No, fuck, no. Once I found out he’d moved, I should have packed up and left, but I couldn’t get out of my room reservation, so I went down to the bar and had a drink.”
“Okay.”
“This fucking asshole wouldn’t shut up. He ignored me when I told him to keep it down.”
Torque shook his head. “Didn’t he read your patches?”
I let my head tilt. “I wasn’t wearing my cut. A prick at the front desk had insisted gang emblems weren’t allowed on the property.”
“Fuckin’ bullshit,” he muttered.
“Yeah, finally the asshole at the bar yelled something inappropriate and a businessman took it up with the bartender. Asshole went to the other side of the fuckin’ restaurant.”
“What’s this guy got to do with any damned thing?”
I swallowed more beer. “He gave me my in with the hottest brunette I’ve ever laid eyes on, since she walked in not a minute later wearing a fucking leather shirt.”
“Really?”
I set my beer down. “It was fake leather, but at first glance I thought it was the real deal.”
He nodded. “And you and she got busy.”
I nodded. “Used both fuckin’ condoms for all the good it did either one of us, Tor.”
He pressed his lips together and wobbled his head. “I don’t know, man. If she’s on the pill, then you just have to get your ass tested again.”
I took a deep breath and tried not to let my anger get the best of me. “That’s pretty short-sighted, man.”
He twisted a hand up. “What else are you gonna do? Doesn’t sound like you got her number.”
I sighed. “No, I didn’t. But she deserves to know about this shit. And I got no way of finding her. Hell, I had Jordan’s address and his fuckin’ phone number and couldn’t get in touch with him, how am I supposed to find her again?”
Torque set his empty beer bottle on the dresser. “Social media? College girls love to post on Instagram.”
I scoffed. “Maybe ten years ago, but all I have is her first name.”
He shook his head. “What about the bar tab? Tell the bartender you need to—”
“I put her food on my tab and charged it to my room. My ass didn’t even pay attention when she whipped out her college ID.”
Torque poured another shot for himself. “You ain’t gonna like this, but I’m a man who looks for the silver lining.” He downed his shot and leveled his eyes on me. “At least that cunt, Josie, didn’t trap you.”
I grabbed my beer and finished it. “Did she fuckin’ leave already?”
Torque smiled and it was malicious. “No. I tied her ass up and she’s in the closet in my room. Knew there was no way you were gonna let her off that fuckin’ easy.”
“Damn straight. My guess is she used needles to fuck up the condoms. Get Giant, Nelson, and Tuscon. She’s gonna learn what it feels like to get needled.”
A week later, my doctor called. I was clean of all STDs.
That was a relief.
Now if only I knew if Simone was pregnant.