Chapter 26 Home Is Where Your People Are #2
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” I wanted to shake him, as if that would make him talk faster.
“I’ve walked through hell with less on the line. I don’t want you questioning your worth, asking why you weren’t good enough to hold my attention. That’s a bunch of fucking bullshit, and right now, I want to give you the reassurance I won’t stray.”
“I love you,” I said, loud and clear so that there was no mistake. All the doubt I’d harbored, looking for a reason this wouldn’t work, fell like crumbled cinder blocks. I’d rather risk the pain than miss the opportunity to be with him.
“Say it again.”
“I love you,” I whispered. I wanted it to soak into every inch of him.
“I don’t always know how to show you love. Let me prove it to you. For as long as you’ll let me.”
If I wanted this to progress, I was going to have to be the one to make the first move.
I’d spent years worried about pleasing my partners, only now realizing they never cared about satisfying me.
Maybe that was why this moment was so important.
Every touch, every action said love more than the words ever could.
Leaning forward, I nipped at his lips, waiting until they parted to slide my tongue inside. He said nothing, letting me take control as I reached for the back of his head. I ran my fingers through the short dark hair, scratching at his scalp. He groaned, the sound vibrating down my throat.
I loosened the strap of his belt, tugging it through the buckle. Grasping the zipper of his jeans, I whispered, “I want to christen every room of this house with you, but our first time should be right here.”
He shifted, his hand leaving the counter to cover mine. A spike of doubt hit me. Am I doing something wrong? Why is he stopping me when this is what we both wanted? I pulled away, not sure what to do.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, raising his hand to my chin. “I can wait, and the countertop isn’t going anywhere.”
I didn’t want to wait—not when I was this close to finally feeling what it meant to be with someone I loved. I threaded our fingers, guiding his hand away from my face and letting it linger over my inner thigh.
He brushed the skin before sliding his fingers underneath my shorts. “Take them off.”
I leaned back on my elbows, hooking my thumbs into my waistband, but I froze.
I had experience, but no one had ever looked at me like they could set me on fire.
Cactus’s eyes burned with the same heat as his touch, and the weight of it gave me pause.
A flutter of anticipation twisted low in my stomach.
His hands went back to the counter before he leaned over, his eyes never leaving mine. “You get nervous, we stop. Something doesn’t feel right, we stop. There’s plenty of time for the rest of our lives.” He kissed me once, slowly and surely, before stepping back to give me room to decide.
Nothing changed my love for him, but this was the reassurance I needed.
I shifted against the counter, shimmying my shorts and panties down my legs.
I tossed them at his chest, but he didn’t flinch, letting them drop to the floor between us, eyes still locked on me.
He placed his hand flat in the center of my chest, holding me in place.
“Stay there.” Cactus lifted my legs and hooked my knees over his arms, holding me open. “Don’t look away.” He lowered his head, licking directly into me.
I’d never had anyone use their mouth on me before, and I wasn’t sure which sensation I was supposed to be paying attention to.
His beard scratched my thighs, while his mustache teased my clit.
The contrasting sensations made me gasp, my hands digging into his hair to anchor him to me.
There was no rhythm to his tongue. He explored me at his own pace, like he had all the time in the world, and I was the best meal he’d ever eaten.
A real groan escaped me. I was so used to fake moaning, the sound surprised me.
“Do it again,” I demanded, wanting to make sure this wasn’t a one-time thing.
He didn’t stop sucking my clit until more moans poured out of me.
When I was close to falling over the edge, he gently bit me.
I never knew a little sting of pain could feel like freedom.
It did, pulling me apart from the inside out.
I fell backwards, lying on the counter as my elbows gave out. “Don’t stop,” I begged. “Please, Grant.” He licked some more into me, not giving me a break between my first orgasm and the buildup to the second. I wasn’t sure I could handle another one, but I didn’t want to stop.
This time, he didn’t let me fall. Standing over me, he wrapped my legs around his waist. My arousal glistened in his beard.
I reached out, curiously running my finger through the damp strands to catch it.
Bringing it to my lips, I wanted to know what he made me taste like.
Sliding my finger in my mouth, I sucked until it was clean.
He moaned, low and deep. Holding his hand out for mine, he placed my finger on my clit. “Keep this warm for me, sweetheart.”
I’d never touched myself before. Not like this. Not with someone watching. Maybe it was strange to admit that, but no one had ever made me feel safe enough to want to. Not until him.
When I didn’t instantly move, he guided my finger in small circles until I could move on my own.
A hot streak slid through me. I felt like I was burning from the inside as I continued stroking myself, making the same movements over and over to feel it again and again.
Somewhere in the haze, I heard his pants hit the floor, but I couldn’t stop.
I was chasing the high, but it was just out of reach.
“It’s alright. Be a good girl and come for me.”
It was the praise I needed. I let out a loud moan, letting my body fall.
“What do you want, sweetheart? We can stop, and I’ll go take a really long shower, or…”
“You, Grant,” I said without hesitation. He held me against him as I sat up, sliding my ass to the edge of the counter. He notched the head of his dick against me, asking me again what I wanted. “To know what it feels like when someone gives as much as they take.”
My fingers gripped the back of his neck, nails digging into his skin as he moved within me.
My legs tightened around his waist, holding him close.
I didn’t want to let him go. Our foreheads pressed together, neither of us saying much as peace settled over the kitchen.
I breathed him in, hoping he understood what this meant to me.
For the first time, I felt safe. Loved. I let the walls fall without fear of what would happen next.
Grant wouldn’t hurt me—and that changed everything.
***
Angelica
I could hear the laughter from the living room as I walked through the front door.
My dating life wasn’t going well. I’d simply wanted to find someone to connect to, and I’d been hitting the bottom of the barrel each date.
I’d been at another disastrous dinner, and their giggles made me smile for the first time this evening.
Roxy had volunteered to hang out with Bri since my brother was staying in the clubhouse for the night. She didn’t want to be alone, and I didn’t mind. I’d even taken Bri to the grocery store to buy snacks.
“What are you two doing?” I asked, entering the living room. A movie was playing on the TV, but they each sat on one of the sofas, not paying it any attention.
“Mom! Roxy was telling me some of her old waitressing stories. Did you know she worked at the beach?” Bri was sitting cross-legged, clapping her hands as she bounced in excitement.
“I was telling her about the wannabe bodybuilders and their mafia wives.” Roxy threw a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth. “How did it go?”
I threw myself onto the nearest overstuffed chair.
“He wanted to know how the saloon was so successful, but my favorite was when he asked how much it would take to get you to work for him.” My date spent most of the night grilling me about my business, like it was a job interview.
If I left the saloon, I’d leave Tombstone altogether.
Roxy thought it over before she threw her head back and laughed. “A million dollars,” she said. “You took a chance on me, and I enjoy working in the saloon. If he thinks he can buy me, then he doesn’t know me very well.”
“I said nothing about you dating my brother. It wasn’t my story to tell, so it’ll be interesting to see if he actually looks into you.”
“I’m sorry it was a waste, Mom. You looked so pretty, and I had a good feeling about this one.” Bri yawned before standing up and saying goodnight.
“Is it bad when even your kid knows your love life is shit?” I asked Roxy with a sad smile, my lips barely turning up at the corners.
“She’s not a kid. Bri understands more than you think she does.” Roxy shrugged, sympathizing with me. “All of us are excited you’re trying to fish in a new pond.”
“Should you really be giving advice when you fished in the same pond?” I teased.
“I wasn’t looking when Grant found me.” Her eyes glazed over, and I had to look away.
I wasn’t jealous. I was genuinely happy for my brother and Roxy.
However, it was hard not to be bitter at Brice.
We were supposed to have our happily ever after.
He’d promised me the world and had run at the first hint of responsibility.
We talked an hour more about nothing, but eventually I said goodnight to Roxy.
Falling asleep, I dreamed of the perfect life. Brice was in our lives because he wanted to be. He was attentive, a good father, and life wasn’t so lonely. Even in my dream, I had to keep telling myself it wasn’t real.
I didn’t like when he didn’t show up for Bri, but even I could no longer make excuses about his man-whoring. The club bunnies hung around the saloon just to talk about Brice’s dick within earshot. I wanted to tell them I knew what it looked like, what it felt like. They didn’t have to tell me.
I wasn’t sleeping well. It was so light I might as well have gotten up.
It would have been better than rolling side to side, trying to find a good spot to sink into.
Maybe that was why I heard the scrape at my bedroom door.
I thought little about it. We lived in a safe neighborhood, and my affiliation with the club wasn’t well-known outside of club life.
Ignoring it, I fluffed my pillow and rolled over.
A hand grasped my throat, pushing me to lie flat. My eyes flew open, but they couldn’t adjust fast enough. A biker wearing a full-face helmet had crawled on top of me. I clawed at his arms, but his grip only tightened around my throat. I couldn’t breathe.
“Mom!” I heard Bri scream. A feeling of hopelessness came over me. My baby needed me, and I was lying here, accepting an unknown fate.
Renewing my fight, I kicked, punched, anything I could do to gain the upper hand. The biker released me, only to smack his hand across my cheek. I gasped for air, trying to buck him off, but he hit me again.
As he reached for my throat, the sleeve of his black shirt rode up. He had a tattoo of a phoenix on his wrist. The bright reds, oranges, and yellows seared into my memory.
The gun. I owned a gun, and my brother had taught me how to use it. It was in my nightstand. I just had to reach out and grab it.
“Don’t touch her!” Even with the bedroom door shut, I heard Roxy clearly.
I flailed for the nightstand, yanked the drawer open, and blindly searched for the cold butt of the gun.
I brought it up, hitting the biker with it.
It did little, but he loosened his grip on my neck.
I tried to get the gun into position, but the biker grabbed for my arm.
The gun went off, the sound ringing in my ears.
The biker staggered back. His phoenix tattoo flickered into view once more.
“Mom,” I heard Bri scream.
It all went silent.
***
Scorpion was once the most feared man in the territory.
He built Tombstone on bare knuckles and blood.
Then he let his guard down.
They didn’t come for him.
They went after her.
Now there’s a new enemy in town—
black helmets, screaming crotch rockets…
and no idea what they just started.
He buried the man he used to be.
They’re about to bring him back.
Continue the story in
SCORPION'S VENOM