Czar 12.
“For those of us not in the military, can someone explain Article 15 to us?” Thimble poses the question to the room.
Jupiter holds up a finger, his phone on speaker it rings until a familiar voice answers, “Jupe. If my brother is misbehaving, you know to call Runs for punishment, not me. I ain’t into spanking.”
“You haven’t met the right person, Breccan,” Jupiter teases.
“Fuck you very much, dear brother,” Biscuit snarls on video call while Runs laughs at her husband and brother-in-law.
“What can I do for the GGMC?”
“How familiar are you with military law?”
“Uh…”
Jupiter snorts, “That’s what I thought. Any chance you, your dad, or uncle know of any military lawyers?”
“Jupiter, what’s going on? Who’s in trouble?”
“Hey, Brec.”
“Czar! Shit dude, I forgot you were visiting. I’m sorry, I’ve got a case right now. How much longer are you stateside?”
With a heavy sigh, I tell him, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Damn.” I hear the regret in his voice, but I understand. “Hold on a sec, I think Uncle Bash knows a JAG.” Upbeat instrumental music plays while we’re on hold.
While we wait, I address Thimble’s question, “Article 15 is a non-judicial disciplinary action where your CO is your judge, jury, and executioner.”
“And what is your CO charging you with?”
“According to the message from Vulcan, unapproved absence and dereliction of duty to start with.” The men and women in synagogue who have served hiss in reaction.
“Sorry about that. Uncle Bash is here, hold on.”
“Golem Guerillas. Always a pleasure. Rhys Lukens.”
Jupiter sits up, “I know Lukens. Met him twice, I think.”
“He’s solid. I’m sending you his contact info and sending him a message to expect a call. He’s based out of West Point last I spoke to him.”
“Thank you, Bash.”
“No problem. Anything a civilian can do to help?”
Jupiter looks at me, frowning. “No, Czar is still active duty, this has to be handled in house, just looking to give him the best chance at survival.”
“Elazar?”
“Hey, Uncle Bash. I’m good, don’t worry.”
He scoffs, “Just because your balls descended doesn’t mean we stop worrying about you kids.”
“How do you know they descended?” I ask, laughing when he cackles on the other end.
“Let us know if there is anything we can do to help. Love you.”
“Love you, too, uncle.”
“What about me, Uncle Bash! I want your love too!” Biscuit yells.
“Murphy.”
“Yes?”
“Spank him extra good for his insolent behavior.”
“If I spanked him every time he was insolent, he’d never fucking sit down!”
Jupiter sits back in his chair after Bash and Breccan hang up. “What exactly did Vulcan say?”
I take out my phone and pass it to Jupiter to read, then paraphrase for the others, “Vulcan wasn’t able to get much because Gundy was hush-hush, but he caught the AWOL and dereliction of duties charges. I submitted all the proper forms for leave, it was approved. I took time right now because we aren’t in the middle of anything, so even if I was on base, I wouldn’t have any duties to be derelict in performing.”
“Obviously, I don’t know this Gundy fuck, but if you have a paper trail, how can he charge you?”
I drop my head back on my shoulders and rub my face hard. “I don’t know. Knowing his hard on for me and anything to do with Jupiter, he no doubt came up with something. At the very least, he can fuck up or delay my discharge. He’s been a fucking asshole for as long as I’ve known him, he’s gotten worse with every one of you that’s left to follow Jupiter and Mars. You should have seen him when I submitted my discharge notification. Apoplectic. I closed his door behind me as I left, but I could hear him throwing things and yelling down the hall.”
“Pres?” Pluto sits forward, tapping his index and middle finger on the table, “I, of course, think you are the most pleasant and respectful individual I’ve ever met.” We laugh at the bullshit he’s spewing, even Jupiter smirks. “Any particular reason why he hates you and would take it out on the other men?”
Jupiter stares off to the side for a moment, then sighs heavily, “I turned him in for hazing and mistreatment early on in our career. According to him, that’s why I was promoted to platoon leader instead of him. I blackened his record and reaped the benefits of my tattling.” He chuckles humorlessly, “The three privates he mistreated refused to corroborate my statements, said nothing happened, Gundy was an excellent example for young soldiers.”
“Bull-fucking-shit!” Apollo slams his hand down. We all stare at him in shock, our medic ain’t one for displays of anger.
“He paid them off.” Mercury drops that little nugget all casual like. “I knew it was bogus, did some digging. Gundy’s dear old daddy transferred money to each of their parents’ accounts.”
“Regardless, Czar I’m sending Lukens an email shortly to apprise him of the situation. Everything you have, any communications, duplicate forms, texts, smoke signals, send to me, I’ll forward it to Lukens as well. Hopefully, he’ll be in contact with you before you report back to base.”
Grabbing my phone as Jupiter slides it back across the table, I pull up the file in my cloud where I put what he’s asking for. A couple clicks later and it’s in his inbox. He checks his phone then nods at me.
Needing to change the subject, I ask, “Can the prospects fuck the Hospitality Specialists?” The room is silent for a beat and then everyone starts talking at once.
Jupiter grins salaciously, “You aren’t a prospect, Czar. However, I have to ask, how would Marlena feel about you checking out the Hospitality Specialists?”
“Forget Marlena, Mars would fucking castrate him without hesitation!” Ceres crows gleefully. I scowl at her and cover my junk with my hands.
“Is there a firm policy or not?”
Jupiter thinks on it, “There isn’t. Never had anyone ask. I’d say prospects can use their services so long as it doesn’t interfere with duties or a patched brother’s pleasure.”
“And can someone claim a Hospitality Specialist as an ol’ partner?”
“Czar?” Jupiter is curious why I want to know, and I can feel the others staring at me expectantly, but I won’t out anyone.
“Just wondering.”
“Well, I’d say the choice of ol’ partner is personal and while the brothers must approve any claim for the safety of the club at large, it’s up to the member to decide if they want that person in light of their sexual history. We don’t judge here—” we all break out in raucous laughter at the absurdity of Jupiter’s statement. He waves his hand, middle finger extended. “All right, we judge about all kinds of things, but not someone’s sexuality. Let’s vote at the next synagogue when all members are present.” We nod in agreement, banging our hands on the table. “Anything else?” When none of us respond, he slams the gavel and dismisses us. I stand with everyone else but am stopped by Jupiter’s voice. “Czar, a word?”
A few ooh and aww like we’re in high school, but within a minute the room is empty except for Jupiter and me.
“Yeah, Pres?” He smiles warmly, his hand on my shoulder.
“Any chance the canoodling you were doing earlier is a sign of where you might be landing once you’re discharged?”
“Meddling mensch. Are you sure you aren’t a Jewish bubbe?”
“You’d have to ask Dru.” He replies cheekily. He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and hands them to me. “Or not, since I’m apparently a meddling mensch.”
“What are these?”
“Keys.”
“I’m trying to be respectful, President.”
Leading me from synagogue, Jupiter throws over his shoulder, “Black and orange Harley in the garage. Take her for a spin…and take your girl with ya.”
Well, now, that sounds like a delightful idea. In the clubroom, I find Marlena at the bar talking with Finley and Dungarees who’s serving tonight. I come up behind her, wrapping my body around hers, breathing her in, letting her warmth settle me. I have no fear that I’ll get this shit with Gundy figured out, but I am concerned about the cost of such a victory.
“Everything ok, Elazar?” she whispers softly, leaning into me and tilting her head to the side. I run my nose along her neck, enjoying the goosebumps that litter her flesh in my wake.
“Perfect, let’s go for a ride.”
“On a bike?” she asks excitedly and Finley chuckles.
“You wantin’ to ride something else of his?” My girl turns every shade of red even as she jumps off the stool and grabs my hand. I ignore the rush of heat through my groin as the image of her straddling me pushes forefront in my brain. She leads me out of the clubhouse, along the path to the garage, bouncing on her feet.
We find helmets, settle on the bike, start her up, and take off slowly through the club property. At the end of the long drive, I grab both thick thighs and pull her flush against me, then secure her hands over my abdomen. I feel her inhale, the expansion of her chest against my back, before she hums happily. With a grin, I rev the engine and start out on the open road. I don’t know much about the area, visited a couple of friends when I was prospecting before I joined the Army. Neither of us have an agenda or anywhere to be, so I just let the road be our guide.
At stop signs or traffic lights, I check in, but she’s so happy to be on the bike. It’s obvious we don’t want the night to end, it’s my last here and I’m dreading having to say goodbye to her tomorrow. This is why I never let myself get involved with anyone beyond a quick fuck, and why I never gave in to my attraction to her before. She is someone to be savored and I knew I couldn’t give her what she needed, what she deserved. Fuck, I don’t know that I can now, but I’m gonna try like hell.
About an hour later, the sun is setting, painting the sky all sorts of reds, oranges, and purples when I see the entrance to Coopers Rock State Forest. Once inside the park, I ride until I find a secluded spot with a place to lay down. I’m hoping Jupiter has my back and packed the saddlebags for me. If not, I’ll figure something out.
“I’ve never been here,” Marlena remarks as she steps off the bike, her head moving every which direction taking in the scenic view.
“Me neither.” We share a smile. Opening the saddlebags, I send a silent “thank you” to Jupiter. I pull out a blanket, grab her hand and lead her away from the road. She blushes beautifully as I lay the blanket out. I help her down to the ground, then join her, laying on my back with my head cradled on my bent arms. She lays down next to me, mirroring my pose, but I don’t like it. I grunt, then pull her over my chest so her head rests over my heart, her hair tickling my nose. Heaven, pure and simple.
“El, can you tell me anything about whatever happened? I don’t like…I didn’t like how upset you were.” I bend my neck awkwardly, tilt her chin up with my fingers and kiss her softly.
“Do you like Jupiter?”
“What?” she asks, moving her head to look at me, but I direct her back to my chest. “Of course, I do.”
“Me too. A lot of people do. He’s an easy man to follow. Most of the men and women who served under him trust him implicitly. They respect him more than their own fathers.” Not me, but Jupiter is a close second to Judah. “To some, he was the only male role model they had. He inspires loyalty because he is fair, honest, compassionate.” She hums, nuzzling my pec distractingly. “You ever been jealous?”
“April Schooner.” she answers immediately and I bark a laugh. “Stop it, she had the most beautiful brunette naturally curly hair, straight smile, and gorgeous body. And as if that wasn’t enough, she was so nice. To everyone. Genuinely a great person.”
“And you were jealous of that?”
“Sort of.” She snorts, “I had this massive crush on Jon Szylpulski and I think he liked me too. I thought he was going to ask me out sophomore year, but April had just broken up with her boyfriend of like 4 years and Jon asked her out instead.”
“Dumbass.”
“Maybe. But April had heard through the teenage gossip grapevine that I was bummed about it. She took me out for ice cream, and then matched me up with Jon’s best friend and the four of us were inseparable for two years.”
“So, you were jealous because she got Jon?”
“No, we got matching haircuts our senior year and hers looked perfect as expected but mine kept flipping the wrong way.”
“I don’t understand women.”
She pats my chest, “We don’t understand ourselves.”
“Are you still friends with her?”
“We text every now and then, she and Jon went away to college together, got married and have three kids. They live in Oklahoma, so I haven’t seen her in years.”
“And his best friend?”
“We broke up after high school graduation because we were going to different schools, he knocked up the first girl he slept with, they got married, she took off with every penny they had in their bank account a few years later and left him with their two kids.”
Out of curiosity, I ask, “Did you love him?”
“No. He had coffee breath…but he never drank coffee. So weird.” She pauses while I laugh. “I don’t…I’ve never loved anyone before.”
“What about—”
“No. I feared him.” I squeeze her to me tighter, roll to our sides and take her mouth with mine. I want to erase every memory of him, the bastard who hurt her. Who tried to break her.
She nibbles on my bottom lip before pulling away. “What did any of that have to do with Jupiter?”
“Oh.” I throw my head back and laugh, forgetting why I started that line of questioning in the first place. “I don’t imagine you would understand then, based on your hair experience, but jealousy is an ugly creature. It festers and grows, and too late do you notice how out of control it’s become. That’s Gundy. He tries too hard, like a square peg in a round hole. He just doesn’t fit. But Jupiter does. And he has become obsessed with Jupiter and his following. Gundy thinks I’m the catalyst for Jupiter’s discharge and the subsequent discharges of everyone who’s followed him to Morgantown from our platoon. It’s stupid though, because with Jupiter gone, Gundy was promoted and took over the platoon. But he doesn’t inspire loyalty, just resentment and hatred. He’s cruel, but not enough to technically break any rules, he’s good at skirting the line.”
“And you have to go back there with him?”
“I do.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “I have to respond to his allegations, clear my name, and settle my affairs with Uncle Sam. I’m leaving the military, it’s just…”
“What?” She closes the infinitesimal distance between us and kisses my chin, then jaw.
“I’m not sure if it will be honorable or not. My discharge. I’m getting a military lawyer, so I won’t know anything until I’ve read the official charges and discuss with my lawyer how to proceed.”
“Hmm.” She sinks, almost folding in on herself, burying her face in my neck to hide. I don’t like it. “I understand…with everything you’ve got going on…maybe we should just wait until you—” I roll her to her back, on my hands and knees hovering over her.
“No.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I shove my tongue into her mouth and take her breath away. Just the thought of not speaking to her for the next 6 months is unbearable. I won’t survive it. “I don’t know what will happen, the Army, us, the GGMC, but I know that I need you with me. However I can have you. I’ve pushed aside,” I drop my lower half, settling between her spread thighs, and rock back and forth, drawing a low groan from my throat, “my attraction to you and now that I’ve finally given it voice, let it loose, it cannot be caged. I want to read your words, hear your voice, see your face every day, but I’ll settle for when I have cell service.” I take her mouth again, swallowing her moan. “And when I’m back home for good, I’m coming for you with everything I’ve got.”
Her little hands come up to my jaw, her eyes holding mine like she’s looking at my soul. She urges me down and this time our kiss is sweet, tender, exploratory. There’s no urgency, just the promise of more. Her legs come up to my hips, her feet digging into my ass trying to put me where she wants me. God, do I want to. But I can’t. Not now. Not like this.
“Stop. Wait.” I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I can’t have her, touch her, taste her, and then leave.
“No. No waiting. Now.” Her head lifts, her lips seeking mine when I sit up putting distance between us.
“Marlena. We can’t. I’m not strong enough to have you and then leave for months.”
“You’re stronger than you know,” she teases.
“I promised Mars—” She screeches and the trees around us take flight. Birds, bugs, any wildlife flees for their lives at the inhuman sound she emits.
“Are you in a relationship with Mars or me?”
“Uh…you?” She pushes my chest and bucks underneath me. I fall sideways, so caught off guard by the change in my sweet girl.
“You don’t sound so sure. Maybe you should take the next 6 months to examine your feelings for my brOTHER!”
“Baby,” I jump to my feet and catch her around the middle, hoisting her into the air, “wait. He doesn’t want my penis near his baby, which I know is physically impossible, but you try telling him that. Aside from that, he worries about you, he doesn’t want you to get hurt.” She softens in my arms, the fight leaving her instantly.
“I know he does. But I…I’ve allowed so much time to pass me by. I’ve been healing, yes, but I haven’t been living. Being with you these last few days…it’s the most alive I’ve felt in so long, probably ever. I want this. You and me.”
“I want us too, so bad.” I put her feet on the ground, pressing my lips to her neck. “I want to do this right.” I glance around us, then walk her back to the blanket. Lifting her in my arms, I lay her down, kiss her mouth, chin, collarbone, then down her torso over her shirt. “Doesn’t mean I can’t give you something to remember me by.”
Her face flames, easily noticeable in the moonlight. Her legs rub together, her hands shakily grab the waistband of her pants. “Are you…you’re gonna do…mouth stuff?” I rest my head on her belly and laugh silently. She’s adorable. 31 years old and still flustered.
“I’m gonna do mouth stuff,” I confirm, then push up her shirt exposing a strip of her soft belly. I trail my lips along her flesh, feeling it spasm underneath me, while my hands start working the button and zipper on her jeans. She lifts despite her shyness so I can pull them down her legs. She yelps when I bite the inside of her thigh, then squeaks like a mouse when I nuzzle her pussy over her panties.
“Oh my God!” she whispers when I breathe in her scent. I haven’t gone down on a woman in a while, but I know it wasn’t anything like this. Her scent wraps around me and refuses to let me go. I slide the crotch of her panties to the side and get my first look at her pussy. Fat lips, neat black hair, a little beauty mark where her hip meets thigh, and juicy clit playing peek-a-boo.
I won’t be able to do this again for months, won’t be able to touch her, feel her writhe beneath me…I’m gonna take my time tonight.