Chapter Seven
Gideon
Ever since Liss showed up, she had been ready to run. Antsy. Skittish. One eye on the door, planning an escape route.
Convince me to stay.
This…
This is what I’d been secretly hoping for. The moment that I was convinced I would never have. And now, she’d placed it in my hands. All I had to do was accept it.
Her lips were soft and faintly warm on my neck. The heat of her pussy radiated through the fabric of our jeans. If I was in my right mind, I could chalk it up to the adrenaline crash. Sex would give us both that high again, hearts racing, blood pounding.
But I wasn’t in my right mind. Not when every inch of Liss was slotted against my body, snug and tight. The fear of losing her still smoldered in my memory like a hot coal. When the bullets started flying, I didn’t give a shit about protecting myself. She was the only one I cared about.
It burned like fire to lift my left arm, but I did it anyway. Cupping Liss’s face, I tilted her head up toward me and kissed her, hard and deep. Her tongue flicked against mine, teasing, daring me for more. I pinched her lower lip between my teeth until she whimpered into my mouth.
“Ride my thigh,” I said, gritty and rough.
I was exhausted, sore, and my shoulder throbbed, but I wasn’t about to let this woman slip through my fingers when I finally had the chance to make her mine.
“Get yourself good and wet for me.”
Liss’s eyes flickered wider and her pupils darkened with lust. She rolled her hips, grinding against me. My cock twitched, growing harder with the little noises of pleasure she made. When she wrapped her arms around my neck, her breathing shallow and rapid, her body taut and trembling like a plucked guitar string, I knew she was close.
“Stop,” I said.
Liss grunted in frustration and went still. I pushed her thighs apart and wrestled up onto my knees. The room began to tilt, and my head ached, dizzy, but I didn’t give a damn as long as I could kneel between her legs like this.
“Pants. Off.”
Liss unbuckled her jeans as she kicked off her boots, letting them drop over the edge of the bed onto the floor. Lifting her hips, she slid her jeans off. Even in the dim light of my room, the bruises that dotted her skin were clearly visible.
Bracing my good arm next to her head, I leaned over Liss. White-hot pain seared through my shoulder as I hooked two fingers into the waistband of her thin white cotton panties.
“Say the word and I’ll stop. Understood?”
Liss nodded, biting her lower lip. But her gaze was locked on my hand. My knuckles bumped her hip bone. She squirmed, eager, impatient.
“I need to hear you, Liss.”
She dragged her gaze up to meet mine. Then she brought her hand to my shoulder, fingers tracing the swatch of gauze taped there.
“I understand.”
Satisfied with that answer, I stripped her panties off, tugging them down her legs. Liss kept her knees locked together, but she slipped a hand between her thighs. She watched me, daring me to tell her what to do.
I smoothed my hand up her calf and pressed her thighs open. Her fingers glistened, sticky, teasing at her clit. I raised an eyebrow.
“Did I give you permission to touch yourself?”
A wicked little smile flickered at the corner of Liss’s mouth. Oh, she loved this. Pushing me, testing me. Seeing what she could get away with.
“You were taking too long.”
I curled my fingers around her wrist and brought her hand to my mouth, sucking her fingers clean. The salty-sweet taste of her made my cock surge against the zipper of my jeans. I pulled her fingers out with a wet pop.
“This is your one and only warning,” I said. “If you call me grandpa in bed, we’re done. That’s it. Instant mood killer.”
“Yes, sir,” Liss said softly. “Is that better?”
I cradled her cheek in my palm, brushing my thumb over her lips. She pretended to deliver a playful bite, even though there was no pressure to it.
“That smart mouth is going to get you in trouble one day,” I said.
Liss grinned. My heart swooped in my chest. I hooked my hand behind her knee and tugged her closer. She squeaked in surprise. Her sweater rucked up around her middle, exposing that god-awful bruise. I placed my palm over it, stroking her skin lightly with my thumb.
“Get rid of your clothes,” I said. “If you want to play with something, toy with your nipples. No touching your clit until I tell you to.”
She smirked.
“Aren’t you supposed to say pretty please?”
I trailed my hand from her bruise down to her pussy, tracing the stiff hood of her clit. Liss gasped and pushed her hips up into my touch. I pulled away.
“Bastard,” she groaned.
I chuckled.
“I can edge you all night if that’s what it takes to wear down that bratty attitude, sweetheart.”
She jutted her chin out.
“Or you could just fuck me already.”
“Patience,” I replied. “We’ll get there eventually. Now, strip.”
She hurried to get her sweater off, followed by the t-shirt and tank top she wore underneath. No bra, I noticed. Not that she needed it under all those layers. My gaze took in every bruise and scar.
Liss tensed. Her shoulders rose up around her ears, and she fisted her fingers into the sheets. A second ago, she’d been confident enough to act up. Now she was…hesitant. Drawing into herself as if she could hide, but it didn’t seem to be shyness.
“Who did this to you?” I said, low, quiet.
I already knew the answer. Credence filled me in when Blackbeard was digging around in my shoulder for that bullet. I needed to hear it from Liss though.
At first, she didn’t respond and crossed her arms over her chest, turning her head away.
“Liss. Look at me.”
Reluctantly, she dragged her gaze back to me.
“My brother,” she whispered.
Not a boyfriend. A brother. Someone who was supposed to be her family—her protector, her own flesh and blood. And he did this to her.
I’ll bury the motherfucker.
“He’s the one who did the drive by?” I asked.
Liss nodded.
“Probably. His snitch found out I was working at the clubhouse. It makes sense that he would send a message like this. He’s trying to rattle you, so you would give me up to save your own skin.”
I shook my head, gliding my palm over her thigh and hip.
“That will never happen,” I said.
“Then he’ll kill you to get to me.”
I shrugged.
“I’ve been threatened before. It’s nothing new. I’m still alive and kicking.”
Liss swallowed hard. She brushed her fingers down my forearm, grasping my wrist.
“I don’t want to think about it right now,” she muttered.
I could do that—wipe her brain clean of everything except how incredible it can feel to be touched the way she deserved, instead of the beatings she’d endured at the hands of her piece of shit brother.
My gaze swept over her, bare and beautiful and spread out just for me. With Liss’s fingers still wrapped around my wrist, I trailed my hand down her body. Tracing the line of her throat with my thumb. Following the swell of her small breasts. Stumbling over her ribs like a damn washboard.
When I finally cupped her pussy, Liss sighed and her eyes fluttered closed. I slid two fingers into her silky heat. She clenched around me, tight.
“Relax, baby,” I said. “Is this your first time?
Liss shook her head.
“No, but…it’s never felt this good before.”
I curled my fingers upward, watching with satisfaction as her body bowed off the bed with a gasp. Skimming my lips along her jawline, I nuzzled at her ear.
“Don’t tell me the men you’ve had sex with treated you the same way your brother did,” I said.
Liss squirmed, grinding into my palm.
“Sometimes,” she said, strained, desperate. “Most of the time, they were just…boring as hell.”
Anger simmered in my gut. To think of her brother abusing her was bad enough. To realize other men had hit this gorgeous, breathtaking, spitfire of a woman made my blood boil. And the boring assholes didn’t deserve to touch her if they weren’t willing to shower her in pleasure until she was flushed and panting like this.
“Are you bored now?” I asked.
Liss dug her fingernails into my wrist. The wet squelch of her pussy betrayed just how much she was enjoying herself.
“No—oh!”
She broke off with a moan when I slotted a third finger inside her.
“Good,” I said. “As long as you’re with me, you never will be. Clear?”
“Y-yes,” Liss managed to rasp.
I curled up against her g-spot with relentless pressure. Her thighs twitched closed. I clucked my tongue.
“Keep your legs open,” I said.
Trembling, Liss spread her legs. Seeing my fingers buried knuckles-deep inside her pink pussy scratched a feral itch in my brain.
“Pinch your nipples,” I said.
Without hesitation, Liss cupped her tits, rolling her nipples and pinching them.
“Harder,” I said.
She obeyed, pinching harder until her nipples flushed. Her walls fluttered around me. I picked up the pace until her slick dripped down my fingers, coating my palm.
“I’m—close,” Liss said, with her breath caught in her throat.
I withdrew, pulling my fingers out as I leaned over her. My shoulder burned at this angle, but it was worth it to see Liss’s whole body deflate with a whine.
“What the hell, Gideon? Why did you stop?”
“Do you want me to fuck you?” I asked.
Liss pushed her hips up, fumbling at my belt buckle.
“Obviously. Why do you think I’m naked and soaked and panting like a cat in heat?”
I grasped her wrist and pulled it away from my belt.
“You can have my cock on one condition.”
Liss stared up at me, waiting.
“No more running,” I said softly. “If you stay, you’re my woman. Can you handle that?”
Liss hitched her leg around my hip, pressing her heel against the back of my thigh.
“I think the question you should be asking is: can you handle me? I’ll keep you on your toes, Big G.”
Goddamn. She’d never used my road name before. With the low light bathing her naked body in a faint glow, and the thick scent of her arousal hanging in the air, the urge to claim her and make her mine become all-consuming.
“Then put your money where your mouth is, sweetheart,” I said.
Liss scrambled closer, tugging at my belt buckle. I knelt in front of her, threading my fingers through her hair as she unzipped my fly. Her lips quirked up in a little smile when she pressed a kiss to my hip and pulled my jeans down.
“Holy fuck,” she murmured, caressing the length of my cock. “I knew you were carting around heavy-duty equipment.”
She lowered her head, flicking her tongue over the tip. My cock was fully hard now, arching up toward my stomach. Liss gave my balls a squeeze, rubbing her thumb over them until I thrust forward.
The faint murmur of voices echoed from the other room. Liss’s gaze darted to the door. I brushed my knuckles against her cheek.
“They won’t bother us,” I said.
Liss turned her head, nuzzling into my hand.
“You probably wouldn’t mind an audience, would you?”
She closed her mouth around the head of my cock, the warm, wet heat of her tongue pressed beneath the crown at just the right spot to make every muscle in my body clench.
I trailed my fingers down the line of her spine. With Liss on her knees before me, I had the most exquisite view—the curve of her ass on display, the arch of her back. I couldn’t wait to plump her up with breakfast in bed and lazy morning sex until her hips were plush and her stomach was soft.
I didn’t give a damn if my entire club paraded through my bedroom right now. Let them look. Let them watch as she took my cock and we claimed each other.
“Hands on the headboard, baby,” I said.
Liss delivered a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth and turned around, kneeling on the mattress as she gripped the headboard. I would have preferred missionary to watch her face when her pussy stretched around my cock, but my shoulder wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. I didn’t want to collapse on top of her.
I retrieved a condom from the nightstand drawer, and tore the packet open, rolling it on. Despite my lack of serious relationships, and my scattered history of hook-ups, I couldn’t shake the habit of being prepared. Just as a precaution, I squeezed a few drops of lube into my palm, giving my cock a few tugs to coat it. I had a feeling Liss’s previous experiences in the bedroom didn’t have the girth I did if she deemed them boring.
I pressed my chest to Liss’s back, her skin faintly warm, and I nuzzled my face into her neck. She reached behind her and took my wrist, guiding my arm around her waist.
I slotted the tip of my cock inside her pussy. She sucked in a breath and wiggled back against me. I placed my hand on her hip with a squeeze and slowly pushed in.
Liss groaned and dropped her head back on my shoulder. Jesus Christ, she was so hot and tight.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” I said.
“It’s perfect.”
I hummed, pinching her shoulder with a playful bite.
“I knew you could take every inch like a good girl.”
Sliding my hand away from her hip, I pressed my palm to her lower belly. When I pulled out and thrust in again, I could feel the bulge of my cock deep inside her. Liss’s mouth dropped open and her eyes closed with nothing but pure ecstasy on her face. No pain. No fear. Only bliss.
“I’ve never…felt so…fucking full,” she gasped.
I smiled and sucked a bruising kiss into her neck. Her pussy squeezed like a vise.
“I bet you’ll be insatiable after this, won’t you, sweetheart? One taste of an older man’s cock buried between your thighs and you’re ruined forever, is that it?”
Liss clamped her teeth into her lower lip, but she couldn’t quite strangle the needy sound that escaped her anyway. My strokes turned harder, deeper.
“Don’t stop, don’t stop,” she rambled.
Anchoring my hands on her hips, I drew back just far enough to see my length—slick with her juices—gliding in and out of her pussy.
“You’re mine now, baby,” I said. “I’ll keep you stuffed with cock to make sure that pretty little head of yours is worry-free.”
Liss sagged against the headboard, slipping down until her face was in the pillows. I bent over her, burying my cock balls-deep, grinding and grinding. She shuddered beneath me as she came. I wedged a hand between her thighs, pressing against her messy clit. Her whole body stiffened underneath me, and the wrecked sound she made would have alerted everyone in the damn neighborhood what we were doing if she hadn’t muffled herself.
“That’s it, baby, that’s it,” I murmured, kissing her back. “Come all over my cock and milk me dry.”
I managed a few more sloppy thrusts, working Liss through her orgasm. Fresh shock waves shuddered through her. I tipped over the edge a moment later, clutching her hips to hold her in place as I finished.
My orgasm had barely faded when the pain slammed into me, radiating from my shoulder down to my fingertips. I grunted and eased myself down to the mattress. Liss’s fingers strayed over my chest. I reached up and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. Then I tugged her closer, draping her body on top of me.
“Wow,” Liss breathed.
“Boring?” I asked, crushing her tight against me.
“Definitely not.”
***
When I woke the next day, the bed was empty and the sheets still smelled like Liss. I hoped to God she hadn’t disappeared while I was asleep.
I sat up, my shoulder aching in protest. Baby Doll wanted me to wear a sling. At the time, I flatly refused out of sheer stubbornness. Now, I wish I hadn’t been so pig-headed about the issue.
After splashing some water on my face, I shuffled out of my room. Crash was passed out on my couch, face down, and snoring slightly. Empty beer bottles clustered on the coffee table—the only indication that my club had been here the night before. Someone swore softly in the kitchen.
As I rounded the corner, I spotted Liss standing in front of the stove, poking at a pan. She wore one of my t-shirts, which looked enormous on her, nearly reaching to her knees. My gaze traveled down her bare legs, weighing the consequences of finding out whether or not she was wearing panties.
Although Crash could walk in on us at any time and get an eyeful I didn’t want him to see.
“Not again,” Liss muttered.
She turned and chucked a burned pancake into the trash. Then she noticed me standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
“Oh. Hi.”
“Are you making breakfast?” I asked, stepping closer.
I slid an arm around her waist, tucking her into the shelter of my body. She sighed and gestured with exasperation at the stove.
“I was attempting pancakes. But I’ve always been a shit cook.”
“There are frozen waffles in the freezer,” I offered.
“Thank God.”
Liss started to pull away but I tugged her back into my arms, pinning her against the counter. My fingers found the hem of her shirt and skimmed higher, up her soft thigh, up her bare hip. She definitely wasn’t wearing any panties.
Liss tapped her finger against my chin.
“You have a guest in the other room,” she said. “Spike and Tex are outside, in case you didn’t know.”
“Crash is a heavy sleeper,” I replied. “He won’t wake up if we’re quick and quiet. Not worried about Tex or Spike.”
She snorted.
“Hate to tell you this, Big G, but I’m not capable of being quiet around you and your cock.”
To my chagrin, the tread of boots approached. Then Crash stumbled into view, rubbing his buzzed head.
“Do I smell something burning?”
Liss grimaced and moved to the freezer.
“Nothing important. Want some waffles?”
“Sure. Hey Big G, Kingpin said to call him when you wake up. He wants to update you on the situation with Liss’s brother.”
Shit.
I sliced a hand through the air at Crash, mouthing shut up.
Now that things had taken a violent turn, I decided to rope Kingpin in on the assignment I’d given to Credence. I needed my club for backup to protect Liss. Last night, while Blackbeard and Baby Doll patched me up, Credence told us everything.
His name is Ryan Coleman, Credence said. Parents have been out of the picture for a while. He became a prominent drug runner and dealer by the time he was eighteen to provide for him and his sister. He uses Liss as bait. No one expects a little thing like her to cause any trouble.
Liss stood stock still, clutching the handle of the freezer door.
“How do you know about my brother?”
Crash went wide-eyed, glancing between us. She shifted her attention to me.
“I told you last night, when we were together but you didn’t have time to tell anyone else—” Understanding dawned in her eyes. “You already knew.”
Damn it. I didn’t want her to find out like this.
“I had a feeling you were in some kind of trouble,” I replied.
“So, you spied on me,” Liss countered. “And then you gossiped about my situation with your buddies.”
“It was a precaution. Those bruises—”
Liss shook her head with a frown.
“If I wanted you to know, I would have told you.”
Crash inched back.
“I’m just gonna…get out of your hair.”
Liss whipped her head toward him.
“Does the whole club know?”
He winced. “Yeah.”
“Fuck,” she hissed, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes.
“Liss, sweetheart, your brother is trying to kill you,” I said. “That’s not exactly something you can hide from us. We want to help.”
“That’s not the point, Gideon,” she snapped.
When she raised her head, her eyes were rimmed with red. She was hurt. Angry. Even though I did it to protect her and I didn’t regret it for a moment, she still hated me for it.
“All this time, I thought you were waiting,” Liss continued. “I thought you wanted me to open up to you of my own free will. Instead, you got impatient and decided it was better to pry than to earn my trust. God, I’m such a fucking idiot.”
“Now hold on a minute—”
Liss brushed past me, storming away. I heard her moving around in the guest bedroom. Crash stood there awkwardly, looking chastened.
“Me and my big mouth,” he said. “Sorry, Big G.”
I waved him off.
“It’s my mess. I’ll clean it up.”
The front door slammed. My heart lurched. I hurried to the living room window. Liss was fully dressed, striding down the sidewalk with her backpack hooked over her shoulder.
I wrenched the door open and stepped out.
“Where the hell are you going? You promised you would stay.”
Liss whirled around, her jaw set.
“And I thought I meant something to you. I guess we both get played for fools.”
“Liss, I had to keep you safe,” I replied.
She flung an arm out, furious.
“You went behind my back, Gideon. My brother pulls that shit on me all the time. He lies to my face. He throws me to the wolves to sell his drugs. I’m trying so fucking hard to leave that life behind and then you…you did this. How the hell am I supposed to trust you now?”
The silence that loomed over our heads was suffocating. She was shaking with anger. How could I make her see reason? How could I explain that I was nothing like her brother?
“That’s what I thought,” Liss said, her voice raw.
She turned and marched away, keeping her head held high. It pained me to watch her go.
“Crash,” I barked.
Crash poked his head out of the door.
“Yeah?”
I jabbed a thumb down the street.
“Tail her. Don’t let Liss out of your sight.”
“Got it.”
***
An hour later, after pacing a rut in the floor at the clubhouse, my phone finally rang with a call from Crash.
“Where is she?” I demanded.
“This douchebag came out of nowhere,” Crash said. “Got in her face and started yelling until I was sure he would have a heart attack. Then he shoved her into his car and they took off.”
My stomach dropped. That had to be Liss’s brother.
“Did you stop him?”
“I think he jammed a gun into Liss’s ribs,” Crash replied. “It was hard to tell. So, I decided to hang back to play it safe.”
I slumped against the wall, bending over my knees. This is exactly what I was supposed to protect her from. A bullet to the ribs at point-blank range would be certain death.
“You can chew me out if you want,” Crash said. “But I didn’t know what else to do.”
I swallowed around the dry lump in my throat.
“No. You did good, Crash. Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“Well, they stopped at a diner about fifteen minutes outside of town. I haven’t seen them come out yet either.”
I straightened to a standing position, heading for the door.
“I’m coming. If they leave, do whatever you can to stall them.”