Chapter 11 Victoria
Victoria
Ihave Luca’s ring.
I have Luca’s son.
And I have Luca’s love and attention.
No one else in the world can say that. And they never will.
I took an extra long bath this morning. Shaving and creaming every inch of my body.
Instead of letting my hair dry naturally, I took the time to blow dry it and gave extra attention to my curls.
For the first time in weeks, I applied eyeliner and mascara.
I picked out my shortest shorts and my tightest tee and slipped into my boots, not caring it’s getting colder.
This wasn’t for the Mayor’s daughter’s benefit because I was jealous.
In a way, it’s been a kick back into living life that I needed.
There’s not one part of me that’s filled with envy.
Luca makes it easy to trust him because he genuinely doesn’t see anyone else.
Unless you’re me or his son, or wear the patch, he doesn’t acknowledge anyone.
What I’m interested in is seeing if she took my husband true to his word to cut out the flirting.
My boots hit the bottom step and my interest is peaked. While Luca’s eyes are on me and are on fire, hers, from where she’s sat in the corner of the bar, are on my Luca.
I like to think that going by what Luca told me in the night and listening to my gut instinct, I’ll be a good judge of character. And my gut is telling me that I need to keep my eye on her extremely closely.
I drag my gaze from Annabel to see Luca storming toward me with lust filled eyes and determination in his stance.
When he nears, he asks, “River?”
“Asleep.” I hold up the baby monitor just before he bends at the waist and throws me over his shoulder.
He doesn’t put me down until we’re on the first-floor landing. We don’t go into a room, he pins me, front facing, against the wall. He pops open my shorts button and his hand disappears into my panties.
“Is this for her benefit or mine?” he growls, his warm breath hitting my ear.
“Neither. It’s for my benefit.” I gasp as he sinks a finger inside me. “It’s time I get back to normal.”
“Slip out of those shorts,” he orders.
I hear his belt buckle clang as he works quickly to free himself.
He closes in behind me, pressing his chest to my back.
He shoves two fingers into my mouth, and I coat them with my tongue, knowing what he wants from me.
While he goes back to working me up, which doesn’t take much when I’m with him, he uses his free hand to guide my head round and kisses me.
In a swift motion, his fingers release me, and he enters me, filling me completely. My lower stomach tightens in warm anticipation of what’s to come.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me,” he grunts as he thrusts hard.
I gasp. “I’m right here.”
“Yeah, you fuckin’ are,” he grunts. “On my cock where you belong.”
I moan, my orgasm building. I grow warm and my legs tingle. I slam my hand on the wall, not that it gives me any support to stay on my feet.
“Who owns me?” he demands, slamming into me.
“I do!” I cry out as he moves his hips faster.
“Who owns you?”
“You do!”
I don’t know how much more I can take but I’d never tell him to stop. I always want more with him.
He reaches around me, circling my clit until I buckle with my orgasm. He catches me, like always, and then presses my head against the wall as he pounds into me until he reaches his own release.
I can feel him pulsing inside until he slips out of me and disappears into the main bathroom. He returns with a towel and while I appreciate the thought, I duck into the bathroom and clean myself properly.
I turn and he fills the doorway.
“You know you have nothing to worry about, don’t you?”
Rolling my eyes, I promise him, “I know.”
“Just wanna make sure cause that kind of headache ain’t what I need right now.”
“What else is stressing you out?”
“I still don’t know who shot at us yesterday. I don’t like not knowing.”
I walk toward him and grip onto his cut.
“You’ll find out, you always do. Just be careful when you’re out. I wouldn’t survive without you.”
He slams his lips onto mine, then promises, “Nothing on earth could take me away from you.”
He takes hold of my hand, and we head down to the bar. I don’t look Annabel’s way. I can’t blame her if she crushes on my husband. He’s an asshole, but he’s a good-looking asshole. He’s mine and hasn’t given me any cause to worry. So I’m not going to.
If she continues with the unwanted attention, then she’ll certainly won’t like the attention I’ll show her.
“Has Rudi already left for work?” I ask Angel as he gazes off into space.
He blinks himself back into reality and nods.
“Yeah, I dropped her off an hour ago.”
I smile. He doesn’t care that she has her own car or that most of her shifts start at the crack of dawn and end near the dead of night, if he’s not on club business, he never fails to drop her off and pick her up.
I like him as Luca’s Vice President. My dad always used to say you could tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his woman.
When Mason was younger, he would argue you couldn’t be two different people.
My dad made it clear it wasn’t about being two different versions of yourself, it was the world shaping you into a man who had to be strong in certain circumstances but know when to be soft when he had to be.
People look at men like my husband and Angel and see terror. Men like them are the ones I trust easier than any others. I couldn’t imagine my life not being surrounded by these men and if anyone judges me for it, that is their wasted energy, not mine.
Handing the baby monitor to Luca, I press a kiss on the top of his head and make my way outside to my green house. I’ve barely taken a step inside when a throat clearing behind me fills my sanctuary.
It sounded feminine and since Rudi is at work, it can only belong to Annabel. I don’t bother giving her my attention and pick up my pruning sheers.
“Everything about this place surprises me. I wouldn’t have imagined there was a mini paradise out here. Do you grow food?”
I clip out the dead leaves on my rose bush and toss them in the compost pile.
“I have potatoes and runners growing, and some peppers. Eventually I’m going to have that whole side…” I say sweeping my hand across the far side of the yard. “I’m planning on growing everything and anything I can.”
Her brow arches, her smile fake as fuck. “Don’t you worry the guys will trample over it when they’re drunk?”
“No. It wouldn’t happen.”
“How can you be so certain?”
Giving her my full attention, I smile. “Because the guys wouldn’t disrespect me like that.
” Narrowing my eyes, I take her in like I’m seeing her for the first time again.
There is mischief in her eyes but there is also loneliness.
Softening my tone, I ask, “Don’t you have anyone that would make sure nothing bad touched you? ”
Her mouth opens but nothing comes out. I have my answer without a sound from her.
“It must be nice to have so many guys looking out for you.”
“I don’t know any different. I grew up in the club. Most of my family wear the patch, the brothers are family, and I grew up with the younger generation. I like to think that if you’re a nice person, it comes back to you.”
Her snort rattles me. “Nice gets you nowhere.”
“It gets you further than being a shady bitch.”
Though she’s making my inner bitch venture out the more I speak with her.
“Personally, I haven’t seen much evidence of that.”
“It’s wasted energy to live with such negativity, and it won’t last long around here.”
“I’m not here to make friends.”
“I get that, but sometimes having friends saves your life. We don’t know when we’re going to find ourselves in situations we need help.”
Narrowing her eyes, she tells me, “I’ve always looked out for myself.”
“In the few days you’ve been here, I’ve already worked you out. My advice, lose the bitch. It won’t get you far.”
Her eyes, once again, narrow, and she turns her back, walking back into clubhouse.
Opening and closing my pruning sheers, I keep my eyes on the back door long after she has disappeared inside. Luca was right, there is something about her that isn’t quite right.