9. Preacher
9
PREACHER
“T hat should do it.”
“This is incredible.” Tabitha stood near the entrance, her gaze sweeping over the finished work, admiration clear in her expression. When she turned back to us, there was a warmth I wasn’t expecting. “I can’t thank you enough. I mean it. You all went over and beyond.”
“Glad we could help,” Goose replied, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans. “Just let us know if you need a hand with anything else.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She looked around at all we’d done, and I could see the pride in her eyes as she said, “You’ve done more than enough already. This place looks incredible.”
She was right.
It did look incredible, and we’d busted our asses to make it happen. Hell, the whole damn barn was a mess, and now, every stall was secure, the busted boards had been replaced, and all the weak spots had been reinforced. It looked good. Damn good. I was proud of the work we’d done. We all were.
Goose being Goose, gave her one of his playful smirks. “Glad you approve.”
“I certainly do.” She looked at each of them, making sure they knew she meant it. “Seriously, you all did an amazing job.”
They ate it up, nodding and exchanging grins, but my eyes stayed locked on her . I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her. Her smile, the spark of excitement in her eyes, and the way her face lit up as she took in the repairs captivated me. The woman had no idea how damn beautiful she was, and that only seemed to captivate me more.
“Time for us to head out.”
“Oh?” she almost sounded strained as she asked, “What about that bike ride?”
“Afraid we’ve lost too much daylight for a ride today.” I motioned my head toward the darkening sky. “Best to postpone until tomorrow. Or maybe the weekend. Whatever works best for you.”
A light blush crept along her cheeks as she answered, “I don’t know. I guess I would be good with either. You tell me.”
Damn.
That blush was gonna be the death of me.
“Let’s plan on Saturday. I’ll be here around ten.”
“That sounds perfect.”
I held her gaze for a second longer than I should have, then finally turned to the boys and ordered, “Load up.”
With that, the boys got back in their SUV, and once I’d gotten on my bike, we headed back to the clubhouse. The ride was smooth. It gave me a chance to clear my head, and I was feeling pretty good about things until I made it up to the back door and found Goose waiting for me.
He had his arms crossed and was sporting a shit-eating grin, and I knew he was about to say something that would piss me off. “So, when were you gonna tell us about the new girlfriend?”
The prospects snickered as they headed inside, but I shut that shit down when I barked, “Don’t.”
“Easy, killer.” Goose held up his hands. “I was just asking out of concern. I mean, she is a Volkov, right? Their mother?”
“I don’t need your fucking questions, and I don’t need your fucking concern.”
“Ah, damn.” Goose grimaced. “You really like this chick.”
“You’re walking a fine line, son.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have called her a chick. She’s all lady and a classy one, too. Don’t blame ya for wanting to hit it.”
“ Goose. ”
I shot him a look that had him clamping his mouth shut.
I wasn’t about to let him or anyone else turn this into something it wasn’t. Or maybe something I couldn’t let it be. I glared at him a moment longer, then headed inside.
I wasn’t in the mood for anyone else’s bullshit, so I headed down the hall and went straight to my room. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on, letting the water run hot while I kicked off my boots. I was tense. I tried rotating my shoulders, hoping it would ease the stiffness, but it didn’t quite do the trick.
It'd been a long damn time since I’d worked like I had today. I did plenty of shit around the club but not much real, hands-on labor. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it. It felt good to put in the work and see the results, but it had done a real number on me.
Every muscle in my back and arms ached, which was an unwanted reminder that I wasn’t twenty-five anymore. I let out a deep breath as I peeled off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I groaned as the heat started to work into my tight muscles.
It felt good, damn good, and for a few minutes, I just stood there, letting the steam rise around me. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, and it wasn’t long before she crept into my head.
The way she’d watched me when she thought I didn’t notice.
The way her lips had curled into that soft, easy smile.
The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she got nervous.
Damn.
I leaned forward and braced my hands against the tile as I tried to will the thoughts away. But they just kept coming. The way she moved, graceful and effortless. The way her voice softened when she thanked me.
And that blush.
Fuck me.
There was no forgetting that blush.
A slow heat spread through me. It was different from the warmth of the water. I knew where this was heading, and hell, if I wasn’t tempted to let it go there. It had been too damn long since I’d felt this way. She’d gotten under my skin. She wasn’t some club girl or an easy distraction.
She was something else entirely.
And if I let myself go down this road, even just in my head, there’d be no coming back from it.
I tried to shake her from my thoughts, but I couldn’t seem to get her out of my head. Damn. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams. I needed to get her out of my system, and I needed to do it fast. Hoping it would knock some of the edge off, I turned the hot water up and took my throbbing cock in my hand, gripping my fingers tightly around my pulsing shaft.
I needed to feel the bite as I started to move my hand up and down. I closed my eyes and thought about her in my bed, completely bare and waiting. That thought alone had me almost spiraling. It was strange. I was older. I’d been around the block more than once and had seen and been with my fair share of beautiful women.
I didn’t get worked up. Not anymore.
At least, I didn’t think I did. Tabitha was proving me wrong. I could almost feel her soft, smooth skin against my fingertips. My breath quickened as I thought about her body responding to my touch. Her skin blushing. Her thighs clenching. Her pulse racing. Her little whimpers echoing through the room.
With each vision, my grip tightened, and my hand moved faster. Every stroke had me closer to the edge. My cock pulsed in my hand when I thought of her back arching off the bed as I raked my tongue against her clit. Tasting her. Tormenting her until the moment when her orgasm took hold. Dammit. I couldn’t get enough.
I stroked harder, faster, and my hand never stopped moving until I finally came long and hard. The water was starting to run cold, so I finished up and got out. That’s when I noticed that my dick was still standing at full salute.
Damn.
Getting this woman out of my system was going to be harder than I thought. I left the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. After throwing on a pair of clean boxers, I collapsed into bed. My muscles were sore, and I was beat. It didn’t take long for my exhaustion to take hold, and I crashed.
Sleep came fast, but morning came faster.
I woke up earlier than I’d planned. It seemed my internal clock was refusing to let me rest. The room was still dark, but I knew better than to roll over and try to go back to sleep. My mind was already running, and once that happened, there was no going back.
I pushed off the covers and eased out of bed, wincing slightly as my muscles protested. Shit. I was stiffer than I’d expected, and it pissed me the hell off. I would have to hit the gym later and put an end to this shit. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with my cut, then made my way down to the kitchen.
I started a pot of coffee and took a moment to enjoy the silence while it brewed. The clubhouse was quiet this early, just the way I liked it. As soon as it was ready, I poured myself some coffee and headed to my office.
I didn’t have to worry about how I’d spent the morning. There was always work to be done. Calls to make, shipments to track, and deals to keep in check. I spent the next hour going through emails, making notes, and checking in on club business.
I was making real progress when there was a tap at my door.
I glanced up just as the door swung open, and Creed stepped inside with Seven following close behind. I could tell by their expressions that they weren’t there to shoot the shit.
“Morning,” Creed said, helping himself to the chair across from me.
“You’re looking a little rough around the edges this morning,” Seven greeted me as he took the other chair.
“Feeling a little rough, but nothing more than usual.” I leaned back in my chair. “You got something on your mind?”
Creed glanced over at Seven before saying, “We just wanted to check in and see where your head is with the Volkov brothers.”
“I’m still thinking it over.”
“And?”
“I’m intrigued.” Sergei had called me in to discuss some of the perimeters of the partnership, and while he made it seem pretty cut and dry, I knew better than that. A partnership like he was suggesting would be complicated at best. “A lot of money on the table and the potential for a lot more.”
“Yeah, but at what cost?” There was no missing the concern in my VP’s voice as he said, “We’ve worked hard to make the Fury name what it is. The last thing we need to do is piss it all away by getting tied up with the wrong assholes.”
“I don’t think we’ll be pissing anything away by tying up with these boys.” I’d thought it all through, and I meant it when I said, “They’re arrogant motherfuckers. No doubt about that, and they’ve made some mistakes, big ones, but they’ve good ideas and they’re trying to make a real go of this place. And they’re smart enough to know they need help.”
Seven, who’d been quiet up to this point, shook his head. “They got balls coming to us for help after what they did to Tallie and Rooks.”
I got that he was pissed about how things had gone down with Tallie, but it could’ve been much worse, especially after what we’d done to the guard and driver. And Rooks was a fucking asshole who’d not only had his father killed but tried to steal a shit ton of money from him and the Volkovs. I knew he wouldn’t like it, but that didn’t stop me from saying, “Can’t say that I would’ve handled it any different, especially with Rooks.”
“They got him locked up in the fucking basement!”
I’d made the mistake of asking Sergei about Rooks, and he was quick to tell me that he’d considered killing him. He certainly deserved it, but Rooks had a particular skillset that could be useful to a man like him. It was that thought that led him to spare Rooks’ life—at least for the time being.
“But he’s still breathing,” I countered. “Which means he’s still got a chance to walk. That’s not something I would’ve given him.”
Creed leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with doubt. “You really think we can trust them to do what we tell ‘em?”
“If they don’t, we walk.” I leaned forward and looked him dead in the eye. “I’m not going to let these guys fuck this up. They’ll either play by our rules, or we’re out.”
“They best step in line, or I’ll rattle some heads.”
“You and me both.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Creed asked. “Do you know the expectations?”
“For now, they just want our presence at the Casino. They want people to see us and know that we’ve got their back, and they have ours.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
“Nothing simple about it,” I countered. “Sergei and Tallie’s father made a lot of enemies with all the shit they pulled to acquire all that land. We need to look into everyone they fucked over, so there are no surprises.”
“I’ll get with Shep and have him look into it.” Creed exhaled. “I gotta say, there are some advantages to partnering up with him. I mean, hell. Having them as allies makes us untouchable in this city.”
Seven grimaced. “But if this thing goes sideways…”
“It won’t,” I answered without hesitation. “I won’t let it.”
Creed studied me for a moment, then nodded. “So, when are we gonna break it down to the others?”
“This afternoon. I’ll call the boys in for church and lay it all out.”
“I’ll spread the word.”
I nodded, then he and Seven left my office.
The days that followed were all business. There was no time to sit around or to dwell on the unknown. I called the boys in and laid everything out, explaining my expectations for the Volkov partnership. I told them exactly what was on the table and what wasn’t.
There was no room for mistakes with this deal.
If this partnership was going to work, we had to handle it right.
Some of the guys had their concerns about the deal, but they knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t stand for any bullshit. Sergei and his brothers either toed the line or we’d walk. I let them know this wasn’t just about making money. This was about securing our future and evolving with the times.
And times were changing.
Faster than I cared to admit.
For years, we’d made the bulk of our money at the Vault and by moving product under the table. But with the way things were looking, it wouldn’t be long before marijuana was fully legal, and when that happened, we would be left empty-handed.
If we wanted to stay ahead, we had to move with the tide, not against it.
That’s where the Volkovs came in. They had the kind of setup that could secure our future. I wasn’t naive enough to think we’d ever be clean, not fully, but if we played this right, we could secure a foothold in something with real longevity.
After our meet, I kept myself busy in the office. It was the easiest way to keep my head clear. But, even with everything going on,she was still lingering in the back of my mind. I told myself it wouldn’t last. That it was just something new and unexpected, and once I got to know her, the newness would wear off.
By the time Saturday rolled around, I was more than ready for a break. Not just from business but from the weight of it all. With everything that had been going on, I couldn’t think straight, and there was no better way to clear my head than a ride on my bike with the woman who’d been haunting my thoughts all damn week.
I pulled up into the drive and was about to head up to the gate when Tabitha stepped out of the barn. The sight of her nearly took my breath. Her dark hair was down with loose waves cascading around her shoulders. She had on a pair of distressed black jeans with a white top that hugged her curves and a pair of cowboy boots. “Hey.”
"Hey, yourself.” She stepped through the gate and made her way over to me. “So, where are we headed?”
“That’s up to you.” I waited until she made it over to me before handing her my spare helmet. “If I remember your terms of our negotiation, I believe we have about four hours for our ride, so that should…”
“No,” she interrupted. “After all you did, we can do whatever you want for as long as you want.”
“Is that right?”
I gave her a smirk, and she immediately started back peddling. “Um, wait. That didn’t come out right.”
“Oh, I don’t know. It sounded pretty good to me.”
“Preacher,” she scolded.
For reasons I couldn’t explain, I wanted to hear my true name roll across her full lips, so I told her, “When it’s just us, you can call me Hudson.”
“Okay, Hudson.” She smiled. “You ready to go?”
“Ready when you are.” I felt a sense of satisfaction knowing I had her all to myself for the day. I was getting into dangerous territory, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was beginning to feel the same. “You look incredible.”
“You don’t look too shabby yourself.” She motioned her head at my Harley. “You’re gonna have to take it easy on me. I’ve never ridden one of those things before.”
“You’ll do fine. Not much different than a horse.”
“Hmm. We’ll see about that.”
Once she’d put on her helmet, I offered her my hand and helped her onto the back. “Hold on tight.”
She nodded, then positioned her hands at my waist. Her grip tightened as I eased out of the drive, and it tightened even more as we started down the main road. After a few miles, she started to relax and eased back, signaling that she was starting to enjoy the ride—which made me enjoy it even more.
I liked having her on my bike. It had been a long time since I’d ridden with someone, mainly because chicks always tried to read something into it, especially when you’re the president. Usually, it was just a damn ride. Nothing more.
But this was different.
This one meant something. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted it to.