Chapter 23
PAGAN
The parking lot was busy with brothers outside shooting the shit, drinking beer, and smoking when our convoy of bikes pulled in.
Bootneck looked around and did a double take when he saw I had a backpack, then he did another when he recognized who it was.
The look of relief that crossed over his face was so distinctive, I almost felt sorry for him.
He’d taken the wrath of my anger about Aislynn leaving me, but then he was the asshole who made it happen, so it was only right that he suffered the consequences of his actions.
I parked up and steadied my bike with my feet while I took Ash’s hand and helped her off. Then I dismounted, making sure my bike was securely on its stand before dragging my woman toward the clubhouse.
“Jesus, Pagan,” Ash cried. “I’m here, and I’m willing to talk. You don’t have to manhandle me.”
I rounded on her, fisted her hair at the nape, and pulled her head back.
Then, leaning down until our noses were a centimeter apart, I bit out, “I’m fuckin’ warnin’ you, Aislynn.
Don’t say a word. I’m on the verge of snappin’, and if that happens, I’ll bend you over, and I’ll spank your bare ass in this parkin’ lot in front of every man and woman here. Do you fuckin’ get me?”
Her eyes blazed into mine, and she jerked a nod.
I stood straight again and dragged her ass forward.
“Good night, boss?” Boot asked warily as I passed him.
I released Aislynn’s arm and turned to face my SAA, while a familiar burn razed through my chest. With a roar, I pulled my arm back and landed my fist in Boot’s face, then smiled with satisfaction as his head snapped back, and I watched him stagger unsteadily on his feet.
Hisses and mutters went up from the crowd outside, along with Aislynn’s shocked gasp.
Bootneck swiped a hand under his nose, catching the blood before it fell.
I drank in the chaos and reveled in the surge of power I got from seeing Bootneck capitulate.
It was the only thing keeping the black hole inside me from expanding and swallowing all rational thought and sense; plus, I needed the hit of dominance to show my brother that his actions had consequences and he’d live with them for as long as I deemed fit.
Castle stepped up. “Get your woman inside, boss. I’ll sort Boot.”
I gave him a nod, grabbed hold of Aislynn’s hand again, and pulled her inside before heading up the stairs to the first floor and dragging her inside my room.
Pushing the door closed, I locked it and buried the key in my pocket. Then, I turned, holding Aislynn’s confident gaze as I stalked toward her.
I pulled her to my bed and sat her down while I knelt before her and slipped off her high heels. Then I made her stand while my hands went to the fly of her jeans. I unbuttoned them, dragging them down over her ass, taking her lacy pink panties too.
Once her jeans were off, I went to the hem of her tank top and dragged it over her head, draping it over the back of a chair, then I unclipped her bra, freeing her breasts and leaving her completely naked.
“Get on the bed,” I ordered.
Her eyes searched mine briefly, probably looking for a hint of humanity. When she couldn’t find it, she climbed on top of my comforter and waited while I went to my drawer and pulled out a long, flat jewelry box.
“You wear this every day, and you don’t take it off unless I give you permission,” I stated.
Her forehead furrowed. “What is it?”
Ignoring her question, I snapped the box open and pulled out a string of diamonds attached to an O-ring.
Bending over Aislynn, I fastened it securely around her neck.
Her eyes followed my every move as I took out the white gold chain that I strung through the O and fastened to the clip that I’d attached to the wrought iron decorative twists of my headboard, effectively chaining her.
Seeing her hooked up to my bed, naked and wearing my collar, immediately made me relax. For the first time in weeks, the ache in my chest subsided, and I could breathe easy.
I pulled off my tee, toed off my boots, and kicked away my jeans before placing a knee on the mattress and crawling up next to Aislynn. Positioning her to face me, I laid her down and then joined her.
“Touch me,” I ordered.
Aislynn reached for my abs and began to trace my tattoos with her fingertips. I closed my eyes and reveled in the sensations.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, and I knew she’d seen it.
Two weeks before, our new tattooist had designed my new ink and etched it directly over my heart.
It was a sage green shamrock, with ornate vines wrapped around it, and it wore a crown shaped like a claddagh ring. Scrolled underneath was one word...
Dubheasa.
“Do you like it?” I asked, almost nervous at what her reaction might be.
She ran her tongue over her lips and nodded. “It’s beautiful, but it’s also very permanent, Aiden.”
I grinned because I loved the way she whispered my name.
“You’re permanent,” I rasped, my voice full of the pent-up need that had been building since the last time she drove away from me.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked, her voice soft and full of curiosity as her fingertips lightly traced the outline of her ink on me.
I kissed her nose, inhaling her scent. “Yeah.”
“Why did you punch Boot?”
I sucked air in through my nose to tamp down the surge of anger that even hearing his name caused. “’Cause I told him the night he fucked me over that every time he spoke to me, I was gonna punch his mouth, and I wouldn’t stop until the day you came back to me.”
My eyes opened to see shock flash behind hers. “What did he do?”
I sucked more air into my lungs to ease the burn inside and declared, “He set us up, along with Saskia.”
Her fingers stilled.
“I went to my office, sat down to start my paperwork, and fell asleep. Remember how exhausted I was?”
She jerked her head in assent.
“I’d dozed off and woke up with a start, and she was down there, touching me, and I felt sick, Ash. Her hands on me made me wanna puke, and I knew right then it was always gonna be you. I was about to shove her away and cuss the bitch out when you walked in.”
“Why would he do that?” she asked.
Her hurt expression made my heart jolt, and I smoothed her hair back from her face. “Remember how we were strugglin’ back then? I felt bad I couldn’t give you the attention you deserved, and everythin’ with the boys and the shit with their mom was comin’ on top.”
She nodded.
“I was telling Boot, and he suggested doin’ somethin’ to push you away for a while, just so I could get space to sort my shit. I had no intention of goin’ with it, but somehow it got lost in translation, and the stupid bastard hatched a plan.”
Her lips parted, and I could see her brain working behind her eyes. “But how did Boot know I’d lose my phone and come back?”
“You didn’t lose it,” I informed her. “Nox lifted it.”
Her eyebrows raised. “What?”
“He grew up on the streets, babe. He was pickpocketin’ by the time he was seven.”
“Nox pickpocketed me?” she exclaimed softly.
I nodded. “When we first walked into the bar that night, he hugged you, remember? Boot put him up to it, which he quickly regretted, seein’ as I had them both in the ring the next day.
Nox is off the hook for now ’cause he didn’t know the entirety of what Boot was up to, but he’s still on notice. Bootneck, not so much.”
“Oh my God,” she whispered as the truth dawned on her. Her eyes lifted to meet mine again. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know what the fuck had happened myself until after you stormed out.
I got to the bottom of it and tried to see you the next day, but you’d already left for Ireland.
Then by the time you got back, you were done, and you wouldn’t listen.
You were so angry with me that I wasn’t even sure you’d believe me anyway.
I was embarrassed too. I mean, my best friend doggin’ me like that?
And you warned me about that bitch, and I didn’t listen.
I pride myself in not missin’ anythin’, but I missed that one. ”
Her eyes filled with tears, and I lifted my fingers to gently wipe them away, my heart clenching at the sadness in her eyes. “Don’t, baby. If you cry, I’ll have to go downstairs and kick the fuck out of Bootneck again, and I don’t wanna leave you right now.”
“Why did you set Rosie up tonight?” she asked.
“I didn’t plan for it to be Rosie, but I did plan for it to be someone.
Needed you to talk to me, and I had to engineer a way to make it happen.
Knew Saskia would be able to push your buttons, so I took her with us.
After tonight, she’s out. Only kept her around in case I could use her.
She’s been in a cell since she fucked me over.
Tonight was the first time she’s been out since the drama. ”
“Good,” she cut in, her tone hard as nails.
“I’ll give her to your uncle to play with,” I promised. “A little gift for you.”
Her mouth curved into a wicked smile, and my cock thickened in my shorts. I loved her evil streak, and it would serve her well in the future. I mean, she was gonna be my ol’ lady, so she had to let her inner bitch out to play now and again.
“We gotta get married,” I informed her.
Ash’s eyes rounded. “That’s crazy.”
“Need to fuck you,” I admitted.
“And I need time,” she said, her tone almost pleading.
“You’ve had all the time you’re gettin’,” I argued. “You’ve had goddamned months. Need you in my bed, wearin’ my collar and my ring, on your back, and takin’ my cum so you can make me a baby.”
“My family won’t go for it,” she explained gently. “I need to ease them into this slowly. They think we’re over and that you cheated on me, and now you’ve gone after Rosie, too, so you’ve not only alienated my brothers, but also the Speed Demons.”
I mulled over her words for a minute.
She had a point. Maybe the whole threatening Atlas’s sister was a step too far, but I was a man with a plan, and desperate times called for desperate measures.