CHAPTER EIGHTEEN #2
“When I went out the back door,” Jagger continues, his voice getting quieter, “three guys grabbed me. I tried to fight them off, but...” He shrugs, and I can see the shame in his eyes.
“Hey,” I say firmly, gripping his shoulder. “Three grown men against a sixteen-year-old kid? You did well just trying to fight back.”
He looks up at me, and I still see the little boy he no longer is.
“They tied my hands and threw me in the back of an SUV,” he continues. “Drove for a while. When they finally stopped and pulled me out, we were at that warehouse.”
My hands ball into fists at my sides, and I have to force myself to breathe through the fury building inside me.
“They kept asking me questions about the club,” Jagger says. “About your businesses, about shipments. I kept telling them that I don’t know anything about that stuff, but they wouldn’t believe me.”
Those motherfuckers. He’s just a kid. He wouldn’t know the first thing about club business.
“Then they started...” He trails off, touching his swollen eye gingerly. “They wanted to send you a message.”
I close my eyes, fighting the urge to toss this whole fucking room.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Opening my eyes, I pull Jagger up from his chair and wrap my arms around him, hugging him tight against my chest.
“I’m sorry.”
He’s safe. My boy is safe.
A little banged up, but he’s okay.
Thank fuck.
“I’m okay, Dad,” Jagger mumbles against my chest. “Just a little sore.”
Closing my eyes again, I breathe him in.
I’m supposed to keep my kids safe.
That’s my job as their father.
And I fucking failed.
“This isn’t your fault,” Cali says softly, and I open my eyes to find her watching us with love shining in her eyes.
“Can I go upstairs and shower?” Jagger asks, pulling back from my embrace. “I feel gross.”
I nod, ruffling his hair like I used to when he was little. “Yeah, buddy. Go ahead.”
He heads for the door, then pauses and looks back at Cali. “Thank you. For coming for me.”
She smiles softly at him. “Always, honey. Always.”
Once he’s gone, I turn my attention to my woman.
She’s covered in blood.
“Come on, baby,” I say, holding out my hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up, too.”
She takes my hand and rises from the chair, and I thread my fingers through hers as I lead her out of the office and up the stairs.
At the end of the hallway, I open the door to my room and motion for her to go ahead.
She steps inside, the stain of the day clear as day on her face.
“You okay, Angel?”
She smiles up at me with tired eyes. “The adrenaline’s worn off.”
I nod, understanding how she feels.
“Come on, baby.”
Like her feet are filled with lead, she follows me into the bathroom.
Reaching into the shower, I turn on the water and adjust the temperature.
While the water heats, I spin around to face her. Slowly, reverently, I reach for the hem of her blood-soaked shirt.
“Arms up,” I murmur.
She obeys, lifting her arms, and I peel the shirt off her body, tossing it aside.
Her bra is next, then her boots and leather pants, my hands gentle as I help her step out of them.
Finally, her panties, until she’s standing before me completely bare.
“Your turn,” she says softly.
I strip quickly, tossing my clothes onto the growing pile, then hold out my hand.
She takes it, and I lead her into the shower.
The hot water cascades over us, and I watch as it turns pink, washing away the evidence of what she did today.
“I owe you everything,” I rasp, grabbing the body wash.
Lathering the suds in my hands, I begin washing her.
I start with her face, carefully cleaning away the dry blood splattered across her cheeks and forehead.
Then her neck, her shoulders, down her arms.
I turn her around and wash her back, taking my time, making sure every inch of her is clean.
When I reach her ass, she lets out a small gasp as my hands slide over the firm globes.
“Easy, Angel,” I murmur. “Let me take care of you.”
I turn her back around and soap up my hands again, this time focusing on her breasts.
Her nipples harden under my touch, and I hear her breath hitch.
“Tacoma,” she breathes.
“I’ve got you, baby,” I promise.
I glide my hands lower, over her belly, down to the apex of her thighs.
When my soapy fingers brush against her pussy, she moans, her head falling back.
“Feel good?” I ask, circling her clit with my thumb.
“Yes,” she gasps, her hands coming up to grip my shoulders.
I want to take my time, to worship every inch of her body, but the need to be inside her is too strong.
I need to feel her, to know she’s really here, really mine again.
“Need you,” I growl, lifting to my full height, taking her with me.
Her legs wrap around my waist immediately, and I press her back against the shower wall.
“I need you too, honey,” she pants, her fingers tangling in my wet hair.
I position myself at her entrance, the head of my cock sliding through her slick folds.
“No condom,” I warn, giving her a chance to stop me.
“I don’t care,” she says, pulling me closer. “I need to feel you.”
That’s all the permission I need.
I thrust forward, sliding into her bare, and the sensation nearly brings me to my knees.
“Fuck,” I groan, burying my face in her neck. “So hot. So tight.”
“God, yes,” she moans, her inner walls clenching around me. “I missed you. So much.”
I give her a moment to adjust, then start moving, pulling out slowly before thrusting back in.
The angle is perfect, hitting that spot inside her that makes her cry out.
“That’s it, Angel,” I encourage, picking up my pace. “Let me hear you.”
“Tacoma,” she whimpers, her nails digging into my shoulders. “Oh god, right there.”
I shift my grip on her ass, spreading her cheeks as I drive deeper.
“You’re mine,” I growl against her throat. “Say it.”
“Yours,” she gasps. “I’m yours.”
“Damn right you are.” I bite down on the junction of her neck and shoulder, marking her. “My woman. My Angel. Mine.”
She keens, her pussy fluttering around my cock.
“Touch yourself,” I command, wanting to feel her come apart around me. “Make yourself come on my cock, baby.”
Her hand immediately slides between us, her fingers finding her clit.
“That’s my good girl,” I praise, feeling her walls tighten. “So fucking perfect. Taking my cock so beautifully.”
“I’m close,” she pants, her movements becoming frantic. “So close.”
“Come for me, Angel,” I order, slamming into her harder. “Come all over my cock. Let me feel it.”
Her orgasm hits her like a freight train, and she screams my name, her pussy clamping down on me like a vise.
The sensation is too much, and I follow her over the edge with a roar, emptying myself deep inside her.
“Fuck, yes,” I groan, my hips jerking as I pump her full of my seed. “Take it all, baby. Every drop.”
We stay frozen like that for a long moment, both of us panting, as the water continues to pour over us.
Once I’ve caught my breath, I carefully lower her back to her feet, keeping one arm around her waist to steady her.
“I love you,” I tell her, pressing my mouth to hers. “So fucking much.”
She smiles against my lips, her eyes soft and sated. “I love you too.”
I kiss her again, deep and wet, pouring everything I feel into it.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against hers.
“Welcome home, Angel.”
Her smile widens. “It’s good to be home.”