Twenty-One
T hey were stunned, and I knew this because they were both silent, staring at me with their mouths open.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking how does one mumsy-looking woman manage to get into that kind of debt, but remember who I was dealing with. I was gambling and losing, and every time I gained a foothold, I lost big again. Before I knew it, I owed them about fourteen thousand, and then they added interest, and you know… it spiralled from there. There was no way I could pay back that kind of money. The care centre bills were crippling me, so I figured if I could win big, I could make a real dent in those, and cover them for a while. Maybe even a year. But I forgot the most obvious thing of all. The house always wins .”
Stitch rubbed his beard. “What… uh… what kind of gambling? Cards?”
I nodded. “I’m a hell of a poker player. You wouldn’t guess that, because my poker face is clearly on the fritz, but trust me, I’m good, but it only takes one big loss, and they own you. I’m good, but I’m not the best there is. I was outplayed. Outclassed. Then I couldn’t get back out again.”
“So they offered you a chance to traffic drugs for them.”
I snorted. Offered . Yeah, they sat me down with tea and biscuits and said; ‘hey love, we want to make life easier for you’.
“They don’t offer, Stitch. They threatened me. They told me it was my only option. They forced me into it, or… or…” I couldn’t say it.
Reacher lifted the glass from my hand and set it aside, his fingers gentle as they stroked my hair out of my eyes.
“Or what, woman?”
I swallowed hard, a shudder of revulsion rippling down my spine.
“Or they’d make me work it off.”
“FUCKERS!”
Reacher practically crushed me against his chest, turning us so he could face Stitch.
“I don’t care what deal we offer, brother. The overall plan is to kill them all. I want every last one of them dead. I want blood for this. I want their blood.” I shuddered in his hold. He sounded cold, and bitter, and… cruel. It wasn’t a side of him I’d wanted to see.
“Reacher…”
“Brother, don’t even try. This is about an eye for an eye. They tried to kill our brother. They tried to sell off my old lady’s pussy, so this is it. This is why they die. It’s my divine fucking right to avenge my old lady.”
Another scary statement. I had to diffuse things somehow, and that’s how the dumbest question left my lips just then.
“Why do they call you Reacher?”
Both men fell silent, and I just knew they were staring at me. I pulled free of Reacher’s hold, and tilted my head up to look at him. His forehead was creased, like he didn’t understand what I’d asked.
“It’s a road name, right? Because your real name is Jacob Anderson.”
Reacher
W hat a question to ask right now. I was firmly in retribution mode, and she comes out with that. I’m trying to fucking avenge her, and she’s asking about my name?
I sighed. “It’s a boring story, woman. It just happened, okay?”
She turned to look at Stitch.
“You tell me then.”
“Why? Because I’m already boring to you? Ouch, Alicia. That hurts . I have layers, you know. I’m more than what you can see.”
She giggled, and I took a moment to work out if he was flirting, or just joking. The wrong one would get him a shiny new black eye.
“Honestly, I want to know.”
He nodded at me. “You tell her, Pres. I need to go and sort some shit out. I’ll check in on Ice, and come back with an update in a bit.”
I didn’t need to agree or disagree. He was already leaving, and honestly, we needed to keep checking on Ice. As soon as they could wake him up and send him home, we’d be able to ensure his safety.
“Reacher, I’m waiting.”
I folded my arms, staring down at this complex, frustrating woman of mine. She kept referring to herself as mumsy, and shit like that. It couldn’t be further from the truth. She was… she was like pure sex. I wanted her every fucking minute of every day, and for as long as my aging body could keep up with her, I planned to do exactly that.
“What’s it worth to you, woman?”
There was a brief frown, and then she smirked.
“If it doesn’t bore me to tears, I’ll suck your dick. How’s that?”
I stroked my beard slowly, pretending to ponder her suggestion, while my dick was already trying to salute her.
“Tell you what… You manage to go five minutes without sassing me, and maybe I’ll let you suck my dick. You gotta earn that privilege, woman.”
I loved the feisty look on her face. Jesus. Love . Why couldn’t I just come out and say it? I’d fucking claimed her as mine. Love. I love her. Just fucking say it.
“Are you constipated?” She asked, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. She’d effortlessly killed the moment, but I always appreciated the crap she came out with. Pun intended.
“I’ll only tell you the story of my road name if you’re naked.”
She raised her eyebrows, practically dancing across the room toward the bed.
“Really? And what position should I be in, once I’m naked?”
I quirked a brow. “Surprise me, woman, but be quick. You have thirty seconds.”
She gasped, making a mock-horrified face, and then stripped faster than I’ve ever seen a person shed clothes.
She sat on the bed, and spread her legs wide, her feet up on the bed, knees slightly bent. With a grin, she leaned back on her hands.
“How’s this, old man?”
Jesus Christ. I couldn’t even remember what we were talking about. I strode over, one knee going onto the mattress between her legs, as I braced myself on my arms, and stared down at that sassy face of hers.
“Woman… How the fuck am I supposed to live without you as my old lady?”
She blinked, her face suddenly dropping, sadness washing over it.
“I’m really hoping it won’t come to that, Reacher, but don’t think that changing the subject on me is going to work. You were going to tell me why they call you Reacher. I’m on the edge of my… well… I’m spread out and awaiting this momentous story. Don’t disappoint me.”
I loved that she was trying. She was trying to keep my head out of the anger, and the frustration, and the almost debilitating fear that I felt, when I considered having to let her go. Never being with her. Could I give up my club for her? Would it come to that? I prayed that it wouldn’t. If I couldn’t have both, and was forced to choose… it didn’t bear thinking about. Stitch might find himself in charge. In fact… what if he were? Would the opposition to my old lady still be a big deal?
“Reacher, get your head out of that shit. I’m naked, and spread out like a fucking buffet. Don’t just leave me like this.”
I leaned down, kissing her gently. Backing up, I eased off my cut, setting it carefully up by the pillows, and then I stripped off my t-shirt. Taking Ally’s hand, I pressed it against my chest, and stared at her.
“What? You’re not getting away with this. Tell me.”
I kept my grip on her hand, and moved it lower, revealing the tattoo I’d covered up at first. She’d probably never noticed it among the many others. One side of my chest was heavily tattooed, and this one was small, and more faded than the others.
“Preacher.” She frowned as she read it. “Preacher?”
I grinned at her. “Raised by an incredibly religious family, I was pretty well indoctrinated by the time I joined the army. One too many bible quotes, and such from me, earned me the nickname Preacher. I… I mean, I’m not religious, not anymore. I grew up a Christian, and I went to Sunday School, and all that shit, but yeah… I’m older and wiser. Over the years, the nickname evolved. I served for fourteen years, then came here. Joined the MC, took over, when we removed the old president from his position. By the time I joined here, I was already known as Reacher, so it became my road name. Like I said; boring. Not worth the time it took to tell the story. We could have been doing much more enjoyable things.”
She grinned. “You still say preachery type stuff. I’m sure you even told me I had the devil in me at one point.”
I shrugged. “Maybe, but let me be clear, woman.” I reached down and gripped her face, not tight enough to hurt, but firmly enough to have her full attention.
“ It’s not the devil you’re about to have in you, but I’m no angel either. I’ve broken commandments, I’ve sinned. I’ve probably lived every one of the seven sins. I couldn’t be further from the man I was back then.”
“You’re certainly older, like you said,” she quipped, her gasp turning to a moan, as I pressed her down, my hand now on her throat.
“And I said you could suck my dick… if you didn’t sass me for five minutes. Guess you just lost that privilege.”
“Then maybe I’ll just play with myself, and you can watch. I mean, if I don’t get any ‘privileges’, then neither do you.”