Chapter Six
Tymber didn’t wantto hurt a member of the Royal Sons, but he’d be damned if he allowed one hair on Ivy’s head to be hurt. It was a lesson in control.
He was sure he didn’t have the willpower to allow Rooster with his big-ass knife to keep him in place. His control snapped as the man decided to wrap his big, beefy arms around his neck. The large blade glinted in front of his eyes. Tymber was many things, but a fool or pussy wasn’t one of them. If the Royals wanted a fight, he’d give them one.
“If one more fucker tries to sneak up on me, I promise I won’t play nice,” he warned through gritted teeth.
King’s warning was ignored entirely as he twisted at the last second, missing the punch aimed at his head. He grabbed the bastard who tried to sucker punch him by the arm, flipping him over his back so that he landed in front of him, a look of shock on the younger man’s face. The knife he’d taken from Rooster was big, but he avoided cutting the fucker, barely.
“Settle,” King uttered the one word.
Tymber stepped around the sprawled man and walked up to the one named Rooster, focusing on what was happening around him. He flipped the knife around, handing the blade back by the handle. “I meant no disrespect, but having shit like that shoved in my face brings back memories I’d rather not have.”
“Ivy, you telling me my brother never stuck his dick in you?”
He wanted to punch King in the mouth when his question made Ivy jump.
Tymber balled his hands into fists. “What’s it matter now? I’m sorry your brother died, but what the hell does Ivy have to do with it?”
“My brother killed himself because he caught her with another son-of-a-bitch. Ain’t that right, Ivy?” Duke, the quieter of the brothers, spoke up. Menace and anger filled his features, twisting what was probably a good-looking guy into something ugly.
Ivy was shaking her head, her hands still trapped under King’s. “No, that’s not what happened. Your brother...Luke thought you knew about him and Darian. He said you caught them together?”
King jerked back like he’d been struck. “Are you telling me it was my fault he offed himself?”
This time, Tymber jerked, looking toward Ivy for confirmation. He’d first seen her outside the suicide meeting and had thought it was her who was contemplating killing herself. He ran a tired hand down his face, sighing loudly. “King, it’s nobody’s fault for Luke’s choice to end his life. Fuck, I should know. If I had gone through with my dark thoughts, I could’ve done the same thing. I had to pull myself out of depression and decide that living was better than being six feet under. I did that. Otherwise, I would’ve been the one to end my life, same as your brother.”
Ivy’s whispered no was the only word uttered for minutes.
“Everyone out except Duke,” King ordered.
Traeger, the Sergeant at Arms grunted. “Do you think that’s wise?” he questioned.
“I ain’t scared she’s gonna slit my throat or afraid of that one leaping across this table. I got this.” King stood up as he spoke, each word coming out between gritted teeth.
Tymber stayed where he was, listening as Ivy told them about her and Luke’s bargain. From where he stood, she didn’t gain shit except a bullseye on her chest.
“You look ready to spit nails. Fuck, my brother was gay and was scared to tell me.” King shook his head, his hands scrubbed down his face.
“He was scared you’d kick him out of the club. I tried to tell him you wouldn’t, but he wasn’t prepared to listen. I don’t know what you saw with him and Darian, but it was enough to make him think you knew. Combine that with his depression, he felt he had no option. I...I have a letter from him to you. Don’t do that.” She stopped speaking as King ground his teeth loud enough that they could hear it.
“Where’s this fucking note, Ivy?” King squeezed her hand, pain reflecting on her face.
“Get your fucking hands off of her, or so help me, God, I won’t be responsible for my actions.” Tymber erased the few steps separating him from Ivy. “Baby, do you have the letter?” he asked softly.
Ivy nodded, looking toward the floor where her bag had fallen. King walked around the table, bent, and then dumped her purse’s contents onto the smooth surface before her. Her hands fumbled for the letter, sifting through a few pieces of mail she’d had in it before pulling it out. “It’s right here. I didn’t read it, though.”
The charged atmosphere heightened as King read the note with Duke looking over his shoulder, both men freezing for a few minutes, their shoulders lifted and fell. King balled the paper up. “Motherfucker,” he roared, his fist slamming into the table, making the bottles on top fall off, shattering glass echoed around them.
“Why have you skipped out on us if you weren’t guilty? Why’d I have to kidnap a man to get you here?” King asked, moving around to take his seat back.
“After you had a couple of members break into our apartment and beat the shit out of Darian, I felt it was in my best interest to make myself scarce. I’d planned...I had been thinking about leaving, but...” she trailed off.
Tymber stared at Ivy, then King. “You were at the center because you were thinking of killing yourself, weren’t you?” The knowledge had his gut rolling.
She shrugged. “I didn’t have anything to lose or to live for. My family has always been Luke and his family. Without them, I had nothing.”
He didn’t care about protocol anymore. His arms moved without fear of consequences, pulling Ivy into his embrace. “You have so much to live for, Ivy. You hear me?” He gave her a shake, wanting her to acknowledge his words.
“I thought he was bi, not gay,” Duke muttered. His head was in his hands as he spoke. Bent over in the chair, he looked gutted. “He was my twin. How did I not know what he was going through?” Duke stood, the chair scraping loudly behind him, falling on its side in a crash. “Who’d you have rough up their place?” he asked King.
King held his hands up. “I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. Darian said the guys had on their cuts and told him he was going to pay for Luke’s—his death.”
“Either Darian,” King spat the name out. “is lying, or someone took it upon themselves. You know who I believe, don’t you?”
She reached for her phone lying in the middle of the table. “Darian saved them coming and going on our security camera. I didn’t look, but I knew he wasn’t lying. My door didn’t just get broken down by itself, King.”
KING GRABBED THE PHONEwith the glitter shit of a cover on it. “Show me,” he ordered.
He almost felt bad for the fear and anxiety he could see stamped on Ivy’s little face. Almost being the keyword. Once she put her code in, she handed him the phone. He opened the app for the security company, his thumb hovering over the key that said Event History. One push and the dates began to pop up. He scrolled down, stabbing at the date in question. “Fuck,” he muttered as he watched two prospects enter the building. The following saved event was over an hour later. Again, he hit the button, watching Frog and Groot swagger out. From the two men’s looks, they were proud of whatever they’d done. “Duke, get Frog and Groot in here.”
He barely controlled the urge to bust the phone in his palm. Anger surged through him like lava. If he wanted to see his brother alive again, he knew all he had to do was scroll back a couple more weeks and see if there were any saved events. Instead of following through on the impulse, he sat the phone down, the last video still displayed.
“Have a seat, fuckers,” Duke growled.
Ivy looked toward the two men, her hate clear as the green in her eyes. King knew then if she’d have had a gun, she’d have shot the two bastards. He wasn’t far behind in his thoughts. “You need to tell me anything?” King asked, breaking into the silence.
It took the two idiots less than two minutes to turn on each other, blaming the other for their actions. “We were going to tell you, but then we noticed some things,” Frog muttered.
“Well, don’t stop now.” King waved him on.
He listened to the men explain how they’d begun trashing the place after beating the shit out of the man who’d been there. “So, you decided to fuck up my brother’s home without asking me for permission?”
Again, each of them spoke over the other until he had enough. “Groot, shut the fuck up. Frog, what made you decide your actions? Let me warn you. If I don’t like what you say, there will be consequences.”
Frog’s words brought his mind to a hard stop. “You didn’t share a bedroom with Luke?”
Ivy shook her head, tears leaking down her cheeks.
“This Darian, he was important to Luke?” King asked, his hand balling into a fist. Control, he needed to get his shit back under control. Ivy’s dark head nodding up and down pissed him off. “Why did he hide what was essentially his life?” he breathed loudly.
“He loved you both, worshipped you. He just...he was scared.” Ivy lifted her hand, placing it on top of his.
“Tymber, sorry you got pulled in the way you did. I know how stubborn this one is, and one of my guys said he’d seen you two together on several occasions. I took a chance, and, well shit, here we are.”
King could see the war raging in Tymber’s eyes. On one hand, he knew the bastard wanted to punch him, yet he also didn’t want to show too much disrespect. He put his other hand over Ivy’s. “You two get out of here. I’ve got some things to take care of, but Ivy,” he said, waiting until she met his stare. “You’re still family. You’ll always be family.”
Ivy’s chin wobbled, and more tears flowed from her eyes. “Thanks, King.”
He sat back, waving his hand, and dismissed her and Tymber. However, the man didn’t seem to be mollified. “You got something to say?” King raised one brow.
Tymber leaned down so he was on the same level as King. “What happened tonight wasn’t cool, but I know you did what you felt was right. Next time you want a meet and greet with me, call first. I don’t like having my chain jerked, especially by someone I liked and respected.”
“That sounds past tense, Tymber. I suppose I owe you an apology?”
He grinned as time ticked by. Frog and Groot shuffled their boots in the ensuing silence.
“Was that your apology?” Tymber asked, pulling Ivy into his side.
“That’s as good as you’re going to get. Now get the fuck out of here. Ivy, don’t be a stranger, girl.”
When the two walked out, he speared his prospects with a glare. “Now, let’s talk, boys, shall we?”
TYMBER WALKED OUT WITHIvy under his arm. He was shocked to see so many standing around, waiting outside for whatever they were anticipating happening. He’d be damned if it was a show of him getting his ass kicked.
“I suggest you stand the fuck down,” Tymber warned.
“Let them through, King’s orders.” Traeger moved away from the crowd, coming into the circle they’d formed around Tymber and Ivy, speaking loudly enough he could be heard over the murmurs.
“I’ll follow you, Ivy.” Tymber didn’t take his eyes off Traeger.
His breath stalled in his throat as she did what he said. He then proceeded to where he’d parked his bike, happy to see they hadn’t fucked it up. “Thanks for the hospitality.” Tymber fired his motorcycle up, moving it backward by using his feet. The red lights from Ivy’s Bronco flashed, showing Tymber she was stopping. He lifted two fingers, saluting Traeger before he followed Ivy. Fuck, his damn heart was near to bursting. Usually, he’d go for a long ride and get his head on straight. Instead, he followed Ivy as they rode out of the driveaway. A mile or so down the road, her Bronco swerved to the right, coming to a jarring stop on one of the scenic lookouts that dotted the highway. He let his bike come to a rolling halt next to her rig, waiting until she glanced his way. In his hurry to follow, he hadn’t put his helmet on. Usually, that would’ve been his first move. Now, he set the stand down after turning the key. The cool night air ruffled his hair while he sat, waiting for her to look his way.
When her head turned, and those eyes that were so green he swore he could get lost in them met his, he knew right then that he’d fallen in love for the first time. He dismounted the bike with ease, moving toward her. The driver’s door flung open, and he found himself holding onto a sobbing Ivy.
“You fool,” she whispered.
Tymber palmed the back of her head. “Is that all you’re gonna say?”
Ivy stood on her toes, her body shaking, not from cold, but the release of tension, he was sure. “They could’ve killed you.”
Gripping a handful of her hair in his fist, he ensured she couldn’t look away. “You shouldn’t have followed us.”
Ivy slapped his chest once, twice, three times, and then her hands went around his neck, pulling him down to her. “I will always follow you.”
He looked around them. Stars lit the night with the moon’s soft glow, creating a stunning landscape. In the still of the moment, he bent, taking her lips in a kiss that was a claiming. She was his, and he’d make damn sure nobody else could hurt her.
The need for oxygen had him breaking away from her lips, her arms around his neck squeezed. “We need to go before my body overtakes my mind, and I end up doing something stupid, like fucking you where we stand,” he muttered, kissing her again because he could do nothing else.
“I don’t care where we are. I want you now.” She released her hold, wriggling until he dropped his arms. Staring transfixed at the sight before him, he swore he was in heaven as her top was pulled over her head and then tossed aside. Her eyes held him spellbound while her fingers unsnapped her bra, giving him a glimpse of the perfect mounds while she peeled one side back and then the other, her shoulders rolling helped her remove the scraps of silk and lace.
“Fuck, you’re gonna kill me.” Honesty, he’d die happily if he was buried inside Ivy.
She unsnapped the button on her jeans. The sound of her zipper going down excited the fuck out of him. For too many nights, he’d fantasized about seeing all of her laid out before him. Again, he looked around the clearing. “Wait,” he ordered, stopping the shimming she was doing to get the tight as fuck denim off. He scooped her off the ground and carried her around to the passenger side, opening the door with one hand while still holding her with the other. Slowly, he let her slide down his front, the sweet sensation of her hard little nipples scraping against his shirt-covered chest.
He had yet to show her his scars from the removal of the cancer and the surrounding tissue. Hell, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever told her the extent of his fight. It was a fight he won and was at the five-year mark, meaning he was considered cancer-free, not in remission, but in the clear.
“There’s something I need you to know,” he broke eye contact, looking over the city below.
“Whatever it is, if you’re not married or have a girlfriend, and you’re not gay, which I’d be fine with, but then we’d have to—”
Tymber silenced her ramblings with a kiss, his body aching to feel her nakedness against him. “Let’s get a few things straight. For one, I’m not attracted now, nor have I ever been. Two, I don’t have a woman besides my sisters and nieces. Three, I’m done talking for the moment, woman. Take those jeans off unless you don’t like them, which I’d then happily destroy as I stripped you. Your decision.” He waited, watching Ivy’s chest move up and down, which was a work of art.
“What about you?” A grin accompanied his words with a sassy grin.
He undid the top button on his jeans. The crown of his dick sprung free from the tight confines. “I don’t want to get caught with my clothes off, but I promise you this. Once I get you to my place, you can explore ‘til your heart’s content.”
Her hand moved. The tip of her finger ran over the head, spreading the moisture over the mushroom-shaped top. “What about me?”
“Trust me, if anyone shows up, I can keep them occupied until you’re dressed. I have a feeling I won’t be wanting anyone else to see this body but me,” he groaned at the feel of her hand fisting his dick. “Pants off, Ivy,” he ordered.
He sighed at the loss of her touch until he saw her shimmy the jeans and a tiny scrap of lace down her legs. She stood straight, letting him look at her. “Fuck you’re perfect.”
With her jeans below her, she knelt, grabbed his jeans, and opened the fly further. Tymber nearly came at the sight of her kneeling before him, her little pink tongue swiping over her lips. God, he wanted to feel her mouth on him. “You planning on staring at my dick all night?”
Ivy leaned in, placing a kiss on the top of his aching cock, then swiped her tongue across, moaning as she slipped her mouth over the end. Tymber tunneled his hand into her hair, palming the back of her head, guiding her in the rhythm he wanted. She kept one hand on the base, keeping him from going too far. Pulling off, she looked up at him. “I can’t take it all,” she explained.
He nodded, giving her head a little tug. “Babe, what you’re doing is perfect.”
Ivy licked the tip again, her eyes fluttering closed. Tymber wanted to order her to look at him, but his eyes were closing as he enjoyed Ivy pleasuring him. Only the image of her on her knees sucking him was one he didn’t want to miss. He let her suck him for a few more minutes; each was a lesson in control. Finally, he tugged her off him, lifting her to a standing position. “The first time I come with you, I want it inside your pussy, not your mouth. Although I do reserve the right to replay this scenario again.”
“But I was enjoying myself,” Ivy pouted.
He placed her on the leather seat of her passenger side, his body moving between her thighs. “So was I, baby.” He stared down at her gorgeous body, spread out like an offering across the front seat of her vehicle. “Damn, I could look at you for days and still not have my fill of you.”
Ivy trailed her hand down her chest, tweaking both pert nipples before moving down to cover her mound. “I need you now,” she breathed out.
Wanting to give her what she wanted and what he needed, he moved back a pace, then he did what he wanted, taking her left breast into his mouth, sucking the tip before releasing it, and doing the same to its twin. Ivy ground against him, his dick so fucking hard he was sure he’d come two seconds after entering her. He gave her nibbling kisses, sucking the skin between his lips, leaving his mark on her until he reached paradise at the apex of her thighs. “I love this,” he whispered, running his nose through the neatly trimmed hair at the top. He spread her lips open, closing his lips over the hardened bundle of nerves. With his thumbs holding her open, he licked her from top to bottom, making her moan. He shifted, using one hand to spread those sweet pink lips, exposing her to his gaze, to his taking. “You’re beautiful.” He slipped a finger inside. The warm wetness that met him let him know she was on board and enjoying what he was doing. Adding a second finger, he pumped them in slowly while he licked her clit in a circular motion.
The flex and release on his fingers came seconds before she moaned his name. He pumped in and out with both fingers, making sure to let her ride out her orgasm. Once he was sure she was finished, he fished into the back pocket of his jeans, took out his wallet, and pulled a condom out.
She stared at him, then sat up. “Let me.” Ivy took the small foil wrapper, opening it with her teeth. In what he swore was an act to kill a man, she rolled the latex over his swollen dick.
He couldn’t contain the thrust of his hips at her ministrations. “Damn, are you done playing yet?” he questioned, running his finger through her folds. He used her wetness to coat his cock, hating the need for the condom.
“I was done playing a long time ago, Tymber.” Ivy placed one foot on the dash, the other on the seat of the Bronco. “Please, make love to me.”
Tymber shook his head. “You never have to beg me unless I ask you to, Ivy.”
With her hand guiding him, he pressed forward, watching the tip of his dick disappear inside Ivy. A vision he would never forget. In shallow thrusts, he moved in and out, going slowly so he didn’t hurt her. He lifted two fingers to her mouth. His dick jerked at the sight of her sucking them like she’d done his dick just moments ago. With a little pop, he brought the now wet tips to her clit, rubbing in slow tight circles. At the same time, he began moving faster. In, out, in, slow, fast, and then slow again. The flex and tightening surrounding him made it harder to hold back. “I’m close. Come with me, let me feel you coming around my cock, Ivy.”
Her hips swiveled, eyes glassy. She gasped for air. “Harder. Fuck me harder.”
Tymber pulled almost all the way out, watching her body as he pushed back in, then repeated the motion, slamming back inside harder, rubbing her clit at the same time. The near stranglehold of her inner muscles made it almost impossible for him to hold back, yet he did. “I want to hear you. Tell me what you need, baby.”
Ivy’s mouth opened on a silent scream, moaning as he pulled back. “Dammit, fuck me harder, faster,” she gasped.
He looked down to where they were connected, then up at her. A grin tilted his lips as he lifted his fingers off her clit. With a wink, he used his left hand to hold her open, exposing the tiny bundle of flesh to the night air and him. He gave her a little tap with his right hand. The instant flutter around his girth had him moaning. Another tap, this one a bit harder and on top of her clit instead of her mound, made her squeal. Close. He was so fucking close, but so was she.
Two quick slaps to her pussy made her scream his name, her pussy clamping down on him like a vice. He swore he saw heaven when his name was yelled out, her hips rolling and opening for his thrusts. With a groan, he let himself go, the tingle at the base of his spine no longer ignored as he came, calling her name.
“Motherfuck, that was amazing,” he panted. Leaning down, he kissed her, loving Ivy’s unique flavor. “Now that we’ve taken the edge off, can you drive to my place? It’s less than a five-mile drive from here.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure my body is my own yet.” She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him inside her.
Tymber felt his cock twitch but pulled out, the condom filled with come. “Come on, I’ll make this up to you.”
Ivy sat up, their bodies almost touching. “If you plan to do better than that, I think we need to have a doctor on standby.”
He had to agree that their coming together was the best thing he’d ever experienced. However, he was ready to try again just as soon as he got her to his place. He helped her to her feet, unable to stop his hands from smoothing over her sweet little ass. “Get dressed, Ivy. I’d tell you to drive naked, but I don’t want to push our luck.” The thought of someone coming upon her while she was undressed made his inner caveman rear its head.
He picked up her shirt, shaking it off before handing it to her. She slipped her panties on, then slid the top over her head. Her jeans were next, but he shook them out first, not wanting her to get dirty with the dust and gravel that littered the ground where they’d been lying. While she shimmied into the black denim, he adjusted his clothes. “Follow me,” he said once she was back behind the wheel.
Ivy lifted her hand, her finger curling toward her. “I need a kiss first.”