Chapter 64 #5
Onyx immediately turns away, while Riggs grins and slowly covers his eyes.
I fume as Stone easily climbs the stairs with me in his arms. My foot throbs, but I’m too worried about my gallery.
“I don’t need you carrying me.” I slap at him again.
“Stone, it’s just a piece of glass! Put me down!
” The slap on my ass leaves me dumbfounded.
The burn spreads, and I shriek, “Cut it out!”
He walks into his apartment right toward my bedroom and tosses me down on my bed. The same bed he just fucked me on half an hour ago. I bounce on my side.
“I told you to stay up here, dammit, you’re so stubborn!” He stalks out again, and I hear what sounds like slamming cabinet doors.
“Me!?” I shout towards the empty doorway. “You’re the definition of stubborn! I told you I was fine!” I sit up and put my foot on my lap, peering at my toe.
When he reemerges, walking into my bedroom, he’s carrying a first aid kit.
“You have a first aid kit here, too?” I start to giggle. It’s cute seeing the tall 6’6 biker, covered in tattoos, holding the small red box in his hand. “It’s very Boy Scout.”
He rolls his eyes and walks to me and puts my foot on his lap.
I lean forward as he opens the case and takes out an alcohol pad.
It reminds me of the day he stitched up my neck.
I touch the scar absently, and he pauses, watching me.
Something flashes in his eyes when my fingers trace the raised skin.
He opens an alcohol pad with his teeth and picks up a tweezer. I hiss when he gets near my toe.
“I haven’t touched you yet, Countess.”
“I was anticipating,” I mumble, as he carefully maneuvers the tweezers and quickly pulls out the glass.
There’s immediate relief. When he lifts my toe to his mouth and closes his lips over my skin, I stutter, “W-what…” The inside of his mouth is hot, and it’s sexy as fuck.
He watches me as he sucks, cleaning the leftover blood.
I lick my lips as he lowers my foot and cleans it with the alcohol pad, before fishing out a bandaid and wrapping it around my big toe. “Stay here.”
“No, Stone. I want to know what’s going on.”
Stone drags me up and grips my hair, holding a chunk. “Camryn, don’t piss me off right now.”
“Stone, don’t piss me off!” I rebut, pushing at his chest. The strain on my scalp shouldn’t make my pussy wet. I want to be mad at his boldness. He grits his teeth, and I like that he’s annoyed. Join the club, asshole.
He takes his other hand and holds my chin, squeezing slightly, “Don’t push me on this. I’ll allow your disobedience when my cock is in your mouth, ass or pussy, but not with this. Do you understand? It’s not safe. Stay here.”
He nips my lips, and the sting makes me tremble. His eyes focus on the small bite. “Fucking, brat.” Then he gets up and leaves. I fall back on my bed, watching him leave and head downstairs.
I didn’t listen.
The worry about my gallery is eating at me. As much as his high-handedness can be a turn on, but not with this, not with my place. My father did too much of that to last me a lifetime.
“They hit the club too.” I listen, eavesdropping outside the back door to the tattoo shop.
After finishing with my insurance company, I still felt numb about what had happened, needing to focus on what I had to do.
I’ll have to get the window fixed in the next few days.
How the hell am I going to accomplish it?
I have no clue. Not to mention the spray paint on the floors and walls needs to be fixed.
I need to buy lumber to board up the front, and new locks are a must.
“Fuck.”
Stone’s virulent curse brings me back to trying to figure out what the hell happened tonight. Was it a robber? Was it revenge? Maybe it was Reed? My father’s business enemies. I have no clue.
Four dead. Three injured. The clubhouse suffered damage. Scout says there are a few other injuries, but they’ll live. Either way, we have to figure out how they got past the gate.”
“We have someone inside,” Onyx says.
“I’d say so,” Riggs agrees.
What are they talking about? What club? I know he’s part of a motorcycle club, but this feels like more than a club of men who ride. This isn’t the first time I’ve felt like there is something bigger happening.
“It was a diversion. The whole fucking thing was a diversion.”
“Hundred percent. They planned this. They made you believe their numbers were in the city.”
“What’s does Hadrian say?”
“Blames us. Claiming it’s someone from the original gang.”
“Of course he is.” Onyx growls.
“They carved our names in their chest.”
I freeze hearing it. Literally carved? The savagery of it blows my mind.
“What did the message say?”
“That she’s a target.”
Riggs’s low curse makes me strain harder, wanting to hear it all. She? Who?
“I want a guard on her.”
“We only have Scout. Cade is injured and Easton is on watch. Maybe Jace can—”
Hearing my brother’s name, I perk up. What does Jace have to do with all this?
“No, I’m not involving him in this. He just had his daughter.”
“She’s his sister, Stef. He would want to know.” Riggs continues, and my thoughts race a mile a minute.
“I said no.” Stone tone is harsh, adamant.
“We don’t have time to consider your sensitive feelings, Stef. Just tell him. He’ll get over it.”
“What the fuck did you just say?”
“You heard me. He has the resources to keep her safe while we deal with this.”
“It’s not his concern.”
“Are you sure about that?”
They sound so angry, and I’m worried they will hurt each other.
Opening the door, I step through. “Sure about what?”
“Shit.” Riggs looks my way, his expression a mixture of anger and worry.
Stone turns, “Go upstairs.”
I shake my head and step further into his shop. “I’m not going anywhere. I want to know what you were talking about. What does my brother have to do with anything and why do I need some sort of protection?”
Onyx walks toward me and touches my arm gently. He doesn’t talk much, but I feel his worry. He leaves, and I watch him go. Something is wrong. I can feel it.
“We just think—”
“Not another word, Riggs.”
Riggs looks my way again. He wants to protest, but instead he walks out, slamming the door. It’s the first time I’ve seen him this angry. Stone bows his head, cursing. Tension radiates off him, and I can see the strain in his muscles.
“What the hell is going on?” I walk to Stone and touch his back. He shrugs me off, and I feel like I’ve been burned. He doesn’t want my comfort, my concern. “I have a right to know!”
“Why? Because I’ve fucked you?” He turns on me, his face masked in fury.
The bitter words burn like acid in my stomach.
“Yes! Yes, you arrogant son of a bitch! Yes, because you fuck me every night, all night!” I pound my chest, hating the cold look on his face.
The emotional distance between us yawns like a cavern.
“My gallery was vandalized, Stone! I have an artist showing in three days! So absofuckinglutely yes!” I spin around and point at the damage.
“I don’t know what this all means! And the cryptic looks and silences are getting on my fucking nerves.
My life just got turned upside down, and apparently, it has something to do with you! I deserve to know the truth!”
“If you just do what I say, then it won’t have to do with you! Go upstairs! Call your insurance company. Stay with your brother. Stay with your friends.”
“But—”
“Goddammit, Camryn, will you just fucking do it!? You can’t be here! Jesus Christ! What don’t you get right now!? This isn’t some game! I don’t have time to fuck around with you!”
This time, his words cut me to the quick, more than just hurting me. I know we are just having sex, but to say it in front of them like I’m just a piece of ass is devastating. He walks away, slamming through the doors.
When I head back inside my studio, Riggs and Onyx are kneeling, sweeping up the glass on the floor. They look up at me, pity in their eyes. They clearly heard us arguing, but I won’t let them see my tears.
“You okay?” Riggs asks
I curl my lip. Fuck him, too. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?
” I put my hands on my hips. “What is this about?” I point to the glass on the floor, the spray-painted walls.
Even Stone’s mural of me is defaced. Both he and Onyx stand, refusing to answer.
“So both of you are going to be fucking cowards too and avoid telling me? Fine. Get the fuck out then.” They felt like my friends before this moment.
Even brotherly. But right now, I realize I don’t really know them anymore than I know the man I’ve been giving myself to without protection.
And I don’t mean just sex. I didn’t protect my heart either.
Riggs looks angry, and I point behind me.
“Go! Get the fuck out!” He stands still, watching me.
I’ve gotten very good at stare offs lately.
His friend taught me well. When he walks away, my chest aches feeling like I’ve lost another thing.
I wait for him to slam the door, but it opens quietly, softly.
Onyx walks closer and says softly, looking right at me, his deep voice soothing. “He would tell you if he could. We would tell you if we could, but it’s safer this way.”
“Yeah? I feel pretty unsafe right now,” I scoff at his attempt to pacify me.
A deep sigh rumbles from his chest. “I can put up boards over the windows for tonight.”
“No. I can do it myself. I don’t want anything from you, from Riggs or him.” I lift my chin, refusing to soften. I just want to be alone and lick my wounds. Just like Riggs, Onyx exits without another word.
I stare out into the night, looking through the shattered glass still hanging from the frame. Stone’s cum slips down my leg, and I hate it. I hate that he’s shutting me out.