19. Chapter Nineteen
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ORA
After dinner, we move to the bar, playing pool and having a few drinks. When Daisy, Rose, and a few other club girls step into the room, I control my reaction. I understand this is part of their life, and I can’t act sour every time I have to be around them. Still, I ignore them as much as I can, kicking Lore’s butt once again.
“You’re a pool shark,” he mutters, shaking his head. His hair has come slightly loose out of his man bun, and he looks like one of the men on the covers of my books. One of the club girls sits on Rome’s lap, and my nose wrinkles as I look away. “Want to play doubles? Haze and Angel just walked in, and we should take them for all they’re worth.”
War took Ghost, and the twins with him, and it’s kind of quiet without them here. Scorp is sitting with Rome, but he’s ignoring the women who try and get his attention. Daisy comes up behind him and wraps her arms around his neck.
“Sure, I’ll play a few more games, and then I’m going to bed,” I say, my eyes narrowing on Haze as he approaches.
“Me and Ora, against you two,” Lore announces, putting chalk on his cue.
“We’re going to kick your ass.” Haze smirks, his amber eyes amused.
“Want to bet on that?” Lore replies, and the man has a good poker face, let me tell you. They all throw some money in, typical men, unable to say no to a challenge. Angel doesn’t say much, but I feel his eyes on me in between his turns.
We win the first game, and Rome and Scorp come over to watch.
“You know, Ora. Scorp was at the top of his class in med school,” Rome starts, crossing his inked arms over his chest. “And he lives by the beach. He surfs too.”
Lore and I share an amused look. This feels like an interview. Does Rome really not want me with War, his own fucking VP?
“Really? I love the beach. I don’t think I’d be good at surfing, though,” I reply, bending over to take my shot. One of the men makes a sound deep in his throat, but I don’t know which one. Lore does a little happy dance, which involves thrusting when I sink two balls.
“Maybe Scorp could give you a lesson,” Rome adds, shrugging like it’s a casual suggestion and not an evil plan to get me away from War.
Handing Lore my cue, I study my father. I want to call him out on this bullshit, but now isn’t the time. We will be having this chat in private. Haze comes to stand next to me. I turn my focus onto him. “So you and Lu used to be neighbors.”
He runs his hand over his short brown hair. “Yeah, we did.”
“Did you recognize her when you saw her at the clubhouse?” I ask, trying to figure out where his head is at with her.
He doesn’t want to talk about Lu, but it only makes me more intrigued. Is he interested in her or not? He wets his lips before he speaks, “Yeah, when she walked up to me, I did. You don’t forget a face like that.”
“Then why…” My brow furrows. Why did he reject her, go off with other women, then come back and demand to be the one to drive her home, only to not even speak to her on the drive?
And they say women are complicated.
Daisy comes and rests her hand on Haze’s chest, stroking it down his white T-shirt. “Fuck, babe, you’ve been working out, haven’t you?”
He doesn’t stop her but doesn’t pay her much attention either. At least that’s what I think until his hand reaches down to absently squeeze her ass.
“You men really are like brothers,” I announce, wrinkling my nose. “Sharing everything. Women. STDs.”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Daisy snaps, losing her cool demeanor. “You’re just jealous. I fuck War better than you ever could.”
“Well, you are a professional club whore, so I guess you do have more experience.”
She steps forward, raising her hand to slap me.
Rome grabs it before she has the chance. “You lay a hand on my daughter, and you will never step through those doors again. You get one chance, Daisy. You understand me?”
“Yes, Sir,” she mumbles, ducking her head.
“Get out of here.”
She rushes off.
Wait, does my dad sleep with her too? That’s fucking gross.
I win the game. Lore grabs the money and offers me half, but I tell him he can keep it all, and then I leave.
War’s bed is empty without him.
Remembering his words, I take a photograph of me laying on his silk sheets, naked. My hair is tangled all around me, and my smile is sultry. When I’m about to send it, I note he’s sent me a few messages I didn’t see.
War
I’m serious, Ora. Prez would have you married to Scorp before I even ride back.
Just the thought of it pisses me off. Fuck. I can’t focus. I just want to be in bed with you.
Lore said you just won him some money.
Smirking, I send the picture with the caption Missing you too.
War
Fuck, baby. You are so beautiful. I’m fucking hard looking at you. Scorp didn’t touch you?
Ora
No, War. Only you get to touch me.
War
That’s right. You wait until I get back.
Ora
You better do the same.
I don’t know what happens on these runs, but a thought hits me. Is he in another clubhouse surrounded by their women?
Ora
Are you around other club girls there?
War
There are women here, but I don’t want them.
Ora
Did they try to fuck you?
Now, I’m the jealous one.
He calls me, and when I answer, the first thing he says is, “I told everyone I’m not interested. The chapter president here offered me my pick, but I said I was taken now. I don’t want anyone else, Ora. I’m in bed right now wanting to jerk off to that picture you sent me.”
“Your pick?” I wince. “Well, if I don’t get to touch myself, you don’t either.”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind now. I want to hear you,” he rasps, and I hear the rustling of some sheets. “Be a good girl for me and touch those sexy brown nipples of yours.”
“Are you hard?”
“Rock hard, baby.”
I put the phone on speaker and do as I’m told.
“Pinch them gently, just how you like it. Pretend it’s my fingers touching you.”
“War,” I moan, and he hums his approval. “Are you touching yourself?”
“Fuck yes, I am. I want you to touch your pussy for me. Tell me how wet it is, Ora,” he asks.
“It’s wet, really wet for you.” I swallow thickly, dipping my finger inside.
“Such a good fucking girl you are. Now tease that little clit…”
War directs my every move, and I’m panting and wishing he was here, giving me the real thing. Then, when I come, he joins in. The growling noise he makes is so sexy I almost come again.
“You locked the door?” he asks, his voice a deep rumble.
“Yeah.”
A pause, and then, “He wants you with Scorpio, doesn’t he?”
“I don’t know, but he did try and get him to give me a surfing lesson,” I admit.
War curses. “I don’t care what he wants. I’m not letting you go. You’re mine , Ora. Prez is going to have to accept that.”
“I’m not going anywhere, War.”
“Lore told me about what happened with Daisy,” he says, almost hesitantly.
Sighing, I twirl my hair around my finger. “It’s hard being around her, knowing you fucked her after me. And I don’t even know which other women here you’ve been with. And yes, I know we weren’t together then, but that doesn’t change how I feel about it.”
“I’d go on a killing spree if the roles were reversed, so I get it, baby,” he admits. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What?”
“When I met you that night, I’d only just got out of prison. I did five years. That’s why I didn’t… last as long as I normally do that first time,” he confesses, sounding a little sheepish.
Wait! What?
“I was the first woman you’d been with in five years?”
He was in prison?
How didn’t I know this?
“Yeah,” he says, clearing his throat. “And you were worth the wait. But when I couldn’t find you again, yeah, I fucked other women. I hadn’t had pussy in years, Ora. And I wanted to make up for lost time. I even tried staying away from you because I knew that I fucking liked you too much. You’re different, and I didn’t know if I was ready for that.”
“You didn’t know if you were ready to only be with one woman?” I ask, reading between the lines. He didn’t want to settle down or commit. He’d just been locked up and wanted to fuck around.
Okay, that hurts.
“Ora—”
“Do you still feel that way?” I whisper.
“No,” he replies straight away, and then, “ No ,” louder this time. “I’ve been all in. And that’s where I’m staying.”
“Why did you go to prison?”
“Club got involved in some shit. We were running weapons, and we got caught. I took the fall.”
“Why are you only telling me now?”
“I don’t want secrets between us. Prez will use that to?—”
“So you’re only being honest now because you’re scared someone else will tell me and try and use it to pull us apart?”
He goes silent, and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head.
“Right. I’m going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Ora—”
I end the call.