Chapter 16
brOOKE
There’s nothing like a hot bath to unwind after a day where your body has been put through it…and not the good kind. Every part of me hurts as the water feels burning hot. I have bruises on my bruises. Levi really went for it, not holding back, but every second of it was worth it. I learned a lot today, not just about fighting but about myself. I broke down—it was only for a minute as I realized for the first time, I truly had taken a life, not just one but four. Levi made me understand that it doesn’t matter. I’m not the girl who cries over four worthless human beings. I’m the girl who fights for those they hurt. Ellie, Nate, and countless unknown names.
We have one more day until we go to battle. I am strong, I am a fighter, and I will kill anyone involved in hurting those who can’t defend themselves. Tonight, we unwind and relax, and tomorrow, I will train again before we head to Jax’s to come up with a plan. Then, the next day is the day I have to show Chase, Asher, and Jax who I am. They don’t need to worry about me, I’m like them now and I think I always have been.
Chase headed out to get dinner, and honestly, I am thankful for the peace for a while. I need to get my head together on a few things, including albeit maybe not the most important thing right now to some people but Chase’s proposal. I told him I would marry him one day, and now he’s calling me his fiancée. I want to marry him, but I don’t want to be his little wife at home. If we do this then we do this as equal partners. We live and survive and thrive together and I hope he understands that. I think him taking me to the Twisted Brothers shows he does but I need to make sure.
I scrub every inch of me with soap and water, washing away the blood and pain from today before grabbing a towel and stepping out. I head into Chase’s bedroom, looking for clothing, as I really don’t want to put on the same clothes from earlier. I grin as I start to think about moving some of my clothes into his house. Wow, things have escalated quickly, yet it just feels right. Chase and I have been doing this dance for so long now.
I find a hoodie of his, slipping it over my bare body along with a pair of his boxer shorts. They both swamp me, but it will have to do. I dry my hair with the towel as best I can because I can’t find a hairdryer. Damn boys. How can they not have the basics?
I hear the door unlock and head downstairs, finding Chase in the kitchen unpacking our dinner. The smell of burgers and onion rings fills the air as my stomach growls in reaction.
He turns around and his face looks stunned. I smile softly as the intensity of his gaze as his eyes roam my body makes my face flush.
“You are so beautiful,” he says gently, and it does nothing to calm the butterflies in my stomach or the blush in my cheeks.
“Thank you,” I whisper softly. The distance closes between us as he steps forward a couple of paces, wrapping his arms around me as he lifts me up and kisses me gently as he spins me around. He drops me to my feet, and I pout.
“Food, baby girl,” he reminds me, and I laugh, nodding.
“Fine.”
We take a seat at the small dining table he has, and though very unladylike, I eat. My stomach appreciates the unhealthy meal as I devour it.
Chase shakes his head, laughing at me as I poke my tongue out at him and then stuff another onion ring in my mouth.
“So, do we have a plan for Wednesday?”
He nods. “Basically, it’s not perfect yet, but we know there’s likely to be five of them there. Our contact confirmed it. We are going to wait for them to arrive and sit and drink for a bit, make sure they’re not fully focused and a little off their game. It will make it easier for us to get in and disarm them if we need to.”
“Are we going to kill them?”
He nods without blinking. “Shane is the one we want; he’s the one that has direct contact with Deacon—the other guys don’t. They work for Shane, so they likely won’t know much. We take Shane and make him talk.”
“How?”
Chase pauses. “We have ways.”
“Torture,” I state simply and he just nods.
“You don’t need to be there for that part.”
“I want to be.” I reach over, taking his hand in mine. “I am here. I’m in this now till the end. Whatever you guys do, I need to know.”
Chase’s thumb caresses my hand as he smiles gently at me.
“Okay, but if you need to leave at any point, that’s okay too.”
I nod, going back to stuffing an onion ring in my mouth.
“Hey, maybe I’m a part of the Unholy Bastards now.” I shrug and giggle.
“Baby, you do a lot of things that are considered unholy—I don’t see why not.”
My face flushes again as I think of the night at Devin’s house.
“What?” he asks, smirking.
“I’m eating…no talking about…that till after.” I grin back, getting cheeky with him.
He groans. “Fine,” he chuckles.
“I spoke to Harper; she’s messed up, Chase. I don’t know how to help her anymore. Losing Nate, me going AWOL, and Asher withdrawing from her has left her…well…broken.”
He sighs. “I guess we didn’t do anything to help her after Nate.”
I shake my head. “Well, I didn’t either, I’m just as much to blame. I don’t want her getting involved in this, but we need to help her.”
He agrees. “Let’s get through the next few days and then worry about it. We have enough right now, but soon baby, I promise. Maybe if I talk to Asher, we can decide what to tell her. Maybe if we tell her some of it, just not all of it, it can help her. I dunno.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, she’s your best friend, and she needs us.”
There are a lot of things shrouded in darkness when it comes to Chase, but his heart still shines so brightly through it.
We sit in comfortable silence as we finish our food.
“So erm… About me being your fiancée…?” I trail off.
“You don’t want to marry me?”
“I do. I just…hearing that today was a shock, I don’t think I fully comprehended what me saying one day meant.”
He nods, taking a minute to process.
“How about for now, we park it. We both know it will happen eventually, but let’s not focus on it. I know I surprised you, and you deserve more than the way it just slipped out. I love you, and you being away for so long, hating me, it just…”
I push my chair back, standing up.
“You don’t need to explain Chase.” I take his hand in mine, pulling him up and guiding him over to the sofa.
“I love you; I’m not going anywhere. I can see me being your wife but with everything going on right now, I can’t think about that yet. Not until I know we’re all safe. I meant it when I said yes, okay? But I also meant it when I said one day. I’m just finding out who I am now, after…”
His fingers caress my cheek. “You need to figure out who you are before you understand who you are as a fiancée and a wife. I get it, Brooke. One day is good enough for me.”
I smile gently at him, leaning forward to kiss him gently. His tongue quickly finds its way to play with mine as he pulls me into his lap. My legs straddle him, and heat flushes my cheeks as I remember this position in the car earlier.
“You owe me,” I whisper against his lips.
“Oh yeah? And what do I owe you, Hellcat?”
“A mind-bending orgasm.” I giggle.
“My girl, so single-minded at times.” He chuckles before lifting me up suddenly. “I want you in my bed, Brooke.” He smirks before carrying me up the stairs, kissing me the whole time. Our bodies are already melting into one another. His hands are on my thighs, fingers pressing into my skin as I hear him kick the door open.
He gently sets me down on my feet, smiling at me as he tugs my high ponytail playfully. “This makes me think of filthy things, Brooke. Fucking your mouth brutally and making you smear your makeup again.”
I whimper at the thought because last night felt so raw and almost primal, and the thought of that happening again has my body ablaze.
“You want that baby? Your man fucking that tight little throat again?”
I nod because no words will come out.
He laughs. “Good, but not yet. I want you a writhing mess on my bed right now, coming over and over again till you beg me to stop because you’re so fucking sensitive you can’t take it anymore, and only then, when you’re truly submissive, will I fuck that mouth of yours, and then I’ll fuck this tight little cunt you have.”
Holy fuck. My mind races. Every time I sleep with Chase, I realize how kinky this man is and exactly how lucky I am.
“I…”
His fingers touch the hem of my hoodie.
“I what… Use your words, Brookie.”
“I want that.” It comes out all at once, and I’m not even sure it makes sense.
He pulls his hoodie over my head, tossing it to the side.
“You’re going to let me eat that pretty pussy, Brooke?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good girl.”
“Are you going to come all over my face, Brooke?” He slowly undoes his shirt before letting it fall to the floor.
“Yes, sir.”
“You don’t have to wait for my permission the first time, but if you come more than once, and you will, you ask first. Okay?”
“I…uh…”
He gently pulls down his boxers from my body, kissing my thigh as he does…
“What was that, Brooke?”
He pops the button on his jeans, unzipping them before stripping them off. He keeps his eyes on mine the entire time.
“Yes, sir,” I repeat, but honestly, I have no clue how I would ever be able to make myself not come. Chase knows exactly how to please a woman, and I don’t know if I could stop when he does all those things he does.
“Good girl,” he whispers, kissing me suddenly softly and sweetly as he backs my naked body to the bed. He pushes me down as he climbs on top of me. His rock-hard cock presses against me as he continues to kiss me deeply but sweetly. His fingers run up and down my arms, again and again.
“I love you,” he says, breaking the kiss for just a moment before resuming his onslaught of soft touches and kisses that make my body go into overdrive. He kisses my neck, biting me gently where my shoulder meets it.
“I love you too,” I barely manage to get out. His kisses move lower as I feel his fingers slip through my pussy, rolling one of them over my clit.
My nipple is now in his mouth as he sucks, bites, and plays with it. His finger teases me as his eyes remain on mine. I can barely register every touch of his mouth and fingers. His other hand massages my breast as he bites my nipple, pulling it upward. I gasp as I feel that, and two of his fingers slip inside of me. God, this man knows how to make my body sing for him. My whole body quivers in anticipation as I feel my orgasm quickly build. His fingers curl inside of me, pressing against a spot that makes my body arch.
“There,” I whimper.
“You like that baby girl?” he whispers, looking up at me.
I bite my lower lip, nodding at him.
“Thank you for telling me.” His fingers graze against there again, and my eyes roll back as my vision swims. He continues to work my clit and pussy with his fingers, his mouth returning to my nipple, and then it hits so suddenly. I orgasm, moaning his name, almost crying out as the pleasure erupts through my body. He doesn’t stop though, instead going quicker, extending the pleasure.
“Chase,” I whimper. And I feel him smile against my breasts as his kisses go lower, over my stomach. His fingers move just briefly as he adjusts himself between my thighs.
His hands go around them, pulling me down the bed to him. He leans in, smelling my orgasm. “So fucking sweet,” he says to himself more than me before I feel his tongue slip through the wetness.
My fingers grip the bed sheets beside me as he tastes me, tastes what he does to me, and in that moment, I know.
I don’t stand a chance without this man.