22. Amber
22
AMBER
“Yes!” I cry, knowing we should not be doing this with all the crazy shit that’s going on around us, but I also know that if I don’t have him inside me right this very minute, I don’t want to live another day.
“Feel how tight you are, squeezin’ my cock like a vice,” Bronco’s words are right at my ear, and I shudder. I’m right on the edge.
I hiss, my core aching to come, the buildup is more than I can handle. “That’s because I love it.” My breathing is coming in hard and fast. It’s like we’re both unable to control ourselves.
I feel him tug my hair into his fist, and it’s so damn sexy. “You love what I do to you, don’t you, Princess?”
“Harder,” I moan.
He pistons his hips as he rams furiously in and out, and I cannot catch my breath. Hell, I don’t ever want to catch my breath. I was a fool to think that we could ever be intimate and not have feelings. I was kidding myself. We both were.
The way he stretches me feels so good. I never knew sex could be like this, even when it’s hard and fast. Of course, Bronco knows how to be sweet, but I also like him when he loses control. I do that to him, and it makes my heart beat faster in a way it never has before. I know we have to be quick, but what I’d give for him to take his time. To caress my body with his mouth. After being in his bed, there is no way I could ever want anyone else. There is nobody like Bronco.
When he moves his hand between my legs, brushing against my clit, it’s all the friction I need and I explode so hard, I see stars. He follows behind, cursing as I feel him pulsing inside me, emptying his load as he grunts my name into my neck. One hand cupping my breast, the other gripping my hip.
“Fuck, that was good,” he manages between pants.
“No question that we’re well and truly in the honeymoon phase.”
He pulls out immediately, cupping his dick as he reaches to the desk for the tissues. He wipes his dick, then me, and tosses the tissues in the trash can nearby. I’m still plastered against the door when he’s zipping himself back into his jeans.
“You good?” Is it just me, or does he sound smug?
“I am now.” I managed to peel myself off the door, tucking my breasts back into my bra and pulling my jeans up. “You’re a bad influence.”
“Me?” He thumbs his chest. “Pretty sure you reached for my belt buckle before I had the chance to stop you.”
“Like you were gonna protest.”
“I’m not just a piece of meat.” Even he can’t keep the grin off his face.
“I think we both know that’s not true.”
He pulls me to him and I yelp in surprise. “Cheeky.”
“We should get back. Olive could be looking for me.”
“Just like you to seduce me in the middle of a crisis with that sinful body of yours,” he mutters in my ear.
I press my lips together. “I could say the same about you.”
“Least I got a parting gift. I’ll be dreamin’ about you every second I’m gone.”
I turn, my face dropping. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow. I’m no good sittin’ here twiddlin’ my thumbs when we could be out there findin’ Erica.”
“You don’t have to?—”
He puts a finger over my lips. “We already discussed this, AJ.”
“If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself,” I whisper.
“Nothin’ is gonna happen, babe, but the longer Erica is out there by herself, the worse this is gonna get for her.”
“I just wish she’d call me. She hasn’t even checked up on Olive.” I try not to let the tears return.
“Only because she knows Olive is in capable hands with an aunt who loves her.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
He brushes the hair off my face, tucking a lock behind my ears. “Not ever gonna tell you what you wanna hear, but sometimes you’re too hard on yourself.”
“I’ve always been this way. I’ve always pushed myself.”
“That’s because you’re a survivor. What you did all those years ago is fucking amazing. Without your strength and resilience, you wouldn’t have made it out of there.”
It’s true, even though I don’t want to admit it. I was the one who instigated the entire escape. Sometimes I don’t know where the will came from, but there was always a belief that something more than that place existed. There was more out there for me.
I vowed then and there; I would never, ever go back. Nor would I do anything that wasn’t with my entire heart and soul. Bronco isn’t the only one who’s all about the vibe.
“I guess I’ve never really looked at it like that. I’ve kinda avoided thinking about it too much over the years. The things that were done to me and what I lived through were sheer hell, but I put it all in a box, locked it away and threw away the key.” I shake my head at the memories. “I just wanted to move on with my life, but maybe there are still things in the past that I need to put to rest. Nothing can hurt me now. What happened is in the past, and I can’t change any of it.”
“Trauma can last a lifetime,” Bronco says. “But I’m here for you in any which way I can.”
“I know that.” I cup his face. “You’re my rock.” I press my lips against his.
“You wanna be my ol’ lady?”
I quirk a brow. “Is that even a question?”
“That a yes?”
“I thought we were taking things slow?” I can’t even hide the smile that’s playing on my lips.
He snorts. “Slow? We just declared our love for one another, then I fucked you against a door while pullin’ your hair. I think we went way past goin’ slow, babe.”
I giggle. “You’re right. It’s the kiss-cam that did it.”
“You gonna take credit for that for the rest of your life?”
“Maybe.”
He rubs his nose against mine. “Smart ass.”
“We better go.”
“Yeah, got shit to do tonight.”
I bite my lip, knowing he’s talking about Erica. My heart hurts that he’s doing this, but I also know there’s no stopping Bronco when it comes to doing what he says he’s going to do. I never want him to think he has to do my family’s dirty work, but knowing that he’s going to find Erica also gives me hope. I have to stay strong for Olive. She’s all I have left.
“I love you, don’t ever forget that.”
His hand is on the door as he kisses me chastely once more. “Not as much as I love you.”
Bronco
What Amber doesn’t know is I’ve been conducting my own investigation for the last couple of days. I know she’s a strong woman, and I don’t wanna hide shit from her, but telling her that this isn’t Erica’s first debt to gangsters would devastate her. Maybe Erica didn't mean to get involved from what Amber has told me over the years; she doesn’t strike me as the type of woman who’s a troublemaker. Nor does she seem to be a person who would get tied up with the underworld. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I know how it feels to hit rock bottom.
“Another debt?” I lift an eyebrow at Rock.
“You know Star’s gonna kill me for sayin’ shit.”
I give him a pointed look. “I’m lookin’ out for Amber. I need to know stuff, especially since Cash okayed me goin’ to Baton Rouge.” I’m a little surprised he agreed. He’s not an asshole by any means, but the club going into lockdown until the MC is cleared is no laughing matter. Of course, he’s also not going to let an innocent woman be gunned down over a debt, not when she’s Amber’s family.
“Shit’s gettin’ real. You need a hand?”
“You offerin’?”
“Yeah, gotta let my ol’ lady know, but I’m good to go.”
Rock’s ol’ lady, Aspyn, is quieter than some of the other women of the club, but she’s always around helping out wherever she can. Aspyn does a lot for local charities in New Orleans, and while she may have grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth, she definitely doesn’t act like it.
“Ryder’s comin’, and Pipes,” I say.
“Jett would come too, but Summer is workin’ night shift, so he’s waitin’ around the hospital until she finishes.”
“Thinkin’ four of us will be enough.”
“Hey.” We both turn to find Stella leaning against the doorway. “Heard you’re getting out of here. Any chance I can come with you?”
Silence ensues for a few seconds before me and Rock both burst out laughing.
Stella immediately bristles. “What’s so funny, asshats?”
“You think your old man is gonna let you outta here when we’re on lockdown to go to Baton Rouge?” I balk.
“Wait, you’re going to Baton Rouge? What for?”
Great, me and my big mouth.
“Nothin’,” Rock says. “Mind your business.”
She flips Rock the bird. “I meant to go get some clothes. Dad literally threw me and Kai in the car and I was barely able to get anything. It takes work to look like this.”
“Don’t need to look good for anyone around here,” Rock mutters.
“Twenty goin’ on forty-five,” I agree.
“Why does everyone around here treat me like a little kid?” she whines. “I’m almost legal enough to be in a bar, and a grown adult.”
I smirk. “Tell that to your pops. He’s the one who’ll hunt any one of us down if we let you come with us.”
She ignores that completely. “So tell me about Baton Rouge. What’s taking you all the way up there?”
Rock glances at me. “You started this, brother.”
“Hey, I’ve got ears.” Stella waves her hands. “Stop bein’ asswipes and tell me, I’ll find out anyway.”
“Don’t you have somethin’ else to be doin’?” I thumb over my shoulder. “Pretty sure Manny’s lookin’ for someone to help dish up the grub.”
She places her hands on her hips. “So right away you try to put my ass in the kitchen?”
“He’s one of your best friends.” I shrug. “Don’t go gettin’ all worked up over it.”
“Can see where she gets her temper from.” Rock smirks.
She shoots daggers his way. “Fine, don’t go gettin’ your panties in a knot when I tell you what Cale Callaghan told me.” She turns to leave, clearly knowing she’s got our attention.
Cale Callaghan is one of the detectives always breathing down our necks. The very second he can pin something on this MC, he’s here like a dog with a bone.
I frown. “Since when have you been talkin’ to Callaghan?”
She shrugs. “He comes by the bakery.” I notice the little smile on her lips.
“He’s bad news,” Rock reminds her before I can. “Don’t go tellin’ him shit about nothin’ to do with this club, Stell, you hear me?”
She sighs loudly. “As if I would. Not dumb, Rock. I know my place around here. At least Indigo treats me with respect, unlike all of you.”
“Since when has anyone not treated you with respect?” I’m intrigued now.
“Tag’s always telling me off when I try to help. Dad treats me like I’m a teenager with pigtails, and he’s always getting Kai to spy on me, even though Kai is younger than me.”
“Ever wondered if it’s because your pops cares about you?” Rock suggests. “Some kids don’t have a parent who gives a shit about what they’re doin’ or who they’re with.”
“Great, now you’re trying to make me feel bad,” she grumbles.
“Stop changin’ the subject. Spill what you know.” I point at her. “Keepin’ shit from us won’t sit well around the table.”
“You wouldn’t, Bronco.” Her tone suggests that in fact, maybe I would, but she isn't quite sure. “That’s a bullshit move.”
I don’t give her an inch. She’s Harlem’s kid, and she’s smart. If there’s anyone in this clubhouse able to get information out of a cop, it’s her. I also don’t want to think about exactly how she got that information. That’s Harlem’s problem, not mine. “Spill.”
“Fine. I saw him downtown and he was asking about the Cut City Boys.”
I sit up a little straighter. Stella may not be around the meeting table, but she’s got ears, and all the women talk amongst themselves. We’re not stupid. “And? What did you tell him?”
“I didn’t tell him shit, but he told me to watch my back and don’t be going anywhere alone.”
“That’s awfully chivalrous of him, but that’s not groundbreakin’. You got anythin’ more, because me and Rock are aging over here and we got shit to do.”
“He told me the Cut City Boys were funded by some external organization, or were going to be before the raid,” she says.
We both stare at her. Why would Callaghan, a clear enemy of the MC, tell her that?
“What the fuck?” Rock barks. “When did he tell you this?”
“A few days ago.”
I give her a chin lift. “Which organization?”
“He didn’t say.”
Rock glances at me. “Gotta be the Disciples. Bane will know if he hasn’t already started diggin’.”
“Who are the Disciples?” Stella comes a little closer. “So they’re based in Mississippi? Is it a rival MC?”
I shoot Rock a look. Great. Now she’s got club business information ready to share with the rest of the women. “Forget you heard that,” I say. “He say anythin’ else?”
“Just to be careful. Now that Cut City Boy’s reign of terror is over, there’s always some new threat to the neighborhood,” she goes on.
I fold my arms over my chest. “Why’s he so fuckin’ interested in tellin’ you shit? You shouldn’t be talkin’ to him.”
“You can’t tell me who I can and can’t talk to, I’m a grown ass adult. He’s also a customer, and he was just being nice.”
Rock and I both snort. “Right,” Rock mumbles.
“Don’t tell him shit, Stell, I mean it,” I warn her. “He’s lookin’ for anythin’ he can to pin shit on this club, and you know what that means for all of us.”
She shoots me an evil glare. “There you go again, treating me like I’m a child. I told you I would never tell him anything, but you attract more bees with honey than you do with vinegar, Bronc.”
“I hope you’re not givin’ him any honey,” I throw back. “The guys a first class asswipe, and he’s only butterin’ you up to see what you know.”
“It’s lucky I’m good at playing dumb then, isn’t it? I love this club, and as nice as Cale is to me, that doesn’t mean I’d give him anything. I’m smarter than that. He was clearly letting me know about the organization so I’d tell you, and I’m trying to figure out why he’d do that.”
Rock meets my gaze. “She has a point,” Rock says. “Question is, why’s he stirrin’ shit and talkin’ to Stella instead of bein’ a real man and comin’ to the club directly?”
“Because she’s a chick and he wants her to do his dirty work, and she won't tell him to fuck off, will you, Stell?”
She pokes her tongue out at me. “I’m not doing dirty work. He seemed genuinely concerned.”
“Well, this club is quite capable of lookin’ after its property,” Rock mutters. “Would be good to knock that prick on his ass.”
“Don’t be so awful, he didn’t mean any harm,” Stella says. “And like I said, if you go around bein’ assholes to him, of course he’s gonna take issue with every one of us.”
I look at her pointedly. “You tell your old man what he said?”
She opens her mouth then closes it again.
“That’s what I thought.” I smirk. “He’d be pissed, probably ban him from comin’ in Sweet Treats.”
“It’s not my dad’s shop, it’s Indigo’s. The club may have bought in, but she has the majority say, and Indigo doesn’t have an issue. I bet I could find out a whole range of things if I really wanted to.”
I sigh. “Stella, usin’ your looks and your body to get intel isn’t what the club wants you to do, so don’t be usin’ that to try and get prospectin’. It won’t work.”
Her cheeks flush. “I never said that’s what I’m doing!”
I glance over her patent faux leather pants and crop top. “Right.”
“Yeah, and I’m sure Callaghan doesn’t mind havin’ you fawnin’ all over him. Probably why he flapped his gums,” Rock muses.
“You two are just the worst. I don’t even know why I bother telling either of you anything,” she huffs. “I thought it would be useful.”
“It is useful,” I try to soften my tone. We all know Stella is overly sensitive sometimes, and has that fiery Creole heritage, just like her dad. “We just mean don’t be lettin’ Callaghan drool all over you, or let him sweeten you up for information. At the end of the day, he’s a cop. A cop who hates this club with a passion.”
She pokes me in the chest. “You know what? Maybe I don’t mind him drooling all over me, but just remember one thing. I’ve got a brain in my head, and I’m not afraid to use it, or show off my body if that’s what it takes to get what I need to in order to help protect this club.”
“That ain’t your job,” I say. “While it’s appreciated, you don’t need to work that shift. You could be puttin’ yourself in danger unnecessarily.”
“Fuck you, Bronco.” She storms off before I can say anything else.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “What did I say? She’s the one goin’ on about fuckin’ Callaghan. What’s his game plan?”
“Plant the seed, knowing that Stella will come back and tell the club. I don’t know what his endgame is, but there’s a message in there somewhere,” Rock says.
I palm the back of my head. I’ve got a lot to do tonight, including going to Amber’s place to grab some of her and Olive’s stuff. Until we have final confirmation that the last of the Cut City Boys are dead, and Bane has control over the Disciples, this will be their new home.
“Too fuckin’ right. The man’s a dog for tellin’ Stella shit. Can’t be a man and come and say it himself.” I shake my head. We gotta keep an eye on Callaghan because I don’t like the feeling I get in my gut. He hates us primarily because we beat him to every single raid. Even when the NOLA Police force got all the credit for getting rid of the mob in New Orleans when Bella’s father and uncle were at the helm, when in fact it was the MC, we didn’t do shit about it. We were happy to be out of the limelight, and the only reason none of us got arrested was because Callaghan and his cronies couldn’t pin it on the club. We did all the dirty work for him, and he gets all the medals.
“Why would he, when he’s got a pretty little thing wound around his little finger,” Rock replies.
“Yeah, gotta do somethin’ about that.” I just don’t know what yet because I’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Callaghan issues can wait. First, we gotta go find Erica.