Chapter Fourteen
Bella
I sit in the kitchen with Red as she feeds Meli, and it reminds me so much of my boys, the way she turns her nose up every time her mum tries to give her something with any nutritional value, but secretly eyes up the crisps Red is hiding on the chair beside her.
“Mumma, cwispies, please.” Meli smiles, her grin ear to ear.
Red rolls her eyes. “No, Meli, you have to eat your banana first.”
“But Daddy let me.”
“Daddy knows better,” she says, glaring at him across the room and he shrugs.
“Daddddddyyyyy.” Meli smiles sweetly, and I laugh out loud.
“You heard Mummy,” he answers.
“Noooooo.” She accentuates every letter. “Daddddyy, cwispies.”
He approaches her, smirking. He goes to grab the bag of crisps, but Red snatches them out his hand, glaring at him. “I don’t think so.”
Meli whines, and Rock leans down, placing a tender kiss on her head. “Sorry, Princess, the boss has spoken.” He ruffles her hair before leaving the kitchen. Meli folds her arms and pouts at her mum.
Red shakes her head, looking across the table at me.
“Please tell me it gets easier.”
“Liam wasn’t around for my boys at this age.
He never liked the baby and toddler stage.
Although looking back, he just wanted me to stay home whilst he went out and played the field.
I thought it was great that he wanted me to stay home and take care of the boys, so I never had the battle you’re facing with Rock. ”
“Ugh, he doesn’t realise he’s creating a diva.”
“Listen, at least no man will ever walk all over her, especially not with Rock as her dad.” I whistle, knowing deep down the trouble this girl is going to cause her daddy as she gets older.
“Hmmm . . . I am pretty sure he’s creating a monster.”
Clay steps into the kitchen and heads for the coffee machine.
The moment his eyes lift to mine, it’s like the air is sucked clean out the room.
My chest tightens, and I can’t breathe. I rise from my seat a little too quickly, snatching up my coffee just to give my hands something to do, somewhere to put the panic.
Red clocks it immediately. She doesn’t say a word, just gives me a small, knowing nod as I hurry towards the door.
The second I’m outside, I stop and drag in a rough breath, like I’ve been drowning and only just found the surface.
That’s when I hear her.
That voice. Her voice. I would recognise it anywhere. My grip tightens around the mug until my knuckles ache. Brandy’s giggle bounces through the doorway, sharp and sickly, crawling over my skin like poison I’ve tasted before.
I square my shoulders. She might have pushed me out of one life, but she’s not taking this one from me. Not without a fight.
“Ooooh, look what the cat dragged in,” she snides as she sees me making my way through the bar area.
She shimmies up to Slayer, and he suddenly looks guilty.
“Did you know she had her kids taken away from her?” she whisper-yells, making sure I can hear her.
I slam my cup on the nearest table and storm over.
Slayer takes a step back, and it spurs me on further, suddenly understanding the power that an ol’ lady holds.
Brandy might think she holds all the cards, but in reality, she’s just a fuck toy, here for the pleasure of the brothers.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” I hiss.
She laughs. The bitch actually laughs.
“Bella, I’m the woman who stole your life, fucked the brains out of your husband ‘til he left you, and mothered those doting boys.”
I ball my fists beside me. “And does he know that you take your clothes off for money?” Her smile falters. “No, I didn’t think so.”
She recovers quickly. “Oh, hunny, he wouldn’t care.” She runs her hands along her slim frame. “Why would he, when he can have the Rolls Royce of fucks whenever he pleases?”
“He might, however, wanna know that dirty little pussy he’s been screwing has been with every brother in this room.” I smirk, and the confident mask that had been firmly in place begins to slip.
“You’re only jealous because he left you high and dry, and now, you have no one. Even these brothers wouldn’t touch you.”
“Really?”
She grins, thinking she’s got one-up on me. I see Red approaching from behind, and I shake my head.
“Maybe you didn’t get the memo.” She looks at me, confused, and I laugh at her, shaking my head. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. Club whores don’t get to know the ins and outs of club business.”
“Whatever. What would you know about this club?” she snaps, and I know I’ve got under her skin now, after all these months of her teasing and taunting, parading my own children in front of me.
“Well, I think you’ll find I’m now the VP’s ol’ lady.” I wink.
“Pah, not a fucking chance,” she says, looking across to Slayer for confirmation. He nods, and her smile fades.
“So, I think you need to show an ol’ lady some fucking respect,” I snap, turning on my heel, my heart pounding in my chest.
Brandy shrieks behind me. “You always land on your feet, the pampered fucking princess,” she screams as she launches herself towards me, grabbing my hair. My head snaps back, the roots pulling at the scalp. “You fucking bitch,” she yells.
The brothers run towards the commotion, Slayer grabbing hold of her wrist. I grab her arm, forcing it towards my scalp to prevent the pull any further.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Clay’s bellowing voice penetrates my soul, and I freeze for a second. Brandy releases my hair, strands dangling from her fist. The room is deathly silent, with just the sound of our heavy breaths.
“I said, what the fuck is going on?” he demands, looking at Brandy.
“She was winding me up,” she screeches.
I step in front of Clay before he can move, my hand already swinging. The slap lands hard across Brandy’s cheek, the crack of it echoing through the room. She staggers, eyes wide, her palm flying to her face as she gapes at me in shock.
Silence swallows the clubhouse.
Every pair of eyes is on us. I hear the low ripple of whispers from the brothers, confusion and curiosity buzzing in the air.
I take one deliberate step closer, leaning in until she has no choice but to look at me.
“If you come near me again, I will have you thrown out of here. Do I make myself clear?” She swallows hard and nods. “I didn’t fucking hear you?” I snarl.
“Yes,” she snaps.
I glance up at Clay. He’s looking at me with a slow, proud smile that steals the breath from my lungs.
Without thinking, I grab his hand and pull him out the room.
The moment we’re clear, I push him back against the wall.
He stumbles a step, surprise flashing in his eyes, but I’m already rising onto my toes, crashing my mouth against his like I need him to breathe.
He responds instantly. His tongue tangles with mine, hungry and sure, while his palm slides over the curve of my ass.
In one effortless motion, he lifts me, turning us so my back hits the wall instead.
I gasp against his lips, legs tightening around his hips as his body presses into mine, solid and real and everything I didn’t know I’ve been starving for.
He breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against mine, his breath warm on my lips. “Welcome home, beauty,” he whispers.
I bite down on my lip, my pulse hammering. Every nerve ending is alive, blazing. For the first time in longer than I want to admit, I feel exhilarated. Wanted. Alive.
Clay
My lips lock with hers, and I feel starved, as if I can’t get enough of her.
Hearing her accepting herself as my ol’ lady had me beaming with pride.
She is no longer running scared. It’s as if she has accepted her destiny, that she is finally and completely mine.
When Brandy grabbed her by the hair, I was hellbent on dealing the woman some serious damage, but I had to restrain myself.
I was already in enough trouble with Drifter as it was, I didn’t need to add fuel to the fire.
But when Belle took control, I was filled with emotion.
The woman I met on the bridge that night is slowly fading away, and the strong woman I knew was there all along, is starting to shine through.
“Fuck,” I whisper as she smirks at me.
“What the hell are you waiting for?” she asks breathlessly.
I slide her down my body until her feet find the floor.
Then I grab her hand, dragging her up the stairs.
Her giggles bounce off the walls. I pull her into my room, slamming the door with my foot.
Placing my hands either side of her face I take in all her beauty, her eyes no longer full of sadness but full of heat.
She pushes me back slightly, shimmying out of her jeans, revealing her red lace underwear.
I watch her every move, admiring each curve of her body.
She lifts her shirt over her head, revealing a matching red lace bra.
She bites her lip nervously, waiting for my next move, but I’m etching every single inch of her body to memory.
“Are you just going to stand there and stare at me, big boy?”
I shake my head as I shrug out of my kutte, whipping my T-shirt over my head.
I approach her as she backs up ‘til her legs touch the base of the bed, pushing her back ever so slightly until she falls onto the mattress behind her, giggling. It’s like music to my ears.
She watches me through hooded eyes as I lean over her, running one hand along her leg all the way to her breast whilst resting on the other.
Her body breaks out in goosebumps as I pull down the cup of her bra to reveal her breast. Her nipple pebbles as it hits the cool air, and I take it in my mouth, just grazing my teeth gently.
She responds by arching her back off the bed.
My hand grabs her breast roughly as my mouth releases it.