Chapter 28
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
Rain
The media shitstorm that followed our traffic stop has been outrageous.
I never knew so many people around the world cared about what the cops in Colorado are doing.
I guess it’s not just our cops, though. This social injustice campaign is worldwide.
There are people from Australia calling for Hampton’s head.
It created such a stir that the district attorney called us into his office. I was willing to go right away, but Ridge told me to make them wait. He didn’t want to go without our lawyer.
So here we sit, Ridge on one side of me, our lawyer on the other. The district attorney sits on the other side of his desk, watching the raw footage from the body cams.
When he is done, he sighs and rubs his face.
“Gerald, you can clearly see that my clients are being targeted. The detective is trying to railroad them into a charge. Everything they have been charged with is bullshit, and you know it,” our lawyer, Mr. Smith, reminds him.
“I know, Mr. Smith, but I can only do so much. My hands are tied at the moment. We have internal investigations launching a full investigation into the gang unit and each of its members as we speak.”
I almost feel bad for the guy. He looks exhausted.
“That detective should lose his badge. We both know it,” Mr. Smith presses.
“We do, but honestly? The only proof you have brought me is that he did an illegal stop and search. He mentioned doing a search on a female without a female officer. Those are infractions on his record, but not enough to arrest or fire. If I’m lucky, we get six months’ probation out of him.
Now, because he said he would ‘get you’ or whatever, I can grant a restraining order for Mr. and Mrs. Harris.
He didn’t make the same threat to the other two or the club, so that’s where my power stops. ”
Mr. Smith looks at Ridge and me. I nod, but he waits for whatever Ridge is going to do.
Ridge lets the man sweat it out for a minute before he speaks, “I want a formal apology to the public as well. I’m fine with what you can do, but with the way the media is talking about this, I deserve that much.”
“Done. I will have something written up and sent over to you for approval, and I will personally make sure he reads it on camera. I am very sorry that he did this to you. Know that not all cops are like him. Many of them are good people. Please don’t let this make you jaded.”
Ridge snorts. “I’ve been jaded since I was a kid. Don’t worry about us. You do what you promised, and we are square. You won’t have any more issues from us.”
He nods, standing to shake our hands. We each do before exiting his office. We don’t speak again until we are in the parking lot.
“I know it’s not much, but keep up what you guys are doing. Any footage we can legally use, send my way. We will take this shit all the way to the top if we have to. We will go national and get the damn president involved. We will nail this fucker to the wall,” Mr. Smith promises us.
“You’ve done a great job. We really appreciate all you have done,” I tell him.
“We aren’t done yet, Mrs. Harris. This restraining order is big.
It’s a piece of paper, sure, but it means he personally cannot come after either of you.
He can’t be within so many feet of you. You keep a copy of it on you at all times.
I will send it over as soon as I have it.
I know the club has people within the department, so you have one of them on speed dial for when he walks right through it and tries again.
” Mr. Smith looks to Ridge as he says the last part.
“Done. I’m sure we will be in touch soon. You travel home safe. Let us know if you need anything from us.” Ridge shakes his hand.
He waves before getting into his car. Once he is gone, Ridge turns to me, pulling me into his arms.
“I know it’s not the perfect outcome, but do you feel safer now at least?” he asks.
I smile up at him. “Ridge, I have always felt safe in your arms. Even when I thought I hated you, I always knew that if I needed something, you would be there for me. Back then, I assumed it was because of my dad, but now I see the truth. It’s because you are a good person, no matter what some asshole cop has to say. ”
He leans down, pressing a kiss to my lips. “You’re wrong.”
I frown. “About?”
“I don’t keep you safe because I’m a good person.”
“No?” I ask. “Why then?”
He cups both of my cheeks, staring directly into my eyes. “I do it because I am so head over heels in love with you that I cannot breathe when you are away from me. The idea that you might even break a nail puts me on edge. Your safety is my reason for living.”
I suck in a breath, my heart beating in my chest.
“You’ve already gotten into my pants, Adam. You don’t need to try so hard.”
He bursts out laughing, his head falling back, giving me a view of that perfect neck of his. The same one that has a fresh tattoo on it.
“What is that?” I demand.
He looks a little sheepish. “Remember last week when I had you mark me again?”
I nod, eyes narrowing. I do remember. The next day, he said he’d hurt himself at work and kept a bandage on his neck all week. Come to think of it, today is the first time he has had it off. I was so focused on the meeting, I didn’t even notice.
“Well, Viper, you are on my skin permanently now. No one will ever question who I belong to.”
Then he angles his neck, showing me my bite mark with a viper coiled around it, ready to strike.
It is the dumbest yet sweetest thing I have ever seen in my life.
“You’re an idiot, but fuck, I love you.”
I jump into his arms, making him catch me as I kiss him.
It’s true. I love the man, and I’m never letting him go.
Ridge
After we left the district attorney’s office, I asked Rain if she wanted to go for a ride.
She said yes without hesitation.
I’m nervous, though. While she thinks this is a random ride through the back roads, we actually have a destination in mind. I have an idea for her, but I don’t want her to freak out about it.
I hope she likes it.
It takes us over an hour to get to the place, but she doesn’t complain. Instead, she burrows closer to me, her hands splayed across my abs like they were meant to be there. Every chance I get, I touch her leg, needing her to feel me as much as I feel her.
When we finally arrive at our destination, I pull over and turn off the bike.
After helping her from it, I smile as she takes her helmet off and shakes her hair out. I know some men want models or actresses, but there will never be anyone in the world more beautiful than Rain. She’s it for me.
“This is a nice place for a break. The ride was amazing. It feels nice to feel the wind in my hair without having to look over my shoulder.”
I smile at her. “At least for a little while.”
See, one of the things we did on our end to ensure our safety was to put someone outside the club on Hampton to track him. Right now, he is downtown at his office, hopefully getting his ass chewed.
It means we have a few days of peace.
I look around at the piece of land. There are trees all around, blocking what we are really here for from view.
“Come with me.”
She giggles as I pull her into the field. I love hearing her sound so carefree. That’s what’s been missing the past several weeks.
As I continue to lead her through the woods, I think about how we got here. How Mustang must have known what this could be if we both had gotten out of our heads and let it.
Thank you for trusting me with her. I won’t let her down. I promise, brother. I send up the quick prayer to him, hoping he can hear it on the other side.
Then we step into the clearing, and I hear her gasp. It’s a beautiful meadow. One that they wrote poems about.
“What is this place?” she asks.
“The first piece of property I ever bought,” I tell her.
“It’s beautiful.”
I smile, seeing it through her eyes. It really is beautiful, but I always imagined something else here. A home.
“I know we might not have started conventionally, but I love you, Rain. I am so beyond glad I made you my wife and my old lady. This piece of land has always been the land I planned to build a home on. Maybe not our forever home—your dad’s place will be that for us—but a summer home.
Somewhere we can get away when things back there get to be too much.
A place untouched by the outside world.”
She turns, taking my hands in hers. “I love that idea, but nothing too big. I would hate to disturb such beauty.”
This is why I love her.
“A small cabin. I have it all laid out in my head. You want the tour?”
She nods enthusiastically.
I pull her further into the meadow until we are at the back corner.
“This is where we would build it. Not in the middle, because that would take away from the view. Over here in the corner, so we can admire it. This would be our front porch. It would wrap around the entire place so we could move around and enjoy everything nature has to offer.”
“Rocking chairs. We will need them,” she informs me.
“Of course. I’ll build them with my own hands.”
The way she beams at that has my pride flaring up.
I pull her further inside.
“We would have a small living room. No TV because that’s not what this is for. Instead, we would fill it with books and board games. Puzzles. Photos of our life. This would be a space we could come to be us and enjoy one another.” I wrap my arms around her as she looks at the piece of grass.
“I love it already,” she whispers.
I turn her. “There would be our small kitchen where I can cook you all the meals, and you can bake all the bread your heart desires.”
“I thought you would get tired of my bread.”
“Never.” I press a kiss to her temple before taking her hand and leading her to where the bedroom would be.
“Then the bedroom with the attached bathroom. There would be a shower big enough for us both so we could wash off the long day. Over there would be the clawfoot bathtub that you said you always wanted. We could soak in it to ease our muscles and relax.”
“Where would we be getting so worked up that we need to relax?” she teases.
“That would be the bedroom, my dear wife,” I tell her, turning her to face the big open piece of land.
“This is where our bed would be?” she asks, moving away from me to take a few steps away.
“If that’s where you want it to be, then yes,” I tell her honestly.
Slowly, she starts to strip, making my cock harden in my pants.
“What are you doing, Viper?”
She hums. “Seems only right we christen the bedroom. Don’t you think?”
Without hesitation, I start to strip off my clothes, only stopping long enough to enjoy the way my woman looks completely nude in nature. Maybe I’ll make that a rule. No clothes at the cabin.
Then I move toward her, taking her into my arms.
“You’ll get dirty,” I murmur against her lips.
“I like being dirty. Show me how you plan to use my body.”
Usually, I would take my time and tease her, but I don’t have the patience. I need to be inside of my woman as quickly as possible.
Kneeling on the ground, I carefully pull her down with me, then I turn her away and coax her onto her hands and knees. She lets me mold her into the position I want her in.
Then I slide my fingers through her wet heat. I love that she is always ready for me, as if her body is primed and waiting for me at all times.
I don’t take a second to think. I press into her, holding her hips as I do. She lets out a moan, making my chest puff out. I love knowing a simple touch can make her feel so good.
I thrust into her again, making sure to keep her steady.
“Adam, fuck me hard. I need it. Please,” she begs me.
It’s not often she doesn’t sass me, so when she does, I know she really needs it. I do too.
Letting go of all my self-control, I rut into her, fucking her like a wild animal. Right now, I kind of am.
Being out in nature, taking my girl this way, it feels right. It feels like the way it always should have been.
I continue to fuck her, not letting myself get close until I hear her scream out my name, signaling her orgasm. Only when she is clenching around me do I finally let go, pulling out to spill on her back.
When she collapses onto the dirt, I lie beside her.
“You didn’t use a condom?” she pants.
I don’t sound much better as I tell her, “I forgot. I pulled out, though.”
She leans over, cupping my cheek. “I don’t hate the idea of children with you.”
I smile. “Ditto.”
I press a quick kiss to her lips.
“You know you are driving back shirtless, right? You are going to clean this cum off my back,” she sasses.
I chuckle. “Of course. Anything to make you happy.”
It’s the truth too. I would do anything to make her happy.