DukeMy rage simmered.Anger and I were old friends.I’d served time for killing a man in a bar fight with my bare hands. Right now, I needed those hands wrapped around the throat of whoever wanted to harm Cori.When she’d walked outside, my dick went on instant red alert. The barely there scrap of jean material drew my attention. The woman had sexual torture down to a science. I’d love nothing more than to tie her up and come on every exposed piece of flesh she offered. She was beautiful with a knockout body unavailable to a man like me.Or it should have been.She wanted to pay her way with sex and she didn’t understand what I wanted. She would run screaming if she did. When we finally satisfied this fucking need, it would be about us and not what she thought she owed me. Once sex happened, all bets were off. Cori would be mine.My inability to speak didn’t make things easier. She’d been through too much and she didn’t understand I wasn’t in this for a quick fuck. She used her body
CoriDuke’s eyes stayed glued to my ass. Usually, the power I had over men was my aphrodisiac. This was different. He looked at me like he owned me. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. If he would fuck me, it would be easier. That I could deal with.I cooked enough food for several people. Slowly, the scent filled the house and my stomach growled more frequently. The panic had receded to a point where I was breathing normally. I had to gain control to move on and I would. For now, I needed time to get my head straight.I popped bread into the toaster and started preparing Duke’s plate. I cut thin slices of orange as a garnish to finish the design. I carried his plate over first and then retrieved mine and sat across from him.He stared down at his food and then looked up at me. He picked up the orange slice and examined it. That’s when I realized he’d probably never ate at anything fancier than a diner. Would he think I was showing off?I picked mine up and ate it without smiling, sep
CoriI went into my room, which was Duke’s room, and packed the few things that weren’t inside my bag. Duke walked in a few minutes later carrying two large duffel bags. He lifted them, then motioned out the door.“You want me to use those for food?” I asked.He nodded and left with the bags. I found them on the kitchen counter when I finished my own stuff. I was in danger and I was still functioning. It was an improvement. While I packed the kitchen, Duke loaded his truck with an assortment of things from a shed he had beside the cabin. I prepped us some sandwiches and added a bag of chips and two soft drinks to the small cooler I found. Duke had a good assortment of food. He carried in a large cooler and I was able to pack the refrigerator. I enjoyed the silence as we worked in tandem.I didn’t notice anyone in the area when I looked outside. If Dax said they were there, I didn’t need to see them. It had never occurred to me that Fernandez would have help or that he was only a pawn.
DukeThis was my grandfather’s place. He decided when he turned sixty that he no longer wanted to live in society and purchased a hundred acres bordering thousands of acres of uninhabited state land. The small container shack he built with his own two hands was off-grid and self-sufficient. The property was in a trust that wasn’t directly traceable to me. I’d never mentioned the place to anyone in the club because it was my fallout shelter if things hit the fan and I had no safe place to go.I’d learned long ago that no matter how good life was going, it went to shit quickly. To stay alive, you needed a fallout. This property was mine.There were shaggy bark juniper trees along with tumbleweed bushes. If vehicles came from any direction, the dust cloud would signal us. Hiking in would take someone with experience. There were traps set in the higher hills around the property. My grandfather had shown me how to keep each one in working order and how to set up new ones. Where my father f
CoriI wasn’t sure what to think. Beggars couldn’t be choosers ran through my mind. Daylight would put a different perspective on things, I hoped. For now, I was body and brain weary. I snuggled in closer to a very naked Duke. I’d left my bra and underwear on. If he wanted them off, he could remove them.His warmth closed around me and I didn’t feel suffocated. The coolness of the bedroom surprised me. I quickly fell asleep and didn’t wake until Duke stirred. He got up quickly and went upstairs with no light. I heard the bathroom door close and used the opportunity to dress. Curiosity was killing me. I grabbed the solar light I’d used the night before and walked upstairs.The walls didn’t look like the inside of a steel can; they were textured like a normal home. It was hard to believe I was standing inside a shipping container. It was like a bare-boned tiny home. I turned at the door opening.Duke walked out in all his glory, sporting a semi-erection and a grin. The picture-perfect i
CoriPrimitive and amazing. I could breathe. I rested my coffee on the deck, then stretched my arms out and did exactly that. Closing my eyes, I allowed the fresh air to fill my lungs. When I opened them, Duke was watching.“Beautiful.” I breathed in the freshness. “I could stay for an extended period of time if there’s a mall within an hour’s drive.”Duke threw his head back and laughed, the sound so uniquely him. We finished our coffee in the double swing looking over the valley. I wasn’t sure why this man came into my life now but I was glad he had. He allowed me to heal in my own time and I never had to pretend. Even with Mak, I did. I didn’t want her pity or guilt. Duke, and his quiet presence, calmed the inner rage and fear that boiled inside my soul.We finished our coffee and Duke led me back to the house. He pulled out my new phone from his pocket and handed it to me. I hadn’t seen my true phone in ages. I lived off that phone and it contained all my contacts. This showed my
DukeThe picture she made when she came out of the water startled me. I always thought her beautiful but even choking, she was stunning. I hadn’t laughed in years and she brought it out without trying. If I could get the image out of my head of her breasts bouncing before she hit the water, my dick would appreciate it.“It’s freezing,” she yelled after spitting out several mouthfuls. “How deep is this?” she asked and sank down a little, though I knew she couldn’t touch. My grandfather brought me here for weekly baths whether we needed them or not. To a young kid, “not” was a good way to live. In the winter, there was a forty-gallon washtub that was set up in the kitchen. With no water heater, it was a long process to heat the water and fill it. Summers were easier.If Cori would stay, I wouldn’t leave. I leased the cabin near the clubhouse so I didn’t become a hermit like my grandfather. Dax needed a hand and I wasn’t ready to leave civilization behind. I easily could with Cori, thoug
CoriThe cool water felt wonderful. I scrubbed myself, including my hair. I’d spotted olive oil on the counter. It would help to get a comb through the mess that would be waiting after the wash. I didn’t have a razor for my legs and armpits but could touch up those places later. I scrubbed my skin using the soap on a hand towel left on the counter. The cool clean water made me feel better and I wasn’t quite as exhausted.Duke came inside just as I finished. He quickly jogged down the stairs to the bedroom and returned with two towels, then made his escape out the front door again. After drying off, I went to the bedroom to moisturize. My skin had been through some shit and I needed to take better care of it. Today was a good day to start.Duke piqued my interest even more. I was beginning to think him a saint. I knew few men who would turn down a blow job when their dick was raging. Him wanting me wasn’t a question. I wanted him too. I knew I wasn’t ready.I walked away from my past m
I rolled over and yawned, my arms coming from beneath the soft white cotton of the bedding and bumped the hard body next to me. Moon’s hand went into my hair and he moved his leg between mine and something very hard hit my belly making me smile. The smile lasted a few seconds before I covered my hand and jumped from the bed trying to get to the toilet before I lost the contents of my stomach. Yep, that was sexy. This time the hand in my hair pulled it back away from my face while I heaved my guts. He didn’t say anything and just waited for me to finish. It was horrible and at the same time endearing because I loved him so much. I stood and leaned back against his body. “Crawl back into bed and I’ll grab tea and crackers,” Moon said gently. I wanted to bitch and moan about the morning sickness but held it in. When I had my shoulder injury that took me from my career as a cop, I had a small amount of control. I could do my physical therapy and ice as needed and it worked. There was
Duke The wedding night was at the cabin and our honeymoon at the property. We had a week to ourselves. Cori laughed when I carried her over the threshold and straight to my bed. “Do not touch that dress,” I typed into my phone before checking the house was secure and I could fuck my wife for the first time. Her laughter followed me. When I walked back into the room, she was waiting exactly where I left her, smart woman. She opened her legs wide, the stilettos going to either side of the bed. A bit of red showed. The dress was fucking perfect. I crawled between her legs and pushed the yards of black lace up higher in the bed and snagged the red G-string with a finger. The garter wasn’t in my way. Cori sat up suddenly and stopped my exploration. “You spoke your vows.” I smiled even though my dick throbbed. “Thank you,” she added and lay back. I planned to fuck her until she couldn’t walk or talk. I didn’t remove the red nothing lace. I lazily fingered her, then took a long, slo
CoriIf I weren’t lying down, I would have fallen. Of all the things she could say, it was the last I expected and I couldn’t hide my shock.“No, I’m not pregnant yet but we’ve decided to try. We’re leaving and starting a family. Alex and Celina are taking over Moon’s operation.” She turned to Celina. “I’ll call it Alex’s operation eventually.”“Are you sure?” I asked softly.I was having trouble processing.“I’m absolutely positive. I thought I never wanted children but when Moon brought it up, I knew I was wrong. I want Moon’s babies.”“As in multiple?” I asked in horror.Children wasn’t something I ever wanted. I was not a rug rat fan and could tolerate Sofia’s rug rats for a limited time only. I thought Mak and I were on the same page.“We’ll decide if we want another after the first.”“Congratulations,” I offered, my voice uncertain.Melina started laughing.“You’re taking it how I did. The last thing needed in this world is a mini Austin.”I could most definitely second that.“O
CoriLife slowly returned to normal, though my new normal was much different than the old one. Things changed more after the cast came off and Duke could ride again. That’s when I became a true biker bitch.I blinged the shit out of my newly purchased black wardrobe and made that shit look good. I had standing orders from the other old ladies too. The club whores and I had a talk and we seemed to be on good terms. My end of that conversation was short.“Keep your hands off my man and we won’t have a problem. Touch him, even when I’m not around, and you’ll lose a fucking nipple, we clear?”They were fine with it. I understood their world. Respect was key. I had no problem with their choices as long as they respected me and my man.Dax’s club was a community of misfits and I fit in like I never thought I could. They didn’t care that I arrived in five-inch stilettos, looking like I was heading to a ritzy club. They accepted me as Duke’s old lady.Duke spoke to Dax and arranged a week off
Cori“How is Mr. Grumpy today?” Mak asked. She had her overprotective Pitbull at her side. I hadn’t seen Two-dogs since I arrived with Duke. I contained myself to the kitchen and Duke’s room. Two-dogs stayed out of Gabriella’s domain because the two of them stayed at war over what was permissible and what was not. I secretly thought Gabriella slipped the dog treats when no one watched but I had no way to prove it. I guess her new kindness made me think she was something other than Attila the Hun. I needed to watch those stupid fantasies.With assistance, Duke had made it downstairs for this morning’s physical therapy. He refused pain meds afterward and fell asleep exhausted. It gave me time to do something normal. I’d quietly left the room and gone to the outside patio to escape. The heat, even with the water misters, would make it too hot to stay for long but it was nice to be outside.I blinked at Mak who carried a towel. She took the lounge chair beside mine.“He’s sleeping. I’m es
DukeMy biggest problem was boredom. It almost went hand in hand with people poking and prodding constantly. I didn’t live at the clubhouse for a reason. If it weren’t for Cori, I would have found a way to escape Moon’s place the first day. Maybe. I was fooling myself. The ability to lift a spoon to my lips was pushing things.I remembered little about what happened at Wild Fur. Between blood loss and the damage to my stomach, I should have died in oblivion. Things were foggy since waking too. I remembered telling Cori I loved her. It just came out. I hadn’t practiced speaking in years. It was something I did when younger when no one was around. I never felt comfortable with the sound of my voice and eventually decided it wasn’t necessary. That was true until Cori. There were things she needed to hear. Cori hadn’t asked me to speak since it happened. I doubted she even understood what I’d said.My grandfather took me in when my dad went to prison for almost killing me. They were the b
CoriThe air in the room was soft if that were even a thing. There were four rows of chairs. There was a podium at the front. No crucified Jesus hung from the wall, only a large framed needlepoint with writing.“Enter in peace and leave your sorrow.”I sat in the front row and bowed my head. My prayer was to Jesus.“I’ve never asked for anything.”Tears gathered in my eyes and turned to sobs. I couldn’t go on and fell apart. So many thoughts tumbled through my head. I was the whore of Babylon. If there were a man who would hear me, it would be Jesus.“Please,” was all I managed the next time I tried.The quiet settled over me and I inhaled in and out slowly. Within a few minutes, I wiped my tears. The room, like Duke with his silence, gave me peace. It also gave me strength.I went back to ICU and held his hand again. He wouldn’t die because I wouldn’t let him. I spoke to him quietly and assured him all would be okay. I spoke of silly things. I had to keep the connection so he knew I
CoriIt took us more than three hours to get back to the city and another hour through rush-hour traffic to get to Wild Fur. Moon sent his men in first and stayed with me in the SUV. Alex and Austin were with the other women at his compound. Moon didn’t want them here. He’d also left a vehicle behind with four men on Duke’s property to dispose of the bodies.The men cleared inside the Wild Fur quickly. There were two female employees cleaning and handling inventory. The place didn’t open until eight at night. They weren’t harmed and they were assured they could leave after we found Duke. The men hadn’t located him when they cleared the building. Moon and I entered and were shown the entrance to the basement.A light had been turned on. It looked no better than the club upstairs. I saw a rat scurry along the wall. Moon found the hidden door within a few minutes. He pried it open and we entered the dark room.The smell of excrement and death hit us.Death.I couldn’t breathe.In the sha
CoriDuke never left my thoughts. If he was dead, so was I. My life changed that fast. We hadn’t known each other long and it didn’t matter. He was everything I wanted and most of all he was someone who loved me for who I was. I knew he loved me. He shared his silent world and refused to take advantage when he could have. From the time his arms wrapped around me in the car after my escape from Fernandez, we belonged together.My past didn’t matter to him because he lived in a world where endurance and hard work were part of life. Duke and the men like him respected survival.Moon brought more firepower than required and the guns we’d pulled from the cave weren’t exactly needed. I decided to stick with Duke’s weapons because he made sure I was familiar with them. A piece of him was with me.Our plan had been to ambush the vehicles a mile before the entrance to the property. Alex moved the attack to the house. I wasn’t worried about Cartwright’s men knowing the location. None would leav