We’re in the library and I’m sitting in one of two stuffed chairs staring at a wall of books. Gomez hands me a shot glass after filling two.“Tequila, drink it.”I down the glass without a second thought and he downs his. There’s no lime to disguise the taste or help the burn and I can’t stop from doing the funny twist thing with my mouth. He ignores this, takes the glass out of my fingers, and refills both. We drink another shot together.“You’ve made a real fucking mess, pequeña.”My head feels decidedly fuzzy. “I swear if you’re calling me ‘little sister,’ I’ll bite you again.”A chuckle escapes him. “It means ‘little one.’ You fucking fight like a wildcat, though.”“What good did it do me? I’m still here,” I pout. He refills my glass, we drink, and he walks over to the house phone.“Philip, bring us some chips.” I’m relieved because I need something in my stomach. My head is spinning and my belly rolling. He hangs up the phone and turns to me. “You’re safe here. Moon shouldn’t hav
I’m lifted from the chair and I let out a small groan. “Go back to sleep. I’m carrying you to my room,” Moon says. My arms and legs are useless, so I do what he says.When I finally wake up, light hits my eyes and I struggle to climb out of bed before I puke. I run into Moon’s bathroom and barely make it to the toilet. Chips and tequila are not a good combination when they come up. When I think everything is expelled from my stomach, I turn on the shower and strip off my bra and panties. Moon must have removed the rest of my clothes last night. My toothbrush is in the drawer beside Moon’s, and I thoroughly brush my teeth and rinse out my mouth.I’m never drinking again. The water burns my scrapes, but I don’t care. I wash from head to toe, including my hair. I feel horrible and that doesn’t change as I stand under the water and let it pound down on me. I have no idea how long I remain like this, but I finally realize I’m delaying the inevitable. I leave the bathroom wrapped in a towel
Gabriella cooks a large brunch, and even with a hangover, I’m ravenous. She’s especially quiet, and I notice a cautious look every few minutes as she serves us in the kitchen dining area. I wonder how much she knows. She can’t be oblivious about who Moon is or what he does.She leaves us alone after I take my first bite and tell her how wonderful it is. I’m dressed in shorts and a tee. I wore a tight shirt because I don’t have a gun to conceal. I sneak a look or two as Moon eats, but mostly I keep my head down and concentrate on the food.I have no idea what to say.I’m startled when Moon clasps my fingers. “No, I won’t keep you here against your will, baby.”I think about those words for a few minutes. He releases my hand and we continue eating.I finally look up. “What if I go to the police?”His lips make a small quirk. “I’ll lie.”He says it so easily. “Will they find Dandridge’s body?”“No.”They’ll ask why I didn’t go straight to the police the first night. They’ll ask for proof
In the afternoon, I take more ibuprofen to combat my nagging hangover headache. It has barely taken effect when Moon’s aunt arrives with her gaggle of girls. Hell, they’re not girls; I should refer to them as women. They look bright eyed and helpless, so I’ll stick with girls. Forget that they’re beautiful and elegant and feminine.I’m dressed in black BDUs. Moon sent one of his men to my apartment. Now I also have a utility belt and my favorite kickass boots. My top is a tight black unadorned tee that hugs my breasts and is long enough to tuck in. Because I’m working guard duty tonight, I’m taking it seriously. Moon walked into his room after I put my gun on my hip and pepper spray into its slip holster. He approved and we almost ended up back in bed. Moon left no doubt in my mind that he’s completely turned on by this kickass female.Currently, he’s meeting with the house security team. They’re all pulling a shift tonight, but only two will monitor the cameras while the other four o
When I head back to the dining room, Lupe and Gabriella are setting up the promised refreshments. They’ve included several bottles of wine along with cheese, crackers, and fruit. There’s also a carafe of water. They leave without a word. I fill a wineglass with water and walk to the head of the table where the ladies left me a seat. Cori is sitting next to me.“She served us food, which is a miracle, so I’ll give you props. Ladies,” she glances around the table, “the queen bitch isn’t here. Introduce yourselves and be nice at least until QB returns.”They laugh and the tension leaves the room.“I’m Angela,” the woman on Cori’s right says. She’s petite, Asian, and as beautiful as the other women. One by one they introduce themselves. A few give what I think must be their working names.“Please serve yourself if you’re hungry. I ask that you don’t have more than a glass or two of wine. We need to stay alert. If something goes down, you’ll follow me to a safe location.” I sweep my eyes t
My money, or more accurately, Moon’s, is gone two hours later. He hasn’t sent another text and I’m finding it impossible to sit still. The ladies are taking bathroom breaks and stretching their long, shapely legs. It’s a little after midnight and the women look the same as they did when they walked in the door—gorgeous, rested, and dressed to the nines. I’m grumpy, tired, and dressed to kick some ass that I seriously hope doesn’t need kicking. Moon’s ring tone startles me.Heading home. Keep your eyes open.His aunt is in the car with him, so I understand that he can’t talk. I think about his message for a minute and decide if he thought trouble was imminent, he would be a little more forthcoming. He’s being cautious and I’ll be the same. He gets another smiley face.The women wander back into the room in ones and twos. They decide it’s movie time, so we head to Moon’s mini theater that’s on the other side of the hallway. The teasing continues about me and Moon while I do my best to k
The movie ended about twenty minutes ago and we haven’t decided on another. I’m standing in the hallway stretching my arms when the front door opens. Moon sees me and his long legs stride in my direction without stopping.“Hi, baby,” he whispers in my ear as he hooks his arm around my shoulder and pulls me tightly against him. His eyes are dark and stormy. I’m thinking the meeting did not go as well as planned. I give him a tight squeeze and notice Danita’s glare of death over his shoulder.Too.Damn.Bad.Moon is disheveled. His scruff is scruffier, his tie and jacket are off, and his shirt wrinkled. It might be two-thirty in the morning, but Moon always looks like he just walked out of a GQ cover shoot. This is a different man than the one I’ve grown accustomed to. Moon doesn’t look or speak to anyone after he greets me. He keeps his arm wrapped tight and leads me upstairs and straight to his bedroom. I give a tiny wave goodbye to the ladies below who are watching us before we’re hi
There are so many things to discuss, but I’m too shaken to ask questions. I need time to absorb the revelation that I have fallen in love. I drift off to sleep with no solution to the equation ex-cop meets crime boss equals love. A slight noise beside my head wakes me. I open my eyes and see a blurry glass of orange juice. The side of the bed dips when Moon sits beside me. He’s dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of ragged shorts that look like sweats that have been cut off above the knees.His gentle voice is hard for my foggy brain to comprehend. “I’d like you to take a run with me.”A run? The man is crazy. “What time is it?” I ask groggily.“Six.”This means we’ve had two and a half hours of sleep. I have no idea why I smile. There’s just something normal about this. My new normal, I guess. “You’re fucking killing me, you know that, right?” His laughter slides over me. This is a normal I can live with.“I won’t be around today and we need to talk. I also need to work off some pent up
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