Caelin"C'mon, I just need you to please fix my laptop."Justice Walker can plead like no one else, and she knows I'll do anything she asks me to.It started with a kiss.No, that's a lie. It started in the middle of a dangerous situation where my family was being threatened. As a seventeen-year-old kid, I hadn't known what to do. Instead, I'd acted on instinct, and killed a grown man to save the then ten-year-old standing in front of me.Never will I be able to forget the minutes that lead up to the decision I made. The fear on her face, the smugness on his. If I close my eyes, even now, I'm right back there. Mildew and mold, along with the musk of disuse build in the back of my nose, almost to my throat. A dungeon of equal parts dust and moisture, confusing the senses, not letting one believe where they truly are. In the distance there's a drip, drip, drip. A steady cadence of water coming from above our heads. But it's what's right in front of me that's scaring the fucking shit ou
JusticeI'm emotional as I carry my laptop out to my car. This is the one thing I never wanted to give up. Seems crazy and stupid, I'm sure my therapist would tell me all the ways I'm co-dependent with it, but she's gotten me through a lot.Opening my trunk, I put her safely amongst a blanket, rubbing her beat up cover, and thinking about all the papers, poems, and thoughts I've written on her. "Justice!"Turning at the sound of the voice, I grin when I see my dad, jogging my way. "Hey." I reach out, hugging him tightly. "I haven't seen you in a few days. Are you finally okay with me and Harley moving out of the house?""I'll never be okay with that." He tightens his arms around me. "But your mom mentioned I had to let you two live your own lives. Whatever the fuck that means.""Dad…""I know, I know. What are you doing here?"Tilting my head toward the trunk, I glance down. "She's given up the ghost and I was hoping Caelin would be able to fix her.""Jesus, you and that laptop. Could
CaelinThe vibration of the bike underneath me is one of the things I love most about riding. The way the bumps in the road move up through my body, the wind slapping against my face, and the howl of my bike slicing through the air as I speed down Louisville Road with my dad beside me.Early morning is our time. I'll never give it up, even for all the money in the world.We come to a stop over the river, obeying the red light. "Do you want to stop at the law office before or after breakfast?" he yells over the idling."I'll do it after. If she's nice, I might even give her a biscuit."Dad grins, causing me to smile back. "At some point you're going to have to admit it.""Admit what?""That you've got it bad for little Justice Walker."The light flips to green, allowing him to take off before me. I immediately hit the gas to catch up, his words tumbling around in my head. Little Justice Walker, my ass. The last few months she's grown up more than I ever thought possible. Since her and
CaelinFuck dude, get it together. My inner voice is admonishing me as my hands shake slightly while I begin setting up the new laptop. I hadn't expected the kiss. Just like I've never expected ones we've had. Maybe at this point, I should. But it'd caught me off-guard. The way Justice always does. When I think I have her figured out, she does something to surprise me. It's the way it's always been with her. A groan goes straight to my cock, making it stiffen, and reminding me of how long it's been since I've had a woman. At some point, I got to feeling like a bastard every time I would go out with another one, knowing Justice was who I really wanted. Which means it's been almost a year since I've had anything other than my left hand. "This is so good." She closes her eyes, slightly tilting her head back, giving me an unencumbered look at the column of her throat. She swallows the bite and my pulse speeds up imagining she's swallowing my come.Not helping. "Yeah, I was lucky Dad as
JusticeWhen Caelin leaves, I try not to let my gaze linger on him too long, but it's hard. It feels like a part of my soul is walking out the door. He's been one of the most important people in my life since the night with Travis, and I've always counted on him to be there. To think I scare him is one of the most powerful comments anyone has ever bestowed on me."Did he get you up and running?"My mom's voice brings me out of my head. I haven't tried out the new laptop yet. But I snap to attention anyway. "I think so, I'll let you know if I have any more issues.""Good, I didn't get a chance to grab coffee this morning, so I'm heading to Harper's. Do either of you want anything?"Both Mandy and I tell her no, and watch as she leaves through the back."You might want to pick your jaw up off the floor as you stare at Caelin's ass."Brows furrowed, I glare at my aunt. "What do you mean?""Oh give me a break," she laughs. "He's sex on a stick and the way he looks at you could burn down t
CaelinThe garage is hopping, like always. I don't think I can remember a time since I've been born that we've been slow. If you ask the old-timers, like my dad and Liam, they'll tell you of lean years for the club. I'm glad I haven't had to experience them. Today I'm working on this truck by myself. Which is nice because of the thoughts rolling around in my head. This morning with Justice was more than I thought it would be. Telling her that she scares me was a declaration I didn't intend to make. But here we are. Once words are said aloud, they can't be taken back. That's a lesson I learned at a young age.There's a smell and a sound that reminds me of home every time I work at Walker's Wheels. If I can't be in my office, then this is where I would much rather spend my time. My wrench slips, causing me to bang my hand against the metal of the part next to it. "Shit." I wince, dropping the wrench with a clatter onto the floor and pulling my already-bruising knuckles out."You okay?"
JusticeSome guy showing up at my front door, kissing me senseless has never been my life's dream. At least not for just any guy to show up and do it. If this was ever a wish for me, it always included Caelin. Now, that wish is coming true.I make a noise against his lips as he pushes me into my apartment. Luckily for the two of us, we're alone, and as I press against him, he lets up on the kisses stealing my breath away."What is happening here?" I pant, trying to figure out if I fell in the shower and now I'm concussed, having a soap-opera type highlight reel."I talked to your dad. There's a lot of stuff we discussed." He holds my cheeks in the palms of his hands. "One of those things is he gave us his blessing."My heart pounds so loudly it reverberates in my ears. "You talked to him? He's okay with it?"The only reason we haven't discussed it with him previously is because I thought it would cause friction, and I didn't want that for Caelin."He is, that's not to say he wants us
Caelin"Y'all go on and take your lunch, I'll deal with it," I tell Wild and Bishop a few days later, as I see a relatively well-known truck pull into the parking lot and come to a stop. "You sure? He's always a pain in the ass."Don't I know it? Almost all of us have had words with this dickhead, but it is what it is. Alec Tinsdale gets out of his truck and starts walking toward the garage bays before turning around, gesturing at the passenger seat. Because of the angle of the mid-afternoon sun, I can't necessarily see who's sitting there, but I have a feeling. His voice carries to where I'm standing, and the sharp tone he uses is a dead giveaway. Pearl Van Hampton.It sounds like a last name from one of the remaining southern dynasties. Like she should be eating off the most expensive china plates, she should have a hair appointment ready to go every week, and she must have debuted at a ball.Unfortunately for her. None of those entails anything to do with her life.Abandoned as a