“The club does enough. You know how I feel about the extras.” She reaches her hand out, offering the money back. I shake my head and bend down, tossing her textbook on the floor. She always does this, and I always persist, so I don’t know why she keeps fronting. We’ve told her time and time again that the club takes care of our own, and as far as we’re concerned, she belongs with us. After the shit she’s been through, and with a kid no less, Forsaken makes sure she gets what she needs.
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you suck my dick as a thank you,” I say, smirking. She purses her lips and crawls forward. With her legs tucked underneath her ass, she grasps the front of my jeans and pulls me closer. Her expert fingers work the button of my fly and then slide down the zipper. She takes her time rubbing her hands along my hardening shaft as she kisses the V between my hips. I throw my head back and close my eyes. In my mind her bright red hair darkens and grows longer—down to her mid-back. Her green eyes become dark brown ones, and her flat, button-nose morphs into a sweeping curve. She frees my hard dick from my boxers and just as the rush of having her lips on my cock overtakes me, she’s no longer the willing Lost Girl. She turns into my Cub, all spitfire and sass. In my head, Cub tells me she’s sucking my dick because she wants me to feel good, but not because she has to.
Just as Chel takes me in to the back of her throat, my fantasy is cut-off by the disturbingly loud alarm ringtone coming from my cellphone. I try to ignore it as Chel works her magic, but I can’t. It’s Cub’s ringtone, and she might be in trouble. Worried, I pull my phone out of my pocket with my right hand, and use my left hand to keep Michelle where she is. It’s just a phone call; I can multi-task. I slide the bar on the screen and bring it to my ear.
“What’s up?” I ask, almost calling her Cub. She has no clue, nor does she need to know that we call her that. She’ll just get all girly and start thinking it means shit it don’t.
“Where did you go?” she asks, huffing. Suddenly, I can see a future I might have had, had Pop not laid it out for me. I leave the house, and she huffs. It doesn’t matter how hot and sassy she can be, she’s a chick just like the rest of them—wanting to chop off my balls and carry them in her purse. I should probably buy Pop a fucking beer for saving my ass from that shit. Had things gone on long enough, I might have chopped ‘em off and given ‘em to her myself.
“We got Church tonight. What’s wrong?” My tone is icy and I know it, but I’m not fucking around. If Squat fucked up, he’ll be dead by midnight.
“Nothing,” she whispers, her voice cowering under my snap. I look down, realizing that Chel’s stopped her ministrations, which just aggravates me further. I tighten the grip I have on her head, but her hand comes up and taps out on my hip. I blow out a heavy breath and let her go.
“What do you mean, nothing?” I say. “Do you got a problem or not?” I mouth ‘what the fuck’ at Chel, who just shakes her head and sits back on the couch, wiping the spit off her lips. My dick is still hard as hell, and it’s got nowhere to go.
“Everybody left,” she says, using that small voice I can’t stand. “I mean, Ruby’s here. Squat’s outside. But Jim and Ian—they left.” Fuck. She sounds helpless and scared—both of which flip some kind of switch in me and simultaneously piss me off and freak me out.
“You’re not alone. We got Squat, Dunce, and Rink on the house. You’re fine.”
“What if they come while you guys are gone?” she says. This clingy thing she’s doing is new. I’m conflicted—one on hand, I feel needed; wanted even. On the other hand, I don’t know what to think.
“They’re not coming while we’re gone. Shit, you’re safe. You’re fine. Ma’s got more years’ experience with a gun that I have on this planet. If you’re scared, go talk to her. Spend time with her. It won’t kill you. Promise.”
A muffled sob breaks out on the other line. Rubbing my temple with my left hand and gripping the phone tightly with my right, I count back from one hundred. I have Church in a few minutes and can’t be running off, but something has her freaking out, which is making me worry. The last thing I need to do when my dick is trying for some relief is to be worrying about Cub.
Snapping my fingers, I motion for Chel to hand me her phone. When she does, I type in Ma’s number and wait for her to pick up.
“Hey Chel,” she says on the third ring. In my other ear, I can hear Alex sniffling and blowing her nose. At least she’s calming down.
“Ma, it’s me,” I say.
“Your dad just left for Church.”
“So I’ve heard. You hear your kid? She’s in her room fucking panicking that Mancuso might show up while we’re gone.”
“What?” she says, her voice alarmed. Her footsteps sound in the background, followed by the creaking of a door.
“Alex?” Ma says, her voice echoing in both ears. Alex’s surprised gasp is high-pitched in my right ear, but barely a whisper in my left. I feel like a damn fool standing here with two phones to my head.
“You got this, Ma?” I ask into the phone in my right ear, realizing a second too late that Alex is on that line.