Finally, I’m getting a meeting with the Donahues. I thought they were going to continue ignoring me and I couldn’t let that pass. Word had come this morning. They planned a meeting at Paradise Ridge near Lookout Mountain, which is actually in Tennessee. I hated leaving Beth, but with any luck, I’ll get this shit done and be back home to her before she wakes up. I left her worn out. The thought of the orgasms I’d wrung from her body over and over makes me smile. Her innocence calls to me. I’m a hard fucking man; there’s an animal underneath the calm demeanor I show the world. Very few have seen it, and even less have survived to tell about it. I let shit go until I hit my limit. Beth somehow tempts the animal in me. It’s almost as if he can smell her blood and is primed for the hunt, but then her touch soothes us both. She’s the first woman who I could ever see myself with and not grow bored. If I feel this strongly after two days, what the fuck will it be like when I’m with her longer?
I left Beast in charge of Beth’s protection. I know she’ll be okay, but I can’t deny I will not be resting easy until I’m with her again. Her protection is mine to keep. She is mine. It was no coincidence though that I left the one patched-in member of the club who has a steady old lady to watch over her. I look over at the cocky look on Torch’s face as we pull up in the parking lot and, yeah, I know it’s fucked up, but I’m not about to let the fucker anywhere near my girl.
We all park our bikes and wait. I had a couple members go ahead to make sure we weren’t walking into a trap. I also called in a marker, and I see him coming now.
Diesel walks toward me, his long lanky legs eating up the pavement. I tried like hell not to like the son of a bitch, but I can’t. He’s the president of a club in Tennessee called the Savage Brothers. They have a chapter in Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, and several other states. I’ve not had any dealings with any of them besides Diesel. There’s been rumors that the president of the Kentucky branch is a fucking hothead. I hear he goes by the name Dragon. Hopefully calling my marker in with Diesel won’t require me dealing with any of the others. I’d like to keep this as contained as possible.
Diesel and I shake hands. He claps my shoulder and I do the same.
“How are you, you sorry son of a bitch?” he asks. In some ways he reminds me of Torch, but life has been hard on Diesel. There’s a story in his eyes. Then again, none of us became leaders without having it hard. It’s what tests us to see if we can survive the fire.
“Diesel. I see you haven’t changed, hombre. You ever going to cut that shit on your head?” I ask, motioning to the pile of hair messily trapped on top of his head. It’s an old joke between us.
He flips me off in response, then asks, “You ready for this shit?”
“Ready as I will ever be. Are they here?”
This was a big marker. Diesel and his crew are a neutral host. They make sure I’m not walking into a trap, and I get my meeting. Hopefully we all get out of here without bloodshed.
“That they are, ese. I don’t know what you did to piss Colin off, but I’d tread carefully.”
“I wish to fuck I knew, too. That’s what today is about. Let’s get this shit done. I got a woman waiting for me.”
“You always have a woman waiting for you,” Diesel responds.
“Not like this one. This one’s special.”
“Don’t tell me you’re getting all bent out of shape over a woman,” he says, shaking his head.
“I tell you, she’s special.”
“She got a golden snatch or something?”
I laugh at his words, but in a way he’s not wrong. Tengo miedo han sido capturados. Nunca dejar ir. That’s what I told Beth, and I was serious. Roughly translated, it means: I am afraid I have been captured. Never let go. I don’t want her to. I like knowing that she has had no other man before me, that I stretched her to fit only my cock, that the blood of her innocence was on me, that I claimed it. It’s mine. Fuck, I don’t care if it’s only been a matter of weeks or that she’s only been in my bed two days. I’m claiming her and by God I’m keeping her.
“Skull?” Diesel prompts me. We’re walking through the door of the local lodge’s restaurant. It’s shut down thanks to Diesel and his crew. Inside, I see Colin Donahue sitting at a table with two of his main henchmen. I guess he didn’t feel the need to have big brother with him today. That’s not fucking good. I hate dealing with the Donahues in general, but Colin is the most miserable fucker ever born. He’s worse than his fucking father Edmund ever was—and that is saying something.
I motion to Torch and Sabre to stay at my six and remain standing, then I sit down at the table with the Devil himself.
Time to get this party started.
“Skull, you in here?” I hear Torch in the distance. I mumble and dig further under the covers. My body is sore from the workout that Skull gave me last night, and I’m worn out because it was so late when we returned from the lake.
Tonight will be my last night with Skull. I’m praying the memories we’ve made will be enough to help me survive life without him.
Skull squeezes me and I smile without opening my eyes or acknowledging him. Since I’ve been seeing him, he’s always touching or hugging me. He does it even more since I’ve been here. He kisses the top of my head, then I feel the bed shift as he gets up.
“Quiet, asshole, Beth’s sleeping.”
“Sorry, Boss. We got word this morning. Colin wants to meet at the Ridge.”
“Did you tell Diesel?”
“Yeah, he set it up, just like you wanted. We need to head out now.”
“Okay. Get our best men together. Beast stays to watch over Beth. I want him making sure she’s safe and doesn’t leave, got it?”