Page 50 of Devil's Work: Dark

“She didn’t know about me being your old lady. When I called, I introduced myself. She said, ‘Oh, yeah, the bitch he’s guarding.’ She didn’t know about us.”

“Yeah, okay. But she’s still gone. Who gave her the right to answer my goddamn phone in the first place? Who gave her the right to follow me back to my room when I didn’t invite her, and hang out while I’m in the shower? That’smyspace.”

Then it’s like the emotion overwhelms her. She sniffles, then the tears spill down over her cheeks. “I’m… I’m… I’m so s-s-sorry, Dark.”

Her tears undo me. “Shh… It’s done now, right?”

She nods.

“But don’t you ever tell me that I’m not sleeping in this bed with you. Got me?”

As a response, Rae bends up to press her forehead against mine. I kiss her slow and deep, keeping it up until she begins to make those deep, throaty moans that drive me wild. That’s when I push up from the damn woman to flip the covers over the both of us. I turn her into my arms, pressing her head against my throat. One of her arms is caught between us, the other she has draped over my chest. I move one of mine around to hold her close by the back of her neck, sifting my fingers through her silky-soft hair. I’m content to hold her like this for the rest of the night.

When did this happen? How does holding Rae feel as good as fucking her? I don’t get it. I don’t get it at all.

But I’ll tell you what, I sleep through the rest of the night like a goddamn baby.

In the morning, while Rae’s busy getting breakfast fixed for the kids, I make the uncomfortable call to Vlad about Jayleen, the piece-of-ass bitch who almost ruined my relationship with Rae.

“Calling early. What’s up?” Vlad asks after his, “Hey.”

“Sure you heard by now. I got into it big time last night with Rae.”

“Both Reap and Green filled me in.” His voice turned stern and I feel like I’m being scolded without him even saying shit.

“Rae and I worked it out. I never fucked anyone else. It was that bitch Jayleen. She followed me to my room while I was showering. She answered my phone. Claimed she didn’t know who Rae is to me, told her we fucked. I never fucked her, man. Never. I’d never do that to Rae.”

“You invite her in?”

“Fuck no. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Then she’s gone. Whether she knew about you and Rae or not, that’s way overstepping. She’s a piece of ass. She doesn’t get to roam around the club like she’s a member or a member’s old lady.”

“That’s what I figured you’d say.”

“Glad you worked things out with Rae, brother. She’s a good woman. Good women are rare.”

I can’t help laugh. “They seem to find their way to the club, though.”

“Truth,” he replies with a similar laugh. “Nic, Greer, Rae—even Dusty.”

“How the fuck did we manage that? A bunch of outlaw bikers with badass, good women.”

He laughs again, this time humorlessly. “Wereally aretuning into the Lords, aren’t we?” The Brimstone Lords MC, they’re good friends to have in a pinch, but every one of those bastards is pussy-whipped. We’ve spent years mocking them, now we’re becoming them.

“’Fraid so.”

Fuck me.The me of a few months ago would’ve gotten downright pissed at the revelation, yet here I am, sitting on the sofa in a trailer, waiting to eat breakfast with my family, wearing a stupid smile.

“Now I can’t wait to see who the rest of the brothers get snared by,” he says.

Hm… I think about that for a second. “You really think Rough and Cut, but especiallyCut, are gonna get themselves tied to an old lady?”

“Dark, brother… if it happened toyou, even Cut doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Everything all right.” I hear Nic’s voice through the line.

“Yeah, baby,” he says to her. “Dark and Rae worked their shit out.”

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