Page 24 of Devil to Pay: Cutter

I shrug and nod. Who doesn’t like a show about tats? There’s the thump of the music coming from down the hall out of the common room, but we can hear well enough. I plump up my pillows behind my back and bend my arm to prop my head. With the other, I snake the beer, bringing it up for a long, icy pull as I cross my feet at the ankles, getting real comfortable.

I feel Aja’s eyes on me. I turn my head and wink. She smiles, then takes a pull from her beer. As it turns out, we decide to go for anInk Mastermarathon, bingeing the entire season. Eventually, after the beers and the lull of the TV, I close my eyes one last time for the night.

When I wake up, there’s daylight seeping through the blinds and Aja is wrapped up all around me. Her head rests on my chest as she snuggles close like a baby kitten. Cutest damn thing I ever saw. It feels good to have her here, feelsright.Shit.I rub my hand over my face. Those are the last thoughts I need to be thinking unless I want to end up as screwed as my brothers. Tied down to one pussy.

One pussy.

One.

Do I have it in me not to stray? Do I even want that? What happens if I get tired of her and she’s made friends with Nic and the other bitches? That would suck. Vlad’s so whipped, he might even order me to stay with her because that’s how his woman wants it.

But dammit, she’s all cuddled on me and I don’t even have the urge to wake her up to fuck. Just the press of her body against me gives me this feeling of contentment.

Remember they’re saddled with kids, too. Can’t live free if you’re dragging a kid behind you. I’ve got to get out of here, but I don’t want to wake her. As quietly and with as little movement as possible for a guy my size, I slide from under her until I’m clear of the bed. Then I throw on a clean pair of jeans and a faded, black T-shirt. It’s from the Road Rash Backwoods Rally we went to several years ago. There’s been too much shit going on with the club and the women to have gotten back there yet. I’m ready to go back.

After pushing into my boots, I slip out of the room. Most of the brothers are still sleeping. There are naked and partially naked women asleep on the sofas. One still has a brother under her. They had a good time and I missed it for Aja.

Surprisingly, Rough is up already, sitting at the bar sipping coffee. “You’re up early,” I say on my approach.

“Drank some. Fucked Brandi, but then I was tired and called it a night. She passed out in my bed. We fucked again this morning, then she got up to fix breakfast. Where’s Aja?”

Just from hearing her name, I feel the noose begin to tighten around my neck and the shackles binding my hands. “Back in the room,” I answer.

“Dude—you look like you’re gonna puke. What gives?”

I think I just might. I’m dizzy and nauseous. He yanks me down onto a stool. “Brandi, coffee!” he shouts.

“I’m screwed.”

“Why?”

“Aja. She slept in my bed with me.”

Rough has the audacity to laugh. “So?”

“No, brother, we onlyslept. I woke up holding her in my arms and didn’t even care if I woke her up to fuck.”

He shakes his head while bringing it down to take a sip of his coffee.“Damn. You are screwed,” he says, blowing on the hot brew and I swear the bastard snickers as he takes a drink. Not one bit of this is funny.

“I don’t even know how it happened. Aside from the fact that she’s the best fuck of my life, she stole from me. I should want to end her. But we’ve talked, likereallytalked, and now all I want to do is protect her. What do I do?”

Brandi walks out of the kitchen carrying my mug of joe. She sets it down in front of me, winks at Rough, then heads back into the kitchen. I’d tapped Brandi the night before I went on the run where I met Aja. She’s hot. Well proportioned in the tits and ass department. She’s on the shorter side like Aja and keeps her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail for a brother to grab hold of when we’re going at it. The best thing about Brandi is she gets off on sucking cock almost as much as the men get off being sucked. The woman is always a good time.

A few moments later, she’s walking back out to us carrying two plates of food that smell delicious.

“Bacon, scrambled eggs, and home fries,” she says. “Good for what ails ya.”

“Thanks, Brandi.”

“Welcome, gents. I need to head home, so I’m going to quick eat my food before I go.” Then she saunters back into the kitchen swinging her ass.

“That do anything for you?” Rough asks.

“What?”

“Watching Brandi swing her ass, make you want to hit that?”

“She’s hot, but Brandi’s never fucked me like Aja.”

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