Center of Gravity (Marauders Book 3) (40 page)

“I’m sorry,” he said. I didn’t answer and pulled him closer for a kiss. He would keep saying that no matter what I said to him. “I can’t help thinking that… I almost lost you both.”

“You didn’t,” I mumbled. “I’d say that under the circumstances, I’m excused for not having bought you a birthday gift.”

“I’ll have the perfect gift every fucking year from now on. My girl will get one year older with me.” He took a shaky breath and I turned to look at him. “You better not tell anyone I cried.”

“Never,” I smiled and leaned over to give him another kiss. “Your secret is safe with me. Don’t think they’d blame you for it, though. It’s been a pretty intense day.”

“No shit.”

“Are the others waiting for you and her?”

“Yeah, but they can wait. She’s feeding, and I think we’ve deserved a little time alone.” He stroked his hand over her head. “Does this mean your tits are off limits for me until she’s done with them permanently?”

“No, might have to be a little careful with them, though.”

“I can try,” he smiled. “Think you can make more room for me in the bed, or would that hurt?”

I moved over, and he helped me the best he could. It meant my breast slipped out of Alma’s mouth, and she wailed in protest.

“Impressive lungs,” I noted. “Strong lungs and clenched fist—she’s a fighter, and she’ll be fine,” I said and carefully stroked her hand once the nipple was back in her mouth.

Mitch was right next to me, and while I watched Alma, I could feel him relax next to me. Five minutes later, he was sleeping, and I decided that the others could wait a while longer. I was sure they’d understand.

-o0o-

When I woke up the next time, Mitch was back on the chair next to the bed, and he had Alma in his arms.

“Are they still waiting?” I asked, and he smiled.

“No. I’ve been there. Mac was totally jealous about her hair.” He looked very pleased. I laughed and tried to turn to my side, which hurt like hell. “Fuck, babe,” he mumbled.

“Don’t tell me you’re sorry again,” I muttered. “You should’ve told me about his hand. If you’d just told me that…”

“I know. I should’ve told you about a lot of things. I think I didn’t want to tell you that we’d done that on purpose to someone.” He looked at Alma, and it was clearly an attempt to avoid looking at me. “It’s one thing that you know we’re… not exactly legal, but another to give you details about how we deal with things.”

“I didn’t really want to know, either,” I admitted. “But I think I need to know things from now on.”

“I know. I’ll tell you. I’d say you’ve seen the worst already.”

“I’m guessing this isn’t the end of it. It was just one guy and… Like, Amsterdam, what’s going on there, and what do I need to worry about regarding that?”

He chuckled. “I’m not even sure I know myself what we need to worry about as far as Amsterdam goes. There’s going to be a lot of things going on in the club for a while.”

“Things like this?”

“No. Not things like this, not guys who are out to hurt me, but there’s always gonna be people who might be out to hurt the club.” He finally looked at me, and he gave me a wobbly smile. “I think you knew that, though.”

“I knew it, but it’s one thing to know and another to experience.” I reached out, and he took my hand. “I’ll never lie to you, and I’m scared, and you need to tell me things. A lot more than you have.”

“We’re setting up a deal with the Dutch, and part of the deal is that we’re going to expand. Start new clubs,” he explained, and it sounded like he just wanted everything out in the open. So, when he kept talking, I stayed quiet. “Eventually, that could lead to problems. A lot of problems, but we’re all going to be on high alert, and we’re gonna be quick to bring everyone in to a lockdown.”

“What’s that?”

“We bring everyone to the clubhouse, post guards, and keep them there until we’ve dealt with the problem, whatever the problem is.”

“And you’ll keep me informed about all of it?”

“All of it,” he nodded. “Every nasty detail. I’m not making this mistake again. I’ll keep you fully informed, and I’ll tell you who to talk to when I’m not around, too. Dad, probably. I’d say he’s the first one you talk to if I’m not around.”

“I’d like that. Maybe not the knowing everything part, but I’d like to be able to talk to your dad.”

Mitch chuckled. “I have no idea how the old fucker does it, but every young woman in the club loves talking to him and trusts him.”

“He’s got that thing about him,” I admitted with a laugh.

He looked at Alma. “We’ll get through this.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss. “Won’t we, Cupcake?”

I looked at him, and I was fascinated with the look on his face when he looked at Alma. He’d keep her safe. It was probably odd that I thought that while my back and leg were aching from the kicks I’d received by people who’d done it just to punish Mitch, but I still believed it. We’d both learned our lesson, and if it meant I’d be more able to keep Alma safe, it was worth it.

-o0o-

“Cupcake’s hungry,” Mitch whispered next to my ear.

It had been a week, and my body was still aching, but Mitch had been amazing. It was probably still due to guilt. It didn’t matter what I said, he still kept telling me how sorry he was, and did everything he could to help me. I was grateful, though, because my back was still a mess, and my hand was in a cast, which made it really tricky to use the cane. I had to hold it in the ‘wrong’ hand, but I was starting to figure that out.

The most amazing gift I received at the hospital had been from Sisco and Bull. They gave my cane back to me. I’d thought I’d lost it, but they’d found it in the car Anita had dumped at a parking lot. I’d cried until Bull eventually turned bright red of embarrassment, but I hadn’t understood until that moment how much it meant to me. Apparently they had, and just thinking about those two big bikers having had the thought that I should get it back choked me up. It was such a sweet thing to do.

“I didn’t even hear her wake up,” I mumbled to Mitch and laid Alma next to me.

“I was up, so I’d taken the baby monitor to the office.” He lay down behind me with an arm around us both. “She’s changed and ready for food. And for the record, she might be cute as hell, but her poo is a biohazard.”

“Yes, it is,” I laughed.

“And I swear to God, she looks totally pleased when she’s had a dump and you open the diaper.”

“Sadistic little kid.”

I was slumbering a little. It felt okay, since Mitch was there to take her back to her bed when she was done. People kept telling me there wasn’t really any danger that you’d accidentally roll over on a baby next to you, but I still didn’t like to sleep when she was in bed with us. She protested when the breast was empty, and I turned us over. That way we were facing Mitch, and he smiled at me.

“How’s the back?”

“It’s okay. It’s getting better. Probably because you’re spoiling me. Not sure what I’ll do when you get back to work.”

“Not gonna happen in a while. Dad’s already told me to take whatever time I need. There might be some club stuff, but for now they’re in agreement that we’ve earned some time together.” He stroked my cheek. “And they know you need help.”

“I do,” I admitted.

“The other Old Ladies will help you once I go back to work, too. So don’t be afraid to ask them.”

“You know I was so eager to get you involved in this because I knew I would need help, so I’m gonna ask for help.”

“That the only reason?” he asked with a laugh.

“Definitely.”

“Sure,” he mumbled and leaned over to give me a kiss. “Guess there’s no point in asking you to marry me then?”

“What?”

He smiled. “Marry me, Gimp.”

“Did you seriously called me Gimp when you asked me to marry you?!”

“Sure did. When that cast is gone and you’re fit for it, think you’d walk down the aisle for me?” He kissed me instead of waiting for an answer. “I’ll buy you a white cane.”

“And a Russian wedding dress?”

“Yup.”

“Pavlova cake?”

“Absolutely.”

“Just so you know, Russian weddings go on for days.”

“I think that’ll be very popular among bikers, then,” he laughed. “Is that a yes?”

“That’s a yes,” I confirmed. “You get points for how you asked even if you called me Gimp.”

“Yeah. I figured going down on my knee and make a big spectacle of it would just make you uncomfortable.”

“Maybe a little,” I admitted. “But I would’ve said yes no matter how you asked.”

EPILOGUE

No Whistling

-o0o-

Mitch came home late, and the apartment was dark, so he assumed Anna had gone to sleep. She’d been tired lately.

He slipped into Alma’s room first, and chuckled a little at her dance clothes that were neatly folded on the chair next to her bed. She was very ready for her performance tomorrow. She was five years old, and already took it so seriously. He’d been forced to give up his office the year before, and had taken over the nursery instead. It was smaller, but it still worked, and he wasn’t really complaining. After all, he’d always known it would happen.

He leaned over the bed and stroked her long, dark hair out of the way to give her a kiss.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, Cupcake. I just wanted to kiss you goodnight.”

“Are you coming tomorrow?”

“Already told you I will. I’ll go home from work early, so we’ll be in time for it. I promise.” He gave her another kiss. “Go back to sleep.”

“Night. Love you.” She’d said those words since she was two, and he still felt his heart tighten every fucking time, and he couldn’t hear it enough.

“Love you more.”

He pulled the cover higher up, and watched her snuggle it around her, just like her mom always did. Alma was like a little miniature Anna in so many ways, she even looked just like her, but she had his dark brown eyes. The blue had disappeared and turned to brown before her first birthday.

He went into the bathroom for a quick shower, and continued into the bedroom. Anna was sleeping, and he slipped into the bed behind her. He carefully stroked her still-flat belly. His second kid was in there. They’d just found out the week before.

“Hey,” she mumbled and turned around to throw her leg over him. “How’s my man?”

“I’m fine. How’s my woman?”

“Very good.”

She started spinning the big white gold ring he had on his left hand like she often did. She liked it there, and he got that because he fucking loved seeing the rings on her finger and the ink on her scarred left leg—
his
leg, as she tended to call it now. Vi’d groaned about it, but had managed to find a spot with not much scarring where she could put the ink. They’d argued about a lot of things regarding the wedding, the rings, and even the ink, but not where the Old Lady tattoo was going. It was obvious to them both that it should be on her injured leg—the very reason she was with him. They’d gotten married when Alma was a year, and Alma had been waiting with him at the end of the aisle. He’d bought Anna a white and silver cane with Russian flower patterns to go with her Russian-inspired wedding dress. It was slightly taller than her regular one so she could wear high heels, and she still used it sometimes. He’d told her he didn’t want her to feel like a hunchback, and that she should be able to wear high heels when she felt like it. He honestly didn’t give a damn about what she was wearing; if he it had been up to him, she’d be naked all the time.

He stroked Anna’s back for a while, before moving his hand further down, into her panties, and in between her legs.

“Any chance I can get you going?”

“Never been a time when you couldn’t,” she smiled and kissed his throat.

He gently moved her over to her back and kissed his way down to her breasts. After carefully circling both her nipples with his tongue, his fingers found the nub between her legs. He gave his fingertips a quick lick, and started to stroke it. He was already semi-hard. Once again, the thought of Anna being pregnant with his baby seemed to turn him on, and he assumed she’d been right when she’d said it was some caveman reaction to her carrying his offspring. He didn’t care, and he really hoped she’d be as horny this time around when she hit the second trimester, because that had been just fantastic.

When he felt her getting wet, he dipped his fingers into her opening, and with his thumb still teasing her clit, he started to move two fingers in and out of her slowly. He loved feeling her wet and swollen insides around his fingers, knowing that he’d get his dick in there soon.

“Mitch,” she moaned.

“Yeah, babe? Is that good?”

“Yes…” she pushed her hips against him and tried to grind herself against his hand. “Don’t stop.”

With a chuckle, he leaned over her and caught her mouth in a deep kiss, while still playing with his hand between her legs. She was rapidly getting wetter, and he felt her seeping over his hand.

“I won’t, if you tell me you love me.”

“Extortion,” she laughed, but the laugh was interrupted when he curled his fingers and hit her spot. She arched and panted. “Shit. I love you.”

“How much?” he asked and curled his fingers again.

“Very, very much. Please, I’m close.”

He moved down and she spread her legs further. He wanted to get her over the edge so they could take their time afterwards, so he quickly and determinately sucked her clit in between his teeth, and ran his tongue over it. At the same time, he pumped his fingers into her, making sure he kept hitting her spot.

“God!” she panted, and when she once again arched, he put his other arm over her hips to pin her down. “What are you doing?”

He let go of her clit for just enough time to reply. “I’m getting you off.”

She should know what that meant. If he started by getting her off quickly, she knew they’d be in for a long one. It was basically a three-orgasm guarantee for her. He felt her coming around his finger while he kept his mouth over her clit.

“Let go,” she hissed, and he did, but kept his fingers inside her. He slowed down the tempo, though, and moved up to give her a kiss. “One of those nights, then?” she asked with a smile.

“Unless you mind. I can quick fuck you if you prefer that.”

“No. Should probably take the chance to do this before Grain starts messing up my back and leg.”

‘Grain’ was the second kid, and that had been Anna’s name for it. He liked it, though; it was in line with sprout, but its own name. Each kid should have its own nickname, whether it was inside her or already born. He couldn’t call this little one Sprout anymore than he could’ve called it Alma once it was born. But she was right, they should make a decent round through their fuck repertoire before Grain got bigger inside of her.

“Any requests?” he asked as he continued down the side of her neck.

“Fuck me.”

Anna using the word fuck was not a common occurrence, but he knew he was in for a good night when she did. He got up on his knees between her knees and spread her legs to the sides. She looked stunning like that, and he gave her a smile.

He teased the tip of his dick against her opening, still sitting straight up to be able to take her in her stunning appearance. When she gently tipped her head back in a long exhale, Mitch groaned.

“Fuck, baby, you are so beautiful.”

He kept moving in and out of her slowly, running his hand over her body as far as he could reach without leaning forward. He wanted to see himself go in and out of her. It worked until she got impatient and sat up, holding him tightly, and started to ride him, but she kept up the slow pace. It was more that he got deeper inside her in that position.

“I love you,” she whispered close to his ear before giving the side of his neck a nibble.

With a groan, he grabbed her butt cheeks and started to pull her down over him harder, raising his hips as he did to reach all the way and feel her around his entire dick.

“I love you, too.”

He loved having her on his lap because she always held him hard, and she felt so fucking good so close to him. When she leaned her head back, he felt the tip of her braid against his hand, and he quickly reached for it and pulled out her hairband. She almost always had her hair up, and Mitch took every shot he got to let it loose and run his hands through it.

When he did it this time, she leaned back and helped him undo the braid. While she did, he teased her nipples and watched her, and he couldn’t help the big smile when her hair fell over her shoulders. She put her hands on his cheeks and leaned closer while slowly starting to roll her hips again.

“Better?” she asked.

“Yes,” he nodded and wrapped a thick strain of hair around his hand. “Much better,” he added and gave her a long kiss.

“Wait,” she panted and got up from him. He groaned in protest when he slipped out of her, but smiled when he realized what she was doing. She was turning around and sat down on his lap with her back against him. “Help me.”

He grabbed his dick and steered into her, and then held on to her breast while letting the other hand seek its way between her legs again.

“Think this was one of the positions you were very fond of last time I knocked you up.”

“It was,” she agreed in a heavy breath. “Thought we could get some practice.”

“Smart girl.” He gave her cheek a kiss when she leaned the back of her head on his shoulder and started to move again.

They took it slowly, but soon he couldn’t hold back, and pushed her over to her stomach. With firm grip around her shoulders to hold her in place, he fucked her, pounded into her and closed his eyes to feel her tightening around him, pulsating.

“Fuck, baby. Come with me.”

“Almost there,” she panted.

He clenched his jaws and tried to not feel how fucking awesome she felt for a few seconds to give her time, but it had always been so fucking hard to hold back when he was with her because it was always so good.

“Shit,” he groaned and reached down underneath her to find her clit. He had to. That in combination with talking to her should get her over the edge. “Damn you’re so fucking hot, babe. Always feel so good.” He gave her jawline a quick lick before pressing his lips against it.

“Keep talking. I love when you talk to me.”

“Not sure I can,” he groaned. “If I keep thinking of how fucking hot you are, I’m gonna cum.”

In a moan, she turned her face away from him and pressed it into the mattress, and he felt the ripples along his dick, and he came too. His hips slammed against her until he’d spilled each and every drop inside of her.

They lay still, the only movement coming from them was when they tried to catch their breath, until he rolled down next to her. He took her right hand and gave the scars on top of it a kiss—the scars that were his fault even if she never let him say that out loud.

“Love you,” he mumbled with his lips still against it.

“Good, because I love you.” She turned towards him. “Was she sleeping?”

Anna knew he always checked on Alma when he came home. Even if he even normally had problems with sleeping, it was completely impossible for him to fall asleep before he’d made sure that his baby girl was okay. The fact that Anna had been taken hadn’t really dawned on him until Alma was around a year and a half, and he’d realized that someone could try again. Lisa had said it was a delayed shock, delayed probably because just after, they’d both been so wrapped up in the fact that their beautiful baby girl had been born.

It hadn’t lasted long, most likely because Anna had taken his total paranoia pretty well, and she’d never commented on the fact that he’d called her three times a day with completely made-up excuses. After a few months it passed, but some things were still there, and one of them was that he had to make sure Alma was okay before he had a shot in hell to fall asleep. Whenever Anna and Alma were in Spain to visit Anna’s parents, he simply stayed at the clubhouse, basically drinking himself to sleep.

“Yeah. She woke up for a few seconds, but went right back to sleep. Did she have trouble falling asleep?”

“A little. She’s very eager about tomorrow.” Anna leaned over and gave him a kiss. “Make sure you come home in time.”

“I will.” He pulled her closer. “You should go back to sleep, Gimp. I’d say I’m sorry I woke you up, but I’m really not.”

“Neither am I,” she smiled. “And you said it wouldn’t be a quick fuck.”

“It wasn’t.” Mitch was a bit offended, he thought it had been pretty fucking thorough, but he laughed when he got it. “You want more.”

“Maybe, so talk to me a while longer, and we’ll see if you can get it up again.”

“If I get it up again?” he asked and pushed her to her back. “You’re gonna pay for that doubt.”

-o0o-

It wasn’t common that Mitch took Alma to her ballet classes. Most of the time, parents weren’t even allowed to stay and watch, but this time they were, and he and Anna made sure to always see every one of Alma’s performances. The difference this time was that Anna couldn’t come. She had a doctor’s appointment she hadn’t been able to move, so he’d told her it was important that she went, and that he’d go with Alma himself. She’d still hesitated until he told her he’d like the shot at doing this with her alone this time, and that had made Anna agree. He liked doing things alone with Alma now and then, some quality Daddy-Daughter time, and he thought this could be a good thing.

He’d made sure to come home in time for a quick shower and to change clothes. Alma had been very stressed, and she’d pointed out several times during breakfast what time she had to be there. Apparently, Anna was the one who always made sure they came in time to things, and Alma didn’t really trust him with this.