Merrick: Harlequins MC (54 page)

“Good luck.”

Damon disconnected the call and helped Cassie to her feet. She was still smiling, giddy.

“It's a mile from here?” she asked.

he nodded. “So says Breaker.”

“It felt like I'd run ten miles by the time I ditched the bag.”

“You might have,” he said. “You probably ran yourself in some circles out there.”

“Probably,” she laughed.

Hand in hand, they walked back out into the forest to claim their prize.

***

Damon dropped the bag on Carl's desk and stood there, looking at him. His eyes shifted from the bag and then back up to him and Damon saw something in his face he thought was relief. Relief from what, though? That he had his shit back? Relief that he hadn't let him down? Relief that – it didn't matter. They needed to have a talk.

“It's all there,” Damon said. “Check it out if you want.”

He shook his head. “I don't need to. You know I trust you.”

“Do you?”

Carl sighed and leaned back in his chair. “It's not like that, man.”

“No? Then how is it, Carl?”

“Look man, things were crazy,” he said. “With McReed poking around about Andy and that whole sideshow, him searching the clubhouse – ”

“Yeah, I get that,” he snapped. “But you put Cassie in the crosshairs. You made her a target, man. That shit ain't right. She's not a member of the club and she should never have been asked to take that responsibility on herself.”

“What did you expect me to do, Damon?” Carl asked. “What could I have done?”

“Maybe you could have given the shit to me. Told me to blow town for a few days.”

Carl sighed and after a moment, nodded. “Yeah, maybe I didn't think that through.”

“No, you didn't,” Damon pressed. “Dragging an innocent woman into club matters – ”

“I know,” Carl cut me off, his voice quieter. “Putting Cassie in the middle of this crossed the line. I fucked up. I made a bad call and I'm sorry.”

“Like I told you before, ain't me you need to say you're sorry to.”

Carl nodded. “I'll make it right with her. But I am sorry for what's gone on between us. I should have listened to you. Trusted you more.”

Carl sounded genuinely guilty and remorseful. Which felt like a kick in the gut. As angry as he'd been with the older man the things he'd done, Damon had to admit that he was just as angry with himself for the things he'd done. For the bad decisions he'd made that had helped lead them to that point. Damon ran a hand through his hair and looked at the older man.

“It wasn't all you, man,” Damon said. “I admit that my head wasn't on straight. I made some bad decisions and jammed the club up. I hope you know I'd never intentionally put the club in a bad spot.”

“I know you wouldn't.”

They stood in silence a moment longer just staring at one another. It was one of those times they were able to communicate with each other without actually having to speak. They just got one another.

“Are we good?” Damon asked.

Carl nodded. “You're my brother. We may fight and bicker now and then, but at the end of the day, you're my brother. Of course we're good.”

Damon smiled as he came around his desk and they embraced, slapping each other on the back. After a moment, Damon looked at him and smirked.

“Would you really have taken my patch?” I asked.

“I'm just glad this is all behind us,” he said. “Let's go get a beer and make it official.”

I laughed. “Sounds good.”

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

Silvery moonlight poured in through the window in Damon's room. Cassie lay in bed, her head upon his chest. He idly stroked her back with his fingertips, sending shivers up and down her spine. It had turned out to be a wonderful evening. They'd barbecued out on the back deck, had more than a few too many beers, played the music far too loud, and just had a good time, free of all the worries of the past few days.

When they'd returned the clubhouse, Cassie had expected a tense and awkward scene. She'd expected Damon and Carl to have some sort of knockdown, drag out fight. But after a half hour long conversation, the two had emerged from Carl's office laughing and slapping one another on the back. Brothers again. They'd celebrated their reunion with a beer and the impromptu party.

During the night's festivities, Carl had come over and apologized to Cassie for putting her in the middle of the madness. They'd talked for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, shared a beer, a few laughs, and everything seemed right with the world again.

“What are you thinking about?” Damon finally asked.

“Just thinking about what a nice evening it was.”

He nodded. “It was. Unexpectedly nice.”

“That's kind of what I was thinking, too,” she said. “I was half expecting you and Carl to get into it.”

“Yeah, so was I,” he said. “I thought we were going to have a real problem. I didn't like the fact that he dragged you into all of this. And I had intended to have a conversation with him about that.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I didn't really have much of a chance to say anything. He pretty much apologized for everything right off the bat.”

“That's sort of surprising,” she said. “Especially given how hard he's been on you the last few days.”

“I think he knew he was in the wrong. At least about dragging you into the middle of all this.”

“He apologized to me up and down for it,” she said. “Told me he was panicking a little bit just because of the whole situation with Andy and all. He said he made a really bad decision and he regrets it.”

“I'm glad he apologized to you,” he said. “I'm glad he tried to make things right.”

“I'm more glad that you two seem to be okay again.”

“Yeah, I was a little worried, to be honest,” Damon said softly. “This place is my home. For better or worse, those guys are my family. The thought of hitting the road and leaving it all behind – it scared me.”

“I know, baby,” Cassie said. “But it's all behind us now. We can focus on moving forward. Together.”

He smiled at me and kissed her on the forehead. Cassie rolled over and climbed on top of him, straddling him. Leaning down, she kissed him hard and passionately, their tongues dancing and swirling. Her skin tingled as she felt him run his hands through her hair and then slide them all the way down her back until he was cupping her ass. She couldn't help but notice that he was getting aroused beneath her, so she decided to tease him just a bit by grinding herself against his thickening cock.

He groaned as Cassie kissed him and continued to slide herself up and down on him. Damon squeezed her ass and pulled her down harder onto his cock, softly moaning her name. The heat and fire flared up within her and she smiled, feeling herself growing incredibly wet.

Sliding down his body, Cassie gave him a seductive smile and positioned herself between his legs. She grabbed his cock through his boxers and stroked it. Damon moaned as she squeezed him harder. He threw his head back and moaned as she stroked him up and down, her mouth poised over his cock, her warm breath blowing on him.

“Seems like somebody needs a little attention,” she purred.

“Just a little,” he said, his voice hoarse and raspy.

Cassie slipped his boxers down, getting them off of his legs and flinging them to the floor. She looked Damon in the eye and took his hard, thick cock in her hand, stroking him up and down. He looked at her with hunger and eager anticipation in his eyes. Cassie smiled and ran the tip of her tongue around the head of his cock, licking it lightly. It was enough to draw a sharp jerk from Damon as his body bucked upward.

“Oh my,” she said. “Somebody's a little jumpy tonight.”

She laughed and watched his eyes roll into the back of his head as she slid my mouth all the way down his cock. Moving my head up and down the length of him, she cupped his balls, drawing a sharp gasp and then a long moan from Damon.

She smiled as I took his cock out of her mouth and wrapped her hand around the base of it, stroking it up and down. Damon looked at her, pleading with his eyes for more. Cassie put the head of his cock back into her mouth and sucked hard on it while she continued stroking him.

“Jesus, Cassie,” Damon gasped.

She moved her hand and tightened her mouth around his cock, moving her head up and down harder and faster, taking him deep into her mouth. Cassie swirled her tongue around his cock as she sucked him off and he responded with moans, groans, and a body that was shuddering.

Cassie finally took him out of her mouth and climbed back up his body. Staring down at him, she smiled as she reached down and pulled her panties to the side. She grabbed his cock and moaned as she rubbed the head of it against her hot, wet opening. Damon cupped her ass as she rubbed his cock against her clit, making her shudder and moan.

“I need to be inside of you, baby,” Damon said.

“I need you inside of me.”

She guided his cock to her pussy and pushed herself down on it, taking him inside of her inch by delicious inch. He filled her up completely and made her gasp as she slowly began to rock herself up and down on his cock.

Damon's hands found her tits as she rode him and he squeezed them, pinching her nipples. The sharp, sudden pain of his rough nipple pinching blended with the amazing feeling of his cock sliding deep inside of her. It sent shockwaves of pleasure throughout Cassie's entire body.

She planted my hands on his chest, pushing down on him as she started to ride him harder and faster. She slammed herself up and down on his cock, forcing him so deep inside of her that it was walking that fine line between pleasure and pain.

His hands were on Cassie's waist and he was trying to roll her over, but she resisted. She was in control and it was going to stay that way. Cassie thrust her hips down on him even harder, the sound of their bodies slapping – not to mention their moans and groans – filled the room around us.

Cassie felt the orgasm building inside of her, rising like an ocean tide. It was rising fast and she knew it was going to be powerful. She fucked Damon harder and faster, that wave within her quickly cresting and screamed his name as the wave came crashing down. Her body spasmed and jerked the orgasm tore through her body.

“Oh God,” she moaned. “Jesus, Damon.”

She collapsed on top of him and kissed him hard, her body still spasming around his cock. It was a long, intense orgasm that had felt utterly amazing and had left her drained. Damon smiled as he slid her off of him and laid her on her stomach. Getting down on top of her from behind, he pushed the head of his cock against her pussy, drawing another soft moan from her lips.

“Fuck me, baby,” she encouraged him. “It's your turn.”

Damon slid the full length of his cock inside of her, making Cassie shudder against him. He leaned down, kissing the back of her neck as he started pumping his dick in and out of her wet pussy. Cassie pushed back against him, taking him deeper inside of her.

“You feel amazing, baby,” Damon said.

His breathing was growing ragged and she could feel his body stiffening up. She knew he was close. And judging by the sounds he was making – not to mention the fact that his breathing was growing more ragged by the minute – he was very, very close.

“Cum for me, baby,” she said. “I want you to feel as good as I do right now. Cum for me.”

Damon moaned loudly and she felt him pull his cock out of her pussy. A moment later, she felt his hot, wet seed shooting all over her back and ass. Cassie smiled as he collapsed on his back beside her, out of breath, and a smile on his own face. He turned and looked at her. She smiled back before leaning over and giving him a kiss.

“You are amazing,” he said, his voice still hoarse.

“You're always amazing,” she replied.

They lay there in silence for a few minutes, just basking in the afterglow.

“Want to take a shower?” she asked.

Damon nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

***

“Why did you pull me out of that stairwell that first night?” Cassie asked.

It was a question she'd never asked him, but one she was always curious about. The sun was barely over the horizon outside, but, for some unknown, bizarre reason, they were both already awake. Unable to get back to sleep, they'd wandered downstairs, made some coffee, and were giving thought about what to do about breakfast.

Damon and Cassie sat out on the back deck – the scene of last night's impromptu party – sipping their coffee, snuggled up on one of the couches that had been put out on the covered portion of the deck. A blanket was spread across their laps and they were enjoying the sunrise. 

“Would you believe me if I told you it was because I thought you were hot,” he said. “And I wanted to ask you out?”

Cassie laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “No, I wouldn't believe that.”

Damon shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. “It's the truth.”

“It is not,” she said. “I know you're not that shallow. And I know you have a talent for deflection. I'm serious, though. It's something I've always wanted to know.”

Damon sighed. “When I was a kid, I watched my dad beating on my mom. It was almost a nightly thing. Everything she did was wrong and the slightest thing would set him off. If dinner was five minutes late, she got a beating. If she wasn't wearing the right dress, she got a beating. If I got a bad report card, she got a beating – ”

“Oh God, Damon,” she said. “I didn't know.”

He shrugged. “How could you? Anyway, when I was ten, my mom had enough. And she made a terrible mistake – she stood up to him. I guess he'd told he her wanted a lemon cake or something. She made a chocolate one. He ranted and raved for half an hour. Slapped her around really bad. It was the worst beating I'd ever seen her take.”

Cassie was afraid to ask, but she wanted to know. Wanted to better understand him. “What did she do?”

His smile was grim. “She hit him back. It wasn't hard – I mean she weighed a hundred pounds and had probably never thrown a punch in her life. But she threw one that night. It seemed to surprise her as much as it surprised me. And, of course, it surprised the hell out of my dad.”

He fell silent for a moment, but Cassie could hear that his voice was thick with emotion. She looked into his face and saw tears shimmering in his eyes. But Damon knew how to control his emotions. He held onto them with an iron fist.

And as she looked at him, the emotion she'd seen vanished. He was back in control of himself and his emotions. As he thought back to that terrible night, his face became blank. Devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

Cassie remained silent, not wanting to press him any further. If he wanted to tell her the rest of the story, she figured that he would. But she wasn't going to force him to. Cassie hated the fact that she'd dredged these memories up in the first place. It wasn't what she'd been expecting. He looked at her and gave her a small smile and then surprised her again, by finishing his story.

“Eventually, things calmed down in the house. I remember that I was in the living room watching TV and my mom was on the couch reading a book. My dad had been in his bedroom for like hours. I should have known something was wrong. Or that something was going to happen.”