The Way I Like It (The Soldiers of Wrath MC, #5) (19 page)

“What’s happened?” she asked.

He cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb across her lips. “Nothing, baby. Skull told me what you did.”

She turned her gaze toward him. “I had to go and see her.”

“I know, baby. How was she?”

“Deanna’s coping. Her baby is in the world, and it’s scary because she doesn’t know if he’ll be okay.” She shook her head. “Where were you?”

“I had shit to do.”

She grabbed his hand, and with the light spilling into the room, she gasped. “You’re hand? What happened?” Her heart started to pound, and when she looked into his eyes, she just knew. “You saw my father and uncle?”

“Baby, their shit was fucking bad, the worst.”

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she stared down at his cuts. All of her life, her father and uncle had terrified her. They always had control of everything, and she hated it. Her mother hadn’t been allowed to leave and had to deal with his control. The women were forced to remain at home, even the daughters.

“I don’t want to know what you’re talking about. They’re gone?”

“They’re gone, and they’re not coming back.”

“What about the cops?” she asked. Elena didn’t want to lose her man because of what her father and uncle had done.

Striker shrugged. “You don’t need to worry about them, baby. You had nothing to do with it, and you ran a few months ago. You’ve not heard or seen from them since. If they ask about me, say you don’t know shit. I was at the club with you the whole time.”

“Lie?”

“Can you do that?”

“For you, I can do anything.” She cupped his cheek, stroking across his stubble. “I missed you.” She felt like she should care that her mother was still there, but the woman had been just as bad as her father with the mental and emotional abuse. She’d run not just from her dad and uncle, but also from the whole circle. She wanted nothing to do with them.

“I love you, baby.” He placed his hand on her waist, and she glanced down, loving the feel of his hands on her body.

She felt the warmth, the reality of listening to him say those words. Never had she felt truer words. “I love you too.” And she meant them with all her heart.

“Demon’s going to be at the hospital until Deanna is discharged. He might be taking time off to stay with her at their place. I need to get some sleep, but when I get up, I’m going to the hospital to see them, give them my support.”

They needed to be together and get through this as a couple. She leaned in close and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’ll come with you. I like Deanna, and I don’t want her to feel alone.”

“Women stick together, right?”

“Yep, women stick together, and men just have to deal with it.” She rubbed her nose against his. It was so strange to feel so close, so connected with him when they hadn’t been together that long. But Striker had done so much for her, and he and the club had made sure she was protected. “You coming into that diner was the best moment of my life.”

He chuckled. “You know I fought myself. I didn’t want to follow you, yet I couldn’t resist.”

“You’re my protector.”

“Baby, I’m not a good man.”

“I know, but you’re my man, and that’s all that matters to me.”

“I
t’s going to be a long road, but right now he’s fighting, hanging on.”

Demon looked at the doctor, felt his throat tighten, and felt every part of him break. He didn’t want his son to die, didn’t want Deanna to have to go through that. He just wanted everything to be right with the world.

“He’s strong,” Deanna said through tears. She had her hand covering their son’s. Ty was in a plastic box, tubes hooked up to him, his little body so small.

Damn, everything in him hurt, and his anger wasn’t diminishing, not even after they worked over those two assholes.

“It’ll be okay, baby,” he said and wrapped his hand around her shoulder. She nodded but didn’t speak.

“I’ll leave you alone and give you privacy,” the doctor said.

And then it was just the three of them, and all Demon wanted to do was go out and hurt someone for what he and his old lady were feeling.

“He’ll be okay. He’ll pull through.”

He looked at Deanna, his throat tight. “Yeah he will, baby. Ty will be okay, and then we’ll go home as a family.”

N
erd stared at Hannah, the girl he’d helped out of that fucking cult hellhole. She was currently curled up in a ball on the club’s couch, a thick blanket wrapped around her, and her breathing easy. He didn’t know what it was about her, but he felt transfixed. There was something inside of him that felt primal about the way she’d been treated. It wasn’t just because she was a woman who had been abused. It felt more like he had this possessive, proprietary feeling toward her.

Hell, he hadn’t even wanted her to leave the club. He wanted her by his side so he could watch over her, and make sure she was okay.

“Man, you’re fucking creepin’ me out.”

He turned and looked at Skull, the brother at the bar pounding down the shots. “Fuck you.”

Skull held up his shot glass right before he tipped it back. “You keep watching her and people are gonna start talking.”

“Yeah, about what?” Nerd turned away from Hannah and walked over to the bar.

“I don’t know,” Skull said and glanced at Nerd. “Maybe that you want her as an old lady, or maybe that you’re a fucking creep.”

Nerd flipped him off.

“I’m just saying.”

“Well, quit saying, man,” Nerd said and grabbed the bottle of whiskey Skull was pounding down.

“You’ve been drinking all night.”

“Yeah, well a lot of shit has gone down these last few weeks.”

Nerd grunted in agreement. He couldn’t argue with that.

“We just have to live our lives like it’s our last day on Earth.” Skull got up and stumbled down the hall.

Nerd sat there thinking about what Skull had said before he turned and glanced at Hannah. The club did live their lives recklessly, and on the wild side, but he had a feeling Skull had meant something deeper. Did he want to see where his feelings for Hannah went, how far they were embedded in him? Or did he just want to say fuck it and not allow himself to get hung up on a piece of ass?

He scrubbed a hand over his head and exhaled. Either way, he was fucked.

––––––––

E
lena breathed out roughly and clenched her hands on his biceps, digging her nails into him.

Striker kissed and licked her neck, sucked at her pulse point. The feel of her on top of him, her pussy heat nearly burning straight through his jeans and right to his dick, had him reigning in his desire by the skin of his teeth. Being with Elena, and going through all this shit, had taught Striker that every minute of his life was precious, and so much more now that he had her.

They were at his place, the sexual tension thick in the air. Fuck, he wanted her like a fiend. Gripping her hips tighter, he forced her pussy down on him at the same time he lifted his hips slightly.

Pulling her on top of him, he dragged his mouth up her neck and latching it back onto her mouth. Striker deepened the kiss until he was fucking her mouth, siding his tongue in and out of her, just like he wanted to do with his dick in her pussy.

Moving his hand lower, he gripped her ass, curled his fingers around the fleshy mounds, and groaned. He squeezed the flesh again, bringing her as close to his body as he could. A growl of approval left him when she rubbed herself on him, moving her hips back and forth. Damn, he wanted to grab his dick, pull her panties aside, and run his erection along her cleft. He moved his tongue out and teased her bottom lip, and a little cry left her. He quickly worked at getting them naked.

“I love you,” she breathed against him, her voice a soft whisper.

“And I fucking love you, baby,” he said as soon as she finished speaking. He lifted his hips up again, grinding himself on her pussy. She moved her hands to the back of his head to grip his hair, pulling at the strands.

And then she started moving against him, back and forth, rocking herself on his lap, on his cock, and causing a tortuous pleasure to fill him. He used his hold on her to help her movements, pushing her back and then bringing her forward, over and over again. He heard the change in her breathing, and knew she could get off from this alone. God, that made him so fucking hard, harder than he was to begin with, and that, was saying something.

Her movements slowed and he wanted to growl in disapproval. Striker wanted her to come on him, from this act alone. He slid one of his hands to the nape of her neck.

“Look at me, baby girl.” He gentled his voice, but made sure it held a commanding tone. He wanted her to have no doubts as to what he wanted, and that was her in all ways. “I want you to just let go, to get off, baby. Let me make you feel good.”

The feel of her breasts pressed against his chest was a temptation. Striker cupped one of them.

Her flesh was warm and smooth, and he almost came undone right there, without being inside of her yet. Cupping the heavy mound, he swept his thumb over her puckered nipple, loving that she gasped in pleasure. The tips were hard, and he groaned in pleasure at their feel. She started rocking against him once again, a little faster this time, a little harder. And just like that, she exploded on him. A cry of pleasure left her, and he swallowed the sound as they kissed.

After several seconds, and when he was sure she’d gotten off fully, he broke away from her mouth. He moved his hand back to her ass, curled his fingers into the flesh, so ready for this, for each other.

She was everything to him and that would never change. Now, it was time to really make her feel good.

E
lena was so turned on, and she wanted Striker so badly. She didn’t want him to hold back. “I want you to fuck me, Striker,” she said.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He rubbed his cock against her clit, and she gasped, moaning at the instant shot of lust from his touch. She was sensitive from her previous orgasm, and any slight caress of her clit had her peaking once more. Her pussy was on fire, soaking wet, and she wanted his cock slamming so deep inside her.