Rusty Cage (Rawlins Heretics MC Book 1) Read online

  “Shockingly, neither of us have anything that’ll spread, so the only worry is pregnancy, and my birth control is top of the line.”

  “You’ll be showing in a few months. Just watch.”

  Rolling her eyes, a smiling Ginger scoots away.

  I wrap her closer and whisper, “No sex for now. You wore my dick out.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  We fall into silence while watching TV. Like any normal man, I want a nap after having the best sex of my life. Ginger might still run, though, so I keep my eyes open even though I’m bored of watching the movie.

  Turning my gaze to Ginger, I find her staring at the ceiling. She’s clearly deep in thought. I imagine a shit-ton of crap she might be thinking about but suspect I’m likely wrong with them all.

  “What’s with the sad eyes?”

  “Thinking about the ugly stuff.”

  “What kind of ugly stuff?”

  “I’m wondering about the choices I’ve made in life.”

  “What choices?”

  Ginger exhales and keeps her gaze on the ceiling. “A few years ago, someone was killed because of me. The old Little Memphis MC president wanted to kill me. When he couldn’t grab me, he murdered a woman named Sabine in my place. He told people she was me, and I went into hiding. That’s when I started wondering how different things might have been if I’d just given Cris the money he wanted rather than killing him. Would everyone’s life be better if I’d behaved until I was old enough to get a real job? Would I have gone to college and gotten a respectable job?”

  When she falls silent, I think to mention how she wouldn’t have met me in her “what if” scenario. Then again, my needs aren’t what she’s craving right now. Problem is I don’t know what words will ease the frown on her face.

  “Whenever I get to thinking that way,” she says, cuddling against me, “I remember the day I found Yarrow. If I hadn’t become Ginger Snaps, where would she be now? Dead would be the best-case outcome. More likely, she’d be sold off to someone. I saved Yarrow, and there were others saved too. I did right by my crew, even if I became a monster to do so. The Ginger with the regular life is the selfish choice. Her life might have been easier in the end, but she never led anyone out of the hell. Ginger Snaps, even for the horrors she witnessed and caused, brought light to those in the dark.”

  I caress her cheek with my finger and then follow with my lips. “Nothing wrong with you killing those in desperate need of death.”

  “I don’t regret even one murder I committed, but I do regret causing Sabine’s death. The world isn’t fair even if bad guys like me hunt bad guys like Cris or Trigger. Someone innocent will always end up in the way, and I have to live with that fact.”

  “You’ve been waist-deep in the vile swamp of humanity for so long that I’m not surprised you feel stuck in it. You’re not, though. You’ve only been in Rawlins for a few weeks, yet you’ve brought light to this town.”

  “Sometimes, the sweet stuff you say cuts me deep,” she whispers, studying my face. “I wish I could see myself from your eyes.”

  “You’d see an incredible woman I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know.”

  “That’s the sex afterglow talking.”

  “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

  “I do,” she says, sounding fragile in a way I never expected.

  “I can’t be patient for you,” I admit. “I’ve tip-toed around other women like my kids’ mothers because they were carrying my babies. I played along, but I can’t do that with you. I can’t give you time and space to catch up to where I am now. I know that sounds like a cop-out or I’m excusing my dick behavior. It’s not, though. I need you to be with me and see me and think of me. It’s like I have no value unless you give it to me. Insane, I know. I have my kids and the club and Mom and a lot of reasons to value my life. But since I met you, I’ve had a nagging feeling that without you everything good will fall apart and disappear.”

  “That is insane.”

  “And I make no apologies for that insanity. That’s how I love, I guess.”

  “I don’t know how I love, Oz. That feeling is hidden in a vault behind a million walls with a million doors locked by a million security systems all with codes I don’t have access to. I’m terrified to see what happens when the feeling escapes or there’s a crack in the system. Will I cling to you with the panic of a child? Can I function with that kind of love?”

  “You’ve functioned through a helluva lot worse, Ginger Snaps.”

  Her smile surprises me. “I know, right? Why do I fear something that feels so amazing when I’m totally okay with facing the ugliest shit possible?”

  “Habit probably. I’m used to loving easily. I had a close relationship with my mom. My club president took me under his wing and raised me up like his kid. The club guys are my brothers who accept me for the flawed fantastic fucker I am. The moment I saw my kids, I was instantly in love. It was the same with you. No amount of logic would keep me from what I wanted, and I’d never wanted anyone like you.”

  “No more running.”

  “And I’ll pretend I’m patient even though I’ve already admitted I’m not.”

  “I appreciate your lies.”

  “And I appreciate not having to chase you. When I thought I lost you after I missed that exit, my fucking heart hurt as if I’d never see you again. My love is stupid that way.”

  “Perfectly stupid, and I guess love should be that way,” Ginger says, wrapping me tighter. “It’s how Cayenne loves Duffy, and how Pepper and Bay love each other. No logic, only a pure need to be close and provide warmth to the ones who matter most.”

  “I’m curious as fuck about what you’ll be like once that vault of yours opens.”

  A soft smile lights up Ginger’s beautiful features, making her even more addictive. I ache to have her closer and closer until she’s a part of me. To lose Ginger would cripple me especially after witnessing so many new sides of her during these last few hours.

  I need more, and I’ll get more. Because for the first time since we met, I believe Ginger understands what I have all along. Common sense, logic, and past pain aside, we’re a done deal.

  ➸ Ginger ☆

  My first night sleeping next to Oz goes well. He doesn’t roll on top of me or injure me in any way. There is some confusion about which of us will monopolize the covers, and who needs how much space in the bed. A comfortable truce finally settles with me taking more of the blanket and him getting more of the bed.

  Awake first, I take a shower and wash off a gallon of semen Oz left behind. Though I know my birth control is solid; I can’t help worrying he really does have super sperm that’ll somehow defy the odds.

  The sound of piss filling the toilet alerts me to Oz’s arrival. I peek out at him and nearly say, “aww” at the sight of his sleepy eyes. He notices me watching him and smiles. Once he finally finishes peeing, he blinks twice and is suddenly very awake.

  Yanking back the shower curtain, Oz looks me up and down. “My dick is hard, and you’re wet.”

  “Are those two statements connected?”

  Oz moves to join me in the shower. Unfortunately, his size and the tub’s are a definite mismatch. I turn off the water and step out. Reaching for the towel, I duck Oz’s attempt to kiss me.

  “Mouthwash, please,” I say and gesture at the sink. “No offense, but, yeah, mouthwash is our friend.”

  Grumbling under his breath, he opens the tiny bottle of free mouthwash, empties it, and swishes around the liquid before spitting it into the sink. Oz turns to me and breathes in my face.

  “Better?”

  “Are you going to fuck me or what?”

  His hand grips my hair, tilts my head back, and plants a breath-stealing kiss on my lips. My wet hands reach for his fine ass and cup both cheeks.

  “I missed your pussy,” he says, lifting me off the ground.

  “I’m wet.”

  “Were you playing wi
th your pussy in the shower?” he asks while grabbing a towel to place on the counter. “Were you thinking about me fucking you, Ginger?”

  Plopping me on the towel, he kisses me again. Our hands frantically explore naked, warm flesh, not knowing where to grab first. Oz settles on my poor over-loved breasts, and I nearly ask him to give the boob fetish a rest. Before I get a word out, he lifts me enough to scoot my ass to the edge of the counter. I’m suddenly spread eagle with my pussy waiting for attention and my tits jutting up for his attention.

  The man knows how to maneuver a woman’s body for a proper fucking.

  “I love you,” I blurt out when his mouth hovers over my right nipple.

  “I love you too, Ginger Jones. Now hush while I fuck you senseless. Then we’ll return to Rawlins where I’ll announce to all my buddies how I’ve landed the foxiest fox in town.”

  “Or...” I say, just to disagree with him.

  Oz ignores my attempt to instigate an argument. He sucks my right nipple into his mouth and taunts it mercilessly with his tongue. Moaning, I run my fingers through his thick hair and enjoy the feel of his fingers testing my pussy. They dip deeper, pull out, tease my clit before thrusting even further inside my body.

  “Oz,” I murmur with my eyes closed. I’m relaxed in a way Ginger Snaps shouldn’t be while completely exposed and at the mercy of a man.

  “Ginger, look at me,” he commands, and my eyes open. “I want to see your face when I fuck you. You need to show me how much you want this.”

  “Yes,” is all I can say as my pleasure builds.

  I stare into his dark eyes while he replaces his fingers with the head of his impressive cock. I grip one of my nipples while he tugs at the other. Then with an aggressive thrust, he painfully fills me. I flinch for only a moment before Oz teases my clit and his hips move faster.

  I can’t take my eyes off him. Even as he coaxes my body toward an orgasm, Oz refuses to look away. He wants to see me raw and vulnerable. I don’t let my heart put up any boundaries. No reminders of our pasts or questions about our future. I open my heart to him in the same complete way my body does.

  With Oz, fucking isn’t about fucking. This moment is about letting someone see more than anyone’s seen before. Men have known my body before while women have known my heart. No one has ever possessed everything I can offer—body, heart, and mind.

  Not until Oz.

  ➸ Oz ★

  Ginger and I finally get dressed and leave the motel. I am happy to get out of the ugly room, even if it means I’ll have to share my woman with the world. She climbs on her Harley, winces in pain as her pussy meets the seat, and then smiles at me.

  “Your anaconda sure left its mark.”

  “I’m sorry about that, but it feared dying without your pussy.”

  “Watch your language, mister,” she says with a perfectly horrified expression. “Think of the children who might be hanging around this dump before school.”

  I open my mouth to reply until Ginger revs her engine and gives me a big smile. When her hog quiets down, she gestures toward the road.

  “I don’t know this area well, so I’ll follow you back to Rawlins.”

  “Wait, you’ll allow me to lead without you throwing a tantrum first?”

  Revving her engine again, Ginger surprises me by taking off out of the parking lot and up the road. I hurry to catch up to her. She glances back at me at the light and again gestures for me to take the lead.

  Soon, we’re back in Rawlins, and I am forced to leave Ginger at the B&B. She parks her Harley and yawns while I check my phone. By now, Alani and Makoa are already on the bus.

  “Everything okay?” Ginger asks when I frown.

  “I usually put the kids on the bus.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “When we have our kid, I’ll get up early, and you can sleep late.”

  Ginger gives me another one of her “STFU” looks until she suddenly smiles. “That would actually be a pretty baller setup. Would you make me breakfast?”

  “Yeah,” I murmur, wrapping her in my arms. “I’d put the baby down for its morning nap and wake you with a good, deep fuck followed by a healthy breakfast.”

  “Ugh, you had me until the healthy crap. Oh, well, no baby now.”

  I tighten my arms around her. “Sharing your tits with a baby will be the most difficult part of having a baby.”

  “For you maybe. For me, it’ll be pushing your baby out of my vagina,” she grumbles before surprising me again by smiling. “After your anaconda, the baby will probably fall right out.”

  “That’s how it works.”

  “Of course, it is,” she says, lifting her lips for me.

  I want to kiss her for the rest of the day, but I sense eyes on us. Scanning the big Victorian, I don’t see anyone at the windows. I feel them, though.

  “I’m ready for you to move into the townhomes,” I mutter.

  “My bedroom is finished, so we could throw down a mattress or even a blanket and fuck there. I mean, if you want privacy. If you’re cool with public screwing, we can meet lots of places.”

  “No one sees your body except me. Understand?”

  “No.”

  “Kiss me again.”

  Ginger’s lips meet mine, and I wish again I could take her home. When I finally let go of her, she steps back and smiles.

  “I still love you,” she says. “You know, in case you were wondering.”

  “Oh, I knew. It’s written all over your perfect face.”

  “And you love me, right?”

  “It’s why I can’t seem to get my ass to leave.”

  Ginger smiles so wide that she covers her mouth as if embarrassed. “You’re cute, but I’m ditching you now. I want clean clothes and to write in my diary about the best sex I’ve ever had.”

  I laugh when she bats her eyes at me. “You should come over later. Or I can come here?”

  “How about I visit you when the kids are up and then you visit me at the townhome once they’re asleep?”

  “That,” I say, pointing at her as we back away from each other, “is why I love you. Brilliant mind, hot body, sweet-as-sugar smile. You’re the whole package, Ginger Jones.”

  I swear Ginger blushes at my compliments, but she turns away quickly and heads for the front door. Once on the porch, though, she watches me leave while still wearing the silly smile of a woman in love.

  Chapter Ten

  laki

  ➸ Ginger ☆

  Back in Little Memphis with my entire crew, card night took up several tables at the Iron Horse Bar. With our smaller group, we no longer need as much space, but the B&B won’t work. Hildy remains beyond patient with us, but she doesn’t approve of drinking and no way will she allow cigars.

  That’s why we’re in the backroom at the Rusty Cage bar, drinking shots of tequila, smoking Cubans, and playing seven-card stud. Pepper remains at the B&B, watching Duffy so Cayenne can join us. Next week is my turn to babysit. Hopefully, we’ll be moved into the townhomes by then.

  “The furniture will be delivered on Wednesday morning,” I say in between hands. “Who plans to be there to supervise?”

  Bay lifts her hand. “Pepper and I have the furniture floor plans ready to go.”

  “Are two people enough to manage all the furniture?” Cayenne asks.

  “Yes. They’re only sending one truck at a time, and I assume two guys will carry crap in. They can only go so fast, so we’ll be able to keep an eye on them.”

  “We should ask the Heretics to come by and use their muscles,” I suggest.

  “Why?” Bay asks immediately.

  “They’re our allies, and I want them emotionally invested in our happiness.”

  “Didn’t letting Oz fuck you do enough of that?” Yarrow grumbles.

  “No, that was more about ensnaring him into my woman’s trap of obsession and dominance.”

  “What?” the younger woman asks.

  “I was horny, and he fixed
that for me.”

  The girls laugh except for Yarrow who rolls her blue eyes.

  “If you want us to have them snap to attention, we’ll make the call,” Bay says.

  “I want us to become so tightly involved with the Heretics that their club gets a scary rep and we don’t have to worry about anyone coming around Rawlins to cause trouble.”

  “That makes sense,” Cayenne says and deals our cards. “Little Memphis was a rough town, but Rawlins doesn’t have to be for our families.”

  “Speaking of families,” Bay says, “Pepper and I narrowed down the list of donors to two.”

  “What makes them special?” Yarrow asks, ignoring the cards while she rests her head on the table.

  “They’re perfectly average,” Bay says. “We wanted Baby Bear qualities. Not too tall or short. Not too pale or dark. Not too smart or athletic.”

  “Would you really want an average man if you were doing this the old-fashioned way? You know, drunk with a guy you barely knew,” I ask.

  “Pepper and I noticed the people who have the cutest kids are average looking. Clearly, I can’t change how amazing I look, so the guy will need to level out my hotness.”

  Smirking, I nod. “Makes sense.”

  “Now that Oz had his hand up your pussy, working you like his dummy, will you have a kid soon?” Clove asks, and I suspect she just got a good hand.

  “No,” I say and then add, “No, no, no.”

  “Never know,” Bay mutters, and I suspect she just got a bad hand.

  “Babies are weird looking and smelly, and I don’t like the way they’re always emitting gross stuff from one or more orifices.”

  “Remember how odd Duffy looked when she was born,” Cayenne asks. “Those big dark eyes on her round, pale face freaked me out. There was no denying who her father was and how she inherited his creepy stalker eyes.”

  “They’re not creepy anymore,” Clove points out.

  “No, they aren’t. Thankfully, my genetics kicked in.”

  “She used to barf a lot,” I point out. “So much barf out of such a small person. Yeah, babies are gross.”