Sweet Revenge (Sinners MC Book 1), page 13
I was done listening to him talk about the same shit he had been my whole life. “I have a deal for you.”
He snorted. “You better make it good, boy. Way I see it, I’m holding all the damn cards, and you know I don’t like having my time wasted.”
I clenched my jaw hard, hating the words that I had to say, knowing I was giving him the only thing I had to keep me alive. “You get the last recording; I get Snake.”
He whistled. “Willing to part with the only ace you’re holding? For some bitch? Guess you aren’t as smart as I thought.”
“We have a deal?” I asked impatiently.
“What is it about this bitch that has you and Snake running after her?” He chuckled. “I mean, does she have a magic fucking pussy or something?”
“Maggie has nothing to do with this,” I said through clenched teeth.
“You and I know better than that.” His voice deepened. “I’ve been watching you, boy. I have eyes everywhere, and what they’ve been telling me is you’ve been after her for a long time. Snake didn’t know it. I thought about telling him, but it seemed he had her under control, so I wasn’t worried she’d turn. He knows how to keep a bitch in line.” His voice darkened, just as it had when he talked about my mother trying to leave, and I felt that all too familiar anger beginning to boil inside me. The anger that made me unpredictable and think less clearly. I pushed it down and waited for him to continue. He was giving me the information I needed, so I just had to ignore the bullshit. “But then she turned. That couldn’t stand, boy, you know that.”
“You the one to tell Snake where to find her?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“You mean at the wedding of the cop she was fucking?” He chuckled darkly. “It wasn’t all that hard to guess.”
I felt the pain like a knife slicing through me. I knew she wasn’t involved with Luke, and she sure as shit wasn’t fucking him, but just the idea of her and Luke destroyed my common sense, and I allowed jealousy to fill me. Her words from last night were burned in my brain, ‘I don’t feel the same way about you that I do him.’ I’d heard them over and over through the night, wondering what the hell I was doing or thought I would gain from keeping this up with Maggie. She was all but telling me that she didn’t have feelings for me. Hell, she even called me her friend.
But I couldn’t let her go.
And I would take her any way I could get her.
I was done with this conversation. He was baiting me; I knew it, and I needed to end it before he actually succeeded.
“Do we have a deal?” I repeated.
There was a moment of silence, and I knew he was trying to decide if he should move on or continue baiting me. I was surprised when he spoke, knowing how much he wanted me to hurt and having guessed she was the way to cause it. “It’s not that easy.”
I sighed to myself and ran my hand over my head. It never was. “Just tell me what the fuck you want?”
“I want to be sure I’ll have the only copy.”
“You have my word.”
He laughed. “Your word stopped meaning anything about the time you recorded my private conversations.”
“Don’t you think if I wanted to shut you down for good, I already would’ve?”
“No,” he answered. “I think you know when you hand that over to the cops, you’re a dead man walking. See, I figure you’ve already given your cop friends a copy so if anything happens to you after we make our deal, they can take me out. It’s the same fucking thing I’d do if I was holding the card you are, and you’ve proved you ain’t that different than me. Bribery, extortion, yeah, you’re not any different from the rest of us, except you’re only loyal to yourself.” He paused, and I waited, refusing to ask him again what he wanted. I wasn’t surprised when he spoke. “I want some leverage.”
“What leverage?”
“Maggie.”
Bile rose up my throat, thinking of Maggie anywhere near him. “No.”
“That’s the only way this deal stands. I’ll send Snake back, tell him it’s safe for him to return, and you can have him. In return, I get the bitch and the recording. I’ll hang on to her for a while, make sure you’re gonna honor our deal. I may even try out this bitch, see what’s got all you boys chasing her.”
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, forcing my thoughts away from him anywhere near Maggie before I played along. “How do I know you’ll give her back?”
He laughed coldly. “Guess you’ll have to trust me, like I had to trust you all these years.”
“You set up a chapter club in my fucking backyard to keep an eye on me. They’ve been coming at us for years, playing your little mind games. That’s not trust.”
“Had to make sure the competition isn’t stealing my business. That’s all that was,” he answered flippantly.
“Why the fuck didn’t you just take me out when you had the chance?” I asked, knowing I had covered my bases, but honestly surprised he didn’t just take the risk of ending me.
I’d thought more than once over the years that my father might actually be afraid of someone and that someone was who he made his deal with all those years ago. I’d heard the stories of what the cartel did to their enemies and I had no doubt my father never told his business partner the shit I was holding because both my father and I would have been killed.
And it wouldn’t have been quickly. It would have been slow and painful; probably shit I couldn’t even imagine. My father was saving his ass and inadvertently saving mine at the same time. If something happened to me, and those recordings were turned over, my father would suffer in ways I couldn’t imagine and he knew it. If he was lucky enough to get to prison without being taken out, he’d never survive inside because the cartel had contacts everywhere.
I came out of my thoughts when I heard his voice. “I’ll admit this game you set up between us has been fun to play. Seeing who could come out on top, who will be left as the champion. Didn’t have any reason to end it. Until now.”
That was a lie, but I’d let him have it. He would’ve never played this game if he could’ve ended it. “You’re not getting her.”
“Oh, I’ll get her. It would’ve been much simpler this way, but in the end, I will win. You don’t have the balls to do what needs to be done. Don’t like to get your hands dirty. I’ve let you run the game for a while now, but that’s over. I’ll give you Snake to do with as you please. You’ll give me the recordings and the girl.”
“No deal.”
“That’s a shame.” My father sighed, and I waited. “Guess we’re at a standstill.”
“Just say the word and the last recording is yours.” I tried one last time.
“You know the deal, boy, and you know where I am when you’re ready to make it.”
“You can’t hold Snake forever. He’ll eventually want to come back for Maggie himself. Then you’ll have to tell him you’re using him as bait.”
“Snake will do what’s best for the club,” he sneered. “I’ll be waiting for your answer. Oh, and you may not want to take too long. I’m ready to end this, and I’m running low on patience. You should have never let a bitch weaken you, boy. I tried to teach you that when your mother pulled her shit. You set up your entire club, a club that’s in bed with the fucking cops, to save a piece of ass.” He grunted. “I know that cop is practically salivating to get his hands on Snake and has been for years.” He chuckled darkly. “You’ve handed me all the ammo I needed to get that recording. Let me ask you, boy, how does it feel to lose your leverage, to be stripped of your power and control?”
He paused, and I realized something I hadn’t in the past. He didn’t hate me because I bribed him so I could leave his fucking club; he hated me because I took away his power and authority, even if only over me. I focused again when I heard his voice. “This is the deal. You don’t make it, we come after your whole fucking club.” His voice darkened again. “And you are not strong enough to fight the Widows.”
I heard the dead air and knew he’d ended the call. I stared across my room at the clubhouse, anger washing over me before dropping my phone to the bed, pulling my arm back and plowing my fist into the wall.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MAGGIE
I heard a loud crash and jumped from the chair I was sitting on while I read. When the sounds continued, I stood and walked slowly to my door and stood in front of it, listening. Another sound, like glass breaking echoed down the hallway, and I reached out, putting my hand on the knob. Slowly pulling it open, I peeked my head out and noticed the hallway was quiet. Looking down the hallway toward the sounds, I stepped out and faced that way. I knew Gunner’s door was the last on the left, only a few down from mine, but why was he in his room? He never was during the day.
I moved slowly down the hallway, startling when I heard another loud bang that had me almost running back to my room, but something pushed me to keep moving toward that door. I faced his door and looked down the hallway again to see no one was coming up the stairs so I knew no one else was around to hear the commotion.
Lifting my hand, I paused with it midair and exhaled before tapping my knuckles against the hard wood. There was a pause, and everything went completely silent before I heard the crunching of something that sounded like glass. The door was pulled open so suddenly that I took a step back, only to watch Gunner fill the doorway.
His jaw was tight when he looked down at me. “Go back to your room, Maggie.”
My eyes moved from the angry look on his face to his hands fisted at his sides. I should’ve been afraid and part of me, the part that had been conditioned to fear Snake when he was angry was screaming at me to run, but something else, something bigger was telling me to stay.
I swallowed hard. “Are you okay?”
“No,” he bit out. “Just go back to your room.”
I took a step forward. “Did something happen?”
He pushed his hand through his hair. “Maggie…”
I lifted my hand and laid it against his arm, ready to ask him again what happened, but then saw the state of his room behind him. My eyes widened at the destruction, and I took a step closer, looking around him before I snapped my attention back to him. I couldn’t read the expression on his face, but if I had to guess, I’d say he looked defeated.
“You can talk to me.” I encouraged quietly.
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?” I frowned. “We’re friends.”
He closed his eyes briefly before slowing opening them, and all I saw was sadness, which could only mean one thing.
“You don’t want that.” I surmised quietly.
He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “I want that, Maggie. It’s just not a good time right now.”
He was lying and not very well, but I knew when I wasn’t wanted, so I nodded. “Okay, Gunner.”
I turned and walked back to my room, wondering how I could be there for him like he’d been for me, but having had no experience in that, I came up with nothing. I made it back to my room and walked through the still open door but dropped my head. I didn’t want to be this person, I wanted to be strong, I wanted to be the person he sees in me. I turned back around and walked back to his room, lifting my hand and knocking louder this time.
He pulled open the door, his expression blank, but I pushed through my insecurities. “I want to help you.” I held up my chin. “Like you help me.”
“You can’t.” he said, his voice low and rough.
“I can listen.” I persisted.
“It’s club business, Maggie, I can’t talk to you about it.”
I knew that from living with Snake. I knew women weren’t given the privilege of knowing the club secrets, but I thought this was different. “Is it about Snake?”
He didn’t answer, just stared into my eyes, and I nodded. “So it is. Then I should get to know what’s going on.”
“You can’t know,” he bit out. “The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”
He turned and moved back into his room, grabbing the door with his hand, and I knew he was going to close it. I slapped my palm against it, and his head turned quickly, surprise evident in his expression. “That doesn’t make any sense, Gunner. Wouldn’t the more I know make me safer?”
He shook his head. “Not this time.”
He took a step back, and I stepped forward, more determined than before. When something sharp poked the bottom of my bare foot, I jumped back and lifted my foot. “Ouch.”
His eyes shot down. “Dammit.” He grabbed me by the waist and lifted me over the broken glass until we got to his bed where he sat me down. I pulled my foot up and saw the tiny piece of glass.
He squatted down in front of me, concern marring his features. “Let me see.”
I pulled the tiny piece of glass from my foot and wiped away the small speck of blood, happy the glass had only nicked me and hadn’t dug in. “It’s nothing, see.” I pointed at my foot. “I got it.”
He pulled it from my fingers and cursed before standing up and throwing it to the floor. He shoved his hand through his hair again and faced me. “You shouldn’t be in here, shouldn’t see this. And you sure as hell shouldn’t have gotten hurt because of it.”
“I’m not hurt.”
“You could’ve been. You shouldn’t be here.”
“I want to help you.”
“You can’t fucking help me!” he shouted.
I should’ve been scared when he yelled. I’d never heard him yell, certainly never at me, and I should’ve felt fear, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt strong, so I raised my voice. “I can’t if you won’t let me.”
He jerked back and something washed over me, something that made me happy when I realized I’d surprised him. It made me feel stronger when he narrowed his eyes and spoke up. “You wanna help me?”
“Yes.” I said.
He leaned down and put his palms down on the bed on either side of me. “You wanna make me feel better?”
I looked into his eyes, but I didn’t see anger. I didn’t recognize what I was seeing, but my belly fluttered when his eyes dropped to my lips. “Yeah.”
He put his face closer to mine, and whispered, “You are not ready for what I need, Maggie.”
My breath was coming in short pants the closer he got, and I knew he was trying to prove that I couldn’t handle him. That I wasn’t ready to give him what he needed.
But he was wrong.
“Try me,” I whispered.
I sounded braver than I felt, especially when I watched his face change, but I wasn’t backing down. It was scary, but it felt right, and something low in my belly told me I wanted his hands on me.
He was breathing hard with his lips so close to mine that I could almost taste them, and I realized I wanted that. Wanted that more than I could ever remember wanting something. As if he woke up, he jerked and started pulling back, but Becs had told me to be brave and let him know what I wanted. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his before he could move farther away. He lifted his hand and put it on the back of my head, pushing his lips tight against mine. His tongue demanded entrance, and I willingly gave it, but then he jerked back suddenly.
His hand was still wrapped in my hair and holding my head, his eyes locked on mine. “Baby, I can’t control myself with you right now.”
“Then don’t.” I whispered.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“Then show me.” I pushed up onto my knees and grabbed his shirt with my hands, tugging him closer. “This is different. I actually feel.”
“What do you mean, you feel?”
“I feel something,” I replied almost urgently. “I can’t explain it, but I need you to keep going.”
His hand tightened on my head but not painfully. Instead, it felt good, really good. “Fuck, baby…”
I leaned forward. “You want to, right?”
His nostrils flared, and he leaned in close, putting his face close to mine again. “I’ve never wanted anything the way I want you.”
I nodded and pressed my lips against his, moaning when we both opened our mouths, and he pushed his tongue against mine. I felt something throbbing between my legs and pushed my body closer to his. He wrapped a hand around my waist and pushed me back onto the bed before he situated his body over mine. I moaned when I felt his weight.
He kissed me deeply until we both needed to take a breath and pulled apart. He ran his lips down my neck, and my back arched, forcing our bodies together. I felt his hardness against my heat and ground against it, searching for something. He ran his hand down my side, over my hip, and landed on my thigh. He lifted my leg and wrapped it around his back before pushing his body tight to mine.
My back arched again, and my head pressed back into the pillow. “Gunner.” I panted. “What’s happening?”
His head snapped up, and he looked down at me, confusion all over his face. He squeezed my thigh and pushed his hips up again, his hardness hitting something that made me ache. When I arched again, he dropped his lips to lay against mine. “Have you ever had an orgasm, Maggie?”
“Is that what this is?” I moaned when he thrust harder against my sensitive slit.
“Yeah.” His lips brushed against mine when he spoke.
“Then no.” He thrust again, and I moaned long and loud. “I never had this.”
“Fuck, baby.” He dropped his face to the side of my neck and sucked on the silky skin there.
“Can you touch me?” I asked, my body climbing toward something, something I couldn’t quite reach.
He ran his hand up my thigh until he reached the waistband of my leggings and lifted his face so he could look into my eyes. “You sure?”
“Please.” I begged, my body demanding release.
He slid his hand down over my bare belly and lower until he reached the top of my panties. I felt him hesitate but lifted my hips in encouragement. I wanted whatever this feeling was. He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me deeply, his tongue sliding alongside mine when he pushed his hand the rest of the way into my panties.
