Letting Her Lead (Ghost Riders MC Book 3) Read online

  14

  Lucias

  Walking into the clubhouse, I’m holding on to Izzy’s hand like it’s my lifeline. Hell, maybe it is. She’s come to mean more to me than I ever thought anyone could, and I don’t like having her far from me. I never wanted her tangled up in this life, but she’s mine, so there’s no way around it.

  I meant what I told her about no secrets. I’ll tell her everything about this life and won’t leave anything unsaid between us. I was glad she didn’t ask, just because I don’t want to dirty her up with the shit our club does. We only do what we have to in order to protect our area and our businesses. We do what needs to be done to keep money in our pockets and keep our community protected from piece of shit biker clubs like the Five Aces. I’m not out looking for fights, but when someone threatens our territory or our pockets, it’s time to lay down the law. People like them only respond to strength, so we dish it out hard and fast. It doesn’t happen often, but we aren’t boy scouts, and I’d like to keep Izzy clean from this life for as long as I can.

  I look back at the corner and see Bulldog keeping his distance. That’s probably smart for now. He didn’t know who Izzy was, but I’d still like to ring his bell for making her think I was with someone else.

  Savage and Julie are here tonight, and I walk over to where they’re sitting cuddled up next to the pool table. Julie is about to pop, but she’s still got on a short skirt and tank top and is practically lying across Savage’s lap.

  When they see us approach, I notice Savage slip his hand out from under her skirt and bring his fingers to his mouth. Julie has yet to see us, obviously lost to whatever it was Savage was doing under that skirt.

  I look down at Izzy, wondering what she thinks of the scene in front of us, and I see her cheeks turn pink. Before we get too close to them, I pull her to me and whisper in her ear.

  “I told you some couples like to put on a show sometimes. What did you think?”

  Her shaky intake of breath makes me wonder if she thinks this is too much. She may have been a virgin when I had her the first time, but she’s not the least bit shy about her body and telling me what she wants. But it’s one thing to do it in private, and another to witness it out in the open.

  “I…um.” She hesitates, and I brush my lips against her neck. “It’s kinda hot,” she finally admits.

  “I picture us in their place. Thinking about what I would do to you.”

  “I don’t know if I could do it out in the open like this.”

  She looks around the dimly lit clubhouse and sees groups of people having a good time. Some are playing pool or darts, and a few are drinking beers and watching the game. Then there are some like Casper and Vince, and Savage and Julie, who like to push the envelope every now and then. Personally, it doesn’t bother me if couples get it on in the clubhouse out in the open—it’s like porn. But I don’t think I could ever bring myself to take Izzy in front of others.

  I don’t think Savage playing with his wife out here is a bad thing. He can’t go more than five minutes without putting his mouth on her. So the fact that there are people around doesn’t really bother him. I think he went too long without her for those years, so he can’t stop himself. He wants everyone to know she’s his and what that means.

  We were all in the military together, so it’s not like there’s much any of us hasn’t seen in one way or another. Vincent is a crazy-jealous motherfucker when it comes to Cas, but at the end of the day, she’s a wild horse that won’t be broken. If she wants to fuck, he’s pulling his dick out. And that includes fight nights when anyone can see. He’ll bend to whatever she wants, but it never makes me question his manhood. Any man willing to fuck his woman in public just so she’s happy has my respect. That takes some serious balls, and I don’t think I have that kind of security.

  Though I have crazy respect for Vincent. Before him, Cas wouldn’t be caught dead even showing interest in a man in front of the club. It shows how far she’s come. I think he fucks her in public because that’s not something Cas would do for anyone. She has someone she actually wants everyone to know about. I would have never thought that would happen in a million years.

  “I don’t think I want you out in the open either. If you want to stand back and watch, they won’t mind, but if you don’t, we can move on. I haven’t paid it any attention since I met you. You’re the only one who can get my cock hard.”

  She doesn’t answer me right away. She just stares at the two of them. Julie is now straddling Savage, her skirt pushed up, and it’s clear he’s got his cock in her, but he has her covered. You can’t see anything, but you know. It makes me think about two nights ago when I was on the couch at Izzy’s house and she rode me just like that. I reach down and rub the front of my jeans, picturing Izzy’s big tits bouncing in front of my face. I smile, remembering trying to catch a nipple in my mouth, but she was moving too much.

  I lick the shell of her ear and see where her head is. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Me riding you on the couch the other night.”

  She turns and looks to me then, her black-framed glasses making her sexy as fuck. Leaning down, I lick her lips and take them in a kiss. I pull back and smile down at her, nodding my head.

  “Me, too.”

  I pull her to me, and we watch them for a few more moments before I take her hand and lead her away. No need to see the big finish. I’ll be giving her that soon enough.

  As we walk over to the bar we see Cas and Vincent are taking shots. It looks like they’ve got about a dozen lined up in some kind of competition. Cas pulls us over as we approach, clearly having a good time tonight.

  “Izzy, this is my Shield.” Cas points to Vincent, and Izzy says hello. We all keep it quiet that Izzy is the one who shot Cas, because he wouldn’t be so quick to forgive.

  “Want to do tequila chasers with us? We’re having a bet.”

  “You mean I’m winning a bet,” Casper corrects V.

  “Yes, MacKenzie, you’re winning. But I can still come back.” He gives her a kiss and goes back to explaining their game. “Every time we take a shot, we throw a dart. We get worse as we go, but the object is to get closest to the bull’s-eye.”

  “I’m currently five for five,” Cas says and holds her nose in the air like a little brat. I don’t know why she pokes at him like she does, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

  “You in, Izzy?” V asks.

  “No, thanks. I’m just watching tonight.”

  Cas nods over to where Savage and Julie are cuddled up now—obviously having finished what they started—and just holding one another. “Looks like the opening show is over.” She takes a shot of her tequila and winks at Vincent. “Means we get to put on the main event tonight, Shield.”

  He grumbles something about her competitiveness, and she leans over, grabbing his ass. She growls “mine,” and Izzy snorts with laughter.

  Pulling her away from them, I introduce her to a few more of the guys in the club. Tonight is just a clubhouse night where we ask all the members to come by and be together. Just sort of like a family game night where we make an effort to be and to remain united as much as possible.

  When we’ve gone around the room and everyone has met my old lady, I pull Izzy towards the stairs. She looks at me in surprise, and I stop to look down into her eyes.

  “Everything okay, baby?”

  She bites her lip and looks around nervously. “Did you not want to stay for the main event?” she asks, and her cheeks turn beet red.

  I laugh a little, relieved that it wasn’t anything serious. I pull her to me. “No, baby. I’m sure there will be other opportunities to watch if your dirty little heart desires. I’m ready to get you upstairs and make our own main event. You look sexy as fuck tonight, and now that I’ve made it clear you’re mine, we’re not doing this bouncing around shit anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Taking her up the stairs to my room, I don’t answer her until we get
inside and I lock the door behind us.

  “Strip off slow, baby. I want my own little show.”

  She gives me a wicked smile as she grabs my hand and leads me over to sit on the edge of the bed. When she takes a step back from me and slips off her shoes, I explain.

  “I want us together all the time. I’ve got this place here, and I’ve got my house in town. I think you should sell your house and live with me.”

  She pauses, her hands at the bottom of her shirt, taking a second to register what I just said.

  “Elizabeth, I want us to have it all. And that starts with you being at my side at all times.”

  15

  Izzy

  Lucias drops me on the bed, coming down over me. “I remember a while back, before you came into my life, Savage had his last fight. It was over his wife, Julie.”

  “He had to fight over his own wife?” I ask, looking up at him as he looms over me.

  “Yeah, long story short he did it just to have it over with. Knocked the guy out cold in one hit.” He smiles like he’s enjoying the memory. “Anyways, the fights can get a little wild. Kind of like the club downstairs. Open sex, drinking, and so on.”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re going to talk to me about you having sex with—”

  His mouth lands on my mine, silencing me. He pulls back, and his eyes narrow on me. “That was not what I was going to fucking say. I don’t like you thinking that shit.”

  I just nod, biting my lip to keep from smiling because he looks fit to be tied.

  “Told you I haven’t been with anyone since I met you and I hadn’t been for a while.” He raises his eyebrows, daring me to disbelieve him. When he sees I’m not going to, he continues with his story.

  “After the fight, Savage was so worked up he took Julie right there. Probably pumped up from the adrenaline. Anyway, that shit’s so common around the fights that it doesn’t really do anything for me anymore, but I found myself watching them and getting turned on. Like I’d never seen two people fuck before. Then it hit me. It wasn’t the sex that was getting me all worked up. It was how hot they were for each other and how much they needed each other. I was jealous and I wanted it. Wanted it real fucking bad. Then you stumbled into my life.”

  “I think you stumbled into mine,” I tease, now smiling up at him.

  “You know I had to buy a new dog just to make up excuses to come in and see you?” he growls in return.

  “Don’t growl about that.” I reach up and touch his face, running my fingers through his day-old shave. “I used to get so annoyed you kept trying to ask me out, but I was just lying to myself. I checked every day to see if you were on the appointment schedule, and days you weren’t I’d get sad thinking maybe you gave up.”

  “I’d never give up on you.” He leans into my touch like he’s savoring it.

  “I have to tell you something. It’s kind of why I rushed over here to begin with. You know, before Bulldog got in the way.” Lucias sits up, pulling me with him so I’m now straddling his lap. I make a move to try and get up, but he just grips me tighter. I want to stand and pace, not look him in the face when I tell him my silly mistake. Someone who works in the medical field should not be this stupid. But I was.

  “You’re scaring me.” He grips me even tighter, like I’m going to bolt from the room or something. I didn’t think Lucias could be scared.

  “I’m on the pill,” I blurt out, making him frown at me. I don’t want him to think I was trying to get pregnant on purpose.

  “I’ve never seen you take that shit.” He sounds angry. Maybe he’s mad that I hadn’t been taking it when I should have been. His anger makes this so much harder.

  I don’t know how to respond to that, so I don’t because, well, I did forget. But it was partly his fault with the whole kidnapping thing. Still, I should have known better. I should have remembered that I hadn’t been taking my pill, but in my defense, I only ever used it to keep myself regular. I wasn’t super strict about it because there wasn’t a reason to worry. Until now.

  “Can I…” I try to pull myself from his hold again.

  “No,” he says, making it clear he isn’t letting go and it’s pointless to try and argue.

  I just narrow my eyes at him, but it does nothing. I don’t even get the half smile he gives me when I get a little pissy when he’s being bossy with me.

  “I messed them up,” I rush out. “You all kidnapped me and I forgot them. When I finally got back to my house, I kept missing them, which is your fault, too! I always take them at night, but you fuck me until I pass out and I forget,” I finish yelling, getting myself all worked up.

  “When will you know?” he asks, way too quietly. His face unreadable.

  “I already know.” The words just hang there.

  “Say it, baby. Put me out of my misery.”

  “Misery?” The word comes out strangled, and I can feel the burn of tears in my nose.

  “Yeah, misery. Tell me I put my kid in you. That you’re going to be locked to me for life. That when I pull this ring out that’s been burning a hole in my pocket for the last week, you’ll have no choice but to say yes.”

  “You want to marry me?”

  “Babe, I tagged your ass. You’re as good as married.” His hand comes around, grabbing the tags on my neck. I’d noticed them on Julie and Vincent and a few of the women downstairs. “These mean you’re mine. You can come and go from the club as you please. We don’t tag our women unless they’re it for us.” He leans in, brushing a kiss across my lips. “Forever.”

  A tear slips out, but I realize I’m crying for a different reason now. Lucias kisses it, stopping it in its tracks.

  “Don’t cry. I don’t like that shit.” He growls like I can stop my tears, making me giggle.

  “Say it,” he pushes.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  His big hands go to my face, cupping me, holding me in place as his mouth comes down on mine and he devours me.

  “You’re happy,” I say breathlessly when we finally pull back from the kiss.

  “You gave me something I thought I’d never have.” He rests his forehead against mine like he’s savoring the moment.

  “I never wanted the club,” he finally says after a few beats. He pulls back, looking me in the eyes, his face serous. “I love my dad, but this place started to fall apart after my dad lost my mom.”

  I can see the pain flash across his face, and I bring my hands up to rest on his chest, rubbing little circles.

  “I was thirteen when she died. It was rough, but hell, it almost killed my dad. He stopped spending so much time at home and more and more here at the club. Not that I blamed him. She was all over that house. Everywhere I looked, I saw my mom, so I did the same thing when I turned eighteen. I enlisted to get the hell out of here.”

  I bring my hands up, wrapping them around his neck, wanting to hold him close.

  “It got easier with time. Then I got word he died, too.”

  “Oh, Lucias.” He’s breaking my heart. I lost my parents, too, but I didn’t even know them. Didn’t have to go through the pain.

  “He was gone long before that. He died with her. After she was gone it was wild. Club was full of drugs and sex. Went downhill and I couldn’t find the need to care or a drive to come back. Then Savage got blown to shit in Afghanistan, and we came home. We needed something. I wanted to put this place back together again, so I did. We cleaned up shop. Kicked the trash out and played more by the rules. The drugs were gone; I didn’t want any of that shit. So were the women. Unless you were tagged, your ass wasn’t coming in those club doors. I only wanted people that were trusted to be here. Kind of like I was telling you before. We don’t have ass running around the club. You have to go down the road for that,” he says. It’s all making sense now.

  “When I got back here, all my focus was on this club and getting Savage back together. And well, Savage never chased ass because he only ever had eyes for Julie. Then there was y
ou. What I’d been wanting since before I even took off for the military. A family. I’ve gotten it with the new club we built. Everyone down there is my family, but I was missing something. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that you were it. Fuck. Been busting my ass getting this place together and I knew in that moment I’d been doing it to get it ready for you. I wanted it ready so that when I got you, I’d already have my shit together and I’d be ready.”

  “God, I’ve wanted that for so long, too.” I lean in, resting my head on his shoulders. He wraps his arms around me. “Since I was a little girl I’ve wanted that. Wanted what all the other kids had that I didn’t, but I got too lost in books and my computer. Scared to take a chance. To get hurt.”

  “I’d never hurt you, and I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

  16

  Lucias

  I lay Izzy down on the bed and come over the top of her. I slowly strip our clothes away, needing us to be skin on skin. We’ve been a long time in the making, and now everything I’ve ever wanted is in my arms.

  Kissing my way down her silky skin, I move my lips to her belly. I nuzzle her there, giving my thanks to whatever is looking over us that she’s carrying my baby. Laying my cheek against the curve there, I close my eyes. I know it’s too soon to feel the baby, but I want to burn this memory into my brain. The day we became a family.

  Her hands go to my hair, and her fingers thread through the locks. I hum against her belly, and she lets out a little giggle. Then I put my lips against the skin and whisper my words of love and devotion. Both to this little baby and its mama.

  I continue kissing my way down between Izzy’s thighs and throw her legs over my shoulder. I need to make love to all of her body tonight, showing her what I can’t form in words. I know how to do a lot of things well. I can rebuild the engine of anything, I could out-PT anyone under my command, and I can do damn near anything if you tell me I can’t. But finding the words to tell Izzy just how much she means to me feels impossible.