King's Wrath (Sydney Storm MC 5)

Tears streamed down her cheeks as we watched each other, a deathly silence hanging between us. I wished she would stop looking at me with those eyes full of terror.

We stayed like that for what felt like forever. When she finally stood, she quietly dressed before wrapping her arms around her body and asking, “Have you done that before? With someone else? I mean, is that something you want in sex?”

I’d slept with a handful of girls before Ivy, but had never done that with any of them. I shook my head. “Never.”

She moved closer to me, looking up into my eyes with a questioning look. “Did you like it?”

“Fuck, Ivy,” I said, unsure of what to say. I did fucking like it; I was getting off on it like I’d never gotten off. But that didn’t mean I wanted to do it again. What the fuck would happen if I went too far? I didn’t want to think about that. The average male could play with it in their sex life, but I wasn’t the average man. I was fucked-up and craved shit no one should ever crave. I’d likely go to the extremes like I did with everything else in my life. I couldn’t chance that with her.

“Tell me,” she demanded. “I need to know if I should be prepared for this.”

My eyes searched hers, looking for what, I wasn’t sure. An interest in being choked? Fuck that, I needed to shut this shit down now.

“It doesn’t matter if I liked it, we won’t be fucking doing it again,” I snapped. I couldn’t stop the hard tone from colouring my words, and I didn’t blame her for flinching, but fuck, it felt like we’d taken three steps forward tonight and then two back. Just when we’d sorted out one problem, I’d fucked up and caused a new one.

She turned silent again. I wondered what thoughts ran through her mind, but before I had a chance to find out, her lips flattened, and she muttered, “I’m going home.”

I exhaled sharply as I watched her walk to her car. What a clusterfuck.

Needing a drink, I headed back into the clubhouse. I wouldn’t be going home tonight. Ivy and I needed some space, and I needed to know she was safe from me.

5

King

* * *

I quietly watched Ivy from where I sat at my foster mother’s dining table. Margreet had her best china laid out for today’s lunch. Sunday lunch was a tradition in our family for as long as I had lived with her. I’d only missed five lunches in that time, but Ivy had made it to every single one. She and Margreet had a special bond. One I loved to watch, which I did now as I drank a beer.

They sat together on the couch, talking excitedly about something they were doing together next week. It was the first time in a week I’d seen Ivy light up. Since I’d wrapped my hands around her throat and lost my footing with her. We’d hardly connected during the last seven days. She’d pulled away, I’d been busy with club stuff, and I hadn’t trusted that we could get through a discussion about it without ending up in another argument. So, I’d kept my distance.

Skylar wandered into the room and plopped herself on the chair opposite me. Sliding a piece of paper across the table, she asked, “Can you please help me with this?”

I took the paper from her. Dropping my gaze to read it, I said, “Mum or Nik can’t help?” It was an assignment about her family.

“Mum said I had to ask you about some of it. The stuff about you.”

I met her gaze again and nodded. “Yeah, okay. When’s it due?”

“In two weeks.”

I’d given my full attention to Skylar so had failed to notice Ivy walking my way. It wasn’t until she ran her hand across my back and said, “We can stay after lunch and do it,” that I noticed.

Our eyes met. The warmth I found in hers took me by surprise, and I returned it. Fuck, we needed this today.

Looking back at Skylar, I said, “You wanna do this today?”

“Hell no, but Mum said I couldn’t leave it until the last minute this time.”

“Skylar,” Mum said in a warning tone as she joined us, “don’t use that language please.”

My sister pulled a face. “King swears all the time. It’s not fair that I get into trouble for it when he doesn’t.”

My lips twitched as I tried not to chuckle. The hell I’d caused Margreet as a teen had equipped her with the necessary mental and emotional tools to deal with any misbehaviour from her other foster kids. She’d been tough as nails from the day I met her, but after raising me, she’d learnt how to be smart about it, too.

“He doesn’t swear in my house,” Mum said as she tied her apron, preparing to finish cooking the roast lamb and vegetables for lunch. Her gaze landed on me. “And he knows the rules and what will happen if he does.” She looked back at Skylar. “Same as you do, young lady. Your decision to use that word just now has earnt you a half-hour deduction of your television time today.”

Skylar groaned as she slouched in her seat. “That’s not fair! That wasn’t even a real swear word!”