My eyes catch Red's. He's hurt because of this. Ghost is like a son to him. Red was the one who found Ghost when he was just a punk kid with no family and no one to care about him. Both Red and Tammy love Ghost, they'd do anything for him. He's a big brother to their kids. They're the only family he has, and I can see the old man wants nothing more than to save Ghost. But I can see he knows there's nothing he can do.
What a fuckin' shit storm of a cluster fuck!
How the hell are we meant to kill one of our own like he was nothing to us?
And for what?
Because he fell for a woman he shouldn't have even looked at once let alone touched?
“Why couldn't he just've stayed away from her!” It's not a question, Red's pissed. We all are in our own way. Ghost is a little shit most of the damn time, but does he really deserve to be cut down like a dog for this?
What choice do we have?
I can't let him die if I can help it. He was there for me when no one else could be. He helped me seek out The Exorcist. He came with me to meet Nova, even if we didn't know it was her we were meeting. He kept it to himself, even when Shepard threatened to gut him like a fish if he was lying. He was loyal to me when he should have been loyal to the club.
Hell, he's as loyal as they come to all of us.
Red's pissed because he can't save the boy he's looked out for since he was nineteen. Roman was with Red the night he found Ghost, but Ghost was always closer to Red because Red taught him everything there was to know about being a biker, including how to build his own bike, take care of the woman you fall in love with, any kids you might be blessed with. He taught him the rules of our club and how to be loyal to it. Never to attack an innocent, no matter what. Never to hit a woman. And how to belong to a family.
This is going to break Tammy when Red tells her.
“Does he love her, Prez?” I ask. He must do, why else would he do something so fuckin' stupid?
“He does.” Prez scrubs his hands over his tired face. “Never thought I'd see that boy fall in love with anyone. But when I looked into his eyes, there was no denying that he loves her.”
“Think she loves him?”
“Enough to beg Vidal not to kill him, at least.”
“And he didn't listen?” I don't know why my brother is asking, obviously, Vidal didn't listen. If he had, we wouldn't be in this situation.
“He heard her, Tank. But he didn't care. He told that girl that if she truly loved Ghost, she wouldn't have gone near him, to begin with. She had to know it would end in his death.”
Fuckin' Mafia prick!
I know we don't fraternize with them, but I know Ghost, there's no way he would have given into what he felt for her unless he'd really fallen hard. I know what it's like to be in love with a girl you're not supposed to fall for. I know what it's like to not be able to walk away from her when you know you really ought to.
I just can't believe he met her, started seeing her, fell for her, all without one of us finding out about it. How the fuck have they both been keeping this a secret? When would Ghost even have the time to meet this chick?
When he was supposedly going home at the end of the day, obviously.
“Vidal is giving us three days, which he thinks is pretty generous since he's already given me a couple weeks. He'll keep the cops at bay, make the evidence against us so far disappear. He'll deal with any threats we get until that time is up. He'll also find the rest of the Razor Hogs and hold them for us. But he won't let us finish it completely until then. If any of you want to say goodbye, you should do it soon.”
“Prez. We aren't gonna be there when it happens?”
“No, Stryker,” Each brother moves awkwardly in his seat. “Only myself, Hammer,” I fuckin' knew he was gonna say that! “Jett and BlackJack. The rest of you will go about your business. We still have a family to protect. Until this is over, until Vidal comes through with his side of the deal, no one will slack on protection. Do I make myself clear?”
There's a collection of pissed off Aye's before Shepard calls the end of church.
Most of the brothers leave to speak with Ghost. Apparently, Prez has him locked in his old room after he gave himself up this morning, not wanting to drag this out. Prez couldn't bring himself to lock Ghost up in the basement like we do any other brother who's gone against this club.
I can't blame Shepard, Ghost may have fallen for and had a relationship with a relative of our enemy – Vidal is everyone's enemy – but he did nothing to deliberately harm this club. He's gonna pay the ultimate price for what he's done. He'll pay with his life. We don't have to be cunts about it.
I can't bring myself to see him right now. I'm the man who will ultimately end his life. How the fuck am I meant to look him in the eye then end his life? And for what, because he fell in love?
I need to see my girl. I need to feel her body against mine before I have to leave her for days on end again. I'm not going to let Ghost die. No matter what I have to do, I will find a way to make Vidal see that he can't demand the death of one of my brothers, no matter what he thinks.
Will he kill me?
Most probably.
Will he still force Shepard to kill Ghost?
Definitely.
But maybe I could talk to the girl. Avery. Maybe, if she really does love Ghost, she'll give me some information I could use against her cousin. Something he doesn't want getting out. Anything that will help me keep Ghost alive. I have three days to save his life. Might not sound like a lot of time, but I'll make it work.
She ain't noticed me watching her yet. She's baking cookies for the kids in the house, humming to herself.
She looks sexy as fuck in that little white dress, apron tied around her waist. Her beautiful long, dark hair is tied up in a high ponytail. She's not wearing any makeup, but then, she doesn't need any, she's too naturally beautiful to be covering that up.
I remember her graduation, she was wearing a dress not too dissimilar to the one she's wearing now. Only this one is long-sleeved and sits on her knees. Her graduation dress was shorter. She had a beautiful figure even then.
What made God decide to hand this beautifully amazing woman over to me?
Whatever the reason, I am so fuckin' grateful that He did. I love her more than I ever thought possible. My heart swells and widens a little more each day with love for her. It overwhelms me sometimes. I never believed I could love again, not like this. I loved Cindy, she was everything to me. But this is different. This love is deeper, stronger, it's all-consuming.
How is that possible?
How is it possible for me to love Willow this powerfully?
“Oh my god,” She jumps out of her skin as she turns and spots me watching her. “You scared me, Hammer.”
No words leave my mouth, but my legs carry me with sheer determination until she's in my arms, our mouths fused together before she has the chance to protest. I want her so fuckin' bad, my balls ache.
With the hem in my hands, I lift her dress over her sexy ass. “Hammer, we can't, anyone could walk in.”
I don't give a shit who might walk in. I want her right now, I'm taking her. I lift her onto the countertop, my lips attacking her neck, my fingers moving aside her panties and slipping inside of her tight little body.
“Don't tell me you don't want this, Willow. Not when you're this wet for me.” She's soaked, dripping all over my damn hand.
“Sam,” She groans my name, the name no one else, not even my brother calls me. Hell, no one has called me Sam for a very long time. It sounds alien to me. But she can call me whatever she wants.
I growl low in my throat like some feral wolf about to attack its long-stalked prey. “What, baby? Tell me what you want.”
Her
fingernails drag along the sides of my neck as my fingers twist inside her tight pussy, drawing another groan from the back of her throat. I've fuckin' missed her so damn much. And I know she's missed me, I can feel it in the way she's both clutching at me and kissing me like it's the last kiss she'll ever give me.
“I want your cock inside of me, right now. It's been days since you touched me.” She pulls my face away from her neck. I look deep into her eyes and I see so much love shining within them. She's my soul mate, the woman I cannot live without. I will fix everything that's wrong because I will not risk losing her. “Fuck me, man of mine.”
I switch my fingers inside of her for my cock, slamming right into her. She whimpers at the invasion yet tightens around me, legs, arms, pussy. I grab her ass in both hands and pull her as close to me as I can get her, hips crashing against hips, again and again. I'm so fuckin' deep inside of her, I don't know how I'll ever find my way back out again.
Her mouth attacks mine and I swallow her screams. “I love you.” She gasps against my mouth before kissing me again.
I pull her completely off the counter, one hand holding the back of her neck, the other gripping her ass as I slam into her so fuckin' hard, she's biting her lip to stop herself crying out in pleasure.
She tightens herself around my throbbing cock. Frantically, I slam into her, over and over, her hands clutch my hair, her head tipped back, eyes rolling. “Fuck!” I hiss, I'm about to explode! She's so tight, hot, and wet. I'm losing myself. “Come for me, baby. Come!”
She sobs in pleasure, coming so hard she's milking my cock for all it's worth. I'm coming like a fuckin' freight train, so hard I can see stars! Ain't many times in my life that's happened to me.
Everything is so different with Willow. Everything.
She collapses in my arms. I hold her tight to me, needing her as close to me as I can get her, kissing her over and over. I have no clue when or even if I'll be seeing her again. I don't want to leave her, but I can't let Ghost die like this. Not without trying to save him.