*In case you had forgotten (due to my extended absence) Talia is supposed to get in contact with the girl who helped her when she was being held in the King family underground hotel the Avant Garde. Talia's also dealing with her father's medical crisis. And she is also trying to get revenge on the men who tried to ruin her. A lot is going on because I wanted to show that no matter what, Talia is a bad bitch who can handle a million things being thrown at her. Also, maybe re-read the last few paragraphs of the last chapter to catch up with the opening dialogue!*
•Talia•
"She sure as fuck is!" Kai praises when he walks into the living room. Ash lifts his head and scowls in Kai's direction, obviously not thinking anyone could finally hear him say something nice to me.
My jaw drops open just slightly in surprise at his compliment and warmth fills my blood. I don't need any mans approval, but hearing from the club's asshole president that I basically belong here with them...yeah that's pretty awesome.
"Get back to work, grunt!" Ash shouts at Kai who raises his hands in protest before resting them on his hips.
Storming off, he mumbles, "Can't even go five minutes without being an ass." He scoffs and tosses over his shoulder, "Time for you to find an Old Lady to keep you humble, jackass!"
"Yeah, come on, Ash, settle down already. You're 33. You're not getting any younger," Stone shrugs and then points to Ash's body, "And you won't look like that for much longer."
I stifle a giggle and cross my legs, leaning my elbow on the back of the couch to watch the exchange between these absolute children.
Ash rubs his hands down his sculpted chest and lifts the bottom of his tee shirt to reveal perfectly defined abs. "Nah, I don't think this body is going anywhere anytime soon."
Kai bows dramatically, "Suit yourself, old man."
This time I do let out a little chuckle and Ash turns his icy gaze onto me and I stare right back at him, refusing to let him intimidate me. "Oh, don't even. I'm not scared of you." I roll my eyes and stand up, stalking towards the front porch to watch from out there. It's stuffy in the cabin with all the guys and I need some fresh air.
Ryder is outside next to the van, laying down a large plastic tarp to protect the interior from stains and evidence.
"Is your crusade over or will we be needing to dispose of more bodies in the future?"
I look up and Ronan is standing beside me. I didn't even hear him walk up, his steps too light and completely undetectable. Unconsciously, I take a step away from him. He's harmless but I can tell he doesn't really like me much. He doesn't give off friendly vibes and I wonder if whatever happened to him when they were held is the reason for his angst.
"There's three more," I say evenly and look out over the expanse of desert. There's no one else out here for miles. Even the main road is over two miles away. The cabin sits at the end of a long unpaved driveway, far away from any prying eyes.
I catch him nod out of the corner of my eye and look over to see his mood change significantly. Instead of disdain, I can see anguish in his eyes. A little bit of determination.
A kindred spirit.
"You know what it's like," I whisper just loud enough for him to hear and no one else.
His jaw tightens and he turns away. He begins to walk off the porch and into the gravel surrounding the front of the cabin. Stopping suddenly, but not looking back, he sighs and shoves his hands into his front pockets and looks to the sky. Daylight is fading and soon, the cover of nightfall will be our shroud as the bodies are buried as deep as we can get them.
"Even when they're dead and gone, it won't take away all of the pain."
With that, he walks away. I guess that was an answer to my question in its own way. I know I'll never hear from his lips what happened. I know the club won't ever talk about it, but I can tell he understands my predicament a lot more than he cares to admit.
My heart softens for him and I don't care if he hates me or doesn't care for me being an Old Lady. If he even knows the half of what I do, what I had to endure, then I can never fault him for the way he is.
"Hey you," the sweet voice of the man I professed my love for just a few days before says and sidles up to me, snaking his arms around my waist and pulling me into his side. His lips meet my temple and I lean into his embrace, warming at having him so close.
It's strange how comforting his arms feel. It feels like home, and now I know I can never go back to Texas for good. This is where I belong. Right here with Ryder. With these criminals, who don't actually commit violent crimes without good reason.
"Van is prepped and the prospects are out digging right now. They'll be left to turn to bones and no one will ever find them. We're pretty good at keeping them buried." Ryder winks and I smirk.
"Don't get cocky, now. Isn't that how serial killers get caught?"
Ryder laughs and squeezes my hip, his fingers dipping into the space between my tank top and jeans and rubbing my bare skin.
"Trust me, cupcake. The club has been at this for years. No one important has ever even caught wind of what goes down out here."
I roll my eyes. "Mmhmm. You'll be in a world of trouble if—"
Ryder places his index finger on my lips to cease my talking. "Now, don't go and wish ill luck on us." He chuckles and leads me off the porch and to his bike.
"Wait, we're not staying? Shouldn't I be helping with them?" I gulp and look towards the cabin where two plastic wrapped, human sized shapes are being carried out to the van.
Ryder's face turns stern. "Just because you did that to them, doesn't mean you have to clean up your mess. You're my girl. I'm not going to force you into physical labor."
I stand my ground and cross my arms over my chest, defiantly. "Why, because you think I can't handle it? It may take me all night but I'll dig my own damn hole and show these boys who's boss."
Ryder shakes his head, a silent laugh on his lips. "God, I love you. Now get on the bike and let's go back home." He says the last part as a command and I hate that my body reacts to the deep growl of his voice.
My sexual urges wake up and remember how we were so close. So fucking close to consummating this relationship.
If I don't get his cock in me soon, I think I might combust.
♠️♥️♣️♦️
"You look like you could use a drink." Jazmine suggests when we get back to the Den and I get settled at the bar beside Letha who is sipping on a Long Island iced tea and Callie with her glass of water.
My eyes flick to the wall of liquor behind Jazz's fiery red hair and I spot a bottle of tequila that would be really nice right about now.
She goes to grab it but I shake my head swiftly. "No, no alcohol for me. But I will take a sparkling water."
"Have it your way, love." Jazz grins and grabs a sparkling water from the fridge and cracks it open, sending it my way on the bar top.
"Everything alright?" Letha asks and pulls my barstool closer to hers, causing it to scrape against the floor. I almost lose my balance and use her shoulders to stop myself from falling right off and onto my ass.
"Jesus, fuck, L, how in the hell did you get so strong all of a sudden? You're like 110 pounds soaking wet."
Letha laughs and holds up her arms, showing off her barely there muscles. "It's all the wild sex I'm having. Keeps me fit."
"Thanks," Callie gags and downs some water to halt her vomit from coming up. "Perfect picture in my mind while I'm already feeling nauseous." Her nose scrunches up and her lips pucker but she shakes her head of the images of Letha and Blade together.
"Shouldn't the nausea have subsided by now?" I wonder. "What are you, three months out from your due date?"
When my sister-in-law, Laney, was pregnant the times that I was still in Texas, her morning sickness—which really came whenever it felt like it—had eased off towards the beginning of her second trimester.
"Yes and yes. The doctors can't give me a reason. I guess I'm just unlucky." She looks defeated and Letha wraps her arms around Callie's shoulders.
"Just think that come February, it'll all be over and you'll have your cute little baby to worry about instead of your stomach problems." Letha smiles and nudges Callie to try and cheer her up.
"I need this little bean out now damnit."
"Whoa, feisty Callie with the bad words!" Axel taunts and my eyes narrow at him and he turns away.
"That's right. Keep walking. Don't joke with the pregnant lady," I call after him jokingly.
Callie laughs and reaches over to hold my hand. "Thanks, Talia." I smile, hoping that one day her and I can be as close as her and Letha. If I'm going to be here with Ryder, I can't imagine not growing close to the others. If the club is going to stick together, us ladies need to as well. Even though, I've only ever had Letha as a girl friend.
Callie let's go of me and I stand from the barstool and wave goodbye to them, heading off in search of Ryder.
My mind takes over as I walk out of the back door and I fixate on what to do with the last three of my attackers.
Turner's ploy to get them here didn't work on them. They're "family men" and couldn't get away from their wives, even though the other two came.
"There you are," I say when I see Ryder coming out of the shed with a shovel and some fresh mulch.
"Here I am," he drops the bag of mulch and grabs me by the waist, pulling me in to his chest and pressing his lips against mine. Our bodies press tightly against one another and his tongue sweeps through my mouth. He tastes like coffee and cigarettes, but I can't find it in me to mind. It's Ryder. Everything about him is delicious to me.
The hand holding the shovel drops it and wraps around my back as well, squeezing me to him. I can feel his arousal pressed up against my belly and I rub my body against it until a soft moan escapes his lips and gets swallowed down into my core.
Burning heat ignites my blood, setting my body on fire with lust. If it wasn't for the fact that anyone could walk out here, I'd already be jumping into his arms and taking him right here by the burnt rose bushes.
I pull away, breathing heavily, running my hands over his chest and neck until I can reach his hair and tangle my fingers in the long strands.
He groans again, his eyes dark and filled with desire in the waning light of day. "I could get used to this," he says before burying his face in my neck and nipping and biting and sucking at the skin there. Wetness soaks my panties and I rub against his erection once more before pulling away again.
"I sure do hope so, considering you're stuck with me now. I mean, I am your Old Lady. Isn't that a pretty big commitment?" I raise my eyebrows.
He looks smug when he tells me, "Remember how you said only in my wildest dreams would I be able to make you mine?"
I sigh deeply, vividly remembering when I said that we'd never happen.
"Guess I must have dreamt hard enough to make it happen."
"Alright, Mister Sure-of-Himself, let me go. What are you even doing out here with a shovel and mulch?"
I push away from his body and peer down at the gardening materials at his feet, forgotten in our moment of lust.
He bends over to lift them back into his arms and motions his head in the direction of the burnt rose garden that surrounds the gazebo. "Ash had a fit when the Australians showed up and dumped more goddamn product off. Kicked a log that was blazing into the bushes. Didn't take long for them to go up in flames. June wasn't happy when she saw them but she's been too busy to do anything. I figured I'd help." He shrugs and my heart soars even higher.
"Aren't you just the sweetest thing," I toy with the ends of his hair and he pulls away energetically, immediately beginning to trip over his words.
"Well, you know, she just needs a hand from time to time. Ugh, whatever, they're just roses. I've got time. It's no big deal." He turns towards the burned space of grass and begins to shovel violently until the crispy branches are filling a wheelbarrow off to the side.
"Ryder Novak, are you embarrassed that you're doing something sweet and girly for someone you care about?" I giggle and he shoots me a challenging look before heading back to his task.
Grabbing the bag of mulch, I rip open the top and sprinkle it over the freshly cleared area. Ryder watches, admiration gleaming in his eyes.
"Hey, I like the woman too. Can't I also do something nice for her?"
He smiles and tackles me to the ground, dirt flinging around us until my hair is full of the grainy mixture. His body is laying over mine, my legs spread on either side of his hips. "Thank you, I know she'll appreciate it."
I nod, suddenly unable to take a fulfilling breath, all of them too busy coming in and out fast and hard. My breasts rub against his chest and I can feel him growing hard again—or maybe he never even lost his erection from before. Either way, his cock presses delightfully against my sex, my clit wedged against my jeans in the most painfully pleasurable way.
It wouldn't be too hard to slip our pants off our legs and succumb to our base instincts. It wouldn't be too hard for his cock to slip inside of me, bringing us both to heights we need. Heights we both deserve.
Laughter and talking brings us out of the spell we're both consumed by and he rolls off of me until we're laying side by side in the grass. I'm still covered in dirt and now in desperate need of a shower, but I don't mind.
We spend the next few minutes staring into each other's eyes, just being there with each other in peace. No words. No touching. Just us. Together in silent happiness.
My thoughts turn dark soon after the the initial joy fades and I remember that I still have so much going on in my life. It's overwhelming. The men. My father. Ryder's club needing help. I feel like I'm being pulling every which way and if I keep getting tugged on, then I'll fall apart.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" He asks quietly, pushing my hair over my ear and placing a finger under my chin to lift my head back up so he can see my eyes.
"What am I going to do about the other three? How am I going to get them to come here? Will Turner be able to do the exact same thing as he did before?"
Ryder's lips purse and he looks forlorn. "I don't think it'll work a second time." He shakes his head and lays down on his back, placing his palms over his stomach and staring up into the stars barely visible over the city. "I have faith that Turner will be able to do something, but I don't know what yet. He might have to get creative. Or maybe we'll have to get creative."
I nod my head, unsure if he notices because he's looking up and not at me.
"Have you tried to find the girl from the King family yet? Athena?"
Hearing her name out loud again makes my body freeze. My fingers tingle and I'm brought back to that horrible room where I was tied to the ceiling. I rub my shoulders, trying to ease the phantom pains I'm still occasionally troubled with.
"Truthfully...I haven't even looked. Does that make you mad?"
He suddenly sits up on his side again, resting his head on his hand, elbow in the grass. "Mad? Tal, nothing you could ever do will make me mad. I love you, and if you're not ready and if you don't think you can handle it, I won't push it."
I place my hand on his cheek, stroking the smooth skin under his eye. He presses a soft kiss into my palm and I melt at the action.
Pulling my hand back, I reach into my pocket for my phone, opening Instagram and typing in Athena's name into the search bar. I don't have high hopes but when I see the Grecian beauty—dark hair and deeply tanned skin—I know I've found the right account.
I'm in shock when I click on her account and scroll through some of her pictures. She's just as I remember. Elegantly beautiful, classically attractive. She looks young, but that can be attributed to good genes rather than her actual age. I finally land on a close up headshot type photo. She's smiling in it, showing all her straight, white teeth. Her eyes are soft and warm, her cheekbones high and defined.
She has one of those kind auras surrounding her—the one like Callie has. You can tell she's a good person just by looking at her. That she doesn't have a mean bone in her entire body. How she can be apart of a family that does what they do for a living is a mystery.
"This is her," I whisper to Ryder, almost in disbelief I found her so easily.
Ryder doesn't say anything, just smiles and strokes my hair. I hit the follow button and send her a message.
I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Talia Montgomery. A year ago I was in the company of Dmitri Petrov at your family hotel. I was wondering if there was any chance we could meet up? If not, I understand. And if you don't even respond to this, just know that I appreciate everything you did for me. You were a light in a darkened cave. You helped me more than you could ever know. Thank you for that.
Send.
Now all I can do is wait.