A Lighter Shade of Blue (Kings of Chaos Book 2) (20 page)

It sounds so painfully intimate, I feel like I’m an intruder.

“Echo,” she says flatly. “Shadow, thanks for the hospitality.”

“Thank you for coming to stand by my girl.”

“Anytime. Blue’s easy to love,” she replies.

“Yeah, she is,” Shadow says staring me down.

My body goes up in flames, and it has nothing to do with the sun.

“We were doing some errands and wanted to make sure you girls were good,” Echo says.

“Well, we’re fine,” Dixie retorts.

Shadow slow blinks and arches a brow slightly.

I shrug, feigning ignorance.

He shoots me a look that says,
we’ll be talking later
. “We’ll be seeing you,” Shadow says.

“Yes, we will,” Echo vows.

They turn and disappear as suddenly as they appeared.

“I don’t think he got the memo about it being over,” I say.

“And you’re loving it,” she growls.

“I love you happy. I think you need closure. Not just with him, but with the club. Family is important. When they ran you off, they took that from you. I hate it. I always have,” I explain.

“It’s not the same for you.” Dixie rolls onto her side and props herself up on her elbow. “They don’t hate you for something you have no control over. You’ve got enough white in you to pass.”

“I don’t.”

“No,” she holds up her palm, “I know you don’t. I’m telling you how they see it.”

“It’s fucking ridiculous. This isn’t the sixties.”

“Agreed, but old habits die hard.”

“But they do die.”

“Always so optimistic.” Dixie shakes her head.

“Aren’t you the glass half full for me on days when I don’t want to get out of bed?” I ask.

“True. But it’s sickening when it’s turned against me.” She narrows her eyes.

I laugh. “I love you. You can try to avoid him if you want, but I think he’ll make it hard.”

“I’m here for you, not him,” she says.

I reach out and grab her hand. “It’s okay if you want to have some fun, too.”

“This is all the fun I need.”

We lay back to enjoy the silence, and support. I think that’s the beauty of a good friend. You don’t have to
say
anything because they hear your heart.

Shadow

“You ready for this, brother?” Skull asks from our position posted by the bar.

The church meetings are over and now the party starts. We’re all gathered in the large bar at the new compound waiting for the old ladies on the admission list to come in with the biker babes the King chasers brought in for fun.

“Hell yeah, man. Past ready. I been craving this moment for as long as I can remember. This shit kept me sane in jail,” I say.

“Damn, dude. Seeing you like this makes me think this is possible.” Skull looks stunned.

“What? Having an Old Lady?”

“Having something more than a bed warming partner.”

“You getting serious with, Ruthie?”

“I don’t know, man. She’s a fun girl. But I don’t think I can give her what she’s looking for. The settle down and do kids things.” Skull shrugs.

“Better figure it out soon, before you both get in too deep. Enough people see her with you and she’ll get branded as yours regardless.”

“Yeah, I know. I plan on making or breaking it this weekend,” Skull says. For once, my grinning friend looks serious. Whatever she did to him, he must’ve liked it enough to give her serious consideration. It’s practically a miracle for a playboy like him.

“Do what makes you happy, brother. Life’s too short for anything else. Trust me.”

“I hear you,” Skull says.

Psycho walks over.

“I’m going to mingle,” Skull mutters, walking off.

“Hey, Psych.” I salute him with my beer.

“How you doing, son?”

“Good.”

“No jitters?”

“No, I want this.”

“Hmm. You know when it comes to my daughter that shit’s family and not club business, right?”

“Yeah, I get that.” I raise an eyebrow. “You got a problem with me all of a sudden?”

“I got a problem letting go of my little girl. It’s different having a girl than it is with a boy.”

“I bet. She’s solid though, Psych. I don’t need to tell you bullshit about treating her right. If I didn’t, she wouldn’t have agreed to it. You see I had to work for this shit.”

Psych laughs. “Yeah, that’s why I knew you were the one for her.”

“Your Old Lady going to cause a problem?” I ask.

“She knows her place and when to keep her mouth shut.”

I grunt.
That’s debatable.
“This is Blue’s moment, if she ruins it, I’m going to expect some sort of punishment.”

“I hear you loud and clear, brother.”

“Good.”

Stone walks over. “You ready to get this shit done?”

“Hell yeah, brother,” I say, grinning.

“Damn, you’re one smitten son of a bitch,” Stone remarks.

“You blame me?” I ask.

“No, we all love our little girl Blue.”

I smirk at the old joke.

“She’s about to come out, you ready?”

“Yeah. Bolton, it’s time, man,” I call out to my son.

He excuses himself from his friends and joins me.

I want him by my side when I claim Blue. This is about family. “You ready to get a new mom?”

“She’s been that all along, I think. This just makes it official.”

I pat his shoulder and bring him in for a hug. “You’re smart as hell. You must get that from her.”

He laughs. “I don’t know, Dad, you’re pretty crafty.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s the word for what I am.”

I can see the shocked looks from the other chapters, wondering what the fuck Blue is doing chaining herself to me. They all know what I do. I’m the one they call in when they need shit handled. I couldn’t give a shit less, but it amuses me. I wonder how it affects her. I shift my weight.

“All right, all you motherfuckers quiet down!” Stone yells.

Silence spreads over the sea of people.

“We got a lot of shit to celebrate. Another year for our chapters, the new compound, and all of us together, which doesn’t happen too often. Right now, I have the privilege of announcing a new Old Lady. Shadow is claiming Bluebell Strong here and now. Let that shit be known.”

Whoops and hollers go up.

Then Bluebell comes down the hallway in a tiny black leather skirt with a black tank that says,
Shadow’s Property
.

My dick is instantly hard. I haven’t touched her since that night, and I’m feeling it now.

She’s flanked by her girls, Dixie Rose and Ruthie, who are carrying her property vest.

My heart is pounding, and I’m downright giddy, but you wouldn’t be able to tell it from my expression.

Blue stops in front of me.

They hand me the vest, I help her into it, grab her hair, and plant a blazing kiss on her lips. She melts into me and I grab her ass, lifting her up. Her legs wind around me and the crowd goes insane.

“Fuck, most emotion I ever saw that fucker have,” someone yells.

I hear their voices, but none of them matter. “You’re mine tonight, little girl. First we get that tattoo.”

“I’m ready,” she whispers.

I set her down.

“Welcome to the Barrett family,” Bolt whispers, hugging her.

“Thank you, Bolty.” She kisses his cheek.

He walks off grinning from ear to ear. Happy is a good look on my kid.

It took a while to figure out something that would work for both of us. She has to be presentable for work, and if it was up to me, it’s be somewhere everyone would see. In the end, we decided to go with a spot that could be visible or easily covered up by her hair. I lead her back to the tattoo area Sketch has set up. The brother is the only one I’d trust to take care of her.

“You ready, Bluebell?” he asks with a small smile.

I’m shocked. I didn’t even know the brother had teeth.

“Yep, I’m ready.” She lays down on the seat with her hair twisted and hanging over the opposite shoulder.

I sit beside her and hold her hand.

“All right, mama, here we go.”

I feel her body tense as the gun begins to buzz. She winces, but slowly her shoulders relax.

He puts my name in first, with an apostrophe and a S behind it, and follows it up with the crown that rests on the head of our skulls.

I want to lick it, but I know it needs cream and a bandage.

An hour later, we’re all set.

“You ready to see it?” he asks.

“Yes.”

He hands her a mirror.

She grins. “I love it.”

“Good. Let me get some cream and a small bandage. It’s going to be tender for a little bit. But it should heal up pretty quickly in that placement.

“Thank you, Sketch.”

“My pleasure. Any time you want more ink, you come to me, yeah?”

“She will,” I say. “It’s official. How you feel?”

“Like it’s about time.”

I laugh. “I got something to show you before we join the party.”

Her eyes brighten. “I think I’m ready for that.”

I hold out my hand to help her stand, and guide her to my room. I’m not good at this shit. My palms are sweating, and my chest feels tight. Dad told me to make a gesture toward her. It surprised me when Reb went so far as to advise me on this. We walk into my dorm room and I close the door behind me. The ones here are way nicer and twice as big. Equipped with new beds, nightstands, and dressers it’s a huge step up from the original clubhouse.

She sits on the bed and gazes at me expectantly. “What do you want to show me?”

I reach into the pocket of my cut and hand her a black pouch.

“For me?” She peers up at me from beneath her thick, dark lashes.

“Yeah, girl.” I shove my hands into my jeans and clear my throat.

She opens the pouch and pulls out the silver bracelet, identical to the one on my wrist. The metal plate reads
Shadow’s
. A brilliant smile lines her lip. “I love it. Will you put it on me?”

“Yeah.” I do as she asks, pleased it worked out well. If I could find a way to cover her body with my name, I would. I want everyone to know she’s taken and protected with a glance.

“I have to ask you something and I need you to be honest,” she says.

“Okay?”

“Why haven’t you touched me since that night? Do I disgust you?”

“What?” I kneel on the floor in front of her. “Fuck no, why would you think that?”

“Before, you couldn’t get enough of me, now it’s like you go out of your way to not touch me.”

“Girl, you been through one hell of an experience. I was trying to not be a monster and give you space and time.”

“I don’t want space, I want you inside of me, pushing me to my limits, and reminding me who I belong to.”

“Oh, fuck,” I growl. My dick threatens to bust my zipper as it strains against my jeans. “You ready for that?”

“I’ve
been
ready, Shadow.”

I peer into her eyes and see the truth. “My Old Lady is a real hard ass, isn’t she?” I ask. “Fucking warrior poured into a curvy ass frame.”

She spreads her legs and pulls me close. “And you love that don’t you?”

“I love you,” I answer honestly.

“And I love you. Now show me whose property I am.”

I spread her legs wide. “I bet you’re already wet for me, aren’t you?” I reach under her skirt, and trail the seam of her panties. “Soaking. Damn, baby. You want it bad, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she whimpers.

I stand, lift her into my arms, and toss her onto the bed. “Get on to all fours.”

“What?” she asks.

I slap her ass hard.

She moans.

“Get-onto-all-fours.”

She scrambles into position.

I rub her ass. “I love your ass, baby. I’d love it even more if it was red from my hand.” I yank her underwear off, shove her skirt up around her waist, and spread her legs wide. “You want to know who you belong to?” I whisper, trailing my fingers across the curve of her ass. “How about you tell me.” I slap her ass and she cries out. “I can’t hear you, girl.”

“Shadow.”

“That’s right.” I lay ten more slaps onto her thick ass, watching it bounce. My dick is swollen and I’m dying to dive in, but I need to own her first.

She cries out, shoving her ass toward me.

I gently rub her red ass to soothe the sting. It’s ripe like an apple, and I have to take a bite. I fall to my knees and bury my face in her ass, flicking her clit with my tongue. I lick around her swollen folds, teasing her without providing relief.

“Shadow. Please, baby. Please?” She’s screaming my name, grinding against my face.

It’s everything I’ve ever dreamt about—Bluebell Strong, completely undone and begging me. I nip her ass. “Who do you belong to?”

“You, Shadow. I belong to you.” She glances over her shoulder. “Please, baby, now.”

I unbuckle my belt, shove my pants down, grip my base, and drive home. She yowls and I grip her hips, showing her once more who she belongs to me. Her flesh is soft and silky against my skin, and her pussy is tight and wet. She’s my home now. After all the time caged like an animal, counting the days until freedom, I’ve been given the best gift. The one thing I wanted most, but thought I would never have. Something ancient rises inside of me. I grip her hair, pull her up, and latch onto her neck.

She cries and spasms. Her muscles lock around me as she explodes.

I follow her into oblivion. My ink is on her skin, my bracelets on her wrist, and my DNA is inside of her. I’m happy, but not satisfied yet. Me and this woman are going to go all the way. I won’t rest until I have everything. But in return, I’m willing to give the same dedication. I never knew I could love like this. It’s more than the love I have for my club…different from what I feel for Bolton, yet just as all-consuming.