Chapter Twenty-Two

Cali

I woke up alone, the spot next to be cold to the touch.

A chill worked its way through me.

Because I knew.

I knew what Brooks was up to.

Now that we had evidence of what Clay was involved in, how he'd been trying to build a case against these guys that eventually killed him, there was no way Brooks was going to let them get away with it.

I shot off the bed, nearly tripping over my own shoes in my rush to make it out of the room, to try to get to him, to make sure he was okay.

"Whoa there," a voice called, making me stop on my way to the door, and realize I was still barefooted, had no purse or keys or any idea what I was doing.

"Sully?" I asked, turning to find him sitting on the couch with a suspicious collection of treats on the table in front of him. As well as a collection of pillows and blankets on the couch beside him.

"Pretty girl. I've been waiting for you," he said.

"For what?" I asked.

"A movie marathon," he said, all innocence. "With all the munchies. I've got three kinds of popcorn: butter, caramel, and the one that needs no introduction… cheese. There's chocolate and hard candies. Four kinds of chips. And, of course, a bowl of gummies. Of the edibles variety."

"You have a whole bowl of edibles on that tray?" I asked, seeing the bowl full of sugared gummies. "Who would possibly need that many?"

"You've seen Perish, right? Guy like that must need a handful. Are you joining me or what?" he asked.

"You're just trying to distract me," I accused, shooting small eyes at him.

"Who? Me?" he asked, all innocence.

"Where's Brooks?"

"I believe he went to see a man about a whore."

"I believe the term is horse," I said, lips twitching despite my worry about Brooks.

"Now why would anyone want to see someone about a horse?" Sully asked. "Now, a whore…"

"Right. Like you'd ever need to pay for it."

"A compliment? For little ol' me?" he asked, oozing charm.

And I wasn't exactly immune.

"Come on. Sit. We have snacks to eat. And rom-coms to watch."

"Rom-coms?" I asked, brows shooting up. "Why rom-coms?"

"You don't like them?" he asked. "I suppose we could watch an… action movie," he said, curling his lip at the idea.

"Wait. You want to watch rom-coms?" I asked.

"I am the reigning champion of the local rom-com trivia night," he declared, actually puffing up a bit at that.

"That is… very unexpected," I decided.

"Strong, don't-need-no-man, gorgeous heroines. Dumbass guys who push their buttons. Loads of tension and comedy. Sex. A happily-ever-after. What's not to love?"

"Well, when you put it that way," I said, making my way over toward the couch. "This looks like a teenage girl's sleepover," I told him as I moved several unnecessary pillows, then pulled one of the blankets over my legs.

"By all means, if you want to invite your friends over. In their silk pajamas. And have a pillow fight…"

"Typical guy," I said, whacking him in the face with a pillow.

Sully reached for the remote.

"Brooks is gonna be fine," he said, voice uncharacteristically serious for just a second before he started to talk about the options we had.

He was good company with his thrown back head laughs, his groans when the characters did something stupid, and his amazing ability to pick out junk food.

I almost forgot that I was supposed to be worrying myself sick about Brooks's absence.

Especially as the third movie started, and I realized Brooks had been gone at least three hours. If not much longer, since I didn't know exactly when I'd gone to sleep.

Just when I was starting to lose hope, my mind racing with things like needing to call out of work, or the possibility of losing the last person in the world who felt like home to me, I heard the slam of several doors, making my heart soar up into my throat.

I was out of my seat and on my feet before I even knew what I was doing, the blanket pooling around my feet.

Then, like a dream, Brooks walked in, his whole body tense, his jaw granite, his eyes hard.

I was running toward him before I could even assess the situation.

His hands shot up.

"Stop." His voice had a sharp edge to it, making me stop mid-stride, my stomach twisting. "I need you not to touch me right now," he said, voice careful.

"O…kay," I agreed, trying not to feel like his words and demeanor were slicing into me.

"I need an hour," he said. Then his gaze cut to Sully. "You. SUV."

I didn't know what that meant, but Sully jumped into action.

"Nice hanging with you, pretty girl. But duty calls."

With that, he was gone as Perish and the twins moved in behind Brooks.

"Showers," Brooks told them. "Leave the clothes on the shower floor. Scrub under nails. Scrape every inch of skin."

The men nodded, moving off to do just that. And it was right then that I realized none of them were wearing shoes.

It didn't take much deducing to realize the shoes were left outside because they might contain evidence on them. And Brooks didn't want anyone trekking that through the clubhouse.

"Brooks…"

"Baby, I promise. I will talk to you. I just… can't right now."

This wasn't Brooks, the guy I'd had a crush on. Or the Brooks I'd fallen in love with.

This was a side of him I'd never seen before.

This was Brooks, the outlaw biker.

I probably shouldn't have found it as hot as I did right then.

But, well, he was all bossy and sure of himself.

It pulled at something primal in me.

"Fuck, Cal. Don't look at me like that right now."

"I can't help it. Bossy Brooks is hotter than I could have realized."

"Baby, shit went down tonight."

"I… gathered that. By the whole shoeless thing and leaving the clothes in the shower thing."

"You're not disgusted by me?" he asked, tension vibrating through him.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I think… I imagined it was always going to end this way," I said, spotting dark splashes of blood at the hem of his shirt.

"I need to deal with this," he said, waving at it, having caught me staring.

"Okay," I agreed. "I'll be here," I said, waving toward the couch I'd just abandoned.

Not following him into the bedroom took a lot more self-control than I could have anticipated.

"You okay?" Nave asked, coming out all bleary-eyed. Someone in the clubhouse had gotten some sleep.

"I, ah, yeah."

"Thought you were having a movie night with Sully."

"He's… cleaning the SUV," I said.

At that, Nave's eyes cleared. "Right. Right. I'm gonna see if he needs some help," he said, disappearing into the garage.

It struck me then just how organized they were. How they all knew what to do in a… situation like this.

How often did it happen?

Revenge?

Assault?

Murder?

Perhaps those were the kinds of questions I should have asked Brooks before I went and fell for him all over again. Because it was far too late now. There was no going back.

So I sat there, listening to the far-off sounds of water splashing in showers down the hall and the hum of a vacuum in the garage.

Brooks emerged, making my heartbeat trip.

But he didn't come to me. He had a black bag trailing behind him, and he made a beeline to the prospect room. He came back out a moment later with the bag fuller than before, heading down into the basements where, I imagined, he was throwing the clothes in the wash.

He said nothing to me, as if doing so might break his concentration. So I said nothing either, just watching him as he moved around, calm and confident and capable. Which did nothing to ease the way my desire had ratcheted up when he'd been all bossy a while before.

He went into the prospect room, not emerging for a solid half an hour, the scent of bleach clinging to him even from afar, then disappeared into his own room to, I assume, bleach the hell out of the tub where he'd just washed down evidence.

He crisscrossed to the garage a few times, and I could hear him giving orders even through the closed door.

When he disappeared into the basement again, I could hear the garage door opening and closing, then the hose turning on as Nave and Sully washed the exterior of the vehicle.

I thought that would be it, but Brooks went into his room, and I heard the shower once more.

This time, though, when he emerged, his gaze sought mine, looking tired but relieved to finally get to make his way toward me.

"You okay?" I asked.

"That's my question," he shot back.

"I'm stealing it."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, nodding.

Then his hand went into his pocket.

When it came out, there was something dangling from his fingers.

Something familiar.

And so, so cherished.

Clay's watch.

"You got it back," I said, feeling the tears welling in my eyes even as Brooks lifted my hand, and slid it on my wrist.

It was way too big, slipping nearly up to my elbow as I reached up to wrap my arms around Brooks's neck, so I could seal my lips to his.

"Thank you," I said against them, then pressed harder, hungrier, all the worry and relief and newfound desire building to a fever pitch inside of me.

That rumbling sound moved through Brooks as he reached down, dragging me to my feet, and pulling me flush against him. The proof of his desire was hard against my stomach, making a low moan escape me.

That seemed to shred whatever was left of Brook's control.

His hands went to my ass, sinking in, then dragging me up and off my feet by it.

I pulled up my legs, wrapping them around his hips as he turned us, and walked us toward the bedroom, slamming against the door as soon as we were inside, his hips grinding his cock against my cleft.

His lips ripped from mine, going to my neck, kissing down the column of it as my hips wiggled against him, trying to get relief from the clawing need inside.

His hands reached for the hem of my shirt, dragging it upward, forcing my arms up so he could free the material and bare me to him.

As soon as he did, he was pulling against my legs until they fell, then yanking my shorts and panties down my legs with a sort of ferocity that made me shiver.

He sank to his knees, spreading my thighs, and burying between, working me with his expert tongue until I was writhing against his face, until my hands were digging into his skull.

Only then did he slip his fingers inside of me, groaning against my clit at how drenched I was for him.

"Brooks, fuck me, please," I begged, rocking against his mouth and fingers, but needing more. Needing him.

With that rumble I loved, he got to his feet, pulling me with him to the bed, pressing me down as he grabbed and slid on a condom, his eyes burning into me all the while.

"Get on all fours," he demanded, dragging a moan out of me, finding myself way too turned on by bossy Brooks. Judging by the smirk playing with his lips just before I turned to do just that, he knew exactly what he was doing. "Face to mattress," he demanded, massaging one of my ass cheeks. I was all too happy to give him what he wanted then. "Reach back and grab your ankles."

His demands were little shocks of need across my nerve endings as I reached back, wrapping my hands around my ankles.

"Fucking love this view," he groaned, his fingertip teasing between my lips, then circling my clit as the head of his cock pressed against me, but stubbornly refused to press inside.

"Brooks, please," I whimpered, trying to press back into him, to take him in.

"Love the sound of you begging for my cock," he said before grabbing my hips, yanking me back as he thrust in deep, taking every inch of me.

The sound that escaped me was almost pained it was so intense.

"Fucking love how you tighten around my cock," he said as my walls closed around him.

I had no words then, only whimpers and moans as he started to fuck me. Hard and deep, the whole bed groaning in protest with each thrust.

The orgasm soared through me unexpectedly, making me cry out against the mattress until Brook's hand grabbed my hair, yanking back. "I want to hear you when you come," he growled as he kept fucking me, dragging it out. "We're not done, he said as I greedily sucked in air, my body completely overwhelmed from the orgasm.

Then, to prove his point, he was grabbing me, flipping me onto my back, and surging back inside as he held my legs at his sides, his gaze oscillating from my face to where he was still fucking me, making need slowly start to build again.

"Look how fucking good you're taking me," he said, making my walls clench around him, which dragged that growling sound out of him again as he pressed my feet against his chest, freeing his hands. One moved out, pressing hard just above my pelvic bone, making me feel him even more intensely.

The strangled moan that escaped me at the sensation had fire flicking in his eyes as he started to fuck me faster, driving me up at a breakneck pace, making my hips rock against his thrusts.

"That's it," he said, voice tight as he got close. "Squeeze my cock," he demanded. Then just like that, I did. "Fuck," he groaned, slamming deep, and coming with me.

Brooks collapsed down on the bed next to me after, his hand rested on my thigh, both of us trying to catch our breaths and slow our hearts.

"You're staying with me tonight," Brooks said, voice slow, tired.

"Yes," I agreed, scooting over to press a kiss to his collarbone before he pulled me up on his chest.

His arms came around me, holding me tight.

And, somehow, right then, I knew that I was never going to have to worry. I would never be alone again. Brooks was my family now.