5. The Dinner Guest

Chapter 5

The Dinner Guest

I t had been a month since the canceled wedding.

It had taken Brandon and his parents about a week to settle down with the lawsuit threats. Meredith had been right, and when they hadn't gotten the sympathetic reaction they wanted with threats, they had switched to playing the victim. They had told anyone who would listen that Meredith was a harlot. She'd led Brandon around for years with no concrete plans to actually marry him.

That hadn't stopped the rumor mill from running rampant in our small social circle. After the wedding, Brandon had moved on quickly with Clara, but if you listened to the gossip, no one blamed him. It was still Meredith's fault for not being able to keep him happy. Every time I caught a whisper, I wanted to come out with my metaphorical guns blazing. I was ready to fight, and I had proof of Brandon's infidelity, but I'd remind myself that it wouldn't do any good to play the ace that no one knew I had.

Meredith took it all in stride, which in all honestly, surprised me. She could become high-strung in high-stress situations, but this time, she simply let them be. She never openly refuted the lies they told, nor did she slander them. If anyone actually asked her for her side of the story, she didn't hesitate to express that it hadn't felt right and wished Brandon well. It was an honorable response, and I was proud of her. I wasn't sure I would have reacted the same way, but in hindsight, she also wasn't aware of what I had witnessed.

Meredith had been able to make a clean break, but I wasn't as lucky. To the outside world, things appeared normal between Matt and me. Right after the wedding, we returned to our regular social gatherings. We went to client functions, and we appeared together at expensive restaurants so that Matt could network. I was his pretty, pregnant wife, and he was the family man that you could trust with your money. No one knew it was all a mirage.

Over the next two weeks, it hastily fell apart. Matt always worked late, and in the beginning, he'd text not to wait up for him. I wasn't naive enough to believe that he was actually working. It was code for cheating. At first, it'd been a day here, a day there, but eventually Matt didn't come home for days on end. If he did, it was to take a shower, pack a change of clothes, and leave again.

As long as he wasn't home, I hadn't rushed to any resolutions. I figured as long as we were living separate lives, I would prepare myself for the inevitable end of my marriage. I'd started making plans and working on projects that would bring in cash so that I'd be alright when the time came.

Meredith had called a few nights ago and asked if Matt and I could attend a family dinner. I'd agreed, not thinking too much about it as I had texted Matt about the plans.

It was now Friday, and Matt would be home soon so that we could head straight over to Aunt Elizabeth's.

I was about ready to shower when my phone dinged. Picking it up from the kitchen counter, I read the incoming text from Matt.

Matt

Business meeting running late. Go without me.

I rolled my eyes as I set the phone back on the counter. I really wanted to slam it, but it'd probably break, and really, this was no one's fault but Matt's. Letting out a scream filled with frustration and disappointment, I tried to make myself feel better as I stood in the empty kitchen, but it was getting harder to regulate my emotions when things like this were becoming a daily occurrence.

I left the kitchen and headed for the bathroom to shower and get ready, but as I waited for the water to heat, I turned towards the mirror to look at myself, wondering how much of my marriage failures were my fault. Was I not good enough?

I looked at what I was wearing. A white t-shirt and jean shorts. No makeup. My family wouldn't care what I showed up in. It was only Matt who insisted I look my best, and he wouldn't be there.

***

Opening the door to my aunt's house, I could hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"I'm here," I called out, as I took my shoes off in the doorway. I'd spent just as much time here as I had at my father's house growing up. It was second nature to walk in like I owned the place.

"In the kitchen, Grace," my aunt called back.

I headed into the kitchen, but as I turned the corner, whatever I was going to say to my aunt died on my lips. My eyes bugged out. My feet stopped in the middle of the doorway, and my mouth hung open.

My sister and Grizz were sitting on the barstools at my aunt's kitchen island. She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow as they sat close enough to be in each other's laps.

"Oh, Grace! You look good. How are you feeling?" my aunt asked, pulling me into a hug. I quickly closed my mouth, so that she wouldn't ask if something was wrong. I wouldn't know how to tell her that I'd just experienced the shock of my life.

"I'm good," I said. Kissing her on the cheek, I returned the hug. It was comforting, but my mind was reeling. Why had Meredith told my aunt to schedule this family dinner? Did my aunt know how she and Grizz had met? Was he with them? Why would he be with them? I hoped this wouldn't go to hell in a hand basket.

"Grace," my sister said with trepidation as she approached me. I noticed her voice had shook. Quickly checking on my aunt, I saw she was busy pulling serving utensils out of the drawer and hadn't noticed .

Meredith hugged me tightly, but she was running on adrenaline and couldn't stand still. She wrapped her arm around mine and lead me to the counter to make the introductions. "This is my boyfriend, Jonathan. Jon, this is my sister, Grace."

He had a twinkle in his eye, as if he were enjoying my sister's discomfort. It made me realize what a stark contrast this was. When Meredith had introduced Brandon to our family, he'd dominated every conversation. It didn't matter what the topic was, Brandon had always been right, and if Meredith tried to smooth things over, he'd take his anger out on her. Grizz was just enjoying the awkwardness of the situation. I couldn't contain the smile that was twitching at my lips.

He stood as we approached, sticking his hand out for me to shake. "Grace, it is nice to meet you. I have heard so many good things."

"The pleasure's all mine. I was not aware that Meredith was dating. How did the two of you meet?" I couldn't help it. He was not the only one enjoying watching my sister squirm.

"You never told me, Mer," my aunt popped into the conversation. She was pulling a roast from the oven, and the smell made my stomach growl.

"Why don't you tell them, Meredith?" Grizz said. I would keep the secret until they spilled, but I wouldn't call him Jon. It didn't fit him once you knew his road name.

"Uh, well. Uh..." she stuttered, trying to come up with the right words.

"I brought the dessert you wanted," my dad called from the front door. Meredith had dodged another bullet.

Setting the roast on the top of the stove, my aunt left the kitchen to grab the dessert from my dad. Once she was gone, Grizz and I looked at each other and laughed. "Lucky," I whispered to Meredith.

***

Dinner was a casual affair, and I was enjoying myself. The food had been delicious, and the conversation flowed easily .

It was towards the end of dessert that my dad dropped a bomb on the table.

"So, are you an Iron Shield or a Guardian Knight?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink.

The table went completely silent.

"I am a criminal defense attorney," my dad said. "While you look like one of those starving artist types, no one wears a long-sleeved shirt in the middle of summer, and the bottom of your tattoo is showing. Both clubs have that shield shape." He brought his fork up to his mouth and took a bite of cake.

We stared at him for several minutes, before he shrugged his shoulders and lifted his eyebrows. "What?" he asked us. "I've been dealing with the Guardian Knights for almost twenty years. This one was too easy."

My aunt was the first one to speak. "I was going to say something, but I didn't think I was right."

My dad looked at Meredith. "Why don't you tell us how you two really met?"

She didn't have a choice and told them the story about how we had headed up the coast after the wedding and landed at the biker bar.

After she finished, she smiled, and Grizz put his arm around the back of her chair. He let her have her moment, but if she needed him, he was right there. I smiled at their closeness.

"I told him that if he wanted to find me, he should look up the wedding announcement. You never did say what happened after that." She turned towards Grizz, with a smile on her face. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen her smile that bright.

Grizz shifted so that he was looking at her. "I found the wedding announcement in the paper and went from there." He smirked.

"No, you didn't. What really happened?" Meredith pushed.

He looked at me and winked. "Grace told Sabre that you were four hours from home. I tried to draw a perimeter around that and check the local papers, but I am not good at that stuff. Cyph, our computer guru, took pity on me and had your name and phone number in less than a minute. It just cost me an arm and a leg."

My stomach knotted at the thought of Sabre.

"I am worth it," Meredith said.

"Yeah, you are. I figured you guys would drive home Sunday, so I waited until Monday. The hours went by slowly as I planned what I wanted to say to you."

"Your first words were, 'When are we getting married?' So you didn't plan too hard, did you?"

They stared at each other, each one with a secretive smile for the other. My dad stared at my aunt with a small smile, and she beamed one back at him. I was the only one missing someone else. I felt my phone in my back pocket, but I wouldn't reach out, even though I wanted to.

The night had been a success.

***

Sabre

It was a regular Friday night at the clubhouse, which usually meant the brothers unwound from the work week and someone would end up doing dumb shit. It was home, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Along one wall, we had set up an entertainment section in the main room, with large TVs, every gaming system known to man, and comfy couches to take it all in. I had plopped my happy ass in the corner of one couch and just watched the people.

Behind me, I could hear a game of pool being played, the billiard balls smacking against each other regularly. I didn't bother to turn around and ask who was winning, nor did I care to see which brothers were throwing darts nearby. Instead, I found amusement in watching the prospects assigned to the bar, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They weren't doing a terrible job, but every now and then, a patched brother would yell for their attention. It built character, and I didn't worry about the liquor tab. We ordered enough from the distributor to get the cheapest rate, and we made a shit ton of money monthly so it didn't matter. The brothers could enjoy the booze.

We had six club girls roaming around the main room, making sure that the brothers were alright. They knew their roles and how to serve the club. In return, I took care of them financially, putting a roof over their heads, spending money, and even providing college tuitions. However, they were in direct competition with the girls who just hung around. Fresh meat was always more appealing, but those girls were looking for Old Lady status, and none of the brothers would ever give that up lightly.

"I am bored," my brother, Pretty, said as he flopped down on the couch on top of me. The whole left side of his body was touching mine, and there was no personal space.

"It's Friday night. Grab a whore and fuck it out of your system," I told him, trying to get him to scoot over.

"You should take your own advice. Oh wait, she ain't here."

"Fuck off. She's not a whore." Someone who'd been at the bar that night had a big mouth, and the story had spread like wildfire. Ever since then, the brothers had ridden my ass about Grace, but they left Grizz alone.

Pretty was actually my brother by blood, and while I wouldn't trade him, he was normally the first one in line to push my buttons. He laughed and scanned the room, and if I knew him, he was looking for a blonde to torment me.

My phone dinged with an incoming text. Pulling it out of my back pocket, I elbowed Pretty in the side just because I could. Clicking the phone to light up, I saw Grizz's name. Motherfucker was supposed to be at family dinner.

I opened the message, and there she was.

It looked like she was putting dishes away and didn't know he'd taken her picture.

Her shirt rode up in the back as she appeared to be reaching for something in a cabinet. My eyes instantly went to her visible bump. It was one thing to know that she was pregnant, but it was another to actually see the baby. A surge of protectiveness came over me, and I couldn't shake it. I would have given them anything they asked for, even though I hadn't seen or heard from her in a month.

"She's so damn hot. Did you know she was pregnant?" My brother was leaning against my arm to look at the phone.

"Fucking knock it off, or I am going to beat your ass," I told him and put my phone back in my pocket.

"I might like it," he said.

Another ding came through. I looked at my brother. He looked at me with a wide smile. "You going to get that?" he asked.

I pulled my phone back out and opened the message. Grizz had sent a video.

Pretty reached over and hit play. He was seriously cruising for a beat down. Shooting him a look, I turned towards my phone. She was all smiles, twirling around the kitchen, putting away dishes. It took everything in me not to make the four-hour trip.

"So, should we call you Daddy now?" Pretty smirked.

On instinct, I curled my fingers in and hit my brother hard enough in the stomach that he doubled over.

Wreck wasn't happy, but he'd get the same treatment if he intervened, and he knew it.

"Okay, no Daddy."

I hit him again.

"Why you got to be so violent?" Pretty sulked off to nurse his wounds. Wreck's eyes followed him to the bar. I didn't ask what was going on between those two. If it became a problem, then I would deal with it.

I sat back against the couch and closed my eyes, letting the sounds of the party surround me. It didn't help, as my thoughts only went to her. I rubbed my eyes, as if I could clear away the image of her pregnant body, dressed down for a family dinner. I would do anything to have her to just like that, and afterward I'd take her in my bed, knowing she was carrying my child.

I groaned as my dick hardened. Fuck !

Looking around the room, I saw a blonde chick standing nearby. I didn't know her name, but she was here often enough that I knew she'd be down to relieve me. Pointing to her, I crooked my finger, and once she stood in between my legs, I pointed to the ground at my feet.

She kneeled and placed her hands on my knees. "You sure you don't want to go to your room, Sabre?" she asked. I had learned that lesson early on as a prospect. You take a girl to your room, and she thinks she's your old lady.

"No. Take care of it here." I didn't care that I was being a dick.

She undid my belt and unzipped my jeans. Taking me out, she gave me a few strokes.

Running my hands through her short hair, I gave her a tug, bringing her lips closer to my dick so that she'd get the hint. "Suck it, or I'll find someone else who will."

She opened her mouth and took me all the way in.

She licked.

She sucked, giving it her best effort, but I was losing my hard-on.

Fucking shit.

I was in the middle of the clubhouse with a blonde chick sucking my dick. If I didn't come, I'd never hear the end of this. There were too many brothers in this room, and even though they weren't watching, they would know.

I laid my head back on the couch and closed my eyes, replaying the scene over in my head with Grace in place of the girl. I would never have treated Grace that way, but this was a fantasy. A damn hot one.

In my mind, Grace was in her t-shirt and shorts, kneeling between my legs. Her eyes locked on mine and a smile crossed her face, like she knew what she would do to me, her pregnant belly safely positioned between my legs, protecting our child.

She opened her mouth and took me completely in. It was so good. I put my hand in her hair. "That's it, mama. Take me in," I encouraged her.

She took me to the back of her throat, sucking in her cheeks to create a large amount of suction around me. It was the best blow job I'd ever received, and there was plenty to judge against.

"Make me come, mama, and we'll head upstairs." Spurring her on, I couldn't wait to be buried between her legs. To take her repeatedly in my bed until she begged me to rest. I buried my hand in her hair, lightly pulling at the roots.

I felt her hand stroke my balls, and that was it. They pulled up into my body, and I released into her mouth, spurt after spurt until I was sure she'd milked me dry. That was when I realized I'd buried my hand in short hair. Grace didn't have short hair.

My eyes shot open, and I saw the girl I had called over.

"Do you want to go upstairs now, Daddy?" Oh fuck, no.

Standing from the couch, I tucked myself in and zipped up my jeans. Stopping at the bar, I grabbed a bottle of Jack and went to my room to barricade myself in. Getting black out drunk sounded like a damn good idea.

Grace was married, and I didn't owe her any undying loyalty, but I felt guilty for what had happened.

What the fuck had I just done?