Chapter Nine

Venus

I felt blood drain from my face, then flush in absolute fury . "Keep eye on me."

"Yes."

"How long, Piston?" I clenched my hands into fists, my nails digging into my palms. The pain grounded me as points pierced my flesh.

"Since the day you first met Giovanni."

" Blyad !" I shoved away, needing to put space between us. I felt like when I had to get on airplane. Panic seized me, making it hard to breathe. Only this was much, much worse. "Was all this" -- I waved my hand back and forth between us -- "Just so you could stay in my life? Did you think I'd roll over, let you do whatever Giovanni told you to with me? Did you --" I had to gasp for breath and loathed myself for it. This was weakness I could not afford to show. "Was this all honey trap?"

Piston gave a humorless laugh. "Baby, the only person trapped in this relationship is me. I was trapped from the day I first laid eyes on you. Anything I did earlier was more for me than you because I've been in love with you for a fuckin' decade ."

I gasped in another much-needed breath, not sure if I could believe him, but wanting to with all my heart. And that was a problem. My sisters were only people I could honestly say I loved. Everyone in MCs I worked with I considered mine to protect, but I wasn't certain I could honestly say I loved any of them. Maybe. If push came to shove, though, I could sacrifice them all. Maybe . But Piston? I'd gone from him being annoyance to getting used to him. Somewhere along way I'd grown to rely on him. He had my back even if I felt need to push him away. I knew he wasn't going anywhere so I felt safe doing so. After what he'd done to me few hours before, I realized I might possibly feel more for him than I should. With my stomach rebelling now, I knew I was fucked.

I was in love with Piston. And everything I thought I knew about him was possibly lies.

"Ulyana…" Piston didn't move closer to me, but he was watching me like hawk. Probably afraid I was going to eviscerate him. Or run. While I wanted badly to do former, I was afraid I was going to do latter. And that just pissed me off.

"It was Giovanni, wasn't it? He told you my name." I remembered him using it before and knew something was off.

"He did."

"How much did he tell you about me?"

"He kept the personal stuff to a minimum. Honestly, I don't think he considers anything personal to be important unless it directly affects the situation at hand. If he knew a situation would have an adverse effect on you he wasn't certain you could power through, he'd tell me, but otherwise, the only thing personal I really know is that you had a rough plane ride escaping Victor with Millie and that you have issues flying now."

"So he didn't tell you the reason I ended up in Salvation's Bane."

He narrowed his eyes. "No," he said slowly. "I just assumed he sent you there."

"No." I frowned. "At least, I don't think so. Am starting to wonder." It didn't escape me I was talking through my doubts with Piston when he should be last person I trusted. Had he truly been in shadows all this time?

"OK. Why did you take up with Bane? You made a pretty good impression on Thorn or he wouldn't have patched you in. He's the fuckin' hardass in a room full of hardasses, so you have his respect."

"I helped him out of tight spot on ExFil mission. Together we saved his team even if mission got scrubbed."

"Must have been one hell of a save. He basically took you in the same day you came back."

"It was." I looked around, finding my pants and snagging them. "I need to leave."

"Venus, stop." That fucking gruff voice of his was my bane. It had been hard to resist him before, but after we'd had sex, after he'd completely blown my mind, I wanted to obey him. At least, my body did. My mind was screaming and railing at me to bust his balls and leave.

I took a breath. "I don't want to." Blyat ! I sounded like petulant child.

"We're not done. No matter what you believe my motives are, you know I'll always protect you. You know it."

He was right. I did know, but I didn't want to give in too easily. "Just because you've been shadowing me for years doesn't mean I know you as well as you know me. And you've already been lying to me."

"I have never lied to you. I didn't tell you everything about me, but I've never lied to you." His face hardened as he spoke. Clearly, Piston didn't appreciate my accusations.

"So? Tell me now."

"Not a whole lot for me to tell. You came back to the US with your sister. The two of you split up. You ended up with Giovanni. When you did, he pulled me off a security detail he had me on with ExFil and put me on your six, permanently."

"Permanently?" What the hell? "Did he not trust me?"

"Was that when he started supplying you with tech?"

I didn't answer right away. Mainly because it was on tip of my tongue to spill everything, and I wasn't going to do that. Not right away. I tried to fool myself into thinking he could rot in hell before I told him anything, but the fact was, Piston had proven himself to me. I was stubborn, but not so much I wouldn't admit how much help he'd been. Even if I didn't want to admit it. Because I'd also been replaying scene in my head over and over when he'd shoved me aside night Victor had slipped through our fingers.

Victor got away because I'd hesitated to leave Piston in middle of deadly fight. Not because of anything Piston did. Had he not interfered, I might have been killed. Finally I sighed, sitting on edge of bed in nothing but his T-shirt. My pants were bunched in my hand, and I laid them beside me. There was plenty of time to get dressed later and I wasn't drawing more attention to my naked body than I already had.

"Thorn is… family." How to explain this?

"Family how? MC family?"

"No. Is my first cousin. His father's youngest brother is my father."

Piston's eyes narrowed as he put it all together. "Wait. Thorn. Why does this feel like it's more important than you simply being Thorn's cousin?"

I debated my next move. I didn't want to disclose what I'd learned because I didn't want to put any of the people involved on Victor's radar. That meant the fewer people who knew who Thorn was related to and how, the better. Not necessarily because Thorn needed protecting either. Because it meant every foundation of every club I was associated with would be in jeopardy. Especially Bones. If anyone knew secrets kept in that club, it could be used to take ExFil away from Cain and quite possibly land several of Bones in prison. For treason.

"I'm here to help you , Venus. Not Giovanni. Not Thorn. Not even myself. I'm the killer who has your back. There is no one I wouldn't destroy to protect you." I saw the truth in his eyes but wasn't ready to give in just yet.

"Why should I believe you?" My voice was barely above whisper.

He didn't hesitate with his answer. "Because you're a woman who trusts her instincts, and you haven't killed me yet."

When his words penetrated, something inside me gave way. Before I realized what I'd done, I threw myself at Piston, wrapping my arms around him and clinging so tightly he probably thought I was trying to kill him by strangulation. Dam I had guarding my emotions disintegrated into nothingness. Everything came rushing out. I sobbed into Piston's chest, clinging to him like I'd never held on to anyone in my life. I couldn't even remember going to my mother for any kind of emotional support. After my father died, I'd been too busy taking care of both Millie and my mother to indulge in grief.

"Shortcake." His soft murmur was right at my ear. He had his arms around me, holding me as tightly as I held him. One hand moved up and down my back before threading through my hair and holding my head against him. "It's all right. Everything's gonna be all right. I swear to you, I'll kill whoever you want me to, just… please stop ."

Alarm in his voice made me laugh through my tears. Had I ever in my life cried more than few simple tears? " The badass in room full of badasses, huh?" I swiped my cheeks and offending moisture. "Yet few tears bother you?"

"With you? Yes. If something is bad enough to bring you to tears, I need to kill it."

I looked up at him and smiled. "Fine. How about you help me kill it? We can do it together."

"Wherever you go, Venus. I'm gonna be with you. Like I said. We're together now. You're my woman. I'm your man. You have my loyalty over anyone else."

Fresh wave of tears flooded my eyes, but I was strangely happy. "Sorry. Don't know what happened."

Piston gave me a strange look. "What happened?"

"The crying," I explained. "I don't cry."

"Ah." He brushed his thumb gently under my eye to catch a teardrop. "I see." He grinned. "You know what happened. I'm your safe place."

I wanted to scoff, to tell him to go fuck himself, but fact was, he was right. "Fine. Don't let it go to head."

Look on his face was positively wicked. "Oh, it'll go to my head all right, baby."

There was no help for it. I laughed and, again, it felt like something unfurled inside my chest. This whole situation was creepy as shit, but I couldn't deny the connection I had with Piston. If I was honest, he'd intrigued me from first moment I saw him. When I'd come to Lemon's aid. It should feel strange knowing he'd been in background of my life ever since I'd come to America, but it was kind of endearing.

"Why did you decide to stop being in shadows? To stay closer to me and even tell everyone you were claiming me?"

"Because the second I saw you with Lemon, watching with pride as she pulled out every single facial piercing of one of those fuckers who'd take her, I was done. I knew there was no way I could sit by and calmly watch while some other bastard in Grim claimed you. Besides, I thought ten years was enough self-torture. Not being near you while having to watch you from a distance, was too fuckin' long. So fuck Giovanni."

That got bark of laughter from me even as my heart swelled. This was what it was like to have companion. Someone to always be in your corner. I felt like I'd just staged successful coup.

"He is ass. Always has been."

"He gets too hard on us, I'll remind him how I was in the room the first time little Suzie hacked him. She'd just turned seventeen. I thought Giovanni was gonna blow a gasket."

Piston moved me so that I straddled him. His shirt rode up my thighs and I whimpered in need when my pussy came into contact with his hardening cock through his pants. He raised eyebrow and corner of his lips raised in cocky smirk.

I rested my hands on his shoulders. His bare chest beckoned me to touch and taste. I wanted to lick him from chest to dick and back. Then start all over.

Piston caught heated look in my eyes, his own gaze darkening with desire. "You keep looking at me like that, Shortcake, and we won't make it outta this compound before I have to fuck you again."

Raspy tone of his voice sent shivers down my spine. Tension crackled between us, thick and urgent. I leaned closer, my breath hitching as I brushed my lips against his ear. "Who said we were going anywhere before you fucked me again?"

His hands tightened on my hips, pulling me even closer until there was no space left between us. His breath was hot on my neck as he trailed kisses down to my collarbone, each touch igniting sharp lust I knew better than to fight.

My heart raced as I leaned closer, our lips mere inches apart. I could feel heat radiating from his body, engulfing me in haze of warmth and want. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, and for this moment in time, world outside our little bubble ceased to exist.

"Venus," Piston whispered, his hands sliding up my back to draw me even closer. "You make me forget everything else in the world other than finding new and interesting ways of makin' you scream my name."

And then his lips were on mine, urgent and searching. His kiss was anything but gentle, but not the raging dominance I'd needed before. I was under no illusion Piston was making profound statement during our previous encounter. I needed that dominance then. I needed to know man I had allowed into my tight circle of family could handle what I threw at him and stand tall and in control. Well, Piston had done that in spades. Now, he was simply giving me what we both wanted.

His mouth moved with tender ferocity that made every nerve in my body sing. I found myself responding in kind, my hands threading through his hair, pulling him closer. As our kisses deepened, world around us dimmed, sounds and sensations blurring into haze of heated whispers and soft rustling of fabric.

Breaking away for air, Piston's eyes glowed with raw intensity as he looked at me. "I mean it, Venus. You've turned my world upside down."

I smiled, brushing kiss on his jawline. "You're not standing still in mine either."

The laugh that escaped him was half-humor, half-pained groan as he reached between us to undo his jeans and free his cock. Hard, pulsing length of him sprang free, hitting my clit as it bobbed between us.

Our mouths moved together with ferocity born of raw desire and long-awaited release. Even though he'd taken me to heights I'd never imagined not that long ago, I was back up on edge again, wanting to do swan dive into the madness I knew would surely overtake me when he fucked me. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as if I could merge our very souls with this kiss. The way he devoured me felt like vindication of every silent moment he'd spent yearning for me from afar. And yes. I believe everything he'd told me. I also believed he meant it when he'd said he was here for me. Not for Giovanni or anyone else. Piston was silent menace to my flamboyant viciousness.

Piston broke the kiss, his breath ragged as he looked down at me with eyes burning with the same fierce passion fueling my own. "You're mine," he growled, his voice thick with possession and an unspoken promise. "And I'm yours, Venus. No one and nothing else matters."

"I won't deny that. Not ever again."

"Good. Now. I'm not gonna fuck you before I taste what I'm sure will be a very sweet pussy."

His words hit me like electric charge, sending shudder through my body straight to my clit. The air around us thickened with anticipation as he shifted, his movements deliberate and filled with unspoken command I found impossibly arousing.

Gently, he pushed me until I was lying on back on his bed. Texture of sheets against my skin combined with rough, calloused touch of his hands only heightened all sensations already bombarding me. Every touch, every kiss that followed only amplified the lust he built with a simple look.

Piston's hands traced fiery path down my body, igniting sparks wherever they landed. He paused at my thighs, his fingers teasing sensitive skin there before shoving them apart. His nostrils flared as he lowered himself so his shoulders were between my legs.

His hot breath grazed over my sensitive flesh, making me shiver in anticipation. Piston's eyes locked with mine, intense and unyielding, as he watched my reactions closely. With slow, deliberate motions, he extended his tongue and traced the outer edge of my lips. The look in his eyes said he was savoring taste as he went. His movements were practiced and precise, calculated to drive me wild. At least, if they weren't they should have been. Because that's exactly what they did.

I gasped and sharp cry escaped my lips. I arched my back off the bed, urging him to do more. "My clit," I gasped.

"What about your clit, baby? It's wet and swollen." He winked at me as he licked my hot and aching pussy, sucking each lip lightly before taking long, slow lick from my opening to just below aching bud in question.

"Suck it," I hissed. "Lick it."

He complied with smirk, diving deeper, exploring me with fervor that bordered on reverence. The room spun as waves of pleasure cascaded through me, each swipe of his tongue making me whimper and moan in pleasure.

I rocked my hips, meeting his tongue as he lapped at my wet folds like he meant to eat me up. He sucked my clit between his lips, curling two fingers inside me, hitting spots deep within me I'd never known existed. The second he did, I exploded in blistering pleasure.

Piston's movements became frenzied as tremors racked my body, and my pussy clamped down around his fingers. His breathing was deep and even, and every sound I made was met with deep answering grunt from him. Hearing his own grunts and growls escalated my need. He continued his relentless assault, bringing me to brink again with expert flicks and swirls of his tongue coupled with rhythmic thrusting of his fingers.

Breathless and delirious from waves of ecstasy, I managed to pull him up to me, our lips crashing together in messy, desperate kiss. I could taste myself on him, and it only served to fuel fire burning within me. Every touch was electric, every glance between us laden with unspoken promises of more.

Piston reached between us and guided his cock inside my pussy. Then he started hard, driving rhythm I couldn't keep up with. All I could do was hold on. So I dug my nails into his ass and spurred him on best I could.

"Fuck!" He threw his head back as I squeezed flesh of his butt. "Mother fuck!"

"Fuck me, Piston." I wanted words to come out as order, but was very afraid they were a plea.

"Ain't gonna last long. Too fuckin' good. Too motherfucking good!"

His cock pulsed inside me and with one ferocious, brutal yell, Piston put his cum deep inside me.