LI watched Jennie and Olive walk down the hall with Rachel. The leader of The Pride was up to something. I just shook my head. The old ladies could all take care of themselves. Jennie could too, but they were fucking trouble. There was no question about that.Holden finished his French toast, eyeing me warily as he realized his mom was gone."Where's my mom?" he asked, little voice squeaky, slightly afraid. I hated how scared he was of being here. Of me. I didn't want that. He wasn't afraid if his mom was around. I'd seen him play with Storm and Reed, but he constantly looked back for his mama, making sure his safety net was there."She's in the nursery with Olive and Rachel."He turned to look down the hallway, hoping they were already on their way back. "Can I stay with you?" he asked slowly, not even looking at me. Sometimes I had a hard time understand the things he said because of his toddler voice, but the more he spoke to me, the more time I spent around him, the easier it became."Of course, little man." He sank back against the booth, trying to make himself smaller. I wondered how much watching Taehyung beat Jennie affected him. I noticed him watching me every time I interacted with her, like he was waiting for me to do something to her, something I'd never do to her.I liked kids, especially Jennie's, but I wasn't exactly good with them. I almost always let Carrie deal with the club's kids when they got hurt. She was much better with them than I was, calmer, softer. I tried. It wasn't in my nature, but it came a lot easier with Jennie's kids than it did with anyone else's. Because they were mine. Jennie was mine, making her kids mine."Hey," Seokmin said, walking up to the table. He's trying to make himself smaller, less intimidating to Holden. He's got his hands in his pockets, shoulders rolled forward, relaxed posture, easy smile on his face as he looks between the two of us."We're gonna have church in fifteen," he said."For sure.""You settling in okay?" he asked Holden, sliding into the booth next to me.Holden just nodded."Good," Seokmin said. "If you need anything, you can just ask, all right? Toys, food, whatever. We don't have your favorite snack? Lemme know and I'll make sure we get it for you.""I will," Holden said, finally finding his voice."I'll see you later, bud," Seokmin said, sliding out of the booth.It was too soon to tell him that he was safe here, that everyone here was friendly, and that no one here would ever hurt him, his mama, or his sister. I hoped he figured it out soon.Rachel appeared first, then Jennie, and finally Olive behind her. Rachel went to the old lady table where the rest of the women were sitting having breakfast, helping their kids eat, but Jennie walked back over to me."How'd it go?" I asked."She got lots of clothes. They're in the room.""Good. Holden needs some too.""Rachel is gonna go through Storm's stuff, see what's too small for him and bring it to me."YOU'LL ALSO LIKENo stories available.As she slipped into the booth, she leaned her head against my shoulder. My hand went to her thigh, wrapping around it possessively."I've got church in about ten minutes," I told her."I know. Rachel told me."Nothing happened around this club without Rachel knowing about it, even the things she wasn't supposed to know about."You need anything?" I asked her."No, babe. I'm good."She slipped out of the booth, letting me stand. Before she could slide back in, I grabbed her waist and pulled her to me, kissing her. I wasn't sure about the PDA in front of her kids, so I kept it chaste, absolutely not what I wanted. Her lips were parted, eyes half closed as I pulled away."I'll see you later."I winked at her, backing away slowly, loving how her eyes roamed up and down my body.She sat back down, turning to focus on her kids, so I left her be, walking into the meeting room.I was the first one there, so I sat in my usual chair, tapping my fingers on the counter while I waited. It didn't take long for the rest of the club to filter in, Ten, Jaehyun, and Seokmin being the last three like usual.The room quieted immediately as Seokmin sat at the head of the table, leaning back, arms crossed over his chest."We've been waiting for Taehyung and his club to make a move," he began. I could barely restrain the growl that wanted to leave my throat. I was sick and fucking tired of waiting. "No one likes being locked down."There was a round of grumbles. We didn't like not being able to ride or feel like we couldn't keep our women and kids safe outside the walls of the club."Let's make a move then," Nickhun said. His trigger finger was always happy."We're going to," Seokmin said."Fuck yes!" I shouted, slamming an open palm on the table. Seokmin shot me a look, clearly telling me to settle my ass down. Seokmin and I weren't necessarily close because I was younger than him and Jaehyun, but I grew up in the club, so we had more of a sibling like relationship than the one the brotherhood offered.Sometimes he made me feel like that annoying little kid I was who followed him around everywhere, the one who just wanted to be included with him and Jaehyun."Do we have a plan?" Nickhun asked. He and I got along so well because we were mission oriented, time in the service would do that to a man. A lot of the other brothers were fly by the seat of their pants, go in guns blazing–especially fucking Jaehyun. But this, this needed to be calculated, cold, and fucking efficient. No room for errors when my woman's life was at stake.There was no fucking doubt. If Taehyung found her, he'd kill her. Take the kids and do god knew what to them too."That's why we're here," Seokmin said. "Let's hear ideas.""I fucking end him," I growled. "I give fuck all about how it's done, but he's mine. And her dad fucking too.""We know," Seokmin deadpanned. He was snarkier than usual since his second kid was born. Maybe he was just tired or Rachel had an even tighter grip on his balls than usual. "We've heard it. What we don't actually have is a fucking plan.""Attack head on won't work," Nickhun said."Why not?" I asked. There couldn't be anything wrong with rolling up outside their clubhouse, guns blazing and taking out every single person there."Because we go in whole and we come out whole," Seokmin growled. He leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose."We need to take out the entire club though," I protested, trying to make my case. "If we leave anyone alive, they'll retaliate.""Is there tension within the club?" Jaehyun asked. "Can we flip someone?""I'm not sure," I replied."Go get Jennie," Seokmin said.I snapped my head at him. For someone who said no old ladies would ever be welcome in church, it had become a right of passage where the women were concerned.Wordlessly, I stood, pushing my chair back against the wall. The room was eerily quiet as I opened the door, walking back into the bar area.I found Jennie immediately. She sat with the rest of the pride. The only noise came from them, even the soul suckers table was quiet, and all the kids must be in the nursery.Just like I could always sense whenever she was around, Jennie's eyes lifted as soon as I was close to the table. "Is everything okay?" she asked."Fine, babe. We need to ask some questions about Taehyung's club though. Think you can answer some for us?"She swallowed thickly. I hated having to ask her. I was sure there were some memories she'd rather keep buried, thing she hadn't told me yet. Things she'd never want anyone to know."Of course," she whispered. "I'll catch up with you girls later," she said to the table, sliding out. The rest of The Pride murmured their goodbyes, keeping their eyes on her warily. They'd all been there."You okay?" I asked her, stopping her steps right outside the door."Yeah. Nervous, but yeah, I'm okay.""Nothing bad is going to happen to you," I vowed."I know," she whispered."You're safe here."She knew that, but sometimes hearing the words made all the difference. She nodded, head tilted up at me, sad smile on her lips.With a hand on her lower back, I opened the door, and stepped inside, bringing her with me.The room was as quiet as when I left, and I could feel the tension rolling off Jennie. Just because she understood she was safe here didn't mean her body knew it at all times. It was going to be a continued battle while she healed from years of trauma. She knew she was safe with me, never gave any indication she thought I'd do to her what Taehyung did–even if her kids weren't quite there yet. But, even knowing most of the brothers, she still didn't feel completely safe around them.Part of me couldn't blame her. Not with her history. I wanted more for her though, I wanted her to be happy and healthy and know she was safe. Even if she was mad, or did something to piss off me or one of the brothers, no one would lay a hand on her."Thanks for joining us," Seokmin said. "Have a seat."There were no extra chairs so the only place for her to sit was on my lap. As she damn well should. She let out a little squeak when I pulled her on top of me, but I just wrapped my arms around her, holding her against me."We're trying to figure out the best way to go after Taehyung," Seokmin said, getting straight to the point. "Is there a weak link inside the clubhouse?""A weak link?" Jennie asked."A brother who's got a grudge against Taehyung or someone else. An old lady like you who knows a little more, but hates the club anyway? Anyone we can turn into a spy."I couldn't see Jennie's face, but I could feel her contemplating, see the way her head shifted from side to side."There may be one person," she whispered."Who?" I asked."Tex.""Who's Tex?" Seokmin asked. "I've never heard of him.""He's Taehyung's Sergeant at Arms.""Why would he be a spy for us?" Ten asked."Taehyung got his woman killed a few years back."The angry growls that echoed around the room were enough to send a chill down even my spine. "How?" Lucas asked, voice deadly."There was a party. Everyone was drunk and high." Obviously. Jennie shuddered in my arms, the memory replaying in her mind. I ran my hands up her legs, soothing her. "I was upstairs with the kids, but I looked out the window when I heard the shouting start. There was another charter there. Taehyung doesn't get along with anyone, not even the other charters."Every brother in the room was leaning forward, elbows on the table as they looked at her. She kept her head down for the most part, still too timid, too shy, too unsure of her place here to look them in the eye. It would come with time. She'd learn her place was by me and because of that every man in this room would never treat her with anything less than the utmost respect."I don't know why or how the fight started," she continued. "But from the window, I saw guns drawn. Taehyung drew first, because of course he did." She shook her head, tapping her feet while she gathered her thoughts. "I'm still not sure who shot first, but Taehyung and the other President exchanged shots. Tex's woman got hit in the stomach. She died before they could get her to the hospital.""Don't you have a medic?" Nickhun asked."He was too drunk to help," Jennie answered, voice small. "It gets worse too," she whispered. I wasn't sure if anyone but me heard. I held my breath, terrified of what was to come. "She was pregnant."Jennie flinched in my arms as curse words flew, chairs scraped across the floor, and brothers angrily stood to their feet."You're okay," I murmured in Jennie's ear. "They're not angry at you. No one in this room will ever lay a hand on you." She nodded subtly, but it still wasn't enough for the tension to leave her body."And Tex stayed?" Seokmin asked. He was still standing at the head of the table. I watched his jaw tick with every second that passed. He looked ready to fight."Yeah," Jennie responded, finally turning to look at him. "I'm not sure why. He was the one who helped me when I would get beat. As much as he could anyway."I owed Tex. Big fucking time."How can we get to him?" Ten asked."I have his phone number," Jennie answered. "It might have changed, but they're not due to switch out the burners for another week. I can't know if he changed that after I left.""It's worth a shot," Seokmin said. "Jack, get me a...whatever the fuck it is you do to make a number completely untraceable."The joint hanging from Jack's lips nearly slipped–just like it always did when he smiled–as he started clicking buttons on his computer rapidly. Moments later, he was fiddling with a phone, and then sliding it across the table. None of us knew how he did whatever it was he did."Put his number in," he said to Jennie. I watched her type the number in before sliding the phone further down the table to Seokmin.He clicked call and then we all held our breath, waiting."Hello?" a deep voice answered.Seokmin looked at Jennie, as if to ask: is that him? She nodded at his unspoken question."Tex?""Who is this?" I could hear Tex moving on the other side, maybe stepping away from someone to take the call in private."Meet me tomorrow at 8, southside range. And you'll find out. Come alone if you want revenge for the death of your woman."Seokmin didn't give him time to respond before cutting the call."Think he'll show?" he asked Jennie."Absolutely," she said."Should we have let her talk to him?" I asked."No," Seokmin said, shaking his head. "If he shows up alone and willing to compromise we can talk to him about Jennie, but not before. She needs to be kept safe."I nodded, fighting the urge to go off on him. Of course I knew she needed to be kept safe, but that wasn't what I meant."Come on," I said to Jennie, tapping her thighs. "Let's go."I walked her back to the bar area, kissing her, promising to find her when church was over. She needed to be held. I knew that. And I would as soon as the plans for meeting Tex were solid because that was the first step to getting to Taehyung.When I walked back into the church room, Seokmin was laying out plans for tomorrow, who, when, how.It wasn't the whole war, just the first battle.Either way, we were going to end Taehyung sooner rather than later.JI knew their meeting would take a while, but sitting with the other old ladies isn't enough of a distraction. I'm fidgeting and anxious.When Lisa pulled me into the meeting room, my heart raced out of my chest with panic. I knew she would never hurt me, knew she trusted me completely, but with Taehyung, if anyone, even one of the women got pulled out of the common area and into the meeting room, chances were they weren't making it out alive. I'd seen it enough times to know.Walking into that room, with all the brothers' eyes on me, the way they stared, even being anchored to Lisa made me nearly faint. It wouldn't have been the first time, just the first time since I got here.Then, Lisa sat me right on her lap, wrapped her arms around me, staked her claim on me in front of all of them. Sure, she'd fucked me in front of all of them, too, claimed me as her old lady in the middle of the crowded club, but it still felt different. Realer. Purer. More permanent.There was no denying what I felt for Lisa was perpetual. I hadn't been hers in years–not really. Which was contradictory because the truth was also I'd always been her. You could go round and round the meanings, and interpretations of the last years of our lives and still not figure it out. That wasn't what was important anyway."It's gonna be fine," Rachel said, pulling me from my own mind."I know," I replied, offering the queen a soft nod of my head."They won't go in without a solid plan," Tiffany said. "Nickhun would never let them.""Yeah," Brenda said. "They all have too much worth coming home for to do something reckless without having an escape plan."Both of them were pregnant. Most of the guys had old ladies and lots of reasons to come home, but that didn't mean they could control everything. Lisa told me about Diesel, about his betrayal, how that got Spade killed.There didn't seem to be a rat right now, but I had no idea how to trust anyone in this club house other than Lisa, even the women surrounding me. It definitely felt like I found my tribe, but even if that was the case, it was going to take some time for trust to develop. For them towards me too."We've all been in church," Charlie says casually."Seriously?" I ask, completely surprised. That was not a woman's place with Taehyung."Oh absolutely," Carrie quipped.If anyone at this table didn't fit the stereotypical biker wife role, it was her. It had nothing to do with her size, but she looked so...sweet. She didn't look like she could hurt a fly, like if another club rolled up for war, she'd have a plate of cookies ready to greet them. But looks could be deceiving. I knew she worked really closely with Doc as her nurse, which meant she must have seen some shit, and be good in a crisis. Had to be with these guys around. She seemed so genuine. Not that the other women surrounding me didn't, but not in the same way."We can give you the lowdown on all the drama," Marie said."All right, I'll take it," I said with a laugh."This one," Marie continued, pointing at Rachel. "Ex was a runaway cop who got in bed with the cartel." My mouth fell open while Rachel just shrugged, not embarrassed and unashamed. "That one," Marie said, pointing her finger at Charlie. "Who by the way, her ex and Rachel's had the same damn name, but were somehow different men."YOU'LL ALSO LIKENo stories available.Charlie cut her off with a laugh. All these things sounded pretty heavy and traumatic. How long had it been since they could laugh about it now?"Her ex was a prospect. And when Jaehyun claimed her–ten minutes after meeting here–right in that booth over there." My mouth fell open. Jesus."Worth it," Charlie said, taking a sip of her drink."Then Jaehyun's ex showed up, and plotted with Charlie's ex. It was a whole thing. It involved a lot of betrayal, and honestly, I don't really understand how it all went down, but he's gone."Gone meant dead."Then there's that one," she said pointing at Carrie. Carrie looked down, hiding her red cheeks behind her hair. "She made Ten work for it. Like seriously. Way more than Rachel and Charlie did." Carrie lifted her head up, smiling. "Then her ex showed up.""Why's it always the ex?" I ask myself."Who knows?" Brenda asks. "It wasn't mine though. I'm after Carrie."I laugh at her, at least there was one person without a crazy ex here."Oh, but she was Jaehyun's fuck buddy," Megan chimed in. She was usually quiet so that piece of very interesting gossip caught me by surprise."We're good," Charlie said, to me, shaking her head. She tossed a wink at Brenda.My god I needed a fucking white board and some red string to figure out what the hell was going on here."Anyway, Carrie's ex showed up, tried to start shit. Long story short, he's gone too. And when he went, he was missing his favorite tool.""Tool?" I asked abruptly. They all just stared at me. My brows furrowed while I tried to figure out what they meant. "Ooohhhhh," I said, mouth falling open. They cut off his cock. I didn't need to ask what he did to Carrie to deserve that.Hopefully they'd let me do the same to Taehyung before they sent him to hell."Brenda and Lucas's drama wasn't from her, but from his family," Marie said, pulling me back into the stories about all the women at the table. I knew Marie and Megan before, but not well since Lisa and I were younger, and they were soul suckers."Let me guess," I chimed in. "Gone?""Gone," Brenda said."Then before Tiffany showed up, the hot new couple was Eunwoo and Miyeon.""Oh, right," I said. "I'd seen them all over each other a few times. They're cute as hell.""It's so gross," Rachel said. "They're stupid in love.""I mean, yeah but so are all of you," I point out. "True," Charlie said. "But they don't have to separate when they go out on missions, neither one of them gets left behind.""Seokmin doesn't let them be on the same team when they go out though," Rachel told us. "Which honestly might be worse. Could you imagine being out on a mission and having to be in a separate team from your man? I'd rather stay behind."We all contemplated her words before nodding and murmuring our agreement."Either way, they're cute as hell," Brenda said.They really were."Then Tiffany showed up," Marie said. "She's the literal baby. Nickhun fell for her when she was nineteen.""Oh damn."Tiffany rolled her eyes, obviously used to the teasing they were giving her."And she showed up with his kid he didn't know he had.""Holy shit.""Yeah, yeah," Tiffany chided. "Get on with it.""Her drama wasn't with an ex, but some mercenaries who were after her. She's the daughter of a former Mexican president."The tea here was piping hot.And I was suddenly feeling mildly better about my situation."And then you showed up," Marie finished. "So, whatever happens, whatever is going to happen with Taehyung, we've probably been there. We've been on lockdown too many times to count.""I just pray the next one to show up doesn't have a crazy ex," Rachel said. "I've had enough of the crazy ex drama.""So have I," I deadpan. Her face sobers, and then she's laughing, the rest of them joining in."Oh, there's definitely gonna be an ex," Carrie said. "There's always an ex.""Doesn't mean there needs to be drama," Megan added."True," I murmured."Who's gonna be the next to fall?" Marie asked with a smirk on her face."Joshua," Carrie said quickly."He needs an old lady," Rachel added. "Emphasis on the old."Everyone around me laughed, but I missed the joke. "I don't get it?""Joshua has a thing for the old ladies," Charlie told me. "He's literally a baby. Even the new prospects are older than him and Wonwoo. They're babies, and Joshua loves all of us. He needs an older woman to guide him.""Interesting," I tutted."Wonwoo needs one too," Brenda said."Wonwoo will get eaten alive," Charlie said. "He's so innocent.""Really?" I asked. He didn't exactly look innocent. Sure, all the brothers were covered head to toe in tattoos, but Wonwoo's somehow seemed like more. Maybe it was that quiet thing he had going on, or his baby face, one of the only brothers without any facial hair."That choir boy look?" Charlie said. "It's real. He ran away from home. His dad is a preacher somewhere in Oklahoma or something.""I thought it was Texas," Carrie said."Regardless, he didn't even lose his virginity until recently, and I don't think he's had sex since then.""Wow," I whispered."He's got no interest in the soul suckers either," Megan said. It seemed she was one of the only old ladies who kind of got around with the girls who hung around fucking the single brothers in exchange for a place to live and protection from whatever it was they were running from."Is he gay too?" I asked."We all thought for a while that he was the one Eunwoo was with," Rachel said."And then Eunwoo said we weren't allowed to ask about his sexuality.""I mean, yeah, probably a fair thing to say.""The answer is no...we think," Carrie said. "He's safe to come out if he is, but maybe he's not ready.""He's not gay," Megan said."You're sure?" Charlie asked.Megan just nodded her head. How she knew she didn't elaborate, but her assuredness must have been enough for everyone else because no one asked any follow-ups."What about Jack?" I asked.The abrupt, loud, cackling laughter that came out of each of them scared the crap out of me. I hadn't been expecting it."Never," Rachel said. "Fucking never.""He's the only one keeping the soul suckers in business since most of the brothers have old ladies now."There were still a bunch who didn't, but yeah, it was a lot more than I'd been expecting when I walked back into the clubhouse."He takes them like three or four at a time," Carrie whispered. Her eyes popped wide open, making me laugh at her. It was like she truly couldn't believe it."Jesus."That's the last thing I said before the brothers were filtering into the room. I hoped I had heard all the gossip. Although, a thirty minute ranting session couldn't possibly mean I got all of it.I definitely felt better, like I might be finding my place amongst these women. There wasn't a hierarchy–which surprised me. Theoretically, I had Rachel's position in Taehyung's club, but when your man didn't respect you, it made it hard for others to respect you, including the other old ladies. Other than Rachel being the clear leader, the mama bear–or lion I guess.I still didn't know where The Pride nickname came from.I'd have to ask at a later date because Lisa was walking right towards me. She looked calm, which honestly worried me more than if she'd been stressed out. Calm meant there was a plan in place, and one that probably involved violence.Lisa loved violence so much. She loved the blood. I saw all her demons, the ones she tried to hide from everyone else in the club. I thought Seokmin was the only one who truly saw her for how she was, and that was only because they grew up together.Sometimes the blood was the only thing that satisfied her demons. After all this time, I still wasn't sure where they came from. Maybe they were just a product of growing up in the club. I wasn't afraid of them though, never afraid of her, even the first time she asked to cut me. Even the first time she told me how much she enjoyed killing.She was going to get so much pleasure from killing Taehyung.I wanted her to."Come on, babe," she said, holding her hand out to me.I barely murmured a goodbye to the girls as I stood, walking with her right out of the bar area with her.Lisa led me up the stairs, down to our room. I knew the kids were safe, playing in the playroom with the nannies. I hoped they adjusted well, because this was home now.As soon as I was in the room, Lisa closed and locked the door behind us, pulled me to her, swept me into her arms and walked me to the bed. She didn't try to kiss me, just kept her eyes on mine the entire time.Those brown eyes only showed emotion when they looked at me. At my kids. Occasionally at the brothers, but never more than when she looked at me."Lisa," I murmured.She didn't reply as she laid me gently on the bed.Still, she didn't kiss me.She rest her head against my chest, knees pushing against the back of my thighs, breathing against me."Lisa? Is everything okay?""Yeah," she whispered.I ran my hands through chestnut hair, fingering through the soft strands. she used to do this when we were younger, like just laying with me quieted her mind.So, I let her lay there, unsure of what she was doing, or why she was doing it, only knowing it was exactly what she needed in that moment.The position wasn't the most comfortable I'd ever been in, but her hands slid up under my t-shirt, putting us skin to skin, making goosebumps rise across my skin. Even still, it wasn't sexual. It was intimate. Loving. But there was nothing sexual about the way she touched me.When she wanted to tell me what happened in church, she would.Until then, I'd let her lay on me just like this, for as long as she needed.LI held Jennie all night, kept her wrapped in my arms until the last moment. She didn't ask about church, but I knew she wanted to know. I'd wait to tell her how everything went down once we met with Tex.Seokmin was going to try to keep me out of the meeting. No fucking way was I about to let that happen. Not in a million years. Jennie was fucking mine, and I was the one who needed to protect her.It was seven in the morning, and we needed to leave soon. I rolled to my back in bed, taking her with me, keeping her against my chest."Morning," she mumbled sleepily."Hey, babe," I whispered, pushing my lips to her forehead. "I've got to go."Her eyes fluttered open, brown eyes staring up at me. "Be careful, please," she breathed. "Promise me.""I'll be careful," I vowed. "I've got a lot to come home to."Her. The kids."Thank you.""Stay in bed." As I spoke, I untangled our bodies. "Get some more sleep. I'll find you when I'm back.""Okay." She was already halfway back to sleep, which I was thankful for. I was worried the stress would make her not sleep. Her kids were still asleep in the next room, so I dressed in my jeans, shirt, cut, and boots as quickly and quietly as possible.As I made my way to the bar area, I could smell coffee. Everything was still quiet. The only brothers who would be here and awake were the ones going out with us. It was me, Seokmin, Ten, and Nickhun. Lucas and Jaehyun both wanted to go, but four was more than enough. Seokmin had to go because he was Seokmin and he was the one who called the meeting. Nickhun was going to be our sniper, covering us if things went south and we walked into a trap. We weren't expecting that after what happened to Tex's old lady, but we knew to be careful anyway."Morning," Ten said, sipping a cup of coffee."We're ready," Seokmin said."Me too," I told him. I had so much adrenaline running through me, I didn't need the coffee."Let's go then."Ten huffed and downed his coffee in one go, wiping the back of his mouth and releasing a sigh because it was too hot. Seokmin smacked him upside the head in usual fashion, and then the three of us were walking out, Nickhun wordlessly following us.We piled into the van, Nickhun driving, Seokmin next to him and Ten and me sitting in the back.The southside range was abandoned, went out of business years ago. No one was ever there, and even if they were, as soon as we pulled in, they'd leave. The drive was quiet. It always was before a mission. Everyone was focused on the task at hand, focused on staying alive and getting home to their women and kids. I had that now too, and this was the first mission I'd actually been on in...I couldn't even remember how long.I usually stayed behind with the prospects, making sure the clinic was ready for when someone got hurt, protecting the women and children. Seokmin trusted me, but he also didn't want me to lose my cool. He had a leash on me, and I was happy to let him because without the club, I'd be a lot darker than I am. I'd find different outlets, ones that wouldn't keep me out of jail.YOU'LL ALSO LIKENo stories available.Jennie knew exactly what I needed, and I knew she'd give it to me as soon as I got back whole, let me lay her on my bed, tie her up while I carved pretty marks into her skin.She bleeds so beautifully."Two minutes," Nickhun said.Ten and I both checked our weapons, making sure they were loaded, that we had extra clips.Just as I tucked it back into the back of my pants, Nickhun rolled to a stop."I'm gonna set up over there," he pointed across to a roof."Go," Seokmin said.Ten slid between the seats into the driver's seat, eyes out front, looking for anything or anyone who might be out of place. The old range was covered in overgrown vines, uneven terrain since it'd been abandoned for so long. The roof was starting to cave in, and the doors were all boarded up, red X's marking it as condemned. Guaranteed there were hundreds of bodies buried beneath it, which was probably why the county was dragging their feet about actually tearing it down and starting a new project. They knew it would unearth a shit show.None of the bodies in the surrounding ground belonged to us though. We were in the clear no matter what they decided to do."All clear," Nickhun said into the coms. Fucker was lightning fast and ridiculously quiet.In the distance, a single bike roared. Ten had his gun in his hand, ready to shoot, protect Seokmin like we were supposed to.It wouldn't be necessary though. I trusted Jennie, and if she said Tex wanted revenge, Tex would take it.He stayed straddling his bike, staring at the van.Seokmin nodded at Ten and then we climbed out.Tex looked confused until he saw me walking a few paces behind them, standing in the middle."You got Jennie and the kids?" he asked."Yes," I replied."Good.""She told us what happened to your woman," Seokmin said. "My condolences."Tex only nodded. I'm sure he was tired of hearing that. Nothing anyone could say would ever bring her back."What do you want from me?" Tex asked as he finally climbed off his bike."Information," Seokmin said. He looked at Ten and tilted his head.Ten pulled a burner out of his pocket. "This phone has one number in it." Tex took it tentatively, looking at it like it was a bomb."Mine," Seokmin said."And tracking software," Ten said with his small grin. "You try to call anyone else with it, we'll know.""Still doesn't tell me what you want from me.""Taehyung's head on a mother fucking platter," I growl. "We need inside information to get close to him. That's where you come in."Where does he think she is?" Seokmin asked."He doesn't know.""Does he even care?" I asked."He wants to know where the kids are," Tex answered. That said enough. He didn't give a shit where she was, and if he found her, he'd kill her.Good thing I was going to kill him first."Doesn't seem like it," Tex shrugged. "But he didn't care when she was there either. Mostly it's a pride thing. He's trying to find her.""Doesn't suspect she's with me?""No," Tex said, not that I know. "I guess he thinks you're too far in history, that she wouldn't have trusted you with the kids.""Good, means she's safe," Ten said."What's his schedule like?" Seokmin asked."He never leaves the clubhouse."I furrowed my brows. How were we going to get to him if he never left?"How's he looking for her then?" Ten asked before I could."Prospects. We followed the trail of the GPS, but it only led to a dead end.God bless Jack."He gonna come knocking on my door?" Seokmin asked."Might." Tex shrugged. "If he can't figure out where she went, he might start asking for help. But he knows he doesn't have an ally in you, so it'll all be fake, trying to fish for information."Tex was real loose lipped, and I couldn't tell if I trusted that or not. I didn't think Jennie would have let us reach out to him if he was bad news, unable to be flipped, not pissed as hell at Taehyung, but maybe he had his own motives. That was something we'd seen before.I approached everything with caution anyway."Should we let him come?" Ten asked."No, I'm tired of waiting. Let's draw him out," I said. I wanted to put a bullet between his goddamn eyes, and I wanted to do it yesterday.Ten and I both looked at Seokmin, waiting for his answer.His face was expressionless, just like it always was when there was a decision to be made. Calculating. Ice fucking cold."How can we draw him out?" he asked Tex."Let her get spotted in town," Tex said."No fucking way," I snapped, taking a challenging step forward.Ten put his hand on my chest, pushing me a few steps backward."You want to draw him out?" Tex asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fucking do it that way. That's the quickest way.""And it puts her in the goddamn crosshairs," I shouted.Seokmin turned to me, shooting me with an icy glare. "Calm the fuck down or get back in the van."I bit the inside of my cheek, keeping my mouth shut because whatever the plan ended up being, it involved my woman, and I wouldn't let them finish it without me."I don't like it," Seokmin said, making Tex roll his eyes. "We let him know we've got her not only is his woman at risk, but mine, and my kids.""And mine," Ten added."Every woman and child in that clubhouse gets a target on their back because we're hiding Taehyung's woman and kids from him.""My woman and my kids," I hissed.Seokmin ignored me, holding his hand up to try to silence me. I let him because he was Seokmin.Yeah, I really needed to cut something when we got home."Is there another way?" Seokmin asked.Tex kicked at the rocks in the dirt, covering his boots in dust, hands in his pockets, looking down."I can play double agent," he suggested."Tell him we reached out?" I ask."Yup.""Still puts a target on the backs of all our women and children," Ten said."He clearly doesn't give a shit about hurting women," I added in. I did not want to draw him out. I wanted to go in guns fucking blazing and kill him."There might be another way," Tex said."What is it?" Seokmin asked. "The only way to do this without endangering our women and children is to draw him to us without letting him know we have Jennie.""Will he know before he dies?""She wants to cut his dick off herself," I said with a grin. I didn't want her within a hundred miles of him, let alone touching his tiny dick, but if she wanted to be the one to cut it off, I'd let her, stand by her side and watch as he bled out from it. Then, I'd put a bullet between his eyes before we buried him someplace no one would ever find us."How do we get to him?" Seokmin asked again.Tex sighed."Contact him anonymously. Ransom her."Seokmin, Ten, and I all tilted our heads to the side as we stared at him."Your tech guy can make it work, I'm sure. Make it anonymous, look like you're somewhere else other than here.""Not bad," Seokmin said."I'll make sure I'm on the team that brings the ransom money," he said. "And then we can take out the club. All of them.""You want the President's patch?" Seokmin asked."Yes," he growled. "After what he did for me, I want him dead, and I want his club, and I want everyone loyal to him to be buried ten feet deep next to him."Seokmin stared right at him, cutting him down with that icy glare, trying to figure out if he could trust him or not.We didn't have a choice.Seokmin unfolded his arms from across his chest, reaching a hand out. Tex shook it and then he was climbing on his bike, leaving a trail of dust behind him as he sped away, knowing Seokmin would get in touch when the time was right."Let's go find Jack," Seokmin said, leading us back to the van.JI hadn't been able to stay in bed long after Lisa left. It was too cold without her, and I worried she was walking into a trap. I trusted Tex, especially after what Taehyung did to him, but there was only so much trust I could give anyone in that clubhouse."It'll be okay," Carrie said. Ten was in the group that went. Him, Seokmin, Nickhun, and Lisa. They all had women and children. Even having lived in this life so long, I still wasn't used to the violence, the danger that came with it.I didn't want to be used to it, because that would mean I was desensitized to what was happening around me. I didn't want to be that callus, that unempathetic and emotionless."I know. I just feel like they should be back by now," I whispered."Time always goes so much slower when they're on a mission," Rachel said. "It's been an hour. That's only the drive time.""Shit," I whispered. Time really did move slower when they were gone. It felt like they'd been gone hours already and should be bursting through the door at any minute"Things with you two good?" Rachel asked, trying to distract me."Yeah," I replied, unable to keep the grin off my face."All right," Carrie quipped, voice holding a high note of playfulness. "Who's going to be the next to fall?"Rachel snorted. "Joshua maybe?" We all turned our heads to the resident puppy. "He's been ready for an old lady his entire life."He was standing behind the bar, blushing at someone one of the soul suckers was saying to him. He'd fuck them, but he was really looking for an old lady. He was definitely submissive. Nothing wrong with that, and trust me, I could relate, but none of the soul suckers looked like they'd be able to treat him how he wanted to be treated."Wonwoo maybe?" I suggest. Unsure if Joshua could find someone to serve his needs."No way," Rachel said."Why not?" I asked."Look at him," she said, subtly pointing in his direction.Carrie and I turned to look at him. He was sitting by himself, staring off into space. There wasn't a single inch of him that wasn't covered in tattoos. Except his face. They went all the way to his neck, up to under his chin, down to his finger tips. If he could grow facial hair, the ones on his neck wouldn't be visible. But as it stood, he still had a baby face."I think you might be the last new old lady for a while," Rachel said. I turned to look at her. "At least until some of the new prospects are ready to settle down."We play this game all the time. Who will be the next to fall? It doesn't matter how often we play it, it never fails to keep us entertained.I filtered through their names, trying to remember them. Money, I thought. Toast maybe? I didn't spend much time with them. Lisa didn't trust anyone to keep me safe, and certainly not a prospect who hadn't earned his stripes.YOU'LL ALSO LIKENo stories available."Joshua!" Rachel shouted when no one replied to her assessment of me being the last for a while. "More coffee!""Yes, ma'am." She rolled her eyes but had given up on getting him to call her anything but ma'am."I hope he finds someone soon because he needs to find anyone else to call ma'am."Carrie and I laughed at her while she shuddered at being called ma'am.--An hour after Joshua brought us our second round of coffee, the club doors swung open and Lisa was the first rushing through the door. She looked stressed, like she always did when she didn't have me under lock and key. I knew it was just a phase, even though she'd always worry. As old ladies, we were targets, but the stress she's under now is because of Taehyung."Hey," she greeted me, hands cupping my face, body leaning over me. Her thumbs rubbed my cheeks softly."Hi," I whispered."Where are the kids?" she asked."With the nannies.""Let's go."Before I could respond, she had me pulled out of the booth and towards our bedroom."I have to have you," she mumbled, closing the door and pushing me against it. I heard the lock click. "I need to make you bleed, babe.""Oh god," I whimpered, head falling back against the door as her lips pushed against my neck."Words, babe. Come on.""Yes," I whispered, the word nearly a beg. "Yes."She growled, picking me up and throwing me half way across the room. I landed on the bed roughly, bouncing. She looked like an apex predator, wide body covered in leather, eyes dark and narrowing while she stalked toward me. There was no fear. My body was already ready for her, my pussy slick with need just from the look in her eye, the promise of what she was going to do to me.Instead of coming straight for me, she detoured to the bedside drawer, fishing through our box of toys until she came out with a gag."Can't have you getting loud in the middle of the day," she tutted. A shiver washed over me, one of excitement. "Open," she demanded. I opened my mouth wide, letting her slip the ball gag in and secure it around my head. "What do you do if you need a safe word?"I tapped twice on her temple."Good girl."The praise washed over me, making my pussy even slicker for her.Lisa stood at the foot of the bed, stripping her clothes off piece by piece, giving me a front row seat to the best show in the world. I swallowed the spit gathering in my mouth, the drool from staring at her.Once she was naked, I clenched my eyes closed, letting the power of the moment wash over me. Sometimes I worried this was all a dream, being back here with her. I thought I might wake up, in a hospital, having been in a coma from a beating from Snake.I pinched my leg.Real. This was real.Once she was naked, cock long and hard, standing straight up against her stomach, she strode towards me. Grabbing an ankle, she tugged me to the end of the bed. I squeaked, but the sound was inaudible around the gag, the moan that followed it completely garbled.I didn't see the knife in her hand, but when it was in front of me, another shudder racked through my body. The tip hit my chin, forcing me to tilt it up and look at her."Be a good girl for me."I nodded my head furiously. I was always a good girl for her.Using the knife, she split my shirt open from neck to hem, letting it fall open. My stomach quivered, my breathing rough and ragged.Next, she ran the blade down the seam of my biker shorts, the tip not digging in, but so close to my clit, my spread open pussy lips.Fuck.I said the word aloud, but there was no way she understood it, not with the gag in my mouth.There was no hesitation in her movements, and there couldn't be, because if she did, didn't trust herself, she'd hurt me. But the seem of my shorts split open on the bled of the knife and she used her hands to make them crotchless."No panties," she tutted. "Such a whore."My back arched, body bowing at the words.The blade ran up my exposed stomach, dancing along the skin, not cutting me yet.With the tip against my bra, I was sure she was going to destroy that too. She looked like she wanted to. But she thought better of it, reaching around with her free hand to unclasp it and pull it down. She was going to fuck me just like this, technically with all my clothes still on while she was completely naked.Please.Again, I said the work aloud. Even if she didn't know what I said, she could still understand it.The blade danced down the valley of my breasts, and this time I hissed, groaning at the piercing of my skin, the light trickle of warm blood I could feel dripping down between them. Lisa groaned, leaning back to admire her handiwork."Fuck. You bleed so beautifully."She kept it up, dancing the knife along my skin. Sometimes it wouldn't open me up and there would be no blood. Other times there would be droplets that rolled down, slowly, letting Lisa follow their paths.The cold steel of the blade hit my nipple, not the tip, but a flat edge, letting me feel how cold it is, even when my blood was dripping off it.Lisa groaned again, murmuring something I couldn't comprehend and then her lips were around one of my nipples, sucking harshly, making my back arch and my limbs flail on the bed. I found purchase in the sheets, tilting to offer her more of me"Such a good girl for me," she murmured, switching sides."Please, Lisa.""What was that?" she asked, voice husky. "Are you begging?"I nodded my head."More," she demanded, lips wrapping around me again.Please. More. Lisa. Don't stop. Fuck me. Cut me. Make me bleed for you.She couldn't understand any of it, but she groaned like she could, the sound encouraging me to beg for more."Fucking mine," she growled, sliding down my body.Her tongue licked down my stomach, stinging me where the cuts were still fresh. She slid back up when she got to where my pussy meets my stomach, making me whimper needily for more of her. She chuckled against my skin, teeth sinking into the flesh of my lower stomach, hard enough to leave teeth marks but not hard enough to draw blood.My hands clutched into her hair, using my body to beg for more since my mouth couldn't."So impatient" she tutted, sliding down my body. Her rough hands pushed my thighs wide open, splitting my shorts even further."You've already covered the bed in a wet spot, babe," she breathed. "You love this so fucking much. This." She emphasized the words by running the blade from my knee to the fold where my legs meet my bikini line and back. "This too."She moved the blade to the other side, flicking it over the spot where her initials were raised on my skin."I should care over the scar," she whispered.Do it."Yeah, you want that again, don't you. You're fucking mine. No one will ever take these marks off you again."The angry growl she let out didn't scare me. The possessiveness in her voice made me feel safe in a way I hadn't since the last time she and I were together, before she got deployed.I hissed as the blade hit my skin, deeper than it had the entire time. I knew she was carving her initials over the marks that were already there. she could do it every day until we died for all I cared. I was Lisa's and nothing was going to ever change that. Not Taehyung. Not fucking anyone."Look at this," she whispered, smearing the blood over my thigh.I shuddered as she kept carving until it was done. Blood dripped down my thigh, staining the sheets."I can't fucking wait anymore."The blade was still in her hand when she pushed my thighs open again, smearing more of my blood everywhere as her mouth finally came into contact with my pussy. My body bucked, reacting immediately.Her tongue flicked around my clit in fast circles. I was already so worked up from the intimacy of her cutting me with the blade. The submission. It wasn't going to take me long to come for her. It never did when we were like this."Yes!" she groaned against me as I moaned and chanted, begged around the gag in my mouth. She didn't relent, knowing exactly how to touch me, the pressure, the speed. It was all perfect. She was so eager for my cum on her tongue she was going right for it. There was no teasing, no build up.The blade hit the ground with a thud, and she groaned, wrapping her hands around my thigh, lifting me up, titling me. She pushed her face completely in my pussy, burying herself in me while she worked me up and up. Her tongue worked faster around my clit while my fingers dug into her hair, tugging.I struggled in her embrace, bucking against her, humping her face, so close and so desperate to come for her."Come for me, babe," she demanded.She spoke so quick, I could barely understand her, and the break in contact did nothing to stop my orgasm from cresting. I came, screaming around the gag. She slipped two fingers inside me at the exact moment I came, extending it longer while I breathed through the orgasm, making it last longer and longer while my body quaked for her.She groaned against me, pulling every ounce of pleasure from my body.I didn't have time to recover, come down or bask in the afterglow before she had her fingers pulled from me and her cock buried in me. She fucked me so fast and deep my body shot up the bed and she had to chase me, grab my hips and hold me steady, pin me down on the bed while she fucked me harder and harder.Grabbing my legs, she put them on her shoulders, bending me straight in half, staring down at me while she fucked me. No one but Lisa had ever been that deep inside me, touched the most intimate parts of me. No one felt like her."Fuck, you feel so goddamn good," she praised. "I love this cunt."My head rolled against the bed, my body saying everything I couldn't say to her while she took me to new heights over and over again."You take every fucking inch of my dick perfectly. Fucking mine."I nodded my head in agreement.She pulled out and I whined in protest. Lisa rolled me over to my stomach, settling a pillow under my hips. I could feel the bed sink where she sat on her knees.Please."Patience," she said, slapping against my ass.Her big, rough hands pulled my cheeks apart and I felt a wad of spit fall against my ass.Oh fuck.Her thumb ran circles around it, and I lifted my hips, begging. I heard her dark chuckle behind me.Then she was gone. I kept my face forward, trusting her completely. She was back as quickly as she was gone. Immediately, I knew why she was gone. I felt the blade against my ass cheek, a small whimper escaping me.More cuts.More blood.More submission.More of our perfect."Fuck," she cursed. She had a tight grip on her control. She'd never heard me. But I loved the way she said fuck. How close she was to losing control for me. "I'm fucking obsessed with you."With her hands on my cheeks, she slammed herself back inside me. I could feel the blade in her hand, the metal of it flat against me while she fucked me into the mattress. "I spent goddamn years imaging this, imaging filling you up with my cum over and over again. Hoping you'd get pregnant with my fucking kid.'I buried my head in the mattress, whining at her filthy words."Thinking about getting my dick in this ass."With her words, her thumb popped inside me and I moaned, lifting to meet her. "Such a dirty fucking whore for me. Bleeding. Begging. Blubbering."I was doing all of the above and I'd do even more for her. Whatever she wanted as long as it ended with her inside me."I own this body," she growled.She bent over me completely, her naked chest on top of my still mostly clothed body."Don't fucking forget it.Her thumb held inside me, unmoving, only thrusting because of her cock thrusting into my pussy."Say it," she demanded. "Fucking tell me who this body belongs to.""You.""Louder. I want to understand you even with that gag in your mouth.""You!""Good." Thrust. "Fucking. "Thrust. "Girl."Her groans echoed in my ear and my pussy clamped down around her."Come for me, Jennie. You come first. Fucking always. Come on my dick so I can fill you up."My head tilted back, and her lips moved to my neck, sucking harshly, biting, sucking again, and finally biting again as I came, screaming around the gag in my mouth.Her hips stuttered and then I felt her come inside me, more praise falling from her mouth as she did. Telling me how good I did. How much she loves when I bleed for her. How pretty I bleed. What a good girl I am for her.It washed over me, adding to the afterglow of my orgasm.She didn't stay inside me long, pulling out quickly and rolling me to my back, undoing the gag as she did."Are you okay?""Yeah," I whispered, voice hoarse."Come here."She scooped me into her arms and carried me to the shower, setting me down only long enough to turn it on.Once we were under the spray, she washed the cum off me, and the blood, what had already dried, and the spots that were still dripping slowly.We were wordless, the love and intimacy wrapping us in a hug while we stood close together, coming down from what we just did.After we were out of the shower, she dried me off, and put ointment on all the new cuts, taking care of me gently, aftercare completely opposite of the way she just treated me."We don't have a lot of time, but I want to hold you."That was the last thing she said before she carried me to the bed, wrapping me in her arms and holding me tight.
