RAGE: President & First Lady Of The Death Dealers MC (20 page)

Gage: Don’t have too much fun without me.

I get the text while I’m doing my makeup, getting ready to
go to Scythe with Chrissy. I tap out a reply and set the phone back down.

Raven: You don’t dance, so you’re just going to have to
deal with it.

Gage: As long as no one touches your sexy ass, I’m good.

Raven: So only ass is off-limits?

I can just imagine the vein in his forehead popping out. The
man takes jealousy to a whole new dimension.

Gage: RAVEN.

Raven: Ooooh... all caps. You know I’m just playing! All
this sexiness is yours.

I add the little smiley with his tongue out and hit send. He
replies right away.

Gage: Damn straight. Text me when you need me to pick you
up.

Raven: K.

I finish my makeup and slip into my mini-dress—a teal
bodycon with a deep V neck and spaghetti straps, which matches the new streaks
in my hair. I finish with black, caged platform heels. I check my reflection in
the mirror.
Damn, I look good.
Thanks to Gage. Or Papi Chulo, as Chrissy
now calls him. He even paid for her outfit, too, as a birthday present. After a
few spritzes of perfume, I grab my clutch, jacket, phone, and the twins’ gifts,
then head outside to wait for Ron. I pass Lonnie sitting on the couch, watching
TV. I don’t know what’s got her at home tonight.

“Where you off to all dressed up?” she asks.

“Out.”

“Out?” She raises a brow.

“Don’t pretend you care.”

“I don’t.”

“Good.”

“Heard you been spending a lot of time with the prospect.”

“You heard right.”

I don’t need to explain anything to her, especially about
Chrissy’s love life. Having had enough of this conversation, I turn away, but
her voice stops me again.

“You got condoms?”

“What? I don’t—”

“I don’t want you bringing any babies in here.”

I’m tempted to tell her to go fuck herself, but the lights
pulling into the driveway catch my attention. I leave without a word. The nerve
of the bitch. Ron whistles in appreciation when I slide in next to him, and I
forget all about Lonnie.

“Goddamn!”

“You like?” I ask with a grin.

“You look hot! Prez would shit bricks if he saw you right
now.”

“Well, luckily he isn’t here.”

“Lucky for you.”

“Whatever. Let’s go.”

We pull up to Chrissy’s house and Ron checks his phone. “I
texted Chrissy to meet us outside, but she didn’t answer.”

“I’ll get her.”

I grab the gift bags and walk up the driveway to the door.
The lights are on, so I know Mr. and Mrs. Contreras are still up. I ring the
bell and wait for someone to answer. The door opens and I come face to face
with Christopher. I don’t know what to do or say. I haven’t seen or spoken to
him since
that
night.

“Hi,” I say awkwardly.

He steps outside and closes the door behind him.

“Hi.” His eyes travel the length of my body before he meets
my gaze. “You look… beautiful. As always.”

“Thank you. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.”

“I got you something,” I tell him, handing him the gift bag.
“It’s not much… Just wanted you to know I was thinking of you.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

He looks down at the bag and an uncomfortable silence
stretches between us. One of us needs to say something. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better, but I’m getting there.”

“Chris—”

“It’s okay. I’ve been thinking and Chrissy’s helped some. I
know you love me… just not the way I love you. There’s nothing I can do about
that. I just wish I’d lost you to a better man.”

I know there’s no use in trying to defend Gage, so I don’t.
Besides, that would just be rubbing salt in his wound. “I know we can’t be
friends, but… I don’t want you to hate me, either.”

He takes a deep breath and cups my cheek, stroking it with
his thumb. “I could never hate you, Raven.”

I throw my arms around him before the look in his eyes
reduces me to tears. Real, raw love that everyone searches their whole lives
for—that’s what I saw there. The little tinge of hurt behind it grabs my heart,
squeezing like a fist. Will Gage ever look at me like that? Or will his
four-letter “L word” forever be “lust”?

“I’m here for you, Raven… if you ever need me.”

“I don’t deserve it, but thank you.”

The door opens and we release each other. Chrissy and three
other girls stand in the doorway uncomfortably.

“Are we interrupting?” his sister asks.

“No. We’re good,” Chris answers.

He smiles at me and steps back inside.
We’re
good
.
It’s more than I could have ever hoped for, so I’ll take it.

“You ladies have fun.”

Chrissy takes my hand and gives it a little squeeze.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” I reply. “You ready?”

“Yup.”

“Happy birthday. You look awesome.”

Her black and gold sequined, chevron dress clings to every
curve of her body. As a matter of fact, they all look awesome.

She pulls me into a bear hug and rocks side to side. I
return her embrace, thinking she’s more of a sister to me than Lonnie’s ever been.
She takes the gift bag and places it inside then introduces me to the other
girls—Morgan, Rachel, and Brandi. We cram into the Charger and Chrissy pulls
Ron to her, planting a wet kiss on him.

“Happy birthday, gorgeous. Fuck, you look amazing.”

“Thanks. Now, let’s go raise some hell!”

There’s a line around the block when we get to the club. Ron
pulls over at the curb and tells us to wait for him while he parks. The name of
the club shines in red neon above the door, the “S” a double-edged scythe.

“You sure we can get in?” Morgan asks. Apparently, I’m not
the only one under eighteen. I look to Chrissy, hoping she hasn’t told them
exactly
how
we’re getting in.

“I told you, Ron talked to Gage. We’ll be fine.”

Thank God.
They still look apprehensive but accept
her explanation. Ron returns and hooks his arm around Chrissy’s neck.

“How the fuck I get so lucky? Five gorgeous ladies on my
arms.”

The other girls giggle and I roll my eyes. “Let’s go,
Casanova.”

He ushers us to the front of the line and the security guy
moves aside. Another guy stamps our wrists with a skull and crossbones symbol
that glows in the dark. Ron explains that it indicates we can’t be served
alcohol. He disappears to get us drinks and we head straight to the middle of
the dance floor. The club reminds me of the Mustang—black and red, reapers and
scythes all over. The strobe lights flash red and machines cover the floor with
smoke. In the middle of “Touchin’ Lovin’,” the DJ scratches the record and the
song stops.

“Chrissy, where you at?” he shouts. “Come on up!”

She turns to me wide-eyed, hopping with excitement, then
screams and grabs my hand, pulling me up to the DJ booth with her.

“So… today is this lovely lady’s birthday. Everyone wish her
a happy birthday!” The DJ says.

Noise erupts from the crowd, and Chrissy waves at everyone
enthusiastically. When the noise dies down, the DJ hands her an envelope.

“Courtesy of Scythe… a year’s free admission and unlimited,
non-alcoholic drinks from the bar.”

She screams again and jumps into the DJ’s arms.

“Oh! I need to give stuff away more often!”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squeals.

“Next song… your pick, baby girl.”

“Nicki Minaj, ‘Anaconda’!”

“You got it.”

She launches herself at me, laughing excitedly.

“Ray, did you do this?”

“Nope. I had no idea.”

“Shit. You’re gonna have to give
Papi
Chulo
some head on my behalf.”

“Whatever. Come on.”

She drags me back to the dance floor, demanding twerking
lessons. I
did
promise her and it
is
her birthday, so I give in.
I pull up my skirt a little, bend my knees, lean forward, and shake my ass.
It’s not long before the others join in. Two strong hands grab my waist and
pull me up against a hard crotch. For a second, I think it’s Gage but then he
starts to move. Definitely
not
Gage. Before I can push him off, Ron
shows up and gets in the guy’s face. Dude backs off and Ron takes my hand. He
leads me away from the crowd and up some back stairs.

“Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see.”

He opens a door and motions for me to enter. Once I’m
inside, he closes it behind me.
What the hell?
There’s a dim light at
the door shining down on me, but the rest of the room is in darkness. I can
make out a desk and someone sitting behind it. Behind him, there’s a glass wall
I bet gives a view of the dance floor.

“Who’s there?” I ask nervously.

“Turn around.”

Fuck. Gage. What’s he doing here? He told me he wouldn’t
be here.
I can hear the strain in his voice. He must have seen or heard
about what just happened.

“Gage—”

“
Turn. Around
.”

I swallow hard and turn my back to him.

“Put your hands on the wall.”

My breathing accelerates at the tone of his voice. It’s
that
voice. I drop my clutch on the couch next to me, place my palms on the wall,
and wait.

“Legs. Spread ’em.”

I shuffle my feet apart until he tells me to stop. My body
trembles with uncertainty. What’s he going to do to me? It’s quiet. He doesn’t
make a sound, but I can feel him getting closer. He stops behind me, his body
flush against mine.

“What did I tell you?” he growls in my ear.

A shiver runs through my body. “About what?”

He grabs my ass, squeezing the cheek as his breaths come
hard and heavy in my ear.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t flay your ass right now.”

“What did I do?”

“First, you show off your sweet little body in that dress,
and then you let some fucker touch what’s mine.”

Dios
mio
. I knew it.

“Gage—”

He smacks the words right back down my throat. I cry out,
more from shock than pain. He’s threatened me before, but I never thought he
was serious. Does he really think he’s going to spank me? His palm crashes into
my other cheek. My ass stings as if he’d met bare flesh.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I rub my cheeks,
trying to soothe them.

“Don’t. Move.”

Damn him and that fucking voice!
I place my hands
back on the wall and he slaps me across the backs of both thighs.

“
¡Puta
madre!
”

He leans in, his lips at my ear once more. “Let’s get this
straight. You… are
mine
. You pull some shit like that again, I’ll use
something worse than my hands.”

“I was about to push him away—”

“But you didn’t.”

“Jesus! Why are you so jealous?”

“Jealousy is envy of others’ possessions. I’m protecting
what’s mine.”

He grabs my wrist and spins me around to face him. There’s
fury in his eyes, but
my
eyes aren’t focusing on that. His hair is
combed, he’s freshly shaved, and he’s wearing slacks and a white, long-sleeved
dress shirt.
Baby, teenaged, and adult Jesus.

“Fuck… you look…”
What’s the word to use? Damn.
“Yummy.”

I slide my fingers down his chest and feel his body relax.
He wraps his arm around my waist, pulls me against him, and crushes my lips
beneath his. He picks me up and takes me to his desk as his tongue unleashes a
tornado of sensations on my body. I wrap my legs around him, pulling him to me,
moaning as his hard dick connects with my pussy. One hand squeezes my thigh
while the other fists in my hair. He trails kisses down my neck, lightly
sucking at the base.

“Oh, God. I need you, Gage.”

He sinks his teeth into my shoulder with a growl. “Who do
you belong to?”

“You! I’m yours.”

“Never forget it.”

He plunders my mouth once more, and I whimper helplessly. I
reach down and he groans as I run my fingers down his bulge. I grip it and for
a second wonder how I’m going to manage all of it. The next second, I desperately
want to find out. I tug at his belt, but he steps out of my reach. He drags his
hand over his face and turns his back to me. Once again, he’s shot me down.

“You know what? I’m done,” I state resolutely.

He spins around, forehead scrunched in confusion.

“The fuck does that mean?”

“It means I’m not begging anymore. From now on,
I
decide if or when we have sex.”

“If?”

“Yes… if. Pretty soon,
you’ll
be the one begging
me
.”

His lips curl up in amusement and he places his hands on his
hips.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Mr. Hunter. Exactly so.”

He steps closer, and I try my best to look disinterested. I
hope I’m succeeding.

“There are no ifs, buts or maybes, Miss Alvarez. When the
clock strikes midnight on your birthday, I will be inside you.”

Fuck. “We’ll see about that.”

“Yes, we will. Have you been taking your pills?”

“No.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Next week. Dr. E said it becomes effective immediately if I
start on the first day of my period.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Are we all done here? I’d like to get back to celebrating
my best friend’s birthday.”

I hop off the desk and pull my dress down back to where it
sat, just above mid-thigh.

“Fine. But I’m watching you.”

“Great. I’ll make sure to twerk a little harder just for
you.”

“Don’t make me come down there,” he warns.

I turn to him with a smirk when I get to the door. “Just sit
back, relax, and enjoy the show,
papi
.”