The ties that bind 2, p.33
The Ties That Bind 2, page 33
part #2 of The Ties That Bind Series
They walked, each lost in their own thoughts as to what the future now held. They’d always thought the Immortals were their entire lives. It was surprising and a little overwhelming to find the MC was just a chapter they could now close.
“I think I want to go to California when we leave,” Claudia announced wearily. She offered Ransom a tired smile. “I’d like to spend time with my family. Even though I foolishly closed most of the lines of communication with them because of Slade, they never turned their backs on me. I’d like to apologize to them and see about hopefully mending bridges. What about you? I know that the idea of living in the same state as Billy holds great appeal to you.”
Ransom smiled. “The last thirty-six hours have been crazy as hell. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Billy, but I want to put my degrees to use. I’m going to focus on photography, and I want to travel. I want to go places where people don’t know me or what my tats symbolize. I want to do it all. Hopefully, with her by my side.”
Claudia linked their arms and squeezed his affectionately. “You’ve got a good heart, hijo. Go slow, though, with Billy. She’s still a baby. Don’t get married before she is ready to be married to you. Let her have a life, too. I didn’t do that, and even though I had a job managing the office, it was still linked to the club and Slade. I never did anything for myself. I bet I looked pretty desperate to you.”
Her mind wandered to Rage. “I’m terrified but excited to see what the next chapter in my life holds. I plan to serve Slade divorce papers in the new year.”
“I don’t think I’ve said this lately, but I love you, and I’m so fucking proud of you, Ma. Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you a hundred percent. In the end, we’re all going to be okay. Trust me.”
In the elevator, they held hands. Watching the numbers change with each floor they passed Claudia hesitantly inquired, “Will you make it quick? He won’t suffer?”
Ransom answered her honestly, “He needs to suffer for the atrocities he’s committed. If we weren’t in a hospital, he would meet a fate worse than Pitch’s. For your sake, I’ll settle for smothering him.”
They reached level six, and the elevator doors opened to complete chaos. Nurses and doctors were scrambling about and calling out a code for a room number. Harley’s room number.
“Stay here!” he ordered, flying past his mother. Ransom raced down the hallway as people filed out and a sheet covered his brother’s bed. On either side of the bed, blood pooled on the floor, and Claudia’s purse was tipped over on the tray table.
“What the fuck happened to him?!”
“He committed suicide,” a nurse answered sympathetically. “I went in to see if he felt like eating and found him. He used the razor blade from your mother’s toiletries. I’m so sorry.”
Ransom stepped past her and lifted the sheet. Tears blurred his eyes as he looked at the deep gouges in Harley’s wrists. His twin had ensured the wounds were deep enough that death was inescapable. Ransom laughed wildly, and the nurse shot him an odd glance.
“Sir, are you okay?”
He didn’t answer, just continued laughing until the tears began to fall. Ransom couldn’t take it. He sank to the floor and continued to cry with Harley’s blood seeping into his jeans. He cried for all that his brother should have been, the idea of him, not who Harley actually was. That was how Claudia found him, and she internalized her own hysteria to be there for her only child now. She went to Ransom and held him as they wheeled Harley’s body away.
The irony of the situation was not lost on either of them.
Finally, Harley had done something right.
Billy slipped into the suite that she shared with Ransom, carrying a large, white plastic bag and found Rage flipping through channels with the remote. He paused to hear her report.
“Claudia’s sleeping. She didn’t eat anything, just took a shower and lay down. I went downstairs to the deli, grabbed everyone some food, and put hers in the fridge with a note. How’s Ransom?”
“He woke up not too long ago and has been on the phone with Shakes and Blaze. Ransom said Slade is screaming at anyone who’ll listen to go and get his wife back for him,” Marcus grunted.
He tossed the remote on the sofa and came to the counter to rummage through the bag. He helped himself to a roast beef and cheddar sub and a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips. “If you’re good, I’ll head to my own room?”
“I’m straight. Any word on Lorelai? I can’t believe she turned out to be so vindictive,” Billy shuddered. She served him a severe look. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Dad.”
Marcus ignored her dig. “No one has heard from her. Director Shore has issued a warrant for her arrest.” He held his arms open to her, and Billy slid into them easily. Marcus never wanted to let her out of his sight again. “You know I lost a hundred years off my life when you disappeared, right? I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, babygirl. I’m so damn happy you came and found me. I love you.”
“I love you too, Daddy, and let’s keep everything between you and me? I don’t want to worry my grandparents.”
“You and me both. The last thing I need is for Neville to come after me with a horsewhip. I also set up an appointment with a therapist for you.”
“I told you that I don’t need a therapist!” Billy argued stubbornly.
Marcus frowned at her. “You killed a man. You’re going and that’s final. Try me and see what happens. I will hogtie your aggravating ass and deliver you myself. Then I’ll tell Neville and Porsha what happened.”
“Fine!” Billy glowered.
Marcus knew he was pushing his luck and decided to quit while he was ahead. “I’ll get out of your hair now. Remember, I’m right across the hallway.”
“I’ll remember that in case I need anything, thanks.”
Marcus scoffed, “I meant that so you’d remember to keep it down, Billy. No father wants to hear—”
“Goodnight, Dad!”
In the hallway, he looked at the keycard he’d swiped off the counter in a split-second decision, and headed to Claudia’s room and let himself in. Marcus tried to respect her privacy and give her space, but Jesus, she’d been through so much in the last two days. All he wanted to do was see with his own eyes that she was okay. The suite was dark and quiet. He’d sit on the sofa, eat, and maybe take a nap, wanting to be there in case Claudia needed anything. Marcus had just settled down when he heard the first sob. He set his food down and slowly opened the bedroom door. Claudia was sitting with her back to him on the other side of the bed. Her knees were drawn up, and she had her arms wrapped around them as she tried to stifle her cries.
“Claudia.”
She tried to wipe away her tears, hating for Rage to see her weakened yet needing him near. His presence comforted her. “Not now, Rage.”
Instead of retreating, Marcus approached the bed. He sat down next to her and removed his boots while Claudia watched. When he was finished, a silent Marcus lay down on the bed and waited. She didn’t have to say a damn thing to him if she chose not to. It was time to stop fooling himself. He didn’t want to be alone either.
Claudia looked nothing like the firecracker Marcus was used to. The shock of losing Harley by suicide had traumatized her and she felt guilt-ridden. Seeing her broken and defenseless was fucking with him. The Claudia he knew was about as fragile as a hurricane. He wondered if the internal war she was waging would end soon and if her conscience would ultimately defeat her emotions. Marcus didn’t have long to wait. Claudia launched herself at him, choosing to take shelter from her grief in his arms. Neither commented on how perfectly they fit together.
“Why are you always around when I need you?” she complained, but it held no heat.
“Quit being so needy and maybe I won’t be around.”
Neither of them admitted to hating that concept.
“My baby boy, one of my two pride and joys, was a monster,” she whispered, ashamed to vocalize that fact, afraid that Rage would judge her.
“He was.”
“He killed himself. Harley wouldn’t have been able to withstand Ransom’s wrath or look me in the eye again, now that I knew what he was.”
“You’re right.”
“I wish I could have a do-over, Rage. I swear to God, I’d do everything right if given a second chance,” Claudia sniffled. “A mother should know her children! I failed him on so many levels.”
Rage wiped away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “You’ll drive yourself insane if you think like that.”
Her breath hitched at his gentleness. “Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t deserve it. I was a shitty mother.”
“And I was an absentee father,” he countered. “Guess we’re even. Besides, you can’t really think that. If I can get past the thought of Ransom and my daughter being intimate, I’d be willing to acknowledge that he’s a stand-up dude. It had to come from somewhere, right?”
Claudia gnawed on her bottom lip, doubtfully. “If you say so, Rage. Billy told me you’re leaving Chatham.”
“I am.”
“Where are you going?”
“The West Coast. Maybe. Still undecided.”
“Will you keep in touch?”
“I refuse to seek the attention of a married woman, Claudia.” Marcus knew through Ransom what she’d done, but he wanted her to say the words aloud and get used to them.
“I left Slade.”
“Mmm.”
‘‘About fucking time’’ was their unspoken agreement.
“I won’t go back.”
“Time will tell.”
Irate, Claudia raised up on an elbow and slapped his stomach and Marcus guffawed. The way his dark eyes crinkled hypnotized her. “Is that all you have to say about it?” she snapped.
He pushed the heavy curtain of her hair over her shoulder and away from her face, absorbing her beauty. Despite their exhaustion, Claudia’s eyes were sparkling, and her cheeks were rosy. She enjoyed their verbal sparring as much as Marcus did.
“You obviously haven’t heard that Slade is on the warpath. He isn’t happy you left. It’s not my business to say anything about it. Maybe a year from now, if you’ve gone through with it and taken some time for yourself, I’ll have more to say.”
“I don’t care about Slade’s happiness! I only care about my own and Ransom’s. And maybe a year from now, I won’t care what you have to say either,” she sassed. It was followed by an exclamation of “Oh!” when Marcus sharply swatted her behind.
“Serves you right.”
“I don’t care what you say or don’t say, Rage. I’m not going back.”
He pulled her back down against him and she sank into him, allowing Marcus to wrap her struggle in his strength. “Little liar, you do care. Shit’s not gonna be easy, Claudia. Sleep now.”
“But it will be worth it, won’t it?”
Marcus would’ve given everything to quell the apprehension in her voice, except this wasn’t his journey. It was Claudia’s to take and be proud that she’d made it out of her circumstances.
“Anything that gives you peace of mind usually is.”
“Babe, I brought you something to eat.”
Ransom was on the phone when Billy entered the bedroom. He gave her a tired smile and motioned for her to come to him, tugging her into his lap when she did. He secured his arm around her, kissing her softly while Shakes talked. Billy tasted so sweet that Ransom cradled the phone to plunder her mouth.
“Shit is hitting the fan hard. Deke patched Slade up, and now, he’s tearing the house apart. He’s screaming for the prospects to bring Claudia back home. You’d best get out of town before he does something foolish, Ransom.”
He broke the kiss to answer his friend. “Then let him, Shakes. I thought I made myself clear, but I have no problem ending this for good.”
At his answer, Billy rose from his lap and crossed to open her suitcase. Ransom watched her pause as she stared into it for a long moment, and her shoulders sagged. Then in true Billy fashion, she squared them resiliently and headed to the bathroom. She slammed the door hard enough behind her to let Ransom know there was a problem. He could hear the shower running and hoped it would cool her temper off.
“We’re going to have Harley cremated ASAP. I want to see if someone can do it tomorrow. You need to make the club aware of what Barrera’s been up to and reach out to Vargas. The Aztecs should know he’s been poaching in their backyard.”
“I’m on it. Ransom, I’m real sorry about Harley.” Shakes was silent and Ransom allowed him a moment to mourn the friend he’d known. “I missed all the signs—”
“Nah, man. Don’t do that. Just mourn him and move on. It’s all you can do. You tell Slade?”
“Yeah.”
When Shakes didn’t elaborate, Ransom chuckled mirthlessly. “I can take it. What’d he say?”
“He said he had no children.”
It shouldn’t have hurt him after everything that transpired, but the pain rippled through his entire being. Ransom felt his defenses weaken then disintegrate in the face of such calloused spitefulness. Why was he surprised? Slade had never celebrated anything his children did in life. Death would be no different. He’d never tried to know or appreciate the value of family.
“He’s right. I’m about to crash. We’ll catch up later, alright?”
“Take care.”
Ransom hung up and lay back against the pillows as Billy exited the bathroom, naked except for her braids wrapped in a white towel. His shaft stirred as she teased him with the perfection of her flawless silhouette. Billy lifted her arms and unwrapped the towel, causing her breasts to jiggle, tempting Ransom’s taste buds. Her braids tumbled down her back, blocking his view but drawing attention to their length as they brushed the top of her sexy derriere.
“Come here, wildthing.”
Billy shook her head, making her braids sway seductively, and Ransom easily envisioned them flying around her body as she rode. “No, babe. Just lie down and get some rest.”
Ransom was off the bed and invading her space before she finished her sentence. He tossed her over his shoulder and dropped her unceremoniously on the bed and followed her down. Green eyes serious, Ransom commanded, “Tell me what’s bothering you. Lie to me, and I’ll paddle that ass, fancypants.”
He blew on Billy’s nipple, grinning when it instantly puckered up. “On second thought, cancel that as a punishment. We both might like it too much. Gimme a minute to find something more suitable.”
Billy pushed him away and scooted back on the bed. She grabbed a pillow, turned it sideways, and hugged it to her body. “Cut it out. I’m worried about you. You’re too calm and collected. I want you to stop holding everything in and be real with me, Ransom.”
He stood up and shirked his clothes before returning to Billy, who was momentarily distracted by his ripped, naked body. Ransom grabbed a condom from the box he’d placed under his pillows, tore it open, and sheathed himself as Billy tracked his every move through hooded eyes, licking her lips in anticipation.
“I think you’re missing a prime opportunity, fancypants. You’re naked and now, I am, too. The last thing I want is to be ‘shrinked’, Billy. Let’s talk later. In the meantime, I suggest you make use of that headboard.”
He dove under the pillow, using his shoulders to spread her thighs as he licked and nibbled his way up the insides of her thighs until he reached her core. Ransom touched his tongue to her clit, moving in slow luxurious circles and bites before dipping lower to tasting her cream. Billy’s head banged against the headboard, and she reached behind her and clutched it tightly, lifting and pressing her pussy insistently to his face, silently encouraging him to take more. Ransom’s hands slid to her bottom, holding her in place while his tongue slid between her saturated folds, up and down before plunging in and ravaging her.
Billy’s eyes rolled and her body shook with her impending orgasm. She tried to pull back, but Ransom tightened his iron grip on her thighs, alternating between nibbling her clit and plunging his tongue deep into her pussy as his fingers caressed her booty. Shrieking like a banshee, Billy combusted. The waves of her orgasm crashed over her like a massive current, tugging her under and sweeping her away. Ransom moaned fervently at her response while voraciously lapping up her nectar.
Billy saw the dark storm of desire raging in Ransom’s eyes when he slid her down under him and hungered for all of it.
“Allow me to return the favor, babe,” she pleaded. “Let me taste you.”
“Ssshh. We got tonight and the rest of our lives, Billy. Kiss me.”
Her arms dropped from the headboard to encircle his neck, crushing her to him as their mouths fused and Billy tasted herself. Ransom’s tongue traced her lips and she quivered, goosebumps spreading all over her body as she opened her mouth, inviting him in. He expertly explored the silky cavern, stroking and gently sucking on her tongue.
Billy’s eyes smoldered as she broke contact and removed the pillow between them, allowing her ripe breasts to spill into his waiting hands. She cried out when Ransom squeezed them together and flicked her nipples and simultaneously, sank his hot shaft into her. His torturously slow grind synced with the tantalizing licks and suctioning to her breasts, which sent currents of electricity sizzling throughout her body.
“Baby, baby, is it good to you?” Ransom groaned, going harder, losing himself in her silken sheath. He hooked her legs over his shoulders and pistoned into her harder, faster, slamming the headboard against the wall with every thrust.
Billy couldn’t even articulate a response. She was too busy drowning in sensations that left her in a heightened state of sensitivity as Ransom’s dick rubbed along every nerve ending in her pussy, propelling them both toward release. With every ragged inhale taken, Ransom reveled in the decadent fragrance of them.
With every stroke in, Billy became more aroused. She wanted to stay lost with him inside of her forever, but the orgasmic explosion was unavoidable. She clung to Ransom as white-hot pleasure radiated from her toes all the way to her fingertips. Billy milked his cock until he lost himself inside of her. Foreheads pressed together, they stared at each other in wonder as their heartbeats gradually slowed. Ransom eased out of Billy to take care of the condom. He turned off all the lights and allowed her to pull him into her arms.
