Unbroken (Forgotten Rebels MC #1) Read online

  “Why are you nervous around me?” he asked.

  “I’ve not had that much experience around men like you,” she said quietly.

  He cocked his head. “Men like me? I’m not sure how to take that.”

  Piper shifted feet and took a small sip of the hot brew. It gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. “There’ve been visitors to the club before, but none that I’ve been so…aware of.”

  “Oh,” he said. He leaned back in the chair. “That’s an honest answer.”

  “You didn’t expect me to be honest?”

  He shrugged. “No. In my opinion, most women aren’t built to tell the truth.”

  She bristled under his disdain. “You’ve been hanging out with the wrong women.”

  “Perhaps,” he said dismissively.

  “In my experience, it’s men who are the scum of the earth.”

  “Even Wick?”

  She shook her head. “He’s the only exception to the rule.”

  “Wow, you just threw your whole club under the bus,” he said with a chuckle.

  She couldn’t help but grin and shrug. “They’re horn dogs. Always humping something.”

  “Yes, well, it’s easy to hump something in a club,” Kix murmured. “No lack of willing and available pussy. But sometimes, a man finds a woman that changes him.”

  Piper’s heart suddenly turned over. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this conversation, especially not with a man she found attractive. As she took a long drink of her coffee, she almost choked on the heat, but managed to swallow it down even though tears welled in her eyes. Great. She’d just burned off half her taste buds. Dumping the rest of the coffee in the sink, she washed the cup and then put it in the drying drain.

  “You running away again?” he asked quietly.

  She closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped for a moment. “I call it a strategic exit.”

  “Come with me for a ride?”

  Piper paused and thought about his words. She really wanted to go with him on a ride, wanted to feel the bike between her legs as she held onto his back. To enjoy a single moment of freedom, with the wind whipping through her hair and the feeling of being in flight as they sped down the asphalt.

  Still, years of caution just didn’t disappear in a moment, and reality returned with a vengeance. The face of her dead brother filled her mind and she shook it off.

  “I really shouldn’t––”

  Kix spun her around and shook her once. “Why not? What’s this fear that holds you immobile?”

  “Stop.”

  “No, I won’t stop,” he said angrily. “If it’s a man, I promise he’ll never hurt you again.”

  She gave a bitter laugh. “Too late. I’m bad news, Kix. A burden you don’t want.”

  “Let me decide that,” he said, and then his head swooped down and his lips claimed hers. It wasn’t a sensual, seductive kiss like the previous night. This one raided her senses and stripped her bare––taking everything she had to offer. He took her emotions, her passion, and what he gave her in return was a platform to hold onto. A port, in the proverbial storm.

  When he pulled back, their arms were wrapped around each other, and Piper didn’t want to let go of him. Lust sang through her blood, urging her to continue and find fulfillment for the first time in her life. It was so potent it obliterated all her hesitancy.

  Staring at his lips, she gave a breathless answer. “Yes.”

  Satisfaction settled in his eyes, and he wasted no time, not letting her change her mind. He slung an arm around her hips and settled her in tight against him, leading her through the darkened clubhouse toward the back door. When they stepped outside, the bright sunlight had her squinting, until he dropped a pair of sunglasses on her nose. She smiled her thanks up at him and he dropped a quick kiss on her nose.

  As they walked to his bike, he leaned over and plucked a helmet from one of the other motorcycles. His machine was a big, powerful, custom-built Harley, and she recognized the Screamin’ Eagle 110 cubic-inch V-twin motor. The engine was a beast and she couldn’t wait to feel it between her thighs. Wick had a thing for engines, and he’d taught her well.

  “What a beauty,” she said, admiring the sleek lines of the Softail Deluxe. The black and chrome pulsed like a living entity.

  “Just got her,” Kix said as he handed over the helmet he’d taken. “I wanted to break her in so I brought her here. At home, I have an older Street Glide I usually use.”

  He put on his helmet and flipped the visor down as he straddled his bike and waited for her. Piper pulled on her borrowed headgear and adjusted the straps before slipping behind him and positioning herself on the seat. She wrapped her arms around him as he started the bike up and immediately, the power of the machine reverberated through her whole body.

  Kix held up a thumb and she reciprocated the gesture, and a moment later, they sped off through the compound, exiting out of the gate and taking off down the country road. Stevens, Missouri was located in the southeast corner of the state, near what was known as the Boot Heel. Not much happened there, except going to the nearby lake for fishing or swimming. The small towns along the lone stretch of highway were populated mostly with farming and railroad laborers, families that tried to keep it together with what little pay came trickling in and others who eked out a living any way they could. It was no wonder the corridor of the state was full of meth heads and drunks. Might not be right, but it was what it was. Piper had long ago adjusted her belief in right and wrong, having learned nothing was strictly black-and-white. Sometimes, good men did bad things and bad men did good deeds. Yes, her brother and his club made meth. Yes, they sold it. But not once had she ever heard that they’d killed someone in cold blood, or gunned down an innocent family like hers. It was all about perspective.

  She’d only been off the compound a few times. Wick had taken her bike-riding some, as had Heart. But Piper preferred staying at the house, hiding. As soon as she left the safety of the tall walls, all her anxiety rushed back, and it wasn’t worth the headache it gave her.

  However, the anxiousness that usually slammed into her upon leaving her safety net, didn’t grip her now. She waited for the dread and the fear to return, but holding onto Kix eased the tension away. Surprised, she realized that she felt safe with him and was able to really enjoy the ride.

  The day was humid, the air slightly oppressive. Thick, green foliage on either side of the highway gave way to occasional breaks for farmland. The crops of choice were soybean, corn, and cotton. Piper knew many people who grew marijuana, but that still wasn’t legal yet in the state. For the most part, the landscape was flat and boring, but it was home. When Kix broke off from the highway to head towards the lake, a little thrill shot through her. Piper loved the lake, but hadn’t really utilized it much.

  The lake was huge, a man-made effort to help flood control, but through the years it segued into a recreational area for fishing, boating, and swimming. There were many docking bays along the lakefront, but Kix drove around until he reached one of least touristy areas. He drove down the steep hill, which leveled off at the bottom for the boat ramps and a park area. Once the engine shut off, Piper dismounted then removed her helmet. The gentle tap of the water against the rocks, plus the low singing of the cicadas throughout the trees, brought her a level of peace she hadn’t felt in a long while.

  “Oh, I’ve missed the lake,” she said as she sat her helmet on the back of her seat.

  “Yeah, I don’t get out here too often.” Kix propped out his kickstand before rising. His black hair was damp from sweating under his helmet. He unzipped his leather jacket and slung it over his bike, and Piper saw sweat patches under his armpits. Then he pulled his shirt over his head, leaving his chest bare, and her mouth went dry. Muscles lined his arms and chest, with intricate tattoos decorating his skin. Tribal art, with arrows and feathers interspersed in the designs, gave it all a very Native American feel.

  “Your ink is beautiful.”


  “Cherokee,” he said. “On my mother’s side.”

  He held out a hand to her, and she took it. His strong fingers held hers tightly. Again, a feeling of safety washed over her.

  “You have any tattoos?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Hmm,” he said. “Perhaps we’ll get your cherry broken. A body is a temple, to decorate it as you feel.”

  Her heart stuttered a little when he said the word cherry. She dragged her mind away from images of them entwined together in bed, and cleared her throat.

  “Maybe I don’t want a tattoo,” she said.

  He grinned, and her heart turned over. The man was slowly destroying her, one wicked smile after another. They strolled around the park, away from the more public area into the shaded treeline. Piper let her down her guard and relaxed, although his shirtless attire was slowly driving her insane. All she wanted to do was run her hands over his body, trace every curve of his muscles with her tongue. Bite his nipples until he moaned her name. The images were turning her on, causing the seam of her jeans to rub uncomfortably against her now swollen clit.

  A picnic table sat nestled in a grove of bushes and Kix led her over before curling his hands around her waist to help her sit on the tabletop. Then he settled between her spread thighs before locking her legs around his hips. They stared at one another.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in a breathless voice.

  “I’m trying to discover the reason for the pain I see in your eyes,” he said.

  She bit her lower lip with her teeth. “It’s quite ugly. Actually…I’m quite ugly.”

  He cocked his head. “I find that hard to believe.”

  She tentatively laid her hands upon his shoulders. Her heart thundered with excitement as she waited to see if he would accept her touch or reject it. When he simply held still and continued to look at her, she allowed her hands to travel down, over his pecs. His flesh was pulled tightly over his muscles, with a light dusting of hair covering his chest. His tattoos were black and gray shades over his tan skin.

  “Thank you for bringing me out here today,” she said. “I’d forgotten how nice the lake is.”

  “We can come back,” he replied. “You like fishing?”

  She smiled. “It’s been a while, but yes.”

  They stared at one another, and slowly her smile slipped, until he bent his head and captured her lips with his. Kix teased her mouth open, starting out lightly touching her tongue with his, retreating, then going back for more. Sweeping in, then back, almost as if he was showing how he would fuck her. He explored each hidden corner, and she was on fire from his kiss alone. His arms swept around her, pulling her close. Could he feel her hard nipples poking him in his chest? Could he sense how turned on she was? Never had she felt this overwhelming lust that had taken hold of her body.

  He kissed his way down her neck, his hand sliding up her rib cage to the underside of her breast. Her t-shirt rode up, exposing her bra, and in the blink of an eye, it was up and over her tits, causing her breasts to spill into his hands. She threw her head back as he rolled her nipples. That was what she wanted, what she craved. His bent his head and his mouth settled on her nipple, sucking the little berries in and biting them softly as she arched into him.

  Piper shuddered with pleasure into his touch, into his kiss, into everything he was doing to her. Wanting him, wanting more. Wanting all of it. Everything he had to give. God, she wanted nothing more than to have his steel-hard cock sink into her wet cunt and pump her until they both splintered apart. His fingers trailed down her body and popped open her jeans, pulling the zipper all the way down so his hand could slide in. Her hips bucked as his fingers slid along her seam.

  “Oh, sweetheart, you’re so fucking wet,” he murmured against her lips.

  And then he explored and found her clit, teasing it with small little circles that made her hips jerk upward.

  “Oh my god,” she breathed.

  “Yes, feel me, Piper. Just let yourself go.”

  He pulled her pants down until they fell off her legs and he parted her legs with his shoulders. The humid air pressed down upon her, the sun hot on her skin, and she couldn’t believe she was lying half naked where anyone could walk by and see them. Being arrested for indecent exposure wasn’t really something that appealed to her, but when Kix pressed his tongue against her slit, running up until he gently tugged on her little clit with his teeth, all common sense fled.

  Using two fingers, he spread her labia before fucking her with his tongue. He stuck it in as far as it would reach, and then thrust it in and out. At the same time, he managed to rub her clit, causing her to go crazy under him.

  “Kix!” she moaned.

  He didn’t let up and soon her body began to shake with her impending orgasm. Her own ministrations never felt like this and soon, her orgasm crashed upon her. Her pussy walls clamped down on his tongue as spasms shot up her spine. Euphoria flooded through her, causing her heart to pound with love and lust.

  As she floated down from her orgasmic high, she realized he was watching her in that enigmatic way that caused her gut to clench in anticipation. Was he waiting for her to gain her senses, be embarrassed, and flee from him?

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “I want you, Piper.”

  Was she read for this? Ready for him? She was under no illusion he offered her anything other than a one-night stand, or however long he stayed at the clubhouse. For a long time she’d shied away from any type of intimacy, knowing she didn’t deserve a happily ever after. Could she take what Kix offered without needing, or wanting, more?

  Slowly, she nodded.

  He gave her a predatory smile. “Then let’s head back, because when I take you, I want to be in a soft bed and not on the ground like an animal. Even though I feel wild and animalistic around you.”

  “Oh my,” she said, a bit breathless.

  Chapter Nine

  A few people had woken up when they finally made it back to the compound in the early afternoon. Piper was acutely aware of Wick’s gaze following her as she hurried back to her bedroom for a shower. She wanted to clean up and prepare lunch for those whose stomachs had settled enough for a sandwich.

  She pushed aside thoughts of Kix and what she had agreed to as she hurried through a shower. Brushing out her hair, she left it wet and clean as she threw it up in a ponytail before rushing back to the kitchen. About a dozen Brothers waited at the bar and a tired-looking Doll gave a grateful smile as they both set about fixing the food.

  After the men had been fed, Wick stood to the side with his arms folded over his chest. Piper’s heart sank when he nodded with his chin that he wanted her to follow, so she told Doll she’d be right back and marched after her step-brother into his office.

  He closed the door behind her with a firm click.

  “What the fuck is going on, Sissy?” he asked, not even waiting for her to sit down.

  Piper folded her arms under her breasts and lifted her chin. “Is that any of your business?”

  “When you leave this fucking compound, yes, it is! Do I need to remind you that it’s possible he’s still looking for you?”

  Piper flinched and lost her defensive posture. Guilt slammed into her and she hunched her shoulders. “I’m sorry.”

  Wick shook his head. “I don’t want you to be sorry, I want you to be smart. Did you tell Kix about your past?”

  “You know I haven’t.”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I did as you asked. I didn’t go after the motherfucker who killed our family. But the deal was for you to stay safe, Piper. How the hell can that happen if you go gallivanting through the countryside when Kix doesn’t know the truth? I trust him to protect you but when he has no idea to be on the lookout for something, well, that’s not being fair to him.”

  “You’re right,” she whispered. “It won’t happen again.”

  He settled his hands on her shoulders and
squeezed comfortingly. “I want you to be happy. You know I do. But I also don’t want you hurt.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  “Hey.” He lifted her chin with his finger. “Are you sure you want your happiness to be with Kix Rockwood? He’s only going to be here for a few days.”

  “I know.” She backed away and his hands fell to his sides. “But truthfully, that’s all the happiness I deserve, Wick.”

  “Now, don’t start that bullshit.”

  “I have to go,” she said, and turned to open the office door.

  “Piper!” he called out but she didn’t wait around to acknowledge him.

  When she’d first arrived and he had granted her amnesty behind the club’s fortified walls, she’d done everything possible to make sure he wouldn’t find a reason to kick her out. Their relationship had been strained, mainly due to their not really knowing each other. After all, she’d met him the first time when she was eight and the second time when she was fourteen and he left to join the Forgotten Rebels. But her plea had also thrown a dampener on their barely-there family dynamic. Wick had been a little resentful about being denied vengeance. Over the years, however, they had come to respect one another, and out of that respect, caring had grown. Now, she truly loved him like a brother.

  Piper hurried back through the clubhouse and gave a brief wave to Parky, who looked a little better than Doll, although that wasn’t saying much. A party like last night tended to wear the girls out. She didn’t expect to see Tilly, Heaven or Bird until early evening, when the party would resume. Piper saw questions burning in their eyes, but she didn’t have time to answer them. Instead she simply walked to the staircase … she knew Kix waited for her in his bedroom. He’d been right. Hers was too small.

  No sooner had she knocked upon the door than it jerked open with force. Kix reached out, grabbed her hand, and hauled her inside.

  “I thought you were just going to shower,” he said.

  “I had hungry men to feed,” she replied. He slid his hands down her hips and pulled her into his body, until she felt his hard cock against her belly. He wore only jeans, and his skin smelled like soap now instead of the outdoors.