The Cut(26)

"Good idea." He hooked his arm around her neck and rubbed the ice cold  bottle against the keyhole opening in her dress. She shivered at the  contact, but he was pleased to see her nipples harden against the thin  material. Unable to resist, he transferred the bottle to his other hand  and ran his fingers across the soft skin of her tits. "Shit. We'd better  find Tiny before I say to hell with the meeting and fuck you against  the pickup."

Tiny stepped out of the shadows and headed straight for them. "Looking for me?"

Stake was drunk enough that he didn't stop fondling Santana's breasts at  the question. "Yeah. I need you to keep Santana company while I talk to  Cecil."         

     



 

"Would you stop trying to molest my best friend right in front of me!"  Tiny winced. "Shit. I can't believe I said that." He looked at Santana.  "I'm sorry."

Santana fisted her hand and punched Tiny in the arm. "You do not get to  apologize for trying to defend my honor." She stood on her tiptoes and  gave Stake a deep kiss. "Go have your meeting while I set my friend  straight on a few things."

Stake grinned. "I was dreading this meeting, but now I think I'd rather be me than you," he told Tiny.

"Yeah, I think I might agree," Tiny replied.



Settled in twin lawn chairs on the outskirts of the party, Santana took  another drink of her beer. She was already tipsy, and Tiny's persistence  that she share sips from his bottle of whisky would no doubt have her  drunk in no time. She eyed her friend warily. He'd been quiet since  they'd found the spot to sit, and she could tell something was bothering  him. "Okay, I've been patient long enough. What's wrong?"

Tiny upended his bottle and poured an ungodly amount of alcohol down his throat. "You're leaving."

"Yeah." She suddenly understood. "I'm sorry, but this town, the people,  they'll never see me as anything but trash." She reached for his hand.  "I think it bothers me now more than it used to because Stake's shown me  what it feels like to be treated like I matter."

Tiny opened his mouth, but before he could speak, she held up her hand.  "I know it probably won't last between us, so if that's what you're  going to warn me about, don't bother. I'm not stupid. I know a man like  Stake could have any woman he wants. He's with me because he feels  guilty about what happened, and I think he has a misplaced sense of  loyalty to take care of me because of my father."

"You're so full of shit," Tiny cut in. "I don't think you realize what  he's willing to do for you. Leaving Broken Ridge is a big move for him.  If the Fayetteville chapter doesn't accept him, he'll be a man without a  club. If that happens, he'll no longer be allowed to wear his cut and  he'll have to remove his Kings' tat. For a brother, that's huge." He  cupped her cheek so tenderly it almost made her cry. "That's not  loyalty, squirt, that's love."

She lifted her cup to her mouth and held it there for several moments as  she considered the prospect of Stake being in love with her. He'd said  the words earlier, and she'd accepted them because they made her feel  good, but she hadn't genuinely believed them. The thought of him giving  up his club for her started an ache in her chest. "He can't give up the  club. It's his life."

Tiny shrugged. "I doubt you can talk him out of it, especially after  what happened yesterday." He took another nip from his bottle. "I'm  leaving for Oklahoma City tomorrow with Magic and Hog. There's some  trouble with rival club, and they've asked for our help. I don't know  how long it's gonna take, so I might not be back before you leave."

She blew out a breath and reached for the whisky. "You're telling me this may be goodbye, aren't you?"

He nodded. "I hope to finish in time to make the ride to Fayetteville.  It's always a good party when all the chapters get together, and this  year, you'll be there."

After taking a drink, she passed back the bottle. She hadn't confided  her fears about moving to Arkansas to Stake, but she needed to tell  someone. "What if … " She tried to swallow the lump of emotion that was  slowly cutting off her air supply. "What if it's not just Broken Ridge  that sees me as worthless?"

"Huh?"

Crap. She tried again. "What if I move to Fayetteville and they treat me  like the people here have always treated me? Maybe the problem is me  and not everyone else."

"Fuck," Tiny growled, throwing the near-empty bottle as far as he could.  "This motherfucking town." He shook his head. "This town doesn't know  where to put someone like you. Everyone's so busy trying to lump people  into categories that when they get to you, they're lost. You're by far  the prettiest, sexiest woman in Broken Ridge. Unfortunately, your kind  and unassuming nature has allowed people to beat you down because they  know they can. There's not a goddamn man in town that wouldn't love to  fuck you, and every wife and girlfriend knows that."

Although in her heart, she didn't believe Tiny, she loved him for seeing the best in her.         

     



 

"And as far as Stake?" He chuckled. "He's the meanest bastard in the  club, when it comes right down to it, but I've seen the way he treats  you, and if I hadn't witnessed it, I never would've believed that lion  could be tamed."

Santana blushed. "Thank you," she whispered, reaching for his hand  again. "Do you think you could visit us more than just once a year? I'm  sure my ego's going to need regular doses of Tiny to get me through."

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Now that I have you back  in my life, there's no fuckin' way I'm going to let you go again."



Stake had no doubt Cecil wanted to discuss the confrontation he'd had  with his mom, but no amount of talk was going to rebuild that bridge. He  found Cecil, Hog and Magic seated in their usual spots around the large  table they used for club business. He stopped in the doorway and stared  at Hog and Magic. "I wasn't aware we'd have company."

"Sit," Cecil ordered.

Stake took his chair as far from the others as he could get. "I know I  have two weeks left on our agreement, but in light of what happened  yesterday in town, I'd like to get Santana out of here as soon as  possible."

The three men exchanged glances. "That's what we want to talk to you  about," Cecil replied. "The girls are having a fit, and disgruntled  whores don't make as much money. We need you to stay a while longer. If  you want to send Santana to Arkansas do it, but we need you here."

"No," Stake refused. "We had a deal. I'll ride out the two weeks I have  left and keep Santana at the house, but I'm not staying."

Cecil narrowed his eyes. "Are you challenging me?"

Stake knew he needed to tread lightly, but he wouldn't back down. "I'll  find someone the whores will be happy with, but as soon as that's done, I  need your word that you'll let me go, and you'll put a call into Digger  on my behalf."

Cecil scowled, but before he could say anything, Stake continued. "Smash  saved your life and it cost him his own. Getting Santana the hell away  from Broken Ridge would clear that debt."

Stake could tell by Cecil's expression that he didn't like being  reminded of the debt he owed Smash for killing the cop, but a debt was a  debt.

"The girls have to be satisfied," Cecil finally replied.

"They will be," Stake promised. Tiny was the first person who came to  mind, but he wouldn't give Cecil a name until he discussed it with his  friend. He left the clubhouse and found Tiny and Santana laughing their  asses off. He stopped and drank in the sound of Santana's happiness.  After everything she'd been through, he hated to pull her away from  Tiny. As he crossed the distance between them, a plan began to form.





Chapter Nine





By the time Stake carried Santana to the pickup, she knew she was shit-faced. "I shouldn't have drunk that whisky."

Stake smiled over at her as he climbed in the truck. "You're not planning to pass out on me, are you?"

"Nope." She giggled. "Although," she began as she hiked up her short dress, "you could keep me awake while we drive home."

With a deep groan, he unzipped his jeans. "Come closer, babe."

She licked her lips as she slid across the seat. "I love your cock," she slurred as she reached for him.

When she leaned down to plant her face in his lap, he grabbed her hair.  "Touch me with those gorgeous fuckin' lips, and I'll explode."

She looked up at him. "I thought that's what you wanted?"

He shook his head. "My dick wants to be buried inside your pussy."

Score. She knelt on the seat and pushed her dress higher before moving  to straddle his lap. The steering wheel bumped against her spine, but it  wasn't enough to deter her from riding her man. "I love it when you  talk dirty to me," she confessed, lowering herself onto his cock. She  moaned as the bulbous head stretched her inner walls, sending sparks of  pleasure through her body.