Roses and Skulls (Rebel Skulls MC #3)

by L.M. Terry

The brave don’t live forever… the cautious don’t live at all. ~unknown.

He places one hand on the wall beside my face. The other pulls the sucker out of his mouth. My heart is beating so hard, surely he can feel it thumping against him. Then he surprises me by pushing his sucker in my mouth. In my fucking mouth! The sucker that was just in his. My gaze drops to his mouth, hoping he doesn’t have any communicable disease. He bites on the ball of his tongue piercing, and I whimper.

He chuckles and then pops the button on my jeans. My eyes widen but I do nothing to stop him. The man keeps his eyes on mine as he takes the sucker out of his mouth and this time he doesn’t place it between my lips… well, okay, so he puts it between my lips but… oh my god, please don’t make me say it. You know where this is going.

Oh, oh no, the tingle is getting, oh. My eyes fall closed as my head drops back to the wall. I can’t stop him. I can’t even stop myself. And then it happens. It happens so quick that I can’t believe it. I’ve never been able to make myself come that fast and this man did it with a sucker in a matter of seconds. My eyes blink open, just in time to catch him push the sucker back into his mouth.

What the fuck kind of tall, dark, and dangerous is this man?

He’ll find out who I am and that will be the end of him sharing his candy with me.

“There are hundreds of crows out there. Jesus, Rosie, it’s creeping me the fuck out.”

Grief isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. One you will be on the rest of your life.”

Anyhow, I’ve been waiting for Billie Rose to grow up my whole life.

This girl is going to make all my dreams come true.

The truth. That they are right and I’m just a worthless princess who needs everyone to keep her safe. Someone who needs others to slay her dragons.

He blinks, his gaze scanning me from head to toe. When he sees I’m fully intact, he lets out a harsh breath. I continue to rock back and forth. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it,” I cry, tears streaming down my face. Elijah sits down in front of me and pulls me into his arms. “I know, baby. I know. You did so good. So good.” He kisses me on top of my head, and I whisper a little thank you to grandpa. I don’t know how much longer I would have been able to hold on.

I shake my head back and forth. “Oh, no way, I’m not going to betray her.” “Not even for my blessing?” he asks. Shoving my hands in my pocket, I turn to walk away. “No. Whatever she said to me, she said in confidence. Jesus, I just got her to start talking again. Kick me out, do what you gotta do but I’m not divulging her secrets.” “Stop,” he says as I reach out to open the door to the warehouse. “Don’t fuck up, cause with her… well, I won’t do second chances.” “I don’t plan on it.” And without looking at him, I head inside with the biggest fucking smile I’ve had on my face in some time.

“Someday, a boy is going to come into your life, and he isn’t going to be afraid of your dad. Nothing will stop him from stealing your heart. Not even Dirk.”

My five-year-old self doesn’t recognize that in this moment, my mother decides it will be my last trip to visit William and his family. A decision made with the best of intentions. She was only protecting what was hers. At all costs. Even from threats that only existed in her mind.

“Do you want to jump out of a plane?” “Ab-so-fuck-ing-lutely,” I say without hesitation, the adrenaline already kicking in. He flashes me a brilliant smile. “We never tell your dad about this.” I draw a cross over my chest before linking my pinky around his. Elijah is helping me find that spark that grandpa made me promise never to lose.

“Baby, our kid is going to want to go fast. Trust me.” She laughs again, finally raising her face to look at me. Her face is red and blotchy and fucking beautiful.