Melted & Shattered (25 page)

“Dig. Nice to meet ya.” I stared at his hand. Dig? Fuck this shit.

He'd taken his sunglasses off at some point while inspecting my apartment, and I was able to see the emeralds that were staring at me, waiting for me to shake his hand.

“Dig, is it?” I said with a
what’s up
head nod. “You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

He put his hand down, his grin still in place. “I’ll let J do that.” He turned away from me and told J, “Lemme know when you’re ready, brother. Tomorrrow’s fine.” He winked at J and walked out the door.

What the fuck was all that? I was still standing where J had placed me, a few feet from the front door, when I started to open my mouth. I wanted—no, I needed answers. J took long steps in my direction, moving with a purpose that was clear in his eyes. I dropped my purse to the floor and reached over to lock the door. The minute the lock clicked, I found myself in J’s arms. The gentle touches we’d exchanged in the car were gone. As soon as J’s lips hit mine and he started tearing my clothes off me, I forgot all about my questions.

He pulled my shirt and hoodie over my head in one swoop. Standing
in my bra and jeans, I began undoing his belt. While I made work of getting his pants undone, he reached behind his head and pulled his shirt off. I unbuttoned his pants and was about to slip them down his legs when I looked up. His bare chest was in front of me. As if on autopilot, I leaned forward and traced my tongue across it, circling his nipples then gently biting.

He groaned and shoved his hands in my hair. I continued reacquainting myself with the chest I’d used as a pillow
. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I laid my head on this chest and fell into blissful sleep. I kissed down his abs, tracing each one with my tongue, until I got to the trail of hair leading into his pants and down to the pot of gold. I slipped his pants off, and he stepped out of them. I was on my knees, fingers hooked in his boxers, ready to pull them down, but J grabbed me up from the ground.

I thought he'd go for my jeans, but instead he reached out and touched the token that was lying between my breasts. He held it in his hand while I was proactive in removing my jeans.

"Stop."

Huh? He wanted me to stop?

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"About?"

"This." He said it with finality, like there was only one
this
he could be referring to. Us.

I slid off my panties, bra, and his boxers, so he was naked and I wore only the necklace.
I held one of my hands over his that was wrapped around the token necklace. It was more than a necklace, and he knew it. It was the first time we realized the ease of being together, the beginning of
us
.

"Yes," I whispered
and grabbed his other hand, bringing it to the space between my legs, the space that was dripping and throbbing for him. Taking the cue, he lifted my leg up and around him, crouching to line us up so he could slide into me. I let out a sigh of relief when he was inside me, I was finally whole. Together, we became what we were supposed to be.

L & J.

I wrapped my arms over the tops of his shoulders, pulling myself up his torso. With one hand supporting my body, the other gripped the back of my head, bringing it up to look him in the eye. "I need to hear it. I need to know this is
us
, and that you aren't going anywhere." He hesitated for a moment, thinking before he spoke. "I need words, baby. Please, words. Tell me this is
us
, forever."

Shit. He wanted words?
Something I rarely had a problem with, yet couldn't seem to spit out to him without bracing myself? That's what he wanted? Words?

"Take a breath, dear," he instructed me.

I closed my eyes, breathed in deeply, and exhaled slowly.

"Better?" he asked, waiting
for me to open my eyes back up. When I did, I found myself looking into the gentle eyes of a Bear, one who would love me fiercely until the end of days.

"
My darling, Bear." I placed my hand on his cheek. "You got me?" It was a simple question, but loaded with meaning.
Will you love and protect me, care for me, be loyal and devoted, give me your trust and allow me to give you mine?

"Every moment from now
until eternity," he said, less than a moment after I uttered my loaded question.

"Words, baby." I looked, stared, demanded to those black eyes of his, "Tel
l me with your words that you'll fight 'til the end for me."

"'Til the sun ceases to shine."

Who was going to dispute that? I crashed my lips against his, sucking his lower one deep into my mouth, savoring the taste and texture of it. He took us to the bed, and I sunk on top of him, straddling his legs.

"That's where you should be," I informed him on a moan.
He smiled up at me, a smirk really. Gripping my hips, he slipped in and out of me in a painfully, perfectly, slow rhythm.

Proud of the haze he'd put me in, he told me, "You should be right here."
He rolled me off him without losing our connection, lying side by side, clutching his shoulders, we ground our bodies against one another, incomprehensible sounds mingling in the small amount of air between us.

"Right next to me," he said, reaching his hand
down to where we were joined together. "Right here is where I hope you'll give me the honor of being for the next few decades."

With his finger rubbing against my sensitive clit, a five by five millimeter space on my body, there was no other answer but
, "Yes. Fuck, yes, of course." I braced myself, feeling the mounting pressure. "It's you. There can't be anyone else, it's not possible," I groaned.

He leaned his head forward, and possessed my lips as fully as he possessed my body in that moment. My
shoulders shook and my pussy pulsed around him.

"J," I whispered, and a moment later something detonated inside of me
, all I felt was his skin, every inch rubbing against mine. I let go, and was nowhere and everywhere all at once, unsure where his body ended and mine began. For one moment, we were a single being, both exploding into and around each other.

Just.

One.

Moment.

"Fuck," he moaned, while wave after wave of crashing orgasm ripped through his body.

I lay twitching, like the after effects of
an earthquake. J brought the token, still hanging around my neck, to his lips and kissed it.

"First bes
t day of my life," he murmured in reference to our first date at the arcade.

I pulled him close to me, threading my leg through his, unwilling to let him pull out of me just yet. As if sensing my need, he held my body tightly to his, letting me know anyone who wanted at me, would have to go though him first. Although I was more than capable of handling anything I needed to, it was nice to know I had someone on my side—and no offense to Chris, who had my back one hundred percent, but J's 6'5" body was way better, because it contained his heart and soul as well.
The heart and soul of a Bear who would attack anyone who dared cross me.

We
'd been lying on the bed, that I swear was made for little people, for an indefinite amount of time when someone knocked on the door. I was about to get up to answer it. It was my place, my door, hence why I should open it.

“Stay here.” J jumped out of bed and walked silently to the door. He tapped it twice. When no taps responded, he asked, “Who’s there?”

We’d barely finished getting reacquainted, so I was all loose limbs and sex hazed head. I had the urge to yell out, “Orange.” Though from the way J acted through this entire encounter, minus the reacquainting part, I felt this might not be the best time for jokes.

“Elle?” The voice on the other side of the door called out.

“It’s José,” I told J. He turned to me, his jaw tight, and his fingers itching to grab his shoulder.

“Get dressed.”

I grabbed my clothes and slipped into the bathroom. Why did the universe always have to fuck with my bliss? I just had great sex, explosive sex, multiple orgasms that only J could deliver, and now I was pissed all over again. The temporarily forgotten questions came back to me like I'd run into a brick wall. I stepped out of the bathroom in denim shorts and a tank top ready for answers.

I may have
thrown the door open with a little too much force, as it banged against the wall. It didn’t matter, since neither man took notice. They were having a staring match to end all staring matches, both in a fighting stance.

“Answer me,” J said to
José.

“Fuck you,” was José’s response.

“You knew and you let her come?”

“Fuck. You.”

J lunged for José, throwing a punch that landed on José’s chin. He was stunned for a second, but quickly retaliated with a fist to J’s eye.

J reeled back, and I could tell this was about to get ugly. I walked to the boys, as they were no longer acting like men, and stood between them with my arms
stretched out toward their chests. I didn’t touch either one, instead just standing there, arms out, as if to say
you’ll have to go though me
. Both of them were breathing heavily, more out of anger than exertion.

“You two need to fuckin’ get it together cuz it’s answer time.
” I walked barefoot across the tile floor to the living room area of the large room. I pointed to the couch. “José, sit.” I thought I had a better chance of him following my order than J. I was correct as José made his way to the couch, sitting on the edge, ready to jump off at any moment.

I opened up a folding chair I’d found in the closet
. I looked at J then the chair. He stood by the door, unmoving. “Please,” I said, softening my tone.

J’s taut body relaxed a fraction and he walked to the chair, sitting on the edge
, much like José. I stepped between the two so I could look at both of them.

“Now, who wants to start
? Cuz I’m done being in the dark. Both of you act like I’m in danger. Well, I’m not a princess in a tower. Tell me what the fuck I’m in danger of.”

Neither one spoke. With my arms still crossed, I closed my eyes and tilted my head to the ceiling. I took a calming breath, exhaled, and said, “
José?”

“He’s taking care of business.” There was venom dripping from José’s voice
as he gave me the vaguest answer possible as to why J was in Mexico.

I sighed.

With my eyes still closed, I asked the universe, “Whatever God is out there, give me strength to deal with these two mother fuckers. Please.”

I opened my eyes and turned to J. I
silently pled with him to tell me something. His shoulders slumped.

“I told you I had to get rid of Burns.” OK, this was a start. I
t was information I already knew, but at least he was talking. “Fuck. Where to start?”

“The beginning?” I offered.
José sat back, as if ready for story-time at the library.

“Burns’ drug connection is a cartel in Ciudad Victoria
, just south of here. If the cartel stopped selling drugs to Burns, he’d have nothing and would be vulnerable. That would be my opportunity to get rid of him, so Dig could take back the MC. But the cartel’s gotta sell their shit to someone, so I found another buyer. I’ve been helping broker this deal. I had a connection to another organization in Missouri who would gladly take the business from Burns. I got 'em onboard. Dig got connected with the cartel somehow, and we set up a meet. All the pieces are in place. I’m just waiting for the switch over to happen. Once Burns realizes he isn’t getting any more drugs, he’ll start investigating. He's figured out that I’m gone, so he’ll know I’m involved. He’s already been looking for me. Once he doesn’t get his drugs, his attention will be spread thin. He’ll have more than just me to worry about. He’ll plot and scheme, and while he does, the brothers who are on me and Dig’s side will take him and his inner circle down.”

“I thought you
were gonna kill Burns?” I asked. Out of all that, this was my question?

“
They know to hold him for me. They know he’s mine.”

“And what does
José have to do with this?” That seemed like a better question.

“He’s my connection to the other organization.”

Fuck. I felt like I was back at square one. I turned to José. “Your turn.”

He sa
t forward, looking to J. “Tell her?”

“Might as well,” J responded.

“Right fucking here. You talk about me again like I’m not in the room, and you’ll regret that knife you encouraged Fernie to give me.” My eyes were now shooting daggers at José.

“My cousin, E, remember? From the club?” I nodded. “He’s
from my dad’s side of the family. They ran the drugs in Missouri before Burns stepped in, killed E’s father, and threatened to kill his whole family. They were more than happy for J to offer the opportunity for them to take it back, to be in control of the drugs in Missouri again.”