Claimed Read online

  The man climbed out of the car, keeping the door open as he approached. “I have to say this is new and a huge surprise,” Lash, the president of The Skulls said, as he approached.

  Duke held out his hand, and Lash shook it.

  Neither of them wore their patches. This was a private meeting, not about turf or war, but to find out answers about Lash’s family.

  “I didn’t think you’d come.”

  “You didn’t exactly give me much of a choice. I don’t like riddles, never have. I’ve had people in my past who have tried to use that method before, and believe me, don’t use it again if you want to keep your life.”

  “And here I thought you were above killing.”

  “I take care of my family. It’s what I do.” Lash stood, hands at his sides. Duke had no doubt the man was packing some weapon.

  The Skulls weren’t feared for no reason.

  “Do you want to tell me why the fuck I drove all the way out here on a cold night? I’ve got a family back home waiting for me.”

  “Is there a chance Ned Walker would be trying to take my town for any reason?”

  Lash didn’t give anything away. “Ned Walker?”

  “The old fucker called me a couple of years back. He wanted to do a meeting. My guess was, he wanted my club to take over from you.”

  “And your response being no.”

  “Exactly. I’m no one’s fucking pet to do as they please. It’s one of the many reasons I’m not in with the Billionaires.”

  “We were never Walker’s pet. As for our deals with the Billionaires, it’s a sweet one, but that’s your loss,” Lash said.

  “With your sudden twist of being the good little pets of the law now, I’ve got a drug problem running through Vale Valley. I want to know what Ned has planned and why You’re the only bunch of people I know with a direct connection with him.”

  Lash laughed. “You know I’ve killed men with my bare hands for less. You insult me.”

  “Ned Walker works for The Skulls.”

  “Listen to your own words. You can’t call us pets and then accuse us of having Walker work for us. The relationship between Walker and the club extended from Tiny. Not me. I’ve been in control for some time now, and our association with Walker ceased. He’s family, nothing more. We don’t party with him anymore, nor with drugs. We’re out, and we’re clean. Whatever business you’ve got with him, take it up with him. I get your frustration, I do, but jumping around like this, makes you look weak.”

  “That’s it.”

  “Duke, this is not my turf. This is not my club. You got a problem with your club, deal with it yourself. If you can’t, give it to me. I’d take this club from you in a heartbeat.”

  Duke stepped right up to the Skull son of a bitch. “This is my club. Not yours.”

  “Then act like it. Ned is not part of my club. He’s no member of mine. You deal with him in any way you see fit.”

  “And Tiny?”

  “They’re family. This is not club business. We’re good.”

  Duke nodded. “I didn’t mean to insult you.” He had to gain the upper ground one way or another.

  Lash smirked. “I’ll accept your apology. When it comes to Ned, don’t try to complicate things. He’s a simple man at heart. I’m shocked the old fucker is still breathing. Next time you arrange a meeting like this, I’ll kill you.”

  Lash walked away, climbing into his car. Duke wanted to shoot the other fucker now and get it over with, but he also had no reason to start a war with The Skulls. He had his answers. If Ned was the person bringing drugs into his town, then he was working for another MC, or someone else was working on their own. Either way, he got his answer. The Skulls wouldn’t mess with him as he found shit out.

  Whoever was bringing drugs into his town, he’d find them, and when he did, it was going to be a bloodbath.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The following Friday, Anna embraced her best friend tightly. Misty had finally been allowed to come to the party. She wasn’t going to tell her friend exactly what the party was for, but she was just so glad to see her.

  “I can’t believe you’re all grown up,” Misty said. “You and Landon together. No wonder you’ve been skipping out on work.” Misty hugged her again, and Anna shot Danny a glare. She still didn’t have a clue why he was mixed in with the Trojans, but tonight wasn’t about causing a rift or any trouble. This was about family and partying, drinking and sex mostly, but Landon assured her Misty wouldn’t be invited in to see her be part of their ritual claiming or whatever it was they wanted to call it.

  “I’m going to get us a couple of drinks. I’ll let you do your boss stuff.” Misty kissed Danny hard, and Anna raised a brow.

  “She have any idea you’re connected to this lovely club?” Anna asked.

  “You don’t have a clue what my connection is.”

  “True but I need to know, are you a good guy or a bad guy?”

  “Why does it matter to you?”

  “She’s my best friend. I didn’t want to set her up with a bad guy. All I ever wanted from her was to be happy.”

  “Then you’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ve no intention of hurting your friend.”

  “What are your intentions if they’re not hurting her?”

  “I care about her, Anna. Enjoy your night and relax.” Danny took a step away from her, but before she could stop him leaving, an arm banded around her waist, pulling her back.

  “Leave him be,” Landon said.

  “Is my friend safe with him?”

  “Why do you feel she wouldn’t be?”

  “I’m not stupid.”

  “I’m not accusing you of being stupid, baby. Danny’s a good guy. He’s helping the club out with a few things in town. Nothing dangerous or scary. Believe me. We’ve got all the real shit covered.”

  “Did you go and see Maya today?” she asked.

  “I did.”

  “And?”

  “She’s not shouting and cussing me at every turn. I consider that a bonus.”

  She smiled. “I know how much she means to you. I hate to see you hurting in anyway.”

  “I failed Maya.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I didn’t stop her taking the drugs. I didn’t even know she was addicted until she was high all the fucking time.”

  “You can’t take responsibility for her. Yes, she took drugs, but you didn’t force them down her throat.” Anna pressed her palm flat against his chest. “Look at me.” She waited a couple of seconds as he fought her. “There you are. Stop worrying. I demand you stop worrying.”

  “You think it’s that easy?”

  “I know it is.” She pulled him down and kissed his lips. “I love you. Maya’s in the best place for her. One day, she will even thank you for this. I promise.”

  He gripped her ass, pulling her close. “I love you.”

  “Enough to make me not do this?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Can we get it over with?”

  “You love watching people fuck. What is the big deal? Don’t you want to put on a show for me?”

  “For you, yes. For the club, no.”

  “I thought you weren’t a prude.”

  “Not wanting a bunch of guys to see me naked doesn’t make me a prude. I can give you a taste of what a prude would be like. I can take off sex, blowjobs, anal, and pretty much anything that makes you horny.”

  “Okay, my vixen. You’re not a prude.”

  “You do know this is stupid, right?”

  “Agreed.” He pushed some of her hair back. “Come on, let’s dance.”

  He pulled her onto the dance floor.

  “You’re going to relax me.”

  “We’re not going to kill you, or hurt you. Relax.”

  He ran his hands down her ass, pulling her in close.

  She rested her head against his chest, and closed her eyes, breathing him in. She hated his leather jacket, but she loved the m
an. One of his hands moved up to cup the back of her neck. He tilted her head back, and he brushed his lips across hers.

  “Focus on me. Don’t think about anyone else, just me.”

  He claimed her lips, and the world melted away. The music was a gentle hum in the background, but she only cared about Landon and what he was doing to her.

  She didn’t know how long he kissed her for, only that she felt it deep in her core. The hand on her ass moved around, touching her pussy. He slid beneath the fabric of her skirt, moving it out of his way to finally touch her. She didn’t see a reason to wear any panties, and as he touched her, she heard his growl.

  “I don’t know how I could have ever lived without you.”

  She chuckled. “Well, you’re not going to find out.”

  Pulling him down toward her for another kiss, she ignored the awareness she felt of everyone around her. They meant nothing. The only person who meant anything to her was in her arms, holding her, getting her so horny she couldn’t think straight.

  He moved them back until she was near the bar, and he lifted her up onto the barstool. She spread her legs and he stepped between them, lifting her skirt, and she helped him remove his cock from his jeans.

  Her gaze stayed on him as he slid inside her.

  “That’s right. I’m the only person who matters to you. From this day forward, I’m the only guy who will ever know how tight and hot you are.” He leaned close as he began to ride her. “Do you have any idea how fucking desirable you are? The moment you walked into the club all those weeks ago, I knew I had to have you. I never knew you’d be the one for me.” He kissed her hard, and she didn’t care about the club’s stupid ritual.

  Landon was hers, and if this was what it took, she would belong to him forever, no questions asked.

  Deep inside her, he stared into her eyes, and she knew there was nowhere else she ever wanted to be.

  “Marry me,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Marry me. Be my wife.”

  “Are you saying this to distract me?” she asked.

  “No. I want you to belong to me. You’re mine, Anna, just as I’m yours. I want you to be my wife. Say yes.”

  She didn’t speak, and she felt the ripples of her cunt around his dick. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

  ****

  Matthew watched the couple near the bar. At Landon’s request, the guys had given him enough distance to make Anna feel more comfortable. When he’d been told Landon had found a woman for himself, he hadn’t believed it. Landon was a man-whore. He loved to try each new woman out, and he had no problems with jumping from bed to bed. Seeing him now with Anna, he knew Landon wasn’t the same kind of man.

  He was different.

  Anna had changed him. He could relate to a woman having her hold over him.

  “Not a lot has changed, huh?” Luna said, startling him. She came from out of the back of the kitchen. She wore a pair of jeans, a crisp white shirt, and a jacket. Her hair fell around her in waves.

  She’d let it grow out again. She was often experimenting with her hair, changing her look. Matthew loved her, just her.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You told me about this. We even got to see another together. Don’t you remember?”

  “I vaguely remember.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve not told a soul of your club’s little secret.” She moved to step behind him. “Landon this time, huh.”

  “All of the guys are falling. You know how it is.” He no longer had any interest in the show going on before him.

  He was only interested in the woman standing in front of him. She looked so beautiful, but to him, she always had.

  Some of the guys back in high school had teased him for fucking the fat, geeky chick, but he’d not cared. She was all woman, and he missed her so much.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Have you come to stay?”

  “I don’t know.” She rubbed at her temple. “What happened when we were kids, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get over that. I mean, we could have been pregnant. I was so scared.” She licked her lips. “I thought I was over you. I thought I could move away from this place and never look back.”

  “And now?”

  “And now, I don’t have a clue. I was doing well. I know I was. I’m happy in my own way and I know I’m following my own path … but … you showed up, and now I don’t have a clue what to do. Why did you show up?” She frowned at him, looking so unhappy.

  “I love you.”

  “You’ve been watching me for months but always stayed in the shadows. You never let me see you, why?”

  “I figured I was doing the right thing, letting you go. If you love someone enough, you let them go. You know what I believe.”

  “What?”

  “Loving someone enough to let them go is utter fucking bullshit. It’s a copout. I’m not going to back down. I know you’ve got a life out in the city, but I couldn’t give two fucks, Luna. I love you. You belong here, and I’m going to do everything to prove to you this is where you need to be. I broke your heart once. I’m not doing it again.”

  “What if it’s beyond repair?”

  “I’ll fix it, because this between us.” He stepped forward, cupping her neck and placing his forehead against hers. “Can never truly be broken.”

  ****

  A few days later

  “I can’t believe you made Holly get you a test. I could have gotten a test.”

  Landon paced outside of the bathroom wanting nothing more than to barge right in, and see the results. He didn’t. Being the nice guy he was, he stayed outside, waiting.

  He should be fixing up her sewing room for her. After the party and Anna becoming his, he’d found her a ring, and now he was engaged. He’d dealt with her landlord and with some of the guys’ help, he’d moved her into his home.

  Anna didn’t have a whole lot of belongings. Most of them were fabrics, sewing machines, and a couple of mannequins she used to put her clothing on.

  “I want to be with you when you see the test.”

  “I’m peeing on a stick, Landon. Not a whole lot to see.”

  “I can still be holding your hand.”

  “I’m not peeing in front of you.”

  “You’re going to be married to me, and if you think I’m going to be all gentlemanly and not take a piss in front of you, you’re really fucking mistaken,” he said.

  He heard the toilet flush.

  “That would be on you. For me, I want to keep the romance alive.”

  Landon silenced her with a kiss.

  “Do you want me to be pregnant?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Don’t you want to have a family, kids, a good house?”

  “Yeah, but we’ve got the good house, and in a way, we’ve got the big family.”

  “I’m an impatient kind of guy. I want it all, and I never want to wait around.”

  She rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter.

  He glanced down on the counter, and there, waiting to turn, was the test.

  “You think you are?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  “I don’t know. I’m kind of scared. What if I make a bad mom?”

  “Nah, I’ve seen the way you are with Boo. It’s not possible.”

  “A dog is a lot different from a baby. I could be a horrible mother. He or she could hate me.”

  He kissed her neck and saw the test had changed color.

  “It’s different. Two stripes, what does two stripes mean?”

  Anna grabbed the box, and he saw how much her hand was shaking. Reading over her shoulder, he smiled.

  “Damn, I am good.”

  “There’s a second test. I can take it to be sure.”

  “Nope. I’ll call Kasey, see if she knows a good baby doctor.” Landon spun her around. “My bride is going to be nice and big when I marry her.” He placed a hand on her
stomach. “And I’m going to love you and this little one for the rest of our lives.” He dropped down to his knees in front of her. “I love you.”

  “Okay, now I’m going to bite. With me being pregnant with your child, and I’ve agreed to marry you. You own my heart, I live with you, and I know you kill people, tell me what the big secrecy is with Danny,” she said.

  Landon sighed. He didn’t want to start a marriage or continue his relationship by lying.

  “Fine. Fine. You want to know the truth?”

  “Yes.”

  “Danny’s helping us with the drug problem in Vale Valley. He knows the club really well, but he’s not known here in town. He’s just a guy who runs the tattoo place. It’s what we need him to know. You’re not in any danger. I would never let anything happen to you.”

  “I won’t say anything,” she said. “Thank you for telling me the truth.” She pulled him in close, and kissed him.

  “We’re going to have a baby.”

  “I know.” She pulled back, and he stared into her eyes, loving her even more. He knew this was what he wanted more than anything.

  “Time to tell the club,” he said. “They’re going to want to speed up preparations for our wedding.”

  He lifted her up, twirled her, and carried her through to their bedroom.

  “You’re not having any regrets?”

  “None.”

  “Good. Now make love to me, future husband.”

  “Gladly.”

  Epilogue

  Seven months later

  Anna glanced around the garden where she would be marrying Landon. Everyone had done everything they could to make sure this wedding would happen. She placed a hand on her stomach, feeling a little sick. Her pregnancy hadn’t been easy and had come with its fair share of problems, including her having to spend a great deal of time in bed.

  “Landon will be here soon. He shouldn’t see you yet,” Maya said.

  She turned toward Maya, who had come out to see her. Tears filled her eyes looking at the beautiful woman with her dark black hair.

  “Don’t cry. Everything is being handled.”

  “I know. I know. I can’t … this day, it has been, wow, a long time coming.”