Crushing Beauty (Harbingers of Sorrow MC): Vegas Titans Series (13 page)

“Britton…please say something.”

He dragged her in closer, hoping his touch would spark her
words. He kissed her face again, now worried that he had messed something up. He
placed his lips on hers, begging for a reaction. She kissed back, slowly at
first, then a little faster, and then she took over. The burning in her heart
succumbed to the flame, and her only answer was to kiss him even harder.

She lowered him down the short distance to the floor,
climbing on top of his hips. She pushed his shoulders to the ground, gazing at
his beautiful face. She didn’t know if she wanted to love him or hurt him. Her
hate for him was consuming her and she had no idea how to handle it. She
brought her face to his and kissed him. He wanted to flip her over and ravage
her, but enjoyed the power she was exerting over him. He closed his eyes as
their lips met, and felt a cool drop fall to his cheek. Jagger opened his eyes.
Why was she crying? Had he done something wrong?

“What is it?”

Britton didn’t say anything, just kissed him again, but he
needed to know what she was thinking.

“Britton, please talk to me.” He tried to sit up, but she
pushed him down again. Her mouth crushed his, and he felt her tears surge. He
wrapped his arms around her back and brought himself up to face her. “Why are
you crying? Why aren’t you saying anything?” He was pleading now, feeling his
voice choking in his throat. She strained to kiss him again, but he held her at
arm’s length. He tried to catch her stare, but she refused to make eye contact.
She struggled to push herself forward into him, but he was too strong.

“No.” He said.

“No what?”

“Britton, please tell me what I can do.”

She weakly slapped him across the face. It caught him by
surprise, but he was still too concerned with her demeanor to react. When the
slap eased the pain within her being, Britton began to punch her fists into his
chest. He tried to clutch her closer, but she refused to stop punching. Her
moans became cries, and she flailed her arms, having fully given over to her
emotions.

Finally, with her energy drained, she collapsed into a fit
of tears. Jagger held her to his chest, trying to match her breathing to his. He
held his tongue, knowing that she was not ready to speak. What had he done? He
had told her he loved her. The last time he had said those words was the night
that he thought he lost her. Here he was, ten years later, finding the same
words that used to comfort her, that used to make her smile. What was different
now?

Her sobbing slowed and her voice trembled through her tears,
“Why did you leave me?”

She needed to know. That night had defined her entire
existence since then, and now he thought he could glaze over it with a simple
‘I love you’? But she knew he loved her, and the truth was that she loved him
too. She couldn’t help herself. Still, they couldn’t just go back to before the
accident and pretend they were the same teenagers who everyone envied.

“What?” He thought he knew what she was asking him, but had
hoped he was wrong.

“You left me on the side of the road. You left me.” Her
cries heightened.

“I had to…”

“So you wouldn’t get arrested?”

“Britton, no.”

“Your not going to jail was more important to you? How can
you tell me now that you love me?”

“Because I do. Britton, I love you.”

“Stop it.” She looked straight into his eyes, demanding his
attention.

“I cannot stop loving you. I never have.”

“Well, learn to, because I cannot forgive you. Do you know
what you did to me? Do you know how messed up I’ve been since then?” She hated
to admit it, but at that moment, she was unable to control the outpouring of
emotions.

“I’ve been messed up too.”

“You left me, not the other way around. I waited for you. I
was in the hospital for a week, and then I waited for you at our secret place
for three days. You never came. Never.”

“I couldn’t.”

“You didn’t care.”

“Of course I did.”

“You left me to die, on the ground, in the rain.”

“They were going to kill you.”

She stopped, searching his face. “What?”

Jagger stood up, not ready for his admission. He began to
pace.

“Jagger, what does that mean?”

He stopped his stride and faced her. “You know how I told
you I was arrested a few times while we were dating?”

“Yes…”

“Well, the leader of the Harbingers at that time…he warned
me that if I was arrested again, I wouldn’t be able to protect you any longer.”

Britton failed to form words.

“I tried to leave, to take you away from all of it, but he
told me if I ever betrayed him or the club he would find us, and would force me
to live in a world without you.” He stopped, choosing his words. “So I had to
leave you.”

Tears fell down his face, and she knew his confession was
genuine. Never in a hundred years had she thought his reason for leaving her
was for her protection.

He waited for her to speak, but she said nothing.

“So I made my way up the ladder, knowing the only way to
keep you safe was to take over as president.”

“And you did?”

“I did.”

“How?”

He looked up, not wanting to meet her gaze. “He’s not a
problem anymore.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know what that means.”

“Jagger, I need to hear it.”

He looked up to the ceiling. “I killed him.”

“What?”

“Britton, I had to. He always held that over me. He’s the
reason I knew you were in Washington. He had people watching you. I couldn’t…”

He had people watching her? How long was that going on? Did
he know she was at Quantico? Her heart began to race.

“How long?”

“Six years: your last two years of high school and all four
years of college. I couldn’t let it go on longer than that because I was hoping
you’d come home.”

So he didn’t know. He just knew that she had graduated four
years ago. She was safe. Her head was spinning. He was protecting her? All
these years she had spent hating him, and he was keeping her safe. What was she
supposed to do?

“Please say something.” He implored.

“I’ve spent ten years hating you. I don’t know anything
else.”

He hung his head. “I understand.” He was defeated. He wanted
her forgiveness more than anything, but didn’t even know if he deserved it. After
all, he did leave her without any explanation. He still hated himself for that
night.

Britton saw the pain take over his face. It wasn’t what she
wanted. She released her reservations and threw her arms around him. Neither
said anything, they only continued to embrace each other. They returned each
other’s squeeze with an even harder one, until finally Britton found the
courage to speak. She nipped his ear lobe and whispered, “I could never stop
loving you.”

Jagger sighed, allowing a smile to spread across his face. He
grabbed her leg, wrapping it around his hip. He wanted her to feel how much he
wanted her. He pulled his face from hers, silently asking for her approval. She
nodded in return, and he lifted her off the ground and tossed her onto the bed.
He climbed on top of her, ripping the buttons off her jeans. She screamed with
excitement as he slid the denim down her legs.

He reached into his back pocket and produced a pocketknife. Britton’s
body tensed, unaware of his intentions. He popped open the blade and lowered it
to her cheek. The metal was cold and it stirred the passion in the pit of her
stomach. He gently skated it down her neck, to the tip of her sternum. It
traveled slowly under the collar of her shirt, and as he beamed at her, he
raced his hand down, tearing her shirt in the process. Britton wanted him. Her
excitement was real. It was more real than anything she had ever experienced. Jagger
then took the blade and outlined her red-laced bra. He slid the blade between
her breasts and drew up, ripping the thin material. She was naked, exposed.

He took her in, feeling the freedom of nothing but honesty
between them. He loved her, and she loved him. Nothing would ever change that. He
brought his lips to her breast, sucking at her peak. She moaned, and he
returned by squeezing her nipple between his capable fingers. He could do that
for hours, but her moans became louder and harder and he needed to satisfy his
lust. His kisses lowered, crossing her belly button and biting at her inner
thigh. She pushed into him, begging for more. He answered by swiftly attacking
her with his tongue. He sucked, pulling his lips closer to her warmth. He
peeked his eyes up to her, enjoying the ecstasy spreading over her face. He
hummed in approval, causing her to squeal. He continued his game, secretly
freeing his erection from its confines. He blew his cool breath and slid his
body up hers. He looked into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to see her.

“I love you.”

And with his words, he pushed into her, possessing her
screams. He wanted to be closer, further into her. He spread her toned legs and
lifted his chest off of her. He needed to watch her reaction to his passionate
attention. This was the woman he loved, the woman he wanted to spend the rest
of his life with, and the woman he wanted to bare his children. He would devote
every bit of power he had to ensuring her happiness.

They were on the road again, she was on the back of his
Harley clutching his waist for dear life as he sped off down the highway back
to the warehouse. Britton’s mind was racing, her thoughts barely audible over
the roaring of the motorcycle's engine. She was absolutely in love with this
man, and yet her job was to arrest him and ensure that he never left the inside
of a jail cell. How could she do that now? Everything he did was to protect
her...even if he was a killer and a drug kingpin.

“Did everyone accept you as the leader after you…got rid of
that guy?” She leaned in and screamed into his ear.

It was not what he wanted to talk about, but he wasn’t about
to close up now. “Yes. The man before me was hateful, vindictive, and reckless.
They were happy to see him go.”

“Is everyone scared of you?”

“No. I’ve changed a lot of things. Maybe what we do isn't
exactly legal, but I would never put anyone in harm’s way.”

“So it’s mostly drugs?”

“Drugs, guns, escorts…”

“Like you’re a pimp?” She knew what an escort service was,
but decided to play innocent.

“No I’m not a pimp! Who do you think I am? And escorts are
not illegal, but it’s an added service we provide to our customers.”

“And since it’s legal, it’s easier to account for the money
you’re making in other areas?”

“Essentially, yes.”

He just admitted to money laundering. It was surprisingly
easy to get him to incriminate himself once she was on his good side. Now if
only she knew what to do with that information.

“And everyone who works for you…”

“Most of us came from broken or abusive homes, and never
really felt like we belonged anywhere. That’s why we say we’re a family. We
don’t know any other.”

“Must be nice…” She always yearned for that.

“Britton, they’re your family now too.”

She smiled at him, wanting nothing more than for that to be
true. But what would happen when the Feds closed in? They would all feel
betrayed. Especially Jagger. Especially Dominic. How could she continue with
this operation? Better yet, how could she get out of this operation?

They pulled up to the warehouse and Dom was standing
outside, waving. He had his arm around a pretty blonde girl and was holding a
small boy.

“Hey guys!”

“Hey Dom, hey Cindy.” Jagger dropped his kickstand and
killed the engine. He helped Britton off the bike before he ran over and
snatched the child out of Dominic’s arms. “And hello Matty!” He threw him up in
the air and he screamed with laughter.

“Hello Uncle Jagger.” Matty squeaked.

Britton watched the interactions, but had no idea what to
make of them. She stepped in to hug Dominic.

“Hey Brit, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Cindy, and
our crazy two year old, Mateo…Matty for short.”

Britton couldn’t hide her shock. “Hi. It’s so nice to meet
you.” She extended her hand to Cindy, but Cindy instead pulled her into a hug.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Britton. It’s so great to
have you as part of the family.”

She looked to Dom. “Why didn’t…”

“You seemed to have a lot to take in yesterday. I didn’t
want to give you more to process.”

Jagger was running around with Matty, pretending he was an
airplane. They were both laughing.

“He’s really good with him.” Dom pointed out.

“I see that.”

“Hey Jagger!” Dom called after him. “The barbeque is out
back.”

“I’ll be right there!”

Cindy, Dominic, and Britton strolled behind the warehouse
and were greeted by all of the familiar faces from the day before. Everyone
hugged Britton, proclaiming how happy he or she was that she was joining the
party today.

Britton looked around, taking in the spectacle. There were
games and laughter, and so much food. She suddenly felt her feet lift off the
ground and she was cradled in Jagger’s arms.

“I’m sorry, did you want to be Superman too?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She joked.

Jagger laughed and began running around the yard with her
still in his arms. He made a round and passed her off to Dom, who continued the
journey. Before she knew it, she was tossed from Dom off to a few new friends
who she barely knew, but it didn’t matter. Everyone was laughing. Finally she
made her way back into Jagger’s arms. She had to catch her breath from laughing
so hard. Jagger set her down on her feet and hugged her to him.

“I couldn’t be happier.” He whispered in her ear.

“Me either.” She smiled up at him.

He leaned into her and kissed her. They didn’t care that
everyone was watching; their lips needed to meet in that moment. He closed his
arms around her and drew her in closer.

“Guys, there are children here.” Dominic teased.

They broke their kiss and started giggling. They didn’t have
a care in the world; nothing was bigger than the two of them in that moment.

Everyone sat down at tables and began to eat. Britton caught
up with Dominic, asking how him and Cindy met, when they were married, and if
they were planning on having any more kids. She couldn’t believe she had a
nephew. She watched him stroll around the yard, picking dandelions and throwing
them into the wind.

“He’s adorable.”

“He’s a great kid. We’re so lucky.”

“And you don’t worry about what will happen to him if
something goes sour here?”

“Of course I do, but Brit, he can have a good life because
of the money I make and the time Jagger allows me to spend with him, and that’s
the only thing that matters to me.”

“What about Cindy.”

“Cindy doesn’t need to work. I don’t want her to.”

“And she knows about everything you do?”

“This is where we met; she understands this business. And
she’s the reason I don’t do more than I already do. But she saw who I was when
Jagger brought me in, and who I am now. She knows this place is good for me.”

“Okay.”

“That’s all you’re going to say to that?”

“What more is there? It’s your life. As long as you and your
wife are happy, my opinion is obsolete.”

“Thanks sis.”

“You are happy, right?”

“Very.”

“Good.”

One of the other men sped to Jagger’s side and whispered in
his ear. Jagger sat up straight, his eyes wide.

“Thank you, I’ll take care of it.” He looked to Dominic. “Get
everyone into hiding. We have an intruder.”

Britton caught his worried eyes and reached up for him.

“Britton, please stay with Dom. I’ll take care of this.”

“But, I can help you.”

“No!” His voice boomed. He was serious about this. He didn’t
want her anywhere near this possible danger. “Dom, take her.”

Jagger disappeared into the building. Dom quietly rounded
everyone up and directed them all into a covered stairwell that went under the
building. Britton saw him hug Cindy and promise that everything was okay. He
found the light, and the safe room came to life. It was spectacular for being a
basement hideout. There were couches and chairs, a dining area, and a kitchen. Everyone
chose a seat and sat in silence.

Dom addressed the crowd. “Okay guys, we don’t know exactly
what is going on, but Jagger is taking care of it. The walls are thick, so you
can talk. This is still a party, so have fun.”

Mumbling spread across the room. It was obviously the first
time something like this had happened. Who could it be? How did they find them?
What were they looking for?

While Britton wanted to know the answer to these questions
too, her main concern was Jagger. He was upstairs, alone. No one was protecting
him. Was it another Vegas Motorcycle Club? Was it the police? Was it the FBI? Did
Hank rat them out?

Cindy saw the concern on Britton’s face, sat down next to
her, and hugged her.

“Jagger is just fine. He’s really good at taking care of
himself. And everyone else, for that matter.”

“I know, I just hate that he’s up here by himself.”

“Yes, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Why?”

“Because he could never live with himself if something
happened to one of us.”

One by one, people wandered over to Britton to promise her
that everything was going to be okay. They told her of Jagger’s heroic stories:
how he had saved two of them from a rival gang’s torture with only a
pocketknife, how he'd landed on a parked car after jumping out of a building,
but then sent that person a brand new car, and how he never stopped speaking of
the amazing beauty that he had fallen in love with when he was only seven years
old. They were so delighted that she had finally come back to him. They said
that while he was a generally happy person, something was always missing from
Jagger’s smile. Since Britton walked back into his life, he had finally seemed
whole.

Britton loved hearing all of their stories. She loved being
surrounded by so many wonderful people. She understood why Jagger called this
‘his family,’ and she felt so honored to be invited into it.

She was lost in her thoughts when she felt a tug at her
knee. Britton looked down into the sweet angelic face of her nephew. He had
Dominic’s tanned skin and bouncing curls, but Cindy’s striking blue eyes. His
pursed lips upturned into a smile and he stretched his arms to her. Britton
beamed back and lifted Matty onto her lap. He nestled his head into her chest and
stuck his thumb in his mouth, suckling ever so quietly. She lowered her lips to
his head and softly kissed his curls.

She felt an aching in her heart that she had never
experienced. She'd never wanted children of her own. She resented her childhood
enough to refuse to bring another life into this world. Yet, holding her
nephew, a small being that shared her blood, felt inspiring. He was happy, and
Dominic would make sure that he would never experience the childhood that they
did. His kid would want for nothing, especially love. Couldn’t she do the same?
Could her and Jagger provide that life for a child of their own?

The door to the safe room swung open, and Jagger walked down
the stairs. Everyone ran up to him, asking what had happened. He locked eyes with
Britton.

“Everything is okay. Go back to the party. I have a few
things to take care of, but none of it means that you all can’t have fun.”

He walked into the crowd and took Dominic by the shoulder. “Keep
everyone outside.”

He extended his hand toward Britton, and she rose up to her
feet, still clutching Matty. His lips were tight together, not allowing a smile
to escape. “Come with me.”

She handed her now sleeping nephew to Dominic and followed
Jagger up the stairs, around the corner, and into the warehouse.

“What's going on?” Britton begged, but Jagger said nothing,
only continued walking forward.

He pulled open the wide door, revealing a single chair in
the middle of a dark room. There was a man tied to it, a gag in his mouth. Jagger
led Britton closer and turned on the lights.

“How did he get here?” Jagger asked.

The man lifted his head, his eyes pleading with Britton.

It was David.