Red (Hell’s Jury MC #5)

24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Stella

The game is over. We won again by a narrow margin.

Coach benches me at half-time.

“Is it a boy?” she says after the game is over.

I decide to be honest. “Yes, but it’s more than that. Lachlan’s mom was killed and he’s dealing with custody over his sister. I’m going to family court with him in the morning.”

She nods. “I know who you’re talking about. It’s all over the news. I get that it’s a rough time, but I’m not sure why you’re involved.”

She’s kind of right. “Because I lend an element of stability for him.”

Coach snorts a laugh. “You? He really is desperate.”

That’s her attempt at humor.

“I’m sorry. That’s just the way it is.”

“We’ve had this conversation already. You’re second year. You have two or three more years of basketball left. And I know you love the game. Selma’s set to graduate and when she does, it’ll leave a hole. There’s no one to fill it except you and Lexie. Our backup point guard still needs a lot of work to bring her up to snuff.”

“I know,” I say as I glance at my watch. “I’ll get my act together. Promise.”

She shakes her head, then walks away.

After I shower I head to mom and dad’s. Hopefully Lachlan will be home.

He’s not. The house is dark and when I knock there’s no answer.

It’s almost 11 PM, but the lights are still on in my parents’ place so I go over.

Dad’s awake, working in the den.

“Hey,” I say as I sit down.

He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. “Win the game tonight?”

“Yeah. Barely. Coach benched me at half-time.”

Dad sighs. “I understand why you want to help Lachlan, but you can’t give up your life for him.”

“I’m not,” I say defensively.

He shifts to fully face me. “Stella, I know you like him. Underneath his grunge is probably a good man. But you have to be you. You can’t lose yourself to him because that won’t sustain a relationship. After a while, you’ll both start chafing. You because you want some control, and him, because he’s used to having all of it.”

I don’t wanna talk about Lachlan or our relationship, mostly because there’s an element of truth to what dad’s saying. “We found Lachlan’s mom’s will. And his dad’s.”

I was holding them when I took off to class so I put them in my book bag. Then after, I made copies. My first sin of the day.

Dad puts on his lawyerly cap. “What was in them?”

The second sin is going against Lachlan’s express wishes not to share them with dad. I dig the copies out of my bag and hand them over, then watch as he puts his glasses back on and pages through them.

He looks up when he’s done. “There’s nothing in here that explicitly states that Lachlan is assigned guardianship of Sorcha. It’s somewhat implied, but it’ll still be an uphill battle. Who’s representing him?”

“Meredith Luther.”

He nods. “She’s a bulldog. Has she seen the wills?”

“Not yet. Tomorrow before the court hearing.”

He wrinkles his forehead as he removes his glasses. “Court hearing?”

“Yeah. Trula Hyack is the caseworker. She pushed through an order regarding Sorcha’s custody and the judge agreed to an early hearing.”

“On Saturday?”

“Apparently so.”

“Who’s the judge?”

I try to remember. “Starts with an ‘R’. Rennie… Ralf....”

“Renault?”

“Yeah! That’s it.”

“Fuck,” he says under his breath. Dad works late a lot. His caseload is heavy, but tonight, it’s like I’ve seen him for the first time. He looks tired. Worn out. He’s in his late forties. Too young to retire, and I know he loves his job, but I think he’s burning out.

“When’s the last time you and mom took a vacation?”

He thinks for a minute then shrugs. “I don’t know.”

I hear the roar of Lachlan’s bike in his driveway. “I’m just gonna check on him. See how he is,” I say as I stand.

Dad stops me as I head to the door. “Stella, remember what I said. Be yourself. Trust yourself. If he doesn’t like you for who you are, then he’s the wrong man for you.”

“I get it, dad,” I reply impatiently.

I head across the street to Lachlan’s house. No lights on yet.

There’s no answer to my knock so I turn the doorknob. It’s not locked.

“Lachlan?” I call softly as I step inside and shut the door behind me.

Lachlan steps out of the kitchen, a menacing shadow.

I shiver. He’s so tall, so big and if I didn’t know him, I’d run away screaming.

“Stella, go home. I don’t want you here right now.”

I suck in a breath at the hurt I feel. “Why not?”

“Had a shit day that got fucking worse after I talked to Hangman. Too pissed to be around people.”

“I’m not people. I’m me. And I’m not afraid of you.”

He’s in front of me before I can react. “Maybe you should be. You think I’m a good guy and I’m fuckin’ not. And right now, I wanna punch someone. So go the fuck home.”

Stupidly, I think I can cheer him up. “I showed dad the wills and he said the custody of Sorcha was implied. He?—”

“You fuckin’ what?”

His voice is so hostile that I take a step back. “I…I…”

“I explicitly told you not to involve him.”

“I thought he could help.”

His hands band around my arms as he shoves me against the wall so hard my head bounces off it. “I don’t want him in my fuckin’ business. He’s a fuckin’ DA and I don’t trust him.”

I scramble to think of something to say to get him to calm down. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

“Fuckin hell I’m right.” He raises his voice. “You goddamned do as I say, you understand?”

I pull at his wrists. “You’re hurting me.”

He yanks me against his body. “Not yet I’m not.”

He leans his face to mine and finds my lips. It’s not the sweet way he kissed before. It’s punishing.

His hand snakes up my jersey and gives my breast a brutal squeeze as he tangles my hair in his other hand and yanks it hard. His erection is obvious as he grinds against my pelvis.

I fantasized about this. His dominance. His power. It turned me on, but this onslaught makes me afraid and angry. Maybe dad’s right. Maybe Lachlan thinks he can do anything he wants with me and I won’t stop him.

I yank my head to the side, then push at him hard, stomping his foot with mine. “Stop!” I shout.

He freezes, pulls his head back. His hands slide to my waist.

Our heavy breaths tangle together as we lock eyes.

“Fuck, Stella,” he says as he presses his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry. Jesus.” He steps back. “I’m sorry.”

His shoulders slump and he runs his hand over the top of his head. “I’m not like that, I promise.” He takes a couple of more steps back. “Everything that’s happening. It’s too much. I’m not thinkin’ straight.”

“It’s okay,” I say to mollify him. “I understand.”

“It’s not fuckin’ okay.” He starts to raise his voice again, realizes what he’s doing and stops. “You should go.”

And leave him here on his own in the state he’s in? No. And I’m selfish because I’ve wanted him since I met him and this is our chance to really be together.

“Don’t make me,” I plead as I grab his head and bring his face to mine.

“Stella.” His hot breath brushes my lips. “This is not?—”

I press my mouth against his to stop him from finishing the sentence. I know what he’s going to say. This is not the right time, but to hell with that. For all we know it’ll never be the right time.

He kisses me hard as his hands squeeze my waist, then drop to my ass. He kneads it as he presses me closer to him.

My hands wander under his T-shirt and my fingers weave their way over his hard muscles. A bolt of heat slides from my belly downwards and I think I might come from the pure erotism of the moment.

“Upstairs,” he says as he effortlessly lifts me into his arm.

“You’re strong,” I whisper in his ear as he almost runs to his bedroom.

“You’re weightless,” he replies as he sets me on my feet next to the bed.

He takes off his vest and drapes it on a hanger in the closet, then my dreams come true as he rips his T-shirt off.

I stand for a moment, staring at the Viking in front of me then realize I should be undressing too.

“Not yet,” he says as he grabs my hand. “I want to undress you.”

I shiver. My total experience with men has involved kissing and heavy petting. I haven’t liked anyone enough to risk my career with an unplanned pregnancy.

But right now, right here, I’d throw it all away for him.

Lachlan reaches down and unties his boots, then kicks them off. No socks and as he undoes his jeans, I realize no underwear either.

I find myself sliding my fingers along the hem of my jersey. Now I’m nervous. I want to throw my jersey over my face while he does the big reveal. But I don’t. I wait.

“Help me,” he says.

“Help you?”

He pulls me to him. “With the jeans. Pull them down.”

“Okay,” I whisper as I knot my fingers into his waistband and slowly slide them over his well-formed ass. Then I start to crouch ever so slowly pulling the jeans down his legs. His cock is in front of my face. Erect, big and expectant.

Tears spring to my eyes. I’m so lame. I know what I should do. I know what he wants me to do, but I’m frozen.

He must sense my hesitation because he pulls me up and gently kisses me, then brings my hand down to his hardness and curls it around his cock. “Jack me,” he says as he wraps his fingers over mine and moves us back and forth.

“Fuck,” he groans as he closes his eyes. “I’ve thought about this too often.”

“Me too,” I whisper as I stroke him. It’s not like I haven’t touched a cock before, but not this big, not this long.

He untangles himself from me and steps back, yanking his jeans off and tossing them to the floor.

My eyes feast upon him, my mouth waters. He’s a miracle. And he wants me.

“Your turn.” He takes my jersey and slides it over my head. “Beautiful,” he says. His tongue darts out of his mouth and licks the side of my neck, then between the hollow of my breasts.

I shiver as I grab his head. I want him to kiss me, then suck my nipples. They’re ready for him. I’m ready for him.

I reach back to undo my bra, embarrassed that it’s a super ugly sports bra. And my undies. Polyester boy shorts. I should’ve bought something sexier.

“’Where’d you go?” Lachlan asks of my momentary lapse.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” I say more for me than him as I let the straps slide down my arms.

“I love your hair,” he murmurs as he teases it, then swallows my reply with a kiss, probing, testing, tasting.

I kiss him back, hard like he did, my tongue sliding into his mouth. Tingles spread through me as he caresses me, kisses my neck again, holds me closer as he brings a hand to my breast. Kneads it. Flicks a nipple. Then rubs it between his fingers before sliding his hand down my waist to my hip, which he squeezes gently. My legs tremble and I grab him tighter to stop from falling over.

I take a deep breath as I step back from him and slide my pants over my hips, letting them fall to my ankles, then kick them off. I’m still wearing my undies, socks and high tops and I haven’t got a clue how to look sexy as I take them off.

Turns out it’s impossible.