Red (Hell’s Jury MC #5)

26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

Stella

“What happened?” I ask Lachlan. I so want to tell him I love him and if he breaks up with me I’ll probably boil his bunny. But this conversation is serious. The love bit can come later.

“This can’t go beyond us.” He laughs softly then adds, “I get it now. How vulnerable we are talking to our ol’ ladies.”

“I don’t get what that means, but you can trust me.”

“I’m fuckin’ serious. No convos about this with your sister or best friend. And especially not your parents.”

That’s a tough one. Those people are my go-to therapists. Especially Lexie. But if Lachlan is my future, I can’t betray him to anyone. “I don’t break promises. Not many anyway. Not to you. Except for the will stuff, though I don’t think I promised. Just agreed. That’s not the same thing, is it?”

Lachlan gazes at me. “I guess it wasn’t a binding contract.”

I smile. “I’ll respect your wishes in the future.”

He nods then says, “This shit started because Hangman and my mom were fucking.”

“They were having an affair?” I say, trying to picture Hangman with a woman who has a 24-year-old son. “Isn’t there a bit of an age gap?”

Lachlan thinks about it for a minute. “Mom had me when she was 20, so she was 44 when she died. Hangman’s probably 40.”

Then he tells me, taking a swig of his beer after each revelation until the bottle is empty.

I’m shocked. Lachlan’s dad broke Sorcha’s arm; Hangman killed their dad. Sorcha is his half-sister, the result of the affair Hangman had with Lachlan’s mom.

“Good god,” I whisper. “That is so messed up.”

He nods. “I thought my head was going to explode.”

“What did you say to him?”

He shows me his bruised knuckles. “I talked with my fists.”

“I probably would’ve shot him.”

He smiles grimly. “Thought about it. Didn’t have my piece with me.”

“Is that why your mom was with him when she got killed. The affair?”

“Nah. Hangman said the affair ended before it started. I don’t fuckin’ know why they were meeting.”

“Maybe about Sorcha.”

Lachlan shakes his head. “He’s barely had any interaction with her.”

“How do you know?”

He laces his fingers through mine. “Good point. Sorcha knows him. Says he visited sometimes.”

I so want to rock him in my arms. “Does he want custody of Sorcha?”

“No. He fessed up because he doesn’t want Sorcha in the system. He’s got three kids already. All from different mothers.” He slides his hand down my thigh.

My nipples harden and goosebumps run up my arms. I squeeze his hand, then let go. “Don’t right now.”

He grins like a sated lion, then rests his hand on his stomach. “I’d say he’s not a bad father, but he’s indifferent. Kind of weird. Like a papa bear. Anyone messes with his kids and he’ll put their head on a spike.”

Given what I’ve heard of Hangman, I think it’s a literal comment. “Really?”

“The kids are at the clubhouse a lot because it’s safe there. But his interactions with them are minimal as far as I can tell. His oldest kid lives with his mother, the next kid belongs to Verity, who’s his ex, but I guess she’s still thought of as Hangman’s ol’ lady. The youngest was from an affair Hangman had when he was with Verity. The mother’s not in the picture so Verity looks after her.”

“He seems to have a hard time keeping it in his pants.”

Lachlan grunts. “Not my business.” He strokes my hair then pulls me closer. “Let’s forget that shit for a while. It’ll still be there tomorrow.”

His lips find mine. Little bites along my neck, a nip of my shoulder, then back to my mouth, sucking on my tongue, then nibbling before he sweeps my mouth.

He grabs my waist and hauls me on his lap so I’m straddling his hips. His hands trace my body from the top of my head to my thighs. “You’re beautiful,” he rumbles. “When you smile, when you’re planning something, when you come.”

I narrow the space between us and kiss him hard. “You look pretty good when you come.”

“You had your eyes closed.”

I reach behind me and stroke his cock a couple of times, then slowly lower myself on top of it.

“Gotta get a condom,” he says as he tries to push me off.

I resist. “I won’t get pregnant.”

“It ain’t just that.”

“What then?”

“It’s responsible.”

I freeze. “You have an STD?”

“No,” he replies defensively.

I move my hips from side to side, reveling in my pleasure. “Why are we talking about it then?”

“Jesus Christ,” he murmurs as he jerks upwards into me.

Lachlan stretches me to my limits, and in this position, fills me all the way up. I groan as I move on top of him like I’m riding a horse.

I don’t know if I should talk, I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I also don’t want him to know how inexperienced I am. Then I remember our conversation. He says he won’t reject me no matter what I say or do.

His hands are on my hips and he’s pumping into me as our eyes lock. “Jesus, you’re tight.”

Those words send an arrow of desire through me. I need to say something back that will turn him on. What though? You are too. No, no, he isn’t tight, he’s big. So, you’re so big. Oh god, I can’t say those words. Maybe you’re?—

“Hey, where’d you go?”

Heat rushes to my face. “Uhm. Just not sure… would you like me talk to you?”

He jerks up inside me. “Stella, do what comes natural.”

I almost feel like crying. “I don’t know what natural is. I’ve never…” I can’t say it, but in the end I don’t have to.

“Never been with a man before. I know.”

He’s still pumping inside me slowly, then brings a thumb to my clit and starts rubbing it.

“How can you tell?”

He pulls my face to his. “I’ve never been with a virgin before.”

“Yeah, but?—”

“Quit talking,” he commands, then forces me to stop by kissing me deep and possessively.

He rolls me over so he’s on top of me, looking into my face as he thrusts harder. “Legs around the hips.”

I do exactly what I did last time. He’s right. It’s natural. I meet him thrust for thrust, his arms underneath me, hands gripping my shoulders bruisingly.

It’s everything. The way he owns my body, the way he holds me, touches me. The way our bodies sync together as we speed up. “Oh god,” I moan as I close my eyes. I’m so close.

“Stella, open your eyes,” Lachlan says.

I pop them open, locking them with his as he pumps deeper.

“I’m gonna come.” And then I do.

I think he thrusts a couple of more times and I think he comes but in truth, lightening is ripping through my body, stunning me. Never in my self-induced orgasmic life has coming ever felt this mind-blowing.

Lachlan lays on me until his breath evens out and then flips to his back. “You closed your eyes.”

I grin. “I had to. The fireworks were too bright.”

He falls asleep before me but only by seconds and in the morning, when I wake up, his side of the bed is empty and the shower’s on. As I get up, the tap turns off and he comes out soaking wet with a towel in his hand. “You’re turn,” he says to me as if last night never happened. “It’s 7:30. We gotta get to your place so you can change, then to the courthouse to meet with Meredith.”

He’s right so I push down the hurt over his abruptness. I do a quick wash and shampoo, then dress quickly.

On the way to my apartment, we barely talk and I keep thinking I did something wrong, but I can’t figure out what. My rational side tells me he’s nervous about today and it has nothing to do with me. My idiotic side worries that Lachlan might be one of those guys who loses interest once they’ve have sex.

When we get to my apartment, I tiptoe inside, but Lexie has the hearing of the greater wax moth, which is one of the useless facts I retained from high school biology. She catches me before I get to my bedroom. “What happened?” she says sleepily. “You usually let me know when you’re staying at your parents.” She’s wearing a thong and sleeveless tee.

“She didn’t stay at her parents,” Lachlan says as my jealously spikes. He’s prowling around my apartment looking at stuff, not her.

It still doesn’t stop me from wanting to wring Lexie’s neck.

“Eek,” Lexie says as she ducks back into the bedroom.

I don’t linger over what to wear. Don’t need to. I’m like a private in the army. I have my standard uniforms that don’t really vary. I dress in running pants, a brown tee and a sweater mom gave me for Christmas. I wear the same high tops I had on yesterday and bobby pin my hair behind my ears. I look in the mirror. It’s as good as it’s gonna get.

We make it to the courthouse five minutes late and practically out of breath.

“You’re late,” Meredith scolds as she takes the wills Lachlan is carrying,

“Good morning,” I say instead of sorry. This new independent me feels good. That is until Meredith glares at me.

“There’s a coffee machine down the hall. Get some for us.” I run out of the room with my tail between my legs. I tell myself that a leopard doesn’t change its spots overnight, then as I buy the coffee, I wonder if a leopard ever changes its spots.

Meredith and Lachlan are deep in conversation when I return and by the look on Lachlan’s face, it isn’t good news.

“Thanks,” she says absent-mindedly as she takes the cup I offer her. Then to Lachlan, she says, “We’ll try.”

“Try what?”

“Our best,” Meredith replies.

The coffee tastes like the crap you get out of a vending machine, which is of course where I got it from, but we all drain our cups. At 9:45, we head into the court room.

Erin isn’t there, which doesn’t surprise me, since this hearing has nothing to do with Gabby.

“Good morning,” Trula says briskly.

“Good morning,” Meredith says, then adds, “You little tart.”

I decide I love Meredith and should be more like her.

“Oh honestly,” Trula chides. “That was uncalled for.”

“But not untrue.”

We’re still standing when Judge Renault arrives with a court reporter. “Sit,” he says as he seats himself. He looks at the papers, then Trula. “Your request for this hearing is clear, but please state it again so Mr. Faust and Meredith understand.” Then he looks at me. “Who are you?”

I open my mouth the reply, but Meredith gets ahead of me. “Mr. Faust’s fiancée, Stella Leith-Proctor.”

Lachlan and I exchange glances. Arranged marriages in America are apparently still a thing.

Judge Renault nods. “So an interested party.”

“A stakeholder in the outcome of this hearing. She’s got as much to lose as Lachlan.”

“We have yet to establish that Mr. Faust has anything to lose.” He turns to Trula. “Let’s hear what you have to say, Trula.”

Trula takes him step by step through the facts. “Mr. Faust’s mother was shot to death outside Pepper’s Coffee Shop in Sagebrush. At the time, she was with Luke Morgan, who is the president of Hell’s Jury, a one-percenter bike gang, of which Mr. Faust is also a member. Mrs. Faust left behind a five-year-old daughter, Sorcha.”

“Who also happens to be the sister of my client who is a responsible 24-year-old about to marry an up-and-coming basketball star.”

“That remains to be seen,” Trula says. “Mr. Faust also has a record and a daughter that he may visit only under supervision.”

“And whose fault is that?” Meredith shoots back.

The door to the courtroom creaks open and my heart leaps when my dad walk in. He nods at the judge, then takes a seat in the back. Lachlan throws me a hooded glance and I shrug. I don’t know why he’s here.

“Ah,” Judge Renault says. “Leith-Proctor, popular last name.” He turns back to us. “Let’s keep this moving. I have a tee time at 11.”

Lachlan sucks in his breath. “And that’s more important than the fate of a little girl.”

“Hush,” Meredith says. Then to the judge, “He’s upset and rightly so. There should be no question over the custody of Sorcha Faust.”

The judge turns his glare on me. “And other than being Mr. Faust’s fiancée, what other relevancy does Miss Leith-Proctor have?”

I cringe. Dad really didn’t need to hear of Lachlan and my faux engagement this way.

Meredith replies, “Stella comes from a stable background.” She tilts her head towards my dad to underscore this. “She’s a college student and a talented NCAA basketball player. She has more than enough discipline and intelligence to manage her career, her classes, and co-parenting a five-year-old child.”

“She also told me that her basketball career is challenging,” Trula rebuts. “Her days start early and end late. During the season, she’s on the road for half her games. She needs good grades, which means she studies and attends classes in the time she has leftover.”

Meredith rolls her eyes. “The same could be said of you. You’re a single parent of two school-aged children whose career makes for long working days and takes you out at odd hours when there’s a family in crisis.”

“Miss Leith-Proctor is only 20 years old with no experience with children.”

“Ah,” I see,” Meredith replies. “And you’re forty-three.”

Trula glares. “Thirty-four.”

“I stand corrected.”

“As entertaining as this is,” the judge interrupts. “I’d like to move on.” He says to Lachlan, “Did your mother have a will?”

“Yes,” Meredith replies.

“And?”

“And Lachlan is the sole beneficiary.”

“I see. And Sorcha Lachlan inherits nothing.”

“Sorcha is too young to inherit.”

“Quit playing games, Meredith. What’s the will say in regard to Sorcha Faust?”

Meredith frowns. “Nothing. The will predates Sorcha’s birth.”

Trula huffs under her breath.

We all glare at her. Even dad.

“I think I’ve heard enough. Is there anything either of you want to add before I render my decision.” He looks at Meredith. “And make it short.”

“Sure,” Meredith relies. She locks eyes with Trula. “I’m wondering what Trula’s interest is in this case.”

“I’m the case worker for Mr. Faust’s daughter so I understand the background. And I am a family case worker, so I wouldn’t be doing my job if I ignored the situation with Sorcha Faust.”

Meredith purses her lips. “How very noble.”

“You two bicker somewhere else,” Judge Renault says. “Trula has a strong argument, and though I acknowledge Miss Leith-Proctor’s stability and her family connections as a positive contribution to the conversation, there’s a lack of evidence that Mrs. Faust would have granted custody of her daughter to a known offender with ties to a criminal motorcycle gang. Additionally, Mr. Faust has a record and has limited supervised access to his daughter as a result.”

Red tenses beside me and I grab his hand.

“Therefore, Mr. Faust, you have until noon on Monday to surrender Sorcha Faust into the custody of family services. More specifically to Ms. Hyack.”

“This is bullshit!,” Lachlan explodes.

“Don’t,” I say quietly. “Not here.”

The judge narrows his eyes at us, then stands. “Court’s dismissed.”

Dad disappears like he was never there.