Battlefield (The Covenant Book 2) Read online

  But with Cece I didn't have to worry. She was a stubborn woman who would rule her world as she saw fit, but in bed I would be her master. Of course, she would never call me that. I fell asleep wondering if “Daddy” would work.

  When I woke up in the morning she was staring down at me with a sweet little smile. My morning wood was extra hard as I took in her lithe form wrapped in a sheet. I reached for her, but she moved away. “Can we talk about something, Jordan?”

  My mind immediately said no because I was sure she would try to break things off again. But I simply nodded. If she tried, she was going to find herself tied to this bed for the rest of the day while I proved all the ways she was mine.

  “I want to be with you, but I need to tell you something before we go forward, so there is no confusion.”

  “What is it, Cece?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

  “I just know the Aces have certain tastes in sex that I'm not sure I want.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Sharing,” she said without looking up.

  “Sharing what?” I asked.

  “Me,” she said.

  I started laughing.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “Babe, I think you underestimate my jealous nature. Even if I wasn't a psycho about you, I would never share you without your consent. Even then, I'd want more than your consent, you'd have to want it, too.”

  “I've heard that clubs do that.”

  I knew what she was talking about. Some clubs shared wives and girlfriends, but I also knew that they were few and far between. “Some do, and I'll admit that it happens with Aces sometimes, but it is not required.”

  “So, I don't have to be with anyone else? Do we have to do it in public?”

  “Babe, things like that never happen without a discussion first. And I know I can be dominant and forceful, but I will always listen if you tell me no or to stop. Do you understand?”

  She smiled, looking relieved. Suddenly I knew that these stupid rumors were probably part of the reason she fought me so hard about being an old lady.

  “Yes. But what about me? Do I get to be possessive, too?”

  “Yes. I want my woman to be crazy for me, too. Now come here.” I pulled her to me, making her straddle me while I dove for her breast. She wrapped her legs around me and settled her pussy against my hard length. Her hands were warm against my back and her nails cut into my skin when I softly bit her nipple.

  “Jesus, woman. I feel like I could kill a man for even glimpsing what is only mine to see,” I growled.

  “Jordan,” she gasped, rubbing herself against me.

  I reached down and placed my cock at her entrance. She sank down on me, squeezing me with her warm, tight pussy. Slowly, she began moving up and down, her eyes on mine. Those green jewels bored into my soul making my cock harden even more inside her.

  Soon she was bouncing on my dick like a natural.

  “That’s it, babe.” I gripped her waist, helping her along.

  With a growl she pushed me onto my back and started rocking fast and hard, using her hands on my chest for leverage. I let her have a few minutes of control as she discovered the wonders of being on top, keeping my hands on her hips to guide her.

  I watched Cece writhe on top of me with her hair flowing around her shoulders and her lips spilling soft moans into the air. Her small hands gripped my chest as she rode me like a goddess on a stallion, taking her pleasure. Her tight pussy was like a silken, hot glove around my cock that only seemed to get hotter with every moment.

  The sight of her was so sexy that I had to shut my eyes for a moment to keep from coming too soon. In my entire adult life, I never had any trouble staying in control. But Cece, she was challenging me in every way.

  I opened my eyes as she shifted, bringing a leg forward so her foot was by my chest. The move had me sinking a little deeper inside her. Suddenly she gasped and arched her back, her mouth letting out little mewling sounds as she rocked against me. Her breaths became fast and harsh and then she was crying out. At the same moment, I felt her pussy muscles clench around me, milking me hard.

  I wasted no time flipping her onto her back, keeping her leg high so I could stay deep.

  “Jordan,” she moaned, still feeling her orgasm. At that moment, I gave my cock exactly what he wanted, fucking into Cece hard and fast, making the hotel bed slam against the wall. The sound only spurred me on, knowing that others might hear how hard I was fucking my woman, how she drove me to madness. My orgasm came swiftly, riding up my spine like a wave and pouring into Cece. I grunted at the sensation but kept up the hard thrusts, driving into her so I could feel one more dick-choking spasm as she came, too.

  “Fuck,” I said, bringing my forehead to hers as we both came down of our highs.

  “Jordan, we need to get in the shower, so we can go,” she said after a few moments.

  I groaned, not wanting to move. Cece really was crazy if she thought I would ever want anyone else. Her tight pussy had the ability to suck me dry and zap all my energy away. I also never wanted to leave it once I was I got inside.

  Even now, I hated the thought of pulling out, knowing that I wouldn’t get inside again until tonight probably.

  “Jordan,” she said in that tone of hers.

  I grumbled and lifted myself off her and pulled myself free. I looked down and watched my milky seed leak out of her. The sight almost had me tackling her to the bed again, so I could fill her with more.

  She must have seen my hungry look because she quickly closed her legs and rolled off the bed. “I’m serious, Jordan,” she said, but I could see the smirk on her face as she hurried to the bathroom.

  We arrived at the hospital an hour later and Sonny was waiting for us outside Betsy’s room. Cece hugged him right away, asking if he had seen her yet.

  “No,” he said as he pulled away. “I'm so sorry, Cece,” he said.

  “What for?”

  “I don't know. Everything. For not being here, for giving her drugs and money.”

  Cece cupped his face. “You are not to blame. I know how much you love her, Sonny. You could never deny her. And she used that to her advantage.”

  I let them both go into the room to have some time with Betsy while I found some coffee and a space to work with my laptop. I had some research to do.

  I was just finishing up when Sonny sat at the table with me.

  “Thanks for coming with her. She acts tough, but this is hard on her,” he said.

  I nodded. “What do you think of her mom getting some help?” I asked. I didn’t really want his opinion, but it was a way to start the conversation.

  “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.

  “I think I found a place for Betsy to go. It’s in Arizona.”

  “Arizona?”

  “Yeah. She’ll be able to do ninety days in the rehab center and then they can offer her a spot in the sober living facilities.”

  Sonny looked at the floor, his brow wrinkled.

  “I know it would be hard, but she needs this. She can’t get better in Clayton.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He leaned his head against the wall. “I’m an enabler. Isn’t that what they call it?” He smiled, more to himself than me. “Cece is right. I could never deny Betsy anything.”

  Sonny was quiet for a minute before he leaned forward again. “She always seemed too good for me, ya know,” he said, glancing at me.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Could you say no to Cece?”

  I had to think about his question for a moment. “I would never give her anything that could take her away from me.” He nodded, knowing I meant narcotics.

  “What if she asked you to kill for her?”

  I simply smiled and looked away.

  “I’m glad she has you,” he said.

  “Yeah, she has me by the fucking balls.”

  He laughed.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Cece

>   My mom looked a little better today, not as pale. Or maybe it was my imagination. Maybe I just wanted her to look better.

  I had one of her hands in both of mine, rubbing lotion into her skin gently. It smelled like cherries. She liked that scent. It was the same scent as her lotion at home. With how much I came to despise this woman over the years, I was surprised that I still remembered those details. They seemed so mundane on a normal day. But on days like this, they were important and precious, a small comfort to have amidst the anxiety.

  I noticed that I was calmer today than I was yesterday. I wasn’t sure if it was Jordan’s arrival or if my brain had finally accepted what was happening. It was probably a mixture of both. As much as I fought it, Jordan had become a part of my life. He was someone I could trust, and his presence made me feel consoled. Earlier, when Sonny was in the room, I saw the same overwhelming shock on his face that I felt last night.

  I tried to reassure him, but I think the sight of my mother laid so low had scared him. He was seeing the consequences of my mother’s choices, and they were intolerable.

  I had just finished her right hand when Jordan came in with a tea for me. “Thanks,” I said as he handed it to me, a soft smile on his face.

  “Where’s Sonny?” I asked.

  Jordan leaned against the window, putting his hand in his pocket while the other held his coffee.

  “He’s making some arrangements.”

  “Arrangements for what?”

  “When I told him that I was looking into a rehab for your mother, something more substantial, he thought it might be a good idea to try it himself. Somewhere different than your mother.”

  “Wait, back up. What kind of rehab are you talking about?”

  “You told me how the thirty-day programs never worked for your mother, so I was looking for a place that she could do a ninety-day program. Somewhere far away from Clayton so she could concentrate of getting better.”

  That was exactly what Betsy needed, but it was impossible. “Thanks for trying, but we don’t have insurance. We can’t afford to send her to some place like that.”

  “I can afford it,” he said.

  “No, Jordan. I can’t let you.”

  “You’re not letting me do anything. I already contacted a facility in Arizona and made the arrangements. She is going.”

  I set my tea down and got up, so I could get close to him. “So, you think you can simply make decisions for me and my mother now. And did you forget that the police back in Clayton might have something to say about her leaving the state?” I said, trying to keep my voice down even though my anger was boiling.

  He sat down his coffee and stood up straight, towering over me like he always does. “The cops won’t be a problem. I have the club’s attorney handling that as we speak.”

  I stepped back for a moment. He had his attorney involved without telling me. He was the most arrogant son of a bitch I ever met. I opened my mouth to tell him what I thought of his controlling, intrusive, and heavy-handed bullshit.

  But his eyes flared, and he reached for me, pulling me to him with an arm around my waist. He held me so tight that my arms were pinned between us. He pressed two fingers to my mouth as he looked down at me. I could see the same fire in his gaze that I had burning in my chest.

  “You are my woman now, Cece. And I take care of what is mine. You know going to that facility is the only real chance your mother will have at getting better.”

  Some of my rage left me because I knew he was right.

  His fingers moved from lips, so he could cup my jaw. “I know it feels strange to you, not being the one taking care of things, but that is my job now. You can accept it, or you can yell about it, but either way this day will end the same.”

  “And how will the day end?”

  “You in my bed with a smile on your face.”

  I laughed despite myself. “You are an arrogant son of a bitch,” I said, but it had none of the anger that I was planning on a few seconds ago.

  “I know,” he said, right before he kissed me.

  We were about ready to tear into each other’s clothes when we heard someone cough.

  I glanced over to see Dr. Hurston standing there.

  “Hi,” I said as I tried to pull away from Jordan. He let me turn toward the doctor but kept a hand on my back.

  “Good morning,” he said. “The nurses told me that your mother did well through the night, so I think it is time for another scan.”

  “Okay,” I said. “If things look good, will you try to wake her up?”

  “Yes, if things look good. We’ll decrease the meds and hopefully she will wake up on her own.”

  I nodded, a little nervousness mixed with relief.

  The orderlies came in a few minutes later and took her away. Jordan stood behind me with one arm around my waist and another on my shoulder. When they left the room, I said, “What if she won’t go, Jordan?”

  “She will,” he said.

  When the scan came back, Dr. Hurston lowered her meds like he said he would. He said she should wake up any time. I was excited for that moment, but nervous too. My mother and I needed to have a serious talk, and I wasn’t sure I was ready.

  Sonny came in and joined us while we waited. Jordan was nice enough to let me watch Netflix on his laptop after I complained how bad daytime TV was.

  I was halfway through the first season of Stranger Things when my mother made a noise. It was just a little moan, but it had us all moving toward her bed. I took her hand in mine. “Mom, can you hear me?”

  “Cecilia,” she whispered.

  “Yes,” I said, biting my lip. “Get the nurse,” I said, but Jordan already left the room.

  “Where am I?”

  “St. Bernard’s hospital. You were in an accident,” Sonny said, taking her other hand.

  She slowly opened her eyes and winced at the light. I turned and closed the shades before coming back to the bed.

  Betsy moved as if to sit up, but she winced and stayed still.

  “Mom, you had internal bleeding, so they had to do surgery. You can’t move.”

  Betsy lay back and blinked at the ceiling like she wasn’t surprised.

  Just then a nurse entered the room with Jordan behind her. Sonny moved out of the way, so she could check her patient.

  “Ms. Taylor. My name is Ellen. How are you feeling?” she asked as she shined a light in Betsy’s eyes before feeling her forehead and her neck.

  “In pain. I need more meds.”

  I turned my head to look at Jordan. He looked at me with sympathy, knowing the hard part had just begun.

  Ellen just smiled. “We’ve paged the doctor. He’ll have a look at you and then you can discuss your options.”

  I envied the woman’s ability to sidestep the issue.

  When she left the room, I looked at the guys. “Can you guys give us a minute?” I asked.

  Sonny gave my mom’s hand one last squeeze before going toward the door.

  “We’ll be right outside,” Jordan said.

  I gave him a small smile, so grateful that he would be there when this conversation ended.

  “Mom, I don’t think the doctor is going to give you any more meds than is absolutely necessary.”

  “Why?” she asked, looking at me like I was being ridiculous.

  “You know why.”

  Her lips pursed, and she looked at the ceiling. “So, when can I leave?”

  “I don’t know yet. It might be a while. But Mom, once they discharge you I want you to go to a rehab in Arizona.”

  “What?”

  “It is a ninety-day program, and the facility is wonderful,” I said quickly.

  “No, I’m not going.”

  “You have to,” I responded.

  “Like hell,” she mumbled, still not looking at me.

  “Mom, I’ve already spoken to Sonny and he has agreed to stop paying rent on the house unless you go to treatment.” He didn’t say that, but I would conv
ince him if I had to.

  “Yeah, right. Where would you live?” she asked.

  “I have other options,” I said simply, thinking of Jordan.

  “I’ll talk to him,” she said, turning her face away.

  “You can see him today, but he is leaving tomorrow. He is going to treatment, too, somewhere in Florida.”

  Her head whipped back to mine. Without Sonny around, she wouldn’t have any one to take care of her.

  “Mom, do you really want this life you’re living? Don’t you want something different?”

  “Of course, I do,” she said, giving me that ridiculous look again. “But it is too hard.”

  “I know. But maybe leaving Clayton will make things easier. Maybe being away from me will make things easier.”

  She looked at me. “You think I’m an addict because of you?” she said, taken back.

  “I don’t know, Mom. Am I the reason?”

  “No,” she said, and I believed her.

  She looked away again.

  “Mom. I know life hasn’t been perfect for you, and I’m sure there are things about your past that I can’t begin to understand. But I don’t want to continue with the way we have been. This comfortable tolerance is unsustainable. You’re my mother, and I know you care about me. But I can’t live with you anymore. I have become complacent because it was easy. And I shut out everyone because I didn’t want to depend on anyone like I once did you.”

  I watched a tear trace down her cheek.

  “Do you understand what that means? You will be alone with only your addict friends to keep you company. Is that what you want?”

  She sniffed. “No.”

  “Then you will do this.”

  “All right.”

  “You’ll go?”

  “Yes.”

  I got up and hugged her, gently. It was awkward because I couldn’t ever remember hugging her. She lifted her hands briefly to hug me back. It wasn’t much but it was an effort, and that was enough.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Cece

  Las Vegas, NV

  The Present

  The whole room was in an uproar as two men beat the shit out of each other in the ring that sat in the center of the room. I served drinks as I’d learned, keeping my eyes on my tray and my ass out of everyone else’s way. After two weeks in Rafe’s fight club, the yelling of the crowd was a just background noise that I’d gotten used to, like a TV playing in another room.