Bed of Roses (9 page)

Tonto couldn’t help but let loose. He grabbed an ass cheek in each hand and held on, pounding her deep and hard, kissing her cervix with every thrust. Sandman held her head steady and matched his pace, pulling out while she came to protect his goods. The look on her face when she came almost made him blow. She was gorgeous. Her cheeks flushed, her sweet screams… Rose tapped a part in him he thought long dead. When her yells faded, he proceeded on, the urge to get off more than he could stand.

Rose continued on a never-ending orgasm, intensifying over and over. Tonto clenched his teeth, fighting the tight clutches of her channel as it tightened around him. When he came, he took her with him for a second orgasm, rocking her so hard she fell rigid and Sandman had to steady her to find his own release. When he came, he shot his seed deep down her throat, reveling as she swallowed every drop as she moaned in ecstasy.

They waited until she floated down, moving her gently to lie on her back and stepped into the adjoining bathroom to clean off. Rose fought to catch her breath. She had just experienced the most mind blowing sex of her life, floating on a high of endorphins. She smiled as they walked back in, waiting for them to crawl in beside her. They didn’t. Tonto grinned, heading straight for his jeans that were heaped on the floor. When he proceeded to dress, her heart sank. Sandman did the same, not bothering even to look at her.

“Thanks for the pussy, babe. When you get dressed, Brent will see you home.” And with that, Tonto walked out of the room. Her heart jumped in hopes Sandman would say or do something—anything. As he reached down to slip his boots back on he finally acknowledged her and the tightness in her chest retracted minutely.

“You suck good dick, hun. You’ll have to come around more often.” He walked out the door, leaving it ajar and her exposed to anyone who might walk by. Rose felt the sting of tears burn the back of her eyes, suddenly slammed with all of the emotion that flooded after such an intense high. She hurriedly got up and shut the door, leaning against it as her left hand secured the lock. With the close of it, another door opened…one that her despair and tears burst free. She wanted more. Granted, she knew what she was getting in to when she came, but being with them—the intimacy—the feeling of being wanted made the loneliness inside rear its ugly head. Men like that weren’t capable of love. Yet, she yearned for it. It was just like her to want what could and would never be. With that, she slowly pulled up her big girl panties, literally, and gathered the rest of her strewn clothing.

Rose expected to get the knowing looks of pity or cattiness from the others when she found her way back to the main room but received worse—nobody noticed her. She choked down her pride and held her head high as she walked toward the door, refusing to look back.

Her hand shook as she attempted to unlock the door to her car when a voice startled her. “Rose! Wait up. I’m to see you home. I didn’t see you come out…” His tone had changed…which probably matched his opinion of her. She spun around and mustered the best front she could.

“Hey, Brent. No escort necessary. I know my way home, but thanks anyway. Go. Enjoy the party. I’m sure there are a few girls left who aren’t banged out and still willing.” As hypocritical as it was, she couldn’t help but lash out the pain she felt.

Brent’s brow raised, giving her a condescending expression that didn’t take elaboration. She knew what was coming and decided just to put it out there herself. “And yes, I was one of those girls tonight. Unfortunately, I’m not as experienced as the lovely assortment inside and have to call it a night. But hey, who knows? Maybe next time, right?” Before he could pick his jaw off the ground and think of something to say, she got in her car and peeled out in a cloud of dust. She made a mistake. Two to be exact…hot, sexy, mouthwatering mistakes.

Chapter Six

Rose tied her apron, praying that some unworldly forces would show pity and keep the same leather clad men who had stripped her dignity and rocked her world wouldn’t show up for their normal breakfast. There was the walk of shame some women experienced with the uncomfortable morning after, and then there was this. She didn’t fall asleep next to them, or dream of the sweet fantasies of love while laying on the chest of her lover. She was fucked, left, and forgotten.

Unfortunately, the unworldly magic forces picked today to sleep in because like clockwork, in walked Tonto and his entourage. Rose took a deep breath and grabbed the coffee pot, determined to hold on to the last bit of self-preservation she had and hurried to their table. They spoke softly, and hushed the moment they saw her. She wasn't expecting pleasantries so she was taken off guard when Sandman of all people greeted her.

“Good morning. You’re looking extra good today.” His eyes raked up and down her. Her body responded, immediately sending a gush of moisture to pool in her panties at the memory of what they had done just hours ago.
My own damn body is a traitor.
She tried to look unamused, and given his confused expression, it worked.

“Your orders will be ready in a minute. Can I get you anything else?” She looked at each of them, meeting their eyes. When Tonto locked gazes with her, she raised an eyebrow and turned on her heel and left.

“What the hell was that about? Did you miss and ram it in her ass or something?” Sandman asked Tonto.

“No. Hell, she knew what we were offering. If she can’t accept what we are, she doesn’t need to play where she doesn’t belong. Hold off on taking her to the Pit. Let her work the fights tomorrow, but make sure she doesn’t take to snooping where she doesn’t belong.” Tonto took a sip of the hot liquid, more effected by her cold shoulder than he would ever admit. What the fuck was wrong with him? He had accepted early on after he learned his mother had given him up and refused even to recognize his existence that he would never allow a woman to tear his heart out again. His father had turned to the bottle, unable to cope…but not him. He used it and had became the man he was today.

He had gone to see her a few times, only to have her turn him away. The last time he had been twelve. It took him two hours to ride his bike across the tracks to the rich part of town, and even longer to find a way through the security gates at the estate they lived in.

He had thought that if she were to see him, get to know him, that maybe she would want him in her life. That wasn’t the case. A boy, maybe a year or two younger than him, was out running around. His mother had looked so beautiful in the bright spring light, dressed in a flowing white skirt and blouse. She played, laughing and joking with the boy. The moment she spotted him, her expression changed to complete horror. She rushed to get him away, shoving and hurrying him back through the small hole in the fence without even listening to what he had to say. He later learned the boy she had been with was his half brother. She had another child, leaving no room in her heart for him.

“I’ll have Heaven keep an eye on her. She can explain how things work, and make her decide if she is going to be a bitch, rat, or just an employee. She can’t go to the Pit unless she is voted in. There is too much riding on it. Twelve Gage made some headway last week about the drugs coming in. If he can find out who is selling, we can work our way up the chain and hopefully find the coward those fuckin’ scumbags call their
jefe
. She can’t get in the wa—” Chief gave a quick nod that she was returning and hushed. The others nodded and changed the subject, making small talk about a bike run they had coming up. Every chance the Savages got, they tried to give back to the community. Despite their hard reps, they were active in donating to the homeless, children, and several other causes. This particular trip was an ice cream run with all proceeds going to the heart association at the children's hospital.

Without a word, Rose sat their plates down and turned to leave. Sandman was quick, grabbing her wrist before she fled. “Hey. Are you still needing to make extra cash?” He knew under normal circumstances he should run things by Tonto first, given he was the Prez, but their relationship was tight. Tonto would understand his reasoning on this.

Rose’s eyes went wide, not knowing how to respond. Her first thought was that he was going to proposition her in a café full of people—normal people—people that had known her since she was little. He realized what she was thinking and rubbed the top of her wrist with his thumb reassuringly. “One of the ol’ ladies is out on pregnancy leave and they are short down at the flower shop. Between all of the prom orders and spring weddings, the orders are backed up.” Rose still stared in shock, so he went on. “If you’re interested, let Heaven know. She can take you over and introduce you this afternoon.”

She finally found her tongue, swallowing down the panic that had hit. “Sure…thanks. I’ll go after my shift.” Her eyes dropped to where he held her and she pulled away. It was harder seeing a tender side of the heartless biker she had first thought him to be, and only added to the mixed emotions that still churned fresh in her heart. She didn’t want to feel anything for them. If she felt, it was a recipe for heartache, and yet the tiny glimpse of tenderness had her hoping with all of her might that there might be a chance. To what, she didn’t know. Hell, she had it bad for both he and Tonto. What good could ever come of that? Even if they were the image of pure romance and love, she couldn’t be with both of them…it was better for them to be assholes. That way, she could be angry and not end up lying in bed with a bottle of pain pills and a fifth of cheap whisky for weeks at a time like her mother did each and every time she got tossed to the gutter when the last ride of the week had used her for all they wanted.

When most girls were little dreaming of a Prince Charming to come and whisk them away on a white horse into the sunlight, Rose was keeping her mother from overdosing and scrounging for something to eat. True love and happily ever after weren’t real in her world, and she had accepted it before she had taught herself to ride a bike.

Before he could push against her guard again, she left, consuming herself in work. She didn’t give them a chance to catch her again in conversation when she left the check and was more than a little surprised to find not one, but two hundred dollar bills left on the table for her. Whether it was a peace offering, or some sort of way to show they cared, it didn’t matter. She tried to not read into it, and saw it for what it was—dinner and the gas bill.

For the rest of the morning she shut off everything, going through the motions of life enough to get her through. Come quitting time, Heaven came to her.
Figures. They sent her.
“Hey, girl! So, you want to grab something to eat before we head over?”

“What, are they keeping tabs on me now?” she snapped. The moment it fell off her tongue, she regretted it. Heaven looked hurt, taking a step backwards. “Wait…Heaven, I’m sorry. It’s just a shitacular day. I didn’t mean it against you.”

Heaven relaxed, her look understanding. “So…I take it Tonto and Sandman’s handiwork. Don’t take it personally. It’s a well known fact those two are some sort of scientific heartless experiments or something. Come on. We definitely need to talk.” She hooked her arm in Rose’s and led her out the door, walking her over to the little red sports car she drove. “Hop in.” Rose didn’t argue. Given she had been forced to walk to work because her gas tank was in the negative, and with the busy morning shift, her feet were barking. As Heaven drove out the driveway and down the main strip, she explained Tonto’s past, and then the little known about Sandman.

“When he was five, a rival gang to the Savages broke in and murdered his mother and father in their sleep. They didn’t know he was there. When he woke to screaming, he had crawled into the old heater vent under his bed. They say he hid in there for three days until the cops found him, dehydrated, hungry, and scared to death. He spent the next few years in and out of foster homes, finally running away for the last time to the Devil Savages. They took him and raised him as one of their own.”

Rose didn’t know what to say. No wonder the two were the way they were. She felt bad for them both…but in the same wanted to slap them and knock some sense into them. She had gone through a rough upbringing. Hell, she still was, but it wasn’t an excuse to totally shut the world out. Everyone was damaged goods in one way or another…it was how you choose to rise above it and live life that mattered. While Heaven rambled on about this and that, Rose came to a conclusion. Her two big bad bikers needed a hard dose of tough love, and if anyone could fix them, it was her. She understood them better than anyone else. If they wanted to play rough, she could show the two what rough was.

Rose followed Heaven into Sweet Petals, unsure how the ol’ ladies would take to her. Instead of the cattiness the rats gave, they greeted her with warm smiles. Two women walked around the counter to greet her in a hug. She definitely hadn’t expected them to be so…normal? “Hi! You must be Rose. I’m Chief’s ol’ lady, Raven. This sickeningly spunky thing is Chevy, Roads’ ol’ lady.” Chevy smacked her playfully on the shoulder.

“It’s nice to meet you both.”

“Come on, we’ll show you around.” Chevy smiled, walking over to the rows of refrigerators that lined the wall. “This case is all carnations and fillers. Over here, we have the orchids, tulips, calla lilies, freesias, hyacinths, lilacs, and daisies. Back here are all of the different types of roses.” Rose tried to take it all in, but there were so many different types of flowers and colors, she got lost. The roses varied in size, shape, and color. Ironically, they were her favorite flower. Every shelf was labeled with the flower name, making it easier to distinguish one from the next.

“Wow, these are gorgeous.” She looked at a small perfect dusk pink bud, reading the name.
'Moonlight Rose'.
It was delicate, yet every flower perfectly formed. “Beautiful,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone.

“That one we have to keep in stock.” Raven leaned in and lowered her voice, “It’s Sandman’s favorite.”