“Natasha.” Natasha grinned as she picked her punishment. Winter liked Natasha, she was always upbeat and was ready to do anything anyone needed help with around the club. She came to the table and sat down across from her.
“That’s everyone.” Viper handed the bag back to Cash before going to the counter to grab himself a beer.
Winter watched as those that picked a punishment opened their slips of paper. Hesitantly Winter opened her. Relief washed through her.
“I got the worst one,” Bliss complained.
“What did you get?” Natasha asked.
“Laundry for two weeks,” she pouted.
“That’s not bad. I got dishes for three weeks. Want to switch? I don’t mind the laundry if it’s for two weeks,” Natasha bargained.
“I don’t want to pack everyone’s laundry up and down the stairs for two weeks, I may be willing to switch.” Both women stared at Winter. Belatedly getting the message, Winter opened her paper and read out loud. “Seed inventory.”
Natasha and Bliss switched papers.
“Mine seems the easiest.” She was actually glad that they didn’t want to switch. She would get it done in a few hours and put the punishment behind her. Neither woman answered drinking their beer.
“Dinner’s ready,” Evie called. Winter waited until the line died down before getting her plate. Viper sat down next to her with a huge plate of food.
“What did you pull?” He asked curiously.
“Seed inventory, seems simple enough,” Winter said concentrating on her dinner and missing his conniving grin.
“You going to stay until you finish the inventory?”
Winter didn’t tell him that she had brought another suitcase full of clothes and had already decided to stay for a while longer.
“Of course,” she said staring down at her food.
Viper leaned back in his chair after he was done eating. Winter noticed how tired he looked. He always seemed so invincible, but Winter knew how well their business was doing and knew that he was going to have to be realistic.
“You’re going to have to hire some more help Viper, you can’t keep up this pace. Sooner or later you’re going to get orders that you will have to turn down until there are more people to help fill the orders.”
“I know. We’ve been talking about it, right now we’re trying to figure out how many and which positions to hire for. Once we come to a decision I’ll put a notice in the newspaper.”
“The jobs are going to be a big help to the community. Even if you offer twenty jobs, that’s twenty families that will have a decent income coming in.”
“We aren’t taking it lightly Winter. We’re trying to figure out whether to offer more jobs at a slightly lower rate or fewer jobs at a higher wage. We’re going to give them a benefit package also,” Viper said ruminatively.
Winter smiled at Viper. Many of her student’s parents desperately needed jobs. The Last Riders were really going to provide an economic boost for the area.
Shade and Rider came to the table.
“What punishment did you get?” Rider asked. It was obvious what the two had in mind.
“What did you get?” She asked first, Winter was a fast learner.
“Cooking, two weeks,” Rider answered. Winter looked at Shade.
“Cleaning the stove, fridge, and pantry.”
“I got seed inventory.” Both men turned and walked away. Winter was beginning to get a bad feeling that the job was not going to be as easy as it sounded.
Viper was trying to keep a straight face. Winter took their plates to the sink where Bliss was already doing the dishes. She followed Viper into the television room, someone had started a movie. Most of the members sat and watched the movie before going to bed. It had been a long week for everyone and it showed in their tired faces.
Bliss was curled between Rider and Train, her purple top gaped open revealing her breasts which Train took advantage of by yanking it aside and raising one of her pert breasts to his mouth. Rider’s hand unbuttoned her cutoffs, his hand sliding inside the parted material.
Winter tore her gaze away to the television, about to make an excuse to leave. Viper forestalled her by gripping the back of her neck and raising her head. His mouth fastened on to hers, drawing her body closer to his with a hand gripping her ass. She tore her mouth from his, uncomfortable with spectators in the room. The room was almost empty except for her, Viper, Bliss and the two men.
Winter jumped up from the couch when Bliss started pulling Train’s cock out, Viper relentlessly pulled her back down onto his lap.
“Relax,” he murmured. When Bliss had Train’s cock out she went down on him with her mouth, bending over him, her knees on the couch. Her ass in the air, Rider jerked her shorts down leaving her bare.
Viper sucked on her neck as his hand moved from her belly to her breast. Train’s hands buried in Bliss hair as she sucked on his cock, Rider pulled a condom out of his pocket and rolled it on his hard cock. Winter had seen much more than she wanted to see, but couldn’t tear her eyes away from the erotic tableau. Rider sank his cock into Bliss’ pussy with a loud groan. Bliss wiggled her ass back, taking more of him as Train thrust steadily into her mouth.
Viper used his leg to spread her thighs. Winter was lost watching a sight that she had only heard about, but was now taking place a few feet away. There was no doubt about the pleasure the three were experiencing. Viper’s finger’s slid inside her loose jeans to find her wet.
“You like watching Bliss get fucked or watching them give it to her?”
Winter’s head fell back against his chest as his fingers stroked her creamy slit. His fingers stopped when she didn’t answer.
“Both,” she reluctantly admitted, relieved when his fingers resumed their stroking.
Rider gripped Bliss’ hips before his thrusts increased in speed. The slapping of their bodies filled the room. Train groaned as he lifted his hips while his hand pushed Bliss down on him driving more of his cock down her throat as he climaxed. When he was done, Bliss lifted her upper body slamming her hips back into Rider.
“Fuck me hard, Rider!” Bliss was lost in ecstasy as she came with Rider slamming his hips against hers, Train leaned forward to play with her clit as Rider fucked her, sucking a pink nipple into his mouth. The woman’s screaming almost pushed Winter into her own climax but Viper stopped, lifting her up and carrying her upstairs. She could hear her whimpers of need but couldn’t stop herself, her body needing his desperately. She desired Viper so badly she wanted to scream at him to hurry. She didn’t know if she would have had the strength to deny him if he had laid her on the couch and fucked her in the television room in front of the others.
He slammed the bedroom door closed behind them before jerking her clothes off and removing his own. He positioned her over the bed, thinking he wanted her to get on the bed, she started to crawl forward. He smacked her ass with a hard hand.
“Stay still,” he snarled at her.
He held her still with a hand on her hip as he pulled on a condom he hastily grabbed from his nightstand.
Winter heard the package tearing, then his cock was nudging at her pussy before sliding in with a hard thrust.
“Your pussy is burning me alive.” The slick sound of his cock sliding in and out of her had her gripping the blankets on their bed.
“Going to fuck you so hard that you’re going to beg me to stop,” he forewarned her.
Winter was almost ready to come, his cock was stretching her, pushing high inside her pussy, sending lightning through her system.
Viper leaned over her, grasping her breasts tightly, using them to pull her back harder against his thrusting hips.
“You want gentle, then you need to find another man that can give you that. I want you to push that tight pussy back at me,” Viper ordered. Winter’s moans were now smothered in the blankets her face was buried in, when he surged forward pounding his hips against her quivering ass, Winter came seeing white l
ights in her mind as the explosion tore through her body.
Viper groaned behind her as his cock jerked inside of her sending her into another orgasm, she didn’t know if she could handle it. When he pulled his cock out of her, Winter sank to the floor on her knees, leaning against the bed.
Picking her up from the floor Viper gently laid Winter on the mattress pulling the blanket over her to her shoulders. Bending down he kissed her cheek, trailing his lips to her mouth to give her a lingering kiss.
“You ok?” Winter nodded her head in response.
“Back?”
“Fine.”
Viper left her to go to the bathroom. When came back, he lifted the blankets to slide underneath, moving her closer to him until she lay on his chest.
“Evie told me about your job, what are you plans?” He asked.
“Go to sleep,” Winter murmured.
Viper rose until he was leaning back against his headboard arranging her so that she was staring into his face.
“You’re not going to let them get away with taking your job are you?” He asked angrily.
“Viper, this is a small town, they only started selling alcohol within the last few years. I would have been stupid not to have expected them to try to break my contract,” she said wryly.
“Can they do that?”
“I honestly don’t know. I read my contract pretty thoroughly before signing, I’m just going to have wait and see what my lawyer advises. The teachers union will provide me with one,” she explained.
Viper ran his fingers through her tumbled hair. “I have plenty of job openings, take your pick, but I hope you pick the one with the paperwork because me and Beth are having a hell of a time keeping up.” His head fell back against the headboard, he did look exhausted.
“I can do that until the school gives me my job back or I make my mind up about what to do next.”
“Good.” Viper closed his eyes, his hand lazily stroking her back.
Winter’s finger traced over his tattoo, it was a piece of art the way it had been designed. All the men had the same exact tattoo; you couldn’t miss it, and many of them going around shirtless whenever they wanted.
“It’s beautiful.”
“My chest?” Winter smiled at his joking.
“Your tattoo, though your chest isn’t bad either.” Viper smiled, still keeping his eyes closed as she traced the defined lines.
“Each symbol stands for an original member?” Winter asked as she gazed at the tattoo closely.
“Yes.”
Winter studied the tattoo, the center was a Navy seal insignia with a snake wrapped around it from the bottom up leaving the face of the snake glaring back. Objects surrounded the insignia, which were two revolvers with a metal chain wrapped around the barrels of the gun linking them together, brass knuckles, a hand of cards, and a razor knife. The whole tattoo had a layer of shadows giving it a smoky effect. It made a chill go down Winter’s back just staring at the intricate designs of the large tat.
Winter touched the razor knife. “Razer, that’s an obvious one as well as your own wrapped around the seal insignia.”
“I never did have much imagination. You might as well give up, no one has figured out all of the symbols.”
“I bet I can,” Winter boasted.” “I have become an expert at puzzles; a couple of months in a wheelchair with nothing to do with my time except several magazines of puzzle solvers. Let’s see how I do.”
“Go for it.” Viper put his hands behind his head giving her a full view of the tat.
“The revolvers are Knox and Rider.”
“That’s good, everyone has a hard time with that one.”
“I don’t know why, those two go everywhere together.” Her finger touched the chain wrapped around the revolvers. “The chain is Train, that one is a little obvious,” Winter said.
Viper looked down at her in surprise. “How do you know?”
“He has a chain wrapped around the handlebars of his motorcycle.” Winter had seen him washing his bike the day she had gone to the doctor.
Winter didn’t understand the unfathomable look he gave her. “Am I right?” She asked gloating at her deductive skills.
“Yes,” he finally answered amusement in his voice, so Winter continued on with her game.
“The brass knuckles are Cash.”
“How did you know that one?”
Winter gave him another gloating smile. “I live in Treepoint remember? I know a couple of the men he’s been in fights with, he doesn’t believe in playing fair.”
“No, he believes in winning,” Viper said with respect in his voice.
“The shadows are obviously Shade.”
“Usually people think he is the cards or the chain.” Winter could tell this time she had surprised him with her deductive reasoning.
“Then they don’t know Shade,” she said wryly. “Is the navy insignia a member?” She asked.
“He isn’t anymore, the insignia stands for Gavin.” Viper’s voice had thickened.
Winter tried to slide off Viper but he held her still. “I am so sorry about your brother,” Winter said softly.
“Rider, Knox, and Gavin were tight. They wanted to come up to Treepoint with him, but I wouldn’t let them. I didn’t want to scare everyone off before the deal went through and the house was ready for us to move into.” Tears filled Winter’s eyes as she saw he held the guilt of his brother’s murder inside.
“It wasn’t your fault Viper, it was no one’s fault except my greedy cousin.” She lowered her head to his chest. His hand moved to stroke the back of her neck.
“There is one more you haven’t told me yet who it is.” Viper redirected her attention.
Winter raised her head staring into his eyes seeing that he held no ill will towards her because of Vincent’s actions. Her attention returned to the tattoo gazing at the last symbol. She was almost sure the cards themselves were a clue but she was stumped.
“Joker?” Viper shook his head. “Ace? Poker?” At that a laugh rumbled through his chest.
“No.”
Winter gave it one more try. “Luck or Lucky?”
Viper’s laughter stopped and he looked at her in surprise.
“You are good. Congrats.”
“Is he in your Ohio house?”
“No, he’s still in the Seals. Lucky came out of the service for a while, during the time we started the club, but he missed the service.”
“Were you close?”
“All eight of us are close, but yes, Lucky and I were close. He is a good brother, one of the luckiest bastards I know.” His finger touched the hand of cards on his chest. “They call this hand of cards a Deadman’s hand. Lucky is one of the most lethal son of a bitch to ever be in the service and they give him the jobs men usually don’t walk away from.”
“I thought that went to Shade.”
“What do you mean?”
“His symbol covers the whole tattoo. He is the protector of the club, isn’t he.”
“He is our enforcer, yes,” Viper said carefully.
“I saw him lay out several of you during the picnic, all together it took four men to hold him back.” Winter didn’t try to hide the admiration in her voice.
“You saw that?”
“I could hardly miss it, I thought he was going to rip poor Charles’ head off.”
“Charles, who?” Winter tried to hide her smile at Viper trying to dodge the truth without telling an outright lie.
“Lily’s high school boyfriend, I’ve told you that before,” she reminded him.
“What makes you think he was after that kid?” Again he tried evasion, this time it was her giving him a look that doubted his intelligence. Did he not remember she was a principal of high school males, where they learned the bro code in the first place? Winter thought.
“Because Shade wants Lily?” Winter asked smiling wryly,
“What’s so funny?” Viper’s eyes narrowed on her.
“Well he is going to need Lucky’s good luck to accomplish that feat.”
“You don’t think it would work out?” The bro code reappeared again when he thought Winter didn’t think Shade and Lily would make a good match.
This time it was Winter who tried to dodge the question, sliding off Viper she got out of bed to go to the bathroom.
“Winter, he’s a friend of mine, I want to know,” he demanded when she came out. “Don’t you think he is good enough for her?” A trace of anger could be heard in his voice.
Winter stopped, gazing back at him before going to the closet and pulling out a towel needing time to think of how to answer his question. Wrapping the towel around herself, she walked back to the bed sitting down beside his sprawled body.
“Lily is a beautiful woman.” Winter tried to explain in a way that he would understand her hesitation at the possibility of a relationship between their two friends.
“She is attractive,” he admitted slowly.
Winter gave him a smile to let him know that she could never be jealous of Lily’s beauty. “She is beautiful inside and out.”
“She’s beautiful,” Viper conceded.
“Has Razer discussed this with Beth?” Winter asked curious.
“Beth refuses to discuss Lily.” Viper at this point realized that Winter knew the whole club was aware of Shade’s intentions for Lily.
“She is very protective of Lily, Beth is also a little oblivious where Shade is concerned.” Viper lowered his lashes and his face went impassive at her words. “I am not.” Winter’s voice turned hard.
“Say what you are getting at.”
Sighing she continued, “Lily has a lot of issues, and I don’t know Shade well enough to know if he will be able to handle her with the care she needs. If he screws up, he won’t get a second chance.”
Winter gave him the only warning she would give. Lily was her friend and she wasn’t going to throw her to the wolves. The only reason she was giving him a heads up at all was because Shade was the one The Last Rider’s depended on for their protection. Lily deserved someone strong enough to protect her. Winter had observed Lily’s reactions to certain situations and she had a terrible feeling that Lily needed a protector.