The Rampage MC #2: Beard and Emily

Chapter 16 (Emily): What It Means

After the brothers honored me with my Twist salute, everyone converged on us to meet the babies. We finally settled the twins with Memaw and Nanny, who were holding court on the brand-new couches, each one of them cradling a baby. After all of the brothers had greeted me, the thing I'd dreaded most happened: my mother wandered off with Beard's mother to be introduced around. My dad, on the other hand, was introduced to the MC members by Beard's father as "the doctor."

"Doctor? So, like theoretically, you know a bunch of different ways to, say, kill someone and make it look natural?" And then even more brothers surrounded my father and I heard bits and pieces that made me want to pack up my mother and father and leave.

Really? That wouldn't show up in an autopsy...

Hypothetically, could you kill someone by injecting...

So, it'd stop the heart but make it look like natural causes...

"Relax, Emily," Beard was murmuring in my ear as his hand gave my hip a squeeze before sliding it to my stomach. "It's all hypothetical. The guys are just trying to make him feel welcome."

That lie was enough to send me running to Dad's rescue, but just as I moved forward, the group -- Dad included -- moved to the bar, and I heard one of the brothers order a round of shots. My body tensed because my father didn't do shots. Apparently, five minutes in the MC clubhouse and my father was a changed man. Pleather pants, loafers...and shots.

Pressing a kiss to my neck, Beard continued talking in my ear. "He'll be fine, Emily. The brothers will watch out for him."

I turned to face Beard, and his arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer. My hands went to his broad chest, enjoying the feel of his muscles.

"That doesn't make me feel better, Beard. Dad's going to get eaten alive!"

Beard grinned and pressed a kiss to my lips. A long kiss so full of feeling that it made me not care about anything except getting more of the same.

"Just give yourself permission to relax and enjoy the day, Em. The babies are safe with my grandmothers, your mother's safe with mine, and my dad's watching over yours. You have a new road name, the brothers respect the hell out of you, so it's all good...Twist."

I rested my forehead against  his chest for a moment and smiled to myself. I secretly felt kind of badass having my own road name. "I like it."

I felt his lips against the top of my head. "They like you, but not as much as I do, and I'm hoping you're finding your way back to liking me."

"Maybe," I said nonchalantly. Wanting to tell him I more than liked him but felt like I was back in high school for even thinking like that.

"Then I need to try harder to move that dial. Tell you how I really feel about you, but now isn't the time. Today, we're just going to celebrate our beautiful babies and have some fun."

I tilted my head back to look up at him and his eyes were like they always were around me now: soft.

"Can you do that for me, Emily? Just let yourself have some fun?"

Then Beard kissed me again in that slow, persuasive way he had before I could answer him, and I instantly felt like I could have a lot of fun. The kind of fun that resulted in clothes strewn all over the floor, sweating, moaning, mumbling incoherent words, kissing, licking, nibbling, biting, begging -- resulting in a whole lot of satisfaction.

Beard lifted his lips from mine before I was ready for it to end, and for a moment I wanted to remind him why I'd earned my road name. As if he could read my mind, his mouth kicked up at one side.