A long moan ripped from my throat, my anger quickly forgotten as a hand slipped under my tank and aggressively palmed my breast. His fingers rolled and plucked at my ni**les and I broke away with a hiss, Styx’s hazel eyes wild and untamed. My hands smacked down hard on his back; his wide, huge muscles shifted and twitched under my fingers as his teeth bit into my neck.

“Styx!” I yelled as his fingers moved to rip at my leathers, wrenching them down my legs, my panties following shortly after. He stepped on the center of my pants around my ankles.

“Off,” he growled.

Moisture pooled between my legs at his order, and I lifted my feet from my leathers.

I was open, bare and more than ready.

Styx’s nostrils flared, then his fingers plunged in me. My hands roamed around his hair and I clutched the messy dark strands, already feeling the butterflies building in my stomach. Then all too soon, he withdrew, only to fill me to the hilt in one hard thrust with his hard length.

Gripping my thighs around his waist, Styx pounded me against the wall. We had never made love like this before—hard, rough, wild… so desperate.

“Mine,” Styx groaned, deep, guttural, possessive, against my neck.

His busy mouth latched onto my breast, his teeth grazing and pulling at my ni**les. “Ah! Styx!”

“Mine!” he growled, pumping even harder, his fingers circling my clitoris as my shoulder blades burned with the friction of the wall. I had never felt so full.

My hands gripped hard on Styx’s shoulders, clawing and raking at his skin. It was too much—the fire, the burning… the pressure—too much, and with a final slam, light burst behind my eyes, pleasure a rolling thunder through my body—jerking, invading, overwhelming.

Styx’s hold became almost painful on my thighs, and he stilled. “MINE!” he bellowed, spraying his warmth into my womb, his hot sweet breath panting into my neck. My thighs shook with overexertion and our bodies were slick with sweat.

Not a word passed between us as we caught our breath.

Styx nuzzled his face into my exposed chest, his hot tongue lapping and kissing at my br**sts, red teeth marks decorating my pale skin. I combed through his hair with my fingers, deep sounds of pleasure rumbling up from his throat.

“Mine… mine… mine…” he murmured over and over before kissing across my collarbone, up my throat, and finally onto my mouth. The kiss was deep and meaningful but short. Styx pulled back, staring into my eyes, his length still twitching inside me.

“I love you,” I whispered, gazing into his eyes.

“M-Mae,” he groaned. “You’re n-not going an-anywhere. R-right?”

“Right, baby,” I assured as I ran my finger down his cheek.

“Mine,” he sighed in relief.

“Yours.”

I cupped his rough, unshaven cheeks. “I did not kiss him back.”

Styx stilled and I could see the anger seeping back into his ruggedly handsome face, his muscled shoulders expanding.

“Styx, I did not. He was drunk and sad and reacted poorly… erratically. He is my friend… but he is not you.”

“He’s never f**kin’ coming back,” Styx said with authority. “N-no one touches what’s m-mine. If you weren’t standing there, I’d have killed the f**ker.”

“I understand,” I said, relieved it had not progressed that far.

Water filled my eyes and my heart broke. I will miss my friend, but Rider himself had told me he could not, would not, live here with Styx and me together. And I was not leaving Styx. As hard as it may be, Rider needed space and Styx needed me.

I prayed to God that Rider would find his way.

Chapter Twenty-One

Mae

“Won’t you guys come? Please,” Beauty begged.

Styx wrapped his strong arms around my shoulders, his hands free to sign. I’m locking us away. Alone. No f**kin’ interruptions. No more f**kin’ drama. I wanna be with my woman.

“Beauty! Leave them the f**k alone!” Tank shouted as he gripped Beauty’s arm and yanked her to his side.

“Fine!” Beauty folded her arms and glowered at Styx. “But a ride out’s meant to have the Prez, you know! Just saying!”

Tank rolled his eyes and slapped his hand over Beauty’s mouth, successfully shutting her up.

I felt Styx’s unshaven cheeks rub against mine, and he leaned in to my ear. “B-be back in five.” I watched him walk toward Ky and the psycho trio, signing something as he went. He was so dominant, so commanding as he strutted through the room in his jeans, white shirt, and cut, his muscles rolling beneath the tight shirt, his hair still messy from making love to me this morning.

“You got it bad, girl.” I looked beside me and Beauty was watching as Tank joined Styx and the guys in a deep, serious discussion. She smiled a huge smile and nudged my arm. I blushed.

“I do have it… bad, as you put it. I love him more than life,” I confided.

“Really? I’d never have guessed!” I grinned on hearing Beauty’s playful tone just as Styx glanced back my way, fire igniting in his eyes as he noticed my attentions… all strong and male… and all mine.

Beauty stepped in front of me, blocking my path to Styx. I met her worried gaze.

“What?” I asked, suddenly feeling cold as dread filled my bones.

“Tank told me something last night,” she whispered low.

“What?”

Her eyes darted around us, checking we were not being observed. Satisfied, Beauty confided, “Tank said a group of the brothers went ’round Rider’s yesterday, you know, just to check on him.”

I reached out and grabbed her arm. “And?”

Beauty raised her eyebrow at my hold on her arm. I immediately let it go.

“I am sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She took a breath and leaned in close. “He weren’t there.”

“Where do they think he has gone?”

“Here’s the thing. Tank said it was like Rider’d vanished. His things were still there, his Chopper still parked out front. He even had a half-full glass of liquor by his chair. He’s disappeared, just like some damn ghost. They got the new prospect, Slam, watching his place twenty-four-seven… But there’s still nothing.”

An ominous feeling crept over me. Something was very, very wrong.