Jeremy’s alarm began to buzz, his least favorite noise. “Fuck,” he whispered, as he blindly slapped his end table and successfully stopped the awful sound. He rubbed his eyes and looked to his left to see the woman he had brought home last night, naked with her hair wildly placed across the pillows. Jeremy smirks, carefully throwing his legs over the bed in an effort not to wake her.

Talking to the women in the morning after he spent the night with them really wasn’t something he enjoyed doing. He figured that they share what they needed to between the sheets, and any sort of conversation that had would be to avoid what happened the night before. Jeremy didn’t like that. He didn’t want to pretend nothing happened over coffee. He loved women, and women loved him. There was no shame, in his mind, about sleeping with women. It's just physical. “You're young, Tilly, live it up,” he would tell himself whenever the guilt of seeing a woman as a warm body began to creep up on him.

Jeremy had a busy day ahead of him, maybe the only reason he had any sort of regret the night before. A new gang, the Evil Saints MC, had been moving in on their turf in an effort to control the drug trade in the neighboring town. There was an early club meeting scheduled in order to see what their next move would be. He didn’t mind the violence that came from these sorts of rivalries; it was almost like a game of chess. Each strategic move would be followed by one of the opponent. Sometimes, he lost some of his bishops, but they all knew it was to protect their queen, The Club.

He went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He had been working out more frequently, maybe trying to cancel out the damage he had been doing to his body with the drinking and partying. He scanned over himself, looking at the remaining scars that poked through his tattooed torso. He sighed as he began to run the shower, trying to get the water as hot as possible for he stepped in. He closed his eyes and let the water run on his face while he took a deep breath. Thoughts raced through his mind, one being Wiz, his best friend who was killed in an "accident" last year, of Moira, his ex-girlfriend who finally had enough of his bullshit and left him a month prior, of his little sister, who kept getting in trouble trying to follow in his footsteps.

After his shower, he put on a pair of sweats and began to gently shake the woman who was in his bed.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Time to go.”
“What?” she quietly grunted, “Can’t I just—“
“Time to go,” he repeated. “Club business. I can’t have you stay.”
“Asshole,” she sighed as slowly rose out of bed and began to get changed. “Don’t expect me to call you again, Tillman.”
He chuckled. “Isn’t that what you said last time, Ashley?”
She fought a smile that was curling on her lips. “Why do I do this to myself?” She walked up to him slowly, flicked her eyes up to him in a seductive manner, and slowly began to kiss him. He began to feel himself give in to her, just like he did last night, his hands slowly sliding down her back. His eyes shot open and he stopped himself.
“Ashley, I don’t have time for this.”
“Fine,” she glared at him, walking to grab her purse. She walked out of the door without looking back, forcefully closing the door behind her. Jeremy laughed. He almost enjoyed having a woman mad at him than one pleased with him. He loved to be that fire lit under a woman to make her pissed off.

Jeremy slipped on jeans, a white v neck, and his leather cut. He pulled back his hair into a bun, not really caring what the final outcome was. He began to make his way downstairs to the kitchen, where his automatic coffee brewer was already steaming. He took a whiff, savoring the smell as he got ready to head to the clubhouse. He poured himself a cup, and then scanned his cabinet for his other ingredient. “Whiskey,” he murmured to himself as he grabbed the bottle and poured a shot into the mug.

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Solomon jolted awake from a nightmare, which was not very unusual for him. He sighed in relief when he realized that it wasn’t real, his breathing slowing down to its normal rate. Solomon lived in an apartment above the clubhouse, jokingly named its “overnight security guard” to fend off any intruders. The one time there was an actual intruder, he was so out of it that he ran down completely naked with a gun in his hand and scared the guy straight out the front door.

Solomon stood up and stretched before he checked the time on his alarm clock. ”5:59am. Can’t I ever sleep in?” he thought to himself, just as the clocked turn to 6:00am, and alarm started blaring. He walked over to turn off his alarm and caught a glimpse of his naked form in the full length mirror. ”I need to get to the gym.” He always hated his skinny frame; it made him less intimidating than he wanted to be. It was a fun surprise to those he squared up with, who assume he is just a wimp until they absorb his first punch.

He walked over to the bathroom, splashed some water on his face, and then stared at himself in the mirror with his hands leaning against the sink. He had already showered last night, mostly to wash the grime of the strip club he frequented off of his body. His fingers traces the dark circles under his eyes slowly before he went back into his room and got dressed. ”Another early meeting. Another job to be handled. Another battle won” he assured himself as he slipped on his cut. He checked himself one last time in the mirror before heading down the to clubhouse’s kitchen. He started the coffee maker and sat up on the counter top, patiently waiting for the pot to be full.

Jeremy pulled up on his motorcycle, which alerted Solo to his presence. He poured two mugs and walked them over to the meeting room, which housed a large wooden table with 10 chairs. He placed a mug at the end of the table, for the President. Although Black wasn’t high maintenance, Solo always made sure to have a cup of coffee waiting for him for their early morning meetings. Jeremy strolled into the meeting room, drinking the last bit of "coffee" in his mug before putting it down on the delicately carved wooden table.

“Mornin’, Solo. You look rough. Another late night at Lipstick’s?” Jeremy chuckled.
“If you weren’t cuddling with Ashley, you could’ve joined me. Things got wild,” Solo coughed, immediately seeing President Black enter the room.
Both Jeremy and Solomon straightened up and nodded at the President. “Mornin’, Pres!” Jeremy smiled. “Tillman, Solo,” the President greeted them. “Where are the others?
Like clockwork, 7 of the remaining members who had authority to sit and vote at the table began to file in. All of them sat in their assigned seats, Jeremy sitting to the right of the President, and Solo to his right.

“Alright, brothers. You all know why we’re here today. Our nextdoor neighbors think they can start controlling drug trade on our turf. I guess the message we sent to them last year wasn’t clear enough. I’m thinking that – “ Black’s cellphone began to ring, which caused looks to be exchanged across the table. “God dammit,” curses black, as he takes his phone out of his cut’s inner pocket.

“Hello? I can’t really – Honey? Is that really you? I- “
Silence filled the room as President Black listened on the other line.
”Honey?” Jeremy thought to himself. "Black would never call his ex-old lady that. That must mean,” his stomach dropped for a moment, "Tallis.”
“You want to come here? Things aren't good here, sweetie. We’re about to –“ Another pause from President Black. “Well, you know I can’t say no to you. Fine. See you soon.” Black hung up his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. “Well, boys. It looks like we’re going to have some company. Our boys from the Cherokee City charter will be escorting Tallis in today. With all this bullshit going on, I need her to be kept safe at all costs. Tillman?” The mention of his name made Jeremy jump up a little. “Yes, boss.” President Black shot him a glare and said, “You’re gonna be taking care of my princess while she’s here. I don’t mean to put you on such a simple task, but I trust you, son.” Jeremy had a million thoughts racing through his head. ”Well, he obviously doesn’t know our past. That’s a good sign.”

“No problem, Black. I’ll take care of her.”
“And, Tillman?”
“Yes, boss?”
“Don’t fuck her, okay?”
This caused a roar of laughter to erupt among the table of outlaws, and a pink hue scattered across Jeremy’s face.
“Yes, boss.”

"You fuck like a dirty, little whore. Goddamn!" He smirked up at her as he continued to work her heavily tattooed body. Nipping at the metal at the tip of her fake breasts. Burying himself deep inside her with heavy breath. She was a goddess with raven locks and he just a lowly mortal being allowed to bask in her glory.

Now that was something Tallis hadn't heard before. You're a whore! Plenty of times. That's MY husband, you whore! More times than she could keep count. But 'you fuck like a whore'? That was new, and she would gladly take it as a compliment. "Fuck...Tallis...I'm gonna--" The President's daughter pushed the man out of her, blindly reaching for her phone as he finished what she had started with his own hand. "Get out, I have Club business to attend to." She didn't look at him as she spoke, scrolling through the contacts on her phone until she found 'Pops.'

"I don't know of any buis--"

"I said get the fuck out," She paused, glancing at him if only for a second. "Isn't your pregnant wife waiting for you at home or something?" Tallis had learned that bringing up her lover's wife always got him going and soft. But this time, it didn't work. He just stood there looking hurt and angry, like an abused puppy who had just been scolded for humping the pillow again. To drive home her message, she drove the heel of her designer stiletto into his fleshy thigh. She wanted him gone.

"Fuck you, you stupid bitch," he grumbled as he slipped back into his clothes. Sticks and stones could break her bones, but his words would never even turn her head. He could call her a bitch all he wanted...but he would come back. He always came back. Even when his wife threatened to leave. He came back.

Men were so predictable.

Tallis Black rolled onto her stomach, pulling a pack of cigarettes out from under her sweat covered pillow. She took one out and lit it, placing it between her full lips as she pressed the call button. It was time to let daddy know his little princess was coming home. "Daddy!" She was practically purring.

“Hello? I can’t really – Honey? Is that really you? I- “

She giggled, thick gray smoke pouring out of her mouth as she spoke. "Yeah. It's me. Sorry, I haven't called, but I wanted to do it before I just showed up today."

“You want to come here? Things aren't good here, sweetie. We’re about to –"

"Daddy, I want to come home. Everything is already packed, and the boys and I are ready to ride out."

“Well, you know I can’t say no to you. Fine. See you soon.”

"Bye, daddy."

Tallis couldn't help the satisfied smirk that was creeping onto her lips. Pops could never say no to her, she had always been his biggest weakness...and she probably always would be. A blessing and a curse wrapped in an over sexualized package. Soon, she would be back in her hometown and hopefully in Tillman's bed. Preferably Tillman's bed, but she would take Solo's if she had to.

_________________________

Black stood at the front of his shop, arms crossed as the roar of 10 to 15 motorcycles announced the arrival of the Red Devil chapter of Cherokee City. The pack was lead by, unsurprisingly, by Tallis herself. What was surprising, though, was the bike she was riding. A customized Harley Davidson Sportster, all black everything. Like her soul.

"I'll be damned," Black said as he ran his fingers through his graying hair. "That's a sight I thought I'd never see again. Taylor's bike and Tallis." The last part he whispered, and only those closest to him. Despite what his facial expressions would tell you, his heart was breaking at the sight.

Tallis pulled up right in front of her father and the others pulled up behind her. In a matter of seconds, the deafening roar of the motorcycles were silenced. "Hi, Pops." She was wearing the Club's leather jacket, a black crop top, and skin tight black jeans.

"You need to cover up, young lady."

His daughter launched herself off Taylor's bike and into her father's arms. It was almost as the weight world were lifted off their shoulders. They were reunited, despite what the future would hold for the Red Devil chapters. Tallis let go of her father, glancing back at the bike. "She's all yours, Pops. I think that should make up for all the birthday presents I forgot to get you," She removed her helmet as she spoke, tossing it to Jeremy as she shook out her raven locks. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Jeremy Tillman." The President's daughter winked at Solo.

After the meeting, Jeremy Tillman sat down at the bar inside the clubhouse and poured himself a shot of whiskey. Seeing Tallis again? It honestly only ever crossed his mind late at night, usually when someone else was in his bed. His mind would sometimes flash to images of her black hair wrapped up in his hands, or her glistening body lying next to his. She had a hold on him unlike any girl that he had been with before, and it was torture. Pure torture. Part of him was sure that she knew that, too.

He remembered the night of the funeral like it was yesterday. The reception was held at Jeremy’s house, and they both felt they had to sneak away from the bullshit small talk and the same damn stories being told over and over again. They had both been crying, although he’d never admit that, and sharing a bottle of rum upstairs in his dark room. Although some of the conversation was a bit blurry, everything that wasn’t conversation was crystal clear in his memory. He had never found a woman who could do what she did to him, both physically and mentally, in the year they were apart. Maybe that was a good thing. At that thought, he heard the roar of at least 10 motorcycles outside, knowing that had to be Tallis and her escort. ”Don’t get your heart broken, idiot.” he thought to himself as he slams back the shot of whiskey and walks out front.

Seeing her get off her bike in front of the club house sent a chill down his spine. “Taylor’s,” he mumbled to himself as he recognized it. He bit his bottom lip as he searched her up and down. ”She looks the same,” he thought, “thank god.” She did have more tattoos, and her ass somehow looked better than the last time he saw her, which he would have bet was impossible. He caught her helmet, which snapped him out of any train of thought he was having, and he met her gaze. “Welcome back, Tallis,” he said confidently as he walked up to her and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek. Having the eyes of President Black on him made him uneasy.

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Solo was at the coffee machine when he heard the bikes approach. He was so sleep deprived that the thought of doing anything but going back to bed gave him a headache. He walked out front to stand next to Jeremy, and they watched together as she got off her bike. ”I forgot how hot she was,” he thought to himself. ”I think Tillman would murder me if he even suspecting anything.”
Solo nodded at her as she winked at him and offered a welcoming smile. “Tallis, nice to see you as always.”
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“Well, son,” President Black said as he placed a hand on each Jeremy and Tallis’s shoulder, “I unfortunately have some business to attend to downtown. Tallis – if it’s alright with Jeremy, I think it’d be best for you to sleep in his guest room. Linda is at my house, and you know how she gets sometimes.” Jeremy gulped when he finished. It was like he was trying to kill Jeremy. He looked at Tallis and cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, I don’t see a problem with that. You’ll have to give me a few minutes to tidy up.” President Black smiled and looked back at Tallis. “That’s not a problem, is it sweetheart?”

"That's not a problem, is it sweetheart?" Her father asked as he rubbed her shoulder. She could hear the unease in his voice, and tried her best to put his mind at ease. Tallis leaned into him, resting her head on his chest with her well-tattooed arms wrapped around his ever expanding waist. "I'm fine with whatever, Daddy. You don't have to worry about me." She looked up at him with innocent eyes, batting those gloriously long eyelashes; anything to make it seem like she was a little girl again. "But if Linda thinks she's going to keep this girl away from her Daddy, though, I'll smash out all the windows of that pretty little Lexus you bought her. Got it?" The innocence was fading away as anger began replacing it. Nothing annoyed Tallis as much as Linda, Daddy's new old lady. A dumb bitch that wanted nothing more than to replace her mother. Jokes on Linda, though! Tallis hated her mother. Then again, she hated anyone that tried to get between her and her father. She had always been a daddy's girl.

Black shook his head, kissing the top of his daughter's. He had always loved her aggressive, fiery nature, even found it cute. "Remember what I said, Tillman." With that one last warning, Black headed back into the clubhouse to continue on with this morning's business. Now that Tallis was back, everything needed to return to normal. She was his one and only weakness since Taylor died, and their enemies knew it.

Tallis watched her father intently, only moving once she was sure that her father could not see or hear her. "As much as I hate to admit it, I've missed you." She wrapped her arms around Jeremy as she spoke, pulling him close. His body felt so good, almost better than she remembered. Her hands started to explore his well muscled back, working their way down until finding a new home on his ass. "Before we head back to your house tonight, I want to go see my brother." The lust and excitement could no longer be found despite the fact that she was still holding him close.

She had almost missed Jeremy as much as she missed Taylor.

____________________

Kaci rolled over, searching for the body that she knew wouldn't be there. Instead of finding Solo, she found her phone. No new messages. "I'm not really sure what I was going to expect." She rolled onto her back, throwing her arm over her face. The gang always came first. Always. It was the same way for Jeremy, but she was used to that.

Jeremy eyed Tallis as she watched her dad walk away. "Here we go," he thought to himself as he felt her arms wrap around him. It felt good, that he knew. Jeremy wasn't one to deny himself of the more pleasurable things in life. The bikes, booze, drugs and women proved that. But something about Tallis felt like the most perfect concoction of pain and pleasure he had ever experience.

"Jesus Christ, Tallis," he grunted as she felt her hands move down his back. He grabbed them from behind and moved them to where he can hold them comfortably. He was ready to rip her a new one, about how she could've at least called him to say she's alright, or to deal with the assholes for her that he heard of from other guys in the club. Jeremy was not at all the clingy type, but he was protective. Maybe he had no right to be mad. He was, after all, with Moira when things finally heated up with Tallis.

But when he saw the look on her face when she asked to go visit Taylor's grave, all he could do is put a hand to her cheek and let out a quiet, "Of course."

When they both climbed on his bike, Jeremy got the chills. It felt like no time had passed. "Don't fucking do this to yourself, kid. She doesn't love you. You're great together in bed and that's it. That's all it ever was." He shook the thoughts from his mind as he started his bike.

-----------------------------------------

Solomon finished fixing up a bike for a fellow club member when he glanced at his phone. He didn't spend the night with Kase last night, and he figured he would have heard from her by now.

Sneaking behind Jeremy's back was never what Solomon intended. It started as being on call for Kaci while Tillman was out on trips, checking up on her throughout the day and night, making sure she was alright. Solomon could never deny that she wasn't gorgeous, and every time that he spent a day with her, he would feel his attraction to her grow significantly. Sooner or later, he kissed her out of the blue. He was so sure that she'd slap him, that he even closed his eyes and braced himself after.

Now, they were seeing each other nearly daily. They were almost caught together by Tillman and a few other club members in the past, but as far as they knew, they're secret was safe.

Solomon picked up his phone and sent a text. "Hey K, you alright?"

Ahavas Chesed Cemetery. Three words that always pulled Tallis' heart into her throat, choking her with memories of the past. She chewed on her bottom lip as she stepped off Jeremy's bike, wrapping her arms around herself as she made her way through the rusted gate. For the first time in a very long time, Tallis was silent. It was almost as if everything was falling apart once more; she could feel her heart breaking in her chest and falling out of her body like broken shards of glass.

Memories were hitting her like trains, nearly forcing her to her knees.

"You're not allowed to leave me, Taylor!" Her words were badly slurred. She was drunk, had been for days now. Never had she known pain and anger such as this. Anger at him, but mostly herself. The machines that were keeping Taylor alive beeped at her in response, lending no comfort in this time of need. "You can't fucking leave me, you stupid piece of shit. You can't leave me. You're my best friend. You can't leave! I'll hate you forever. I'll hate you. Please don't leave me."

"Honey...he can't hear you. Please stop yelling, you're causing a scene." Her mother placed a shaking hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down the best she could. Tallis had always been overdramatic.

"Don't fucking touch me! This is my fault. He was coming to see me. Me. If I hadn't called him...fuck...if I hadn't called him." Tallis fell to her knees, clutching her chest in agony as Taylor flatlined. "Someone help him! Please. Someone, please help him."

No one came to help him, and Taylor Black died that night along with a piece of his sister's heart.

Tallis stared down at the marker, plopping down beside it with tears in her eyes. She ran her fingers through her thick curls, searching for all the things she wished she could say to his stupid face. "I should have come visit you before now, but I've just been busy. Fuck, I can hear you telling me that's a shitty excuse, but it's all I've got." She chuckled but there was no joy in the sound. "I've missed you a lot, and I still haven't settled down...mostly because no one lives up to your standards." That was a lie. Taylor had always wanted her to be Tillman's old lady. "I'll bring you pictures of the bikes next time. I really think you'd like what I did to Banshee. Or you'd hate it, you never could tell ith you. You were always a picky bastard." Another chuckle, though this one was followed with a sigh. There was something she needed to get off her chest. "The guy that hit you gets off on parole soon, but don't worry...I'm going to take care of that."

And with that, the truth of why Tallis was back in town had come out. Taylor always had a way of making her truthful.

________________________________

The 20-year-old jumped as her iPhone vibrated on her chest, rousing her from the beginnings of sleep. She winced at the brightness of the phone screen, trying her best to keep the smile from creeping onto her lips. It was Solo. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just playing hard to get." Send. "Are you going to come see me tonight? I've been doing some research, and I think I found some things that you might enjoy ;)" Send. "I heard Tallis was back in town...is this true?" Send.

Kaci had always had a love-hate relationship with Tallis Black. Love, because it was difficult to dislike her. Hate, because she was stringing her brother along like a ragdoll. That, and if Tallis really wanted to...she could steal Solo away just by licking her lips the right way. A groan escaped her lips as she picked up the phone to text Solomon once more. "Do I have anything to worry about with her?"

Typical insecurities, but Tallis liked taken men.

Solomon heard his phone vibrating repeatedly and wiped the grease off his hands to check. "Jesus, K," he murmured as he read the first two texts, a smile creeping on to his face. The last two texts made him stop to think before he responded. Of course, Tallis was attractive, pretty much to every man who saw her. But, Kaci was different. She wasn't cold and hardened like all of the other women he met through the club. She was delicate, kind, and quietly seductive. She didn't need to flaunt what she had for Solomon to know that he wanted it.

"If you mean your brother," he typed, "then yes. You know how he is around her. If you're referring to me, then shut the fuck up. I'm almost done here at the shop til we meet back in a few hours. Want me to swing by?" He hit 'send' and locked his phone, running a greasy hand through his hair without thinking. "Shit," he cursed when he realized what he did. He put away his tools and walked upstairs to his room. "At least with Tallis here, Tillman will be preoccupied." With that thought, he stripped and jumped into the shower.

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Jeremy decided to stay at the bike while Tallis visited Taylor's grave. Shit, he probably visited it enough for the both of them, sometimes twice in a week depending on what the club had going on. He missed Taylor more than he'd care to put into words, and everyone usually tried to stay clear of the subject with him. Another reason seeing Tallis was so painful was that she reminded him so much of Taylor. All the memories the three of them had together would flood his mind when he saw her face.

After the "accident," Jeremy sought revenge with the club the other driver had been in. This caused a sort of street war, with a few lives lost along with a lot of business. It turned out a lot of buyers don't want their coke when it comes from a seller knee deep in enemy blood. They finally built business back up, but they were now on the cusp of another war.

His phone vibrated, and Ashley's name flashed across his screen. "I thought you weren't gonna call me, Ashley," he laughed. "Shut up, Tillman. What are you doing tonight?" He rolled his eyes at the question. "More club business, and I have a visitor from out of town. I probably won't be seeing you for a while." The girl on the other end paused for a moment. "Whatever, Tillman." She hung up on him.

Once he noticed Tallis had fell silent, he lit a cigarette and approached her and the plot. He pulled it out of his mouth and placed it on top of the tombstone to "share" with Taylor. He reached into the breast pocket of his cut and pulled out a silver flask, taking a swig and wiping his mouth with his arm. He held out the flask to Tallis as to offer her some, the same stone cold expression remaining on his face.

After a few minutes of standing in silence, Jeremy reached a hand down to help her up. "Ready?"

Despite Solo's words, the feeling of unease had permanently settled in Kaci's chest. "No, I'll be coming to you. If Tallis is in town, that means Jeremy will be spending a shitton of time here." Send. "I'll be there in an hour. Kisses." Fuck. What was she going to tell Jeremy? She scrolled through her inbox searching for his name. "I'm going to be out with the girls today, so the house is yours if you wanna bring Tallis over and do...whatever. Just letting you know. Have fun and wrap up ya dick. Love you, Jerm!" It wasn't her best work, but it would have to do. As long as Tallis and Jeremy came straight here, everything would be fine.

Just fine.

___________________________

Tallis' pretty face was stained with tears, bright eyes rimmed red and swollen. Her makeup had stood the test, still flawlessly applied. She gladly took the flask and finished up its contents. Cheap whiskey. Jeremy's favorite. It took all she had not to spit it out. "Jesus Christ," she cried with a look of disgust. "Remind me to give you your present when we get back to the clubhouse. It's a bottle of 1975 Glenrothes single malt scotch. Which means we can drinking all in one sitting. It's expensive shit." She accepted his help to her feet. "For our tradition of one bottle a night, though, I got us a little more than just a bottle of cheap rum." Had they not been at the cemetery, she would have gladly given him a taste of what was waiting for him when they got home.

But respect for the dead and all.

She waited for Tillman to get back on the bike, positioning herself so that he could feel the warmth of her breath on the back of his neck. Her hands resting on his inner thighs. Why hold on when riding a bike was as natural as riding a horse or a man? Instead, she could tease him. Whispers of all the things she wanted to do to him when they got back. Her hand rubbing over the most sensitive part of his anatomy. Kisses gently placed on the back of the neck. Tallis had perfected the art of seduction while on the back of a motorcycle.

A lot had been perfected since she last saw Jeremy.

_____________________________

"Jeremy isn't here, Kaci, he took Tallis to the cemetery." The rough, heavily accented voice of Patty caused Kaci to jump. "You're also not supposed to be here anyway. Tillman made that abundantly clear."

"Oh, I know. I'm not looking for my brother." Her words caused one of Patty's brows to raise. Oh, shit. Think fast, Kaci! "I'm actually just here to talk to Solo about Jeremy and Tallis, I want his input on the whole situation. Tallis had Jeremy wrapped around her little fingers...and I just want to make sure that he'll come out of this intact. Solo is the only one I can really talk to this about...wit Wiz gone and all. I mean, I just thought..." She was beginning to ramble.

"Okay, okay, okay." Patty waved his hand in her direction. "Just don't be too loud, I need some plausible deniability if Tillman asks any questions." He smacked her butt to get her going before returning back to his Playboy, all but forgetting his conversation with baby Tillman.

Kaci raced up the stairs, slipping into Solo's room without knocking. She couldn't see him, but she could hear the shower water running. "Solo, I'm here!" As she spoke she began removing clothes until all that was left was a sultry crop top and black, lace thong.

Jeremy cracked up watching Tallis take down the rest of his flask. “You remember my cheap taste, don’t you?” He smiled at the mention of the scotch. It’d been a while since he had anything more expensive than a $20 bottle of whiskey. “Thanks, Tallis. We’ll stop by the clubhouse to get your shit, then I’ll let you unpack at my place. I have some paperwork to take care of when I get back.”
Before getting on the bike, he checked his phone to see a text from Kaci. He rolled his eyes at the text. “She’s staying in the guest room until further notice. Come home when you’re done. Need to talk.”

He started the bike and slipped on his helmet as Tallis got on the back of the bike. A part of him didn’t want to bring her to his house. He had worked so hard to remove the grip she had over him, and having her staying in the most private part of his life, his home, was daunting. Snapping himself out of his thoughts, a wave of chills ran down is back as he felt her breath on his neck. “Fuck,” he whispered to himself, feeling her hands and lips on him. Was this what she was going to do to him the whole time she was here? Tease him, bed him, and then leave him again for an indefinite amount of time? He grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his waist, removing them from his thighs. ”What the fuck is WRONG with you,” he cursed at himself mentally. ”Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for? You’re acting like a bitch.” He shook his head, backed out, and sped off from the cemetery parking area.

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Solomon heard his name being called from the shower. “Coming!” He yelled as he turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He opened the door to see Kaci, barely dressed, and approached her slowly. “Hey,” he simply said in a quiet voice as he wrapped her arms around her and kissed her. As the kiss continued, one hand came to her neck with a thumb on her face and the rest of his fingers in her hair. His other hand began to slide down her back, until the sound of a motorcycle approached the clubhouse. Solomon broke the kiss and ran to the window. “God DAMN it,” he cursed, running a finger through his here. “Tillman’s here.”

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Jeremy and Tallis pulled up to the clubhouse after an uneventful ride. ”Solo’s bike is here. Good. I have to talk to him, too.” As his thought ended, he heard heels clicking in a hurried pace right towards him. “What now?” He snaps his head to the right, immediately feeling a sting on his cheek. There was Ashley, huffing and puffing, eyes switching back and forth between Tallis and him. “Is this your guest?” she said in a low, angry tone. “Ashley,” he began. “Don’t ‘Ashley’ me, Tillman. Do you really think that she’s better than me? This tattooed, slutty bitch?” Jeremy rubbed his cheek and rolled his eyes. “Ashley, I fuck you. That’s it.” This made Ashley's anger skyrocket as she began to walk towards Tallis. “Leave him the hell alone. He deserves better than you.”

Oh God. She had missed Solomon's touch. His fingers in her hair as he pressed his lips to hers. The blissful moment was short-lived, though, as the roar of a motorcycle pulled Solo's attention to the window. His words made her blood run cold and her heart fall into her stomach. "This can't be happening. He'll beat the shit out of you if he catches me here." She ran her hands over her face. "Where are my clothes, Solo? I need to hide." The panic was clear in her shaking voice.

This was a nightmare.

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Ashley's anger skyrocketed as she began to walk towards Tallis. “Leave him the hell alone. He deserves better than you.” Her anger only growing at Tallis' apparent amusement at the situation. Why was she smiling like a demon? It was unsettling. This bitch is crazy.

"This is who you're fucking, Tillman." Surprise was evident in her voice as Tallis pointed to Ashley. "I should have come back sooner." Her words were like daggers, meant to wound not kill.

"What is that supposed to me, bitch?!" Ashley demanded. She was shaking like a chihuahua.

"It means you are nothing compared to me. I'm a fucking dragon and you're just a whore. You wanna be his old lady, but you can't even convince him to stay faithful to your bed. You'll never be more than the girl he fucks when his nuts are full." She paused long enough to gauge Ashley's reaction. Her words were hitting their mark every time. Club members were beginning to pour out of the clubhouse, watching with arms crossed and blank expressions. "And you're right, he does deserve better than me. I won't argue with you on that one, but he also deserves better than you. He deserves an old lady that's going to rub his back after he comes home from killing a man and not think twice about it. The only thing you rub is his balls. Bitch, you don't love him like--" Her words were interrupted by a fist to the face.

"That'll shut you up, won't it bitch?" The pride was clear in Ashley's voice; she thought she had one.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Blood was filling Tallis' mouth and her vision was beginning to go red. She spat the blood towards Ashely, launching herself at her; Tillman's whore cried out as she hit the dirt, "Help!" No one would dare come to help her as Tallis pounded her fists into the poor girl's face. Ashley did all she could to protect herself, but she was at a disadvantage; Tallis was on top of her, pinning her arms down with her knees.

"Please...stop..."

Solomon tossed Kaci her clothes that were in a pile on the floor and put his hands on her shoulders. “It’s gonna be fine,” he assured her, running his fingers down her hair. “Just um,” he blurted as he scanned the room, “just stay here. He won’t need to come up here.” He kissed her and threw his towel on floor, scrambling to get himself dressed. He gave her a nod as he closed the door behind him. He ran down the stairs quickly and slowed himself before he reached the front door. What he saw happening outside made his eyes widen.
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Jeremy couldn’t help but smirk as he watched Tallis and Ashley exchange words back and forth. He was certain that Tallis could kill her with her bare hands if she wanted, but he wouldn’t let it get that far. There was already enough heat on the clubhouse; the last thing they needed was the cops showing up. Ashley wasn’t something he was proud of, although she wasn’t bad looking. She was available, and that was all Jeremy really needed at the time.

Once Tallis was on top of Ashley, Jeremy sprang into action. He smiled when he saw Solomon run up next to him. ”Atta boy,” thought Jeremy, as he walked up behind Tallis, looping his arms through hers and dragging her to a standing position. “Enough, Tallis, enough,” he said only loud enough for Tallis to hear. Solomon helped Ashley up also to a standing position, putting his arms around her to keep her from lunging at Tallis. Once she calmed down, Jeremy let her go and walked in between the two girls.

“Ashley, I think it’s time you go.”
“But look what she did to me, Tillman. You’re okay with this?” She was referring to her already bruising eye socket and the leaking gash on her cheek.
Jeremy smiled at her question, annoyed she wasn’t getting the hint. He turned away from her and faced Tallis, putting his fingers on her chin and propping her face up. He leaned in and kissed her slowly and passionately, but only for a moment before turning back to Ashley. He tasted the blood in his mouth from Tallis'.
“Got it?” Jeremy asked, not expecting an answer. His face remained stone cold as he glared at her.
Ashley scoffed, ripping her body away from Solomon and storming off to her car parked on the other side of the compound.

Jeremy, after realizing what he did, scanned the front of the clubhouse to make sure President Black wasn’t viewing the spectacle outside. He sighed of relief when he noticed he wasn’t, and turned back around to Tallis. “Try not to kill anyone on my property, okay?” He looked to her, fighting a smile curling on the corners of his lips. “I forgot about this side of her.”

Solomon ran his fingers through his hair, waiting to see if Jeremy needed him before he could run upstairs to check on Kaci. Knowing that she was there, in his room, possibly waiting to be spotted by Tillman, made his heart race.

Kaci watched the scene unfold from Solo's window, a hand covering her mouth. Jeremy tried is best to keep her away from this life, so seeing Ashley be beaten so brutally made her stomach weak and her heart race She was not meant for this life. Kaci Tillman was too delicate and soft, yet she so desperately wanted to be a part of their world. The drugs. The sex. The alcohol. She wanted to taste the riches of this world, and as Solo's girl...she could.

This is what freedom looked like.

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Jeremy's kiss made her toes curl and her eyes close. God, I forgot what his kisses were like. They were intoxicating; Jeremy Tillman was intoxicating. The only man that had ever kept her attention for more than a few months. Hell, he had her attention at 15 and he still had it now. He was something else, that much Tallis knew. "Me? Kill someone? Don't you know I'm afraid of guns, Jeremy?" This was a lie, but she wouldn't have used a gun anyway. She preferred baseball bats.

She turned her attention to the clubhouse, surprised to see a familiar face in Solo's window. Kaci Tillman, I'll be damned. Solo was playing wit fire, and he and Kaci were both going to get burned. To crisps. Tallis shook her head at Kaci before turning her attention back to the young woman's brother. "How about we head back to your place now, Jeremy? We obviously have some...catching up to do." She glanced in Solo's direction, "And Solo can meet us at Lipstick's tonight once he gets done taking Banshee out for a spin. I promised him last time I was here that he could ride her." How could she properly convey that she thought he was being an idiot? Oh, right. She pulled out her phone and shot Solo a simple text. "You're a fucking idiot."

”We obviously have some catching up to do.” This comment made Jeremy audibly sigh. Did he have any control in keeping this from happening? His pride would tell him yes, of course, but his heart told him differently. He hadn’t kissed her in so long that when he did, it sent what felt like electricity through his body. “I don’t think Lipstick’s is happening tonight, Tallis. We have a few things to take care of on the county line, ain’t that right, Solo?” Solomon was obviously shaken out of a deep thought, as he jumped at the mention of his name. “Yeah. Sorry, Tallis. I’d love to take Banshee out for a little though.” He flashed her a genuine smile as he looked back to Tillman. “Solo, mind if I talk to you for a second? I’ll be right back, Tallis.”

Jeremy and Solomon began to walk together towards the clubhouse, and they stopped near the front door.
“What time are the guys meeting here tonight?”
“8:00 I think. Tillman, what are we doing? We’re just going to show up there and be friendly to the Evil Saints? That’s gonna go fuckin’ horribly.”
“Solo,” Jeremy smiled, placing his hands on both of Solomon’s shoulders, “you’ve never been scared of a little fight before. You know the rules, all weapons left at home. We’ll be fiiiiine..”
Solomon nodded his head to agree with him, mind still on Kaci in his room.
“Now look. Two things. One, obviously Tallis is here. Please don’t let me lose my fucking head, man. If you see me getting to deep, you need to help me jump ship.”
Solomon laughed listening to Jeremy. “Tillman, you know once you’re in there, you don’t come out. Unless she breaks your heart again. Then you become more fun to party with. I’m okay with that.”
Jeremy punched his arm and laughed with him.
“Please, man. Oh… I’ve noticed Kaci's been acting up lately. She hasn’t been home much, and she hasn’t been talking to me. If you see her, let me know if she’s okay.”
Solomon gulped and quickly nodded his head. “Of course, man.”
Jeremy jokingly grabbed his head and kissed his cheek. “Love you, brother.”
“Jesus. Love you too.”

Jeremy walked over to Tallis with her duffle bag that was by the front door. “Ready?” he asked her, as he got on his bike with the bag in his lap.

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Solo waved goodbye and went back upstairs to him room, opening the door to see Kaci jump. “Sorry, K. That took longer than I thought.” He leaned his back against his closed door and smiled at her. “He’s taking Tallis back to your place right now. She’s fucking crazy,” he laughed. “He’s worried about you K. He told me to keep an eye out for you, and I’m sure this wasn’t what he meant.” He walked towards her to hold her, wrapping his arms around her and placing his chin on the top of her heard. “Why’d we do this to ourselves, huh?” A reminder went off on his phone to notify him of a missed text. "You're a fucking idiot"

Solomon rubbed his eyes and read it again. "Damnit, Kaci. Were you by the window?" He flashed her the text on the screen so that she could read it.

Solomon & Kaci

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be safe. You know 'club business' makes me nervous." Kaci leaned into Solo, tracing the scars that riddled his hands. His hands were rough and calloused but she loved the way they felt against her soft, porcelain skin. "Do you think Tallis will tell Jeremy? I don't know her as well as you do." Something about her tone was accusatory.

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Solomon nodded his head as a reply to her first statement. He couldn't blame her for watching the shit show that unfolded, but they had to be more careful. "I don't think she'd send me that if she was just going to tell Tillman. She's a smart girl, K. She'll use this to her advantage if she can."

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Kaci sighed as she turned to face Solo. She kept his hand, kissing the tips of his fingers before taking two them into her mouth only to let them slowly slide back out. "He's gone now, so we don't have to be careful right now. We can just be us." She placed is hand on her cheek, leaning into his caress. "I think I'm ready. I want to do this. I want to give myself fully to you."

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Solomon’s eyes followed her mouth and his fingers, and they widened when they went into her mouth. “Kase…” he nearly whispered. “Only if you’re sure.” Thoughts of Tillman flashed through his mind, (sexy right?) as he began to kiss Kaci. The thought of him finding out that he was seeing his little sister made his mind race and not be focused on the beautiful girl in front of him. ”Get a hold of yourself, dumbass. It’s just you and K. Enjoy it for once.” He lifted Kaci up into his arms, her legs around his waist, and began to kiss her more passionately.

Jeremy and Tallis

Jeremy’s house was simple, obviously missing a woman’s touch. Moira took most of her decorations that she had hung around the house when she left, which did not bother him. His record player was in the corner of the living room, housed in a wooden case next to a flat screen TV. Above the record player were three shattered records, hung up in the wall like a puzzle pieces in their original shape. The records broke in one of Moira’s fits of rage, caused by Jeremy coming home drunk covered in glitter. He would often go to the strip club with Solomon, usually on business, but Jeremy never understood why pleasure couldn’t be in the mix. Moira targeted three of his favorite records, which at the time caused him to pin her against the wall, not violently, until she calmed down. The next day, when Moira woke up, they were hung up on the wall in the fashion they were now, a sort of mosaic. A lava lamp sat atop a small table on the right of the black leather couch.

The kitchen was bare minus the necessities; a coffee maker, a knife block, a clock on the wall with a cracked glass covering (this time, Jeremy’s fault), and a shelf of shot glasses above the sink. Black granite and dark wooden cabinets stretched across the walls and wooden floors, without a crumb or spot of liquid in sight. One of the club’s “groupies,” cleaned his house once a week, who he paid in a bit of a scandalous manner.

On the dining room table, some bills, unopened mail, and other paperwork was strewn across the dark wood. The front for the club was a mechanic shop which Jeremy was named owner. He didn’t have to do much in the shop besides look over finances and sign some papers, but they had been piling up as of late. Another item on the table was a leather bound notebook that he enjoyed writing in when he had the opportunity.

Jeremy’s bedroom, his sanctuary, was on the top floor. Black curtains scaled a tall window to keep sunlight out, and the room was painted a deep gray. Another simple room in the house, only having a guitar, a dresser, and a shag rug laying under his four post bed. He preferred not to have a TV in his room as he was usually either busy, sleeping, or with a woman while in there. A master bathroom was connected to the room.

This left only the Kaci’s room and guest room. Jeremy didn’t use it much, seeing as he never really had guests stay at his house. Some boxes of Moira’s stuff that she left behind lined the wall with the window. He never understood why he felt bad throwing them out. The feelings he had for her were mostly all hatred, but not all his memories of her were awful. If Jeremy knew that Tallis would be coming to stay, he would have cleared the room to not bring up any conversation about Moira.

As they walked in the house, Jeremy threw his keys on the kitchen counter and slipped off his cut, draping it over one of the dining room chairs. “Make yourself at home,” he said, tugging at the tie to release his hair and scratching his head. “Help yourself to the fridge. Not much in there besides water and whiskey, but…” he trailed off. He pointed up the stairs, suggesting for him to follow her. “Whatever you do, don’t go in Kaci’s room,” he pointed towards her door. “She’ll kill us both. Here’s the guest bedroom. Sorry about the boxes,” he said, beginning to stack a few of them to create more room. “Moira didn’t pick all her shit up,” he grunted, while stacking the last one. “Not sure how long you’re staying, but the dresser and closet are empty.” He slipped away from the guest room before she had a chance to seduce him and descended down the stairs to the kitchen. He pulled the whiskey out of the freezer and poured himself a glass, adding a few ice cubes. He sat down at the dining room table to review some of the paper work. ”Keep yourself busy, man.” He began signing some documents, reading others with his fingers holding the bridge of his nose. He let out a soft sigh before tossing the document he had in his hand across the table. He rested his elbows on the wood and put his head in his hands.

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Oh how I've missed this place.

Tallis floated through Jeremy's house like a ghost, settling behind him to work the knots out of his tense shoulders. It was as if he carried the weight of the world on those muscular shoulders of his. For all she knew, he did. When was the last time they had talked? The last time she had told him her fears and dreams? "I tried to come back once, a few weeks after I left. Rode all the way here in the rain." She sighed, abandoning her job to sink into the chair beside him. "Her car was in the driveway, so I left."

Honesty had never been so difficult.

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Jeremy sighed gratefully at the feeling of Tallis' hands rubbing his back. He'd been touched by women plenty of times in the past year, but this felt different. This felt maternal, careful, selfless. He felt them leave his shoulders as she began to speak, but he didn't lift his head from his hands.
"You knew I didn't love her," he said gruffly. He looked up only to grab the piece of paper he originally tossed and began to reread it. He grabbed the pen to sign the bottom, and then reached for another from the stack.

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"You don't stay with someone for three years if you don't love them, Tillman." She needed to touch him, so she began running her fingers through his dirty blond hair. It was softer than she remember. Then again, everything about Jeremy was different than she remembered. "I loved you, and I hated knowing that she was still warming your bed at night." Tallis laughed out of embarrassment. "Wow, never thought I would tell you all of that. I tried to drink all of those feelings away."

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He closed his eyes at the sensation of her fingers in his hair. “Easier said than done.” He sighed and opened his eyes to look at her. “I never told you this, Tallis. Moira had an abortion last year, behind my back,” he sighed and rubbed his temples. “Your dad convinced me to stay with her since it was good for business. Her dad owns some ports down at the bay. He let us import and export whatever we wanted.” He played with the pen in his fingers, avoiding eye contact. “I couldn’t look at her the same anymore.” Bringing it up brought him a lot more pain than he expected.

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She moved her fingers to his, lacing them together in an effort to comfort him. "I'm so sorry, Jeremy, you would have been an amazing father." Tallis kissed the top of his hand. "That sounds like something dad would want, limitless imports and exports. Fuck feelings as long as business is booming, right?" It was impossible to hide the bitterness in her voice; the club had always come first for her father. "I had a miscarriage, so we would have been parents together." She looked away, she didn't want him to know that there was more to her miscarriage than she was willing to tell him. Tallis ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to hide her face.

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He smiled as she kissed his hand, but his expression quickly changed when she mentioned her miscarriage. She obviously didn't want him know much more, but he wasn't going to let that slide. He re-positioned himself to face her better and looked her in the eyes. "What happened, Tallis?" he asked in a very matter-of-fact tone, not expressing the anger and confusion he was feeling. He tried his best to keep calm when millions of questions were popping up in his mind.

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"Cameron didn't want to be a father, so down the stairs I went." She laughed, trying to hide the pain that was bubbling up in her chest. She could have been a mom. A good mom, unlike her own. It took everything she had to look back up at Jeremy. "When that didn't work, he brought out the bat. You know, the usual stuff. I wasn't planning on keeping the baby anyway, but..." Tallis left it at that.

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He frowned as she began her story. He grabbed her small, soft hand in his large one and didn’t break his gaze from her until she was finished. He felt his rage boiling inside, so much so that he didn’t really know how to respond. He stood up abruptly, shaking his head and clearing his throat, moving towards one of the kitchen cabinets. He swiftly grabbed an unopened bottle of whiskey and two glasses and brought them back to the table. He watched her intently has he poured the alcohol into each glass, not spilling a drop, and pushed one towards her.

After he took a sip, he stood up again and looked down at her. “You really couldn’t have fuckin’ called me, Tallis?” He began pacing back and forth, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his right hand. Where did he fuck up so much to where she wouldn’t call him to help her? He and Taylor always were able to get her out of whatever situation she was in, whether it was a douche bag or just a flat tire. “God damn it,” he said quietly, plopping himself down on the chair. He grabbed her hand again and intensely held her gaze. “I don’t know what to say… I-I’m sorry.” He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to push all of the pain and anger back down his throat.

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She didn't hesitate to take the back, tossing back the glass like it was purified water. God, it burned like hell. Jeremy's anger caught her off guard, putting her on the defensive with hair bristled and teeth barred. "What the fuck was I supposed to say? 'Hi, Jeremy! I know we haven't talked since we fucked at my brother's funeral, even though I've missed you like crazy, but I wanted to let you know that my boyfriend is abusing me. He pushed me down a flight of stairs and repeatedly hit me with a baseball bat because he couldn't wait for me to get an abortion.' Is that what you wanted me to say, Jeremy? That ever since I left my life has been a shitshow? Is that what you wanted to hear? Because that's what you're getting."

His apology rolled right off her back, he had nothing to be sorry for. "No, there's nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault." Tallis sighed, slumping into him. "Amazing how so much can happen in so little time."

Jeremy stood up, walked behind Tallis, and placed his hands on her shoulders. He rubbed them gently before one of his hands made it to her neck, which he used a finger to lightly run down the length of it. He cleared his throat and walked back to his chair, placing his hands on the back. "I have to get through some of this paperwork before I head back to the club house. Feel free to take a bath or relax upstairs. Use my bathroom though, the guest bathroom is Kaci's now." He poured himself another drink and sat down at the table, gathering some of the paperwork in front of him for review.

He felt himself losing patience. He wanted to do nothing more than join Tallis upstairs and forget about his duties tonight. But he couldn't do that to himself, at least not yet. The club always came first, and unfortunately tonight was a top priority to the club. The "meeting" with the Evil Saints MC was going to be a shit show. Although they all agreed to not bring weapons, he knew a fight would break out after agreement wasn't met. He wasn't in the mood to fight, a rarity for him, but being with Tallis all day and not acting on his thoughts really took it out of him.

-------------------------------------------

Solomon and Kaci laid together in his bed naked, his fingers playing with different pieces of her blonde hair. Her face on his chest was the most perfect warmth he ever felt, and if it wasn't for the meeting later, he'd lay there for hours. Solomon wasn't privy to her past, not knowing if he was her first for fifteenth, but he could care less. "You alright, K?" He asked as he pressed a kiss into the hair on the top of her hair. He hoped she wouldn't turn out to hate him. He was a piece of shit compared to her, so pure and kind.

Tallis simply nodded at his words, she knew that there was more than he was letting on. "Come back to me, Jeremy Tillman." She paused as she stood. "I don't care how many pieces you come back in, just come back." With that she left him alone with his mountain of paperwork. The early hours of the morning would tell her everything she needed to know...if he came back. No, he's coming back. Life wasn't that cruel, it wouldn't take away anyone else she loved.

Or so she told herself.

She made her way up the stairs and into Jeremy's bedroom, leaving the doors open as she stripped down to nothing. A bath was actually sounding pretty pleasant at the moment. Hot water and a line of coke. She was surely living the life.

____________________

"Alright?" Kaci looked up at Solomon with glossy eyes. She was still riding the high of her climax. "I'm so much better than just alright. Everyone made it seem like losing your virginity would be so awful, but there was nothing awful about that." At the realization that she had said far more than she had wanted to, Kaci turned bright red. She hadn't wanted Solo to know. Not that it really mattered, but still. A girl had to seem experienced. Before she cold say anything else, someone began slamming their fist against Solo's bedroom door.

"If you're done fucking Tillman's sister, Black wants to see you." It was Patty, and it was obvious that he was fighting back giggles with other members of the club.

Hearing Tallis's words shook him a little. He nodded at her with a calm demeanor and looked down at his paperwork. "Breathe, dude."

Jeremy walked into his room, seeing her clothes laid about on the floor. He peered into the bathroom to see her in the tub with a line and a glass of whiskey. This made him smile for a second before he spoke. "Hey, I'm out. Should only be gone for an hour or two. Call me if you need anything." He slowly closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, taking a deep breath and getting his thoughts together.

All of the members gathered at the clubhouse before they took off on their bikes. They were meeting with the Evil Saints to establish boundary lines, but Jeremy anticipated things getting out of hand. The ESMC was known for fighting, but at least they kept it clean.

Talking with the Evil Saints lasted about 15 minutes before a heated argument broke out between Jeremy and the other VP. Black has tried to hold him back, but the Evil Saints VP threw a punch that made Jeremy red with anger. The fighting seemed to last for hours, with nothing but fists and curses being thrown left and right. Finally, the ESMC retreated and the brothers from the Red Devils got back on their bikes. Jeremy acted fine, not showing the pain he was feeling, but once he pulled up in his drive way, he felt like he couldn't even make it inside.

He stumbled up the front steps and through the front door, partly because of his injuries and partly from the whiskey. He threw his keys towards the kitchen counter and slid off his cut, wincing and sighing the entire time. He knew his left rib cage was at LEAST badly bruised, but as he looked down at his white shirt, he saw blood. "Fuck." He took his shirt off slowly, cursing the entire time. He threw it towards his sink and attempted to assess what happened to his ribs. Motherfucker must have had rings on." A few deep gashes littered his ribs and abdomen.

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Solomon's eyes widened at the word "virginity." She definitely didn't act like smit was her first time. "K, you're fucking with me right? Oh Jesus, not only did I sleep with Tillman's sister, I took her fucking virginity?" Someone pounded on the door which made his naked self jump towards the bed. After Patty yelled through the door, Solomon shook his head and looked around for his cut and clothes. He dressed quickly and leaned over and kissed Kaci slowly. "I'll be back soon, K." He ran out of the door, slamming it behind him. It was time for the meeting with the Evil Saints, just in time too; he was craving a fight.

~after the fight~

Solomon ran up the stairs of the clubhouse, feeling a lot more cheerful than Jeremy. He somehow made it through the fight with a busted lip and a small cut above his eye. He swung open the door and closed it behind him, expecting Kaci to be waiting for him. But, there was no sign of her. "K?" he called out, walking to the bathroom to make sure she wasn't in there. He shrugged. "Maybe she went home."

He stripped his clothes and flopped in his bed, not bothering to pull the covers over him before he fell into a deep sleep.

Tallis Black was curled up on the couch when Kaci entered the house. Her dirty blonde hair looked like a birds nest, and it was painfully obvious that she had put her clothes back on in a hurry. "Did you enjoy getting laid?"

"W-what?" Kaci froze at Tallis' words, praying that her brother was far, far away. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Tallis. It's really good to see you, though!" Maybe kissing her ass would make this all go away.

"Kissing my ass isn't going to make this all go away, Kaci. You and Solo are playing with fire and you're both going to get burned." To punctuate her sentence, Tallis snorted another line. God. The drugs weren't nearly as good in Cherokee City. "Jeremy is going to find out at some point, and it's going to ruin his friendship with Solo. You're secret is safe with me, but when you're the reason Jeremy hates Solo 'cause he knocked you up...just know you won't get any sympathy from me."

"You've always been a real bitch, Tallis, you know that?"

"Yep."

~A few hours later~

Tillman was loud enough to wake the dead, but luckily Tallis was still awake. She was wearing one of Jeremy's oversized t-shirts, her thick, wet hair pulled into a messy bun. "You look like shit." She nodded towards a chair, "Take a seat so I can patch you up." The President's daughter inspected his wounds, clicking her tongue like a displeased mother hen. Most of these would scar, but she had always liked her men heavily scarred and tattooed.

Kaci stumbled down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hands. "Jeremy, is that you?" Without her contacts in he was nothing more that a skin colored blob. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"He's fine, Kaci. I'm taking care of him. Go back to bed, okay?" To Tallis' surprise, Jeremy's sister simply grumbled and 'okay' before heading back up the stairs; usually she would have put up one hell of a fight. "Well that was easy," She pushed herself out of her chair as she spoke, working her way around the kitchen to grab supplies. Needle and thread. Peroxide. Paper towels. Whiskey. Cocaine. Just the needed when sewing up your former lover's battle wounds. "How you feeling, big boy?" It was best to ask him questions and keep him talking as she cleaned the wounds out with peroxide.

He grunted as Tallis inspected him, cringing whenever her fingers grazed one of his wounds. She would always patch up him and Taylor when they got home from fights, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss her taking care of him. Without saying a word, he fell down into the chair and nodded before she went to go get supplies.

"How you feelin, big boy?" This made Jeremy start to laugh. He rubbed his eyes and titled his head towards her. "About as good as I look, love," he said With a grin as he turned his head back. He must have either drank more or got hit in the head harder than he thought; his thoughts were blurry and simple. Mostly about Tallis, of course. "Nice shirt," he smiled childishly. His fingers found his way bottom lip where he felt a clean cut. "Fuck."