Page 108 of Chains
Chains punched him two more times before throwing him on the hard, icy ground. He lifted his leg and was ready to plant his steel-toed boot into his brother’s side, but he stopped. Bret lay in a curled up position, his crimson blood staining the fresh white snow.
“Stay away from Autumn.”
Bret looked up, his face bloody and swollen. “I think I’m dying.”
Chains rolled his eyes as he leaned over and picked up his brother. “You’re not gonna die. I didn’t even break anything. You got what you gave Autumn. Go inside and clean up.”
He took his phone out of his pocket and texted Jigger and Crow to head out, then he watched Bret slip and slide on the ice as his brother walked to the back door.
Before he went inside, Bret looked over his shoulder. “I really am sorry for what I did to Autumn.”
“You should be. You treated her like shit—didn’t even help pay for canceling the wedding, and then you beat her up? If you weren’t my brother, I would’ve killed you for what you did to her.”
Bret nodded, then disappeared inside.
Chains pulled the Tahoe away from the curb just as a police car pulled up in front of Tequila Willy’s. In the rearview mirror, he saw Sheriff Wexler step out of the car. The badge would take a report, but that was where it would end. No decent man would blame Chains for what he’d done. That night had been aboutan eye for an eye, and the bad blood they had between them didn’t figure into the beating. Bret had hurt Autumn, and Chains had hurt Bret back. It was the flow of life that made things balanced and right, at least in Chains’s world.
A few miles away, he pulled the car over and got out, then picked up some snow and washed the blood off his hands. He jumped back into the car and headed over to Autumn’s place.
Thor ran out of the house when Chains opened the door and barked up a storm. He opened the garage door and the Siberian dashed out to enjoy the cold weather.
“You’re home.” Autumn pulled her sweater around tighter as if to keep out the cold.
“What I had to do didn’t take as long as I thought.” Chains had figured Bret would have at least put up a fight. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her shiver against him. “You better get inside—it’s freezing. I’m gonna take Thor for a quick walk, then I’ll warm you up.” He brushed his lips across hers and stepped back.
Chains watched as Thor ran around the small park near the house, and he realized that the dog needed way more space than what he had at Autumn’s home. Chains spent four or five nights a week at her place, and Thor was always with him. The other times, Chains was at the clubhouse with acres of land surrounding it. Siberian huskies were bred to run long distances, and they required a lot of exercise, so the club’s setting was perfect for Thor.
A half hour later, Chains was drying the husky off with a large towel Autumn had given him. He refreshed Thor’s water bowl, gave him a treat, and went upstairs to take a quick shower.
When he came down, Autumn was dozing on the couch with the fireplace burning brightly and the television on low. He loved looking at her while she slept. There was something about it that made him feel trusted. And lucky.
Chains sank down on the couch and placed her feet on top of his thighs. Cinder, stretched across the top of the sofa, stared at him for a few seconds, then put her head down on her paws. Autumn stirred slightly and then her lids fluttered open.
“Did you just come back?” she asked, stifling a yawn.
“It’s been a while.” He massaged her feet, the fuzzy material was soft, like a baby’s blanket. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I must’ve dozed off.” She let out a big yawn, then pushed up to a sitting position. “It must’ve been the wine I had at dinner tonight.”
“How was the restaurant? What was the name of it?”
“Thai Mango, and it was delicious. Sadie’s obsessed with it the way I am with the Spice Room, so we’ve been eating a lot of Thai and Indian food lately.” She wiggled her toes, then her gaze fell on his swollen knuckles. “What happened?”
He shrugged. “Must’ve hit them against something.” Before Autumn could ask another question, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her toward him.
Laughing, she reached out her arms, and Chains gladly yanked her to him, claiming her mouth in a long, deep kiss.
“Didn’t you promise to warm me up?” she whispered against his lips.
“I did,” he said as his hands touched her shoulders, sweeping her hair over one of them, as he placed feathery kisses on the side of her neck.
“That feels nice,” she murmured.
Chains slowly pushed up the hem of Autumn’s nightshirt, his heated gaze fixed on her sheer panties. “I’m gonna warm you up real good, baby.”
“You always do.” She swiped her tongue across his bottom lip, then placed her hand on his erection. Looking up, he caught her eyes as she slipped it into his sweat pants. He hissed when her soft fingers curled around his dick.
“I want to taste you,” she said, pushing back a bit.
