Rainbow by K.L. Savage

After dropping off Mr. McDonald’s dead body and having to watch Dex carry his father away, I’m so fucking done. I’m done with everything. I didn’t have the heart to play the message his dad left. It didn’t feel like the right time. He was angry and pissed off, and he had four brothers to console while trying to keep his own shit together.

We park the truck in front of the clubhouse at last, and I stare at the damn tree that nearly cost me my life. The wind is starting to get stronger, and the sky is turning black from the hurricane finally approaching.

Time is up.

“Thanks for coming for me,” I say as Jokester shuts off the truck. “I know I told you not to.”

“He wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Jokester points to Ryan. “I’m glad too. I’m starting to rethink some of your rules, VP.”

“Rules are a bitch.”

“Speaking of a bitch, who is the mother fucker that hit your face?”

“Don’t worry, Prez. I got it handled,” I tell him, grinding my jaw thinking about how long the list of things I need to worry about is getting. I tug Ryan onto my lap, and his nose crinkles when he gets a whiff of me. “The branch was intentionally cut, Prez,” I state. “It was clean.”

“You’re sure?”

I deadpan him through the rearview mirror from the backseat.

“Wonder if it was the same person that tried to drown me in the tub.”

I, Mime, and Jokester turn in our seats to stare at Ryan.

“What the fuck did you just say?” I growl, tightening my hand around his hips.

“I… never mind.” Ryan tries to open the door, but I stop him.

“Tell me,” I say with anger simmering in my veins. I’m ready to add to my kill list.

“You were on the roof, and I decided to take a bath. Then someone dunked my head underwater,” he explains, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “He kept me under until I needed to breathe. He did it three times, but I don’t know who it was. He left when I was underwater.”

This time it’s me pushing the door open, ready to tackle every man in the clubhouse, but Ryan’s palm on my chest calms me.

“Don’t,” he warns as if it’s so simple for me to let go of this information.

“Someone tried to kill you.”

Mime cracks his knuckles.

“Exactly,” I agree with my brother.

“Someone scared me. If they wanted to kill me, they would have,” Ryan points out. “I think we need to go into this as if I never said a word. If we want to figure out who did it, it might be better to figure it out that way. I didn’t plan on telling you in the first place, but since you felt like the branch was cut intentionally, I thought I should—”

“—You always tell me when someone is trying to hurt you.” I jerk him closer to me and cup the side of his face with my palm. His skin is so different from mine. He has no stubble across his cheeks, unlike me. I shave, and the next second, I probably could shave again.

Not Ryan. His face is so smooth.

“You’re mine, Sassafras. I protect you. You aren’t alone anymore. I’m by your side and whoever fucks with you fucks with me. Okay?”

He nods and leans his cheek into my palm. “I didn’t think you’d believe me.”

“If you told me the sky was pink, I’d believe you.”

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe, but at least I’m happy.”

Rain begins to pour so hard that I can no longer see the steps leading up to the front door. It’s a monsoon. Jokester pulls the truck into the garage and parks next to all the safe and sound Harleys.

“You keep saying stuff like that and I’m going to fall in love with you,” Ryan admits, pressing his forehead against mine. His fingers drift along my left cheek through the dried mud and blood.

Two doors slam shut, and when I look out the window, I notice Mime and Prez making their way inside to give us a moment alone.

“Having you love me doesn’t sound so bad because I could easily see myself loving you.”

“Loving you could mean the end of me.” He shakes his head and desperately grips the sides of my neck.

“And the start of us.” I swing open the door and cradle him to my chest while I step out of the truck. My boots hit the floor and exhaustion slams into me as the adrenaline wears off.

“Whoa, okay. Stop using all your energy sweet-talking me and let’s get you in the shower.” Ryan wraps his arm around my waist and then slings my arm over his shoulder to take most of my weight.

“I like sweet-talking you.”

“You don’t need to. God,” he grunts. “You’re heavy.”

“Heavy enough to flip you over and pound that big fucking ass. I can’t wait to sink my cock into.”

He trips over his feet and catches himself on the wall while gawking at me. “Nathan,” he croaks my given name, and nothing has ever sounded sweeter.

“Being exhausted makes my lips loose.”

“I see that,” Ryan blushes and steps inside the hallway where the laundry room is.

I grin, loving how flustered I can get him. He gives the door a quick kick, locks it behind us, and helps me to my bedroom.

“I need to look at that head wound and make sure it doesn’t need stitches.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll believe that when it starts raining dicks outside,” he replies, which makes me snicker.

He must really like saying that. So I’m going to get him a shirt that says, ‘I’m waiting for it to rain dicks.’ I think he wants it to happen.

“What are you laughing at?”

“You. I just pictured dicks falling from the sky,” I cackle. “And they slap you in the face.”

He snorts in laughter and slaps my stomach. “You sound high.”

“So sleepy, baby.” I lean more of my weight on him; he stumbles to the side but catches himself before we fall on the floor.

“Whoa, okay. Mime! Mime!” he shouts for my brother.

“Hey, you only scream my name,” I pout.

Mime comes running, and when he sees me, I give him a goofy grin.

My brother huffs in annoyance and points to me, then closes his eyes and tucks his hands under his cheek to pretend he’s asleep.

“Yeah, I’m getting that exhaustion is a drug to our man here. I need your help carrying him to the shower.”

Mime gives Ryan a curt nod.

“Ain’t he cute?” I ask my brother. “Don’t answer that. He’s mine. Get your own paramedic with a thick ass—” Mime throws his hand over my mouth while they carry me to my room.

“Rainbow, we’re so glad you’re okay.”

“Man, you freaked us out.”

“Don’t fucking to do that to me again,” Hound says after a few people give me their regards.

I lick my brother’s palm, and he rips his hand away to wipe it on his jeans.

“Sorry. Wanted to go for a swim.”

“Okay, everyone, we have to get him to bed. Rainbow’s apparently a babbling baby when he’s exhausted,” announces Ryan.

“Aw, but he gets so fun when he’s like that,” Fox complains.

“I get fun in other ways. Don’t I babe?” I wiggle my brows at Ryan.

“We appreciate everyone being supportive, but he needs rest. I’ll give an update in a few,” Ryan says to everyone as Mime carries me into the room.

“Oh. Don’t sit on the bed. No.” Ryan catches me just in time as Mime bends down to take off my boots.

Mime rips my boots off and stands, gives Ryan a pity pat on his shoulder, and leaves the room. Now, I’m alone with the guy I’ll swim the Mississippi River for.

I hear the spray of the shower turn on, and Ryan comes out a second later, looking fucking gorgeous in those short shorts.

He’s wearing my shirt, and it’s tied to the side. I can see a bit of his stomach showing. The entire outfit just makes me want him more.

“You’re sexy.”

“You’re stinky,” he replies, dragging me into the bathroom. He strips me and throws my clothes in the tub, turning the bottom of it brown with mud.

“Not nice.”

“But true.” He pushes me into the shower, and the hot spray hits me in the face, waking me up and ruining my sleepy daze.

The weight of the world hits me at once, and I fall onto the stone bench along the wall. I’m unable to stand. I’m too fucking tired. I press the heels of my hands against my eyes and try to take a few deep breaths. I’m shaking. Near-death experiences never hit home until that experience is over and I’m safe, away from knowing eyes.

The shower door opens, and a burst of cool air combines with the hot temperature of the water spraying my legs. A pair of small feet nearly touch my toes. The water mixing around us is dirty, tinted with mud and blood. My eyes travel up Ryan’s body, so fucking beautiful, and when I meet his eyes, I know he can see the water in mine.

And it isn’t from the shower.

“I got you,” he murmurs, wrapping his arms around my neck.

He doesn’t have to pull me closer. Instead, I go willingly, clutching onto him like the lifeline he is. I dig my fingers into his back, and I press my cheek on his bare stomach, trying my best to settle my emotions. I just need a second. I’ll be fine.

“Mr. McDonald died because of me,” I start. “If he hadn’t stopped for me, his kids wouldn’t be planning a funeral.”

“Don’t. Don’t for a second blame yourself. It was an accident, Rainbow. You can’t blame yourself for that. He stopped to help because you needed it.” He drops to his knees, and he looks up at me while kneeling at my feet. Somehow, he’s worshipping me, but he’s the king who really deserves the royal treatment. “It was awful, and I hate that he died. He seemed like a nice man, but you know what? I’m relieved it wasn’t you. You scared the hell out of me. Everyone else seemed okay with you drifting down the river, but I wasn’t.”

“That’s my fault. I desensitized them to my death a long time ago because there could be a day where I don’t come home. But the only one who isn’t used to it is Mime.”

“And he will never be. Just like I won’t be if you keep me around. I’ll always worry about you when you walk out that door.” He takes the loofah into his hand and begins to bathe me, scrubbing the mud from my body. “You have other things to live for now. Don’t always be the hero when I need you here.”

“You kind of like me, don’t you?” I tease him to lighten the mood. I sit back and enjoy his touch, the soft fingers lazily tingling my skin as he cleans me.

“You know I do.” He pinches the inner muscle of my thigh.

“Ow, that hurt,” I pout.

“Aw, what a baby.” He bends down and kisses the reddened spot. “Better?”

The plump feel of his lips turns me on and soothes me all at once. I want to take him to bed, kiss him from head to toe, show him how a man is really supposed to make him feel. But, if I do that right now, I’d be doing us both a disservice because I’m so damn exhausted. My entire body is sore.

I want him, but I don’t want to rush wanting him. I want him the right way.

His big emerald eyes blink at me before he stands. His cock is plumping, the tip a light pink, and the shaft pale with a dark blue vein trailing along the side. So different from my own. I have a more olive complexion all over my body, giving my cock a permanent tan and my tip is a deep red. The longer he touches me, the more the heavy muscle comes to life, but he isn’t doing anything about it.

I’m grateful.

I just want to be. I’ll always get hard when he touches me. That I can guarantee.

He squirts some shampoo in his hands and begins to scrub my scalp. Plops of soap drip onto the tile floor tinted brown from the mud. He washes my hair three times before the water runs clear. Then, when I’m finally squeaky clean, he washes himself.

The way his hands caress his body, forming along each curve and his round ass, I feel like I’m witnessing what perfection looks like. “You’re stunning,” I say to him, my eyes glued to his ass. It jiggles with every move he makes. Suds trickle down his spine and disappear down the crease between his cheeks as he turns around and washes off.

Never thought soap would turn me on, but on him? It does the job.

Ryan turns the shower off and opens the glass door to snag a few fluffy towels from the cabinet. He wraps one around his waist and then begins to dry me.

“I can—”

“—Let me,” he cuts me off. “Let me take care of you.”

I’m so used to taking care of everyone else, saving everyone else, that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be cared for.

If I want to be honest, I’ve been drifting downriver without a lifeline for some time now.

Ryan is my lifeline.

And he’s bringing me back to shore. Back to a land and a life where I see more than the looming promise of death. Where I see life.

And love.

I’m jaded from death. I see so much of it that I’ve been waiting to die myself.

Well, no more.

Ryan is the reminder I need that there’s more to life than waiting to die.

“Can you stand, babe?” he asks, grabbing my hands as he helps lift me up.

My legs are jello.

“Yeah, Sassafras. Thank you.” I dip my head down and steal a kiss from his wet lips. “I feel better already.”

“Sweet-talker. I swear, I’m in trouble.”

“You better believe your sweet ass.” I throw my towel to the ground and crawl into bed, groaning as the softness of the mattress and blankets hug my body. “You coming?” I hold out my arms for him, and he drops his towel too, crawling in the space next to me that I swear was made for him.

Our hair is wet, and it’s cold on my arm, but I don’t care. He keeps me warm where it matters most. I tuck him close to me until my semi-hard cock is nestled between his cheeks, his ass pressed against the top of my thighs.

“I’m sorry I’m so tired,” I mumble against his wet hair.

“Don’t ever apologize for surviving. I’m tired too, and the storm is getting worse. Plus, I can’t complain. I’m right where I want to be.”

I kiss the back of his neck and release a breath. “Me too, Sassafras. Me too.”

The thunder crashes above us, the wind shakes the glass in the window, and the rain hammers against the roof, singing us to sleep.

Ryan is the hurricane. He’s completely destroyed everything I knew myself to be.

The aftermath isn’t catastrophic like other storms or people that tornado into your life. I’m rebuilding myself into someone better because of him, and I couldn’t have done that if the foundation didn’t get ripped out from under me.

And whoever is trying to sabotage us will see that I’m stronger than I have ever been.

The aftermath I’ll leave behind? It will be deadly.