Bonus Scenes
I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU – THE REMBRANDTS
Wynter
“I have a question.”
Rain snorted. “Of course you fucking do.”
“Rain.”
I shivered at the sound of Harlow’s low, gravely voice.
Something about it, about him really, made me sit up and listen.
“What?” Rain complained, hearing Harlow’s warning much as I had and, as usual, chose to act like a butthead anyway. “She always has questions. Just like Rachel.”
“Dare you to say that to her,” I jibed, watching as, in the light from the fire, he rolled his eyes.
“Wynter.”
Another shiver rushed through me.
“He started it,” I grumbled.
His hand settled on my knee.
On the joint.
Not on my inner thigh. Not with his fingers curved down toward that area.
My knee.
I wasn’t sure how he always managed to be respectable, acting like something out of Bridgerton, yet managed to rake up so many damn feelings inside me.
It’d be annoying if I knew it wasn’t intentional.
Gently, his fingers squeezed my leg, and there was another soft warning in his words as he said, “He’s leaving for Boot Camp tomorrow.”
“I know he is,” I muttered. “Dumbass.”
“Fuck off, Wynter. We’ve already been through this a million times.”
A million might have sounded like an exaggeration but it probably wasn’t.
Rain leaving for the army pissed me off.
The douchebag acted like he was fifteen years older than me and not just fifteen months, but I… Well. I…
I loved him.
There.
I did.
He was my uncle, and he was annoying, and he listened to shitty music, and had annoying opinions about the US’s foreign policy that I did not agree with, but I loved him. I didn’t want him to get hurt. I didn’t want him to die. I wanted him to be here. Safe.
The dick couldn’t even do that right though, could he?
I huffed under my breath, but halfway through the huff, Harlow’s arm moved away from my leg, and he curved it over my shoulders. The huff soughed into a long, deep sigh. I kind of tensed up though because I didn’t want him to let go. I wanted him to hold onto me.
“It’s okay, Wynter,” Harlow soothed.
I was pretty damn sure that everything would be okay if he always kept his arm around me.
“If you two are going to make out, I’m leaving,” Rain said flatly.
I wished.
“Because they do that so often,” Drew mocked, immediately coming to my defense.
I peered through the flickering flames and shot him a smile. He’d been staying at my mom and dad’s place since he’d showed up at Cruz and Harlow’s patch-in party. He had better taste in music than Rain, and we definitely agreed that cows were killing the planet, and his eyes were a little lost and a lot kind. I’d decided ages ago that I’d take him under my wing. He needed all the help he could get; Drew was definitely awkward. He made my mom look like a charmer.
“Thank you, Drew,” I jibed, and because I stopped thinking about Harlow, I settled back against my seat, forgetting that he was holding me.
Which was when I remembered.
I sucked in a breath in surprised pleasure, then twisted, slightly, so that I was leaning against him.
When he didn’t move away, I sucked in another breath and settled even more into him.
Was this what heaven felt like?
“You need to get out of Priest’s ass,” Rain grumbled. To whom, I wasn’t sure.
Drew snorted. “Priest’s ass has no interest to me—” It was definitely interesting to me. “—You’re just sore because Peach announced she’s leaving tonight.”
Rain pulled a face.
“Maybe you’ll get lucky and she’ll send you away with a blowjob,” I mocked.
Drew and Rain chuckled at that, both of them proceeding to do what teenage boys did a lot—talk about sex. I’d gotten used to it, and had actually learned stuff from them, but I was pretty damn sure Drew had never seen a naked woman in real life, whereas I knew Rain had definitely gotten with one of the clubwhores.
Yes, this was my life now. I knew what a patch-in party and a clubwhore was. Surreal, but I wouldn’t change it. Apart from Rain enlisting—
“Wynter,” Harlow rumbled in my ear, setting off another shudder inside me.
“Yes, Harlow?” I questioned meekly. He’d always be Harlow to me. Never Priest.
“You don’t have to talk like they do to fit in. You fit in fine just as you are.”
My cheeks tinged pink at the depth of his acceptance, but as always, his calm, judgment-free tone had me blurting out the truth, “I’m mad at him.”
“I know you are, but when he goes, you’ll feel bad for not being kind to him and will regret that. It’s a lose/lose situation.”
I peered up at him, and decided to be daring—I nuzzled into him. “Will you stop hanging out with Drew and me when Rain goes?”
He blinked. His blue eyes were hard to see in the flickering glow of the bonfire, but his lashes were so damn long that I saw the shadows on his cheekbones. “Why would I stop that? I like hanging out with both of you.”
“We’re a lot younger than you are,” I pointed out.
Harlow shrugged. “You’ve more brains than some of the brothers.”
Snorting, I agreed, “You’re not wrong. Have you tried talking to Gunner about politics?”
“No,” he said dryly. “I didn’t bother wasting my time.”
I sniffed. “I don’t understand why they don’t care.”
“They care about their world. To them, the MC is all that matters. Outside of the bubble, nothing counts.”
“Dad’s not like that,” I pointed out.
“Your father’s different. Maverick and Cruz are the same.” He hummed. “Actually, all the council are capable of seeing beyond the MC. It’s just the brothers who are short-sighted.”
“You’re a brother now,” I remarked.
“I am. But I won’t be for long.”
I tensed. “You’re leaving?”
He shook his head. “Of course not.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“I mean I’ll be on the council soon.”
My brow puckered. “What? The council’s full.”
“I know it is. They made a place for Cruz. I intend for them to make a place for me.”
I stared at him in surprise. “You’d want that?”
He shrugged. “Got to aim for something.”
“You could go to college. Get a career.”
“No. This is my place.”
His focus shifted to the clubhouse in the distance. It was raucous and rowdy from Rain’s farewell party, so we’d set up the bonfire far away enough for the sounds of fucking and chanting and singing and boozing not to disturb our conversations.
“It doesn’t have to be,” I breathed.
His gaze drifted to mine. I didn’t need to see his eyes to know that they were on me.
“What doesn’t?”
“The club. It doesn’t have to be your ‘place.’”
“Where should it be?”
I licked my lips. “I’m going to college next year.”
“I know.”
“I want to…” I sucked in a breath. “I want to become a songwriter.”
“I’ve heard you play the piano. You should be more than a songwriter.”
I could feel the burnished heat in my cheeks of before turn into a living flame. “Thank you,” I whispered.
His hand drifted to my hair, and his fingers twirled the ends of my ponytail between the tips. “You don’t need to thank me for the truth.”
I’d gone to second base with my last boyfriend, but nothing he’d done had lit me up like Harlow could just by playing with my hair. Hard pressed not to moan, it made it easy to say, “You could attend school with me. You can do anything, be anything you want, Harlow.”
“I’m Priest,” he rumbled softly. Soft enough that only I could hear as Drew and Rain started bitching about a stupid baseball game.
“Not to me,” I whispered back. “You’ll always be Harlow to me.”
“Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe you’ll remind me of who I am when I get lost along the way.”
My brow furrowed. “Lost where?”
He sighed, and before I could pepper him for answers, he stunned me by pressing a kiss to my temple. “It doesn’t matter, little one. It doesn’t matter.”
I knew it did, I felt sure it mattered, but his endearment stunned me.
“Harlow?” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“I-I think…” It took more courage than he’d ever know to whisper, “I have feelings for you.”
He didn’t tense up; he didn’t laugh. He just said, “Little one, you deserve so much better than me.”
It was rejection. Plain and simple. But even though it hurt, what hurt more was how he put himself down.
I shook my head and couldn’t stop myself from blurting out, “You’re… I think you’re wonderful.”
“Something broke inside me when Jessie died,” Harlow rumbled. “You should run far away from me, Wynter.”
His arm tightened at that exact moment.
Which was when I knew Harlow had feelings for me too.
It was also when I knew he’d fight them every inch of the way.
Unluckily for him, I was my father’s daughter and staying power was our thing…
Copyright Serena Akeroyd 2022
Rachel: Remind me why I’m your Old Lady
Rex: What? Do I need to come back to the house and show you?
Rachel: I’m not at the house
Rex: Then where are you?
Rachel: The clubhouse
Rex: You ARE?! Where? Why didn’t you come through to my office?
Rachel: Who the hell is Candy?
Rex: I don’t know
Rachel: Seriously? Whenever your name is goddamn mentioned, her eyes light up, never mind the shit she’s been saying about you
Rex: Candy?
Rex: I’ve seriously no idea who she is. Wait a second
Rachel: *rolls eyes
three minutes later
Rex: Link says he thinks she’s a clubwhore
Rex: But he isn’t sure
Rex: Wait, I’ll text Giulia. She knows all the whores and where they are at all times because she’s obsessive like that. She’ll tell me
Rachel: This was a rhetorical question, Rex
Rex: It was? Oh. Sorry. Been stuck doing the accounts. My mind is elsewhere
Rex: Why don’t you come to the office? Then I can give you 100% of my focus
Rachel: Because I’m busy
Rex: Doing what?
Rex: You’re only ever busy in my office lol
Rachel: Apparently, you’re really good at oral.
Rex: Thank you?
Rex: Wait, who said that? You?
Rachel: Oh. No. Candy did. She says you have a big dick too
Rex: I haven’t gone anywhere near her!
Rachel: I’m not saying that you did.
Rachel: Your dick is mine, Rex. I know that it’s not been sniffing around club snatch
Rex: Okay?
Rex: Gotta admit, honey, I’m relieved you know that because I’ve about as much interest in them as I do in fucking my sofa lol
Rachel: Did you know Storm made a declaration to Keira with his dick?
Rex: He did what now?
Rachel: He let her know that she owned it
Rex: Oh. Do we really need to talk about this?
Rachel: You should get a tattoo
Rex: Sure. I was thinking about getting a backpiece actually
Rachel: Not on your back.
Rachel: Your dick.
Rachel: My signature tattooed along the length of it
Rex: ON MY COCK?
Rachel: Yes.
Rex: Why? Only you ever see it
Rachel: I’d like to look at my name on it as I suck it
Rex: Holy fuck
Rachel: I’m sure Indy would do it
Rex: Sweet Jesus
Rachel: After it’s healed, I’ll kiss it better
Rex: I don’t even know if you’re being serious right now
Rex: And that is ever-loving terrifying
Rachel: That’s how I know I keep you on your toes
Rachel: Well?
Rex: ARE you being serious?
Rachel: Doesn’t it sound like I mean precisely what I say?
Rex: I guess
Rex: But, Jesus, baby. A man’s cock is sacrosanct!
Rachel: Not according to Nyx and Storm
Rex: Nyx is bonafide mentally unstable, Rachel. We can’t use him as a comparison to anyone because only a fucking lunatic would put himself through that many piercings
Rex: Do you know how long that shit takes to heal? I notice he hasn’t had anymore done since he and Giulia got together
Rex: As for Storm, well, I don’t think I can be compared to him either because that man’s delulu
Rachel: I’m not hearing a yes
Rex: Why do you need your name on my cock?!
Rachel: Because I want to see it
Rex: How about we go quid pro quo?
Rachel: Have you heard one of your brothers talking about my pussy and calling me a MILF?
Rex: She called me a DILF?
Rachel: Oh, yeah. She did. Why the fuck are you letting 20-yr-olds into the clubhouse as clubwhores anyway? She’s a baby
Rex: Aw, Jesus, not this again
Rex: Look, if I get your name tattooed on my dick, it’s only fair when I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG, that you get something done for me
Rachel: Like?
Rachel: I’m not having another baby
Rex: Dear God, no. I’m not reversing that vasectomy. Anyway, I make girl babies. I’ve accepted my fate and I have enough on my plate with the two we do have, never mind the rest who might as well call me daddy
Rachel: Is this a kink that I didn’t know about?
Rex: No. It sure as fuck isn’t
Rex: And I’m thinking a hood piercing
Rachel: How is that fair? You’re the one saying you have to be a lunatic to get a genital piercing and now you want me to get one of those?
Rex: It’d be hot
Rex: AND it’d really amplify sensation down there
Rachel: I might just come into the office so you can see my ‘unimpressed’ face
Rex: Please do. How about you come into the office anyway, and you can sit on MY face and I’ll make you forget all about Candy
Rachel: Yeah, that’s not going to happen.
Rex: Shit
Rex: A nipple piercing then?
Rachel: Hmm
Rachel: It’d look weird with just one, wouldn’t it?
Rachel: Unsymmetrical
Rex: You’d be fucking gorgeous either way
Rex: And, fuck, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to
Rex: I just think it’d be hot because if I get your name inked on my dick, then I’m outta action, baby, for a while
Rachel: I want to see it
Rachel: It’d turn me on
Rex: It’s not like you to be so territorial
Rachel: I don’t need to be normally
Rex: Then what’s the problem? You know I barely even notice the clubwhores
Rachel: It’s the principle of the thing. She’s so new that she doesn’t even know who I am because she arrived after the last party I attended
Rex: Then, maybe instead of irreversibly altering our bodies… we throw a party?
Rachel: Not as much fun
Rex: *smirks
Rex: No, I guess not
Rex: You really wanna see that, huh?
Rachel: I do. Honestly, when I started typing, I was fuming, but now I’m horny lol
Rachel: I’d even get the nipple piercings if you’d like that
Rex: Ah, shit. Seriously?
Rachel: Fair IS fair
Rex: Fuck.
Rex: How about you come into the office and I fuck you so hard you don’t remember your own name never mind anyone else’s?
Rex: And I ask Indy to fit us in tonight?
Rachel: You’d do that for me?
Rex: Yeah, baby. I’ve done worse lol. I guess that putting my dick out of action is nothing
Rex: You wouldn’t mind her seeing it?
Rachel: I’ll be there. Plus, she has enough on her plate with Cruz lol. I don’t need to be jealous with her
Rex: Great. 🥴
Rex: Though, next time some shit like this happens, because you know it will, can we build up to you asking me to get a cock piercing lol?
Rachel: I make no promises
Rex: I think I created a monster when I branded you
Rex: Though, wait a minute, where’s Giulia? Was this her idea?
Rachel: She might be sitting next to me… but no. Though she encouraged me to text you rather than throw my drink in Candy’s face.
Rex: FML
Rex: I’m going to pretend I didn’t read any of that. How about you get in here? I need to fuck my First Lady before my cock’s sidelined for the next eight weeks
Rachel: I’ll be right along… after you throw Candy out.
Rex: FML.
Rex: OMW
