The Devil’s Reward: An Opposites Attract Romance (The Devil’s Soldiers)

Quinn is the most important woman in my life, and I will make her see that.

I don’t even look at Dagger as I step over Dmitri’s body and head for Quinn. Hulk has Isidor subdued, while Crypt is checking the room over with practiced ease. The rest of the club is outside dealing with Dmitri’s men who were stashed around the area, waiting for us.

“I have you, gorgeous,” I say as I pull the gag out of her mouth and grab my knife to slice open the ropes holding her. “I have you.” She sobs as she throws herself at me. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close as I finally, finally, feel some relief. She’s safe, and other than some bruises and the swelling on her face, she’s okay. She’s alive.

“Macy,” she gasps out through her sobs.

“She’s safe,” I promise her. “She came and told us what happened, and she’s in a safe room at the clubhouse. No one can get to her. Rose is with her, and she’ll kill anyone who might try and get through that door.”

She nods and then buries her face in my chest as I scoop her up into my arms. I hold her so tight that I’m probably crushing her, but she’s not complaining so I don’t ease up. My heart is pounding so damn hard that I’m shocked that it’s not coming out of my chest. “I love you, gorgeous,” I whisper. “God, I was so fucking scared I wouldn’t reach you in time.”

I don’t mean to say it out loud, not this soon, but it’s like it’s necessary. Like if I don’t, I may not get another chance. She doesn’t respond, still sobbing, so I doubt she’s heard me, but that’s fine. I’ll tell her again later, and then as many times as it takes until she believes me.

“Let’s get out of here, brother,” Hulk says tightly. “Crypt, grab that sack of shit hanging there and bring him with us.”

“Done,” Crypt says calmly, and he gets to work. I turn with Quinn in my arms, step over Dmitri again, and head out the door. I hear Isidor fighting with Hulk, but Hulk is a big man himself, and he subdues him easily with a few well-placed punches. Chains rattle as Crypt lowers Dagger, and then his boots scuff the floor as he follows us out.

When we reach the upper floor and make our way to the door, I see that the fight outside seems to be over. Dmitri’s men are rounded up and on their knees, hands bound. Bullet is in front of them, and slightly behind him are Syn, Loki, and Ebony. Behind her is a very pissed looking Stone. I have no doubt he’s going to be letting her know it too when we’re back at the clubhouse. The dogs are watching the men on the ground like they’re ready to tear into them, and I know they will with only one word from their mistress.

We walk outside, and Bullet’s eyes connect with mine. He sees Quinn in my arms and I can see the relief in his eyes before they move back towards where Crypt has Dagger, and they go hard again. “Let’s ride out,” Bullet yells loudly.

“What are we doing with these fuckers?” Sniper asks him, kicking one of the men in the stomach and making him groan.

Bullet glances at them. “Call in an anonymous tip to the law and have them come and see to these bastards. They’re foot soldiers and won’t have any useful information. We have two other bigger fish to fry.”

I walk right to my bike, pull Quinn’s arms from around me and set her gently on her feet. She looks up at me, eyes swollen and red and I say gently, “We’re leaving, Quinn. I want you on the bike with me, okay? So I need you to hold on tight and just follow the flow of my body, alright?” She nods and I lean down and press my mouth to hers, needing the connection, the reassurance that she’s alive and safe. With me.

I pull away and then help her get on the bike after me. I glance over and see Crypt and Hulk are loading our two prisoners into the trunk of the SUV before Crypt, Bullet, and Hulk load into the vehicle as the rest of us peel out.

The drive back to the clubhouse is long, but it gives me some time to calm down. Quinn’s arms are tight around me, her face buried in my back. It breaks my heart that she’s had to go through this, but I’ll make it up to her. I’ll make everything between us better.

When we finally reach the clubhouse, Quinn is off the bike instantly and running for the clubhouse. I follow on her heels, stopping her when we reach the empty common room. “Hold on, gorgeous,” I say gently. “We need to get you cleaned up before you see Macy.” That, and I don’t want her to see Dagger and Isidor taken down to the basement to another room we have down there.

“I need to know she’s okay, Shadow,” she rasps at me. “I need to know she’s safe.”

I turn around and see Cryos coming in and I say to him, “You still have cameras in the safe room?” He nods and gestures for us to follow him, obviously realizing what I want. Once we’re in, he quickly pulls up the safe room feed and I can feel Quinn relax when we see Kaleb sitting in a chair by the door, gun in hand, and the women not far away on the small cots in the room. But Macy is sleeping in Rose’s lap, trusting and safe. Rose’s face is pinched in pain, but when I see Izzy say something to her, reaching for the little girl, she shakes her head fiercely. “She’s okay, Quinn,” I tell her. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then we’ll go see our girl, okay?”

She nods, and I don’t waste any time scooping her up in my arms and heading to my room. I slam the door shut behind us, shift Quinn in my arms, and lock it so we’re not disturbed. There are things to be done, like interrogating our guests, but Quinn is my only priority right now. I head into the bathroom.

I gently set her down on the toilet seat so I can turn on the shower, and make quick work of our clothes. I check her over as I go, but I don’t find anything other than some bruises and sligh abrasions from the ropes. Fury burns through me at the sight of them, but I lock it down. Quinn needs me calm.

“Come on, gorgeous,” I say as I lift her into the shower. I set her under the spray and pull her back into my arms. She shudders and I hear her breathing start to settle. I don’t know how long we stay like that, but finally, I murmur, “Are you alright, Quinn?”

“I thought I was dead, Shadow,” she says quietly. “I was certain that I wouldn’t live long enough to see Macy grow up and become a hell-on-wheels teenager. That I wasn’t going to see my family again. That I wasn’t going to see you again.”

“It didn’t happen, gorgeous,” I say gently, rubbing her back and kissing her wet hair. “I will always come for you, Quinn. No matter what is happening, I will never let you face it alone.”

“I believed you would come,” she murmurs. She tips her face up to me. “That you would save me. You promised me, Shadow, and I needed so badly to believe your promise. And you came. You saved me.” The emotion on her face is my undoing.

I cup her face in my palms and vow, “I will always keep that promise, Quinn. I will move heaven and earth to get to you, always. I don’t care what laws I need to break, what I need to burn down, or who I have to kill to do it, but I will. Always. No hesitation. And I’ll do the same for Macy.”

Her eyes search mine. “I believe you,” she whispers, and I can see that she does. “I owe you my life, Shadow.”

“You owe me nothing, Quinn,” I say with a shake of my head. “I owe you everything. You’ve given me a reason for living again. For being the man that I want to be, and not held back by my past. You’re my light and my reward. I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you. You’re mine, Quinn, and that means you get everything I have to give.”

Her eyes search mine and then she murmurs, “Kiss me, Shadow. I need to feel safe, and I always do in your arms.”

She doesn’t need to ask me twice.

I kiss her, trying to be gentle, but neither of us wants gentle. Her fingers grip my chest, nails digging into the muscles as the kiss deepens, tongues tangling. I drop my hands from her cheeks to cup her delicious ass in my hands and lift her. She wraps her legs around my waist and I feel the heat of her pussy slide against my cock. I’m so hard already that I don’t know how I’m going to last, but I will, for her.

“I need you, Shadow,” she begs against my mouth. “Please, now.”

I pull my mouth from hers and turn us so that her back is pressed against the tiles as I line myself up. She gasps at the chill against her bare skin, but it does nothing to cool the heat between her thighs. “No condom, gorgeous,” I warn her as my cock brushes against her core. “I’m taking you bare.”

“I’m on birth control,” she gasps. “Take me, Shadow. Now.”

I push inside and we both groan. I set a fast pace, needing that assurance, that connection, to know she’s alive. She’s safe and with me. She moans and I take her mouth again as I pound inside her.

She cries out as I move faster and faster. There is no finesse, only a primal need. To feel her. To breathe her in. To taste her and commit it to memory. She’s the only one that matters and I want to feel her come around me, feel her nails score my back and shoulders, and feel those walls milking me, never letting go.

“Fuck,” I hiss, yanking my mouth from hers when her muscles clamp down hard, making my spine tingle. “I need you to come, gorgeous,” I pant, angling her hips to hit that spot I know will send her over the edge.

“Shadow,” she cries, eyes closing and head grinding back into the tiles. “Yes, right there. Yes, just like that.”

I pound as fast as I can into her, and I look into her eyes as I feel her reaching that peak. “Come for me, Quinn,” I rasp. “Be mine.”

Her eyes hold mine as she moves one of her hands between us. I watch with hooded eyes as she touches herself, rubbing her fingers furiously over her clit until she’s finally falling over that edge. “Shadow!” she screams, the sound echoing off the bathroom walls. Her body shudders with her release, and mine follows her lead.

“Quinn,” I roar, my entire body awash with sensation as I fill her. It’s like my soul has been wrung from my body, suspending me in this moment. I’m panting, and I have to lock my knees to keep us from falling. My chest is heaving, and I look into her dazed eyes, feeling satisfied. Feeling relieved and grateful.

This woman owns every part of me, and I’ll love every moment of it. I lean in to kiss her, gently, and when I pull away, there’s a small smile on her lips.

Neither of us speaks as I carefully pull out of her and then set her on her feet. I make quick work of washing us both before turning off the shower, grabbing some towels from under the sink, and drying us both off. When we’re not soaking wet, I carry her to the bed. I wrap her in my arms as we lay together.

I let myself have a few small moments to bask at the feel of her in my arms. I need this more than I thought.

Our small silence is broken when Quinn says seriously, “Is it over, Shadow? All of it? Whatever is happening with you and the mafia? Now that the Dmitri guy is dead?”

I don’t want to lie to her. “Our battle with Dmitri is over, but it’s well known that mafia guys are like cockroaches. When one dies, more will step forward. Now that they’re in our town, it’s going to be hard to get them completely out, but there’s no more threat to the club.”

I can tell my answer isn’t the one she wanted, but she slowly nods. “But we’re safe, right? They won’t be coming after me for revenge? Or Macy?”

“No,” I say firmly. “You’re safe. They won’t come after you or Macy. And they may even leave us alone because they don’t want to cause trouble with us now that we’ve taken out their leader.”

“You took him out,” she said pointedly. “You’re sure they won’t come after you specifically?”

I shake my head. “The only ones who know I killed him are us, Dagger, and the henchmen. As far as anyone else is concerned, it was a team effort.”

She looks like she doesn’t quite believe that. “I need to know that Macy is safe going forward, Shadow. This could have ended so badly, especially if she hadn’t been in the pantry. Your lifestyle is dangerous, and I can’t be with someone who is going to put my child in danger.”

I’m quiet as I digest her words. How do I convince her not to give up on us? Not yet. Not now. Not when I just got her back in my arms. I sit up, hauling her with me, making her sit facing me on my lap. “Our way of life is normally quiet, Quinn,” I tell her honestly. “Like I told you before, we party, sure, but nothing dangerous. We don’t do illegal shit like sell drugs or run guns or pimp women. We do charity runs and volunteer and make donations. We like to live our way, and sure, some of that living might straddle a line, but this is not the normal. Can I promise that shit won’t reverberate down the line, no, but I promise that I will protect you. If there is a whiff of danger, I can send you to a safe house, or I’ll put a brother on you twenty-four-seven. I will do whatever I have to to make you feel safe with me. To make you feel like you can trust Macy and her safety with me.

“Don’t give up on us when we’ve barely gotten started, Quinn. Let me prove it to you. Your life doesn’t have to change, and I’m not going to treat you like your ex. You and Macy are important to me, and you know I will protect you with my life. I will also make you happy, piss you off, and give you the best sex of your life. You won’t want for anything, and you also have the added protection of the club. They will protect you with everything they have if something ever happened to me. You would never have to wonder if you were going to have to do it all alone again. Just give me a chance to prove it to you.”

“And Sam?” she asks quietly.

“Sam is a part of my past, Quinn, and I can’t change that. She will always be important to me, because of the lessons I learned from her. Hell, she’s the one who told me that when I found the right woman to hold tight and never let go. That advice wasn’t about her, Quinn. I fully believe she sent you to me, and sent that little hellion of a daughter you have. Both to let me know that you are my forever, but also to pay me back for all the shit I did to her when we were in the Forces. She liked to pull pranks, and I liked to get even. But she is not you, Quinn, and I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you that. I’ll honor her on certain days, but I won’t compare you. Because you are Quinn Holt, the most important woman in my life, and she is Sam Nolans, former friend and teammate.”

Quinn is silent as she searches my face. I let her see it all. Every promise and all the sincerity I have. I need her to believe me. Finally, she says, “I want us to work, Shadow, but I’m telling you right now that if the club gets involved in dangerous shit, I’m walking away. My heart might break, but my daughter and her life are more important. And if I think you’re comparing me to Sam, I’m done. I want to be loved as I am, not by someone else’s measuring stick.”

I nod. “That’s fair. I promise you won’t regret giving me a chance, Quinn.”

She goes quiet for some moments, then asks shyly, “Did you mean it earlier? When you said you loved me? Or was that just a heat of the moment thing?”

So she did hear me. I bite back a smile, cup her face in my hands and kiss her. When I pull away, I murmur, “I meant it. I love you, Quinn. Just as you are. How beautiful you are when you smile, the way you manage Macy with only the mom-look, the way you listen, and the way you scream my name when you cum.” Her face flames red. “We don’t need to rush into anything, but I’m not going anywhere. I want, when you and Macy are both ready, for us to be a family. I want more children with you, and I want to adopt Macy. I want you as my Old Lady, and I want you to wear my patch so that every bastard around knows just how lucky I am.”

“You are good with words,” she says with a bashful smile. “I love you too. If I didn’t, I think I would be running the other way.”

I kiss her again, and this time when I roll her onto her back, I take my time. Bringing her to the edge time and time again, murmuring words that probably don’t make a lot of sense, but I pour everything I am into making her feel my love.

When we’re spent, she chuckles. “Is now a good time to mention that my parents are going to be visiting soon? You might want to hold off any declarations of love until after you meet them.”

I wave that away. “Your parents will love me. I can be charming.”

“Oh, I have no doubt they’ll love you, but my mother and sister are a lot like Rose,” she says with a slow smile.

I raise my head and stare at her. She holds my gaze, eyes still shadowed, but teasing. I give a long groan. “They’re never allowed to meet,” I declare. “We don’t need any more trouble. I don’t think my wallet can handle the extra expense.”

She laughs. “Dad can help you out with that. I’m sure he’s had to consider bail before.”

He sounds like a smart guy, but if a man needs a bail fund, that doesn’t bode well. No, we’ll keep them away from each other. For the sake of my sanity and my wallet.