Sonny's Surrender: Devil's Wind - Book Three Read online

  “I know it, Dukes. And I plan to hang on to that blessing for as long as she’ll let me.”

  Dukes slapped me on the back as he passed on his way to the door. “Good luck, Sonny; she’s going to take you on a wild ride, but I think in the end it will be fucking worth every damn thing she puts you through.”

  I got up and went to sit at my desk. On my computer screen, my screensaver had popped up. It was a picture of Dukes, Me, Breech, Danko, and Opry, taken at a freedom ride we had gone on last year. The joy I felt when I was riding still took my breath away. When I was stressed or uptight, I’d hop on my bike and ride ‘til the feeling went away. I have never felt more at home anywhere else than I felt alone on my bike. But now I didn’t want to be alone on those rides, I wanted Gia riding behind me, wrapped around me while we rode out the troubles of the day. Something about her drove out the demons I carried inside, giving me peace.

  She was short, with blonde-brown hair. She wasn’t a classic beauty; she had a straight nose, but a crooked tooth gave her smile character. Her body was well-proportioned, with a full bust and small waist. She was curvy in all the right places, her hips wide with a full, lush ass. She favored subtle makeup, with luxurious red lipstick on her kissable lips. Her eyes were cornflower blue, and her skin was soft and warm. When I held her, the subtle fragrance of spring flowers reached my nose. She was friendly and warm one second, then hot as a firecracker the next. Her beauty came from within; her road had not been an easy one, but she didn’t let that sour her outlook on life. She had so many layers; I couldn’t wait to peel them all back to get to her tender center.

  I wanted her in my bed, under me, screaming out my name while I gave her pleasure. I wanted to fist my hand in her hair, pull her head back, and kiss her ‘til she begged me for air. My cock had come to attention the second my mind went down this road. I sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get any female attention tonight. Gia was the only woman I wanted. Oh, I knew the club girls could get me off, but that would only be physical. I would rather find release by my own hand than use someone that way.

  I’d been leaning back in my chair with my eyes closed when I heard a voice inquire, “Sonny, are you ok?” My eyes snapped open, and my chair sprang upright. The woman I had been thinking about had appeared like I had conjured her up.

  “I’m fine, babe, what’s up? Why are you here?”

  “Did you really mean it when you offered me Dana’s job, Sonny?”

  Getting up from my chair, I led her over to the couch and seated us both. “Yes, I really meant it, Gia; it’s a win-win for both of us.”

  “Sonny, if you’re just doing this to sleep with me, I’m going to be really pissed. I hate that job at the Quickie Mart, but it’s all I could get for now. I don’t want to go back to bartending, because I just am not in the mood to fight off a bunch of drunk dickheads thinking it’s ok to grope me.”

  Pulling her around to face me, I swept her hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek. “Gia, no fucking way I’m going to lie to you. You’re goddamn right I want to sleep with you. You’ve given me the worst case of blue balls I’ve had since I was a randy teenager. But that’s not the reason I offered you the job. You have an affinity for electronics and computers, and I need someone like that working with me.”

  “Damn it, Sonny, I really want this job, but I’ve never slept with my boss, and I don’t intend to start now. You know the effect you have on me, and I’m so damn tired of fighting it.”

  “Gia, technically I’m not your boss; Dukes is. I work for him too.” She looked up into my eyes, then, slowly, her hands traveled up from my chest, where they had been resting, and locked behind my neck.

  She raised her lips in an open invitation, and I didn’t hesitate to accept. Angling her head, I fitted my lips to hers; they were soft and warm, plump and juicy. Her hair felt like fine silk, and she smelled fresh and clean. I traced the seam of her lips with my tongue, and she opened for me. I dove in, sweeping inside, and tasted her deeply. She pressed against me, giving as good as she got. Her hands were tangled in my short hair, and little mewling sounds came from her throat. She slowly started to withdraw from the kiss, and I let her. She was breathing hard, and she laid her head against my chest.

  “I had to see if what I felt when you kissed me in the store would happen again. I was so hoping it wouldn’t because I don’t sleep with my boss, technicality or not. So, yes, I want this job, and I will be here in the morning, but there will be no extracurricular activities between us. Period!”

  Raising her head from my chest, she patted me on the cheek, got up from the couch, and walked out the door, slamming it behind her. I had to smile; that girl was a fireball, and whether she knew it or not, that fire was all for me.

  Three

  The next day, I got up early, showered, and stood in front of my closet in a towel, undecided. I didn’t have a lot of clothes and what I did have was more suited to the barns I’d been working in than a nice, clean office environment. Jiji insisted I move into Tish’s old room now that she and Fighter had found a place of their own. Breech was just as vocal about me moving in with them and in the end, I gave in. I didn’t have much saved and what I did have would get me a shitty little place in a not-so-nice neighborhood.

  I was grateful to feel safe and welcomed by them, and when I wasn’t working, I made sure I helped clean and use my meager cooking skills to help make dinner. Both of them had been against me taking the graveyard shift job at the Quickie Mart, but since I hadn’t been able to find anything else, I took it. I wouldn’t live off their charity. I would pull my weight, even if I had to work three jobs.

  Jiji knocked on my door, and I hollered at her to come in. She had an armful of clothes, and she unceremoniously dumped them on my bed. My mouth fell open, and she barked out a laugh. “I know, I know, I have to stop impulse-buying. I spend three-quarters of my time in scrubs, yet I can’t stop myself from buying cute tops and sweaters, even though I don’t really need them. Drop the towel, babe, and slide into this teal number. I think, with your blonde hair and fair skin tone, it’s gonna pop, chica.”

  Picking up the blouse she indicated, I held it up in front of my body. Blue was a good color for me, and this one was stunning. The front of the blouse dipped low, showing the tops of my breasts. Two thin spaghetti straps held it up, and the sleeves were attached at the bust line, leaving the shoulders bare. It tapered in at the waist then flared out in three flounces. “Sonny would hate it because every time I bent over the front would billow out, showing the cami underneath.” The lace cups molded my breasts perfectly.

  “Of course, Gia, that’s why you have to wear it.” I jumped when Jiji commented because I didn’t realize I had voiced my thoughts. “That boy has it bad for you, babe. Whenever you’re in the same space as him, his eyes follow you everywhere.”

  “That’s not fair, Jiji, I don’t shit where I eat, and I told Sonny that when he offered me the gig. I really want this job to work out, and I’m not going to sleep with my boss just to make sure it does. I’ve never had to resort to stooping that low and I don’t want to start now.”

  “Listen, Gia, I get what you’re saying, I really do. When Tish and I showed up on Fighter’s doorstep, we didn’t want to disrupt his life. But we had no choice. We needed his help, and we ate crow to accept it, but that’s exactly what we did. Just because you accept a little help now and then doesn’t mean you are weak. It’s just the opposite. Knowing when people are genuinely trying to help you and not because they want something in return is the key to accepting that there is still good in this world—and that makes you a stronger person.” She stopped to wink at me. “Having that big hunk of manhood panting after your cute ass is just the cherry on top of the sundae.”

  I laughed at her as she wiggled her eyebrows at me. “The man is a stud, admit it, with those tats and dark hair and that dreamy beard, the guy would
make a nun weep,” Jiji said.

  Breech walked into the room and slung Jiji over his shoulder, landing a resounding slap on her ass. She squealed, bucking to try and get off his shoulder, but he held her firm. “I heard that, sweetheart, and we both know I don’t have a beard, so I know you weren’t talking about me. Seems I’ll have to take you to bed and drive any other man out of your head.” She giggled, and he winked at me. “Have a good first day, Gia. Tell Sonny I’ll be a little late for work today; I have some pressing business at home.” He carried the still-laughing Jiji out of the room. She waved at me from her upside down position as they left my room.

  “Giddyup, cowboy, I got a hankering to do some riding this morning,” was her parting comment as the door slammed down the hallway.

  Smiling, I dropped the towel and put on the pretty blue blouse over skinny jeans and a cute pair of low denim wedge heels. Sweeping my hair into a low ponytail, I slicked the top down, added some dangly earrings, which I had a severe weakness for, and turned to look in the mirror. Staring back at me was a person I didn’t recognize. I looked happy. I couldn’t remember the last time when I wasn’t anxious or afraid or downright terrified about what the next minute or hour or day would bring. I knew that Drake, my guardian, did the best he could to protect me, but he was weak, and other men exploited that weakness. I had learned to defend myself, but it was nice not having to constantly look over my shoulder. I knew the Devil’s Wind had my six, and that Sonny would love nothing better than to be covering my front.

  My lady bits stood up and paid attention whenever he was near. Last night when he kissed me in the store, he was just playing around for those boys. But when he really kissed me at the clubhouse, I wanted nothing more than to rip my clothes off and trip the light fantastic. I came home and took a long, hot shower with my trusty waterproof battery operated boyfriend. Even after getting off a few times, I still found it hard to settle down and sleep, because what I really wanted was to be with Sonny. Something told me I would be more than satisfied when he was done with me.

  Sighing, I shut down that line of thinking. I couldn’t let him distract me while I was learning this new position. Grabbing my purse, I put my cell inside, took out my keys, and went into the kitchen to make a to-go cup of coffee. Opening the refrigerator door to get the creamer, I saw a blue lunch tote with a sticky note that had my name on it. Pulling it out with the creamer, I fixed my coffee and pulled the note off to read.

  Gia ,

  My first day at the clinic was nuts and I didn’t want to stop for lunch. Everyone needs to eat, so I made you a little something to tide you over. Have a good first day!

  Jiji!

  Putting the creamer back in the fridge, I smiled. It felt good to have friends, another thing I hadn’t had in a long, long time. When I went to pick up the lunchbox, I noticed the NY Giants logo on the handle and let out a whoop. I was a huge fan, and Jiji knew it from us doing laundry together. Most of my hoodies and sweatshirts were Giants gear, and she remembered.

  Sliding the handles over my arm, I picked up my coffee mug, bag, and keys. I locked the door on the way out and slid into my car, dropping my stuff onto the passenger seat. Backing out of the driveway, I turned up the radio. Keith Urban was singing with Carrie Underwood about being her fighter. I joined in, tapping the steering wheel and singing loud and proud. I didn’t have much of a voice, but I loved to sing in the car, and today seemed to be a day when everything was finally falling into place.

  Four

  When I got to the clubhouse, I stopped at the gate. Gears leaned down and gave me a two-fingered salute. “Good luck on your first day, Gia,” he said.

  “Thanks, Gears, I hope I don’t need it,” I replied.

  Tapping the roof with his hand, I drove through the gates and found a place to park. Grabbing my stuff, I walked up the path and into the clubhouse. There were a couple of girls cleaning the bar and picking up garbage, dumping it into a trash bag. I waved hello as I walked past, making my way to Sonny’s office. The door was closed so I knocked, and a feminine voice invited me in.

  “Hello, you must be Gia; I’m Dana, come in and put your stuff down. There’s a fresh pot of coffee brewing next door in the meeting room, help yourself.”

  “Thanks, Dana, this cup is almost empty. I could use a refill. Would you like some?”

  “No thank you, doll, I got a cup when I made the pot. There’s a small refrigerator underneath with milk and creamer. If you’re lucky, there might be some fresh donuts left; they don’t last too long around here. These boys all have a sweet tooth.”

  I snorted. “I’m sure they do.”

  She looked up and smiled. “I meant for the donuts, but I’m sure what you’re thinking is more than true.”

  I laughed. “You caught me. When it comes to these guys, a sweet tooth is the last of any lady’s worries.”

  “They are not bad boys, Gia; just a little headstrong is all. Once you figure out that they really wouldn’t ever hurt a woman, you got their number, and that’s all it takes. I really like working for them, and if it wasn’t that my daughter needed me to help her look after my grandbaby, I wouldn’t leave here. Let me show you what I do, and you tell me if you have any questions.”

  She turned to her computer and hit the space bar to wake it up when the dreaded Blue Screen of Death popped up. “Damn it,” she said, slapping the keyboard. “I told Sonny this damn thing has been acting up, but he’s always too busy to fix it.”

  “Here, let me take a look, Dana. Do you recall what was happening that started the fault from appearing?”

  “I’m sorry, Gia, but I don’t know what you’re asking me.”

  “Ok, Dana, how about this: Have you added something new to this computer, either hardware or software, recently?”

  “Actually, yes, that printer over there is brand new. The old one fried when we had an electrical storm and Sonny replaced it with this one. He installed it for me, and I’ve had no problem with printing at all, but this stupid shutdown error keeps happening.”

  “I betcha that’s the culprit right there Dana.” I shut down her computer, removed the printer cable, rebooted, and navigated to the Device Manager. I uninstalled the hardware drivers, and then uninstalled the software, shut down, and restarted again. Using the browser, I downloaded the newest software for that printer from the manufacturer’s website and started the installation process for both the hardware and software. Once it completed, I rebooted and tested the printer; the test print was fine, so I set it up to work wirelessly and removed the cable. The whole process took less than 30 minutes. “That should do the trick, Dana.”

  She’d been filing and answering phone calls while I was working on her computer. She came over and patted me on the back. “You’ll fit in real well here, Gia. Being able to do things on your own will work for you. But let Sonny help every once in a while; it makes him feel good, and his smile is worth the effort. The man has a smile that can stop traffic.” I laughed at her remark. “What,” she said, “I’m old, not dead; I can still appreciate a good-looking man.”

  We worked together the rest of the afternoon. She taught me her routine, and we laughed a lot, swapping stories and getting to know each other.

  After lunch, Sonny walked in. “How’s it going, ladies?” he asked.

  “She’s going to work out beautifully, Sonny. She’s smart, has been picking up everything quickly, and she even fixed my computer. You know, the one I’ve been asking you to fix for the last month,” Dana said.

  I laughed because Sonny actually blushed.

  He looked over at me. “Oh yeah, well I’m glad she got that cleared up.” Sonny went past us into his office and closed the door. About ten minutes later, he came out again with a folder under his arm and his jacket on.

  “I’ve got to go out for a while; you ladies going to be ok on your own for a co
uple hours? Dana, there is a pile of tax forms on my desk that needs to be sent electronically; can you enter those, and I will release them when I get back?”

  “Sure thing, Sonny, I’ll get Gia started entering the information and have it ready for you.”

  “Thanks, ladies, I appreciate that.” He flashed that killer smile Dana was talking about before. “See you later.” He went out the door, taking the air from the room with him.

  “Gia, would you go grab those files off his desk? I’m going to the ladies’ room, and then I’ll show you how to enter them in the computer.” She got up and followed Sonny’s path out the door.

  I went into Sonny’s office. I’d only been inside the one time, and I really hadn’t had the time to look around. It was a masculine room, with heavy leather chairs and a matching sofa. His desk was old and scarred but made of beautiful cherry wood. The shelves behind it were full of books, reference materials, and odd souvenirs. There were also a couple of framed photos, one of a bunch of guys in the desert, dressed in fatigues. I recognized a younger Sonny in the image; he had hair back then, granted it was shaved close, no longer than a couple inches.

  I smiled and reached for it, stubbing my toe on a partially opened drawer. “Motherfucker!” I yelled, grabbing my foot. Ouch, that freaking hurt. I sat down on the floor, cradling my foot and cursing a blue streak. I started to get up when I noticed a folder under the open drawer. It must have fallen when Sonny was in the office before, and he didn’t see it.

  Picking up the folder, I gingerly tried to put weight on my foot, but it still hurt so I sat back down. I sighed. “Great job, Gia; hurt yourself on your first day.” Flipping open the file, I figured once I could stand I’d put it in its proper place for him. Inside, clipped in front of some papers, was a grainy picture of a woman holding a newborn. She looked about my age and scared. Flipping the photo over, I saw a date printed on the back. It said June 26, 2013, almost five years ago.