A/N: I was hoping for a really quick turn-around on this, but as always real life had something different to say so I'm sorry for the crazy long wait. Thanks again for everyone who is still reading, you all are awesome! I appreciate all of your feedback and encouragement – and how cool is it that two of my personal favorite Puckelberry authors are now fans of my little story? Go me! Anyway, keep reading and reviewing… and enjoy my gift at the end of this chapter. Seriously, who knew that shit was so hard to write!
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 and/or my empty bank account.
Finn watched as Puck pulled into the lot and walked Rachel over to her car. They talked for a moment and Puck kissed her quickly before she settled into the driver's seat and pulled away. Finn brushed off their interaction for the time being; wanting to focus on what happened last night and what they were going to do about it.
"'Sup bro, your face looks like shit," Puck greeted with a sly grin.
"Probably looks better than the new asshole Quinn tore me when I got home last night," Finn replied.
Puck sauntered over to his locker and put on his coveralls. "Sorry man," Puck tossed over his shoulder. "You guys will work it out, you always do," he assured the taller man.
"Yeah, maybe," Finn muttered.
Puck clapped him on the shoulder and walked towards the bike they were both working on. "So we saw Casey last night but it isn't enough. Where do we go from here?"
"Dunno man, this reeks of too many different things. We can't really unravel it from any angle when we have no fucking clue who we're really dealing with," Finn stated.
Puck grunted in agreement. "I guess we'll need some more recon, exactly what I have no interest in wasting my time with right now. We'll hit up Anton Crawley and his boys, see if someone has been looking around for some muscle. Maybe head over to Azimio in Bluffton. He'll know about anyone dealing between Akron and Dayton and can probably give intel on the pipeline for the right price."
"Okay. We'll grab Matt and Prospect and head out this afternoon, Quinn's OBGYN appointment got moved to tomorrow," Finn agreed. "We could really use Mike but I don't think Britt is letting him out of her sight at this point."
"Women are scary when they want to protect their men, you would know bro," Puck replied. "Speaking of scary women," he started, seeing his sister walk into the shop from the office and sighing.
"So bro, didn't get to meet your new piece of ass last night… should I even bother? Mom already hates her and she probably doesn't have two brain cells to rub together but you've never really been about the intelligent ones," Sarah laughed as she lifted herself to sit on a work bench and idly played with a socket wrench. Her boyfriend snickered from where he was working under the hood of a Toyota Corolla nearby but quickly covered it with a cough at the glare Puck sent him.
"Aww sis, you seem bitchier than usual today. On the rag or is Prospect just not satisfying you?" Puck growled back at her.
Finn shook his head at them both, used to their constant barbs and bickering. "Enough you two. Seriously man, what the fuck is with you and Rachel. I mean, fucking around is one thing, but you brought her to the thing last night. You thinkin' seriously about her? It's been, like, a day."
"Fuck off man. You don't know shit, been with the same person since elementary school. No one does that. Not that you'd be my first pick to lecture me on relationships with the way Quinn's been up your ass lately," Puck retorted.
"She has her reasons. She's about to become a mother and she's stressed about all this shit with the club, cut her some fucking slack," his friend shot back.
Sarah snorted from her perch. "Like you would know anything about the pressures of family and becoming a parent, douche. Leave Finn alone," she instructed her brother flippantly.
Puck's face briefly contorted in pain before a mask of anger replaced it. "Fuck you Sarah. Fuck you," he spat, throwing down his tools and stalking out of the garage.
"What the fuck, Sarah?" Finn yelled at the girl before starting after Puck.
She was already in motion, running after her brother. "Puck! Puck! You know I did not mean it like that! C'mon Puck! Noah!" she yelled, catching up to him and grabbing his arm.
Puck whipped around to face her, knocking his hand away and pushing her back. "Don't fucking come near me right now Sarah. Leave me the fuck alone," he said in a menacing tone.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa Puck, she didn't mean anything," the Prospect said, putting himself between the siblings and moving Sarah behind him.
Puck chuckled grimly at the move. "Relax Prospect, I don't hit women, even bitches that deserve it. Though she's probably lucky right now she's family. I might be willing to make exceptions." With that he turned again and jumped on his bike and peeled out of the lot.
"Shit," Finn murmured. "Thanks for that Sarah, as always you were a real fucking help," he told her as he turned back to the garage, leaving her to stare at her brother's wake.
Tina absently stirred her coffee and ignored the din of the diner and her lunch companions as she focused on her own inner monologue. After Rachel had left the night before Artie had called her unexpectedly. She knew that he was aware of her issue and that it was why he let Mike off with nothing more than a warning. He seemed normal on the phone though, not that the two had talked a ton since leaving high school, but she didn't note anything pitying in his tone. Tina may not have been a full member of the MC but her allegiance was obvious and it usually precluded her from intermingling from members of law enforcement. They had become close when he was in St. Rita's in the aftermath of his shooting and she had secretly hoped something would come of it, but nothing had and she knew that he was in a bad place then and it wasn't the time. 'Now though… what would be standing in our way now?' she wondered.
"…seriously. First thing this morning. I know I had last night off and all but bitch please. I need to keep my voice well rested, if anyone should know this it's Carole. And honestly? Waking me up to tell me she met someone she wants to bring in for some guest shows, to move in on MY job? Not cool," Mercedes was telling a very interested Kurt on the bench across from her.
Kurt nodded in agreement with his friend as Mercedes paused her bitching to attack her meal. "I'm sure it's nothing darling. Carole knows that you are the star, so she wants to bring someone else in, she can't possibly be as talented as you. I give it one show," Kurt placated the diva. "Right Tina?"
"Huh? What?" the Asian girl asked, snapping out of her thoughts and back to the conversation in front of her.
"Tell Mercedes she has nothing to fear from whoever this new act is Carole has found," Kurt snapped at her.
"Carole found a new act? Do you mean Rachel?" Tina asked.
Kurt and Mercedes heads both shot up and their gazes pierced the girl who now felt slightly alarmed.
"You know her? This Rachel Berry?"
Tina nodded at the pair. "Yeah, I met her last night. She's really cool; I think you would both like her a lot. She has been on Broadway. Recently was playing Mimi in RENT but is on hiatus for a while. Amazing singer," she said, settling back against the booth seat and sipping her coffee.
Her two friends looked at each other in shock for a few beats before turning back to her. 'Oh shit, here we go,' Tina groaned internally.
"What do you mean you met her?"
"Where?"
"Why is she in Lima?"
"What is she like?"
"Did you actually hear her sing?"
"Is she as much of a bitch as I bet she is?"
"Ugh, how could you do this to us?"
Tina rolled her eyes at their rapid fire questioning and opted to stay quiet until they were done. 'Am I a bad person if I kind of hope Rachel wipes the stage floor with Mercedes? These two sometimes, I swear to God, test my patience eight ways from Sunday. You would think I just told them that I was moving to Siberia. Or worse, that Liza Minnelli died.'
"Why are you smiling?" Kurt shrieked at last.
Chuckling lightly Tina continued to sip her drink, looking at the pair of divas over the rim of the mug.
"Well?" Mercedes urged.
"I met her last night at the barbeque with Mike and Brittany. She was there with Puck. Artie had met her when she and Puck were at the station and he gave me a heads up on who she was." Tina finally told them. "She ended up coming back to my place for a while last night. She is really nice. Seriously, I think you should give her a chance… and I doubt she wants your job, I'm pretty sure she's very well off, it would be a demotion for her at this point in her career."
Kurt seemed pleased with this assessment though still put out that Tina knew all this before he did. Mercedes, on the other hand, was more annoyed than before.
"She was there with Puck? You mean I'm going to lose shows to some whore of his? Are you kidding me? Fucking Reapers, think they own this town. It was his idea wasn't it? Anything Prince Puck wants he gets… and Carole is so far up their asses she just gives it to them. Ugh. Fucking ridiculous. They are all criminals anyway, this town would be so much better off without them."
Kurt's jaw dropped at the end of Mercedes' rant and he looked back and forth between his friends anticipating a bloodbath.
"Are. You. Kidding. Me?" Tina hissed. "Lima would be better off without them? Really? You do realize that when the tank plant almost lost their contract for producing M1 Abrams a few years ago it was the MC that lobbied hard and worked with Governor Taft and now Governor Strickland to keep the contract here and keep the plant open. It saved hundreds of jobs. And you don't see Procter and Gamble leaving town for greener pastures for their plant? No. Why? Because Lima employees are reliable and drug-free thanks to the efforts of the Reapers in keeping this community safe. You think Hummel could keep drugs out? No offense Kurt." The smaller boy shrugged and motioned for her to continue, leaving him out of it. "Not to mention most of the guys who work at the refinery get their start working for Big John at the garage while they go to school or learn their trade. The club does charity runs and organizes blood drives for St. Rita's all the time. I've never seen you donate blood Mercedes. Do you think if you were in critical need you'd deny the transfusion because it comes from a bunch of hoodlums on motorcycles? Probably not. At least they care enough to donate in the first place. And finally, without The Reapers your precious club wouldn't exist at all. They have been giving Carole money and free muscle for years to help keep her afloat. Think about that next time you cash your pay cheque. Bitch."
Mercedes raised a single eyebrow in response to Tina's diatribe and set her jaw stubbornly. "Listen, I know that you are all tied up in them, but seriously that should make it even more obvious to you. They are dangerous! Look at your brother! You had to bail him out of jail yesterday!"
"Yeah, because he was protecting her and looking out for her," a new voice chimed in.
The trio turned to look at the interloper.
"Hey Artie," Tina blushed.
"Thank God, maybe he can break this up before it becomes a full on bitch fight," Kurt muttered.
"Mercedes you have no idea what you are talking about. Mike would have ended up in jail no matter what yesterday. He was being a good big brother and defending Tina it had little to do with the Reapers. I would have done the same in his shoes. I've never had a problem with him or most of the other Reapers. They are just guys who have their own code and like motorcycles. The LPD usually has bigger issues to worry about than outlaw bikers. Believe me." Artie admonished while internally berating himself for the lies. He thought it was worth it however at the smile that lit up Tina's face.
"Ugh! You are all so blind!" the black girl exclaimed, tossing a twenty on the table and storming out.
Kurt shook his head and looked at the other two. "I'll go see if I can calm her down. Sorry about everything Tina, you know I don't feel that way about Mike or the club."
"I know Kurt, don't worry about it. I'll see you later, yeah?"
He smiled at Tina, "Of course darling! Ciao! Bye Artie, say hi to my dad for me!"
Artie turned and smiled at Tina, wheeling closer to the table. "Well, that looked like fun."
Tina snorted in amusement. "Absolutely. Fun is definitely what I would call it," she agreed. "What are you up to this afternoon Officer?"
"Chief Hummel has me cataloging items from the fire. Once you've numbered the hundredth charred-beyond-recognition-thing your vision starts to go a little blurry. I really needed to get out of there for a while. Is it twisted that I see all these burnt things and smell fire and now really crave s'mores?" Artie groaned.
Tina giggled. "I won't tell Puck that the guy's loss is giving you a hankering for your Boy Scout days, don't worry."
"Thanks darlin'," Artie drawled. "So…"
"Yes?"
"Uhh, I was wondering if you were up to anything tonight? Maybe we could go get dinner?" he asked her.
"Yes! I mean, wait. Shit. I'm supposed to be having dinner with Rachel tonight. I could probably cancel on her though. I doubt she'd mind if Puck is around to entertain her." Tina rambled.
Artie laughed at her eagerness. "Don't worry about it. Go to dinner with Rachel and meet me for drinks later? At the lounge? Unless you are looking to avoid Mercedes and Kurt…"
"That sounds great!" she agreed. "Shit, I need to be getting back to the hospital. Call me later and we can set up a time?"
"Great! It's a date," Artie smiled up at her.
Tina beamed down at him before ducking down to kiss his cheek and running out of the diner.
"I'm very sorry for your loss, Rachel. Your fathers were some of the best men I had the pleasure of knowing and working for," the white-haired gentleman told her. "As their only daughter you were listed as their sole beneficiary in the event something such as this happened. Their wills are both very straight-forward and their funeral requests are all being complied with. The graveside service will take place tomorrow at two o'clock. There is a small snag, however."
"What do you mean? Is there something wrong? Is everything okay at the cemetery? They already owned their own plots! Is it something that still needs to be paid for? I assure you that if it just concerns disbursal of funds to any household staff or whatever I can cover those from my personal accounts. I would like some of them to stay on as I plan to take a bit of a break here in Lima – I'll be here at least a few weeks," Rachel cut in.
"No, no dear. It is nothing like that, and I am sure that some of the staff will be happy to hear they can stay on for a while longer," the solicitor replied. "This is unfortunately of a more sensitive nature," he hedged.
"Well what is it?" Rachel demanded.
The older man removed a cloth from his inner coat pocket and wiped at his brow as he began. "Well, you see, there is a recent and rather unpleasant legal development and unfortunately one of your fathers was involved. As such their assets are currently frozen."
Rachel gaped at him. "What do you mean? My fathers were in trouble?"
Her question went unanswered as the door to the lawyer's office abruptly opened, admitting Agents Figgens and Sylvester.
"Good afternoon, Frank," Agent Sylvester started. "I trust you've told Barbara here what's going on?"
Frank sputtered from his position behind his desk. "This is a closed meeting, Agent, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Rachel cut off her lawyer before he could escort them from the office. "My name is Rachel, not Barbara. Who the hell are you? What would you know about what I need to be told? Frank what is going on?"
"Sorry, I just saw your nose and assumed who you were. I'm Agent Sylvester, this is my partner Figgens. We're here because I love watching people get bad news. Seriously, we're not too late are we? Can I go make some popcorn first?" the tall woman mocked.
"Sue, shut up," her partner drawled in a bored tone. "Let the man explain."
"Well you see Rachel…" the lawyer started again before trailing off once more.
"Ugh. Men, such wimps. You think breaking bad news is hard? Try parachuting into the desert in the dead of night to prevent a military coup in a country no one cares about a week after you've had a kidney removed. That's hard," Agent Sylvester scoffed and then turned to Rachel and continued speaking. "Three days ago, five hours before your fathers' accident, a grand jury handed down 18 indictments including several against your late father, excuse me I believe you call this one 'daddy', Hiram Berry. Basically Rachel, your daddy was a bad person, and we are determined to get the truth, which means you help us or we consider you a bad person too," Agent Sylvester explained in a low, menacing tone while pacing behind Rachel's chair.
Rachel frowned at this. "I don't understand. My fathers were great men. Dad is, was, a VP of Engineering for Huskey Petroleum and oversaw the refinery. Daddy was a real estate developer. What could they possibly have been involved in? It wasn't like they needed money and they would never knowingly participate in something illegal. You must be mistaken," she rationalized.
"Ms. Berry," Agent Figgens addressed her, "I understand this might be a lot to take in, but I assure you that the claims are true. David Berry has been cleared of any wrongdoing and involvement by our investigation but Hiram is another story. What we are trying to discover is if he was a willing participant or if he was being blackmailed. Have you ever met a Dave Karofsky Sr.?"
Rachel stared up at him from her chair. "Sure, Mr. Karofsky is known by a lot of people around here. He ran for mayor I heard a few years ago. I've been gone for a while, but I think I saw him a few times at our place when I was in high school. Usually at cocktail parties and fundraisers. Why?"
"So he was a friend of your dads?"
"I'm not sure. An acquaintance sure, but they never really mentioned him. I'm sure Daddy did some business with him, I mean, he owns a lot of property doesn't he?" she asked.
Figgens sighed and looked at his partner who was glowering at Rachel. "Sue, I don't think we're going to get anything here."
"If you'd let me water-board her like I wanted to from the beginning I'm sure we could get something!" Agent Sylvester shouted.
"Ms. Berry, if you remember anything about your dads or Mr. Karofsky that you think might help us please let me know. Here is my card. I'm very sorry for your loss and someone will be in touch about unfreezing your fathers' assets," Agent Figgens told the shocked girl. "Come on Sue, let's get back to the station."
Agent Sylvester glared at the occupants of the room before sweeping out the door, Figgens following in her wake.
"What the hell is going on here!" Rachel yelled at the lawyer sitting numbly at his desk. "I want some answers!"
"I don't have any for you, Rachel," the old man told her tiredly. "You basically know as much as I do. Hiram was in some financial trouble, but not anything too serious. I had not been approached about any bad deals he was involved in and did not know about the indictments until they were handed down. It will be impossible for anything to happen now that he is dead though. I think you need to just put this behind you. Whatever secrets your daddy had he took to the grave. Go home and rest, I'll see you at the funeral tomorrow."
Puck sat on the couch in his living room, his coveralls were in a heap in the corner, the blinds were closed and the room was mostly shadows. A single glass and a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label were on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned forward and, ignoring the glass, took a long pull off the bottle.
"I'm more of a bourbon girl myself, but scotch works too," Rachel's voice came from the doorway.
Puck took another swig and looked up at her. "What are you doing here, Rach? I thought you had shit to do all day."
She walked towards the couch, tossing her keys in the corner with her bag and setting a bottle of Jim Beam down on the table as she moved past it. Rachel sat down next to Puck and it was then that he noticed her bottle was a quarter empty. "I stopped by the shop, Finn said that you left this morning. Something about your sister. What happened?"
"Nothing," he grunted. "Why are you drinking at two o'clock in the afternoon?"
"Nothing, just felt like it," she replied.
"Bullshit," Puck responded. "Girls like you don't get shitfaced in the middle of the afternoon for no reason. Seriously, what's up? I don't talk about feelings, so take this opportunity 'cuz you'll probably never get it again."
"Oh yeah, because you're such a badass," Rachel scoffed. "I don't want to talk about it, so let's just not."
"Fine by me," he sighed and continued to drink out of his bottle, staring straight ahead.
Rachel leaned back, taking her Jim Beam with her and drank in silence for a while. The two brooding next to each other. Finally Puck broke the silence.
"Wanna fuck?"
Rachel turned to face him, a small smirk playing at her lips, and launched herself at him.
Their lips fused together and he hauled her into his lap, grinding his pelvis into hers and tangling a hand in her hair. She angled her hips differently and moaned at the increased friction, tossing her head back as Puck kissed along her jaw line and down her neck. Rachel continued to rub rhythmically against the hardness evident through his jeans and placed her hand against the back of his head; forcibly dragging his lips back to hers.
"Bedroom?" she breathed.
"Later."
"Ungh," was all she could get out when his lips hit the pulse point at the base of her neck.
Grinning at her response he gently bit down before soothing the mark with his tongue. His movement caused her to jerk and claw at his back over his shirt.
Noah's hands moved from her ass up her back under her top. Pulling away from his ministrations to her neck he tugged the thin fabric over her torso and head, leaning back to take her in.
"Beautiful," he whispered and sought out her lips once more, groaning into her mouth as she played with the short hairs at the base of his skull. He pulled her closer, hands roaming her exposed skin before deftly unclasping her bra. She shrugged the straps down her shoulders and peeled it off without breaking contact between their mouths.
His calloused hands immediately found her breasts and he relished the weight of them as he teased her nipples with his thumbs. Rachel gasped at the sensation and tugged at the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it up and over his head. She took a moment to study his toned chest but threw her head back once more when his mouth found one of her taught nipples.
He flicked it with his tongue before pulling back and blowing on it lightly. She shivered at the sensation and her eyes darkened visibly. He took the other puckered bud into his mouth, laving it and teasing the other one with thumb.
"I need you inside me, stop teasing," Rachel moaned into his ear.
Puck growled at her words and pulled back roughly. "Whatever the lady wants."
Moving his hands to her ass once more he stood abruptly. Rachel squeaked and wrapped her legs around him. He shifted her weight and held her against him with one arm, reaching down with the other to undo the fly on his jeans. Rachel was eager to help him along and used one of her feet to push his pants and boxers down his thighs, her mouth attached to his neck.
Noah hissed as the fabric moved over his erection. He carefully stepped out of the leg holes and kicked the pile to the side. Turning and moving his mouth back to Rachel's he kneeled down, setting her gently on the couch and making quick work of her own jeans and panties.
"You're soaked for me babe," he growled, running a single finger up her glistening slit.
"Ahhh!" she cried out at the contact, lifting her hips involuntarily, begging for more. "Please Noah, please!"
Puck took a nipple in his mouth once again and roughly plunged two fingers into her, carefully pumping them in and out, curling them up on each down stroke, hitting that spot deep inside. Rachel continued her litany of moans and Noah's name, pumping her pelvis in time with his motions.
He grinned wickedly from his position at her breast before brushing his thumb over her clit, enjoying the look of ecstasy on her face.
"No," she moaned, clenching her thighs to prevent his hand from moving and bringing his face up to meet hers. "I want your cock inside me when I come. Fuck me Noah, get on with it."
"Fuck babe, I could cum just listening to you," he told her, reaching over their heads and rummaging around in a drawer in the end table.
"Noah!" Rachel cried, "What are you waiting for?"
He pulled his hand back with a triumphant smile, a small gold packet in his hand. "No glove, no love sweetheart."
Rachel grabbed the condom from him, ripping it open with her teeth and moving her hand to put it on him. He couldn't stifle the low moan that escaped as she finally touched his engorged cock. Now it was her turn to grin up at him wickedly, pumping him a few times.
"Shit Rach, you can't do that or this will be over too soon," he told her.
He grabbed both her hands and pinned them over her head, ignoring her pout. "I can think of better ways for me to lose it." And with a twist of his hips he plunged into her, both gasping at the sensation.
"Fuck! So tight! You're lucky I'm not a teenager."
"Ohh Noah, so full!"
He shifted his hips experimentally before settling into a slow, shallow rhythm punctuated by low moans and cries.
"Harder, Noah. I need it faster!"
Moving his arms around her waist he lifted her up, moving so she was now on top of him. Rachel grunted in pleasure at the new position, eyes rolling back as he settled deeper than before. She clenched her inner muscles, gripping his length as he used hands to guide her hips and their motion on top of him.
"Mmm yeah babe, take what you want," he drawled.
She plunged herself down on him, swiveling her hips at the base, gasping at the friction against her clit, increasing the speed of her movements. Puck watched her tits bounce in wild abandon, moving a hand down between their bodies to rub at her nub.
Rachel let out a low keen at this new, additional sensation. It only took two more thrusts before her walls clamped down around him. He tried to hold it together longer and ride out her orgasm but it was too much. Tweaking her nipple one last time he followed her over the edge, emptying himself into the condom.
Moments later they were still tangled together, bodies covered in perspiration and chests heaving.
"Well, that was fun," Rachel groaned as she carefully moved off him, hissing as he pulled out of her. "How long until round two?"
"I like the way you think babe," Puck told her before standing and hauling her against him. He kissed her deeply and dragged her towards the bedroom, Rachel giggling at his eagerness behind him.