An explosive retaliation ignites a raging fire in more than just the hearts of their enemies as Sydney and Tig realize just how powerful a single spark can be.

General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death, racism/gang activity.

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CHAPTER 8: ABLAZE

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Tig opened up the door to the fridge, lazily scanning the wide selection for something that would tickle his fancy and take his mind off of what had already tickled his fancy - landing on some containers of leftover Chinese food.

Sydney had said that he could help himself... But he knew that he would suffer the consequences if he ate her precious ginger beef without asking - and that was out of the question.

"Hey, Syd?" He called down the hall, getting no answer.

He'd fully intended on calling her name again as he neared the staircase, but the golden hue that was coming from her bedroom on the second floor created a heavenly pull that he couldn't resist... He slowly crept up the steps, padding closer to the open door where her glowing frame came into view - the soft light hitting her bare legs as she changed out of her clothes.

Sydney slid a pair of thick leggings over her buttery skin, now standing in her bra as she walked over to her dresser and peered into the attached mirror, making eye contact with the mesmerized man standing in the doorway behind her while she twirled her necklace between her fingers.

"I guess I should've suspected voyeurism by now." She smirked.

Tig chuckled, looking down as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously before he looked back up - meeting her twinkling eyes in the mirror as his shone with something that was deeper than just lust...

Sydney took a shaky breath as he crossed the room slowly, tentatively - like he wasn't sure if she wanted him to or not; haphazardly placing his hands on her waist when he reached her. She felt herself shiver under his gentle touch, her exposed skin breaking out in goosebumps as he didn't just look at her body, he looked at her.

She placed her hands on his biceps as every muscle in her body tensed up - looking up at him before he finally leaned down and kissed her so deeply that it left her dizzy. She could feel the sparks flying as her heart pounded violently against her chest - an unfamiliar type of fear washing over her as she let a man kiss her in a way that she had never been kissed before; like she was precious, like she meant so much.

She brought her hands up to rest over his face where they both became completely wrapped up in the tender embrace before she finally pulled away for air, meeting his eyes where she could now recognize the same fear... She stood on her tiptoes, kissing him again - hoping that her lips would tell him all of the things that her voice could not.

Before long, things began to heat up as their tongues twirled together - bringing each other as close as possible. Their bodies seemed to fit so perfectly together in a way that neither of them could understand; subconsciously searching for something that didn't feel right as they pulled, twisted, and turned - but there was nothing. It was like they were made for each other.

Sydney felt Tig's hands moving down to her ass as the encounter continued to escalate - pushing against his chest with her hands lightly. "Tiggy, we-" She shook her head, searching for an excuse against all of the unfamiliar things that he made her feel, even though she would've given anything for it not to stop.

"We have time, darlin'." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers softly.

She nodded softly, taking a shaky breath before leaning up and kissing him again as she walked him over to her bed and sat him down on the edge.

Tig looked up at her, wrapping his strong arms around her as he nuzzled against her warm skin while she ran her fingers gently through his hair. He laid back - pulling her down on top of him where she now sat astride his hips. He moved his hands up her arms, trailing up her skin with his fingertips until he reached her shoulders, bringing them back down until he found her hands. But before he could continue, Sydney brought his arms up above his head where she pressed them into the mattress softly before she began placing delicate, open-mouthed kisses down his neck - working her way back up to his lips before letting go of her grip on his hands.

Tig cradled the back of her head once his hands were free, lightly grasping at her hair as his other hand splayed across her back as he flipped them over - not breaking the bond between their lips. He pulled away to look at her, brushing some loose strands of hair out of her face as he grazed her cheek with his thumb while she trembled below him.

Sydney sighed when he settled between her legs, leaning back down into another passionate kiss as her nervous body began to relax, when suddenly a ringing phone snapped them both out of the spell that they'd slipped under. She chuckled, shaking her head as she reached around and grabbed the burner out of his back pocket.

Tig smirked down at her as he flipped the phone open. "Yeah." He barked into the speaker, leaning down to reattach his lips to hers as she giggled against his mouth. "Yeah, brother... We're just about to head to Ope's." He pulled away to respond - his eyes widening when she hooked her fingers into the collar of his hoodie to pull him down to her lips this time. "Okay, see you soon." He chuckled against her lips, pulling away to finish the call before snapping the phone shut. "We gotta get going." He whispered, giving her one last kiss as he got up off of her and left the room.

Sydney pulled on a black, fitted t-shirt before digging through her closet for the singular pair of running shoes that she owned - rolling her eyes at Juice's opinion of her 'impractical footwear' as she slipped into the black Nikes. She gathered her hair into a tight ponytail on the top of her head which nicely showed off the dark cluster of hickeys before she trotted down the stairs, bouncing with excitement as she walked into the kitchen to see that her leftover Chinese food had been warmed up, and was waiting on the island with a plastic fork.

"For the road." Tig winked, grabbing her keys off the counter.

"I'm surprised you didn't eat it." She scoffed.

"And deal with you in the car for an hour? Wouldn't dream of it." He groaned.

Sydney laughed out loud - the man had a point. "Thanks, Tiggy." She told him with a bashful smile, turning towards the door when she felt him behind her as he swiftly bent down and placed a peck on her exposed hickey, winking as he walked out in front of her.

She felt the warm blush spread across her cheeks - biting her lip as she pulled open the closet door and grabbed a black leather jacket, shrugging into it on the way to the car.

"Wow..." Tig drawled as she came into view. "Is it possible that you look sexier with more clothes on?" He squinted as he admired her heist attire.

"Eat your heart out, baby." She cooed, playfully shimmying for him.

"Oh, darlin'... I have every intention." He nodded with a growl.

After making the short drive to Opie's house, Tig waited to pull into the driveway as Sydney backed the truck out after retrieving the keys from the mailbox. Once he parked her car and double checked that it was locked, he jogged over to the driver's side of the truck where she was waiting. "C'mon, we gotta get goin'." He whined impatiently, opening the door and motioning for her to move out of the way.

"No way!" She patted the passenger seat.

Tig grimaced, complying begrudgingly on the sole basis of avoiding a chewing out from Clay for being late after he'd already received a warning call.

"I don't see why we even needed the truck in the first place." Sydney scowled as she headed towards the clubhouse where they were meeting up with the others anyways.

"Don't know if it's so much about needing the truck, as much as it is about needing to know where Ope's loyalty is..."

Sydney nodded slowly as the pieces that she'd managed to gather since she'd arrived in town began to form a clearer picture as they arrived back at the clubhouse where she pulled the truck onto the lot and went straight to the dorm that Happy was occupying.

She'd planned on knocking like a civilized human being, but decided against it when she heard moaning coming from the other side of the door - figuring that she would quickly retrieve her belongings so that he could get back to whatever poor crow he'd grabbed in an attempt to blow off the steam that he'd undoubtedly acquired after finding out that he would not be included in tonight's hit.

Happy stopped his thrusting when the door flew open, whipping his head around to see Sydney as the woman on her hands and knees before him immediately started screaming for her to get out and wait her turn.

Sydney snorted, crossing her arms as she raised a brow at the woman who reluctantly quit her whining - huffing with a roll of her heavily lined eyes. She quickly made her way over to the desk where she spotted her gold-engraved Glock 17, retrieving the weapon that she'd given him to clean after her first table meeting.

Once Happy realized that she was just fetching her property, he resumed what he was doing - he'd never been one to care about having an audience. But he stopped once again when the grating sound of a silencer got his attention - a sound that only Happy Lowman would be able to pick up over the moans of a woman taking his cock.

"You goin' with them?" He asked with a raised brow and an upturned lip. The croweater huffed in frustration, shutting up once again as he bucked his hips into her punishingly.

"Ope's not coming. Needed someone for pyro."

"Molotovs?"

"You know it." She said flatly as the concern became more evident in his voice, snapping the magazine in harshly.

Happy sat on it for a second before curtly nodding, deciding that this was acceptable. "Cuidado." He told her firmly, fighting the smirk that was forming across his lips when she confirmed that he had been correct about Opie, after all.

But the cold command in his tone fell on deaf ears. Sydney knew that he only spoke in Spanish when there was something sentimental to be shared between the two of them - or when they were fighting. "Siempre." She gave a soft nod.

The moment was broken with another scoff from the croweater who had tried Sydney's patience one too many times. She crossed the room quickly - the scrawny blonde trying to scramble away, but Happy used his position to keep her in place. She grabbed a fistful of stringy, box-dyed hair, ripping the girl's head back into an excruciating position.

"Try to rush me again-" She sneered with her teeth gritted and eyes full of fire as tears immediately sprung to the woman's eyes as she tried to shake her head out of the tight grip. "And I will cave in those botoxed fucking cheeks. Only warning. Understand?"

The blonde nodded as best she could in the trying position before Sydney let her hair go - throwing her head down against the mattress for good measure. Happy ripped out of her and pushed her forward - she would no longer be getting what she started this scuffle over in the first place.

"Sorry, Hap. If you need a replacement, let me know!" She called over her shoulder as she strolled out of his room.

;

Jax and Chibs were surprised to see Sydney as she joined them at the rendezvous - getting a simple sigh and shake of the head from Clay when they looked to him for an explanation.

Sydney's lips curled up as she watched the exchange, grabbing her gun and cocking it dramatically, "Come on, boys." She cooed seductively before strutting out the door.

"You got your hands full with that one." Jax smiled smugly at Tig who followed her out the door as if the earth's gravitation was pulling him after her.

"We all do." Clay sighed.

The guys had let Sydney take the lead on the drive - she'd planned on cutting them off and forcing it anyways, but this was much easier. Tig chuckled as he sat in the passenger seat, amusedly watching the way that she barely held the steering wheel with a single finger while a cigarette dangled from her other hand, and her left foot sat propped up on the seat with her head resting against her knee.

They drove mostly in silence - the radio on quietly for background noise as Tig stared at her longingly most of the way while she tried her hardest not to squirm under his gaze.

Eventually they approached what they'd hoped would be a deserted road leading to the industrial area, but instead they spotted a lone Mayan riding straight in front of them. "Shit." Sydney pulled over as Jax pulled the van up beside them.

"How do we wanna do this?" Clay asked.

"Can't guarantee a clear shot unless we get close, man... Risk spookin' him." Tig shook his head.

"That Mayan spots us and gets on the horn for backup? We're as good as dead." Chibs concluded as Sydney looked around for a solution.

"I have an idea..." She told them as she spotted a steel rod in the bed of the truck. "Stay on me until I give you a signal." She gave no time for anyone to argue with her as she pulled ahead of the van, gaining speed on the rider. "Take the wheel." She looked to Tig after making sure that Jax was right on their tail.

"What?" He shook his head incredulously.

"You wanted to drive, now take the wheel!" She screeched impatiently. Tig scowled but quickly grabbed it as she turned her attention to opening the sliding back window.

"What in the name of Christ is she doin'?" Chibs yelled as he watched Sydney climb out of the window and into the truck bed where she stayed down low.

"Pull up on his left." She called to Tig, signalling for Jax to go right as she grabbed the steel rod.

Luckily, the sound of the roaring chopper masked the sound of the truck's exhaust as Tig neared the rider. This plan would let the Mayan think that Tig was just an impatient driver - keeping his attention away from the van so that she could trip the bike before he knew that there was trouble.

Sure enough, the Mayan whipped his head around to give Tig the finger, which was when Sydney leaned over and threw the steel rod into the spokes of his wheels, causing it to roll where Chibs leaned out of the side door and shot him in the head as they drove by.

Sydney climbed back through the window with a proud smile etched on her face, sitting pretty with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap as Tig looked at her in awe.

"What the hell, baby?" He gawked with a lazy smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Sydney smirked at him, lifting her legs to rest over his lap as she began directing him in and out of alleyways and access roads.

"How the hell do you remember this?" He spat as he finally pulled up behind the correct warehouse.

She theatrically turned to face him as she swung her legs down and inched closer. "You aren't seriously telling me that I'm taking the Sergeant-at-Arms by surprise again, are you?" She slowly slid her hand towards the growing bulge in his pants.

Tig didn't say anything, leaning closer as he twitched under her touch. His lips were almost at hers when they heard the door of the van slam behind them - her hand ripping away before she smiled evilly at him and hopped out of the truck where she was met by the discerning smirks of the three men who had seen the entire encounter through the back window of the truck. She ignored them, looking down with a bashful smile as she walked around to the back of the van to gather her supplies.

Tig got out of the vehicle after trying to adjust himself in his pants, where he met the same questioning gaze. "What?" He groaned.

Jax nodded to his very obvious erection as all of the men snickered. "Am I doing this alone?" Sydney barked impatiently from the back of the van, the men widening their eyes to one another in mock-surrender before rounding the vehicle where Tig grabbed the blow torches from her.

"How old are you anyway, Princess?" Jax asked as he watched the young girl move with the precision of a seasoned veteran.

"What's wrong, VP? You scared of a little jailbait?" She smirked as she tucked the bottle of diesel fuel under her arm and walked away.

Tig's eyes widened as he realized that she posed a threat that he hadn't even considered. He knew that she was young, but he hadn't realized that she was that young.

"Turned twenty-two in April, talked to Packer already." Clay winked at him.

"Oh, brother..." Tig's eyes trailed Sydney's form in the skin-tight clothing that she wore. "I'd do time for that ass." He shook his head with a grimace.

"Perimeter sweep." Clay instructed when they caught up with Sydney just outside of the gate. "Jax and Chibs, you take the left - bring the supplies. Princess, you're with me and Tigger on the right. We meet inside." Everyone nodded, Sydney and Tig handing the equipment off to Jax and Chibs before everyone drew their guns and began their stalk.

Sydney, Tig, and Clay were rounding the right side of the building next to another warehouse, creeping up the wall when they spotted two Mayans standing with a bald, white man.

"What the hell is a Nord doing here?" Clay sneered, confusion heavy in the hollows of his eyes.

"Darby..." Tig realized. "He and Alvarez must be workin' together to flood drugs into Charming and push us out."

It all made perfect sense; the way that Alvarez's balls had seemed to double in size overnight when he'd made the bold decision to torch the warehouse, the way that Darby's crank was suddenly showing up inside of Charming after a half-decade long agreement - it was because the two had joined forces.

"That's Whistler." Tig nodded to Darby's second in command.

Clay scrambled up the side of the building, ducking behind a dumpster and signalling for the pair to follow. Tig placed his hand on Sydney's lower back, nodding for her to go first. Once they were all safely concealed, they noticed that all three men were carrying AKs... Their AKs.

"Those are the guys from earlier today." Sydney recognized the two Mayans walking alongside Whistler.

Clay peered around the metal bin, raising his gun at the men who were standing some thirty yards away with their backs turned. The President was about to begin open firing, his finger squeezing the trigger when his gun was suddenly yanked down by a dainty hand on the barrel.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He whisper-yelled as rage filled his chest, the low velocity not serving to make his voice any less terrifying.

"We keep them alive." Sydney explained as Tig sat, frozen by her boldness in his crouched position. "Press them for the intel about Darby - find out exactly what we're dealing with straight from the source."

"And how the fuck do you suggest we sneak up on these assholes and get them to hand over their guns, huh? Princess." Clay sneered.

"Well, that's what I'm here for." She assured him with a devilish smirk, slipping the knife out from the inside of Tig's boot as she spoke - the knife that he'd never told her was there.

The dark-haired man scowled as she used it to cut open her shirt, revealing her cleavage which quickly turned his scowl into a gawk as he and Clay both blinked a few times in an attempt to refocus their distracted eyes. She yanked the elastic out of her hair and flicked it at Tig, laughing as she let her long locks cascade down her back before sliding his knife back into its sheath with a wink - running a hand along his jaw as she got to her feet. She smirked as he looked up at her hazily, tucking her gun into her waistband before running out from behind the dumpster - stopping once she was visible and beginning to stumble around towards the men.

"Hey, boys! I told you I would be back." She wagged her finger at them with a seductive grin through her boozy display.

The Mayans glanced at each other as they recognized the girl from earlier in the day, who was now clearly drunk. "Aye, chicka! You find your boss?" One of them asked, nodding to his partners as they began stalking up to her.

"I sure did." She flashed a grin. "Now I'm here to thank you boys for helping me out." She cocked a brow, the men taking that as their cue as they rushed her against the wall.

Tig stiffened at the sight of them touching her, lunging forward out of instinct - but Clay held him back. "Easy, brother." He told his Sergeant, watching him squeeze his eyes shut as he collected himself.

Sydney watched Tig and Clay approach with a wicked grin as the men pulled at her clothes, ripping her gun out from behind her and pressing it into the ribcage of the Mayan who was whispering in her ear. The two other men went to draw their guns on her, but Clay and Tig stopped them with the barrels of their guns against their heads.

"No bang bang, por favor." Clay whispered to the Mayan he'd taken hold of, turning his attention to the man that Sydney was holding. "You tell your guys that if they steal from SAMCRO? They get some of this." He pulled the trigger on his hostage.

Sydney's eyes flashed at the sight of his blood, a tingle working its way up her spine. She moved her gun up to her Mayan's temple as Tig collected their guns, ordering them inside.

"What the hell?" Jax scowled when he saw one of Darby's guys.

"Looks like Darby's shit ended up on his to-do list after all." Clay announced. "What'd we find?"

"Almost all the AKs." Chibs nodded to the various Dungloe Ireland labeled oil drums that held their imported hardware. "Missin' one. But the Glocks and M4s? Nowhere in sight." He grimaced.

Clay nodded as he placed his hands on his hips, letting Tig and Jax interrogate the men while Sydney and Chibs held them at gunpoint. The Mayan divulged rather easily that Alvarez had indeed struck a deal with Darby to snuff out SAMCRO, while Whistler remained much more tight-lipped - which told Clay exactly how he was going to move forward with his plan.

After finding out what they needed to know, Clay and Jax brought the men outside while Chibs loaded the recovered AKs into the van, and Sydney and Tig got to work on the warehouse.

Sydney got started lighting up the back of the building, every single one of her senses roaring to life like an old furnace as the flames from her torch began to catch. A warm rush of satisfaction spread through her body as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke that was beginning to billow around her as she stepped back into her element for the first time in months.

Tig's eyes widened as he watched her set the place ablaze, twirling around with the torch in hand. He walked over to her in a haze, beginning to light up the wall opposite to the one that she was working on where the sound of the second blow torch snapped her out of her trance long enough to meet his eyes which were wilder than she had ever seen them before. She grinned as she gave into the sinful pull - walking towards him, completely captivated. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her off of the ground, her legs wrapping around his hips while he spun her around and she reignited her blow torch.

"What in the hell am I fuckin' watchin'." Chibs deadpanned from the doorway where all three men stood with scowls on their faces.

Tig finally put her down when the interior of the building was bright and hot - the two of them running towards the door, hand in hand and laughing maniacally. Sydney grabbed the whiskey bottle full of diesel fuel, standing a few feet from the entrance as she made sure that everyone was ready to go the second that she launched the bottle. The remaining Mayan was being held at gunpoint in the van by Chibs who would release him to relay the message to his club - while Whistler had been bound, gagged, and placed in the bed of Opie's truck.

"Light it up!" Chibs hollered before she underhand tossed the bottle into the doorway, making a run for it with Tig following close behind. Just as they made it safely to the truck, the roof of the building blew open.

"I've always loved fireworks." Sydney said dreamily with her eyes glued to the flames, admiring her handy-work as Tig grabbed her hand from where he sat next to her, just as captivated by the sight.

The two vehicles headed for the exit of the warehouse lot, stopping for Chibs to open the sliding door and push the Mayan out. "I trust you two can take care of that one?" Clay asked the wild pair, nodding his head towards the bed of the truck.

Sydney looked behind her to see the Nord lying wide-eyed, muffling through the gag in his mouth. "Yeah, you can." She said lowly as a sadistic smile washed over her angelic face.

"Those sick fucks are perfect for each other." Clay chuckled to Jax and Chibs as they drove off back to Charming.

Tig drove to a secluded, forested area outside of Oakland where they could safely take care of Whistler. Sydney rolled her window down, taking a deep breath of sweet, pine-scented air as the truck rolled down a dirt pathway.

"Seem to know where you're goin'..." She questioned playfully as she lit a cigarette, savoring the feeling of the breeze on her cheeks.

"We got burial sites all over Northern Cali, darlin'."

"I should've known." She chuckled.

"Did I..." He put his hand over his heart in mock-surprise. "Did I just manage to take the princess by surprise?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, Tigger." His brow twitched with intrigue, about to question her further but before he could say anything, she changed the subject. "This place reminds me of home." A trace of sadness could be heard in her voice.

"A deserted forest?" He raised a brow.

"I like my alone time." Her lips curled up.

"You and Hap really are alike." He chortled. "You miss it?" His eyes squinted as he steered the conversation in a more serious direction.

"Nah." She shook her head. "Nothin' for me there."

"And there is here?" Of course he knew what Charming held in store for her on multiple fronts - but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to hear whatever smug answer she would come up with.

"I could think of a thing or two." She smirked, looking him up and down.

"Come on, doll. No friends, family?" He paused for a second. "Boyfriends?"

Sydney snorted. She'd guessed that they would be having their own relationship conversation sooner rather than later, but she hadn't expected him to be testing the waters this soon. "Slim pickings back home." Tig raised a brow. "Come on, Tiggy. You and I both know that those San Bernardino pretty boys can't keep up with me." She smirked.

"Won't argue with you there, pussycat." He chuckled. "What you need is a man." He nodded suggestively. "SAMDINO Princess must've been off limits." He surmised - the only conclusion that made sense as to why she'd never had a boyfriend. The two had gotten to know each other very well, but family and relationships were a sensitive topic that they avidly danced around - trying to get the answers that they desired through the cryptic games that they played instead of asking directly.

"SAMDINO Princess was off limits... But the SAMCRO Princess ain't." She winked just as suggestively. "Nah, off limits as a sweetbutt. But my dad always wanted me to find someone - even if it ended up being a brother. He kinda knew it would be, I just never did." She took a drag. "I could never be with an outsider, with the way that I am..."

"Don't worry, Princess - you'll meet your knight on a shining Harley one day." He joked, the lightness of the statement fading quickly as he plagued himself with the thought of her being with somebody other than him.

"Yeah... One day." She gave a small smirk, the playfulness in her eyes chasing away his worry and replacing the pit in his stomach with butterflies - a foreign but not completely unwelcome feeling.

"I grew up here." He nodded slowly as he scanned the only place in the tainted city where he had ever been able to find some kind of peace.

"Really?" Sydney sat up a little straighter, watching as his expression fell the same way that hers did when she thought about home... "Well." She mused. "You'll have to show me around some time, take me to all the spots that you used to take girls to." She smirked.

Tig chuckled lightly - lighter than he ever had when he'd been forced to think about the godforsaken place that he'd called home for nearly half of his dismal life. "No boyfriends, okay..." He nodded, turning the attention back to her as they made some real progress. "What about friends and family?"

"My dad was all that I had for real family." She shrugged. "The DINO guys, sure - but they're different from SAMCRO..." She trailed off, once again realizing how different the two charters really were. The Southern California Sons were like family to her - but it was a kind of distanced family, like a bunch of uncles or cousins that you only saw on holidays. They were all brothers under the reaper - yes, but their less die-hard nature had meant that they had the time for family and friends, but for Sydney, the club was her family and friends - so adjusting to SAMCRO where the club was the only way of life, had been a cakewalk. This was where she belonged.

"I had a few friends throughout school... Guys I'd bring around for fun so that the club wouldn't hassle me." She chuckled. "But they were just people to pass the time with until I finally got to leave."

"You always wanted to leave?" His forehead creased slightly.

"For as long as I can remember..." Her voice fell to a whisper as she flicked her cigarette out of the open window.

"You don't miss any of them?"

"I just don't get attached to people easily, I guess... And anyone I actually like is always on the road." She rolled her eyes. "Hap was always my best friend, and he's here, so there's nothing to miss - except the beach." She added with a playful smile before diverting the lingering attention off of herself. "What about you? You still have lots of girls to tell me about." She teased.

"Nah." Tig snickered. "The whole relationship thing was never really my bent - girls don't get me."

"What you need is a woman." She winked, dropping her facade as she watched the lines in his face beginning to soften. "You ever love someone before?" She asked quietly.

"Long time ago, darlin'..."

"What about family?"

"Fucked around too many times for my daughters to see me as anything more than an ATM machine." He shrugged sadly.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, doll. I earned that." She could hear the pain in his bitter tone as he discussed the shortcomings of his past that he had so desperately tried to ignore. "I'm not a good person, I gotta live with that." He nodded.

"Yeah, I know how that feels." She trailed off. She wanted to comfort him; tell him all of the good that she saw in him - but she understood the feeling as well as he did.

The truck came to a stop when they reached a clearing in the trees at the perfect time. Tig reached for the door handle - pausing before he looked back to Sydney. "You're an angel, darlin'." His words were full of sincerity as his crystal blue eyes penetrated her soul before he got out of the truck.

Sydney's stomach flipped, but she pushed the butterflies down - there were more important things to take care of right now.

Tig lowered the tailgate of the truck which Sydney stepped onto, waltzing over to Whistler where she pressed the sole of her shoe against his cheek - tipping his face up to look at her before she rolled him over towards Tig who grabbed his tied wrists and brought him to his feet. He dragged him over the uneven ground where he dropped him to his knees and held the barrel of his gun to the his head, getting ready to pull the trigger when he was interrupted.

"No!" Sydney begged desperately.

Tig looked up, confused and slightly annoyed as his brows furrowed - exhaling sharply as he waited for an explanation.

"Please, Tiggy... Let me do it."

His expression softened, and the stars in his eyes returned. "Well alright, darlin'." He smirked at the pleasant surprise, watching her cock her own gun and place the barrel against the back of his head, slowly dragging it around his skull and stopping in the middle of his quivering forehead.

"Oh, baby... Let me take this off for you." She removed her gun from his skin, tracing his face in her palm as he cried and screamed against the gag before she pulled it from his mouth. "Is that better?" She asked softly, comfortingly...

"Please, please let me go. I'll tell you everything. I promise I-" His begging was cut short as she shoved her gun back against his forehead and pulled the trigger - his lifeless body crashing to the forest floor.

Tig was completely motionless as he watched the scene unfold, unable to comprehend what had just happened. But what he was able to comprehend however, was how badly he needed her.

Sydney blinked a few times through her adrenaline-blurred vision, looking up at Tig where they both stood completely still, their heavy breathing being the only sound that could be heard in the dead-silence that always came after a gunshot. He stalked over to her where she practically leapt into his arms, kissing him fiercely where his hands were instantly all over her. Clothes started flying as he ripped her shirt the rest of the way open while she worked on his belt buckle. He laid her down in the bed of the truck where he got between her legs, yanking both her leggings and panties down in one swift tug - using the other hand to pull down her bra and expose a breast. Her nipple hardened instantly in the cool night air before he covered it with his warm mouth, the contact making her whimper before he moved back up to her lips while pushing his boxers down.

Sydney held him firmly by the neck as he slid into her, sending her back up to heaven all over again. He bit and sucked more bruises into her skin in a trail from her neck, down to her chest as he thrusted desperately into her wetness while her nails dug into his back, drawing blood in the heat of the moment - which caused him to bite into her collarbone even harder. She cried out loudly in a mixture of pain and pleasure as he gently sucked the wound, easing the pain of his ravenous teeth with his gentle tongue.

Tig pulled back with a smirk as he felt her clenching around him while she moaned as he marked her. He wanted everyone to know that with no doubt, she was his. But the breeze of the night hitting the fresh scratches on his back reminded him that while she was his, he was hers - spurring him on further as he took her hands in his and pressed them against the bed of the truck above her head while he looked into her eyes.

Sydney felt a wave of emotion hit her, a pit forming deep in her stomach when he looked at her like that again; the feeling only intensifying as the moonlight made his eyes look more white than blue - allowing a deeper look into the soul of the man that she was falling for more and more each day.

Tig slowed his pace when he saw something change in her eyes, looking at her with even more care and concern as his gentle eyes silently asked her what his mouth was too scared to request.

"You have pretty eyes." She breathed out with a soft smile.

Tig could feel his heart melting, stopping his movements completely. He removed one of his hands from hers, bringing it down to cup her face tenderly - caressing her cheek with his thumb before he kissed her softly.

Sydney felt the pinch behind her eyes as he touched her in a way that she'd never been touched before - like she was special instead of different, unique instead of out of place. They were both having the same internal battles - completely beside themselves with this new form of intimacy that neither of them knew existed. Tig was a kinky bastard; he loved the screaming, the roughness, and the dirty talk - and Sydney wasn't much different. But the way that her body responded to his was better than any scream or filthy request that he could think of. With her, he could have both - he could work out the kinks that his demons desired, but he could also show the appreciation that his words had always struggled with.

Sydney hesitated when he kept his appreciative gaze on her as he began thrusting into her again, but much slower this time. She leaned up and kissed him deeply, her now free hand running gently through his curls. Neither of them had to say anything else, they both knew...

Tig gently guided her to lay her head back down, pulling his lips away and leaning his forehead against hers. In a matter of seconds, this sex had become much different than the sex that they'd had the night before. This was no longer fucking, this was making love.

Twenty minutes later, Sydney laid in Tig's arms in the bed of the truck - the heat of their bodies combating the cool midnight breeze around them. Her head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as they shared a cigarette while she ran her fingers along his chest lazily, playing with his necklace while he stroked her arm.

"Don't break my heart, Tiggy." She uttered barely above a whisper.

Tig's heartbeat tripled as his mind began running laps, a function that Sydney could feel below her temple as he pondered what exactly it meant if he was able to break her heart. She froze, stopping the movement of her fingers across his chest, but his hand that had been drawing circles over her skin moved to grasp it lightly. He flipped his palm so that the back of her hand was against it as he laced his fingers through hers, bringing them to his lips as he kissed her knuckles gently and pulled her in tighter with the arm that was around her.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, doll." He admitted with just as much emotion in his voice. For the first time in what felt like his entire life, he wanted something serious.

;

Cuidado - "Be careful"

Siempre - "Always"

Por favor - "Please"

Guy tied up in the back of the truck awaiting his death? Good time for a deep conversation!

Songs for this chapter

Play with Fire - Sam Tinnesz (ft. Yacht Money)

safety net - Ariana Grande (ft. Ty Dolla $ign)