Consumed Stephanie Morris

Visit to download the full and correct content document:

https://ebookmass.com/product/consumed-stephanie-morris/
 Consumed
Stephanie Morris
 Consumed
Copyright © 2023 by Stephanie Morris
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Editor: Polished Pages Editing

Proofreader: Emily Hearns

All rights are reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
 Consumed © 2023 Stephanie Morris
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are
used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely
coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement,
including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine
of $250,000.
Table of Contents
Title Page

Copyright Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Consumed | Sometimes being stuck between a rock and a hard place isn’t so bad...

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

I hope you enjoyed reading Stone, Rock, and Blue’s story. If you’d like to read Trigger and Harley’s story click below to grab
your copy. | Captivated | Newsletter | www.stephaniemorris.com/newsletter

About the Author

 Dedication
To the ARC reviewers who said they want another gritty book. I hope this one hits the spot.
Yeah, that spot...
 Consumed
Sometimes being stuck between a rock and a hard place isn’t so bad...

Stay away from bikers...

That’s Blue’s only rule in life. As the daughter of a former president of an MC, she knows how gritty and malicious the
lifestyle can be. But she’d managed to get away from that life, and she had no plans of going back. Unfortunately, Rock and
Stone haven’t received the memo.
Rock and Stone, the president and vice-president of Ravens MC, rule their club with an iron fist, but they have a reputation
for jumping from woman to woman without getting serious. But the moment they lay eyes on Blue, they know she’s different.
Everything about her has them thinking about things they’ve never considered...like settling down.
Then someone from Blue’s past shows up wanting to prove a point and lay claim to her. Something that Rock and Stone
won’t stand for.
Even if it means going to war...
 Chapter 1
Blue hummed under her breath as she went over the inventory of what she thought she’d need tonight. If someone had told her
this would be her life eight months ago, she would have laughed. She’d grown up looking over her shoulder her entire life. As
the daughter of an MC President, she had no choice. Unfortunately, it could sometimes border on the edge of paranoia.
Other times it was well warranted hence her current situation.
Eight months ago her father had been murdered. It wasn’t all that shocking because the Slayers had very rarely lived on the
right side of the law. Still, the way he’d lost his life was suspicious in her book.
No, her father hadn’t been the best guy in the world but he’d loved her as best as he could and she’d been certain of that.
What she also knew was that he’d die to protect her. Something in her gut told her that might have been the case. It was no
secret amongst the Slayers that Hawk, her father’s V.P. and now the President of the Slayers wanted her for his old lady.
Something that she and her father had been one-hundred percent against.
So when her father ended up dead in a run that should have been easy to pull off, she’d known life as she’d known it was
over.
Another thing her father had always taught her was to be prepared. Taking his advice to heart, she’d packed a small bag of
meager belongings and a few personal mementos before sneaking out after the funeral service for her father concluded. It had
pained her to leave behind everything she’d ever known but it had been for the best.
What she hadn’t known was exactly what she’d been walking into. From the moment she’d left, there was only one place
she could think to go.
The Ravens.
To be honest, she hadn’t known much about them before arriving but her father had always spoken highly of them and had
said that if he wasn’t around and she ever needed somewhere safe to go it would be with them.
She bit back a chuckle at that thought. Perhaps her father hadn’t understood the meaning of safe because from the moment
she’d stepped foot onto their territory that was the last thing she’d felt.
Not because she thought they would hurt her but because her libido had kicked in on a level she’d never experienced. No,
she wasn’t a blushing virgin. She’d managed to sneak off and have a few memorable experiences with men not a part of the MC
life but those were just casual flings never meant to go anywhere.
The one rule she’d always had was not to get involved with a man who walked in the same world as her father. It would
only lead to heartbreak. She’d seen it with her mother and had no desire to do the same.
What she hadn’t counted on was meeting Stone and Rock, the President and V.P. of the Ravens. Both of the men were sexy
as sin and even that was an understatement.
If she didn’t know better, she would swear they were brothers. Not only because they moved in sync, but because they
looked alike. Both men were similar in build, Stone being slightly taller than Rock. They both had midnight ink black hair that
bordered on the line of being shaggy and beards. There were a handful a differences between them that made it easier to tell
them apart. Rock had the signature double Raven skull tattoo on his arm, his beard was thinner and he had piercing green eyes.
Stone on the other hand had a beard thick enough to hide a weapon in, the double Raven skull tattoo was on the right side of
his neck and his eyes were deep blue.
Both men were a force to be reckoned with.
She’d learned that over the eight months, she’d spent in the safe haven that the Ravens offered her. There was also the fact
that they liked to share women. In all the years she’d spent inside an MC, she’d been exposed to a lot. So seeing men share a
woman was nothing new to her.
What she wasn’t familiar with was two men wanting to share her.
A fact that Rock and Stone hadn’t kept secret.
Although it hadn’t always been that way.
When she’d shown up on the doorstep of the Ravens clubhouse she knew she’d been taking a risk. She just hadn’t realized
how much of one. The first members she encountered were Everest and Trigger. Both men had definitely earned their names.
Everest was built like a mountain. Easily one of the tallest Ravens members.
Trigger was more of an enigma. If one just took heed of his name, they’d know he was dangerous but if you didn’t you were
putting your life at risk.
Even so, she’d looked both men in the eye as she’d pleaded her case. Thankfully something about her demeanor must have
made them believe her. Still, she’d only been allowed to stay until they held an official vote and everyone agreed. It had been a
tense forty-eight hours for her but eight months later, here she was.
She did the best she could to keep her panties on and her legs closed. Yet, Rock and Stone made it harder with each day
that passed. The funny thing was, she’d been so stressed out when she’d arrived that she hadn’t even noticed. She’d just
assumed that the sweet butts and party girls had taken a dislike to the “new girl” on the scene.
 No, she hadn’t paid attention until one night when Rock and Stone sandwiched her between them when one of the prospects
came on to her. She would never forget the look of fear in the prospect’s eyes when he’d realized his mistake. Fortunately, the
prospect hadn’t disappeared but he kept a wide berth from her, as did all of the other members and prospects.
The only Ravens that tended to interact with her were the old ladies, the officers, and Harley. A smile appeared on her face
when she thought about Harley. The two of them were almost in the same boat, just in a different way. The difference was, that
Harley hadn’t escaped from her former MC until it was almost too late.
Harley didn’t talk about it but Blue knew enough to know that Harley was lucky to be alive even if she wasn’t completely
out of danger.
Even though things had quieted down for her, Blue wasn’t sure she was completely safe. While the threats from Hawk had
cut back over the past few months, she wouldn’t feel secure until there was a lot more distance between her and the Slayers.
“What has you so lost in thought? Thinking about those men of yours?”
Blue shook her head as she turned to look at Harley.
“It’s still early. Don’t start any shit,” Blue grumbled.
Harley laughed in response as she joined Blue behind the bar. “Just asking. Can’t blame me for being curious. It’s not every
day that a woman has two men pining after her.”
Blue gave Harley a slight bump with her hip. “First, they aren’t my men. Second, I would think you have your hand too full
with your man sniffing after you to be worried about me.”
“I thought it was too early to start shit,” Harley mumbled.
Blue chuckled. “Glad to see you agree.”
“Are we set for the night?” Harley asked changing the subject.
“Almost. I was just getting ready to go back and grab a case of beer. We are good to go on everything else.”
“Let’s grab two just in case. We’ll have a lot of extra bodies here tonight I’m sure.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Just as she stepped from behind the bar, a loud cheer went up. She immediately stiffened but instead of looking to confirm
her suspicion she scrambled toward the back to lend herself a few extra minutes of peace before the storm.
 Chapter 2
Rock stretched his neck from one side to the other before rolling his shoulder in an attempt to relieve some of the tension there.
It helped some but not much. There was only one cure for what ailed him.
He needed to be balls deep inside Blue, claiming her as his woman. Well, technically their woman.
Sparing a glance at Stone, his best friend and President of their MC, he saw that he wasn’t doing any better. He just could
hide it better.
Amazing considering how much of a hot head Stone could be when you hit a trigger point. Yet, as long as they’d been
friends they’d always managed to balance each other out when it came down to it.
Some people found their closeness weird but they were brothers. Even though they had different sets of parents, they’d
been raised like siblings. It was as if their fathers had known that the bond between him and Stone would need to be
unbreakable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to run their MC the way as successfully as they did.
Still, he would never forget the first time a party girl had come onto the both of them at the same time. At first, he’d thought
she was like one of many that had come before her wanting to see if she could get two club members to fight over her. But that
hadn’t been it at all. No, she’d wanted to fuck both of them just for kicks. Once they’d realized it wasn’t a ploy he and Stone
had been game.
It had been the first time he’d shared a woman but it hadn’t been the last. He’d thought it was going to be weird because the
last thing he’d ever want to do was touch another man's junk by accident, let alone see it. Yet, once they’d gotten started that
had been the last thing on his mind and there had been no accidental touches.
After that, it had become a normal thing. Something they were known for but they were always careful in who they selected.
They didn’t do sloppy because they last thing they needed was a complication.
Then eight months ago, one showed up at their front door. They second he’d laid eyes on Blue, he’d wanted her. A glance at
Stone had told him the interest was mutual. Something about her had appealed to him on a deeper level than ever experienced
before.
To be honest, he still didn’t understand it all he knew was it went beyond something physical. The longer she was around,
the stronger the feelings became. He’d heard of people meeting and thinking they found the one. He hadn’t expected to
experience it. Not with the lifestyle he lived.
A lot of people fantasized about being in an MC but the truth was it was gritty. There weren’t many people you could trust
and more often than not you had to look over your shoulder or have someone you could count on watching your back.
While several of the members had an old lady many more didn’t. It took a certain caliber of woman to be able to handle the
lifestyle. That was part of the reason why he and Stone hadn’t made an immediate move.
Blue had made it clear from day one that she no longer wanted to be a part of the MC world. He didn’t know if that was
possible. Unless she completely changed her identity and looks. Something he wasn’t sure she could pull off if she tried. Her
blue-tinted hair couldn’t be missed from over a mile away. She also had a body that didn’t quit.
The only reason he didn’t go berserk over the tiny T-shirts and ass-hugging jeans that she always wore was because all of
the club members and prospects knew they had a serious ass-kicking coming their way. Usually, you had a fight on your hands
if there wasn’t an officially old lady claim but it was as official as it could get without him and Stone pissing a circle around
her.
He bit back a chuckle at the ridiculous image. As hot as she was with clothes on, he couldn’t wait to see how much her butt
would jiggle when he slapped it or how her breasts would feel in the palms of his hands. He’d often thought about clenching
the dark threads of her hair between his fingers as he thrust into her, holding her steady while she sucked Stone off. It was
enough to make him hard as a brick.
The bottom line was Blue was theirs.
Whether she was ready to admit it or not.
The problem was they were running out of time to convince her. As strong-willed as she was, she was also skittish. He
hadn’t missed the fear mixed in with the surprise in her gaze when he and Stone had blocked a prospect who was too dumb to
catch a clue from approaching Blue.
While they hadn’t come right out and told Blue how they felt, it was obvious to anyone who knew them. That also became
the day that Blue went out of her way to avoid them. No exaggeration at all, it was almost as if she knew their schedule by
heart. She always seemed to disappear anytime they were around.
The only time she couldn’t avoid them was when she worked the bar at the clubhouse. At first, he hadn’t been keen on the
idea but she’d been insistent about earning her keep but it served as one of the only times she couldn’t avoid them. While he
was only a heartbeat away from hauling her over his shoulder, tying her ass to his bed, and spanking her ass until she admitted
she belonged to him and Stone he was doing his best to go for the diplomatic approach Stone had suggested.
“Calm the fuck down. Your ass is so twitchy you have me on the verge of shooting you.”
 Rock chuckled as he looked over at his friend. “It’s your fault. You know as well as I do that we should have been balls
deep in Blue months ago.”
“I know but she needed time so we gave it to her.”
Rock arched a dark brow in Stone’s direction. “Gave?”
“Yeah. Time to make our move.”
A surge of excitement rushed through him and he had to force himself not to barge through the entrance and make good on
the thoughts he’d just had.
“How are we going to play this?”
“Full on. Can’t give her a chance to say no because she doesn’t want to. We’ve seen that she has to ability to run if she’s
forced to. She hasn’t so far. That works in our favor.”
“You think she wants us?” Rock questioned skeptically.
“Yes and no. She wants us but not the patch that we wear,” Stone replied.
“They’re inseparable,” Rock retorted.
“I know that and so does she. But we aren’t the heartless bastards that the Slayers are. That works in our favor.”
“We are just as ruthless,” Rock scoffed.
“Apples and oranges shit,” Stone stated.
Rock shook his head. “Are we working on a timeline?”
“Yes,” Stone answered. “Starting now.”
 Chapter 3
Stone shook his head as a grin spread across the face of his friend and V.P. He understood Rock’s frustration because he’d been
dealing with it for the past eight months himself. Because of the life he lived, he’d encountered a lot of shit but the one thing
he’d never expected was Blue.
From the second he’d met her his world had changed. He’d been raised in a cruel world where you didn’t have many
friends and you always had to watch your back or at least have a tight circle to do it. His father had been the President of the
Ravens. He’d done a hell of a job of it, too.
While he’d been in training all of his life to take the reins, his father hadn’t officially started the transition until around six
years ago. Four years ago he’d officially stepped down with the desire to enjoy his later years.
He was doing a damn good job of it, too. His parents were currently on a cruise. Their third one for the year. It was strange
as fuck to see the photos of them living the life of tourists but they were having fun and that was what mattered.
But it also made him realize that he wanted a little of what his parents had. He grinned when he thought about his mom. She
was the only one strong enough to bring his hard ass of a father to heel if necessary. She’d been everything his father had
needed over the years and Stone was smart enough to know he needed the same in his life.
He hadn’t thought that possible until he’d crossed paths with Blue. From the moment he’d met her there had been something
captivating about her. The way she’d looked him and Rock in the eye as she’d explained the situation behind her request for
safe harbor. It had been a mixture of fear and strength.
Until that moment he hadn’t thought finding an old lady had been possible. Especially because of his habit of sharing
women with his V.P. Something that started as a wild hair had immediately made sense to them. Even so, he hadn’t imagined
them being able to have one old lady between the two of them.
Not until they’d met Blue.
Now, it was all he could think about.
Like Rock, his patience had been tested but he knew Blue needed time. For the first three months, there’d been a tremor in
her hand and she’d never sit or stand with her back to the door. While she was still leery, the shaking in her hand was gone. She
was also more social. Mainly with Harley, another woman in a situation similar to hers and the other old ladies, but she was
respectful to the sweet butts and party girls as long as they didn’t give her shit.
Something that occurred on occasion because she was new on the scene and it was no secret that she’d snagged the
attention of the President and V.P. A fact that incited jealously even amongst those who’d never stood a chance.
He patted the small box tucked inside his cut drawing Rock’s attention. One of his brows arched high on his forehead.
“We are doing this?”
He nodded. “Yeah. After tonight Blue will know that we are officially claiming her.”
“About damn time,” Rock mumbled. “Why the fuck are we still standing out here?”
“Because you needed time to chill out,” Stone stated. “Can’t have you raging about this?”
Rock laughed. “We both know you are the hot head when it comes to Blue.”
“Who would have thought we’d be like this behind some pussy?” Stone muttered.
Sharp pain radiated down his arm after Rock punched him and he laughed.
“Who’s the hot head?” Stone asked.
Rock shook his head. “Don’t fuck with me like that.”
“Don’t make it so easy,” Stone countered. “Now, let’s get inside and get this party started.”
He didn’t wait for a response before heading up the steps that led inside the clubhouse. A loud cheer rang out as several of
the members and a few of the prospects spotted them. He wasn’t ashamed to say that his gaze automatically went toward the
bar in search of Blue. The only person standing there was Miste, one of the sweet butts.
He fist-bumped Deacon and Grimm as he passed by the pool table and gave a chin tilt to Trigger and Link. He took a seat at
the table he and Rock usually sat at. He’d never noticed how good of a view it offered of the bar until Blue had started working
behind it. It was his understanding that she made a hell of a drink. Something he hadn’t experienced because he liked his drinks
straight with no chaser.
“How are we going to do this?” Rock asked as he sat down.
“We’ll send word by Miste or Harley once we are near the end of Blue’s shift that I need to have a word with her. Then
we’ll play it by ear from there. The main thing is she won’t leave her tonight not knowing what we want and how far we are
willing to go to get it.”
Rock nodded and he leaned back comfortably. “Works for me.”
Stone removed the box from the inside pocket of his cut and placed it on the table. He had been more than patient. So had
Rock.
 If pushed to the edge, he could be just as ruthless as anyone else. Blue had definitely done that. He wasn’t even sure she
was aware that she had but she’d find out soon enough.
“You sure this is going to work?”
Stone looked over at Rock. It was very rare that his friend expressed doubt. This was one of those moments.
“Yes. What are you worried about?”
“While there is nothing conventionally about the lifestyle that we live, this is a reach.”
Stone frowned. “How? We’ve shared women before?”
“To fuck,” Rock retorted. “We both know this goes beyond that. A piece of ass is a long jump away from old lady status. I
haven’t had many serious relationships in my life. This is one I don’t want to fuck up.”
Stone chuckled, completely understanding his friends’ anxiety. “I get it. The good news is there are two of us to keep her
happy. Our friendship is solid. There is no one I trust in this room more than you.”
“This could blow up in our faces,” Rock countered.
“It won’t,” Stone replied. “Both of us are too stubborn to fail. Plus as long as all three of us are willing to make it work,
there’s no reason it shouldn’t.”
Rock tilted his head in the direction of the bar. “And if the third member of this party says no?”
“She can’t if we make it impossible for her to do so,” Stone replied. “Make no mistake about it. Blue wants us. I’m sure
that any time she’s touched herself in the past eight months, it’s our names she’s called out. The only thing we have to do is get
her to admit that the attraction is mutual.”
Rock chuckled. “We have to do a little more than that. We also have to get her to do something about it.”
“A challenge I’m looking forward to,” Stone said as he watched Blue walk back behind the bar carrying a six-pack of beer
under each arm.
 Chapter 4
Blue swayed to the beat of the music as she poured a round of shots for Link. Not only was he a patched member of the Ravens,
but he was also the club's secretary. A job he did very well. Link could find out anything about anyone. He’d proven that less
than twenty-four hours after she’d arrived.
When she’d had to plead her case for safe haven, she’d done so with three files sitting in front of her. One had been
information on her father, the other on her mother, and the last on her. She hadn’t bothered to open her parents' file but a glance
at her own had shown that Link had left nothing to chance. Down to her government name and the hospital she’d been born at.
She had no doubt that was one of the reasons she’d been allowed to stay. They hadn’t found anything to show that she was
deceiving them. But if she did, it served as a warning that they could find her.
She didn’t plan to give Link a reason to prove that he was any better at his job than he’d already shown. It was also extra
motivation to stay away from Rock and Stone. She knew without a doubt that even once she left, Link would always be able to
find her if the command was given.
Exhaling heavily, she grabbed a tray and placed the shots onto it for Miste before grabbing a few beers. She added them to
the tray and then searched the room. Once she made eye contact with her, Blue nodded as a sign to let her know the drinks were
ready.
Miste made her way over. “Thanks. You are the reason my tips are always good.”
Blue winked at her. “I think your legs may have more to do with that than the drinks but I appreciate the compliment.”
Miste laughed at the joke but took it in stride. She was the shortest sweet butt, barely standing five feet even. But she was
also the most genuine.
Blue did her best to be cordial to the sweet butts but the respect wasn’t always returned. She’d managed to attract the
attention of the Prez and V.P. without even trying.
It wasn’t uncommon for a sweet butt to have aspirations to become an old lady. But in her experience, very rarely did it
happen. Still, it made her public enemy number one. Not that she could blame them. In another life, she probably wouldn’t
hesitate to give Rock and Stone the night of their dreams.
Instead of allowing her thoughts to go down that dangerous path, she reached for her bottle of water and took a drink. Just
as she’d put the cap back on it, a popular sultry song about having raucous sex all night came on and cheers went up.
Blue shook her head as she spared Harley a glance. Harley was busy taking the tops off a few beers but Blue could see the
corners of her mouth twitching. The party was getting ready to kick into another gear.
Soon, she was so busy pouring drinks and uncapping beers that she lost track of time. It wasn’t until she heard a shrill
whistle from Everest that she realized how late it was.
“Break time,” he announced as he stepped behind the bar.
Blue looked at Harley. “You good or do you want to go first?”
“I can wait,” Harley quipped.
“Then I guess I’m up,” Blue replied as she placed the beer bottles on a tray on the bar before turning to grab a bottle of
water.
“Make sure you take your full break,” Everest warned as she went to leave.
She laughed as she walked away, heading toward the kitchen. While the club house didn’t have an official order placing set
up. Viking was usually in the kitchen with his old lady, Layla whipping up different foods for everyone to enjoy.
Sure enough, she walked in and found a set up with a variety of offerings. She went for the ingredients laid out to make
nachos before going back to the main part of the club house and finding a quiet table in the corner.
She’d barely dug into her food when the strong sensation of being watched flooded her. Knowing who the culprits were,
she did her best to ignore them. Instead choosing to take her phone out and pull up one of the game apps she liked to play.
Blue finished her meal with a few minutes to spare. She decided to use it by visiting the ladies' room before she returned to
her shift behind the bar. Once she did, it would be hard to get away again.
She felt composed again once she returned to her workstation. As weird as it may sound, staying busy was cathartic for her.
She could forget about how shitty her life had become. But it also helped to know that this was the way she was going to get
herself out of the situation. She tried not to get carried away with imagining how things would be once she did. Life had
already been full of disappointment from others. She didn’t need to do that to herself.
“Blue?”
She looked up when Everest called her name. “Yeah?”
“Prez needs to have a word with you. I’ll cover you while you talk to him.”
She frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” he replied as he stepped around her.
 Knowing that the only way she was going to get an answer to her question, she took a steadying breath before looking at
Stone. His gaze wasn’t the only one on her. Apprehension filled her. Something was up.
She chose to focus on Rock as she walked over to the two men. As intense as both men could be, he tended to intimidate
her less.
She stopped next to the table with a nod of acknowledgment. “Stone. Rock.”
“Have a seat,” Stone replied.
She glanced at the chair and then back at Stone before accepting the invitation. It wasn’t until she sat that she realized the
chair put her in between them.
Before she could say anything Stone pushed a small box in her direction. She frowned before reaching for it. Not wanting
to keep everyone waiting in suspense, she opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise as her breath caught in her throat.
She immediately closed the box again and shook her head. “I can’t accept this.”
Rock’s hand covered hers and she did her best to ignore the jolt that traveled up her arm. “You can and you will.”
“I can’t do this,” she pleaded. “Both of you know that I plan to leave. There’s no need to give either of you false hope.”
“You were meant for us, Blue. Don’t try to deny it,” Stone countered.
She squeezed her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists. This was insane. Why couldn’t they let this go? Perhaps it was
curiosity. Maybe if she could meet them in the middle they’d see that this would only blow up in their faces.
“One night,” she whispered. “That’s all I can offer you. Enough to scratch this itch so that we can all move on.”
Rock’s chuckle was void of humor. “We don’t give gifts like that for an itch. You’ve felt the chemistry from the moment we
met. I’m willing to bet that you’ve called out me and Stone’s name more than once when you’ve touched yourself.”
She stiffened and he smiled.
“Don’t worry. It’s been yours falling from mine any time I’ve stroked my cock.”
She shifted in her chair as the meaning of his words sunk in. Stone remained quiet, instead reaching for the box. His
massive hand lifted the top gently, making her wonder if he’d be that way with her or if he’d be rough during sex.
Stone lifted the necklace from the box and held it up. As if she hadn’t been able to see it inside its’ packaging. Her stomach
tightened as she studied the heart-shaped locket. The unique design told her that it was a custom design. It was two halves of a
heart joined together to make a whole.
Stone separated the pieces and then turned them over before placing them in front of her. She gasped when she saw that her
name was on the back of it. Two letters on each side.
“One night won’t be enough,” Stone stated.
 Chapter 5
Blue pressed her lips together in an attempt to collect her thoughts. She needed to think before she spoke. There were so many
ways this could go wrong and she already had enough heat on her back. She didn’t need to add the ire of Stone and Rock to the
mix.
Once she felt like she was calm enough to continue the conversation, she looked at Rock then Stone.
“Then I have nothing to offer you. Hawk has finally stopped harassing me and I almost have enough money saved up. I will
—”
“Hawk isn’t contacting you any longer?” Stone interrupted, with a frown.
She didn’t know what to make of his shock. That was a good thing in her opinion.
“No. I haven’t heard from him in a couple of weeks. He sounded sane in his last message.”
“Let me see your phone,” Rock demanded.
She balked at the abrupt change of topic. How had a lack of text from the man she was running from become the most
important thing to talk about? Before she could question it, Stone called Link over.
“What’s up?” Link asked as he approached the table.
“Your phone,” Rock repeated.
Blue felt like a spectator in a ping-pong match.
“You still have eyes on Hawk, right?” Stone asked.
Link nodded. “Yes. If he makes a move this way, we’ll know. Why?”
“He’s stopped contacting Blue,” Rock informed him.
Link held out his hand. “Let me see your phone.”
Blue exhaled heavily before pulling out her phone and unlocking it. There was no point in fighting it because clearly, they
thought something was up. The only reason she didn’t mind him looking was because she had nothing to hide. She didn’t have
anyone to call or text. Her cell served as a form of entertainment where she could access the gaming apps that she liked.
Link checked her phone, a frown appearing on his face. After a few minutes, he handed the phone back before looking at
Stone and Rock.
“I’ll do some digging. I suspect that Hawk knows where Blue is,” he stated.
Fear surged through her. How had he found her? She looked at Link.
“You said you couldn’t find a tracker on anything that I own. How does he know where I am?”
No one responded but the men appeared to communicate with each other silently.
“Don’t bullshit me. You don’t just have a haunch for no reason. Tell me the truth,” she demanded.
Link arched a dark brow in her direction and she realized how she was speaking to a ranked patched member.
“Sorry, I’m just...”
Her words trailed off and her thoughts began to race. She pushed back from the table.
“I need to leave.”
Stone and Rock were on their feet as soon as the words left her mouth.
“You aren’t going anywhere until we know what’s going on,” Rock replied. “Once we do, we’ll come up with a plan.”
Stone stepped closer to her. “We also still have an important issue to discuss.”
“Are you insane? I’m not—”
Her words died on a shriek when Stone bent forward, planting his shoulder into her stomach before lifting her.
“What are you doing? Put me down! Ow!”
A loud smack filled the room as Stone’s heavy hand connected with her ass.
“Stone, what the hell?”
Another hard smack instinctively made her pull her hands back to cover her butt.
“Be quiet or I’ll make sure you can’t sit down for a week,” Stone threatened.
The stinging pain reverberating around her backside made her bite her lip. She looked up when Rock let out a shrill
whistle.
“Everest, Blue is off the clock. We have some things to talk about,” he yelled.
Her face flushed when a mixture of loud chuckles and wolf calls filled the room. She could only imagine what kind of
conversation people thought they would be having. But these two assholes had another thing coming if they thought that was the
case.
As much as she wanted to hit Stone in the back of the head and make him put her down, she knew he would make good on
his spanking threat. Not being able to sit didn’t bode well with her. Especially if she needed to make her escape.
So instead, she lay prone across Stone's shoulder, keeping her gaze on the ground. A few more cheers and whistles rang
out.
 Once they were outside, she expected Stone to put her down. Instead, he kept walking. She lifted her head to get her
bearings.
“Where are you taking me?”
“The one place we can talk without being interrupted unless it’s an emergency,” Rock answered.
She stiffened in Stone’s hold.
“Blue,” he called out, his tone full of warning.
“Please,” she whispered.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold onto her willpower if the two of them got her alone. It was one of the main reasons
she’d done everything she could to avoid that scenario.
“We are going to talk this out, Blue,” Stone replied. “We’ll even fuck it out if we need to.”
Blue bit her lip as she tried to collect her thoughts. She had to figure out a way to get out of this situation unscathed. Having
sex with Stone and Rock was no longer an option. The situation was too complicated to let her guard down.
What seemed like an eternity later, they finally reached the home that Stone and Rock shared. She’d seen the two-story
structure from a distance but had never dared to walk in its direction. Now she was going to get an up-close-and-personal view
of it.
After they stepped inside, Stone deposited her on her feet next to the sofa. She looked at both men standing before her, not
bothering to hide her anxiety.
“We can’t do this,” she whispered. “I have to go.”
“Where will you go?” Stone asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I need to come up with a plan. But even once I have one, I won’t tell you. You will
chase after me if I do.”
“We will come after you even if you don’t,” Rock countered. “You belong here with us.”
“How can you say that?” she protested. “What you are suggesting is insane? How would it even work? I want normalcy.
That’s why I ran from the Slayers. I want to get married, have kids, and have an ordinary existence that doesn’t require me to
look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”
“We can have that,” Stone retorted.
“How?”
Blue ignored the fact that she nearly shrieked the question. She had the right to be upset. This was insane.
“Because we can make it work,” Rock assured her.
“There are two of you and one of me,” she stated. “I can’t legally marry both of you. I won’t even bother to address the
impossibility of having an ordinary life when both of you are leaders of an MC.”
“Rock and I have discussed it. You will marry him but the first kid we have will biologically be mine.”
Her eyes widened as Stone’s words bounced around in her brain. Then she laughed. She couldn’t help it. Now she realized
they were messing with her. What they were suggesting was insane. There was no way they were serious.
Both men stared at her warily when she shook her head. “The two of you had me going for a minute there. The next thing
you’ll tell me is that you already have a ring picked out.”
When neither man said anything, her laughter died off.
“Why aren’t you laughing?” she asked.
“Because this isn’t a joke,” Rock replied.
Several seconds of silence ticked by and the tension that had left her momentarily came roaring back.
Shit!
They weren’t kidding.
 Chapter 6
“The two of you have discussed marriage and kids?” Blue asked warily.
“Yes,” Stone confirmed.
Blue knees buckled and she reached for the sofa. When Rock started toward her, concern etched in his expression, she held
up a hand.
“I’m okay. I just need to sit down a second.”
She tried to process what the two men standing before her were saying. They hadn’t even had sex yet but they’d discussed
two of the most serious commitments any relationship could have. Marriage and kids.
She hadn’t been lying when she said she wanted both. But what they were suggesting was so unconventional that she almost
couldn’t comprehend it.
“Do you have a ring?” she asked.
“No,” Rock admitted. “But mainly because we are still getting to know you and wanted to figure out your style.”
“The necklace?” she inquired.
“Is meant to show you that we are serious,” Stone stated. “If things go as planned, you will soon realize that you are going
to be the glue that holds Rock and me together. The one thing we agree with you on is that this isn’t an easy life. We need
someone who will watch our back as much as we’ll watch hers. Someone that understands that we won’t always be easy to
deal with and won’t run because of it.”
“I’m not saying yes, but if I agree to this, how will it work? I’ve never had a real relationship with a man so I’m really at a
loss here.”
Rock crossed the room, not stopping until he was in front of her. “We figure that out together. This is a first for me and
Stone, too. Communication is key. Get worried. Tell us. Get scared. Tell us. Get horny. Definitely tell us.”
Blue laughed before she could stop herself. “Be serious. I’m already scared out of my mind about the regular relationship
aspect. No need to make it worse by bringing up sex.”
“Are you afraid of us?” Stone asked.
She immediately shook her head. “No. I wouldn’t have come here if I were. I wouldn’t have stayed as long as I have. Truth
is, you all have treated me better than any other man in my life. Even my father in some aspects.”
She exhaled heavily. “I have a lot of baggage from my life with the Slayers. I’m sure Link has shared the information he
knows about me as well as my parents but I know there are things that the report doesn’t tell you because you had to be there.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Rock asked.
“No. Just know that there is a real reason for me to be leery about this. Maybe one day I will be able to talk about it, but not
now.”
“But you are willing to give this a try?” Rock inquired.
“Yes,” she whispered. “But only if you agree to let me go if it becomes clear that this isn’t going to work out.”
Rock and Stone shared a look. After several seconds ticked by, Stone pushed away from the wall that he’d been leaning
against. Instead of stopping in front of her, he walked behind the couch. A few minutes later, the necklace that had fast-tracked
all of this appeared in front of her face.
“Yes,” she stated.
Stone lowered the necklace until it rested at the base of her throat before securing the clasp. She placed her hand against
the heart and prayed that she wasn’t making a mistake.
“How will this work?” she asked.
“Any way we want it to,” Rock replied as he crossed the room.
Before she knew what was happening, Rock’s lips crashed down over hers. She knew she should resist but the only thing
she could do was melt beneath his lips. The one thing she’d never lied to herself about was wanting them. She didn’t plan to
start now.
He leaned closer, pinning her against the couch, his tongue sliding between her lips and delving into the warm recesses of
her mouth.
A moan slipped out as Rock eased over her, nudging her legs apart with his thigh, pressing tightly against her throbbing
center. She whimpered as he moved back and forth against her. All too soon her hips were sliding along the hard length of his
thigh, the pleasure and pressure in the pit of her stomach growing wildly out of control. She could feel his erection rubbing
against her hip as he ground against her. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavily. His gaze met hers and
in them, she could see the emotions she felt—confusion, frustration, and longing. Both of them were panting.
His hands moved quickly to haul her shirt over her head before his mouth crashed down against hers again. He tossed it
aside then lifted one of her legs and hitched it around his hip. As he did, he rubbed his erection against her. Tiny moans slipped
from her lips as the friction from the denim stroked her pussy.
 “You’re so fucking addictive,” he growled as his lips skimmed her jaw and connected with the thin skin of her throat.
Sweet hell, her skin felt as if it were on fire. She caught Stone’s eyes over Rock’s shoulder and realized that he was just as
turned on as they were. It added fuel to the fire as he watched. She liked him watching.
“Both of you are too damn arrogant,” she panted, turning her attention back to Rock as he worked the buckle on her belt and
unzipped her jeans. She jerked his shirt from the waist of his jeans then yanked it upward not stopping until she was hindered
by his armpits.
She knew she needed to stop what was happening. Once they crossed this bridge, there was no going back. No matter how
hard she protested. All reason left her head as Rock gripped her by the wrists and pinned them roughly over her head against
the arm of the sofa.
“So, you like it rough,” she teased.
A slow smile twisted on his lips. “Oh darlin’, you have no idea,” he growled before lowering his mouth to her bare
shoulder and sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her shoulder. She arched upward from the cushion, but his body kept her
pinned in place.
His hand slipped down the front of her jeans and between the thin layer of silk shielding her sex. “It seems like I’m not the
only one who likes it rough,” he growled against her ear. Goosebumps climbed over her skin as he began to stroke her back
and forth. She desperately struggled to free her hands but his grip held firm. “You’re so fucking wet,” he grunted as he pushed
his finger inside her trembling slit.
A wild cry tore from her lips as he began to pump in and out of her. Of all the scenarios she had in mind for how her day
would end, this was not one of them. Deeper and deeper he pushed his fingers until she felt like she would explode from the
sheer pleasure of his hand pressed snugly against her.
“Open your eyes,” he demanded.
It took a bit more effort than she thought, but she managed to get them pried open, when she did, Stone was stroking his
cock through the front of his jeans. Her walls tightened around his fingers. Rock followed her gaze over his shoulders.
“So, watching him watching you gets you hot?”
She whimpered as he stroked her clit with his thumb. “Not in control of yourself now, are you princess?” he chuckled. The
sound was a deep rumbling in his chest.
She jerked her hands away from his grip and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his mouth back to hers. She sank
her teeth into his bottom lip, applying just a little pressure as she pulled away just before kissing him full and hard.
The tips of her fingers dug into his thick arms. Muscles danced beneath her fingertips as he continued to slip his fingers in
and out of her.
Rock broke the kiss and found her staring at Stone once more. She could see from where she stood that Stone’s eyes were
dilated and he was breathing heavily, trying to keep himself in control. Rock’s fingers stilled and she looked at him.
“Do you want us both?” he asked.
Her eyes darted back and forth between them, as she tried to rationally think about what she was about to do. Was she
really about to sleep with two men? The very two men she’d asked to give her a safe place to hide?
“Yes,” she whispered.
“What was that? I can’t hear you,” Rock said as he lowered his mouth to the shell of her ear and nibbled.
“Yes,” she said huskily.
“Yes, what?” he asked as he rotated the tip of his finger against the spot just inside her opening. It was the spot that was
making her knees tremble and her heart race. Her skin was already tingling and then the sudden thought of having both of them
inside her was more than she could handle.
 Chapter 7
“Blue, you can say no,” Rock stated, all teasing leaving his expression.
She shook her head when she realized he’d misunderstood her hesitance. They’d gone too far for her to turn back now.
“I want you both. I want you both to fuck me,” she moaned as she ground her hips down against his fingers.
Rock removed his fingers and slowly backed away, the sudden absence of his body heat left her chilled. She watched with
hazy eyes as he lifted his fingertips and inspected them. Three of them were slick with her juices. Slowly, he drew each one
between his lips and sucked them clean.
“You want him to fuck you?” Rock asked, ticking his head toward Stone.
She nodded.
“You want me to fuck you?” he asked as he slowly unfastened his belt and walked back to stand beside his friend.
She watched as both men kicked off their boots, removed their shirts, and then pushed their jeans down over their lean hips.
Their cocks sprang forward, almost in tandem, and her eyes widened. Her walls tightened and began to ache. She felt like she
was on autopilot as she rose from the couch and walked over to them. Driven by instinct, she lowered herself to her knees.
“You don’t have to...” Stone started.
The words died on his lips as she grabbed his shaft in one hand and flattened her tongue over the flared tip of his cock,
sucking away the tiny pearl of come that had gathered on the tip.
She looked up at them from beneath her lashes, catching their hungry gazes as she slowly sucked on the tip of Stone’s thick
cock. Using the tip of her tongue, she teased the underside of the flared head.
“Shit,” he groaned as he threaded his fingers through the back of her hair and pushed her further down on the shaft. Her
mouth opened wide as she sucked him to the back of her throat.
Back and forth, back and forth she moved on him, before moving to the other side and taking Rock down her throat. He was
not as gentle as Stone had been. When he tightened his fist around her hair, he did it roughly, causing her to moan around his
cock. He thrust his hips fast and hard, ramming his cock into the back of her throat.
Her eyes watered as she watched his face pinch with pleasure, his grunts encouraging her and adding to her pleasure. Her
fingers glided up and down on his shaft, the smooth ridges rippling beneath her hands. Finally, he backed away, with his fists
still in her hair, yanked her to her feet, and slammed his mouth down against hers. Her scalp burned, but she scarcely noticed it
as he stole the breath from her lungs in one single kiss. Before these two men, she’d never been kissed with so much passion.
As he kissed her thoroughly, Stone moved behind her and helped her out of her boots. Next, he pushed her jeans and panties
down over her hips in one smooth motion. “That is one beautiful ass,” he groaned as he grabbed her bottom and gave it a firm
squeeze. She whimpered against Rock’s mouth but didn’t break the kiss.
Reaching behind her back, he unclasped her bra with a simple flick of his wrist. It was a skill that spoke of his experience.
He then took a step back and allowed his eyes to hungrily devour her. Her nipples puckered under his gaze as Stone took
Rock’s place. He gripped one breast as he lowered his mouth to the other. He sucked a tight nipple between his lips and rolled
the tip of it with his tongue. Her fingers threaded through her hair as he tugged and teased with his teeth and lips.
Her eyes sought out Rock’s and as they did, she saw something dark and brooding in his gaze. She was held suspended in
the deep pools of his eyes. She could see a storm swirling in their depths, a storm of desire, confusion, hunger, anger and so
much more. It was easy to recognize because it was the same storm raging inside her body. Never once did her stare waver as
she watched him watch her as Stone brought her pleasure.
Her eyes widened as Rock gripped his cock and began to slowly stroke, moving his hand from tip to root and then back
again. He stroked harder and faster and she could feel the evidence of her arousal sliding down her legs. Never in her life had
she been so turned on. She felt like she was going to explode right then and there.
Stone slid to his knees in front of her. Then, taking one leg, he placed it over his shoulder spreading her wide.
“The most beautiful pussy I’ve ever seen,” he muttered as he gripped her backside and pulled her trembling body against
his mouth. The moment his tongue flicked out against her clit, her head rolled back and she let out a loud cry. Rock seemed to
sense her need to cling to something and took a step closer. She reached out and clutched his arms as Stone sucked and licked
every inch of her flesh.
Blue’s mind felt as if it were being reduced to mush as he worked her over. Rock reached out and plucked a nipple
between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing it tightly. Pain, bright and intense shook her, but what surprised her the most was
the insane amount of bliss that came with the pain. It was as if her body was having conflicting feelings. Pain and pleasure,
pleasure and pain—they were the same and yet entirely different.
She was just about to dive over the edge and let her release pull her under when Stone moved away. “No,” she protested as
he climbed to his feet and kissed her thoroughly. She could taste herself on his lips and it was a heady mixture. When he finally
moved away, she was breathless and begging for more.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
table, with which it was furnished, were located centrally, and so
crossed each other exactly under the spindle. It was therefore
impossible to use a boring-bar in this tool, and its usefulness was
ridiculously disproportioned to its size. The contrast between it and
the Smith & Coventry drill, which was set in its place, was really
wonderful. We had no trouble in disposing of this and all other
rejected tools to parties who were delighted to get them cheap. It
took us about six months to get rid of all the rubbish and fill the
works with the best tools then obtainable, though still deficient in
many respects, as, for instance, the great planer, which had only one
cutting tool on the cross-slide, whereas a planer of that size should
be provided with four cutting tools—two on the cross-slide and one
on each upright, and should be twice as heavy.
One of the first engines we sold was to D. M. Osborne & Co., the
celebrated makers of mowers and reapers in Auburn, for driving their
rolling mill. This was 18×30-inch engine, making 150 revolutions per
minute, and was the fifth engine I had furnished to different
industries in my native town.
Twenty-five years afterwards I saw this engine running. They had
increased its speed. By means of a large ball on projections of the
forked lever they were able to vary the speed from 200 revolutions to
250 revolutions per minute, according to the sizes they were rolling.
I observed that, as our facilities for doing work were increased, the
belief that I was unable to execute orders became general through
the country, and applications, at first numerous, dwindled to almost
nothing. United and well-directed action would soon have put a new
face on matters, but now I was to meet with obstacles that time could
not overcome.
Mr. Merrick was an amiable and high-toned gentleman, whose
sole aim was to do his duty; but he was exactly the wrong man for
the place. He was not an engineer or mechanic. In the firm of S. V.
Merrick & Sons he had been the office man. He was entirely a man
of routine. He seemed obtuse to a mechanical reason for doing or
not doing anything. Of course he knew nothing about my business.
He was impressed with the idea of the omnipotence of the president,
which in his case was true, as the directors would unanimously
approve of whatever he might do. He at once deprived me of the
power of appointment and discharge in my own department,
arrogating all authority to himself. In addition he was naturally a very
reserved man, I may say secretive. He consulted me about nothing. I
never knew what he proposed to do or was doing until I found out
afterwards. He had grandly confessed his first two blunders, but
unfortunately he continued to make mistakes equally serious to the
end of the chapter.
About the first order we had was from a company formed for
lighting the streets in Philadelphia with arc lights, of which Thomas
Dolan, a prominent manufacturer in Philadelphia, was president. Our
order was for eight engines, 8×16 inches, to drive eight Brush
dynamos each of 40-light power. The order was given to Mr. Merrick.
I never saw Mr. Dolan; his own mill was at the northern end of the
city, and he met Mr. Merrick by appointment at lunch in the business
center, to which conferences I was never invited. When the plant
was in operation I heard incidentally that they had a new engineer at
the electric-light works, and I thought I would go up and make his
acquaintance. I went the same evening. I was met at the door by a
stranger who politely showed me the plant. I did not introduce
myself. He asked me if I were interested in electric lighting. I told him
I was not but might be. He said it was his duty to warn me against
the use of high-speed engines; he should not have advised these,
but found them already installed when he took charge of the place,
and he was doing the best he could to make them answer for the
present, but the works would be greatly enlarged after a while, when
these engines would be gotten rid of and proper engines substituted
in place of them. He called his assistant to corroborate his statement
of the difficulty they had in getting along with them. I listened to these
outrageous falsehoods and looked around and saw the eight
engines running smoothly and silently at 280 revolutions per minute,
each engine exerting the power of four engines of the same size, at
the old maximum speed of 70 revolutions per minute, and giving
absolutely uniform motion without a fly-wheel, and said nothing.
The next morning I made an early call on Mr. Dolan at his office. I
introduced myself to him, although I think he knew me by sight. I told
him the state of affairs I found at the electric-light station and
received from him in reply the following astounding statement. He
said: “Mr. Porter, when this company was formed I selected the
Southwark Foundry as our engineers. I had previously become
acquainted with the running of some of your engines and had come
to the conclusion that they were just what we needed; accordingly I
ordered our first engines from you. I assumed the engineering
department of this enterprise to be in your hands, and that you would
be represented here by an engineer selected by yourselves and
devoted to your interest. Accordingly, when your men had finished
their job I applied to your president to send me an engineer. He sent
me a workman. That was not the kind of man I asked him for; the
engines were in charge of workmen already from your own works. I
wanted an educated man who could represent us in the courts and
before the city councils—in short, an engineering head for this
business, now in its infancy, but which was expected to grow to large
proportions. He ought to have known what I wanted, or if he did not
he should have asked me; his whole manner was entirely indifferent,
he seemed to take no interest in the enterprise.
“Seeing I could get no help from Mr. Merrick, I applied to William
Sellers for an engineer. He sent me a young man from his drawing-
office, and I soon found out he was not the man I wanted; he knew
nothing about a steam-engine—was merely a machine-tool
draftsman—so I found I must rely upon myself. The only man I could
think of was this man I have. He had done some good work for me
two or three years ago in repairing one of my engines, so I offered
him the position, which he accepted. I knew nothing of his
engineering preferences; he seems to be doing very well, and I am
afraid he will have to stay;” and stay he did.
The result was most remarkable. A demand for electric-lighting
plants was springing up in all parts of the country. This became
widely known as a pioneer plant, and was visited daily by parties
who were interested in such projects. These visitors were met at the
door by the engineer and his assistant and were warned, just as I
was, to have nothing to do with a high-speed engine. They were
always business men, quite ignorant of machinery, and with whom
the testimony of two practical men who had experience with the
engines and were actuated in their advice by a sense of duty was
conclusive. The result was that we never had a single application to
supply engines for electric lighting. Yes, we did have one application;
a man came into the office when I was there alone and gave me an
order for his mill and apologized to me for giving it. He said the place
where he was obliged to locate his lighting plant was so limited, he
found he could not get in the engine he wanted.
This result I felt especially exasperated at when a year afterwards
the secretary of the lighting company, who had his office at the
station, told me that he had done something of which he knew his
directors would not approve; he had sold every light they were able
to furnish. He had felt safe in doing this, because no one of the
engines had failed them for an instant. For his part he could not see
what those men were there for—they had absolutely nothing to do
except to start and stop the engines as required and attend to the
oiling. Their principal occupation seemed to be waiting on visitors.
This great disaster would have been avoided if Mr. Merrick had
conferred with me with respect to Mr. Dolan’s most important
request. We should have had a man there who would have told the
truth about the engines, and would have impressed every visitor with
the enormous advantage of the high-speed engine, not only for that
service, but also for every use to which steam power can be applied.
It will be observed that this disaster was widespread and
continuous. It not only caused a great immediate loss, but its
ultimate injury was beyond all computation. Its effect was that the
Porter-Allen engine was shut out of the boundless field of generating
electricity for light and power purposes, a field which was naturally its
own.
The following story is too good to keep, although the incident had
no effect that I am aware of to accelerate my downward progress.
While in Newark I had built for Mr. Edison an engine for his
experimental plant at Menlo Park. The satisfaction this engine gave
may be judged by what follows: One day I had a call from Mr.
Edison, accompanied by Charles L. Clarke, his engineer. They had
been walking very rapidly, and Mr. Edison, who was rather stout, was
quite out of breath. As soon as they were seated, without waiting to
recover his wind Mr. Edison began, ejaculating each sentence while
catching his breath: “Want a thousand engines.” “Thousand
engines.” “Want you to make the plans for them.” “Have all the shops
in New England working on the parts.” “Bring them here to be
assembled.” “Thousand engines.” In the conversation that followed I
gently let Mr. Edison down, not to the earth, but in sight of it. The
result was that two or three weeks afterwards I was injudicious
enough to accept from him an order for twenty-four engines, luckily
all of one size and type. This was to be a rush order, but it called for
new drawings and patterns, as he wanted a special proportion of
diameter and stroke, larger diameter and shorter stroke than those in
my table. Before the drawings and patterns were completed, Mr.
Edison, or the people associated with him, discovered that they had
no place to put more than six of these engines, so the order was
reduced to six. These were for a station which was being prepared
on the west side of Pearl Street, a few doors south of Fulton, New
York City. Three of these engines were finished first. After they had
been running a few days a defect of some kind, the nature of which I
never knew, was discovered, and Mr. Edison’s attention was called
to it. He charged it to the engine, and exclaimed impetuously, “Turn
them out, turn them out!” It was represented to him, however, that
they could hardly do this, as they were under contract for a
considerable amount of light and power, and the current was being
furnished satisfactorily. “Well,” said he, “we’ll have no more of them
at any rate,” so the order for the remaining three engines was
countermanded, and three Armington & Sims engines were ordered
in place of them. When these were started the same difficulty
appeared with them also. A fresh investigation disclosed the fact that
the difficulty was entirely an electrical one, and the engines had
nothing to do with it. Mr. Clarke claimed that had been his belief from
the beginning. So the thousand engines dwindled to three engines
sold and three thrown back on our hands. The two triplets ran
together harmoniously until in the development of the electrical
business that station was abandoned.
Directly after we began to do work, Mr. E. D. Leavitt brought us the
business of the Calumet and Hecla mine. This was then the largest
copper mine in the country, owned by a Boston company of which
Mr. Agassiz, son of the great naturalist, was president. He brought it
to me personally on account of his admiration for the engine, and
also for the character of work which I had inaugurated. His first order
was for an engine of moderate size. While that was building he
brought us a small order for a repair job, amounting perhaps to a
couple of hundred dollars. That work was spoiled in the shop by
some blunder and had to be thrown away and made over again. By
accident I saw the bill for that job; a green boy brought it from the
treasurer’s desk for Mr. Merrick’s approval. We both happened to be
out, and by mistake he laid it on my side of the table. I came in first,
picked it up and read it, and saw that it was for the full amount of the
material and work that had been put on the job. It seemed to me
quite double what it ought to be. I laid it on Mr. Merrick’s side and,
when he came in, told him how I came to see it, and I thought it
should not be sent, being so greatly increased by our own fault.
“Oh,” said he, “they are rich; they won’t mind it.” I said: “That is not
the question with me; I don’t think it is just to charge our customers
for our own blunders.” He smiled at my innocence, saying: “If a
machine-shop does not make its customers pay for its blunders, it
will soon find itself in the poorhouse.” “Well,” said I, “I protest against
this bill being sent.” However, it was sent, and in the course of a few
days a check came for the full amount, and Mr. Merrick laughed at
me. Weeks and months passed away and we had heard no more
from Mr. Leavitt, when I met him in New York at a meeting of the
council of the Society of Mechanical Engineers. When the meeting
was over he invited me to walk with him, and said to me: “I suppose
you have observed that I have not visited the Southwark Foundry
lately.” I told him I had observed it. He then said: “Do you remember
that bill?” I told him I did very well, and how vainly I had protested
against its being sent. He said: “When that bill was brought to me for
approval, I hesitated about putting my initials to it until I had shown it
to Mr. Agassiz. I told him what the job was and the bill was quite
twice as large as I had expected. He replied, ‘Pay it, but don’t go to
them any more,’ and I have taken our work to the Dickson
Manufacturing Company at Scranton.” I realized that I had lost the
most influential engineering friend I had since the death of Mr.
Holley. I heard some years after, and believe it, though I do not
vouch for its correctness, that the work sent to the Dickson
Manufacturing Company through Mr. Leavitt had in one year
exceeded one hundred thousand dollars.
 E. D. Leavitt

Some time previous to these events, Mr. Merrick had done a very
high-handed thing. Assuming supreme power as president of the
company, he had invaded my department, and, without a word to
me, had appointed over Mr. Goodfellow a superintendent to suit
himself, reducing Mr. Goodfellow to be general foreman of the
machine-shop, to take his orders from the new superintendent and
not from me, whereupon Mr. Goodfellow resigned, and accepted a
position as master mechanic in the Pennsylvania Steel Works, and
by his advice the engine ordered by them from me was taken from
the Southwark Foundry in its incomplete condition and finished by
themselves under Mr. Goodfellow’s direction. Mr. Merrick then filled
Mr. Goodfellow’s place with another friend of his own as general
foreman, a man who would have been as valuable as a stick of wood
but for his incessant blunders. I was fully alive to the arbitrary nature
of this usurpation, but was entirely helpless, knowing perfectly well
that the directors would sustain the president in whatever he did.
With the coming of the new superintendent, the fatal change took
place. He came, first of all, full of the superiority of Philadelphia
mechanics, and, second, feeling that in the nature of things I must be
entirely ignorant of anything mechanical. I was nothing but a New
York lawyer; never did a day’s work in a shop in my life; had gone
into a business I was not educated to and knew nothing about. My
presuming to give orders to mechanics, and Philadelphia mechanics
too, filled him with indignation. He would not take an order from me
—perish the thought—and as for my drawings, he would depart from
them as much as he liked.
All this appeared by degrees. I observed on the floor several
cylinders fitted up, in which the followers for the piston-rod stuffing-
boxes were made sliding fits on the rods. I asked him why he had
made them in this way when they were drawn and figured to be
bored ¹⁄₃₂ inch larger than the rod. He replied, “Because this is the
way they ought to be.” I told him every one of them would be fired
before the engine had run an hour; that I wanted him to bore those
followers to the drawings, as well as the cylinder heads back of the
stuffing-boxes. “It shall be done, sir,” said he. On examining them
after this had been done, I found he had turned as much off from the
outside of the followers as he had bored out of the hole. I asked him
why he had done that. He said he supposed if I wanted the inside to
be loose, I wanted the outside to be loose too. I told him I did not. He
asked me why. I told him he was not there to argue with me; I
wanted him to throw those followers away and make new ones
precisely to the drawings, and I saw to it myself that it was done. I
went to Mr. Merrick about this matter, and can the reader imagine
what his reply was? “My advice to you, Mr. Porter, is to leave all such
matters to the superintendent.” Think of it; an amateur president
assuming the direction of my business, and giving such advice to
me, who never had left the least thing to anybody, and without
considering the fact that the action of his superintendent would be
ruinous, except for my interference. I realized that I was absolutely
alone, but I felt very much like fighting the whole world. The above
incident is a fair sample of my constant experience. I was on the
watch all the time. Many times I required the work to be done over
when the superintendent departed from my drawings, and in doing it
over he generally contrived to ruin the job, and would say, “Just
according to your orders, sir.” I was reminded of a story told of Dr.
Beman, a minister of Troy, N. Y., whose wife was peculiar, to say the
least. On a certain occasion the presbytery met in Troy, and one
evening he invited its members to his house, and told his wife to
provide just a light supper. When they were ushered into the supper-
room there was nothing on the table but lighted candles. “A light
supper,” said she, “just as you ordered, sir.”
 Samuel T. Wellman

I proposed to appoint an inspector to represent me. The general

foreman said if an inspector were appointed he should resign, and
Mr. Merrick forbade it. Was ever a man in so helpless and ridiculous
a position?

February 2nd Porter-Allen Engine—40×48

Otis Iron and Steel Co.
93 Rev. Cleveland,
84 Lbs. } April 14, 1882

The second of the large engines which I finished was for the Otis
Steel Works. I went to Cleveland myself to start the engine and
found that Mr. Wellman, the general manager, had it running already.
Mr. Otis, the president, was very much pleased with it, and well he
might be. This was the first mill to roll plates from the ingot to the
finish without reheating. These were the kind of diagrams it made. It
will be observed that these were taken at different times and under
different pressures. Unfortunately the right hand one is the only
diagram I have from the crank end of the cylinder. In rolling these
heavy plates the changes were made instantaneously from full load
to nothing and from nothing to full load. The engine made 93
revolutions per minute, and it will be seen that the changes were
made by the governor in a third of a second or less, the speed not
varying sensibly. Mr. Otis said to me: “Oh, Mr. Porter, what shall I do
with you? You cannot imagine the loss I have suffered from your
delay in furnishing this engine.” I said: “Mr. Otis, you know the
terrible time I have had, and that I have done the very best I could.”
“Yes,” he said, “I know all about it.” He had, in fact, been to
Philadelphia and seen for himself. He added: “You make a small
engine suitable for electric lights; what is the price of an engine
maintaining twenty-five arc lights?” I told him $1050. “Well,” said he,
“you strike off the odd fifty and let me have one for a thousand
dollars, and we will call it square,” so I had some sunshine on my
way. I present a portrait of this just man. The engine is now running
as good as new after twenty-five years, and the company five or six
years afterwards put in another 48×66-inch to drive a still larger train.
I had a funny experience at the Cambria Works which has always
seemed to me to have been prophetic. In August, 1881, the Society
of Mechanical Engineers held a meeting in Altoona, and the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company gave us an excursion to Johnstown
to visit the works of the Cambria Company. The anticipations of the
members were expressed by Jackson Bailey, then the editor of the
American Machinist. As I was going through a car in which he was
seated he called out to me, “This is your day, Porter.” The party was
taken in charge by Mr. Morrell, the general manager. Our route took
us first to their new blast-furnaces, where considerable time was
spent in examining their new and interesting features. Next we came
to my second engine, started some two months before. The engine
was just being slowed down; we were told there were not yet
furnaces enough to keep the train running continuously, so they were
shut down from half an hour to an hour between heats, and a heat
had just been run off. We went next to see my rail-mill engine, which
had raised the output of that mill 150 per cent. That too had been
shut down. They had just broken a roll, a most rare accident and one
which I had never before seen or heard of there. “Well, gentlemen,”
said I, “at any rate I can show you my engine driving a cold saw.”
Arrived at the spot, we found that all still, and were told that sawing
cold rails was not a continuous operation, we had hit upon the noon
hour, and the men had gone to their dinner. That was the end of the
show, as far as I was concerned. The Gautier Works were a mile
away and were not included in our visit, so we were entertained with
the great blooming-mill in operation and the casting of the enormous
ingots for it, and after the customary luncheon and speeches we
returned to Altoona.
 Charles A. Otis

One day the superintendent came into the office and told me he
had tried my machine for facing nuts and it would not work. I felt
disappointed, because I had confidence in it. I went out to see what
the matter was, and at a glance I saw that it had been ingeniously
arranged not to work. The feed had been made rapid and the cutting
motion very slow, so that the tools could not take their cuts and the
slow-moving belt ran off the pulleys. I did not reduce the feed-
motion, but increased the speed of the cutters and the belt some
eight or ten-fold, when the trouble vanished. I never knew anything
to work better than that tool did.
 Porter-Allen Engine 40″×48″ #207
Dash pot for Governor.

The burning anxiety of the superintendent was to show up my

ignorance. A first-rate chance to do so soon seemed to present itself.
The counterpoise of the governor of the Otis engine dropped
instantly to its seat when a plate struck the rolls and as instantly rose
to the top of its range of action when it left them. This made a noisy
blow which was disagreeable and might in time cause an accident.
Mr. Wellman sent me a sketch of a device he had thought of for
arresting this motion by air-cushions. I told the superintendent to
have that apparatus made and make the air-cushions four inches in
diameter. He said four inches diameter would not answer; they must
be eight inches. “No,” said I, “four inches diameter is ample; make
them four inches.” A few days after he called me into the shop to try
my four-inch air-cushions. I found the apparatus secured in a vise in
a vertical position. I took hold of the lever and lifted the piston; it met
with no resistance until it struck sharply against the end of the
chamber. For a moment I was stunned by the man’s audacity, and
threw the piston up and down again to make sure it was not a
dream. I then turned my back on the superintendent and called to a
boy to find Mr. Fulmer, the foreman of the second floor, and tell him I
wanted him here. In a moment he appeared, and I said to him: “Mr.
Fulmer, I want you to make a new piston for this apparatus and
make it a proper fit; you understand.” Mr. Fulmer bowed assent. I
added: “There will be time to-day to get it into the sand, and it can be
finished early to-morrow. When it is ready for my inspection come
yourself to the office and let me know.” About the middle of the next
forenoon Mr. Fulmer called for me. I went in and found the piston
arrested at each end of its motion by a perfect air-cushion. “All right,”
said I, “see that it is shipped to-day.”
Mr. Fulmer was an excellent mechanic and a man of good general
intelligence; he would have made the piston a proper fit in the first
place if he had not been expressly ordered to make it loose and
useless. The superintendent, on his persistent assumption that I was
a fool, had actually expected me to say when I tried the apparatus:
“Oh, I see, four inches diameter will not do. You will have to make it
eight.”
Some time in 1881 or 1882 I had a queer experience with an
engine for the New York Post Office. It was to take the place of an
engine then running. The engineer of the Post Office informed me
that this engine had a cylinder twelve inches in diameter. I told him it
looked to me from the external dimensions that the diameter must be
fourteen inches and asked him to take off the back head and
measure it for me. He wrote me a few days after that he found that
he could not get the back head off, but I might rely upon it being
twelve inches. So I did rely upon it being fourteen inches, furnished
an engine accordingly, and found it to be the size needed.
Daniel J. Morrell
 Some time after the engine was started I received a line from the
Postmaster saying they were much disappointed in it. They expected
a gain in economy, but they were burning more coal than before,
also that the engine pounded badly. I went to New York to see what
the matter was. The engine seemed to be working all right except for
the knock, so I made my way down to the sub-cellar. There was
nothing there but the boilers and the engineer’s desk. On the cellar
stairs, after I had shut the door behind me, I heard a loud sound of
escaping steam. The boilers were under the middle of the building; a
four-inch steam-pipe ran from them a distance of about eighty feet,
suspended from the ceiling, to a point under the engine, then turned
up through the floor to the under side of the steam-chest. The
exhaust pipe, of the same size, came from the engine through the
floor and was carried parallel with the steam-pipe to the middle of the
building and upward through the roof. The two pipes were about
eighteen inches apart, and in the vertical portions under the ceiling
they had been connected by a half-inch pipe having a globe valve in
the middle of its length. The valve-stem was downward and the valve
set wide open. The noise I heard was caused by the steam rushing
through this pipe. I computed that about as much steam was being
thus blown away as was used by the engine. My first impulse was to
call upon the Postmaster and tell him what I had found, but I decided
not to bother him. I could not reach the valve to close it, but
discovered a box used for a step to an opening in the wall, so I
brought that out and standing upon it was able to close the valve;
then the noise ceased and I put the box back.
There was no one in the cellar but a boy firing the boilers. I asked
him if he knew who put that pipe there. He knew nothing about it, but
supposed our men put it there when they set up the engine. I hunted
up the engineer and asked him the same question, and got the same
answer. I went to the people who did the engineering work for the
Post Office and who had put in the pipes; they knew nothing about it.
I could find out nothing, but had to content myself with telling the
engineer that I had closed the valve and relied upon him to keep it
closed. I asked him what he thought caused the thump in the engine;
he said he had not the slightest idea, but he would try to cure it. I
contented myself with writing to the Postmaster that I had removed
the cause of the waste of steam and hoped he would now find the
engine satisfactory. Soon after Mr. Merrick was in New York for two
or three days. When he came home he said: “I have cured the thump
in that Post Office engine.” “How did you do it?” I asked. He replied:
“I gave the engineer a twenty-dollar gold piece, and when I went to
see it the next morning the thump was gone.” I should add that when
the old engine was taken down I had the back cylinder head
removed, which was done without difficulty, and found the diameter
fourteen inches. “For ways that are dark and tricks that are vain” this
engineer was “peculiar” in my experience.
I had brought with me from Newark an order from the Willimantic
Linen Company, who were manufacturers of cotton thread, for two
engines for quite an interesting application. They were building a
new mill entirely unique in its design, which has never been
repeated, being an ignorant freak. It was a one-story mill 800 feet
long and 250 or 300 feet wide, intended to contain five lines of
shafting. Each line was independent and drove the machinery for all
the successive operations from opening the cotton bales to packing
the spools of thread. These lines of shafting 800 feet long were to be
in the basement and to drive these machines by belts through the
floor, the engine to be in the middle of each line. For this purpose I
supplied a pair of condensing engines, 11 inches diameter of
cylinder and 16 inches stroke, making 350 revolutions per minute,
with their cranks set at right angles with each other in the line of
shafting. These required no fly-wheel and would start from any
position. I had a great deal of trouble with this order on account of
the delay in its execution, so much so that before the first engine
was finished the order for the second one was countermanded, and
this order was placed with the Hartford Engineering Company, a new
concern which was foolish enough to undertake the same speed.
However, after my first engine was started they found themselves
face to face with an impossibility and had to throw up their contract,
whereupon the president of the company became very civil and
asked me to be kind enough to make the second engine for them,
which I was quite happy to do, as I had on hand the peculiar bed for
these engines, which I did not break up after the order was
countermanded, but had it set up against the wall of the shop in