Running on Empty (Havoc Motorcycle Club Book 3)

by SE Jakes

  “A dismissal?”

  “Not the kind anyone wants.”

  Tug shook his head. “This isn’t good news.”

  “Let me get past court tomorrow. Maybe this guy will show tomorrow.” Linc shrugged and Tug rolled his eyes. “What? I’m an optimist.”

  “No—you’re a realist,” Tug assured him.

  Linc stayed late at the bonds office, because the thought of going back to Mercy’s and pacing around made him sweat. Just because he had court tomorrow didn’t mean Mercy would have the night off patrols, and Linc knew that going out tonight wasn’t an option.

  Finally, Tug dropped him off before midnight, after they grabbed a very late dinner at the diner on Havoc’s compound. It was crowded, with a lot of the MC guys stopping by to wish Linc good luck on his court appearance in the morning.

  Bram came by and watched a movie with him and finally, sometime after two in the morning, Linc went upstairs to bed and fell asleep. His dreams were scattered, all over the map, from Mercy to Heathens to court and Castle . . . and just as he began to get that restless feeling he often did in his sleep, right before the throes of a nightmare took hold, he woke to Mercy’s arms banding around him.

  His body sagged in relief. “Hey.”

  “Didn’t meant to wake you,” Mercy murmured.

  “Glad you did.” Linc pushed back into him, forcing Mercy to spoon his body, thinking about how many nights he’d been wishing for this. “What time is it?”

  “Close to five.” Mercy brushed some hair off Linc’s face. “Bad dreams?”

  “They were getting there,” Linc admitted.

  Mercy’s palm flattened against his chest. He planted a kiss on the back of Linc’s neck. “Here now. Nothing’s getting through me.”

  “Good.” Linc believed that.

  “Tug mentioned you met with Blanchard today.”

  “Tug’s good at that shit.”

  Mercy moved closer, so there was no room between their bodies, ran his fingertip along Linc’s jawline. “Heard you uncovered some paperwork. Heard you took chances maybe you shouldn’t have.”

  “Are you going to punish me for that? Or is this just you trying to distract me from thinking about court tomorrow?”

  “Is it working?” Mercy asked as innocently as he could, and it came off wicked as hell. Which meant Linc got harder.

  “Yes.”

  “And you need the distraction?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re worried.”

  “Trying not to be,” Linc said honestly.

  “Tell me exactly what you need, baby.”

  Linc swallowed hard. Things weren’t back to normal between them, but they were far more comfortable than they’d been only forty-eight hours earlier. Might as well go for broke. “You, Mercy. I need you . . . to make me do things. Dirty things.”

  “Good, Linc. Now strip yourself,” Mercy instructed. “Because distraction first . . . and then punishment for putting yourself in danger.”

  Linc thought about disobeying that order so Mercy would tie him down, but he wasn’t exactly sure he was truly ready for that step. So his T-shirt came off first, and then the sweats.

  “No underwear. Easy access,” Mercy noted. “And you thought about not-complying . . . just for a second.”

  “Yeah,” Linc admitted.

  “Sit on the chair. Spread your legs. Stroke yourself slowly, eyes on me.”

  Linc nodded and did as he was told, fully conscious of Mercy’s eyes on him . . . pinning him. He caught his cock in his hand and began to stroke. Chills broke out over his body as Mercy’s gaze intensified.

  “I’m going to pierce your nipples,” Mercy said matter-of-factly, and Linc’s dick surged in his palm. “Fuck, I should tape this so you can see how gorgeous you look.”

  Linc groaned, low in his throat, hips rising slightly off the chair as he tugged.

  “Taste yourself,” Mercy directed him.

  Linc swept a finger over his cockhead, catching the drip, and brought it to his mouth, just like Mercy had him do a few nights earlier . . . but this time, Mercy watched him doing it and hell yeah. So fucking dirty. Mercy got him.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” Mercy instructed.

  “That . . . you’re watching me. Ordering me . . . and I can’t not do what you say.”

  “You can, but then you’ll end up over my knee for disobeying. Or maybe you’ll end up there anyway.”

  Linc whimpered, spread his legs wider as the orgasm threatened, the familiar ache surging inside of him.

  “Beautiful, Linc. God, people would pay good money to see this.” Mercy’s voice narrating made it hotter and more embarrassing, but in a good way.

  “Not gonna last.”

  “Good. I want you to shoot all over yourself.”

  Linc did, his body stiffening as he came, white ropes across his belly and chest, covering his hand. His breath came fast.

  And then he froze, and Mercy was kneeling between his legs, like he’d done the other night on the porch, cleaning him with his tongue.

  Linc reached out tentatively and put his hand in Mercy’s hair . . . expected the entire scene to dissolve in a puff of smoke.

  But it didn’t. Mercy’s eyes met his, locked and loaded, and Linc whimpered, seeing this big, tattooed man kneeling before him.

  Linc was vulnerable as fuck, but so was Mercy. Neither man pushed each other tonight . . . it was all about limits and pleasure and easy. Linc wanted harder and rougher—but deep in his soul he knew he wasn’t there yet. Close, but for now, this was fucking perfect, the hot wet suck of Mercy’s mouth dragging his cock. Mercy’s cheeks hollowed out as he sucked and then swallowed Linc’s cock . . . and he was stroking himself at the same time. Linc fisted Mercy’s thick hair and arched back. There was no reason to control his orgasm, to stop himself, to slow it down . . . and he couldn’t have, even if he’d tried. Mercy was too damned good at what he did.

  When Mercy was done, he sat back on his heels, studying Linc, who felt lazy and satiated . . . and somehow, still aroused, because that was pretty much the way he always felt around Mercy. “You okay, baby?”

  “Yeah.”

  Mercy frowned. “No, not yet. Almost, though. Come on.” He helped Linc up and led him into the shower. With the water warm enough, Linc got in first, with Mercy following right behind him.

  Carrying lube and condoms.

  “Turn around,” Mercy told him. Linc did as Mercy asked, and one of Mercy’s coated fingers slid inside of him. “So tight. Is this only for me?”

  Mercy hit his prostate with his knuckle and Linc could only moan his answer. So, of course, Mercy did it again and again, until Linc was practically fucking the tile wall, finally managing, “Yours, Mercy. My ass is all yours.”

  “Good boy,” Mercy crooned, adding a second finger and then a third, impaling Linc with pleasure. And then he caught Linc around the waist and turned him, picked him up, forcing Linc to wrap his arms and legs around him, his back to the tiles.

  “Yeah, come on, Mercy—fuck me hard.”

  Mercy’s sheathed cock pushed inside, a hot burn at first that spread slowly through his body as Mercy slid in deeper, until he settled against Linc’s gland. Mercy latched on to one of his nipples, and Linc arched his back, wanting more.

  And Mercy gave it to him, driving in harder and harder, until Linc was panting and grabbing at Mercy’s wet skin, until the only thing on his mind was the orgasm that tore through him like a tornado . . . and how much he loved being in Mercy’s arms.

  After Mercy’s distractions, Linc gave up on sleep completely and managed to eat some of the breakfast Mercy made him.

  “I’ve got to head up and meet with Sweet and the lawyer about a few things before you get there,” Mercy said. “Scheduled stuff, okay? Nothing for you to worry about.”

  Linc nodded. “Go—I’m fine. I’ll meet you up there.” Which was good, because Mercy had started to hover and Linc was already nervous enough about
how his day in court would go.

  He showered, dressed, and found Tug waiting outside for him. “Aren’t you getting tired of being my chauffeur?”

  “You’d do the same for me, no?” Tug asked, which gave Linc pause. Because no, he hadn’t thought about it like that, was still in the Why am I being babied? mode . . . and Tug had reminded him that it was more of a what brothers do for one another thing. Which made it better.

  Another one of the layers lifted off him and floated away. “Yeah, I would, Tug.”

  Tug grinned and shot up the hill to the clubhouse, where Sweet and one of Havoc’s lawyers was waiting in Sweet’s office.

  Sweet greeted Linc when he walked in, gesturing to the woman standing by his desk. “This is Ms. Carla Brewster. She’ll represent you.”

  Carla jumped right in, sticking out her hand for him to shake. “You’ve obviously got a valid excuse from the court for missing your first appearance.” She paused, and he knew exactly what she was going to say. “The problem is, the second you mention it to the DA—”

  “They’ll use my arrest against me and want me to turn state’s evidence against the Heathens. They’ll want me to press charges, and they’ll make my life miserable because of it,” Linc finished. “How much do they know?”

  “If they do, they’re not saying.” She looked between the men. “If you stick to your story, the one you told the doctors at the hospital when you were first admitted, there’s not much they can do. That doesn’t mean they won’t try. They’re suspicious.”

  And they wanted to know who killed Bones and Bruno. Linc was sure of it.

  “Just stick to the story, Linc,” Sweet reassured him. “Carla will make sure it all works out.”

  “I’m confident the DA will agree to release you with community service. If you complete that, your record will be expunged. I think that’s more than fair.” Her voice was as crisp as her white buttoned shirt.

  He liked her. He liked no-nonsense people. “That works for me. I’m ready to put this behind me.”

  “You definitely look ready,” Carla said approvingly.

  Linc was already dressed for court, his best I’m a respectable adult attire, which consisted of a custom-made, dark-gray suit and a white shirt, with a blue-patterned tie he’d been told matched his eyes. And good shoes too, which meant expensive. He’d been guided to buy the entire outfit by Castle, who’d told him that, “No matter what, a man needs a good suit on his side.”

  Linc had to admit he was right, based on the looks he was getting from Sweet and Carla alike.

  Twenty minutes later, he and Carla had been escorted to the courthouse door, but Boomer and Tug remained outside. Carla hadn’t wanted Linc associated with Havoc, mainly because of what’d happened with the Heathens, and Sweet had agreed.

  After Carla checked in with the court officer, she and Linc were escorted into a room outside the courthouse . . . where Castle was already waiting for them inside.

  Carla looked between Castle and Linc. “Anything I should know about?”

  “I’m just a friend, lending support,” Castle said, reaching out a hand for Carla to shake.

  Linc was only half-surprised, but it was still a good one. He nodded to Castle as Carla continued. “Who exactly are you? Wait, never mind—deniability is key.”

  Castle nodded. “My name’s Luke Castle. I assume this goes no farther than us. And by that, I mean no one at Havoc can be privy to this information. I know they pay your bills, but this one is being taken care of by me. Tell them you did it pro bono, because you were so taken with what happened to Linc.”

  “Understood,” she told him. “Havoc are good men, Mr. Castle. They make criminal law bearable.”

  “That, I believe.”

  She turned to Linc. “And I am sorry for what happened to you.”

  “Thanks.” Linc glanced at Castle. “What else is happening here?”

  “Closed chambers.” He glanced at the door, where the guard was motioning at them through the glass. “I’ll take the lead on this, if you don’t mind.”

  “Lead on,” Carla said wryly.

  “I’d like to know what I’m walking into,” Linc told him.

  Castle smiled. “The DA wanted you to testify against Heathens. I know Ms. Brewster was going to deny that motion, but the DA was prepared to give you no option beyond that one, or jail time.”

  Carla frowned. “They’re trying to crack down on MC violence. You were a good test case.”

  “They were going to offer WITSEC,” Castle continued.

  “Fuck that,” Linc muttered.

  “And I told the DA that you worked for me and that the arrest was part of your cover.” He looked at Linc pointedly, because it absolutely hadn’t been, and Matlin hadn’t been happy about it. “He relented. The judge is prepared to dismiss. So just keep your mouth closed, be pleasant and polite, and let’s get this done.”

  “It would be great if you came around more often,” Carla told him deadpan.

  “That could be arranged.” Castle was such a goddamned flirt, the way he looked at her. He was also bi, so who knew if they’d get together.

  “Before you two start making out, can we get my case dismissed?” Linc asked.

  Damn, he was grateful that Castle had showed, because otherwise, he’d have been railroaded by the DA into testifying against the Heathens. They’d heard the rumors about his capture, and even if he’d denied it, they would still have threatened to pin the fire—and the deaths—on him to get his testimony.

  And hell, what would he testify about? That the Heathens had kidnapped, drugged, and raped him? That they admitted to killing another man by ripping him apart? That they’d already dug a literal grave for him?

  He didn’t feel guilt over any Heathens’ death, because they were all complicit in one way or another. There wasn’t a single redeeming quality about the club, and finding out what they’d done to his brother only strengthened his opinion.

  “Heathens as you knew them are destroyed,” Castle told the DA.

  “They’re regrouping,” he protested.

  “And Linc’s testimony has no bearing on that at all. We both know it.” Castle stared down the DA. “We’re here as a show of good faith, but we both know I could’ve snapped my fingers and made this whole thing go away. So let’s make this as painless as possible, for all of us. You’ll agree not to blow Linc’s cover—and if it is blown, we’ll know exactly who to come after . . . and in return, Linc won’t get into any more bar fights. At least ones he needs bail for.”

  The judge appeared to have already signed off on this. The DA was pissed but had no choice but to agree. And ten minutes later, Linc was released on his own recognizance.

  “And what do we tell Havoc about community service?” Carla asked.

  “Let’s say that the judge felt he’d suffered more than enough, and that he was impressed by his Army record.” Castle gave Linc a nod. “Your record’s clear.”

  “Thanks—both of you,” Linc told them.

  Castle disappeared into the crowd. Linc was used to him doing so, but Carla seemed both impressed and uneasy. “Is he always like that?”

  “Pretty much.” Linc’s phone beeped, and when he glanced down at it, he saw a text from Castle. Lunch at the diner on 5th. 1PM. Important.

  Linc texted back an affirmative. It would give him plenty of time to go back to Havoc, change, check out more on his missing skip . . . and possibly ask Castle for some help.

  Except he had a sinking suspicion that Castle was going to ask him the same thing.

  Linc went back to the bonds shop to check in, and then he told Tug he was meeting Rush at the diner, which was a couple of blocks away.

  It wasn’t exactly a lie—Rush had mentioned he’d be at the diner until twelve thirty, and so Linc’s exact words to Tug were, “I’m going to try to catch Rush at the diner. Either way, I’m starving.”

  Tug dropped him there but didn’t come inside. “Text me when you’re done.�
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  “I can just walk back to the shop . . .”

  “Text me,” Tug said.

  Linc didn’t argue, just headed into the diner and went toward the back. This place wasn’t a Havoc-owned establishment, but one of the town’s most well-loved spots. Havoc was respectful of that fact, but since Linc didn’t wear the cut, it was fine for him to stroll in.

  Castle had taken a booth in the very back of the place, and he’d taken the side facing outward. It was far enough away from any windows, and Linc figured he’d scoped the place out and picked the spot on purpose.

  Linc sank into the seat across from him as Castle was giving the waitress his order. Linc glanced quickly at the menu and ordered a burger and fries.

  “Be right back with your drinks,” she told them.

  Linc nodded at her and then glanced at Castle. “Thanks for the invite.”

  “I’m assuming you didn’t tell anyone who you were meeting.”

  “If I had, you’d be surrounded by Havoc.”

  Castle nodded and waited for the waitress to put their drinks down before saying, “Nice suit earlier.”

  Linc rolled his eyes. “Pat yourself on the back a little harder.” Castle grinned. “And thanks for running interference.”

  “It’s the least I could do. They shouldn’t have tried to put you in that position to start with.”

  “I’m the one who got myself arrested,” Linc mumbled, and Castle frowned and looked like he was going to say something, but didn’t. “I mean, I know Matlin wasn’t happy about it.”

  “Matlin’s no longer your concern. He should’ve gotten the arrest kicked from the start.” Castle didn’t bother to hide his irritation.

  “I wish you’d let me take care of him.”

  “You don’t need any more trouble, Linc,” Castle told him in no uncertain terms. “Understood?”

  “Fine. Whatever.” Just what he needed—another man telling him what to do. Like he wasn’t full up on that shit already.

  “I hope this lunch date isn’t taking you away from something important.”

  “I’m going back to work at the bonds shop after this. But you knew that, right?”