Crash and Burn (Savage Menaces MC Book 5)

by Kay Marie

  His smile falters and he turns his head away from me. “No, I haven’t.”

  “You better call her before you leave here. She’ll want to hear about it from you,” I tell him.

  “I know, I will. I don’t want her to worry about me,” he admits.

  “She’s probably already worried about you,” I mutter.

  His eyes search mine.

  “Is there anything we can do for you before we head out,” Rascal asks Diesel, changing the subject.

  Diesel turns his attention to Rascal. “Nah, I’m gonna fuckin’ smoke and sleep until it’s time to go home.”

  “And call Tink,” I remind him.

  “Yeah,” he agrees. “And call Tink.”

  “Take care, bro. We’ll see you in a couple days,” Rascal says.

  “Have a safe trip home,” Diesel calls out as we leave his room. Downstairs we find Clutch and Saint.

  “The SUV is packed up and ready to go,” Saint announces.

  “You all are leaving already,” Catriona asks.

  “Yeah, we need to get Marley back home,” Rascal tells her.

  “Damn, I’m heading out to meet with Saoirse to have some fun with Paula,” she says.

  “Make sure that bitch suffers,” I insist.

  “Slow and painful.” Catriona grins. “We’ll let you know if we get any information out of her.”

  “Appreciate it, Cat,” Rascal responds.

  “Anytime! Take care of your new lady. She’s a tough one.” Catriona winks at me, walking out the front door.

  “I like her.” I giggle.

  “The whole Murphy clan are pretty awesome,” Rascal tells me. “They’re good people.”

  We’re on the road by two o’clock. Rascal and I are in the backseat of the SUV while Clutch drives and Saint rides shotgun. Once we’re on the highway, I lay across the backseat, resting my head on Rascal’s lap. He runs his fingers through my hair, coaxing me to sleep.

  This is it. This is where I’m meant to be. Everything I’ve been through was to get me to here, with Rascal. After the last couple weeks we’ve had, I’m realizing more and more there’s no one else I’d rather be with. I drift into a peaceful sleep.

  A few hours later, I wake up as we’re pulling into a Texas Roadhouse parking lot. I sit up, stretching my arms.

  “Have a nice nap?” Rascal’s grinning at me.

  “I did, thanks.” I poke my tongue out at him.

  “Watch that tongue, Princess,” he warns.

  “Or what?” I challenge.

  “Y’all can get a room while Clutch and I get food,” Saint says.

  At the mention of food, my stomach growls.

  “Sounds like we’ll be getting food, too.” Rascal laughs.

  I shrug, smirking. “A girl’s gotta eat. Where are we anyway?”

  “Lubbock, Texas,” Clutch answers. “We’re about six hours from home.”

  Clutch parks the SUV and we all climb out, heading inside.

  “Welcome to Texas Roadhouse!” The hostess greets us. We get seated right away.

  “Can we get some extra butter, please,” Saint asks the girl.

  “Of course.” She smiles and walks off.

  A couple minutes later, a waitress comes up to our table. She drops off Saint’s butter and takes our drink and food order before walking away.

  “Are you gonna talk to Niko when we get back,” Rascal asks.

  “I haven’t thought about it much,” I admit. “Maybe eventually, but I need time to process everything.”

  “That’s understandable. If you wanna talk about it or anything, I’m here.” His hand comes to my thigh and squeezes.

  “It’s not the same, but I was adopted,” Saint tells me. “I grew up wondering about my biological parents a lot. So, I get that aspect of it.”

  I turn my attention to Saint. “Have you ever thought about finding your bio parents?”

  “Not until recently,” he says. “I’ve thought about it more and more, but I haven’t made any decisions, yet.”

  “That’s definitely a difficult decision to make,” I state.

  “You got the resources to find them,” Clutch adds. “If that’s what you choose to do.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I love the parents who raised me,” Saint says. There’s a hint of pain in his voice.

  “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know who your bio parents are,” I assure him. “I get it. I loved my mom. She was the best, but there was still those lingering thoughts wondering who my father was and why he was never around.”

  “We’re all here for you, no matter what you choose to do,” Rascal tells him.

  “The brotherhood of this club is the very reason I wanted to join the Savage Menaces to begin with,” Saint says. “Thank you.”

  We get our food and our topic of conversation switches to something more upbeat. For the most part, I listen and observe the guys. Their ability to act as if the past couple days didn’t happen is pretty impressive.

  I know I got lucky this time around. For whatever reason, I wasn’t tortured or punished for my escape two years ago. Maybe it was all part of Rodrigo’s plan.

  “Hey, everything okay?” Rascal whispers in my ear, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  I smile and inhale his sexy aroma. “Yeah, just listening to you guys talk.”

  He kisses the side of my head and pulls me into his side.

  Once we’ve finished eating we pay our bill and get back on the road. This time, with Saint driving. I lay back down, resting my head on Rascal’s leg. Six hours later we’re finally pulling up to the clubhouse. Oddly enough, I missed this place.

  I walk into the clubhouse behind Rascal. It’s after two in the morning, so most everyone is asleep.

  “Ras, baby! You’re back!” Fucking Trix. The one thing I didn’t miss. Her eyes land on me. “Oh, you brought her back.”

  “Listen here, bitch.” I charge toward her but strong arms wrap around my waist, stopping me.

  “Calm down. Now isn’t the time for this,” Rascal says in my ear. His lips brush against the shell of my ear, taking my attention off Trix. I turn around in his arms. Snaking my arms around his neck, I kiss him.

  “Trix, you’d do best keepin’ your distance from them. Marley’s markin’ her territory and she’ll fuck you up.” Saint laughs.

  Ignoring them both, Rascal drags me down the hall to my room. I change my clothes while he strips down to his boxer briefs and we climb into bed. He pulls me to his side, tangling our legs together. Within minutes, I fall asleep. Safe in his arms.

  40

  Marley

  Rascal and I spend all day Friday locked away in my room, enjoying each other’s company. I needed a day to decompress from everything before rejoining the hustle and bustle of the clubhouse. Minx stopped by to check on me. Luckily, she texted before coming to my room. Rascal and I were sans clothes the majority of the day.

  Today, I’m hanging out with Minx and some of the other women. I told Minx about our run in with Trix when we got back from New Mexico, so she banned the cut bunnies from being at the clubhouse for the day.

  “It’s nice to have the clubhouse free of cut bunnies. Even if it’s only for the day,” Cali says. She has her baby, Caden, with her. She only has him here because they were on lockdown after Eduardo kidnapped me in Tennessee.

  “If I see Trix, I’ll end up knocking her ass out,” I deadpan.

  “I can’t stand that bitch,” Rivet mutters.

  “Nobody likes her,” Cali states.

  “Then why is she here,” I ask.

  “I question that daily,” Minx admits.

  “Shit, I need to pee.” Cali stands from the couch, handing Caden to me. “Can you hold him for a minute?”

  “Of course! Come here, sweet boy.” I take him from her, snuggling him close. I never thought much about having my own kids, but holding Caden has thoughts brewing. Mine and Rascal’s relationship is still new, so we haven’t talked about whet
her either of us wants kids or not.

  “You’re a natural with him.” Minx grins at me. “Do you want kids of your own?”

  “It’s not something I’ve ever truly considered,” I admit.

  “It’s life changing, that’s for sure.” Cali reclaims her spot next to me.

  “Could you imagine Rascal as a father?” Minx giggles.

  I tug my bottom lip between my teeth, stifling a laugh.

  “Oh! You didn’t get to see this.” Minx pulls her phone out, clicking a couple times then turns it around to show me. On her phone is a picture of Rascal holding Caden. It’s enough to make my ovaries melt. Before I get a chance to say anything, the front door opens and in walks Rascal and Saint.

  “Speak of the devil and he shall appear.” I laugh.

  Rascal’s eyes find mine instantly, his face lights up when he notices I’m holding Caden. He and Saint make their way to the pool tables and start a game.

  “I’m surprised he isn’t coming to whisk you away back to your room.” Rivet rolls her eyes.

  I shrug my shoulder. “He knows I need some girl time.”

  “Plus, he’s still keeping you within his sight,” Minx adds. “That’s how Raze was with me after I was kidnapped. He gave me my space as long as he could see where I was.”

  “They’re a protective bunch, no doubt.” I grin. “It’s both refreshing and infuriating.”

  We all fall into easy conversation. Cali tells us about being a new mom. The good, the bad and the ugly. Her and Wren begin comparing their pregnancies. Wren is almost four months pregnant.

  “Wren, when do you find out if you’re having a boy or a girl,” I ask.

  “We have an appointment the week of Christmas.”

  “We’re having a gender reveal for her that weekend,” Minx gushes. “You better come with Rascal. You’re part of the family now.”

  “Wait, did Ras claim you as his Ol’ Lady?” Wren squeals.

  I giggle. “Yeah, he did.”

  “Wow! That’s huge for him. You’re just what he needs,” she says.

  Caden begins to fuss in my arms. I lightly bounce him. “Aw, what’s wrong little guy?”

  “He’s probably hungry,” Cali tells me. “It’s about that time.”

  I stand from the couch, handing him to her.

  “I’m going to feed him and nap with him. I’ll see y’all in a few hours.” Cali walks down the hall toward her and Buster’s room. All the brothers have rooms here, even if they have their own house or apartment.

  “Thanksgiving is Thursday. Do any of y’all want to help me prepare Thanksgiving dinner this year,” Minx asks.

  “I will! I love Thanksgiving and haven’t had a good one since my mom passed away,” I say.

  “We’ll make sure this one is a great one,” she insists.

  We talk about plans for Thanksgiving for a while before I start feeling anxious. Not knowing what’s causing it, I decide to seek out Rascal.

  “I’m going to go talk to Rascal for a few.” I make my way toward the pool tables, where Rascal and Saint still have a game going. Rascal is sitting at one of the high top tables, while Saint takes a shot.

  “Hey, Princess.” Rascal moves his legs apart so I can stand between them, close to him. He gives me a quick kiss. “Everything okay?”

  “An uneasy feeling came over me,” I admit. “I knew you’d be able to keep me grounded.”

  He wraps his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. “I’ll always be here to keep you grounded.”

  Resting my head against his chest, I breathe him in. After a few deep breaths, the anxiety begins to let up.

  “Minx showed me a picture of you holding Caden,” I tell him.

  “I didn’t know she took a picture of us. What a brat.” He chuckles.

  “It made the picture that much better. The way you were looking at him.” I smile. “He has this whole clubhouse wrapped around his tiny, little finger.”

  “He sure does.” There’s a gleam in Rascal’s eyes. “Do you want kids?”

  His question takes me by surprise. “Honestly, I’ve never given it much thought. Do you?”

  “I never did until this one woman walked into my life making me question everything I previously thought about my life.” His mouth tips up into his sexy smirk.

  My eyebrows furrow. Is he saying what I think he is? “Cameron McCoy, what are you trying to say?”

  “For the first time in my life, I have a woman who I want to spend all my time with. Who I want sharing my bed. Who I can picture having a real future with. I love you, Marley Jones.”

  41

  Rascal

  My head is spinning while my heart beats a million miles an hour. I love Marley. I told her I love her. I’ve never told anyone but my family that I love them. Who knew it would be so terrifying?

  Tears pool in her eyes and I instantly feel like I fucked up. “Did you . . . ? Are you . . . ?”

  “Yes, I said it and yes, I mean it. I. love. you.” I stress each word, wanting her to know I’m serious.

  A smile stretches across her face as a tear sneaks down her cheek. “I love you, too.”

  I delve my hand into her hair, crashing my lips down on hers. Her mouth opens with a gasp and I slide my tongue in, massaging hers. I grab a fistful of her hair, easing her head back and deepening the kiss. I pour everything I have into this kiss. Marley breaks the kiss, pulling back enough for me to rest my forehead against hers. Both of us breathing heavily.

  “If you would have told me when we first met that this is where we’d end up, I would have laughed in your face.” She giggles.

  “I never meant for this to happen, but I can’t tell you how happy I am that it did,” I tell her. “You’re something special and I don’t plan on ever lettin’ you go, Princess.”

  “I don’t ever want you to.” She’s grinning from ear to ear.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to y’all, if that’s okay,” Ratchet says.

  Marley turns around in my arms, leaning back against me.

  “What’s up, brother,” I ask.

  “Bull wants us to get out to the barn and talk with our new friends. I know the two of y’all want in on it. A few of us are goin’ up there tomorrow,” he tells us.

  “Perfect, we’ll be there,” Marley answers for the both of us.

  I chuckle. “What she said.”

  “Good, I’ll let you know what time we’re goin’ as soon as I know,” Ratchet adds and walks away. I glance around, noticing Saint has disappeared. I shake my head and let it go.

  Swiping Marley’s hair off her shoulder, I lean down, kissing the spot where her neck and shoulder meet. She leans her head to the side, giving me more access. I bite down, sucking her skin into my mouth as a moan escapes her lips.

  “Rascal, baby. When you gonna drop that lame bitch and come back to me.” Trix’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Before I can respond to her, Marley is out of my arms, charging for Trix.

  “I have had enough of your shit.” Marley grabs Trix by the hair, slamming her face onto the closest table. Trix cries out in pain. Marley pulls her head up so she’s looking right in her eyes. “I’m here to fucking stay. And if you ever try anything with Rascal ever again, I will put your ass in the hospital.”

  Marley shoves her to the floor before walking back into my arms.

  “That was hot as hell. Who knew my Princess had a savage side?”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “What can I say? I’m territorial of what’s mine.”

  “You and me both, babe.”

  We spend the rest of the day hanging out with the brothers and other Ol’ Ladies. It ends up being a low key Saturday night, which is just what we need after the week we’ve all had.

  The next day, we stay in bed until almost eleven o’clock. Laying in bed with Marley wrapped in my arms is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. I need to work on getting us our own place and soon.

  “Have you heard from Ratchet
, yet?” She’s lightly running her fingers up and down my abs, making my skin break out in goosebumps.

  “Yeah, he texted and said they’re goin’ to the barn around one,” I tell her.

  “Well, shit. We need to get up and get ready then.” She’s about to climb out of bed when I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her back into me.

  “We have time.”

  “Yeah, time to get dressed and eat,” she throws at me.

  I cock an eyebrow at her. “You really wanna eat before we go torture someone?”

  She stares at me like I’m an alien. “I haven’t had breakfast. I need my energy.”

  I let out a full belly laugh. “Just when I think I have you figured out, you throw a curve ball.”

  “Eh, you’ll figure me out someday.” She winks at me.

  By one o’clock, we’re dressed, fed, and on our way up to the barn to have some fun with Rodrigo and Eduardo. We take my truck to the barn because of the weather. I don’t want Marley colder than she needs to be. I park the truck by Ratchet’s bike.

  “We’re gonna have to do what we can to get information out of these assholes,” I tell Marley.

  “Give me the kill shots and I’ll be fine.” Her words shouldn’t shock me, but they do.

  I grab her hand. “If at any point you wanna leave, just let me know. Got it?”

  “I will, I promise.”

  We climb out of the truck, meeting at the front. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and together we walk inside.

  42

  Marley

  This is my first time being at the barn. I’m not surprised they have a place like this. A secluded place where they can hold people prisoner and torture them if and when necessary. The Cartel didn’t have a designated place for torture. They didn’t care where it happened at. Those guys were always itching to fuck someone up no matter who it was or where they did it.

  The Savage Menaces are smart about it. Though, I guess they have to be. They’re more than the club. They’re family. They do what they can to keep each other and themselves out of jail. The men under Rodrigo were the furthest thing from a family. They would screw each other over if it meant they would be the next top guy.