“I didn’t think about that,” she conceded.
“The lawyer will file papers to have you go before a judge, and that judge will be his judge, the one in his pocket. You’ll be remanded into the loving arms of your fiancé while they unravel the paperwork and annul our marriage or declare it invalid.”
Her face had whitened with every word he said. “Ice. Oh my God. I don’t want to be anywhere near him.”
“That’s not going to happen. Absinthe will see to that. He’s amazing at what he does. Let’s just start with the necessary paperwork. You have to make certain the world knows that Absinthe is your attorney and anyone else acting in your name is doing so without your consent. He’ll find the lawyer in Vegas you used to help you get rid of Monroe, in fact I believe Code has already done so, and he’ll back you up that you fired Donald Monroe.”
“When are we doing this?”
“Absinthe is on his way.”
“Do you think they’ll try to kill me before I can file these papers?”
He ruffled her hair. “Baby, they did try. They tried this morning. That was their attempt. They sent four killers after you. I think you’re safe for at least today. Winston doesn’t strike me as the type to think that fast on his feet. He has too bad of a temper.”
“He isn’t the boss,” she reminded. “They threatened him, Ice. They said if he screwed up, he would be dead, not me.”
“Well, that’s something. Maybe we can get the boss man so angry with good old Winston, they do him in.”
“I can only hope.” Soleil rubbed her face against his arm like a little cat.
He cupped the side of her face and turned it to him. He’d needed to kiss her since early morning. “You’re always going to be my princess, Soleil.”
“I want that, Ice,” she admitted.
There were stars in her eyes. That look he craved—as if she worshipped him and the ground he walked on. She looked at him as if there were no other men in the world, certainly not worthy of her. He was it. The only one. Her only one.
He brought his lips to hers. Gently. Reverently. Just a brush. A whisper. His tongue touched that curve along the bottom. He knew it intimately. Knew the taste and texture of her. He felt that touch all the way to his soul. She parted her lips for him, and his tongue swept into the velvet heat. That place that took him away from his past and the dark demons that were always poised so close, waiting to devour him.
Kissing Soleil was like stepping into a different world. Fireworks played behind his eyes, as sensations poured through his body. He was gentle because his woman deserved gentle, but as always, that rapidly developed into a firestorm of flames and need, until he was devouring her. He loved the taste of her. He loved the way her body melted into his and her mouth gave back that scorching-hot fire until he was burning from the inside out.
When he lifted his head, Ice knew he was so far gone, there was no going back. His relationship with Soleil wasn’t about sex anymore. He hadn’t kept it there. There was no keeping their bond to that, not when just looking at her made him happy. His thumbs rubbed gently over her beautiful cheekbones.
“You’re going to have to surface, baby.”
“I know. But this has been a beautiful dream, Ice. You gave me this last month, and it’s been the loveliest time I can ever remember having.”
He heard Absinthe’s Harley come up their drive. He wasn’t alone, which didn’t surprise Ice. They were all trying to get Soleil used to them, especially after what had happened that morning. At least the attack site was a good distance from their compound. There had been too many disappearances lately, and the sheriff kept coming back to the bar with questions.
They all liked Jonas Harrington, the local sheriff. He appeared easygoing. He knew just about everyone up and down the coast. He knew their families. He was well liked for a reason. He was a good man. On the other hand, he was very intelligent and good at his job. Outwitting a man like him wasn’t easy. They didn’t need him to find a connection between the dead men and Soleil—or their club.
Absinthe and whoever had come with him parked their bikes outside and came to the front door. As a rule, no one bothered knocking, and they didn’t now. They just walked in. They were used to nudity, to anything, even private moments they might stumble across.
Ice used his arm to keep Soleil in place when she would have stood up and probably put distance between them. He wanted her to get used to the club members’ ways with one another so that she’d eventually be just as easy around them as he was.
“Absinthe, Code, Mechanic, come on in.” Ice waved them toward the chairs. “We were just talking about filing the papers and making certain Winston and his crew don’t get ahead of us.”
Absinthe pulled one of the comfortable chairs around to face them, seating himself opposite Soleil. Code set up close to the end table so he could set his computer there. Mechanic stretched out, legs in front of him, looking for all the world as if he were lazy and about to go to sleep. It was a very deceptive pose.
“Princess, you’re comfortable with Absinthe, Code and Mechanic, right?”
“Of course.” She sat up straight. “Thanks for coming here, instead of me having to go to the clubhouse. It’s been a little shocking today. I needed . . .” She looked around her. “Something familiar. I just needed to be home.”
Ice’s heart clenched hard in his chest and his stomach did a slow roll. She thought of their house as home. He couldn’t have asked for a better gift. He’d needed to hear that. He had been secretly worried that after he told her about their past, she might think less of his brothers and treat them differently, but if there was a difference, she was more open to their friendship than ever.
“Any opportunity to get on my bike is a good one,” Absinthe said.
“I’m sorry I freaked out on all of you earlier,” Soleil continued.
“Babe. Really?” Absinthe returned. “There was every reason to freak out. Glad you’re feeling better.”
She smiled, and Ice threaded his fingers through her hand. Absinthe got down to business, taking her step by step through the process—and extensive paperwork—of hiring him as her personal lawyer. His credentials were impeccable. Code had seen to that. From hiring him, they went next to making certain to file papers stating that Donald Monroe had been fired as of the date a month earlier she’d officially terminated him. Then more papers declaring he was to cease and desist from acting falsely on her behalf and that he had no authority whatsoever to act on her behalf.
“You’re going to have to make a public appearance soon, but let’s give it a few days so we can see what their reaction is,” Absinthe advised.
“Ice said it was possible they would demand some kind of competency hearing and they might have a corrupt judge and they’d get them to turn me over to Winston.”
Absinthe’s eyebrow shot up. He turned his head to look at Ice with cool eyes. Absinthe’s eyes were so light blue they were like two crystals. At times they were strangely opaque, as if they could see through things, rather than their outward appearance. “You told her that? I can assure you, both of you, that won’t happen. They can try. I even expect them to try, but they won’t get away with it.”
“But, Absinthe, if they have a corrupt judge . . .” Soleil looked and sounded scared.
Ice put his arm around her and pulled her close to his body. “Seriously, Soleil, do you think I’m the kind of man to let someone take my woman from me?”
Mechanic didn’t open his eyes. “Or that we’re the kind of club that allows some jack-off to take one of ours away and mess with her? Not happening.”
Code looked up. He’d been busy ensuring everything Absinthe wanted was done. “Babe. Really? The first mention of a judge’s name and I’ve got all I need to find out everything about him, especially if the name is the same one you gave us. We can take him down before he can p
ut on his robes. And when we take someone down, we do it hard, so it’s very difficult to get back up.”
Ice sent him a look that said to shut the hell up. “You don’t have to worry about those things, princess. Absinthe will do that for you, and he’s very good at his job. I know because he brags all the time.” He got the smile he’d hoped for. Soleil seemed to relax a little, the tension easing out of her slowly.
“Thanks, everyone. I honestly can’t see what they think they’re going to gain by running to authorities and making the fight public. When they kill me, won’t people be just a little bit suspicious?”
“No one’s killing you,” Absinthe said. “Honey, I need you to let me take your wrist, and I want you to answer as truthfully as you can. Really think about your answers. This is important. I’m not expecting you to lie, there’s no reason to, but sometimes your brain retains something buried deep, and I’ll know and I can ask you more questions. That’s why I said to really think carefully.”
Soleil looked at Ice for direction. He nodded. Now, he was the one who had tension coiling deep, although he knew this wouldn’t hurt her, no matter her answer. Absinthe leaned toward her and she extended her arm. He was careful to keep her comfortable, not making her stretch too far or lean forward. Absinthe loosely circled her wrist, but two fingers were over her pulse—that lifeline.
“Have you ever heard the names Yeger Kushnir or Basil Alanis before this morning? Have you met them? Did Winston ever mention them?”
Soleil frowned and nodded her head slowly. “Winston liked to go to fund-raising events, and he always wanted me to meet the right people. He gave me a list of names to memorize so I could be nice and smile and pretend we were all going to be friends. Kushnir was on the list. This morning I didn’t mention it because, honestly, I didn’t recognize him. When I first saw him, he was wearing a tux and looking—and acting—very sophisticated. But he was on the list.”
She ran her palm up and down Ice’s thigh, revealing her nerves. “I’m sorry, Ice, I should have remembered. I couldn’t hear what you were saying most of the time. I was pretty far away, and it happened so fast.”
“Babe, look at me,” Absinthe said. “No one’s upset with you. The circumstances weren’t the best. How did Winston know Kushnir?”
“They didn’t really interact much. They stood next to each other at the bar, and I know they exchanged at least pleasantries. Kushnir looked at me a couple of times while they were talking.”
Absinthe glanced at Ice. It was possible Winston was bargaining with Kushnir to see if it was worth his while to spare her life and sell her into the world of human trafficking. He’d make money on her as well as get rid of her, although it would be more complicated to get her money out of the trust.
“What do you know about him?” Absinthe persisted.
“Only that he owns a string of real estate businesses as well as an export business in San Francisco.”
“Perfect for human trafficking,” Mechanic muttered.
Absinthe ignored him. “Did Winston ever talk about a connection with him? School? A past of any kind?”
She shook her head. “No. He actually didn’t reveal much about himself at all. What he did tell me was never about his friends, only how difficult his childhood was.”
“Difficult?” Absinthe pushed.
“He was very broken up when his parents divorced. He was seventeen, and he said it tore him up and he’s never been over it.”
“Tough life,” Absinthe said, straightening up in his chair and letting go of her wrist. “So grateful I didn’t have his problems growing up.”
“Yeah,” Mechanic confirmed. “I’m with you there.”
Code made a rude noise and Ice laughed, leaning in to brush a kiss along Soleil’s temple.
FIFTEEN
The roar of pipes was extremely loud as fifteen hundred motorcycles went down the highway and through small towns and large cities in formation, with more clubs joining them along the way. The entire Torpedo Ink club rode together. There were forty-five members and seven prospects. Ice had forgotten to tell Soleil the club had a second chapter in Trinity, and they came down to be supportive of the run. The Demons, a club they were allied with, rode directly behind them.
It was strange to ride with so many others wearing their colors. The twenty-five newer members had come from another one of the schools in Russia. Theirs had been brutal, but it had been a legitimate school to train the students as agents. Casimir Prakenskii, birth brother to Czar, had gone to Trinity to oversee their club, as the entire club had been patched over. Now, there was at least one more club asking to be patched over as well. Czar hadn’t met with them yet. He was leery of growing their club too fast. He didn’t want any more attention called to them than was strictly necessary.
Each of the schools was different, but all trained the children of their political enemies to be assassins and spies for their country. Ice liked knowing those riding with him could handle themselves in any situation. They’d taken the time to get to know one another as well. That helped to make him feel comfortable enough to go on a run with them wearing the Torpedo Ink colors. They couldn’t afford a hothead who would start fights that ended up in wars with other clubs.
Torpedo Ink did their best to stay under the Diamondbacks’ radar. That had become impossible when they’d helped the club get back the Mendocino chapter’s wife from kidnappers. Now, they all knew, the club was watching them closely.
Ice reveled in the roar of the pipes as they made their way down the highway. There was nothing like riding on a hot afternoon, surrounded by family and friends, knowing the party started when you set up your camp. Behind him, Soleil was wrapped around him, her tits pressed tightly into his back. He felt them in spite of the jacket he wore. He grinned remembering her little sniff of disdain when he showed her the “Property of Ice” on the back of her jacket and vest. Torpedo Ink. He fucking loved that.
She hadn’t fought him on it, and he caught her twice running her hand lovingly over the patches on the back. She’d been on safaris before, but she hadn’t actually roughed it camping. Czar had sent Fatei and Hitch ahead of them in the RV he’d acquired from somewhere, in the way Czar seemed to be able to get whatever he needed. If worse came to worst, Soleil could always sleep in the RV with Blythe. He hoped not. He had plans.
Ice patted Soleil’s hand as he drove through the city with the formation of bikers. The lights were blocked off so there was a steady stream of motorcycles going through, instead of having to wait for lights. There was something majestic about all the bikes moving together. He loved being a part of that.
Soleil could quiet his demons just by being around him. Just with her smile alone. When he fucked her, she drowned out every vile act he’d ever committed or seen until there was only her soft skin and her hot body squeezing his like a silken vise, taking him to paradise. Riding with the others, her at his back, the vibrations of his bike going through him, he was having the best of his world.
It took hours for them to reach their destination. They stopped a few times to eat and use the bathroom, but for the most part, they kept going to reach their final goal. When they got to the massive campground, each club broke off and claimed their site, some as far from the Diamondbacks as possible. Ice didn’t give a damn about them. He’d come to party. To have a good time. To show his woman they could have fun no matter where they were. To find the Venomous club and Fred, who Torpedo Ink had a very big score to settle with.
“It’s hot,” Soleil observed as she spun around in a wide circle, taking in everything.
Fatei had claimed a good space for them. He’d set up quite a few places for them to sleep, around each of the firepits. Ice deliberately chose a section for them toward the center, but just on the right edge that bordered another club’s camp. He set up their sleeping bags and then snagged her hand so they could walk around, and he could
show her where the bathrooms and showers were.
The sun was sinking, bathing the sky into all shades of orange, red and pink. He liked watching his woman when she walked. She looked classy. There was an innocence about her, even though she wore a tank where the lace just edged the top of her nipples. The tank was tight, but it had pulled down some in the front on the ride and there was no mirror for her to notice. He wasn’t going to tell her because she looked sexy and he liked that.
Storm came up on the other side of Soleil and they walked her to the ladies’ room. The line wasn’t that long yet and she was able to get in fairly quickly. Alena and Lana appeared out of nowhere and slipped inside with her—just in case. Women could pick a fight just as easily as men. The bathroom was the one place Ice worried he couldn’t protect her, but he had family, and they helped.
The three women returned together, talking softly, laughing at something Soleil had said, giving Ice plenty of time to look at what was his. She hadn’t yanked up her top. He couldn’t imagine that she hadn’t looked into the mirror, but she’d left the lace right where it was—for him. He knew she had. She knew he liked showing her off, and she didn’t mind being seen.
His body tightened. His cock became steel. His heart reacted, pounding in his chest. That part of him that he’d held aloof crumbled like tumbling bricks. He loved her. Loved everything about her, and he didn’t even know when it had happened. He held out his hand to her, waiting to see her expression. Needing it.
Her gaze touched on his hand and then jumped to his face. His cock jerked so hard he was afraid of embarrassing himself. It throbbed and pulsed along to his heartbeat. That look was there. Reverence. Almost worship. The tip of her tongue slid around her lips, moistening them, making him ache even more. Her hand slipped into his and just that small touch of her skin against his nearly shattered him.
Vendetta Road Page 32
