“What if the cut burns up, and they can’t tell it was the Scoundrels?” Viper asked.
They’d been over it a hundred time since Sarge devised the plan last night, but he seemed to understand Viper needed to hear it one more time. “If you put the body where we discussed, it should be far enough to get charred but not fully cooked. The club will tell the cops the place was empty, which will hopefully keep the search to a minimum. If all goes well, they’ll just assume we’re dead.”
The plan was risky. Fox wouldn’t just let his son’s death go unretaliated. He’d bring war to the Scoundrels door. At some point though, sooner rather than later, it’d come out that none of the Scoundrels actually burned up in a fire. The jig would be up, and Viper and Sarge would be enemy number one as far as the club was concerned. There’d be a manhunt. The club’s reach was far and wide. The only hope they had was getting away far enough and fast enough before that happened.
“I’ll take the girl to the motel in Oregon. No stops along the way.”
“Right,” Sarge said. “And I’ll meet you there.”
The trickiest part would be getting out of town without being seen. They planned to stay at a motel a few hours out of the state and lay low for the next few days before heading east.
“And this place we’re heading, what’s it called again?” Viper asked.
“Townsend. It’s in Tennessee. At the base of the Smoky Mountains.”
“How’d you hear about it.”
“They’ve got a club. One percenters, but definitely not into this kinda shit,” he said pointing toward the shack.
Easy to assume, but he’d have said the same about his own club two days ago. Never again would he walk into a situation blind and stupid. “So you say.”
Sarge grunted. “True. When I was getting out of the army, I almost prospected there. Came here instead to be closer to my folks.”
“All right, brother, let’s do this shit.” Viper held his fist out.
When Sarge bumped his against it, their gazes collided. Neither was comfortable with the decision to flee the club, but they’d come up with no other viable option. Viper couldn’t remain loyal to a club involved in the kidnapping and selling of women. That was the bottom line.
The fact that he’d be leaving his family, leaving the only life he’d know hadn’t exactly sunk in yet. His entire life, he’d been preached to about loyalty, brotherhood, club family. He still believed in all those things even if he’d be labeled a traitor. A disloyal deserter who the club wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
Legacy or not.
Thing of it was, he saw the situation differently. He and Sarge weren’t the disloyal ones. The rest of the club earned that title. They’d kept secrets, tricked their prospects, and pulled Viper into something Fox had known his son would object to.
Fox knew Vanessa’s rape and death tore Viper up like nothing else.
And the fucker had been committing similar acts all along.
“Eyes open, watch your six the whole time,” Sarge said as they started toward the shack. He’d be on the lookout outside. Viper felt he’d connected with the woman, and probably had the highest chance of convincing her to leave with them. Worse came to worse, they’d knock her out, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
He’d watch his six all right. Especially once there was a gorgeous woman nestled against it on his bike.
Chapter Three
Cassie had thought through every possible escape scenario she could drum up, and each one ended in failure.
She’d never be able to overpower whoever was on guard.
She couldn’t break the wrist bindings securing her to the bed—she’d been trying for hours.
When they released her for a bathroom trip, she couldn’t outrun the long-legged man watching her.
Screaming would be fruitless. She’d noticed the lack of neighbors when they pulled in.
Offering the men money had been a flop.
Threatening them with her parent’s wrath hadn’t worked either.
That left one option. A sickening one, but considering what was in store for her, she’d have to get used to the idea.
Seduction. Maybe if she offered a blowjob or even sex one of them would let her go. Her stomach twisted and turned at the idea.
Though not completely innocent, she was a virgin, and wasn’t exactly planning to cash in her V-card as a bargaining chip. But if it would work to get her out of here?
She might just have to.
What waited for her on the other side would be far worse than one romp with a biker.
So, she shored up her courage and ignored the internal voice screaming at her not to do this. Just as she was about to call out to whoever was babysitting, the door to her room opened up.
“You,” she said on a gasp as the man from the previous night stepped into the room. As if by instinct, some of the fear dissipated. Despite his scowl, and the authority radiating from him, she knew deep down, this man wouldn’t hurt her.
“What’s your name?” he asked, not moving from his spot.
“C-Cassie,” she said. “Cassandra.” She held as still as possible as if not moving would somehow make her safer.
“Will anyone be looking for you?”
She studied him. He might not harm her outright, but he was one of them. Wouldn’t these guys die before betraying their motorcycle clubs? Or was that just in the made for TV version? Something compelled her to tell the truth. “Um, I’m not entirely sure.” She cleared her throat and fought to hold his intense milk-chocolate gaze. “Normally, I’d say yes. But I had a falling out with my family. Which was why I was at that bar and distracted. Your guy slipped something in my drink and…”
He nodded, face tightening as though he didn’t approve. Then why was he with them? Could he be an undercover cop?
“Your folks rich? Powerful?”
Ahh, so one of them was willing to take money. Not an undercover cop. “Yes! They’ll pay.” Would they? Her father had cut her off, told her she was no longer in his will. Not that she’d taken a dime from him in ages, most of her money came from a trust set up by her grandparents. They’d known what controlling assholes her parents were. Throughout her schooling, she lived off that money but planned to earn her own once she graduated and began working. “Or I will if they won’t. I have money.”
He tilted his head and stared at her. He really was attractive. Not like any man she’d ever felt an interest in before. Raw power radiated from him. She bet there wasn’t anything in the world this man was afraid of.
Must be nice.
His gaze heated her unclothed skin, eliciting a tremor from her.
“Shit,” he said, shrugging out of his leather vest. He tossed it on the bed then drew his hooded sweatshirt over his head.
Cassie flattened herself against the headboard. Gone was the bravado of a few moments before. Now that the opportunity to sex her way out of this was upon her, the concept was repulsive, despite how hot he was.
But instead of getting naked and coming for her, he tossed her the sweatshirt, making her jaw drop.
“Um, I can’t…” She held up her right arm which was bound to the bedpost.
“Fuck, sorry,” he said, stalking toward her. He didn’t stop until he was right up in her personal space. The scent of tobacco and some kind of manly deodorant surrounded her. God, that was an arousing smell. Beneath her bra, her nipples peaked.
Terrified one second, aroused the next. What the hell was happening to her? Some kind of Stockholm syndrome? That had to be it. There was no other reason for her to be drawn to the man whose true intentions were unknown to her.
“W-what’s your name?” she asked more to distract herself from the inappropriate lust than to really learn his name.
“Viper.” He drew a long blade from a sheath on his belt. “Just gonna cut the ropes off you, babe? Okay?”
Babe? What? And how on earth was someone so hard able to hold her arm so gently? “Okay,” sh
e whispered, emotion clogging her throat. She’d managed to keep it together through slaps, drugging, and groping, but a caring touch was nearly her undoing.
“Won’t cut you, I promise.”
“Okay,” she said again, at a loss for anything more substantial. The blade sliced through the tight ropes with just a few vigorous back and forth saws. The moment her hands were free, she sighed and rotated her sore wrists. “Why do they call you Viper?”
“I’m mean as fuck and strike fast.”
Okay then. Her eyes widened then almost fell out of her face when he started to work the sweatshirt over her head. Once she’d pushed her arms through the very long sleeves, she swallowed and said, “Thank you.” Warmth immediately surrounded her like a comforting hug. The fabric smelled just like him, and the metaphorical hug became a little more intimate. And arousing.
“You’re free,” he said.
Cassie’s heart stuttered. “W-what? Are you serious?”
Viper nodded. Yeah, the man was serious. She had a feeling he was always serious. “You have anywhere to go? Anywhere I can take you?”
Did she have anywhere to go?
No, she did not. Not two days ago, she’d found out her married father was screwing her best friend and had been since she turned eighteen. And how did she find out? Well, that would be because her four months pregnant ex-friend showed up at her apartment sobbing and begging for advice. The entire story spilled out in a torrent of tears and hysterics. Cassie supposed if she’d been a better person, she’d have felt some compassion or even pity toward her friend, but she didn’t. She’d felt rage, hatred, and betrayal.
After kicking her bawling friend out, Cassie had turned her fury on her father. All that accomplished was being told she was acting like a child and to grow up. Excuse her for thinking her fifty-three-year-old father knocking up her twenty-one-year-old best friend was fucked up.
She’d threatened to go to the media if he didn’t support her friend financially and stop seeing her romantically. He’d laughed and said his lawyers would handle it and her “gold-digging” friend would never see a dime. He’d then threatened to cut her off if she went to the media. So she cut herself off and stormed out of the house determined never to return. Maybe had this been the first twisted offense her father had committed, Cassie would have considered forgiving him, but her father’s sexual proclivities had him in hot water on more than a few occasions.
He was part of the wealthy, corporate, high society elite, yet he was far trashier than the man sitting beside her. The man her father would consider the lowest of low. She wanted no part of that life anymore. It was chock full of lies, manipulation, and greed.
“No, I don’t.” Absently, she rubbed her sore wrist. “Have anywhere to go that is.”
Viper took hold of her right forearm. Lifting it to his eyes level, he studied the angry red gouges she received struggling against the ropes. “Shit. I didn’t think to bring a first aid kit. There won’t be anything here.” Once again, his touch was so gentle she’d have never thought it possible.
“It’s okay. It can wait until we, uh, I get somewhere.”
With a heavy sigh, he pressed his lips to the raw marks. Cassie gasped as electricity shot straight up her arms and to her nipples.
Before she had a chance to say anything, he repeated the gesture with her other, un-harmed wrist then lowered them to her lap. “I’m heading to Oregon tonight to hole up for a few days. When it’s safe, my buddy and I are driving out east. You can come with us tonight then decide what to do from there. You just can’t ever tell anyone what happened here tonight.”
Her head spun with the new information. “But, wait, you’re leaving your club?”
He nodded, solemn as ever. “Won’t be welcome once they realize we let you go.”
Wide-eyed, she shook her head. “We can come up with a lie. I’ll say I knocked you out or something. You can’t give up your life for me.”
The smile he gave her was sad, almost defeated. “You think I could stay with those men knowing what they’re doing to women? Knowing what they were doing to you?”
Their gazes locked in a stare that felt far too intimate considering they’d met ten minutes prior. “I don’t know you,” she whispered.
Another sigh. “No, you don’t, do you?” The words were as sorrowful as his eyes. Rising, he moved to the door. “We leave in two hours. You’re free to roam about, but I wouldn’t recommend going outside. Don’t want to risk anyone seeing you. Think I got some sweatpants in my saddle bags. I’ll go check.”
The moment he was gone, the left side of her chest started to ache. Rubbing it with her palm she rose. A few trips around the room worked the kinks out of most of her leg muscles. Her stomach made a very unladylike growl, sending her into the hallway in search of food. What she found had her once again surprised. Viper stood at the stove, cracking eggs and flipping bacon.
“Pants are on the table. You hungry?” he asked, back to her.
How had he known she was there? She’d been virtually silent tiptoeing down the hallway. “Um, yeah, I really am.” She slowly started into the room uncertain of how to act. This entire situation as way beyond bizarre. Five minutes ago, she’d had the feeling she’d offended him by insinuating he’d stay with his club, and now he was cooking for her? “Can I help?”
“Nah, just sit that pretty ass down. I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
Almost exactly ten minutes later, he slid a plate in front of her. It was piled high with fluffy scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, and two pieces of dry white toast.
“Sorry,” he said. “No butter.”
She laughed, a small giggle at first, but it morphed into an uncontrollable belly laugh.
Viper watched her with a look of fascination on his face. “Oh my god,” she said, struggling for control. “I’m losing my mind. No butter. Sure do wish that was my biggest problem right now.”
He gave her a genuine smile. “You’re something else, you know that?”
Her mouth turned down. “What do you mean?”
“You’re tough. Not once have you cried, freaked out, yelled, panicked. And you’re smart. I can see you assessing every situation before you speak. Plus, you’re gorgeous. The whole goddamn package.”
Warmth filled her. Finally, after hours and hours in the shack, she was pleasantly warm. Almost too warm.
“I’ll come with you,” she said, heat rushing to her cheeks.
Fork halfway to his mouth, he said, “Huh?”
“I’ll come with you to Oregon. If the offer’s still on the table.”
For the first time since he walked in her room, he smiled. “Fuck yeah the offers on the table. Get your shit packed,” he said like she was on vacation. “We leave in under two hours.”
Cassie smiled, and for the first time in days, it was genuine.
All thanks to this biker who was giving up his entire life to rescue her.
Chapter Four
“Ready?” Viper asked over his shoulder.
Cassie’s soft laugh had him smiling despite what was about to happen. “To get out of here? Hell, yes, I’m ready. To ride on a motorcycle?”
He could feel her body move as she shrugged behind him, dragging her tits along his back.
She laughed again. “I’m not so sure.”
“You’re ready. Just hang on.”
Her death grip around his waist tightened even further. Viper couldn’t help but chuckle. The woman had guts. She was practically trembling behind him but hadn’t voiced a peep of protest. He respected her for doing what had to be done despite fear, and without bitching. It was an admirable quality not everyone possessed.
“Oh, my God.” She gasped and pointed toward the house. “Viper, look, it’s on fire!”
“I know, baby, that’s our cue to leave. Just wanted to stick around long enough to make sure Sarge lit the place up. We’re out.” He hit the throttle and peeled out, spraying dirt in an arc behind him.
He’d
warned her they wouldn’t be making any stops on the three-hour trip to Beaverton, Oregon. Long ride for someone who’d never been on a motorcycle, but as he’d expected, she didn’t so much as divert his attention away from the road once. In fact, at one point he worried she’d fallen asleep, but when he placed a hand on her thigh and gave it an affectionate squeeze, she threaded her fingers through his and squeezed back. Guess she’d gotten more comfortable riding as time wore on.
Around midnight, they pulled into the sparsely populated parking lot of what could only be described as a no-tell motel. The place was cheap, known for being discrete, and unfriendly toward local police. All things they needed, depending on who came sniffing after them.
By now, the club should be well aware the shack burned up. Viper figured his pops was losing his mind trying to determine if Viper had died, been taken prisoner, or went AWOL. A pang he could no longer ignore hit his heart, and he pressed a hand to the left side of his chest. Not only was he leaving his life behind, but he could never return. Not unless he was looking to die. This decision was life-changing and permanent.
“You okay?” Cassie’s sleepy voice asked in his ear.
“Yeah, babe. I’m good. You must be beat.”
“I could be persuaded to sleep,” she said, humor in her voice.
And just like that, his mood lifted. He liked this woman. Genuinely liked what he’d learned of her and seen from her so far. Maybe he could convince her to join him and Sarge on their cross-country adventure. She’d said she had nowhere to go.
He climbed off the bike then turned to help her down as well. Drawing her into his arms, he smiled at her drowsy face. “Then let’s get you into a bed.”
Immediately, a blush pinked her cheeks, and she stared at his chest instead of his face. He’d meant the bed comment strictly in reference to sleep, but, huh, look at that, the little virgin had a dirty mind. He groaned as she burrowed into his embrace. A dirty mind and a body that fit perfectly in his arms. Like he’d been custom built to absorb her softness.
His dick hardened against her stomach, something she couldn’t possibly miss. Instead of jerking away or acting like he was a lecherous jerk, she sighed and snuggled closer, clearly enjoying her effect on him. “Babe, enough of that or you’re gonna be getting an education you didn’t bargain for, right in this damn parking lot.”
Twisted Tales of Mayhem: 2019 MMM Special Edition Anthology Page 30
