“According to what I could find out, he married the president’s daughter, but she’s been missing for a couple of years.”
I sit up straight in my chair and link my hands together in front of me. “You think he killed her?”
Tracker shrugs. “Not much I can find out about her. Only that her name is Teresa, and she’s an only child. Her mom died in childbirth.”
I nod then look over at Prez and open my hands. “So what’s the plan?”
“I’ve got Tracker here trying to find out exactly where they are. We’ve got eyes on the clubhouse and it’s empty, from what the prospects tell me. Just a couple of men patrolling the gates. If it was them who took the girl, then they could still be around.”
“What you want me to do, Prez?” I ask.
“You go down to Mike’s Bar, take Rhyder with you, and find out if he’s seen any bikers come through. Trigger, take a couple of men with you and ride around town, checking out motels. See if you can find bikes parked around any of them.” Trigger nods, and Prez continues. “I want all eyes and ears open. You find out anything, you call me. I’m gonna work with Tracker to see what else we can find.”
I look at Tracker; I need to grab him before I leave.
“Church is out,” Prez declares, slamming the gavel down.
Tess
Water splashes over my face, and I’m grabbed by the shirt and lifted up off the floor. I stand there, my legs weak as jelly and my head aching.
Viper leans me up against the basin, and I reach one hand up to the back of my head, feeling bruised and sore. Fortunately I’m not bleeding, not sure how I would have explained that to Lu.
“Listen here, Teresa, you’re one lucky woman. I’m letting you go for now, but don’t think I won’t be back and taking what is mine,” Viper says, his voice projecting his promise in every word. “You see, our reunion came a little too quick. I had plans to make it special, but when I saw you, walking into the café, I couldn’t believe my luck. There you were, alone, without that fucker by your side. What’s his name…?” he asks, but not really needing to. He knows…. He plays the game, though, planting his finger against his temple, pretending he’s trying to remember, then he smiles and looks at me. “Blaze, is it?”
“Don’t you dare touch him,” I cry out, but stop when pain thumps through my head.
“You shouldn’t have said that,” he threatens, his eyes crazy. “You see, Teresa, I’ve been watching you for weeks now, did you think that you could hide from me forever?” He gives a tsk. “Let’s just say I’ve been a little… busy, lately.”
My eyes widen, did he say weeks? He’s been watching me for weeks? Fuck! He must know not only about Blaze, but that I now live under the protection of the Blood Brothers.
“That’s right, Teresa, weeks,” he repeats, smirking at me. “At first, when I found you with that fucking club, I almost gave up my identity and ruined our first encounter by stabbing the motherfucker.” He leans in and sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, leaving what feels like a nasty cut when he bites down hard. “You’re mine, and only mine.” He growls then, licking his lips, tasting my blood on his tongue.
I wince when I lick along the ridges of the cut on my split lip, then gain some courage, hoping that he will listen. “Please, Viper, let me go,” I plead, covering his hand, which is now around my neck with mine.
His other hand locks into a fist, and fear fills me when I think that he may hit me again, but then he loosens it and moves it around his body, pulling out a phone from his back pocket. With one hand still squeezing my neck, he lifts the phone up to my face, and my eyes focus on it.
“What’s that for?” I ask, confused when he doesn’t elaborate, just holds it there.
He laughs bitterly. “This is for you, Teresa.”
“But I don’t need a phone.”
He lifts his lips in a smirk, his cigarette-stained teeth showing. “You will carry this phone with you at all times. It has a tracker on it, so don’t think of running, because I will find you.” He pushes me further against the basin; I’m practically sitting on it. “And if I find out that you’ve gotten rid of it, I will come to that motherfucking club and shoot your lover right between his eyes.”
Blaze. Oh God, Blaze. I don’t doubt for one second that Viper will do it. He’s crazy and gets off on hurting people.
“Tell him that I was here, and I will gut him.”
What have I done? Why did I ever think that I could get away from Viper? “Why not take me now and be done with it?” I say in a shaky voice.
“It’s not part of the plan, Teresa.”
“What plan?” I blurt out. He squeezes my throat tighter and I gasp for air, my face heating as blood rushes to my head.
“Don’t fucking ask me club business, woman.” His hand loosens slightly, and he leans in to kiss me. I turn my head to the side, desperate to not let his lips touch mine. Instead he sucks on my earlobe and nips at it. “Tell me, Teresa, is he a better fuck than me?”
I snap my head toward his, fresh tears now rolling freely down my cheeks, hating that Viper is asking me questions about Blaze. I want to scream out how he is indeed better, want to yell how he makes me feel when he’s inside me, like I’ve been created just for him. And how when he makes love to me, he doesn’t hurt me or make me feel used, he cherishes my body with his hands and mouth. But I don’t because I know that is exactly what Viper wants: a reason to hit me.
He laughs. “Oh, Teresa, if I’m not mistaken, I’d say you want to hit me”—how true those words are—“but you won’t,” he states, clear disappointment in his voice. Viper loves a fight, but I’m not going to give him one. I know all too well what will happen if I do.
He finally lets go of my neck and steps back, then grabs my hand and places the phone in it. “I will be in touch, and when I call,” he demands, pointing a finger at me, “you will answer. Don’t, and I will assume you’ve run, and you know what happens then, don’t you?” I can’t speak, I just nod. “That’s right, baby. Now come and give your husband a goodbye kiss before I fuck you right here and now, just to remind you whose cock owns you.”
My body freezes. How can I kiss him when all I want to do is scratch his face to pieces? He rubs his hand over his hardening crotch, and I swallow hard, trying to keep my panic at bay. He looks at his watch then and curses. “Looks like I’m going to have to wait till I have more time. Then I can feel your pussy once again around my cock.
A sigh of relief fills me, but that doesn’t last because without warning, he smashes his chest to mine and forces his hand down into my jeans and underwear. I cry out in pain when two of his fingers squeeze my clit, the pain unbearable. His hand quickly covers my mouth as he begins to thrust two fingers inside me. It feels as though his fingers are made out of sandpaper as he struggles to enter with no lubrication.
Finally, he removes them and brings them to his lips, sucking them both into his mouth. “Mmm, I missed your fucking taste.” He slowly removes them with a pop. His other hand falls from my mouth, only to be replaced by a hard kiss. I don’t move, can’t, I just stay still, not responding to his probing tongue. One of his hands cups my breast, and he pinches my nipple hard. I cry out, and that’s when he slips his tongue into my mouth, sucking and licking at my tender lips. His taste is revolting, and I want to gag. I let him have his way, though, anything to not anger him. Inside I’m screaming, I want to rake my fingernails down his face and knee him in his balls, but I don’t, I keep it together.
Suddenly he steps back and licks his lips. “Until next time, baby,” he says with a cruel smile, and I squeeze my fists closed, trying to control my rage as he turns around and unlocks the bathroom door.
“Remember, I’ll be watching you,” he says over his shoulder and then leaves.
I stare at the door for a few seconds, and then the frightening realization dawns on me. He found me.
Tess
I quietly open the restroom door and shove the phone from Viper into my back pocket. I
tiptoe out into the hallway of the café, sneaking my head around the corner to look into the main room. Luisa is still sitting at our table, her back toward me. I can’t go back there, she’ll see my cut lip and bruised cheek and I’ll be forced to try to explain what happened, and I just can’t do that right now.
She’s typing away on her phone, distracted by whatever is on her screen, so I quickly sprint to the café’s front door and head out onto the street, hailing a cab as soon as I’m out of sight of the café.
“Where to, miss?” the driver asks as I slide into the back seat with my phone in hand.
“Just drive,” I reply urgently, staring out the rear window of the cab at the café and then glancing back to the driver.
He looks over his shoulder at me and raises his eyebrows. “Sorry, did you say just drive?”
I quickly shoot my gaze from his to the café, and then back to the front of the cab, panic filling me. I tap the driver’s seat and say urgently, “Just drive, now!”.
He finally understands and takes off, and I sit back in my seat, blowing out a relieved breath, shutting my eyes and trying to calm myself down. He just drives around for a little while until I can figure out where I’m going to go. I can’t go back to the club, not looking like this, anyway, Blaze will want answers, and I can’t explain it all right now. I also don’t know how he’ll react.
I chew on my lip, forgetting about the cut, and wince at the sting. “Where can I go?” I whisper to myself. I don’t want to be alone right now, not after seeing Viper.
My phone rings and I jump in my seat, worried that it’s Viper, but then realize it’s from my phone, not the one he’s given me. I look down at the screen; Luisa is calling me. I quickly dismiss the call, feeling guilt about abandoning her at the café like I did, but then a thought comes to my mind—Jeff, that’s where I’ll go. Jeff won’t say a thing, and I can trust him, he’s never given me reason not to. And Jeff won’t push me to tell him what happened, he isn’t like that.
I search my phone for his number and dial it. It rings endlessly, and I almost hang up, when finally he answers, sounding out of breath. “Yo.”
“Jeff?”
“That you, Tess?”
I look out my window at the busy streets we’re travelling through. “Yeah, it’s me. Why are you out of breath?” I can’t help but ask.
“I was just punching a bag, why? What’s up?”
I pause for a second, then say, “I… I need a favor.”
“So what is it? You need me to open the shop tomorrow?” he asks, then a gulping sound, like he’s drinking.
“Um… no, that’s not it…. I… um….” Ugh.
“Spit it out, Tess. You’ve never held back from me before.”
I manage a slight smile, knowing he’s right. I don’t hold back when I disagree with something Jeff says. I inhale a shaky breath, worried that he might say no to me coming over. I really have no one else to turn to.
“I was wondering if it would be okay… if I came over?” I say hesitantly, chewing on a fingernail.
“You wanna come here? Now? What’s going on, Tess?”
“Jeff, please,” I plead, my emotions causing my throat to clog and a single tear to roll down my cheek. “I just need somewhere to stay for a while, I can’t go into more detail right now.”
“Did something happen with you and Blaze?”
I shake my head even though he can’t see me. “No, nothing like that. Please, Jeff, I have no one else to turn to.”
I hear him let go of a breath on the other end of the phone. “Tess, I don’t want a mad biker club at my doorstep, you sure you and Blaze are fine?”
“I promise, now are you gonna let me come or what?” I say, getting a little irritated now. I thought he was my friend, what the hell is he worried about? I’d never put him in a dangerous situation like that.
“Okay, come over, you know where I’m at?”
“Yes, I do. I’ll see you in fifteen.”
I end the call and give directions to the driver to Jeff’s apartment. He eyes me in the rearview mirror and nods his head. Once we arrive, I pay him using my phone, forgetting that I left my purse back at the café. My phone vibrates, and once I’m on the sidewalk in front of Jeff’s building and the cab pulls away, I check my phone. It’s a text from Lu: Where are you? I’m worried, you just left without saying a word, please let me know you’re okay.
Shit, I don’t want to worry her. I know what I did to her was a bitch move, but I have my reasons. Not wanting her to stress out, I reply, Hey, I’m fine, just wasn’t feeling well and had to leave. I promise I’m ok. I’ll see you later.
Right away, Lu replies back: Where are you? I called the club and you’re not there. Do you need anything?
No I’m fine, thanks Lu. I promise I’ll call if I need you.
I start walking toward the entrance to Jeff’s building, but pause as Lu’s next text comes through: Okay girl, I still don’t forgive you for leaving, you have some explaining to do.
I manage a small smile and shoot back, I’m sorry again. I’ll explain soon.
I stow my phone in my back pocket and push the buzzer that’s under the name Jeff Hamilton, apartment fourteen.
“Tess, that you?” His voice comes out scratchy through the speaker.
“Yeah, it’s me, can you let me up, please?”
A loud buzz sounds and the heavy gate unlocks with a click. I push it open and walk through, and it shuts with a bang behind me. I open the thick glass front door to the building itself and look around the lobby for something to let me know which level apartment fourteen is on. The second floor, according to the sign next to the lift. I enter the empty lift and press the button for the second floor, to head up. I lean up against the wall and fold my arms as cliché elevator music sounds through the speakers above. I hesitantly run featherlight fingers down my cheek where Viper hit me; it’s throbbing, and I wince in pain when my fingers touch a tender spot. It feels swollen and bruised, making it difficult to make any sort of movement of my face, any reaction.
The lift arrives at the second floor and I exit, turning left toward the rows of apartment doors lining the well-lit hallway. I don’t need to even look for number fourteen because Jeff is standing half outside his apartment and waving to me.
He smiles as I approach, but then his cheerful look turns to one of concern. “What the fuck happened, Tess?” he growls, his anger evident in his voice. I don’t say anything, but when he lifts his hand to touch my face, I lean away, knowing it will hurt. His eyebrows pinch together. “Who did this to you? Was it Blaze?”
My eyes widen in shock; Blaze would never hurt me. He would never lay a hand on me. “No.” I shake my head. “It wasn’t Blaze. Can I just come in?” I ask, my body sore and tense from all the happenings of the day.
Sympathy fills his eyes, and he runs his hands down his face. “Sorry, Tess, where’s my head?” He opens up his apartment door further and steps aside so I can enter. “Come in and have a seat, I’ll get an ice pack for your cheek.”
I follow him inside and close the door behind me. Jeff walks over to his kitchen and opens the freezer. He’s dressed in basketball shorts, a tank top, and sneakers. I didn’t notice before, but he’s covered in sweat and has a towel draped around his neck.
“I’m so sorry I interrupted your training session,” I say when I notice his boxing bag in the corner of his apartment, sweat staining the black leather and still swaying just a touch. A large mirror hangs on the wall opposite the punching bag. Obviously he was working out before I got here, just like he said on the phone.
His apartment is industrial-like—concrete walls, wooden floorboards, stone benchtops. There are two concrete pillars in the center of the room, and pictures of tattoos he’s drawn hanging from them. I know they’re his drawings because he’s tattooed those images on Gunner; I remember being in awe of Jeff, his creativity. Fans hang from high ceilings, and large floor-to-ceiling windows around the apartment bring in
beautiful light. “Do you own this apartment?” I can’t help asking.
Jeff takes out an ice pack from the freezer, and replies, “Nope, just renting it.”
“It’s a beautiful place.”
He looks up at me, then his gaze roams the room. “Yeah, I think so too.”
Magazines and empty beer bottles and pizza boxes cover the coffee table, and sneakers, socks, and boots litter the floor of the apartment. Dirty laundry is strewn over the couch and floor, and Jeff picks up some of it on his way back to me, looking apologetic. “Sorry, Tess, I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
I shrug and look around. “Don’t worry about me, I live at a clubhouse, remember?”
He laughs. “Yeah, you’re right, what was I thinking?” he says with a smirk. “Have a seat.” He points to the cleared couch, and I do as he says and sit down, pulling one of his cushions into my lap. Jeff sits down next to me and turns to face me, the ice pack in his hand. Gently he places it on my cheek, and I hold my breath, feeling it ache under the slight pressure, but then it’s numbed by the coldness of the pack. “Here, hold it there, I’m gonna go make you a tea.” I do as he says and lay back on the couch, listening to the comforting sound of a kettle boiling and cups clattering in the kitchen.
It’s not long before he’s handing me a warm cup of tea, and I take it with my free hand. “Thanks.”
He sits opposite me and starts to drink his own tea. “How does it feel?” he asks after a few sips, putting his mug down on the cluttered coffee table. I remove the ice pack from my cheek and go to place it on the coffee table, but he stops me, saying, “Put it back on.”
“But it’s feeling better.”
“Put it back on, Tess, you have a nasty bruise there.” He picks up his tea and wraps a large hand around the mug.
I take his advice and rest it on my cheek once again. Sipping my tea, I notice Jeff staring at me intently, his head tilted to the side as he taps at his mug with his finger. I raise my eyebrows at him. “What?”
Tess Property of Blaze: Book #5 in the Blood Brothers MC Series Page 6
