Running on Empty

by SE Jakes

  When the explosion went off, Rios automatically ducked and rolled. Granted, so did Linc and Vann, which probably gave them more credibility than anything.

  “What happened?” Rios demanded.

  “I was standing next to you when it happened,” Linc reminded him. “All I know is it didn’t happen on the ship. And I don’t plan on hanging around to find out what it was.”

  “Ship’s pulling away,” Vann told them. “So should we.” He motioned for Linc to follow him. “Rios, I’ll get you to the lot safely.”

  Rios surprisingly agreed to walk with them. Linc didn’t see the Havoc van in the lot and he hoped that meant things worked out.

  “Tell me about the next shipment,” Linc said.

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  “No way—you’re giving me too short a lead time. I’ve got to let my guys know today if you’ve got a container coming in here within forty-eight hours.”

  Rios frowned. “Same size. Same merchandize. We’ll be in contact tomorrow.”

  Linc nodded and made a show of walking toward the agents as Rios pulled away.

  Vann said, “I planted a tracker on the car. They won’t find it.” He checked his phone. “We’re going to have to wait until he stops moving. Then I have to turn it off while they scan the car. They do that shit.”

  “I guarantee the warehouse is close to the docks—they wouldn’t risk a long haul,” Linc said.

  “Think you’re right.” Vann was staring at his phone. “Tracker’s off.” He showed Linc the coordinates and the map, which pinpointed Rios’s car at a warehouse four blocks away.

  “Make sure he doesn’t move.” Linc called Mercy, who answered on the first ring.

  “You good, babe?” Mercy asked.

  “We’re clear for now,” Linc said. “The girls?”

  “Twenty in all. One of them’s critical—she’s a runaway. Misha’s on the way to the hospital with her. We’re keeping the girls here until nighttime, and then we’ll transport them quietly.”

  “Vann, Jethro and I have to go get the other girls,” Linc said as he saw Jethro and Bram walking toward them, grinning ear to ear, obviously pleased with themselves about the explosion. “We’ve got to do it now.”

  “Castle?”

  “I’m sure he’ll send backup.”

  “So will we, Linc. Let me know the location,” Mercy said firmly, and Linc told him. “I’ll meet you there.”

  Linc didn’t bother to argue this time.

  “Nice distraction,” Vann was telling Bram and Jethro. “Mine would’ve been bigger.”

  Jethro roll his eyes. Bram shot him the finger and asked, “Where’s the other container?”

  “They’re at the warehouse—the abandoned one, close to Bertha’s,” Vann confirmed.

  Jethro looked tense. “Going to be heavily guarded by PX.”

  “Fuck.” Vann ran a hand through his hair.

  “What the hell did you blow up?” Linc asked.

  “We threw some C4 around that Bram had in his pocket,” Jethro said and Bram shrugged like C4 in his pocket was a normal occurrence. “I’m sure we’ll catch shit from it, but it was the best we could do under short notice. You call Castle?”

  Linc was doing that as Jethro spoke. As soon as Castle picked up, Linc told him, “There are more vics at the warehouse where the PX have been squatting.”

  Castle sighed. “You go and you’ll blow your cover.”

  “Then I’ll make sure no one sees me,” Linc shot back. Bram was watching him, shaking his head but not actually saying no. He knew he was taking a chance, but hell, that was part of his job. Either he was all in, or he was done, here and now. And this wasn’t how he wanted to end his job. “I’ve got to see this through, Bram.”

  “I know you do. But you’ll have to get the girls out. You can’t show your face and you know that.”

  Jethro handed him a bandana to wrap his hair in and he also gave Linc his cut. Vann handed over his sunglasses. “Keep those on until you’re in the container. And take them off only if you can’t see. Anyone who sees you? Kill them,” Jethro told him in no uncertain terms. “You can’t leave anyone alive who sees you.”

  “Got it. Let’s go.”

  The ride to the warehouse was quick. They parked around the corner and went in as dusk fell. The men were partying, oblivious to the fact that things hadn’t gone their way that day. Linc saw the container, unattended, the door cracked. He motioned that he was going in and suddenly, Mercy was at his back, following him in.

  Once in, he saw the girls chained against the sides of the container. They shrank back, fearing that he’d hurt them. He put his hand up, went to each one of them on the left side telling them they were safe, releasing them but telling them to stay put. Mercy did the same going down the right side of the container.

  They heard the shouts, shots, mini-explosions and they waited until they had a clear yet smoky path out to the street. Finally, Linc gave the word and Mercy led the women out, with Linc taking the rear.

  Suddenly, he was slammed against the side of his head. He caught himself, but a strong arm grabbed him and laughed. “Your Mercy’s bitch. Nice to see you again.”

  Linc didn’t hesitate—he recognized the Heathen from being locked in their goddamned basement, and he grabbed the knife he had on him and jammed it into the man’s carotid. The man’s mouth opened, he looked stunned, and then he dropped, shaking as blood pooled around him. Linc took the knife out and waited until he didn’t feel a pulse before dragging him into the container and locking him inside.

  No witnesses. And no, there wasn’t a damned bit of guilt felt.

  And when he went to the street, Jethro took the vest and the bandanna, hustling him into an FBI agent’s car and telling him to play along.

  “You did good, kid,” Jethro told him. “You’re safe. See you on the other side.”

  The other side turned out to be Bertha’s by way of the FBI through the police station.

  Linc was shaky after all was said and done. Too many memories, and even with the victory, it was all coming at him a little too hard and too fast.

  They’d managed to keep his face away from the cartel and PX, so his cover wasn’t blown. But hell, whether he wanted to keep doing this shit with Castle was still up in the air.

  “Don’t think about it tonight,” Jethro warned him. “You did a lot of good. You still can, whether or not you stick with Castle.”

  Linc had nodded and wrapped the blanket more tightly around him. They’d ended up in Bertha’s back room, where emergency services were helping the girls, thanks to Misha. Outside, it looked like business as usual, because the club was still open to avoid suspicion.

  Now, he leaned against the wall, drinking a coke. Misha had checked him out and deemed him fine, but in need of rest, so of course Mercy was watching him like a hawk.

  For once, he didn’t mind it so much. Realized he needed it, especially when Mercy touched his shoulder from behind and he jumped. Fuck. “Shit. Sorry. I’m still hyped up.”

  “’S’all right, baby. Gonna make it all better. Taking you home now,” Mercy murmured against his cheek.

  Linc wanted the contact but knew he might freak a little. With Mercy? He could manage it. Even the nightmares, because waking up next to Mercy made everything better. “I want to make sure—”

  “Home. Now. This is handled.”

  As of now, the cartel had no idea that the container was arriving empty. The men who’d been at the warehouse, including Rios, were arrested. And they’d made sure that Rios saw Linc at the police station, in cuffs, and angry, yelling for his lawyer.

  So yeah, Johnny O. was still in the clear. The police made sure to inform Rios that Johnny O. refused to talk and was headed to prison. The girls were being taken care of—and there were no casualties on the sides of Havoc, Hangmen, Vipers, and Castle’s men.

  Based on all that, Linc saw zero point in arguing, so he let Mercy lead him out of the clubhouse and he got o
nto the back of Mercy’s bike and wrapped around him for the ride home. Because, at least for tonight, they had the freedom of having no escorts. It was just the two of them.

  Finally.

  “Take the long way,” Linc murmured, probably too low for Mercy to hear but somehow he did. And even after the ride down the highway that vibrated between Linc’s legs and drove him crazy, he also took a ride around the compound, not leisurely but not fast either. It was perfect, all that revving engine between Linc’s legs as he clung to Mercy’s broad chest, his face in the wind and freedom at his back.

  After what seemed like forever, Mercy pulled up to his cabin and parked. Linc hopped off and then Mercy dismounted and turned to look at him with a heat in his eyes that Linc could see even with only the dim porch light.

  “Yeah,” Linc said in response. “C’mon, Mercy. Please. Order me around. Please. Make me do things. Don’t let me think. And don’t let me up . . . not until I come hard enough to stop the wheels from spinning.”

  “You didn’t even have to ask. Because I’ve been planning how I’m going to tie you down all night. I’m going to frustrate you. Make you beg. Scream. Squirm.”

  Linc was already doing the latter, just from the sound of Mercy’s voice, dulcet and rough, graveled Southern drawl all mixed together. He started stripping as he walked in the door, leaving his clothes in a trail, was about to bend over to take his boots off until Mercy came up behind him and stopped him. Turned him. Picked him up and forced Linc to wrap around him, his jean-clad cock rubbing against Mercy’s, frustrated as hell.

  Mercy kissed him, teased his tongue against Linc’s before fisting his hand in Linc’s hair to deepen the kiss. He placed Linc on the kitchen table, continuing to kiss him while Linc brought his leg up and unlaced his boots and managed to kick them off one by one, even while being held in place.

  Mercy chuckled against his mouth. If there was one thing about Linc, he was goddamned resourceful, and it was fun to watch him when he needed this badly. He was a brat when it came to shit like this, and Mercy didn’t mind a damned bit.

  Now that he had his boy naked against him, he didn’t want to let him go for anything. It was with great reluctance that he walked him upstairs, put him on his knees, and made him wait while he found nipple clamps.

  Linc looked between them and Mercy and frowned. “You’ve never . . .”

  “It’s about time I did. Maybe I’ll end up piercing you, but until that happens . . .” He trailed off as he grabbed one of Linc’s nipples between his thumb and forefinger, rolled it until it was taut and Linc was groaning, and then he placed the tight clamp on it. Linc hissed in a breath and then a smile hit his face. “Yeah, knew you’d love that.”

  He repeated the action with Linc’s other nipple with the same reaction.

  “Take my cock out,” he instructed Linc next. “You haven’t been paying enough attention to it lately.”

  Linc’s smile went wide as he did what Mercy asked of him, freeing Mercy’s cock, then licking along the length of the underside before taking it in his mouth. Mercy tugged at his hair, fucking his face after several moments of letting Linc get used to him and yeah, his dick in Linc’s mouth with Linc’s nipples clamped and fuck, that looked good. Really fucking good. He stroked a hand through Linc’s hair and Linc looked up at him, his eyes nearly translucent with want and need and pure, unadulterated pleasure.

  It was always urgent between them, with or without the danger. Didn’t matter if this happened out of love or anger or frustration. It all mixed together to form the perfect balance for them. They were well aligned, in bed and in life.

  Linc tried to make Mercy come in his mouth, and even when Mercy attempted to pull away, Linc refused to give in and finally, he got his reward. Mercy shot into his mouth with a groan and a curse and Linc happily drank him all down.

  “You’re going to pay for that.”

  “I hope so,” Linc murmured, his voice hoarse from Mercy face-fucking him.

  “Hands and knees, on the bed,” Mercy told him, helped him up, because he’d been on his knees for a while, and he was already light-headed from the stimulation. “Spread your legs more. Good boy.”

  Linc blushed as Mercy’s hand stroked his ass, his cock, brushed his already far too sensitive nipples. “Beautiful. God, I’d love to take you to the downtown and let total strangers watch you. Maybe I’ll spank you right out in the open, make you walk over to me in front of everyone and lay across my lap and ask me to spank you.”

  “Mercy.” Linc groaned his name like a prayer.

  “You’d like that, I know. Fuck, you’re blushing, even now.” Mercy’s hand stroked along Linc’s ass cheeks and Linc squirmed, anticipation making his nerves jolt, because he wanted Mercy to spank him, to make him cry out in pain and pleasure until he’d spent everything inside, good and bad.

  Finally, Mercy’s hand came down on his ass, hard and fast, two slaps at a time on each cheek with no rest in between, until Linc was flying, yelling, unable to keep still. And just when he thought he couldn’t take it, he started to come. Mercy reached under his body and took the clamps off, which drew out his orgasms to an almost unbearable length, and he lay there, face against the mattress and ass in the air, groaning. Mercy slid a hand along his belly and slicked his cock with Linc’s come. And when Mercy’s cock entered him, hard, fast and raw, Linc swore he’d come again on the spot. He pushed back against Mercy’s cock, until Mercy pulled out and turned him, forcing Linc to sit on his lap and ride him while Mercy leaned against the headboard.

  Linc wrapped his arms around Mercy, buried his face against Mercy’s hair, his cheek, murmured, “Falling in love with you was like falling out of the sky.”

  “Won’t let you hit the ground, baby. Love you.”

  “You’re mine, Mercy,” he panted. “All fucking mine. You might’ve claimed me, but I claimed you right back.”

  His body strained, tugging him to orgasm, pushed off the cliff . . . falling out of the sky.

  “Won’t let you hit the ground, baby.”

  No, Mercy never would.

  Although they’d pulled off a successfully rescue and drove most of the PX out of Shades and the surrounding area for now, Havoc needed to maintain a constant, enforcing presence. Havoc would have help with that—along with Vipers and Hangmen, they’d keep a constant watch out. Sweet talked about asking the Lo Riders or the Skulls to come bring a chapter closer to Shades, and maybe Sons of Bastards too. There was definitely room for a neutral MC to move to a nearby town and build a compound . . . a club willing to be independent but wanting to help out.

  Linc was still working for Castle, but only in the immediate area. With Bram and Jethro, there was constant intel-gathering and Mercy didn’t have to worry as much.

  But hell, who was he kidding—he’d always worry. And when Linc wasn’t working for Castle, he and Mercy still ran the bail bonds shop, together. Because, as Linc pointed out, if it hadn’t been for that shop, they might not have gotten together.

  “I figure you’d have found a way,” Mercy told him, but he understood the sentiment. And, with Linc’s urging, they took on bigger cases, and they’d ended up going on chases together. They even discussed franchising.

  Bram patched in with Havoc and stayed with the ATF, moving over to Jethro’s team, and he got a new handler. Linc wasn’t sure if he wanted to patch in, but Mercy was fine with that—because Linc was one of them, patch or no patch.

  And Linc was his. Always.

  So yes, things were settled on that front . . . but for Havoc, Mercy couldn’t help but feel like the chaos was just beginning.

  Explore more of the Havoc Motorcycle Club series: riptidepublishing.com/collections/series-havoc

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  Havoc Motorcycle Club

  Running Wild

  Running Blind

  Hell or High Water (EE, Ltd.)

  Catch a Ghost

  Long Time Gone

  Daylight Again

  Not Fade Away

  If I Ever

  Men of Honor

  Bound by Honor

  Bound by Law

  Ties That Bind

  Bound by Danger

  Bound for Keeps (EE, Ltd.)

  Bound to Break

  Phoenix, Inc.

  No Boundaries

  Standalone

  Free Falling (EE, Ltd.)

  Sinners

  Dirty Deeds (EE, Ltd.)

  Dirty Deeds

  Dirty Lies (Coming soon)

  Dirty Love (Coming soon)

  Inked

  Hold The Line

  Thirds

  SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want in both fiction and real life. She lives in New York with her family and most days, she can be found happily writing (in bed). No really . . .

  SE Jakes is the pen name of New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Tyler (and half of Sydney Croft).