“I don’t know what to do about Hazel,” Amanda said and started to sob again.
I handed her the mug of coffee, but she refused to drink it.
“If we can’t go to the police, then there is only one thing we can do,” I said.
Amanda stared at me like she’d seen a ghost. She knew what I was saying.
“No! Carli…I can’t…not after all these years. He won’t even remember me. He won’t give a shit!” she said.
I hunched down on the floor in front of her.
“If those assholes have taken Hazel to smoke out Grimm, then that’s what we’ll have to go with. You should go and speak to him if that Crow man hasn’t told him already. It’s time that he took some responsibility for his kid, Amanda. That’s the only thing we can do.” I spoke to her gently, hoping that she would see reason. But she kept shaking her head.
“I can’t, Carli…I can’t face him. I’m going to have a nervous breakdown. I won’t be able to talk to him. Please…anything but this,” she begged and covered her face with her hands.
I sighed and shook my head.
“Fine. I’ll do it,” I said. She shot her head up to look at me.
“Really? Will you, Carli?”
We got off the floor and she followed me back to the sink where I emptied my mug of coffee. I wasn’t in the mood anymore.
“Thank you, honey. Thank you!” she tried to hug me, but I shrugged her away.
“Amanda, I really wish you’d just grow up and start acting like the mother that Hazel needs. I really shouldn’t be the one to talk to Grimm. I’ve never even met this guy. You fucked him!”
Amanda nodded and tried to hug me again.
“I know, Carli. I know I should, and I promise, the next time, I’ll talk to him. Right now, I just can’t face him. I’m not prepared to see him again,” she said. I just shook my head.
“You still have feelings for him,” I said, and she turned her face away from me.
* * *
Amanda had given me the directions to The Pit where she said the Black Cobra MC usually hung out. It was a dingy looking place in Los Angeles, motorcycles parked in the parking lot. While I drove out to it at the outskirts of our city; I realized I’d never been to this part of town before. I still couldn’t believe that for all these years, Amanda had kept this big secret from me.
It was still hard to imagine that she would sleep with a man who came from a neighborhood like this. I mean we weren’t rich or sophisticated, but at least our lives didn’t involve crime. I couldn’t think about it because when I did, I teared up again, thinking of Hazel. For now, I had no choice but to stay strong and work toward getting her back. Amanda was in no state to make critical decisions.
I pulled into the parking lot and got out of my car, drawing in a deep breath as I waited for a moment at the door of the bar. I was about to come face to face with my niece’s father and I didn’t have a good feeling about it.
I stepped into the bar. I was quickly met with a wall of smoke. I peered through the hazy atmosphere and took in my surroundings. Everything looked dark. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, the inside of the bar looked like it had never seen sunlight. I noticed a few men lounging around the place, drinking. As the door shut behind me, all heads turned in my direction and knew I was out of place.
A wave of nerves rushed over my body, but I kept my head up and walked straight to the bar. The man behind the counter watched me as I approached him. I felt his eyes trail down my body, and I shivered. I had never felt more self-conscious than I did right then. I felt naked.
“Is Grimm Daniels here?” I asked, making sure my voice was firm and loud, so the bartender heard me. Before the guy behind the bar could answer, I heard a voice from the corner of the bar.
“Who’s asking?”
I turned to look, and, in the shadows, I saw him. This had to be him. Grimm Daniels. The man my sister couldn’t keep her hands off.
I stepped toward him as he remained sitting on his chair. She wasn’t lying when she said he was the hottest guy she’d met. He had a long, chiseled face, a square jaw, and blonde hair. He was a big man; I could sense it even though he was sitting down. Broad shoulders, muscular biceps; his t-shirt was tight and stretched over his vast chest and tattoos crept out from his collar of his shirt. In a lot of ways, this guy was classically handsome—the kind of face you would see on the cover of a glossy magazine advertising denim clothing. And in a lot of other ways, there was nothing classical about him. His hair was thick and blonde, and I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about how much I wanted to run my fingers through it.
He followed my every move with his eyes as I came to a stop in front of him.
“The name Amanda Smith mean anything to you?” I asked him and pushed my hands into the pockets of my jeans. He crossed his brows and a dark, handsome frown took over his face.
“Never heard of her,” he replied and leaned himself forward over the table. I could see his face more clearly now that he was partially in the light. He had startling blue eyes that seemed to pierce my skin. For a second, I saw an image of him pushing me against the bar counter and his hands wrapped around my ass. I had to remind myself that he’d slept with my sister.
I’d already forgiven Amanda her actions after seeing this man. I barely had any control over the way my body reacted to him.
“She said you would say that,” I remarked and tried to remain firm.
He cleared his throat and sighed, like he’d already lost his patience with me.
“Who are you? I’m guessing you’re not Amanda-whoever,” he said, his tone bored.
“Amanda. Amanda Smith, and no, she’s my sister. You met her eight years ago at some bar. Fucked her a couple of times. Tall, chestnut curls, blue eyes,” I said through gritted teeth. He finally grinned.
“Wow. Eight years later and she sends her sister here to nag,” he commented, and even had the gall to laugh.
I had bunched up my hands into fists in my pocket and tried to control myself. An overwhelming mix of rage and excitement filled me as I stood in front of him. Currently, my attraction toward him was winning. I thought the taste in bad boys began and ended with Amanda in our family.
“There is something you should know,” I said, and he arched his brows.
“And there is something you should know too. You’ve got the wrong Daniels, lady,” he said. I stared at him confusedly.
“Grimm Daniels is my brother. I’m Rogue,” he continued and slowly, he stood up.
“And you are?” he asked while he stood looming over me. I had to crane my neck back to look at him. Within seconds, he could overpower me if he wanted…did I want that? A sinking sensation settled in the pit of my stomach as I stared into his sturdy eyes.
“Carli…Smith,” I stammered, fumbling with my words.
“All right, Carli Smith. I’ll bite. What is it that you think my brother should know?” he asked, still standing over me. My breath caught in my throat. The more I stared at him now, I could see facial similarities between him and Hazel. If she looked so much like her uncle, she had to be the spitting image of her dad…of Grimm! It was no wonder that Crow recognized her so easily at the gas station.
“I think I’d rather just speak to Grimm directly,” I said, trying to gulp my nervousness away.
“Whatever you want to say to my brother, you can tell me,” he insisted. The smile was gone from his face and suddenly, Rogue looked dangerous. I should have been thinking of Amanda and Hazel, but the only thought in my head was relief—that he wasn’t Grimm. He wasn’t the guy Amanda had slept with. But still, I couldn’t tell him what I needed to tell Grimm.
“I want to speak to your brother,” I said, looking him in the eyes.
His blue eyes got darker and he crossed his brows angrily.
“You know something?” he asked, his voice threatening as it rose.
“Yes, I do, and I need to see him urgently,” I replied.
“
Damn it!” he growled and before I knew what was happening, Rogue had punched the wall beside us. Startled, I stepped away from him in fright. But the punch didn’t seem to really affect him. He lunged at me, grabbing me by my shoulders.
It was our first touch and it felt like electricity was shooting up and down my spine. I gasped when he held me and then shook me.
“You need to tell me what you fucking know. You hear me?”
“I can’t. I need to speak with Grimm,” I stammered and his eyes grew wild.
“Well you can’t. He’s gone! He disappeared.” he growled and finally released his grip on me.
I swayed when he let me go and shook my head in disbelief.
“Grimm has disappeared?” I asked with a shake in my voice.
Rogue ran his hand through his thick blonde hair in frustration. He walked around the table and then looked at me with a jerk.
“So, Carli, now that you have the facts, are you going to tell me what you came here to say?” he asked.
“Hazel has disappeared as well,” I said softly, thinking more to myself.
Rogue squinted at me confusedly.
“Hazel? I thought you said your sister’s name is Amanda,” he snapped.
I was nervous about the next part. I had a feeling that Rogue wasn’t going to take this information too well. Nonetheless, I had to tell him. It was the only hope we had of seeing Hazel again.
“Yes, Amanda is my sister and Hazel is my niece…Amanda’s eight-year-old daughter,” I replied.
There were a few moments of silence between us. Rogue’s shoulders heaved, breathing harshly while he allowed the words to sink into his system.
“Hazel is an eight-year-old girl and she’s gone missing?” he asked. I gulped as I stared at him.
“Yes, she’s my niece and…Rogue, she’s your niece, too.”
He was silent again. His blue eyes were dark and threatening as he glared at me. I realized then that I’d never seen a more handsome guy before. If we met under different circumstances, I wouldn’t have hesitated to lead him on. Since Hazel’s birth, I didn’t really have much of a love life…but this guy could change all that.
“What did you just say to me?” he hissed and took one threatening step toward me.
I clasped my hands together, staring at him pleadingly.
“Hazel is Grimm’s kid. Amanda never told Grimm about it. She kept it a secret all these years, but now Hazel’s gone missing and we’ve been receiving threatening letters…we think it’s from your brother’s enemies,” I explained.
Rogue had taken slow steps in my direction, like he was on the brink of unleashing all his rage and anger on me.
“You think that your sister’s daughter is my niece?” Rogue asked.
“She is. My sister has no reason to lie about something like this,” I insisted.
He was standing over me again, glaring down at me like he was going to explode.
“You’re saying that my brother has an eight-year-old daughter he doesn’t know about?” he continued. I gulped and then nodded my head.
He was thinking, staring into my face, watching every breath I took. I had no idea what he was going to do next. Rogue Daniels was completely unpredictable.
Then, when I thought he was going to lose his temper, he breathed in deeply.
“So why are you here? What do you want me to do about it?” he growled.
I couldn’t believe he was asking me this question! The answer was obvious.
“We need your help to find her. If she’s been abducted by your rival gang, you have to help us! We can’t go to the police with this. She’s an eight-year-old girl, Rogue!” I couldn’t help but shout now.
He whipped away from me, walked back to the table, and sat down.
Behind us, I could sense that the other men in the bar had been watching and overhearing everything we were saying.
“I don’t know how I can help you. I’m busy trying to find my brother,” he said and pulled a cigarette out of the pocket of his pants. I glared at him in disbelief. How did this not have an effect on him?
“They’ve kidnapped Hazel to get to Grimm. Don’t you see that? They might be holding them together!” I said as Rogue lit the cigarette and took a long drag.
“Your niece is none of my concern. My first priority is finding my brother,” he growled.
A shrill cry escaped my lips. How could he be so cruel? After I told him who Hazel was!
“Rogue. Please. I’ll do anything. I need you to help me find Hazel,” I said and rushed toward him, stopping myself just in time from toppling into his lap. As the words left my lips, I realized that they were true. I would do anything Rogue wanted.
Rogue tipped the ash of his cigarette on the floor and then looked over my shoulder at the men.
“All of you. Out,” he ordered them.
I held my breath as I sensed the other men leaving the bar. Within moments, the place was empty.
Only Rogue and I remained.
5
Rogue
Carli and I were alone in the bar now, and I looked over her. She was a buxom brunette with wild green eyes and a body that would look delicious naked. I had to sit down because I had a raging hard on in my pants.
This was not the time to want to fuck. I knew that. My brother was missing, and I was responsible for finding him. Secondly, this woman was now making bizarre allegations about Grimm which I knew sounded crazy. There was no way in hell my brother would be stupid enough to get some one night stand pregnant.
Despite all of this, I couldn’t help but want Carli. Her shoulders heaved gently as she stared at me for a response. She wore a thin blouse over her tight jeans, and I stared at the way the fabric stretched over her voluptuous breasts. They shook every time she made a movement and made my cock throb.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to divert my attention from her body.
“Did you just say you’re willing to do anything?” I asked her while I smoked my cigarette.
Carli looked confused for a moment and then she nodded.
“Of course, Hazel means the world to me and I would do anything to get her back safely. What will it take?” she asked.
I threw the cigarette on the floor and watched the end burn for a moment. I was trying to think.
I wanted Carli. I hadn’t wanted a woman like this in a long time. She had a totally fuckable body and wide blue eyes that caught my attention. I could sense that she’d be an animal in bed, or at least I’d be able to turn her into one. Right now, I was thinking with my cock, even though I should have been thinking logically and only about Grimm.
I shook my head and tried to focus. Her just showing up here after Grimm’s disappearance couldn’t be a coincidence. Could this all be connected somehow? Would Crow send in this hot piece of ass for bait for the club to see if we were on to them? Either way I needed to keep Carli close to figure out whose side she was really on.
I stood up from my chair and Carli followed me intently with her eyes. I stepped up to her. She was at least a foot shorter than me, but she kept her chin up. Whatever wild ideas she had in her head about her niece, at least she had spunk. She met my eyes with confidence and a hint of pleading.
“Okay. I’ll try and look for her,” I said, standing over her. Our bodies were close together, but she hadn’t stepped away from me. I saw the way her plump lips trembled as she broke into a smile of relief.
“Oh my God! Thank you, Rogue. Thank you!” she squealed.
I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my jeans as I watched her bite down on her lip.
“Hazel is a good kid. When you meet her, you’ll know why she means so much to me. My sister, Amanda, is broken and miserable right now. But once you find her, I promise, I’ll make it up to you,” she continued. There was an excited relief in her voice.
“I need you to make it up to me right now. For the effort I’ll be putting in to find your niece,” I said.
Carli’s brows furrowed. She was
confused again.
“I don’t understand what you mean. Do you need money?” she asked. I scoffed.
“No. I don’t need your money,” I replied.
“What is it then?”
I watched her closely. I needed to see every second of her reaction to what I was about to say. If I was going to put in an effort into finding this kid, I needed to know I would get something out of it.
“I want us to come to an arrangement,” I stated.
Carli bit her lip and blushed slightly.
“What kind of an arrangement?” she asked.
“A sexual arrangement,” I replied. Her eyes glowed, and her blush grew to a deeper shade of red.
“What?” her voice was a murmur.
“I’m going to make this as clear to you as possible,” I began, my eyes drifting down to her breasts, down her body and to the spot between her legs. “I want to fuck you.”
She gasped softly, like she was holding back a moan. “You…” she began to say.
“Yes, fuck you.” I completed the sentence for her.
Carli licked her lips with nervousness. I knew nobody had ever been this direct with her before, but I didn’t believe in beating around the bush. I wanted her in my bed, and I told her exactly that. If she didn’t want it, she was free to walk out of the bar empty handed.
“In return for finding Hazel?” she asked, and I breathed in deeply.
“Let’s come to a number…four times?” I suggested. Carli gulped. “You spend four nights with me, in my apartment, and I will find your niece for you.”
She stared at me, lust in her eyes and I smirked. She wanted me too.
“If we do this, you’ll find our niece?” she remarked.
I grinned. “I have no idea who you are. You could be telling the truth, but you also could be lying.”
“I’m not lying,” she said with anger in her voice. “I wouldn’t…”
“Look,” I said cutting her off. “I’ve never heard of this Amanda before and certainly nothing about Hazel. And you want me to put myself through the trouble of finding her when I’m in the middle of looking for my own brother. The two could be connected, but then again, they might not be. Either way, I’m not going to do this for free,” I replied. “And like I said, I don’t really need any money.”
Rogue: The Black Cobras MC #1 Page 3
