by Debra Kayn
Grace hadn't asked him to kidnap her. Far from it. Every day, she begged for him to release her. Then, they'd have sex, and he could see the desire in her eyes.
That promise of more wound him up. He wanted to give her more.
When this was all over, and the surviving club members reentered society, resumed their jobs, and had the freedom to move on with their lives or leave, would they stay?
Or would Avery Falls Motorcycle Club crumble, and the members scatter in the wind?
He stood and slid his leg off the Harley. Walking through the garage, he dug in his pocket for the key and came up empty.
His chest squeezed, and his gaze snapped to the lock. It was gone.
The oversight was on him. It wasn't Four's doing—he was dead.
He'd walked out the door in his hurry to fulfill his promise to Speeder and Trip and had left the house unsecured.
"Fuck," he muttered, trying the door handle. It turned in his hand, and he pushed his way into the kitchen.
Striding through the house, he searched each room for Grace. He stuck his head in the bedroom and almost turned around to repeat the hunt and found her curled on her side under the bedspread.
He leaned against the doorframe, trying to calm down. Reality punched him in the gut.
It'd taken him half the day to get Laurel and Trina up to the cabin, check on his MC brothers at the clubhouse, go by the boathouse to make sure Prez was still there, and meet with J.J. to update her that the club was still out on business and to handle as much of the town's troubles with the locals and get them more involved.
Grace had hours alone in the house. She could've left him and been halfway home. But, she'd stayed.
He kicked off his boots, unlatched his belt, and pulled off his jeans without making a sound. Shrugging off his vest, he put it on the dresser before reaching behind his neck and pulling his T-shirt over his head.
Naked, he climbed into bed and molded himself to Grace's back. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tightly against him. Her warmth soaked into him. He could tell she wasn't asleep. Her breathing was too rapid.
He pressed his lips to her ear and closed his eyes. "I will search the fucking world for you if you leave me."
A shudder rolled through her. His cock hardened against the plumpness of her ass. Rolling her over onto her back, he got on top of her. In the dark, he could see her. She couldn't see him.
She had no reason to hide, so her feelings were written all over her face.
Anger pinched her brows. Sadness softened her eyes. Confusion puckered her lips.
He pressed his forehead against hers and inhaled deeply. It was a shit day. It could've ended with her leaving, destroying him in the process.
He planted his lips against the bridge of her nose, chin, chest, and stomach. Sweeping the blanket away, he spread her legs and dived in, licking her pussy in one long swipe before sucking on her lower lips, feeding off the mellow scent.
Grace threaded her fingers in his hair, caressing his head, settling his thoughts. He slid his hands under her ass, lifting her higher without taking his mouth off her. Tonguing her clit, he captured the small nub between his lips and sucked.
She pressed up against his mouth. He soothed her with licks, flicks, and swirls. Then, squeezing her ass, he moaned against her.
Her inner thighs trembled before spreading wider as her weight settled into the palms of his hands. He had her right where he wanted her. He was right where he wanted to be.
Licking her wetness, he circled her clit. His cock pulsed like a drum underneath him. The arousal, agonizing and brutal, fed his addiction to Grace. Because once he had her, once he sunk deep in her body and came inside of her, he'd find the high he always chased.
He was an addict from the time he was born.
Taken from his back-alley-addicted mother, who'd double-whammied with not only crack but heroin while he was in the womb, he came into the world suffering withdrawals that left him always chasing the dragon.
Damaged. Suffering. Unlovable.
By the time he was twelve years old, he could get his hands on every substance known to ease the pain inside him, from sniffing paint to injecting shit in his veins. His behavior led to sexual addiction—because the two went hand in hand. He went through life seeking the ultimate escape, never knowing what he was looking for.
The ever-present need to escape came back hard during the switch, harder and more intense than he'd dealt with in his previous life before the Alpha Bio Project.
It wasn't until he found Grace—or she found him that he found his compulsions fulfilled. With her, he tolerated the hunger gnawing his insides. She forced him to have control of his body, his mind, and his desires, keeping her with him.
Through her, he managed to concentrate on his club, maintain Avery Falls, and make sure he never lost her.
Grace's thighs clamped down on his head. He lapped over her clit until her legs relaxed, and she moaned.
Yeah, she was all he fucking wanted.
And he showed her. With his mouth, his lips, his tongue. Until she quivered in his hands, letting him drive her pleasure. All her pleasure.
He gave her everything.
She thrust her hips up, down, around. He stayed with her, giving her exactly what she needed, enjoying the wetness coating his face. Her aroma drifted into his nostrils. The smoothness—the softest damn thing he'd ever consumed—against his tongue.
Grace's movements grew frantic, hurried. He held her ass in his hands, not letting her move away as she bucked against him and knotted his hair in her fist, pushing him down, not letting him escape.
His balls ached in pleasure, and he ground his pelvis against the bed, digging his toes into the mattress.
Grace arched, bringing her knees up. Her ass clenched, and he squeezed, continuing to lick. He tasted her orgasm the moment it possessed her and lavished her pussy until her weight landed in his palms. Then, he crawled up her body and grabbed a condom off the nightstand.
His hands shook as if jonesing as he rolled on the protection.
Then, he was inside her, buried fully. He pumped long and slow, growing faster and shorter. Internally, his body overheated as he caught that ultimate high.
He came hard and violent, putting all his weight between her legs. Jolt after jolt of electricity flowed through his body, carrying him to that place where everything else numbed. He stared down at Grace's half-lidded eyes.
Except, he wasn't numb.
Grace filled every unloved piece of his heart.
That's all he felt.
That's all he needed.
Chapter Twenty Four
Keenan lifted the weighted bar off his chest. From the other side of the pole building, Grace hung over the side of the pool and kicked her legs lazily in the water. It was as much exercise as she could muster after having sex throughout the night.
She'd lost track after three times because the whole six hours they were together in bed could be classified as one...long...act of mind-numbing sex.
She swore Keenan never tired. While she'd turned into a wet noodle, he kept going, taking her along until one orgasm turned into another.
Physically, she had no idea she was able to experience anything like that. Mentally, she always dreamed about the possibility. Now she wondered if Keenan knew her body better than her.
The things he'd done.
The things she'd tried.
In one night, he'd bolstered her sexual resume. Maybe even tapped it out for a lifetime achievement.
Amelia was never going to believe her when she shared some of what she and Keenan had done. As the thought entered her head, she clamped it down. She would never share the information.
That was between her and Keenan.
She warmed, smiling. Never had she not wanted to share her dating life with Amelia. Though, being with Keenan wasn't exactly like dating. Or even normal. Nothing was normal around him.
Keenan put the bar away and strode
toward the pool. Grace swallowed the lump always trying to choke her when she thought of what she was putting her sister through.
"Done?" she asked.
They'd walked into the building behind his house two hours ago. Her fingers and toes were wrinkled and turning white from her long excursion in the pool while he'd worked out.
He stood at the edge of the water and put his hands down in front of her. She grabbed on, making sure she had a secure grip, and he lifted her out of the water.
"I'm done." He grabbed a towel off the lounger and wrapped it around her naked body. "Sore?"
"I was, but not anymore." She leaned into him as they walked toward the door. "Though every muscle in my body believes I participated in a marathon—and I'm not a runner."
"You can sleep today. I need to check on a few things."
He held the door open. She walked out ahead of him, tiptoeing through the overgrown grass. Thankful for the privacy of the backyard. With Keenan home, she wasn't worried about anyone sneaking up on them.
Inside, she walked to the laundry room and tossed the towel in the dirty clothes, and grabbed a pair of shorts, panties, and tank top out of the dryer. She planned to fold the rest of her clothes while Keenan was gone.
Dressed and warmer, she went in search of Keenan and found him in the kitchen, already changed and slipping on his vest.
"You're taking off already?" She sat in the closest kitchen chair.
"Yeah."
She tapped her fingers on the table. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Shoot." He leaned over and laced his boots.
"I was wondering if I could have my cell phone back." She wrinkled her nose, unable to see his face. "I'm not going to report you or anything. I swear on my life, and I think I proved to you yesterday that I'm not leaving. I could've left the house, and I stayed."
He straightened on a loud exhale. The sound only discouraged her.
"I need to speak to my sister, Keenan. I know she's worried sick. If we're being real, I can guarantee she's contacted the police. If I can tell her I'm okay and I'm safe, then I can also tell her to let the police know that I'm here because I want to be."
"No."
"Keenan, it kills me that she's worried about me."
He turned the chair in front of her around and sat, grabbing her hands and leaning forward. "I can't have the authorities showing up in Avery Falls right—"
"That's just it. They will show up if I don't call her. Amelia's the one who I check in with when I'm out on a job by myself. It's why I had the P.L.B with me if I get lost."
"I destroyed it."
She blew out her breath, trying to have patience. He needed to understand the severity of what was happening. Any minute, the cops could show up, and they'd arrest him.
"When you kidnapped me." She swallowed. "I didn't understand that you...or whoever impersonated you had hired me for the photography job and had ulterior motives to get me here. I still don't understand how this involves me or why I'm here. As much as I want to trust you, I can't until you tell me what is going on. I'm asking you to trust me by letting me call Amelia. You can listen to the phone call. I can put it on speaker."
He stood. "We'll talk about this when I get home."
"Will you think about it? Please?" She followed him across the kitchen to the door. "It's just... my sister and me. She's the only family I have."
He stopped and frowned. "You've got me."
"Do I? Do I, really?" Her heartbeat echoed in her throat.
He captured her face. "Never doubt me."
Keenan pressed his lips against her forehead. She closed her eyes, wanting to believe him, but she couldn't let the turmoil of emotions from physically connecting with him cloud her safety.
"This isn't normal to me. People don't kidnap others, have sex with them, and then refuse to let them contact their family. I hate it," she whispered. "I don't know how long I can take this."
"It's not safe."
"You keep saying that." She leaned her head back, breaking him from touching her. "I need to know what is going on. Every. Detail."
His eye twitched, and he studied her. Before her eyes, the mask of indifference slipped over his features. He opened the door and nodded before stepping out.
She stayed in the kitchen, waiting to see if he would choose not to lock her inside since she'd proven she wasn't going anywhere or if he still refused to trust her.
Click.
Her heart torn and breaking, she closed her eyes in acceptance. He wasn't going to let her go.
Chapter Twenty Five
Keenan sprinted across the road and ducked under the tree limbs, cutting through the woods. The figure, two hundred yards ahead of him, had youth on his side. Kicking it up a notch, he gained ground, not stopping as he leaped over fallen trees and skirted thick brush.
Out of view of the locals, he exceeded a male's average speed, using his enhancements.
Within fifty yards of the kid, Keenan dug in and caught up with him. He clamped his hand down on Zach's shoulder, spinning him around and forcing him to stop.
Zach swung out. "Let me go."
Bonnie's son was supposed to stick close to home and not wander off into the forest. He'd made sure Bonnie understood the temporary restrictions and would keep her kids at home.
"I'll let go, but don't run." Keenan let go and held his hands out to his sides. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to find Trina." Zach glared. "You can't stop me."
The kid had balls. But he also knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against him.
"She's gone for a bit. She'll be back. You'll have to wait for her to return." Everyone knew Zach and Trina had grown close over the last several years. They shared a friendship that appeared closer than the normal teenage infatuations he'd witnessed the local kids going through. "I'll walk you back home."
"Where did you take her?" Zach refused to budge. "Is she with Speeder?"
The club had split the kid's family down the middle and sequestered them. His step-dad was gone. Trina, his best friend, had left. He probably understood the other bikers were missing. To Zach, that wasn't normal around Avery Falls.
"Speeder wanted Laurel and Trina with him. I'm not sure where they went. Maybe on vacation. Trip is dealing with club business outside the area for a while, but he'll be back." He motioned for Zach to move. "I wouldn't do anything to piss off your mom if you plan on seeing Trina when she returns."
"This isn't fair," grumbled Zach. "Everyone is gone."
"Life isn't fair." He clasped Zach on the back of the neck. "Being an adult doesn't make everything easier."
They went the rest of the way in silence, with Zach marching ahead of Keenan. At the main road, he stayed back, watching Zach jog across the bridge toward Trip's house. Once the kid was out of sight, he headed over to the RV Park, where he left his Harley when he'd spotted Zach running away and decided to follow him.
Several campers raised their hand in greeting as he passed them. He nodded, walking straight through the campground. Getting on his motorcycle, he turned around and headed over to the store. He'd missed four days of pickup.
Parking off to the side of the entrance, he strolled through the automatic door. Mr. Guthry stopped in front of him on the way out.
"Keenan." Mr. Guthry nodded. "The gas station is down to one pump. If the tourists take all the God damn fuel, that club of yours better not hike the price up when the truck comes to refill."
Shit. He'd forgotten about the gas. Usually, it was Ruger overseeing that the bi-monthly deliveries were paid in advance.
"I'll get right on that." He slapped Mr. Guthry on the shoulder. "Have a good day."
He went in search of J.J. and found her on Aisle 3, stacking green beans on the shelf. She glanced up and found him approaching and turned back to the cans, not even giving him a smile in welcome.
He stopped beside her. "How's your day going?"
"Just dandy." J.J. clunked the can down and gra
bbed another off the cart.
"Do you have the money for me?"
"Yep."
When she made no move to retrieve the bag, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Problem?"
She gripped a can, squeezing until her fingers turned white, and faced him. "I'm this close to being done with you."
"What are you saying?"
Her eyes almost disappeared between her black lashes. "I stayed in Avery Falls because of the club. There was nothing here, and I believed my life belonged in St. Maries or over by the chain of lakes where I had access to nightlife and people and parties, and more opportunities than this mountain town offered me. But the club needed me, so I stayed."
"We pay you double the amount of what you could get somewhere else."
"You did."
A customer walked past, pushing a cart. He waited until they were alone again, but J.J. wasn't going to give him time to come up with an excuse about what was happening lately.
"Yesterday was payday." J.J.'s face flushed. "Carol's rent is due today, and she's worried. Barb owes Mrs. Baker for babysitting Davie. Janelle's washer went out, and she relied on her next paycheck to get a new one. When my employees are upset and can't concentrate on their work, everything gets behind. I have freezer items stuffed in the fridge in the back because I'm the only one available to work this morning, and I can't keep up with the tourists running amok. The club needs to do something quick, or we're all going to walk off the job."
"Okay." He inhaled deeply. "Go get me the money. I'll divide out enough to cover everyone's paycheck."
As the treasurer, he was responsible for dividing the money and making sure the employees were paid. It hadn't entered his mind what day it was.
"How long is the club going to be gone?" J.J. put the can down. "The town is falling apart. The Conroys caught a group of tourists trespassing on their property last week. They left tracks all over their yard, and you know Mrs. Conroy hates the off-road vehicles on their side of the mountain. So guess who had to hear about it the last three days? Me. Everyone comes to me with their problems, and there's nothing I can do about it all."
