by Hilary Storm
The thought of what Elaina is going through makes me want to hurl, but I can only hope her stubborn attitude will help keep her alive long enough for us to help her.
I watch closely, trying to make out any semblance of Elaina in any of the girls, but I can’t tell from this far away with them all blindfolded and being rushed around. It’s only a matter of two minutes or so and they’ve got all the girls unloaded and into the building. If we go now, these new girls will be able to run without us having to cut them free. But there’s a chance the guys will use them as shields once the first shot is heard.
I squint through the darkness and watch as Spike, Gus and the Aussie shake hands with Ramirez and then close the door to the back of the truck. All of them go into the warehouse as if it’s business as usual. They’re not expecting their whole operation to blow up in their faces in a few minutes.
A glance in both directions and I can see our groups are in place and ready to go when I say. I wait a few minutes before I take aim at one of the suits, knowing some of the guys are following my lead and waiting for my shot. Even with a suppressed sniper rifle, the wisp of the bullet will be heard.
With a point of my finger, I send one of the prospects to the box truck. “Sneak around and see if that will start. If it does, slam it in reverse and back it straight into the west side of the building. We’ll watch your back and if you’re seen, I’ll start sending bullets into the suits.”
I watch the prospect crouch and slip around the side of the big truck and the second I hear the rumble of the engine, I start shooting.
Two more guys run out of the building and we manage to hit them both before they know what’s coming. Bodies are falling the second they exit the building, clearing the way for all of us running toward the warehouse.
Absolute fucking chaos erupts, gunshots going in every direction but we still manage to move forward. I’m not the first one in the building… that honor goes to the prospect who drove the truck into it. He’s out of the truck, taking shots before we can even get there.
After that, everything is a blur until the gunshots stop and all that’s left are the screams and cries of at least twenty women and dead bodies sprawled all over the warehouse floor. Spike, Gus and the Aussie are lying dead in a pool of blood just outside the room that’s holding all of the girls.
I rush to find Elaina, searching all of the girls. All of them bound and unable to protect themselves, some of them bloodied from the spray of the assholes that died at their feet.
None of them being Elaina.
“You’re safe now. Someone will take you home real soon. Just try to stay calm.” My words seem to reassure the girls as I glance over them all and take in all the horrific evidence that this raid was necessary, even though I didn’t find my sister. “If any of you ever need anything… come find the Kings. We’ll be there for you.” I burn them all into memory even though none of them can see us, deciding right then and there that I’ll need to make sure they’re all checked on once they get back to their lives.
They may have lived through the trauma, but this nightmare is far from over for them.
Chapter Sixteen
We clear out quickly once Davis shows up, even leaving the women tied up so that he could claim the rescue and call in more reinforcements to help get them back to their loved ones.
We don’t need our name tied to a take down like this and I can always use this as a future bargaining chip if we ever get into any trouble and need bailed out. Having allies in many corners has always worked well for me.
“Fuck.” I throw my truck into drive and pull away quickly. Bash is in the passenger seat and I have no idea who all is in the back; none of them saying a word while I speed down the dirt road and vent. “Where the fuck is she? We just annihilated my only hope of finding her. If they’ve already sold her… I’m fucked. She’s fucked, and I’ll never see her again. How could I let this shit happen to her? I should’ve had her close by. I can’t watch her that far away and keep her safe. She needs the fucking club to protect her.”
He pulls out his phone while I’m ranting and interrupts me. “Poe has her.”
“What?”
“I just saw a message to us both saying he has her. She’s at his house.” I slam the brakes until we’re skidding to a stop and turn to look at Bash.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I’m dead serious, Brother. She’s safe.”
I can finally breathe. My roar echoes in the cab of the truck and then I explode in laughter. Psychotic, relieved mother fucking laughter that feels amazing and long over-due.
“And Cambri?”
“She’s with Church. I told him to head to Poe’s with her.”
“Jesus. How did we fuckin’ get through that alive?”
“Together. That’s the only way we made it.” I know he’s right. Without all of these guys, there’s no way I could’ve even saved one of these girls.
“Yes. Together. I’ll never forget this shit.” I put the truck back in drive and speed off once again, but this time headed toward Poe’s with a smile on my face.
I’m barely through the door and Elaina is in my arms, hugging me. “Oh my god, Trav. I’ve been so worried. Poe told me you were trying to save all those girls and I’ve been scared you wouldn’t make it through it.” My eyes meet Cambri’s when Elaina puts her arms around me and squeezes with all her little might.
“And here I’ve been worried about you.”
“Why would he do this to me? Why would he send some of his guys to kidnap his own daughter?”
“I don’t know but you don’t ever have to worry about a slip of morality like that again from him. He’s gone.” Elaina pushes away from me to look into my eyes.
“Like… dead gone?” She looks confused.
“Yes.” She leans in again and buries her head against my chest, tears falling because she’s overwhelmed with so many different emotions.
“Tell me what happened with you.” I want to know everything Elaina has been through even though I can’t keep my eyes and mind from wandering to Cambri. She looks so alone standing there. The same scared and shaken up girl she was the last few times I’ve seen her.
“I was being followed and couldn’t get through to you. So, I called both Bash and Poe.” I didn’t realize she had Poe’s number, but I don’t interrupt her to ask how she got it. She moves to sit on the couch and starts to spill everything. “They told me Bouncer was the closest and he’d be there as soon as he could. I was hiding at the location I was supposed to so Bouncer could pick me up but before he could get there, I saw more guys coming for me. I ran like crazy until I could hide in someone’s backyard and called Poe. He found me and brought me here.”
“You’re very lucky. It could’ve been so much worse.”
“They had Cambri, Trav. She’s shook up.” I know she is and it’s killing me not to hold her and celebrate actually following through on the promise I made her.
She’s safe. Elaina’s safe.
And that’s all that matters. Fuck any of the regrets or rules I’ve personally set to keep those I care about the safest. I move to Cambri and wrap my arms around her, knowing we have an audience.
She melts in my arms and is instantly sobbing against my chest. I can feel her body trembling and it takes everything in me not to haul her into my arms and reassure her that she’s safe now.
“Thank you.” I can barely hear her whisper. Holding her tighter, I try to communicate with her without using words because I can’t speak past the giant lump in my throat.
God, I want to lift her around my waist and kiss her face. Look into her eyes and see that she’s really ok after all the bullshit she’s been through.
“Fuck it.” Life is too short. I duck us both through the kitchen door right after I pick her up. Her legs instantly wrap around me and her hands move for my face like she can’t get enough of actually having the freedom to do as she wants.
I set her down on the k
itchen counter and the tension ramps up even more as we erupt into a frenzy of kissing and groping. The heat between us is indescribable and something I’ve never felt with another woman. This isn’t a meaningless fuck like all the others have been. She’s someone I’ve connected with on another level. Risked my life for. Risked my position in the club… risked everything for. And I know it’s more than with anyone else… because I don’t have a single regret.
She pulls me closer to deepen our kiss, running her hands down my arms and over my chest. Next she’s dragging her fingers through my hair and pulling it just slightly before she lets go.
“I’m about to fuck you on Poe’s kitchen counter if you don’t stop.”
“I just want to touch you.”
“I know you do.” I hold her face in my hands and look into her eyes. “Are you ok?” She nods as the tears build up in her eyes. “Are you sure?” She nods again, and the tears fall. I use my thumbs to catch them before I kiss her again. “You’re safe now.”
“Did you save all the girls?” She struggles to speak clearly as she cries.
“We did. Twenty of them.” Her tears keep falling and no matter how much I want to stop them, I know she needs to release this pent-up emotion. She deserves this. She’s been through so much.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“I do. I just keep thinking about what would’ve happened if it hadn’t been you in that room.” I don’t want to think about that possibility. Thank god it wasn’t.
Thank fuck she wasn’t tortured more than she was before she was given over to me.
“I’ll never understand Vic’s logic about getting us into this shit, but I guess in a way it’s good that it happened. We were able to stop it here, even if that’s just a tiny hit to the entire ring.”
“Elaina has no idea about what happened with us.” She looks up at me, her eyes so innocent and caring.
“I don’t care if she does.” I say it softly, hoping it doesn’t sound as harsh as it really is.
“You don’t think she’ll be upset about whatever this is?”
“She’s overwhelmed right now and won’t give a shit about you hooking up with her brother. She’s going to be glad everyone is still alive.” I nip at her bottom lip and entice her to bite back.
“Yeah. You’re probably right. But let’s go back out there and not make this any more awkward than it already is.” She’s pushing against my chest and sliding down the cabinet before I can respond.
“As long as you come home with me tonight.” I pull her back against me, loving how perfect she feels in my arms. “I want a redo of your first time. This will be the real one.” It still guts me that I took that from away her. She deserves better than what I gave her and she needs to know how she should be treated.
She takes my hand and walks forward; looking over her shoulder she nods, and everything goes straight to my dick. Her innocent look. Her willingness to come home with me. Her long brown hair and her bright blue eyes. Her firm ass that I can’t wait to feel in my hands again and her perfect tits that I’m dying to spend time on. Her soft skin that begs to be cherished and her tight pussy that I can almost still feel choking my dick when I think about it.
Goddamn, she’s perfect.
Chapter Seventeen
Cambri
I’m worn out from this emotional day and fighting off the crash I feel coming on just sitting here next to Elaina. The guys are all talking and plotting while the two of us are just happy to be alive and together.
“I thought we were both goners today.” She grabs my hand and squeezes tight.
“I did too.”
“So… you and my brother, huh?”
“Yeah. I guess you can say there was some chemistry during all of this.”
“He’s never really told me about any girls, so I don’t know how he treats them. I only know what kind of brother he is. He’s protective. He will do anything for those he cares about. He loves hard and is stubborn as hell about it.” I can already see all of this in the few times I’ve met him.
“I’m not saying we’re going to be together or anything. Just taking it a moment at a time.” I know guys like him. He’s not one to be tied down, not that I’m looking to do that. I’ve waited years to go away to college to have the independence and freedom to do what I want, when I want. My father was very strict and I’m not looking to answer to anyone any time soon.
“That’s good. Poe and I fucked.” I almost choke on her words, not expecting her to be so blunt.
“What?”
“Yeah. It was a heat of the moment kind of thing. He saved my life and I just attacked him the second we were away from danger. Turns out, you can actually have four orgasms during sex without a toy.”
“Oh my god, Elaina.” We both laugh at how crazy she is, gaining the attention of the guys as we do. “Don’t say anything to my brother. He’d probably kill Poe for touching his baby sister and I’m not finished with that fine specimen.” She whispers against my ear and I just smile. She’s much more experienced than I am in this department, but that hasn’t stopped her from always talking about sex. “Aught. Damn. He was phenomenal. It makes me clinch my legs together just thinking about it.”
It’s fun to see her excited about a guy. It warms my heart to know we’re both looking forward to spending time in a man’s arms tonight. That’s a sense of safety that we both need more than anything right now.
“I’m going to your brother’s house to stay the night.” I watch her expression, hoping she doesn’t look disappointed.
“Good. You keep him busy… so I can get busy.” We’re both laughing out loud again and this time the guys move toward us, no doubt curious what we’re up to.
“What’s so funny?” Travis sits next to me and pulls me sideways into his lap. It’s strange being this close to him and actually looking into his eyes. Not relying on my other senses to guide me.
“Nothing.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and smile. He uses his thumb to drag my lip free and smirks back at me. Oh, God. He’s a master at flirting.
“You ready to go?” He doesn’t try to soften the idea of us to his sister, so I’m thankful I’ve already approached the subject of leaving with him tonight.
“Yes.”
“Poe. I’m taking your extra Harley. I’ll bring it back tomorrow sometime.” Travis drops his own truck keys in Bash’s hand.
“It’s yours.” I smile at Poe, knowing their little secret is exciting. He’s good looking and I can really see him and Elaina together as they stand side by side. Cute couple… if it comes to that.
We step outside and I’m adjusting the baggy pants I was given before I climb on the bike behind him. “Here, put this on. Who gave you the pants?” He hands me a helmet, waiting patiently for me to put it on correctly.
“Some guy named Church.” He nods before the engine roars to life and I hold on to him tight and press myself against his back, embracing the speed of flying down the road and the wind on my face.
It only takes about five minutes to get to his house and another to get the bike locked up in the garage and both of us in the house. The door is almost closed behind me when he pulls me up, wrapping my legs around his waist, just like he has the last two times I’ve been alone with him. I’m beginning to love how he handles me and the hope of what else he’ll do has me meeting him kiss for kiss. Nip for nip. Moan for moan… as he rushes us to his bedroom.
He turns on the light and allows me to slip down his body until I’m standing on my own two feet. “Take these off.” A simple tug on my clothes is all I need before I’m slowly sliding my pants down my legs. He reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt off in the sexiest way I’ve ever seen. His facial hair makes him even more attractive and… Jesus this guy is pure sin without a shirt on.
I slowly unbutton mine as I keep my eyes on him, watching his every move and approving of every inch of his tattooed skin. His muscles ripple
as he shifts, drawing my eyes to slide over his back when he turns to remove his boots.
He faces me to unbutton his jeans. I’m still working on the buttons of the shirt he gave me earlier, slowly working up the courage to be naked in front of a man by choice. Flashes of waking up, bound and tied up slow my progress. He notices my stalling and stops unzipping his pants about halfway down.
“You ok?” He steps closer, inches from where I stand.
His touch calms me as he slides his fingers down my arm. “I’ve got you. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Just like last time… if you say no, we stop.”
“I know.” It’s easy to feel safe when he’s close… to melt against his skin and chase the warmth.
“I’m gonna take a shower. Do you want to come with me?” He steps back just enough to run his fingertip over the skin that’s exposed under my unbuttoned shirt. Between my boobs, over the curve of each of them and then down my stomach before he slides his palm to my side, opening the shirt as he moves.
I finally break the trance and nod. Honestly, there’s not much I wouldn’t do with him or for him when he makes me feel like this.
He slips my shirt over each shoulder, goose bumps erupting on my skin as it slides down my back and hits the floor. I’m fully exposed in front of him this time; even my eyes are wide open for him to see into. I can’t hide what I’m feeling like this.
“You’re insanely sexy.” Lowering his head, he leans in to kiss me. Slowly licking and nipping at my lips as he maneuvers my face around by my chin in his grip.
Strength. Power. Confidence.
There’s so much control in his every move and that makes me want to throw caution to the wind and do everything with him. Anything he fuckin’ wants.
He breaks the kiss and smiles down at me when I kind of fall against him. “Come with me.”
I follow him to the shower, watching his inked back from two feet behind. He moves swiftly, turning on the water and grabbing a few towels before he stops to face me once again. With his hand on his zipper he watches me with such a focus that I feel awkward when I’m filled with the urge to look down.
