“Not a problem,” Vince said.
The Chief left the club and Vince let it all play out in his mind. It would go to plan. Even if the plans got messed up, there would be another plan.
“What do you think?” Cooper asked.
“I think we’re all set,” Vince said.
The door opened to the club again and this time it was Seth. He looked at Vince and then set his sights at the bar.
“Do me a favor,” Vince said. “Go get three shots of whiskey and bring them to me.”
“Sure thing,” Cooper said.
Seth made it no more than two steps before Vince threw his hand out and snapped his fingers, stopping Seth dead in his tracks.
“Sit,” Vince ordered.
“I need a drink, man,” Seth said.
“Drinks are coming. Sit.”
Seth sat down but wouldn’t look at Vince. Anger rolled through Vince. Seth was weak. A complete idiot and weak at that. It took Vince a lot of strength to not punch Seth in the face as he watched the weak shifter struggle to look him in the eyes.
“What happened?” Vince asked.
“Fucking mess.”
“Did you kill that guy?”
“Yeah,” Seth said. “He had my girl on her knees. Tied her hands up. Had the gun to her head. I wanted to shift so bad, Vince. I could have attacked the son of a bitch. I could have saved her life. But I didn’t. I respected who we are and what we do. That got her killed.”
Vince sighed. “You were fucking a human, no big deal.”
Seth slapped the table. “Maybe she was more than that.”
“Seth…”
“Lucas fell for a human,” Seth said. “Who says I can’t?”
Vince rolled his neck and saw Cooper coming to the table. He put the three whiskey shot glasses down. Vince pushed all three to Seth.
“Let it burn, brother,” Vince whispered.
Seth took the shots, one at a time, until all three empty shot glasses were stacked upon each other. After a quiet minute, Vince could see the booze working through Seth’s body.
“I need you focused for this trip,” Vince said. “Everything before this moment means nothing. Got that?”
Seth nodded. “Yeah.”
“There’s plenty of women around here, Seth. Go downstairs and take your fucking pick. Don’t give me that bullshit with humans. You’re not Lucas.”
“But I feel it,” Seth said. “The hurt I feel… that should have been his.”
“I know,” Vince said. “Maybe you can make that right.”
Vince smiled. Seth’s vulnerability could come in handy.
“How?” Seth asked.
“We’re traveling tomorrow. It’s going to be messy, no matter how much we preach for peace. You should know that by now.”
“Okay,” Seth said.
“When things get intense, guns will be drawn. Bullets will fly. Accidents could happen.”
Vince stood from the table and stared down at Seth. Seth pushed at the empty shot glasses and blinked. He looked ready to cry.
So fucking weak…
“Get me three more?” Seth asked.
“Not a problem, brother,” Vince said.
Vince got more shots for Seth and then he slowly retreated back to the conference room. Things would line up soon enough. And if they didn’t, there was always enough bullets to change the situation in Vince’s favor.
*
Cooper left the club and went down to his motorcycle. He sat on the ride and let the air and world surround him. Ian came from the club a minute or so later. He walked to Cooper and they hugged.
“What are you doing out here?” Ian asked.
“Just thinking. Vince and I talked to the Chief. It’s all set. You and I are going to the police station late tonight.”
“With that bad boy?” Ian asked and pointed to the box truck parked in the far corner of the lot.
Cooper nodded.
The box truck had a faded picture of a lobster on it. There were several other images that had been scratched and faded with time, all of which showing the failures of businesses… or perhaps more coverups for other activity. The memories hidden in that truck were probably deep.
“The truck is registered somewhere in Oregon,” Cooper said. “Everything is clean with it, so we don’t have to worry about looking suspicious.”
“Except for the group of motorcycles surrounding it, right?” Ian asked.
“That’s for Vince and the Oreno crew to care about. We just drive, deliver, and drive back.”
“That simple, huh?”
“In our minds, yeah,” Cooper said.
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” Ian asked.
“We’re putting trust into a rival crew. We’re moving a very pregnant woman up north, hoping whatever the hell is in her body comes out healthy, and then we have to drop off some criminals for the Oreno crew to feast upon. Yeah, it’s going to be a walk in the fucking park, brother.”
“Shit,” Ian said. He got on his motorcycle, shaking his head.
“Are you okay, man? I mean, what happened before…”
Ian looked at Cooper. “I’ll manage, bro. There are just times when those urges… seeing Lucas knock up that stripper. He doesn’t give a shit about her. Then he starts bringing a human around here. Just… sometimes it makes me think a little too much of what I lost.”
“I’m sorry, man,” Cooper said.
“I am too. But sorry doesn’t change things. Sorry makes you weak. Sorry clouds your mind. Better to just be like the road… just keep going. Through twists and turns, ups and down. Just keep going.”
Ian started his motorcycle, waved, and then rode away. Cooper started his motorcycle, too. He saw the door to the club open again and it was Lucas ushering Leah out. He quickly looked around, like he expected someone to be waiting for him.
Lucas nodded to Cooper. Cooper nodded back. He then rode off. A little time alone before the mission couldn’t hurt.
21
Leah wrapped her arms tight around Lucas. When the motorcycle started to move, Lucas imagined it never stopping. They could go west first, right to the shore. Watching the sunset on the beach. Then at night they could move south and then east, taking the country mile by mile, only stopping to eat, kiss, and smile.
That was impossible though and Leah knew it. Mercy was part of Lucas as much as Lucas was part of Mercy. The club’s blood was in the town and without them, the town wouldn’t survive. Without Lucas, Full Moon Mercy probably couldn’t survive either. The path before the club, including Leah, needed to be followed. That meant protecting Debbie and her unborn baby. It also meant taking care of anything else that happened between now and then.
Lucas rode to Leah’s apartment. It was a place Leah wasn’t expecting to go, but she definitely could use a change of clothes and somewhere quiet. When the motorcycle stopped, Leah climbed off and hurried to touch Lucas’s face.
“Are you leaving me?” she asked.
“No,” Lucas said. “I’m staying here tonight.”
“Then what?”
“Tomorrow we meet in the conference room and set the date and time for our travel,” Lucas said. “You’ll come with me back to the club and then you’ll be on the ride. You need to stay with Debbie and help her.”
“I know,” Leah said. “That’s why I went to check on her today. It’ll be fine… with us.”
Leah put her head down. She didn’t want Lucas to see the true fear in her eyes.
Lucas put a hand under her chin and lifted her head. “Hey. Everything will be fine. You have to trust me.”
“I do,” Leah said. “But that feeling…”
“Will be gone soon.”
Lucas got off the motorcycle and took Leah by the hand. He led the way to her apartment, showing her that nobody - or nothing - waited for them. The building was clear. The apartment was clear. And when the door was finally locked, Leah felt as though she could take a breath.
She stayed close to Lucas, walking with him as he went down the hallway to the bedroom. Lucas closed the door and locked it.
“Sit,” he said.
Leah went to the bed and sat. She watched Lucas pace and grew worried. “What’s wrong?”
“What Vince said to us,” Lucas said.
“Does it worry you?”
“I don’t know,” Lucas said. “But what he said about claiming me… that’s something he’s been wanting for a long time.”
“You don’t want it?”
Lucas stopped and ran a hand through his hair. He took out a smoke and lit it. Leah never saw someone look so sexy smoking before. The way his eyes wandered off as he thought.
“I’ve never really had a father,” Lucas said. “I learned to survive by my own strength and the honor of my word. I never needed someone to protect me and I don’t want to start now.”
“So then tell Vince no.”
“It’s not that simple. I’m in line for his seat. But it would go to a vote within the club. Chances are they’ll vote me in, but someone could be a real big asshole and vote nay. If that happened… well, it wouldn’t be good. If Vince claims me, I’m better protected by him. My senses become his senses. If I’m in trouble, he’ll know it. If I need him, he’ll feel it. The connection that forms is intense. I also get the seat without a vote. Since I’m claimed, it means I’m basically his son. If he were to die or step away, I would have the seat because of the bloodline. Because I’m claimed by him.”
“You don’t want that?” Leah asked.
“I want my brothers to trust me,” Lucas said. “I don’t want their respect because of who I am…”
“Yes you do,” Leah said and smiled.
“Well, yeah. I want them to respect me because of who I am… because of how I am. Of what I’ve done for Full Moon Mercy. Of what I’ll continue to do for the club. Not because I was claimed by Vince. You understand that, Leah?”
“Of course I do,” Leah said.
“Yet Vince comes with protection,” Lucas said.
“You don’t have to do this right now, do you?”
Lucas looked at Leah and the look in his eyes made her shiver. There was more and he wasn’t sharing. Maybe it was for her own good. Chasing away the fear, Leah stood from the bed and walked to Lucas. She put her hands to his shoulders and slowly removed his leather jacket. It fell to the floor as she gripped the bottom of his t-shirt and started to lift it. If her fears weren’t going to be satisfied at least her body could be.
Her hands ran along Lucas’s perfect body, tracing the lines of muscle that felt like stone. Both hands touched his face, holding him, staring into his eyes.
“You make me feel so alive,” Lucas said.
“You’re a shifter, Lucas,” Leah said. “What could be more thrilling than that?”
“The touch of a woman as beautiful as you.”
Leah felt color rush to her cheeks and heat rush between her legs. She placed her lips to Lucas’s solid chest and began to kiss it. She loved the taste of his skin. The musky man smell yet with hints of something more wild. The hint of freedom from a man who could ride on two wheels or run on four legs.
When Leah touched Lucas’s belt, she moaned. She wanted to torture Lucas, and herself. She stepped back and pulled, bringing Lucas to the bed with her. She sat while Lucas remained standing. She enjoyed giving him the dominant position. Her hands worked fast, opening Lucas’s pants and pulling them down. As he popped free, thick and hard, with one hand, Leah gripped him and squeezed. She then looked up at Lucas. The power in his eyes was intense.
“When will you claim me?” she asked.
“Soon,” Lucas said as he slid his fingers through her hair. “I promise, Leah. Soon.”
Leah came forward and kissed the engorged tip of Lucas. When she flickered her tongue, Lucas jumped and groaned. His hand moved to the back of her head and pulled, commanding her to taste him. Leah slowly opened her mouth and gently allowed Lucas in. She tasted his hard skin, moving down as far as her mouth could spare before pulling back.
When her mouth came free, Leah stroked Lucas with her hand. The moves were slow, sensual, a calming pleasure that tingled deep within her body.
Leah reluctantly opened her hand. She slid to the very edge of the bed and lifted the lower half of her body. Operating in silence, Leah used one hand to unbutton her pants. She then fell back to her elbows, lifting her shirt just above her navel, offering herself to Lucas.
Without speaking still, Lucas stepped back and bent down, his hands slapping against the Leah’s sides. She whimpered and moaned. Lucas’s hands gripped both her pants and panties but then he moved gently. He slid Leah’s pants and panties off, leaving her to kick them to the floor. His hands then touched her knees as he opened her legs.
Lucas presented himself to Leah, lowering his body, pressing against her. The feel of his cock between her legs wasn’t just intense pleasure, it was like being protected. Lucas entered Leah carefully, sliding deep into her body. He cradled her head with one hand and used the other hand to lift her shirt and wrestle her bra up, too. He then cupped her breast and kissed her.
Slowly, Lucas made love to Leah. His thrusts were deep yet gentle. The pleasure wasn’t like before but somehow just intense. When Leah came, she lost her breath, arching her back, closing her eyes, feeling the ecstasy of the moment as it came and went in orgasmic waves.
Over and over, what could have been hours and all night. Time slipped away and with each movement from Lucas, Leah felt the fear melt away. It was exactly what she needed right then and judging by the look Lucas gave her, it was exactly what he needed too.
When Lucas finally finished, he climbed up on the bed. He lifted Leah and brought her to the top of the bed. There he placed her body down, pulled the covers up and began to use his fingers to trace lines along her nude body. A feeling of being high ran throughout Leah’s body. She couldn’t control herself as her body continued to remain turned on and extra sensitive. With just the smallest touch of Lucas’s finger to her clit, her body shook and she came again. She found comfort with her head on his chest and her hand on his strong leg. His hands were still all over her body as he held her.
“Soon, baby,” Lucas said. “I will claim you. Soon…”
Those were the words Leah held onto as the night parted with her.
22
It was just after midnight and Lucas sat on the edge of the bed, his hands folded, chin resting on them, still naked, staring at the floor. Behind him Leah was cuddled within the sheets, sleeping peacefully. Sleep wasn't going to come tonight and Lucas didn’t care. He thought about Leah. He thought about Full Moon Mercy. He thought about life. Hell, he even thought about Debbie. The ending result of the pregnancy would be the birth of Lucas’s first born child. But what would become of Debbie? After enduring the birth of a shifter, what would the club decide to do with her? Maybe Vince already had a plan in place for that. Perhaps Debbie would tragically die during birth.
It pissed Lucas off.
Death was part of his life and there was nothing he could do about that. But to control death, well that just seemed more than wrong. Especially when it came to matters deep within the club. As ironic as it was, the only way Lucas could truly save Debbie would be to claim her and protect her. But that would mean Leah would be left fending for herself. She wouldn’t last a day, not if Vince really wanted her dead.
Lucas’s cell rang. He reached down and picked up his jeans.
It was Cooper calling.
“Cooper, what’s wrong?”
“Business meeting right now,” Cooper said.
“What the hell are you talking about? It’s the middle of the night, bro.”
“Vince called it. Ian and I are driving back to the club in a few minutes. We have our delivery.”
“Delivery… oh.”
The bodies. The prisoners. They were all picked up and ready for the trip through the Oreno territory.
“Vinc
e is at the conference table waiting,” Cooper said. “Get there now, bro. It’s time.”
It’s time.
The call terminated and Lucas dropped his phone. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face.
“Shit,” he whispered.
Lucas stood up and dressed himself. He hated what he had to do next. Gently touching Leah’s shoulder, Lucas shook the woman he had fallen for.
“Leah, baby,” Lucas said. “I need you to wake up.”
Leah stirred and moaned. She moved to her back and the sheets came close to exposing her chest.
“Oh, damn, don’t do this to me now,” Lucas said. “Leah, wake up.”
Leah’s eyes fluttered and finally opened. She looked Lucas up and down then hurried to sit up, clutching the sheets to her body.
“What happened?” she asked.
“We have to go,” Lucas said.
“Go? What time is it?”
“It’s after midnight.” Lucas touched Leah’s face.
“Did something happen here?”
“Not here, no. The business meeting is tonight. I just got the call from Cooper. I have to go and I want you with me. You can crash at the club and I’ll fill you in on the details.”
“Okay, sure,” Leah said.
Lucas went to the door and treated himself to the beautiful sight of Leah as she dressed herself. The way she stood. The way she reached for her clothing. When she looked at him her cheeks flushed. Lucas couldn’t get enough of looking at her nude body. The perfect curves. The shapes that would forever be burned in his memory.
“Let’s go,” Leah finally said once dressed.
Lucas took her hand and led the way out of the apartment.
The motorcycle sounded ten times louder in the middle of the night. With the rest of Mercy sleeping, the sound of rolling thunder echoed as Lucas sped away from the apartment and back to the Full Moon Mercy club.
He arrived to a full lot of bikes. The box truck was parked in the same spot as before. Only now it was full of guys who would be sacrificed to the Oreno crew for safe passage.
Once upstairs, Lucas pointed and leaned close to Leah. “Go to my room and wait.”
The True Beast (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance) Page 16
