Reaching Rico (The Adamos Book 5)

by Mia Madison

  The chill spreads through my middle. I learned about horses this weekend. Spanking horses, that is. “Sure,” I somehow manage to say.

  “Thanks, hon. Bye.”

  I hang up the phone blindly. Pulling the message pad toward me, I fill in the names — to Rico, from Delilah — and then the message, my hand pressing so hard I rip the paper. She has a new horse to try out.

  There are filing racks hung on the wall, with slots for each mechanic’s open work orders. On the rare occasion that the guys get messages at work through the business line instead of their personal phones, that’s where I put them. I get a little binder clip, go over to the racks, and clip the message to Rico’s slot.

  I don’t look at him while I do this, nor while I clock out immediately afterward. I’m numb as I grab my bag and push through the door. Only when I’m in the parking lot do I remember I don’t have my car.

  The closest place is the parts store, but I can’t ask Dante for help. He’s Rico’s twin; he’ll just tell his brother where I am. The only other option is the café.

  I hurry across the parking lot and in the back. Maybe one of my friends can take a break long enough to get me the hell out of here. But when I reach the dining area, the first person I see is Wolf Calhoun, sitting at the counter.

  He catches sight of me, and his usual good cheer fades. “You all right, darlin’?”

  “Wolf.” My voice cracks, and I swallow. “Can I get a ride?” His eyes fill with questions that I do not have time to answer. “Please. I need to get out of here.”

  With a nod, he rises. I ignore Gina and Erin, staring at me from different corners of the room. I’ll message them later. Right now, I need to escape.

  Wolf’s bike is parked out front, thank god. Thirty seconds later, I’m seated behind him, holding on as he roars onto the street. I don’t know where we’re going, and I don’t care.

  He takes me to the Firestorm compound. It’s only a few miles away; not far enough for my comfort, but I can’t afford to be picky. In a town full of Adamos, when all my friends are tangled up with Adamo men, there aren’t that many places I can take refuge.

  The property has several structures on it. Wolf leads me inside one of them, a long, low building that looks like a motel. The room that might have been a lobby once upon a time is now outfitted with a bar.

  It’s is full of Firestorm members. Conversation cuts off abruptly as Wolf and I enter, and all the men turn to look at me. I’ve never been the object of that much male interest before; it feels like I’m swimming in a sea of testosterone.

  “Nobody touches her,” Wolf says brusquely. “Anyone shows up looking for her, they stay outside and I talk to them.”

  I follow him through the room and into a hallway with doors opening off both sides, all down its length. Stopping at one of them, he unlocks it and leads me inside. It’s spartan, the walls bare, holding nothing but a bed, a nightstand, and a chair against one wall.

  Wolf motions me to the bed and takes the chair. “Not my way to get involved in things that are none of my business,” he says. “But I’ve got a soft spot for damsels in distress.”

  25

  Right Behind Him

  “I’m sorry.” I lace my fingers together and stare at them. “I shouldn’t have asked you.”

  Wolf smiles. “Nobody makes me do what I don’t want to, darlin’. Not even pretty women.”

  He leans forward, serious again, his elbows on his knees. “Rico and I have been friends a long time. If I’m gonna put myself, and this club, on the line to protect you, I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

  “Okay.” I’m already regretting asking him for help. How am I supposed to talk to him about Rico and spanking and Delilah? It’s embarrassing, not to mention humiliating.

  “Not all the personal details,” he amends, and I breathe a silent sigh of relief. “What’s between you and him, that’s private. Just tell me this: is he gonna come after you?”

  I bite my lip and nod. “Probably.”

  “Okay.” His eyes are kind, but there’s something in them I can’t read. “Never seen you with such a miserable look on your face. He the one who put it there?”

  I nod again. “Then I got one other question, and darlin’, I need an honest answer. Did he hurt you?”

  “No! I mean, not …” I fumble to a stop, my face flaming. Oh god, please just let me die now.

  Wolf rescues me. “Good,” he says, like I didn’t just make a fool of myself, and stands. “This is my room; you’ll be safe in here for now.”

  “Wolf?” I say before he can go. “Why were you at Kosta’s?”

  His eyes go grim. “The Russians are back in town. They’re working with a handful of the old Serpents club who managed not to get locked up.”

  “Oh, no.” It’s only been a few months since everything happened with Gina and Carlo. “Prostitution again?”

  “Not yet. Drugs, this time. And porn. I’ll be back later.” With that, he goes out, and I hear the key turn. He’s locked me in. Yikes.

  The room’s a little chilly, even with my coat on. I lie down on my side on the bed and bring the bedspread up to wrap around me. Now that the rush to get away is over, I wonder what the hell I’m doing.

  I can’t keep hiding out at Firestorm. But I can’t be around Rico, either. I always knew he might break my heart, but not like this.

  Fishing in my purse, I pull out my phone. It still gets a signal in here, but Rico hasn’t called. Maybe he’s not going to. Maybe he doesn’t care that I’m gone, and my whole melodramatic escape was just me being silly.

  That’s enough to make me want to cry like a baby. I’m putting the phone back in my purse, blinking the tears away, when a text comes through. It’s from Gina.

  Holy shit, girl. Rico was just in here and he is pissed. He wanted to know where you went and Erin and I wouldn’t tell him anything, so now he’s mad at us too. I hope you know what you’re doing. Call me if you can or let me know you’re okay.

  I shiver. That answers that. Thanks, I text back. Everything will probably hit the fan soon. I’ll let you know how it goes.

  Soon? she responds. I thought it already had.

  That was just phase one. When Rico finds me … maybe coming here was foolish, but I’m suddenly not sorry that there’s a wall of bikers between me and him.

  Rico will no doubt talk to his cousin, Gina’s man Carlo, who could track my phone with his eyes closed. It won’t take them long to find me.

  My phone pings with another text from Gina. Carlo just called me. He asked me where you are and I told him I don’t know, which I don’t. We had a little bit of a moment, but he understands you’re my friend, just like Rico’s his cousin.

  Anyway, a whole bunch of Adamos and commando guys are probably going to be wherever you are in another few minutes. Erin and I are stuck here at the café, but I called Cait and Frankie.

  She is so awesome. I love you, I text back. Thanks.

  Love you too, girlfriend. Major debriefing when this is over!

  She’s got that right. I put the phone away, and then realize I need the bathroom. Dammit.

  I get up and try the doorknob, but it’s locked, all right. Just in case, I tap on the door. “Hello?”

  To my surprise, a voice answers. “Yeah?” It’s not Wolf; the guy sounds pretty young, whoever he is.

  “I have to pee.”

  There’s a pause before he says, “You’re supposed to stay in there.”

  “Well, if you want to explain to Wolf why his bed is yellow, fine with me.”

  “Hold on.” Instead of the key turning, I hear him walking away. Dammit.

  He’s back sooner than I expect. But when the door opens, it’s Wolf standing there. And right behind him is Rico.

  26

  War

  I back away as they both come in. The room is suddenly tiny. Rico looks like he could tunnel through a mountain with his bare hands.

  Wolf opens his mouth to speak, but Ric
o gets there first. “Did he touch you?”

  I suck in a shocked breath and then swing at him as hard as I can. He grabs my wrist before I can connect. “I deserved that,” he says. “Which is why I’m lettin’ you get away with it.”

  I wrench my hand away. Wolf, his voice colder than I’ve ever heard it, says, “For the sake of our friendship, I’m gonna pretend you didn’t ask her that.”

  “Appreciate it. Can you give us a minute?”

  Wolf regards his friend through narrowed eyes, then says to me, “Up to you, darlin’.”

  I look at Rico, then back at Wolf, and nod. He goes out and shuts the door behind him, leaving us alone.

  Rico pulls the chair out and around and straddles it. Rubbing a hand through his hair, he sighs. “Don’t know where to start with you. That message — I never fucked her, babe.”

  I sit down on the bed, not quite but almost as far away from him as I can get. Keeping a lid on my emotions takes effort. “But you’ve done … other things with her.”

  He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t look away. “Yeah.”

  “And you were going to keep on doing them.” That’s the part that hurts the most.

  “No, babe.”

  My head jerks up. “No?”

  “That shit, it’s part of who I am. You get that now.”

  “Yes,” I say softly.

  “It builds up. Pretending it doesn’t exist ain’t healthy. Sooner or later, it’s gotta find an outlet.”

  I swallow. “But you just said—”

  “There’s a place. Not here, a few hours away. I used to go out there, take the edge off. Haven’t been since I met you.”

  Relief swamps me, followed by guilt. “You haven’t done anything since you met me.” No sex, no kink, nothing. “How did you manage to wait so long? Why didn’t you grab me as soon as I was legal?”

  “No way I could ask you for that until you showed me you were ready. But yeah, babe, havin’ you near me all the time was a two-edged sword. Made things better, made ’em worse.

  “Knowin’ the kind of woman you’d be someday, what you’d be like in my bed, was like turning a pressure cooker up to high without venting the steam. That shit was ready to explode.”

  I venture a tiny smile. “So … I was a wanton just in time?”

  “I got a lot of control, babe, but it hasn’t been an easy four years. And if I were still in Firestorm and this were my room, I’d tan your hide right now for runnin’ off instead of talkin’ to me.”

  Uh-oh. “Why aren’t you still in Firestorm?”

  “Don’t change the subject.” He’s got that warning glint in his eye.

  “I’m sorry.” I study my fingers. “That phone call created a very convincing false impression in my mind. Like Dani’s roses did in yours.”

  “All right. That’s fair.”

  “But I should have talked to you about it.”

  “Yeah, you should have.”

  “I’m sorry,” I repeat. “Next time I want to yell at you about something, I will, instead of avoiding it.”

  The corner of his mouth turns up, and Rico stands and holds out a hand to me. “Let’s go, doll.”

  When we reach the lobby room, it’s packed with even more Firestorm members than before. But Carlo’s there, too. And so are Dante and Jake — and Tonio, with Cait at his side. There’s enough tension in the room to prop up a cathedral. Holy crap.

  I can’t meet anyone’s eyes as Rico and I cross the room and go outside, where a bunch of the ex-military guys who work for Carlo are in the parking lot. Once we’re safely in Rico’s SUV, I let out the question filling my mind. “I didn’t start a war, did I?”

  27

  Sandwich

  Rico looks sidelong at me. “If Wolf hadn’t let me in to talk to you, there woulda been trouble.”

  Double yikes. “Good thing you guys are friends, then.”

  “Yeah.”

  The way he says it reminds me of what I’ve always sensed between them. Maybe it’s time to push a little. “You are, aren’t you? Friends?”

  “More brothers than friends. But we got history.” His clipped tone is not encouraging.

  When we get back to Revved, the garage goes silent. I put my purse away and get to work, not meeting anybody’s gaze. No doubt the mechanics are all rolling their eyes at me and wishing they didn’t have to deal with the fallout from our workplace romance. I could go on the lecture circuit: 101 Reasons Not to Sleep With Your Boss.

  The office door opens while I’m rooting around in the files, and when Val’s tail starts thumping, I assume it’s Rico. But it’s Nicky Santos who says, “You all right, Mickey?”

  I jerk upright so fast I almost bonk my head on the underside of the counter. “Sorry,” he says. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “That’s okay. I, uh, I’m fine.” I don’t think he really wants to hear the details of how or why that’s so.

  “Good.” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his coveralls, his expression serious. “I guess you know us guys are pretty loyal to Rico.”

  I try not to wince. He probably thinks I’m a hot mess that Rico’s better off without, and I can’t entirely blame him. “Yeah. Of course you are.”

  “But there’s not a one of us who wouldn’t fight him if we thought he was treating you bad.”

  Oh my god. My eyes fill with tears. “Thank you,” I whisper. “He’s not. Truly. We just had a misunderstanding.”

  “Good.” He gives me a crooked grin. “Because it’d probably take every one of us to land a single punch.”

  I give him a wobbly smile back. “Yeah. Thanks, Nicky. Really.”

  “Well. Those cars won’t fix themselves.” Then he’s gone. I get back to work, too, but my heart is lighter.

  When lunchtime rolls around, I grab my purse, eager to hit the café and talk to whichever of my friends is working today. I’m at the time clock, ready to punch out, when Rico’s voice stops me.

  “Mickey.”

  I look around. He’s halfway down the garage, between two vehicles. “What?”

  “You stay here.”

  I stare at him. “What? Why?”

  He gives me a look that says very clearly, Are you questioning me? “But,” I sputter, “you’re always such a fanatic about me taking my breaks.”

  “Not today.” He goes back to the transmission job he’s doing. Conversation over.

  I put my purse away and do some filing. It needs to be something brainless, because my nerves are on edge and I can’t really concentrate. Through some kind of telepathy, the mechanics — who usually take lunch in shifts — lower all the bay doors, leaving the garage dim, and go off as a group.

  As soon as we’re alone, Rico says, “Come here.” Anticipation curls in my belly. I go to him, making sure to neither dawdle nor rush.

  He’s sitting on a chair along the back wall, between two vehicles, next to the cabinets holding parts and tools. When I reach him, he’s reading some papers. He continues, not looking at me, while I get more and more impatient.

  Finally, he looks up and hands me the papers. “Need you to file these.”

  I give him a look that says Are you kidding me? and get back one that says, Are you sassing me? For a moment, I waver between obedience and rebellion.

  Finally, I take a deep breath, accept the papers, and march back behind the counter. He’s pushing my buttons. Testing me.

  It’s up to me to adapt and roll with it. I need to see where my tempting, aggravating beast of a man will take us next.

  28

  Ache In My Core

  There’s a tap at the door; I open it to find Nicky standing there. He hands me a takeout bag from the café and walks away before I can say anything.

  Closing the door, I turn to Rico, who beckons me over with a jerk of his head. Valiant tries to follow me out of the office, but I make her stay on her bed. She lets me know with her eyes that she is the most neglected dog in the world.

  When I get to Ric
o I hold out the bag, but he doesn’t take it. Instead, he pats his leg. I get tremors before I perch daintily on his thigh.

  Even through our clothes, feeling the solid muscle of his leg beneath my ass makes my inner muscles tighten. When I offer him the bag again, he takes it and pulls out a sandwich.

  Just one.

  Tearing off a piece, he hands it to me. Our fingers brush together, and heat jolts up my arm.

  What I really want to do is toss the sandwich aside and fling myself at him. I could plant a good kiss on that mouth before he stopped me. But that’s not the game.

  I take a bite. Chicken salad, one of my favorites, but I’m too keyed up, too aware of him, to relax and enjoy it. When his hand reaches for my face, I go still.

  One finger dabs at the corner of my mouth and comes away with a tiny dot of mayonnaise. I only have time for a millisecond of embarrassment before he holds it to my lips.

  Ohmygod. I open my mouth and he slides his finger in, and instinct takes over. My eyes close and I suck blissfully, my tongue caressing him, my cheeks hollowing.

  I don’t ever want to stop. My panties are soaked, just from this, and when he starts to pull his finger away my teeth come down to hold him in place.

  “Mary Louise.” It almost makes me come to hear him say my name. “Let me go.”

  So gentle, a tender warning. He could pull free; I’m not gripping him that tightly.

  It’s another test. Another demand for my obedience. Opening my eyes to stare into his, I bite down just a little more.

  The next instant the piece of sandwich disappears from my fingers into the bag, which he sets aside, and then I’m face down over his lap. When his hand comes down on my ass, I can’t help gasping.

  He’s not really hitting me that hard, but he’s so strong, and his hand is so big. It thuds against the denim of my jeans, and the impact burns right through them.