BAD BOY'S KISS: A Dark Bad Boy Mafia Romance

by Naomi West

  Tova was patting her hand still when they heard the car pull up outside the warehouse. Gravel, rock, and dirt crunched under its tires.

  “Blade, maybe?” Tova asked as she and Star both looked reflexively to the entrance. The older woman's eyes were wide with fear, with uncertainty.

  Star shook her head, but said the opposite. “Sure, I guess.” She got up from the chair, a sense of overwhelming dread filling her.

  If the car was Blade's, they would have heard the other guys with him. Bikes would have been pulling up outside to join him. But, there weren't any bikes, no rumbling or revving engines. Only silence and the sound of car door slamming shut behind the driver as he got out.

  Tova reached out and touched her hand. “I don't like this,” she whispered, even though they were alone in the warehouse. For now.

  “I don't either,” Star whispered back.

  They both got up from their chairs, as if by a silent cue, and headed farther back into the warehouse, away from the door.

  “I didn't tell you earlier,” Tova whispered, “but I came armed. Just in case.”

  “Armed?” Star hissed. “Like a gun?” Star hated guns. Always had, always would. Honestly, they scared the living shit out of her, and she wouldn't have known the first thing to do with it. Point the barrel at the bad guy, she guessed, and pull the trigger..

  Beside her, Tova nodded in the stark light of the overhead neon tubes. “Pops' revolver.”

  The front entrance creaked open. Footsteps crunched on gravel outside, then the sound of boot heels thudding on the concrete floor as the door closed behind their unknown visitor.

  Together, their hands gripping each other tightly, the two women ducked down behind a big set of shelves and headed back to the office Star had found earlier.

  Boot heels sounded again as their visitor walked slowly through the building. Metal clanged on metal, scraped.

  “Hello ladies,” a man's voice, a voice Star recognized immediately, boomed out to the nearly deserted warehouse. The growling, heavy voice was one she remembered from her more recent nightmares: Aaron's voice.

  It was him. It was the man who'd kidnapped her and tied her to a tree in the middle of the woods. She tightened her grip on Tova's hand as fear shot through her body and her teeth began to chatter.

  Tova gripped her hand back. “Listen,” she whispered harshly, “we'll get through this. Tanner and the boys'll be here soon. You hear me?”

  Star tried nodding, but realized she couldn't move her head or neck enough to do make the gesture. She'd frozen in place, the fear creeping up out of her belly like an ice cold hand that wrapped itself around her heart and spine. It was fight, flight, or freeze. And freeze had won.

  “Hope you two ain't betting on your men showing up anytime soon,” Aaron crowed, his voice haunting as his words echoed around inside the nearly empty building. “Cause I sent those boys of yours on one merry little chase.”

  Oh no. They were here alone, with no hope of the men riding to the rescue. This wasn't some goddamn movie, this was real life. This was real fucking life, and it was about end in a miserable, shitty way.

  “I can't do this,” Star chattered, her teeth clicking together uncontrollably as memories from that night flooded her mind. The way his hands had been like vices, how he'd dragged her roughly through the woods, how he'd forced her onto her knees and tied her hands to that tree. This was going to be just like that, but worse. So much worse. Aaron was done just taunting Tanner. He was done flicking his nose and teasing him. He was going to hurt her and Tova this time. Really hurt them both. And maybe more than that.

  “You mean you've been through all that shit in your life,” Tova whispered back, a bit of come-to-Jesus in her voice, “and you can't get through this last little bit?”

  More metal scraping, more footsteps. They were slowly coming closer.

  Star flinched at the noise, her eyes still dead ahead, her teeth clacking together like noise-makers. Yeah, she'd come through some shit, seen some things. But none of that had prepared her for a crazy biker stalking them in an abandoned warehouse!

  “I've got a plan,” Tova said, squeezing Star's hand as she leaned in closer and looked her in the eyes. She told the younger woman what part she needed her for. “Can you do that for me?”

  Star peered back into those aged eyed, at the lines that crisscrossed her face. The smile lines at the corners of her eyes, the frown lines around her mouth. If she didn't do this, if she didn't help make this plan work, she might not have a chance to look in the mirror and see lines like those grow on her own face. She turned her head and looked away. She breathed deep and exhaled. She could do this, she could handle this.

  Tova shook her hand and drew Star's attention back to her. “Hey,” she whispered harshly. “Can you do it?”

  Star nodded, despite her overwhelming fear. “Yeah,” she said. “I can do it.” Seemed like things were “do or die,” at this point. Tova's plan wasn't great, but it was at least something. And something was always better than nothing.

  Tova gave her a weak, wan smile that looked just as terrified as Star felt. She squeezed her hand one last time and let go.

  Star nodded and stood up, walked out from the little abandoned office and darted into the forest of shelving units.

  Aaron whistled a slow, but jaunty tune as he continued to search through the warehouse. He was clearly enjoying himself, taking his time. He must have been pretty confident about his prospects of being alone with them for a while longer. He must have sent Tanner and the guys on one wild goose chase all over the county.

  She ducked around some shelves, staying low. Up ahead, not fifteen feet away, she could see his legs on the other side of some junk that had been piled up on the floor.

  “Don't worry, Star,” he said, the mirth undeniable in his voice. “I won't leave you alone out in the woods this time. I'll stay with you all night long. Did you enjoy that, though? Your little trip communing with nature?”

  Star took a deep breath, willed her spine to steel itself.

  “Or was it a little too chilly for you?” he continued. “Guess I could have lit a fire for you. Or kept you warm some other way. Seeing as how much you got that biker-lust in you.”

  “Or let me grab my coat,” Star finally said as she stood up and circled.

  “Oh ho!” Aaron exclaimed when she appeared in front of him. He held a big, heavy crowbar in his hands. That must have been what he was banging against the shelves and scraping along the concrete. But this man in front of her, he didn't look the same as before.

  His beard was gone, replaced by a clean-shaven face with heavy features. Not unattractive, but certainly not as straight-up sexy as Tanner, either. Just sort of, well, plain. He'd bleached his dark hair blonde and cut it short. He looked completely different.

  All except the eyes, of course, and that damned Roaming Wolves vest of his. Those crazed, intense eyes were still the same. The eyes of a psychopath. The eyes of a frothing-at-the-mouth predator.

  Every nerve in her body screamed at her to run, to flee. If they'd been on the Serengeti, he'd have been the lion, and she'd have been the gazelle. And she'd have been dead by now. Star swallowed down her fear, though, and only took a single step back. She had to control herself, had to keep herself from breaking.

  He took another step as he whacked the metal tool against the palm of his hand. “Speak, and she shall appear,” he said as he walked slowly towards her.

  Star struggled to keep her fear down. “Wh-what do you want?” she asked as she walked backwards with a measured pace, one hand extended behind her to make sure she didn't get entangled on anything or bump into any of the shelves that lined either side.

  “Just to talk, little Miss Star,” Aaron said in a chiding tone. “Is that too much to ask?”

  “You need a crowbar for that?” she asked, her voice cracking.

  “Nah, you're right,” he said, flashing her a wicked grin. “You caught me, I lied.” He put out th
e hand holding the crowbar and playfully slapped the back of it with the other hand. “Bad Aaron.”

  “Tanner'll be here soon,” she said, glancing behind her and avoiding a box full of abandoned screws and washers. “You should go, now, and I'll forget this happened.”

  “Oh? But, then I'd miss out on all the fun with you and Mommy. Wouldn't I? And you don't want me to miss out on my playtime, do you?”

  “J-just go,” Star stammered, as he took two more steps forward, closing the gap a little more. “I promise, we won't tell him. We'll just let you go back to the Wolves and forget this ever happened.”

  “Speaking of mommy Rainier,” he said with a wild grin, “where is the wheezy old bag, anyways?”

  “Right here, motherfucker,” Tova said from somewhere on the other side of him. Her words were followed by an audible click as she drew back the hammer on Logan Rainier' revolver. “Now, stop right where you fucking are, or I'll put two bullets in your back without even fucking blinking.”

  Just like magic, that evil grin of Aaron's dropped from his face as he finally realized what he'd stepped into. What kind of trap he'd entered through his own over-confidence.

  “Drop the crowbar,” the older woman rasped, then coughed.

  He dropped the tool on the ground, and the metal on concrete echoed loudly throughout the building.

  “Kick it to Star.”

  He followed her orders, saying, “You know I've just been messing around, right? I was just funning.”

  “You know we're not laughing, right?” Star replied as she bent over and picked up the heavy metal bar.

  “You just messing with us when you got my boy hooked on smack?” Tova spat at him. “Or when you kidnapped Tanner's ol' lady?”

  Aaron gave them both a weak shrug. “Oops.”

  “Oops?” Tova asked, shaking her head. “Star, hon, go get one of those chairs. I saw some duct tape in that back office, too. Guess we're going to get to play cops and murderous psychopaths today, ain't we, Aaron?”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Tanner

  Tanner nearly threw up as soon as he saw the strange car parked next to his mom's beat-up sedan at the empty warehouse. She wasn't supposed to have been here! She was supposed to have been at home, free and clear of any danger.

  Now, he'd have more than just Star and the baby on his conscience if what he thought was true turned out to actually be so.

  He pulled in and jumped off his bike His feet slapped the gravel parking lot, beating out a wild tattoo as he ran to the door.

  Behind him, the rest of the boys came screaming in right behind him. Dirt and gravel flew everywhere as they all skidded to a stop and came running.

  God, he hoped he wasn't too late. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to Star, or his mom. He threw the door open and rushed inside.

  “Answer her, you son of a bitch!” his mother screamed from somewhere deep inside the building. “Answer her, or I'll start blowing off every little piece of you I can!”

  Tanner ran through the trash and discarded boxes, kicking over old fixtures and containers as he made for the source of the yelling.

  “Told you I ain't talking until your boy gets here,” said Aaron, his voice carrying over the jumble of noise Tanner was making. “And, from the sound of it, your boy's here now.”

  He came upon them at the back of the warehouse, near the little office at the back. Both of the women in his life had captured Aaron and duct-taped him to one of those rolling chairs. His mom had his dad's old revolver clenched in both hands, and she was waving the hand-cannon like she knew how to use it. All three sets of eyes swiveled to his as he came out of the shadows.

  “And there's the man of the hour now,” Aaron said, laughing crazily.

  “You two okay?” Tanner asked as he went to Star and pulled her into his arms.

  Star laid her head against his chest and rested there. “I was so scared,” she whispered.

  He soothed her hair down and held her for a moment longer, silently wishing he could have been there sooner.

  “We're fine, dear,” Tova said, then coughed again. “This motherfucker thought he could get one over on all of us, though.”

  Tanner kissed the top of Star's head and squeezed her tight. He let her go before turning to Aaron. “Why?” he yelled. “Why do this to me and to my family?”

  “Funny you should ask that,” Aaron said, a big grin spreading on his face. “Cause I was about to tell you. You remember from back when we were young and wild, right Tanner? When we felt like we had the world as our plaything?”

  “Yeah,” Tanner said and frowned, not feeling the same warmth of the remembrances that Aaron was. “Go on.”

  “I knew your daddy back then, you see. I remember him coming out every now and then, to see how we were doing. How our bikes were riding. Goddamn, he loved you, Tanner. You could see the look on his face every time you rode by. Beaming like the proudest father to have ever walked God's green earth.”

  Blade, Brendon, and Cam came walking up back about then. They were calmer than Tanner, more restrained.

  Aaron glanced back towards the new arrivals, but ultimately ignored them and continued on with his story. “Years later, years after we'd fallen out of touch and gotten grown up, I tried to get into the Blood Warriors. Tried to join up with your club.”

  “I don't remember that,” Blade interjected.

  “Exactly,” Aaron said, nodding at the point. “Exactly. I didn't even merit a review, not even a fucking review for my recruitment. Do you know why?”

  Tanner shook his head, but he had an idea.

  Aaron's face twisted in anger. “Because of your daddy, Tanner. Because of your goddamn, motherfucking daddy.”

  Tova lunged towards him, but Blade wrapped her gently, but firmly, in his arms and restrained her.

  “Thank you, Blade,” Aaron said. “Hate to ruin my good looks. Your daddy, old man Logan Rainier, high poobah of the Blood Warriors, wouldn't even accept me for fucking review. Said I was a loose cannon, a bad apple that needed to be kept from the rest of the barrel. Said I was too violent and reckless, and that I wouldn't get in to the MC so long as he was alive.”

  Everyone sat in stunned silence, partially at the story, and partially at the fact that the Roaming Wolves had let this clearly-unhinged man into their club. How had he gotten so far into their club? How had he gotten these men to help him? All because of a vendetta against the Blood Warriors?

  “But, then, well, your daddy died, didn't he?” he asked, shaking his head. “And, I thought to myself, 'Now's your chance, Aaron! Now you can be a Blood Warrior, just like you've always dreamed!'”

  “So why didn't you just apply?” Blade asked. “We would've given you a fair vote, up or down, to become a recruit. None of us knew you.”

  Aaron snorted. “Why bother? I'd rather have my revenge. And, when I'd heard Brendon was back in town, I figured out how I wanted to start.”

  “You went through all this, just to get revenge for something a dead man did to you years ago?” Tanner asked, his eyes wide.

  Aaron nodded, that wide grin of his spreading across his face again. “Why else? I mean, I'm your biggest rival, now. Figured a little cred with the Wolves wouldn't hurt things.”

  “Geez,” Blade said, “on second thought, thank God Logan turned you down. You evil sumbitch.”

  “What do we want to do with him?” Brendon asked, the look on his face just as perplexed as everybody else's.

  Tanner shook his head as Star backed away from him. Everyone knew what had to be done, what deserved to be done. He'd been in here, after the women. He'd gotten Brendon hooked on drugs, had kidnapped Star. But, still, killing him would just put a murder over the club’s head. And that, by itself, was too dangerous.

  “You really love the Roaming Wolves?” Tanner asked, his voice level. “Don't you?”

  Aaron shrugged, his head trying to track Tanner as he circled around him. “They're my boys, same as you
got with the Blood Warriors. They pick me up when I'm down, they got my back. Why wouldn't I?”

  Tanner was behind him now. He reached up and put his hands on Aaron's patch, the big Roaming Wolves name that arched across the back of his vest.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Aaron yelled and struggled against the mummy-like duct tape wrappings. “You keep your hands off that patch, you son-of-a-bitch Warrior!”

  “You ain't exactly in a position to make any demands,” Tanner said, his voice flat and emotionless as he began to rip the patches off his vest.

  “What are you doing?” Star asked.

  “To one of us,” Tanner said, nodding to Blade and the rest of the guys, “losing your patch is like losing your honor. A biker wouldn't be caught dead without his patches. Ain't that right, Aaron?”