by C. M. Marin
“Someone who has no family left. The perfect target,” I state, queasiness swirling in me even more strongly. “You think they’ve gone as far as to track people?”
If they had gotten her… My stomach lurches at the thought.
“What we think is that they’d do whatever it takes for that kind of money,” Liam says.
“But how?” I ask. “They’d need some serious genius to do something like that, right?”
“You’ll have to ask Blane about that. He said he’ll do some digging when he gets back.”
“Fuck. We should have done something months ago about the Spiders. If they’re really mixed up in human trafficking, we need to deal with it before it goes too far and the feds show up. Or even worse, like you said, before whatever Mexican Cartel shows up.” I sigh in pure exhaustion. “Okay, you go get your coffees and rest a bit. Meeting at 2pm,” I decide as we make our way back upstairs.
The guys are quiet, some slumped on a couch, others sitting at the bar.
I need to get back to Cam. Nothing can happen to her inside these walls, I know that, but after last night, I have to see with my own eyes that she’s still here.
“Hey, Liam, wait up,” I call out and follow him up the stairs. “Can I borrow a pair of Alex’s leggings for Cam? She’s in the shower.”
“Sure, come on.”
I follow him to his room and lean against the doorframe while he fumbles shortly into his sister’s stuff to finally take out of a drawer some yoga pants or whatever the blue thing he gives me is called. Thanking him, I already turn around to walk straight back to my room. Once I grabbed her panties I had put in a drawer earlier, I pause in front of the bathroom door when I don’t hear the shower running. Then I knock gently, afraid to spook her.
“You good in there?” I call out.
“Come in,” she says almost at the same time.
When I enter the small room, my first reflex is to think about asking Cam for some mercy from now on. I still get that she’s not ready to yield to her attraction toward me just yet, probably even less ready after last night, and I respect that, but there’s only so much a man can take before blowing up.
Her hair is damp and falling in hot waves barely brushing her shoulders left bare by the towel wrapped around her, starting just over her breasts and hitting her upper thighs.
“I looked around for a towel, I hope you don’t mind.”
Her voice brings my eyes back to hers. She has a small smile on those lips I want nothing but taste again until they’re raw.
“Of course not. Here.” I hand her the clothes. “That belongs to Liam’s sister. I guess it should fit. There’re your panties, too.”
She takes them as she speaks, “I’ll need to buy a bunch of things. If anything escaped the fire, it’s most likely ruined because of the smoke. But…” She pauses, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “I’m scared to go out alone.”
“Good thing you won’t, then,” I snort. “We’ll go together tomorrow. Today, I’m keeping you here to rest. Now, get dressed so I can make you eat something. I also need to tell you what the guys think about why the Spiders wanted you.”
After a moment spent to stare at me, she stammers, “Oh, yeah, okay.”
I reluctantly leave her before I do something stupid like begging her to drop the towel and let me bend her over the sink.
Once alone, I let myself fall on my back over the messy bedsheets. I close my eyes, still seeing Camryn dressed in only that towel barely covering her very naked body. Having her in my bed every night for who knows how long and staying away from her is going to be excruciating torture. She isn’t even next to me now, but her scent clogs every drop of air around me.
Opening my eyes, I jerk to sit back up, growling to myself.
“Are you okay?”
Startled, I look over to the bathroom door where Camryn is standing, her gaze on me.
Another growl is at the back of my throat, but I fight to keep it in. The pants Liam chose couldn’t have been any tighter. It’s a good thing she has my shirt on, because there’s no doubt these pants mold her very sexy hips and very sexy ass just like they mold her thighs. And I’d rather not kill one of my brothers for noticing that.
“I’m good,” I tell her. “Come here, beautiful.”
She does, but instead of sitting on the bed, she stops once she’s standing in front of me.
“Tell me what they want from me. I want to know.”
Straight to the point. Let’s do this, then.
“The guys talked about it and figured something I didn’t. It all is conjecture at this point, we can’t prove shit yet, but we’ve been suspecting the Spiders to be involved in the human trafficking business for a while now. The guys seem to think it’s the reason they took you. And the more I think about it, the more I can say I agree with them.”
Fear and disgust twist her face as understanding sets in. “Human trafficking? You mean they wanted to kidnap me and…what…sell me to someone?”
“That’s how this works, yeah,” I confirm, taking her hand in mine and stroking the softness of her skin with my much rougher thumb.
“But to who?”
“Depends on how deep in the business they are. I’d tend to think that they only deal with clients in the country. Something small. But like other traffickers, they could also be dealing with Cartels in Mexico or countries in South America, or with prostitution rings in Eastern Europe. Those organizations can pay a shitload of money for women. We talk about dozens of women or more per month. They’re greedy, and they only work with people who can meet their goals.”
And if a woman can’t adapt to the kind of things they’re asked to do, they’ll never be seen again and will be replaced with another one who might be able to deal with whatever monster owns them. Which means they always need more girls.
Not telling her that, though.
“Jesus,” she breathes out, her eyes closing briefly in quiet shock.
She wants to have images of sex slaves in her head about as much as I want to have her image with those sick men in mine.
“So, how…does this work? They run into a girl in the street who fits one of their clients’… needs, and they decide to kidnap her? This is crazy.”
“Not exactly. They have to find the perfect girl for their client, yes, but they also need to do it rather discreetly. That’s why they target women who…” I trail off.
She looks so innocent, I could punch myself for displaying that kind of ugliness so bluntly.
“Who what?” she asks tentatively.
“Who don’t have any family left that can look for them. People who don’t have close family can disappear without making waves. Not much anyway. That’s why they often target prostitutes or runaway teenagers.”
On that, she turns away from me, holding her hands up.
“Please, stop here. I get it.” She exhales heavily. “I’m not naïve, you know. I’m aware that the world and people… I’m aware it all can be hideous sometimes. But this…” She turns back to me but doesn’t finish her sentence.
“I know.”
I hop on my feet and silently walk to her. The need to touch her is too strong. I could tell myself it’s because she’s been so close to being gone for good and I need the reassurance that she’s right here next to me, but the truth is, the need is always strong.
“You think they’ll try again?” she asks me just as I grab her hand.
“Listen to me.” I look straight into her eyes. “Even if they’re planning to, they won’t get to come close to you again, trust me. But I think it’s unlikely they’ll try anything once they find out you’re staying with us.”
“Because they can’t come near your club?”
“Because they’ll know you’re with us. The guys who tailed and took you were new prospects and most likely didn’t know who I was because I wasn’t wearing my cut at Dona’s. And it’s possible they didn’t saw me or Melvin watching your house because we sta
yed back a bit so you wouldn’t see us there. But we’re going to spread the word that you’re with us, and the Spiders will know you belong to my club. No club touches a woman who belongs to another club, that’s just the way it is. Unless they want to face the worst retaliation, they’ll forget about you.”
Her expression loses some of its fear as she smiles faintly at me. “Thanks again. I don’t know what I would have done if I had been alone.”
And I sure as hell don’t want to think about it.
She could have died last night. Or could have faced an even worse fate. This life I lived for twelve years gave me more than once a clear understanding of what ‘hanging by a thread’ means. Then again, my life was probably hanging by a thread long before I knew what an MC was, but I was too young to realize it. But knowing that Camryn’s life was at risk last night choked me. Literally. Breathing stopped being an automatism as awakened a long-gone fear I knew would only be tamed by getting her back and into my arms safely.
That’s when I knew. As I was dealing with the powerlessness of imagining her in their wicked hands, I knew I wouldn’t be able to let her go again. What this girl does to me is still a mystery, but if I did my best to fight this inexplicable mess that settled in my stomach since the day I found her sitting at my table at Dona’s, I don’t want to anymore.
My eyes drop to her lips, rosy and slightly parted as her gaze doesn’t leave mine.
Again, the smart thing to do would be staying away from this girl whose mind is far away, back in LA even though there’s no one there waiting for her anymore. But I haven’t always done the smart thing in my life, and I apparently won’t now either.
My mouth descends on hers, and she welcomes me. Better yet, with a small step forward even though we were already close, she presses her body against mine, both her opened palms covering my bare chest. Her frank yet soft touch and the quiet moan fleeing her when my tongue runs over her bottom lip make me twitch inside my jeans. No doubt she feels how hard I am, but she doesn’t step back. She lets me taste her hot tongue instead.
But as delicious as she is, I coerce myself into pulling away. “Okay, beautiful, let’s feed you now,” I tell her, panting more than a little.
Fuck, how badly do I want to find out if she’s as wet as I am hard. Especially after ten fucking days of abstinence. Yeah, because I haven’t fucked anyone in ten days. I don’t want to nestle into anyone’s pussy but hers. Damn girl is messing with my head, but I’d rather die of frustration than let her go.
Her hand in mine and my club shirt on her, I guide her out the door, down the stairs, and into the main room. That way, I’m letting my brothers know she’s family, though they must have gotten the memo already. Her being family means everything. Because whatever shit comes at us, we always protect our family.
Chapter 15
Camryn
As I stroll out of the last store I wandered in before buying a few tops and two pairs of jeans, my eyes search around for Nate. I’m not overly nervous, though. I’m doing pretty well all by myself, unlike what I kept telling him all morning.
But that’s not going to last much longer, apparently.
When my attention lands on him, there’s no missing the tension rolling off his back. His shoulders are as taut as Blane and Ben’s are, the three of them standing in a small circle, their stares warily set in the same direction.
Spiders.
The first reflex popping through my brain orders me to bolt toward Nate, but my body doesn’t obey it. An adrenaline rush has my heart engaging in a violent stampede, and even though Nate is no more than a few feet away from me, I could just as well be seeing him from the other side of the large hall. Everything surrounding me seems to have gotten blurry, and all I can see now is the interior of the car where I took two men’s lives. I’m back there again, surrounded by the smell of sweat and the sight of blood, just like sometimes in my nightmares. Just like a week ago when I attempted the same shopping session that I’m enjoying now. That I was enjoying now.
Like he promised me after I woke up in his room the morning following the night of hell, miraculously safe and sound, Nate took me to this very same mall to get some new clothes. Clothes I never got because I was barely able to get through the main door. That day, instead of standing frozen to death the way I am now, my whole body started to shake as my lungs no longer accepted the smallest drop of air. The panic attack that hit me was something I had never experienced before.
Thank God I’m not shaking right now.
But the moment two strong hands clamp on my shoulders, the unforeseen touch cuts through my trance, and I try to squirm out of the person’s hold. My breath shortens immediately.
“Easy, it’s me.”
The instant Nate’s deep voice meets my ears, I quit struggling as my eyes focus on his. Calmness washes over me, and my muscles relax instantly, though I can feel myself shivering lightly.
“They’re here.” My voice is low, but I’m thankful I can even use it.
“Listen to me, Camryn. Breathe slowly and stay focused on me,” he says in the calmest tone one could use.
I swallow around the growing lump in my throat and nod while taking slow, even breaths.
“They’re not stupid enough to try something in broad daylight and with so many witnesses,” he promises. “What we’re going to do is walk out straight to the SUV and drive back to the clubhouse,” he explains in the same perfected collected tone. “You do not leave my side until we’re in the car and everything will be just fine.”
With an arm sliding around me and settling around my waist, he draws me to him and we start walking toward the main exit, near which Blane and Ben are waiting for us to join them.
A battle kicks off in me as I can’t decide whether I want to stare straight ahead until we’re safely inside the car or let my eyes rove around us to be sure no Spider is about to strike. In the end, I’m sitting in the back seat of the car with Nate and we’re driving away before I got to make a decision.
“They don’t seem to even want to tail us until the town limits,” Ben says conversationally from the passenger seat.
“You good?” Nate asks me quietly.
I’m pressed against his side, the seatbelt forgotten as he runs his palms up and down my arm.
“I’m fine. It’s okay,” I reassure him. “I panicked a little, but I’m good. I’m good now.”
In fact, he looks more nervous than I feel. Or is it anger I sense in him? It could be. He grew very protective of me over the past week, and I witnessed him bristle more than once when the Spiders were mentioned in a conversation. And don’t get me started with this surly mood he’s in every time he comes out of their meeting room. Not sure what it is they’re doing in there, but he certainly leaves that room on edge every single time.
“Look, some people might already be back at the club. It’s too late to cancel everyone now,” he tears me out of my thoughts. “But if you’re not up for the party, we can stay in my room.”
The party.
I almost forgot about it.
“No, I’m good, really. I’ve kept you from your life for too long, and I’ve been living as a recluse for too long as well. Who is coming? Only your friends from other charters?”
“Some old ladies like Fiona will be there, too. And, well, some girls, you know.”
Ben coughs on a laugh he obviously has no control over, and I glare at Nate when he kicks his seat with too much strength. It only makes Ben laugh louder, though.
I quickly understand what this is about.
“Oh, you mean strippers?”
Pretty obvious. Even cliché, but they’re bikers, after all.
“Some are. Others are just girls coming to be fucked by a biker,” Blane explains flatly.
“A little tact, maybe?” Nate growls.
“Sorry, don’t know how to do that,” he retorts, and Ben laughs again.
At least, Blane has the merit of being honest.
“The guys
like to have fun and unwind from shit once in a while,” Nate adds.
Another laughing snort from Ben. This time, he’s lost me.
“You’re so going to help Melvin clean up tomorrow at fucking dawn,” Nate groans, earning more chuckling.
My gaze flicks from Ben to Nate a few times, understanding slamming into me.
Nate said the guys like to have fun, but there’s no doubt he has enjoyed his fair share of easy lays over the years. I wonder if he’s planning to choose a girl tonight. Not that he couldn’t, but the idea sends something very close to revulsion stirring up in my stomach.
Warm breath tingling my ear tells me Nate just bent over to speak to me without the guys hearing.
“Don’t know what’s running in that brain of yours, but there’s only one girl I want to have fun with if she lets me.”
Despite what he said, he apparently knows exactly what I’ve been thinking.
I shrug, shifting to look at him. “I guess you’ll have to show her what she’s missing not having fun with you,” I say casually.
“Thought I already did that when you were spread out on my bed like a fucking goddess,” he reminds me with a low drawl tingling at my skin of that morning when he shattered me with an explosive orgasm. “Or that day on my roof, when you fucked my fingers until you screamed. That was hot, too.”
Both memories turn me on, pushing me to wriggle on my seat, but our little exciting exchange is cut short when Blane turns off the engine. I look out the window to see we’ve already arrived at the club.
I don’t miss the pride in Nate’s smirk when I look back at him. “Are you wet, baby?”
“Absolutely not,” I lie.
I think I’ve been wet at all times since the first night I shared Nate’s bed. But too afraid that he might think I enjoyed teasing him when in fact, I really struggled to know whether I was ready to give myself to him completely, I chose to endure staying away despite the lust constantly burning every inch of my skin. As for Nate, I’m pretty sure he didn’t make any move to get us closer because of what those men were seconds away from doing to me in that desert.
But staying away has been harder and harder for me. I just don’t want to anymore.
