Chiz figured that the beating that he’d laid on the kid in the ring had done some good, because Sinatra was still trying to get back in his good books.
“Thank you. Many hands make light work. Now,” Samuel leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, his fingers steepled in front of his face. “Crash, you’ve double checked the links from that cleaner back to the Church?”
“There’s no doubt, boss.” Crash responded. “The security feed from the bar across the street shows one Tricia Pendleton, employed as a cleaner at Pumpkin Patch for one month, leavin’ the building at twelve-thirty p.m. At one p.m. exactly, the building explodes. Tricia’s cousin, Will McCabe, is the Pastor of the First Church of Christ. Her bank records show she donates a chunk of money to the Church every month. She had the opportunity, and she had the motive.”
Samuel touched his fingers to his lips; his brow was drawn in concentration. “That’s good enough for me. Now, I know what they did was heinous, but we cannot go in there and wipe a whole congregation out.” His eyes slid over to Chiz. “Sorry brother, I know you want blood, but we can’t take the heat of takin’ out that many civilians.”
“Understood, boss.” Personally, Chiz wanted nothing more than to blow the Church to high heaven come Sunday morning, but he also didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in jail, or worse, for murder and terrorism charges.
“Good. But we will take the head, and we will take this Tricia, since it was her hand that put the bomb in place. Damn zealots’re like weeds. We can’t kill ‘em all, and for every one you do take out, two more pop up in their place, and twice as righteous. We’ll put the fear of God into ‘em, though. Make ‘em think twice before they go after good folk tryin’ to earn a legitimate livin’ again. Crash, I want you to put together whatever you can get your hands on, regardin’ Tricia and the pastor.”
“Will do, boss.”
Samuel leaned back into his chair. “We’ll talk strategy when we’ve got all the details. We’ll cut this short for tonight. Chiz, you be on your way. Ride safe, brother.”
Chiz was out of his seat almost before the gavel had hit the table.
~o0o~
Even though it was late by the time he arrived at Elmo’s, Chiz knew she was still awake. He could see the glow of the interior lights around the edges of the drapes as he pulled his bike off the street onto her driveway. It just about fit behind her little roadster. Elmo was opening the door before he’d even finished dismounting. He knew she must have heard the engine, but it looked like she’d been waiting for him, too.
He hadn’t even managed to set foot over the threshold before she’d wrapped herself around him. He held her for a moment, indulging her desire for contact, then he tilted her chin up so that he could get a good look at her face. She wasn’t crying, but she was pale. Given that pale was her natural state, she was looking almost ghostly. Chiz kept an arm firmly around her, but moved her back across the doorway, and into the house, before shutting the door behind him.
He was about to ask how she was, but then he saw the largest knife from the block in the kitchen, sitting next to a crystal glass of what looked like tequila. Both were placed on the low coffee table, which Elmo had pulled in front of the couch.
“Scared, doll?”
“Fucking terrified.” Fear was not evident in her voice, but he didn’t disbelieve her. She was a strong one. “They blew up an entire building with living people in it. They wouldn’t think twice about following up on the threat they delivered.” Elmo moved her chin away from Chiz’s grip and tucked her head back down against his chest. He looked around, over the top of her head. It looked like she had every light and lamp in the house switched on. She didn’t have the television, or any music, playing. It twisted something inside him to think that she’d been sitting, waiting, like this, since she’d called to tell him about the note.
He eyed the tequila. There looked to be a couple of shots worth in the glass. “You drunk, doll?”
He felt her shake her head. “No. I tried putting a movie on, but I kept hearing things and pressing mute so that I could listen. I tried to read, but I couldn’t concentrate. I wanted a drink to calm my nerves, but I kept thinking about how it would make me slow. I haven’t touched it.”
There was a very faint tremble running through her body. She might have been alert for hours, but she wasn’t a basket case of fear.
“I’m here now, doll. The boys are bringin’ the van up in the mornin’.”
Elmo let him guide her over to the couch, so that they could sit down, but she tried to keep as much bodily contact as they did so. She stayed tucked under his arm at his side, her head against his shoulder.
“I’m mostly packed. There’s just the everyday stuff still to do.”
“That doesn’t matter tonight. We’ll load every plate and glass one-by-one into the van if we have to. You’re leavin this town tomorrow. Let me speak to Jack when you call him in the mornin’. The pres’ll pick up the keys for you. Your place’ll be ready and waitin’ by the time we get there.”
“Okay. I just want out. I want to be able to relax again.” Elmo sounded frustrated, and just a little defeated. If he had thought it would’ve helped, he’d’ve loaded her onto his bike right then and there, and drive through the night to get her away from this place.
“Tomorrow, doll. It’ll all be over by tomorrow night. Let’s go to bed, and get tonight out of the way.”
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I don’t think I can sleep.”
“That’s good, ‘cause I wasn’t plannin’ on goin’ to bed to sleep.”
When she returned his devilish grin, Chiz knew she was feeling better. Elmo reached over for the glass of tequila and took a mouthful. She was still grimacing around the burn of the alcohol in her mouth as she handed him the glass. Chiz threw it back. He doubted it had even touched the sides of his throat.
Chiz stood. When Elmo stood too, he ducked suddenly, caught her around the waist, and as she squealed with shock, straightened, and hefted her over his shoulder.
“Chiz! What’re you doing?”
“Takin’ you to bed, doll.” He landed a sharp slap on her ass, which made her squeal again, and then headed to the bedroom. He couldn’t do much at the moment, but he could distract the fuck out of her.
In the bedroom, Chiz dumped Elmo unceremoniously on the bed.
“I’ve got to say, baby. Your delivery leaves a little something to be desired.”
“Oh, you think so, do you?” Chiz shrugged his kutte off and hung it on the hook on the back of her bedroom door, over her fluffy robe. He pulled his hoodie and long-sleeve thermal off in one go. When he emerged from the garments, Elmo was still sitting on the bed, watching him.
“Doll, this ain’t gonna work unless you get at least a little naked.”
Chiz toed his boots off, and by the time he’d finished stripping himself, Elmo had shed the track pants and t-shirt that she’d been wearing, and was lying naked in the middle of the bed.
“That’s my girl,” Chiz said as he knelt on the bed and crawled over her.
He leaned down to kiss her, letting her feel his body along the length of hers, letting her feel the effect that she had on him. They had the rest of the night, but Chiz didn’t want to take things slowly. He’d been away from her for too long. He couldn’t resist the instinct to move his hips, to gain whatever friction he could against his cock. The sensation of rubbing over Elmo’s smooth mound was erotically familiar. Chiz groaned into the kiss. He was looking forward to having his woman around all the time.
Chiz made to push himself off Elmo. He needed to get to his jeans for a condom. She didn’t have a nightstand, only a set of drawers by the bed, which were full of clothes and other feminine shit. He’d never found anywhere convenient to leave a couple of rubbers to grab in the heat of the moment.
“Hey, where’re you going?” Elmo kept him in place by wrapping her legs around his hips, which was nice, very nice, but not necessari
ly very helpful, especially since it put his cock right at the entrance to her pussy. It was hot, and slick, and inviting. Chiz groaned again.
“Doll, I gotta get…”
“No you don’t.” Elmo interrupted him, and at the same time, flexed her hips, so that the tip of his cock slipped into her. He was about to protest, but she interrupted him again. “I kept forgetting to tell you, with everything that kept happening. I’ve got an IUD.”
“A what?” As far as Chiz was concerned, that sounded like she was going to blow the fuck up, and not in a good way.
“An intra… You know what? If I told you what it stood for, I’d still have to explain what it is. It’s permanent contraception. We don’t need to use condoms.”
“Really?” Who said Christmas didn’t come twice in a year?
“Really, really.” Elmo confirmed. Her grin turned into a silent scream though as Chiz shoved into her, hard, driving as deep as he possibly could into her body.
In his decades-long career of fucking, Elmo was the only woman that Chiz had ever been bare inside, and it had been a revelation. Now, knowing this, he was never going back to latex, ever. He’d dump his stash of rubbers the moment he got home, because this was fucking heaven, right here.
He thrust deep, then rolled onto his back, taking Elmo with him so that she ended up straddling him. The wicked grin on her lips made his balls clench. He fucking loved watching her ride him.
“Go for it, doll.”
Elmo started to move, grinding her pelvis back and forth, and occasionally in random circles. All of it good. When she tossed her head back and started to play with her own nipples, Chiz gripped her hips, looking for something to hold onto, an anchor, as much as anything. He was transfixed by the sight, but he wasn’t going to lie back and just let her fuck him. He wanted to make her come. He wanted to be responsible for her orgasm. Chiz planted his feet, and shoved his hips upwards as he pulled Elmo down onto his cock.
Elmo cried out, and arched back even further. Chiz didn’t think it was possible to be deeper in a woman than he was at that moment. Over, and over, and over, he pulled Elmo’s body down as he thrust up into her as hard as he was able. She came with a long, undulating wail, her body spasming wetly around his.
Chiz gritted his teeth, and held off his own orgasm until Elmo’s body had finished pulsing. Then, as she collapsed forward onto his chest, he rolled them again, putting her underneath him. Now he let loose his own need. Elmo was almost limp, but as he drove his hips against hers, harder and faster, she began to climb again. Chiz grunted when he felt her nails dig into the muscles over his shoulder blades. By rights she should have left permanent marks there. It was her favorite place to hold onto. He fucking loved it.
Chiz felt his own orgasm uncurl, and picked up his speed. Elmo responded immediately. As soon as he felt the first clench of her muscles around him, Chiz released with an animalistic roar, the pleasure too loud to be contained. He couldn’t stop thrusting though, couldn’t help but continue the movement, eking out every last drop of pleasure from the moment.
Eventually, completely spent and bone tired, his arms gave way, and he dropped onto Elmo’s sweat-slickened body.
“Think you can sleep now, doll?” He asked as he rolled off her, out of her.
“Depends. You going to wake me up in the morning?” Elmo’s words were slurring.
“Demandin’ little bitch, ain’t ya?” Chiz chuckled, and cracked open an eye to look at her. She was almost fully asleep already. With a bit of inelegant maneuvering, he got them both under the comforter. Elmo turned to her side, and Chiz folded his body around hers, his chest to her back, his knees tucked behind hers. “Sweet dreams, doll.”
He didn’t get an answer.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Most of the night before had been amongst the worst hours that Andy had ever experienced. She’d called Chiz as soon as she’d received the death threat. As hokey as it looked, with the letters of all fonts and sizes clipped from newspapers and magazines, Andy took the sentiment that it contained very seriously.
She’d been unable to do anything other than sit, and wait, and listen, and hope that they didn’t come for her before Chiz arrived. She knew, in the playground way of things, that the Church had gotten exactly what they wanted, her leaving the state. Assuming, of course, that they didn’t actually want her dead. But Andy couldn’t work up any anger over that. She was plenty furious about the bomb, about the deaths of her friends, colleagues and clients, but for herself, no.
For herself, the Church’s actions had led to her being in the position she was in now, which was in her Miata, cruising along the I-10, on her way to a life of new possibilities. The bone-jangling terror of the night before was blown away by the sunshine, and the wind that tangled her hair, and with it went the cobwebs spun from a lack of sleep.
They made a pretty little convoy traveling along the Interstate to Absolution. Her car was small enough that Chiz had been able to share the same lane with her for most of the way. She had the top down, and it was possibly the next best thing to being behind him on his bike. His two friends who’d arrived in the van were behind them, and the one who’d arrived on his bike, as an extra pair of hands, was bringing up the rear.
Andy thought she had their names straight, but Chiz had warned her that the rest of the club would be waiting to help at the other end of the journey, and Andy knew that by the end of the day she would need clarification on who was who.
It hadn’t taken long at all to pack the van up. Between them, the four men had made light work of her furniture and furnishings. That had given Andy almost enough time to finish packing everything else. Chiz had started to say something to her a couple of times, and then held back. Andy felt sure that he was trying to ask her about the lack of personal effects, photos in frames and the like, but that he was trying not to ask within earshot of anyone else. It wasn’t that she didn’t have any photos, but they were in albums, stacked neatly in a box, out of the way. There were simply none that she cared to look at every day.
The apartment she’d chosen in Absolution was on the third floor of a modern structure that was barely ten years old. They were plain and grey on the outside, and plain and magnolia on the inside. Everything about the building, and the apartment, was extremely ordinary and boring. Andy had been drawn to a lot of the older architecture around Absolution, and she’d seen some properties that she wanted to discuss with Chiz. She didn’t want to move into temporary accommodation that she ended up in love with, so she’d chosen something without an ounce of personality to recommend it. It was simply walls and a roof to contain her and her belongings for the time being.
Even though Chiz had warned her that the club would turn out to help, Andy was still surprised by the line of bikes that lined the street outside her new address. The early spring sun glinted on the gleaming paintwork and shiny chrome of the machines. It was obvious that they were the pride and joy of their owners, apart from one. One looked as though it had been through a monster truck rally. Andy was going to ask Chiz about the story behind that.
A space had been left near the entrance of the building. Assuming that was for the van, Andy pulled in beyond the line of bikes, but left room for Chiz to add his ride to the stationary parade. Andy took her time getting out of her car. She could see in her rearview mirror that Chiz was already being swallowed in greetings, and she didn’t want to hang around like a spare part for that ritual. By the time she joined Chiz on the sidewalk, he’d said his hellos and was punching Shark on the arm.
“She let you out of the house?”
“I got leave for movin’ duties, just so long as I keep my phone charged, switched on, and on my person. That’s word for word,” Chiz’s friend replied with a grin.
A tall redhead, who managed to look done up despite the casual jeans and shirt outfit she was wearing, walked up to Andy with her hand out. Andy took it and shook it as the woman introduced herself. “I’m Moira, Samuel’s wife.”
“I’m Andy. Pleased to meet you.” The woman’s smile was warm and genuine, although the tilt of her head indicated curiosity. Andy returned the smile. She was beginning to understand that the interest in her lay primarily in Chiz’s interest in her, rather than anything else.
“Likewise, cher. Ignore the boys, my girl’s due to drop any moment. Daddy here,” Moira hitched her thumb in Shark’s general direction, “is on call.”
“Your girl?” Andy was a little confused.
“My daughter Ashleigh is his wife,” Moira explained.
“Ahhhh.” Andy nodded. Okay she hadn’t expected the club to be quite so incestuous. She wondered if that was a thing, or if this instance had been coincidence.
Moira came to Andy’s side, and linked her arm through Andy’s elbow, guiding her down the sidewalk to a small Chevy truck. “I’ve checked the place over. It’s clean. You’re all good to go. I’ve got coffee for us, beer for the boys, and food for later. We’ll get caffeinated while the boys get started. There isn’t room to take everythin’ up at once.”
Breath on the Wind Page 24
