Colt (Desert Sinners MC Book 2)

by Rachel Lyn Adams

  “We still need him to talk,” Viper whispered in my ear.

  I nodded my head while ragged breaths coursed through my body.

  “It’s time for a story, don’t you think?” Torch stared silently at Viking through eyes that were almost swollen shut. “We know you were blackmailing your president’s sister.”

  That caught Stone’s attention. We’d brought him back here with us since we needed the Reno club to understand what went down. “What the fuck?” he said, completely taken by surprise.

  Viking turned toward Stone. “She told us after Fitz was murdered. We needed time to let this asshole slip up. Trust us when I say Ember’s safety was one of our top priorities during all of this.”

  “What did you blackmail her with?” Stone asked through gritted teeth. It was clear his loyalty was still with Ice and the Desert Sinners, and I was relieved to see this betrayal wasn’t widespread amongst the Reno members.

  Torch continued his silent act, so Viking filled him in. When Viking told him that Ember continued her relationship with Torch to protect Ice, Stone lost it.

  Before I realized what was happening, he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Torch’s head. Viper burst across the room and tackled Stone to the floor, sliding his gun across the floor toward my feet.

  “Not yet, man,” I heard Viper tell him as he pinned him to the ground.

  “That’s not all, though, is it?” Viking’s attention was back on Torch. “During one of your calls to Ember, you fucked up. You mentioned having a way of knowing what she was up to here in Las Vegas. We did a little investigating, and we managed to find some calls between you and one of the Phantom assholes that stayed behind while the rest of them were out of state. It seems to me like you were working with the enemy.”

  Well, that was new information, and I wondered if Viking was bluffing or not.

  Torch finally relented and started to speak. “Ice is the one that fucked up. The Phantoms offered him a chance to work together and make a real name for ourselves, along with a ton of cash. But he refused, sticking with some stupid ass moral code you and the other old guys came up with years ago.” He must have been talking about our unwillingness to get into sex trafficking like the Phantoms. “I needed to get him out of the way so I could take over. The Phantoms were expecting me to come through for them and I knew Ice wouldn’t suspect shit as long as his sister was involved with me. It gave me time to come up with a plan.”

  “That plan included setting up the brawl at the diner where Ice got arrested, right?” Viking continued to piece together the puzzle.

  “Then you asked her to spy on us when Viking offered to let her stay here,” I added.

  Torch’s eyes were closed as he gritted his teeth in pain. “Fucking bitch couldn’t even do that right,” he growled. Hearing him speak about Ember like that sent me back into a blind rage. Viking threw his arm out to keep me from charging him again since he was still speaking. “The hit was supposed to take her out.” He realized his mistake the moment he uttered those words.

  “You killed Fitz?” Viking roared, barely hanging on to his self-control. “What did you hope to accomplish by taking a hit out on Ember?”

  Hearing confirmation that Ember was the intended target nearly knocked me to my knees. I’d almost lost her before she was even mine. And that’s what she was now. Mine.

  Torch laughed, blood from the cuts I’d left when I hit his mouth was running down the side of his neck. “Don’t you get it? If Ice found out you couldn’t keep his sister safe, he wouldn’t have a choice but to see things my way. We would have broken from the Desert Sinners and teamed up with the Phantoms. Since that didn’t work and Damon was breathing down my neck, having you and the Phantoms take each other out this way was the next best thing.”

  “Seems none of your plans panned out well for you.” Viking laughed, but it lacked any hint of humor.

  “That may be true, but the Phantoms and I aren’t the only ones working to rid the world of the Sinners. You can kill me, but you won’t be able to eliminate every threat.” Torch glared at me before he continued. “Have fun with your whore while you still can.”

  I was done listening to his bullshit, and Viking must have agreed as we both sent bullets flying, hitting Torch directly between the eyes.

  Viking ordered a few guys to stay behind on clean up duty as the rest of us drove back to the clubhouse.

  As we got off our bikes, Stone approached Viking and me. “We’ll head out in the morning. We obviously have shit to deal with back home.”

  “Sorry about that, brother,” Viking said while offering his hand to the man in front of him. “We had to know what we were dealing with before we could say anything to you guys. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

  Stone nodded his head in understanding and then led the other guys from Reno into the clubhouse.

  30

  Ember

  It was just after midnight when I heard a bunch of motorcycles pull up in front of the clubhouse. I was already in my pajamas, lying in bed, but I rushed down the stairs anyway, anxious to see Colt. The other women were also making their way down. I had a feeling none of them had slept a wink either.

  Right before I reached for the door, Meredith pulled me back, and I remembered our situation.

  “It’s our guys,” she whispered, holding up her phone, “but you never know what’s going on. We wait for them.”

  I nodded. I knew I couldn’t go outside since there was a possibility things still weren’t safe.

  I moved back over to the stairs and sat on the steps next to Kate to wait, knowing there would be some sort of commotion from the guys guarding outside if we were in danger. The other old ladies and a couple of the older kids were milling about in the main area of the clubhouse.

  As the voices drew closer, I recognized a few of them. A sigh of relief left me as the door opened. Stone was the first person to walk in. He glanced my way and gave me a small smile before continuing to the bar. The relief I felt quickly turned to anxiety, and I felt my heart drop to my stomach. Whatever happened tonight had these men looking like they’d been through hell. I held my breath as I waited for the next group to enter.

  When Colt finally walked through the door, I jumped up to run to him, but he put his hands up to stop me. I was confused until I saw he was covered in blood. “Oh my god. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, babe. I’m going to go clean up. Viking wants to talk to you. After you’re done, come up and find me.” He gave me a sweet, chaste kiss on my cheek and turned to head upstairs.

  I waited a few minutes, giving Meredith and Viking a few minutes of privacy before I went to speak with him. When I reached Viking’s office, I saw him sitting at his desk with his head bowed and fingers massaging his temples. Whatever happened tonight was weighing heavily on all of them.

  “Ember, have a seat,” he directed when he saw me standing at the doorway.

  “Everyone is kinda freaking me out. I know you can’t tell me what happened, but…”

  “Sweetheart, listen. I’m going to tell you because it involves you. We took Torch out tonight. He was trying to work with the Phantoms, he wanted your brother out of the way, and he set up the hit that killed Fitz.”

  I felt all of the oxygen leave my lungs. I couldn’t believe Torch was actually gone. Knowing I didn’t have to worry about James or Phoebe anymore was a huge weight lifted off of me.

  “Thank you. Thank you for believing me, for keeping me and my family safe. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you,” I said as I wrapped my arms around Viking’s neck. For a moment in time, it felt like I had my father here again and I loved Viking even more for it.

  “I think we need to make a trip up to Reno. James deserves to know what’s been going on, but you can’t share that over the phone. How about me, you, and Colt ride up there next weekend?”

  I agreed quickly. Even though I was beyond grateful to Viking for everything, I wanted nothing more than to go
find Colt.

  Viking must have sensed where my mind was as he gave me a kiss on the top of my head and said, “Go to him.”

  I hurried up the stairs and let myself into Colt’s room. I could hear the shower running, so I stripped down and made my way into the bathroom. His head was bowed under the water, and I slipped in behind him.

  He didn’t turn around, so I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my forehead on his back. “Are you okay?”

  He spun around and held me close to him. “I am now.”

  He tightened one arm around my waist while he lifted my chin with his other hand. “I love you, Ember.”

  This moment felt like a dream, but the sincerity shining in his eyes told me this was very real. We may have taken the most difficult route back to each other, but it worked out exactly as it should.

  “I love you, too.” I felt it all the way to my bones. This man had found a way to bury himself in my soul and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  I grabbed the washcloth and lathered it up with his body wash. I took my time washing every inch of his body, admiring his gorgeous tattoos. The man standing before me, looking at me with so much love in his eyes, was everything I wanted and I could hardly believe he was mine.

  As we stepped out of the shower, Colt began drying me off, taking the same amount of care with my body as I did his. He leaned forward and kissed me, and I could feel him pouring every bit of love he professed into that kiss. It made my knees weak, something I thought only happened in romance novels and fairy tales.

  He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me over to the bed. Colt didn’t sleep here anymore, but the pillows and blankets still smelled like him, the sandalwood and citrus scent wrapping around me like a hug.

  He laid me down gently, every movement slow and careful, savoring each moment. He lifted both of my legs, placing my feet at the very edge of the bed, exposing my pussy to him. He leaned forward and kissed his way up both of my inner thighs before he finally dragged his tongue slowly across my slit.

  I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling his face closer to my center. His grunts of approval caused my hips to buck as I fucked his face, causing me to see stars when my orgasm hit me faster than I expected.

  Not giving me much time to recover, Colt laid over me as he slowly slid inside of me. “I love you, Ember, and I’m never letting you go,” he said before devouring my mouth with his.

  Everything about this moment was perfect. His loving words, the deep kiss I could feel in my soul, the slow movement of his body bringing me close to a second release.

  He continued to move slowly, lifting one of my legs up higher on his shoulder, changing his angle just a bit. My moans started to get louder and if it wasn’t for him continuing to kiss me, I’m sure I would have woke up the entire clubhouse.

  I could feel his tempo change just as his body went taut, and I let myself fall over the edge with him.

  We stayed connected for a long time, neither of us having the energy to move. If I could choose to stay here forever, I would.

  “I love you, Colt. I’ll always be yours.”

  Epilogue

  Colt

  Ten Months Later

  The beautiful fall weather was perfect for hosting a family barbecue. The entire club, their old ladies and children, most of the guys from Reno, and Ember’s family were all here this afternoon. But it wasn’t just any barbecue today, it was our wedding reception.

  Neither Ember nor I wanted a big affair. We were content to say our vows out here in the backyard in front of those who meant the most to us. Having Viking officiate the ceremony seemed like the perfect choice. The minute I’d seen Ember walking toward me in her simple white lace, sleeveless dress and on the arm of her brother, I knew there was no other woman for me.

  Having her brother here with us was important to Ember. With Ice out of jail, things seemed to be back to normal in Reno. Luckily, Torch had been acting on his own and the club was back on solid ground under James’ leadership.

  Our ceremony was short but perfect. If someone told me a year ago I would be getting married again, I would have laughed in their face and accused them of being drunk or high. I didn’t think anyone could ever convince me to risk giving my heart to someone again. But being around Ember made it impossible to stay closed off to the possibility of loving someone.

  Looking out over the dance floor, I watched as Ember spun Jett and Jasmine around, one in each hand. Their smiles were blinding. The bond between the three of them had grown over the last ten months. Now that I shared custody with Jenna, my kids stayed with us for a week at a time. Those moments were when I was my happiest.

  “I really should give myself some credit,” Viking said, chuckling to himself while manning the grill.

  “What are you talking about, old man?”

  “Watch it with the old crap.” He shook his head at me but continued. “I was just thinking you would still be the surly asshole I knew you to be if I hadn’t forced you to give Ember your patch. The whole club should be thanking me.”

  He was laughing, but the truth was, I did owe him for that. Without a little kick in the ass, I may have never taken a chance on love again. And then I would have missed out on the best thing in my life.

  When the next song started, I watched as Ember walked over to Wolf who was sitting alone at one of the picnic tables. A bottle of whiskey was in his hand, which was more common than not in recent months. I couldn’t hear what Ember was saying, but she must have asked him to dance because after some hesitation, he put the bottle down and walked out on the dance floor with her.

  The pride I felt for my woman in that moment was immeasurable. Even on a day when she shouldn’t have a care in the world, she took time out to check on someone who was struggling. Someone who we were all worried about.

  “I’m going to go dance with my wife,” I said as that song ended and another began.

  “Mind if I cut in?”

  Ember beamed at me while Wolf moved to allow me to wrap my bride in my arms. Before he walked away, he gave Ember a small smile, one that gave me hope he’d eventually be okay.

  “Today was absolutely perfect,” she said as she rested her head on my shoulder.

  I couldn’t agree more.

  “Thank you for everything. For loving me, protecting me, and giving me a new family. I love you, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “I love you, too,” I responded as I leaned down to kiss my wife with all the love I had for her.

  As the night wore on, I couldn’t wait to take my bride back to our house to start our own private celebration of the future to come.

  Also by Rachel Lyn Adams

  Life Unexpected Series

  Falling for the Unexpected

  Loving the Unexpected - Coming Soon

  Desert Sinners MC

  Mac

  Colt

  Wolf – Coming Soon

  Acknowledgments

  To my amazing husband, thank you for your continued support while I chase this crazy dream of mine. From all you do with the kids and the house, giving me feedback on plot ideas, beta reading, and buying me writing snacks, I couldn’t do this without you.

  To my five kiddos, remember you can do anything as long as you work hard. I love you, and I’m so happy I get to share my writing journey with you even when you’re tired of me talking non-stop about it.

  Mom, you continue to be my biggest cheerleader, and you make an excellent PA. I love how my books have given us another thing to bond over. Love you tons!

  Katie, I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for all the guidance you have given me while helping me to find my voice.

  Tabitha, my best friend in the entire world, your friendship means more to me than you’ll ever know. Thank you for always reading my books and for giving me the confidence to share my words with others.

  To the readers, thank you for continuing to read my books even though I’m the slowest
writer in the world. Knowing someone enjoys the words I write is the best feeling ever.

  About the Author

  Rachel Lyn Adams is a USA Today best selling author of contemporary romance. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, five children, one dog, three cats, and a bearded dragon. When life isn’t complete chaos, you’ll often find her with a book in her hand.

  You can find out more information about upcoming projects on my website.

  www.rachellynadams.com