“One more night, brother.” I listened for any sign of trouble in the distance. The only noise I could make out was the low rumble of Keg’s chopper. It wasn’t long before the sound reversed, and grew louder, telling me he was on his way back. Sure enough, he came into view with a grim look on his bearded face. Fuck. I knew this wasn’t going to be good.
He pulled up next to me until we were face to face. “The Blue Knights were having a little barbeque,” he said. “Saw them riding off as I got close.”
“Another motorcycle club?” Audra asked from behind me.
“Yeah, and not good lookin’ guys like us, baby,” Clay joked, tossing his cigarette butt.
I ignored her snort. The Blue Knights were a club of young college-age pussies that aspired to become hard-core bad asses by doing anything they could that they thought an outlaw club was involved in. Because of that warped philosophy they didn’t have any boundaries, deciding that we were all involved in drugs, weapons, and the sex trade. They made bad fucking decisions, anything to get their MC noticed and on the map. What they didn’t get was that they were being noticed for all the wrong reasons and that no one respected them, or took them serious.
What were they doing in this remote area? A barbeque in the middle of fucking nowhere meant they were probably getting rid of evidence. “How many?”
Keg shrugged. “I only saw two.”
“Why would anyone have a barbeque way out here?”
Audra’s naive question received snorts from Keg and Clay. I grinned. She didn’t want to know, but I had a feeling she was about to find out. “Okay, let’s go.”
We slowed down as we rode up to the fire, which wasn’t very far off the road. There was no denying what the Blue Knights had been burning. The charred remains of a body were clearly evident in the flames. Stupid fucks. They had a lot to learn. Fire didn’t destroy everything, and they’d left plenty of fucking DNA behind.
I felt Audra tense behind me. “Ohmygod!” She shuddered violently. “Who—what—what kind of monster—”
“Don’t look.” I knew it was too late, but I said it anyway. The movement I felt afterwards told me that she’d turned her face away. I could feel her cheek rub against my shoulder and the trembling in her arms.
“They better hope the bastard doesn’t have dental records,” Clay remarked as we came to a stop. The fire had burned away the lips and enough flesh surrounding the mouth to show a full set of perfect teeth. “Wonder who the poor fucker was.”
“Wait a minute.” Keg got off his bike and moved close to the fire. He kicked at something on the ground, and then bent to pick it up. “Holy fuck,” he growled in an ominous tone.
“What is it, brother?” I narrowed my gaze at the shiny object in his hands. He walked back to me holding his hand out, and dropped a heavy gold ring in my palm. It was a man’s, large and expensive, with the initials DC. Finding something so obvious told me a lot. “They wanted the body identified.”
Clay leaned in to take a look. “Fuck, they offed Covacks’ son, Dominick?”
“They’re either dumb as dirt or they have a fucking death wish.”
Keg was right, on both counts. Covacks was wealthy and powerful and had a small army of mercenaries on his payroll. He owned as many illegal conglomerates as he did legal, one of which was the underground fighting in Last Hope, New Hampshire. It was one of the very few neutral grounds for all biker clubs, the irony being that they went there to fight. Covacks kept tight control, though. Fighting was kept in the ring.
I’d gone a round with his personal fighters after hearing how lethal they were. I’d wanted to see for myself just how good they were before sending any of my brothers into the ring with them. It was one thing to set brother upon brother to let off a little steam and win some money for their club, but everyone knew that Covacks’ fighters were trained to fucking kill or he lost a lot of his own green. Well, they hadn’t fucking killed me, and the club was a little richer for it.
I pocketed the bulky ring and then took out my phone and snapped a few pictures of what appeared to be the smoking remains of Covacks’ only son. The Blue Knights were fucked if it really turned out to be Dominick, and he wouldn’t just go after the killer, he’d go after their whole fucking club. For a new MC with little resources and even less smarts they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“The smell…can we please go?”
Yeah, it was fucking bad. The combination of copper, sulfur, and something sickly sweet was enough to turn the strongest stomach. There wasn’t another smell like that of burning flesh, and it was something you never forgot. If you were really unlucky the smell could stay inside your sinuses for days. I couldn’t blame Audra for wanting to get the fuck out of there.
Before long we’d put a mile behind us, and then another and another, until we were nearing the end of the day. I’d hoped to find an abandoned house to spend the night in, but by the time we stopped there were none in sight. That was fucking okay with me and my brothers, and nothing new when we were traveling. I fucking preferred sleeping out in the open anyway. It agreed with our free way of life philosophy.
We pulled off the small, narrow road into a field, parking our bikes under a cluster of trees. “We have a short ride tomorrow,” I said to Audra, helping her off.
She stretched with a moan before running her hands down her backside. “Thank, God.” Her tone revealed that she was achy and tired. “Then what? Will you report that murder?”
I glared at her long and hard, knowing that she could see my eyes in spite of the fucking darkness. “No.” I dismounted. “If I was gonna do that I would have called it in.” I walked away from her to the nearest tree to take a piss.
“But, that’s insane, Hawk. Someone died in that fire. Those other bikers—” Audra was right behind me and it was obvious that she was getting worked up.
“Look,” I swung on her with a snarl. “Let me give you a brief history of our life, baby.” Her shoulders were small beneath my hands as I grabbed them and pushed her up against that same tree. “We don’t call cops, for the same reason that we took care of those men back at Juicy Lucy’s we take care of our own problems and have our own set of laws. We’re not weekend warriors pretending to be hard-core bikers after the nine-to-five-job is done for the week. We eat, breath, and die for this life.” She was struggling against my hold, a rush of angry breath leaving her mouth. “And that reminds me.” I lowered my face close to hers. “While you’re on the back of my bike, you don’t question me, ever. You don’t challenge me. When a biker puts a woman on the back of his bike he’s committing himself to protecting her. She belongs to him.”
I could tell that she didn’t like that, not one little bit. Her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish out of water, gasping for air. It might have been funny if I hadn’t had to pee so fucking bad. I released her and stepped behind the tree, unzipping my pants. As I emptied my bladder the relief was instant. Audra was still standing where I’d left her when I stepped back out from behind the tree, zipping up my jeans. Our eyes clashed.
“Belong to you?” Her expression revealed that she thought I was crazy, the hands on her hips said she was eager for a fight. “One blowjob doesn’t give you the right—”
“Blowjob! You got lucky, Prez?” Clay snorted, drawing our attention.
A sharp sound of outrage escaped Audra. I crossed my arms and smirked down at her. Her embarrassment at forgetting that we weren’t alone was obvious. I could just imagine the green of her eyes shooting sparks of fire. It would have been better if she hadn’t reminded me of the mind-blowing orgasm she’d given me the other night, because now my cock was hard and wanted attention.
“You giving away blowjobs, pretty lady?” A cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth, Keg shook out his bedroll.
“You wish!” Audra snapped, and then rolled her eyes. “God, I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I’m involved with a bunch of horny, filthy-mouthed bikers!”
Keg and C
lay both broke out in laughter, while I just stared down at her, visualizing her mouth wrapped around my dick. Just the thought made my dick jerk, the movement drawing her attention to the front of my pants. I didn’t even try to cover up my predicament. Why should I?
Her gaze flew back up to mine. “Horny, filthy—”
“Who saved your ass,” I sneered, cutting her off. “So I suggest you make the best of your situation until I figure out what the fuck I’m gonna do with you.”
“I know what we can do with her.”
“Shut it,” I barked at Clay.
“You don’t have to do anything with me but get me somewhere safe, where I can have some money wired so I can pay you and move on. Then we’ll both be happy.”
My gaze fell to the bounce of her sexy ass as she stomped off toward a single tree and disappeared behind it.
I thought about her words.
Shit wasn’t that easy.
Chapter 10
Audra
We finally arrived at their clubhouse early the next morning. I don’t know what I was expecting to see but it wasn’t the huge, two-story house with the giant marble pillars and arched windows that we arrived at. Even though it looked renovated I got the sense that it was an old building. We rode into a parking lot with lights and security cameras and a sign revealing that it was a restaurant. As we continued down to the opposite end of the house, it was clear from the sign above a different door that it was also a bar. The parking lot was empty as we continued around to the back.
There were several motorcycles backed-in against the building. As Hawk, Keg, and Clay parked near the single door and switched off their bikes, I could hear music coming from inside. A party at this time of the morning? My answer came when Hawk guided me inside and my eyes adjusted to the dim interior. No party, just a half dozen or so bikers shooting the breeze and playing pool in the corner where the table was located.
“Hey, prez is back!” someone shouted from across the room.
“Looks like he brought us a new sweetbutt,” someone else said.
“Hey sweetheart!” A third man sounded way too enthusiastic, and I felt myself strain back against the firm hand Hawk kept against my lower back.
They looked just as rough as Hawk. Long hair, beards or morning fuzz covering their jaws, their muscular tattooed arms revealed in the leather vests they were wearing. All sported various patches on them. Some had t-shirts beneath the leather, while others revealed chests and abs. Jeans that were stained, dirty and ripped encased the lower half of their bodies, and heavy black boots and various chains completed their ensembles. The closer we got to them the more their tired, red rimmed eyes became visible, and I wondered how much could be attributed to alcohol or drugs rather than lack of sleep.
I was conscious of every eye on me, looking me over from top to bottom, assessing my worth. They were going to be disappointed to learn that I wasn’t there for their enjoyment. Or maybe they wouldn’t, considering that I hardly looked attractive after three days in the same borrowed clothes, none of which showcased my true, curvy form to advantage.
“Anything to report here?” Hawk questioned once we came to a stop. His gaze seemed to be zeroed in on one man in particular.
“Nope. Been quiet, man.” The man was completely bald, with sharp blue eyes. He had a tattoo of a black cross beneath his right eye. “How’d it go in Last Hope?”
“Bout what I’d expected. Covacks’ fighters are lethal as fuck.”
“But prez obliterated them!” Keg added with boyish enthusiasm.
So that explained the damage to his knuckles, the cuts and bruises on his rugged face. I’d been curious but not enough to ask.
“Is this pretty little thing a new toy for us, Prez?”
I followed the gravelly voice to the speaker, barely managing to catch my breath before realizing the affect his face had on me. His grin didn’t do anything to help the jagged scars crisscrossing his left cheek, as if someone had taken a broken piece of glass to his flesh. One cut in particular went down the length of his neck, which might have accounted for the way his voice sounded. He was scary, and I found myself thinking that I wouldn’t want to be caught alone with him somewhere.
“No, she’s business.” Hawk’s tone was flat, revealing how insignificant I was. “We have things to discuss. Church in ten.” He glanced down at me for a minute. “Come with me.”
As if I had any choice. In that moment Hawk held all the cards. As I followed him through another door that led to some stairs, I couldn’t help but hope that wherever he was taking me had a shower. We walked up two sets of stairs, opened a door, and entered a hallway lined with other doors on either side. Hawk opened one and pulled me inside and that’s when I realized they probably all led to bedrooms.
“There’s a bathroom through that door, take a shower and wait here for me. When I get back you can call your friend.”
“So you’re going to let me go, then?” It irked me that I even had to ask.
“I didn’t say that.”
I frowned. “Well, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”
The tiniest movement at the corner of his sensuous mouth told me that he was holding back a smile. Why did he fight it so hard? It wasn’t like his face would crack and fall off if he smiled. Or was he just afraid to show that side of himself?
“Come to think of it, you never told me what the going rate is for rescuing women on the run.”
“We’ll talk when I get back.” He opened the door we’d just come through. “Right now I have church.”
Church? He didn’t strike me as the religious type and besides, who the hell went to church on a Thursday morning? I rushed to the door when the tell-tale click indicated that he’d locked it. Sure enough, when I turned the doorknob nothing happened. Damn him! In a fit of anger I kicked the door. He had no right to keep me there against my will. Where did he think I would go? Releasing a breath of frustration, I swung around and faced the room.
I wondered if this was Hawk’s room. It was clear that it belonged to someone, because it looked lived in. Someone manly, judging by the clothes that were strewn about and the extra pair of clunky boots that rested against the wall. Sparsely furnished, the room was dominated by a king-size bed, and a large TV against the wall at the foot of it. The dresser top was littered with various change, bullets, and packages of unopened condoms.
I scoffed at the condoms. From what little I knew about Hawk, I didn’t think he needed the condoms. Of course, just because he hadn’t fucked me didn’t mean that he didn’t like fucking. I was curious to see what kind of woman he found interesting enough to let loose on, and for more than just a blowjob. The man had serious issues with intimacy. It was as if he was afraid of exposing himself.
Recalling his earlier words about a shower, I pushed away from the door. I couldn’t wait to wash away the grime, from my body and shampoo my hair. I didn’t have a thing with me, and I refused to put back on the filthy clothes I was wearing. On a hunch, I went to the dresser and opened a drawer. A stack of tees met my eyes and I reached for one, not caring if he minded or not.
I stripped and entered the shower without hesitation, quickly adjusting the water to as hot as I could stand it. I scrubbed my body twice before tackling my long hair, pleasantly surprised to find conditioner in the shower. It smelled heavenly, and I sensed that there was no way it could be Hawk’s. It made my thick, red tresses feel like silk. I remained beneath the hot water an extra few minutes, enjoying the feeling of being clean once again.
The bathroom was good and steamed up by the time I turned off the water and stepped out of the glass enclosure. I grabbed the first towel that I saw and quickly dried off with it, also wringing it through my hair until my hair wasn’t dripping anymore. I was just reaching for the tee I’d brought in with me when I heard someone out in the other room. Crap! With shaking fingers I quickly brought it over my head and smoothed it down my body.
The fogged-up mirror revealed that
I’d grabbed a fairly thin, old t-shirt with the Phantom Riders logo on it. Instinctively I knew that it belonged to Hawk. It was massive on me, covering me all the way down to my knees. The soft material felt good against my skin, and I lifted the neck up and inhaled, surprised to find that it smelled like Hawk.
What? I already knew his smell? My mouth turned down in a frown of annoyance.
The bathroom door opened, and I found myself face to face with Hawk. His sharp gaze dropped down my body and moved back up again, so fast that if I’d have blinked I would have missed it. His cold expression didn’t give anything away, so it surprised me when he said, “That’s my favorite t-shirt.”
Of course.
I didn’t hesitate, because I knew how some people felt about their favorite things. “Would you like me to take it off?”
Phantom Riders MC - Hawk Page 7
