by Storm Savage
“How many other members of your sisterhood ride bikes?” asked Hatch. His calm curiosity puzzled her.
Flame shrugged. “I never took count.” Her reply came out as cold as she felt toward him.
Tension mounted in the room accompanied by heavy silence. She simply could not pretend to accept his denial over the end of their relationship. Coop bursting into the room couldn’t be better timing. She breathed a sigh of relief over the crusty biker’s entrance.
“Ya’ll ready to ride?” he barked. “We’ve got a nice moon on tap, peaked at full tonight. If there was ever a night for an evil fiend to be prowling for a mate then this would be it.”
“I’m more than ready.” Flame headed for the door.
“So Ian was right.” Coop gave her a thorough once over. “You really do carry daggers.”
“Yes.”
“Nice jacket.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you fast? We will most likely encounter more than one creeper at a time.”
“Very fast. This is what I am trained to do…fight to win.”
He arched those bushy brows. “I look forward to this. I’ve never seen one of these creepers die.”
She half-grinned. “Then tonight will be your lucky night.”
A group of over fifty growling Harleys pulled into the parking area of an all night eatery about an hour south of LA. The air smelled damp like wet burlap and foul like death. Flame shook her head to rid the stench of what smelled like something rotting.
“Damn, remind me to never eat here,” she muttered to Raef who’d parked beside her.
“You’ll get no argument from me.”
Coop dismounted his bike then walked over to her. “Lots of creepers in this area. We might be here for a while until they leave. Kill as many as you can. All we can do is protect the citizens, it’s up to you to kill them.”
“Then let’s not look so obvious,” Flame murmured.
Ian and Hatch joined them as they strolled over to a picnic table to relax and refresh themselves. Flame drank purified bottled water and ate light. She scanned the area for activity. The men did their best to appear casual. All but Hatch seemed at home in this rough area. He hadn’t looked very comfortable on the Softail, either. She couldn’t understand why he wanted to come along. This trip was not a joy ride on a fancy touring bike. These men rode hard and fast, just as Coop had said.
A familiar voice startled her from behind. “We meet again.”
She turned sharply to face Von Calder, once again meeting him on the road. Coop stood as if prepared to strike. The animosity between the two men was unmistakable.
“What do you do, Von, roam from place to place? Why don’t you settle down somewhere?” Flame taunted.
Von stared into her with an unsettling gaze. “I see you have more friends with you now.”
Coop took a step toward him. Ian and Raef hung back, watching closely. Hatch remained seated, staring at Von in a peculiar way. The tense moment felt extremely unnerving. She employed her training skills to remain very calm.
Flame shot him a fiery glance. “Yeah, so why don’t you just run along now. I don’t need anyone getting in my way.”
He smirked, looking completely unruffled, and walked away. Everyone turned to see where he went, but the tall mysterious man decked out in a leather duster had simply vanished. Flame thought it odd that Von met up with them again. But with bigger tasks at hand she couldn’t let the likes of Von throw her off course.
“That man has a hard-on for you,” Hatch growled.
Flame gave him a disapproving glare. “Is that all you think about? It seems to me that Von has unresolved issues but really bad timing.”
“Has he been bothering you?” Raef asked.
“No. He showed up at a truck stop on the way out with some of his buddies. We had a mild but uneventful encounter. Hatch just can’t control his jealous side. He thinks every man wants me.”
“He came straight out and admitted that he wanted you,” Hatch argued.
“Oh, phft, he was just doing that to provoke you.” She kept her reservations concerning the dark rider to herself. His silent and unexpected appearances affected her in a way she could not discern. On one hand, she found him undeniably attractive and sinfully seductive. Yet on the other hand, he felt dangerous to her. Though he had helped her escape Aiden’s family, she never did find out where he’d planned on taking her. Von Calder, she thought. You are a very mysterious man. Are you following me? Or are we just crossing paths by accident?
She didn’t have time to dwell on this enigmatic man. Shadows lurking in the distance caught her eye.
“Look!” She directed her gaze to the activity.
On the far side of the parking lot near a tree line appeared a cluster of several men. They skulked about, zeroing in on a small gathering of women eating near the restaurant. Flame focused on their footsteps as they moved into plain view. Ian’s account was right on, the men left no imprints on the soft dew-laden grass.
She elbowed Hatch in the side. “And you didn’t believe him.”
Cooper whispered, “Let’s be discreet, boys. Pretend we’re hitting on the ladies. One of you should make it look like you’re with Flame though, to avoid suspicion until we get the women out of harm’s way.”
“I’m with Flame.” Raef draped an arm over her shoulders before Hatch had a chance to protest.
Cooper, Ian, and an openly annoyed Hatch approached the women and struck up conversation. They began leading them into the restaurant. One of the creepers grabbed a trailing woman by the arm. Cooper attempted to free the woman but could not. Ian and Hatch hurried the others into the building.
Flame ran straight toward the woman in imminent danger.
“Ha! What you gonna do, little missy?” The foul looking man sneered.
Flame flashed her daggers. “Send you to hell.”
Immediately he released the woman and the creepers scattered, but didn’t flee as she expected. Flame swung her blades at the closest one. He ducked and tried to grab her weapons but failed. After averting several strikes, he succumbed to his doom when she drove the pointed dagger through his heart. A hair-raising scream came from him when he realized his defeat.
Flame jumped back as he burst into flames then fell to the ground. Thick bluish smoke rose from the corpse. When the pungent mist cleared, all that remained were his clothes. Suddenly strong hands gripped her throat from behind. She twirled the blades with her thumbs and drove the knuckles of the Sai into the assailant’s eyes. He released his grip. Flame turned to face another surprisingly aggressive attacker. The miscreant howled in pain from her jabs. Not wasting a precious second, she manipulated the blade again and plunged it into his heart. Another inferno and a cloud of smoke accompanied by a bizarre foul mist—one more creeper sent to an agonizing end.
Raef was losing ground in hand-to-hand combat. Flame spun and wielded her weapons with precision. In lightning fast movements, she drove a dagger through the back and into the heart of each miscreant. They perished in the same horrific manner as the first. After killing the two that were trying to take down Raef, she swung to face the second wave.
They came in fast and mean from the shadows. Raef fought fearlessly to help even the odds as Flame used her honed skills to take them down one-by-one. She drove her Sai into their hearts without mercy, killing the evil fiends that attacked. Eventually they gave up the fight and backed away before hightailing it back into the woods.
Flame stood frozen in astonishment, breathing heavily and very disturbed over what she’d just encountered.
“Bloody hell, Flame, that was awful!” Raef pulled her back from the scene.
Her body shook from racing adrenaline. “Yeah…it was one thing hearing about them…but actually seeing the fiends and fighting them…unreal…”
Coop joined them after making sure no lurkers stayed behind. “Nice work, Flame. You sure as hell weren’t exaggerating when you said you are fast.”
“You afraid?” His demeanor had become less cocky and more concerned.
“No, just stunned. I thought they were afraid of the Sai.”
Ian came up from behind. “They must have contacted their leader as I thought. That would explain their heightened aggression. He controls their minds and evidently commanded them to fight.”
Hatch swaggered over, a cynical look on his face. “So where is this Satellite?”
“I have no doubt the bastard is watching.” Coop glanced around the immediate area. “I suggest we ride south to the next stop, take our time. The night is young. He’s probably waiting for the right moment now that Flame has made herself known.”
“This is where we are supposed to have blind faith that she can handle him on her own, right? I’m just supposed to let my woman march right into the Satellite’s camp?”
Coop scowled. “He’s not going to reveal himself if her boyfriend is shadowing her every move.”
Flame held back from pointing out their breakup. This was nor the time or place to divulge personal matters. Clearly, Hatch had still managed to convince some of the guys that he was allowing her extra space to complete the mission. What a jerk! she huffed to herself.
“Ignore him.” Raef told her as they walked to their bikes. “Once this is over, he’ll go on back to New York and we’ll have plenty of time to set the record straight on who is with whom.” He paused and stopped walking, then turned to her. “You are staying in LA for a while, aren’t you?”
“I’d like to.” She offered him a hopeful smile. “Don’t know my way around the area very well yet.”
“Stay with me. I’ll show you around.”
“I’d like that.” She stood on tiptoes to reach up and give him a kiss. “I’d like that very much.”
“Awesome.”
They followed Coop as his pack merged onto the highway. He motioned for her to fall back, then signaled his men to surround her as they rode. She began to like him a bit more. He exhibited fierce leadership and under that gruff exterior he seemed to genuinely care about people.
Just over a half an hour later she saw road signs for Oceanside when Coop waved the group into a truck stop.
Ian walked over to relay a message. “We can gas up here, then cruise on down to San Diego. The heaviest creeper activity we have monitored is between LA and there. We’re pretty much in the middle of it right now.”
Flame nodded, did her usual visual scan of the area and guided her bike to an available pump. After filling the tank, she turned toward Raef, who was waiting behind her.
“I’m going in to use the ladies’ room. Keep an eye on my bike for me?”
“Sure thing.”
She drew a deep breath. No signs of creepers yet. Their stench was something she’d never forget. She wandered around the back of the building in search of the restroom. After relieving herself, she washed her hands, splashed cool water on her face then left the not-so-clean facility.
“Flame,” a man’s voice whispered from the shadows.
Suddenly she stopped. Every muscle in her body tensed as her senses went on high alert.
“I hear you’re hunting for the Satellite.”
His voice sounded vaguely familiar, yet it was too soft to recognize.
“Who are you?” She peered into the darkness.
A tall figure stepped into the moonlight. His long trench-style jacket blew gently in the night breeze. Even through the darkness she could see those seductively alluring eyes.
“Von?” She took a step back.
“I can lead you to the Satellite.” He inched closer.
Her pulse quickened. “How do you know about that fiend?”
“Aiden told me, just like he told me that you’re a warrior. How do you think I knew?”
“I didn’t obsess over it.” She lied. “What makes you think I am looking for him?”
“I heard the guys you’re riding with talking.” He grinned. “Hatch doesn’t exactly keep his voice down.”
Flame wanted to spit nails over Hatch’s interference. She knew he’d be a problem. “What? Are spying on us now? Thinking about switching sides and coming over to our group? Get a life.”
“Hardly.” He let out a soft laugh. “Your lover boy is not who you think he is.”
“Raef? Don’t even start trashing him. He’s as real as they come.”
“Raef? Raef Jackson of the Soldiers? You’ve got something going on with him, too?”
“My personal life is not your concern.”
“You should listen closely. Jackson isn’t a threat. Hatch is the one you better keep an eye on.”
“Now why would Hatch, who doesn’t even belong to a biker group or even like to ride, be involved in any of this? And how the hell would Aiden know about the Satellite?”
“I wondered the same thing. I also can’t figure out how Hatch knew where I was on the morning we slipped away from your ex’s family.”
She’d never pondered that. Her biggest question had been how Aiden discovered her secret life. Now Von was adding more pieces to the puzzle.
“No, this can’t be right. Hatch didn’t even believe the Satellite exists and he still seems pretty skeptical. You’re mistaken about both of them. Why are you following me, anyway?”
“I’ve been trying to catch you alone so I can tell you the truth.” He moved even closer, so close that his scent floated over her. “And to apologize.”
“Apologize? For what?”
“For helping your ex. I had no idea his family would do what they did.”
“They’ll pay one day and so will he. But the verdict isn’t in on you yet as you did help me get away. Though I’m not entirely clear on why.”
“Aiden wanted to get you away from Hatch.”
“Yeah…I gathered that.”
“But not for reasons you think. He believed you were in danger. That is why I helped him. I’m sorry for taking part in a scheme that caused you harm. In my pack, we don’t hurt women…ever.”
“So you’re telling me that my ex-husband knew about the Satellite, deemed Hatch as a threat, and was trying to help me?”
Von flipped both hands over in a casual gesture. “How else would I know?”
“Where is Aiden? Is he lurking around somewhere so the two of you can finish whatever sordid plan you started?”
“I haven’t seen him since that night.” He reached out to touch her but she backed away. “Do you want to find this Satellite or not?”
“How is it that you know where to find him and nobody else does?”
“Like I said, Aiden told me shit. I’ll tell you everything I know, but I’d rather not hang out here much longer. I’m not exactly friends with your comrades over there.”
“You’re willing to lead me to the incubus?”
He flashed an inviting smile. “It’s the least I can do to make up for helping your ex.”
She eyed him with deep suspicion. His mind was completely closed. He is very strong, she thought. “Let me get my bike and tell Raef that I’m leaving.”
“Might not be a good idea. Don’t misunderstand. I have no beef with Jackson. But if the Soldiers tail us the Satellite will smell them coming a mile away.”
Flame recalled what Coop had said about her boyfriend shadowing her every move. This may be my only chance to find him. But shouldn’t I let the guys know so they can offer backup? She struggled to sort her dilemma.
“I need to tell at least Raef. He’s the only one I can trust. I can’t just leave him hanging. He won’t tell anyone if I ask him not to.”
“You won’t need your bike. You’ll ride with me.” He didn’t sound like he’d take no for an answer. “This isn’t negotiable. I can take you straight to what you’re hunting, but only you.”
She wanted the answers this seemingly indomitable m
ale claimed to have. Moreover, she wanted to find and destroy the incubus that posed a threat to all women. Her supreme ruler would be disappointed if she allowed her deepening feelings for Raef to hinder this mission.
Raef will have to understand if he’s going to stand a chance with me.
Chapter Eight
Riding behind Von on his gleaming black Heritage Softail was not entirely unpleasant. The man had a kickass bike and charisma emanated off him in waves. He smelled good, too. Holding tight to the chrome backrest, she leaned back as they picked up speed. As an experienced biker she knew how to shift her weight as a passenger, therefore did not feel the need to wrap her arms around his waist. His long hair whipped in the wind, frequently brushing her face.
She found it odd that this stranger who’d played a part in her ordeal at the Kaminski’s carried the least bit of appeal. Yet his ultra cool character and dark aura lured her in for a closer look, as if compelled to unravel the mystery that was Von Calder.
He drove north for about twenty minutes before taking a shore exit toward the beach. Taking numerous side roads and turns, he eventually slowed down as they approached a remote area with a rocky cove. She’d loved the ocean since her first visit to Boston as a child, and the fresh salt air never ceased to invigorate her. Moonlight danced off the waves, casting an enchanting shimmer on the currently dark waters as they tumbled onto the sand.
As his bike rumbled along, a small gathering around a campfire came into view. Sudden fear threatened to overtake her but she forced it back. Von had taken her to his camp. She’d never met the Black Pythons and she’d failed to consider he’d bring her into his territory.
“I thought we’d be alone,” she said from behind.
“Don’t worry about them. They won’t bother you. I figured you might have some questions. Just in case you left a secret signal, I am hanging out here first to make sure nobody tailed us. Rumor has it that you are a very clever woman.”
She shrugged and relaxed a bit. He made a good point and impressed her with his sharp mind. He thinks like a leader. Her eyes took in the group of men sitting around the fire. They looked rough.
