by Shanna Bell
“I’m so glad I have your full attention,” Vince said dryly, following his gaze. Then he cursed under his breath. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
Luca waited patiently until Tommie hand-delivered his prize to him. The guy was dressed as Freddie Mercury wearing a king’s robe, complete with a fake mustache.
Tess looked slightly surprised at seeing him, but then she smiled. She looked sugary sweet, especially standing next to Carmen in all black.
He held out his hand and without any hesitation, she took it, plastering herself against him. Finally, his evening felt right again.
“Why are you dressed like that? You’re not a dominatrix.” Vince’s words sounded clipped.
Carmen slapped the whip on the palm of her hand. “And how would you know?”
Vince took a step closer to her, forcing her to step back. “Stop pretending to be something that you’re not, sweetheart.”
“No, you stop pretending like you know me. I can be whatever, or whomever, I want. And don’t call me sweetheart. I’m neither sweet nor do I have a heart.”
With that, she gave him her back and strode away on her six-inch heels.
There was an awkward silence that Tess broke. “Tommie, could you please go after Carmen? She shouldn’t be alone right now. I need to speak to Vince for a sec.”
Tommie nodded and went off.
Before Tess could continue, they were joined by Vince’s business partner.
“Do we have a situation on our hands, Vince?” Sy asked. He’d obviously witnessed the spat between him and Carmen.
“No, we don’t have a fucking situation. Not yet, but we will any second.”
Sy nodded. “A sub dressed up as a dominatrix could account for trouble, yes. But then again, it’s Halloween. The one day a year anyone can be anybody they want. Even a woman who obviously needs to be someone or something else.”
“You look good, unicorn,” Luca whispered to Tess and placed a kiss on her glossy lips. Cherries. She tasted like fucking cherries. Hell. How much longer was he going to suffer? Maybe giving her the lead in this hadn’t been his brightest idea. This slow burn might actually kill him.
“Look at you, Mr. Detta,” Tess said, with a twinkle in her eyes. “And here I believed they made you wear orange jumpsuits inside. But you look absolutely retro chic in this apparel.”
He knew she’d understand. She was nothing like Natasha, who would have been mortified if he’d worn this to a party, announcing himself an ex-con.
To his surprise, and just because she had to be Tess, she took out a pair of cuffs from behind her back. “I just snatched these from a cabinet,” she fake whispered. “I dare you to put these on.”
“Never dare me, Darth Leia. Never dare me.” He put on a cuff on his left wrist and the other half on her right wrist.
“Hey!”
Now she had no other choice but to stay at his side for the rest of the night. Kurt Cobain could go fuck himself.
Vince gave him a knowing smile, and then it dawned on Luca that his “Dad talk” had been for him. Hell, he’d known that, but he just couldn’t go there. Not yet. He could not trust his feelings about her.
“You needed to speak to me, Tess?” his brother reminded.
She grabbed his hand, looking worried now. “Yes, um, I’m not supposed to tell you, but I don’t know what else to do. I think Carmen’s in trouble. She’s meeting someone here who’s been bothering her. I don’t know who he is, other than real bad news.”
She needn’t say more. His brother and Sy were already gone.
Then she turned to him, putting a cuffed hand to his cheek. “So, this is my first time in a private club. What do you say we find a room and make out for a bit?”
Like she even had to ask.
CHAPTER 16
LUCA
The Saturday night Luca had been waiting for finally arrived. It was the night they were going to buy Tess’ gear from her agoraphobic friend.
She’d brought him to a biker bar. Because… well, of course she had. The front of the two-story bar that had definitely seen better days was lined up with a row of Harleys. A broken neon light told them there was beer and butts inside. One of those butts had her ass planted on a bike, where she was making out with a leather-clad biker whose face was covered with facial hair. Luca might have seen less hair on a grizzly. He was beginning to understand why Tess had insisted on him changing clothes. Of course, he’d refused.
Tess cleared her throat, and gave him a look that said “I told you so.” In her leather miniskirt and purple Harley tee, she fit right in with the crowd they were about to enter.
He straightened his collar. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“I so am.”
“As straightforward as always.”
“That’s me. Right in your face Tess.”
“I remember my face being right in your certain place too.”
Her cheeks turned crimson and she slapped him. “You are so evil for reminding me of that right now.”
No, he had been evil for stopping after he’d made her come. She had been so wet after he’d treated her to a finger fuck, followed by his tongue between her legs. He’d lapped up all of her juices and didn’t stop until she bucked under him and moaned his ears off. It brought him great joy to up her confidence on her being a sexually-desirable woman. He could wait until she would be the one to take the last step.
When she kept staring at his lips and he felt himself getting harder, he knew it was time to change the subject.
“So, tell me. How is it that a world-class hacker like you goes searching in bars for top gear?”
“Hmm.”
“Tess? Focus.” If you can’t focus, neither can I.
“Right.” She looked away from his lips. “It’s not like buying a car, you know,” she started explaining. “When you want a car, you can go to a dealer, and have it custom-made to suit your style. The hacker community doesn’t work like that. In California, Alfie is your guy if you want to get the right stuff. It's a thing among hackers. Just like with deciding who is the greatest among us, the one who never got caught. The biggest bad. The one on the FBI’s list. The more agencies are chasing you, the greater the thrill and the grander your name. You know, like with Lex Luthor. After all, what’s Superman without Luthor.”
“Who’s Luthor?”
She sighed. “I don’t know why your lack of pop culture keeps amazing me.”
“I’m sure there’s an insult aimed at me somewhere there, but I’m gonna let this one slide.” The beefy, tattooed-up bouncer in a leather cut at the door was eyeing them. “Looks like we’re spotted.”
“That’s Teddy.”
That fucker was anything but a Teddy. “What’s in a name, right?”
“There’s a lot in a name.”
“Is disagreeing with me your default stance?”
She shrugged. “Only when you’re wrong, Mr. Custom-made Suits. Teddy really is as huggable as a teddy bear. Unless you piss him off. Then he goes full-on grizzly. Now, we need to get inside that bar, because that’s where I can find Alfie.”
“Then why are we still standing across the street?”
She gave him another up and down. “Do you know anything about biker culture?”
“No, but I’m sure I’m about to find out.”
“Yes, you are. Don’t forget, you wanted to be here. No matter what. You said so.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret that?”
“I have no idea.” To his surprise, she grabbed his hand. “For my protection,” she whispered. “If they think I’m with you, they won’t descend on me like the plague. In this world, I’m like candy.”
Then she winked, making him doubt her mental state once more.
They walked up to the bar and classic rock smacked them in the face.
Teddy actually smiled when he spotted Tess. His eyes appreciatively roamed over her body, which made Luca feel on edge. When the guy swi
tched his gaze to Luca, a frown creased between his heavy brows.
Fuck. He would stand out in that bar like a sore thumb. But fuck it, he wasn’t going to change for anyone.
“Hey, doll. It’s been a while.”
“Hi, Teddy.” She let go of his hand and hugged the bear of a man.
The second she let him go, Luca tugged her back to his side. It felt wrong seeing her hug another man. Of course, that was a normal feeling. What man would want the woman he was with, for real or fake, to touch another man?
“What’s with the suit?”
“That’s my guy, Luca.”
“He don’t look like he belongs, Tess. You know this is a biker bar. Unless you’re a follower or pussy, you don’t get inside. I don’t care how expensive his suit is.”
“Guess I have to make a way in for myself then,” Luca said. He was about to ruin a perfectly-tailored suit, but the guy was pissing him off, reminding him of prison. It was true what they said—if you didn’t want to become anyone’s bitch, you had to make a name for yourself. Even with the Bratva’s protection from the inside, the rule had applied to him. People respected power and strength.
Teddy laughed right in his face, his protruding belly shaking his whole body with him.
“Hey boys!” Teddy’s voice boomed over the porch, drawing attention from bikers, both inside and outside. “Looks like I just got challenged.”
It was as if a horn went off, drawing everyone outside. They were surrounded by two dozen people in no time.
Tess drew him to the side. “Listen. Just lose, okay. Let him kick you a few times, then offer him a drink. He’ll feel sorry for you and let you in. It’s an unspoken rule that the loser buys the winner a drink.”
“I’d bet you’d never tell Hector to just go down.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Of course not. Hector is a former cage fighter. A decorated Marine. A total badass.”
Unlike you, her eyes seem to say. Judging by her look, she didn’t believe he could hold his own.
He ground his teeth when she gave him a pat on the back and two thumbs up. He was going to make her eat those words.
“I’m not going to lose.” He took off his jacket and handed it over to her.
“Of course you’re not,” she said in a placating tone.
He turned toward Teddy and walked right into his fist.
The crowd roared, and Tess yelled. After that, all sound disappeared. It was as if there was a high ringing sound in his ears. Zooming, like a microphone dying.
The next fist, he managed to avoid. He stepped aside, his sole focus on Teddy. Big fucking teddy bear.
He wasn’t sure what it was that made him laugh. Perhaps it was the next blow against this abdomen, reminding him of the first day in the joint, when some big guy decked him in the shower.
He spit out blood, accepting two more blows to his sides. Just let him rough you up a bit, Tess had said. It was their fucking way inside, she’d said.
Teddy punched him one more time, making him sway on his feet. Luca looked up, and it was like watching into a dark tunnel, sounds around him disappearing, color fading to gray and black. Then he saw her. Tess. She was like an oasis of color amongst all the black leather and blue jeans. Even in her black miniskirt, it was her popping colors that gave him something to focus on.
He spit out more blood, hating the taste of it on his tongue.
Tess looked worried. She shook her head, her eyes looking down meaningfully. Get down, they said. Lay down, let it be over.
Fuck.
This.
Shit.
Teddy looked disappointed. “Fucking suit,” he spat.
It was as if a bomb went off inside Luca’s head. Wires got fried. Electricity sizzled through his veins. The next uppercut was from Luca’s fist. It was the same fucking fist that had smacked the asshole in the shower against the wall. His same fist gave Teddy a major blow against his head, making him do a half spin.
He managed a laugh, while trying not to focus on his burning ribs. It sure felt like he cracked a few.
After that, everything became a blur. He heard a loud tear, only to discover that Teddy had ripped his shirt off. White pieces of cloth hung around his body. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tess put a hand to her mouth.
Then he remembered. The scars. The row of scars painting his back from his neck down to the small of his back. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. Courtesy of a courtyard fight and a convict cutting his back open, over and over again.
Another jolt of electricity hit his brain, focusing on the one who had exposed his pain to the world.
Fucking Teddy.
The next moment he came to himself, they were hauling him off the big guy. Tess was screaming something into his ear, but he didn’t hear her. He didn’t hear or see anything but four walls keeping him inside.
“It’s okay, Luca. Come on. Please snap out of it.”
Smack!
Followed by another smack.
He grabbed her hand. “Dammit, Tess. Will you stop slapping me?”
“Not until you snap out of whatever it was that came over you. You looked like a crazy vigilante. It’s not a good look on you, by the way. You are not that kind of guy.”
He opened and closed his fist. It didn’t seem like it was broken. “I’m not what kind of guy?”
“You know. The big, bad warrior. You’re more a guy of… negotiations. That’s what you told me, right? A businessman.”
He got back on his feet, looking down on Teddy. “You forget, unicorn, first and foremost, I’m a gambler.”
Then he drew Tess up with him and went for the door again. This time, no one tried to stop them. When the bartender saw him, he tapped on the bar, extending him a drink.
Luca chugged it in one move. Cheap whisky. He tapped on the bar. “Give me another one. Make it your top shelf this time.” He fucking deserved it.
After having his second glass of whisky, a better one this time, he looked around. It was dark inside the bar. Rings of smoke filled the room. People were playing pool in a corner. Other than it being filled with bikers, it didn’t look very different from what a roadside bar would probably look like.
“I’ll be right back,” Tess said, and took off.
He didn’t bother to go after her. Everything fucking hurt. Hanging at the bar, pretending to be peachy keen, was a much better look on him.
The bartender gave him a chin jerk. “She with you?”
“Yeah, she’s with me.” She was his wild card.
The guy nodded. “Nice ass.”
He supposed it was meant as a compliment, so he chin jerked back. Thing was, he’d never met a woman like Tess before. She was straightforward, almost to the extreme. Best thing was, he never had to guess what she was thinking. She didn’t play the games women played to get a man interested in her, or worse, play hard to get.
She returned in no time. However, he didn’t spot a geeky guy she was supposed to buy stuff from.
“You better have good news,” he said. “Don’t tell me this guy isn’t here.”
“Alfie doesn’t do crowds. He’s in the back. Let’s go.”
He grabbed her elbow before she could take off again. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Such as?”
“You tell me. Do I need to pummel through another guy? Do the cha-cha? Sacrifice a goat? In other words, will there be another Tess moment I can look forward to?”
“That’s so insulting. As if I’m some weird ass chick that gets you into trouble.”
“Tess…”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. No worries. It’s nothing bad. It’s just, well, Alfie… he’s special.”
Of course he was. “Don’t you have any normal people in your life?”
“My pops.”
“I’ve met your pops. He’s anything but normal.”
“Let’s agree to disagree.”
“Stop deflecting my question. Is there anything I need
to know about this Alfie guy?”
She pursed her lips. They were a dark pink color, almost like cherries. He wanted to bite in them. Right there, at that spot in a randy bar, he vowed to himself that he would have those lips. He would have everything Tess Gibson offered.
“It’s no big deal, really. Alfie just believes in aliens. So, he might think you are one. Try not to sound too… alieny.”
“Great.” Guess he should consider himself lucky she didn’t want him to wear a tinfoil hat.
CHAPTER 17
LUCA
Alfie was a middle-aged guy with the body mass of a pencil. He sat behind a computer in a tiny office, surrounded by paperwork. Apparently, he was also the bar’s accountant. His tiny eyes snapped up when he saw them walk in.
“Have you ever been probed, boy?”
Luca couldn’t remember ever being called a ‘boy.’ “Can’t say that I have, Mr. Alfie.”
“You sure?” Alfie looked at Tess. “Didn’t you say he was in prison?”
“Not everyone in jail gets raped or probed, Alfie.”
“You don’t have to be in lockup to get probed,” Alfie continued on what appeared to be his favorite subject. “They can zap you up from anywhere they want. Believe me. It’s happened to me. Twice!”
Luca wasn’t sure where to go from here. He didn’t see any computers Tess could pick out, so they could get the hell out of Crazyville.
Then, just when he thought things couldn’t get any weirder, Tess started stripping.
He grabbed her arm, effectively preventing her from taking off her bra. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Do I really have to explain? I thought you were a poker player. I’m sure you’ve heard of strip poker.”
He ignored her mischievous smile. “I’m not kidding, Tess. What’s going on?”
“That’s the wrong question. You already know what’s going.”
He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. Ten, nine, eight. Nope, it wasn’t working. “Fine, let’s play it your way. Why are you stripping?”
Alfie’s eyes darted between them, like a ferret on steroids watching a ping pong match. Luca barely kept himself from giving him the finger.
