Tannin's Thunderbolt (Demons on Wheels MC Book 1)

by Ravenna Tate

  She shook her head. “No. Not a chance. We’re talking Harvard Law, well-known and well-respected corporate firm.”

  Tannin grunted. “That doesn’t mean shit, lady. But go on. What did Vito want?”

  “He wanted a partnership with my firm. He laid it all out for me. I had been targeted. I had been used, because of my naiveté, my inexperience, and my hunger for wealthy clients. As soon as he had Timmy on board, and Timmy told him how talented I was, and let Vito know how much money I was making him with my campaign ideas, they enticed Jennifer to join the club.”

  “How the fuck did you not know any of this was going on?”

  “How would I have known, Tannin? Do you think they hang out signs? I feel foolish enough, okay? I was merely doing my job. My team came up with campaigns, Timmy and Jennifer loved them. The campaigns worked for those two. Timmy and Jennifer made more money, and in turn so did I. If they were both pains in the ass, I had to swallow it and bide my time. I figured once my reputation grew, so would my client base, and one day I could tell those two to take a hike.”

  “But that’s not what happened.” The creepy dude’s voice was soft this time. “You said Vito asked you to become his partner.”

  “Yes, except it wasn’t a question. It was more along the lines of him telling me this is what I’d be doing from now on. He told me I’d be a billionaire in a few years. All I had to do was hire the people they told me to hire. Simple. Easy. Oh, and of course they’d bring in their own team of attorneys. I was told to let mine go. Quietly, of course.”

  “What happened when you told Vito ‘no’?” asked the third man.

  “What makes you think I did that? I freaked out. I told him to give me twenty-four hours because it was overwhelming. He agreed. And then I went back to the FBI. They finally took me seriously and said they’d start an investigation. They told me to go along with everything and keep my head down. Right. Like that was so fucking easy.”

  “Vito found out,” said Tannin. “That’s why he ordered the hit.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know how he found out I went to the FBI, but I can’t think of any other reason he’d want me out of the way.”

  “It could be for any number of reasons,” said the third man.

  Tannin shot him a warning look, but Rai had no idea why. “How did you discover there was a price on your head?” he asked.

  “Jennifer was on a phone call in one of the conference rooms earlier today. I had meetings in Solon and Mentor scheduled, but both prospective clients had to cancel, so I returned to the office. On Fridays, most of my staff work from home or try to take the day off, so I imagine no one expected me to be there.”

  “She didn’t see you?”

  Rai shook her head. “No. I heard Jennifer say I have a price on my head, and Vito is all set to take over the company once I’m out of the way.”

  “You’re sure that’s what you heard?” asked the third man, his voice sharp.

  She gave him a long glance, wishing there was a way to tell from simply looking at a person who they knew. “I will never forget what I heard.”

  “Do they know you’ve fled?” asked the creepy dude.

  “I imagine they do by now. I’m sure they were looking for me at the meetings, and when I didn’t show…” Rai paused. All of this was speculation, and she still wasn’t entirely sure what or who these three men knew. “I don’t know what they thought or did. All I can tell you is that I went into my office, grabbed everything I had in paper form as quickly as possible, grabbed my work laptop, and then left by a side door.”

  “Did you make any calls?” asked Tannin.

  “Only to the FBI agent, but that was on my cell. Then I went to the bank and emptied one of my smaller accounts. I couldn’t empty the largest one. They’d never have given me that much cash at once.”

  “How many accounts do you have?”

  “I’d rather not say, if you don’t mind. After I went to the bank, I returned to my apartment, and threw as many clothes and personal items into these bags as I could. Then I got into my car and drove.”

  “Sounds like you had a plan.”

  Rai narrowed her eyes at the creepy dude. She’d had enough of this interrogation. “If I’d had a plan, I wouldn’t have ended up here. I would have called…” Oh fuck. No! Oh goddamn it all to hell and back.

  She reached into the bag and pulled out her phone. “These fucking things are traceable, aren’t they?”

  The men glanced at each other. The third one spoke first. “Ah, I think you have to be law enforcement, or have an app—”

  “And you think the Mob doesn’t have that? Shit. Fuck!” Rai turned off the phone, but it hardly mattered now. The damn signal had been on all day. There was no way Vito didn’t know exactly where she was right now.

  Chapter Six

  Gorgon punched one fist into the other, letting out a string of curse words that made Tannin cringe. “Son of a bitch, Tannin! What the fuck have you done to us?”

  “I didn’t know any of this was going on! She puked. She was ready to faint, for fuck’s sake.”

  “We don’t know the phone signal was being traced,” said Vassago.

  Gorgon gave him a hard stare. “We need to find out.”

  “I said I’d take care of it.”

  “You have your story now,” said Tannin.

  Tannin narrowed his eyes as Vassago gave Rai an unsettling glance. Though why that should bother him, he had no idea. She was a gorgeous woman, but she didn’t belong to him. It was fine to fantasize about thunderbolts, but it appeared her time here would be short. He’d best not let this woman too far under his skin.

  He addressed Gorgon again. “What we need right now are clear heads and more information from credible sources.” Meaning Donny Messina’s men.

  “I’ll make the call,” said Vassago, nodding. He placed a hand on Gorgon’s shoulder. “Come on. Legs is on soon. She’ll want you to watch the show.”

  For a few seconds, Tannin was sure Gorgon was going to tell Rai she had to leave. Muscles worked in the man’s jaw as he and Rai stared each other down. Most women cowered under Gorgon’s angry gaze, but not this one. If she was still intimidated by the three of them, it no longer showed. Her gaze never faltered.

  “Fine,” he snapped, turning on Tannin. “But she’s your responsibility. If this goes south, it’s on your fucking head. Got it?”

  “Yeah, I fucking got it.” No sense in pretending this woman hadn’t already crawled too fucking far under his skin. And at least they now knew she wasn’t running from Donny.

  But the mention of Comfort First being a dummy company for Vito’s organization had thrown them all a curveball. Donny needed to know about that. If they let Rai go, Donny would be pissed off they hadn’t given him a chance to talk to her, because as far as they all knew, Jennifer Wise-Minnick worked for Donny, not Vito.

  “Let’s go,” said Vassago. “Tannin has this under control.”

  “Step outside with us for a moment first,” said Gorgon.

  Once he did, the men moved down the hall.

  “Jennifer Wise-Minnick is playing both sides,” said Tannin.

  “No shit,” said Vassago. “Donny needs to know this.”

  “And we need to keep Rai here. He’ll want to talk to her.”

  Both men cut their gaze toward Gorgon, who still looked conflicted. “Fuck. Okay. I agree. But I meant what I said in there, Tannin. This is on your fucking head.”

  “Got it.”

  As soon as Tannin stepped inside Rai’s room again and the door closed behind him, Rai stood and put her hands on her hips. “What the hell was—”

  “Shut up and listen.” Tannin cut her off. He stood and moved closer to her. Close enough to smell her flowery shampoo. “This isn’t a fucking hotel or a goddamn country club.”

  “I know that! I—”

  “I believe your story. I believe you were naïve enough to let Vito Cinquepalmi infiltrate your company, and I believe you wer
e so desperate to build it up that you saw Timmy Bowling and Jennifer Wise-Minnick as massive pains in the ass, but nothing more.”

  “You know her name. All three of you. I saw your reaction. Why?”

  “That’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  Her face colored, and the indignation in her gorgeous dark eyes made Tannin’s dick hard again. There was nothing sexier to him than a passionate woman. The best sex of his life had been with dark-haired spitfires like Rai. She had a ripe, curvy body with bit tits and a nice, round ass that he desperately wanted to fuck into next week.

  “Gee, thanks so much for the mutual trust and information.”

  Ignoring the sarcasm, he inched closer until he could count her eyelashes. Her long eyelashes. “Listen, lady. You don’t realize how serious this is.”

  “I don’t realize how serious this is? Did you hear what I told you? A Mob boss stormed into my office and informed me that three of the clients I hired, two of whom have been my clients practically since I opened my doors, are working for him. And now it’s my turn. He gave me two choices, too, Tannin. Just like you and those goons did.”

  “They’re not goons. Don’t ever disrespect my Brothers.”

  “They’re not brothers to me. They’re the men who threatened to pass me around like a sex toy.”

  He needed to clarify that idiotic threat. “Yeah, that wasn’t them, remember? It was me. And we’d never do that.”

  “Well … good to know.”

  Her features softened a bit, and she took her hands off her hips. “But there’s a hit on my head. So don’t you dare tell me I don’t understand the seriousness of this situation.”

  “All right. Fine.” She didn’t understand what this might mean to them, but in all fairness, how could he expect her to? They hadn’t told her anything about their history with Vito Cinquepalmi’s organization.

  “And don’t you dare get pissed at me for bringing this inside your club. You’re the one who invited me here, remember?”

  “You were sick.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what? Bringing you inside?”

  “Yes, but now you’re keeping me here against my will.”

  If Tannin lived to be one hundred years old, he’d never forgot the events of this night. And he’d both curse them and cherish them. He’d never met anyone so fucking gorgeous, and such a damn enigma at the same time. To say he was intrigued was an understatement. He was fucking blindsided. But this woman was trouble with a capital “T”. He’d bet his life on it.

  “No, we’re not. Tannin stepped aside and waved an arm toward the door. “You heard him. This is on my head, but I don’t want the bullshit. So leave. Go. I’ll escort you to the gate myself. Drive all night or stop at a motel. Either way, the contract on your head is real. It won’t go away if you stay somewhere else tonight.”

  Her mind worked through the scenarios. It showed on her face and in her body language. Whether she stayed or not, Vassago would make the call to Donny’s men and find out what was going on. Their involvement in this mess might not end even if Rai walked out the door now. However, Tannin’s conflicted emotions over inviting her in to begin with, and his fantasies of fucking her until he could no longer walk, would last for a very long time.

  The easy thing to do was let her leave. He never should have brought her inside in the first place, although he’d have been kicking himself for a long time if he hadn’t. But still, she wasn’t their problem, and they didn’t need more shit from Vito Cinquepalmi.

  As several emotions crossed her pretty face, he made a decision. More like a compulsion. He’d never felt so fucking powerless over his own emotions. But deep inside, this felt right. To hell with the consequences. He wanted this woman in his bed, even if it was only for one night. It was selfish and it was wrong, but she’d bewitched him and there was nothing a man could do about that.

  Tannin touched her hair, and her eyes grew wide. Not with fear. No, not that. Something else. Something dark and raw. As his hope built, his cock grew harder. “Rai, we can offer you protection as well as shelter. But if you really want to leave, I won’t stop you.”

  “Who are you? I mean really? You don’t speak like they do. Your voice is mellower, and your speech is different. Why are you here with them?”

  He swallowed hard against the sudden lump in his throat. Damn if he wasn’t tempted to tell her. What the fuck? “It’s a long story, and don’t be so quick to judge them. We’re a family, too, like the Mob. Only difference is, we don’t go around forcing people into business with us, and then killing them when they get in the way.”

  “Is Tannin your real name?”

  “Why is that important to you?”

  “Because I want to know who is sheltering me.”

  “Tannin is all you’re going to get.”

  The sensation of that dark, penetrating gaze must be what bugs under microscopes experienced. “What about the others? Who are they?”

  “Our road names are Tannin, Gorgon, and Vassago. I’m the Sergeant-At-Arms, Gorgon is our President, and Vassago is our Treasurer.”

  Her brows shot up. “You have officers like an organization does?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you choose demon names? I’m assuming yours is Tannin, the Canaanite symbol of chaos or evil, as opposed to tannin, the substance used in leather production.”

  He chuckled. Of course she’d know the significance of the names. This woman had an education, after all. “Yes. It’s the former. And by the way, Tannin is also found in Phoenician and Hebrew mythology. We’re the Demons on Wheels MC.”

  “A motorcycle club who worships the devil?”

  Tannin shook his head. “A motorcycle club, yes. Devil worshippers, no. It’s only a name.”

  “What are their real names?”

  “Why is that so fucking important to you?”

  “I told you. I want to know who’s sheltering me.”

  No harm in that, he supposed. “Gorgon is Billy Westfall, and Vassago is Jimmy Vaccaro.”

  “Do you hang out with other motorcycle clubs?”

  “No. We’re one percenters.”

  She tapped the one percent patch on his cut. “Is that the reason for this?”

  “I wouldn’t try that with any of the others.”

  “Try what? Touching the patches on their vests?”

  “Exactly.” His damn dick was wedged inside his jeans again, and it hurt like a motherfucker.

  “Why not? Are they sacred clothes?”

  “You could say that. It’s a respect issue.”

  “Oh, but it’s all right for you to touch me?”

  The corners of his mouth lifted. “Lady, if you stay here, there are some things you’ll need to get used to.”

  “Like misogyny, for starters?”

  “No.” He shook his head again. “Look up the definition. We don’t have contempt for women. We don’t dislike them.” Tannin brushed his fingertip along her hair again, and resisted the urge to pump his fist in the air when she sucked in a soft gasp. “In fact, we adore them.”

  “As sexual objects or servants. That’s the definition of misogyny as well.”

  “What if I told you that a few of the women who live here are abused ex-wives and girlfriends? That we gave them jobs and a place to stay?”

  “So you take in abused women?”

  “Not on purpose, no. I’m saying we don’t believe in men hurting women for sport or because they can. In fact, we fucking hate it. I’m trying to explain that we have, on occasion, helped a woman hide from an ex who has been abusing her.”

  “Well aren’t you noble. And you’ve done this in exchange for what? Sex with all of you?”

  “No one in this club has ever forced a woman to have sex with him. We don’t tolerate that shit. There is sex. Lots of it. But every single bit of it is consensual. Do you have a hang-up with sex, Rai?”

  “No. Of course not.”

  They stared into each othe
r’s eyes for long moments. Something deep inside Tannin shifted, as if the world had suddenly tilted off its axis for a split second. What the hell had this woman done to him?

  “But aren’t you trying to seduce me right now?”

  Oh fuck. He’d never wanted anyone this badly. “Would that really be so horrible?”

  “I hardly think I’m your type.”

  “Is that the only reason you object to it? Because I don’t have a type, unless you count ‘female human’ as a type.”

  “So, any port in a storm, then?”

  The sarcasm was gone from her voice, and her tone could hardly be called protestation. More along the lines of foreplay, with its soft, teasing quality. “Not really.”

  He moved his finger from her hair to her face, caressing the soft skin. Her face flushed again, but this time it wasn’t from indignation. That mouth he would love to shove his dick into opened slightly. When she licked her lips, he had to exercise every ounce of self-control at his disposal.

  “I’m clean, and I use condoms. I expect the women I fuck to be clean as well.”

  “I am.” Her voice came out in barely a whisper.

  “And let’s get this straight, lady. I’m not talking about happily-ever-after here. I’m talking about good, hard fucking. And once I have you, the others won’t touch you without my permission. This isn’t a whore house, but if you’re going to stay here under our protection, you and I will fuck. We will fuck hard, and we will fuck often.”

  She released a shaky breath and licked her lips again. Tannin hadn’t come in his pants since he was a teen, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t close right now. It was time to seal this deal before he lost his fucking mind.

  “So, what’s it gonna be, Rai? Your call.”

  Chapter Seven

  Tears threatened yet again as Rai stared into those ice blue eyes. She really needed to stop crying already. She’d been seduced before. First, by her ex-husband in high school, and later, by various men who had used her before moving on to the next best thing. Was Tannin’s offer really any different than the three-piece suit types who either turned out to be married, or who wined and dined her until they got bored?