by Harley Wylde
Like right now. I’d almost expected her to balk when I’d wanted her in my lap. With everything else she’d let me do tonight, perhaps I shouldn’t have been all that surprised. Elena was curious if nothing else, but I didn’t think she realized I was serious about not letting her go. I knew the world she’d come from was nothing like mine. Although, the way her foster parents were trying to marry her off to that guy, maybe it wasn’t so different after all. A little more legal, but no less political. Our politics just typically didn’t involve marrying off women.
There was something bothering me about Elena’s situation. If this guy was so amazing that her foster parents wanted her to marry him, why was he still single? For that matter, why had they put so much pressure on her that she’d felt the need to run? I had a feeling there was more going on than she’d admitted, or possibly it was more than she knew. It made me want to dig a little and see what would come up.
“Tell me about your foster family,” I said.
“My foster dad is a reverend. He and his wife insisted I call them Father and Mother. I always thought it was because they couldn’t have kids and really wanted children, but the longer I was with them, the more I had to wonder about it all. They didn’t act the way I thought parents did.”
“What happened to yours?” I asked.
“I don’t really remember, but I was told they died. We lived in a small two-bedroom apartment in a not so great part of town, but I do know they loved me. My mom would always give the best hugs, and my dad seemed to constantly be working, but he was always nice to us. One day, they didn’t come pick me up from school. But… it’s been so long, I don’t remember what they looked like. I remember loving it when Mom hugged me, but not what she smelled like, or what the hugs felt like.”
“You didn’t ask questions?”
Elena snuggled closer. “I was in elementary school. Old enough to know something bad happened, but not brave enough to ask. When the social worker said my parents would no longer be taking care of me, I was scared. Then the preacher and his wife took me in. They seemed nice, and I’d heard horrible stories while I was waiting to be placed. They had a group home type of place where everyone waited to be assigned a foster family. Some of the kids had been in and out of foster homes dozens of times.”
“What’s the name of the preacher and his wife?” I asked.
“Martin and Suzy Tolbert. Her name is actually SuAnne, but everyone calls her Suzy.”
I filed that bit away for later. “And your parents?”
“Sara and Diego Vargas.”
“So you’re Elena Vargas? Or did you take the preacher’s name?”
She stiffened. “No, I didn’t take his name! They never offered to adopt me, even though they let me live with them even after I was out of the system. They treated me well, but it never truly felt like home.”
I rubbed my hand up and down her arm. “All right, angel. Just a question. Didn’t mean anything by it. Why don’t you tell me more about this guy they wanted you to marry?”
She tipped her head so she could look me in the eye. “Why are you asking so many questions about me? Isn’t it a little late? You’ve already seen me naked. The mystery is gone.”
I snorted. “Sweetheart, the mystery is far from gone. And I’m just trying to figure out who you are, where you come from, and whether or not that family of yours might come looking for you.”
She chewed on her lower lip. A hint of worry flashed in her eyes. “I don’t know if they will or not, but I did think they might. It’s why I wanted to keep moving. They were so insistent that I marry Garrison West, and it seemed… strange.”
If she thought it was odd, then something was likely wrong with the situation. She knew those people, had lived with them. So it made me wonder, what did this Garrison West have over them that they’d try to foist her off on him? And why did he want Elena in particular? Oh, I got it on some level. She was gorgeous and any man would want to keep her, but something seemed off.
I patted her thigh. “Hop up a minute.”
She stood and I got up, then motioned for her to take my chair. I walked out and down the hall. While I could use my laptop to just scratch the surface of Elena’s issues, I had a feeling I’d need to do more than that. And thanks to my busted hands, it would require a phone call to Wire and Lavender, or at least one of the others. I winced at the thought of hearing Lavender’s voice. I was moving on as best I could from what had happened, and she needed to as well. Telling her that didn’t seem to do anything.
I closed my bedroom door, opened the closet and shoved my clothes to the side. Placing my hand on the palm reader, the secret door slid open and I went into what I considered my cave. The door closed behind me and I sat down in the most comfortable chair ever created. The three large screens were ready and waiting, and I reached out to caress the keyboard. I fucking missed this. Most of what I was capable of doing these days only required my laptop. It was like I’d lost part of myself that day, but I tried not to let it get to me. Some days I succeeded, and others… Well, there was a reason my drinking had increased.
I ran a quick search for Garrison West, just checking out any social media profiles, or any mentions of him available to the public. I needed to figure out who he was, where he came from, and then I could dig some more. The guy looked like a douche. All teeth and fake smiles. His hair looked like it wouldn’t dare blow in a breeze, and his suit didn’t have so much as a wrinkle anywhere. The shine on his shoes was enough to blind someone if the sun hit the surface just right.
Deacon at the church. Owned his own company. One wife, deceased. No kids.
“Who are you, Garrison West?” I muttered.
It didn’t take much to find the donations to the Church of the Holy Light, run by Reverend Martin Tolbert. It was the amounts that made me pause. What the fuck kind of business was he running that he could donate fifty grand a month, and more importantly, what the fuck was the reverend doing with all that money? My fingers ached as I kept searching, but I found the other church records, including all the expenses. It seemed the good reverend was pocketing ten thousand a month from those donations, but the rest was going to… Bryson Corners Customs? What the absolute fuck?
Why was a small church in Georgia sending that kind of cash to a bike shop out in Oklahoma? I knew of the place, had seen some of their awesome work, but it was starting to look like they were shady as fuck. When I couldn’t break into their systems, I knew I had to call in reinforcements. I stared at the phone, a stupid landline, but it couldn’t be traced or cloned like a damn cell phone. I’d made sure nothing left this room unless I wanted it to.
I dialed Surge and put the phone on speaker. The room was soundproofed and I knew that even if Elena wandered back this way, she wouldn’t hear a damn thing I said. It rang a half dozen times before rolling over to voicemail. I hung up and tried again. And again. After the fourth attempt, I gave up and called Wizard. He picked up after two rings.
“Please don’t tell me you’ve found trouble again,” Wizard said.
“You make it sound like I go looking for it.”
“Maybe not, but it sure does find you easily enough. What’s up?”
I stared at the screen and all the shit I’d gathered so far on Garrison West. “I’m going to encrypt some files and send them your way. Need you to look into Garrison West and his connection with Bryson Corners Customs. He’s using a church to send money their way and I want to know why. I also want to know how else the church is involved.”
“Since when do you give a shit about churches?”
I scratched at my beard. “Since the reverend’s foster daughter showed up here. She said they were pushing her to marry the guy. Found a marriage license for his deceased wife. No kids. I want to know if he’s a threat to Elena.”
It was quiet on the other end. I encrypted the files and sent them to Wizard. If I hadn’t heard him breathing, I’d have wondered if he hung up. It didn’t take long before I heard
a string of cussing, though. He must have opened the files, but I was curious about his reaction.
“That’s not Garrison West. Or maybe that’s what he’s going by these days, but that’s not his real name,” Wizard said. “He’s a motherfucking traitor, and I can promise you that Attila is going to shit a damn brick.”
What the hell was he talking about? And how did he know this guy? I’d have remembered if I’d seen him at any functions I’d attended where Hades Abyss was present. He couldn’t have been one of their brothers, could he?
“Attila?” I asked. The name was familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it. He definitely wasn’t Hades Abyss.
“Pres of the Savage Raptors MC over in Bryson Corners. That custom shop is owned by the club. The man claiming to be Garrison West is none other than Grady Hampton, aka Bastard. His colors were stripped in every way possible, and his ass was left for dead on the side of the road about fifteen years ago. I have to wonder if Attila knows where that money is coming from, and now I really want to fucking know why that asshole is sending it.”
He brought up a good point. Why send money to a club that left you for dead? Unless he hadn’t been the only traitor. It was bad enough that the clubs had to deal with shit from Prospects or the club girls, but when your own brother turned on you, then it was all kinds of fucked up. With all the shit we dealt with on a regular basis, we had to be able to trust the men at our backs. If they’d stripped his colors and nearly killed him, then this guy had seriously fucked up.
And I really didn’t like that he had his eye on Elena. What did he want with her? It made me curious about his previous wife too. Had he done something to her and covered it up?
“Can you let me know what you find out? Also, look into Martin and Suzy Tolbert. It’s the reverend of the church and his wife. I need to know their connection to all this and what West has over them.”
“On it.” There was a pause, but I knew he hadn’t hung up. “This woman… she mean something to you?”
“I’m claiming her, assuming Grizzly doesn’t kick my ass for it.”
Wizard whistled long and slow. “Wow. Okay. I thought, um… you know…”
I winced. Yeah, there were a few people outside my club who knew about my issue. Except it wasn’t a problem where Elena was concerned. Still, a bit embarrassing to have Wizard remind me.
“Everything works just fine,” I said.
“Good. That’s really damn good to hear.”
My brow furrowed as I stared at the phone. “Why the hell do you care if my dick works?”
“I don’t, but Lavender does. No, wait. That came out wrong. Don’t tell Wire I said that because he’ll kick my ass, and I don’t just mean the type that leaves bruises. He’ll fuck up all my shit and close out my accounts, maybe even make me vanish.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Look, I’ve spoken to her a few times and she’s expressed some concern over you. She feels terrible about what happened, and when she thought you’d never get a chance to settle down and be as happy as she is, it kind of tore her up inside.”
That’s exactly what I hadn’t wanted to hear. I saw the way she looked at me, and could hear it in her voice when we spoke on the phone. It’s why I’d avoided her as much as possible. I didn’t hold Lavender responsible for what happened, didn’t blame her even a little. She’d been a victim and couldn’t have stopped them if she tried. Giving in to their demands wouldn’t have changed anything, except she’d have suffered greatly before Wire arrived. I’d bought him time, and I didn’t regret it for a moment.
“Tell her that I found someone and that everything is fine.”
“It’s not, though, is it?” Wizard asked. “You may have found a woman, and maybe you’ll be happy enough, but you’ll never be a hacker like before. You may not have been on the same level as Wire and Lavender, but you were pretty badass. Now you’re having to ask the rest of us for help.”
I ground my teeth together so I wouldn’t unleash my building temper on him. To be fair, the guy was being a dick. It wasn’t like I needed this shit pointed out to me. I lived it every fucking day.
“Thanks, asshole,” I muttered. “Just give her the damn message and get back to me when you have something.”
I hung up the phone before I was tempted to drive all the way to Mississippi to strangle the fucker. Who needed enemies with friends like Wizard? I made sure everything was locked down and exited my secret space, only to step out of the closet and come face-to-face with Elena. She looked around me as the wall slid shut, closing off my cave.
“Do I even want to know why you have a hidden room? Or what you were doing in there?” she asked.
“Maybe I’m a superhero and that’s my lair,” I said.
She eyed me from head to toe, then back again. “You don’t look the part of a superhero, but you don’t act like a villain. I’m not sure where you’d fit into that universe. Maybe you’re more of a Robin Hood?”
“Let’s just go with that for now.”
I grabbed her hand and led her back to the front of the house, only to hear an insistent banging on the door.
“That’s why I was trying to find you. I think our food is here,” she said.
“Pick a spot. Table or living room. I’ll bring the pizza to you.”
She wandered off in the direction of the kitchen and I made sure she was out of sight before opening the door. The Prospect on the other side shoved the pizzas at me and took off running. Either he thought I was pissed, had been warned away by Grizzly, or he had a job to do. Whatever the case, I was alone again with the hot little Latina in my house. And there was food… didn’t get much better than that.
Top three things a man needed to survive were all available now. Pizza, beer, and sex. While I wouldn’t take what Elena didn’t offer, I had no doubt that I would have her screaming my name again. She was mine, even if she didn’t realize it yet.
Chapter Five
Elena
What was it about the sexy biker that made me feel so at ease? We’d talked and laughed over pizza. While he’d had a few beers, I’d stuck with water. The two drinks I’d had at the clubhouse were going to be my first and only. After that experience, I didn’t see myself ever wanting another drink. Granted, I may not have met Outlaw if someone hadn’t spiked my drink. They were convinced that had happened, but I didn’t want to believe it. Why would someone do that to another person? What if I’d tried to drive back to the motel and I’d died, or hit someone else?
The club seemed to one hundred percent believe drugs had been put into at least one of my beers. Although, Outlaw seemed more interested in my foster family and Garrison West than in me being drugged. I didn’t understand why. Was I concerned they might come looking for me? Sure, but it wasn’t like they could force me to go with them. I was over eighteen and they didn’t control my actions. If I wanted to leave, then I could. Simple as that. I’d only wanted to sneak away to avoid confrontation.
“It’s getting late,” Outlaw said. “I’ll check outside before I lock up. Your bag should be here by now.”
“Is that secret code for you want sex? Or do you actually want to go to sleep?”
He smirked at me. “Baby girl, I’m always up for sex, but you’ve had one hell of a day. Probably should get some rest.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. Between driving all the way here, then the incident at the clubhouse, the mind-blowing orgasms he’d given me, and all the time we’d spent talking, I had no doubt that dawn would be here soon. Not that it seemed I’d be leaving anytime soon. Was it wrong that I’d gotten a bit of a thrill when he’d said if he took my virginity that he’d keep me? Did that mean there was something wrong with me? Women didn’t really like the caveman routine, did they? I had to admit it kind of turned me on when he got all bossy.
“And where am I sleeping?” I asked, remembering he’d mentioned only having one bed.
“With me,” he said. “Safest place for you is righ
t by my side.”
I couldn’t tell if that was a line or if he really meant it. Yes, he was a badass biker, but wasn’t I just as safe on the couch? We were behind a fence. A guarded one at that. I didn’t think they let people through unless they wanted them here. Of course, the guy who had let me in didn’t exactly check my car or anything. I could have easily brought a gun inside and he wouldn’t have known it. Maybe Outlaw was right to be cautious.
He stood and reached for my hand, tugging me in his wake. “Come on. I won’t bite. Unless you want me to.”
A shiver skated down my spine. The good kind. It would be so easy to just give myself to him, let him call the shots. Staying with Outlaw wouldn’t be a hardship. He was sexy as hell, and I didn’t doubt for a second that I’d enjoy every moment of my time with him. I’d always wanted my freedom, to have a life that was of my own choosing. That was the keyword. Choice. Did I want a job and a place of my own? Sure. But I also wanted Outlaw. If having him meant that I couldn’t have those other things, it was a trade I was willing to make. I’d felt more alive tonight than I ever had before.
He held onto me as he got my bag from outside and locked up the house, then led me down the hall to the bedroom. My bag was tossed near the dresser. Then he pulled the covers down and I slid into the bed, scooting over to give him room. I was still wearing his shirt, and only his shirt, but it made me feel a little bit naughty. I’d never gone to bed without panties on before, or pajamas for that matter. Outlaw stripped all the way down and my jaw dropped. He was going to sleep naked? Like, completely, totally naked? I may have not ever shared a bed with a guy before, but that wasn’t normal, was it? Did all men just crawl into bed without any clothes on?
“Um.” My mouth opened and shut a few times, but I couldn’t seem to string two words together. Should I demand he put something on? He’d probably just laugh at me if I did. Outlaw didn’t seem like the type to follow directions, especially from a woman. Maybe I should be offended by that, but I wasn’t.
