"Ashley," he whispers my name.
"I'm here Nolan. Let's go back to the motel and regroup," I answer. I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him against me. His tense body relaxes against mine and he rests his arms around my shoulders, hanging on for life.
"You're really here?" he questions.
"Yes, I'm really here. I've missed you. Now come on before someone sees us."
"But, I can't. That little boy..." he trails off, hurt and confusion cloud his voice.
"Shh, it will be OK. We'll figure it out." My heart is breaking from the sadness in his tone. I lean up and kiss him on the cheek. I cup his face with both palms and make him look at me. His eyes still take my breath away. "I love you, now let's go."
Not letting me go, he nods his head once. We turn back and head to the motel he's staying at. Nolan wraps a strong arm around my shoulders, keeping me close to him. We make our way through the crowd and into the motel lobby. He pushes the button and the rickety old elevator doors groan as they open. We walk inside and before the doors close, his lips are on mine, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. His hands roughly tug my head back and I open my lips to allow him access. His hot tongue invades my mouth and I release a whimper from the back of my throat. He rips his lips away from mine, both of us breathing heavy, trying to calm our racing hearts.
"I needed that," Nolan whispers, his eyes are full of love and lust.
"So did I. I've missed you."
I wrap my arms around his neck, bringing our bodies closer together. His woodsy scent dominates my senses, his hard cock digging into my lower stomach. His hands tighten around my hips as his mouth crashes down onto mine again. He picks me up and I fold my legs around his waist, grinding onto his erection. A low growl escapes his lips as his mouth moves to my neck, licking and biting.
The elevator groans to a halt and the doors creak open. Nolan sets me down on my feet and we make our way out. A burning sensation builds between my legs and I huff out a breath in frustration. He pulls me against him and whispers in my ear, "I feel the same way."
He slides his key into the door and flips on the light. I walk in behind him and shut the door. Before I have the lock turned, Nolan is on me, picking me up again. His hot breath fanning across my neck.
"Fuck I need you," Nolan groans.
I grab his hair as he pushes my back against the door, trapping me against him. He thrusts his hips and his hard cock pushes into my heated center. His mouth and tongue lick and bite my neck down to my heaving breasts. My heart is pounding against my chest and my body is overheating with want and desire.
A knock at the door breaks the lust craze we're both in and Nolan releases a deep grumble. He sets me back down on my feet and I open the door. Ashton, Christian, Mia, and Redline are all standing on the other side. Nolan's hot breath is fanning across the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. Mia raises an eyebrow.
"Are we interrupting something?" she asks. There's a teasing in her tone.
Nolan lets out a grumble, his hands gripping my hips. "No, not at all Mia. Glad you guys are here. Bad timing, but that's nothing new with you," he responds, moving us out of the way.
They all enter and suddenly it's tight in here with these massive men standing in the small room. Needing to get out, I gesture to Mia.
"Mia and I are going to get some air," I tell Nolan.
"Are you all right?" he asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need some air and you guys need to talk." I answer, resting my hand on the side of his face. Tingles work their way up my arm from the contact and Nolan nods his head, not taking his whiskey eyes off mine.
"All right, just don't go far," he answers.
"We won't. I want to grab a coffee. Jet lag is catching up again. Do you want anything?"
"Nah, I'm good. Just be careful." He wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him, giving me a soul-stealing kiss. Breaking away, I rest my hands on his chest.
"I'll be back in a few."
Mia gives Christian a kiss and we walk out the door. She's quiet as we step into the rickety old elevator, which is unusual for Mia. The doors groan open when we reach the bottom floor and walk out of the lobby and into the noisy street. Mia and I make our way down the street to the nearest café. People are sitting outside, enjoying the warm weather after a harsh winter. We walk inside, and the scent of fresh coffee beans assault my nose, making my mouth water.
"Do you want anything?" I ask Mia as we wait in line.
"I want to know what the hell is going on." Mia answers.
"Not in here. I'll explain what I can in a minute." I respond, staring at the floor.
I'm still not clear why she's here. After everything we've been through when Izzy had that stalker, the last thing I want is for Mia to be around the danger looming ahead. I don't want her to see what I'm capable of. She's far too innocent and looks at life with a positive attitude. If she sees what goes down that will change her whole outlook on life and that's the last thing I want.
We approach the counter and I give the barista my order. Tapping my nails on the counter as I wait for my coffee, Mia's eyes are burning into the side of my face. She's ready to unleash holy hell on me. The barista brings my order out and I accept it with a smile. Adding sugar to my large coffee, I still avoid eye contact with Mia.
We walk out into the warm, spring day and find an empty wrought iron table away from everyone. I take a seat and Mia sits down next to me. She's bouncing her leg up and down and her eyes are still watching and waiting. I take a sip of my coffee and enjoy the bitter, sweet taste coating my mouth and throat, giving me a shot of caffeine. I set my cup down on the table and finally look at her. She's worried and scared, but she's pissed too. I swear you can see the steam coming out of her ears. Her crazy is showing.
"Ashley," she says gently. "Please tell me what's going on. Christian is being tight lipped about all of this, just that X and Izzy are missing, and Nolan needed him out here. I made him bring me with him. He was going to leave me at home." Tears are welling in her brown eyes. Well, shit. I don't want her to cry.
"Mia, it's not good. I love your outlook on life and I don't want anything to change that. You should have stayed home, stayed out of this."
"Izzy is my best friend and I want to help. We've all been through a lot the last year. Please don't push me away."
"It's not safe for you out here, Mia. I wish you would see this. I don't know all of Nolan's past yet, but if things turn out the way I think they will, it's going to come rearing its ugly head. I don't want you involved in this shit. It will get real nasty and real dark, fast. I want to protect you the best way I can. You're not ready for this." I plead with her.
"What if I stay at the motel? I want to be here when you guys get Izzy and X back. I want to be here for them. Please, let me help." she pleads.
Releasing a huff, I sit back and cross my arms. I look at Mia dead in the eyes. She needs to see what I'm capable of, what we're all capable of.
"Have you ever seen Nolan with his shirt off?" I ask. She shakes her head in confusion. "There's a reason for that. Mia, these people we're dealing with are not nice. They're worse than Marie. What Marie did to us, is child's play compared to what these guys will do to us if we’re caught." I search around at all the people moving past us, going about their business. "I will show you something, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone. Not even Christian. If you think you can handle it, then you can stay. If not, I want you on the next plane out of here back to Michigan. Agree?"
"Yes." She doesn’t hesitate to answer.
With shaky hands, I pull my phone out of my jeans pocket and pull up my email that Rush sent me. I had him do some research on the Corridore Rosso Gang Nolan was tied with. It took him some time, so he wasn't tracked. I show Mia the first image on my phone. She lets out a startled gasp and puts her hands over her mouth, her brown eyes are wide.
"Oh my God," she says, tears are running down her face.
> The image I'm showing her isn't as bad as the others, but it's bad enough. This one is of a man who crossed their gang and didn't pay up. His face is bloody and bruised, unrecognizable. There are knife wounds marring his chest and stomach, bleeding. He's missing a few teeth and his eyes are swollen shut.
"Mia, do you understand now?" I ask.
She nods her head, tears are still streaming down her face.
"Did they do this to Izzy or Xavier?" She asks the question I was hoping she wouldn't.
"I don't know. We haven't heard anything yet."
Mia composes herself and wipes her eyes. "What have you heard?"
"We've only seen a photo."
"So how do you know these people really do have them?"
I click on the next email and hesitate to show her. Staring at the same image Nolan received, tears well in my eyes. They don't deserve this. They don't deserve what's happening to them. Finally finding the courage, I slide my phone across the table towards Mia with an unsteady finger, my heart pounding hard against my chest. She glances down and picks up the phone. Her shoulders shake and tears stream down her face.
"Oh no," she sobs. Mia runs a shaky finger down the screen. I scoot closer to her and wrap my arm around her trembling shoulders, pulling her against me.
"Do you understand now? Do you see why I don't want you to get involved? I want to protect you, Mia, not bring you into my world. It's bad enough Izzy is thrown into this shit, I'm scared something will happen to you too." I confess, rubbing her arms soothingly.
"Yes, I do, but Ashley, you have to trust that I can handle it." She responds through sniffles.
"Mia, there's more about me I don't want you to see. I'm worried if you see what I'm capable of, you'll never look at me the same again. I consider you one of my best friends." A weight lifts off my shoulders, confessing what scares me the most. It isn't about taking another life with no hesitations, it's about losing my closest friends.
"You should let me be the judge of what I know and don't know, Ashley. Give me time to absorb all of this. I'm going to head to a hotel and call Christian along the way." Mia says, standing up and stretching.
I grab my cup of coffee and follow her to the curb. She releases a loud whistle and raises her hand, hailing a cab. One comes speeding towards us and slams on his brakes right in front of her. She opens the back door and turns towards me.
"Ashley, get them back safely. I'll call you in a little while and tell you what I decide to do." She climbs in the back seat and gives the cabbie a hotel name. She pulls out her phone and dials Christian.
"Stay safe Mia and let me know when you get there."
"I will. Thank you for being honest with me and please be careful." She shuts the door and the yellow taxi pulls away, tires squealing.
I watch the taxi, until they're farther down the street, mixing in with the sea of yellow. A shiver runs down my back and I sink deeper into my hoodie, trying to shake off the cold that suddenly penetrates my bones. It's still really warm out for spring, but something is settling in my gut that things are going to be taking a turn for the worse really quick.
Chapter 10
Nolan
Ashley and Mia just left the motel room and Ashton is glaring at me, his nostrils are flaring. Feeling like a kid who stole some candy, I take a seat on the twin bed and hang my head. I know I've fucked up big time.
"Nolan, you've got to stop trying to deal with this shit on your own. That's what we're here for." Ashton scolds me.
"I know. It was stupid, but I thought I could handle it. I still can but can't do it alone. We need to regroup. Tell me what you know." I answer, looking up.
Christian is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, looking just like his brother. Ashton is sitting in the tiny chair against the wall, his huge form taking up most of the small space. Redline is leaning against the door, his blue eyes are watching me. I didn't have time to wonder what he's doing here instead of Rush earlier, but now the question is running through my mind.
Ashton leans forward in the chair, his fingers are steepled in front of him. "I ran a check on Tatiana like you asked me to. She's been in and out of jail for several years for either fighting or illegal shit the cops couldn't pin on her. She does have a little sister named Alessia. She's involved in the gang just as much as Tatiana."
"Anything about Tatiana having a little boy?" I ask, holding my breath.
"Nothing I could dig up yet. Marks is still searching, but he needs to do it carefully. They've got shit under control after you left. Any time someone searches for any of them, their security system flags it and alerts Switch. These guys have come a long way since you were in. We need to get someone to work undercover and penetrate their walls." Ashton responds. There's something he isn't saying. I can see it on his face.
"I'll do it," Redline says. "I can get in and out and they'd never know."
"I don't know Redline. These guys are dangerous. I think Ashley has to have a say on that. Your part of her family, which makes you a part of ours." I explain.
"Ashley won't care. Nolan, I need to do this. I need to do something. I feel terrible about the way things went down between us out in L.A. and this will be my chance to make it up to you." His blue eyes are pleading with me to let him do this.
"Let's talk to Ash first, then we can decide," I counter.
"Fair enough, but I want to do this. I can handle it."
Christians phone rings, breaking the silence that followed our conversation. He pulls it out of his jeans pocket. "It's Mia."
He swipes it and answers. "Mia, what's wrong?" He pushes away from the wall and paces back and forth in the small room.
"Are you sure?" he speaks into the phone. I can't hear what she's saying, but relief crosses Christians face. "OK. I'll swing by the hotel in a little while and check on you. Lock the doors and don't answer it for anyone but me, Ashton, or Nolan." He disconnects the call and looks at me. "Your girl is good."
"What did she do?" I ask, confused.
"She convinced Mia to stay out of this. She's on her way to The Plaza. Mia wouldn't tell me what Ash said or did, but I'm relieved. I couldn't talk her out of staying at home. Whatever Ashley told her worked. I'm going to swing by there and check on her when we leave here."
"We’ll all check on her. Now, back to business. Redline, if you’re serious there are a few things you need to know. The best way in is to fight."
"You mean like a street fight? Like walk up to one of their members and knock him out cold?" His eyebrows wrinkle in confusion.
"No.” I shake my head, “That'll get you killed. Have you ever been underground?" I ask.
"No."
"There are no rules down there. Only bring what you got and go in hard and fast. I trained for months before going in, but we're going to have to get you up to speed fast. The longer they have Xavier and Izzy, the worse it is."
There's a soft knock on the door, interrupting our conversation. Redline moves out of the way and I open the door. Ashley is standing on the other side, relief written across her delicate face.
"Hey, I convinced Mia to head to a hotel. Did she call?"
"Yeah, she just talked to Christian. She's heading to The Plaza. What did you say to her?" I ask.
"Nothing much." She casts her eyes down onto the worn carpet. "I don't want her involved. I didn't tell her anything about you or your past. I just did what I had to do."
I grab her hand shoved in her jeans pocket and pull her into the room, shutting the door behind us. A passive look crosses her face and she glances up at Christian.
"I'm sorry Christian, but she can't see this side of us. I know she'd probably be able to handle it, but I don't want to take that chance. There's a lot of shit that will go down and I want to protect her from it. It's bad enough Izzy is seeing this side." Her bottom lip trembles at the thought. I wrap my arms around her and pull her soft curves against my hard body. Running my hands up and down her back in a soothing mot
ion, Ashley relaxes against me.
"It's OK, Ash. I didn't want her to come in the first place. She's stubborn and strong-willed. I'm just relieved you could do what I couldn't." Christian says. "What did you say to her?"
Ashley looks at the ground and then meets my eyes before answering. "I showed her some pictures of what the Corridore Rosso's are capable of. They weren't as bad as what they've done in the past, but it worked."
"How did you get pictures?" I ask, baffled. My heart is pounding against my chest and my palms are sweaty. Has she seen what I've done? Does she realize how dangerous I really am?
"I have my own resources, Nolan. I know more than what you give me credit for and I'm still here." Her honey brown eyes bore into mine, revealing she knows about my past. How much? That I’m not sure on, but like she said, she's still here and letting me touch her, hold her. If it disgusted her, she wouldn't even be able to look at me. What's reflecting in her eyes is acceptance. She accepts my past and what I've done. There's a weight lifted off my shoulders and I swallow hard. A smile lights up Ashley's face and she rests her head on my chest, breathing my scent in.
"Uh, Ash...," Redline mumbles, breaking into our little bubble. She picks her head up and looks at Redline. "I have an idea and need to run it by you."
"What is it?" she asks.
"There's only one way into the Corridore Rosso Gang and that's through me. I can go undercover and penetrate their walls."
"What. No, no way." She shakes her head back and forth. "You're not putting yourself at risk. I won't allow it."
"Please, Ash. I need to do this. Not just for Nolan, but for me too. I acted like a complete ass to Nolan in L.A. and I feel this is the best way to make up for it, please." His blue eyes plead with her.
"I can't let you, Redline. You don’t know what they're capable of and even if you did, how would you get in?"
"We've got that under control," I answer.
"You want him to do this?" she asks, peering up at me.
"No, but I don't see any other way. Ashton needs to be here with us and Christian is too much like a cop and they'll see right through that. I obviously can't go in and I can't let you. Redline is our way in. He'll be safe as long as he sticks to the plan and keeps his head down."
Savage Chaos Page 5
