Viper (Bones MC 4)

by Marteeka Karland

  He shut the door and pulled her to him, all Data’s warnings and his own good intentions going out the door the second she was mashed against him. Kissing her was imperative. And, sweet Jesus, she was delicious!

  Viper swept his tongue inside at her first gasp, taking what he needed before she pushed him away. Or slapped him. He wasn’t sure which he was hoping for because the fiery temper she showed on occasion turned him on something fierce. To his surprise -- and delight -- she did neither. Her hands landed on his shoulders lightly, and she was completely still for several moments as if stunned. Then she moaned, melting against him, meeting his kisses with some of her own.

  There was no containing his growl as Viper continued to kiss her. Darcy clung sweetly to him, her little nails digging into his shoulders, holding him to her. He was playing a dangerous game. It wasn’t Data, but Darcy he was worried about. She might be a capable, tough woman, but Data was right. She couldn’t handle him. Data knew it, even if he didn’t yet know his daughter. Hell, what man would want his daughter involved with a man like Viper? He’d been a Marine. Force Recon. He’d been dropped in the most dangerous of situations, done what he had to do, then disappeared without a trace. He wasn’t a kind and gentle man. Viper was the Devil himself when he needed to be. And he always had his brothers’ backs. Even at the expense of his own family. Hell, Bones, his biker brothers, were his family. At least, the only family who mattered. How could he explain that to Darcy? How could he explain it to Data? His brother was right. She deserved better than him.

  He ended the kiss as quickly as he’d started it, pushing her away from him like she should have done in the first damned place. First thing he intended to make sure Data taught Darcy was self-preservation.

  “There,” he said flippantly. “Been wantin’ to do that since you got me in the privates.” He grinned at her, trying to pull himself away from her emotionally when everything inside him was screaming for him to make her his. “Consider that a lesson in what happens when you fuck with badass bikers.”

  The second he uttered the words, Viper regretted them. Darcy’s face went from beautifully dazed with lust to confused to hurt in the space of about three seconds. Then she just shut down.

  “Well. Lesson learned, I guess. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to change into something more fitting the weather.” She crossed to the door and opened it again, leaving no doubt she wanted him gone. It was no more than he deserved. He’d acted on his needs, then tried to backtrack the only way he could, and Darcy had paid the price.

  “Darcy…”

  “Now, please,” she said, forestalling anything he might have said by way of apology.

  “See you around.”

  “No. You won’t.”

  She firmly shut the door in his face, the lock clicking solidly.

  “Fuck,” he muttered as he stomped back to the stairs. He’d dug his own hole here. But maybe it was for the best. If Data knew he’d kissed her, he’d likely try to castrate Viper. If their positions were reversed, Viper would certainly beat the fuck outta Data.

  Oh, well. What was done was done. Now, he had to help his brother with whatever Data needed to do by way of dealing with Darcy’s mother and stepfather. That man had a beating coming. If not an early grave.

  * * *

  The second she had the door locked, Darcy dissolved into tears, sliding down the door into a heap on the floor. The whole week finally caught up with her. Not only did her own mother not want her, but she’d just been made a fool in front of a man like Viper. He was obviously used to casual hook-ups. Though she’d had plenty of sex since losing her virginity at seventeen, she’d only had one lover. They’d explored sex at length, experimenting with all kinds of things from straight fucking to light BDSM. Nothing too heavy and always with pleasurable results. But nothing in her experience had prepared her for that single kiss from Viper.

  Dragging in a deep breath as she tried to dry her tears, Darcy headed for the bed where the women had left the clothing they’d bought for her in a neat stack. They were still warm from the dryer. She chose a pair of jeans and a soft sweater, and a matching sports bra and panties set before stepping into the shower.

  Twenty minutes later she stepped out and then started brushing her long red hair. Though there was still a lingering feeling of being sorry for herself, the worst of her crazy emotions had settled. The thick mass of curls seemed to be a perpetual rat’s nest, but she was ruthless when detangling it. Just one more soothing ritual to center her. Until the brush ran through unhindered, she kept at it. It took another twenty minutes with the hair dryer she’d been thoughtfully provided with before her hair was dry enough for her to dress without getting the back of her sweater damp where her hair would hang heavily. Normally, the ritual of fussing with her hair relaxed her. Centered her when she needed it to. Now, it just exhausted her. If it hadn’t been early afternoon, she’d have just said fuck it and gone to bed. Instead, she got dressed, resigned to make the best of the situation.

  The jeans were soft and flexible. The sweater was deep emerald cashmere that molded to her breasts and hugged her waist before settling over her hips lovingly. Even without makeup, she was passable. Where the women had gotten such fine garments she had no idea, because she absolutely would not believe they’d picked them up at Goodwill or Wal-Mart. They most certainly had not washed that damned sweater, but there was a dry-cleaning tag on it. How they’d gotten stuff like this so quickly she had no idea, but she would make sure to thank them.

  Slipping on socks and shoes -- also new -- she ventured outside her room, down the stairs, and back to the common room where Christmas was in full swing. Had she not been so apprehensive about running into Viper, she would have smiled. The two teenage boys were busy decorating the tree under Suzie’s direction. The girl was like a general, giving specific instructions and correcting the boys’ mistakes quickly. The boys scowled at her until they turned their backs on her and flashed each other a grin. Obviously there were dynamics there.

  One big, burly biker sat at the table where Suzie was decorating his beard with green and red glitter. The guy looked disgruntled but resigned to his fate. One look at him and he narrowed his eyes, daring her to giggle. Not that she or anyone else was going to, given that look on his face. It said something like, “I will fucking take you down. Hard.” Instead, Darcy gave him a two-finger salute and continued into the common room.

  The first thing she saw when she rounded the corner fully into the common area was Viper sitting at the bar across the room, a woman standing between his legs with her hands on his shoulders, her head thrown back, laughing merrily. He wasn’t actually touching her, but pain sliced through Darcy’s heart for no reason other than her own stupidity. Data had warned her, yet she’d allowed him to kiss her. Had kissed him back instead of taking another shot at his privates. He might be a jackass, but her feelings were nobody’s fault but her own.

  Instead of lingering, she went straight to the tree the kids were working on. “Need some help?”

  Suzie gave an exasperated huff, throwing her hands in the air. “These blockheads can’t do anything right.” She pointed to a particular ornament. It looked the same as all the other sparkling balls to Darcy, but what did she know? “You see that? Why did they put it there? Anyone can see it needs to go over here!” She pointed to a spot just out of her reach. Daniel sighed and moved the glittering ornament where she indicated. “Are you going to leave it hanging lopsided? Really, Daniel. You have no sense of style.”

  Cliff gave a barking laugh before covering it with a cough. Several of the men in the room hooted. The big guy sitting at the table with glitter in his beard merely grunted, still looking supremely pissed off, but taking it.

  “How horrible,” Darcy said, hiding her own grin.

  “I know, right?” The girl placed her hands on her hips. “Men have no taste.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Luna called from across the room. “This one was having a fit ab
out the lights I strung up on the balcony.”

  “That’s cause it’s like a fuckin’ spotlight shining directly into the room, blinkin’ furiously,” Bohannon groused. “Honestly, woman. You’re gonna make me have a seizure one night.”

  “See? Show me a man who appreciates Christmas lights, and I might faint from the shock.”

  All the women laughed. The men just grunted or growled. Suzie giggled as she got Cliff, this time, to move another ornament. “Hey, Daniel,” Cain called from where he was cuddling his wife on the love seat in front of the tree. “Isn’t that the same ornament she just had you move?”

  Daniel looked over his shoulder at the tree, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah. It is.” He stood, moving closer to the tree for a better look. “And she had him put it in the same damned spot it was in before I moved it! You little terror!” Suzie squealed and ran, dodging both Cliff and Daniel deftly, as if she’d done so a thousand times before. Just when Darcy was sure they’d catch the girl and make good on their threat to tickle her until she farted, she jumped into the arms of the big guy with the glitter beard.

  Both boys immediately skidded to a halt. The big man stood with Suzie in his arms, protecting her from the threat of her foster brothers. He looked as menacing as anything Darcy had ever seen.

  “Easy there, Stunner,” Daniel said, his hands out as if he were talking down a terrorist or something. “We were just playing.”

  “Besides,” Cliff said, picking up where Daniel left off, “she’s got it coming. You saw what she was doing.”

  The big man just growled and bared his teeth.

  “OK, then.” Daniel backed away slowly, not making any sudden moves. Like Stunner was a big ole grizzly bear ready to spring at any second. “We’ll just be over here. You know. Rearranging all the ornaments on the tree.”

  Stunner growled again, louder this time.

  “Or not,” Cliff muttered. Both boys shuffled away.

  Neither touched the Christmas tree. Suzie just giggled and wrapped her skinny arms around Stunner.

  “You know I love you best, right?” Her voice was almost a whisper, but not quite. The big man puffed out his chest, but didn’t say a word.

  Darcy grinned at the girl when Stunner set her down and resumed his silent vigil while she painted snowflakes on his cheeks above his beard. He was stoic about it.

  “Wow,” Darcy said. “You’ve got one hell of a bodyguard there.”

  “Yep.” She flashed Stunner a brilliant smile. “Stunner is my very own bad biker.” She leaned forward to Darcy, adding in a true whisper, “I’m not supposed to say badass.”

  “Gotcha,” Darcy said in the same whisper.

  She looked up at Stunner. “You seen Data? I thought I’d spend some time with him.” If she stayed much longer, she was going to look at Viper and his biker chick at the bar again. If she saw them kissing, she knew she’d vomit right there. Suzie would definitely not appreciate it if she did.

  “He jerked his head sideways. “Control room.” His voice was deep and gruff, like he didn’t often speak.

  “Thanks.” She looked at Suzie. “You keep those boys in line. Make sure they do right by that tree.”

  “You got it!” She saluted Darcy smartly, then continued painting Stunner’s face. The girl seemed young for her age, though everyone spoke to how brilliant she was. She seemed almost childlike in her mannerisms. While she’d been getting to know the other women, they’d told her little Darcy was a holy terror at the computer. She was absorbing everything Data could teach her and learning a few tricks on her own. At the same time, she played like a little kid. Hence the glitter currently all over Stunner’s beard. Why the big man allowed it was something she’d have to ask about in order to satisfy her own curiosity.

  She turned in the direction Stunner had indicated and down a wide hallway. Music was blaring from the open door of an office. Data, supposedly her father, sat behind the desk, his feet propped up, air drumming to the beat as numbers flew by on the big monitor faster than she could keep up with.

  “Hey,” she said. Data nearly turned the chair over backward in his haste to get his feet down.

  “Hey yourself. Have a seat.”

  “Whatcha doing?”

  He grinned at her. “Nothing interesting.”

  “Uh huh. I get that same look and give that same answer when I’m doing something that could get me in trouble but am having too good a time to worry about getting caught.”

  Data snorted and gave her a lopsided smile that faded. Then he sighed. “I’m tracking down your mother.”

  Instantly, her good humor vanished. “I ain’t goin’ back to her, Data. I’ll leave here and disappear before I do that.”

  “Relax, baby. No one is going to make you go anywhere. You’re old enough to do whatever you want so your wishes are all I need to hear to make it happen. However, your mother has a lot to answer for. So does your stepfather.”

  “What are you going to do to them?”

  “How much do you really care, Darcy?” he said, his entire demeanor changed in an instant. Gone was the easygoing man he’d shown her thus far. In his place was a dangerous predator. This was a man she wouldn’t want to fuck with. “Be careful before you answer. Because I will tell you whatever you want to know, but your wishes won’t change my decisions. She’ll get to give her say, but there is nothing that can excuse what she allowed to happen to you.”

  She did as he asked. She considered everything. This was a man who was going to punish the people who’d harmed his daughter. In this, she could see Data wasn’t a forgiving man. Did she really want to know? Yes, she decided. She did. But not right now. “I want to be there when you question her and her sack-of-shit husband. I think I have a right.”

  “Will you tell me exactly what happened? I need to know, not only about Rayburn Mills, but Donna as well. I need you to lay it out there, no matter how painful.”

  She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s still my word against theirs. Do what you need to do.”

  Data winced. Darcy wished she could give him what he wanted, but just thinking about it made her skin craw and an evil slime fill her veins. It was just too disgusting to relive this soon.

  “It matters, Darcy. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to me, perhaps Cain would give permission for you to talk to his wife and let her relay your story.”

  She thought about it for a few moments, looking at the suggestion from every angle. There was a very real possibility Data intended to punish both her mother and Rayburn. Severely. Did she want to let another person tell her story?

  “No. If it comes to it, I’ll tell you everything. But I’ll do it in front of my mother and her husband. If I have to retell it, I want them both to have to sit through it and hear me tell it in front of everyone. Just like if we were in a real court of law. That’s the only fair thing to do.”

  Date raised his chin. “You’re a remarkable woman, Darcy,” he said in a reverent tone. “If nothing else, you’ve earned my respect for this alone.”

  The admission shocked Darcy. In her life, she could never remember anyone giving her praise for anything. For this, Data, and Bones by extension, deserved her to give them a chance. A wholehearted chance.

  “Data,” she said, reluctant to bring up the subject, but compelled to do so. “Why did you send Viper after me?”

  Again, her father’s demeanor changed. Again, he looked dangerous as hell. “I sent Viper, Arkham, and Trucker after you. Why would you single out Viper?”

  She winced. “Caught that, did you?”

  “Darcy…”

  “Look, you’ve asked some hard things of me here. I’ll do what I have to because if those two will prey on me, I’m certain they’ll prey on other women who can’t defend themselves as well as I can. So, I’m acknowledging this is hard for you, too.”

  He sighed. “Fair enough. What do you want to know?”

  “You said he’s a player.”

  “I did.”

>   She swallowed, not sure how to voice what she needed. “He… kissed me. Earlier today.” When Data’s face turned thunderous, she quickly added, “Don’t get all papa bear on me. I kissed him back just as hard. What I’m asking is, did he know you objected to him hooking up with me?”

  “Oh, that asshole knew perfectly well I didn’t want him near you like that.”

  “Then why would he do it?” She hated that she sounded a little like a child who’d just gotten her heart broken, but she actually felt a little like it. “He said it was in retaliation for me kicking him in the balls, but…”

  “You think he did it deliberately to go against me? Darcy, he’s my brother in every way that matters. If he made a move on you knowing I didn’t want him to, there was a reason for it.”

  “Like what?”

  “Not sure,” Data muttered, but he stood, towering over Darcy. He framed her face with his big hands, leaning in to brush a kiss on top of her head. “But I’ll find out.”

  Chapter Five

  Viper frowned at the monitor in front of him. Since he couldn’t take Darcy to his room and explore her at his leisure, he’d decided to throw all his effort into finding her mom and stepfather. Data might be the information and communication master of the club, but Viper had learned a thing or two during his time in Force Recon. One thing was for sure. The couple hadn’t gone to California like they’d told Data. He’d found them and their two older daughters in Vegas. Sure seemed like they hadn’t worried over much over their missing family member enough to even give Data a reliable means of contacting them when he found her. Apparently, “done” really meant done.

  “When this is over,” Data said, coming up behind him, “I’m gonna beat your fuckin’ ass from here to China.”

  Viper winced. “She told you, didn’t she?”

  “I told you to fuckin’ leave her alone, you bastard. Why did you just have to go against me? You’ve got any woman you want right here. Why didn’t you just leave my daughter alone like I asked you?”