Torched: A Dark Bad Boy Romance

by Paula Cox

  Anna grabs my arm, pulling me up. She races me upstairs, past the men too preoccupied with their own celebrations to care or notice. We head straight to our office where she watches me unlock the door. Without even turning on the light, she pulls me inside and towards the wall. Our shadows fall low on the floor from the light of the window behind us. With me pinned in place, she leans her body up against mine. She places my arms around her shoulders and back as we freeze here.

  Finally, she whispers into my chest, “I can’t lose you again, Mack. I came back here because I wanted to move on with you. But now I am going to lose you again to Riley.” I can barely make out her words through the tears.

  “That’s the point Anna,” I say as I lift her chin so that our eyes are level. “I can’t lose you either. We’ve been through hell and back and lost it all already. There’s nothing left to lose if this goes wrong. Let’s at least try to end this thing once and for all so that we could be together or die trying.”

  “Mack… I—”

  “I love you, Anna. You don’t have to say anything else tonight. I love you, and I am not letting anyone or anything get in between that.” I reach behind her, grabbing hold of her purse. I fish through it quickly as she watches me. Handing her the phone, I whisper as firmly as I can muster, “Now call him. Tell him to meet you at the Portland Jade Hotel at two a.m. It’s in his territory so it shouldn’t set off any alarm bells.”

  She swallows, nods, and begins to dial. Her hands shake viciously and I can hear the phone ring on the other end. I pull her closer to me, cradling her tight against my chest. My hands float to around the curve of her waist and on the top of her hips. The thin fabric of the tank top under her sweatshirt clings to her soft skin.

  “Anna Fox…” Riley’s voice is as skunky as I remember it. He slurs his words, barely able to contain himself. “And what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”

  Anna looks up at me for guidance, but she needs to do this on her own. She closes her eyes as she says lightly, her real voice masked, “I want to see you, Riley. I’ve been thinking about us since my mom died, and, well, I came to some conclusions that I need to change.”

  “I heard about your mom, Anna. It’s a shame. I also heard you weren’t at that hospital because of that fucking tool you were with.” I bite my lip listening in to this bullshitter.

  “Yeah. It’s one of the reasons I want to talk to you. I can’t… I can’t do that anymore.”

  “Do him, you mean?” Riley’s voice hits another octave with excitement.

  “Yes. I can’t be with him. I just want to talk to you about everything’s that happened. I’m staying at the Jade Hotel right now while Roxy’s staying at my new place. She wouldn’t want to see you there, and I don’t want to go back to your headquarters. Could you meet me there tonight? Maybe around two?”

  His voice is flat when he finally responds, “Is this some fucking trap? Like that tattoo stunt?”

  “No, Riley, I’m serious. I’m done with the Dragons and Mack. I just want to talk to you. Please…?”

  A few long, agonizing seconds tick by. I bury my head into her hair, praying that he’ll respond so we can get this plan in motion. “Fine. I’ll be there. Text me your room number.” There’s a click as Anna’s phone goes dark. She leans her head back into my shoulder, pressing her warm lips where the neck of my shirt meets my skin.

  “Are you sure about this, Mack?” she asks, but I have no answer for her. I just hold her tighter than I have ever held anyone before. The sweet smell of lavender floats back through my senses.

  Outside the protection of our office, my men suit up to ride. Zeke, basically reading my mind, leads the charge from the filth blanket on the floor. In a few moments, the doctor would arrive to take him to his office to hopefully save his life. But for now, he’s a commander working out the logistics of an attack he can only be a part of from afar. Still, our men ready to his orders. Tonight we’ll all get our revenge for what Riley and the Knights have done to us. And that’s all that matters.

  CHAPTER 24

  I sit alone in this hotel room, staring at lamp in the corner of the room. A red light flickers in my peripheral vision. I know it’s there, and I know what it’s watching.

  Me.

  Just like at the tattoo convention, Mack is just outside this room, watching the camera hidden under the lamp. In a few rooms down from there, twenty of the toughest trained Dragons are waiting for his word to strike. They too are watching behind that red light.

  Next to the lamp is an old school digital clock with the green, glow in the dark numbers flipping with each minute. It’s 1:58 in the morning. I should be in bed right now. In fact, Roxy is probably still somewhere in my apartment sleeping soundlessly, having no idea that I am about to put myself directly in the line of fire between Mack and Riley. At least I know she’s safe.

  A knock on the door jolts, causing me to slip off the front of the puke green colored easy-boy chair. “Just a minute!” I call towards the door. I again look directly back into the camera, hoping that Mack will be able to read how nervous I am and how sorry I am for what I have to do next. I flip the bottom of my hair out from under the neckline of the black dress I slipped into before leaving headquarters and pull tight on the hem so that my breasts perk straight up. I look the part of a girl desperate to get her man back. Country singers could write songs about me.

  “Open up!” Riley shouts. “Don’t make me wait here all night for you!” Damn, he sounds drunk or high—realistically, probably both. The night I saw him in headquarters was a wakeup call for me on how far he had fallen. The Riley I knew who worked in an office and visited motorcycle shops on weekend would never put shit into his veins. This Riley seemed to do it on the regular and get off on it too. It only made him that much more of a dangerous mystery to me.

  “Now or never,” I mutter to myself as I open the door, “This is for you, Mack.” I don’t even have time to finish this thought before I feel a hand shoot across my throat. Another arm juts itself into my chest, forcing me backwards towards the bed. I struggle to breathe, gasping for air. My hands tear into the comforter for support.

  “Ri—Riley—PLEASE!” I open my eyes up, making myself look into his. I know I should look horrified, but part of me expected this. “Don’t do this. I just want to talk to you!”

  “Talk to me?” he thunders, a sneer in his voice. “Please, you fucking bitch. No fucking talking. Tell me, how the fuck do you explain this?” He pushes me down into the bed, letting go of his grip. With a snap of his fingers, the door is opened wider and a man wearing a full black ski mask walks in the room followed by Mack. He stares at his hands tied before him. His mouth has been gagged, and I can see the mark of some kind on his head form.

  “If you really wanted to get me back, you wouldn’t be fucking playing me with this punk-ass bitch watching you from a camera in the other room. Where’s that little cocksucker hiding the rest of his pathetic excuse for a club? Are they around the perimeter? In the lobby? I’ve got forty guys here loaded to the gills, and they will knock those little piss-ants off one by one, I swear to God Anna.”

  I sit up slightly, forcing myself to concentrate solely on Riley. This is part of a contingency plan. Play dumb for as long as possible and hope that Mack can distract him or one of his guys can barge in before things get out of control. I sigh heavily before saying, “I’m sorry Riley. I had no idea he was still following me. The asshole won’t just leave me the hell alone. I tried to tell him off the other day, but he forced Roxy to make me stay. I just want him to go away.”

  “Roxy, huh? That little cunt wasn’t part of some scheme to get you two back together?”

  “No,” I reply quickly. “She wasn’t.” He had always hated Roxy. She was the one person who was honest to me about how much she hated Riley, and she only got more vocal when he got obsessed with the motorcycle shit.

  “Then tell her to get her story straight.” He spins his head towards the guy guard
ing Mack and orders him, “Bring her in.” My stomach drops as the man returns with Roxy hoisted over his shoulders. She swings like a doll with her hair dangling vertically along his back, but underneath those dark mess of curls, I can see drips of red blood staining her hair.

  “It’s a funny thing when you’re smarter than most other motherfuckers. You’re able to stay two steps ahead of them. You made it all too easy to totally take down your plan before any of them could think it through.”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, backing myself up to the headboard. “Why is Roxy here? What did you do to her, Riley?”

  “I found her in your new apartment,” he says. He’s smiling. It makes me want to retch. “What? You didn’t think I knew where you lived now? I’ve had you tailed for days now, ever since your mom’s funeral. At first, I thought you were telling the truth. That’s why I sent that note with that carcass. But then I saw you leave your apartment and take the taxi back to this scumbag.”

  “I went over there to say we were through,” I hastily explain, “and then I saw Zeke so I stuck around, but when I heard about that note, I knew you wanted me too.” I uncross my legs, letting him see the length of my smooth legs and a hint of my upper thighs. Slithering across the side of the bed, I slip down and stride towards him slowly, letting my hips sway from side to side. He doesn’t react to any of it, but he lets me take another step to him, my hand reaches carefully out to touch the lapel of his jacket. “You have to believe me, Riley. I just wanted to end things with him for once and for all so I could make amends with you.”

  His voice is dryer than before as he watches me massage the denim of his jacket before moving under the fabric towards his tight black t-shirt. I can feel the ringlets of chest hair dotting his chest and the line of his abs as I move down to his belt buckle. Still, he doesn’t push me away. Instead, he says firmly, “Then prove to me that you’re sorry for gutting me like a fish.”

  I lean in towards his shoulder. On my tippy toes I place my lips against his ear and whisper, “How can I show you how sorry I am for disobeying you, Riley?” He was always into the dom-sub role play when we were together. I can’t imagine it’s gone away with him taking over a motorcycle club. Out of the corner, I watch as Mack squirms slightly in the chair the guard forced him into. His eyes widen, but he nods his head in a slight approval.

  “You remember what we did in Puerto Vallarta that night after our fifth margarita? I want you to do that to me.” He takes me by the arms, holding me in place. Our bodies press together, me feeling his hard on press against my bare thigh. And then, I’m falling fast towards the floor, barely catching myself onto my knees. He quickly unzips his black trousers, letting them fall to the ground before me.

  I only have seconds to react. I scoot myself up again, my hands around the waistband of his black, silk boxers. “Wait, Riley. I can’t do it here. You know I’m no good at doing it for crowds or in the public. Can we get him out of here?” I look over towards Mack who looks more terrified for me than before. He pretends to struggle, calling out Riley’s name as loudly as possible. I wonder if he thought that Riley would go this far if he was unchecked.

  But Riley doesn’t force his cock out on me or shut me down. Instead, he hoists me up by the underside of my arms before throwing his pants back on. I fall backwards into the bed again, this time sitting up on the edge to see him grab for one of his guns in his back pocket. “Don’t worry, Anna. I know how much you absolutely suck in bed—literally and figuratively. That’s why I have other plans for you.”

  “What is it, babe? I can do it. Your wish is my co—”

  “Shoot him.” He pushes the gun into my lap, his finger around the trigger. Repeating what he said, he yells again, “Shoot that motherfucker in the leg and I’ll believe that you’re serious when you say that you’re through with him.”

  “No, Riley,” I reply, shaking, “I can’t do that. I can’t shoot him. You know me.”

  “I thought I knew you, Anna, but then you went and stabbed me sixteen goddamn times! Deep down in that sick little body of yours is a perfect killer just ready to get out.” He laughs to himself, stroking my hand on the metal handle of the small pistol. “Doesn’t that feel good. Doesn’t it feel right? It’s much better than sucking me off to prove my point. All you have to do is point the gun and fire. If you hit him in the right spot, you’ll kill him within minutes. If not, he’ll live and we’ll fuck while he cries out in pain. What do you say… babe?”

  I don’t know where this Riley has come from. Parts of our relationship flash back rapidly in my mind. There were moments so normal that I wanted to go crazy. He brought me flowers, made me dinner, picked me up from long work shifts. And then slowly it went downhill from there. I wasn’t Anna to him anymore. I was this creature with a pussy between her legs. I was his object to shove on the back of a bike and show off to his boys. I became this ornament.

  I look up at him, completely at a loss. This isn’t part of the backup plans we had covered with Mack’s guys while Zeke was being mended on a makeshift operating table in their meeting room. There was nothing about what to do if Riley was forcing me to shoot him in the leg. I half expect his boys to run in at any moment and take over from here, but as seconds tick by and Riley grows impatient, I know that isn’t going to happen. I alone have to make this decision.

  Riley moves behind me, placing a long, slithering hand around my empty stomach. My body quivers at the touch of his chin to my shoulder. He reaches my arm outwards, pointing directly at Mack, who looks away towards to the door. “Come on, Anna. Let that killer out. Make him suffer for all the things he did to you and your mom.”

  Before I can stop myself, I tell him, “No, Riley. I can’t do that.”

  “Fine. I will.” Without hesitation, I feel my finger being flung towards the trigger. He pushes it down hard until there’s a click and then a reverb so hard it flings me back towards him. In slow motion, I watch as that bullet races towards its mark. There’s a muffled scream of pain as Mack’s body hunches over towards his leg. Muscle and tissue is exposed right below the kneecap where the bullet entered and exited within milliseconds of Riley forcing that trigger down. Blood pulsates out in an unstoppable river.

  “Damn,” Riley says as he blows air through his teeth, “I thought we’d hit that artery in his thigh. I guess we’ll just let him bleed out instead. Or should we try it again?” He laughs again, this time so loud he nearly rolls himself backward with the gun still in his hand. I stay put, completely stunned and shaking. Again, this wasn’t in my plan.

  “Oh, Anna. Don’t look so glum. After all, if this isn’t a trap and you really want my cock, you should be a bit happier to knock this fucker out. My Knights will be calling you the Killer Queen. And I’m sure some of the other clubs will be grateful to know you’ve taken down the Mountain that’s been messing with their shit for years now. I’ll give you all the credit for that one, but not the next one.”

  “The next one?” I ask without looking up at him. “What do you mean?” Mack is still hunched over, holding his tied hands towards the wound. For a second, I think he looks up at me with a wink, but I must be imagining it. I have to be.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll give you a choice this time. You shoot Mack in the other leg or I kill Roxy.”

  “What? I can’t do that, Riley! Please don’t make me do that.”

  “You had no problem stabbing me. You should have no problem making that guy lose his legs. And if not, if you hesitate more than a minute this time, I’ll have my pal Johnny over here make sure Roxy gets a bullet to that beautiful, brilliant head of hers.”

  My mind goes blank as Riley tosses his gun back on the bed in front of me. I know I cannot do what I did last time and think this through or wait for a sign. Roxy’s life depends on me doing the unthinkable and doing it fast. I grab the gun, weighing it in my hand. I try to tune out Riley’s ridiculous laughter, him barreling over with his arm clutched to his side as he w
aits for the gunshot to go.

  That’s when I see it—the flash of hope, the option I didn’t even know about. Mack, still leaning over his lap isn’t just clutching his wound or protecting himself from me. He’s holding on to something in those wrapped hands of his—a gun of his own! He glances up at me, giving me just enough time to spin myself down off the side of the bed before his fires. The guard crashes to the ground besides Roxy’s unconscious body. A small black hole smokes from the side of his profile.

  Riley sits straight up, staring directly at Mack and his gun. “Where the fuck did you get that, you little weasel!” He turns towards the open door, screaming, “Knights! KNIGHTS!” But there’s nothing. For whatever reason, his men don’t come to his side like he imagined they would. I stand quickly to my feet, my gun now pointed at my ex-boyfriend.

  My arm still outstretched, I run towards Mack, removing the gag from his mouth. “I’m so sorry,” I cry out as I begin working on the ropes with my one free hand. “Please forgive me. I didn’t know what to do and he…” I feel his arm around mine, comforting me enough to stop my rambling.

  “We’ve got bigger problems here, Anna.” With a grunt of pain, he hobbles to his feet and takes the gun out of my hand, still pointed at Riley’s forehead. “I think you should step out of the room so we can take care of this trash.”