by Storm Savage
He didn’t want to take any chances of another encounter with Von’s gang. Even with her superior fighting skills, Flame would be no match for an entire pack of lusty men, and Hatch was not anything close to a warrior. If not for Ian and his biker friends, Flame’s rescue might still be under way—not a fact he was proud of, but living life in the fast lane of fortune and fame didn’t require combat skills. His new woman brought many challenges to his life.
Even so, he’d never let her go. She belonged to him and made each day an adventure. Making love to her was like getting down with fire. He’d never experienced anything like it and wasn’t about to let anyone take her away.
* * * *
Flame watched Von flirt with the cashier before taking his to-go order and sauntering out the door. Long ebony waves trailed loosely down the back of his black leather trench coat, giving him an imposing rebel appearance. His pack members followed him. She fully understood why Hatch wanted to make haste and avoid another confrontation. Von Calder and his crew carried a menacing air.
Still, his confidence was appealing. The way he stared into her, the commanding sensuality in his voice, his raw edge—he definitely gave off a powerful aura. His comments tumbled in her mind. She couldn’t believe he’d come straight out and said those things in front of Hatch. The man clearly did not fear anyone. His open desire for her felt alarming.
“You didn’t respond to his better man comment,” Hatch noted as they prepared to leave.
“Did I need to?”
“Am I ever going to know everything about you?”
“What fun would that be?” She smiled.
They walked to their parked bikes. Von and his pack were loitering at the far side of the lot—watching.
The small gathering of men had nearly doubled in size. Flame noticed odd behavior beginning to spread throughout the unit. Everyone except their leader bore snake insignias on their biker jackets. Searching her thoughts, she didn’t recall ever seeing Von with any type of brand indicating his loyalty. Who is he really loyal to?
Hatch followed her line of vision and sighed. “Why are they still here?”
“We should ride,” she muttered. An uneasy feeling swept over her when one of the men looked their way.
She glanced back after they’d pulled onto the highway and saw Von Calder watching her. The others seemed uninterested, much to her relief. The way Von’s gaze closed the distance between them felt disconcerting. She shook off the unnerving effect he had on her and turned her focus toward the road. They opened to full throttle and before long, the group of Black Pythons faded into the distance of her side-view mirror.
A breaking dawn dispelled the eeriness of the previous night as she and Hatch rolled into LA. They picked up the interstate leading up the coast while enjoying a glorious sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. Fresh salt air breezed in off the tumbling waters, sending a rush of exhilaration over Flame. We finally made it! She drew a deep breath and smiled as her gaze drifted over the sparkling blue waters and frolicking waves.
They arrived at Raef’s beachfront home about an hour after sunrise.
“Hatch…Flame!” Raef greeted as they came through the door of his luxurious home. He stood tall over her, just a little taller than Hatch. He lifted her off the floor and hugged her tightly. “How’s our feisty little warrior? I’ve missed you.”
“A little tired, but otherwise good.” She hugged him back, despite Hatch’s ever-watchful eyes. “The West Coast is beautiful just like I imagined. I’m so glad to be here.” She drew back so that their eyes met. “How are you, my friend?”
“Better now.”
They stared at each other for a few intense moments, lingering in that affectionate embrace. He smelled amazing and his sun-blond hair felt like silk against her cheek. An intriguing light shone in his vivid blue eyes, drawing her in. The sudden urge to kiss him took her by surprise. Their lips were dangerously close. She eased from his arms and prayed nobody saw the heat flooding her cheeks. Raef seemed to pick up the vibes instantly and she felt his, too.
He gave her a playful wink. “C’mon into the main room, the rest of the band and their wives are here. Even Ian dragged his sorry ass out of bed in the light of day to come say hello.”
Flame laughed, knowing now that Ian was a nightrider like her. “I’m flattered, but I’m sure they’re here to see Hatch. I don’t know them very well.”
“With the tour finished, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with everyone.”
Hatch wrapped a shielding arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her to his side. “We won’t be staying that long. Flame needed to visit her village and she wanted to see the West Coast. A few days rest and we’ll be flying back to New York for the season.”
“Why in such a hurry?” Raef frowned. “Maybe consider hanging out here this year and giving Flame a new experience. She might enjoy sunshine and warm weather over the holidays for a change.”
Flame looked up at Hatch with hopeful eyes. “I’ve never been this far west. The east is so cold and dreary over the winter months. A change would be nice. I could really use some time away to put all that madness behind me.”
“Not this time, babe.” He shook his head. “You can’t get over the past by running from it. I’m all you need to conquer the demons that haunt you. New York is my home. If we are to marry, I’d like to feel confident that you are comfortable living there.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend. It’s just that New York has many bad memories for me that have not yet faded. I’m not very fond of its neighbor, PA, either.”
Hatch refused to yield. “That’s exactly why we need to create good memories, love, to erase those traumatic events which took place back east. You’re in good hands. You trust me, don’t you?”
“Of course. As I said, I did not mean to insult you or sound ungrateful. Your apartment is incredible.”
Raef’s gaze shifted between them. Flame caught the look of concern in his sincere eyes. She, too, felt a bit restricted by her fiancé’s strong stand on the matter. Nevertheless, she didn’t fuss. This was a new lifestyle for her and she’d promised her hand in marriage. She didn’t want to cause a scene already.
“You’ll have to come visit us over Christmas,” she told Raef.
He nodded with a slight smile, then led the way into the main living area.
Band members, their wives, and some of the road crew were sitting around in a casual manner when she, Hatch and Raef strolled into the room. Perry and Roger said hello, as did their wives but none responded over zealously. She began to sense a certain jaded air among the gathering.
Ian approached and draped his arm casually over her shoulders. “Very nice to see you again, Flame. Have you killed anyone since we last saw you?”
The others laughed. Flame let out a short but sardonic laugh. “Not yet…”
“Still carrying your swords, I see.” Ian chuckled to lighten the mood.
“Where’s Cassie?” Flame inquired about Ian’s girlfriend and ignored his comment.
“She is in Asia. Cassie is expecting and went back to spend time with her mother and father in their homeland.”
“You’re going to be a father?”
“Looks that way,” he said. “Now who wants a drink?”
“I had no idea she was pregnant. She wasn’t even showing when we met.”
“She kept it from everyone, even me, until just recently.”
He sounded rather ambivalent to impending fatherhood, which cast doubt on her decision to become a part of their circle. For now, she’d keep her reservations to herself.
Once everyone had their drinks, Ian sat down across from Flame and Hatch, Raef took a seat on her other side on a huge white leather sofa. Flame got the impression they had something serious on their minds.
“Raef tells me you fended off some creepers,” Ian said.
“You’re not starting this shit again,” Hatch answered for her. “Flame caught a couple punks b
othering a young woman and well, you know Flame, I couldn’t stop her from whipping out those bloody daggers. It was no big deal. So don’t go making something out of nothing again.”
“They saw the Sais?” Ian arched his brows.
Flame nodded. “I think that’s a given.”
“Damn…this complicates things. I was hoping to catch them off guard.” Ian leaned back in a matching leather chair. His gray eyes took on a serious expression. He raked one hand through his brown curls. “We are night riders, love. So are the creepers.”
Flame listened intently. “Who are these creepers, as you refer to them?”
“Hatch didn’t tell you?”
“No, he hasn’t said much of anything about his friends other than you belong to a motorcycle group that rides at night.”
“I didn’t think Flame needed her head filled with this nonsense,” growled Hatch. “You’ve been obsessed with these things for years. If they are the fearless immortal creatures you claim to exist, then why did they run from Flame without a fight?”
“I’m getting to that.” Ian shot him a thwarted look then took a swig of dark ale before explaining. “We have been patrolling the roads at night, protecting people from the creepers. They are disturbed souls who haven’t crossed over yet…and nasty as hell. They look human but have super human strength. We can spot them and help people get away, but we cannot overpower the monsters.”
“Zombies?” Flame was stunned that Hatch neglected to fill her in on this.
Ian smiled faintly. “No, not zombies, creepers originated from an isolated source. The creepers share one common trait. If you watch closely, they do not leave footprints. That is how we recognize them,” he told her. “They can be killed, but it’s complicated. In their anger and hate, they stalk to kill. They look like real people…eat, drink, talk like us, and live in remote woodlands. Their leader is an incubus known as the Satellite. We don’t know who he is, though.”
Flame ignored Hatch rolling his eyes. He might not believe in other realms, but then again, he didn’t know about her sisterhood. His cynical attitude bothered her to the point that she began to regret ever mentioning her underground village to him. His disrespect toward Ian annoyed her.
She removed his arm from her shoulder and directed her attention toward Ian. “How is it that you cannot recognize him?”
Ian seemed relieved by her interest and continued. “The Satellite has the power to deceive the mind and hide his identity, make people see him as a normal man with footprints. He seeks women to mate with in order to retain his powers. Long ago in the hills of Southeast Asia, he attained the ability to transmit telepathic messages and conceal his identity.”
“How did he get these powers?”
“Ancient legend tells of a man who betrayed the teachings of his master. He was sentenced to walk the earth without the love a woman until the end of time…to be consumed by burning lust yet unable to feel satisfaction. After his master cursed him, he killed the pious old man to steal his telepathic powers. He uses them to control his minions, make people see what he wants, and also…to seduce women. Since the death of the master, everyone guilty of betrayal must endure the same fate as the Satellite. They are sent to be part of his crew.”
Flame sat wide-eyed, aghast at Ian’s revelation.
“How do they die?” A strange sensation overwhelmed her and she felt sudden awareness. The Supreme Lioness’s words about a daunting mission sprang to mind.
Ian replied with open unease. “Creepers can be killed by those religiously trained to use Sai daggers, but there is only one way to kill their leader. He must be destroyed by a flaming Sai dagger…and by a woman of the sisterhood.”
“No!” Hatch jumped up. “You brought us out here to draw Flame into your twisted fantasy? What the hell is wrong with you, man? I thought when you talked about creepers that it was just your pack’s slang for deviants…not some paranormal freaks from a sci-fi film.”
“I’m sorry, mate, truly I am. But when I learned that Flame is a trained Sai warrior, we had no choice.”
“We?” Hatch bellowed.
“Me and Cassie—she grew up in Asia, if you recall. When I told her about what happened to my first wife, she’d heard of the legend and said there was a man there who could help. Her family helped me meet him and we continued the research to learn what we could about the incubus.”
“Cassie helped feed this obsession? I thought you’d put this nonsense behind you long ago. She’s as nuts as you are.”
“Hey!” Ian stood up. “If not for Cassie, I’d have never come this far. You don’t have to believe it, but you sure as hell don’t have to insult me and my girlfriend.”
“Chill, guys,” Raef warned. His other guests sat as quiet spectators, as if they’d seen these types of flare-ups before.
Flame glanced around nervously. “Why a woman?”
“Not just any woman. A woman who is trained by Sai masters of the sisterhood. Only she is powerful enough to defeat the Satellite.” He stared at her with expectant eyes. “We lost hope because we had no idea how to find the sisterhood. They are very covert, as you told us back in New York.”
Hatch turned to Raef. “Are you in on this? You’re willing to put Flame in danger?”
“I knew Ian wanted to speak with her,” was all he said.
“How do we find this Satellite?” Hatch asked almost mockingly.
“The problem is…we don’t.” A worried expression flitted across Ian’s face. “He roams about like an average man. That’s how he has been able to keep his powers for so long. Nobody knows who he is. We have to draw him out.”
Hatch sighed. “I knew I didn’t want to make this trip. I should’ve listened to my gut feeling. So, what—you expect her to walk around blindly hoping to kill the right man?”
Ian’s voice wavered. “He will be looking for her now.”
“What?” Hatch bellowed again. His face reddened and his jaw twitched. “No. Fucking. Way.”
“It’s too late. The creepers you met on the road saw her daggers. That’s why they backed down. They will report to the Satellite, hoping he can eliminate the threat. All creepers are terrified of the Sai because it’s the one weapon that can kill them. They’ll do anything to stay alive.” Ian paused to let it sink in then added, “Kill their leader and they will all die.”
“Now you’re telling me the Satellite knows who Flame is and will come for her?” Hatch glared at Ian.
“Well, sort of. It gets worse.” Ian cringed. “He will want to mate with her. If he can join with a Sai warrior, then he breaks his own curse. He will be immune to the Sai and be able to feel love again. Mating will no longer be just a ritual but a satisfying act. His powers will increase as well.”
Hatch went off in one of his tirades. His temper exploded. “How the hell is she supposed to help you? I trusted you and you deceived us into coming here. She thought this was a pleasure cruise. Now some evil fiend will be coming for her and she won’t even know who he is. This is bloody insane, man. No! I am not letting you ask her to do this! No bloody way! No! No! No!”
He stomped out and slammed the door so hard the walls shook. Raef followed him, trying to calm him down. Their friends dispersed while shaking their heads.
“You really went over the edge this time, buddy,” Perry said, giving Ian a friendly pat on the back. “Get a grip and move on.”
Flame remained seated on the couch, feeling shell-shocked yet compelled. “Better pour me another drink, Ian.”
“I’m sorry, love. But my biker group has been on this for a long time. We need your help if we are to restore safety to the night and stop this creature.”
Flame swallowed the rum, relishing the warm sensation it delivered. “Why here? Why are they in the states?”
“To avoid the Sai—very few people here wield a Sai. The Satellite is cunning. He and his creepers made their home here, but nobody wants to admit there’s a problem. They think as Hatch does, just unruly cre
eps at night.”
Flame processed the information, now understanding why her sisterhood chose to remain hidden. If the Satellite knew of them, they would not be safe. “Does the Satellite have a weakness, anything that might help me recognize him?”
Her calm response clearly impressed Ian. He sat down beside her. “Yeah, he has a weakness, only one. And he keeps it well hidden. However, one woman did discover it.”
“Why didn’t she kill him then?”
“She wasn’t a sisterhood warrior so she had no power against him. Typically, the Satellite does not kill. He leaves the dirty work to his crew. Once he takes a woman, he also gains control of her mind. The Satellite is exceedingly powerful. Each time he mates, his capabilities grow stronger.”
“You learned all of this in Asia?”
“It has taken me years to put this all together and a ton of research.”
“You do sound a bit obsessed.”
“I am.”
“Did this woman tell anyone what she’d uncovered?”
Ian gave a slight nod. “After he used her body to empower his evil soul, he sent her back to her husband. About eight months later the Satellite discovered that she knew about his one vulnerability and he willed her to die. She told her husband about his weakness just before she died.” Deep emotion filled his eyes.
“So why didn’t her husband tell someone?”
“What good would it do him to tell someone who couldn’t help? He has been waiting a long time for the right woman. A sisterhood warrior who fights with Sai daggers…” He paused, his expression deepened. “I’ve been waiting for someone like you.”
Speechless, Flame just stared at him in shock.
Ian’s voice was laden with emotion. “That’s why Cassie is in Asia with her family. Once I learned of her pregnancy, I didn’t want to take the chance of losing another woman. I think that is why she kept it hidden as long as possible. The Satellite prides himself on taking women who are committed to another mate. Cassie and I are planning to marry one day, just haven’t made an official engagement yet. I couldn’t risk the life of my unborn child, so I sent her to live with her parents until we kill the bastard.”
