by Ann Jensen
“The men at Hannibal and Ink’s house were Russian, a hit squad flown in from New York. Best guess is they don’t want his cover blown so Viktor has back up from Andrey Petrov locally as well as anything he can get from both in and out of the country.”
“And your girlfriend?” For the first time in his life, Max saw his President hesitate.
Hawk took a visible breath and leaned back in his chair. “She’s someone I know. Someone I’ve known a long time.”
“But is she your girl?” Max watched as hundreds of tiny expressions flickered across his President’s face.
“No.” Only years of practice let him hide his shock as he realized the man he trusted to the core of his existence had just lied to him. If it had been any other person, he would have called him on it. Why would he lie about something as insignificant as a lover? Unless she was more to him than that.
Their relationship wasn’t of importance in the here and now. Hawk had earned his privacy, so he would let it go. For now.
“Okay. What is she then?”
“She’s a Bratva assassin who would do anything her family tells her to.”
If anyone else had been listening to the man, they might have believed that this woman meant nothing to him. But Max could see the tightness around his eyes, brief twitches along his jaw that spoke of deep emotion. What had this woman done to his friend?
“Why is she helping us, then?”
“I’ve helped her out a few times. Maybe she thinks this will pay me back.” There was no doubt in Max’s mind that Hawk didn’t think it was nearly enough.
“Is she trustworthy?”
Hawk rubbed a hand over his face. “In this case, I think she is. For the last few years, there has been chatter about movement within the Bratva families. Especially hers. I don’t know exactly what’s going on there, but my guess is she’s in the middle of it somehow.”
“She said she’d contact you.”
“Yeah, I got a text from a burner phone. Said to meet her tomorrow night at our usual bonfire spot up on the mountain. She wants both of you there, or she won’t deliver.”
That spot was used to meet with people they didn’t trust within the compound or for parties with clubs who might not respect their rules. It wasn’t exactly a secret, but it also wasn’t common knowledge. “Do you think it’s a trap?”
“Anything’s possible with her.” The exhaustion in those words spoke of years of disappointment and frustration.
“Are we going to meet her?”
“Considering both of our resident geniuses can’t get shit on this guy digitally. If we want the information, I don’t see that we have much choice. Would your woman be willing to disappear, start over somewhere else? That would be a much simpler solution.”
“No. Bringing this asshole to justice means much too much to her. Hell, it means too much to me. I let this asshole go once because Uncle Sam ordered me to. Now I find out he’s infiltrated our government and done God knows what with that information.” Max shook his head. “No, I can’t let it go.”
Hawk nodded his head towards the cabin door. “You going to claim her?”
Max nodded, the decision solidifying in his mind. Almost from the moment he saw her again they had been racing towards that outcome. Logic be damned. This woman was his.
“Good. We’re in an awkward spot right now. Technically, the Bratva had a hit on her before you came into the picture. If they do anything to her, even after you claim her, I’m not sure what National will do.”
“Are you saying they wouldn’t back my claim?” Brotherhood was supposed to mean having someone at your back no matter how hard the situation. The idea that they wouldn’t be there was like a cold splash of water.
“No, I’m just saying this is really complicated and will cause all of us possibly fatal headaches. If you don’t have a claim on her, there’s no way National would back us if we decided to go to war. With the claim they won’t be happy but they will be there. Brothers and their families first. Friends and outsiders are a distant second and that includes treaties.”
He hated he might put them all at risk, but she was worth it. Brotherhood had always been enough for him to give all his loyalty to the Dark Sons. Over the last year, he had seen some of his Brothers find their women and wondered why they had been willing to risk it all for them. Now he understood.
“Do you think there’s a chance the Bratva will back off if I claim her? I might be able to convince her to let revenge go if it would mean not having a price on her head.”
“No. Though that is probably for the best, because I doubt you could convince your woman to back down. From what I understand, this is now a pride thing for the Russians. They said she must die, so she must die. All of them have too much fucking pride.” Max was surprised by the amount of venom in Hawk’s last statement.
That was it. Tomorrow night, they would get the information they needed to bring Victor down or end up at war with the Russians.
Chapter 25
If you know what you want, don’t settle. Grab your happiness by the balls and make it your bitch.
* * *
Avery sat on a log and pretended to drink her beer. The bark of her makeshift chair bit into the back of her too bare thighs. She was uncomfortable, to say the least, dressed in skimpy borrowed clothes, warmed by a bonfire, and surrounded by men putting themselves at risk for her. She did her best to look confident. Pretending anxiety and fear weren’t tearing through her stomach like two opposing tornadoes wasn’t easy.
She tilted her head back and tried to find some calm. She focused on the night sky. In the mountains, it was an endless field of stars that could only be seen once you got away from the city. The day in the cabin had been like a serene pocket of time where none of her problems existed. Max had woken her up with a gigantic breakfast made with supplies Hawk had brought in while she had slept. It had been tempting to get angry about not being woken, but even she had to admit she had needed the sleep.
After eating, the two of them had walked in the woods. For the first time in her life, she’d shared with someone the funnier stories from her years in foster care. He told her tales of when he had been a crazy, reckless boy. Who would have thought that she could do sweet? But those couple of hours when it was only the two of them, that’s what it had been. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
Now they were sitting at a remote location with about twenty of his Brothers waiting for a crazy Russian woman to bring them information. Or they might be waiting for an ambush. From the visible weapons on the men around her, she figured they were ready for either. Not that they had given her a gun. It was hard trusting these strangers with her safety, but she didn’t have much choice.
It’s not that she didn’t like his Brothers. Most of them seemed nice. She chuckled to herself. It was hard to believe that she was calling a bunch of outlaw bikers nice. Things had changed so much in her life. It was easy to see how much Max cared for all of these people, how close he was to each one of them. Unlike her, all of them appeared relaxed but alert.
A vibration in her pocket startled her. She put her beer down on the ground and dug into her pocket for the small satellite phone Max had given her earlier. Who the heck would be calling her? Max was sitting and chatting with several of his brothers closer to the fire. Avery looked at the display across it in block letters were the words The Great and Powerful Ozena.
Confused, she hit the talk button. “Hello?”
“Hey spy lady!” Avery recognized Cami’s voice.
Of course it would be her. “What’s up?”
“Just checking in on you. The boys wouldn’t let us come no matter how much we begged.”
Avery laughed. “You call them boys to their faces?”
“Only when they d-don’t do what I want.” It was impressive how the woman was capable of pouting even over the phone.
“It was probably smart of them. Who knows what Akula has planned? How much do you know ab
out what’s going on here tonight?” Avery could almost picture Cami making a face.
“I know a lot more than they want me to. But a lot less than I’d like to.” Cami giggled. “See, that was spectacularly vague. I’m thinking if I get my spy craft down right maybe they’ll let me in on more Club Business.”
Avery doubted it. In her experience, men rarely shared more than they thought was necessary. But there was no reason to burst the woman’s bubble. “Let me know how that works out for you. So why did you call?” She wasn’t trying to be rude, but the truth was they didn’t have a close relationship and she had never gotten a phone call that was for the sole purpose of chatting. Truth was she didn’t know these women well enough to understand why they did anything they did.
Max looked over at her, and she enjoyed the smile that tipped up his lips. His expression blanked as he walked towards her.
“I wanted to find out if anything had happened yet.”
“No. I don’t think anything is supposed to happen for another hour or so.” Avery bit her lip, not sure if she should be sharing that much.
“Oh, I don’t mean that. I mean, has anything else happened?”
“Did he ask her yet?” Pixie shouted in the background.
Max came closer and gave her a puzzled look. “Who’s on the phone?”
Avery held up a finger. “Did he ask me what yet?” She covered the phone and mouthed Cami and hoped he was able to read her lips.
Max raised an eyebrow. Clearly not happy. Was it what she just said or who she was talking to that bothered him?
“Nothing. I didn’t s-say anything about anyone asking yo-you anything.” Cami’s voice betrayed her nerves. “Pixie was the one who s-said something, remember that.”
These women were absolutely nuts. “Okay. Then ask Pixie who is supposed to be asking me what.”
Max’s lips tightened, and he reached forward, snatching the phone out of her hand. “Goodbye, ladies.”
Much to her annoyance, he pressed the end button, cutting off the conversation. She gritted her teeth, trying not to growl. “Did I say you could end my conversation?”
“No. But this phone is supposed to be for emergencies only. Was what she was talking to you about an emergency?”
“I don’t know. Since you didn’t let her finish telling me.” It probably wasn’t, but it wasn’t like she had called them, so she didn’t appreciate his lecturing tone.
Max sighed and reached out his hand to help her up. She considered giving him an attitude. In fact, it was almost a physical need to do so to prove she didn’t need his help. Avery took a deep breath. She was trying to let him in and that would never happen if she didn’t start letting down her defenses. She took his hand, and he pulled her up. His warm eyes looked down at her and the bonfire light reflected in their dark depths.
“That was just Old Ladies being nosy and trying to ruin something I planned to surprise you with tonight.” The warm feeling of his arms wrapped around her made her feel safe.
None of them could predict what was going to happen tonight. Akula might walk into the camp, hand them the information, and leave. Or gunmen could drop from the sky to kill them all. The fact that so many of his Brothers were willing to risk any potential danger, for her, was almost overwhelming.
It was simple for them. Max had asked, and they were there. Somehow in the middle of that, he had planned something. “So you’ve got a surprise for me?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it a surprise, really. But I do have something to ask you.” His hand gently brushed the hair away from her face and heat rose to Avery’s cheeks. “Wildcat, I want you to be my Old Lady. I will warn you– it’s a commitment, for all time. But you will also have protection and a family for life. Will you stand by me and my Brothers no matter how hard the test, no matter how big the challenge, or how dangerous the fight?” Avery barely noticed how Max’s voice had raised as he asked her the questions and how quiet the murmurings of his Brothers’ conversations had become.
His words shocked her, and her heart thudded in her throat. “This is forever for you, isn’t it?” Max nodded.
She loved him. Had admitted it to herself only yesterday, but never dreamed he would return her feelings. Why he wanted to be part of her crazy life and take on all the problems that entailed, she didn’t understand. But his love, this strange family he belonged to, that was something she wanted more than anything else in the world.
“Yes, Max. As crazy as it is. As fast as this has happened. I want to be yours. I want you to be mine.”
“You’re mine now and forever.” He cupped her cheek. “Dark Sons for life.” Max’s voice was a growl that echoed in the silent night. She rose up on her tiptoes and nipped his lip with a soft growl.
“Dark Sons for life.” All the Brothers present echoed his words as his mouth crashed down on hers in a kiss that stole her breath.
Heat rose in her core. She wanted this man inside her forever and always. Not just inside her body, but inside her heart and soul. When the women had first described what claiming her as an Old Lady would entail. She had thought it barbaric, a macho exercise that she wanted nothing to do with.
Now, in that moment, she understood. It wasn’t about public sex or satisfying some sort of kinky ritual. It was about declaring they were one in a way that went beyond the civilized constraints of society. Throwing off all expectations and limitations and claiming one another.
He pulled back, and she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips. She clutched onto his shirt, not wanting even an inch of space between them. His gentle kiss on her forehead was sweet. Wait a minute. What the hell was that? She didn’t want gentle or sweet.
Fire built inside her and she saw the same passion echoed in his eyes. But his face was a picture of locked down control. Why was he holding back? It was hard to think more than want more now but she somehow managed to focus.
“I thought this is the part where you claim me.” Her skin was alive, craving his touch.
His eyes seemed to spark. “I did claim you.”
“Okay, but I mean…” He brushed her face with a gentle caress, and that made her angry. Why wasn’t he acting the way she expected? “I thought you had to fuck me.” Her words were a snarl.
He stepped forward, and she moved back as he stalked closer. The desire of his body was a tangible force between them. Their steps had moved them from the center of the gathering to the edge. Everyone’s attention was on them, and she didn’t care.
“No, I don’t have to fuck you, Wildcat.” His words shivered down her skin, and her nipples tightened painfully.
“That’s not what the Old Ladies said.” She lifted her chin in challenge. A few chuckles could be heard. But the night was dim, and it was impossible to tell who they came from.
“Is that what you want? While we’re sitting here waiting for a possible enemy. You want me to shove up that, way too short, skirt. Force you down on the ground. Fuck you till you’re screaming my name.”
She clenched her fists in frustration. His words turned her on, making her core ache, but they also annoyed her. Was it selfish for her to want him to want her, no matter the situation? He had started this. She didn’t care about the danger. Besides, with all of his Brothers around wouldn’t they be safe?
Foolish or not, she needed him inside her. Claiming her so she would know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was never going to leave her. Anger won control of her mouth and she lashed out. “It’s okay if you can’t get it up under the circumstances. I completely understand.”
Her words were a challenge. She might be trying to rein in her natural tendency to lash out when angry or frustrated, but the truth was, this is who she was. This was who he knew she was. He had proven that he didn’t care. He liked her fire. So she was going to let him see it. Make him understand that his hesitation hurt her.
Max grabbed her wrist and placed her hand against his crotch. He was hard, his thick length straining against his
jeans. Her nipples pulsed with pleasure, and her excitement dripped down her inner thigh. When she had found the bag of clothing at the edge of the bed this morning, she’d been a little annoyed that the only options for clothes were this short jean skirt and the lightweight scoop neck t-shirt. Now she was glad for it. Nothing would be in the way if she could get him to act on the desire she saw burning in his gaze.
“Does this feel like I don’t want you?”
“Well, it does seem like you’re a little excited.” His growl sparked something inside her.
Pain and excitement raced down her spine as he gripped her hair and forced her head back.
“Little.” He chuckled. “Well, I guess we’re going to have to fuck that sass right out of you. Show every one of my Brothers you’re mine in every way.”
He held her so she couldn’t see anything but him. She felt the gazes of some of the Brothers on her skin. Avery didn’t care. She needed this man, needed him in a way that defied all logic or reason. Needed him to make her his.
Chapter 26
Having friends in low places means that even while going through hell you will have someone at your back.
* * *
Normally in a situation that might be dangerous, Max wouldn’t have let Cat get her way. But while he had ten of his brothers visible around him, there were another fifteen hidden in the woods and monitored cameras along the road. That meant they would have plenty of warning before Akula arrived.
“Claim your woman we have your back.” Max heard Hawk chuckle through his bone conduction earpiece.
That knowledge and his President’s words were all the permission he needed to give her what she needed. Sex in front of an audience didn’t bother him. He had watched as his brothers claimed their women, understood the primal message of it all.
Cat was right. They both needed this. Needed to declare themselves in more than words in front of everyone.
