SCORE: Hell’s Seven MC Biker Romance

by Jolie Day

  “Yeah, okay,” Joe snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Oh, also, there was some guy around here the other day, asking about you.”

  The hair on the back of Lauren’s neck stood up.

  “A guy? What…what did he look like?”

  “Slimy,” Joe huffed. “He was spouting something about an inheritance and how he was the lawyer for your parents’ estate. I didn’t buy it and neither did any of my customers. Nobody told him anything.”

  Lauren breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart continued to pound hard in her chest. “Thank you, Joe,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

  “No problem, Doc. Listen, do you need help of some kind? I could send Mara’s guy over to protect you. He’s pretty buff, you know? He could totally take this guy.”

  “No,” Lauren said. “No, I’m fine. I…I have Marc.”

  “Last time I saw him, he was limping something awful. You sure he can protect you?”

  “Yes,” Lauren laughed. “He’s gotten much better. No more limping.”

  It was then that she realized that was true. She hadn’t really noticed his recovery; they’d spent so much time in bed—and other places—that it hadn’t even occurred to her to check to see if his bruises were actually gone. But they were. She knew that they were. Or, at the very least, faded to yellow since she could no longer see them when she took his shirt off and kissed down his chest the way she loved to do. She hadn’t even realized that he’d stopped limping around the house when he cooked.

  What kind of doctor was she?

  The horny kind, a voice in the back of her mind teased.

  “Well, then, he’d better take good care of you,” Joe grumbled. “I’d hate to see anything bad happen to you, Dr. Stanton.”

  Me too, Lauren thought.

  “Thank you, Joe,” she replied. “I’m sure he will.”

  She hung up and leaned back in her chair, terror running through her veins at the thought of him coming back into her life. She knew exactly what he wanted; she’d been expecting this. It was only a matter of time.

  She pushed the thought to the back of her head for the rest of the work day, focusing instead on the patients she had coming through. But every now and then, it rose to the surface and she would find herself assaulted by the memories…

  *****

  Five years earlier...

  She came to this café every morning after a late-night shift. Working the ER was hard on any night, but working it when there was a twelve-car pileup on the GWB? Lauren felt as if her feet were going to fall off. Thankfully, the waitress and she were on a first-name basis. She knew her schedule by heart now and always had her order ready by the time she came in. Lauren didn’t even have to walk to the counter.

  Now, she sat watching the sun rise through the plate-glass windows, over the New York City skyline, her shoes slipped off under the table as she massaged her feet with one hand and sipped her coffee with the other. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax for the first time since she left work.

  “Are you a doctor or something?”

  Her eyes popped open at the sound of the voice and she glanced up to see a tall, handsome man with intelligent blue eyes and gelled hair parted to the side. She found herself smiling back at him, enchanted by the crooked slant of his lips.

  “A surgical resident,” she confirmed.

  “First year?”

  “Third.”

  “Impressive. Save any lives today?”

  “Several,” Lauren laughed, motioning for him to take the seat across from her. He did, placing his cup down on the table. “Did you hear about the pileup on the Washington?”

  “Yes, I did. What a horrible tragedy.”

  “It was,” she agreed. “But the majority of them survived, thanks to your friendly surgical team at Manhattan Gen.”

  “Well, thank you, Doctor,” the man laughed, raising his cup at her. She clinked it with her own and giggled. “I’m Jack, by the way. Jack Snyder.”

  “Lauren Stanley.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Stanley.”

  “Likewise, Mr. Snyder.” Despite her fatigue, she found herself intrigued by this handsome man, her heart thumping in her chest at his charming grin and bright eyes.

  They spent the rest of the morning talking like old friends.

  *****

  Present day...

  At the knock on her door, Lauren jumped, blinking away the memories of blue eyes and charming smile as she met the soft brown on her receptionist’s. Sondra gave her a gentle, motherly smile, and tilted her head in that way that she did.

  “Sorry, Doctor,” she said. “Did I startle you?”

  “No—well, yes,” Lauren laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. “I just spaced out for a second.”

  “Oh, well you’ve been working quite hard. Maybe you should take a few days off.”

  “Maybe,” Lauren muttered, but then shook her head. “Sorry, was there something you needed?”

  “Oh, well your last two appointments are here. I was just wondering which you’d like me to send in first.”

  “Um, who is it again?” Lauren asked, searching her messy desk for the files.

  “First is Mr. Jackson, who’s here for a basic checkup after his surgery last month. And the other is Mrs. Harper, who’s just here to get her prescription changed. Neither will take more than fifteen minutes, if you’re in any particular rush to get home.”

  “Why do you say that?” Lauren asked, standing and putting her lab coat on.

  “Well,” Sondra replied, “it just seems like you’ve been distracted today.” Then her eyes flashed with something and her lips curved up in a smile. “Perhaps getting more sleep would help?” At Lauren’s look of confusion, she pointed to the doctor’s neck and wiggled her eyebrows, teasingly. Lauren flushed, knowing exactly what she was alluding to.

  She cleared her throat as she hid the very visible hickey with the collar of her lab coat and asked Sondra to let Mr. Jackson in first. Her receptionist nodded and gave her another motherly smile, before she disappeared behind the closed door. Lauren fell back into her seat with a sigh, sagging against the back of her seat. “Perfect,” she muttered.

  When the door opened again, she got to her feet and greeted the middle-aged Garret Jackson with a friendly smile. He walked a little gingerly and sat down heavily on her examination table and she took out his file, making her way over, smiling like there was nothing wrong in the world even as her stomach continued to flood with dread.

  *****

  Five years earlier...

  His hand wrapped around hers completely, keeping her fingers safe and warm as the ocean breeze whipped through their hair. It was one of the rare nights that Lauren, now a fourth-year resident, got off from work. She held an ice cream cone in her free hand, lapping up the sweet chocolate ice cream that Jack had bought for her. He laughed when some of it dripped down her chin and stopped walking, pulling her back to him, kissing the sticky substance from her skin. Lauren giggled and kissed him back, pressing her cone against his cheek before she licked it off, blushing when his eyes widened.

  But then he took her mouth with his, kissing her passionately, reverently, and Lauren felt her heart explode in her chest, the ice cream cone falling from her grasp, forgotten as she wrapped her arms around Jack’s shoulders. His lips were twice as sweet as the chocolate.

  *****

  Her dress was tight and a vibrant red that made Jack stare and sent shivers up her spine whenever he touched her exposed back, whether it be when they were dancing or as he walked her home, his arm wrapped around her protectively. Possessively.

  They’d been on six dates so far and not yet had he seen the inside of her apartment, but he was a patient man. He never pushed or forced his way inside. He never even brought it up. If it weren’t for the fact that he loved touching her body any chance he got, Lauren would have thought that he didn’t desire her at all. But she could tell by the h
eat in his gaze and the warmth in his fingertips that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.

  Which is why, when they arrived at her door and he kissed her goodnight, for the seventh time, she grasped his collar firmly, keeping their lips pressed firmly together as she tugged him inside after her. He didn’t even begin to object as the door slammed behind him.

  *****

  Present day...

  When she returned home, her mind still felt a bit fuzzy, her heart a bit heavy, but she pasted on a smile as she saw Marc sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book from her shelf. Emma was at his feet, as always, snoozing away in the sun.

  The second he noticed her entrance, he stood and made his way right toward her. Lauren met him halfway, dropping her bag in the living room and allowing him to pick her up and plant her down on the kitchen counter, his lips assaulting her neck and chest. His fingers teased at the hem of her scrub top as he continued to kiss her, his body pressed firmly against hers.

  Usually, at this point, Lauren could have begun to react to his touch with moans and groans and hands in his hair, nails scratching his scalp and legs wrapping around his waist. This time, however, she felt numb. She allowed Marc to ravage her, but her arms and legs were limp as she prayed to feel something other than the fear that had invaded her entire body since her call with Joe. The thought of Jack coming back…

  “What’s wrong?” Marc asked, as he pulled back, searching her face for some sign of discomfort or something that might clue him in to why she wasn’t responding to anything that he was doing to her, either positively or negatively.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Lauren lied, but it seemed like Marc could see straight through her.

  He narrowed his eyes. “Bull,” he said. “If I wanted to fuck some motionless doll, I could have gone out and bought one. Now tell me what’s wrong with you.”

  His slightly raised voice and that familiar mask of stone on his face made her flinch and she immediately shoved him away from her, wrapping her arms around herself and shutting her eyes tightly against the barrage of images invading her mind. She could hear Emma’s whine as her beloved pet seemed to sense something wrong with her, and she even felt the cold, wet nose against her ankle.

  “What happened?” Marc asked again, this time gentler, quieter. He didn’t take another step toward her, but Lauren couldn’t help the grimace that appeared on her lips, anyway, her shoulders hunching as if expecting a slap. It was ridiculous; she already knew that Marc would never hurt her. How she knew this, she couldn’t say. She used to think the same about Jack.

  He didn’t ask again and she could feel his warmth slip away as he returned to sit at the kitchen table, allowing her to hop off the counter and make her way back to her bedroom, Emma at her heel. As soon as the door closed behind her, she locked it. She wasn’t afraid of Marc, but locked doors always made her feel safer now. Since Marc had come into her life, she hadn’t felt as unprotected as she did right now.

  Lauren kicked off her shoes and slipped into bed, Emma jumping in right after her and curling up at her feet. She buried her face into her pillow and closed her eyes, willing the fear and bad thoughts and memories to go away. But she was never that good at controlling her thoughts.

  *****

  Five years earlier...

  Jack looked so handsome in his white jacket and black pants. The tux he’d bought was fitted perfectly and there was a carnation on his lapel. The same flower that made up the bouquet in Lauren’s hands. She was in a grand white dress with a sweetheart neckline and lace sleeves, a deep pink bow around her waist, showing off her curves. Her brunette curls were piled atop her head in a glamorous up-do, a few pieces hanging down to frame her heart-shaped face.

  Everything was so perfect as they held hands and exchanged rings and said their ‘I do’s’. When he kissed her, it was with the same possessiveness as always, his large hands spanning her back like wings, flooding her entire body with warmth.

  It should have been the happiest day of her life.

  *****

  She’d bought the white silk negligee special for this night. It was edged in red lace trim and came with matching garters. She wore no panties underneath it as she stepped out of the bathroom of their hotel suite, giving her new husband a show with the swing of her hips and the push of her breasts against her hands. The cups of the lingerie nearly slipped off, unable to contain her.

  Jack’s eyes raked over her, hungrily, his fingers undoing the cufflinks at his wrists as he tilted his head, grinning almost evilly. He licked his lips and nodded at the bed as Lauren came closer. “Get on,” he demanded and she shivered with a slight thrill at the timbre of his voice, doing as he said and climbing onto the bed. She laid herself seductively over the length of the bed, looking up at him from her spot against the pillows. “No,” he said, his voice still deeper than usual. “Come back here and turn over. Show me your ass.”

  Lauren shivered again and crawled down the bed, making sure to push out her breasts for him to see. At the end, she turned herself around, allowing him to see that she was not wearing anything under her negligee. This seemed to please Jack, from what she could see over her shoulder. He put his hand on her left cheek and gave a little tap. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but Lauren let out a tiny gasp, anyway, giving him a saucy grin and a wink.

  Jack grinned at her. “You like that?” he asked. She nodded and he tapped her ass again, a bit harder this time. She squealed and he laughed, deep in his throat. He tapped harder yet and she moaned, raising her ass a bit higher in the air, encouraging him. They’d never done anything like this in the bedroom. She didn’t particularly have a taste for it, but she could tell that he certainly did.

  Jack pushed the bottom of Lauren’s negligee up even further, completely baring her bottom half and cupping her ass cheeks in both hands. Lauren pushed herself into his hands, practically purring at the callouses on his fingers. He squeezed her and she gasped.

  “You’re feeling a little naughty tonight, huh?” he asked. “My naughty little wife.” His voice was practically a growl, dangerous.

  “Uh-huh,” Lauren cooed in return. “I’ve been so bad, baby. I think I need to be punished.”

  “Oh, definitely,” Jack chuckled.

  This time, when his hand came down on her flesh, Lauren found herself jumping with the sting of it, rather than the shock. She whimpered in pain as tears immediately sprung to her eyes, but she bit her lip to keep from saying ‘ow’ or any variation thereof. She didn’t want to ruin the game. After all, it would be over soon, wouldn’t it?

  It wasn’t.

  Jack seemed to delight in spanking her, again and again and again. He put his entire body into it and she could imagine her cheeks turning bright pink with his hand prints. She could practically feel the bruises as they began to form. She wanted to beg him to stop, but no words would come when she opened her mouth. Only whimpers and cries, which must have sounded like ecstasy to Jack, because he kept going until he was satisfied.

  Only then did she hear the zip of his pants and feel the heat of his shaft press into her. Unlike most of the other times they’d made love, however, Lauren felt pain when he entered her. She was in too much pain to enjoy the rhythm that she usually loved from him. She gritted her teeth as he went harder and faster than he ever had before.

  By the time Jack was spent, there were teeth marks on her fist to keep herself from crying out in agony. She was most grateful when he rolled off of her and fell almost immediately to sleep. She waited until she could hear his snores before she pulled herself out of the bed and limped to the bathroom, examining herself in the mirror. Purplish bruises were already starting to form on her ass cheeks and they hurt just to touch. She couldn’t imagine how bad they would hurt to sit or lay atop.

  But it was fine. Jack loved her and this was just another way for him to show her just how much he also desired her. It was fine. She’d be okay.

  *****

  The first time he hit her was a
month into their marriage.

  Lauren had dragged herself through the front door at noon after an eighteen-hour shift, spent between the ER and an emergency heart transplant surgery, where her extra hands had been needed to massage a failing heart. They’d lost the patient and she was fried by the time she dropped herself onto the couch in the living room, quickly falling into a much-needed slumber.

  “Lauren!”

  She jumped at the sound of her name and looked up to see her husband standing above her, glaring down with a ferocity in his eyes that she didn’t recognize. She blinked sleepily up at him, furrowing her brows.

  “Where the fuck is my dinner?” he demanded and she frowned in confusion, looking toward the kitchen. She was too slow in answering him, because he raised his voice again. “Why the fuck isn’t there any food on the table? I expect there to be a hot meal on the table when I get home.”

  “Then maybe you should make it yourself,” Lauren retorted. “I just worked for—”

  “I don’t care how fucking long you worked!” Jack boomed. “You are my wife and as such I expect you to have dinner ready when I come home. Understood?”

  “What’s the big deal?” Lauren snapped back. “Just order take out or something! I’m exhausted!”

  Jack didn’t even bother to answer her. Instead, he reared back his hand and brought it swiftly across her left cheek, right underneath her eye. Lauren’s head turned with the force and she could feel the tears well up in her eyes as the pain radiated all over her body from that one solitary slap to the face. She fell to the ground with Jack standing over her, her hand cradling her cheek where he’d slapped her.

  When she looked back up at him, she could see the remorse written all over his face as he immediately bent down, cradling her chin in his big hand.

  “I’m so sorry, baby!” he said. “You just…you made me so mad. Why did you have to make me so mad? I’m so sorry! Please forgive me.” She could swear there were tears in his eyes and she immediately wrapped him in her embrace.