Jasper untied the bandana.
The guy started to scream for help.
Prez nodded to Cash.
Cash grabbed a big ass set of pliers - the kind a plumber would use on a thick piece of piping. He walked right up to the guy, opened the teeth of the pliers, and put it between his legs. One quick squeeze took the guy’s screams into a girlish squeal.
“Now, let me explain myself a little,” Cash said. “I’m a cock guy. Right? I don’t like cock in the way the women I sleep with like cock. But I like my cock. I like my cock a lot. And if I can take one cock off the market then my cock looks even better.”
I wasn’t sure I heard the word cock so many times in my life in one little conversation.
“Point is,” Jasper said to the guy, “if you don’t talk, he’ll rip your cock off.”
“No, no, no, no,” the guy said. “Come on. This isn’t fair. It’s all of you. It’s one of me.”
“You got caught,” Prez said. “Cash, rip his dick off.”
Cash squeezed, the guy screamed.
I stepped forward and put a hand to Cash’s shoulder.
Time to play the good cop angle. Well, the good outlaw angle.
“Before we rip dicks off,” I said. “Give him a second to breathe.”
“Thank you,” the guy said.
Cash backed away.
I stood facing the guy. “I’ve got shit to do today, man. You’ve got things to do. So just help us out.”
“I needed some cash. I’m an addict. I get high all the time.”
I looked at his arms. No traces of needle markings. I grabbed his jaw and tilted his head back. His nose, his eyes, everything look clean.
“How many houses did you break into?” I asked.
“You’re not the cops, I don’t have to talk to you.”
“You’re right,” I said. “We’re not the cops. And that means we don’t have the justice system you think. You tell the truth, you just might survive.”
“You kill me, you get nothing,” he said.
“Ah, see? You just fucked yourself. Now we know there’s something to get. Cash, bring those pliers again. Dick ripping time.”
As Cash approached, the guy tried to wiggle but there was nowhere to go. He was captured. It was talk or die. No other choice.
Cash jammed the pliers between his legs and the guy screamed.
“He paid me.”
“There’s a start,” I said. “Now, tell me your name, friend.”
“Emme,” he said.
“Right. Nice name. And who do you run with?”
“Nobody. I’m not in a gang or anything.”
“But someone paid you to break into that house.”
“Yes.”
“And let me guess, you really never broke into a house before?”
“No. Never.”
“Why now?”
“I got no job,” Emme said. “He said if I do this, he’d pay me again to never talk. And since it seemed so easy, I wanted to do good. I could use the cash, okay?”
“You’re not an addict,” I said.
“No.”
“Who set you up?”
“I don’t know,” Emme said.
“Cash, help him remember,” I said.
Cash squeezed and the Emme screamed. “I don’t know! I swear I don’t know! Jesus Christ, I don’t fucking know!”
“You’ve got to give me something, kid,” I said.
“A friend of mine—Jammer—he runs on the streets, okay? He got the hook up with this guy in a car. Guy said anyone looking for easy cash. Jammer called me. Black car rolls up, the window goes down just a little, that’s it. He gives me the address. He tells me to go inside, knock some things over, but not to take a thing. I didn’t understand but I didn’t ask.”
“Christ,” Jasper said. “We’re back to square one.”
“Give me something about him, Emme,” I said.
“His voice was funny.”
“Funny?” Cash asked. “What does that mean?”
“Like he was hiding something,” Emme said. “Like he had an accent but didn’t want me to know it. He was really bad at hiding it. Well, not bad, I don’t know what his accent was, but he had an accent.”
“Accent,” I said. I turned. I was done with Emme. I walked to Prez, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. “What do you think?”
“I think we’re being set up,” Prez said. “Something bigger on the horizon.”
“I get that feeling too,” I said. “I’ve got something to look into. Mostly personal. Mind if I skip the fun here?”
“Stay safe,” Prez said.
“What are you going to do with him?”
Prez rubbed his chin. “Break his jaw. Then give him to Chief as a sacrifice. Maybe if the people in town feel at ease, things will ease up. And whoever is doing this will know one of their guys got caught.”
“That’ll probably ignite another war,” I said.
“You afraid of a fight, Max?”
“Never.”
“Good.”
I hugged Prez and I left.
As the door swung shut, I heard Prez’s voice boom. “Cash, we’re not going to rip his dick off. We’re going to break his jaw.”
The door shut as Emme started to scream. He wouldn’t scream for long.
I lit up a fresh smoke and collected my thoughts as I walked to my motorcycle. Someone was setting up the break in’s, but why? To distract us? If so, that meant while we were in the garage with Emme, something bigger was happening.
In some twisted way, I wondered where Jade fit into this mess.
There was only one way to find out.
And now, I was going to pay her a visit.
10
(jade)
I had a small bit of luck in that Johnny had to skip town. There was some kind of investigation sweeping through and he went into hiding. I asked if I needed to hide but everyone laughed at me. So every time I left the apartment I had the feeling of someone watching and following me. I fully expected my door to get kick in and be taken away.
Even though he was hiding, Johnny still kept the pressure on me. I told him I met with Max and had a chance to talk to him. The problem was that he had been with his crew and grabbing a motorcycle was all but impossible to do without getting killed. I bought myself a little more time, but not much.
I had a rare night to myself and decided to take full advantage of it.
I turned my laptop off and pretended that for one night my life was something which resembled normal. I knew it was a joke and with one phone call it could all change.
I didn’t expect someone to show up at my apartment.
When I heard the knocking, I literally threw myself off the couch to the floor. It was as though bullets were flying through the apartment.
I remained there, hoping whoever it was would go the hell away.
They didn’t; instead, they kept knocking.
I pulled myself to my feet and went to the door. Looking through the peephole I did a double take.
Max stood there.
He put his fist to the door again and pounded. “I know you’re in there, sweetheart.”
I gasped and went for the lock. As I did, I reminded myself of everything. What I was planning to still do. What Johnny demanded I do.
I had to play the part.
I only opened the door enough to poke my head out, and I smiled. “Did you miss me that much?”
“Something like that. Mind if I come in?”
“How did you find me?”
“The same way you found me, sweetheart,” he said.
He was so bold and sexy.
I stepped back and opened the door wide. “Come on in. I was just relaxing on the couch.”
“Who else is here?”
“What?”
“Who else is in this apartment?”
“Nobody,” I said. “Why—”
Before I could finish, Max took out a gun. I let
out a scream. He shut the door and locked it. Next thing I knew my back was against the corner and I stared up at the towering outlaw as he looked down at me.
He didn’t speak a word as he spun around and started to walk through my apartment. It took me a few seconds to gain my breath and movement, but when I did, I started to chase after him. He went room to room like he owned the place.
“Spare bedroom?” he asked. “When does that get used?”
“When I have guests,” I said. “Who do you think you are?”
Max ignored me. He went to my bedroom and kicked the door open.
Then we were in my room.
He walked to the bed and grabbed the messy sheets, pulling them off the bed. He brought them to his nose and smelled.
“No sex, huh?”
“Fuck off,” I blurted out. “You don’t know a thing about me. Maybe I like clean sheets.”
“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, I do,” he said and faced me, the gun in his hand. “I wasn’t born yesterday. I’m not easily scammed.”
“Scammed?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”
Max laughed. He finally put the gun away. He pointed to a laptop on the floor. Then to another on my desk. He kept scanning the room.
“The way I see it,” Max said, “you’re living in a rich development. You’ve got laptops scattered throughout this place. I’m sure you have burner cell phones, too. I’m guessing cash hidden … ” Max grabbed the mattress and lifted it up. There was an envelope there. “Right there. That’s the cash. That’s your flee fund, huh? When something gets really bad, you bolt.”
“Get out of here,” I said. “You don’t know what I do for a living.”
“Let me guess,” he said. “Financial? Software? Or do you say really big words that you don’t know what they mean in the hopes that other people won’t know what they mean and drop the subject?”
My jaw started to quiver. This outlaw was all over me. This was why I didn’t want this job. I told Johnny these guys were smart.
Slowly, I stepped back, moving toward my door.
I had a split second to make a decision and that decision was to run. I turned and got out of the room, grabbing the door, shutting it. That would buy me all of two seconds. I’d never get to the door and out of the apartment in time. So I turned and dove to my right, going into the bathroom. I heard Max open the bedroom door and come out.
“You’re more guilty by the second, sweetheart,” he said. “And you still don’t know why I’m here.”
I saw him come across the open the doorway and I sprung.
My experience in physical fighting wasn’t all that much, but I wasn’t going to be taken out by some outlaw biker without a fight.
I jumped forward, lining up my shoulder to his side. I figured if I could get him to stumble and smash into a wall or fall into the closet, I’d be in good shape. I could throw some chairs, maybe grab a knife from the kitchen. In my mind this all played out like an action movie.
In reality …
The second I hit Max with my shoulder, I felt pain. I ended up spinning around him, not even moving him. It was as effective as if I had tried to tackle a brick wall and about as painful. As I spun around, I threw my hand up, clawing at him. My nails dug into his face and neck. My other hand shot out as I braced myself for hitting the wall.
I connected with a hard thud. I gasped, the wind sucked out of me.
By the time I caught my breath, Max was facing me again.
I was trapped.
I lifted my hands, ready to fistfight the outlaw, but he was faster than me. His hands were huge, rough with callouses, and insanely strong. He grabbed my wrists and pinned my arms to the wall. I tried to lift my knee, knowing no matter how tough he was, a good shot to the balls would take him down. But Max was smart, too. He bent his knees and pressed his body forward, right up against mine.
There was nothing sexual about it, but I could feel him. All of him. I burned where he touched me.
He stared down at me, gritting his teeth.
“What are you hiding?” he asked. “Christ, sweetheart. I just wanted to talk.”
“Fuck off,” I said.
“Wild,” he whispered.
I had no clue what his next move would be.
I did not expect him to kiss me.
*
His lips pressed to mine and I exhaled a breath through my nose. There was no flight or fight mode left inside me. Not when he opened his mouth and our tongues touched. It was completely crazy to do, but I was kissing him back. My heart racing. My head spinning. His body pressed so tight to mine.
Max released his grip on my wrists, and grabbed me by my hips.
I was free to attack him again but I didn’t. I would never get away from him. And if anything, maybe he could help me.
That was my thought process as I lifted my hands and touched his leather cut. I slipped my hands beneath his leather cut and felt the steel like muscle that pressed through his t-shirt.
Max lifted one of his hands and touched my face. His fingers slipped to the back of my neck and he held me.
The kiss got hotter, deeper, the second passing by with too much intention lingering between us. Max’s other hand moved around and down, grabbing my ass. He pulled at me, lifting me, forcing me to wrap my legs around him.
Then he was carrying me. Turning, walking me to the bedroom. I never thought this would happen with Max, even though there were many nights when the fantasy played out. The bad boy hero who showed up and kissed me before he saved me and took me, forever.
Max put me on the bed. That’s when the kiss finally broke. Max stood up, looking like giant over me. He lifted my shirt, his fingertips touching the skin of my stomach. His hand moved down, tugging at the top of my pants. He inched them down, showing himself more of myself than I had shown a man in months. Slowly, he turned his hand and inched them farther down. I felt one of his fingers graze against me, and I sucked in a breath.
His finger slid against my clit with a gentle pressure.
And that’s when he stopped.
“Tell me that was your second kiss,” he said. “And this is your first touch.”
“What?”
Max took his hand away from me. “Are you ready to talk to me yet? Or should I keep going?”
“Keep going?”
Max leaned over me. “Sweetheart, I’ll lick every inch of your body. I’ll flick my tongue between your legs and lap up all that honey until you’re screaming my name. I’ll walk to you to the edge of an orgasm you only thought could happen in porn … and then I’ll walk away. You crashed into my world, sweetheart, and you’re not escaping so easily.”
Max brushed his lips to mine.
I was in complete and total shock.
He backed away from me and I propped myself up on my elbows. I saw the obvious bulge of his cock against the inside of his jeans.
Max was really big and really hard.
I took a few breaths. “What do you want from me?”
“The same thing you want from me,” Max said. He folded his arms. “Information.”
I sat up on the bed. I licked my lips. I could taste Max. Smoke, steel, man.
“I just wanted to say hey to you,” I said. “I hadn’t seen you in years, Max.”
He approached the bed again. “Are you going to sit there and fucking lie to me for the rest of the night?”
“Well, if it means you’re going to touch me …”
Max grinned. “So the girl with glasses and braces is now a wild vixen?”
“If that’s what you want to think about me.”
“I’ll give you a chance to think,” Max said. He put his hand out and helped me to my feet. “But I don’t play nice and I don’t play fair.”
“Meaning what?”
“I don’t know what you’re tangled up in, but you’re going against something you don’t understand.”
“And if someone was trying to go after you, Max?”
“Then I would hope a friend like you would be willing to give me a heads up.”
“A friend? You didn’t even remember me.”
“I’ll never forget you now,” he whispered.
He put a hand to my lower back and pulled me in for a kiss.
The whole kissing an outlaw thing was really hot. I wasn’t that kind of woman, unless the job entailed it. And, well, the job entailed it. At least that’s what I tried to convince myself of.
Max pulled away and turned me to march me to the door. He slammed it shut and put me against it.
“Now, sweetheart, not only do I think you’re a fucking liar, I think you’re dripping wet. It would be a crime to leave a beautiful woman lingering.”
He touched the top of my pants again. His fingers eased down, sliding over the softness of my body.
“I thought you were going to leave me on the edge?”
“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, I am,” Max said. “When I make you come once, your body is going to crave it, like an instant addiction. I’ll own you after tonight. And I hope I don’t have to do something crazy.”
I didn’t get a chance to ask what crazy meant for the outlaw. His fingers pressed against my tender center and he thrust into me. My hips bucked against him as I grabbed for his leather cut. I squeezed tight, feeling his fingers working nothing but magic. He sank into me, twisting his fingers, and slowly pulled them out. At the exact same time his tongue controlled my own with a fierce kiss. He broke the kiss the same moment his fingers slipped from my slit. He growled as he flicked his fingers against my clit. I gasped and thrust at him. He repeated the motion over and over.
He found my weak spot and was going to exploit it.
Not that I cared one bit.
I shut my eyes and put my head back. The entire thing was insane. He was on to me. He knew I was trying to scam him, but he didn’t know what I wanted or why I wanted it. Yet, he was standing there, his thick and strong fingers rubbing against my sensitive core, bringing me to the edge he teased about before.
“Shit,” I groaned. “Shit …”
“That’s right, sweetheart,” Max said, his breath attacking my neck. He kissed ever so softly, making me shiver. “I’m in control now. Of everything. You’re going to come all over my fingers now. Right fucking now, sweetheart.”
My knees started to give way. The pressure of his touch increased on my clit. As I started to crest, Max moved his fingers down and thrust them back into me. That was all my body could take. I pulled at his leather cut, whimpering as my body pulsed. I rocked against his touch, feeling myself let go with each pleasure-filled throb of my insides. I poured all over him as he said to do, not that I could control it.
Steal His Heart: a bad boy romance novel Page 5
