MUERTO: Night Rebels Motorcycle Club (Night Rebels MC Romance Book 2)

by Chiah Wilder

  Pulling away, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What do you need?”

  “I’ll be right back. I want to freshen up,” Raven said as she slid off the stool.

  Watching her perfect ass and hips move so delectably didn’t help his dick any.

  “Are you dating her?” Irritation laced Brandy’s voice.

  “Who’s dating who?” Jaime asked as she tied a short apron around her waist.

  Brandy pointed to Muerto as he mixed the drinks for her order. “This one’s going out with the pool shark. Must’ve been a hell of a ride back from Silverado.”

  “Really? Is that true?” Jaime looked at Muerto as she picked up her tray.

  “How is what I do any of your fuckin’ business?” He placed the drinks on Brandy’s tray.

  “We’re just surprised. I didn’t think you were the type to hook up with someone who’s not in your club.” Brandy lifted her tray.

  “I’ve gone out with a lot of citizens. And again, none of your fuckin’ business. You’re here to work, not worry about what I do.” He clenched his jaw.

  “Whatever. It probably won’t last past tonight, or the weekend at the latest,” he heard her say to Jaime as the women dispersed into the crowd.

  “Fuck them,” he said under his breath as he stacked the glasses to the side. What he had with Raven was something he couldn’t put into words because he didn’t understand it himself. She made him feel things he’d never felt about a woman, and he had no clue how she did that. All he knew was that he felt real good when he was with her, and it wasn’t all about sex. Yeah, his dick got hard whenever she was around or he thought about her, and the way she felt underneath him as he banged her was all kinds of fantastic, but he liked her. He liked the way she laughed, her artistic talent, her freestyle attitude, her wit, her intelligence, her—

  “You look like you’re really concentrating on stacking those glasses,” Raven said.

  “Yeah. No. I don’t know.”

  Laughing, she settled down on the barstool again. “Well, what is it?”

  “Fuck, woman. You got me all mixed up.” With his finger, he gestured for her to come closer to him. When she leaned in, he kissed her lips, then swept her hair to the side and kissed her slender neck. “And I fuckin’ love it.” Brandy coughed loudly. “I gotta get this, sweetie. Tell me what you want to eat.”

  “Nachos without meat but a ton of cheese. Oh, and a big dollop of guac. And another shot of Jack,” she said at his retreating back.

  “Okay. Got it,” he said over his shoulder as he bent down and pulled out five bottles of beer.

  A half hour later, Raven was munching on the nachos and Muerto was rushing around behind the bar. “Don’t you have any help? I thought Crow was supposed to come in.”

  “He can’t. He’s got some drama goin’ on with his family. Zach said he’d be here over an hour ago. I need to fire his ass.” Muerto slammed the top of the ice machine.

  “You say that every time he screws up and he’s still here,” Brandy chirped as she sat on one of the stools, took off her high heel, and rubbed her foot.

  “’Cause it’s a pain in the ass to find a good bartender,” Muerto growled. Why the fuck’s Brandy giving me such an attitude? She better watch her mouth or I may fire her ass. Ignoring her, he went over to Raven and smiled. “You look like you’re liking the nachos.”

  “They’re super good. Who made them? I didn’t know you had a cook.”

  “We don’t. I order it and it gets delivered. We have some frozen shit we nuke in order to comply with the fuckin’ state law, but no one really orders that shit except for Diablo.” Muerto laughed as he thought about Diablo looking forward to the soggy jalapeño poppers he ordered whenever he came in.

  “State law? You have to have food in a pool hall?”

  “If you serve booze you do. Just sandwiches and snacks, so it’s not that big of a deal. Like I said, we got a freezer full of shitty food.”

  “Thanks for giving me the gourmet menu.” She bit down on a chip. “You know, I really don’t feel comfortable with you paying to send my artwork to the gallery.” She lifted her hand in front of her face. “I don’t want to see your pissed-off face or hear your arguments. Just listen to me. I thought I could play some pool and win the money fair and square.”

  Shaking his head, he gripped one of her hands, brought it up to his mouth, and kissed it. “Sweetie, I can’t have you play in here even if you’re on the level. Steel would kick my ass and I’d deserve it. This is the club’s business, not just mine alone.”

  “I know. I don’t want to play here.”

  “Then where? You can’t go back to Silverado.”

  “At your clubhouse.” She crunched on another chip.

  What the fuck did she say? The Night Rebels’ clubhouse? “Are you fuckin’ insane?”

  “Why not? It’d be a fair game. I mean, if one of your club members didn’t want to play me, then that’s fine. I’d be taking a chance too, because I’m sure you got some guys who play a mean pool game.”

  He scrubbed his hands down over his face. “I could talk to them. I’ve seen you and you’re damn good. But it’d be fuckin’ classic watching the brothers lose to a chick.” He guffawed as the idea took hold in his head. Nodding, he said, “Okay, yeah. Let me talk to ’em and I’ll let you know.”

  “Perfect.” She lifted her glass in a mock toast, brought it to her mouth, and threw it back.

  As the crowd dwindled to just a few guys around a serious game of pool, Muerto told the waitresses that one of them could go home. He heard them going back and forth about it, and finally Brandy took Jaime up on her offer to stay until closing. She kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot to the back room to get her belongings.

  The next hour dragged. All Muerto could think about was holding Raven in his arms, kissing her, and then peeling off her clothing, one piece at a time. She stood around the pool game, her eyes intent, her fingers twitching, and he knew she wished she was in the game. Pool’s in her blood. Just like her old man. For a split second, he hoped he could meet her dad someday. It’d be so cool to ride to Vegas with her on the back of my Harley. What the fuck’s come over me. This chick’s in my blood.

  After the place was locked up, he followed Raven home. The crickets were out in full force, their music competing with his bike’s cams. The silver glow of the moon lit up squares of green in front of the houses that flashed by as he rode against the wind. At the stoplight, he looked up at the specks of light filling the inky night sky while a soft summer breeze swept over him.

  Pulling in the driveway, he shut off the engine and got off his bike. Raven came over to him, her eyes sparkling. “Look at all the fireflies. They’re so beautiful. They look like tiny glimmers of light electrifying the darkness. This is so cool. When I get in I have to put it down on my sketch pad.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and led her into the house. As she sketched, he watched her, trying to imagine what it was about some sparking bugs that enthralled her. He doubted he could, but he loved watching how fast her pencil flew on the paper while her face scrunched in concentration.

  When she placed the pencil down and stretched her arms above her head, he got up and went over to her, bending down and kissing her neck. Soon the kissing was coupled with touching as he slipped his hand inside her bra, delight spreading through him when he felt her rigid nipples. “Is your pussy wet too?” He slid his hand down her pants and glided his finger under her panties and between her slick folds. “Oh yeah,” he said against her neck.

  Twisting around, she pulled him down farther and kissed him hard. Then she stood up, took his hand and led him into the bedroom. In less than five minutes he had her stripped down and lying on the bed. Moonbeams streamed through the space in the curtains, making her skin glow. Naked and erect, he kneeled on the bed and came over to her, smiling when she opened her legs for him. Propped on one elbow, he touched her cheek, then let his hand glide down her satiny
skin, fondling her breasts as it made its way downward.

  She moaned in pleasure when he touched her smooth sex. “So beautiful,” he whispered, loving the way her soft skin became a field of goose bumps as his breath slipped over her. He moved his finger in small circles on her clit, a throaty moan falling from her lips.

  “The sounds you make get to me,” he rasped in her ear, tracing the tip of his tongue across her collarbone as he sank his forefinger into her pussy.

  As she squirmed and moaned under his touch, his desire grew and his pulse quickened. He pushed up and hovered over her, his stiff dick hitting her wetness. Sliding up a bit, he kissed her gently while his finger pumped in and out of her heat like a piston, withdrawing before she got too close; he had all night to tease and pleasure her, and he was just warming up.

  As they kissed, the moonlight danced on their bodies.

  Chapter Seventeen

  For a long time I was stationed behind a cluster of trees, kitty-corner to the small duplex on Vrain Street. I knew they were together because his motorcycle was parked in the driveway. Since the night before, he’d never stayed more than two hours with her, but now Raven Harris had seduced him. What a fitting name for a predator who stalked her prey, sinking her nails into them, seizing them, and then destroying them. After their ruination, she feasted on their decaying spirit and soul. Like the bird, Raven Harris should be feared.

  It was late, and blackness filled the windows of the other houses in the neighborhood. From my vantage point, I could see her window and the curtains billowing in the night’s breeze. As I stood there watching and listening, low guttural sounds mingled with the crickets’ chirping and drifted on the wind around me. At first I wasn’t sure what I was hearing, but then realization set in and my stomach soured and twisted as the moans of their fucking assaulted me. It sounded like pigs. Dirty, filthy pigs.

  Even though I was sure there were some couples engaged in sexual intercourse behind the darkened windows of some of the other houses in the vicinity, all my focus was on the front house of the duplex. The house she lived in. And I blamed her entirely for the disgusting things they were doing. How could I not? How could any man resist such a temptress? He couldn’t; he was powerless to her bewitching charms. And the clothes she wore would entice any man.

  No, she was the evil one.

  As I worked myself up over her evil ways, I saw her at the window looking out. The streetlight on the corner illuminated her face as the wind caught her disheveled hair, blowing it in toward the darkness behind her. I had to admit that, at that moment, she was striking and sexy. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t a whore who deserved to die.

  “Enjoy the little time you have left,” I said, my voice louder than I’d wanted. All I need is for someone who’s taking their damn dog out for a walk to hear me. The thought was a poignant reminder of how much time had passed since I’d seen Mother. “I love hearing you speak your mind,” I said in a near perfect imitation of Mother’s voice. She used to say that to me all the time when she’d walk in on me having a perfectly sane conversation with myself. The remembrance made me smile; I hadn’t thought of it in a long time.

  If I had to be utterly honest, I preferred talking to myself because I was always guaranteed an attentive audience. I laughed when I remembered how I’d been chatting away in the elevator of my apartment building when I’d lived in South Dakota. The door had opened and an unpleasant old woman stepped in. When she saw the elevator was empty except for me, the surprised look on her face had been priceless and I started laughing. She’d turned to me and said, in a very rude tone, “If you keep doing that, people are going to think you’re lonely or mentally ill. I’ve seen you talking to yourself many times. I think you’re a nut.” The last sentence was spewed out with such venom and contempt that I knew I’d have to make her see how hurtful words could be.

  And I’d done that, two weeks later, on a cold winter night. I’d been lucky that her apartment was across from mine so I could watch her comings and goings through the peephole. That night, she’d stepped out of her apartment with her mangy dog on a leash and went down to the wooded area behind the building. I’d followed her and reminded her how horribly she’d spoken to me. The old woman had looked confused for a split second before the steel pipe crushed her skull. Of course, she didn’t argue with me since she was lying in a pool of her own blood, but had I spared her, I’m almost sure she would’ve understood how hurt I’d been by her cruel words.

  “There’s nothing crazy about talking to yourself,” I said, glancing around to make sure I was still the only one at the corner of Vrain and Utica.

  Glancing back at the window, I noticed it was closed and she was gone. I’d gotten caught up with my thoughts and memories and hadn’t even seen her shut it.

  I strained my ears to pick up any sound, but there was nothing but silence. “Are they still fucking? The bitch closed the window, so I have no way of knowing for sure.” I was getting madder as the minutes passed, and when I looked at my watch and saw I’d been there for four hours, I knew. He was spending the night with the cunt.

  “Noooo!” My howls shattered the quiet of the neighborhood. “Nooooo!”

  A few lights flickered on, their glow on the lawns like yellow patches. I pulled back and ducked down low as a couple of blinds opened and faceless people looked out into the darkness. My heart was racing, my pulse pounding. I have to get out of here! But I didn’t move a muscle. I just waited… waited until the lights turned off intermittently, until the smudged figures moved away from the windows, until silence descended on the area once again.

  Then I gulped in the night air, filling my lungs deeply. I walked to my car and drove off. And when I was several miles away, I pounded the dashboard, cursing so loudly I feared my vocal chords would break.

  The bitch has to go… soon.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Muerto threw his phone across the table then pushed his chair back. Why the fuck isn’t she answering my calls? He racked his brain, trying to remember if he did something that pissed her off, but all he could remember was how wonderful it was between them. It’d been two days since he’d seen Raven. She’d answered his texts with brief replies, and she didn’t return his phone calls. He didn’t have a clue what the hell was going on with her.

  “What’s up?” Skull asked as he sat down. He placed a sandwich in front of Muerto then took a large bite out of his.

  “What the fuck is this?” Muerto looked at the plate.

  “Ham and cheese. Lena’s making them. Thought you might want one.” He took another bite of his sandwich.

  With a clenched jaw, Muerto shoved the plate away from him. “You thought wrong. I didn’t ask you to bring me one, so why the fuck are you getting into my business?”

  Skull jerked his head up and stared at him. “What the hell’s your problem, dude? If you don’t want it then don’t fuckin’ eat it. No big deal.”

  Muerto scowled, clenching his fists as he forced himself not to punch Skull in the face. As Skull chomped noisily on his food, hot rage burned in Muerto’s veins.

  “Want a ham sandwich?” Skull asked Army when he came up to the table.

  Army looked at Muerto. “You don’t want it?”

  Muerto jumped up from his chair and slammed his fist down on the plate. Pieces of blue stoneware bounced across the table. “I don’t fuckin’ want it!”

  Army’s eyes narrowed and Skull pushed away from the table. “What the hell’s your problem, asshole?” Army clenched his fists.

  “Fuck all of you.” Muerto grabbed his phone and stormed out, electricity shooting up his spine. He jumped on his Harley and sped out of the parking lot. As he made his way to the backroads that crisscrossed the desert, anger consumed him. The landscape surrounded him as he increased his speed on the deserted roads. Soon he and his bike became one, and exhilaration overtook the anger. As he rode past sagebrush, rock formations, and miles of open expanse, all thoughts went out of his mind. He fel
t alive and free.

  After several hours of riding, Muerto entered Alina and headed over to Raven’s place. He was going to find out what the hell was going on with her. His Harley had helped in calming the rage that had been coursing through him, so when he pulled up in front of the duplex, he smiled when he saw her watering her garden. She looked over her shoulder and nodded at him.

  “Hey,” he said as he came up to her. “How’ve you been?”

  “Real busy. You?” She averted her eyes.

  “Good. You’ve been dissing me. Why?”

  “Not really. I’ve just been busy.” He went over to the valve and shut off the hose. She turned toward him. “What’re you doing? I wasn’t finished watering.”

  “You are for now. I wanna know what’s going on in that pretty head of yours. And I’m not buying your ‘too busy’ shit.” A tense silence filled the space between them. “Did I piss you off about something?”

  She chewed on her cuticles while she shook her head no.

  “Then what?” He came close to her and grabbed her hand.

  “Let’s go in,” she said softly.

  Once inside, he sat on the couch and watched her as she tucked the stray tendrils into her bun. Not wanting to push her, he waited for her to start the conversation. She didn’t.

  “What’s going on?” he asked in a low voice.

  “Nothing. Why?”

  “You’ve got a faraway look in your eyes. It’s like something’s going on inside you that’s taking you away from us.”

  “Isn’t an ‘us’ too soon? I mean, we don’t know each other very well.” She tucked her legs under her.

  “What the hell does that mean? Some people are together for a long time and they don’t know shit about each other. It’s the way people connect that’s important. And I’ve never been so drawn to a woman as I am to you. Let’s face it, we tried to pretend this strong attraction we have didn’t exist, but we couldn’t pull it off.” He reached out and grasped her hands into his. “Talk to me,” he said in a low voice. “I can see something’s battling inside you.” His dark gaze drew hers to his.