BLAZE

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  orange glow. Sirens could be heard in the distance; she hoped someone had seen it happen and called 9-1-1. Reaching for Blaze’s hand, she threaded their fingers together and held on tight.

  “Let’s get you out of here before anyone arrives on scene and starts asking

  questions. If the cops get involved, I won’t be able to handle this my way.” Blaze tugged her outside, let her lock up, then helped her onto his bike. They roared out of the parking lot and made it halfway down the street before the firetruck came into view with two police cars and an ambulance right behind it.

  He pulled over and got directions to Luna’s house, then got them there in record time. While she didn’t mind her long legs embracing her….boyfriend? Mate? She didn’t much care that the entire town was getting a look at them. When they reached her home, she unlocked the door and motioned for him to have a seat.

  “Since I’m meeting your brothers tonight, mind if I take a shower?” she asked.

  “I kind of like you smelling like me.”

  Luna smiled. “And I don’t mind smelling like you, but I wouldn’t mind losing

  the sticky mess running down my thighs. I promise I’ll be quick, and then you can rub up against me and put your scent back on me.”

  He seemed appeased. “Wear something that shows your mark. I don’t give a

  fuck if I did break the rules. I want everyone there to know you’re mine.”

  She kind of liked the possessive streak and could easily get used to it, as long as he didn’t get too controlling. Telling her to wear a certain shirt wasn’t so bad. Now, if he decided he was going to dictate who she could be friends with and where she could work, they were going to have some issues.

  Luna washed quickly and braided her hair when she was finished. She pulled on

  a red tank with spaghetti straps and her dark wash jeans. Motorcycle boots hadn’t been a part of her wardrobe in a long time, so she put on her red Converse and hoped they would do. If she was going to be riding around on the back of Blaze’s bike, she’d have to stop by the Harley Davidson store three towns over and buy a pair of sturdy riding boots.

  “You about done?” Blaze asked, leaning against her bedroom doorframe.

  “I haven’t put any make-up on yet.”

  He grunted. “You don’t need any. Why women insist on wearing that shit I don’t understand. You’re beautiful without it. Why do you want to put a bunch of crap on your eyes and paint your lips so that I end up wearing lipstick after I kiss you?”

  Well, when he put it that way…

  “All right,” she agreed. “No make-up. But I’ve been around a clubhouse before. I know about the sluts that hang out there and they’re going to be painted up and wearing next to nothing. I was just trying not to embarrass you.”

  Blaze pushed away from the doorframe and pulled her into his arms. “Honey,

  none of them can hold a candle to you. Even at your worst, you’ll still look better than them. Besides, the only person you need to impress with your looks is me, and I’ve been impressed since I peered through your cracked window last night.”

  Luna smiled. “Just remember… I grew up in that environment. One word from

  those nasty skanks that hang out in places like your clubhouse and I’m going to fuck them up.”

  Blaze threw back his head and laughed.

  “It wasn’t supposed to be funny,” she grumped.

  “Baby, I’d pay to see you teach those women a lesson, and there’s a chance you’ll get an opportunity. I should probably warn you ahead of time, there’s one woman there who wanted to stake a claim. I told her no repeatedly, but she’s desperate to become someone’s old lady. If you see a blonde with lethal nails, you either stay the fuck away or you plan to make good on your threat. Because I’m going to tell you right now, she’s not one to toy with.”

  “What’s this problem’s name?”

  “Celia. And I think there’s more to the situation than we know. I’m keeping an eye on her.”

  “You think she’s a mole?”

  “She’s either a spy or she’s a thief. Either way spells trouble, and I want you to stay as far away from trouble as possible. You have enough on your plate without piling more shit on there.”

  “Got it. But if she starts something, I’m totally going to finish it.”

  Blaze smiled and kissed her softly. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get this out of the way.”

  Luna followed him out to his bike and climbed on, wrapping her arms around

  his waist. She had to admit, she’d missed riding. While she’d never owned a bike of her own, there had always been someone around to give her a ride. She loved the wind in her hair and the thrum of the engine. But riding with Blaze was way better than any ride she’d ever had before.

  At the clubhouse, she stood nervously, rubbing her palms up and down her

  denim-clad legs. She knew what the Desert Dogs M.C. clubhouse looked like, but she also knew that no two were ever alike. What would she find inside? Probably drug use, a ton of alcohol, and possibly some naked women. Was she ready to face all that again?

  Not really. But she didn’t have a choice. She knew it was important for Blaze’s President to give his stamp of approval, but she wasn’t sure she really gave a shit just then. All she wanted was to go back home, curl up on the couch and watch some

  mindless television for a while.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “If I say no, can we go back home?”

  “Uh, no.”

  She sighed. “It was worth a try.”

  Blaze wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his body.

  He gave her a blistering kiss, enough to send her senses reeling, and then escorted her up the steps and through the door.

  Music blasted from the speakers and she tried to see through a fog of what she hoped was cigarette smoke. She really didn’t want to get high off secondhand

  marijuana. There were some curious looks, and some hostile ones from the women.

  Blaze strolled through the place like he owned it and led her to a table in the back corner. The man sitting there scared the shit out of her, but she held her ground and hoped like hell she wasn’t shaking.

  “Blitz, this is Luna.” Blaze squeezed her hip. “My mate.”

  Blitz looked up from his beer mug, looked her over from head to toe, then

  focused on Blaze. “You marked her without permission?”

  “She’s mine. If you have an issue with it, say so now. I’ve given you twenty years of my life, but she comes first. I told you about the shit she’s facing. Someone torched her car today. Like hell am I going to leave her unprotected.”

  Blitz shook his head. “You know I’ll have to come up with some sort of

  punishment for you, but what the hell. Welcome to the family, Luna.”

  Luna wasn’t sure if she as relieved that it had gone so well, or worried about what the unnamed punishment might be. She’d known that Blaze would get into

  trouble over mating her without permission, but she hoped it wouldn’t be a serious issue. One thing was for certain. Even though the M.C. President had accepted her, the looks from the skanks in the room told her she needed to watch her back.

  Chapter Five

  Blaze got Luna the hell out of the clubhouse as fast as he could. He hadn’t liked the look in Celia’s eyes and trouble was the last thing he wanted or needed tonight.

  When they pulled into the driveway at her home, something felt off. He sat on the bike studying the small home, scenting the air. An unknown human male had been through her yard, but it could have easily been a kid passing by.

  “Wait here,” he told her, getting off the bike. “Give me your keys.”

  Her brow furrowed but she handed them over. “What’s wrong?”

  “Could be nothing, but after the car incident, I don’t want to take any chances.”

  She nodded and sat on the bike, waiting for him to g
ive the all clear. Blaze

  approached the house cautiously. He peered through the front windows and didn’t see anything at first, but it looked like the rear door through the kitchen had been messed with. He motioned for Luna to stay where she was and he unlocked the front door.

  He’d barely pushed it open before he heard the click and had one of those Oh shit moments.

  Blaze didn’t have time to turn and run before the blast of the house knocked him off his feet and sent him flying. Heat pressed against him as he landed on the lawn, the air rushing out of his lungs and leaving him breathless and lightheaded. He shook it off and looked over his shoulder at what remained of Luna’s house, and then looked at her to make sure she was still safely on the bike.

  Luna had paled, her hands clasped over her mouth, but once her gaze landed on

  him she rushed to his side. While he enjoyed the attention, he wished she’d stayed back in case there were any other surprises. Blaze stood and shook his head before surveying the area. There was no way they were getting out of this mess without talking to the cops. The car was one thing, but both her car and her house? It was going to get some attention.

  He’d no sooner thought about the good ol’ boys in blue than he heard the sirens.

  Wrapping an arm around Luna’s waist, he pulled her in closer and held her while they waited. Two firetrucks, three police cars, and an ambulance pulled up at the curb, men in uniform rushing out to assess the damage and get the fire under control.

  A policeman approached. “Are you all right?”

  Blaze nodded. “She was in the driveway when it blew, but I got knocked on my

  ass. I’m fine though.”

  The policemen’s gaze skated over the cut Blaze wore and he wondered if the cop was going to chalk the fiasco up to club business and either bow out or try to pin something on them.

  “You the owner of the car at the library that blew earlier?” the officer asked Luna.

  She nodded. “I know I should have stayed, but I was scared and wanted to come

  home. We didn’t see what happened, just the results.”

  “And what happened here?” the officer asked.

  “Something didn’t feel right,” Blaze said, “especially after her car had been set fire to earlier. So I told her to wait with the bike and I checked things out. It looked like the back door had been messed with, so I unlocked the front door and had barely cracked it before there was a click and an explosion. Bastard had rigged the front door so that when she opened it, she’d be caught in the blast.”

  “I’m guessing your shifter abilities protected you,” the officer said. “You know I have to ask. Is this club business? What’s the connection between Miss Sylvestro and you?”

  “She’s my mate, but no, this isn’t club business.” How much should he divulge?

  On the one hand, he wanted to deliver her justice his way, but maybe if the cops were looking out for her as well, she’d be safer than she was right now. Obviously, the Desert Dogs didn’t see him as much of a deterrent.

  “Miss Sylvestro, is there anyone you can think of who would want to harm

  you?” the officer asked.

  “My brother,” she said. “He’s part of the Desert Dogs M.C. out of Arizona; I

  started getting crank calls a few weeks ago and they’ve slowly escalated. I’ve suspected for a while now that he was after me.”

  “And why would your brother be threatening you?” he asked.

  Luna looked at Blaze and then turned her attention back to the officer. “Five

  years ago, I ran away. I’d heard my brother plot to sell me to the Black Daggers M.C.

  President. I sneaked out of the house that night and ran as far as I could, but somehow he’s tracked me down.”

  “Did you change your name?” the officer asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Then it would have been easy to find you, especially with you holding a job like librarian. I’m sure your picture is in the news all the time, linked with special events and fundraisers.”

  Luna looked a little sick and Blaze tightened his grip on her, giving her his

  support. She smiled up at him gratefully, but he could see the strain in her eyes. She was worried, and she had every right to be. The fucker had given the warning shot with the car, but he could have killed her tonight, if Blaze hadn’t insisted on checking things out first.

  “Do you have somewhere to stay?” the officer asked.

  “With me,” Blaze said. “I have a place over on Chestnut Lane. We’ll have to go pick her up some clothes though. Hers just exploded.”

  “I’ll assign a unit to patrol that area until this man is caught. Miss Sylvestro, I need your brother’s name and a description if you have one.”

  “His name is Ricardo Sylvestro, but I haven’t seen him in five years. He’s average height and had an average build last I saw of him. There were tribal flame tattoos down his arms, but I don’t know what others he had.”

  “All right. Thank you, Miss Sylvestro. I’ll assign that unit to your mate’s street and we’ll keep an eye on you. I’ll make sure someone is stationed at the library during work hours as well.”

  “Thank you.” Blaze held out his hand. “I had thought I could catch him on my

  own, but I think I’m in over my head. Her safety is more important than my pride.”

  The officer shook his hand and walked off.

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “Now I take you to buy some clothes and then we’ll go home and get you

  situated for the night. I have a two bedroom, but as my mate, you’ll sleep in my bed tonight. I had planned to stay here with you until we could work out which house to keep, but it seems that dilemma has been resolved for us.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes and he wrapped both arms around her, holding her

  close. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and murmured words of comfort in her ear until she calmed. On the way to his bike, his phone rang.

  He checked the name on the screen before answering. “Hey, Flash. What’s up?”

  “Remember that little problem you mentioned to me? I just caught Celia trying

  to open the safe in Blitz’s office. He was standing nearby and I made sure he came in and saw for himself. She was completely oblivious to us.”

  “So she’s busted?”

  “Yeah, but it’s worse than we thought. Not something to discuss over the

  phone.”

  “My mate’s home blew up tonight. I may not be around for a few days, until I

  know she’s safe. Can it wait that long?”

  Flash whistled. “Hell, man. Don’t sweat it. We’ll handle things on this end. You just focus on keeping Luna safe. She’s more important than the shit going down here tonight.”

  “Thanks, brother.” Blaze disconnected the call and helped Luna onto the bike.

  She clung to him as he took the streets a little faster than necessary, but he wanted to get to the store and get home as fast as possible. The last thing he wanted was Luna out in the open for that asshole to kill. Two explosions in less than twelve hours wasn’t something he could ignore.

  He just hoped he didn’t fuck up. If anything happened to Luna, someone would

  have to put a bullet in him. They may have just met, but he felt closer to her than anyone ever before. He believed she was his true mate, the one woman destined to be his. Now he had to keep her alive long enough to tell her how he felt, even if it was rushing things a bit. Sometimes you just knew.

  Chapter Six

  Luna was getting frustrated. Blaze had helped her pick out some clothes, but

  there was no way in hell she was wearing the tiny scrap of fabric he called a shirt. And the jeans he’d picked out… She shook her head. There was no way she was jumping around and trying to shimmy into them. If she couldn’t pull them straight up her legs without doing a jig, then she didn’t have any business wearing them.

 
She had just changed back into her clothes, and was about to take her purchases to the counter, when a feeling of unease crept down her spine. She looked over her shoulder but didn’t see anyone. As she turned around once more, a figure lunged out of one of the dressing rooms, clamped a hand over her mouth and wrapped an arm

  around her throat.

  The black-clad figure had to be the same one she’d seen set fire to her car and her heart began to race. She clawed at his hands and arms, kicking her feet in an attempt to break free. She landed a few good kicks against his shins, but all it garnered was a grunt. It didn’t slow him down in the least as he dragged her through the dressing room and to the back exit.

  Luna knew once she was out of the building and into whatever car he had

  waiting, that it would be next to impossible for Blaze to track her. She tried screaming and fought even harder, but it just seemed to piss off the man taking her hostage. As she kicked out, she managed to slam shut one of the dressing room doors. The sound reverberated throughout the area and she hoped it was enough to make Blaze come check on her.

  The emergency exit popped open with a screech of sirens and she was hustled

  outside. A man waited beside an SUV with an open door. As she drew nearer, she recognized Ricardo. She thought she was going to wet her pants she was so scared, but she tried to hold it together, telling herself that Blaze would come for her.

  “If it isn’t my long lost sister,” Ricardo sneered. He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head to the side. “We’re going to have a little bit of fun, and then you’re going to fulfill the contract I signed five years ago. The President of the Black Daggers was most interested when I told him I’d found you. I think he has special plans for you.”

  Luna couldn’t hold back her whimper at the thought of being at the mercy of that monster. She’d rather face her brother a thousand times over than be left with the stone cold killer.

  “Luna!” She heard Blaze call for her and tried to scream.

  “Shit! I thought you got rid of him,” Ricardo said. “Stuff her inside and let’s get the hell out of here. That’s a big motherfucker and I don’t want to tangle with him one on one.”