by Carmen Faye
Maya wanted to pull her hair out. She hated waiting. She always had. She didn’t like being on set when props and cameras were still being set up because she couldn’t stand to wait. She didn’t like standing in line on a red carpet, and she didn’t like sitting around at awards ceremonies, waiting for a particular award, whether she was a nominee or a presenter. It was all the same. Waiting was boring, and it made her antsy to the point of anger.
There was only one difference here, and that was Vance’s presence. Of course, being in a place like Wheelie—or rather, just outside the community in the middle of the desert—helped. She didn’t have to answer to her agent or anyone else, and she didn’t feel the need to check her calls or emails or texts every five minutes. She could just be alone with Vance and figure out the lazy days.
Unfortunately, now they were both waiting.
And for what? The possible attack and Vance’s potential capture and subsequent death? Maya had felt like she’d stepped into a novel from the moment she’d stepped foot in Wheelie, some sort of whirlwind western romance. Now, though, it had turned into a full-on western, with elements of suspense thriller and action-adventure. She would have preferred it to remain a Harlequin.
“Are you and your brothers doing anything to prepare for these guys showing up unannounced with guns blazing? Or do you think they’ll just ask to take you home with them like some sort of bad date?” She knew she sounded exasperated, but she thought this was getting a little out of control. For a big, bad gang of bikers, the Mojave Boys were starting to seem a little passive. Or was that just the way of things when they were trying to protect one of their own?
“We’re calling everyone into town. We need as many hands as we can get, just in case.” He shook his head. “Normally, we’d just ride out and screw them over. But we have to deal with this in a delicate manner. I won’t let my brothers go out and take bullets to protect me unless I know there’s a better chance of them coming home on bikes than in bags.”
That Maya could understand. “You’re really upset that they’re threatening your club, aren’t you?”
“That’s an understatement,” he told her, his eyes hot with indignation. “I won’t have them coming after my club unless I’m heading it up.” He glared at her, and Maya realized he still hadn’t told her everything. She waited for the ball to drop. “They also said they’re coming for you, Maya.”
She tried to hide her fear and hoped she appeared stronger than she felt in that instant. “What could they do to me that would hurt the club?”
“It would hurt me,” he said, his voice full of raw emotion. “You are my biggest weakness, and they’re counting on that. They saw too much when I protected you, and that’s the kind of information Tres likes. They want me to do something stupid, to be out of my head because I’m angry and scared. And they’re right to think that. If they took you, I wouldn’t hesitate to come for you, and I would die to get you out of their hands.” He was dead serious. “I can’t lose you, Maya. So, you’re stuck here with me, just like I was in L.A. with you. I loved every minute of it, and I know you’re still trying to think things through, but I can’t let you leave here until I find a way to keep you safe, whether I’m with you or not.”
Maya didn’t want to know what a bunch of bikers trying to draw Vance out would do to her, and she tried not to think about it. Instead, she gave Vance a reassuring smile. “We’ll get through this together then. I’m thrilled to be here, in this place, with you. And we’ll make the best of our prison. Hell, this house is amazing, and I couldn’t think of a better place to be locked down with you.”
She saw the modicum of relief in the tension that eased minimally in his shoulders based on her attitude, and she was glad she could help. He had enough to worry about without being afraid she was unhappy. Of course, she wasn’t sure exactly how she felt about all this. She was torn between knowing she was safest with Vance and wanting to run as far from him as she could get. She doubted the Scorpions could follow her overseas, and she had plenty of places she could hide out in Europe. At the same time, paparazzi could ruin that for her. All the Scorpions had to do was see a story on her and hire someone to come for her.
With a sigh, she realized she had to buy into her own sales tactic and make the best of things. If nothing else, even if she couldn’t face her emotions for Vance in the midst of all this drama and fear, she could certainly distract herself. They had nothing but time, and there were plenty of places in this house that lent themselves nicely to bouts of hot, animalistic sex. The raw attraction was bound to build between them to a point that neither of them could find satisfaction, and what better way to pass the time than making love, over and over again?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Maya hadn’t counted on having such little contact with the rest of the motorcycle club, but it was truly limited. She took Vance back to the bedroom after they’d discussed the situation and made love to him with vast enthusiasm, and he’d relaxed. They spent the rest of the day lounging on the couch, watching movie after movie. It turned out that Vance had an extensive digital video collection of his own, plus access to thousands of movies they could stream.
The options were limitless, and for three days, every waking moment was dedicated to eating, swimming, making love, and exploring their mutual taste in movies. It was a great, lazy vacation, but Maya didn’t like just sitting around all the time, and she grew restless quickly. Even having a pool she could access at her whim, day or night, didn’t help. She had perfected her tan, and it took little more than ten minutes a day in the sun to maintain it. And she could only swim so many laps every day.
And it wasn’t that they ran out of movies they both wanted to watch. In her usual methodical way, she’d started making a list as she came across things they wanted to see together, and they’d barely made a dent in it. But the only way she could force herself to sit in front of the television on the fourth day was to marathon television shows and eat junk food that was going to go right to her hips. She was starting to feel like a slob, and her body felt heavy. She grew lethargic, and that turned into an inability to remain still.
Vance seemed to be having the same problem, and she eventually tossed the remote on the coffee table in disgust and sat up to scowl at him. “I don’t know about you, but I think my ass is about to sprout roots in this couch.”
He smiled lazily, tapping his foot impatiently. It was a sure sign he wanted to get up and move around, do anything but sit here. “We haven’t played around in the shower yet,” he said, waggling his eyebrows. But even sex didn’t sound as appetizing as it had the past few days, and Maya could see he wasn’t all that interested, either.
Maya groaned. “Honey, you are amazing in bed, and I enjoy every new sexual experience with you, but I was sort of thinking we could do something else today. There has to be something we can do outside this house, Vance, something that doesn’t call attention to us or involve worrying that a bunch of hoodlums are going to launch an attack on us.”
He sighed. “I’d like to think so. I miss my bike. I don’t think I’ve gone this long without riding since I came to the club, and it’s killing me.” He sat forward and grunted. ”You’re right. We could use some scenery outside these four walls.” He pushed to his feet and stretched. “Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever been this stiff, either.”
Maya snorted. “That depends on what part you’re referencing.” She shook her head. “We’re young, Vance, too young to be sitting around like this. And we’re both active people who don’t stay in one place for long. This is the worst kind of torture we could face.”
He nodded toward the bedroom. “Let’s get dressed. But today, we’re not Vance and Maya. Today, we need to look like John and Mary or some other generic couple.”
“You want me to wear a costume?” she asked, amused.
“Not exactly,” he said. “But something different enough from our normal styles that we won’t get recognized. And simple enough that we blend
in.”
Maya liked that idea. For the first time in days, she felt a spurt of energy that had nothing to do with arousal, and she shot toward the bedroom, anxious to be on her way out of this place. Anywhere would be preferable, just for a few hours. Then, she could handle another couple of days here without contacting the outside world.
She decided to go with ‘desert tourist’, donning a ball cap over her hair with large sunglasses and pairing a sand-colored tank top with khaki shorts and a pair of low profile sneakers. She checked her reflection in the mirror and felt confident she looked different enough—and as generic as possible—to be ignored.
And when Vance joined her, she started laughing. He looked so strange in a pair of denim shorts with an Arizona Cardinals jersey that she barely recognized him, and that was before he took the bandana off his head and wore his short cropped hair spiked. “Damn, you clean up nice,” she told him in the midst of giggle fits.
With a chagrined expression, he told her, “Shut up. At least I’m not Sandra Dee.”
Maya didn’t care. She was too giddy about getting out of the house to be insulted by much of anything. “So, how are we getting out of here?”
“I have an SUV in the garage that’s registered to Linda Cartwright. That’s my mother’s maiden name. I bought it for her before she died, and I never switched the title because no one can trace me to that name.” He answered in such an offhand manner it was like everyone had a secret car hidden in their possession. “We’ll take the scenic route to Wheelie. Once we’re in town, no one will get through our border patrol to look for us. We’ll stay for a day or two and then sneak back out.”
At least in Wheelie, there were other people, multiple buildings with different views. Maya was a bit wary of being so exposed, but if Vance could promise her none of the Scorpions would be able to get inside the settlement, she would trust him. “Should I pack an overnight bag?”
“That’s probably a good idea. I don’t mind you running around naked with me, but I don’t really want the rest of town sharing the view.” He pushed a duffel bag at her, and she complied. It was almost big enough to fit everything she’d brought with her, and she was proud of herself for packing so light throughout this entire adventure. She nearly laughed out loud, thinking she typically found four or five times this many clothes in a dressing room for a one-day shoot, and she thought about how difficult it was sometimes for her to choose something to wear from the selection in her own wardrobe.
If she ever got back home, she was going to minimize, get rid of a lot of the things she never wore, and be more efficient in her fashion decisions. It felt good, even though Maya knew any other model would think she was crazy. When she was done, she found Vance leaning in the doorframe with his own bag slung over his shoulder, waiting for her.
She followed him out to the garage and climbed in the Lincoln SUV, noting the luxury amenities inside. She wouldn’t have minded having a ride like this herself. She’d been in her Audi for a long time now and was ready for a change.
As they pulled out of the garage and started down the road—Maya noted in the opposite direction of town—the vehicle was especially smooth on the desert roads, and she felt a little hypnotized by the vast view of nothing and the lull of the road. She rolled down the window, and though it was warm, the fresh air felt wonderful on her face and through her hair. She didn’t even care if sand and dirt blew in her mouth and nose. She could wash it out later.
She glanced at the clock every once in a while, but she didn’t care about the passing of time. She was comfortable and content. By the time they reached Wheelie, pulling in from a different direction than Maya had been before, Vance had been cruising around the desert for over an hour, and she hadn’t seen a single sign of anyone watching them or following them. That probably didn’t mean anything, since she wasn’t sure what to look for, but Vance seemed relaxed enough.
She hadn’t been anxious to get anywhere, but she was relieved now, feeling parched and needing something cool and thirst-quenching to drink. She wasn’t the least bit hungry, so the café didn’t sound like a plan. Instead, she asked Vance if they could stop at the gas station, and she ran in to grab some sparkling water.
Vance grabbed a pop, and they sat in the car for a minute, just wetting their lips and putting out the flames in their throats. “Where to?” Maya asked, a little out of breath from guzzling her drink so fast.
He pointed to the Wheelie Bar. “We’ll park in the back, say hi to the boys in the shop, and maybe go inside. We can drink or not. I don’t really care either way, but I’m up for a game of pool, if you’re interested.”
Maya had played a lot of pool during high school and college, but she hadn’t played in a long time, and it sparked her interest instantly. “I used to be pretty good. I might be a little rusty, but we’ll see if I can hold my own.”
Vance quirked a brow at her. “That sounds like a challenge. Do you want to place a bet on it?”
It would be fun; Maya could be extremely competitive when she wanted to be. But money didn’t matter because they both had plenty of it, and she didn’t know what else to wager. Frowning, she asked, “What are the stakes?”
He thought about it for a moment. “If you win, you get to pick a vacation getaway for us, as soon as all this bullshit blows over.”
She liked the sound of that. “I can get on board. And if you win, you get to pick?”
He shook his head, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he was thinking behind those teasing dark eyes. “If I win, I get a new motorcycle, and you get one to match. You learn to ride so we can take road trips to the places of your choice.”
Maya threw back her head and laughed. “You want me to become a biker chick?” It didn’t sound unappealing; she just wasn’t sure she could pull it off.
“I think you’d look especially hot in a pair of tight leather pants and a leather halter with lots of silver buckles. And I know just the pair of boots for you. I think we’d have to get your eyebrow pierced, too. It would add just the right amount of ‘screw you’ to the whole thing.” He was dead serious, and Maya loved it. She imagined herself at a photo shoot on a Chopper, dressed as Vance described, and a shudder of pleasure shot through her. She still couldn’t fathom the lifestyle, but it sure was a pretty picture on the surface, full of adventure.
Shaking her head and returning to the present and the bet, Maya nodded and held out her hand to shake on it. “You’re on.”
With a chuckle, Vance told her, “I see a light in your eyes that says you’re dreaming again. Don’t you dare let me win, just so I’ll buy you a motorcycle and some leather duds.”
She blinked innocently. “Don’t say such things! What makes you think I would do that?” But honestly, no matter how good the scenario sounded, she was too competitive to let him win. Besides, she could buy her own damn bike and pay for his matching one, too. There was no need to lose.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“What the hell are you doing here?” Dusty hissed at Vance, as he escorted her toward the shop. It wasn’t exactly the warm welcome he’d wanted, but it was definitely the greeting he’d expected. He hadn’t called ahead to warn anyone he was coming; he hadn’t wanted anyone to try to talk him out of it.
The truth was, over the last few days, he’d grown attached to Maya but come to hate his house. Too much of a good thing and all that jazz, he’d decided, and when Maya had expressed her discontent, Vance had been ready to take flight. Besides, he didn’t want her unhappy; he was hopeful she’d make her stay permanent if he could keep her entertained. But boredom wouldn’t cut it.
Vance gave him a warning glare not to say anymore in front of Maya and replied with a question. “Have you ever been in your own home without leaving for four days, Dusty? It’s almost as bad as a jail cell. Even watching television starts to feel like torture.”
Dusty held up his hands in surrender. “I get it, but Bert’s not going to like it. You know that.”
; Vance shrugged. Right now, he didn’t care what the pseudo-president thought. “Look, we were careful, and I brought the Lincoln.” Knowing he was going to have to talk to his brother in private, he sighed and turned to Maya. “I need a minute, if that’s okay.” She nodded. “I promise it won’t take long. Why don’t you go in and see if you can grab us a pool table? Even if you have to kick some of the boys off, just tell them to get out. And let Joe know you’re here. I don’t want you out of my sight unless I know someone else is watching you like a hawk, just in case.”
She made a face. “I’m not a child, Vance.”
“I know you aren’t. But the guys who want to hurt us aren’t exactly human, either. They’re like animals, and you’re just prey in the woods. We can do everything in the world to make sure they don’t get in town, but there are never any guarantees.” He hated having to express that doubt, especially since it was an insult to his club, but it was true. The rogue Scorpions were more like rabid dogs than the Scorpions they had identified with before. They would eventually sniff out a way to get in, and if they happened to find that path while he and Maya were here, he had to make sure there were people helping him look out for Maya.
