Tease: Mojave Boys MC

by Carmen Faye

  She scowled as she wrapped in a fluffy towel. “I don’t have anything to wear now. And I have to cancel all my credit cards and do some damage control.”

  He nodded. “I’ll wrestle something up for you to wear. We’re going to Vegas to buy a few things. Give your manager a call or whatever, and we’ll get out of here when you have that squared away.”

  Maya didn’t even know where to begin. She sat in the towel with Vance’s cell in her hand, calling the only number she knew by heart. She got Franz’s number from the office and dialed, telling him someone had stolen her wallet. She could deal with everything else once her financial situation was squared away.

  He promised to have everything back to her, with the exception of her driver’s license, within a day. She’d have to visit the dreaded DMV back in Houston to get her ID back. She wrinkled her nose as she thought about running around without the security of her cards and things. She couldn’t remember the last time she was at someone else’s mercy.

  But Vance made it easy. She heard a knock at the door, and as she finally finished her call, he came into the room with some clothes draped over his arm. “Bessie is a little bigger than you, but it’s the best we can do right now,” he told her. “She dug into her ‘high school stash’, she said.” He presented Maya with a pair of jeans, a bra that would be tight but work, and a tank top.

  Swiftly donning them, she didn’t think it was too bad. “This works. Who’s Bessie?”

  “One of Clint’s girls. She comes in about once a month, stays for two or three days.” Maya didn’t ask how many girls Clint had. She probably didn’t want to know. “Did you get in touch with Franz?”

  She nodded, still holding Vance’s phone. It buzzed in her hand, and she practically threw it at him. “It was doing that the whole time I was on the phone.”

  His expression was grim as he took it and pulled up the messages. With a grunt, he told her, “It’s a good thing we’re about to get you a new phone.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that and reached for his, but he pulled it away, and she faced him with the rage she felt at having been brought into this ordeal. Hands on her hips, she told him, “Let me see it, now.”

  ***

  Maya didn’t seem traumatized at the moment, despite the shit she’d endured, but Vance didn’t want to show her the texts from Tres Amenazas. She seemed to have felt almost secure in his care, and even though Vance didn’t want her to feel the guy was safe, he didn’t want to put more on her shoulders. He didn’t know what her reaction would be to all of it, especially the idea of being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

  “I know you’re hiding something, Vance. Just be honest.”

  Her demand made him clench his teeth. What if she ran again? He’d let her go once; could he do it again? She held out her hand, and Vance didn’t think he had a choice. He thrust the phone at her, and she yanked it from him. Her horror was obvious, and he turned away when she gasped at the last text to come through.

  This is what tu mujer looks like when I get her back, ese, it read, and the picture was of a raw steak, diced up and pooled in blood.

  Maya cleared her throat, and Vance heard her tapping at the keyboard. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked sharply.

  “Telling that bastard exactly what I think,” she answered with a false calm. He waited, not wanting her to lash out at him, and she nodded with a satisfied expression. She handed the phone back to him, and he read what she had typed.

  Whether you sell me or chop me up, I’m just a piece of meat to you, and if that’s the case, I’d rather be dinner for the dogs. Take your threats and shove them up your ass.

  Vance stared with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe how vicious she’d been, and he wondered if they would get a response. Not worried about it, he tucked the phone away and asked, “Are you ready?”

  She nodded but looked suspicious. “You aren’t going to say anything about it?”

  He shook his head. “Why should I? It’s not my place to tell you what to say and do.” He was going for indifferent, but he figured he probably sounded resentful from the look on her face. He sighed. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to control you. That’s all.”

  She sighed heavily. “I’ve never accused you of that, Vance. And it’s not you I’m worried about. It’s all of this shit that keeps happening. I just want you to clear the air with the Scorpions, whatever that entails. And that means even if I’m not here. I don’t want to wonder if you’re alive or dead.”

  “I’m working on it.” Vance scrubbed a hand down his face. He wasn’t particularly thrilled with looking over his shoulder, but he would address that tomorrow. For now, he wanted to get moving. “Why don’t we take the SUV? It’ll be more comfortable.” And it would be less exposed.

  She yawned. “That would be nice. I can use the heated seats and the ability to lean back. I slept in that room, but it was always restless.”

  He raised a brow. “You know it’s not far, right?”

  She snorted. “Every little bit helps.”

  He wanted to ask if she’d been drugged, but since she seemed more than happy to put it all behind her and was acting like it was just a new experience, Vance decided it was best to do the same. As he pulled out of the garage, she tuned the stereo to a station she apparently liked–and Vance appreciated the heavy rock sound–and adjusted her seat. She leaned back and shut her eyes, and Vance drove in silence, letting her rest. He glanced at her several times, not quite believing she was back with him.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it, and when it buzzed a second time, he took it out and turned it off. He was going to spend a few hours alone with Maya, uninterrupted. She’d been through so much, and if he had any hope of not losing her again, he needed to prove to both of them that there could be a little normalcy in their lives.

  He pulled into the parking lot of a mall, and she sat up as he parked, stretching. “That was nice, thank you,” she told him.

  He smiled at her. “Do you feel better?”

  “Much, and I’ll feel even better when I have some things of my own.” She stopped halfway to the front doors and looked devastated. “I don’t have any of my cards. I can’t access any of my accounts.”

  He took her instantly and pulled her to him. “Sweetheart, you have paid for everything we’ve done. Or your agency has. I have money. Plenty of it. This is on me.” She started to protest, but he kissed her soundly to silence it. “No arguments. You get whatever you want, as much as you want. And get a new phone with a new number.”

  With a huff, she nodded. “Don’t expect his to become a regular thing, okay?” Vance wanted to laugh at her petulant warning, but he stayed quiet and guided her into the mall.

  To his relief, Maya was a swift shopper. She went into stores with a mission, grabbed what she wanted, tried on one or two things at most, and plunked the lot on the counter to purchase.

  It wasn’t much different with the toiletries, though she took a little time to decide on scents. The longest she spent in one place was at the cellular store, choosing her phone. She was rather picky about that, but Vance would have been, too. Her phone carried her life–access to accounts, all of her contacts, and even her memories and entertainment–so it was ok to be selective.

  He was amazed to have enough bags to fill the cargo space and overflow to the back seat within a couple of hours. He was also starving. He’d forgotten to eat anything in all the excitement. Rather than head back toward Wheelie, he valeted the SUV at the Bellagio and escorted Maya inside, wearing one of her new pairs of jeans and a sleeveless blouse. They ate at the buffet, which consisted of tons of fresh seafood, steak cooked to order, and all the side dishes he could imagine.

  It was a feast, and they both regretted how much they ate by the time they were back in the car. “What next?” Maya asked, running her fingers through her hair in an absent, nervous gesture.

  He assumed she meant with the crew, not between them.
They’d avoided that subject so far, and Vance wasn’t exactly ready to cross that bridge yet. “I’ll have to get with the boys tomorrow morning and figure out what we want to do. I’m betting the Scorpions will be putty in our hands right now.”

  She said nothing, but he saw the concern on her face. Rather than address it, Vance drove to the hospital to check on Dusty, finding him bandaged and medicated. He had two compound fractures in his leg, three cracked ribs, and a lot of skin missing from his right side, but he was in good spirits. From there, they went back to his house, and he unloaded the bags.

  He wanted to offer her drawers and closet space, but he didn’t want to seem pushy, so he waited to see what she wanted to do. Maya stood in the middle of the bedroom, turning around and looking lost. Finally, she threw her arms up and asked, “Is it okay if I put my things away?”

  Vance tried not to smile too broadly. “You don’t have to ask, Maya. Make yourself at home.” He’d made the right decision, letting her choose. If he could control himself and keep this up, things would go fine.

  It was late, and Vance was exhausted. He yawned and asked, “Are you ready for bed?”

  She shrugged. “I’m tired, but my brain won’t shut down. If you don’t mind, I’ll watch some television. I’ll keep it quiet if you want to go to bed.”

  But Vance shook his head. “I’ll stay up with you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  Maya watched Vance’s eyelids droop with a quiet smile and a sense of peace in her soul. She loved the comfort of lounging on his couch in her pajamas, her legs thrown across his lap. He leaned back with his head lolling against the pillows, and his feet were propped on the coffee table. He still wore socks; she had noticed he didn’t like to be barefoot often, but otherwise, he was down to a soft cotton t-shirt and boxers.

  It was so homey. And so opposite what they had endured the past few days.

  But it gave Maya a glimpse of what could be and a glimmer of hope. If Vance and his gang could reach a truce with the Scorpions, maybe she could live like this, with Vance, and not worry every day. She picked up her new phone and checked the updates she’d set to run. Franz had emailed her the link to her cloud, and she was downloading all of her contacts and information that had been backed up from her old phone.

  Taking only a minute to marvel at technology, she returned her attention to the screen, letting the flashes of light in the movie lull her into a sleepy stupor. Her brain slowed finally, no longer rolling the film of the last couple of days like a movie on a continuous reel. She settled in and fell asleep.

  She woke with a start, forgetting where she was and panicking for a minute at the feel of arms carrying her somewhere. She made fists and beat against the firm chest, but she landed on a soft pile and heard Vance’s soothing voice above her. “Shh, Maya, it’s me. It’s alright.”

  Slowly, she remembered. She wasn’t with the Scorpions now. She was safe, in Vance’s house. He’d just carried her from the couch to the bed. Taking a deep breath, Maya calmed and realized she was shaking. She couldn’t recall her dream, but it hadn’t been a good one. She opened her eyes and looked up at Vance, his brow wrinkled in concern. She wanted to reassure him, but she still needed to catch her breath.

  Sitting up slowly, she forced her heart to slow down, and she gave him a hesitant smile. “I think it was a bad dream. But I don’t remember it, so it’s fine.”

  He was skeptical but nodded. “Get some rest, okay?” he said, tucking her under the blanket.

  Maya frowned at him, confused. “Where are you going?”

  “I didn’t know if you wanted me here. I thought I’d give you some privacy.”

  Why was he acting like this? First, talking about not telling her what to do, then giving her privacy or space? She screwed up a demanding expression and told him, “Vance, get your ass in this bed. I know I left, but it wasn’t you I was leaving. It was the situation. And it looks like I can’t exactly escape that. As long as I’m in the middle of all this, I want the good that comes with it.”

  Vance smiled at her and threw himself in the bed, instantly devouring her mouth. Her insides melted, and she didn’t protest as he drew her pants down, followed by his boxers. She wanted him, and she found him ready and willing as she wrapped her hand around his throbbing erection.

  She didn’t waste time with foreplay but drew him right to her center, lifting her hips to meet his thrust as he entered her. She cried out with instant pleasure, and he grunted, moving hard and fast as he took her soaring into the atmosphere. They came together in a frenzy, and Maya lay there, panting with her gaze unfocused for a long time before she came back to earth.

  “I love you, Maya,” she heard Vance whisper as he pulled her to his side and wrapped her tight against his body. A single tear fell from her eye at the confession, and she wanted to tell him the same, but she couldn’t seem to get the words out. “You don’t have to say it,” he rasped, kissing the top of her head. “I already know.”

  With that escape, Maya was ready to sleep, and she nuzzled her face into Vance’s shoulder as her mind shut down.

  ***

  Not expecting the warmest of welcomes, Maya let Vance lead the way into the Wheelie Bar but nods and waves with smiles from most of the men in the room eased her tension. When she took a seat on a barstool and Joe actually came around the bar to hug her, she knew she was alright, despite having been at the heart of the commotion more than once.

  “Good to see you,” Joe told her with a chuckle.

  She hugged him back. “You, too.”

  He reached out to Vance, drawing him into one of those shoulder bump man-hugs. “Any word?” Vance asked by way of greeting, and Maya rolled her eyes. All business, of course.

  “Not a peep,” Joe said, shaking his head. “Donnie put his ear to the ground, and it sounds like they’re waiting for us to make contact first.”

  Maya frowned at Vance in question, and he explained, “He knows a guy that knows a guy and so on. Donnie’s got a connection that leads back to the Scorpions. It’s not a hundred percent reliable, but it gives us an idea what to expect.”

  That was good to know. Any insight was helpful, as long as it wasn’t directly misleading.

  Vance went on, “Let’s get the crew together so we can talk through our options.”

  Joe nodded and glanced at Maya. “You know how to bartend?”

  Maya laughed. “I don’t think anyone here is going to order something I can’t mix or pop open. I can handle it.”

  “I don’t want her out here alone,” Vance snapped.

  Maya turned to him, putting a hand on his arm. “I’m not alone.” She gestured to the full house. “I doubt you’re disappearing with all of these guys. I’m fine.”

  He seemed reluctant but nodded anyway. “If you need anything, ask Keno over there.” He pointed to a tall guy with jet black hair, one of the men Maya wasn’t as familiar with. Still, she promised and kissed him soundly before sending him on his way. It was like sending a kid off to school, and she smirked, wondering if all men were such children at times.

  But as she made her way behind the bar, she realized she would rather have Vance, flaws and childish behavior and all, than not have him at all.

  ***

  “You don’t really think it’s over, do you?” Burt asked, looking less than pleased to be in a chair that wasn’t at the head of the table.

  “Not at all,” Vance answered, swinging his feet up and leaning back in the head seat. He hadn’t wanted the leadership role, but if it was his, he was going to remind Burt that he’d been relieved of that duty. “But I think we have a minute to make up our minds over how we want to deal with the Scorpions. We could probably get to a truce right now without a fight.”

  “I would agree,” Caleb spoke up, “except Tres tends to be a little less reasonable. I don’t think he knows just how bad he’s hurting. He thinks he can control his crew without help, and he probably hasn’t counted how many men he’s down.”


  “That’s because he’s not missing men,” Vance said. “He’s actually picked up a bunch more, but they’re all young hoodlums from local gangs who don’t know the meaning of club loyalty.” He thought about whether or not to tell them what he’d witnessed, and he finally said, “He killed one of them as an example because the guy leaned on my bike.”

  “Are you saying he does have control?” Burt asked.

  “No, I don’t think he can corral those thugs,” Vance told him. “And I think he knows it. That’s why I feel like now is the time to sit at a table together and negotiate.”

  “I don’t think we owe them anything,” Tick Tock argued. “They came in here, guns blazing. They took your girl and planned to sell her to the top bidder. They set up shop and wanted to take over our territory. We’ve been here too long for that shit. I don’t see any negotiations. I think we make demands.”