I can’t wait til Sunday. Need to see you now. Lancaster’s – 30 minutes
T
His timing sucked, but there was no way I could tell him no. I replied back, telling him that I would be there and quickly began to change my clothes. As I made my way up to Lancaster’s, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with him this time. I knew something had to be horribly wrong, or he wouldn’t have been so eager to see me. All of the worst-case scenarios ran through my head. The fear for his wellbeing consumed me.
I tried to prepare myself for what lay ahead, but as I walked into the rundown, almost condemned, bar my anxiety only intensified. The whole place gave me the creeps. All of the customers seemed shady and from the rough side of town. The lights were dim, and the cigarette smoke made it difficult to even see. With burning eyes, I made my way to the back of the bar where Tony was waiting for me.
When I approached, he barked, “It’s about time you got here.”
“Tony, I got here as fast as I could. I’m not even late.” His knees were bouncing under the table, and I could tell that he was on edge. I’d never seen him look so upset. “What’s going on with you?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”
“Sit down, sis,” he said firmly.
“That bad, huh?” I asked as I threw my purse down in the booth and sat down. I watched as he glanced around the room like he was expecting someone to jump out and get him. He was obviously freaked out, and it was starting to scare me.
“I need your help, Allie. And I need it now. I’ve run out of time,” he said desperately.
“Why? What’s going on, Tony? Just tell me. Be honest!”
“I need money, Allie. Serious money, and I need it now,” he said as he glanced around the bar yet again, making sure no one was watching us. “You gotta give me twenty-five thousand dollars… now.”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars! Are you insane?” I shouted.
“I know you’ve got savings. It’s not like you’ve got kids or family or anything. I am your family. Can’t you get an emergency loan against your condo? It’s only twenty-five thousand dollars… you could even get your bank to give you a signature loan for a car in twenty-four hours. Why don’t you try that? They’ll hand you a check. If I don’t get it soon, they’re going to kill me. You have to help me, sis. Please,” he pleaded.
“Tony, seriously… there’s no way I can get my hands on that kind of money,” I told him. “I want to help, Tony. I love you. You know I do. You’re my brother. I just don’t know if it’s possible for me to get that much money.”
“What about the Youth Center? Didn’t you rake in all kinds of money with all those fundraisers and shit?” he snapped.
“Are you kidding me? Are you really asking me to steal?” I asked, completely stunned. “You know I can’t do that!”
I was in shock. I couldn’t believe that he even considered asking me to do something like that. He knew how I felt about my job, about helping those kids. There was no way I would ever do anything to jeopardize my career.
“Allie… they’re going to kill me! Hell, they’ll probably come after you, too, if I don’t get them this money. These guys don’t fuck around. They will come after us. I promise you that.”
“Who? What have you done? What have you gotten yourself into? Why would they come after me? How do they even know about me? You hide your whole life from me. I don’t even know any of the people you associate with. You’re scaring me, Tony,” I told him. I tried to fight back my tears, but there was no use. The thought of someone hurting him made my chest ache. I couldn’t even process the fact that I had been drawn into his mess. All I could feel was my heart pounding, each beat striking harder than the last. What was I going to do? He was the only family I had left, and I couldn’t lose him.
“You should be scared, sis. Hell, I’m scared. I’m scared to death. I’ve gotta get this money fast, or we’re dead,” he stressed.
I was completely overwhelmed, but I knew I had no other choice. I had to try and help him. “I’ll see what I can do,” I told him.
“Thank you, Allie. You’re my last hope,” he said as he reached over and squeezed my hand.
“Can’t promise you anything, Tony,” I told him. “I have no idea if I can pull this thing off, but I’ll do everything I can. You can’t expect me to steal from my work, though. That’s not an option, but I’ll do what I can. I love you. You’re not alone in this,” I promised. “I’ll contact you as soon as I know something.”
He quickly stood up and towered over me, his eyes glowing in urgency. “You have to, Allie. You have to!” He slammed his fist against the table, causing everyone in the bar to look in our direction. When he saw them looking, he lowered his voice to a strained whisper and said, “I’ve gotta get out of here. I’ll be in touch… and Allie?”
“Yeah?”
“Hurry!” he pleaded before he turned and walked out of the bar.
Shit…. it was so much worse than I thought.
Chapter Six
Guardrail
As soon as I left Allie, I headed straight to the clubhouse. I had to get to Big Mike. After hearing that Tony had contacted Allie, it was on. Even though she told me he didn’t plan to meet up with her until Sunday, I wasn’t leaving this in the prospects’ hands. Tony was desperate and could turn up at any time. I wanted to know the minute he showed up, and Big Mike was the best man for the job. In addition to being one of the bigger guys in the club, he was also our best hacker. He could get into any computer system in just a matter of seconds, so I knew he wouldn’t have any trouble getting into her phone messages. Luckily, he wasn’t hard to find. After pounding on his door, I walked into his room and found him hacking away at his computer.
“Hey, Big Mike. Tony contacted Allie. It’s time to move on this. I need you to hack into her phone and monitor all of her calls and texts from this point on.”
“You got it, brother. I’m on it,” he reassured me. “I’ve got this.” He patted me on the shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about me monitoring it. Here’s a shadow phone. I’ll have it up and running in less than an hour. You’ll be able to monitor her yourself directly. It will automatically ring when hers does. Every phone call or message she gets will come through this phone as she gets it, instantaneously. You can answer, and she won’t even know you’re listening.”
“Perfect. Let me know if anything else comes up,” I told him.
“Will do,” Big Mike nodded. “I’ll check every angle and go through the numbers that Tony used to contact her and see if we can get a lead from them, too,” he said.
“Good. I need a beer. I’ll check back in thirty,” I told him as I left his room and headed to the bar.
I needed a minute to clear my head and was relieved to find that the bar was fairly empty. Most of the brothers were still at work, so it was quiet. Cassidy was behind the counter and smiled when she saw me walking in her direction. There was a time when I would’ve been interested in that smile. Not anymore.
“Hey there, Guardrail. Want a beer? Or something stronger?” she asked.
“Just a beer. Give me my usual,” I told her as I sat down.
“You look like you have something on your mind, hun. You want to talk about it?” she asked. Of all the sweet butts, she was the only one with an actual heart. I wouldn’t have wasted my time on most of the club girls around there. They were only interested in getting their hands on a property patch, and you can’t make a hooker a housewife. Cassidy was different, though. She seemed to really care about the club, and I liked that about her.
“Always got something on my mind, Cass. Today isn’t any different,” I told her as I took the beer from her hand.
“Well, I’m here if you want to talk about it,” she offered.
“Thanks. Just want to drink my beer.”
“Let me know if you change your mind,” she said as she turned and headed over to finish cleaning the bar top.
I’d just finished off my b
eer when Big Mike stormed up to me with an anxious look on his face. “Tony made contact about thirty minutes ago. He’s meeting her at Lancaster’s right now.”
“Fuck!”
“Want me to head over there?” he asked.
“We’ll both go… and get a few of the others to come along. If he’s still there, we don’t want to risk him getting away,” I ordered. “And tell the prospects to stay at her place. I want to know when she gets back.”
“I’ll meet you out front in five minutes,” Big Mike told me.
True to his word, five minutes later Big Mike met me out front with three brothers and four prospects. We headed straight for Lancaster’s, but by the time we got there, Tony was gone. There was no sign of anyone. When I described Allie and Tony to the bartender, he said that we’d only missed them by a few minutes.
“Want me to head over to her place?” Big Mike asked.
“I’ll go. Be on call. If something comes up, I need you to be ready,” I told him.
“You know I will,” he told me as he followed me out to my bike. “You think Tony will turn up there?”
“No idea, but I’ll be there in case he does,” I told him as I started up the engine. He nodded and turned to leave as I pulled out of the lot. I needed to get to Allie. I had to find out if she was okay. The thought of something happening to her was killing me. Fuck. The woman had her hands wrapped around my heart. I was a goner, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
Usually riding calms me down, but there was an eerie stillness to the night that had me on edge. I knew in my gut that something wasn’t right. Just as I turned into Allie’s neighborhood, my three prospects whipped past me. They were chasing several of Tony’s crew, which meant they’d spotted them near her house. Fuck. I could feel my pulse racing through my veins as I imagined what could have happened if they hadn’t been there. In a matter of seconds, I was off my bike and pounding on her front door.
Chapter Seven
Allie
“Kane?” I asked. He was the last person I expected to see, and I didn’t know what to make of the intense look he had on his face. “Uh, what… what are you doing here? And how do you know where I live? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Nothing… I, uh, I just needed to see you,” he said in a rush, trying to sound nonchalant and failing miserably. He stood there staring at me, relief clearly flooding his face. I could tell he was holding something back, but I was in such shock, I didn’t even care. I had to will myself not to reach out and touch him and prove to myself that he was really there. As thrilled as I was, though, I was equally baffled by the expression on his face. I had no idea what to think, but I was glad that he was there… whatever his reasons were. I had been on edge since my conversation with Tony, and there was something about seeing Kane’s face that made me feel safe.
“You want to come in for a drink or something?” I offered.
“Sure. You got a beer?” he responded as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
“Yeah, let me go grab us one. Just make yourself comfortable,” I said before turning towards the kitchen.
When I returned, he was sitting on the sofa, his eyes glued to me as I walked over and handed him the cold beer.
“Is everything okay, Kane?” I asked again as I sat down beside him.
He looked over to me and said, “Yeah… everything’s fine now.”
“Well, good. I guess,” I replied with a confused nod. “So, do you want to watch a movie or something?” I asked.
“I could watch something,” he said with a slight smile. I was relieved to see him start to relax.
I picked up the remote and started flipping through the movie channels, trying to find something I thought he might like. I got flustered because I had no idea what to pick, so I finally gave up and handed it over to him. “Here, see if you can find something.”
He scrolled through several channels before stopping on some old thriller I’d seen several times before but couldn’t remember the name of. “Is this the one where the boyfriend goes nuts and tries to kill her family?” I asked.
“No idea, but it has Mark Wahlberg in it, so it can’t be all bad.”
As we watched the movie, I nervously fiddled with the label on my beer bottle. The butterflies in my stomach went wild every time I looked over in his direction. I still wasn’t sure what had brought him over, and I was feeling a little insecure.
“I’m glad you’re here. It’s a nice surprise. I’ve, umm… I’ve been thinking about you,” I confessed.
“Is that right? And what exactly have you been thinking about me?” he asked with his eyebrow cocked high.
Color rushed to my cheeks as his attention turned to me. “Just… you know, it was nice getting to meet you after all of our messages. I was relieved that you weren’t some psycho just trying to get into my pants.”
“No one said I wasn’t trying to get into your pants, All-Star.”
“Oh, really?” I asked playfully. I was teasing, but a part of me was curious to see what he would do.
“Yeah… really,” he whispered. A thrill shot through me, and I couldn’t stop the mischievous grin that spread across my face.
He brought his hands up and rested his palms against my cheeks, slowly brushing his calloused thumb across my skin. He looked at me for what seemed like an eternity. Damn. There was something about him that made my body tremble with need. I watched in wonder as he lowered his perfect mouth down to mine, kissing me softly… so gentle and sweet. His scent circled around me, a mix of cologne and fresh leather. Just being close to him enthralled all of my senses.
I couldn’t resist him, even if I wanted to. His pull was too strong… I was falling for him, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it. As soon as I brought my hands up to his chest, the kiss changed, becoming more intense and heated. Goosebumps swept across my flesh as he delved further into my mouth, exploring every inch with his tongue. His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled me closer to him, forcing a light moan to vibrate through my chest. The bristles of his beard lightly scratched against my skin as he took complete control of the kiss. My body ached for him, burning for more as he claimed me with his mouth. My hands began to roam over his chest, gliding over the bulging muscles of his abdomen. I wanted to touch his bare skin, feel the heat of his body pressed against mine. I couldn’t wait any longer. Without thinking, I began to tug at his vest, pulling it from his body. He took it from me, carefully setting it over the back of the couch. Once he turned back to me, I reached for the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Once it was off, our hands became frantic, quickly removing the clothes that separated us. In just a few seconds, I was wearing only my lace bra and panties. My lips curved into a smile as I looked over to his clothes thrown haphazardly on the floor along with my pink satin bathrobe and nightie.
“Kane?” I whispered. I couldn’t stop staring at him. My eyes traveled along the lines and curves of the muscles of his chest, marveling at all of the tattoos that marked his body. I loved how he stared at my almost naked body with lust-filled eyes. I watched in eager fascination as his chest slowly rose and fell with each tortured breath he took. I could hear a faint growl escape him as his mouth settled over mine. We both sunk deeper into the cushions of the sofa as his hands slowly eased behind my back to release the clasp of my bra. As the fabric slipped away from my body, I felt his lips glide across my skin to my breast. Lust consumed me as the wet heat of his mouth engulfed my nipple and began to gently suck. He broke contact momentarily as he pulled back slightly and his strong arms repositioned me on the couch, his hard body moving to cover mine. His mouth resumed its heavenly torture of kissing and nipping the delicate skin of my neck. As he settled between my thighs, I rocked my hips, grinding against him as I tried desperately to find relief for the throbbing that was building up inside me.
“Steady, All-Star,” he whispered in my ear. His hand slowly slid between our bodies as he sa
id, “I’m just getting started.”
He traced his fingers across my panties, teasing me with his light caresses. Pushing the fabric to the side, he slowly slid his finger into me. He twirled and flicked his fingers inside me, tormenting me with the motion of his hand.
“Is this what you want, baby?”
As I let my legs spread farther open for him, he growled, “That’s it, baby. Give it to me.”
His thumb circled around my swollen clit, drawing out my pleasure. As he found my g-spot, I held my breath, the muscles in my body quivering uncontrollably. I was still soaring in ecstasy when I felt my panties being ripped from my hips. The cushions underneath me shifted as he reached over for a brief moment to his clothes on the floor. I lifted my head just long enough to watch him slide the condom down his long, thick shaft. Then, a look of satisfaction crossed his face as he settled back between my legs and positioned his cock at my entrance.
“You ready for me, Allie?” he panted. “You want me?”
“God, yes!” I moaned.
He smiled appreciatively before his face took on a look of determination. He was struggling to control his lust that much was clear.
He clenched his jaw before lifting my hips and making one forceful thrust deep inside me, filling me completely. For a moment, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to take much more, but he remained still until my body was able to accommodate his invasion.
“Mm, damn, you feel so fucking good,” he growled. He slowly began to move, each thrust deliberate and powerful. I rocked against him with every stroke, trying to take him even deeper inside. His gaze burned into me as he brought his hand up to my neck, his fingers gently caressing my throat.
