Lucky (No Prisoners MC Book 4)

by Lilly Atlas

  He slid his hands up her sides and when one closed over her breast, her body finally kicked into action. “Get the fuck off of me!” she cried as she fisted his hair and yanked with all her might.

  “Fuck! You bitch,” he yelled, but it was enough to distract him into giving her some space. She rammed her palms against his chest and this time he stumbled to the side, no doubt impaired by the copious amounts of alcohol he’d consumed. She’d take whatever advantage she could get.

  She dashed toward the front door, grabbing her purse from the kitchen table as she fled.

  The creepiest laughter she’d ever heard outside of a Stephen King movie followed her, much too close for comfort. When she was mere feet from the door, a rough hand grabbed the back of her shirt. As she flew backward, she managed to spin around swinging her purse like a baseball bat.

  It glanced off the side of Savage’s head and he blinked but kept charging. Her back hit the door and she was in much the same helpless position she’d been in just seconds before. “Savage, please, stop.”

  “You are my woman,” he said, his speech more slurred than it had been. As more alcohol registered in his system, she just might have a chance to escape. If only it would zap his strength. “This is mine. I’m done with your bullshit.” He pinned her arms against the wall at the sides of her head.

  “I’m not really your woman. You have to know that. There’s only one reason I’m here.” This time, there was nothing frozen about her body. She thrashed and struggled. She would not be leaving here tonight a victim.

  The slap that landed against her right cheek came so fast and was so unexpected, Kori didn’t have more than a blink of time to prepare for it. Fiery pain erupted from her jaw to her hairline and her head snapped to the side. For a split second, the world went fuzzy and her eyeball felt like it had ruptured out of the socket.

  Stunned, she blinked and tried to bring the room back into focus.

  Savage grunted. “That’s better. Looks like you just might need a firm hand, huh? Now listen up, bitch. I don’t give a shit why you’re here. I don’t give a shit if you like it or want it. You’re here and your mine. Start fuckin’ acting like it or I’ll make your life a living hell. We clear?”

  She righted her head and blinked again. His fuzzy face become sharper. Were they clear? Hysterical laughter bubbled out of her. Nothing was clear after that blow to her face.

  “What the fuck is so funny, bitch?” He’d returned his slapping arm to her wrist and gave her a shake against the wall.

  Suddenly everything was clear, crystal clear. Anger replaced the shock in her system. She would flee across the country. Disappear. They’d never find her. Lucky was gone so he was no longer in danger, no longer a threat to her father and Savage. She’d hide and lick her emotional wounds until she came up with a viable plan.

  With a warrior’s roar, she lifted her leg and ground her three-inch heel into Savage’s shoeless foot. His agonized cry was music to her ears. With any luck, her heel went straight through his flesh.

  “Shit!” he yelled as he hopped on the uninjured leg, cradling his damaged foot.

  Without a drop of remorse, she ran forward checking him with her right hip and shoulder. The combination of intoxication and a one-legged stance did him in and he crashed to the ground, taking out a small table in the short hallway leading from the front door to the rest of the apartment.

  Kori didn’t bother to hang around and see if he was unconscious, dead, hurt, or alive and thirsty for blood. She snatched her purse from the floor and fled the apartment as fast as her trembling legs would allow.

  As she darted down the two flights of stairs to the ground floor, she kicked off her tall shoes. Running down steps and across a parking lot in heels would slow her down more than she was willing to risk.

  She made it to the car after what felt like a three-mile jog. Every second or so she’d peeked over her shoulder. So far, no sign of Savage. Jesus. What if she’d killed him? What if he hit his head as he broke the table? Would it be considered self-defense?

  They were all questions she’d have time to answer later when she was away and safe. She yanked the car door open and risked one last glance at Savage’s apartment. His door opened to the outside steps and he ran out screaming obscenities and chasing down the steps after her. She slammed and locked the car door, fired up her vehicle and sped out of the lot like the hounds of hell were chasing her.

  When she was thirty minutes north of Vegas, she pulled into a rundown motel. Her limbs had finally stopped shaking and she was able to draw in a steady breath. She killed the ignition and dropped her head to the steering wheel.

  What the hell had happened to her life? Tears burned behind her eyes, but she blinked them away. Crying could come later. Now she needed a plan. She had no personal belongings. No clothes, no shoes, no tooth brush. Going back to Rebel’s to retrieve anything was out of the question. But for the first time since this nightmare began, she did have her purse complete with identification and credit cards.

  For now, that was enough. Enough to get her through the night. Enough to get her far away from Vegas and all things biker.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Lucky stared at the amber liquid in the glass. What was it, his third? Fourth? Did it matter? Was it concerning that he no longer felt any different after a few drinks than he did stone cold sober? He leaned over and placed the glass next to the open bottle on the ground near his Adirondack chair. His alcohol consumption had shot through the roof since Kori left him.

  What a fuckin’ pussy he’d become. Here he was, once again, getting wasted and thinking about a woman who probably hadn’t spared two brain cells on him since he left. Beyond pathetic.

  “Okay, time’s up.” Acer jogged the three steps up to Lucky’s back deck. “The place is nice. I was wondering if you ever planned to invite anyone out here.”

  Lucky had rented a house in Crystal Rock a week ago and if anyone asked, no he did not rent it with Kori in mind. He’d always wanted a house with a large porch, oversized bathtub, impressive kitchen…

  Jesus, he was getting sick of himself.

  “What do you mean, time’s up?” Luck grabbed the bottle and offered it to Acer who waved it away.

  Acer lowered himself into a second chair next to Lucky’s. “I’m good, brother. What I mean is your wallowing. Hiding out. Drinking yourself to death. Whatever you want to call it. Time’s up. It’s done. Time to talk to someone about the reason you came to Crystal Rock. The reason you’re working so hard each day at marinating your liver. The reason you haven’t slept with a single woman in the month you’ve been here.”

  Lucky huffed out a harsh laugh. So much for thinking he had everyone fooled. He put up a good front. Smiles, flirts, winks, but just couldn’t bring himself to touch a woman who wasn’t Kori, let alone fuck one. The thought almost made him ill.

  More evidence of the pussy he’d become.

  “There has to be a reason you left Vegas. I’m sorry I’ve been so wrapped up in my own shit since you arrived that I haven’t had much time to check in with you.”

  Leave it to Acer to realize not all was as it seemed. He was one smart motherfucker, had grown up in a world of wealth and power Lucky would never know anything about. Yet somehow, they hit it off. “How’s Fia?”

  “She’s hanging in. Actually, she’s doing pretty well. And she’s sitting in her car in the driveway. Told me I had fifteen minutes to talk to you then she was coming to do the job herself.”

  “Well that explains why I didn’t hear your bike.”

  “Quit stalling.”

  “You know, I’m not really one for a heart to heart.” Reaching for the bottle again, he took a healthy drink. Screw the glass. The bottle was much more efficient.

  “Shut the fuck up and talk to me before I sic Fia on your ass.” Acer held a hand out for the bottle and took a drink this time when Lucky handed it over.

  “Fia can come after my ass anytime she wants.” Lucky
laughed as Acer’s middle finger went up.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you hit on my woman recently.” Acer took a healthy swig then returned the bottle to Lucky.

  “Please, you know I wouldn’t have touched her even if she begged.” Fia had been abducted and assaulted by a sadistic man less than a year ago. With Acer’s help, she was moving past the trauma, but had a lot of issues with her confidence as a woman. Lucky told her he’d gladly sleep with her if and when she’d felt ready. Of course, he hadn’t meant it. One, his head was too fucked up over Kori and two, he’d never betray a brother like that. But the offer went a long way toward squashing her fears of being seen as a desirable woman again.

  “I know that now that I’ve watched you steer clear of anything female over the last month. At the time? I wanted to pound your ass.”

  Laughter erupted from Lucky’s gut. Damn, that felt good. This was exactly what he’d been missing in Vegas for quite some time. The brotherhood here was strong whereas it had been disintegrating in Vegas, even before he learned about the drugs. He hadn’t even realized it was happening, but now that he was essentially with a new club, the differences were glaring.

  He tipped his head back and stared at the clear blue sky, not a wisp of a cloud in sight. Sweat dotted his forehead and soaked his T-shirt, partly from the almost one-hundred-degree day and partly from the stress of what he knew he had to do.

  “There’s some shit going down in Vegas, bad shit.” Even though he wasn’t even touching on what was actually happening, guilt hit him like a sledge hammer. He felt dirty, like a diseased sewer rat.

  Acer’s back straightened. “Christ, Luck, I had no idea. Do they need help up there? Man power? Where’s the threat coming from?”

  Lucky shook his head and gave Acer the respect of looking him straight in the eye. “It’s internal trouble. Like I said, bad shit. Stuff I should have probably taken straight to Shiv when I got here. Hell, before I got here. But, there are…complications. And then I walked into a mess here with the threat from your father. But that’s resolved and I’ve run out of time. I need to talk to them.”

  “Man, you are a cryptic bastard. I get it though. They need to hear first if it’s a problem within the club. Bad, you say?” The bottle was passed between the them again and Acer took a long drink.

  “The worst.”

  “Shit.”

  “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  Footsteps sounded around the side of the house and Fia appeared a few seconds later. “I gave you guys one extra minute.” She winked. “I’m just generous like that.”

  As she climbed the steps, Acer held a hand out. “Thanks, baby. You’re too good to us.”

  With a laugh, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her onto his lap. It was nice to see her looking relaxed and at happy in Acer’s arms. She’d been through hell and still reacted negatively when in close quarters with most men. But not Acer, and surprisingly, not so much with Lucky. She seemed to have taken to him and trusted he’d never hurt her or breach her invisible boundaries.

  Acer nuzzled her neck and whispered something in her ear that had her giggling and swatting his arm. “Behave,” she whispered, then turned to Lucky. “So, Lucky, tell me her name.”

  She had to ask just as the liquor filled his mouth. Damn her feminine insight. He sucked in a breath and choked as the bourbon sloshed down his windpipe. “Whose…name?” he asked between coughs.

  Legs crossed and back resting against Acer’s chest, she cocked her head and smiled. “The woman who messed with your head. The woman you’re apparently saving yourself for.”

  It was Acer’s turn to choke this time, although the bastard wasn’t drinking anything. He could suffocate on his spit for all Lucky cared.

  Saving himself. Christ, if he hadn’t sounded like a pussy before, he sure did now. The worst part was that Fia was entirely right. He wasn’t chasing any chicks on the negative chances that he’d somehow get Kori back. What a loser.

  Fia smiled a satisfied grin as though she enjoyed getting under his skin. Her glee at his expense was almost worth it after observing her have a few panic attacks and seeing her almost killed by a psycho.

  “All right, nosey. There was a woman. There isn’t anymore. That’s all you’re getting. Hope you’re happy.”

  Her grin spread practically to her ears. “Good enough for now, my friend. But I’ll be back for more later.”

  “One of those complications you mentioned?” Acer asked.

  Lucky nodded. The complication.

  “Shiv and Striker should both be at the clubhouse if you want to ride with us. Figure you may not want to drive after all that.” Acer pointed to the bottle still in Lucky’s hand.

  Questions were visible in Fia’s eyes, but like a good ol’ lady, she didn’t voice them. It would be a waste of breath. Neither Lucky or Acer would tell her what was going on. Not at this point anyway. Maybe later, if the situation became dangerous or there was a threat to the families they’d be clued in. But not now. Fia had been with Acer long enough to know how it worked.

  Lucky rose from his chair. “Shit, let’s go.” It was now or never.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kori sat in the rapidly heating car, bouncing her leg against the floorboard. Three minutes ago, she’d killed the engine in hopes that the car would become too warm to tolerate thus forcing her out. Nothing else had worked. She’d been sitting in the car for the past thirty minutes staring at the Crystal Rock chapter’s clubhouse.

  First, she tried an encouraging internal pep talk that fell flat. Then she scolded herself out loud. She’d even tried screaming at the top of her lungs in hopes that it would relieve tension.

  No dice.

  This seemed to be working though. It wouldn’t be much longer before she had no choice but to leave the car. That or roast.

  For the last two weeks, Kori had been hiding out in the cheapest motel she could find, two hours north of Vegas. She’d quit her job, paid cash, used a fake name and a cheesy hat and sunglasses disguise if she needed to leave her room, which she did not do often. She was petrified of being discovered. So many times over the fourteen days, she wanted to drive to Crystal Rock, but the unknowns kept her away. Would Lucky believe her? Would he toss her out on her ass if she showed up? Would her presence put either of them in danger? For all she knew, Rebel was monitoring the club, looking for her there. Hell, were the president and VP of the Crystal Rock chapter trustworthy?

  The questions grew more intrusive and she eventually grew so lonely and eager to see Lucky that she was willing to take the chance. Lucky trusted those men. She would trust them too.

  A knock on the window, right next to her ear caused her to yelp. Her hand slipped from the wheel and hit the horn, making her jump a second time. Jesus, she had to get a grip.

  With an unsteady hand, she opened the door and looked up. And up. And up. A huge hulking form of a man loomed over her car. Everything about the giant was massive; his muscles, his long hair, his height. If it wasn’t for the teasing grin on his face and the twinkle in his eye she may have slammed the door and driven straight out of the lot.

  “Everything all right, miss? You sure have been sitting here for a while. Looking for someone you hooked up with recently?” the giant asked.

  “What? Uh, no. I’m sorry I’ve been loitering. I just…um…well, it doesn’t matter. I need to speak with either Shiv, or Striker, or both. It’s very important.” She straightened her shoulders and shored up the courage to look the large man in the face. Unfortunately for a few moments, she forgot about the purple bruising across her right cheek. The big guy noticed it and his smile flipped to a scowl.

  “I’m Jester, by the way. Who did that to you? One of our guys?” He gripped her chin with a bear paw sized hand that was much gentler than she’d ever have imagined he could be and tilted her face, examining her cheek.

  “Uh, no. No one from around here.” She slid a hand over her cheek. So mu
ch for expensive makeup. “And I’m Kori.”

  He studied her for another moment before pulling her door all the way open. “Come on out, Kori. I believe both Striker and Shiv are in the chapel. They shouldn’t mind an interruption. I’ll walk you in.”

  “Thank you.” She slid out of the vehicle. “Wow, I thought Vegas was hot.”

  Jester snorted. “Vegas, huh? You ain’t seen nothing yet, girl. Come on, this way.” He led the way into the clubhouse, past a wooden bar, to a set of floor-to-ceiling heavy wooden doors.

  Her stomach dipped as his meaty fist rapped against the door and she had to lock her knees to keep from bolting back down the stairs.

  “You okay, lady? You’re looking a little green around the gills.”

  “Yeah I’m good.”

  “It’s open,” a man called from behind the door.

  Jester popped his head in. “Hey, Pres, VP, there’s a lady here to see you guys. Says it’s important.”

  “All right, send her in, Jester,” a different man answered.

  “Thank you for the escort.” She smiled up at Jester.

  “No problem. And don’t worry, they don’t bite too hard.” He shot her a wink then ambled toward the bar.

  She stepped into the room and found two men sitting on either side of a large rectangular table. One was older, with a gray beard and long gray hair tied in a ponytail. A thick cigar that had burned down to about three inches was between his thumb and forefinger. The stogie emitted a pungent aroma that wasn’t quite as offensive to her as cigarette smoke. Still, the lung cancer lecture was dancing on the tip of her tongue.

  The other man was younger, probably upper thirties, with slightly mussed dark hair, an intense expression, and impressive biceps. They sure grew ’em handsome in the desert.