by Aden Lowe
Hell Raiders MC #5
Aden Lowe
©2016 by Aden Lowe. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication or series may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Aden Lowe or his legal representative.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, brands, and incidents are either the product of the authors' imaginations or used fictitiously. The authors acknowledge the trademarked status and owners of various products and locations referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication or use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Author's Note: This book contains adult situations and language, violence, and sexual activity. Mature readers only.
Acknowledgements:
This book pushed me way beyond my comfort zones. I owe my wife, Elyse, my Assistant, Ashley Wheels, and my buddy, Tape, in a big way for not letting me take the easy way out. As Tape says, "If you gonna write that shit, son, you fuckin' better do 'er right."
The ladies in the Lowe-Down fan group on Facebook are freakn incredible. Thank you for reading, reviewing, sharing posts, commenting, Liking, and all the other stuff you do. But mostly, just thanks for being you. It never fails if I'm tired, I can go in there for a short break, and you having me laughing and ready to get back to work. (Shh, don't tell, but I tend to take 'breaks' I might not actually need, just to hang out there ;) )
All the book bloggers out there who put so much time and effort into supporting Indie Authors… What can I say? You freakn rock.
Elyse, I try to say it every day, but thank you for putting up with my crazy. I know it's not easy to live with a guy who's always listening to the voices in his head, but you make it look okay.
Last, but not least… okay, so yeah, she is the least, in size anyway… Ashley Wheels, thanks for all you do, and all you put up with from me. Thanks for calling me on my bullshit. I know I don't make your job any easier, but you still freakn rock it.
Click here to see a sneak preview of my NEW SERIES!
Prologue
I stared at the clock on the nightstand. 2:34 a.m. The minutes crept by, but went too fast, too. The coming day sat in my belly like a hot lump. I dreaded dropping Caleb off at the Recruitment Center. Something about it felt so final, as if I would never see him again.
The door to my room opened quietly, and he slipped inside. "Hey, baby. Thought I would sneak in one last time." His devilish grin made me smile, just like always.
"I'm glad you did." I scooted over on the bed, and he stripped off his sweatpants and hoodie, and slid under the covers with me.
"I didn't know when I might get a chance to make love to you again." He gathered me close and brushed his lips over mine.
I responded, kissing him back. My body already knew exactly what to do, what would happen. He sat up long enough to pull of my sleep shirt, then leaned over me, kissing me, deep and desperate.
My nipples hardened to his touch immediately, and after a few moments, he slid his hand down my belly and between my legs. "So hot, Jus." His thumb stroked my clit, and one finger slipped inside me.
Soon, I was gasping, and moving on his hand, begging for more. He paused long enough to roll on the condom he brought with him, and spread my legs with his, and thrust inside me. I loved this. He made me feel safe, feminine, and wanted every time we were together.
His thrusts quickened, and his breath became uneven. My body throbbed for him, and I met each stroke, until he gave one last push, and his erection pulsed inside me. All the tension I'd built up released suddenly, and my body squeezed him as he gasped.
We caught our breath, and he pulled out and took care of the condom. "I couldn't leave without a proper goodbye. Never forget I love you, Jus."
I smiled up at him. "I love you, too. I can't wait until you get back."
He caught my left hand and touched the little ring he'd put there a few weeks ago. It wasn't big, but it meant the world to me. "I can't wait, either." He held me close, and we just laid there for a long time. Finally, he shifted a little. "I should go. Your Dad will be up before long. Can't have him catching me in your bed." With one last deep kiss, he slid out of bed, dressed, and left my room silently.
1
Fabio (((Caleb)
I read Justine's letter for the millionth time, even though I knew it by heart.
Caleb
I know this comes as a shock, but I've met someone. I can't go on pretending any longer. I'm sorry. Please believe I never meant to hurt you. I hope you can forgive me eventually. You're a good man, and you'll find happiness with a good woman someday soon.
Justine
Just like every time I read the faded words, my heart stopped, right before my soul collapsed in upon me. I spent every moment trying to figure out where I went wrong, what I could have done differently, and how I missed the signs. I searched back through all her letters from before, and as hard as I looked, I couldn't spot any hint of her not being happy.
Of course, she would have preferred we go ahead and get started on our lives together, but she understood I had to serve. My family had always served in the Armed Forces, and I refused to be the first to break the long tradition of honor. She supported the decision, I thought.
"Sergeant Reach, First Sergeant wants you in the Orderly Room." PFC Hall always seemed to be the one they sent to interrupt my misery. Maybe they figured since we shared Native American heritage, I wouldn't take his head off as quickly as someone else's.
I headed out without a reply, and pulled the brim of my hat down against the midday sun as I stepped outside. The First Sergeant needn't have bothered bringing me in. I already knew what he had to say. Get my fucking head out of my ass and get back in the game.
Except when I got there, two men in civilian clothing stood with the first sergeant. They looked up when I came in, and spread out. "Sgt. Reach, you've been tapped for a special mission."
"What kind of fucking mission?"
"Retrieval. We'll give you the details en route." The man on the left glared at me, like he knew for sure I would fail.
Well I had news for the motherfucker. I never failed to complete a mission. "What are we waiting for?"
The man on the right nodded. "Thanks, First Sergeant. We'll bring him back in about three days." He glanced at me. "Grab what you need for a couple days and nights. You got five minutes."
I was ready in three. The men directed me to a beat-to-hell civilian jeep, and I climbed in the back, while they took the front. "Mind telling me where we're going?"
"That's not important."
The rest of the ride passed in silence, except for the roar of the engine. The exhaust fumes coming into the back from the bad pipes nearly choked me to death, but I refused to complain. Near dark, we rolled into a little village that looked like it had seen better days. Bullet holes pockmarked the walls, and we drove around several craters in the road, most likely from IEDs.
The gates of a small private compound swung open just in time for the jeep to get through, and closed immediately behind us. Climbing out of that jeep into the dusty yard at first seemed a relief. Then the smothering heat of the place hit me.
"Come on, chow should be ready." The two men led the w
ay into a small, dark house.
Inside, someone thrust a plate into my hands, and I started to eat automatically, not bothering to taste the food. It didn't matter, as long as it gave my muscles the nutrients necessary to complete my mission.
"I'm Thompson, by the way, and this is Burns." The guy who had seemed a little more forthcoming spoke first. "I think we have some clothes in the back that'll fit you. This ain't exactly an authorized mission."
"That don't bother me. What am I doing?" Lukewarm water followed the untasted food.
Burns and Thompson exchanged a long look. "We had a guy inside the local insurgent operation. This bunch uses technology more than the usual. Our man was supposed to get us a thumb drive with the plans for a future attack."
Burns picked it up. "The leader got suspicious of our guy, and ended up killing him. And we don't have that thumb drive. We're going to get in there and get it. And while we do that, you're going to keep the insurgents off our backs."
I shrugged. "Sounds like plan. Point me at the target and they won't get through."
Burns nodded. "We heard that about you. We also heard you're carrying some baggage that might make you take more risks than most soldiers. This isn't going to be a walk in the park."
That didn't even deserve a reply, since nothing about this hellhole resembled a park, so I stayed silent and waited to see what else he would say. The few details I needed unfolded quickly, and I committed them to memory. "If that's all, I'm going to grab a couple hours' sleep before we move."
The pair nodded and Burns pointed toward an open doorway. "Bunks are in there. Take your pick."
The next day, I got my first real lesson in putting shit behind me. I learned if you put enough blood and violence on top of it, anything can disappear, at least for a little while. Over the next six months, I went back and forth between my unit, and getting pulled into jobs with Burns and Thompson.
Most of us looked forward to returning home at the end of our tour. Burns brought it up as we made our way back from another successful job. "Got big plans for when you get out?"
I shook my head. "Thinking about staying. Nothing waiting back home."
"You should think about joining the dark side. The laughs never end."
"Yeah? So I just go to my re-enlistment NCO and tell him I want to re-up for the dark side, huh?"
Thompson barked with laughter. "Reach, I think you've impressed the fuck out of Burns. He's never told anybody the secret to getting into our line of work."
Burns grinned. "Seriously, man. We can always use another good operator. The hours suck but the pay is a little better. Think about it. If you're interested, I'll set you up with our contact after the next job."
For the next week, I weighed my options. Going home was out of the question. I wouldn't be able to live with seeing Justine happy with some other man. So, I could either re-enlist and keep on watching the fight take two steps back for every one we gained. Or, I could become a civilian operator, like Burns and Thompson. They probably had half the alphabet in whatever agency they called home, but that made no difference to me. At least they were making a real difference.
True to his word, after we wrapped up our next job, Burns took me to meet someone. The man waited at a busy food stall. "You understand this work is not affiliated with any government agency? We are a civilian corporation, and although we occasionally fill contracts for various governments, our goals here are different from theirs."
"I understand."
The man nodded and passed me a sheaf of papers. "You're going to need this. When you go back to your unit this time, orders will be waiting for you. You'll reach your destination and find the address on the first page. There, you'll meet with our team to see if you're suitable for this work."
I glanced at the papers, checking the address. No city. Probably the first test in whether I was 'suitable'. "Then what?"
He shrugged. "Then, assuming they decide you're an asset we need, you'll get your first assignment." He raised a hand. "Good luck, Reach. We need more good men." And he faded into the crowd before I could ask anything more.
A few days later, I found the address, endured the interviews and tests, and waited patiently. A pretty dark-haired woman smiled as I walked into yet another office and handed her my papers. "Looks like we're your last stop. Good luck." She gestured for me to go through the door just behind her desk, while she stood and followed. "Dr. Morgan, Mr. Reach is here to finish up." She passed my folder off to a skinny middle-aged man behind yet another desk.
The bastard took so long reading through my file, I started to think he'd forgotten I was there. "So, Mr. Reach. You're here because your woman is fucking your friend. You think she likes it?"
A sick feeling settled into my gut. "What are you talking about?"
He looked up at me with mild surprise. "Surely you knew." He glanced at his notes. "Justine Carson. Twenty-four. Until recently, engaged to Caleb Reach. Fucking Zack Bays since right after you left for basic."
The sick feeling turned to a damn explosion. I'd always known Zack wanted her, but fuck, she never paid him any attention. And I'd trusted her, right up until I read that fucking letter.
"Don't tell me you weren't aware. All this time? You had to see something in all the letters she wrote you." He flipped through some more papers. "Yeah, she doesn't seem all that smart, so she couldn't have fooled you."
My hands shook to wipe the smug look of that motherfucker's face, but I stood quiet.
"It seems the two of them have made a big thing of how easily they fooled you." He nodded and smiled. "Everyone in town knew about it, including your sister. Do you mean to tell me, no one thought enough of you to tell you the truth?"
The sound of my pulse filled my ears and my field of vision darkened around the edges. A hand reached out and grabbed the skinny man by his throat and dragged him over the desk. The crack of breaking bones drowned out my heartbeat and my vision cleared in time to see the look of mild surprise on the man's face just before his expression went slack in death.
Well, fuck. Unless I missed my guess, that meant I wasn't going to get the job. I let the body drop quietly to the floor and walked out, careful to close the door behind me.
The pretty woman smiled again. "How did it go?"
"Good, I think. Dr. Morgan asked me to tell you he isn't feeling great, and said not to disturb him." I leaned forward conspiratorially. "If you ask me, he needs to lighten up a little. A good stiff drink would probably fix that."
Her cheeks flushed a little as she giggled. "I think you're right. Okay, I'll see you out. Go back to your hotel, and wait. One of our people will be with you tomorrow, either way."
Flirting with her a little more as she led me out of the building, I learned a few things. Apparently, Morgan was well hated by the whole company, for digging up the most painful moments from a person's past, and trotting them out in the interview. According to my new friend, few people passed.
I skipped the hotel. Nothing there I needed anyway. Their first mistake had been in bringing me back to the States. From the office building in Pennsylvania, I could disappear without a trace in a heartbeat. In any other part of the world, I'd have had to work a little.
Ten minutes later, I pulled the tags off a car that appeared to have been sitting in the parking garage for a while. With the tags tucked in the back of my jeans, out of sight, I headed for the mall I'd seen on my way to and from my hotel. From there, I hopped a Transit bus and stayed aboard until it stopped at the corner with several apartment buildings in walking distance.
The first tenant parking lot had an attendant, and everyone, including middle-aged Middle Eastern women, tended to remember a guy who didn't remember which car was his, so I passed. The perfect opportunity came just moments later. There was an attendant, but he had his hands full with a screeching woman who seemed determined to key some bastard's car.
I slipped by without being noticed, and headed straight to the back of the lot. It only too
k a couple of minutes to get the older pickup truck started with the screwdriver I found on the floorboard, and just like that, I had wheels. I stopped a few blocks away and switched out the tags, stashing the real one for the truck behind the seat.
I drove the rest of that first day, only stopping once for fuel and food. Late that night, I rolled into a little town on the outskirts of Columbus. Time to hole up for a little while and decide what the fuck to do. Big secretive corporations with their fingers in all the war pies probably didn't celebrate when some whack job crushed their pet head-shrinker's throat. I cruised a quiet residential area until I found a beat up car, and switched tags again, then went in search of food and a motel.
2
Fabio(caleb)
I had no way of knowing if anyone searched for me or not, but I had to assume my face was on a list somewhere. Those people back there didn't strike me as the type to let one of their own get taken down, and not seek payback. So, I acted as if they were hot on my tail.
Over the next few months, I put every trick I knew about hiding to work. Well, except the one about staying put to keep from drawing attention. Every time I thought a town appealed to me enough to stay a little while, I woke up in the middle of the night and hit the road. Somewhere along the way, I picked up a stray dog that refused to get lost, so I let him ride along with me. If nothing else, he made a good listener, even if he did stink like a dumpster a week overdue for pickup in August. Out of desperation, I wrangled him into the bathtub in a little motel, and scrubbed the stench off him.
I ended up in Georgia right before Memorial Day, and the town hosted a big motorcycle rally for the holiday. Somehow, I managed to get a room in a shitty little motel in a town bursting at the seams. Around three a.m., I woke up to the sound of a million motorcycles rolling past, and Dog growling his fool ass off while every hair he owned stood on end. Even still a bit on the skinny side, Dog was huge, well over a hundred pounds, so he didn't really need to look bigger to intimidate the fuck out of any threat. But he still fluffed up.
