Hidden Heat (Brothers of Mayhem #1)

by Carla Swafford

  Her hand cupped his length, and then grasped it and stroked. His ass lifted off the seat a fraction of an inch. Others around him probably thought he’d adjusted his seating.

  His hand covered hers. He shook his head.

  She knew what he was telling her, but she chose to ignore it. Another deep stroke and she moved the cotton out of the way and touched pure human steel. She was always amazed by how silky and hot a cock felt. How did he expect her to keep her hands away?

  Thorn grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away.

  Giggling, she reached for him again with the other.

  The bike wobbled.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Wolf glancing their way. She knew he couldn’t really see what she did to his brother. The ends of Thorn’s vest hid her hands. She pressed her face into his strong leather-covered back, but her hand remained.

  Oh, my, he smelled of pure male and freedom.

  That one long summer of being a bad girl came back to her with a vengeance. It started on her sixteenth birthday, when Mitch had pissed her off. She couldn’t remember exactly what he’d said, probably told her to clean up her room. Janet never raised her voice and was a total pushover. Probably why the woman had been with Mitch for so long.

  That night, Cassidy sneaked out of her bedroom window. She’d arranged to meet friends at the street corner. In no time, she’d discovered being out at one in the morning was boring. She didn’t own a fake ID. All of the nightclubs barred her for being underage. So they found a perfect place to party at a nearby park.

  Though she grew up with pot and meth in whatever rental they lived in, she’d never messed with her parents’ stash. Whenever she’d even looked at their paraphernalia in curiosity, they blew their tops, but not from fear of what might happen to her, or because she was too young to use drugs, but because they hated sharing.

  So it was at the park on a small merry-go-round that she smoked her first joint. That night she’d met Rocky. He’d been so hot. A twenty-year-old, leather-wearing biker. He’d been a prospect for the Brothers of Mayhem. She knew Mitch would be ticked off if he learned she’d been hanging around with anyone from the club. Bonus!

  She began sneaking out and partying hard with Rocky and his friends. She’d even experimented with coke and drinking tequila. Over the next few months, they were together. She loved riding free in the early hours with him, and she quickly learned she’d do anything to make sure Rocky never regretted being with her. That included sleeping with his friends.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. If there were such a thing as a do-over, that time would be number one on her list. She wished she could forget all of it.

  Why had Janet and Mitch never called her out for sneaking around or coming home drunk or high? She knew they had done a whole lot worse twenty years earlier, but had mellowed with age. At that point, Mitch occasionally lit up a joint and Janet sipped on frozen daiquiris, but that was their limit. So why hadn’t they tried to stop her. Had they not cared?

  Then one evening, Mitch threw a fit when she called him an asshole to his face. For punishment she had to babysit her brother on a Saturday night while he and Janet visited friends.

  Rocky showed up fifteen minutes after her foster parents left. Before she knew it, two more Brothers showed up with their old ladies. Drugs and alcohol covered the coffee table. She’d told Storm to stay in his room.

  During those next few hours, being so high, she’d been unaware that her brother had tiptoed into the room. Being a normal preteen, he’d wanted to act and be treated like one of them.

  Mitch and Janet Crane walked in at two the next morning to half-naked bodies stretched across their couch and floor. Storm, skin flushed as he hugged the toilet bowl, was throwing up the whiskey he’d downed and Cassidy was crying her eyes out. As the day continued and his vomiting continued, followed by a rash and the worry of how his breathing had slowed to near nonexistence, they rushed him to an emergency room. It turned out he had an alcohol intolerance. From then on he needed to stay away from alcoholic beverages, or next time he might die.

  But at that moment, she hadn’t known that. She rode her old, beat-up motorcycle, following Janet’s old rust bucket toward the hospital. She didn’t make it. She’d wiped out on the first sharp curve a mile later. They later told her that being so high had made her limber, and that probably saved her life. Ironic, considering it was the drugs in her system that caused her to lose control. With the skin scrapped off one leg, a sprained wrist, cut cheek, and mild concussion, she stayed by her brother’s side for the next week until she was certain he didn’t have any aftereffects.

  Two days before Storm left the hospital, Rocky was found overdosed on heroin.

  She cried each night for months, muffling her sobs beneath her pillow. She didn’t want her little brother to hear. That was the end of her wild days. She’d decided to become a good girl and keep her brother away from the Brothers of Mayhem.

  Her brother didn’t know it, but she hadn’t given up on him. They were right. She needed to leave him alone. He needed to find his own path. She only wished she could spare him the pain she’d gone through.

  Thorn squeezed her wrist. She came back to the present and realized that though she had stopped stroking him, her hand was wrapped around his cock. He wasn’t fighting her touch, but she knew they needed more than heavy petting.

  She needed him holding her in return. She needed him between her legs the right way. That was when she noticed the club was exiting the interstate at a rest stop. It was full on daylight, but they were going to find release some way.

  —

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  Thorn backed up his bike to the curb. Christ sake! She’d released his dick, and he could breathe again. His balls hurt so bad, if he didn’t get relief soon he would explode.

  He sat on the bike while she moved off and said she was going to the ladies’ room. He nodded and took his time unstrapping his helmet. Wolf gave him a strange look as he rambled over to the flat-roofed building. By the time his dick softened enough for him to move, most of the club had taken care of business and moved over toward the smoking area with Wolf. Several Brothers talked on cellphones, or bought Cokes and snacks.

  As he stepped into the building, he noticed one side of the women’s restroom had a sign that read “Wet Floors—Do Not Enter.” In that split second, on seeing Cass walking out the other side, he snagged her arm and quickly pulled her down to the last stall of the empty side.

  “What are you doing? This area isn’t open.”

  “That’s why you’re going with me.” He grinned down at her.

  “Here? Now?” A flare of excitement shined in her eyes.

  “Hell, yes.” He backed her into a stall and slammed the stainless-steel door behind them. “You’ve teased me for the last two hours. I’m not your fucking road toy.”

  “But I noticed you didn’t wrestle with me too much. I think you liked it.” She grinned.

  “You have no one but yourself to blame for this.” He jerked up her shirt and yanked down the front of her bra. His mouth latched on and sucked. His tongue pressed her nipple to the roof of his mouth. She groaned. Nipping and rolling the stiff tip, he felt her fingernails dig into his shoulders. He unsnapped and unzipped her jeans. In seconds, they landed on the floor. Without bothering to slip off her panties, he lifted one slim leg, moved the elastic to one side, and his fingers found the moisture. Hell, yeah, she was as turned on as he was. Not wasting any more time—someone could decide to open that section—he loosened and pushed down his pants onto his hips. The cool air hit his overheated length and in one thrust he was inside. Her muscles tightened and released. She’d climaxed as he’d entered her.

  “Damn it, Cass. Give me a chance to come with you,” he said, and chuckled into her ear.

  “Don’t worry. I have a feeling there is more.” She moaned low against his shoulder as she tried to move her hips. “Harder.”

  Each time he slammed into
her, the metal stall shook. He didn’t care. He needed her. He needed the relief only she could give him.

  Somehow she’d wrapped both legs around his waist, and her heels dug into his buttocks. Her hands clasped the top edge of the metal wall, giving her the leverage to move into his thrusts.

  His hands cupped her cool ass and they pounded each other, wanting the satisfaction the last hours had pushed them toward. As he felt her climax again, he was right there with her, sinking in deep, coming until he was sure he wouldn’t get hard no matter what she did to him during the rest of the drive to Pensacola.

  He helped her straighten her legs as he pulled out. Then it hit him.

  He hadn’t worn a condom.

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  Chapter 13

  Cassidy frowned. She’d promised Thorn to keep her hands above his waist. What fun was that? But she did. Just as well, as she’d caught the smirks of several of the men and their old ladies. Feeling her cheeks warm, she still kept her head high. She pretended they were jealous. Their old men couldn’t lift their asses high enough to do what Thorn had during the stop.

  When they arrived in Pensacola, she inhaled the salt-infused air and slowly moved off the bike. That was when she understood what the guys called monkey butt. Being her first run, she’d never experienced riding the small seat for so long. She walked carefully around to stretch her legs and relieve the tenderness of her rear end.

  The public beach was filled with sunbathers. She didn’t own a swimsuit, but if she could find a private area, she’d slip into the tank top and cutoffs stuffed in his saddlebags.

  Looking around, she spotted a few of the women strolling over to a large, gray-roofed building. Most likely a restroom. A perfect place to change in private.

  A couple of women didn’t care if they had an audience, and stripped next to the parked bikes. Beneath their clothes they wore bikinis. More like strings with three patches. One had tattoos larger than the material; one across her stomach read “Property of the Brothers of Mayhem.” The ink proclaimed to all that any brother could take her.

  Cassidy shivered with memories she would rather not revisit. She turned away and followed the other women.

  “Where’re you going?” Thorn hollered at her.

  “I’ll be back.”

  The smell of heated disinfectant and pee hit her as soon as she stepped inside. She waited in the usual line for a stall. It took longer than she’d hoped, but she came back to see Thorn off to the side talking with his brother. They leaned against their respective bikes.

  With no shirt or boots, Thorn wore his jeans, riding low on his hips. Though a little thinner than what she normally liked, she had to admit he looked mighty fine with all his lean muscle. Broad chest with only a little hair in the center that led down his belly. The breeze off the gulf pushed his hair into his eyes. He smoothed it back and it fell over his eyes again. So freaking sexy. Those dark-blue eyes narrowed as he watched her walk up.

  He straightened and pulled her into his arms.

  “Well, hello there, sweetheart.”

  When this was over, she would miss hearing him call her endearments in his low, deep voice. What a happy girl she’d be if she had a recording of his voice to listen to each night before bedtime. Then again, she’d never get any sleep. Not until her hand finished the job his voice started.

  She asked, “Aren’t you going swimming?”

  “I’m not much of a water boy. But I’ll be happy to watch you frolic in the waves.”

  “Frolic, huh? You’re a strange man, Thorn Savalas.” She looked up through her eyelashes and grinned. “What’s your real name?”

  “Thorn.”

  “No. What did your parents name you?”

  “Thorn.”

  She shoved him and crossed her arms, pretending to be mad. “You’re not being nice at all.” Catching Wolf staring, she turned his way. “What did your parents name your brother? Is it really Thorndyke, like you teased him the other day?”

  Wolf smiled big and nodded.

  “No!” Eyes wide, she shook her head in disbelief. “You’re kidding.” When she looked at Thorn, she knew his brother told the truth. “Thorndyke Savalas? Any middle name?”

  “If you say another word, Wolfgang, I’ll pound your body into the sand.” Thorn glared.

  “Hey, I don’t have problem with my name.” When Thorn continued to look as if he wished his brother a horrible death, Wolf threw up his hands, laughing hard as he walked away.

  “It can’t be that bad.” She considered nagging him to tell her when the Mobile chapter roared in.

  Stonewall stood off to the side, hands on his hips, feet separated as if he was a king and waited for his vassals to kneel at his feet. If he could think of a way to make his men do that, he probably would. But being the president of the mother chapter, the one that started Brothers of Mayhem, he was the leader over the other three chapters’ presidents, and they were waiting for the last chapter to show up, the Montgomery chapter. They were a small club, only statewide, but it still made Stonewall powerful.

  Her feelings for the current Skull had always leaned more to hate than anything neutral. Nauseated, she looked for Thorn. In all of the noise and movement of the excited crowd, they’d become separated.

  Ten minutes later, she found him walking along the shoreline, kicking the waves coming in, as he talked on his cellphone. She hung back, not wanting to interrupt his conversation. By the serious look on his face, she knew it was his handler. She noticed that when he spoke with a club member, he would laugh and talk tough, but when it was his handler, he listened hard and appeared angry.

  He lowered the phone and turned, jerking to a stop when he noticed her nearby.

  “You following me?”

  “Yes.” What could she say? It was the truth.

  He stared at her a few seconds and then looked around. “Let’s go shopping for some souvenirs.” Without giving her time to respond, he clasped her upper arm and headed toward the parking lot. She struggled to walk in the sand and keep up with his long strides.

  “Hey, slow down.”

  He ignored her. Furious at his heavy-handed ways, but not wanting to make a bigger scene than they were already, she did her best to keep up. As soon as they reached his bike, Wolf came jogging up.

  “What’s going on?” He looked at Thorn, then Cassidy, and then back to his brother.

  “Nothing. We decided to pick up a few souvenirs.”

  “I’ll go with you.” He turned to hop on his bike.

  “No.” Thorn’s tone brooked no argument.

  The hurt look on Wolf’s face bothered her. That was when she realized how much younger he was than Thorn. From the bits of conversation he heard from Thorn, Wolf was likely only three years older than her brother, and a year younger than her. He acted older and that threw her off, and he was more often angry with Thorn than not, but she could tell he worshiped his big brother.

  She jerked out of Thorn’s hold and leaned over to Wolf, kissing his cheek. “I think your brother is using it as an excuse to be alone with me. If you know what I mean?” She winked. Anything to help smooth over the disappointment for the younger Savalas.

  Wolf’s big, mischievous smile caused Cassidy to wonder if there was more to his name.

  “Sure. Okay. I’ll see you two later.” He loped off to a small group of prospects nervously eyeing the fully pledged Brothers of Mayhem.

  “Let’s go.”

  “What’s going on?” She stopped in front of the bike, and wasn’t moving an inch more until he explained why he was being such an ass. “You dragged me over here and treated your brother as if he didn’t have any feelings. I don’t have to put up with this.”

  “Get on. We don’t have long.” He cranked the bike. When she didn’t move, he clenched his jaw, but said, “I’ll explain when we get there.”

  That was something. She decided to be patient. If he didn’t have a good excuse, she might find a baseball bat and use
it on him.

  Five minutes later, they turned down a drive with bushes and tall grass on both sides. At the end stood a weathered little house on stilts. A man leaned against one of the posts. He appeared to be a silhouette and nothing more. Though she couldn’t see his face, she felt he’d been waiting for them.

  Then she knew. It was Thorn’s handler and boss, Dean Harper.

  —

  “Harper.” Thorn yanked off his helmet and reached out for Cass’s, then hooked them on the hand grip.

  “Thorn.” The older man eyed Cass as he nodded in greeting. “Nice to meet you finally, Cassidy. My name’s Dean.”

  She kept the bike between her and his handler. Thorn had expected her unfriendly stance, considering the people her parents associated with when she was a kid. The Brothers and their families weren’t lovers of law enforcement, honest, or part of their payroll. He was still amazed that she accepted him so readily. Maybe in the back of her mind, knowing he was a Savalas helped. Whatever. He was grateful.

  She remained quiet. Only the sound of cars passing on one side and the seagulls squawking above the waves on the other broke the silence. Harper appeared to come to a decision.

  “I wanted to be sure you understood what you’re getting into by helping my boy here.” Harper crossed his arms and tucked in his chin.

  Damn him. What was he up to? Over the phone, he’d sworn he had information to share, it needed to be told face-to-face, and it was important to have her present. Now, he understood Harper didn’t trust her and wanted instead to look her in the eye, to see if she was playing them. She could easily bring the operation to a standstill and get him killed at the same time.

  “I’ll do anything to help. As I told Thorn, I want the club destroyed and my brother safe.” She crossed her arms too but lifted her chin.

  Harper had certainly met his match.

  Trying his best to hide a smile, Thorn wiped his mouth and glanced away. When his gaze returned to her, he sensed she struggled with something more.