Retribution (The Lone Riders MC Series Book 2)

by Michelle Betham

  ***

  ‘Here you go.’ Kip smiled as he handed Mia another beer, pulling himself up on to the table beside her. ‘One more won’t hurt.’

  ‘The last thing I want is to be drunk, Kip.’ But she took the beer from him anyway. ‘I should probably be keeping a clear head.’

  ‘Then we’ll share it. Okay?’

  She returned his smile, taking a swig and handing him the bottle. ‘Okay. And thanks, Kip.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘For just… for just being here. Things are pretty messed-up right now, and I’ve kind of brought all this shit to the Lone Riders doorstep but… Well. Me and Ben we’re – we’re going through a tough time, you know?’

  Kip took another swig of beer as he stared out ahead of him. ‘You guys haven’t been together long, Mia. And under this kind of pressure, any new relationship is gonna suffer.’

  He handed her back the beer and she wrapped her hands around the bottle, looking down at it. ‘He’s hurting, because I couldn’t confide in him. Wouldn’t let him “protect” me, when the last thing I need is protecting…’ She looked up at Kip. He raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

  ‘We all need protecting sometimes, Mia.’

  She stared back down at her hands clasping the bottle tight between them. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I guess we do. But it’s hard, you know? Trying to ease his bruised ego, and explain why I couldn’t tell him anything… It’s exhausting.’

  ‘He just cares about you, that’s all.’ Kip looked at her, and she raised her head, their eyes locking. ‘We all do.’

  ‘Pushing him away wasn’t something I wanted to do. It was just… it was the only way I could handle it. If I pushed him away, kept him at arm’s length then I could avoid all the questions, not have to talk about anything. And now he’s pushing me away because he’s refusing to understand why I kept him in the dark, and there’s a part of me that just can’t be bothered to fight that, Kip. Does that make any sense?’

  Kip nodded. ‘Sometimes it helps to take a step back from a situation. Give yourself some time to think things over.’

  She smiled, reaching out to take his hand, squeezing it gently. ‘I really love that you’re here, Kip Hart.’

  ‘My shoulder’s always available to lean on, beautiful.’

  Their eyes stayed locked for a second or two more before he moved in closer, and Mia didn’t stop him. She knew what was coming, and she didn’t stop him. She just closed her eyes and waited for the second his mouth touched hers, the bottle of beer crashing to the floor as her arms slid around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss that gave her the release she needed. Five minutes to forget, that’s all she wanted. Five minutes to forget…

  ***

  Coby watched as Kip moved in for the kiss, Mia’s arms falling around him. ‘Shit!’ Throwing his cigarette down he violently ground it into the concrete, throwing himself back against the wall. ‘Shit!’

  He’d had his suspicions, and he wished he’d been wrong, but as he pulled his phone out of his pocket he knew this was a call he had to make. Just a quick call, but long enough for another layer of crap to be thrown on to the already growing pile. Coby was beginning to think the past few months had just been some kind of cruel dream. All those plans to become a club for the community had been going so well, things had been good. The peace and calm had suited him just fine, yet here they were, back in the middle of something he’d hoped to avoid – conflict and danger and secrets that could pull lives apart. More secrets. More shit ready to hit the fan.

  Balling his hands into fists he closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall, taking a few seconds to compose himself before making his way back into the clubhouse. Lexi was with Angie in the kitchen, helping her throw together a huge pot of chilli con carne for dinner. Everyone loved a chilli, and Angie Farlow made the best in town, as far as he was concerned. But, right now, the last thing on Coby’s mind was food. ‘I need a word, darlin’.’

  Lexi looked at him. ‘Now?’

  Coby’s expression gave her the answer to that one.

  ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can, Mum.’

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Angie asked, her eyes darting between Coby and her daughter.

  ‘Everything’s fine.’ At least, that’s what Lexi hoped. But as she looked over at Coby again, she felt nothing but a bad feeling rising. ‘I won’t be long.’

  She followed Coby out to the apartment at the rear of the clubhouse, closing the door behind them.

  ‘What’s up?’ she asked, watching as he leaned back against the sideboard, folding his arms, his eyes looking out of the small window by the bed rather than at her. Which did nothing to avert her fears.

  ‘Your brother’s out there, with Mia.’

  Lexi frowned. ‘Okay. And… the problem with that is?’

  Coby’s eyes finally met hers. ‘They’re kissing.’

  Lexi’s frown deepened. ‘I’m sorry, Coby, but if you’re trying to tell me Kip and Mia are having some kind of affair…’

  ‘I hope to God they’re not, darlin’.’

  ‘What…? Hang on… I’m confused here. I mean, it’s not right, if Kip’s trying it on with Mia when he knows her and Ben…’

  ‘We have to stop them, Lexi.’

  Lexi’s confusion was growing now. Why was Coby suddenly so concerned about anyone else’s fidelity? She wasn’t happy with the fact Kip was playing on Mia’s current vulnerability, because it was obvious to everyone that she and Ben were having some problems, but, that kind of thing didn’t usually concern Coby in the slightest, unless it could kick up shit for the club. ‘Why?’ Lexi asked slowly, her mind suddenly racing. ‘Why do we have to stop them? Shouldn’t this be something Mia and Ben work out for themselves?’

  ‘Kip needs to leave her alone… Jesus!’ Coby threw back his head, the sigh coming from deep within him heavy and loud. ‘Charlie should be telling you this, not me.’

  Lexi’s frown was back, her mind racing even faster now. ‘Why should Charlie…? What exactly should my dad be telling me, Coby?’

  Coby’s eyes fixed on hers, but he remained silent.

  ‘Coby? You’re scaring me now. What should Charlie be telling me?’

  ‘Mia she’s… she’s your sister.’

  The silence was sudden; the only sound Lexi could hear was the beating of her heart, everything else had just faded away.

  ‘No,’ she whispered, shaking her head. ‘No, you’re wrong. She can’t be, you’re wrong, Coby…’

  ‘Charlie told me, kid. He told me himself. Mia is his daughter.’

  Lexi didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t find the words any more, couldn’t make her mouth move. The shock had numbed her. More lies. More secrets. They were still surrounded by them, still living with the consequences they brought when they were finally unearthed. ‘Does… does Angie…?’

  Coby shook his head, walking over to Lexi, but she held up her hand to keep him away. ‘Angie has no idea. Look, baby, I don’t know all the ins and outs, Charlie didn’t explain everything in detail, but Mia’s mum, she was a club member’s old lady, that’s as much as I know. She and Charlie had some kind of relationship, an affair, a one-night stand, I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell it was, but the result was Mia. And neither of them told anyone the truth about her real father. Nobody knows Charlie’s her dad…’

  ‘We need to tell Kip. We need to tell him now, Coby.’

  ‘No, darlin’. No. Look, Charlie’s on his way over to California…’

  ‘We need to tell him. What if he and Mia…?’

  ‘We keep them apart, we push her and Ben back together. That’s all we can do until Charlie gets here. Look, sweetheart, I shouldn’t even be telling you all of this. Charlie wanted to tell you himself – he wanted to tell all of you the truth himself. But I have got enough shit to deal with, darlin’. And I need you to take control of this one. To keep Kip and Mia from doing anything they really shouldn’t be doing.’

  ‘Because
he can’t fuck his own sister, right?’

  ‘Come on, Lexi. Work with me here. You know what we’ve got going on, you know I am up to my eyes in crap right now, and this is a shock, I get that. But I really, really need you to focus, darlin’. I need you to do this, for me. Okay?’

  She leaned back against the wall, not stopping him from moving closer now. ‘I can’t get my head around this, Coby.’

  ‘I know, baby. It’s fucked-up, that’s for sure.’

  ‘How long have you…?’

  ‘Not long.’

  ‘After everything that’s happened, he kept that secret all those years? Watched Mia grow up around him, watched me and her play together, Christ, we were best friends when we were kids! And he didn’t say anything, even after her parents… Jesus, Coby… what the hell is going on here?’

  He rested a hand on the wall behind her, leaning right into her, his fingers slowly running over her collarbone. ‘I don’t know, darlin’. But I sure as hell know a way we can forget all this shit for a few minutes. And that can’t be a bad thing. We all need to forget, just for a little while.’

  ‘What if Mia and Kip…?’

  ‘Ben’s around, Lex. He’ll step in. He won’t let anything happen.’

  ‘And the mood he’s in, you think it’ll be a calm intervention?’

  ‘Right now, baby girl, I don’t give a fuck. As long as your brother hasn’t got his dick anywhere near Mia we’re okay. For now. And I reckon even Kip’s conscience won’t let him sleep with another brother’s girl this soon…’

  ‘Ben isn’t a brother, though. Is he?’

  Coby moved his hand down, sliding it up and under her short skirt, his mouth now brushing her neck. ‘He’s a good kid, your brother.’

  ‘He’s also a man, Coby.’

  ‘Even he won’t move this fast, darlin’. Come on, kid…’

  ‘This is fucking crazy…’ But the feel of his lips on her skin, his hand sliding into her panties, it was masking the reality. Temporarily putting everything else on hold. Allowing her to forget a truth that horrified her; a secret her father should never have kept. But maybe Coby was right. Even Kip wouldn’t push Mia into something he knew she wasn’t ready for. She wasn’t his. She was somebody else’s. And after everything that had happened with her and Jesse, and the shit-storm that had kicked up; the way Kip had reacted to all of that… Yeah. Maybe Coby was right. Maybe they had nothing to worry about. Yet.

  ‘Crazy’s good, remember?’ Coby murmured, sliding her panties down over her thighs with one hand, lifting his leg and pushing down with his boot to get them past her knees, until they fell to the floor.

  Lexi stepped out of them, kicking them away, giving into him, because he wasn’t giving her much choice. Her head was spinning, her mind clouded and full of questions, but all she could concentrate on right now were his fingers sliding inside her, thrusting into her hard and fast. It was a fucked-up reason to have sex – finding out a girl you’d known all your life was your sister – but for some reason Lexi felt more turned-on than she had done in a long while, and even though, at the same time, it disgusted her, and she hated herself for it, for the way it was making her feel, all she wanted was her big, handsome Scottish soldier inside her. To take away the confusion for a few, beautiful minutes.

  ‘Turn around,’ he growled, and Lexi wasn’t going to disobey him. Not this time. She wanted this just as much as he did; maybe more. So she did as he asked, facing the wall, placing her hands up against it, closing her eyes as she felt him slide her skirt up over her hips. ‘Baby, baby, baby…’ Coby groaned, his mouth resting against the back of her neck, his breath warm on her skin, causing her to breathe in sharply. ‘I am gonna ride you so hard you won’t give a shit about nothing else, you hear me?’

  She nodded, keeping her eyes closed, his fingers sliding between hers as he pressed up against her, his mouth still brushing over her skin, so gently it drove her crazy. But then the tempo changed, the atmosphere becoming darker as he pushed inside her so roughly she couldn’t hold back the cry of pain. But he needed this release, he needed her to be his outlet, and she would do anything for this man. Anything. So she clung on to him, gripping his fingers tight as he continued to thrust into her, his body slamming against hers.

  And then the pain subsided, replaced by a feeling of temporary calm as he slowed down slightly, his movements more gentle. Letting go of one of her hands he took hold of her hip, pulling her back towards him and she bit down on her lip as he speeded back up a touch, the force of his thrusts hitting their limit within her as he took her over.

  ‘Open those beautiful legs wider, baby, come on.’

  She did as she was told, moving her feet farther apart and he slid his hand around to touch her, the circular motion of his fingers along with his dick inside her becoming too much for Lexi to bear. Her legs were weak, her knees almost giving way as she felt everything start to build; her stomach was in knots, her skin on fire as he sped right up, pushing so hard, thrusting too fast, desperate to reach the end. And because of this the pain returned, cutting through Lexi in a swift, almost violent wave, but it was quickly washed away, all forgotten as she felt him explode, his cries filling the room as he spilled out inside of her. She could feel it all, feel every drop of him filling her up, a warmth spreading through her that was beautiful and painful and necessary. He gave her a strength she craved; that drug she couldn’t live without. The way he loved her, it wasn’t everyone’s idea of perfect, but she’d take anything he had to give her, because he made her feel strong. And she loved him like she’d never loved anyone before.

  ‘Don’t you ever leave me, darlin’, you hear me?’ he murmured, his mouth resting on her neck, his hands on her hips keeping her against him. He was still inside her, and she was glad of that. It kept the reality at bay for just a little while longer. ‘Because I can’t do any of this shit without you.’

  He pulled her up and away from the wall, and she leaned back against him. ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she whispered, gasping quietly as his body finally left hers.

  He turned her around, kissing her so slowly it almost made Lexi cry. He could switch from rough to wonderful in a split second, and maybe that’s what made him so exciting, she didn’t know. She only knew that she’d fought hard for this man, and she wasn’t letting him go, wasn’t going to let anyone take him from her, not after everything they’d gone through to get here. They were king and queen of this compound, and that’s the way she intended it to stay. The secrets and the lies that still surrounded them, they could try their hardest to tear everything apart but they wouldn’t win, not this time. The danger and the threats that had suddenly returned, they’d disappear, any pain they caused would be dealt with, and they’d move on. Nothing was going to get in the way, not any more. Of that she was determined.

  ‘We’re gonna be okay, Coby, aren’t we?’ She stroked his rough skin with her fingertips, lightly tracing the scar on his cheek.

  ‘We’ll get through it,’ he said, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his. ‘Like we always do.’

  She smiled, winding her fingers in his hair, trying not to let the things she’d just found out take over too much. She had to be in control here, for so many reasons. ‘Yeah. Like we always do,’ she whispered, closing her eyes and falling into him once more, his mouth on hers, his arms wrapping around her. They’d get through this.

  Like they always did…

  Twenty

  ‘What the fuck is going on here?’ Ben threw his glass at the wall, whisky spraying the brickwork.

  Kip pulled away from Mia, who looked at Ben with an expression that dripped regret. But he was too angry to fully acknowledge that. He just wanted Kip away from her.

  ‘She was upset,’ Kip said, holding his hands up as way of an apology, one that Ben wasn’t accepting.

  With a swift swipe he pushed Kip’s hands away, their eyes locking. ‘You were taking advantage.’

  ‘I was trying to make her feel better,�
�� Kip sneered, moving his face closer to Ben’s, the tension rising too rapidly for Mia and she jumped down from the table, throwing herself between them before anything got out of hand.

  ‘Jesus Christ, will you two grow up!’ she shouted, pushing them apart, both of them staggering backwards.

  ‘You’ve got a fucking nerve,’ Ben said, his eyes still on Kip’s, the tension not really diffusing much, despite Mia’s intervention. ‘Hitting on someone else’s woman, after all the high morality shit you spouted when Lexi…’

  ‘This has got nothing to do with Lexi,’ Kip hit back.

  Ben laughed, finally breaking the stare, his eyes dropping to the ground for a second or two before he raised his gaze back up to meet Kip’s. ‘You know what we’re going through here. You know how she’s feeling right now…’

  ‘No, I don’t think either of you know how I’m feeling right now,’ Mia cut in, looking from one to the other, well aware they could all do without this kind of crap kicking off. And well aware that she hadn’t helped, letting Kip get that close. ‘Look, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, but, you’ve been pushing me away, Ben…’

  ‘And that’s your defence, huh?’

  ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake…’ she sighed, sitting down on the bench.

  ‘You really do have no fucking idea, do you?’ Kip said, shaking his head as he looked at Ben.

  ‘You were playing on her vulnerability.’

  Mia stood up. She’d had enough now. Yes, she’d been in the wrong, and it shouldn’t have happened, but at least Kip wasn’t making her feel confused or pressured. He just made her feel – well, nothing, really. And right now, that’s all she wanted to feel. ‘The pair of you can fight it out between you, and whatever the outcome, I really don’t give a shit.’