“What do you want, Julia?”
Her head turned towards me with a lost expression on her face. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever asked me that.” She shook her head. “I want a hit.”
“I don’t mean right now. I mean, in the future.”
“I don’t know.” Her lips parted as she thought about it. “I want to know what it’s like to be loved. Every man I’ve met has always wanted something from me.”
Even in jeans and a tank top, Julia was stunning. She was a magnet for any guy. My eyes kept darting to the strip of flesh under her tank top and I felt like a bastard for ogling her. I ripped out a huge chunk of grass.
“You’ll never get that with Cain.”
What do I want? All I could come up with was the girl next to me. I want to be the one who makes her laugh. But at the same time, my insides froze. I didn’t want another person to care about. It’s too late for that.
She looked away. “I know. That’s why I’ve decided that I don’t care anymore. I have nothing to live for except for my next hit.”
Whoa.
“You don’t mean that.”
Her head slumped against the tree, her blue eyes dead to the world. “I do.”
I hated the way her eyes looked. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting.
“We’re going to make you happy again.”
I stood up and took her hand. She grabbed it and stood up, falling into my chest slightly as she stumbled. She gave me that small, secretive smile that I saw so often, and for once she looked lighter.
* * *
Where should I take her? What does she like?
I ended up driving into the parking lot of a bowling place. A neon sign flashed weakly in the bright sun—
“—Disco Bowl?” Her voice lifted as she removed her sunglasses, looking at me strangely.
I grinned sheepishly. “I figured that bowling would be a nice change.”
Julia smiled. “Sure. Let’s go bowling.”
Great, now she thinks you’re an idiot.
We walked to the building, where a group of teenagers loitered outside. She slipped her arm through mine and my heart fluttered when I opened the door for her. She unhooked herself from me and walked inside.
I blinked as I walked over the shitty carpet, my eyes momentarily stunned by the epileptic display of lights. There were strobe lights, lasers, and even a fog machine. The floor vibrated with house music. I felt like I was going to get a seizure if I kept my eyes open.
“This is like Vegas.”
I could tell it was totally not her thing. Hell, it wasn’t mine either, but she bellied up to the counter where a pimple-faced boy stood.
“We’ll do one game. Two rentals.”
We took our shoe rentals and picked a lane far away from other people.
“You ready to get your ass kicked, Spike?”
I gave her a chuckle. “Girl, you may have some talent with pool—”
“Some talent?” she interjected, looking scandalized. “I kicked your ass.”
“Only because I let you.” I gave her a cheerful smile as she glowered at me under her curtain of hair.
She sat up when she finished tying her shoes. “You’ll regret those words.”
I laughed and her lips twitched somewhat, thoroughly enjoying our banter. “Anyway, I like a girl who can kick my ass.”
Her cheeks bloomed at that response and I bit the inside of my own cheek. She belonged to Cain, but she didn’t want him. My stomach roiled when I thought about how badly she had been treated during all these months—right under my nose.
Cain talked and laughed with me as if nothing was wrong, and the whole time he was beating on his woman? Not fucking cool.
I didn’t care who he was. There were lines none of us crossed, it was practically club creed.
Occasionally, he was known to step outside of the line, but this was a gigantic leap over it. I couldn’t understand how he could mistreat a woman. Especially one like her.
Julia gave me a puzzled look as she picked bowling balls from the rack and tested them. I smiled to hide the darkness brewing in my head, which pounded with the ridiculous music. What is this, a club?
She approached me with a small smirk and suddenly she bent close to me, invading my space as she typed in her name for the screen. Her tank top slid up on her back, exposing soft skin.
I wanted to wrap my hands around her waist and pull her onto my lap, and feel her lips under mine like that one time at the pool hall. At the time, I was a bit tipsy but somehow she made me feel drunk off my ass with that little peck. It was a taste. A tease. I wanted more. Then I felt like an asshole for wanting her at all, and the cycle would repeat.
She turned around and took a glittering, pink bowling ball as she approached the lane. For a moment, it was safe for my eyes to stare at her ass, which begged to be slapped.
I need to get laid. I can’t be around her when I’m like this.
The lights flashed over her body like a kaleidoscope and then a fog machine belched colored smoke all over the lanes and I wondered how the hell she could see anything. Still, she hit seven out of the nine.
She stalked over and squeezed my shoulders, making my heart jump.
“Your turn,” she whispered in my ear.
I tried to shake off her magnetism and the circular thoughts running in my head.
I can’t make a move on her, I thought desperately. Not until I’ve dealt with Cain.
But we had such a good time and for a moment, the weight dragging her down all the time lightened, and her eyes were brighter. She was beating the shit out of me. Julia clapped her hands together when she won and threw her hands around my neck with an ecstatic laugh.
She was way too close. My hands held her tiny waist and I tried to ignore the feeling of her tits mashed against my chest. She beamed at me as if I was her old man and her eyes shined with happiness.
“Thank you, Spike. Thank you for reminding me.”
“O—of what?”
“This.”
Her face moved in before I could think. She kissed the corner of my mouth, as if she wanted to go all the way but was too afraid to commit completely. All my resolve crumbled, I turned my head to catch her lips, but she slipped from my arms.
I wanted to grab her. My whole body tingled and my heart thudded against my chest like a fucking gong. Part of me was angry with her for toying with me.
The happiness that brightened her face dimmed as she stepped away from me, like she did something wrong, and my anger faded away.
* * *
Balling my hands into fists, I entered the common area with nondescript tables and chairs, looking for his ominous face among the crowd of losers. His gaze struck me across the room like a knife and I wondered if he could tell how I felt about his girl.
No way he knows.
Guilt.
Cain looked marginally better from last week. His eyes were clear from the lack of Red, but he developed a facial tick and his fingers drummed restlessly on the table.
“Where’s Julia?” he barked as soon as I sat down.
“How are you, Spike? Thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to visit my sorry ass.”
He glowered. Clearly, jail time hadn’t introduced a sense of humor. “Why should I thank you for doing your job? I’m still Vice President.”
Inwardly, I grimaced. I still had not told him about Crash’s threat to have me replace Cain as VP. I hoped I wouldn’t have to.
“Julia—well, she’s part of the reason why I’m here. I know what you’ve been doing to her.”
I waited for his eyes to lower, for him to show me some sign of remorse or guilt or something. Instead, the bastard smiled at me.
He smiled at me.
It took everything in me not to reach across the table and throttle him.
“I don’t see what’s so fucking funny. Treating your woman like your personal punching bag is just sick
.”
His mouth twisted.
“What’s funny is that you think you’re somehow better than me.” Those pale eyes drew me in as he leaned closer. “You’ve murdered innocents. Climb down your fucking high horse. We are not so different, you and I.”
Heat seared up my spine. “Only because I had to—they were in the way!”
“Details,” he smirked.
My fingers clenched the edge of the table as I stared into his infuriating face. “Why do you do it? Tell me. I bet the boys in the club would love to know about this.”
His eyes slid over mine lazily. “What I do behind closed doors is my business. I’m the VP. I don’t answer to you, or anyone.”
Maybe not for long.
“You’re on Crash’s shitlist, buddy. If the others find out about how you’ve been treating their highest earning associate, you’ll be gone.”
For the first time during the visit, Cain looked pissed. His eyebrows narrowed and his pupils almost disappeared.
“Is that a threat?”
“He’s already talking about replacing you.” My voice lowered as he curled his lips into a snarl. “I don’t want that to happen, but you need to let her go. It’s not right.”
A wide grin spread over his pale face, making deep dimples. “Over my dead body,” he said in an even lower voice.
His eyes zeroed in on me, stabbing me. “You think I don’t see the way you look at her? Julia is mine.”
I recoiled. “The way I look at her? Any red-blooded male is going to look at her, bub. Stop acting like an asshole. She’s not your possession.”
“Yes, she is. And if she wants to leave, she can tell me herself.” His arms folded across his chest.
Fuck.
“Don’t push away the few friends you have, Cain.” His grey eyes stared defiantly at me.
I hoped he would come to his senses before he got out of jail, but from the way he was looking at me—I would be lucky to make it out of this alive. She did not want to be with him; Julia made that abundantly clear to me.
“Tell Crash that if he plans on replacing me, he better watch his back.”
My palms were moist. “You grew up with him. He took you in.”
The abyss looked back at me. “Nostalgia makes me nauseas.”
Maybe I’ve made things worse.
“If you’re seriously telling me that I should pass on your threats to Crash—”
“He owes me for everything I’ve done for the club.”
“Then get your shit together. Stop being a fucking junkie and he won’t have any reason to want you out.”
He didn’t say anything; he just glowered like a sulky teenager. I knew better. The way he spoke about Crash, it was like he hadn’t spent the last fifteen years with the man. There was no loyalty. And what about Julia?
She had no idea that I would confront Cain.
Julia is going to be pissed when she finds out.
As I walked out of there, I felt the need to look over my shoulder to watch Cain. An image of him sneaking up behind me and wrapping his chains around my neck made my spine tingle. I didn’t think I would ever trust him again.
* * *
Having errands to run, I left jail quickly and returned to the club. The meeting with Cain could not have been worse. As usual, the bastard was determined to find an ulterior fucking motive with everything that I did.
Yes, but you wouldn’t mind if Julia became your old lady.
I wasn’t motivated by my own selfish interests. I wanted to help her leave him, if that’s what she wanted. And she did want it. Was it so horrible that I felt the tiniest bit of glee?
Yes.
Blonde hair and black leather appeared in front of my vision as I entered the club. My chest squeezed. Julia grabbed my arm in greeting, flashing me a bright smile.
“Hey.” I bit my lip to stop myself from calling her gorgeous.
I walked past her and spotted Crash tucked in a booth with Max. Piles of cash sat on the table while Max whispered under his breath, counting.
“Forty-five, ten, fifty,” I said loudly as I approached the table.
Max shushed me but I continued to let out a stream of numbers, breaking his concentration.
“Fuck, Spike!” He threw down the pile he was counting.
I grinned and even Crash offered me a tiny smirk as I sat down beside him.
“Max, go ahead and take a break.”
“You are such a pain in my ass,” the old man barked.
“Oh, Max. I know you love me. You can’t deny it.”
Crash hid his smile under his cigar as Max sulked away.
“How was the visit with Cain?”
Shitty.
Any hint of mirth must have melted from my face. I don’t want to fuck him over.
“It went bad. He’s not happy.”
“I would be surprised if it went any other way.”
Energy boiled inside me as I fidgeted with the money on the table. If I told Crash what his Vice President said about him, Cain would never see the light of day. I hoped that Cain was just being rash, that he didn’t mean it.
“What if he gets off the juice?”
“Cain was pushing boundaries long before he got hooked on Red.” He tapped his pencil on the table, his eyes searching my face. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Spike.”
I stole myself. “There’s something else. He’s been abusing Julia.”
“So?”
Crash’s flattened voice disgusted me. “Look, I know you don’t have much respect for her, but the guys do. And I’m not sure if I want to be in this chapter if beating on women is given a free pass.”
He looked somewhat abashed, but his lips thinned.
Something inside me died as I watched his unyielding gaze. Appeal to his sense of greed.
“She’s a good earner, Crash.”
His eyes flashed to me, almost guiltily. “I know, but he needs an outlet. He’s never kept one for so long.”
My interest piqued.
“One what?” I felt like I was falling. That horrible, falling feeling in dreams seized my guts. “One what, Crash?”
The old man’s lips trembled as he fought to find the words. “A person to play around with. He breaks them and then he throws them away. I always gave him members from other clubs, you know, people who had to go anyways.”
My head slipped between my hands and I let out a sudden, harsh laugh. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
I thought of the blonde man I once looked up to, admiring his quiet strength. He was never quick to rage or indecisive. He had none of those attributes associated with lesser men. I never thought that he was crazy. Hell, he was always so rational!
“I always encouraged it. It was the only way to keep him in line. He has to satisfy that craving—or else he gets out of control.”
I looked at Crash as if seeing him for the first time. He looked at me with pinched, worried eyes, then sharply down, thumbing his lip like a boy who knew he had done wrong.
“Thank God you never took me in. I was better off being kicked and punched by foster parents than living with you.”
He held out a shaking hand. “I know—I know I’ve done wrong. I should have just put him down years ago, when he was easier to handle.”
“Put him down?” I said in outrage. “How about sending him to a goddamn therapist? You made him into a monster.”
He gave me a sharp look. “He was already like that. When I found him, he was dousing cats and dogs with gasoline and lighting them on fire and leaving their heads on people’s properties.”
When I was little, I had a dog. Torturing him would have never crossed my mind as a possible, fun pastime. I wanted to throw up.
This is the man I’ve been rubbing shoulders with for months? I thought that, at worst, he had a sexual fetish that went a little bit too far.
Without realizing it, I stood from my seat. Julia. She tried to tell me so many times.
“Fuck!” I raked
my hair with my fingers, mussing it up. “I can’t deal with this right now, I have other shit to do.”
I stormed away from Crash’s table, the others balking at the look on my face. My eyes rolled over Cain’s minions: Pike and River. I would probably never trust those two, but it was time to show them who was the fucking boss.
“You two! Come with me,” I snarled.
Confused, the bikers followed me outside. “The Tigers have been hanging on distribution for way too long, it’s time we found out some information.”
* * *
Sweat and blood saturated the air, making my stomach turn. A thick drop of blood trickled slowly down his face like molasses, and a strange compulsion came over me. I wanted to wipe his face.
I tightened my bruised fists as Pike and River paced around the man slouched in the chair like hungry vultures. They were just like Cain—eager for violence. It didn’t matter why.
“You’re a tough son of a bitch,” I said to the man, hoping that the beating hadn’t punctured his eardrums, “just tell us where you get the Red and when, and I’ll stop.”
He looked at me from his one good eye—the other was swollen shut. “Fuck you.”
I sighed. Almost lazily, I cracked my fist against the side of his skull. Several of his teeth flew out. My hand was starting to hurt with a dull, aching pain, but I really didn’t want to break out the fucking lead pipes. His head ripped back as blood drooled from his lips.
“One tough Tiger.”
Pike kicked the leg of his chair to vent his frustration. I wouldn’t allow him to give the beatings.
“We know where your family lives—your eight year old daughter.”
I almost rolled my eyes. I had no intention of knocking on his family’s door, but if the threat got him to talk, all the better.
The Tiger bought it. Blood dripped from his lips silently as he looked from Pike to me, pleading. He suddenly hissed in pain and a solitary tear slipped down his dirty, broken face.
“Please don’t.”
I shrugged off the man’s despair, his anguish surrounding me like a tight, coarse blanket. “Tell us what we want to know and we won’t have to.”
“If I tell you, my President will kill me.”
Again, my shoulders lifted and fell. “That’s not my fucking problem. Take your kid and leave town.”
Ruthless (Dark MC Romance) Page 14
