by Lowe, Aden
She hurried out to the club room, where Trip, Kellen and several of the others sat with a couple of strangers. Trip lifted his arm to her and she went over to tuck herself against his side in the big leather chair.
Kellen nodded to her. "Tanya, I know it might bring up bad memories for you, but I need you to listen to what Jelly and Adam here have to say."
Trip gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Okay." What else could she say?
The older of the two men, dark and hard looking, with an assortment of patches on the front of his leather cut, started speaking. "Adam here came to me a few weeks ago. His friend's little sister went missing, and since Hound has some kind of magic when it comes to tracking people down, Adam thought maybe we could help. At first we figured she was just a runaway."
"But she wasn't." The younger man took up the story, lines of worry marking his handsome face. "Gina's a good girl, a good student. She had no reason to run, no risk factors, no questionable friends. Something happened to her."
A weird chill settled in her gut, but Tanya stayed silent, waiting.
Jelly spoke again. "It took some time, but Hound finally unraveled the day she disappeared. She met three other girls at a coffee place to work on a school thing. When the others left, she stayed behind to finish what she was doing. It was the evening rush and no one really remembers her, but one of the servers thinks she saw her talking to a boy."
"A boy?" Kellen interrupted. "Her own age? And what do the police have to say?"
"The server said he looked young but she had the impression he was older than the girl. And the police did a cursory investigation and announced she had run away." The disgust in Jelly's voice gave his clear opinion of the police who looked into the case.
Trip shrugged a little around her shoulder. "That sucks, but what can we do to help?"
"Well, I told you earlier I had something I thought the Saxons are involved in. This is it."
Tanya's heart froze. Not a night went by since Trip rescued her that she didn't think of the girls she'd left behind there. In all that time, she had refused to consider they might have taken new victims.
"Why do you think they're involved?"
"Because they started expanding not long ago. They have a new president and he's an ambitious man. The just came into the town where this girl went missing. And Hound uncovered some more information while he was digging around."
Trip's arm tightened around her a little. "A new president? Who?"
"A man called Freak. He was their VP, and acted as prez the last couple of years. Something happened with the president, made him not really fit to do the job, but he kept the title. Not sure what changed, but now Freak is in charge and he's in the mood to grow the Saxons." Jelly made a face, as if what came next disgusted him. "The coffee shop where this girl was last seen is owned by the Saxons. Seems Freak is interested in legit businesses, but he's keeping the underground stuff going strong."
Kellen shifted around in his seat. "All that makes sense, I reckon. Still, same question. How do you think we can help?"
Jelly shrugged. "As you know, we're really small. You have the manpower to actually look into something like this, and maybe do something about it."
An odd noise escaped Kellen and he stood, running his hand over his head. "Damn, Jelly. You don't ask much, do you?"
"I know it's a big deal, Kellen. And I know the rules as well as anybody else. But if the rumors we've been hearing are right, somebody has to step in."
"What have you been hearing?" Trip's voice rumbled through his chest like it did when he was drowsy, but the tension in his muscles told Tanya he was far from relaxed.
Adam leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Human trafficking. Runaways have been picked up and forced into prostitution forever, but this is different. The Saxons are actively hunting, kidnapping young people, mostly females but males too, to be sold overseas."
A faint noise buzzed in Tanya's ears and she had to concentrate to make out the words.
"What do you mean, overseas?"
"The Middle East. They go as young as eight or nine, all the way up to mid-twenties. By spreading the ages out, and taking from different locations, they keep law enforcement off their backs. But they're making a fortune by selling American slaves to rich Middle Easterners." Adam's frown deepened. "If our info is right, we have a limited time to save this girl. Hound is trying to get an invite to their online auction, but even if he does, that's no guarantee of getting her back."
Jelly stood. "You know me, Kellen. I'm a live and let live kind of guy. As long as another club don't bring their shit to my door, I don't interfere. But this crosses the line. I can't stand back and see American kids sold like that, and especially not there."
Kellen nodded. "Yeah, man, I know." He glanced at Trip with a small nod. "You guys crash here for the night. Something like this, I can't just give the go-ahead. We're talking war with another club. I have to put it to a vote."
Jelly put his hand out. "I get that, man. That's all we ask. Just consider it."
Kellen took Jelly's hand in the forearm clasp that usually served like a handshake to the Raiders.
Trip stood and drew her to her feet. "We're going to get on out of here. Jelly, Adam, good to see you." He slipped his arm around Tanya's waist and led her toward the door.
Outside, they got on his bike without a word, and he steered them toward home. As she held onto him, Tanya didn't miss the tension in Trip's muscles.
She owed him so much. He'd given her a home, security, and finally, love. And through it all, he insisted she owed him nothing. Maybe not, but she still felt better doing little things for him.
Ten minutes down the road, he pulled up in the driveway of the little house he rented for them. Inside, she started for the kitchen to see if she'd left anything undone earlier, even though she knew she hadn't.
Trip caught her hand. "Tanya, wait a second?"
She nodded and stepped back, allowing him to lead her to the big double recliner where they often snuggled down to watch movies.
He wrapped her in his arms and tugged her into his lap. "What do you think about this thing with the Saxons? I know you didn't keep up with their business, but does this seem like something they would do?"
No question. She nodded. "Yes, it does. If there's money to be made, I don't doubt it at all. Freak is smart. That's part of how he earned his name, along with the color of his eyes, so if it can be done, he'll figure it out." She tucked her head into Trip's shoulder. The thought of that young girl at the mercy of the Saxons turned her stomach. The only thing she could imagine that might be worse was being sold to some American-hating rich bastard in a place where they cut little girls to make sure they'd be faithful to their future husbands.
Chapter Fourteen
Trip buried his nose in Tanya's hair, once more, grateful to have found her. Luckily, walking out of the hospital with her had no repercussions. As far as they knew, the Saxons never connected her disappearance to him. He'd been free to try and build a life with her. It took time, and there were times he thought he would lose his mind, but finally he won her heart.
Moments like this, where she seemed so fragile and vulnerable, made him hate the men who hurt her even more. Many times over the past two years he'd had to quell his instincts to achieve some sort of justice for her. But of course he couldn't do that. A single hint to the Saxons that he had a reason to want revenge, and war would be upon them in a heartbeat.
Her lips slid over his neck, sending heat arcing across his nerve endings. It never failed. Sex could be the furthest thing from his mind, and one touch from her made it top priority. He let his fingers slip into her hair to cup the back of her head, tipping her face back for his kiss.
She gave the quiet little moan she always did when he kissed her. He'd waited so long to hear a sound of genuine desire from her, he'd almost missed it when it came the first time. Now the faint sound had the power to send him from interested to raging hard-on in a split se
cond. The knowledge that she truly wanted only him was the biggest turn-on in the world.
Trip deepened the kiss, taking the time to taste the inside of her lips before moving on to plunder her mouth. She moaned again, louder and more insistent this time.
After a moment, his sweet Tanya pulled back a little. "Bed."
A thrill raced through him. She had never voiced a sexual demand before. His hard-on surged against his jeans, making its own demands. He lifted her off his lap and stood, adjusting himself, then picked her up, hands under her perfect ass and her legs around his waist. Their bed waited, turned down already with the glow of soft lamplight illuminating the room.
"You make our home so perfect." His voice sounded rough even to him, and for an instant he worried it would frighten her.
She smiled against his lips. "That's because I love pleasing you."
He buried his face in her neck and inhaled her vanilla fragrance deeply for a moment then set her down long enough to shed his cut and shirt. When he turned back, she sat on the side of their bed, naked and waiting for him, her eyes hungry. By some miracle, he managed to slow down long enough to remove the rest of his clothes.
She reached out to touch him with gentle fingers, trailing down over his abs, to make his muscles quiver with need. He stepped in close and lifted her to the middle of the bed and lowered himself with her. Dipping his head to sample her lips again, he let his fingers explore.
Her thighs fell open in invitation, but he forced himself to go slow, sampling each curve before he allowed himself the prize. She trembled and moaned under his touch as he let his fingers separate her folds.
"Fuck." She was already wet and ready for him. She arched into his touch with a cry.
Unable to wait, he levered himself above her guided his cock to her entrance. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him deep. He thrust deeper, helpless to resist even if he'd wanted to.
He pounded into her, harder and faster at her urging, until they both teetered on the edge, and then drove them over the edge with one powerful thrust. His muscles locked in orgasm and then dropped him, breathless, atop her.
He shifted to the side to allow them both to catch their breath. "What on earth do you do to me, woman?"
She gave a little laugh. "I don't know, but whatever it is, you do it to me, too."
The bed squeaked a little in protest as he moved off her and rolled to his back, pulling her into his arms. He could lay like that forever, with her head pillowed on his shoulder, her thigh across his hips and her hand on his chest. Gradually, her breathing slowed and deepened as sleep claimed her.
Trip hoped she dreamed of a time when they were old together, with children and grandchildren surrounding them in happy chaos.
***
The insistent buzz of his damn cell phone dragged Trip out of a dream where he never had to let Tanya go again.
Pissed, he answered without checking the caller ID. "Yeah."
"Need you at the house, man. Some info came in overnight." The line went dead as Kellen ended the call.
Well, fuck. So much for making love to his woman again to celebrate the start of a new day together. He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Tanya, and gathered his clothes to head for the bathroom where he could dress without disturbing her. Not bothering to shave, he just brushed his teeth and grabbed a travel mug of coffee from the kitchen.
Careful, as always, he locked up and climbed into his pickup. The slow rain, their first in a couple of weeks, would make the roads treacherous for the bike, besides wet as fuck. The radio blared the news from the nearest local station, something about a rash of overnight robberies and vandalism.
What the hell? Somebody must have brought in a bad batch of drugs or something. In his opinion, they needed to expand the Raiders' distribution outside their territory. At least they could ensure quality and keep a lid on sales to kids and shit like that. But, for the moment at least, Kellen preferred to concentrate on expanding their arms business and keeping the dope as a sideline.
The lane up to the clubhouse was already churned to mud, as if there'd been a lot of traffic in and out since the rain started. Odd. Only rarely did anyone ride along the dirt and gravel road before midafternoon when the Raiders who lived in town started getting off work.
Trip slowed the truck when he came in sight of the house. A dozen strange bikes and a panel van sat by the front porch. Since Kellen said nothing about visitors, they must have just arrived. He followed his usual habit of backing into the pull-off and angling the truck back toward the lane so all he had to do was start the engine and floor it when he left.
He took a few seconds to double check his weapons before he climbed out. On the porch, Badger sat in his usual place in the rocking chair, reading a newspaper and sipping coffee. The new arrivals must not be a threat, for the Captain of the Hell Raiders Home Guard to sit casually on the porch like any other morning.
"Hey, Badger, what's up, man?" Trip mounted the steps up to the porch.
"Beats me, Trip. Tennessee Raiders come in about a half hour ago. Kellen and some of the others are talking to them now. Too fucking early in the morning for me." Typical grumpy Badger, he took another sip of his coffee. "Tell me something?"
"Yeah?" Trip wanted to get inside and find out what was going on, but he paused to listen.
"How'd an ugly fucker like you get so damn lucky to get such a sweet pretty girl? You better put a ring on her finger soon, boy, before some smart son of a bitch snatches her away from you."
Trip grinned, realizing how huge a compliment Badger paid Tanya with that remark. A confirmed bachelor, the older man often mentioned his belief that most women were good only for fucking and cooking, in that order. "Trust me, old man, it ain't for lack of trying. She says she don't need a ring or piece of paper to know where she belongs."
The old man nodded his grizzled head. "She's a smart girl, Trip. I know a little of her story, but all I can say is, the day Buffalo lost his dick, God smiled on you."
Trip threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, you're right man. Buffalo losing his dick was the best day of my life." He pushed on through the door, in a good mood.
That only lasted until he saw the expressions on the faces in the club room. Several of the men present came from the Tennessee charter and were unfamiliar to him, but Crank, Dix, Stella, and a half-dozen more local Hell Raiders sat among the other men, all equally grim-faced.
Crank greeted him with a chin lift and rose from his place in front of the big screen TV. Heavy boots clumped on the polished wood floor to signal Crank's approach. Usually the man moved with deadly silence, even in a casual setting, so the sound reflected a very nasty mood.
"You hear any news on your way over?"
Trip shrugged. "Something about an overnight crime spree in Lexington."
Crank nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Saxons MC making a move on Hell Raider territory."
Trip's gut tightened. "Why? And why right in the middle?" Normally an incursion like that would come at the edge of a rival's territory. Cutting in that way, between two charters, risked leaving the newcomer cut off in enemy country.
Crank shook his head and moved toward the kitchen. "Only thing I can think of is they have some insurance policy. Otherwise, that's too big of a risk."
Trip nodded and followed. "What do you think that insurance is?"
Crank poured himself a cup of coffee from the big restaurant quality coffee maker. "Not a clue. But we need to find out. If we're going to war, we need all the intel we can get. Saxons have a brutal rep, so we'll have to pull it all out to push them back."
"Understatement. It just doesn't make sense. Not only in the middle, but us. They could go three other directions with zero opposition and richer territory. Something else is at play." Trip freshened his own coffee, as the tightness in his gut settled into a sick dread. "This will get fucking bloody."
"Yeah it will. We'll know more in a little while. Kellen is calling for a joint church as
soon as he's done talking to Jelly and that other guy. We have a couple more guys have to get here first, too." The smaller man leaned one hip against the counter. "You think your woman might know anything we could use?"
He took his time considering. "I don't see how. She was a fucking slave, man. All her energy went into staying alive, not worrying about what kind of shit they stirred up."
"Yeah, that's about what I figured, man. Just be prepared for them to ask. Her name has already come up a time or two."
"How the fuck does anyone who wasn't on that fucking run know where she came from?" Fury surged through him. He'd sworn all the men on the protection run to secrecy when he took Tanya from the Saxons. Information like that couldn't get out. "Who fucking opened his mouth?"
Crank shook his head. "I don't know, man. All I can figure is JJ, since he moved on a while after. Don't know where he went."
"Shit." The sick feeling in Trip's gut grew. If the Saxons knew…
Chapter Fifteen
Tanya stretched, luxuriating in the feel of waking up naked in soft sheets with Trip's scent surrounding her. She knew without checking that he'd already left. She would text him in a few minutes to say good morning. The little ritual never grew old to her, and hopefully not to him.
She padded naked to the bathroom and indulged in a long, hot shower. Trip always smiled at her because she enjoyed things that felt good so much. A soft warm bed, hot shower, fluffy towels, clean clothes…it was all pretty damn close to heaven for her. She dressed in the faded jeans and tank Trip liked for her to wear, with the pretty lacy panties and bra he loved taking off her.
The coffee sent an infusion of energy through her, but she sat at the table with her phone and texted Trip to wish him a fantastic day. While she finished the coffee, she made a little mental list of what she needed to accomplish for the day.
Laundry started, she cleaned the already spotless kitchen, then gave the rest of the house a quick once over to return everything to its immaculate state. Keeping their home pleasant and welcoming gave her a great deal of satisfaction, and Trip always appreciated her efforts. Next, she took a quick assessment of the freezer and laid pork chops out to thaw for supper. The boys at the club would have to fend for themselves.
