Biker's Claim: A Bad Boy Romance (Demons MC) (Contains bonus book Cocked!)

by Hamel, B. B.

  Up ahead, I caught sight of Trip’s black Nissan parked up against the curb. I walked up and pulled open the passenger side door and climbed in.

  “How was it, Lazarus?”

  I shrugged. “Not bad. They took my resurrection better than I thought they would.”

  Trip laughed and turned on the engine. He was a few years older than me, a few inches shorter, and a few pounds heavier, but every bit as capable. We met when I first came to town in Mexico City, and we had been partners ever since.

  Partners in everything, including the shit storm that was slowly building in the distance.

  “Catch any sightings?” I asked him.

  “Nah. Perimeter’s all quiet.”

  “Good. I’ll take first watch if you want to head back.”

  “Fine with me.”

  I leaned back in my seat and he looked at me for a second.

  “It’s weird being home,” I said.

  “You’re telling me. But at least you got a home.”

  “Please. You’ve been an orphan forever. The street’s your home.”

  “And don’t you forget it.”

  I laughed. “How long do you think we have?”

  “A few days at most. We got a good head start, but you know Castillo.”

  I grunted and shook my head. Jorge “El Tiburon” Castillo was our old employer, and the current leader of the largest narcotics cartel in all of Mexico. They specialized in crystal meth but dabbled in heroine and marijuana as well.

  Castillo was a terrifying man. I hated working for him, and so did Trip, but we did what we had to do to survive. I had learned a lot working with the cartel, plus a lot on the side, but he wasn’t called “The Shark” for nothing. El Tiburon was tenacious, nasty, violent, and a little bit insane. He wasn’t the sort of man you crossed and expected to live, no matter how far or how fast you ran.

  He was never going to let Trip and me get away.

  “See you in a few hours,” I said, climbing out of the car.

  Trip rolled down the windows. “Don’t do anything stupid, Cam.”

  “You know me,” I said, grinning. “I’m as careful as they come.”

  “Seriously, man. We’re not in Mexico anymore. You can’t get away with shit up in the States.”

  “I know. I’m just keeping an eye on them.”

  “A few days,” he reminded me. “Then we have to go.”

  “I’ll have them ready.”

  “I hope so. Otherwise, I’m out of here.”

  He rolled up the window and pulled away.

  I never expected Trip to come with me. Frankly, the second we crossed the border I assumed he would high-tail it up north the second he could. He had contacts in Alaska, people we had worked with who could hide us until our handlers came up with a way to extract our asses from danger, and I figured he’d go right there. I knew my own people and could probably make a run for it without him.

  But he stuck with me. Trip didn’t have family like I did. He grew up in New York, ripping off tourists and snorting coke at the age of twelve. He only knew a life on the run, stealing when he could and robbing people when he couldn’t. He was a criminal through and through.

  He owed me, though. He owed me a lot, and it seemed like he was more loyal than I gave him credit for.

  I walked back toward the house and stopped at the corner. I leaned up against a light pole and made sure I had a good sightline to the house.

  Now the boring part started. They weren’t nearly ready to do what they had to do, and I needed to give them time to adjust to the idea of my being alive. Trip was right, though. It was only a matter of a few days before Castillo caught up to us, but in the meantime I had to play it right.

  My mom was happy to see me, but that was going to wear off. Soon, she’d have questions, most of which I couldn’t answer without more lies. I knew my little visit was quick and shocking, and maybe I should have stayed longer, but it was hard. Being back in Hammond was dredging up more strange emotions than I thought I had left.

  The way Lacey looked at me made me want to leave. But it was also that same look that made me want to make sure they were all going to be safe, no matter what.

  I fingered the gun in my waistband, feeling its reassuring heft and hardness.

  Only a matter of days. I had to make sure they were going to be safe. Even if they hated me for it, I was going to keep Castillo away from my family.

  I leaned back farther, preparing myself for a long and boring evening.

  3

  Lacey

  I rolled out of bed early the next morning, eyes bleary from not sleeping well.

  I couldn’t get him out of my head. The way he looked, so confident and cocky, yet still so handsome, drove me insane. It was like he had shed any bit of youthful uncertainty and had turned into this totally different man.

  He both was and wasn’t the Camden that left four years ago. I wasn’t sure if Lynn saw it or not; she was probably just too happy that he was alive, and wasn’t looking too deeply into the situation. But there was definitely something new and intriguing about him, as much as I hated to admit it.

  Why was he back? Sure, he had a story, but I didn’t believe it. I’d been suckered by his lies too many times in the past to just accept what he said at face value. I wanted to believe he was telling the truth, wanted desperately to believe that he got out of jail and decided to come right home, a changed man. But there was something else in him, something that couldn’t be explained by a long stay in a prison.

  I wasn’t sure exactly what that was yet. But I had a feeling I was going to find out sooner or later. Say one thing for Camden, as infuriating as he could be, he rarely disappointed.

  I rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom, starting to get ready. A quick glance at the clock told me that I was running a little behind schedule and had to hustle.

  Back in high school, I worked part time at a used bookstore. As luck would have it, the owner was looking for a little extra help during the summer. Since I needed something to do, I applied and was hired on the spot.

  I had to admit, after all the craziness of college life, the bookstore was a nice change of pace. It didn’t get much traffic, and the owner was a really decent guy, which meant that I had plenty of time for reading between stocking and running the register. He wasn’t creepy, either, which was more than I could say for most of my bosses in the past.

  I dressed and headed downstairs, grabbing a quick bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. Lynn and Dad had both already left for work, which meant the house was eerily quiet.

  Caffeinated and fed, I quickly left the house, hustling over toward my car. It was parked in the street so that Dad and Lynn could get out of the driveway easily. I walked through the grass, frowning at the morning dew that stained my sneakers.

  As I got to my car, an unusual motion across the street caught my eye. I looked up just as a figure stepped sideways, disappearing behind some shrubs.

  What the hell? I thought. The person looked so damn familiar.

  Curious, I decided to cross the street and check. Any thoughts about being late disappeared into the back of my head. There was a bus stop at the corner, and people were always sitting on the bench or generally waiting around for the bus, but the guy seemed so strange. As I crossed the street and angled toward the bush, I saw him.

  “Camden?” I said.

  He smirked at me. “’Morning, Lace.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just hanging out.”

  “Hanging out? You’re stalking us, aren’t you?”

  He laughed. “Not stalking. Just waiting around for the bus.”

  I looked him up and down, frowning. He was wearing the same outfit from the night before and looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept for hours. Still, despite that, my heart fluttered slightly as I took in his confident smile and his muscular body.

  Memories of that body threatened to overwhelm me, but I ignored them.

 
; “You look like you haven’t slept.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  I sighed. “What are you doing here, really, Camden?”

  He stared at me for a second, his face suddenly serious. He took a few steps closer and I felt a thrill run down my spine. It was half fear and half something else.

  Truthfully, even after all this time, I still couldn’t help but remember the guy I was close with in high school. But that dangerous edge was still there, even if buried under expensive-looking clothes and a new confidence.

  “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” he said.

  “Try me.”

  “You’re just going to have to be patient, Lace.”

  “You’re full of crap,” I said, turning away. “You always have been.”

  “Wait a second,” he said, grabbing my arm.

  I felt the tinge of electricity as soon as his skin touched mine. It wasn’t crackling static or anything like that, but more like a tingle that spread from my head down my spine. It made my heart beat faster and my breath come deeper, like a drug or something. I felt like such a cliché, getting excited at an innocent touch, but I couldn’t help myself. It had been so long. Instantly, I wanted more.

  “I don’t feel like playing games with you anymore, Camden,” I said softly.

  He released his grip on my arm. “I get it. You hate me.”

  I looked at his face, his beautiful, cocky face. “Do you blame me?”

  “Not really. But something is happening and I don’t have time to deal with your stubbornness.”

  I rolled my eyes. For a second, I thought he was going to be a decent guy, but there he was again. The same cocky asshole.

  “I don’t care what you think is happening. If you really wanted to do us a favor, you’d just leave again.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Sure you can. You’re pretty good at it.”

  I heard him grunt, frustrated, as I turned and started to walk away again.

  “You’re all in danger.”

  I paused and looked back. “What did you say?”

  “That’s why I’m here,” he said more softly. “You’re all in danger.”

  “What did you do?”

  He shook his head. “It’s too complicated to explain here.”

  “You keep saying that, and yet I keep thinking you’re a liar.”

  “Come on.” He started walking back toward the house. I moved fast to catch up.

  “I have work.”

  “I’ll drive with you, then.”

  “Not a chance. Just tell me what’s happening.”

  “In the car,” he said brusquely.

  With a sigh, I unlocked the doors. He climbed into the driver’s seat and I gaped in at him.

  “Are you joking?”

  “I’m the better driver.”

  “Did a lot of driving in your Mexican prison?”

  He grinned. “More than you’d think.”

  I tossed him the keys and walked around to the passenger’s seat, not wanting to fight him anymore. Plus, I was definitely late for work and needed to get going.

  He started the engine. “Where to?”

  “The Salty Whale.”

  “You still work at the Whale?”

  “For this summer, yeah.”

  He laughed and pulled out of the driveway. “I remember visiting you there.”

  “Great. I’m not in the mood for reminiscing.”

  “You looked so fucking cute buried in all your books. I thought you were such a nerd, but it got me hard as hell anyway.”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” I said, lying. I felt myself remembering and knew I was on the verge of soaking through my panties already.

  “Yeah, you do. Like the time I went down on you behind the philosophy section? You practically toppled the whole shelf. Your ass had words imprinted on it for hours.”

  I smiled and crossed my legs. “I also remember a customer walked in on us just as we were getting dressed.”

  He laughed loudly and nodded. “Scared the shit out of that old lady.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh along with him. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell.”

  “Probably thought she was losing her mind.”

  I remembered that day very, very well. I had thought about it many times over the years. His tongue had felt incredible between my legs, and the fear of getting caught only heightened it. He had pushed me down onto a pile of books and had torn off my panties, eating my soaked-through pussy like wild.

  I’d had to bit down on a paperback to keep from moaning. I wasn’t sure if he remembered that part, but I wasn’t going to remind him, either.

  “Enough stories. Why did you say we’re in danger?”

  He got suddenly serious as he turned onto Main Street, a few minutes out from the store.

  “I can’t tell you everything,” he said. “Not yet at least,” he added quickly.

  “I’m getting really sick of this mysterious act.”

  “I got into some trouble in Mexico. That part is true.”

  “Not surprising.”

  “I got mixed up with a big drug cartel down there.”

  “Camden,” I said softly.

  “They’re no joke. I may do dumb shit sometimes, or at least I did, but those guys were on a whole different level.”

  “What happened?”

  “I started working for them. For the past few years I’ve been in their crew.”

  I blinked, shocked. “How could you get involved with people like that?”

  “I had no choice, Lace. You don’t understand how it all works.”

  “Of course you had no choice. It’s never your fault, is it?”

  “This was my fault,” he said darkly. I was taken aback all over at how serious he was. “And I take full responsibility for it. I’ve been paying off this debt for a long time. But it wasn’t my choice.”

  “What does any of this have to do with us being in danger?”

  “Something happened down south.”

  “You didn’t bring them here, did you?”

  He looked at me. “Not yet. But they’re coming.”

  Fear stabbed through my chest as I stared back at him. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I wish I were.”

  “What the fuck did you do, Camden?” I said, trying to bite back the panic welling up in me but failing.

  “I did what I had to do. None of this was supposed to blow back on you guys.”

  “What are you even saying?”

  I looked up and saw that we were pulling into the bookstore’s parking lot. I couldn’t believe the drive flew by like that, but it had.

  He cut the engine and looked at me. “As much as I hate it, you’re all in danger. I’m here because I need to protect you.”

  “I don’t understand. Protect us from what?”

  “The cartel is coming, Lace.”

  I stared at him, his face hard and intense. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. It was just too crazy. There was a Mexican drug cartel out there hunting us down that wanted to hurt us? I couldn’t imagine a world where that was the truth. We were normal people that did boring, normal things. We didn’t get involved with drug cartels.

  “Lace?” he asked.

  “I have to go.” I opened the door and climbed out.

  “Wait,” he said, getting out. “I’m not lying to you.”

  “For once in your life?”

  I saw his jaw clench. “You don’t understand.”

  “Just leave, Camden. Just go away. I don’t know why you’re making this crazy story up about drug cartels, but I’m not buying it.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not lying. You’re all—”

  “In danger,” I said, cutting him off. “I get it. Just go away, Camden.”

  I turned and left, walking into the bookstore.

  It felt like I was tearing open an old wound walking away from him like that, but I needed to process what he was
saying. It was true that I found his first story completely unbelievable, but the second story was equally implausible, if not more so. Still, why would he make up something so outrageous?

  His eyes, at least, didn’t seem like he was lying. In fact, he looked like he was pleading with me, begging me to listen.

  I couldn’t though. He was like a ghost to me still.

  I had thought he was dead. I had mourned and I got over it. But now he was back, and I hated him more than ever.

  Worse, I wanted him more than ever.

  4

  Camden

  The look on her face nearly tore me in half. I watched as she stormed into the bookstore, clearly pissed beyond belief and probably convinced that I was insane.

  But she had to believe me. One way or another, I was getting her and our parents out of the state and up to Alaska. Maybe I was going to have to drag them at gunpoint, but I would if I had to. We’d be protected there, or at least hidden away until things blew over.

  Dangerous men were coming. Men that were far more dangerous than me. And my old handlers couldn’t protect us anymore.

  I turned away and began walking back toward Main Street. The hotel was just a few blocks away, and I needed some sleep. Trip would switch out with me and take a turn watching over the house.

  As I walked, memories of the town came rushing back. Hammond had been my home for more than half my life. Though what happened in Mexico dominated my thoughts and shaped me as a person in the last few years, Hammond was my childhood. I learned everything I knew from Hammond, and then some.

  The hotel was a run-down chain place. I went into the lobby and found the elevators, riding them to the third floor. I knocked on the door to our room.

  “Yeah?” Trip’s voice came, muffled by the door.

  “Special delivery,” I called.

  “Camden?”

  “Let me in.”

  The door opened and Trip peeked out. “Hey, man.”

  “It’s really me, and alone.”

  He nodded, closed the door, unlocked the chain, and let me in.

  “You’re getting more and more paranoid,” I said to him as I flopped down on the bed.