Last Ride

by Chantal Fernando

  “So she messages you and not me? Just fuckin’ great.”

  “Have you been messaging her?”

  He nods.

  “And calling her?”

  He nods again.

  “Ronan, surely by now you know the way to keep a woman interested is to ignore her?” I say, scrunching up my nose. “Don’t men learn these things?”

  “So, what? You’re saying not to contact her at all? Won’t she think I’m not interested then?”

  “She’ll question your interest, which will pique hers,” I try to explain. I glance at my watch and jump up from the couch. “Fuck, I’m supposed to be at work in ten minutes.”

  When I say work, everyone assumes I mean the law firm, but I’m actually working on a new case with the feds. A woman has gone missing, and I’m going to do everything I can to find out what happened to her. I don’t know why they asked me to help with this case, but I’m thinking there must be biker ties, or something like that, for them to want me. Lines in my career are being crossed right now. The feds started off wanting me because of my skills as a lawyer, but now my curiosity is pulling me toward the investigative side of the cases. When a woman is missing, how could I not do everything I can to help find her? I say bye to the men and get in my car.

  Time to be badass.

  “Dude, this is delicious,” I tell Steph, practically inhaling the dessert. I look at Shayla, who also joined us for lunch. “You should have ordered what I ordered.”

  “I know,” she says, pushing her dark hair back behind her ear. “Dammit. Yours looks way better than mine.”

  “This is my go-to café,” Steph says, taking a sip from her milk shake. “I come here at least once a week.”

  “We haven’t seen you at the clubhouse in ages,” I say, not so smoothly. I just want to know where her head is at. If she isn’t into Ronan at all, then the man needs to move on. Maybe I’ll throw him a moving-on party at Toxic.

  “Honestly, after I heard you were”—she glances around and lowers her voice dramatically—“kidnapped, I knew it wasn’t the place for me.”

  “You were pulling away before the kidnapping though,” I point out. “And, honey, no offense, but if you want to stay out of this world, we can’t be having lunch together or be seen out in public. It’s the same as being one of us. People will just assume.”

  It happened before with Bailey. She was threatened even before she was back with Rake, just for being our friend.

  Steph looks down at her food, and I feel like there might be more going on than she wants to let on. I decide to change the subject for now. “So if you don’t have any intention of seeing Ronan again, why did you want to have lunch?”

  If she’s not with Ronan, I doubt we’ll end up keeping in touch. Sad but realistic. I have so many amazing women in my life. I don’t really need more. The only reason I got to know Steph was because of Ronan, and yes, I think she’s a lovely girl, but so what? My loyalty isn’t with her; it’s with Ronan and the club.

  “I liked hanging out with you and the girls,” she says, shrugging. “I’ve never met a group of women so close, and . . .”

  And she wanted to be a part of it.

  The Wind Dragons sisterhood obviously isn’t something just anyone can be a part of. Steph got a taste of it because she was dating Ronan, but now she wants to keep us and not him.

  Awkward.

  I look to Shayla for help, but she just shrugs. Dammit, I should have brought Tia or Anna with me; they’d back me up.

  “So it’s definitely not going to happen with you and Ronan?”

  “I don’t know,” she says, ducking her head. “I need to meet up with him, have a good chat with him in person.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” I say, even though I can tell by the way she’s acting that she’s just not that into him anymore. I feel like there’s something she’s hiding though, and it has me curious.

  Maybe she met someone new?

  Either way, I think it’s time to throw Ronan that party.

  THIRTEEN

  Faye

  “THE Kings clubhouse is abandoned,” Dex says when we’re in bed that night. “They’ve bailed. Bunch of pussies.”

  I roll my eyes. “You didn’t give them much of a choice. Life or death. If they stayed we’d be at war, like the old days with the Wild Men. No one needs that shit.”

  Dex rolls me over onto my back, pinning me to the bed. “Now we just have to deal with Eric. He’s out of the hospital and back at Mom’s old house.”

  “He didn’t leave with the Kings?”

  “Nope,” Dex says, pressing his soft lips against mine. “I guess they didn’t want him.”

  Ouch, that has to hurt. Eric has pretty much lost everything, and he obviously isn’t in a good place. He’s a liability, but at the same time, we can’t just kill him. I don’t know how to handle the Eric situation, to be honest. Why can’t he just move away? It would make our lives much easier. Classic Eric—always a selfish prick.

  “So now what? We let him plot our death, like sitting ducks?”

  “I don’t know,” Dex says into my neck, his sweet breath sending shivers up my spine. “He clearly needs help, but he’s not going to listen to me.”

  “A mental institution?”

  Dex chuckles, running his nose along the column of my throat. “No, I don’t know. Something. He’s obviously not right, and in a bad way. We’ve been thinking life or death with him too, but surely there’s a middle ground. Maybe he needs to talk to a professional.”

  “About how he kidnapped his sister-in-law for bait so he could kill his own brother?”

  “Exactly. I’ll handle it, Faye. Don’t you worry about it.”

  “Look at this new, mature Dex. Asking questions first, killing second,” I tease, squeezing his ass. “Are you gonna fuck me or what?”

  “Demanding.”

  “More like needy. You’ve had your mouth on my neck this whole time. Do you know how horny I am right now?”

  “Let me see how wet you are,” he growls, running his fingers down my stomach, over my belly button, then to the folds of my pussy. He gently slides a finger inside, then groans, latching onto a nipple with his mouth at the same time. He does this thing where he hooks his finger inside of me, and it feels so fucking good; however, like I said, I’m feeling so needy right now and I want more. I spread my thighs, giving him an open invitation. He chuckles against my nipple, lifting his head, and stares at me for a few seconds. Then he rolls me over onto my stomach, lifts my knees up, and slides into me from behind in one smooth thrust.

  “Yes,” I moan, pushing back against him.

  This is just what I want right now.

  Fast and rough.

  Passionate.

  Dex grips my hips and starts to fuck me.

  Hard.

  He slaps my ass, bringing a muttered curse from my lips, then uses the same hand to reach between us to play with my clit. I bring my hands up to my nipples, pinching them gently. Everything feels so fucking good. This is my favorite position, and with Dex’s expert fingers on my clit and my fingers on my nipples, it’s only a short time until I have an amazing orgasm.

  “Dex,” I say as he suddenly stops, turns my head to the side, and kisses me, sucking on my bottom lip before pulling away.

  “Fuck, you are so beautiful,” he says in a thick, gravelly tone. “I will never stop wanting you, Faye, ever.”

  He continues to work me, and I bite down on the pillow as I come, my hips almost jerking with the intensity of the orgasm that hits me. Waves of pleasure take over my very soul, transporting me to another place. A very fucking happy place. My knees are shaky, and when I come back to myself, Dex has to put a hand on my stomach to hold me up and keep me in place. He comes shortly after, leaning over me and kissing the back of my neck. Even just
the way he holds me, so possessively; yet he cherishes me at the same time. It’s an addictive mix. I fall to the mattress, with Dex on top of me, bracing his weight on his arms so he doesn’t squash me. His cock is against my thigh, and I can feel that it’s still a little hard. The man is a machine.

  “Dex?”

  “Yeah, babe.”

  “I breathe you.”

  I hear the smile in his voice when he says, “I breathe you too, babe.”

  “Why exactly are you throwing me a party?” Ronan asks, glancing at all the strippers walking past him in Toxic. “Do the women know where all their husbands are right now?”

  I wave my hand in the air. “My husband is here and I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, because you can keep an eye on him,” he replies, voice laced with amusement. “I’m assuming this means that your talk with Steph didn’t go well?”

  “It’s not me, it’s you,” I blurt out, which is the truth. Steph likes me, but apparently isn’t so keen on Ronan anymore. You can’t exactly say that to a man, but what you can do is distract one.

  Men like distractions.

  “What?”

  “What?” I mimic, pointing at one of the women on a pole. “Oh look. Boobs.”

  It works; he looks.

  Phew.

  I leave Ronan to get his ogle on and go sit next to Tracker and Rake. “Hey.”

  “You said there’d be candy here,” Rake says, rubbing his hand on his stomach. “I don’t see any fuckin’ candy. Or any food for that matter. You got me here under false pretenses.”

  “Rake,” I say, covering my face with my hands. “I said there would be eye candy here. Not actual candy.”

  Tracker starts laughing and wraps his arm around me. “Friends that watch strippers together, stay together.”

  “Is that why you and Rake have been friends for so long?”

  “Are you getting Ronan a lap dance? He looks bored,” Tracker says, glancing over my head. “He’s pulling out his phone. Probably texting Steph.”

  “She must have vodka-flavored nipples, I swear,” I grumble. “And we need some male strippers here.”

  “Why? So you women can have ladies’ night and perve on soft dick?” Rake smirks, pulling a chocolate bar out of his jeans pocket.

  “That’s exactly why,” I say, reaching out my hand. “And I want some of that.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “I was kidnapped.”

  “Don’t worry, they would have returned you soon enough,” Tracker adds, chuckling.

  “Well,” I say, nose in the air. “I’m glad we’re at the point where we can laugh and joke about it. All of you crying over me was getting old.”

  We all share a grin.

  Rake gives me some of his chocolate bar, then we turn and watch boobs.

  I get Ronan a lap dance, but he doesn’t seem interested. I don’t like seeing any of the men unhappy.

  Plan one might have failed, but I always have a backup plan.

  I duck my head in the car, hiding as I see him leaving her house. I can’t believe my eyes. I wait until he’s gone, then get out and walk up the pathway to her front door. I’d come to Steph’s house with cupcakes, hoping to surprise her and maybe talk about whatever she’s hiding that is stopping her from being with Ronan, but then I saw him leaving her house. It seems this is a little closer to home than we thought. I knock on her door, but when I find it open, I decide to just walk in. She comes out of her room in the middle of redressing herself, her eyes widening in shock as she sees me.

  “Faye, what are you doing here?” she asks, wrapping her arms around herself.

  “Well, you said you loved girl time, so I brought you some cupcakes as a surprise,” I tell her, picking one out of the box in my left hand and showing her the delicious pink icing on vanilla.

  “Oh,” she says, looking uncomfortable. “Now isn’t really a good time.”

  I throw the cupcake at her face, and it hits her right between the eyes. “What the fuck? Faye?”

  “What a waste of a cupcake,” I murmur, getting out another one, but this time taking a huge bite out of it. “Now, Steph, you are going to sit the fuck down and tell me the truth about why Eric Black was just leaving your house.”

  She wipes the icing off her face and sits. She looks anywhere except at me. She exhales, and then inhales. I finish the cupcake, waiting for her to explain what exactly her game is. We brought this bitch into our clubhouse, we treated her like family, and the whole time she was possibly here as a spy for Eric.

  “How do you know Eric?” she asks quietly.

  I pause, studying her. Does she really not know? What if she’s actually innocent? Maybe I should stop my mental plans on beating the shit out of her until I figure that out.

  “How do you know him?” I ask, flashing her a look that dares her to do anything except answer my question.

  “I only just met him,” she says, a dreamy smile on her face. “He’s so different from any man I’ve met before. I know you want me with Ronan, but I just don’t feel like I do when I’m with Eric. I’m sorry, Faye. I know it makes me a bad person, but I’m just following my heart.”

  I think over all the new information. “Did Eric encourage you to go out for lunch with me?”

  She tilts her head to the side, like a cute German shepherd puppy, and nods. “He said I should have more girlfriends and that you sounded nice. He suggested I go to the clubhouse, because it would be good for me to have strong women as friends.”

  “I see,” I whisper, putting the box on the table and wondering what the best way to handle this situation is. I decide to go for full honesty.

  “Here’s the thing, Steph. Eric isn’t who you think he is.”

  “What do you mean?” she asks skeptically, brow furrowing.

  “He’s Sin’s brother,” I say, pausing, and then deciding to clarify. “Sin, as in my husband and the Wind Dragons’ president.” She’s met him before, but I don’t think she’s the sharpest tool in the shed. “Eric is the one who orchestrated my kidnapping.”

  I pause again, this time just for some dramatic flair. “You’re fucking my enemy, Steph.”

  And my ex-boyfriend, but she doesn’t need to know that. “Do you know what that makes you?”

  “What?” she whispers, looking shocked.

  “Well, besides stupid, it also makes you my enemy. And that’s not a position I’d advise you to take. How did he explain being shot?”

  “He said he was shot at work. His store was held up,” she says, looking miserable and on the verge of tears. “Oh my god, how stupid am I? He even told me I should plan a get-together with all of my friends at my house. Do you think he wanted to try and hurt you again? I’m so fucking sorry, Faye. I didn’t know, I swear.”

  A great actress, or just a dumb girl believing anything a man tells her?

  Either way, a little threatening couldn’t hurt. “When are you seeing him next?”

  “We have dinner plans tomorrow night,” she says, swallowing hard, her lower lip trembling. “I ended things with Ronan over a psychotic kidnapper? I really know how to pick them.”

  “Karma,” I mutter, stepping forward and pulling her up by the front of her T-shirt. “You don’t want to fuck with me, Steph. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

  “Only that he’s behind you,” she whispers, looking over my shoulder. I let go of her and spin. Eric is standing at the door, watching us quietly. How did I not hear him? Probably because of all the loud fury blazing around my head.

  “Eric.”

  “Faye.”

  “Picking up women you know are friends with the club. Who knew you had it in you,” I say, smirking at him.

  “I got you once, didn’t I?” he fires back, making me cringe.

  “I was you
ng and stupid. I’m allowed to make one mistake in my life, right?”

  “That mistake would be fucking Dex after we broke up, not being with me,” he says, looking at Steph. “I like you. Don’t listen to anything she’s said. She just hates me because I cheated on her years ago.” He brings his eyes back to me, then adds, “Don’t you think it’s time to let it go, Faye?”

  It hits me.

  “You’re never going to stop, are you? Stupid plan after fucking stupid plan, you’re making it your life goal to hate people who don’t even spare you a second thought because we’re too busy being happy. Or maybe that is why you hate us. Feeling a little left out, Eric? Like you’re a nobody? That’s probably because you are.”

  He takes a step forward but stops. He probably remembers what happened the last time he tried to fuck with me. “I let you live, Eric.”

  “And that’s your weakness,” he sneers, gritting his teeth. “And I’ll use it against you, over and over again. You can’t kill me, Faye, and neither can Dex. But I have no problem taking the two of you out. I have nothing to lose, and the two of you have everything. Guess who has the upper hand here?”

  Is he on drugs? I feel like he might be.

  “I don’t understand why you hate us so much, Eric,” I say, pursing my lips. “I get it, you lost your mom, but so did Dex. Yes, you were closer to her, but she was his mom too. I know the two of you never really got along, but you’re still brothers. That should mean something.”

  “Didn’t care he was my brother when he stole my girlfriend,” he snarls, gritting his teeth.

  In this moment, I realize something in Eric has snapped. I don’t know what he’s been through, but he’s not in a mentally stable place, and somehow he’s decided that we’re the cause of his misfortune. Maybe because from the outside it seems like we do have everything—family, power, each other. What does Eric have? Nothing worth anything, as far as I can see. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t think I can. This has nothing to do with us. These issues are his, and I’ve had enough of him trying to make them ours.