“Bella. Goddammit!”
Her seat belt clicked and she pounced on him, straddling his legs and smashing her lips against his, her fingers frantically trying to get his dick out. His cock was probably cowering like a frightened turtle with this blatant display of crazy bitch.
Bella pushed away from him. Her face livid from his lack of an erection. “What? I’m not good enough for you?”
Travis’s hands came up and gripped her shoulders. “Bella, why are you doing this?”
“I want to fuck you, but obviously you can’t get it up—”
“You deserve someone who’s not married, and who wouldn’t hurt you.”
He lifted her off him and placed her firmly back on her side.
Shaking his head, he pulled up the zipper of his shorts. Then he cringed inwardly as the sobs started from the passenger corner.
Fuck. He couldn’t deal with tears, especially if it was from a woman who he barely knew. He pulled the SUV back on the road.
“Why do you have to be so decent? It’s sickening,” Bella cried.
“There are decent men out there,” Travis said quietly. She was still young, probably mid-twenties. It would probably take a few more years before she realized her true worth and that the assholes of this world didn’t deserve the time of day.
Thankfully, they were not far from the MC compound. He drove through the entrance and parked in the forecourt in front of a massive rectangular one-story structure that looked like the clubhouse.
“Thanks for the ride,” Bella said as she hopped down from the vehicle, keeping her eyes averted.
“Bye, Bella,” Travis said with not a small amount of relief. He was about to back out when a roar of Harleys swept into the compound and blocked his exit.
Fuck! What now?
“What the fuck? Bella? What the fuck?” Ashe shot Travis a look and glared at Bella.
Oh, fuck, Ashe thought they hooked up.
Travis got out of the car and said, “Man, you got the wrong idea—”
Ashe ignored him and asked Bella, “Why the fuck were you with Marko?”
What the fuck’s going on?
A flash of fear crossed Bella’s face. “It was nothing.”
“What’s nothing? Marko and five other members of the Fuego gang rolled into Iron Ridge half an hour ago. The Prez is handling them right now because they’re making the locals and tourists jumpy.”
“Wait, I saw them near Devil’s Peak,” Travis said. “Marko was hurting Bella, and I had to intervene.”
“Fucking bitch!” Ashe yelled at Bella, who was now cowering. The VP turned to Travis. “Marko wouldn’t give Bella the time of day, and now one of our boys saw her and Marko all chummy in Greenville a town over. Why are they here, Bella?”
“He said he wanted to see me. That he made a mistake when we broke up.”
“Then?”
“Then he told me we’d get back together if I just played along. And that’s when Travis and Caitlin showed up.”
“Wait,” Travis said as alarm raised the hair on his arms. “Are you saying the whole fight was staged?”
Fuck, did someone find out where they were? Is Pavlo Milekhin pulling the strings?
“Shit!” one of the bikers muttered. “We better grab the guns and get to town quick before shit goes down.”
Ashe was staring at Travis. “Something you neglected to tell us, Bennett?”
Travis shook his head and got back in the Suburban. “I’m heading back to town.”
*****
Caitlin and Ms. Betty stood in front of the Bluebell B&B, watching the tense exchange right outside the inn. She had only been five minutes into her massage when the innkeeper hurried in and told them about the gang members from another town loitering along the stretch of businesses in Iron Ridge, intimidating everyone.
The Sheriff and Crane were in deep conversation with Marko, who Caitlin didn’t expect to see again so soon. Two of his cohorts were by his side.
“As I said, Sheriff, I have every right to be here. It’s an open town. Why can’t I enjoy the sights of Iron Ridge?”
“We had a deal, Marko. You stay in Greenville; we keep to Iron Ridge. We do not move into each other’s territory,” Crane answered.
“Oh, come on, Crane. What happened between me and Bella is water under the bridge.”
“You took advantage of my daughter.”
“She was nineteen, more than the age of consent. She wanted a good fuck—”
It wasn’t Marko’s lucky day, because Crane slammed him against the side of a parked vehicle.
The sheriff, a portly man of around fifty, huffed heavily and tried to pull Crane off Marko. Caitlin saw the flash of a gun from one of Marko’s goons.
She emerged from the safety of the B&B shouting, “Gun!”
Crane and two MC dudes turned solid. Everyone drew their weapons.
The tension shifted into full-throttle. A thunder of Harley pipes drew closer.
Marko picked himself off the car and started clapping his hands, walking toward Caitlin. She started backing away.
“Bravo, Ms. Kincaid. You’re just like your husband—wanting to save everybody.”
Caitlin paled. “How . . . How do you know my name?”
A car screeched to a halt. A door slammed and Travis’s furious voice shouted, “You stay the fuck away from her.”
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Marko lunged for her, spinning her around, and suddenly, a cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the side of her head. Her gaze lifted to lock on Travis. His face was set in angry lines, but his eyes were filled with terror.
“It seems I won’t be slitting her throat after all, Travis Blake.”
There was a blister of curses and gasps with the revelation.
“You harm a single hair on her head—you’re dead!”
Marko laughed like a maniac. “You’re not the one with the power right now, Blake.” He cocked his revolver. “You know I need her alive. But don’t think I won’t shoot her right now just to piss you off.” The muzzle of his gun slithered close to her mouth.
“Please,” Travis whispered. “Whatever they’re paying you, I’ll double it.”
“I would have considered your offer, but you pissed me off earlier. Hmm . . . I have a way of doubling my fee. I don’t need your help.”
Travis shook his head. “I’m sorry. Look, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll pay you whatever you want. Please . . . just leave her alone.”
“Sorry, Mr. Blake. Paydirt is right here.” He gave Caitlin an extra squeeze. Marko’s lips lowered to Caitlin’s ear. “Say your goodbyes, chica.”
“Marko, you can’t get away with this,” Crane interjected. “You’ve done this in front of witnesses.”
“Since when do our towns bring in the authorities? You bring attention to our shit, you can kiss your MC goodbye.”
“I won’t let you get away with this,” Travis growled. “I’ll hunt you down. I swear.”
“If these guys let you out of this town alive, be my guest,” Marko leered. “You don’t know the inner workings of our little section of paradise, do you? We pretend to like tourists because they bring in money, but we really hate them and wished they’d stay the fuck out of our towns.”
A spectator in the crowd shouted, “Speak for yourself, asshole.” Murmurs started to rise from the gathering, telling Marko to let the girl go.
Caitlin was pissed at herself for feeling so helpless, but Marko had her secured in a way she couldn’t move defensively. She was wearing slippers and he had on motorcycle boots, not ideal for the stomp and head butt move.
Before she could decide what to do, she felt Marko jerk back, the gun on her head disappeared, and she was falling backward.
“Caitlin!” Travis screamed.
She was lying on her back on top of Marko. Someone took him out! Before she could twist around to look at the man who had held her, hands grabbed her and hauled her into a familiar chest. Her nose wri
nkled at the strange perfume on Travis’s shirt, but her brain prioritized the imminent threat. And as everyone got over their shock at Marko’s surprise demise, gunfire exploded.
*****
Travis cursed as he pushed Caitlin behind the Suburban. People started screaming as a volley of gunfire erupted. Glass shattering, metal plinking, and a horde of angry bikers cursing, turned the quiet town of Iron Ridge into a war zone.
He stared at Caitlin who was looking at him, wide-eyed. “You okay, sunshine?”
“Yes. But who the hell shot Marko?”
“Don’t know.” But whoever did, thank fuck. He grabbed Caitlin’s face and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Stay down. Gonna help Crane.”
He already had his two Sigs and several magazines tucked in the back of his shorts, so he handed one of the guns to her.
Travis speared Caitlin with a stern glare. “I mean it, Caitlin. Stay here.”
“All right, jeez. Go make yourself useful.”
Travis nodded grimly. He peeked around the SUV and saw Crane hunkered down near the sheriff’s cruiser. The sheriff had been shot in the shoulder and Crane was wrapping his bandana around his wound.
Ashe and the rest of his men were having a shootout with Marko’s gang who had scattered behind buildings and cars. Those dumb fucks were outnumbered against the entire Iron Skulls MC.
Travis crouch-walked to Crane’s position.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, Bennett,” Crane muttered as he helped the sheriff move to a more comfortable position.
“Later,” Travis said. “Maybe.”
Crane scowled at him.
“Your boys are wasting lead,” Travis murmured.
“Don’t think I fucking know that?” Crane griped as he aimed and took out a gang member. “They go all the fuck guns blazing, tired as fuck teaching them to aim. Luckily, those Fuego boys don’t know any better.”
Travis chuckled.
“Sheeeet, you’re in a gunfight, and you’re happy as fuck because you’ve got your girl all tucked safe. Love sick fool.”
“Shut up,” Travis muttered. He set his gun’s sights at the exposed head of one of the gang members and squeezed the trigger. The man dropped dead. He aimed at another Fuego guy who was partially hidden behind a car. Biding his time and keeping his aim steady, Travis anticipated the man’s movements and squeezed off another shot, hitting the man’s head dead center.
“Damn, Travis, you’re a one-man army,” Crane murmured.
After Travis’s second kill, the gunfire turned sporadic.
“One guy left and he’s surrendering,” Ashe shouted. The shooting stopped. “Drop your weapon. Hands behind your head.”
The remaining Fuego thug did as he was told, and the Iron Skull bikers wasted no time swarming around him.
Crane and Travis helped the sheriff to his feet. Town folks gathered around to get him medical attention.
Spying Caitlin in the middle of the crowd, Travis reached for her and hauled her to his side. As his mind began to process the events, one thought turned his blood to ice. “Did anyone hear the gunshot when Marko went down?”
Everyone surrounding Travis froze at his words.
“None of you used a suppressor right?” Travis added anxiously, even as he knew the answer. He wasted no time ushering Caitlin into the sanctuary of the B&B. Crane and Ashe followed him inside.
“What the fuck’s going on, Bennett?” Crane asked. “That even your real name?”
“That was a sniper wasn’t it?” Caitlin asked.
“Goddamnit!” Travis shouted and he would have punched out a wall if he could. His eyes landed on Caitlin, his voice turning hoarse. “I can’t keep you safe. My own wife. I can’t fucking keep you safe.”
“Travis—” Caitlin whispered.
“Maybe that’s exactly the problem,” Crane said in a sage tone. “You’re too close to your charge. You’re not the best person to protect her.”
“Shut the fuck up, Crane,” Travis growled.
“No,” the MC president shot back. “You turned my town into the fucking O.K. Corral. I deserve answers. Do we have to arm up against these fuckers?”
Travis stilled. “You’re throwing down behind me and Caitlin?”
“Whoever decided to hire Marko had no scruples. He unleashed that dog on my turf. What do you think?”
“The best option is to get out of Iron Ridge,” Caitlin said. “We can’t drag you guys into this mess. I’m not even sure what the enemy wants anymore. The last one wanted me dead, but the sniper chooses to spare me this time. I don’t get it.”
Travis was a mass of suppressed anger. The impotence of not knowing what they were dealing with ate at him. She could have been killed. One shot. Straight to the head. The image of her with her blood-soaked blonde hair, lying on the ground dead, was fucking with his head.
Crane grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Get a grip on yourself, Bennett. Caitlin’s alive. It didn’t happen. She wasn’t the target.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Travis repeated over and over.
“Travis!” Crane shouted into his face, effectively snapping him out of his dead man’s spiral. “Focus, goddamnit.”
His hazy vision sharpened as he stared into Crane’s serious face. Travis exhaled deeply, his gaze seeking out Caitlin. She was standing to the side, staring anxiously at him.
Shit. She didn’t lose it. He did. Fucking pussy.
“You know you’re going to be on lockdown when we return to DC?” Travis told his wife.
A resigned look crossed her face. She nodded.
“I’m not taking chances. I’m having Nate and Sam come down to escort us back to DC.” Travis resumed control; Crane inclined his head in approval.
“I’ll have some of my boys guard the B&B,” Crane said. “We’ll be ready for them if they’re stupid enough to come after your wife.”
*****
The living room of the Bluebell B&B took on the atmosphere of a clubhouse. Men in leather cuts were kicking back on the couch watching TV. Stone-hearth pizza was delivered from the Italian restaurant across the street free of charge. There was beer, some fried chicken wings, and a variety of other fares donated by different businesses. The town had banded together behind the Iron Skulls who were trying to keep the peace in this crazy town.
Caitlin returned to their room to freshen up. Travis had stayed behind to fill Nicholas Crane in on what was going on. The MC president’s brows shot to his hairline when Travis revealed exactly who he was and what he did. Caitlin was confident Travis would relay only need-to-know information. This was a new threat. And she was getting tired of what she couldn’t remember.
She retrieved her laptop from the closet and sat on the bed. She had not worked on the files for a while. The ones she was most curious about were the ones tagged Hephaestus and Carpathian. Her gut told her these files stored high-value data. She had searched the web for their meanings, hoping they’d jolt her memory, but she knew it was futile. Her memory was never coming back. All she had left of the past was a sense of déjâ vu, an emotion, a feeling. Never a clear memory or thought. She had stopped hoping that her dreams would unlock a memory, because really it was too frustrating.
The door to the room opened and Travis walked in. He scowled at the open laptop. “I’ve a feeling they’ve installed a Trojan software from the flash drives.”
“That would mean Porter is involved.”
Travis nodded grimly.
“I think we need to play along for a while,” Caitlin said.
“Sunshine, just admit you’re curious about what they want.”
“Well, there’s that—”
Travis moved to the bed and hauled her to her feet and was about to kiss her when she shoved him off.
“What the fuck?” Travis muttered.
“You smell like her,” Caitlin snapped. A guilty look flashed across his face. A licking finger of jealousy fueled the words tumbling out of her mouth, “And you have a streak
of lipstick on your neck.”
“It’s not what you think,” Travis said evenly.
“Oh, are you going to say she jumped your bones, wiggled her ass on your lap, and kissed you against your will?”
“As a matter of fact—”
Caitlin snorted and threw up her hands.
“You unleashed that she-wolf on me. I told you what she did. What did you expect?”
“Did you kiss her back?”
“No!”
“Did you get an erection?” Someone shut her up. When had she become so hateful?
“Damn it, Caitlin. No!”
“You didn’t?” she asked skeptically. “Sometimes it’s an unintentional response.”
“If I didn’t just blister your ass a couple of days ago, I’d be tempted to do the same thing now.”
“What? Why?” Caitlin asked indignantly, though she shivered at the memory of that passionate coupling.
He gripped her chin, which she had jutted out ever since she rebuffed his attempt to kiss her. “You have no idea how deep you’ve gotten under my skin. I’ve managed to keep my dick in my pants all these years . . . well, except those three months when I tried to exorcise you from my heart, and we know how well that fucking turned out.” His nostrils flared. “So it pisses me off right now that you would think that I’d willingly have that woman put her mouth on me.”
“Can you blame me? You smell like her, and you’ve got her lipstick on you,” Caitlin repeated, but the fight had left her. Then she admitted what was really bothering her. “I hated putting you in such a position, but I didn’t want to come across as petty to her either. And now I’m feeling guilty.”
Travis rolled his eyes. “So you’re trying to lay the guilt on me?”
“Yes.” Caitlin stared at her feet, embarrassment making her feel warm all over.
“Crazy woman,” Travis muttered as he stepped closer and tried to kiss her again.
She scrunched her nose and pulled away. “I’m serious, Travis, go shower.”
Travis shot her an annoyed look. He swatted her ass before disappearing into the bathroom.
*****
Dmitry watched his boss, Grigori Zorin, entertain his business associates in an intimate dinner designed to reinforce his rank within Russia’s upper echelon of organized crime. Dmitry used to be an enforcer. The former head of security had been exposed as a double agent for the Komarov Bratva, so he had recently ascended to the position. Zorin was a major arms dealer in South America, and business had been increasingly lucrative, given the continent’s unending conflicts. His only competitor was Komarov. Zorin had set his sights on another opportunity, one that could net him billions of dollars, and the key was locked away in the mind of Caitlin Kincaid.
It's Always Been You Page 21
