One last time, like that last kiss. Gabriel hadn’t been counting on seeing me again, at all.
He left me.
A million thoughts were roaring around in my head. I was all alone now. If I screamed, would it help? If I fought? Did I stand a chance at all?
Jameson pushed me out onto the back patio. I landed on a rough, granite surface and heard a soft cry. But it wasn’t my own.
I spotted Anna a few feet away, arranged on her knees with a rectangle of duct tape over her mouth. Her hands were bound in front of her chest. The phrase, Say your prayers, floated thinly through my mind.
Jameson dropped me next to her. I glanced at her face and saw nothing but sheet-white skin and wild, terrified eyes. My heart pounded. I began to shake.
“Any last words?” the Boss said in his razor-cold voice.
My skin felt hot and cold at the same time. I scanned the desert quickly, looking for light glancing off of leather and chains. I listened for a boot on gravel, the cock of a gun, but I heard nothing. I heard silence, the sound of abandonment.
“So be it,” the Boss snarled. “Hands on your head.”
Anna gave a helpless squeal, muffled by the duct tape. But I merely complied. It took all the strength I had left in my body to raise my arms. I was still shaking, but there was a cooling calm inside of my body. It was almost like relief.
I didn’t have to run anymore.
Part of me wanted to look behind me, at least see who was holding the gun. I didn’t dare to. That was the fear of mortality in me, and I had to let it go.
I closed my eyes.
Chapter 16
Chop-chop-chop-chop!
My eyes snapped open.
The chopping sounds grew louder and louder until it drowned out everything happening around me, even the sound of Jameson’s cursing. There was a sudden sweep of air that blew back my entire head of hair, which was shortly followed by another, then another, then another.
My realization hit me in the face with the next wave. A helicopter.
A spotlight beamed down on us from somewhere in the sky.
“This is Agent Fields with the FBI! Drop the weapon and put your hands up!” a strange voice boomed through a loudspeaker.
I thrust my hands into the air. Anna, unable to follow suit with her wrists bound together, just shivered stiffly beside me.
“Go, go, go!” I heard voices screaming on the ground.
Men in black uniforms charged toward us from out of the darkness. Toward me and Anna.
“No!” I yelped.
I collapsed backward and tried to crawl in the other direction. A man hoisted me over his shoulder and carried me away. A second man had Anna in his arms. I strained over my carrier’s shoulder just in time to see Jameson and the Boss putting their hands behind their heads and lowering themselves to the ground, following the loudspeaker’s directions.
Then, it finally hit me. We weren’t being captured.
We were being rescued.
* * *
“This was all I could get at this time of night. Hope it’s okay,” Carmen said.
I stared at the paper cup she’d put into my hands from the coffee vending machine in the lobby. The swill inside was a strange, cloudy brown. But when I took a sip, I instantly felt better. I’d probably needed something warm inside of me.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling gratefully.
We were in a motel somewhere in the middle of the desert, even older than the Paradise. Aspen was sitting cross-legged on the second bed, watching an old rerun of I Love Lucy! on a cube television set I was surprised to see working. Shadows passed over the thin curtains on the windows, evidence of the Canyon City Skull Kings doing their patrols outside. Liam was out there somewhere.
I had no idea where Gabriel was.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Carmen asked gently. She sat down on the bed beside me.
Aspen turned down the volume on the television set.
“Not really,” I said. “I just want to know if Anna’s okay.”
“Anna’s being debriefed right now,” Carmen said automatically. “She’s the number one witness, so they needed to talk to her right away.”
“And, they’re talking to Gabriel, too,” Aspen added.
“Gabriel? Why him?” I asked a little too eagerly.
“The Laughlin Kings,” Carmen answered, as if that explained everything.
“Ah...well, okay, then,” I said. There was no use just sitting around now that everything was settling down. Plus, I needed something to do, or else the girls would’ve been tempted to ask more questions. “Gee, I’m starved.”
Carmen hopped off of the bed. “I’ll tell the guys. Hopefully there’s a burger joint that’s still open around here.” She disappeared out the door, leaving me and Aspen alone in the small room.
“So,” Aspen thought aloud, “you seem really worried about Gabriel.”
My cheeks warmed, and I was glad we were sitting on two separate beds. “We’ve been through a lot together,” I said innocently.
“Uh-huh.” Aspen began playing with her fingers as she stared absent-mindedly at the television screen. “Just like me and Liam.”
I couldn’t help but gape at her, shocked. “No way. You and Liam are just...on a whole other level.”
Aspen laughed, her voice light and soft. Just the sound of it eased the ball of anxiety in my stomach. Then, she pulled a piece of hair behind her ear, and I saw something flashing in the light.
“Aspen,” I began slowly, “is that...is that what I think it is?”
It was Aspen’s turn to blush, but she couldn’t keep herself from grinning. “He asked me about a week ago.” She extended her left hand toward me.
I scrambled off of my bed and went to hers, grabbing her hand. The ring on her finger was just a simple gold band. Instead of a diamond, it was set with an enormous black stone.
“Liam must’ve picked it out,” I said.
We caught each other’s eyes and began laughing.
“I’m sorry,” Aspen said. “I didn’t know how to tell you, especially with all this going on.”
“Are you kidding? I’m so happy for you guys! Something good has to come out of this shittiness.”
Aspen’s eyes were shining. “So you’re okay with this?”
I realized our hands were still clutched. Afraid my face would betray my emotions, I pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m way okay with this,” I said.
I was, really. Somewhere deep down inside, I was excited to have another sister, even though my relationship with my two existing ones was tumultuous at best. Leanna and Lonnie. They lived down in Phoenix and played lots of golf. They’d left everything that they were ashamed of back in Canyon City, including me and Liam.
But I knew Aspen would be different. I fingered her new engagement ring with my thumb. It as a ring fit for a biker princess.
“You guys should do it inVegas,” I said. Then, I smiled. “It’s how the Skull Kings would want it.”
“Now, that’s a good idea.”
At that moment, the door opened. My stomach growled at the same exact time, and I turned with the smile still on my face, expecting to see Carmen.
But instead, it was Gabriel. His lips spread shakily, and he held up two grease-stained bags from a fast food chain. “I bring sustenance,” he announced.
Carmen and Logan slipped in behind him. I cleared my throat.
“Guys, can I have a minute alone with Gabriel?”
“Sure!” Carmen said loudly, reading the look on my face. “You know what? How about you guys just stay in here tonight?”
Logan’s face fell. “But—”
“Good idea! I’m sure we can bunk with someone else,” Aspen said, immediately sliding off the bed. She grabbed Logan’s left arm while Carmen grabbed his right. The two women had to drag him out the door.
“But that was my room,” Logan said morosely just before the door closed behind them.
We stared at ea
ch other awkwardly.
“One of those bags better be for me,” I said.
Gabriel’s face broke out into a shaky grin. “Here,” he said, coming forward. He sat cross-legged on the bed in front of me and handed me one of the bags. Inside, there was a burger with a side of fries. Instantly, I recalled our first night together after passing out those wristbands for Tim Hawk, eating on the curb, hinting at secrets.
Despite my growling stomach, I knew I couldn’t dig in until I had a serious talk with him.
“I thought you ditched me,” I said.
Gabriel’s eyes were sad. “I know. I’m so sorry you went through all that, but I didn’t ditch you.”
“What happened?” I asked, searching his face.
Gabriel gulped. “I was out in the courtyard with the guys. It wasn’t easy convincing them that the Feds were on their way, to tell you the truth. It was pretty much impossible without Jameson there. But then, Adrian showed up.”
I was stunned. “Adrian?”
“Apparently, he went back to Logan after seeing us off in that taxi. They cooked up a little plan of their own.”
“That little weasel,” I said.
Gabriel laughed at my words. “Seriously, right? Anyway, he just came up out of nowhere and told us the FBI was on their way, with a S.W.A.T. team and everything, and the crew had about two minutes to get out of there.”
I shook my head. “I thought they were going to wait until morning.”
“With you and me in that house, they pretty much had no choice but to move in right away.”
I stared at the garish bedspread under my legs.
“So...what’s your side of the story?” Gabriel asked carefully.
I picked at a seed hole forming in my sock. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Yeah, okay,” Gabriel said, his voice strangely high. “I get it.” He reached out and took my hand.
I finally looked up into his eyes.
“Lisbeth,” he said softly, his fingers closing tight around mine, “the plan worked. Not like we expected, but it worked. Everything’s okay now.”
I nodded. In my mind, I knew that he was right. Everything was okay. But my body didn’t believe it. I was still on alert. I’d been ready to die, and now I was here in this tiny, brightly-lit room. I felt jittery, and my muscles were all coiled up, ready to bolt.
I shoved my food away. “I’m exhausted.”
“That’s perfectly fine, Lisbeth,” Gabriel said. He slid off the bed and cleared it off, giving me enough room to slip under the sheets. He crossed the room to turn off one of the lamps.
“No,” I said. “Leave it on.”
His hand hovered in the air before dropping down to his side. “Okay. Then...”
“You can stay,” I said, my eyelids fluttering. “I don’t want to be alone.”
I let my head sink into my pillow and closed my eyes, feeling comforted by the clean sheets. Footsteps fell heavily outside as the Skull Kings did their patrols. I could hear their familiar voices chatting loudly, just outside my door.
I felt safe.
Gabriel settled down on the other bed. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t care anymore. I let myself give into sleep, slipping away. At one point, Gabriel turned on the television, and the voices of the actors on his shows weaved their way into my dreams.
Goodnight, Lisbeth. I felt a light kiss on my eyelids.
Chapter 17
I woke up to the sound of the shower running.
I’d been dreaming that I was lost in a hotel. There had been an earthquake, and I was running through an endless maze of hallways. I’d been looking for Gabriel.
I turned over in bed to look at the clock. It was only a few hours past midnight, but I was wide awake. I felt like I’d been asleep for years, dead as a rock. My anxiety, the jittery feeling that made me too afraid to turn off the lights, was completely gone. I was relieved. I could relax. But there was still an ache deep inside of my chest, evidence of some unfinished business I still had to take care of.
I got out of bed and stretched. The shower’s refrain seemed to call to me, like a spell. I walked past the chair with Gabriel’s jeans slung over the arm and went to stand in the bathroom doorway. Clouds of steam were wafting around inside, and I could see Gabriel’s blurry silhouette through the fogged-up shower door. He had his hands against the wall and his head tilted forward, letting the hot spray wash over his back.
Something awakened inside of me. I took off my tee shirt and my shorts. Gabriel’s head jerked up when he heard my clothes landing on the tile. He didn’t say anything as I finished getting undressed. Then, I went up to the shower door, blurry from the steam. When I opened it to step inside, I could finally see him clearly.
His short hair was slicked flat against his head. Without a word, he stepped over to make room for me in the cramped space. It was a lot like being in a closet. The moment I slipped in, he collected me in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Lisbeth,” he murmured into my hair.
I pulled away. “For what?”
Gabriel cast his eyes downward, but averted them from my body. Water dripped off of his lips as he spoke. “I kept telling you I was going to leave, but the truth is...I don’t know if I really meant it. For some reason, something inside was telling me to stay. And I just let you think that I was going to take off.”
I smoothed my hands over his shoulders. My fingers ran over the tattoo on his chest. “Well,” I began, having no idea what to say, “it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
Gabriel’s hands were on my hips. “You must’ve thought I just ditched you when I didn’t show up. I had no choice. We only had two minutes to get out.” He skimmed his fingertips along my spine, making me shiver. “I just need you to know that I didn’t just leave you there. I was never going to.”
“I know. It’s okay.” I rubbed his shoulders.
His eyes remained fixed downward. I wanted him to look at me.
“It’s okay,” I repeated, softer this time. I put my fingers to his chin, tilting his face up. “It’s okay...”
He inhaled sharply before I kissed him. His mouth was stiff against mine, closed off like a cinderblock wall. Then, I felt all the tension in his body melt away. He leaned into me, closing what little distance remained between us. My body molded easily against his, skin on skin, as his arms wrapped themselves around me. I curled my fingers through his hair as our tongues danced together.
I thought I could never get enough of him.
He whispered something, but the sound of the water drowned out his words. I arched my back as our hips touched. I could already feel him getting hard. He slid his hand down between our bodies to where our pelvises met.
I gasped as he began kneading my clit with his fingertips. I was in heaven. My eyes rolled back, darkening my vision and heightening my senses. Gabriel’s mouth was on my neck, sucking gently. He kisses and licked at my slick skin, wandering down to my breasts. His tongue swirled around my nipples, mimicking the patterns he drew against my clit. I breathed in the soothing, warm steam.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I held the knowledge that it wasn’t all over. There would be witness statements, testimonies, and all that. But all that mattered at the moment was Gabriel holding me, touching me.
I put my hand on his hardness. He gasped, his mouth right near my ear. I had to choke back a moan when I heard the surprise and ache in his voice.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
I gave his shaft a squeeze. He groaned, the sound of it vibrating in my bones, and he pinned me against the cold shower wall. Moving roughly, he picked up one of my knees and slung my leg around his hip. I was completely open to him, vulnerable, and full of want and need. I knew he felt the same way.
He planted his elbows on the wall. His hands cradled my head, and I wrapped my hands around his wrists. He rocked his hips forward, touching his tip against my wet heat. His eyes searched mi
ne.
And then, he was inside me.
I tossed my wet hair back as I rode him, pinned between the wall and his fever-hot body. I held tight to him, digging my fingers into his slippery skin, afraid I’d fall away before we got to finish. There was a desperation in his movements as he fucked me, as he murmured my name. This was so unlike last time, with his cock throbbing and alive as a beating heart, sheathing and unsheathing from the tight walls of my sex. I opened my thighs wider, inviting him deeper into me.
“Lisbeth,” he gasped through the warm spray. He clutched at my left breast, squeezing me. I felt my nipple hardening against his rough palm. His head dipped low and he whispered a few more words before choking me with a kiss. “I need you.”
Our heads pressed together, breathing the same breath, I couldn’t find the strength to respond. My head swam with the same feelings I’d had since I met him. Confusion, fear, wild excitement. But they were closer to the surface, now, evident in my face and my voice as I reacted to what Gabriel was doing to me. I was afraid to look in his eyes when he made me moan or cry out.
He pressed his forehead to mine, forcing his stare. His hips thrust forward, knocking me back against the wall. My ass slid against the wet tiles, and Gabriel kept thrusting. His pelvis ground itself against my clit, working it in a quick, steady rhythm that had me convulsing in no time.
My head fell against his shoulder. He turned his face into my neck.
“Come on baby,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.
I put my hand to the base of his skull, curling my fingers around his neck. My entire body tensed up, preparing for the release that was coming. Gabriel kept up his rhythm, pushing forward so hard he could’ve hammered me into the wall. My toes skidded against the floor while my other leg was still wrapped around his tight, narrow waist.
“I’m close!” I hissed. Then, I was already coming. Water droplets pelted against my skin, intensifying the rush I felt as I climaxed. I bit into Gabriel’s shoulder, stifling my scream, but it still echoed off of the walls.
Gabriel made a sound with his throat. His back stiffened under my hands. After I finished, he jerked himself out of me and came, his fluids barely glancing on my thigh before the shower rinsed it away.
Wild Child: A Skull Kings MC Novella Page 9
