by A. M. Myers
Fuck…
It’s not like I can tell her the truth.
“Just hanging out at the clubhouse with the guys.”
Her eyes narrow into a glare and she presses down harder as I gasp for air. “Think again, asshole.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“You know?” I ask even though I’m pretty damn sure I already know the answer and she nods.
“Yeah, I fucking know and let me make two things very clear to you, Noah LeBlanc,” she growls, looking sexier than ever before and I nod. “One, don’t you ever fucking lie to me again or you can kiss these good-bye.” She presses down harder for emphasis and I nod. “And, two, the only woman you willingly see naked is me. Are we clear?”
Fuck Chance for suggesting we go to a strip club today.
I’m gonna kill that bastard.
“Yeah, baby, we’re clear.”
She nods and removes her foot from my genitals. “Good.”
“Shit,” I whisper, breathing a sigh of relief as she takes a step back from the chair. Oh, my little hellion. She’s going to pay for this. I wrap my hand around my cock and meet her gaze. “You gonna kiss it better?”
“In your dreams, LeBlanc,” she says with a laugh, turning away from me, and I groan as I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her back to me. She sinks into my lap and moans.
Oh, yeah, we’re just getting started.
Groaning, I roll to my back and open my eyes, the memory from my dream lingering. My cock is hard as a goddamn rock and aching as I reach under the sheet and wrap my hand around it. A mental image of Kady in that see through get-up pops into my mind as soon as I close my eyes.
Fuck.
I miss her so damn much.
Almost like a movie, the memory plays in my mind again as I start stroking my cock and it doesn’t take long to feel an orgasm building. In my version of events, she drops to her knees in front of me and takes my cock into her mouth, sucking hard. I groan again, remembering how damn good it felt to have her lips wrapped around it, her tongue teasing the head. I slip my fingers into her blonde hair and push her down as I thrust up, trying to get her to take it all. She wraps her fingers around the base as she sucks on the tip and I groan loudly as I come in her mouth. Gently, she continues stroking me as she takes it all and when I’m finished, she looks up at me with a grin.
Opening my eyes, I stare up at the ceiling of my room at the clubhouse as I release my cock and wipe my hand on the sheets, a feeling of emptiness sweeping through me. Balling my fist, I roll to the side and punch my pillow.
“Goddamn it!”
* * * *
Shifting in my chair, I release a deep sigh and grab my bottle of beer from the table in front of me. The cool glass of the bottle presses against my lips and I take a sip, savoring the flavor as it goes down my throat. Since the dinner two days ago, I’ve been cooped up here at the clubhouse, waiting for Streak to dig into the information Blaze gave him. It’s driving me fucking crazy but the guys have been slammed by some of their usual cases lately and he hasn’t had time. Actually, it’s starting to piss me the fuck off.
How fucking hard is it to do a quick search?
At first, I really tried to be understanding despite the constant, nagging desperation to find my girl but now, two days later, I’m at the end of my damn rope. It may only be two days for them and in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t seem so bad but I’ve been waiting for this for seven years and it feels like it’s right in front of me, just slightly out of my reach.
“Henn,” Blaze calls as he marches down the stairs. I peek over my shoulder. There’s a thick file in his hand and my stomach flips.
Shit.
Is that about Kady?
“Have you given any thought to where you’d like to pitch in around here?”
I meet his gaze with a scowl. “Meaning?”
“Well,” he says, sitting across from me at the table. “We’ve still got the motorcycle shop but we’ve also got a P.I. business. Everyone’s gotta help out. Besides, doing something might make the time pass by a little quicker until Streak can look into Bobby.”
“Uh, I don’t know.”
He slaps the file down in front of me. “Why don’t you check this case out and see what you think?”
“What’s it about?” I ask, opening the folder, and he reaches across the table to tap the first page.
“Read it and find out.”
Without another word, I start reading over the top page. I don’t really want to be doing this but he’s right; it’s better than sitting here obsessing over something I can’t do anything about right now. When I’m finished reading the top page, I sigh and lean back. The case is about a girl who went missing three weeks ago and the police have absolutely no leads. Shaking my head, I lean forward and read through it again.
Veronica Pope. Twenty-one-year-old student at LSU. She was reported missing three weeks ago by her best friend, Rachel Van, after she missed three days of classes and work. Police canvased her apartment and besides the door being ajar, nothing seemed to be out of place. The working theory is that someone followed her home and abducted her as she was trying to get into the safety of her apartment. As of now, no contact has been made with her kidnappers and police have exhausted all leads.
Leaning back in my chair, I rub my hand over my face and close my eyes. Of course, Blaze has to give me a case that will remind me of everything I’m missing right now because he knew, no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to forget. Guilt floods me. These guys really are doing everything they can to help me find Kady. I’m just too damn anxious to appreciate it at the moment.
“You busy?” Streak calls from behind me and I look back at him, shaking my head when I find him looking at me.
“Not really.”
“Come on up, then. I’ve got stuff to show you.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I gather the papers up and slip them back into the folder before grabbing it and practically sprinting up the stairs.
Please tell me I’ll finally have some damn answers.
When I reach Streak’s room, he motions for me to sit and the stoic expression on his face makes my stomach drop like a stone. As I sink into the chair, I set the folder down and rub my hand over my jeans as my leg bounces uncontrollably.
“What did you find?”
He sighs. “I’m afraid nothing that will help you.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Okay, well, as you know, Bobby was a member of the club and when Blaze started making changes, he put some distance between himself and us. Blaze assumed he was unhappy with the new direction things were going and I can’t find anything to dispute that. He didn’t have much in terms of money. In fact, at the time of his death, he had all of seventy-two dollars to his name.”
I shake my head. “Naw, he had more than that but it would have been in cash.”
“Shit. Yeah, that makes sense. He did have a small cabin out in a more secluded area. Actually, it’s not all that far from Kodiak’s place.”
I nod even though I have no idea where that is. He glances at me and scoffs, shaking his head.
“Right. It’s in Monticello, not far from here either.” He scribbles an address for me and slides it across the desk. I grab it and slip it into my pocket.
“What happened to it when he died?”
He turns to the computer. “Looks like he left everything he owned to someone named Hannah Colby.”
Bingo.
“She’s twenty-seven and works at a vet clinic in Monticello called Monticello Veterinary Clinic.”
“What’s the address of that place?”
He turns to me with a raised brow. “Why? You gonna go talk to her?”
“Yeah, something like that. She’s been Kady’s best friend since they were three.”
“Oh, shit,” he whispers, his eyes widening as he grabs a piece of paper and scribbles the address of the vet clinic down.
“We should let Blaze know what’s going on. He won’t want you going alone.”
I grab the address from him as I stand. “You can let him know but I’m leaving now.”
Without waiting for his response, I fly out of the room, the first little bit of hope I’ve found since I was released blooming in my chest. Hannah has to know something, right? Back then, if Kady wasn’t with me then I would most likely find her with Hannah and they even worked together at the diner. Smiling, I jump on my bike and roar out of the parking lot before anyone can stop me. I know Streak was only looking out for me when he suggested that I take someone with me but I can’t wait another damn second to start searching for my girl.
As I fly down the interstate toward Monticello, my mind runs wild and as hard as I try to not get my hopes up, I can’t help but wonder what my girl looks like now and what she’ll say when she sees me. I know she’ll be surprised but if she is intentionally hiding from me, she’s going to be pissed as hell, too. Then again, I wouldn’t mind that either. Her fire and take no shit attitude is one of the things I love most about her. My conversation with Streak from a few days ago pops into my mind but I push it back, unwilling to consider the possibility that she’s gone for good. Now that I finally have a lead, I’m not going to even let that thought enter my mind. Kady is fine and Hannah will know where she is. She fucking has to.
When I pull up outside the vet clinic, my stomach is churning so violently that I might hurl in the bushes before I even make it in the front door. As I stare up at the building, I suck in a breath and tell myself to man the fuck up. Movement catches my eye from the side of the building and I turn just as Hannah disappears inside an open door.
Shit.
It’s now or never.
Swinging my leg over my bike, I zip my jacket and shove my hands in my pockets to ward off the cold as I walk around to the side of the building and slowly approach the open door. Hannah is standing at a large metal table, writing on a clipboard when I step into the building. Her auburn hair is longer now than the last time I saw her and even through the white medical coat, I can tell that she’s filled out in all the right places.
She’s still engrossed in her task, oblivious to my presence so I clear my throat and her head whips up. Her eyes meet mine and widen as she gasps.
“Noah,” she breathes, sounding more demure than I remember her as she takes a step back and her eyes roam over my face. “You got out.”
It’s not a question but I nod anyway. “I did.”
“And what the hell are you doing here?” There’s a bite in her voice now and I smile. One of the reasons she and Kady got on so well was because they were two peas in a pod and the only person who ever rivaled my girl in the attitude department was her best friend.
“You know why I’m here.”
She arches a brow and turns away with the clipboard still in her hand. “No, I really don’t have the faintest idea why you’re standing in the back entrance of my job.”
“Come on, Han… where is she?”
“Who?”
I grit my teeth and resist the urge to take a step forward. I’d never hit a woman but right now, Hannah is standing between me and my girl. I can feel it in my bones and I am on the verge of desperation.
“Don’t play games with me. Where is she?”
She sighs and shakes her head as she turns back to me. “You can ask as many times as you like, in as many forms as you feel necessary but my answer will, now and forevermore, be ‘go to hell’.”
Fuck.
I clench my fist and somehow stop myself from punching the wall. I fucking knew it. Hannah knows exactly where my girl is and I know that look on her face well enough to know that she’s never going to tell me. Her loyalty to Kady runs deep. Which means…
“She doesn’t want to see me? She really left me?” It feels like someone took one of the shivs from the prison and carved out my beating heart. How the hell could I be so wrong about us? Hannah sighs and this time, when she meets my eyes, sympathy shines back at me.
“Look, Noah… it’s fucking complicated, okay? You have no idea…” She stops herself and clamps her mouth shut as surprise flashes across her face. My heart jumps.
“What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”
She holds her hand up to stop me. “I’m not going to tell you anything so you can stop right now.”
“I need to talk to her, Hannah. I need to know what happened. I need her.”
“I’m sorry. You need to leave,” she replies before turning back to her work, clearly dismissing me and I stand in the doorway for a few moments before spinning on my heel and marching out.
Goddamn it.
What the hell do I do now?
Trudging back to my bike, I try to imagine what my future looks like without Kady in it but it’s fucking bleak. No, beyond that. From the moment I met her, she was always a part of my future so if I don’t have her, what the fuck do I really have?
When I reach my bike, I swing my leg over and settle on the seat, watching cars drive by the clinic and wondering what I should do next. It’s not like I can leave the state - run and leave all this shit behind but going back to the clubhouse feels like accepting my fate and I can’t say that I’m ready to do that. Maybe I could try to see my dad…
As I pull my phone out of my pocket, a piece of paper flutters to the ground and I grab it with a scowl. It’s the address for Bobby’s old cabin and I’m about to crumple it up and toss it on the ground when I pause, studying it.
Hell…
I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to swing by and check the place out, would it? Streak didn’t say whether Hannah had another place of residence so it’s possible that she’s living there and maybe I could slip in and poke around a little bit. Maybe there is something there that could help me find Kady.
Shit.
There’s not a single part of me that has any desire to go back to prison but I’m not ready to give up on us and I have a feeling that I never will be. Blowing out a breath, I program the address into my GPS and study the map for a minute before stuffing my phone and the slip of paper back in my pocket. As the bike fires to life beneath me, I glance up and meet Hannah’s eyes across the lot. She’s on the phone, a worried expression on her face as she talks to someone, and I feel a sense of certainty settle into my gut.
Kady is still around and I’m going to find her.
Chapter Four
Kady
“Jack,” I call as I step into the kitchen and drop my keys on the counter. The screen door slams behind me and I jump, my heart climbing into my throat. Glancing over my shoulder, I shake my head as I press my hand to my chest, feeling stupid.
Good Lord.
I need to get a grip.
Sighing, I shut the main door and make sure it’s locked before turning toward the table as I sort through the mail and call out for Jack again. After I’ve thrown away all the junk, I set the bills down on the table and glance up to the living room.
Where in the hell is that dog?
“Jack!”
After a few seconds of waiting for him, I shake my head and walk into the living room in search of him. Jack looks up from his bed near the fireplace and his tail thumps against the wooden floor in greeting as he flashes me a wide puppy smile.
“Some guard dog you are, Jackie,” I tease him, shaking my head, and his tail thumps harder. Jack is a three-year-old American Pit Bull that I adopted after he was dropped off at the animal clinic where I work in pretty bad shape. He was skin and bones and covered in mange as well as being heartworm positive. It took months of care from the doctors but he is strong. He managed to pull through and in the process, he stole my heart. Honestly, I wasn’t even looking for a pet but I took one look in his warm chocolate eyes and I was done for. So, when he was all healed, he came home with me.
Sinking into the chair next to his bed, I hold out my hands. “You gonna come say hi to me?”
He stands and lets out a grunt as he
stretches and when he’s finished, he walks over, his whole back end wiggling from the force of his wagging tail. As per our usual routine, he lays his head on my chest and looks up at me with total devotion shining in his eyes as I scratch the top of his head.
“Did you have a good day?” I ask, using the baby voice that he loves so much and his tail swings back and forth a little bit harder. As I drag my finger down his nose, he closes his eyes and practically groans. I laugh.
“Oh, look at you, you big bad Pit Bull. What would the bad guys say if they could see you now?”
He opens his eyes and snorts as he pulls away from me and walks back to his bed before grabbing his favorite toy and bringing it to me. I shake my head.
“Sorry, boy. I’ve got work to do…unless you managed to do a load of dishes while I was gone today.”
Ignoring my refusal, he drops the toy in my lap and I shake my head again as I stand and throw it across the room. As he runs after it, I retreat to the kitchen and stare at the sink full of dirty dishes with disgust. Doing dishes is my least favorite chore, which means I always put it off until I’m out of clean plates and forks and each time, I think to myself how much easier it would be if I did them before it got this bad. Of course, I don’t ever see that happening.
Pushing up the sleeves of my shirt, I turn on the hot water and dump a little bit of soap in the sink before glancing up. The bottle of dish soap falls from my hand into the water as my heart seizes. The motion detector at the edge of the driveway goes off, sounding an alarm through the entire cabin. Through the tinted window that provides me with another layer of security, I watch him inch closer and closer to the cabin and my heart hammers against my ribs as memories flood my mind. Tears sting my eyes.
“Noah,” I whisper.
Shit.
What the hell is he doing here?
Bracing my hands on the edge of the sink, I suck in a breath. My mind races and yet, is somehow still completely blank as I try to figure out what I should do. I could just stay inside but I know him too well to think that he’d give up and walk away. One way or another, he is going to get into this cabin and when he does, he’ll bring my whole world crashing down.
