Outcast (Southern Rebels MC Book 2)

by Kristin Coley

  “I dare you to call her that to her face,” I called after him. “Actually, I’ll pay.”

  He flipped me the bird and I shook my head as Noah drove up in his police car, siren blaring. He climbed out, flashing me an apologetic glance. “Got a report of an explosion, couldn’t hold off,” he explained and I nodded.

  “They were operating a meth lab,” I told him. “We got some guys keeping it contained. There’s drugs in that unit.” I pointed to the end. “We haven’t had a chance to talk to Rob.”

  “I can give you a few minutes, but this place is about to be swarmed,” he warned. “You need to get your people out if you don’t want them questioned.”

  “Thanks for the heads up,” I raised my voice. “Everyone out. Cops are on their way.” Several of them started running to their bikes and I held out my hand to Noah. “You ever need anything, you let me know.”

  He took my hand, nodding. “I’ve always been loyal to the club.”

  I nodded, “That’s not why, but we do appreciate it.” Tori came up next to me, nodding to Noah, and understanding dawned.

  “I got ya,” he replied, tipping his head to her.

  Rob landed with a thump at Noah’s feet. “Here you go,” Clutch grunted as sirens reached us. “We gotta get out of here.”

  Noah glanced around. “Meth lab exploded and we made the biggest drug haul of the decade,” he said, making it sound like a headline. “How did you know?” He waved his hand, “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “Good decision, Noah,” Johnny advised, clapping him on the back. “Stop by later and let us know what’s going on.”

  “Will do,” he replied, as we melted into the woods, headed back to our vehicles.

  When we got back to the Blazer, Tori just stood by the passenger door, not opening it, and I came around. “Don’t tell me you can’t get in the Blazer after I just watched you take Rob down.”

  She shook her head, stepping away from the Blazer. “I think…I think I should just walk back.”

  “Walk back where?” I asked shortly, my mouth a grim line. “To the tattoo shop? Or you want to go hide in the cemetery?”

  “It’s not hiding,” she retorted sharply. “And it’s not your business.”

  “Get in. I’ll drive you.” I started back around the hood.

  “We should just –”

  “Get in, Tori,” I snapped, pulling myself in, my knuckles white on the steering wheel until I heard the passenger door creak open. I let out the breath I’d been holding.

  “You don’t have to do this,” she whispered, buckling her seatbelt. “It’s over. Rob is under arrest. They found the drugs.”

  “I do have to do this,” I replied, tires spinning as we hit the highway. “You’re making a mistake.”

  “You don’t understand,” she mumbled, her fingers knotted together.

  “Oh, I’m damn near the expert on running away,” I corrected her. “You just don’t realize that’s what you’re doing.”

  “Oh, so I can just stay? That’s it? Become a Rebel enforcer with you? Sleep in the top bunk.” She laughed wildly. “You hate addicts and that’s what I am, Cord. An addict.”

  “Former,” I added, repeating what she’d once said to me.

  “I’m still an addict whether you put former, or ex, or rehabilitated in front of it. The key word is addict,” she stated sharply.

  My phone started to ring before I could respond and I fished it out of my pocket, glancing at the screen. “Crew? What is it?” I listened, glancing at Tori. “Alright, calm down. We’re on our way.”

  “What is it?”

  “Crew’s at Norah’s place,” I muttered, knowing Creed wasn’t going to be happy about Crew disobeying orders. “He said we need to get over there.”

  “He didn’t say why?”

  “No,” I answered. “You gonna come with me?”

  “It’s Norah,” she replied, looking back out the window, her body tense as we went over a bump. “She’s….” She didn’t finish, but I could imagine what she hadn’t wanted to admit. Norah had become a friend and I took hope that maybe she had more than one reason to stay.

  Tori gave me directions and it wasn’t long before I pulled into the drive, but Crew’s bike was nowhere to be seen. “Where is he?”

  I got out of the Blazer, grabbing the walking stick as Tori meet me at the bumper with her crowbar clutched in her fist. “Where is she?” We glanced at one another, then scanned the yard. “It’s quiet.”

  “She was supposed to be off today,” Tori informed me. “She was going to take Deacon to the zoo.”

  “Maybe that’s where they are,” I offered as we walked to the door. “But where’s Crew?”

  The door opened before we could knock, a frantic Crew on the other side, “She’s gone,” he cried. “They’re both gone.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Tori

  I pushed past Crew and it only took a second to know what he meant. The house felt empty, abandoned, even as I spotted one of Deacon’s toys on the floor.

  “What do you mean gone?” Cord asked patiently. “She was going to take Deacon to the zoo. That’s probably where they are.”

  “No, he’s right,” I turned, shaking my head. “They’re gone.” I walked through the house, a hollow feeling making my skin crawl. “They haven’t been here.”

  “Didn’t you just see her?” Cord questioned and I nodded.

  “The night of the explosion. I left here to meet you,” I answered.

  “Someone took them,” Crew said desperately.

  “Why did you come?” Cord asked and I stopped to listen. “What made you come here against direct orders?”

  “I was worried about her.” Crew raked a hand over his head, looking older than his nineteen years. “Today is Deacon’s birthday. I just wanted to check on her. I parked three blocks away and sneaked through yards.” He shook his head. “But her car was gone and something didn’t feel right.”

  “So you broke in?”

  “It’s not breaking in if you have a key,” he retorted and I tipped my head at that bit of wisdom.

  “What makes you two think she’s gone? Her stuff’s here.”

  “She took the pictures,” I answered, pointing to the fridge. “The place feels like its been empty for a day or two.” I walked down the hall, not liking the conclusion I was coming to. “Like, maybe, she left right after I did.”

  “But why?” Crew asked. “Why wouldn’t she tell me?”

  I went into Deacon’s room, the drawers standing open, and completely empty. “I showed Norah something I found at an abandoned meth lab. It’s what pointed me to the Crazy Horse.”

  Cord had followed us. “The matchbook?”

  “Yeah, I showed it to her and I could have sworn she recognized it. I don’t know if it was the number or the handwriting.”

  “What matchbook?”

  I reached into my pocket, stepping lightly into what I assumed was Norah’s room. It was a little neater, but I could still tell someone had packed in a hurry. “This,” I handed the matchbook to Crew, studying him more closely as he stared at the little book in shock. “You know it?”

  “This –” He swallowed. “I’m pretty sure this is Deacon’s number.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Cord cursed. “She had to have known something.”

  “We don’t know that,” Crew protested. “She might have been scared or someone may have taken her.”

  I shook my head. “She packed, Crew. The place isn’t tossed. She left, but why? Even if that’s Deacon’s number, he’s dead. We’d already discovered Gary’s role in it.”

  “Maybe she was involved,” Cord suggested as Crew started to disagree. “Maybe she didn’t want to get found out.”

  “NO,” Crew shouted, his eyes burning. “She was not involved. If she ran, it’s because she was scared.”

  “Of what? We would have protected her,” Cord declared. “She ran because she was involved and didn’t wa
nt to face the consequences.”

  “You don’t believe that, do you, Tori?” Crew glanced at me desperately and I tilted my head. “She wasn’t helping Monty or Gary.”

  “She worked for Gary. They had Deacon’s number. When she recognized it, she didn’t say anything,” Cord replied. “I could go on.”

  “It doesn’t look good for her,” I admitted and Crew shot me a betrayed look. “But I don’t think she was willingly involved.”

  “If she was involved. I still think she could have been taken.”

  “Why take her? Killing her would be easier.”

  Crew didn’t have an answer for Cord and I poked through her closet. “There’s an empty hanger with a bag,” I called and Crew came to the closet.

  “Deacon’s kutte,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “That’s where she kept his Rebel kutte.”

  “She wouldn’t have left it behind,” I said quietly. “I think we have to assume she took off.”

  “Because she had too,” Crew said fiercely. “She wouldn’t just disappear without a word. She knows I’d protect them.”

  I eyed him. “Maybe that’s the point. Maybe she was protecting you.”

  “Either way she’s gone, and whatever she knew is gone with her,” Cord said bitterly. “You need to talk to Creed.”

  “That’s it? We’re not going to look for her?”

  “We got Gary and Rob,” I answered. “Whatever reason she had for running, we have to trust it was a good one.”

  “She could be in danger,” Crew argued desperately.

  “Yeah, and she might be in more danger from the club if she stayed,” Cord replied. “Tori’s right. Norah had a reason for running and it might be better for everyone if we never find out what it was.” He dismissed Crew with a glance. “Go talk to Creed. Tell him you disobeyed orders and about Norah’s disappearance. If Johnny decides she’s worth the effort of trying to find her, then and only then will we go.”

  “You’re wrong,” Crew roared, shoving past Cord. “She wouldn’t betray the club and she wouldn’t run unless she was protecting Deacon.”

  He disappeared out the door and I glanced at Cord. “He’s right. She told me to keep looking into Gary.” I glanced around the living room. “If she ran, it was to protect her son.”

  “There’s nothing we can do about it,” Cord replied tiredly. “If she’d come to the club, we could have protected her. Now, she’s in the wind and it looks suspicious.”

  “If she contacts me, I’ll help her,” I told him and he nodded.

  “I would expect nothing less.” He gestured to the door. “You ready?”

  I glanced around one last time, the emptiness sending a chill through me. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  ***

  He parked the Blazer, cutting the engine before I could even hop out. “You don’t have to come,” I told him, my shoulders feeling empty without my backpack. The fire had destroyed what little I had and I rubbed my arms, grateful for at least the crowbar.

  He went to the back and popped the tailgate. A second later, he reappeared, a drab green bag slung over one shoulder. “I thought you weren’t leaving?” I commented, staring at him openmouthed.

  “I’m not,” he answered, offering the bag to me. “It’s yours.” I stared at it hanging from his hand, unable to comprehend what it meant. “It’s yours,” he repeated. “Your stuff was destroyed in the fire. You don’t think I’d let you just go off with nothing but a crowbar, do you?”

  “You knew I’d choose to leave.”

  “Let’s just say, I recognize the signs,” he replied, setting the bag down when I didn’t take it. “Unless you want to change your mind?” I shook my head, still trying to process what the bag meant. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then.” He glanced around. “Fitting we’re in a cemetery.” I glanced up at him as I heard a catch in his voice. “I don’t think I’ll be coming back anytime soon,” he told me. “I’ve made my peace.”

  “You hate what I am,” I whispered and he hesitated. “Don’t deny it. I’m an addict. I’m everything you ran away from. Don’t tell me you can look at me and not wonder if I’m using.”

  “I can’t tell you that,” he admitted, nodding. “But I’m willing to try.” My heart stopped at that admission. “You hate that you’re scared right now. You hate the idea of loving someone. Of them abandoning you.”

  “Of hurting them,” I added. “The urge to use has only grown stronger since I met you,” I admitted, despising the hurt I put on his face at my admission. “You know what its like to disappoint everyone you have ever loved? To the point, they’d rather think of you as dead?”

  “Not everyone,” he corrected. “Jean never gave up on you.”

  “And look what that’s gotten her? Her home and job are gone.”

  “They can be rebuilt. She would still choose you over both of those things.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m everything you hate. How would this ever work?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered as a tear rolled down my cheek. He took my face in his hands, wiping it away. “You said, the urge to use is stronger since you met me,” I nodded, sniffing. “Have you? Have you used?” I shook my head, as more tears spilled down my cheeks. “Why? If the urge is stronger, what stopped you?”

  “Your disappointment,” I choked out. “To know I’d disappointed you would be so much worse. To see you walk away and know I had no one to blame but myself.”

  “Then, give us a chance. Don’t push me away. Let’s figure this out together,” he said, holding my face.

  “Why did you change your mind? Why stay?”

  “Because I woke up one morning, and realized I didn’t want to leave, and you were the reason.”

  “I’m a bad bet.”

  “So am I.” He leaned his head forward, until our foreheads touched. “We’re more alike than either of us wants to admit, but our differences make us better, stronger together than apart. I wanted to stay away from you, but your pull is irresistible.”

  “You were right. Cemeteries are a good place to say goodbye.”

  His face twisted as he shook his head. “Tori,” he whispered roughly. I put my finger over his lips.

  “To say goodbye to the scared girl who is so terrified of disappointing you.” His expression turned hopeful. “To say goodbye to a past neither of us wants to repeat.”

  “I can say goodbye to that,” he murmured, his face so close to mine, I could see the jagged edges of the scar on his cheek. “If we can say hello to a future together?”

  I nodded, “I’d like that.”

  “Can I kiss you?”

  “You’re asking?” I snorted in surprise, my face damp from my tears.

  “You’re still holding the crowbar,” he retorted and in answer, I dropped it, the thud of it hitting the ground drowned out by the blood rushing in my ears as his mouth covered mine.

  His kiss was rough, nothing gentle about the claiming of my lips, and I responded in kind. My mouth opened under his, each stroke of his tongue met equally, as I twisted my fingers in his hair. He pulled back, breathing heavily, then leaned forward, kissing each of my lips, the motion desperate and hungry. “You’re mine and I’m yours.” He wound his fingers with mine. “Family.”

  I brushed my lips against his jaw. “Family,” I whispered and he took my mouth again, pressing me against the Blazer.

  He jerked back, his eyes gleaming, as he asked, “How about we make some new memories involving a car?” He thumped the hood of the Blazer and I laughed. “What? You don’t think it’ll work?”

  I grabbed his neck, planting a hard kiss on his mouth. “Depends how good you are,” I challenged and he slid his hands up my sides.

  “That’s a challenge I’d be more than happy to meet,” he answered, leaning down to grab the duffel he’d given me, and I lifted an eyebrow. “There’s a sleeping bag in here,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

  “You were a Boy Scout,
” I admired. “Always prepared.” My hands found their way under his shirt and he kissed me again, walking us to the tailgate.

  “When it comes to you, I doubt I’ll ever be prepared,” he muttered, lifting me up and tossing the duffel next to me. I tugged my boots off and unsnapped my jeans as he watched me.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  He pulled me to the edge of the tailgate, kissing me until my head swam. “You, I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Charmer.”

  “You might be the only one who thinks so,” he answered with a rueful grin.

  “Good,” I retorted, reaching for his shirt. “I don’t think I can wait for a sleeping bag,” I admitted, as his mouth trailed down my neck. He pushed us further into the Blazer’s back, pulling the tailgate closed, as he lifted me onto his lap.

  He held my face, “My leg, you’re going to have to do the work,” he told me and I rose up, shimming the jeans down my legs.

  “Should have known, always trying to get out of working,” I mumbled as his hand dipped in my panties. He stroked my folds, moisture coating his fingers as he found my clit. “Keep doing that and I’ll come without you,” I moaned, as his fingers pressed harder, rubbing my clit with determination. “Cord.”

  “I want you to come,” he told me, slowing his speed and I whimpered in protest. “I want you to come so many times that when you smell leather and engine grease, your pussy gets wet.” His fingers sped up and my breath caught as my body tightened. “Come for me.” My body obeyed as I cried out and his fingers slipped inside me as I pulsed around them.

  “Again,” he whispered, two fingers hooking inside of me as he massaged and I couldn’t make coherent sound. His mouth found my nipples and a garbled cry escaped me as I came again, harder and my knees turned to water as I collapsed on him.

  “Your turn,” I murmured, unzipping his jeans, finding a hard bulge waiting for me. “Shirt off,” I demanded and he reached a hand over his head, jerking it off in one smooth motion.

  “You want the jeans –” He cut off as I slid over him, my wet folds coating him. “Jesus.”

  “Condom?”