“Please?” he taunts. “Please what, little spy?” His voice drops an octave, sending heat coursing through me. The tender touch of his fingertips feather along my cheek, and I can’t help but squirm where I’m standing. My hands are trembling, but I keep them hidden behind me, holding onto the wall, feeling the rough brick under my sensitive skin. Every inch of me feels like I’m burning up, alight with want for this man. “Come on,” he says, leaning even closer to me, and that’s when I feel his lips whispering along my flesh. “Tell me all your dirty little secrets.”
My mouth falls open, but no words come out. The deep bass from inside follows us out. Thrumming beats through me as Rogue’s lips find mine. It’s not a kiss, not fully anyway, but as the sound of 2Scratch sings “I Know”, the darkness along with Rogue overwhelms me as his tongue darts out to lick at my lips. Slow, sensual, tentative as he traces the curve of my top lip before trailing down to the lower one.
“Tasty,” he murmurs along my mouth before I dart my own tongue out to taste the ring pierced through the corner of his smirk. The desire burning in his eyes scorches me, and I’m almost sure he’s about to kiss me when I hear Hack’s voice.
“Yo, man.” We both turn to find Snake’s son standing at the corner of the building watching us. “I got a lead. We need to move,” he tells Rogue but doesn’t meet my gaze.
“Give me a second,” Rogue says before glancing at me. Once we’re alone, he cups my face in his hands and holds me steady so I can’t look away. “That won’t be the last taste I get,” he informs me before offering me a wink. “I’ll see you soon.” When he turns and walks away, I want to call him back, to ask him for a proper kiss, for more of his touch, but I don’t. Instead, I watch his retreating form as he makes his way back inside, leaving me cold and confused. My feelings for him weren’t meant to be real. This was just a crush, but after our encounter, I have a feeling he’s going to do more damage than I anticipated. More damage than I could want or need. And I realize I won’t push him away.
8
Rogue
The sound of the bikes rumble through the dark night as we make our way to the city. When I learned he was so close, like only a few hundred miles away, I had to find the bastard. I’m ready to kill someone, to maim him and watch him die. For years, I’ve wanted revenge, and now that it’s so close, it’s as if I can taste it like a fine fucking wine. And I’m not even a connoisseur. The only thing I want to be an expert in drinking is Trinity.
The motel up ahead looks like the place Hack said to wait it out until he had a firm location on Lex Bradley. As the wheels of my Harley turn left, I slow, and the brothers who followed me pull up beside me. It feels good to be out on the road, and it has helped clear my mind. I’ve decided once I get back, I’m going to be taking Trinity out on a proper date. One that she’ll remember for the rest of her life.
I’m not sure what that girl has done to me, but after the almost-kiss we shared, from that taste of her cherry fucking ChapStick, I can’t get her out of my head. Who the fuck am I kidding? I couldn’t get her out of my mind even after our first meeting. Since the day I laid my eyes on her, which was only a few days ago, I’ve been obsessing over her.
I head to the office to grab a couple of rooms for me and the guys. With the two sets of keys in hand, I head back to the bikes parked in the lot. Handing Gunner one of the keys, I grin. “Looks like we’re all bedmates for the evening,” I tell them.
There are three of the brothers with me—Gunner, Joint, and Raze.
“You see?” Gunner says, chuckling as he shoves Joint in the shoulder. “You’re going to get your chance to lie in bed with me. Just don’t jerk off because I’ll cut your dick off.”
“Fuck off, man,” Joint complains. I haven’t gotten to the bottom of why he’s called that, but I can only take a wild guess.
“Okay, let’s get some rest. I’ll call you guys if I hear from Hack,” I tell them before shoving the door open and stepping into the shitty motel room, which stinks of old fries and stale beer. Grabbing the packet from my jeans pocket, I pull out a cigarette and light it in the hopes of getting rid of the stench.
“Jesus, smells like someone died in here,” Raze grumbles as he slumps onto the mattress, which squeaks under his weight. He’s not big, but he’s fucking tall. Lean muscle and ink on every inch of his body, including a few teardrops on his cheek. With short black hair and eyes the same color as charcoal, he looks like a lethal motherfucker.
“Yeah, it fuckin’ does,” I respond, settling in the chair that overlooks the parking lot. I’m not at ease. Knowing that Lex is out there is making me anxious, and all I want to do is get back to Anchor Bay and see Trinity. Which is fucking ridiculous, but that’s how I feel. Dad is going to lose his shit when I tell him I want her.
“So, you and Tawny’s kid?” Raze asks as he picks out a smoke and flicks his lighter. The flame dances across the end, and I watch him for a moment as he blows circles into the air.
“I don’t know,” I respond honestly. Even though I don’t know him well, I realize I’m going to have to make an effort and learn who these men are. The same guys who are risking their lives to help me find the man I’m going to gut like a fish.
“Why? She’s hot.” Raze shrugs, a small smile tilting his lips. “I mean, I’m more into Kass, but Trin is a stunner as well.” His words may be innocent enough, but jealousy burns hot through my veins.
“You interested in Larkin? I thought she was with Hack.” My words have him stalling all movement. His black eyes lock on mine. “Hey, I’m just saying; I noticed her all over him last night.” Even as I say it, it feels like it’s been only a few minutes since my lips touched hers, since my tongue tasted her sweetness.
“They’re . . . on and off,” Raze says, “But the thing about it is, I want them both.” His words don’t necessarily shock me, but I was most certainly not expecting that.
“Nice,” is all I manage, because I can’t imagine being in a relationship with two other people, let alone one. “Do they know this?” I finally ask when he doesn’t offer more information. Something tells me the answer is no, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to the story.
Raze glances at me, a smirk gracing his features. “Not yet. I’ve had them both, just not at the same time.” He pushes up, killing the smoke in the ashtray sitting on the table beside me.
“Now that must’ve taken some doing since everyone lives in the smallest fucking circle known to man.” I can’t help but chuckle. It’s true. Anchor Bay is small, everyone knows everyone, and it’s strange that a motorcycle club would set up roots there, but when Raze looks at me, I see there’s more to the story flickering in his dark stare.
“Anchor Bay is small,” he admits. “But there’s a family there. When Snake first moved in on the town, we didn’t know we’d still be there ten years later. I wasn’t around then, but my dad was.”
“So, they put down roots in a small town?”
“Yeah, to keep their noses clean. But as times moved on, and members died or were killed, Snake moved onto manufacturing guns. He has a contact out in Arizona, president of the Fallen Saints, who helps us sell,” he says.
“Which means if anyone comes into town, we don’t have any weapons on site.” I nod. Makes sense, because when we were back home, the drugs and gun-running was one of the main reasons Dad wanted to leave. The other was me. I needed space from the shitshow I’d caused.
“There’s a warehouse about twenty miles out of town where we work on our shipments. Once a month, we do a run, taking stock to Arizona. It’s a good time. The Saints are a good club. Great brothers.”
I settle back and pull out another smoke before I ask, “What’s up with the guys? Joint? I mean, that’s pretty obvious.” I can’t help but chuckle when Raze does.
He nods. “Yeah, the asshole got so stoned one day, found him walking buck naked down the main street. Needless to say, a few tourists got more than their money’s worth seeing him wa
lking around with his dick hanging out.”
“What about Gunner?”
“He’s the one who oversees the manufacturing, and he’s the one who can take out anyone with his custom-made Glock. Sure shooter.” Raze pushes to his feet and heads to the door. “I’m going to get some beers at the store on the corner. Want anything?”
“Beer sounds good,” I tell him. Once the door clicks and I’m alone, I pull out my cell phone and scroll down to the number Larkin gave me before we left. At first, she didn’t want to tell me, but when I convinced her that her friend is mine, and I’ll be claiming her the moment I return, the pretty blonde swooned so hard.
I tap out a message to let her know I’ll be back in a day or two and hit send before I have time to rethink it. I’m sure she’ll be wondering where I got her number, but for now, all I need to know is if she’s safe.
The bubbles dance on the screen as she taps out her response, and I can’t help smiling as I wait for something that will no doubt be snarky.
Trinity: And you call me a spy? How about you, stalker?
A laugh rumbles in my chest as I read her message.
Rogue: I’ll stalk the shit out of you when I get back. Make no mistake, I meant what I said. One taste was only the beginning.
I lock the screen and set the device on the table as Raze walks in. We open a couple of beers when he settles on the bed once more and asks, “So, what about you? Where did Rogue come from?”
It’s strange to think about it. I haven’t been called by my real name since Mom. She was the only one who wouldn’t call me Rogue. It was one of those things that I loved about her—not that she didn’t accept my membership at the club, but I was her son. Just hers. Nobody else’s, and when I lost that, when I lost her, I was no longer Devlin. I was Rogue. The troublemaker.
“When I was a teen, just before senior year, I got into a lot of shit. My dad had joined The Kovenant, and I was rebelling because he didn’t want me to patch in. Granted, I was only sixteen.”
“Sixteen in senior year?” Raze arches a brow.
Nodding, I sigh before swigging my beer. “I started school early, like real early. They moved me forward by a year when I was thirteen because I was too advanced for the class.”
“So, you’re some kid genius turned biker?” This time, my new friend chuckles. I couldn’t believe it either, but this is the path I chose. I needed to make things right, and I needed to show my father I was a man. And that meant becoming a member of The Kovenant.
“I guess. Anyway, I rebelled, and one day during a fight, my dad called me a rogue bastard, which eventually stuck. After that, I was pretty much Rogue to everyone, and my real name, Devlin, was just a blood-drenched memory.” My chest tightens when I think about just how much I want that life back. To be in our old home, which is now all boarded up, empty, gathering dust where once there was life.
“I like it.”
I lock my gaze on his, gesturing toward him with my chin. “I guess you’re the destructive one?” I ask before grabbing another beer when a knock at the door has me pulling out my piece. Unlocking the safety, I push to my feet and wait for Raze to get in position. When I pull open the door, we find the guys on the other side.
“What the fuck, man?” Gunner asks, chuckling. Behind him, Joint is pulling in a deep drag of a smoke, which smells of weed.
“Didn’t realize it was you.” I settle back on the chair and let the guys shut the door behind them. I was enjoying my chat with Raze, but it seems we may have to carry it on later because the conversation turns to why we’re here.
“Any word from Hack?”
Shaking my head, I glance at my phone, which has been sitting silent on the table. “Nope, nothing. I hope to fuck he knows what he’s doing.”
“He does,” Gunner says confidently. I don’t know much about Hack, but they have faith in him, which means I do too. “Sometimes information takes a while to source.”
“I know. I’m just anxious to get this over with.”
Raze chuckles, before saying, “He’s just anxious to get back to Trinity.”
“Fuck off, man!” I flick the bottle cap at him, which hits him square in the chest as the other two chuckle at us.
Gunner leans forward, his elbows on his knees as he regards me, and I have a feeling I’m about to get schooled. “I’d be careful of that pretty pussy,” he tells me. “She’s feisty. Bet her dad comes back and ends up killing you.”
“Not only that, Tawny will cut off your dick if you get it anywhere near her daughter.” Joint jumps into the conversation, his eyes glazed over, but even though he looks high as fuck, he seems to still have his wits about him.
“Trinity is just a girl.” I play it off, but with the three sets of eyes glaring a hole through me, I can tell none of the guys believe a word I’m saying. I don’t even believe it. And I can’t deny there is something about the beauty that has drawn me in. “What?”
“Come on, man,” Gunner coaxes, a grin on his face. “Don’t give us that shit. We can see right through you.”
“Fuck off, all of you,” I bite out, but I can’t help the laugh that falls from my mouth. It’s been far too long since I’ve felt a sense of calm, a sense of camaraderie, and a sense that I’m part of a family I never expected to find here.
Most would argue they’re not my blood, but I’ll dispute that they’re my chosen brothers, and nothing can take that away from me. Not this time. And that’s when my phone rings.
9
Trinity
He’s been gone, and I don’t know why it bothers me so much. Even though I’ve been focused on school, I can’t deny my concentration has wavered a few times. Mom’s kept me indoors as if I were a fragile possession that could break at the mere sight of the sun. I’ve been allowed into the garden when she’s home, but other than that, she was adamant I wasn’t to step foot out of the house while she’s at work.
I don’t know who the men were who shot at Rogue and me, but something tells me he knew them. After the incident, he was far too calm, far too closed off. Even though I don’t know him that well, my intuition tells me there’s more to what happened than meets the eye.
A knock on the door startles me as I make my way to the kitchen. When I peep through the spyhole, I’m met with those familiar dark eyes that I’ve been thinking about constantly for the past few days. Twisting the doorknob, I pull it open and find Rogue standing on my doorstep.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” he greets, his gaze tracking me from head to toe, causing my cheeks to warm. “You’re alone?” he asks, before leaning an arm against the doorframe, offering me a glimpse at his tattoos adorning his bare arm.
“Yeah, my mom’s gone to work.” I step aside as I say this, unsure of what he wants. He takes the gesture and walks into the house. “I thought you were gone on a job?”
“Yeah.” He doesn’t say anything more. I notice he’s carrying a bottle of bourbon, which sloshes as he stalks through the living room and makes his way to the kitchen. Once I’ve shut the door, I lock it again, and follow Rogue out the back door into the garden.
Leaning against the doorframe, I watch him for a moment. Dressed all in black, he looks like the damn grim reaper. I wonder if he found the man. I overheard them talking at the club—there was some guy Rogue was going to settle a score with. Most of the details I missed, but I know for a fact that he left town to find this man. To possibly hurt him or kill him. A cold awareness trickles down my spine. “What are you doing?”
He doesn’t look at me when he says, “Need space.” He stumbles into one of my mom’s patio chairs and leans back to swig a mouthful of alcohol. After he swallows, he sets the bottle on the table and pulls out his cell phone. I watch his fingers tap across the screen and music filters from the device and I recognize Dermot Kennedy’s voice singing “Lost.”
Folding my arms across my chest, I straighten and take a step onto the smooth, wooden surface and ask, “Why are you here?”
&n
bsp; I don’t expect the look he gives me. It’s drenched in grief and guilt swirling together like a toxic poison, which I’ll gladly swallow if I can make him feel better. The thought startles me. I don’t know him, not well anyway, yet I’m lost in the way he’s watching me.
“I don’t know,” he tells me before he picks up the bottle and takes another large mouthful of the amber liquid. He offers it to me, but I shake my head. “Suit yourself; more for me.”
“Perhaps you’ve had enough,” I say, making my way toward him. The sky is dark, the stars twinkle in the inky dome hovering over us. And the moon is a sliver of beauty as it illuminates the garden while watching us. Settling beside him, I sit back and look up. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on with you, but you need to know that I’ll find out.”
A dark chuckle reverberates in his chest, and I think about how much I love the sound. “Oh yeah? My little spy likes to investigate shit she has no business knowing.”
“I’m not yours,” I retort but realize I want that. I want to have his attention, his eyes on me. Those dark orbs that hold secrets. I want to uncover those hidden depths and find what makes him tick. But I also want him to see me. And I can’t explain why he’s gotten under my skin.
Rogue tips his head to the side, regarding me under long, black lashes. The corner of his mouth quirks. “No?” He lifts the bottle, and I can’t drag my gaze away from how his lips wrap around the glass, and how his throat works as he swallows the harsh liquid. “I beg to differ,” he says.
“Oh?” Anger settles in my gut when I look at him, noticing his dark stare, which is filled with need I wasn’t expecting. “And what makes you think I want you?”
His mouth purses, causing his lips to pout with shimmering alcohol and I wonder what the bourbon tastes like from his lips. Shaking my head, I snap my attention to the garden, needing to calm the fluttering hummingbirds in my stomach and the thrumming heartbeat in my chest.
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 73
