DESERT KING: RB MC

by Jax Hart

  I silently walk backwards. But not before I watch the video playing from the phone in his hands. It’s him. On the night. The one I stole. He’s chanting and dancing and wearing that cloth…

  He’s pissed. An angry god. A king who’s been betrayed. “Who was it? F.O.C.U.S? Roger? Smith? Who the fuck took that!”

  “It wasn’t them. We asked.”

  “It had to be, No one else was there!” He roars, smashing the phone onto the ground and stomping on it.

  I open my clutch. My phone is still safely tucked inside. Tarak turns, his glittering eyes finding me in the shadows. He’s breathing hard.

  “Watch her,” he commands one of his soldiers. The rest of them follow him as he charges back into the crowd, no doubt looking for the culprit.

  I start walking back to the alley. “Where you going?”

  “Um, to pee. Is that allowed?” The man points to one of the stucco buildings.

  “It’s that way.”

  “Thanks,” I smile. I slowly change directions, noticing he’s checking his phone more than me. I get in the line for the restrooms and wait for more people to get in line behind me. They block his view of me and I carefully inch forward as if I’m cutting the line but instead follow the side wall of the building until I’m back on Main Street.

  It’s dark and people are very drunk. No one notices the mouse even dressed as a queen as I stick close to the crowd, blending with them. Being invisible in plain sight. I walk back to Jenny’s and to the safety of my truck. The one I still owe someone for.

  I might have escaped Edge tonight but found myself still trapped by Tarak. That man has one hell of a hold on me and he doesn’t even know it.

  I hardly drank my beer and my buzz from early has worn off. I rip my mask off, throw it on the seat and start the engine.

  I’m home in thirty minutes. Safe. But I’m too wound up to sleep. Too fucked up on all the feelings I’ve worked so hard to quit. I open the door to my outdoor fridge, take out a beer, pop the top and decide to strip.

  I’m naked under the stars, beer in hand and waste no time taking the cover to my hot tub off. The soak always helps me sleep.

  Sighing, I slip down to my shoulders letting the heat relax me while taking a pull of my cold beer as my body feels too hot.

  I close my eyes.

  “Damn, mouse.”

  I turn so fast, water sloshes over the side. Edge is two feet away looking flawless in a black tux. He wears no mask.

  “What? How?”

  He holds up a square metal box. “Tracking device. Been on that truck since day one.”

  He steps closer. I drop my beer in the grass, using my hands to shield my breasts.

  “Already saw them doll. When you stripped. I’d pay more to see you than all the girls at the Triple XXX.” He moves closer.

  “What do you want?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe everything? But I’ll start with this.” He jerks my chin up, swallows my protest with his bruising lips.

  I have feelings for Tarak, but Edge can kiss. He’s virile. Hot. And despite my heart, my body wants his touch. He chuckles low in his throat, dips a hand into the water and pushes mine away. He rubs my nipple, rolls it between his fingers. “Just like I knew it that night when you watched me and her… tell me, mouse. Are you wet for me? Did you want it to be you?”

  I slap his hand away and move to the other side of the tub. “How did you do it? Did you hack my phone?”

  “Remember that night after you first moved in? You awoke probably thinking something was off?”

  My mind reels. There was a night I felt someone watching me. Something was off. I checked and re-checked the locks, Shut my open window…

  “You?”

  He nods. “You really should use a passcode. I took your hand while you slept, scanned your finger and transferred all those pics and videos. We could’ve done it the easy way, but you kept it all to yourself.”

  “Are we done then? You got what you wanted. Leverage on Tarak.”

  “Not quite. I need your blood.”

  “What!!!! Get away from me!” I scream.

  His eyes soften. “Please. It’s for my daughter…”

  “You have a daughter?”

  He nods.

  Shit. I’m a sucker for kids.

  “She has an autoimmune disease and a thyroid issue. Her mother took recreational drugs while pregnant Please. They won’t give plasma to kids. She had a reaction to the vaccine. Never got the booster.”

  “Get me a towel and we can talk.”

  “Thank you, angel.”

  “Angel?” I roll my eyes. “I know what you think of me. I’ll always be mouse.”

  “You’re beautiful and you know it.”

  His soft words leave me stunned. I sink back down in the tub feeling more confused than ever. His touch is dangerous but feels so good. Tarak’s feels like home. But only when he thinks I’m someone else. Either Mandy or some mystery girl. Edge sees me for who I am. But does he want me or is he using my attraction to him to get what he wants and faking the rest?

  He comes back with a towel. On his face, he wears a sexy smirk.

  “Hand it over and turn around.”

  “Whatever. I’ve seen the goods, doll.”

  “So? That doesn’t mean you get a refill.”

  He rolls his eyes but complies.

  I rip the towel from his hand, stand and wrap it around me as I exit the tub.

  “How many times have you come here? Taken things from me?”

  He whips around, eyes narrowing. “I haven’t taken anything from you…yet.”

  “Tell me about your daughter.”

  “She’s five and a half. Looks so much like her mother it hurts every time I look at her.”

  “Who is her mother? Your wife?”

  He swallows hard. “Mandy. Tarak doesn’t know. He’d take my girl from me and claim it’s his kid not mine.”

  “Is she?”

  “No. I did a DNA test.”

  “This Mandy chick is getting on my nerves,” I mutter under my breath as I march past Edge and into my house.

  “Nice spot you got here, mouse. You’re not so down on your luck as you seemed.”

  “I had money. Had past tense. I don’t want your damn truck anymore.”

  “Do what you want with it.”

  “I need to shower and get dressed. Don’t move. Don’t you dare snoop,” I warn him.

  “Can I at least have a beer?”

  “Fine,” I snap. “A beer and my blood. We’re done. Even.”

  “Deal, sweetheart.”

  He appraises me. A blush creeps up my face. I think Edge might really be into me. Not faking anything at all. But I’m sick of competing with a dead girl for hearts. His and Tarak’s.

  I pause halfway up the stairs. “Are you over her?”

  “Somedays I am. Others not.”

  “What was so special about her? What did she have that you and Tarak can’t let go of?”

  He shrugs. “Can’t put it into words. She was wild. Beautiful. Untamed. But underneath she had a softness about her; a vulnerability.”

  “Do I look like her?”

  He takes out his phone. “Why don’t you decide for yourself?”

  I take the phone from him, scrutinizing the photo he pulled up. She is brunette and tiny like me. Has dark eyes like me. But her lips are fuller. Confidence exudes from her and her eyes are not shy. They are filled with sexy promises I’m sure she kept.

  “How did Tarak not know she had a baby? Your baby.”

  “He was gone. Went back to Apache territory when his father passed. He lived on the Res… Mandy broke it off with me and went to her tribe, The Navajos. She hid her pregnancy from me. The Res had tight security. I went nuts trying to get to her, but I was young. I was pledging to the Scorpions. My personal life had to take a backseat to the Club. It took me two years to earn my patch. They don’t just let anyone who wants to join in. By then Mandy was with Tarak.
She hid the baby from both of us, leaving her with the elders on the Reservation. But the guilt got to her. She came to me once, when Tarak was on a run with the Bastards. She confessed everything. I still loved her. I wanted us to be a family.”

  “What happened?”

  “Tarak came back from his run with a ring.”

  I don’t know what to say. I leave him with his beer and memories while I shower and put on lounge clothes.

  I come back down twenty minutes later finding him still in my kitchen. “Fine. I’ll do it. But then we’re done. We’re square.”

  “Deal. Let’s go.”

  “Now? It’s after midnight.”

  “So? Time waits for no one. You know that.”

  “No. I’ll drive down to Albuquerque next weekend. Text me her doctor’s info and I’ll make arrangements.”

  “No can do, doll. The doc will come to my Clubhouse.”

  My face scrunches. “Is that even sanitary?”

  His face darkens. “You think I’m screwing around here? With Elle’s health?”

  I smile faintly. “That’s a beautiful name.”

  He grunts. “You better show up after I text you the details. Or I’m coming back for you, mouse.”

  “Ooh, I’m shaking.”

  “I know you are, doll. It happens every time I touch you.”

  I roll my eyes. “You can go now.”

  He smirks, pinning me with those eyes but finally walks out, shutting the door softly behind.

  I turn the lock, watching until his taillights disappear down my drive.

  “Phew, what a night.”

  I carefully check the lock on each door and window, but still pace restlessly. I finally pick up my phone from where I had left it charging. There’s a bunch of new texts from my mystery man, Tarak.

  Where did you go?

  Why did you leave?

  Call me, Christine. I can’t sleep until I hear from you.

  Biting my lip, I debate what to do. I’ve messed with this man more than a woman ever should. But he’s a drug I can’t quit. I hit call.

  “Don’t ever walk out on me like that again,” he growls, taking my call.

  “It’s gonna be like that, huh? You’re the nice guy who’s all alpha male?”

  “Damn, straight. I waited a long time to find someone I… I felt a spark with.”

  “Me, too.”

  An intimate silence hangs between us.

  “Meet me tomorrow. No mask?”

  Here it is. The moment of truth. Will I stand and face him, proud of the woman I am today? Knowing my worth? I swallow hard. It’s the only way to ever know.

  “Where?”

  “Our bridge?”

  “We have a bridge?”

  “We do and a song. It’s still in my head. The one that played as the night sky fell around us.”

  “I remember it too. “Nobody, but you.”

  “Yeah. Maybe that could be us. Are you willing to find out?”

  I swallow thickly. “If only I could be so lucky. Do. Do you have feelings for someone else? Had a bad break up or something that still sticks with you? I’m inching to the edge of a cliff, but I need his honest answer.

  “There was. Someone I thought was it for me. But she’s been gone a long time. I didn’t want to let go. I thought she was perfect. But,” he pauses. I walk over to the window, pressing my hand against the cool glass, wishing I could touch him. “She wasn’t. Far from it.”

  “No one is perfect. It’s beautiful that you loved her like that.”

  “You’ve never had someone love you deep and hard?”

  “No. Never.”

  “Prepare yourself. What’s your real name?”

  “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight, for now then.”

  “Goodnight.” We disconnect and I’m full of butterflies. I know the real him not the jerk he pretends to be. But will Tarak give me a chance? How can I ever confess the night we shared?

  I grab a blanket, wrap it around myself and unlock my door. I’m sleeping under the stairs again tonight. I feel close to him that way. Close to everything. Maybe even God.

  I climb into my hammock, gently swinging it with one foot. “Please, Mandy. Let him go. Give him to me. I’ll cherish his heart if I get the chance.” My wish makes its way up to the stars. I hope she hears it.

  My hands shake as I apply the light pink gloss to my lips. Jenny came over earlier to do my hair. I just told her I had a date but wouldn’t tell her with who. My makeup is light and on point. I thought about putting on a cute sundress but that might have been her style not mine. Instead, I have my comfy jean shorts with frayed ends and a simple tank top showing of my lightly tanned arms. I push my feet into my Van sneakers and grab the keys to the truck. Getting a new one is on my to-do list as soon as I can scrape enough money together.

  “Here goes nothing, Amber.” I glance at my reflection barely recognizing the girl I was a few months ago when I was back in Florida daydreaming about the life I’m living now. Gone is the girl with the pasty skin, limp hair, and haunted eyes. Gone are the regrets, insecurity, and self-doubt I wore for so long.

  My palms are clammy on the wheel as I drive into downtown, parking at a lot behind the strip, near the hidden park where our bridge is.

  My heart is in my throat. But I can’t stand him up. I walk slowly but keep my eyes and chin up. He’s already there, leaning on the bridge, tossing a coin into the pond below. He’s wearing his jeans, Royal Bastards MC cut and his snakeskin boots. I guess he’s coming as he is, too. Not the businessman in a tux he could’ve been taken for last night.

  He turns around.

  “It’s you.”

  I wince. “Don’t be angry. Please. Can we just talk?” He nods, saying nothing. I wring my hands coming forward. “It’s always been me, actually.”

  He takes of his aviators, puzzled by my words. I step forward, boldly grabbing his left hand. Sparks shoot up my arm at the touch. I stare up at him. “I know you hated me on sight. I kind of hated you, too. I thought you were such an arrogant bully. And well, I’ve been bullied my whole life. I’m done with it. Especially after surviving my illness. In my mind’s eye, I pictured something new for myself. A do-over. I’ve found it here. Even before the magic of last night. You are just the thing I hoped to find, but if I didn’t that would be okay. This journey was more about finding me but in doing that—I found you.”

  He says nothing but takes me into his arms, hugging me tightly. After a few minutes he brushes back my hair, steps back and stares down at me. “Will you forgive me for being such a bastard?”

  “It is printed on the back of your cut,” I tease, playfully grabbing the edges of it.

  “That it is,” he grins.

  “Are you hungry? Can we go eat? Start over and just get to know one another?”

  “I’d like that.”

  He smiles, takes my hand, and leads me to an outdoor patio adjacent to a cozy restaurant I’ve passed by but never got the chance to try. After we’re seated, he orders a bottle of wine and pours two glasses. “To new beginnings.”

  “To new beginnings.”

  During the course of the meal, I share everything. About my life, my insecurities, my illness, how I met Edge and what he asked of me. Tarak’s face darkens. I’m not sure if I should tell him about Elle. It’s not my secret and yet I have so many I’ve kept. The napkin twists in my hands. “I need to tell you something. Don’t get mad. It’s not my story to tell but if we’re going to try something, I don’t want to keep anything from you…”

  He places his glass of wine down. His dark eyes miss none of the worry in my face and waits.

  “Edge and I made a deal.”

  “Break it,” he growls. “You’re under my protection now. You don’t owe him jack for anything he’s done for you.”

  “He did stop. He did have my car towed and gave me a new one. I know it was stupid to take it.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. Wha
t does he want?”

  “My blood plasma.”

  Tarak almost jumps out of his seat. His skin draw’s tight over his cheekbones. “Over my dead body.”

  I bite my lip. “I want to. It’s not for him, but for his little girl. Tarak, he says it’s theirs. His and Mandy’s.”

  His fists clench. “I heard there was a child. I just didn’t want to face it.”

  “He has a DNA test.”

  Tarak looks away. “She never told me. I-I don’t want to bring up my past or any of its baggage with you tonight. I loved her despite her lies. I was younger, more hot-headed. I was in love with the idea of our forever but in reality, maybe it wasn’t so perfect as I made it out to be.”

  “I’m sorry. I want to do it. She needs it. She has a medical condition.”

  “That’s so selfless of you. It makes me feel like even more of a dirtbag for hating you.”

  “Why? Why did you hate me?”

  “Because Edge found you first. Because you remind me of her and yet you are stronger… with more layers. For making me see I could move on… take your pick. If you were gone, I could stay in my own despair. I could stay stuck with my excuses for not moving on.”

  “I guess that makes sense.”

  “I’m sorry. Deeply.”

  “That’s okay, because there’s more. I did something to hurt you too. Something completely unforgivable. So, if we end here and pay the check I’ll understand.”

  “What could you have possibly done?”

  I look away, embarrassed. “I followed you. I was angry at you and Regan. Edge was on my nerves. I don’t even have a good excuse. You were with a few other men…”

  “I know where this is going. It was you. It was always you just like you said.”

  “We didn’t. I stopped you… I wanted to but it wouldn’t have been right. Please just understand, I saw you in so much pain. It made me want to just take it all away.”

  “Your hair smelled familiar. You felt familiar in my arms. I’m a bit pissed because well, I’m embarrassed you saw me high as fuck and acting like that.”