She shook her head. “I didn’t even tell Stacey. It was my first stab at it, you know? When I was finished, I was going to ask her to read it and give me her opinion before I even broached the topic with my editor.” She paused, thinking back. “Maybe doing my research, I tipped my hand, or I accessed something I wasn’t supposed to see.” She thumped her hand on the bed in frustration. “I don’t know! But Stacey’s never done anything to anybody. We have to find her, Seth! We have to!”
Tears burgeoned in her eyes and sobs wracked her body. Seconds later, Seth lay beside her on the bed, soothing her, pulling her closer to him . . .
21
Seth
Damn, she was so soft in his arms, so vulnerable. Holding her tight against him, Seth didn’t think he would ever be able to let her go again. His lips dipped toward her, holding them, capturing them as he settled himself beside her. With a soft grunt, she shifted her position so that they both lay side by side, his arm wrapped around her lower back, holding her close. His other arm slid under her head, cradling her head and neck while they kissed, his heart pounding and his dick lying hot and heavy against her thigh, screaming for freedom from his jeans.
He moved his left hand between them, cupping and then gently squeezing her breast, a heavy, luscious weight in his palm. His tongue dove deep into her mouth, swirling and playing tag with hers. A soft moan erupted from the base of her throat. The sound tightened his balls. He wanted to purge the image of her lying crumpled in the car, the smell of oil and gas . . . the fact that if he’d been a few minutes later in arriving, she would be dead.
She moaned again when his thumb found her nipple and slowly circled, teasing and taunting the nub to thicken and extend toward him. His own groan of desire bubbled upward in his throat as he played with her nipple and then gently squeezed the soft flesh of her breast. She lifted her chest higher, arcing toward him, inviting his touch. He obliged.
In seconds, she lay naked beneath him and she reached for the buttons of his jeans, began working them, one at a time. In the dim light making its dull glow into the room, he gazed down at her. When his gaze latched on to her breasts, the nipples puckered. He dipped his head down again and suckled and sucked, his tongue lathing, then circling until she squirmed beneath him. His dick throbbed.
He latched on to a nipple and gently tugged as his hand slid down her side, then along her hips, then back up toward her abdomen, reveling in the softness of her skin, her warmth. He chuckled softly when he felt the goosebumps sprouting on her flesh. His mouth followed his hand, his lips hot on her skin as she moaned again. He worshiped her body, his tongue and his hand memorizing every dip, every curve, and every soft spot. His fingers grazed her right hip and slid downward, and her legs automatically parted, offering herself to him and his touch. He smiled, left a trail of light kisses down, and even farther down until his lips nuzzled her soft curls and his tongue found her slit.
His body thrummed with heat, his dick pounding with desire, so much so that he forced himself to slow down, the relish the moment, not rush anything. His brain soared with the connection he felt with her. His desire knew no bounds. He’d never felt this way with a woman before. With a sigh, he nestled himself between her legs. The moment his tongue swirled around her nub, she grabbed at his head, trying to clutch his hair between her fingers. She lifted her hips upward, inviting, wanting . . . she writhed, hands clutching his neck now, caressing his shoulders.
He teased and suckled until she begged him, and then he lifted himself away from her core and surged upward, his pants now down around his knees—how did that happen?—and then her ankles were wrapped around his waist, urging him ever closer. He laughed softly, kissed her, hard, his tongue surging deeper, and then he lowered himself again, determined to bring her to her climax with his tongue and fingers. His tongue caressed her, licking, suckling until he felt the contractions and then gentled his movements as she cried out. He suckled gently as her thighs tightened around his shoulders, her fingers dug into his shoulders, and then she finally relaxed with a deep, drawn-out sigh.
Moving faster than he thought possible, he soon found himself lying on his back with her straddling him. She stared down into his face. Were his pupils as dilated as hers? His dick throbbed with a life of its own. Her fingers caressed his chest and trailed down his abdomen. Her hand reached for his cock, but he reached out and stilled her. “Nikki, no. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
She smiled and wrapped her fingers around his shaft as if it belonged solely to her. Who was he kidding. It did. There was no one else for him. Ever. “I’m fine, Seth. Sore, but fine. What would hurt more is not being able to feel you.” At the top of each stroke, she rubbed her thumb over his head. His dick responded, and he sucked in a breath, legs splayed. She bent down and rested her head against his chest, listening to the pounding of his heart. God, how could he possibly resist her? He’d just go slowly, let her lead.
Nikki moved again, her tongue finding the flat disc of his nipple, giving to him what he had given to her. He gritted his teeth and did his best to lie still, to give her command. One hand wrapped tightly around his cock, she began to suckle him much as he had done with her only moments earlier. Damn him to hell, but he didn’t want to stop this. Didn’t want to think about what would happen later or tomorrow or the next day. He didn’t want to consider her feelings toward him. Were they a mere passing interest or something more serious? He didn’t care. Not at this moment.
She shifted her position, angling her pussy over his throbbing shaft. He tried to shake his head. “No, Nikki, I’m not protected . . . ”
“I don’t care,” she sighed.
She shifted position until his erect cock settled against her lower abdomen. Nikki rubbed it softly for several seconds, luxuriating in the feel of his hard-on against her belly. Then, leaned forward, readjusted the position of her body and then, still wet with desire, she lowered herself onto him. He couldn’t stop the hiss that issued from his throat, the delicious sensations of her body clutching his cock, the waves of heat that coursed through his body. His hands flew unbidden to her hips, and he forced himself to lessen his grip. She moved downward until she couldn’t take in more of him, then began to rock and circle her hips, moving slowly at first, then faster. Her breasts bounced against his chest as she found a rhythm and he matched it, stroke for stroke.
Grunting noises escaped his throat, and moans escaped hers. Fuck, he couldn’t hold back, not when she was grinding over him, taking her pleasure from his body, his cock. He accelerated her pace, thrusting hard, hips lifted from the bed at each stroke, faster, and then slowing it down again. His hands shifted upward, caressing her waist and then cupping her breasts. He was amazed at their weight and softness. Squeezing, his thumbs once again twirled around those hard nipples. He gently plucked at those nubs until she gasped out loud and rocked her hips harder and faster.
He felt his orgasm building, their hips thrusting and rocking together, hers gyrating, his thrusting with power and desire, deeper and deeper. Her ass nestled into his groin, pumping her hips fast in shorter, harder strokes. Seth exploded, his seed surging upward along his cock as he reached his climax, shuddering while his body erupted into flames.
22
Seth
Seth stood in the kitchen idly stirring a skillet full of scrambled eggs and ground sausage. He heard Nikki in the shower and couldn’t halt the images of her creamy flesh, her rounded breasts, and that gorgeous ass of hers. Those long legs that had wrapped around him, urging him . . . it hadn’t been long after their lovemaking—after Seth had dressed again, thank God—that Doc had stuck his head through the door. Declaring Nikki out of any danger and ready to be released, it hadn’t taken long for them to escape the hospital. He was under strict instructions from Doc to watch her for any signs of a concussion, but otherwise, she was out of the woods. Seth was more grateful than he knew how to be. He wasn’t used to things working out for him, in any way, really, but having Nikki safe
and in his cabin, of her own free will now, warmed something inside him he’d thought long dead.
After making slow, sweet love to her again as soon as they’d walked through the door, she had risen from the bed, softly laughing at her shaky legs, teasing him that she wasn’t sure whether her “spaghetti legs” were from the aftermath of the accident or his skills that had left her so weak-kneed. It was the first time he’d seen her laugh, truly laugh, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Sure, she looked battered and bruised, with smudged dark circles of worry under her eyes, and her skin was still pale, but at least it was a spark of life, a spark of hope that had transformed her features when he promised, once again, that he and the Steel Kings would do whatever they could to try to help find Stacey.
He didn’t want to hold out false hope to her. He knew as well as she did that there was a possibility that Stacey would never be found. He hoped that—
“That smells good.”
He turned to find Nikki standing in the kitchen opening, towel-drying her hair. She wore a pair of his sweatpants and a T-shirt, her bare feet slid into a pair of his sandals. They were too big for her, but her tennis shoes smelled of gasoline and now sat outside his cabin.
“Nikki, you do realize that there’s no promises, no guarantees, right?”
He cursed himself as the light went out of her eyes and she froze, staring down at the towel in her hands, her hair tangled next to her face. Why the fuck had he just blurted out what was on his mind? Finally, she looked up at him.
“I know, Seth. Believe me, I’ve considered every horrifying thought. I know that if we do find her, she’ll be different in some way, just like I am. Just like you were after . . .”
“After I got out of jail.” He nodded. “Those kinds of events change us for the good or for the worse. You’re strong, Nikki, and if your sister is anything like you, I know that she’s strong, too.”
He turned around and returned his attention to the eggs, ignoring the renewed desire he felt for her even though they had climbed out of bed only ten minutes ago. He wanted nothing more than to spend the entire day in bed with her, but he couldn’t. After breakfast, he and Nikki were going to talk to Levi again. Everybody needed to lay their cards on the table.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced down to find Nikki standing next to him, looking up at him with wide, sorrowful eyes. “I’m sorry, for everything. It was fear and prejudice talking.”
“I get it,” he said. He did. People had their own ideas about motorcycle clubs. It was often difficult for people to imagine a group of guys like the Kings not being like the clubs that made the news. It was groups like the Jokers and the Vagos, rumored to be nearly four-thousand strong, that everyone knew. They made the Hells Angels look almost gentle. “None of us are perfect,” he said, slowly nodding, the wooden spoon stirring the browning eggs. “A number of us, the Steel Kings, I mean, have been in prison, like me. Some are on parole.” He glanced down at her. “Not me, but some of the others. Most of us work blue-collar jobs, get by with good old-fashioned elbow grease. But we’re good people, Nikki, and we’re stable.”
“You mean legally, mentally, or financially?”
Her voice was teasing, but he wasn’t when he replied. “All of the above.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve been so wrong . . . I should’ve . . . I’m not big on trust, you know.”
“I get it. I’m not big on trust, either. I would venture to say that none of us are, but sometimes, we have to rely on each other, don’t we? You know the saying, birds of a feather flock together?” He gestured with his spoon toward the compound. “That’s us. Birds of a feather. And we rely on one another, even though we squabble sometimes, just like any family. It’s just that—”
A bang on the door startled both of them, prompting Nikki to instinctively move to the far side of the kitchen, Seth between her and the door. Seconds later, the door burst open. He stared at Grady, wide-eyed and surprised. What the hell? He never just barged into his cabin like this—
“I think we found her.”
“Found who?” Seth asked, glancing down at Nikki, who had grabbed his forearm, her fingertips biting into his skin. “It’s all right,” he told her. “That’s Grady. You remember him, don’t you? He’s the head of our security.”
She nodded as Grady looked right at her. “Your sister. I think we might know where your sister is.”
A garbled cry erupted from Nikki’s throat as she stared at Grady, eyes wide, a hand clapped over her mouth. Tears filled her eyes. If she hadn’t been hanging on to his arm so tightly, he feared she might have buckled.
“Where?” he asked.
“My sister, where is she? Let’s go find her!”
Nikki let go of his arm and started for the door. Grady still blocked it, and she glared up at him.
“Tell me! Get out of the way, we have to go getter, right now, before—”
“Calm down.”
“Nikki, hold on a second,” Seth said over Grady’s, voice. He turned to Grady. “Explain.”
Grady still blocked the door, one hand still clutching the doorknob. “The Joker told me.”
“The Joker you guys brought in, the one you dragged from the truck?”
Again Seth glanced at Nikki, understanding her anxiety as she tried to maintain a handle on her emotions and failed miserably. Automatically, he clutched her shoulders, gently tugged her back to his side, and then placed his arm around her shoulder. He held her close, preventing her from rushing headlong into yet another . . . what? Disappointment? A fucked up outcome? Again he turned to Grady.
“How do you know he’s not lying?”
Grady shrugged. “We don’t. But let’s just say he realized it was in his best interest to tell me the truth. Even so, I don’t trust that everything coming out of his mouth. He might not know the real story.”
“Like what?” Seth asked.
“Come on,” Nikki interrupted. “You can deal with these questions later, can’t you?”
Grady took a step forward, eyeing her. “No, we can’t, Nikki. He could be lying. He could be telling the truth. We still don’t know exactly what we’re up against. If we rush headlong without thinking, without planning, we could very well end up doing more harm than good. You understand?”
His voice was gentle but firm. Seth eyed Nikki. She didn’t want to wait, didn’t want to be patient, and didn’t want to be cautious. She wanted her sister, come hell or high water. Finally, after several seconds, she finally nodded. A tear trickled down her cheek, and she angrily swiped it away.
“I’m sorry, it’s just . . . ”
“I know,” Grady said. “I know you’d do anything to get to your sister. But we can’t go in there without a plan.”
Seth watched as a brief shadow crossed over his features. Was Merc remembering the guys from his unit in Afghanistan that had gotten killed, supposedly because he’d acted too quickly? “What do you suggest?”
“The Joker said that she’s being held in a storage locker in South Oklahoma City. You know, one of those places where people store their stuff and have to punch in a code to get in and out?”
Both Seth and Nikki nodded.
“Shakespeare checked it out online. It’s got security cameras, or at least that’s what the website says.” He shrugged. “They might not be hooked up to anything, but we can’t just go charging in there, or the cops will be down on us before we get to the locker. You get it?”
“I do. Can we get someone in there to check it out? Did he give you a locker number? What kind of lock does it have on the door?”
Grady grinned. “All things that I’ve already sent one of our guys to check out. He’ll go to the management office, rent a locker for a month or two, and then once he’s inside, he can pretend to get lost and look for the locker that the Joker said Stacey was supposedly being held in. Make sure there is such a number and its location.”
Seth shook his head, frowning. “Why the hell would they keep he
r in a storage locker? How can they keep an eye on her there? What’s to prevent her from screaming for help or banging on the door or to prevent someone from hearing her?”
“That’s just it,” Grady said. “Supposedly, one of the employees of the storage place—”
“Belongs to the Jokers or is working for them,” Seth interrupted.
“Bingo.” Again he gazed at Nikki. “But I’ve got a plan.”
Grady proposed an idea, a surprisingly simple plan that nevertheless would require timing and caution. It might just actually work. It was dangerous, and the last thing he or any of the others wanted was to engage in a lopsided gunfight, outnumbered by the enemy, but the Jokers were cowards. They usually ran in packs. If they could surprise them, sneak into the storage lot without garnering attention . . . it just might work. If their “advanced scout” came back with information that only a couple of Jokers or their minions guarded the place at night, and got a good look at the security system, it might work in their favor.
“Good work,” Seth agreed. He glanced at Nikki. “I was afraid that when we did find her, she would be held in a house filled with the bloody bastards or in a warehouse like we first found you.” He frowned and shook his head. “I wonder why they put her in a storage locker.”
Again, Grady glanced at Stacey before he answered that question. “The Joker told me that’s where they put the girls just before they’re loaded for transport.”
“Loaded? Transported where?” Nikki asked, eyes wide again.
Her pulse thrummed in her throat, and Seth felt her trembling beside him. “Probably to her final destination.” Nikki paled and once again reached for his arm. Her fingernails dug into his skin in fright, but he didn’t blink. He saw Grady watching them and merely shrugged. No doubt everyone in the club had figured out by now that Nikki belonged to him. If not, they’d know it soon enough.
Confession (Steel Kings MC Book 2) Page 16
