by Sassie Lewis
What the fuck‽
So, she’d actually meant to knock the giant over. She might have ended up face first on the floor if he hadn’t grabbed hold of her very naked ass. Still, she managed to shock him if the look on his face was anything to go by.
“Where’d the knife come from, princess?”
“Under the pillow. Now let’s discuss what you just said.” She pushed the flat of the blade tight against his neck. She didn’t really want to hurt him, just needed him to believe she would. “When you’re with me, Bold Alexandrov, there will be no such thing as ‘club business’, especially when that business involves me. Are we clear?”
“Damn she’s hot when she’s being all bossy. You sure you won’t share?” Becca flinched at Zane’s words, the action causing her to draw a little blood from Blake. Oops. She’d forgotten Zane was there. Yeah, and he saw a hell of a lot more than just you being naked. Her subconscious kindly reminded her. Telling herself to shut up kind of seemed redundant, but she did it anyway, and blamed that bad wiring she suffered from.
“I’m naked. You’re naked. And bleeding. And Zane is seeing me naked.” Why she felt the need to point all that out, and to scream the last she’d blame on lack of caffeine. At this point in time, she was willing to fault whoever and whatever rather than admit she was being a bit dramatic. How about you just admit that you’re way more than a bit dramatic, you’re a fucking drama queen at times? “Oh, shut up.”
“I haven’t said anything.” Blake raised an eyebrow at her.
“That wasn’t . . . Oh, never fucking mind.” His rumbling laugh vibrated through her very naked and spread core. A core that was also extremely raw. She winced.
“Zane get out of here. Becca and I need to talk. I’ll—”
“We’ll,” she cut in.
“—meet you in the lounge room.”
The other man left without another word.
“You gonna move that knife, princess? Or you gonna bleed me a little more?”
“It’s only a scratch you big baby.” She flung the blade toward the doorframe, happily surprised when it stuck.
“Where the hell did you learn that?”
“Boris. I don’t like guns anymore—I was never really good with them in the first place—but I still needed to be able to protect myself, so Boris has a few of his men training me.” She really wanted to get down. But . . . “Umm, Blake, can you put me down? Things are a bit too tender to do it myself.” The idea of sliding down his body was painful; the reality would be excruciating. And let’s face it, she was a hell of a way off the ground.
With another chuckle, he eased her off his body and placed her on her feet. Her legs wobbled and her womb gave a spasm so sharp it made period pain look like a party and had her doubled over. “I need a shower and to find out why Zane is here,” she said through gritted teeth.
Before she’d taken one step, Blake scooped her into his arms. “I think a bath would be better.”
“I don’t have time for one. After I’ve talked to Zane I’ve got to get to work.” By the angle of the sun, she knew they’d slept late.
The giant ignored her. Sat her on the side of the tub and began to fill it. “You’ll have a bath or you won’t be able to walk in a few hours. Not only that, I plan on having you again, and I won’t care if you’re sore just because you were too stubborn to get in the tub when told.”
Her body did not just cream itself at his domineering tone. Nope, she refused to believe that was the cause, instead she told herself it was from the prospect of having him again. Her pussy denied the last. It wanted to shut up shop and be left alone for a year or two. Still . . . “Damn it, Blake. I want to hear what Zane has to say. If I get in that bath, you’ll go out there and talk to him and leave me—the person all this shit’s about—in the dark.”
She would have walked out of the bathroom, but her legs refused to move. Another spasm deep in her core had her dropping to her knees. Blake lifted her into the tub. The hot water and the salts he’d added quickly worked on relaxing her knotted muscles.
Grrr, why did he have to be right all the time?
“Soak in there for at least twenty minutes. Don’t argue, princess. I’ll wait until you’re out of the tub to find out why Zane is here. But”—he leaned over the bath, putting his mouth against hers—“Your ass is going to glow by the time I’m finished with you tonight.” The kiss he delivered wrecked her. Teeth, lips, and tongue explored every part of her mouth until she was starved for air. When he pulled back, his engorged cock bounced into view. If she hadn’t been struggling for breath, she would have seen if it tasted as good as it looked.
Chapter Eleven
“I could seriously get used to this. I didn’t even have to ask and some chick showed up with all this,” Zane said, waving at the full breakfast spread covering the large dining table. The table he’d spanked Becca on the night before. His cock twitched.
Sitting opposite Zane, Blake took in the other man. “Where’d the suit come from?” He hadn’t been wearing one when he’d come into the bedroom.
“Your granddaddy saw me coming into the casino, remembered me from our last visit, and hooked me up. Told me if he saw me in patches while I’m here, the next suit he gives me will be made of concrete.
“I showered and changed while you were playing with Becca.” He shrugged a shoulder. That was Zane, not much bothered the easy talking Texan. “But that’s not important . . .” He slammed his fist down on the table. “For the love of God, tell me you wore a condom?” Zane’s words had Blake spitting his coffee.
Fuck!
“Dude, you were balls deep in her this morning and I didn’t see one in sight. Quin is going to kill you for that alone, if you’ve knocked up his baby girl . . .”
Yeah, they’d be finding pieces of Blake all over the state. The thing was, he didn’t care. And for the first time in his life, he’d gone bareback. Hadn’t even considered putting one on. He couldn’t blame the heat of the moment, he’d always been able to stop and cover the fuck up. The fact was, he hadn’t wanted anything between them.
Although he’d never admit this to anyone, a few months back he would say for certain she was in her fertile period—his obsession had known no bounds—unless something had changed with her cycle, he was . . . “I’m Fucked.”
“I’ll take that as a no to the condom. Damn, man, I sure will miss you.”
“Shut the fuck up Zane. And tell me why Quin sent you.”
Her scent hit him before her voice did. “I thought you were going to wait for me?”
“I heard you walk into the room, princess. So don’t give me attitude. Now get over here and eat some breakfast.” Blake grabbed her as she walked past, pulling her lush body onto his lap. His hand automatically went to cradle her stomach. They’d have to talk later, about a lot of things.
“Hey, darlin’. You’re looking great. Boris was raving about you earlier. Doesn’t want you coming back with us ‘trashy bikers’.”
“You know Boris? And I’m not going back.” Blake slapped her thigh. “Damn it, Blake, just because I slept with you doesn’t mean I’ll follow you back to Boulder like a lovesick puppy.” She squirmed in his lap.
“You’ll follow me wherever the fuck I tell you to. I took you last night. Made you mine. You played with fire and now you’ll have to live with the consequences,” he growled in her ear. And because he was now pissed at her attitude, he whispered, “I didn’t glove up last night, and unless something has changed for you, you’re going to be stuck with me for at least eighteen years.” Right then he realized the idea of her being pregnant pleased him. Louder he said, “Now sit there like a good girl, and listen to what Zane has to tell us.” He handed her a juice, she was looking a little pale, he guessed finding out there was a likely chance that her first time with a man was the same time she got knocked up would do that to a girl. When she’d taken a healthy sip of her drink, he nodded at Zane.
“Another girl showed up in our t
erritory, this time at the clubhouse. Same M. O. And sorry, darlin’, she was another Becca look-a-like. But this one’s hair wasn’t naturally black. She’d either given herself a really bad dye job, or our perps did it. I’m betting on the latter.”
“Do we know anything about who’s doing this? Or why they are doing it to women who look like me?” Blake was surprised to hear venom in her voice. Her color had also come back.
Zane shrugged his shoulders.
“Do y’all think it has something to do with my supposed uncle?” That question surprised Blake. He didn’t think she’d known anything about O’Connell. At the look on Zane’s face, she added, “Did you both forget that I’m the one who got the information out of Razor?”
Actually, he had. But now Blake remembered; Razor was a borderline sociopath who hated pretty much everyone in his family except for his granddaughter, Becca. Quin had taken her along to question the old man and ex-president of Hell’s Exiles.
“No,” Zane answered quickly.
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” she said taking a sip of her drink. “I’m safer here than in Boulder—”
“No, she’s not. She’s got someone following her,” Blake cut in.
“Shit. Quin didn’t mention anything,” Zane replied around a mouth full of bacon.
“He doesn’t know. And I don’t want you telling him.” Blake hadn’t told Quin during their phone call, the man was already worried enough. Besides, Blake was dealing with the situation.
Becca looked over her shoulder, pinning him with those jade orbs. “While I’m all for not telling him anything, I gotta ask why?”
“Because he’d be out here quicker than I can have that ass of yours glowing red.” A slight tremor rocked her frame, making his cock throb. “And while I can be here because I’m family, and Zane can be here because my babushka liked him—”
“God, I miss that woman.”
“—If Quin showed up, my grandfather would have no problems putting a bullet between your dad’s eyes. And that, princess, would put me in a very complicated position.”
“Oh.” What else could she say? She might hate her father at the moment, but she didn’t want him dead. Still . . . “So what you’re saying is we know nothing more than what Blake knew when he first got here? We just have a few more dead bodies. Do we know who the girls were at least? Where they were from?”
Zane’s “Sorry, darlin’,” was accompanied by a sheepish grin that crossed his handsome face. Unlike Blake who was broodishly, ruggedly handsome, in a slightly scary way, Zane was a sexy cowboy with looks to spare. He looked like he should be gracing book covers. He, also unlike Blake, who didn’t charm anyone, could charm the pants off a nun. Sad for him, it did nothing for Becca. “Save the look for someone it’ll work on, Zane, and tell me why you’re here?”
Blake snorted in her ear. He’d been running his nose up and down her neck since dropping his bombshell on her . . . Nope, she was not going to think about that right now, she had enough to deal with.
“Fine.” Zane threw his hands in the air. “Quin wants you home.”
“Too bad. So sad. I’m staying right here. Besides . . .” She’d talked things over with Rod, and they’d came to the same conclusion. “I’ve got a stalker here, and my money’s on him somehow being involved with all this—”
“I told you that yesterday.”
“—And yes, y’all are big bad bikers, but Boulder isn’t exactly secure. Here I’m monitored almost twenty-four seven. There’re cameras everywhere inside the casino—”
“A casino you left just yesterday.”
“—Gah.” She was sick of the man interrupting her. “I was pissed at you yesterday, Blake. Pretty much anything you said, I ignored. And if you don’t want me to go back to ignoring you, stop pissing me off.” The big bastard used her hair to pull her head back, those deep brown eyes warning her she’d pay for the attitude. Hell, if the payment was anything like the spankings he’d given her last night, she’d willingly pay double. She grimaced as her still tender pussy tightened protesting that idea.
“I have a plan . . .”
Locked in the bedroom, Becca sank onto the bed and grabbed her phone. She hadn’t turned it on in months, but she needed to talk to someone. Someone who wasn’t ruled by testosterone.
The phone rang, and Becca was tempted to hang up before it could be answered.
“Hello?” The voice on the end of the line had tears filling Becca’s eyes, guilt filled her soul.
“Heifer,” her voice cracked, and she had to clear her throat. “God, I’ve missed you.” Silence met her words, Becca pulled the phone back, checking to see if they’d lost the connection. “Nessa, you there?”
“I’m not talking to you, bitch. Actually, I’ve got something to say before I hang up on your best-friend-leaving-me-all-alone-fat-heifer-ass. You left me!” Becca had to pull the phone away and rub the ear that the heifer had just deafened.
“Look, you crazy bitch, I didn’t leave you. I left Boulder. And your ass is bigger than mine!”
“You never called.” Her best friend sounded so dejected, making Becca feel like an utter bitch. Yes, she was a natural-born bitch, but her and Nessa had been like sisters since the first grade. They’d always had each other’s back. They’d been a team—them against the world.
“I’m sorry.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Becca?”
Becca rolled her eyes and laid back on the bed.
“Knock it off, you idiot. I know I don’t say it often—”
“More like never.”
“—but I am sorry I never called you. I couldn’t. You would have told Chase where I was. Don’t even try to deny it. My brother has you wrapped around his little finger.”
“Ho’s before bro’s, heifer. But it wouldn’t have mattered, apparently Blake always knew where you were.” That was news to Becca. “I’m pissed at him for not telling me at least. I’m guessing he’s there now and you know what’s been going on? When are you coming home?”
“Yeah, I know, and I don’t think I can come home. I can’t get over what my father did, Ness. He wasn’t there when I needed him.”
“I’m more than pissed with that man for what he did that day. But he does miss you.”
Becca didn’t want to talk about Quin. “How’s things going with you and my brother?”
“He proposed, so no matter what, you have to come home. I can’t get married without my maid of honor.”
“I’m happy for you, Nessa, you deserve happiness after having breeders like yours.” Nessa’s parents were assholes of the highest position; they made Quin look like a saint.
“While it’s been awesome to finally hear from you, you didn’t call me just because Blake showed up there. If that was the case, you’d be ranting non-stop. What gives?”
Becca smiled, even after seven months apart, Nessa knew her better than anyone else. “I slept with Blake.” She blurted.
“Oh. My. Fucking. God.” For the second time in only a few minutes, her BFF deafened her.
“Tell me everything!”
Becca did. Not just about Blake, but about everything that had happened over the past few months. It felt good to have Nessa involved in her life again. “I guess I’ll know in a couple of weeks,” she ended.
“Shit, Becca. Seriously, you need to come home. You’re going to need the protection now more than ever. And it’s not the same without you.”
“I’ll think about it, okay? But I gotta go. Did I mention how much I love my job?”
Nessa laughed. “Of course you do, you’re finally getting paid for something you did just for fun: Screwing people over.”
So true.
Chapter Twelve
“I don’t like this plan.” He was beginning to sound like a broken record. The plan was to let his princess act as fucking bait. He already had this argument with Zane and Becca, now he was having it with Zane and Boris.
“She’ll be fine,”
Zane said, yet again.
“Bold, my casino is very well guarded, as you know. My men are good at what they do and do as they are told. I assure you, Rebecca will be safe if she stays inside these walls.”
Blake threw Boris a questioning look. “That’s if she stays inside the fucking casino.”
“I have Borya, Danil, and Abram following her every move. This plan will work.”
Slamming his head into the back of the seat, Blake pulled a smoke out of his jacket pocket. The rich nicotine filled his lungs and helped to calm him down. “Zane, tell me what you didn’t want to say in front of Becca.” He knew the man well enough that he’d been holding back. Especially when one of his answers to Becca’s question had been delivered a little too fast. For some crazy reason, the man just couldn’t lie to women.
“Remember when we were questioning those bikers, the ones that cause all the shit last year?”
“The ones who never gave up any information?”
“Yeah. At the time we thought it might have something to do with Quin’s family, but we never found anything concrete. Hell, we never even found that O’Connell dude.” And hadn’t that pissed Quin off. “The one thing we all agreed on and we knew was fact, was that the attacks were done by someone patient. Someone who took the time to watch us. Find out our routines.
“One thing never sat right for me. When we questioned those bikers not one of them gave up any information.” Blake already knew that and was oddly impressed by it. “But the one thing they did all do,” Zane continued, “Was to say ‘the boss has plans for you’.”
“I know all this.” Blake lifted his head enough to glare at the other man.
“Boss, Blake. They kept saying ‘the Boss’, not our Prez.”