by BE Kelly
She had hoped to get home earlier in the day, to prepare a nice dinner. Jag called her and told her they were bringing home pizza and that was fine with her. She heard them come home just as she was slipping from the bath. She threw on her robe and went to find her guys.
“I’m telling you that you’re wrong, man,” Jag said. “Angelo’s makes the best pizza.”
“You guys having a tiff?” Remi teased.
“We do not have tiffs, Honey,” Texas growled. “We’re having an argument over who makes the best pizza in town.”
“Oh well, that’s easy,” Remi said. “It’s Ma’s. They make the best pizza in NOLA. I see we’re having Angelo’s?” She eyed the pizza as if it had done her wrong and Jag laughed, pulling her in for a kiss.
“How about you tell us how your day was and I’ll order Ma’s for you?” Jag asked. Texas grumbled something about Dino’s Pizzeria being the best in town and Remi rolled her eyes and giggled.
“I got the children’s section all worked out today,” she said. “I can’t wait for the kids to see it.” Just a few months ago, she avoided that section like it had the plague. Every time the kids would come in for story time, she’d cringe. She had even gone as far as to hire a part-time high school kid to come in and read to the little ones.
Now that she had Jag and Texas in her life, that all seemed to change. She realized she was looking forward to seeing the toddlers and their parents come into her library every week. Now, she felt hope instead of such crippling despair.
“That’s great, Honey,” Texas said. Jag ended his call with Ma’s Pizzeria and tossed his cell on the kitchen counter.
“We should celebrate. How would you like to do that, Honey?” he asked, pulling her against his body.
“Um,” Remi squeaked. “By making a baby?” she asked. The cabin fell quiet and Remi thought she could hear her own heart beating.
“A baby?” Jag asked.
Remi suddenly felt uncertain. Maybe it was too soon, but that was the way this thing between them seemed to work—at warp speed with no breaks or airbags. “Are you sure you’re ready for that, Baby?” Texas asked.
Remi shyly nodded her head, letting her long, dark wet hair fall into her face. Jag gently stroked it back from her eyes, framing her face with his hands. She held onto him like he was her lifeline. They both were.
“Tex and I have already talked about this, Honey. We’re ready whenever you are. We were just waiting for you to give us the green light, Remi. If you want this, then let’s make a baby.”
“Really?” she asked. She could feel the hot tears fill her eyes before she felt them falling down her cheeks.
“Yes,” Texas said. “We want it all with you, Raven.” She liked the way Texas had taken to using her MC name. It felt so personal every time they called her that. It was the name they had given to her and every time they called her their Raven, she felt loved—even cherished.
“All?” she questioned.
“Yep, a family,” Jag said. “A house full of kids.”
Remi giggled. “How about we start with one and work our way up from there?” she asked.
“Deal,” Jag agreed.
“So, Raven,” Texas drawled. “What are you seeing for our future?” he asked.
“Everything,” Remi said. “I see everything with you and Jag, Texas. I love you both so much.”
“We love you too, Baby,” Jag said. “Now, how about we start working on those babies?” Remi giggled and eagerly ran for their bedroom, her guys hot on her heels. She really didn’t predict the future but Remi was beginning to see that her assessment was promising. Her guys were her world, her life—her everything. And, that was a future she was looking forward to.
Oryana
Oryana Nez ran into the dark alley, knowing full well that outrunning whomever or whatever was after her was probably not an option. She was tired, hurt and if she wasn’t mistaken, losing enough blood that she’d be dead within the next thirty minutes. She had tried to call for her sister, but it was nearly impossible to clear her mind enough to focus. Their minds couldn’t communicate if she let all the worry and confusion cloud her thoughts. Nena was out of luck and just about out of time but running was all she had left.
She ducked into an open doorway and whispered a little prayer of thanks that she found a door that was unlocked. It looked like an old warehouse and with any luck, would have plenty of hiding places. She found a room that was in the darkest corner of the building and slid under a rusty old desk, pulling the squeaky chair in to meet her body, effectively trapping herself. Nena hoped that whoever was after her had given up the hunt but from the months he spent tracking her, that was just wishful thinking.
Nena focused on her breathing and calming her loud, shallow breaths. If someone tracked her into that room, her breathing would give away her location. She closed her eyes and opened her mind, calling for her twin sister, Remi. They were both seers and shared a special connection. Her grandma used to call it their twin telepathy, making them both giggle; but she was spot on. Her grandmother knew of their abilities, being a seer herself. They came from a long line of women with the gift and Nena was well trained in how to use her abilities.
“Remi,” she silently called to her, using her mind. “I need your help.”
Nena heard someone rummaging around in the outer rooms of the warehouse and she knew it was only a question of when they’d find her. Her only hope was her sister finding her and time was running out. She cupped her bloody side and hissed out her breath at the throbbing, painful wound. Nena hurt all over and she wondered just how much longer she’d be able to hold on. Judging by the amount of sticky moisture that coated her hands, she didn’t have long.
“I’m not sure she’s in here, man,” she heard a male voice say. “Where else could she have gone?” another man asked. Nena didn’t recognize either of their voices. She strained her ears to listen to their conversation, trying to access how close they were. If she wasn’t mistaken, they were just outside of the room where she was hiding and she was doing everything in her power not to make a single sound.
“Maybe she doubled back and took off. We need to get back before we’re missed,” the other guy said. “We’ve wasted enough time looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found.” Nena wondered just what he meant by that. Why would she want them to find her? Nena strained her ears to listen for any signs of the two men entering the room she was hiding in.
“Let’s go.” Nena heard the command and she felt like she was holding her breath waiting to see if they were actually going to leave and give up their search. When she heard them walking away from her, down the long corridor that led back to the alley, she let herself finally breathe. Nena pulled out her cell phone, praying that she’d have some service, but she didn’t.
“Shit,” she whispered, slipping the phone back into her pocket. “Remi, I need your help,” she sobbed. She knew that help wasn’t coming for her—not this time. Her twin sister was always the stronger of the two of them. Remi was the one who took charge in situations that called for them to be brave. She was the one who had Nena’s back and that was how she liked things.
Nena didn’t dare move from her hiding spot, afraid that the two men looking for her weren’t really giving up. It was quiet, dark and cold. The old warehouse smelled like urine and mildew, telling her that it must have been abandoned for some time. If that was the case, no one would find her. She would need to find her own way out, sooner or later but fear paralyzed her and the thought of climbing out from under the desk made her sick. Nena closed her eyes and let the darkness consume her, focusing on her breathing. She needed to get herself under control and not let her anxiety take over. Nena just needed a few minutes to get herself together and then she’d find her way out of the cold, dark warehouse. Where she’d go next was the issue, but she’d find somewhere to lay low until she could figure out who was after her and why. The last thing she wanted was to involve her sister and new friend
s at Reckoning in any of her mess, but she had no choice. Nena knew what she had to do but showing up, unannounced at Hawk’s place meant that she was going to have to eat shit and apologize for being such a bitch to him. Sure, she could do that if it meant not involving her sister, but she was certain he wasn’t going to make her apology easy for her to choke out.
Hawk
Hawk Acosta had never been a man to do things on the fly but relocating his entire life from New Mexico to New Orleans felt like a pretty big fucking deal. He did it to follow a woman and that made him sound like a complete pussy, so he kept that little bit of information to himself. When people asked why he was picking up and leaving the only home he’d ever known, he just told them he had a job opportunity he couldn’t pass up. It was partially true but what most people didn’t understand was that he could live just about anywhere since he worked from his home. He was a business consultant to some of the biggest corporations in the U.S. He was the one they’d call in to fix problems that most deemed unfixable. He loved what he did because it usually involved kicking some ass until everyone was whipped back into shape. The Dom in him really liked that part and the rebellious biker side of him got a kick out of people in power having to take orders from a kid who was born on the wrong side of the tracks.
Yeah, he’d done well for himself, but this latest chapter in his life had him feeling like he was going out of his fucking mind. Following the woman of his dreams half-way across the country probably qualified him as a fucking lunatic, but he really didn’t care anymore. He wanted her and not taking what he needed felt wrong. He’d waited a damn long time for her to give him a fucking chance and he was done sitting around, hoping for that to happen.
After a shit day of dealing with everyone wanting something from him, all Hawk wanted to do was fall into bed and dream about the sexy seer who filled his nightly dreams. Oryana Nez was his walking wet dream, although he’d never tell her that. They were high school sweethearts. Hell, she was his first everything, but that was a damn long time ago. He fucked up and cheated on her, during their senior year and she never forgave him. He’d asked her out a half dozen times, only to be turned down each and every time. She’d give him one hell of a hard time if she knew that he had fantasized about having her naked, willing body on top of his, panting out his name, every night since the last time she turned him down.
Hawk told her that he’d leave her alone until she came crawling back, begging him to take her out on a date and she let him know, in no uncertain terms, that would happen when pigs fly. He hadn’t seen any flying pigs lately but coming home to find the sexy brunette on his front porch was certainly a surprise. She was huddled up in the corner by the front door and when she spied him getting off his bike, the fear he saw in her beautiful brown eyes nearly did him in. Something or someone had hurt Nena and his inner caveman came roaring to life. He wanted to tear whoever or whatever it was that made her so afraid, completely apart.
He hurried to his front porch and looked her up and down. Nena made no move to get up from her spot in the corner and he towered over her. “What happened?” he demanded. Nena wiped at the tears that spilled down her cheeks and he cursed himself for being such an asshole. She didn’t need his demanding ass questioning her. She needed to be comforted and held, but Hawk knew from his past experiences with her that she was a bit prickly when it came to stuff like feelings.
“Fuck,” he whispered, noting the blood that covered the left side of her shirt. Nena was hurt and had lost a good deal of blood. “Don’t get pissy, Nena, but I’m going to touch you.” Her eyes widened and for just a minute, he thought she was going to protest. Instead, when he knelt to assess her wound, she let him. He ran his big hand gently down her side and she hissed out her breath
“Please, Honey,” he begged. “Tell me what happened so I can help you,” he whispered. “Who did this to you?”
“Someone is after me,” she sobbed. “I’ve been followed and I don’t know who it is or what they want. When I was trying to get away, I tripped and fell onto a metal rod. I didn’t know it was this bad but when I pulled free from it, there was so much blood.”
“Are you sure someone is after you, Nena?” he asked. Hawk knew that Nena and her twin sister, Remi were seers, but beyond that, he didn’t really understand much about their abilities.
“You calling me a liar, Hawk?” she questioned. She tried to pull free from his hold, but she was too weak. “I knew it was a mistake to come to you,” she said. Her words felt like a physical slap.
“Now you’re just trying to piss me off, Nena,” he accused. “How about you start from the beginning and tell me what happened. Then you can treat me like shit and accuse me of being an asshole.”
“I didn’t do either of those things,” She defended. “I simply said that I shouldn’t have come to you with my problems. If you let me go, I’ll just find someone else to help me.”
“No,” he growled. Nena gasped and stilled.
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” she asked.
“I mean, I will help you. You don’t need to go to anyone else.” Hawk could feel the tension rolling off her slim body. “First, I’m going to call my friend, Doc and he’s going to come to take a look at you. I won’t chance taking you to the hospital, not if someone is truly after you. While he’s patching you up, I’ll call Tex and Jag to let them know what happened.
“No,” she practically shouted. “I can’t involve Remi. She just found out she’s pregnant and I won’t put her or her new little family in danger. If someone wants to hurt me, they’ll use my family to get to me. I need to know who’s doing this before we call in everyone else for help.”
He knew that she was right—someone was trying to hurt her and all he wanted to do was help her. Nena had taken the first step and met him at his house. It was his turn to give her a little in return. Maybe then she’d stop fighting him at every turn and even let him in a little. That was all he really wanted—just a chance with Oryana and then he could take what he wanted from her—everything.
The End
Hawk (Reckoning MC Seer Book 4) coming soon!
Bonus sneak peek of BE Kelly’s next new series -Ringer (Perdition MC Shifters Book 1)!
Ringer
Ringer rode his bike into the corner of the lot, not wanting to attract too much-unwanted attention. He was laying low and showing up at Reckoning wasn’t his smartest idea. But, if he wanted to talk to Reaper, he knew where to find him. The little dive bar was Reap’s hang out and home to his club. Ringer always used to feel a pang of jealousy when he thought of Reaper being a part of something that he’d give his left nut to join.
He had been a lone wolf until he found the Perdition MC. Finding any group to belong to seemed like a pretty far-fetched idea to him. Ringer never seemed to fit in, but that wasn’t his fault. He had to keep a part of himself separate from everyone he ever knew or trusted because once the truth came out, they would never look at him the same way again. That’s why he had to end things with sexy little Sophie Payton, Reaper’s younger sister.
About six months ago, she agreed to Ringer’s crazy plan, to let him take her out of NOLA and stow her away someplace safe. He told her it was the only way he could keep her safe from his scum bag father but that was a total lie. Ringer was really hoping to get her out of town, away from her older, very over-protective big brother, to get his chance with her. Reaper didn’t like or trust him and he couldn’t really blame the guy. If he had a kid sister that fell in love with an asshole like him, he’d be pissed off too.
Sophie made it very clear that she wasn’t interested in him—in that way, but the mixed-signals she sent him left Ringer in a perpetual state of confused and hard. Just before the local authorities in NOLA caught his father and charged him with human trafficking, he thought he had finally broken through her defenses. Sophie had agreed to one night with him and he was sure his dreams of owning the sexy little vixen was finally going to happen, but he was dead wrong.
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They spent the night tangled up in his bed sheets and when the first light of morning broke through the curtains at the cheap Texas motel they were hauled up in, he found the bed empty. Sophie had ditched him, without a word and he couldn’t decide if he was more pissed or hurt by that. Ringer got dressed and rode his bike around that small, broken-downtown, looking for his woman but there was no sign of her. She was gone and he was left in the middle of nowhere, wondering what the hell he did to cause her to just take off.
After two days of searching, he finally gave up looking for her and headed back to his little motel room to figure out his next move. He went back and forth between telling Reaper he lost his sister, to just disappearing from the face of the earth to avoid the beating Ringer was sure to get from Reap. He wasn’t a coward and he wouldn’t take the easy way out of this or any situation, for that matter. When Ringer finally got up the nerve to dial Reaper’s cell number, he was surprised to learn that Sophie had shown up back in NOLA the day after they hooked up. And, maybe that was all he was to her—just a hookup. He wanted to be more for her, but Ringer wasn’t about to crawl back into town and beg her for another chance when he didn’t do anything wrong in the first place.
Ringer decided to stay in Texas for a bit. He had nothing waiting for him back home—is old man was in prison for trafficking and the woman he wanted didn’t want him. His father’s business interests were left to him and he and Reaper were now co-owners of the textile company their fathers had started together. He told Reaper he wanted nothing to do with the company, signing his half of the business over to Reap and wishing him all the best. Ringer needed a fresh start, but that wasn’t exactly what he found. So, he headed back to New Orleans to confront Sophie, but he was a giant fucking chicken. He had been back in town for a little over a month now and still couldn’t find the courage to face the woman that he had fallen in love with. He had a run-in with Reaper after he got back to town. Hell, if that’s what you could call it. Really, it was more like Reap still trying to blame him for everything—his father, the business, and even Sophie. How could he explain to Reaper or Sophie that he was back in town because he didn’t know how to stay away from her anymore? How did he tell Sophie that he felt like he was being drawn to her the way a wolf is drawn to his mate? She couldn’t be that to him because if he let her into his life, it would be the end of hers. He couldn’t be with Sophie and the sooner he realized that, the better.