by Debra Kayn
He returned to Callie and took her hand, helping her off the Harley. She followed him inside. Kent closed the door behind them.
The vacant room looked eerily different without anyone inside. Normally, there were always at least twenty bikers hanging around, even early in the morning.
"I need you to stay here. I'm going to ride out with the others," said Kent.
"I don't want to stay here alone. I'll walk home and wait for you."
"No, Callie." His gaze hardened. "I want you here, safe. A few of the other men will be staying back to keep an eye on things."
"Things?" Her neck stiffened. "I'm not a thing."
"Never said you were." He softened his touch and stroked her cheek. "But if I can't watch over you. I want someone else around who I know will keep you safe."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
He looked around the room and seeing that they were alone, lowered his voice. "Linda is missing."
"How do they know if they don't know where she lives? Maybe she went to the store, or her grandma had to go to the hospital."
"No, honey." He framed her face with his hands. "She called here, begging for help, and gave Paco her address. When they went to her house, they found her grandma unattended in bed and upset because someone had taken her granddaughter."
"Are the police looking for her?"
"Yeah, and Curley has Linda's neighbor sitting with her grandma. Tarkio is going to search for Linda on their own. I need to go with them," he said.
"Yes, yes, of course, you do." She sighed heavily. "Poor Linda. I wish I knew what was going on, so we can help her."
The door opened. Roddy came in with two other bikers. She grabbed the front of Kent's shirt, raised up to her toes, and kissed him. "Be careful."
"I'll be back when I can. Make sure you stay inside." He walked out of the building.
She looked around at the others, murmuring on the other side of the room. Worried about Linda, she sat down at one of the tables. Was Josh behind Linda missing?
The news that he was suspected of beating her up and Linda was also involved in some swingers' club run by Josh, she had no idea what to think. Her marriage to Josh had ended awfully, and she had no respect for him for all the things he'd personally done to her, but beating a woman? Kidnapping?
It was a nightmare. She couldn't even relate to what Kent had told her.
"Callie?"
She lifted her head. Dawn walked toward her, wearing a robe and her hair wrapped up in a towel. "Hi."
Dawn sat down at the table. "I just got out of the shower and was going to come out here and see what Roddy was doing and found you."
She glanced across the room. The other bikers had left. Distracted by her thoughts, she never heard them go.
"Kent went out with the others." She scooted to the end of her chair. "Did you hear about Linda?"
"Roddy told me earlier. Have you heard any news? Do they know who took her?"
She shook her head. "I haven't heard anything. I hope they find her."
Dawn removed the towel from her head and shook out her wet hair. "She never shared much of her life with me and never mentioned if she had a boyfriend. It makes me wonder if it was a...you know, domestic violence situation."
"I don't know." She blew out her breath. "Wasn't she hooking up with the bikers when she came to the parties? I seem to remember her going off with the biker who has a scar—"
"His name is Scar," said Dawn."
"He's the only one who would probably know more about her."
During those times, she'd been grieving for her dad, heartbroken over Kent. Wrapped up in her problems and soothing the pain with alcohol, she hadn't paid attention to the other women and who they hung around with.
"Girlfriend, just because she let Scar give her a tickle doesn't mean a thing. Unless a biker has claimed you for their own, the parties turn into one big playing field." Dawn laughed at the shocked expression on her face. "When you first started coming around, we thought you'd hook up with Curley."
Her jaw dropped. She hadn't shared any of her life with the others, and yet, she had come back almost every Saturday night to party because it was the simple conversations with the other women that she'd craved.
She covered her mouth, caught up in the humor of the situation. Their laughter waned, and she said, "Curley's just a friend. He's the one who invited me to the clubhouse, so I probably did talk to him more than anyone else, because he was the only person I knew."
"I know that now." Dawn laughed. "For whatever reason you started coming around, I'm glad you're here and I've gotten to know you."
"My dad died last year. The gas station he owned burned down, along with the trailer I lived in," she blurted.
Dawn gawked at her. "Are you joking?"
She shook her head. "During all that, I fell in love with Kent. Then, he left. At the time, I thought I'd never see him again, and I'd blown my chance to tell him how much he meant to me. But, then he came back."
"Give me a second." Dawn bounced her head from shoulder to shoulder and then sighed happily. "Okay, I'm all caught up, and I love that it all worked out for you. But, shit, girl, I want to hug you and not let go."
"I'll take a hug." She held out her arms.
Dawn leaned forward, hugged her tight, and whispered, "I'm so sorry about your dad."
"Thank you."
"And the gas station."
"It sucks."
"Yeah." Dawn let go of her. "But, your life is changing and that's a good thing."
"It's a good deal," she said, using Kent's favorite comeback.
Warmed because someone understood, she leaned back in the chair to wait for Kent. Her thoughts going back to Linda. Her stomach rolled, imagining her involved with Josh. To think Josh was even capable of hurting a woman or kidnapping brought acid up into her throat.
She couldn't fault Linda if she'd fallen for Josh. At one time, she too, thought she loved him. She believed his lies. She had faith that he would always love her back.
Now she knew Josh had never loved her. He wanted to own her as one would own a pet or a business. She provided him with the appearance of a marriage, a family. Meanwhile, behind doors, he continued to live a carefree life full of cheating and anger.
Evening turned to night during her wait for the bikers to return. She helped Dawn make sandwiches for the men who stayed behind. Unable to eat because of her worry, she spent a lot of time pacing in the room, going from the front door to the window, hoping to hear the motorcycles or see headlights.
Finally, at five minutes after midnight, news of the bikers returning made it to the clubhouse. Anxious to find out if they found Linda, she waited inside the door for Kent to come in.
She spotted him before he found her in the crowd. Hurrying to him, she threw her arms around his neck.
"Did anyone find Linda?" She let go of him. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine." He cupped her cheek. "She's with her grandma at home."
"Thank God." She leaned into him.
"Are you awake enough to ride home with me?"
"Yes." She walked outside with him.
He got on the motorcycle and offered his hand without saying any more. She wrapped her arms around him, surprised to find him tense.
Hugging his back, she had more questions but wasn't sure how hard she should press him for answers. She had no desire to bring Josh into their relationship, but since everything revolved around him, and she felt responsible as his ex-wife, she wanted to know his part in Linda's phone call to Tarkio.
Chapter 32
Callie
CALLIE WALKED OUT OF the bathroom after taking a shower and stood in the doorway of their room, wrapped in a towel. She'd tried to talk herself out of asking more about Josh once they'd arrived home, but her mind wouldn't rest.
Kent hadn't known the answers to her questions. It wasn't his fault. Linda, for all her panic at reaching out to Tarkio, hadn't been forthcoming with them.
/> It was hard to understand what stopped Linda from spilling her guts and letting the bikers help her. Yet in some ways, she understood. It was embarrassing to admit her faults, and she was sure Linda felt the same way.
She hadn't even told her dad when he was alive why she'd left Josh and sought a divorce. Somehow, back then, she felt like Josh's infidelity was her fault. That his desire for sexual pleasure with two or more women was because she wasn't woman enough for him.
Even all the rumors made her feel like she deserved whatever anyone said about her because it was easier than them knowing the truth.
But she no longer believed that was true. At least ninety-five percent of the time anymore, she knew it wasn't her fault. The other times, when she doubted herself, well, she continued to work on not doing that, but it was hard.
She dropped the towel to the floor, knowing Kent loved it when she slept naked.
He was already stretched out on the floor atop the sleeping bag, his hands latched behind his head, his eyes closed. Yet, she knew he was awake. He never went to sleep before her, and they'd never had a night when they hadn't made love.
Sometimes, she wanted to pinch herself to make sure everything good was really happening to her.
She looked down his naked body. The soft upper body hair fanned across his broad chest. He even had hair on his tree-trunk size legs that appealed to her. He was a stud. A manly man.
He was comfortable in his skin, and that was sexy to her. It made her more confident in herself. She was no longer embarrassed to have him see her naked because he loved her body.
She wasn't perfect. But they were perfect together.
His ankles were crossed a foot beyond the end of the sleeping bag. She leaned against the doorframe, warmed at the sight of him. "I never bought you a beer."
He turned his head, opening his eyes. "I'll remind you that you owe me one tomorrow."
"We need a bed." She approached him, stepping over his body, and kneeling on her side of their sleeping spot. "Even zipping the two bags together doesn't give you enough room to stretch out and cover your whole body."
"Leave your truck keys on Monday, and I'll pick one up when I get off work." He turned on his side and slid his hand between her knees, her thighs, and rubbed her pussy. "With a bouncy mattress underneath us, I won't have to be as gentle when I come inside of you."
Her cheeks warmed at how frank he could be when he talked about sex. She was the one who'd been married before, not him. Being sexy and uninhibited should come easy to her, but it wasn't.
"Did Linda tell anyone why she called for help and who she was with when nobody could find her?" she asked.
He put his head on her bare thigh and continued to stroke her between the legs. "I told you as much as I know. She claims she went for a walk and told the police that her grandmother often gets confused, and she's hard of hearing. There was no struggle and no one in the house."
"That doesn't make sense. How did she explain her reason for calling Tarkio for help?"
"She never mentioned that to the police."
"They never asked?"
"No, because it wasn't Tarkio who claimed she was missing. From what I've heard, Curley put an anonymous phone call into the emergency number, asking them to do a wellness check on the grandmother. When they went there, Linda's grandma told them her granddaughter was kidnapped. None of the members hung around after they heard the story she was telling to the cops, so that's all I know."
"This is so confusing. I'm starting to think we'll never know what is going on." She threaded his hair with her fingers. "Linda might think she's got everything under control, but she's screaming for help."
He made of grunt of agreement and slid his finger inside of her. She gasped and widened her legs a few inches, staying on her knees.
"It looks that way, but there's nothing we can do unless she accepts our help." He put his head in her lap, playing with her pussy.
In the chance that it was Josh who'd hurt Linda and she was involved in the swingers' club under duress, someone needed to stop Josh. Maybe tell the town or the police what he was doing.
"Is it illegal to own a swingers' club?" she asked.
Kent's hand stilled, and he raised his head. "Your ex-husband never mentioned his pastimes to you?"
She shook her head. "I stopped asking where he was and what he was doing all the time soon after we got married because he made me feel stupid for asking. I always figured he was out with his friends, which now that I think about it and know more, was probably wrong. Later, when there were signs that he was having an affair, he denied everything...until I caught him."
He pulled her down to the floor and held her close. "It's not illegal as long as they don't pay for and have sex at the establishment. They usually collect member's dues for access to the club. That keeps members from talking about the business."
She put her arm around his waist. "Does swapping sex with others appeal to you?"
"Fuck, Callie." He pulled her on top of him. "I thought we were done with all the questions."
"I want to know ahead of time on how you think and feel." She sat up and straddled his stomach. "I made a mistake not talking about what I want in a relationship before, obviously. I don't want to do that again."
He latched his hands behind his head, his lips twitching in amusement. "I can feel the heat of your pussy on my stomach and your tits swaying with every breath you take, and you call what we're doing here having a relationship?"
She pinched his nipple. "You know what I mean."
His gaze warmed, and he chuckled. The movement made her whole-body jiggle. She covered up her stomach.
"Don't." He caught her wrists and uncrossed her arms. "Ever. Hide from me."
"I hate my stomach."
"I don't." He put his hand below her belly button. "Every part of you turns me on, and to answer your question, so we can continue this relationship, I love you. Only you. I need no one else. I've lived a life moving around without any responsibilities except for myself. I've had enough experience with other women to know without a doubt that what I have with you is what I've always wanted."
"Really?" she whispered, forgetting about his hand on the extra roll on her stomach.
His mouth softened. "You are the strongest, sexiest, most beautiful woman I've ever met."
"Babe, I felt all that in my heart." She melted and leaned down and kissed him. Do you feel it beating?"
It wasn't the only thing beating. His cock nudged her opening, backing his words.
"I love you, honey," he whispered against her lips.
She pulled back, consumed with him. "I love you, too," she whispered back.
His hands grabbed the sides of her waist and moved her off him. He grabbed a condom, rolling it on his cock, and then scooted over on top of her.
"We really need a bed." He plunged into her. "So I can fuck you the right way."
She moaned. "This is wrong?"
He slid in and out. "Nothing we do is wrong, but I want to make sure you know who you're with."
"Are you going to pound that fact into me?" She grinned.
"Every damn night, woman."
Her insides tightened. She hooked her ankles behind his thighs, meeting each thrust. Her problems melted away when he was inside her.
He groaned and held still. She looked into his scrunched face. That wasn't pleasure overcoming him.
She grabbed his hardened arms, holding him above her. "What's wrong?"
"Knee." He grunted, leaning to the side, shaking one of his legs. "Funnybone."
"We can stop."
"Hell, no." He shuddered, letting his knee fall back to the floor. "Monday, I'm buying us a soft bed."
She laughed, rubbing his sides. "Poor, baby."
He stared down into her face, then he was up on his feet, moving her off the floor. With the wall at her back, he lifted her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist.
Kent's moan of relief
filled the room, and her groan of arousal replied, as he thrust his cock inside her. She couldn't move, but there was no need. He cupped her butt, lifting and plunging her down.
She hung off his neck, her head falling behind her shoulders. Pleasure traveled from her pussy, up her spine, and engulfed her. Her inner thighs burned as she clamped her legs around him.
His large body rubbed everywhere on her. Her breasts. Her stomach. Her clit.
Sweet torture plunged and withdrew, only to thrust faster, manipulating her body. She panted, clutching his hair in her hands, pulling herself closer to him.
He stole her breath.
She straightened her neck, captured his mouth, needing more as he brought her higher and higher.
His tongue filled her mouth. She sucked, wanting as much of him as possible inside her, filling her, touching her.
He staggered in his effort. Caught on a merry-go-round of pleasure, she rode him.
Her moans grew louder, the closer her orgasm came to achieving. There was no slowing down. Grabbing his shoulders, she dug her fingernails in, moving hard against him. Slick from her wetness, his cock filled her deeper. As if he'd stroked a hidden spot inside her body, lights flashed in her vision, and her insides unraveled.
Kent groaned, arching his back. Through her sex spasming, his cock pulsed his release.
As her body peaked, she suddenly plummeted. Her muscles weakened, and she slumped against him, her arms hanging over his shoulders. She pressed her head against his and closed her eyes, exhaustion hitting her hard.
Crazy laughter bubbled from inside her. Knowing she was dead weight in his arms, she sucked in each breath, trying to gather her energy. But he'd completely worn her out.
Her legs slipped. "You're going to have to put me down. I don't think I have enough energy to move."
"Give me a second." He took an unsteady step and stopped. "We really need a bed."
His large body trembled against her. She turned her head and kissed his neck. "Agreed."
Several minutes later, he carried her a few steps and lowered her to the floor. She sprawled out on top of the sleeping bag.