Vendetta Road

by Christine Feehan

  The chapel wasn’t far from the bar where he’d retrieved his bike, and it was Player who carefully helped Soleil off the motorcycle when they arrived. Alena was there quickly to untie the gown and let it fall to the ground. She fussed over the dress for a few minutes until she was satisfied it was perfect, and then they were all moving inside, surrounding the bride.

  “You look beautiful,” Ice whispered to her. He took her hand. “Absolutely beautiful.”

  “It’s the dress,” she whispered back. “I can’t believe you bought this for me. It had to be—”

  “Don’t say it, princess. After that exceptional blow job, I made up my mind. You give me any nonsense about money, I’m going to occupy your mouth with better things. You’re not going to want to accommodate me here in front of everyone.”

  She laughed. Out loud. The sound played over his skin and slipped deeper, striking inside his chest so that he rubbed his hand over his heart. There was something very real about Soleil, as if she took every moment and tried to live it to the fullest.

  “You never know. You tasted amazing, and that cock of yours is worth worshipping.”

  His heart clenched hard. His cock jerked, coming to attention at the praise. He kept his eyes on her face. Her high cheekbones and the long sweep of her lashes, the generous mouth, the straight little princess nose. Her eyes were almost too big, but the kind that a man could drown in.

  “You can’t say things like that to me. I don’t give a damn who sees me fucking my woman, as long as they know they can’t touch what’s mine.”

  “I don’t much care who sees me fucking my man, as long as they know they can’t touch what’s mine,” she echoed and laughed again.

  She shook her head. Her eyes were dark chocolate, looking liquid, as if all that chocolate had melted for him. She did things to his insides he wasn’t expecting. She had his body, he accepted that, but she was crawling inside him, and that was a little dangerous. She might see things that would scare her to death. Winston was a little pussy, and he scared her. Ice was death coming. He couldn’t imagine what she would think.

  Storm had told him more than once, when he’d been beating the shit out of someone because he couldn’t take forcing his release one more time, that fucking wasn’t everything in a relationship. That even if you found the perfect woman, the way Reaper had found Anya, or Steele, Breezy, even Czar, with Blythe, if you wanted to keep her, you had to find a way to live with her. Judging by the rocky beginnings each of his brethren had had, it was true.

  At the same time, Ice knew Storm was wrong. There had to be a real physical attraction. One his body recognized. Just looking at Soleil almost hurt. More, she suited his peculiar proclivities. He wouldn’t be an easy man to live with, but he would find ways to make that up to her. He knew he had charm. He was an expert at all things sexual. And he wanted her to be happy. He could make her safe.

  While he was going through all the reasons in his head to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, Soleil was looking around her, suddenly sobering. She looked at the chapel. The flowers. The way his club surrounded them. Alena holding two bouquets. The strange little man at the front of the chapel with an open book waiting for them.

  “Ice.” She whispered his name. “What are we doing here?”

  “I signed your prenup, princess, and you signed mine. This is all we’ve got left to do. Almost everyone is here. We’re missing a few of the brothers and Lana, but they know about it and are waiting at home to welcome you. They’re getting the house ready for us.”

  “You don’t understand what I did, honey.” She touched his face with the pads of her fingers. “I deliberately set out to seduce you. I made certain you were drinking too much. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  He stared at her for a long time, shocked that she would think she was responsible for getting the two of them to the chapel. She’d had way too much to drink if she thought they were there because she’d trapped him.

  “Baby, I know exactly what I’m doing. This is what I want.”

  Her dark eyes searched his. She gave a little shake of her head. She looked so helpless he wanted to pull her into his arms.

  “I wanted you so much, Ice. I kept having you drink when I don’t get drunk. I seduced you. I know I did. You’ll wake up tomorrow—”

  “Happy, because this is what I want. I set out to make you mine.”

  “What are we doing?” she whispered again, her face going pale. Her eyes were enormous, as if she was in shock.

  “You’re marrying me.”

  She stared at him as if he’d grown two heads. Panic began to set in. She had to do this of her own free will. There was the code they lived by. All was fair as long as he made certain it was what she wanted, and every step of the way she’d agreed verbally. His club watched for that.

  “I am?” She shook her head. “We can’t do that.”

  “Why?”

  She opened her mouth and then closed it and shook her head. “I don’t know, but we can’t. You don’t know me. I’m in so much trouble. I don’t want that for you. I know you don’t believe me, but I put this idea in your head. I did.”

  His heart clenched hard in his chest. She wasn’t rejecting him. She was worried about him. The others were watching. Waiting patiently. No one tried to hurry them. The preacher wasn’t as patient, but he didn’t voice his annoyance, not with all the bikers crowding his small chapel. Not with the money they were paying him. As a rule, biker weddings could be over the top, and he didn’t want any damages to his chapel. He wanted them gone, but that fat paycheck was more than he could resist.

  “You don’t know me either. I specialize in taking trouble away. That’s what I plan on doing for you.” Ice brought her hand to his mouth and nibbled on the pads of her fingers. Immediately her eyes darkened with desire. She was so responsive to him. He wasn’t letting her slip away, not when he was so close. He had to close the deal. Seal it for good.

  “You can’t let me down now, Soleil. You promised me. Every step of the way, I gave you an out and you said yes. You said I was your choice. You made me believe that. Are you deserting me now?”

  She frowned, biting at her lower lip, calling attention to it. He had a thing for that lower lip, and he wouldn’t mind biting it himself.

  “But are you sure we should do this?” Those dark eyes met his, asking him. Trusting him to give her the right answer.

  He didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. Aren’t you? Think about being with me. What I can give you. What you give me. Don’t we make perfect sense together? Is it the club? They’re my family. They would be yours.” Unashamedly he dangled his brothers and sisters out in front of her, knowing she wanted a family.

  She stared up at him, her eyes searching his. He wished he knew what she needed from him to say yes. To give herself to him. He had to get her home, surround her with family, give her anything she wanted, be that man every day so she’d never want to leave him. Rule her fucking nights. Put kids in her belly so she’d need him even more. Whatever it took, he’d do it.

  A slow smile curved that sweet mouth, the one he planned on using daily. A real fucking erection. A fantastic release he hadn’t ordered up himself. Give his woman everything. His world would be right.

  “I need you, princess. No one will ever need you the way I do.”

  “For sex? Anyone could give you that.”

  They couldn’t, but that wasn’t the point she was making. Did he want her for more than sex? It was a fair question. He thought about her laughter. The sunshine. He lived in a dark place. Just listening to the sound of her voice took him out of it. Was that enough to reassure her? Or him?

  “It’s not just for sex, princess. You’re the one, the only, for me.”

  Her gaze moved over his face and then went back to his eyes. Her chin went up. “Let’s do it, then,” she agreed.
>
  Ice’s world righted instantly. Not taking a chance she’d change her mind, he squeezed her hand and nodded to his sister, who came to stand beside his woman. He left Soleil there with Alena and walked down the short aisle to stand beside his brother. Storm was there, his twin, and that added another layer of happiness for him. Ice had done it; he’d gotten his siblings out of that hellhole alive, both intact—at least somewhat. They were alive and there when he needed them to see this through with him.

  He turned to look at his bride, and his heart stopped. She was the gift. All his. Soleil looked so beautiful he hurt just looking at her. His lungs squeezed down, burning for air. That dress fit her curves like a glove, the peekaboo material showing that soft, silky skin to perfection.

  The slit up the front was almost all the way to her mound, the material barely showing beneath the chiffon skirt, but it did peek out as she walked toward him. The bodice was a halter top with two thick strips of material covering her tits. The slash was all the way to her waist, and one side was made of the peekaboo diamond pattern. She not only looked beautiful, she looked sexy as well.

  She handed her bouquet to Alena and took his hand to stand in front of the strange little man who had the biggest beard and mustache Ice had ever seen. That didn’t matter. What did matter was looking into Soleil’s eyes to give her courage, holding her hand tightly because she was trembling so hard, he was afraid she might fall.

  “Keep looking at me, princess.” Ice whispered the command when her gaze strayed to the preacher, who was reading some crap that didn’t matter. He wanted the questions asked and the answers made, not something this little man with his squinty eyes and wild beard that needed a trim said to them.

  Her gaze jumped back to his. He faced her squarely and took both hands when the little man asked the burning question. Did Isaak “Ice” Koval take Soleil Brodeur as his wife? Hell fucking yeah, he took her as his wife. For better or worse. Sickness and in health until death parted them.

  She frowned up at him, wondering, no doubt, how they had her last name. She’d never told him, but they had the papers to prove they’d taken out the license, thanks to Code. Everything would be properly filed by their preacher man.

  Then the same question was asked of Soleil, and again, his full name was given. Isaak “Ice” Koval. Did she take him as her husband? The chapel went eerily silent as his entire club waited with him for her answer. Storm shifted closer. Alena did as well. He didn’t take his gaze from her, shamelessly mesmerizing her, willing her to say yes. God, he needed her to say yes.

  She swallowed. Hard. Her eyes went liquid. His stomach dropped. His thumb slid back and forth over her hand in a small caress that he needed more for himself than for her.

  Her voice was shaky, very low, but the room was so silent, there was no doubt that his brethren heard when she committed her life to his, when she took him for her husband. He couldn’t help the grin or the triumph bursting through him. He hadn’t had a lot of time, but he’d pulled off the most important seduction of his life, and she was just as bound by their code as he was—as they all were.

  It came time for the ring and he pushed the one he’d made, drawn in hasty detail on paper and made into a continuous band, onto her finger. He’d done it while she was getting ready. He’d told Alena to take her time. Then he’d had Transporter laminate the thing, so it would stand up in the shower, until he had time to make her the real thing. He pushed the band onto her finger, and his heart jerked hard in his chest just seeing it there.

  She looked down at it, gave him a smile and he swore she had tears in her eyes.

  “We’ll have matching ones, baby. You aren’t alone.” He wore rings, but they were generally on his fingers for other purposes. He’d wear his wedding ring right along with the other ones that fucked people up when he needed them to.

  The preacher pronounced them man and wife, and Ice stepped close, took her into his arms and kissed her as lovingly and as tenderly as he possibly could. A loud cheer went up, nearly shaking the small building.

  She turned her mouth up to his and once again gave him everything. She surrendered completely to him, her lips soft and pliant, taking everything he offered, drowning him in fire. It didn’t smolder in his belly; it was a raging inferno, starting in that soft, sweet mouth and continuing through his body like a firestorm out of control.

  It took a few minutes to remember where they were and that an outsider was watching. He turned his woman away from the preacher and toward his brethren. Instantly, another roar went up. He glanced at Savage and brushed his finger across his watch.

  Savage held up three fingers on one hand and his pinkie on the other. Three and a half hours, that’s all he’d have with his woman, cementing their relationship, making certain it was legal and she couldn’t renege in the morning when she woke up, fully realized what she’d done and went into full-blown panic.

  He swept his arm around her waist, locking her to him, where he wanted to keep her forever. He’d had enough of bullshit lonely. Of believing he was the devil walking on earth. He might be a monster, but to this one woman, he wasn’t that. He hoped the others could take notice and have hope.

  He hadn’t believed for one moment this miracle could ever happen to him, not even after Blythe had taken Czar back and Anya had kept Reaper in spite of all his mistakes. Even Breezy had forgiven Steele and seemed to be able to work with him. That hadn’t been enough for Ice to think his sins—and his needs—would ever be forgiven enough for him to find a woman of his own. But he had, at the eleventh hour.

  Each member of his club had sins and needs that weren’t considered normal by society’s standards. But because he’d found Soleil, he wanted the others to know they had a chance to find someone of their own.

  He fucking loved his club. His brothers and sisters. They’d helped him pull off the seduction he needed in a short time, and a wedding in just under three hours, a record for certain. More, when they’d gone shopping and he’d lost his mind because he couldn’t get enough of her and the way she made his body come to life, they’d taken his back and made certain she hadn’t been embarrassed or ashamed. He was certain that would come in the morning, when the magic wore off, but he would handle it when it happened.

  Now, they had the reception, her party planned. There would be plenty of photographs. She might not like that in the morning, but she would later. Both Lana and Alena had assured him women liked that. He wanted the photos to help ensure there was no sliding out from under him.

  He led her out of the chapel and back to his bike. Alena carefully tied the skirt of Soleil’s wedding dress around her waist and Mechanic helped her onto the back of the motorcycle.

  Soleil clung to Ice. He turned his head, caught her by the nape of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Sweet. Gentle. Filled with promises. Tasting like forever in the fairy tale he was weaving for her. The role was familiar. Prince Charming to the rescue. He’d played it a hundred times. Usually with Storm. The two of them could get a woman of just about any age to fall hard when they played it just right. Most of it was learning what a woman needed or thought she wanted. He couldn’t have Storm or anyone else play Soleil. They weren’t assassinating her. They weren’t carrying out orders. No one but Ice was going to touch her. Still, he’d managed to get a ring on her finger.

  * * *

  Soleil stared down at the ring on her finger. She had jewelry worth a fortune locked in her safe at her home in San Francisco. Not one piece mattered to her the way that laminated, drawn-on paper jewelry did. She wanted time to inspect it. To look at it under the lights and see every detail. She couldn’t believe that Ice had managed to make it for her, or that he would have even bothered. Just looking at that laminated ring was one more reason to fall for her knight in shining armor.

  She tried to put aside her guilt. She’d told him what she’d done. He insisted on taking the blame, insisted he’d got
ten her drunk. He didn’t understand that she was one of those rare people who didn’t really get drunk. Maybe she was a bit tipsy, or pleasantly feeling the rush of the screaming orgasms, although more likely it was the real thing. But she knew what she was doing, probably better than he did. She was really afraid of what he was going to do in the morning, when he woke up and realized he had gotten married.

  She took a deep breath and held on to him as tightly as she could, pressing her face against his back as they rode back to the bar where, apparently, they were planning to celebrate. She was all for that or just skipping the party and going straight for a hotel room and hot sex. This was still the fairy tale, and if she could have Ice for this night, it was going to be the best night either one of them had ever experienced, if she had her way. If she had the chance to keep him, she would move heaven and earth to do so.

  Still, she did promise herself, in the morning she would tell the entire truth to him—that she didn’t get drunk and that she wanted to run off with him and she would handle the annulment if that was what he wanted. She was always responsible, and she always took responsibility for her actions. Ice was a good man, and he didn’t deserve to be trapped into marriage.

  Ice liked showing off his woman, that was very, very clear. He wanted her to look sexy. He wanted her to focus wholly on him while others wanted what he had. Tonight was his night, and she was giving him the best of everything if she could. She was going to give him his fantasy, his fairy tale, because if anyone deserved it, he did.