Vendetta Road

by Christine Feehan

  Ice found himself looking around the room. There were twenty of them now, fully patched, not a big club as clubs went, but every man there had been trained from childhood in the brutal schools, as assassins. They were all looking for a new life and trying to figure out the rules of society. They knew they’d never fit perfectly, but they were doing their best.

  He started the explanation, of everything Soleil had told him about meeting Winston, his trying to groom her as well as cut her off from anyone who knew her and guide her toward his approved list.

  Code interrupted to ask for the names on the list and anything she could remember about their jobs. Soleil answered, her voice a little shaky, but she complied. There were several she hadn’t mentioned to Ice. A detective. A judge. An assistant police chief. A medical examiner. A highway patrolman.

  The club members exchanged long looks. The ring was well set up. She gave every name easily and described each man.

  Czar nodded to Absinthe, and Ice found himself tensing. He kept his gaze from traveling to Reaper. Absinthe had questioned Reaper’s woman, Anya, and it had been a disaster.

  “When you answer, princess, make sure everything you say is the exact truth,” Ice said.

  Soleil frowned. “Why wouldn’t I tell the truth?” She sounded genuinely puzzled.

  “Soleil, why would you be able to remember these men so clearly?” Czar asked. “You say you met them at fund-raising events. The events must have been crowded.”

  Ice found himself holding his breath. His heart accelerated until it was pounding hard. He wanted to snatch Soleil up and run with her. Soleil ran her palm down his thigh, keeping her other arm right where it was so Absinthe could loosely wrap his fingers around her wrist. His touch was light, but it was deadly. She didn’t ask why he was holding her wrist, or why the room suddenly became filled with palatable tension, she just rubbed her hand up and down Ice’s thigh as if to soothe him. He fell even harder. His heart did that weird clenching thing, and if he could have, he would have kissed her.

  “Winston insisted I memorize all the names of the men he wanted me to befriend. We attended four events in the two months I was with him. I had to know those names. Winston would quiz me on them, to make certain I knew who I was supposed to talk to. I needed to put names with faces, so I looked them up on the Internet, and I also, at each event, made certain to study them before I went over to them. I didn’t want to make a mistake.”

  Absinthe let go of her wrist and nodded his head. Ice continued the story with her lawyer’s “accident.”

  “They would have arranged the accident when the highway patrolman was on duty so he could pronounce it an accident,” Steele mused. “The medical examiner would concur. They would all be useful in making murders look like genuine accidents.”

  Czar indicated he wanted Soleil to tell the rest. Absinthe once again took her wrist. She glanced at him this time and then to Ice as if for reassurance. He nodded his head and placed his hand over hers, pressing it into his thigh muscle.

  She told them how Winston hired a lawyer and she was upset about it. She thought it was too soon, and she needed to interview the lawyer herself so she could feel comfortable with him. Kevin oversaw her trust and the financial portfolio that was maintained for her. She lived on a very healthy budget, but if she ever needed anything, she had only to ask. She was so uncomfortable with the new lawyer she officially terminated him. That infuriated Winston, as had her refusal to marry him.

  Absinthe nodded and some of the tension in the room dissipated. It didn’t for Ice. The churning remained in his gut. As long as Absinthe had his hand on Soleil, he was going to be nervous. If Czar touched on anything Soleil didn’t want others to know, she could be hurt if she chose to lie.

  “Soleil, did you break off the engagement because you didn’t want to marry Winston or because he refused to sign the prenup and you didn’t want him to be able to get to your money?”

  Czar slipped the question in so smoothly, Ice almost didn’t notice. He scowled when he realized what had been asked.

  “That’s more personal, Czar, and has nothing to do with this ring of con artists who have targeted her for murder.” Ice tried to push down his anger and instant resentment. He didn’t care if the president was asking. He didn’t want Soleil to have to answer personal questions with Absinthe touching her, or even in front of all of them.

  “I don’t mind,” Soleil said. “I made up my mind I wasn’t going to marry him before we ever went to Vegas. I told him several times it was too soon, and I needed time, but he refused to listen. I mostly needed the time to figure out how to break the engagement off for good. I knew he’d be upset, although I didn’t realize he would resort to violence.”

  Absinthe nodded and the terrible tension in the room dissipated along with the churning in Ice’s stomach. His woman. She spoke matter-of-factly. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles before pushing her palm into his thigh again.

  “How did you end up in the bar, meeting Ice?” Czar asked.

  “Winston and I were walking along the strip and he wanted to go directly to a chapel and get married. I told him that wasn’t happening. That we agreed we weren’t going to get married. I mentioned the prenup. He actually had it with him and shoved it in my face and then he grabbed my arms and shook me. Hard. It scared me.”

  Ice clenched his teeth. He wanted two minutes with Winston Trent. He’d show him what pain was. He could tell by the sudden stillness in the room that the others agreed with him.

  “I had bruises and I was crying. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, so I detoured and went to one of the restrooms on the main floor. Lana was in there changing. She was beautiful and confident, and I wanted to be like her. I imagined that no one would ever be allowed to treat her the way Winston had me.”

  Soleil smiled at Lana. “She was worried about me. No one had worried about me in a long time. She programmed her number into my phone and told me to call if there was a problem. She showed me her Torpedo Ink jacket and said she had lots of friends and that they’d help if Winston got rough with me.”

  Czar’s gaze flicked to Lana. She shrugged, uncomfortable with the others hearing the admiration and respect in Soleil’s voice.

  “When I told Winston I wouldn’t marry him, he went crazy, hitting me, and then he told me to clean myself up, we were getting married in half an hour. I went into the bathroom but left the door ajar just in case he was coming back. He left the bedroom door open and I heard him talking. I thought it might be room service and I could yell for help. That’s when I overheard that Kevin’s accident wasn’t an accident and that they could easily kill me, but if he didn’t finish what he started, it would be him.”

  “Thank you, Soleil. I’m certain that wasn’t easy reliving.” Czar nodded to Absinthe, and he removed his hand from her wrist.

  Soleil gave him a faint smile. She seemed to have such a natural compassion for everyone. “I still want all of you to see how dangerous they must be. I’m not the only one they tricked. It’s a little humiliating to know I was taken in by Winston.”

  Steele shrugged his broad shoulders. “They studied you, found out everything you liked, where you would most likely go, and then Winston had to memorize those things, much like he wanted you to make friends only with those he trusted. If he cut you off from others, you would have no one looking to find out what really happened to you. That’s the way a lot of these cons work, although murder isn’t necessarily a part of them.”

  Ice threaded his fingers through hers. “Code, can you find these people?” Code was always their go-to man, a genius on the computer.

  “I’ve located nearly all of them. I’ve gotten into Winston’s private email accounts. He had four addresses. He’s already corresponding with another woman. She’s older. A widow. Her estate is large, but not nearly as large as Soleil’s.” He
whistled, still not looking up. “Nowhere in the ballpark. They aren’t going to let this one go, Ice. They thought they had that money in the bag. Now it’s gone. I’ve got demands from four others in the ring insisting Winston find Soleil fast, marry her and dispense with her. That’s the word they use. Dispense. I guess they’re too sophisticated to use the word murder.”

  Ice felt the little shiver go through Soleil’s body and he tightened his hold on her hand, wishing he was holding her in his arms. “No worries, Soleil. You’re safe here.”

  “This is so wrong, putting it off on you,” she said. There were so many emotions crowding into her voice. He could tell she was close to tears and he didn’t want that, not in front of his brothers and sisters. He’d act like a pussy for certain. Her tears could bring him to his knees.

  “We’ve got this now,” Czar decreed. “I don’t want you to think about it anymore. Alena put together lunch for everyone since we’re celebrating. Blythe was upset that she wasn’t around to witness the wedding, Ice, and you’re going to have to explain to her what the hurry was. I want to be there when you mention you plied her with alcoholic beverages until she said yes.”

  Laughter swept through the common room at his expense. Ice didn’t care. Soleil was laughing too. That was all that mattered.

  Soleil opened her mouth to protest Ice’s innocence, but he just brushed a kiss over her lips to silence her and happily took all the blame. “I thought I’d skip that part.”

  “Are you afraid of my wife?” Czar asked.

  “Damn straight, I am,” Ice admitted instantly. “Anyone with a brain would be. Am I right?” He looked around the room for confirmation.

  The others nodded soberly. Czar gave a little snort of derision and whispered, “Pussies,” under his breath.

  “Nice try, Czar,” Reaper said from the shadows. “You forget who’s on you day and night watching you with her.” Reaper was the president’s guard. “That woman looks like something’s wrong and you crawl over hot coal to make it all better.”

  “You’ve got a woman,” Czar pointed out when the others finished laughing.

  “Yeah, but no one’s watching me,” Reaper said.

  Another eruption of laughter. Ice wanted that for Soleil. She wanted a family. This was his. Now it would be hers. They were coarse and crude. They made rude finger gestures to one another and they wore their scars like badges. They were a family, unbreakable, loyal and absolutely powerful when they stood together.

  “Just so we’re very clear,” Soleil said, and the room went silent.

  Ice waited, thinking she was being very brave, but not knowing what she planned on telling the others.

  “Ice didn’t get me drunk. I wasn’t drunk. He was. I was the one making certain he was drinking. I seduced him. If your wife or anyone else is upset with him because they think he did that, please tell them it isn’t true. It was all me. Maestro knows it’s the truth.” She held up her head; color had swept into her face. “He was kind enough to take the blame and keeps insisting, but it isn’t the truth.”

  It was all Ice could do not to fall to his knees and worship at her feet. She was wonderful standing up for him. He could barely comprehend that she was trying to take the blame and get him off the hook with his club.

  Czar studied her straight-faced. “Let me get this straight, Soleil. You got Ice drunk and seduced him into marrying you? Why would you do that?”

  Ice glared at his president.

  She nodded. “He’s so amazing. I tried very hard to resist, but he’s—”

  Ice caught her by the nape of her neck, desperate to stop her before she said anything he’d never live down, planted his mouth on hers and kissed her until she melted into him and kissed him back.

  The others erupted into laughter, roaring at his expense. When he finally let his woman come up for air, he looked at his sister, and as always, she came through for him.

  “Need someone to help carry trays,” Alena called out. “I have four trays.”

  Storm stood up immediately. Ink did as well. Keys and Player followed suit. Ice leaned down to whisper in Soleil’s ear, although he made his voice loud enough that the others could hear his mock whisper.

  “They’re volunteering, making themselves look good, but they’re really doing it in the hopes of getting in Alena’s good graces. She’s made several berry pies for dessert. No one makes them quite like Alena.”

  “Well, I’d give them extra helpings for volunteering,” Soleil said staunchly, raising laughing eyes to Storm.

  Storm gave her the thumbs-up. “Hope you’re listening to the voice of reason, Alena.”

  Ice tugged on Soleil’s hand. “Stand up, baby. Come sit with me. I’m lonely.”

  She didn’t hesitate or look embarrassed. She got up immediately and turned to sit on his lap. He pulled up the back of her dress at the last moment, so when she sank down on him, her bare cheeks were on his denim-clad groin. When she sat, she wiggled a little to get comfortable. The sexy movement went straight to his dick. He loved the way she made him feel. After nothing for so long, after feeling dead, as if that part of his anatomy wasn’t working, to come alive felt even better than it should have.

  He dropped his hands to the sides of her hips, feeling her soft skin. He began to rub gently. “Has Bannister moved all the way into the apartment over the bar?” he asked everyone and anyone in the room.

  Transporter nodded. “Yeah. We fixed up the apartment as fast as we could. He’s tough. That son of his tried pushing him around, even hitting him. Bannister took a few punches, hoping that would satisfy the kid, but when it was obvious it didn’t, he knocked the boy out.”

  “That boy is our age,” Mechanic said. “He’s gambled his life away. He owes everyone and has been trying for some time to get Bannister to sell his bike.”

  “That’s some bullshit right there,” Transporter said. “He thinks he can use the money to gamble to make back what he lost.”

  “That’s always what addicts think,” Maestro said.

  “Who is Bannister?” Soleil asked, leaning back into Ice.

  “He comes to the bar. Looks to be a nomad. He’s been in the life with a club at some time, but he doesn’t wear colors. He’s in his sixties. Good man. Solid. Wish he had a woman,” Ice answered.

  “He’s good friends with Anya,” Reaper said from the shadows. “When there was trouble in the bar a time or two, he stood with us. He looked after her.”

  If Reaper endorsed him, Bannister had to be a good man to have at their backs. “We still have someone stealing?” Ice asked. He filled in Soleil. “It was small stuff gone missing over time. Tools. A bottle of vodka. Food from the small kitchen behind the bar. We changed the locks, but it kept happening. We have cameras but so far no one has been caught on any of them. There were glitches occasionally, the screen going white for a moment, but even Code couldn’t see that the recording was tampered with.” He shrugged. “We were hoping Bannister might catch whoever is stealing from us.”

  Czar smirked a little. “The great Torpedo Ink. We can’t stop a thief. Anya kept finding an occasional bottle of liquor missing. It showed up on the inventory. We thought the distributor was shorting us. Turns out, they weren’t.”

  “You don’t seem too upset that someone’s stealing from you,” Soleil said.

  “Small shit,” Ice explained. “Whoever is taking things, other than the liquor, they probably need it to live.”

  “We’ll catch them eventually,” Steele added. “In the meantime, we’ve left items out to entice them. When I say items, things that cost a lot of money. They never took the bait.”

  “Yeah, they’re either clever or they really aren’t after money, just things for survival,” Maestro said.

  “At first when you were talking about it, I was upset that there was a thief around,” Soleil said. “Now I feel bad for them.
”

  Ice rubbed along her bottom under her sundress, feeling the soft skin on the pads of his fingers. He loved the feminine lines there, the two indentations just above the curves of her cheeks. It soothed him just to feel her skin. Just to have her close to him. She kept his demons at bay. After meeting her, it was the longest he’d gone without the nightmare of his past crowding in.

  He held her forward so he could press his face against her back. She was a shield of some sort for him. She thought she needed him. He’d let her think that. He’d encouraged that need, as if it were the truth. She thought he was saving her. Sooner or later, he’d have to come clean, but not yet. Not until she was really in love with him. He’d hooked her. He had to find a way to keep her.

  Storm, Player and Keys came in with three of the trays and laid them out on the very long curve of blond wood that was the bar. Ink and Alena followed. Lana helped Storm take the plates and silverware off the trays and put them to the left of the food.

  Ice nudged Soleil and shared laughter with her that his twin and the other three were already getting their plates. Lana rolled her eyes as she took her plate and waited while the four men mounded food onto their dishes.

  “See what I mean, princess? They had their own best interests at heart the entire time.” He helped her off his lap, making certain her hem was down as she stood. “We need to get to the front of the line, or there’ll be nothing left.”

  Soleil went with him to grab a plate. She stared at the various dishes. “Ice, there’s tons of food here. They can’t possibly eat it all.”

  “Alena made it. Wait until you sample it before you decide it won’t be eaten. No one cooks like she does.” He raised his voice. “What’s your secret, Alena, to making all these dishes taste the way they do?” He put his lips next to Soleil’s ear. “I know what it is. Let’s see if she does.”

  Alena looked at him, color moving into her face. She shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  “Love, little sister. That’s what makes the difference,” Ice told her.

  The others broke out into grins, all of them nodding their heads. Alena gave him the finger. That was his sister, trying to be tough and failing when she was with her family.