But I’d never asked her for a thing in my life, even though she was clearly obscenely wealthy.
I’d never asked anyone for anything, in fact. I prided myself on that fact, and it’s the one thing that’s kept me going. Not needing anyone is my armor.
As the night wore on and the highway rolled endlessly in front of me, exhaustion began to get the better of me. Eventually, I grabbed some takeout from a convenience store and a six pack of beer, then found a cheap motel and got a room, taking a hot shower before settling into bed and turning on the television.
I avoided the news stations altogether, afraid I’d see my face plastered all over the evening news. I flipped through the channels while I drank my beer and laughed out loud when I landed on one of Lucky’s music videos.
She was beautiful and successful, and I knew for a fact, nice as could be. At least to me, she was. I considered what she might think or say if I told her what I was dealing with, that I was being framed for a murder I didn’t commit. If I told her I was on the run. She wasn’t some naive woman. She was a tough chick who’d been around the block herself a few times.
Most likely, she wouldn’t blink an eye and would offer help.
I didn’t need her money, though.
I just needed a little bit of family support. What I really needed was a friend.
Pop’s voice sounded in my head, urging me to call her. If he could see me now, I bet he hated the fact that I was all alone.
“Fine,” I said, with a heavy sigh, the beer hitting me quickly.
I grabbed my burner phone and sent her a quick message before I could change my mind and then turned off the lights and went to sleep, the motel’s neon sign sending beams of purple flashing light pouring through the window and over my body through the night.
Chapter 8
LUCKY
Ziggy’s beard scratched the back of my shoulder as his lips brushed against my skin. I moaned, leaning back into his warmth as his arms wrapped tighter around me.
“Good morning, sexy,” he growled, his breath hot against my ear.
“Good morning, baby,” I said, turning around to face him. He kissed me sweetly, just like he’d done every morning for the last week. Waking up in his arms was delicious and I didn’t get to do it as often as I wanted.
Most of the time, I wake up alone in a fancy hotel room, or to the swinging motion of my tour bus. While it may sound glamorous, nothing beats waking up in the arms of the man I love.
Ziggy is my rock.
No matter how long I have to be away, he’s always there when I get back. And he’s the same as when I left him — an amazingly good man who has no problem showing me how much he loves me.
Every woman should be so blessed.
I’m grateful beyond belief, and I never take him for granted, not for a second. We may have had a bumpy start, but he’s taken every bump like a man, never wavering in his support and love.
I kiss him deeply, relishing in his heat, his taste, the caress of his calloused hands across my skin. His thigh slips between mine, pressing up into my sex and sending waves of pleasure through my body. Without a word, he moves over me, slipping his hardness inside of me smoothly, his body rocking against mine like it’s the most natural thing in the world to be there.
And it is.
Even though we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying each other’s company for a week now, neither of us can get enough. I wrap my thighs around his hips, pulling him deeper, needing every inch of him. Our bodies dance together in perfect sync, until the pleasure we’re seeking comes crashing over us like a powerful wave, leaving us shuddering and shaking and trembling in each other’s arms.
Afterwards, his kisses turn soft and slow, his hands become his again and my skin becomes mine and we slowly untangle ourselves to find some sort of nutrition to fuel our bodies so we can fall back into bed again as quickly as possible.
In the kitchen of his cabin, he slaps my ass playfully as I start the coffee while he makes breakfast.
“We should probably leave the cabin at some point today, just to be polite,” he says.
“You’re right,” I replied. “I’d hate to be rude to anyone here.”
“You know they all love you,” he said.
I poured a cup of coffee for both of us and sipped mine as I watched him break some eggs into a skillet.
“I love them, too,” I said. “Especially Grace. I’ll probably go have tea with her and Sadie this afternoon.”
“That sounds nice,” he said. “I should check in with Riot and make sure I don’t have any work I should be doing. I’ve been a little distracted since you arrived.”
“Are you saying I’m distracting?” I said, teasingly.
“Very,” he laughed, pulling me into his arms.
“I’m not apologizing,” I said, smiling at him.
“Please don’t,” he said, brushing his lips against mine. “You’re the best distraction ever.”
“Speaking of distractions,” I said, untangling myself and walking over to the counter and picking up my phone that I’d left charging all night. “I should check my messages before my manager thinks I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth.”
“She knows you’re on vacation.”
“No such thing as vacation for me,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, yeah,” he growled. He thinks I work too much. He’s right, no doubt. But that’s just the way it has to be. I have a lot of other people depending on me holding my shit together so they can get paid and have steady employment. If I screw up, the entire house of cards falls.
“Oh, wow,” I said, as I saw a text message I’d received.
“What’s up?”
“I have a message from my cousin, Pepper. I haven’t heard from her in a long time.”
“You have a cousin named Pepper? Your family is big on weird names, huh?”
I laughed and shook my head. “I guess. Pepper’s cool. I’ve only met her once, though, when we were kids. We’ve kept in touch from a distance.”
“So, what’s up with her now?”
I read the message, my brow wrinkled.
Hey, Lucky. It’s Pepper. Can you give me a call when you get a chance?
“She wants me to call her,” I replied. “I’ll give her a call after we eat.”
“You mean I have to keep my hands off you?”
“For ten minutes, Romeo, think you can handle that?”
“I’m not confident,” he said, shaking his head. I burst out laughing and kissed him.
“I love you,” I whispered.
He wrapped his arms around me again as I sank into his warmth. “I love you, too, Lucky Lazzarini.”
After breakfast, Ziggy went to shower and I grabbed my phone and called Pepper back.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice low and yet, slightly familiar. It’d been quite a while since I heard it.
“Pepper, it’s Lucky,” I said.
“Hey there, cuz,” she said, sounding a little shy.
“What’s going on? How are you? It’s been so long!”
“Yeah, it has,” she said. “I’m good, though. How about you?”
“I’m doing great. I’m on a two-week break before I go back out on tour.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah? What about you?”
“I uh…” Her voice trailed off and I sensed something was very wrong.
“What’s going on, Pepper?” I asked. “I know we haven’t talked in a while, but I’m still your family. Are you okay, hon?”
She hesitated.
“Not really, Lucky. I could use a friend.” I could hear her breathing deeply before she finally started talking. “I’m in a bit of a situation…” And once she did, the gravity of her situation quickly became clear. My heart broke to hear her voice cracking as she told me how alone she was and explained the trouble she was in.
I knew right away I was going to help her.
And I knew I couldn’t do it alone.
&n
bsp; Fortunately, I was in exactly the right place, amongst exactly the right people, to help my beloved cousin.
By the time she finished explaining everything she was going through, she was crying and my heart was breaking for her.
“Where are you, Pepper? I’m coming to get you right now.”
Chapter 9
PEPPER
Talking to Lucky and letting it all out left me with the biggest sense of relief. Instantly, I didn’t feel so alone. A little bit of comfort went a long way and as I took a long shower, the tears flowed out of me like a river.
The grief, the sadness, the loneliness, I’d pushed it all down for half my life, just to survive. I’d built a fortress for my thoughts and my heart, never really sharing anything I was going through with anyone. I’d done my best to pretend my pain didn’t even exist.
And I’d done great. I’d handled it all just fine. Until now…
Actually speaking the words out loud to Lucky had taken my breath away. Asking for help felt like learning a new language entirely.
When she said she was coming to get me, my heart stopped.
Part of me, the stubborn part, the independent part, almost told her not to bother. But the other part of me that was hurting and tired of carrying all this weight all alone knew that Lucky was just what I needed, no matter how humiliated I felt that I needed her to begin with.
I cried and cried, determined to get it all out before she arrived.
Hours later, a knock at my door sent my heart racing. I peeked out the window and gasped at what I saw. Not only was Lucky standing there, but she’d brought backup.
Four other men — very large, very scary-looking men — stood behind her, each of them wearing jeans and a black leather vest with patches on them.
Cautiously, I opened the door.
“Hey,” I said, offering a hesitant smile.
“Pepper!” Lucky gathered me in her arms immediately and I looked over her shoulder with bewilderment at the men behind her. Hesitantly, I hugged her. She pulled away, staring into my eyes. “It is so fucking good to see you, girl!”
“You too,” I agreed. And it was. She was incredibly beautiful and her presence seemed to fill the room. With those sparkling eyes and flowing blonde locks, it was no wonder she was such a huge star. She smelled like gardenias, for fuck’s sake. “It’s been a long time.”
“Way too long!” she cried. “I’d say you look exactly the same but damn, it’s been over twenty years, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, I think so, we were just kids…” My voice trailed off and my eyes raked over the men again. I tried not to look, but it was impossible. All four of them were slathered in ink, their limbs and hands and damned near every inch of visible skin tattooed. But it was the muscles and their size that was intimidating. I realized I was staring and invited them in. “Come in.”
Lucky walked in and took one quick look before turning back to me.
“Are you ready to go? All packed up?”
“Um,” I replied. “Maybe we should talk first?” I eyed the guys again and she shook her head. “Is this your security team?” I asked.
“Oh, no, these are my friends, Pepper. This is Slade, Wolfe, Storm and Ziggy. Guys, meet my cousin Pepper.”
“Nice to meet you,” I mumbled, trying to take them all in. They all nodded back at me.
“I know they look a little scary, but they’re all sweethearts, I assure you,” Lucky said, with a laugh. They all chuckled and nodded and I tried to take a deep breath. Anxiety tore through me. They certainly did not look anything at all like ‘sweethearts’.
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
One of the men walked over to Lucky and threw a casual arm around her and smiled at me. “I’m Ziggy,” he said.
“Ziggy’s my man,” Lucky explained.
“Oh,” I nodded, trying to take it all in without them seeing the fear running through me. They were so enormous, there was barely any room left in my tiny suite now that they were all crowded into it.
I tried to concentrate on Lucky, but it wasn’t easy. My eyes kept drifting over to them, the urge to drink them all in overwhelming me.
“Listen, Pepper, maybe you should let us explain first. We’ll have plenty of time to hear your story when we get back to the clubhouse.”
“Clubhouse?”
“Yeah, the guys here are part of a gang of bikers called the Gods of Chaos Motorcycle Club.”
“Right,” I nodded. “Bikers. Chaos, huh?” I repeated. “I’ve had enough of that lately.”
“Don’t let the name fool ya.” One of the other guys stepped up and flashed me a crooked smile. He was missing a tooth and his head was shaved bald, with a spiked tattoo crawling up the side of his head. He reached a hand out towards me. “I’m Slade.”
“Slade,” I nodded, taking his hand and shaking it. Despite the missing tooth, he was quite handsome. His eyes sparkled the most vibrant blue and his smile eluded to a mischievous streak. I liked him instantly.
“We’re good guys, don’t worry,” he continued. “This here is Wolfe.” He gestured to a tall guy behind him. Long black hair framed his grey eyes and he seemed slightly older than the others by the looks of his salt and pepper beard. He waved slightly, “Hey.”
“And this is Storm,” Slade said, gesturing to the guy on his right. I looked over at him, my head thrown back fully to actually see him, he was at least six foot three. Broad shouldered and muscular, his dark blue eyes smoldered as he looked at me, his long dark locks framing his handsome face.
He didn’t smile, but he waved and nodded silently.
“Hi,” I said, my voice catching in my throat slightly. I could barely breathe.
They were all so huge it was almost too much to take.
“We’re here to help, no matter what you need,” Slade said. “We run an organization called Solid Ground — well, us, and about another dozen folks back at the clubhouse.”
“What kind of organization is that?” I asked.
“We help people like you. People who need a little backup. People who maybe can’t call the cops or their family for help. We’ll keep you safe and make sure you make it out of whatever you’re going through. We have tons of resources to help, no matter what you need.”
“Pepper, listen,” Lucky chimed in, “right now, let’s concentrate on getting you out of here. You told me the basics — that fucking pig Artie Paige is setting you up for a murder he committed. I met him once, and I know what a prick he is. I saw his sorry ass on the news on the way down here. That’s all we need to know right now. You’re my family. And the Gods are my family, too. So, what do you say we just get out of here and figure out the rest later?”
“Where is this clubhouse?” I asked, desperately wanting to feel as safe as they sounded, but I was still skeptical.
“Deep in the Tillamook forest,” Slade replied with a proud and almost sacred reverence.
“Where the hell is that?” I asked.
“Near the coast of Northwestern Oregon.”
“Oregon?” I cried. “We’re going to Oregon?”
Laughter rippled around the room.
“It’s cool, babe, I promise,” Lucky said. “You’ll love it. Nothing but trees, as far as the eye can see. Grab your things, and let’s get out of here. The plane is waiting at the airport.”
“Plane?” I asked. “I’ll have to buy a ticket. Isn’t that risky?”
“No, darling, my plane. I have my own personal jet. Nobody needs to even know you were on it.”
“Oh,” I replied, feeling a little taken aback. Of course Lucky would have her own plane, how could I be so naive?
“That’s how you got here so quickly,” I mumbled.
She laughed and hugged me again, peering into my eyes.
“Listen, girl, I got you, okay?” She insisted. “Whatever happens, whatever you need. We’ll work it out. I promise. I want you to feel safe. I know we don’t know each other well, but we’ll fix that, too. Don�
��t you worry about a thing.”
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. I desperately wanted to believe her.
“Great,” she smiled. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
We walked out to a waiting limo and slid into the backseat. Within seconds, it whisked us the short distance to the Fresno airport and we were in the air in no time, the feel of the plane’s buttery soft leather seats against my back and the bright blue sky stretching endlessly outside the window.
Lucky reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling at her.
“I’m glad you called me.”
“I don’t really have anyone else…not since Pop died.”
“Well, you’ve got me now,” she replied. “And I’m one hard bitch to get rid of.”
I laughed and felt a weight lift from my chest, just the slightest.
I had to admit, it all felt really great.
If this is what family was about, then I was all for it.
Chapter 10
STORM
I’d forgotten what it felt like to have my heart race in my chest.
Not since Ava.
Once Ava died, I became numb to most everything.
Everything seemed to go to hell after I lost her. Once she was gone, my life was just a whole lot of losing.
Then, I lost my club, too.
Losing the Gentlemen, the first and only place I’d ever felt half-way normal after Ava’s accident, joining up with the Gods and now living a completely different lifestyle left me reeling some days. Numb, but reeling.
Everything happened lightning fast, that I hadn’t ever really even had time to think about how it felt. I just shut down and went with it.
It was just as well. I was fine with this new life. Even if I did find myself sitting around and thinking about the past a little too much some days, not feeling anything at all served me just fine.
THE HUSTLE: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK FOURTEEN) Page 6