No harm no foul.
“I need a drink,” I announce on my exit.
The other biker strips and dives into the water. I ignore him mostly but he’s a big dude with tribal tattoos that are hella sexy if that’s your type.
I smile at Holy as the shame of what I’m about to do festers inside me like a toxin.
Crystal instigates a splashing war. I need to work quick. With my back to the group, I slip the baggie out of Crystal’s jacket pocket and sprinkle some of the white powder in a beer. An arm snakes around my midsection from behind. Holy’s cock pulses against my ass as he towers over me in height.
A rush of adrenaline spikes through my blood. Did he see what I did?
Holy’s lips move along the shell of my ear. “Why don’t we take this back to the room, just you and me, yeah?”
Nervousness overcomes me and I freeze. Maybe it’d be easier to fuck him and wait till he’s asleep to roll him or not at all. For the first time, I don’t want to go through with the plan. Is it so wrong to want something real? Something for me?
“Bitch, where’s my beer?” Crystal hollers before—I glance at the other leather vest to read his name, Viking dunks her.
I grab the bottle I intended for Holy. I don’t know what’s wrong with me and why being near this man has me choosing him above all else. Over my only friend. Crystal is going to kill me. I start toward the pool with the roofied beer, only Holy grabs it and takes a hard swig.
“She can fetch her own.” He winks.
I nod as he chugs.
Shit. I gather my clothes. “I need the bathroom,” I announce. What’s wrong with me? Why do I give a shit about some random biker? Is it because he reminds me of my Beni?
“Right,” he mutters and follows me back to the room.
He dumps his stuff in a chair and comes right for me.
“Easy tiger.” I press my palms to his chest.
“What’s wrong? You were eager for my cock in the pool, no?” Holy cocks his head to the side, studying me as his finger grazes along my hip.
One touch is all it takes for me to forget about my real reason for being here. I ignite once more, and he knows it coming in for the kill.
Yeah, the hunter has become the prey.
I’m at his mercy as he shoves me down on the bed. His naked body blankets mine. The two of us soaked from the pool but neither of us caring. I know I’m being stupid and reckless. The head of his dick kisses my pussy lips.
“Condom,” I blurt out.
Holy drops his head to mine, his heavy beer scented breaths whisking over my face. “Yeah. I’ll get on that. Don’t go anywhere.” Pressing a quick kiss to my forehead he rolls off the bed and stumbles going to his feet.
He kissed my forehead. He’s got a bit of sweet beneath the rough exterior.
I watch impatient while he digs around in his pockets, throwing his cigarettes and lighter. Confusion crosses his hard features.
He blinks then moves to scrub a palm over his face but misses. “The fuck was in that beer,” he slurs his words while butting a palm to his temple.
“What?” I play dumb as guilt eats away at me. Oh no. What if I put too much in the beer? What if I kill him? Then his biker buddies will all be after me. Crystal usually handles the drugging part.
Shit. Fuck. Shit.
“Did you drug me?” His accusation comes out in a feral growl.
“No.” I shake my head. “Just come back to bed.” I lick my lips. “Forget the condom. I’ll blow you.” Jesus. I’ll blow him? I’ve really lost what little sense I had.
“Fucking hell. Never thought I’d see the day you’d lower yourself to this,” he mutters.
My pulse races. What’s he talking about? I swallow. “What?” The threat of tears burns in the back of my eyelids.
His step falters as he stalks toward me. “Hazel,” my name leaves his lips in a strained whisper. Holy drops to the bed face down landing next to me.
“What the fuck?” I mutter to myself. How does he know my name?
I jump out the bed and go to his wallet. The moment I open it a paper falls out. I pick it up and unfold the worn photo. A photo of me.
I stare in horror at the scars on his back. Pink and white grooves that stain his tan skin with evidence of what should be impossible.
Fingers trembling, erratic breathing, tears clouding my vision I reach out and touch him. Terrified and excited. But mostly I’m angry.
My Benicio. My Beni. It can’t be. Anxiety grips me and the desire to faint overcomes me.
I run my fingers over his scars remembering him earning each and every one.
“Beni.” A fat tear rolls down my cheek and plops against his lifeless body. Every single lashing, he took for me.
How’s he here? Why is he here and why didn’t he tell me who he was?
I roll him over on the mattress and relax at the rise and fall of his chest. He’s breathing. I press my lips to his. “You found me.” I stroke his cheeks and stare at the man he’s become. Hard. Tattooed. Ruggedly handsome. I’d hoped he had found a good life but figured he might be dead.
He swore he’d come for me.
He never did.
How long has he known where I was?
I pound a fist against his chest. “Wake up damn you.” I have so many questions, but my first instinct is to run. It’s what I do when life gets complicated.
“Please, wake up?” I sniffle.
The motel room door flies open.
“Girl, we gotta go. Bruno is blowing up my phone. I gotta get home. Did you get any money? His friend had a little but not as much as I was hoping.”
“No. Sorry,” I lie.
Crystal studies me. “Shit. You good?”
I nod though I am anything but okay.
“Let’s get out of here then.”
I look back once at the man on the bed.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, grabbing my clothes as I rush to get dressed and flee the scene of my crime.
Chapter Six
I grunt as a fist pounds against my chest. “Oomph,” I gasp, and my eyes fly open to Viking standing over me. His expression brutal.
Brother has the appearance of a fucking savage. And he is, especially in the ring. Only stupid fucks try to go toe to toe with him.
“Fuck. Man. Scared the hell outta me. Thought them bitches killed you.”
“Take more than some pussy to kill me.” Hazel drugged me. And now she’s likely nowhere to be found. Fuck. I sit up and rub my eyes. I blink a few times and gather my bearings after being knocked the fuck out. Anyone else and they’d be dead for the shit she pulled on me. Fucking dumb. Let my dick do my thinking and now I’ve fucked up. Prez is getting married, and I’m expected back in West Virginia soon. He’s going to kill me.
“You good?”
“Yeah. Shit. Your sister, Karma hits harder than that.”
“Don’t be bringing my sister into your shit,” he warns.
“Where is she these days anyway?” I smirk as I head toward the bathroom.
“North Carolina. Away from the likes of you,” he yells as I close the door.
Viking’s sister is hot as fuck, but she’s also a Royal Harlot. Not a bitch you want to piss off if you want to keep your dick intact. Every one of them bitches is crazy. Must be a membership requirement to join their pussies only club.
I wash my face and hit a shot of mouthwash. Before I do anything, I need some food on my stomach and a steaming cup of coffee to wake my ass up. When I exit the bathroom Viking is cursing.
“Check your fuckin’ wallet. Cunts rolled me after I passed out. Woke up in one of the damn loungers by the pool freezing my ass off. Gives a whole new meaning to blue balls. Didn’t even get my dick sucked.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Nuts were about froze to the damn chair.”
I pull my jeans on and grab my wallet off the floor along with Hazel’s picture. “I’m all accounted for. Musta been that Crystal bitch got you. Last thing I remember is I
was in the pool.”
“Hell, man. What’s our plan now?”
“Breakfast. Got a few addresses to check out then I’m going to watch that damn strip club to see if either of them turn up. My guess is if I can’t find Hazel her big ass friend will lead me to her.”
Can’t believe she fuckin’ drugged me. She had to of found her picture. What must she be thinking?
**
“What did your food ever do to you?” Viking stares at my plate, lip curling upward.
I continue to squirt ketchup over my scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“Brother, I can go the rest of my life without tasting that shit.”
“Your loss.” I shrug and flip the lid on the ketchup closed. We all can’t be health fanatics like him. Probably shoves celery or some shit up his ass to train for his fights. Though gotta say he’s a bad ass mother fucker. I wouldn’t want to take him on. “Gotta be better than that mush you’re scarfing down.”
“Dude, it’s oatmeal.”
“Whatever. Looks like white baby shit.” I shudder and spear my eggs with a fork.
“What the fuck? You know I can’t hear about gross shit when I’m eating.”
“I wouldn’t call that eating. More like prison food.” I’d rather cut off my left nut than ever eat oatmeal again in my life. Fed me that shit nearly every morning in juvie. Was like eating paste. I grab the salt and pepper, giving both a good shake over my plate.
“Gonna eat yourself into an early grave all that damn salt.”
“You my momma now?”
Before he can reply, his cell rings. “Yo. Talk to me.” He pauses then grins. “Fuck yeah.” He bangs a fist down on the table. “Yeah. No shit. Good. Hell yeah. I’ll be there.” He ends the call still grinning like a loon.
Our waitress tops off our coffees showing more cleavage than she was when we first sat down in her section. “Thanks, darlin’. ‘Preciate it.”
“You boys need anything else, give me a shout.” She licks her red lips.
I glance at her name tag. “Will do, Shelby.”
She saunters off, swaying her hips.
“You good to go stalk Hazel while I meet up with Hallow?” Short for How Low Can You Go. He patched over from our club to Nashville.
“Yeah. I got this. When you riding out?”
“After this pick up. Unless you need me to hold your hand.”
“Get the fuck outta here.”
Viking downs his coffee and folds out the booth. “Anything comes up give me a shout.”
“Let Prez know I’ll be back in time for the wedding. I’m not returning without her.”
He lifts his chin and is gone. He’s not supposed to be here anyway. Prez needs him back in West Virginia. Was hoping to be on my way back with Hazel by now myself. I finish up, pay the tab, drop some cash on the table for a tip, and ride out. First address is an apartment complex near Percy Priest Lake. Doesn’t escape me that it’s also close to the airport. Fuck me. She better not of gotten her ass on a plane. I park a building over not wanting the sound of my bike to spook her. The outside of her building is clean. Decent. Neatly trimmed bushes. Most the doors have a welcome mat and a potted plant. A flag. Something to personalize the entryway, except Hazel’s if this is still her place. Would be a hell of a lot easier to track her if she had credit cards, but Slick couldn’t even find any bank records. She lives off radar. Probably due to the fucking life of crime she is leading. Making it hard for the men she takes advantage of to track her sassy ass down for retribution.
All the blinds are shut, not giving me much to go on. I check the mailboxes for names but nada. Only apartment numbers assigned.
Around the backside some kids are hanging around the picnic tables.
The blinds are pulled on the black sliding glass door but not completely.
I approach the kids. “You want to earn twenty bucks?”
“Depends.” The tallest boy of the group stands puffing his chest out.
“You know the chick that lives in the end apartment?”
“Nobody lives there, man. She moved out about two weeks ago.”
“You remember what kind of car she drives?”
“Why you asking so many questions about Hazel?”
Bingo. She lived here. Can always count on kids to give up information without realizing they are selling your ass out. “You want the twenty dollars or not, my man?”
“Make it fifty.” He folds his arms over his chest and flares his nostrils.
I bite back my chuckle. “Alright. You tell me what kind of car she drives and where I might find her, and I’ll give you fifty.”
“Deal.” He holds his palm out expectantly.
Where in the hell are the parents? Greedy little shits but gotta respect the hustle.
“Here, man.” I slap a fifty in his palm and he holds it up to inspect it. Jesus. Kid is a gangster.
He nods, apparently satisfied, and shoves the money in his pocket. “She drives a red car. My mom said she switched apartments because of a mold issue.”
“You know which one?”
“Six C,” a girl announces.
“Cool, lil’ mama. Ya’ll do me a solid and don’t tell anyone I was asking. But in the future don’t be taking money from strangers or giving out information on anyone. I’m not a bad man but if I was... Damn parents need to talk to your asses about stranger danger.” I stomp off in search of apartment Six C.
I end up right where I parked. No red car and I can’t recall if there were one or not when I first arrived. Those kids coulda been lying. Guess I’ll find out if I wasted fifty bucks or not. I scan the front. Another corner unit. Note taped to the front door says not to knock until after ten. Dancers keep late hours. I’m willing to bet this is the place. Kitchen blinds are open, but place appears to be bare. I hit the back. Sliding glass door like the other. I peer into the glass through the slats of the vertical blinds. I see a couch and a TV but its dark and no movement or sound.
I scan the surrounding parking area but no red car. Place is pretty quiet. I get on my Harley and head back to the motel. I need a damn shower and to regroup before I hit up that damn strip club again.
My cell vibrates with a call from Roane. “Yo.”
“Where you at? Thought you said you’d help me move shit at the shop today.”
Fuck. I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Sorry. Listen. Remember that special tat I talked to you about?”
“What about it?”
I smile to myself thinking about the rosary being tatted around Hazel’s neck. “Better get started on that design. I’ll be claiming my woman soon.”
“I can do that.”
I hang up with him and dial Viking. “You still on Royal Road, man?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“Think Hallow has a cage I can borrow. Motorcycle isn’t ideal for grabbing Hazel.”
“I’m sure we can work it out. You headed here?”
“On my way now.”
Chapter Seven
Crystal dropped me at my apartment after the motel. Wanted to borrow my car to take Dayvon to a dentist appointment. She promised she’d be by around noon to return it. Of course, dickhead Bruno couldn’t be bothered to give Crystal use of her own car. That would be too easy and make him a good dad. Man is a real piece of work. I’d rather die alone than ever let any man treat me like that. Like dirt. The scum beneath his shoe.
This is why I live alone. Why I don’t let anyone get close. Not since Beni.
I showered and tried to sleep but no matter what every time I closed my eyes all I saw was Holy morphing into Beni. Part of me wants to go to him. The rest of me is angry and confused. He knew who I was. What he was to me, and he said nothing all night. Not until...I close my eyes and suck in a breath willing the tears to stop threatening to consume me. I’ve tried to let go of my past. To forgive and forget. I thought I’d moved on until the ghost of the boy I loved returned.
I roll out of bed and head into the kitchen to flip my coffee pot on when I hear it. The roar of a motorcycle. My heart leaps to my throat as the engine growls louder and closer.
Shit. Fuck. Shit.
I rush to the front door and peer out the peephole. I can’t see anything. Ugh. I move to the window over the kitchen sink which supplies a better view of the parking lot but also makes it easier for me to be seen. I peek through the small slats of the white plastic blinds glancing left to right several times. Nothing. Maybe I imagined it. I got other things to worry about right this minute. It’s not like Crystal to ignore my calls and text even if it’s a hey I’m busy or I’ll get up with you soon kinda thing.
Hazel: Hey, me again. Really need my car. Let me know something. Need to talk to you about last night too.
I want to ask her if Holy or whatever his name really is was asking about me at the club before she asked me to go with her to their motel room. I wait a few minutes and pour myself a coffee.
She’s either avoiding me or something happened with her and Bruno. A sick sensation coats my insides like tar. Something’s wrong. I know my friend. She’s never without her phone. Keeps it glued to her hand. Lefty gets after her for it all the time. Threatening to dock her pay when he catches her texting. Usually fighting with Bruno’s sorry ass.
I finish my cup of coffee and with no word from Crystal I have no choice but to reach out to Jackson as much as it pains me to do so.
Hazel: I hate to bother you, and I wouldn’t ask unless it was an emergency, but do you think you could give me a ride to Crystal’s? She borrowed my car, and I can’t reach her.
Jackson: Wow. You must be desperate.
Taken By The Biker (Royal Bastards MC: Charleston, WV, #6) Page 4