"Fucking hell!" I roar as I barely get my bike parked, ripping my helmet off and storming towards the scene, Joker hot on my heels. Tank, Kang, and Jekyll stride towards us, expressions of different levels of concern and fury etched on their faces.
"What the fuck happened?!" There is a rage inside me that I hadn't felt in a long time. My blood is pumping, and my brain is going a mile a minute. What a fucked up situation this was, and it likely was only going to get worse. "Please fucking tell me Monday's shipment wasn't in there."
Tank, as my second in command, takes the lead. "Explosion. Jek was alerted to a security breach and not even a fucking second later the cameras caught an explosion, and then the feed was gone. Because of where it’s at, the fire department was called before we could even get here."
"Shipment wasn't there, boss. We weren't supposed to get the delivery until Friday at midnight," Kang added.
A minuscule grain of relief hits me. If that shipment had been inside, we would have been fucked seven ways to hell. Not only would we have lost a half a million in guns, but we would have severely screwed our relationship with both our dealers and the group we were delivering to.
And then there was the factor of the fire department being involved, which meant we were only minutes away from the cops showing up. "Fucking fuck!" I turned, kicking the nearest wall, my body shaking with adrenaline. "What was in there? Tell me we aren't going to be fucked up the ass by the cops within the hour."
"Mostly just parts and shit for the auto shop and crates, but they were empty," Jekyll piped up. As an enforcer, he was in charge of inventory of our weapons, and with him and his brother also taking care of security and surveillance, they knew exactly what went in and out of the warehouse. "We just moved our supply to the house basement last week, so we’re pretty goddamn lucky right now. At the most, they're gonna be on our ass trying to figure out why we have empty crates, but they ain’t got proof about shit."
Fuck. He was right. After the string of burglaries that we'd been hit within the last month, I had the guys move our stock of guns to the basement of the clubhouse where we knew they'd be completely safe. As it was, we tried to move them around every now and then so no one got a trail on them. We also purposely got our shipments with a short window between deliveries so that they won't be sitting for too long.
So something like this shit doesn't happen.
"This is the last fucking thing we needed right now." I was fucking livid, but I know I need to calm down and take charge. Things needed to be done, and as the president, it's up to me to handle it.
"Are we thinking mutts?" Kang asks, prodding his speculation.
I shook my head, running my hand over my beard as I thought. "I don't think they're stupid enough."
Joker swears, tugging the cigarette he was puffing on out of his lips. "Seriously? They're fucking morons with a death wish."
I shake my head. "That's the thing. They've been egging us on with the break-ins, but they've gotta know how we'd react. They know us by now, we'd have locked away the supply." Looking to the warehouse, which looks completely uninhabitable now, I curse again. "I'm still gonna go talk to Cash, but I'm not betting on it being them."
"I agree," Jekyll spoke up. "This seems like a random, out of nowhere attack by someone that doesn't know us."
That's what I was thinking, but that throws a whole new fucking wrench into things. We had our hands full already with the Reckless Hounds, and now with Los Chingados coming out of jail.
"Could it be our first warning from Paco?"
Joker let out a string of expletives as he threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped on it, but Tank was the voice of reason.
"I don't know, brother." His arm reached back, playing with the bill of his trucker hat. "After everything, I'd think they'd be coming for blood more personally than the club. That's what he said ten years ago, wasn't it? Crow and his family were gonna pay. Wasn't about the club."
The reality sinks in as I recall that day in court. It's what I'd been dreading for years, and now the reality was here. But Tank had a point. If they were coming after anyone, it was either someone from my family or Leah's.
The thought put me on alert, but I needed to take care of this first. "Who else is here?"
"Hyde's been doing damage control with DT and some of the prospects. We didn't want to make us a target so Moose, Silver and a few of the other guys are at the clubhouse. Bear and Hawkeye have the kids and haven't been able to get over here yet."
"Tell them not to bother. Stay with their families. Tomorrow first thing we're having an emergency church. Seven a.m."
Everyone agrees and we disperse. I get my phone out, flip to my contacts and get Moose on the phone.
"Yeah, Pres?"
"Moose. Want you to head to the club and pick up Kim and the girls early. Take them home and make sure they get in safe. Then tonight when Darlings closes, take Leah, Lana, and Camilla straight home. Have someone come with you if one of them has their car with them to get it back to their place. When you get to the house, make sure you check the perimeter and every inch of the house before you let them set foot inside. Got me?"
He didn't hesitate. "Yes sir. That bad?"
"Just taking precautions. Can't be too careful before we figure something out. Thanks, Moose."
"Any time, boss."
Hanging up the phone, I look down at it in my hand and pull up a text to Leah.
Ward: Gonna be a long one. Moose is gonna take you girls home when you close. Don't wait up, but I'll be by when I'm done.
Before I get a chance to see if she replies back right away or not, I spotted the flashing lights of a cop car. I groan, rubbing my eyes. This was gonna be a long fucking night.
CHAPTER 18
WARD
BY THE TIME I drag myself to Leah's house, it's after three a.m. and I am beat. Utterly exhausted. Drained from the events of the night, and all I want to do is pass out in bed with my woman and wake only with enough time to get to church. Why had I insisted on calling the meeting at such an ungodly hour?
Oh, right. Because we were on the verge of a war with an unknown enemy.
We spent most of the night trudging through the mess once the fire department was done, trying to see what was salvageable. The rest was talking with the fire chief and captains present, and the police officers that had shown up. Another stroke of luck hit us when Eli Carrington, the police chief, showed up with one of his more friendly officers, Kenny Merchant. The Aces had a long-standing relationship with the chief of the Port Townsend police department, now with Eli and his father before him. Unfortunately, that was where the camaraderie with the Carrington's ended.
If his brother, Captain Carter Carrington (yes, seriously) had shown up, that would have been an entirely new fucking mess to deal with.
That wasn't saying Carter wouldn't end up involved with the case, as Eli pointed out, but for now, we were ahead of the game. On thin ice, sure, but ahead nonetheless.
My head was pounding, my bones ached, and I needed a shower. All I could think about was getting into bed with Leah, but I wasn't about to climb between her clean sheets smelling like fire and dirt.
Letting myself in with the key I had made when we first rebuilt the house, I made sure to disable the alarm quickly and lock the door behind me as quietly as I could, before rearming the house again. My boots were removed so I didn't make much noise. I made sure that Leah let the other girls know that I was coming by late so I didn't accidentally get shot by one of them, but I still didn't want to wake them. They had a long night, too.
Once I found Leah’s room, I slipped in and couldn't help but stop and stare at her. She was passed out on her stomach, one arm on the pillow, her red hair wild from what I could imagine was tossing and turning. The blankets had shifted and were resting along her lower back, her tank top had ridden up slightly so I could make out the smooth, tan skin of her back.
Fucking hell, maybe I wasn't that tired after all.
Still as quiet as I could be, I removed my cut and the rest of my clothes before heading into the bathroom for a quick shower. I didn't want to take too long, but I had to get clean. The hot water on my aching muscles was welcome, and even though I had to use Leah's shampoos and soaps, I suddenly didn't mind smelling like coconut and lavender as opposed to the hell that I reeked of earlier.
Once I was done I toweled myself off, drying my hair as best as I could before hanging the towel over the curtain rod and walking out, completely naked, back into Leah's room.
She was awake, laying on her back now, watching me. On her face was concerned, but I still could make out the slight widening of her eyes as the heat flashed there. Her gaze raked over me, and it was confirmed. I wasn't that tired anymore.
"Is everything alright?"
I consider telling her yes, and not to worry, but I know that she won't buy it. Instead, I shake my head, walking towards the bed. "Probably not, but for now, it's being handled, and I'm done with it for the night."
Leah watches me closely as I climb into bed with her. Reaching out to me, she pulls me close, inspecting my face. "You're not hurt, are you?" she asks, her voice soft, barely a whisper.
"No, baby. I'm okay." Giving her a smile, I lay down next to her and wrap her up in my arms, burying my face in her hair for a moment. "I called church for seven, but for now, all I want is you."
I hear her inhale, and even if I can't see her, I can feel her smiling. "You smell like me."
Chuckling, I move to climb over her, pinning her flat on her back against the mattress. "I know. I like it." Shifting myself I slide between her legs, my one hand cupping her jaw and the other holding myself up with my forearm against the mattress. "I was all ready to pass out, but I came here and saw you are sprawled out and I needed to have you."
Leah inhales sharply, her eyes darkening. "Then have me," she whispers, her hand brushing my wet hair back from my face. "I'm yours, Ward."
It took just those words to cause me to lose any restraint I may have had. Groaning, my hand goes between us so I can push her panties to the side, her fingers finding her slick and wet beneath them. "Fuck, baby," I mutter into her neck as I bury my face there. "I can slip right in, can't I?"
As my teeth and lips find the special spots on her neck that I was reminded of earlier today, Leah whimpers, arching her back off of the bed. "You can. Do it," she pleads. "I'm on the pill. I want you bare inside me."
That does it. Without another moment's hesitation, I guide my cock to her entrance and thrust in slowly. She takes me in, tighter and hotter than ever and I nearly lose it right away. Both of my arms move to hold myself on my forearms and my hands buried in her hair, body nearly flush against hers as I begin to move. There is barely any space between us as my lips trail up her neck to her jaw and eventually sealing the connection with a heated kiss to her mouth.
Slowly and intensely I make love to her. I purposely drag out my movements, wanting to savor her, swallowing her moans as every kiss grows more fevered. Eventually, as I feel her getting closer my movements pick up, and once she climaxes and tightens around me. I follow quickly; with a long, low groan and her name a whisper on my lips while I fill her completely, shaking with the intensity of our connection.
Once our breathing slows I roll off of her, climbing off of the bed to get a washcloth to clean us both up. I'm careful with her, and once I'm finished and the cloth is deposited where it needs to be, I get back into bed with her and pull her where she belongs. In my arms, tucked against my body.
I can feel her drifting off as I close my eyes, pressing my lips to the top of her head. All I can think of before I drift off myself is one thing: I'm gonna keep you safe.
And then I fall asleep until my alarm wakes me three hours later.
CHAPTER 19
LEAH
WAKING UP LATE INTO the morning the day after working was pretty typical for me. When I don't get home until well after two a.m., it was easy for me to sleep in because my body needed it. Just the right amount of average sleep time was good enough to get me going. Well, that and coffee. I can't function without coffee.
When I woke up that morning, the sun wasn’t shining into the room, thankfully, because of my blackout curtains - one of the greatest investments I'd ever made. I slowly came to, and as I woke up, memories of the night before began to come to mind. Upon remembering Ward climbing into bed with me, I rolled over in hope of finding him. My hand reached out and I felt nothing but the empty half of the bed. Sighing, my eyes opened and I surveyed the room. He was gone, but a note was left on the pillow next to mine.
Leah,
Had to leave for church and didn't want to wake you. I'll text you later, beautiful.
- W
Ugh. Where the hell had this Ward been all along? Right, locked up tight, but somehow, I had managed to get him released and goddamn was I a lucky woman for it.
That man was mine, and no other woman was ever going to get a chance to see this side of him. Yeah, I was territorial, and I'd cut a bitch that tried me.
I really needed coffee. I was starting to sound like my sister.
Crawling out of bed, I stretched my aching bones before dragging my aching body to my bathroom. As I took care of my morning business, I noticed the towel hung over the shower curtain and I grinned, remembering a very naked and still wet Ward taking over my body before we went to sleep. And then I recalled him not using a condom and us going right to bed after he cleaned me up. Yikes. Not smart.
Making a mental note to be extra hydrated and get an appointment for my annual with my gyno, I finished washing up in the bathroom, tossing my hair up in a (very) messy bun, throwing leggings on and heading out to the kitchen. Shower could wait for coffee.
Shuffling out of my room, I was in the middle of a yawn when I spotted Lana at the table, headphones on, laptop in front of her, scribbling away at a notebook. When she noticed me she stopped, pressing pause on the laptop and sliding the headphones around her neck. "Morning, sleeping beauty. I'm guessing you had a visitor this morning?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me, a smirk on her face.
Shaking my head, I headed over to the ice coffee maker on the counter - also one of the greatest purchases I'd ever made. "If you must know, yes. And we had phenomenal sex. Now, are you gonna admit you ran off to Joker after Ward gave us the bad news, or are you still pretending that nothing is going on?"
Looking back at her from over my shoulder to give her a pointed look, I was met with such an angry scowl that it made me laugh. Not the best move on my part, but I couldn't help it. "Seriously, Lan, you can't get pissed at me for the same things you do."
Lana rolled her eyes, looking back at her computer. "That's because you two have an actual relationship, and there's nothing more between us than occasional sex. It's not a big deal."
There was silence between us for a minute while I finished up getting my coffee and finally sat down at the table with her. "See, I know that's a lie. It's definitely never been just sex between you and Joke."
"Can we please stop talking about this?"
My sister was visibly uncomfortable over this conversation. She hated talking about feelings or to even show any of the more difficult emotions. Dating seriously was difficult for her, and I knew well that it made things very complicated for her and the man in question. I hated to watch it because I knew that Joker thought the world of her and cared about her a lot, and I knew Lana felt the same way, but she refused to admit it or do anything about it.
I just wanted her to be happy, but I wasn't about to push it. Today, at least. "Okay," I replied, taking a sip of my coffee. "What are you working on?"
That, Lana could go on about with no problem. "Alani just sent me a new mix and it's really dark and has a sick ass beat. I've already got some great ideas for stage placement, but also kind of the theme for it, so I think you've got a lot to work with." She pushed the notebook towards me.
Leaning over, I looked over her notes, nodding
as I took it all in. "Oh, this is totally doable. Lots of black, lace, fishnets, and wings. I saw this really awesome design for raven’s wings that I want to give a try. It looks complicated but it's not, and I'd definitely be able to get all of the materials."
As a contrast to her earlier demeanor, my sister was now grinning ear to ear. "Fuck yeah, I knew it! It's gonna look so good."
There was movement from the top of the stairs, followed by footsteps. "CAM!” my sister screeched, “come see what I came up with!”
Our roommate trudged down the stairs, looking like walking death. "Stop yelling, asshole. I just woke up."
Lana rolled her eyes and started rattling off her plans as Camilla made herself coffee. I just sat and sipped at my own drink while scrolling through my phone.
"Did Ward tell you anything about the emergency at the warehouse last night?" Camilla asked, literally as I stopped at an article on Facebook about the bombing by the docks last night. My eyes widened.
"Fuck. Their warehouse was bombed."
"What?!" Lana sat up straight.
I was leaning forward, pulling the article up so I could read it. "Ward didn't say anything other than that they were handling it. He had church early this morning..." My words trailed off as my eyes scanned the screen. "Shit. Police are investigating, the fire chief made a statement." I looked up. "This can't be good for them. Not even because their warehouse is fucked, but if there was shit in there that the police found..."
My stomach sunk. As an outsider and not a member of the club, I didn't know the exact particulars of their business dealings, or what they had stored in their warehouse, but I'd put money on it being at least somewhat illegal. I wasn't naive. I knew what they did, even if Eddie and the others tried to keep us girls away from the dirty details.
Heart of a Rebel: Rebel Aces MC Part 1 Page 10