by Sarah Bale
I go back to the main page and click contact.
Error: It seems the person you’re trying to reach doesn’t have an active profile. May we suggest another beauty?
Several women’s profiles pop up, but none of them compare to her. It doesn’t look like she’s been active in a while, which is good. I mean, everyone has a fucking past, right? The big question is do I tell Saint? I look back at the screen.
“Olivia, you just got more interesting.”
And I think I may see why everyone is so fucked up over her.
20
Olivia
“What do you mean, she’s pregnant?” He turns accusatory eyes on me. “You fucking slut. You’re only fourteen!”
“Sir, she’s no longer pregnant. She’s suffered a miscarriage. That’s what’s caused the infection.”
The woman’s voice is kind enough to make me want to look up. But I don’t. Because he’s still here, waiting. Watching.
She goes on, “I just need to ask her a few questions.”
But I won’t answer them honestly. I can’t. If I do, I’m dead.
When she steps out, he says to me, “I’ll deal with you when we get home.”
I gasp, waking myself from the nightmare. I reach for Bash and am disappointed to find the bed is empty. Sighing, I close my eyes. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever stop having the dreams.
The door opens and Bash enters, carrying a tray.
“I can’t cook as good as you, but I made us breakfast.”
Grinning, I lean over and kiss his cheek as he puts the tray on the bed. Never mind the fact that it’s one in the afternoon.
“You ought to feed me after how many times we had sex last night.”
His cheeks darken. “As I recalled, you were the one who couldn’t be satisfied.”
That makes me snort. He’s not wrong about that. I haven’t felt the same self-destructing urge in the past month – the urge that drives me insane. Instead, it’s been replaced by two men who are willing to be at my beck and call. Who would never hurt me. Who show me that they truly care for me. Like now, with Bash brining me breakfast. No one’s ever done that for me.
My phone dings and I glance at it, halfway fearing it’s Agent Hill. Lucy’s name flashes across the screen and I grin.
“It’s my old roommate.”
Lucy: Are we still on for tonight? Dinner?
“She wants to know if we’re still on for dinner. Can you still come?”
“I should be able to as long we’re back by seven.”
“You sound like my grandma,” I joke. “I’ll tell her. Do you think Razor will want to come?”
He makes a face. “I’m going to say no. He’s got shit to take care.”
Because they’re doing a run tonight, which I only know because I’m a horrible fucking person.
“I’ll tell her it’s just us. Besides, I’m not sure how she’s going to react when she finds out I have two boyfriends.”
“Boyfriend, eh? I like the sound of that.”
“Do you? Well, come here boyfriend. I’m hungry, and not for eggs and toast.”
He sets the tray aside and moves over me. Just like that, everything fades away but the two of us.
We’re nearly late meeting Lucy, and I’m not a bit sorry about it. Bash is wearing jeans and a dark green shirt, making his arms look huge. I’m a little sad that his tattoos are hidden, though.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we aren’t going to make it to the restaurant.”
I grin. “It’s your fault. You’re just so darn cute.”
He leans over, kissing me. “Right back at ya, Liv. That dress is smoking hot.”
I smile. It’s just a simple yellow sundress that I’ve had forever, but he makes me feel like I’m wearing something amazing. We get to the restaurant and he holds the door open for me. Again, this hasn’t happened before.
Lucy is at a table in the back with Andrew. And Chase. I let out a groan.
“What is it?”
“The guy next to Lucy is her new boyfriend, Andrew.”
“Okay?”
“The guy next to him is his best friend, Chase, whom I’m pretty sure has a crush on me. He’s the one I’m tutoring in math. I don’t know why she invited him.”
He puts his arm over my shoulder. “No big deal, Liv. Maybe he just needed to see it for himself.”
We reach the table and I introduce everything.
“This is Bash, my boyfriend. Bash, this is Lucy, Andrew, and Chase.”
Chase is eyeing Bash like he’s sizing him up.
He asks, “What kind of name is Bash?”
My mouth drops open, but Bash laughs.
“It’s short for Sebastian. Just a little nickname that I’ve never been able to shake.”
I truly had no idea that his name is Sebastian. It makes sense, though. I mean, they all probably have real names. Now I’m wondering what Razor’s is.
Bash pulls my seat out and then sits next to me. Lucy is practically bouncing in her seat.
“I still can’t believe you’re dating someone. How did the two of you meet?” She holds up her hand. “Wait. Let me guess. You met at one of Olivia’s jobs.”
Bash nods. “That’s right. I saw her across a crowded room and knew I needed to talk to her.”
Lucy actually sighs. “That’s so romantic.”
“So, Bash, what do you do for a living?” Chase asks, disdain in his tone.
“I work on cars and bikes.”
Chase makes a sound in the back of his throat. “Figures. You look a lot like the guy who services my car.”
I’m about to say something when Bash lets out a low laugh.
“Yeah, we all look the same, right?” He takes a sip of his water. “I was in the Army before. Special ops. After seeing so many people die, I decided I wanted to do something that makes me happy.”
Lucy nods. “Thank you for your service.”
I reach for his hand under the table, giving it a squeeze.
Andrew slaps Chase on the back and says, “Ignore Chase. He’s just salty that you got the girl, Bash.”
Chase’s face darkens, but he doesn’t deny this.
Bash says, “I’m thankful every day that I have her.”
Lucy lets out another sigh. “I’m so happy the two of you have each other. I was worried about Olivia. I mean, she never goes home to see her family. And she certainly hasn’t dated anyone since I’ve known her.”
“Okay, okay. I’m starting to get embarrassed and I don’t want you to scare him off, Lucy.”
She snorts. “I can take a hint.”
We all fall into easy conversation, except for Chase, who sits there, not saying a word. When the bill comes, Bash picks it up.
“It’s on me.”
Everyone protests, but he puts down cash and the waiter takes it away.
“This was fun,” he says. “But we’ve got to head back to my place.”
His tone suggests we’re going back to do something naughty, which I wish were the case.
Lucy says, “I wish I could say the same. We’re going to Andrew and Chase’s apartment to play a boardgame with their roommate, Mitch.”
My pulse quickens at the mention of Mitch. How in the hell is this happening again?
Bash stands. “We’ll have to do this again.”
Everyone, but Chase, agrees.
Lucy slaps her hand on the table. “Olivia, I can’t believe I almost forgot. My mom found us two places to choose from. An apartment and a townhouse. I’ll send you the links. Let me know which one you like and she’ll get the paperwork started.”
“I will.”
Bash and I say bye to everyone and he takes my hand into his as we leave. When we’re outside, I stop and pull his head down to kiss him.
“What’s that for?”
“For being so awesome. I’m so sorry about Chase.”
“He likes you. I get it. I was the same way when you and Razor were together.”
He peers down at me. “Do you like him?”
“Not like that. And especially after the way he treated you.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe I never asked you your real name. And I didn’t know you were in the Army.”
“I don’t usually tell people my real name. In our world, names hold power. As for the Army, my story with the military didn’t end well, so I don’t bring it up. I just wanted to put that prick in his place.”
“I’m glad you did. It was sexy watching you handle him.”
He pulls me down a dark alley and my pulse spikes in excitement.
“Bash?”
“I know we don’t have a lot of time, but I need you. Now.”
Spinning me so I’m facing the brick building, he lifts my dress. I moan when his zipper lowers.
“Bash, this is insane.”
But, my legs are spreading. Foil rips and then the head of his cock is at my opening.
“We have to be quick and we have to be quiet.”
Both things I hate, but I nod.
He enters me in a slow thrust that leaves me gasping for more. He pulls back and then slams into me. My chest rubs against the building and I bite back another moan. His hands grip my hips as he pounds into me. The city moves around us, cars honking and people talking just around the corner from around us.
His thrusts become shallow and I know he’s close. Reaching down, I rub my clit in fast circles until I shatter, whimpering out his name. He leans forward and nips my earlobe as he comes. We both rock against each other, riding out the last bits of pleasure. When he pulls out, I’m shocked that I miss him. He pulls off the condom, tying it and then tossing it in a trash can near us.
I straighten my dress and then let out a laugh.
“What?”
“That was wild.”
He grins. “It was pretty fucking awesome in my opinion.”
I peek down the front of my dress. “I’m pretty sure I have brick-burn on my boobs.”
He groans. “Fuck. Now that’s all I’m going to be thinking about tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” I keep my tone casual.
He surprises me by saying, “We’re going on a run. Two, technically. Saint thinks there’s a mole in the club. This will flush them out.”
“Oh, wow.” I shake my head. “Will you be late getting home?”
“If everything goes according to plan, no. But, you never know.”
I brush my lips against his lips. “Be safe.”
“Always am.”
When we get back to the club, there aren’t very many bikes there. Not like the last run.
“Where is everyone?”
“They’re all at different locations. It’s how we’re going to know who the mole is.”
“How does that work?”
“Saint’s the only one who knows the true location of where we’re going.”
Unease makes my chest feel heavy.
“Oh. That makes sense.”
“It’s been eating Saint up thinking there’s a mole here. It’ll be nice to finally know.”
I moisten my lips. “Has he considered it might be someone else?”
“The only other people who would know about it are the whores, and they wouldn’t talk. That’s not their style.”
But what if it is, I want to scream.
Instead, I say, “I better go see if Jas needs any help. I’ll see you when you get back.”
I pull away from him and go inside. Now, more than ever, I need to know who’s working with Agent Hill.
Saint
Gunfire fills the air around us and my club officers form a shield around me, even though it’s the last fucking thing I want.
“We need to get the fuck out of here,” I shout.
Bash says, “Jesus is shot. We’re going to have to carry him.”
A truck pulls up and three of my guys jump out amidst the chaos and get Jesus’ bike. Bash, King, and I load Jesus into the back of the truck. His skin is pale and he moans in pain.
King pulls my arm. “Come on, brother. We’ve got to go. Now.”
We go back to our bikes and leave, making sure not to leave skid marks on the pavement. We make it back to the club and my rage finally spills over.
“I want fucking answers. How did the fucking Inferno Bastards know where we were going?”
King answers, “I think we need to pay Crow a visit.”
“No. Make him come here. On our turf,” Razor argues. “If he’s in on this he’s going to die.”
“I agree. Get him on the phone now.”
I shove past them, going into the clubhouse. Claws comes toward me wearing a skimpy piece of lingerie.
“Hey, sexy. Looking for a good time tonight?”
“Get the fuck out of my sight,” I roar at her.
Her eyes well and she blinks back tears, but she has the good sense go get away from me.
I go to the gym, going right to the punching bag and pound it until my knuckles bleed and my mind is clear. Someone is out to get my club and I’m going to find out who it is, if it’s the last thing I do.
King knocks on my door around midnight.
“Two things. Crow is on his way, willingly.”
“The second?”
“There was a random power outage two days ago. It lasted for exactly ten minutes.”
“And?”
“The only area it affected was our hallway, specifically your door and the cameras.”
“Is there any way to track how it happened?”
He nods. “They used a virus against our system, but it left some traces behind. It’s enough that we might be able to find the fucker.”
“Good.”
“I have to admit, when you suggested that one of our own might try something, I didn’t believe you. This proves that you were right.”
“It’s not something I wanted to be right about.”
He slaps my shoulder. “I’ll let you know when Crow gets here.”
“Tell Bash to get the shed ready. We’re going to make sure Crow knows just how serious this is to us.”
King nods and I close the door. God damn it. I thought for sure the last run was messed up because of Psycho. Now, I’m wondering just how deep this goes. I go to my closet and rip the calendar down. Someone had the fucking nerve to enter my space, go through my things, and then try to fuck over my club. When I find out who that person is, they’re going to pay. With their fucking life.
21
Saint
Crow arrives at two in the morning, alone, just as instructed. He parks his bike out front and gets off, holding out his hand.
“Saint.”
I make no move to shake his hand, so he drops it to his side.
“This way.”
I lead the way out back toward the shed. Bash and Razor flank his side and King follows behind, in case Crow tries anything. We reach the shed and I open the door. Crow inhales, but walks in. He’s not stupid – he knows what happens in here.
In another lifetime, Crow and I could have been friends. We’re close in age, stature, and we share similar values when it comes to our clubs. That’s why it pisses me off that he hasn’t taken this more seriously.
“How’s your man?”
“He’ll live.”
I don’t mention that we all had vests on last night, in case we were fucked over. Jesus is walking away from this with a big ass bruise on his chest, which is better than leaving in a body bag. We had to make it look believable, though, since we don’t know who in the fuck we can trust, and right now my club officers are the only ones I trust.
“That’s good. He’s a good guy.”
I snort and point to the chair in the middle of the room. “Have a seat and we can get down to business. No need to bullshit around.”
Crow sits, putting his hands on his thighs, where they’re in sight. “Maniac still hasn’t been found, but all of my men were accounted for last night.”
King asks, “How do we know this is true
?”
“I have video proof, which should be hitting your email now.”
King’s phone dings and he looks down, eyebrows lifting.
Crow says, “I know how this goes. When you said you were going to flush the mole out, I wanted to make sure my men had an opportunity to prove their innocence. None of the guys that received a text from Maniac left the club last night.”
King says, “He’ll telling the truth. They’re all there, playing… bingo?”
Crow nods. “My members are getting older, with a few exceptions. Our late-night activities have changed as we’ve gotten grayer in our beards.”
“So your crew has an alibi. That doesn’t excuse your lack of control over your Vice President.”
“I agree,” Crow says. “Our club has voted to strip him of his patches and rank. If he shows his face at the Inferno Bastards, he’s dead.”
King meets my gaze, eyes wide. This is almost fucking unheard of.
“Your club was okay with banning a member of the hierarchy?”
Crow shakes his head. “No. This isn’t something we wanted to do, but Maniac left us with no choice. He went against the club when he went after your club. We owe him no more loyalty.” He goes on, “We’re still looking for him, but he’s taken measures to ensure he can’t be found. His phone is off. His car was found in a pond. And, I just got word tonight that his house burned down. Our contact is certain it’s arson.”
I say to King, “Make sure the Mississippi boys still have eyes on Psycho.”
“On it.”
I turn back to Crow. “I don’t take threats against my club lightly.”
“Neither do I. That’s why I’m here, willing to help.”
The funny thing is, I know he’s telling the truth.
I let out a small sigh. “I think there’s someone in my club working against us, too.”
King and Razor scowl at me. We’d all decided that Crow didn’t need to know this information, just in case.
Crow nods. “I wondered as much. What are you going to do about it?”