“It’s nice to finally meet you, Levi. Hannah’s told me a lot about you. How’s she doing?”
“She’s good. Bonding with Hector. I think I’ve got a rival for her affection.”
Ripper—pushing the green Harley—paused on his way to the door. “Sometimes I think Mac puts up with me just so she can spend time with my dog.”
“I do love Hector.” I followed Ripper toward the door. “But I love his daddy more.”
Ripper glanced back over his shoulder, his brows raised.
I caught up with him as we exited the church. It was early evening—a couple of hours before sunset—but close to Mt. Hood, long shadows already stretched across the land.
“You told me you love me. You have to expect that you’ll hear it back.”
“Yeah, but Hector’s daddy?”
Bantering with the man I loved. One of the simple pleasures I’d thought I’d lost forever, now reclaimed. Happiness bubbled through my veins.
“Where’s your bike?”
“Bent the frame on the Shovelhead when we crashed. Nicole gave me Chimney’s Road King.”
“I’m sorry,” I said haltingly. “I know you loved that bike.”
Ripper planted his hands on his hips and sighed a rueful sigh. “You got hurt when I laid the Shovelhead down. Then everything went to shit. Going through that puts stuff into perspective. No thing—not even my Shovelhead—matters in the long run. People matter. You’re back and I’m good.”
Our reunion still felt like such a miracle that I had to touch him to confirm that he was real. Stepping close, I splayed my hands across his chest. The hard muscles twitched beneath my fingertips. I brushed a finger over his nipple piercing, then gently twisted it.
His breath hitched and his eyes hooded. “Missed you, darlin'. On the back of my bike. In my bed. Under me.”
Heat rose in my cheeks—you’d think I’d be way past blushing, but apparently not—and he chuckled.
“Later,” he promised.
I nodded, biting my lower lip. “Yes, later.”
He slapped my ass, shattering the emotion-laden moment, then pointed at my blood-splattered wedding dress. “You can’t ride in that long skirt.”
“My bag should still be in the room I stayed in, unless Rebecca took it.”
“We’ll be five minutes,” Ripper called to our friends. “I’m going with Mac to get her bag.”
When we got to my room, we found that Rebecca had pilfered all the bath bombs and perfume samples, but left my backpack. By a stroke of luck, she’d dumped my boots on the floor next to the bag.
I tore the stupid bonnet from my head and tossed it onto the bed.
Ripper turned me around and started unfastening the long line of tiny buttons at my back. I shuddered, remembering Rebecca’s words. All the buttons will slow things down tonight, enhancing Bill’s anticipation.
“Fuck this.” A familiar snick, then the sound of fabric shredding as Ripper’s knife tore through the heavy cotton.
Good. Kill the wretched dress.
Once free, I kicked my wedding dress across the room, then glanced down at the modest cotton bra and the high-waist, white granny panties I was sporting.
“Hawt.” Ripper dragged out the word, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Shut up.”
“Nah, I can help, darlin'.”
He held up his knife and prowled toward me, his eyes glittering. Despite myself, I retreated, shuffling backwards until I hit the wall. Ripper would never hurt me, but primitive survival instincts—hardwired into my brain—warred with my rational mind. I devolved into panic-stricken prey, held in thrall by the deadly predator who stalked toward me.
I held my breath when his knife sliced the bra straps, then cut through the narrow band of fabric between my breasts. He plucked at the pieces, tossing them to the floor, before taking the knife to my old lady panties. Ripper dropped to his knees and slipped the white ballerina flats from my feet, divesting me of the last scraps of my accursed wedding attire.
He stood and his hot gaze raked over my naked body, then abruptly stopped when he spied the laceration on my right shoulder. It was healing, but Sahdev hadn’t had the chance to remove the stitches. Frowning, he gently touched the cut. He glanced down at the burn on my inner calf, and his frown deepened.
“Shit,” he breathed. Guilt twisted his face.
I grabbed his chin and forced him to lift his eyes to meet mine. “Not your fault,” I said firmly. “I’m fine.”
Shaking his head, he rejected my reassurances.
“I should’ve—.”
“No.” I cut him off. “No shoulda woulda couldas. The accident wasn’t your fault. I’m fine. We’re together. That’s the only thing that matters.”
I held on tight, compelling him to see the conviction in my eyes, daring him to contradict me when I was so damned happy.
“Stay in the moment, Ripper.”
He nodded and exhaled. The tension slowly leeched from his features. He leaned into me, the weight of his powerful frame pinning me to the wall.
“Reminds me of the night we met,” I reminisced, savoring the sensation of his leather cut digging into my naked breasts.
“Yeah, ’cept then I couldn’t do this.” He slid his hands over my hips and gripped my thighs, then lifted me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist.
“May I remind you.” I gasped as he worked the buttons on his fly. “You were mad at me because I blasted you with pepper spray. The last thing on your mind was sex.”
“Oh, yeah?” He laughed, a deep rumble that raised goosebumps across my flesh. “I was mad, darlin', but I definitely wanted to fuck you that night.”
“You did not,” I protested, incredulous.
“No? Then why did I have to jack off before I could fall asleep, imagining that I was pounding into your sweet, tight pussy?”
He grunted and with a single thrust, seated his cock deep inside me.
I lost my train of thought, wobbled, and caught hold of his shoulders.
Ripper frowned. His gaze fell on the thin gold band Pastor Bill had placed on my ring finger when we said our vows. He growled. He actually growled; his chest rumbled against mine. With his teeth, Ripper seized the offending ring and he yanked it up and off my finger. He spat it across the room.
His fingers dug into my thighs and he jerked, hauling me snug against his body.
“You’re mine, Mac. Not his. Never his.”
“I’m yours. Never his,” I agreed weakly.
Satisfied, he nodded, then leaned his forehead against the wall while he fucked me into oblivion.
TWENTY-TWO
Kenzie
We’d decided to spend one last night at Nicole’s cabin. If I had to guess why, I’d bet that Ripper was reluctant to put me on the back of his bike after dark in deer and elk country. I couldn’t blame him for his caution, not after what we’d been through.
Truth be told, my heart had battered against my chest during the short ride from Camp Golden Rule back to Nicole’s cabin.
I couldn’t remember the accident. Sahdev said I’d probably never remember it, but the vibrations and engine sound triggered something in the hidden recesses of my brain. I hid my panic from Ripper, refusing to compound the irrational guilt that already ate away at him.
Once we decided to spend the night, Levi found some fishing rods in the boathouse. He and Sahdev rowed the boat out to the middle of the lake. The fish were biting, lured from the water’s depths once the sunlight retreated. They caught a mess of trout and thankfully cleaned the fish without asking for help.
Ripper built a fire close to the water’s edge. Kyle carried a couple of cast iron frying pans outside, so the men could fry up the trout.
According to Ripper, Nicole loved to bake, so Chimney had installed an old-fashioned wood cookstove with a built-in oven.
Hannah and I found quart jars full of home-canned apple pie filling in the pantry. We didn’t have time to bake a p
ie. Instead, we baked a giant apple cobbler. There were no fresh vegetables, but we found canned green beans, evaporated milk, mushroom soup, soy sauce, and a container of crispy french fried onions. We assembled a green bean casserole. Not exactly a traditional accompaniment for fried fish, but after chowing down on way too many granola bars, I doubted that anybody would complain. Cornbread—from a mix—completed the meal.
The air chilled once the sun went down. We slipped on jackets and ate around the campfire, stuffing ourselves on fresh fish, green bean casserole, cornbread, and apple cobbler. Sated and relaxed, we all lingered around the campfire, as if unwilling to let go of the day when fortune finally smiled upon us.
Hector settled down close to the fire, basking in the heat.
A gentle breeze ruffled the lake’s surface, and a wavy image of the moon reflected on the water. Stars filled the sky, many more than we ever saw in Portland.
When a shooting star shot across the sky, my gaze followed its path. I sighed, perfectly content. There was no need to make a wish upon the star. Everything I wanted was here, within reach. I settled back against Ripper’s chest.
“I thought I might be dead by now,” I marveled, then stilled. Crap. I hadn’t intended to say that out loud. Any hope that Ripper hadn’t caught my words was dashed when he reared back, then turned me around to face him.
“What did you say, Mac?”
I reluctantly met his eyes. “I said I figured I might be dead by now.”
He smoothed my hair from my forehead. “What do you mean?”
“The only thing worse than the prospect of marrying Pastor Bill was the thought of him with his hands all over Hannah, so I proposed that he marry me instead.”
I paused and studied Ripper’s expression. How would he react to the knowledge that I’d proposed marriage to a man he despised, that I’d willingly placed myself at the pastor’s mercy?
A muscle ticked in Ripper’s jaw, but the hand that stroked my cheek remained gentle.
“He wanted a compliant, submissive wife,” I continued. “He’d already declared that I was stubborn and defiant and a bad influence on Hannah. So...so...I told him it would be more fun for him to try to break me, to bend me to his will. A better challenge to his skills than intimidating an inexperienced young girl.”
The Adam’s apple in Ripper’s throat bobbed when he swallowed.
“But all the while I had a plan to make sure that he’d never pose a threat to another young woman.”
My voice faltered under Ripper’s fierce gaze. I forced myself to continue. “His first wife, Rebecca, took away my boots, so I didn’t have my hidden knife. I found a stainless steel corkscrew in his private bungalow, and I hid it under the pillow on his bed. When he was distracted—probably digging through his drawer full of sex toys—I planned to pull out the corkscrew and kill him.”
A vein pulsed in Ripper’s temple, but he maintained an impassive expression on his face. “You were gonna kill him with a corkscrew?”
I nodded. “In our lessons, you warned me that it’s hard to kill somebody up close and personal, but I had no choice. I remember the kill spots. I was determined not to hesitate or chicken out. I was going to strike hard and fast and end him before he hurt anybody else.”
“And then?”
“Well, then I planned to escape before anybody came to check on us and found his body. I was going to take the king-sized pillows from the bed and wrap them around the razor wire, then I was going to climb the fence and shimmy over the top, and run away into the woods. Then I’d find you.”
Ripper held his breath, then slowly exhaled. “I believe in you. I believe you would have pulled it off. Thank fuck you didn’t have to.”
My plan clearly horrified Ripper, but instead of calling it foolhardy, he gave me a vote of confidence. Just one of the many reasons why I loved him.
I pointed at him and at our circle of friends around the campfire. “It still feels like a dream, like I’m going to wake up and find myself face-to-face with Pastor Bill.”
“Not gonna happen. Bastard’s rotting in hell.” His lips curved and he waggled his brows. “But if you need something to persuade you you’re really here, how about I take you to bed. Let’s see if you still wonder if I’m real when I’m balls deep inside you.”
“Shhh,” I hissed, glancing around to see if anybody overheard. Fortunately, Sahdev and Kyle were deep in conversation, and Hannah was giggling at something Levi said.
He snorted. “You think they don’t know that we’re—”
I slapped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off.
“Like that’s gonna work.” He stood and stretched, raising his arms and yawning in a pantomime of sleepiness, then offered me a hand to pull me to my feet. Without warning, he bent forward and threw me over his shoulder.
“Night, all. I’m taking Mac to bed.”
A chorus of good nights rang out.
Ripper strode toward the cabin.
“Hey, Kenzie,” Hannah called.
Ripper paused, allowing me to lift my head so I could reply. “Yeah?”
Firelight danced across the girl’s smiling face. “Levi and I are going to make huckleberry pancakes for breakfast, around nine.”
It was an effort to keep my voice natural with my ass in the air and my head dangling down his back while Ripper carted me off to bed like a caveman. “Great. Looking forward to it.”
He climbed the stairs onto the porch, snagged an LED lantern from a table, and carried me to the master bedroom, where he deposited me across the bed.
I glowered at him in mock outrage. “There is such a thing as discretion, Mr. Solis.” My voice was prim, but my treacherous lips quirked.
“Not in my world, darlin'.” He hung his cut on the back of a chair and pulled his tee over his head, baring his heavily muscled chest and shoulders.
My mouth watered.
Ripper kicked off his boots, then shoved his jeans down his legs. He knelt on the bed and stripped me, tossing my boots onto the floor. He yanked my yoga pants down my legs and peeled off my tee. Shoving my thighs apart, he climbed on top of me, supporting his weight on his elbows while he looked down.
“Now, let’s see if I can convince you that I’m real.”
For the next hour, that’s precisely what he did.
Ripper and I sat on the dock behind Nicole’s cabin, dangling our feet into the water of Lost Dog Lake while Hannah and Levi made breakfast.
“I’d like to go to La Pine with Hannah and Levi.” I cast a sideways glance at Ripper, gauging his reaction.
“Was gonna suggest the same thing. Doesn’t feel right to send them off by themselves. Like as not, Levi’s Grandpa Kurt is dead, and anybody could’ve set up camp at his place. I owe them and don’t want them walking into trouble.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’m sure Kyle and Sahdev will agree.”
“Might set us back a day getting to Valhalla, but our schedule’s already been shot to shit. One more day won’t matter.”
“Pancakes are ready,” Hannah called.
We joined the others around the kitchen table. Levi stood at the stove, flipping the last of the pancakes onto a platter. Without a hint of self-consciousness, he wore Nicole’s red-and-white polka-dotted apron over his jeans and tee. Hannah had set the table. An old Mason jar filled with wildflowers and fern fronds sat in the center. Empty coffee cups and glasses of Tang—I spied the container of orange-flavored drink mix on the counter—stood by each plate.
“No butter, but we’ve got lots of syrup,” Hannah said cheerfully as Levi walked around the table, depositing pancakes on each plate. She followed behind him, carrying an enamel coffee pot. Hector sat by my chair, his eyes wide and hopeful.
We tucked in. When the last pancake had disappeared, I shot Ripper a look.
He nodded and took a final sip of coffee. “Mac and I were thinking, how about we drive to La Pine with Levi and Hannah? Make sure everything’s good at Grandpa Kurt’s place b
efore the rest of us head to Valhalla.”
“I like that idea,” Kyle said quickly.
Sahdev nodded his agreement.
“We don’t want to hold you up.” Levi frowned. “I know you’re eager to get to the ranch, and you’ve already been delayed a week.”
“Seriously?” Hannah blew out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. “I’d feel lots better if they drove to Grandpa Kurt’s place with us. And besides, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Kenzie.”
She reached across the table and we clasped hands.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Hannah, either. With her sunny spirit and zest for life, she reminded me of Ali, my dead best friend. Ripper, Kyle, and Sahdev were great, but I missed having a girlfriend. And Hannah was like the little sister I never had. I’d miss her like crazy when we parted ways.
Levi glanced at Hannah. He obviously adored her and would probably do just about anything to make her happy. He swung his gaze to Ripper. “You sure, dude?”
I suppressed a smile. How often did anybody call Ripper dude?
“Yeah. We’d all feel better knowing you two are safe.”
“All right, then. We appreciate it.”
Hannah squealed, hopped up, then planted herself on Levi’s lap. She kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy!”
We cleaned the cabin, then packed up our things. Hannah and Levi would drive Nicole’s car. Ripper found three five-gallon gas cans in the boathouse. He distributed the fuel among our three vehicles, preserving our own precious stockpile.
Hannah asked if Hector could ride in the back seat of Nicole’s car with her, at least for the first part of the journey. Ripper had accused me of fussing too much over Hector, of babying him, but my attentions couldn’t hold a candle to Hannah’s. She tied one of Nicole’s silk scarves around the dog’s neck—bright red roses against a leopard-spotted background—and secured it with a giant bow.
Ripper took one look at his dog and shot the girl the stink eye. “Nope.”
The scarf went back into a dresser drawer.
Our small caravan headed out in late morning. In case of emergency, each driver carried one of Miles’s walkie-talkies. About one hundred and sixty miles separated Mt. Hood from La Pine. We planned to follow the shortest route south, through the Warm Springs Reservation, past Madras and Bend, until we reached Grandpa Kurt’s property on a country road outside the La Pine city limits.
Maelstrom Page 19