So, she did.
Chapter Three
Magnum straddled his sled, his eyes glued to the low-rise building made up entirely of what looked like reflective glass. His sled was quiet, his brain was not.
He hadn’t fucking slept the last couple nights. No matter what he did... No matter how much he drank, how much he toked, nothing... fucking nothing could erase the imagery of what happened to Cait.
Not one goddamn thing.
And he hadn’t even seen the video yet.
He would. Because before he took care of whoever did this to her, took advantage of her, he needed to know everything.
In truth, he didn’t want to see it, knew it would not only haunt him, but spin him out of control. More than simply hearing her words summarizing what happened had. He knew once he saw it, once he knew for sure who it was, nothing, nothing would stop him from wiping that motherfucker from the face of the Earth.
He hated he knew. He was also relieved he knew.
He hated she came to him. He was also relieved she came to him.
With the conflict raging inside him, he understood why she didn’t go to Dawg. And going to Diesel or Mercy would have been the same as going directly to her father. Because there was no damn way either of those men were keeping that foul shit from Dawg.
And he knew why.
Because as a father himself, if he found out what happened to Caitie happened to his own daughter...
Jesus fuck.
The Earth would burn. And he’d be the one holding the match.
But he had to remind himself that while this Gallo fucker seemed like the obvious person, he needed to be sure.
And once he was...
He was finding himself a pack of fucking matches.
She wanted to keep her job. It was important to her, a part of her future. He heard it, he got that, too. But he also couldn’t forget the look on her face when she spilled what happened.
But after what happened, if it was this Nate, the son of the CEO? Cait not only deserved to keep her job, she deserved to own that whole fucking building.
However, he didn’t want her to get fucked after already being...
Being...
He sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, pressed his palms over his eyes and tried to clear the rage from his brain so he could think clearly.
If he was smart, he’d go to Diesel. Doing shit behind the man’s back wouldn’t keep the fucking peace. Knowing and not saying anything, not giving them a chance to take care of the problem, was a deep, maybe unforgivable, betrayal.
Not giving them the info so they could step in and protect what belonged to them, protect their club property...
He hissed from the sharp burn in his chest.
Him considering doing this on his own was dangerous. The day he knew the last Shadow Warrior no longer existed, he breathed a fuck of a lot easier.
He did not need to get his brothers into another war. Especially over a female.
But this wasn’t any female and he would do his fucking best to prevent a war. Because he also wasn’t sure he could just walk away and let someone else handle it. Now he had a deep-seated need to exact revenge on whoever drugged her and... and, fuck, did what they did.
Yeah, Cait was Angels’ property, but if it was up to him, she would be Knights’ property instead.
She would belong to him.
She would be under his protection and it would be on him to handle this problem.
But she didn’t and she wasn’t. Even so, here he sat, letting the shit she told him eat him from the inside out. It made his gut burn, his blood boil and the urge to snuff the fucker pulled at him.
Normally, he handled shit neat and efficiently within his club. If someone needed to be put in his place, he put the asshole in his place. If someone became a cancer within the club, he extracted them like a surgeon’s blade. If outsiders, like the Warriors, caused trouble, he dealt with it swiftly and permanently.
His prez gave him free rein to handle shit the way it needed to be handled.
But Caitie’s situation was different. Him getting involved would piss off his prez, if he knew.
It might even get his colors stripped.
It might even get him killed. By the Angels or by his own brothers.
Touching this situation was like handling dynamite. One wrong move could cause a devastating explosion, change the rest of his goddamn life. And he had a good one.
At almost forty-one, he liked where he was currently sitting. He had only one fucking regret and that was losing his kids. He couldn’t do shit about it, so he had to accept it. But other than that, life was pretty fucking good.
He wanted for nothing, except maybe a warm body and an even warmer pussy in his bed every night. But that was a want and not a need.
Just like Cait.
He wanted her but could live without her. He had for the past almost seven years. But after last year, after that slip, it became more difficult. Every tall, curvy blonde he saw, he thought it was her.
Every blonde he fucked, he closed his eyes and imagined it was her. Every time he fisted it, he did it thinking about her.
It was the safest way to have what he wanted without causing major issues. But it was getting to the point of obsession and he avoided heading over to the Angels’ church in case she was there. As long as he didn’t see his temptation, he could avoid it.
But no matter what he did, he couldn’t avoid her when his eyes were closed late at night in bed, whether there was another woman under him or not. If Dawg knew what Magnum was doing to thoughts of his daughter...
Best not find out.
So yeah, he shouldn’t touch her and probably shouldn’t help her, either.
The first part would be difficult, the second... impossible. There was no fucking way anybody else was handling this but him. No way someone else would get the pleasure of making whoever it was who recorded Cait, whoever made her a victim, pay.
The tables were going to turn and whoever it was would regret that decision for life, no matter how long or short that life was.
His spine snapped straight, and his fingers curled into fists as he spotted H. Nathan Gallo, Jr. take long strides to his parking spot, one reserved for the Director of Human Resources. Even though the lily-white motherfucker with his gelled hair had his nose glued to his cell phone, Magnum recognized him from the pictures he’d pulled up online. First from the Gallo Marketing Agency’s website, then from his social media accounts. Magnum also had snapped a picture of his car and license plate when he’d first pulled into the lot. Hard to remain anonymous when you posted all kinds of stupid shit online and parked in the same spot every day that practically had your name on it.
The only thing he hadn’t gotten yet was a home address. Or his routine. But then, that was why Magnum was here. To track his fucking ass. To see what this fucker was like, whether he was capable of drugging and sexually assaulting women or if he just had an unhealthy interest in Caitie.
Even if it was just an interest, the man needed to learn that the word no from a woman meant just that but with a goddamn capital N. So, yeah, even if this Nate motherfucking Gallo was only being “helpful” by taking Cait home, Magnum was still going to make sure that interest was squashed.
Magnum hit the starter on his sled as soon as Gallo backed his Jaguar F-Type out of the space.
He would’ve thought a man with some scratch, driving a sweet ride, would be able to get pussy without drugging them first.
But maybe he was wrong. Or the man was just fucked in the head and was a menace to women at large. Maybe Cait wasn’t the first one he’d done it to.
If that was true, she’d be the last. Guaranteed.
Because drivers of a cage like that Jaguar tended to drive fast and reckless. And sometimes driving like that could be fatal.
For the last three fucking days, he’d followed that squirrely motherfucker. From work, to the gym or a sports bar, then home. He lived in one of
those expensive-as-fuck condos behind a guarded gate. Though, the gate and the guard were more of a joke than anything.
He hadn’t heard from Cait, but then he hadn’t expected her to reach out to him again after he stormed out of his house to avoid trashing the whole place the other night.
He was itching to tell her that he had this covered, but he still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to get involved. No, he was fucking sure. It wasn’t.
But, fuck him, he couldn’t let it go. And he’d fucking tried.
So here he was again, stalking that motherfucker outside of Cait’s work, waiting to see what the fucker’s pattern would be today.
Unlike Diesel’s Shadows, Magnum had no military training, so he wasn’t stealth like them. Because of that, he once again parked his sled behind a large vehicle and hoped like fuck someone inside didn’t notice him from one of those big-ass windows and call the fucking pigs.
Because a black fucking biker hanging out in the Gallo Marketing Agency’s parking lot on a blacked-out, customized sled stood the fuck out. In fact, in the time he’d spent in the lot for the last three days, he’d hardly seen any people of any shade except the light variety go in or out.
It shouldn’t surprise him, but it did.
As soon as he’d slide his Harley between two vehicles, he would slip off his cut and stash it in one of his saddlebags but keep his black leather skullcap and dark sunglasses on.
He also parked away from Cait’s cage, a newer Camry Dawg had bought her when she graduated college. The man had been proud of his daughter and wanted everyone to know it. No doubt existed in anyone’s mind that Dawg loved his girls and would do anything for them, including die.
So, yeah, the more he thought about it, Cait hadn’t gone to her father because he’d end up in prison after killing whoever did that to her. He was the kind of man who’d lose his shit, walk point blank into the Gallo building and toss that fucker out one of those plate-glass windows from the top floor. That was, after he cut off the asshole’s dick.
Cait would lose her job, Dawg would catch a murder charge and his younger daughters would grow up without their father.
Cait being Cait was looking out for them.
Thinking about her must have conjured her up, because, once she stepped out of the shadows of the front overhang, the sun hitting her blonde hair caught his attention.
His heart pounded as he watched her head in the direction of her car. Not only was she so goddamn smoking hot, she was wearing a tight black skirt that stopped right above her knees, high heels that were all business—but still sexy as hell—that showed off her long calves, and a short-sleeve fitted blouse in a green he was sure set off her eyes. He was also sure it set off her tits.
She had what looked like a jacket that matched her skirt thrown over one arm and a purse in the same hand as she began to hoof it more quickly.
He knew why.
That Gallo fucker was on her tail, hurrying to catch up. From where Magnum sat on his sled, he could barely hear it, but the man was calling Cait’s name.
“Caitie! Hold up.”
Oh no. Fuck no.
Magnum dismounted from his bike, removed his skull cap and threw it on the seat, then took a direct and determined path between the rows of vehicles to Cait’s cage, where she was scrambling to get her keys out of her purse.
He would have to teach her to never leave a building without those fucking keys in her hand.
As Magnum moved toward them, Gallo now blocked Cait’s driver’s door by standing between her car and the one parked next to it. He wasn’t touching her, thank fuck, but he kept glancing up toward the office building as if worried someone might see him.
The fucker was smart. He made it look like they were doing nothing but having friendly conversation. But from what Magnum could see, Cait was jumpy as hell.
“I have to go, Nate,” she was saying as Magnum got within earshot.
“Just a drink, Caitie. One harmless drink.”
One drink wasn’t so damn harmless last time.
“I can’t. I told you I have a boyfriend.”
“Just as friends, Caitie. Co-workers. We can discuss those strategies on how to impress my father. Nothing more.”
Nothing more.
Except him drugging her and then sticking his dick in her once she was knocked the fuck out.
Fucking motherfucker.
“I can’t, Nate. I haven’t drunk anything since the celebration party for Laura.”
Magnum knew that was a lie since she drank at Dirty Dick’s the night she came to find him.
“Then don’t drink, come with me to dinner. My treat.”
“My boyfr—”
Gallo flapped an impatient hand around. “You’ve never brought a boyfriend to any of the get-togethers, Caitie. I’m thinking he doesn’t exist.”
“Oh, he exists,” Magnum growled as he moved directly behind Gallo.
Cait’s eyes widened as soon as she saw him, but she quickly schooled the surprise and confusion from her face.
“Hey, baby,” he purred to her. “You ready to go?”
Gallo’s head twisted and once he got an eyeful of Magnum, his eyes widened, and his body jerked. But, like Cait, he quickly hid his expression. “Oh, I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, Caitie.”
Lying motherfucker. “Just heard her tell you she was.” Magnum’s lip curled as he fought the sneer. He failed. “Name’s Caitlin, not Caitie.”
Fuck this guy for using Magnum’s nickname for her.
Gallo’s eyebrows knitted together as he sized up Magnum and held out his hand. “Nathan Gallo.”
Magnum stared at the hand he could easily break. White, soft, weak. Probably never did a day of manual labor in his life. Setting his jaw, he grabbed it, grumbled, “Malcolm Moore,” and just about crushed it to the point where Gallo winced and struggled to tug his hand free.
Magnum reluctantly released it just before hearing the satisfying crack of bones.
Gallo’s cheeks were now flush, and he grabbed his injured hand with the other one, trying his best not to reveal his weakness. “Oh, well then... I guess he would be your plus one for the annual retreat at Lake George next week,” he said to Cait, then turned to Magnum, like he cared about whatever this asshole was spewing. “It’s a week-long conference, but it’s very casual. We do team exercises, have motivational speakers, spa time. Sports. Games. Boating. Fishing. Whatever you’re into.”
Magnum interrupted him. “I’m into Cait.”
Gallo’s eyes slid to her. “I... uh... I can see why, she’s a beau—”
Magnum released a low growl.
“Yes... Well, anyway. You should come!” Gallo said with a forced enthusiasm.
“I don’t think—” Cait began.
He shoved past Gallo and dropped an arm around her, pulling her into his side. “Sounds like a fu— fun time,” Magnum forced out. “Cait already invited me and I look forward to it.” He dropped his head and kissed her gaping mouth. “Right, baby?” he whispered against her lips.
“I—” Cait started.
Magnum straightened and focused on the fucknut staring at them. “Now, we gotta fu— go.” He squeezed her shoulders.
Goddamn, not letting “fuck” fly was going to be hard. And if he had to do it for a week? He just might explode.
But there was no fucking way she was going on this “retreat” run by the Gallos alone.
No. Fucking. Way.
He held out his hand. “Baby, keys.”
“I can drive...” she murmured, once again confused.
He cocked a brow in her direction. “Since when do I ever let you drive?” He shook his open palm. “Keys.”
With a frown, she dropped her keys into his hand, and he gave her a soft smile for the asshole’s benefit. “Get in the cage... car, baby.” He jerked his chin, indicating she should get in on the passenger side.
She opened her mouth but quickly shut it when he gave her a look and she moved
around the back of the sedan. He kept his eyes focused on Gallo as she got into the passenger seat and shut the Camry’s door.
“Now,” Magnum said in a low voice. “We got things to do. Was there somethin’ important you needed to tell Cait? That why you chased her down out here? Was it somethin’ to do with work?”
From the neckline of Gallo’s dress shirt to the top of his cheeks turned a brighter shade of pussy and he cleared his throat. “Yes, I just wanted to discuss some work strategies with her.”
“Then you do it before four o’clock when she walks out that fu—” his jaw shifted, “front door.” He took a step closer to Gallo, making the man tip his head up farther. “A man doesn’t appreciate another man askin’ his girl out for drinks to discuss work when you have eight hours, five days a fu— week to do so.” He leaned in. “Get me?”
“Malcolm... May I call you Malcolm?”
Fuck no. “No.”
“Uh... Okay, Mr. Moore, then. We’re one big family here at the Gallo Marketing Agency. We encourage our employees to socialize outside of work. That’s one reason we have these get-togethers and retreats. And it’s another reason our agency is so successful.”
His agency. More like his daddy’s agency. “Let’s get one thing clear right now, Gallo—”
“You can call me Nate—”
“My wo—” Magnum sucked in a breath and his head twitched, “girlfriend does not do drinks or anythin’ else with another man unless I’m there. Ai—” He sighed. “Not gonna point this out again.”
Gallo’s brown eyes landed on her cage and Magnum wasn’t sure if, from where they stood, the man could see Cait inside. Even so...
“Need to hear that you get me, Gallo.”
Gallo’s mouth opened and closed a couple times before he said, “I can see one might take my invitation in the wrong light.”
No fucking wrong light about it. It was exactly what Magnum saw. A man sniffing after Caitie. Whether he was the one in the video or not, Gallo hadn’t hidden his interest.
So, it was up to Magnum to crush that interest with his boot like a roach scurrying across the floor. “You get me, Gallo?”
Magnum: A Dark Knights MC/Dirty Angels MC Crossover Page 4