Outlaw's Vow: Grizzlies MC Romance (Outlaw Love)

by Snow, Nicole

  Blood formed blocky, messy letters meant for Blackjack, and for me.

  GO FUCK YOURSELVES. NO TIME TO TALK. ONE CUT AT A TIME MAKES A DEAD MAN.

  ZEE

  I never should've let my hand wander into the box, searching underneath the paper. When I found what was making that stink I'd smelled before, the whole world started spinning.

  My fingers gripped something cold, soft, and pliant. Fingers slipped through mine, stiff as plastic. I pulled it up and screamed, all I could do before I slid off the bar stool and hit the floor.

  * * * *

  “Babe? Fuck, baby, wake up!” Asphalt kneeled on the floor, shaking me.

  I opened my eyes and saw half the club standing around me, a mixture of bewilderment and rage on their faces.

  “They're killing him!” I screamed, jerking up into my man's strong grip. “That was his...his...”

  “Quiet. Don't fucking think about it. We're taking care of it. No more packages are getting to you without going through me first, woman. That's a goddamned promise.”

  “It was daddy's fucking hand, Asphalt! I can't just forget.”

  “No, babe, you can't.” He pulled me in tighter, hiding my face in my chest, running his strong fingers through my hair. “But I'm gonna make you try. And you can be damned sure all those motherfuckers will pay for what they've done.”

  “Shit's downright fucked,” the big one named Roman thundered above us. “Nobody starts carving up a Grizzlies Prez and sends us the pieces.”

  I sobbed all over again, smashing my face into Asphalt's chest. I still couldn't believe what I'd pulled out of the mystery package, what I'd held, feeling it ooze dead blood onto my wrist!

  “I shouldn't have approached them.” Blackjack walked up and laid a cool hand on my shoulder. “I'm sorry about this, girl. I thought we could lure them into a meeting, a ruse for peace, then hit them the same way we've dealt with our enemies before.”

  Asphalt looked at his leader, fury shining in his green eyes. “It would've happened anyway. Everything she's told me says these fucking jackals are sadistic as the day is long. We gotta change tactics. They know what we did to the cartel several months back, and they're doing the same fucking thing to us.”

  I staggered up with Asphalt helping me. Line stood in front of me, fists flexed at his sides, his face turning red around the eye patch.

  “I'm so fucking sorry, Elle Jo.” He grabbed me, pulled me away from Asphalt, and squeezed.

  “I just want him home safe, Uncle Line. You have to help.”

  “Already on it.” My adopted uncle gave me one more reassuring squeeze before he released me, looking at the Redding men.

  “We've got to hit them hard, as soon as we can. We wait another day, another week, there won't be nothing left of my Prez and her father. What's the intel say?”

  The boys started talking about war among themselves. I faded out, too numb to comprehend what they were saying.

  Blackjack nodded at Asphalt, and my husband led me away, back toward the room that was starting to feel like a cell. Halfway there, I slapped his chest and backed myself against the wall.

  “No. I need to get some fresh air.”

  For a second, I worried he'd try to drag me back into the room. Instead, a thin smile curled his lips, and he took my hand.

  “I know just the place.”

  * * * *

  We headed for his bike and left the clubhouse. The wind helped dry the tears sliding down my cheeks. Locking my hands tight around my protector's waist warmed the glacier building inside me.

  I barely paid attention to where we were going. Didn't look around until I heard him kill the engine.

  Of course. I should've recognized it sooner.

  He'd brought us to the same park where we'd clashed our first night here, when he'd dragged me down in the dirt, kissed me in the rain and lured me into bed.

  “Let's go for a walk, Ell-Bell.” He helped me off my bike and we headed down the trail, both of us turning briefly to the spot where we'd first wrestled with our love and hate on the ground.

  “Look, I know you hate him,” I said. “You think he's a demon who put me at risk. You probably want to strangle him for bringing me to the Chinese and almost getting me killed, I understand that. I just know it wasn't supposed to go down that way, though. Daddy got a little reckless, and he should be balled out for that, or whatever you guys do when somebody goes against orders in your club.”

  Asphalt's face showed nothing while I made my plea. I looked at him, moistening my lips, praying he'd truly listen to what came next.

  “He doesn't deserve to die like this. You have to help him, help me, Asphalt. If he's going to be butchered like an animal by those fucking monsters, it'll kill me.”

  My voice cracked. I stopped in mid-step next to a tall tree with him. For a long time, he didn't say anything, just held my little hands in his, running his free hand up and down my cheek, wiping away every tear.

  “God damn it, I love you,” I sputtered. “And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I didn't listen sooner. I could've talked him out of this, maybe. I could've –“

  “Babe, don't. You couldn't have done shit.”

  I opened my eyes, blinking back fresh tears. He pulled me into his embrace and just held me against the breeze, protecting me from every kind of cold I'd been hit with lately.

  Here, I was really, truly safe. Shielded from everyone who'd ever try to hurt me, every tinder of pain and terror ignited by this world and the wolves who were constantly circling each other for dominance.

  The MC had caused a lot of pain and terror, no doubt about it. But it could also be a fortress when it needed to be, a place for men and the women they claimed to find what they needed to survive.

  Right now, I had everything I truly needed in my arms.

  “I told you before, and for some fucked up reason, you keep doubting it. I'm gonna bring your old man back here alive. Then I'm gonna bust his fucking jaw myself for his mistakes. The Chinese won't get another piece of him.”

  I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat, remembering how cold, disgusting, and alien his dismembered hand had seemed in mine.

  “How can you make that promise? He might already be dead, Austin.”

  “He's not, Elle. I've known fucks like the Black Dragons before. It's not all business to them. They're bastards, like big cats. They like to torture their prey nice and slow before making the kill, and they'll probably try to do it when somebody's watching.” Asphalt looked at me, his green eyes going dark as the Pacific tide. “Your old man's alive, and he's in hell.”

  My face cracked again, but not before he reached up, cupped my chin, and pulled my face close until we were just inches apart.

  “We'll bring him home. One week. I'll ride everybody in this fucking club 'til they do it, or fuck, I'll take off and deal with them myself. This is the last day you're ever gonna cry, Elle Jo, and I'm the man who's gonna make you stop.”

  How could I argue with that confidence?

  I couldn't. Not when he jerked me close to his chest, tipped my face, and kissed me so hard I thought I'd faint all over again.

  * * * *

  The boys were away all evening after we got back. I heard rumblings from the big meeting room next door, and the occasional shout, Blackjack slamming something hard against the table, calling men to order.

  Finally, the door popped open and hit the wall, and men came filing out into the bar, rumbling among themselves.

  Asphalt opened my door, came in, and sank down into the worn loveseat next to me.

  “Well?” I said, trying not to let too much hope creep into my voice.

  “I shouldn't be talking club biz with you, babe, but I'm gonna make a single exception to say this.” He paused, and looked at me with a stare so intense it turned my blood cold. “We're sure the Dragons are holed up in an old plant just outside Portland. Intel says your old man's alive, just like we thought, though I'm not sure being handcuffed to a fucking radia
tor with one hand can be called living.”

  I didn't care. Hearing confirmation that daddy's heart was still beating was enough for me. I jumped up, threw my arms around him, and kissed the stubble on his cheek.

  Only problem with kissing this man – I always wanted another taste. No matter how dark or strained or dire things might get, he drew me like fire.

  Familiar needles stabbed at my nerves. I ran my fingers down his back, remembering how amazing it felt to have his naked skin on mine the night before.

  “Not so fast,” he said, pushing me away with a dark look on his face.

  “What? What's wrong?”

  “Busting in and decapitating the motherfuckers isn't as simple as it sounds. The Portland boys tell us this place they've got is built like a brick shithouse. Club's got their lawyers doing their damnedest to deflect the shit from the Feds after that warehouse went up like a small fucking nuke. Thank fuck everything around it was abandoned, or we'd really be up shit creek. We can't have another firefight go down like that. Our network with dirty cops in Portland doesn't run as deep, and we'll all end up behind bars if the Chinese trap this place like they did the last one, start blowing shit up when we tango...”

  I wracked my brain. I wasn't even close to cut out for advising on strategy, but there had to be something they could do, some way to take down the bastards torturing my father without drawing too much attention.

  “Does anybody in your Portland crew know Chinese?” I smiled as he looked at me like I'd lost my mind, already knowing the answer. “Thought so. Daddy was going to use me to make sure no tricks were going down when they talked among themselves, back when I thought they had a deal on paper. Maybe there's still some way I can help, figure out what they're really planning.”

  “Elle, no. Fuck no.”

  Asphalt grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a hard shake. “You're not getting within a hundred fucking miles of that city, or between our guns. Besides, even if I lost my mind and let you show up there with us, they'd know something was up, bringing you back. I'm not gonna do it. That idea's completely fucked.”

  “But –“

  “No. We don't need to figure out what the assholes are saying to each other anyway. We just need to kill 'em dead without making too much racket.”

  Honestly, it wasn't like I had a master plan for dealing with the Dragons. But I wanted to help, damn it.

  I wanted him to listen, give me a chance, help me help them save daddy.

  “We need to get ready to leave. I've said all I'm gonna say about this shit, and we'll part ways at this clubhouse tomorrow, assuming the Prez finalizes a viable plan for cleaning up this damned mess.”

  “Leave? Where are we going?”

  “You deserve better than this shitty cot for a good night's rest. I booked a place in town for us tonight. Let's roll.”

  * * * *

  The motel wasn't super fancy, but my aching shoulders didn't care. The bed was a huge improvement over the beat up cot we'd spent several nights on, and even that felt like heaven after the two unforgettable nights I'd had nightmares in the dark, rusty storage unit.

  We grabbed burgers and headed to our room without saying much. I wasn't going to keep fighting him on my offer for assistance. Not today, anyway.

  The tension rolling off him was so thick I could feel it curdling the air.

  Asphalt's entire god-like body rippled in a constant state of tension, just how men always felt when they were about to go off to war.

  Neither of us knew when the trumpet would sound and he'd have to ride off to Portland, or God only knew where. As much as I wanted daddy home and the Dragons buried so all of this could end, I feared for him.

  He had to feel it in my touch. I caressed him a little more gently, and hugged him tighter than before, throwing my arms around his strong neck and pulling him to my lips.

  We'd be fucking soon, both of our bodies begging for it as we twisted playfully in bed, the TV chattering away on low volume behind us. Deep down, I prayed it wouldn't be the last time, but if it was, then I had to make this the best night he'd ever have in his life.

  “Fuck, babe, you've got a kiss men will kill for,” he growled, pulling his lips away from mine after he'd already heated my mouth to about a thousand degrees.

  “Yeah? How many men?” I teased, running my fingers down the middle of his chest, trying not to bite my lip while my touch reminded me how hard, how strong, how ferocious he really was.

  “Don't bullshit me,” he snarled, folding his arms around my waist and flipping me over, until I lay underneath him, my legs spread wide. “You already know I'm the only one who'll ever own this pussy. You're wearing my brand, Elle Jo, and I'm gonna live to see lightning inked all over you.”

  “Mmm,” I said, running my ankles up over his thick calves. “Guess that means you'll have to come home to me safe, after all this is over.”

  “I will fucking die for you, baby girl.” His green eyes and the thunder in his voice turned deadly serious, making my breath catch in my throat. “But not this time. I'm not leaving this earth 'til I've fucked you a thousand times and watched you get fat from all the kids I'm putting in you. I'm not fucking leaving.”

  “Pig! You're really set on this baby thing, aren't you?”

  The crass promise made me laugh. I pushed at his chest, making sure to dig my fingernails in past his shirt, just deep enough for him to feel how bad I wanted it.

  “Yeah, baby, I fucking am. I've already got your ring, your brand, your heart. I want the rest, Elle Jo, and you'd better believe I'm aching every damned night to knock you the fuck up. If you hadn't already been so sloppy with that birth control shit, I'd have flushed your pills down the fucking toilet, I want it so bad.”

  Okay, I officially had a madman on top of me.

  But instead of flipping out or cowering in horror, my pussy melted in my jeans. His insanity turned me on like nothing else, the same raw, masculine possession that made me his before I'd accepted it, when I was just a naive little girl.

  “You're talking crazy, baby,” I whispered softly, running one hand across his cheek. “Daddy's going to need my help when you bring him home. I need to find a good job. He sent me to college for a reason, and I'm not exactly a stay-at-home kinda gal. You know that.”

  “Babe, you know I do. And I don't give a single fuck,” he growled, silencing me with his tongue in my mouth before I could say anything back. “You're giving me a kid, and it's gonna happen soon. I'll take care of the rest. The club'll help your old man, once we see how fucked up he is, and I'll make sure you get a good job.”

  I smiled, shaking my head, already knowing what he was about to suggest.

  “You already learned that Mandarin shit. The club's gaining more international business all the time. No reason you can't learn Russian or German or Japanese, too. Shit, you can learn whatever the fuck they speak in the north pole for all I care, just as long as you're happy.”

  Laughing, I punched him playfully. Asphalt smiled, and wrestled me harder into the covers.

  He'd given me too much to think about today, especially when the danger wasn't close to over. But the nightmare from this morning already seemed like ancient history.

  I swore this man's sex appeal and the good heart he had underneath the roaring bear tattoo did something to bend time, rolled it back. Or maybe he just made me forget, and his body was the best amnesia a girl could ever have.

  His hands pulled at my clothes. He had them off in no time, and then he kicked off his own, exposing each layer of his perfection a little at a time.

  Asphalt's big chest rose and fell when he was naked, his excitement building. I pulled him into me with another kiss, feeling his cock rubbing against me.

  “So fucking tight,” he grunted, pushing into my wet pussy.

  He stretched me, filled me, and held his cock deep. I gasped, electrified with pleasure. My legs locked around his.

  The hunger was too great tonight. This wasn't a time
to take it slow and explore. I needed to be fucked – hard.

  I arched my body, pushing my lips eagerly against his. He growled into my mouth and began moving his hips, fucking his way into me, making my whole pussy ripple with his power.

  My clit burned. Each thrust came harder, and I wanted even more.

  I needed him to fling me around the bed tonight, take me, own me the way he'd promised. It had to be hard, rough, and merciless so I'd have something to hold onto, something I'd never forget.

  Bad things had already happened. In this life, the worst was always around the corner. If it came, I didn't want regrets.

  I had to get fucked so hard I'd remember this night forever. Remember the raw love and energy in every bed slapping thrust.

  I took him eagerly, moaning when he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, digging his teeth in. Asphalt thrust harder, holding his pubic bone against me, grinding his dick inside me like a bull in rut.

  “There, there!” I whimpered, breaking the latest kiss. “Harder.”

  Our eyes were electrified. I saw unbridled lust in his jade, and they reflected the same lightning in my own soft blue eyes, suddenly alive with the need to fuck like mad for just one night.

  “Fuck, baby girl, sometimes you make me wanna do nasty, terrible shit.” He slowed for a second, twisting my blonde locks around his fingers.

  “So do it,” I said, throwing my hips into his. “Do them all.”

  I wasn't sure what kind of challenge I'd just given him, but he accepted. Next thing I knew, he pulled out, and flipped me over, slamming me down on the bed with one hand in the small of my back.

  “You'll hurt for me a little first,” he growled, rubbing his stubble against my ear. “Then you'll feel so damned good you'll never know how you lived without being fucked with no limits, Elle Jo.”

  That was the only warning I got before he shut up and brought his open palm down on my ass. I jerked with surprise, feeling the hot, red needles shooting through my buttocks.

  I'd left myself wide open. His cock pushed against my pussy, sinking into me from behind, picking up where he'd left off.

  “You fuck me with everything you've got, little girl, or I'll hit you harder. Show me you fucking love me, babe. Show me you can become a total goddamned slut when you're not teasing me with those soft kisses and the fire on your lips.”