by Nikki Wild
Yeah, the cops and the mob were both looking for her, but I figured I might approach it from a different angle. I’d learned a lot growing up in New York, and if I knew anything, it’s that a pair of tits can go a long way when necessary. You just had to use them correctly.
When I saw the way the bartender glued his eyes to my chest as soon as I walked up, I knew I was off to a good start.
“Corona, please,” I asked, flashing him a sultry smile. I knew better than to ask for wine at a place like this. The likelihood of them having a decent cabernet was nonexistent. Beer wasn’t my thing, but if I drowned it in lime juice, then I’d be able to get it down.
There were two bikers at one end of the bar and another guy dressed in normal clothes at the other end. He was incredibly handsome, with dark, smoldering eyes and long dark hair. If I’d been here for any other reason, I’d have sat with him, but instead I choose a stool between the two bikers, hoping I’d be able to pry some information from them.
I felt their eyes on me, and I turned to the one on my right and smiled shyly. He nodded without smiling, his face lined with wrinkles, his wild curly grey hair framing his round face. He was wearing an Iron Godz cut and a large bowie knife was secured in a leather case hanging from his weathered leather belt. He intimidated me immediately. I swallowed a drink from the bottle, hoping for the courage of the beer to hit me sooner than later.
I turned to the man on my left and smiled at him. He was younger, handsomer than his friend, and also wearing a Godz cut. He had a patch on the left side that said “Bonz” on top and “Vice President” below it. He smiled back at me, his eyes a bit kinder than the other guy.
I took a deep breath and began talking to the bartender.
“I saw this place on the news the other day,” I said.
“Yeah,” he grunted, without turning around.
“Looked pretty dramatic,” I said, turning to the biker on my left. He nodded slowly, his eyes raking over my tits and then back up to my face.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied.
“Were you here?” I asked him, doing my best to sound innocent and young.
“Yeah,” he grunted, taking a swig from his whiskey. “The news makes it out to be more than it was.”
“Oh, really? I guess that girl is still missing, isn’t she?” My stomach quivered.
“Probably won’t be for long. Someone’ll find her,” he said, his voice low and quiet.
“Where do you think she is?” I asked, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I smiled at him again. He turned in his seat and leaned in towards me.
“You always ask this many questions?” His eyes peered into mine and my heart sped up.
“I - um - I was just curious, you know?”
“No, I don’t know,” he said, bringing his face even closer. “You a reporter or something?”
“Me?” I exclaimed, putting my hand over my heart and leaning away from him slightly. “No way, not at all!”
“Then why else would a girl like you come to a place like this?”
“I just wanted a beer, that’s all,” I said, my heart feeling like it was about to pound its way out of my chest.
“There’s only one reason a girl like you comes in a place like this,” he growled, the kindness I’d thought I’d spotted in his eyes earlier draining away. “And it ain’t beer.”
“Oh!” I said, grabbing my beer and putting it between us. Thankfully, he pulled back and sat back on his stool. I took a deep breath, and tried again. “Do you think that’s why that girl on the news came here?”
“For what? To get fucked?” his friend asked, and then began roaring in laughter. “Of course she did!”
The bartender nodded and then joined in the laughter. I giggled nervously, now at a complete loss for words. Once again, I wished that I’d thought this out better before coming in.
“And you know that fucking asshole from the Deadly Sinners is fucking her every which way right now,” he said, slamming his hand on the bar loudly and laughing.
“Well,” the handsome one growled, “he better enjoy it, because once everyone catches up to him, he ain’t gonna be fucking anyone. He’ll be ripped to shreds!”
They howled in laughter together and I nodded silently, an awkward crooked smile on my face.
“Does anyone know where they are?” I asked quietly.
“Not yet. But it won’t be long before they find them. Hell, half the fucking city is looking for them. They’ll be found and soon.”
I took another swig of my beer and nodded.
“Well, have a nice day guys,” I said, before throwing down a ten dollar bill on the bar.
This was a really bad idea, in fact, it was the last of a string of really bad ideas. Coming here the first time was the first. Bragging about it to my best friend was the second.
I suppressed a groan as I walked out back into the sunlight.
Gabby’s disappearance was all my fault, and I shuddered to think about what she must be going through right now. She might not even be alive, for fuck’s sake. Tears stung my eyes as I walked back to my car. I was the worst friend in the whole fucking world.
“Hey!”
I turned toward the voice and saw the handsome guy from the end of the bar walking towards me. He was young. Extremely hot. And there was something about his eyes that yelled mysteriousness and mischievousness, all at the same time. He reminded me a little of the boys from the neighborhood, the Italian guys that walked around like a bunch of peacocks like they were born with confidence dripping from their veins. The cocky guys that I’d always had a weakness for, even if I knew they were full of shit.
“Yeah?” I asked, feeling him out, just as I did every man who approached me. It was a constant game you had to play with yourself as a woman. Danger or safe? Murderer or nice guy? It could go either way, and all I had to go on was my intuition, which unfortunately steered me wrong every now and then. For the most part, though, this guy seemed harmless. Maybe it was the playfulness in his eyes, or maybe the smile that disarmed me, but I wasn’t afraid of him.
“You looking for Gabby?” he asked, grinning.
“You know Gabby?” I asked, my heart jumping in my throat.
“I heard you asking about her. Who are you?” he asked.
“I’m her best friend. Her roommate. Bella Balducci,” I said, putting out my hand. “What’s your name?”
“Romeo,” he replied, grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it, flashing me that smile, drawing me in closer. “Why don’t you come with me? I know where she is. I’ll take you to her.”
“Why should I trust you, Romeo?” I replied with a playful smile, my nipples hardening under my black lace bra.
“Who else you gonna trust, right?” he asked. “Not for nuttin,” he said, his eyes raking over my body, undressing me, “but you look like my kind of girl. Maybe we can get to know each other a little better.”
I smirked and walked closer to him, bringing my lips inches from his gorgeous face.
“Maybe so,” I whispered. “But right now, I’m worried about my friend.”
“She’s safe,” he said, with a grin, “trust me.”
“My Ma told me to stay away from men like you,” I teased.
“You always do what your Ma tells you?”
“Pretty much never,” I smirked.
“Good girl,” he growled, his eyes hungry with lust.
“So, you’re going to take me to Gabby, huh?” I asked. “Why don’t you just tell me where she is? I can go myself.”
“I would, but it’s easier to show you,” he said, running his hand through his hair. He was sexy, beyond sexy, actually. Just drinking in his mysterious sexiness made my body sing. He was one of the hottest guys I’d ever seen, and yet I had to remind myself that he was a stranger. Was I really just going to disappear with some handsome stranger - again?
For fuck’s sake, Bella, what are you doing? I thought. I sighed, knowing I was going to give in, despite
the warning signs. What else was I going to do? He said he knew where Gabby was.
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s go,” I said, turning to my car.
“No way,” he replied, shaking his head slowly, his eyes raking over my body again. My nipples hardened under my blouse and my stomach quivered.
“Get on my bike,” he said, pointing to a shiny black Harley parked behind me.
“You’re a biker, too?”
“I guess you could say that,” he shrugged, strutting past me, dripping with confidence that I would follow.
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, doing just that. I followed him like a desperate puppy, those first threads of desire beginning to grow in my belly.
He handed me a helmet and I pulled it over my head, ruining the blow-out I’d spent so much time on earlier. I slid behind him on the bike, my stomach filling with butterflies as I assumed the intimate position behind him.
My pussy, my breasts, the insides of my thighs pressed against him like we were already lovers. I shook my head as my body shuddered with desire, my nipples hard as diamonds as I wrapped my arms around his waist.
We roared out of the parking lot, the gravel kicking up behind us as we headed out of town.
Gabby
After frantically making love again, I’d left Dante dozing in the bedroom once again to make lunch. Bear watched me move around the kitchen, his lazy eyes following me as I opened cabinets and the fridge, trying to find something to cook. There wasn’t much outside of sandwich makings, so I set about making a few for us.
I knew Dante would be starving by the time he woke up since both of us had skipped breakfast and spent the last few hours fucking like rabbits. Talking seemed useless and we were getting nowhere, so by the time he’d kissed me, I just submitted to his touch and let him take me back to the bedroom…again.
This was becoming a habit, I thought.
It was just so much easier than fighting, though. So much better than flinging accusing words at each other.
Yeah, okay, so he’d lied to me, but I could almost understand why. He didn’t have the same trust in my father that I did, and that made sense, because who in their right mind would?
My father’s reputation preceded him, always. I’d learned that long ago. I learned it by the look in a stranger’s eye as soon as they learned who my father was. It never failed. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say most people didn’t trust me either when they learned my last name.
I guess that’s why I’d been so into Dante not knowing who I was at first. That’s what was so thrilling about going into Otto’s in the first place. I’d spent all my life wishing I was someone else. It was nice to pretend for a minute.
Unfortunately, there was no more pretending. The proverbial cat was out of the bag.
I’d just finished cutting up a tomato, when Bear began whining at the door. I put the knife down and wiped my hands on a towel and walked to the door to let him out. The morning sun had moved overhead, shining directly down on the cabin, the dew on the leaves long dried up. Birds chirped loudly, their song so clear and beautiful out here in the peacefulness of the woods.
I wasn’t used to all this peace and quiet, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to live in a place like this. So secluded from everyone. So shut-off from the hustle and bustle of the street. I was used to the frantic pace of the city, the kids playing on the sidewalks, their moms sitting on the stoops of their brownstones watching them, gossiping with the other moms. I guess I’d always pictured my life to be like that. More of the same. Every day the same. The same people. The same places. The same conversations.
Dante lived a whole different life than I did. It seemed to suit him, though. I guess when you’ve been to war, your need for peace and quiet becomes greater when you return. I thought of Dante, and my heart softened. He’d been through a lot. Growing up in Queens was hard enough. But then he’d lost Maggie. He’d gone to war. I couldn’t even imagine the things he’d seen, and to be honest, I didn’t want to. It was too much to think about. Too painful to think about the man I cared about going through all of that.
But all of it made me wonder how much pain and grief he was holding in. Years had passed, but that kind of pain stays with you, that kind of experience lingers long after you’ve left it behind.
And yet, there was still something so gentle about him. He was full of pride. He was stubborn. He was fucking strong as a bull, and yet he touched me as if he thought I might break sometimes. And then there were those moments when he lost himself, and his touch became more forceful, more desperate, more like he was searching for something, for something that he couldn’t quite reach.
I shook my head, watching Bear pee against a tree, my head swimming with thoughts of Dante. I was falling for him, I knew it now. There was something about him that I was not going to be able to easily shake.
Once again, part of me wished like hell we’d met under different circumstances. Wishing was going to get me nowhere, though. I had to play the hand I was dealt, whether I liked it or not.
Bear spotted a squirrel and darted into the woods.
“Bear - no!” I whispered, not wanting to wake up Dante by yelling. We were right outside of his bedroom window. “Dammit!” I muttered, following him into the woods.
I couldn’t believe how fast he’d run away, considering he usually took at least three minutes to get to his feet.
He was deep in the woods before I could catch him, so I trailed after him, the leaves crunching under my feet with every step. He rounded a corner and disappeared and I sighed, following along as quickly as I could.
His barking became louder and frantic and I felt sorry for the squirrel that he’d most likely been chasing. I turned the corner and screamed when I saw the sight in front of me.
Bear was growling, low and deep, his teeth bared, his eyes wide and menacing. A very large man was standing in front of him, backed into a tree and holding his shaking hands up to hold him off.
My mouth dropped open, and I looked on in awe at the hair standing up on the back of Bear’s neck.
I looked back to the man and noticed his cut. The skull patch above his name was instantly recognizable.
The Iron Godz.
Lauren
“I need more time. I’ve got a lead,” I said into the phone. My boss was on my ass, hounding me for information before I was ready to give it to him. “It’s only been a day, give me a minute!”
I knew I shouldn’t snap at him, but I was beyond irritated. I was lying. I didn’t have a lead. I had absolutely nothing. I’d fucked Tony for nothing and had no luck at Norma’s either.
“You’ve got till tomorrow. The other networks are getting ahead of us on this story. I want to know everything you can find out about the Iron Godz and the Deadly Sinners.”
“Yeah, I know, okay. I’m working on it, I swear.”
“Work faster!” The line went dead in my ear and I threw my phone back in my purse.
Fuck! Now what? I’d spent the night trying to figure out what to do, simultaneously kicking myself for fucking Tony and then furiously masturbating to the memory of it over and over for the rest of the evening. I felt like a fool.
But if I was a fool, I was a determined fool. I wasn’t about to give up.
Today, I was sitting in my car across the street from Otto’s, watching the parking lot for some sign that might point me in the right direction. I’d already watched two of the Iron Godz walk in half an hour ago, followed by another guy on a bike that wasn’t wearing a cut. When I saw the girl walk in, I knew who she was right away.
I might not have gotten too far in my investigation, but I knew who the players were. I’d stalked Gabby’s facebook page, looking for any clues I could find. Bella Balducci was obviously her BFF and was in more than half of her pictures. By reading all the comments on their pages, I had figured out that they lived together, too. I’d have stalked the facebook photos of every single biker, too, but I guess they aren’t too kee
n on social media. The only info I could find came in the form of either arrest records or articles written about their legal troubles. And that was just the Iron Godz. I couldn’t find anything at all on the Deadly Sinners.
Once I spotted Bella, I debated if I should follow her in, but after a few minutes she came back out looking dazed. When I saw the man introduce himself to her, and that teasing exchange afterwards, I knew something was up. When she hoped on the back of his bike, I knew I had the lead I was looking for.
I followed them at a fair distance, keeping a few cars between us. Once they got onto the George Washington Bridge, my interest was definitely peaking. Then, they merged onto the Garden State Parkway and headed for Montclair.
New Jersey, huh? I guess if you wanted to hide out, Jersey was the place to go, I thought. The traffic thinned out and soon there were only two other cars between me and the bike. I slowed down, putting even more distance between us for the next eight miles. Once he’d driven through Montclair and reached the rural outskirts, my heart was beating wildly.
I watched as they slowed down before turning onto a dirt road and disappearing into the tree line. I pulled over on the shoulder, counted to ten, then slowly turned my car onto the dirt road, crawling along and hoping like hell nobody spotted me.
Dante
My growling stomach woke me up. I opened my eyes and blinked away the pain from the bright sunlight. I was definitely more of a night owl, usually staying up all night, drinking and thinking.
I thought about last night, how the hours had melted away while Gabby and I made love all night. It’d been so long since I’d done anything like that, and it had woken up a part of me that had been dormant for way too long.
I found myself possessed with this insatiable hunger for Gabby, and no matter how many times I sank myself into her, it was never enough.
My cock was throbbing hotly between my legs right now, never letting me forget that hunger for a moment. I threw on a pair of jeans, shoved my gun in my waistband and walked out into the living room to find her.