by Hilliard, RB
After talking for a good hour, they made tentative plans for Reyn to figure a way out and Camille to come and get her. They hung up with the promise to talk later.
Chapter Thirteen
AS REYN GAZED around Buck’s masculine but modest room, she had a moment of clarity. If she was this crazy for the guy after only two days, then lord only knew what would happen if she stayed. She’d fallen for a motorcycle man once, and he’d shattered her heart. The fear of it happening again was more than she could handle; more than she wanted to risk. Her thoughts drifted to last night. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Buck must have found her in the chair and moved her. Had he then crawled into bed beside her, or had he spent the night somewhere else? Jealousy reared its ugly head as she envisioned him with Tara.
Sighing, she dropped back onto the bed. Of course, it smelled of Buck. She smiled. A giant, yummy Clay cloud. She thought of his magic lips. Lord, but the man could kiss. Sex with him would be amazing. This got her thinking about how long it had been since she’d had an orgasm. At least six months. Poor Tom. He was such a good guy. What he was lacking in bed he made up for in kindness. She thought it would be enough. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought that she would never see him again. Ugh! Look at her. This is what she did. She worried. She fantasized. She made shit up in her head. She cried entirely too much.
Snuggling deeper into the pillows, Reyn tried to think about something else. This lasted all of two seconds before her mind was back on Buck. Clay Buckson, my how he’d changed over the years. Now he was a member of a motorcycle club. In her conversation with Ax the other night, he made reference to Zeke and what Buck had suffered for her. What exactly had he suffered? Buck was the reason she’d made it out of that hellhole, but something told her that’s not what Ax was talking about. If only she’d never met Zeke Mirenis, how different her life would be.
Zeke had drawn Reyn in from the get-go. He knew just what to say and how to say it, making her feel beautiful and wanted, as if she was the only woman in the world. He was a predator. A classic abuser who built her up, and then bit by bit broke her back down. Her friends tried to tell her. Her mother tried to tell her, but she was in too deep and refused to listen. She didn’t want to admit that he was changing her. When he started spending more nights away than with her, she began to question things, to question him. Zeke was one of those people who had an answer for everything. Reyn believed him because she wanted to, but deep down she knew the truth. The first time he slapped her she tried to leave. Smooth talker that he was, he got her to stay. He said it would never happen again and that he loved her. Stupid girl that she was, she believed him. It only got worse from there. If she voiced her doubt, he would turn violent. Open hand slaps became punches. The worst, though, were the kicks. He liked to wear biker boots and had a thing for her ribs.
After years of therapy—only when she was far enough removed and could look back on that time objectively—could Reyn see Zeke for the abuser that he was. She came to understand that she wasn’t alone, that there were millions of women in the world who had experienced the same thing—many who were still experiencing it. The fear of it happening again spurred her to take action. Learning how to defend herself helped her to take back control. Never again would she be a victim. Zeke took something from her. Because of him she was guarded and afraid to fall in love. She didn’t have to worry about that with Tom, but Buck . . . well, he was a different story.
Stroking her hand over his pillow, she murmured, “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were here, or that this place even existed.” Her mind wandered to that first year back in Austin and how difficult it had been for her. How she not only suffered from self-doubt but had crippling panic attacks on a daily basis. Her therapy bills were insanely expensive. She would go to work and come home, where she would lock herself inside her apartment and cry herself to sleep.
About five months in, right when she was ready to give up and move back to Virginia, two things happened: she found her future home, and her boss told her to hire an assistant. On day one of the interviews, in strolled Camille Devry. Camille with the long, curly hair and gorgeous chocolate skin, who with her sassy attitude and quick-witted responses reminded Reyn of the girl she’d once been—the woman she wished she could be again.
Camille was the reason that Reyn ended up staying in Austin. Their close friendship and her amazing house filled her up, and slowly she began to heal. She began to date. What she didn’t do was get emotionally involved. Then she met Tom—stiff, boring Tom who didn’t care that she’d locked her heart down so tight it was barely beating. She was enough for him, and for a while, he was enough for her. Then he wasn’t. Now, Tom was dead, and Buck was messing with her head and with her heart.
“I feel like I’m losing myself,” she whispered.
A knock on the door, followed by a “Reyn, are you awake?” brought her up short. Gasping, she sat up. Shit! She was still in leggings and a ratty t-shirt. Not only that but her hair was an absolute nightmare. Whispering a string of curses, she scrambled off the bed. Her feet hit the ground right as Buck’s bedroom door swung open and in walked a woman. Reyn froze, her wide eyes pinned on the skintight jeans and tube top that barely covered some freakishly huge boobs. Realizing that she was staring, she quickly lifted her gaze, only to catch a pair of big, brown eyes scanning her from head to toe. Talk about karmic hell. Laughter bubbled up and shot from her lips. Here she stood, a little over five feet tall with zero tits and even less of an ass, her hair frizzed to high hell due to lack of product, while wearing an outfit she wouldn’t normally be caught dead in. The thought that she was seeing Tara for the first time while dressed like a homeless person only made her laugh harder.
Bubblegum pink lips split into a supermodel smile. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in. I’m Hannah. Buck asked me to come and get you for breakfast.” Oh, thank Jesus, Reyn thought. This brown-haired beauty with killer streaks of blonde piled on top of her head and a face made up in a way that screamed “biker babe” wasn’t Tara.
Reyn’s laughter died as Hannah’s words began to register. Did she say breakfast? No way was she going to breakfast with a bunch of hot bikers looking like this. “I can’t go down there looking like this.” This got her another bubblegum smile.
“How about this, I’ll hop next door to clean while you get ready.”
Get ready? With what? She had the clothes she arrived in plus the ratty t-shirt and leggings she’d been wearing for the past two nights. That was it. “You don’t understand. I have no clothes.” Touching her hair, she added, “This requires product, a hairdryer, and at least an hour of time.” Pointing to her face, she said, “Add another half hour for makeup, and I could be ready in, oh, let’s say two hours.”
Hannah laughed. “Okay, let me think for a second. Buck is out. I could call and see if he could stop by your place and pick up your things on the way back.” The smile froze on her face. This was the chance she’d been waiting for.
“Buck is busy. You don’t have to bother him. You could drive me, or if that’s inconvenient, I could just have my friend come and get me.”
“I wish I could, but we’re on lockdown. Buck left specific instructions for me to take you down to breakfast and then back up to his room. He said you could hang in the upstairs den if you want.” Shit. Getting out was going to be more difficult than she thought. “Why don’t you make a list of the things you need. I’ll lob a call to Buck and ask him to grab them for you. In the meantime, I’ll bring your breakfast up here, that way you don’t have to see anyone if you don’t want to.”
Reyn wanted to scream, Just give me my fucking phone and let me go! Instead she muttered a dejected, “Thanks.” She then made Hannah the damn list, all the while cursing Buck and his stupid freaking motorcycle club.
While Hannah was downstairs fetching her breakfast, Reyn took the opportunity to dig through his drawers for a t-shirt. Black or white were her choices. Bo-ring. The man seriously needed s
ome color in his life.
The next time she heard a knock, she was better prepared. With the hem of Buck’s shirt twisted into a fashionable knot at her waist and her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she no longer looked like a homeless person.
“Come in!” she called out. The door opened and her eyes immediately landed on the tray piled with food. “That looks—” she started to say delicious, but the word faded to silence when she saw that Hannah wasn’t the one holding the tray.
“Hannah was busy, so I offered to bring this up for her. After the other night, I thought it was time that we met. I’m Tara.”
So, this was Tara. And Reyn thought Hannah screamed “biker babe.” The first word that came to mind was “Dark.” Dark hair, dark eyes, dark lipstick, dark top. Wait, were those leather pants? They were. Black leather, kickass pants that melded perfectly to her ridiculously long legs—legs that ended in black biker boots with a jeweled buckle. Jealousy burned through Reyn as Tara strutted her dark ass over to Buck’s bed—the same bed she’d found her naked in two nights ago—and set down the tray. As if staking her claim, she took a seat beside it. Crossing one leg over the other, she plucked a piece of bacon from the plate and took a bite. The whole time she glared at Reyn, as if daring her to say something. Reyn stood there watching and waiting. She wasn’t afraid. A simple palm strike or snap kick could take Tara out. She needed her, though.
Uncomfortable silence stretched between them as Tara proceeded to chow on two more pieces of bacon. Reyn had to play it cool. Tara may be a ginormous bitch, but she was Reyn’s ticket out of this place.
After digging a piece of bacon out from between her teeth with a long, black fingernail, Tara finally spoke. “You seem like a nice girl. Buck really likes you.” Her dark lips split into a condescending smile. “He likes me, too. He also likes Hannah, and Shelly, and even Treena on occasion.” Head cocked to the side, she asked, “Do you see where I’m going with this? That’s how we roll around here. I may be wrong, but that doesn’t really seem like your style. If you’re down with it, though, I would be willing to share, just as long as you know the score.”
Reyn almost choked on the urge to tell the bitch to go fuck herself. She was pretty sure her tongue had permanent teeth marks on it from biting down so hard. “Yeah, that’s not really my thing, but even if I wanted to leave, it’s not like I can just walk out of here during a lockdown, so it looks like you’re kind of stuck with me.” Reyn gave her a what’s-a-girl-to-do smile.
Tara’s entire frame tensed. “We’re on lockdown because you brought those men to our back door, bitch.”
Reyn’s stomach lurched. Stupid Buck. This was what she was afraid of, what she was trying to prevent from happening. “That was never my intention. Look, I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here, so if there’s a way out, then tell me and I’m gone.” She held her breath, hoping that Tara would bite. She did.
“About a mile north of here behind the old barn is a gate. No one patrols back there, and they don’t have eyes on it. It’s covered in ivy, so you’ll have to search for it, but it’s there.”
Pulse racing with excitement, Reyn asked, “Where does it lead?”
“To the main road, but you’ll have to be quick. Steele wants everyone here and accounted for by five.”
“What if they catch me?”
“They won’t. I’ll get you out the door. After that, it’s up to you, but I’m warning you, if you get caught and rat me out, I’ll make you pay.”
Chapter Fourteen
BUCK PULLED UP to the gate and waited for Chopper to wave him through. With the club on lockdown, they would now be enforcing twenty-four-hour gate duty. Normally this fell to a prospect. Steele must have wanted Chopper there for a reason—probably because he was a mean motherfucker who took no shit. As far as Buck was concerned, they should have a man on the gate all the time. Then again, if it was up to Buck the gate wouldn’t be so damn far away from the fucking house in the first place.
Jesus, he was tired. After staying up all night installing the extra cameras, he’d sucked down one lousy cup of coffee before he had to hop on his bike and ride twenty-two miles to Vicky’s grandmother’s house. Vicky’s dead grandmother. They’d found the old broad in her kitchen with a bullet through her head, her brains splattered all over the damn place. Just what Buck wanted to see first thing in the morning. Steele wouldn’t answer his damn phone, so Buck and Ax pulled on gloves and searched the place, hoping to find something that would lead them to Vicky. All they found were a few pictures in the old lady’s drawer of the bitch standing in front of a local nightclub called Angst. That was it. No phone number. No address. Just a few pictures in front of a club. Was the old lady’s death just another coincidence? Buck’s gut said no. He felt bad about leaving her there, but as Carver was already chomping at the bit to implicate the club, they really had no choice. By the time they left the old lady’s house, Buck was in a rotten mood.
Cars lined the field as they pulled around back and parked their bikes. Tables were out on the lawn and Buck could see Doc and Sledge’s women hanging with their kids in the side yard. In a few short hours the place would be his worst fucking nightmare. Glenda and Aimee spotted them and waved.
Ax waved back at the women, while under his breath whining, “Can’t we go to your place?” Buck would love nothing more than to head to his place, but lockdown was ironclad and enforced. Everyone had to be accounted for at all times. Ax knew this better than anyone.
Surprised by his comment, Buck asked, “What’s up your ass?”
“Nothing. I’m just tired and not in the mood for a bunch of screaming kids.” Buck knew the truth. Ax didn’t want to see Sage.
Sage’s man, Gibby, was one of the brothers who died four years ago in the ambush. At the time of his death, they had a one-year-old little girl named Petal. Ax and Sage had gotten close over the years. Maybe a little too close. Something happened and they were now avoiding each other like the plague. Buck could see how hard it was for his brother. He loved Petal as if she was his own kid. He loved her mother, too, even though he wouldn’t admit it. Rumor had it that Sage was dating someone and they were supposedly tight.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Nope. I’m gonna get drunk, and then I’m gonna get laid, in that exact order. How about you?” Buck answered with a smile, and Ax laughed.
They’d barely made it through the door when Buck’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Thinking Steele was finally getting back to him, he fished it out to check. His brow furrowed when he noticed both a missed call and text from Grover. Grover wouldn’t call unless something was seriously wrong. As far as texting, Buck didn’t know the guy knew how. Grover’s text read: Tried to call. Not sure where you are, but thought you might want to know that your little birdy is flying the coop. She’s in the north pasture headed toward the old barn. Do you need me to intercept, or do you have it covered?
Buck couldn’t believe what he was reading—couldn’t believe Reyn would be that stupid. He was protecting her. His fucking club was protecting her. Was this some kind of sick joke to her? Some death wish? Did she want those fuckers to catch her?
“Fuck, all she had to do was chill here. That’s it.” Buck quietly exclaimed, before typing, I’m on it, to Grover.
“Everything okay?” Ax asked.
“Fuck no. Grover just spotted Reyn in the north pasture heading toward the barn.”
Ax frowned. “Why would sh—” Understanding dawned and he whispered, “Fuuuuck.”
Fuck was right. Buck took off before Ax could question how Reyn knew about the back gate. He was wondering the same thing. He hit the kitchen at a run and nearly ran smack-dab into Tara.
“I was looking for you. I was just upstairs cleaning and happened to look out the window. I could swear I saw Reyn near the north pasture. I stopped by your room to make sure I hadn’t imagined it, and she’s not there, Buck. I’m worried.”
Loco, who appeared to be makin
g a sandwich, asked, “What’s she doing in the north pasture?”
“Running from Buck,” Ax answered on a laugh.
Cutting his eyes to Ax, Buck growled, “Not fucking funny,” then squeezing Tara’s arm, he said, “thanks, Babe, I’ve got it handled from here.”
As Buck headed out the door with Ax on his tail, he heard Loco shout, “Hold up! I’m coming with you.” They ran into Steele and Taz in the yard, and Ax filled them in.
“How’d she know about the back gate?” was the first thing out of Steele’s mouth. That’s what Buck wanted to know. Only patched members knew about it. That is, patched members and now apparently Reyn. Buck hoped she couldn’t find the damn thing.
“I fucking told you we needed eyes back there,” he grumbled. Fuck, this was bad. If it had been just him, he might be able to keep it contained, but now that Steele was involved, there was no way for him to soften the blow. He was going to have to make Reyn understand how serious this was. Jesus, the woman was a giant pain in his ass.
“If we jump the fence here, we can catch her before she hits the road,” Steele announced—the fence being over six feet of barbed wire. The five of them managed to get over without doing too much damage, although, Ax did bitch about possibly puncturing a nut. Even though they joked about it, everyone knew how serious this was. Everyone but Reyn, apparently. Buck’s anger increased with each step. The thought that she’d played him by crying her gorgeous eyes out and saying she was worried about hurting the club—made him think she was grateful for his protection, his club’s protection, when all along she was planning to run—infuriated him beyond words.
Steele stepped up beside him, and Buck angrily clipped, “You don’t have to say it, I already know.”
“I know you do, but I’m giving it to you anyway. One more stunt like this and she’s out.”