by Jani Kay
It has to be him. The coincidence would just be too much otherwise.
Where the fuck had he come from? Wasn’t he on another fucking continent?
Using all my strength, I rolled to my other side to try to get a look at him. Blood dripped into my eye and my head wanted to burst.
I saw red. Literally.
Lexi. Where the hell was she?
I scanned the floor, but both Lexi and Mia were no longer at my level. The man I’d strangled lay there, his face blue and his thick tongue hanging out, covered in froth.
“I see you’ve met my minion. I’ve finished the fucking job for you. He’s of no use to me anymore.”
“Who the fuck are you? What do you want?” I panted out, trying to manage the pain that shot through my head and insides.
There was a chance he was just some random Irish asshole and not who I thought he was.
His thick brows knitted together and his mouth turned down. “I’m disappointed you don’t know.”
He gripped Lexi’s arm and pulled her to his chest, then scrunched her cheeks in his powerful grip. Everything in me screamed for him to let her go, but I didn’t utter a word.
The fucking Irish. It was him.
According to Wolf he was in Mexico doing business. Seems he was wrong.
“Tell lover boy who I am,” he demanded through gritted teeth.
Lexi just glared at him, not responding to his command. His arm pulled back and he slapped her through the face with such force that the back of her head hit the mirror with a thud.
My insides twisted as I watched the fear flash across her eyes.
“Let’s try that again, sweetheart.”
Lexi. Please don’t be stubborn.
“He . . . you, um . . . you’re the boss of him.” She nodded toward the lifeless body lying a few feet from me.
“And?” he coaxed, gripping her by the hair and roughly pulling her forward.
“You . . . you’ve come a long way to fix the mess he made.”
His menacing chuckle made my blood run cold. He leaned forward and licked Lexi’s cheek, and then the top of her breasts. His tongue all over her drove me crazy.
“That’s right, sweetheart. Fuck, I can’t wait to get my dick in you.”
I growled, my nostrils flaring. “Don’t you fucking touch her.”
“So that’s how it is, huh?” He pushed Lexi aside and took a few steps toward me. His boot came down hard on the side of my face, crushing my jaw. Agony ripped through me.
“What you’ll learn very quickly about me is that I don’t fuck around like that idiot.” He spat on the dead man before he continued. “I can’t believe my luck. Your slut bringing Cobra’s bitch and you to me. I couldn’t have wished for any better. Once I’m rid of the two of you, I’m taking your bitch.” He laughed menacingly. “She’s mine now.”
“You want me?” Lexi said, her voice low and seductive. “Then take me.”
What the fuck?
“I can just tell you’re going to be a good fuck.” His Irish accent was laced with lust. The heel of his boot stamped down hard onto my cheek. “Your bitch has already given up on you. She’s a fucking smart cookie.”
She came to stand in front of me, and my heart quickened. Her foot dug into my side as she kicked my ribs.
“Yeah, I’m tired of him. That’s why I came out tonight. He’s a waste of air.”
Lexi. How could you?
Irish’s foot came off my face. I turned my head, only to witness Lexi rubbing her tits up against him. “I’ve seen how you’ve been looking at me,” she said, placing her hand on his crotch and rubbing. “My grandfather was Irish. Does that make it incest if we fuck?”
The man roared with laughter. “Beautiful and funny. I think we’re going to have fun, baby.”
“If you fuck as hard as you slap, I’m your woman. I like it rough,” she said with a grin. “The harder, the better.”
“Show me you mean it. Suck my cock.” He yanked her by the hair and pushed her to her knees. She fell down beside me, avoiding my gaze.
I glared at her, my pride and heart broken. I couldn’t watch her blow Irish’s dick, yet I couldn’t look away either.
She ignored me completely, unzipping his jeans as she licked her lips. His erection sprang free and she fisted his cock in one hand and squeezed his balls in her other palm.
A guttural groan rumbled from Irish’s chest. Fucker loved it.
Lexi made a sexy moaning sound as she opened her mouth and swallowed his whole cock while dropping his pants to his ankles and turning him slightly so he faced away from me.
Really? As if I wouldn’t know that she was sucking his fucking cock.
Within seconds I brought my knees to my chest and with the razor’s imbedded into the toes of my boots, I slashed through the ties around my wrists. I flinched as the edge of the blade cut into my own flesh in my eagerness to set myself free, but I didn’t care.
I kicked forward, the blades ripping through the flesh of his calves. Aiming for his naked ass, I repeated the action again. He cursed and swung toward me, his fucking wet dick in my face as I rose to my feet.
Dizzy, and my head throbbing with pain, I touched the back of my head. Warm sticky blood coated my palm.
He’s going down.
I couldn’t resist. The razors slashed through the tender flesh as I kicked him in the balls and then clean cut off the tip of his dick. He howled, toppling over as he clutched his genitals.
“I’m going to slice and dice you to fucking shreds,” I bellowed, aiming at his naked ass. The deep gash I’d inflicted moments ago seeped with blood. I added another slash across his skin. With a satisfied smirk I watched as more blood appeared and gushed from the open wounds.
My foot rested on his back, tramping him into the ground and keeping him still.
First I needed to get the women out and to safety. I didn’t want them to see how I was going to send Irish straight to hell. My strength was fading and I needed to conserve my energy for the task that lay ahead.
“Ox,” I yelled as loud as I could. I’d had enough of this shit. All I wanted was to end it and go home.
Seconds later the door burst open and Ox’s frame filled the opening.
“What took you so fucking long?” he growled, a deep frown dipping his brows and scorn on his lips. Ox hated to miss the action.
My gaze met his and I tilted my head toward Lexi and Mia without a word. I was having difficulty breathing with the pain splitting my head in two.
Lexi rushed into Ox’s arms, trembling, and buried her face in his chest. His arms folded around her and held her tight.
Fuck. It should be me she rushes to.
“You okay?” Ox asked in a gruff voice and I wasn’t sure who he was addressing, so I simply nodded.
“Get the girls out. Mia needs help fast.”
Lexi pulled away from Ox and opened her mouth to speak. I didn’t have time for her smart mouth. Not now. “Go with Ox,” I snapped and turned back to Irish in case he tried to get smart.
I should’ve been mad at Lexi, but all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms. I understood that she did what she had to do to distract the scumbag, but it was fucking dangerous and things could’ve just as easily have gone wrong.
A shudder ran down my spine and I gritted my teeth.
Irish was a dead man. The sight of his cock in Lexi’s mouth flashed through my mind, sending rage coursing through my bloodstream.
Mia, hanging by a thread because of him and his minion wasn’t a good thing. Irish was lucky it was me who’d end his miserable life and not Cobra when he found out what happened to his woman. My brother would slice his cock and feed it to him—something I considered doing myself.
A lowlife like him doesn’t deserve a quick death.
As soon as Ox had carried Mia out, he closed the door behind him. He knew what was coming next.
I’d come to do a man’s job. To put an end to the shit that had plagued our club a
nd endangered the lives of every member.
With grim determination, I grabbed the plastic cup that had rolled under the sink and filled it with cold water.
“Wake up, you fucking bastard.” I threw the water over his face. With a jolt, he sat upright, terror in his eyes as he recognized me. I chuckled softly. “I want you to be aware of what’s happening to you as you bleed out.”
I kicked the side of my boot against the wall, grinning as a long thin custom made razor blade made its appearance, the light catching the sharp shiny edge. Ahhh, finally I’d get what I’d been waiting for.
His eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he swallowed hard.
“Yeah, fucker, these are real. You thought it was an urban legend, didn’t you?”
His hands wrapped around his neck.
“That’s no use,” I rumbled, slashing through his fingers with my switchblade, before impaling the weapon into his right thigh, midway between his groin and his knee.
He screamed and immediately moved to pull the knife from his leg, blood gushing fucking everywhere.
Bad mistake.
Really bad. And exactly how I expected him to react.
His neck was wide open and unprotected. It couldn’t have been any easier.
In a matter of seconds, I’d raise my leg. The blade from my boot would slash through his jugular vein. As blood spurted out, he’d make a gargling sound back in his throat. Every time I’d heard it before, it sounded like a nightingale’s song to my ears.
Then I’d wait and watch his eyes. Like a candle’s flame giving one last bright flicker before the darkness.
“Death by Razor,” I said in my calmest voice, preparing him for the end. He pissed himself. They always did.
Was Irish the mastermind behind the hit on Cobra and several other deaths I’d heard about? Or did he have a boss, too—someone higher who gave the orders. Maybe I should interrogate him and find out what he had planned. Who else was on the hit list?
Stop.
Don’t kill Irish.
He’s far more valuable alive than dead.
Getting the information from him could save lives. The danger to Cobra was still a threat. Ryder’s name was on that list. And mine. Who else?
I pulled him up to a sitting position by his hair, made a fist with my right hand, and slammed it into his ugly face. Again and again, pounding his flesh until his eyes were swollen shut and my anger lessened.
I dropped my hands.
“You should’ve bought a fucking lottery ticket. I’m not gonna kill you. Not today.”
I knew what I had to do. I had to hand him to the cops for interrogation. Let the law deal with him, instead of acting out on my own.
Fuck. What the hell is wrong with me. I’d never backed down from ending a man’s life when it needed to be done. But I had to do the right thing. For once in my life it wasn’t just about what I wanted. It was about the good of everyone I cared about. My family. The club. Everyone whose life was under threat by this piece of scum.
Either it was the dumbest or the smartest thing I’d ever do. I fished my phone out of my pocket and rang Summers. He’d know how to handle this.
I’d fucking step away and let Summers take over.
What would Cobra think? He’d tell me I was doing the right thing. Thinking instead of reacting on impulse.
Pride swelled in my chest.
I finally did it.
20 — Lexi
How did he know where to find me?
Razor had the uncanny ability to show up out of nowhere exactly when I needed him most. He had a sixth sense where I was concerned, finding me and saving my ass in spite of my rebellion. But this time it was so much worse. Bringing Mia with me and placing her life in danger was unforgivable.
It was all my fault. As usual.
I was bad fucking news. People got hurt or even worse—died—whenever they were around me and I should’ve know better by now. Mia didn’t deserve this and Cobra was going to skin me alive for dragging her along because I was restless and in a state of turmoil.
My heart quickened its pace. I was proud that Razor had risked everything to save me . . . and Mia, of course. Not that I’d ever believed I needed saving. I was way too independent and stubborn to admit it to anyone.
Knights on white horses saving damsels in distress was pure bullshit, the kind of fairy tale I read to sweet little Isabella that made her swoon and dream like all little girls who didn’t know any better. But I did. As a kid I’d already worked out that we were all alone in this world and that if we needed saving, we’d have to help ourselves.
Razor had turned all my beliefs on their head. He showed me that I didn’t need to be alone, nor afraid to show my vulnerability. But most of all he showed me that I didn’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.
And then it hit me like a landslide: as hard as I’d resisted Razor’s attempts to getting closer to me, that much I wanted him to fight for me. It was kinda ridiculous, but I needed him to prove that he wanted me just as I was. Damaged and dysfunctional parts included. He had to show me that I didn’t need to change and be somebody else before he could love me.
Razor’s rage was unmistakeable and I knew he’d make me pay for what I’d done. Yet he couldn’t hide the worry or the love that radiated from his eyes whenever he’d glanced at me.
That love, those fleeting moments of unconditional acceptance, was what spurred me on to be brave. One way or another I hadn’t really cared what happened to me, but for once I was forced to care more about somebody else than myself. In the strangest of ways, it was liberating to take the focus off myself for a few moments and care about another person more.
Maybe Alexis Clarke grew up in that moment.
Maybe I saw for the first time that it wasn’t always about me and how I felt.
It had taken something as serious as nearly having one of my best friends killed for the light to switch on in my dark brain. I dropped my head in shame and prayed that Mia would be okay. I prayed for her forgiveness, too. After everything she’d been through, she deserved a fucking break. It struck me that I had a lot to learn about sacrifice and true love, and Mia was one person I could learn from. Her strength and loyalty and unconditional love for her man was something I could aspire to.
My arms wrapped around my body as a cold shiver ran through me. What if it was too late to tell Razor how I felt about him. What if he changed his mind after my stupid little stint and decided he didn’t want me anymore? I couldn’t blame him. After all, I’d repeatedly shunned him, and even run from him.
What if he decided I wasn’t worth fighting for?
It would crush me. Break my fucking heart into a million pieces.
If only I’d realized it earlier, before I acted out. Before I lost his respect. Because surely he’d have no time for me after that night. Razor was loyal to the bone. He could be an asshole showing it sometimes, but there never was any question about where he stood in regards to things that mattered to him. He was vocal about his beliefs, even if nobody agreed with him. That took a lot more courage than shrinking away from speaking his mind because he knew it wouldn’t be popular.
A new respect for the man lit up inside me. I’d mistaken Razor for a loser when in fact he’d been true to himself all along.
My heart weighed me down like a lead balloon. In the same moment that I’d realized I was in love with the biker, I also realized that it was probably too late.
I’ve blown it.
“Jesus, Lexi, if you’re trying to kill Razor, you’re doing a fucking good job.” A note of disapproval in Ox’s voice made me cringe inside.
“I . . . um,” I swallowed hard and hung my head in shame. “I’m sorry.” Even though my voice was a whisper, I meant it more than I could ever explain.
“Save those words for Razor. He’s gonna want to hear them.”
My head jerked up and searched Ox’s face.
“You think he’ll believe me?”
Ox�
��s eyes softened. “It depends on how much you mean it. There’s no fooling Razor.”
“I know.” My breath hitched. “He’s probably mad as hell that I snuck out.”
The giant man’s mouth set in a grim line. “Yep. You’re right there.”
“He has to believe me. I’ll never do it again.”
“Can you really change who you are, little Spitfire? I’ve never met anyone as restless as you.” Ox’s words hit me in the heart. Was I that transparent?
“I’m going to try. I want to be everything Razor wants in a woman.” The moment the words spilled form my lips, I realized they were true. My hand quickly covered my mouth in case I leaked more stupid shit and showed just how fucking weak I was.
Ox’s gaze held mine for a long moment. A small wry smile twisted his full lips and he nodded. “I believe you, Lexi. But I’m not Razor. You know how hard he can be to convince.”
I twisted my fingers together, squirming. “I love him, Ox. He has to believe me.”
The weight of the world lifted off my shoulders the second I’d finally said it out loud. This new feeling of love swirling around my insides overwhelmed me completely and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. It felt so good to tell somebody how I felt, and I couldn’t bottle it up inside me for a second longer.
For a second Ox’s eyes widened, then his face split into a wider grin. “I’ve always known that, Spitfire. It took you a darn long time to work it out, but better late than never, as they say.”
I sucked in a breath. “You knew? That’s impossible. I only found out a minute ago.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve been around for a while. I’ve seen many fools fall in love and fight it.” He chuckled softly. “I used to be one of those fools a long time ago, too. So . . . I get it.”
My head jerked up as I digested his words. “You? I never knew. What happened?”
A sheet fell over Ox’s face, sadness radiating from his eyes. “It’s a long story. One I prefer to forget.” He must’ve read the disappointment on my face, because he cleared his throat and added, “Maybe I’ll tell you one day.”
I squeezed a hard bicep. “I’d like that.” What was Ox’s story? Who was the woman he loved and lost? Intrigued, I was dying to know more, but I could tell that Ox had already said enough by the way he pulled his shoulders back and his face settled into the hardened frown I’d seen him wear so often.