Vipers Rule

by Stephanie Tyler

  “So you believe he’s trying to have you killed?”

  “She didn’t say that,” Rocco shot back. “Give her a break.”

  “Sorry. That’s not part of my job.” Flores kept all her attention focused on Maddie.

  “I honestly have no idea what’s going on with Hugh. I don’t think he’s trying to hurt me, but . . .”

  “Did you consider the bomb might’ve been for the Vipers MC? You do know that this is a gang, don’t you?”

  “I grew up here, so I know what Vipers is,” Maddie told her, feeling the anger rise up. Rocco gave her a small head shake of the keep-it-together variety, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “It doesn’t make sense for enemies of Vipers to randomly go after me. I’m nobody to this club. I came into town a couple of days ago.”

  “But you’re dating Tals.”

  “We’ve been on one date. Before this I hadn’t seen him since high school.”

  “But obviously there’s more to it than that, since Tals spoke with your husband.”

  “Ex,” she said, distracted by what Flores had just said.

  “Tals is the club’s enforcer. If someone messes with the club, it’s his job to stop them,” Flores continued. “You emphasized that you grew up here. I’d expect you’d know more about who you’re dealing with. Maybe you are here under false pretenses—in which case, I’d be happy to help you by taking you down to the station and hearing what you have to say.”

  Maddie looked Flores in the eye. “I know everything I need to know. I’m right where I want to be.”

  In reality she was confused as hell, but she could clear it up after she finished with Flores.

  Flores wasn’t ready for that to happen. “Do you really believe your husband is involved in something illegal?” she pushed. “You were married to him, and this is the first time you’re mentioning anything about his illegal activities.”

  “Who would she mention it to, Detective?” Rocco asked.

  Was Flores purposely using the word “husband” to goad her? Maddie assumed the answer was yes, and remained calm, letting Rocco add, “Since the bomb found in Maddie’s car was rather sophisticated, I’ve got to assume it’s not a rogue MC that’s come calling.”

  “MCs do tend to be more heavy-handed and simplistic, yes,” Flores agreed, and Rocco’s face hardened. Then Flores said to her, “You had a reaction when Preacher Jones spoke.”

  “Did I?”

  “Yes. It was fear.” Flores stared her down.

  She wasn’t wrong, but she’d taken it wrong. “Preacher, Tals and I have a history.” She attempted to use her words carefully. “They’re still deciding if they can trust me. I don’t have the same issue with them or I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Where would you be, exactly?”

  “With my grandmother.”

  “Who’s being guarded by Vipers members, I’m assuming without her knowledge,” Flores pointed out. “You can see how odd it looks from my end.”

  “I really can’t,” Maddie countered, praying Flores didn’t plan on breaking the news to her grandmother anytime soon. “Not when I can only surmise that whatever—or whoever—Hugh Montgomery is involved with is threatening my life. I don’t have those kinds of enemies.”

  “What, exactly, do you think Mr. Montgomery’s associates are involved in?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Really? Wives always say that.”

  “Maybe some of us mean it. Maybe that’s why I’m soon to be an ex-wife.” Maddie couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. Flores wrote something down in her notepad. Slowly.

  Damn her.

  “What now?” Maddie asked.

  “Now I go back to the station and give my report to Mr. Montgomery,” Flores answered.

  “What are you going to tell him?”

  “If you’re that interested, you’d accompany me.”

  “And put myself in danger? I don’t think so.” Maddie stood and glanced at Rocco. “We’re done?”

  “I’ll see the detective out,” Rocco told her.

  Flores snorted. “Trust me, I know the way.”

  * * *

  “What kind of game’s Montgomery playing?” Tals murmured.

  “One he’s trying to win,” Rocco said distractedly.

  They were in the kitchen. The one good thing was that there’d been no sign of Tenn through all of this, and Tals figured he was staying at Cage and Calla’s place. He’d already warned Rocco not to call him, but Tenn would be back tomorrow and he’d get an earful for sure. Tals had waited for Maddie to fall asleep, more from exhaustion than anything, because despite Tals telling her not to worry, she was worried as hell.

  So was he. “He’s trying to kill her.”

  “Or scare her so she’ll come back,” Rocco offered. “Or his associates are trying to kill her to get to him. Preacher thinks that’s the most likely scenario.”

  “So do I.” Maddie’s voice was sleepy but firm. Both men glanced up at her, and she shrugged.

  “Come here, baby.” Tals pulled out the chair next to him, and Maddie curled her legs under her and half leaned on him, taking a sip of his coffee. “Is there any business associate of Hugh’s who made you nervous?”

  “He was the bigwig,” she explained. “He was the head of my organization.”

  “We’re thinking it’s someone outside of that,” Rocco started. “Sometimes businessmen look for funding outside of the normal venues. Especially with the economy tanking the way it did.”

  She winced. “Like . . . mafias?”

  Rocco nodded. Tals rubbed her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right, Maddie.”

  “Look, the thing is . . . I didn’t really socialize with Hugh outside of work. He cheated, but the marriage fell apart because of me. I put my work first. Everyone noticed it. Everyone but me, not until the last minute. And obviously, I put that barrier up on purpose. So I honestly couldn’t tell you what color socks he wore, never mind the company he kept.” The words came out in a rush, and she took another sip of coffee.

  “Ah, Maddie.” Tals shook his head. “It takes two to keep things afloat.”

  “Do you think Hugh would tell me?” she asked suddenly.

  “Tell you what?” Rocco’s tone held a suspicion Tals himself felt.

  “Forget it,” Tals told her flatly. “You’re not talking to him—he’d want to see you alone, and no fucking way am I letting that happen.”

  “It’s the best chance I have of finding out who’s trying to hurt me. You both know that,” she insisted.

  Tals shook his head. “It might be. Still doesn’t mean I’m going to let you.”

  “Let me?” Maddie asked.

  Rocco threw his hands in the air. “Here we go again.”

  “I could just call him,” Maddie started.

  “You know he wants to see you in person,” Tals interjected.

  “Could he come here?”

  * * *

  Tals and Rocco both stared at her like she’d lost her mind. And probably she had, a little bit. A side effect of amazing sex, she realized, but hey.

  And neither man was saying no.

  “He won’t do it,” Tals muttered.

  “Suppose he does, though?” she persisted.

  “Supposed he plants a bomb?” Rocco asked. “Granted, it’s not like our clubhouse is exactly a secret location.”

  Tals sat back and ran his hands through his already rumpled hair. “Even if he tells us what’s going on, what then? What does it change? We’re still protecting Maddie. Is he going to want our protection too?”

  Maddie jerked her head in his direction. “You think that’s what this is about?”

  “Partially,” Tals said easily. “He also wants you back.”

  “Why? Because he can’t have me?”

  Tals shrugged and she sighed. Rocco took that moment to slide out, leaving them alone. When they were, she took that moment to explain, “I called Grams earlier,” she told him no
w. She’d been checking in nightly, lying and saying she’d decided to stay in town in a hotel for a while to get herself together. But then Maddie’s presence was requested at home.

  “Everything all right?”

  “Yes . . . and no. I’ve got to get back home.”

  “Not happening,” Tals said, like he was shutting down the conversation completely.

  “Tals, I don’t have a choice unless I want a lot more questions. My dad’s coming in tonight. Obviously, she’s concerned with how I’m quote, ‘living my life these days.’ And I’m sure she’s told Dad everything, including the fact that I’ve resigned. He wants to have dinner with me tomorrow night. I put him off twenty-four hours, but that’s the best I can do.”

  “The great thing about being an adult is that you don’t have to do what other people want you to do.” He glanced up to where Preacher had appeared, his broad shoulders framing the doorway. “Most of the time.”

  Preacher snorted. Tals smiled, then said, “I’ll go get your stuff for you if you’re not ready to deal with them.”

  “I’d love to let you do that. But I think I need to go talk to them. Explain a little.” She reached out for Tals’s hand. “Tell them I’m going to stay with you. Unless . . .”

  “You’re definitely staying with me.”

  She wasn’t sure whether it was because there was still a possible threat of danger or because he really wanted her here. She smiled at Tals, then looked over at Preacher, who nodded, raised his bottle of beer like he was making a toast before he left.

  Tals started again, telling her, “I know you’re going through a lot of shit—”

  “I know. But I’m through that. I’m here. Going after what I want.”

  “You wanted the city. And Hugh. You wanted everything you have.”

  “Had,” she corrected. “I quit my job. Opened my eyes to my marriage.”

  “And came home to live with your grandmother.”

  “And ended up here with you.” She frowned. “It’s not the ideal way for this to have happened, but this, with you, that was the last time I felt right, that I didn’t have to pretend. I could let myself be vulnerable without being scared—and I haven’t done that since . . . well, not until right now.”

  * * *

  She was being more honest than she’d been at dinner. Maybe because her life was at risk. Maybe it was the orgasms, because Tals knew he was good.

  But hell, he didn’t know what to do with this. “Is this your way of asking me for another date?”

  He expected her to frown, get pissed at the joke he’d made in the middle of her serious confession.

  Instead, she nodded. “Maybe you should drive, though.”

  And he was sure that if he hadn’t fallen in love with her in high school, he would’ve anyway, and right about now. Because anyone who could have this much upheaval going on, anyone who could be this strong while still showing emotions . . . hell, that was a sign of someone who could fucking partner with him for life.

  Suddenly he was choking again. It’s not like he’d had great marriage role models around him growing up. None of the men here had had that. None of the women, either, although Cage and Calla were giving him hope. There were some stable family men, but the relationships were still a constant struggle.

  Tenn assured him that would happen in an MC as well as outside of one. That it was normal. But to Tals, anything that required that much work wasn’t the real thing.

  Chapter 17

  “Heard you had quite the club meetings the past two nights,” Holly said languidly. She’d stayed in bed all day, taken an Epsom salt bath he’d forced her into to soothe her leg and finally agreed to take the painkillers the doctor had prescribed. Half of one, at least.

  Now she lounged against the pillows. Preacher had already informed her that he’d called in help for the tattoo shop that evening, that she had the night off. She’d been too high to argue at the time, but he was pretty sure that, once the painkillers wore off, she wouldn’t be this pliable.

  She was still pissed about what he’d said to her last night. She hid it well, because that’s what an MC woman did—waited for the right time. And Holly definitely knew how to handle him. She’d let him stew in his own guilt, which was exactly what happened.

  It didn’t take a genius to see what he’d been doing—he’d been losing control of his feelings for Holly, and he was trying to rein in the club to combat that. Ridiculous. Stupid as fuck.

  But he wouldn’t take advantage of her, not the way her husband had, the way her old MC had or the way she expected him to.

  But that was easier said than done. Last night he’d gone in to check on her, and he’d found a guy’s phone number—the same one who’d been hanging on her in the shop, because Preacher had made sure to get the guy’s name. It must’ve fallen out of her jeans, and it was on a piece of paper folded up into a tiny square, like it was being saved. Otherwise, why not toss it?

  Maybe she forgot it was there . . .

  Why would she accept it in the first place? Fuck. He didn’t bother confronting her about it now, instead, telling her, “Club business is none of your concern.”

  “It is when you take out your anger at me on the club.”

  “Trust me, these guys do enough wrong that I don’t need to misplace any blame.” It was true enough—the club could always use a good ass kicking, especially the younger members. Preacher had no problem laying down the law when need be.

  “Good to know.” She tapped her own cheek, then pointed to the bruise on his. “Who were you really fighting last night?”

  For the first time since coming into her room, he took note of the travel brochures on her bed. His heart lurched. “Making plans?”

  “I’m thinking of going on holiday.” She had a haughty way about her, and it came across even more strongly when she was trying to hide any kind of emotion.

  “Running?”

  She gazed at him coolly. “Both our lives would be easier.”

  He knew exactly what she was trying to do. Since he’d claimed her, in order to keep her safe from the No’Ones’ retaliation, as well as any other Vipers member, she wasn’t supposed to make a move without Preacher. The men he was closest to knew the claiming was in name only, but rules were rules.

  In her eyes, by not asserting his rights to sleep with her, she was rejected. Especially because he slept with other women, which was also his right.

  She never complained. Mainly because she was claimed but she wasn’t an old lady, and there was a real difference.

  She wore short jeans shorts. The scar on her leg healed well, and it did nothing to detract from her long-legged beauty.

  You should let her go . . . set her free.

  From this life.

  From him.

  When she’d come to Vipers . . . Damn, if he shut his eyes, he could see her so clearly, and it still made him want to go out and kill the No’Ones’ president with his bare hands.

  She still had nightmares. She needed the antianxiety meds less and less, and strangely, the violence she’d meted out and received twice in the last months while defending both Calla and Eli had made her stronger.

  If she wasn’t, she’d never be considering this holiday bullshit. They both knew that if she went to London, she wasn’t coming back.

  “It’s the same as it was when I was with the No’Ones,” she challenged. “The place isn’t mine.”

  “The money you make is,” he reminded her.

  “Right. So I won’t be left with nothing,” she said sarcastically. “Don’t worry, Preacher. I’ve always known history would repeat itself.”

  “What’s really going on?” he demanded. “Stop bullshitting and talk to me.”

  “Right, as you’re always such an open book,” she replied. Then she sighed and admitted, “My parents have been writing.”

  “Really?”

  She glanced up at him, her voice slightly mocking. “Yes, really. Some people don’t hold g
rudges against their only children.”

  Holly’s worst crime had been running off with a man her parents had deemed not good enough for her.

  “So you’re going for a visit, then?”

  “I was thinking of something a bit more . . . permanent.” She met his gaze defiantly.

  “And here I thought you were having fun.” He couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice.

  Her response was just as bitter. “You raise people, Preacher. I’ve no need to be raised. I’m all grown-up, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  God, that fucking accent could still do it to him, all these years later. Granted, it was the combo of the accent and Holly’s beauty plus the attitude that made him alternately go insane and want to kiss her all at once.

  She knew it too. Used it all against him. And no matter how many times he told himself it was for her own good, he also knew telling her the same exact thing wouldn’t change her mind.

  But this development . . . this was new. And the trip she was talking about wasn’t just a holiday. “So what, you’d move back there with them? Start over?”

  She shrugged. “That’s what they’d like. Of course, I realize I’d need your permission.” The tone was anything but subservient, with just enough pretend bowing down to make his temper rise.

  “That’s right.”

  “But I’m sure you can find some new strays to take in and occupy your time.”

  What she was saying was nothing new, but something pushed his buttons more than usual tonight. She’d taken it a step too far, and although he’d certainly curbed his temper, there was still no real low setting on his boil. And as he moved toward her, she backed up. And for the first time she showed a flash of fear in her eyes, especially as her back hit the wall.

  He was on her in seconds, pinning her, anger flooding his body. But there was nothing sexual about this, nothing punishing . . .

  Nothing beyond the fact that he was done putting up with Holly, once and for all. “Those strays I’ve taken in? They’d lay down their goddamned lives for me, every single one of them. I’ve made only one mistake in twenty-two years, and I’m looking at her. So you’re free, Holly, if that’s really what you want. Consider your bank account yours. But I suggest you buy a ticket and be on the next flight out, because once the No’Ones find out you’re not with me anymore, I can’t make any promises as to what they’ll do.”