by K E Osborn
I can’t help but snuggle into Void’s back, needing to be closer to him. He’s opening my eyes to so much today. Sure, if he wasn’t being an asshole to begin with, I wouldn’t even be here right now, but I’m finding it very hard not to wipe that slate clean with all the endorphins coursing through my veins.
We ride, I’m not even sure how long for. It feels like an eternity and a minute at the same time. I take in the splendor all around me, enjoying everything Tampa has on offer, loving every second of being out in the world. However, the minute Void pulls over onto the side of the road, a sense of anguish washes over me—I never wanted the ride to end.
He shuts off the engine, turning to face me. I’m sure I am practically glowing. “Time to hop off, sweet thing. We’re here!”
Void slides off his bike, moving in to undo my helmet, then gestures behind him. I move my head past him to glimpse through the giant front window glistening in the sun.
Void chuckles, trying to keep up with me as he continues to undo the strap. “You’re like a freaking toddler, Ivy!”
I giggle and stop. “Sorry. Just excited to be out.”
Finally, he manages to pull the helmet off my head, and I run my fingers through my hair. He reaches over and places the helmet on the seat of the bike with an exhale. “I should have taken you out sooner.”
“No, stop, it’s not your fault. There were extenuating circumstances. Then, if I’m honest, I didn’t really want to be anywhere but in the Brick Cell, you know? It felt like safety, it felt like home.”
He drops his chin once in recognition. “I know. Still, I could have tried. After Andrés—”
I reach out, gripping his arm. “We’re here now. Let’s go have some of this pie.”
Void slides his hand down over mine, and we entwine our fingers.
Tingles.
Goosebumps break out all over me.
My heart gallops, taking off at breakneck speed as we head for the door. How Void can infuriate me to the point I want to snap his neck one minute, then he makes me swoon the next, I have no idea. What I do know is there is something here, a connection between us.
There has been since he took me off the boat from Cuba.
Maybe we are not on the same page.
Maybe we are.
But I need to find out because this back and forth whiplash is going to give me a complex.
And right now, I don’t need a complex to add to my ever-increasing problems.
Chapter Three
VOID
Spending the afternoon with Ivy has been fun. She’s loved hanging out with Trixie at the café, seeing how it all works. Ivy’s been watching Trixie bake the product she’s cultivating with Dash, watching all her hard work being made into the items the club’s selling. Ivy does all the hard work, and now she’s seeing the end result.
It never occurred to me she hasn’t experienced this side of what she’s been creating—I guess this is exciting for her.
I stood back, observing Ivy in her element as Trixie explained all the various recipes she uses, and how you need specific amounts of ‘green’ for each baked good. The precision of it all made Ivy’s inner nerd come out. Have to admit, I got a semi just watching her geek out the way she does. She’s fucking adorable when she becomes excited over shit.
The way her wavy chestnut hair falls perfectly over her shoulders makes me hard just from looking. Ivy’s sun-kissed skin is so gloriously perfect. Her lips are so fucking delectable, I want to kiss them every damn chance I get, not to mention that adorable button nose. But, overall, it’s the fire behind those eyes that does me in. She’s like a fucking goddess, and I want to worship at her feet.
Ivy might be small, but it’s that spirit inside of her that lets you know she wants to kick your ass in an instant if you let her down. How can a woman like her be so innocent in every way, but then talk about ‘doped-up’ donuts and ‘baked’ brownies? It messes with my head.
How is she this version in my mind where she’s fragile and breakable, yet I stood back while she bricked a man behind a wall leaving him to his death right in front of me, without so much as a blink of her eyes?
Hell, I saw her smash a brick into said guy’s face with reckless abandon.
She’s not a delicate wallflower, so why do I keep picturing her as one?
I can’t answer a question I have no answers to.
It’s a hurdle I need to jump over.
It’s about finding out if I’m willing to take that leap.
Glancing out the front window as I sip on my coffee, I exhale.
We should be getting back.
Ivy’s been gone for hours, and I’ll feel safer with her back at home in the clubhouse. Cars pass by on the road out the front. Diners sit in the café oblivious to the rear of shop operations, where the ‘baked goods’ are being held for the low lifes of Tampa. There’s an entire back section to the shop, blocked off like a vault, with a built-in exhaust system to hide the pungent odor. We have Ominous pick up the product and ship them all over the place. It’s turned into a real fucking big enterprise.
I shovel another fork full of the Key lime pie into my mouth, the hit of sweet, the tang of lime, smacking me at the same time. Trixie always gets the balance exactly right. Smiling, I peer over at Ivy and Trixie, who stand in front of the everyday bakery section as Ivy points something out. Trixie goes behind the counter, fetching it from the cabinet, then places whatever it is into a small box.
She’s obviously bringing something home with us.
I sit idly by, waiting.
Ivy practically skips over to my table, beaming with happiness. She slides into the seat opposite me, placing the small pink box on the table. “I got some treats for us for when we get back to the club.”
“More pie?” I ask.
She draws her bottom lip by her teeth, the move sexy as fuck. “Taffy-flavored truffles,” she informs me.
This woman sure is something else.
“Well, then, shall we?” I ask, tilting my head to the exit.
Ivy glances back, taking in every inch of the store as if she’s reliving her time here. I let her have a moment because who knows when she will return. She sighs, then turns back to me. “Okay, let’s go.”
Standing, I grab the box of truffles, raising my chin. “Thanks, Trix.”
She waves as she fumbles with something behind the counter, half distracted. “Thanks for popping in, guys. I’ve loved having you.”
“I have had so much fun. I hope I can come back,” Ivy calls out as I place my hand on her lower back, edging her toward the door.
“You’re welcome any time, hon.”
We exit, heading for my ride as Ivy lets out a long, exaggerated sigh. “That was… exactly what I needed.”
I smile, placing the small box into my saddlebag. Then, I grab the helmet to place over Ivy’s head. Her plump, full lips turn up just enough to show me how genuinely sweet she really is. She’s completely calm in this moment. The right amount of warmth teamed with a sense of satisfaction—the ease showing on her face, giving her a glow brighter than the midday sun.
This woman—she’s fucking gorgeous.
She’s enticing me, pulling me in with her radiance—a luring light to my darkness and depravity. But if I stand here staring at her, she’s going to think I’m a fucking cretin. “I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Are you full? Do you need anything else to eat?”
Good going, dickhead.
“Nope! The giant pressed sandwich, fries, kombucha, and pie were all pretty damn filling, but thank you for offering. Thanks for bringing me here. It was so freaking good to see how my ‘work’ is being used. Trixie’s doing an incredible job.”
My hand instinctively moves out, my fingers sliding up and down her arm. “It’s good to see you smiling. I’m sorry about going off on you earlier. I… I have this version of you in my mind. This innocent, breakable—”
“Virgin… that’s what it all boils down to, Void.”
&n
bsp; Scrunching up my face, I exhale. “Maybe. I haven’t had anyone like you around me for a long fucking time, and it’s messing with me. Making me think you should be acting a certain way. Doing things in a certain way.”
“Just because I haven’t had sex, doesn’t mean I have to be this virtuous, Mother Mary, freaking saint, Void. Please don’t make me out to be that kind of girl. I’m just… not.”
“I’m beginning to see that. When I saw what I thought I saw with Dash, it freaked me out. I believed you were this, as you said… saint. And seeing you on your knees, especially with another man… I just wasn’t prepared for that vision.”
Ivy moves forward wrapping her arms around my waist, her head sliding in against my chest. The shock makes me tense as I’m a little unsure as to why she’s embracing me.
“Thank you. Thank you for opening up to me and not running away this time.”
My arms wrap around her body, holding her to me. My cheek rests on the top of her head as I pull her close. We’re hugging, and fuck if it’s not the most perfect damn thing in the world right now.
“I’m fucked up, Ivy. I won’t even try to hide that fact. There’s a reason they call me Void. I don’t…” Exhaling, I pull her back to an arm’s length away from me, delving deep into her gorgeous chocolate eyes. “Emotion is not something I’m used to dealing with. Feeling something for someone is strange. You bring out shit in me that quite frankly… it scares the living hell out of me.”
Ivy brings her hand up to the side of my face, gently caressing it. “I’m glad I scare you. It means you care. When I thought maybe you didn’t, that hurt more than you ignoring me, more than you abandoning me.”
My chest squeezes. “I care…”
Suddenly, a vehicle in my line of sight parks down the street a little way, a man in the driver’s side sits with a camera. He brings it up to his eye, taking a snapshot of Ivy and me. Every muscle in my body goes rigid as I grab Ivy pulling her to me.
“We need to leave… now.”
Her eyes widen as she glances around but doesn’t take in what I’m seeing.
“Stop! Don’t act suspicious. We have to leave right now.”
“Void, what the—” I cut her off by letting her go, then I slide on my bike.
Grabbing her hand, I yank Ivy probably harder than necessary for her to sit in behind me, to which she doesn’t hesitate to move into position. “Hold on tight, sweet thing. This is gonna be quick.”
I flick the switch, my engine revs up, and we pull out onto the street. My eyes focus on the man in the car, but I have no clue who he is, having never seen him before. That’s when I take off quicker than legal. Ivy grips onto my waist, so freaking tight as I speed down the street.
Upon checking my mirrors, I notice the guy pulling out to follow, so I wrench the throttle to go even faster. The light up ahead turns yellow. I know I’m not going to make it before it goes red, so I give her a bit more acceleration.
“Hang on, Ivy,” I yell, although she probably can’t hear me over the sound of the roaring engine.
The light flashes red, I hammer down hard upon entering the intersection. I look to my left, not seeing anything, then flash to my right, seeing two cars are heading straight for us.
I drop gears, the squeal of the cars as they hurtle toward us screeches through the air. The first car fishtails trying to avoid me, he overcorrects, which allows me to ride straight through the middle of the two cars. Ivy lets out a squeal, but it’s more out of excitement than anything as I pull back on the throttle with smoke billowing from my tires as I get the fuck out of there.
I look back over my shoulder. The two cars are now blocking the intersection, halting our photographer friend from getting through.
My lips curve as I spin around, making damn quick work of heading the fuck back to the clubhouse. I haven’t been involved in anything like that for a long time. I have to admit, it excites me.
We nearly crashed, though.
If anything had happened to Ivy, I would never have forgiven myself.
But I knew I needed to get away from whoever that guy is.
Having someone take pictures of Ivy is not ideal. The fact of the matter is, she’s not in America legally. Though she has paperwork saying she is, technically, it’s all fake. Any wrong move, she could be deported.
I can’t have that.
I won’t have that.
The idea of Ivy and her sister, Eva, coming so far these past few months, just to have it all ripped away, is abhorrent to me. So, I continue to ride like a bat of hell to get back to the safety of the club and my brothers.
We arrive, feeling like the longest ride in history. West pulls the gate open as I ride through a little faster than I know I should. Pulling into my usual spot, killing the engine, Ivy jumps off, yanking the helmet off her head before I have a second to even slide off my ride.
“What the hell was that?” she bellows at me.
“Ivy, there was—”
“It was fucking incredible! I’ve never felt such a rush of adrenaline in all of my life. Holy shit, Void. That was the most heart-pumping thing I’ve ever done. It was exciting, scary as hell, ex-fucking-hilarating! Can we do it again? Right now,” she blurts out excitedly in quick succession.
I’m still sitting on my bike, more in shock than anything. I’m not sure why I’m surprised by Ivy’s excitement for scary, dark, illegal shit anymore. I should know better. I underestimate her too fucking often.
She places the helmet on the fence then turns to me, her face erupting with joy. “Honestly, Void, I’ve never had a rush like that. It was better than sex!” I snort out a laugh, cocking my brow at her. “Or… well, so I imagine,” she corrects herself.
Sliding off my ride, I exhale, running my fingers through my hair. “You really are something else.”
She giggles. “No, really… can we do it again?”
Rolling my eyes, I wrap my arm around her shoulders, walking with her down the concrete ramp. “No… it was dangerous. I could have gotten us both killed.”
Ivy scoffs, waving her hand through the air dismissively. “You ride like a pro. I was never in any ‘real’ danger.” She uses air quotes, and the smile she’s sporting is contagious.
Tensing as we walk through the clubhouse doors, I shake my head. “That’s not entirely true.”
“What do you mean?” She detaches from me, scrunching her face.
I reach out for her hand, grabbing hold. “C’mon, we gotta go see Nycto.”
Ivy cocks her head, standing her ground. “Void. No. Tell me what’s going on?”
“Yeah, tell me what’s going on? Got a call from Trixie saying you left the café in a shower of shit. She thought something might be up,” Nycto grunts as he walks across to us.
I roll my shoulders. “Not here. Chapel.”
Nycto grits his teeth, tilting his head toward the rear of the bunker. I grab Ivy’s hand, then walk with her past the pool table toward the large, dark gray double doors with the RBMC logo proudly displayed across the metal. I walk in behind Nycto, the industrial wall lamps giving the ominous vibe it always has in here.
Nycto rounds the metal table taking his seat at the head. I edge around the other side, sitting to his left while Ivy moves in beside me.
Nycto pulls out his pack of cigarettes, lighting one up. “Feel like I’m gonna need nicotine for this.”
I grimace.
He’s not wrong.
“We were at Trixie’s, as you know. When we were about to leave, I noticed something—”
“Is that why you got weird before we left?” Ivy asks.
I turn to her. “Yeah. There was a car pulled up about fifty feet away from us, but the weird thing was the driver had a camera. He was taking pictures of Ivy and me.”
Nycto instantly rubs his forehead, clenching his eyes shut tight under the strain.
Ivy shrugs. “So? What does that mean?”
“It’s not good because we’re in the dark about wh
o this could be. What does he want? Is he targeting you, me, the club? If he’s after you… is it just you, or is it Eva, too? Is he an underground asshole, or an official—”
“An official?”
I pause, attempting to figure out how to word this right. “You and Eva… you’re here illegally, Ivy.”
“Oh shit! You think he could be immigration?” Her eyes widen, and the whites show fear growing.
My stomach knots as I watch Nycto.
He raises his hands to placate her. “We don’t know anything. Did you get the license plate number, at least?”
“I needed to get out of there, Prez. I needed Ivy safe.”
Nycto sits back in his chair, puffing out a ring of smoke. “Dick move, Void. If you had an opportunity to get the plate, you should have. It would have given us a lead about who the asshole was. Now, we have to sit back and wait, which could be more dangerous than you waiting twenty seconds to get a little intel.”
I sit forward, placing my fists on the table.
I get it. His Ol’ Lady is on the line here too.
He’s angry at the situation, not just me.
“What if we don’t wait? Voltage is fucking smart. You can’t tell me our tech guru didn’t install cameras outside Trixie’s shop. Maybe if they’re at the right angle, it might have picked up the car?”
Nycto rubs his chin. “Yeah, you better fucking hope so. In the meantime, Ivy, you and Eva are back on lockdown. No going outside the clubhouse gates. You understand me?”
“Yes, Prez,” Ivy relays like a good little soldier.
I peek at her, her eyes are showing strain, the concern is etched across her features as she gnaws on her bottom lip so much, I’m worried she might break her beautiful skin. I reach across, grabbing her hand to help calm her.
It doesn’t work.
“As for you, VP, you need to be on lockdown as well. We can’t be sure the photographer was after Ivy, it could be anyone. To be safe, you need to stay put, too.”
I groan. “I need to be out there trying to find this fuck—”
“No. You need to keep your head. Learn which fight to fight. You can provide insight and feedback but only if you stay at the club. I’ll feel better if you’re here to protect my Ol’ Lady when I leave. First step, Voltage—”