CRASH: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series)

by James, Nicole

  Cole pointed with one finger off the cut glass of bourbon he held in his hand. “Wolf at the top of the stairs.”

  Red Dog followed where he pointed. “Shit. Those two at it again?”

  “He can’t stay away from her. Wish he’d quit jerking her around. I like Crystal, and all he’s gonna do is end up running her off.”

  Dog shook his head. He’d always had a soft spot for Crystal. They teased each other back and forth on a daily basis, but she was a real sweetheart and like a sister to him. “She could have any brother in this place. More than one has wanted to make her his ol’ lady. Why she lets him treat her like filler, like his goddamn fuck toy, I can’t understand.”

  “He always comes back to her, though, doesn’t he?”

  “Yep. Cause she lets him. She needs to wise up.”

  “She will. One of these days she will.”

  “Wait. You said, shows. What other show?”

  Cole grinned, wondering when he’d finally catch that. He nodded toward Crash’s table in the corner.

  Dog craned to look. “Damn. What’d I miss?”

  Cole just chuckled and got up, heading toward the table.

  Crash cuddled close to Shannon, his arms around her tight, his mouth at her ear. “You with me, darlin’?” His warm body kept her wrapped in a blanket of contentment. Decadent sensuality melted through her veins as he enfolded her in the safety of his arms.

  “Um-hmm.”

  Crash’s arm relaxed around her ribcage. “Beautiful, Princess. So fucking gorgeous.

  “Fuck, that look on her face is sexy.” Cole walked up, his deep voice conveying his approval. “You two look good together.”

  It was like he had dumped a bucket of ice water on her. Oh, God. What had she just done? In a crowded room. Yes, it was dark, and she was practically hidden from the room by Crash and the table, but…still. What was wrong with her? If anyone saw what had just happened, the fact that she’d allowed a man to touch her in public like that, the way she’d responded…

  My God, she’d acted like a slut. Horror flooded her system. Her hands were shaking. What had she done? She pushed away, moving out from the table.

  “Shannon?” Crash reached for her. “Baby…”

  Cole stepped up, his big, masculine body blocking her way to the door. “Easy, darlin’. I didn’t mean anything.”

  She shook her head. “Move. Please. I…I just want to go to the restroom…please.”

  “Let her be, Cole,” Crash warned, sliding from his barstool. “I don’t want to give her a reason to say I forced her. It’s my fault. I lost my fucking head.” Cole stepped out of the way, but Crash reached out and grabbed her arm, contradicting what he’d just said to Cole. “Can we talk? Please.”

  After a moment, the panic feeling left her, and she nodded. “I think I need some air.”

  With a kiss to the top of her head, he quietly requested, “Come on, baby. I want to show you something.” He took her by the hand and pulled her along to a door at the back of the room that she hadn’t noticed before. It led down a darkened hallway that was lit only by the glowing exit signs on the doors at either end. They’d only gone a few feet down the hall, when he suddenly hooked her around the waist and pushed her up against the wall.

  She looked up. Crash stood there, overwhelming the space, blocking her way, boxing her in. “What are you doing?” she gasped a little breathlessly

  “We’re alone, and its dark, Shannon. Nobody’s gonna see us here.”

  “Crash…”

  “You were doing fine back there.” He nodded toward the door they’d just come through. “Totally in the moment and enjoying my touch. Don’t overthink it. Nobody saw, Princess, I promise.”

  She looked away, not meeting his eyes.

  “What? Tell me?” he pressed.

  “It was fine. And then it wasn’t. Then I suddenly felt like a slut.”

  The corner of his mouth pulled up. “Baby, you are so far from a slut it’s not even funny. I don’t think that. Nobody out there thinks that. If anything, they probably think the complete opposite, that you’re reserved and inhibited, well, at least until you walked through the door in that getup looking like the very definition of sin.” His eyes slid over her outfit. He blew out a breath. “Last thing I want to do is scare you, Shannon. But, goddamn, the way you look has had my dick hard since you came through the door tonight and…” He broke off, taking a deep breath, his hand coming up, his palm cupping her face, his thumb stroking. And it calmed her, settled her, and took away all the fears that had overwhelmed her a moment ago at the table. She turned into his touch.

  They had spent most of the party glued to each other. Just being near Crash grounded her. He had a way of taking away all her anxiety with just a touch. It didn’t matter what was going on around them; she felt calmer when he was next to her. Hearing him laughing and joking with his brothers, the whole time his hand on her waist, had soothed her.

  “And?” She needed him to finish his thought. She wanted to know what he’d been about to say.

  “And I’m a man, baby, not a boy. When I get a beautiful woman alone in the dark I do something with her. I told you I was hungry for a taste of you.” His thumb swept over her lips. “You gonna give me a taste?”

  Did he think that was all she dated? Boys? Did he think she had no experience with real men? To be honest she had no experience with men like him, to be sure. But she’d used her skills as a woman on more than one man. She knew how to charm them into doing what she wanted, only none of the usual tricks seemed to work on Crash. She’d thought he was immune to her appeal. But now, he had a look of sexual tension on his face, and it suddenly pleased her to finally know that she was affecting him as much as he’d affected her. His touch, his constant hands on her had kept her on edge all night. It was what had made the orgasm he’d just given her so sharp and intense. It was only fair he felt some of the same sexual torture she had felt.

  She watched his eyes drop to her mouth, and then, not waiting for her answer, he moved in, his whole big muscle-y body was pressing up against her, pinning her to the wall. His big hands landed on her hips, and he pulled them flush against his. His mouth came down on hers, his tongue stroking along her lips until she had no choice but to drop her head back and let him in, and he didn’t hesitate to take what she offered. As his tongue swooped in, she felt his hands tighten on her hips holding her anchored to him as his mouth devoured hers. Her hands slid up his forearms to his muscled biceps to his broad shoulders and settled there. He finally broke off the kiss, resting his forehead to hers, and his voice rasped out. “Do you know how badly I want you right now?”

  She felt his thumbs brushing over her bare hip bones as he spoke the words. He leaned back, his eyes dropping to the opening of her halter top, and she felt her nipples tighten. His hands slid up from her hipbones to the curve of her small waist. His eyes dropped down to her belly-button piercing, and Shannon’s eyes went there as well, watching his hands. They were so large, his thumbs came together on either side of her belly-button. He stroked both thumbs up and down the smooth flat skin of her belly, and it quivered under his touch. His eyes still on that sparkling dangling rhinestone, he growled, “That really flips my switch, darlin’. I’m talkin’ top of the list.”

  She slid her hands across his shoulders, up his throat and cupped his jaw, bringing his eyes to hers. Seeing the need burning in his eyes, she pulled his mouth down to hers. His mouth opened, and he dove in again, taking what she gave. But only for a moment, then he was pulling back, hesitating as if he were torn. And then he was stepping back, taking her hand and turning to continue down the hall.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, as she trailed behind him, trying to keep up with his longer stride.

  “Told you. Got something to show you.”

  Crash led her to the end of the hall and through the door.

  They entered a dark area. Shannon could make out a few shadowy shapes and could tell it was a hug
e room, like warehouse size. It must have been another part of the original manufacturing plant that had once been here. There was just a bit of moonlight coming in from the large multi-paned factory windows up high on the walls. She could see some kind of large metal shape in the middle of the room, but couldn’t make out what it was.

  She felt Crash pull on her hand and could sense him feeling around on the wall for a switch. He flipped something, and just a few of the overhead industrial lights came on, casting a small amount of dim light. With his hand at the small of her back, he herded her closer to the metal structure. Her eyes studied it, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. It looked like one of those round cages they kept tigers in at the circus. The ones they used for performances. It was circular, about twenty feet across and about ten feet high. There was a padlock on what looked like the door.

  She came to an abrupt halt, not wanting to get any closer, all kinds of horrors running through her head. She felt Crash come up against her back. His left arm came around her shoulder, dropping across the front of her chest, pulling her back against his chest, and his head dipped next to hers. She felt his mouth at her ear as his right hand settled on her bare hip. “Know what it is?” he whispered.

  She trembled. “A cage?”

  He must have felt the tremor run through her, because a moment later he was reassuring her. “Don’t worry, Princess, it’s not what you’re thinking. We don’t keep recalcitrant women in there.” He bit her ear lobe and smacked her ass. “We deal with them the old fashioned way.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “It’s a cage for fighting.”

  “You mean, like on TV?”

  “Yeah. Like on TV. I built it.”

  “You built it?”

  “Um hmm. I’m pretty good with metal and a blowtorch.”

  “It’s nothing like your sculptures. They’re beautiful.”

  “Thanks, Princess. Glad you approve. But this has its own kind of beauty, I think. Its own symmetry.”

  She studied it.

  “I’m fighting next week.” His voice rumbled in her ear.

  She turned in his arms, twisting to face him. “In there?”

  He nodded. “I’m pretty good.”

  “You…fight?”

  He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and grinned. “Yeah, I fight. If I win, you gonna bestow a gift on me, Princess?”

  “You mean like when the knights would joust, and the princess would give them a hair ribbon or something?”

  “I was hoping for something a little hotter than a hair ribbon,” he admitted with a grin.

  “But, you don’t even like me.”

  “I’m likin’ you just fine right now.”

  She stared up at him wide-eyed, wondering what it was he would want, what he’d hoped for. She couldn’t stop herself from asking the question. “What would you want?” she whispered.

  He stepped closer, backing her up until she felt the bars against her back. She stared up into his eyes. They blazed with desire. With his left hand, he grabbed the bar next to her head, leaning into her. “I know a woman like you doesn’t give it away. And that’s good. With a lady like you, a man’s gotta earn it.” He paused, his eyes dropping to her mouth as he lifted his right hand and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. They parted under his tender touch.

  She stared up at him and couldn’t help but slip her tongue out to barely touch the tip to his thumb. When she did, his eyes dilated and swept back up to her eyes.

  “If I earn it next week, if I win the fight, you gonna give it to me, Shannon?”

  She felt mesmerized by the look in his eyes. He’d kept his distance with her, for the most part. Up until tonight. She hadn’t even been sure she was his type. Now he seemed ready to take their strange relationship to another level. He’d maybe always been ready. Maybe like he said, he wanted to earn it. A man like him probably didn’t appreciate anything that came too easy, and Crash probably had easy all the time. Easy he could have. Any day of the week. She was sure he had a string of women ready and willing to be his for a night, for an hour.

  But her? She apparently was a challenge to him. She liked that. She liked that he believed she was a prize worth winning. Worth earning. “All right. One night. You win the fight, I’m yours for the night.”

  He grinned huge. “Pretty sure one night’s never gonna be enough with a woman like you.”

  She grinned back, her brows raised and challenged, “First you have to win.”

  “I’ve made a commitment to protect you. That means I’m willing to bleed for you.” His jaw tightened, but his words were spoken softly as he stroked her jaw. “Do you trust me?”

  She searched his eyes. She did trust him, more than she’d ever trusted anyone she suddenly realized. She nodded.

  “Say it. I want to hear the words,” he urged.

  “I trust you, Crash. I do.”

  “That means something to me, Shannon.” His palm held her still, immobilized as he dipped in to explore her mouth. “Open,” he demanded. She complied. His gentle touch and rough command were intoxicating. He touched her like she was precious, treasured. He made her feel desired, wanton and restless for more.

  She moaned.

  Her response must have enflamed him, because he sank his hands into her hair, controlling her head as his kisses became more unrestrained and wild. Then, without warning, his hands dropped from her head to close around her thighs, and he lifted her up, slamming her back into the bars. He lifted his mouth just enough to growl, “Need you higher.”

  Shannon’s arms went wide, as she grabbed at the bars, trembling under the onslaught of his aggressive advances.

  “Hang on to me, baby. I’ve got you.”

  Her hands let go of the metal, and her arms wrapped around his neck, her mouth going back to his. Then his mouth was trailing down her throat, down to her cleavage. Then abruptly he was setting her back on her feet, his head twisting toward the door with a muttered curse. It took her a moment to realize the sound of the music from the other part of the building had increased in volume. Her eyes followed his. The door was open, and Cole was standing in it.

  “We got trouble.”

  Crash grabbed her hand and pulled her along after him as he followed Cole back down the hall and into the main room. Cole explaining along the way, “Wolf and one of your boys.”

  “Crystal?” Crash asked cryptically.

  “Yup.”

  “Goddamn it,” Crash muttered as they went through the door.

  There was some type of commotion going on near the front door, men gathered around watching something. Cole and Crash pushed through to the front. Crash paused just long enough to turn back toward Shannon and jerk his head toward the bar. “Go.”

  She moved off to the safety of the bar as Crash and Cole forded into the thick of the fight, each pulling a man back. Cole shoved Wolf up against the wall, and Crash didn’t have to do more than glare at Shane, and he backed down. Jake pulling him back a few steps. Shane shrugged off Jake’s arm.

  Shannon watched as both men glared at each other from across the five or so feet that separated them. Then she noticed Crystal a few feet from her, her face stricken, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Shannon pushed her way through the crowd to reach her. “Crystal, are you okay?”

  Crystal turned to her and whispered, “It’s my fault.”

  Shannon frowned. “How is this your fault?”

  “I led Shane on earlier. I just wanted to make Wolf jealous. I should have known better.”

  Shannon turned toward the men. This was not good. So not good. She didn’t think Crystal ‘belonged’ to any of them, but she had a feeling someone was going to have words with her if they realized she was the cause of this. Judging by the way Crash had been ‘expected’ to take her in hand earlier, she didn’t want to see that happen to Crystal. Then she remembered Crash’s cryptic muttering of Crystal’s name in the hall and Cole’s affirmative response in the hall from a moment
ago. They both already knew this was due in some way to Crystal. Shannon clamped a hand around her wrist and pulled. “Come on.”

  Crystal stumbled through the crowd after her. “Where are we going?”

  “Just come with me.” She pulled her upstairs, remembering she still had Cole’s keys in her pocket from earlier when Crash had handed them to her and told her to get upstairs. Shannon led Crystal down the hall and fumbled with the keys in the dim light. She got the door open, pulled Crystal inside and shut the door, throwing the lock.

  Crystal plopped on the bed. “I should have stayed home tonight.”

  “What happened? Why would Wolf fight Shane?”

  “I told you, I flirted with Shane earlier, and it pissed Wolf off.”

  Shannon didn’t want to admit she’d seen Crystal and Wolf together, so she asked, “Um, so…you and Wolf?”

  Crystal shrugged. “We hook up sometimes.”

  “But that other woman? Misty. What about her?”

  She shrugged again.

  “So, he can have other women, but you can’t have other men?”

  Crystal stood up, pacing the floor. “You don’t understand.”

  Shannon folded her arms. “Apparently not.”

  Suddenly they heard a pair of boots coming down the hall. Crystal and Shannon gave each other an oh-oh look. The doorknob rattled, and then a hand slammed against the frame. Cole’s voice boomed through the door. “Open the motherfucking door, Crystal.”

  “Shit,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t have locked him out of his own room.”

  Shannon turned to stare at the door, frozen with fear. Oh, God. What was he going to do? Crystal moved past her to let him in, but Shannon grabbed her arm, hauling her back. “Are you insane? Don’t let him in!” she hissed.

  “Crystal, if I have to break my own goddamn door down, I’ll take you over my knee. I am not fucking with you, babe,” Cole said calmly.

  “At least he’s not shouting,” Shannon whispered.

  “That’s when you really have to worry.” Crystal hurried to the door and opened it.

  Cole was standing there, both hands braced high on the door frame. His head was dipped, his eyes piercing into both of them. Slowly he lowered his arms and stepped into the room. His eyes hit Crystal. “What the fuck, babe? You think runnin’ is gonna make it better?”