by Debra Kayn
He gazed down at her hand. Her fingers hooked between his, so dainty and soft. He was twice her size and stronger, but she had the strength of a woman who'd survived.
"Will's problem is he doesn't know the truth. He'll never have acceptance or be able to heal the way I will with time. He'll always wonder what he could've done to change the outcome. Los Li not only killed Robert and Chad, they killed Will's happiness and contentment for the rest of his life and because of that, I would've liked to have supported Will once he let me back into his life. Instead, you gave him another reason to believe he's alone and I don't support him," she said.
Damned if she proved her point. The only thing he had against the guy was his treatment of Natalie, and here she was being sweet and taking the brunt of Will's attitude to try and help him.
"The mine stayed open," he said, needing one good thing in his point of view that came out of his behavior.
She brought his hand up and pressed her lips against his fingers. "I know."
He gathered her onto his lap, braced himself against the pain in his ribs, and held her. "So, what do you need me to do to fix how you're feeling?"
"Would it be too much to ask that we let him in on the truth?"
"Yeah," he said, knowing that would never happen because his main concern was keeping Natalie and Bantorus safe from Los Li.
She sighed. "Then I'd like it if you could accept the fact that I'll need to talk with Will. Not now. I think it'd be best to give him some time to get over his...talk with you. Someday in the future, he might be open enough to want to hear what I have to say, and if I can share more about his brother to put his mind at rest, it would also help me. Besides, we're partners in a mine company that neither one of us had plans for, and there will be times I'll have to deal with him. I'm relying on Robert's attorney to hold things together for me, but I do need someone that I can consult when I have questions, and the best choice is Will."
The thought of her going through more pain to ease someone else's discomfort weighed heavy on him. If he had a choice, she'd never see Will again, because he was a reminder of a time that wasn't easy on her and she struggled with guilt that wasn't hers to carry. He inhaled deeply, knowing his wants came second in this situation. He'd do anything for her, including compromising as long as it was a safe situation. He could deal with each step as it came.
He grunted, not objecting.
"Thank you," she said.
"Shut up," he murmured, pulling her snug against him, palming her breast, needing to hold her a little longer to reassure him that they'd crossed the latest hurdle. "If we're done, let's finish what we started outside, because I need inside of you, Nat. I need to find my place in your life and for a few minutes know exactly where I am."
She climbed off his lap, stripped out of her clothes without a thought that he'd enjoy watching her. He grinned, because even sexier than a woman seducing him was a woman who wanted to fuck him and wasn't going to pussy foot around about it.
He bent at the waist, unlaced his boots, and removed them. Then he stripped out of his clothes watching her lay on the bed, waiting for him.
Grabbing a condom off the nightstand, he threw the package beside her. He put his knee on the mattress and rolled onto his back. "You're on top, lady. My rib is fucking killing me."
She hummed sympathetic noises, but the raised eyebrow belied her empathy this time. He lay there as she crawled atop him. He sprawled his hands on her thighs and caressed her silky skin, looking up into her beautiful eyes. She never once asked him to back away from the club. She accepted him, faults and all, family, rules, and wishes. They'd make it, because she was willing to compromise, and he felt good about his part in the agreement.
"What are you thinking?" she asked, stroking his hardness.
He chuckled. "You need to tighten your hand and pump harder."
"Seriously, baby."
"That what we have is good. You. Me. Just us being who we are is good for both of us," he said, sharing what she'd said earlier. "I love what we got going."
She braced her other hand on his thigh and leaned forward. Even though they were shooting the breeze, he found himself distracted. The warmth of her sex heated his thighs. His cock pulsed. He wanted more than a quick hand job.
He reached out blindly and snagged the condom. Passing her the protection, he cupped her breast, teasing her nipple. A squeeze, rub, tweak, and caress, and he had her rocking on his legs while she rolled the condom over his cock.
Then, she settled on him, taking every inch inside her. He peered down at where their bodies connected and his whole body pulsed. Damn, she fit perfectly.
Her mouth crushed his, and everything about the moment was about him. She touched, fondled, dug her nails in his skin, and elicited a groan of pleasure from him. He dug his heels into the mattress, thrusting up to sink inside of her. Her hips rose and fell, setting a pace, until she lost control from her own need and he held her ass, loving the wild ride.
Her tongue dueled with his, needy, urgent, and demanding. He growled in her mouth, reaching one hand between their bodies. He stroked her clit with his finger, holding himself back, aching for completion.
She plunged down on him, gyrating and frantic. His other hand moved to her hip. He let his mouth talk for him, and caressed her lips, her tongue. The taste of her fueled him. No other person had convinced him to make a relationship work, but he'd take a fucking bullet for her.
He had no regrets. Now that he had her, his life would be shit without her.
Her frantic movements increased. He had to clamp her hips to keep her from bucking off him. His balls tightened and his toes strained upward, holding on until she found pleasure.
She convulsed around him, throwing her head back, and moaning through her orgasm. He held on and erupted under the intense sensation convulsing the length of his cock. Nothing could stop him. Pleasure jolts shot up his spine, wrapping his cock in the perfect touch. She collapsed onto his chest. Even the pain from his ribs throbbed with the racing of his heart. He was alive, and in his woman. He'd stay here all fucking night, because this is where he belonged.
Chapter Twenty Three
Linda, a homemaker and mother of two kids, jumped in place with her hands raised in victory. Natalie smiled, leaning over to give Ink a hand up from where Linda had flipped him over her back and he'd landed hard on the mat.
"Okay, girls. That's enough lessons for today. Next Tuesday, we'll go through different risky situations and how to defend against surprise attacks. Plus, I'll see how well you remember the moves from today." Natalie patted Ink on the back. "Let's give Ink a big thank you for being our volunteer today."
The women congregated around Ink, talking, hugging, and stroking his ego. Natalie walked over and turned off the lights deeper in the room, grabbed her bag, and put the extra sheets of paper she'd copied for the students to take home and practice in the side pocket.
"Natalie," Melinda said, approaching her. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." She smiled, walking to the edge of the room to give Melinda privacy.
"When a restraining order is filed and the person continues to drive past your house, what are your options?" Melinda lowered her voice. "I have an ex-boyfriend who seems to believe if he can only talk with me, I'll take him back."
"Has he been abusive in the past?"
Melinda nodded. "When he drinks, except I can't tell if he's been drinking or not when he's inside his car."
"You've cut him from your life and slapped him with a restraining order with the sheriff's department, right?" she asked.
"Yes." Melinda nodded. "I definitely don't want him back.
"Okay." She touched Melinda's arm. "If he's within the distance printed on the order, you call 911. He's breaking the law. I'm not well aware of the sheriff department's protocol here when it comes to responding on a restraining order, but make the call and stay on the line with the emergency dispatcher. Don't hang up, even if the operator claims law en
forcement is on their way. It's important to have someone there, even if it's another person on the telephone."
"I don't want to call and then nothing happens. He drives by a few times and then leaves without stopping. I'm just afraid one of these times, if he's been drinking, he'll walk up to my door."
"Doesn't matter if he's sober or drunk. He's not allowed in front of your house, period," Natalie said. "That's the law enforcement's job to protect you when you call them."
"I just don't want to call unnecessarily and look like a scared little girl," Melinda said.
Natalie shook her head. "That's their job to protect, and you have a right to feel safe and secure in your own environment."
Melinda gave a short nod. Natalie softened in understanding. Remmy had created that safe and secure environment for her, but Melinda had no family in the local area.
"I'll tell you what, when or if you need to call 911, call me when everything is okay. Let me know you're safe, and I'll help you through it. It's hard, honey, but you can do it." She squeezed Melinda's arm. "I'm here for you."
After a few more reminders to make sure Melinda left with her shoulders back and her chin up, Natalie picked up her bag. The classes were needed here. Every small town had women who deserved the help and skills to own their life.
She walked toward the door, spotted Remmy leaning against the frame, and smiled. "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago." He tilted her head, studying her. "I heard some of what Melinda was saying. I'll have a couple of the prospects cruise by her place a couple of times during their rounds."
"Thank you," she said, holding up her hand when he opened his mouth. "Seriously, baby. When you do nice things, you need to accept my thanks."
"I'm not nice, lady." He leaned in and kissed her. "Lost my nice a long time ago."
She reached around and squeezed his ass. "If you say so."
He growled.
She laughed as he pulled her out of the building, locked the door, and handed her the helmet. Today was a good day. The sun was out, her class went marvelously, and Ink was the perfect person to entertain the women and get them to participate—after they stopped drooling over him without a shirt on.
She stepped on the peg of the Harley, climbed up behind Remmy, and her phone vibrated. "Hang on, I have a call."
She pulled the phone out of her jeans and frowned. It was her attorney.
She swyped the screen and answered. "Mr. Kraum?"
"Hello, Natalie. Sorry to disturb your day, but I received an interesting message from Mr. Oman's lawyer this morning."
She fisted Remmy's vest in her hand. "About?"
"He's concerned because he relinquished the funds into Mr. Oman's account and tried to contact him. He's not answering the phone or any of the messages. Apparently, he hasn't even used any of the money out of the account or attempted a withdraw." Mr. Kraum paused. "Peter Fausel is concerned about his client and called here wanting to know if Mr. Oman tried to contact you."
"Uh. No. I haven't heard from him since last Wednesday." She chewed on her lip. "Have you tried the mine office? The Union?"
"Yes, I called there first before I phoned you," Mr. Kraum said.
"I'm not sure what's going on, but if I hear anything, I'll let you know," she said.
"Thank you, dear. I'll be in touch."
"Bye," she said, disconnecting the call.
She looked straight ahead into the mirror on the handlebar of the motorcycle and met Remmy's intense gaze. The moment Mr. Kraum mentioned Will missing, her thoughts went to the other night when she found out Remmy paid Will a visit. In the past, Will always let Robert or Chad know his whereabouts, and had even called the house to let her know he'd be gone for a few days in case they worried or needed him.
Will would never disappear.
"Everything okay?" Remmy asked.
She shook her head. "Please tell me you didn't force Will to leave the area...or kill him."
"Don't have to tell you." Remmy turned and gazed at her over his shoulder. "I told you the truth, now you're to trust me."
She did. Even though he could surprise her and bewilder her, she didn't believe he'd kill someone, unless that person touched her or his club.
"Will's missing. His lawyer is looking for him." She tapped on her phone, pulling up Will's phone number. "It's not like him to go away for more than a day without letting someone know. I'm going to call him."
The phone rang. After three rings, the call went to voicemail. "Hey Will, it's Natalie. Give me a call back or call your lawyer. He's looking for you, and we're all concerned because you're not answering the phone." She paused. "Honey, you're family and I worry about you. I know it's been more than rough for almost a year, but I want you to know I understand and we'll work this out."
She hung up and looked at Remmy. "I hope nothing is wrong."
"We need to go back to the club." Remmy's brows lowered. "I don't like this."
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"It's too big of a coincidence. Will threatening you, me making my own demands on Will, and who is the motherfucker behind all of our actions? Los Li. If they got wind that Will wanted to open the case...well, I don't like the odds that Will disappeared under his own power," he said.
"Oh, God, we have to find him." She shoved her phone in her pocket.
"You're not going to do anything." Remmy started the Harley, and rode away from the curb.
She hugged his waist, caught in the turmoil that kept resurrecting. Innocent lives were lost, but it wasn't enough. She wanted Los Li to pay for the crimes committed. She closed her eyes under the viaduct. How many more people would be killed or scarred?
Several minutes later, she climbed off the motorcycle and grabbed her bag. Remmy put his hand around her wrist.
"Leave your things by the Harley, we need to do something before we go in and tell the others." He led her farther up the hill on foot.
On the left side of the clubhouse, he removed his pistol. She stepped away, wondering why he was removing his gun on club property.
"Have you ever fired a gun before?" He took out the magazine, checked the chamber, and put the pistol back together again.
"Um, once. Robert took me to a firing range years ago." She cupped her elbows.
"When we go back inside, I'm going to give you a pistol. You'll carry it in your purse at all times." He handed her the weapon, butt end first. "Right now, I want to make sure you can draw a weapon, aim, and fire safely and with good time."
"Why?"
"I don't like the thought of you not having a way to protect yourself if for some reason I'm not around or something happens to me and you find yourself alone," he said.
"I know self-defense." She let the heavy gun hang at her side.
"Right." He stood behind her and guided her arm up in front of her. "Now you'll also know how to shoot someone to save your life."
The first squeeze of the trigger jolted her whole body. If Remmy hadn't been there, she would've dropped the gun. The power recoiling in her hand and up her arm rattled her teeth. But after a couple dozen shots, the bullet hit the trunk of the tree. Bark flew off, and the solid thunk of lead imbedding in the wood, left her smiling in triumph. The splurge of confidence she gained hitting her target surprised her.
Chapter Twenty Four
Behind closed door, Kurt held his hand up to silence the Bantorus members. Remmy sat back down at the table, enraged, and ready to walk out the door. He wasn't willing to throw out any more theories about what was going on. He was positive Will's disappearance had to do with Los Li and that linked Natalie into the equation.
"We have two options." Kurt leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "We can lock the club down or go on high alert. What we're not going to do is ride out and start a fucking war, because we have a feeling."
"Then let me ride out." Remmy gazed at Kurt. "It's my woman, my responsibility."
"It's on the club's back." Ink shook h
is head. "You're our VP."
"I go where Remmy goes." Cutter folded his knife and slipped it into his vest. "With that said, I think we should stay here. We have more men than we had last summer. Our security is high. The militia is a snap away, and will back us without any questions. Nobody is going to get inside the fence."
Sawyer scooted his chair. "I'll stay with the women in the cabin, so you all can concentrate on Natalie."
"Not now, Sawyer," Remmy said, his patience long gone.
"My question is still unanswered. Do we go on lockdown or high alert?" Kurt said. "One will let Los Li know we're aware of their move. The other option buys us time to learn more and we can hope like hell we're flying under the radar."
Remmy wanted to vote lock down. Natalie would be safe, but he personally never played Los Li's game, because he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. He relied on his club, because he trusted his brothers. "High alert."
"High alert," Ink said.
Cutter snapped open his knife. "High alert."
Around the table, each member voted. It was unanimous. Remmy lifted his chin, pleased with the men and the direction.
"High alert." Kurt banged the table with his fist. "Three men with the girls if they leave the property at all times. All riders are on the buddy system. I want rotations moved in closer to the clubhouse, and around-the-clock guards on the gate. I'll inform the new prospects that they're on gate duty, and have Big Dawg and Wyatt watch them for loyalty. Beckett will be stationed at my house full time, for Risa's peace of mind."
"I'll call Lagsturns MC and do a check in with them to see if they've heard anything," Remmy said.
"Let me handle that." Kurt leaned back. "I'll also call Lee and see if I can get him to return my phone call."
"Inform the others, but keep any suspicions to yourself. If anyone hears any information they can link to Los Li or Will's disappearance, come to Kurt or me immediately." Remmy pushed away from the table and stood.