What had started out as a fling was starting to become more. He’d gone from someone to fuck and forget, to someone who she would have fond memories of, to now, someone she was beginning to look forward to spending time with. She smiled as she lowered her hands to his crotch to slowly caress his manhood. Tonight was going to be her first night “living” with him.
Yesterday she’d moved out of her hotel room and into Merrick’s bedroom. She’d cleared it with Taylor by telling him she was doing it, and if he didn’t like it, he could get over it. She’d played it as she couldn’t stand the sight of Blake, but in reality, she just wanted to spend more time with Merrick. After some half-hearted protests, and her promise she would be on time, every time, he’d given her his blessing.
Merrick had taken her home and then they’d gone back in his truck to pick up her clothes and other possessions. She grinned again and snuggled into his back a bit more. Home. She rather liked the way that sounded.
They pulled to a stop at a light and as the Harley thrummed between their legs, he reached back with his right hand and gave her thigh a caress. He was looking forward to getting home with her, even more so than usual.
Yesterday morning, he’d been bitching at her good-naturedly how having to stop at the hotel on the way to location for her to shower and change, or stop on the way back from location so she could pick up some clothes for the next day was a pain in the ass and it would be easier if she just brought her stuff to his house.
He grinned as the light went green and he put his hand back on the throttle, remembering the shocked look on her face.
“You want me to…move in…with you?” she’d asked as she looked at him with wide eyes.
“It’s not exactly moving in. I mean, you’re eventually going to have to go back to LA, right? But yeah. Why not? Don’t you think it would be easier?”
She’d stared at him for several long moments, then smiled. “Sure. Why not? I’m here every night anyway, right?”
“Right!” he’d agreed, and that had been that. Taylor hadn’t looked too pleased, but she hadn’t given him any option.
He snorted, his smile widening as he gave the hog the beans and shot the gap between two cars, carving through traffic, enjoying the Harley and the back warmer behind him. He’d had a woman spend a couple of nights before, but they all knew to bring a change of clothes or they were wearing the same clothes home because he didn’t want any of their shit in his house. But he didn’t mind Poppy’s stuff there. Granted it was only a week’s worth of clothes and her toiletries, but that was far more than he would have tolerated from any other woman.
He grinned again as he whacked the throttle open, the Harley lunging through a yellow light before it turned red. All he knew was not having to stop at the hotel was going to save them at least an hour a day, and he couldn’t wait to get her back home and in bed so he could make good use of the extra time.
“1923,” he said as she stepped off the bike in his drive.
“What?”
“1923. The combination to the garage.”
She grinned, unexpectedly pleased he’d given her the combination, then keyed the numbers to start the door rumbling up. He kicked the bike into the garage and stepped off. As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, he swung her around and into a kiss. It didn’t have the white hot heat of some of his kisses, but it was deep and erotic, and it filled her with warmth.
“That was nice,” she breathed as he let her go.
“I have something for you.”
“I have something for you, too,” she purred.
He chuckled. “That’s not what I meant, though I’m looking forward to getting what you’re offering.” He began to search his pockets, his face becoming comically alarmed as his search became more frantic. When she began to look concerned, he grinned and reached back into his pocket and pulled out a key, holding it up in display.
“What’s that?” she asked, though she had a pretty good idea.
“Key to the house. I slipped away and had it made while you were working.” He pressed it into her hand and closed it around it then grinned. “Last night I looked for but couldn’t find my spare. Now that I’ve had that one made, I’ll probably find it.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
He chuckled. “Yes. I can’t have you standing around in the yard waiting for me to get home. The neighbors will talk. Just give it back when you leave.”
She grinned. “Maybe I’ll just keep it.”
“Only if you give me a key to your place.”
She began to look around the kitchen. “Where’s my damn purse?”
He chuckled then picked her up and sat her on the counter. Her lips were at the perfect height so he stepped in close. He kissed her slowly, deeply as her heels hooked his legs to prevent him from stepping back.
“What are we going to do with our extra time,” he breathed as the kiss dissolved.
“I have a suggestion,” she murmured, his lips so close to hers she could feel him breathing.
“What?”
“I feel like a good, strenuous workout.”
He kissed her again. “I like your suggestion.”
“Me too.”
He lifted her off the counter and she locked her legs around his back and her arms around his neck. He pulled her in tight then carried her down the short hall to his bedroom. As she entered she unhooked her legs and he put her down.
“Give me a couple of minutes,” she breathed, pulling him in for another slow and luxurious kiss. She pulled back and looked into his eyes then smiled. “I want to freshen up.”
He smiled and followed her into the bathroom where he shaved and brushed his teeth as she washed her face then brushed her teeth.
He was turning the linens back, wearing nothing but his underwear, when she stepped into the bedroom wearing only her bra and panties. He looked at her and smiled, stepping into in close to kiss her again, starting with her lips then working his way down her neck and under her chin before he kissed his way down her breasts. Her sigh as she held his head to her chest made him ache for her.
He returned to her lips, kissing her slowly then pulled her toward the bed. He was turning her, reaching behind her to unhook her bra, when he heard the crash of a door being kicked in.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
There were three hard thuds, then a crash as the jamb gave way.
Merrick grabbed his weapon from the nightstand, not taking the time to remove it from the holster and hustled Poppy into the closet, pushing her into the back then stepping in with her before pulling the door almost closed. He waited, pulling his Sig Saur P250 Compact from the holster as he peered through the crack in the door.
Poppy cowered in the back of the closet, her hands over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream in panic. She knew Merrick carried a gun and a knife. She didn’t like guns and knives, and at first she was nervous about him carrying it and it being so close to the bed. She hadn’t said anything and over the last couple of weeks; she’d adjusted and the weapons had become just another part of his attire, like his wallet. She couldn’t understand why he went everywhere armed and kept his pistol close to the bed, and she thought he was overly cautious, or paranoid, but now she was glad he kept the weapon handy.
He looked at her, barely visible in the light seeping through the crack in the door. Her eyes were wide and she had both hands clamped over her mouth. He put his finger to his lips then peeked through the crack again. A man stepped through the door, his weapon out, and spun to the to check behind the open door. Merrick adjusted his grip on his weapon, ready to come out shooting if the gunman turned toward the closet. The intruder turned and moved sideways toward the bed, checking the far side. This was his best chance.
Merrick burst from the closet and dashed the three steps, grabbing the man around the neck with his arm as he pressed his weapon under the man’s ear. The man began to turn toward the sound of Merrick bursting from the closet, but froze as the Sig
pressed in. “If you so much as twitch, I’ll blow your fucking head off! Drop your weapon.” He waited, breathing hard, as the pistol thumped to the floor. He kicked the gun, knocking it under the bed, then dragged the man back, away from the weapon, his own pistol still against the man’s head. “What the fuck are you doing here, Saw? I should kill you right now!”
“Go ahead! You’ve killed everyone else!”
“I haven’t killed anyone!”
“Bullshit! You’ve wiped out my entire club! There are only three of us left, and I swore on my wife’s grave I would fucking kill you or die trying. So go ahead! Finish what you started!”
“I told you! I didn’t kill anyone! You fucked with Abana! He’s the one who fucked you, not me!”
“I don’t believe you! The twenty brothers you killed on the road! Crawlers and Switchblade you stuffed into a storage building until the smell gave them away!”
“You’re the one who sent the goons after us! You started this shit, not me! Our two clubs had worked together for over thirty years. You did business with my dad. You fucked it all up and you paid the price. Why?”
“You know why. I wanted your deal, but Abana wouldn’t buy from me. He didn’t trust me.”
“Smart man. Smarter than I was, apparently.”
“What are you going to do?” Saw asked.
“I should kill you.”
“Then do it and get it over with.”
“No.” Merrick said, slowly releasing his chokehold on Saw and stepping back. “No. I’m tired of the killing. We’re not murderers. We’re not like you.”
“So you’re just going to let me go?” Saw asked as he slowly turned.
“Yeah,” Merrick said with a cold smile while taking another step back. “But I’m telling Abana you’re not dead. He’ll be interested in knowing the leader of the men who attacked him is still alive. I’m going to let you go, but I don’t think Abana will.”
Saw slapped himself in the chest. “Come on! Do it! Don’t be a pussy! If you want to kill me, do it yourself!”
“That’s what you don’t get. I don’t have a beef with you. Abana does.”
Saw stared at Merrick then smiled. “You don’t have the balls, do you? You’re nothing but a pussy!” He charged and Merrick squeezed the trigger, the Sig deafening in the quiet of the house. Saw went hard to knees and grasped his chest.
“You stupid fuck!” Merrick yelled. “You could have walked away!” He turned and saw Poppy standing in the door to the closet, her hands still at her mouth and her eyes wide.
“Is he…? Merrick!” she screamed as she looked past him and her face twisted in horror.
He turned just as Saw rushed him, grabbing the gun in his hand. Merrick squeezed the trigger reflexively, but it was a clean miss as Saw twisted the gun down. Merrick stumbled back, off balance by Saw’s charge, trying to bring the gun around. Saw was a big man, going soft with age, and an experienced brawler, but nobody was tough enough to take a bullet in the chest and still have this much fight left in them.
They crashed into the wall so hard Merrick’s teeth rattled. Saw drew back a meaty fist and though Merrick saw it coming, he was too off balance to do anything about it. Saw’s first crashed into his cheek and Merrick felt his knees weaken. He was in trouble, his bell rung by Saw’s punch. Saw drew back and punched again. Merrick ducked, the blow grazing his head but doing minimal damage.
As his head began to clear he shoved hard back against Saw, using the wall as leverage to gain some much needed room to maneuver. Saw moved with him, and pivoted, bringing his elbow around in a crushing blow to the mouth.
Merrick staggered as his vision dimmed and he stumbled forward, desperate to stay on his feet. If he fell, it was all over. Saw snapped him around, still holding his gun hand and fired a right into his kidneys.
Poppy watched as Merrick doubled over, blood pouring from his cheek and mouth. The older man was kicking his ass and there was nothing she could do to help. She watched, terrified, as the Saw drove another right into Merrick’s stomach, causing him to stagger and fall.
Merrick let himself fall, desperate to get away from Saw for just a moment. He still had his gun and if he could have even a moment to recover he might be able get on offense. As he fell, he felt his hand slip from Saw’s grasp and realized this was his chance. Saw, recognizing the danger he was in, scrambled for the gun. Merrick, willing himself into motion, snapped the gun up and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened, the gun jammed from Saw’s hand being on it when he fired, the slide unable to reciprocate properly to eject the spent shell.
Saw piled into Merrick, landing on him as he drew his arm back to deliver another devastating blow. Merrick swung the gun in desperation, using it as a club. The Sig connected solidly with Saw’s head and spoiled his punch while stunning him. Merrick swung the gun back, hitting Saw in the face this time, snapping his head back as the Sig destroyed his mouth.
Poppy watched as Saw’s face exploded in a spray of blood and he fell away. He scrambled to his feet then fell again, obviously stunned by Merrick hitting him with the gun. Merrick rose and staggered a moment, but then charged into Saw as the older man rose again. Merrick swung the gun down in a whistling arc, obviously intending to crush the man’s skull, but Saw met Merrick’s charge with one of his own and the gun crashed into his back. Saw roared in pain as the gun connected, the two men slamming together so hard she expected to hear bone break.
Between hitting Saw with the gun and simultaneous impact of their bodies, Merrick couldn’t hold onto the gun. His head was clearing and he jammed a hand into Saw’s face, forcing his head back. Saw grabbed his hand and jerked it down, breaking the hold. With Saw in so close, the target was just too tempting, and even though Merrick knew it was going to hurt like a bitch, he snapped his head forward.
Saw roared as Merrick’s forehead connected solidly with his already ruined mouth. He staggered back, trying to recover.
Merrick staggered a moment after smashing his head into Saw’s face, but then recovered. He stepped in close and fired a left into Saw’s face, concentrating on his weak point. Saw bellowed and stumbled back again. Merrick followed, his hands up, ready to take this fucker apart one piece at a time. He fired a left in another crushing blow. Saw staggered back again then went hard to the ground.
Saw began to roll over, trying to get back to his feet and Merrick stepped up and kicked him hard in the ribs, trying to cave his side in. “Who’s a pussy now?” he snarled as Saw grunted then went back to the ground.
Saw lay still a moment then held his hand up. “No more,” he slurred.
Remembering what happened the last time he was in a fight, Merrick kept his eye on him as he backed to his gun, picked it up and cleared it. “Get up! Slow! This is your last chance. No sudden moves or I’ll kill you where you are.”
Saw slowly got to his feet, Merrick’s gun tracking him as he rose. He straightened then quickly turned toward Poppy. Merrick pulled the trigger and the Sig bucked and roared. Saw cried out and stumbled, but kept his feet, grabbing Poppy and swinging her around in front of him as a shield, his hand going to throat.
“You took everything from me,” Saw slurred as he wavered, obviously still on his feet through sheer willpower. “Now I’m taking something from you.”
“You just signed your death warrant,” Merrick growled. He looked at Poppy. “Cover your ears.”
“What?” she gasped, her eyes wide and full of fear.
“It’s going to be okay. Cover your ears.”
She looked at him like he was crazy, but when he nodded in encouragement, she stuck her fingers in her ears. Merrick didn’t hesitate. He took two steps forward, pressed the gun to Saw’s forehead, and pulled the trigger.
Poppy screamed in terror as the Sig roared by her head and threw herself away from Saw as he began to fall, moving to the far side of the room and began to weep, wiping at her head and shoulders frantically.
He stared at Saw a moment, just to be sure,
then turned toward Poppy. “Shhh…It’s over now.”
“Get away from me!” she screamed, cowering back with her fists clamped to the side of her head.
“Poppy…Shhhh…Baby…It’s over,” he said softly as he slowly approached. She was staring at his gun so he tossed it on the bed. “It’s over. Are you okay?” He stepped closer, but when she recoiled away again, he stopped.
He didn’t know what to do. She was obviously traumatized but he didn’t know what to do about if she wouldn’t let him comfort her. He took another step forward and she cringed back. “It’s going to be okay,” he said softly as he backed away to give her some space. His mouth and cheek was hurting like a bitch, and he was bleeding everywhere. Not knowing what else to do, he went to the bathroom to clean himself up.
Merrick: Harlequins MC Page 24