by Kylie Walker
“What’s your name pretty girl?” His voice was like testosterone poured over silk. Levi willed herself not to shudder. She looked back up at the big biker and said, “Cami.” She didn’t know these people, at least not yet. She wasn’t about to give her real name and have one of them on the phone to the Sons of Warlock faster than she could snap her fingers. The big Adonis smiled and she could see a subtle change in his eyes as he said, “Cami, I like that. I used to know a girl named Cami. I actually miss her a lot.”
Shit! Levi had grasped for the first name that came to mind, but until she saw the biker’s face she’d forgotten that Cami used to live here. Hell, she grew up here, practically in this very club. She wasn’t good at this cloak and dagger stuff. She had to force a smile that she hoped didn’t look too nervous as she said, “Oh yeah?” She decided flirting might be the best way to distract him so she placed her fingers lightly on his huge, tattooed bicep and said, “It’s not a common name. Aren’t you the lucky one meeting two in your lifetime?”
He laughed. She liked the smooth, easy sound of it. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m a lucky guy. What does a pretty little thing like you want with Rodney Boone?”
She was saved from answering by the sound of a female voice and a body suddenly shoved in between them where there really hadn’t been enough room. “Jared! There you are…” The woman looked to be around thirty with fuzzy blonde hair and gigantic tits. The rest of her was long and super slim so Levi was guessing they were store bought, not that men cared. The woman gave Levi a dirty look and turned her back to her. Levi could still see Jared’s face since he towered over them both. “I thought we were hanging out tonight.” She shot Levi another dirty look back over her shoulder. Levi almost smiled. If this woman only knew how badly Levi did not want to hook up with a biker, even one who looked as good as this one, she wouldn’t be worried at all. The woman jutted her chest out and ran her fingers through the tangled blonde mess on her head. Levi couldn’t see her face any longer but it was obvious that she was pleading by the sound of her voice. “Come on baby, please. You and me always have a good time.”
Jared didn’t take his eyes off of Levi even as the woman spoke and pouted. Levi defiantly locked hers into his, letting him know right off the bat that she wasn’t intimidated or impressed and she was in no mood to be fucked with. She was about to encourage him to go with the whiney girl when the prospect came out of the back and said, “He’ll see you.”
Levi turned her attention from a curious looking Jared to the prospect. He wasn’t smiling or flirty any longer. Now he was all business. She slid off the stool and followed the prospect over to the door of the room he’d just come out of. The prospect knocked again and a booming, gravelly voice said, “Yeah!”
The prospect pushed open the door and Levi got her first look at the Chairman of the Black Skulls…she just wasn’t sure which one was which. The two men at the head of the table would be identical if not for the extra fifty pounds of flesh on one of them. The room was dim with the last rays of the fading sun coming in behind the two big men. The one on the right was huge, but not an ounce of fat dared cling to all of that muscle. He had short, light-colored hair with touches of gray in the sideburns. His eyes were dark too, almost black and his arms were as thick or thicker than two of Levi’s thighs put together. The man would be intimidating enough to send most people running had he not been smiling. The one next to him with the bloated cheeks and beer belly didn’t look quite as happy to see her. The better looking of the two got to his black boot clad feet and came around the table. He surprised Levi by opening his arms and bringing her in for a hug. He towered over her and his powerful arms threatened to squeeze the life out of her.
Finally, he let her go. She hoped he hadn’t cracked any of her bones. He looked at her face like he was searching for something and at last he said, “You look just like your daddy.”
Levi thought the almost whimsical look on this big biker’s face looked comical. It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared however and as she said, “Thank you,” Rodney was saying, “Sit down,” in a commanding voice. She took a seat in a leather chair facing the head of the table where the man sat down once more. “I’m Rodney and this is my brother Carl.” Carl was still scowling.
Levi wondered if her father wasn’t Carl’s favorite person or if he was just not a nice person. She forced herself to smile at him anyway as she smiled at Rodney too and she said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Levi McGarden.”
“So, I read your father’s letter.” He paused there and Levi wondered if he expected her to say something. Before she did Rodney looked at her and asked, “Did he tell you what was in the letter?”
Damn. She wished that she would have looked at it. Whatever he wrote seemed to have had a pretty profound effect on this giant of a man. “Not exactly. Just that he was asking you for help for me.”
Rodney nodded. Carl smirked and Levi was still confused. Rodney went on to say, “Well, he didn’t give me a lot of details about what happened between you and the Sons. Tell us what’s going on, exactly.” He was talking nicely to her but at the same time his voice was commanding. It wasn’t a request, it was an order. Levi started talking. She started with meeting Frankie and ended with the day she ran. None of the men showed any signs of what they were thinking while she talked. When she finished Rodney said, “That’s a hell of a spot you’re in. I know Grant…Red Bull, well. He’s a mean son of a bitch and he won’t bat an eye at having a woman killed.” If he was trying to make her feel better at all, it wasn’t working. Levi nodded and he went on, “I normally stay away from other club’s business,” Carl cleared his throat. Rodney ignored him and went on, “Mike did something for me years ago and even all this time later, I still feel indebted to him.” Again, Carl made a noise in his throat. Rodney shot him a look to kill but it didn’t seem to faze his twin brother. “I liked Mike a lot. He was family. He still is.”
“He spoke highly of you too,” Levi said.
“But, President or no, Rodney will have to take this to the table for a vote,” Carl said. Levi looked at him. He seemed to be scowling at her. What the hell is his problem? She was more comfortable looking at Rodney so she looked back at him and said, “Of course. I understand.”
Rodney picked a card out of a card holder in front of him and said, “This is the address to Wanda’s Motor Inn. It’s the only motel in town. Go on over there now. I’ll call Wanda and have her get a room ready for you. Lock your door and don’t let anyone in. Wanda will keep an eye on things and if anyone shows up that shouldn’t be around, she’ll give us a call. I’ll call a meeting as soon as you leave and someone will be out to let you know what we’ve decided before the night is over.”
“Okay. Thank you Mr. Boone. I appreciate you even considering helping me out.”
Rodney nodded. She looked at Carl and smiled. She didn’t get anything back but she said, “Thank you both,” before standing up and leaving the room. Once again all activity seemed to stop when she walked out of that room and back into the bar. She walked over to where her beer was set on the counter, picked it up and drained it and asked the bartender, “Is there any place to get something to eat close by?”
“You like tacos?”
“Sure.”
“There’s a taco truck about two miles from here. It’s on the corner of Eunuch and Fourth. Guy makes a mean taco.”
“Thanks, I’ll try it out.” Levi headed for the door. Before she got there her way was suddenly blocked by a brick wall. She looked up into Jared Hurst’s blue eyes.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Yeah,” she said. “It was nice to meet you but I have to run.”
He reached down and touched a stray piece of hair that had slipped out of her braid. There was something oddly intimate about the way he twisted it between his fingers as he said, “You sure you have to go? I think you and I could have a lot of fun together.”
She smiled. She didn’t know how important this guy wa
s to Rodney or the club and she didn’t want to piss any of them off until Rodney made his decision about helping her…or not. “I don’t doubt that we could,” she said. “But I really have to run.”
“When will you be running back?” He asked, letting go of her hair.
With a flirty wink she said, “Hopefully soon.”
Chapter 4
“You want me to babysit some chick who pissed off the Son’s?” Kyle Flanagan was sitting around the table with his best friend Asa to his right and the road Captain, Jim, to his left. Carl and Rodney were at the head of the table as usual. Rodney just finished telling the other four men in the room Levi’s story. When he finished Kyle was the first one to speak. He was annoyed as hell. He’d been the one to have to follow Asa’s old lady around and keep an eye on her when she first got to town too. He was a Sergeant at Arms, not a fucking babysitter.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I want you to do,” Rodney said. He had told the story and taken the vote before telling Kyle what his assignment would be. Kyle should have known. Asa never got the shit detail.
“So for how long?” Kyle asked. He was trying to keep his anger in check. Rodney wouldn’t tolerate anything that smelled even faintly of disrespect.
“Until we figure out how to fix this,” Rodney said. “She’s a young, pretty girl that comes from good people. In almost thirty years the only thing her pops asked of me was that I help him get out of the club so he could live the kind of life his old lady wanted to live. I want us to do as much as we can to help them. I don’t want that girl having to live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.”
“The rest of it won’t be long if Red Bull’s guys find her,” Carl said. He looked almost amused. The vote was ‘silent’ meaning each guy just wrote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a piece of paper and put it in a bowl that was passed around. There was only one ‘no’ vote and Kyle didn’t have a doubt it was Carl’s. What he didn’t understand was why. Carl usually kissed Rodney’s ass. He must have some kind of personal problem with the girl or her parents which was the only explanation Kyle could come up with. Whatever it was he wasn’t crazy about the idea of being caught in the middle of what could turn into one hell of a mess. On top of that, he hated babysitting. It was demeaning to his position in the club, he thought.
With a resigned sigh he said, “When do I start?”
“Right now. She’s out at Wanda’s in room seven. I only want you off her while you sleep and then only after someone shows up to relieve you. Nobody is to know who she really is or where she’s from. She’s your new old lady as far as they’re all concerned.”
“My new…what?” Kyle was aghast. How the hell was he going to get his needs met by the club girls if they thought he had an old lady?
“You heard me,” Rodney said with his eyes narrowing. “Listen Kyle, I know this is going to be inconvenient for you for a while. It won’t be forever.” Kyle knew an argument was futile even before Rodney said, “I’ll call and let her know you’re coming so she’ll open the door for you.” Rodney was using his, ‘don’t argue with me, don’t fuck with me,’ tone. Kyle simply nodded and stood up. He looked at Asa, his best friend and Co-Sergeant at Arms. He could see the sympathy there. He knew it wasn’t Asa’s fault. Kyle was obviously a trusted member of the club and considered tough enough to be Sergeant at Arms, but Asa was the one with the bad ass reputation and Kyle understood that even as annoying as it could be at times. He raised an eyebrow at his friend and Asa suppressed a smile. He picked up his cigarettes and headed for the door. Before he got there he heard Rodney tell Asa, “I want you to go to White’s Bridge.” Kyle knew for sure then why he was babysitting and Asa wasn’t. Rodney wanted to send Asa to do a face to face with the Sons of Warlocks because even Kyle had to admit, Asa was much more intimidating.
He walked through the bar, ignoring a few calls from women and giving a tip of his chin to some of his brothers. Once he was outside and on his hog he felt better. He always felt better on the bike with the wind in his face. He felt free. Free from responsibility and most of all free from a past that still haunted him sometimes. When he got to Wanda’s he parked in front of room seven. He saw the curtain move slightly. The girl had to be a mess and for the first time Kyle wondered what she looked like. If she was hot and willing this detail might not be too bad.
He walked up to the door and knocked. A sexy, kind of deep female voice called out from inside, “Who is it?”
“Kyle. Rodney sent me.”
She pulled the door open a crack. All he saw at first were masses of dark hair. She took a step back into the light and his heart nearly stopped.
She’d changed…a lot.
She was still about the same height. Five four or five maybe. But that teenaged body that didn’t interest him ten years ago had filled out in all the right places. If she turned sideways she’d look like one of those silver silhouettes that truck driver’s put on the back of their semi’s or on their mud flaps. She curved in all the right places. Her hair was a lot longer and her face had lost its baby fat…but it was definitely her. She looked just like Will and for a second Kyle’s mind went to that dark place. It flashed on the last time he’d seen Will, as his best friend from school had dangled off the edge of a cliff…just before plunging to his death. Fuck me….
The look in Levi’s green eyes told him that she knew who she was looking at as well. He was a lot bigger now; buffer and the dark stubble that covered his face hadn’t been there in his early adulthood. But he knew that other than that he hadn’t changed much. Besides…who would ever forget the face of the man that let their brother die?
“Shit,” was what she said as Kyle stepped inside and closed the door behind him. She put her hands in her hair and nervously ran her fingers through it. “Fuck.”
Kyle was doing everything he could internally to stay calm. He wanted to fall apart but the last time he’d done that was ten years ago, right after Will died. He wasn’t that kid anymore. He was a man and a member of one of the most notorious MC clubs in history. “Levi McGarden.”
She looked up at him and nodded slowly. “Kyle Flanagan…you’re a Black Skull?”
“Yeah. Obviously. How the hell did you get yourself mixed up with the Sons of Warlocks?”
She turned her back to him and he couldn’t help but let his eyes drop to her jean-clad ass. Fuck, she’s fine. Even with the rest of his body in turmoil, his dick was trying to stand up and take notice. She was still pulling at her hair. Another flash of memory. That day…the day Kyle died…as her mother wailed and her father sat with all the color drained from his face, shaking and sweating and trying to accept it…Levi had sat on Kyle with her knees up to her chest, crying silently and pulling at her hair. There was no way he could do this. No way could he spend 24/7 looking at Will’s eyes. He imagined them accusing. He’d reached out for Kyle, believing he would save him and Kyle had failed him. It was the ultimate failure and Kyle’s punishment had been watching his friend’s body slam into the rocks below…fuck! He spent years trying to learn how to sleep at night without seeing Will’s face…his accusing eyes. No fucking way was he doing this. Rodney would just have to understand.
“I um…I went off the deep end a little after I turned eighteen, I guess.” It took Kyle a second to remember he’d asked her a question. He was still standing by the door with his back to it. Levi was pacing. He was torn between feeling the dagger that was sticking out of his chest and watching the way her killer body moved fluidly as she paced back and forth. He had the image of himself just picking her up and letting her wrap those long legs around his waist. Then he’d slam her back into the wall and fuck her like she’d never been fucked before. Maybe that’s what they both needed. It would definitely be a stress reliever…at least for as long as it lasted. He had to work up enough moisture in his mouth to speak before he said, “What do you mean went off the deep end?”
She went over to the bed and sat down. He wondered what sh
e would do if he just dropped his pants and walked over and put his big dick in her face. Would she wrap those ruby red lips around it? Fuck, he had to stop!
“Mom and Dad got…overbearing, to say the least, after Will died.”
There, she said it.
She called the elephant in the room by name. He felt just a slight twist of that imaginary dagger but the world didn’t stop turning. “I tolerated it as well as I could until I graduated high school. Well, to be honest my acting out started my senior year. Nothing major…but you know…drugs and partying and stuff.”
Sex. That’s what she’s not saying. He knew plenty of girls that had shown up at the club after years of being oppressed by their over-protective parents. The one thing they all had in common was that they wanted to have sex with a bad boy, and plenty of it. Kyle almost licked his lips at the thought of it. He had sex with those women on a regular basis. There was always one around if he needed to get his dick sucked or bury his rod in a hot, wet pussy. But he’d never had sex with a woman that he had any kind of emotional connection to. He and Levi were emotionally connected just by virtue of the fact that they both loved Will. He couldn’t go there. He told himself again that even thinking about it was a mistake. Instead he cleared his throat and said, “And somehow you ended up in White’s Bridge and in bed with one of the Sons?”
“Yeah, something like that,” she said.
“Did you love him?” Fuck! He hadn’t meant to say that. He didn’t even know he was thinking it. He didn’t care if she loved him. His job was to protect her and that was it. He didn’t even have to talk to her. He could follow her around the way he had Samantha and she wouldn’t even have to know he was there. So what the hell was he doing?