by Michelle Woods - Catching Trick (Red Devils MC #3) , 25th July
“Uhh-uh…not going to mess with my friendship that way. She’d really run then. Is that what you want?”
“Fuck, no! You make sure she comes back here, Charity. I will chase her down if she doesn’t.” Trick growled, anger eating him alive.
“That’s the smart big brother, I know and love. Next time think! Now, I gotta go. Pretty Boy is still here, and he wanted me to let you know that he has his eyes open. Whatever the hell that means?”
“It’s nothing, just make sure she doesn’t run, Charity.”
“Fine, but remember this when I finally ask you what I brought you to that restaurant for.” Charity said, hanging up. Shit, what the hell was this going to cost him, he wondered.
Two days later Trick was sitting with Bone and Tank at the conference table again. He’d been waiting for Katie to come back for two days and now he was sitting here listening to Bone tell him it could be longer before he was able to make things right with her.
“Why can’t you send one of the prospects?” Trick demanded.
“You know that right now a damned prospect isn’t going to work! We need our best men on this job. If I didn’t have to ask this of you with the shit going down with Katie, you know I wouldn’t. I need you to take this run. Tiny and I need to check out Titus. You know as well as I do that we can’t allow the Jackal’s to set up shop there. It would allow any club trying to make a name think they could mess with us. None of us want that shit.” Bone growled, slamming his hand down on the table in anger. “Besides I’m not asking. I’m telling you that you’re going on this run.”
“Fuck, alright. I will do the run. You’re right.”
He stormed out of the clubhouse headed over to the Dixon farm to take the food to that damned city. Those helpless assholes should have to come get their own shit. Of course, then the club wouldn’t be able to charge those dickheads all the credits that they did.
Katie entered the house throwing her keys into the bowl by the door, and walk down the hall to her room. Dropping her bag, she sighed. The two days she’d spent with Charity had helped to calm some of her anger at Trick for the Dear John letter. She still wasn’t happy about it though. She pulled her phone from the corner pocket of her bag and texted Mary Ann to let her know she was back in town. She’d called to talk to her while she was away explaining what had happened with Trick. Mary Ann had been just as pissed as she and Charity was on her behalf.
Setting her phone on the dresser, she looked at the bed longingly. After driving for three hours she wished she could just fall into bed, but she needed to get some writing done. Deciding to take a shower before she started, she entered the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she sighed. Hanging with Charity for the past two days had been fun, but she hadn’t gotten much sleep. Getting undressed she got into the shower, hoping it would revive her enough that she could get some work done. Her deadline was fast approaching and her editor was not a nice person by any stretch of the imagination.
Twenty minutes later, after a hot shower, that she’d lingered in way too long, she entered the bedroom. She was using a towel to dry her hair, when she neared the bed. Her heart almost stopped and she felt cold all over. There on the bed, which hadn’t been there when she’d entered her bathroom, was a package. One tied with string. Katie dropped the towel rushing to the door slamming it shut and locking it. With her heart pounding in her ears and her hands shaking she leaned back against it. Reaching out, she grabbed the baseball bat that she’d started keeping in her room beside the door when her stalker had reappeared.
Gripping the bat, she realized that the stalker could be hiding in the room with her. Shaking with fear that thought induced, she knelt down and looked under the bed. Relived to find that it wasn’t harboring anything except giant dust bunnies. Although, looking at them, she thought that maybe she might better run the vacuum under there more often, those were some big bunnies. She stood back up noticing the closet. Still gripping the bat, she approached it with apprehension. Using the bat to open the cracked door, she jerked back as it swung open, ready if someone jumped out at her. Only it was empty too, thank God.
She allowed the bat to hang at her side, as she moved to her phone. Picking it up, she dialed Pretty Boy.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Get in here, now! The stalker left me another gift for me. On my bed, while I was in the shower.” Katie tried to keep the panic from her voice. How had he gotten in without Pretty Boy or for that matter her seeing him? Was he already here when she came in?
“Shit, where are you?”
“In my room. I locked myself in and there’s nobody in here with me. I don’t know about the rest of the house.”
“Good. We’re coming in to check the house. We’ll knock twice, don’t shoot us.” Pretty Boy growled.
“I don’t have a gun.” Katie pronounced flatly. She hated guns.
“What? Trick didn’t get you a gun? Your man needs to get his shit together. You need a gun.”
“I don’t like guns, so no thank you! And Trick is not my man!” Katie practically screamed into the phone. Pissed that he’d assumed that Trick was her man.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, honey. You’re his, trust me and he’s just as much yours,” Pretty Boy’s voice was amused. “And what does liking guns matter? This person’s dangerous, you need a gun.”
“Just get in here, and get this thing out of my room, damn it!” Katie knew she was slipping into hysterical territory, but she didn’t care. She wanted that thing gone, she wanted her stalker gone. Why was he doing this to her? Why? Had he been watching her in the shower? That was fucking creepy. She began to shake. She wished that Trick hadn’t been such a dick, she really wanted to talk to him. He always seemed to center her when shit like this happened. Not that shit like this had happened before. She still liked to hear his voice when bad shit happened.
Only right now she was still mad at him, and that meant she wasn’t about to call the asshole. Still standing near the closet she sank down the wall, the bat clutched in her hands on her lap. Wondering, if the stalker had been in the house the whole time. She began to shake, at the thought of the stalker watching her shower.
There was a hard knock on the door, and a muffled, “Let me in, Katie.” From Pretty Boy. She told herself to get up, only she couldn’t seem to move. She was paralyzed with fear. Had he been waiting for her to come home, or had it just been a coincidence.
“Katie, let us in! Are you okay in there?” Log yelled, banging on the door again.
“I’m fine.” She called out, then added. “Just a second.” She didn’t move, she just sat there trembling.
Trick grunted and glared at the little man who was looking at the vegetables and fruits that filled the three trucks they’d brought to the city behind the wall. The little man was always a pain in the ass. He always tried to negotiate a lower price for the food. It pissed him off. Not that anyone who got stuck with this run didn’t feel the same. They all wanted to kill the little fucker. He watched the little shit write in his handheld again, wanting to rip it away from him and beat him with it. He hated this run. His phone started ringing, distracting him from his annoyance with the little prick. With the mood he was in, that was a good thing.
“Yeah.” He barked, not in the mood for chit chat.
“Call Katie. Tell her to open the damned door.” Pretty Boy demanded. He could hear someone yelling and banging on something.
“What the hell is going on?” He growled.
“Your girl’s locked in her bedroom and won’t open the door. Her stalker got into the house and left a gift,” Pretty Boy paused. “She was here when it happened, taking a shower.”
“Fuck! What the hell? You’re supposed to be protecting her. That doesn’t sound like you protecting her, mother fucker!” Trick almost crushed his phone he gripped it so hard. He stepped away, nodding Link to take over.
“We were, that’s why this isn’t good. We had eyes on both doors. Not su
re how the hell they got in and out. They’re not here now though. Unless there in her room with her, or they went out a window while we searched. If they went out a window, that means they know we’re watching.”
“Damn it, alright. She won’t come out of her room. Why?” Trick wanted to get on his bike and get back to Devils falls, only he had to handle this shitty run first.
“Yeah, she won’t come out. We think she’s freaked, this was a little close to home. The package wasn’t there when she came in she says.”
“Alright” Trick hung up, not bothering to say goodbye. He dialed Katie, his heart squeezing. He didn’t want to make this call. He wanted to be there with her, but he knew he’d have to deal with this over the phone instead. He was pissed that he wasn’t there, and that he couldn’t get to her.
“Hello,” Katie’s voice was shaky and she sounded defeated. Oh, hell no, that would not do.
“Get up and open the door, now!” He said, in the commanding tone he normally used only in bed.
“No, not till I’m damned good and ready, asshole!” Katie said, fire entering her voice. That was his girl. She needed to remember that she was a fighter, not a victim.
“I said, open the damned door, Katie.” Trick growled.
“Fine! Asshole, I swear you’re such a dick!”
“Just do it, and when you do let me talk to Pretty Boy.” He needed to be there. Damn it. Why had he allowed Bone to force him into doing this run?
“Bye, dickhead!” Katie said, before there was shuffling and then Pretty Boy was on the line.
“Yeah?”
“Is she okay?”
“Better than before, not frozen. She’s yelling at Log to take it outside to open it.” Pretty Boy said, in a low voice that let him know that he’d stepped away to answer.
“Good. But Pretty Boy you make damned sure she’s okay, and you don’t leave her alone again. You’re to stay with her at all times, no more respecting her space, She’s not to be left alone. If anything happens to her, I will kill you.”
“Yeah, I got it, but she isn’t going to like it.”
“Don’t fucking care! Just do it.” Trick growled, hanging up and shoving his phone back into his pocket before he slammed his fist into the wall nearby. Damn it, she’d been scared and he hadn’t been there. It made him crazy. She wasn’t supposed to be frightened. When he found this fucking bastard, he was going to fucking kill him.
Katie was still shaking when she heard Trick’s ringtone. Shit, what did that asshole want? She answered in a shaky voice, pissed that she was almost desperate to hear his voice, “Hello”
“Get up and open the door, now!” Trick used that commanding tone he did in bed, the one that sent shivers of need down her spine. Katie wanted to ignore his command, but she was already setting the bat aside to do what he said. Bastard, she thought some of her fear leaving her as she began to get mad.
“No, not till I’m damned good and ready, asshole!” She growled at him. How dare he yell at her? She was not a child, and she’d open the door when she was ready to.
“I said, open the damned door, Katie.” Trick growled at her making her want to throw the phone across the room.
“Fine! Asshole, I swear you’re such a dick!” Katie finally walked to the door, tired of hearing that voice. It was making her wet, which was just embarrassing when she was still trying to deal with her stalker leaving her another gift. She wanted that thing out of her room, and that was the only reason she was opening the door. Not because he was demanding it, she told herself. Even as a little voice inside her said ‘Yeah right!’
“Just do it, and when you do let me talk to Pretty Boy.” He demanded, making her grit her teeth. She opened the door before saying in a frustrated tone.
“Bye, dickhead!” Then she shoved the phone at Pretty Boy. He took her phone and stepped away. Whatever, she had bigger fish to fry! Log needed to get this shit out of her room. She didn’t want it there and she was not going to fear some asshole who left gifts in her bed because he was too cowardly to give it to her in person.
Log walked over to the bed, he pulled out a pocket knife about to open that thing on her bed. Had he lost his mind?
“Don’t open that here! Take it outside! Outside!” Katie screamed, no way in hell was he opening that in her bedroom, not if he wanted to live.
“Jeez, you don’t have to scream!” Log grumbled, looking at her over his shoulder.
“I do too. Otherwise, you being a male, you wouldn’t listen!”
“Get a grip, girl. I’ll take the damned thing outside.” Log picked up the box and headed towards the door. Thank God. Turning she saw that Pretty Boy was holding her phone out to her. She took it. Stuffing it into her jean pocket. She’d taken her clothes into the bathroom with her thankfully.
“Bad news, kitten.” Pretty Boy said.
“What?” Katie demanded, already knowing from his tone that she wasn’t going to like it.
“Your man says no more alone time for you. So, that means I’ll be with you twenty four seven.” He looked at her grimly.
“Great. That’s all I fucking need, another asshat watching my ass. Just fucking great!” She growled, even though she wasn’t really upset. It actually made her feel safer knowing that if Trick wasn’t here, Pretty Boy would keep her safe.
Chapter 12
Trick pulled up at Katie’s house later that day. He needed to see her to assure himself that she was alright. Besides they needed to work out the other day anyway, he just hoped she was able to handle a relationship with him. Otherwise, this would end in her getting hurt, and he didn’t want that. Getting off his bike and walking to the door. He saw Log sitting on the front porch.
“You got here quick.” He smiled.
“Yep,” He growled, not in the mood for any shit from him or Pretty Boy.
He let himself into the house walking into the den, where he found Katie typing at the computer and Pretty Boy laying on the couch nearby with his feet propped up. The man was asleep. Knocking the asshole’s feet down, he growled.
“If I’d been the stalker you’d have been dead instead of keeping her safe.”
“Geez, give him a break, you’re just an asshole! He knew that Log wouldn’t let anyone inside.” Katie said, turning around with fire in her eyes. Reassuring him that she was okay, thank god. Pretty Boy stood.
“There are two doors and about a hundred windows in this house, Katie. Your stalker has shown that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get at you, and this idiot wasn’t even aware I’d entered the room.” Trick growled back.
“You’re right, I’ll be more aware. I’m going to make a sandwich, either of you want one?” Pretty Boy asked, as he moved to the door.
“No, we’re good.” Trick replied.
They glared at each other, neither heard the click of the door as Pretty Boy shut it behind himself. Katie wanted to scream, did the man really think that she’d forgotten the other day? She hadn’t forgotten waking up to find him gone and a letter in his place. She stood glowering at him with her hands resting on her hips.
“What if I wanted a damned sandwich, Trick?”
“Not now, Katie. We need to talk.” His tone sent a shiver down her spine, damn the man. Damn it, why did he have to be so sexy?
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do Trick! You didn’t want to deal with me, so get the hell out of my house!” She knew she was screaming, but her heart still stung from the way he’d left her the other morning.
“No, damn it that’s what I want to talk to you about. I made a mistake with that letter, Katie.” She stared at him dumbfounded. Did he really think this would be that easy? That she would just forgive him? He must be out of his tiny little mind. No way was she going to allow him to just walk in here, and say oops, I didn’t realize that I’d still want to fuck you. Now, let us just forget that I ripped your heart out with that letter I left for you, and go back to fucking. How dare he?
“Well, too damn
ed bad, asshole! I don’t even care anymore!” She screamed, wanting to hit him. She balled her hands into fists at her sides, and glared at him.
“Stop cursing, Katie.” Trick demanded, taking a step closer to her a grim expression on his face.
“Ha, I’ll Fucking cuss if I want to, and you have no say in what I do anymore! You gave up that right the other morning with a damned letter. Now, didn’t you asshat?” Katie screamed again.
Trick moved towards her his hands gripping her arms tightly. It wasn’t painful, his intent wasn’t to hurt her it was more about control. He wanted to stop that pretty, bow shaped mouth from cursing, and his gut was on fire with the need to touch her again. He pushed her back into the wall next to her desk, with his cock hard and his body aching. He took her mouth, letting out a desperate growl of need, as he began devouring her. She pushed against his chest with her tiny fists for a moment before she groaned and melted into him.
Katie wanted to stop his assault on her mouth. She slammed her fists into him, only to moan as dark pleasure filled her when his mouth found hers. She couldn’t help melting into him. Hating that she was so turned on by the man and his mouth, which seemed to make her desire burn hotter than fires of hell. She held his shoulders, a feeling of desperate need clutching her in its grip. Wanting to consume every bit of the pleasure he offered, before he managed to snatch it from her hands again. She needed this so badly she felt like she was drowning, drowning in his touch. His scent filled her head and her heart pounded in her ears. She felt his hand slip over her breasts cupping the mounds, flicking her nipples. Dear lord, that felt amazing.
Trick was hornier than he could ever remember being, as he sucked on Katie’s tongue. His hand playing with her soft breasts, and his fingers flicking her tight nipples. His body pressed against her softness. Feeling her right leg slide up wrapping around his hip, placing his hard member right where he wanted it to be, he growled. He wanted inside her, now. Still a little crazed with the need for her tightness, he pressed against her ripping his mouth from hers. They needed to talk, he had to stop.