“Wow,” she smiled. “This is incredible.”
Steel reached down and squeezed her hands with one of his.
They pulled up outside of the clubhouse, and Candy could see from the track marks and the bike that King was already there. Steel helped her down and he ran with her towards the steps of the house, jumping up them two at a time until he reached the front door.
He pushed it open and Candy could hear the hushed voices inside. Steel gripped her hand tightly and took her inside the darkened building, her heart pounding and her mind willing that everything was going to be okay.
They entered a room and a circle of bikers turned to face them.
Steel tensed and pulled Candy closer to him.
“Tell me,” he said. “What…?”
King blinked back tears and walked to the front of the crowd.
“The Iron Riders,” he said. “Those fuckers stormed Red X at dawn this morning.”
Steel sucked in a lung full of air and braced himself for the full story.
“They killed Marv,” he said without emotion. “Not that anyone will miss that fucking prick, but…he’s dead.”
Candy gasped. How could this have happened? She hadn’t liked Marv in the slightest, but she didn’t wish him any harm… How could he be dead? How could it all be over, just like that? She felt tears welling behind her own eyes, and she looked up at Steel for reassurance, but she could tell that he had much more on his mind than a low-life cokehead who owed him money.
He wasn’t fazed by the information about Marv, but Candy could see that something was bothering him and that he was now scanning each face in the room…looking for someone, trying to discover who else was missing. The expression on everyone’s face was so glum and somber, Candy already knew what was coming…
“Where’s Tanner?” Steel asked sharply, his eyes widening.
King dropped his head and a lone tear rolled down his cheek.
“Tanner was there, Steel,” King said. “He got caught off guard.”
“No…” Steel said.
King nodded and reached forward, trying to comfort his friend, but Steel pulled back and turned away.
“They shot him,” one of the other bikers interjected from the back of the room. “He was gone when we arrived. There was nothing we could do.”
Candy stood there, completely frozen to the spot and full of regret. Could she have done something to prevent this? The tension in the room was so heavy and fierce that she could barely stand it.
“Steel,” she whispered.
He shook his head before he clenched his fists and turned back to face the room.
“They’re not going to get away with this,” he said, spitting rage. “They want a war, they’ve got a war.” He punched his fist into his palm, and Candy shuddered. He was so angry, so powerful, so dangerous…
“When do we ride?” he asked with fury.
“Midnight,” King said. “We’re going to burn those fuckers to the ground.”
Steel took Candy’s hand in his and led her up the main staircase of the clubhouse and to the third floor. He hadn’t spoken a word since, and it was eerily quiet. She looked around and tried to catch glimpses of life elsewhere in the house. Behind doorways hushed conversations were being had, and she could hear a low sobbing coming from one of the bedrooms.
As they got up to the top floor, Steel marched along to the end of the corridor and pushed open the last door on the left. He pulled Candy inside and closed it behind them, and then he collapsed down onto the bed and put his head into his hands.
“Tanner was the closest thing I ever had to a brother,” he said solemnly. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Candy felt the sadness rise within her. She had to comfort him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as she rushed to his side. “Tell me what I can do…?”
Steel shook his head, and although he wasn’t crying, Candy could tell that he was as close as he would ever get. His face was etched with so much sadness and grief that it was unbearable for her to see.
“What’s going to happen?” she asked him. “I’m so afraid.”
“Don’t be, babe,” he said quietly. “We just have to do what we have to do.”
“But you promised you wouldn’t leave me…” She looked at him hopefully, praying that he would change his mind.
“I have to avenge him,” he said. “I have to make them pay for what they’ve done, and we’re going to take what’s rightfully ours.”
“Where will you find them?”
Steel rubbed his eyes and sighed.
“They’ll have taken the club by the sounds of it… Your friend is probably there with them right now.”
“Destiny?” she scoffed. “She’s no friend of mine.”
“She’ll get what’s coming to her, too,” he said seriously, “They all will.”
Candy had no more loyalty to Destiny after she had fooled her so expertly, but she didn’t like the thought of her being seriously hurt.
“I know she’s wronged us all, Steel… But please, don’t hurt her.”
He looked up at her with fire in his eyes, but it quickly gave way to defeat.
“For you,” he said. “That’s all I can promise out of this fight.”
Candy nodded. She knew she couldn’t get even more involved in The Forsaken Riders’ affairs, she was already in too deep and she didn’t even really understand how it had happened. All of a sudden, she had been picked up and carried off in a complete whirlwind, and now there they were, about to say goodbye for what could be the last time, if the worst happened…
Candy started to cry at the thought, and she pulled him close to her.
“I can’t stand the thought of losing you. Even though we barely know each other,” she whispered.
He grunted and pulled her into his lap so she was sitting astride him. She squeezed him tight with her thighs and ran her hands through his hair.
“You’re not going to lose me,” he whispered. “And no matter what, we’re together now, you and me…”
Candy smiled and kissed him softly.
“Please don’t go,” she whispered again. “What if…?”
“Don’t,” he said. “We have right now. And in life, that’s all any of us are ever promised.”
Candy kissed him again. She knew how right he was and yet she didn’t want to admit it.
She rose up on him, pressing herself down on him hard so she stirred in him something she had wanted since the second they lay eyes on each other.
“Last night,” he breathed, “when I saw you up on that stage… I knew you were going to be my woman.”
He kissed her feverishly, slipping his tongue into her mouth and massaging it against hers. Candy let him spin her round and lay her back onto the bed as he took hold of her throat and spread her legs wide. Even through his leathers she could see how hard and big he was. His manhood was so long, so impressive, she gasped at the outline and ran her hand up the length of it.
“Not yet,” he breathed as he ripped at her underwear, pulling her panties down and off from under the dress.
He took hold of her legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed, shoving up the dress with his other hand and staring at her, ready to taste her sweet juices. As he licked her for the first time, her whole body shuddered. It was the most incredible sensation she had ever felt and with each flick of his tongue, she was taken to new heights of ecstasy.
He pinned her down, his big, rough hands gripping onto her thighs as he worked her clit with the tip of his wicked tongue and then plunged it in and out of her. Candy could barely hold on. She was on the verge of the most intense orgasm of her entire life, and as he moved his tongue back up to flick lightly over her clit, he simultaneously plunged his thick finger right up inside of her.
“Steel!” she screamed with pleasure as she came in a crashing wave all over his face. She grabbed onto the back of his head and bucked her hips up so her sex met his mouth, and he moane
d into her as he savored every ounce of her release.
“You’re mine,” he grunted as he rose above her, his rock hard cock standing stiff in his hand. “And I’m going to take you.”
He grabbed hold of her thighs and spread her legs wide, and as he climbed down on top of her and placed the tip of his dick at her opening, she knew it was only a matter of moments before she would be coming again and again.
As he thrust himself inside of her, Candy gasped and took every inch of him. He was so big and so experienced, she had never known anything like it. All of her past lovers were wiped out in an instant, and she knew from that moment on, Steel would be the only man she would ever give herself to.
He fucked her slowly, splitting her in half with his huge length, and Candy trembled beneath him. She watched how his huge frame heaved on top of her, and she felt so tiny, her body so small against his.
His breath began to sharpen, and Steel powered himself into her once more before his own thighs began to shudder. Candy dragged her fingernails along his back as she came for the second time and Steel exploded inside of her. He pumped his hot, thick seed right up into her sex and groaned as he emptied his entire load.
He collapsed down and pulled her close to him.
“Fuck,” he panted. “That was incredible… No one has ever made me cum like that.”
Candy looked up at him and smiled.
She didn’t care that they had only known each other for two days. She was completely in love. And she knew from that moment on, they would be together forever.
***
The sun set over the desert, and Steel stood looking out the window at the horizon.
Candy lay back in bed, watching him. She wondered what he was thinking.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said as a last ditch attempt to get him to stay.
“Yes, I do,” he said.
He turned back to look at her and smiled.
“Let’s not do the long, drawn out goodbye,” he said as if he was on the verge of cracking. “I can’t bear it.”
Candy felt the tears coming again, and she jumped up and ran to him. He took her in his arms and cradled her.
“I’ll be back in a few hours.”
He ran his fingers through her hair, and Candy sobbed into his chest. How could he really be going through with this? She knew that this was his world, that men like him killed when they had scores to settle, but she just couldn’t face the reality of the situation. What if he never came back?
“I love you, Candy,” he said. “I have since the second I saw you, and I’ll never, ever stop.”
He gave her a solitary kiss on the lips, and then he walked away from her, leaving her in the darkened room all alone.
***
Hours had passed. She sobbed into the pillow and drew her knees up to her chest. She couldn’t think about what was happening. She had to keep her mind somewhere else.
There was a light knock at the door, and she sat up and wiped her eyes. The door creaked slowly open and Lexi stood in the hallway, her eyes wet and streaked with mascara.
“King said you were here,” she said softly. “Mind if I come in?”
Candy shook her head and smiled. Lexi stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.
“I can’t sit still,” Lexi said. “I’m a mess.”
“I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling,” Candy said. “I’ve only been with Steel a few days, and I’m in bits… I can’t bear the thought of losing him.”
Lexi nodded and wiped tears from her eyes.
“Will they be okay?”
Lexi shrugged. “I just don’t know.”
Candy sighed and pulled the pillow up to her face and wrapped her arms around it, as if in some way it could protect her from this terrible situation.
“They’ve all gone,” Lexi said. “Only a couple of the old boys are left, including my dad.”
“I didn’t know your dad was a biker,” Candy said, welcoming the opportunity to talk about anything else.
“Neither did I, until I met King,” she smiled. “We’re just getting to know each other… He’s not well, though. We won’t have much time.”
“I’m so sorry,” Candy said.
“Don’t be,” Lexi smiled, “That’s just life, I suppose. At least we’ve had our time now.”
Candy nodded.
Lexi climbed onto the bed beside her and lay down. It had been such a long time since the girls had been around each other, and yet at the same time, it felt like only days.
“I can’t believe Marv is dead,” Lexi said.
“I know,” Candy agreed. “I mean…he was a jackass, but…you know…”
“Totally,” Lexi agreed. “The Forsaken never would have killed him. The Iron Riders have really fucked up.”
“They’ll get what they deserve,” Candy said, meaning every word.
***
They lay there together until the early hours of the morning. Neither of them moved, and each time there was the slightest noise from the highway right out in the distance, they both stopped breathing momentarily so they could concentrate on the sound.
It must have been close to 4:00 am when the lights started down the dirt track that led to the clubhouse. Lexi shook Candy awake and both girls jumped up and ran to the window.
Lines of lights came piercing down through the darkness. There must have been at least twenty, maybe more, all flying towards them through the night.
“Is it them?” Candy asked excitedly.
“I don’t know,” Lexi said with hesitation. “But if isn’t, we’re all dead…”
She and Candy took each other’s hand and walked to the doorway of Steel’s bedroom. They opened it wide and moved out into the hallway. Part of Candy wanted to run downstairs and shout for them. She wanted so badly to run into Steel’s arms and for everything to be okay. But until they knew it was them, they couldn’t risk being seen. If the Iron Riders were coming to storm the clubhouse, both of the girls would be in grave danger.
They crouched at the top of the staircase on the third floor, both with their hearts in their mouths. As they heard the thumping of boots coming up the wooden steps to the front of the house, Candy could barely breathe.
The front door opened and the men, whoever they were, came inside. Lexi lifted her finger to her lips and shushed Candy even though she wasn’t making a sound.
“It’s done,” a voice came from downstairs and Candy sat up straight, straining to see over the bannister rail while remaining out of sight.
More steps thumped closer and others started up the stairs towards them.
“It must be them,” Candy hissed. “It must be.”
She got to her feet and shouted, “Steel!”
Lexi grabbed hold of her feet and tried to pull her back down, but in an instant, he croaked a reply…
“Candy… it’s me.”
She ran down the stairs to the second floor and threw herself into his arms. He was covered in blood and his eye was swollen. Cuts that looked like knife wounds ran all down his arms, and he was trembling.
“Steel,” she panted. “Come here.”
Lexi charged down the stairs after her and found her way to King. He too was wounded, but he was okay, and they locked themselves in a passionate embrace.
“We won,” Steel croaked. “We got Red X back.”
He collapsed into her arms while she helped him up the stairs and back into his room and lay him down on the bed.
***
She cleaned him with water and washed the dried blood away. Most of it wasn’t his, but his cuts were deep and she knew he would need a doctor. As he lay there with his head on her lap, she couldn’t believe the love she felt for him. He was the single most important person she had ever met in her life, and she never wanted to be faced with a situation where she could ever lose him again.
She thought back to earlier in the day, when he had asked her what she was running from. She had lied; she had t
old him no one. But now, she didn’t want secrets. She had seen him cracked open and vulnerable at the loss of his friend, and she was sure that not many people would have ever seen that side to him. She wanted him to know everything about her—she wanted to give him the same courtesy. She had to be honest and tell him about her past. She wanted him to know the wrongs someone had done to her, how much she had needed saving and how grateful she was that he had come into her life.
She looked down at him and brushed the hair away from his eyes. He was soundly asleep, and she wouldn’t wake him.
“Tomorrow,” she whispered. “Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives together.”
She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the forehead and then she closed her eyes. She was part of the Forsaken Riders now. She was Steel’s woman, and even though she had been on the run for months, now she knew she could finally call somewhere home.
THE END
Through the Highland Gateway
Leela Ash
Copyright ©2015 by Leela Ash. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 1
When she took the time to think back over the previous few weeks (or had it been hundreds of years?), Lily Rey would not know what to think. Any number of things could have happened any other way, and she would not have found herself living with the man she had always felt that she deserved, in the land that she had always dreamed of living in. In her scheme of thinking, things had changed so drastically in such a short period of time; she had gone from stressed to easeful, ignored to revered, and downtrodden to wealthy.
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