by Lana Grayson
I expected the shower curtain to dip. The hands at my waist. The cock against my ass.
I didn’t expect Luke to pull me towards him, cup my chin, and deliver the gentlest kiss of my life.
I liked it.
The frantic beating in my core stilled, warmed, and wetted again, despite the pounding pulse in my chest. His lips nibbled, explored, and promised too much.
But what had I done?
I had slammed my way into his apartment and practically assaulted him in crazed insults. I meant to yell at him, not to offer myself again and again to the only man I ever wanted.
I ducked out of the shower and stole his only towel. The next time we had a night like this, it’d be at my penthouse, in civilization.
If there was a next time.
God, I hoped we’d have a next time.
“Lyn.” Luke followed me, dripping, his cock obscenely hard and bobbing with his steps. He dried off with an old t-shirt and pulled on his jeans. “You okay?”
I needed a brush, my make-up kit, and an hour with my yoga mat. Didn’t have any of that, but I pretended it didn’t bother me. I tightened the towel over my breasts.
“We shouldn’t have done that.” I brushed the wet hair from my face, looking at anything else but his solid body.
His smile was lazy. “Which time?”
All of them. “Does it matter? We needed to talk not…do that.”
“Do you regret it?”
“No. Maybe. Yes.” I quieted before I revealed too much. “Everything’s complicated.”
Luke stretched out on the bed. He didn’t wear a shirt, and his perfect form tightened. He really was a strapping knight. Every muscle he honed was lean and flattering. Not like the ogres who trained and bulked and never used an ounce of real strength in their life.
He existed in a graceful harmony of strength and masculinity. I don’t think he realized just how fluid every movement he made was. It took months of training to teach my girls how to move with such confidence, and he did it with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Why did you leave Anathema?” he asked. “What happened with Thorne?”
I wasn’t getting that real if I was still naked. Especially since that road led only to a shallow grave containing Blade’s body. How could I even answer him without spilling the truth?
If he knew Brew were alive—if somehow Anathema learned that Brew was alive and he was Blade’s murderer—the split would be worse than the first war. And with Keep stripped of his position and Scotch dead, the only officers left were Thorne and Gold. They’d never control everyone.
It was a nightmare made living with every burst of gunfire.
I dressed, turning from Luke, trying to regain a sense of distance from the man who had gotten closer to me than any other.
“If Thorne doesn’t find the traitor in Anathema, more people will die,” I said. “Innocent people. My girls. The club wives and girlfriends. The kids. I had to tell him.”
“How’d he take it?”
Poorly. I sighed. “Let’s just say, after our conversation, I weighed my options.”
Luke set his jaw. “And?”
“You’re it. You’re the best chance.”
“For what?”
“Peace.”
He laughed. “I think you still have a concussion, Princess.”
“We gotta do something. Come up with another truce, some way to keep the guns pointed at Temple, where they belong.”
Luke didn’t share my enthusiasm. The rugged crook of his smile appeared just to humble me.
“Men are dead, Lyn. No one in Anathema is gonna listen to me if they think I killed Blade.”
“And Temple’s not going to care who pulled the trigger,” I said. “Not now. They know we’re weakened. They’re not just coming after you and me now.”
“No one will touch you.” Luke’s promise stirred everything in me again. “I’ll get you out of the city before they hurt you.”
“And what about you? You’re target number one. What happens to you?”
“What do you think?”
“Are you ready to die?”
“Is anyone?” He pushed from the bed. “If I have my choice, I’m not goin’ anywhere. Not as long as there’s an extra clip in my pocket and you naked in my bed, waiting for me.”
“Luke, be serious.”
“I am.” His hands brushed my cheek again. I wasn’t used to soft and comforting. True affection was something foreign. I couldn’t use it to punish those who dared to feel it. “If I got you, I got a reason to live.”
“Don’t make me your salvation,” I said.
“Would you rather be the reason my heart beats? The breath I take?”
I pushed him away. “No. If I’m the reason you live, then I’ll be the reason you’ll die. Don’t you put that burden on my heart.”
“It already is.”
I wasn’t ready for this.
I never meant to fall for the damned traitor. Never imagined I’d become the villain’s queen, forsaking Anathema and every damn promise I ever made to the club.
I wasn’t in a cut, but I still cleaned wounds and maintained partnerships, kept secrets and killed to protect those within the scarred demon’s shadow.
I wasn’t ready to lose Luke to a war I might have prevented if I had just revealed the truth. I should have let Anathema’s secrets rot them from the inside and suffered the consequences with them.
How much was one man’s life worth?
It depended on the man.
To me, Luke was priceless.
“Luke,” I whispered. “I know too much. I lived through too much. The things Anathema did—what Thorne chose to do—were meant to protect Rose. Blade—”
My cell rang. I swore. I had to answer. It might have been anyone. ATF. Thorne. Rose. Someone with news.
Someone with a warning.
My hands trembled as I answered.
“Lyn? It’s Roxie.” The southern drawl didn’t need any introductions. “Hey, we might…um, have a problem.”
Of course we did. “What is it?”
“Me and Alexis and Gypsy came with Shannon to meet with some of the guys…”
“Which guys?”
She hesitated. “Just…guys.”
“Roxie.”
“Lash and his buddies.”
Goddamn it. “What happened?”
“They’re getting…rough. And uh, Shannon already went with Lash, but they’re…they…”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in the bathroom. One of their safe houses out on Hayes.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen. Try to get everyone out.”
I ended the call, but Luke was already rolling, tucking a white t-shirt over his chest and wrapping himself in the cut.
“Thought you warned your girls about Coup men?” he asked.
Apparently I couldn’t take my own advice. “I did. But half of these girls work hand-to-mouth. If they don’t have Sorceress, they’ll find someplace else to dance. Or worse.”
“Come on. We’ll go get them.”
Not what we needed. Rescuing the girls would only cause more problems. The men would be pissed, and no one would have a goddamned clue what I was doing in the middle of Coup territory.
But I couldn’t leave them with those degenerates. The Coup didn’t just organize because they had a political disagreement with Anathema. Most of them were murderers, rapists, and thieves looking for a reason to cause a little anarchy.
I rushed with Luke to his bike. I didn’t often ride, but I felt at home with him on the Harley. I clutched him, hard, wrapping my arms around his firm chest. Like how it was meant to be.
Luke commanded the bike with the confidence of any in Anathema. He didn’t rage. Wasn’t impatient. Luke blended poise with caution, and I knew I was safe even as he blew through two red lights and split a traffic lane.
Five bikes parked outside the warehouse. I recognized Priest and Lash’s motorcyc
les, the rest belonged to members of their own crew. Perverted men, not even prospects patched in by Anathema. God only knew what we would find inside. I warned my girls never to fight unless they had a weapon. Living another day was an opportunity to avenge stolen pride.
I didn’t wait for him. I burst through the unguarded doors. Apparently The Coup had better things to do than protect themselves.
Like hurt my dancers.
I expected the scene. Two of my girls fell naked on their knees before the men, hair pulled, cocks in their mouths. They didn’t look too happy, and I doubted they were getting paid for this.
Shannon, of course, rested on Lash’s lap and injected something into her veins. She encouraged the girls swallowing the cocks to relax. Offered them a treat.
Priest fucked a girl in the darkest corner. Roxie didn’t like it, but at least she had time to call me before anything worse happened. My heels clicked against the cement. I strode into the center of the room, hands on my hips, and faced men pumped full of drugs and eager to come.
“My girls.” I pointed to the door. “They’re out of here. Let them go.”
The lesser men, the ones without stolen officer patches on their cuts, popped their cocks out of my girls’ mouths.
Priest declined. He grabbed Roxie, spun her around, and forced her to face me.
Judging by her squeal, she wasn’t into exhibition.
“Let her go.” Every passing second squeezed my chest. The girl grunted, on the verge of tears, and I wasn’t about to let her suffer. Neither was Luke. “Now.”
“I’m not done.” Priest growled the words and jammed her harder against his hips. Each thrust earned a sharp shriek from Roxie. “Unless you want to bend over, Lyn, you’ll let me finish.”
“Unless you want me to cut your cock off, you’ll release her.”
Roxie began to struggle. Luke stepped forward.
“You’re done, Priest.” He gestured to the girls. “All of you. Out.”
“Goddamn, Lancelot.” Priest’s scowl was a challenge. “Never lets us have any fun.”
Priest punished Roxie with three slams of his cock before dropping her to the ground. She grunted, forcing herself to her feet. She turned to flip him off. Mistake.
Priest grabbed a fistful of her hair and slapped her face. Roxie screamed. Luke shoved the girl away. He aimed a gun at the bastard’s forehead.
Priest eyed the barrel. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I should ask the same question.”
“We’re holding a wake for Bounty. The girls were helping us mourn.”
“A party?” Luke glanced to the rest of his men. “Maybe you ought to leave your eyes opened and fucking pants zipped. Fuck only knows where Anathema is. You want to be caught with your cock out in the middle of a war?”
“What a way to go.”
“Clean yourself up. Get these ready in case there’s a fight.”
I shuffled the girls out the door and turned just in time to catch Priest’s sneer, checking out every part of me he’d never touch.
“Lyn.” He stared at my chest. “Why don’t you come here? If you rescue the girls, you best be willing to take on their responsibilities. Finish me off.”
“Gotta have something down there to finish.”
Priest pumped his cock at me. “I outta bend you over. Fuck that stuck-up cunt until you learn some fucking manners.”
Luke’s gun aimed again. “Watch your mouth.”
The implication didn’t set well with Priest. “I’m getting real fucking tired of taking your shit, Lancelot.” He stalked towards his men, stealing another glance over my body. “Don’t touch the girls. Don’t talk to Lyn. Don’t go after Temple. Don’t steal the drugs. For Christ’s sake, Luke. You got Bounty killed. You grabbed Thorne’s old lady and lost her in the same night. Because of you, we got our asses handed to us in the middle Sorceress.”
“It could’ve been a lot worse.”
“How?” Priest gritted his teeth. “Not like we lost a useless fucking president instead of Bounty.”
I usually trusted my instincts.
My gut told me to run.
My legs said I wouldn’t make it.
None of the other men reacted. Just the opposite. They seemed to agree, leering at me and practically spitting on Luke. Everyone was pissed. They looked for someone to blame.
“You got a problem?” Luke gestured to the door. “Your ass can hit the road.”
Priest grinned. “Anathema’s framing you for murder. Temple is coming after you personally. You got no friends. No hope. And you’re gonna bitch at me?”
“I got enough bullets in this gun to make you wish you hadn’t opened your mouth.”
“You got enough to take my guys down?” Priest’s smile faded. “You got enough to put Lyn out of her misery once we yank that skirt over her hips?”
They were serious. So was Luke.
“Lyn.” His voice lowered. “Go check on your girls.”
“No,” I said. The instant I turned was the moment all five of Priest’s men would attack. They wouldn’t punish him with just their fists. Luke would die, and I knew exactly what would happen to me once he was gone. “I’m not leaving.”
“No one is.” Priest nodded to Lash. “Take Lyn to the back. Get her good and comfortable. I’ll have a chat with our prez. Air some of our grievances.”
Luke wasn’t intimidated. “You don’t touch Lyn.”
“Don’t see a patch on her.”
“She doesn’t need one. What I say goes. She walks.”
Lash practically salivated behind Priest. “She fucks.”
“Jerk it yourself,” I said. “You’re not good enough for me to stomp on your fucking balls.”
More guns rose. Luke pushed me behind him.
This wasn’t happening.
I wished I hadn’t paled. Wished my hands hadn’t trembled, and that I didn’t lean closer to Luke as his control over the men disintegrated.
Worst of all, I wished I wasn’t so grateful for our night together.
Because now I feared it was our last.
“Lyn, come play with us for a while, and we’ll let Luke live.” Priest rubbed his gun like a cock. “Stomp on our balls a little. Give us a go at that ass. All will be forgiven.”
I knew it would come to this.
Luke would rather die before I took a single step towards them. But he would die if I didn’t surrender. Too many guns and not enough options.
The corset was too tight. I couldn’t breathe.
It’d come off soon enough, whether I went willingly or not.
I wasn’t about to get raped. I also wouldn’t let Luke get hurt.
“Fine.” I didn’t let my voice betray the fear clutching my heart. “But he goes.”
Luke’s breathing turned ragged. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
Priest hardened through his pants. He held out a hand. My stomach turned to lead, and I worried I’d vomit before taking his sweaty paw.
He wrapped me against his body, digging his sausage fingers into my breasts, my midsection, and grabbing between my legs.
“She always did know how to bargain.” Priest’s tongue flicked over my ear. “We’ll bring her back in one piece…maybe two.”
Luke’s eyes darkened, broken, raging. His finger tightened over the trigger of the gun. Priest intentionally squeezed my breast, trying to hurt. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
I refused to beg for the rescue I denied so many times before.
But Priest’s grip slackened as the warehouse doors burst open. I thought it’d be my girls making the mistake of their lives.
But Grim and Vega appeared, guns drawn, their men in tow.
Roxie twirled a cellphone behind them. She winked at me.
Good-fucking-girl.
“Heard we got called to church?” Grim smirked, shrugging his shoulders. “How come we’re not invited to this meeting?”
Vega leaned to Luke, towering over him li
ke a monster instead of the teddy bear I knew he was. “We got a problem here with Lyn?”
Priest swore, pushing me away. If I had worn heels, I’d have driven them into his foot. I counted my blessings and stormed away with my pride and panties intact.
Banner day for me. Not so much for my girls.
I led Roxie away from the guns.
“You okay?” I whispered.
“Yeah.”
“Get out of here. Take the girls. Get them checked out if they’re hurt.”
Roxie’s eyebrow rose. “Take them to Pixie?”
My heart ached. I had no idea where was safe for them. “Tell them to avoid both clubs. Hunker down and hide for a while.”
She didn’t understand, but I wasn’t about to explain. I pushed her to the door. She fled. I pressed against the wall as the guns loaded and aimed.
“You want out of The Coup?” Luke’s voice hardened, a grind of sword against stone. Vega and Grim held their positions. “Get out. Either you respect me, follow me, and do as I say, or you can take your chances bleeding out in the street.”
“Beats chopping our balls off here, prez.” Priest holstered his gun. His men did the same. “Next time we meet, I’ll deliver your head to Anathema and ass to Temple.” His eyes passed to me. “And I’ll fuck the whore in a puddle of your blood.”
Luke had more restraint than Thorne, Keep, or Brew. He didn’t react, but his voice dropped another octave. “You won’t have a chance. Get the hell out of my club.”
“Not much of an MC left, huh, Lancelot?” Priest gestured for his men—half of the damn Coup—to follow him. “Time’s running out. You’ll have to answer for a lot of shit.”
He already was.
But we were beyond answering for the past. Now we needed to bind together to give ourselves the tiniest of futures.
Futures that Priest and his band of monsters would sooner destroy than protect.
The Coup dissolved around us.
It was just the beginning of this nightmare.
Sorceress was a murder scene.
The Feds conducted their investigation, lining my property with yellow tape and little markers. The agents constructed a tent where they brewed stale coffee. Too many cars filled my parking lot. The first time I saw it without any bikes between the lanes.