“There you are, sugar,” Spirit said in a breathy tone. Then she caught sight of Krista. Her voice wasn’t set to lure any longer; it was set to cut when she opened her mouth again. “I didn’t realize she was out here.”
Viper edged between the two women. While he was always ready to sit back and watch a good old-fashioned cat fight, he couldn’t guarantee Spirit walking away if she laid hands on Krista. “What the fuck are you doing out here, Spirit?”
She sidled closer to walk her long nails up his chest. “I saw you duck out and knew you were only waiting on me. It’s been so long, lover.”
He caught Krista stiffening in his periphery. Rolling his eyes, he moved Spirit’s hand off his chest. “You and I have never fucked, and never will. Now get your two-bit ass back inside where it’s supposed to be. We’re under lockdown, and unless you are escorted from the clubhouse by a member, you do not fucking leave. I was quite clear about that.”
Spirit wasn’t about to be thwarted. She waved a hand and then tossed her hair back over a shoulder to thrust her barely contained tits toward him. Viper didn’t bite. He kept his gaze locked on Spirit’s face. Which meant he was able to catch the subtle confusion she displayed. He could almost see her shifting gears. “But this is me, darling. I know we’ve been dancing around one another and this isn’t exactly the most ideal time. Then again, what better time than now when we won’t be disturbed for hours? Send the little girl on her way and let a real woman occupy your time.”
He shot a hand back to halt Krista’s forward momentum. Viper pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. “Last chance, Spirit. Get your ass inside the clubhouse.”
She pouted and grumbled under her breath. “I can’t believe you’d want that over all this, Viper.”
Stone wandered up to the garage entrance. “Problem here?”
“Nope, Spirit was just leaving. Permanently. Her services are no longer required, and all affiliation and protection from the club is lifted.” The look on Spirit’s face made his crappy day better. “Gather her stuff, only her stuff, and escort her to the bus depot on Main. Remain there until she leaves town. Take a couple prospects with you. Follow the bus until it clears the town limits.”
“You can’t do that, Viper!” Her screech had him flinching at the volume.
“Actually, I can. Stone, see to it, please.”
“With pleasure.” The giant grabbed Spirit’s arm and hauled her from the garage. Spirit continued to alternately beg and scream that she’d get revenge on Viper for this.
Viper shook his head, turned to look at Krista, and found her watching him. He figured not saying anything was the best plan. With that in mind, he moved around her to return to staring at the bike. Only he didn’t make it. Her soft hand latched onto his bicep. He didn’t shake it off because she was one of the few people he could stand to touch him.
She didn’t say anything. Not right away. She stood there staring up at him with her big grey eyes and looked to be searching for something. Maybe she’d found it. After giving his arm a squeeze, she let her hand slide off and stepped away. “I could have taken her, you know.”
“I know. While it would have been exciting to watch you kick her scrawny ass, had she gotten in a lucky punch I would have lost it.” He wasn’t kidding. Anyone that hurt Krista would be lucky to live to tell the tale. She seemed to be his one hot button in life. That wasn’t a revelation he was happy to have.
His admission earned him a speculative look. “Well, okay, then. Glad we’re on the same page.”
Not quite sure what to say to that, he continued to the bike. Hopping up onto a work bench, he stared at the disobedient machine while running through his internal checklist. He had to be missing something. There was no other explanation for it.
When Krista wandered his way, he slid off the bench, hoisted her up, and then retook his seat. Nothing was happening when the key turned. Naturally, that made him think it was the starter, but he’d replaced it. The sparkplugs were fine, there was fuel, and all the lines were clear. He might need to pull the engine out and check it piece by piece. God, that would be a fucking chore, but he had nothing else.
“You look like you’ve come up with a plan. Going to share?”
“I think I have to pull the engine. There’s nothing else I can do at this point that I haven’t done. It’ll be a chore and a half, but it’s the only other step to be taken. Blackie’s going to blow a fit if he gets back and sees the beast in pieces.”
“When’s he due back?”
“Two weeks, if he doesn’t decide to head back early. He’ll give us a head’s up when he hits the road, but it won’t be much lead time if I still have this in pieces.”
“Then you should probably get started. The more you procrastinate, the less time you have to work on it and the closer his return date gets.”
“Yeah, right.” She had a valid point, but it didn’t exactly motivate him. Viper was flying blind with this damn bike. Not a sensation he liked. Normally, he had at least a clue where he needed to go with the work. The beast was not being cooperative.
He slid off the bench and motioned for her to remain in place, and then went to get his tools. He had to remove some pieces before he could pull the engine free. Best to do it himself so he could find everything again when he needed to put it back together. After tossing a drop cloth down on an empty section of concrete, he got busy. One way or another, he would get this fucking machine to work.
Chapter Seven
Krista tasted the sauce and nodded. Not bad. A check on the pasta to ensure it was on schedule and she threw the bread into the oven to warm. Humming softly, she turned to finish the salad and then began to set up the bar with plates, utensils, and other items folks might want with the meal.
Heat pooled in her gut, letting her know that Viper was watching her. She lifted her head and glanced around until she found him. He was leaning on the railing overlooking the pool table and talking to a couple other members, but his attention was locked on her.
For the last two days, the club had been in lockdown. The only time anyone left was with two club members playing watchdog. Krista hadn’t budged once from the clubhouse and grounds. The sheriff had stopped round to check on her as a friend—and on a more official basis with questions about her own trouble, and they’d given an update on what the department had. Which wasn’t much. She knew she might also be a target, and without anything new on the case involving her parents, she couldn’t put anyone that went with her at risk. Especially Viper, who she knew would absolutely insist on being her guard.
Since the night she’d called him for help, Krista had noticed a subtle shift between them. No longer was he ignoring her. Hell, the man practically sought her out whenever she wasn’t in his sightline. Each night, he slept on top of the blankets but held her close, and each night she slept without dreams. She had a feeling if he hadn’t been there she’d be fighting through nightmares. Krista could feel them trying to invade even her waking mind. She was filled with thoughts that revolved about the what-ifs.
One good thing was the report on the blood: it wasn’t her parents’. Which meant either her mother or father managed to hurt someone that had come at them. Her dad would never put her mother at risk, and while her mom was a wildcat when cornered she wouldn’t endanger Krista’s dad. Everyone’s best guess was that Duke had gotten off a lucky shot or two before the odds were turned from their favor. From what the crime scene folks could determine, there had been three, possibly four, assailants who’d stormed the house and taken her folks.
The big questions still up in the air were why and where. Currently, the sheriff and all his people were working on the where. The why could damn well wait until her parents were home safe where they fucking belonged.
“You’re scowling again. We’ll find them, Krista.”
Glancing up at Viper, she nodded and then had to fight the tears stinging her eyes. She turned to head back to the stove to stir the sauce. “I know.” B
ut each hour they were missing made it harder to believe they’d be found in one piece. There’d been no ransom demand, no statement sent to the club—no word at all. All Krista wanted was to know her mom and dad were safe.
Large, warm hands landed on her hips and slid around to cross over her belly. His cheek pressed to hers a moment later, rough with the stubble he never shaved off. She liked that about Viper; he was always a little scruffy around the edges and didn’t care what others thought. Leaning into his warmth, she fought harder to contain the tears. It wasn’t the time for them. When her parents were home, then she could cry. Instead, she focused on Viper. He was becoming more openly demonstrative around the others. Each caress from him gave her hope that maybe he was done pushing her away. That maybe, just maybe, they could have a real relationship with the sickeningly cute nicknames, kisses in front of others, and all that fun stuff.
“Do you need a hand?” he asked.
Grateful he wasn’t pushing, she stayed in place a little longer before easing away. She stared up at his rugged face. Krista could gladly gaze at him for days. His black hair—though he needed a haircut—really made his green eyes pop. It took effort to drag her thoughts away from plans to tear his shirt off. “If you could strain the pasta for me.”
“Can do.”
She squeezed his hand and let go. He hefted the large pot and took it to the sink while she turned off the burners. She split the sauce into two bowls and stuck in a couple ladles, and took them to the bar. Once the pasta was split into two mounds, she called for everyone to come and eat before grabbing the bread from the oven.
After plating up for herself and Viper, she let him pick their spot to sit and eat. His warmth at her side, and the wild conversations going on around them, let her relax for a time. It was hard to find any enjoyment, even with the shenanigans right before them, when her worry kept bubbling up to the surface. It was why she’d been finding, or creating, jobs to keep herself busy the last two days. Between helping Viper with Blackie’s bike, she’d scrubbed the clubhouse top to bottom twice, and had even organized her father’s office. Which would likely get her yelled at for screwing with his system. Not that the man actually had a system. Chaos theory made more sense than her father’s filing.
Dinner was a huge success, or she assumed it was, given there were no leftovers. Several folks went back for seconds. A couple even went for thirds. Thrilled everyone had enjoyed the food, Krista got up to start cleaning only to find herself yanked down onto Viper’s lap. “She who cooks does not clean. The prospects have dish duty.”
A groan went up and was quickly silenced at a hard look from Viper. “Right, dishes. No biggie, we can handle it,” Aeron said. He waved the others up to help gather the dishes and carry everything into the kitchen.
Krista pressed her lips together hard to hold in the laugh. Turning her head, she clicked her tongue. “While it is impressive how you use that death glare, do you really think that was necessary?”
“Absolutely,” he said. Tightening his hold on her, he drew her in closer. “You’ve done enough for today, pipsqueak. Besides, they’ve been slacking off since we’ve been in lockdown. The least the little shits can do is lend a hand with the dishes. You have the night off.”
“Oh goodie.” At least if she’d been doing the clean-up, it would have kept her mind occupied for a time. Now she didn’t know what to do to keep from worrying.
“Less sarcasm would be appreciated, Krista. I get it, but you’ve already got this fucking joint looking better than it has in years. Tonight you and I are going to chill out. I have a movie selection already set out upstairs. After you have a long, hot soak in the tub, we’ll watch a couple flicks, enjoy some popcorn, and relax.”
Krista slapped the back of her hand to his forehead and frowned. “You don’t have a fever. All right, what have you done to the real Dillon ‘Viper’ Kendrick, you alien freak?”
“Ha ha.” Tugging her hand away from his face, he didn’t look amused. “You’re such a comedian, Krista. I’m also not kidding either. Tonight you’re going to veg out.”
“And since you seem to have taken on the watchdog role, that means you’ll be participating in this veg-out too, right?”
“Naturally. I take my responsibilities seriously.”
A quick glance around showed there was no one near enough to hear her next question if she kept her voice pitched low enough. “Why did you take on the duty? You could have easily passed it onto someone else. Like a prospect, for example.” Taking a breath, Krista decided to go all in. It might very well be a huge mistake, but as her mother often told her, without taking the occasional leap, you risked missing out on something truly remarkable. “Not that I’m complaining. I’ve liked having you close, and I definitely like being in your arms. It’s been nice to have you being so attentive, given you haven’t exactly seemed to tolerate me much the last few years.”
For a long time, they stared at one another. She had to wonder around the minute mark if he intended to ever answer her, or hoped she’d blink first, therefore allowing him to blow off the questions. Finally, he heaved a sigh, looked looking away, and lifted a hand to rub over his jaw. Maybe he was planning on answering. Not that she’d hold her breath. Getting anything from Viper that he didn’t want to share was a lesson in futility, according to her father.
“I made a promise to your dad—this was years ago—that I’d always look out for you and your brother. At the time it seemed an easy gig. Little did I realize you two might take some serious work to keep safe. Then things settled back down after the whole teenage-hormone phase. Didn’t think anything of it again until your call the other night. Yes, I could have delegated and got a prospect or other member to look out for you. And it’s not even that promise any more. It’s something else entirely that I can’t explain. Let’s leave it at that. Pretty sure that covers my quota for the year where I’m required to discuss my feelings and shit like that.”
Krista could see how uncomfortable he was admitting that much. While her gut had bottomed out at his admission about the promise, the butterflies had wiggled at his words that it wasn’t only the promise making him watch over her. She could have left it alone, but on the other hand, it felt wrong to leave anything unsaid. Stepping in closer to him, she put a hand on his chest. “Viper, it’s been different between us these last few days. I can feel it, I know it. I realize talking about emotions goes against whatever guy code you seem to all live by, but I need to know one thing right now. Are you planning on throwing up the wall like before and shutting me out again?”
He shook his head. “No.”
It wasn’t an undying declaration of love, but it was better than nothing. Men were such stubborn creatures, and she knew better than to go head to head with one. If she’d learned anything from watching her parent’s relationship, it was to ease a man into an idea gentle. Blunt force accomplished nothing except irritation. So she’d keep working on him little by little until he finally gave her the words she needed to hear—however he needed to say them. He was worth it.
Chapter Eight
Two movies and three bowls of popcorn later, Krista was settled in his bed while Viper showered. She’d already had her turn in the bathroom, and had nearly been asleep by the time he’d returned to the room after doing a walk through the club.
He stepped from the shower, quickly dried off, and tugged on sweatpants. He towel-dried his hair enough to keep it from dripping and then went to join Krista. The last three nights had been pure torture. Sleeping with her in his arms, her scent permeating his personal space, and the heat from her body was enough to drive any man to insanity. Viper had always considered himself to be a strong-willed individual. Then he’d decided keeping an eye on Krista meant staying in the same room with her. He was not nearly as strong as he’d once believed.
Slowly, he was wearing down. Viper didn’t know what it would mean when the last thread snapped, but he had a feeling he’d be breaking his other promise to Duk
e when it did.
“My baby girl will make her own choices. I fucking know that. Doesn’t mean I can’t do everything in my power to protect her. I don’t want her getting pulled into this life. Not now, and not in the future by hooking up with a MC member. She will have a normal life, a happy life, and one free from the drama and shit that the MC brings about. That means she is never, ever to be involved with a MC member. If anyone decides to go against my request, I will hunt you down, beat you until the specter of Death appears, bring you back, and repeat until I’ve finally bore enough punishment. Make no mistake. I don’t care who you are, I will kill any man in the MC that makes a play or hooks up with Krista.”
Even now, the man’s words reverberated through his head like they’d been spoken only moments ago. Pausing in the doorway, Viper stared at Krista’s sleeping form. She was restless right now, and he knew from experience she wouldn’t settle until he wrapped himself around her. “Sorry, old man, but I might have to break my word to you,” he whispered into the darkness.
He crossed the wood floor and hesitated a moment before lifting the blankets and sliding underneath. If he was going to break a promise, he might as well go all the way fucking in. What was one more sin on his platter anyway? He’d have to give the devil his due one day, but it would not be tonight.
Krista wiggled in closer to him and let out a happy, wordless murmur when he wrapped her up in his arms. He brushed a kiss to her cheek and pressed his nose against her throat to breathe her in. Her pulse beat at a steady rate against his lips, slowly pulling him into a trancelike state. His body relaxed, his mind cleared, and then there was nothing but her.
****
A knock on the door had Viper jolting awake. Krista stirred when the knock came again. “Go back to sleep, Krista,” he said against her ear. He kissed her neck and then slid from the bed and tucked her back in to keep her from sight.
Viper (Scoundrels MC #1) Page 4