by Debra Kayn
His hand slipped out from under her leg, and he fingered her clit. Her back arched and the moment her hips rose off the bed, he slammed inside of her. Her thighs quivered. She wanted to give him everything. To take away the haunted look possessing him.
She grabbed his face, tilting his neck, until she could look into his eyes. "Take it. Take what you need from me. Take it all."
He buried his head in her neck, latching onto the spot below her ear. His hips took up a greedy, anxious rhythm that furthered her pleasure. Her body warmed and tightened. The unexpected movements, the hurried pace, the need to have every part of him inside of her where he could never leave her.
She grabbed at his back, pulling him down, while her legs locked around his thighs. He bucked his hips, bouncing her on the bed with his powerful thrusts. She had no time to move on her own. She could only hold tight, and let him take her to the end.
The only thing she could control was her mouth and she bit into his shoulder, muffling her scream. Her orgasm hit her out of nowhere, and she spasmed around his thickness. Her body spiraled again, and Lee quickened his movements, desperately fucking her. Her sensitive clit, brutally stimulated, left her weak and yet responsive. Her body rode each pulse of pleasure he created, and in doing so, her heart ached for the desperation chasing Lee.
Somewhere, somehow, something was wrong. Scared for both of them, she held on, knowing when he finally pulled out of her, she'd probably lose him.
He groaned, his knees digging into the bed, he drove deep, pushing her up farther on the mattress. Then he held still, and gave her everything he had in a full body shudder as he shot his come inside of her. The pulsating length of him filled her completely. She cupped the back of his head, twining her fingers in his damp hair and fisting her hand.
He continued to tremble, and she softly said, "I'm here..."
His weight came down on her, and she slowed her breathing, accepting him, luxuriating in knowing he was here, wanting to help him, and not knowing what he needed, and feeling inadequate to make things better for him. The only thing she had to give him was her time.
The musky scent of the soap he used filled her nose. She inhaled deeply. He'd showered before coming to her and she wondered why when he promised to hurry back.
He remained quiet, holding her. She held on tighter. She'd wait forever until he was ready to talk, and then she'd listen. Caressing his back, she closed her eyes. She'd do anything to hear him rattle on about nothing and everything.
"Sorry, doll," he whispered. "So fucking sorry."
Her hand stilled and his words ripped her breath from her body. What did he have to be sorry for? He was here. He came back to her. She wasn't alone anymore.
The fear she'd felt before he'd returned to her multiplied and left her numb. There was only one reason why he'd be sorry.
"I need to get up," she said, letting her hands fall off his body and onto the mattress where she pushed herself against him.
Panic came when he refused to move. She heaved against him, her body no longer exhausted, but hyped up on the urgency to get up and do something else.
He grabbed both her hands, linked his fingers through hers, and held her arms to the bed. "Doll, stop."
She stopped fighting and stared up into warm brown eyes, softened with concern. He no longer stared through her, but looked inside her, and he understood. She could see the concern, the pity, the guilt.
The same look that Uncle Ted gave her when he sat her down on his lap and explained her parents weren't coming back. That she'd no longer experience her dad dancing around the house with her while Nazareth blared on the old stereo or her mom reading to her while curled up on the couch.
Lee knew whatever he had to tell her would devastate her, and change her life.
"No...," she moaned, shaking her head.
"Tonight didn't go as we'd hoped, doll," he whispered.
She caught her lip between her teeth and cried out, wanting him to stop talking.
"He ran a good sting, but Los Li...fuck, doll. He ran the operation by the book. Everything planned down to the second. He was trained for every possible situation that might come up." He let go of her hands when she struggled and held her face, forcing her to look at him. "He did everything he could, and in the end, he lost his—"
She screamed, and screamed louder. And, even over the noise she made to block Lee out, over the thrashing she gave to stop him from speaking, she still heard the words.
"I'm so sorry. Your uncle was killed during the takedown. A hero's death, doll. He'll always be a hero," Lee said.
Chapter Twenty Three
The sun broke through the bedroom window. Lee's gaze never flinched, because he'd stared out the window all night after Shari fell asleep at three in the morning. He continued to hold her, because every time he shifted on the narrow bed, she jolted and reached for him.
The only thing that seemed to help her calm down was his promise never to leave her. His reassurance let her sleep and her body relax against him. What he couldn't do for her was bring Tango back.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. Half off the twin bed already, he gently removed Shari's arm, slithered out from under the covers, and grabbed his vest, putting it on as he opened the door.
Kurt stood in front of him, looking past Lee's shoulder to Shari sleeping. "She okay?"
"Rough night," he said.
"Yeah, no doubt." Kurt glanced down the hallway. "Feds are outside asking permission to come inside to talk with Shari. While I understand that this is a sensitive time for you both, I'm not opening the doors to the government."
"Shit." He ran his hand down his face. "That was fast."
"No kidding." Kurt lowered his voice. "What about your back, brother? They have anything on you to pull you into their case with Los Li?"
He shook his head. "No. I worked for Tango, and his team knew my position. I was used for cleanup more times than I can count. But there are no marks on me or Bantorus MC. As far as they know, I was never there."
Kurt's shoulders relaxed. "What do you want me to tell them?"
"Lee?" Shari called.
He turned around. "Right here. The Feds are here to talk to you. Do you want me to have them come back tomorrow?"
"I'm awake," Shari said, getting out of bed. "Please tell them I'll be right down and will talk with them in the lot outside the fence. If that's okay."
"That's okay, sweetheart," Kurt said.
Wearing one of Lee's long T-shirts, she hurried into the bathroom. Lee leaned against the doorframe. He should've known she'd get up and be all business. She had a right to tell everyone to fuck off, crawl back in bed, and take her time mourning her uncle.
Kurt clasped Lee's shoulder. "You need anything, the club is here."
"I know," Lee said. "I'll talk with you later."
He shut the door. Shari came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of shorts, her hair brushed back into a low ponytail, and still wearing his Harley Davidson T-shirt. She slipped on her sneakers, and walked to the door.
"Doll?" He grabbed her hand. "I can tell them to come back when you feel more up to dealing."
She gazed at his chest and frowned. "I want to get this over with."
"Okay." He opened the door, and followed her out into the hallway. It was early, and the silence in the clubhouse told him they were alone. He slipped his fingers into her hand, and she squeezed, holding him tight.
"We need to talk when you're done this morning," he stated.
She continued down the stairs. "I'm about talked out, Lee."
"We're talking," he said.
She dropped the conversation, opened the door, and planted her feet at the top of the stairs. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest. The sight of the agents standing beside two unmarked vehicles punched him in the gut.
"Steady. Take your time." He caught her weight when she leaned back against him. "You're running this damn show. They can wait for you."
&nb
sp; She breathed through her mouth, and finally said, "I never got to tell Uncle Ted goodbye."
"I know, doll," he whispered.
She turned around and faced him. "No, you don't understand. I never got to say goodbye."
"I know," he repeated, cupping her neck.
She leaned into him. "This sucks."
"I know that too," he said, holding her tight.
She squared her shoulders and turned around. He held her hand as she made her way down the steps and to the agents.
Baker, Wilcox, and Concella stood shoulder to shoulder, hands clasped in front of them, all of them hiding behind their sunglasses. Shari stopped and lifted her chin. Tango would've been proud of Shari today. Her inner strength would get her through the next several days as she absorbed all the information and faced the loss of her uncle.
He wouldn't allow her to mourn alone. He'd be there every step, and be there for her whenever she needed him, and even when she didn't.
"Ms. Tango, we're sorry to bother you. We have some unfortunate news to share with you," Baker said.
Shari nodded. Lee held on to her tighter.
"We're sorry to inform you that your uncle, Ted Tango, was killed while doing his job for the federal government. We're aware that you're the next of kin and are the only person to contact in this situation." Baker's gaze stayed on Shari. "We'd like you to know he was a friend, a coworker, and will be greatly missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him over the years. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigations would like to extend their condolences to you."
The muscles along Shari's back remained tense and unyielding. Lee supported her with his touch, while looking at the men standing in front of him. Each of the agents was there last night. They knew Lee. They knew what happened.
They acknowledged nothing.
Shari would question the night Tango died after she had time to accept his death, and Lee would be the one to answer.
"Thank you," Shari said her voice cracking.
"If there's anything we can do, here's our card. You can ask for the name on the back, and Agent Brown can help you." Baker removed his sunglasses and stepped forward. "He was a great man, Ms.Tango. It was a pleasure to work beside him."
She nodded automatically and gazed down at the card in her hand. Lee held Baker's gaze and lifted his chin.
Wilcox, holding a bag, stepped forward and handed Tango's possessions over. Lee reached around Shari and took the package.
Shari grabbed Wilcox's wrist. "Wait."
"Yes, ma'am?" Wilcox said.
She whispered, "Where is he?"
Wilcox bowed his head. "Once you know what you'd like to do with his remains...with your uncle, let us know, and we'll have him transported to his final resting place. Per his request, he wanted to be cremated, and we've already started that process."
"Thank you," she said, shaking each of their hands.
She stood in the lot, staring after the cars. Lee set the bag down on the ground, stood behind her, and brought her to his chest. She seemed more fragile than plastic on a Harley. One wrong move and she'd crumble.
"That was nice of them," she said.
He closed his eyes for an extra beat and held her tighter. That was his Shari, always taking the shit given to her and making herself feel better. She'd gone with Tango when they left California without putting up an argument. She willingly stepped within Bantorus to become a bitch. She momma'd everyone at the club, and asked for nothing in return.
Shari turned in his arms and caught sight of the bag. "I can't go through his stuff."
"There's no rush." He lifted her chin, bringing her attention back to him. "You can take forever. There's nothing in that bag that is so important it replaces the love you had for Tango."
She gazed up at him, lost and afraid. He brushed the strands of hair that'd escaped from her ponytail behind her ears, wanting to take the exhaustion out of her eyes and the misery off her heart.
"Let's go for a ride," he said.
Her shoulders relaxed and the lines on her forehead smoothed out. "Lee, I can't go on your motorcycle. I need to do laundry, check in with Lilly about how last night went for the Silver Girls, and...shit, I forgot to take meat out for dinner tonight."
"Jesus Christ," he mumbled. "The girls will take care of dinner and laundry. Lilly's fine on her own and she has Risa around if she has any questions."
She planted her hands on his chest. "You have to work in the warehouse."
"Fuck that," he said.
The front door of the club slammed and Ink stepped outside. Lee whistled, motioning Ink to come down to the lot.
"Hang on, doll." He picked up the bag and met Ink at the bottom of the steps.
"You and Shari okay?" Ink accepted the bag Lee handed him.
"We will be," Lee said. "Take this up to my room, and let everyone know we'll be gone for the day."
"Yeah, sure, bro," Ink said, backing away.
He returned to Shari's side, grabbed her hand, and led her toward the truck. "We're getting out of here."
"Where are we going?" Shari asked, climbing onto the seat.
Lee kissed her quickly. "Does it matter?"
She latched her seatbelt and caught him by the vest as he moved away. "No, Lee. It doesn't matter."
Damn, she was everything. She wanted to push him back from claiming her, but he wasn't a man who'd let someone else keep him away from what he wanted. He'd give her today, tonight, and he rest of his life until she was ready.
He'd put her on the back of his Harley soon, and make sure he stayed with her forever. For once, she was going to get what she wanted, and he damned well was going to be the man who gave it to her.
Chapter Twenty Four
Lee sat propped against a rock in front of the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. Sheri leaned against his chest, cradled within the V of his legs, and on the verge of insanity. Numb, content, shaky, grateful, she hated the feelings, loved the feelings, and feared the feelings.
Since last night when she'd received the news about Uncle Ted, she'd lost herself. Her time spent in Federal, waiting for life to go back to normal, was now anything but normal. She wondered if she even knew what life was like before coming here.
"Can I ask you something?" She remained in front of Lee, facing the river.
He grunted and kissed the back of her head in answer. "Yeah."
"What happened last night?" she asked. "I know you were working with Uncle Ted, but there're so many questions, and I know the government won't give me any answers. You probably can't either, but...I just don't know what to think or believe. What if he's not gone and the government assigned him to another case? What if they put him in the witness protection program?"
Lee lifted her, and set her sideways on his lap. Acid burned in her chest, making it hard to breathe without her stomach revolting. The last thing she wanted to do was drag up last night, but she needed answers.
He rubbed her back. "Your uncle had been after Los Li for a long time. It took planning and learning how they operated, so we could stay a step ahead of them at all times. This last year, we got closer to shutting Los Li down. Last night was the end, for your uncle and Los Li. The majority of the members in the United States are in custody. They'll remain behind bars for years."
Shari stared down at her hands on her lap and finally worked up the courage to find out the truth. "Did you see him die? Can you tell me what happened?"
"You don't need that." He cupped her neck, brought her forward, and kissed her softly. "He's gone, doll."
"Please," she whispered. "Were you there when he was killed?"
He tilted his head back, whether unable to face her or hiding from what he'd seen, she didn't know. She took his hand, linked their fingers, and waited. To move on, she needed to know what happened. Nothing could be worse than the news she'd received that Uncle Ted died.
"He was in front of me when we burst into the motel room where a few of
the members of Los Li were staying. The agents, including your uncle, had them covered, but Los Li refused to drop their guns. There was an exchange of gunfire, and Tango went down. Despite the bullet proof vest he wore, he died instantly."
Her eyes burned. "Wh-where?"
"Where what, doll?"
She exhaled out her mouth. "Where was he shot that it killed him instantly?"
Lee flinched, but kept eye contact with her. "Side of the head, right above the ear."
She hunched over, closing her eyes. Nauseous and lightheaded, she breathed through her mouth to keep from throwing up. Uncle Ted never stood a chance, but at least he didn't suffer.
Lee pulled her down against him and wrapped her in his embrace. She laid there with her eyes closed, wanting to curl up on his lap and disappear. She received one answer she needed, but there were more.
"So, this...Los Li gang. They were the reason I had to hide out in Federal?" she asked, pulling her legs up tight to her chest.
"Yeah. Tango received threats, and information that they were coming after you. He did the only thing he could do to keep you safe." His thumb rubbed a spot on her thigh. "I have no doubt that doing so saved your life."
She had never doubted her uncle's decision to remove her from California, though she had questioned his motives many times. She lifted her head, her mind going in a different direction. "Are you an agent?"
He shook his head. "I was a consultant working undercover feeding your uncle all the information I could find on Los Li. To do that, I was able to talk my way into a lot of dark places, doll."
"That's why you remained a nomad for so long," she said, putting everything together.
He rolled his lips. "Yeah, it was necessary."
"You have to go back to riding and working," she said, guessing this is what he had to tell her.
"I'm done. I won't go back." His hold on her leg loosened. "My work ended with Los Li going down."
"So you'll be staying with Bantorus?"