by Siobhan Muir
I wailed my delight as it surged through me, making me rock harder against his hard shaft. His cock hardened even more and his own shout of pleasure shook the walls as he hit his release. Hot spurts of cum filled my pussy and my orgasm continued until I collapsed on him, panting hard.
“I love you, Oriana.” Scott gasped the statement into my hair as I rose and fell on his chest.
“What did you say?” I used one hand to lever myself up so I could see his face, my heart pounding.
“I said I love you.” He stared at me with wonder, and I suspected my expression matched his. “I love you and want to be your man forever. Stay with me in the Concrete Angels. Not because Loki had you sign a contract, but because you’re my woman and my lover. Please.”
It was the please that got me. Scott didn’t ask for things from anyone. Mostly that was because he was an arrogant jackass and had the confidence no one could shake. But having him ask me to stay, putting his heart and vulnerability into his words, won me over faster than anything else could have.
I tilted my head as excitement surged. “Will I still get my own space to work? Will I still get paid for the work I’ve done or will do?”
“Yeah. We’ll work out a new contract.” His seafoam green eyes filled with new emotion, something I hadn’t seen there when I first met him. Hope.
I wiggled my hips and clenched my inner muscles around his softening shaft, making him moan. “And will you be my exclusive fuck-buddy and lover?”
A smirk curled his lips. “Hell yeah.”
I laughed. “All right, you got yourself a deal.” Then I leaned forward and kissed the living daylights out of him.
Chapter Fourteen
Scott
“I think that’s the last of it.”
I took the box of books from Oriana and loaded it into the van as she worked the key to her apartment off the keyring. I damn near skipped to the front of the van. Hell, I felt so fuckin’ good, I could’ve done cartwheels and handstands. Oriana had accepted my declaration of love and said she wanted to stay in the Concrete Angels. With me. Aw yeah, I done scored better than I ever had before.
She locked the door of the apartment and joined me in the cab of the van. I could barely sit still as pleasure and excitement ran through me at her presence. Yeah, we’d fucked hard in the apartment, probably embarrassed the hell out of the neighbors, but the idea of having more sex with Oriana lit my fire, big time. I wouldn’t push her, I’d just let it flow.
“I’m going to drop this off.” She waved the key at me as we drove closer to the rental office. “Then I’m ready to leave.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be here. Gonna check in with the crew cleaning up today.” The bugs in the zipped up sunglasses case might be muffled, but not disabled.
I picked up the case and got out of the van as Oriana headed for the office. I didn’t know who was listening in, but I’d rather our news didn’t get broadcasted to whoever it was. Probably the FBI. Maybe, but it could be someone else, like her former supervisor.
I opened the back doors of the van and shoved the sunglasses case into a suitcase full of Oriana’s clothes. It would be muffled enough for us to get them to Neo and still make plans.
I closed the door and dialed Michael’s number as I walked back to the driver’s side door.
“Michael here.”
“Hey, Schnoz, how’s it hanging?”
“Long, and heavy, and always to the right.” The amusement in my best buddy’s voice made me grin. “How’d it go with Oriana? Did she get her things?”
“Yeah, got her all packed up and moved out.”
“What?” Michael barked it into the phone. “You weren’t supposed to move her now. You were supposed to give her time, Scott.”
“Hey, I didn’t make this decision. It was all her.” I waved at the building even though he couldn’t see it. “How’s it goin’ at the warehouse on Converse?”
“Attila says they have a ‘wee bit’ left to do, but you know how it is with him. A ‘wee bit’ could be loading the last vehicle or half the building is left on the floor.” I could hear Michael roll his eyes. “In any case, can you swing by on your way back to the compound to see how it’s going?”
“Yeah, we’ll do that.” I nodded as Oriana came back out of the office. “Hey, do me a favor and let Neo and Viper know we’re bringing in some bugs and cameras. They were all over Oriana’s apartment. Someone wanted to know what she was doing and who she was with. I want to know where the feeds were going and how long they’ve been in place.”
“Shit, someone was watching and listening?”
“Yeah, and if I had to guess, I’d say it was the FBI given the equipment I found. This wasn’t run-of-the-mill stuff, Schnoz, it’s high quality, damn-near military grade. Sneaky shit. If I didn’t have Viper’s doodad, we wouldn’t have known.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I gotta go, but tell Viper thanks and Neo that we’ll have some snooping to do. I wanna know who’s keeping tabs on Numbers.”
“Right. See you when you get back here.”
“Yeah. Later.” I hung up and looked at Oriana as she climbed into the van. “We all good?”
She nodded. “They won’t give me my deposit back, but then I didn’t spend much time cleaning. Not sure where to forward my mail to, though.”
“We’ll get you a PO box in Skin Gulch.” I turned on the van and threw it in drive. “We gotta stop by the…” I shot a look back at her things riding in the van. “Storage unit to check on the crew. You okay with that?”
Oriana narrowed her eyes. “Storage unit?”
“Yeah, you know, the other place we had to go down here in Fort Collins.” I hoped she wouldn’t need more of an explanation. I didn’t know how sensitive the listening devices that we’d pulled out of her place were. “Schnoz asked me to drop by to see how it was going.”
“Oh. Oh! Yeah, I remember now.” She nodded. “That’s fine.” She grasped her phone and started texting someone. I tried not to be jealous as I eased into traffic. You can’t be her only contact, jackass. But the Neanderthal in me wanted to be. Oh yeah, I was a Grade A idiot.
I was still stewing when we stopped at a light and I glanced over at her. She held up her phone so I could read the text and I gave myself a mental head slap. The words on the screen read:
SOMEONE’S LISTENING, RIGHT? THAT’S WHY WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WAREHOUSE.
Relief crashed through me that she wasn’t texting anyone and I still gave myself another mental head slap. I gotta get this Neanderthal under control. I nodded to her text.
She took the phone back and added something.
WHY ARE WE KEEPING THE DAMN THINGS IF THEY’RE STILL WORKING?
“Can I have the phone?” I held my hand out for it as we headed toward the industrial side of town. She set it in my palm. “Thanks.”
I kept my eyes on the road, aware that I shouldn’t be texting while driving, but we were on a straight-away and no cops were around. I typed out my message and handed the phone back to her just in time to make the turn onto Converse.
NEO CAN TRACE SIGNALS BACK TO SOURCE. FIND OUT WHO’S LISTENING TO YOU AND TRACK THEM DOWN.
She nodded slowly as she typed again.
DO YOU THINK IT’S THE FBI?
I shrugged when I saw the screen and turned on the radio. When Barry Manilow belted out a sappy love song I jumped and yanked the dial to something else. I managed to find Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift in quick succession, and glanced at Oriana in horror.
She laughed and set it to a station playing Def Leppard and I shuddered in relief.
“Good glory, I didn’t think we’d survive.” I shot her a relieved look as I parked the van at the end of the warehouse, far enough that the bugs wouldn’t pick up on any conversations inside.
“Who used the van last?” She laughed as she got out.
“I dunno, but they gotta get over their Manilow fetish.” I shook my head. “I’ll be bringing it up at the n
ext club meeting for sure.” I locked the van and we headed into the warehouse where two larger vans sat almost full of cargo.
“Hey Attila, how’s it goin’?” I called out as soon as I saw the big Scot. He had bright green eyes and long curly hair with two or three braids in it. We’d learned not to tease him about the hair when he’d put one of the Scooters through a wall for harassing him about it.
“Hey, Scott, comin’ to check up on me, are ye?” Attila grasped my forearm and slapped my shoulder with his free hand. “As ye can see, we got it all done wi’out ye.”
I nodded as I watched the Scooters and some of the other members hosing the place down and sweeping out the excess water.
“Schnoz sent me since I was in the area. Just making sure you didn’t need any extra help. Looks like things are set.”
“Aye, there’ll be nothin’ left for those bastards to find. Pain in the arse, it is, but worth the looks on their poxy faces.” Attila shot a look at Oriana and frowned. “Wait, isn’t she one o’ them? What the fook is she doin’ here?”
Oriana straightened her back, but clamped her lips together and I scowled back at him.
“No, you jackass, she’s not one of them. She works for us now, and she sure as hell doesn’t report to them. And you better get used to her being around.”
“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Attila raised an eyebrow.
“Because she’ll be wearin’ my patch and takin’ care of your paychecks.”
Attila’s jaw dropped and he shot a look at Oriana before swinging back to me. “Are ye fookin’ out of yer mind? Why would ye trust her? She’s a Fed, for glory’s sake.”
“She’s not a Fed, she’s part of the club, and she knows where all the money is. She signed in blood with Loki.”
Attila’s thick eyebrows went up and his chin lifted as he scratched his beard in consideration. “Did ye really sign a blood contract with Loki, lassie?”
Oriana grimaced and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Och, dinna ye know better than to do that?” Attila shook his head. “I hope you got somethin’ worthwhile outta it.”
She tilted her head and slanted a look toward me. “I think I did, but it’s early yet. I’ll let you know in a few days.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Aye, that’s the spirit. I like ye, lassie. Have ye got a name?”
Now she laughed. “Several, but you can call me…” She shot me a considering look. “Numbers.”
I don’t know why my chest puffed out and I stood a little straighter, but it was hard to keep the smirk off my face when Attila narrowed his eyes at me.
“Is that because you look at all the wee numbers we bring in?”
“Maybe it’s me being an ignorant American, but I thought ‘wee’ means ‘small or little’, and I’ve seen your income streams. There’s nothing small or little about them.”
Attila grinned. “Och, aye, I know it. But we doona want to give the IRS any clue to that, now do we?” He winked.
Oriana shook her head with a chuckle. “Right.”
“So are you finished with the packing up? I gotta get Numbers back to the clubhouse so she can get settled.”
“Aye, it’s done. The Scooters are washin’ the place down and we’ll be out of here in a trice.”
“Good. I’ll text Schnoz and we’ll be ready for when the Feds show up.” I needed to get Oriana away from the handsome Scot. I knew how women fawned over his brogue and his rugged good looks. I’d seen too many fall for his charms.
“Good. And Numbers, if ye get tired of Scott’s half-assed attempts to woo ye, my cabin’s number fourteen.” Attila winked again.
My inner Neanderthal stood up and threatened to beat his chest again as a growl rumbled in my throat. I swallowed against the sound, but Oriana heard it and patted my arm.
“Come on. Take me home. I want to find out who bugged my place.”
My anger returned, but it shifted toward the unknown watchers. “Yeah, and I don’t want those bugs picking up things they shouldn’t.” I met Attila’s gaze. “If you don’t need any help, we’ll just head back up to the compound.”
“No, we’re all good here. See you at the clubhouse.” He waved and winked at Numbers but she turned with me without a look back. Eat your heart out, you Scottish bastard.
We climbed back into the van and chatted about mundane things like the latest movies coming out and which fast food was the best. I maintained you couldn’t beat a cheesey pizza with sausage and onions, while she insisted the best food in the world was Mongolian grill where you picked the things you wanted while someone else cooked it.
The conversation kept going until we drove in the gates of the compound. I parked the van in front of her cabin to make the unloading go easier. Dollhouse, Karma, and Michael helped unload and haul her totes into the cabin while I took the sunglasses case into the clubhouse and straight to Neo’s lair.
“Took you long enough.” He looked up from his monitors. “Are those what I think they are?”
I wanted to be snarky, but I didn’t want to give the potential listeners anything to go on. “Yup.”
“I’ll take them and see what I can find out.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed a sticky note and wrote down a few words: FBI? Someone else? How long?
I handed him the paper and raised my eyebrows.
“Yeah, I’ll check on all that.”
“Good. Catch you later.”
I headed back out to help Oriana move in and take care of the van. The idea that someone had been watching and listening to her in her own home infuriated me. She’d been through enough and I’d be damned before I let it continue.
Satisfaction settled into my gut as I joined the people unloading the van. We’d cleared out the compound and the warehouses of contraband, I’d convinced Oriana to live at the compound permanently, and we’d fucked like rabbits. All in all, a damn good day.
Chapter Fifteen
Oriana
Despite the Concrete Angels’ sense of urgency, the FBI didn’t raid the compound until two days later. I’d always thought shit happened on random Tuesdays, and the FBI didn’t disappoint. Fortunately, I’d recovered my personal Glock 43 when we packed up my apartment and I maintained both my weapon and my gun license. I hadn’t carried in months, but I felt safer with it in my cabin and control.
When the FBI showed up at the compound conducting a raid and waving a warrant, the guy they called the Friar let them in with a psychotic grin and a maniacal look in his eyes. People dressed in blue jackets with FBI in bright yellow lettering swarmed into the the compound. Those of us sitting outside enjoying the cool breeze didn’t even do more than look up. I’d just reached the good part of a romantic suspense novel. There was no way I’d put it down for an FBI raid. It was rather fun to see them flustered with our lack of concern.
The FBI isn’t used to being ignored.
Scott walked out of the clubhouse carrying a plastic basket of laundry on his hip like a washer woman, his eyebrows up. Dollhouse leaned against the Ponderosa, cleaning her fingernails with a pocket knife. Most of the Scooters lounging around got to their feet, their faces angry. But Michael, Loki, Attila and a new man I hadn’t seen before came out of the clubhouse with mild curiosity on their faces.
“What can we do for you gentlemen and ladies?” Loki waved to all the FBI agents swarming around the yard.
“I’m Agent In Charge Cisneros and we’ve got a warrant to search the place for drugs and weapons.” The hard-eyed man shook the warrant at Loki. “You need to open everything up.”
Loki tilted his head. “What makes you think there’s anything to find here, Agent? We’re a motorcycle club, and unlike those TV shows and movies you must love to watch, we aren’t into weapons or drugs, ja?” He swung his gaze to me but kept going until he stopped on someone a few doors down. I followed his line of sight to catch Roy cross his arms over his chest.
Oh ho, Loki’s onto you, bad boy, and you know it.
I
had to give Roy credit. He didn’t flinch. I would’ve been whimpering and sweating if Loki looked at me that way.
“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” The agent in charge waved the warrant again.
“Let me see that.” A woman I’d never seen before strode up to take the warrant out of the belligerent agent’s hand.
“And who are you?”
“Abigail Charles, attorney for the Concrete Angels.” She didn’t bother to look up at the agent as she scanned the document.
“All right, start checking all the buildings.”
“Hold it.” Abigail’s voice cracked like a whip and all the agents froze. “It says here you only have permission to search the club’s community buildings such as the barn, sheds, garage, and clubhouse. You cannot search the personal residences of the members, including the barracks.”
The agents who’d been headed toward me and my cabin paused and looked back at the AIC. Abigail held out the paper with one hand and pushed up her wire-rimmed glasses with the other. The AIC snatched the paper with a scowl and reread it, and I bit my lips to keep from laughing. I hadn’t been on any field assignments when I worked for the FBI, but I could see his frustration at the limitations on the warrant.
“Fuck.” He didn’t say it loud, but I could hear it clearly enough. “She’s right. Just the community buildings only.”
“What the fuck?”
Everything inside of me froze in panic and my hands shook on the paperback. I knew that voice. I’d heard it raised in anger and laughing with colleagues in the break room. I’d heard it giving orders. And I’d heard it hoarse with sexual arousal and inexorable demand.
I raised my gaze from the fluttering pages of my book to scan the yard, searching among the men wearing the FBI’s stylish windbreakers. My gaze snagged on the man, taller than the others, with silver hair at his temples and a square jawline.