by Miss Merikan
Bastian crooked his neck. “Yeah? What about this?” he asked, raising a packet of white pills, smudged with strawberry cream. “Where do you have this from?” he yelled, grabbing her by the jaw. His fingers dug against her joints, making her flinch with pain.
“It’s not mine! It’s for a customer!” She writhed in Goldy’s grip despite all logic, and he kicked her knee so hard she started crying again.
“Who’s your customer?” asked Bastian coolly, his eyes narrow, merciless as he slid his hand to Candy’s neck and started slowly squeezing.
“You know I can’t say …” she uttered.
“We’ve been too patient with this bitch,” Goldy growled. “I bet it’s her biker buddies. You suck their cocks and mule their drugs now, too?”
Bastian slapped Candy’s face so hard she heard ringing in her ears, and only Goldy’s firm arms kept her up. He was looking through her cupboards, shelves, and drawers, until he found one with a pair of large scissors. Candy saw his blurred form approaching in quick strides.
“Bitch, you better speak.”
Candy’s breath hitched, and she could barely catch a breath, let alone talk. She was desperate to see Sam’s face and have his strong arms around her. Instead, she felt cold metal sliding down her neckline. The rasp of the scissors closing had her trembling and backing away into Goldy.
“Speak.”
“They’re Borg’s,” she cried and closed her eyes, petrified to the bone, trembling when the metal cut through the fabric. Cold air grazed the skin between her breasts.
“The Coffin Nails, huh? Didn’t take you for a biker slut.”
Goldy let out a rumbly laugh and pushed his crotch against her ass. “I heard they spread their legs for anyone.”
Candy sobbed, trapped between Goldy and the scissors. Fear was so overwhelming she wanted to escape from her body. She screamed when the tip of the scissors dug into her flesh. Bastian dropped it, his eyes turning toward the corridor, hand reaching under his jacket.
Everything happened with the speed of an avalanche. Bastian’s eyes became blank as he fell back, spraying red all over the pink cupboards, and then she was flying forward, pushed away by Goldy, who yelled something she didn’t catch.
She dropped to the floor in the chaos, crawling away. Her whole body shook with trembles, and she couldn’t stop sobbing as the tiles moved under her. Another shot made the wall above her explode and shower her with red dust.
She covered her head, stilling with a scream on her lips, but her senses were overwhelmed by the thud of heavy boots. There were familiar voices, but her body was frozen stiff, as if she were a mannequin, unable to move on her own. She didn’t resist when a pair of thick arms pulled her into a cradle of leather and warm, earthy skin. The Nails were here. Borg stood over the white cream that now had random red spots on it. Viper was pulling the safety on his gun. Red Jack gathered the pill packets from the gruel on the floor.
“Sam …” Candy uttered, wrapping her arms around his neck, and unable to stop crying. Sam’s hug, so tight around her, grounded her in a reality of safety.
His breath trembled against her skin as he pulled her head to rest on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, babe. You okay?”
The Coffin Nails were arguing, but she couldn’t bother to listen, focused on the warmth of Sam’s body. She knew he would come for her.
“I should have told you … I thought I could do it on my own.” Candy clung to Sam, but the scent of blood in the air was getting her nauseated.
“What’s going on?” he whispered, but she couldn’t answer him yet.
Borg snarled, walking over. “Sam, take her upstairs, or something. We’ll talk later,” he added, and Candy felt that the last sentence was directed at her.
She was trembling when Sam led her out of the room, but everything became much easier when Sam picked her up. She should have known better and shared her trouble with him. Sam had told her his deepest secret, and yet she was still embarrassed of her own failure. Candy cuddled up to him with a sniff as he ascended the stairs, holding her up by the ass. Just sensing his scent was enough for her body to calm down, and slowly, very slowly her eyes dried out.
Sam stopped by the newly put-in door to her bedroom, pushing against it until it gave way. Seconds later, they were on the mattress.
“What’s gonna happen now?” Candy whispered, never letting go of Sam.
He nuzzled her chin, cradling her head with his large, warm palm. “What happened downstairs?”
“I owe these people a lot of money.” She looked into Sam’s eyes, finding it hard to speak. “Jake made a lot of debt when we came to California. We lived it up, and I didn’t even know where he got the money from. I thought it would all work out somehow …”
Sam swallowed hard and brushed his thumb over her temple. “Babe, they’re just thugs, but they have friends, don’t they?”
Candy put her face in her hands. “And now I got you in trouble …”
Sam exhaled, not even trying to deny it. “We’re pretty fucked. Borg will be pissed, and it’ll be my fault.” He massaged his eyelids with a scowl.
“I thought I had it under control … That I would pay them off with the money from the Nails.” She took a deep breath, trying not to make Sam feel any worse.
Sam exhaled and gave her a peck on the lips. “You’re safe now. We’ll talk later, but I need to talk with the guys. Okay?”
Candy nodded and pulled a blanket over herself. “Thank you, Sam.”
He sat up and stroked her arm, his face serious. “Could you pack a few things? It’s best if you don’t stay here for the next few days”
“Where will I go?” Candy looked up at him, taking deep breaths.
Sam rubbed his face. “Dunno. My place?”
She wanted to fall asleep in Sam’s arms so bad. “I would really like that,” she whispered, curling the blanket around herself.
Sam gave her a small smile and got up. “I’ll deal with it.”
Chapter 19
Sam ran down the stairs, finally able to calm down. He didn’t even want to think what could have happened if they hadn’t come here on time. One of the bodies was lying across the hallway, already in two layers of heavy-duty bags. The fumes of bleach replaced the sweet scent of cake, and Sam had to cover his mouth as the sharp aroma bit his nostrils.
“Sam, that you?” called out Borg. “Get your ass over here!”
This would not be pretty.
“What did Candy say? What is this shit?” Red groaned from the floor where he scrubbed the tiles. “She should be the one doing this!”
Sam pinched the base of his nose. “She had debt with them, and they were here to collect it. I have no fucking clue about their affiliation, if there is any,” he said, already knowing a storm was coming his way
Borg drilled his gaze into Sam. “What the fuck is wrong with that girl? She’s a flytrap for trouble! ”
Sam chewed on his lip. He’d gladly swap with Red right now. “She is.”
“Did you know about the debt?” Viper asked when he appeared with more trash bags.
Sam shook his head. “She told me nothing about this. You know I would pass it on to you.”
“Just fucking great,” muttered Red Jack, scrubbing blood and fat with even more fervor.
“We need to get rid of her,” said Borg, and lit a cigarette. “I mean, kick her out, not shoot her, or something. She is bad news, and this”—he pointed to the bodies—“is just more than we can deal with right now. We were supposed to have all this candy out tomorrow, not clean up bodies and agitate some Italians. We checked their IDs.”
Sam’s stomach sank. “Let’s not keep her anywhere near club business, I agree. But she’ll know better now.”
Red Jack looked up at Sam with a scowl. “It’s not like she’s your old lady. Drop that crazy bitch. I can’t believe she got us in so much trouble. It’s just so fucking fitting.”
Sam saw red. “What if she were, huh? It’s not your
Goddamn business!”
Viper dropped a pair of rubber gloves on the table that still housed the sorry remnants of the cake. “It actually fucking is, Sam. The cops are giving us enough grief as it is.”
Borg exhaled smoke, watching Sam with the intensity of a sergeant at war. “You’re that serious about this girl?”
Sam dragged his fingers down his face. He knew it was a horrible thing to admit in face of tonight’s events. “I am.”
Red Jack began scrubbing with a new ferocity. “This is bullshit,” he muttered quietly.
Borg nodded in silence. “Then we need to get rid of the bodies and deal with the shit that comes our way head on.” He looked to the floor, and a little smile ghosted on his lips. “I never liked pasta fuckers. Let’s find out who they work for and make some mayhem.”
Sam leaned against the wall, relief thickening the blood in his veins.
Viper shrugged. “We could feign an accident.”
“Yeah, it’s worth a shot, since there must have been someone who knew they were coming here. What a fuck-up.” Borg scratched his forehead.
“We’re gonna call you Candyman now.” Viper snorted.
Sam chuckled. “Very funny.” He slapped Viper on the shoulder and raised his eyes at Borg. “What do you want me to do? Deal with the bodies? Clean the store?”
Borg shook his head and pulled his phone out. “Just get the girl out of here. I’ll call Glock and a few other guys, so we can deal with this quickly.
Red Jack got to his feet, and pointed to Sam. “He gets to go fuck his girl, and I’m dealing with this dead brain on the floor?”
Sam was a bit taken aback, and his mind started running wild. Did Borg want to get rid of him now to have a conversation with the others? He gave them a tight smile and nodded. “You sure? It’s my girl’s mess.”
Borg gave him a grim stare. “Why? You want Red Jack to escort Candy to Monster’s apartment?”
Sam scowled and shook his head. “I’ll take her to mine.” He looked up and squeezed Borg’s arm. “Thanks.”
“And this,” Borg pointed to the pills in a wrecked pink cake, “isn’t over. It’s our best bet right now.”
Sam gave him a fervent nod. “I agree.”
Red Jack shook his head, getting up to shovel more creamy gravel into the trashcan.
*
Sam’s home wasn’t much, but then again, he didn’t need a lot. Unlike Red Jack, he didn’t organize parties on a regular basis, and unlike some of his other brothers, he didn’t have a family to accommodate either. It was two rooms with a kitchen and bathroom, which was more than enough for his needs. Candy had money problems, so she wouldn’t think it was too small, but the apartment wasn’t stylish either. And not very clean. He’d been far too lazy to deal with the clutter on his coffee table and the dirty clothes on the bathroom floor. His bed wasn’t even made. And with the fear and blood from barely an hour ago throbbing at the back of his mind, he was feeling on edge as he parked his bike in front of the apartment building.
Candy got off in silence, holding her big bag close. She looked at Sam with those helpless blue eyes, begging to be taken care of.
“What’s gonna happen now?” she asked as Sam grabbed her hand and led her to his apartment.
He gave her a small smile, just enough to put her at ease. “You’ll stay here for a while, and we’ll try to fake an accident for your two friends,” he said, leading her into the building and up the stairs.
“I have a lot of debt, Sam,” Candy said as he opened the door. “I didn’t want to burden you with it.”
Sam groaned. “You should have, babe. You’re in danger.” His mind inevitably strayed to the pile of letters to Samantha. He wasn’t poor, but his finances were far from amazing. He didn’t need anything else, but Candy could use some money. He shook his head.
“I didn’t want you to see me like this.” Candy looked around and took off her denim jacket, revealing a simple flowery dress. “Like my life is out of control.”
Sam frowned, trying to pretend his simple apartment didn’t look like shit. “What are you talking about? That’s just how I know you. Always in trouble.”
Candy looked up at him, and despite the horrors of tonight, it lifted his spirits to see the affection in her eyes. “They’re gonna hunt me down for that money. And it’s not even my debt. Jake got us into this, and then just disappeared. It made me decide to try and do things on my own, but it looks like I can’t even do that.”
“How much do you owe them anyway?” he asked, taking her to the small kitchen as soon as she left her bag on the floor. There were unwashed dishes in the sink, but there should be some food in the freezer.
“Twenty thousand …” she said in a shaky voice, holding on to his arm. “And over two hundred thousand at different banks … It’s like a hole in my wallet I can never fill.” Candy broke down crying again.
Sam scowled and looked at the wall. “Fuck me. What the hell were you two thinking?” he asked, calculating. There was no way for her to earn this kind of money. The debt to the Italian thugs was most pressing, and sort-of manageable, but two hundred thousand?
“Jake said he had it under control, and that we needed to live it up if we wanted people to take us seriously.” Candy sobbed into her hands.
Sam pushed her into the kitchen and poured some water into the mug. He put it into the microwave and switched it on. Samantha’s unwanted money was looming at the back of his mind, poking him over and over. He didn’t need it. “Look, it’s gonna be okay. Tea?”
Candy sniffed and nodded. “Will you hide me until I get the money?”
Sam shrugged. “Yeah.”
“I’ll do the cakes for you. I just need some time to sort myself out.” She wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Sam let his head drop, breathing in her sweet, fruity scent as her hair tickled his mouth and nose. “Yes. That’s fine. As long as you bake non-candied cakes as well. I like your cakes.”
“I’d bake anything you want. I’m sorry I lashed out on you last week.” Candy kissed the side of his neck, sending shivers down his body. “Jake used me, and I freaked out that you’d just use me for the job the club needed done.”
Sam shook his head gently. “It was a bit of a fuckup. I think Borg had this planned long ago, but I didn’t. Honestly.” He flinched when the microwave beeped.
Candy didn’t let go of him though. “I want to trust you, Sam. I choose to.”
He swallowed hard and kissed the top of her head, slowly closing her fragrant form in his arms. With the way she looked at him, eyes full of trust, he didn’t want to disappoint her.
“You’re mine. I’ll do my best, yeah?”
Candy nodded and leaned close to give him a kiss. Her lips were so soft and exactly what he needed to forget about Borg’s grim face. He deepened the kiss, gently tickling the depths of her mouth, and as he pushed on, Candy backed away into the counter.
He put his hands on her sides, gently coaxing a sigh out of her. Her hands slid along the back of his cut and along his patches. He wouldn’t let anyone else touch them. Candy’s breasts pushed against Sam’s chest, and Sam could swear she wasn’t wearing a bra.
He cleared his throat. “So ... how are we now?”
“I love you,” she whispered with her eyes still red from crying, and her fingers clenching on the front of his cut.
Sam took a deep breath, staring into her shining eyes. Warmth spread all over his chest as those words penetrated his body, melting into it like sweetened butter. This was all he needed to know. “I think … me too,” he whispered, pulling her closer. He hadn’t consciously thought about it, but he hadn’t been so hung up on a girl for ages. He didn’t even mind her baggage as long as she was willing to stay at his side. She knew all of him and still loved him.
Candy smiled, never breaking eye contact. “‘Me too’?” she chuckled and gave him a kiss.
Sam chewed on his lip, tasting her in the kiss. He felt close to her, a
nd still this was such a difficult thing to talk about. He wasn’t the type of person who raged on about emotions and shit like that. “Yeah.”
Candy smiled when their lips met again, and closed her eyes, immersing Sam in the sweetest of tongues. Talking wasn’t even needed anymore. Her body was telling him all that he needed to know from the furious beating of her heart, to the hungry kisses.
He lowered himself and grabbed the backs of her thighs to pull her up. They needed to be much closer than that. The way she held onto his neck without question was what Sam always wanted her to do. For Candy to trust that he wouldn’t let her fall. No matter how much debt she had, how many bad choices she made, or how many debt collectors were on her tracks. He’d be there to help.
For now though, he really wanted her to fall into his unmade bed. At least the sheets had been recently changed. With his face buried in the warm crook of her neck, he rushed through the corridor, half-blindly looking for the right door. His bedroom contained barely any furniture, but the bed was large and made of solid wood. It could withstand whatever they chose to do.
He rolled her on the mattress, following suit, with his lips returning to hers. Each kiss had sparks trailing down Sam’s body. Candy wrapped her legs around his hips, keeping him close. He couldn’t wait to have his bedding smell of her sweetness. He wanted to fall asleep next to her and wake up to her by his side. Nothing less would do.
His hands searched for the zipper at the back of her dress. The sheer need to feel her bare skin after the horrific events of earlier was overwhelming. Candy could have been seriously hurt. If those thugs had any brains left, they would have used her as a hostage. But every sigh and deeper breath she took was a reminder that she was safe in his arms, ready to take him as he was.
Candy helped Sam take off her dress, ending up in just a pair of tiny lace panties. Those needed to go, but not before Sam took the pleasure of watching her stiffened pink nipples.
He smiled at Candy and nuzzled her face before kissing his way lower to play with them. He buried his face between the soft globes, pushing on them as he inhaled her scent. Her perky nipple begged for attention so he closed his mouth around it, gently sucking on the nub as he massaged the other between his thumb and index finger.