Chapter Eighteen
They’d only made it through about five or six jackets. She’d modeled them for show, bent over and accepted a spanking, and teased him until he wasn’t just rigid, he was in tremendous pain.
He needed relief and when he caught a hint of her stirring arousal, the carnal beast within came rolling to the fore. “Bend over.” He stood behind her with his belt again.
She was too willing, too eager. She knelt in front of him, shoved her hips high in the air, and kept her head down. Accepting that sweet ass like a gift, he spread her cheeks and eyed her puckered rim. Goodness gracious sakes alive, he knew he should’ve left temptation alone, but there were so many things he wanted to try with his mate, so much of her he’d yet to explore.
He dragged his fingers between her swollen globes and touched the small rosette hidden there. She jolted forward with a feminine moan. “I can’t, Randon.”
“You can.”
She shook her head. “I’m sure I can’t.”
“Have you ever tried?” he asked, reaching forward. Rubbing the back of his hand against her pussy, he watched as goose bumps scattered along her hips.
Pushing up the jacket she wore, he wasn’t surprised to find more of the same. He caressed her back and hips before latching onto her torso and sliding her body toward his.
“I’m going to take you there, Pageant,” he whispered, fingering her pussy and dragging that slick heat around the puckered rim. “I’ll ease my cock into your ass and just fuck the hell out of you.”
“No.”
“Yes, Pageant.”
“We can’t.”
“Tell me why.” He dragged her body closer to his straining cock. “Give me one good reason.”
He toyed with his erection, getting himself all worked up for insertion, for that first gentle impalement. He was vaguely aware of her still body, of how she’d stopped grinding against him. More importantly, she’d stopped saying no.
Pulling his cock down the seam of her ass, he whispered, “That’s what I thought. There’s nothing to stop us. Not one damn thing.” He grabbed hold of her thighs and spread them. Well prepared for a heavenly entry, he went rigid when a door slammed in the distance.
“I can give you several.” Kurt’s voice filled the room. “For starters, that’s my jacket your old lady is wearing and while I’m all for wearing her scent, I’m not real excited to sport around yours.”
Randon groaned and collapsed to the floor. Even though he felt certain Kurt had already enjoyed an eyeful, he yanked Pageant aside and threw a few jackets over her. Glaring at the men with their noses pressed to the nearby dining room window, he snarled. “This is unbelievable.”
“You’re telling me. Never mind the fact that we need to get out of here and time is of the essence.” Kurt shook his head. “I can’t believe you were planning on playing in the backfield while your woman is draped in my damn jacket. I don’t know if I should be offended or take that as a compliment.”
Pageant shot him a smile. “Since you interrupted us, I guess we’ll never know.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean exactly?” Was she coming on to Kurt?
Surely not.
“Chill out, brother.” Kurt grinned at Pageant. “I know what you meant, Detective Keen.” He sniffed and made an obvious effort to ward off a wider smile. “Depends on how messy things got, huh?”
Pageant pushed aside the jackets covering her and as if a little imp living inside her told her it was okay to strut her stuff, she stood up and stripped off Kurt’s jacket. Standing in her living room stark naked, she said, “No, Kurt, that’s not at all what I meant.”
“It’s not,” he mumbled, apparently unable to look at her eyes then.
“You are so spanked,” Randon said, realizing his oath would be taken on the promise of a reward rather than punishment.
Pageant sashayed to her bedroom, struck a deliberate pose, and slid her hand up the doorjamb. “Tell you what boys. You rub those jackets together and make sure my scent is on every last one. I’m gonna put on some clothes and pack my bag. Then, I’ll say good-bye to this life, this town I love. And I pray that the two of you know what you’re asking your fellow MC brothers to do.”
“Change of heart?” Kurt asked, still staring at her tits.
Randon was a second or two away from decking him, just punching his damn lights out. Then again, he sort of needed Kurt.
“I’m not changing my mind,” she said, finally covering her breasts with her arms. “But unless the entire MC has a death wish, you may want to reconsider. Lives will be lost out there tonight. There’s no way to avoid it. If anything, you’re about to piss off a killer, a man we can’t name, a murderer we can’t see. His wrath could be worse than anything else we’ve witnessed so far here in Pleasant.”
“We’re prepared for that,” Randon said, finally slapping Kurt across the chest and gaining his attention.
“What?”
“Look at me, brother,” Randon said. “Not the lady.”
Kurt smirked. “Obsessed much?”
“Damn right I am.” He pointed at Pageant. “And you…go get your clothes on. We ride in fifteen.”
Chapter Nineteen
Pageant met them in front of her cottage a few minutes later. She immediately noticed the bikes parked under her carport and down her driveway. She heard several in the distance, too.
“Some of the guys have already left?”
“Yes,” Randon said, handing her a helmet.
“Where are the rest of them?”
“They’re gone, too.”
“Did they leave on foot?”
Kurt snorted at that and boarded his bike. Waving his arm over his head, he threw up a peace sign with his fingers and called out behind him. “Let’s do this thing, boys.” He gave a high-five to Randon in passing and then he was gone.
Five bikes took off to the left and three sped off to the right. Wolves howled in the distance, a pack of them, if her ears weren’t deceiving her.
Randon secured her bag on the back of the bike. Seconds later, he was seated and patting the leather behind him. Laying his heel to the kickstand, he said, “Let’s roll, baby.”
She’d just swung her leg over the seat when she noticed a man hunkered down behind a tall oak in the center of her yard. Wrapping her arms around Randon’s waist, she leaned forward and whispered at his ear, “We’ve got company at our three o’clock.”
“I see him.”
Before she could contemplate his next move, Randon sped to the other side of the yard. Gravel spun around his tires. The man backed away from the commotion. Reaching around the trunk of the tree, he held on for dear life, acting as if he were terrified.
Three large beasts shot by them so quickly it was hard to make out their forms, but Pageant understood what was happening. Their backup appeared front and center, barking and growling at the person they obviously viewed as a threat.
He looked like he couldn’t hold his own with a church mouse, let alone three werewolves.
“Call them off,” Pageant said, jumping off the back of the bike and rushing the tree.
A whistle resounded and the wolves backed away from the large oak. They kept their heads slightly bowed, but they never looked down. They were searching the woods, keeping watch over the area, a dark forest that was now a very dangerous zone given the fact the others had already left Pleasant.
“Who are you?” Pageant asked, approaching him with caution. At least six feet tall and every bit of two hundred and eighty pounds, the fellow looked familiar. “Wait a minute. I know you.”
He pulled his coat collar high and seemingly tried to disappear inside his coal-black outerwear. “I need to speak with you alone, Detective Keen.”
“That’s probably not going to happen,” Randon said, appearing beside her. “What do you need, friend?”
Gray eyes studied her with an intense focus. “I know what happened to all those people and I know why.”
The wolves moved closer again. Pageant turned around and stared at the large gray one, willing him back and silently wishing he could understand her reasons. The Bold and Free brotherhood was a strong one and they looked after their own, but they couldn’t forget what they’d all learned in recent hours. Togetherness made them vulnerable. The more space they kept between them, the higher their chances for survival should the extortionist decide to strike.
As if they’d read her mind, they each backed away. Had they read her mind?
“Are you a cop?” he asked Randon.
“No, sir.”
“Then I’ll speak only to Detective Keen.” He trembled and his teeth chattered as if he were standing in the middle of an ice storm, yet the temperature was a comfortable seventy degrees. Not bad for evening weather in the middle of March.
“Sir, this is Randon Shane. He’s been following the extortionist for some time now and if anyone can help you, he can.”
“Can he?” The man laughed. “How can he—or anyone else for that matter—help in a case that is destined to stay unsolved?”
“I don’t follow you,” Pageant said.
“I was there. I watched it all.”
Pageant gasped. She recalled the terror in the man’s eyes the night she’d spotted him at the diner. She also recalled the events that transpired immediately afterward.
“What did you see, sir?”
“It was just like the sheriff said when he spoke to the victims’ families. The weapon of choice was undetermined.” He trembled more violently. “I saw the whole thing and never saw a gun or a knife. Nothin’ at all.”
“Who did this?” Randon asked, apparently uninterested in a more tactful approach. “Did you see someone take a human form?”
“No. That’s just it. I didn’t.”
“Then what was it?” Randon shook him by the collar. “Answer me!”
“The devil would be the best answer,” the man said. “Fact is, no one appeared. There was a heavy wind, a funnel of some sort that surrounded us. Then, this eerie voice told me to run. I grabbed that young athlete’s arm and tried to pull her and another kid with me but it was as if I had hold of a rope in a tug-of-war with an army of soldiers who refused to go down as defeated men. I could only pull so far before I was yanked back in and eventually that same voice gave me one last chance to save myself.”
“What voice?”
“I told you already, it may have belonged to the devil.” He stared up at her. “It sure didn’t belong to a human.”
“How do you know?”
“Damn it, Pageant! We don’t have time for this. We already know we aren’t dealing with a human here.”
“You’re the one who asked what he looked like,” she reminded him.
Pageant understood Randon didn’t have patience for this, but at the same time, any information was better than no information at all.
“Did ‘the voice’ say anything to you? Did he mention why he was killing those people or say something that would lead you to believe he had a particular motive?”
The man’s head jolted forward and back. As if he were programmed to respond to only that precise question, he said, “You are the reason, Detective Pageant Keen. Certain skill sets were collected from some, personality traits from others. Now, there’s only one task left on the list.”
Randon pushed her behind him. The wolves came forward.
Pageant tried to push him aside, but Randon stood his ground. “What is that task, Sir?”
His body began to spasm. He looked as if he were having an epileptic seizure.
“Sir!” Randon’s grip tightened. He shook him again. “What is that task?”
“He will take possession of one human life form.” More violent spasms rocked through the man’s body and he foamed at the mouth. Through the lime green froth, he said, “To take ownership of one more body that will forever belong to the extortionists. He wants you, Detective Keen. He will settle for no one else and people will die by the hundreds until he gets what he wants.”
Chapter Twenty
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes you are,” Randon said, dragging her away from the dead man in her yard. Pointing at the wolves, he said, “After we cross the line, come back and take care of this.”
A dark gray wolf with streaks of white across his head nodded just like a human might.
“I won’t go, Randon.” She folded her arms across her chest. “If hundreds of people will die because of me, I’ll stay right here and let him have me.”
“And then what, Pageant?” Oh God, he was furious. Did she really believe he would let her sacrifice herself for these people? “Do you really want to spend the rest of eternity walking around in a zombie state while the extortionist uses your body to manipulate and kill others? Do you want your face on wanted posters? Hmm? Do you want those you’ve known in this town and others to think you’ve turned into a killer?”
“I can’t let others die!”
“You have no control over what this monster does, Pageant. Whether he uses your body or someone else’s, he will kill again. You can’t stop him. In fact, my guess is, when one of the extortionists takes a body, they’re only further empowered.”
Pageant covered her mouth for a second. “Oh my God, Randon. That’s it.”
“What?” He framed her face and held her steady. His gaze bore into hers. “Tell me.”
His pack inched closer with their ears pricked.
“We can’t stop him unless he takes a body.” She grabbed hold of his forearms. “Let him have me and then stake my heart.”
“Are you out of your mind?” His voice shook. He focused on her tight expression and easily saw she was dead serious. More importantly, he could feel that determination.
“Get that idea out of your head, Pageant. It’s not going to happen.”
“Don’t you see? You were right all along. There are two of them here. The one who attacked Bart must’ve had a physical form because the bite marks suggested as much. The reason we couldn’t capture the image on film was because we were dealing with a vampire. You’ve always believed we were dealing with vampires, Randon.”
“Did you miss the part where I also mentioned the extortionist may have ties to the MC?”
“You may be right on both counts. Right now we just don’t know, but soon you’ll discover more. After I let the extortionist have me, you’ll be able to determine what happens next. More importantly, you’ll figure out what you need to do to stop these creatures.”
“You aren’t doing this, Pageant.”
“I have to do this,” she said, stomping up the sidewalk.
He quickly nodded at the wolves and his brothers leapt forward, springing into action. Blocking her from the porch, they formed a semi-circle in front of her, keeping a tight formation. Fuck! What were they thinking! A dash of blue shot between the wolves and Pageant, but it was too late. Even as Randon screamed out his warning, the large bubbled funnel dropped down over his brothers. One by one, the beasts went into violent spasms.
Randon’s eyes met Pageant’s. But before he could make a move to save her, it was too late.
She dove inside a small transparent doorway, one the extortionist had undoubtedly placed on her side of the translucent tube. And in that moment, he stopped breathing. He stood there totally paralyzed.
* * * *
From the moment Pageant landed inside the large funnel, she felt transformed. She’d remained on the ground while the wolves fought the extortionist, this incredibly powerful force. She not only sensed his abilities, but ironically, she also became aware of his fascination with the wolves. He taunted each one of them as they tried to guard her. Each of them struggled with consciousness and ultimately fell to their deaths while trying to protect her.
With only one wolf remaining, Pageant rose to her feet, realizing she could save the last shifter remaining. Outside the thin walls, Randon pound
ed his fists against the bubble, becoming more and more visibly enraged.
He had to have known. He must’ve understood what she was prepared to do.
“Leave him alone,” she said, looking up at the blinding shade of blue hovering over them. She stood in front of the wounded wolf. She wasn’t sure how he’d been harmed, but the high-pitched squealing warned of his painful injuries. Still, he tried to protect her by pushing against her.
“Don’t do this!” Randon’s voice filled the air.
“Do you hear your lover’s voice, Pageant?” The extortionist’s wicked tone left her completely shaken. How could she let such evil into her life? How could she forfeit the life she could have with Randon for a life she would lead with a murderer, a murderer who wanted to sabotage her body, ruin her soul, and destroy her ambitions for those of his own, those that were spurned by two goals—death and destruction?
Trying to keep her wits about her, she ignored the man she loved, the man now driving himself crazy as he searched for a point of entry, a way to enter the vestibule and fight to the death only to save her. And what kind of life would she lead without him?
Determined to survive, she looked up, noticing how the ceiling looked like waves of a caving tide. She remembered something from a movie, a scene in a paranormal flick where a shifter left his lion form and somehow landed in another person’s body. It was far-fetched, but possible. When the extortionist struck, wouldn’t he try to possess her form in a similar manner?
“I’ll bargain with you.”
“You’re in no position to barter with me.”
“True, but wouldn’t you rather take the willing instead of the repulsed?”
“It doesn’t matter to me either way,” the extortionist hissed. “This is my destiny. You are my lover. You and I are one in the same. In a matter of seconds, I can take your body as my own and you can’t stop me.”
“Then what?” She spun around. “Then we have an ongoing internal battle from now on? Doesn’t sound like much of a life to me.”
Pleasant Extortion [The Extortionists 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 9