by CELENE CAREY
Maybe he wasn’t to make sure I’m covered… she thought to herself. She felt his presence behind her, his arms roving around her middle to caress and roam her breasts, fingers sliding in under her neckline and down inside her bras to pinch and pluck at her nipples.
“I’ve been dreaming about tying you to the bed and fucking you senseless… We don’t have much time. Get to the bedroom and wait for me there.” He whispered in her ear, licking along her neck. Rhonda nodded and walked to the bedroom. Alexander turned to his study and closed the door over, but not fully.
Rhonda waited for him for what seemed like ages, she got curious as to what was taking Alexander so long. She slipped quietly, and padded naked down the hall to the office. She raised her fisted hand to knock on the door when she heard his angry voice.
“I don’t care, you find her and that little bastard of mine and finish the goddamned job I paid you for.” Rhonda moved back away from the door and padded back quickly to the bedroom where she lay upon the bed, like a good little submissive and waited for Alexander.
She didn’t have to wait long.
CHAPTER TWO
The roar of the bikes roused Derek from his thoughts. A large black SUV was surrounded by six of the brothers riding their Harleys. The motorcade entered the yard and one of the prospects riding in the rear stopped and closed the gates before he joined the brothers and parks on the end of a long line of bikes.
A nervous-looking woman and a young boy were escorted from the SUV to the clubhouse and the apartments that were out the back. Natasha Deacon and her son Alexander were now under the protection of the Devil’s Brood MC. Derek and Tank watched as the woman looked around fearfully, comforting hands from one of the Club’s Old Ladies took her in, while one of the Brothers took her hastily packed bags inside.
“Well, there’s one thing done, she might have more information on the rat bastard, but we need you to get back in and see if he’s put in any more juicy gossip into his private hidden files. Pony-Boy said that he needed you to be logged in so he can get into their systems?”
“Yeah something like that, I dunno all the IT mumbo jumbo shit he sprouts but if it get the job done. Plus I’m trying to see if I can catch up with Rhonda again, even try the old ‘let’s be friends’ thing, then hopefully I don’t have to hog-tie her and put her over the tank of my Harley to keep her safe from that asshole.” Tank grunted his agreement.
“Try that, see if it works, if not, I got some nice soft velvet ropes that Kitty likes to tie me up with…”
Derek looked at Tank with a look of pure shock mixed with amusement. “She’s a kinky bitch, isn’t she?”
“Yep, my kinky bitch.” Tank grinned as they walked in to the club.
Viper was playing with the kid, he’d always wanted a family of his own and it seemed like he was trying to make a good impression on Natasha already. She watched the mean-looking biker as he played with her four-year old boy. There was a small collection of toy motorbikes and cars that were available for any of the biker brats that would come to the family days, or when their fathers were taking care of them.
For all its ‘bad rep’ the Demon’s Brood were good men, their morals might be a bit off the straight and narrow, but they knew that kids needed to be cared for and protected. Derek could respect that. This was a club he wanted to bring his kids to one day, his and Rhonda’s kids.
Natasha, Tank, Derek and the Pres and VP all went into the meeting room while Viper played with the kid.
“Okay Natasha, want to tell us why Alexander Fawkner wants you dead?”
“He wants me dead?” Natasha whispered in shock. Her face changed from that of a frightened woman to one of a terrified one. Her hands instantly began to shake, the coffee in her clasped hands spilling over the sides.
“I knew he was having me followed, but I didn’t know he wanted me dead!” she said, her voice shaking.
“Natasha, it’s not only you he wants gone out of the picture, he want your son’s life as well.”
“No…” She said, turning to look at her son, who was playing with a leather-clad giant.
“I’m afraid so.” Chip said, pushing the paper with the hit information towards her, and the picture of the man who was first hired to do the deed. “Alexander Fawkner hired his man to kill you and your son, only he didn’t accept the hundred grand for you and the fifty for your son. He doesn’t off women or children.”
“This… is… it’s his handwriting but it can’t be right…!” She started to sob. “All I wanted was some money to go towards my son, he needs clothes, shoes, food, school costs.” She wiped her eyes. “I don’t ask him for much, I never had, just enough for us to get by. I live in a shithole apartment. I can’t get work because I can’t find a sitter I trust to look after Lex.” She looked at the picture of the hitman who had refused to kill her and her son.
“But you said he wasn’t going to do it, right?” Chip nodded, then looked to Tank who opened the door.
McGee walked through, six-two and all muscle and smoking a foul-smelling cigarette. Natasha recognised his tattoos that covered his biceps and pushed back her chair with a small fear-filled cry. Instantly searching for an escape route, she was on her feet in seconds. Tank stood up and blocked her in, gently putting a hand on her trembling shoulders.
“Sit down, Natasha he’s not here to hurt you. No-one is going to hurt you, you are safe.” Tank said soothingly. Natasha reluctantly sat down as McGee took a seat opposite her.
“Slugger, tell Natasha here what the client wanted.” Chip said, passing the ashtray over to Slugger.
The big hitman nodded. “Mr ‘F’ wanted me to ‘remove’ the whore and the bastard from the world, basically he asked me to kill you both and hide your bodies. He was very descriptive, verbally, on what he wanted when we met. He then handed me that note that you have a copy of to make sure that I in my – as he put it – ‘simple-minded brain’ had it down pat.” Slugger took a last drag on his cigarette before he put it out in the black ashtray, where it smoked a few moments before it extinguished.
“I took one look at your pictures and shook my head. I told him I don’t off women or kids, then he upped the price from fifty for you and twenty-five for the kid to double that.” He shook his head. “I told him to go get fucked.” Slugger looked at Natasha, who trembled and wept silent tears. Slugger leaned forward and looked deep into the tormented woman’s eyes. “I don’t do kids or women, you have nothing to fear from me. But the other bastard I know he has hired, he has no such issue with taking out innocents.” Slugger put a hand out, reaching across the table and covering one of her shaking hands with his big paw.
“These guys here, they will keep you safe. Fawkner wanted your bodies disposed of, preferably in acid and then a note that looked like it was written in your handwriting saying that you were leaving and never wanted any contact was going to be sent to you family.” Slugger sighed. “He didn’t want anyone looking for you.”
Tank put an arm around the woman. “Natasha, we are going to protect you.”
“Why? What have I done to deserve this?” she said softly, her tears pooling on the surface of the table below her.
“How did you get involved with Fawkner?” Chip asked.
“I was one of his personal assistants. He was flirty, and a bit grabby but charming in a way that disarmed you. I came across some files one night while I was working late, they looked odd, not quite right. Strange numbers that didn’t quite add up and a few offshore bank account numbers.
He came up behind me and I asked him what they were about. He put his finger to my lips and kissed me, I was weak and my marriage had started to fall apart. He was so handsome, attentive to me and charming, so I willingly gave myself to him. We had a few trysts in the office. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later, right after my husband divorced me. I knew it wasn’t his, out sex-life was non-existent. Lex was Alexander’s.” she sniffed and wiped her eyes. Johnny handed her a tissue, leaving the box
in front of her.
Natasha cleared her nose and wiped her eyes with a clean tissue, nodding her thanks.
“I thought he wanted to be with me, stupid I know. Men like that only want one thing, that which lies between a woman’s legs, that and the power they believe it brings them.” She sighed. “I was a fool, but I’d never give up my son. Things got hard after the divorce, I lost my house, and the settlement was far less than what we’d originally paid for it. My ex-husband took pretty much everything in the divorce, so I turned to the only one whom I thought would help me - The father of my unborn child.” Pone of the men put a glass of water in front of her, Natasha took a sip and swallowed heavily.
“At first he was willing to help, so long as I spread my legs for him. But then out of the blue, he fired me when he discovered it was really his child. I asked for child support after the paternity tests came back positive that Lex was his. Then he cut us off completely, and I discover he has taken on a new woman to replace me. I knew he was fucking the other office girls while I was in his little ‘slut circle’ but I was the only one he was stupid enough with to get pregnant, after me he ensured that they were either on birth control or he used protection.”
She sighed, finally having shed all her tears. “I only hope that girl comes to her senses and doesn’t go through with the marriage.” She looked to the men who surrounded her, all tough, mean-looking sonsofbitches. But she knew they had good hearts.
“So, what happens now?”
“Now, we let you rest here for the night, and then we’ll take you down to a safe-house where we’ll keep you until we can take the asshole down and ensure that the hit on you is taken down.” There was a knock on the door, Viper opened it with a crying Lex in his arms. “He wanted his mother.” He said gruffly. His eyes going to Natasha and staying on her for a moment longer than necessary. Natasha got to her feet and took her son from the tough biker.
“I think Viper has it bad…” Tank whispered to Derek who simply nodded.
CHAPTER THREE
Rhonda stood in the bridal shop, her dress hugging her form. Yes the ice-cream was so very good, but it had given her a little more to her figure than she needed to fit into the dress. Tessa laughed at her. The bitch just had to look at a salad and she was skinny as a rake.
“Oh shut up, one day this will be your problem.” Rhonda said, tossing the mock-up bouquet at her maid of honour.
“Nuh-uh, baby, I’m gonna be working my ass off until I die, no time for a man. I’m married to my career.”
“Ahh yes, miss queen of interior design! Well when the times comes, you can design my nursery.” She said looking down at the beautiful dress that covered most of her body, leaving her shoulders and upper chest bare. There was enough material covering her bust that it wasn’t too showy, just enough cleavage and not too much flesh. The skirt didn’t drag onto the floor and there was no train. She had gone for elegant but not showy – modest. Alexander had prided himself on her decorum. He wasn’t a showy man himself.
The women finished up their fittings just as Tess got a phone call from a client who was having a decoration crisis. She kissed both of Rhonda’s cheeks before she ran out of the shop.
“The dresses will be delivered to your hotel room the night before the wedding, Miss.” The sales girl said as she put the dress back in its protective bag and hung it up.
“Thanks, hopefully I won’t eat too much the night before and have to squeeze into it!” Rhonda laughed as she turned to go. She exited the store and walked out into the clear spring sunshine. It warmed her face and she hoped that it would be as nice a day as this for we wedding day. The ceremony would be held out in the botanical gardens, security would be tight but Alexander had bowed to her wishes on this. She wasn’t a churchy-type person, and neither was he, so her choice of location seemed to suit them both.
There were a lot of high-profile guests from the business world, a few sports stars, a rock star and two TV stars, all who knew Alexander in some way or another. In fact about ninety-precent of the guests were from his side of the relationship.
She walked down the street heading to her car when she heard her name being called. Rhonda turned to see Derek running, the chain that was attached at one end to his belt and the other to his wallet slapped against his jean-clad thigh. He was carrying something in a yellow envelope.
“Derek…” Rhonda said when he caught up to her. “Nice to see you, what’s going on?”
“I wanted to see you. Come for a coffee with me?”
“I… I can’t I have some stuff to get done last minute for the wedding.” She said, wanting more than anything to throw herself into his arms and never let go, but her sensible side quickly reasserted itself and she remembered that she was getting married in two days.
“One coffee, not even twenty minutes of your time, then I’ll leave you alone.” He pressed, smiling his winning smile.
“One coffee…” She said and then walked past him to a coffee shop she had passed on the way to her car.
Derek walked beside her, his presence unnerving for she felt herself wanting to touch him, to be closer to him. To straddle him and ride his magnificent cock until the sun came up the next morning and she collapsed utterly spent and satisfied beside him in the rumpled sheets that were damp with their sweat and cum...
She took a deep breath and, mentally shaking herself concentrated on her fiancé, Alexander, kind, dependable, loving… but not here… not with her. It was Derek who was taking her for coffee, Derek who wanted to see her. Derek who had taken time out of his day to track her down, just so he could speak with her.
They settled at a small table and waited while the waitress came to take their order.
“All right, twenty minutes.” Rhonda said.
“Ok.” Derek said. “Here it is. I still love you. Alexander is no good for you. How well do you know him?” he asked her.
“I know him well enough that I trust him.” Rhonda said as she picked up a sachet of sugar and began to fiddle with it, her eyes downcast.
“What we did, there’s no shame in it Rhonda.” Derek said, putting his hands over hers and scrunching the sugar packet in her hands.
“Yes, there is, Derek. I cheated on him, and I’ve lost my engagement ring.” She said, tears running down her cheeks and making her carefully applied mascara start to run.
Derek took a paper napkin from the holder and dabbed at her eyes. “No, baby, he’s cheated on you, multiple times. I saw him banging the redheaded receptionist from HR in the filing room on my first day, then he sent for me a week later, told me to stay away from you then when I left, he had his receptionist go into his office and get on her knees.”
Rhonda scowled at him.
“Don’t you dare lie to me like that Derek!” She said, her voice soft, dangerous.
“I’m not lying baby… I’m worried about you. He’s not a good guy.”
“Oh and you are?” Rhonda said. “Alexander told me about your criminal activities in prison.” She said, pulling out a folded paper from her purse. “He handed this to me the other night.” She unfolded it and pushed it towards him. “I have no idea why I have been carrying it around in my purse.”
Derek picked up the page with a scowl and read it slowly.
“You’ve got to be fucking shitting me, this is all bullshit. I never incited riots in the prison, nor did I run drugs, if I had, do you think I would have been released? Baby, I’m on parole, I got out for good behaviour.” Derek reached over and grasped both her hands. “He’s feeding you bullshit lies, Rhonda, can’t you see that?”
To his surprise, she got to her feet, pulling her hands from his grasp.
“The only thing I see is a jealous man who can’t understand that I have moved on.” She grabbed her purse and stormed off as the waitress came up with their order. Derek watched dumbfounded her leave the store before he came to his senses and surged to his feet and grabbed the envelope to the angry shout of the waitress, they hadn�
�t paid for their coffees.
He ran after Rhonda, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her towards him. “You’re not over me, not by a long shot.” He said as he kissed her, putting all his passion and need for her into his one kiss. He felt her melt against him, her arms reached out an around him, her small, delicate hands caressing his back as his tongue slipped between her lips and he teased her into submission.
She pulled away, tears in her eyes. “Don’t… don’t do this to me, please Derek…” she said, as she turned away, her car keys in hand.
“Rhonda…” Derek called out to her. “If he makes you sign any insurance forms, tell me right away…” he shouted to her quickly retreating back.
Derek ran a hand over his mouth, his fingertips trailing through the beard he still had to trim and sighed. He looked down and noted with satisfaction that the envelope was safely inside her handbag. He watched as she got into her car and drove away. Hopefully she would look at it and discern the truth about Alexander for herself. Derek could only hope.
CHAPTER FOUR
Derek’s mother wiped a tear from her eye as she looked at Rhonda.
“Oh my dear girl, you are so lovely. Such a beautiful bride.” She smiled. Rhonda looked at herself in the mirror. She certainly looked the part, but her stomach was in knots.
Thoughts ran through her mind. Was she doing the right thing? Was Alexander the right man for her? And what did Derek mean exactly about insurance forms?
She smoothed the front of her dress down for the umpteenth time and looked to her future mother in law.
“It’s almost time dear. All we need is, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”
“I have the blue covered,” Rhonda said, lifting up her dress and showing the dark blue garter around her thigh. “Something old is my grandmother’s necklace.” She said, fingering the gold pendant, the new is the dress, just need something borrowed.”
“I got it!” Tess cried as she dove into her purse and pulled out a fifty dollar note.