Unfiltered & Unhinged

by Payge Galvin

  “I got your message.” She glanced at his bodyguard. He’d returned to his spot at the corner of the booth.

  “I don’t remember sending you a message.” He smiled. “Your brother on the other hand…”

  “I’ll race for you.”

  Her statement took him by surprise. Wrex narrowed his eyes, looking around as though expecting some kind of a trick. “I don’t buy it.”

  Cass stared at him, keeping her hands flat on the table in the hopes of controlling their trembling. She couldn’t let him know how nervous she was, not if she had a hope in hell of getting her plan to work. “You don’t buy it?” she repeated, disbelief in her tone. “You’ve destroyed my ride—twice—beat up my mechanic, and put my brother in the hospital. All that to get me to race in your sideshow. And now when I say I’ll do it, you don’t buy it?”

  One side of his mouth pulled up in a mirthless smile. “Yeah, imagine that. Wherever would I get that idea, eh?”

  “Fine,” Cass said, beginning to slide out of the booth. “This was a huge waste of my time.”

  Wrex lifted his hand and the bodyguard moved to stand in front of her. She could stand up, but just barely. The man refused to move, just crowded her back against the table. Cass swallowed nervously, but managed to keep her voice even when she said, “You wanna tell Hunk McSidebeef over here to let me pass?”

  “Hang on,” Wrex said, taking her wrist and tugging on it. “Have a seat. Let’s talk.”

  Cass exhaled slowly, and then returned to her spot on the bench. She waited for him to say something for a few minutes, the silence becoming uncomfortable as he held her gaze.

  He stood suddenly, surprising her. He tapped his heavy on the shoulder, then jerked his head in the direction of the bar, dismissing his human intimidation squad. When they were alone, Wrex sat back down and clasped his hands together on top of the table.

  “You’ll ride?” he finally asked.

  She nodded. “I’ve got conditions,” Cass added. “No nitrous races. Inspections of motorcycles before the race.” They went on this way, bickering over the small details of the verbal agreement. “If I win, you forgive Liam’s debt and mine. I walk away free and clear.”

  His smile turned snakelike. “And what do I get if you lose?”

  Cass swallowed nervously, wanting to look away from him but finding she couldn’t. “More money?”

  He shook his head, a slow proprietary smile on his face. “Try again. Think harder.”

  “I’ll race for you like I’ve been doing?” When he shook his head, Cass felt her stomach dip and twist inside of her. “What then?”

  “You.” His grin grew wider. “For twenty-four hours. Let me show you how well I can treat you.” He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ll even forgive your brother’s debt.”

  Cass stiffened in her seat, feeling the blood drain from her face. That was not what she expected to hear. This was absurd: a one night stand that wouldn’t leave her alone. Now what the hell was she supposed to do? The only thing she had going for her was the fact that Wrex kept his word. His deals and his terms were draconian, but he adhered to them. She could count on his odd sense of honor—and her own skills. It would be enough. It had to.

  Her guts still churned with anxiety. She had to make sure she won.

  “You tell no one,” Cass insisted. “And no permanent damage,” she amended, startled when an expression that looked like hurt flashed across his face.

  He slapped his palm down on the table, making her jump. “Jesus, Cass, what the hell do you think I am?”

  She couldn’t answer because she didn’t know. But he wasn’t going to let her remain silent if the look in his eyes held true.

  “Seriously, why do you think I would hurt you? I have feelings for you. Don’t you get that?”

  Cass blinked, unsure of what he wanted to hear. A laundry list of the ways he already had hurt her wouldn’t help the situation, but she couldn’t let him go on thinking…whatever it was he was thinking. There was no way she was going to be able to make him understand that everything he had done over the past few months had led to this. She settled on the most obvious hurt: “You put my brother in the hospital.”

  Wrex raised his eyebrows, staring at her in surprise. He dropped back against the wooden wall of the booth. “That’s business, Cass. It has nothing to do with you and me.”

  Wrex narrowed his eyes at her sound of disbelief.

  Cass tensed, but continued with what she was going to say. “He’s my brother! That has everything to do with me.” She crossed her arms over her chest, daring a glare. “And then there’s what your guys did to my Superhawk. Whether you want to admit it or not, you have hurt me.”

  “If you’d just stop fighting me…” he began, and then trailed off. He raked a hand through his hair. His expression turned cold. “Do we have a deal or not?”

  “My mechanic will inspect the bikes,” she countered.

  “Let me guess,” Wrex said, bitterness coating his words in acid. “Dev will be your mechanic?”

  Cass said nothing, not wanting to give him even that much information. Who she brought as a mechanic didn’t matter—and she didn’t want to tip her hand. Wrex still thought she was going to be racing her Superhawk, and she wanted him to keep thinking that.

  He drummed his fingers on the table as the silence between them became strained and uncomfortable. “My mechanic and yours will check your ride—if it’s even ready.” He threw her a hard smile, and she bit the inside of her cheek. “No forfeits.”

  Cass nodded. “And if I win, you leave me and mine alone. For good.”

  “And if I win, you belong to me.” His leer made her feel sick.

  She would win. She had to. “For just twenty-four hours,” she reminded him.

  “That’s all I need to make you understand how good we’ll be together,” Wrex said.

  He was delusional, but it was what she had to work with. She stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

  He took it in his, giving it a lingering squeeze. “Deal.”

  Chapter 15

  Cass went straight to Dev’s garage. She needed to see him. After what she’d just agreed to with Wrex, she needed something that approached sanity. She needed safety.

  She needed him.

  The thought didn’t make her nearly as worried as it should have.

  He broke into a grin when he saw her. “Hey gorgeous,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. Before his lips met hers, he stopped. “What’s wrong? Liam okay?”

  Cass forced a smile. She had lied to him about checking on Liam so he wouldn’t know where she’d really gone. Now she was here, looking for comfort. She was a horrible person.

  “No, no, Liam’s fine. Just have some stuff on my mind.” She looked around. “Is it just the two of us?”

  Dev nodded. “I was getting ready to lock up.”

  “I’ll keep you company.” Cass shivered, needing the feel of his arms around her, and knowing she didn’t deserve it.

  He closed and locked each of the bay doors, and made sure the loading door was locked. Then he turned to Cass and said, “Just have to close up the back office. Come with.”

  He took her hand and led her through the waiting area and into the business office. It was a small square room, only a little bigger than a large bathroom stall. A desk was crammed in the center of the room along with an old black filing cabinet that looked like it had been there since the Reagan administration.

  While Dev hit switches and locked up paperwork, Cass shut the door. The deal she’d made with Wrex kept running through her head. Part of her wanted to tell Dev, but she couldn’t bear the way he’d look at her if he knew. It was another reason she had to win. If she won, he’d never know the stakes of the race.

  Pushing all of that out of her mind, she focused on Dev. His dark hair fell across his forehead like a comma. It had been over a week since Dev’s run-in with Wrex’s guys, and the bruises on his face had faded. His eyes wer
e downcast as he read over an order, his ridiculously thick lashes nearly touching his cheeks.

  She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone.

  Cass locked the office door so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

  She came around behind him, sliding her arms around his waist. He put a hand over hers absently, still intent on the order. She pulled her hands out of his and slipped them under the hem of his shirt. Her fingers skated along the waistband of his jeans before moving over his stomach.

  She felt his muscles tighten in his belly as her hands made circles against his skin. She reveled in the feel of his hard muscles beneath her palms. If she could just forget herself for a little while, if she could lose herself in him, then maybe she’d be able to pull herself together. Cass just wanted to not think, even if it was only for a few minutes.

  Suddenly Dev turned and backed her up until she was against the wall. His mouth was on hers, hot and demanding. He devoured her lips, his tongue warring with hers as he grabbed her around her hips.

  Cass molded herself against his body, the need to erase any space between them so great that she trembled with it. She wanted him to make her feel, to make her forget about what she’d just agreed to. Her hands worked at the button and fly of his jeans, freeing him.

  He yanked off her shirt, then fumbled with the fastenings of her skirt. It fell to her feet, followed quickly by her panties. Dev’s mouth moved over her neck, his tongue circling the hollow of her throat. “Beautiful,” he whispered against her overheated flesh.

  He pulled her bra straps down, his mouth ghosting over her shoulders and down to the tops of her breasts. She moaned as his stubble rubbed across her sensitive skin, heat pooling at her core.

  Cass reached for him. With one hand, she stroked his shaft firmly in her fist, running her thumb over the head of it. She wanted to make him feel as good as he made her feel.

  Dev’s eyes flashed open as he bucked forward into her hand. His eyes were dark and wild, and everywhere his gaze touched, Cass felt fire trail in its wake. She smiled up at him, pumping her hand around him, changing her rhythm to match his reactions. His breathing quickened, and his hand came up to dig into her shoulder, fingers kneading into her flesh.

  Leaning forward, he slanted his mouth over hers, plunging his tongue into her mouth. Cass made a sound of surprise, her grip on him slackening. Before she could recover, Dev moved away, kicking his jeans off. He pulled a condom from his wallet.

  “Turn around,” he growled.

  Cass felt a thrill slice through her at the command in his voice. She spun, showing him her back. She felt him move against her, his hands sliding down her spine. He began to run his hands over her, rubbing along her shoulders and her upper arms, then tracing over her collarbone with his fingertips. She inhaled sharply, feeling her nipples harden.

  His other arm snaked around her waist, jerking her against him so her back was flush with his chest. She felt his cock poking insistently at the small of her back. She pushed her hips against him, feeling every nerve sizzle at his touch. His free hand slid down further, rubbing over her bra. She cried out as her nipples pebbled against the fabric; at the same time, Dev slid a finger inside her.

  Cass arched against him, unable to help herself. He was teasing her, his finger plunging in and out of her, his thumb lightly stroking her clit. The heat of hands moving over her, the feel of his hardness pressed against her spine, his talented tongue tracing the outside of her ear were all driving her to a higher state of sensitivity. When Dev slid a second finger inside her, Cass clenched around him, her head dropping back against his shoulder.

  He kissed her neck, leaving her breathless as his fingers continued their assault on her sensitive flesh. Dev slid his hand inside her bra so that he could capture a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, teasing her hard tip and rolling it between his fingers.

  “Dev,” she gasped, a broken and wanting sound. “Please.” He could make her forget what she’d agreed to tonight.

  “Put your hands here,” he ordered, directing her hands to the wall and covering them with one of his own. Cass leaned forward, panting with need.

  When he slid inside her, she moaned, unable to keep from grinding her hips against him. He steadied her with a hand on her hip; then he was moving. He thrust inside her with short, sharp strokes, alternating them with rolling thrusts that took him deep inside her. Cass moved with him, her hips driving against his, taking him even deeper. The angle wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough, especially when Dev moved his hand from her hip to between her legs so he could tease her clit with each thrust.

  He sped up, wringing small sounds from the back of her throat as his rhythm became sloppy. His fingers teased her swollen flesh and she shouted as she came, her orgasm plowing through her as he still plunged into her. His hand left her body to slam into the wall next to her head as he came with a hoarse cry of his own.

  Cass stood there for several moments, feeling her knees quiver and tremble. She needed to sit down before she fell down. She grabbed onto Dev’s arm, holding on to him until she didn’t feel quite so shaky. She never wanted to let him go.

  He slipped out of her, kissing the flesh below her earlobe, nipping at her neck lightly. “Glad you came?” he whispered against her skin.

  Cass couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. “You’re impossible.”

  ‡

  Cass stood in the motorcycle showroom, feeling like a fraud. She didn’t want to buy a new machine, but Dev had broken the news to her that her Superhawk was not going to be ready in time for the sideshow. Wrex had her in one of the big money races. He wasn’t giving her a lot of details yet, but she knew she had to be there and ready to race.

  She had no intention of racing with one of his bikes. That would just put her and Liam deeper in debt to him, and Cass would be dead before she’d do that willingly. Not when she had more than enough money to buy a new motorcycle—one that was built for racing.

  “That one,” she said, pointing to the Ducati she’d had her eye on. She’d done her homework and had already lined up a mechanic who specialized in customizing racing bikes. He’d do the work she needed and her new ride would be ready in time. She felt like she was betraying her old bike, but she didn’t have much of a choice.

  Cass dropped her backpack on the table and unzipped it. Stacks of money sat inside. If this didn’t count as an emergency, she didn’t know what would.

  She was going to race. And win. And then she would be free of Wrex.

  Chapter 16

  Dev pulled the Jeep into the parking lot of the warehouse where everyone was meeting. This sideshow was huge, larger than any of the others Cass had raced in previously. The sheer number of cars and motorcycles made her palms start to sweat.

  Putting the Jeep in first and pulling up the emergency brake, he turned to face her. “You don’t have to do this. I can race for you.”

  Cass stared at him, never expecting to hear those words from his lips. She smiled at him. “No. You can’t.” She remembered the deal she’d made with Wrex over two weeks ago, the deal she hadn’t mentioned to Dev. “This is on me.”

  Dev frowned. “You going to be okay?”

  Cass swallowed, mouth so dry she wondered why she didn’t spit sawdust. “I don’t know.” Her heart was doing its best impression of a race horse, thundering inside her chest.

  Dev leaned over and kissed her, a slow, wet kiss that made her insides throb in time to her heartbeat. He pulled her closer, stopped only by the awkward placement of the gear shift. Cass moaned against his mouth, nervousness still lurking at the back of her mind, but no longer consumed by it. He coaxed her lips open, sliding his tongue along hers and sucking gently. He kept it up until she felt drugged by the sensation of his tongue stroking her own.

  He pulled away slowly, eyes searching her face. “Better?” He brushed a piece of hair that escaped from her ponytail away from her face.

  “Frustrated in an entirely different way now, t
hanks,” she grumbled half-heartedly, wishing she could stay in the Jeep with him all night.

  “You’re not thinking about the race anymore, am I right?” Dev looked inordinately pleased with himself. “Let’s go.”

  Cass hopped down from the Jeep, boot heels throwing up a cloud of dust that floated in the lights of the bikes around them. She went around to the trailer hitched up on the back of the Jeep. Her half-finished Superhawk lay on its side.

  Wrex walked up to her almost immediately, making Cass wonder if he hadn’t injected her with a lojack or something. “Nice of you to finally show. I thought you might skip out.”

  “No forfeits. I remember,” she said. She could barely make out his features in the darkness. The lights from the motorcycles behind him threw his face even further into shadow.

  “You’ll wear my colors tonight.” He handed her a pile of riding leathers. In pink. There was some black, but it was mostly pink.

  Cass eyed them with distaste. She had nothing against pink, and everything against Wrex thinking he could make her wear what he wanted, like he owned her or something. “No way.” She shook her head.

  “You’re riding for me, you wear my colors. Simple as that.” He dropped the leathers at her feet, craning his neck for a look at what lay in the trailer. “I’ve got your bike ready.”

  “I’m not riding anything you picked out for me.”

  “You thinking of riding that?” He gestured to the Superhawk and its still missing panels on one side, his voice mocking her. “I might as well start my twenty-fours right now.” His grin was just a flash of sharp teeth.

  “I’ve got a bike,” she said, ignoring Wrex in favor of watching Dev pushing her Ducati over to the trailer. She’d had Scott pick up the bike from the lock-up and bring it here. “But thanks for the offer.”

  Wrex grabbed her arm roughly. “You ride what I tell you to,” he warned, in a voice more like a growl than anything else. “It’s part of the deal.”