They both ran down the hall and out the door. Timbers was tackled him from the right by two men as he ran out the door.
Barrett barreled out the door, surprising the attackers, and another man rushed him.
Timbers was on the ground, grappling with his two assailants, who were snarling at him while trying to cut him with their knives. Keeping his cool, he shifted his weight and tried to trick his enemies into thinking he was making one move when he was really making another while keeping their knives away from him.
He looked for an opening, always calculating, while they punched and shoved and lost their cool. Always methodical and rational when he fought, Timbers was good at reading his enemy and his intentions. That ability had saved his life and the lives of his men more than once.
They weren’t smart enough to figure out where his gun was to grab it, and he kept angling to where they couldn’t get it, which made the fight take longer than if he’d been unarmed. Not having an opening, he’d have to create one. After rolling to the right, he was able to pull his own knife and sliced the hand of one of his attackers.
The man hissed and pulled back his hand.
After creating that opening, Timbers tricked both men and was out of the wrestling tangle and on his feet before they realized what had happened.
The five men outside, wearing their colors, had been waiting for him, ready to fight, and they had Red. He hadn’t needed to read their jackets to know who they were or what they wanted. He’d seen it in a flash before the tackle. Now, he glanced over at her to see if she was all right.
She was struggling, but the bigger guy had a knife to her neck, and he pulled it in closer, cutting her slightly. The pain made her stop. She stood still, gasping.
All her training hadn’t prepared her to go up against five determined guys with knives, all stronger than she was.
Timbers growled in frustration.
The thin line of blood across her neck dripped as the man jerked her tighter against his body.
It was five against three, or four against two if you didn’t count the gang member holding Red, and Red struggling to get free.
The bikers laughed. All held knives. It would be an all-out street brawl; that’s what they wanted.
The street was as empty as the parking lot, and no one was out walking this time of night.
A couple of them were egging everyone on with beckoning motions that said, “Come at me.”
The one holding Red’s neck with the knife to her throat was too close to her jugular, and that made Timbers nervous.
In a knife fight, anything could go wrong, and the bastard had already cut her once.
On their side, Barrett, a former Green Beret, collected knives and even made his own. He trained constantly in knife fighting. Timbers knew Barrett would have his back.
As a Marine, Timbers had done his share of knife fighting. He suspected the motorcycle gang hadn’t nearly the amount of training the two of them had.
Barrett pulled his knife to counter the gang member who already had his knife out and was advancing.
* * *
Red watched in horror as Ice held the knife to her throat.
Ice had pulled her out the door and then the gang had waited for Timbers, and there was nothing she could’ve done to warn him.
Z would kill Timbers, and her, too. He’d stood wearing his usual jeans and black t-shirt beneath his jacket as he watched her with cold eyes when Ice pulled her through the doorway. “You knew I’d find you,” he gloated. “You’re mine, remember? You wear my mark so you won’t ever forget.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and glared. It would’ve been tempting to tell him that mark was now gone, but she knew better than to provoke him.
The door burst open and Timbers ran out, his gaze upon her.
She watched Timbers come out the door and wanted to scream a warning, but she couldn’t, and then Razor and Peppers ambushed him. He went down beneath the tackle.
“Get him,” Z shouted to his men.
* * *
Timbers was already on the ground, when Barrett came out the door right behind him, and Sam rushed him.
The gang hadn’t known about Barrett and weren’t prepared, but they all had knives, and she knew they’d fight dirty. Down in the gutter dirty, and Z wouldn’t care who they killed.
He laughed and egged the men on.
Her heart raced as she watched the men on the ground, rolling and wrestling, grappling with each other, knives in Razor’s and Pepper’s hands, and Timbers empty-handed, trying to fight them off. She could hardly bear to watch, but couldn’t turn away.
Sam and Barrett were fighting. Sam was a newer member of the gang, and he’d only been a prospect before she’d run. He was wearing his new jacket, which meant he’d done something bad to earn his place.
That was the only way into Z’s gang. Kill. Rape. Deal drugs. Rob.
She’d been so blind when she’d first met Z, but the blinders were off now.
If she’d known where the bodies were buried, she’d have turned him in, and she wouldn’t be in this situation now.
Z had been the only one holding back, letting his men do the work and now Z and Ice were the only ones standing and watching. But they were just as deadly.
She could feel the cut Ice had given her, and the warm blood trickling out from it, along with the coppery scent. He sniffed at her neck, and his mouth near her ear said, “I can smell your blood.” He sniffed again. “Don’t bleed too much. Z says I can fuck you right after he’s done.”
That meant Ice had moved into second place and was now Z’s right-hand man. Viper wasn’t here tonight, which meant he must be dead. That was the only way a man left this gang.
The words Ice had spoken and the sight before her nearly made her close her eyes, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t, block it out. She had to stay present and wait for the right moment to fight. She had to be strong.
Everything was happening so fast, and she didn’t know where to look as knives flashed under the streetlights and men fought to kill or be killed.
She watched Razor and Barrett squaring off. Razor was the member of the gang who most loved knives and fighting with knives. He could easily kill Barrett.
Razor fiercely slashed and missed as Barrett ducked beneath Razor’s swinging blade.
Barrett’s swing sliced the biker’s face.
* * *
Timbers, trusting Barrett could handle the other two, focused on Z.
The man he assumed was Z was clearly in charge and stood back in a black T-shirt and jeans. Not a tall or a big man, he was compact, calm, and staring at Timbers, his focus drawn by the likely knowledge Timbers was somehow with the woman he considered his property.
Timbers moved in. As a trained marine, he had no fear of scum like Z. The moment Timbers was in striking distance, Z lunged with the knife, aiming for Timbers’ face.
Timbers jerked his body back to avoid the thrust, just as one of the bikers ran into his shoulder and fell away.
Off-balance now, Timbers threw an adrenaline-filled right hook that hit Z in the nose, which exploded, shattering cartilage and spraying blood everywhere.
Z fell backwards, still holding the knife and blinking to see through watering eyes. Z lunged again, but in pain and disoriented, his move was slower.
Timbers grabbed his wrist and took the knife away from him as Z wavered on unsteady legs. He tossed away Z’s knife.
Timbers shifted his grip on his own knife, and then slashed backward across Z’s upper chest to the left.
Z was now bleeding from his nose and chest. Z lifted his hand to wipe at the blood dripping off chin. Then he dropped into a crouch, his shoulders slumping.
Peppers and Razor were now both fighting Barrett, and it looked close.
Suddenly, Z got knocked into Timbers as Peppers and Barrett fought nearby.
Stunned, Timbers grappled with Z, tripped, and fell into the street. Z landed on top of Timbers, and he felt the war
m blood from his nose running onto his chest and face.
Timbers pushed Z off, hard.
Z was out of fight and collapsed onto his side. He tried to get up once but fell again.
By the time he slowly staggered to his feet, bleeding profusely, police sirens wailed and blue lights flashed at the end of the street, as two police cars headed their way.
Z tried to back away from Timbers and tripped backwards over his own knife on the ground.
“Police,” an officer spoke using his loud speaker. “Put your hands up where we can see them.”
Timbers glanced at Ice, holding the knife on Red.
Ice turned. Seeing there was no escape, he abandoned Red and started to run.
Red, now free, kicked at Ice’s knee and connected hard.
He went down to his knees.
She jumped on his back, slamming him forward.
He hit the ground hard, slamming his head, and then pushed up again, shaking his head as if he was dizzy.
She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, pinning him to the ground, and then placing her knee on his back.
By then, police were out of their cars and running up to apprehend the gang.
Everyone had complied with the police officer’s command, except for Ice, who was on the ground, and Red who was holding him.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
A policeman came up to her and taking out a pair of handcuffs, and clipped them on Ice’s wrists. “I’ve got him, miss,” he said. “You can let go now.”
Red let go of him and stood then turned and grinned at Timbers.
“Son of a bitch. I just took Ice down.”
“Yes you did,” Timbers nodded, pride shining in his eyes.
She turned back to Ice. “You’re going to jail, Ice,” she said. “Attempted murder. I’ll file charges this time. I’m not afraid of you.”
She scanned the men kneeling on the ground, glaring at each member of the gang in turn. “I’m not afraid of any of you.”
Timbers couldn’t keep the grin off his face. She’d done it. “Damn, girl,” he said. “You’re a quick learner.”
“Trained by the best,” she said, smiling back at him.
The fight was over. No one had been killed. Red was safe, and she’d even taken one of the gang down. This time she agreed to press charges when she hadn’t before.
The shelter still had pictures from the night she’d arrived. They always took pictures, which could later help in court cases. After this attack, it wouldn’t be hard for anyone to believe what had happened to her in Philadelphia.
Timbers and Barrett exchanged glances and silent communication. They weren’t joyful, though this was a victory. They’d just spent a lot of energy in the fight and were coming down from the high adrenaline rush that only people in their line of work would understand. Bravado wasn’t part of what they were feeling.
What had happened today was minor compared to what occurred in war zones. No one was killed. Everyone would go home or go to jail. Still, Timbers felt relieved, because you just never knew how a knife fight would turn out.
The main thing was that Red was now safe for good. And that she was no longer afraid of Z and his gang.
Timbers couldn’t have been prouder.
The police took over the scene. It would be hours before any of them could go home and wash away the blood, the dirt, and sweat from their bodies and clothes.
Chapter 10
Timbers stood in the shower, washing the blood and grime down the drain. He wanted to be clean and smelling good when he headed over to see Red. Nothing was more important than seeing her right now. He needed to reassure himself that she was good. That they were good.
He hoped they had a future. Things had been going well, heading that direction. He wanted to date her. Seriously date her. Find out how far this would go. He hoped when she put everything to do with Z into the past, that he wouldn’t get lumped in there with that mess. He understood she wanted to forget everything about Z, erase it and move on.
Seeing her beneath that knife had opened him up so wide, he’d finally admitted what she meant to him. He was attracted to her spunk, ever her mouthiness and her walls. He was attracted to the woman behind those walls.
Letting a person in to see you in your vulnerable moments wasn’t an easy thing.
She’d trusted him and let him in. And he was honored that she’d let him in behind those walls to see the real her. The woman who wasn’t being mouthy, always pushing everyone away.
So, he was headed to see her, first to make sure she was okay, and second to talk to her about taking it to the next level.
* * *
The minute Timbers walked through the front door, Red knew it and turned to face him. This awareness wasn’t something she could’ve explained to anyone, but when he was near, she always knew, even before he spoke.
Red, tired of holding back, wanted nothing more than to go to him and kiss him. With every ounce of her being. She wanted to kiss him long and hard, and then fall into bed with him.
She ran up to him and put her arms around his neck.
He bent his head down and kissed her, soft at first, and then long and deep.
When they came up for air, Red, who’d learned to be bold, in her time with the club, said, “I want to go back to your place tonight, and not come back here until morning.”
Timbers eyes darkened with desire. “You want to spend the night with me?”
“In your bed, naked, all night long, just you and me,” she said. “If you’re up for that.”
The way they were pressed together; it was evident to both of them that he was more than up for that. But he spoke the words anyway with a smile, “Hell, yeah, I’m up for that. And more. Whatever you’re ready for.”
“Then let’s go.”
“All right. I came over to talk to you, wasn’t exactly expecting this.”
“We can talk in the car.” She knew what she wanted and had an urgency now, to get it.
“Okay, after you darlin’.”
She shivered. “I love it when your Texan comes out.”
“Oh, you do?”
“Yeah, and all these riding lessons I’ve been takin’ are gonna come in handy tonight.”
He chuckled and held her hand as he led her into the parking lot.
They reached the car, and he opened the door for her and waited while she buckled her seatbelt.
She gave him a sly glance and noticed how hard he was beneath his jeans.
Oh yeah, she wanted some of that. No, all of that. For as long as he’d give it to her. She missed sex, and she didn’t see the point in waiting. Life was too short to wait. What if she’d been killed in that street fight? No, waiting wasn’t something she was willing to do any more. Not when it came to Timbers. She wanted him bad.
If it didn’t last, this thing between them, well, at least she’d know what it felt like to have him inside her. To ride him until they both came. They’d see where all this hunger led.
Back at his place, she glanced around, never having been there before. She pointed. “That your bedroom?”
“Yes, and I apologize my place isn’t cleaner. I didn’t expect company so soon.”
“I’m here to see you. All of you. Not your place,” she said. “I just want to see you naked.”
“Well, all right.” He said. “I won’t argue with that.”
She took his hand and pulled. “Come on lover.”
“I’m at your command,” he said.
She pulled him into the bedroom, and then turned to him and reached for the bottom of his T-shirt.
He went along with her, a big grin on his face.
She pulled the shirt up his body, and when it was off, she tossed in on the floor without looking at it. Then she bent down on one knee and started to unbuckle his jeans. After pulling the zipper down, her eyes widened. “Hey, you go commando. Now, that is hot.”
He chuckled. “You like that.”
&nb
sp; “Oh, hell yeah,” she said.
She had his jeans past his hips now, and his cock stood ready at attention.
“I like it, and I’m going to lick it,” she purred.
He spread his arms wide. “Do as you will. I’m all yours.”
She gave him a lick, and then smiled up at him and wrapped her lips around his cock.
He groaned. “Oh baby, yes.”
She sucked him up and down a few times, and then stopped and stood.
He arched an eyebrow and watched her, waiting.
“I need to lose these jeans. Not comfortable.”
“Let me help you.”
“No, I’ll do it.” She stepped away then eased the jeans off until she was out of them, standing in those black bikini panties he’d seen her in before.
He licked his lips; his eyes darkening, and then motioned with his finger. “Come here.”
She stepped closer, and he took the finger he’d motioned with and pulled her panties down to her knees, his eyes widening at the sight of her. “Smooth and clean,” he murmured.
It was on the tip of her tongue to say that was how Z had liked her, and she’d gotten into the habit of shaving everywhere. But she didn’t want thoughts of Z in her head, so she’d push them away after she said this one thing. “I want you to fuck me until I forget anywhere he’s ever been,” she whispered.
Timbers pulled her close and kissed her hard on the lips. Then pulled back, just far enough that he could speak, but still close enough that when he spoke as his lips lightly brushed hers. “I’m going to make love to you until you forget his name. Until every inch of skin he touched forgets every memory of him. And I’m going to fuck you until you call my name.”
Her eyes, already heavy-lidded from the kiss, closed as he spoke, and when he finished she whispered one word. “Yes.”
“Do you want me to take over now, and take care of that for you?”
“Yes. Take over and take me. Make me forget.”
This was what she needed. What she wanted.
Marine Proector: Brotherhood Protectors World Page 8