When I told her that she’d be cold on the back, she shrugged on a leather jacket which made her look far more grown-up than she is. That didn’t aid my painful erection that’s been begging to get a taste of her since I saw her in that godforsaken cheerleader skirt when we arrived.
We’ve been on the road for a couple of hours, and even though I know we should rest, I wave my hand to Talon, who’s behind me, to let him know we’ll do one more hour.
The sooner we can get to the compound in Arizona, the better. Being out here on the road makes me feel anxious, especially with the precious cargo that we’re carrying.
I’ve spent my younger years transporting weapons to various states on my bike, but this is by far the most stressful trip I’ve ever taken. And that should scare the shit out of me because I don’t want to feel this for her.
It took me three long years to get over Amelia and what she did to me. Having Syren here, so close, smelling like fucking cotton candy and lollipops, isn’t helping my warring emotions.
Perhaps the Cartel should find us, and I can take each and every one of them out. That would certainly calm the tension that’s tightening and twisting my aching muscles.
If they do come for her, I’m ready for a fight. Getting my hands bloody will definitely help. With a smile, I open up the engine and speed down the highway until the scenery is blurry and Syren’s hold on my torso tightens.
I’m so fucked.
6
Syren
Shadow finally pulls into a motel somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I’m not sure how we’re going to be working out the sleeping arrangements, but it looks like Talon and Blade are doing their own thing while I’m left to follow behind Shadow like a lost puppy.
“One room,” he speaks to the person behind the desk. His gruff voice making me shiver. It’s not anger that laces his tone. Instead, it’s twisted with tension coiled around every word. I wonder what’s going through his mind.
Does he really regret the kiss that much?
I watch as he pays before grabbing the key and stalking from the small office and once again, I’m lagging behind his long-legged strides until we come to room one three five and he opens the door. I half expect him to slam the thing in my face, but he shocks me by stepping aside and allowing me to enter first.
“We’re not sharing a room,” I tell him earnestly.
“Why? Scared I’ll steal your virginity?” he bites out, but he doesn’t look at me. Instead, his focus is on his phone as his fingers slide across the screen. When he’s finished the message, he sets the device down and pins me with a heated glare.
“Don’t be an asshole, Shadow. You kissed me.” I may be young, but I’m not stupid. My father raised me to never take shit from anyone, and this is one of those times where I know I’m not going to bow down to a man because he was the one who made a mistake.
“Yeah, I kissed you, but it was a mistake. This,” he waves his hand around the room, “is to keep you safe. Instead of actin’ like I’m going to do something to you that you don’t want, go and lie down. Get some rest because we’re leavin’ at four.”
Those normally olive-green eyes are dancing with darkness.
“What makes you think I’m afraid of you?” This time, my challenge is my mistake because he eats up the distance between us like it’s nothing. We’re inches from each other when my breath catches in my throat.
“Aren’t you?” He arches a dark brow at me, waiting for me to admit I’m afraid of him, but I’m not. I know he won’t hurt me, not intentionally. The problem is the more time I spend with him, the more I see a man who’s hiding behind a wall. And that makes me curious.
What happened to Shadow for him to be so cold and shut off from emotion?
“No.” My voice is a breathy whisper, and I internally admonish myself for sounding so young and innocent. If I want him to see me as an equal, I need to stand up like an adult.
When he steps closer to me, I force myself back, we continue the dance until my back hits the wall and I’m pressed between him and the cool orange concrete behind me.
His tattooed hands land on either side of my head, caging me in. His lips tilt into a wolfish smirk before he chuckles at my breathing which is now coming in short pants.
“Tell me, Syren,” he rasps, low and feral, “are those pretty panties wet for me right now?” I want to push him away, but I know he’s far stronger than I am and no amount of force I use will shift him.
“Fuck you,” I bite out.
Another laugh rumbles in his chest. He’s so close to me, I can feel the vibration inside me. His mouth lowers, and my breathing hitches so loudly, I’m sure he heard it.
“Don’t tempt me, Princess,” he speaks, keeping his tone a husky growl. “Because I am not averse to taking you right here, against the wall. Would you like to bounce on my dick while I suck on your pert little tits?”
I should be disgusted at his words, but instead, it has the opposite effect on me, and I shiver with need. Yes, I want to scream. But I keep my mouth shut and my eyes blazing with anger that I know isn’t real.
He smiles and steps back before he pulls out a packet of smokes and taps one into his hand. Pushing the white stick between his lips, he winks at me before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.
I’m shaking. My panties are actually wet, and I can’t think straight. I quickly grab my rucksack which I dropped to the floor when we entered the room and find my phone.
I tap out a message to Kali to let her know I’m safe and we’re in some motel in the middle of nowhere. It doesn’t take long for her to respond. Instead of texting, I hit dial on her number and press the phone to my ear.
“Hey, girl,” Kalista whispers into my ear. “I can’t talk for long since the whole compound is on lockdown since you left. We’re not meant to have our phones on.”
“That’s a bit drastic, isn’t it?” I furrow my brows. It does sound rather intense. Why on earth can’t they have their phones on?
“Apparently the Cartel have connections. They can track any device. No iPads, no WIFI,” she tells me. She sounds frustrated. I would be too. I mean, how else are we meant to keep in contact if we’re not allowed to call those we love.
“What about my dad?”
“He’s here, he’s been in the office with the rest of the guys since you left,” she whispers. “And it doesn’t look like they’re coming out any time soon.”
Sighing, I flop on the bed and stare up at the ceiling. “This is ridiculous. He should’ve just shut down the compound and I could’ve stayed with you. I hate being away from home. And Shadow is an asshole.”
“What happened between you two?” Her question brings back the memory of his lips on mine and heat blooms on my cheeks. I’m about to tell her when I hear gunshots ring out causing me to swing my legs over the bed. I’m on my feet, at the window in seconds while Kali asks what is going on.
My mouth opens, and then shuts when I see five blacked-out SUVs have pulled up outside the motel and there are men in suits with guns held to Talon, Blade, and Shadow’s heads. The two prospects who were following us are nowhere to be seen.
Shadow is bleeding from his mouth and left eye. Talon’s chest has a large red stain on the white sleeveless vest he was wearing, and Blade seems to be the only one not bleeding.
“I have to go,” I hang up quickly before shoving my phone into my rucksack and swinging it over my shoulder as I head into the bathroom. I have to think quickly because there’s banging on the bedroom door. The window to the bathroom is open and I manage to squeeze myself through.
My heart is thundering in my chest, attacking my ribs with a vengeance. I don’t know where the fuck I am, but I run. My feet carry me into the back of the motel, and through what looks like a leisure room. I find the swimming pool and beyond that is a forest which I manage to disappear in before I stop behind a large tree.
My breathing is ragged, and the desire that swirled in my veins is repl
aced with fear so acute, it hurts. I glance over my shoulder, around the thick wooden trunk to see five men all looking around trying to locate me.
I stay still. I know the moment I move I’ll be spotted, and possibly be shot. Daddy said they wanted me dead, so what’s to stop them from pulling the trigger right now and finishing the job.
Fear catapults my heart into my throat, and I find it difficult to breathe. More gunshots echo in the air, and then I hear the roar of bikes. They’re leaving. I need to get back to the front of the motel, but there’s no way with the two goons looking for me under cars.
I’m about to make a run for it when one of them points to the forest and they both make their way directly toward me. It’s now or never. I have to make a choice. This is what my dad always taught me about — if you ever find yourself in trouble, hide away. Don’t fight men with guns or knives. You play it the way I know you can, with your mind.
And that’s when I step out of the shadows and in the line of fire. My hands are held up in surrender, and I shut my eyes and hold my breath waiting for the pain of a bullet to attack my chest.
When it doesn’t come, I open my eyes and meet the cold stares of two dark-skinned men who look like they’d happily end me. But then a third appears and speaks to them in what I’m guessing is Spanish.
“Come,” he tells me in a heavily accented tone, and I pray my decision to take my dad’s advice doesn’t get me killed.
7
Shadow
Fucking shit.
I was caught unaware. I should’ve had my guard up, but I thought we’d have more time before they tracked us down. When I push into the bedroom, I find it empty and my body seizes in rage and fear.
“Talon! Blade!”
Both men rush into the bedroom I’d left Syren in. They look around, realizing why my whole body is shaking with pure, unadulterated rage.
“Find them,” I order, pulling out my phone and hitting dial on Stryker’s number. He’s back in Arizona, but I know he’ll be able to put a track on Syren’s phone. I hope to fuck she didn’t turn it off because this is when I need her to be a teenage girl.
If they touch a hair on her head, I’ll scalp the bastards. I listen to the ringing as I watch Talon and Blade walk through the room, trying to find anything the men or Syren may have dropped.
They come up empty and leave me to my call.
“What can I do for you, VP?” Stryker’s happy tone comes through the line and I close my eyes and pray before I speak.
“I need a trace on a number and phone. Syren’s missin’,” I tell him.
The whoosh of air that fills the earpiece tells me he knows what shit will go down if Trigger finds out I lost his daughter.
“Send me the number and I’ll work on it. I’ll need an hour.”
“You have ten minutes,” I tell him before hanging up and hitting send on her number. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I make a hasty retreat out of the room and to my bike. “We have to see if we can track them down. Stryker is busy with the trace on Syren’s phone.”
Both men nod. The two prospects managed to get away before the assholes slipped into their expensive cars and drove off. I should’ve known they walked away because they had her. I didn’t see anyone drag her out of the room, so she must’ve gotten out of the bathroom window. Clever girl, just not clever enough. I think to myself.
Starting the engine, I pull out onto the road with Blade and Talon behind me. The assholes headed West, which is the same way we’re going. I don’t understand why they would’ve taken her in the same direction we were going. Also, I don’t know why they’d attack when we’re still so far from home.
Where could they be taking her?
My chest is tight with anxiety twisting its way through me. I grip the handlebars until my knuckles turn white. I’m on edge. My thoughts are racing with wanting her and needing to push her away. I want to save her and yet, I don’t want to be her hero because that will put us in a position where I want to keep her. I’ll leap into the unknown and I’m not sure where I’ll land.
I can’t have Syren, but every nerve in my body, every inch of me is aching because I know she’s in danger. I feel her fear. It sounds like bullshit, but it’s true. I never believed in all that fairytale shit, but right now, I want to be her hero.
* * *
We’ve pulled over after two hours of riding around trying to find a needle in a haystack. Stryker’s called, given me coordinates, but they keep changing. I’m not sure what they’ve done to her phone, perhaps they have scramblers, but nothing has worked.
My phone buzzes wildly in my pocket and when I pull it out, I find an unknown number calling. Tapping the green button, I press the device to my ear and listen.
“Mr. Hawke,” the deep accented tone of Cartel lackey, Pablo Xavier, comes through clearly. I’ve heard about him. He works Stateside for the mafia, and he deals in anything people pay for — guns, drugs, electronics, and women.
“Where the fuck is she?” I’m not one for niceties when you fuck with me, and this asshole will die the moment I get my hands on him.
“She’s here, safe. She’s beautiful.”
“If you touch her—”
“Oh, Mr. Hawke, I don’t think you’re in any position to throw threats around. Are you?” he says with satisfaction dripping from every word. With every utterance from his mouth, my inner beast rears its ugly head and wants to play. I want to rip him apart.
“I don’t play nice with assholes who steal underage girls from their parents.”
“But I didn’t steal her, she walked out, surrendered herself to me in order to save her father,” he tells me happily and I can’t help but think, you stupid little girl.
“What do you want?”
“That’s more like it,” he chuckles. “The girl for the guns.” The deal is clear, but what I’ve learned over the years from watching my dad deal with dickheads like these is nothing is ever cut and dry with them.
“And what’s the catch? I know when you make a deal with the Cartel, there are always hidden agendas.” My gaze locks with Talon’s and he gives me a nod. Stryker’s been tracing our phones in the event that they call, and he has a hit.
“There is no agenda, Hawke, or is it Shadow.”
“You can call me whatever you want as long as the girl is alive, unharmed, and untainted by your men,” I bite out. My hold on my phone is so tight, it’s a wonder it hasn’t shattered yet.
Silence is my response and I wonder if they cut the line, but the call is still connected. I wait a moment longer before I hear whimpering and my heart kicks against my ribs so painfully, my lungs give out.
“What the f—”
“Shadow?” The voice that calls my name next is not Syren, it’s not even the asshole who’s trying to make a deal, it’s fucking Amelia.
“Amy?”
“So, Mr. Hawke . . .” The accented tone is back, and he sounds far too pleased with himself. The moment I find their hideout, I’m going to skin him alive and make his men watch before I make them eat his flesh.
I’m shaking now. More so than I was moments ago. Amelia’s there, alive, and being kept captive.
“Pablo, I swear to all that is holy,” I bite out, shutting my eyes so tight I see white behind my lids. “I will kill you one day.”
“Ah, the dreams of a young boy in his prime. We’ll see what you do when the time comes. Won’t we?” he hangs up before I have time to ask him where the meeting place is, but we have a location.
“Stryker has the coordinates. We can head there now and be at their hideout within the hour.” An hour. Is that enough time to save not one but two women I care for?
“Let’s ride.”
8
Syren
The girl who’s with me in the dingy cell is pretty. She’s got dirt caked in her hair, but her face is clean, and her wide eyes are shimmering with tears. Hearing her call to Shadow did things to me. Things I shouldn’t have felt.
“Do you know Shadow?” I finally ask, knowing I shouldn’t because when she responds, I know it will be something I don’t want to hear.
“We used to . . . I was his . . .” her words linger in the air between us. They dated. It’s clear she was his girlfriend, it’s also obvious she loved him very much.
Pain lances my chest, but I shake it off. I have no claim over him, we kissed once, and I’m also far too young for him. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but this stupidity needs to stop. I can’t want a man like him.
“Do you . . . are you with him?” she croaks, her voice sounding far younger than I guess her to be.
I shake my head quickly, and she smiles. Relief painted on her features, and I realize she would be jealous of me, just like I am of her.
What happens when and if he saves us?
Will he go back to her?
Of course, he will. She’s his girlfriend. Perhaps even a long, lost love. I don’t want to see them reunite. I want Talon to take me away the moment they walk in here because I can’t see the man who’s clearly been burrowing himself inside my chest pull another woman into his arms.
Jesus, talk about being a whiny teenager, Sy.
I’m being ridiculous, but I can’t help it. This is why I hadn’t had a boyfriend before because I’d seen too many girls at school get hung up on guys and then get their hearts stomped on.
I glance around, taking in the cell. Even though it’s dank, it’s not filthy like one would expect. I can’t believe I gave myself up. But, as long as the man keeps his word and leaves my father alone, I’ll happily sit here for the rest of my days.
I curl up on the small mattress, watching the girl, Amelia, as she draws circles on the dirty floor. I want to talk to her, but I’m afraid I’ll hear things about Shadow that are far too intimate.
Twisted Steel: An MC Romance Anthology Page 29