RAW: THE ULTIMATE MC COLLECTION

by Palomino, Honey

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, honey. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Vanessa.” Wrapping his arms around me, he kissed my lips softly. “To be honest, I’m not ready to let you go.”

  I gazed at him, trying to read his eyes, looking for any trace of deception, and I saw nothing but gentleness and sincerity.

  “Hawk, I know how to change his mind.”

  He pulled back slightly, cocking his head inquisitively.

  “What do you mean?”

  “My father. He refused to pay the ransom, right?”

  “It appears that way.”

  “Yeah, well he’s a prick, and he hates me. All he cares about are his career, and my precious, perfect sister, Kate. But I know the big, family secret. He’d do anything to keep it from getting out.”

  “Why are you telling me this, Vanessa?”

  “Because I want to help. With the ransom. You give the information to your client, my father pays up, and we split the money equally.”

  “Are you serious, Princess? You want to assist in your own kidnapping?”

  “Listen, my father probably already thinks I’m behind this anyway. He thinks I’m a lazy hippy that doesn’t want to work and that I want everything handed to me.”

  “I don’t know about this, Vanessa.”

  “Why not? When I tell you this family dirt, you’ll see that it’s foolproof, he would do anything to keep this information under wraps.”

  “Well, then tell me.”

  “Only if you promise to take it to this Blackie guy, and only if he agrees to the money split before you tell him the information. We can split the money and go on with our lives.”

  “Why aren’t you mad at me, Vanessa?”

  Why wasn’t I mad at him? That was a very good question. But then I remembered the caress of his hands on my skin, the way he kissed me and made me forget the world existed, and the way he made love to me like it was the last thing he was ever going to do…and then I knew the answer.

  “Because I’m falling in love with you, Hawk. And I really fucking hate my father.”

  His eyes widened and his face broke out in a huge grin. He kissed me hard, his hot mouth capturing mine, possessing it as held me tightly.

  “I’m falling in love with you, too, Princess.”

  I smiled up at his gorgeous face, not knowing how this was ever going to work out between us, but determined to try.

  “Let’s go inside. You can tell me everything over dinner.”

  He grasped my hand, his fingers lacing into mine as if we had been lovers for years.

  As he was cooking, I sat in the kitchen watching him, with Pearl sitting in my lap.

  “Okay, so here’s the deal,” I explained. “My sister Kate isn’t really my father’s daughter. My mother had an affair early on in their marriage, but my parents covered it up. When I was ten, I heard them talking about it late one night in their bedroom. When I confronted them about it, they insisted I never tell another soul, including my sister, saying that it would ruin my father’s career. He had huge aspirations, even back then, for a while he thought he might run for president. He has long since forgiven my mother, but only under the condition that it remains a secret forever. He was too concerned with ‘appearances’ to ever let the truth get out. He’ll be devastated to know I told anyone.”

  “Well, that is some very interesting information, Vanessa.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Hawk left the next morning after setting up a meeting with Blackie. I stayed in the cabin alone, waiting with Pearl and trying not to bite my nails to the quick. I had attempted to eat breakfast, but I was so nervous that it proved impossible.

  Pearl stayed close to me the whole day, sensing my anxiety and fear. I knew what I was doing was risky. By telling Hawk our family secret, there was no doubt my father would know I had given them the information. The only people who knew were me, my mother and my father. And they would have never told anyone else.

  We had stayed up all night talking about it, discussing how my father might react to a stranger knowing his dark secret. Hawk still wouldn’t tell me who Blackie was, but I figured at this point, it was probably better that I didn’t know. I was pretty sure my father would never get the police involved but if he did, the less I knew the better.

  I didn’t feel bad, though. Whatever my father had done to piss off Blackie, whoever he was, he probably deserved it. And a few million dollars, or whatever the ransom was - Hawk said he didn’t know when I asked - would just be a small drop in the bucket for my father. If there was a risk it would sabotage his election, he would take whatever steps necessary to make sure that didn’t happen.

  Apparently, his youngest daughter perishing in a hostile kidnapping didn’t seem to hold that risk for him. But if that didn’t move him to action, I was sure the revelation I had confessed to Hawk would.

  By the time Hawk returned the day was almost over. I was lounging on the front porch, drinking one of his cold beers when I heard his bike rumbling in the distance. I watched it approach, first as a small speck on the horizon and then as he rode up the long driveway, his long hair falling out of the bottom of his helmet and flapping in the breeze.

  Hawk had been amazing. I wasn’t mad at him in the least. In fact, I was grateful that if I was going to be kidnapped, that it was by him. It could have been so much worse, and as I watched him turn off his bike and walk over to me, I realized my body was still singing from his expertly mind-blowing skills under the sheets. In fact, I couldn’t wait to get the business of the day over so we could get right back under them.

  I absolutely could not get enough of this man.

  And how could I hold it against him anyway? He was just doing his job. It wasn’t personal. I didn’t know Blackie, and Blackie didn’t know me. Hawk was just the middle person, who was hired to protect me.

  I preferred to think of him as a bodyguard.

  “Hi.” He stood over me, unzipping his leather jacket and removing his helmet.

  Speechless, I stared up at him before he took my hand and lifted me to my feet.

  He put his arms around me, holding me close before kissing me gently.

  I kissed him back, then pulled him into my body for a hug, all of my senses coming alive at his presence. His eyes were shining brightly and his smile lit up my heart from the inside out.

  Inhaling him in deeply, the familiar scent of leather filled my nostrils…but there was something else there. Something familiar and distant. A trace of lilac? Something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on at first. I wasn’t sure, but I kept sniffing, and then it dawned on me. There was only one thing in the world that smelled like that.

  Genevieve!

  I pulled away quickly, taking him in, still hesitating to believe what my mind was telling me.

  “Where have you been?”

  “What do you mean? You know where I went. I went to talk to Blackie.”

  “Blackie? Right…” None of this was making sense. What the fuck did Genevieve have to do with this?

  “And what did Blackie say?” I asked him cautiously.

  “Blackie said no, Vanessa. I passed on all the information you gave me, but it’s just too risky. Blackie said that after meeting with your father the first time, there’s just no way anyone believes he would give up the ransom just for some family dirt if he wouldn’t do it to get you back.”

  “Why are you lying to me, Hawk?”

  “Lying? I’m not lying.”

  “Who the fuck is Blackie, Hawk?”

  My mind was spinning, trying to put this all together, but none of it made sense. How did Genevieve fit into this? Slowly, it began to come together.

  Hawk had found me on a date that Genevieve had sent me on. As far as I knew, nobody had been looking for me, and the first person Drake would have called would have been Genevieve.

  But Genevieve had tons of money, and she was my friend, she cared about me. Why in the world would she set me up like th
is?

  “I told you, Vanessa. I can’t tell you.”

  “How do you know Genevieve?”

  “What?” The color drained from his face as I said her name.

  “Genevieve Marchand. My boss. My friend.”

  “Why are you asking me that, Vanessa?” He looked completely uncomfortable. Clearly, I had hit upon a nerve.

  “Nobody in the world smells like Genevieve. She has her perfume custom made and shipped from France. You smell like Genevieve, Hawk.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yeah. Fuck. Now tell me again, how do you know Genevieve?”

  “Vanessa, listen, it’s best if you don’t know all this.”

  “Tell me!” My voice rose in anger, and tears sprang to my eyes. Genevieve and the girls were my only friends in this entire world, until I met Hawk, and now I wasn’t sure I had any friends at all.

  “Fuck!” Hawk looked torn, his eyes flashing with anger and frustration.

  “TELL ME!” My voice echoed toward the sky, scaring Pearl awake at my feet.

  “Genevieve is…was…my step-mother. She was married to my father, the founder of the Devil’s Horsemen.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? That can’t be.”

  “I’m sorry, Vanessa. I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t know how to tell you. It’s all so complicated.”

  “I don’t understand. She’s from France.” I was shocked, frozen in place, my heart racing, my mind clouded with confusion.

  “Alright, fuck,” he sat down on the porch steps, his head in his hands. “I’ll tell you everything. But you aren’t going to like it.”

  “Go on.”

  “Genevieve was my pop’s old lady. He met her in France and brought her over to the States and married her. They ran the club together for ten years before Pop died in an accident on the highway. I took over the club, and Genevieve moved on. Unfortunately, when she has business that she can’t handle herself she calls me. Usually, it’s the dirty part of her business. She’s self-sufficient, for the most part.”

  “What does this have to do with me? I still don’t understand. How does she know my father?”

  “She doesn’t,” he replied.

  “I don’t understand? So who the fuck is Blackie?”

  “Blackie is Genevieve, Vanessa. It’s an old nickname. Genevieve knows how wealthy your family is, and she saw how unfairly your father treated you, so she came up with a plan to kidnap you and take his money. I guess she’s tired of working.”

  “Working?! She doesn’t work! Me and the girls do all the work, for fuck’s sake.”

  I felt sick. She was supposed to be my friend. No wonder nobody was looking for me. Were the girls in on this, too?

  “So you knew all along that I was being betrayed?”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought I was being kidnapped because of politics.”

  “I know.”

  “How could you let me think that all along? You lied to me.”

  “No, I didn’t, Vanessa!” He looked hurt, and how dare he! I was the one hurt here. In fact, I was the only one hurt in this situation.

  This entire time, I had been thinking I would do one of two things. Either go back to my normal life after this was over, and go home to Genevieve and the girls and pick up where I left off. Or, build some sort of life with Hawk.

  But now, neither of those were an option. And the possibility of returning to my family had died long ago. Now, I had nothing.

  I looked at Hawk standing in front of me, perfect in every way. Except one.

  He was just doing his job all along. But his job was personal. Even if there was some chance of us being together, I could never face Genevieve again. And she was a part of his life. How could I ever be a part of his life if he was close to someone that betrayed me so deeply?

  “Vanessa, listen. It was just business. I never meant to get so involved with you.”

  His words were like a slap to the face. And they were just what I needed to hear.

  “So I see.” My voice was cold and steely and every wall I possessed slammed down between us.

  “So what happens now?” I asked, deliberately avoiding the pained expression in his eyes.

  “I guess nothing happens. It’s over, I’m supposed to take you home.”

  “I see. I’ll get my things.” I turned to walk into his house, his voice trailing behind me as I ignored him.

  “Vanessa, please…let’s talk about this.”

  I turned back to him quickly, trying to hold my tongue, but the words poured out in uncontrollable anger.

  “What’s to talk about, Hawk? You told me you had a ‘client’, that it wasn’t personal. You failed to tell me that it was my best friend you were working for and that she just happened to be your step-mother! For god’s sake, what do you expect me to feel? I fucked you! Repeatedly! I was taken in by your kindness, I thought you cared about me! All you wanted was to use me while you baby-sat me. I’m sure you were going to be paid handsomely, weren’t you? And that wasn’t enough, was it? You needed to have my body and my heart, as well. Well, fuck that! And fuck you! And fuck Genevieve!”

  I quickly collected my things and continued to fight back tears. I had never felt so betrayed, so lost. I grabbed my purse, my dress, my stupid heels, and all of Pearl’s things before scooping her up and walking outside.

  “Let’s go.” The thought of riding in the truck with Hawk for the next two hours was excruciating. He opened my door and I threw my things in and placed Pearl on the seat between us.

  He walked around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. The engine roared to life as he turned the ignition on and turned to look at me.

  “Listen, I have some things I need to say to you, but since I just returned from that long trip here on my bike, I need to go inside and pee before I start the trip back again. Wait for me, I’ll be right back.”

  “There’s nothing to say. It’s just business, remember?” I said sarcastically.

  He sighed a huge sigh of exasperation before opening his door and sliding out of the truck to go inside.

  My eyes locked on the keys hanging from the ignition and then I watched him go inside, the tight muscles of his perfect ass dancing in his jeans as I watched him walk away one last time.

  With tears clouding my vision, and my hands shaking, I picked up Pearl, moved her over and slid across the seat, quickly putting on my seatbelt and putting the truck in reverse.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Three Months Later

  The early morning sun of San Diego streamed through my windows and the clay was cold and wet between my fingers. Pressing and kneading, I formed the curves of the statue’s ample hips, smoothing the lines with my fingertips as I worked the clay. I had been working non-stop, getting ready for my first art show, and my fingers were sore and stiff.

  Pearl lay at my feet, cozy and warm in her new bed in our new home, four puppies nursing at her breasts. When I found out that Two Dog Dave’s pit bull had gotten her pregnant, I had been terrified. Dogs weren’t supposed to give birth at her age. But right after we moved to San Diego, I found a good veterinarian that nursed her through the birth and fortunately, Pearl and the babies had pulled through just fine.

  I still wasn’t sure how the puppies would turn out looking considering their odd DNA mix, but they were adorable right now. Pearl had been a trooper and turned out to be a loving, attentive mother. I couldn’t have been more proud of her. I still felt guilty for putting her in this situation at all, so I spoiled her as much as I could. The vet had insisted on spaying her, and even though I knew she would never get out of my sight again, I agreed.

  After fleeing Joshua Tree with Hawk’s truck, I drove all the way to Los Angeles, left his truck two blocks from the clubhouse and took a cab to my apartment. I packed as much as I could into my car, cleaned out my bank account, added it to the ten thousand dollars that was still in my purse from my date with Drake, and left Los Angeles as fast I could.

>   I hadn’t looked back or talked to anyone since. No Hawk, no Genevieve, and certainly not my father. He had lost the election, and I knew the last thing he wanted was to hear from me. So, instead, I just disappeared.

  Luckily, I had the money from Drake to help me start over. I rented an adorable studio apartment with amazing light right by a park in the middle of the city. Done with the high-heel lifestyle, I found a small open space in a trendy part of town, leased it and opened an art gallery. In addition to networking and finding artists, I concentrated on decorating my new home, taking care of Pearl, and resuming my sculpting. I had left most of my sculpting supplies and finished art back in my apartment in L.A. and I had to start from scratch, but after two months of doing nothing but working on it in my spare time, I had replaced everything.

  It felt great, for the most part. I couldn’t help but wonder about Hawk and Genevieve and the girls. I wondered what Genevieve told the girls about my disappearance, if they missed me, and if my family wondered where I was. By the time Genevieve had me kidnapped, I already hadn’t spoken to them for six months. I was sure my father thought I had dreamed up the kidnapping.

  I was trying to move past it as best as I could. Hawk’s golden-green eyes haunted me day and night, and part of me felt a twinge of guilt for bailing on him the way I did, but I just couldn’t bear to listen to him for those two hours back to town. I knew no matter what he had said that day, it wouldn’t have changed a thing.

  Sometimes, words just don’t work that way.

  So, I had immersed myself in work. After just a few months, I had six pieces completed, and I was ready for my show. It was tonight, in twelve short hours, and I was beside myself with exhaustion and excitement.

  Mostly excitement. I was excited because I had finally done something all on my own, with no help from my father or Genevieve. I made the money, bought the supplies, created the pieces, and organized the show all by myself. Sure, it helped that the show was at my own tiny gallery, but it was still because of me.

  And that felt amazing.

  I spent the rest of the day at the studio, making sure everything was tidy and in its place. I couldn’t afford an employee, and this was the gallery’s third art show. I had found lots of interested artists, and they each showed their art for two weeks. So far, so good. Every piece had sold, and the artists were ecstatic, as was I.