Prizefight: The Hell Raiders MC Goes MMA

by Aden Lowe

  "I don't know yet, but I've got feelers out. I'll let you know when I come up with any info. In the meantime, keep your head down. And keep her hid good." He gestured toward Elena. "They put a kill-on-sight hit on her."

  Fuck.

  Chapter Ten

  Elena:

  Kill on sight. The words echoed through my head as the man called Stella got to his feet and headed for the door. Ryker followed, and I could hear them speaking softly, but whatever they said meant nothing to me.

  What the hell did kill on sight mean? Was it really as bad as it sounded? I hoped not.

  The door clicked shut behind Stella as he left, and Ryker spent a moment fiddling with locks and a security panel. He came toward me, a dark frown creasing his forehead.

  "You okay?" He sat and pulled me close.

  I shook my head. "What did that mean?"

  He sighed and lowered his head a little. "It means Royse is pissed at us both."

  "You don't have to sugar-coat it. He's going to have me killed, isn't he?" Saying the words out loud turned my stomach. After all this time, that meant he would rather have me dead than give up any of his control over me. And if Ryker happened to get killed in the meantime, he was cool with that, too.

  Ryker nodded. "Yeah, that's what he wants. I won't let it happen, though. You're safe." He wrapped both arms around me and rested his chin on top of my head. "I got you."

  Sitting there, with Ryker holding me, I felt completely safe, for probably the first time since I was a kid. But logically, I knew he was only one man. Royse had a whole crew just waiting to do whatever he wanted. Ryker would try, but he couldn't keep me from them forever.

  "I can't ask you to do this." I pushed away a little, not sure where I was going to go.

  "You're not asking me to do anything." He cupped my jaw in one big hand and gently forced me to look at him. "I could have turned away last night, and I don't know why I didn't, but I was going to help you even before you asked. I was there looking for you, instead of in the locker room where I belonged."

  Looking for me? "What do you mean?" How could he have known I was there?

  "When I came out, waiting to be called for the fight, I spotted you in the crowd. I saw the way that man was treating you, and I didn't like it. I'd gone to ask Royse where you were." The rumble of his voice, the words he spoke, sent thoughts whirling through my head.

  In that moment I knew what I had to do. It would take time, and care, because if I made him suspicious, he might stop me. So I leaned back in and let him cradle me to his chest. The stupid tears kept trying to come, but I forced them back. I could do this, and I could keep it from him.

  When he tipped my head back to kiss me again, I gave myself over to it. My luck sure proved itself once more. The moment I had something good in my life, something came along to take it away. Ryker might not want more than a few nights with me, but even with that, he was still the best thing to ever happen to me. And now Royse was going to take him away.

  Ryker's kisses made me ache, both with a kind of need that felt totally new to me, and with grief. I wanted to spend forever right there in his arms, safe and secure in the knowledge he would never hurt me.

  Crazy thinking. Men like him did not tie themselves down forever to whores. They had hookups and flings until they found a nice girl to settle down and have kids with. Sadness for what I would never have brought more tears for me to force back.

  He deepened his kiss, bringing all my attention to the way his tongue coaxed mine. His beard stubble prickled slightly against my skin, making me even more aware of him. What would my life have been like if my mother hadn't got sick? Would I have a man like him to call my own?

  Ryker brought one hand under the edge of my shirt and skimmed it over my belly, taking my thoughts away from what might have been and putting them on nothing but him and what he was doing. Just as well. I needed to focus on the here and now, instead of whining about some hazy half-baked dreams. When he carried me to his bed again, I was more than ready.

  ***

  When I woke, I stretched, every part of my body still aware of Ryker's touch. He'd left the bed already, but the sheets were still warm on his side, so probably not long ago. Reluctant to leave the safe little world he created around me, I climbed out of bed, and pulled on my discarded clothes. I'd have to see about getting something else to wear. I couldn't very well just keep wearing those forever.

  The thought of a hot shower led me toward the bathroom, but a noise just beyond drew me further. A door that always stayed closed stood open, allowing me to see inside what I'd assumed was a closet.

  A mostly empty room lay before me, nearly as large as the bedroom. Ryker lay on a mat torturing himself with a difficult looking version of ab crunches. Sweat glistened on his bare shoulders and he grunted with effort. I backed out, not wanting to interrupt, and headed for that shower.

  The hot water loosened my muscles and soothed the minor aches from my active night. I washed, using Ryker's masculine smelling shower gel and shampoo. What I normally used was far from fancy, but it at least had a slightly flowery scent. Maybe I could get to a dollar store sometime before I put my plan into action, and get something a little feminine.

  As soon as the thought came, I shoved it away. I would need money to get anything, and I wouldn't be around long enough to bother with it anyway. No sense wasting money on stuff that would just sit there in the bottle forever.

  The steam insulated me from the rest of the world, and I wasted a few minutes just enjoying it. If only all my problems would fade away in the steam. No such luck, though. I needed to suck it up and get on with what I had to do.

  I finally shut the water off and dried myself, and kept a towel around my hair. Another towel practically swallowed me as I wrapped it around my body and tucked an edge in to hold it in place.

  I found Ryker in the kitchen. "Hi."

  He looked around, a little startled. "Hey. Did I wake you?"

  "No, I just woke up." Keeping my eyes off his bare chest became a real struggle. I could look at him for hours and never get tired of it. "I hate to ask, but do you happen to have another shirt and shorts I could borrow?"

  "Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry, I should have realized… I'll have Stella pick up a few things for you, if you'll give me a list."

  I shook my head. "I can't ask you to do that. If he could go by my place, he could just grab my stuff there."

  "No, can't do that. Royse probably has someone keeping an eye on your place. We can't have anyone following Stella back here and finding you."

  Well, that made sense, even if I hated to admit it. I shrugged a little. "Then I guess I'm wearing your shorts and T-shirts. I don't have money for clothes and stuff."

  The look he gave me meant something, but I wasn't sure what. "Don't worry about it. I have it covered."

  "No. I don't want you spending money on me. Staying here, and putting you in danger, is bad enough." It took everything I had not to just walk out his door and let him get back to his life.

  "You don't understand, Elena." He caught my arms and prevented me from pulling away. "I have friends who are willing to help. Stella isn't going to the mall and buy a whole wardrobe. He'll give your list to one of our friends' girlfriends, and have them go to a second-hand store for most of it."

  Okay, that didn't sound so bad. "So you're not spending a fortune?"

  He grinned. "I'd like to. Unfortunately, I'll have to make my fortune first." One hand left my arm to cup my jaw. "Don't worry, okay?"

  "Okay. If you say so." Of course, I would keep right on worrying.

  "I do. Now, let's get you something clean to put on, and then you can make your list." He led the way to his room, where he quickly found another T-shirt and more drawstring shorts.

  Ryker left me to get dressed, returning to the kitchen. When I came out, he had a pad and pen waiting. I frowned and wrote down my sizes while he worked on something at the counter.

  "Make sure to add what kind
of shampoo and stuff you like, along with whatever other girly stuff you'll need in the next few weeks."

  I stared at his with a raised brow. "Girly stuff?"

  He shrugged. "I don't know. Tampons and stuff."

  Heat flooded my face. I hadn't thought that far ahead. That part of the list was pretty easy. I wasn't picky about brands and all that. I had to just get the cheap kind. "Okay, all done."

  "You put shoes and underwear?"

  I added those things to the bottom of the page. "I did now."

  A chuckle rumbled from him. "Good girl. Now, something else." He turned and put his hands on his hips. "I've been thinking. If we have to leave here, we don't need you being recognized. I think maybe you should think about dying your hair."

  "Will we have to go somewhere else?" Alarm quickened my pulse. As long as we remained in the city, I could put my plan into action. If he took me too far away, I might as well forget it.

  "It's possible, depending on how Royse reacts to our disappearing, and on what my friends find out about him. And if it takes more than a few days to get things sorted out and find your mom, it'll be easier if we're somewhere else."

  "Oh. Okay." I weighed the idea. Looking different might actually let me put my plan into effect sooner. "I always wanted to be a redhead."

  His turn to raise a brow. "A redhead? Really?" He grinned. "Well, hopefully we can make that happen."

  The rest of the day passed in eating, watching TV, having sex, and talking. Mostly talking, which surprised me more than a little. Most of my experience with men led me to believe they wanted sex from a woman, and not much else. Especially not conversation.

  But it seemed Ryker was different. We talked about everything under the sun, including our childhoods, the foods we loved, and how we liked to spend time. For me, that last part was a small category. Okay, all of them were. I hadn't been able to try new foods in a long time, always forced to grab the cheapest things on the store shelves. And my time hadn't belonged to me since my mom got sick.

  Late in the evening, his phone buzzed, and Stella arrived. He only came in for a moment, long enough to pass Ryker a canvas bag stuffed to the brim, and a handful of plastic shopping bags. They talked quietly, then Stella offered a half-wave in my direction, and left.

  Ryker brought the canvas bag, and some of the shopping bags over to me. "Here's the clothes and stuff the girls picked up for you. Stella said these two bags are for you, too. I had him pick up some groceries, too, so I'll be in the kitchen while you check out what they sent you."

  As much as I hadn't wanted Ryker to spend money on me, I couldn't contain the excitement at getting new things. My hands shook like crazy when I took the bags from him. I didn't wait, just dumped the canvas bag on the couch.

  Disbelief made my eyes water. Jeans, cute tops, a hoodie, two pairs of shoes, and even a dress spread before me. I didn't know what to think, or say. I sat touching the clothes, enjoying the fabrics, for a long time. They might have come from secondhand shops, but they were far nicer than anything I'd ever owned.

  I finally managed to fold everything into a neat stack, and turned for the other bags. One had a store logo on the side, but I didn't recognize it. Inside, three pretty, lacy bras with matching panties, several pairs of socks, tank tops and shorts, along with a pair of silky pajama pants, waited. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Never, not in my wildest dreams, had I ever imagined having things like these.

  The thought of opening the third bag terrified me. It came from a different store, the logo on the bag also unfamiliar. Unable to resist, I carefully opened the top and looked inside. Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in bright bottles certainly looked nothing like the dollar store brands I asked for on the list. Beyond those, I found lotion, razors, a hairbrush and blow dryer, and even a pack of bands to put my hair up with.

  Still, the bag held more. They'd thought of everything, including makeup that suited my coloring, and the hair dye kit. By the time I finished taking all the stuff out, I had more feminine products than I even knew real women actually used.

  I sat there on the floor, with all the treasures spread around me. When the sobs came, I didn't even try to hold them back. Gratitude flooded through me. How could these women who didn't even know me take the time and care to pick out such nice things for me? Not to mention the money they must have spent. The whole thing boggled my mind.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ryker:

  I stood there in helpless silence as Elena cried. I'd come in to tell her Stella had included ice cream with the groceries, if she wanted some. Instead, I found her bawling, and had no clue what might be wrong. Unless I missed my guess, Stella probably asked Vicki to pick up the things Elena needed. A few of the Hell Raiders had girlfriends or ol' ladies, but Kellen's wife tended to be the one who took care of anything that needed a woman's touch.

  Finally, Elena seemed to quiet a little. "What's wrong?" Once more, surprise hit. I actually wanted to know, and to fix, the problem. For a woman as strong as Elena to break down like that, it must be something serious.

  She looked up, startled, and hurried to wipe her tears away. "Nothing. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."

  I went to her and dropped to my knees at her side. Her hair had fallen forward, hiding her face from me, and I pushed it back. "Elena, come on. I can help."

  She smiled through the tears. "Really, nothing is wrong." She gestured at the things sitting around her. "I've never had anything this nice before."

  Nothing as nice as some thrift store clothes and normal female stuff? Suddenly, I felt incredibly sad for her. Life had been far from easy for her. I barely stopped myself from telling her I would get her beautiful clothes, shoes, and whatever else she wanted.

  Instead, I found a way to get her mind off her tears. An emerald green bra and panty set caught my attention and I lifted it out of the pile. "Try it on for me?"

  The shy expression she wore when she looked up at me made my stomach flip. "Why?"

  Had no man ever asked to see her in something sexy? "Because I want to see that beautiful body in something hot, and then take it off and kiss every inch." Maybe that answer was a little blunt, but at least I didn't lie.

  Her cheeks went a shade of pink that had nothing to do with crying. "Really?"

  "Really." I took her hand and brought it to the front of my pants as proof. "See? I can't wait."

  She gave my half-hard dick a little squeeze. "Okay, then." Blushing furiously, she rose and left the room.

  This woman had me all tied in knots. What was it about her? Even as I asked myself, I knew. Circumstances forced her into turning tricks, but for all that, she seemed as innocent as a virgin in some ways. She hadn't had a chance to learn to be around a man beyond sex. That made me wonder if she'd ever enjoyed it with her johns. Not like I could ask, though.

  All I could do was make damn sure she liked every single time with me. I'd never gone too far out of my way to make sure a chick I fucked got off. Sure, I liked it when they did, and I took the time to make sure they were ready or whatever, but it never seemed all that important. Suddenly, I wanted to use everything I knew about sex to make Elena come repeatedly every single time I touched her.

  A small sound drew my attention to the door. Elena stood there in her new bra and panties, halfway trying to cover herself, and blushing like crazy.

  The sight hit me like a solid punch to the solar plexus. Fuck!

  I caught my breath and managed to climb to my feet. "Fucking beautiful." For a minute, my legs refused to obey and kept me rooted to the spot.

  She started to turn away, and I finally managed to move.

  "Wait!" I grabbed her arm and turned her back. "Let me see you." Fuck, all that smooth golden skin and the luscious curves made my mouth go dry. Hell, I would beg if I had to, just to get a look at her.

  Wide, dark eyes stared up at me with questions in them I didn't want to think about. So I lowered my head to taste those soft lips. Fuck, her mouth was incre
dible. A soft little moan came from her when I left her lips to taste the tender skin of her neck.

  She moved in closer, arching her body to fit her curves to me while her hands clutched at my shoulders. I slid my hands down over her perfect hips and around to cup her ass, then a little lower to lift her. The wall seemed like a perfect place to take her, but I'd decided to make this about her, not me. The couch offered the closest surface to lay her on besides the floor, so I headed that way.

  I took my time kissing her delicious mouth and exploring every dip and curve of her neck and shoulders. The new bra held her tits in a way that made me want nothing more than to stare and touch, and I drew it away almost reluctantly. Her nipples waited, flushed and pointed, for my attention as she made impatient sounds and thrust them at me. I finally gave her what she wanted and drew one into my mouth while I rolled the other between my thumb and finger. The moan she gave nearly undid my determination.

  This time was all hers, I reminded myself, even if my dick wanted to dive right in. Continuing to lick and suck at her beautiful tits, I let one hand sweep down over her ribs, along the curve of her hip, until I found the lace of her panties. The fabric led my fingers to her mound and her breath hitched when I cupped her. Damp heat made my cock throb as I lightly brushed the tender flesh shielded by the little scrap of lace.

  Elena moaned and wriggled, lifting her hips. A tiny bit more pressure from my hand made her cry out and buck against me. Her responses to my touch and kisses were so incredible my chest tightened with pride. I was pretty sure no man had ever felt her heat this way before. Surprise at the realization I wanted to experience her this way for a very long time brought on a small hesitation.

  The possibility of wanting her beyond the few days spent in her company as I helped her totally floored me. Already, I had fucked her more than any woman I could recall. I was normally a one and done kind of guy. Occasionally, a chick held my attention more than one night, but she had to be absolutely outstanding. Yet here I was, thinking in terms of a future with Elena; a future where I gave her everything she wanted and spent hours without end pleasing her body.