Hidden Heat (Brothers of Mayhem #1)

by Carla Swafford

  If he was the fatherly type, he’d be committing incest. And forbidden fruit? Where did he get this stuff?

  He was scaring the shit out of her.

  For sure, he was using the situation to his advantage. The times she had to be around Stonewall, he’d given her the creeps, and even more so now. The look in his eyes was that of a vulture watching a rabbit. His patience would be paid off in blood, and in his case, more.

  She sank back, her shoulder blades pressed into Thorn’s chest. Her heartbeat steadied as his heat surrounded her. He would protect her if needed. How many times had he done it so far? Twice? Three times?

  “I’m not the snitch.” Actually, that was the truth. She’d talked with Thorn, but they had no idea he was an undercover cop. So far, Thorn knew more about the MC’s illegal dealings than she did. Her role was to help him immerse himself in the club and be his old lady, easing the big guys into being complacent.

  Growing up in the middle of an MC, she’d learned to be polite, keep your head up, and eyes open and expressionless. If a person acted cowed, they’d terrorize the individual until he confessed to anything to be put out of his misery. If a person became belligerent, he would be beaten into submission until possible unconsciousness, if the person was lucky.

  Stonewall stared at her for several long seconds. She waited for him to instruct Bullhead and Crush to hold her while he slammed his fist into her stomach.

  “I sure would hate to kill someone I’ve known since she was a baby.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, it would be a waste, but I’d do it.” His scary dark eyes, one drooping, looked over her head at Thorn. “Take her back home. Keep her in your sight for the next forty-eight hours. Jabber said it would take that long for our chapter to be processed.”

  She didn’t even mention the problem of a regular job. Stonewall lived off the membership fees and didn’t bother working. He felt it was deserved. So it never entered his mind that she needed to be somewhere else. But she kept her mouth shut.

  “Sure, Stonewall.” Thorn clasped her arm and pulled her away, leading her straight to his bike.

  “Wait, I need to tell Storm.”

  He snapped her around to face him, leaning down, his nose a fraction of an inch from hers. “He’s not kidding. Your dad’s rep and Mitch’s connection as a founding member won’t save you this time.” She tried to pull away. He squeezed her upper arms and lifted until she was on her tiptoes. “Let me tell you like this. He wants to fuck you until you bleed and then slit your throat. Understand? Whatever button you’ve pushed with Stonewall, he’s at the edge and you don’t want to nudge him.”

  She should be shaking in her sneakers. Or angry with the way he was manhandling her. Strangely, she wanted to kiss him.

  He had to sense it. Had to feel it too. His gaze dropped to her lips. Her tongue slipped out and licked her lower one.

  Then his mouth was on hers. She opened and hunger took over. What was so different about him? Even in the face of his fury, he made her feel invincible.

  —

  “Brother, are you crazy? You better hit the road. Stonewall is spitting nails. From what I can tell, the last thing you need to do is make out with the woman Stonewall has an eye on.”

  Thorn glanced over at Wolf. His brother shuffled his feet in the sand, impatience and worry evident in his stance. He nodded toward the tent where Stonewall stood staring with hands on his hips.

  With one hand, Thorn steadied Cass, letting her regain her footing. What was he thinking? That they were in the clear because Stonewall didn’t suspect him?

  “You’re right.” He smoothed strands of hair off her face. “I know you’re scheduled to work tomorrow. If your boss won’t let you off, quit. I’ll take care of you until this is over.” He meant it. Despite what Stonewall wanted or expected, Thorn would protect her. He just hadn’t decided how to tell her that once the operation was over, her next step involved being delivered into the federal witness protection program.

  He’d bet the possibility hadn’t even crossed her mind. Just by association, she would be suspected of helping him. There was no going back home and watching out for her brother. The club would be out for blood and more. The club would take everything she owned and then beat her, if not outright kill her. In fact, he needed to talk to Storm. If his sister’s part came to light, his life could be in jeopardy too. Most likely the teenager wouldn’t listen. Maybe Mitch would look after the kid.

  “I can’t let you do that. Taking care of my home and yours would be too much.”

  “You need to move in with me. You’ll be safer there.”

  “No.”

  “We don’t have time to argue. Get on the bike and we’ll talk about it later.” He’d hoped to convince her before they even reached Sand County.

  “You’re getting more and more like them.” She stomped off, but headed toward the parking lot and his bike.

  He had a distinct feeling it wasn’t a compliment, though he’d been trying to do that very thing for the last year.

  The next couple of hours felt long. Cass’s hands remained in their proper place. A mixture of relief and disappointment swirled inside him. He loved how she tormented him on the bike, but he worried about wrecking. No way was his mind on the road.

  Halfway home, he picked them up some takeout and then stopped at a rest stop. Not a word was exchanged during the ten minutes they stayed. She used a picnic table nearby, the street light washing out her slightly sunburned face and neck as she ate her meal. Being out in the weather so much was new to her. He leaned on his bike and ate his sandwich in a few large bites.

  Any thought of replaying their earlier stop quickly evaporated when she glared and headed toward the women’s side. So late at night, the place echoed their footsteps. After a quick call to Harper and the expected rapid-fire speech about “needing to get his head on straight and get his head out of his ass or hers,” he waited off to the side of the building, smoking a much-needed cigarette. When she emerged, she walked to the bike without glancing around. Damn it! Didn’t the woman know how dangerous places like this were at night?

  Yeah, they were going to have a long talk when they reached her home.

  When they finally arrived, except for the thumping bass of music two doors down, the small trailer park was tranquil. He parked next to the old Buick in her drive and turned off the engine.

  Neither moved off the bike for several seconds. He wasn’t sure why she stayed, but he wondered how she’d react when he told her to pack up, that she was coming with him. His place was barely a step up from hers, but it was wired for sound. That was, Sand County had done their best to record video and sound in every room, except the bathroom and his bedroom. He’d set his foot down about that. He’d explained that anything of importance to help the case against the Brothers of Mayhem would not happen in those two rooms. He would make certain of it. A guy had to have some privacy.

  She finally eased off the bike, rubbing her behind. He looked away and grinned. Something warned him that she wouldn’t take kindly to his sense of humor. Regaining control, he looked back. She stared at her home as if she hadn’t seen it before.

  “Everything look okay?” He nodded to the front door.

  “Yeah. I just feel like I’ve been away for weeks instead of a few hours.” She straightened her clothes—she still wore the shirt he’d bought her—and then began to dig into her small backpack purse.

  “Cass, take enough for about a week.” She would need more, but he felt she wouldn’t like to hear that. They would come back and check on her home periodically. “You’re going to stay with me for a while.”

  She froze. When her head slowly lifted to look at him, he was surprised flames didn’t shoot out of those dark eyes.

  “I’m staying here.”

  “No. You’re not.”

  “I know you said that you’d take care of me, but I can’t let you do that.” She squeezed her purse to her chest. “When you move on, I’ll
have to adjust to you not being there.” She inhaled deeply, as if she couldn’t believe she admitted that. Then she muttered, “Storm doesn’t like you very much.”

  He grinned, letting her know he’d heard what she said. With a glance off to the side, he nodded to her trailer. Though she spoke softly and the music down the street hadn’t ebbed, he worried about waking the neighbors and having the police called. How would he explain that to Harper?

  “Let’s go inside.” He reached for her arm, but she turned before he touched her. They headed toward the small wooden porch.

  “There’s nothing more to discuss.” Her tone warned she had enough.

  He could wait. As a kid, he’d learned patience provided its own rewards.

  After unlocking it, she kicked the bottom of the door. “It always sticks in warmer weather,” she muttered in embarrassment.

  She stepped inside and he followed one step back. He almost knocked her down. She’d stopped, staring at the living room.

  Looking over her head, he muttered beneath his breath, “What the hell?”

  The room was chaos. All of the furniture and assorted whatnots were tossed upside down and over the floor. A picture of the Birmingham skyline tilted toward one corner. Books were jumbled in a small bookcase, and some spilled across the carpet.

  “Whoever broke in must’ve been disappointed. If I had money, I wouldn’t keep it here.” He watched her make her way to one side, near where a small TV sat on its side. “They didn’t even steal the TV. Really, it isn’t worth much.”

  She squeaked and bent down to picked up a small fern. The sucker was dead. Looked as if someone had stomped on it.

  “Did they get your computer, laptop?” He pulled her attention away from the plant.

  She laughed, sarcasm making it bitter. “For a cop, you’re not very observant. I don’t own one. Except for the TV and an ancient radio, there’s my cellphone, but that’s all.” She flipped the pot upright and then picked her way through the trashed room and hallway.

  Feeling a little ashamed of himself, he knew she was right. All he’d thought about during their time here was getting his fill of her.

  He followed her down the short hallway to her bedroom. With a touch on her arm, he stopped her from opening the last door.

  “Let me check. Make sure it’s safe.” He really felt they had already left, but he didn’t want to take a chance. He eased the door open as he stood along the wall. Her bedroom was a mess too with drawers pulled out of the dresser and clothes spilled over the floor. He looked in the tiny closet and waved her in. “They’re gone. It’s okay.”

  She strode over to the nightstand and picked up a cellphone.

  “I thought you didn’t own one.”

  “I’m out of minutes. No need to carry it if I can’t use it.”

  “It still works if you need to dial 911.”

  She raised her head, giving him a doubtful stare. So, she was still unsure of him. It was in his nature to feel the same. He’d been lied to so many times, even by those he loved. A lie serves better than the truth was the Savalas family credo.

  “I didn’t know that.” Trembling fingers smoothed away hair from her eyes and looked around at the destruction. “I’ve never understood why a person would do this.”

  “This isn’t your first burglary?”

  “No. It happened a couple times when I was a kid. Sucks when they steal a kid’s cheap game system.” Bitterness dripped from her words. “The one a local church left on the door step at Christmas lasted two days before it disappeared from our living room.”

  He wanted to smack around whoever would do that to someone so defenseless. For the current situation, he believed Stonewall had arranged for someone to toss her place in the hope of finding damaging evidence. They probably thought to cover their purpose by lifting a few items. Problem was Cass could ill afford replacing any of it. Now that he thought of it, Bubba hadn’t been at the beach. His bet was on that asshole.

  He pulled her into his arms. “Another reason for you to go with me despite Stonewall’s orders.”

  She became still.

  “What’s wrong?” He leaned back and lifted her chin.

  “Tell me that you didn’t arrange this.” Her big, brown eyes begged him to tell her she hadn’t been duped. Trust was so easy to forget.

  “I had no way of knowing they suspected a snitch in the chapter.” His thumb caressed the soft line of her cheek. “No. I didn’t arrange it.”

  However she gauged his sincerity, he felt her relax once she believed him, resting her head on his chest. She took a deep breath and pushed away. The woman had grit.

  “Okay. Let me pull some clothes and other stuff together.” She jammed a drawer into its slot and picked up clothes, pitching them to the center of her bed. Cracking a yawn, she shook her head. “I’m glad Stonewall’s acting like his own paranoid self in a way. The beach was nice, but I need to sleep a little before going to work. What time is it?”

  “Cass, you’re not going to work. You’re quitting. If it doesn’t happen now, it will later.”

  She stopped picking up clothes and turned to glare, hands on hips. “Do you really expect me to let you take care of me? I’ve taken care of myself and my brother since I was six, long before Dad was sent to prison for killing Mom. I see from your face you knew that.”

  “You’ll be safer. Stonewall won’t touch you if you’re living with me. You won’t have to pay rent or bills.”

  “Who says I don’t have a contract with the trailer park?”

  He stared at her. He’d already checked into it. She rented month by month. A higher rate, but the only one she could afford without a high deposit.

  “Okay. Mr. Know-it-all. What about my other stuff?”

  “You won’t need it.” Now would be a good time to tell her about the witness protection program, but she was upset enough.

  A panicked look came over her face. “I don’t know, Thorn. It all seems one-sided to me.”

  “How’s that?” He gently pulled her back into his arms.

  “I’m having to give up my independence and move,” she said, muffled by his chest. Then she looked up, concern widening her eyes. “What happens if my brother decides to move back with me? What will Mitch say? Oh, my God, what will Mitch say?”

  “Don’t worry about Mitch or Storm. You need some rest. I know I do. Let me take care of you while you help me. I’ll be sure you get another job when the time comes.” Actually, the government would do it, but he needed her help. She was a great cover. He refused to think about how his body ached for her touch. Whatever they did physically to each other would benefit them both.

  Hell. Even he recognized an excuse. He wanted her. Bad.

  Chapter 16

  Cassidy groaned and turned over. Her hand met warmth and hardness. Spreading out her fingers, she let them roam over lovely masculine abs. Twisting her head on the pillow, she looked over at the man in bed with her. A long sigh of pleasure whispered from her lips.

  Thorn.

  He grinned and covered her hand, pushing it down to another hardness waiting for her touch.

  Before daylight, she’d followed him in her old sedan to his place. It was a decent townhouse in the blue-collared side of town. In an open-room concept, the living and dining areas shared the space with a big kitchen downstairs, and there were two bedrooms above. Nice.

  She’d taken her bags of clothes into the guest room, but he’d quietly picked up her things and stacked them on his dresser. Every minute she spent with him ensured another memory to savor.

  She didn’t argue. Truth be told, she’d hoped he’d insist.

  They’d eaten egg sandwiches from the deli around the corner, and she’d called her job and quit. In a way, she felt bad about not giving notice, but for the last two years, her boss had kept her hours below forty. Then he wasn’t required to pay for health coverage or vacation days.

  She actually felt free for the first time in her life. She was goin
g to make a difference by helping Thorn bring down the bad guys. When it was all over, he’d promised to help her find another job. A better one.

  After he’d taken a shower and she finished hers, he’d grabbed and thrown her onto the bed. The sex had been slow and bone melting. Worn out by the fantastic sex and nonstop travel and stress, they fell asleep immediately in each other’s arms. In his bed. In his home. Nice.

  Squeezing her eyes shut against the bright sun coming in the window, she stretched, loving how her body ached in a good way. She wrapped her palm around the heat he’d presented to her and stroked. At the same time, fingers walked along her thigh. When they slid up and cupped her, she sighed. Thorn was so talented with his hands. What could the man not do?

  She released him when he shifted on the bed.

  With a gentleness that brought out a purr from deep in her chest, he parted her legs. Hot breath teased her hip and she released a long sigh. His mouth came over her and kissed her swollen folds. His tongue darted into her moistness. He spread her open wider and licked and sucked at the hard knot. She arched her back. Easing two thick fingers inside her slick passage, he thrust a few times. Her panting loudly proclaimed how good he treated her. Layer after layer of need built with each thrust. She reached the top but she couldn’t tip over the edge. His thumb pressed into the small opening in back and duplicated the other motion. She was unsure if it was the shock, but the unexpected move did the trick. She matched the rhythm he’d set and moaned her release.

  His kisses trailed up her body until he filled her.

  “Hi there.” His grin brightened the room even more. “A hell of a way to wake up.”