Lucas (A Billionaire Bad Boy Novel)

by Adriana Jones

  “We need to get out of here,” I said.

  She nodded. Then she pointed to her ex, grumbling and crawling on her patio. At least he wasn’t dead. It would’ve complicated things. I didn’t want to explain to my brothers what happened, that I was staking out Ash’s apartment, and I didn’t want to explain it to her, either. It would just be a mess.

  “Stay here,” I said.

  “Don’t kill him. You’ve done enough,” she said, sounding a little angry at me. She probably had a right to be angry. I made a mess of her already cramped apartment, showering the floor with glass and overturning a table.

  “I’m not,” I said. I wasn’t sure what I would do once I got to him, but I didn’t want to kill him.

  He looked up at me, lips blubbering, eyes bulging in full-blown shock. No heavy bleeding, no deep cuts, so it looked like he would survive. He was lucky.

  “You won’t get away with this. I’m a cop,” he said.

  If Ash didn’t help me out of my rage earlier, I might’ve ended him there, but because of her help, I simply laughed. How many times had I heard stories like this, about people who thought they were outside The Blessed Bastards’ control? The Blessed Bastards controlled everything.

  “I’m part of an order much bigger and badder than the police. Some police, they can get away with murder, but me, I make a living out of it.” I might have exaggerated a little, but what did he know? It was true I could probably get away with killing him. We had lots of people in the government on our payroll. He wasn’t worth the trouble.

  “I’m a Blessed Bastard.”

  “A blessed what?”

  He fumbled, trying to stand up, but he only skid his fat ass across the patio. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to cut himself on the sea of glass.

  “A Blessed Bastard. A one percenter. I’m part of a gang, you dumb shit, and this girl is under my protection. If you don’t piss off, I’m going to have to kill you next time, and it won’t be a fast death, it’ll be a slow, painful one. You got it?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “I’m going to remove you from this yard. I suggest you don’t come in contact with her again. Think of this as an official restraining order, but the consequences are more severe. Next time you’re dead.”

  I peeled my jacket to the side to show him I was carrying.

  He half sneered, half smiled. Not wanting to deal with him any longer than I already had, I grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him out. He took one last, painful look at me, and then he stumbled out of the yard, fumbling at the back fence, not sure how to work it, but then once he figured it out, he staggered out of view.

  I found Ash trembling and whimpering on her couch.

  “Hey, babe, you all right?” She seemed so together a second ago. It must’ve been all the adrenaline. I sat on the couch next to her and rested her in my arms. She didn’t look anywhere but straight ahead for three long minutes, then she peered up at me with gorgeous eyes that grappled at my protective streak.

  “He’s gone? You think he’s gone for good?”

  “He won’t be coming back for a while. If he does, he’s dead,” I told her. She nodded slowly and stared ahead again.

  “Let’s go for a ride,” I said. “It’ll calm you down and give the guys a chance to clean this place up.”

  “The guys?” Her eyes came alive.

  “The crew will stop by and help clean the place up. Sorry about that, again.”

  She brushed me off. “I’ll take care of it. I don’t want to get you guys involved more than you are.”

  Interesting. She didn’t want to get involved with the lifestyle, that much was clear. Didn’t she want her door fixed, though? This girl could get on my nerves. I didn’t completely understand her, but I certainly wanted to.

  “You want your door to remain like that? You want to walk around on glass? What do you want me to do?”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “If you don’t want the crew to take care of it, I’ll hire a private contractor to come and clean it up. Is that fair?”

  “That’s fair,” she said, crossing her arms, not because she wanted me to leave, but to stop her trembling.

  “Get yourself changed real quick. Throw on some jeans and a t-shirt. Then we’ll go for the ride.” I nodded to her. She took off to her bedroom. It didn’t take that long.

  “I look a mess,” she moped when she returned.

  “I don’t agree with that at all. Let’s go for that ride.” I put my hand out, expecting that she take it.

  Her hand resting in mine, I fought the urge to think “She’s mine,” but it was impossible to keep my wants at bay.

  We went to the bike.

  I sure hoped it could cure her problems like it cured mine.

  Ash

  I hopped on the back of his motorcycle while wondering what he was thinking. Why would this help? It might work for him, a bike freak, but for me, a bookworm? Curling up in my sheets, forgetting this day even happened, that was helpful.

  “Arms around me,” he reminded me.

  I slid closer until we touched, my breasts pressed against his solid back, my crotch against his ass. In my rattled state, I couldn’t help but peek at his butt in those jeans. It lightened my mood. How couldn’t it? Having my arms around him, I had to admit it felt good to be close.

  The engine roaring, the huge vibrator normally would’ve aroused me, but in my state, it kept me from sinking into depression. We were simply joy riding. Or so I hoped. I hoped Red wasn’t going to pull a fast one and bring me to the club. All those patches still freaked me out. They reminded me of all the horror stories I stumbled on while researching.

  One monster for another, I repeated to myself again. Don’t do it.

  On the highway, the climbing speed stripped my fears away. They were insignificant now. I simply held on and enjoyed the ride. It was like that magical minute after an orgasm, experiencing life unfiltered. It had been a while since I’d experienced an orgasm like that. Being on the back of Red’s ride came close.

  We rode until my hands numbed, the rumbling between my thighs got me thinking about that bathtub again and how close I got to pleasuring myself. Only Red could get me horny after almost being murdered by my abusive ex. My building arousal was cut short once we turned off an exit, blowing past the sign too fast for me to read.

  “Where are we going?” I yelled ahead.

  “You’ll see,” he yelled back. I didn’t like the sound of that, but what choice did I have but to trust him?

  Soon after the exit, we pulled off onto a dirt road. It was a bumpy ride, jostling me around, and giving me cause to scream and ask him if he was sure we needed to do this. He didn't respond, which creeped me out more. He kept driving, avoiding the extra craggy sections as we sped off into the desert.

  Up ahead, two curved, eroded rock towers nearly met and formed an arch. We blazed past them and farther away from civilization. The road stopped at a circular dead end, wild brush and ember mountains blocking us in. To our right, there was a rocky path that led up a steep hill.

  I braced myself to be thrown off the bike as we hit the off-road trail, but he kept us upright. His bike was powerful, his keen senses good at navigating.

  “Are you sure about this?” I screamed up to him.

  He didn’t say anything. He kept going.

  I guess that settled it.

  We took the top of the hill fast. The bike left the air for a brief, terrifying second. It was enough to make me scream and dig my nails into his leather. I hoped that wasn't an offense against The Blessed Bastards, but at that point, I didn't really care.

  “You can let go now,” he said.

  When I opened my eyes, we were on level ground. There was an open space dug out of the rocks pointing to a small overlook where others had imprinted the trail with mountain bike tracks.

  Red finally turned around and looked at me. “Or you can stay on me, even better.”

  I abru
ptly took my hands off him. “You have a strange way of trying to make a girl on the verge of tears feel better.”

  “You're not thinking about crying now, are you?”

  With a harrumph, I swung my leg off the bike. “What are we doing here?”

  He waved me on. “Come on,” he said. “I promise you'll feel better once we get to the top.”

  What was waiting for me up there? I got a bad feeling about it.

  It occurred to me then if Red found me out, I’d be in a lot of trouble. We were in the middle of nowhere. And he was leading me up a mountain, to its peak, a perfect place to dispose of me. Still, I could never see Red doing it.

  I climbed the hill with him, this trail more adventurous than the last one. There were rocky overhangs we needed to climb, a difficult venture with my short legs. For Red, baby steps.

  “Why were you at my apartment?”

  He didn't bother to turn around. Why wouldn't that bastard at least face me and tell me what was going on? I had no choice but to keep following.

  “Making sure you didn't get another black eye.”

  Desert brush, the prickly junca, the tall, exotic-looking joshua trees, the colorful flowers of the sage and the porina—coming from Maryland, it all looked like it belonged on another planet.

  Something caught my sight up ahead. A rabbit hopped onto the trail, directly in front of Red. I squealed at once. It was a cute, fluffy bunny, with the cutest looking mane.

  “Red, grab it,” I yelled, excited, sure it would scurry away.

  He stopped and turned to me. “Grab it?”

  I clapped and pointed. “I want it. It's so cute.”

  But as soon as I pointed again, it hopped up the trail, scurrying much too fast.

  “No, don't go,” I said.

  The bunny took another look then scampered into the brush.

  “Aww, it’s gone.”

  He shrugged. “You'll see more, I'm sure.” He continued higher.

  I hurried after him. “I wasn't done looking at it.”

  Not wanting to annoy him further, I stayed quiet despite my growing exhaustion. He was right about one thing: I was no longer upset. Exercise plus the outdoors brought me out of my shocked shell.

  A smooth, curved rock formation rose from the top. It opened up to a beautiful view of arches, dunes, and a clear sky. Here nature had been completely preserved. It looked too pristine, too untouched. The sight instantly calmed me and sucked me in.

  “That's not it,” he said.

  He pointed to a sister mountain with a natural bridge, formed entirely out of worn rock, spanning the chasm. The edges weren’t steep, so if one of us took a tumble, we’d probably be able to catch the ledge, but it wasn’t a happy thought. Once again, I would be forced to get closer to Red. It was beginning to seem like that was his idea all along.

  He started. I waved at him. “Hey, wait for me.”

  At the beginning of the bridge, he held out his hand. “I wasn’t going to leave you.”

  Shaking it off, I bristled at the idea and then took his hand without a thought. “Don’t let me fall.”

  Across the bridge, we were looking at a cavern-like tunnel leading to another overhang. Red took quick steps, taking the first few steps naturally, as if there wasn’t a lethal drop below us. I kept up.

  “Not so fast,” I warned him. My heart thumped so hard in my chest it seemed like it might knock me off the bridge.

  “Keep holding my hand and you’ll be fine.”

  Oh, I could’ve swooned, if it wouldn’t make me lose my footing. The bridge was only ten feet across, but it was still nerve-wracking, requiring all of my focus. But Red was right. Holding his hand, keeping my sights directly on him, it was far easier than I expected.

  On the other side, I released my death grip and planted my hands on my thighs, letting my breath catch up.

  “We’re here,” he said, waiting for me, hands on his hips.

  “Sorry. I’m ready,” I said, wanting to reach out and take his hand again, but reminding myself that we weren’t at the hand holding stage yet. I headed into the tight cavern that opened up to the lookout point.

  Soft, yellow grass cushioned my soles as I approached the magical view of the desert. Red dropped down. I sat beside him.

  Nearing dusk, soon more colors would seep into the already majestic canvas.

  “It's beautiful,” I said. It really didn't need to be said, but Red was too quiet for my tastes. It made me uneasy.

  “Feel better now?”

  He already knew the truth. I felt better. He wanted to hear it.

  “Yes,” I said. “Thanks, and thank you for saving me back there.”

  “Are you still seeing him or what?”

  “No, I'm not seeing him. He probably looked me up in a cop database or asked a friend. He came unannounced and drunk.”

  “Unannounced and drunk, that's the worst,” he said. He kicked his black boot out. Wasn't he hot in all that leather? But he wouldn't take off the jacket. It was like if he took it off, he might disintegrate, turn into dust before my eyes and be swept away by the wind. I imagined him appearing before me in a polo shirt and khakis, but that wouldn't work. How about nothing at all?

  “Aren't you hot?” I asked him.

  “I'm fine,” he said, his smile glowing in the sunset.

  Unease made me curl my toes and stiffen my legs. I tensed. Red was close. Really close. Some sort of magnetism worked between us, and it became extremely apparent while gawking at a sunset. It seemed like a fine time to kiss.

  But I was afraid. Why did that jacket have to still be on? Why did he always have to remind me he was a Blessed Bastard? That was the sad truth though, wasn’t it? He was sworn into that life...

  “I want to believe you're nice. You seem like a nice guy. But you can't be nice in your kind of work, can you?”

  His intense gaze swept over me for a second. Did I say something wrong?

  “I never wanted to join The Bastards. It was a couple years ago. Damn, probably about five or six, now that I think about it. I was working at a bike shop, doing my own thing. I knew my brother, Jackal—”

  “Wait, your brother's name is Jackal?”

  “It's Jack. Long story, but everyone calls him Jackal. It involves a lot of shrooms and peyote, but it's a good one. I’ll tell you another time.”

  “Hmm, okay,” I said with a shrug, thinking it was best to skip it.

  “Anyway, my brother Jackal, he was part of The Bastards. I thought he was stupid for doing it. I thought he would end up in prison or killed. But one night, he picks me up, and says he's got a surprise for me. My dad, he was an abusive son of a bitch. He was so abusive…” He stopped there. Pain marred his otherwise beautiful face. His pain crossed over to me.

  “I’m sorry,” I told him.

  “He killed my mom,” he told me, his voice grim while he peered out at the sunset like it was meaningless. “Never got put away for it.”

  “I'm sorry, Red,” I said again. “That’s terrible. I can’t believe he got away with it.”

  “All politics.” He continued, lost somewhere in the darkness of his past. “We show up at this house. I don't know whose house it is, because I've lost touch with him. But The Bastards, they break down the door, and then I see my old man, he's sitting on his couch, drinking a beer, relaxing. He’s greeted by a punch. You can guess what happened next. He's beaten until he's knocking on death's door. I tell them to stop near the end. The Bastards are unrelenting.”

  I squirmed and cringed. Was this supposed to make me feel better? I wanted to hear more. I wanted to know the story why Red became who he was, so I listened, but it wasn’t easy.

  “My brother takes out a gun. I'm pleading with him not to do it. He puts it in my hands. He wants me to shoot him. The others are telling me it's justice. My old man is asking for forgiveness, but it’s a little too late for that. I still can’t do it. When I can't do it, my brother does. After that, they took me out for some wings an
d some beer. I was in shock, but the next day, I went out with them again. And again. And soon enough, I realized who my true family was.”

  So...happily ever after? It sounded more like a horror story.

  “But they killed him. Doesn't that upset you?” I asked, leaning in closer, trying to break his icy barrier.

  “I struggle with it every day. I'm not sure what the answer is. At the time, I was fine with letting go. I figured that was the way it had to be. The system was screwed, and I knew it, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I had to admit that it felt good to see him in pain for what he did to my mom. She was a lovely, caring woman, didn't deserve what happened to her. I went with the group because they made me feel like there was something I could do about all the injustice in the world. The law wasn't working for me, so we took the law into our own hands. It felt good, but I still struggle with what Jackal did to my dad. I still don't know if it was right or not.”

  I could see his eyes flicker and the sharp lines start to crack. At this point, I wanted to wrap my arms around him, hug him, and tell him I understood.

  How many times had I thought about getting revenge, or even justice, against my dad and Sam? Too many times to count. The questions would continue to haunt, another way for them to continue their abuse.

  “I'm sorry,” I said. I remembered all of the terrible things that happened to me that were similar, but I didn't want to try to one-up him. I knew how annoying that could be.

  Was I sympathizing with the devil?

  “It's over with,” he said. “I found my true family. One who likes to ride as much as I do.”

  “I can see why you threw Sam through a glass door now.”

  “You think that was my first time?”

  I chuckled at that. “I guess I won't be getting my deposit back.”

  “If anything, they'll need to pay you once I fix up the place. I wouldn't mind doing it myself.”

  I looked into his intense eyes for a moment, getting sucked in, but not swallowed completely. I recoiled, bunching together with my knees against my beating chest, and looked out at the distracting view.