by Brook Wilder
Joel sighed, his irritation spiking at the man’s mysterious behavior, but with nod at Tucker and Viper letting them know the meeting was over he followed Honey’s path down the short hallway and through the heavy double doors that led into the clubhouse. He froze immediately.
It was as if a magnet was dragging his gaze, forcing it over towards the bar where she was standing, the shock of her presence shattered through him. He knew it right then, with a stone cold certainty that no matter how much time and distance he tried to put between them, she would always have this effect on him. As if whenever she was near his entire world narrowed until only she was left. Carla. His blue bird. But not his any longer, he reminded himself painfully, angrily.
Fighting off the shock, Joel took a few jogging steps, catching Honey hard by the shoulder and drawing him to a stop. They were still just inside the crowded bar and the noise and mass of rowdy bikers made a screen in between them and Carla. She hadn’t noticed he was there yet even though her bright blue eyes scanned the crowd. She looked nervous. No, scratch that, she looked downright terrified, and for a moment his heart ached for her but then he remembered her betrayal.
His voice was almost as hard as his expression as he dragged Honey around to face him, noting the bashful look on the other man’s face.
“What the hell is this? What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Joel growled out, but Honey just shrugged.
“Listen, Joel, just hear her out. You might not have the whole story–”
“She betrayed us,” Joel said harshly, interrupting, “What else do I need to know?”
“Just talk to the girl, Joel! Find out the truth!” Honey said, pulling his arm away and walking towards the bar, but after a step or two he stopped and turned around, giving Joel a sad look, “I know this is killing you. The others may not see it, but I’m a bartender, man. It’s my job to read people and I can tell. This is tearing you apart. Just give her a chance,” with those last words Honey finally left.
Joel stood there for a long moment, Honey’s words echoing in his head and his eyes glued to her. He was struck with indecision, unable to move forward or back. All of the oxygen seemed to be sucked from the room. No, this was too hard. Too painful. He couldn’t do it. But just as he turned to flee back towards the back of the building Carla’s ocean blue eyes collided with his from all the way across the bar and he felt it like a sucker punch to the gut.
Suddenly, before he could move, she was coming towards him, running towards him. She pushed her way through the mass of drunken bikers and he clenched his fists as jealousy washed over him at the appreciative looks the men gave her as she passed by. Even now, even with everything, he was still jealous. He shook his head.
You’re a fool, Joel Lasseter, a fucking fool. But that still didn’t stop his feet from moving forward to meet her halfway, or his hand from reaching out and grasping her wrist.
The touch of her soft skin was torture to him and she opened up her mouth to speak, to yell over the noise drowning out the rapid beating of his heart but before she could, he turned. Still holding her by the wrist, Joel led her out of the main bar and dragged her back through the heavy doors he’d just come through.
The noise was instantly muffled but he didn’t stop until he’d reached the door to his own small apartment, shoved open the door and pulled them both inside before kicking it shut again behind them.
The sudden quietness seemed deafening and he could hear the rapid sound of her breath sawing in and out of her lungs, he could see the way her pupils were dilated, making her sapphire blue eyes look even wider and the flush that spread the prettiest pink across her cheeks.
“Well,” Joel finally spoke and his voice sounded like rough gravel, “we’re here. I’m listening. What did you want to say?”
*
…what did you want to say? Joel’s words ricocheted around Carla’s head for a moment. She’d had everything planned out. How she was going to tell him about Maurice, how he’d threatened her, how he’d been tracking them and then beg for forgiveness. How she was going to tell him all about the plan she had concocted after her and Elle’s discussion the night before.
But now, standing in front of him, staring up at his face, so handsome it was almost too much to take in, butterflies seemed to explode in her stomach and every planned word fled from her brain.
She stood there for a long moment just staring up at him, opening her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She hated the look of distrust and anger in his flashing silver eyes but what cut her deepest was the hurt. Hurt that she knew she had caused him.
“Joel, I…” her words grew faint as her eyes were captured by his, a trap that she never wanted to escape from, but she had to make things right, somehow she had to make him see. Carla swallowed hard against the nerves that threatened before speaking once more.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For everything,” she said softly. Joel snickered mockingly and for the first time they both realized that he was still holding her hand in his own. He dropped it as if her touch burned him and Carla cradled the hand against her chest, fighting back the pain. No, she could do this. If Joel had taught her anything it was that she was stronger than she thought she was, and she needed that strength now more than ever.
“Listen to me, Joel,” she said firmly when he turned away. His back was still facing her but at least he had stopped before leaving the room. “I know it was my fault. Maurice…Maurice told me everything at the police station. How he’d been following me, tracking me secretly with the GPS on my phone.”
“What?” Joel said, turning around so quickly that she took an involuntary step backwards, but then she stopped herself, pulling her spine straight and tilting up her chin to face him eye to eye. She would do anything to get him to understand how sorry she was, for him to know that she never meant for any of it to happen.
“He must have gotten ahold of my phone at work somehow. He was able to install something so that he could track me no matter where I was. That’s how he kept finding us. That’s how he got the cops on our trail.” Carla took a deep breath, continuing despite the nerves and nausea that tumbled violently through her, “Don’t worry. I didn’t bring my phone with me here. He can’t…he can’t track me without it.”
Joel shook his head for a moment, “I don’t understand.”
“I never,” Carla swallowed again, “I never wanted any of this to happen, Joel. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. And I understand if you never forgive me again after this but…”
“But what?” he asked slowly, suspiciously
“I have an idea. I think I know how to get back at Maurice, because…well, because that’s not the only thing I found out about him.” She explained to him what he’d said about getting the weed back, thanking her for it, and threatening her with his information, threatening Joel. And then she explained what she and Elle had deduced, that the only way he would get the shipment back would be if he had ties to the illegal drug trade in Utah, that he was dirty. They just had to prove it and they could take him down, discredit everything he said about Joel and maybe even use it to dismiss the charges against Hot Wheels.
“I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me, if you h–hate me forever, but,” she halted, staring up at him with tears glistening wetly in her eyes, “I have to make things right.”
Joel just stared down at her, not having moved from his position in front of the door and she realized then that he hadn’t said an entire word the whole time she’d spoken. He’d just stood there and looked at her. Her heart sank and she dropped her chin. She’d hoped he would be able to help but she still had to go through with her plan. Somehow, she had to fix the mistakes that she’d made. She didn’t have a choice.
Suddenly, Joel was there, standing right in front of her and a single finger under her chin propped it up until she was looking up into his eyes, his face just inches from her. He breathed out a sigh and she watched some of the ice chip off and mel
t away from his gray-eyed gaze.
“I don’t hate you, Carla. I don’t think I could ever hate you,” he said finally and his breath washed over her cheeks. He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment and then pure heat flamed bright and hot in those eyes that still held hers captive and shivers tripped down her entire body at that look.
He didn’t say anything else and Carla opened her mouth to speak, but then his mouth was there, slanted over hers, swallowing her words and drinking in the gasp that his kiss startled out of her. And then her whole world was nothing but heat and fire and love and desire as Joel wrapped his arms around her.
Chapter 30
Her whole world seemed to narrow to where his mouth moved against hers. His hands were sweeping furiously across her body, up and down as if searching for any hint of bare skin and he growled in frustration when he couldn’t find any. So did she.
Carla had never felt need like this. It was all-consuming and overwhelming and she gratefully sank into its warm embrace as she tore at his clothes just as violently. The kiss was hard and furious, taking more than giving and it was just what she needed. Something strong, something real.
Finally, she was naked and she dragged his shirt off, followed quickly by his jeans and he was wild as he turned her, backing her against the wall and grasping her thighs to wrap around his hips. Joel ground his rock hard erection against the wet, aching part of her, but his boxers were still separating them.
But it wasn’t enough. There was still clothing between his flesh and hers and she desperately needed nothing in between them at all. She needed him. Joel. All of him, nothing held back because she was so far past the point where she could hold any part of herself from him. She wanted to give everything.
With a growl of frustration, she tugged at the waistband of his boxers and he finally granted her wish, sliding them down and baring all of his magnificent self to her. She licked her lips like a kid in a candy store and rough chuckle burst from his mouth.
“If you keep looking at me like that…” Joel said, his voice hoarse and he wasted no time sliding a condom from his wallet, ripping the packet open and then rolling it on his impressive erection before he was back. He pushed her against the wall harder this time and in one swift motion he was inside her to the hilt.
Carla threw back her head on a cry of pleasure but he didn’t stop, he didn’t even slow down. He just pulled out, and thrust inside again, as deep as he could go in that position and with each hitch of his hips, her back scraped against the hard wall, but she didn’t notice. Her entire world had narrowed to the spot where their bodies were joined together.
Over and over he thrust into her, the sweet ache starting to grow and burn inside her, but the angle wasn’t deep enough and soon Joel was wrapping his arms around her. Still inside her, he spun her around, supporting her as if she weighted nothing as he walked towards the bed.
Each step was pure torture, feeling him move and shift inside her and Carla scraped her nails down his back, searching for purchase and nipped as the side of his throat. Joel stumbled and gave her a light swat to her ass that was clenched in his hands.
“Stop that or I’ll drop you,” he ordered and his tone was low and rough and full of a desire that made her do it again. She gasped as his arms were suddenly gone from around her and she fell a foot or two before landing on the mattress with a bounce.
She opened her mouth to reprimand him but he was there again, kissing her, loving her, and any other thoughts were chased from her mind.
She moved to wrap her arms around him once more but before she could, his grip on her hips made her flip over onto her stomach on the silk sheets, and then lifted her up to her hands and knees.
His hands were everywhere, sliding over her, making the pleasure inside her grow and grow until it was a painful ache.
“Please, Joel,” she whispered brokenly, wantonly, “Please.”
Finally, he was there, his hands gripped her hips hard and pulled her back against him but then those hands slide up her spine, leaving tingling electric shocks in their wake, grasped both of her wrists in one hand and held them restrained above her head.
The position made his body cover all of hers and her hips arched towards him even more dramatically and finally, finally he thrust inside her. They both groaned at the pleasure, the angle of it letting him go deep, deep inside her and it made all her muscles clench around him. Joel cried out again, dragging his thick shaft out and then slamming all the way back in.
Slowly they found a rhythm that sent fireworks shattering through her body and when Joel swept his other hand underneath her to caress her nipple, tugging and pulling in just the way she needed, she thought she saw real explosions then.
It was passionate and intense, but it was also tender, and every thrust against her sent her closer and closer to that golden edge. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she wasn’t even aware that she was crying out his name but soon enough she really was exploding, her entire body going up in wave after wave of flame that threatened to consume her and in the safe embrace of Joel, she let it.
Carla heard him cry out above her and felt his orgasm shudder through him, drawing out her own pleasure until finally they were both sweaty and spent.
They both laid there, breathless and sweat-soaked and numb from satisfaction and Carla couldn’t help the single tear that slipped from the corner of her eye to roll in a wet track down her cheek. Joel caught it with the tip of his finger, tilting her face towards his.
“Hey, what wrong?” he asked, his expression concerned, but she just shook her head, unable to find the words even though she tried.
“It’s just…I’ve never, I’ve never felt this right before,” she finally said, still struggling for the words to explain the immense feeling filling her up. She felt like she was glowing from the inside out and Joel leaned down and kissed her. It was so sweet, so soft that her breath hitched in her chest at the tenderness of it but all too soon he was pulling back again.
He rolled onto his back once more, pulling her with him until her head was pillowed against the muscles of his chest and they both sighed in contentment. Moments passed and Carla felt herself slipping under sleep’s embrace, but then Joel spoke again and she could feel the rumble of his words against her ear.
“So, tell me about this plan of yours,” Carla turned over his words for a moment before finally speaking.
“I want to lay a trap for Maurice,” she said slowly, tentatively. She tried to gauge his reaction but he was just watching her steadily, waiting.
“And how exactly are you going to do that?”
“Bait, of course,” she grinned a little at that but Joel was already shaking his head, his arms coming around her protectively.
“No, absolutely not. I’m not letting you put yourself in any more danger.” Warmth exploded through her at his words, and her grin grew a little wider.
“See, that’s the brilliance of the plan. It won’t really be me. Maurice will just think it’s me.”
“I don’t get it,” Joel said, looking confused.
“If you can get a hold of Sparkplug, I’ll call Elle and get her here, then I’ll reveal everything.”
Joel stared at her for another long moment and she could see him weighing her words in his mind. But finally, he shrugged his acceptance.
“Okay, I’ll call him. But if I don’t like the plan, we’re not going to do it, alright?” Carla just laid there, her own thoughts racing. It had to work. Her plan had to work. It was the only option they had.
Chapter 31
“…okay, Carla, everybody is here. Go ahead and tell us your plan.”
Carla looked around the table and had to fight down the bout of nerves as they all turned to her. Well, everyone except Honey who hadn’t stopped staring at Elle since she’d walked into the clubhouse a half hour before, but everyone else’s attention was riveted on her. It made her shift uncomfortably in her seat until Joel reached surreptitiously under the table to gr
ab her hand and twine his fingers with hers.
She cleared her throat and Joel gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and she finally found the courage to speak.
“Alright, so, as Joel already told you, Maurice is as dirty as they come. We think he’s playing both sides, but we need the proof to bring him down. That’s where you guys come in.” Carla nodded across the table first at Sparkplug, who was switching between listening to her and glaring at Joel. He still believed that Joel was at fault for Hot Wheels’s arrest. She still wasn’t sure what he had to say to get the man there, especially with the obvious animosity he felt, but she was just glad he was.
Then, Carla glanced over at Elle. Her friend was having her own problems focusing as Honey was standing right behind her chair, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes never leaving her.
Carla sighed. At least Viper wasn’t there. She was sure his ability to always do the wrong thing at the wrong time wouldn’t help matters at all.