“I think so,” I said. “Thanks for making the connection. And thanks for giving Vanessa our card, she seems to be doing really well at the clubhouse now that she’s away from that prick Randolph.”
“I’m so glad I did, too,” she said. “I saw something in her eyes that day, you know? I wasn’t sure if I was right, but I guess I was.”
“You were right,” I said, nodding.
“That just makes me want to do it again,” she said.
“Just keep your eyes peeled. You’ll know when it’s appropriate to approach someone again. Trust your gut.”
“Trust my gut, huh? Is that what you do?” she asked, teasingly.
“Yep. And right now, my gut is telling me that it’s a good thing this sleeping boy is between us or you wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.”
She laughed, her twinkling voice like music to my ears, and even if I wanted to, I couldn’t keep this grin from spreading across my mug.
I was one happy man and as I looked over at my newly formed family, I knew there wasn’t anything in the world I wouldn’t do for these two. Take a bullet, fight an army, jump off a goddamned bridge.
I was here to serve them. I knew now I was placed on this Earth to provide for them and protect them. After all the shit I’d seen, all the pain I’d gone through, all the bridges I’d burned - my life finally had a purpose - and they were the most beautiful reason for living in the whole fucking world.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Wreck
Once again, I fucked up.
If Ryder found out I’d kissed Vanessa, he’d send me packing, no doubt about it. But fuck. I couldn’t resist her.
Her lips were so warm, so fucking inviting.
I hadn’t felt like that since I’d kissed Frankie and now I was completely overwhelmed and freaking out. What had I done? How in the world was I going to be able to resist her now? I’d stepped over the line big time and now I didn’t know how I’d be able to step back.
My feelings for Frankie were so pure, so full of light and innocence, and so fucking long ago that I’d convinced myself that they were just the result of our youth. First times and all that shit. Over the years, when I’d kissed other women, it was nothing like that at all. I’d convinced myself that those fireworks that went off every time I kissed Frankie weren’t even real, because they’d never happened since her.
And that had gotten me through all those nights of lackluster sex and missed connections and awkward exchanges of bodily fluids. I told myself that’s how it was supposed to be. The sparks only ignited the first time.
But now those fucking fireworks were back like it was the fucking Fourth of July and I was shaking in my boots like a war veteran.
We’d stayed by the creek making out for an hour before I insisted we go back. I was on the verge of ripping her clothes off and taking her right there on that mossy log across the creek, and I knew if I took it that far, I’d never turn back.
Not that I could now, either, but I tried fooling myself just to get away for a minute.
Now that I was back in my room alone, I realized that I was indeed thoroughly fucked.
Jesus - the way she looked at me seemed to cut right through me, those blue eyes peering into mine like she was trying to read all my stories, as if they were written in my eyes. Her eyes spoke volumes of their own. Mostly, I saw pain, but when she stared at me after we’d made out, I saw something else.
Hope? Desire, sure, but something more than that. For fuck’s sake, I could swear it looked like love, but how the fuck could that be? She barely knew me. We’d only just met!
That’s what threw me the most.
She kissed me like she’d known me forever, like she had every intention of going as far as we could, as if she never wanted to stop.
What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?
I wasn’t Jesse, not anymore. I wasn’t the devoted boyfriend.
I was Wreck now. I was the unavailable asshole that just wanted a quick fuck, if even that, and then to be on his way. No strings attached. Not even friends, just benefits.
I hadn’t been Jesse in a long time and I probably never would be again.
No. This was all wrong.
It didn’t matter that she kissed me with such uninhibited abandon that it broke right through every wall I’d erected. It didn’t matter that she was so fucking perfectly beautiful and yet didn’t seem to be turned-off by my hideous scars. Or, at least the one she’d seen so far. Maybe she would feel differently if she saw me naked and saw all the scratches and dings and holes where the flesh used to be. Maybe if she saw how empty my blackened heart was, then she’d run away, like she should. Maybe then she’d be as repulsed by me as I expected her to be.
But so far she wasn’t.
I’d led her back to the clubhouse, my heart beating a mile a minute and my cock throbbing with a heavy, thick need. I’d lied and said I had some business to attend to, just so I could have a few minutes alone to breathe.
And what was the first fucking thing I did after saying goodbye to those big blue eyes of hers?
I went to my room and pulled out my picture of Frankie. Because all of a sudden, her face, the one face that was always front and center in my mind, no matter what, was fading, and Vanessa’s face was replacing it.
And that’s what scared the shit out of me most of all.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ryder and Grace
Royce Randolph sat across the desk, his fake tanned face a stark contrast to his perfectly white, fake teeth. The smile cutting across his face was strained and forced. He had the charm of a snake and the demeanor of an entitled jackass.
Ryder hated him immediately. In fact, he wanted to just get this whole show on the road and cut through all the bullshit. Inside, he was imagining how Royce would react if he just wrapped his hands around his throat and made him tell them the truth about everything.
But he didn’t. Instead, he kept his fists balled in his lap, and practiced the meditative breathing that Grace had taught him.
Grace was the perfect actress. They’d both dressed up for this meeting, with Grace wearing an expensive black silk dress and simple heels and Ryder hiding his tattoos under a pinstripe suit and tie.
“Our father left us a sizable inheritance,” Grace was explaining to Royce. He listened intently, his eyes glued to her face like a predator. “Five million, to be exact.”
“That was very generous of him,” Royce replied.
“I was told by Mr. Silverton that you might be the right person to help me and my brother James find a good place to put it.”
“Sure,” he said, nodding enthusiastically. “There are many banking options —,”
“—That’s not what I had in mind, actually,” Grace said, shaking her head. “The thing is, Mr. Randolph - and I hope you won’t be offended - but our father didn’t exactly come into his money in the most legal fashion. We can’t exactly put it in a US bank account without raising some eyebrows.”
“Oh, I see,” he replied, nodding with understanding. He got up and closed his office door, creating a sound barrier between himself and the pretty, young receptionist in the lobby. He sat back down behind his desk, folding his hands in front of him slowly. “I think I may still have some options for you.”
“That’s what we were hoping for,” Ryder said. “Silverton spoke highly of you and your services.”
“That’s very nice of him,” he said. “Lots of individuals have found themselves in the same situation as you, and it’s very understandable isn’t it? There aren’t a lot of other avenues outside of the usual American banking system and it definitely has its limits and drawbacks.”
“Yes,” Grace nodded. “So you can help us?”
“Yes, I believe I can. It will cost you a little more, of course, but the extra security is worth the peace of mind, don’t you think? There are several foreign and off-shore options that we can explore.”
“Thank you, Mr. Randolph,” G
race said.
“Call me Royce, please,” he said, flashing a smarmy smile at her and raking his gaze across her cleavage. Ryder balled his fists tighter, the urge to punch him growing stronger.
“We appreciate it, Royce,” Ryder said. “This inheritance is important to us, and with some of the rules in place, it makes it hard to handle it the way we want to. Especially, considering the way our father acquired it.”
“I totally understand, James,” Royce said. “How did he acquire it, exactly?”
“Our father was a drug dealer, a criminal,” Grace said quietly, averting her eyes in shame. “I know it’s dirty money, but we need it.”
“As far as I’m concerned money is money,” Royce said. “I was only asking so I know what we’re dealing with.”
“Thanks,” Ryder replied. “Our family is not really a fan of rules or laws so much, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, trust me, I do, I do. What do you do, James?”
“I’m a bike mechanic. I basically live to ride. I ride with a group of friends, too. We like to have a good time but we’re not an organized club or anything like that.”
“Oh, I see. Well, that’s even better, isn’t it?”
“We have a lot of fun,” Ryder said again, shrugging. “We find it wherever we can.”
“Well, you sound like a man after my own heart,” Royce said. “Tell you what - I’ll do a little research, find some options that I think might work best for you and your inheritance and I’ll get back to you, sound good?”
“Sure does,” Ryder said, as he and Grace rose to their feet.
“Thank you, Mr. Randolph,” Grace said, holding out her hand. “It was nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Sarah,” Royce said, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it. Her stomach turned but she kept the smile plastered on her face. “James, I’ll meet you in the lobby downstairs, okay? I’m just going to use the ladies room before we leave.”
Ryder nodded and turned back to Royce. Royce watched Grace leave, his eyes glued to her ass. Ryder took a deep breath and grasped his hands together tightly.
“So, what kind of fun do you like to get into?” Ryder asked.
“Excuse me?” Royce asked.
“You said I was a man after your own heart?”
“Oh, yes,” he said, thoughtfully looking into Ryder’s eyes before continuing. “Well, you know - all the forbidden things in life. After all, those are the best things, right? Cuban cigars, imported drugs, fast cars, all the good stuff really.”
“What about girls?” Ryder asked.
“Girls?” Royce asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you know. What’s that saying? Variety is the spice of life? Can’t leave women out of an equation that includes fast cars and drugs,” Ryder winked.
“Well,” Royce laughed, patting Ryder on the back roughly. “Why didn’t you say so? You know, James, if that’s your pleasure, I just might be able to help you with that, too.”
“Is that so?” Ryder asked with a smile.
“Yes, I have a group of friends of my own. We all have the same tastes, I guess you could say. We’ve thrown some amazing parties. In fact, there’s one coming up real soon, if you and your men are interested?”
“We’re always up for a good time, no matter what, but to be honest, my guys like them young. The younger the better.”
“That won’t be a problem, I assure you,” Royce said, an evil gleam shining in his eyes. “Like I said, we seem to have a lot in common.”
“Perfect,” Ryder smiled. “And, as you know, money’s not an issue. We’d compensate you handsomely, if the wares are worth it, of course.”
“Oh, they’re worth it. I think you’ll be quite pleased with the selection. Oh, we are going to be great friends, James, great friends!” Royce said, his fake smarmy smile turning genuine and bright. “I’ll give you a call later this afternoon with the details.”
“Sounds great,” I smiled. “Looking forward to doing business with you.”
“As do I, James, as do I!”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Grace
“Did he bite?” I asked Ryder as he came off the elevator.
“You bet your sweet ass he did,” he growled. “I’ll tell you about it outside.”
We walked through the luxuriously marbled lobby, my eyes darting around to every face as I tried to memorize them all. Dozens of people milled around and while it was impossible to know who was there to visit Randolph, I wanted to remember them if they were in this close proximity to him, just in case. We walked out onto the street and headed towards Ryder’s bike which was parked at the curb.
“It went perfectly,” he said. “As soon as you left, he took the bait like a hungry trout.”
“Excellent,” I said, putting on my helmet. “So, what the plan?”
“We gotta gather the boys. We’ve been invited to a party!”
“So soon?” I asked.
“What can I say?” Ryder said, shrugging as he put on his helmet. “I work fast.”
“Yes, you do,” I laughed, hiking my skirt up and throwing a leg over the bike as I slid in behind him. “Good job.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Now let’s go home so I can take a shower. I feel like a filthy monster.”
“I like you dirty,” I teased.
“Not like that you don’t, baby,” he said, as the bike started up with a roar. I relished the feel of the vibrations between my legs, the feel of my man between my thighs and pressed up against me as I wrapped my arms around him. We roared away and Ryder drove us out of downtown, his confidence and strength washing over us like a protective bubble as we hit the highway and headed towards the Coast.
He reached back, patting my thigh briefly, sending shivers down my spine. Between him, his gesture, and the vibrations of the bike ripping through my body - it was one hell of a pleasurable ride.
****
“Well, guys, it worked!” I said to the table of Gods staring at me, as well as Lacey and Vanessa.
“You actually met with Royce?” Vanessa asked, her eyes wide.
“Yep,” I said. “And we’re going to bring his ass down so hard and fast, there won’t be anything left of him afterwards.”
“So now what?” Vanessa asked.
“We told him that we were brother and sister and our drug dealing father had just left us a large sum of money. He offered to help us find somewhere to put it without getting in trouble, just as we had hoped. Ryder performed some magic after I excused myself and got an invite to a very interesting party that’s to be held soon.”
“I can’t believe it actually worked,” Vanessa said.
“I told you they were good,” Wreck interjected, his gaze glued to Vanessa. I was starting to get a little worried about his fascination with her, but she didn’t seem any worse for wear, so I wasn’t going to intervene just yet.
“I guess so,” she said, smiling back at him.
“So who’s going to the party?” Riot asked.
“Most of you sitting here,” Ryder answered. “Me, Riot, Slade, Wreck and Doc.”
“What about us women?” Lacey asked.
“Unfortunately, the women weren’t invited, love,” Ryder answered. “But we were hoping you could help us out with something else before the party.”
“Of course, I’ll help in any way I can,” she replied.
“Good,” Ryder said.
“So when’s the party?” Wreck asked.
“Friday night,” Grace asked.
“I can’t believe it was that easy,” Wreck replied.
“Well, setting up the plan is always the easiest part, Wreck. It’s the execution that has potential for all kinds of fuck-ups.”
“Well, it sounds easy enough so far, hopefully the rest will go smoothly,” he said. “Is that it?”
“Well,” I said, turning to Ryder and smiling before I revealed the one thing that was sure to make all shit hit the fan. “There’s just one sma
ll issue we have to deal with first…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Royce
“You fucking imbecile!” I roared. I’d told Travis to go looking for Vanessa, and he’d come back without her or any news of where she might be.
“Boss, it’s like she just disappeared into thin air!”
“She’s a fucking human being, that shit doesn’t happen!” I growled, closing the distance between the two of us and bringing my face close to his. I lowered my voice before speaking. “Travis, if you don’t find her, I’m going to have you disappear into thin air, do you understand what I’m saying to you? Or maybe you need a trip to visit the piranhas?”
“Boss, I understand, but I’ve looked everywhere! I checked the airport, the bus station, the train station, I’ve driven around and shown her picture to everyone on the fucking streets of downtown Portland, and nobody’s seen her. It’s like she never existed in the first place.”
“I repeat - if you don’t fucking find her, your life is over. Do you understand, prick? Can I make myself any more clear here?”
“I understand, boss,” he said, lowering his eyes. Travis was twice my size, he could have killed me in an instant with his bare hands, if he wanted to. But he knew better. Even dead, I’d get revenge on him, and he knew it. He’d seen what my reach was like. He’d seen the things I could accomplish. He’d enjoyed an up-close and personal view like nobody else in my inner circle. So, I wasn’t worried about him hurting me. Not at all.
In fact, I wasn’t worried about anything. I never worried.
Because I’d set myself up over the years with safety nets and sure things. If I needed something, anything at all, a simple phone call on my part would make everything happen. I had friends in high places and when I needed them, I had friends in the lowest of places as well.
I’d been in the business of making things happen for a very long time. And in all those years, I’d learned two basic facts about every single person on this Earth. Everybody came to a point where they needed something. Even the most independent of people needed someone every now and then. I’d learned to be there when they needed me the most. And the other thing I’d learned? Everyone has a secret.
WRECKED: GODS OF CHAOS MC, BOOK FOUR Page 11