by A. M. Myers
“Shit,” he mutters, making a face of pity and I shake my head.
“No, it’s okay. I wasn’t actually that hurt by it all which means it was past time to end things anyway. I was just pissed and embarrassed and the fact that he did all that while I was dealing with my mom’s death was a kick in the teeth.”
“Yeah, that’s fucked up,” he agrees with a nod and I shrug.
“Better to find out now than after I wasted anymore of my life on him,” I say. He narrows his eyes and cocks his head to the side as he studies me. Fuck, I hate it when he does that… but I also kind of like it. I squirm in my seat, uncomfortable with his scrutiny but he doesn’t seem to care as he continues watching me. Finally, I slap my hand down on the table and sigh. “What?”
He shakes his head. “I was just trying to decide if you really meant all that or if you were just putting on a brave face.”
“How about both?”
“Fair enough,” he answers with a nod. Grabbing my mug of coffee, I take a sip and do the same to him, studying him closely as he arches a brow and fights back a smile. “What?”
“Oh, now I’m just waiting for you to tell me something about you.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“This is supposed to be casual, remember?” he asks, motioning between the two of us and I roll my eyes.
“So? Does that mean that all I get to know about you is your name? Besides, you only told me that so I could scream it later.”
He grins. “And what a glorious sound it was.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I laugh, grabbing a jelly packet and lobbing it across the table at him. He catches it and grins as he drops it on the table next to him. “Just tell me something… anything. Fuck, I don’t even know how old you are.”
“Twenty-eight.”
I clamp my hand over my heart with a dramatic gasp. “Oh my god, you’re so old! See, this is something I should have been made aware of before I slept with you.”
“Watch it.”
Arching a brow, I meet his stare. “Or what?”
“Princess, if you think for one second that I give a shit about the other people in this diner,” he says, his voice low and full of a growl that makes goose bumps creep along my flesh. “You’ve got another thing coming.”
“Oh, yeah, what will you do?”
“Push me and find out,” he answers and I watch him for a second before smiling sweetly. My heart thunders in my chest and my belly flips with excitement because a part of me is scared but more than anything I want to find out what he’ll do. Leaning forward, I level a glare at him.
“Do you honestly think I’m going to be scared of someone so… geriatric?”
His green eyes flare with heat and my belly flips again as my pussy clenches with need. With a casual smile that betrays the intense look he’s firing in my direction, he stands up and pulls his wallet out of his back pocket. Taking one last sip of my coffee, I stand up, every cell in my body humming as I struggle to catch my breath.
Shit.
The anticipation is killing me.
He tosses a few twenties down on the table before slipping his wallet back in his pocket and stepping back so I can start walking toward the door. I shoot him a confused look as my thoughts screech to a halt and my heart sinks. Goddamn it, I was really looking forward to…
I let out a squeal as he scoops me up and throws me over his shoulder before casually strolling out of the diner with every other customer staring at is. My cheeks heat and I cover my face as a giggle bubbles out of my lips. God, I don’t even care that he embarrassed me in front of all these people because between last night and this morning, I’ve thought about my mom and Ash a total of two times instead of the constant mental anguish that I was going through before and it feels so good to laugh again. And it feels even better that it’s genuine. Around Travis, I’m not forcing smiles to my face or laughing because I know that’s the appropriate reaction and it just reaffirms again that moving here was the right choice for me. Plus, this is only day two and despite the threat to the club and the danger we’re all in right now, I’m really looking forward to finding out what else Baton Rouge has in store for me.
Chapter Eight
Travis
I pull the Impala into the clubhouse parking lot, thanking God that it seems quiet as I glance over at Rowan in the passenger seat and slip into the last space in the lot, the one furthest away from the clubhouse door. My mind has been running crazy on me since I hauled Rowan out of the diner over my shoulder and the quick kiss she pressed against my lips once I set her down next to the car only made me want more. If it hadn’t been for the little old lady giving us some serious side-eye as she climbed out of her car, I might have just pressed her up against the Impala and fulfilled my need right there but instead, I held her door open for her and tried to come up with anything to calm myself down. It didn’t work. Since we got in the car, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about all the things I want to do to her and the idea I had this morning about locking us both in my room for a week is becoming more and more appealing. Just the thought makes my cock ache and I shake my head. She’s fucking addicting and like any good addict, I need my next fix. Throwing the car in park, I turn it off and turn to her as she pulls my hoodie over her head. Her tits come into view, pressing against her thin t-shirt and I have to bite back a groan. Once it’s off, she balls it up and hands it to me with a smile on her face. I take it from her and toss it in the back seat as my gaze falls to her lips, remembering how fucking perfect they looked wrapped around my cock last night.
I need her again.
Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I reach across the car and grab her, pulling her into my lap as she lets out a squeal of surprise but she doesn’t fight me. Giggling, she straddles my lap in the cramped space as her skirt rides up around her waist and our eyes meet. Her breath hitches and in an instant, we collide. Neither one of us made the first move but it was more like we were pulled together by an unstoppable force, like there was no other option. We’re almost feral as we go at it like animals, all rough, desperate touches, and the sound of our heavy breaths filling the car. Her lips sear themselves into my memory and I groan as her tongue darts out to tease mine as she grinds down on my lap.
Fuck. Yes.
“We should stop,” she whispers in between frantic kisses as her hands creep up under my shirt and I nod as I grip the back of her neck to pull her closer.
“Mm-hmm.” Yeah, we should definitely stop this… just as soon as I get my fill… or hell freezes over. Whatever happens first.
Reaching down between the door and my seat, I find the recline lever and pull it, sending us backward but it barely even slows us down as she slowly rocks her hips against mine and sinks her teeth into my bottom lip. My cock swells, pressing against my jeans and I groan loudly as I fight the urge to flip us over and fuck her like my life depends on it. Instead, I grab a chunk of her hair and pull it, forcing her head back as I leave a trail of kisses down her neck. She arches her back, pushing her chest out as her nipples press into the fabric of her t-shirt and my cock jerks, desperate to get inside her again.
“My brother could come out here,” she says, panting for air as her hips continue moving on top of me, making me hard as a goddamn rock, and I’m not sure who exactly she is trying to convince - me or her. Either way, it’s not working. I glance down and have to fight off another groan when I see the white lacy panties covering her perfect little pussy and an image of pulling them to the side and slipping inside her fills my mind.
“Let him,” I growl, grabbing the front of her shirt and lifting it above her chest before sinking my teeth into her tit. She gasps and rocks her hips against me again and again, faster now, as she plants her hands on my chest. Is she…? Her fingers dig into my skin and she picks up the pace, rubbing against my hard length to get herself off and my eyes widen in disbelief.
It’s so, so hot but I’m fucking torn.
On the one hand, I would love to watch her use my body to make herself come and I’m pretty sure the memory would be primo spank bank material for the rest of my goddamn life. But I also can’t wait to get inside her again. I fucking want her like I’ve never wanted another girl, fucking ever, and my body is strung tight, in a constant state of need and I don’t want to pass up any opportunity to get another taste of her. My mind rages, warring between the two options, and I honestly can’t make up my mind.
“Oh, God,” she moans, her cheeks heating and her eyes squeezing shut as she rocks a little faster and my decision is made for me. All I can do is stare at her and try not to blow my load in my pants like a fucking fourteen-year-old as her moans get louder and louder. Grabbing her hips, I help her rock against me as I thrust up and she starts to shake as she gets closer, desperately clinging to me as the pleasure mounts.
“That’s it, Princess, use me. I want to see you come.”
“Travis,” she cries out, lowering her head and meeting my eyes as she reaches forward and wraps her fingers around my throat. Fuck me, that’s the hottest shit I’ve ever seen in my life and if she’s not careful, I’m going to fuck her right in the middle of this parking lot. I don’t give one single shit who sees us. Her mouth hangs open as moan after moan echoes through the car, her eyes burning into mine and my cock throbs. She holds me captive with her gaze, fire burning in their depths and I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. Digging my fingers into her hips, I press her down harder into my lap as I thrust up into her, eager to watch her shatter on top of me. She rocks back and forth and her eyes widen, giving me the warning I need to pull her lips to mine so the entire clubhouse doesn’t hear her screams. She cries into the kiss as her entire body shudders in my arms and her release ignites my own, sending me spiraling through the haze of an orgasm so intense I almost black out.
Jesus fucking Christ.
“Rowan,” I groan, burying my face in the crook of her neck as my cock throbs and she continues shaking in my arms, trying to catch her breath. We lie in silence for a few seconds before her body melts into mine and she releases a breath.
“That was fucking insane.”
I nod. “Fuck yes, it was. What the hell was that choking thing?”
“I don’t know,” she answers, turning just enough that she can meet my eyes. “I just did what felt right in the moment. Did you not like it?”
“I didn’t say that,” I shoot back with a grin and she smiles, her eyes twinkling and just like that, I’m thinking about going again. This fucking girl, man… she’s dangerous to my health because I’m pretty sure I would forgo any other bodily need as long as I was inside her.
“I’ll remember that for next time.”
Groaning, I lay my head back and close my eyes. Fuck, I swear I can still feel her fingers around my throat and I can’t wait to do it again. She sighs, laying her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arms around her, enjoying this one perfect, peaceful moment before we have to go back in the clubhouse and pretend like none of this happened. I don’t know how the hell I’m going to stay away from her, though.
“We should probably go inside,” she whispers and I nod. She’s right. If they haven’t noticed that we’re out here yet, someone will soon and the last thing I want to do today is get into it with Kodiak.
I nod. “Yeah… dunno how I’m going to get up to my room without people seeing the wet spot on my fucking jeans, though.”
“Tell ‘em I spilled a soda on you.” She laughs and I scoff as I dig my fingers into her hips. She squeals and wiggles in my arms, trying to bat my fingers away from her.
“Stop. I hate being tickled!”
Smiling, I smack her ass. “Come on. Let’s go but you better come up with another story besides you spilled a soda on my goddamn pants.”
Laughing, she opens my door and slips outside, straightening her clothes while I put the seat back up and climb out next to her. The parking lot is still empty and I breathe a sigh of relief as I give her a little nudge toward the clubhouse.
“You go first and I’ll follow behind you in a few minutes.”
She nods, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before she walks over to the door. I lean back against my car and pull out my phone to waste time. Once I get inside, I need to investigate the name Tawny gave me and I might even take Rowan’s advice and get the entire case set up on the giant white board we have in the war room but I can’t do any of that until I get up to my room. As I waste time, I run through scenarios in my head of what I’m going to walk into and blow out a breath. Overthinking and running through every single possibility has always been something I’ve done and I honestly hate it but I can’t stop. My brain just won’t ever shut the hell up and I’m always fucking thinking about something. It’s annoying as hell and one of the reasons I like being around Rowan so much because when I’m with her, it’s easier to just be in the moment instead of a million miles away.
I wait a few more minutes before tucking my phone in my pocket and walking across the lot. As I step inside, I hold my breath but it’s surprisingly quiet. In fact, the bar area is completely empty and I run up to my room before anyone can stop me or ask me why the hell my crotch is wet. Upstairs, I slip into the bathroom attached to my room and take a quick shower before throwing on some clean clothes. Once I’m presentable again, I sit down in front of the computer and start looking through bar receipts for anyone named Warren around the time Tawny made her accusations. Only one name pops up - Warren Ehlye.
“What in the fuck kind of name is that?” I whisper to myself as I quickly look it up. My search doesn’t give me any answers but as I study the name, I realize it could be pronounced “Eli” so I run a quick search on that and begin reading to myself. “In the Old Testament, Eli was the high priest and last judge of Israel…”
Does that mean something?
Is it supposed to be a message to us?
Shaking my head, I file the thought away for later and search the full name. I can’t help but smile when a property record pops up for one Warren Ehlye. It’s a little cabin way out in the woods and I resist the urge to jump up and let out a whoop.
This is our fucking guy.
I print off the property records before digging a little more into Warren but it doesn’t take very long for me to run into a problem.
Fuck.
I should have known it was too good to be true.
Sighing, I scrub my hand over my face and grab the files off of the desk as I stand up. First, I need to get these all laid out in order on the white board and then I’ll tell everyone what I found, not that it’s much. With the folders under my arm, I head back downstairs, ignoring Moose, Blaze, and Chance as they sit at one of the tables talking. I can feel their eyes on me as I slip into the war room, shut the door, and lock it behind me. Working quickly, I lay all of the files out on the table and put them in order, double-checking the dates, before taping them to the white board and putting a date by them. When I’m finished with the main cases, I put up other things that have happened like the break-in at the clubhouse and when Tawny accused Moose before stepping back and looking at it all in front of me. Nothing jumps out at me right away but I hope something will stand out to the rest of the guys or at the very least, it helps us keep the story straight in our heads.
“Streak,” Storm calls from the other side of the door and I walk over, yanking it open. He arches a brow and glances into the room. “You all right?”
I nod. “Yeah. You want to round everyone up though? I have things to show you.”
“Sure,” he answers, eyeing me skeptically as he turns and walks out of the room to get the rest of the guys. Blaze, Chance, and Moose get up from their table and nod to me as they walk into the room and when I glance up, I meet Rowan’s eyes. She peeks at the white board behind me before her gaze flicks back to me and she smiles.
Shit.
&nbs
p; I really can’t wait to get more time alone with her later.
“Did you find something?” Kodiak asks as he walks up to the war room and when I glance back over at Rowan, she has turned away from me. Sighing, I nod.
“Yeah, I’ll explain in a minute.”
Everyone else files into the room and takes their usual seats before all turning to look at me. Blaze arches a brow as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair.
“All right, Streak. You have the floor.”
I nod. “Right. So, I’ve been going over the interview with Veronica for the past week and something stood out to me.”
“What?” Chance asks, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on the table.
“Veronica said that the man who took her talked about a woman who he met in a bar…”
Blaze nods, scowling at me from across the room. “Right. And?”
“And I had a suspicion that it was Tawny. We knew that she met some guy in a bar and he convinced her to try and frame Moose so it just made sense. I went to talk to her this morning to see if she had any other information to give me.”
“Okay,” Fuzz says, studying the board. “And did she?”
I nod and point to the name written at the top of the white board. “She gave me a name.”
“How in the hell do you even say that?” Smith asks.
“It’s pronounced Eli.”
Blaze tilts his head to the side as he studies the board. “Did you find anything on this Warren Ehlye?”
“One thing,” I answer with a smile. It’s not the resounding victory I’d hoped it would be but it’s still something. “Warren Ehlye owns a little cabin deep in the woods.”
“Are you saying you found him, Streak?” Moose asks and I shake my head.
“No. Warren didn’t even exist before two years ago but then that leads me to the rest of this.” I motion to the white board. “I’ve laid out the entire case, in order, starting with Dina’s. She was killed in early two thousand seventeen and there was nothing else until Laney was killed in early two thousand eighteen.”