by Sam Crescent
She loved the way he touched her. He had the power to give her pleasure or pain. Each touch and stroke set her on fire, making her desperate for more.
“Come for me, babe. Let me hear you come. I want it all.”
She went over the peak. The orgasm was so incredible, she didn’t want it to stop, and she rode the wave of pleasure until she had nothing more to give.
Smokey held on to her and thrust up within her, his own release only seconds away. His cock flooded her pussy with more of his cum.
Ava didn’t know when he’d stopped pulling out. Did he even realize he wasn’t protecting them both? She didn’t want to ruin the moment and stayed silent. Nothing good would come of it.
He didn’t say he loved her.
She knew he wouldn’t.
No one ever did.
****
The deal was reached and an arrangement was agreed to with Ryan being handed over to him. The basement of the clubhouse was already set up to accept rats and traitors.
Smokey sat at his desk, going through paperwork when Hunter came to his office. The doors were shut, and Smokey looked up from the paperwork to wonder what the fuck his VP’s problem was.
“These were waiting on your bike,” Hunter said.
A brown envelope was placed on his desk.
“And?”
“It’s addressed to the club. You need to see what is inside.”
Smokey picked up the envelope and turned it over. The club’s name was scrawled across the front. “What the fuck is this, Hunter?”
“Open it. Find out.”
“You’ve seen it.”
Hunter nodded.
Smokey threw down his pen and opened the envelope. Pictures slid out of it, landing on his desk. The first one made him freeze.
“What is this?” he asked.
“Ugly Beast called it. If you think about it. Ever since she arrived, shit has been going wrong. She was at the bar, and she’s willingly available to you. Have you spoken to her about club business?” Hunter asked.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I said fucking no.”
He had no explanation. Ava was accepting money from Creed, the fucking president of the Twisted Bastards MC.
Rage bubbled up inside him.
“Get the club set up for church,” Smokey said.
Hunter nodded and walked right out.
Smokey stared down at the pictures. Women. He should have known he couldn’t trust Ava. She said all the right things. Did everything right. She almost had him convinced she was different.
No wonder she kept on asking about the club and wanting him to trust her. He had to wonder what Creed was paying her.
Hunter returned twenty minutes later to tell him everyone was ready. He got to his feet and took the pictures.
Once inside church, he threw them down for all to see.
No one jumped to her defense.
“That fucking bitch,” Raven said. “What’s the plan?”
Smokey looked at the pictures. “It’s simple. I want her here in the basement. We’ll take care of that fucking slut, and then we’ll deal with Ryan.”
Raven smiled. “Let me handle this. I can’t believe I was fooled by her.”
“Well, we won’t be fooled anymore.”
Smokey was the first this time to leave church. The tension in the air was palpable. The club had been betrayed. They hadn’t made it easy for Ava, but they’d certainly been willing to accept her. Her presence had started to become noticed.
Rather than let the men deal with Ava, he selected three more club women who’d been around the longest. He told them what had happened, and in return, they were going to make her pay.
While Raven and his men got Ava, he went to his office and stared out the window to watch. From his vantage point, he could see the moment Raven arrived.
“I love you. I’m in love with you.”
All of it had been lies. He should have known.
Ava would pay dearly for what she did. He wondered if this was why the ex tried to get away as fast as possible.
Running a hand down his face, he tried to gain control of his rage, but it just wouldn’t come.
Raven’s truck arrived. Kinky and Brick had gone with her.
He watched as Ava, bound and gagged, was hauled out of the back of the truck. She fought against them.
Soon, the sounds of her screams filled the air of the clubhouse. No one stopped them.
Smokey took a couple of minutes.
“Do you want me to handle this?” Hunter asked.
“No. This is my problem.”
He grabbed the pictures and placed them in his inner jacket.
After leaving the office, he made his way to the basement where the women were already pushing Ava around. She was bleeding from above her eye and her nose.
He noticed her shirt was also torn.
When they pushed too hard, she fell in a heap on the floor.
“Why are you doing this? Where’s Smokey? I want to see him,” Ava said.
“I’m right here, you disgusting slut.”
She scrambled to her feet. “I don’t know what’s going on. This isn’t funny. I’m scared.”
He laughed.
Raven pulled her hair, and Ava let out a cry. Another of the whores grabbed a chair and they tied her to it.
Tears fell down Ava’s cheeks, but she’d stopped fighting.
“Did you think you could fool us for long?” he asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Raven slapped her hard, and she whimpered. Her head flung to the side.
Smokey grabbed a chair, dragging it up toward his woman. Even covered in blood, she was beautiful and so striking. All that blonde hair.
“Cut it off,” he said.
Raven smiled. “With pleasure.”
Ava screamed as Raven none-too-gently grabbed her hair and began to hack the length off.
When it was done, her hair was thrown to the floor.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Ava said, sobbing. “Let me out of here.”
“You think we’re going to let you go so you can run back to Creed? The fucking prick?” Raven said.
Ava’s sobs filled the air.
“I’ve had enough of this.” Before Smokey could stop it, one of the club whores had grabbed a scalpel and sliced it through Ava’s leg.
Her screams filled the air.
Kinky grabbed the whore and pulled her away.
The club felt Ava’s betrayal.
“I don’t know who Creed is,” Ava said. “I’ve never even heard that name.”
Smokey tutted. “You should know by now that nothing is ever sacred. There is no escape from what you’ve done.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out the incriminating evidence. “Did you have a good laugh? Did you think you’d gotten me to fall in love with you?”
He wrapped his fingers around her neck, cutting off her oxygen. “You were only ever a decent fuck, and you weren’t any good at that. You were easy, but I’ve had better.” He let her go, and she gasped for breath.
“Please, stop this. You’re making a mistake. I didn’t do this. I don’t know who that man is.” She turned toward Raven. “It was the day I went to the bank. I tried to tell you I had a weird experience. Please.”
“She’s lying,” Raven said. “She didn’t tell me anything about the bank trip.”
“You shouldn’t have done Creed’s dirty work, Ava. You’re going to wish you never met me.” He got to his feet. “Have your fun.”
Smokey left the basement.
He didn’t need to hurt Ava. His club would get her ready so he could make the final blow. Ava wasn’t going come out of this alive.
With her death certificate filed, he needed to go and make some arrangements at her house.
Leaving the clubhouse, he rode his bike to her place. His key still in his jacket pocket, he stepped inside and was hit with
the hardest sense of betrayal.
In the back of his mind, he heard her laughter. The sweet sounds she’d made.
The truth was, he’d had every intention of keeping her. She’d gotten under his skin, and he’d even been thinking of a future with her. He should have known better than to make a deal with a woman. They were fucking toxic. No one was different.
Fueling his anger, he made his way up to the bedroom and started to pack a bag. He’d make it look like she was away on a trip or some shit. They’d dispose of her body, and no one would ever find a trace of her or link her to the club.
He’d packed a bag and was heading out of the house when Ugly Beast called.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“At Ava’s house, why?” The boys had already gone and trashed her bakery. He hadn’t given the order, but he didn’t care.
She’d lied to their president and was working with their enemy. There was no way out of this.
“I need you back at the clubhouse now,” Ugly Beast said, hanging up.
Shaking his head, Smokey closed the door, He strapped the bag of clothes to his bike and took one last look, allowing himself to feel the betrayal. The hope of a future dying inside as he looked at the house.
Creed was going to pay.
That fucker thought he won, but Smokey was going to show him. Maybe he’d take her apart piece by piece and mail it to him.
Arriving back at the clubhouse, Ugly Beast was waiting for him.
“Where are the pictures?” Ugly Beast asked.
“I don’t have time for this.”
“For fuck’s sake. I’m trying to save your ass from making the biggest fucking mistake for your life. Where are they?”
“They’re on the floor of the basement.”
A feminine scream filled the air.
“Get Raven up here now. I’m in the church room.”
“I’m not your fucking minion,” Smokey said.
“And right now, you’re not behaving like the boss.” Ugly Beast shoved him. “Get the fuck in church. I’ll get Raven myself.”
Smokey was going to beat the living shit out of Ugly Beast. Maybe even leave him for dead.
He went and took his seat at the head of the table when Ugly Beast returned.
“What the fuck is this, Ugly? I’ve got shit to do,” Raven said.
Smokey noticed her knuckles were red with blood.
He didn’t care. Ava deserved it.
“Watch,” Ugly Beast said.
He hadn’t realized the TV had been brought into the room. Bored, Smokey watched, noticing Fort Clover’s bank and Main Street coming into view. He frowned as the bank door opened and Ava stepped out. She wasn’t watching where she was going, and Smokey tensed up even more when he caught sight of Creed. The fucker had been waiting for her and was dressed in a business suit.
Ugly Beast pressed the remote, and this was the camera inside the bank. It showed Ava waiting in line and then taking a brown envelope from the woman behind the desk.
“Ava’s not Creed’s accomplice,” Ugly Beast. “I don’t know who took those pictures, but it wasn’t her.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Raven said. “We can see it.”
“No!” Ugly Beast said. “Ava’s not like that. My wife made me realize it, which is why I decided to go to the source. Ava’s innocent, Smokey. She’s not an accomplice. Creed’s messing with your head, and looking at the way he worked her, he did this on purpose so you’d hurt her.”
“Fuck, I left those bitches alone with her.” Raven turned to leave, but Smokey was on his feet, charging out of the room and rushing toward the basement.
He was too late. The undeniable sound of bones breaking filled his ears.
He got to the basement. They’d pulled Ava from the chair. Two of the women held her down while the other brought the hammer down on her hand. Her hand was broken. The hammer was raised again.
“Stop!” His voice echoed around the room. The ramifications of what he’d done rushed through him.
“Get away from her,” he said.
The moment they were away, Ava curled up into a ball.
Smokey knew the club was at his back. Running a hand down his face, he couldn’t believe what he’d done. He went to her side, and as he tried to pull her into his arms, she screamed, trying to get away from him.
She was soaked with blood. “Don’t you touch me.”
“Ava, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s a trick. Leave me alone.”
He had no idea what to say.
“I want to go home. I won’t ever come near you again. I promise. I just want to go home. It’s safe there.”
His heart broke.
The woman with the sweet smile was gone. He’d broken the only good thing in his world.
Chapter Ten
Ava couldn’t recall exactly how she got out of hell, only that she somehow did. She couldn’t stop crying even as Hanson drove her to the hospital. He was the only one who hadn’t been close to her.
She had asked for Abriana, but she was still taking driving lessons.
Hanson looked nervous, and she ignored it, preferring to stare out the window. He’d been with her when she’d walked into the emergency room reception. Doctors and nurses had tried to separate them to get her to talk. She lied, blatantly. Falling down the stairs, and a bowling ball had fallen on her hand.
“How are you?” Hanson asked.
She turned her head to look at him. One eye was completely swollen shut. She had a hand crushed, a couple of bruised lips, a split lip, along with a stab wound in her thigh. Not to mention several cuts to her arms and back. When Raven had left, the club whores had really gone to town on her.
Ava had a feeling Raven had been holding back, but the woman could punch.
“Stupid question.”
“Just take me home.”
“Smokey didn’t mean it.”
“Don’t.” The last thing she wanted to hear was his name right now. He hadn’t lifted a single finger, but what he’d said had hurt in ways she didn’t think was possible. She knew he was a monster. Had accepted him for it, but she didn’t realize the level he’d go to. He hadn’t once considered her innocence. All he’d seen was her guilt, but she hadn’t had anything to do with any Creed.
“I know you’re hurting right now.”
“Hanson,” she said, pressing her lips together to try to contain her sobs. “We don’t know each other that well, but I’d really appreciate it if you were quiet. I was dragged from my bakery, hit, beaten, tied up, stabbed, and I just … no. Okay? Just no.”
Tears leaked down her face, and she swiped at her cheek. The one that was still good. The other had a giant bandage over it to help heal her other eye.
She took a deep breath, counting in her head. She wouldn’t break. Not in front of him.
It felt like a lifetime before he pulled up outside of her house, but not a whole lot of time had passed. It was dark now. Raven, Kinky, and Brick had gotten her during a lull. The moment Hanson parked, she climbed out of his car. She heard him park and leave the vehicle.
“You don’t have to do anything more,” she said. “I’m perfectly fine. Thank you.”
“Please, Smokey asked me to take care of you.”
“I don’t want you to take care of me. I don’t want any of you or your club near me again. Get out, or I will call the police.”
She reached into her jeans pocket and retrieved her key. Sliding it into the lock, she closed the door with a slam and flicked the lock right back into place.
Spinning around, she collapsed in a heap and allowed the tears to fall.
All it had taken was a single day. Not even that long. She’d woken up that morning so happy with the world and with her life. After ten years of misery, she’d found happiness. Now it had been stripped away.
She didn’t know what was worse, finding Derek cheating, or this.
Ava
rubbed at her chest. No, this had to be the worst. She’d never felt so empty, so lost, so alone.
For the first time since her parents died, she wished they were here. She didn’t know what to do.
The life she thought she’d been building had been swept out from beneath her.
“Ava,” Smokey said.
She jerked up. “What are you doing here?”
“I have a key.”
“Leave the key and get out.” Her hand shook as she tried to open the door to make him leave.
He pressed his body against her back, and she screamed, throwing herself away from him.
She saw the pain in his eyes but didn’t care. “Get out.”
“We need to talk.”
“No. We’re done talking. I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
Smokey kept on staring at her. She couldn’t handle it, so she looked at the floor. At anything but him.
He was a monster. He’d destroyed her.
“Get out.” She repeated it so he’d listen to her. This wasn’t a joke to her, or a game. He’d hurt her in the worst possible way.
“I brought your clothes back.”
She frowned. “My clothes?”
“I packed up some of your stuff.”
Her heart broke. “You were going to kill me.”
Smokey’s jaw clenched.
“I’m sorry to have disappointed you that you can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“It wasn’t an easy choice.”
“Sure it was.” She clicked her fingers. “One fire of a bullet. You could have stabbed me. There are any number of things you could have done to me.” She pressed her lips together even as more tears flooded her eyes. “Leave.”
“I thought—”
“I know what you thought. What you and your whole club thought. There’s no way you could have ever imagined a woman, someone like me, showing you loyalty.” She closed her eyes. “I can’t do this now. I don’t want to. You’ve got to leave.”
“Not until I know you’re okay.”
Ava started to laugh. “Okay? You want to know if I’m okay?” She bent over as if it was the most hysterical thing she’d ever heard. “Look at me, Smokey. I’m not okay. Nothing about this is okay.” She kept on repeating the same word. She took a deep breath. “We’re done. We’re through.”