Raw: Street Demons MC

by Ada Stone

  “Thinking of getting one?” I murmured quietly, leaning forward so that my mouth was close to her ear. I was expecting her to back away, because she was always cautious with me when I got too close, worried that I would push something romantic between us only to let it fall through the cracks.

  Which I wouldn’t do, but try telling her that. I’d keep trying though.

  She sucked in a quick breath, but for once didn’t sidestep to get a little distance between us again. “Maybe,” she answered coyly, not turning to look at me. I stepped a little closer, feeling bold and brave and maybe a little stupid, too. “What do you think?”

  Swallowing, I shrugged, though she couldn’t see that. “I think you’re perfect whether you’re painted or a blank canvas.”

  I heard her breathing hitch. She stayed silent for a long time and I was sure suddenly that I’d fucked it all up, but then she leaned back against me, her perky rear pressing ever so slightly into my crotch as her shoulder blades braced against my chest.

  “So it’s my choice?”

  “Yes,” I replied automatically, my hands going to her hips before I could think better of it. “Always.”

  She looked over her shoulder at me, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Well, if I go and get one, I promise to invite you to watch.”

  I leaned down to kiss her, lost in this perfect moment, but before our lips touched, Bobby cursed loud enough to grab our attention. She stepped away from me and I could have killed him.

  We didn’t stay in the shop after that. Instead, we went to the bike shop and talked about Harleys and motors. She was surprisingly knowledgeable in the area and told me that I was being pretentious for sticking with the Harley brand. Why not a Suzuki? Or a Yamaha?

  I told her it was un-American and she laughed.

  We talked about other things, too. Weird things like poetry and the morality of large scale farming and whether or not the weather made people crazy. We joked about how politics were a joke, just a running sideshow there to provide everyone with some much needed entertainment. We talked about anything and everything and I realized that while I wanted her physically—I jerked myself off to thoughts of her more nights than I would ever admit and just standing with her now had my dick hard in my pants—I wanted the rest of her, too. She was the only woman I’d ever spent any time with that knew about bikes and about what was going on with the world, who had her own interests and wasn’t afraid to share her opinion.

  I realized we connected in a way that I never had with anyone before. I knew then that I had to hold on to it, no matter what.

  Except I’d fucked it all up and didn’t know how to get it back. When I’d seen Sal that night at Zoe’s, I’d lost my mind.

  The thing with Zoe and Sal had come completely out of left field, blindsiding me until I was just filled with rage. Knowing that Zoe had broken up with me had eaten me alive inside. It tore me up pretty badly especially since I had five years to dwell on it. But no one had told me while I’d been on the inside that she had cozied up to Sal. Maybe if they had, I really would have lost my mind in there, it was definitely possible. But maybe I could have worked it all out in my head. Maybe I could have come to some sort of conclusion. Like she never would have done that to me.

  It sounded like a long shot even in my own head, but I couldn’t shake the possibility that if I’d been given enough time, maybe I would have let myself believe that Zoe did truly and honestly, unquestioningly love me.

  Or maybe I would have stewed on that hatred for the next five years and just killed them both when I got out. That was pretty likely, too, I admitted gravely only to myself.

  As it were, getting out of the slammer only to find that Zoe had not only moved on, but she’d wound up with the man who had spent most of my life battling against me? Well, I didn’t think it was any wonder that I saw nothing but red. Fury had consumed me, the rage easier to deal with than the hurt and the heartache that came from losing Zoe.

  Raking a hand through my hair, I knew what I had to do. Now that Zoe had confessed the truth to me, there was really only one option. I had to make things right.

  I’d thrown my sweats back on, but hadn’t even bothered with a t-shirt. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw that it was nearly three in the morning. Early. Early enough that I debated letting Zoe get whatever sleep she could before I drudged all of this back up and tried to make it right. But then I remembered: Sal.

  That bastard had slapped her more than a couple of times and if he caught her, there was no question in my mind that he’d do it again.

  Especially if he realized who she’d been with.

  “Shit,” I cursed, standing quickly from the couch. I grabbed my bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt. There was no way I could wait until morning to go to Zoe now, not knowing that Sal would wake up and get after her.

  With a dark dread, I realized he might have already gone after her.

  I cursed again, then shucked out of my sweats and jerked on my jeans, then my shirt. I was lacing up my boots as I worked out what to do next. Going after Zoe was all well and good, but Sal was going to be a problem. Even if he was still passed out on his couch somewhere, drunk as piss, he was still going to be a problem when he eventually woke up. And his guys would be a problem, too. I was going to need back up if I was going to protect Zoe.

  Normally, this would be the point in time where I told Jordan to round up all the guys and get them on board with my crazy plan, whatever it might be. But since he was out of town I would need to make the calls myself. Which meant I had better get started.

  I finished tying my shoes, then grabbed my cell phone and my keys. It was times like these where I wished I actually drove a car, because it wasn’t the most practical thing in the world to try to talk on a cell phone while riding a motorcycle. I’d have to make at least the initial call here.

  I started with the Bobbys, explaining that we needed to meet to discuss the problem with Sal. They both said they would need around twenty before they could head out that way, so I told them to set it up for an hour from now—I was well aware that was four in the damn morning, but they could suck it up—and to make the rounds calling everyone they could get ahold of. They both agreed easily, and I was grateful that I wouldn’t have to waste more time trying to get ahold of everyone who was still loyal in Heaven’s Wrath.

  I was about to get on my motorcycle and ride when I got a call. I frowned, looking down at the number. I had expected it to probably be one of my boys, either telling me that they couldn’t get ahold of someone or that they would be late to the meeting—I knew that some of them actually did have legitimate jobs that frowned upon being late or calling out. But it wasn’t a number I recognized.

  I almost just ended the call, usually feeling that I didn’t need to talk to anyone whose number I didn’t already know, but for some reason I hesitated.

  Something told me that I shouldn’t ignore this call.

  Answering it, I slung my leg over my bike, readying myself to ride as soon as this call was through. “Hello?”

  There was a distorted sound, then an all too familiar voice came over the phone. Sal Davis. “Nick, my old pal.”

  Just the sound of his voice made my skin crawl with a mixture of disgust and anger. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him, remembering the way Zoe’s beautiful face looked covered in bruises caused by Sal’s hands.

  Not that I hadn’t caused my own damage to her.

  “What the hell do you want, Sal?” I asked. I wanted to threaten him right then and there, to tell him that if he ever touched my Zoe again, I’d kill him, but it was too early to be playing cards like that. I needed a plan, and if I acted too rashly, then there was a good chance that Zoe would pay the price if I fucked it all up.

  “Easy now,” Sal said, his voice too cheery, too chipper. It grated only my quickly fraying nerves. “You don’t want to make an enemy of me. Again.”

  I actually laughed at that. �
�You’re the one who made us enemies, Sal. I never forced the issue on that. And last I checked, either way, we’re already enemies.”

  There was a pause. Through the receiver I heard some muffled sounds, shuffling, grinding, something else. It made me wonder where he was—and why he was calling. Suddenly, I felt a tickle of fear somewhere low in my gut. Why was he calling? I wasn’t concerned with how he got my number or anything like that. Sal had the resources to do the right kind of research and probably all he really had to do was ask around before he found someone who would lead him straight to me. But why bother? Why was he suddenly interested in getting a hold of me?

  “That may be true,” Sal continued in that same chipper voice. The one that told me he had some kind of leverage over me. I dreaded finding out just what that leverage might be. “But you should probably make more of an effort since I think it’s pretty obvious now that I have something you want.”

  I frowned. Something I wanted? This was one of those moments where I knew I should already know what he was talking about. I should sense it or have picked it out, whatever. I should know. But it was as though I’d forcibly blocked that out, because my brain knew it was something bad. Something so bad that I might not be able to deal with it.

  “What’s that?” I finally asked, dreading the answer but needing to know.

  Sal laughed and I gritted my teeth against the sound. “You really don’t know? I always thought you were just that stupid. Poor, dumb Nick, never could get ahead of the curve, could you?”

  His words were little jabs, more effective because I knew that whatever he said next would eat me up inside. Would eat me alive. I didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t hang up the phone on him, and more to the point, if I didn’t figure out what it was that he had, I was going to spend the rest of my life regretting it. Probably in prison for murder, too, since I would have to kill Sal when it was all said and done.

  That much was obvious even now.

  There was a smile in Sal’s voice as he said, “Zoe.”

  For a long, impossible second, the world stopped. The idea of Sal getting his hands on her, of keeping her and hurting her brought me back to reality. “What do you want?”

  There was a gleeful laugh that came through before he said, “I’ve had a lawyer friend of mine draw up a legal document for me. One that I’d like you to sign.”

  That definitely didn’t sound good. “What document?”

  “One that, like a confession, admits your direct culpability and involvement in the trafficking of drugs in our fair city. I want you to sign it, give it to the police, and confess—because it’s good for the soul—that you are the leader of the drug ring that has been selling the heroine which is so clogging our streets these days.”

  I closed my eyes, sighing internally. That document would be the end of me if I really did sign it. I already had five years for a prior conviction and while I’d served my time, they’d take one look at what that charge was and be positive that I was guilty and that I’d do it again. Which would mean I’d get a sentence much longer than five years if I did as Sal requested.

  Unfortunately, I also knew that I had no choice. Sal had Zoe and he wouldn’t hesitate to do terrible things to her if I didn’t comply.

  “Fine,” I bit out. “I’ll sign your damn document, so long as you promise not to hurt Zoe and let her go.”

  “Sure, sure,” Sal agreed amiably. I knew it was a boldfaced lie, but didn’t interrupt him as he promised me, “I’ll release her as soon as I have your signature.”

  We talked a little longer just to hammer out the details. I demanded to speak to Zoe, but Sal wouldn’t do it. Instead, he took a picture and sent it to me, showing Zoe tied up and looking worse in the harsh lighting than I remembered her being the last time I’d seen her. It made my blood boil, but I did my best to keep my cool. No point in pissing off Sal when Zoe was the only one there to face his wrath.

  Finally, we agreed to meet the following day. He had the document and would have me sign it right then and there. He’d make a copy—just so I didn’t try anything stupid—then give me one to take to the police. I wasn’t looking forward to doing that, but then I didn’t really plan on following through with it.

  Just like Sal didn’t plan on letting Zoe go, whether I complied or not.

  I hung up the phone and started up my bike. I still had time to make the meeting with the rest of Heaven’s Wrath and it was more important than ever to do that. I needed a plan before meeting with Sal, and if I wasn’t careful, it would all go wrong.

  Part of me wished the meeting was pushed back a little. I could do wonders with a week, but the other part of me was relieved. I didn’t want Zoe to be stuck with that psychopath any longer than absolutely necessary.

  “Hang on, Zo, I’m coming.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I had only one day before I had to meet with the snake Sal and strike a deal to get Zoe’s release. If I thought for even a second that Sal would actually let Zoe go after I signed that paper, I’d do it, but he wouldn’t. He’d get me locked up for life and if Zoe didn’t do what he wanted—and god knew what that was—he’d kill her. There was no question in my mind, and that was doing bad things to my heart.

  It did put conviction in me, though. I was determined to set things straight and get Zoe back before things got any worse than they already were. The downside was that I wasn’t quite sure how yet.

  I was still pretty certain that my best shot was getting the dirt on his less than legitimate practice that was his front for dealing in very illegitimate practices. His construction company was somehow involved in the collapse of a building and now I had a man who could help prove it, but all of that was good only in the long run. It was good in the sense that I could get his ass to court and he’d be held liable, maybe even serve time for the deaths of those caught in the collapse, but all of that would take months. Maybe even years.

  That didn’t do a lot for Zoe tomorrow.

  Which was why I was riding like the wind to the abandoned rock quarry where we held meetings for Heaven’s Wrath. I needed backup on this one if I was going to save Zoe and take down Sal.

  When I got there, most of the boys where already gathered. There was a circle of motorcycles parked in the large expanse of area that wasn’t littered with leftover debris from when the place had actually been used and then promptly abandoned. I’d had some good times at this little slice of rundown middle of nowhere. The boys appreciated it for its distance from other places. We didn’t have to worry about people coming around to snoop. Police officers, mostly, but we also had the added benefit of not having to worry about local business owners. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a dirt road that eventually led to the main highway, a bunch of old equipment that had long since been abandoned, and mines where no one was allowed to venture anyway, well, who was going to call to complain? No one. And no one was around to hear the noise of motorcycles revving, or the shouts of loyal men, brothers in arms. Here, we could be as rowdy as we needed to be and no one would care.

  All of that made it the perfect place to have a meeting and I liked to keep my guys thinking that this was all it was. But it wasn’t strictly the truth.

  There was no denying that this place was perfect for our needs, but for me it was a special place. It was the first time I’d ever met Zoe, that was true, but it was more than that. It was the first time I’d laughed with Zoe. It was the first time I’d put my arms around her—to keep her warm, but that hardly mattered. It was the first time I’d ever kissed her.

  Zoe was picking her way through the motley debris that littered the ground around us. The quarry itself wasn’t in bad shape. Way down below there was still water, a manmade lake now that for the most part wasn’t too disgusting or dirty. I’d been swimming in it before and I hoped that Zoe would keep that in mind as we made our way down towards it. Especially since the area surrounding it wasn’t exactly squeaky clean.

  Thankfully, Zo
e had dressed practically today. She had on hiking boots and a t-shirt over a pair of shorts that were short enough to allow me a picture perfect image of the underside of her perky ass cheeks. It was the only fashion fad that I’d been truly grateful for in my life and I would defend it to the end. Short shorts were a way of life, if you asked me.

  I was staring at those perfectly rounded cheeks while she walked slightly ahead. I told myself I was hanging back to be there if she had a misstep and took a tumble, ready to catch her, but I knew better. It was all about watching that perfect ass.

  “Where exactly are we going?” she asked, because she had undoubtedly noticed that we were descending the high ledge which sloped down to the pool below none too gently. There was an elevator left behind where the men who worked here at the time could be carried up and down, but the machinery was old and hadn’t been used in a long time so I didn’t trust it. I didn’t even know if the electricity worked for it anymore.