by Hart, Romi
“You feel something for her.” It was a statement, not a question, and it pissed Rafe right the hell off.
“No, I don’t feel anything for her, except sorry,” he argued. “She hates her brother, for whatever reason. I’m sure there are plenty to choose from. And she’s stuck here, like so much bait, because she’s the only leverage I can manage to find that might get that pussy to come out of the cave he’s dug himself.” He scoffed. “I met her last night, Corey. She’s just a girl who doesn’t deserve to die.”
Corey grunted and nodded, refilling Rafe’s glass. “I hope so, for your sake. I’d hate to sideline you when your chance at vengeance is so close.”
Rafe could almost taste it now, and it reinforced his desire for it. “It is close, and like I told Zeke, some chick isn’t going to put that in jeopardy, regardless of how good the sex is.” But his gut twisted as he said it, the alcohol souring in his stomach so he didn’t touch the second helping. “You know, she offered to help.”
“What?” Corey spat. “Tell me you didn’t agree.”
“Of course not. Blood is thicker than water, right?” Rafe spouted, his whole body rejecting the thought as his stomach did a somersault. “She might hate her brother, but Jake is still her blood. We can’t trust her, can we?”
“That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said today,” Corey told him. “And you have no idea what her driving force for offering to help would be?”
Rafe shook his head reluctantly. “I don’t think she’s playing it up. There’s a lot of venom there when she talks about it. So, it’s not a ploy. But I don’t know why she hates him or would want him dead, and that’s a big question mark, even if she were trustworthy.”
“Let it go,” Corey told him, leaving no room to argue with his sharp tone. “Don’t try to dig it out. She might be able to manipulate you if you have a common hatred.”
If he only knew how well she could manipulate, Rafe thought. “I’ll drop it,” he promised. “Are we ready to get to the table?”
Corey nodded, and they filed into the back room where the others had already started to congregate. Zeke and Harrison gave him a nod as he took his seat at Corey’s right hand, Corey sitting at the head of the long oak table. It didn’t take long for everyone to get settled, grim faces all around as Corey called the meeting to order. “Alright, brothers. Here’s the deal. We all know we’ve got Hawthorne’s sister here, but no one goes anywhere near her without instructions, got it? She’s Rafe’s leverage, and this is his revenge.”
There were a couple of smirks, but the warning glance Corey sent around the table shut everyone up, and Rafe was grateful for that. He was itching to slam his fist into someone’s face and didn’t want it to be one of his brothers. His president might have a point about his mood and emotions being a little sensitive.
“What is of concern to the rest of us is the fact that Hawthorne’s crew, and especially his bitch boy, felt they had a right to step foot on our property and make demands and threats. That requires an answer from us, some sort of retaliation. The question is, how do we go about it, with the Kings taking measures to misdirect us?” Corey looked around for a response.
Rafe took a deep breath. “He’s taking multiple routes to each delivery, with only one of them actually carrying the product. We can’t divide up that much, or we won’t be effective. But maybe if we could involve the receiving party, we could get somewhere.”
“Not a bad idea,” Harrison spoke up. “We get the information on the delivery spot from the receiver, and they get the entire take for free in return for the information. The Kings can’t afford that kind of loss. They’ll take a hard hit and get the message to stay off our turf.”
“Their next scheduled shipment is going to a cooperative club just across the border in Kansas,” Eli said from the far end of the table. “The Ravens. We’ve dealt with them before. They’re amicable.”
Corey nodded. “Get on the phone and set up a meeting with them, Eli. You and I will ride out with Gary and Ty, and we’ll meet halfway to talk business.”
Rafe bristled. “You don’t want me to go?”
“You have business here. The last thing we need is for word to get back to Hawthorne that you’re out of town while his sister is here.” Corey had a point, but it still bothered Rafe. He never missed out on rides like this, always accompanied Corey on business with other clubs. It felt like an affront to be left behind, even if there was good reason. “Take care of your own shit, Rafe. I need you back with us as soon as possible,” Corey added quietly.
That stung, and Rafe slumped in his chair like a chastised child. Normally, Corey wouldn’t have said anything like that to him in front of the rest of the crew, but he obviously wanted to make a point. Or maybe set an example. Thankfully, there wasn’t much left to discuss, and the meeting disbanded shortly after the verbal assault.
But Rafe wasn’t quite ready to let it go. He stopped Corey with a hand on his shoulder as the room emptied, holding him back. “I can come with you,” he insisted, keeping his voice low. He didn’t want the rest of the club thinking he was desperate or, worse, questioning Corey’s judgment. “Rocky and the other prospects will keep her safe. It’s only a day. And Zeke’s going to be here. He may talk a big game about toying with her, but he wouldn’t dare touch her.”
“It’s not about her,” Corey told him, still not convinced. “It’s you, Rafe. Your head is going to be here. You won’t be focused, and you’ll be on a short fuse. I can’t have you short circuiting on me when we’re trying to negotiate with another MC. Look how things went down today. If we screw this up with the Ravens, we’re back to square one, and then we’ve got two rivals to handle.”
“I’m nothing if not diplomatic,” Rafe argued. “You think I could have gotten Kira here and into bed if I wasn’t capable of controlling myself?”
The vein in Corey’s temple throbbed, and Rafe knew he’d crossed the line. Even if the others didn’t see or hear it, Corey took this as a challenge to his leadership. “I’m not saying you don’t have a right to be concerned. What I’m saying is that I know you trust me, more than anyone else in the club. You always have, or you wouldn’t have me at your right hand. Let me be there for you this time.”
Corey still didn’t answer, and Rafe knew he was thinking it through. With one last effort, he threw in, “You know I need the distance, brother. It’s for the best. A day away, a good ride, and the chance to do some business that’ll hit the Kings is just what the doctor ordered. It’ll put me right for good, erase all this crazed mania I’ve been struggling with.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Corey shook his head. “I must be a fucking idiot. Alright, Rafe, you’re riding along, but don’t you give me a reason to regret it. If you do, you’ll be the one skinned alive. You got me?”
Rafe nodded. “I got you. Thank you.” He stepped out of Corey’s way, watching his leader walk away like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and wondering why it meant so much to him to go on this trip. Maybe it was partly because, while the Diamond Kings had always been infuriating and problematic for the Devil’s Flames, it wasn’t until Rafe had joined with his vendetta against Jake that it had escalated. And he felt responsible for taking part of any issues that arose involving the rival MC because of that.
Or maybe, he was desperate to find a way to separate himself as much as possible from the woman waiting in the bunk room. Because however much he denied it to himself and everyone else, Kira Hawthorne had gotten to him. She’d managed to somehow dig herself a place in his world in just a single night, and it had Rafe reeling.
None of it made sense, and that was the most galling part. Rafe didn’t like the sensation of not having control over his own reactions and emotions, and Kira took that from him without even trying. Even now, when he knew he needed to prepare for the ride and see if anyone had heard anything from Jake Hawthorne, all he wanted to do was go to her, see if she needed anything. And slip between the sheets
with her.
And not just for sex.
He’d held her in his arms while they slept briefly, and her scent had taken away the nightmares. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fallen asleep without at least one of those terrors hitting him, and it had been refreshing to sleep without that burden. He wanted another night like that as much as he wanted to feel her soft, wet heat wrapped around his cock, squeezing and contracting with her pleasure.
He groaned, adjusting himself in his jeans. He had to do something about this need, these thoughts and images he couldn’t get out of his head. Kira was like a virus that had infiltrated his system, or a drug that addicted him, with no treatment center trained in weaning him off it. And there was a part of his brain that told him he didn’t want to stop using that drug, that agreed with his body about how incredible it would be to just stay hooked forever.
He needed another drink, but he couldn’t let the buzz of liquor overtake his faculties. There was still planning to do and information to seek. But first, he needed to inform Kira about what to expect for the next two days.
Gathering up his willpower, Rafe strode down the hall to the bunk room, knocking first and letting her open the door. She gazed up at him in question, and he simply said, “Let’s talk.”
She stepped aside and let him in, closing the door and perching on the edge of the bed in that cute little pose she had, legs crossed and hands gripping the mattress. She didn’t say anything and Rafe leaned back against the door, wanting to stay as far from her as possible. He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them to himself and blew out a long breath. “I’m making a run with my boys to take care of some business tomorrow. We’ll be leaving early and back late.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked, tilting her head with the question.
“Because you’re going to be here, with a couple of the prospects watching over you. If you need anything, you can ask them. They’ll get you whatever you need, barring an escape or a weapon. Or a phone call.” He doubted she’d call for help, but he couldn’t be certain.
She nodded slowly. “And what about today? Are you going to be around today?”
How could he answer that? “I’ll be at the clubhouse most of the day. We have some planning to do. It’s a long ride out and back tomorrow, and I have to make sure my bike’s good to go. And I have to be sure we’re not shorthanded if the Kings decide to try to attack this place.” He shut of the voice in his head that screamed at him, remembering Rachel and thinking about Kira getting caught in the crossfire. “Everything needs to be set in motion with safety in mind.”
She stood and walked over to him, and Rafe held his breath. He didn’t want her to touch him, and yet, his entire being cried out for her fingers to graze down his arm or rifle through his hair the way she did when she pulled him to her. Instead, she stopped inches away and stared up at him. “Is there a chance you might get hurt on this business trip?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He shrugged. “Anything can happen, especially when you’re meeting up with another club and there are a lot of unknown factors. Why?” Rafe didn’t want to know the answer to that, but he couldn’t stop the word from coming out of his mouth.
“You seem to be concerned about my safety. It only seems right that I worry about yours.”
“And do you? Care about my safety?”
She didn’t answer. She pushed her body against him, and those enticing hands of hers slid around his neck as she pulled him down into a kiss that could have set fire to and razed an entire forest. He looped his arms around her waist, loosely at first, and then tighter as she deepened the kiss, her tongue dancing with his in an intimate way that brought emotions to the surface he didn’t want to analyze.
When she pulled back and stepped out of his arms, he let her go, and she told him, “Be careful, Rafe.”
He nodded, not trusting his voice, and left the room. He had to get away from her or he’d never leave. And he needed to go bang the head with the brain against the wall until the one with the hard on decided to stop harassing him to make the wrong choice.
Because wanting more from Kira was definitely the wrong choice. Wasn’t it?
8
Why she’d thought Rafe would come to her, Kira didn’t know. Why she’d imagined he’d sleep in the bed with her, or at least say goodbye before he left, she had no clue. There was nothing between them, whatever she’d conjured in her crazy manifestations of an alternate reality. Rafe felt nothing for her beyond some chivalrous sense of protection.
Unfortunately, Kira knew she was beyond that already.
She had an incredible yearning inside that only quieted when Rafe was with her. It was insanity; she barely knew him. Yet, there was this connection, and whether she wanted it or not, it tugged at her. Yes, there was the sex, and it was glorious, better than she’d ever had. In fact, she’d never been this satisfied even with Shaw. But it wasn’t just the sex she craved.
There was a deep vulnerability that Rafe hid under his tough, confident exterior, and Kira felt like somewhere along the way, she’d scratched the surface of it. That alone made him different from the shallow jerks she was used to and a far cry from the sociopathic behavior of her brother and most of his men. At the same time, Rafe was strong and willful. He was also obviously loyal, more devoted to his club than any of the Diamond Kings, and she could tell by the way he spoke he was intelligent, to a degree you didn’t see often. He had so much to offer, and Kira could tell he didn’t even know it.
And she was in danger of falling for him.
The realization came to her as darkness fell outside her window and she hadn’t heard anything about the group who left early in the morning returning. A knock at the door startled her, and she hadn’t known she was pacing until she stopped and ran to open it, irrationally hoping it was Rafe. She tried not to look too disappointed as Rocky smiled at her, a plate of barbecue in his hand that he held out to her. They’d chatted a bit over the past day and a half, and the kid was sweet, if a little wet behind the ears. “Dinner’s ready. I thought I’d bring you a plate.”
She gave him the biggest smile she could muster. “Thanks, Rocky. The way you guys feed me, I’m going to have to hit the gym pretty hard to work it all off.”
She knew he tried not to check her out, but she turned away so he wouldn’t get embarrassed or nervous. “I don’t think you’re in any danger of ruining your figure,” he muttered.
Kira was glad to know he could at least speak his mind. He seemed far too shy to join the club, but that was a good start. “Any word from the road trip?” she asked, just like she had at lunch. And before that at breakfast. And in between when she’d gone to the bathroom.
“I haven’t talked to anyone for a while, but I’d be willing to bet they’re on their way back. Otherwise, the mood wouldn’t be so light. I mean, they’re smoking brisket out there.” He gave a lopsided grin that made him look even younger.
It went a long way in reassuring her, and that was the moment it hit Kira. That’s when she knew she was screwed. She’d already let her emotions get too involved. Whether it was Stockholm Syndrome or a real, honest to god attraction that went beyond the physical aspect, she had already grown attached to Rafe. How, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like they’d spent an exorbitant amount of time together. And he hadn’t been particularly inviting half of that time. But at some point, her heart had gotten involved, and she couldn’t disconnect it.
Her appetite suddenly curbed, Kira picked at her food and told Rocky, “Thanks for thinking of me. You’ll let me know when there’s news?”
“Sure thing,” he told her with a strange half salute as he left the room. Kira might have felt bad for blowing him off if she wasn’t so overcome with her revelation and wondering what the hell she was supposed to do with it. She couldn’t exactly tell Rafe how she felt, especially if she expected any professions of requiting the emotion on his part.
But she also knew that she was
going to have a hard time hiding it from him and wondered if it wouldn’t be better for him to just stay away from her till all of this was over and he dumped her back into her own world. Then, she wouldn’t have to face him and potentially put him in an awkward position. He already seemed to have more of a conscience than was healthy for the situation he was in. She didn’t want to add to the possible guilt complex that would arise if she became collateral damage.
Because she knew that was the ultimatum. Jake had to come out of hiding, or she would die. And Rafe was the only one who seemed to have a problem with that idea. She’d heard enough of the confrontation with Edgar to know that his ruthless attitude was a front. He had a heart. It had just been frozen where Jake was concerned, and Kira didn’t feel much differently about her brother.
Maybe, she thought, she needed to open up to him. Maybe, if she told Rafe her history, he’d find it in his best interest to trust her. He might let her help, which would be safer for him and the MC in general, and it would certainly take the axe off her head. Which might also take some of the weight off his shoulders and allow him to feel something for her other than the burden of her safety.
She laughed at herself even thinking it. What a ridiculous fairy tale she was trying to weave! How could she imagine that sort of storybook happy ending here? No, she was bound for heartbreak, and she had to build up the courage to face it. Once she was home, surrounded by familiarity and her daily life, it would be easier. She wouldn’t have Rafe on the brain all the time, wouldn’t wonder when he might come back and if he was going to come see her. She could forget about him.