“Yeah,” he shrugs.
“Maybe you could give me more notice next time, you know? Instead of a couple days?”
“I’ll try to be better,” he mutters as his hand massages my ass and his lips gently caress mine.
“See that you do that,” I breathe, melting into him.
“Take care of him,” Kentlee whispers as she hugs me tightly. Well, as tightly as she can, since she’s pregnant.
“Always,” I grin.
“When MadDog comes back for visits, we want you guys tagging along,” Brentlee says with a wide smile.
“You know it,” Paxton grunts with a grin of his own aimed right at her.
We give everyone one last wave before we climb on Paxton’s bike. He starts it with a roar, and then we’re off. My ass already hurts in anticipation of what’s to come, especially since he informed me that this trip was only going to be two days, instead of the three we took when we drove here.
I close my eyes, feeling the air against my skin and hugging Paxton closer, loving the way he feels, his body hard but relaxed as he rides. He loves it, really loves it, and I can tell just in the way he maneuvers the bike on the road.
After six straight hours of riding, we finally stop for the night, and I can’t help but cheer as we pull into the hotel’s parking lot.
Paxton chuckles and helps me take my helmet off before we check in. I’m thankful that I was able to wash my clothes at the clubhouse before we left, so I have all clean stuff to wear for the ride home.
“I’m going to shower,” I inform him as I head toward the bathroom.
“Yeah, I’ll get some food,” he grumbles, flashing me a smile before he leaves.
I don’t spend a lot of time in the shower. I’m sore and tired, and I just want to curl into bed and go to sleep. I could actually skip food and I’d be just fine.
Once I’m finished cleaning the road dust and dirt off of me, I slip my cotton panties on and an oversized shirt of Paxton’s. I do exactly as I’ve been dreaming of, sliding beneath the sheets and curling into a ball, unable to keep my eyes open a second longer.
“Sweetheart,” his rich voice mutters, pulling me from my sleep.
My eyes flutter open and I see him standing in front of me, a bag of fast foot dangling from his fingertips.
“I fell asleep,” I whisper. He grins and gives me a wink before he mutters an, I know, and holds out his hand to help me sit up.
We eat mostly in silence, and I can’t stop from glancing at my handsome husband, a question on the tip of my tongue, but a little scared to actually ask it.
“You gonna ask me or just stare at me?”
“Do you want to move back to Idaho? I want you to be happy, and I have Lis and Theo back home, but you looked so happy with all of your friends. I don’t want you to be miserable or regret being with me because I’m not there—but I don’t know if I can leave California,” I ramble.
“Calm down. Take a deep breath,” he smiles. “I love my club in Idaho. I love the brothers there, and it’s comfortable. My dad was a member and I grew up with almost everyone there.”
I suck in a breath and bite my bottom lip, looking down at my lap. Paxton wraps his hands around mine and gives them a gentle squeeze, which makes me lift my eyes to look at him.
“They’re my friends; and, yeah, to an extent, they’re my family. But, baby, you’re my wife. You’re my family. I go where you go, and your happiness lies in being close to your boys. You’re making girlfriends in the club, and that makes me happy as fuck. I’m not pulling you away from Lis and Theo. They’ve taken care of you for over a decade.”
“Your club’s taken care of you for your whole life,” I whisper.
“Fuck no, they haven’t,” he chuckles. My eyes widen. “Nobody’s taken care of me the way that you have. You’re my sweetheart, my wife, and my life. We’re stayin’ in Cali and that’s where we’re plantin’ down roots, baby,” he states with a nod.
“Really?” I breathe.
“Really, sweetheart,” he grins before he leans down and presses his lips to mine in a hard, closed mouth kiss. “Let’s get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow,” he murmurs.
“Okay,” I sigh.
I fall asleep the instant my head hits the pillow. Paxton’s arms are wrapped around me, and I’ve never felt more content in my entire life.
How did this happen?
How did I end up this damn happy?
I’m afraid to question it too hard, afraid that if I do, it may disappear.
TORCH
I press my lips to the side of her head before I walk out of the hotel and close the door behind me, testing it to make sure that it’s locked. Then I head to my bike to grab Cleo and me some breakfast. I can’t help the grin that appears on my face as I recall our conversation from the evening before.
Cleo was so worried I was giving up the people I loved to be with her. She probably would have packed all her shit and moved to Idaho today had I said that’s what I wanted her to do. But I don’t. I’m happy in Cali, tucked away in the woods with my brothers and their families.
I have Cleo, she still has her friends close, and she’s opening up to the possibility of new friends, too. It’s important in this life to be friends with other Old Ladies. They can hold you up when you need it, and keep you together when shit goes down.
I shake my head, thinking about Genny and Soar. Had she stayed, the club would help her anyway she needed help—money and emotional support alike. She was done, though, and maybe that’s what she needed.
Fuck, god knows she doesn’t need to turn into the bitter and angry woman my mother turned into. I could see the writing on the wall with that, too.
Genny was already angry and bitter, but I could still see hurt and love in her eyes when she looked at Soar. She wasn’t gone yet, like my mother was.
Being in love and being happy is making me a goddamn woman. Like I should give a fuck about Genny and Soar’s happiness. I roll my eyes at my fucking pussy assed self as I pull into the shitty fast food place.
Once I have food for the both of us, I ride back to the hotel. I unlock the door and walk inside.
“Clee,” I call out, freezing at the sight that greets me.
The entire room is trashed. Every piece of furniture that isn’t nailed down is turned over or thrown across from where it originally was.
Dropping the bags of food, I pull my gun out of my waistband, and I clear the room and bathroom. She’s gone. Her shit is still in the corner and her clothes are still inside, which means wherever she is, she’s without shoes and pants.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and contact MadDog.
“Cleo’s gone,” I say, my voice thick.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“I went out to get breakfast. She’s gone. The room’s trashed but empty.”
“Where are you?” he barks as I hear rustling.
“Salem, Oregon,” I say, pinching my eyes closed, knowing it will take him at least six hours to get here. It would take Fury just as long.
Fuck.
Goddamn it.
Son of a bitch.
“On my way. Call Oliver, see what he can discover with his genius hacking abilities. Call Fury, too.”
The call ends and I walk over to the bed and sink down before I start making phone calls. Oliver tells me he’ll tap into the streets around us and their camera systems, and see if he can get a visual of her somewhere. Then he tells me to sit by my phone in case whoever took her tries to call me.
Fuck.
CLEO
My eyes flutter open, my hands tied behind my back, and my ankles tied together. I loll my head to the side and take a good look at one of the men who broke into my hotel room. He chased me and threw me down, causing me to slam my head against the hard ground.
Then they tied me up and threw me in the backseat of the SUV, with no pants. I squirmed, which was the wrong thing to do, because I felt something sharp in my neck. I have a feeling it’s dru
gs, and the reason behind why I’m about two seconds from falling asleep.
“Who are you?” I slur.
“Your man’s club fucked with the wrong people,” he says before he grins. “You’re a pretty little, white redhead. They’ll all like you a whole hell of a lot. You’ll be a great addition to our stable,” he mutters before his blue eyes wink at me.
I open my mouth to ask him what he means, but it won’t move. No part of my body will move, and then the world fades to black around me before it takes me under.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
TORCH
My phone rings, and I answer it without looking at the caller ID.
“I have news,” Oliver’s voice mutters distractedly.
“Yeah,” I grunt.
It’s been three hours, and I’ve heard nothing. Not a fuckin’ thing. I’m starting to go beyond batshit crazy.
“You guys ever have dealings with the Aryans before?” he asks. I hear typing on his keyboard keys.
“Yeah, back years ago. We ended their contract, they tried to kidnap Kentlee, Fury’s wife. We killed a whole fuckin’ bunch of them, but we haven’t heard anything in years,” I explain.
“Well, they’re crazy, so it doesn’t surprise me they hid and waited,” he grumbles.
“That’s who has Cleo?”
“Yeah. I have grainy video of some guys dragging her out of the room and throwing her into a dark blue SUV. I’m trying to find the SUV to see where they’re headed. Luckily, I got a perfect picture of the license plate. I’ll send you the owners info via text, but I have no way of knowing if it’s stolen or not right now, so I’m not sure if it’s helpful,” he explains.
“How do you know it’s Aryan’s?” I ask.
“White guys, no hair, and I recognized their tattoos. The video is grainy, but I zoomed in when I saw the ink,” he explains.
“Give me everything you have. I’ll send some men to check it out,” I say, feeling like I’m going to jump out of my skin.
“All right, sending now. I’m on standby and still researching,” he says before he ends the call.
A few seconds later, my phone sounds with the information. The car is from a little town in California, right on the Oregon and California border called Tulelake.
Fuck, it’s four and a half hours away and they have a three-hour head start, which means they could be almost fucking there.
I send a group text out with the information I have as I rush to my bike. I don’t give a fuck if I go it alone. I’ll die before I sit back and let those bastards fuck with my woman.
I race, hauling ass, and not giving a fuck as I do, toward the address Oliver sent me. Maybe I’m going out of my way, maybe I’m making the wrong choice, but this is the only lead I have, and I’m following it.
I’ve made record time, shaving forty-five minutes off of the drive by the time I find the street. I don’t pull straight up to the house. Instead, I park and check my phone under a tree at the end of the street.
“What do you know?” I ask as soon as the phone connects.
“They didn’t steal the car. That man the SUV is registered to is the new leader. He came out of hiding about six months ago, but he hasn’t done anything, absolutely nothing. He’s held meetings, but they haven’t been buying or trading, guns, drugs, or anything of the like.”
“Thanks, Oliver,” I murmur as my eyes stay glued to the house where I know this bastard lives.
“Be safe, and kill those Nazi fucks,” he practically growls.
I pick up my phone and call the Cali clubhouse to check and see where the guys are when I hear motorcycles coming up behind me. I end the call as I turn around and see fifteen brothers rolling up to me.
“She there?” MadDog shouts above his engine noise before he shuts it off.
“Don’t know, but this guy’s an Aryan. Oliver just confirmed they didn’t steal the car,” I explain.
“We go in through the back, but leave a couple guys on each side and the front. We are not letting these fuckers out,” he growls.
“This have to do with all that shit back a few years ago? Or somethin’ new?” I ask as my brows furrow.
“No fucking clue. Maybe it’s just because they’re crazy fucks. Maybe it’s because they heard what we did to The Cartel and they thought it was a good opportunity to extract their revenge. Fury’ll be here any minute. We’ll wait for his men as extra enforcement,” he says, although it’s as if he’s speaking more to himself than anyone else.
“But why me? Why Cleo?” I ask in confusion.
“Fuck if I know. Those bastards are whacked as shit. Too much fuckin’ meth,” he grunts.
About ten minutes later, the rumble of bikes makes us all turn our attention, and I grin when I see Fury and my brothers ride up.
Cleo was right in the fact that I do miss them. They’re my family, and I love them, but that’s more my past, and she’s my future.
I like MadDog’s club, the men and women that are there, and, in general, they’re good fucking brothers to have.
“Let’s fuck these assholes up. I’m about sick of them,” Fury growls as he marches up to me.
“They been botherin’ you?” I ask as my brows shoot up.
“Didn’t think anything of it,” he admits.
“Of what?” MadDog growls.
“We’ve been focused on The Cartel, on their shit, not this.”
“We have to be able to multi-task. Tell me,” MadDog orders.
“Got a few threatening phone calls. I’ve been keeping extra protection on the women anyway, because of The Cartel, so I kind of ignored them and nothing materialized,” Fury admits.
“Fuck,” MadDog says, looking up at the sky.
“Wouldn’t have mattered anyway. We had no way to know they’d take someone other than Kentlee,” I say.
“This isn’t a coincidence,” MadDog grumbles.
“Do you think… no,” I say, shaking my head.
“What?” both Fury and MadDog ask at the same time.
“Do you think that they’re the ones that were buying women?” I ask. “Clee was on their list. She’d been picked for someone. There was a buyer for her already.”
“Fuck,” MadDog hisses.
“Maybe it wasn’t The Cartel wanting to take our women, but maybe it was the Aryan’s that wanted to buy them, an ultimate fuck you to us,” Fury suggests.
“Let’s get your woman back. We’ll torture the info out of them,” MadDog says with a grin.
I lift my chin and we start to walk toward the house, splitting up. Half of the guys go down the next street to come up through the back.
Another group of guys get on their bikes and ride to the end of the street on the opposite side, so in case shit goes down, we have all exits blocked.
“You ready? Shit could be pretty fuckin’ ugly in there,” MadDog asks the closer we get to the house.
“I’m ready to get my woman,” I growl.
“May not be that easy,” he murmurs.
“Fuck, brother. I know what the fuck I could be walkin’ into,” I bark, getting fed up with his warnings.
“All right.”
I walk right up to the door, looking from side to side to make sure my brothers are ready as I pull my handgun out. Then I bang on the door.
It’s silent for a few seconds before I hear a loud whimper, some shuffling and moving around, then the door opens.
My eyes widen at the man standing on the other side.
CLEO
I’m trapped in a room, still tied up, but I’m at least not alone. There are eight other women who look much like me, tied up by ankles and wrists, in different stages of cleanliness. The only thing we all have in common is our pale skin. I press my lips together and try to keep from crying.
“Who are you?” one girl asks.
“Cleo,” I whisper.
“What chapter is your man from?” she asks. My eyes widen.
“We live in Shasta,” I admit.
&nb
sp; “The original charter. Oh, shit,” another girl whispers.
“What does that mean?”
“It means they’re either really brave, or really stupid. Your man’s club is the main club, the one that makes all major decisions—the one that all the other Notorious Devils have to answer to,” she explains. “I’m Ginger, by the way.”
She’s pretty—light blonde hair, big brown eyes, and delicate features—but she looks dirty and worn.
“Why do they have us?” I ask, afraid to know the answer, but needing it.
“Revenge on the Devils. They want to breed us. We were stolen by The Cartel, then sold to them,” a pretty brunette murmurs.
“Shit, who’s they?” I hiss.
“The Aryans. Do yourself and everyone else a favor—don’t fight them. Just accept it when it’s your turn,” Ginger advises.
“Seriously?” I say with wide eyes.
“They take it out on everybody when you fight. We’ve all tried it and we’ve all ended up bleeding from several places. It’s not worth it,” the brunette whispers.
Shit.
My heart starts to beat wildly inside of my chest, and my bottom lip trembles as I’m now officially on the verge of tears.
“They’re never going to find us, are they?” I ask as my eyes go from woman to woman in the room.
“I’ve been here for a year,” the brunette rasps.
“Oh, fuck,” I say as tears start to stream down my face.
“They don’t know I’m infertile. Once a girl gets pregnant, she’s taken away,” she whispers.
I pinch my eyes closed so tight that I see stars. I want this nightmare to disappear. I want to open my eyes and be in my bed, lying next to Paxton. I don’t even care what bed, the clubhouse, our house, anywhere but here.
“The sun is starting to set,” Ginger whispers.
“What’s that mean?” I ask, opening my eyes to look around.
“It means it’s almost time,” the brunette says in a warning tone.
I don’t ask anything else. I don’t need that clarified. Not in the slightest. I suck in my lips to keep from whimpering as I bring my knees up, resting my cheek on them as I await my fate. Whatever that looks like.
Notorious Devils MC Complete Collection: BoxSet Page 138