“Let’s do this.”
EVE
He didn’t come home last night. I shouldn’t care, but I do.
“Asshole.”
Dewey woke me fifteen minutes ago and now I’m pacing. Nothing like opening your eyes to an unfamiliar face and having a phone shoved at you.
A small knock jerks my eyes to the door. “Unbelievable.”
“Um… Eve? Blade wanted me to—”
I rip the door open and Dewey jumps back, his hand instinctively protecting his wound.
“Why are you here? I thought I took care of you.”
His eyes are bugging out of his head. His dark hair is buzzed and he looks young—my age. Blade said he was slow. That might work to my advantage.
“Umm…” He looks at his boots as I roll my eyes. “Blade, that is Prez, is gone.” He licks his lips.
“No shit.”
He winces, and I feel a pang of guilt. It’s as though I’ve kicked a puppy.
I take a breath and twist my long hair on top of my head securing it with a rubber band.
“He told me to tell you to turn on your phone.”
I snort in disgust. “I’m shutting the door. You tell your Prez, if he wants to talk to me he can come home. Otherwise I’m busy.”
“Wait.” He puts his hand out. “I have something else to tell you and you’re making me forget it. You talk too fast.” He stares down at his feet again.
“God.” I look up at the ceiling. “I’m such a bitch,” I mumble then hold my hands out in a calming gesture. “Take your time, Dewey. What else did Blade want me to know?” This poor guy is a bit slow.
“Oh.” His face lights up. “He said he will be back in a couple days and I am supposed to watch over you.” He’s so proud I almost smile.
“I don’t understand.” I lean on the door and Dewey’s eyes follow my every move. “Why do I need you to watch me?”
“Because you are the Prez’s girl and he must think I’m the most trustworthy.”
This time I do laugh. “Wow, I feel so special.” He cocks his head confused again.
“Never mind. You got a car, Dewey?”
“No.”
Shit, I was hoping to get some more supplies. Maybe have him stop by the carnival to see what’s going on and if my dad has been taken care of.
“I have a Harley.” He smiles. He’s not ugly if you don’t notice the faraway look in his eyes.
“Even better. Listen, I’m going to get ready and I need you to help me run some errands.”
I shut the door on his surprised face. I’m in and out of the shower, makeup on, and in a new pair of black jeans and a tight charcoal T-shirt in under fifteen minutes.
I swing open the door with my brightest smile and stop when I’m greeted by Edge not Dewey. My bag slides to the floor.
“Where’s Dewey?”
“What are you doing?” His penetrating blue eyes make me feel guilty.
“I’m going shopping.” I arch my eyebrows at him.
“No, you’re not.” He crosses his arms and suddenly I see why Dolly was with this guy. With his auburn hair and his huge arms tatted up, the guy is hot.
“Why? What am I supposed to do?”
He sighs. “Hold on.” I watch as he pulls out his phone. I turn toward the window watching two guys clean the pool.
“She wants to go shopping again. She wants Dewey to take her on his bike.”
I look over at him and shoot him a glare. Uh-huh… I’ll tell her.” He hangs up.
“Turn on your phone if you ever want to leave this room.” He points at my phone on the dresser and walks out.
“Jesus, is everyone an ass?” I mumble as I power up my new phone. It starts ringing immediately. I almost don’t answer but the only person I’m hurting is myself.
“Hello.”
“Angel.” I shiver as his gravelly voice seeps into my skin. And just like that he makes me forget that he didn’t come home last night. That I never thought I would want sex and yet all I’ve been thinking about is how good he made me feel.
“Yes,” I breathe out.
“You are not allowed to go on anyone’s bike but mine,” he says, his voice a low rumble. “If you can’t follow the simple rules, Eve, I will have you locked in and you’ll stay there until I come home.”
That snaps me out of his sexiness. “Well, what exactly do you want me to do? I’m not used to not working. Also, I need to make sure my father is okay.” I hear him inhale on a cigarette.
“Well, I guess we both need to work on trust. I trust you to behave while I work, and you trust me to take care of your father.”
“Why didn’t you come home last night?” I sound crazy, especially since I don’t actually like him.
“Why?”
“What do you mean?” I start pacing. I can’t be locked in this room for days—I’ll go insane.
“What difference does it make to you? You’re mine. That’s all you need to know.” His deep voice turns me on. God, if I’m not careful, I’m gonna start thinking he’s a good guy instead of the ruthless man who had Ryder turn off my dad’s oxygen.
“Please, tell me I’m not a prisoner. I promise to be good.” I stop and stare at the skanky picture of Crystal and stick my tongue out at it.
“You’re welcome to go shopping with Edge in a car. And Eve?”
“Yeah?”
“I want your phone on at all times.”
I roll my eyes. “Sounds perfect. Should I call you Prez? Master?”
“No, I want you to call me Jason.”
Silence. My heart is pounding as excitement snakes down to my belly.
“And when I get back, I’ll take you to see your dad. Be good, baby.” I hear the line go dead before I can respond.
“Shit.” I close my eyes taking in deep breaths. I look up to see Edge watching me.
“You okay?” His lips twitch as my face starts to burn. I’m sure I’m flushed.
“I’m fine,” I snap. “Do you guys go and take off all the time?”
He looks around the room bored. “Do you want me to take you somewhere?”
“No, I thought Dewey was my guy?” Hopefully I don’t sound obvious.
“Sorry, Wildcat, if you want out, you go with me. You want to stay here, Dewey is fine.” He turns to leave.
“Fine, I guess I’ll go to the pool.” I shut the door and think for a second. I can’t shoplift with Edge spying on me. Dewey was perfect but that seems to not be happening. I tap my new boot on the floor. Fuck it, at least I’ll have a killer tan if all I do is sit by the pool and swim until Jason comes back.
“Jason.” I say his name out loud and I like it. I grab my bikini and change. In all honesty, if I’m going to sunbathe every day, I will need another bathing suit. I toss some sunscreen into my bag and open my door, half excepting to see Edge. I’m alone. Clutching my bag close, I head down the steps. I’m barely outside when I’m joined by Edge.
“Now what? I thought you said this is Dewey’s turf?” I look around but it’s only us. I roll my eyes and go straight to my side of the pool and drop onto the cushioned lounger. A huge stainless grill, which wasn’t there yesterday, has appeared in the corner.
“Dewey’s busy today. I decided to join you.” Edge saunters over dressed in torn jeans, his vest, and boots.
I shade my eyes. “Really? Nice bathing suit.” I can’t help it—Edge is being absurd.
He lies back on the lounger next to me and throws one of his tatted arms over his eyes.
“Pretend I’m not here,” he grunts.
I scoot back and close my eyes. “That shouldn’t be hard,” I snip. The day is beautiful: sunny but not scorching. The warmth sinks into my skin and I sit up to spray on some sunscreen.
Standing, I observe Edge. He’s definitely hot, no doubt about it. Auburn hair, freckles but still tans. Tall, not as tall as Jason or Ryder, but tall.
“How old are you?” He drops his arm and opens one eye.
“W
hy?”
I shrug. “Curious.”
“Twenty-eight.” He closes his eyes again but puts a muscled arm behind his head.
“So, you fucked around on Dolly, huh?” I smirk as he instantly sits up.
“What did she tell you?” He looks tortured, almost sad at the mention of her.
“Just that loving a Disciple was like loving a rock star.”
Again his eyes change and he looks almost dazed at the pool. “She’s not cut out for this kind of life.” He reaches into his back pocket for his pack of cigarettes and lights up. “Very few are.” He looks at me as I spray the sunscreen all over my shoulders and arms.
“I guess.” I put my sunglasses back on. “I mean, she’s sweet and beautiful. If I was a guy, I’d want her.” Lifting the frames, I wink at him.
He snorts. “Wanting her is not the problem.”
“What is it then?” I lean back so that I can see his face.
Guilt is eating this guy up. He takes a huge inhale and lets it out slowly. “You need to be able to put up with a lot of shit, be able to support this kind of life…” He shakes his head. “Few women can live like this”—he gestures all around, his cigarette hanging out of his mouth—“and be happy.”
“Because you guys can’t keep your dicks in your pants?”
He lays back. “Yeah, maybe. I was young and high. Trust me, if I could take it back, I would. It’s… to be a partner you have to look the other way or join in.”
That stops me and I set down my can of sunscreen. “Well, I think if you truly love someone, you have their back no matter what.”
Flicking his cigarette on the concrete, he looks at me. “You might be one of the few. I guess we’ll see.” He stares up at the sky. “Dolly was not.” He closes his eyes.
“So—”
“I’m done talking.”
I can’t help but smile. These guys act so tough, but the right woman can bring them to their knees. This is new to me seeing as I have never given this much thought. I never thought I would want someone. Not that I want Jason… but what would it be like to be his? Today, when he said I was his… my whole body got hot. What would it feel like to have him look at me like Edge looks at Dolly?
God, I’m losing it. I have to stay sharp. No man is ever going to be all that. All they do is lie and disappoint you. I need to stop daydreaming and start planning. My dad needs me, not Jason.
BLADE/JASON
It feels good to ride. Once we got the hell out of traffic, we were able to stretch our legs. There is nothing like the numbing vibration of a bike working at its best out in the middle of nowhere.
I can’t help but smirk. Eve’s tight pussy might be better, but other than that I can’t think of one thing I enjoy more. As we all rumble into town, I notice a new donut shop opening up and wonder if Eve likes sweets. Shaking my head, I practically slap myself. I need to cut this shit out. I can’t believe how much my thoughts have swayed already to her today. It’s bothering me because I don’t do this. Like never. I fuck and leave. It’s the way I am. Taking a deep breath, I assure myself it’s only that she’s new and innocent. It’s not like I’m going to fall in love with this one. I don’t fall in love, and I’m not even sure I’m capable of it. With the need to ride and clear my head satisfied, now I want to take a hot shower. I stink of stale booze, dirt, and sweat. It got hot riding on the black pavement. Parking our bikes, we go straight for the main house. Three women stoned out of their minds look up and smile at me and my posse.
“Where’s Doc?” I ask the one who at least is able to stand.
“Umm… I think he’s cooking.” Her glassy eyes tell me they’ve been sampling my drug. Gritting my teeth, I head upstairs barking out an order to find Doc and Sandy. I enter my bedroom and look around. It’s ingrained in me. I learned real quick when I was in the SEALS never to trust anyone besides my brothers. And never enter a room unaware. Stripping off my leather jacket, cut, and T-shirt, I pick up my phone and pull up my tracker on Eve’s phone. Even as I do this I know I shouldn’t, but it’s almost as if I’ve been possessed and can’t stop myself. The little red dot shows her location at the compound and I have to force myself not to text Edge to confirm. Tossing the phone on the bed, I strip and get into the shower ignoring my tight balls and rock-hard erection. I need to deal with Doc and our “product” and get back to LA so that I can fuck Eve out of my system. Or not. I mean, she’s mine. I bought her. Why not keep her, and I won’t have to worry about any crazy chicks anymore. Someone knocks on the door as I’m pulling on a pair of clean jeans.
“Enter,” I bellow, aggravated at my thoughts.
Sandy opens the door and I almost roll my eyes. She’s using again, which would explain Doc’s absence.
“Blade, Axel said you wanted to see me?” She averts her eyes.
“Yeah… how are things doing here?”
She shrugs, her long, greasy hair looking darker than it actually is. “Oh… you know, been helping Doc take care of business.”
I snort. “Sandy, cut the shit. You’re using. Where’s Doc?” Her haunted brown eyes look up at me, and a wave of compassion fills me.
“I… all I was doing was sampling a new drug he’s been working on. I haven’t used up until today.” And there goes my compassion. Nothing like trying to talk to a junkie. They’ll swear they’re clean even if you catch them with a needle in their arm.
“Where’s Doc?” I say, pulling on a faded gray Van Halen T-shirt.
“I think he’s at the lab.” She leans against the wall. Jesus she’s so fucked up, she’s literally falling asleep on her feet. When I grab her arm, her eyes pop open as I propel her down the stairs with me and plant her ass on the couch with the other junkies.
“Blade,” she mumbles as she cowers with a girl who looks at me, terrified. Christ, what do they think? I’m going to hit them?
“I don’t have time for this shit.” Walking into the hallway, I bang on Axel’s door.
“Come on, man. Time to roll.”
Axel opens his door, pulling up his pants. Candy sits up from the bed. She leans on her elbows, her large fake breasts still wet where Axel’s jizz is dripping down to her stomach.
“You need a release, Blade?” Her pointy red nails trail down her stomach as she spreads her legs.
“No,” I snap, and they stare at me wide-eyed. I turn and walk outside leaving the door open to get some fresh air in the stagnant house. I light a cigarette and breathe the nicotine in deeply. Rolling my neck, I hear it crack.
“You okay, man?” Axel walks out putting on his sunglasses.
Ignoring the question, I say, “Where the fuck is everyone?”
He stands there, looking at me.
“Jesus, Axel, I’m tired and hungover.” I rub the back of my neck completely regretting my decision to ride out here.
“See, this”—he points at me—“this is what I was talking about last night.”
Flicking my cigarette, I straddle my bike. “Axel, just because I have no desire to fuck Candy with your load dripping down her tits does not have anything to do with Eve.”
“Since when haven’t you wanted to fuck Candy with or without his love cultures on her?” Ox says from behind me.
Sitting on my bike, I’m ready to go off on both of them.
Axel interrupts my rant with, “I guess it’s Ginger’s birthday. Most of the guys are at the club celebrating,” a shitty, knowing smile on his face. I shake my head and start up my bike and peel out. Their bikes rumble behind me as we twist around the bend and over a dirt road to our lab. The smell of chemicals wafts through the air about a half mile before I even pull up.
“What the fuck?” Ox coughs into his cut.
“Christ, Axel call Ryder and get his ass over here.” I pound on the door. “Doc?” Silence and plastic bottles are strewn across the ground along with a lot of fast food trash.
“Fuck, it’s hot as shit out here.” I step back and break open the door, shaking my head at how ea
sy that was.
“What the hell?” Axel steps in and kicks at a couple of Disciples who are passed out on the floor.
“They dead?” I plow through the garbage in search of Doc. The kitchen is where the lab is. Doc has three stoves on and numerous things are cooking in pots. The chemical stench is so heavy it makes my heart pound and throat raw simply from standing in the room. I turn off the burners and open up some windows as I turn to the sound of the back door opening. Doc walks in and freezes.
“Axel? Talk to me.” My eyes never leave Doc. He looks like shit. The other night at the party, I saw him all of a minute as he patched up poor Dewey. Now that he’s standing next to me, his sallow skin and his already thin body make it look as though he’s ready to collapse.
“They’re alive. I’ve got Ryder coming with a truck to take them to the ER.”
“We need to get the fuck out of here. Anyone else?”
Doc stares then starts crying and sinks to his knees.
“Christ.” I reach for him and drag him out of the kitchen, tossing him in the dirt as I head back in to check the bedrooms.
Axel meets me in the hall as we check the rooms. “What the fuck happened?” His eyes are glassy as I’m sure mine are too.
“Light this place on fire. I’m done with this shit.”
He nods. “I’ll try and save as much as I can. This is definitely going to cause a big problem.”
I look around at the house that no one should ever set foot in and I’m fucking done.
“Prez? Doc’s not doing well,” Ox yells as he comes around the corner.
“Stay with Axel,” I grunt, spitting all the shitty chemicals out of my mouth.
Ryder has arrived and stands with Doc, who is puking, and the two other Disciples, both prospects. They seem brain dead as they convulse and stare.
“Get them out of my sight.” I look at Ryder.
“We take them to the hospital, there’ll be a lot of questions,” he announces the truth.
I look around. The sun’s still bright and it’s hot. Maybe I’m not in the mood to deal with bodies or maybe I don’t want to kill my childhood friend.
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