Chaos Bound (38 page)

“Oh God.” Naiya bucked against him, rocking over his cock. He pulled out, gave her a teasing thrust, and then returned to her nipples, switching his mouth and his hand, rubbing with his thumb, flicking with his tongue.

She thrashed, churning up the water, shaking with need. “Please.”

“Not yet.” His slid his fingers between them to flick over her clit and then away. She moaned with delight, arched her back, and ground her clit against his hand.

“Holt.” She threaded her fingers though his hair, and pulled him down as she writhed over his cock. He claimed her nipple with his tongue, and bit it gently. Unable to hold back, she lifted herself up and slammed herself down over his cock.

Just like that, he lost it. His cock surged inside her, and he yanked her up and brought her down again, driving deep into her channel.

“Oh, yes!” Her trembling thighs clamped his hips, water splashed, the scent of roses fading beneath the scents of sex and arousal. “I’m so close.”

He lifted her up and yanked her down. Naiya let go of her anxiety and lost herself in the erotic sensation of Holt moving inside her, his long, hard strokes hitting her in just the right place to have her writhing on his lap, desperate for more.

Holt closed his eyes, quickened his thrusts, sending water splashing out of the tub. She could feel his need, his desperation flowing through her, his desire to lose himself in her body. She pressed her knees against his hips and worked her body against his, lost in passion, frantic to give him what he needed.

“Look at me,” she breathed. “Open your eyes, Holt. See me.”

His eyes snapped open, and she saw her need reflected in his eyes. Heat coiled in her belly. She rocked against him, riding his cock as he ground his pelvis against her clit, bringing her closer and closer to release.

“For me, darlin’. Come for me.” He slid one hand between them and slicked her juices over her clit.

Naiya cried out as pleasure crashed through her, a burst of lightening that electrified her body. She sagged against Holt, and his grip tightened. He thrust into her, ratcheting up his pace, his deep thrusts drawing out her orgasm. He came with a raw, guttural groan, his cock pumping hot and hard inside her, the pain of his grip overshadowed by the pleasure of their mutual release.

She melted against him, warm in the fragrant water. She had never felt as complete as she did at this moment; never felt she really belonged until she’d stepped into the circle of his arms.

“I love you, Naiya.” He stroked his hand down her back. “Never thought I had it in me to love someone after my sister died. But you were made for me. We fit together. I don’t regret a single moment I spent with you.”

He loved her, and yet he wanted to throw that love away. He had survived, and yet it was clear he planned to throw his life away. Well, she wouldn’t let him do it.

He might think it was good-bye forever. But it was just good-bye for now.

TWENTY-EIGHT

TANK

When Tank turned the corner onto Sandy Lake’s Main Street, he was engulfed in motorcycles. He slowed his stride, drinking in the shops decorated with the rally colors of black and gold, the welcome banner flapping overhead in the breeze. Hundreds of bikers lined the street to watch the parade of bikes that was a custom for everyone joining the rally. Hands in the pockets of his cut, he wove his way through the crowds and along the rows of vendor stalls, selling rally T-shirts and hats, bike gear, and souvenirs, searching for Holt. He’d received a text from Ella late last night asking him to meet her this morning, and, of course, Holt said he would come.

He pushed thoughts of Ella aside when he spotted Holt waiting for him inside the Sandy Lake Café. A wave of nostalgia hit him hard when he saw the waitress lean down and whisper in Holt’s ear. They’d partied with that pretty waitress last year at the campground outside of town where the real party would start tonight. Although they’d both put on their best moves, she’d spent the night with Sparky, and he and Holt had made a bet about who would get her into bed this year.

Had it really only been a year since he and Holt had nothing more important to worry about than their next lay and their next job for the club? He felt a hundred years old now, aged by the loss of his best friend, and the realization that although Holt had returned, he was nothing like the man he had been before.

Holt looked up and waved a greeting when Tank walked into the café.

Tank joined him at the white Formica counter. “Hey, bro—”

“I got your text,” Holt said abruptly. “Where does Ella want to meet?”

“She’s in the Majestic Plaza Hotel.” Tank looked over Holt’s shoulder and frowned. “Where’s Naiya?”

“Back at our hotel. Shaggy’s keeping watch. I don’t want her wandering the streets. I left her a note telling her to wait for you. After we deal with Ella, you can take her up to the roof. I figure by then everything should be in motion.”

Tank shifted uneasily in his seat. “You don’t have to come with me. I mean … you’ve got more important things to do. I’ll understand.”

“There is nothing more important to me than you and Naiya,” Holt assured him. “I’ve got your back like always. We’ll deal with this bitch together.”

Emotion welled up in Tank’s chest. “She’s a fucking shark. Or maybe a snake. I can’t keep up with her. She always seems to be two steps ahead of me, and when I start asking questions, she whips off her clothes, and I can’t think about anything but fucking her. She’s fucking hot, man. Beautiful, but dangerous.”

“So the fuck am I.” Holt threw a few bills on the counter. Tank laughed, letting some of his tension go as they walked out of the café.

“Not pretty enough, brother. If I recall she dumped a beer on your head when you tried to get her into bed.” Tank skirted around a group of Skull Crackers who had recently pledged allegiance to the Sinners.

“I pissed her off on purpose,” Holt said. “She made my fucking skin crawl. At some point I decided the challenge wasn’t worth the risk.”

If Tank were as perceptive as Holt, he wouldn’t be in this mess, but he’d been a long time without a woman and with Holt gone, he’d suffered again from the lack of self-esteem that had plagued him since he was a kid. “She’s stacked, man. Tits out to here. Curves all over the place. Her skin is so fucking soft and smooth. Her hair is always perfect. She’s like a doll. I never had a woman like her. Never thought I was worth—”

“Don’t say it.” Holt cut him off with a bark. “You’re worth fifty fucking Ellas. No. One hundred. One thousand.” Holt turned down a side street, and they made their way down the back alleys to the Majestic, a ten-story hotel overlooking Sandy Lake. “She’s not even worth the time it would take to fuck her.”

“That’s not gonna be an issue,” Tank mumbled as he took in the lavish gold-and-red reception area, the huge crystal chandelier and the slick marble floors. “I’m more worried about keeping my dick around her than using it.”

They took the elevator to the tenth floor and walked down the hallway to door 1147. Holt made a quick check of the corridor and the exit then nodded for Tank to knock. Ella opened the door right away and gestured him inside. She looked perfect as usual, her blonde hair sleek and shiny, her voluptuous body encased in a form-fitting white dress, and her vivid blue eyes cold and clear. The only imperfection Tank could see was a fresh smudge of red lipstick at the corner of her mouth, as if she’d been kissed only moments ago.

“James. How nice to see you again.”

Holt came up behind him and slammed the door open. “You get two for the price of one this morning, sweetheart.”

Ella barely flinched. “And you brought a little friend. Your missing friend, if I remember correctly. The one who murdered that Black Jack back in Still Water. Are you really so scared of me, James, that you needed to bring him with you? You were very much in control when we were in bed together. Or don’t you remember?”

“Shut the fuck up.” Tank gritted his teeth and walked into the room. Decorated in dark, heavy wood, rich blue carpets, and gold brocade furniture, with a separate bedroom off to the side, the suite was at least five times the size of his room at the clubhouse.

Ella closed the door behind them and leaned against the wall, arms folded. “Don’t be rude,” she admonished. “I could have just handed this tape over to the police or aired it on the six o’clock news. I’m doing you a favor by offering to give it to you.”

“How the fuck did you get into my phone?” Tank snapped. “I don’t sleep that heavy, and the phone was in my pocket all night. I woulda felt you taking it out.”

“Not if you were drugged.” She lifted a creamy shoulder and shrugged. “Hard to tell the difference between a man who’s had too much to drink and a man who’s been given a little something to help him sleep, so I can use his thumb to unlock his phone.”

“You fucking bitch.” Tank started toward her, and Holt held out his hand.

“Hear her out, brother. You’re on the back foot here.”

Ella fiddled with the shiny gold doorknob beside her. “Listen to him, James. He’s the smart one. He knew enough to stay away from me the first time we met. But then he went and got himself caught by Viper and left you all alone. Poor James. So trusting. So lonely. Such easy prey without his savvy friend by his side to warn him away.”

Holt growled. “What the fuck do you want? Spit it out or quit wasting our time.”

“We want you.” Ella gestured behind them. And fuck, if it wasn’t the ATF dude who had been after Naiya standing in the doorway to the bedroom, his weapon aimed at Holt. Tank reached into his cut for his gun, but Ella quickly pulled a weapon from the table beside her and pointed it in his direction.

“Hands where I can see them.”

A howl of anguish ripped out of Tank’s throat. Holt was here because of him. He was going to die because he had come to help Tank. How fucking stupid could he be? Why hadn’t he realized the whole thing with Ella was a trap?

“Ah. The loyal hound.” Michael chuckled, his bruised and battered face contorting into something like a smile. “I think he’d probably take a run at us if he thought he’d be able to dodge my bullet.” His gaze flicked to Holt and his eyes hardened. “But then, Viper said you would do the same for him, which is why it was so easy to separate you from Naiya after Ella caught him in her web.”

“What the fuck?” Tank growled.

“Still trying to catch up?” Michael glanced over at Ella and shrugged. “You didn’t tell him?”

Her face tightened. “Tell him what? Viper didn’t confide in me. We had a deal. He gave me a story and I gave him T-Rex … among other things.” She swallowed hard. “My job is done. I got my story and paid for it with my damn soul and all my living-room furniture.”

“Why?” Tank muttered. “Why does he want Holt so bad? Wasn’t three months in the dungeon enough to punish him for saving Evie?”

“Viper doesn’t want him.” Michael smoothed his black suit jacket, and Tank wondered what had happened to the torn, bloodstained suit he’d been wearing when the Sinners tossed him in the alley behind Rider’s Bar after teaching him a lesson about touching their women. Too bad they hadn’t just offed him when they had the chance.

“He wants Naiya,” Michael continued. “But Holt rarely left her side. And every time she was alone, Holt showed up to save her. He said you were the one person Holt called for in the dungeon; the person he thought would be coming to save him. Viper figured you were the only reason he’d leave her alone.”

“You work for Viper?” Holt’s lips curled in disgust. “He’s got the fucking ATF in his pocket?”

Michael shrugged. “He’s got everyone in his pocket. He owns most of the state police, a handful of ATF agents, judges, senators … Soon his reach will extend beyond the state. He’ll lead the Jacks not just in Montana, but nationwide. But that kind of power requires money. A lot of money. The kind of money Naiya will have in a few short months.”

Tank automatically turned his gaze to Holt. He looked calm, composed. And yet, a vein in his neck throbbed and his jaw was clenched tight.

“Naiya doesn’t have any money,” Holt said.

“Not yet. But, she will. And as soon as it’s hers, she’ll be transferring it all to her new husband.” Michael cocked his head to the side, and for a moment he looked almost sympathetic. “Viper is on his way to meet his bride-to-be as we speak, and then they’re heading down to Sandy Lake’s city hall.”

Tank glanced over at Ella. Her expression had changed from bitterness to disgust.

“That’s why he wants her?” she spat out. “He’s going to force her into marriage to get her money? I thought misogyny was dead, but now I see it’s alive and well in the biker world.”

“Don’t be such a hypocrite,” Tank snapped, seeing an opening. Ella may have been prepared to cross lines for her story, but she was a professional, educated, modern woman, and it was clear she was appalled by Viper’s plan. “We’re here because of you,” he continued. “He’s going to get her because of you. Was the story worth it? I know he was at your place the other night when I showed up. You sold your body and your soul. You’re as much a part of this as he is.”

His barb hit home, and she winced but recovered quickly. “I didn’t want him there. It was just supposed to be about getting something to blackmail you with to keep you in line in exchange for a story. But Viper wanted more and more, and he had something on me.”

“Shut the fuck up, Ella.” Michael swung his gun to point at Tank. “And you shut the fuck up, too. Enough talking.”

But the damage had been done. Tank had clearly rattled Ella, and she was no longer fully on board with Michael’s plan, whatever that might be. Tank glanced over at Holt, flicked his gaze to Ella and back again. Holt gave an almost imperceptible nod. They might have an ally, but with Michael to contend with, the odds still weren’t in their favor. And time was ticking. Naiya was in danger.

And now, she was alone.

TWENTY-NINE

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Naiya startled, yanking the curtains closed and casting her hotel room into semi-darkness.

“Look through the peep hole,” she whispered to Ally. “Tell me who it is.”