Cole: Chrome Horsemen MC (18 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

It was near twelve-thirty and the meeting was well underway, though things were already sounding bad, when Cole's phone rang. Since phones had been ringing from the start and well before, he checked the display and saw it was Nicole calling. He answered, walking to the corner they were using for this, so as not to interrupt the discussion.

Cole was actually a little surprised he was here at all since he wasn't an officer, or even an outrider any longer.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Hey, Cole, look, I tried. I really tried," Nicole began.

"What are you -- "

"Just listen, all right? I have to get ready, so I don't have a lot of time for this. But I thought you deserved to hear it from me. Since we have hooked up, you've almost been killed how many times? Two, three? And now there's a war and men are already dying. I don't know if they were good men or not, but you could be next and might be as soon as Gabe puts this together. Now we know Lou is in the game and, baby, that's not the life I was looking for when I left here. I know exactly who Lou is, just needed to know we were talking about the same Lou. See, he's a client, Cole. I know what he's like. I know him a whole lot better than anyone else and he couldn’t care less how many of your men are blood splatters. He really, very truly, doesn't care. Lou's already been paid, up front, by Gabriel for the month.

“So, anyway, honestly, the bottom line is I miss it. I know I told you I wouldn't and I really believed that was true when I said it. I really did. But I do. So, I'm back and hopefully we can all get back to business. You can check with Angie and verify that I got into a cab all on my own, and had it drive me back here.

"Goodbye, Cole. It was more than I've ever experienced before, but I got to go. Oh, and always remember what I told you. Bye."

The connection broke.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

When Nicole left Big Jim's office earlier that day with Cole and Brian, the sunlight hurt her eyes as they stepped out into the perfect blue day. The emotional wars inside of her created patches of shivers in unpredictable places and she couldn't slow her churning thoughts down. Cole apparently noticed that she was distraught, but he didn't understand why and she couldn't tell him, or he would stop her -- and now, it had to be today. She definitely had to act today.

Learning that Louis "Lou" Donadio was now invested in this gang war between the Chrome Horsemen and Gabriel's organization meant that there was going to be a great deal of blood spilled today, and even more tomorrow, if she didn't do something. Big Jim understood what he was up against and was still planning on finishing this war.

That simply wasn't acceptable to Nicole. She couldn't live with this afterward, knowing that if she had acted, she could have saved many of the Horsemen from deaths they didn't deserve. She knew who Lou was, of course. He was a client of hers. One of her first and a first regular, as well. Max and Lou were the only regulars she had who never missed their scheduled days. Others would sometimes miss. Of course they always paid her rate for the night to Gabriel and would always send her a gift of apology, just to ensure that they remained on her list, but never Max or Lou.

Unlike Max, Lou frightened her and until his bubble popped, she would be so nervous around him that she was sure she wouldn’t be able to perform well enough to get inside. She always managed to do so, though she often wondered how. From the time he came in until the moment she burst through, her fear of him was close to paralyzing. Until she discovered his deep affinity for boats, sailing, and the waterways of the Great Lakes, she felt terror before each visit -- this time, this time she wouldn't get through.

After this discovery, she thought of Lou as her lost seaman and took to calling him
Captain
when his bubble burst and Lou would finally be in bed with her. Then she discovered his ultimate pinprick -- a needle that burst his bubble almost instantly.

Near the beginning of last year, she was attempting to put together a model ship to help learn the names of things and how the riggings worked with the sails, and all the other details sailboats are full of. When Lou came over, he was as dark as she had ever felt him before and she instantly prescribed a longer decompression that evening, but then he spied the model and it was like it magnetized him. He continued to glance at it, distracted constantly away from his laptop during her allowed decompression.

"Do you like it?" she finally asked, bringing him his second bourbon. "The riggings are very difficult."

"Yeah?" he asked a little wistfully.

"Yep," she admitted. "I know all of the knots and I understand how riggings should work…" and then she felt a seriously boyish, but deep desire in him, and added on impulse, "…could you help me, maybe?"

Pop.

After that, even the darkest Lou didn't terrorize her any longer. This was not to say he didn't frighten her any longer; she wasn't an idiot. Just because you knew how to sail a storm didn't mean you did so if there wasn’t a safe harbor nearby. She gave dark Lou all of the respect and focus he deserved -- at least until her Captain arrived.

She could tease Captain mercilessly, though he would eventually fight back and chase her around the apartment to tickle her. He loved to laugh, especially at himself. But she never, ever, mixed the two of them up.

Yes, she knew exactly who Lou was. She knew about his smuggling, his takeovers, and his tactics. She knew how to read him and understood the consequences of reading him wrong. She knew him far better, she was very certain, than anyone else in this world. And that's why she knew she had to act today, before Lou got tired of this little war and swept the Horsemen and Cole with them away.

Jim was right: Lou expected the Horsemen to quit now that they realized he was in the game. To Lou, this would be a given, a simple fact, like weather. He respected strength and even a measured amount of defiance. Strong men and strong adversaries were very precious to Lou -- he didn't often get to meet them these days. So Jim standing his ground against Lou's enforcers today, and perhaps tomorrow, would earn him a great deal of respect from Lou -- but not the day after. Maybe not even tomorrow. Lou didn't respect idiots. Defiance was one thing; suicidal stupidity was quite another.

"Milwaukee and Detroit will be riding in tomorrow," Brian said to Cole, interrupting her thoughts.

"That will add what? Two hundred to the ranks?" Cole estimated as they reached their bikes.

"About that, yeah," Brian agreed.

Two hundred? Were they fucking insane? They're just going to piss dark Lou off!

She felt lightheaded suddenly and leaned against Cole who wrapped his arm around her, "You all right?"

She nodded and said, "Just got a little woozy there for a minute. Can we still stop at the super-store? I really need a change of clothes. Nothing fancy, just
clean
would be fine. Then I can go shopping with Angie later."

Cole shrugged and looked to Brian.

"I don't mind and the three coming with us probably won't either," Brian told him.

Cole looked down at her, "Can't have my girl feeling un-girly."

She grinned at him, "Good, because I can barely stand myself now. I should get my laptop and bag from the hotel room as well, right?"

Cole nodded, "Don't think we'll be coming back, so, yeah, good thinking."

After the hotel check out, they hit the store. Brian and the other three, who she still wasn't introduced to yet, remained outside in front while Cole took her inside. She felt more than a few eyes on her as she was escorted to the front door by five, large, armed men, which had her feeling slightly self-conscious in the clothes she was wearing.

She picked out a pantsuit, which was simple but fit her decently, then added panties and bra. She changed in the dressing room, removing all of the price tags to present to the cashier. Adding a chocolate bar to the pile, to Cole's amusement, they checked out and were back on the road with her old clothing in the saddlebags.

The ride to Rat's house was tense for her, but wound up being uneventful.

Angie, a stunning Puerto Rican woman Nicole's age, greeted them on the walk up to the house, with smiles and familiarity. She hugged Cole and gave the others warm welcomes.

"Cole is a very good man," she told Nicole. "You are so very lucky that I found my Rat first."

Nicole liked her instantly. Brian and the others waited outside again while Cole followed her in. Angie showed her the room they had to offer, which was a well-decorated, cozy guest room that she honestly didn't expect to find in a house owned by a man named Rat. However, in a house owned and ran by Angie, it fit perfectly. She grinned, having a feeling that Rat was likely a guest in his own house.

Angie seemed to read her mind when she said, "He gets the garage and some of the backyard around the grill. Any more, is just confusing for him."

Nicole returned her conspiratorial smile and then said, "I really need to change, Angie. I'll be right out." Then to Cole she said, "I need to talk to you before you leave. Won't be long. We can do it while I change."

Angie practically gave her a wink inside the grin she crafted with her full lips, but said, "I'll get the men some beers." Then she left them alone, throwing that grin back over her shoulder at Nicole as she left.

Nicole pulled Cole inside the little room and began undressing as soon as they were across the threshold, forcing Cole to close the door.  "I have to tell you something, Cole, something very serious for me," she said, as articles of clothing fell into a pile. She wasn't going for allure; she was ripping them off for speed.

"Serious?"

"Very serious. In fact, I've never been in this position before, so I'll probably fuck it all up," she told him as she unsnapped her bra. "But I hope I don't. I mean, I probably will since I've never done it before, but it’s one of those things that you really want to do right, ya know?"

"Um," he tried.

"But it's kind of like your virginity. You want it to be real and thrilling and sensuous, but all you really know about those things at the time is how to spell the words, right?"

"Um," he tried again since it seemed to work last time.

"So, I know this is most likely the exact time not to do this," she said, tossing her panties to the pile and coming over to him, taking his belt into her hands and beginning to work it open, "But you are riding off into a very scary situation now and I don't want to think about this being the last chance, but it could be. It really could be."

She had his belt undone and his pants open before his hands could stop her. When he did grab her hands, she looked up to his eyes, and said, "I love you Cole. I was getting to the point I never thought I would say that to someone, but here you are. And no matter what you hear or what someone you might meet knows about my past or whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you. Very truly love you. Even if it looks and feels and you swear that it can't possibly be true, that will never change. Ever."

CHAPTER FORTY

They stared into each other then and she felt that she was looking into her older-Cole's eyes, as well, into the man's eyes she would be with ten years from now. She felt like they were stealing a moment together, because the boys were being taken care of and they had a few minutes and they missed the times when they had all the time in the world with each other. This wasn't Angie's guest room anymore; it was their room in their house, their last refuge from the constant demands of family life -- not that they would give that up for the world, but they did miss this.

"For a first time," Cole said after a bit, his voice soft and deeply dreamy, "that wasn't bad."

The smile that came to her face was hers without a single impurity of contrived performance. It was just her, smiling at him. "Good," she answered, her voice now soft and purring. "Now, I need you. Right here, right now, so don't fight me."

He started to glance back at the door, "But--"

"The boys will be fine," she told him, her hand on his cheek, turning him back to her -- wondering exactly, which
boys
she was referring to, the bikers outside or the kids playing out in the yard with their visiting grandmother.

When his attention was on her again, she returned to pulling apart his pants and getting his cock out, "Just a quickie," she hummed playfully. "Up against the wall, maybe?" she offered with his cock now in her stroking hand.

She thought he would hesitate, that she would have to persuade him just a little bit more, but then he spun her and put her against the wall. He was so tall, she wasn't sure this position was going to work for them, but as she was thinking this, his cock found her opening and then his thrust lifted her up on her toes, "Oh dear god, yes!"

The spreading, stretching feeling his cock did to her was divine in this position. She lifted her ass and thrust back with his efforts to fill her completely. "Fuck yes! Oh shit, Cole! Fuck! You are so fucking good!"

His hand took a hold of her hair and pulled her back, arching her spine, lifting her breasts. It was just the right thing to do, at just the right time and she climaxed wildly, her eyes rolling like a panicked animal, "I love you! Fuck me, Cole! Fuck me! God I love you so fucking much!"

She was lost in climax when he was finally inside of her completely and pounding his hips into her firmly curved ass. His impacts clapped hard into the room and drove her savage with the visuals it gave her. "Give it to me! Please, Cole! I need it! Give it to me!"

He came hard, lifting her completely off the ground, sliding her up the wall, her head back and screaming.  Then he came out of he, and with such ease and familiarity that it felt like they had done this together a hundred times at least, he scooped her up in his cradling arms and stepped back to sit down with her on the edge of the bed.

Nicole curled and snuggled, but discovered that part of her attention was seeking the boys with her ears.
They're fine,
she told that part of herself, appeasing her mother-hen instincts --
we're all going to be just fine. And I'll make sure of that, today,
Nicole promised.

The bikes roared to life and Angie and Nicole stood on the sidewalk, waving them goodbye. Then the two women went back inside. They chatted for a while in the kitchen, which was new for Nicole. Her life never brushed up against such domestic events before. She found it felt so good she had to force herself to leave, to make the excuse of checking her stocks in order to pry herself away and get back to the bedroom.

She couldn't delay this, though, and there would be plenty of afternoons to spend with Angie, who she already thought of as a friend. Once in the guest room again, she sat down on the edge of the bed and took several deep, focusing breaths, and called him.

"Nicole?"

"Yes, Gabriel, it's me. So how much? Let's talk," she said, her voice all business now and all of her negotiation skills rising. She felt that Max would approve.

Gabriel paused and, with slight confusion, said, "How much for what?"

"I'm not stupid, Gabriel, and you are causing strife. So, let's talk cash. What's it going to take for you to drop all this bullshit and leave me alone?"

"I don't understand," he said, his voice still sounding confused.

"Yes you do. You would understand perfectly if this were Lou on the phone," she told him.

"Lou? How do you know about Lou?"

"You're kidding, right? The whole fucking city of Chicago knows you have brought Lou into this childish infatuation with me. You have what? Fifty suits walking around your house? It is very obvious who you ran to, Gabriel. They know it, I know it, and now let's get back on topic. How much is it going to take, Gabriel?"

"You're serious," he said, his voice changing to firmer ground. "You want to settle with me?"

She let out a long sigh of exasperation, "Yes," she said as if discussing things with a petulant child. "How much?"

"One million," he said, and she could hear the snide smile coming through the connection.

She had it. As of yesterday, the buy-in she did on a biotech startup brought her up and over the top of her first million. But, if she just said yes now, he wouldn't take her as seriously when she showed up to pay and she needed him to see this as a business deal.

"Get serious, Gabriel. You wouldn't ask that for Antonio and Davis together. Start reasonable, or maybe I'll tell Lou why he's wasting resources – the real reason. Think he would enjoy finding out that he's been exposed like this over a call girl? Half-a-million."

"I don't give a flying fuck what that old spic thinks. He's been paid, up front, for the month. That was the deal. Fuck him. Eight hundred and I'll close it all down."

She almost sighed with relief. Gabriel just stepped firmly into the negotiation. He was going to take this seriously. Thank fucking God.

They hammered at each other, insulted each other, brought up secrets the other didn't know were exposed. But when Gabriel dropped to $750,000, she said, "Done."

"Excuse me?"

"I said done. I accept. I'll take a cab, drop off your money, and we are quits," she told him.

"You have 750k?"

"Yes," she said patiently. "Yes I do and now I don't, but I consider it money well invested. Would an hour fit your schedule, because I have a flight to catch."

"An hour? Yes. That will work. Tell the guards at the gate who you are," Gabriel told her, his voice all business now.

She did call a cab, after checking her stock values to ensure that something hadn't gone terribly wrong, but they were fine. To Angie, she said she was leaving to shop and then got in the cab before she could think about it too much.

At the gate, she began wishing she had stopped to pick up something a little nicer to wear. The guards were wearing five thousand dollar suits, for crying out loud. She was escorted up to the third floor of Gabriel's mansion, to his office. There, the guards left and closed the door. Gabriel was across the room and two of his regular goons were on each side of her, which made sense, considering he was in a war.

"Good to see you again, Nicole," though he said this without turning around to actually see her as she walked to the middle of what could have been a master bedroom.

She stopped in front of his desk, "I would like, if only for politeness' sake, to say the same, but I can't. Let's do this and get back to business."

He turned around to face her and she saw what was in his hand -- a syringe.

Strong, unyielding hands grabbed her arms and shoulders, and pressed her hard into the desk, making her drop her laptop, "What is that? What the fuck is that?" she said, barely noticing the hands on her. Her focus centered on the needle in Gabriel's hand.

"I think you know," Gabriel smiled. "Heroin. The whore trainer."

"You keep that filth away from me! Gabriel! Don't fucking do this!" she yelled, her voice was breaking and her panic rising.

"You don't have to worry. We’re just going to do some re-training on you. I've got ten years of very good experience with excellent results. I'm very good at this, Nicole."

"We had a deal! A fucking deal!"

"You aren't a power, Nicole and I don't negotiate with whores. I mean, really, what would people say?"

She was scared out of her mind. Over and over she witnessed the results of that drug in the hands of Gabriel. He would hook her and then break her. She wouldn't be a call girl any more. She wouldn't be able to think well enough to be one after he was done. She grabbed a hold of that last thought, "Fine! I'll come back! I'll come back willingly. I'll take up my clients again. But I can't if you use that on me. You know it won't happen. I'll never be able to take my clients with that filth in my veins."

Gabriel stopped.  He watched her for some time and then walked back to the window, "Well, that would take care of this stupid war and have you remain profitable at the same level," he mused. "But no," he said turning back around. "There's that driver of yours. It wouldn't work. He would still come after you and eventually he might even get you. I mean, the man took out Antonio in a close combat gunfight. You don't take a man like that lightly. It would be stupid."

"I'll call him," she panted, her fear nearly choking her. "I'll call him and break it off. I'll tell him I came back on my own. He'll have no reason to come after me."

Gabriel set the needle down on the desk and thought about that for some time. "You'll tell him that you don't want to see him? That you came back on your own?"

"Yes, yes, and no one can prove otherwise," she panted.

"Hmm, risky, though," he mused. "But all right. I'll take you back and put you back with your clients on the condition -- and I swear to you, honey, I'll so fuck you up if you try something -- on the condition that you make it so convening that even I believe you."

"All right, yes. Yes," she agreed, relief pouring out of her.

They let her up from the desk and she stood slowly. She begged the universe to somehow let Cole know that she didn't want to do this. She had no choice. She couldn't live with that shit inside of her, melting her Brian, taking her soul away, breaking her into a fuck-doll. She would at least be able to think after this and remain Nicole.

She calmed down, pacing a little with her phone in her hand, getting her voice and attitude, and memorizing lines.  Then she called Cole. Her heart shattered and, for a moment, she thought she was going to die, right there. Just fall down dead. You can't live without a heart; everyone knows that. She hung up the phone and droped it, utterly defeated. Then she was slammed back on to the desk and Gabriel picked back up the needle, "Well that makes everything nice and tidy," he said, and then smirked at her, "You really are a stupid whore."

"No, Gabriel! No! Don't do it! Fuck! Cole! Help!"

The needle hit her vein and a fog was suddenly in her Brian, taking the world of fear and panic away, along with herself.

"Now, isn't that better?" Gabriel asked her. "Don't worry about a thing. I can take care of all of this. And I do need to take care of
all
of it. Now that you are under control, we'll take care of Cole Porter next."