CUT (New Adult Dark Romance) (18 page)

I couldn’t stop crying if I ran out of tears. My body trembled. Everything that had happened. Every single thing was my fault. My eyes gazed around the cold hotel room for any relief from Black’s gaze. All I could see in it was his stare from the floor of that board room, the way he never took his eyes off me…

“I love you sweetheart… I’ll never let this happen again.”

His words rang in my ears as I stood up from my bed. His leg was wrapped thick. Doctors said he was lucky the bullet missed any major artery. It was still a mess. He’d have one hell of a scar and probably limp for the rest of his life.

“Come here.”

I crawled into the bed next to him, his thick arm wrapping around me and pulling me against his chest. My heart cried out against him, tears dropping against bare skin. Black held me, his heart beating in my ear. We stay like that, our bodies together, and I slept soundly for the first time in a long time.

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The warehouse was buzzing as the cab dropped us off in front of the roll-up. Black moved to the door as the driver brought around a crutch. He was supposed to be in a wheelchair, but Black wasn’t going to roll around.

“Be careful…” I whispered. He turned to me smiling, lifting himself out of the car. Cheers erupted from the building, the Rampant all out for our arrival. I stepped out behind Black, standing next to him as we walked inside together. Penny let out a little shriek as she ran out and practically tackled me, and Acre met Black at the threshold, reaching out and letting him throw an arm over his shoulder, helping him inside. Behind us, the heavy metal door closed, sealing us in.

“Board room meeting. Now,” Black said through gritted teeth.

He shouldn’t be up and moving around…
I thought to myself, trying to pull free of Penny’s embrace.

“Are you ok babe?” Penny asked, poking me in the ribs. “Did he hurt you? What in the hell happened? Oh my God your face…”

Her hand swung up to the bruise on my cheek where the gun had pressed into me. It brought back flashes and memories. I winced, jerking myself away.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry… It’s just with Marlo gone… And now this…” Penny whispered, drawing back from me.

“It’s ok Penny… Look, I need to be in there,” I replied, pointing after Black as the men walked with him into the board room. Penny nodded, pulling at my arm. “Go, get in there. You’re probably starving from that crap they serve at the hospital. I’ll bring something in. Go with Black. Go right now!”

Penny’s voice was running a mile a minute as she shoved me away, and I fell in with the men, shivering slightly as I stepped through the door, a faint stain still upon the concrete where Grift and Zippo fell… All around the table, two new pieces of leather skull sat silently waiting to be sewn onto Rampant jackets. Ash was already there, a chisel carving out flecks of the table as he took away some wood and added two new pieces to the shattered skull. Around the table I went, ending up at Black’s side.

You don’t want to end up part of the skull…
I thought, looking at Acre. His face looked weary and nothing even close to happy. The room went quiet as Black took his place at the head of the table. Even Ash stopped his work to stare forward.

“We’re not getting down to new business until we remember the fallen. Anyone wants to say a few words, now’s the time.”

The silence fell back over the table, and Dig was the one to Black it. “I brought Zippo into the Rampant. He was my friend. I owe him my fucking life.”

Fists pounded the table as Dig poured a shot of whiskey over the carved table. “One for the Rampant!”

“FOR THE RAMPANT!”

The chant was loud and shook the room, until finally it fell silent again. People were staring at DJ, the mechanic. I barely knew him, but I’d seen his future on the floor of this very room. A flash of recognition rolled through my mind as I remembered the cold dead face of the old man on the floor.

“My father’s been a Rampant longer than almost any of you assholes, and he’d shit a brick if he knew we were sitting here pissing about that son of a bitch. We all know where he’s reigning these days, and I hope to send the fucker who shot him down to say hello! ”

Another round of fists slammed on the wood, the solid table pounding like a war drum.

Black lifted something up in his hand and tossed it down on the table in front of the young mechanic I’d seen working on the cars a few days prior. The room went silent again as he lifted it up. It was a jacket.

“Your father’s jacket. DJ, you’ve helped pull off the drop and everybody fucking knows you’re Rampant blood. Put it on and go get yourself some fresh pussy.”

The table slammed again, the pounding getting louder as DJ pulled up the jacket. Ash handed him a short blade, and DJ carefully lay it against the edge of the name tag across the front, cutting it loose and tearing it away to cheers.

“RAMPANT!” Black shouted. The room erupted. I reached out and slammed a fist down on the table with the men, leaning into Black just a bit harder.

“Ok you fucks. New business. First up, somebody tell me where Jude is.”

“Contract is out on the street. Ten thousand for his bones. No signs, no word. The man is a ghost,” Ash said, his raspy voice echoing in the small space.

“Don’t care what it takes. I want his balls on a plate,” Black shouted.

The table erupted again, fists slamming.

The room quieted down. Acre slammed the table and spoke up. “We got the shipment off the docks and socked it away at the boathouse.”

“Why the hell is it at the boathouse? The Italians were supposed to do the pick up,” Black said, looking puzzled.

“You got picked up by feds the night of the drop. Carcetti didn’t show, he thought you might roll on him. Plans changed. We’ve got a new drop point just outside of Austin Texas and three days to get the shipment out there.”

“Tell those assholes we’re not going to cross state lines with a giant pile of their product,” Black said angrily, his teeth bared.

“We don’t have much of a choice Black,” Acre replied, his voice unnervingly calm. “Cartel is up in arms down in Tijuana because Carcetti pays on delivery. We haven’t delivered.”

“I’m not afraid of the goddamn Mexicans,” Black spat.

“You should be. They’ve got numbers and they’ve got the money. Los Locos don’t come after you Black, they go after your family,” Ash said, speaking up from his side of the table. “The Incas fucked Los Locos ten years back. They sure as fuck aren’t around anymore. We already have shit with the Kings, we don’t need to go starting a war on both sides.”

The table was dead silent. I’d never as much as heard of the Incas, but clearly the men in the room understood.

“Why three days?” Black asked, staring at Acre again.

“Because Los Locos doesn’t give you four, and Carcetti says this is our mess to clean up. Look Black, we’re lucky he’s still willing to take delivery.”

“Fine, get some men to escort the truck. Move out after dark and don’t stop till Texas.”

“Yeah, one problem with that boss…”

Black tensed up, I could feel his muscles straining against me as he turned to stare hard at Acre.

“Carcetti says he wants you there, personally.”

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“I just got you back and damned if I’m going to let you go…” I whispered, curled up against Black’s body in post coital bliss. His scent drifted through me, driving me wild.

Someone should bottle and sell that…

“It’s just a few days. We ride out tonight and I’ll be back this time next week sweetheart,” Black replied quietly, his fingertips running through my hair.

“What about Jude…”

“Boys here will keep you safe. That fucker shows up again they’ll end him.”

“I’m going with you.”

No light entered from the window Jude escaped from. Black had it barred over and boarded from the inside. Despite the darkness, my eyes blazed. Black tried to open his mouth as my hand slipped down and wrapped around his cock, gripping it firmly. I rolled myself over him again, sliding my breasts down his chest as I aimed the shaft and impaled myself ever so slowly.

“Kattlyn…” Black whispered. My hand clasped down over his mouth, back arching as I started to rock my body against him. “God damn baby… You feel so fucking good,” Black gasped as I squeezed around him. A smile grew across my face, and I gave him
everything
he wanted…

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DJ and Ash were waiting in the main warehouse along with a pair of young new Rampant recruits when we finally dragged ourselves from bed. Daylight streamed in from the damaged rollup.

“Got most of the club out following an 18 wheeler north through Sacremento. Put Acre in your Jaguar and sent him south. That should keep the Feds busy tonight,” Ash said, a little smile breaking across his weathered face. “Got ourselves some fresh pussy since you were off fucking your old lady. Should be able to make it all the way to Austin before I need to dip into another one.”

DJ laughed, elbowing Ash in the side. “After the two Mina set you up with, I’m pretty sure there isn’t enough viagra in Mexico.”

“That’s a lie,” Ash replied, pulling a little bottle of blue pills from his pocket. I laughed right along with everyone, tucking into Black’s side.

“You still set on bringing her?”

I tucked in just a bit harder, my eyes turning back to Ash. Black didn’t respond, nodding at the little line of vehicles. “I’ll take the van. Which one of you is driving the truck?”

“I’m too fucking old for three states in a fucking box truck, but I’ll drive it. Just stay on my six and try to keep up. We’re running light and we’re running fast.”

Black pushed me aside, reaching out and grasping Ash’s hand. They drew in close, shoulders bumping as Black gave the older man a solid smack on the back.

“Thank you for coming with me Ash. I know some of the guys are scared shitless about this drop. Nice to know someone’s got the balls to step up.”