Death Ride (Blue Bandits MC Book 5) (4 page)

“I’m going to give you some free advice, Blade,” he muttered, trying not to let his unease with his behavior show. “
Let me go.
You don’t want the Bandits coming in here because they’ll slaughter you and your crew. Sad part is I think you damned well know it and you’re still thinking you can lock me up here,” Death growled, jerking on the chains again, hearing them creak and rattle as pain spiked through his wrists.

“Two things are holding up your theory about that,” Blade said, a wicked grin on his face. “One, how are you so sure that your crew can find you. And two, how do you think they’d be able to get in without us knowing. Because neither of those things is likely to happen so you might as well settle in, my friend. You’ll be here for a long while if you don’t do what I ask. Now, I’ll be back soon so try not to miss me too much.”

Blade grinned before he stepped out into the hall without another word and Death let out a frustrated growl, jerking again on the chains which didn’t budge.

Jamie leaned against the wall across from where they were keeping Death, her cheeks still warm. Her insides were still shaking a little after getting way more personal with him than she’d planned. It wasn’t that she was completely innocent; she’d had sex before but it was embarrassing that she’d had to shove his dick back into his pants when she barely knew him. Not that he had seemed to mind. Jamie rubbed a hand over her face as that thought sent another warm flush down her body.

She looked at the ceiling for a long moment before she felt the presence of someone next to her and looked over to see Thorn watching her. Jamie felt her skin crawl and she wanted to escape. She didn’t know why her brother let him hang around. He wasn’t like the other men who lived here with them. None of the others ever caused her to feel like she wanted to cringe whenever they were anywhere near her. Some of the men felt dangerous and she didn’t want to piss them off but they didn’t frighten her when she was alone with them like Thorn did. She wasn’t alone in that feeling either. Sandi had mentioned it one night while they were at a bonfire party. Lissa had dismissed it but Karen had agreed loudly until Lissa had dragged her away. Jamie knew that Lissa wanted to protect her from everything, including the knowledge that her brother ran with assholes at times.

Jamie knew that she and Evert meant well but they weren’t going to be able to protect her from everything, especially not the knowledge of who her brother had thrown his lot in with. It might have worked when she was younger but since becoming a teenager she’d known that there was a reason she was never alone. They’d made sure that she was always with someone they trusted to keep her safe but they hadn’t always shielded her as well as they’d hoped. She’d seen things she never wanted to see again and she hoped that what he was working towards would mean she never had to. She just wasn’t too sure if it was going to work or not because most of the plan centered on Death’s cooperation.

Jamie glanced at Thorn again, her stomach clenching when she realized he was coming towards her. She stood up from her slouched position and took a step away, not liking the look in his eyes. Maybe she should wait on Evert elsewhere. Just as she was about to scamper down the stairs, the door creaked and it opened. Jamie looked over her shoulder to see Thorn much closer to her than she’d thought but when he saw Evert moving into the hall, he walked by her without a word. Relief flooded her and she made a mental note to watch out for Thorn in the future.

Evert was grinning when she turned back to him standing in front of the doorway to Death’s prison and it struck her as odd. She knew her brother wasn’t too happy with her being in the room with the Bandits MC president but she’d needed to assure herself that he wasn’t in a coma after what she’d done. She couldn’t live with herself if she’d basically killed the man. Even though Doc Nichols had said he was fine after he’d looked him over yesterday, she’d needed to be sure. Jamie had felt relief flood her when he’d woken up today.

“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to head off the lecture she knew was coming.

Evert surprised her by nodding absently, his face contorted into a thoughtful look.
Uh-oh
. That look was the one that had started this whole mess in the first place. Evert and Lake had been planning to capture Death using one of the women. Only Evert didn’t think one of the sweetbutts would “tempt him” as he’d put it. Lake suggested Lissa but Evert had rejected that idea quickly. Jamie decided that they would be arguing all night and she’d heard enough. She got up to head to bed but her movement drew their attention. Evert had given her that look and three days later she’d ended up drugging Death and entrapping him.

Shit, now what was her brother up to?

That look made her nervous and when she was nervous she tended to babble. Words began flowing from her lips in a heated rush, “You know what Doc Nichols said about how that lip gloss could put someone into a coma if I wasn’t careful. He was out so long and I just wanted to be sure that hadn’t happened. You know that it shouldn’t have made him sleep for three days like it did.” Jamie stared at Evert hoping she was wrong about him being up to something.

She watched his eyes while she explained her presence in Death’s room seeing the way they sparked with some unnamed emotion that made her even more nervous. She didn’t know why he hadn’t been concerned when Death Rider hadn’t woken up days ago when he should have. He needed the man alive if this plan was going to work so Death being in a permanent coma wouldn’t have been a good thing. Maybe it was just her brother’s arrogance that his plan would work that had kept him from worrying. She didn’t know but she hadn’t had that same confidence. It was bad enough that she was the reason he was trapped here until her brother agreed that he was convinced to see things their way.

“Yeah, but Nichols said it was likely that his body needed rest and the drug allowed him to get it. So it’s like we did him a favor,” Evert said, trying to convince her they’d helped him but she wasn’t buying it. Drugging and kidnapping him hadn’t been beneficial to him regardless of his need for rest. “It’s fine that you checked on him. I didn’t want you in there because I figured he would be angry with you. I didn’t know if he would get violent or not. He tends to be very black and white about betrayal. Somehow he’s seeing the grey area here and I’ve rethought my stance,” Evert said, that thoughtful look on his face. It was beginning to make her really nervous because she knew that he was up to something.

“Whatever you’re thinking I don’t want to be involved. I’ve done enough already,” Jamie muttered, a dark glower on her face. Her hands landed on her hips and she stared hard at her brother. No way was she participating in any more of his schemes.

“I don’t have any idea what you mean, Jam-Jam,” Evert innocently claimed.

Ha, like she believed that.

“No, I refuse to do anything else to that man. It’s bad enough I’ve helped you imprison him. I will not do any more,” Jamie insisted.

“Fine. I wasn’t going to ask you to. I was just thinking that you bringing the man his dinner might be nice since it’s your fault he’s here and all,” Evert said.

Jamie’s eyes narrowed on him. She didn’t know why he suddenly wanted her to bring Death his food. Yesterday he hadn’t wanted her anywhere near him but suddenly he was okay with it?
What the hell had happened in the last few minutes? And what was he up to because she knew him well enough to know something was definitely up.

“If you don’t want to, it’s fine. I’ll have Erica do it.”

Jamie’s teeth were suddenly on edge and she raised her hand to violently shove her hair off her face. Her body tightened and she felt anxious because she hated Erica. For some reason she didn’t want her around Death, which was crazy. She didn’t know what caused the sudden urge to strangle the other woman but she clenched her fists at her sides, taking in a deep breath and trying to calm down.

She internally lectured herself that her brother likely knew this would be her reaction and he’d deliberately used Erica’s name to make Jamie agree to his plan. She told herself to shrug and just walk away but for some reason she just couldn’t manage it. Her need to stop Erica from being in the room with Death while he was in such a vulnerable position was too strong. Damn it, why the hell had she ever told her brother she hated Erica? She wanted to storm away, to just let it go, but found herself speaking instead and it pissed her off.

“Fine. I’ll do it but I will not be advancing your agenda with him. I’m just bringing him food.” Jamie hated the triumphant smile that covered her brother’s face because sometimes he was an asshole.

Death slammed his head into the bed repeatedly. He’d been trying for hours to rip the chains out of the wall or twist his hands out of them and all he had succeeded in doing was making them bleed.
Fuck.
Why hadn’t he seen that Becky was a trap? A girl like that in a shady bar should have been a red flag. He was getting soft after all these years in charge. He was turning into an idiot because of one young girl who he’d wanted to save.
Fuck
, one he
still
wanted to save. Not that running an MC was easy but somehow he’d managed to become soft. Otherwise he never would have tried to protect her by taking her home with him last night. Nor would he have given away his hand by threatening Blade today.

His body felt stiff and he smacked his head into the bed again in frustration, a little growl escaping him. Was he so predictable that Blade had known he would go for his trap? When had that happened? He’d never considered himself as predictable but apparently he was. The next question that burned through him as he lay there staring at the ceiling was where the hell was his club?
Why hadn’t they busted in here to get him yet?
It must have been hours since he was taken as it had been night and it was definitely daylight now. Yet they weren’t here—wherever the hell here was. Death glanced towards the window seeing that the light was already fading and he felt anger swell inside him.

Getting captured was the last thing that should have happened at that bar but somehow it had. He thought he’d accounted for every possible plan Blade could come up with but he’d never considered him sending in an innocent girl to drug him. Not that what she’d done made her innocent. Shit, he was really screwed in the head over the girl, which was unusual.

Was she innocent or was she guilty
?

Death wasn’t sure if he could make that determination anymore because something about her called to something inside him he’d thought was long gone—his humanity. Despite the loss, he had managed to stay the course and not become a monster. It had been a close call at times but the men he called his brothers had saved him from becoming the very thing he fought against. Thanks to them he knew what was right and what was wrong but he wasn’t a fluffy bunny. Nope, he took care of shit and if you were a woman and you betrayed him or the club then you died just like a man would. He didn’t give women a free pass so why was Becky different? Was it those eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul when they met his? Or was it the blushes that stained her cheeks when she’d had to put his cock away?

Shit, he needed to quit worrying about the girl and start forming a plan to get them out of here.
His snorted and his temper flared; why was she included in his escape plan? He knew it was because when he thought of the ways the Headhunters might punish her for being in here when she wasn’t supposed to be, it turned his blood into ice. Somehow it mattered to him and that freaked him the fuck out. He jerked on the chains again letting out a loud growl at the pain the action brought. Between his raw wrists and what he was sure was a nice bit of road rash on his face, he was not too happy. It didn’t help that he had no idea if Becky was okay or not.

Death snorted at his own stupidity. He needed to quit worrying about her and worry about himself. Apparently his MC couldn’t find him or he’d already be beating the fuck out of Blade while they watched. Fuck, he was going to have to get himself out of here without their help. Blade was apparently smarter than he’d given him credit for. It was frustrating to learn that while strapped to a bed without clothes. Ha, the man likely thought that would slow him down if he did manage to get out of these chains but he was wrong. He would walk out bare-assed naked if need be.

Suddenly his mind went to his bike, left alone in a seedy bar’s parking lot. Blade better fucking hope he’d either taken it with him, or Death’s club had picked it up. If anything happened to his baby he’d kill him. Of course right now that thought did him no good. He was staring at the ceiling stewing over his predicament when the door creaked drawing his attention. He glanced toward it seeing Becky entering holding a tray with food on it with a glaring giant standing in the doorway behind her.

“Hurt her and I will
fucking
kill you. Blade or no Blade,” the giant said gruffly.

Death raised a brow because that level of protectiveness was rarely seen in a Headhunter. Most of them were sick fucks who raped women for sport.

“Relax, Crook. He’s not going to be able to hurt me wearing those chains,” Becky muttered, shaking her head. She set the tray down on the dresser near the door before looking back at the giant man with a slight smile.

“Be careful J—Becky. Those chains aren’t tight and he could still grab you if you’re too close. You,” Crook said pointing at Death. “I’ll crush your head like a melon if she’s harmed.” He glared for a long moment to make sure Death got his point. Becky tried to shoo Crook out before he finally decided he’d given Death the deadly stare long enough. He pulled the door shut, earning more respect from Death in the process.

Death examined Becky as she began fiddling with the tray, apparently getting it ready for him to eat. She looked the same as she had a few hours ago when she’d left the room; there weren’t any visible bruises and she didn’t move slowly. Death felt relief flood him as he assessed her, thankful that Blade hadn’t hurt her for coming in here. He didn’t know if it was because Blade wasn’t as sick as the other crazy fucks in his club or because of his threat but whatever it was he was glad. Even though she’d trapped him, the thought of her being hurt made his insides twist into knots.

Becky turned and moved towards him. “If you’ll sit up I’ll give you—your wrists are bleeding,” she exclaimed when she was only about a foot from the bed. Death glanced at them and shrugged.

“You shouldn’t be jerking on those chains like that. I told you they’re not going to break. Crook couldn’t even get them to budge when Evert had him test them so you’re not going to be breaking out of them.” She reached out, lifting his arm up to examine the damage. Death allowed her to twist his arm back and forth before she let go and stomped to the door.

“Get bandages and some of that ointment Doc Nichols gave me for those cuts I had last month after I wiped out on the dirt bike,” she commanded the large man who waited outside the door.

“I’m not to leave you here alone with him. Blade said I was to stay close to the door at all times when you’re with him,” Crook stubbornly stated, his arms crossed. “He can wait till later. He shouldn’t have jerked on the chains till his wrists were busted.”

“I don’t care what he said, I’m the reason Death’s here and he’s bleeding. Crook, go get what I need.
Now
, Crook,” she demanded when he stood there without moving.

Death wasn’t surprised by her command but he was shocked at the man’s reaction to it. Instead of refusing again, he gave a clipped nod and turned to head away. Death couldn’t believe that a Headhunter had just jumped to do a woman’s bidding.

What the fuck?

Becky moved to stand beside the bed again, her eyes focused on his wrists. A few minutes later Crook returned with what she’d asked for and she began cleaning the broken skin with a cleanser of some kind. It stung a bit but nothing he was too concerned about.

“Damn it. These chains are going to have to come off,” she muttered, frustration in her tone.

“No, Blade said under no circumstances were we to remove those chains,” Crook informed her.

Death almost laughed at the dark glower she turned on him. It wasn’t the glower but the look on the other man’s face that tickled him. Crook looked like a deer in the headlights. He froze and he was barely able to meet her eyes.
Holy shit, she was like a little commander.

“Did I ask you what he’d said?”

“No,” Crook muttered, looking at his feet.

“Right. Now remove his chains so I can bandage his wrists because there’s no reason he should have to suffer.” She moved around the bed holding out her hand, likely for the key to his chains.

“This is a bad idea.”

“Are you able to overpower him?” she demanded.

“Yes,” Crook replied.

“Then there isn’t anything to worry about, is there?” she asked.

Death found himself grinning at her control of the situation, a muffled chuckle escaping him. It earned him a glare from the giant but Crook handed her the key and she removed the chains. Once they were off she began to clean his wrists. Death allowed her tender ministrations, watching the way her hair fell to cover her face. Her green eyes focused on his injuries, a slight frown on her face as she applied the ointment before wrapping one of his arms in gauze.

Death felt a sudden urge to reach out and caress her hair where it fell over her shoulder to see if it was a soft as it looked. He clenched the sheet beneath his hand to stop the action, not wanting to give away his fascination with her in front of the giant. He mentally counted to ten, realizing that this would be the perfect opportunity to grab her and force the man to release him. Only trouble was he couldn’t seem to bring himself to use her in that manner.

If he tried it and they didn’t get all the way out, Blade might harm her and he couldn’t manage to bring himself to allow that to happen.
Shit, what the hell was going on with him?
She was just a woman and he shouldn’t care. She’d already betrayed him once; why was he allowing her safety to affect his actions? What was it about her that caused this internal struggle? Death was still evaluating that question ten minutes later when she wrapped the chains around his wrists over the thick layer of gauze.

“Don’t try to break the chains for at least two days while these raw wrists heal. I don’t want you to end up making them worse than they already are,” she told him as she locked the second chain into place and Death realized his chance of escape was gone. Or was it? Could he use her in some other way to get them to release him? Another question flittered through his mind. Why did the giant listen to her when she’d commanded him to release him despite Blade’s orders?

It was strange that Blade had sent someone to protect her from Death, and that she was able to control the man he’d sent was odd too. Was it only because he thought Death would try to use the woman to escape or was she important to their club somehow? His thoughts were racing around with so many questions he almost felt dizzy. Was she Blade’s lover? That thought didn’t sit well with him and he frowned.

Unsure what to think, he watched her brown locks flow over her shoulder as she stood up with her back to him, noting that they looked silky and soft. He wanted to see them spread out beneath her as he thrust inside her. Damn, that thought made his cock swell raising the sheet slightly. Death shifted away from the door to hide his desire from the giant who still hovered near it.

“Crook, he’s back in his chains, you don’t have to keep hovering around me. Let him eat without an audience,” Becky muttered as she lifted the tray and brought it towards him. Crook frowned at her with his arms crossed.

“I don’t think you should be in here with him,” Crook grumbled.

“Yes, well too bad. Your leader says I can be. Now, go on,” she said making a shooing motion with her hand. Crook let out a rough grunt and did as she bade, again surprising Death.

“Why does he listen to you? Headhunters aren’t ever very nice and pushing one around like that could get you into trouble,” Death said when she stood next to the bed with the tray ready to place it over his lap.

“Sit up so you can eat,” she said, eyeing him warily. Death did as he was told, mostly because he wanted to get her to talk and perhaps eating like she commanded would get her to.

After a long pause she finally spoke. “You might be wrong about the Headhunters all being monsters, you know.”

Death snorted. “Yeah, I’m not. The only good Headhunter is a dead Headhunter.”

“That’s not very fair. Is every man in your club kind?”

Death laughed outright at that suggestion. He knew that his brothers weren’t kind men in any way, shape or form. Didn’t she know that they wouldn’t be able to hold their territory if they were?

“No? I didn’t think so. You see, there are good and bad men in all walks of life and you shouldn’t lump the whole club into the mold you’ve set for them,” she snapped.

“Okay, maybe like five of them aren’t so bad but the majority are definitely monsters,” Death agreed, mostly so she’d stop arguing with him so he could finish his dinner.

Becky rolled her eyes at him and sat down in the chair across from his bed watching him silently with her arms crossed. Death was just grateful that he’d succeeded in shutting her up, even if she was glaring at him.