It's Always Been You (26 page)

Yep, definitely from South America or Mexico.

“Travis . . . oh, thank God!” the woman cried.

The guy stilled, so did Caitlin as a strange sensation gripped her heart.

“You know this guy, Bella?”

Bella?
This was Duke’s sister, the woman that hit on Travis.

The guy let go of Bella and advanced toward Travis. He immediately poked Travis on the chest while he said, “You fucking my woman, huh? Your bitch over there not enough?”

Caitlin wanted to cover her ears because his words burned through her brain. She gasped when Travis somehow managed to spin the guy around and shove him on the back of the Impala with the guy’s arms twisted behind his back. The angle of the limb was positioned in a way that discouraged resistance.

Travis leaned over the man and said, “Don’t you dare call my wife a bitch. You don’t even deserve to kiss her feet. And maybe if you were man enough to satisfy your woman here, she wouldn’t have to find someone else. I never touched Bella. I never will.”

He shoved away from the guy, releasing him. “Now get the fuck out of here.”

The man’s face mottled with rage. He stomped to the driver’s side of the Impala and glared at Travis. “This is not over! You’re lucky I don’t have my gun, or I would shoot you . . .” His eyes drifted to Caitlin. “But not before I slit the throat of your bitch in front of you.”

Travis moved to go after him, but the man scrambled into his car and burned rubber, skidding away from the side of the road.

Her husband stood there, hands clenched into fists. Not looking at Bella, he strode back to the Suburban. “Get in the car.”

The tension rolling off Travis was palpable as he got into the driver’s seat.

“Travis,” Caitlin began, but Bella got into the backseat and stopped whatever she was about to say. “Are you all right?” Caitlin forced herself to ask the other woman.

“I’m fine,” Bella replied. Travis made curt introductions after which the woman said in a sweeter, breathless voice, “Thanks for saving me.”
 

Caitlin was staring straight ahead, but she imagined Bella had said those words with an accompanying flutter of lashes.

“Thank Caitlin. She convinced me to stop.”

That shut the bitch up
, Caitlin thought snidely. They rode in silence until they reached the outskirts of town.

“Where do you want me to drop you off?” Travis asked.

“The clubhouse. It’s ten minutes on the other side of Iron Ridge.”

“I have an appointment with a masseuse at the B&B in ten minutes,” Caitlin said in dismay.

Travis cursed. “Bella, do you have anyone who can pick you up from town?”

“Or”—Bella stuck her head between the space separating the two front seats—“we can drop Caitlin off for her appointment, and you can take me to the clubhouse. Unless,” her voice turned coy, “You’re afraid I’ll bite, Travis?”

Her husband’s knuckles turned white against the steering wheel. Caitlin didn’t know whether to feel sorry for or be pissed at Bella, because seriously, what woman just couldn’t take a hint?

Still, Caitlin found herself saying, “Bella’s right, Travis. It’s more logical for you to drop me off and take Bella back to the clubhouse.”

He should be back in half an hour tops.

It took several tense beats before Travis reluctantly agreed.

Travis dropped her off in front of the inn. Caitlin had not even shut the door of the Suburban when Bella squeezed her way through the space, intentionally rubbing herself on Travis before plopping down on the passenger’s seat. She smirked at Caitlin as she fastened her seatbelt.

As the Suburban pulled away, Caitlin wondered if she hadn’t just sent her husband off with the biker bitch version of Cleopatra.
 

*****

Travis’s nose twitched as Bella’s strong perfume permeated throughout the cabin of the SUV. He’d have to roll down the windows later to air out the vehicle. He already missed the scent of Caitlin—clean, flowery citrus, and kissed by the sun. The vehicle just reached the edge of town.
 

“Thanks for saving me from Marko,” Bella said. “We had broken up a while ago.” She shifted in her seat and trailed a nail down Travis’s shoulder.

Fuck!

“Bella.” Travis grabbed her hand and set it on her lap. “Stop this. I don’t know why you keep insisting on playing this game. I’m very much taken.”

“Honestly? I haven’t met a man yet who could resist me.”

Travis sighed, “You find me a challenge?”

“Yes,” Bella breathed. “And you make me so hot. I want you.”

Her hands suddenly grabbed his crotch, going for his zipper.

What in fucking hell?
 

He pulled the SUV immediately to the side of the road.

“Bella. Goddammit!”

Her seat belt clicked and she pounced on him, straddling his legs and smashing her lips against his, her fingers frantically trying to get his dick out. His cock was probably cowering like a frightened turtle with this blatant display of crazy bitch.

Bella pushed away from him. Her face livid from his lack of an erection. “What? I’m not good enough for you?”

Travis’s hands came up and gripped her shoulders. “Bella, why are you doing this?”

“I want to fuck you, but obviously you can’t get it up—”

“You deserve someone who’s not married, and who wouldn’t hurt you.”

He lifted her off him and placed her firmly back on her side.

Shaking his head, he pulled up the zipper of his shorts. Then he cringed inwardly as the sobs started from the passenger corner.

Fuck. He couldn’t deal with tears, especially if it was from a woman who he barely knew. He pulled the SUV back on the road.

“Why do you have to be so decent? It’s sickening,” Bella cried.
 

“There are decent men out there,” Travis said quietly. She was still young, probably mid-twenties. It would probably take a few more years before she realized her true worth and that the assholes of this world didn’t deserve the time of day.

Thankfully, they were not far from the MC compound. He drove through the entrance and parked in the forecourt in front of a massive rectangular one-story structure that looked like the clubhouse.
 

“Thanks for the ride,” Bella said as she hopped down from the vehicle, keeping her eyes averted.

“Bye, Bella,” Travis said with not a small amount of relief. He was about to back out when a roar of Harleys swept into the compound and blocked his exit.

Fuck! What now?

“What the fuck? Bella? What the fuck?” Ashe shot Travis a look and glared at Bella.

Oh, fuck, Ashe thought they hooked up.

Travis got out of the car and said, “Man, you got the wrong idea—”

Ashe ignored him and asked Bella, “Why the fuck were you with Marko?”

What the fuck’s going on?

A flash of fear crossed Bella’s face. “It was nothing.”

“What’s nothing? Marko and five other members of the Fuego gang rolled into Iron Ridge half an hour ago. The Prez is handling them right now because they’re making the locals and tourists jumpy.”

“Wait, I saw them near Devil’s Peak,” Travis said. “Marko was hurting Bella, and I had to intervene.”

“Fucking bitch!” Ashe yelled at Bella, who was now cowering. The VP turned to Travis. “Marko wouldn’t give Bella the time of day, and now one of our boys saw her and Marko all chummy in Greenville a town over. Why are they here, Bella?”

“He said he wanted to see me. That he made a mistake when we broke up.”

“Then?”

“Then he told me we’d get back together if I just played along. And that’s when Travis and Caitlin showed up.”

“Wait,” Travis said as alarm raised the hair on his arms. “Are you saying the whole fight was staged?”

Fuck, did someone find out where they were? Is Pavlo Milekhin pulling the strings?

“Shit!” one of the bikers muttered. “We better grab the guns and get to town quick before shit goes down.”

Ashe was staring at Travis. “Something you neglected to tell us, Bennett?”

Travis shook his head and got back in the Suburban. “I’m heading back to town.”

*****

Caitlin and Ms. Betty stood in front of the Bluebell B&B, watching the tense exchange right outside the inn. She had only been five minutes into her massage when the innkeeper hurried in and told them about the gang members from another town loitering along the stretch of businesses in Iron Ridge, intimidating everyone.

The Sheriff and Crane were in deep conversation with Marko, who Caitlin didn’t expect to see again so soon. Two of his cohorts were by his side.

“As I said, Sheriff, I have every right to be here. It’s an open town. Why can’t I enjoy the sights of Iron Ridge?”

“We had a deal, Marko. You stay in Greenville; we keep to Iron Ridge. We do not move into each other’s territory,” Crane answered.

“Oh, come on, Crane. What happened between me and Bella is water under the bridge.”

“You took advantage of my daughter.”

“She was nineteen, more than the age of consent. She wanted a good fuck—”

It wasn’t Marko’s lucky day, because Crane slammed him against the side of a parked vehicle.

The sheriff, a portly man of around fifty, huffed heavily and tried to pull Crane off Marko. Caitlin saw the flash of a gun from one of Marko’s goons.

She emerged from the safety of the B&B shouting, “Gun!”

Crane and two MC dudes turned solid. Everyone drew their weapons.
 

The tension shifted into full-throttle. A thunder of Harley pipes drew closer.
 

Marko picked himself off the car and started clapping his hands, walking toward Caitlin. She started backing away.

“Bravo, Ms. Kincaid. You’re just like your husband—wanting to save everybody.”

Caitlin paled. “How . . . How do you know my name?”

A car screeched to a halt. A door slammed and Travis’s furious voice shouted, “You stay the fuck away from her.”

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Marko lunged for her, spinning her around, and suddenly, a cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the side of her head. Her gaze lifted to lock on Travis. His face was set in angry lines, but his eyes were filled with terror.

“It seems I won’t be slitting her throat after all, Travis Blake.”

There was a blister of curses and gasps with the revelation.

“You harm a single hair on her head—you’re dead!”
 

Marko laughed like a maniac. “You’re not the one with the power right now, Blake.” He cocked his revolver. “You know I need her alive. But don’t think I won’t shoot her right now just to piss you off.” The muzzle of his gun slithered close to her mouth.

“Please,” Travis whispered. “Whatever they’re paying you, I’ll double it.”

“I would have considered your offer, but you pissed me off earlier. Hmm . . . I have a way of doubling my fee. I don’t need your help.”

Travis shook his head. “I’m sorry. Look, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll pay you whatever you want. Please . . . just leave her alone.”

“Sorry, Mr. Blake. Paydirt is right here.” He gave Caitlin an extra squeeze. Marko’s lips lowered to Caitlin’s ear. “Say your goodbyes, chica.”

“Marko, you can’t get away with this,” Crane interjected. “You’ve done this in front of witnesses.”

“Since when do our towns bring in the authorities? You bring attention to our shit, you can kiss your MC goodbye.”

“I won’t let you get away with this,” Travis growled. “I’ll hunt you down. I swear.”

“If these guys let you out of this town alive, be my guest,” Marko leered. “You don’t know the inner workings of our little section of paradise, do you? We pretend to like tourists because they bring in money, but we really hate them and wished they’d stay the fuck out of our towns.”

A spectator in the crowd shouted, “Speak for yourself, asshole.” Murmurs started to rise from the gathering, telling Marko to let the girl go.

Caitlin was pissed at herself for feeling so helpless, but Marko had her secured in a way she couldn’t move defensively. She was wearing slippers and he had on motorcycle boots, not ideal for the stomp and head butt move.
 

Before she could decide what to do, she felt Marko jerk back, the gun on her head disappeared, and she was falling backward.

“Caitlin!” Travis screamed.

She was lying on her back on top of Marko. Someone took him out! Before she could twist around to look at the man who had held her, hands grabbed her and hauled her into a familiar chest. Her nose wrinkled at the strange perfume on Travis’s shirt, but her brain prioritized the imminent threat. And as everyone got over their shock at Marko’s surprise demise, gunfire exploded.

*****

Travis cursed as he pushed Caitlin behind the Suburban. People started screaming as a volley of gunfire erupted. Glass shattering, metal plinking, and a horde of angry bikers cursing, turned the quiet town of Iron Ridge into a war zone.

He stared at Caitlin who was looking at him, wide-eyed. “You okay, sunshine?”

“Yes. But who the hell shot Marko?”

“Don’t know.” But whoever did, thank fuck. He grabbed Caitlin’s face and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Stay down. Gonna help Crane.”

He already had his two Sigs and several magazines tucked in the back of his shorts, so he handed one of the guns to her.

Travis speared Caitlin with a stern glare. “I mean it, Caitlin. Stay here.”

“All right, jeez. Go make yourself useful.”

Travis nodded grimly. He peeked around the SUV and saw Crane hunkered down near the sheriff’s cruiser. The sheriff had been shot in the shoulder and Crane was wrapping his bandana around his wound.
 

Ashe and the rest of his men were having a shootout with Marko’s gang who had scattered behind buildings and cars. Those dumb fucks were outnumbered against the entire Iron Skulls MC.

Travis crouch-walked to Crane’s position.
 

“You’ve got some explaining to do, Bennett,” Crane muttered as he helped the sheriff move to a more comfortable position.

“Later,” Travis said. “Maybe.”

Crane scowled at him.