Prizefight: The Hell Raiders MC Goes MMA (7 page)

I drove my cock into Elena's body and got lost. That's the only way I could explain it. Nothing existed, beyond driving her sweet body to orgasm again, and burying myself in her until I reached my own.

I liked sex as much as, or more than, the next guy, and I had plenty of it. But I always stayed at least a little aware of what went on around me. With Elena, I didn't bother to know anything beyond how sweet her cries sounded, or how tightly her body gripped me. Nothing else mattered.

When her muscles locked around me, I forgot any other woman had ever existed. Even while I came into her, I knew it would never be enough. No matter the cost, I needed her again. I would pay any price, up to and including my life, just to have her.

I collapsed a little to one side and focused on catching my breath and my sanity. What the fuck? I wasn't the type to believe in true love or any of that other romance movie bullshit. That shit didn't happen in real life. No, in reality, a lucky guy found a chick he could tolerate more than ten minutes at a stretch, and maybe had a kid with her, then spent the rest of his life regretting the one time he left the rubber off.

Well, not me. I would never be
that
guy.

Sure, I'd promised to help her find her mom, and I would. But then it was over. She went back to her life, I went back to mine. Period. All I had to do was keep us both alive until then. That might be easier said than done.

***

I woke up to the late-afternoon sun slanting in through my bedroom window. Elena's head still lay on my chest, and her hair tickled my jaw. She looked innocent in sleep, and soft. I'd fallen asleep with her curled against my side and her arm across my chest, but she'd moved. She'd reached up, her palm against my face, as if she wanted to remember it forever, and her thigh lay across my hips, pulling me even closer.

What the hell had I been thinking? I'd asked myself that question a few thousand times since I ran out of the abandoned factory with her. And I still came up with the same damn answer. She needed me. What kind of fucked up was that? Some chick needed me, I just put the whole damn world on hold? I refused to admit Elena might not be just some chick. My life didn't work that way.

She stirred a little at my side, as if my thoughts woke her. "Hey." She smiled up at me, with all the possibilities of the world in her eyes.

"Hey, you." I tightened my arm around her. "Rest okay?"

She laughed a little. "I don't think I've ever slept like that."

"What, naked beside a man who just worshipped your body?"

"That, too." A giggle bubbled up, and I suddenly realized I would do many things to hear that sound again.

Fuck, I was an idiot. "You hungry?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"Good. I'm going to cook for you." I sat up as she moved. "After I get a quick shower. God, why didn't you tell me I reeked? I just realized I didn't even clean up after the fight."

She looked up at me through dark lashes and lifted one shoulder. "I like it. You smell… honest."

That one threw me for a loop. "Honest?"

She shrugged. "Honest. Other men, they cover up their scent, try to make it all flowery or spicy. Just like they cover up the truth. I've had enough lies to last a lifetime. I like honest."

Okay, then. I grinned. "Well, you might like the truth, but I don't think I can survive this stench for long." I leaned down and kissed her, surprising myself. Kissing outside sex wasn't my thing. "Five minutes, baby girl."

I probably broke some kind of record getting clean, and I didn't go easy on the deodorant, even if Elena did say she liked honest. I hadn't thought to bring anything to wear into the bathroom, so I headed back for my room to grab something. Elena stood at the foot of my bed, wearing my shorts and pulling my shirt over her head.

Seeing her there like that, in the middle of all that was mine, made me wonder things I shouldn't. I grinned at her. "Told you, five minutes."

Another of those addicting giggles of hers. "So I see. You're a man of your word, just like I thought."

Yeah, that shit was a drug. I
needed
to hear that laugh again. A lot. I grabbed a pair of clean shorts and pulled them on. "That I am." I stepped close and pulled her into my arms. "And I seem to remember some words about feeding you. Still hungry?"

Her head came just below my shoulder, so she stood on tiptoe to meet my kiss while she laughed again. "Starved."

"Hmmm. Good to know." Yeah, playing house with Elena for a couple of days could prove very dangerous to my sanity, if nothing else. I released her and headed for the kitchen. If I didn't find a way to gain some distance, I was pretty sure I could drown in her.

The kitchen held mostly foods for a fighter in training, and even if I wasn't as fanatic about it as some guys, this mission to find chick-food might have set me up for failure. A trip to the grocery store waited in my fairly near future, I figured.

Even so, I found some chicken breasts, brown rice, and broccoli. Might be able to turn that into something real people might eat.

"What can I do to help?" Elena leaned one hip against the counter and watched me get things out. "I can't cook, so it'll have to be fool proof." She gave a nervous little laugh.

The insecurity bothered me. A woman like Elena should never doubt herself. And there I was, right at the edge of the danger of spending time with her. I couldn't get too attached, and even though I was the kind of guy who rarely fucked the same woman twice, I could feel it. I was already too attached. Fuck.

"Want to chop the broccoli?" I directed her to the cutting board and knives, and told her how I wanted it cut.

The meal came out pretty good. Elena seemed impressed. At least, she didn't throw it at me. I wasn't used to cooking for, or eating with, anyone else, so how much I wanted her to like it came as a bit of a surprise.

Watching her eat turned into a form of torture, though. Every bite she took, she closed her eyes, chewed slowly, and made this little moan-purr of appreciation. My dick twitched with every single bite and my imagination ran wild. A trip to the store was definitely in order.

When she finished, Elena sat back, eyes sparkling. "That was really good. Thank you."

"I'm glad you liked it. I was worried there for a minute. I'm not used to cooking for anybody else."

She stood and started clearing the table. "You cooked, so I'll clean up."

I sat mesmerized and watched as she carried the dishes to the sink and started washing up. It might have crossed my mind to get up and help her, but then I caught a glimpse of the curve of her ass in my shorts, and I froze. All I could think of was how that smooth skin had felt under my hands earlier, and how much I wanted to see and touch again.

She turned and caught me staring at her, and I didn't look away. She gave a little smile, like she knew exactly what I wanted to do. The movement of her body held my undivided attention as she wiped down counters, then came to wipe the table.

By the time she finished, I couldn't take it anymore. I caught her arm and pulled her into my lap. Her little squeal of surprise made me want more, and I threaded my fingers through her hair to guide her head down for my kiss. I licked her lower lip, slow and deliberate, enjoying her taste, before I pushed into her mouth to explore the tender perfection.

My phone buzzed in the living room, where I'd left it on the coffee table, but I ignored it and let it go to voicemail. Nothing felt more important than possessing Elena again. She gave a little moan and relaxed into my arms.

The phone started up again, warning me that whoever was calling intended to speak to me. "Hold that thought, baby girl." I gently set her back on her feet and went to catch the call. "What?"

"I'll be at your door in about three minutes. Buzz me up quick, yeah?" Stella hung up without waiting for my reply. Rude bastard.

Elena came out from the kitchen as I dropped the phone back on the coffee table. "Everything okay?"

I shrugged. "Not sure. A guy'll be here in a couple of minutes, but he didn't say what was going on."

Her arms went around her middle in what I recognized as a defensive thing. She was worried. "Do you think it could have something to do with Royse, or my mom?"

I considered my answer carefully before I spoke. "It could, or might be something completely different." As much as I hoped it would be the news she wanted, I couldn't give her false hope.

Her shoulders slumped a little. "Oh. Okay." Tears shimmered in her eyes before she looked away. "Um, I guess I should wait in there?" She gestured toward the bedroom.

"Not unless you'd rather not meet a guy called Stella." I laughed a little to try and ease her discomfort. "If it's something private, he'll let me know."

She nodded, still looking out of sorts. "Okay."

The buzzer for the security door sounded louder than usual. I hit the Open button without checking. If someone other than Stella showed up at my door in a minute, I'd blow their ass away. On that note, I grabbed my old .38 and thumbed the hammer back. The revolver had been with me through thick and thin, and was always my go-to.

A sharp knock came at the door, and I checked before opening it. As Stella came inside, I checked the hallway behind him, and closed the door, sliding the deadbolt home. I waved him toward the living room as I gently lowered the hammer and returned the gun to its place.

"What's up, man? Need a beer?"

"Yeah, could use one." Stella dropped into the chair nearest the door and stretched his legs out. He cast a significant glance at Elena as she hurried toward the kitchen.

I turned to grab him a beer, only to meet Elena already coming back with it. At my nod, she passed him the bottle, staying as far away as possible, then crossing her arms over her middle again.

"Stella, this is Elena, the girl I told you about last night." I took my usual seat on the couch and motioned for her to sit beside me.

Stella narrowed his eyes a little, and twisted the cap off his beer. "Good to meet you." He drained half the bottle in one swallow, then shook his head. "You done it up right, this time, Ryker. Got yourself a bounty on your head."

"Do I, now? Who's payin'?" The news really came as no surprise. After I spoke to Luke, I hadn't expected Royse to just let my little adventure last night go. He had to make an example to make sure no one else got any ideas about him being soft.

"Royse's men put the word out, but he's not footing the bill. That's coming from Nikolai Bessanov. Seems Royse has some friends in high, or rather, very low, places."

"Mob?"

He nodded and finished his beer. "Looks that way. And some of the names that are coming back to me are a little familiar. I think there's a tie-in to the ones Vicki brought down on us."

The air left my lungs in a rush. I'd speculated the same thing earlier, but to have someone else come to the same conclusion came as a shock. That meant the connections existed somewhere other than just in my head. "I wondered about that. Why would they be here?"

"I don't know yet, but I've got feelers out. I'll let you know when I come up with any info. In the meantime, keep your head down. And keep her hid good." He gestured toward Elena. "They put a kill-on-sight hit on her."

Fuck.

Kill on sight.
The words echoed through my head as the man called Stella got to his feet and headed for the door. Ryker followed, and I could hear them speaking softly, but whatever they said meant nothing to me.

What the hell did
kill on sight
mean? Was it really as bad as it sounded? I hoped not.

The door clicked shut behind Stella as he left, and Ryker spent a moment fiddling with locks and a security panel. He came toward me, a dark frown creasing his forehead.

"You okay?" He sat and pulled me close.

I shook my head. "What did that mean?"

He sighed and lowered his head a little. "It means Royse is pissed at us both."

"You don't have to sugar-coat it. He's going to have me killed, isn't he?" Saying the words out loud turned my stomach. After all this time, that meant he would rather have me dead than give up any of his control over me. And if Ryker happened to get killed in the meantime, he was cool with that, too.

Ryker nodded. "Yeah, that's what he wants. I won't let it happen, though. You're safe." He wrapped both arms around me and rested his chin on top of my head. "I got you."

Sitting there, with Ryker holding me, I felt completely safe, for probably the first time since I was a kid. But logically, I knew he was only one man. Royse had a whole crew just waiting to do whatever he wanted. Ryker would try, but he couldn't keep me from them forever.

"I can't ask you to do this." I pushed away a little, not sure where I was going to go.

"You're not asking me to do anything." He cupped my jaw in one big hand and gently forced me to look at him. "I could have turned away last night, and I don't know why I didn't, but I was going to help you even before you asked. I was there looking for you, instead of in the locker room where I belonged."

Looking for me? "What do you mean?" How could he have known I was there?

"When I came out, waiting to be called for the fight, I spotted you in the crowd. I saw the way that man was treating you, and I didn't like it. I'd gone to ask Royse where you were." The rumble of his voice, the words he spoke, sent thoughts whirling through my head.

In that moment I knew what I had to do. It would take time, and care, because if I made him suspicious, he might stop me. So I leaned back in and let him cradle me to his chest. The stupid tears kept trying to come, but I forced them back. I could do this, and I could keep it from him.

When he tipped my head back to kiss me again, I gave myself over to it. My luck sure proved itself once more. The moment I had something good in my life, something came along to take it away. Ryker might not want more than a few nights with me, but even with that, he was still the best thing to ever happen to me. And now Royse was going to take him away.

Ryker's kisses made me ache, both with a kind of need that felt totally new to me, and with grief. I wanted to spend forever right there in his arms, safe and secure in the knowledge he would never hurt me.

Crazy thinking. Men like him did not tie themselves down forever to whores. They had hookups and flings until they found a nice girl to settle down and have kids with. Sadness for what I would never have brought more tears for me to force back.

He deepened his kiss, bringing all my attention to the way his tongue coaxed mine. His beard stubble prickled slightly against my skin, making me even more aware of him. What would my life have been like if my mother hadn't got sick? Would I have a man like him to call my own?

Ryker brought one hand under the edge of my shirt and skimmed it over my belly, taking my thoughts away from what might have been and putting them on nothing but him and what he was doing. Just as well. I needed to focus on the here and now, instead of whining about some hazy half-baked dreams. When he carried me to his bed again, I was more than ready.

***

When I woke, I stretched, every part of my body still aware of Ryker's touch. He'd left the bed already, but the sheets were still warm on his side, so probably not long ago. Reluctant to leave the safe little world he created around me, I climbed out of bed, and pulled on my discarded clothes. I'd have to see about getting something else to wear. I couldn't very well just keep wearing those forever.

The thought of a hot shower led me toward the bathroom, but a noise just beyond drew me further. A door that always stayed closed stood open, allowing me to see inside what I'd assumed was a closet.

A mostly empty room lay before me, nearly as large as the bedroom. Ryker lay on a mat torturing himself with a difficult looking version of ab crunches. Sweat glistened on his bare shoulders and he grunted with effort. I backed out, not wanting to interrupt, and headed for that shower.

The hot water loosened my muscles and soothed the minor aches from my active night. I washed, using Ryker's masculine smelling shower gel and shampoo. What I normally used was far from fancy, but it at least had a slightly flowery scent. Maybe I could get to a dollar store sometime before I put my plan into action, and get something a little feminine.

As soon as the thought came, I shoved it away. I would need money to get anything, and I wouldn't be around long enough to bother with it anyway. No sense wasting money on stuff that would just sit there in the bottle forever.

The steam insulated me from the rest of the world, and I wasted a few minutes just enjoying it. If only all my problems would fade away in the steam. No such luck, though. I needed to suck it up and get on with what I had to do.

I finally shut the water off and dried myself, and kept a towel around my hair. Another towel practically swallowed me as I wrapped it around my body and tucked an edge in to hold it in place.

I found Ryker in the kitchen. "Hi."

He looked around, a little startled. "Hey. Did I wake you?"

"No, I just woke up." Keeping my eyes off his bare chest became a real struggle. I could look at him for hours and never get tired of it. "I hate to ask, but do you happen to have another shirt and shorts I could borrow?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry, I should have realized… I'll have Stella pick up a few things for you, if you'll give me a list."

I shook my head. "I can't ask you to do that. If he could go by my place, he could just grab my stuff there."

"No, can't do that. Royse probably has someone keeping an eye on your place. We can't have anyone following Stella back here and finding you."

Well, that made sense, even if I hated to admit it. I shrugged a little. "Then I guess I'm wearing your shorts and T-shirts. I don't have money for clothes and stuff."

The look he gave me meant something, but I wasn't sure what. "Don't worry about it. I have it covered."

"No. I don't want you spending money on me. Staying here, and putting you in danger, is bad enough." It took everything I had not to just walk out his door and let him get back to his life.

"You don't understand, Elena." He caught my arms and prevented me from pulling away. "I have friends who are willing to help. Stella isn't going to the mall and buy a whole wardrobe. He'll give your list to one of our friends' girlfriends, and have them go to a second-hand store for most of it."

Okay, that didn't sound so bad. "So you're not spending a fortune?"

He grinned. "I'd like to. Unfortunately, I'll have to make my fortune first." One hand left my arm to cup my jaw. "Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay. If you say so." Of course, I would keep right on worrying.

"I do. Now, let's get you something clean to put on, and then you can make your list." He led the way to his room, where he quickly found another T-shirt and more drawstring shorts.

Ryker left me to get dressed, returning to the kitchen. When I came out, he had a pad and pen waiting. I frowned and wrote down my sizes while he worked on something at the counter.

"Make sure to add what kind of shampoo and stuff you like, along with whatever other girly stuff you'll need in the next few weeks."

I stared at his with a raised brow. "Girly stuff?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Tampons and stuff."

Heat flooded my face. I hadn't thought that far ahead. That part of the list was pretty easy. I wasn't picky about brands and all that. I had to just get the cheap kind. "Okay, all done."

"You put shoes and underwear?"

I added those things to the bottom of the page. "I did now."

A chuckle rumbled from him. "Good girl. Now, something else." He turned and put his hands on his hips. "I've been thinking. If we have to leave here, we don't need you being recognized. I think maybe you should think about dying your hair."

"Will we have to go somewhere else?" Alarm quickened my pulse. As long as we remained in the city, I could put my plan into action. If he took me too far away, I might as well forget it.

"It's possible, depending on how Royse reacts to our disappearing, and on what my friends find out about him. And if it takes more than a few days to get things sorted out and find your mom, it'll be easier if we're somewhere else."

"Oh. Okay." I weighed the idea. Looking different might actually let me put my plan into effect sooner. "I always wanted to be a redhead."

His turn to raise a brow. "A redhead? Really?" He grinned. "Well, hopefully we can make that happen."

The rest of the day passed in eating, watching TV, having sex, and talking. Mostly talking, which surprised me more than a little. Most of my experience with men led me to believe they wanted sex from a woman, and not much else. Especially not conversation.

But it seemed Ryker was different. We talked about everything under the sun, including our childhoods, the foods we loved, and how we liked to spend time. For me, that last part was a small category. Okay, all of them were. I hadn't been able to try new foods in a long time, always forced to grab the cheapest things on the store shelves. And my time hadn't belonged to me since my mom got sick.

Late in the evening, his phone buzzed, and Stella arrived. He only came in for a moment, long enough to pass Ryker a canvas bag stuffed to the brim, and a handful of plastic shopping bags. They talked quietly, then Stella offered a half-wave in my direction, and left.

Ryker brought the canvas bag, and some of the shopping bags over to me. "Here's the clothes and stuff the girls picked up for you. Stella said these two bags are for you, too. I had him pick up some groceries, too, so I'll be in the kitchen while you check out what they sent you."

As much as I hadn't wanted Ryker to spend money on me, I couldn't contain the excitement at getting new things. My hands shook like crazy when I took the bags from him. I didn't wait, just dumped the canvas bag on the couch.

Disbelief made my eyes water. Jeans, cute tops, a hoodie, two pairs of shoes, and even a dress spread before me. I didn't know what to think, or say. I sat touching the clothes, enjoying the fabrics, for a long time. They might have come from secondhand shops, but they were far nicer than anything I'd ever owned.

I finally managed to fold everything into a neat stack, and turned for the other bags. One had a store logo on the side, but I didn't recognize it. Inside, three pretty, lacy bras with matching panties, several pairs of socks, tank tops and shorts, along with a pair of silky pajama pants, waited. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Never, not in my wildest dreams, had I ever imagined having things like these.

The thought of opening the third bag terrified me. It came from a different store, the logo on the bag also unfamiliar. Unable to resist, I carefully opened the top and looked inside. Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in bright bottles certainly looked nothing like the dollar store brands I asked for on the list. Beyond those, I found lotion, razors, a hairbrush and blow dryer, and even a pack of bands to put my hair up with.

Still, the bag held more. They'd thought of everything, including makeup that suited my coloring, and the hair dye kit. By the time I finished taking all the stuff out, I had more feminine products than I even knew real women actually used.

I sat there on the floor, with all the treasures spread around me. When the sobs came, I didn't even try to hold them back. Gratitude flooded through me. How could these women who didn't even know me take the time and care to pick out such nice things for me? Not to mention the money they must have spent. The whole thing boggled my mind.