Starting Over (16 page)

edge, the bikers had gone over the drop off to assist in collecting the bikes to speed up

the recovery. It had been a long damned process. It didn’t help when Orin found an

intact hand, and chased Fat Boy around the spot pretending it was a Zombie hand

trying to grab him. Pauly saw what was happening, and a rescue worker took the hand

from Orin with a grimace, but it was too late for Pauly. Fat Boy had to be hauled up the

side with a passed out Pauly over his shoulder. Another rescue worker finally woke

Orin from the blow that Fat Boy gave him upside his jaw. War wanted to laugh at the

men, but his muscles were screaming from helping to pull Fat Boy and his burden up

and over the edge.

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Starting Over by Ryder Dane

War swore that the next time they had business like this to deal with, Race could

handle it. National president or not, his happy ass could deal with some of the dirty

work too.

Race walked over to the bar and listened to Goody and Queenie complain about the

lame fucks that they’d dealt with overnight, and Yo Yo came down the hallway slower

than her usual breakneck speed. When she neared him, he noticed the way she was

moving and asked her if she was hurt.

He walked toward her and she held out her hand to ward him off. “I’m al right. I got

a little more than I asked for is all. When Bam gets in a mood, well, let’s just say that he

made his point. I’l be okay in a while.” She noticed his frown, and she laid her hand on

his arm after taking a quick look toward the long hallway. “Don’t say anything or do

anything. I asked for what I got, it’s not al his fault for giving it to me. Bam and me

have an understanding, and I, well you know how I like to challenge a man. I picked the

right man for the job. It’l work out.” She shook her head and smiled. “I’ve been around

this club since my mother died back in ’89. Bam and me go way back to when I was a

snot nosed kid that thought she ran the men of the club. Puberty was a bitch and I was

the curious sort, you might say. He never forgave me for that.”

It wasn’t the first time they’d had words, but it was the most effective meeting

between them, and she wasn’t about to confess that she was having a problem

because she’d said some harsh things to the man she’d loved for years, but could never

seem to get her words and actions to sync up. He’d proven to her what she’d believed

since the first time he called her a whore was still true. To be honest, the first time had

been ten years before, and that was when he cal ed her a slut. Tonight she’d been

upgraded to whore. She’d taunted him, and he’d stepped up to give her, wel she didn’t

want to think about what he’d done. There was no way he would touch her again, and

the knowledge made her want to cry.

If Race pushed her for an answer, she would walk out. No one but Bam and her

would ever know what they’d done, even if she knew the memory would haunt her

nights for years to come. She did her best to stand straight and smile with her usual

friendliness.

Hearing Race say, “I’m here if you want to talk, or need someone to adjust his

attitude.” Made her smile turn grim, but she nodded her head as she careful y walked

past the big guy. The club was home, and she was thankful that she had some of the

best people alive to call on if she ever needed them. The problem was hers, and she

was living with the choices she’d made. Maybe it was time for her to move on. She’d

grown up here, all kids left home at one time or the other, didn’t they?

River woke up alone in the big bed. She looked around and found her clothing from

last evening scattered around the bathroom, and when she saw her face in the mirror,

she saw nothing had changed. Shouldn’t she look as confused and, well,
something,

after spending the night with the two men who were determined to have her? Now she

knew what the fuss was about she should look as different as she felt.

She’d masturbated plenty of times over the years. Enjoying a mind blowing orgasm

while a man was licking and sucking on her pussy, well, that was altogether a different

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Starting Over by Ryder Dane

kind of pleasure. Her jaw was a little stiff, but by the time she rinsed her mouth and

washed up, there was just a little discomfort inside but nothing that would have

warranted the blood stains she saw on the comforter. She put the damp clothing on to

cover herself before snooping around the room. She picked up a pair of jeans from the

floor and could tell the pockets held items in them, so she reached into the front pocket

and pulled out her truck keys. She clutched them in her hand and stuffed them into her

pocket, before digging through the rest of the pockets in both pair of jeans belonging to

the men.

She pulled the comforter from the bed and tossed it into the corner along with the

men’s clothes that were littered around the rooms. War real y seemed to get off on the

fact that she’d been virginal, and she’d be damned if she was going to feed his ego by

allowing him to gloat over the evidence that would be plain to see when he walked back

into the room. Why they’d brought her back was a mystery to her. Maybe they didn’t

like being turned down and decided to double up because they figured she’d be more

inclined to pick one of them if they both had her at the same time. Whatever their

fucked up reasoning, now they’d had her and left her. She checked the door and found

that it was unlocked. So the threat of leaving her for anyone to walk in and have wasn’t

just a threat?

Knowing that they didn’t bother to make sure no one could just walk in and find her

asleep, and therefore fair game, hurt. She had hoped for more. Why, she had no clue.

It would have been nice to at least hear a few words of affection, a declaration of love

would have been laughable from either of the men.
Wouldn’t it have been?
She sat for

long minutes on the bed and came to the conclusion that she had to leave. Race told

her he wanted her to do what the women in the common room did, and she couldn’t

deny that she had done exactly what he asked of her. She would let them pull her

fingernails out before admitting to liking the way he trembled in her mouth and under her

fingertips while she sucked him off. The thing was, she didn’t want to be another

passaround like the women he wanted her to act like. She wasn’t wired to mindlessly

lay herself out on a table and allow herself to be used like that. She wanted to be loved.

She could hear the muffled sound of vehicles starting up and she ran to the dirty

window to look outside. She couldn’t tel who was leaving, but one of the vehicles was

a souped up four by four that she remembered from days ago. There was a pile of

snow under the window, and she hoped that it wasn’t just covered up plow mounds

covered in an inch or two of snow, or her plan to jump from the window would result in

possible broken bones. A snowdrift wasn’t a big deal as far as she was concerned.

As soon as she didn’t see anyone mil ing around the area, she slid the window up

and took the time to remove the screen before climbing out on the sill and taking a deep

breath.
You can do this
. She launched herself out and her body dropped faster than

she planned, but she almost cried when she felt her legs sink into the deep pile of snow

without encountering any jarring connection with ice blocks. She crawled out of the

snow and didn’t bother to take the time to brush the snow off her shoulders. Her truck

was in the parking lot, and she saw that her purse and jacket were in the passenger

seat. All she had to do was unlock the door and climb inside.

She was scared that she would be stopped before she could leave the property, but

she ducked down in the seat when she saw two people emerge from the front doors of

the building. It was Mambo and, damned if it wasn’t Maisey holding his arm while he

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Starting Over by Ryder Dane

leaned down, and said something to make the tiny woman smile. River shook her head.

At least Maisey looked like she finally might get her happy ever after. Over the time

River had known the woman, Mambo’s name had repeatedly came up in conversation.

Lucky girl, it appeared that he held some affection for her if the protective way he bent

over her smaller body to block the wind was any indication.

She waited until they’d gotten into his truck and turned toward town before she

started the Durango and eased toward the gates. They’d been left open, and for the

first time that she could remember, there were no Prospects in a car or standing around.

She drove through the gates and began to breathe again. Instead of heading west like

she had the last time she left, she headed east. She kept driving through back roads

and small towns until she needed gas, looking for a station that was busy. Fueling up in

the cold was not her idea of a good time, but the faster she left the area, the more

distance she put between her and the bikers, the better off she felt she’d be. She used

the facilities and grabbed a couple of candy bars and bottles of water when she went

inside to pay cash for her purchases. The lure of the cappuccino machine was too

much to resist, and she picked up several sugar packets and two small bottles of energy

drinks. When she got in the truck, she poured one of the small bottles of energy

booster stuff into the hot drink, and several packets of sugar. The boost of triple

caffeine and sugar would keep her alert for the rest of the night so she could get the

miles expanded between the bikers and her ultimate destination. Thanking her own

stars for not telling Maisey their ultimate destination, she started the truck and continued

on her way.

Checking the rearview mirror constantly kept her nerves on edge. It wasn’t until she

turned south to double back when she got to Alabama that she relaxed. She could take

her time and drive through Texas. It wasn’t like she had to be anywhere in particular on

a certain day.

They probably aren’t looking for you either
. They got what they wanted and left her

asleep and vulnerable, hadn’t they? The niggling thoughts of betrayal refused to leave

her brain. How could they have sex with her—mind blowing sex—and leave her alone

like that? One thing they proved to her was that she wanted them, and now that she’d

had them, how was she supposed to forget how it felt to fall asleep between the two of

them?
Men are such uncaring bastards. Fuck them, I’m not a damned toy to be played

with and left on her own until they decide that they want to play again.

JK Publishing, Inc.

Starting Over by Ryder Dane

Race had no sooner walked away from the bar to go to the kitchen to try to scare

something up to eat when his cell buzzed to get his attention. It was the sheriff’s office,

they needed to come in and give their statements about the bikers that were recovered

from the drop off. He retraced his steps and found War hauling Pauly up from the chair

to help the man to the barracks to sleep the drinking binge caused by the traumatic find

of several bodies and bikes.

Race yelled at Ben to take over the task, and War looked puzzled, but handed the