Wife Me Bad Boy (34 page)

I almost felt guilty. She didn’t deserve this. Did she even know what I was going to do to her?

I put my arms around her and pulled her face against my pulsing cock. She was small and soft against the hard muscles of my body. She was like a child. So innocent. I couldn’t wait till she cried out my name and called me master. I pictured the future as the last of my sperm poured into her mouth.

Mine. All mine.

Chapter 9

Faith

J
ACKSON’S BODY STARTLED ME.
He was perfectly formed. The muscles on his torso and arms were like something out of an anatomy book. His tattoos were beautiful and intricate, and told the story of a man who’d been to hell and back. His cock hung between his legs like a proud trophy.

But the scars—the scars were shocking. I don’t know what could have done that to his back. Either he’d been in some terrible accident, or else someone had whipped him till the flesh was in tatters. The scars layered on top of each other, possibly formed over years, and all I wanted to do was kiss them.

“What happened to you?” I said. “I’ve never seen scars like that.”

He was holding me in his arms. I still had the taste of him in my mouth, and I liked it.

“It’s a long story,” he said.

“We’ve got time.”

He looked at me and smiled.

“I don’t know if you’d want to hear this. It ain’t pretty.”

“I want to know everything about you.”

He held me tight.

There was a noise out in the parking lot. When I realized it was motorcycles my blood froze.

Jackson’s body tensed.

“Is that your boyfriend?” he said.

“How would he have found me?”

Jackson got up and went to the window. “There are two riders out there. Black leather. The Los Lobos logo on their backs.”

I put my hand in front of my mouth.

“Stay inside” he said, his voice sharp as a razor.

I nodded.

Still naked, Jackson picked up his gun from the side table and burst out the door.

I ran to the window. I recognized the riders, Slack and Jared, two Los Lobos henchmen. They weren’t full Lobos, just heavies hired as guards. They were still at their bikes, taking off their helmets and gloves, tired from the long ride out from Nevada. Jackson was striding right toward them, completely naked, and they didn’t notice him till he was right on top of them.

Jackson didn’t say a word. With his gun in his fist, he struck Slack across the face, knocking him backward over his bike. In the same motion, he leapt over the bike and landed on Jared, driving him to the ground. A single head butt and Jared was out cold, his face a mess of blood.

Slack scrambled to his feet. He pointed his gun at Jackson’s back. Bang.

The world stopped. The sound of the gunshot rang through my ears like the toll of a funeral bell. The moment seemed to last forever.

This was the end. Jackson was dead. I’d be brought back to Wolf and punished for what I’d done. When they found out I’d given myself to Jackson, they’d string me up and kill me. But I didn’t even care about any of it.

Already, I was committed to Jackson.

If Jackson was dead, then it didn’t matter what they did to me. I was Jackson’s now. I couldn’t imagine being without him.

And then, Slack fell to his knees. The bullet hadn’t come from Slack’s gun. It had come from Jackson’s.

Jackson walked over to Slack’s body and kicked away the gun. He bent down and opened Slack’s leather suit. There was blood everywhere. Jackson tore Slack’s bloody shirt from his body and made a compress out of it.

“Hold that on the wound,” he said to Slack. “If you’re lucky, you’ll be alive when the ambulance gets here.”

Slack spoke weakly. “You should kill me now, whoever you are. Los Lobos will have no mercy on you.”

Jackson didn’t respond. He checked on Jared who was still out cold. Jackson took both men’s guns and strode back to the room, finding me at the window.

“Get your things,” he said. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

I threw on my dress. Jackson put on his clothes and gave me his leathers and helmet. They were big but better than nothing.

“Do you ride?” he said.

I shook my head.

He peered cautiously out the door before we left. Slack and Jared were still on the ground. Jackson pointed his gun at them and fired two shots. A bullet hit the fuel tank of each of their bikes.

“Come on,” he said.

I ran to keep up, climbed onto the back of his bike, and put my arms around him so tightly nothing would ever pry me loose.

Chapter 10

Faith

W
E RODE SOUTH FOR THREE HOURS,
stopping only for fuel. Jackson washed Slack’s blood from his hands in a gas station restroom.

Jackson was protective of me and that kept me calm. If he hadn’t been so in control, so in possession of me and the situation, I’m certain I would have panicked. He’d shot Slack. He’d knocked out Jared. Wolf, and the other Lobos would be after us in force. Nothing would stop them now. We’d never be safe.

But it was hard to feel hopeless with Jackson there. My arms were around his waist like a vise. It was as if he made me his responsibility, made me his family, the moment he set eyes on me. I felt as if everything that followed would be the result of that.

We reached a small desert town and pulled into the Walmart. Jackson filled a cart with clothes for me, toiletries, a fresh shirt and underwear for himself, some bottled water, a few snacks.

“Do you know where we are?” I said.

He nodded. “We’re in the Mojave Desert.”

It was hot. Very hot.

“There’s a diner up ahead. They’ve got air conditioning. We can go there and talk.”

“All right,” I said. All I wanted was the air conditioning.

We parked outside the diner and went inside. He led me to a booth and despite the desperation of our situation, it felt good to be with him. I felt he knew exactly what to do, where to go, what to say. I didn’t have to think. That sort of certainty was what I needed. If he’d shown any weakness, I wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

“How did they find us?” I said, when we were seated.

“They didn’t know you were there. How many henchmen does Los Lobos have?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a hundred.”

“They would have spanned out. They knew you wouldn’t be able to get far without help.”

“Now they know I have help.”

“Yes, you do,” he said, and I could have cried when he said that. If it wasn’t for him, I’d already be back at Wolf’s mansion, suffering God knows what torture.

A waitress came to us with menus. Jackson ordered two ice waters and two cups of coffee.

“Jackson,” I said. “If you want to back out, I won’t hold you to any of this. You did what I asked. You got me away from Nevada. They won’t find me here so easily.”

He shook his head. “I already told you, we’re together now, Faith. There’s no backing out on that.”

“If they find you, they’ll kill you.”

He nodded. “Yes, they will.”

“So why don’t you get out now, while you still can? There’s no sense in both of us being in danger.”

“Stop it,” he said. “You know it’s too late for that. I told you I’d give you a life for a life. I meant it.”

“What does that even mean?”

“My father died a few days ago,” he said, looking down at the table.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. He lived by the sword and he died by it.”

“It must be difficult for you.”

“What’s difficult is that I’m his only son. His only child.”

“I see.”

“If I die, his line dies. I don’t want that to happen.”

“Well, putting yourself in danger to protect me isn’t going to help the situation.”

“But you’re going to give me what I need to protect the future, Faith.”

“You mean?” My breath caught in my throat.

“Yes. You’re going to give me a child, Faith. That’s what I meant when I said I’d take
everything
you had to give.”

“A child?”

“Yes.”

“How can we? In this situation?”

“You leave the situation to me. I’ll take care of Los Lobos. That’s what I can offer.”

“And I’ll give you a baby?”

“That’s the deal.”

I didn’t know what to say. I was dumbfounded. He was so certain of what he wanted. I’d never heard anything like it.

“A life for a life,” I said. “That’s what you meant?”

“Yes, it is.”

“How do you know I’m the woman you want to have a child with.”

He smiled. “Call it a hunch.”

Tears rose to my eyes and I struggled to keep them back. It must have been the shock. I didn’t know if I was delighted or terrified by what he was saying.

“You could have had any number of women give you a baby. I’m sure they’re lining up for you wherever you live. You didn’t need to pick one that was being hunted down by the most dangerous gang in all of Nevada.”

“I wanted
you
.”

“It doesn’t make any sense. If you wanted a child, you should have chosen someone safer.”

“I choose
you
. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

I looked at him, looked into his eyes, trying to read their meaning. What was he saying to me? Was he just telling me what he thought I needed to hear? Was I just hearing what I wanted to hear to shield myself from this terrible situation? I didn’t want to be a fool. I didn’t want to be naive.

The waitress returned with our drinks.

“Are you ready to order?” she said.

Jackson looked at me. “You must be starving.”

“I am,” I said. I turned to the waitress. “Could I get the chili with a side of toast, a side of bacon, and a caesar salad.”

She looked over my thin frame, surprised I wanted to eat so much. “You want anchovies on the salad?”

I shook my head.

Jackson smiled. “Good girl,” he said, impressed I was willing to eat my fill in front of him. “I’ll have the steak and eggs, the steak medium, the eggs over easy.”

“Toast with that?”

“Toast and steak sauce.”

“Coming right up,” the waitress said and left.

When she was gone, I looked right at Jackson. I was still reeling from what he’d said.

“You want me to have your baby?” I said again, incredulously.

He laughed. “That’s just the beginning.”

“How can that be just the beginning? What more could there possibly be?”

“You’ll see,” he said, giving me a sly wink. “You promised me
everything
, Faith. I intend to collect.”

“I’ll bet,” I said, my heart pounding.

The truth was, whatever he wanted from me, I was willing to give it. I wanted him to want me. I wanted to belong to him.

“And in return, I’ll give you the safety I promised.”

He looked at me meaningfully and in that terrible moment I realized what was going to happen. It wasn’t going to be a happy ending. He would go back to Los Lobos, bring the fight to them, and die in the process. He would give me a baby, but he wouldn’t be around to raise it with me.

He smiled solemnly at me.

My eyes filled with tears.

“You don’t have to go back there,” I said.

He shook his head.

“It’s the only way.”

“No, it’s not. We have options. We could run together.”

He let out a mirthless laugh.

I didn’t feel like laughing.

“We can’t run, Faith. I’m not built that way.”

I shook my head. It was like a cruel trick of fate. Here I was, sitting with a man who’d just told me he wanted me to give him a child, and in the same breath, he was telling me he wouldn’t be around to see it.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m so sorry for all of this.”

That was all I could say. I’d dragged him into this situation, and now he was going to have to deal with it. He was going to throw his life at it, and it was all my fault. I’d been so desperate for help I hadn’t factored this into my thinking. I hadn’t realized the cost. I hadn’t thought of what the man who helped me would have to give up to buy my safety.

Los Lobos. They’d stop at nothing. Jackson knew it. I realized he must have known it the moment he set eyes on me back at the motel. He’d made up his mind back then. He’d said as much. A life for a life. Had he wanted me that badly all along? Had he wanted to fuck me so badly he’d get himself killed for it? Had he known back then that he wanted me to be the mother of his child?

It made my head spin.

“Don’t apologize,” he said. “I’m glad all this happened.”

There was a look of resignation in his eyes, as if he’d always known the world would deal him a hand like this. There was also a steely strength in that look. I wanted desperately to believe that strength was enough to get him through this alive.

“I always wanted a girl like you, Faith. I didn’t even know it until that day we met in Reno. Ever since then, life hasn’t been the same for me. Now that I have you, I realize you’re what I’ve been searching for all these years.”

“Well, you’ve got me now, Jackson.”

“I do, but it’s a cruel victory. I have to leave you behind so soon.”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t bear it. He had to change his plan. He couldn’t leave me. I wouldn’t allow it.

“You don’t have to leave.”

“Yes. I do. Wolf Staten. Los Lobos. They’ll only get stronger. They’ll hunt us down like animals. The sooner I bring the fight to them, the better.”

“No,” I stammered. “Don’t do it.”

He shook his head. “I have to keep up my end of the bargain. I have to make you safe. That’s not going to happen unless I make it happen.”

“I’m begging you not to go back.”

“Wolf’s the leader of Los Lobos. I stole his woman. That doesn’t come without consequences.”

I was crying. I shook my head. Los Lobos had over a hundred members. They had chapters all around Reno.

“If you leave, I’ll never see you again.”

“Then, whatever else happens, we better make tonight count.”

I was desperate. I felt as if the world was ending.

“Jackson, you’ve already kept up your end of the bargain. You rescued me. You brought me here.”

Tears poured from my eyes. I felt as if I would die without him. I couldn’t let him leave. He had to stay.