4 Horsemen Novella! Kayla's Ride (Sons of San Merced Erotic Motorcycle Club Biker Romance) (6 page)

“And?”

“Something went wrong. The Kings tried to do an end-around, ship through some shit without us. We found out about it, tipped off the man. They were bringing in some heavy items, drugs, guns, women. This went way above The Kings but they aren’t talking about their new masters, and we had no right to ask. Thought we could get them busted on the dock and kill two birds with one stone. Solidify our control of shipping, and deal with a thorn.”

“What happened?” I asked, holding my breath.

“One of the Kings realized shit was going down, saw an undercover truck scouting out the dock. They threw a box off the side of an inbound ship. Fifty six women inside.”

“Oh my God…”

“If the Kings made the call to ditch them in the water, we can’t let them live it down. Blood is on our hands here. That’s why we’re having the meeting. They say they want us to start helping with shipping. We won’t work with a bunch of lady killers.”

Every muscle tensed in my body, disgust coursing through my veins at what the Kings had done. Disgust at how they had held me, attacked us…

“Finish your breakfast. We ride out soon.”

I tried to stomach more of the food, letting it settle like a lead brick inside me. Soon, I might be facing down the man that attacked us in the parking lot. I needed to be ready, my wits about me. I cringed, biting down on more bacon, breathing hard.

And then the phone rang.

Chapter 6:

The Calling

THE PHONE
sat on the table between us. Mark reached out and hit the speakerphone button, and we sat there waiting to break the silence. When the voice finally rose from the table a cold shiver ran up my spine.

“It’s time Mark. I need you up here sooner than expected. Meeting is tonight.”

“I wasn’t expecting your call so soon Conquest. I’m still a few hours from there.”

“Then get your ass on the bike. Southwest of Vegas, dirt pull off around mile marker 220. You’ll see the men.”

Nothing about the Conquest’s tone was friendly or familiar. It was measured and calculating in its malice. I looked at Mark and he met my eyes, peering through them I could see something there. Surprise?

“What’s going on Conquest,” Mark said. “You’re sounding pretty impatient.”

A laugh filled the room from the phone’s little speakers, echoing off the walls. “Famine, it’s not your place to ask questions. The woman is still with you, right?”

I didn’t reply, but I didn’t have to. The sound of silence was damning. A shiver went up my spine.

“It’s Kayla,” Mark responded firmly.

“Make sure you bring her.”

“I intended to.”

My head swam just thinking of last night, this morning, the way I felt at this very moment. Even now, I gazed across the table at Famine, his fist balled tightly on the table. His anger was evident, but there was something else there. Confusion? Sadness?

Regret?

“We’ll be there,” Mark responded cooly. “If it turns out the Kings attacked us though…”

“We’ll kill them together,” Conquest replied, not a hint of compassion in his voice. “And if they didn’t, you’ll play nice until we meet the boss.”

“Play nice with those fucking murderers?”

Mark’s arm rippled as his fist slammed down on the table.

“Only as long as we have to Famine. Relax, you’ll have your chance to bust some heads. Vegas, as fast as your wheels will carry you.”

The voice was gone, the call ended.

“Something stinks, Kayla.”

“Are you…. Sure?” I asked, regretting the question immediately. His eyes flashed red.

“Bust some heads. Code word. He’s out there waiting, but he thinks someone’s listening.”

“The police?”

“I don’t know, all I know is we’re going to have to be careful from here on out Kayla.”

“What do we do?”

Mark lifted his head from his chest, letting out a deep sigh.

“We ride.”

“And if the worst happens?”

“You don’t live as long as I have in a world like this without a backup plan. We walk away, we start a new life. I have money hidden away. Shit hits the fan, you come with me.”

“Okay…”

Mark grinned, his white teeth flashing wildly. The beast was awake inside him, alive, and ready to lash out at the evils of the world. I held my belly lightly, shielding it uselessly from his piercing eyes. For a moment, I imagined us getting through this together. We could go somewhere safe. We could raise a family. There was no way to explain how I knew Famine’s child was growing inside me, but I could practically see the cells dividing. Hope welled inside me. Mark was strong, and I….

I will help him.

Famine was off in a flash, pulling a picture off the wall and opening a hidden safe. It didn’t take long for him to stuff a small bag full of money from the opening. I sat quietly, watching him move, admiring his strength and purpose.

“Master bedroom, walk in closet, there’s some clothes for you. Cover up with the leathers so you’ll be clean when we get there.”

My legs moved beneath me swiftly. I didn’t think, didn’t question, at least until I was standing in the closet staring at the neatly racked outfits, sealed in dry cleaning bags and stored away.

A Woman’s clothing…

I didn’t stop long enough to wonder who she was, there was no time. I pulled clothing off the racks, looking them over quickly.

They are in my size…

This whole house was a time capsule, untouched for years. The closet was no different. The clothing was incredibly well made and very attractive, if a bit vintage. Plastic dry cleaning bags had preserved everything well, a fresh scent coming off as I tore them open. I pulled a blouse from its tomb, admiring the way it flowed. Looking down at the ruined shirt I was still wearing, it wasn’t a hard choice to put it on. I slipped out of the torn buttonup, exposing my skin to the cold air, sliding the cloth over me and letting it fall, the hem falling to my waist.

“Wow…” I whispered, looking at myself in the mirror. The shirt fit perfectly, the way clothes rarely did. When you’re a girl clothing shopping is a minefield of frustration. Something fits your tummy or hips but is too small for your breasts, or it covers your top and makes you look like a hippo. Every girl with a few extra curves knows what it feels like to find that piece of clothing that works. The one that accentuates everything good, the outfit that turns heads anywhere you go. The blouse curved seductively over my breasts, dipping low and demonstrating cleavage while being just tight enough to provide support. A pair of long black jeans came out next. They lay flat over my tummy before flaring out for my hips, and pulling tighter around my calves. The outfit screamed summertime, and it dripped with sexy. I didn’t know who had collected this wardrobe, but she had good taste.

“Wow…”

I spun quickly, the blouse flowing around me in slow motion. Famine was standing just inside the door, admiring my body. The hunger in his eyes melted my brain, the pressure of the day dissipating in a cloud of arousal.

“Who was she?” I asked, waving to the line of clothing.

“My wife…”

He didn’t have to explain. The look on his face said everything.

“How did she…”

“A car accident in 1997. There was nothing I could do… I haven’t been back since.”

I could see the pain and anguish of the memory. I did the only thing that seemed right. I crossed the threshold and wrapped my arms around him, draping my body against his strong chest. He held me there, almost too hard to breathe.

My heartbeat pounded inside, the little aches and pains of life gone, replaced by a strength that was indescribable. It was the feeling of invincibility. With Famine holding me, I felt like I could move mountains.

“I’m with you until the end…” I whispered.

I reached up, using my fingertips to run down his face, pressing his eyes closed. “Just hold me.”

I pressed in, letting his arms slide around me in a way that felt familiar and safe. I pushed myself up on my tippy toes, sliding along his chest, capturing his bottom lip. We kissed, but not in the animal way with which we had spent the night before. It was soft, calm, and patient.

Mark broke the kiss, tilting his head down against my ear.

“I’ve only just met you…” Mark whispered.

I pulled away from his embrace, turning away quickly, embarrassed, rejected.

“But I will protect you with my life…” Mark said, completing his sentence. I turned back, his lips curving up in a smile. The lines on his cheeks complimented his rugged face in a far too sexy way.

“I love you.” The words tumbled from my mouth, tears piling up on my cheeks. I’d known it almost from the first moment I’d seen Mark, even though I’d refused to admit it. We were meant to be together. Nothing about this was an accident. His broken down bike, the way we had shared that dangerous encounter in the parking lot, the MC, our child growing within me. The fates were at work and I was powerless to refuse them. I could feel the heat growing between us again. My body yearned for him.

Mark pushed me away, the heat dashed between us. Reaching out, he grabbed a large number of hangars and took a pile of clothing with him as he stepped back into the bedroom. “There will be time for this later. For now, we need to hurry.”

Less than thirty minutes had passed since the phone call, but already the dusty motorcycle in the garage was rumbling. The seat cradled me in a way much more familiar than yesterday. Famine slid the garage door shut behind us and mounted.

“Ready?” he asked.

I shifted my body, leaning around his waist, My hands slid down to his pants, gripping his cock through the jeans. It was already hard.

“You bring out the animal in me, Kayla…” Mark whispered, his legs strained as he fought to control himself. “There will be time for that later…”

“Promise?” I whispered, giving hi a squeeze.

“I promise.”

Chapter 7:

Fanning Flames

AT SOME
point along the way I’d finally fallen into the rhythm of the road. The miles had drifted by as I time traveled, arriving in the future, the dirt road looming as we veered off the highway. We were close, and that meant, potentially close to the man from the parking lot…

It’s more fun when you struggle…

His voice was chilling in my mind, a reminder of what we had come here to do.

Mark took the bike carefully onto the dirt, stopping briefly. I stared off in the distance, just making out the outskirts of Vegas.

Mobsters built that town from the dust up, the towering casinos built as much to launder money as they were to earn it the old fashioned way. Everyone this side of the Mississippi knew that. The city was gone now, replaced by a family fun fantasyland with pirate ships and pyramids. Still, out here on the outskirts, in the desert, the dirty little secrets of that dirty little past lay buried. I shivered even in the heat as Famine stepped off the bike to talk with one of the pair of MC members waiting at the side of the road. The desert keeps its secrets, and I had no intention of becoming one of them. Reaching up, I tightened my hair bun, adjusting it.

"Relax Kayla, you're safe with me," Mark said, returning to the bike and laying a hand on my thigh ever so softly. "It gets easier, you know."

"I belive you," I whispered back.

It never gets easier. I thought grimly. It never got easier with my previous boyfriends. Once bad shit started to happen it got worse and worse. The bad weighs on you after awhile.

"There they are," Mark whispered, pointing out at five dust covered bikes out in the open a mile into the desert. It was the end of the dirt road, a deep wash behind them cutting off any further progress. Nothing but flat ground for miles. We rode toward them. It was easy to see why Conquest would pick a spot like this. Secluded, quiet, safe. One way in, one way out.

"Let me do the talking baby,” Mark said, kicking the bike into gear and sending us carefully down the path toward our shared destiny.

Gladly…

I stared at the group as we approached. Death was clearly visible with the skull bandana still wrapped around his face. He stood off to the side leveling a mean looking sawn off shotgun, only raising it when we were close enough to identify. Conquest was up front and center. Penny was off to the side, staying out of the way. War stood to the right, dominating the space. He must have left his girl somewhere else, because I didn’t see her anywhere. He didn’t have a weapon visible, but that beast of a man was still easily the most terrifying of the group.

I took a deep breath as the bike came to a stop, Conquest pulling the keys and stepping off. He pulled me down with him, walking forward with only the slightest of limp.

“Where’s Tyrone?” Famine asked, eyeing down Conquest.

“Back here.” Tyrone said firmly.

We both swiveled, looking down next to War, the black man sitting next to one of the bikes. War wasn’t pointing any weapons at him, but it was clear he had no intention of moving.