After the Ride (Night Riders Motorcycle Club Book 2) (2 page)

“I’ll keep you safe,” he promised. “You just have to…”

Blake’s voice trailed off, and Lauren took his hand in hers as she waited without breathing for him to finish his thought.

“You just have to trust me.”

She shouldn’t. How could she trust a man that had paid money to make her his? She was far from an unwilling captive, but it was the last thing that she would ever have chosen of her own free will.

But there was no free will when he stared at her hard and clutched her hand tighter.

“I… I do,” she whispered. “I trust you.”

Blake smiled and pulled her closer.

“That’s good,” he said. “Because you can. You always can.”

He kissed her again, and Lauren’s hands moved down his side. She started to unzip his jeans when there was a loud rap on the door.

CHAPTER THREE

“What—?”

“Stay here.”

Blake left Lauren’s side, and he reached for his gun as he took step closer to the door and leaned against the frame.  He looked ready to shoot at anything or anyone that dared to enter the shack, and Lauren held her breath as pulled the sheet closer to her body.

“Open up, Blake.”

The sound of Paul’s voice from the other side of the door caused them both to heave a sigh of relief. Blake shot Lauren a look that calmed her further, and he pushed his gun into his waist as he flung the door open.

“You dreaming the night away or… oh.”

As soon as he saw Lauren’s body curled under the sheets, Paul smiled faintly and gave her a quick nod.

“Keeping him happy, honey?” Paul asked.

If it was one of the others, she might have gone back to doubting if she truly wanted this to be her fate. But Paul was sweet. And he took care of Grace. Lauren lowered her head and smiled shyly.

“Trying to,” she confessed.

Paul smiled, but then his face went dark as he turned his gaze back to Blake.

“Sorry to spoil the party,” Paul started. “But we need to talk. Now.”

“What’s up?” Blake asked.

Lauren inched towards the edge of the bed, wanting nothing more than to be let in on the secret. If Blake was in any kind of danger, Lauren wanted to help him if she could.

What is he doing to me?

Paul appeared to catch sight of her out of the corner of his eye, but then he centered his stare back to Blake.

“Club business,” Paul said. “Put a shirt on and move front and center.”

Blake briefly looked back at Lauren, and she saw the worry flashing across his eyes. If he didn’t want to see her sad, then the last thing that she wanted was to see him scared. The stance didn’t suit him. Lauren started to drop the sheet and move her body from the bed when Blake waved her off and pulled his body into a tight tee.

“What’s happening?” Lauren asked. “What—?”

“None of your concern,” Blake said. “We’re handling it.”

He was nearly out the door, his knuckles cracking together as he trailed after Paul when Blake suddenly stopped and turned back to face her. Stepping back to the bed, he grabbed her face and turned her cheeks around his fingers.

“Stay here,” he whispered. “I’ll be back soon.”

Lauren’s mouth was ready to receive his kiss, but he denied her. Probably because Paul still lingered in the doorway. He simply tugged on a fallen lock of her hair and flashed her a smile.

“Hang tight,” he said. “Keep the bed warm.”

Slapping Paul’s back, he shut the door and was gone. Sighing into the sheets, Lauren collapsed to the bed, her body still humming, and a part of her wanted to do nothing but honor his request. She could wait. She should wait. Her last attempt at moving through the camp with no cover under the mark of night had nearly meant her end. And it brought fresh blood to Blake’s hands. Holding herself closely, she took several deep breaths and told herself that she could do this. She had to.

What if…

Letting the sheet fall, her bare body shivered at the draft passing through the shuddered windows, and she reached what might be a fatal decision.

Leaping off the bed, she retrieved the faded paisley dress that had been a gift from Callie’s hands. Slipping it over her head, ignoring the need for any bra or panties, she pushed her arms through a ratty sweater and stepped into a pair of faded sneakers. The whore costume, Blake’s first, strange gift to her still lingered in the corner, but the chill of the desert night required greater cover.

When he came back to her, maybe…

Lauren pressed he ear to the door, and she heard the club slithering towards the big tent where they congregated to form their plans and take their meals. As the voices dulled behind the unseen fabric, Lauren turned the handle and stepped out into night.

Moving softly, slowly, Lauren‘s eyes darted in every direction. The parked bikes were as cold as the night air and the sand swirled around her ankles as she kept stepping forward. Callie had to be sleeping. Same thing for Grace. She pictured her stirring and Paul kissing her back to the bed before he headed out. Truth be told, Grace was better suited to be what Callie called an
old lady
. She did as she was told and kept her man happy. Maybe Lauren fulfilled the latter part of the bill, but her curiosity would not keep her in his bed.

“What the fuck!”

Lauren blanched as she neared the flowing flap of the tent, and she ducked in the shadows. Falling to her bare knees, she held her breath and cocked her ear closer to the flapping folds.

“Blake, I—”

“We buried the bastard deep,” Paul started. “But Eric’s making trouble. Like you didn’t know that he would.”

Lauren bit down on her lip as Blake spoke again.

“So let him bring it!” Blake said. “What? Think I can’t handle it?”

Her eyes found a small tear in the canvas, and Lauren saw Blake fuming.  Two Night Riders held him back, the big one known as Hugo and the kid that known to the club as Trent. Blake struggled in their grasp, and Paul held his ground as he pressed his palm to the air.

“Didn’t say that,” Paul cautioned. “Why don’t you—?”

“Eric was after your girl, too,” Blake challenged. “And what? You like the idea of them tying her down and slashing her open?”

Paul clenched his fist, and Lauren gripped the edge of the tent as she watched him seethe. Smaller than Blake, Lauren still had no doubt that Paul could take him if Blake pushed his luck.

“Not happening,” Paul said. “Not on my watch.”

He snapped his fingers, and Blake relaxed as his boys pressed him into a hard-backed chair. She could see Blake shaking with rage even as he bowed his head and tried to appear contrite.

“Sure,” Blake muttered. “No one’s touching your girl.”

He raised his eyes, and his lips curled into a strong smile.

“Or mine,” he said. “I’ll kill anyone that tries to touch her.”

From her hiding place, Lauren’s body went limp as she absorbed his words. She shouldn’t need a man to keep her safe; her recent captivity aside, she could take care of herself. But she smiled at the idea that Blake would shoot first and ask questions late if he saw that she was in harm’s way. She was about to break the rule, push through the tent, and tell him that she had his back when Paul cracked opened a beer and spoke again before he sipped.

“Hear me out,” he started. “Total devil’s advocate shit.”

Blake clenched and unclenched his fists.

“I’m listening,” Blake said.

Paul took a deep drink and set the can aside. Turning a stray chair close to Blake, he sat heavily and ran his fingers through his silver hair.

“You could take off for a while,” Paul started. “Like go underground. Take your girl with you.”

Lauren watched Blake’s face turn the color of slate as she allowed her mind to race around the possibility. She could almost picture herself on the back of his bike as she clung to his waist. Racing towards the unknown, Blake would find some quiet spot. For a time, they could live there. She would live within and around him a place where no one would ever find him. It didn’t seem like the worst fate, and she nearly moved forward to tell him that they could make it work together when Blake stomped the heel of his boot into the desert sand.

“I ain’t no fucking coward,” Blake said. “I stand tall. I fight hard.”

As Paul nodded, Lauren hung her head. She would never have suspected anything less of him. Part of her wanted to see him ride out the storm and bask in what would have to be his moment of triumph.

“Duly noted,” Paul said. “But there are other problems.”

Blake shifted in his seat, and Lauren crawled closer to the slit in the tent as she strained to hear whatever Paul would say next.

“It’s about Lauren,” he said.

She cringed, and Blake stretched to the edge of his chair.

“What about her?” Blake challenged.

Paul sighed. Leader or not, Lauren could sense Blake wanting to take Paul’s throat in his hands. Somehow he held back and just listened.

So did Lauren, he ears wide open.

“People are looking for her,” Paul said. “Guess it’s her family or whatever. We can only keep the locals off the scent for so long.”

As she watched Paul tense, Lauren felt as if everything started and stopped all at once. The cavalry was on their way. Was Drew leading the charge? What would she do if she came face-to-face with him again? Before lying with Blake, she felt sure that she would have just held him and felt some sense of safety in the space of his arms.

But now?

“So we gotta be practical about this,” Paul continued. “If the heat’s on, it’s on us. And we can’t risk them finding—”

Blake was on his feet, and he finally grabbed Paul by his throat as he slammed him into the floor. Hugo and Trent worked like mad to drag him from Paul’s side, but Blake’s grip was too hard to be ignored.

“I’m not giving her up!” Blake bellowed. “I need her. I—”

His words caught in his throat when Paul kicked him hard between his legs. Blake doubled back, and Lauren pressed her hands to her mouth to suppress the scream bubbling in her throat.

“Son of a fucking…”

Blake was back on his feet in an instant, his fists ready for a fresh fight.

No. I can’t let him do this. Not to his own. Not because of me.

Lauren was ready to press her way into the tent when Paul stunned her as he leapt to his feet. His size and his apparent age suggested that he’d be at least a little rattled by Blake’s assault in spite of his own low blow. But Paul hopped from foot to foot and raised his fists as he glared at Blake.

“Let’s get one thing straight right now, kid,” he said. “I’m in charge here. And if you say she’s yours, she’s yours. I’m not going challenge that.”

Lauren heaved a sigh of relief that intensified when she saw Blake’s firm body sag. It might still be alright. It might—

“But when they find out where she is and who she’s with, it all goes south,” Paul promised.

Fear iced Lauren’s heart. Her first thought was for Blake. For Grace and the others. And this was not their day of reckoning. It was hers.

“So they won’t find us,” Blake said. “We’ll keep them hidden.”

“Blake, we—”

“What happens to your sweet thing if it all comes out?” Blake challenged. “From what Lauren tells me, her life was more nightmare than anything else. Like you’re just going to send her back to—”

Paul landed a square punch right in Blake’s jaw, sending him to the ground. Blake held his face as he glared back up.

“Cut right to the point, didn’t you?” Paul said. “I am never sending her back.”

Blake propped his body up of his elbows and spoke through the blood bubbling from his lips.

“And Lauren?” Blake asked. “What about her?”

“Well I’ve been giving that some thought,” Paul said. “You might not like it, but—”

Pressing her hands to her ears, Lauren couldn’t stand to listen to one more word. Blake had her back; he had every part of her. But for Paul, it came down to Grace and the club. And if Lauren was in the way…