Banger's Ride: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 5) (27 page)

When they cleared the town and turned onto the mountain roads, Banger disregarded the speed limits, and Belle held her breath. It felt like the bike was propelled by the wind, and the landscape blurred past her; the budding trees, tufts of new grass, and the butterflies’ kaleidoscopic wings were nothing more than a smudge on her field of vision. The sunshine was strong and almost had a touch of summer to it. The feeling of soaring through the air was exhilarating, and Belle clung tightly around Banger’s waist, the faint smell of oil and cloves winding around her. He had braided his hair, and she leaned her cheek against its golden softness. On the bike, careening through back roads, her body pressed against his, Belle felt complete.

They slowed as they passed through Larkspur Village, veering toward a narrow road at the outskirts of town. The Harley twisted and turned around the road until they pulled into a dirt lot, Banger cutting the engine before swinging his leg over the seat. He put out his hand and helped Belle off the bike, holding her as she crumpled into his arms. “Oh,” she gasped as her hands crashed against his chest. “My legs are like Jell-O.”

“First time, babe.” Banger winked at her. “You’ll get used to it, but I think I like you like this.” He bent down and kissed her deeply. “Loved feeling you behind me. Did you like it?”

“Yeah. It totally kicked ass.” She hopelessly tried to smooth her tangled hair down as she looked around the small dirt lot. “What are we doing here?”

Clasping her hand in his, he tugged her along. “I’ll show you.”

They walked up a flight of stone stairs, a wooden ticket booth at the top to their right. “Wait here,” he said as he strode over to the stall. He came back with two tickets and led her to another long flight of stairs. At the top, Belle saw buckets attached to a cable wire and a yellow sign stating, “Aerial Tramway.”

“We’re going in
that
?” She pointed to a brightly painted red tram.

“Yep. I love it up here, and I wanted to share it with you.” He handed the ticket to an older man, who sat on a metal folding chair, chewing a cigar butt.

“Is it safe?” she whispered to Banger.

He threw his head back and laughed, then snagged her around her waist and led her into the metal car. Coming up behind them, a group of four huffed loudly. Banger turned to the ticket man and handed him a hundred dollar bill. “I don’t want anyone riding with me and my woman.” The man nodded then opened the steel door, latching it shut after the couple settled in.

The tram glided high above the tree tops, and the spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains took her breath away. The jagged high peaks were still covered in winter’s snow, and evergreens, blue spruce trees, and blooming wildflowers wove around the mountains like threads in a tapestry. Belle stood in front of Banger, enveloped in his arms, his breath warm on her neck. “This is gorgeous,” she murmured, spotting the lone flight of a gliding eagle.

“Glad you like it. There’s a place we can eat at when we get to the end.”

The ride was too short, and Belle reluctantly left the tram and followed Banger into a small gift shop that had an eating area in the back. The shop had windows all around, and the couple settled in a booth, Banger seated next to Belle. She rubbed his arm with hers, then kissed him tenderly. He placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed while he kissed her back, drawing her lower lip between his. Desire flushed through her and she placed her hand on his crotch, his dick hard under her palm.

“You want anything to drink?” the teenage waitress asked.

She pulled away, immediately missing his lips on hers. “A glass of water and iced tea, please.”

“Coors on tap.”

The waitress shuffled away. For the next hour, they enjoyed the spectacular vistas, a wonderful lunch of burgers and fries, and the unhurried closeness of each other. After they finished, Belle bought a book about history and critters of the area for Ethan, and pretty silver leaf earrings for Emily, as well as a couple of T-shirts for them. When she was checking out, she noticed bags of peanuts near the register. “Are these for feeding the animals?” she asked the clerk.

The thin man with wire glasses and gray hair smiled. “Mostly the chipmunks and squirrels.”

“I’ll take a bag.” She joined Banger outside on the observation platform. “I got peanuts to feed the squirrels.” While she threw the nuts to the fattest squirrels she’d ever seen, Banger grinned and rubbed her back. After the bag was empty, he suggested they head back, since some dark clouds in the distance were forming. The weather in the Rockies could change in a snap, so they wound their way down the deck’s stairs and waited to board the tram.

On the way back, they shared their metal car with another couple who were visiting from Texas. They kept chatting with them, and Belle answered while Banger stared at them stony-faced. After they alighted from the red car, she and Banger walked over to the Harley and mounted it. Soon, they were riding against the wind. She knew he wanted to beat the thunderstorm that was threatening, but twenty minutes after they’d left, she felt the first drops of rain on her skin. Banger turned his head toward her and said something that was stolen by the rush of the wind. She shrugged and buried her face in his back.

As the rain came down harder, Banger turned off and rode a couple of miles then stopped in front of a dilapidated shack. He tugged her off the bike, and they ran into the wooden hut. The scent of rain was dark and heady, and Belle looked out the cracked glass pane at the black clouds sprawled across the sky, billowing in from the west. She shivered, the warm wind from earlier in the day having turned damp and chilled. A boom of thunder rolled over the boughs of the swaying trees, then a ragged line of silver split the sky before the rain poured down, its drops sounding like bullets on the rusted tin roof of the shack.

Banger came up behind her and drew her into his arms, kissing her neck in the spot that made her wild with desire. She moaned as he nipped and kissed her tender skin, and when his hand slipped under her top, she clenched her legs and whimpered. He unclasped her bra then cupped her heavy breasts, grazing their stiffening nipples with his thumb. She drew in her breath as he turned her around and lifted her top, exposing her tits. He bent down and sucked her hard bud into his mouth, and an exquisite streak of pleasure went straight to her aching pussy.

“Oh, Banger,” she murmured against his hair, as she buried her face in it. The sound of his mouth as he sucked and licked her breasts drove her mad with desire. She reached down and caught his zipper, but he stopped her.

“Babe, I’m pleasuring you.”

“But I want to touch you,” she breathed into his neck.

He chuckled then let go of her hand, and she unzipped his jeans. He groaned when her fingers tightened around his hardness. Her mouth watered just thinking about taking it into her mouth and sucking every last drop of him deep into her throat. Lowering herself, she kneeled in front of him and swirled her tongue over the glistening tip. He jerked his head back. “Fuck, baby, you’re killing me.”

After tugging his jeans down, she continued licking and stroking his dick while he pinched and pulled her nipples, a sweet pain spreading between her legs. She took in more of him, her lips closing tightly around him as she slid her mouth up and down over his cock. He placed his hands against her head, moving it faster as his hips pushed him further down her throat.

“I love watching you suck me off,” he grunted, pushing his dick deeper into her mouth.

She looked up, and his smoldering gaze met hers. With a gentle touch, she scratched and cupped his balls, tugging at them very gently. Feeling them contract, she knew he was close, so she lightly pressed her knuckle against the spot right behind his balls. His feral growl pushed her to knead the area a little harder while he fucked her mouth faster. When he threw his head back, eyes closed, she pressed his bundle of feel-good receptors a little harder until a warm stream spurted down her throat while he blurted out her name in a raw, primitive voice.

She kept him in her mouth until he took a small step back, then she released his warm dick for him to tuck into his jeans until the next time. He handed her a tissue and she wiped her mouth. Then he placed his hands under her arms and pulled her close, hugging her as he kissed her neck and shoulders.

“What the hell did you do to me? Fuck, babe. I’ve never come like that before.” He hugged her tighter, and she relished the feel of his arms around her.

“The rain seems to have stopped, at least for now,” she murmured against his shoulder as she laid her head on it.

“We better take advantage of it and get moving,” he said in her ear, sucking on her earlobe.

“You keep doing that and we’ll never leave this place,” she joked. She broke away, picked up her purse, and hooked her arm through his as they left the abandoned shack. “Look,” she exclaimed, pointing at a double rainbow, its band of color shimmering against the gray sky.

After Banger dried off the seat, they hopped on and headed back to Pinewood Springs. As they rode, Belle realized that she’d fallen hopelessly and completely in love with him. She wasn’t sure exactly when it’d happened. It could have been when she’d gone to his house again and had seen his wife’s pictures were gone, or the night he’d brought Emily home when she’d run away. There were so many moments they’d shared, the good and the bad, and they’d all slipped into the corners of her heart, filling it until it was overflowing with love. She didn’t know if he loved her, but she didn’t care. Riding on the back of his bike, her body pressed against his, the wind blowing through her hair, she felt total happiness. No matter what happened, she’d never forget this feeling. It would be etched on her heart forever.

H
e was impatient
and he needed money fast. Waiting around for the “right time” drove him fucking crazy. If it were up to him, he’d have already taken care of the dark-haired bitch, and he’d be invested in some premium coke. All he could do was buy the street shit just because he wasn’t calling the shots. Walking over to the window, he slammed down the blinds, shutting out the morning sun. He picked up his phone on the first beat of his tune. “This shit’s gotta happen now. I’m tired of waiting around.”

Soft laughter fell on his ears, and instead of soothing him as it always did, it pissed him off even more. He seethed in silence. “You have to be patient for just a bit longer. The plans are all in motion, I swear, and soon, we’ll be rolling in money.”

He snorted. “We fucking better be. What about that bitch whose mouth is flapping nonstop to the cops? Have they talked to you?”

“They did, and I wasn’t happy about that. I was cool as ever, and they seemed satisfied with what I told them, but the bitch has become a pain in my ass. No one knows about you, so you’re in the clear. I can handle myself.”

“Just give me the word and the bitch is dead. Who the fuck is she again?”

“Harold’s daughter. If I didn’t have other plans for her, I’d have you kill the cunt.”

“If anything changes, just give me the word.” He lit a roach, inhaling deeply. “I’m broke.”

Her exasperated sigh filled his ear. “Again?”

“Yeah, that’s why we gotta do this shit soon. I’m coming to Pinewood Springs.”

“Don’t. You should stay away. I don’t want to be seen with you around town. Let’s keep it cool, okay?”

“You’re not thinking of double-crossing me are you?” His brows knitted together.

“Of course not. Anyway, I need you to help. I can’t do this all by myself.”

“I’m just fucking climbing the walls.”

“You’re on call. When I give you the word, you come. It’s not too much longer. Shit, that fucking pesky detective is back for another round of questions. I could strangle Harold’s daughter. What a fucking bitch. I gotta go. I’ll call you.” There was a pause. “Stay cool, okay?”

“Easy for you to say. Call me.”

He hung up and tapped his fingers on the nightstand in his modest room. If the pace didn’t pick up soon, he’d have to take things in his own hands.

*     *     *

As Belle placed
the boxes of tomato sauce and sliced peaches—another gift from Ruthie—in her trunk, her phone pinged. She looked at the screen, expecting it to be from either her children or Banger, but it was from an unknown number. She closed the trunk and settled into the front seat of her Honda, then opened the text.

Unknown:
You bitch. Why the fuck did you send the cops after me?

Belle looked around the parking area, grateful that daylight savings had kicked in and it was approaching twilight even though it was eight o’clock. She instinctively locked her car doors then stared at the text. She had no idea who it was from. The only person she’d told the detective about was Harold’s old mistress. She was so not in the mood for this.

Belle:
I don’t know who this is.

Unknown:
The woman your husband loved. You know my name, you used to call his work often enough.

Belle:
I have nothing to say to you. If you had nothing to do with my husband’s death, then you shouldn’t mind talking to the cops. I’m done with you. Don’t contact me again.