Death Ride (Blue Bandits MC Book 5) (12 page)

“Fine, we will help with this raid you want but I can’t say for sure that we will back you. I have to talk to Reaper first and I can’t do that while I’m here,” Death finally agreed.

“You can go once we’ve run this last raid. I never intended to trap you here forever, just to get you to agree to look at things from a different angle,” Blade said, tossing the two cuts on the desk back into the drawer he’d taken them from.

Death didn’t protest even though he knew he wasn’t leaving just yet even after this raid was finished. He was going to stay a little longer to try and figure out what was going on with him and Jamie. He needed to get her out of his head but he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be anytime soon that he was able to do so.

“I need to talk to Reaper if you want our help,” Death said, holding out his hand for a phone. Blade didn’t argue, he just handed him his phone and leaned back in his chair while Death went back and perched again on the arm of the couch, listening to the phone ring.

“This better be a call about Death or I swear I will come and rip your fucking head off. I’ve told you five times I’m not helping till I hear from him. He was supposed to be back here a week and a half ago and you keep telling me he is the one not leaving but I don’t fucking believe you, motherfucker.” Reaper’s voice made Death smile. Yep, he loved his vice for his no-nonsense attitude and his temper.

“I guess I should have called you when I decided to stay longer, huh?” Death said, a grin spreading across his face.

“Yes, dickhead, you should have. What are you still doing there if they’re not holding you prisoner?” Reaper asked and Death winced a little.

“It’s a long story. One I can’t really go into right now but I’ve figured out why those Headhunters we’ve been watching are acting strange,” Death grumbled, shifting slightly and glancing over at Blade who watched him from behind his desk.

“Why?”

“Because there are now two groups, the ones we’ve been killing for the last year and the ones feeding us information. We are going to help them leach the poison with this current raid they have going but they’re wanting to discuss a truce. I can’t make that call and we’ll have to talk to the club about it but it’s possibly a viable way to stop the war and win back our territory without us having to do all the heavy lifting. I’ll be back in about five weeks or so and we can discuss it.” Death waited because he knew that Reaper’s reaction to his staying another month wasn’t going to be better than it had been before.

“What the fuck for? You know that we have to vote before you can agree to anything so why are you staying there another fucking month and a half? Death, what the fuck is going on with you?” Reaper asked, sounding a little more annoyed than usual.

“It’s a situation I need to figure out and until I do I’m not leaving.”

“What the fuck, Death? We need you back here and you fucking know it. You need to figure out something, do it here,” Reaper commanded

“I can’t. Leave it. I have my reasons.” Death knew that Reaper would understand if he told him it was about Jamie. Hell, he’d been half crazy when he’d met Sarah. Not that Death was in love with Jamie like Reaper was with Sarah. Nope, that wasn’t what was going on because Death didn’t have emotions. He knew Reaper would get why he needed to stay because of his experience with Sarah but he wasn’t about to say anything in front of Blade and Lake.

“Fine. Explain how we’re supposed to tell these good Headhunters from the bad then. Cause they all look the same to me.” Reaper dropped his interrogation, realizing that he wouldn’t get Death to talk if he didn’t want to. Reaper understood him better than most. Max was the only other person who even came close. It was why they were his top two men. 

“The cut,” Death said but Reaper interrupted.

“So they’re changing their colors and we’re dealing with an entirely different club then?” Reaper said, sounding a little unconvinced about that last part of his statement.

“Yes and no. The colors are the same—” Death began but was cut off again by Reaper. It was starting to annoy him because normally his vice didn’t cut him off like he was today.

“What the fuck? How are we going to tell th—” Reaper asked angrily but this time Death cut him off instead.

“Stop talking.” Death knew his voice had become cold like it always did when he was annoyed and Reaper must have realized too because he stopped talking immediately. “Thank you. Now if you’ll let me finish I’ll explain. Their cuts are the same except for the skull they’re holding. The one on the good Headhunters’ cuts is green and the others are white.”

“If none of us have noticed it before are you sure we’re not going to kill the wrong men? I can’t say I’ve ever seen a difference,” Reaper said after a long pause to see if Death was done talking. Yep, he’d always been smart and knew not to push Death when he was pissed off.

“Blade’s going to meet you with the two cuts and let you and the boys get a good look.” He raised a brow meeting Blade’s eyes, silently asking if he would meet him. He waited until Blade nodded in affirmation before he continued. “Only the ones we trust should be involved in this, Reaper. I don’t want some idiot prospect killing the wrong Headhunters. Also make sure you explain to them this is a one-time deal till we can vote. Don’t want them thinking I am stepping outside the club’s boundaries. I’ll follow the rules just like the rest of you do.”

“You’re sure about this, Death? We could be handing the club to someone who’s playing a game or planning to get us in there and turn on us,” Reaper asked.

“I have insurance if they betray us. It’s someone they’re not going to want hurt,” Death explained, his eyes holding Blade’s. He didn’t like threatening Jamie and he knew he’d never hurt her but Blade didn’t know that. He could see the way the man’s jaw tightened into a hard line and his fists clenched on the chair he was sitting in as he leaned forward. A muscle was jumping in his cheek and his breathing was heavy. Lake moved, likely to grab him, but Blade caught his arm and shook his head. Lake didn’t look happy but after a long staring contest he nodded and stepped back.

“All right, I don’t like it but I trust you. Where are we meeting Blade?” Reaper asked.

“Where do you want to meet Reaper?” Death asked Blade, holding the phone away from his ear.

“The tattoo parlor at noon?”

Death hesitated because that was right in the middle of their territory and he didn’t like the idea that a group of Headhunters would be rolling into his town scaring everyone to death. It was bad enough it had happened with Roz when she’d been kidnapped. Blade solved the dilemma with his next words.

“Just Lake and me. No one else is coming. We have to learn to trust each other. I think coming alone would be the best way to prove we’re not trying to fool your club into trusting us.” Blade was correct, it would help if they were as vulnerable to ambush as the Blue Bandits would be if they helped them. Of course that was assuming that they lived by the same code as he and his men did. A few weeks ago he would have thought it a ridiculous idea but after meeting Jamie and exploring the rooms in the compound, he wasn’t so sure anymore. Nodding, he lifted the phone to his ear again.

“Tattoo parlor at noon tomorrow,” Death said, waiting for the question he knew would come next.

“How many?” Reaper asked, reminding him why he trusted this man with his life.

“Just two. Blade and his vice.”

“I’ll have some prospects posted and the women protected. We’ve got this end under control but we need you back soon regardless of the reasons, Death. I don’t know what’s going on but I will be expecting an explanation when you get back. You owe me that much,” Reaper growled.

“Yeah, I know and you’ll get it,” Death said, wrapping up the call and hoping like hell he didn’t regret setting this up some day in the near future.

Jamie leaned against the counter chatting with Grace and Lissa the day after she’d let Death make love to her. Her mind was circling around the new relationship between them trying not to panic because she knew she was already in love with him. What she didn’t know was why she hadn’t fallen for someone who might actually want her back. Why hadn’t she fallen in love with Torch or even Broken when she’d dated them. Torch was still hung up on her actually. He hadn’t been pleased when the information of where Death had been found became common knowledge. Jamie hadn’t enjoyed the conversation they’d had this morning.

He’d cornered her on her way down to get breakfast, asking her what the hell she was thinking hooking up with Death. He’d flat out told her that Death would leave her and asked her where she’d be then. She’d shut him down quickly but he wasn’t wrong. Death had admitted as much to her in the first week he was here. He’d told her that he rarely felt emotions when she’d accused him of being vindictive.

“You still with us, Jam-jam?” Lissa asked, a frown on her face.

“Of course, why?” Jamie said looking up, a little startled by the question.

“I called your name three times, that’s why,” Grace said laughing. “Bet she’s thinking about a certain man.”

Jamie didn’t mind her teasing but she wasn’t able to not think about Death at the moment. He’d stayed with her last night and the sex had been no less mind-blowing than the first time was. Jamie felt conflicted. She wanted to get in as much time with him as she could while he was here but she also wanted to protect what was left of her heart. Death didn’t allow her to pull away last night though. She had tried by attempting to send him back to his room after they’d made love. Death hadn’t liked that and had shown her just how much by making her come four times before he had fucked her senseless a second time last night.

It was going to be hard to keep her heart from being shattered when he left the more time she spent with him but that didn’t seem to bother Death. Jamie felt her chest ache as she thought about him leaving her soon. Blade had told her that he was leaving in a few weeks and they might be able to come to an agreement about the club if they were successful with the raid they were currently working on. Jamie was glad that the club would have security soon because it had been a long battle for everyone.

“You’re still daydreaming, aren’t you?” Lissa asked, a snicker escaping her as she spoke.

“No,” Jamie said but when she saw the disbelieving look on both women’s faces, she sighed and shrugged. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

“It’s okay. Good sex can do that to you,” Lissa muttered as she rolled the bread into a ball before placing it into the pan she was going to bake it in. Jamie felt her mouth water thinking of the cinnamon bread she making being done in an hour. She couldn’t wait to eat a piece.

“Who says the sex was good?” Jamie asked, trying not to look as pathetic as she felt when it came to her relationship with Death.

“Your moans last night, that’s who,” Grace said giggling and Jamie felt a dark blush stain her cheeks.

“What are you talking about?” he demanded.

“My room is next to yours, remember,” Grace said, her smile wide. “I’m sure you’ve heard something similar from my room at some point, it’s not a big deal. Death seems to be a very good lover if the amount of moans is anything to go by. You’re a lucky girl.”

Jamie ducked her head wanting to sink into the floor wondering how many people had heard her moaning last night. She didn’t want to think about it because with her luck it would be half the damned club. Deciding that she’d had enough teasing for one day, she pushed off the counter.

“I’m going to go see what Crook’s up to in the gun range,” Jamie said, ignoring the knowing smiles from her two best friends as she moved towards the door.

“Sure you are and I bet you won’t even go near your bedroom where a certain man is sleeping either,” Lissa said.

Jamie responded by flipping her off and headed down the hall without a word. She was headed to the gun range when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise and fear suddenly slivered down her spine. Glancing around, she was not pleased to find Thorn standing behind her close enough that she was unable to avoid him when he crowded her.

“What are you doing?” she demanded when his hand grabbed her wrist jerking her into the library. If she hadn’t been so startled, she would have used the technique her brother had shown her to get away from him. He released her, leaning back on the door with a grin on his face as she stepped away from him.

“I’ve been thinking. You’re willing to give it up for the club like a whore so why not treat you like one,” Thorn asked, a sly, evil smile on his face that made her body tense and her pulse begin to race.

“What are you talking about? Have you lost your damned mind, Thorn?” Jamie demanded, trying to sound stern when all she felt was the hard pound of her heart and the movement of her breath in and out of her lungs. She took another step away and hoped he wouldn’t try what she was afraid he was going to try. She couldn’t get her brain to kick in and think of a way out of this because fear was starting to make her panic.

“You’ve let that Bandit fuck you so why not someone from your own club?” Thorn asked and he grabbed her, his hands rough as they captured hers. He shoved her hard back into the couch behind her. She fell, unable to stop herself from collapsing after the unexpected shove. Her head hit the side of the table and her body landed half on the couch and half off leaving her a little stunned.

Thorn came down on top of her, jerking her back onto the couch and ripping at her shirt trying to get it off her. Jamie felt her brain shut down as memories of Slither’s assault roared through her leaving her unable to do anything but fight wildly against Thorn’s attack. It wasn’t until his hands had hers trapped over her head that the panic somehow seemed to leave her and she felt numb. Jamie suddenly felt her brain kick in somehow. She didn’t know what made her remember what to do next, maybe it was instinct or the number of times she and her brother had practiced the move, but she jerked her elbow down hitting him in the face.

Thorn was caught off balance and he grabbed at his nose with the hand he’d had her wrists trapped in. She used her thighs to flip him off her and she jumped up from the couch. Kicking his back to keep him down, she rushed for the door. She just made it before his hand caught her ankle. He tried to get up before she could get out of the room but she managed to slip out of his grasp and escape out the door. Jamie ran down the hall fear pumping through her again, feeling her panic returning.

She entered her room, slamming the door and leaning back into it before she locked it and sank down it, her mind abandoning her. That was where Death found her when he came out of the bathroom, sitting on the floor near the door with her head in her hands and panic roaring through her like a living thing.

“What the fuck happened? If someone hurt you I’m going to fucking kill them,” Death growled moving to her, dropping to his knees beside her, his hands gentle as they moved over her face. Jamie wanted to tell him she was fine but the tears on her cheeks and her inability to make coherent words come out of her mouth meant he wouldn’t believe her.

“Baby, calm down. You’re safe,” Death said, his arms wrapping around her, and she buried her face into his shoulder still crying, unable to stop.

Death rubbed the towel over his head, a slight smile touching his lips as he looked over the orderly countertop in the bathroom. Jamie, it seemed, was a bit of a neat freak. He’d moved the tooth paste this morning and she’d sighed heavily before moving it back to its place between the hand soap and the little dish she had her hair ties in. It would be interesting to see how the future played out because he wasn’t neat at all and that was likely to annoy her.

He tossed the towel into the bin with laundry in it and tilted his head, grinning because he’d heard the door shut. Jamie must be back to wake him up for breakfast. He was wearing just his boxers when he exited the bathroom. At first he didn’t see her because he wasn’t expecting to find her on the floor leaning against the door but that’s where she was. His fists curled and his eyes narrowed when he took in her shaking form and the way she was crying uncontrollably.

“What the fuck happened? If someone hurt you I’m going to fucking kill them,” Death growled, moving to her and dropping to his knees beside her, his hands gentle as they moved over her face. His heart pumped adrenaline through him and he wanted to crush whoever had upset her. She looked so frightened and her tears were pouring down her face as she shook with fear.

“Baby, calm down. You’re safe,” Death said, trying to stop her tears, which were breaking him in half as sob after sob wracked her body. His arms pulled her to him and he was shocked that she immediately clung to his shoulders with her fingers digging into his skin.

“Please, please just hold me. Just hold me,” she begged, making his world tilt because for the first time in forever he felt tenderness flood him and he knew he would do anything that she wanted in that moment. He lifted her up in his arms feeling a little helpless because he wasn’t able to take away what had happened to her in the past or what had happened today. He carried her to the bed and lay down with her still in his arms. She clung to him, her body shaking in time to the tears, and they stayed that way for what seemed like forever before she finally began to stop crying. She clung to his neck, her face buried in his chest.

Death could feel her warm breath caressing his skin and it sent desire roaring through him. He knew that wasn’t what she needed at the moment so he just shifted slightly trying not to press his hardened cock against her. She lifted her head off his chest where she was lying and whispered softly.

“Take it away. Please, just make it go away.”

Death didn’t understand what she was asking for but he would do whatever she wanted him to do. His hands curled around her hips holding her still because she was wiggling around and he didn’t want her to discover his hard cock and be frightened. After whatever had happened to her today she wasn’t likely to take his desire for her well. He could see bruises forming on her wrists already and what looked like a tear in her shirt over her right shoulder.

He wanted to murder whoever had attacked her with his bare hands. He’d thought she was safe but he could see that was bullshit. He should have known that the Headhunters wouldn’t change. Death felt her lips pressing to his chin and then his cheeks and the whole time she was begging him to take it away but he didn’t know what she wanted.

“How?”

“Make love to me,” she said, her mouth moving to his. Death felt the softness of her lips as they pressed onto his and her tongue darted out to lick him. He knew what she wanted but he wasn’t sure it was what she really needed. He wouldn’t stop her but he’d be damned sure to go slow so he didn’t frighten her. Seeing her body wracked with sobs once a day was enough. He wouldn’t allow his need for her to get out of hand but if she wanted him to make love to her he would.

His hands gently rubbed her back as he allowed her to caress him with her mouth. She was kissing down his neck towards his chest. Death groaned when she tugged at his nipple with her teeth, reaching out to grip the sheet beneath him hard. He wanted to grab her and flip her over to fuck her but he knew now wasn’t the time for that. She needed this to be about her and not about his desperate need for her body.

His hands tightened in the sheets as her mouth moved again, her hot little tongue licking around his nipple before she sucked on it. He couldn’t contain the growl that escaped him or the need to touch her that nearly made him insane. He was gentle as he pushed her shirt up, trying to go slow even when he wanted to rip it off her so he could hold her bare breasts in his hands. He was rewarded by her shifting around with her hot pussy pressing against his cock as she sat up above him and removed her shirt and bra. He stared at her, his heart pounding hard and his cock throbbing, his eyes glued to her bouncing breasts as she leaned forward. He couldn’t stop himself from jerking up and engulfing one nipple in his mouth while his hand cupped the other.

Jamie moaned and grabbed the back of his head, her body shaking with what he prayed was desire because stopping now would nearly kill him. She rubbed her hips over his and Death felt like his cock was going to explode it felt so damned good. He couldn’t believe that he was so close to coming when she’d only rubbed herself against him.