Madness Ends (3 page)

He shot his friend a dark look.

Boone ignored him. “So let’s try to keep the acoustics at non-lethal decibels.”

Kaiya touched his arm again, and when he looked at her, she signed, “Introduce me?”

Christ!

He rose and pointed to the first man he saw.

“Hook,” he said in sign.

The man waved. On the back of his hand shone a gleaming silver hook tattoo, extending from his cuff and touching his knuckles, which explained how he’d gotten his nickname.

Gabby added, “He has a thing for Peter Pan.”

Kaiya smiled widely at Hook.

“What did you tell her about me?” Hook demanded.

Gabby ignored him and went down the line. Sioux, Burrito, Marcus. With each name, she smiled at the man and held out her hand to shake. Truth be known, he didn’t like her touching other men and clenched his fists in an effort not to grab her and haul her away from them. Shit, he’d just met her and now he was thinking like a damn caveman.

“Kaiya is our new accountant,” Boone announced.

“And new pussy?” Marcus asked.

Boone shook his head. “She’s Chloe’s cousin and a part of this club, so that makes her off limits. Hear me?”

“You claiming her?” Sioux asked. He ran an insolent eye up and down her body. Gabby tensed and took a step closer to Kaiya, making sure the man lost his interest right away. Sioux held up a hand. “Understood, Brother.”

He glared at each in turn. Hell, he knew he was no good for her, but he’d be damned if he allowed any of the other yahoos to think they could lay a hand on her. Never before had this type of protectiveness surged through him, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. He looked toward Boone for help.

“Come on,” Boone said, reading Gabby’s lost expression.

Boone always had his back, for which he was grateful. There wasn’t anyone he trusted like he did Boone, and he didn’t like to think how his life would’ve turned out had he not had Boone’s support.

Boone led them from the den of ill repute and Gabby gestured for Kaiya to follow. He trailed after her, tossing another fierce look at the men. Yes, he trusted them with his life, but not around fresh pussy.

Boone led her into the back, past Romeo’s office to the room that used to be Cipher’s workspace. The last accountant had been skimming the books, and Romeo had taught him a lesson he’d never forget. Kaiya walked into the area and stared at the mess scattered about. Ledger books, opened and closed, lined every surface. Receipts and pieces of papers lay in haphazard piles. The trash can overflowed and the ashtray stank with stubbed-out butts.

“I didn’t realize how bad this place was,” Boone mused.

Gabby threw him a glare. He got Kaiya’s attention. “I’ll clean this up.”

“No need,” she signed back. “I need to create my own working environment.”

“Tell her she can have Cipher’s old bedroom,” Boone said to Gabby.

“Tell him I can read his lips,” Kaiya signed.

Gabby looked at Boone. “She can read lips, you know.”

Boone flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Noted. I promise not to be so obtuse in the future.”

She nodded and looked at Gabby. “I thought he knew sign.”

“He knows the basics. Hi. Sit. Stay. All that’s missing is a pat on the head.”

She grinned then turned back to the cluttered office. Yeah, Gabby knew without her signing a word that she had her work cut out for her.

Chapter Three

Three days later…

Kaiya sat up straight and rolled her head. Little pops went off, easing the tension a bit. She was tired, hungry and had a slight headache from hunching over the books. This Cipher person had done one hell of a job fucking up the Men of Hell, because she’d finally discovered that on top of fleecing the club, he’d also been stealing from this so-called Master as well. She was still trying to piece together his shorthand.

As she stretched, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. Gabby leaned in the doorway, ankles crossed, arms folded over his chest as he watched her. Perhaps his intense stare should’ve creeped her out, but it simply turned her on—a lot. She really was going to have to do something about her attraction sooner rather than later.

“You need to eat,” he signed.

She shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Besides, these books are a mess.”

“The books can wait for a bit. I want you to eat, Kaiya.”

Logically, she knew he didn’t mean anything more than that he was concerned about her, but his words still rubbed her the wrong way. Too many times her grandfather had said the exact same thing—‘I want you to eat, Kaiya’—only his words had held a promise of retribution if she didn’t comply. Usually, something was taken away or withheld, like her precious books.

“Do
not
tell me what to do!” she signed angrily.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not telling you what to do. I’m reminding you that you need to eat.”

She shook her head stubbornly.

He cocked his head at her. “What’s the matter with you?”

The matter with
her
? When he was trying to take over her free will? The more she remembered the past, the more her simmering anger built until it flashed like lightning. It shot through her, burning so hot she didn’t even realize what she was doing until her fists thumped against his chest. He reacted quickly, securing her arms and preventing her from moving. For a moment, the crushing weight of being trapped had terror slicing through her body, until Gabby rubbed his cheek against her temple in a soothing gesture. Just as quickly as her rage had boiled over, it cooled, and she was left staring up in shock at Gabby’s calm face.

“Stop acting like a child,” he said.

She suspected his tone was stern.

“I’m not telling you what to do, Kaiya.”

Kaiya read his lips and pulled away to hug herself. What had come over her? Perhaps she
was
too stressed and tired from scrutinizing the ledgers. Shame had her bowing her head.

“I’m sorry,” she signed. “I don’t know why I did that. I’ve never hit anyone before.”

He used a finger to lift her chin. “I hope you know I’d never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

She read his words and nodded.

“Kaiya, you’ve been holed up in this room for three days straight,” he continued, doing a mixture of speaking and signing. “It’s not healthy.”

He was right. She’d even slept in here, hunched over her desk. Kaiya raised her arm, smelled her armpit and grimaced. The mystery of what Cipher had done had become an addiction.

“All right,” she signed. “I need to clean up and I will come to dinner.”

He smiled, although most would consider his smile more predatory than humorous. It made the scar on his face twist into something fierce and dangerous looking, but all it did was immediately turn on her libido. How could she have ignored both Gabby and Boone like that? He took her hand in his and escorted her up the stairs.

Her luggage had arrived and was stored into Cipher’s old bedroom. Kaiya had yet to use the bed. The first time she’d been in there, the room had smelled like moldy gym shorts and cigarettes, so she’d opened the window to air it out. Now, it wasn’t that smelly, but the filth still lingered. One reason she’d slept at her desk was that she couldn’t imagine sleeping on the sheets, especially since she had no idea what’d happened on them before her arrival. Living the past three days in the clubhouse, she’d seen
lots
of things. And positions. She pursed her lips. There probably wasn’t a place that hadn’t been used for sex. What a difference between where she’d come from and here. The lack of cleanliness might have been a bit disturbing but what had caused it all was a turn-on as well. Maybe she should buy some toys.

Would Boone and Gabby mind using a dildo on me?

The question brought lascivious thoughts to mind, like being one of the people getting it on out in plain sight. There were many fantasies she wanted to explore. Perhaps it was time to put her work into perspective and tear her prim little doll image to shreds.

* * * *

One week later…

Her office was finally starting to show some semblance of order. The room smelled like lemon furniture polish, the trash had been taken out and the ashtrays removed. The carpet had been vacuumed within an inch of its life. She even had one of those scented plug-ins to give the room a little more perfume.

On the floor rested her unmarked box of toys she had yet to carry to her bedroom. She sighed. She really ought to move that away, just in case someone thought to open it. No doubt, they’d probably steal the contents for themselves. How embarrassing it would be to see some of them men using the toys she’d bought for herself.

Right next to the box were rows of neat stacks of papers, stuff she had to sift through carefully to figure out what they were. Her grandfather had several accountants, each doing their best to put a legitimate spin on the illegal activities that made Hiro Matsumoto a very wealthy man. He had often forgotten how she could read lips, and his men had talked freely. She’d learned from the best. She was positive she could make the Men of Hell look as though rose petals floated out of their asses. First, however, she had to uncover the little mystery Cipher had left behind. The books didn’t make sense, but if there was one thing Kaiya never backed away from, it was a challenge.

Boone appeared at her door, and she smiled at him, gesturing for him to come in. It had been almost two weeks since she’d arrived, and in that time, the three of them had talked. Somewhat. Stilted conversations and her focus on the books hadn’t helped them learn about one another. Regret flashed through her. She’d hoped they’d be sharing a bed by now.

“Hello, Kaiya,” Boone said. He strolled in and sat on one of the folding chairs.

She read his lips and picked up a notebook and pen. “Hi,” she wrote.

He smiled, showing a little teeth and a lot of charm. He gave her a heated look through the fan of his lashes, and she wondered how long he’d practiced that devilish come-hither look. It was working. That smile should be outlawed because she had the wildest urge to shuck her panties and jump onto his lap. Instead, she bit her lower lip to hold down her lascivious daydreams.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner with me and Gabby.”

She blinked, a little surprised. Gabby was not a very social person. Before she could answer yes, however, he continued.

“I want you to know right off that Gabby and I are partners. You don’t just date one of us. You’ll be dating both of us.”

She cocked one of eyebrow and scribbled on the paper, “You are lovers?”

When he read that, his eyes widened in surprise. “Ah, no. Not
that
type of partner. We’re Brothers but…more than club Brothers. We served together in the Marines. He, ah, saved my life.”

“Is that how he got his scar?”

Boone nodded. “And where he lost his hearing. It’s…my fault. I owe him everything.”

He shifted in his seat uneasily. The way he drummed his fingers on the outer edge of his thigh and how he constantly checked the perimeter of the room suggested there was probably a whole lot more to the story, but she didn’t want to push. One thing she understood more than anyone else was the need for privacy. After she’d lost her hearing, her parents had forced her to a therapist to share her feelings and emotions on what had happened. Kaiya had hated every minute of it. Her time sitting in a chair to tell some stranger how devastated she’d become was tantamount to raping her mind, in her opinion. No one could understand her loss and just talking about it only made it worse. Some things were better left unexplored.

“So when I say we’re partners, well, I take care of Gabby,” he clarified. “There are certain residual aftereffects of our time in war that still haunt him.”

“You take care of him out of guilt?” she asked.

“I take care of him because he’s my friend.”

She smiled, liking his answer.

“I understand,” she wrote. “Truthfully, I never pictured one of you without the other. Of course, I’d love to go to dinner with both of you. When?”

“Tonight,” he said. “Chloe comes home from the hospital tomorrow, so I know your time is going to be limited.”

True. Chloe had opted out of a rehabilitation hospital, so Kaiya had volunteered to help with her physical therapy. Romeo and Dax had offered, but they were so busy rebuilding the clubhouse that she didn’t see how they’d have time to devote to her cousin’s complete recovery.

“Okay.”

He read her simple note and smiled. When he rose from the chair, her breath caught. The man was simply divine. Big, muscular, hard in all the right places, if the fit of his clothes were any indication. One particular hardness pressing against the inside of his jeans held her attention, clearly showing how endowed he was. Her mouth salivated.

Boone laid his fists on the desk and leaned forward. Kaiya leaned toward him as well, and centered her gaze on his lips.

“Wear jeans, pretty lady,” he said. “You’ll be…riding.”

The innuendo was unmistakable. Her heart thundered wildly in her chest. In the few times she’d had sex, she’d
never
been this turned on. This kind of anticipation was even better than the foreplay in her naughty novels.

Boone winked at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling, then he turned to leave. She kept her gaze glued on his perfectly sculptured ass encased in well-worn jeans. Kaiya had half a mind to put her fingers to her pussy and bring herself to orgasm. Then she remembered the goodies in the box and grabbed it before hurrying from her office. She closed the door behind her with a sharp click but didn’t lock it in case Romeo wanted to look over her progress, although she figured no one would miss her for ten or fifteen minutes.

In her bedroom, she turned the lock on the door and hurried to her newly acquired toys. She didn’t waste a second, pulling out the big pink vibrator. She opened the package, washed the thing off and inserted the batteries. Lying on the bed, she lifted her skirt and shimmied out of her panties, noting that the encounter with Boone had made her wet.