WOLF: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Evil Dead MC Series Book 4) (24 page)

The crowd was thick, making it hard to see, but eventually a brief path cleared, revealing the man himself sitting at a table. Cole Austin, VP of the San Jose Chapter. He had a woman on his lap. And the tender way he was touching her face, she had to mean something to him.

She wasn’t his ol’ lady, and she wouldn’t be the major payback that was part of that plan, but she’d be a start. An evil smile formed on his distorted face. She’d be a real good start.

****

Crystal watched as Wolf returned with four bottles and passed them out. Cole kicked a chair out for him. Wolf sat, took her hand and pulled her from Cole’s lap to his, looping an arm around her waist. On one hand it felt awkward to be sitting on Wolf’s lap, especially with both Cole and Crash grinning at her as they sipped on their beer. On the other hand it felt so right, exactly where she belonged.

He made her feel like it was the most normal thing in the world, like there hadn’t been any split between them, like he wouldn’t be riding out of town later in the week and leaving her behind.

He seemed happy, grinning to his brothers, and them grinning back, like everyone was happy to have her back in the fold. But she wasn’t, was she?

A few minutes later, she felt a presence at her side and looked up to find Max looking down at her with Liam beside him.

“Hey, guys,” she said.

“You ready to head back?” Max asked, a warm smile on his face, while Liam’s eyes moved around the table.

She felt Wolf’s arm tighten around her and saw Cole’s eyes move from his brother to the two men. Crystal knew this could get real ugly real fast, and she quickly tried to diffuse it.

“Max, Liam, I want you to meet some friends of mine. This is Cole, Crash and Wolf. Guys this is Max and Liam, two of my bosses.”

Cole and Crash nodded. Wolf just stared.

“How many bosses do you have, Crystal?” Cole asked.

She smiled, trying to put everyone at ease. “Four.”

Cole’s brows rose. “Four? That must be a nightmare.”

She tried to laugh it off. “No. Not at all. They’re great to work for. Really.”

“You the ones that taught her to ride?” Wolf asked.

Crystal turned to smile up at Max. “That was Max, mostly. He was extremely patient teaching me.”

Max grinned down at Crystal. “Our girl here is a wild one. Blastin’ down the highway doin’ ninety-five.”

Cole’s eyes narrowed at the man. “That your doing?”

“The skills? Yeah. The wild side? No.”

Cole nodded, and she saw his eyes move over her shoulder to Wolf as he sat behind her. She twisted to look at him. “I really should be getting back. We start early in the morning.”

Wolf held her eyes. “Where are you staying?”

“There’s an apartment above the shop. I’m staying there.”

“With who?” Wolf asked with an edge to his voice.

“With no one.”

He lifted his chin toward Max and Liam. “And where are they staying?”

“Not with me, Wolf.”

He nodded, as if that was still to be determined.

She moved to get up. “It was good seeing you all.” Her eyes moved around the table. Cole’s eyes went to Wolf, almost as if he was wondering what Wolf was going to do or if he was going to do anything at all.

Surprisingly, Wolf said nothing.

“Well, see you around.” She suddenly felt awkward as hell, and beat a hasty retreat toward the door, Max and Liam on her heels. They walked the two blocks back to the shop, and no one said a word. When they reached the shop, they walked around to the alley in back. Max and Liam escorted her to the exterior wooden stairs that led to the second floor apartment. The tour bus was parked half a block down. They waited at the bottom of the steps until she unlocked the door and entered.

Leaning back against it, she exhaled. Her thoughts going to Wolf. He’d let her walk away. Without a single word. It made her wonder if she’d misread the entire evening. Did the dance, the kiss, the things he said not mean what she’d thought?

She bit her lip, realizing how badly that hurt. God, he still had the power to slay her.

And then her thoughts turned to Max and Liam. She imagined that even now they were reporting back to Jameson and Rory about the ‘friends’ she’d introduced them to tonight. She could only imagine the speculations that would be tossed around.

She shook her head and moved toward the bedroom. She couldn’t think about that now. She needed to curl up and get some sleep.

****

“What the hell was that?” Cole drilled Wolf with a look after Crystal had left.

“What do you mean?”

Crash leaned forward. “One minute she’s cuddled on your lap, the next you’re letting her walk out the door. That’s what he means.”

Cole frowned. “Am I missing something? I mean, what I saw in that back hallway—”

Wolf cut in. “What you saw in that hallway was a connection that time hasn’t broken.”

Cole huffed out a breath and shook his head. “Don’t care how strong a connection you two have—it can all be washed away with a woman’s tears. And the way you let her go tonight—”

“What choice did I have?” Wolf snapped.

Crash gave him a ‘what-the-fuck’ look. “Who the hell
are
you? Are you not a member of this club? Because no member of my goddamn club says those words. What the fuck do you mean
what choice did you have
?”

“She works for those guys, Crash. She told me once to let her go. You heard her yourself, she says she’s happy. You want me to make a scene and cause trouble for her with her bosses? Fuck up her job? How’s that gonna win her back, genius?”

“So you did nothing? First time you’ve seen her in
how
long? Wolf, you didn’t even walk her outside.” Crash lifted his chin toward the door.

Wolf ran his hand angrily through his hair. Christ, he hadn’t. How’d she take that?

“I fucked up?”

Cole had no problem answering his stupid question. “You want me to say it? Yeah, you fucked up, Wolf. And don’t play dumb with me. You knew what you were doing. I don’t buy this crap for a minute, so cut the bullshit. What the fuck is your problem?”

Wolf shook his head, leaning over the table.

“Whatever. Do what you want. I came to get drunk, not to play your damn therapist, Wolf. I’m getting another beer.” Cole shoved his chair back and walked off.

Crash leaned his folded arms on the table. He waited until Cole had moved away, and then he started in with his own advice with a grin. “I got no problem playin’ your therapist.”

“Lucky me.”

“You need a woman in your life, Wolf. One who knows you. One who understands you. One who lets you be who you are.”

Wolf ran a hand down his face. Crash wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. And he was describing everything Crystal already was to him.

Crash dipped his head closer, his voice quieting. “This life, this job, this club…it’s not always easy. It can suck the soul right out of you. You need someone to go home to, Wolf. Someone to take away the darkness, fill you up with light. Shannon does that for me. Angel does that for Cole. If Crystal can be that for you, why are you fighting it, bro?”

“I don’t fucking know.”

“Yeah you do.”

Wolf blew out a long breath. Yeah, he did. “I’ve never lived up to anyone’s expectations, Crash. What if I can’t live up to hers? What if I destroy her? Everything that’s good about her?”

“This more baggage your piece-of-shit father left you with?”

Wolf huffed out a laugh. “Probably.” Then he ran a frustrated hand down his face, shook his head and looked over at Crash. His brothers wanted him to cut the bullshit, fine. “Yeah, she’s what I need. I know that, Crash. But what if I’m not what
she
needs?”

“What if you are?”

Wolf swallowed.

“That scares you, doesn’t it? Being what she needs?”

When Wolf stayed silent, Crash shook his head in aggravation, got up and walked away.

Red Dog strolled over, a beer in his hand. He stood and looked down at Wolf. “He rub your head and tell you everything’s gonna be all right?”

“This pep talk sucks.”

“Yeah, he was voted most likely to depress people.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Wolf stood up and stalked toward the door with Dog’s laughter following him out.

He shoved through the crowd. Ten feet from the door he slammed right into a member of the Death Heads MC, pushing him back into the two brothers behind him as they walked in the bar. For one of those split seconds that lasts a lifetime, Wolf and the Death Head stared with stunned surprise into each other’s eyes. There was no love lost between the two clubs, in fact they were sworn enemies, and that animosity was plain in both their eyes as they glared their bitter hatred back at each other. Then the Death Head members at the man’s back shoved him forward, and he came up swinging, hitting Wolf with a powerful right hook.

Wolf returned the punch causing the Death Head to stumble back. Screams erupted in the bar as patrons scattered back. The next thing Wolf knew, all his Evil Dead brothers had pushed through the crowd and were taking his back, fists flying. It was seven to three and the brawl ended with the three Death Heads lying on the floor.

“Move!” Cole jerked his chin toward the door, and his club cleared out, pushing through the door and out into the street, knowing they only had minutes to get the hell out of there before the cops arrived and hauled every single one of them in.

The men scrambled to their bikes, and a moment later seven bikes roared off down the street.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The old wrought iron bed squeaked as Crystal rolled over to look toward the front window. The rumbling sounds of motorcycles passing below echoed up from the street. It was past midnight, but the sound didn’t bother her. She couldn’t sleep anyway. Not when her mind was consumed with reliving her encounter with Wolf earlier. Every moment playing out over and over in her head like an endless parade of images. The look in his eyes when he first saw her, the way he held her when they danced, the way he kissed her in the hallway, the way he looked at her as she left.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a knocking. Rolling over, she looked through the open bedroom doorway into the main room and toward the backdoor.

Who could that be? Jameson perhaps, come to ask her about whatever Max and Liam had probably told him. Tossing back the covers, she strode toward the door. The top half contained a window covered with a red gingham kitchen-style curtain. She paused, pulling it aside to peer out.

It was dark, but she could make out the tall shape of a man. A man wearing a leather cut. His arms were lifted, his hands bracing on either side of the door frame. His head was dipped, but it lifted when the curtain moved, and his eyes connected with hers through the glass. 

Wolf.

She unlocked the door and opened it just three inches. But that didn’t stop him. He pushed it open and stepped inside, forcing her to step back. She watched his eyes as they swept down over her, taking in the flannel shirt wrapped around her. His shirt.

His eyes flicked back up to hers, and she could read the thoughts running through his head. He knew in an instant just what her wearing his shirt to bed meant, everything it revealed about how she felt about him. As she watched, his eyes moved over her body again, sweeping down over her bare legs, exposed by the shirt that only fell to her mid-thigh.

The door clicked softly as he pressed it shut, his eyes still on her legs.

She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging against the chill night air that had swept in with him. “What are you doing here, Wolf?”

His hand lifted, and he brushed the back of his index finger over the soft flannel fabric just above her breast. “You’re wearing my shirt.”

She looked away. She could hardly deny it. “Yes.”

“Why?”

She swallowed, but didn’t answer.

“Your question, my question. I’m betting they both have the same answer.”

She looked back at him then. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and it felt hard to breathe. He took a step toward her, and she took a step back. “Wolf.”

He took another step. “Crystal.”

She stepped back again, and he followed, like he always did, stalking her across the room until she felt the cool plaster of the wall next to her bedroom door pressed to her back.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Wolf.”

He moved in closer, his face inches from hers and repeated his soft words. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

It was then she noticed the bruising on the side of his face. Her hand came up, her fingers gently touching his cheekbone. “Wolf, you’re hurt. What happened?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m fine.” He moved in again.

She lifted her hand and pressed her palm to his chest, his cut cool beneath her fingers as she attempted to hold him back. “We need to talk.”

“We do. But not now.” His hands moved between them, his fingers closing around the plackets of the flannel shirt. With a hard tug he popped all the buttons free, sending them scattering on the floor as she gasped, excitement and erotic fear taking her breath.

The shirt fell open, revealing her bare skin all the way down to her panties. His eyes moved over her, taking in everything, every inch.

She watched his eyes lift and move beyond her to land on the bed visible through the doorway. Then he bent and lifted her, his arms locking around her bare thighs. He gave a little toss, hefting her up, and her legs wrapped around his waist. She clutched at his shoulders, gasping in her surprise as the shirt fell back off her shoulders to hang from her elbows

He carried her into the bedroom, and a moment later she felt her back pressed to the soft sheets still warm from her body.

“Wolf.”

His mouth came down on hers, silencing any protest she might have made. His tongue swept inside as his hands captured her head, cradling it while he kissed her, long and deep. Her hands moved to slide around him of their own volition, stroking over the patches on his cut, moving up to thread through the soft curls at the back of his neck.

She heard his groan, felt it vibrate through her mouth as he sank more deeply onto her, one knee forcing her thighs apart, making room for his body to settle between them.

His mouth broke free, trailing across her jaw and down her neck. She tilted her head back, giving him better access, and his mouth latched onto the skin below her jawbone, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. And maybe that was his intension. Marking her as his.

She moaned, and his body slid lower, his mouth trailing down over her collarbone, down her breast bone, and then to climb the soft mound of her breast to latch onto her nipple. As he sucked on it, his fingers closed over her other nipple, pinching and twisting. The dual sensations sending a white-hot jolt straight between her legs.

She writhed, attempting to find some relief by rubbing against him. He didn’t leave her hanging, he knew what she needed and his free hand moved to give it to her, his fingers sinking into her slick folds, stroking softly. He didn’t let up tormenting her nipples as he caressed with deep, slow strokes.

“Wolf,” she panted, her fingers sinking into his hair, holding his head to her breast. It wasn’t long before the multiple sensations coming at her from every place he touched unraveled her and she began to thrust up into his hand, meeting every stroke, drawing them out.

As her responses increased and her need ramped up, he slid two fingers inside her, his thumb taking up where his fingers had been. And now, as the points of stimulation increased by yet another, she arched, her head going back in the mattress, a long moan escaping as the orgasm roared through her.

And then he slid down, positioning between her legs. Her head lifted to look down at him. She’d barely recovered, and he was preparing to start again.

“Wolf, I can’t—” she panted.

He just smiled at her, her words not stopping him in the least.

The scent of her arousal now hung heavy in the air.

With one soft nuzzle of his mouth, he breached and invaded her soft petals, dazzling her senses as he slid his tongue inside and electrified everything he touched. A languorous sweep, a lingering slide. His lips brushed her again and again, and Crystal opened to him a little more. He sank in, deeper than before. He tasted, teased, withdrew. No! She needed more, and pressed up,

Wolf rewarded her with another teasing caress of his lips, which melted over her and then his tongue was diving inside in a firm and wild possession. She may have half expected it, but the slide of his tongue still blindsided her defenses.

She clawed at him. Barely breathing, dizzy with the sensation, she writhed as heat curled in her belly, her nipples tightening.

Suddenly, he retreated, leaving behind an ache she already couldn’t fight. Oh, God.

“Please,” she begged, all shame gone.

“You want something, sweetheart?”

God, she’d missed him. She just wanted to feel him inside her, feel his weight on her as he lost control.

“You. Now. Please, baby.”

He didn’t deny her, but slid up over her, his body coming down on her as he brushed the hair back from her damp forehead.

He kissed her then, and she tasted herself on him. He ate at her mouth and she could feel the erection through his jeans. And then she realized he was still dressed. Her hands were suddenly frantic to get his clothes off, sliding up to push his cut off his shoulders.

A moment later, he was off the bed. He stood next to it, staring down at her with hungry eyes as he tore his clothes off. She watched, her eyes moving over his body as he bared it to her. His broad shoulders, muscular arms and chest, his flat abs. Her tongue came out to lick her lips in anticipation.

His eyes fell to her mouth and a second later he was back on top of her. Taking his cock in his hand, he rubbed his hard length against her entrance. It didn’t take long for his cock to be coated in her slick release.

He stared down at her. “I hated the way you left me at that damn motel.”

She knew then that he was talking about the motel at the state-line when they’d had their confrontation. Where she’d pleaded with him to let her go. Where she’d seen the torment in his eyes as he’d done just that.

“I hated it too,” she said as she writhed against him, struggling to guide him into her. He gripped her wrists over her head, pinning her on the bed.

Breathing hard, her back arched as she tried to mold her body to his.

He pulled back to look her in the eyes. His voice was ragged. “You drive me crazy, girl. And right now I’m going to fuck you hard. Like I need to punish you for that. For leaving me like that. Doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Crystal.”

He studied her eyes.

“You gonna let me? You gonna take it like that? Like I need to give it to you?”

Looking up at the lust in his eyes, she nodded. She’d give him anything he needed. Maybe that was her downfall. He held that much power over her. Her
love
for him held that much power over her. It was so big, she could refuse him nothing.

At her acquiescence, he moved back off her. Grabbing her wrists he hauled her off the bed. Then he spun her around and with a firm hand in her back, he pushed her down, face-first on the bed.

He bent over her body, his chest coming down over her back as he rubbed his hard length against her entrance.

“Ask for it,” he growled.

She didn’t hesitate. “Fuck me, Wolf.”

He plunged inside her, bringing her up on her toes, as far up as the hard body over her would allow. She felt him lock one muscular forearm across her pelvis. His other hand came down on the mattress near where her face was turned sideways, his stiff arm holding his weight as he thrust into her again and again, his skin slapping against hers.

She was still slick from her orgasm, but it had been a long time since she’d had sex. Since him, actually. And she was tight, and she knew she’d feel the aching inside tomorrow after he finished with her.

She moaned and his thrusts immediately slacked off, as he reined in his assault.

“You okay?” he panted.

She nodded her head against the mattress.

“It’s too much, you tell me,” he ordered, his pace picking up again.

“Make me come, Wolf,” she pleaded. A moment later the arm locked around her hips disappeared and his hand went between her legs. His fingers stroking, seeking out her trigger. It didn’t take him long to bring her to the edge again. And when he did, she began moving against him, pushing back against every driving thrust.

“Find it, Crystal. I need you to find it, because I’m about to explode.”

He increased the frantic petting of his fingers and she soared over the edge, crying out his name.

A moment later he followed her over, his hands moving to clutch her hips tightly as his body went solid.

****

“Come here, babe. I want to cuddle with you.”

Crystal turned her head on the pillow to look at Wolf. Her brows rose, clearly expressing her disbelief. “You
hate
cuddling.”

“I do not. I love to cuddle.”

She smiled and rolled her eyes. He was so full of shit, and she felt the need to remind him. “Remember that first night we slept together?”

“Of course.”

She gave him an arch look. “Remember the next morning?”

He grinned. She’d obviously reminded him of just how clear he’d been that morning about hating cuddling. “You mean when you taught me the meaning of the word negotiate?”

She smiled back at him, remembering clearly how she’d brought him around on that one…

“I don’t do cuddling, babe,” he said as he pulled out of her arms and stood. He yanked his jeans on and left the room, muttering, “You got any coffee?”

Throwing a robe on, she went in search of him. She found him at her kitchen sink, his palms resting on the edge, looking out the window. Walking up behind him, she slid her arms around his waist, her mouth pressing kisses between his shoulder blades. “Is it just cuddling you don’t like, or
all
touching? Cause I know you like the sex.”

“I don’t do ‘cuddling’, babe. I told you that.”

She kissed his back again. “Is that non-negotiable?”

“Pretty much.”

She pulled away, went to the fridge and opened the door. “That’s gotta give you problems with the ladies, Wolf.”