In Bed With The Outlaw Read online

  Red had no right to claim me. I didn’t want to trade one dictator for another. He might look better than Lee, but who knew how cruel he was? They were like two rabid dogs fighting over scraps. Scraps. Me? No. Not going to happen.

  “We go to the diner all the time,” Red said, crossing his arms as he stood his ground.

  “You’re out of your fucking mind, Red,” Lee said again, this time pointing him down. The others readied to make a move.

  King, the big white bear, shoved Red out of the way. He stood between them, somehow making Red look small while making Lee look even thinner.

  “Knock this stupid shit off. This girl gets me my breakfast every morning. We’re going to treat her right. We’re not complete animals, are we?”

  Lee kicked the dirt then joined the others. “I still got a right,” Lee seethed. Red didn’t respond. He let Lee fall back in line.

  King pointed to me. Why did I want to hide behind something? “Red, you know this chick?”

  He glanced my way. I looked nervous, I’m sure, which helped my acting. Red nodded and said, “Yeah, I know her.” He gave me a glare that said “You better not say anything.” I shut my mouth.

  “All right,” King said. A small smirk appeared on the corner of his lips, one that was purposely not pointed in Lee’s direction. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure,” he said, standing his ground. A breeze brushed the sides of his hair back. He slipped his fingers over the edge, running to his ponytail, making me want to snap it free and let it fall. He would look like a viking, like a sexy viking, with his hair down to his shoulders.

  Did he just do that to me on purpose? Make me ogle over him so I wouldn’t say anything?

  “Take her wherever she wants to go, or stay with her until her ride gets here. I don’t care. We’ll be at the clubhouse.”

  Hey wait, Mr. President, I’m not with this guy! But the words wouldn’t leave my lips. They were sealed shut. Dealing with these tough-looking guys, and getting a little fondled, had been more than enough for the time being. Being close to Red seemed like the smartest choice. For now.

  Red nodded. The wind picked up again as their engines roared. They moved as one, leaving me with only one target, Red. His hair was a slick, shiny auburn with some blond thrown in, so I wasn’t sure what his nickname meant. Maybe at the right angle on a cloudy day it might look slightly reddish. It seemed like my fate now rested in this man’s hands. Red. I couldn’t even understand his nickname.

  “Where you headed?” he asked.

  Good question. I was hoping to get taken back to the clubhouse, where I would begin to infiltrate, working my way up to an old lady, an untouchable girl, instead of some low-life whore they kept for parties. But Red screwed up that plan. This guy was already a huge pain in my ass...as handsome and protective as he was.

  “I was headed to work,” I said.

  “Sorry about Lee. He can be an asshole.” He shrugged. He shifted away, getting distant.

  I nodded. I didn’t want to say anything bad about another member. Who knew how this guy’s brain worked? If he was part of The Bastards, one thing was for sure, he was a psychopath. He checked under the hood of my car and sighed.

  He waited for me to look inside with him. When I came closer, he startled me, brushing a strand of hair away from my eyes. I recoiled. I brought a hand up to my cheek in defense. I expected to be hurt, not to be touched in such a gentle way, alarming me more.

  “Who did this to you?”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.” His touch lingered. His touch would not go away.

  “I’ve seen you at the diner. You can really work. You’re a tough girl, so tell me, what kind of monster could make you this scared?”

  He saw me at the diner? I didn’t remember that. Could he have been checking me out? Maybe he was waiting outside for his brothers and spotted me through the windows. Creepy, but I liked it.

  My body betrayed me, drawing heat to my cheeks. It would help the show anyway. I stopped trying to fight it. I settled into my role, damsel in distress.

  “I’ve got a ride coming soon,” I said, turning away from him now.

  He gripped my wrist, turning me to look into his wild eyes. He demanded to know the man’s name. They were eyes I could get lost in for days. Too bad that wasn’t part of my plan. Sorry, Red.

  “Tell me his name. You can stay with us until he’s gone. Just tell me his name.”

  The look in his eyes told me that he would kill for me.

  Did he care about women that much to avenge me? I didn’t think so. No, this guy just wanted to fuck me. Death meant nothing to him. Killing was a stroll in the park. He was sly, much better at manipulating than his counterparts. He was the type to suck me in and then spit me out all while claiming he was the good guy.

  No, thanks.

  “I can’t tell you. Now let me go,” I said, pulling my arm free.

  He sneered. I slammed the hood shut. Leaning back against the car, I stared at the long road, waiting for my ride to appear. It had been a fabrication. There was no ride.

  Red stood in front of me, blocking my view, forcing me to look into the spreading molten gold which ringed his pupils.

  “Whoever did this, he’ll fucking pay.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I left it at that.

  It seemed like the longer I waited to tell him a name, the more frustrated and angrier he got. He tore away. The points of his boots dug into the ground. He stared off like he could strangle the mystery man with his mind.

  “Look, I might’ve just met you, but you seem smart. You need to run. I offered you a way out, but if you’re not going to take it, at least get out some other way.” He waited. When I didn’t respond, he walked away.

  Wait, I almost screamed.

  Maybe I was playing too hard to get.

  His engine roared. When I turned to him, I expected to see him driving away, instead he pulled up beside me. He signaled for me to hop on.

  “Get on. I’ll give you a lift.”

  I heard some horror stories about these guys. If I got on that bike, he would be in complete control. Maybe he would take me to the middle of the desert, meet up with his buddies, and they would have their way with me. They would use me. Leave me for the vultures.

  He signaled again. His fierce eyes honed in on me.

  “Put that sexy ass down. The bike won’t bite.”

  Sexy ass? Really? And I wasn’t so sure that it wasn’t going to bite. It looked intimidating. I had never been on a bike before.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Where would you like to go? I’ll be your driver for the evening.”

  Turning back to the direction where the rest of the gang departed, I noticed they were far gone. Not a wisp of black leather in sight. To the diner it was.

  “All right,” I said with a huff. “Take me to the Long Road.” Why did I want to give him my apartment address? That shouldn’t be happening. I approached the back. As soon as I got there, my inexperience became apparent.

  “I’m...uh...not quite sure—”

  “Get on right behind me, wrap your arms around me, and hold on tight.”

  “Okay,” I said, thankful for his bluntness for once. The bike was already running, so when I sat on it, I knew exactly why Lee threatened orgasms. The rumbling was strong. I tried to fight the excitement, telling myself to act professional, but I had to stifle a giggle.

  The thought of giggling didn’t last long. Vibrations tickled my inner thighs. Rumbling broke me down until I was slick and panging, wanting to rub myself against the seat, or even Red, to get off.

  “Go on. Arms around me,” he told me again, seeing how shy I was.

  I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my crotch against his lower back. When we connected, my excitement swelled.

  “You’re going to want to really squeeze tight or else you’ll fall off.”

  “Here I go,” I said, not believing how timid I was
being.

  Frustrated, I squeezed him, giving him a tight embrace.

  Be a grown-up, Ash. This isn’t a big deal.

  Before I could situate myself completely, the bike sped off. I pressed against him, using his solid, wide frame to block the whipping wind. As soon as we hit high speeds, the uneasiness left me. Excitement rushed in.

  It was the most sexually stimulating thing I’d done in a long time. It scared me that my body would betray me like that. I needed to remain clearheaded if I was going to get out of this alive, yet there I was, getting off while riding with an outlaw.

  Traffic blocked the way ahead. There was enough to worry me. Red wasn’t stopping. I let out a squeal as we weaved through the space between the cars. When we were in the clear, I screamed at him, “Did you have to do that?”

  I thought I could trust him for a minute there. He proved to me again why he was dangerous.

  Throwing his head back into the wind, he laughed like a maniac. If he wasn’t wearing his colors, I would’ve liked to go off on him. I shut my mouth. Soon enough, we would see who was laughing.

  He slowed but we were still going too fast for my tastes as we came to the Long Road’s parking lot. Red didn’t take the normal path, going off-roading with the bike, not for long, but enough to have me yelping as we drove onto gravel. He kicked up a cloud of dirt, making me pin my cheek against him. I wondered if that was his sly attempt at getting us closer.

  Engine cutting off, the vibrations left. So did all my strength. Once the phantom aftershocks left, I ached between my thighs.

  Damnit, not the time, lady parts. Calm yourself. I’m on a very important mission here.

  Funny, riding on the back with Red seemed more like the beginning of an awesome date than an infiltration of one of the toughest gangs in America.

  “Here we are,” he said. He hopped off the bike first, then helped me off.

  “You enjoy it? Hell, I don’t know how you couldn’t.”

  “Hard not to enjoy it,” I said. I stretched out from the stiff ride. My eyes roamed over his patches. There was a one percenter patch like most of them had. Then there was one that said “Armorer.” Red wasn’t just any ordinary member. He kept stock of the club’s weapons. If I could see that weapon depot, it’d be an easy place to dig up evidence.

  What I really wanted was the darker stuff, put them away for violent crimes, because after all, they were violent criminals. But if I couldn’t get anything that messy, I would get them any way I could.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Ash,” I said. “Shit,” I said right after.

  I wasn’t supposed to give him my real name. I was supposed to give him my fake one, Faith. I had my employee label in my pocket that clearly stated I was “Faith.”

  “Ash Shit? That’s an interesting last name.”

  I sighed. “Some people call me Faith. I started using that name because of my boyfriend. Didn’t want him to find me.”

  Whoo, there we go. Covered my tracks, I hoped. I didn’t think they would get far rummaging through my real record anyway. Ash was just as nonexistent as Faith. I kept a low profile in my real life too.

  “Faith...you’re not a stripper, are ya?”

  “Stripper?” I asked, venom clearly in my tone. Maybe I was right about this guy. I just needed to wait long enough for his dark side to come out.

  “Sorry, forget that. It was a compliment. You’ve got a killer figure. With a nickname like ‘Faith,’ you’d have to be dumb not to think it around here.”

  “Funny compliment. Nope, not a stripper. Is that what you see?”

  “Fuck, no, calm down. Anybody could be a stripper if they’ve got a nice body. How do I know what you do? I just met you. I’d like to know you better, but you’re opposed to that idea.”

  Red took a step closer. In slow motion, I watched his hands reach from his waist to take mine. Sirens wailing, I took a step back. Did he think it would be that easy?

  “That stunt I pulled back there could cost me.”

  “Why is that my problem?”

  He leaned back and scratched his chin. He chuckled with fire returning to his eyes.

  “Because if I didn’t save your ass, you just might be Lee’s pickings right now. Do you know who we are? Did you see our colors? We’re The Blessed Bastards.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I saw.”

  “The Blessed Bastards take whatever they want. If Lee wanted you bad enough, he’d take you. What I did back there was unusual. It was kind of...breaking the law...you could say. I think it helped that King likes you, but still, if Lee finds out I’m full of shit, there could be consequences.”

  After being in the hands of a controlling, abusive husband, his speech sounded like a huge warning sign. Now I was his property, because he saved me? How was that any better? For all I knew, he was a hundred times worse than Lee.

  Flinging my hands at him, I actually made him back off. “So what? You saved me, and now you want to what, kidnap me? How is that really saving me if you’re not going to give me a choice?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying at all. All I’m saying is I don’t know if you understood the full extent of trouble you were in, and I don’t know if you understood the kind of stunt I pulled to get you back here safely. I just want you to understand. Jesus. You’re exhausting.”

  He wiped his hand through his hair with a grunt. I could tell I was getting on his nerves. Damn, I couldn’t blow this. I needed to turn this around.

  “I understand. Thanks for your help,” I said meekly.

  “Yeah, no problem,” he said as he hopped onto his bike. I kind of wished I could go for another ride, but he seemed exhausted.

  “Maybe I’ll see you around? It was fun riding with you.”

  “Next time you see me, you tell me who gave you those bruises, and maybe we can go for another ride. Until then, take care of yourself, Ash.”

  “Thanks, Red,” I said. I stood back to avoid the dust that would surely kick up. He peeled out and headed back to catch up with the others. I got on my toes and waved.

  When I turned around, my boss, Francis, an older, super active Italian man, hung over the walkway. He glared at me.

  “What are you doing? You’re late.” He tilted his ear toward the bike gunning down the road. “Are you okay, Ash?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, sounding cheery, despite there being a lump in my throat and a tightening in my stomach once I realized I was at work. I watched the speck of black disappear into the desert, my last chance to get away from this. It really put into perspective how different our worlds were once I needed to go back inside and get to work.

  “I’m coming in. Sorry I’m late.”

  “No problem. You sure everything is fine?”

  “Fine. Only car troubles,” I said, walking in through the door he held open and tying an apron around my waist. Time to get my head into the zone. Maybe getting Red and the others off my mind would be good for me. Being on my feet and lost in the waitressing work could stop me from dwelling on anything for too long.

  Francis kept glaring at me. He knew something was up.

  “My car broke down. The Blessed Bastards were kind enough to give me a ride back.”

  “Those boys are quite the gentlemen. I’d give them something, a free meal, but they refuse every time I try.” Francis shrugged.

  I gave him a fake smile, no doubt revealing my nervousness, then headed to the kitchen.

  Things were more complicated than someone giving you a good tip or a ride back to work and they were the good guys.

  No, these men were dangerous.

  If I didn’t understand that, this mission was doomed.

  2

  No time for rest, I was already up and working at six thirty the next day. I had half an hour to go, then the rush would come in, all the regulars who waited for the diner to open at seven would stream in like a horde of zombies. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, Francis brought in a hefty amoun
t of business. He treated every customer like royalty, making sure that he got repeat visits.

  My shift was going fine. I didn’t even have time to think about the Blessed Bastards, until I heard the roar of engines and saw everyone peer out their windows, then glance back like they hadn’t, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. Beefy Bastards with wild beards entered and the diner went silent. When the first in line, a wide, lumbering man the same age as King, gazed upon them, the chatter started again.

  King walked in next. Then more Bastards. A lot more than I was used to. Usually they needed only one booth, but they were able to fill four of them today. Distancing myself, I folded napkins at the waitressing station, allowing Kim to get their order. Peeking over, she smiled pleasantly my way.

  Her apron flapped as she hurried back. “They want to talk to you.”

  “Weird,” I said with a shrug. I didn’t want her to think I was pulling tips away. If Kim knew I was also being paid by the FBI while working, she would rightfully be furious. Before I left, I should really give her a going-away present. Right before I went into witness protection, I would do one last nice thing for somebody.

  As I approached, I noticed Red sitting at the same booth as King. Interesting timing. It was King, that other barrel-chested fellow, and a younger twenty-year-old. Behind Red was Lee. Their backs were together on the flimsy leather seat, giving me the impression that they were trying to make it as uncomfortable as possible for one another. Red remained staring at his menu. Lee flashed me a sickening grin.

  This was bad.

  But what did I expect? Infiltrating The Blessed Bastards wouldn’t be easy.

  At least acting the part of the scared, helpless female was an easy role to fall into around them. As I drew closer to the group, Red caught my attention. My body thrummed, excitement coursing through me, remembering how it was on that bike. I had this dire need to wrap my arms around him to ride it out.

  King gave me a polite nod, waking me from my Red-induced stupor.

  “How you doin’, sweetheart? You feeling better today?”