Heart Ties (Club Ties Book 2) (12 page)

Nodding, she went into the bathroom and closed the door. The interior was old and a bit grungy. She spent a little time cleaning up and a lot of time looking at her reflection.

The changes in her wouldn’t be apparent to anyone else, but she saw the hectic color on her cheeks and the brightness in her eyes. Her nipples were still erect, pushing out the thin cloth of her shirt.

She skimmed a forefinger over her collarbone, where Drake had laid a trail of red marks.

She leaned against the chipped countertop, stalling. She knew this motel room and what happened inside it, which made her reluctant to leave. Once they got on his bike, she was a speck of dust floating on an air current again. She could land anywhere to be squashed or forgotten.

A single rap of knuckles on the door made her jump. “Delta.”

She scrubbed her palms on her jeans and opened the door to Drake. He dragged his smoldering gaze over her, and she felt gorgeous and desirable all over again.

He twitched his head. “Let’s go.”

She left her safe haven, followed him into the night, and got on his bike. This time he produced his helmet from his saddlebag and waited until she’d strapped it on.

“Move in nice and close,” he said over the rumble of his engine.

Warmth threaded through her, and she wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her face against the familiar planes of his strong back.

Then he did something totally unexpected. He gripped her hand and raised it. Warm lips moved over her knuckles. Her pussy flooded, and her head whirled.

Unable to control her reaction, she locked her thighs around him as they roared off into the darkness.

•●•

Everything in him screamed to go back to the motel. The only thing that had kept him from crushing her luscious body under him and pounding into her had been the text from Jamison.

They know. Get out.

How the Raiders had linked the explosion to him didn’t take a leap of the mind. But he’d hoped to have a full night with the gorgeous woman he’d been dreaming of before the Raiders tracked him down.

She’d been so fucking ripe too—ready to go. He had a feeling she’d do anything he asked in bed, and damn if he didn’t ache to explore.

At least she’d slept a little. He couldn’t have her falling off his bike, especially when they had hours to ride. Jamison was meeting them close to the Georgia border. His VP had information to share that couldn’t even be relayed over a burn phone. That worried the fuck out of Drake.

The sky was still black, but the cloud cover from the past two nights was blowing off, leaving a faint spattering of stars. Delta snuggled close, and he rode.

When he’d planned to get her out of the Raiders’ hands, he hadn’t given thought to what to do with her beyond freedom and sex. Now that he’d given her both, he considered his next move.

Sending her back with Jamison was out of the question—the Raiders would search the Hell’s Sons MC for certain. Jamison, Harris, and Pax had it handled—the club was on lockdown, the women and children all unable to leave. The only Sons who weren’t inside were patrolling the other operations.

Drake focused on Delta’s body snug against his back. He didn’t know where they’d end up, but one thing was black-and-white in his mind—he wasn’t leaving her in the hands of anyone else.

Two hours later, she grew restless. He placed a hand on her thigh. “Break time?”

“Yes.” Her voice was grittier than normal, sending need pounding through his veins. The more she came apart in his arms, the throatier her tones.

By the time he stopped at a gas station and climbed off the bike, his cock was as hard as steel. She moved a little stiffly and started to walk toward the building.

“Delta.” He caught her around the waist and dragged her back, fitting her against his straining jeans.

She sucked in a breath, her eyes wide in the glow of the outdoor lights. He dropped his head and pressed his mouth over hers. Simple, deliberate. Just a kiss.

Who the hell was he kidding? A kiss that infused him with ball-clenching lust.

He patted her bottom and let her walk away before he threw her over his bike and fucked her silly.

The thought made him crack a smile. As he filled his gas tank, he mused about how often she’d made him smile since the day they’d met.

Twice he’d taken her from her club and family, but each time she was eager.

She definitely gave in to others’ wants with little thought to herself. That worried the shit out of him.

He topped off his gas tank and went inside to pay. He caught Delta outside the restroom and led her to the drinks. “Pick something out. We won’t ride just yet.”

With a faint nod, she wandered to the coffee. At this time of night, the brew must be thick and disgusting, but she poured and added cream. He selected a drink with a lot of caffeine and watched her hesitate.

She picked up the sugar and dumped some into her coffee. Then, as if on second thought, she added even more.

He’d never seen such a confusing woman. Had she been that goddamn suppressed?

He smoothed his thumb over the knuckle he’d smashed punching the wall. Seeing those bruises on her delicate skin… Well, it was never going to fucking happen again.

Placing a hand on her lower back, he guided her to the counter. The kid manning the cash register glanced up and looked twice at Delta. Amused, Drake watched him trip all over himself to ask how her night was going. Delta’s response was short and quiet.

Drake tossed two protein bars on the counter and passed the kid some cash. As Drake led her back out to the bike, he said, “Kid’s probably in there beating off right now.”

Delta stopped dead. “What?”

“Didn’t you notice him? If you’d crooked your finger at him, he would have dived across the counter to get you.”

She shook her head and kept walking, pulling away from Drake’s touch. When she didn’t respond to his words, he caught her elbow and whirled her around. She went dead still in that way he was starting to worry about.

“Don’t you have any idea of the effect you have on men?”

She lifted a narrow shoulder and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“Let’s sit at that picnic table and you can drink you coffee.”

Once she was seated and had half a cup in her, he pressed the issue again. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?” She looked at him warily as she opened the protein bar he’d forced on her.

“That you stop men in their tracks.”

“I don’t care about things like that.”

“Don’t care or don’t welcome it?”

“Both.”

“Not even if I tell you that you did the same to me?”

Her gaze flashed to his. “Did I?”

He bit off a chunk of his bar and chewed and swallowed before answering. “Princess, you know you did.”

Confusion creased her long, dark brows but she didn’t respond. She finished her bar and coffee. Having nothing to do inside, the interested kid came out to smoke and stare at Delta.

Drake snorted.

“What?”

He tilted his chin at the infatuated employee. “He’s got balls ogling my girl.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Your girl?”

Meeting her gaze, he tried to fix what he’d said. “Well, you’re with me. You rode in on my bike. The kid should assume…”

She stared at the pitted wood picnic table and finished eating. Crumpling the wrapper in her fist, she stood. When she met his gaze directly, his heart did that strange acceleration thing.

“I’m no one’s girl.”

•●•

As Delta walked away, she awaited the blow to come from behind. How had she dared to speak to Drake that way? Of all the times to find her voice, being alone with a man she didn’t know in a faraway place was a bad idea.

She dropped her items in the trash can and slowly turned.

Drake stalked toward her, eyes dark, face blank.

Her heart shivered in her chest. She was probably having a massive heart attack.

Drake snaked a hand around her nape and his lips crashed over hers. A possessive tongue was thrust into her mouth, stealing what was left of her mind. He bent her under his hands, kissing her until she clung to him.

When he pulled away, he stared at her with a quirk of his lips. “Let’s ride.”

She wrapped herself around him and let the feel of leather under her cheek and the hum of the engine lull her for miles. As a thin band of light stretched on the horizon, Drake signaled left and pulled over.

Five other bikes were parked—Jamison’s among them.

Delta’s throat clogged with the hope of seeing her sister, but she wasn’t there.

Jamison moved forward to hug Delta. “Ever sends her best and says she’ll see you very soon.”

Hating the sudden tightening of her throat and homesickness washing through her, Delta nodded. Jamison released her and man-hugged Drake.

Their gazes met. “That bad?” Drake asked.

“Long Branch, Stealth, and the Black Oath are all involved.”

Delta’s fingers grew cold. Every local Raiders charter in the state was coming after the Hell’s Sons—all because of her.

She had to give herself up.

Jamison pounded Drake on the back. “We got it covered on our side, bro. Just keep yourselves out of harm.”

“And Strother?”

Jamison stiffened. Delta was a good observer of men, and it was evident how Jamison felt about their prez. “He’s pretty pissed at the measures you took to get Delta out.”

“He can get the fuck over it.” Drake’s tone was hard.

Jamison bobbed his head. “If he doesn’t, we’ll guide him on his way.” He produced a slip of paper and handed it to Drake.

He glanced at it before pocketing it in his cut. “I’ll take care of it.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. I know it’s your domain, which is why I wanted to run it by you. Some dark shit is going on in that back room, but I’ve got guns and manpower to handle this.”

“I’d rather take care of it. You have enough shit with Strother and the Raiders.”

Jamison stared at him for a long minute. “You won’t change your mind? This shit with Riches isn’t good, bro.”

“I got it.”

Delta processed this information as she did all of the Raiders’ cryptic talk. She had no idea what was going on and probably didn’t want to, though she was good at connecting dots.

Drake took two steps toward the bike and twitched his head at her. “Let’s ride.”

“Drake,” Jamison called.

He turned.

“I can get Delta into hiding. We’ve got a few friends up north.”

Drake’s jaw was set, dark with beard growth. “I got her.”

“You sure?” Jamison looked at him hard.

“Positive. Let’s go, Princess.”

Jamison squeezed her shoulder then pulled her into a hug.

“Give Ever my love.” God, it hurt Delta to say that. Though it shouldn’t hurt to love someone, it did. Delta had never been truly afraid of losing someone before. Lucky, Micky, and most of the Raiders could go to hell and burn. But she didn’t want to be separated from her sister before she’d even gotten a chance to know her.

Drake swung his leg over the bike and waited for her. When she didn’t immediately put her arms around him, he grabbed her hand and did it for her.

Delta glanced at Jamison as they zoomed away, aware of his smirk.

They took the interstate north again. Along the way, they stopped for food. Drake insisted on a full breakfast at a busy truck stop diner. If they were running—hiding—they were doing it in plain sight.

“What do you want?” he asked her as he set aside his menu.

She stared at the selection. “I don’t really eat breakfast.”

“Well you are today.”

When the waitress set a pot of coffee on the table and took their orders, Delta made a snap decision of pancakes. Drake had pancakes with sausage. The waitress nodded and smiled and went off to put in their order.

Drake lifted the pot and poured fragrant coffee into two mugs. “See? That wasn’t hard.”

“No.” She wanted to ask where they were going. North couldn’t be good—they were circling right back into Raiders country. Plus Drake had told Jamison he’d take care of something.

He nudged the sugar and creamer dishes across the table to her. She added them to her coffee and at the first sip, relaxed against the back of the booth.