Highway to Heaven (9 page)

“Do you work for the club?” he asked,
pressing on.

She knew this wasn’t going to get any better
if he kept interrogating her in front of everyone so she went to
plan B. “Yeah. I work at the floral shop. It pays good. It’s my own
fault really. I need to put in more hours is all,” she stammered.
Which, to be honest, was a lie. She did work at the flower shop but
put in over fifty hours a week and still barely made by. She’d been
sending money back to Tami since she’d joined the Savages. Shark
shot a toxic glare at Tonto, still radiating rage. Thankfully,
Tonto rolled it off and nodded, communicating in some silent
conversation she didn’t understand.

“Bullshit. You need money, you come to me. Do
you understand?” he snarled. Oh, she had no doubt he’d give her a
loan, but who knew what the interest would be, and Shark didn’t
seem like the type of guy who’d want it paid back in cash. There
was no way in hell she’d stoop to being someone’s prostitute to
help her financial situation. This was the main reason she’d kept
it to herself to begin with. Tonto wouldn’t do that to her, but
there was no way she could have gone to him. One, it would make her
seem to be ungrateful for what he had given her and two, there was
no way in hell she’d transfer to the highest paying job they
had—waitressing at the Pit. The Pit was an underground cage
fighting operation that happened after hours when the legal fights
ended. Devil’s Den was the legal side of the fighting world, and as
legit as it was, it still handled rough crowds. Crowds Heaven
didn’t want to deal with. Where it seemed bad, the Pit was worse.
The girls dressed in damn near nothing and got amazing tips because
of the sexual acts they did to get them. It was worse than
stripping. Plus, all of the people that attended were the baddest
of bad as far as she was concerned. The guys that came wouldn’t
think twice before killing you for spilling their beer. Hell no. No
way, no how. It didn’t matter how much the girls ranted about how
tight security was, it couldn’t be
that
tight. There was
always stripping, but once again, no way in hell. Pawn shops, a
diner, a few casinos…all of them didn’t quite fit her. The flower
shop did. Unfortunately, there were no tips in the flower business
but it was of her own choosing.

Abi had fought and became the champion in the
Pit before moving on up to the big leagues with the UFC. She’d
fought her way to the top, taking out a line of mean motherfuckers
and now was sitting with a title belt. She may have spent time
there, but it was probably a hell of a lot safer in the octagon
than it is in the audience. Then again, Abi could handle just about
anyone. Now, she rode with the guys and did more damage than the
others with no remorse. She remained cool and calm in any situation
then opened the gates of hell on whoever the poor fucker was who
crossed her. “No, really they take great care of me. And, I know if
I asked I could pull shifts somewhere else. I’m fine.” Heaven tried
to keep her last words a-matter-of-fact and stern enough it would
end the discussion, but Shark turned to Tonto again. And, just as
before, they shared another round of silent staring eye contact
dialogue. Men. And they said chicks were hard to figure out…

“Time to ride,” Sandman cut in, watching both
defensively. Shark nodded first, then Tonto and whatever beef or
silent argument was happening ceased. Most of the men cleared out
of the room, leaving only Slider and the girls. She tried hard not
to glare at Sahara, and after last night flashed through her mind
she couldn’t be mad. Hell, the girl was sweet. She hated it, but
the longer she was around her, the more she liked her. Whether she
wanted to admit it or not, her heart went out to her. Her sister
was held captive by the same demented fuck that had once had Tami.
No one deserved that. Only they could understand the pain and worry
that came from knowing their sibling was gone, and what
possibilities could be happening to them. It hit home, deep. And,
to be honest, Colt and Gage knew how to treat a woman in bed. She’d
needed the distraction the same way Heaven had last night. There
was no doubt Sahara had as good of a night as she had—well, almost
anyway.

“Have you checked out the bar across the
street? It looks rough, but we may need to get a drink after being
cooped up in this room all damn day.” Sahara leaned back in her
chair, keeping her eyes on the monitors that led to the safe house
Raven and the others were setting up just down from where the girls
were being held. Heaven tried not to blush.

“Yeah, I had a drink last night. It’s dirty,
but the beer is cold and the locals stay to themselves,” she said,
trying not to volunteer too much information that might have them
asking for details. The girls were all tight, and usually discussed
ev-ery-thing
. Heaven was game until the Ops had come in and
she tried to stay tight-lipped until they got to know each other.
The longer she was around them, the more she began to realize they
were no different than Heaven and the gang. Still, she was hard to
trust people.

“You did?” Abi asked, her perfectly arched
and manicured eyebrows shooting up in a smirk. Fuck. How did she
know? Surely Raven hadn’t ran his mouth, had he?

“Yeah. We should go,” Heaven blurted out,
sounding too enthusiastic. She mentally kicked herself and went
back to staring at the monitor.

“I’m game. Hell, I’ve been cooped up in our
damn room too long, only to be shoved in another. The guys got
another thing comin’ if they think I’m gonna stay here and worry
while they go to try to save the girls and take down Reyes. That
sonofabitch is mine. We have bad history, and a little ‘family
meeting’ is way past fuckin’ due.” The girls all knew the ‘history’
and ‘family business’ between them, and couldn’t agree more. Any
guy who was a stepfather and tortured, beat, and hunted her like a
deer deserved the worst. He’d made one too many threats, and hurt
her on more than one occasion. After Shady’s demented stepbrother
forced himself on her and knocked her up, the work of Reyes senior
was what took everything to the next level. Like you needed two
Reyes. One was way too fucking many. Abi’s head whipped around and
she let out a growl.

“No, we all get that motherfucker. When I’m
done with him, he’s all yours, Shady. But he needs to feel what
it’s like to have his face smashed in real good and hard. To hear
and feel every bone in his worthless body break over and over…to be
at the receiving end of having incomprehensible pain that seems
like it’ll never end. Then, he’s going to learn what the true
meaning of waterboarding means. When his weak, pathetic body falls
to the ground, gasping for air, then you come in.” Abi’s features
softened again and she went back to work as if her words were every
day conversation. All of the girls looked at each other and burst
out giggling.

“Well now, I don’t think I can deny you of
your plans, Abi. But he will feel pain at the hand of me before
it’s over.” Shady’s knuckles turned white as she clenched the desk,
her thoughts washing through the room. The pain. The anger. The
resentment. But above all, the hatred rang through the
strongest.

Abi hit a few buttons on her keyboard and the
screen flipped to Raven’s room. The same room she’d been with him
last night. Where he’d fucked her unconscious and back awake again
over and over. She turned to Heaven and a small smile played at the
corners of her lips before her finger hit the button and Colt’s
room showed up. She glanced back at her again, this time freeze
framing the screen on Gage. It was when he’d seen her walk in. His
face—it showed regret. And as Heaven had walked away, he’d almost
followed. But why? Abi flipped the screen off and back on to the
back alley, winking at Heaven with a grin. Heaven tried to smile
back but her head was swarming with thoughts and questions. What
was she trying to show her? That, even though he was fucking
Sahara, he still seemed to care ever so slightly? Bikers or not,
they’d had something that none of them could deny. Yet, when things
started getting serious, they’d turned back to fucking whatever
hole was closest. Fuck that. She let out a deep huff and ignored
the glances cast in her direction and turned her focus on the
screen. They were here to save the girls and take down the Diablos.
Everything else was unnecessary added drama.

Raven parked his bike and unlocked his door
in frustration. They’d bunkered down in an old garage for over
twenty-four hours trying to catch Reyes coming in or out, but he
never did. There were a few
Vatos
, the local gang in the
area, that frequented, but from what they could see, there was no
evidence of the bastard nor the goods being brought in for the
girls. Which was a bad sign. Either the girls were dead, or wishing
they were. A human could only go a few days without clean drinking
water—which unless bottled was given, the girls didn’t have. Who
knew the last time they’d eaten. All of this and the fact he’d been
up almost four days in a row now after the drive, his night of
Heaven, and the stake out, Raven was about to snap. He shoved the
door open with his shoulder and slammed it behind him, wanting a
shower and the bed. His adrenaline was crashing fast, and he needed
to get clean and lay down before it hit. Once it did, he’d be done
for.

Before he’d made it to the shower, he’d
already kicked off his boots while still walking, leaving them and
his clothing in a trail to the bathroom. He didn’t waste time. The
hot water ran and he jumped in, spreading soap over his body and
lathering his hair to rinse everything at the same time. In less
than three minutes, he was finished. Raven stepped out and grabbed
the only towel that sat on the sink and stopped. His fingers
clutched it and he dried his face, his body tensing as the scent of
Heaven filling his senses. “Mmm,” he moaned. He shook it off, not
wanting to think about that night or the next morning when he’d
left her without so much as a kiss. “Fuck!” he cursed, regretting
it. He’d been so wrapped up in what his brain was screaming and the
fear that she’d grow on him, he’d run. In one night, tequila and a
confident little tease had managed to penetrate his walls and brain
fuck him. God, but he loved the way she felt under him. Her soft
pants and drunken confessions as he slid in and out of her tight
little body. He wadded the towel up and threw it on the floor, his
attention falling on a splash of color on the worn out white tiles.
Raven reached down and picked it up, growling when he’d realized
what he had in his hand. Black lace with hot pink ribbons laced
through the eyelets that came to a bow in the front was wadded in a
ball. He unfolded them, noting the white cream that still coated
the crotch of them and pulled them up to his face. He took in a
deep breath, his dick going instantly hard at the sweet smell of
cherry blossom and Heaven. He buried his face in them, fighting the
urge to go find her and plant her naked ass next to him while he
slept. Then again, they wouldn’t be sleeping. And, right now he
needed to disregard his throbbing cock and rest so he could be on
his ‘A’ game tomorrow night. Raven flipped off the light and
stalked back to bed, the panties tucked away in his fist.

*****

Gage had spent two days setting up a secured
space in the rundown shack they’d found located close to the house
the girls and Reyes was last located. The south side window held a
perfect vantage point. They had view of the entire front of the
building, the side, and partial view of the back. If someone went
in either door, unless there was another entrance on the far side
out of view, they’d see. Colt came through the door and a loud
crunching crash sounded. “What the hell?” Gage said, turning to see
why he was creating noise that might draw attention and give up
their cover. Colt was knee deep in wood with splintered wood
cracked from the decaying floor.

“Fuckin’ shit hole. Why couldn’t we of set up
in something a little nicer? This place is a damn death trap,” he
grumbled, stumbling to pull his leg free. Gage laughed.

“Watch your step. Stay to the left. Those are
the most stable boards from what I could tell.”

“You coulda told me, asshole. Information
that might have been useful a few minutes ago,” Colt snarked
sarcastically.

“Hey, dude, stay to the left or the floor
might fall out from underneath you.”

“Fucker,” Colt grumbled, wiping the shards of
wood from his jeans. He lifted up his foot and sniffed, snarling.
“I think there’s a dead body down there that’s been decaying for a
few decades and is now on the bottom of my fuckin’ boot.”

“Probably. We
are
in Mexico,” Gage
said nonchalantly. Colt scowled and stomped over to the computer.
They had a pretty impressive mobile setup going on, with wireless
laptop computers, cameras, audio, and motion sensors all rigged not
only in and around their stake-out hole, but also down the road on
all the buildings leading up to the house Sahara’s sister had been
saved from. They’d gotten so close in fact, that it’d taken all
they had not to just break in the damn door and charge in to
rescue. But, knowing Reyes, the place was rigged. One wrong move
and the whole fucking building could go up in smoke. Thus why they
had to play it cool and wait him out. The more Intel they gathered,
the safer the mission of getting those girls out and safe. God only
knew what hell they’d been through, and the last thing they needed
was for it all to be in vain.

The two sat down on old decrepit chairs and
went through each checkpoint, rolling over hours and hours of
surveillance while still watching the monitors and detectors for
anything out of the ordinary.

The good thing was, locals seemed to sense
their presence, or maybe they knew about Reyes, but either way they
stayed out of sight. The bad thing was the huge fuckin’ rats that
could eat a damn German Shepard in one gulp that kept setting off
the motion sensors. No shittin’, if one of ‘em stood on their back
legs, it’d come up well above their knee. Which, of course, was
close to their balls and definitely not comforting. If one of those
bad boys decided to jump…well, shit might get real, real fast. They
were pretty frequent too. Just as the two settled in to an easy
conversation and continued to work, another Godzilla-rat tripped
the silent alarm across the alley from Reyes’ pedo-shack.