Oliver (Inked Menace MC 2) (9 page)

Tiny water drops littered her back and Oliver’s sweaty palms caressed her abdomen.

“That…that was incredible,” he said.

“Aye,” she said and eased her body to lay on her back beneath him, surrounding him with her strong thighs. “Is it true about tigers?”

He arched a brow in that sexy, satisfied way most men are capable of. “What truth?”

“In the wild you mate every ten minutes, fifty times per day?”

A slow grin was his only answer as he brought his hands down to cup her breasts. Eyes on hers, he leaned forward and sucked one of her nipples into the warm heat of his mouth, swirling his tongue around the stiff peak. She clutched the tangled sheet beneath her.

“Because, just so you know, that would be very okay with me, mate.”

“Challenge accepted,” he said after he released one nipple in favor of the other, doing the same careful ministrations that were making her crazy.

“Can I ask you a question?”

He nodded, and Amara did what she’d wanted to do for days. She reached for his head, undid the elastic, and massaged her fingers through his beautiful hair. “I’m so jealous of your hair,” she said causing him to lift his face, his eyes twinkling in the low lighting.

“I’ve tried blending in. I dyed my hair for a long time so it would be one color.”

Rather than mock his reasons, she shrugged. “Well, it’s amazing and so unique, just like you.”

His body trembled against hers. He shifted so he lay next to her, one leg over her abdomen, his arm over her breasts, and his face occupied the space by her neck. “What was your question again?”

Amara bit the inside of her cheek. Was there a way to say what she wanted with some tact? Probably not. “When did your club stop being so badass?”

Tension, like a live wire, thrummed through her wherever their skin touched, which was pretty much everywhere.

She amended. “I mean no disrespect. I’m genuinely curious, and I didn’t know how else to ask. I shoot rather straight from the mouth.”

“I’m going to have to get used to your frank way, Amara,” he said, but settled once more next to her. She no longer felt like he might maul her. “What exactly are you asking, so we’re clear?”

“My, what big teeth you have, tiger. I meant, when did you guys stop with gun running and dealing? No offense, mate, but you all seem rather tame for a biker club.”

“Oh. That.” He began stroking the side of her ribs and licked a wet trail up her neck as he inhaled her scent. “When we first started here, we had to make a name for ourselves. We dealt with the heavy shit, made friends, made enemies, you know how it is. After ten years of turf wars, gang fights, and bloodshed, we gracefully got out by handing over the guns and drugs to friends of the club. We’re still feared, and with good reason, but we didn’t want the government looking too closely at us. So we keep our noses clean.”

“Is that for the sake of the shifting community?”

“Yes. As the first Ruling Council, we felt like we needed to set an example. Why, is Luther still running things in the old way overseas?”

Amara thought about some of the things she’d had to do in the name of Clawed Menace. Humans she’d been forced to kill, deals she’d been forced to be a part of even though she’d strongly counseled against them. She’d been overruled by votes, and some of her brothers thought her weak. Her fists clenched by her sides. “Yes, he still subscribes to the old ways.”

“You don’t agree?” Oliver used one long nail to trace the line of her breast without breaking the skin.

“I don't mind killing when it’s warranted. But it has to make sense, and not just for one. But for the good of the club, and the shifters. Not just because someone pissed you off and you think they deserve to die.”

“I’ll talk to Hammer.”

The air in Amara’s lungs stalled in her chest. She tried to swallow, but something was lodged in her throat. Panic seized her and for a few heartbeats, her skin itched, followed by stinging. Her tongue thickened in her mouth as her brain fired back to all cylinders and she wheezed, “Please don’t,” and moistened her lips with the last of her spit.

She scrambled up and fumbled for the pitcher of water resting on the nightstand, throwing Oliver off in her mad dash for precious liquid to ease her parched interior. She poured with shaking hands then gulped large sips, spilling a little on the carpet in her haste. Once an entire glass sat empty, she carefully stretched her legs back out and leaned against the headboard, needing something solid to lean on.

Her brained spun too many thoughts at once. Amongst a host of other reasons, like his child-like wonder, his infectious amusement, the quirky way only one side of his cheeks dimpled when he smiled, Amara adored the fact he didn’t get irritated at her erratic behavior. He sat quietly next to her and waited for her to get herself together.

Then he said, “What was that about?” and gave her a chance to explain rather than make assumptions.

Amara’s stomach dropped and a rolling hill full of nerves somersaulted down. As she drew in a deep breath, Oliver slid his hand on top of hers and then turned them so their fingers laced together. A warm, floating sensation danced down her spine and a calmness settled between shoulder blades. She exhaled.

“Luther…he’s made some questionable decisions.”

“I admire your loyalty, Amara. I really do. But if he’s doing something that we should know about, you need to tell us.”

Trust wasn’t something she easily gave. As she stared into Oliver’s serious face, feeling the soft flesh of his skin against hers, her heart whispered that he was the one.

“I will, Oliver. Just not right now, okay?”

He balked and opened his mouth to speak, but a loud banging on the door interrupted whatever diatribe coated his tongue.

“What!” he said instead.

A leashed violence carried on Hammer’s words. “Now that you’ve both gotten that out of your systems, we have news. Put on some clothes and get your asses out here.”

12
Chapter Twelve

Clothes on, hot beverages in hand, Amara and Oliver sat across from Maura and Hammer on a small loveseat with hard cushions. Amara crossed her legs and sipped tea. Oliver leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees and glared at the alpha pair.

“What’s the good word?”

Hammer didn’t usually mince words and his golden stare bore into him. A whoosh of air left Oliver’s lungs. “Brick contacted one of his old service men who still has ties to classified information.” Hammer skimmed his gaze over Amara and then fixed on a spot over their heads on the wall behind them. “LexCorp has a,” he paused for a moment, seeming to search for the right word. “…facility, in upstate New York. The crew is on their way here to meet us, then we’ll head up there.”

Inside his chest, his heart beat in a haywire pattern, and when he turned to take in Amara’s reaction to the news, he understood the wildness came from her.

“They should be here any minute,” Maura said, more to Amara than him. Despite their bickering like an old couple, he liked seeing how the sisters interacted. There was tremendous love and respect between them, and just by looking into their eyes he could see some of the shit they’d gone through, both together and separate, had bound them tighter than the very blood that ran through their veins. Some shifters who mated with another species left their old life behind in favor of their new one. It was nice to see Amara’s family maintained a close relationship and had blended.

The president of Inked Menace stared at Amara without blinking. “Before the club gets here, is there anything else we should know?” The question was asked without malice, but there was an unspoken ‘don’t lie to me’ tone.

Oliver reached over and squeezed her thigh then nodded once when she lifted her face. She blew out a breath and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Luther wants information on Cecelia. He sent me here to spy on her and report back.”

“Do you know what he’s looking for?”

Amara shook her head and turned her face to stare out the window into the lightening skyline. “He said something about magic. How she was dangerous to shifters. That’s all I know.” She arched a brow and righted her face. “Is that true?”

Maura opened her mouth to speak and twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. “Sort of. Have you ever heard of Gatekeepers?”

“No. Should I have?”

Oliver spoke next to her. “Probably not, they’re old magic, back from a time when humans weren’t so evolved and the shifters had to hide better. Gatekeepers acted as supernatural watchers. In short, they protected shifters, but in order to do that, they had to have a way to protect themselves – a magic of their own.”

“They’re also the librarians of our world,” Hammer said.

“I haven’t heard anything scary yet,” Amara offered. Oliver smiled when her eyebrows drew together, as if what she’d heard was a giant puzzle needing solving.

Oliver used the pads of his fingers to create gooseflesh on her arms. “You’d have to feel it and see it, in order to understand.”

Her face whipped around and her eyes were wide when she said, “You’ve witnessed it?”

Oliver remembered the weirdness. The way his limbs felt like they were locked in quicksand and sound was amplified while the world seemed to move at a slower place. He shuddered and wiped the corners of his lips with his hands. “Yeah. Never seen anything like it.”

“So what happened?” She paused and her face scrunched. “Why would Luther want this information?”

“She can control shifters,” Maura said slowly, enunciating every word.

“Oh. Right. Well…” His mate chuckled and smoothed a hand down her leg. “I guess I can see where that would be useful.”

“She’s not the only Gatekeeper in the world, but she’s one of us, and she’s not going anywhere.”

Amara raised her hands and showed her palms to Hammer. “I don't plan on adding kidnapping to my list of wrongdoings.”

“Didn’t think ya would, just throwing it out there. She’s Lucky’s mate. We protect our own.”

Something kept nagging at Oliver. “Did we find out who planted the bomb?” In his sex haze, he’d nearly forgotten about the van blowing up. Goes to show just how powerful pheromones and mating were.

A knock at the front door made Hammer hesitate, stand up, and walk to the peephole. His shoulders relaxed and he opened the door, admitting the rest of their motley crew.

Oliver stood and shook his brothers’ hands and got a knowing look from Lucky.

“Good to see you guys alive, man,” Lucky said. “When Flip told us what happened…” He let the sentence trail off and shook his head. “Got any beer?”

“In the fridge.” Hammer pointed behind him through a doorway.

“Where’s Cecelia?” Oliver asked once Lucky sat down on the arm of the sofa next to him.

“Locked at the clubhouse with Brick.”

Oliver arched a brow and snagged the cold beer Flip handed him. “Smart. The less distractions the better.”

Lucky drummed his fingers on his thigh. “She handles herself pretty well around us, but I don’t trust the humans.”

“Don’t blame ya there, bro.”

“How about you?” He waited until Amara left the room. He nodded in her direction. “Get anywhere yet?” In case his meaning was lost in translation, Lucky wagged his brows, making Oliver laugh.

“Yeah, we…” He made sex motions with his fingers. “Still working on the rest.”

“It will come. Don’t force it.”

“Is that what you say to Cecelia when your dick won’t stay hard?”

“Fuck off, bro. I get more pussy daily than you.”

Oliver opened his mouth to fire back but Amara plopped down next to them and said, “Am I missing something, love?”

“Naw, baby, just bustin’ each other.”

“Right. I ain’t buying that bloody story.”

Lucky chuckled and rose to his feet. “Your work is cut out for you, Oliver.” He turned toward Hammer. “All right. What’s the plan?”

All eyes set upon their fearless leader and waited with baited breath. Amara leaned forward and rammed one of her knuckles into her mouth then latched onto it with her teeth.

13
Chapter Thirteen

Another knock sounded at the door and Lucky jumped first, calling out, “That would be Buzz, I’m sure.” He hopped over the coffee table and vaulted over a small club chair to get to the door. He checked the peephole just to be sure, then flashed them all a smile as he opened the door to a male Amara had never seen before.

The man who entered carried an innate grace similar to a shifter, but she knew, just from his aura, he wasn’t an animal. At least not one who ran on four paws. His chestnut brown eyes met hers for a brief moment, and then they flickered to a deep emerald green and the air was sucked from Amara’s lungs like he’d just drank from a straw to pull her life force.

Warlock.

Amara had seen her fair share of wizards, warlocks, witches, and fae, but they didn’t quite have the leashed power this man exuded.

Hammer shook his hand and said, “Thanks for coming, Buzz. We appreciate your help.”

He pounded Lucky on the back and met the eyes of the others in the room. “Happy to assist. Anything for Lucky and Cecelia.”

Flip gave him a head nod, Oliver rose to his feet and shook his hand, and once the newcomer came closer to her, he extended his hand and said, “I’m Buzz, I don’t believe we’ve met?”

She shook her head and cleared the spit from her mouth then extended her hand and gave him a firm shake. “I’m Amara, from Britain. The people we’re tracking are the ones that tortured me.”

Buzz sucked air in through his teeth and whistled out. He tilted his head to the side and examined her. She wasn't sure what to make of it; it wasn’t sexual, but it felt like whatever magic was inside of him was glossing over her animal. “That sucks,” he said and turned, looking for a place to sit. He was tall, but lean, with well defined muscles that pressed against his skinny jeans and Inked Menace t-shirt.

“So anyway, as I was saying,” Hammer started again. “We’re going up into the Catskill Mountain Park. There is a lab outside of Shokan, somewhere near the reservoir on fifty acres of protected land. We’ve got an address. Brick’s contact came through with more information on one of the head scientists.”

Hammer reached into his black leather bag and pulled out a manila envelope then passed it to his left where Flip sat and opened it, pulling out a stack of pictures and papers.

“This is Dunstan Octavius, the Third.” The picture showed a fortyish man with greying hair shorn close to his scalp, thick brows, small, beady eyes, and square-rimmed glasses. He had a small head and soft jaw with small lips.

Amara trembled. She’d never gotten a good look at the leaders’ faces. They’d always worn white suits and masks to prevent airborne infections and diseases from spreading. But she did remember those eyes.

“And this,” Flip said before he sent Dunstan’s photo to the next person in line, “is Betty Pierce.”

Ms. Pierce, Amara noted, was curvy, forties, blonde pin-up girl material. She even had her hair curled like the photos of old – to her shoulders with soft waves held with bobby pins.

“Damn, they look like they belong on a sitcom, not part of an evil science lab,” Oliver said, drawing a few chuckles from a couple brothers. He reached and grabbed the first photo and Amara leaned in to get a better look at one of the monsters responsible for hurting her.

“Bastard,” she whispered as her canines extended in her mouth and she liked the taste of blood from her swollen gums. “I’d like to kill this one,” she said to the room.

“As you wish,” Maura said, stilting any opposition with the raise of one her hands. She sat on Hammer’s left, perched on the arm of the loveseat with one leg dangling, the other planted on the floor.

Buzz was the last to receive the photos and he scanned them for a long moment before he tapped one hard. “This one, I believe, but I could be mistaken, is some kind of witch, so I’d be careful around her.”

“They’re likely to have some muscle around the facility. Probably hired guns, possible ex-military. They’ve got government funding for a lot of their research, and who knows how far up the food chain the information they gather goes. We need to proceed with caution, take any paperwork, computers, and information we can find with us, kill the humans responsible for the pain of one of our own, and then get the hell out of Dodge without being caught. Any questions?”

Amara lifted her hand. “When do we leave?”

“It’s a good two hour drive from here. I’d prefer we all get a few hours rest, eat something substantial, then drive out before the sun sets, get a lay of the land, and hopefully get there right at closing time to surprise them when their guards are most likely to be down.”

“Solid,” Oliver said next to her and touched his shoulder to hers. “I’m famished.”

Maura rose and her knees popped. “I’ll call in some takeout. Anyone want anything specific?”

They all started talking at once. She smacked herself in the forehead.

Hammer whistled loudly and the voices cut off. “Pizza it is then,” he said with a smile, throwing an arm across his old lady’s shoulder before he kissed her cheek. “With extra meat, yeah? We’re gonna need the protein.”