Prizefight: The Hell Raiders MC Goes MMA (6 page)

Elena ate like she'd never seen breakfast food before. That, combined with the memory of her eating the steak that night at my place, made me think she probably didn't eat too regularly. Her story must be a harsh one. Those bruises on her face said life hadn't been too nice recently.

"Tell me a little more about yourself, Elena." Of course, I only asked to make conversation, not through any real curiosity.

She shrugged a little. "There really isn't that much to tell."

It was going to be like that, huh? "Why don't you start by telling me how you became involved with Royse in the first place?"

She pushed the food around on her plate a little. "It isn't a pretty story, Ryker. I'd rather not go back through it all."

"I get that." I paused, trying to think of a gentle way to get her to tell me. Since I'd taken her from him, her problems were now mine. "Look, if I'm going to help you get out of that, I need to know a little. Don't worry about details. Just the general facts."

Dark eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away with determination. "Okay, don't say I didn't warn you." She went on to tell me about her mother getting sick, about surviving on the kindness of strangers, and then Royse. "That was my last resort. I looked for work, everywhere. But no one hires a seventeen-year-old high school dropout. The shelters here only take in men. They'd have to have better space and stuff for women and kids, and they just don't. So, I did what I had to do. And I'm still doing it."

As she spoke, my heart broke a little for her. My earlier thought about how my sister could have ended up in a similar situation was right on the mark. "Now tell me about those bruises."

"I was going to get out of the life. Make a new start. I found a real job, at a store, but I had to keep working for him for another two weeks, until I got my first paycheck." She paused and shook her head. "I don't know how, but he must have found out. He sent me on three bad dates in the last week, and the last one was going to kill me. Then last night."

I stayed quiet and ate a little. Definitely not what I was supposed to have, but these were extreme circumstances. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. You're going to disappear. You'll stay at my place until we make other arrangements."

A stubborn tilt of her head served as my only warning. "I can't. Royse has my mom. If I don't go back, he'll have her killed. If he hasn't already."

Well shit. That put a new monkey wrench in the works. By now, Stella would have passed on what I told him at the trestle, and Kellen would have taken other steps to stop Royse's interference with Raiders business. Most likely violent steps. Which would put Elena's mother in even greater danger.

"If you're finished eating, we'll go back to my place, and I'll call some friends and have them find your mom."

She grabbed the tray from the next table and started piling our trash on it. "Let's go."

As we rode, I tried to think more than one step ahead. Royse would have men looking for us both, at least until I made things clear to him, so we had to stay out of sight. I needed to get in touch with Luke and tell him to lay low for a while, too, just in case they decided to go after him in order to get to me.

The parking garage had a rarely used, and mostly unknown, rear access, and I chose to go in that way, just in case Royse had someone watching my place. The tight alley leading to that entrance presented no problems with my bike, but for a car it would have been nearly impossible.

We made it upstairs and I paused to arm the alarm system I'd installed as an added precaution. The building's security would keep out, or at least slow down, most people, but I didn't know what kind of skills Royse's men had. No need to take unnecessary chances.

A hot shower sounded great, but I couldn't yet. Too much shit to take care of. Elena would probably like one, though. "If you'd like a shower, I can probably find a T-shirt and some drawstring shorts for you. Doubt I have anything else that wouldn't fall off of you."

"I need to be doing something to find my mom." The worry on her face struck a chord in me.

The need to reassure her and offer comfort came from nowhere, blindsiding me. "Let me work on that for now. You won't be any good to her when we find her if you're hurting and exhausted." I led her to the bathroom. "Get started, I'll find those clothes for you."

She nodded and went to follow orders, while I started the search for something for her to wear. Memory of the last time she'd been in my apartment tugged at my cock, and the temptation to not find the clothes failed to surprise me. I wouldn't mind if she just stayed naked, but she probably would. I sighed and dug out a T-shirt I hoped wouldn't entirely swallow her, and a pair of long shorts with a drawstring at the waist.

Temptation hit hard when I stopped to leave the clothes in the bathroom for her. She'd already started the water, and the pebbled glass of the shower doors offered a tantalizing hint of naked body.

"Leaving these with the towels for you, Elena." I dropped the shirt and shorts and beat a hasty retreat. In the kitchen, I grabbed a protein shake, hoping to undo a little of the damage from breakfast, the headed for the couch to start making calls.

A vague pounding started in the back of my head. Looked like I'd gotten myself into a real mess this time. Just another day. I dialed Kellen first, and updated him myself.

To say my president was unhappy was like comparing a pissed off tiger with a sore tooth to a fluffy house cat. "What the fuck were you thinking, Ryker? Some stray piece of tail can't interfere with business. You know that shit."

Ever since I rolled out of the parking lot of that abandoned factory, sweaty from the fight and still way underdressed, with Elena on the back of my bike, I'd been thinking of what to say when Kellen asked. "I know, man. I followed my gut, and maybe I should have found another way. But there's something up with Royse, something bigger."

Kellen grunted. "What do you mean, something bigger? What the fuck is bigger than stepping in Raiders business?"

"I think he's fronting for somebody." There. I'd said it.

"Who? And why?"

"There's always at least one of a couple different dudes at the fights with him. Kinda hanging back, but a presence, you know what I mean? The fucker there last night, I've seen him a bunch of times. He was dragging the girl around, had hit her a couple times already. She said they call him the Russian. And he's a VIP, gets his pick of Royse's girls, even though those girls never come back. And that made me think of Vicki's Russians." I knew in my bones that man had his hand in Royse's business, one way or another. If he had connections to the Russian mob, they could possibly be the same crew Kellen's old lady ran up against when they first met.

"A'ight, Ryker. We'll get somebody else inside. Meantime, you make that bitch disappear, and get your shit together. You're the only one we have that can get close, and you're already inside. Make peace and get your ass back in there."

"That somebody else that gets inside, I need him to look for something."

"What's that?"

I explained about Elena's mother and held my breath. He could easily tell me to forget that shit.

"Okay. I'll see what can be done." He hung up, having said all he intended to on the matter.

I took a deep breath and busted the burner phone. For the next call, I used my regular phone. "Yo, Luke." The line went dead. Guess he was pissed. I dialed again.

"Why the hell you callin' me, you little bastard?" Yeah. Pissed.

"Guess Royse told you, huh?"

"Yeah, he tol' me alright. While a couple of his boys pounded on my head."

"Shit. Man, I'm sorry, Luke." Guilt sucker punched me in the gut. Luke was a good guy. He didn't deserve that shit.

He sighed. "I just hope she's worth it, Ryker. You burnt some big bridges."

I thought about that for a second. Maybe I was wrong about Royse putting money from my fights above revenge. Was she worth it? "You think I could talk to Royse? Apologize, or some shit?"

A pained laugh echoed in my ear. "Sure, man, you could do that. If you want your hands busted. Ryker, you didn't just grab some whore from a spectator. You took the bitch a big backer wanted. And you made Royse look like he didn't have his shit under wraps. Made him lose face."

I ran a hand through my hair as that sunk in. "Fuck."

"Yeah. Fuck." Ice rattled in a glass on his end. "Look, kid, best thing you can do is disappear. No more underground fights. Even if another organizer would touch you after that, any time your name comes up on the circuit, he's going to be gunnin' for you. And he won't stop at anything to break you."

"Well, man, that don't work for me. I have to make peace with Royse and get back in the cage."

"Didn't you hear a fucking word I just said, kid? What, you got a death wish or something?"

I took a gamble. "I heard you, Luke. But I've got other business with him. And to take care of that, I have to be there."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Okay. Lay low for now. I'll try to smooth things a little for you to make a sincere apology." I could imagine him shaking his head at the thought. "Give me a couple days. I'll get back to you."

"A'ight. Thanks, Luke. Means a lot, man." I hung up and pocketed my phone, then collapsed back on the couch. Telling Luke I had other business with Royse was a big risk. Even though I hadn't told him the nature of what I had to take care of, he could still choose to rat my ass out.

Elena came in. "Thank you. I feel almost human again." She stood there, her damp hair in loose waves around her shoulders, my shirt concealing her curves, and the marks of violence on her pretty face.

I forced my thoughts away from what her body looked like under my clothes. Something about her wearing my stuff made things shift around in my brain. It had hit a little last night when she pulled on the shirt from my bag, but this was different.

"Good." I patted the couch beside me. "Have a seat."

She complied, not in the least hesitant. A scent I recognized as uniquely hers surrounded me, mingled with the smell of soap and shampoo.

"I hope you like TV, or books. We're going to stay out of sight here for a couple of days. I contacted somebody about finding you mom."

Big tears filled her dark eyes before she could blink them away. "You did?"

"Yeah. Not sure how long it'll take to dig in, but it's underway."

The tears spilled over. "Thank you. I didn't think you actually meant it."

A knot of foreign emotion tightened in my belly. I brushed her tears away with my thumb. "Of course I meant it."

She sort of collapsed against me, and I just sat there, unsure what to do. Finally, I put my arms around her and held her close while she sobbed into my chest. What did I know about comforting an upset woman? Absolutely nothing. All I could do was let her cry and hold her.

Part of me didn't care that I looked like a complete idiot to Ryker. The other part hoped like hell I didn't leave a ton of snot all over his shirt. No matter how embarrassed I was, I still couldn't make it stop. It seemed like the stress of the last few days, worry about my mom, and the fear, all decided to come out at once.

And through it all, he held me close and stroked my hair, even though I had the feeling he wasn't sure what to do. It worked, anyway. Gradually, I managed to bring my tears under control, or I ran out. Either way, it slowed to sort of shuddering dry sobs.

"Better?" The low rumble of his voice caught me off guard and I pulled away a little.

I nodded and covered my face with my hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Shh, nothing to be sorry for. You've had a rough time." He smoothed a warm hand down my back.

"Yeah, but… Excuse me, I must look terrible." I lunged to my feet and ran for the safety of the bathroom. What the hell brought that on? I
never
cried, not since that first night when I went to work for Royse. And most especially not in front of anybody. I felt like a fool. Ryker probably thought I was one of those women that turned on the waterworks to get her way, when nothing could be farther from the truth.

A deep shaky breath later, I finally looked at myself in his mirror. My eyes were red, swollen nearly shut, and red blotches stood out on my skin. The bruises I collected over the last few days stood out like new ones. My head hurt like I'd been on a three-day bender.

I soaked a fluffy washcloth in cold water and held it to my face, hoping to ease some of the swelling, at least. Finally, I looked a little better and gathered my courage to go back out and face Ryker.

He sat on the couch, where I'd left him, but his shirt lay on the coffee table. When I came in, he looked up with a careful smile. "You okay?"

What could I say? "I think so. Look, I'm really sorry for falling to pieces like that. It's not something I do." My face burned with shame.

He stood and held out one hand toward me. "Come here."

I followed orders, and sat beside him when he pulled me down.

"Elena, I'm not all that smart. Hell, I let dangerous fighters pound on me for a living. But I do know a couple of things." A gentle finger tipped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I know when a person has been through serious stress, especially over a long time, there's a breaking point. It will only stay bottled up for so long. I also know that now you've let some of it out, you'll be able to deal a little better."

The kindness in his gray eyes threatened to overwhelm me again. No one had ever treated me this way, like I mattered. Well, nobody but my mom, and she hadn't been able to in a while.

He seemed to recognize my rapid blinking for what it was, and smiled for a moment, then lifted me into his lap. "Stop worrying, Elena. I got you."

I gave in and let myself collapse against his smooth chest, and just let him hold me. We sat that way for a long time, and gradually, memory of the texture of his skin under my lips forced its way into my mind. Ryker was the only man I'd ever been with who bothered to care that I enjoyed sex, too. And there he was, half naked, warm skin next to my lips again.

I knew I shouldn't. He was kind enough to get me out of whatever hell Royse had planned for me, and he'd said he would help find my mom. In spite of that, and maybe a little because of it, I couldn't resist. My lips brushed lightly against him, just a tiny bit. Maybe he wouldn't even notice.

Wrong. His hand came to the back of my head to press me closer. And I didn't resist. Instead, my mouth parted for my tongue to taste his salty-sweet skin. A groan rumbled through him, just before he gripped my hair and tugged my head back.

Ryker's mouth descended on mine, possessing, taking. His kiss was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, a mixture of sweet and hard. I let myself get lost in it, in him, let him take away all the bad in the world.

His fingers tugged at the hem of my shirt, and I leaned back a little to give him access. Warmth brushed against my stomach as he lifted the shirt and his fingers trailed up my ribs to find my breast. He lay me back against the couch and deepened his kiss until we were both forced to break away for air.

I barely noticed as he slid the shirt off over my head, until his mouth returned to mine, his chest warm against my bare skin. His kiss made me want so much more, both from him, and from life. In his arms, I could dare to dream of the happily ever after that never came to girls like me.

He brushed a thumb across my nipple and I arched against him, until his lips left mine and scattered little kisses down my neck. He paused at the curve of my shoulder, teasing the sensitive skin and sending shockwaves through my body. How had I never known I liked being touched that way?

Simple. Nobody had ever taken the time to do it, and now that Ryker was, every nerve ending I owned seemed determined to make up for lost time. When he finally reached my nipple, he teased, swirling his tongue until I ached, and then going to the other.

I dug my nails into his shoulders, begging for more, but he refused to give more than his own maddening pace. Sleek skin over hard muscle called to my hands to explore, and I did just that, skimming my fingertips over his arms and back up to his chest. I found his nipple and paused there, brushing my nail over the pebbled skin, to see if it affected him as strongly as it did me.

Ryker rolled his head back with a growl and a curse. "Who the fuck makes couches so damn small?" He stood and scooped me up in one movement, and stalked for his bedroom.

My pulse pounded, caught between fear and anticipation. He sat me on the bed, right in the middle, as if I were the most precious thing on earth. For a second, he stood there, just looking at me. Finding fault, seeing all the ugly parts. Instinct raised my hands, trying to cover myself, before he could turn away in disgust.

"No. Don't hide from me, Elena." He sat on the bed at my side and pulled my hands back. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Don't take that from me." He leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek, and then his lips found mine again.

I'd seen movies, fairy tales, where the world tilted and fireworks went off when the hero kissed the girl, but I knew those were bullshit. In my world, nothing like that happened. If the girl was lucky, the hero didn't beat the piss out of her when he got what he wanted. Except with Ryker, the world
did
kind of tilt, and I could have sworn I heard fireworks going off all around us.

He kissed down my body, lingering at my breasts again and making me want something that didn't exist, before continuing further. When his lips met the waist of my shorts, I thought he might stop, but instead, he worked the drawstring loose, and took forever sliding them down my hips.

I shook like a junkie needing her next fix when he drew my knees apart and settled his shoulders between them. He hadn't done that before. No one had. Something told me I would never be the same afterward.

That mixture of fear and anticipation returned full force, with a healthy dose of shame mixed in. What if I smelled awful or tasted worse?

Ryker didn't seem to have any doubts, though. He licked and kissed, searching out, and finding, every secret, until I forgot to worry. My entire body responded to every flick, every hum, until I felt like I would fall apart if he didn't do something else.

And then he did. He slid a finger inside me, rough calluses against flesh gone insanely sensitive.

And I did fall apart. Right there under his mouth. Heat flashed over me and my muscles locked down, refusing to let him go. He stayed right there with me, until I had to push him away because it was too much, too good.

If I thought he was finished, the gleam in his eyes would have told me otherwise as he stood and shoved his jeans down. His hard length hypnotized me as he rounded the bed and bent to search in the nightstand.

To my surprise, he lay on the bed at my side and held out a condom still in the wrapper. "Put it on for me?"

When I sat up, he shifted to his back and closer to the middle of the bed. I looked at the condom packet, then at him, and smiled as an idea took form in my mind. I rose onto my knees at his side, then bent forward to kiss him. Tasting myself on his lips came as a bit of a shock, but I liked it.

I let my fingers slide over his warm skin, exploring the contours of muscle and bone. Ryker was such a strange mix of hard and soft, rough and smooth. I could spend years learning his body, and still not know everything I wanted to. When I reached his cock, it was like the rest of him, silky soft skin over hard heat. I took my time to place the condom and roll it down, enjoying the way his muscles quivered under my touch.

"You're killing me, here, Elena." In a flash, he grabbed my hips and rolled me under him. "My turn, baby girl."

He slid into me with one sleek thrust, and for the second time, my world tilted a little.