Ride Hard (5 page)

Maybe she needed to discuss it with someone, but there was no one she could trust. If she discussed it with the girls, they would immediately tell everything to Nick, and she wanted to keep him out of it.

Nick held her hand as they strolled along the harbor. It was a beautiful evening. A nice breeze flew around them, and she felt her spirits lift as the hustle and bustle of the town made her feel a little better. The sense of danger that she felt ever since she received the call faded a bit. Maybe she needed some more time to ponder over this matter.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” said Nick.

“Hmmm…” Lost as she was in her thoughts, she didn’t pay much attention. Gabby waved to the artist who owned the gallery. He was a lively character and they often stopped by to have a conversation with him whenever they were in the area.

“We need to do something about Joseph.”

All the breath whooshed out of her lungs. How did he know? Who could have told him? Did Joseph call him? “What?” she squeaked out the word, not sure if she’d heard him right.

He squeezed her hand. “Listen, it’s been a while since you got away from that guy. But he is still out there, enslaving other young girls. We need to hand him over to the police.”

This was so out of the blue, so unexpected, that Gabby remained silent. Did Nick know that Joseph had called her? Did he suspect something? Or was he just saying it because he’d been giving this matter some thought. “I don’t know…what do you mean?”

“I know that you’ve been working hard to push these memories away. I’ve been thinking about this ever since we met. We need to stop that man. I didn’t want to say anything because it would bring back bad memories. But you’ve moved on now. And you’re safe.” He waved to someone he knew. Hell Brigade enjoyed a strong loyalty among some of the town’s residents. Although they were involved in transportation of stolen goods, they often helped out others in time of need. “It’s time to deal with this matter once and for.”

This was just Nick talking about something he felt fiercely about, but unknowingly, he gave her another food for thought. If she gave Joseph over to the police, they would start to chase him, and he might not have time to harass her. It was a good idea, but a risky one. Joseph wouldn’t like it if the police hounded him. He was a man of considerable resources. It wouldn’t be that easy to put him behind bars. He was always careful to steer clear of the police. Over the years, he had perfected a few techniques and tricks that kept him out of trouble.

But if she gave evidence against him, that would make a strong case.

“He wouldn’t like it,” she muttered.

Nick stopped. He turned to face her. Lifting her hand, he held it to his hips. “Of course, he wouldn’t like it. But you can put him behind bars once and for all, and when you do that, he wouldn’t be able to hurt other girls.”

“It’s a big business,” she said. “He is not alone. Putting him away wouldn’t bring an end to the entire racket.”

“Sure, that’s true. But it’s a start. Seeing you, some other girls may come forward, and many of them would benefit. Don’t you want others who are suffering in the hands of their pimps to become more empowered?” He paused, rubbed his lips over her knuckles, and let go. “I think it’s time you did that. I’ve talked to a lawyer who works pro bono for girls who have been sucked in prostitution. And he is willing to help us.”

“You have already talked to him?” Her eyes flashed with ire. “Without discussing with me first?”

“I didn’t give him your name or any other information, but I wanted to get handle on this situation before I got your involved.” He stood tall and proud. Determination shone in his eyes. If she knew one thing, it was that once Nick set his mind on something, he didn’t change it. For some reason, he’d focused on this issue, and he was going to bring it to a satisfying end, with or without her. Without her, he didn’t have a chance.

And if she helped him, it would kill two birds with one stone. Not only would she be able to get rid of Joseph once and for all, but also she would be able to help other girls who were still enslaved in his prostitution ring.

An hour ago, she was contemplating running away. Now, suddenly, there was another option that was so much better. Once more, she indebted to Nick for presenting it to her out of nowhere. He didn’t know the hell he was going through, but somehow he managed to give a solution that was much better than the one she envisioned.

“You’re right,” she said. Gabby couldn’t miss the look of surprise he bestowed on her. “We should do something about Joseph. Let’s go meet this lawyer friend of yours.”

He drew her in a hug. “Baby, you won’t regret it. It will be fine.”

As she breathed in the masculine scent of him, Gabby felt relaxed, vindicated. She would survive – and Nick was right there to hold her when she needed help.

Her life wasn’t on the best track, but it was surely on the right one. 

CHAPTER FIVE

Something was amiss with Gabby. Nick knew it with certainty even though she didn’t say anything. Over the months, he had gotten to know her moods. She wasn’t her usual bubbly, chirpy self. At first, he thought it might be because of the situation with Matt. He wasn’t being openly hostile, but he was certainly a little abrupt with her. But then, he figured it might also be because of the imminent move to his house.

She wasn’t looking forward to the move. He sensed it. Nick realized that it had nothing to do with him, but was more because of her own insecurities. Gabby found it difficult to accept the love he offered. Given her background, he could comprehend how that would be so. It hurt him, but he convinced himself to give her more time. Slowly, she was coming around. But still, there was a part of her that she hugged close to her chest.

It irked him that she didn’t fully trust him, but he forced himself to be patient.

Everything would fall into place sooner or later.

After they had dinner, he went over to the clubhouse to drop her off. Ronald and Matt were conferring outside. “Why don’t you go inside, babe? I’ll just talk to the guys.”

She strode in without casting a glance at Matt. Nick joined the two men. “What’s going on?”

“I brought Ronald up to speed with the new warehouse we’ve selected,” said Matt. “Did you tell her?”

Anger flashed in Nick’s eyes. He didn’t like Matt’s open mistrust of Gabby. Not only was he convinced that she was the snitch, but also he was sure that Nick was so besotted that he couldn’t see what was staring him right in the face. “I haven’t told her the location. She doesn’t know anything.”

Matt snorted. “Let’s just keep it that way.”

“I intend to.” Nick’s gaze traveled to Ronald and veered off. The message was given. “At the moment, the only two men we can trust are Bear and Martin. They have been to the jail once, and I don’t think they snitched to the police and put themselves in that mess, so they are clean as a whistle.”

Matt rubbed his hand on his jaw. “When do you intend to make the delivery?”

“Two days from now,” said Nick. “A day before the party.”

Matt sneered. “So the party is on?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” said Nick. He shrugged. “We sure can use an excuse to have fun. It’s been a while.”

“If you want, I can make the delivery,” said Matt.

Even though he was a jerk, Matt was loyal and he wasn’t afraid of work. “I’ll need you to keep a lookout,” Nick instructed. He raised his arms and stretched. “It should be ok. Our plan is perfect. No one will know and the work will be done.”

“Have you talked to Ringo’s gang?”

“They will deposit the goods tonight,” Nick assured him. “I’ll go over to check later.”

Once the discussion was over, he went upstairs to meet Gabby. Much to his surprise, she was staring at the cell phone as if it was a snake. Seeing him, she picked it up and dumped it in her purse. “The battery is dead.”

“Plug it in for charge.” Nick sat on the chair, felt restless, and stood. There was so much planning to be done for the work, and even though he had taken care of the details, it felt as if something would go wrong. What if he was mistaken about some things? He wouldn’t know until it all took place.

“I’ll do it tomorrow,” she said. Her gaze strayed to the door and came back to meet his. “Are you going to stay the night?”

“You know, babe, I really think you’re delaying the move to my house,” he said as he bent to take off his shoes. “It’s so much more comfortable at my place.”

She smiled, locked the door, and yanked off her shirt. “Sure, it is. But these are my last days of freedom.”

He looked up, not happy with her choice of words. She didn’t mean it. Sometimes she didn’t realize the things she said. He couldn’t hold it against her. “You’re going to be free.”

A look of consternation flitted over her face. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean it. It just slipped out.” Plopping in his lap, she rubbed her cheek against his. “It was stupid of me to say it.”

His arms encircled her waist, squeezed. “It sure was. I’m not going to tell you what to do, whom to meet, when to go out. If you stay with me, we’ve more opportunities to spend time together. It’s a step in the right direction. Better things will follow.”

Her body shuddered. The future scared her. Shit! When would she learn to go with the flow? Sometimes he wondered how much psychological damage had already been done. Would she ever recover from it? He sure hoped so. Nick envisioned a lifetime of happiness with her. He loved her, unconditionally, without reservations or fears. She was his heart and soul, and he could no longer imagine a life in which she wasn’t a part of it, whereas she waited for things to end. It was in her nature to anticipate the worst. Even though she loved him, she was scared of commitment because to her, the worst would be if he stepped away. And she kept anticipating that he would do something like that.

When her lips found his, he removed all negative thoughts from his mind. She was who she was, and he couldn’t harbor any resentment in his heart against her. Desire coursed through his veins as she put her arms around his neck. Her tongue dove in to taste the sweet recesses of his mouth. His fingers snapped behind her back to unhook the black, satin bra. He threw it aside and felt her nipples brush against his t-shirt. His hands strayed down to cup her heavy, smooth breasts. Lust coiled in his gut, hit like a punch through his nerves. Their lips remained fused together as she removed his shirt and ran her fingers all over his bare back.

When they sprang apart to take a breath, he could see the need on her face. It enhanced his arousal. His gaze traveled down the beautiful column of her throat to her nipples that were as hard as cherries. She bent back a little and his lips traced the same path until he flicked his fingers over her nipples. The gasp that escaped his lips was involuntary. Her eyes closed and her lips parted. Seeing her in that state of arousal, his penis lengthened in his trousers.

He couldn’t wait anymore.

His greedy hands kneaded her breasts while coils of desire looped and twisted through his stomach. Carrying her, he took her to the bed. After opening the button on her jeans, he tugged them down along with panties. Naked, she spread before like a wild flower. His mind, every nerve in his body, was focused on one thing only and that that was tumultuous cords of desire that careened through his system. Every cell in his body ignited and fired. As he took off his clothes, his gaze traveled down the length of her body until he could see her warm, moist velvety center. Her thighs parted and her hand crept down to massage the sensitive nub as she waited for him to join her.

Lust spiraled through in a cacophony of sensations.

This was crazy.

Only she could draw him to such heights of absolute madness. He loved it.

As he feasted his eyes on her nubile, young body, he felt her gaze travel from his broad, strong shoulders, his wide chest, the narrow waist, and the lean legs. She halted her observation when she saw his penis that jutted out proudly from between thick curls. Vibrations, low and wild, ran through his cock as he noticed her reaction.

When he stood naked in front of her, she sat. Her hand captured his hard balls and before he could think or shift, she bent her head and her tongue flicked to touch the tip of his penis. He quivered and opened his legs. She inhaled sharply as if enjoying the musky scent of his arousal. His fingers cleaved through her hair and held on with a tight grip as she nibbled her way up to the tip of his blood-engorged organ. He pushed his cock deep inside her mouth as her lips closed around his shaft. Her tongue sucked and caressed, stroked and rubbed as he throbbed with need. As he stood with his feet apart, Nick felt the wild waves of passion that ripped through his body.

No woman ever pleased him this much. It wasn’t just that she knew what to do, but he could feel her hunger that matched his, and he could sense the love that she hid so well behind her words and deeds. As her tongue danced with his cock, he felt the outpouring of her need.  

He was going to come.

In an instant, he pulled away. “No,” she shrieked.

But he wasn’t in the mood to listen. With a quick tug of his hands on her shoulders, he forced her to lie on the mattress. He mounted her. Bending his head, he closed his mouth over her nipple and sucked with greed. Her back arched as she tried to push her breast deeper in his mouth. His hand squeezed over the other mound as the tip of his penis hovered over her moist pussy. Desire, hot as fire, exploded inside his stomach and a lava of need rushed through.

He simply couldn’t hold on any longer.

Removing his hands from her breasts, he put them under her butt and squeezed her flesh. His cock pushed deep inside before she had a chance to shift. Her pussy, lubricated with juices, stretched to take him in. He could feel her muscles clench and unclench as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Putting his elbows on the bed, he kept his weight off her. Pulling back her arms over her head, he thrust inside her. His pelvic bone ground against hers and sensations, wild and raw, careened through his flustered nerves.

As big and hard he was, she was soft and pliable. Her sexy curves fit perfectly against his stocky body. Her head shook from side to side as she was swept along the current of desire. Stroke for stroke, they moved in rhythm. The need for release build inside him, strong and powerful, and still he held on. He wanted to take his sweet time and give her a ride of her life. As her hips shifted in unison with his, he could feel her spiraling higher and higher until finally her body shuddered under his. The orgasm ripped through her with the force of a hurricane, and she let out a scream.

Only when he was sure that she got her due that he allowed himself to fall through. His seed spilled inside her, and he muttered a loud oath as he collapsed on top.

As always, their lovemaking was wild and fast. Nick rolled off her and drew her against him. He could feel her heart thump in her chest as she lay quietly.

“I love you, babe!” he said the words quietly.

She heard them but her lips didn’t move. Something shriveled in his chest. Why couldn’t she return his feelings with ease?

As they straightened on the bed and lay down to sleep, Nick kept a hand on her back as she spooned into his body. He loved her with a passion that was hard to describe, and yet he felt that she wasn’t ready to accept such an offering. She was scared, still. He could accept it, live with it – but what if she didn’t love back? At times, he knew that she felt as strongly as he did, but there were instances when insecurity crept through him. What if he was wrong? What if she didn’t feel the same way about him?

If that happened, he didn’t know what he would do.

For now, he was willing to be a patient man, but for how long could he continue like this? It wasn’t fair. And yet, he wasn’t prepared to force her to make a decision. Love needed to be felt, it couldn’t be wormed out of a person on demand. And surely, she would understand the depths of his feelings sooner or later. He sure hoped the time came before his patience ran out.

He didn’t want to lose Gabby, but he also didn’t wish to be with someone who wasn’t prepared to commit the way he wanted. This was important to him, and he wanted the whole nine yards. He desired a lifetime, not a few snatched moments here and there.

Was Gabby prepared for such a change?

Did she want the same things as him?

What if she wasn’t?

Fear skidded through his heart as he drifted into a restless sleep. Gabby was the love of his life, but if she didn’t feel the same way, he would rather end things now than to linger on and increase his pain.

Only time would tell as to how this would work out.