Soldiers of Chaos- Chaos Abounds: Book 1 in the Soldiers of Chaos series (19 page)

A few drinks later and she was beginning to think Cole wasn't gonna show. She was never gonna get what she needed in any sense. "Do you know what happened to Sheila?" She stared down at her drink. Slick swivelled his head around but they were far enough away from the nearest patron to know they wouldn't be heard. "A little. I know she's dead someone took her out. I'm not long on the details but Tex asked me a few questions so I'm thinking it has something to do with Bridges." She swallowed the last of her drink and she glanced up to find the bartender coming with another. She waited till he moved away before speaking. "They didn't just take her out. They tortured her, cut her till there wasn't an unmarked strip of skin on her body. The blood." Her stomach started to twist. "I found her like that tied to her bed. They were still in the house. They jumped me and tried to do the same shit to me." She could feel the tension radiating off him. "I killed them both but before I did I made sure to get a name. Bridges." Slick remained quiet. "I know it had something to do with us and the Crows and Bridges making moves to recruit the Crows to work for him. I think King had Reaper step in to help clear out the defectors and as retaliation Sheila ended up the way she did and I nearly followed her to the same fate." Slick reached out and touched her arm gently "I didn't realize you were even involved in that shit." She nodded her head "The thing is though I don't know why they'd go after Sheila, her and Reaper had nothing to do with each other and she had nothing to do with the club anymore either. I just don't understand it."

Slicks hand moved down her arm to hold her hand. "Easy target maybe? She was unprotected but it would still get enough notice to send a message to the club." That made sense but she still felt like she was missing something. "Or maybe she wasn't the intended target." Nikki whipped her head towards him "Me?" Slick nodded. "Maybe, but they would've had no idea I was going to be there and they weren't prepared for me." She went back to staring at her glass. "There's got to be more to it than that but I can't find anything out. The guy's like a ghost, no one's ever met him. He has a giant buffer of man after man to do his business for him. Shit he could be sitting right next to us and we'd never know. I need info and I have no idea where to start." Slick shook his head "I don't think you should go digging around after him Nikki. That way death and destruction lie. Like you said the guy is a ghost and there's a reason no one has ever met him. He keeps his shit locked up tight and you go snooping you'll find nothing but trouble." She knew that much was true but trouble didn't bother her. Slick moved his hand to her chin forcing her to look at him "Hey leave it alone Nikki. You killed those guys, Sheila had her justice. Don't go writing off your own life on some wild goose chase that is gonna get you nowhere. You've got enough shit going on with this whole Lenny thing. You don't need any more people after you; let the club handle that shit. How they let you get involved with the shit you do for them in the first place boggles the mind. I thought MC's had rules about women getting involved in business or not getting involved." She smiled at him "I was never much of a rule follower you know that." "Yeah that and you have those guys wrapped around your little finger. I think if you told them you wanted to run for Pres. they'd probably back you." She laughed at him and then his smile died and his hand dropped from her face.

"Well this looks cosy. Can I join you or am I interrupting something?" Cole's growly voice came from behind her. She turned quickly taking him in. He looked every bit the powerful businessman in his dark blue three piece suit. His hair was messy like he'd run his fingers through it too many times. His face was stern and those intense green eyes burned with anger. Nikki felt a shiver run through her goose bumps appearing on her skin. He barely glanced at her. She could feel the eyes in the room swing their way. "You're not interrupting at all. We were just reminiscing a little." He raised his eyebrows at them "Reminiscing?" "Yeah we were just discussing Nikki's rule breaking ways and the fact that she has every man she knows wrapped around her little finger." Slick was pushing it, riling Cole up and by the smile on his face he knew it. "Remember that time when you snuck out of a lockdown to meet me at the lake." Nikki could feel the jealous anger rolling off Cole like a tidal wave. "You got away with it but me, No. The boys beat my ass good when they found us but it was worth it." Was he looking to get his ass beat again? 'Cause she was five seconds away from throttling him. "Don't you have shit to do Ethan?" She asked through gritted teeth. His smile only got larger "Yeah I do as a matter of fact. Have you got that room key or do I?" It was official he was a dead man. "What room key?" Cole's question came out on a growl. "Slick here is my alibi for the night so I set him up with a room. And you have the key so stop being a shit and piss off." She gave Slick his marching orders "You have a fun night I'll see you in the morning." Then he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Cole went rigid. "Yes you will" Nikki ground out. At which point she would kick his ass.

She didn't look at Cole as Slick left, she didn't look at him as he stood silently next to her, she didn't look at him when the bar tender approached and asked him if he wanted a drink and she definitely didn't look at him as the bar tender visibly shrank away without a word from Cole. He was pissed. But really what was there to be pissed about. She had a life before he came along he can't have been stupid enough to think otherwise and the past certainly can't be changed. "Did you enjoy that? Making me jealous? Did you do that shit on purpose?" Cole's voice was cold and menacing making her shiver all over again only not in a good way. "No I did not enjoy that and it was not my intention to make you jealous. That shit happened a long time ago Cole. It was teenage bullshit that meant nothing." She still didn't dare look at him. "Was there something wrong with the booth at Azure?" She shook her head. "No. There was however something wrong with Miss Ross's attitude and so I was disinclined to do as she requested." "She didn't request it I did and what was wrong with her attitude? Carla's never been anything but courteous and professional." "Well I'm sure Carla has been to you she wants in your pants. She eyed me like I was shit on her shoe and she very pointedly referred to herself as yours. I didn't like either of those things so I told her I do what I choose not what I'm ordered so she could run on back to her little errands for you." "You think she wants in my pants?" Nikki glanced at him; he seemed to be considering the possibility. Fuck no. She was not gonna sit around while the man she was supposed to be on a date with contemplated fucking another woman.

She rolled her eyes at him and got up "I'll leave you to your thoughts shall I" she began to walk away from him. Cole grabbed her arm gently "Jealous Nikki?" It was her turn to stiffen. Was she honestly jealous? She couldn't be. She did not have feelings for Marcus Cole. God, maybe she was jealous. Cole smiled at her that liquid sexy smile "I think you are. Good. Perhaps you should know what it's like to watch what belongs to you be coveted by others as I have to." What belongs to him? She didn't know whether to be offended that he referred to her as a belonging or be worried about the fact that he was so sure in his ownership of her. "But you can relax she's not my type." Nikki didn't think he had one unless he meant she wouldn't be into the whole submission thing. "And what is your type Sir?" He stared deep into her eyes with that fierce possessive look "You are." Her body began to react to that look his hold tightening on her arm. His eyes roamed her body finally and everywhere they touched a fire lit. "I like this. You look sophisticated and sexy. No bad ass biker chick here tonight. Speaking of which, I want to ask you a few questions about your conversation with Slick." Great how much did he hear before Slick noticed him? "Like I said it was a long time ago." He began shaking his head causing her to stop. "Not about that and not here. Since you turned down the booth I'll have them send something up to the suite. Come." He took her by the hand and led her to the elevators and up to his suite.

The tension had built in the elevator to nearly boiling point. She could feel the air crackling between them as they entered the penthouse. She placed her purse on the kitchen counter and leaned against it watching Cole as he ordered their meal. His back was to her and she took advantage of his current distraction to admire his broad shoulders and tight muscular ass. The guy was sin personified in a suit and she couldn't deny the pull he'd had on her from the moment she'd laid eyes on him. There was no denying she was physically attracted to the man but emotionally? If she analysed their connection she knew it was more about her own self-loathing than any other emotion, at least she thought she knew. That's what she'd been trying to explain to Slick but she didn't want to analyse it she just wanted to feel what he gave her. He hung up the phone turning toward her and stared at her for long moments the silence filling with heat. Her misgivings long forgotten she waited for him to react, to issue a command, to grab her roughly and force his will upon her. She was still sore from last night's antics and yet she'd let him do far worse to her right now if he wanted. The look in his eyes told her he knew it. "Turn around and face the counter." She did as he commanded instantly. "Now lift up your dress and lean forward I want to see my marks on your skin." Nikki slowly reached down and slid the material up her body to her waist then leant forward over the counter. She hadn't worn panties under the dress and she knew that not only were her striped thighs and ass exposed to him but also the wet lips of her sex. She could feel him taking her in and as the seconds ticked by her breathing grew harsher and her sex wetter. Damned anticipation. "Don't move I'll be back" and with that he left the room.

Nikki stayed where she was exposed to the cool air of the penthouse. She knew this was getting off track, so much for dinner and conversation, but wasn't that what she wanted in the first place fucking and only fucking. She heard Cole's footsteps coming back into the room till they stopped right behind her. She didn't dare look at him as she anticipated his touch. She heard the noise of a cap unscrewing then something placed on the counter beside her. She flicked her eyes in that direction, ointment or cream of some sort. His hands were on her then and she had no more room for thought. They gently swept over skin applying ointment everywhere they touched soothing her injuries. "I love seeing my marks on your skin but we can't let your beautiful skin be marred permanently and these are a bit borderline." Why can't he mark her permanently? She wanted that, she deserved that, to be scarred on the outside like she was on the inside. "You hardly protest, if at all and I can see myself getting carried away. I'll have to be more careful next time." She said nothing as he continued his tender ministrations. She didn't want soft and tender she wanted rough and brutal. She was fucked up, royally.

He slid her dress back into place then placed the lid back on the tub of ointment. A harsh buzzing sound brought her ought of her trance. Cole moved over to an intercom system on the wall "Yes." "Evening Mister Cole we have the setting you requested." Cole pressed the release button on the door and several hotel staff appeared bringing dining furniture and a trolley with them. Nikki looked on in puzzlement; there was already a perfectly good if huge dining setting across the room. "You can set up over there by the windows." She watched as the staff set up a small elegant dining table and two chairs then laid the setting with plates, cutlery, glasses and a bottle of wine in an ice bucket in front of the glass wall overlooking the city. It looked terribly romantic and that made her terribly afraid. "Would you like us to send up the food in courses Mister Cole or all at once?" "All at once, I'd rather not be interrupted several times." The guy nodded at him "It will be up in forty five minutes." The staff exited the suite as quickly as they arrived. He moved to the table and pulled out her chair "Sit." She crossed the space slowly and sat with a wince as he pushed her in. Cole moved to the wine bottle and poured her a glass without bothering to ask then sat across from her with his own glass. He watched her intently as she put her eyes everywhere but his deciding staring at her wine was safer. "You're uneasy. Why?" How did she answer that? "Dinner and conversation is not really my thing." "You seemed to chat fine with Slick." That jealous streak was back. "He's a friend. I've known him for a long time and I have no intention of getting involved with him in any way." "So fucking and conversation are mutually exclusive for you?" "Not always but in some cases yes." "In this case?" She looked up at him. In this case she knew it was a bad idea she could see this man managing to worm his way in to places he just didn't belong like her heart. "In this case I'm certain it's not a good idea" He frowned at her "Why?" "Because you are dangerous for me and I am dangerous for you." He smirked "We're both adults I'm sure we can handle it." Nikki was not so sure about that. "And right now we are going to talk. I want to know things about you. Like what did Slick mean when he said the things you do for the club?"

The things she did for the club? "I'm a bike mechanic, I run the workshop and work on the bikes and the brothers pull shifts with me whenever they can." He raised his eyebrows at her. Ok so not buying that shit then. "Somehow I don't think that's what Slick was referring to. Answer the question Nikki what business of theirs are you involved in?" She wouldn't exactly be divulging club secrets by telling him. Everyone knew the club ran tail. "I help out with protection for the pro's the club runs." "Help out?" "If one of the girls gets worked over or someone refuses to pay I speak with the girls then I see to it that the John doesn't do that shit a second time." "How do you see to it?" "Depends on the job." He gave her an exasperated look "Stop being obtuse Nikki. I'm not a cop for crying out loud. How do you see to it?" "I give the guy a beat down he won't forget." Silence followed that comment as he looked her over probably assessing her ability to give anyone a beat down. Looks can be deceiving and that plays to her advantage. "You go on your own?" "No, I always have brothers with me though mostly it's cos it entertains them not because I need protection." "Anything else?" "I've been present for many a business deal. I sit in on meetings but never at the table. I don't ever get a vote but I do get my opinion heard if it affects me and I don't get in the middle of shit unless it's necessary but I'm always on the periphery. That's it." He shook his head "Slick's right, don't MC's have rules about women being involved in business?" "For the most part yes, however there are exceptions and I just happen to be one of them." "Why are you the exception?" "For several reasons but mostly because I wanted it, I worked for it and I earned it." Why the hell was she telling him all this shit? It was like as soon as she opened her mouth she couldn't close it.