Crank's Rescue (Hell Raiders MC Book 6), page 3
Sarah:
I sat there in my car, staring at my phone, unable to believe I actually gave in and called Crank. I probably should have a couple weeks ago, when I found out Sennit raped girls he was supposed to protect. The very thought still sent a vortex of anger whirling through me. From his reaction, I was pretty sure Crank felt the same way.
I don't know why I even called him. I just didn't know anyone else who might be able to help me, now that Sennit probably knew for sure that I had been looking into his cases. The police and prosecutors were the obvious answers, of course, but Sennit had standing poker games with several men connected high up with both. My family and friends could be hurt, if they even believed me. Crank owed me nothing, but at least he seemed to take me seriously. That was more than I'd really expected. And he was hardly the kind of man who ran scared from a pedophile, no matter how well connected.
From our short acquaintance, I knew Crank had a gentle side, and felt sure he was a good man, in spite of the bad he was capable of doing, and I had no doubt he could do some very bad things. Exactly the kind of man capable of protecting me from Sennit and whoever helped him by breaking into my apartment.
I'd met some of Crank's friends, others in his motorcycle club, and they scared me to death at first. But I quickly learned they were simply a large family. A loud, boisterous family with quirks, but they loved each other. What was it like to belong to something like that?
As overwhelming as I found them at first, I couldn't help but envy the women those Hell Raiders claimed as their own. Their men left no doubt they would do absolutely anything to protect them. I couldn't imagine having a man look at me like the one called Trip looked at Tanya. He would kill for her, maybe already had. I had never seen that kind of devotion in real life before.
I wrenched my mind back to the present. Where could I go? He said another town. Okay, then. I put the car in Drive, glad I'd fueled up when I got off work. I drove through the night, in a near-panic, searching my mirrors for any car I'd seen before. As the miles passed, I started to settle down and not worry quite so much.
I ended up taking a roundabout route, and after nearly an hour, finally pulled into the lot of a small hotel. Maybe this was all unnecessary. Some of it might even be my imagination. I should just go back to my apartment, clean up the shambles the burglar left, and go to work in the morning, like always. If I acted completely normal—
My phone buzzed with an incoming text from an unknown number. "2nite wuz a prevu. Stop."
My heart pounded in my chest. Suddenly, I was very clear on things. It didn't matter if I did over react. Sennit hurt those girls. And he had no intention of facing charges for that, at the very least. Any man capable of raping teen girls, and calling it a deal to be sure they remained in a good placement, would stop at nothing, including murder, to hide his activities. That text served as a convenient little reminder, and I was grateful. Without it, I might have made a deadly mistake.
I gathered up my courage, along with my bags, locked my car carefully, and went inside to get a room. The bored clerk didn't give me a second glance before sliding two keycards across the counter to me. I hoped he paid a little more attention if anyone came around asking questions about the guests here. With my luck, he would just slide another keycard over to them.
The carpeting in the lobby showed a little wear, but seemed clean, and I found the same in the corridor when I stepped off the elevator. When I found my room, all the way at the end of the hall, I fumbled with the keycard for a minute, then finally the light on the lock turned green and let me in.
The light came on in the little entryway when I flicked the switch, and I dragged my stuff inside and closed the door behind me. The room turned out to be nicer than I expected, with a big soft bed, fluffy pillows, and thick towels in the spotless bathroom. The walls were papered in what looked to be a reproduction vintage paper, and the bedding matched.
The closet had plenty of space for the few things I brought along. Maybe tomorrow I could stop back by my apartment and pick up some clothes, at least. If this turned into anything longer than a couple days, I would definitely need to.
My phone buzzed as I kicked my shoes off and settled on the side of the bed. Crank's number this time. "You safe, baby?"
I smiled and tapped out my reply. "Yes, thx. At hotel now." When he asked, I gave him the specifics, and he said he had to go, but he would see me soon.
I felt unaccountably safe in that knowledge. Crank was the kind of man I would normally avoid at all costs. Rough. My mother would call him a hoodlum, with his tattoos, worn jeans, and leather, not to mention the motorcycle. The pierced lip would be the final straw for her.
A chill raced over my skin. Shit. My mother! I needed to let my parents, and a couple of close friends know what happened, and that I wasn't home. Oh, God, what if my mom stopped by to drop something off, as she often did, and saw the after-effects of the burglary? She would be terrified.
I hurried to dial, so I could make sure she didn't accidentally endanger herself. "Mom, hi—"
"Oh, hi, Sarah. I can't believe you didn't tell me about this young man." Anticipation practically gushed from her voice.
Confusion slowed my thoughts, and dread settled into my stomach. "Which young man, Mom?"
She laughed. "The one you work with, silly girl. He says you've been seeing each other for the last few months, but had to keep it secret."
Oh. My. God. My stomach heaved and I dropped the phone in my mad dash for the toilet. Sennit was there, at my parents' house, telling them all sorts of lies to cover his tracks. And the threat was crystal clear. Say the wrong thing, and they could suffer harm. Simple.
Finally, I composed myself, and found my phone. The call had ended, presumably when I didn't respond. I hurried to dial again. "Sorry, Mom, I think I ate something bad."
"Oh, thank goodness, sweetie. I was worried. So when were you going to tell us about him?" Mom had hounded me since I finished college to find 'a nice young man' and give her grandchildren, and now she thought I had the first part of the job completed.
"Is he still there, Mom?" I held my breath.
"No, I'm sorry, sweetie, he had to leave. A call came in about an abused child." She continued to chatter, oblivious.
I tried to think fast. How could I make sure my parents stayed safe and beyond Sennit's reach? I interrupted her. "Mom, you know that cruise you and dad always wanted to take?"
She laughed. "Of course. Don't tell me you're planning a wedding on a cruise ship! That would be just too romantic."
I tried to laugh it off. "No, Mom, nothing like that. Something I invested in a while back has paid off. I want you and Dad to pack for a cruise, and go to the airport by noon. Everything you need will be waiting at the Information kiosk. Just do me a favor, and don't tell anyone until after you leave. I'd rather avoid awkward questions about my investments, you know?" I prayed silently that she would accept the story and agree. The stroke of inspiration seemed too good, even if it meant maxing out my credit cards.
"Sarah, don't joke about things like this. You know your father's heart—"
"I'm not joking, Mom. I don't know the details yet, but by noon, I'll have the two of you booked for the cruise of your dreams." Please don't argue with me. I had no clue how long it took to book a nice cruise, or even how much it really cost, but I was about to find out. "Now, do as I ask, and lock everything up tight, get a good night's rest, and pack in the morning. And remember, don't tell anyone yet."
The long pause made me think she hung up on me. "Are you sure, Sarah?"
"I've never been more sure of anything, Mom. I want to do this for you."
She laughed a little. "In that case, I'll see you tomorrow. We'll stop by your place for a hug before we go to the airport."
"NO!" What was I supposed to tell her now? There was a reason I was always a good kid. I couldn't lie to save my life. "Uh, you can't. I'm not there."
"Oh? Where are you?"
Now what? "I, uh, ran into an old friend today, so we're catching up. Since it's so late, I'm just going to get a room for the night, and go straight to work in the morning." I prayed that made some sort of sense.
"Oh, a girl friend?" Leave it to my mom's suspicious nature to kick in now, instead of when Sennit sat at her table and told her he and I were secretly involved.
"Yes, from college." Any guilt I might have felt for lying quickly disappeared under the need to keep my parents safe. Sennit had my apartment broken into, and had me threatened. Until he gave it up, I had no idea which line he would refuse to cross. At this point, I suspected there wasn't one. "She lived on my floor in the dorm senior year, and I haven't heard from her in a long time."
"Oh. Okay, then. I guess we'll save the hugs for when we get back."
I nearly collapsed with relief. "Good. Now, go lock up, and get some rest. You're going to need it." We said our goodnights, and Mom promised to call before they left for the airport.
When I ended the call, I threw myself back onto the bed, breathing hard, as if I'd run a marathon or something. My pulse finally settled back into something like the normal range, and I quickly called Melissa.
She answered with her usual enthusiasm and affection. "The hell, bitch?"
I laughed. "Just wanted to let you know, I have to be out of town for a few days, so I won't be at work." Getting something past her would be far more difficult than lying to my mother.
"Oh? You find another hot biker to fuck?" She never failed to remind me of the time I spent with Crank, but it worked in my favor this time.
I laughed. "Not another one."
"You're kidding! Sarah, that bastard left you, high and dry. Why are you wasting more time on him?" Her inner bitch came out fighting.
"It wasn't like that, and you know it. He's not relationship material, but that doesn't mean he's not fun." I almost believed myself with that one.
"Well, when you put it like that…Okay, tell me everything." I could practically see her grin.
I debated how much to tell her. "Well, I've been in contact a couple of times since he left here." She didn't know about the text, or the phone call. I'd been too humiliated to share that part. "I talked to him today, and we arranged to meet."
My best friend's squee of excitement split my eardrum. "Oh, my God! That's so…HOT!"
"Don't get carried away, goofy. It's no big deal."
"Bullshit. I saw the way you looked after you were with him. That man moves the earth for you. So if there's any possibility, you had better grab on with both hands." She talked on, about predestined soul mates, and fate, and a bunch of other things, no doubt, gleaned from the books she read.
I humored her, and listened, all while cautioning myself not to read anything into what Crank said about us not being ended. Finally, she wound down, and I said goodnight, after promising to give her all the juicy details later. Was it a bad thing that I found myself hoping there were juicy details?
Crank:
By the time we landed, I knew a fuck-ton more about the kid than I wanted, and none of it made me happy. But that wasn't my battle, and there wasn't a fucking thing I could do about it, other than give him a little advice.
"Li'l man, you might have to do what the grown-ups tell you right now, fucked up as it is, but one day you'll be on your own. Then, if you want to be a real man, you own your shit, and you take care of what's yours. Family ain't always blood, and when you find yours, you hold them close, and never let go. Got me?" Hell, it was probably above his head, but he might find it useful in the future.
"Got you." When the harried looking woman came to get him, he gave me a solemn salute, and followed her without complaint.
Finally, I grabbed my shit and got off the damn plane. If I never flew again, it would be too fucking soon. Thankfully, I called ahead for a car, and the rental place had an SUV waiting for me. I hated cars, but at least I didn't have to ride in a beer can rolling down the road. The GPS fucked around at first, but after a couple of tries, I got the details for Sarah's hotel plugged in, and the thing brought up the directions.
The drive took forever, or felt like it, but finally, I parked the rented SUV outside the hotel just after four a.m., and dragged my tired ass inside. Knocking on Sarah's door in the middle of the night seemed like a bad idea, so I paused just inside the lobby to call her and let her know I was coming up.
"Sir? Excuse me, can I help you?" The pudgy clerk in too-tight khakis and polo hurried my way. If the boy didn't slow down, he was going to lose his coke-bottle glasses.
"I'm good. Just calling my girl to let her know I'm here." I turned away a little to dial Sarah.
"Uh, Sir? I can't allow you to disturb our guests." He stroked the patchy scruff on his face, as if seeking comfort from it.
I took a deep breath, striving for patience. "Look, man, I'm not disturbing any fucking guests. I'm calling my girl before I go up, so I don't startle her."
Fucker gave a long-suffering sigh. "Sir, I'm sorry. Our guests pay a premium for privacy." He sounded like someone trying to explain a simple concept to a stubborn child. "So, you see, I can't have anyone loitering in the lobby to make a phone call."
Enough. "Listen, you measly little cocksucker. I've had a very long fucking day, so I'm only saying this one time. Your guest in room three-twelve is waiting for me. Now, I'm going to call her, and let her know I'm here, and coming up. And you are going to go back to the desk, and mind your own fucking business. Understand?"
He paled, but nodded, and followed orders. Thank fuck. I'd hate to mess up the damn lobby of the hotel.
With the bastard out of my hair, I took my time and dialed Sarah. She answered quickly. "You safe, baby?"
"Mmm, Crank. Yes, I am. I think I actually went to sleep, too." Her drowsy voice did all kinds of things to me, but I refused to think about that for the moment.
I headed for the elevators. "Well, how about you drag that delicious little ass out of bed and open the door for me?"
"Open—Wait, you're here?"
"Three-twelve, right?" The elevator dinged as it started upward.
"Right. Oh my God, I can't believe you're already here." Her phone jostled around as she moved. "I thought it would be a couple of days, at least."
The elevator stopped with another ding, and the doors rattled open. I stepped out, and there she was, three doors down on the left. She looked so fucking delicious in her little nightshirt and shorts, with all that blonde hair tousled around her shoulders, and her face flushed a little from sleep. My dick gave an immediate twitch of approval.
I stopped, right there in the hall, and just soaked in the sight of her. A knot of tension I hadn't even known existed began to unfurl in my gut. Seeing Sarah again…it just felt right. The distance between us closed and I swept her into my arms. Gathering her warm, soft body to mine felt like coming home, and I never wanted to fucking leave that moment.
Long before I finished breathing her in, she drew back a little. "We should, uh…go inside." She made a vague gesture toward the open door behind her.
"Yeah, we probably should." Taking my hands off her seemed like sacrilege, so I allowed her to guide me into her room while I maintained my hold on her. The moment I passed the threshold, I kicked the door shut as we continued on into the room. "You were sleeping. I'm sorry for waking you."
White teeth sank into her full lower lip for an instant before she spoke. "I'm not. I'm glad you're here." She stared up at me for a moment. "And not just because I'm scared to death."
My heart thudded hard in my chest. She was glad to see me. Fuck, I needed to put that aside, and just deal with making sure she stayed safe. "I should have called you before."
She smiled a little and pressed close to me again. "Yes, you should have." She slid her hands up my chest and around the back of my neck, then stood on her tiptoes and reached up to brush her lips over mine.
Any good intentions in me went right out the window. Maybe I couldn't protect her from myself, but I would damn sure make sure no one else harmed her. The strap slipped from my shoulder and my heavy bag hit the floor with a thud. I didn't give a fuck.
I leaned into her and absolutely possessed her mouth, nipping and probing until she opened for me, then sweeping in to caress the tender flesh she offered. Her willingness made my dick surge with heat for her, and tore a long groan from me. I pulled her closer, molding her body to mine.
Sarah moaned and wrapped her legs around my waist as I lifted her. Only a few strides carried us to the bed, and I let her slide down to the mattress. The thin nightshirt came easily over her head, and she raised her arms to let me remove it completely. I had to stop and look at her in the low light from the entryway.
Pale golden skin glowed, begging my touch. She looked up at me, lips parted, beautiful tits rising and falling with every breath. My hands ached to be filled with her flesh, but I waited. I bent and hooked my fingers in the waist of her little shorts and pulled them off. The lacy white panties went next. She lifted her ass a little to help, and I slid the thin fabric down her long legs.
Sarah laid back, and her hair spilled around her shoulders. She was the most fucking beautiful sight in the world. The need to have her totally consumed me, and I dropped to the edge of the bed to take her mouth again. Her fingers wound in my hair, and her little whimpers drove me to more. Before long, I followed the need and left her mouth, kissing and licking down her neck, along her collar bone, to the valley between her perfect tits, and then to her nipples.
She arched and held me closer as I teased first one hardened peak, then the other. All the sounds she made stoked the fire in my blood and made me want her even more, if that were possible. My hard-on pressed against my jeans, eager for freedom and her sweet heat, forcing me to adjust myself.
I slid further down and gently pressed her legs apart, revealing her to me. Unable to wait and appreciate the view, I moved in to taste her. A groan from the depths of my soul escaped. How the fuck had I lived without this? A little voice in the back of my mind asked how I would go back to living without it again.
