“You’ll need every man you have,” she breathed out, scarcely able to form a coherent thought beyond the fact that she wanted to cradle his head and push him to her aching breasts. “Crow will annihilate you if you don’t. In fact, call in help. He’s trying to lull you into a false sense of security before he springs whatever trap he has ready.”

  “I promise you, the four men we’re takin’ into that clubhouse will be better equipped to deal with that entire club than Crow will be to deal with the four of us. But, you’re right. We called in reinforcements last night. There will be some friends of ours coming to help. Should be here in a little over an hour.” He shifted his weight off her just a little, just enough for her not to feel trapped. Then he laid his head on her chest and kissed the swell of her breast. “So I’d like to get my…” he raised his head to look back over his shoulder at the clock on the wall next to them, “fifty-four minutes.”

  “Yeah. So would me and Viper.”

  “If you guys need to get a room, you should have said something instead of staying out all fuckin’ night ridin’.”

  “You two shut the fuck up. I’m determined to get my ‘fifty-four minutes.’”

  “Fifty-three now, bro. Shut up your own damned self.”

  Magenta didn’t know what to think or say. Lying with Sword like this was too intimate for strangers, but, strangely, not uncomfortable. All kinds of things went through her mind. What if the others expected him to have sex with her right there? Did he expect that? If she gave in and embraced the sensations he kindled, would he humiliate her like Black Reign had? And what about Trucker? If everyone thought she’d given in to Sword, would they expect her to service them as well?

  “Just relax,” Sword whispered. “No one is gonna hurt you.”

  “You keep saying that.”

  “You need to hear it.”

  “Does me hearing it make it any truer than if you never said it?”

  There was a long silence, and Magenta thought he’d dozed off. Then he lifted his face and kissed her throat, blazing a hot trail to her lips where he lingered a moment before pushing off her and getting to his feet. “I’ll wake you before we leave,” he whispered. “Get some more sleep. It will be a long ride home.”

  With that, he hopped up onto the bunk above her. Immediately, Magenta felt his rejection like a brutal punch. Realistically, she knew she couldn’t have it both ways. She either wanted his touch or she didn’t. She was scared and had voiced her reservations about how safe she was with him. He’d responded with the only option open to him.

  It was better this way. Really. She’d take him up on his offer of a job and a place to get on her feet, then she’d get the hell out of Dodge. No fuss, no muss. And no awkward attachments.

  Except there was one problem. Either she trusted him, or she didn’t. If she didn’t, then going back to his club with this group of men was stupidity embodied. If she did, they why was she making it so hard on him? Sure, he’d kissed her. He’d held her while she slept. He’d even calmed her fears when she’d first wakened. And she’d kicked him out of bed.

  Fuck. This was getting her nowhere. She could go round and round in her head all fucking day and not be any closer to an answer. In the end, she had to trust her own judgment. While her mind was calling her all kinds of an idiot, her instinct was telling her to give the man a chance. He’d been good to her. God knows what would be happening to her right now if he hadn’t taken her back with him. She was in the middle of his club. The only woman. And they weren’t making her service them. Not even Sword. He’d calmly kissed her before taking a different bed. No harsh words. No abuse. Just calm acceptance. He hadn’t even threatened to take her back to Handlebar and let him deal with her. In fact, he’d sworn he’d never take her back.

  Confused as ever, Magenta turned to her side and closed her eyes. She had fifty minutes before they all got up. She’d rest until they stirred. Then she’d apologize to Sword. If nothing else, she needed to properly thank him for the ride when he was so tired. That was a miracle in itself. One she would remember for the rest of her life.

  Chapter Six

  Three motorcycles pulled up next to the RV. The three men were part of a sister club of Bones, Salvation’s Bane, located in Palm Beach. Along with the four who’d planned on going into the Black Reign compound, they should be good to go.

  “What’s the op, Top?” They were addressed by the vice-president, Havoc. He, Vicious and Carnage were not only part of Salvation’s Bane, but employed by ExFil and men trusted by Bones.

  “Got a club down here trying to run drugs through our territory without permission,” Torpedo said to the other man. The two shook hands in greeting. “Wouldn’t worry about them except they might take exception to us keeping one of their women who was being held against her will.”

  “You called us out here over a woman?” Havoc tried to look put out, but didn’t quite pull it off. None of them would hesitate to help women and children if needed.

  “Give me a break.” Torpedo waved the other man off. “It was the four of us against an entire club. We’re crazy. Not suicidal.”

  “You mean, four of Bones’ elite Special Forces bikers can’t take on one group of badass wannabes?” Havoc grinned. “You guys must be slipping.”

  They all chuckled together, slapping each other on the back in friendly greeting. “Anybody other than the one girl we gotta get away clean with?”

  “Possibly her mother,” Sword answered. “She needs to be given the opportunity to come away with Magenta.”

  “You don’t sound hopeful.”

  “If I’m right, her mother’s tied closely with the club. She’s ol’ lady to Crow, their president, and I think she’s perfectly happy with the arrangement. Magenta says she’s privy to everything goin’ on. While she probably doesn’t have much say, she could have prevented them from harmin’ Magenta.”

  “What does she have to do with the drugs? Sounds like you called us here under false pretenses.”

  “Not at all.” Torpedo shrugged. He had definitely made the problem of the drug running the focus of the request for aid, but it was far from the most pressing matter. “We confiscated the shipment they tried to exchange with another club. Normally, we wouldn’t have interfered except they did it in the middle of our fuckin’ territory. That kind of blatant disrespect can’t be tolerated.”

  “But…” Havoc prompted with a wave of his hand.

  “No buts about it. We confiscated their shit and destroyed it. They’re pissed.”

  “Where does the girl fit in?”

  “She’s mine.” Sword wanted no mistake about this. “They’re not gettin’ her back, and I refuse to get her out without even tryin’ to get her mother to safety. Woman may not want to leave, and that’s fine. But she’s gonna have a chance.”

  “Fair enough. You should know that the Black Reign clubhouse is a very basic design. Easily penetrated. Not so easily defended.”

  “I could have told you that,” Viper grumbled. “Completely bass-ackwards.”

  “Yes. But did you know you could get into their compound beneath the floor?”

  “Maybe. If I’d been able to pore over the fuckin’ blueprints like you’ve probably been doing since we called you.”

  “No, you wouldn’t. It’s not in the current blueprints. There’s an old maze of underground tunnels abandoned because of flooding. They aren’t in any official map or blueprint of the area. The building they bought was constructed with the remains of a Spanish villa of some sort. Didn’t get the exact specs, but it was apparently originally built sometime in the mid-seventeen-hundreds. Not sure why the tunnels were built considering how close to the water table the place is, but they probably weren’t used long.”

  “Then how do you know they’re even still usable?”

  “Because we looked at the site as a possible place for our setup a few years back. The tunnels were the very reason we wanted it. We abandoned it because of the defensive problems it presented, and it was in the middle of the city. Too close to prying eyes. Since Black Reign’s into drug trafficking, it probably makes it easier for them to do business. From what we could find, they’ve fortified those tunnels like we’d planned on doing. Talked to a few of our local contacts. Found the men who worked on it. Sweet setup. They can take in shipments from the harbor without suspicion.”

  “So, they’ll send all their firepower our way, leavin’ the tunnels either abandoned or guarded with one or two men at most.” Torpedo was nothing if not intelligent. This was strategy 101.

  Havoc shrugged. “They’re not what one would call the most thorough of planners. At least, not under Crow. If they could get a decent president in there, they might actually become a threat.”

  “So, we go in the front. Out the back,” Torpedo said. “If all goes well, we won’t need that back exit. We can just walk out no problems. I plan on trying to end this without a fight, but I don’t anticipate that will happen. I need you guys to post up outside, ready in case things go sideways.”

  “Carnage and Vicious are our best snipers. They’ll have eyes on you at all times. Since we looked at this place, we know where the best angles are.”

  “I’ll leave it to you guys to do your thing, then. Let us know when you’re in place, and we’ll head that direction.”

  “Keep the dirty side down, brothers,” Havoc said as he clasped hands with Torpedo, bringing him in for an affectionate slap on the back. “We’ve got your backs.”

  Trucker fitted everyone with a tiny earpiece. Their watches were already fitted with microphones to allow ease of communication. Everyone, including the snipers, had suppressers for their guns. They were as ready as they could be.

  As the group from Salvation’s Bane sped off, Sword and the others went back to the RV to ready their equipment. Before Sword and Magenta had gotten back from their ride, Trucker had placed a few cameras so he and Data could monitor everything going on outside the place. Arkham had done his job as well, planting several cameras inside the clubhouse. There was no audio, but it provided a measure of security for the upcoming confrontation and leaving the cameras in place would help keep tabs on a rival club for both Bones and Salvation’s Bane. Sword had no idea how the man managed to wear out all three women he’d chosen, but a couple hours after Bones had left him, the first signals started coming in. By the time they’d returned to the RV to ready their equipment, every single room in the clubhouse was bugged.

  Trucker and Data watched the displays together. Data from Kentucky while Trucker was ready to lend aid with the big guns if needed. If that happened, all hope of getting out of Florida unnoticed would be out the window. They’d ridden without their colors, only wearing them when visiting the Black Reign clubhouse. Tonight, none of them would have colors but Arkham, since he’d stayed behind. The second they were away, they’d stash their jackets until back in Bones territory.

  Everything was ready. Sword’s brothers were ready to ride, yet he stood inside the RV, looking down at one small woman. He’d told her he’d wake her before they left, but what was the point? She hadn’t moved since he’d left her bed, hugging her pillow much like she’d hugged him to her. She probably hadn’t slept easily for a long time, and he hated to disturb her. Instead, he knelt beside her bed and brushed a light kiss over her cheek.

  Magenta’s eyelashes fluttered and she whimpered a little, but didn’t wake. “Rest easy, girl. I’ll come back when we’re done and get you the hell outta here.”

  “Sword?” She mumbled in her sleep, reaching out a hand. Sword took it immediately, brushing his lips over her fingers.

  “Everything’s good, baby. Go back to sleep.”

  “Don’t get hurt,” she said, her eyes still not opening. “Sorry I kicked you out of bed.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. “No worries. I’ll come back, and we’ll ride home together on my bike. You’ll have all night to ride with the wind in your hair.”

  “Does that mean I’m riding bitch?” She smiled and opened her eyes slowly. The impact of those clear blue eyes hit Sword like a punch to the gut. She was so fucking beautiful it hurt. Like some kind of angel. Not fallen, but here to save his soul and bring him to heaven with her.

  “No, baby. No one’s ever gonna use the word bitch to describe you or anything about you. Even ridin’ with me.”

  “Are you angry with me?”

  “No. Never.”

  She reached out and laid her hand on the side of his face. It was all Sword could do not to close his eyes and lean into her touch.

  “Maybe we could try it again after we get back to your club. I still want to go.”

  “We can do that. For now, just rest. Sleep as much as you can. It’s a long ride back to Kentucky.”

  “Why are you so nice to me?”

  “Because you need someone to be nice to you. And I’m such a nice man.”

  She giggled softly, the sound wrapping around his body like an erotic tether. What the fuck was he going to do with her? “I guess that’s why they named you Sword. Because you’re so nice.”

  “Now you’re gettin’ it.” His smile came easily with her, when he wasn’t a man to smile often. “When we get home, I’ll introduce you to Angel and Luna. They’re both new to our club as well. Angel is our president’s ol’ lady, and Luna is our enforcer Bohannon’s. They’ll help you adjust.”

  “You sound like I’ll be staying a while.”

  “Well, you want a good chance to get on your feet. Right? You’ll have to be there more than a few days. They’re good people. They’ll be nice to you.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be nice to you, too.” She opened her mouth to say more, but Sword cut her off with a light kiss to her mouth. A mere brushing of lips. “We’ll discuss it later. Right now, I’ve got work to do. Try to sleep more if you can. If you can’t, do not, under any circumstances, leave this RV unless Trucker tells you to. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  She gripped his shirt in one tiny fist. “Don’t leave me here alone, Sword. Right now, like it or not, you’re my rock in this mess. I can’t leave here without you.”

  “You won’t, baby.”

  He brushed another kiss over her mouth then left. Sword had never really thought about leaving anyone behind before. It had always been just him and his brothers, most of whom were usually with him. This time felt… different. There was an ache in his chest that had never been there. A responsibility to make sure this woman was taken care of if he didn’t come back. It was a decidedly uncomfortable feeling.

  They got the signal from Havoc and his crew. Sword, like the other three members of his team, fitted their guns with silencers before holstering them. Straddling their bikes, readying to leave, each member went through their own pre-battle ritual. As he put on his helmet, Sword beckoned Trucker to him.

  “If things go way south, I want you to promise me you’ll get Magenta back to Kentucky. Don’t let that bastard Crow get her back.”

  “She seems like a good girl. Intelligent. Certainly keeps you in line. I’ll take care of her.”

  “Get her to Luna and Angel. They’ll help her.”

  “You got it, brother. You guys get in. Get out. Rip it up. Anything else and you risk second-guessin’ yourself. That’s the quickest way to getting killed.” Trucker smacked the side of Sword’s helmet before walking away.

  Rip it up. Be aggressive in everything. That’s exactly what Sword planned on doing.

  Torpedo gave the signal, and they all started their bikes. Black Reign was about to learn no one fucked with Bones.

  Chapter Seven

  As they entered the gate to the Black Reign property, Sword noticed a vast difference from their previous meeting. Now, guards were out in force, guns clearly visible. Not just handguns either. These men were heavily armed with AK-47s and other assault rifles. Judging by their stance and the way they held their weapons, most of the men had no idea what they were doing. Sword made note of every man who looked like he’d handled a weapon before and wasn’t just mimicking the look of actors on TV. Those were the men he’d take out first.

  The group of three rode into the compound without hesitation or any sign of fear. Crow, the president of Black Reign, met them just outside the clubhouse, flanked by three of his muscle. Of the three, Sword noted only one looked to have any experience. He focused on the surrounding area, looking for the men he couldn’t see but knew were with Bones. He was younger than Crow and the other men by several years but was by far the most experienced.

  Sword slid into place just behind Torpedo with Viper on Torpedo’s other side. Once the bikes were shut down, both men took up defensive positions on either side of Torpedo, protecting him as much as they could by keeping eyes on the Black Reign men surrounding them so Torpedo could do their business with Crow.

  Inside, members of Black Reign were scattered around the room, women draped over a few of them. A couple men checked weapons, making a show of loading and chambering a round. The place stank of pot and stale sex. There had obviously been a party after Bones left. Despite the appearance of raucous behavior and a rowdy party, the tension in the clubhouse was so thick, the hair stood up on the back of Sword’s neck. Something was definitely off.

  “I don’t see my girl with you. Are you stealin’ our women as well as our fuckin’ drugs now?” Crow looked livid. More, he looked scared. Which was good. If he feared Bones, he respected them. But there was a little itch between Sword’s shoulder blades. Something was off.

  “The girl didn’t want to return. We’re under no obligation to help you hold someone against their will.” As vice-president, Torpedo spoke for the group.

  “Bullshit! She’s our property. You took her in good faith. You’ll return her or none of you will leave this place alive.”

 

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