Retribution (The Lone Riders MC Series Book 2) (9 page)

‘You got something on your mind there, lawyer man?’ she murmured, clinging on tight as he started up the bike.

Feeling just the tiniest hint of panic as the engine spluttered into life, Ben soon pushed that to one side as he felt Mia hold him tighter, her arms giving him a safety he didn’t think he really needed, but it was nice, having it there anyway. ‘I should have done this a long time ago,’ he said, his body suddenly filled with an indescribable anticipation. ‘Hold on, darlin’. We’re outta here.’

And as he roared off on to the road, turning the corner out of his street, he felt a curtain of relief rise up, unveiling the life he’d once been too scared to face again. A life he wasn’t going to let go of a second time.

Ten

Charlie leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk as his head dropped into his hands, a loud cry of frustration echoing around the empty room. He should be able to handle this. But he felt like he was losing control. Like age was suddenly catching up with him.

‘You okay, boss?’

Charlie looked up as the bulky figure of Bear filled the doorway – his trusted Sergeant-at-Arms; a man who’d been by his side for almost two decades. ‘Everything’s fine. Nothing I can’t handle.’ Wouldn’t do to let even those closest to him know that control was slipping through his fingers. Even more dangerous to let them know why.

‘You sure? You seem a bit on edge, if you don’t mind me saying.’

Charlie forced himself to smile at the tall, well-built man. A born and bred northerner, Bear was afraid of no one. Nothing fazed him. Nothing. Not in all the years Charlie had known him. ‘I’m sure. It’s just been a long day, that’s all.’ He sat back in his chair, raking a hand through his hair.

‘Everything okay over there in
Paradise
?’

Charlie shot a look at Bear, his expression briefly registering surprise, until he quickly realized he was just asking how things were with Lexi and Coby. ‘Everything’s fine. Coby’s got it, just as I knew he would.’

‘I always thought he’d make a good President, one day,’ Bear continued, leaning against the doorpost. ‘And Lexi – she’ll make one hell of a Queen. Got a daughter to be proud of there, Charlie.’

Charlie narrowed his eyes slightly, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable that this conversation was carrying on. Did Bear know more than he was letting on? ‘Is there something you want, Bear?’

Bear shook his head, unfolding his arms and stepping back from the doorway. ‘Just came to see if you were okay. Not seen you around the compound much lately, that’s all.’

‘I’ve had things to do.’ Not that he had to explain himself to anyone, not even his most trusted brothers.

‘All right, well… Look, some of the guys are heading down to The Eagle now, for the pub quiz. That’s always a good night, and a few laughs and a couple of beers might be good for you, y’know? We’re leaving in a few minutes if you want to join us.’

Charlie held Bear’s gaze for a couple of seconds, before the big man turned and walked away. Yeah. Maybe Bear was right. A bit of time to clear his head could be a good idea. Before he tried to work out what his next move was going to be.

***

Mia moaned quietly, spreading her legs as Ben’s tongue worked its magic, probing deep, causing her to moan a little louder as he slipped it inside her. She leaned back slightly, pushing her hips out, her fingers gripping the bike to balance herself as her whole body shuddered with the intensity of the climax he was bringing her to, her legs almost buckling beneath her.

And then he pulled away, standing up, his eyes locking with hers, a slow smile spreading across his handsome face. Just looking at him gave her butterflies, and yet, she still didn’t know this man. He was a stranger, and she was damaged goods. Someone who didn’t need any more trouble in her life, yet here she was, hell bent on jumping into something with a man she barely knew because he made her feel like a teenager again. But anything was better than feeling like the woman she’d been not so long ago.

‘What are you thinking about?’ he whispered, gently stroking her hair from her shoulder before lowering his head to lightly kiss it.

Mia closed her eyes, sighing quietly, the touch of his lips on her skin making her shiver. ‘Nothing.’

He pulled back slightly, stroking her cheek with his thumb, his eyes boring into hers. ‘Look around you, Mia. Look where we are.’

She broke the stare, glancing over his shoulder. They’d ridden for what had felt like miles, leaving Paradise way behind them, ending up here, at this disused rail yard, surrounded by the wreckages of dozens of old train carriages, all of them rusty and untouched for what must have been decades, given their level of deterioration. The ground was nothing but dust and weeds, the old shipping containers that lay open and empty adding an extra layer of decay and abandonment to the setting. But this was
their
place now. She’d already decided that. According to Ben, nobody came here any more. It had once been a haven for drug users and down-and-outs, until Sheriff Bailey had ordered a clear-out. The land was now earmarked for regeneration, once they found a buyer. But, for now, it stayed pretty-much deserted.

‘It’s got a certain sordid feel to it, don’t you think?’ He smiled, and Mia couldn’t help but smile back, her fingers absent-mindedly stroking the back of his neck as she looked into his eyes. ‘But we’re alone. And that’s all that matters. Here, it’s just you and me. And here, we can do whatever we want.’

She kissed him slowly, letting the taste of him flood her, her teeth gently biting down on his bottom lip as she pulled away. ‘I think here is quite hot. The degradation kind of turns me on.’

He laughed quietly, his hand resting on her hip as he gently pushed inside her, their eyes still locked together. ‘We’re gonna come here a lot,’ he whispered, his mouth almost touching hers as he thrust into her. ‘And I mean, we’re gonna
come
here. A lot.’

Her laugh echoed around the desolate scene, a slight breeze cooling her skin as he continued to fuck her, each heavy thrust erasing another piece of her messed-up former life. Was she not walking straight into another mess by jumping into something with Ben so soon? Maybe. But she wasn’t giving him up. Not now. She needed this. This was her escape, and she guessed it was about to become his, too. So she wasn’t letting go. She couldn’t.

Clinging on to him, she buried her face in his shoulder as she felt his body stiffen then jerk; felt him come inside her with a force so strong it almost pushed her backwards. But with it came a sense of relief; the realization that she
could
move on almost overwhelming her.

‘I think my lawyer man may have just turned back into biker boy.’ She smiled, running her fingers lightly over his tattooed arms. ‘And I think I like him better this way,’ she whispered, staring deep into his eyes. ‘He’s kind of sexier. This way.’

His face broke into another one of those smiles that Mia thought had, quite possibly, broken a lot of hearts, at some point in the past. Maybe. It should have done. Because he had a smile that could lift her heart like nobody had ever been able to do before, not even Lennie in those early days when he’d been the only man she’d ever thought she was going to love. Proof that you should never assume anything, especially where love was concerned.

‘Mia… you’re doing it again, baby.’

She looked back into his eyes, her stomach clenching in the most beautiful way as he took her hand. ‘I know that, one day, I might be free of him. Of the memories I can’t shake right now. They’re still there, Ben, and I can’t shake them.’

He slid a hand around the back of her neck, kissing her so gently Mia felt tears well up and she desperately tried to keep them at bay. She’d done crying. Those days were over. ‘They’ll go, one day. They will. I promise you.’

‘No promises, Ben. Please,’ she whispered, shaking her head. The feel of his fingers on her skin was calming her, taking away that fleeting moment of remembering all the crap she’d thought she’d forgotten. But it was quite evident it wasn’t going to be quite as easy as she’d thought it might have been.

‘I want to be there for you, Mia.’

She smiled, her hand covering his as it rested against her cheek. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’

‘But we need to be discreet, okay?’

‘For so many reasons, huh?’

He nodded, squeezing her hand gently. ‘It’s for the best, baby. For now.’

‘They can’t do anything, Ben. They can’t stop this from happening; they have no right to do that.’

‘I know. I know, but… You’ve been through a lot. And I’m still trying to sort all of that out so… We don’t need the interference, that’s all. And, in terms of what I’m doing – what I’ve already
done
– it’s probably not the most ethical thing, for me to be sleeping with a client.’

‘And there was I thinking my lawyer man had disappeared.’ She gently stroked the rough, heavy stubble covering his chin, taking in every inch of his handsome face from his deep green eyes and straight nose to his strong, almost chiselled jaw line. He was beautiful. A truly beautiful man. On the outside. She could only hope that beauty carried on inside, too. Because she wanted this man. She needed this man.

He smiled, looking down as he loosened her shirt, exposing her naked breasts. ‘I want to suck on those so badly,’ he groaned.

‘And biker boy’s back.’ She closed her eyes, burying her fingers in his hair as he lowered his head, his mouth covering one of her nipples, his tongue darting this way and that, drawing tiny moans of pleasure from her. ‘My beautiful biker boy,’ she whispered. Her saviour. Her escape. Her destiny…?

***

Tightening the bandana around his head he picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder, taking a few minutes to let the unfamiliar Californian sun wash over him. Where he came from, this kind of weather wasn’t the norm. But he wasn’t here for the sunshine. He was here for something far more important; something that had been taken away from him without his permission. Lennie Rose was here for his wife.

Eleven

‘If you don’t mind me saying so, darlin’, your mood sure has lifted these past few days. You feeling a bit more settled here now, huh?’

Mia hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them as she looked at Shane. He wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the change in her lately; the way she smiled more, was keener to help around the compound. And it did feel as though a weight had started to rise from her shoulders. Ben was good for her. Ben gave her a chance to forget everything that had dragged her down. Ben made her realize that this new life she’d involuntarily been given – he’d made her realize it could actually be something she needed. ‘I’m settling in just fine, Shane.’

He sat down beside her, staring straight ahead as he clasped his hands between his knees. ‘Did we let you down, Mia?’

She frowned, turning her head to look at him. ‘Let me down? How do you mean?’

‘When I was over in the
U.K.
, part of your chapter – your
old
chapter…’ His eyes met hers. ‘Were there things we missed? Signs we should have noticed?’

‘There was nothing anyone could have done, Shane.’ She didn’t really want to talk about that time now. She was just beginning to put it behind her, so dragging it all up again wasn’t something she would have chosen to do. ‘I kept things to myself because that’s what I wanted to do. I thought everything that was happening… I thought it would pass. I didn’t want to rock any boats, so I didn’t say anything about what was going on, and to be fair, things weren’t as bad as they eventually became. Not back then.’

‘But you were beginning to see a change in him?’

She looked away, hugging her knees tighter to her. ‘Can we talk about something else? Please? All of that – it’s my past now. I’m moving on.’ She looked at him again. ‘That’s why I’m here.’

He gave her a small, almost apologetic smile. ‘Honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you or nothin’, I just… Nobody deserves what you been through. And I guess, somewhere deep inside, I feel kinda guilty that I couldn’t have helped you stop it from getting this far.’

‘Like I said, there was nothing anyone could have done. Because I hadn’t wanted any help. If I had, I would have asked for it.’ She kept her eyes on him, even when he turned to stare straight out ahead. ‘What you did, Shane… for Lexi…’

His head swung round sharply, his eyes locking with hers. ‘She needed my help.’

Mia held his gaze. ‘You put your own life at risk, pretending to be the one she’d been sleeping with behind Jesse’s back, covering for Coby like you did… allowing yourself to be exiled from a place you’d settled into…’

‘It’s over now, Mia. It happened, but it’s over now.’

‘Faking your own death to stop others from coming for you… Keeping Lexi and Coby’s secret, Jesus! They even made you out to be Ozzie’s dad…’

‘It’s over, darlin’. Y’hear me?’ Shane’s eyes bored deep into Mia’s, his voice carrying just a hint of agitation, and she felt a small but cold shiver run up her spine, telling her that dragging this all up again, as nothing more than a way of stopping him questioning her about
her
past… Well, maybe it hadn’t been the wisest decision. ‘The past can be a dangerous place, Mia.’ Shane ran a hand over his hair as he stood up, his whole demeanour changing in an instant as he threw her a friendly smile. ‘I’ll see you later. You have a good day now.’

She watched him leave the clubhouse, stopping only to say something to Kip, who was walking in. And she kept her eyes on Kip as he headed towards her, his hands in his pockets, a big grin on his face.

‘You fancy coming to the boxing club later?’ he asked, throwing himself down next to her, tipping his cap back on his head. ‘If you’ve got nothing else planned, that is. We got a couple of fights happening later tonight, followed by a bit of a party over at the
Candy
Cave
studios. You up for it?’

She was distracted by someone else coming into the clubhouse, hoping desperately that her expression didn’t give anything away as Ben walked over to the bar, greeting Coby, who’d just come out of the chapel.

‘Mia?’

She quickly turned back to face Kip. ‘Hmm? Oh, sorry. Erm, yeah. Okay. Why not?’ Because she wanted to spend more time with Ben, that’s why. But she knew that if she disappeared too often people would start to wonder where she was going; who she was with. And Coby already had eyes on her. The last thing she wanted was to give him any reason to question her further. The only people she knew in
Paradise
at the moment were the people involved with this club. And although Ben was a part of that, albeit loosely, he wasn’t someone who hung around the clubhouse. He wasn’t a club member. He was their lawyer, and not someone she was supposed to be hanging out with. Sleeping with.

‘Great!’ Kip grinned, pulling his cap down over his eyes as he stood back up. ‘You gonna be here for a while?’

She nodded, sneaking a quick glance at Ben and Coby who had their heads bent over something spread out across the pool table.

‘Want to ride over to the club with me?’

Once more she had to drag her attention away from Ben and back to Kip. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.’

‘Okay, well, I’ve got to go finish something in the garage, but I shouldn’t be too long. I’ll come get you when I’m done?’

She nodded again, hoping the smile she gave him hid the fact she wasn’t fully committed to his plans. She had a feeling Kip Hart wanted more from her than she was willing to give, and the last thing she wanted to do was lead him on. He didn’t deserve that. Maybe tonight would be a good time to let him down gently.

Hauling herself up from the couch she stretched out, sighing quietly. Ben hadn’t come to see her. He wasn’t even going to acknowledge the fact she was there, so she might as well get up and go do something while she was waiting for Kip.

Heading into the kitchen, she found Angie Hart cooking up something that smelt delicious, and all of a sudden Mia felt incredibly hungry. An appetite wasn’t something she’d had much of lately, what with everything that had gone on, but right now, she was starving!

‘Hello, darlin’.’ Angie threw her the biggest smile, and Mia felt her heart ache for the family she’d lost – and the family she’d never really known. ‘You doing okay today?’

Mia folded her arms against herself and nodded, crouching down to see what was cooking in the oven. ‘I’m gonna head off down the boxing club with Kip in a while. He’s just finishing something up in the garage.’

‘You hungry?’

Mia stood up, nodding again. ‘Yeah. I am, actually.’

‘You been eating properly since you got here?’ Angie started pulling crockery and cutlery from cupboards and drawers, fetching a foil-covered plate from the fridge, along with some lettuce and tomatoes.

‘Sort of,’ Mia replied, undecided as to whether she was enjoying being fussed over like this, or whether it was actually making her uncomfortable.

Angie fixed her with a stern look as she pulled the foil off a plate of cold chicken. ‘Sort of ain’t good enough, young lady. You can’t afford to lose any more weight, you’re way too skinny as it is.’

Mia pulled herself up on to the counter top, deciding that she was actually enjoying the fuss. It was nice, for a change. She hadn’t had a mother figure in her life for a while now, even though Maggie – Charlie’s old lady – had done her best over in
Newcastle
. She’d always been there for Mia. But it wasn’t the same as having her own mum around. The day the cancer had claimed her mother’s life, just months after it had claimed that of her father’s, was the day Mia had lost control, even though she hadn’t realized it at the time. Because it was then that she’d found herself drawn to Lennie Rose, his strong, almost imposing figure providing that safety she’d craved back then. A safety she now craved all over again, for a whole other reason. Whether she wanted to admit that or not.

‘Here.’ Angie handed her a plate piled with chicken and salad. ‘Eat. And tomorrow you’re coming over to the house for a family dinner. Everyone’s invited. Even Ben’s coming. He deserves some kind of thank you, for all the work he does for this club.’

Mia stared down at her food, picking at her salad with a fork. ‘Maggie has family dinners, too. Charlie insists on them. Says they keep the club together.’

‘Lexi should really be doing some herself,’ Angie sighed, returning what was left of the chicken back to the fridge, ‘… now she’s Coby’s old lady, but what with Ozzie and everything…’ She trailed off, smiling at Mia. ‘Anyway. It’ll be a good chance for you to really get to know some of the guys, and girls, you haven’t met properly yet. And to get some decent food inside of you.’

Mia returned Angie’s smile. Lexi was so lucky to have this woman as her mother. Despite everything that had gone on in the past, Angie certainly seemed to be making sure she didn’t lose her daughter a second time. And Mia only wished she still had that kind of bond. That her own mother was still with her.

‘You okay, sugar?’ Angie asked, her tone genuinely sympathetic.

‘I’m fine.’ Mia smiled again, tucking her legs up underneath her.

‘That son of mine isn’t bothering you too much, is he?’

Mia shook her head as she popped a piece of chicken into her mouth.

‘He’s always had an eye for the pretty ones.’ Angie gave Mia a knowing wink before turning to grab some oven gloves from the counter. ‘You just let me know if he’s coming on too strong.’

Mia watched as Angie pulled a large pie from the oven, the smell completely filling the small clubhouse kitchen.

‘Is that for us?’ Kip grinned, leaning against the doorpost, his cap pushed back from his eyes.

Angie turned to look at him. ‘It’s for tomorrow. Well, this particular one isn’t, this is just a practice run. I’m trying out a new recipe. But, if this one tastes good, it’s tomorrow’s dinner.’

Mia watched for a few more seconds as Kip and Angie exchanged friendly mother/son banter. It reminded her of all the happy times she and her parents had spent together; bikers they may have been, but they’d been the most wonderful, caring people Mia had ever known, to take her on and bring her up as their daughter. To do the job that had been so cruelly denied her birth mum and dad. And she’d loved them, so, so much.

‘You ready?’

Kip’s voice shook her back to reality, and she smiled at him. He was so kind. Or that’s the way he came across to her, anyway. But she had to keep remembering that Lennie had appeared kind at first. She had to stay wary. ‘Yeah. I’m ready.’ But, should she really keep comparing all bikers to her prick of a husband? He’d let situations he couldn’t deal with turn him into a monster, and that wasn’t the norm for all men like him.

‘Have you had enough to eat, honey?’ Angie asked, cutting into the pie, once more filling the room with the most delicious aroma.

‘Jesus, Mum, she isn’t twelve,’ Kip sighed, rolling his eyes.

Mia laughed. She couldn’t help it. She’d already decided that she felt incredibly comfortable in this situation. It felt nice. Safe.
Normal
. Even though this place, this club, it was anything
but
normal. But it was the only life she knew. ‘I actually quite like being fussed over, for a change.’

‘Of course you do, darlin’.’ Angie smiled, giving her another friendly wink. ‘You two kids have a good time now, you hear?’

Kip held up his hand in acknowledgment as he and Mia left the kitchen. ‘Kids. I’m forty frigging years old.’

‘She’s your mum. And you’ll probably always be her little boy,’ Mia teased, pulling his cap off his head as she linked her arm through his.

‘Hey, missy, give that back!’ Kip laughed.

Mia pulled his cap down over her dark curls, poking her tongue out at him. ‘You want it, you come and get it.’ She let go of him, running out of the clubhouse into the bright afternoon sun. She felt happier than she had done in a long time, and she didn’t know whether that was because of Ben, or just because she was finally accepting her new home. She only knew that, right now, she was falling in love with life again. And she liked that feeling.

***

Ben couldn’t help but look up as he heard her voice, her laugh ringing out around the relatively quiet clubhouse. He’d known she was there, he’d just never dared throw even the smallest glance in her direction for fear of giving something, even the tiniest detail, away about what he really felt for Mia Rose. A woman who’d given him a whole new lease of life in a space of time so short his head was still spinning with the speed at which everything was happening.