Unrequited (Fallen Aces MC #1) (26 page)

THIRTY-SEVEN

King

An unknown number flashes up on my phone, and despite my better judgment, something tells me to answer it. “Hello?”

“This King?”

“Who’s asking?” I let the half-empty bottle of Jameson in my hand fall to the carpet. The lid’s still screwed on; I had every intention of drinking it, but even the alcohol doesn’t help anymore.

“My name’s Sully. I work for Carlos Redmond.”

Fuck.
No wonder my gut instinct was going haywire. “Why are you calling?” I sit up on the sofa and twist myself around to face the front.

“Can you be in Kansas City tomorrow morning at ten?”

“Why?”
Please, just this once, give me a break.

“I have somebody you’d like to see.” The line clicks as he disconnects the call.

I stare down at my phone, confused. He never said where. As though answering my question, the cell vibrates in my hand.
One new message.
Sure enough, it’s an address from the same phone number.

I Google the details and see it belongs to some motel just off the main road.
How the fuck did Sully get my number?
The set-up seems too easy. As much as I want to believe Elena’s found a way to see me again, I’m suspicious. Tensions with the Blood Eagles are high, and it seems the deeper involved we get with Carlos, the more the Eagles have it in for our club.

One more run and then my problem gets tabled.

I haven’t slept for more than a few hours a night since the blow-up with Apex and Beefy. We’ve got one more run and Carlos seems in no hurry to complete it. Apex has been a fucking bear with a sore head to be around, blowing up at anybody and everybody. He hasn’t spoken to me since the office incident. Pretty sure the asshole thinks it’s my fault Carlos has entered radio silence.

Maybe it is?

Don’t fucking care, either way.

I snag up the bottle and take it across to the kitchen counter. My home is still bare, save the few pieces of furniture Mom gave me. I’ve bought pots and pans, washing up shit, that kind of stuff. It all still sits in the shopping bags at the base of the wall beside the kitchen. I guess in all honest truth, I’ve kept it packed, thinking that eventually I’m going to move out to the section. Even my subconscious is away with the fairies.
I’m fucked.

My phone vibrates across the counter as I’m contemplating opening the Jameson after all. I reach out and slide it to answer, smacking the speaker icon. If I want that drink after all I’m going to need free hands.

“Go ahead.”

“Where the fuck are you?” Twig asks.

“At home.”

“Good. A call went out this morning for church, even though we ain’t supposed to meet again until next week. I’ve just turned up for it, and King . . .” He sighs.

“What?”

“I’ve heard that Apex has done the dirty on you, man. He’s not going to table your issue with the idea of gettin’ you help. He’s tablin’ it to get the others to watch you—make sure you stay away from her.”

The whiskey bottle hits the wall with a smash, amber liquid running down the paint in rivers. “That fuckin’ asshole.”

“Look, I can’t say more over the phone. You know that. Come in and we’ll talk about it, yeah? I’ll do what I can, but you know how it is.”

Yeah, I do. Twig pushes against Apex too hard and he’ll find himself with me, in the no-man’s land between being on the inside and being shafted from the club altogether.

The line goes quiet and I think I’ve lost him before he returns, deathly quiet. “You better not be plannin’ on going to Kansas City again.”

I don’t say a thing.

“Fuckin’ hell, you stupid son-of-a-bitch,” he yells, blowing up the line. “I’m tryin’ to help you here. Get your fuckin’ ass back to the clubhouse before you fuck everything.”

“How can I fuck everything?” I ask. “From what you’re tellin’ me, it already is. Plus, that asshole hasn’t given us jack-shit to do for ages. He fuckin’ knows something, too.”

“You knew the risk.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“So I’m goin’ to ask you one last question, King, and I want you to think
real
hard about the answer.” I know it before he says it. “How serious are you about this club?”

Fuck. He did it. He pulled the damn loyalty card on me. He knows where I stand. I live for those bastards. I just don’t like the one who’s at the top.

“You know the answer to that,” I murmur.

“So what you goin’ to do about it?” He doesn’t give me time to answer. “Call just came in for the last job, too. It’s a big one. As in,
real
big. A lot of money on the table, King.”

No wonder Apex is gunning to keep me on the outer. “When?”

“Two weeks from now.”

“Shit.” I stretch my arms out across the counter to grip the far side, dropping my forehead to the hard surface. “There’s no way around this, is there?”

“Afraid not.” He sighs. “I know it’s hard, King. But you can’t have your damn cake and eat it too. You either stick with the club, help us sort this out, or you hand in your cut and walk.”

“Ain’t gonna happen.”

“Best you be tellin’ her that then.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

Elena

“Where are we headed?” I look out the windows at the semi-residential area we’re driving through. “I thought we were going to a mall?”

“It’s a surprise,” Maria says beside me, reaching out to take my hand.

I look down at her small fingers around mine and frown. “What do you mean?”

Sully slows the car, pulling in the driveway of a bar. I continue to frown as I look at the false saloon-style façade on the building. “You’re going to get me drunk?” I look back at Maria and quirk an eyebrow.

“Funny,” she says, “but no.”

The car continues past the last of the painted parking spaces and we curl around the back of the building to a row of motel units. I twist in my seat to look around as Sully brings us to a stop and kills the engine.

Is this it? Carlos has had enough of me? I’m going to be topped off in a motel parking lot?
No wonder he’s been so nice to me the last few days.

Maria wriggles beside me, smiling. “I can’t wait to see your face.”

Can’t be that bad then. But really, how exciting can it be with Sully watching our every move?

“Time to get out,” Sully instructs. He exits the vehicle first and then opens my door. “Come on.”

Maria lets herself out and flashes of her black hair circle the car before she stops at my door, right as I reach for Sully’s offered hand.

“Why are we here?”

“You’ll see.” She doesn’t look at me as I answer though; she scans the parking spaces, checking the way in.

We stand around for a while, shooting the breeze about mindless topics like our preference for style when it comes to clothes and shoes. Sully checks his phone twice, fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves as he stands at the hood of the car.

Maria stops mid-conversation, her eyes trained on Sully. “Relax.”

He smiles at her—actually smiles—and nods. “I can’t help it. I’d hate for this to get you in trouble. Either of you.”

To my utter shock, I watch as my only friend and an apparent enigma saunters over to place both her palms flat on Sully’s chest. His hands settle on her hips. “My man is a good man.”

My man? Good man?
They both turn their heads and find me gaping. As in, my jaw literally strains against its hinges.

“Sully and I have been seeing each other for a month now.”

You don’t say.
“Wow,” is all I manage to voice.

I turn my body towards them, intent on asking more, when the sweetest sound in the world plays a tune for my heart. The low rumble of exhaust pipes grows, along with my excitement. By the time King pulls up beside the Escalade, I’m jumping up and down like a damn child, clapping.

“Maria!” I squeal. “How did you . . .?”

She pats Sully on the chest. “It was his work.”

I barrel over to Sully and wrap him in a huge hug, laughing. “Thank you.”

He gives me a squeeze and then releases me—pointing me towards King, who is dismounting—and sends me on my way with a pat on the back.

I suck my bottom lip in to stop from laughing and crying all at once, and wait. King pulls his helmet off, grinning, and places it on the seat before he takes a step toward me with his arms outstretched.

“Hey, baby.”

I run at him, and damn near knock him to the ground with my eagerness as I launch myself into his arms. He catches me, placing both hands under my butt and capturing my mouth with his own to give me a long and hot-as-hell kiss that earns a whoop and a holler from Maria.

“Missed you,” he growls, rubbing his nose on mine. “Got so much to ask you.”

“I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”

“I told you those days wouldn’t be our only ones, that we’d have more.”

I’m lost staring into his sharp green eyes and don’t even notice Sully approach.

“Two hours, and then we’re on the road.”

King nods. “I’ll take what I can get.”

“He thinks we’re shopping though,” I say to Sully.

“And that’s what Maria and I will do,” he reassures me.

I look over my shoulder at my beautiful friend and realize why she asked me all those questions; so she knew what to buy. “You two . . .” I trail off. There’s just no words for what they’ve done.

“Enjoy yourself,” Maria says, opening the passenger door of the Escalade. “Do everything I wouldn’t do.” She closes the door before I can say a word.

King gives Sully a nod and sets me down on the concrete as they pull away. “Come on, baby. We got some catchin’ up to do.” He pulls a key from his pocket and smiles. “Picked it up earlier this morning so we wouldn’t waste any time.”

I take his hand and let him lead me to a motel room, not giving a damn that the clichéd meet is the only type we’ve had to snatch time alone. I get two hours with King. Two glorious hours to be with the man I love.

Why stop there?

I tug on his hand as we reach the door and he turns to look at me. “You okay?” His gaze falls to my stomach. “You look pale. You not feelin’ well?”

“Let’s leave,” I say. “Let’s get on your bike and go.”

He busies himself with the lock, frowning intently at it. “Two hours, Elena. That’s all I managed to jack up with that Sully guy.”

“So?” I ask, as we step into the room. “Run away with me.”

He leaves the question hanging, pulling his gun from the back of his jeans to set it down beside the keys. I spoil myself watching him move, the way his T-shirt strains as he shakes his cut off and places it gently over the back of the only chair in the room.

“You know who the father is?”

Bubble—burst.

“I’m pretty sure it’s yours.”

“Pretty sure?” he repeats, spinning around to pin me under his gaze. He shirks his T-shirt, leaving only his jeans and boots.
Not fair.

“The dates . . . they work out for you.”

He nods, seemingly satisfied. “Does he know?”

I shake my head. “I don’t want him to.”

“He’s gonna realize sooner or later, baby.” He lifts both eyebrows, giving me
that
look.

“Not if I leave first.”

King frowns, dragging a hand over his beard. “You sure it’s mine?”

“Ninety-nine-point-nine.”

His face softens as he joins me on the bed, stalking me from the foot. “You look so fuckin’ good, Elena.”

I melt every time he growls my name. “You look better.”

I lie back, trying for coy and sexy, but end up drawing his attention to my growing bump as my dress falls flat over the rise.

His eyes light up and he sits back on his heels to look me over. “Can I . . .” His hand hovers in the air.

I take it, bunching my dress up and place his hand flat, flesh to flesh. His nostrils flare as he slowly sweeps his rough palm over my stomach to trace the curves with his thumb.

“Do you know?”

“What it is?” I ask.

He nods, wide eyes still trained on my belly. “Boy or girl?”

“Not for sure, but my heart tells me it’s a boy.”

“We’re going to raise him together one day, okay?” His brow twitches, emotions warring behind those green eyes.

“I believe you,” I whisper.

He withdraws his hand, his gaze moving to find mine. “Things are complex at the moment, but you and I, I’m going to—”

“We have two hours,” I cede, reaching for his hand again. “We can talk about it later.”

He lies down beside me, tracing the side of my face with his fingers. The muscles roll in his arms under the tanned skin. Every little detail about him is so masculine: his beard, his build, the tattoos. He’s so fundamentally male it makes me want to sigh out of appreciation whenever I see him.

I place a hand to his shoulder and push so he moves to his back. His lips quirk in a smile as I climb over the top of him and straddle his hips. Taking the hem of his T-shirt in my hands, I tug. King’s stomach bunches underneath me, every delicious muscle in his torso put on full display as he lifts his shoulders off the bed and pulls my dress up over my head.

The material hits the floor, and hungry hands track a path up my stomach and under the swell of my breasts. I lay my hands on his forearms, loving the feel of his muscles moving as he pushes my breasts up and toys my nipples with his thumbs through the fabric of my bra.

“These will get bigger, right?” he asks, squeezing my boobs together in a makeshift push-up.

I chuckle. “Yes, they will.”

He gives me a grunt of appreciation and goes back to exploring my body with his hands. “I want you under me today.” His thumbs hook the straps of my bra over my shoulders.

“Get naked and I’ll think about it,” I tease.

He tosses me aside, making me laugh as I bounce on the mattress. “As you wish.”

Rolling to my stomach, I bend my knees and kick my legs behind me while I take in the amazing sight before me as King doubles over to shirk his jeans. He stands with his back to me; the muscles in his thighs flex and separate as he bends at the waist to pull the denim off his feet.

“Like what you see?” he asks, still with his back to me.

“I need to wake up to this,” I mumble, my chin propped in my hands.

“You will.” His face is somber when he turns back to me. “I mean it, Elena. Fuckin’ kills me not to have you in my bed every night.”

“Tell me more.” I kick my legs and smile as he drops his boxers.

“If I had my way, I’d give you my patch and put you on my bike, make sure you ride everywhere without any panties on so I can pull over and taste that pussy of yours whenever I want.”

I didn’t think I’d ever be one for dirty talk, but damn, the way it sounds when he says it, his voice so husky and sensual. I’m one spoilt woman. “What else?”

He reaches the bed, his cock growing and twitching. I could touch him with my tongue, he’s that close. “You’d wrap those arms around my middle, put your hands down inside my belt, and feel how fuckin’ hard you get me when you’re pressed up against my back.”

“Can we do this?” I ask, breaking the moment to sit up Indian-style.

He places his hands on his hips, standing in full nude glory without a care in the world. “Do what?”

“Everything you’ve just said.” I scoot forward and wrap my legs around his, the head of his cock tapping on the underside of my jaw as I look up his ripped body at him. “Promise me that one day you’ll claim me as yours and we’ll do that. Ride somewhere for the weekend and spend the whole time exploring each other, finding new ways, new places . . .” I drift off as he wraps his hand around the base of his erection and moves the tip upward, over my chin, and rests it on my bottom lip.

“You were saying?” he teases.

I smile and peek my tongue out, wetting the tip.

He groans, lifting his cock to slap it on my bottom lip. “Again.”

This time I go a little slower, swirling my tongue around the head. He pops his hips forward, just enough that I’m forced to open up so he doesn’t get my teeth. I wrap my lips around the top and suck, creating a vacuum.

“Fuck, baby. So soft.”

I push for more, taking him in my mouth until he hits the back of my throat. I’ve never felt more content in my life. His sighs, the groans he makes—they all cause my heart to swell knowing that I can make him this happy, this sated. I bob my head along his length, working him until he hisses between his teeth, his hand wrapped around the back of my head to guide me, and then I push back.

“Why’d you stop?” he moans.

“Because I want to feel you inside me.”

He chuckles, tipping his chin to one side. “Baby, you don’t need to worry about that. Got all intentions of sinking balls deep in that beautiful pussy.” He shoves my shoulders, tipping me on to my back. “Just gotta taste it first.”

He tugs my panties down my legs, stopping at the pinkish scar from where Carlos shot me.
Again, he has to ruin the mood without being here.
“What’s this?”

“Stupid accident. I’ll tell you about it later.”

He holds my gaze, questioning, but carries on with the removal of my underwear. King’s lips dot a kiss to the scar, and then track higher until he places his mouth over my clit and sucks. I’m done. I’m spent. He does things with his tongue I thought weren’t physically possible. My thighs clamp the sides of his head as he brings me to the brink with the tip of it, flicking the muscle over my sensitive nerves as he pushes two fingers inside.

“Yeah,” he mumbles from between my legs. “Come over my tongue, baby.”

And I do. Oh, God, I do.

I’m still coming down from the crest when he crawls over me, his shoulders bunching as he shifts his weight up my body, his abs tense. Eyes locked to mine, he slides himself in me, not saying a thing, just looking. I can’t even describe it, the feeling that no words could ever suffice in place of what is shared through a look alone.

He tells me he loves me.

He tells me he’d never hurt me.