Broken (Soldiers of Darkness MC Book 1) (32 page)

‘And you’re OK with that, are you?’

I narrow my eyes as I stare back at him. ‘You got something you want to say to me, Odi?’

He leans back against the counter behind him and folds his arms. ‘If he wanted your help to track her down, to finish her off, would you be up for that, Mack?’

Yeah. I’m really not in the mood for this. ‘What Viper does is his own business. And I told you, I ain’t getting involved in shit that don’t concern us no more.’

‘That don’t answer my question.’

I look at him, but I ain’t getting into this. ‘Izzi’s gone, and I have no idea where she is. If Viper wants to track her down that’s up to him, I’m done with that crap now.’

Odi raises an eyebrow, but like I said, I’m done with this. So I pull myself away from the bar and head down to my room at the back of the clubhouse, kicking open the door with probably more force than was necessary. And that wakes the pretty, dark-haired girl I spent most of last night fucking just to take my mind off all that crap I just told Odi I’m done with.

‘Jesus, Mack, come in why don’t you?’

She sits up and the sheet falls down to her waist, exposing her pert tits, and the sight of them stirs my frustrated cock and, come on, I can’t ignore that, can I? I might be pissed but I’m not made of fucking stone.

She smiles as I unzip my jeans and stride over to her, pushing her back into the mattress, spreading her legs with my knee. ‘Time to say good morning, darlin’.’

She takes me willingly, and as soon as I sink into her warm pussy I breathe a sigh of relief. This ain’t gonna take long, and I don’t want her hanging around here any longer than she has to. I just need to get my frustration out then she can fuck off and go join the rest of the biker whores who frequent this place, all hoping I’m gonna choose them to be my old lady. Ain’t gonna happen. But, hey, I’ll happily give them a little bit of what Mack Slayer has to offer.

My whole body tenses up as I feel the climax take hold, and within seconds I’m coming, and she’s gripping me like a freakin’ vice, which just causes more spasms and I shoot more out into her,
Jesus! I needed this!

I’m done. I pull out and zip myself back up, turning away from her without another glance.

‘Is that it?’

I can do without her whining. She should think herself lucky she got in my bed at all never mind stayed the night. Sleepovers aren’t really my thing, I can do without the mixed signals it sends to those mamas who want in big time.

‘Get dressed and get outta here, darlin’. I’ve got work to do.’

‘You doing anything tonight?’

I turn around, and she’s kneeling up on the bed, all naked and pretty but it’s doing shit for me now. I’m feeling nothing. ‘I’m busy, sweetheart.’ I pick up her T-shirt that’s lying on the chair by the door and throw it at her. ‘Come on. I ain’t got time for this. Put your clothes on and get outta here.’

She pulls the T-shirt on and walks over to me, reaching out to run her fingers over my chin but I grab hold of her wrist to stop her, my eyes burning into hers; she needs to get the message.

‘Didn’t you hear me, darlin’?’

She smiles, and then she backs away because they all get the message in the end. Mack Slayer dropped the ball for a while. He got distracted. But he’s back now. He’s back…

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Izzi

‘All done, princess.’

I wince slightly as Zeb wipes the last of the excess ink from my brand new tattoo – a skull and thorns that covers my left shoulder blade. It’s taken two days to complete and my skin feels raw with fresh pain but it’s worth it. It’s another badge to mark my new existence. I’m slowly but surely branding myself with more of these designs; covering my skin with ink to show the world who I am now.

He leans forward and gently kisses just to the right of my tattoo, and I shiver as his hands rest on my hips. The sun is just about to set but it’s still warm here out in the front yard of the place I now call home; a modest-sized, fairly secluded one-storey house. I don’t know where we are, exactly, I mean, I’m still getting my bearings in a country that continues to be alien to me. But I know we’re somewhere just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. And I know I’m safe. Sam’s assured me of that, and I trust him. I trust Zeb – with my life.

‘You OK?’ Zeb asks, and his hands remain on my hips, his fingers lightly stroking my skin.

I nod, and I lean back against him, and then I remember the fresh tattoo and I jump forward, and he laughs. ‘Bastard.’ I can’t help laughing, too. ‘I’ll be sleeping on my stomach again tonight, then.’

He moves his mouth up next to my ear and his laugh turns low and dirty. ‘Taking you from behind is fine by me, darlin’.’

Another shiver wracks my body and I turn around and kiss him, our fingers sliding together as they rest on my thigh. ‘Thank you,’ I whisper, and he touches my face, his thumb lightly stroking my cheek.

‘For what?’

‘I dunno.’ I cover his hand with mine, and I look up into his dark, almost black eyes. ‘For everything.’

He smiles, and it’s a wide and beautiful smile that changes his entire face from cold and hard to something completely different; something even I never get to see that often in him. I don’t think it’s a side of himself he likes showing. ‘We ain’t done yet, Izzi.’

I squeeze his hand and return his smile. ‘No. I don’t think we are.’

He kisses the tip of my nose and lets go of my hand. ‘I’ve gotta go make a few calls. I’ll bring beer.’ He climbs off his stool and winks at me before retreating back into the house. I contemplate following him, because I’d quite like to get a look at my new ink and I kind of need a mirror to do that, but the appearance of Sam stops me from heading inside just yet.

‘All done?’ he asks, sitting himself down on Zeb’s recently vacated stool.

‘Yeah. All done.’ I twist my shoulder round slightly so he can check out my tattoo, and he smiles his approval.

‘Looks good on you.’

I turn to face him, crossing my legs up underneath myself. ‘Everything all right?’

He says nothing for a second or two, he just looks at me, and that makes me slightly nervous. I’ve spent too much time with this man not to recognize when he’s got something on his mind.

‘Sam? Is everything all right?’

‘Do you think about him, Izzi? Do you think about Mack?’

I’m slightly startled by his question, but not completely surprised. Sam might come across as a dangerous man who’s lived the kind of life I only ever thought existed in movies, but I know he regrets not having Mack in his life. I know he wanted that. And I miss him, too. I’m just not letting myself dwell on what could have been. It’s pointless. ‘Sometimes.’

I watch as he bows his head, and I think it’s the first time I’ve sensed any vulnerability in him. And it’s a touch unnerving. Things seem to be shifting; changing. And I’m not sure I’m all that comfortable with it. ‘You and Zeb…’ He trails off and raises his gaze, his eyes meeting mine, and when they do there’s no vulnerability there now. That’s just disappeared. It’s gone.

‘What about us?’

He looks at me, and I’m confused by this whole conversation but I’m not going to push it. And then he shakes his head and stands up, throwing me a smile that I know means he doesn’t want to continue this. Neither do I. My shoulder’s really beginning to sting now and all I want to do is drink that beer Zeb promised he’d bring me and chill out here on the lawn.

‘You hungry?’ he asks in a major conversation shift.

‘Not at the minute.’ I jerk my head back, indicating my tattoo, and he smiles again.

‘Well, just let me know when you are. I’ll order some take-out.’

I watch as he returns to the house. And I wish with all my heart he hadn’t mentioned Mack.

Mack

I can’t do it. I thought I could, I thought I could just go back to how it was before but I can’t do it. It’s been almost six months and I still can’t get her out of my head. I still can’t stop the sick feeling in my stomach at the thought of something happening to her, that I could prevent. And I hate myself for putting her before this club, but that’s exactly what I’m doing now. Because I have no choice.

‘Odi. Can I have a word?’

Odi’s working on his bike but he looks up as I approach, placing the wrench he’s holding down on the leather seat. ‘Sure. What’s up?’

I reach into my pocket and he watches as I lay the President’s rocker in his hand.

‘What the fuck…?’

He looks at me, but he already knows what’s happening.

‘Jesus, Mack…’ he sighs, his fingers closing in around the rocker.

‘I’ve gotta do it, Odi. I can’t get her out of my head, and if Viper really is looking for her… I can’t let anything happen to her. I can’t.’

‘Do you know what you’re doing, bro?’

I shake my head, because I have no fucking clue, not really. But for once in my sorry fucking life I’m following my heart, and just the thought of that makes me smile, because I can’t believe I’m even thinking about shit like that. What the hell is wrong with me? Mack Slayer – the man with the cold heart and the hard cock, letting himself be swayed by a woman.

‘Look, Mack… what about…?’

‘I can’t let Viper know I’m leaving to look for her, Odi, you know that. If he thinks that’s what I’ve done all kinds of shit’ll kick off. So I need you to take over, and I need you to tell everyone that I’ve left because I just need to get my head together; because Sam turning up like that fucked with it big time. Let them think I’m weak, just for a little while. I got friends in Washington State, and as far as everyone else is concerned that’s where I’m heading. I’ve left leads, briefed a few guys over that neck of the woods, just in case Viper wants to check my story out. Because he might. You know he probably will. But I’ve got it covered.’

‘Shit! Mack, are you sure…?’

I bow my head and rake a hand over my hair, breathing in deep. ‘All I know is I have to find her, Odi. I have to find her because she fucking killed me. She got inside my head and she never really left, she never let go, and I can’t live like this. I can’t.’

‘Mack Slayer letting a woman get to him, huh?’

I smile, because it’s fucking crazy, what’s happening here. But she won’t leave me alone, and when she asked if I’d ever been in love I wasn’t lying when I said I hadn’t. But I was close. Man, I was so fucking close, I must be, if she’s driving me to this.

‘D’you have any idea where she might be?’

I lean back against the wall and pull a cigarette from my cut pocket. ‘I’ve been asking around. And Sam, he left a few clues, that night. Clues I’ve tried to ignore, because I wanted to think they were too obvious. I mean, why would he make it so easy for me to at least hazard a guess as to where he was taking her? But I’m kinda banking on that being the case now.’

‘Clues?’ Odi frowns and accepts the cigarette I offer him.

I light up and blow smoke up into the clear blue sky. ‘Yeah. I noticed a card, in his pocket, the night he was here at the clubhouse. I remember it had a number on it, and I’m almost positive it was an Albuquerque area code.’

‘Sounds a bit too easy to me, bro.’

I shrug and take another drag on my cigarette. ‘Maybe. But right now it’s all I’ve got.’

‘So, all this time you’ve had an idea where she might be?’

I nod, but I don’t look at him. Because all this time I’ve been kinda lying to him, and this club, telling them I had no idea where she was, when I had
some
idea. And it was enough to get her into trouble. ‘I couldn’t say anything, Odi. I couldn’t. If Viper found out…’ I trail off and keep my eyes down on the ground, watching as ash from my cigarette falls onto the concrete. ‘I couldn’t say anything and I’m… I’m sorry, OK? I never wanted to lie to you or anyone in this club but…’

‘You still care about her, huh?’

I raise my gaze and throw him a weak smile. ‘Yeah. I guess. Too much to forget what I know.’

‘And you think they’ll still be there? I mean, it’s been almost six months now. Maybe they’ve moved on.’

I shrug again and take another drag. ‘Maybe. But I’ve gotta try, Odi.’

Odi leans back against his bike. ‘I think you’re crazy. And I dunno whether she’s worth all the crap, Mack, but…’

He don’t finish that sentence, and that’s wise. I don’t want his opinion.

‘When are you leaving?’

‘Right now. I’ve loaded the few things I need onto the bike and I’m outta here.’

‘You ain’t riding there, are you? Jesus, Mack, we’re talking New Mexico.’

‘It’ll take a couple of days, if I don’t stop too often. And I’m quite looking forward to the time alone. It’ll give me a chance to get my head together. To think straight.’

‘Could be a wasted journey. And even if she
is
there, how the hell are you gonna track her down?’

I throw my cigarette onto the ground and grind it into the concrete with the heel of my boot. ‘I’ll find her.’

‘You gonna be OK?’

I smile, because once more the loyalty of these brothers is unsurpassed, even if they don’t agree entirely with what I’m doing. And I know I’m crazy for leaving the only security; the only family I’ve ever known behind for something so uncertain, but I need to do this. I need to find her. I need to know. ‘I’m gonna be fine.’

‘Yeah.’ He moves forward and hugs me, and for a brief second I wonder what the hell I’m doing. But then I remember her face; the way she made me feel shit I’d never felt before. I remember I liked it. I never forgot that. So I’m going. ‘Yeah. I know you are.’

‘Look after this chapter, Odi. Please. It’s all I fucking know so – look after it.’