Death Ride (Blue Bandits MC Book 5) (8 page)

“My lover?”

“Blade,” Death said and Jamie couldn’t help her response to the suggestion that Blade was her lover and found herself blurting out the one thing she was supposed to keep secret.

“Ew, he’s not my lover, that’s disgusting, he’s my brother!” Jamie exclaimed, almost gagging the suggestion was so revolting. She didn’t realize what she’d said until Death stiffened and his hand on her hip tightened.
Damn, she’d actually just told him that Evert was her brother.

“Blade’s your brother?” Death asked, his voice filled with astonishment at the revelation.

Well shit, now she’d gone and given him a clue as to what would make Evert let him run like he obviously planned to do and she had no way to take it back.

Death pressed into Becky’s back, a little floored by her last words. He was both pleased and surprised. The fact that she wasn’t Blade’s lover but instead his sister sent possessive glee shooting through him. His only thought now was—how the fuck had he kept her safe in this club of degenerates? Death knew that he must have managed somehow because she wasn’t crazy or broken. Maybe it was the giant and the other one who’d helped her bring in the tray the other morning—he’d glare at Death threateningly before he’d left them alone—who helped Blade protect her.

He felt her wiggle a bit, likely trying to put space between them but he refused to allow it. He liked her pressed against him. Feeling her body against his own was making his cock throb with pleasure. He liked the smoothness of her skin where he pressed his face into her neck and the smell of honey and roses that clung to her. He couldn’t seem to get the smell out of his head as he held her to the wall. Death knew he should already be out the door seeking his escape route but he was transfixed by the feel of her in his arms and the knowledge that she was not Blade’s lover.

She shifted again and he found his lips on her shoulder kissing the soft skin there and he heard the little gasp of pleasure she released. His hands gripped her waist and he felt his cock swell even more in anticipation of feeling her body wrapped around his. Death mentally lectured himself, trying to convince his raging libido to let her go and get the hell out of this damned Headhunter compound. Only his body wasn’t listening to his commands. Death kissed his way to her cheek, hearing another gasp before she moaned loudly, tilting her neck to give his wandering mouth better access to her flesh.

Jamie couldn’t help the feelings she was experiencing as Death’s lips flowed down her neck kissing and nipping at her skin. She was about to go up in flames, the desire his touch invoked was so strong. She’d felt it the night he’d pressed his lips to hers; despite the need to keep her mouth closed to his invasion, she’d wanted to allow his kiss. The only thing that had stopped her was fear of becoming comatose because of the lip gloss. Her whole body seemed to be attuned to the lips he pressed to her neck. It was like every nerve ending in her body was vibrating in her neck and she couldn’t hold in the moan that escaped her.

Death twisted her around suddenly, one of his hands drawing hers up above her head, and he pressed her back into the wall, his hard thick cock pressed into her lower belly. Jamie couldn’t bear the space his turning her had put between their upper bodies and she pressed forward trying to get closer. Death leaned into her heavily seeming to understand her silent plea. His lips were suddenly on hers and she couldn’t seem to find where she ended and he began. She felt his tongue brush across her bottom lip and she gasped, opening her lips to allow his invasion. Death took advantage, quickly thrusting his tongue into her mouth and she felt her body melting into his. Jamie didn’t understand why his touch made her almost mindless with desire because no other man’s touch had ever left her weak in the knees like his did. Nor had any man taken such control over her body without her protesting but Death’s body pinning hers to the wall left her breathless.

She moaned mournfully when his lips left hers moving down to kiss around her neck again. His hand, which had been at her waist, was sliding beneath her shirt. She was lost in the sensations he was creating inside her in a way she’d never felt before. Her mind was consumed with his caressing hand and his mouth on her body. Her own hands were trapped above her head in one of his and she was shocked that panic wasn’t overtaking her at the rough treatment. Ever since the night Slither had attacked her, she would panic whenever a man—or hell, anyone—tried to contain her. It was like her mind shut down and her body started reacting instinctively without her permission.

Jamie twisted slightly rubbing the aching tips of her breasts against his chest, needing more stimulation. A rough growl escaped Death and both his hands tightened, and that was when it happened. Something about the noise and the way his grip bordered on too tight triggered the mindless panic that still sometimes devoured her. Jamie tried to push it back like she always did, inwardly screaming
not now, please not now,
but as usual it didn’t listen to her.  It took her all of ten seconds to go from breathless with desire to mindless panic. Suddenly she was pushing against his shoulders trying to get him to release her as she felt tears begin pouring down her cheeks and she fought him wildly.

It took Death a moment to realize that Becky was no longer a willing participant in their embrace and as he pulled back releasing her hands and her body, he was shocked by her appearance. He stared at the tears pouring down her face and the way she fought the air, not realizing for a moment that she’d been released. She was crying so hard she let out little hiccupping sounds as she slid down the wall landing on the floor with her arms wrapping around her knees. Death stared down at her for a long moment, his shock at the fear he’d caused roaring through him. Watching her rock back and forth, he knew that this wasn’t normal. Panic like this didn’t happen from one second to the next unless there was a reason.

Death’s hands tightened into fists and his body stiffened, his shoulders aching from the tightness that roared inside him. He knew this wasn’t about him grabbing her and kissing her. No, this was about something that had happened to her at some point in the past, likely a rape or beating, and something he’d done had triggered a latent memory causing her to panic. A muscle began jumping in his jaw and his fingernails dug into the palms of his hands while the need to destroy whatever or whoever had hurt her roared to life inside him. He stared at her rocking form trying hard to get a handle on his anger. He moved to kneel in front of her, reaching out gently and speaking softly, trying to calm her.

“Shh-hh Becky, sweetheart, it’s all right. Just calm down, you’re safe, you’re safe.” Her crying had stopped but she still rocked back and forth as she seemingly tried to get a grip on reality. Death waited patiently, speaking to her in a soothing voice trying to help her calm down. He was unsure what else to do besides talk to her and hold her hands to try and help because of her panicked state.

“Don’t call me that,” she finally said after a long while of him sitting in front of her trying to get her to calm. Her hands were shaking as she wiped at her face trying to erase the tear stains. He didn’t know what she was referring to for a moment because he’d just been saying whatever came to mind while trying not to explode from the fury building inside him.

“You don’t like being called sweetheart?” Death asked, because that was the only thing he’d said besides her name in the last few minutes.

“No, Becky.”

He looked at her in confusion wondering what she meant. Why didn’t she want him calling her by name? It didn’t make sense. He stared at her rocking form for a long moment trying to work it out but he couldn’t.

“Why don’t you want me to call you by your name?”

“Because it’s not my name. My name’s Jamie. Evert just didn’t want you to know,” she said, looking up at him with a tearstained face that ripped his guts to shreds, making him realize that despite escaping the chains he wasn’t leaving, at least not until he figured out what was going on with her.
Well fuck
.

“Okay, now I need to know, who is Evert?” Death demanded, unsure why this faceless man annoyed him so much.

“Blade,” she managed to hiccup out, burying her face into her knees again.

“Blade what? I want to know who Evert is.” Death didn’t understand why was she saying Blade when he’d asked about who Evert was.

“Evert is Blade’s real name. The one our mother gave him at birth and not that ridiculous handle everyone calls him,” she grunted, looking up for the first time without tears in her eyes. Death snickered because really, Blade’s name was Evert? What a pussy name. He couldn’t help chuckling just a little over that.

“Why are you laughing? I’m sure you have a real name too.” Jamie rolled her eyes at him and he grinned wider, loving that she didn’t really understand road names.

“Yeah, I do,” Death said, amusement evident in his voice.

“Are you going to share it so I don’t have to call you Death?”

“Not in this lifetime, sweetness.”

“Arrgh, you’re as much of a pain in the ass as my brother is, I hope you know that.” Jamie was no longer rocking and she now looked annoyed instead of panicked. Death liked that much better. She was sitting on the floor with her hands resting on her knees and a frown curling her lips. Lips he wanted to kiss again but he was afraid to touch her because of the way she’d reacted. It was very apparent to him that she’d been attacked at some point in the past. Death wasn’t pleased that Blade hadn’t protected her.

“Why did you panic?”

“I—that’s not what happ—” she began but Death cut her off.

“Jamie, I know something caused you to panic while I was kissing you so don’t insult me by saying nothing happened. I know the difference between an inexperienced woman and a traumatized one,” Death growled, watching her with his arms crossed as he stood above her looking down. She probably felt as if he were looming over her but at the moment he didn’t care. It angered him that she wasn’t telling him what he wanted to know.

“Fine, something did happen a long time ago but it wasn’t a big deal and I don’t intend to share it with you. I barely know you. You’re also planning to try and use me as a human shield. So no, I won’t share a painful memory with you, a virtual stranger.” Jamie finished her speech and using the wall stood up, her eyes meeting his when she was on her feet before quickly looking away.

“I won’t use you as a shield, just tell me what happened, damn it,” Death growled, a little exasperated with her.

“No, like I said I don’t know you and it’s not any of your business. How do you plan on getting out of here without using me as a shield?” Jamie asked, likely worried he would harm her brother and his friends he’d bet. Damn it, he really hated that he wanted to know what happened to her and she wouldn’t tell him. He also knew that he wasn’t going anywhere until he had satisfied his curiosity.

“Fine. I’ll stay but tell your brother I won’t allow him to chain me up again. I’ll give him a week but I need to be able to talk to my vice to inform him I’m staying of my own free will. Otherwise no deal and I will be leaving without his approval,” Death grumbled, his insides clamping because it went against the grain for him to say that when he’d been kidnapped by the man.

“I’ll try to talk to him but I can’t promise he’ll go for it,” Jamie said, tilting her head to stare at him for a minute before she continued. “I can tell you that they’ll be guards and you won’t be allowed out of this room if he does go for it.”

“I figured,” Death replied. He knew that he wouldn’t get to run around the compound discovering all their secrets before she’d even said it. Blade was too smart for that.

“Okay, then I’ll ask but I can’t promise that he will go for it,” Jamie muttered.

“He will if he wants me to listen to whatever he needs from me.”

Jamie nodded and she moved towards the door but stopped about a foot from it and turned to look at him. She seemed to mentally debate something but finally she spoke. “I don’t know if I will be allowed to bring you your meals anymore with you being out of the chains so I just want you to know that what happened earlier wasn’t your fault. It’s nothing you did.”

She turned and exited the room before he could reply. Death stared at the door wondering if she had been raped by someone. His insides boiled thinking about it but he would just have to wonder until she was willing to share with him what had happened to her. Funny thing was he knew he wasn’t going anywhere until she did, even if he had told her he would only be here a week. His crew could muddle on without him for a little while. They were a strong group of men who weren’t going to implode without him. Mack and Reaper would hold them together while he figured out what it was about Jamie that he couldn’t resist.

Jamie left Death’s room with her heart still jumping and tear streaks on her face. The second she stepped out of the door Crook scowled darkly, his fists balling at his sides.

“What the hell did he do?” Crook demanded, his voice almost a roar as he moved towards her and tried to lift her out of the way, most likely intending to go into the room.

“Wait. Wait. He didn’t do anything, Crook,” Jamie said, clinging to his shoulders and trying to stop him from entering the room.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Evert demanded, coming down the hall from Lissa’s room. Lissa was behind him wearing a light blue shirt and jean shorts, her hair a little mussed and her lips swollen. Jamie smiled a little because she’d bet they’d been kissing when they heard the yelling.

“He’s done something to make her cry,” Crook growled, setting her on her feet having removed her from his back. 

“I do believe you can direct your questions to me and leave her alone, Evert,” Death said, opening the door and leaning on the frame, watching them all.

Shit, why hadn’t he waited till she could talk to Evert?  Damn him for calling her brother Evert because that was going to get her into trouble. She glared at him from behind Crook but he just grinned and winked at her.

Evert’s eyes narrowed on her when she glanced at him and she turned red and looked away because she knew she would be getting a lecture about that one. Likely a long one, damn it. Lissa suddenly started laughing loudly and everyone turned to her as she doubled over in a fit of giggles. Evert glared at her darkly, his hands on his hips.

“What’s so damned funny?” he growled, stepping closer to her.

“Th-that he’s calling you E-evert too now,” she panted out, trying to stop laughing.

“Damn it, Jamie,” Evert growled.

“Like I said leave her be. We should talk now,” Death said, a serious look on his face as he met Evert’s eyes with his own. They watched each other for a long moment before he nodded and he was moving towards the door, stopping only to hand Crook his gun before he entered the door and shut it behind them, leaving Jamie and Crook standing in the hall with a still giggling Lissa. Crook glared at the door and pushed Evert’s gun into his belt before leaning on the wall across from the door and glared at it.

Jamie wanted to press her ear to the door so she could hear what they were talking about but she knew Crook wouldn’t let her so she sighed and turned away. Lissa was still standing behind her so she grabbed her arm and dragged her away with her.

Death observed Blade enter the room with a dark frown on his face, his arms crossed over his chest as Death watched him. He leaned back on the door when it was closed behind him. Death waited for him to speak. He knew that he was staying here until he figured out what was going on between him and Jamie. Eventually he would have to head back to the Bandits but for a while he would stay and explore his need to protect her.

“How did you get out of those chains?” Blade asked, making him grin.

“You really think I am going to just tell you that?” Death asked, one brow rising in question.

“Nope, but it was worth asking in case you were.”

Death snorted. Yeah, he would guess that was true. He’d always liked Blade whenever he’d encountered him but they were on opposite sides of a war. Watching him stand there, Death could see some similarities between them. Blade was ready to take him down despite his casual pose. Death could tell by the tightness of his muscles and the way his eyes tracked his movements when he shifted. It was really too bad he was on the wrong side; he’d bet Blade was a decent man.

“Won’t allow you to chain me again,” Death stated flatly.

“Don’t know about that but if you can convince me not to try then maybe.”

“A week. That’s all I’ll give you and I need to talk to my men.”

“You think I’ll let you just talk to your crew? Do you think I’m an idiot?” Blade asked, tilting his head to watch him.

“No, which is why you’ll let me talk to them. It’s only a matter of time before they come in here to get me. I know you don’t want anyone innocent hurt when they do any more than I do,” Death said, knowing Blade would catch his meaning. Neither of them wanted Jamie hurt and that was a common ground they could start from but Death wasn’t sure it was going to do them any good.

“You think they could get in? I can promise it’s not as easy as one would expect it to be,” Blade said grinning.

Watching him and knowing that Blade wasn’t an idiot, unlike most of the Headhunters, he could almost believe it. Death couldn’t understand what the other man’s end game was with this kidnapping. It was obvious at this point it wasn’t about trying to kill him or get control of his MC despite his sending Jamie in to soften him up.

“I would hope not for your sister’s sake.”

“Shit, why can’t that girl keep her mouth shut,” Blade growled, punching his leg to release some of the anger he felt.

“It isn’t her fault. I caught her at a weak moment and she said it before she realized what she’d said,” Death defended, unhappy with his words.

“Yeah, about that. Why was she crying?” Blade asked, an edge entering his voice that Death recognized from his own tone from a moment ago.

“I grabbed her when she came it and she reacted poorly,” Death said after a moment, leaving out the part that he’d kissed her senseless first. He’d bet Blade wouldn’t be too happy about that part of the equation if he told him.

“Fuck,” Blade said, pushing off the wall and turning to slam his hand into the wall behind him. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he said again as he pummeled the wall, rage clear on his features as he did so. Death knew he could have taken the man down in that moment while he was distracted by the rage he was currently experiencing but he wanted to know if Blade would give him what Jamie wouldn’t—answers.

“What happened?”

“Fuck, she was young, fucking fifteen, and some sick fucker tried to rape her. Bam saved her but she was traumatized. It fucking kills me,” Blade replied. “Kind of how this whole thing started really.”

Death didn’t know what he meant but he waited, watching Blade who was looking at his knuckles ruefully. They were bleeding and there was a hole in the wall next to the door now but he seemed to have calmed down a bit. Death was going to question what he meant when the door opened and two men stood there with Crook, guns drawn.

“Everything all right?” one of them asked.

“We’re good,” Blade said curtly, waving a hand for them to shut the door. The man and Blade had a brief staring contest before he nodded and shut the door, leaving him and Death alone again.

“Right, I need to contact Reaper today. Or things might get ugly, Blade.”

“Fine but only because I want to make this work and the only way that can happen is if we learn to trust each other,” Blade finally said after a long moment.

Blade handed him his phone, which Death took, sitting on the edge of the bed and dialing. Reaper answered after four rings, his voice hard, and the first words he said made a smile spring to Death’s lips.

“Give me back my president or I will destroy your fucking club, motherfucker.”

“Is that any way to talk to your prez?” Death asked.

“Death?” Reaper asked.

“Yep,” Death said but before he could explain, Reaper hooted out a happy cry.

“Fuck, I knew you’d manage to get away from them. Do you need us to come help you clean up the rest of those fuckers or did you kill them all?” he asked, and Death winced a little.

“Not that simple I’m afraid. I need to stay for a little longer and I need the club to back off for a while,” Death explained. He could almost hear the wheels turning in Reaper’s head when he didn’t speak for a long moment. His vice was trying to work out why he’d need to stay with the Headhunters for anything and likely coming up blank.

“Why?”

“Can’t say but I need to stay for now,” Death said, knowing what was coming next before Reaper even spoke.

“How do I know that they’re not forcing you to say this?” Reaper asked, waiting for the password they’d agreed upon years ago for situations just like this one.

“Lily,” Death said, knowing that Reaper would be floored by that one word because he thought they were forcing him to call, but now he knew Death was seriously here of his own free will.

“How long?” Reaper asked, having recovered from the shock.

“Week at least, possibly more, don’t know yet. Make sure no one comes in. Call them all off. There are innocents involved and if they’re hurt, I will not be happy,” Death growled, knowing Reaper well enough to know he might already be ready to strike and go without Death’s approval if he felt Death was somehow compromised despite the password he’d provided.

“Wouldn’t that be a reason for us to come in? We know not to harm someone who’s a victim, Death,” Reaper muttered, sounding a little pissed at him for suggesting otherwise.

“Again, not that simple. Something’s different here and they would fight and not to get free. I’ll be in touch,” Death explained.

“I see. I’m not happy but I will defer to you for now but I want a call in two days so I know you’re okay and they weren’t just fucking with your head somehow,” Reaper demanded.

“Done. One other thing before you go. Sheba,” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he asked about her, wondering if he’d have to kill Blade despite their temporary truce.

“She’s fine. We picked her up at the club. She’s currently sitting safe and sound in my garage.” Death could hear a smile in Reaper’s voice. “You want us to bring her to you?”

“Fuck no, I don’t want these assholes anywhere near my bike. Just keep her safe till I get back,” Death said and a few minutes later he hung up.

Blade was snickering as he leaned on the door and when he saw Death glaring at him he spoke. “You named your fucking bike. You can’t be serious.”

“Fuck off,” Death said, throwing the phone at his head but Blade’s hand snapped out, catching it before it hit him between the eyes like Death had wanted, and he growled unhappily.

“You’ll have to stay in this room and the guards will be doubled so don’t think you’ve just tricked me into letting my guard down. I won’t have you running off before I get what I want,” Blade said, leaning back into the door and watching him with his arms crossed over his chest and his right brow raised.

“What is it you want anyway?” Death asked.

“You to cut a deal with my MC not to go after us. We can work out territory rights too,” Blade replied.

Death almost started laughing at the utter ridiculousness of that request. Did Blade seriously think he was going to let the Headhunters continue their reign of terror in his territory, or anywhere near it for that matter? If he did, the man had lost his mind, but for now Death was here and he would stay for a week or until he figured out why Jamie got under his skin so much. It was obvious that Blade had issues protecting her and he was going to offer to take her with him in order to fix that. He wasn’t leaving her with these assholes to be almost raped again. He knew it was only a matter of time before Blade wasn’t here when something happened and one of the other men tried to grab her. He couldn’t allow that to happen to her because just the idea sent darkness curling through his veins like whips made of lightning.

“I’ll agree to discuss it but I’m not sure it will be something I agree to,” Death finally informed him, watching Blade nod at him.

“Once you know what we’re doing, I think we can come to an agreement.” Blade seemed pretty sure of himself but Death wasn’t too optimistic. “As for my sister, you hurt her in any way and all bets are off. I will kill you.”

“I’m not the one who has a habit of hurting innocents. That’s your club’s MO, not mine,” Death growled, because even the idea of hurting Jamie made his stomach twist into a tight knot.

“Good. Just remember not to get any ideas of using her to get out and we’re good.”

Death nodded even though that had been his plan this morning when he’d escaped the chains, but now the idea was not necessary. He would stay and pretend to give Blade the benefit of the doubt despite his knowledge that the likelihood that he would agree to allow Headhunters to have a portion of his territory was slim to none. He was staying because of Jamie and the odd feelings she provoked inside him.