Gone (Sons of Judah MC Book 1)

This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons--living or dead--is entirely coincidental.

Gone copyright @ 2015 by Kathryn Thomas. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Book 1 of the
Sons of Judah MC
trilogy

Chapter One

If Stacy had ever known that her life would turn so completely on that bright Sunday morning, she would have been a little more prepared for it. When she opened the door of the luxurious two-storied house in a posh Chicago suburb, she was dressed in white jeans, a pale blue shirt, and a scarf thrown casually around her neck. The man who stood in front of her was at least a foot taller. The bright blue eyes that pinned her to the spot were captivating.

“Hi. Is Ned home?”

For a moment, his voice didn’t register in her brain. She was too enthralled by the high cheekbones, the full lips, and the straight aquiline nose that formed a face which could only be described as breathtakingly gorgeous. He belonged on the cover of a magazine, perhaps on the set of a movie. She would pay good money to watch this hunk on screen. “Who?”

“Ned Alexander,” he spoke softly, slowly, as if he was addressing an imbecile. “This was the address that I was given.”

“Ah! Ned.” Stacy wanted the floor to open and for her to dive inside. She couldn’t have made a bigger fool of herself.
Oh well!
This is what divorce did to someone. From someone who barely looked at a man to someone who was dazzled by the sight of the first pretty face she saw this month, she had come a long way indeed. “He isn’t here.”

She expected the man to walk away or leave a message, but he walked in before she could stop him. “No problem. I’ll wait for him. My name is Marco.”

She paused for just a moment to admire his wide shoulders and the lean, narrow waist that sat so well above strong, powerful legs that were enclosed in faded, dark jeans. Maybe she should be scared because he was a complete stranger. After all, he could be a murderer or a rapist, but some instinct told her to relax. This man wouldn’t hurt her.

Still she wasn’t comfortable with the idea of letting him in, but the way he stood, she doubted he would go out and wait for Ned on the patio. “I’m Stacy. The thing is…I have no idea when he will come back, so you might have to wait for a long time.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Maybe you could wait outside,” she suggested.

“It’s pretty hot outside.” He smiled and didn’t budge from his position.

Stacy didn’t like to be put in this situation. If she didn’t have urgent business to discuss with her ex, she wouldn’t have come here. He was the one who called her, and now he wasn’t home. If she hadn’t known where he put his extra key, she would’ve had to wait outside also. And added to all this stress was this guy. Who the hell was he?

Maybe she could leave, but then she didn’t relish the idea of coming back to talk to Ned. Might as well finish this work so that she could be free. Ned would definitely not like that she allowed him to stay inside. Oh well, it wasn’t any of her business. She was here merely to get some work done, and as soon as Ned arrived, she would do that and leave. As it was, the ex-wife of a lawyer learned soon enough that if she wanted a peaceful and amicable divorce, it paid to keep on good terms with the cheating, philandering bastard who promised to love her till the last breath barely two years ago.

She didn’t quite know what to do. The man made her nervous, and yet she wasn’t scared. “Why don’t you come in the kitchen? I was just about to make a cup of coffee. Would you like one?”

He looked a little taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected such a warm welcome. “Sure.”

His voice was rich and throaty. It sent a shiver of delight through her nerves. Stacy could imagine making love to this man. An image popped in her head; her limbs entwined with his, her hands on his bare skin, and her lips kissing him. Shaken by the punch of lust that drove through her gut, she led the way into the kitchen. “Nice place,” he said.

She cast a glance at the white, gleaming walls, the art deco cabinets, the kitchen table, and the monstrous fridge. “Yeah, well, not mine.”

“Oh! I thought you were the wife.”

“I was officially the wife until a month ago, but we separated long before that,” she replied, as she turned on the coffee maker.

When she turned to face him, he cocked his head and looked at her. “Recently divorced? What are you doing here then?”

It wasn’t any of his business, but she was the one who popped open that door. Stacy sighed, as she took down two cups from the cabinet. “Some issues still need to be resolved.”

And of course, the bastard that he was, Ned would make her work for everything. It wasn’t enough that she blindly signed a prenuptial agreement before marriage that gave her zilch in case of a divorce, he was even making her count each penny before he doled it out. Still, she considered it a deal she could live with. When she found him in bed with a prostitute six months ago, all she wanted was to sever all ties as soon as possible.

And now six months later, she was pretty much free and able to ogle a handsome hunk who viewed her with equal interest. Or maybe she was just imagining things. Perhaps she was projecting her feelings onto him, because certainly that spark of lust she saw in his eyes couldn’t be real.

“What’s your name?” he asked abruptly.

Stacy poured the coffee and handed him the cup. His fingers brushed over hers for just the tiniest fraction of a second and the hot lance of desire that careened through her nerves was all too real. She’d never felt this way about another man, and Stacy just wasn’t sure what to make of this.

“Stacy,” she said.

“Do you work?”

“I am the assistant manager at Hotel Affinia,” she said. “And you? What do you do?”

Much to her amazement, he laughed. “I am a go-to guy.”

She raised an eyebrow. “A go-to guy. What is that?”

“I am the guy my organization goes to when things aren’t working out as planned.”

She’d dealt with enough shady people to know that he wasn’t telling her everything. “And what is the name of your organization?”

“The Sons of Judah. We’re a—”

“A biker gang. I know.” She sipped coffee. Alright, so she hadn’t pegged him to be a gangster. Well, that’s not what her ex-husband used to call them, but that’s how she thought about the biker gangs that he represented during their misadventures with the law. She was quite aware that her husband had ties with several organizations that skirted the law, but that was his work. He was paid to get them out of trouble. While this guy, he worked for them.

“Yeah, that’s what we are.”

He didn’t look abashed. Even though she was married to Ned, Stacy never had any reason to hang out with any of his clients. Some of the people whom he worked with were hard and rough. Stacy grew up in the suburbs of Washington in a very nice neighborhood. Her parents made sure she went to the best private school. She never associated with people who were often on the wrong side of the law. Marco certainly was that, and yet she found him fascinating.

Perhaps ever since she left Ned, her taste had deteriorated, or maybe she was looking for some excitement in her life after the dull existence she lived for the past many years. Whatever it was, she was more than taken aback with the interest she had in this man. Ordinarily, she would have stayed far, far away, but just now she was intrigued.

He was way more rough and unpolished than the men she was used to, but maybe that was where his appeal lay.

“So you are an enforcer?”

“Right on.

She drank some more of her coffee. “Are you trying to scare me?”

“Are you scared, darling?”

The way he emphasized the word ‘darling’ made her wet her panties. Oh yes, he was coming on to her. Apparently, he didn’t care that she was ex-wife to the man who saved their hides in court. Or perhaps that was her appeal to him. “Not really. I’ve seen worse.”

“Have you?”

She chose not to answer him. “I really should go. Ned will be along shortly.”

“And what about the work you came here to do?”

“I guess I’ll do it another day.” She certainly didn’t have any intention of sticking around and waiting for Ned. It was obvious that he was taking some perverse pleasure in making her sweat. As she picked up the purse she’d dropped earlier on the counter, he stood, too. Stacy froze. But he merely picked up his cup and came over to the sink to wash it. After rinsing it, he put it on the board to dry. When he turned towards her, she stared into his eyes.

Stacy wasn’t sure what came over her. Perhaps it was insanity or maybe a fuse in her brain blew out. Her purse slid out of her grasp and fell on the floor. She wasn’t sure which one of them made the move. Maybe it was him, or perhaps it was her. Suddenly, she was in his arms and his lips were hot on hers. The kiss was hot, demanding. Her arms twirled around his neck, and she shuffled closer to him. Her breasts pushed against his hard chest. She’d never kissed a stranger before, and yet here she was clinging to one as if her life depend on it.

A part of her wanted to stop.

A part of her wanted to continue until she got the desired results.

The sensible Stacy, the dependable Stacy, would have stepped away, but for some reason she was frozen into shock. The new Stacy was bolder, hungrier. Her tongue darted into his mouth and met him stroke for stroke. She tasted every inch of his mouth and found great delight in it. His hands sneaked around her waist, and she felt the warmth of them.

Making out with a stranger was far more exciting than she ever realized.

Stacy ran her tongue over his lips, and in response, he pushed her against the counter. His cock was already straining against his jeans and she felt the hard bulge of it. This was the time to stop. She didn’t even know this guy. Ned could walk in at any moment. Any number of things could happen. But she simply couldn’t obey the commands of her frazzled brain. Her fingers fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, and it came off. He took off hers. They both wriggled out of their jeans without breaking contact. When he pushed his cock against the juncture between her thighs, desire exploded and drenched her. When his hands squeezed her breasts, the hot burn of passion skipped over her skin. Bending her backward over the counter, he claimed her nipple.

Her fingers speared into his hair.

She hated this man for making her a victim of this lust.

She loved him because he made her feel alive for the first time in her life.

His mouth sucked and fondled her bud until it was swollen and hot with need. She felt the craving for release in each nerve of her body. Her hand raked over his back and left marks on his skin, and yet it merely served to make him shift his attention from one firm breast to another. His hands settled on her butt the same instant she grabbed his cock. It vibrated in her hand. The throbbing need of it was painfully obvious. She skipped her finger over the tip of it and was rewarded with a bead of moisture. He was as needy as she was.

When his mouth trailed over her breast and then licked her throat, she threw back her head even as she pumped his cock. He bit the delicate skin right below her collarbone. The soft gasp of surprise that escaped her lips was a barely audible, but she was quite sure he heard it.

What must he think of her?

She didn’t give a shit.

Every nerve in her body was stretched to the breaking point, as she sought release from the passion that gripped her. All she wanted was to find that blissful relief, and then she would be free. As her hand caressed the hard muscles in his butt, he lifted her slightly so that her feet left the floor. Before she could fully comprehend what he intended, he positioned her just right against the counter and then plunged into her. Her hand slipped off his cock, as it thrust inside her moist muscles. In one smooth move, he was right within her tight confines. Her sheath expanded to accommodate him. When she looked down, his penis slipped out of her.

All the breath whooshed out of her, as she saw that it was drenched in her juices. Before she could make sense of the powerful emotions that stormed within her nerves, he plunged into her with enough force to grind his pelvic bone into hers. They were joined together in the most intimate way possible, and yet she didn’t even know his full name. Stacy had never slept with a man on first date, let alone ten minutes after she first met him.