Sal (The Ride Series) (22 page)

“Word is that Parker’s callin’ a hit on you both,” Sal lied calmly as my mother sucked in her breath. “But he’s got somethin’ our club wants. We’ve got a lot of muscle after him. If you know where he is, we can take the mark off your head,” he said as he shrugged, as though it were no big thing to him.

“So, you don’t have anything for us,” my mother deduced, and I rolled my eyes at her greedy, one-track mind.

Sal’s eyes grew fierce as he leaned in to draw his point home. “Did you not fuckin’ hear me, woman? If I don’t find Parker, you’re dead. You won’t need money when you’re six feet under.”

Stu sighed wearily. “I have a number from way back when, not sure if it’s still good, and a few places I know he hangs out, or used to anyway.”

My heart soared with hope at this news.

“Good,” Sal nodded. “Get the number,” he ordered. “Almost outta here, babe,” he murmured low in my ear.

I nodded, clasping my hands in my lap and beyond ready to have this over with.

My mother narrowed her eyes at me as she blew a stream of smoke through her nostrils. “You’re just itchin’ to get outta here. It’s just like old times,” she snorted.

“Pretty much,” I retorted as Stu returned with a piece of paper.

“Don’t know if it’ll help, but that’s all I got,” he shrugged.

Sal nodded, taking the paper wordlessly, and rising from the table. He extended his hand to me and I took it gratefully. “Wish I could say it’s been a pleasure,” Sal grunted and I bit back a smile. He winked at me and squeezed my hand.

Moments later, we were back on Sal’s bike, shooting through the trailer park and out from the dense canopy of trees. I took my first real breath since we’d arrived and closed my eyes, welcoming the wind to clear it all away.

Sal pulled us into a motel and I shuddered at the thought of having to stay in this town a second longer. But, I knew he couldn’t possibly drive back without some rest and frankly, my ass needed a break.

“We’ll get outta here at first light, Birdie,” he assured me as soon as we’d checked into our sparse motel room.

I nodded, feeling completely wasted. It had been harder than I thought to spend time with my ma, harder still to do it in the place I’d never wanted to return to, ever.

“I gotta call this information into the guys. I also wanna check on Soph. You wanna shower?” he offered, his dark eyes assessing me carefully.

I nodded and moved woodenly to the small bag I’d packed.

“Babe, first light. Promise,” he said again.

“Yeah, okay,” I agreed, quietly heading to the shower and shutting the door with a resounding click.

I took a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the day. I tried to focus on the silver lining. We’d gotten the information we’d come for.

I just hoped like hell that it was good.

I stood there thinking about Ettie and what kind of nightmare she was probably in right that very moment. I felt so helpless, the feeling made more so by memories of my childhood swirling in my head.

The first sob escaped, reverberating off the mint green shower walls. I was too tired to hold it in, too overwhelmed. I rested my forehead against the tile and let the despondency take me.

And then he was there.

His strong arms turned me gently so my cheek rested on his firm chest. He wrapped his arms around me, securing me as close to his body as he could get me, and rocked us slowly as the warm water fell over us.

We didn’t speak; words weren’t needed as our bodies said it all. We stood there until the water started to turn cold. He turned off the shower and toweled me off while guiding me to the bed. We crawled in naked, and I immediately pulled him over me.

“Sal, I need you,” my voice rasped.

In that moment, I felt like I’d never needed anything more in my life.

“I’m right here, Birdie,” he murmured, his large body braced above mine. His eyes were warm as they looked down at me. “You sure?” he asked, concerned.

I nodded. “You’re the only thing I’m sure of,” I told him with sincerity. Sal had now officially seen it all, including the parts I never wanted anyone to see. And he was still here. I’d never felt closer to anyone in my life. And now that I’d shared it all, I needed him to make me forget, for a little while.

He leaned down, taking my lips, coaxing them open until his tongue met mine in a mind-numbing caress. His tongue stroked mine, lighting a fire in my belly. Then his teeth joined the fray, licking and biting in gentle tandem until my body was a pile of passionate mush beneath him.

His hips sat between my legs and I felt his erection nudge against my core, earning a groan and a flex of the hips from me.

“Slow, baby, there’s no rush,” his deep voice assured me as he moved down my body, biting and sucking as he went. His large hands pinned mine to the bed as he found his way to my core.

“You have the most beautiful body,” he said reverently, his lips against my inner thigh. Then he turned his attention to my core, working his mouth until I was calling his name desperately. I was close, I could feel it building, and when he began sucking greedily, it hurdled me over the edge with an intensity so fierce I forgot my own name.

In seconds, his huge body was up over mine and he was filling me completely. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper as his strokes intensified.

“One more, baby. Give me one more,” he grunted, his muscular arms straining. He leaned down, kissing me deeply as he took me with a possession so complete I didn’t know where he ended and I began.

“Sal, babe,” I breathed, warning him that I was close again.

His thrusts intensified, until the headboard was hitting the wall in a tandem so fierce, I was sure our neighbors would call the manager.

“Fuuuuuck,” he groaned, sweat glistening on his muscled chest as he gave me everything he had.

Then, I was there, falling over the edge with him as he groaned his release inside me. It had never been like this for me, not with anyone else. They weren’t Sal. That was just the truth of it.

He collapsed on top of me, his breathing labored and I wrapped him up with my arms and legs. I never wanted to let him go.

I was mortified when the tears started again, although they were for a completely different reason.

“Baby, what is it? Did I hurt you?” he asked horrified as he pulled back to look me in the eye.

I shook my head. “N-no, I just, I love you,” I said simply.

His brows wrinkled with confusion. “Love you, too, but no reason to cry about it,” he said as he chuckled nervously, still unsure as to where my emotion was coming from.

I embraced him as he laid almost his entire weight on top of me. It felt amazing. “You don’t know how much it means to me to have you see it all,” I whispered in his ear, my fingers stroking through his damp hair. “All the skeletons I’ve buried and you’re still here. I…I never thought I’d have that. Thank you, Sal,” I whispered hoarsely.

He pulled away briefly, his dark eyes appraising me in the dim light. “Your skeletons are more beautiful than most angels, baby,” he whispered gruffly. “I’m a lucky man.”

I could only nod because I was so choked up with emotion.

“Let’s get some sleep,” he suggested, rolling off me and pulling me with him so I rested against his chest.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Sophie okay?”

He squeezed me tighter. “Yeah, she’s watching movies with Connie,” he answered. “Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I breathed, feeling tired to the bone.

And despite everything, the seven-hour ride and the revisiting of childhood nightmares, I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Sal had given me that. If that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.

******

I was totally exhausted by the time we pulled into our driveway the next day.

“You’re a trooper, baby. I’m proud of you,” Sal told me, putting an arm around me and helping me to our room.

I needed a nap in the worst way.

“Thanks, babe,” I said as I sighed, feeling elated at his words of encouragement. He had to be way more tired than me. Despite the night at the hotel room, it had been nearly two days of driving. And I knew he hadn’t slept well when he’d had the chance.

I knew the responsibility to his brothers called to him, haunted him even. And the need for vengeance ran deep.

“I’ve got some shit to take care of.”

“Are you going anywhere?” I asked. The fact that Ettie had been kidnapped scared the crap out of me.

He glared at me as though outraged by the mere suggestion that he’d leave me alone.

Apparently, Sal wasn’t leaving the house. And apparently Sal was really freaking cranky. Rather than push him when I knew he was at his limit, I changed my clothes and laid down in our incredibly welcoming bed for a quick nap.

When I woke up, I was momentarily disoriented. Sal’s side of the bed looked untouched, and I winced for my man and his obvious lack of sleep.

I wandered out to the kitchen still half-asleep surprised to find Cole, Sal, and Wes in quiet conversation. They all turned to look at me when I walked in and Sal’s eyes narrowed.

“Babe, go put some fucking clothes on, Christ,” he swore.

I felt my brow crease as I looked down at my shorts and tank top. I mean, sure it was sleepwear, but it was far from indecent.

“Clothes!” he barked when I hesitated.

Instead of moving, I put my hands on my hips and glared by way of reply.

“We’re rollin’ out,” Wes spoke up, and I knew both he and Cole wanted to get far away from our impending blow up. Chairs were scooted back, coffee cups abandoned all while I stood glaring at Sal.

“Wes, can I catch a ride with you to the club?” I asked. “I need to meet with Scar and Connie over there for the dinner shift,” I explained.

With other club members in town, we all took turns cooking meals and keeping the fridges stocked.

“Yeah, I’ll swing back by in an hour,” he agreed.

“I don’t want you over there without me,” Sal shook his head.

I rolled my eyes at his over-protectiveness.

“I’ll hang with them, Sal, no worries,” Wes spoke up.

Sal nodded reluctantly as the guys headed out.

“Look, I know you’re tired,” I began as soon as Cole and Wes closed the front door behind them. I was ready to lay into him for being such a jerk, but his forehead resting on the front door and slumped shoulders stopped my impending tirade. Instead, my heart lurched for him knowing he and all the guys were exhausting themselves trying to find Ettie. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his middle. “Honey, you need to sleep. Please, come on,” I coaxed, taking his hand.

He seemed to deliberate for a minute before simply nodding as he allowed me to pull him to the bedroom.

I didn’t ask if there was any news on Ettie. For right now, I needed my man to rest for a bit. He wouldn’t be any good to anyone if he kept on like this. I pushed him gently into bed, unlacing his boots and letting each one drop with a resounding thud to the ground.

He was asleep before I even left the room.

Wes picked me up as promised an hour later with Connie in tow. We swung by my old place and picked up Sophie as well.

“Does Axel know you’re headed to the club?” Wes asked Sophie, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

“No, why?” she asked clearly perplexed by this question.

“I’ll call him,” Wes muttered.

“Whatever,” she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Obviously things with her and Axel were far from sorted.

There were several unfamiliar bikes parked out front when we arrived. Connie, Sophie, and I set to work unloading groceries from the back of their SUV.

Wes stalked determinately ahead of us.

We got several chin lifts and a few lingering glances from the various unfamiliar bikers hanging around the main room, shooting pool and drinking.

“Why is everyone so uptight?” Sophie whispered when we entered the kitchen. “I thought these guys were here to help?”

“They are,” I nodded. “But they’re also a bunch of horny men away from home. Our guys don’t like us being without a Knight member when other clubs are in town,” I explained while unloading groceries into the refrigerator.

“That still doesn’t explain why Axel would care,” she sighed, shaking her head.

“It might explain it perfectly,” Connie winked.

“Ladies,” Scarlet greeted us, swinging into the kitchen with Gracie on her hip and Chief at her heels. Her presence confirmed Cole must be nearby.

“Is there any news?” I murmured quietly, hoping she’d heard something.

“I think the phone number was a dead end,” she responded just as quietly.

“Damn,” I groaned. “Sal’s completely fried,” I admitted.

“Cole, too. All the guys are.”

“Is there anything we can do?” I wondered aloud, biting my thumb in thought. It had been almost two days, too long. I was exceedingly worried for my friend. Ettie was so bubbly and sweet. I couldn’t even bring myself to think about what might have happened to her, what could be happening right at that very moment. I felt helpless and desperate to do something.

“I have an idea,” I shared. It was something I’d thought about ever since Stu mentioned the few places where Parker might hang out.

“I’m scared, but go on,” Scarlet replied skeptically and I smacked her lightly.

“I want to help find those shitheads,” I said simply.

Her head tilted with interest. “How would we even do that?”

“Well, you aren’t a part of this,” I scoffed. There was no way I’d let her in on this plan with Gracie and all. “But, Connie might just be crazy enough,” I mused.

“Connie might be crazy enough for what?” Connie asked carrying over a large bowl from the other side of the kitchen and standing alongside us.

“Kat has an idea of how to help the guys find Ettie,” Scarlet shared.

“Let’s hear it,” Connie requested, nudging me with her shoulder.

“All right, well, I say we hang around at a couple of the bars Stu mentioned, act like we’re having a girls’ night, see what we stir up,” I shrugged. “All our guys know Parker, but they don’t know the other one. I could point him out,” I told her, my eyes lighting up as I saw a clear way to help.