Final Ride (Lords of Mayhem) (11 page)

Twenty minutes later, the heat pouring off her body damn
near scorched him. He turned down the familiar turnoff and pushed his bike as
much as he dared over the gravel. He skidded to a halt in front of the two-story
family farmhouse.

“Where are we? Whose place is this?”

Hawk turned and grabbed her hair, pulling her to him. He
slammed his mouth over hers and she gasped in shock, giving him an opening he
exploited. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he savored the taste of
something sweet and her unique flavor. “Fucking siren,” he muttered against her
lips. Hefting her up by her hips, he placed her into his lap and rolled his
hips into the wet crotch of her jeans. “So wet. You love it as much as I do.”

“I… W-what if someone sees us?”

“This is my family’s land. No one will see anything, and I’m
going to take you here on my bike, Ariel.” He pushed her down and thrust up,
hard. “And you’re going to love every minute of it.” He popped the top button
on her jeans. “Because deep down you’re a little wild.” He slid his hands
inside her underwear and she shuddered. “You got wildness in your eyes. I can
think of so many better uses for that energy.” Her wetness coated his fingers,
and he caressed her clit between his two fingers.

“Oh, Hawk.”

“That’s right. I love it when you say my name, Ariel. It
lets me know you understand who you belong to.”

“I-I don’t belong to you.” She fought to get the words out,
narrowing her eyes as she brought her thighs together.

“No? Not yet?” He worked his hands deeper and slipped a
finger inside her tightness. “Do you let anyone else touch you like this?”

“No,” she rasped.

“Damn straight you don’t. You can fight all you want, but it’s
a matter of time until you admit it.”

“No.” She shook her head, and he chuckled.

“I like it when you fight. It just makes me more determined.”
He pulled out and drove two fingers deep into her wetness. Her back arched. She
cried out panting as she gripped the handle bars of the bike gaining leverage
as she worked herself against him.

“That’s right, come apart for me, Red. I want to see behind
those walls you have up.” Her pussy pulsed and molded around his fingers as her
body shook. The smell of her arousal turned his cock to stone. “Stand up, we
need to get those pants down before I rip them off you.” Need flared. They
stumbled off the bike. He shoved the jeans down to her ankles and laid her
across the only lady he’d ever cared for, until now.

“Hold on to the handles, you’re going to need the stability.”
He nipped her inner thigh and buried his face between her legs, seeking her
salty sweet center with his questing tongue. He fed off her excitement. It did
something to a man knowing he was hitting just the right spot. He sucked her
swollen clit into his mouth and eased two fingers inside her.

“Yes, Hawk. Yes. So good.”

He hummed. She rocked against him, opening like a flower as
she yielded to his touch. The flick and suck method brought her to a screaming
completion. He licked his lips and undid his pants, shoving them down. He
palmed his cock and stroked his stiff dick to relieve some tension.

“I’m going in you raw. We’re both safe, and you’re on the Pill.”
He teased her entrance with his tip, moistening the head with her nectar. “I’m
going to make sure you remember me no matter what, Ariel. This time you’re
spending is going to be etched onto that massive brain of yours.”

“W-why?”

He thrust home to silence her.
How can I tell her what I
can’t understand myself?
The soft slickness had his eyes rolling in the
back of his head. “Shit.” It was a new experience, and he knew instantly he’d
never get enough of it. His fingers dug into her hips and he drove home, riding
her hard as he lost himself in the feel and smell of her. They worked together
finding their bliss as he released inside her.

“As much as I’d love to stay here like this, we need to get
inside before the bugs eat our asses up, literally.”

She laughed shakily. “Yeah, that sounds good. God, I’m a
mess.”

“I like you that way.” The words were out before he could
take them back and he cursed mentally.
Fuck. I’m getting too caught up in
this woman.

“Oh.” Her subdued answer pleased him, and he shoved the
worry aside.
Best to live in the moment and let the rest come later.
As
he pulled out, reality hit him along with regret. Buried inside her he could
forget about the wolves knocking on their door. He zipped up his pants and
helped her stand. She wiggled back into her clothes, a shadowy form in the
light. She had the curves of a 1950s pinup, and they got to him every time.

“I’m a sticky, shaky wreck, but I’m ready.”

Hawk slapped her ass. “Just how I like you.”

“Such an asshole,” she huffed.

He grinned, content with the step back into their familiar
banter. “Not what you were saying a minute ago.”

“Yeah, then you opened your mouth and ruined it.”

“Why?” He turned off the bike and removed the keys. “We both
know you need a firm hand.”

“All I need is a firm cock.”

Hawk threw back his head and laughed. “I’m getting to you.”

“So cocky,” she said.

“I have cause to be, don’t I? Why do you keep fighting it?”

“Why do you keep pushing it?” She threw the question back at
him.

“Because it’s what I want.” He shrugged, wrapping an arm
around her waist and guiding her up toward the darkened house.

“And so that makes it okay?”

“It does when I know we’re on the same page. You just can’t
let go of the outside world.”

“That world is my world, Hawk. I’ll have to return to it one
day.” She sounded melancholy.

“When are you going to learn you don’t have to do a damn
thing you don’t want to?”

“It’s more than that and you know it.”

They climbed the porch and stopped out at the front door.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to get into this with you tonight.” Her voice
shook.

“Something happen today?”

“No, just…on edge.”

He unlocked the door and flipped the light switch flooding
the room with light. “Understandable.” He motioned for her to step inside and
locked the door behind him.

“Oh my God, this place is gorgeous.”

Hawk paused and took the room in through her eyes. A
handwoven rug covered the floor in front of a black leather couch. The walls
were covered with artwork, and statues of their people.

“Do you like Native American art?” he asked.

“I have an appreciation for all cultures, but I do think the
Native Americans have so much beauty and grace. Your beliefs and practices are
so salt of the earth.” She ducked her head. “I sound like an idiot, don’t I?”

“Not at all. Bikers we may be, but we do follow the old
ways. Both my parents actually grew up on a reservation not far from here, but
they left young to seek out a better life. The reservations have a lot of
issues still.” Hawk shook his head. “We do a lot of fundraising for them and
help whenever we can, building houses and fixing things up when it gets dire.”

“People have no clue how much good you guys do,” Ariel said.

“Yeah and I’m okay with keeping it that way. People see the
things you care about as a way to get to you in this world.”

Ariel nodded. “Is there a place where I can clean up?”

“Yeah, let me give you a brief tour. It’s not a big place,
but it has everything you need.” He led her past the living room into the
kitchen.

“I don’t think there’s much in there. But we can grab
breakfast out in the morning after we work up an appetite.”

She glanced away, and he chuckled. “Come on.” They walked
down the small hallway and he showed her the three mid-sized bedrooms, and the
laundry room at the very end of the hallway. “There’s a master bath off my
parents’ room. But this one, between me and Rayen’s room is for everyone else.
You should have everything you need in there and I’ll dig out some of my
clothes for you to wear.”

“Oh you’ll love that.”

“What can I say? You look good in my shit.”

She laughed, and he winked. “Go get in the shower. After you’re
done I’ll take my turn. ’Cause we both know if we take one together no cleaning
will be done.” Her eyes darkened, and he growled. “Get your sexy ass in there
before I change my mind.” She hurried off and he watched her, knowing he was in
far deeper than he’d ever anticipated being.

Chapter Nine

Ariel walked into the clubhouse behind Hawk and made a
beeline for Summer, who was tending bar.

“Hey girl, what’s going on?” Summer said with a smile.

“Living a life of exile and working,” Ariel said.

“I’m sorry. I know lying low has to be frustrating for a
woman as independent as you. I mean you have your own place, a successful
career. I can’t help envying you.”

“Why?” Ariel frowned. “You could have the same thing.”

Summer snorted. “No, my life’s here. It’s all I know, and
even after my debt is paid I don’t have much of anything to go by. My family’s
a train-wreck, hence me being here right now.” Summer shook her head. “Big
dreams but no brains to back them up.”

“How much longer do you have?” Ariel asked, curious to know
more about her new friend.

“However long Pres thinks is necessary. I don’t mind,
really. Mayhem guys are better than a lot of the other bikers out there,”
Summer said.

“You know this from experience?” Ariel whispered, horrified
by the picture her friend’s words were painting.

“Let’s just say this ain’t my first rodeo and leave at that,
okay?” Summer straightened up into a standing position.

“Okay. I’ll never push you, but I’m always here if you want
to talk,” Ariel said placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks. It’s nice to have friends. You and Fancy make me
feel almost at home.” Summer smiled and then glanced up. “I’ll be right back.
Duty calls.” She turned around, dug a few beers from the fridge and walked from
behind the bar. Ariel watched Summer go, wondering what she hid behind her
quick smiles and easy banter.

“Hey girl, how long you here for?”

Ariel glanced up and greeted Fancy with a smile. “Not sure.
Probably awhile, church has been pretty intense lately.”

“Yeah lots of murmurs of heavy shit going down around here
these days.” Fancy shook her head. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mayhem
this riled up.”

“How long have you been here, Fancy?” Ariel said.

“Shit, feels like forever, but five years.”

Ariel opened her mouth to ask why and closed it, not wanting
to offend.

“You’re wondering why, right?” Fancy arched a delicate
eyebrow.

“No. Well, kind of. I mean you’re gorgeous, and funny, and
smart.”

Fancy laughed. “With a rap sheet as long as my arm, nowhere
to go, and no one who gives a shit. The streets are mean, baby girl. Being here
with Mayhem gives me more cushion than you could imagine. I’d rather give it up
by choice to people I know and genuinely like for the most part than be forced,
or controlled by some heavy-handed pimp. There are not a lot of options out
there for a girl like me. This suits my purposes just fine.”

“H-have you ever had to do any of that?” Ariel whispered.

“I’m not ashamed of surviving. I did what I needed to, but
that’s over. I found a way out I can live with.” Fancy shuddered and looked
into the space above Ariel’s shoulder, clearly back in a dark time in her life.

“Do you want to be an old lady?” Ariel said.

“Maybe someday with the right guy, but I hold no grand
illusions. I’ve been with most of the people here. It’s a harsh truth for a
possessive man to swallow, and trust me most of the men here are damn
possessive.”

“I’m sure plenty of them think you’re worth it,” Ariel said,
reaching out to grab her friend’s hand.

“You’re a sweetheart, you know that?” Fancy said.

Ariel rolled her eyes. “I don’t know about that, considering
they used to call me Harpy behind my back before I gained the name Ariel.”

Fancy smiled. “You’ve changed a lot since then.”

“I’m trying. Fearing for your life has a way of making all
the other petty issues seem real small and ridiculous.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” Fancy said.

“Yo, Fance, come here,” Casanova called.

“Duty calls. I’ll come back in a bit to keep you company,”
Fancy said as she stood from the stool and sashayed her way over to the
attractive blond. Fancy made the phrase poetry in motion come to mind. She had
a rhythmic way of moving her body that made Ariel wonder if she’d ever been a
stripper.

Summer returned, rubbing her ass. “Some of them get so handsy
when they drink,” she said shaking her head.

“They’ll be in church soon, right?”

“Yeah,” Summer took a seat beside her. “It’s been busy for a
weekday with the meeting. Usually everyone’s off doing their own thing. A lot
of them work legitimate jobs during the day, which makes shit pretty boring
around here for me.”

“How do you pass the time?” Ariel said.

“Cleaning, shooting the shit with the girls or running
errands. I’m the one who keeps the kitchen stocked, and sometimes they need
help in one of the shops. I can do secretarial type of things too.”

Ariel took in her words, and the wheels in her mind began to
spin. These girls deserved to be happy. Maybe she could help them along a
little. She bit her bottom lip. Hawk didn’t like questions, but she could work
in some inquiries about her girlfriends.

“You look like you’re plotting. New twist for your story?”
said a familiar voice behind her.

Ariel glanced up and grinned. “Juliette!” She jumped from
the stool and hugged her friend tight. “I feel like I never get to see you.”

“I know. I miss you too. Being without my voice of reason
right now is tough with Joey on a hormone rampage, and Evonne being…new Evonne.”
Juliette shook her head and Ariel snickered.

“That entertaining?”

“Girl, it’s like we fell into a time warp and landed back in
senior year of high school,” Juliette said as they parted and she took a seat
to Ariel’s right. “Hey, Summer.”

“Hey, Juliette,” Summer said.

“Good lord, makes me glad I’m locked away in my tower like Rapunzel.”

“Must be the
Tangled
version because in the original
I don’t think Locks of Plenty was getting it on with anyone, but that Flynn…”
Juliette rubbed her chin like a comic-book villain.

“You’re freaking terrible, dude,” Ariel said.

“I’m going to do some restock guys,” Summer said effectively
excusing herself.

Juliette turned to face Ariel. “I’m happy you’re happy, even
though everything is a bit insane right now. Before all this, I felt like we
were losing you.”

“Never that. I just wasn’t sure where I fit anymore, or what
I was doing. The divorce between Mom and Dad keeps getting uglier, and they use
me as some sort of referee. I didn’t want to let either of them down, but it
was tearing me in two.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I knew…I was allowing it to happen. How could I
complain about the very thing I was doing to myself? Only stupid people do
that, and I’m not stupid, but I was very stuck,” Ariel admitted.

“We had no clue it’d gotten this bad.”

“I know. I tried to play it off as more bothersome than
anything else. It was embarrassing having the golden couple crash, burn, and
turn on one another like cannibals.” Ariel shuddered.

“What happened to change things?”

“Honestly, it was Hawk. He opened my eyes to a few things. Being
a good child doesn’t mean I have to suffer through this with them. They were
wrong for placing me in the position in the first place. What they need is a
mediator.”

“What did you tell them about suddenly dropping off the face
of the planet?” Juliette said.

“I told them I was taking a trip to get my head together,
and I’d call them when I returned. They’re so deep in their divorce battle and
constantly being scrutinized by lawyers and private eyes trying to dig up dirt,
it’d be stupid for the assholes to go after them the way they did with Evonne’s
family.” They went silent thinking about their friend.

“How’s she doing?” Ariel said.

“As well as anyone could expect, really. She has her bad
days. I know her father is still being an asshole, and her mother has yet to
grow a spine. Evonne’s still seeing a psychologist to help her deal with what happened.
It’s been helping.”

“Good. After what she went through, she probably needs it.
Hell at this point, we all do.” Ariel shook her head.

“What about you?” Juliette said.

“Nightmare, uneasiness at the oddest times. I’ll never feel
safe in a library again after the drive-by happened there.”

“I’m glad you have Hawk and Evonne has Rocky. He’s been
amazing for her. She’s come out of her shell a lot.”

“I don’t have anyone, and I’d say that went both ways for
those two. I never saw Rocky as the settling-down type before Evonne she
entered the picture. Did you?”

“No. I think they shocked everyone.” Juliette eyed her
knowingly. “It seems to be a running trend.”

“Don’t you put that voodoo on me,” Ariel said.

“What’s the joke?” Joey asked appearing beside Juliette.

“Nothing,” Ariel snapped.

“Oh, just telling our friend, Ariel here, statistically speaking
she and Hawk are next on the hook-up list.”

“It’s true; bets are being taken,” Joey said.

“Wait, what?” Ariel turned to face her friend.

Joey laughed. “Yeah Moose told me there’s a pool going on
how long it’ll take.”

“That’s bullshit,” Ariel spat.

“Nope, that’s Mayhem shit,” Juliette said deadpan. “Trust me,
you get used to the freakish brotherhood mentality, and it becomes old hat.”

“Well, it won’t for me,” Ariel said.

“Hmmm,” Juliette and Joey tilted their heads toward each other.

“You guys fucking suck,” Ariel said.

“I definitely missed the first part of this conversation,”
Evonne said taking a seat beside Ariel.

“They’re giving me shit about Hawk.”

“Oh, there’s a you and Hawk now?” Evonne arched a brow.

“What? No. that’s what I’m trying to explain.”

“Aaah, I see, so you’re still in denial.” Evonne pattered
her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’ll come out in the wash soon enough. The man
looks at you like you’re a buffet and he’s starving.”

“That’s all sexual. It’s a need that gets fulfilled and you
move on with your day,” Ariel huffed. Her face heated and she rolled her
shoulders.

“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much,” Evonne said.

“You guys are starting to piss me off,” Ariel said.

“Look we don’t want to rile you up. We just want you to open
those brown eyes and see what may just be in front of you,” Evonne said.

“Point taken. Now can we move on to something else?” Ariel
said. “Joey’s pregnant; how’s that going?”

“Way to throw me under the bus,” Joey said, delivering a
playful wink. “It’s good. I’m less sick now, still crazy as hell thanks to
hormones. I figure it’s training for when the little one arrives.”

They all laughed, and the mood lightened as they played catch-up
and waited for their men to finish up with business.

* * * * *

“I called you here because we got some interesting news from
the prospects,” said Tiny. “The Angels of Death our now under new leadership,
due to mutiny. The vice president rose up, put Riker down and decided to change
their entire operation. They’re out for territory, by any means necessary. They’ve
already rolled a few of the smaller M.C.s and now they’re circling us like
sharks. The dealing they’re doing is a test to see how strong we are.”

“Do they know we have the Eights behind us?” Hawk asked.

“No, and I think if word gets around they’ll back off. Now I’m
not afraid to go to war, but we all know we got our hands full at the moment.
At the very least let’s put this shit off until later,” Tiny said.

“I hear you. What do you have in mind?” Hawk said.

“I want to keep the prospects with the Angels of Death
feeding us info from the inside. We’ll put the word on the streets Eights and
Mayhem have declared one another brother charters. That should make them think
twice,” Pres said.

The men barked out their agreement.

“Another thing…your girl’s house got ransacked last night,”
Tiny said, looking at Hawk.

“I figured they’d pull some shit like that,” Hawk said. “Anything
else going on?”

“We’re bringing the witnesses in. I know they wanted to hold
off on that, but it can’t be helped. I told them Mayhem would keep them safe. I
stick by my word. I can’t do that when they’re not properly protected. We’re going
to put them up in a cabin together. They can come and join us, or keep to
themselves.”

“Fair enough,” Hawk said.

Tiny turned back to the boys. “Anything looks halfway
suspicious, I want to know about it. The shit just hit the fan. It’s about to
get a lot messier before this over. These guys don’t want to be exposed for the
sick fucks they are. But they messed with the wrong people. I know you’ve been
waiting patiently for a change to get revenge for that setup with the Russians.
I haven’t forgotten by a long shot. We’re doing this legit to take the heat off
Mayhem. Let’s not forget we have friends in many places.”

Hawk nodded his head. The Lords were going to order a hit on
them after shit settled down.

“They’ll pay for their transgressions with blood and go down
begging for mercy, my brothers.” A roar rippled through the crowd. Men stomped
their feet in approval. Tiny lifted his hand. The noise stopped. “We’re all on
the same page, so I’m going to dismiss you. Go have fun and enjoy your freedom
while you can. Because when I call you to go to war, I want you ready to be in
the trenches.”

“Yes, Pres.” The unanimous response made Hawk damn proud.
They had a good group here. After weeding out the weak and disloyal over the
years, he trusted every of these men to have his back, barring prospects. They
still had to prove themselves. It was just a part of how shit went. None were
allowed inside church, unless they were doing something special for the
brothers, like the boys they had in bed with Angels of Death. If they played
their cards right, two cuts with patches would be waiting for them after this.