Jaci Burton

Copyright Page

RIDING THE EDGE

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

PRAISE FOR JACI BURTON AND HER NOVELS

“Burton delivers it all in this hot story—strong characters, an exhilarating

plot, and scorching sex—and it all moves at a breakneck pace. Forget

about a cool glass of water, break out the ice!”

—Romantic Times

“Realistic dialogue, spicy bedroom scenes, and a spitfire heroine make

this one to pick up and savor.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Lively and funny . . . The sex is both intense and loving.”

—Road to Romance

“A fabulous read. [Burton] delivers, in every possible way.”

—A Romance Review

“Sizzling-hot sex that will have you panting.”

—The Romance Studio

“Raw, dynamic, explosive. Wow!”

—Just Erotic Romance Review

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PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / August 2010

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Leigh, Lora.

Nauti and wild / Lora Leigh and Jaci Burton.—Berkley Sensation trade pbk. ed.

p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-44233-3

1. Erotic stories, American. I. Leigh, Lora. Nauti kisses. II. Burton, Jaci. Riding

the edge.

III. Title.

PS3612.E357N37 2010

813’.6—dc22 2010017093

http://us.penguingroup.com

RIDING THE EDGE

To the wonderful Lora Leigh.

I’m honored to be your friend.

R
ick Benetti had been fucked, and not in the fun way. No

potential to shoot the bad guys, no uncovering a drug

smuggling ring or going after gunrunners—he’d gotten the

babysitting job instead. God forbid he should get a kick-ass

assignment like the other Wild Riders.

One would think working undercover for the government

would give him a hot job like the other guys. Like Mac had

done when he’d had to carry around a live virus from Chicago

to Dal as to make sure it didn’t fal into the wrong hands. Or

when Diaz and Jessie had gone undercover to join a bike

gang that was sel ing guns to survivalists. Or Spence, who’d

had a prime job working with Agent Shadoe Grayson in a strip

club in New Or-leans in order to bring in a rogue federal agent

who was working with the Colombians to smuggle drugs.

Now those were the juicy cases.

Him? He had to go find and babysit some Nevada

senator’s daughter who thought it might be fun to join a biker

gang.

Like that was a national security threat?

Fuck. More likely some bored col ege student thumbing her

nose at Daddy’s authority by joining up with the Hel raisers

biker gang. Though Rick had to admit, the Hel raisers weren’t

exactly the soft and cuddly type of bikers. He should know—he

used to be one of them.

And the last thing he wanted to do after being out of the club

for ten years was get back in it. Which was what General

Grange Lee, head of the Wild Riders, told him he’d have to

do.

His criminal past behind him, Rick had lived a clean life for

the past ten years. Not by choice, initial y. At seventeen he’d

been bad and about to get worse. Until one bust and the

chance of a lifetime had changed his life. General Grange Lee

had come into his life and offered him the opportunity to go to

work for the United States government. Facing the alternative

of prison, Rick had taken General Lee up on his offer.

Now he was heading back into his old life again, insinuating

himself into the gang that had caused him so much trouble.

And the leader of that gang in Las Vegas? His cousin Bo.

Yeah, that made sense. Bo had always been a badass.

Kind of like himself—a badass with delusions of grandeur.

General Lee had kicked that out of Rick. Made him a team

player. Bo, though, that was another matter. Bo hadn’t had the

benefit of General Lee’s firm but fair guidance.

Maybe the Hel raisers had cleaned up their act in the ten

years Rick had been out of the picture. But from the

intel igence he’d gotten from General Lee at Wild Riders

headquarters, it didn’t look that way. Which was why he’d

been given this assignment. First, because he used to be part

of this gang and he could get in easier. Second, because Ava

Vargas’s involvement with the Hel raisers could be a potential

embarrassment for Senator Hector Vargas, not to mention a

national security risk, especial y since Senator Vargas was

currently working on significant national antidrug legislation.

Rick supposed having one’s daughter involved in a

suspected drug-running biker gang would be a PR nightmare

for a senator about to write a major antidrug law.

Stil , Rick would rather be going undercover anywhere else

but back with his old gang, even if he did see the logic of why

he’d been given this particular assignment.

Didn’t mean he had to like it.

He’d fired up his Harley and ridden from Dal as to Las

Vegas. Bike week in Vegas was about to rol out, so the

Hel raisers should be on the Strip. Now he just had to find

them and get himself back in the old gang again.

Rick rode the Strip, ignoring the colorful, neon flashing lights

of al the casinos, his focus on the bikes and riders that had

poured into town for the big blast that would last a week.

Some were single riders, or a group of friends. Others were

part of clubs, their jackets and vests labeled with their gang

names. It didn’t take long for Rick to find the Hel raisers. They

were a large group and their leather vests bore the flame

insignias and their club name across the back. He goosed the

throttle and increased his speed to catch up, riding past the

gang until he spotted his cousin at the lead, then turned his

bike around. Bo had pul ed up at a local hangout for bikers—a

bar. Rick rode in and parked next to Bo.

Bo gave him a cursory glance of contempt, a “don’t fuck

with me” kind of attitude. Rick smirked, realizing Bo hadn’t

even looked at him, just given him a quick once-over and