Neil (The Uncompromising Series Book 2) (24 page)

“I don’t remember.”

“Approximately.”

“I don’t remember.”

“Really? He was arrested while driving your vehicle three days ago with your son in the backseat.”

I was going to kill Jason next time I saw him. “Was he?”

“I find it hard to believe you don’t know this.”

“I don’t
remember
this.”

“I told you she suffered a concussion,” André interjected.

“Right.” The agent frowned. “How did that happen again?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Are you aware that Jason Tanner has ties to the Lone Coasters Motorcycle Club?”

“Who?” I asked.

“Stone Hawkins? Tarquin Scott?”

I shook my head. “Don’t know them.”

“They seem to know you. Tarquin Scott was in your apartment three days ago.”

“Then maybe you should ask him what he was doing there.”

“We’d like to do just that but we don’t know where he is. He’s a dangerous man, Miss Walsh. Both he and Jason are suspected of smuggling guns. In the interest of keeping you and your son safe, if you know his whereabouts, I suggest you tell us.”

Was he kidding me? “Let me get right on that. You want me to solve all your other cases while I’m at it?” Fuck him.

“Miss Walsh, I was merely—”

I held my hand up. “Save it. I don’t know anything. If you want answers, you’re going to have to look somewhere else. But if you see my asshole ex, tell him he’s done with visitation.” I pivoted and walked back to the master bedroom because I didn’t know where else to go.

I put the water bottle on the nightstand then sat on the bed and dropped my face to my hands.

The door closed and spicy musk swirled into the room.

I didn’t bother looking up. “Tell me everything. From the beginning.”

“Scott brought stolen Israeli military rifles into the country. Before he could sell them, Tanner stole them and used your vehicle for transport but he was pulled over on a traffic violation. He had a suspended license and was taken into custody. You were called to the scene because he had your son with him. You retrieved your son and your vehicle and drove away not knowing what was in the back. When you realized what you had, you called Luna for help. Luna called me and I took the guns. Tanner, Scott, and a dozen Lone Coasters came after you while we were at Luna and Associates. An incident occurred and you and I were taken. You know the rest.”

I lifted my head. Being shot was an
incident
? “What did you do with the guns?”

“They’re being returned.”

“You can do that?” That seemed complicated. And dangerous.

“Yes.” Quick and concise, he didn’t say it like he was bragging, only stating fact.

“Candle and the Lone Coasters will come after you.” And me. This was only the beginning. The Lone Coaster weren’t going to walk away from their guns.

“If they are smart they will.”

“You
want
them to come after you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Was he crazy?

“It will protect you and your son.”

My heart took a giant hit. But then reality surfaced. “Who’s going to protect you?”

“I can handle myself.”

From what I’d seen in the warehouse, I didn’t doubt him but numbers were still numbers and the Lone Coasters had a lot of members. This wasn’t a fair fight. “They out-number you.”

“I know.”

And it hadn’t stopped him yet, not that I knew of, but shouldn’t he be teaming up with André on this? I didn’t ask because there was something else I wanted to know that was bugging the shit out of me. “Why did Jason have Conner and my car? I would never put my son in danger.”

“Tanner used your trust. You told me he asked to spend the day with your son.”

I wasn’t surprised, that was his MO, but I just couldn’t believe I was stupid enough to fall for it again. And I’d involved André and Viking in my mess. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

“I am not.”

As I stared up at this warrior, I felt like little pieces of the puzzle were falling into place but all the big chucks were still missing. Viking had killed for me. He’d risked his life to save me and my son. He had the battle scars to prove it. But none of that explained why he’d done it. And I was too chickenshit to ask or even acknowledge the door he’d opened with his last statement. I took a deep breath. “What happens next?”

“I treat your wound.”

Y
OU WOULDN’T THINK A MAN
whose hands were bigger than my head could be gentle but Viking was exactly that. He’d lifted my shirt, smoothed on antibiotic ointment and put a bandage over my wound with minimal pressure or discomfort.

“You’ve done this before.” Perched on the end of his bed, him sitting behind me, all I wanted was to lie down in his arms.

“Yes.” He eased my shirt back down. “You need to eat.” He closed his first aid kit and stood.

The thought of food turned my stomach. “So do you.”

“I ate earlier.” He held a hand out. “Come.”

I was beginning to see a pattern. Viking hadn’t slept in the same bed with me. He didn’t eat in front of me. He’d treated his own wounds. He always appeared already showered and dressed. My heart sank as it dawned on me. He said he didn’t do attachments but maybe that was because he was already attached. Oh God. I glanced at his left hand but there was no ring. “Are you married?”

“No.” He dropped his hand, took my arm and helped me up. “How sore are you?”

I hated the relief I felt. “I’m fine. Thanks for the bandage.”

He cupped the back of my neck and dropped his voice. “I was not referring to your back.” His thumb stroked my cheek.

My nipples hardened, my pussy clenched and everything south went achy with need. “All good.”
Shit
.

“I did not intend for last night to be a single occurrence.”

It took everything I had to keep my expression neutral. “Pretty sure I made myself clear.”

“I am making myself clear.” He cupped me.

I bit back a squeak but I didn’t move away. God, I needed to walk away but he was like a fucking drug you couldn’t not take a hit of. “You said you don’t do relationships… or attachments.”
Jesus, he felt good
. “What are you doing?” My voice shook.

“Touching you.” He stroked me.

“Take your hand off me.”

He did the opposite. He increased the pressure. “You like my touch.”

Oh my God, he knew exactly what he was doing. “You fucked me and I let you.” I soaked the leggings and fought a moan as I tried to navigate his abrupt form of conversation. “What I like isn’t the issue.”

“Then what is?”

Everything about him was a weapon. “You’re not the commitment type.”

“You do not want commitment from me.”

I couldn’t tell if he was saying he knew what I wanted or if he was merely saying I didn’t want it from him. Either way, it didn’t matter. This wasn’t happening. “You don’t get to speak for me.”

His hand slipped under my leggings and same as last night, his finger penetrated me and instantly curled. He stroked me deep, once. “Then tell me you do not want this.”

My hands flew to his wrist, except I didn’t pull him away. I shoved him deeper and ground my hips like a fucking addict. “I don’t,” I panted.

A second finger slipped inside, stretching me. With the perfect amount of pressure, he swept a path along my front wall and concentrated a tight circle exactly where he knew I would fall apart. “Do you want to come?”

Oh my God.
“Yes.” I shamelessly humped his hand like a dog in heat.

His thumbnail slid across my clit and exquisite pain shot out from the sensitive nerve. His fingers curled inside me, pushed up and into my G-spot and he practically vibrated his hand.

I fucking exploded.

But before I’d finished coming, he jerked his hand out, spun me, and yanked my pants over my ass. Kicking my legs apart, the leggings stretched to a constraint around my upper thighs and he barked out a command. “
Bend
.”

My core still pulsing, too far gone to pretend I didn’t want exactly what he was about to dish out, I braced my hands on the bed and raised my ass in the air.

He slapped my pussy.

My mouth popped open to gasp in shock but his fingers drove into me and the protest turned to a groan. I thrust against his assault.

He fucked me with his fingers and brought me back to the edge.

“Oh God,” I pleaded. “Don’t stop.”

He pulled out and ran his fingers up the slit of my ass, soaking my tight entrance with my own arousal. My hips jerked back in protest but it was too late. Two fingers sank into my cunt and a third penetrated my ass.

My back shot straight and I cried out at the invasion. The pressure, the stigma, being more turned on than I’d ever been in my life, I whimpered as he began an opposing thrusting rhythm. As his fingers sunk into my cunt and hit my G-shot, the finger in my ass pulled out and down. When the two fingers pulled back from my pussy, he drove the other finger hard into my ass. Over and over in an opposing rhythm, he worked me.

My hips started pumping with his thrusts and my hands found my aching nipples. Pinching myself harder than I’d ever done, I started to shake.

Both his fingers drove deep into my core and with one hard press, I screamed.

Coming and coming and coming, shaking, pulsing, I fucking shattered. My weight braced on my hands because my legs were rubber, I moaned as Viking thrust his fingers once more then slowly pulled out.

The second he wasn’t touching me, regret set in. But when he pulled my leggings back up like I was a cheap whore, embarrassment hit. Feeling defensive and too vulnerable for words, I opened my stupid mouth and shit spewed out. “Guess I was wasting my time with younger men. Over a decade more experience than me, you sure know how to work a woman, don’t you?” I straightened and yanked my shirt down, refusing to look at him.

“Men or man?”

The question was like a slap in the face. “You should know,” I snapped. “You know everything else about me.” I moved toward the bathroom, hating myself for wondering why he hadn’t fucked me and worse, feeling cheap and dirty that he didn’t.

“
Stop
.”

I sucked in a breath but I didn’t pause. Instead, I held my middle finger up and—not gonna lie—it felt good as hell.

André pounded on the door. “Get out here. Fed’s gone.”

Viking raised his voice. “Two minutes.” Then he moved. He was at the bathroom door before I could slam it in his face and there was no mistaking his expression. “Do not walk away when I am speaking to you.” He stepped back and barked out an order. “Clean up. Living room, two minutes.” He pivoted and walked out.

I slammed the door anyway. Pacing the stupid bathroom, heat flaming my cheeks, I hated him. And wanted him. And hated him. And I wanted a new goddamn life.
Motherfucking asshole Jason.
And fuck Viking. He could fucking
clean up.
I marched out of the bathroom, through the bedroom and stormed into the living room. “What the fuck are we doing about this?” I demanded.

Both of them had their backs to me but André turned first. “We’re handling it.”

My finger popped up and was pointing before I could think twice about it. “
You’re
handling it?” I jabbed my aim in Viking’s direction as he turned, all calm and collected. “Or
he
is? Because
he
said he was returning the guns and he wanted the LCs coming after
him
.”

André turned on Viking. “What?”

Viking crossed his arms and stared at me.

I knew it. He was a one-man show. “Guess he didn’t tell you.”

André looked mad enough to spit. He glared at Viking. “This isn’t what we discussed.”

“You are correct.” Viking spared André a glance. “We did not discuss anything.”

“What the hell does that mean? We went over the plan.”

“You went over your plan,” Viking clarified. He tipped his chin at me. “I am taking her out to eat.”

“You’re
what
?” André practically levitated. “The hell you are. The LCs will be all over you in half a second!”

“Hopefully.” Viking shoved past André. “I am going to get dressed.”

“You’re not using her as bait. I won’t allow it,” André barked. “She has a kid.”

Viking stopped and leveled André with a look I wouldn’t wish on anyone. “Do you think I would endanger her son?”

“Do you want him growing up without a mother?” André countered, not even fazed by Viking’s lethal look.

“We are not hiding out and we are not waiting for them to make the first move. Pietra’s, seven o’clock.” He named one of the most expensive restaurants in South Beach.

“Have you even asked her what she wants?”

Viking turned to me without an ounce of emotion. “Would you like to accompany me to dinner?”

Jesus fuck, he was a cold bastard. “Do I have a choice?”

“Yes.”

That was it. That was all he said. He didn’t elaborate and I knew a test when I heard one. He wanted to gamble with both our lives. My mothering instinct was screaming at me hard to hide out but that didn’t bring me closer to getting Conner back. More, I’d never been one to back down and I wasn’t stupid. Showing fear to a motorcycle gang, or any opponent, was as good as throwing the towel in. I made a decision. “I have nothing to wear.”