Stoned (Unlikely Heroes Book 4) (5 page)

If this carefree young man wasn’t the true Rebel, then who was the real Rebel?

“So why here in this place? Why follow that creep Viper and not start your own veterinary practice?”

A shadow came over Rebel’s face. He flicked a glance at Stoner, then lowered his gaze. A long, tense silence followed. Karen glanced across the table at Stoner, who shrugged and took another sip of his beer.

Rebel bounced up from his chair, flashing her with a brilliant smile. “They’re starting the videogame wars in a minute and I’ve a mind to be first in line.”

He strolled from the dining room, the dog following at his heels.

Karen glanced back at Stoner. “He’s a charmer. He seems like a decent kid. I could tell he was acting just now. I wonder who the true Rebel is.”

Stoner took another sip of his beer, eyeing her over the top of the bottle as he tilted his head back and swallowed. “You’re quite perceptive. I don’t think anyone knows who the true Rebel is, but something tells me you’ll figure it out before the rest of us do.”

Had he just complimented her? Karen wasn’t sure.

She’d suspected as much about Rebel, that no one knew who the real Rebel was. She liked the mysterious young man and wanted to get to know him better.

“Why do I get the feeling he has some serious issues?”

Stoner belched. He slid her beer in front of her, apparently deciding she could have it now. “Because he does. We all do.”

Karen considered that for a moment. He was right. Everyone had issues. Some worse than others.

“So what are your issues, Neal?”

He scowled. “Not telling.”

Karen took a sip of her beer. She met his gaze. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

Stoner chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Kinda like, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”

And just like that, the air thickened with sexual tension again.

His gaze locked on hers. Her skin grew clammy. Her breathing quickened. She snatched up her beer and took a large gulp, pulling her gaze away from his.

“What was Rebel talking about right before he left? Something about videogame wars?”

Stoner drained the last of his beer and clanged the empty bottle on the table. “We have videogame wars every Friday night. He’s one of the top players.”

Karen studied him a moment. The more she was around him, the more attractive he became to her. He was right that he wasn’t pretty. But his face had definite character. Stoner was a man who’d seen a lot, done a lot. Each line on his face had a story to tell. And his eyes held secrets she wanted to explore. She was more than a little intrigued with him.

Karen was curious about his past life, about why he’d joined the Cobras. Had he really been a drug dealer or had he said that to try to shock her? What about now? What did he do now? Did he even have a present occupation?

She let her gaze travel down his body as he sprawled back in his chair. He’d unzipped the leather vest earlier. Now, as he rocked back in the chair, balancing on the back legs, the vest fell away from his chest, revealing that the plain black T-shirt fit snugly around his muscular torso. The table blocked her view from traveling any lower than mid-chest, much to her disappointment, though he didn’t have a flabby stomach. A man who moved with that cat-like grace wouldn’t have much, if any, fat on his body.

Karen couldn’t deny the sexual attraction brewing between them. Even now, the way he watched her across the table with those striking hazel eyes made her pulse quicken.

She cleared her throat. “So, do you join in the videogame wars, Neal?”

He gave a curt nod. “Yeah. I’m a gamer. Been a gamer my whole life.”

Really? He didn’t seem like the videogame type. “Hmm,” she murmured. “You’re an interesting man,
Neal
.”

“And you’re an intriguing woman,
Karen
.” His gaze held hers. “Now, about that list…”

Intriguing? He found her intriguing? A surge of heat stabbed through her, igniting her loins and spreading outward.
Holy hell.
What was it about this tough biker man that fascinated her so much?

She gulped down a swig of beer. “I’ve been thinking. It could take several weeks to get all the supplies and set up a lab here. But I already have all the stuff at my lab at home. If you let me go home, I can show you how to micropropagate from my lab. We’ll be able to start immediately. You won’t have to wait weeks to get started.”

And if she got out of this place, she might find an opportunity to escape.

His chair clunked back to the floor as he straightened and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop. His gaze narrowed with suspicion, as if he’d read her thoughts. “You have a lab at your house?”

“Yes. I already use it for micropropagation for the Forest Service, so it’s all set up and ready to go. You’ll just need to supply a mother plant for me to take cuttings from.”

He considered that for a moment. “I’ll talk to Viper about it, but he probably won’t like that idea. If he says no, then you’re stuck here. It might be wise to get started on that list. Just in case.”

“Hey Stoner!” A tall blond biker motioned at them from the doorway. “They’re starting the videogame wars. You in?”

Stoner glanced across the table at Karen. He eyed her for a long moment, his gaze direct. Unblinking. “Wanna see how good I am?”

She didn’t miss the double meaning in his words. Her heart pounded. Would she get an opportunity to see “how good” he was, in more ways than one? Anticipation thrummed through her. Despite her better judgment, she wanted to know more about Stoner. Get to know the man behind the “bad boy” exterior.

In more ways than one.

She snatched up her beer and rose from the table.

“Okay, Neal Stone. Show me what you’ve got.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Leaving the compound was not an option for Stoner. At least not yet. He couldn’t do what he’d come here to do if he was outside these walls. If Viper agreed to let Karen clone pot from the lab at her house, Stoner would have to leave with her. The only reason Viper had allowed him to join the Cobras in the first place was because of his prior “dealing in marijuana.” As far as Viper knew, Stoner was the lord of marijuana production. Stoner had made himself “visible” and “available” in the hopes that Viper would recruit him. After months of careful planning, it had worked. Now Stoner was inside. But in order to exact his revenge, he had to stay close to Viper. If he left the compound with Karen, he’d lose his chance to do what he’d come here to do.

Damn Karen, anyway. She was screwing everything up. He couldn’t quite read her. He knew she was playing a game with him. That she planned to seduce him in an attempt to escape. But what he couldn’t figure out was whether she was truly attracted to him or if that was all part of her act. He wasn’t a fool. He wasn’t the type of man women looked twice at. Especially a beautiful woman like Karen. She could have any man she wanted. So why would she even consider a man like him?

But if she really
was
attracted to him?
Shit.
Having that woman in his bed would be a wet dream come true. How far would she go? Would she sleep with him? Use him? It was a dangerous game they were playing. He doubted either of them would come out of this “adventure” unscathed. Their very lives were at stake. But he was here for a reason. He couldn’t leave until he’d taken care of business. He didn’t want her to be hurt by Viper or any of the other bikers. If Karen became a casualty of war, which was a very likely possibility, there wouldn’t be much Stoner could do about it. It would be wise for him to keep his distance from her. But when she looked at him with those big dark sultry eyes, he had a hard time thinking about anything except getting her naked beneath him.  

“Neal?”

He gave a start as he came out of his musings. Karen stood next to him in the hallway where they’d paused outside of the game room. He’d snatched another beer from the kitchen on their way out. He lifted the beer, took a sip.

A loud ruckus came from inside the room, indicating a fierce battle was underway on the screen.

He glanced down at her. “Yeah?”

“Rebel said you’re up.” Karen smiled up at him. A true smile, not a fake one. A smile that went clear to her eyes.

Something twisted in his chest, squeezed. No woman had ever smiled up at him like that before. Stoner felt his lips curving up into a grin. She’d actually
smiled
at him. A
true
smile. What did that mean?

“Buck needs to break for a beer,” she went on, still looking up at him.

“Excuse me-eech.” Buck let out a belch as he came out of the room. He glanced at Stoner. “Hey man.” The younger biker nodded at Karen, then waggled his brows appreciatively at Stoner and stuck out his tongue, wiggling it in a suggestive, lecherous way before heading for the kitchen. Stoner forced back a chuckle. Karen was attracting the attention of all the males she came into contact with. It might be wise to make everyone think she was his woman so they would leave her alone.

Karen leaned close to Stoner. “It’s your turn to play. I admit I’m eager to see you in action, Neal.” She lowered her voice. “In more ways than one.” She set her beer on the small hallway table next to several other empty beer bottles. Her fingers curled around his forearm. 

He glanced down at her hand.

Holy shit, was she flirting with him? Was this part of her game plan? Or was she serious?

He jerked his gaze back to hers, trying to unravel the truth behind her words. But her true intentions were hidden somewhere in the secret depths of her dark, mysterious eyes. Damn her, he didn’t want games. He wanted the truth.

He set his beer next to hers on the table. Stoner twisted his arm loose from her grasp, wrapping his fingers around her slim wrist. He raised her arm above her head. Her eyes widened. He captured her other hand in his and smashed her up against the wall outside of the game room. She gasped, her gaze darting to his. Stoner pressed his body into hers, holding her in place.

Her breathing quickened. She swallowed hard. Her lips parted.

He witnessed the surprise in her gaze, then excitement. Or was it anticipation? Or maybe…lust?

His jeans grew tight. Holy shit. If he didn’t know better, he would think she actually liked what he was doing. He studied her face, gazed into her eyes, but detected no sign of fear. None at all.

“Is this the kind of action you want?” he asked huskily.

She drew in a shaky breath. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. It took every ounce of his control to not kiss her then, like she wanted. Too many watchful eyes. Too many listening ears. While he had no qualms about making love to her, he didn’t want to do it in front of an audience. He wanted her all for himself.

“Stoner!” Rebel called from inside the game room. “You gonna play or what?”

Stoner released Karen and stepped back. Disappointment flickered across her face. She wasn’t pretending. She truly wanted him. And that excited him more than he dared admit. Karen was trouble. She could hurt him all too easily. But, oh, the things he wanted to do to her…

“Stoner! Come on, man! If you’re not gonna play, then you forfeit your turn and Spike is up.”

“I’m coming.” He brushed past Karen and entered the game room, plopping onto the couch next to Rebel. He picked up the wireless controller. Spike eyed him from the other end of the couch, impatiently waiting his turn.

Much to Stoner’s disappointment, Karen didn’t follow him.

Stoner needed something to get his mind off the lust surging through him. Eight years was a long time to want someone. He was pathetic, thinking about her all these years, wanting her all these years. But never once getting up enough courage to approach her all these years for fear of rejection. For fear that she would never give him the time of day. Why would she?

Yet he’d just discovered she was attracted to him. Either she was a damn good actor or…she truly wanted him. He couldn’t comprehend that.

Rebel eyed him strangely. “You okay, man? She cast some kind of spell over you?”

Stoner cleared his throat.
Something like that.

“So, what we playing?”

“How about Splinter Cell Conviction?”

“Works for me.”

Rebel loaded the game into the Xbox 360. Stoner was in the mood for a good combat, for something that would get Karen Williams out of his head. He would push her aside while he and Rebel hunted the enemy, then went after each other in the end. Damn her anyway. She was a distraction he didn’t want and didn’t need.

Voices came from out in the hallway. He glanced up as Buck returned. The thirtyish, blond-haired biker paused to talk to Karen where she stood in the doorway. Buck was a ladies’ man who flirted with any female he came across. No woman was immune to Buck’s charms.

Stoner had a good view of Karen’s profile as she spoke to Buck. She tilted her head back, smiling up at him. An unexpected surge of jealousy shot through Stoner. He pulled his gaze away, glad he couldn’t hear what Buck was saying to her. She could just as easily seduce Buck or one of the other bikers in an attempt to escape. But little did she know that none of them would help her. They would fuck her, but they wouldn’t help her get away. If Karen wanted to live, Stoner was her best chance for survival.

The screen exploded with life and sound in front of him. Stoner shoved Karen from his mind while he and Rebel went after the enemies with no mercy. For the next two hours, he fought his way through the game until he messed up and got killed.

“Motherfucker!” Rebel shouted. “What’d you die so soon for? I was looking forward to taking you out in the end.”

“Not my lucky day, I guess.” Where was Karen? He hadn’t seen her since he’d first started playing the game. He tossed his controller to Spike, who sniggered and slipped into Stoner’s spot.

Stoner headed out of the room in search of Karen.

He found her a few minutes later in the dining room, sitting at a table with Tonya, Viper’s younger, very pregnant sister. Stoner glanced around but Viper was nowhere in sight. Karen was treading on thin ice if she was conversing with Viper’s sister without his approval. Viper had more or less threatened Karen earlier to stay away from Tonya. It was possible Karen didn’t know who Tonya was, though that was unlikely. Tonya shared her brother’s albinism, though her skin wasn’t quite as pale and her eyes were a light blue rather than pink like Viper’s.

Stoner needed to gather Karen up and get her away from Tonya before Viper discovered he’d allowed her to wander unchaperoned around the compound for the past two hours while he played videogames. Stoner had wanted her out of his head, so he’d deliberately ignored her. Not the smartest thing he’d ever done. Has she seduced Buck in his absence? Had the two of them gone at it while he’d been absorbed in the videogame?

Disgusted with his thoughts, he didn’t hear Viper until the man spoke behind him. 

“Stoner, we’ve got a problem.”

Stoner tensed. He turned and met the other man’s gaze. “What’s up?”

Viper motioned across the room to where Karen sat with Tonya. “
That
is the problem. Why did you let her out of your sight? There’s no telling what kind of shit she’s been filling Tonya’s head with. You know my sister has a weakness for the inferior races and that she’s likely to fall prey to that woman’s vile tales. If you don’t get her under control immediately, I’ll find someone else to babysit her. Got it?”

Stoner held Viper’s creepy gaze. “Sorry. Got caught up in the game for awhile and she just slipped away.”

Viper studied Stoner for a long moment. “Did she give you the list you needed?”

Stoner cleared his throat. “Actually, she said she has everything we need at her lab at home. She said it could take weeks to get all the supplies and set up a lab here, but if you let her work from her house, she can get started first thing in the morning.”

Viper squinted even more, the movement causing the serpent’s tongue to twitch between his eyes in a realistic slither. Even Stoner, who wasn’t afraid of much of anything, found Viper’s appearance creepy.

Viper snorted. “Seriously? And you believed her? She’s not leaving the compound.”

“I figured you’d say that. But if she’s telling the truth, then we can get started much quicker if we go to her place. She said all she needs is a plant to take cuttings from. I’ll keep a close eye on her. She won’t get away, Viper. I promise. From now on, I’m not letting the woman out of my sight.” 

Viper considered him for a long, tense moment. Though Stoner didn’t want to leave the compound, Karen was safer away from here. If he had to alter his plans for a few days in order to keep her safe, so be it.

“I’ll think about it,” Viper said at last. “But I need to investigate her first. Find out if she’s married, if she lives alone, if she has a family...I’ll let you know in the morning. Now get that woman away from my sister or I will.”

He’d been dismissed. And ordered to get Karen under control.

Stoner headed for the table where she sat.

Karen’s head snapped up. Her gaze traveled down his body and back up to his face, making him grow warm all over. Damn, she had a way of looking at him with those dark “come hither” eyes that made him want to drag her up to his room that very second and explore every inch of her lush, curvy body.

“Did you win?”

He relaxed under her warm gaze and pushed his longing aside. Later, hopefully, he’d get the chance to love her in all the ways he wanted.

“No. I got murdered.”

She chuckled. Then she glanced at something behind him. Her smile disappeared.

Viper came up behind him.

“Tonya.” Viper glared at his sister. “What are you doing with this woman? You should be in bed at this hour.”

Tonya snorted, rolling her eyes. Much like Karen, she wasn’t easily intimidated. Stoner had witnessed her standing up to Viper more than once. “I’m pregnant, you idiot, not deathly ill. And I can stay up as late as I want. I’m an adult.” Pushing her chair back, Tonya maneuvered herself up into a standing position, her sprawling belly protruding out in front of her as she rose.

Karen bolted to her feet, her wary gaze on Viper.

“I guess I’ll see you later.” Karen touched the other woman’s arm. “If you need any help when the baby comes, just let me know.”

“Thank you.” Tonya squeezed Karen’s hand. The women exchanged a smile. “I will definitely take you up on that.”

Viper scowled. He was obviously not pleased with the friendship building between the two women. His gaze darted to Stoner. 

Stoner took the hint. He grabbed Karen’s arm, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Let’s go.”

She didn’t resist, much to his relief.

Neither spoke as they left the dining area.

But as soon as they entered the hallway, Karen wrapped her hand around his arm. He paused, turning to face her.

“Tonya wasn’t raped by the man Viper killed. She loved him. But I’d already figured as much.” Her dark gaze filled with accusation. “You guys killed that man in cold blood.”