“Right,” Jericho replied sarcastically.
We continued down the narrow hall to a bedroom. The bed sheet was twisted into one long strand with the blanket. Clothes and socks were everywhere.
I laughed. “You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble on my account.”
He grabbed up a pair of socks and tossed them into a laundry pile in the corner. “Yeah, sorry about that. None of us are great at housekeeping.” He turned to me with a grin. “But I make up for it with other skills.”
“Yes, you have proven that to me already. More than once. I guess that’s why I risked life and limb to come here tonight.”
His face tightened with concern again.
“I’m kidding. A little white lie about going to see my brother was all it took.” I hopped up and kissed him on the mouth. “But I would have risked life and limb, if necessary.”
He lifted his hand and lightly touched the bruise on my face. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to ignore this, Roxie.”
“For my sake, you have to. Besides, you’ll lose your job. Then you’ll have no reason to stay in Tahoe.”
“I’ve got my reason right here in front of me. And it’s the only reason I need.” He lowered his mouth to mine, and somehow, while hardly breaking from the kiss, he managed to remove my shirt, bra and shorts. I slipped off my sandals and pushed my panties down.
He lifted his mouth from mine to stare down at my naked body. Instantly, moisture surged in my pussy, and my nipples hardened.
I sighed contentedly. “Why does it always feel so damn good to be standing naked in front of you? Like I could stand here all day and just look at your face as you’re looking at me.”
“Trust me, baby, I could stand here all day and do that. But, eventually, I’d have to touch you or go completely fucking crazy.” He swept me into his arms and sat on the bed with me in his lap. “I can’t believe how quickly and securely you’ve wound yourself around my heart. Not a second goes by when I’m not thinking about you.” His hand smoothed over my breast and down to the small triangle of hair between my legs. “And, believe it or not, you’re only naked in half of those seconds.”
I reached up and traced my finger along the hollow at the base of his throat. “Only half?”
“O.K., maybe three fourths. But then who could blame me?” He pushed his hand between my legs to spread my thighs wider. “When every fucking inch of you is amazing.” He stared down at my face as he stroked the folds of my pussy, dragging the slick moisture to my clit, the sweet spot that he knew just how to touch.
“Jericho,” I said in a hoarse whisper as he coaxed even more moisture from me. “Please, fuck me. Take me right now. Show me that you want me.”
He picked me up and lowered me to the bed. He stood up, and I greedily watched him undress. When he pushed his pants down and his glistening cock sprang free, I couldn’t stop myself. I had to taste him. I sat up and scooted to the end of the bed. He towered over me like a magnificent, imposing giant as I leaned forward and wrapped my fingers around his cock. He groaned as I cupped his balls with my free hand and pressed the wet tip of his cock against my lips. As my tongue drew circles around the fleshy tip of his erection, he wrapped his fingers in my hair and held my head securely against him. My hand gripped the base of his cock as I pushed it into my mouth, knowing full well there was no way to take him in completely, but still giving it my best shot. I wanted him to feel my mouth and lips as I made love to his cock. I wanted him to experience the same intense pleasure I’d been feeling when he touched me.
His fingers tightened more, pulling my hair slightly as my mouth drew along his thick, hard shaft. Every low sound rolling up from his throat made me that much wetter between the legs.
His narrow hips shifted toward me. His muscular thighs tightened as he moved with my mouth. “Stop,” he growled. “I need your pussy around me right fucking now.”
I pulled my mouth from him and wiped the corner of my lip as I peered up at him. He stared down at me from beneath heavy lids as he rolled on a condom he’d yanked from the dresser. I scooted onto the bed and leaned back.
“Nope, darlin’, on your hands and knees.”
A small squeal left my mouth as he reached for my legs and flipped me to my stomach. I got up on my hands and knees, and he knelt behind me. “God, you are beautiful,” he grunted. He reached forward and spread the folds of my pussy, exposing me in the most wanton way. And I loved it. I loved it when he was looking at me. Even in this vulnerable, compromised position, it made me pulse with desire.
His mouth pressed against the back of my thigh, and he left a long line of tantalizing kisses over my ass and lower back. He reached around to find my clit and began massaging it. He pushed his cock into me, and my pussy clenched tightly around him. I clung to the sheets as he fondled my clit with one hand and kept me securely braced against his thrusts with the other. I found myself pushing back to heighten the impact. I couldn’t get enough of him as he drove his cock into me. His skilled touch brought me to that delicious, breath stealing moment just before going over the cliff. He pummeled me from behind as I cried out in pleasure, every blow from his cock urging an even stronger reaction from my pussy. I ached from the feel of him charging into me, and I wanted that ache, that thudding, pulsing spasm right at the spot where we were connected physically. It was a connection that I could feel so deep in my soul, it was as if we’d been together forever. This was the man I was destined to be with. Not the horrible man back in his sprawling house on the lake. I was meant to be loved, cherished and protected by the man who was buried deep inside of me.
“God yes, Jericho,” I cried out in utter physical exhaustion as his cock continued to penetrate me, bringing me to a second thunderous orgasm. I’d worried that I’d lost those erotic sensations, that I couldn’t feel the overwhelming waves of pleasure anymore. But Jericho had awakened them again, and he brought them to a level I never knew I could reach. He held me steady as he pounded my pussy fast and hard. Every slam made me moan with contentment. His grip on me tightened, and he moved at a frenzied pace. Then a low, guttural sound rolled up from his chest and, still buried deep inside me, he came.
After the swirls of heat and our breathing diminished, he flopped down next to me and pulled me down with him. It was late afternoon, and, as often happened, a clump of thunder clouds had rolled in over the lake. They cast a dark, cool shadow over the room.
I shivered and tucked myself against him. “Hmm, you are like having my own personal space heater.”
“I provide many useful services.”
I laughed. “That you do.” I wiggled even closer, never seeming able to get near enough to him. I loved the lighthearted, flirty moments, but the cold fingers of truth were always there to bring me back to reality.
“I think we’re done working for Gamble,” Jericho said as he tenderly stroked my back. “He’s got some weird notion of fighting fire with fire, only it’s not going to work.”
I lifted my face to him. “What do you mean?”
“That club that he had a history with showed up today when we were riding to Reno. Gamble apparently decided that the best way to get rid of an unwanted outlaw club was to hire another outlaw club. We’re rivals, but we’ve also been avoiding any standoffs because someone always ends up dead. It’s a waste, and it never solves anything. So, Gamble’s strange plan is over. He doesn’t know it yet.”
“I, for one, am glad that you’ll be free of him.” I sat up and searched for my clothes. Suddenly, it hit me that Jericho had no reason to stay in Tahoe any longer.
“Hey, you’re not leaving me yet, are you? We were just getting warmed up.”
I turned to look at him. “You might be free of Trace soon, but I’m not. And, I guess if you no longer have business here—”
He sat up. “I’m not leaving here without you, Roxie. I thought I made that clear.” He scooted to the side of the bed and grabbed up his jeans. “I was thinking about what you told me.
I don’t think Gamble will turn in the evidence on your brother. I don’t know much about laws, except, unfortunately, how to break them, but I think if he does go to the police now, they can arrest Gamble for aiding and abetting. How will he explain that he kept his testimony and the security footage hidden all this time?”
I sighed. “I’ve used that argument against him before. He has a lot of money and can hire the best lawyer. He said he would just claim that he was being threatened with death if he gave police information. That would make it even worse for Sean.”
“But you’re witness to the fact that he used you in his blackmail scheme.”
I shook my head. “Told him that too. He said he’d make sure his lawyers exposed me as a slut who was just out for the expensive lifestyle. Believe me, I’ve tried every approach other than just straight out hatred for the man. Which I tried today.” I pointed to my face. “This was the result. Trace Gamble is just one of those lucky assholes who always gets what he wants.”
“There has to be some way to stop him short of actually killing the guy which, after seeing your face today, has not been crossed off my list yet.”
“No, Jericho, please, don’t even joke about it. Murder is what got me here in the first place.”
I finished dressing. Jericho walked me out, and we kissed. The clouds were about to burst. They’d explode with thunder and spit rain all over the lake and surrounding landscape, and then, just as quickly as they’d rolled in, they’d disappear over the mountaintops.
The wind was brisk, and the air smelled of electricity. I didn’t want to leave Jericho’s embrace. “It gets harder and harder to leave you.” The dull ache pressed against my chest. It was becoming a familiar feeling. Every time I left Jericho, I worried that I wouldn’t see him again. This time the foreboding ache was more acute than ever. “Jericho, if things seem to be getting ugly, then promise me you’ll ride out of town fast.”
“Nope, can’t make that promise. I’ve got my mind set on leaving with you, Roxie. And thickheaded is my middle name.”
chapter 26
Roxie
As difficult as it had been to get in the car and drive away from Jericho, pulling into the driveway of the lake house and not seeing Trace’s car made me give a little hoot of joy. I walked inside and headed to the kitchen for a snack. I hadn’t eaten since before work, and even then, it had only been a slice of toast. My stomach seemed to be a constant tangle of knots. One minute, I was fretting about how I would ever work my way out of Trace’s life, and the next, I was excited and filled with flutters thinking about being with Jericho. It would figure that I’d finally found someone who I truly wanted to be with and there was a rock solid barrier between me and my happily ever after.
The front door opened just as I pulled a bag of popcorn out of the microwave. Trace’s expensive loafers smacked the wood floor of the hallway. Suddenly, the snack didn’t seem all that appealing. I dropped the bag onto the counter and tried to make a quick exit to the balcony. I failed.
“Smells like a fucking movie theater,” Trace said cheerily. He grabbed the popcorn, popped it open and offered me some. I declined. I was sure I’d choke on it. He sat on one of the counter stools. “Come here.”
Reluctantly, I plodded across the floor. He reeked of whiskey and weed. He lifted my chin with his fingers and turned my face. “You shouldn’t have provoked me,” he said.
“Right. It was my fault.” I turned to leave, but he took hold of my arm and pulled me to face him again.
His brow creased as he lifted my chin again. “Huh, funny. The swelling from your cheek seems to have migrated down to those plump lips of yours.”
I tried hard not to react, but I could feel my pulse pumping faster through my veins. His dark eyes skewered me with an angry glare.
I pulled my chin from his grasp. A mocking laugh shot from my mouth. “Your paranoia is going to be the end of you,” I said with a smile.
“It’ll be the end of someone, that’s for sure.” The chilling words sent a shiver through me. He went back to enjoying my snack. “Talked to a realtor, and he’s getting stuff organized to sell.” As much as I didn’t want to hear about the Atlanta project, I was utterly relieved at the topic change.
“Great. I left some unfinished work at the club, so I’m going to head back over there.” I had very little to do, but staying home with Trace wasn’t an option. “I’m going upstairs to put on something warmer. The temperature dropped after the thunderstorm.” I thought my escape plan had worked.
“You know,” he said as I reached the doorway, “your cute little nephew didn’t seem to inherit the family skill of lying.”
I froze. The pulse that had raced a few minutes before now pounded in my ears. A rush of fear went through me. I turned around. “What are you talking about?”
He stared at me as he chewed a mouthful of popcorn, then swallowed. “I thought I’d give your brother a call and let him know that you’d be moving to Georgia with me. But Sean wasn’t around. Your nephew picked up, and when I asked to talk to you, he told me Auntie Rocky wasn’t there.”
“If you must know, I went for a massage. I’ve been really tense, and I didn’t think you’d approve.”
His face was a mask of stone. He stood up from the stool. I backed up a few steps as he neared. “You have a week to turn this around, sweetheart. You come back to me ready and willing, or I get the security video I have safely stashed away and I hand it over to the cops.”
I didn’t answer. I spun around and hurried to my room. I was halfway up the stairs when it hit me like a giant boulder falling from a cliff. Safely stashed away. The keys in the safe— the incriminating video was locked in a safe deposit box.
chapter 27
Jericho
After watching Roxie drive off, I’d downed several beers and plunked back down on the bed to sleep. I woke to the sound of motorcycles rumbling down the short driveway to the cabin. The thunderstorm had rolled out fast, and the clouds had cleared. There were still a few hours of daylight left.
I rolled to my side. Roxie’s intoxicating scent was still on the sheets. I closed my eyes and grew hard thinking about having had her naked in the bed just a short time ago.
I was feeling helpless. I fucking hated to feel helpless. Gamble wasn’t the kind of guy you could just knock off and bury in a shallow ditch somewhere. He had big connections in the casino and club world. People would notice him missing. As badly as I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat, I needed to come up with a plan that wouldn’t earn me a life sentence.
Jacko and Reed walked into the cabin like a herd of buffalo. A woman’s laugh mingled with their loud voices. It was Pepper. I got out of bed and walked out to the front room.
“Hey, bro,” Jacko said, “we brought tacos and beer. Figured you probably worked up an appetite with your guest.” He looked pointedly at the hallway.
I glanced in Pepper’s direction.
She smiled. “Don’t you worry about me saying anything. I want to see Roxie get clear of Trace as much as you do.”
I was sure Pepper knew nothing about the blackmail or the security tape or any of the grisly details of the murder night.
I walked over and picked up a cold beer. “She had to leave.” I grabbed a taco and sat on the couch. The second I took a bite, my phone rang. “Shit,” I muttered as I stood to take the call outside on the porch. “Yeah, Walsh here.”
Gamble jumped right into the conversation. There was a bitter, angry edge in his tone. “Pete said there was some trouble during the delivery. He said you boys were joined by another group of bikers out on the road.”
I decided to go along with his act that he had no idea who they’d been or why the other bikers had joined us. “No trouble at all. Another club just happened to be going the same direction. They rode along for a little while and then took off.”
“Hmm, Pete thought it was Bent for Hell or one of those other outlaw clubs.”
“Yep, that’s right.??
?
“Thought they were a rival club.” He was having a hard time acting ignorant when I was giving him short, meaningless answers. I wanted no part of his crazy-ass schemes. I cared only about one thing—getting Roxie away from him.
“Look, they rolled along for a few minutes, and then off they rode with a smile and a wave. No problems and all the money was delivered on time.”
“Yeah.” It was only one word, but I could hear the frustration in his tone. None of this had gone off the way he’d planned it.
I was finished with this asshole. “Guess you’re disappointed, huh? Don’t know if you thought we’d all just blow our brains out right there on the highway and then you’d be out from under whatever the fuck you’re into with Bent for Hell. But that’s not the way my club or Griffin’s club works.”
“Our partnership is at a natural end here, Walsh. Meet me at my office over near Zephyr Cove. It’s in a little hole in the wall slot machine club called Happy’s. I’m going there right now to finish some business. I’ll pull out the money I owe you. Then I need you to get the hell out of this town.”
I laughed. “You might be a successful businessman out here, but what the fuck makes you think you can tell me to leave town?”
“See you in an hour.” He hung up.
Before I could slide the phone into my pocket, I got a text from Roxie. It had a date on it, April 3, 1985. I had no fucking clue what it meant. I was about to ask her why she’d sent it when she sent another equally confusing text. “Mother’s maiden name is Beeler.”
“Are you O.K.?” I texted.
“Yep. Keep the info I just sent you. You’ll need it.”
That was all she wrote. I went back inside to finish my taco. Reed and Pepper were sitting at the kitchen counter sipping beer.
Jacko walked over with his food. He sat down next to me.
“Gamble has officially laid us off,” I said.
“Good.”