Ryder stepped back and shut the door. It took him a few seconds to move away because his feet just would not move. Everything inside of him urged him to stick around and make sure that things didn’t go south, but he knew his brothers were more than capable of handling the job.
Turning, he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other.
~ Ryder ~
Something was eating away at his gut, and it wasn’t that he had no idea what it could be. The cold, hard fact of the matter was that there were so many things going on at once, it was nearly impossible to pin it down to just one.
He didn’t bother to stop for brothers or whores but snagged a couple of cold beers along the way. Tiffany seemed embarrassingly eager to get away from everyone. When they made it to their room, Ryder couldn’t calm down. Flipping on his tablet, he signed onto the security feed and cracked open his beer, but he was too wired to sit long enough to watch the screen and began to pace.
“You’re not going to sleep tonight, are you?”
Tiffany’s quiet voice stopped him in his tracks. Turning, he walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve got a dozen questions all buzzing in my head at the same time. How is it that the one person in the entire world gunning for Darkness is his batshit crazy ex? Why do the Seven Devils suddenly want him dead?” he asked, pouring his thoughts out. “I think it’s to do with some property we’re buying, but something feels off. Of all the people they could get to snipe Darkness, why pick Abigail Fucking Andrews? Maybe they thought she could get close to him if she missed her first shot and he’d let his guard down with her?”
Tiffany’s brows knitted together. “Does he still have a soft spot for her?”
Ryder shook his head emphatically. “No, and that’s why Abby had to know we’d never let her within a hundred yards of Darkness after she tried to kill him. The smart little bitch brought the kid into it and wormed her way right in. It almost feels like she was saving the kid as her ace in the hole.”
His woman tended to try to find the best in everyone, but she was a smart cookie, and Ryder knew she’d reach the same conclusion he had if she gave it enough thought.
“Any man would accept a little risk for the sake of his only child, so I tend to agree with you,” she said, proving him right.
“Especially Darkness. The only family he has is his younger sister.” When it came to family, a man’s judgment could develop a blind spot, and Ryder witnessed firsthand tonight that Darkness was no exception. That baby had placed a huge fucking shadow over his vision, which was why it was so important that Ryder keeps his eyes wide open. That woman was trouble, and he wasn’t about to let her hurt his president or any of his men. Not on his watch.
“Abby seemed really worried about her child, but the couple running the boarding school seemed like they weren’t expecting her. That struck me as strange at the time,” Tiffany observed. It wasn’t something he’d even stopped to consider, but now that she mentioned it, it seemed blatantly obvious.
Glancing at his very perceptive woman, Ryder nodded his agreement. “She’s told us a few lies. First one was that her mother recently died. I clearly remember my dad telling me that he thought Darkness was dating a real nasty piece of work when I was only a teen. He said she really went wild after her mother died, ‘cause she apparently couldn’t handle the grief.”
“That does sound like a lie. Mothers don’t die twice.”
“She also said Devil didn’t know about the kid,” he continued. “That’s unlikely if she has her vehicle parked at his place with a freaking car seat strapped to the back. How many single drug mules run around with child safety seats in their vehicles?”
“Maybe people with a child in their extended family?” Tiffany threw out.
Shifting on the bed, he grumbled at her reasonable suggestion. “It’s still suspicious, if you ask me.”
Smiling indulgently at him, Tiffany rubbed his shoulder gently. “Maybe you’re just suspicious by nature.”
“Damn straight I am, woman.” Staring at the blank walls, he added, “Another thing doesn’t sit right with me about this situation. Why did the Seven Devils elect to shoot her instead of just gun Darkness and me down and take her? Why did they walk away then turn around and shoot her? It’s either because she knows more about their operation than she’s letting on and they didn’t want us to sweat it out of her, or Devil has some attachment to her and would rather see her dead than fuckin’ Darkness again.”
Nodding, Tiffany said, “Men are weirdly possessive of the women they’re abusing, so I can see that going either way.”
Now, the polite thing to do would be to ask her about how she would know something like that, but Ryder already knew about everything there was to know about his nurse. He’d had Peb pull her credit history, marriage license, divorce decree, all five restraining orders from three different states, as well as the rundown on her ex. Now was not the time to open yet another can of worms. They had enough to worry about sorting out this situation with the Seven Devils. Besides, maybe her knowledge came from her time working in the ER. Lord only knew the kind of shit she’d encountered there.
Tiffany’s soft voice reached out to him. “Tell me about the Devils.”
Turning on the bed to face her, Ryder replied, “I’ll talk about those bastards all night long and tell you anything you want to know. Just don’t ask me about club business or my brothers. That’s out of bounds.”
Her eyes flew open, and he tried to mitigate his losses. “It’s for your protection. I don’t want to tell you anything that could get you hurt. Knowing more about our enemies can only help you make good decisions if you’re ever confronted with them, but knowing about Blind Jacks shit can only get you killed.”
Her eyes dropped submissively. “I guess that makes sense.”
He took a moment to brush the fall of hair from her eyes and meet her stare before continuing. “The Seven Devils are the worst kind of outlaws. They don’t follow any kind of code. They’ll kill a patched member as quickly as they’ll kill their mother or their old lady. Even most once-percent MC clubs operate under a set of basic principles. Our club and the ones we associate with claim territory and run a variety of illicit, as well as legal, businesses. We don’t deal in the skin trade, nor do we sell anything to kids. Seven Devils crosses every line, takes every feud further, and their body counts are higher than anyone I know. Lots of times, clubs will toss someone who has wronged them in our version of detention, beat the shit out of them or make them pay restitution. The Devils think just killing everyone across the board means people will take them seriously. Instead, it’s isolated them ‘cause no one trusts them to keep to their word or believes they’ll get a fair shake.”
Tiffany looked a little unnerved, but to her credit, she didn’t freak out. “I’m getting a feel for how this works now,” she said softly. “But I have to say that I don’t see you being able to be at your best tomorrow if you don’t get at least a few hours of sleep. And, baby, you really need to have your head screwed on straight to see your way clear of this.”
“I’m going to have a drink or two and make myself sleep,” he assured her, then an even better idea entered his headspace. “Maybe you can do that thing you do with your hands on my back.”
His pretty little nurse snorted a laugh. “It’s called a backrub, baby. But I got a little something to relax you more than a mere massage.”
Rolling over and grabbing his beer, Ryder drained the amber bottle in one long guzzle. Pulling off his shirt, he stood and shucked his pants, shoes, and socks. Turning, Ryder was gratified to see that Tiffany had done the same. His woman was always ready and eager to get him inside her.
Crawling into bed, he allowed her to turn him onto his back. “I like where this is headed.”
Curling up beside him, she tilted her head back, and they locked lips. There was nothing quite as nice as kissing a woman you really loved. Her hands wandered over his body, slowly mapping every bu
lging muscle. The thing was, it was kind of relaxing and exciting at the same time.
When her hands landed on his junk, and she cupped his balls, gently running her soft hands over him, he moaned. “That’s damned nice, sweetness.”
“I’m not finished yet,” she purred.
Pulling the blanket up around his torso, she slid down, kissing a hot trail straight to his cock. He was hard as a rock, there was no doubt about that. Only, between the alcohol, the warm blanket, and the gentle handling, he was also all kinds of relaxed. Tucking his arms under his head, Ryder grinned as her mouth closed around his rod.
His mind reeled back to the first time she ever put her lips on him. It was after he’d taken a couple of bullets and was on the run for his life. He remembered pulling her flush with his body when they were hiding away in one of the back rooms at the hospital. His own words floated through his mind. You’re the only thing right in my world at the moment. Ever thought of stealing a moment in time, just for yourself?
The poor woman had looked so confused, and even though she turned him down flat, she’d circled back around and sucked him off. He could still remember the sexy dream and waking up to her on top of him. It was by far the best memory of his life. Whoever thought a beautiful and accomplished woman would find it in her heart to tend to him in his time of need? Now she was doing it all over again.
Her warm, wet mouth sliding over his heating flesh felt amazing. Relaxing into the bed, he allowed her to take care of him. She had this thing she did with her tongue where she swirled it around the head as she sucked. It turned him inside out, every single time. In far too short a time, she had him spilling his load down her throat.
Looking up at him, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a single finger and issued him a satisfied smile, and Ryder didn’t think he’d ever been so turned on by a woman before. With slow movements, she crawled back up his body, and he lifted her to reach her lips. Tasting himself was somehow both gross and thrilling. At that moment, nothing could have kept him from ravishing her mouth.
“Come sit on my face, baby girl. You know what I like.”
“I’m hungry for your kisses. Use your hands,” she requested in that sexy, husky voice he loved.
“Fuck that idea all to hell, sweetness.”
Rolling her onto her stomach, he came down on top of her and nudged himself between her legs. His dick hardened again the instant she spread her legs for him. Positioning himself with one hand, he breached her core as he caught both of her hands in his and brought them above her head.
“You good, baby?”
Wiggling herself down partially onto his rod, Ryder considered that a yes. Slamming into her tight body, her arousal eased the way. Tiffany’s ability to get immediately wet for him was one of the attributes he liked best about his sexy new partner. Sucking him off always made her wet for him, as if she took as much from it as she gave.
Holding both of her small wrists in one hand, he slid the other between her and the bed to finger her tender bud then rose onto his knees a couple inches and brought her hips up to meet him. Setting a steady pace, he ravaged her body as she squirmed and moaned her pleasure beneath him.
Ryder pushed her into a hard orgasm, eased up for a few minutes before thrusting roughly in and out again as he made tight circles around her clit. “Don’t you ever think I’m the kind of guy to take from a woman and not give back as good as I get,” he rasped beside her ear. “You got that, doll?”
“What? I don’t think that,” she denied, her words hoarse and panting.
Pulling out, Ryder flipped her over onto her back and plunged back in. Looking down at her, he loved the way her breasts jiggled when he fucked her. “You deserve a nice, thick dick, not fingers.”
Looking up into his eyes, she whispered breathlessly, “I love both.”
Picking up the pace, he powered into her as he rubbed his thumb over her clit. “Which do you like better?”
Her hands skated over his chest, and she pulled him down for a hot, wet kiss. “Always your cock, baby.”
Cupping her head in one large hand, he nibbled the column of her neck. “Oh, yeah? What do you like about it?”
Giggling, she scraped her nails down his back and began playing with his ass crack. Fuck, he loved it when she did that. “I love that you’re thick, and you get thicker right before you come.”
“Is that a fact?” he asked against her heated flesh.
“And you have those nice, thick, delicious veins running down the sides.”
His dick grew harder, and Ryder felt that familiar tingle at the base of his spine. “Hearing you talk dirty is flipping all my switches, babe.”
“I like that you manscape,” she continued. “It shows off your nice, heavy ball sack.”
Ryder was so totally lost in the lust-filled fuck of a lifetime with his pretty nurse that he didn’t notice what was happening on the security feed. “Tell me more. Do I fill you up?”
“I love being full of your cock. Nothing could possibly feel better.”
A possessive growl crawled its way from his throat. “I fucking believe that. Sometimes, it feels like I have to fight my way into your tight pussy.”
“I love the way you smell and the way you feel sliding across my tongue. You taste fantastic, and all I want to do is suck and fuck you forever. Oh God, baby, just like that. Don’t ever stop,” she moaned, her head kicking back into the pillows.
When her body clinched around his cock, that was it for Ryder. Shoving himself deep, he stilled as they came together in a violent outburst. She screamed his name, and Ryder cursed under his breath. Rocking back and forth, he nursed them through their orgasm and stilled again, just enjoying the moment.
That’s when his phone buzzed. Pulling out of her wet, warm sheath, Ryder cursed under his breath as he grabbed it.
~ Ryder ~
Cork’s panicked voice came over the line. “The fucking minute Darkness when to sleep, she made a grab for his phone.”
Ryder cursed under his breath. “Who’d she call?”
“You fucking know who,” Cork deadpanned.
Ryder scowled at the floor. “Devil?”
“You better believe it, brother.”
Behind him, Tiffany sat up, and Ryder glanced over his shoulder. She mouthed “What’s going on?” but he just shook his head and got up from the bed. Club business wasn’t her business. “What did they talk about?”
“Not much. He gave her some directions, trying to get access to our wireless system. Peb has that locked down. We disconnected the call anyways,” he said, giving Ryder a modicum of relief. “Should we go in and take the phone?”
Ryder shook his head even though the guy couldn’t see him. “It would be all t0o easy for her to pick up a signal that’s not our wireless and get a call out. Let’s see if she’s smart enough to do that, and if so, what they talk about next time.”
“Will do. I shoved the conversation to your tablet.”
“I’ll have a look at it. Buzz me if anything else goes down.”
Tossing his phone onto the nightstand, Ryder grabbed his tablet.
“Abby actually called the guy that wants Darkness dead?” Tiffany asked. Ryder should have known she would have figured it out. “I honestly didn’t think she’d do that.”
Glancing up at his exhausted love, Ryder admired how beautiful she was when she was freshly fucked. Her hair was a complete mess, her mascara was smeared at the corners, and her face was still flush from her hairline to her plump little breasts. When she pulled the sheet up over them, Ryder snapped out of his lust-induced trance.
Clearing his throat, he murmured, “You’re a good soul, babe. People with kind hearts always look for the best in others. Unfortunately, while you’re looking for the best, you’re missing all the stuff that makes them evil.”
Tiffany pulled back slightly, clearly trying to process his words. She was cute when she was confused.
He reassured her teasingly. “It’s oka
y, sweetness. You have a suspicious fucker like me for a husband. I’ll be sure to look out for all the nasty shit you don’t see coming.”
“We’re not married.”
“Give a man a goddamn minute, will you, doll. Besides, you’re wearing my cut. It’s the same damn thing in my world.”
“I’m not pushing. I’m just happy for the opportunity to spend time with you and share your beautiful body,” she said with a sultry smile that made him want to climb back into that bed and get inside her again. Make her scream.
But he had shit to do that required his attention.
Loading up the video, Ryder murmured, “Aww, that’s all kinds of sweet. You go ahead and catch some sleep, baby girl. I’ll be along right after I have a look at this security feed.”
Snuggling under the blanket, she sighed, and Ryder smiled to himself. He loved being with a woman who loved him for him. Most of the women he’d spent time with had their hand out, constantly wanting spending money and gifts. Tiffany not only never asked him for anything, but she’d also spent a nice chunk of change on Ace to get him some face time with the pretty redhead he’d been slowly becoming obsessed with. She was beautiful, sweet, loving, and treated his brothers with respect. A man couldn’t ask for better.
That was the information he kept clearly in mind when he reviewed the video feed of the demon responsible for spawning his club president’s little one. Watching Abby amble over and pretend to check on the baby as she slipped Darkness’ cell phone into her shirt literally made him ill. She curled back up in the recliner and pulled the blankets up around her. A person would have to be totally ignorant to think the camera wouldn’t pick up the light from the cell phone shining through the blanket. It was faint but noticeable.
Ryder shifted over to the text messages she sent and scrolled through them. There were a few things that caught his notice. She called Devil Honey Bear. How many drug mules referred to the handlers forcing them into service with endearments? He’d have to guess that there weren’t that many. The two of them were definitely a team and probably banging nasties on a full or part-time basis. Nothing else even made sense there.