Ride Rough

  “And four,” she said, having to swallow around the knot of emotion in her throat. She met Maverick’s intense blue gaze. “Because you’re involved—all of you. He’s crazy pissed about that, and he sees this as a competition with the Raven Riders. And Grant doesn’t like to lose.”

  Maverick gave a tight nod. “Sounds about right.”

  “But I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” she told him; then, she looked around at the group. “To any of you.”

  “If Slater throws something at us, Alexa, we’ll handle it,” Dare said. A low rumble of agreement went around the room. She appreciated the sentiment and the support, more than she could say, even though it made her worry more.

  “Why did you say he was going to destroy you, Alexa?” Haven asked, coming to stand right next to her. “What does that mean?” Her eyes radiated concern, and her expression was full of strength and resolution. Haven rubbed her back, making Alexa realize how tense her muscles were, like she was braced against an oncoming blow.

  Alexa’s shoulders dropped as she released a long breath. “He didn’t say it this starkly, but he threatened to report my car as stolen and take it away and evict Mom from his house. And he hinted that my job isn’t safe, either. And I . . . I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

  I’d hate to see you lose everything you’ve worked so hard for, Alexa.

  The memory of Grant’s smug voice made her stomach roll. He’d clearly spent a lot of time thinking about what would devastate her the most, and his attitude was full of confidence that she’d cave. Just like she always did. And who knows, maybe she would’ve if she’d sat there long enough enduring the brute force of his badgering and withering stare. But then Davis had shown up and Alexa had been able to see that things were getting tense between the sheriff and the Ravens. Her worry for them had sent her fleeing from the table, wanting to save them from any further trouble and needing to be free from Grant’s threats.

  Any one of which would be a huge blow, but all of them together would be catastrophic for Alexa.

  And the issue wasn’t just financial—although it was partly that, too. If Grant fired her, what would that do to her future prospects as an interior designer? She couldn’t even fathom all the doors he could close to her. Even worse, her mother couldn’t easily be moved from Grant’s house. It wasn’t just because she had a tractor trailer’s worth of crap in her house to sort through, but because her mother wasn’t going to want to go. Best case scenario, it would take some preparation and cajoling, and probably a little arm-twisting and bribing, too, to get her mother out of the house without sending her into a complete and total mental breakdown. And that was saying nothing of finding another place where a hoarder could live without good references or credit.

  Oh, my God, what am I going to do?

  “You’re sure as shit not going back to him,” Maverick said, as if she’d spoken the words aloud. Had she? The situation felt so surreal she wasn’t sure.

  Alexa met his gaze again and hated the doubt she saw there, and the little hidden sliver of fear. Maybe the others wouldn’t have seen it, but she knew Maverick, and she did. “No, I’m not. I can’t. Especially not now. But, Jesus, getting free of him means that my mom and me . . . we lose everything. How am I going to tell her? Where am I going to move her? Am I even going to be able to stay in this area if Grant ruins my career and reputation here?” She kneaded at the muscles in her neck. “What an arrogant, twisted asshole he is. I can’t believe it’s come to all this.”

  Maverick grasped her hand and leaned down until their eyes met. “We’ll figure it out. Did he attach any sort of a deadline to his demands?”

  She laced her fingers with his. “He wants me home—well, back to his place—immediately, but the real deadline is next Saturday.”

  “The wedding,” Maverick said.

  “Yeah. I don’t show—”

  “—and the shit hits the fan,” Mav finished for her. She nodded.

  “So we have a week to make arrangements for your mom,” Dare said. “We will figure something out. That’s a guarantee.”

  “Shit,” Maverick said, his eyes going wide. He turned to Phoenix. “I hate to ask, man.”

  “What?” Phoenix asked. “Name it.”

  Alexa loved that about the Ravens. Always had. How they were there for each other, no matter what. Like a family.

  “Any chance you’d be willing to let Mrs. Harmon use Creed’s house?” Maverick asked. Alexa gasped. Creed was Phoenix’s cousin who’d been killed a month or two ago in Baltimore. He was older, and she hadn’t known him well, but she knew Phoenix well enough to know that he’d idolized Creed. Which meant Maverick asking him such a thing for her was huge.

  She shook her head. “Oh, no, I couldn’t—”

  “Hey, that’s actually a damn good idea,” Phoenix said, nodding, his expression thoughtful. “I haven’t touched it since Creed died, so it’ll take some work, and it’s not very big, but it’s just sitting there.”

  The kindness they extended to her disproved stereotype after stereotype. Her billionaire businessman fiancé was a manipulative, abusive control freak, and her law-breaking motorcycle gang friends made a habit out of helping people who needed it. “That’s an amazingly generous offer, Phoenix, but my mother’s not the easiest person. She’s not likely to take the best care of the place even with my help, and I don’t even know what I can afford yet.”

  He gave her a look. “I’m talking about a gift, Al. I don’t want your money. Or your mother’s. Once we get it cleaned and fixed up, she could stay there as long as she wants. Creed always liked Tyler. I think he’d like this.”

  The man’s generosity pierced more holes into her numbness. “Okay, well. Wow. I don’t even know what to say. Thank you isn’t enough.”

  “Yeah it is.” He winked. Nodding, her thoughts raced. That potentially alleviated one big problem, assuming the work could be done within the next week, and assuming that Alexa could get her mother and all her crap out of Grant’s house within that time frame.

  Maverick turned to Phoenix and offered his hand. “I know what this means. Thank you. We owe you. Anything, anytime. Just name it.” The men clasped hands for a long moment.

  We owe you. We. Such a small word. Such a huge meaning. It shattered what was left of Alexa’s numbness. Worry, fear, panic all came rushing in, but so, too, did courage, resolve, and—for the first time in a long time—the steadfast knowledge that she wasn’t alone. We. She and Maverick. Whatever they were, he was in her corner. All of these guys were. After years of feeling so alone, that meant everything. She pressed a hand to her chest and nodded, emotion overwhelming her.

  Maverick faced her again, his big hands going to her shoulders. And it was like his touch grounded her, shielded her, pulled all the disparate pieces of her together so she could stand strong. “The rest we’ll figure out. I promise. But until then, no going out on your own anywhere. If you feel like you need to stick it out at work, I understand. But we keep with me dropping you off and picking you up.” On their surface, his words seemed calm, but the agitation was clear in the tight clench of his jaw and the hot flash of his eyes.

  “Knowing Slater, this will escalate before it gets resolved,” Dare said matter-of-factly. In her heart, Alexa knew that was right. But what would that escalation mean? She couldn’t stand the idea of anyone getting hurt because of all the mistakes she’d made.

  Which meant she had to act. She had to do whatever she could to protect herself and her friends. “I need to get a lawyer first thing Monday morning. And maybe I should talk to Sheriff Martin this weekend, just to see what he thinks?” Alexa didn’t know Henry Martin well, but she’d heard Grant grouse about a divide within Frederick’s local police over the Ravens—and that Henry tended to fall on their side and even protect them. The details of those internal politics were a mystery to her, but certainly an enemy of Grant’s could be a friend to her.

  “Good. That’s good,” Maverick s
aid, a gleam of pride in his gaze. “Touching base with Martin makes sense. Get you protected legally, too. Because this fucker’s not going to get away with what he’s trying to do. Just you wait.”

  No, he wasn’t. At least, not without a fight.

  Problem was, she feared into her very soul that she was going to have to pay in some way before everything was said and done. The only question was how great that cost would be.

  CHAPTER 20

  As it got later, more Ravens arrived at the clubhouse. Bunny and Haven laid out the fixings for beef tacos, and everyone dove into building a plate. Afterward, the atmosphere clearly veered in the direction of partying. Truth be told, Maverick had some adrenaline and not a little anger burning through his blood that could use being worked out. But then he found Alexa sitting at the kitchen table talking to Bunny and Haven, her knees drawn up to her chest. And even though she put on a smile for him, it was clear that she wasn’t in the partying mood.

  “Why don’t I take you home?” Maverick asked, something deep inside him needing to not just protect her, but take care of her, comfort her. However she needed, whatever she needed.

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked, crouching beside her. He was aware that his mom and Haven were listening in, but didn’t mind, didn’t care. There was no shame in wanting to take care of what was his—even if she was only that in his stubborn fucking heart.

  “I’ll do whatever you want,” she said. Her hand fell on his where it rested on her knee, and the touch shot heat through his blood.

  He arched an eyebrow. “I want to know what you want.”

  She met his gaze for a long moment, then gave a little shrug. “I don’t want to pull you away.”

  “I can give you a ride, hon,” Bunny said.

  Maverick shook his head. “Thanks, Bunny, but I got this. You want to go, Al, I want to take you.”

  Her expression went soft and sweet for him. “Yeah?”

  His grip on her knee tightened. “Yeah.”

  “Well, whenever, then.” Her fingers stroked over his.

  Between the small touches and the way she was looking at him, all affectionate and even a little unguarded, his body came alive with need. He rose and held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

  The smile she gave him told him it was the right call. She needed him more than he needed to blow off some steam. And that was that.

  Maverick watched while Alexa hugged Bunny and Haven and said her good-byes, and he liked what he saw—Alexa being folded into the arms of his community, and embracing it right back. He liked it a lot. Fuck, it was too soon to be feeling this, to be wanting this—too soon for her. Just today, Grant had driven that point home with a goddamned sledgehammer. She was right in the thick of dealing with her ex. The last thing she needed was to deal with Maverick, too. For fuck’s sake.

  When you gonna fight for what you want? Dare’s chiding voice echoed in his memory. The question—and the urgency to answer it—pulsed through his veins with every heartbeat.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” he said, shoving away the thoughts. He hugged Bunny and Haven.

  “I make a mean cinnamon roll,” Haven said to Alexa. “In case you want to come for breakfast. Maybe we could do that girls-only movie day.”

  “I just might take you up on that,” Al said with a smile. And Maverick found himself grateful to Haven once again. Alexa needed friends and fun in her life right now, and he appreciated Haven making her feel like she belonged. He knew enough about how Al had grown up to know that mattered to her. So it mattered to him.

  It took a couple of minutes of good-byes to make their way out of the clubhouse, but then Maverick was starting up the Night Rod and Alexa was sliding on behind him, her heat ramping up the arousal stirring in his body. Especially when she didn’t just embrace him. Her hands gently rubbed his chest. The night air blew warm and inviting against them as they took the back way through the big Raven Riders tract to the pond and his house beyond.

  Alexa didn’t mean anything by the soft caresses against his chest, but it was driving him fucking crazy. His cock hardened against his thigh, setting off an ache that pounded in his blood. Finally, he stilled her hands against his sternum, but instead of that putting a stop to the rubbing as he’d intended, it set her hands off to exploring.

  Up over his pecs, the heels of her palms dragging across his nipples. Down over his abs, turning his cock to steel. Down farther, onto his inner thighs. Her nails raked against the denim. And then her right hand found his hard length and tormented him with rubs and squeezes that had him spilling groans into the wind.

  Christ, what was she doing to him? And should he let her do it?

  By the time he pulled the NRS into his garage, he was wrecked by lust and need, the adrenaline that had been surging through him since the confrontation at the restaurant finding an outlet his body liked. A lot.

  He didn’t kill the engine or flip out the kickstand. His boots braced the bike upright, the engine’s vibrations spilling through him and winding him tighter. And then Alexa’s fingers made quick work of unbuttoning his jeans. Unzipping. And pulling out his cock.

  “Fuck, Alexa,” he groaned as her hand wrapped around the thick column of his flesh. She reached to hang her helmet on the handlebar, and he helped her, wanting to know what she wanted, needing to see where she wanted to take this, unable to do anything but give in to the steady jerking of her hand around his hard length.

  “Your voice is so sexy when you’re turned on,” she whispered against his cheek. “Makes me wet.” Her tongue traced his ear, and then she was kissing him there, her hand on his neck, trying to make him yield to her mouth, her tongue.

  “What else makes you wet?” he rasped. He should be questioning this, questioning her, not egging her on. But his body had taken over this train and pulled it right on out of the station.

  Her fist gripped him tighter, pumped harder. She hummed low in her throat, her tongue dragging up his neck. “How hard your cock is. How it fills my hand. How I know it could fill me.”

  “Jesus,” he bit out, needing to hear every filthy secret she’d share with him. “What else?”

  “Your long hair. Your eyes. Your ink.” She punctuated each pronouncement with a jerk and twist of her hand. “The feel of this bike rumbling between my legs,” she offered without him asking.

  He swallowed thickly, his thoughts trying to break through, trying to rein in the beast that wanted to break free. “I wasn’t going to start this.”

  “That’s why I did,” she whispered, swiping her thumb through the wetness on the head of his cock.

  Each word, each touch hammered another nail into the coffin of his restraint. “I’ve been trying not to take advantage of you, Alexa. You’ve got a lot coming at you right now.” His head dropped back on her shoulder. He felt connected to her by her touch, their words, the bike’s vibrations.

  “It’s not taking advantage if I want to be with you, too, Maverick. Just because my life’s a wreck doesn’t mean I don’t know what I want. And I see it now with a clarity I haven’t had in years. Please, don’t take that from me,” she said, her voice strong, but with just a hint of pleading. Her words hit him square in the chest, unleashing need and hope in a one-two punch that buried the last of his concerns, at least for tonight. But then she released him. “Unless you don’t want—”

  “Oh, fuck, no. I want.” Twisting, he wrapped an arm around Alexa’s slim waist and hauled her in front of him so that she was straddling his thighs, her front to his.

  She gasped and grinned. “That was impressive.”

  “Not nearly as impressive as what I’m about to do,” he said, lust making him feel desperate and crazed as he roughly unfastened her thin dress pants.

  “What’s that?” she asked, bracing her hands on the gas tank behind her, reclining away from him a little as he worked.

  He reached into his back pocket, urgency fuelin
g his plans. “Is your pussy wet for me, Al?”

  She squirmed against his thighs. “Yes.”

  “Good, then you’ll forgive this.” His flipped out the pocket knife, grasped the open bottom of the fly, and carefully sliced at the seam that ran between her legs. A quick precise slash separated the flimsy silk of her wet panties, and then she was exposed to him.

  “Holy shit, Maverick!”

  In a quick move, he pocketed the knife, ripped the ruined seam wider, and lined his cock up with her wet core. And then he was sinking deep, shifting her forward on the bike just a bit so he could bear down on her. Her moan lanced heat through his blood, her body arching over the curved tank, her hair spilling fucking beautifully over the matte blank with its red accents. When he was balls deep it felt so good that he had to grip the handlebars to steady himself.

  “Oh, my God, this is so fucking hot,” she cried. Her hands joined his grasping onto the handlebars. “Please, Mav.”

  “Yeah,” he said, his voice like gravel. He withdrew and thrust, the bike rocking under them, the engine adding a hot full-body sensation. Her pussy was wet and already tightening around him. He grabbed the knife again and fisted her little silk tank top. “Need all of you,” he growled, slicing it from the low neckline to the hem. It was easy work to cut through the satin holding together the cups of her bra, exposing the mounds of her tits.

  “Yes,” she said. “Take what you want.”

  “What about you?” he said through a clenched jaw as he penetrated faster, deeper, riding her without mercy. Not that she was asking for any. “You gonna take me?”

  “Yeah,” she cried. “Oh, yes.”

  And God help him, he needed her to, to take all the adrenaline and aggression inside him. With each mind-blowing thrust, it was like she was sucking the poison of darkness and loneliness from his soul. “Yeah, you are. Take me, Alexa. Fucking take me.”