Page 27

Chapter twenty-seven

Just when we think we’re going to get a break from one problem or the other, something pops up to remind us we’re only making fools of ourselves.

It’s been two weeks since Miranda was found. Things have been hectic as fuck around the club as we try to deal with Crow’s shit and get it taken care of. It’s proven to be a bit harder than any of us had anticipated. Just when we think we’re getting close, they throw something else at us then we’re dealing with that before we can go on the offense again.

Dealing with this shit, and then the shit with Killer and his club on my own, is wearing me fucking thin. Something’s gotta break soon on one of these damn things.

I’m climbin’ on my bike to head to the clubhouse when my phone rings and Bailee’s name flashes across the screen.

“Everything good, baby girl?” I answer.

“Steel,” she whimpers.

That sound puts me on alert. The last time she called me like this was when she found Miranda’s body in the alleyway.

“What’s going on?”

“There was another girl killed tonight. I think . . . I think this one is because of me. I mean, I believe she’s a message to me,” she says.

“Why?”

“They drew a crude skull on her forehead,” she whispers.

My gut clenches at her words. Killer’s calling card.

“Are you still at the strip club?”

“Yeah.”

“On my way. Stay where Reva can see you. Be there soon, baby girl.”

As soon as we end the call, I flip the engine on and roar out of my driveway. I don’t even give a fuck who is at the strip club anymore. I’m tired of this shit. If someone sees us and puts together who she is, it’ll just mean we’ll have to come clean. It’s time anyway.

My mind runs through everything we’ve learned over the last two weeks. There’s been a few other women who have gotten the same damn cryptic notes that are always accompanied by a black rose, but the threats seem to be escalating because we have women getting beat in the parking lot.

At least they were until we caught on and started using a buddy system. None of the women go out at any time by themselves anymore.

Nothing else has happened until tonight.

Wish to fuck I knew why Killer decided now would be a good time to change up his strategy of attack. Maybe it’s ‘cause he knows Wraith won’t go after him without hard proof that it’s him, and since his usual is attacking head-on, he figured he’d throw us off by going after the women we employ.

He should know that none of us in the Dirty Mavericks are fucking stupid. It would only be a matter of time before we figured it out, especially when he leaves us a body with his calling card on it. Hell, maybe that’s why he did it. Maybe he’s tired of hiding in the dark and is ready to come out and go to war.

Fuck, but I don’t think war is something my brothers are prepared for. It’s been too damn long since we’ve had to fight a club as big and as vicious as the Night Skulls. Truthfully, I don’t think it’s a fight we can take on our own. Killer has his hands in some dirty pockets, and those dirty pockets are even more vicious than him.

When I pull into Sinful Saloon, all the emergency vehicles are pulling out. Jake offers me a two-fingered salute, which I return with a respectful bow of my head as we pass each other. Gremlin, Bones, and Jagger are standing against the building watching Prospect Axel and Prospect Poe as they finish cleaning up the scene all the investigators and other personnel left behind.

I climb from my bike and head toward the group. “They say what the verdict was?”

Don’t want to lie to my brothers any more than I already have, so I go with assumptions.

Guilt gnaws a hole in my stomach lining and leaves a bitter taste behind.

“Fucking vicious brutality is what the goddamn verdict was,” Bones growls.

“She was raped vaginally and anally. Not just with multiple cocks, but also with someone’s fucking knife judging from the way her pussy was sliced to pieces and the knife that was still sticking out of her. There were bite marks all over her body and bruises around her neck indicating multiple attempts at asphyxiation. They tossed her here like she was part of the garbage when they were finished with her and marked her with the crass fucking skull in the middle of her forehead so we’d know who to blame for this.”

Jagger delivers the details in such a monotone voice that I search his face, but like any other time, it’s carefully blank. He’s been the same way since the moment we rescued him in the middle of his rape. The dude has tons of fucking demons, and they’re deep, dark, and dangerous. But ain’t ever seen another person more committed to this club. If there are two people he’d willingly step in front of a bullet for, though, it’s Crow and Sage. He’s got more loyalty to those two alone than he’d ever have for this club, and that’s saying a fucking lot.

“Night Skulls,” I spit out, not having to fake the outrage.

The hunger to drive my tomahawks into the skulls of every one of those bastards is alive and breathing under my skin.

“You think they’re the ones behind the other girls and the threats too?” Bones asks.

“From what I know, that’s not really Killer’s MO, though,” Gremlin answers.

I shrug. “Didn’t use to be, but maybe he decided to switch shit up and play with his prey. Some kind of psychological shit.”

“Makes sense with sick motherfuckers like him,” Jagger mutters.

I shake my head. “Not just sick. Killer is a sadistic son-of-a-bitch. What you saw tonight isn’t even half of what I’ve seen of his work. Don’t know how he’s never been caught but wouldn’t mind takin’ the bastard off the streets myself.”

Gremlin moves from his position to stand tall when the prospects start heading for us. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll get the chance, brother. Sure as hell hope so because no woman deserves to go through what that one did. Not even if it’s one I hate with every bone in my body. I’d rather just put a bullet through their head.”

“Everything is done, boss,” Prospect Axel says, coming to a stop in front of us and placing his hands in the middle of his back with his feet a few inches apart.

I tilt my head and study him. There are only two men I’ve seen stand like that—Phantom and Blade. I ain’t spent nearly enough with these newer prospects to catch most of their backgrounds, but I’m figuring this one has one similar to theirs. Probably not as long since he ain’t much older than Jagger and Sage, I’d guess.

“Get on out of here and back to the clubhouse. Wraith is waiting on a report,” Gremlin tells them. When they’re gone, he turns back to me. “I don’t know when Wraith is planning on retaliating against Killer, but I want fucking in. I want to spill Night Skull blood.”

“I want in too. You can spill it, brother. I want Night Skull blood raining down on my motherfucking skin,” Jagger rumbles.

“This will be a goddamn war, brothers. There’s goin’ to be enough to go around.” I blow out a breath. “Feelin’ we might lose a couple of our own if it comes to that.”

The three of them get pretty somber after that bit of news.

“Got to go check in with Reva and the office. Headin’ back to the clubhouse?” I ask.

“Yeah. Wraith sent us to deal with this shit because he had something going on with Nova. Crow was busy chasing after a lead on his shit and took a couple brothers with him, and you already know what Ronin’s ass is fucking doing. Don’t know why he’s running from Kush Queen anyway. Everyone knows that bitch has him by the balls,” Bones says.

“Why’s any man run from a woman? Juniper will have him callin’ her Old Lady before he thinks twice about it, and he doesn’t know if he’s ready for that. Ronin’s all for fun and games until shit gets real. Woman may play like she’s good with casual with him, but she ain’t. Don’t matter none as long as he doesn’t make her any promises,” I reply.

They each clasp my hand and pull me into a respectful half-hug, calling out their goodbyes before jumping on their bikes and peeling out of the lot. Once they’re gone, I hurry inside. A lot of customers are already back to drinking as if a woman being sadistically tortured and murdered and then tossed into the parking lot is part of their everyday lives. It only shows me how inherently selfish our species has become. Shit like that will shake you for a second, but then it’s back to everyday normality like that other person wasn’t a human being.

Sometimes, it makes me fear for the world we’re leaving behind for our kids.

The only ones who seem to really be shaken up are my employees. Why the fuck wouldn’t they be? They’ve been the targets from the beginning. Killer doesn’t give a shit about the motherfuckers who come in here to see tits and pussy grind in their faces.

My fists clench and unclench as I search the room for my woman. I shove my way through bodies, growling when some of the drunk fuckers refuse to budge, and I have to fight the urge to shove my fist into their faces.

Finally, a group of businessmen part, and there she is, sitting in a booth with a glass of whiskey in front of her.

I don’t remove my eyes from her as I stomp my way over, not even when I slide in beside her.

Lifting my hand to cup her cheek, I turn her face toward me. The fear in her eyes is so deep, I’d swear it covers her entire fucking irises.

“I’m here, baby girl,” I tell her.

Her lip wavers when she lifts her hand to anchor it around my wrist. “It’s him, isn’t it? All of this has been him, just like I thought.”

“This one was him for sure. Others are still in the air, but my gut is saying they’re probably connected.” My thumb drifts across the smooth skin of her cheek. “Got you now, Hummingbird.”

“Jericho, I don’t like other people getting hurt because of me. In fact, I really, really hate it.”

“Goin’ to fix it, baby girl. Been meanin’ to tell the club, but we been so smothered with the shit Crow is goin’ through that it keeps getting pushed to the side.”

There’s been too much fucking collateral damage to keep quiet anymore. I shouldn’t have to to begin with, but it was the only way I was going to get her to trust me enough to eventually tell me what I needed to know.

Bailee’s leg bounces as her fear and anxiety spike. I drop my other hand to her thigh and squeeze. “What can I do to help you?”

There’s a change that comes over her that fascinates the fuck out of me. A sultry expression settles on her face, and her perfectly plump lips part a breath. Her gorgeous eyes become hooded and fill with so much carnality that my dick lengthens beneath my jeans.

I grimace and remove my hand from her cheek to readjust my aching length. It still throbs painfully and weeps for relief no matter how many ways I move it.

“The girls have been teaching me some moves.” Her hand drifts down my neck and under my cut to glide across my chest. Her fingers feather down until she’s cupping my bulge.

I groan, the weight of her hand heavy against me, and the feel of it is a shot of ecstasy straight to my balls. The temptation to bend her over the booth, fuck her until she’s creaming on my cock, and showing everyone who the fuck she belongs to lashes against my skin. That way, they’d know I’ll gut them and feed them their insides before slitting their goddamn throats if they even think of putting their hands on my woman.

“Have they?” I ask in a voice full of gravel, dropping my hand to her bare thigh and sliding it up under the hem of her shorts.

She scoots closer, so fucking close that it shoves my hand farther into her shorts and straight to the damp lace covering her pussy. Bailee drops her mouth to my neck, knowing what having her lips there does to me and my damn cock. She licks, nips, and sucks my skin until she reaches my ear.

“Why don’t we go to the apartment and I’ll show you?” she whispers, catching my earlobe between her teeth.

Since I’m unable to reach her at the angle I want, I pull my hand from her shorts and cup her sweet cunt until her heat is beating against my palm. “I take you to that apartment, baby girl, I’m goin’ to fuck this pretty little cunt so raw, you’re not goin’ to walk straight for a fuckin’ year.”

“That’s what I’m counting on,” she purrs, sucking on my neck, claiming me as much as I want to do to her.

Gliding a hand to the nape of her neck, I pull her head away from me and peer down into her face. She lifts a brow, taunting me. I slam my lips to hers, taking her mouth in a way that promises unholy delight.

We’re both breathing heavily when we pull apart. I don’t waste time climbing from the booth, pulling her with me down to her apartment. We don’t speak, the quiet between us only heightening the sexual tension.

My cock throbs with each step I take, and I regret going commando as the abrasive denim rubs against me.

Stopping us in front of the door, I grab the keys from my pocket just as Bailee steps against my back and glides her hands around me from behind so she can unbutton my jeans.

Her hand snakes inside and wraps around my cock as I open the door. She pumps a few times, the exquisite heat of her palm anchored around me yanking a hiss from my chest.

“Playin’ with fuckin’ fire, baby girl,” I rumble, reaching down to pull her hands off me with reluctance.

“Then burn me alive, bossman,” she purrs, brushing past me and lifting her shirt over her head.

She whirls around at the slamming of the door and quiet snick of the deadbolt settling into place. A black lace bra pushes her tits up until they’re nearly spilling from the cups. Her jean shorts are unbuttoned and unzipped, showing off the top of her matching panties.

Bailee smirks, reaching behind her to unhook her bra. “You’re falling behind, bossman.”

The lace drops from her chest, and her beautiful, perky tits bounce free. My poor cock weeps at the sight as much as my mouth waters, begging me to pull those pretty dusky nipples into the warmth of it.

I toe off my boots and reach down to peel my socks from my feet, never once taking my eyes from her. Sliding my cut from my shoulders, I fold it over the back of the chair.

“Finish,” I order gruffly, reaching back between my shoulder blades and pulling my t-shirt over my head.

I watch her through hooded eyes as she shimmies out of her shorts and panties until she’s standing naked before me.

Hunger claws under my skin until I swear it’s being ripped from my body. It overtakes me, a haze of madness that comes from the depths of my soul. It urges me to claim her and make her mine, to chain her to me heart, bones, body, and motherfucking spirit.

I shove my hand into my open jeans and wrap it around the length of my angry cock. “Come here.”

Her hips roll seductively as she struts over, licking her lips when I pull my cock through the opening.

My dick begs to feel the heat of her mouth, and I crave it just as much as he does.

The memory of that morning with Heather tries to barge through, but I shove it away viciously. No fucking way is that bitch going to rule my life any more than she already has.

Heather’s mouth was the last one that’s touched my dick. I’ll be damned if her unwanted touch is the last mouth I feel because I can’t get out of my damn head enough for it to happen.

Having Bailee choke on my cock will erase that image from my mind.

Bailee stops in front of me and reaches out but second guesses herself because of our talk about what happened with Heather.

“Take my pants off, Hummingbird,” I order.

Her eyes search mine. “Are you sure, Jericho? I don’t want to cause you any issues.”

I remove my hand from my length and grab her neck. My fingers curl around so they rest to where I can pull her jaw open. When I have enough room, I push two fingers from my other hand inside her mouth.

“Suck,” I growl.

She does, letting out a moan when she tastes some of the cum I already leaked onto them.

“Good girl. Now, remove my pants, drop to your knees, and wrap this pretty fuckin’ mouth around my cock. Then you’re goin’ to be my dirty girl and sit pretty while I fuck your face.”

White hot heat infiltrates her eyes, and I inhale deeply when the scent of her fills the room. It saturates my lungs until the only thing I’m left breathing is my Hummingbird’s arousal.

It’s become my most favorite fucking scent.

“Yeah, my baby girl likes that, doesn’t she?” I croon. “I can smell how hungry your little cunt is for it.”

She whimpers in need, dropping to her knees. Her hands pull on the waistband of my jeans and guides them over my hips. When my cock springs free, she sucks on my fingers like she wishes her lips were wrapped sound it instead.

Who the hell am I to disappoint her?

I pull my fingers out of her mouth and tap them gently against her cheek, leaving a wet mark behind.

If only it was my cum instead.

And it will be because now I’m craving the sight of her face painted white.

“Fuckin’ beautiful, baby girl, but you’re goin’ to be even more majestic with my cum splattered all over that pretty fuckin’ face.”

Wrapping my hand around my length, I rub the tip across Bailee’s lips. They shine in the dim light from the small bead of cum that leaked from the head of my cock.

“Open.” She does, and I glide the tip in before pulling back out. “Mmm. Fuck, your mouth is hot. Goin’ to let me fuck it, baby?”

Bailee lifts her hands, filling her palms with my ass cheeks and digging her nails in. Their sharp points pierce my flesh, and a hiss rattles from my chest.

Fuck. As much as I love the short hair on her, I miss being able to wrap it around my fist.

I tangle my fingers into her hair anyway and tighten my hold. She peers up at me through her lashes as she uses her hold to yank me to her. As soon as she sucks me down, a groan tears from my throat.

“Fuck, yeah, baby girl,” I growl, pulling her head back before shoving her forward again.

My cock hits the back of her throat, and I hold her there, her nails digging into my skin the longer she’s unable to draw a breath. Tears leak from her eyes, but the beautiful fucking trust shining out of them assures me they’re not from anything other than me choking her with my cock.

“So pretty,” I croon, pulling out and delighting in the huge gasps that rip from her chest.

Saliva slides down the corners of her mouth, and I wipe it with my thumb, shoving it back inside. “You look so fuckin’ beautiful, your eyes leakin’ from chokin’ on my cock, your cheeks flushed with arousal, and your saliva dribblin’ out of your mouth in hunger.”

Bailee opens wide when I push back in, and she sucks me to the back of her throat. She wants to take over, wants to suck my dick like it’s the last mission she’s embarking on before she dies, but she’s holding back and giving me the control she knows I need right now.

I don’t think my feelings could be any stronger for her than they are at this moment. Instead of hiding it like I normally would, I let her see it in my eyes.

The vibrations of her moans dance along my length, pulling a sharp hiss from me as I grasp the back of her head in one hand and cup the other around her throat so I can feel each time I slide into the warmth of her mouth.

I hold her still as I fuck her face relentlessly, easing up occasionally to allow her to breathe.

“Fuck, baby girl,” I groan, peering down at her through hooded eyes. “Your mouth feels so fuckin’ good wrapped around me. Fuckin’ missed this.” Her leaking eyes are hungry, begging me for more. “Slide your fingers to the pretty pussy, baby girl.”

My eyes follow the movement of her hand as it flies straight to her hungry little cunt.

I grunt, jerking my hips as her eyes roll back in pleasure.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

White spots dance in my vision as tingles travel up my legs and into my spine. My release is racing toward me so fast that my vision is going in and out. My throat burns from the growls that tear from it, and my body trembles as I fight off my release as hard as I can.

The pleasure is so good that I’m not ready to let it end just yet.

Bailee doesn’t give me much choice in the matter. When she sees that I’m fighting it, a wicked glint lights her eyes, and she removes her hand from between her legs and brings it to my balls. She rolls them in her hand, giving a tug and yanking a sharp groan from me when they tighten in her grip.

Combined with the heat of her mouth and the scent of her desire filling my lungs, my release slams into me.

Jerking from her mouth, I wrap one hand around my cock and the other in her short hair, pulling her head back so it’s at an incline and she’s peering up at me.

I stroke my dick with tight tugs until cum shoots from the tip and paints her face, creating such beautiful abstract strokes against her flesh.

And then something else beautiful happens.

Bailee finds her release without either of us touching that pretty pussy of hers I’m so fucking obsessed with.

Transfixed by the blissful expression on her face, I reach out and run my fingers through the mess I made on her face.

It shoots through me, the need to rub my cum into her skin so my scent lingers on her, alerting everyone who comes near her of her claimed status.

I give in to that primal part of myself, and once I’m done, I guide her to her feet by my grip on her hair. Lifting my other hand, I cup it around her throat until I feel her pulse racing against my palm.

“Now, how about you show me those moves the girls taught you and grind your pretty little cunt on me?”

For the next few hours, we distract each other from the fucked-up shit that’s going on in our lives. Eventually, reality intrudes when Wraith calls to let me know I’m needed at the club because someone hit Dirty Wrench. Outside of Lyric, Bailee, my parents, and my club, that’s the next thing that means fucking anything to me, and the thought of someone coming after it makes me so fucking angry that my hands shake.

As much as I fucking hate it, I leave Bailee with a kiss after checking in with Emmy Lou that her people are guarding my woman.

Something’s got to give soon because keeping Bailee and my club separate is taking its toll.

Preferably before I end up with any more women’s blood on my hands.