Logan: New Crusaders MC (5 page)

Danny gave him a shaky nod.  “Just… just can’t stop thinking about Zeke,” he said, swallowing hard.  “I’ll get over it.  Sorry, Logan.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Logan said.  “You’re doing fine.”

Danny turned his head away when he nodded.  Logan left it at that, starting his bike and pointing it toward the highway.

It was time to get the truth out of the wily waitress at Hamilton’s.

Nicole checked the time for the fiftieth time in a row, knowing that Logan’s meeting with Wiseman had to be over by now.  She knew it would have been quicker to give Logan her phone number, but she wasn’t sure it was a good idea for him to have it.  Better to wait for him at the diner, where she felt safe.

“You’re distracted today,” Clay said from behind her.

She shrugged.  “Just worried about Dad.”

Without another word, Nicole moved away from him.  She was so tired of him sneaking up on her.  If something
did
happen to her dad, she knew her first act would be to kick Clay to the curb.  She immediately felt guilty for thinking like that.  Yes, she wanted Clay gone, but she knew she’d put up with him for the rest of her life if it meant getting her father back.

Shaking her head, she went back to work.

Time passed, and still Logan didn’t appear.  It got later and later.  The customers trickled in and out.  The Friday night rush was long dead.

Just when she was starting to worry that Wiseman had done something horrible to Logan, the front door swung open.

Nicole’s heart leapt when she saw him, then quickly plummeted.  She’d been expecting him to look tired, triumphant, or sad.  But his expression was far from any of those emotions.  He looked livid.  His dark eyes burned a hole right through her.   Whatever had gone down with Wiseman, it had left Logan feeling angry.  He strode right up to her.

“You didn’t tell me the whole story,” he seethed in a deadly whisper.  “Did you?”

Nicole swallowed.  “I may have left out some things.”

“Wiseman was two seconds away from having me killed!”

Nicole glanced over at Clay, who had taken a deep interest in their conversation.  Fortunately he was closing tonight.  If she left, he wouldn’t follow.

“144 South Sahara Road,” she whispered.  “Apartment 221.”

“What?”

“It’s my address,” she told him.  “We can’t talk here.  Too many ears.  Just… sit and order a drink.  Coffee.  Anything.  I’m going to leave.  Give it fifteen, twenty minutes, then you can leave, too.  Meet me at mine.  I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

She glanced again at Clay.  He was still watching them.  Logan followed her gaze, then looked back at her.  She saw that he had noted Clay’s presence.  His eyes now held a question underneath all that anger, one she couldn’t answer.

“Later,” she promised.  “Please.”

“Give me one good reason to trust you,” he growled.

“I just gave you my home address,” she told him.  “Besides this place, I have nowhere else to go.  If I did something to hurt you, I’d have nowhere to hide.”

“He’d probably give you a place to stay,” Logan said, shifting his eyes over to Clay.

Nicole shuddered.  “I’d rather be chained to four different motorcycles and pulled apart than go with him.”

Logan nodded, looking slightly pleased by her response, and stepped back.

“Table for one,” he said, loudly enough for Clay to hear.

“Right here,” Nicole said, feeling relief and gratitude flood through her.

She pointed to a booth, and he settled himself into it.  Nicole couldn’t help the jolt of desire that hit her when she watched him move.  He was like a predator, all grace and strength.  It was all she could do to turn away from him.

“My shift is up,” she told Clay as she walked into the office.  “You good here?”

Without waiting for a response, she grabbed her purse, clocked out, and walked out the door.  After she got into the driver’s seat of Chuck’s ancient pickup, she took a moment to breathe.  She’d just invited Logan Kirkwood back to her place.  She hadn’t been lying when she’d said she would have nowhere to hide from him.  If he wanted to hurt her, it would be all too easy.  But Nicole couldn’t help trusting him.  Logan had done some horrible things in the name of his club, but so had every other biker who had ever passed through her diner.  The thing that bothered her more about Logan was his reputation with women.  She wished she could calm down her body’s responses to him.  If she did sleep with him, he’d only leave her high and dry in two days.

Shaking her head, she started the truck and drove off, praying that she’d made the right decision.

“What’s your interest in Nicole Hamilton?”

Logan looked up at the waiter who was standing at his table.  He was tall and lean, with an army tattoo on his right bicep.  Nicole had kept glancing at this man when they’d been talking earlier.  Now that he thought about it, she’d been looking around nervously the last time they’d talked to.  Was this guy the one who was making her so nervous?”

“Well,
Clay
,” Logan said, peering at the waiter’s nametag, “my interest in Nicole Hamilton is that she works in a diner, and sometimes I want coffee.”

“Bullshit.  This is the second time you two have gotten chummy in two days.  Nicole is off limits, you hear me?”

Logan angled himself toward Clay, resting his arm on the back of the booth.  He raised an eyebrow at the waiter.

“She your old lady or something?”

“Something like that.”

The asshole was lying through his teeth.  Logan wanted to bait him.  He didn’t like the implicit threat in Clay’s voice, and something about the guy’s voice grated on his ears.  But he couldn’t let on that he and Nicole were into anything. He might not have trusted Nicole completely, but he believed with a hundred percent certainty that she had a good reason for distrusting Clay.

“Whatever,” Logan said.  “Like I said, I’m not interested in the waitress.  Just want a cup of coffee.”

“Coming right up,” Clay muttered.

Logan frowned at Clay’s retreating back.  He didn’t like the way this guy talked about Nicole, like he owned her, especially when it was clear that Nicole hated him.  Maybe when this was all said and done he’d beat Clay’s teeth in.  Just for kicks.

Logan did as Nicole asked, taking his time sipping down the old coffee Clay brought him.  If he was being honest with himself, he knew he should have asked for decaf.  His nerves were shot, and he doubted adding caffeine to the mix would help matters.

Clay was trying and failing to pretend like he wasn’t watching Logan out of the corner of his eye.  Logan was really beginning to hate this guy.  He checked his phone.  There was a text from Cork.

Quiet night.  Ducky – one gsw.

So Holman hadn’t received any suspicious calls the night of Zeke’s death.  And the coroner, Ducky (so called because his mouth looked like a duckbill), had confirmed that Zeke had died from a single gunshot.  Logan cursed the lack of new information and checked the time.  He’d been sitting long enough.  He left a five on the table and pushed himself out of the booth.

It was time to visit Nicole.

Nicole paced back and forth in her sitting room, chewing on her thumbnail.  The longer she waited, the more she realized this might have been a bad idea.  The New Crusaders had just lost their president.  It was clear the Devil Kings were looking to move into Castillo.  Logan was probably feeling angry and desperate.  There was no telling what he’d do to get information that would help his club, or to punish someone who had wasted his time.

The knock at her door made her jump.  She walked over and looked through the peephole.  Logan’s massive frame filled her vision.  With a deep breath, she pulled the door open.

He stepped inside, waited for her to close and lock the door, and looked her straight in the eye.

“Start talking.”

“You want to sit down?” she asked, pointing toward her little kitchen table.

“I’ll stand.”

Nicole licked her lips.  With him here in her tiny apartment, she could
feel
his presence.  He towered over her, his dangerous aura filling the room, making it hard to think.

“What do you want to know?” she asked.

“What was your old man into?”  He took a step closer to her.  They were now so close she was sure he’d be able to hear her heart pounding in her chest.  “The
truth
this time.”

She nodded, tried to take a step back, realized she had a wall behind her.

“My dad… he had a little bit of an issue with gambling.  His game was poker.  Or he
said
it was.  He lost money every time he sat down to play.  He got in deep with the wrong people, so he went to Alex Ruiz for help.”

Logan raised his eyebrows at that.  “Three MCs in the area, and he went to the Devil Kings for a loan?”

“He had an in with an old army buddy,” Nicole replied, feeling pathetic.  “He helped my dad cut a deal with Ruiz.  He informed the Kings of Iconoclast movement, and they paid off his debt.  Little by little, so he’d stay under Ruiz’s thumb.  And, by then, he was already informing for Wiseman.  Just little things at first, but… then Wiseman found out what was going on.”  She threw her arms up in a helpless gesture.  “They took him.  Even if he gets out, I’m sure the Devil Kings will be after him, too.  He’ll have nowhere safe to go.”

Nicole blinked back tears.  She would not cry in front of Logan.  She did need his help, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of breaking down at this moment.

“Is that it?” Logan asked.

Nicole nodded.  She cried out when he slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her, leaning down toward her until her back was pressed against the wall.

“I asked for the whole truth this time,” he growled.

“I told you everything,” she said, looking him in the eye.

“You expect me to believe your father was informing for the Kings, and he
only
provided info about the ‘Clasts?  If he was informing about the Iconoclasts, he was informing about my club, too.  And you think I’m gonna help him?”

“If he was passing information on about your club, I didn’t know about it,” Nicole said.  “He tried to keep me out of this shit for the most part.  I picked up on most of it on my own.”

She looked up at him, trying to read his expression.  He was so close to her, she could feel his breath warming her skin.  The close proximity was wreaking havoc on her, sending shivers down her limbs, making her heart pound.  It was impossible to ignore this man’s animal magnetism.

“What else did you pick up on?” Logan asked.  “You hear anything about Zeke?”

“No,” Nicole said, shaking her head.  “I liked Zeke.  He always tipped really well.  I was… I was pretty upset to hear about what happened to him.  Could you please back up?”

Logan cocked his head at her and raised an eyebrow.  “Am I making you nervous?”

Nicole licked her lips and looked him in the eye.  “I’m not exactly comfortable.”

He watched her for a second longer, then pushed off the wall.  “Who else knows your address?”

“Um… my dad, the people who work at the diner.  A couple relatives.”

“No one in the other MCs?”

She shook her head.  “They… they can’t know.  It’s only a matter of time before someone comes looking.  I know that.  I’m just as guilty as my dad in their eyes.  They’ll kill me eventually.  Maybe just to get to him, if he’s still alive.”

“I’m not going to let anyone kill you,” he growled, a sudden conviction flaring up in his voice.

Nicole was surprised by the declaration.  “What do you care?” she asked.  “I thought you hated me.”

A slow smile spread across his face, and he reached out to run his hand down her waist to her hip.  He gripped her a little possessively, but didn’t step forward.  Because she’d asked him to step off, she realized.  He couldn’t resist touching her, but he was keeping his distance, waiting for an invitation.

Nicole’s pulse was racing in her ears.  She was trying to think logically, keep control of the situation, but there was moisture pooling at the juncture of her thighs.  Logan’s touch was setting fire to her, making her nerves crackle.

“I told you everything I know,” she said.

“I sincerely doubt that,” he responded, his hand still on her, his eyes searching hers.  “But you’ve told me enough for now.”

He took a half step closer.  When she didn’t push him back again, he closed the gap between them.

“That guy, Clay.  At the diner.  He been putting moves on you?” Logan asked.

“He’s been trying,” she said.  “I… I don’t like him.  And I don’t trust him.”

“You’ve got good instincts,” he whispered, sounding pleased.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

He leaned down close, so his lips brushed her ear as he asked, “What makes you say that?”

“Because,” she breathed, practically squirming from anticipation, “they’re not telling me to stay away from you.”

His lips came down on hers, his hands moving to her rear, pulling her forward, so she was flush against him.  She could feel his erection growing between them as he sucked her lower lip into his mouth.  He buried one hand in her hair, keeping the other where it was, so he could hold her close. 

Nicole’s logical brain was screaming at her.  This was not what she wanted.  He was going to chew her up and spit her out.  That was what Logan Kirkwood did.

Unfortunately, she was having a lot of trouble thinking logically at this moment.  Giving into temptation, she kissed Logan back hungrily.  He made an appreciative noise in the back of his throat, liking her reaction to him.  Nicole slid her fingers beneath his shirt, feeling the taught muscles and smooth skin of his stomach.  Heart racing, she pushed the shirt up further.  Logan broke the kiss so that he could help her get the shirt off, since she was too short to get very far on her own.  He dropped the garment on the floor with his kutte, and Nicole stared at him, the way his body was decorated with both tattoos and scars.

Looking at him like that, standing half naked in her living room, Nicole felt a primal need welling up within her.  She looked in his eyes and saw that he felt it, too.  When he stepped forward again, she was the one who reached out to pull him toward her.  Their lips connected, and they kissed hungrily.  Nicole slipped one hand beneath the waistband of his jeans to caress him. 

He was very large.

Probably the biggest she’d ever felt.

He groaned into her mouth as she hastily undid his button and fly, so she could free him.  Those strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifted her.  She wrapped her legs around him as he walked her to the kitchen, sat her on the counter, shoved her shirt up around her neck.  He didn’t bother taking it off, didn’t even remove the bra, just leaned down and captured a nipple through the soft fabric.  Nicole nearly screamed out at how good it felt.  While his mouth worked its magic on her breasts, his hands began helping her out of her shorts and panties.  As soon as she was exposed to him, he pulled her to the edge of the counter, spread her legs, and dropped to his knees so he could taste her.

“Logan!” Nicole cried, bracing herself against the wall.

He growled in approval at that, and continued to explore her body.  His tongue made her feel things she’d never experienced before.  Not with any of her boyfriends, and certainly not with her own fingers.  Before long, the pleasure built up and reached a crescendo.  She moaned as she came into his mouth, and he lapped up her juices before standing and placing himself between her legs.  She had only a moment to feel the tip of his manhood pressing against her before one long thrust brought him inside her.  She gasped as another wave of pleasure hit her.  He was filling her so completely she thought she’d burst from it.  She reached out to grip his shoulders as he slammed himself into her over and over, his muscles rippling against her bare skin.

Logan had no idea what he was doing.  He’d only gone to Nicole’s apartment that night to get information out of her.  She was a tool for him in this uncertain moment in his life.  Nothing more.  But when he’d seen her, something had snapped.  The way she stood up to him even though she was clearly scared, the way her full lips had looked after she licked them nervously.  The moment she’d asked him to step away, he’d felt a need to get closer.  He hadn’t thought she’d accept him when he reached out for her, but then a fire had ignited in her eyes.  She didn’t want Clay.  She was scared of him, of the MCs. 

But in this moment, she wasn’t scared.  She wasn’t nervous.  She was beautiful and relaxed, gripping his shoulders, her legs wrapped around his hips.  The little gasps and moans she made as he thrust into her drove him crazy.  He didn’t want this to end.  A wave of pleasure hit him as she came again.  He pushed her bra out of the way so he could suckle her breast as she came, and the way she shuddered and moaned told him she was enjoying the heightened pleasure. 

She was so soft and supple.  The taste of her skin was bliss.  He could feel himself getting close.  He continued to suckle her, teasing her with more pleasure as he took what he needed from her.  Soon he tired of the angle, and he lifted her again, moving her to the couch.  He tossed her onto to the soft cushions and followed her down, driving himself into her body once more.  Nicole’s eyes closed, her hands clutched again at his shoulders.  Her shirt and bra were still up around her neck, so he could enjoy watching the movement of her breasts as he thrust against her. 

With his orgasm getting steadily closer, he reached down to pinch one of her nipples.  Not hard, just to watch her heated reaction.  She moaned from it, and he loved the sound.  He moved his other hand under her back and down to grip that full, perfect rear as he drove himself inside her one last time and found his release.  She used her legs to pull him further inside her, squeezing him close as he came.

He rested his forehead against hers as they both came down from the pleasure.  They were panting and sweaty, but Logan couldn’t bring himself to move right away.  He could still feel her inner walls rippling around his cock.

“That was… I really needed that,” Nicole breathed.

Logan let out a surprised laugh.  “Happy to help.”

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, watched as she readjusted her top and slid off the couch to retrieve her panties.  She left the shorts on the ground.  While she did that, he picked up his shirt and kutte, put them on, and did up his jeans. 

When she was dressed, or as dressed as she felt like being, Nicole looked back up at him.

“I’m happy to help, too,” she said.  “Really.  I just want this nightmare to end.  If you don’t want to help me with my dad, I get it.  Maybe I’ll call Wiseman, try to negotiate.”

“What would you offer him?” Logan asked.

She shrugged.  “Information.  Whatever I could come up with.”