Authors: Anna Mara
Chapter 11
“But why won’t
you tell me what you talked about?” Tori asked for the twentieth time since they had walked back to their hotel.
“Great balls of fire, Victoria, it’s none of your business and that’s final!” Nana plunked down on the couch in her granddaughter’s hotel room and lit up a cigarette. “My gullet needs a shot of whiskey and my stomach needs some food. Let’s go downstairs and get us some supper,” she added, neither of them having eaten anything at the pancake restaurant except for their black coffees.
“Fine,” Tori huffed, finally accepting her Nana’s pronouncement. “But first, there’s something I have to do.”
“What?”
She held out her hand. “Give me that big roll of cash that’s in your purse.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to stash it inside the hotel safe here in my room. If I let you keep it, you’ll play the slots while I’m gone, then lose it all and that goon will come after us with a lead pipe if we don’t pay the balance of what we owe him.”
Nana nodded. “This is true. Good thinkin’.” She reached into her purse and handed over the bundled money. “There’s over $2500 in there, by the way. What Mr. Savage doesn’t know is, I would have gone as high as $4000 for him to do the job, but we won’t tell him that, now will we, sweetpea?” She let out a naughty giggle.
Tori smiled. “No, I think we should keep that information to ourselves.”
Tori thought back to the last moment she’d seen Savage. After Nana had had her private chat with him, the ladies had walked out of the parking lot to return to their hotel. She’d turned back then and had spotted the biker still seated by the window, only now, Lynnette the waitress was sitting in his lap, her hands splayed across his handsome face while she kissed the hell out of him. His arms had been around her and the pair was putting on quite a window display for everyone around to see.
Tori’s insides had twisted at the sight. But why? After all, it had nothing to do with her, and the way they were acting, well—you wouldn’t expect anything less from an animal like him anyway. And the waitress? Well, she should be fired for being so unprofessional! But considering that the restaurant was a dive anyway, that probably wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
Nana broke into her thoughts again. “Listen sweetheart, you put $1000 of that money in the hotel safe to pay him and put the rest in your purse. You never know when you’re gonna need cash this weekend but don’t tell him you got it. You can trust Mr. Savage, but not when it comes to money. Remember to always keep your wits about you.”
“He won’t get the best of me, Nana, don’t worry.”
“I know, sweetheart, I have every confidence in you. And one more thing…” She reached around her neck and took off her gold crucifix and put it around her granddaughter’s neck. “Wear this and it’ll protect you. No matter what happens, the blood of Jesus will see you through. Always remember that.”
Tori hugged her grandmother. “I love you, Nana.”
“Me too, child,” she whispered, as she hugged Tori back even tighter.
Chapter 12
Thursday – 8:26 p.m.
Delilah’s Bar
Savage stood in
front of Snake’s makeshift desk in the back office of the bar. His strong, lean body made up of pure, solid muscle, filled the dank room with a sense of power, like that of a jungle cat that could tear an arm off with one swat; and his massive tattooed biceps flexed hard as his arms tucked across his chest.
Snake, the leader of the biker club and owner of the bar, sat behind the small table, slouching back in his chair, looking up at him. His bald head shone bright underneath the naked light bulb hanging over the room. The green snake tattoo which encircled his right arm from wrist to shoulder seemed to give off a fluorescent glow that added to the room’s evil atmosphere.
His second-in-command, Rocker, sat in another chair beside him, his small beady eyes glommed onto the younger member standing in front of them.
Savage grinned. “It was just like you said. They want me to help the girl find Joe Sorelli.”
Snake sneered, feeling proud that he’d been right. “What did you tell them?”
“That I’d do it, just like you asked me to.”
“Good. What are they paying you?”
“A thousand bucks for the weekend,” Savage lied effortlessly.
Rocker laughed, interrupting the conversation. “Dude, you should have asked for more.”
Snake’s head whipped around and glowered at the smaller man. “Did I fucking ask for your two-bit, shitty opinion, asshole?”
Rocker lowered his snake-like, unblinking eyes, but not before throwing Savage a scowl. It was clear he was jealous of the younger man. “Sorry,” he mumbled to his boss.
Snake continued to scowl at him. “In fact, I want you to get the fuck out of my office. I need to speak to Savage alone.”
Rocker stalled. “I think I should stay and be a part of this.”
“Did I ask you what you thought? No! So, get the fuck out. Now!”
Rocker slid out of the chair and stood up. He made his way to the door but not before shooting Savage another look of pure evil.
As the door shut behind him, Savage turned back to his boss. “What are my instructions for the weekend?”
“I want you to stick to the girl like glue. Use her to find Sorelli.”
“And when I do?”
“Kill him. He owes me money and he won’t pay.”
“Why kill him? I can break a few bones and put him in the hospital. You’ll get your money soon enough. You know that’s my specialty.”
Snake nodded. “You’re my top earner and you bring in a lot of money for this club, but I want an example made of Sorelli. I want him dead, no questions asked. Can you do it?”
Savage smirked. “You know I can.”
Snake laughed. The sound he made was almost like a rattlesnake’s hiss. “Yeah, I know you can.” He shot the younger man a look of admiration. It was obvious that even though he was the boss, he respected Savage’s brutal abilities.
Savage didn’t join in with the laughter, his expression remaining cold and all business. “And the girl and her grandmother? What do you want me to do with them once I find Sorelli?”
“Kill them both and make their bodies disappear, what else? I don’t want any loose ends coming back to bite our asses.”
Savage nodded. “Okay, but before I do, I can have some—fun with the girl, right?”
Snake let out another peel of laughter. “Have all the fun you want, dude, I don’t give a fuck, but don’t let Wizard find out. He’ll be jealous as all hell and I don’t want any more conflict around here. We’re one crew and we stick together, got that?”
Savage remained cool and remote. “Loud and clear,” he affirmed to the man sitting in front of him.
Snake’s reptilian eyes flicked over the younger biker and he shook his head in amazement. Savage Monroe had to have been the coldest, most calculating, meanest, son-of-a-bitch he’d ever met in his life, and he had met them all. He was also the best money-making machine the Sons of Perdition had ever had too. In fact, everyone knew that there was nothing Savage Monroe liked more than making money—not pussy or drugs or fighting—nothing—and if the prick continued to keep earning like he had since day one…well, maybe he just might find himself second-in-command of the club one day soon, sitting right beside Snake himself.
Chapter 13
Thursday – 9:35 p.m.
Nevada Highway
Shit, fuck, and dammit all to hell!
The words exploded over and over again in Savage’s brain as he rode his Harley like a maniac down the deserted highway.
He’d known that the girl and her grandmother were trouble the second they’d stepped into the bar this morning but what he hadn’t figured on at the time was that they were going to be trouble for him. And now, not only was he going to have to babysit the girl all weekend long but he was being asked to kill three people at the end of it.
Shit, fuck, and dammit all to hell!
And to top everything off, he had that huge shipment of guns coming in from Los Angeles this weekend too, a deal he’d worked on putting together for the past two months. In fact, his ass still hurt from having ridden all the way back from L.A. a couple of days ago after putting the final touches to the deal. There was a lot of money riding on the table and the whole thing could all go up in smoke on him if he wasn’t careful, leaving him holding his dick in his hand.
Shit, fuck, and dammit all to hell!
He revved the bike harder and rode faster, allowing the wind, crashing against his body, to blow the tension out of him. How in hell was he going to pull it all off?
Shit, fuck, and dammit all to hell!
Shit, fuck, and dammit all to hell!
Shit, fuck, and dammit all to hell!
Chapter 14
Friday – 8:16 a.m.
Jubilee Hotel & Casino
Standing outside the
hotel’s main entrance, Tori glanced at her watch for the tenth time. Her lips thinned in annoyance. She turned to her grandmother beside her. “I told you he wasn’t going to show up! He should have been here at 8 sharp, like he said.”
Nana looked up and down the Vegas strip and remained confident. “He’ll be here, sweetheart. Probably just got caught up in some traffic.” She checked her own watch. “I do wish he would get here soon though. I’ve got that hair appointment in 15 minutes and I don’t want to be late.”
“How can you worry about your hair at a time like this? That big brute just pocketed $1500 of your cash money for doing nothing and we can’t get it back. We’re certainly not going to that evil bar looking for him and we can’t go to the police. We’re fucked!”
Nana’s jaw dropped open and sucked in a deep gasp. “Victoria Alexandra Jones, you stop that cussing right now and remember you’re a lady.”
“You cuss all the time.”
“I’m not a lady, but you are.”
“A lady doesn’t hire a biker criminal thug to help her track down a shady Vegas crook,” Tori launched back, feeling like a fool for having been scammed herself by that Savage animal.
Nana’s spine straightened and her bouffant seemed to grow even higher, as her own temper rose. “I told you before, my Joe is not a crook! And a lady most certainly does hire biker criminals to protect her honor. Who is she gonna hire at a time like this? An accountant?” she shrieked.
Tori clamped her mouth shut and crossed her arms over her chest in irritation. That bastard better show up soon, she fumed.
At that moment, the familiar rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle came down the Strip and Tori turned to see Savage driving into the Jubilee’s main entrance. He was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, his Sons of Perdition gang vest; and beneath his black half shell helmet, a black bandana with white crosses held back his long, brown hair.
His brawny arms rippled with muscle as his hands gripped the handlebars with power, giving his appearance even more of a sinister and dangerous look. Black sunglasses hid his eyes and Tori couldn’t discern his expression. But he threw them both a dazzling white smile of hello as he veered his heavy bike to the side and shut the engine.
As he swung off the vehicle and removed his shades and helmet, Tori approached him, with balled fists on her hips.
“You’re late,” she accused.
“Sorry. Traffic.” He grinned with arrogant satisfaction, and Tori knew, right then and there that he’d done it on purpose to show her who was boss.
“Bull-shit!” she shouted back.
“Victoria!” Nana rebuked from behind her. “What did I just finish telling you?”
Out of respect, Tori’s anger ebbed. “I’m sorry, Nana.” She turned back to the smirking swine. “What I meant to say, sir, is—thank you for coming.” The soft words flowed out of her mouth but she made sure they were tinged with sarcasm.
He flashed her a devastating smile. “My pleasure, Snow White. I’m here to serve you.” His voice was thick with insinuation.
Savage Monroe looked the girl over, inwardly laughing to himself. It was high time she understood who was in charge on this little adventure of theirs, if she was to remain safe. She needed to get it through that thick, stubborn, beautiful, adorable skull of hers that he called the shots around here and she was to obey, no matter what he told her to do.
For a split second, his hungry eyes grazed her curvaceous body. She was wearing skinny jeans with white Keds runners, a light blue t-shirt underneath a light blue, thin sweater; and her purse was casually slung diagonally across her body, accentuating her full breasts. His gaze followed the leather strap curving over her womanly hips to the satchel part that rested on her well-rounded, well-shaped ass.
A brief, approving smile flitted across his lips as he raised his eyes back up to her. He noticed then how her delicate face was set with strength, her full, soft lips were pouting with annoyance at him and her bewitching, big, brown eyes were flashing courage. Even though she was mad at him for being late, an aura of sweetness enveloped her still, telegraphing to the world that she couldn’t harm a fly even if she had to. And it was that sweetness and goodness and angelic beauty that was drawing him so powerfully to her side, like a magnet.
Suddenly, as he gazed at her, he felt as if something slammed into his chest with more force than any punch he’d ever thrown in any fight; and he knew, in that instant, that he wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life—more than his job, more than money, more than any woman he’d ever had.
But it wasn’t just her body that he wanted. It was her everything—her sex, her scent, her heat, her thoughts, her laughter, her gentleness—her everything. All for him and only for him, and he was jealous for it.
A pang of longing shot through him. But he was no-good scum, garbage even, compared to her; not even of the same species. Someone as sweet as her could never be, of her own volition, with someone as brutish and violent as his lifestyle made him out to be. It was just too crazy to even consider. Besides, he had a job to do this weekend and he wouldn’t let his boss down. He quickly reined in his thoughts and put on his all-business persona again. Better to keep this all light and teasing, because the kind of thinking he’d just indulged in would only make him weak.
The grandmother approached and broke into his thoughts.
“Mr. Savage, remember to mind your manners,” she threatened softly in singsong.
Savage smiled, thinking back to the little chat they’d had last night. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.
The older woman turned to her granddaughter. “Tori, honey, I’ve got to get going to my hair appointment, so I’ll leave you in Mr. Savage’s capable hands. Last chance, though—you can still back out of all this if you want to.”
Tori shook her head. “No! I’m going to find your Joe for you, no matter what.”
Nana nodded. “Okay, sugarplum, I’m keeping my cell phone on, so call me anytime. I’ll be here at the hotel all day—well, the casino part of it, anyway,” she giggled, then pulled Tori downwards to accommodate her 4’ 11” height and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. As she released her grip on the younger woman, she wagged a stern finger at her. “Now, you remember to listen to Mr. Savage and do what he tells you, all right?”
Tori nodded. “Yes, Nana.
With that, Nana Estelle gave a curt nod towards the biker and then walked away, disappearing back into the hotel.
Savage turned to Tori. “So, where do you want to start? Do you have any clues to Sorelli’s whereabouts?”
“No, but I thought maybe we can ask Joe’s neighbor, Mrs. Moore for some names of his friends and check them out.”
“What about your grandmother? Doesn’t she know any of his friends?”
Tori shook her head. “No. She and Joe have only known each other for about five months and it was an internet relationship thing. The only good friend Joe ever mentioned to her was some guy named Dirty Dan.”
Savage nodded. “I know Dirty Dan. He’s a pawn shop owner on the other side of town.”
Yeah sure, he knew the old man, the biker thought, having done many gun deals with the stooge himself. After all, the pawn shop owner was running a lot of stolen guns on the side through his business for their club.
But Savage kept that information to himself as Tori reached into her purse and pulled out a slip of paper. She handed it to him. “That’s Joe Sorelli’s house address. I thought maybe we can visit Mrs. Moore first and then go see Dirty Dan.”
“Okay, sounds good. Next question—have you ever ridden on a bike before?”
Her gaze skated over the parked Harley before looking back up at him. Her eyes turned dark and frightened while her face grew pale. She shook her head no.
“You’re scared, aren’t you?” he asked, his mouth turning solemn.
“Yes,” Tori squeaked. “That thing is a death machine.” Her terrified eyes glommed back on to the bike.
“Good! In fact, I hope you’re shitting your pants right now, princess. You should be scared. Bikes are dangerous things and you need to remember that always. Look at me.” Her large, wide eyes came back up to his face and he continued. “Pay attention to my instructions, okay?”
Tori nodded, not even taking offense at his dictatorial tone. She was just that scared! It was one thing to think that she could ride on the bike with no problems when she’d been back in her hotel room, but now that she was facing the actual machine, she was cringing inside. After all, there was absolutely nothing on it or around it to protect you in any way. It wasn’t like when you were sitting in a car with tons of steel all around you and seat belts strapping you in. Instead, on that contraption, you were vulnerable and naked. If you crashed and went down, there would be nothing between you and the road—or between you, and cars and trucks whizzing by.
Sick fear shot into her throat and she put her hands up in surrender. “Forget it! I can’t do this. I can’t get on that thing.” She took a few steps back away from him and the bike.
Savage’s demeanor softened and stepping forward, he gently took both of her hands. His voice dropped to a low whisper. “Look at me, Tori,” he prompted, and her eyes swiveled up to his.
All thoughts of fear flew out of Tori’s body as she realized that that was the first time he’d called her by her real name. He’d always teased and referred to her as Snow White but never had he called her Tori. And the way he’d said it, in that husky tone, made her heart skip a beat, making her forget for one second who he was. But then she remembered who he was—a Son of Perdition biker who lived in a violent and evil world—and she forced her pulse to return to normal.
He was continuing with his speech and she made herself concentrate on what he was saying.
“You can do this, I know you can. You’re not afraid of me and I’m a lot more scary.” He laughed and playfully tapped the bridge of her nose with his finger.
For one nanosecond, Tori was mesmerized by his easy charm but then reality hit her in the face. He was not to be completely trusted ever, whether Nana had a tingle about him or not! Besides, he was a man, and the last man she’d completely trusted had broken her heart, her wallet, and her spirit.
“You’re right! I can do this.” Tori nodded, slipping her hands out of his. She felt a slight reluctance on his part to let her go, but release her he did and he stepped back to his bike.
His expression turned serious and all business again. “Okay, here are my rules for riding bitch.”
“Excuse me?”
Savage crossed his arms across his chest and threw her an easy smile. “That means being a passenger on a bike.”
“Oh, okay.” Tori nodded.
“Rule number one. When it comes to this bike, I’m the boss. Say it—Savage, you’re the boss. I want to hear it come out of those lips of yours right now.”
“Why?”
“Don’t give me grief, girl, before we’ve even left this parking lot. Say it!”
“Okay fine. Savage, you’re the boss, when it comes to the bike, of course. Happy?” she added stubbornly.
“Not yet. Number two… don’t ever—ever—ever put your feet down when we stop anywhere unless I give you permission. It can throw me off balance, got it?”
“Yes, sir.” Tori gave him a mock salute, even though she bristled at his heavy-handed manner.
Savage’s lips twitched with humor. “As for the rest, riding bitch is like having good sex with me.”
Tori’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”
“It’s like this. Stay loose—don’t tense up. Do what I do—lean the way I lean. Don’t go the opposite way. Don’t hang on to me too tight. And above all, don’t forget to enjoy the rumble in between your legs.” His mouth curved into a shameless grin.
Tori balled her fists on her hips. “Let’s keep this professional, shall we, Mr. Savage?” He was just trying to get a rise out of her for his own amusement and Tori knew it.
Savage laughed, knowing he’d discomfited her by the way her cheeks were suddenly turning red. And the fact that he could do that to her, made him like her even more. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made a woman blush, if ever. The women he usually ran around with were way too hardened by life to ever do something as sweet as that. This was certainly new territory for him and, like someone with a new toy, he made a mental note to play some more with the new toy later on.
He nodded, half to himself. “Let’s get you strapped up.” He reached into a side saddlebag and drew out a black half shell helmet similar to his. “Nevada law.” He approached her and positioned the safety gear on her head. “We wouldn’t want to break the law, now would we?” He chuckled, enjoying his own twisted sense of humor.
Tori smiled at his joke, as he bent to her to adjust the straps underneath her chin. His fingers brushed against her skin then and Tori felt the gentleness of his touch. It shocked her that he could be so tender, considering what she’d seen those same fingers and hands do to Wizard.
Her heart began beating erratically in her chest at his close proximity. “Th—thank you,” she stammered. After he’d finished his ministrations, she backed away.
He threw her a quick smile before putting on his own helmet and sunglasses. Walking to the left of the Harley, he straddled it in one smooth motion and gripped the handlebars.
He turned back to Tori. “Okay, Snow White, get on my horse and let’s ride.”
A surge of excitement lit through Tori, and for some crazy, inexplicable reason, she wasn’t scared anymore. Well, at least, not as much as before! After all, Savage was there with her and maybe—just maybe—she’d be all right.
Plopping her sunglasses on and making sure her purse was securely wrapped across her body, she went to the left side of the bike and straddled it in the same way he’d done, positioning herself behind him. Luckily, the bike had a small back rest which gave her a tiny sense of protection, if only psychologically speaking.
Her small body came into contact with his large one and she cradled herself into him, sheepishly wrapping her arms around his middle. The heat of the man combined with his deep, rhythmic breathing and abs of steel; and the dizzying mix gave her confidence.