Slick (The Grayverse #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The buzzing in my pocket pulls me out of a honey-edged dream. I can taste it with every breath, a moan slipping from my lips as I move uncomfortable on the hard seat beneath me. I’m sitting up, which is weird, but I’m distracted by the blood that has pooled in my groin, my cock throbbing painfully as I try to force my eyes open.

Where the fuck am I?

My next moan is more of a grunt, my bleary eyes taking in the interior of a van. Not my town car, or one of the SUVs I use for day trips. This is stripped down to two bench seats, one of which I’m sprawled on. I’m still in my suit but as my phone buzzes again, I look down and realize my wrists are cuffed in my lap.

What the actual fuck?

I jerk upright, a growl building in my throat as I look around.

Watts, my bodyguard, is sitting opposite me, but I barely spare him a glance as I take in the figure at his side. She’s half his size, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and even with a black hood over her head, the scent of omega is unmistakable.

Especially since she’s my scent mate.

“Diana.”

She’s sitting as still as a statue, but at my raspy voice, her entire body jolts as if electrified. And then the cry that tears from her throat makes my hair stand on end. “Jake!”

I’ve been hurt a few times in my life, suffered heartbreak and disappointment like anyone else, but I’m honest enough to admit I’ve been pretty blessed. Apart from the rift with Kane, I’ve always felt in control of my decisions, confident that I can successfully navigate whatever life throws my way.

But hearing Diana call out my name from under a fucking bag makes my heart throb.

“Take that thing off her head, Watts!”

Part of having a charmed life – and the office of governor of this state – is that people jump when I bark at them. But my bodyguard barely flinches at my order, and my gaze snaps to the front of the van. There’s a tinted privacy screen built into the bulkhead, and my gut churns as it slides down to reveal Lily and her head of security, Marcus. He’s driving, but Lily has turned in her seat, so she is staring right at me. She’s as striking as ever with her gleaming blonde hair and pale blue eyes, but the longer I hold her gaze, the more it’s like looking at a reflection breaking apart on a dark lake.

“Are you alright, Jacob?”

She sounds genuinely concerned and I cock a disbelieving brow as I lift my wrists. "What the hell is this, Lily?"

“It’s an intervention.” Her voice is as cool as ever, although I think I can see a flicker of strain on her perfectly made-up face. “I warned you that Kane has never operated in your best interests. He’s barely back in your life a week and he’s trying to drag you down into the gutter with him.”

One thing politics has taught me is to not engage with the delusional, but the combination of alpha stink in the air and the throbbing in my skull has me on a very short leash. “Are you saying you’ve kidnapped me for my own good?”

“Don’t exaggerate, darling.” The condescension in her eyes is almost as disgusting as the endearment on her lips, and I have to swallow back a growl. “This is a reset, like I said. Just a chance for us to reconnect without any negative influences.”

I blink at her, then turn to stare at Watts. The stink is definitely coming off him, and I realize his shirt is soaked through with nervous sweat. The last thing I remember was him following me into my office at home and pouring me a drink. I didn’t want it, because I was determined to have a clear head when I confronted Lily, but Watts was hovering, and I was distracted…

“You drugged me.” At my accusation, his gaze darts to the front seat and there’s no mistaking the yearning in his eyes as he stares at Lily. He looks like a lovesick puppy, and fury rips through me at his betrayal. What I’d like to do is grab the gun under his jacket and shoot him, but with my hands cuffed, I settle for kicking his leg, hard enough to bruise my toes through the Italian leather. “Hey! Don’t look at her, fuckface. You worked for me !”

“At my recommendation,” Lily replies, her voice tinged with disapproval. “If you had your way, you’d still be moping over that brute, Kane. God knows why you felt so strongly about him, especially since he’s the one who walked out on you, remember?”

“Believe me, you’ve driven that point home now,” I say grimly, glaring at Watts’ averted face. “But one of the very many differences between Kane and this clown here, is that he’s loyal. And when he finds out what you’ve done, Watts will be less than a smear on the road.”

The Judas twitches at the thought, but Lily just waves a dismissive hand. “Such threats are beneath you, Jacob.” In all the time I’ve known her, she’s never called me Jake or Moore like my friends. It’s always been Jacob, or governor if she’s feeling frisky. Bile burns the back of my throat at the memory of those intimate moments, but Lily gives me a coy look through her lashes. “Trust me, darling, you’ll feel like your old self once you we get a proper moment to ourselves.”

I lean forward, trying to keep the rage from leaking into my voice. I have to control myself until I can control the situation. “Then pull over. We can get someone to collect Diana, while you and I go somewhere and talk.”

Longing flashes in her eyes, but she gives a quick shake of her head. “Don’t worry, Jacob. All the arrangements are in place. You just need to sit back and trust me.”

My mouth snaps shut, which is the only thing stopping the bile from pouring out of me. Now that the facade has cracked, I can’t believe the toxic shit that is bubbling to the surface.

How the fuck did I miss this level of delusion?

Even when I found out about Diana, some part of me still wanted to believe that Lily was misled. That she’d been tricked into using the slick factory’s products by her agent, or one of the goons that hang around the studio. But there’s no denying the evidence when it is sitting opposite me with a black hood over her head.

Next to Diana, Lily smells like fruit that’s been left to molder in a bowl. I don’t know if it’s because the blinkers have been torn off or because the real thing is sitting so close, but Lily’s scent is sickly sweet and so cloying I can feel it coating my senses in a sticky residue. I want to lean across the aisle and bury my face in Diana’s hair, and the fact I can’t – and don’t fucking deserve to - makes the blood throb painfully in my veins.

And the regret makes me vicious. “Why the hood, Lily? Is it to protect you, or to keep me from temptation?”

“We don’t need to talk about that, Jacob.”

She’s turned to face the windshield, but her long fingernails are drumming on the console, and I can hear the hard edge to her voice. I have to be careful, because there’s nothing Lily hates more than competition. Diana is definitely her weak spot, and I’ve seen what Lily does to things that undermine her. I’ve also heard the rumors about how she’s treated Rowan Vale over the years, and I decide that right after I beg Diana’s forgiveness, I need to apologize to him, too.

“Why won’t you look at her?” I know I shouldn’t be provoking her, but I can’t stand staring at that hood for a second longer. “Lily, her name is Diana. She was locked up, hurt, and used, just so you could smell like her. Aren’t you going to look her in the eye, at least?”

Lily makes a disgusted sound but doesn’t turn around. “She’s product. She doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Rage throbs through me, hot as lava. If I could reach into the front seat and strangle her, I would do it in a heartbeat. “Well, she means a fucking lot to me,” I growl. “She’s my scent mate. And not some poor imitation like you. She’s the real thing, Lily, which means she’s mine and I’m hers.”

A whole-body shudder seems to grip her, a growl of her own working its way up her throat. “You’re mistaken, Jacob. She’s nothing. I’m your mate.”

I flick a glance at Marcus. He’s a thug and a sycophant, but he must have enough animal cunning to see where this shitshow is headed. “You seem pretty calm for someone who’s kidnapped the governor, Marcus. How do you think this is going to work out for you? That Lily and I’ll just kiss and make up….”

“ She’s going to wipe your memory.” His dark eyes dance with malice as they meet mine in the mirror. “Yeah, you heard me. It’s a trick the Carrillos use on all their inmates. Once they’re done with you, you’ll be Luscious’ little lapdog, begging for treats while the rest of us laugh behind your back.”

Lily slaps his arm, but there’s no real force behind it, and I realize this is exactly what she wants. To have me mindlessly dancing on her string. Her lovesick puppet, like fucking Watts, only with even less grasp on reality. Fucking hell. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Marcus just shrugs. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.” A cruel smile tugs at his lips. “Although you might have to take our word for it, since you probably won’t even remember your name.”

Panic explodes in my chest, and I yank on the cuffs. “You try to fuck with our heads, and I’ll never forgive you, Lily.”

She whirls on me suddenly, more of that saccharine scent assaulting my senses. But her eyes are snapping with anger, her mouth pulled into a thin line. “You will knot me, bite me, and bond me, beloved. I’m paying the Carrillos good money to get exactly what I want.”

I stare into her face and realize it’s the mask of an insane person. She really fucking believes she can brainwash me into bonding her. I want to laugh in her face at the idea I’d break so easily, but maybe she’s right. The Carrillos kept Diana locked up for years, no doubt honing their perversions on omegas just like her… A bolt of pain almost rips my chest apart, because Kane already told me they stole Diana’s memories. Like the sister of the Jackal’s VP, whose mind was so broken, she never recovered.

“You’re fucking insane, Lily,” I snarl, every muscle straining to launch myself off the seat and put an end to this nightmare. “Kane will make it his mission to destroy you. You need to let us go, or this is going to end very badly for all of you.”

I direct the last words towards Watts, because if there’s a weak link in this sick little trio, it’s probably him. I watch his throat bob uncomfortably, but the next moment, Marcus starts to steer the van to the shoulder. I feel my hopes lift that I got through to him until I see a car already parked and waiting in front of us. As soon as we stop, the passenger door opens and a guy in a leather jacket gets out. He has criminal written all over him, and it’s not hard to guess that he works for Carrillo.

“Ms. Luscious,” he purrs when he reaches us, leaning on the edge of Lily’s window and filling the van with his stink. “Boss said if you’ve got the money, I can give you the address to the new facility.”

My ears perk up at that, but Lily looks displeased. “I was planning on paying you after the procedure.”

“Yeah, well, we’re taking extra precautions after our old place was hit.” His reptilian gaze slides my way, and he clicks his fingers, earning a scowl from Marcus. “Come on. We need to wrap this up quick.”

Lily huffs but pulls one of her leather totes out of the footwell and hands it over. As soon as the goon checks the contents, he takes a gun from his pocket and points it at Marcus. “Don’t so much as twitch, bud. This is still business, so no one has to get popped. Boss just needs a pound of flesh for all the trouble the governor caused him.”

“It wasn’t him!” Lily tries to grab the goon’s arm, but he slips away from her and jerks the van door open. She twists in her seat, her eyes widening as he points the gun my way. “Royce, we can talk about this! I can get you Kane , which is who you really want, after all.”

“You still get the omega,” he tells her, a hungry look on his face as he studies Diana. “Boss says he’ll give you a discount on all slick products for the next year, but the governor is coming with me…”

He has to reach past Diana to get to me, and I feel my hackles rise as she sways towards him. But the next moment, she’s ripping the hood off her head and sinking her teeth into his thick wrist. Royce roars and jerks back, stumbling on the shoulder, and Marcus guns the engine, narrowly missing the car in front of us as he pulls back out into the street. The door is still open, and while Watts staggers over to shut it, something zips past, a black, loud blur that makes Marcus curse and yank on the wheel.

Watts grabs the door, but not before three other bikes zip by, Fox Straw giving me a little salute as his crew close ranks around the van.

“Fuck!” Marcus swerves erratically, while Lily knuckles the dash. “That’s the Jackals! We can’t outrun them!”

“Then pull over!” she shrieks. “Let me out!”

Marcus curses again, nearly colliding with a bike as he slams to a halt at the side of the road. Lily is gone in a flash, but I’m distracted by the squeal of brakes outside Marcus’ window. I have a second to lunge for Diana before there’s a quick pop-pop and blood splatter explodes inside the cab. Watts pulls the door open to return fire, and I scramble to cover Diana, but she slips past me with a growl. I stare in disbelief as she throws her slight weight at Watts, almost knocking him out the open door. He grabs the bulkhead to keep his balance, but Diana knees him hard between the legs and his eyes bulge wide in agony. He has to drop his gun to grab his balls, and I kick it aside, lurching into his path. He tries to punch me, but I drop my cuffed hands over his head and snap the chain against his throat. I hiss at the bite of metal against my abused wrists, but this is a fight to the death, and I brace my feet and yank back with all my might. I feel the break more than hear it, his body suddenly going limp and slumping to the floor.

“Holy shit,” I mutter as I sink onto the bench seat, every muscle quivering. Diana is standing over me, blood on her mouth and her chest panting with exertion as we stare at the dead body between us. “I think you just saved our lives, Diana.”

She wraps her arms around her waist, the wildness in her eyes slowly fading to a soft hurt. “You left me, Jake.”

“I’m a fucking idiot,” I admit, shame burning in my cheeks. “I’m so sorry I missed your heat, and I’ll take that mistake to my grave.”

“Kane claimed me,” she says, tilting her neck so I can see the bite. Although, on her slender neck, there’s no missing the imprint of the big bastard’s mouth. “He knotted me so deep, I could feel him all the way in my heart. And now I have his bond here.” She steps forward, and lifting my cuffed hands, presses them against her chest. Her breasts are soft and warm beneath her thin tee, and I nearly bite through my tongue at the throb of arousal that grips my body. “He’s mine and I’m his. Forever.”

“He’s lucky,” I mutter, knowing I sound as jealous as hell. This close to her, my skin feels like it’s on fire, and the urge to pull her onto my lap is almost overwhelming. But if I do, I’m not sure I’ll be able to let her go, and I’ll be damned if I start anything with a red mist still hanging in the air. “If I’d been thinking straight, I would have never left. But when I smelled you, I panicked. I didn’t want to admit I could’ve got it so wrong…” I break off, realizing how weak my words sound to my own ears. “I’m sorry, Diana. And I owe Kane an apology, too. He warned me about Lily, and I refused to listen.”

Her eyes darken, her scowl fierce on her beautiful face. “I don’t want to talk about that bitch right now.”

“Fair enough.” I haven’t heard any gunfire for a couple of minutes, so I gesture towards the door. “We should check if the coast is clear.”

Diana nods, carefully stepping past Watts to peek through the open door. Whatever she sees must reassure her, because she waves in my direction. I shuffle forward, careful not to trip on Watts, and crouch beside her as I take in the carnage.

Lily must have had another car behind ours, because there are more bodies on the ground than I expect, and none of them are wearing the Jackals’ colors. As far as I can tell, all of Fox’s guys are still astride their bikes, while there are at least five bodies down. There’s only one guy alive and on his knees, and I feel a vicious stab of pleasure as a Jackal points his gun at Royce’s blood-smeared face.

The Jackals have formed a perimeter around us with their bikes, and I watch as a bunch of them head over to the bodies, either checking their injuries or robbing them blind. I don’t look too closely, since it’s not officially a crime scene until my investigators turn up, and I’m in no hurry to get the authorities involved. After the shit I just went through, I’m leaning more towards vigilante justice than a civilized public trial for the rest of these assholes.

“Hello, governor,” Fox grins, sauntering over with a grin on his handsome face. His Viking heritage is impossible to miss with his massive build, dirty blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. Reflector shades are tucked into the top of his cut, his President’s patch on proud display. Even dusty and road worn, charm oozes off him, and if he’d become a politician instead of an outlaw, he’d probably slaughter me at the polls. “Looks like you got yourself into a bit of a jam. Or are those handcuffs recreational?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer, holding his arm out to Diana. “I hope this isn’t his idea of a first date.”

She stares down at his extended arm but doesn’t make any move to accept it. “Jake’s my scent match,” she replies, as if that’s the only salient detail. “Who are you?”

I’m pretty sure no omega in his acquaintance has ever looked at him with such suspicion, and Fox gives a delighted chuckle. “Apologies, Diana. I’m Fox Straw, leader of the rabble you see behind me. I’m also a good friend of your other mate. He called me up and asked us to meet you here.”

His flirty nature doesn’t seem to be working on Diana, but I still watch him through narrowed eyes. “Have you spoken to Kane?”

“He’s on his way.” I feel Diana relax at the news, and when Fox extends his arm again, she takes it. He helps her down out of the vehicle, his grin growing as she stares at his leather jacket. “You like that? It’s the patch for the Jackals Motorcycle Club. Wanna jump on the back of my bike, and I’ll show you what it’s all about?”

“Over your dead, steaming corpse, Fox.”

He smirks at my protective growl, but then looks at her neck and gives a low whistle. “The greedy bastard didn’t leave much room for your bite, governor.”

I’m tempted to snap at him, but Diana is reaching for me, like she can physically lift me out of the van, and Fox seems to remember he’s on a rescue mission. He crooks his finger, and I lift my hands so he can remove my cuffs. As soon as I’m free, I vault down beside them and pull Diana into my arms. I’m still fucked up from the drugs, but just nuzzling into her hair seems to clear my mind and I stick my hand out towards Fox. As much as I want to blame someone else for this nightmare, it’s all on me. “Thanks, Fox. I owe you one.”

He pats my back. “Oh, I already have your checkbook in my pocket, governor. The clubhouse needs a new media room, after all… but we can talk about that another time.” The smile melts off his face as he turns to survey the battlefield behind him. “You should have done something about the Carrillos a long time ago.”

“Agreed.” Like other gangs in the city, the Carrillos have been on my radar a long time, but the threat of being brainwashed and bonded to a homicidal bitch has definitely moved them to the top of my list. “I’ll be personally overseeing the operation.”

Fox pops a matchstick in his mouth and studies me as he gnaws on it. “Well, you’re not the only one with skin in the game.” He points to his VP, who’s crouched over Royce and is saying something that has the gangster swaying on his knees. “Get it done, or we will.”

It’s clearly a threat, but since our interests align on this topic, I let it slide. “You could always join my task force, you know.”

Fox barks a laugh before turning to watch as a black SUV skids to a halt in front of us. Gravel is still spitting from the wheels when Kane and Rowan Vale leap from the vehicle and stalk towards us. “Look who’s late to the party!” Fox crows, giving Diana a cheeky wink before slapping my back. “I’ll leave you guys to kiss and make up.”

He saunters past Kane, murmuring something that earns him a curt “Fuck off, Fox.” The biker just laughs, and my best friend strides towards me with the apocalypse brewing in his face. I brace myself for a gut punch, but he steps right past me and sweeps Diana off her feet. After the shit she went through in the van, I expect her to squawk at the manhandling, but she just melts into his chest, tilting her head so he can press his mouth over the bite mark on her throat. “Alpha,” she hums. “I knew you’d come.”

“Never doubt it, baby,” he growls, pressing a thumb to the pink scar. He pulls back an inch, studying her bloodied lips. “Want to point out who did that to your mouth?”

“It’s not her blood,” I explain, jerking my head towards Royce, who’s still being circled by the Jackals. “She took a chunk out of that asshole’s arm.”

Kane cocks a brow, still studying her mouth. “You bit him?”

“He tasted bad.”

Her voice reeks of regret and I watch Vale’s lips twitch. “Worse than a granola bar, sweetheart?”

Her eyes light up as she steps into his arms, nuzzling his scent gland. “Worse, but tasting you makes it all better.”

I’m pretty sure she’s licking him from the shudder that works down his spine, but Kane distracts me by stalking over to the van. He looks at the smear that used to be Marcus, then steps to the open door and nudges Watts. “You two did this?”

I'd be insulted at the surprise in his voice if I wasn't still in shock at our survival. “Diana kicked him in the nuts, and I broke his neck with my cuffs.”

He nods, but I can see the vein throbbing in his skull. Kane always looks like he’s on the edge of violence, but it’s coming off him in waves. “Because he underestimated you.” I shrug, but he whirls and pushes me against the side of the van. His hand is on my chest, not painful, but the threat is there. “What the fuck have I told you about employing these subpar dickbags?”

I open my mouth to remind him I only took Watts on after he left me, but he drags me into a rough embrace, his meaty fist hammering my back. Out of the corner of my eye I see Rowan holding Diana in a much gentler embrace. “I know,” I mutter, clinging to his bulk, “but good help is hard to find.”

“Fuck that,” he grunts, pushing me back and gripping my shoulders. “You’ve always got me, Jake. Just don’t piss me off, and I won’t have to kick your ass.”

I nod weakly, then realize what’s been tickling my exhausted brain. “Why do you smell like smoke?”

“The bitch set off a boobytrap and burned her studio to the ground.” Kane looks around, his jaw clenched white. “Where is she, anyway? Please tell me she’s the roadkill I hit a mile back.”

“She bailed into the woods as soon as she saw the Jackals.” His gaze instantly moves to Diana, and I can almost taste the tension that grips him. “Don’t worry. She won’t get far on foot.”

Kane just grunts and stomps back towards his vehicle. Diana and Rowan quickly follow, and I’m drawn along behind them like the lost kid on a field trip. I want to sweep Diana into my arms and pretend none of this death and ugliness ever happened, but if I’m not here when the authorities arrive, there will be hell to pay. And possibly a few dead Jackals if the cops are feeling trigger-happy.

A good case in point wanders over as we reach the car. He’s a massive guy with a cocky grin and a ginger beard even more unkempt than Kane’s. He’d look like a leprechaun if he wasn’t almost eight feet tall and encased head to toe in black leather. “Never thought I'd see the day Killjoy Kane chose a cage over a bike.”

Kane just shrugs at the massive biker. “It's the pack life, Gunnar. You should try it sometime.”

He folds his arms, watching as the others pile into the SUV. Diana’s blood-smeared beta is stretched out on the back seat, but he scoots over as she climbs in, Rowan wedging himself in next to her. It leaves the passenger seat free, and I feel a quiver in my gut as I picture myself taking that spot. “Looks cozy,” Gunnar says, so close to reading my mind it makes my teeth ache. “Let me know if your pack has an opening, okay, Killjoy?”

“Get in line,” I growl, like I have any chance at kicking the giant’s ass, but he just laughs and saunters off. It leaves me alone outside the car while the others stare back at me with varying degrees of disapproval.

“You’re really not coming?” Diana asks, her breath hitching in her throat.

I can’t quite swallow my groan. “I need to stay and make sure the authorities sort this mess out.”

“You’ve got people for that.”

“Yeah, but I’m not taking any chances.” Kane is watching me through narrowed eyes, and I look pointedly towards the woods. “I want that bitch hunted down and behind bars.”

He sighs, but I know he gets it. If Diana wasn’t involved, he’d be right by my side, and he wouldn’t stop until he was certain Lily Luscious could never hurt our mate again. “Well, we’re driving straight to your mansion,” he finally replies, thumbing the smirk that’s growing on his lips. “So, I guess we’ll be waiting for you in your bed, governor.”

The blow to my gut would hurt less if he punched me. “Fucker.”

“In every way,” he chuckles, gunning the engine and leaving me to scowl at Fox, who’s shaking his head at me from across the battlefield like I’ve just lost my mind.