Chapter Twenty-Five
Cove
“K nock-knock.”
I jolt awake to the female voice, quickly making sense of my surroundings. I’m buried beneath Dragon’s powerful body. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the possessive way he traps me in bed at night. But having his mother walk in on us in such a compromising position is super fucking awkward.
It takes some effort, but I manage to slip out of Dragon’s hold. He’s naked as the day he was born, but thankfully, after the last time we had sex last night, I opted to throw on a pair of sweats I’d found in one of his drawers. I toss the sheet over his ass and force my gaze to the woman standing in the doorway.
She’s perfect.
Hair and makeup are flawless. Her outfit is probably expensive as fuck. It’s alarming to me that anyone can look like this so early in the morning. A glance at the clock on the end table tells me, it is, in fact, early. Being woken up before eight by my boyfriend’s mother, whom I only met just yesterday, isn’t my idea of fun.
“Hey,” I grunt out.
Her plum-colored lips purse into a firm line as she sweeps her eyes over the wrecked state of the bedroom. Clothes are strewn everywhere among discarded towels we’d used for cleanup. The fitted sheet has come loose on one corner of the bed, exposing the mattress. Love bites and other evidence of Dragon’s need to claim me feel as though they’re blinking on my neck and naked chest, making the moment even more awkward.
“Did you two even sleep?” she asks, arching a sculpted brow high on her forehead.
My skin prickles with heat and I know I’m red as a tomato. I scrub a palm over my face before shooting her a helpless look. “I, uh… He was emotional.”
Her hardened expression softens as she studies me inquisitively. “You’re a perfect balance for my son. He was always so…”
“Crazy,” I offer.
She smirks, reminding me of her son. “I was going to say wild, but crazy works as well. He was confident the moment he came into this world. His father and I always knew he’d do something incredible.”
He can torture a man like no one else on earth, so I’d say that’s pretty incredible.
“But you,” she continues, “you’re a calm to his storm. Logical to his unreasonable.” She slowly approaches, her gaze turning on her son. Tears brim in her green eyes and a smile touches her lips. “That’s all I ever wanted for him. Someone to be a perfect match for him. After everything he told us last night, it’s amazing he was able to do that. I suppose we have you to thank for that.”
“We’re not serious,” I blurt out, but as soon as I say the words, they leave a bitter aftertaste.
She reaches forward, patting my head that’s probably sticking hair up in every direction. “From what he told us, I know he scared you in the beginning, but then you got to know him.” She smiles. “Intimately. That lie you’re telling yourself doesn’t work anymore.”
I gape at her in shock.
“I raised four boys,” she says with a chuckle. “You don’t think I know a thing or two?”
Someone else steps into the bedroom. Owen. Lovely. Both his parents can be witnesses to the fact that me and Dragon fucked like wild stallions all night.
“I just got off the phone with Aimee,” Owen states, his voice growing somber. “Taylor called her back when he had cell service. Mitch isn’t with him.”
Lindsay deflates, her young features pinching, making her look much older than a few minutes ago. “Oh, Owen.”
He swallows hard before darting his eyes my way. “He’s just a kid.”
“We’re going to get him back,” I assure them. “We need to call Koyn and update him and then we’re going to deal with this problem once and for all.”
Dragon paces the living room, smoke practically fuming from him. Koyn doesn’t look at all uncomfortable in this flawless home, speaking with two equally flawless people. It’s a reminder he once came from a world like theirs. Heartache and grief molded him into the savage beast he is today.
Owen and Lindsay, despite having a house full of tattooed bikers, are taking it well. They’re both strong in the face of having another son gone missing under their noses. Kai sits in an armchair in the corner, watching the whole scene with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. Benjamin sits on the coffee table, his head low as he whispers to Nees. The rest of the bikers, including myself, are seated all around the living room. The only other person standing is Katana, but that’s so he can keep a close eye on Dragon.
“Tell me exactly what it is Aimee said,” Koyn says to Owen. “We need to know how Mitch went from going hiking with Taylor to suddenly backing out.”
Owen pinches the bridge of his nose, the stress of the day already weighing on him heavily. “She just said Taylor told her Mitch decided not to go.”
“We need to talk to him,” Dragon growls. “I don’t like these vague-ass answers. Taylor knows something.”
Bermuda thumps his finger on his laptop screen. “Holy shit…I have something.”
Since I’m closest to Bermuda, I peek at his computer screen to find a picture of a teenager with big brown eyes and a goofy smile. Taylor Eckerd seems like your typical teen at first glance, though something about him strikes me as familiar.
“What is it?” Koyn demands.
“I looked up his social media accounts. On Instagram, he must have posted when he got service and spoke to his mother. He’s at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. It’s not too far from here.” Bermuda taps away on his computer, pulling up another screen. “I pinged his cell to pinpoint his exact location.”
“And?” Koyn implores.
“While there’s nothing telling in his phone and text records, I looked up the video footage of a service station near the park. One everyone has to pass by. Based on when Lindsay last spoke to him and when Night Giant called Dragon, I worked in that time frame pulling that footage.” He plays a segment of a video. “There’s video of a man who meets the physical description of Night Giant. He speaks with Taylor and Mitch. Taylor leaves on his own and Mitch gets in the truck with the man.”
“What?” Lindsay’s voice is shrill. “He left with that monster? But why?”
“Because he knows him.” I swallow hard, locking eyes with Dragon, who’s stopped his pacing. “Mitch left with him because he knows him.”
Bermuda nods beside me. “I looked up the mutual friends on their list and one person meets the description.” He pulls up the social media account. “Extremely tall. Built like a linebacker…”
Though I’d never seen Night Giant’s face, the picture Bermuda shows me chills my blood. Something in his dark eyes haunts me. He looks just like his brother that Dragon slaughtered two days ago in that trailer.
“No,” Lindsay whispers. “That’s impossible.”
“Taylor’s dad,” Bermuda starts, but I finish for him, “is Night Giant.”
“What?” Benjamin practically bellows. “That’s insane. Impossible.”
I tear my stare from Night Giant—or Leo Eckerd’s—social media profile to meet Lindsay’s horrified expression.
“It’s an alias,” Copper growls from the sofa beside Nees. “And I’ll bet money his identification has the incorrect height, which is why we couldn’t find him before.” He rises to his feet. “I’ll call Dan. See what the Feds can uncover.”
“But Leo’s the school district’s accountant.” Lindsay shakes her head. “Owen, we’ve had this man in our home.”
Dragon goes deathly still, his features impassive as though he’s in a trance. Katana slinks up behind him, offering him a comforting hand on his shoulder. I’m thankful it eases some of the tension in Dragon.
“What do we do? Why does he want my son?” Lindsay demands, no longer the strong woman as before as tears slide down her rosy cheeks. “Why? How?”
“Find him,” Koyn orders to Bermuda. “Fuck.”
“He wants us to find him,” Dragon murmurs.
“He does?” Lindsay asks.
I shudder at Dragon’s words. “It’s another trap,” I croak out. “Mitch is just the bait.”
“Bait for what?” Kai demands, no longer seated and thrumming with violent energy that reminds me so much of his older brother.
My gaze finds Dragon’s. He’s still—frozen by the information and realization of what this all means.
“Me.” Dragon winces, shaking his head hard as if to clear away the horrible thoughts running through his mind. “He wants me.”
“No.” Lindsay’s features twist into something cruel and vicious. “Absolutely not.”
“We have no choice, Mom,” Dragon bites back. “It’s Mitch. He’s seventeen.”
She swallows hard. “I don’t care if he’s a goddamn adult. That monster isn’t taking you again. I won’t trade one son for another.”
Koyn and Dragon exchange a quick look—one that’s in agreement. They’ll do what they have to in order to get Mitch back. Even if that means trade dragon for boy, regardless of what the mother demands.
“Make the call,” Dragon orders. “This happens today.”
“Chase, no,” Lindsay screeches. “We’ll find another way. Let Copper get the Feds involved. You can’t do this.” Her voice cracks and a sob escapes. “Honey, please don’t do this.”
“I have to,” Dragon replies. “Dad, tell her I have to.”
Owen pulls Lindsay into a tight embrace. “Look at our son. And it’s Leo. He might be bigger than Chase, but our son is different. He has them .” He gestures to the room full of pumped up bikers.
Koyn gives Owen a sharp nod. “Night Giant dies today by the hand of the Royal fucking Bastards. Make the call.”
“I’ll do it,” Lindsay says, swiping her tears away. Rage fills her green eyes. “I’ll talk to that sick fuck.”
She pulls out her phone and searches her contacts. After dialing, she puts it on speaker. Seconds later, a familiar voice answers.
“Ahh, hello, Mrs. Thomas. Took you long enough. And here I thought you were a shrewd woman.”
“Leo.” Her voice is ice and sharp enough to draw blood. “Let me speak to my son.”
He chuckles, dark and demonic. “He’s a little tied up at the moment.”
“You sick sonofabitch!” she screams into the phone. “I’ll kill you myself!”
“You won’t,” Night Giant hisses, “because if you want this boy to stay pure, you’ll do exactly as I say. You’ll make it quick, too, because my self-control is razor-thin.”
“Why are you doing this? Does Aimee know? Taylor?”
“Aimee knows I have secrets, but she chooses to ignore them. You can take that up with her later. Taylor is only guilty of making my obsession easier on me. This will really tear him up,” he assures her. “Don’t be too hard on him.”
Unbelievable. The gall of this fucker.
“All these years,” Lindsay snarls, “you hid in plain sight. You came into my home knowing full and well what you did to my son!”
“And I’ll do it to the baby boy too if you don’t shut the fuck up and listen.” Leo’s breathing is heavy. “I want Caught to meet me at our place. He knows where that is.”
“Do not call him that,” she hisses.
“An hour. I want him there in an hour. Alone.”
“No,” I clip out. “He won’t be alone. I’m coming with.”
Night Giant is silent for a beat. “A two-for-one special. Hmm. You still suck dick like a needy whore, little one?”
Dragon flies over the couch like an avenging angel escaped from hell. He yanks the phone from his mother’s grip and brings it to his mouth, spittle flying all over it as he speaks.
“We’ll be there. The two of us. You let Mitch go and we’ll stay.” Dragon cracks his neck and fire gleams in his green eyes. “Vengeance is coming.”
Night Giant makes a salacious lip-smacking sound. “Oh, I’m counting on it. I love the pretty way your lips part when you orgasm—”
His words are silenced when Dragon throws the phone so hard at the window, it shatters through the glass on its way out.
Dragon holds his hand out to me. “Let’s go kill this piece of shit.”
I take his hand. “Fucking finally.”