Chapter Five
King crossed to her, his big arms going around her. ”I”ll get your sister back to you safe and sound. Nobody will hurt you or her as long as you”re under my protection.”
The conviction he”d said the words with eased some of the fear pummeling her, but it was the strength in his arms and the way he held her, his big body wrapping around her like he cared, that had her closing her eyes. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of the outdoors that clung to him along with his cologne. God, she was putting all her trust in a man she”d just met, yet deep within, it was as if she”d known him her entire life.
Ayesha took a deep breath, inhaling more of him into her lungs, and prayed some of his confidence would soak into her pores. Although she wanted to be there with him when they went to save her sister, she was aware she”d be a liability. Rico was clearly a dangerous man, and if he was somehow connected to the Leglamos Family who hated her, he would be doubly dangerous. ”I won”t take long,” she whispered against his chest when she could finally get a word out without sobbing.
”You have about fifteen minutes before your ride is here.” He put his finger under her chin. You”ll be back here in a couple of days. Whatever you forget, we can send one of the boys to grab for you.”
She didn”t understand his world or how he”d have one of the boys pick up what was needed, nor did she want them coming to her home and going through her things. Thinking fast, she hurried into her bathroom, grabbed her makeup bag, and filled it with her daily routine items. Back in her bedroom, she dropped the little case on her bed and went to her dresser before pulling out a few pairs of panties and her favorite pajamas and tossing them on the bed, too. In her closet, she hesitated on what to pack. At the salon, she”d dress in her customary blackish attire, but she didn”t think she”d be going to work.
”Fuck it,” she muttered, grabbing a couple pairs of shorts and some leggings, along with tank tops and cute shirts, her go-to outfits, and a small duffle; she shoved everything into it. At the last second, she scooped up a couple sets of flip-flops, adding them to the bag. She was a California girl; most days, low maintenance was her name. Realizing she”d forgotten her hair products, she ducked back into the bathroom. She grabbed what she needed, including her toothbrush and toothpaste, a razor, and other bathroom essentials. She looked in the mirror, seeing the glassy-eyed girl staring back at her. ”Everything is going to be fine. King said so,” she reassured herself.
”That”s right,” King said, his tall frame leaning against the door frame, looking way too sexy for her peace of mind.
Her hand flew to her chest. ”Jesus, you scared me.”
”You taking your robe?” He nodded toward the silk robe on the door.
”Um, I wasn”t sure I”d need it.” She straightened up. With her arms full, she couldn”t grab anything else.
King reached for the robe, striding across the small space, and grabbed Tiana”s. ”Did you get your sister some stuff?”
”Not yet. I just finished getting mine.” She looked down at her arms.
”Good girl. Come on, let”s get a move on it. I don”t want to keep the boys waiting.” He grinned, his dark eyes twinkling.
Good lord, King Royal was a total menace to society with his deep voice and big, sexy body, and to top it off, he was sweet yet clearly liked to talk dirty. She wondered if he actually did those things he”d said or only said them for shock value. Before her mind could travel down that road, Ayesha entered her room, shoving everything into her bag. Glancing around, she realized she still needed to grab a cellphone charger and e-reader. If she was going to be away from home for a couple days, doing god knew what, she wanted her books.
Tiana”s things took less time since she wasn”t there to choose, and she was a teenage girl. They were creatures of habit, or at least her sister had been. Grabbing whatever was in the front of the closet and on top of the dresser would guarantee they were things her sister wore. They shared bathroom supplies except for a toothbrush and razor, which she”d already packed when she got hers. She didn”t have too much to grab in there.
Seventeen minutes after King told her to pack, she stood in her living room with two bags, staring at his back. He wore a leather vest with patches on it. His long legs were covered in jeans with leather chaps, hugging thick muscled thighs. She wondered how he hadn”t melted in the heat during his ride down. His ass, though, the way the denim and leather perfectly outlined it, made her thankful he couldn”t see the way she was ogling him.
”I”m ready,” she said, clearing her throat.
”I know,” King rumbled. ”I”ve been standing here watching you stare at my ass for the past two minutes.” He looked over his shoulder, pointing at the window and their reflections.
She shrugged a shoulder. ”Not my fault. Your ass is really fine.” If he wanted to embarrass her, Ayesha would do her best to not blush.
”Hmm, thank you. I think your ass is mighty fine too. It”ll look even better with my handprint on it. Come here,” he ordered.
Ayesha dropped the bags in her hands and walked to where he stood, not understanding why she was obeying him. ”What?” she asked.
He bent and put his lips next to her ear. ”Good girl.” He licked the shell, making her shiver.
SHIT. HIS DICK SWELLEDbeneath his jeans. When he saw her walk out of the back rooms, he tried to convince himself she wasn”t as sexy as he”d thought. He”d told himself she was too fucking sweet for the likes of him, and she was. Hell, she probably thought him spanking her ass was a joke. Little did she know he truly wanted to pull her pants down, lay her over his lap, and see just how her ass would look wearing nothing but his palm print. And that was just the start. The things he wanted to do to her, she said, were probably illegal. His sweet little thing had no clue, none whatsoever. Yet there she was, walking to him, obeying him without question.
”You always do what you”re told, Ayesha?” he asked, biting the lobe of her ear when she didn”t answer him quick enough.
”I...I don”t know. Yes,” she breathed, tilting her head to the side, giving him access to her neck.
King felt a primitive urge to beat the fuck out of every other man she”d allowed to dominate her. ”Who? Who else did you let do this?” He jerked her closer to his body, one hand fisting in her hair while the other went to the rounded ass he fucking adored. He”d always preferred women with curves, loving to run his hands over firm flesh, feel a woman”s body that could cushion his when he fucked them. Ayesha”s petite little body was exactly what he liked, only better.
”What?” she asked, looking up at him, her tongue licked over her bottom lip.
”I asked what other man you have obeyed like you did me?” He gave another tug on her hair, giving an experimental bite of pain to see how she reacted.
Ayesha bit down on her lip. Seconds ticked by, making King think she wouldn”t answer him. If she were his, he”d have had her over his lap and punished already. Finally, when he was about to let her go and step away from her tempting curves, a sigh burst from her.
”Nobody else. I don”t know why I listen to you either, but—there”s something so commanding about you that makes me do things out of the ordinary.” She closed her eyes at the last word.
King lifted her face with a slight tug on her hair. ”Look at me,” he ordered, glad when she blinked those gorgeous eyes open. ”There”s nothing wrong with wanting to obey the right man. When we get Tiana home, you and I are going to explore this thing between us.”
He wanted to say and do more, but he could hear the loud pipes of his brothers” bikes. That meant it was time to put his game face on and put Ayesha in the safety of his club while he did what they”d promised to do. ”We”re rolling out. I”m going to put you with my brother Duke. He”ll take care of you while I”m gone. You will stay and do whatever he tells you like he”s me. Understand me?” He gave her a little shake when she didn”t immediately answer.
”Yes. How long will you be gone?” She rolled her lips in like she hated that she”d asked.
He let go of her hair and palmed her neck. His other arm held her securely around the waist. Shit, she was so damn tiny, fucking fragile. ”Our plan is to go in and out quickly. I”ll bring your sister back tonight, tomorrow at the latest.” He didn”t tell her they”d already begun gathering intel thanks to Keys or that the information they”d received wasn”t good news. Rico was into human trafficking and drugs. The man wasn”t a low-rate criminal but an international prick who preyed on young girls. Things could go sideways, but they had contingency plans. He hated to bury bodies, though. Luckily, they had friends who didn”t mind. Sharks needed food, he reassured himself. He only hoped the girl was in shape to come home.
”I know you think you have to protect me from things, King, but I know what might...what she could”ve been through. It won”t matter to me. She”s my baby sister. Bring her home to me,” she begged.
Unable to stop himself, he bent and covered her lips with his, coaxing her into a heated kiss. King felt her sigh of surrender moments before the hard knock on the door. He pulled back, nipping on her lower lip, licking the small wound, satisfaction filling him at her response to him. ”Fuck, I could get lost in you.”
He stepped back, putting a couple inches between them. His cock ached as he watched Ayesha lift her hand to her lips.
”I think I would like that,” she whispered.
”Yo, King, let”s roll,” Duke hollered through the door.
King walked to where she”d dropped the bags, lifting them into one hand and turning to where he”d left her. ”Come here.” He held out his other hand. The need to have her obey him was strong. Shit, he wanted to own her.
Duke stood on the other side of the door, his arms crossed over his chest, leather cut on display. ”You want me to go in your place?” he offered.
King shook his head and handed over the bags. ”No, you take care of Ayesha for me.” He pinned Duke with a knowing look.
”So it”s like that?” Duke raised one brow.
”It is. Make sure nobody fucks with her and let everyone know she”s under my protection.” King reached back for Ayesha, hating the fear in her eyes. He”d take her with him if he could but leaving her with his brother was the next safest place. ”Duke will see to your safety while I”m gone. We”ll be radio silent until I have your sister safe. However, if Duke needs to contact me, he”ll know how.”
”I”ll be fine.” She straightened her spine. He was glad to see her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses.
”Come on, girl. Let”s get out of here so they can hit the road. The faster they get there, the faster they can get back. Are you hungry?” Duke asked, stepping off the porch and waiting.
King touched Ayesha”s back as they walked down the steps, eyeing the bikes lined up outside her house. If her late husband had people watching her house, they”d be getting an eyeful, or if Rico”s gang were, they”d also be shocked at her company. Several Harleys sat with their back tires to the curb, engines idling with their riders straddling the bike, each man on point. King nodded at each man, letting him know he appreciated them.
”I”ll ride your bike back and follow behind Stoner and the girl.” Duke held the door to the pickup truck open, nodding toward the man called Stoner.
”What”s up, King. This your girl?” Stoner asked, brushing invisible lint from the immaculate interior of the vehicle.
He was called Stoner not because he was always high but because his last name was Stone. Not that he hadn”t liked getting high when he”d been younger, but he”d been clean since his best friend had jumped off a bridge and lived to tell about it. He”d said it had scared him straight.
”You treat her like she”s my ole” lady, and you”ll live to see another day, brother.” King waited for Duke to put the bags in the back of the truck, unable to leave until he helped Ayesha settle onto the leather seat, buckling her seatbelt himself. Safety first and all that. Son of a bitch, he needed to put some space between them.
”I”ll see you,” he said, and then, because he couldn”t help himself, he gave her a quick, hard kiss, stamping his ownership in front of his club.
”Be careful,” she whispered.
King didn”t answer, stepping away before he made himself look like a pussy and promised her he would.
”Let”s roll,” he called out, lifting his hand and swirling it to get the vehicles in motion. The longer they sat there, the more attention they drew. There was no need to announce to the entire West Coast that they were there.
”You got it bad,” Traeger said.
He glared at his friend but didn”t deny him. What it was about Ayesha, he didn”t know. Yeah, she was hot, but there were lots of hot chicks in California. She was sweet and delicate, and he wanted to wreck her in the worst possible way. ”Fuck, let”s roll.” He got into the SUV and climbed into the back seat. The next couple of hours would determine how the future panned out. If Tiana was relatively unharmed, he could see about him and Ayesha. He wouldn”t classify what he wanted with her as dating. Shit, he couldn”t remember the last time he”d actually taken a woman on a date.
”Penny for your thoughts.” Traeger tapped on the seat.
He was half tempted to ask the other man his input, but this wasn”t Dr. Fucking Phil. ”You work on a Plan B?” If there was one thing he knew his friend excelled at, other than weaponry, and that was planning.
Traeger”s smile grew. ”Is that how this is gonna go? I feel you, brother.”
They went over possible scenarios for the rest of the trip, ensuring they had backup plans and Keys was on board with the house”s layout. They often preferred to have more than twenty-four hours to prepare, but they were a tight team that worked well under pressure. By the time they got near the property, he and Traeger had moved from the SUV to the van so they could see what they”d be dealing with on a computer. They mapped out the route Keys thought would be best, set their watches to when he”d deactivated the alarms and waited.
”Are you seeing what I”m seeing?” Traeger asked.
King snorted, every bit as shocked to watch two women scale their way down the side of the mansion. He wondered whether their little escape made their rescue mission easier or harder. ”Which one of them is our girl, Tiana?” he asked, the fading light making it hard to tell. One was taller, but both were dark-haired and slender. Fuck, this shit just became more complicated.
”The first girl looked like the one Keys gave us information on. I didn”t recognize the other one. What do we do with her, boys?” Digger asked.
Traeger looked at the other man. ”We grab ”em both and figure out what the fucks after.”
They”d driven down with Digger and Coal, both men driving their cage vehicles. While the MC preferred their bikes when they went on a mission, they used what was needed. They usually required a cage or a rig on four wheels. Digger drove the lead SUV, a tricked-out armored Escalade that fit eight, while Coal drove a van that could hold a dozen and housed a state-of-the-art computer system.
”Sounds solid to me,” Digger agreed.
”My facial recognition program says one of the females is the sister of the fuck who took the girl we”re here to rescue, which by the way, it appears she”s helping our target escape,” Keys explained through the speaker system of their vehicle, letting them all in on what he”d found.
”We better move. I see movement on the upper floors. I think the fucks in question know their girl is missing.” Traeger opened the door, moving before he”d finished speaking, blending into the waning night.
At times like these, King was grateful for the other man and his ability to blend into his surroundings. Although Traeger was a big son of a bitch like King, they both knew how to move quietly and with efficiency.
Traeger lifted his rifle, slinging it over his shoulder as he moved toward their targets. King followed, keeping his ears peeled for any indication that the men from inside had come out. Thanks to Keys, they had already disabled all the alarms inside and out, so even if the women inadvertently triggered one, none would go off.
HE AND TRAEGER MOVEDlike a team, both silent and deadly, each taking a route toward the women that was sure to intercept wherever they planned to go before they had a chance to get there. King motioned to Traeger to stay closer to the house, getting a nod of confirmation.
”I”m going to move forward, head off any trouble just in case there”s any waiting for the women,” Traeger said in a low voice to King.
From the intel they”d gotten on the drive down, there shouldn”t be, but King knew it only took a moment for shit to hit the fan. In cases of human trafficking, none of them liked to gamble with the lives of women or children, or in this case, a teen girl. Nope, he wouldn”t risk Ayesha”s sister.
Floodlights lit up the front yard, making it nearly impossible to find a shadow to blend into, but he didn”t change his course. He stayed low and picked up his pace until he finally reached the two women at the same time as Traeger. His arms came up and around Tiana, his hand clamping over her mouth, silencing her scream. ”Sssh, you”re safe. Ayesha sent us. Be quiet,” he growled as she bit his hand.
Traeger held the other girl, who seemed to surrender immediately. King glared over her head at Traeger. ”We need to move. Keys says there”s movement inside and lots of it,” King said, keeping his voice low.
Both girls whimpered, but between the both of them, neither could say anything.
”Your sister”s looking for you. If you”re a good girl, I”ll have you back with her by sunrise,” King assured the young girl.
Traeger”s woman stiffened in his arms. ”What”s the matter? Are you upset we”re taking away your money maker?” Traeger asked, his voice taunting.
The younger female in King”s arms squirmed, trying to get away. ”She saved me, you asshat,” she muttered out between King”s fingers.
”We need to move. Have you got your mark under control, Prez, or do you need a little assistance?”
King raised one brow but didn”t say a word in response. The little girl in his hold needed some discipline, that was for sure. He could see the woman in Traeger”s arms wasn”t too happy either, but even he could tell she was trying to save the girl. ”Let”s move it.”
Traeger gave a low chuckle. King nodded, knowing the same as Traeger. They usually blew off steam back at the clubhouse after they completed a job unless they found another way to expend pent-up energy. This time, King had plans that didn”t include anyone but him and a little woman with curves and dark hair. From how Traeger held the little woman in his arms, King felt his friend would be more than happy to do just that with her. King tried to keep from hurting Ayesha”s little sister while, at the same time, keeping her from harming him or herself.
”You two done playing? ”Cause you got about ten fuckers coming in hot right behind you. I can give you a distraction, but you”re not gonna make it back out the same way you went in. Find another way, and we”ll meet you at plan B.” Keys rattled off the coordinates for the rendezvous location. His fingers, which never seemed to stop tapping on a keyboard, were even louder through their earpieces.
”We can take my car. That”s where we were heading before you so rudely dropped in on us.” Traeger”s woman whispered.
”I”m supposed to trust you?” Traeger asked.
”Hello, did you not find us shimmying out of a third-story window? If we were part of whatever you think we were, or rather I was, do you honestly think I”d have risked breaking my damn neck?” she asked in a whisper yell that had King looking up at the sky.
”We ain”t got all night, Trigger. I”m leaning toward believing her since she technically broke herself and this one out. Besides, our options are limited. Let”s roll, and if she”s lying, we”ll just shoot her.” King shrugged. His number one objective was to get in and get Tiana out.
King and Traeger came to an abrupt stop when they reached the garage, grunting out a curse at her ride. ”You”ve got to be kidding me?” He glared at the little sports car with the top down.
”A motherfucking convertible,” Traeger muttered. ”We”ll be sitting fucking ducks in this thing.”
”Let”s go, we ain”t got many other options unless you want to hotwire one of the other vehicles, but they might have a shut-off option since they”re rich assholes. Roll out, I”m driving,” King announced.
”Fuck that, I”m driving,” Traeger said, hopping into the driver”s seat. ”I”ve seen you drive a cage, and it ain”t pretty. Let”s roll,” he announced, shoving his captive in the passenger seat while King and the younger girl hopped in the back. Traeger was right to a point, but only because King hated being confined, the fucker.
Before they pulled out, he had the top, which, thank fuck was a hard top once it came up from under the back, locked in place, giving them a little extra protection. ”Scoot your seat all the way up,” he ordered. King was used to being in charge, and luckily, the woman did as he said without argument.
By now, every light in the house was on. Guards were coming out with what King was sure, their guns ready to fill them with enough bullet holes they wouldn”t be leaving with breath in their bodies. Time was ticking, and as soon as Traeger started the vehicle, he and King would be moving targets.
”How likely is it that your brother will shoot you and your vehicle?” Traeger asked the girl before he cursed low. ”What do I call you?”
”Kailani, but my friends call me Lani,” she said softly.
In the dashboard lights, King watched Traeger pat her thigh, albeit awkwardly. ”Well, I”m Trigger, and I need to know one thing, Kailani. Is he going to give a kill order or not?” he asked.
Tiana gasped, her fist going into her mouth. King put his arm around her shoulder, but he needed to know the woman”s answer.
”I don”t know. It depends if Rico thinks I helped Tiana escape or if I was kidnapped along with her.” She fidgeted with her hands in her lap.
”Well, which do you think he”s going to think happened?” Traeger asked, his voice holding a silky quality King had never heard before. Yeah, his friend had it for the little lady next to him. King just hoped she didn”t betray them.
”Buckle up back there. This could be a bumpy ride,” Traeger warned.
King ensured Tiana did as she was told, his protective instincts on her first. He tapped on Traeger”s seat, getting the attention of his passenger, who seemed to be annoying the other man. ”Let”s roll.”
”Keys, you got the lights taken care of?” King asked as the door opened almost soundlessly.
”Way ahead of you.” Keys quick response eased King”s mind, which he was sure had Tiana”s captives shitting in their expensive suits.
”Our boys have set up a distraction on the other side of the estate. We”ve got a clear shot if we go now,” King ordered.
Traeger shot out of the garage, the small car clearly having a lot of horsepower. None of them uttered a word until they hit the end of the driveway, where the large iron gates stood wide open. ”Shit, this was too easy,” King muttered, whipping his head backward.
With the car at a steady thirty, which was fast for exiting a private drive, Traeger steered the vehicle onto the road, jerking the wheel to the left just as the first bullet pinged the back fender. ”Get your head down,” he ordered, pushing Kailani”s head toward her knees while he shoved Tiana onto the seat between them.
King shot out the back window, returning fire as Traeger concentrated on the road.
”Keys, we got trouble.” King brought his arm back in through the broken window.
He brushed the glass off of Tiana, checking her for injuries. ”You okay?” he asked while listening to Traeger and Kailani talk upfront. The calm way the older woman spoke and held herself, he knew she was a ride-or-die chick, just what his friend needed.
”I”ll keep you safe,” Traeger vowed.
She turned her head sideways, staring at Traeger. ”I”ll keep myself safe, thanks. Just get us as far away from there as possible. We”ll pull over when it”s safe for you to rendezvous with them. I”m sure you guys have someone ready to pick the three of you up, yes?”
Tiana whimpered, returning his focus to her and off the little scenario playing in the front of the vehicle. ”What”s up, little girl?”
”What”s going on?” Her voice was strained.
”Well, it goes something like this: You whistled for a cab, and when it came near, the license plate said ‘Fresh’,
and had dice in the mirror. Except when you rolled them fuzzy little bastards, they didn’t land on your lucky number,” King muttered.
”Did you just make a joke?” Traeger asked, steering the little car onto the highway.
”Whoa, why aren”t you pulling over?” Kailani asked, seeming to ignore King. ”And in case you didn”t notice, this isn”t a cab.”
”This got the V8 engine?” he asked.
Kailani nodded. ”Yes. It”s a nine-speed auto. It”s supposed to go from zero to sixty in under five seconds.” She looked out the side window.
”Well, we”re about to find out,” Traeger muttered.
King met his gaze in the rearview mirror. Knowing without words, they had trouble coming, and they would be in a world of hurt if they didn”t get some assistance. ”Digger, where you be, man?” he asked, knowing the brother could hear him through their earpiece.
”I got eyes on you and that tail. Ps. Can I have it if you don”t damage that ride too bad?” Digger asked, eagerness ringing in his tone.
”Brother, you”re a shit. This little number is spoken for. Now, how ”bout you give a little assist with the fucker on my ass?” Traeger grunted.
”Oh, shit, that”s Rico or his men. If you pull over, he might be more lenient on you,” Kailani whispered.
Traeger chuckled, but he shifted gears, not slowing one bit. ”One day, you”ll see how much fun I can and will have with that little shit you call brother, but not tonight. Tonight, we”ll get that one to safety. After that, you and I will figure out where to put you.