Forty-Two
I missed Camille by a fucking half second. I saw her car drive off just as I reached the door, and if not for getting delayed by Tommy, I’d have been able to stop her. I cursed, shoving my hair back as I cast my eyes around the parking area. Oh. There was the other person I was looking for.
I sent Ice a text, asking him to track Camille’s phone. Hopefully she was just going to her house, but I didn’t plan to let her have long to cool down before I turned up there to bring her home.
“Has!” I headed over to him and Ryder, and both glared at me on my approach. I held up my hands.
“I’m so fucking sorry. I was being an asshole and it was completely uncalled for. I know you didn’t do anything bad, man. I know it’s not excuse, but I was just freaking about Elise, that’s all.”
He went from looking pissed to concerned.
“Freaking out about what? She okay?”
Ryder nodded at us and headed back inside, leaving us to do the guy talk thing.
“I hadn’t heard from her all night, and she’d disappeared in the middle of the party. Then I found out there’d been a murder, and I was just… yeah… freaking. She’s my baby sister, man. I just want her safe.”
He nodded, leaning against the railing that surrounded the footpath around the car park.
“I get that, man. We all care about her, and if she was in danger, you know I’d help, right? I’d drop everything in a heartbeat. We’re family.”
How the hell had I doubted the man?
“Yeah, thanks. Look, I know you cared about Chrissy, so I’m really sorry, man. I know this is hitting you and Ry hardest, but we’ll find the fucker and end him, you know that, right?”
He folded his arms, casting his eyes around the car park, and I could almost see that scary intelligent brain of his ticking over. His jaw clenched, and I could see that same tension in every inch of his posture.
“She was just getting her life in order, man. She was so fucking excited about her future, about becoming a nurse, and helping people. Someone destroyed someone that sweet, and that kind, and I’m… I need to see them suffer .”
He still wasn’t looking at me, but I could see he meant it.
“Damn right. You and Ry can have the kill, man. We just have to find him first, and assuming it wasn’t something personal, we need to do that before he strikes again.”
Timing was a funny thing, because that was the exact moment that Ice called us inside for an urgent discussion in Reacher’s office. He’d matched three other murders to the same M.O. and that meant we weren’t looking at some guy who’d taken one sweet life. We were looking for a monster, who’d taken four. For all intents and purposes, we had a serial killer in town.
“Guys, we need to lock our women down, and keep them safe. Chrissy might be the only one connected to us, but that’s enough of a reason to protect them. Ice, Camille went home, right?”
He nodded, and checked something on his screen, zooming in on an image from the security camera.
“Elise was with her, so hopefully they’re both at her house.” Her house . It was soon going to be her former house, because she’d be living here with me.
“Right. We need a room prepped here for Elise because she can’t share with me, obviously, or any of you fuckers, of course.”
“What about Lissa?” Reacher asked Ice, and he lifted his eyes from his screen.
“I’ll tie her to the fucking bed if I have to. She’s not leaving until I know she’s safe.”
“Knew you were a kinky bastard,” Ryder muttered. For now the only ones of us involved in this were the ones in this room. Me, Reacher, Ice, Has, and Ryder. While none of us wanted to believe a member of the club could have anything to do with rape and murder, for now it made sense to keep this between us.
If nobody outside of this room, and well, our old ladies, knew we were aware of it, or monitoring anything while investigating, then nobody’s behaviour would change. We’d be keeping our eyes open around all of our brothers from now on.
“Okay, I’m going to Camille’s house to get her to pack some things and come back. Then I need to go do the same with Elise. Jesus, I’m gonna be gone a few hours.”
“I could take Elise to hers?” I narrowed my eyes at Has-Been, even though he was offering to help, after all.
“Jesus, just go with him, Stitch. Take the van, and go to Cammy’s. Then you two can return in her car, and Has can take Elise to her house in the van. The sooner we have everyone safe here, the sooner you can go back to being a dick.” We were all staring at Ice when he lifted his head again.
“What? You got a better idea? You know Has is a good guy, and you know she’ll be safe with him, unless you’re gonna start accusing him of all sorts again?” Smug fucker.
“Fine. Thank you, Has.” I turned to Reacher. “Someone’ll sort a room for her?” He nodded, and I got up straight away. “Let’s go.”
Cammy
W hen we arrived at my house, I poured us a glass of wine, because regardless of what time of day it was, we fucking needed it.
“He doesn’t mean to be an ass, babe. He just cares.”
Elise groaned. “He’s spent my entire life scaring men away, and now I’m… I think I’m in love with Has-Been, and you know he’s not going to let us be together.”
Wow, it was more serious than I thought, and that was enough to worry about without an overbearing brother sticking his oar in .
“So you guys are uh… I mean, you’ve already… uh…”
She blushed deeply. “Of course not! He keeps pushing me away, and going on about club loyalty and rubbish like that!”
Damn. I topped up her glass, which was low already.
“Girl, are you sure you want in on their life? It’s pretty uh… intense. That girl being murdered has them all kinds of tense and freaked out.”
Elise went very still, her hand trembling as it held her again almost-empty wine glass.
“What girl?”
“Chrissy. That’s why I asked you about her. She was found dead.”
She went very pale, and I was worried she was about to pass out on me.
“I had no idea. I mean… oh god, I’d heard of her, of course, but I never met her. Someone mentioned her to Has one night, and he got all cagey and shut them up.”
She had no idea he’d fucked the girl, did she? I wasn’t about to be the one to tell her.
“I think she was well liked at the club.”
“Well used, more like.”
Elise had claws, go figure. I heard a vehicle pulling up outside, and smirked.
“I think we’ve been rumbled, babe. I’m guessing one very overprotective older brother is about to walk through that door.”
No sooner were the words out of my mouth, and a fist was banging at the door. I got up and let him in, and he wasn’t alone. Has-Been was with him, and his eyes instantly sought Elise out.
“You okay? Both of you, I mean?” Stitch hadn’t even noticed Has’s slip, thank god, coming straight to me.
“Forgive me, babe. I’m a prick.” I let him kiss me, and draw me into his strong arms, because I wasn’t really mad, was I? I was pissed at the time, but I knew he never meant to hurt or upset me.
“You were, but I’ll let you make it up to me.”
He grinned, turning to look at Elise, who hadn’t moved since Has walked in.
“Sweets, I want you to go with Has. He’s gonna take you home to get some of your things, and you’re coming back to the clubhouse.”
“What? Why? ”
I had a feeling I knew why, but I let him answer her.
“Because a girl around your age was just raped and murdered and I need you safe. Can you do that for me? Just for now?”
She frowned, picking up her wine glass again and draining it.
“Do I have a choice?”
“No.” That response came from Stitch and Has-Been at the same time, and they exchanged a brief grin. Clearly they’d made things up after earlier, although I sensed there was a bigger fight coming very soon.
“Babe, you guys should get going. I’m guessing I’m doing the same?” Stitch nodded, slapping my ass to try and urge me on my way.
“Has, you guard her with your fucking life, you got that?”
Has-Been didn’t argue, just nodded, and turned to Elise.
“Shall we?” She shot him a glare and marched past him, but I caught his expression as he turned to follow her. Pride . He was proud of her, and I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t the only thing he was feeling. I had no idea how he’d managed to convince Stitch to let him ferry her around, but it couldn’t have been more perfect.
“Hurry up, babe.” Suddenly Stitch was chasing me up the stairs to my bedroom, and as we heard the door close downstairs, he nudged me onto my back on the bed, and climbed on top of me.
“Kinda feel like we should do the make-up sex thing, don’t you?”
I faked a groan and rolled my eyes.
“Ugh, if we must.”
Stitch
I couldn’t believe it, but she wasn’t mad at me. She was trying to fake it, but I knew her so intimately already that I could read her pretty well. She was still hiding something, but I’d figure it out. In the meantime, I wanted her wrapped around my cock.
I made short work of our clothes, and pressed inside her, knowing she’d be wet, because she always was.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you before. I definitely don’t believe I’m good enough for you, but I’m too selfish to let you go now.”
Camille smiled, dragging me closer for a sweet kiss.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, Stitch. I think we both have a bit of a temper, but if it leads to plenty of make-up sex, I’m cool with that. We do have to communicate though. No secrets, no hiding things, I mean, I guess that doesn’t mean club stuff, but the stuff that’s important to the two of us. We need to share.”
I watched her eyes as she spoke, and saw her point. Whatever she was hiding wasn’t about us, so surely I should let her keep that secret for now. She’d tell me when she was ready. It couldn’t break us apart, either way. I tilted her head and dipped my face to her throat, kissing and nipping at her skin, licking it, tasting it.
“You always fucking taste so good, babe. How do you do that?”
“I constantly rub things that taste good all over me.”
I started laughing, my face buried in her neck. Clearly this wasn’t going to be the serious intense sex, but the cutesy jokey kind.
“Seriously? Like what?”
She giggled breathlessly.
“You.”
God yes. “You want me to cum all over you again, and massage it into you, so you smell of me?”
She let out a soft groan, but my mind was already made up. If I did that, there’d be no mistaking that she was mine. Every fucker would be able to smell me on her, and I liked the idea of that.
I wasted no time, moving onto my knees between her legs, and pressing her thighs wider apart. From this position, I had a perfect view of every fucking inch of her. Every squirming, writhing, delicious inch.
I started fucking her slow and deep, wanting her to feel me reaching as deep inside her as possible, and then I hauled her closer, angling her up my knees, so I could fill her faster, and harder.
Every moan and whimper she made gave me the perfect soundtrack to our make-up sex, and it was only when I’d pushed her over the edge, by strumming her clit, that I pulled out, and jerked off to finish all over her. I did my best to avoid the tattoo, even as I knew next time I wanted to cover that with me too. I wasn’t sure what my problem was, or why I felt like I had to keep claiming her as mine, but I couldn’t help it.
I took Camille’s hand, smearing it over her skin, spreading my cum around, and then I leaned over and guided it to her lips, watching as she sucked them clean.
“You’re a fucking goddess, Camille. I’m definitely never letting you go. That’s the caveman thing again, right?”
She giggled breathlessly, dragging me down on top of her, sharing my fucking cum with me, damn her.
“You can be a caveman with me anytime, Stitch. But only me.” I knew she was making a point about my sister, but I chose to ignore it, nuzzling her throat and kissing her gently, before I dragged her up from the bed.
“You got me all messy, babe. Now we have to shower together. For speed, obviously.”
“Don’t like being covered in your own cum, Stitch?”
I silenced her sass with my mouth, and shoved her into the shower as soon as we reached the bathroom.