Chapter 5 Rogue
ROGUE
“He’s MIA,” Prez announces over the phone the next morning. I stop pouring the milk for Melodie’s cereal and ask for clarification. “You know who. Vance Calgary. We had tabs on him until a few hours ago.”
The name Vance tastes like copper and cold spit in my mouth. I’ve heard it whispered in the dark corners of the underground for years—a ghost story for people who deal in human lives. But he isn't a ghost. He’s a man. And men can be broken.
“What?” a small, broken voice asks. Dammit, she heard Reaper’s booming voice through the phone. "He's going to come for me," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the hum of the refrigerator. "He doesn't like losing things he's paid for."
I look down at my precious Melodie, perched on the counter next to me, looking like a porcelain doll that’s been glued back together one too many times.
Her eyes are wide, tracking my every move as I pace the kitchen.
The fear from last night is back, vibrating off her in waves, and it makes the beast in my chest howl.
I stop in front of her, stepping back into her space.
I take her face in both of my hands, forcing her to look at me.
I need her to see the truth in my eyes. "He can try to come for you. But he’ll have to walk through a goddamn graveyard of his own men to get to this house.
And he’ll have to go through me to get to you. "
I grab my leather vest from the back of the kitchen chair and slide it on. The weight of the patches, especially the Wicked Riders logo on my back, feels heavier than usual. It’s not just a club anymore. It’s a shield.
"I have to go back to the clubhouse," I say, hating the way her fingers instinctively reach out to snag the hem of my shirt. "Vance isn't just a buyer; he’s a kingpin. If he’s the one running the entire operation, then this isn't just about dismantling one auction house. It’s about burning an empire to the ground.”
"Rogue, please," she says, her voice trembling. "Just... don't go. We can leave. We can go somewhere he can't find us."
I lean down and press a hard, lingering kiss to her forehead. "There is nowhere on this earth he can't find you if he’s still breathing, Melodie. I’m going to make sure he stops. The girls will be here soon to sit with you, okay?"
I call Shadow on the way out and he answers on the second ring. "I'm sending Mika back to your house to be with Melodie,” he says before I can even speak. "Athena and Lynx are with her. Prez called church asap.”
"Thanks, brother,” I tell him. Between Prez’s woman, Lynx, and the other two friends she’s familiar with from the auction house, I’m hoping my angel won’t be too anxious.
The church room at the clubhouse is thick with smoke and the low hum of dangerous men when I walk in. I don't wait for an invite. I slam my hand down on the table, silencing the room.
"Vance is the fucking kingpin behind this entire thing,” I say forcefully. “And he’s fucking missing?”
Prez stands up, his eyes turning into flint. "Take it down a notch,” he grunts. I glare at him, knowing it’s disrespectful, but too amped up to stop. He was this crazy about his woman, Lynx, so part of me knows he understands.
"It’s hard to chill when we’ve lost contact with the evil bastard who’s been supplying the Sons of Destruction with a lot of their 'inventory.' He’s the head of the snake, Prez. If we cut him off, the whole operation collapses."
“Got him!” Shadow shouts from the back of the room.
His face is inches from his phone screen.
“He just drove up to the mansion the auction was held at. It looks like he’s throwing a garden party to distract from the mess they’re still cleaning up on the inside.
Lots of Sons of Destruction members, too, mostly on clean-up duty. ”
“The contracts,” I mutter.
“Speak up, what are you talking about?” Prez snaps at me.
“He’s going back for the contracts. Ledgers. Transactions. We have to get to him.”
"It’s a suicide mission, Rogue," Shadow says, though he’s already checking the magazine of his sidearm. "Hitting a guy like that... the fallout will be nuclear."
"Then let it be nuclear," I growl. "He tried to take what was mine. He’s the one ultimately responsible for putting Lynx, Mika, Athena, and my Melodie in danger.
We should all want him dead." I lean over the table, my voice dropping to a dangerous, vibrating register. "I’m going to rip his world apart piece by piece until there’s nothing left but him and me in a room.
And then I'm going to show him what happens when you mess with a Wicked Rider. I’m sure a few men in here would like the opportunity to face the monsters who threatened their women, too. "
Prez looks around the room, gauging the temperature of the brothers. One by one, they nod. We aren't just a motorcycle club. We’re a family. And this family has been threatened for the last time.
"Load up," Prez commands, his voice like grinding stones. "But we don't move tonight. If Vance is as connected as Melodie says, he’ll have his guard up high right now while the party is going on. No, we’ll hit him and the Sons tomorrow at dawn, when they’re tired, complacent, and thinking they got away with it.
Shadow, I want a floor plan of his estate by midnight. Rogue, you lead the vanguard."
I nod, my jaw tight. The delay chafes, every instinct screaming at me to hunt now, but Prez is right. A sloppy hit gets brothers killed. A calculated one gets the job done.
"I’m going back to her," I say, not asking for permission.
"Go," Prez says, his expression softening just a fraction. "Keep your eyes open, Rogue. If Vance knows she’s with you, he might not wait for dawn."
The ride back to the house is a blur of dark asphalt and moonlight. My heart doesn't stop thundering against my ribs until I pull into my driveway and see the lights on in the kitchen. Mika’s car is parked across the entrance like a barricade, and I see a silhouette pass by the window.
I kill the engine and stride to the porch, my boots heavy on the wood. I don't even have my key out before the door swings open. Melodie is there, wrapped in a blanket that looks twice as big as she is. Her eyes search mine, looking for blood, looking for an ending.
"You're back," she breathes, the tension leaving her shoulders in one long, shaky exhale.
"I'm back," I growl, stepping inside and pulling her into my chest before the door is even shut. I bury my face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her - soap, paper, and the faint, sweet smell that is just her. "I'm not going anywhere tonight, angel. I'm right here."
I nod my thanks to the women who stood guard at my house tonight, then scoop my Melodie up, blanket and all, and head for the bedroom. The war starts tomorrow. But tonight, there is only us.
I set Melodie down in front of my bed right as the lock for the front door clicks, indicating we’re alone again. My lips find hers, our hands grabbing and exploring each others’ bodies with a heated fervor.
“What do you need, angel?” I whisper against her neck before kissing her there. “I can hold you. Kiss you. Taste you. Or…”
“Or…?” Her voice is husky with desire as she slips her hands under my shirt and drags her nails across my abs.
“Or I can show you how much you mean to me, how much pleasure your curvy little body can handle. I can claim you, sweet girl, as much as you already claim me. Would you like that?”
“Yes,” she hisses, tugging at my clothes.
“As much as I love your enthusiasm, beautiful, I need to know you’re okay with this. With us. You’ve been through so many horrific things–”
“And now I want to experience something pure and perfect,” she says, cutting me off.
I smile against her lips and kiss her again.
Carefully, reverently, I slip the straps of her dress off her shoulders and watch the fabric pool at her feet.
I lean down and kiss her neck again while reaching for the clip in her hair.
My beautiful girl is standing before me completely naked, her red silky hair hanging over her shoulders.
“Turn around for me,” I purr. She hesitates for a second, but then slowly she spins around, showing off her breathtaking body. I don’t even think she realizes how seductive she’s being, which makes me want her all the more.
I can see her fighting off the urge to cover herself up, but I’m so damn proud that she doesn’t. She lets me see all of her. I can’t get enough of her large, perky breasts, her wide hips, the soft curve of her belly.
Her scars are visible as well, but they only add to her beauty. My Melodie endured so much pain at the hands of others, yet her soul remains pure. The marks on her skin show how hard she fought to be here in this moment with me. I’ll never take her trust for granted.
I let my fingertips wander over the soft, creamy skin of her shoulders and down the sides of her juicy, bouncy tits. Then I take one in each hand, squeezing them gently. Melodie moans softly for me and then gasps as I tease her already hard nipples.
"Fucking perfect. You were made for me, my beautiful angel," I whisper before capturing her lips in a wild kiss.
I walk her back toward the bed, kissing her the whole way.
When her calves hit the edge of the mattress, I give her a slight push, making her laugh quietly as her back hits the soft sheets.
Melodie crawls up the bed and sits up on her elbows, watching me with an excited heat in her eyes. “I wanna see you, too,” she pouts.
I growl and begin ripping at my clothes, needing her skin on my skin as quickly as possible. “Touch yourself, baby. Make that sweet pussy come.”
Her cheeks turn pink and then red, but her hand slides down between her legs. I love that she trusts me even though she’s a little nervous and out of her element. I want to push her boundaries but make sure she feels safe the whole time.