Resurrection (The Lone Riders MC Series Book 3) (15 page)

‘It gives me whatever right I want, Mia,’ he murmured, slipping a third finger inside her. ‘And right now, I want you.’

‘Because fucking me takes your mind off everything else?’

‘Do the reasons matter?’

‘Not really.’

‘Aren’t
you
just fucking
me
because you want to get back at the man who lied to you?’

The mood changed in an instant and she grabbed hold of his wrist, yanking his fingers out of her. ‘We need to get back inside, before someone sees us.’

His eyes continued to burn into her, and she watched as he raised his fingers to his mouth, sucking them, a slow smile spreading across his darkly handsome face. For an older man he sure had the ability to turn her on, and she shivered as she relived the past few minutes, her skin still carrying the goose bumps fucking this man had created. ‘You taste spectacular,’ he whispered, his mouth close to her ear and she shivered again. ‘And one day I’ll get to taste you properly – spread-eagle you on my bed, let my tongue dive in and I
will
taste you properly.’ She closed her eyes, gasping quietly as his lips brushed the side of her neck, his hand on her breast, those goose bumps multiplying by the second. ‘And you’re right.’ He pulled away suddenly, and Mia felt as though a plug had just been yanked out and the power switched off. ‘We do need to get back inside.’

But this wasn’t over. It should never have begun, but it had. And it wasn’t over...

***

Ben felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, a rage so strong filling his gut it was all he could do not to scream it out; come crashing over those barriers and kill the bastard dead, right there and then. Wouldn’t that fix everything? Wouldn’t that solve every problem there was right now?

He hadn’t been able to get into the compound through the front gates. Coby had tight security around there at the minute, for obvious reasons. And he was supposed to be keeping away. He wasn’t supposed to be coming anywhere near the Lone Riders compound. But given the events of the day, he needed to see Mia. He needed to talk to her, to try and put things right between them because without her he wasn’t sure he could carry on doing this. He wasn’t sure he could finish whatever the hell it was he’d started here.

He’d managed to find a way in by slashing a hole in the wire fence surrounding the building works going on out back. There’d been no one guarding that, no dogs, no alarms – a rather large security lapse he was surprised Coby hadn’t sorted, given the circumstances. Although Ben knew that something as simple as breaking into their compound wasn’t something the Dark Angels had planned. That was too easy, too crass. In fact, he had yet to find out what was really going on there. Sol hadn’t exactly filled him in on the details yet, but for now he was concentrating on making his own impromptu, and hopefully discreet, entrance. And he’d been just seconds away from scaling the railings that separated the building site from the rear of the compound when he’d seen them. Coby and Mia. Just talking, at first. But the talking hadn’t lasted long. And he’d watched, a red mist starting to rise as he saw Coby pull her into his arms, kiss her neck, touch her breasts and, Jesus, he was fucking her! He was fucking his girl, coming inside her, and that ripped Ben apart in a way he couldn’t begin to explain. It was like watching some sick, twisted movie that you knew you should turn away from, because it was going to damage you for life, but he couldn’t move his eyes. And he kept on watching as she turned around, and she was laughing;
fuck!
When the hell had his world started falling apart this bad? When had all this shit taken hold and ripped his life to shreds?

He could feel his hands shaking, and he looked down, finally tearing his eyes away from Coby and Mia. Mia – his beautiful, beautiful girl. The only woman he’d ever loved, he knew that now. He loved her, and he needed her, because without her he was dead. He was hopeless. And Coby Walker – the hypocrite. A man who thought that being president meant you could take advantage of vulnerability and use that to seek your own kind of warped pleasure.

Closing his eyes he breathed in long and deep, breathing out slowly, trying his hardest to bring rationality back to the forefront. He’d just watched a man he’d thought he could trust fucking the woman he loved. The woman he’d lost. But he still loved her. That’s why he needed to see her, to explain. To make her realize he really had changed, and that everything he was doing… He needed her.

He reached behind him, fingering the gun he had tucked down the back of his jeans. Now wasn’t the time. Taking immediate revenge, that wasn’t a wise thing to do. If Coby Walker wanted to play that kind of game, he was ready now. Benjamin Almeda was ready. And he was going to make sure people paid for all the shit he was going through; all the shit he’d been through in the past. And this time – this time he was going to win.

Nineteen

‘Not helping Lexi with wedding stuff today?’

Mia looked up as Kip sat down beside her outside on the grass by the office. ‘Just because I’m a woman you assume I should be all-consumed by this wedding and its arrangements?’

Kip stared out ahead of him, aware he might have touched a nerve there. Probably should have thought twice before engaging his mouth when his brain wasn’t quite up to speed yet. ‘You all right today?’ Yeah. Best to change the subject.

‘Why did you do it, Kip?’

‘Because you didn’t deserve to go through all that crap again.’

‘I could have looked after myself.’

‘You reckon?’

She looked at him, her eyes deadly serious. ‘I shot the last bastard who tried to overpower me, remember?’

‘Ben may not have been so easy.’

She looked away, drawing her knees up to her chest. ‘I could have looked after myself. I would have spotted the signs. I would have known when to run. I didn’t need you interfering.’

‘I’m your brother. That’s what I do.’

‘Maybe you should try interfering in your other sister’s life. Maybe
she
needs your help more than me, huh?’

Kip frowned. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Mia turned her head away from him. ‘Nothing.’

‘You sure?’

She faced him again, her expression carrying no emotion. ‘I’m just not in the mood for hanging around deliriously happy brides-to-be, OK? Given that the man I loved has just been outed as a pathetic, girlfriend-beating bastard.’

‘You’re better off without him, Mia.’

‘I know that.’

‘We’re all better off without him. The club doesn’t need that kind of trouble.’

‘The club doesn’t need
any
kind of trouble, Kip. But that’s what it’s got, whether it likes it or not. Just because you’ve uncovered the truth about Ben, it doesn’t change the fact the Dark Angels are still out there, about to hit us with something and we have no idea…’ She sighed, pulling herself to her feet. ‘I’m going home.’

‘Do you want some company? I’ve got to drop by the boxing club first, but I could…’

Mia shook her head. ‘No. I don’t want company, Kip. I just want to be on my own.’

‘Is that wise? I mean, Ben he – he might come looking for you.’

‘Yeah. He might. And if he does, like I told you before, I can look after myself.’

‘Mia…’

‘I’m not a child, Kip. So don’t treat me like one.’

‘I care about you, that’s all.’

‘I know you do.’ She managed a small smile, standing on tip-toe to quickly kiss his cheek. ‘I just need some time on my own.’

But time on her own was the last thing she needed. The last thing she wanted. The last thing she’d get.

***

It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and his nostrils were getting an unwelcome reminder of how vile it really was down there, but he pushed forward, hunching his shoulders as he made his way along the low tunnel that led to the main part of the bunker. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized this was where they’d be hiding him all along. This was where his father had hidden him after that night at the clubhouse, so it stood to reason that this was where they’d hide Shane.

He stood still for a second as he picked up the sound of rustling, of someone moving around and he swung his flashlight in the direction of the noise.

‘Jesus, brother, you trying to blind me or somethin’?’

Ben squinted slightly as he tried to focus. ‘Shane?’

‘Well, if it ain’t my brother Benjamin.’

Ben looked at a man he hadn’t seen in a long time. A man who certainly looked like he’d been in hiding, his once clean-shaven chin now sporting a short but straggly beard, his hair unkempt and a little longer than Ben remembered; his face hard and determined. He’d lost a little weight, too, although not enough to render him starving. They were obviously keeping him fed.

‘You brought any food?’ Shane asked.

‘I’m not here for dinner.’ Ben sat down next to him, recoiling slightly as he realized a lot of that bad smell he was experiencing was actually coming from Shane himself. But then, the bathroom facilities down here were hardly five star.

‘Then what
are
you here for? I mean, I knew you were back and all, your brother told me as much. But he didn’t tell me you were gonna be paying me a visit.’

‘He didn’t want me to know where you were. It’s a long story, but the Lone Riders – they sent me back here…’

‘To find out if the Dark Angels were hiding me… Coby Walker wants me dead, I don’t think that’s news to anyone, brother.’ Shane fixed him with a look. ‘You got scores of your own to settle, too, huh? With your daddy?’

‘What do you know about me and my father?’

‘Sol told me everything, Ben. He’s a good man, your brother. Wants the best for this club. Wants the best for you… So, Coby sent you, did he? To sniff me out, bring me to the surface… How’d you know where I was, anyway? If Sol ain’t told you?’

‘I guess Sol didn’t think everything through as thoroughly as he thought he had,’ Ben sighed, turning away from Shane for a second, gulping down as fresh a breath of air as he could, given his location. ‘This is where Hector hid me, after what happened with Marianna.’

Shane stayed silent.

Ben took another deep breath. ‘Coby and Mia – I saw them together.’

‘Together?’ Shane couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice, and when Ben turned back to face him he couldn’t stop himself from pulling back, just a touch, so hard was Ben’s expression. So cold.

‘I have a past, Shane. We all have a past. I had a girlfriend – a fiancée – and I did things to her that… that I regret. But that was my life back then; that was who I was.’

‘You hurt her? This fiancée?’

Ben nodded, his eyes focusing on his clasped hands. ‘Kip found out. He’s never made a secret of the fact he wanted me out of Mia’s life, so he dug deep, found out about Carrie… and he told her. Told Mia everything…’

‘What’s any of this got to do with Coby?’

Ben faced Shane again, that coldness back, his eyes dark. ‘I saw him. Fucking her.’

‘You saw Coby Walker fucking Mia?’ The surprised tone was back in Shane’s voice. ‘Jesus, brother, that man ain’t got no control over that wandering dick of his.’

 
‘Maybe she turned to him, after finding out…’ Ben continued, not really listening to Shane. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s how it happened, but he was fucking her, and I saw that, I saw him fucking her, and he can’t do that. He has no right…’

‘Whoa, slow down there, brother…’

‘You want him dead, right?’

‘If we’re talking about things being no secret, then I guess the answer to that one is, yeah. I want him dead. I may have realized I can’t have his woman – Lexi, she ain’t ever gonna be with me, I know that now. But I
can
bring her man to his knees. I can still take him out. I can still make him pay.’

‘You’re not gonna get the chance.’

Shane was momentarily stunned, not believing what he was hearing. ‘You wanna tell me exactly what you mean by that, brother?’

It took just a split-second for Ben to draw his weapon, firing it instantly, the bullet hitting Shane straight through the heart, a shot Ben had had no intention of missing. He’d fired it enough times, snuffed enough people out with a skill he’d quite obviously never lost. And even though Shane hadn’t really deserved this end to his fucked-up life, Ben had had no choice. He’d had to terminate him. Because the only person who was going to take Coby Walker down now was him. Not Shane Randell. Not his father. Benjamin Almeda was back. And he was ready.

Coby Walker and Hector Almeda had targets on their backs, and he wasn’t about to miss either of them.

Twenty

‘You should go.’ Mia tried to shut the door in his face but he was too quick for her, sticking his boot in the way, his arm pushing the door open wide enough for him walk straight through. ‘That’s incredibly rude, barging in like that uninvited. How do you know I haven’t got company?’

‘Have you?’

‘What?’

‘Got company?’

‘No…’

‘Then this whole conversation is just wasting time.’

‘What do you want, Coby?’

‘You.’

‘Get out.’

‘I can’t stop thinking about you, Mia.’

‘You’re getting married, for Christ’s sake. In three fucking days! To my sister!’

‘You’re suddenly worried about Lexi again? Bit late to be pulling out the conscience, sweetheart.’

‘Three days, Coby.’

‘Then I have three days to get you out of my system.’

‘I don’t believe you…’

He had her pinned back against the wall before she had a chance to walk away, his mouth so close to hers as he spoke, his breath warm against her skin. ‘You didn’t seem so keen to push me away the other night, darlin’. So, like I said, put the conscience away. We’re way past feeling guilty.’

‘I was angry. I was fucked off, and I wanted something to… It was wrong.’

‘And wrong feels so fucking good, sweetheart.’

‘Lexi’s my sister…’

‘I don’t need reminding of that, Mia. I know who Lexi is.’

‘You still gonna stand there and tell me you love her? Hmm? You’re really gonna do that?’

‘I
do
love her. And once we’re married you and me, we don’t touch each other again. OK? That sound fair?’

‘Jesus!’ She pushed him away, walking into the living room, knowing he was going to follow her. So how weak
was
she? Really?

‘Look, Mia, these are fucked-up times we’re living in. And I am on a knife-edge most days, believe me. I’m looking over my shoulder, talking to people constantly to see if there’s anything we should be picking up on but the Dark Angels, it’s like they’ve gone to ground. Like they’ve disappeared, hidden away, just waiting for the right time to take us down…’

‘So shouldn’t you be concentrating all your efforts on finding out what’s really going on there, huh? Instead of turning up here? For what? Another quick, meaningless fuck? Is that what you want? The club is in danger, Ben is Christ knows where doing Christ knows what, and you don’t even know which fucking side he’s on now, yet you’d rather be here. What does that say about you as a leader, Coby? What does that say about
you
?’

‘I care about this club, Mia.’

‘Then get over there and start fixing this shit. Find out what’s going on with Ben, take some risks, Jesus, do your fucking job!’

He grabbed her neck, pushing her back against the wall but she was ready for him, kicking out at him with one, swift movement that sent him reeling backwards.

‘Touch me like that again and I’ll fucking kill you,’ she hissed.

Their eyes locked in a hard, dark stare that signalled the beginning of a dangerous stand-off.

‘We’re over the line here, darlin’.’ Coby walked slowly back towards her, and she didn’t stop him. ‘We’re way over it.’

‘So, what? We should just keep on going? Is that what you’re saying? I should just give in to you and allow myself to be your plaything for a couple more days, until you’re done with me? If that’s what you’re looking for then there are plenty of women down at the club who would gladly open their legs for the president.’

‘I don’t
want
any other woman, Mia.’

‘No.’ She reached out to touch his face, running her fingers lightly over his rough skin. ‘You want to keep it in the family.’

Coby chuckled quietly, catching her hand in his, holding it tight, his eyes boring deep into hers. ‘Like I said, darlin’, the danger makes me hard.’ He leaned in closer, sliding a hand up under her skirt, his fingers snaking inside her panties. ‘And that anger you’re still feeling – that’s making you wet.’

She stared straight at him, saying nothing as he continued to touch her.

‘We keep it between ourselves, Mia,’ he whispered, pressing his hand a little harder against her. ‘Our secret.’

‘I hate secrets. And you should too, after everything…’

‘We’re not raking up the past here, darlin’, OK? We’re not doing that.’

‘What
are
we doing, exactly?’

‘Fucking the shit away, sweetheart.’

‘And that makes it OK, does it?’

‘Nothing about this situation is OK, Mia.’

‘Then why continue it?’

‘Take your clothes off.’

‘You didn’t answer my question.’

‘Take ‘em off, Mia.’

She pulled his hand away from her. ‘I need to pee.’

Running upstairs, she shut the bathroom door behind her, leaning back against it, closing her eyes and breathing in deep. Coby was wrong. It wasn’t anger she was feeling, it was disappointment; an overwhelming, crushing sadness that the life she’d wanted with the man she’d loved had been nothing more than a sham. A dream she couldn’t have. Didn’t she deserve it? Was that it? Maybe she really was destined to be alone, fucking whichever man came along, and as long as he didn’t physically hurt her she could live with that. If she had to. If that was all there was. If she couldn’t have Ben…

‘Mia.’

A sharp rap on the door made her jump, her eyes springing open.

‘You OK in there, sweetheart?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘Can I come in?’

‘Go home, Coby. Go to Lexi, help sort out your wedding, be a proper husband-to-be…’

She felt the handle turn and she moved away from the door, spinning around as he walked into the room. ‘Take off your clothes, Mia.’

‘You don’t get to tell me what to do. You don’t control me. We’re not at the club, this isn’t your territory. You’re in
my
home…’

‘A home the club pays for.’

‘And that makes me your slave, does it? Yours to do with as you please? You suddenly want me, so you just take me, right?’

‘Only because you want me, too.’

‘So fucking arrogant.’

‘You want me, too.’

‘Go home, Coby.’

He reached out to her, gently pushing her hair back off her shoulder, his eyes scanning her face. ‘You shouldn’t be on your own. You should be down at the clubhouse, over at Lexi’s… you shouldn’t be on your own. Not with everything that’s going on.’

‘I’m fine.’

‘That harsh exterior doesn’t always have to be there, Mia. You don’t always have to be this hard.’

‘Yeah. I do. The only person who ever made me feel like I could pull those walls down was Ben, and he doesn’t exist anymore, does he? He never did. He never really was the man I thought he was.’

Coby stepped back, digging his hands into his pockets, a heavy sigh racking his body. ‘It’s such a mess, darlin’.’

‘And this – what we’ve done – this isn’t helping.’

‘I needed a distraction.’

‘From what? Jesus, Coby, you’ve got a beautiful woman, a gorgeous baby, and all this crap with the Dark Angels, you can handle that, can’t you?’

He dropped his gaze, slowly shaking his head. ‘I don’t know, Mia. I don’t know. It’s all got out of hand, things have changed, and I don’t even know when that happened…’

She walked over to him, resting her palm against his cheek, forcing him to look at her. ‘Underneath all this shit you’re a good man, Coby. And even good men make mistakes. But mistakes
can
be rectified, remember that.’

He took her hand, smiling slightly, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. ‘I’m sorry, darlin’. I’m so sorry.’

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. ‘You’ll make it OK. Because you’re doing it for Lexi, for Ozzie. For the club.’

He smiled again, squeezing her hand. ‘You deserve to be happy, Mia.’

She closed her eyes, a wave of sadness and anger washing over her. ‘I guess I’ll just have to look that little bit harder before I find my hero on a Harley, huh?’

‘Aye, darlin’.’ Coby’s sigh was heavy. ‘I guess you will.’

She felt her stomach dip as he kissed her slowly, his arms wrapping around her and she’d never felt so safe, so secure as she did at that very second. The feel of his tall, strong body against hers, his kiss sending a beautiful, dangerous warmth flooding through her at a speed that was breathtaking; she felt safe.

‘There’s a part of me that wants to make love to you so bad, Mia. But I’m not gonna do that. Not now.’

Yet, despite herself, there was a part of her that
needed
him to touch her, now. Because she liked that feeling of safety he exuded. But it was the right thing to do – to walk away from this, before it became something it shouldn’t. He was confused and frustrated by a situation he’d momentarily lost control of, and she was grieving for a man she’d thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with. Two people who’d been pushed together through circumstances. Two people who, maybe a little too late, knew when to step back.

‘Go home,’ she whispered, pulling away from him. ‘Go back to the compound, go anywhere. Just get out of here.’

He let go of her, a slight smile still fixed on his face. ‘I guess I’ve got some work to do, huh?’

‘Yeah. I think you have.’

He turned to leave, but then swung back around, his expression more serious this time. ‘We can’t ever let anyone know, Mia. About this. About what we did. You understand that, don’t you?’

‘I grew up knowing the rules, Coby.’

He walked back over to her, cupping her cheek, and she resisted the urge to lean in and kiss him. Even though she wanted to; she needed to feel safe again. ‘You felt so fucking good, darlin’. Ben’s an unlucky man, to lose you. But you deserve so much better.’

She smiled, taking his hand and pulling it away from her face. ‘Go, Coby. Before we both do something else we’ll regret.’

He backed off, his stare still intense, and Mia folded her arms against herself, putting a barrier between them. A barrier she needed. ‘Lexi wants you as her bridesmaid, Mia. Don’t disappoint her, y’hear?’

She smiled again, watching as he disappeared out of the room. And it was only when she heard the front door close and the roar of his bike start up that she sank to the floor and cried.