Tease: Mojave Boys MC (12 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Maya hadn’t counted on having such little contact with the rest of the motorcycle club, but it was truly limited. She took Vance back to the bedroom after they’d discussed the situation and made love to him with vast enthusiasm, and he’d relaxed. They spent the rest of the day lounging on the couch, watching movie after movie. It turned out that Vance had an extensive digital video collection of his own, plus access to thousands of movies they could stream.

The options were limitless, and for three days, every waking moment was dedicated to eating, swimming, making love, and exploring their mutual taste in movies. It was a great, lazy vacation, but Maya didn’t like just sitting around all the time, and she grew restless quickly. Even having a pool she could access at her whim, day or night, didn’t help. She had perfected her tan, and it took little more than ten minutes a day in the sun to maintain it. And she could only swim so many laps every day.

And it wasn’t that they ran out of movies they both wanted to watch. In her usual methodical way, she’d started making a list as she came across things they wanted to see together, and they’d barely made a dent in it. But the only way she could force herself to sit in front of the television on the fourth day was to marathon television shows and eat junk food that was going to go right to her hips. She was starting to feel like a slob, and her body felt heavy. She grew lethargic, and that turned into an inability to remain still.

Vance seemed to be having the same problem, and she eventually tossed the remote on the coffee table in disgust and sat up to scowl at him. “I don’t know about you, but I think my ass is about to sprout roots in this couch.”

He smiled lazily, tapping his foot impatiently. It was a sure sign he wanted to get up and move around, do anything but sit here. “We haven’t played around in the shower yet,” he said, waggling his eyebrows. But even sex didn’t sound as appetizing as it had the past few days, and Maya could see he wasn’t all that interested, either.

Maya groaned. “Honey, you are amazing in bed, and I enjoy every new sexual experience with you, but I was sort of thinking we could do something else today. There has to be something we can do outside this house, Vance, something that doesn’t call attention to us or involve worrying that a bunch of hoodlums are going to launch an attack on us.”

He sighed. “I’d like to think so. I miss my bike. I don’t think I’ve gone this long without riding since I came to the club, and it’s killing me.” He sat forward and grunted. ”You’re right. We could use some scenery outside these four walls.” He pushed to his feet and stretched. “Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever been this stiff, either.”

Maya snorted. “That depends on what part you’re referencing.” She shook her head. “We’re young, Vance, too young to be sitting around like this. And we’re both active people who don’t stay in one place for long. This is the worst kind of torture we could face.”

He nodded toward the bedroom. “Let’s get dressed. But today, we’re not Vance and Maya. Today, we need to look like John and Mary or some other generic couple.”

“You want me to wear a costume?” she asked, amused.

“Not exactly,” he said. “But something different enough from our normal styles that we won’t get recognized. And simple enough that we blend in.”

Maya liked that idea. For the first time in days, she felt a spurt of energy that had nothing to do with arousal, and she shot toward the bedroom, anxious to be on her way out of this place. Anywhere would be preferable, just for a few hours. Then, she could handle another couple of days here without contacting the outside world.

She decided to go with ‘desert tourist’, donning a ball cap over her hair with large sunglasses and pairing a sand-colored tank top with khaki shorts and a pair of low profile sneakers. She checked her reflection in the mirror and felt confident she looked different enough—and as generic as possible—to be ignored.

And when Vance joined her, she started laughing. He looked so strange in a pair of denim shorts with an Arizona Cardinals jersey that she barely recognized him, and that was before he took the bandana off his head and wore his short cropped hair spiked. “Damn, you clean up nice,” she told him in the midst of giggle fits.

With a chagrined expression, he told her, “Shut up. At least I’m not Sandra Dee.”

Maya didn’t care. She was too giddy about getting out of the house to be insulted by much of anything. “So, how are we getting out of here?”

“I have an SUV in the garage that’s registered to Linda Cartwright. That’s my mother’s maiden name. I bought it for her before she died, and I never switched the title because no one can trace me to that name.” He answered in such an offhand manner it was like everyone had a secret car hidden in their possession. “We’ll take the scenic route to Wheelie. Once we’re in town, no one will get through our border patrol to look for us. We’ll stay for a day or two and then sneak back out.”

At least in Wheelie, there were other people, multiple buildings with different views. Maya was a bit wary of being so exposed, but if Vance could promise her none of the Scorpions would be able to get inside the settlement, she would trust him. “Should I pack an overnight bag?”

“That’s probably a good idea. I don’t mind you running around naked with me, but I don’t really want the rest of town sharing the view.” He pushed a duffel bag at her, and she complied. It was almost big enough to fit everything she’d brought with her, and she was proud of herself for packing so light throughout this entire adventure. She nearly laughed out loud, thinking she typically found four or five times this many clothes in a dressing room for a one-day shoot, and she thought about how difficult it was sometimes for her to choose something to wear from the selection in her own wardrobe.

If she ever got back home, she was going to minimize, get rid of a lot of the things she never wore, and be more efficient in her fashion decisions. It felt good, even though Maya knew any other model would think she was crazy. When she was done, she found Vance leaning in the doorframe with his own bag slung over his shoulder, waiting for her.

She followed him out to the garage and climbed in the Lincoln SUV, noting the luxury amenities inside. She wouldn’t have minded having a ride like this herself. She’d been in her Audi for a long time now and was ready for a change.

As they pulled out of the garage and started down the road—Maya noted in the opposite direction of town—the vehicle was especially smooth on the desert roads, and she felt a little hypnotized by the vast view of nothing and the lull of the road. She rolled down the window, and though it was warm, the fresh air felt wonderful on her face and through her hair. She didn’t even care if sand and dirt blew in her mouth and nose. She could wash it out later.

She glanced at the clock every once in a while, but she didn’t care about the passing of time. She was comfortable and content. By the time they reached Wheelie, pulling in from a different direction than Maya had been before, Vance had been cruising around the desert for over an hour, and she hadn’t seen a single sign of anyone watching them or following them. That probably didn’t mean anything, since she wasn’t sure what to look for, but Vance seemed relaxed enough.

She hadn’t been anxious to get anywhere, but she was relieved now, feeling parched and needing something cool and thirst-quenching to drink. She wasn’t the least bit hungry, so the café didn’t sound like a plan. Instead, she asked Vance if they could stop at the gas station, and she ran in to grab some sparkling water.

Vance grabbed a pop, and they sat in the car for a minute, just wetting their lips and putting out the flames in their throats. “Where to?” Maya asked, a little out of breath from guzzling her drink so fast.

He pointed to the Wheelie Bar. “We’ll park in the back, say hi to the boys in the shop, and maybe go inside. We can drink or not. I don’t really care either way, but I’m up for a game of pool, if you’re interested.”

Maya had played a lot of pool during high school and college, but she hadn’t played in a long time, and it sparked her interest instantly. “I used to be pretty good. I might be a little rusty, but we’ll see if I can hold my own.”

Vance quirked a brow at her. “That sounds like a challenge. Do you want to place a bet on it?”

It would be fun; Maya could be extremely competitive when she wanted to be. But money didn’t matter because they both had plenty of it, and she didn’t know what else to wager. Frowning, she asked, “What are the stakes?”

He thought about it for a moment. “If you win, you get to pick a vacation getaway for us, as soon as all this bullshit blows over.”

She liked the sound of that. “I can get on board. And if you win, you get to pick?”

He shook his head, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he was thinking behind those teasing dark eyes. “If I win, I get a new motorcycle, and you get one to match. You learn to ride so we can take road trips to the places of your choice.”

Maya threw back her head and laughed. “You want me to become a biker chick?” It didn’t sound unappealing; she just wasn’t sure she could pull it off.

“I think you’d look especially hot in a pair of tight leather pants and a leather halter with lots of silver buckles. And I know just the pair of boots for you. I think we’d have to get your eyebrow pierced, too. It would add just the right amount of ‘screw you’ to the whole thing.” He was dead serious, and Maya loved it. She imagined herself at a photo shoot on a Chopper, dressed as Vance described, and a shudder of pleasure shot through her. She still couldn’t fathom the lifestyle, but it sure was a pretty picture on the surface, full of adventure.

Shaking her head and returning to the present and the bet, Maya nodded and held out her hand to shake on it. “You’re on.”

With a chuckle, Vance told her, “I see a light in your eyes that says you’re dreaming again. Don’t you dare let me win, just so I’ll buy you a motorcycle and some leather duds.”

She blinked innocently. “Don’t say such things! What makes you think I would do that?” But honestly, no matter how good the scenario sounded, she was too competitive to let him win. Besides, she could buy her own damn bike and pay for his matching one, too. There was no need to lose.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“What the hell are you doing here?” Dusty hissed at Vance, as he escorted her toward the shop. It wasn’t exactly the warm welcome he’d wanted, but it was definitely the greeting he’d expected. He hadn’t called ahead to warn anyone he was coming; he hadn’t wanted anyone to try to talk him out of it.

The truth was, over the last few days, he’d grown attached to Maya but come to hate his house. Too much of a good thing and all that jazz, he’d decided, and when Maya had expressed her discontent, Vance had been ready to take flight. Besides, he didn’t want her unhappy; he was hopeful she’d make her stay permanent if he could keep her entertained. But boredom wouldn’t cut it.

Vance gave him a warning glare not to say anymore in front of Maya and replied with a question. “Have you ever been in your own home without leaving for four days, Dusty? It’s almost as bad as a jail cell. Even watching television starts to feel like torture.”

Dusty held up his hands in surrender. “I get it, but Bert’s not going to like it. You know that.”

Vance shrugged. Right now, he didn’t care what the pseudo-president thought. “Look, we were careful, and I brought the Lincoln.” Knowing he was going to have to talk to his brother in private, he sighed and turned to Maya. “I need a minute, if that’s okay.” She nodded. “I promise it won’t take long. Why don’t you go in and see if you can grab us a pool table? Even if you have to kick some of the boys off, just tell them to get out. And let Joe know you’re here. I don’t want you out of my sight unless I know someone else is watching you like a hawk, just in case.”

She made a face. “I’m not a child, Vance.”

“I know you aren’t. But the guys who want to hurt us aren’t exactly human, either. They’re like animals, and you’re just prey in the woods. We can do everything in the world to make sure they don’t get in town, but there are never any guarantees.” He hated having to express that doubt, especially since it was an insult to his club, but it was true. The rogue Scorpions were more like rabid dogs than the Scorpions they had identified with before. They would eventually sniff out a way to get in, and if they happened to find that path while he and Maya were here, he had to make sure there were people helping him look out for Maya.

She nodded reluctantly. “I get it. I’ll say hello to Joe first, and then I’ll see about a table.” She kissed his cheek and strode confidently toward the rear entrance, smiling at Cougar, who held it open for her.

After she disappeared, Cougar met Vance’s eyes and gave him a nod that meant he was watching over Maya. Vance nodded back and turned a grave expression on Dusty. “Why is it such a big deal? I thought we were secure here, and I know for a fact no one tailed us.”

Dusty rubbed his nose and wouldn’t meet Vance’s eyes. “Triple Threat is in here almost every day, Ice. You know, we can talk negotiations and truces all day long, but I don’t trust him, not any more than I trust Antonio. I keep telling Bert that it’s all a big game, a trap, and that Triple Threat will go right back to Antonio to plan their attack together.”

Vance clenched his jaw. He should have thought of that. The Scorpion president wasn’t stupid, even if Antonio truly was crazy. They could have engineered this whole situation, and Vance had just played right into their hands. He wanted to put his fist through a wall for his own stupidity, but it was too late now, and he had to deal with the circumstances as they were.

“When was the last time he was here?” he asked Dusty.

“I wasn’t here, but Buddha says he came by this morning, had a beer while he chatted with Bert, and left. He had three men with him, and Joe said they were wandering around the bar,
like they were searching for something. Or casing the joint.” Dusty’s expression was grim. “I know it sounded like things were looking up, but shit has started going south since we talked. Or really, I guess we’ve just finally realized things weren’t as good as they seemed on the surface.”

Vance shrugged. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Hell, he should have been the first one to question the arrangement. “Then Bert’s come around to your worries and way of thinking?”

Dusty made a face and gave a wordless response of uncertainty before replying, “He’s more cautious now. He’s not just chatting it up every time the guy wanders into the bar. But I think he’s too trusting and ready to believe whatever makes things easy for him without any thought to what’s best for the club. Instead, he’s going to end up getting us all killed.”

Vance knew Dusty was right. They’d all gotten used to following Bert blindly, without asking questions or considering that he could be choosing poorly. They’d gotten lazy, and Vance was just as much to blame as anyone else. “We need to call a meeting, first thing in the morning, and we’ve got to make some changes. In the meantime, I’m here, and so is Maya, and I think it would be even dumber to head back out. That’s exactly what Triple Threat would expect. We’re going to stay, and if for some reason they show back up today, you all have to act like I just got here and forced you to let me stay.”

“This is a bad idea,” Dusty groaned, and he was right. But there was no other choice at this point in time. “Alright, I’m spreading the word and calling in an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning at ten. And I’m saying it’s you bringing us in. I’m not taking the heat for this.”

“Whatever.” Vance didn’t care. Any of the boys who were angry about the early hour could kiss his ass. He was in line to take the head of the table, with just as much clout as Bert, and when one guy started making foolish decisions, it was time for the other to step up. If his brothers couldn’t offer respect, he’d demand it when they came to the meeting. “I’m not armed. I need a couple of pistols to carry.”

Dusty nodded, walking with him to the huge gun safe in the storage room of the shop. Vance took out a Ruger, a Beretta, and a compact Glock, all 9mm. He walked to the SUV, Dusty following him, and pulled out his usual jeans, t-shirt, vest, and boots. He changed quickly, tucked the Glock into his boot, and placed both the Ruger and the Beretta in the waistband of the back of his jeans, just under his vest for easy access. Now, he felt prepared, and he gave Dusty a nod of thanks, for having his back and giving him the head’s up.

He entered the bar, searching for Maya in the midst of a fairly large crowd for this time of day. What day was it anyway? He’d lost track, holed up in that godforsaken house. Thursday? No, it was Friday. That made more sense; several of the boys who lived out of town were already getting in for the weekend.

Vance spotted her by following Joe’s line of sight, laughing it up with four of his brothers she’d obviously convinced to give up their pool table. He moved closer and heard Donnie’s distinctive voice shouting over the din. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who could hold her own in an arm wrestling match against me!”

“What are you doing to my woman?” Vance demanded as he approached, making sure he sounded gruff and irritated.

“More like what’s your woman doing to us?” Jagger laughed from across the table. One of the youngest patched members, he was a loudmouth, but he was reliable and had a good sense of humor. “Do you know how strong she is, Ice?”

He narrowed his eyes at a very pleased looking Maya. “I have an idea. Are you beating up on my men, sweetheart?” he asked, drawing her into his arms.

“Not really,” she said, a broad grin on her face. “I made a deal with these guys that if I could beat one of them in an arm wrestling match, the table was mine. I managed to hold my own with Donnie for almost a full minute before he beat me, so they gave me a second chance, and I nailed Hawk to the wall.”

That was impressive, and Vance was proud of Maya, proud to be with her. She was so atypical, so original, and so perfect in every way. “And here I thought our guys were strong. Get out of here, you weak sons of bitches. My girl’s strong, but that doesn’t mean each and every one of you shouldn’t be stronger. Go work out or something.”

He kissed Maya soundly and chuckled. “That’s my girl. Now, show me what you’ve got at this primitive test of masculine pride.” He motioned to the table, and Maya giggled. It was good to see her chipper again. She’d been that way when he’d met her, and slowly, throughout their ordeal, he’d watched her energy drain, her happiness suffer. Now, though, she had returned to herself, and he knew it would be a good afternoon, regardless of his concerns.

He was prepared to play best of three at Eight Ball, but Maya was apparently an expert and insisted they play Straight Pool to a hundred points. He had a feeling she’d been hustling him the whole time and was going to make him look like a complete fool in front of his gang.

And she nearly did. She had him by nearly twenty points almost from the start, and he was starting to get grumpy when he hit a good run and caught up quite a bit. Still, at the end, she had him a hundred to ninety-four, and he had to swallow his pride. It had been so much fun, though, that he didn’t care as much as he probably should have that he’d lost, and he managed a reluctant smile. “I guess that means you’re about to tell me where we’re going to take our first vacation, sweetheart.”

She winked at him. “I’m thinking Tuscany, but only after we order our custom bikes. I’ll pay for my own, since you are such a gracious loser.”

Vance grunted as she rubbed in his loss, but he lit up at her insistence on getting a motorcycle anyway. She did have long term intentions, then. His heart swelled, and he pulled her into his arms for an almost brutal kiss. She deepened it, and he felt the first sparks of arousal as his groin tightened. But he didn’t want to give into physical desire right now. They’d been enjoying themselves far too much partaking of a more social activity, something they hadn’t been able to do since their return from L.A. He was going to make the most of it before they hid out for the night.

“Are you any good at darts?” Dusty asked, sidling up beside them and addressing Maya.

She wrinkled her nose. “No, I’m pretty bad at that. The last time I played, I was so far off I caught a guy in the shoulder.”

Dusty blanched. “Remind me not to give you a loaded weapon!” They laughed, and Vance ushered Maya to the bar, ordering them each a whiskey sour. He figured they could both use it to ease the tension. They’d managed to ignore it during the game, but now, it was hard to set aside. Maya knew something was wrong, and though she said nothing, Vance knew she was itching to ask what the hell was going on.

He was trying to think of the best way to explain what Dusty had told him without freaking her out too much. He kept thinking it would eventually be too much for Maya to handle, all the danger and violence on the horizon, and she continued to prove him wrong, showing strength beyond what he gave her credit for. Still, this was the biggest concern he’d had yet because none of them were certain what to expect.

“Are we staying here tonight, in the office, or are we getting a motel room?” she asked when the silence carried on for too long.

“I’m not sure yet,” he replied. They’d be more comfortable in a motel room, alone and with a larger bed, but they would be safer here, where there were always a few Mojave Boys bunkering down and watching the place overnight. It also made more sense to be here when the others filed in for the meeting in the morning. He could crawl out of bed late and shower here, then walk straight into the bar and start the meeting. And the less they were out and about, whether driving or walking, the less of a target they wore on their backs.

The more he thought about it the more he knew they needed to stay here, despite the temptation to do otherwise. He opened his mouth to tell her, but a loud bang sounded out back, and there was no mistaking the noise for what it was.

A gunshot.

Several more broke out, and Vance was on the move. He shoved Maya, who was on her feet, toward the back of the bar and right into Joe’s hands. “Get her to the office, now!” he shouted. He yanked the two guns from behind his back and cocked them, ready to shoot at any moment. He rushed to the back door, where everyone else inside was flocking with guns drawn, as all hell broke loose outside.

But he didn’t make it through the door. It flew open, two of his boys backing in, one still shooting ahead of him with one hand as he half drug the other inside. Vance cursed violently when he saw it was Cougar who’d been hit in the shoulder. Blood was spurting out; the bullet had at least nicked an artery, and two other boys fell on him, trying to staunch the flow of blood as Cougar’s head lolled. He was trying to maintain consciousness, but it didn’t look good.