One That Got Away Read online

  Saks moved quickly and grabbed it up. “Anything else you need?”

  “No. Yes.” Emily grabbed up her purse and her phone.

  “Got the charger for that thing?” asked Saks.

  “Oh, shoot.” Emily grabbed that from a drawer in one of the end tables.

  “Let’s go before the idiot decides to return.”

  “I called the police.”

  “Well, let’s get going before they show up. They’ll keep us here with stupid questions and Luke wants us to make tracks.”

  They hardly made it out of the front door when Evan appeared from the side of the house and stood in the walkway that led to the house.

  “Emily!”

  “Go away, Evan. I have a protective order and the police are on the way.”

  “Drop this bullshit, Emily. This protective order’s stupid. We can work things out. I can forgive all your stupidity.”

  Saks gave Evan a stare that said ‘drop dead’.

  “Not after the crap you pulled, Evan.” She was about to push past him when she stopped. “What the hell was your idea of coming into my apartment and spray painting bitch on my door? Was that supposed to endear me to you? How’d you get into my apartment in the first place?”

  Evan sneered. “You can’t prove anything.”

  “Do I need to? You’ve showed me your true colors already. I don’t need proof to know what kind of man you are.”

  “You are a bitch. A stupid little bitch with the hots for jerks like that.” He nodded towards Saks.

  Saks crossed his arms over his chest and stared down his nose at Evan.

  Emily didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Who I like is none of your business. Not anymore. Get out of my way.”

  “Slut,” snapped Evan.

  “Move your ass,” said Saks warningly.

  “Who’s this, Emily? Someone else you’re fucking?”

  “Get out of the way, Evan,” she warned. “We’re through. You’re just making things worse for yourself. It’s over.” Emily stepped forward and Evan grabbed her arm.

  “I said I needed to talk to you. I might drop the charges—”

  Saks stepped between them. “Get your hand off her, asshole. She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “The man who’ll take your hands off of her if you don’t do it.”

  “Damn, Emily. You sure can pick them.” Evan glared at Saks and tightened his hold on Emily’s arm.

  “I won’t tell you again.” Saks’ voice was low, full of warning.

  “Go ahead, tough guy.”

  Everything suddenly happened in a blur. Saks stepped in quickly and shoved the heel of his hand into Evan’s jaw. Evan staggered back, breaking his hold on Emily. She jumped away with a shriek as Saks advanced on Evan again. Evan swung wildly and Saks grabbed Evan’s arm with his right hand, threw his left elbow into Evan’s chin. He spun Evan around by pulling hard on Evan’s outstretched hand. Saks threw his left arm around Evan’s neck and jerked hard, pinning Evan in place against Saks’ body.

  “Okay, asshole. I’m giving you one last chance to walk away. You don’t do it, I’ll pound you in the ground. I haven’t had my pounding today and that makes me plenty cranky. Are you going to walk away?”

  “Yeah, sure,” Evan gasped.

  “What was that?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Saks pushed Evan away, but Evan turned and launched himself back toward Saks.

  “Saks!” screeched Emily as her ex landed a punch in Saks’ gut. He grunted, but pulled Evan’s head up by his hair and returned the gut punch. Evan fell on Saks and they both tumbled to the grass, wrestling on the ground.

  “Stop! Stop!” Emily yelled, but both men didn’t listen.

  Police sirens pierced the air and grew louder.

  “Saks! Let’s go!”

  Her erstwhile rescuer scrambled to his feet and Evan grabbed at his ankles. Saks did a half hop out of Evan’s hands, turned, and kicked Evan in the gut.

  Evan groaned and Saks grabbed Emily’s bag.

  “Come on, girl,” he said. He ran towards his bike parked in the street as Evan cursed at them. Saks climbed on the bike and fired it up. He handed the bag to Emily and she stuffed her phone and purse in it and slung it on her back, then settled in the bitch seat behind Saks and threw her arms around his waist.

  Evan was on his feet now as the police sirens moved achingly close.

  “Go ahead. Run away you coward. You’ll be fucking sorry!” screamed Evan as Saks and Emily pulled away on the road.

  Saks took it nice and easy on the street as the police cruisers streaked by them and pulled up at Emily’s apartment house.

  Emily looked back to see Evan talking to the police officers animatedly, pointing his hands in her direction. For once, the slowness of the local police worked in Emily’s favor as Saks moved out of her neighborhood and onto the main road taking her away from the mess that was Evan Waters.

  Saks brought Emily to a small, neatly kept suburban Westfield house. A white picket fence surrounded a cottage-sized house painted gray with white trim. Black shutters graced either side of the windows and the door was a burgundy red.

  They rumbled into the driveway to a graceful stop. Emily sat back and took in her surroundings. “Is this your house?”

  “No. It’s Gibs’. I figured it would be better to come here in case that asshole took down my bike’s plate. Come on.”

  Emily followed Saks to a side door and he knocked. A woman Emily recognized from Luke’s apartment bobbed her head in the window and opened the door.”

  “Tony? What’s going on? What happened to you? Is that blood on your forehead?”

  “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. This is Luke’s girl, Emily. She needs a place to stay until Luke can pick her up.”

  “Hello, Helen.”

  “Emily! It’s nice to see you again. Come on in. Would you like some ice tea?”

  “I’ve got to go and take care of some business at the shop.” Saks looked eager to disappear now.

  “Nonsense. You come in this house right now Anthony Parks, and let me look at that forehead.”

  Saks sighed and entered the house behind Emily. Helen pointed to the kitchen table and they sat. Emily could see darkened places on Saks’ face, and blood dripping from a cut on his head.

  “It’s nothing,” he protested as Helen pressed a wet washcloth against the cut.

  “Shush,” said Helen. “What did you get into?”

  “Saks was defending me against my ex-boyfriend,” said Emily. “I’ve a protective order but the jerk won’t leave me alone.”

  “Humph,” said Helen as she applied a steri-strip to Saks’ forehead. “You’ll live, of course, you hard-headed fool. That’s swelling nicely. Here is some ice to hold against it. Go lay down on the couch while I talk with Emily.”

  Saks glanced at the door. “But—”

  “You know better than to argue with me. Go!”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The Plan

  “You sure laid it on thick,” said Gibs after Aces left.

  The club president had left swearing and spitting warnings about drumming Luke and Gibs out of Hades’ Spawn.

  “Who said I was laying it on thick, Gibs?” Luke spoke these words, his jaw set as if he was preparing for battle. “Every word I said was true. The Rojos won’t stand for someone cutting in on their territory. They’re armed for violence and have no problem using it. In fact, they take pleasure in other people’s pain.” Luke took the last sip of his coffee, then stared at Gibs. “Is there someplace Helen can go for a while?”

  Gibs’ face lost some of its color. “Sh-She has her job, she needs…”

  “To get somewhere safe,” finished Luke.

  “Oh fuck,” muttered Gibs.

  “In fact, if we were smart, we’d get out of Connecticut, but that would only get us so far. The Rojos have long memories. Besides which, I have to get you to you
r court date.” Luke settled his coffee cup back in its saucer, a thoughtful expression on his face.

  “What if we go to the police?” said Gibs. “Get some sort of protection deal.”

  “I’m not going back under witness protection,” said Luke grimly.

  “Back?” said Gibs.

  “Why do you think you never heard about my parents, Gibs, eh? They’re both dead. The program couldn’t protect them. In the end, they shipped me across the country, stuck me in foster care, and told me adios.” He stared at Gibs. “No one knows my real name. And no one is going to. Hell, not even my birthday is my real birthday, the shit was that deep.”

  “Holy mother.” Gibs stared at him wide eyed. “How long has this been going on? You know shit, don’t you? Stuff from before?” He held his hand up. “Don’t tell me. I don’t even want to know.”

  “All I’ve ever done is run. I’m so fucking tired of running.” Luke sighed, long and hard. “So, we are going to get this shit cleared up with the Rojos, even if that means I have to feed Aces to them on a goddamn platter. In the meantime, we’ve got to get Helen out of the line of fire. But where can she go?”

  “The only place Helen ever would go is on a cruise.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, one of those Caribbean cruises.”

  “That’s not a half bad idea.”

  “I can’t afford something like that.”

  “Well, that’s what credit cards are for. I guess that’s something else you’ll have to pay back to me.”

  “Luke,” said Gibs. “I haven’t told Helen what’s going on. She’s not going to understand me sending her on a cruise without me going.”

  A chirping noise erupted from Luke’s pocket. He pulled out his phone and stared at it, then he shook his head. “She’s a saint, you know? I’d have kicked your ass from here to Hartford by now. It’s about fucking time you start telling her the truth, Gibs.”

  “Yeah,” Gibs muttered.

  “Saks just texted me. He took Emily to your house. More bullshit with her ex.” Luke stood and put his hand on Gibs’ shoulder. “Let’s go, Lucy. You’ve got some ‘splaining’ to do.”

  They traveled to Gibs’ house side by side on their bikes. Gibs looked grim and Luke didn’t blame him. Explaining to your wife that you were arrested with narcotics possession with intent to sell was a conversation Luke never wanted to have. And then trying to hide it? He was just glad he wasn’t Gibs today.

  The ride gave Luke a chance to think. He’d be surprised if Aces gave up his contact in the Hombres and wouldn’t be surprised if the club president was already packing for a trip back to Tucson. That wouldn’t get him out of trouble, just delay the inevitable. Still, people did stupid things all the time. Luke vowed not to be one of those people.

  He thought of Emily and his heart sank. There was no way he could drag her through this with him. He loved her more than any other woman in his life, except for his mother. Shit was getting deep and Luke had no idea if he was going to make it out of this alive.

  Many times during his life he faced the possibility of dying. When his parents were murdered, he was at school. A Witsec agent dragged him out of the classroom, loaded him into the back of an SUV and drove him to the airport. Luke, being eight, threw a fit. The bastard pulled the vehicle over onto the side of the road, leaned over his seat and proceeded to read Luke the riot act. More like yell.

  “Listen, kid. I ain’t playing. Shut your mouth. You can’t go home because there’s no home to go to. Your parents are dead, both of them. Your old man just couldn’t play by the rules and was in shit so deep they’ll be looking for you next. So be quiet and let me get you out of here so you don’t end up like them.”

  That was Luke’s first brush with death. The news his parents were dead and what the man said terrified his eight-year-old self. In a sense, Luke died on that day.

  Then landing in the foster home was a different kind a death, a place where people called him by a name he didn’t recognize, speaking a language he barely knew. The next was the motorcycle accident he had with Emily. Luke didn’t tell Emily the true extent of his injuries, but they had to remove his spleen to keep him from bleeding out internally. The last time was when he woke up in the Rojos’ clubhouse with the dead club member next to him. Maybe it took him a while to get the message, but he finally got it that day.

  The Navy provided a kind of a home, but he still felt disconnected from his fellow sailors. The officers seemed to have it out for Luke and he didn’t like kissing their asses. Witsec, not paying attention to him for about a decade, lost track of him when he joined the Navy. Or maybe they thought that being in the Navy was a way for them not to have to pay attention to him. When Luke got out he started his relatively quiet life and no one bothered him except the occasional Rojos looking to make points, and that wasn’t till after he met Okie. Meeting Okie and joining the Spawn was a turning point in his life. He felt for the second time in his life he found a home. The first time was when he fell in love with Emily. Now his club and the love of his life were in jeopardy, and it was hard to see if things were going to work out so he could have both the club and her. Or either of them.

  Keeping Emily in his life after all this would be plain selfish, not to mention dangerous for her. He had to face it. To keep her safe he’d have to do the one thing he didn’t ever want to do.

  They pulled into Gibs’ driveway and parked the bikes. Both lost in thoughts of their own, they slowly walked into Gibs’ house.

  Helen sat at the kitchen table with Emily smiling and joking with her and Saks. When the two men entered through the side door, however, the atmosphere turned somber when the three at the table saw the look on Luke and Gibs’ faces.

  “Make it fast, Gibs.” Luke pushed his friend gently forward.

  “Right. Helen, I’ve got to talk to you.” Gibs began cracking his knuckles.

  “What’s going on, Frank?”

  Luke looked at Saks and nodded his head towards the living room. “Keep an eye out that window while I talk with Emily?”

  Saks didn’t say a word, just got up and moved to the living room.

  “It’s that bad?” Emily looked exhausted but still beautiful.

  He’d never get tired of looking at her. He tried to burn her image into his head, hoping the picture would never fade. He held his hand out to her. She took it and followed him into a small bedroom that didn’t look regularly used. Luke closed the door.

  “What’s going on, Luke?”

  “I can’t tell you all of it without making you an accessory, so I won’t. You’ve got enough trouble on your hands, and I won’t make it worse for you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything that is going down, and sorry for the problems you’re having, and just plain sorry that this isn’t working out.”

  “Wait… what?!” She took a step closer to him. “You said… you said we could work this out together.”

  Luke shook his head. “There are things you just don’t know about me, Em, and as much as I hate to say it, those things make it impossible for us to be together.”

  “Then don’t say it. Don’t say it, Luke! I’m sorry. I’m sorry I listened to my parents and let them drive me away from you. I can’t lose you twice.”

  He hated breaking her heart. But broken was still beating. Any other choice he had would get her killed. “It’s not about that, Em. It’s never about that. I love you. I’ve always loved you and I always will. But I can’t let you suffer by being with me.”

  “I don’t!”

  “You will.”

  Emily launched herself at Luke, crushing her lips against his. It was as if she thought that if she reminded him so painfully about what he wanted, that he’d change his mind.

  Luke wrapped his arms around her as her sweet scent filled his nostrils. She didn’t need perfume to smell sexy to him. Just the press of her body against him made him hard and he wanted nothing more than to be buried deep inside her. Her breathing hitched a
s she sought his tongue with hers and pressed her hips against his. Good heavens, feeling her lean into his cock drove him crazy.

  “I want you,” she whispered in his ear. “I need you.”

  And he needed her. Just the thought that he’d never get to do this again drove him beyond reason. When her hands undid his belt, he didn’t stop her. As she pushed down his jeans, he quickly pushed down his boxers, setting his cock free. He leaned into her again, pushing her against the closed door. She didn’t even wait for him to do it. Emily pushed down her little lacy panties, letting them fall to the floor. He brought his hand between her thighs and felt her succulent juices between them. In his minds-eye he pictured her folds glistening and inviting him to enter her.

  He lifted her against the door and she hooked her legs around his hips. With one hand he guided his cock to her soft, wet lips, rubbing the tip against them until he found her entrance. He didn’t wait. Luke entered, pulling her down on top of him. She whimpered and he wasn’t sure if she liked it or that he took her too fast.

  “Fuck me, baby,” she whispered hoarsely.

  The door rattled and he moved them both to the wall. But when he did, he pushed into her hard, and then pulled back, and then again, driving towards a rhythm that drove him higher. All thoughts were on her, the softness between her legs clenching him, pushing him to pour all of himself into her. There was nothing else but this place and this time, her taking all of him and he needing to give it.

  Her breathing hitched and he knew she was close. He pulled her head to his shoulder and he felt her scream into it as she broke apart. The clenching of her muscles pulsing around his shaft drove him insane. He couldn’t hold back and he didn’t want to. Sparks flashed within his closed eyes. Joy and pleasure jolted through him as he exploded into her.

  Luke held her tightly. She was the only treasure that meant anything to him.

  “There, baby,” she said breathily. “That’s what matters. I love you.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Double-cross

  “Luke,” Emily heard through the door. “It looks like things are getting a little too crowded out here.”