“I’d never,” she says.
“I know that now,” I tell her, “And I’m so grateful for that, Kass. But scared little eighteen-year-old me was not as self-assured as the twenty-six-year-old badass here in your passenger seat.”
“I believe you. I’m not mad,” Kassie says, “This is just...a lot.”
“It is,” I nod.
“Thank you for telling me,” she says, “But from now on, you have to keep this to yourself. The Nine can’t know that you have ties with another club.”
“I don’t.”
“You did,” she insists, “And the way things are going, that could make things very dangerous for you. I don’t want to send you away, but I will if it becomes unsafe for you here. Don’t say anything about the Wraiths to anyone else, especially Declan.”
“I won’t,” I promise her, “I know a thing or two about this world, remember.”
“God,” she says, “What you must have been thinking, hearing about me and Dante’s Nine last year? How did you not say anything to me, when you found out that Dec was a one percenter?”
“I’m really good at keeping my mouth shut,” I tell her, “So don’t you worry that pretty little head about me.”
“Good thing there’s more wine at home,” she says, sighing deeply, “That’s all I can say.”
“Seriously,” I agree.
The very first thing we do, once we’ve gotten back to my suite, is open ourselves a bottle of white, though personally, I think tonight calls for something stronger. Kassie and I flop down on the couch together, all talked out. There’s only one thing I’m still desperately curious about—the name of that man who so seized my attention at the bar.
“Matthew, my cousin, was in a whole other chapter of the Wraiths,” I begin, “I don’t know anything much about these guys. Do you?”
“Just a little,” Kassie says, “Sam died so soon after I got here, I never met them in peacetime, as it were. They were at the memorial, though. Their president, Mac, is scary as shit. Didn’t say a word to me when we got introduced, just stared at me with those black eyes of his.”
“And the other members?” I ask, leading her along.
“Only got to meet the VP,” Kassie says, “That huge guy that looked like he was going to start shit with Dec. His name’s Leo.”
Leo, I repeat in my mind, savoring the feel and shape of his name. It’s a sexy name for a sexy, leonine man. With his black mane, powerful body, and golden eyes, it’s not hard to figure out where his name comes from.
“He and Dec have some history,” Kassie goes on, “They’ve always been really tight. Leo’s a fighter too, so they used to train together. Sparring buddies. Go figure.”
“Leo boxes?” I ask, trying to sound innocent.
“Not exactly,” Kassie says, “He’s more of the fight club type. And that’s not all. Dante’s Nine is smaller than the Wraiths, which really just means they’re less greedy. The Nine have their turf and are just content with that. John Baxter runs a tight ship, has since he started the club after the war. But the Wraiths are ruthless. The shit they get into is far less...morally sound, say, than what the Nine do.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” I nod.
“Shit. Right. You already know this,” Kassie says, “What the hell was it like, having them around as a kid?”
“We never saw any of the really shady stuff,” I tell her, “I mean, they’d stock our parties with all the drugs we wanted, but we only ever hung out with the younger guys. They were the errand boys, not the shot callers. I never even saw their headquarters.”
“Good fucking thing you got into college when you did,” Kassie says.
“Yeah,” I say, “Good thing.”
“There’s something about Leo that really scares me,” Kassie goes on, “There’s just no way to know what he’s capable of. And with Mac getting older, that means he probably has more sway over the club than ever. Which is not good for the Nine. Not at all. If even Dec can’t get through to him? Shit...”
“Do you think that the Wraiths are going to try something? Hurt the Nine?” I ask.
“I seriously hope not,” Kassie says softly, “Because if they want to hurt us, I know they will. And badly.”
Chapter Four
Strong, unwavering hands run down my sides, grabbing onto the peaks of my hips. I gasp as his grip tightens, and I’m pulled tightly against his huge, hard body. His lips brush against the crook of my neck, kissing hard and hungrily. His powerful body, so capable of destruction and pain, is set on a far more pleasurable task tonight.
We’re tangled together in the dark, hidden away from prying eyes. I’m sprawled out beneath him on the bed, amazed by the sheer size of him. His hands explore the shape of me, finding all the tender places that turn me on the most. He knows every button and switch, as if I were a well-oiled machine that he built himself.
I bring my hands to his bearded face, reaching for his lips with mine. His mighty jaw opens my mouth to his, the taste of him like an elixir on my tongue. His own tongue drives into my mouth, deep and strong. I love feeling part of him inside of me—but it only makes me want to feel him absolutely everywhere.
All at once, I find myself spinning in the air as he flips me onto my stomach. I writhe against the bed as he slips off my panties, the final stitch of fabric that lingers between us. I arch my back, letting my firm ass rise to him. He runs his fingers down my spine, sending washes of goose bumps dancing across my bare skin. Those hands graze over the rise of my rear, teasing me. He’s doing this on purpose.
“Touch me,” I beg, looking at him over my shoulder, “Please, touch me.”
His golden eyes blaze with wicked, dominating lust as he looks at me, on my hands and knees before him. Those long, dark tresses of his hang loose around his shoulders now. He looks like a warrior, a brutish beast who could snap me in two if he liked. But I know that’s not what he’d like right this second...
“I’ll touch you when and how I damn well please,” he growls, letting me feel the thick, throbbing length of his desire, pressing between my legs.
Knowing just how hard, how ready he is to spear me on that staggering cock of his has me wet as hell. And he knows it, too. He runs two sure fingers along the length of my slit, groaning with satisfaction to feel how much I want him.