Undercover in the Dark Page 8

  “You wanted to be a warrior roaming the deserts after the apocalypse?” Her teasing tone brought a smile to his face.

  “Not too far off.” He didn’t know why he felt the urge to share with her the truth he hadn’t ever shared with anyone before. “I was a soldier who kept getting sent on darker and more dangerous missions. Undercover, like you, I had to do terrible things. Then one day I was ordered to do something that I knew if I did it I could never atone. So I blew up my world and started over from the ashes.”

  She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re a good man.”

  He smirked. “I thought I was a criminal?”

  “That too. I’m learning the two aren’t as mutually exclusive as I originally believed.” Her expression said clearly her thoughts had gone to a dark place. He could only imagine how hard it was for a woman, who had believed in the system she worked for, to be betrayed. His own experiences might be darker than hers, but he had never been a true believer.

  “This agent you think set you up, Victor Taylor. How certain are you he was the one?”

  “As sure as I can be with no actual proof. One of the other agents I worked with, Agent Devin, brought him in from the FBI. A week later my cover is blown to Hell, and the FBI is on hand to arrest me. Then there is the weird stuff I found on his computer.”

  “You hacked his computer?” Max was impressed. Nowhere in her file were any computer skills listed.

  “No, I paid a lot of money for that program you so casually crushed.” Cat shrugged. “It was plug and play. It would pull all Word, email, or other common readable files off a hard drive and copy them.” She ran a hand through her hair, exhaustion plain on her face.

  He was tempted to send her off to bed, but knew he needed this information. After she slept, her guard would be back up, and he wasn’t sure if she would still be willing to share. “What weird stuff did you find on his computer?”

  “Other than the files on the women and children, there were some financial things that didn’t look right, but I haven’t had as much time as I would like to dig into them.” She took a long sip from her bottle. “Plus, have you seen him? He looks like the boy next door but wears a thick gold chain and a watch that costs more than some cars. Could be coincidence but I doubt it.”

  Max closed the distance, brushing her brown curls over her shoulder. The bruises from his teeth along her neck made his dick stand to attention, but he refused to give in to that side of himself again today. “Instinct is sometimes the only thing we have.”

  “That is all I’ve had for months.” She looked up into his eyes. He brushed his fingertips along her jaw. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. “I’m tired.”

  “Let us handle this, Wildcat. I promise we will do everything in our power to get your life back.”

  “I can’t.” She shook her head and opened her eyes.

  Of course she couldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to step back either if it was his future in the balance. Fuck if he knew how he was going to keep her safe and somehow involved. Whoever had done this to this vibrant woman would suffer if he had to drag them to Hell himself.

  Chapter 13

  I’d rather be a rider for a minute than a spectator for a lifetime.

  * * *

  Avery wouldn’t admit it out loud, but sitting on the cold metal bleacher felt wonderful against her sore bottom. How crazy was her life that she, a wanted criminal, was sitting out in public at a charity motocross event? To make it worse, the men around her were people she would have gleefully arrested only a year ago. Coming here hadn’t been her idea. Watching men do insane stunts on bikes might be fun, but she’d rather be spending the time trying to clear her name.

  Unfortunately, the only options Max had offered her that morning had been, come or be locked in a secure room for the day. The idea of being trapped in a small room for hours made her stomach roll. As Avery looked over the crowd, she didn’t know if she wanted to throttle Max for delaying her mission or admire his dedication to his commitment to the children’s charity this event sponsored. Her feelings for the frustrating man were like a rollercoaster, constantly shifting and uncontrollable.

  Like last night when he hadn’t tried to make a move on her, she thought he was charming. The attraction between them was so strong that it wouldn’t have taken much to convince her to start round two. Logically she knew getting a good night’s sleep was important, but her hormones disagreed. Then he went and ruined all the positive feelings by telling her that until they had better information she was on lockdown and had to do exactly what he said.

  She snorted. As if she was some meek sheep that was simply going to follow blindly along. As soon as she got the information they promised to give her, if they even had it, she would leave. No matter how great the sex or how sweet the man seemed, nothing was worth turning herself into something she was not.

  “How’s the hip, beautiful?” Ink, her tattoo artist from yesterday, strode up the bleachers with a cocky smile on his face. Following him like a shadow was Hannibal, his gorgeous ebony face set in a slight scowl.

  “Fine.” She looked away not wanting to talk to the men who had been part of tricking her. She had spent long minutes that morning looking at the tattoo on her hip. It was beautiful, even without color to bring it to life. Would she ever get it finished? Probably not. She doubted after she left he would be interested in doing anything more for her.

  Hannibal snorted. “Fine. The word that every woman uses to mean anything but.” His accent was like molasses melting on a summer day. It was annoying that someone she didn’t like could sound so sexy.

  “Are you mad at us, Sunshine?” Ink sat next to her with a wink.

  Anger burned up her spine. “Why would I be mad at you?” She made her voice light and sickly sweet. “You tricked me into going back to your Club. Where I’m now a hostage. I mean it’s every girl’s dream to have all her freedom removed and get dragged to some weird charity event rather than being locked in a closet.”

  Hannibal’s deep chuckle vibrated against her skin. “He threatened to lock you in a closet?”

  “Close enough,” she growled.

  Ink nudged her shoulder with his. “It’s a good cause. Max is the main attraction and always brings in a large crowd. If he wasn’t here, there are lots of young‘uns who would be mighty disappointed.”

  She understood that. And the fact that she seemed like the bad guy for complaining only made her more frustrated. Juvenile diabetes was an amazing cause, and it surprised her that these men cared so much. Oh sure, she had heard of bikers doing rides for charity, but this was the first time she had learned of an event like this. It was beautiful and she would have enjoyed it so much better if she wasn’t being guarded by over muscled bikers to make certain she stayed put and behaved.

  “Are you guys making Cat feel welcome?” Tari glided up the steps, her peasant skirt and blouse flowing in the wind. The woman’s outfit was completely out of place for the outdoor track. Her black leather vest proclaiming her ‘Property of Dragon’ another oddity. Most of the crowd was in jeans and t-shirts, but somehow Tari made it work. A little girl with gorgeous midnight hair and sparkling brown eyes clung to her leg as she looked curiously around her.

  “Of course we are.” Ink leaned forward, his smile widening. “How are you today, Lali girl?” The little girl who looked to be about three waved to Ink, then blew him a kiss. To Avery’s surprise, he reached out as if catching the kiss and pulled it to his heart.

  “What are you doing, mi Reina?”

  It took a moment before the Spanish endearment sank in. My queen. Val’s use of the queenie nickname last night now made sense. The man coming up three steps behind Tari was a giant. Almost six inches over six feet, he towered over everyone including Tari who had to be five ten. The two were a gorgeous couple. His sharp Native American looks a beautiful complement to her regal Egyptian features. It was easy to see the adorable girl was a mix of these two unfairly att
ractive people.

  “I was going to sit and talk with Cat for a bit. Cat, this is Dragon, my Old Man.”

  Avery waved, not positive about how to act. Did everyone not understand she was a prisoner? The tall man nodded at her, then reached down and scooped the little girl up and onto his shoulders. The peal of laughter from the child was almost musical.

  “Okay, I’m going to take Lali down to the fence and let her watch from my shoulders. Don’t cause trouble.”

  Tari raised an eyebrow, and Dragon chuckled and bent to kiss her forehead. The love between the two was almost palpable in the air. Why couldn’t she find something sweet and simple like those two had? Instead, she was drawn to complicated, frustrating, and controlling men. Well, one man really. While she had dated before, those men had been chosen more for convenience than any personality traits.

  Dragon strode off, and Tari turned to Hannibal. “You two trouble-makers can guard her from further away. Cami is coming over and we’re going to have some girl time.”

  “There is nothing you girls can talk about that we haven’t heard or done before.” Hannibal smiled a dazzling white charming smile that seemed to bounce right off Tari.

  “That may be so. But if you men get Club business, we get girl business.” Tari crossed her arms with an impressively serious expression on her face.

  “That so, darlin’?” Ink asked. “And if we don’t want to go?”

  Cami popped up from underneath the bleachers and startled Avery. The crazy woman in a full leather catsuit squeezed through the gap at her feet and up and onto the metal bench in front of her. “I t-tell Pixie you’re being m-mean and you never get to taste her cornbread again.” When she turned Avery saw the woman was also wearing a vest that matched the other Dark Sons, but hers read Property of Tek.

  “Now that is just cruel!” Ink clutched his chest. “All right ladies, we will move away so you can chat, but we can’t go far.”

  The two men moved further up the bleachers. Giant trees loomed above the bleachers, making an interesting backdrop for their retreat. Like nature itself was boxing in the arena and providing shade for the spectators.

  This entire section of seating was reserved for the Dark Sons, so in a packed event they actually had a small amount of privacy. The crowd was loud as the sounds of motorcycles revving to life filled the air.

  “We’ve got a little t-time before the race starts so l-let’s talk.” Cami rubbed her hands together with a strange glee in her eyes. “What’s it like being a spy?”

  Avery laughed. She shook her head, surprised she could find anything funny under the circumstances. This woman was such an odd mix of innocence and mischief. It was tough to think serious thoughts around her. She looked between the two women, uncertain what to say. Tari winked and gave a look that said clearly ‘Sorry for my crazy friend’.

  Avery shook her head. “I wasn’t a spy. You make me sound like I was James Bond or something.”

  Tari sat on the bleacher next to her. “You’ll have to forgive Cami. She has a very active imagination. She’s probably trying to come up with a new roleplay for her and Tek to try out in the bedroom.”

  Cami gave a cute pout. Her purple hair falling into her face. Avery didn’t want to like these women, but it was hard not to when they seemed so genuinely interested in her. Taking a deep breath, she thought about what she was comfortable sharing.

  “Undercover work, at first, is really unglamorous. Acting like a junkie to make a buy or to get in with other drug addicts to find out who the suppliers were in the area.” People didn’t really understand how hard it was to fit in with people like that. You had to lose yourself in the identity of an addict. Sit back and watch while people destroyed their lives and do nothing because you needed to gain their trust. “I did enjoy being Trisha though. My cover was as a rich daughter of a dead Cartel man. I dressed in expensive, gorgeous clothes and wined and dined people. I had to appear successful and in control to get them to trust me with their money. Unfortunately, no matter what you are wearing, the men in that world don’t respect women. Holding my tongue at some of their sexist comments took willpower. What I wanted to do was smack them in the face.”

  Cami’s eyes glittered with excitement. “That sounds amazing. W-Well not the junkie part but the losing yourself in a r-role.”

  Avery gripped the bleacher, trying to hide her frustration. Did this woman really think undercover work was a game like acting on stage? “It’s not the same as roleplaying. If you, or anyone else messes up it could mean your life, as I almost learned the hard way.” She didn’t enjoy thinking about it, but someone giving away her identity had destroyed her whole life. It had taken some time, but she had realized she would probably never go undercover again, even if she got her life back. How could she trust it wouldn’t happen again?

  “T-true.”

  “We didn’t ask for alone time with you so Cami could grill you on your past life.” Tari put a gentle hand on her arm as if she could sense the chaos swirling in Avery’s head. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. When Cami finally told me your story, I was angry they had tricked you. Being with someone in the MC is hard enough without starting with lies and deception.”

  How was this sweet woman part of this crazy group of people? Yeah, lies and deception did make things a little hard to swallow. So did the fact she was a captive. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have anywhere else to go. Being robbed of choice chafed against her skin like sandpaper.

  “I’m not with anyone in the MC. Max is just helping me clear my name.”

  “You d-don’t think you’re with Max? I th-thought he claimed you in the basement.”

  “Claimed me?”

  Tari’s lips tightened. “We thought you had accepted his offer to be his Old Lady. Pixie overheard Sharp talking about your encounter in the basement. Sounded like the usual ceremony if not as public as some are.” She gave a meaningful glance at Cami. “Usually Val has the ‘Welcome to our Club’ speech with new women. But Dozer has become overprotective in her last month of pregnancy. Pixie couldn’t bring her son because he’s so young. So they asked us to answer any questions you might have.”

  Avery winced and could only imagine what they had heard. She knew men were as bad of gossips as women. It was embarrassing to picture what they had said about her epic failure of reason. How had that been mistaken for some sort of induction into their Club?

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what is the usual ceremony for being made an Old Lady?”

  Tari coughed and Avery was sure if she could be blushing, she would be. “Usually a Brother claims a woman in front of at least five of his Brothers and she accepts.”

  It was adorable that Tari was embarrassed about a conversation she had started. Avery crossed her arms. “By claim I’m assuming you mean fucks?”

  “Doesn’t have to be b-but yeah that is usually the way.” Cami at least didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed.

  Avery frantically searched her memory of last night. It was hazy from the wild and heated exchange. “But the woman has to accept, right?” She did remember him saying she was his, but had she accepted his claim? She didn’t think so.

  Cami screwed up her face in indignation. “Of course. What w-would be the point of taking an Old Lady wh-who wouldn’t be loyal?”

  Avery shook her head. “You know you all sound like a cult?”

  Tari’s peal of laughter was musical, like her daughter’s. “I suppose it does, but we’re a family who looks out for one another. There isn’t a man or woman in the Club who wouldn’t drop everything to help another member out.” Her face grew somber, losing the sparkle from her eyes. “I grew up in a religious commune that was more of a cult than anything else. They didn’t care if any of the individuals were unhappy or hurting. They only cared about the leadership and their twisted sense of right and wrong. The Dark Sons only care if their people are safe and happy. The rules can be stifling at times but in the end I believe it is worth it.�
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  “Rules?” She wasn’t good with rules.

  Tari folded her hands in her lap. A gentle smile tipped her lips upward. The woman gave off this sense of calm that was almost contagious.

  “From the outside it looks worse than it is but there are actually very few rules. The Club comes first. The men can’t always talk about what is going on or what they are doing. You have to show respect to the Brothers and if they give an order, you follow it without question. Oh, and you don’t share Club business with Civilians.”

  That sounded awful, but it would be rude to say so when she seemed so calm about the whole thing. “So you get ordered around and have to obey?”

  Cami shrugged. “Technically yes. But no one has ever given me an order that w-wasn’t for my own safety. I’ve h-heard of clubs wh-where the rules are used to abuse their women, but that is not the c-case with the Dark Sons. And while we don’t argue in public, in private I know we all have had a word or two w-with our men if we didn’t agree with something they do or say. But the structure, family, and sense of purpose you get, can’t be found anywhere else. Our men love us with all their hearts and souls and don’t h-hesitate to show us how they feel.”

  “And it doesn’t bother you they can’t talk to you about what they are doing?” Avery winced at her confrontational tone, but why did these women take all of this so meekly? They didn’t seem like the types willing to bow down and scrape to their men.

  Tari gave her a censuring scowl. “If you were working undercover could you have told your boyfriend what you were doing?”

  Okay. She had a point. “No. That’s true. What about the fact they do illegal things?”

  Cami snorted, and Avery remembered she was a hacker who probably didn’t have much respect for the law. “Th-they have their own laws and follow them. Is it optimal that they could end up in j-jail for some of the things they do? No, but our m-men are smart and don’t take unnecessary risks. I prefer to focus on the good they do.”