When Dove Cries Read online

  “It’s okay,” Lovey whispered. She nodded toward Draven. “Go be with your man.”

  “Oh, no. My man? No,” she said, fumbling over the words. Heat engulfed her cheeks.

  “Oh, yes,” Lovey insisted. “I’m thinking you might be following in Allis’ footsteps because both of those men have been unable to take their eyes off you.”

  “Really?” Dove asked, glancing quickly toward Draven. His blue eyes were fixed on her. “Oh.”

  Draven closed the soundproof door behind him and took his usual seat to North’s right. North opened a box in front of him and handed Draven a large stack of cash neatly bundled and held together with a paper wrapper.

  “What’s this?”

  “That is your payment from Bryman Jay,” North answered, watching him over tented fingers.

  “There must be twenty grand here.”

  “There is,” North said. “The money’s legit. Now.”

  “Drug money,” Draven said, disgusted. He pushed it back toward North. “I don’t want it. Ace turned traitor for that shit.”

  North didn’t touch it, either. “Yeah, I know, but for once, our coffers are full,” he said. “I hate to say that Pete was right, but the payment we received from your drug run, and the percentage cut from the laundered money has us sitting pretty. I paid off Nick’s hospital bill and I was able to give Tina a hefty settlement.”

  “Jesus,” Draven muttered. “How are we supposed to wean the guys off of this?”

  North sighed and shrugged. “Might as well take that stack. I’m assuming you’ll want to pay for Dove’s hospital bill.”

  “Yeah. Shit.” He grabbed the money. “We’re moving into the clubhouse for a bit, if it’s okay with you.”

  North shrugged. “Fine with me. I’d say make sure to rent the rooms, but no need to worry about that now.”

  Draven snorted. “How’s Nimrod?”

  “He’s fine. Bullet lodged in his shoulder, no harm to any arteries or organs. He’s being discharged tomorrow.”

  “I want to patch him in,” Draven said. “That man has saved Allis and Dove. I think he’s proven his loyalty to the club.”

  “Agreed,” North said, smiling. “It’ll be good to have a party here. Haven’t done that in a while.”

  “We couldn’t afford it for a while,” Draven replied dryly, holding up the cash. “Speaking of Nimrod, what’re we going to do about the shooter?”

  “You sure it was the Devils?”

  “Well, I didn’t see a patch on the jacket or a plate, but the man was riding a Harley Sportster. Branch was right. No one else rides Harleys except us and the Devils. And I didn’t recognize the bike as one of ours.”

  “Let me ask you a question,” North said. “Your new friend isn’t involved in this, is he?”

  “Believe me, North, he’s not.”

  “Okay, I’ll trust your word. Well, logic would dictate we can’t outright attack the Devils without proof, but we got to send a message.”

  “Agreed. I say they shot at us, we shoot at them.”

  “They went after Dove, so I’m assuming you want to handle that?”

  “You bet I do.”

  “Okay. Do it at your discretion. Now send Cade in. I’d like to talk to him.”

  Draven nodded, picked up the cash, stuck it in the inside of his vest and headed out of the church. He saw Dove and Lovey sitting in a corner as he walked over to Cade.

  “North wants to talk to you,” he said in a low voice. “He’s suspicious of you. I think you should tell him the truth.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Cade murmured as he walked past him.

  Draven didn’t even bother watching him. Instead, he focused on Dove, and when she glanced up at him, his desire to get her alone overrode everything else. He headed toward her, barely acknowledging Lovey, and took hold of Dove’s hand.

  “Come with me, Dove,” he said firmly, not even giving her a moment to say goodbye to her new friend. He headed upstairs to one of the far bedrooms and opened the door. He pulled her inside and shut them inside, locking it.

  “Draven?” she questioned.

  He cupped her face.

  “Remembering you in his arms has been driving me crazy,” he told her right before he covered her mouth with his. He pulled her up to bring her body against his and deepened the kiss.

  Dove opened for him, her tongue meeting and dancing with his. He withdrew then plunged, nibbled and devoured until they were breathless. When he lifted his mouth from hers to gulp in some much-needed air, he kissed his way over to her ear, first licking the shell then nibbling on the lobe. She squirmed against him, either liking it or finding it ticklish.

  He ran his hands down her back, skimming over the sides of her breasts until they landed on her hips. She was a tiny thing and although he wasn’t hung like a horse, he knew he’d have to go slow with her. Otherwise, he might hurt her.

  At some point over the past five days, his feelings of protection had morphed into desire. He wanted her and yes, maybe it had something to do with Vanaker wanting her too. But now that he was kissing her, had her in his arms, all he wanted to do was bury himself balls deep in her cunt until she screamed his name with pleasure. “You make me so hard, Dove,” he murmured as he ground himself into her belly. “Do you feel how hard I am for you?”

  “Y-yes,” she gasped.

  “Are you on any type of birth control?”

  “Huh?”

  He nuzzled her neck, kissing the pulse that beat wildly under his lips, and wondered if her back was sensitive. He could imagine himself kissing his way down her spine until he found her nicely shaped ass. He’d love to lick around her back door while finger-fucking her tight little pussy.

  “I’m asking if I’m going to need a condom,” he murmured, kissing the skin along the V-neck of her T-shirt. “I’m clean, by the way. Just got tested not too long ago. But I realize you probably don’t want to take my word for it. I can wear a con—”

  Dove suddenly yanked herself out of his arms and stared at him in shock.

  “Dove?”

  “This is sex, right?” she asked. “You want sex.”

  “Don’t you?” he asked, confused. He’d thought that was what she wanted.

  “I… I’m a virgin,” she said.

  He blinked. “What?”

  “My father and his men were Special Ops. Do you think they’d let me casually date?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and tried to rein in his libido. Unfortunately, it always went haywire whenever he was near her.

  “You’re a virgin?” he asked, even though she’d just told him so. His brain wasn’t really thinking well, so he needed clarification.

  “You brought me up here for this? To have sex?”

  “Jesus,” he muttered. “Yes. But that’s what people who are interested in each other do, Dove. They have sex with each other. Besides, you weren’t saying no to Cade.”

  “Is that why you want to have sex with me now? Because I kissed Cade last night?”

  “Yes. No.” He sighed and looked up at the ceiling to get his thoughts under control. “No. I might have been jealous, but that’s not what this is about. I truly find you attractive.”

  “I’m attracted to you too,” she whispered then frowned. “But I’m also attracted to Cade.”

  “Shit,” he mumbled.

  “I can’t do this to both of you. I’m not the type of woman to play one off the other. I have no need of superficial head games.”

  “Dove—”

  “If you think about it, I’m just an oddity to you. Someone who rouses your protective nature. Give it some time and you’ll find this—whatever this is between us—you’ll find it disappearing. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to rest a little.”

  He bit his lip. He really wanted to deny her words, but what if she was right? What if he wanted her only because Cade wanted her?

  “Okay,” he said.

  He turned to leave her alone in the
bedroom. Just before he left, he looked back at her and saw the dejected slump to her shoulders. His gut tightened and he wanted to go to her and pull her into his arms. Although her words made perfect sense, something deeper was telling him that Dove Aldrin fit him perfectly.

  * * * *

  Cade closed the chapel door behind him and stood at the end of the table, knowing he had no right to sit at the Wolves’ table. He wasn’t an official member and he certainly wasn’t a member of council. He waited patiently, until North Tabion settled himself, knowing that this was all part of the protocol.

  Finally, North looked at him. “I know we met informally at the hospital, but now that we’re on Wolves’ territory, I wanted to extend my official welcome and explain the rules of the club.”

  “Thank you for letting me stay with the Red Wolves,” Cade murmured.

  “Well, it seems you and Draven have something in common.”

  Cade frowned. Did North know something?

  “Dove,” North clarified, narrowing his eyes a little.

  Cade relaxed. “Of course. I want to find the asshole who did this to her as much as John wants to.”

  “Her abduction is part of something larger, and that’s what the Wolves have to focus on,” North stated. “Nimrod got shot because someone doesn’t want her to talk, so the first thing we gotta do is get her talking.”

  “I agree,” Cade said. “Her testimony is key, but we can also gather other facts. Maybe through the predicate witnesses, like the hospital staff, and of course, any DNA collected by the sheriff’s deputy. If these Devils are behind this abduction ring, then we need to find concrete evidence.”

  “And how do you propose to do that?”

  “We have to do it in a way that’ll be admissible in court. Otherwise, the fuckers will just walk.”

  North rubbed his jaw as he narrowed his eyes. “Any ideas?”

  Cade shook his head in frustration.

  “Well,” North said. “When you do, make sure you run them by me. But for now, welcome to the Red Wolves Club.”

  He stood and held out his hand.

  Cade walked over and shook it. “Thanks,” he replied.

  North held tight for a moment, studying him, and Cade had the weirdest feeling that North Tabion knew exactly who and what he was. But then the Red Wolves president let go and tipped his head. Without another word, Cade turned and hurried out of the church.

  * * * *

  Draven didn’t waste a moment more. He slammed out of the back of the clubhouse and headed to his bike. Two things were driving him on—his hatred of the Demon Devils and his unrequited lust for Dove. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he took care of either one or both fucking irks.

  Knowing that the Devils’ bar was isolated and that the sound of his Harley would reverberate too loudly, he drove home to switch out to his truck. He pulled out his gun and checked it, making sure that the magazine was full with one round in the chamber, before scooting behind the wheel and heading out.

  He took the roundabout way to Route Eighteen, wanting to do a drive-by to scope the bar out. The Devil’s owned the bar, and there was a big, old barn in the back that he knew was used for bikes and served as the sleeping quarters for the members. Only Gray Dog and his fucking lackeys were able to use the rooms in the main building, so finding him or Gunner probably wasn’t going to happen.

  He cruised by, looking, taking a mental note of the bikes. No one was about. He drove up ahead then made a U-turn. There was a notch on the shoulder of the road that would be perfect to park his truck for a few minutes. He did so, cutting the engine and waiting a few more minutes to make sure no one became suspicious before exiting the truck. He kept to the shadows, eyes alert and his senses open. He wanted a closer look at the bikes, so he swung around the back of the bar and began his inspection. He was looking for that fucking bike that had gotten away, although it didn’t have any markings. Each bike was unique and he’d noticed a dent on the back fender, so he ran his finger over each one until he found it.

  Ah, yes. There it is.

  He didn’t know who it belonged to, but that didn’t matter. The bike wouldn’t be usable for a long time.

  He slid his hunting knife out of the sheath attached to his belt and punched each tire before slashing down and shredding the rubber. Then he used the sharp blade on every possible thing he could cut. He scooped up a handful of the loose gravel and dirt under his foot and dumped it in the gas tank.

  Feeling a token of satisfaction, he retreated to his truck and waited. He didn’t know who would be the first to step out of the bar, but the first person who did was going to be surprised. Draven waited patiently, his mind feeling clear since he’d taken a lot of wrath out on the bike. After twenty minutes, his patience was rewarded. Goddamned if it wasn’t Gunner. He’d hoped for him, but he really didn’t think fate would be so kind as to deliver him.

  The Devil walked to the end of the porch and stood in the shadows. A second later, the flare of a match highlighted his face as he lit a cigarette. The thing was like a fucking beacon in the night. Draven carefully took aim, using the cigarette as the target circle, and fired. The rapport of the gun reverberated around him, making his ears ring, but he didn’t wait for the aftermath of his actions, knowing that in seconds, the whole fucking crew of the Demon Devils would be out hunting his ass.

  But an eye for an eye and all that shit.

  He put the truck in gear and drove off, knowing they’d hear his truck, but by the time they would scramble for their bikes, he’d have disappeared. Route Eighteen was going to be swarmed, so he floored the truck, going hellbent for leather until he found what he was looking for. He pulled down a slight embankment into a grove of trees and turned off the engine. The stillness in the night hung heavy through darkness as he waited and watched and, moments later, the first run of bikes blazed by. He was far enough away that in a few hours, he could make it safely back. Until then, he’d just enjoy the fireworks he’d started.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next day, Dove walked downstairs early, but no one was awake. There were men sprawled on the couches and the floors, and there was even a man sleeping on the pool table, so she stayed as quiet as possible. She made her way into the kitchen and took stock of the room. It was dirty, there was an obvious mouse taking advantage of the neglect, and the refrigerator was in desperate need of a cleaning, inside and out.

  She looked around until she found some yellow latex gloves, spray cleaner and a sponge, then she got to work cleaning. Lovey found her there an hour later.

  “Holy crap,” Lovey said, looking around wide-eyed. “I didn’t realize we had a stove in here.”

  “Well, there’s also a mouse. We’ll need a trap.”

  “Since Nimrod’s coming home today, we need groceries anyway for the party. I’ll make sure to pick one up.”

  “We’re having a party?” Dove asked, surprised.

  “Yeah. Haven’t had one a while, so it’s going to be a blast.”

  Dove bit her lip. “Sandwiches would be good. I take it you have plenty of booze?”

  “Oh, yeah. That’s the one thing we don’t skimp on around here.”

  “Okay. Then sandwiches, maybe some balloons. And cleaning, we’re definitely going to have to clean that club room…”

  * * * *

  When Draven came down sometime later, he found Dove busy cleaning and she’d gotten the other sweet butts to help. A few of the men had rearranged the furniture so the floors could be swept and mopped. And much to his surprise, some of the old ladies were in the kitchen cooking. He couldn’t remember the last time the kitchen had been utilized. Mainly, they went out or brought fast food in. Even Cade was behind the bar polishing the wooden countertop. Balloons floated in the corner and everything had a festive feel about the place.

  “This place has never looked so good,” he said, smiling wide. “You’re not overdoing it, are you, Dove?”

  She shook her head. She was wiping
down the couches, and he had to grimace. Lord only knew what was buried in those couch cushions.

  “Make sure you wear gloves and take a decontamination shower after that,” he warned her. “It’s got to be radioactive.”

  “Yes,” she said dryly, pushing a piece of stray hair behind her ear. “It probably has more DNA samples on it than the local sperm bank.”

  Everybody began laughing.

  Even he had to grin. “What can I do to help?”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Why are you so happy?”

  “Huh? Can’t a man be happy?”

  “Yes. But you’re positively glowing.”

  He shrugged, but even her narrowed eyes couldn’t wipe the big goofy smile off his face. Last night had made him feel really great.

  “Well,” she said, shrugging. “I ordered a couple of platters of sandwiches from the deli. Those need to be picked up. Do you know when Nimrod is being discharged?”

  Draven pulled out his phone. “Let me call North.”

  He walked toward the back rooms to hear better and placed the call.

  “Hey,” North greeted. “Anything wrong?”

  “Wait till you see this place. It’s sparkling clean.”

  “What?”

  “I guess Dove took it upon herself to motivate everyone into cleaning it up. She wanted me to ask you when Nimrod will be discharged.”

  “We’re on our way over to the hospital now. I’ll text you.”

  “Okay.”

  He hung up and walked back to where he saw Dove talking with Cade to tell her. Jealousy tore through him. Damn it, the man was seriously pissing him off. How was he supposed to handle this? Because it was clear she wanted him right back. He supposed the right thing to do was let her go. But even though Cade had called him noble, he didn’t feel like being the gallant suitor and stepping aside.