Chapter Eight

The sun was dipping behind the trees when Eve shot awake. She looked around sleepily, just catching the curve of Micah’s ass as he slipped into the bathroom. She had to admit, he had his life pretty much under control when he was blind. When he woke up, he must have shuffled his way to the bathroom and fired on the shower. He did shout to her asking her to come in with him if he needed help. She agreed. The last thing she wanted was for him to hurt himself.

When she found him under the hot stream of water stroking himself, his head thrown back in ecstasy, she knew he had ulterior motives. She licked her lips as his fist picked up its pace. She knew she needed to turn around and walk away. Sex with him was what made him blind. But that pull, the one that claimed her soul, drove the thought from her mind.

She didn’t bother to undress. She crossed the cold tiles on her bare feet and then sunk to her knees before him. Warm water streamed through her long dark hair and down her face as she enveloped him in her mouth and sucked hard. He groaned as he weaved his fingers in her hair. She gripped his ass to hold him closer.

“Fuck, Eve. Baby, oh fuck.” Micah bucked hard. Eve gagged but didn’t stop licking and sucking him. She let go of his ass with one hand to gently massage his sac. He bucked again.

“Eve,” he warned as he pulled her close. She felt his tip at the back of her throat. She relaxed and let him take control. He cursed as he pumped a couple of more times before he released. Eve swallowed as much as she could. She licked the rest from his flesh.

He reached out, searching until he touched her and then pulled her to her feet. He peeled her shirt from her body, tossing it with a splat on the floor of the shower. Scooping one of her breasts in his hand, his mouth explored it until he found her nipple. His teeth nipped at the sensitive bud before he sucked it into his mouth.

Eve squirmed in his arms as pleasure filled her. Micah shoved her pajama pants down and then lifted her against the wall. He gasped as he filled her, thrusting deep as he held her close. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his hips as he drove farther and farther. The shower stream hardly muffled her screams as she came hard. She peppered his cheeks and chin with kisses as he grunted. She felt him grow thicker as he sped up. He knotted his hand in her hair and tugged her head back. Arching his hips hard into her, he nibbled the curve of her neck as he came. She quivered with one last rush.

Micah gently set her on her feet. Before she could step out of the shower, he grabbed her wrist. She turned back to find him with a sponge in his other hand. By the direction of his gaze, it was evident his vision was still gone.

He skimmed his fingers across her skin as he carefully scrubbed every inch of her. His touch ignited her. Watching him take care of her made her heart skip a beat. He slipped a finger inside her as he scrubbed her thighs, allowing it to linger until he drew another orgasm out of her. By the time he was done bathing her, she needed him to possess her again.

Micah cocked a grin in her general direction. “Ready for another round?”

Eve’s voice trembled when she responded. “You must be feeling better?”

“Actually I am.”

“Good. I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

“I’ll be there.”

She grabbed a hanging towel and then turned to him. She wrapped her hand around his neck and tugged his head to her until her mouth covered his. Her tongue caressed his just before she pulled away from him and stumbled out of the bathroom.

Eve wrapped the towel around her body and knotted it. Sitting on the bed, she watched the door anxiously. She could hear the scuttle of his feet as he approached followed by the click of the switch as he flipped the lights off. Of course, the son of a bitch didn’t come out wearing a towel. The one he did hold barely covered the part of his body Eve had just been on her knees paying homage to. She mindlessly flicked the knot she had just tied undone and let the towel around her fall to the bed. She sat back just to take in the beauty of his nearly naked body. Swirls of ink etched his skin enough to be beautiful and not obnoxious. He had perfectly etched muscles. His hair was dark and thick and his eyes, when they worked, were a deep, chocolate brown. And his cock…Eve could only moan. He was strong. He was dominant. He was sexy beyond imagination.

And somehow he’s my mate.

Micah’s voice was a deep rumble when he spoke. The sound sent a shiver of anticipation through her. “I hear you.”

“Then come get me.”

Before Micah could take a step, there was a knock on the front door of the cabin. “What the…” he grumbled under his breath. He cleared his throat as he knotted the towel around his waist. “What is it?”

“Are you about ready?” Josiah shouted through the door.

“Why would we be ready?” Micah turned toward Eve. “What time is it?”

Josiah and Eve seemed to give the same answer at the same time. “It’s five o’clock.”

“Oh, shit. We have to go. How fast can you get dressed?” He angled back to the front door. “Give us a minute, Joe. We’ll be right out.”

“Hurry up.” Josiah’s voice faded away.

Micah unwound his towel and let it fall to the floor. She must have made some sort of sound because he chuckled. “I know, baby. I want more too. But this faceoff is important. Leroy is an asshole. We have to stay one step ahead of him. Can you get me something to wear? I need to look good. Not formal. Jeans and a T-shirt work.”

“Look good. You mean good enough so that all the women want a bite of you? Am I correct?”

“You are. They can look. But I’m coming back to you. Trust me. I don’t have a choice.”

Eve scowled. “I’m sorry you’re so screwed.”

Micah shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was that this spiritual thing that binds us doesn’t allow us to be with anyone else. If we try, it’ll make us physically ill. Believe me—you’re the only one I want.”

Eve frowned. Suddenly she understood why she felt so sick around Tabitha. “I’m the only one you’ve been with. You have no point of reference.”

“Well, that’s good for me then, huh? If there is sex better than you, it’ll probably kill me. Eve, baby, we have to go. Dress me how you want me to look. If I seem like a fucking idiot, then I’ll live with it.”

Eve stared at him and then stood. She crossed the bedroom to his dresser and pried open the bottom drawer. On the top were a pair of Levi's distressed just enough to look badass. She grabbed them and then opened the drawer above it. Rummaging through the T-shirts, she searched for one that matched the attitude of the jeans. She glanced over her shoulder. The thought of other women wanting him infuriated her. But he was a Hallow, and she knew enough of the brothers to know everyone saw them as badass. She loved him enough not to tarnish that image.

She stopped at her rambling thought. Loved him? Did she love him? She sighed as it struck her. Yes, she did. She couldn’t deny it. Whatever was going on inside her had to be love because she would die for this man.

“Eve, baby,” he reminded her.

“I’m coming.” She opened the top drawer and gathered a pair of briefs and socks and then shut all three. She hurried to him and handed him the pile.

“Do you need help getting dressed?” she questioned.

“I got it. Just get ready.”

She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I just have to dress and brush my hair.”

“Are my boots at the foot of the bed?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He swatted her ass. “Go.”

She grinned at him and then sauntered to her bag. She pulled on her underwear and then a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She slipped into the bathroom to brush her hair. She stared at the shower, the memory of the cold tile on her back as Micah filled her flooding her mind. She shook the memory free and then vigorously whipped the brush through her hair.

He was standing in the doorway of the bathroom when she set her brush down. The way he filled the space, his hands clenched around the frame, took her breath away.

“Are you ready?” Micah asked.

She wrapped her fingers around his ribcage and pulled herself to him to leave a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “Of course.”

“Kiss me like that, and we’re not going anywhere.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Oh, baby.” Micah engulfed her lips with a soul-wrenching kiss that melted her to the floor.

Someone pounded violently on the door. “For fuck’s sakes, let’s go!”

“Fine.” Micah dropped his arms and groped around until he took her hand in his. Eve hugged his arm close as she led him through the living room. They stopped long enough to put on their jackets and then strode out of the cabin.

Josiah, Caleb, Caleb’s mate, and Samuel waited for them beside the vehicles. The soft powder of snow that fell the night before was brushed off the windows of Micah’s Jeep and another truck.

“Caleb and Meg are taking their truck,” Josiah informed them. “Who’s driving your Jeep, Micah?”

“Eve can,” Micah answered.

“Bullshit,” Samuel interjected. “I want to see her arms first.”

“Fuck off, Sam,” Micah growled. “It’s my vehicle.”

“It’s my fucking life. I don’t want to die because your mate got high before she got behind the wheel. Sleeves, please.”

Eve scowled as she let go of Micah and rolled up the sleeves of her coat. Samuel smirked as he looked at Josiah for confirmation. She felt her cheeks burn as everyone stared at the track marks on her arms.

Josiah grabbed the keys from Micah’s hand. “I’ll drive. Sam, you’re shotgun. You two lovebirds have the back.”

“Fantastic,” Micah grumbled.

Josiah first offered a hand to Eve to help her into the back of the vehicle. Once her ass hit the seat, she turned and reached out for her mate. His brothers were already assisting him to climb in. She curled up against Micah once he was settled in his place.

Samuel slid the seat back and hopped in. “So how exactly are you going to faceoff blind?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Micah responded.

“This should be fun.”

The truck had already plunged into the woods and disappeared. Josiah flipped on the ignition, shifted into gear, and followed.

»»•««

Eve jolted awake when the shoulder she fell asleep on was ripped away from her. Her heart slammed with panic. She must have fallen asleep shortly after they drove into the woods. Where were they now? And Micah? What happened? She searched around in the dark.

“Someone tell that motherfucker to turn his brights off.”

Eve spun to Micah. He sat against the side panel of the Jeep, rubbing his eyes furiously.

“That was fucking close,” Samuel muttered.

Eve wrapped her arms tight around him and hugged. “You can see again?”

Micah winked at her. “The most beautiful woman in the world beside me? Yes, I can. Nice choice on the duds, babe.”

“Thank you.”

Josiah glanced over at Samuel. “Call Cay.”

Samuel dug in his back pocket and pulled out his phone. He tapped the screen a few times and then held it between the two men. The slow, steady beat of the phone ringing filled the vehicle.

“Yeah, Sam. What’s up?” Caleb answered.

“It’s back,” Josiah answered.

“Shit. Not a moment too soon. Micah, bro. I know you’re our manager. But you need to cancel this fight.”

“Not a chance,” Micah replied.

“Mike, you’re going to get your ass kicked. Fuck, you’re the smartest of all of us. See reason,” Caleb pleaded.

Eve watched Micah as he stared out the window. Despite the dark, she could see his brow crease angrily. She took a deep breath and spoke. “I’m the reason he’s fighting.”

Micah sat up straight and stared at her. “Eve, no.”

She pressed her fingers to his lips to quiet him. “Deacon Rivers, the man I worked for, was about to kill me. He owns the strip club where Micah found me. We have to stay clean of any marks or blemishes. I know you saw the track marks. With Deacon, I could only snort the heroin. I got a few needle because the rush was faster for me. Every once and a while I would inject without Deacon knowing. That’s how he traps us. He lures us in for a week of partying, and drug use then threaten our lives over the money he’s spent. I’m not from Duluth. He found me in Vegas. He drugged me and took me from Vegas against my will. He found the mark that appeared after Micah and I had sex. He was just about to pull the trigger when Micah stopped him. Deacon wanted a Hallow to fight for Leroy’s promotion because the last one made him so much money. They came to the club after the fight and blew a ton of money. Micah signed on to fight in exchange for my life.”

A chorus of curse words followed what she had to say. “Mike,” Sam groaned.

“What would you do in my position, fucker?” Micah demanded.

Samuel paused. “The same thing. But it’s not like we can take you to the doctor and have you fixed, remember? Those doctors in Duluth found abnormalities in your scans and blood work. Mom and Dad had to smuggle you out of there. If you’re blind in the cage, you’re fucked.”

There was silence in the Jeep. Caleb’s voice broke it. “Why can’t he get looked at?”

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Samuel questioned.

“You forget, dumbass. I got shot. Noah treated me. He’s a doctor on the reservation. He could look at Micah.”

Micah huffed. “We’ll see.”

“Mike, it’s your only option if you don’t want to leave the cage in a body bag,” Caleb responded.

Josiah’s eyes never left the dark highway as he spoke. “Littlefoot is going to be at the faceoff. I bet Noah will be there too. We’ll get the ball rolling. Is there anything else we need to know about your deal with this son of a bitch?”

“Deacon Ravens?” Micah questioned. “Yeah. He has Momma’s amulet. The one she got from Papa. He’s holding it as collateral to make sure I show up. See why I needed to be at this faceoff? If I don’t show up, he keeps the amulet, and he kills Eve and me.”

The time Josiah swerved all over the road as he shot a glance at Micah. The jerking motion threw the phone Samuel was holding on the floor. The sound of cursing came from the vicinity of Samuel’s feet.

“Were you ever going to tell us this?” Samuel demanded.

“I couldn’t exactly call for a consult,” Micah answered. “So I’d appreciate if everyone keeps this quiet from Momma until I get it sorted out. Especially you, Meg, since you spend every day with her.”

“Shit,” Meg moaned through the phone.

“Ladies and gents,” Josiah announced. “One step at a time. First, we get the faceoff over with. We prove to Ravens that Micah is holding up his end of the bargain. Then we talk to Noah and get his vision figured out. Then we get him in the cage and get Momma’s amulet back. Understand?”

There were quiet murmurs of agreement from everyone in the Jeep and over the phone. Even Eve threw out a “yes.”

Josiah let a small smile grace his lips. “Good. See you at the club, Cay and Meg.”

“See you in a bit,” Meg said.

The line went dead, and Samuel stuffed the cell back in his pocket before staring out the window at the passing landscape. Micah tugged Eve to him and held her tight. She laid her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. The rest of the journey to Duluth was silent until they parked a few blocks from the club.

The bar was packed tight when they stepped inside. Eve studied the place. It looked far different from when it was empty. The heavy beat of the music shook the walls. The rainbow flashes of light from the strobes were blinding. The heavy scent of stale beer and perfume almost gagged her. The crowd of bodies grinding, writhing, and dry humping each other filled almost the entirety of the floor. A stage, the bar, and a limited amount of booths and tables covered the rest.

Samuel barely uttered a word before he dashed off into the crowd toward the restrooms. Micah wrapped his hand around hers and held it tight. She noticed Caleb do the same with Meg.

“Stick close by me. We’re going to look for Littlefoot. He and his nephews can protect you and Meg while we're onstage,” he shouted over the music.

She glanced toward the doorway leading to the restrooms. “It’s been three hours in the car. I have to pee.”

He gazed where she had been looking and chuckled. “Okay. Make your way up to the stage when you’re done. We will all be there. And don’t let any man touch you. It’ll make you sick. And I’ll break his fucking neck.”

She smiled. “My hero.”

“Always.” He pressed a long, hard kiss to her lips and then let her go. She didn’t wait to watch him disappear into the crowd. She scampered through the mob, shoving until she made her way through.

Despite the enormous number of people in the club, there were few women in the bathroom. It didn’t take long for Eve to finish up and wash her hands. She stepped out into the hallway and then looked both ways to get her bearings before she searched for Micah. She froze in her tracks just inside the doorway.

Samuel seemed to be arguing with a guy with glasses and short-cropped hair. His thin, muscular build contrasted with Samuel’s larger, taller one. His polo shirt and khakis stood out in a place like this, especially in the dirty, dank back hallway. Most of the men’s motions were animated as they spoke to each other. Samuel reached a hand behind the other guy’s neck. Eve cringed, waiting for some violent movement from the Hallow brother. They all fought, didn’t they?

Instead, Samuel drew the other man to him and engulfed his lips in a deep kiss. Eve gasped at the scene. The big, tough brother that treated her like shit was gay? Did Micah know about this?

The embrace was torn apart just as quick as it started. Samuel pulled away and then tore his cell out of his pocket to check it. He shook his head and laid one last kiss on the other man’s lips. He stormed down the hall but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.

The words fell out of Eve’s mouth before she could stop them. “Who is that?”

“None of your fucking business,” Samuel snarled at her. “Keep your mouth shut.”

“After how you treated me? Doubt it.”

“I’m protecting my brother.”

“I’m mated to him. I am physically unable to work against his best interests.”

“Except shooting up and dying of an overdose.”

“Then help me stop. Do you think I like doing this? I don’t. I don’t want to hurt him. I love him. Help me stop. Please.”

Samuel huffed as he lowered his head. “They’re about to call Mike to the stage. We’ll talk later.” He strode out of the hallway into the crowd. Eve shot one last look at the poor guy he left behind and followed him.

Weaving through the mass of bodies proved almost futile for Eve. Micah was right. Any wayward hand that touched her inappropriately twisted her stomach. She pushed through, watching the two bands of men on either side of the stage gather. The group on the right were the Hallows with Littlefoot and his nephews. She had never seen the guys on the left in her life.

Her heart and her steps froze when she heard his voice. “Hello, Eve. I hoped you were coming.”

She slowly turned, finding herself face to face with Deacon.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

He nodded up to the stage. “Making sure your friend doesn’t back out of our deal. I have a lot riding on Mr. Hallow. And I wouldn’t want to carry out my threat.” He reached up to curl a lock of her dark hair around his finger.

Eve felt her stomach lurch. “He’s here. He’ll be in the cage. You can go.”

“You seem jumpy. On edge. Maybe you need something to take the edge off.” Deacon ran a finger across her cheek. Eve was certain she was going to vomit. She pulled away and then looked up at the stage to see Micah’s cold, hard gaze. It made her shiver.

“I’m good, thanks,” she muttered.

“Eve, I own you. You can never escape me. Do you see who works for me now?” He pointed through the crowd. Eve gasped when she saw Tabitha, scantily dressed, hanging off some big shot in a designer suit. Deacon continued. “She told me a bunch of thugs came and took your stuff. You left her all alone without a way to relax. I was happy to oblige for a price. You dragged her into my world, Eve. And any day now you will come crawling back to your master.”

Eve forced a nervous smile on her face. “You forget why you’re here, Deacon. Micah made you a deal, and he’ll see it through to the end. You don’t own me, you bastard. He does. I belong to Micah Hallow.”

Taking a step away was nearly impossible in the mob. She almost jumped out of her skin when someone grabbed her hand.

“Eve, Micah wanted me to find you.” Meg smiled at her as she tugged at her, shooting a nasty look at Deacon.

“Sure. I’m coming.” Eve smiled smugly at Deacon. “See you at the fights.”

Eve held tight to Meg as the pregnant blonde led her toward the stage. She could barely hear Meg over the noise. “Looks like you needed help.”

“I had it. Don’t flatter yourself,” Eve responded.

Meg stopped short and nearly hissed. “I know you don’t know me. We haven’t really been introduced. But there’s something you need to understand. We’re stuck together for eternity. Those guys may bicker all the time, but there’s nothing thicker than Hallow blood. So I think what you meant to say was ‘thanks.’”

Eve stared baffled at Meg as she stormed to the foot of the stage. Eve looked up at Micah. He gazed down at her protectively. With a small smile, she followed Meg.