Kelsey
She was sure it had to be a dream. First, the men yanking her off the street and into a car, threatening her with a bag over her head like some kind of leather-clad terrorist cell. Then, depositing her into a barren, depressing room with just a bed, a beat-up desk, and a chair. They’d locked the door and left her there to stew in her own thoughts, chief of which was simply, What the fuck? Kelsey had known that getting involved with the Mongols was the most dangerous thing she’d ever done, but somehow, kidnapping had never been part of her expectations before. She had a feeling she was about to get a whole new education on the poor quality of her life choices.
Then, the door opened, and who walked in but none other than her one night stand, the very man whose baby she was probably carrying. The man whose baby she’d just taken to the doctor, the baby that had just received a clean bill of health. The irony was so thick she could nearly taste it, but of course, he didn’t know that. She thought wryly that at least the question of contacting him had answered itself. Ever the optimist, Kels.
Curiously, upon the sight of him, much of her fear and uneasiness had fled. She recalled, almost automatically, the one amazing night they’d spent together, and things started happening down below. She had never been so glad to have a blanket bunched in her lap so that he had no chance of seeing her incredibly physical reaction to his presence. Apparently, the whole kidnapping thing hadn’t dulled her passions as much as she might have imagined. But she kept her face stony, even as her lady parts expressed a very different opinion. Her cool reporter’s head prevailed. It would not do to get flustered now.
Still, there was no denying that he looked as good as ever — maybe even better. She wanted to slap herself for thinking it, but there it was. His jacket and shirt had their sleeves rolled up past the elbows, and as he stared at her in obvious dumb bewilderment, she realized that the patches that had seemed so familiar on the other guys were the same as the ones she’d seen on him at the bar. Understanding clicked so forcefully in her head that she felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. The other motorcycle club. This, she assumed, was their leader. Already, they were miles ahead of the Mongols on that benchmark alone.
He didn’t stay, like she expected. Instead, he kept that deer-in-headlights expression trained on her a second longer, and then he backed out. She heard the lock engage on the other side, followed by his footsteps leading away. A little sigh escaped her. Was she feeling … disappointment? She was almost ashamed to admit that seeing him again was utterly thrilling despite the circumstances. Maybe now she’d learn his name.
Or maybe he’ll kill you and dump your idiot body in a ditch somewhere, snapped the logical side of her brain. Kelsey had to admit that this outcome was far more likely. Clearly, he had recognized her, but she was unable to determine whether that factor was in her favor or not. And there had been a definite trace of anger in his face right before he left, which didn’t bode well for her safety. Reflexively, she placed her hand on her belly. If worse came to worse, she could always tell him about the baby — but would he even care? She had no way of gauging his moral compass, and she suspected she wouldn’t until it was possibly too late to change his mind.
Kelsey took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly, letting the sound and sensation of her breath settle her mind. Hannah had been into weird, new-age stuff like meditation and crystals, and she had tried to teach her sister the ways of relaxation. But Kelsey — analytical, busy, high speed — had never picked up a knack for it. Her mind was always spinning, generating a thousand thoughts per minute. She could never get it to shut up. And after Hannah died, the mental noise got louder. But right now, her head felt emptier than it had in months. She had nothing to think about except the child in her womb and the man who was holding her captive. Maybe this was her new lot in life: permanent trophy. She rolled her eyes. No thanks.
But she couldn’t see a way out this time. None of the Mongols would know she was missing until Spike returned from his latest bender. And who knew when that would be? He’d likely remain blissfully unaware until at least tomorrow morning, and there was no guarantee he’d look for her once he did find out. Sure, he was a possessive bastard, but she didn’t need anyone to tell her he wasn’t thrilled about the pregnancy. If he saw her disappearance as a way out of an unwanted life, then she’d be forgotten in a matter of days. And then what? As sexy as this man was, he’d asked his people to kidnap her, and they had. She couldn’t pretend that didn’t raise all sorts of red flags. Her stomach filled with a heavy sense of hollow worry. What did he want? And what would he do with her once he got it?
The footsteps returned. Kelsey’s heart leapt into her throat and she swallowed it hard. The lock went back, and the door reopened. He looked a lot more composed this time, his face totally serene. He shut the door and leaned on it. God, he was so hot. She resented him deeply for it.
“My name is Chopper,” he said. “Who are you?”
Chopper? It figured that he’d use his dumb, hyper-masculine code name with her. She restrained herself from rolling her eyes and sat up a little straighter, putting on her practiced reporter’s mask. “Kelsey Jones,” she answered, icing over the emotion struggling to erupt in her voice. Then, she let a little of it come through. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, pulling women off the street like that? I’ve never felt so violated in my life!” She’d been scared too, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
Her anger didn’t faze him. Instead, he asked calmly what she was doing with Spike, punching the inquiry up with a little of her unnecessarily foul language. Kelsey wanted very badly to tell him to shove that question up his ass, but even in the heat of the moment, she knew it was best to stay as much on his good side as possible. She decided to play dumb and let her face fall into shock.
“Oh, God,” she breathed. “This is about Spike?” Of course it was. She had no idea if she was fooling him or not, but it was worth a try. When he came closer, she held her ground as much as she could while sitting on the bed. She didn’t get vibes of violence or bad intentions from him, despite the way he’d chosen to engineer their little meeting. In fact, he said out loud that he wasn’t going to hurt her.
He was still a fair distance away, but she could smell him now, a faint scent of cologne marred by the hazy odors of a garage. It triggered another rush of erotic memories. She felt herself getting wetter, and clutched the blanket tighter in her lap. He said other things, and she replied, but the conversation seemed devoid of consequence. She couldn’t focus on anything except his face and body, at least until he sat himself in the chair and told her that he wanted to talk business. Those were words she had heard at work a million times, and they always triggered a sort of transformation in her. Instantly, her mind cleared, as if she was preparing for an interview. Her gaze sharpened.
“All right,” she said. She knew he would need to call the shots, and she was perfectly happy to let him lay out his terms; she wasn’t even sure she wanted to try negotiating at all. But it gave her some confidence to at least pretend that she had some agency. Escape lingered in the back of her mind; she knew that the odds of liking his proposition were likely very slim, and she’d have to fall back on finding a way to escape after she refused whatever deal he was about to give her. The thought of calling Spike for help made her feel physically sick. Kelsey would rather be destitute than rely on him for anything more than he’d already given her. If she allowed him to play the hero, he’d lord it over her for the rest of her time with him. She wouldn’t be able to stand that. So, she got ready to devise a plan, no matter how haphazard, that might give her a fighting chance at survival. After that, she’d need to find another way to get to the heart of Hannah’s murder. It pained her to think of leaving behind everything she’d put into this avenue of her investigation, but nothing was worth crawling back to Spike.
“I want information,” Chopper was saying, bringing Kelsey out of her moment of introspection. “I want you to tell me everything you know about the Mongols: what their chain of command is, how they do their meetings, how and when they decide where to get their drugs. And I want to know everything Spike has ever told you about his business. I know he’s a chatty asshole, and I know he must have let some stuff slip after getting what he wants from you. I’ve been told he treats you like a treasure, so you must have some of his secrets in that pretty little head, yeah?”
The comment made Kelsey bristle at first, but somehow, in Chopper’s voice, the condescension she always heard when Spike talked to her seemed to melt away. Chopper spoke like a biker, but he did it with a certain smoothness that soothed her ears. No wonder he’d been able to get her into bed so fast; he made negotiations sound like a love poem. Not that she was about to give up easily. If he thought he could just sweet talk her into submission, he was wrong, and Kelsey had never been more determined to show it.
“What makes you think he told me anything?” she retorted. “Spike thinks my brain is made of fluff. He thinks women are good for sex and looking good.” It felt good to say those things out loud, opinions she’d held unvoiced for months.
Chopper laughed. She hated him for it; the sound was like candy to her ears. “Sure,” he said, “but Spike is as dumb as a bag of goddamn bricks. I won’t believe for a second that he hasn’t told his old lady a single thing about that drug trade. He’s just too fucking proud.” He leaned back in the chair. “Look, Kelsey. I’m putting you on the spot right now, okay? I know that. And I know it’s not fair of me to nab you like that and expect you to rat on your boyfriend. But you know what else I don’t believe? I don’t believe that you actually like him. I don’t believe he treats you right, and I don’t believe he’s worth a sack of shit in bed.”
He was right. She could see in his face that he knew it, too, the cocky bastard. She tossed her hair defiantly, balling her hands into fists in her lap. “Say I tell you what you want,” she said. “What do I get? This has to be a two-way street, you understand.”
Pre-biker Kelsey would never have said anything like that to a man like Chopper, and as she said it, that placid, normal part of her nearly screeched in disbelief. But she had a sense that Chopper was expecting it from her, and even more so, that he appreciated it.
“Of course, darlin’,” he said. “You think I’m gonna go to all this trouble and not make sure you’re taken care of? That’s not how the Outlaws do things. You help us, we’ll help you.” He lapsed into silence then, thinking deeply for a minute. “All right,” he said finally. “How’s this? Give me what I want, and I’ll make sure you can get the fuck away from Spike Lawler at the end of it. I’ll buy you any ticket to anywhere you want — plane, train, bus, I don’t care. And, you can have a cut of the money we’re gonna take from him. Consider it payment for your services.”
Kelsey chewed her lip. The deal was better than she’d expected —almost too good to be true. She examined Chopper searchingly for any hint of insincerity, and surprisingly, found none. “What’s the catch?” she said suspiciously, in a tone that made it clear she knew there was one.
“Aw, c’mon,” he said. But he winked. “Fine. Since you want one so badly, the catch is that you’re gonna stay here until we win. No ticket out until the fight is over. And while you’re here, I expect you to pay your dues, and I want you to do it by getting in bed with me. That fair?”
She didn’t answer right away. For some reason, the clause regarding Chopper’s bed took her a little bit by surprise. Information dealing, she could do, although she wouldn’t grant him total access to everything she knew. Her reporter’s instinct told her she had to leave herself a safety, a way to get back in with the Mongols in case the opportunity presented itself. This was a world rife with double-crossings; there was no reason for her not to participate, especially now that she’d gotten wrapped up with both sides of the rivalry. She couldn’t conceivably abandon the Mongols for good. They were too close to the heart of her original purpose. They knew too much.
But sleeping with Chopper would be crossing an invisible line — even she understood that. Technically, it was a line they’d already crossed together, but she’d had no knowledge of who he was then. Now, it would be a knowing betrayal of Spike and everything Spike stood for, a decision from which there would be no returning if the truth came to light before Spike was out of the picture. Was she willing to risk severing the Mongol ties that she was simultaneously vowing to preserve? If she lost favor with the Mongols, her chances of solving Hannah’s murder were all but gone unless she had some sort of miracle windfall. And if they blacklisted her — well, she’d get to see Hannah again.
The choice was surprisingly difficult, and Kelsey wrestled visibly with it for some minutes. In the end, her body won out over her mind and she nodded her consent. “Whatever you want,” she told Chopper, carefully keeping her tone neutral. Wouldn’t do her any good to inflate that already-enormous ego. “But if Spike finds out, there will be hell to pay.” This was something she did not have to tell him, but it made her feel better to get the issue out in the open.
Chopper laughed again, genuinely. “Who cares?” he said, grinning. “If Spike wants to keep you, he’s gonna have to fight for you. Besides, I want you to enjoy yourself while you’re here. And I know you enjoyed it the last time.”
So he did remember. Kelsey felt herself blush hotly. Her jeans suddenly seemed too tight, and she was hyper-aware of the dampness between her thighs. “I wasn’t going to bring that up,” she muttered. “I didn’t think it was relevant.”
“It wasn’t,” he agreed. “Until now.” He got up, moved the chair back, and stood waiting. “Come on. Let’s go someplace a little more comfortable. This room is basically a cell.”
Kelsey moved reluctantly from the bed. “Thanks for putting me in it,” she said dryly. With the acknowledgement of their hookup out of the way, it felt to her like the dynamic between them changed somewhat. She dropped some of her distance and allowed herself to begin to relax for the first time. Plus, now the promise of amazing sex lingered on the very near horizon. She told herself to forget about Spike, for now, at least.
Chopper led her to the other end of the floor, to a door that stood by itself, unmarked. “The master bedroom,” he intoned with a measure of endearing camp, as he unlocked it and swung it open. The inside was much more comfortable; it was more like an apartment than a room, complete with living area, kitchenette, and full bathroom.
“This is better than Spike’s,” she told him honestly. He grinned.
“You sure know how to make a man feel good,” he said.
Kelsey laughed. She couldn’t help it. The weirdness of their encounter had fallen away in the last thirty seconds, and she felt strangely as if she was on a date, seeing his place for the first time. All the reservations she’d had were still there, but they were further away, dulled by a bizarre sense of security. She felt safer with Chopper than she ever had with Spike.
He motioned for her to follow him into the bedroom. “This is the bed,” he said, gesturing. “I want to see you in it.”
“Now?” she asked.
“Yep.” He turned his back on her to pull out a drawer of the bureau, the matter clearly settled. Kelsey sat down on the edge of the mattress and sighed slightly as she sank into it. When Chopper faced her, he had a box of condoms in his hand. “You’re not allergic to latex, are you?” he wanted to know. The question seemed so sweetly out of place that Kelsey giggled.
“No,” she said, still smiling. “But —” Suddenly, she stopped herself, nearly clapping her hands over her mouth. She had come within half a second of telling him about her pregnancy, which might have broken the deal.
Chopper raised an eyebrow. “But?” He smirked. “Listen, as hot as you are, and as much as I’m looking forward to getting in bed with you again, I don’t know where Spike’s been, other than in you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Did you have to say it like that?” Relief flooded her system. A near miss, but a miss nonetheless. Sitting up straight, she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside.
“Okay, Chopper,” she said. “How did you put it before? Let’s talk business.”