Chapter One
Army smacked Willow’s ass as he sat up in bed, his eyes squinting against the setting sun’s rays that poured through the open window.
“You’re leaving so soon?” she asked and grabbed hold of Army’s bicep to pull him back toward her.
He jerked out of her grasp and stood up. “I’ll be late for my brother’s fight if I stay for another round.” He walked to the bathroom.
“Can I go with you?”
“Nope. The event’s sold out,” he said over his shoulder before closing the door. Not wanting Willow to follow him into the shower, he pushed in the lock. Army was meeting up with several of his Night Rebels MC brothers at the Durango Center, and the last person he wanted glued to his side was Willow.
The doorknob turned slightly and then a soft knock tapped against the wood. Army turned on the water and stepped into the shower, welcoming the warm spray as he tuned out Willow’s muffled voice. Hooking up with her while he was in Durango was supposed to be fun, and for the most part it was, but for the past few months, Willow had begun to change what they had. She wanted to hang out after sex, hear from him when he was back in Alina, and even make future plans, but Army wanted no part of that. He had no intention of dating Willow or any other woman, and if she kept pushing him, he would lose her number and move on to the next.
Attracting women wasn’t a problem for the tall, well-built biker, and he liked a variety of chicks to choose from. The club girls were always fun, and the citizen women he hung out with were usually cool with his no-strings-attached requirement, but every once in a while a citizen wanted to change what they shared, and that’s when he’d bail. Willow was quickly rising to the top of his “too complicated” list.
As he came out of the bathroom, relief washed over him when he saw that Willow wasn’t waiting for him in bed. He grabbed his keys and spare change off the dresser and walked out of the room.
Willow sat on the couch and turned her lips up in a huge grin as she gestured to a plate of nachos and two beers on the coffee table. “I thought you’d be hungry and thirsty after all your hard work.” She winked at him.
He grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on. “Sorry, but I don’t have time. I’m meeting some of my friends, and I’m already running late.”
Her lips turned downward. “But I made the nachos for you. I don’t eat fried food, even chips.”
“I know and I appreciate the effort, but I didn’t ask you to do it. I told you I had to go.” There was no way he was going to let her guilt him into doing something he didn’t want. No one told him what to do. Plain and simple.
“Since your brother’s fighting tonight, I’m sure he could get a ticket for me.” Willow rose to her feet and came over to him, curling her arms around his neck. “Please?” She kissed him softly along his jaw.
Army stiffened then gently pushed her back. “I told you it’s sold out. Anyway, that’s not what we do. Didn’t I give you a good time?”
“Yes, but I thought we could start doing more than just having sex.” She crossed and uncrossed her arms.
Sighing, he shook his head. “We hook up when I’m in Durango. It’s just for fun. You know I’m not looking for anything more than that. If you want to move on, I’m good with that.”
Panic flashed across her face. “No … I didn’t say that. I just thought we could go out once in a while for dinner or a movie.”
“Sorry, I’m not your guy for that. I thought you were dating. That’s what you told me a few weeks ago. Go to dinner and the movies with those dudes.” Army took out his phone and read a text from Chains asking where the hell he was. “I’m outta here.”
“Wait!” Willow pulled at his sleeve. “Can we see each other again before you go back?”
“I don’t have time. I’m leaving tomorrow.” He opened the front door.
“You’ll call me when you come back in town, right?” Her voice quivered slightly.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Willow fidgeted with the button on her robe. “You know, I’m good with what we have. I don’t know why I said what I did.” She came up to him and placed her hands on either side of his face. “Kiss me.”
Army pressed his lips against hers for a second then broke away. “Everyone’s waiting for me. I’ll see ya.” He walked out of the apartment and headed toward the elevator. Willow was standing in the hallway waving to him as the doors closed, but he just stared at her while making a mental note to send her a text when he returned home. The look on her face and the break in her voice told him the affair was over, at least for him.
Pulling up in front of the Durango Center, he saw the motorcycles of Chains, Crow, Eagle, Sangre, Paco, Cueball, Goldie, and Steel. After parking next to them, he entered the lobby and walked up to his brothers.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” Chains said as he bumped fists with Army. “What took you so long?”
Before Army could answer, Eagle punched him in the arm. “Fucking up a storm with Willow?” The men laughed.
“What can I say? She couldn’t leave me alone,” Army replied as he took the tickets out of his pocket.
“When you’re done with her, give me her number. She’s hot as hell,” Eagle said, a smile in his voice.
“I’m moving on. I’ll give it to you in Alina.” Army walked toward the entrance. “Have the fights started?”
“Yeah. They’ve gone through two matches so far. Why’re you done with Willow?” Eagle asked as he came behind Army.
“She wants to change our arrangement.” Army pushed open the doors.
“They always do, dude, so that’s why I only hookup with the club girls,” Chains said.
The sour scent of sweat and a wall of warm air greeted them as they walked into the medium-sized room. Rows of chairs filled with men and a few women framed the cage standing in the middle of the room. It was set high above the audience, where the two men punched, kicked, and drew blood inside of it. Jeers mixed with cheers surrounded them as the fighters went down on the floor, writhing and grunting loudly.
“Here we are,” Army said, pointing to a row close to the ring.
“When’s Taylor on?” Goldie asked as he took his seat.
“The ring girls are fuckin’ hot,” Crow said, sliding into the row.
“Does your brother know any of them? Maybe we can party with them after the fights,” Eagle said.
“He probably does. I’ll ask him. I could go for the dark-haired one with the Daisy Dukes. Fuck, I love a woman in short shorts.” Army sat down and shrugged off his jacket, then he uncrumpled the schedule and looked at it. “Taylor’s the fourth one. He’s won his last five matches, so I hope he nails this fucker’s ass too.” He turned to face his brothers and added, “Two recruiters are here looking for fighters to go pro, and I think Taylor’s got a real good chance. It’d be fuckin’ awesome for him.”
“He’s a damn good fighter, bro,” Sangre said as Paco and Steel nodded in agreement.
“He deserves to go pro,” Cueball said. “He works so damn hard. When I came by here a couple of weeks ago, I asked if he wanted to shoot some pool and have a few beers at Harry’s Hall, but he said he was in training and he had to go to the gym and wasn’t gonna drink until after the fight. I was fuckin’ impressed. To pass up beer? Damn … that’s discipline.” He motioned over a woman with a bright orange strap over her shoulders and a vending tray in front of her filled with cups of beer. Then he held up four fingers.
“Twenty dollars,” the woman said, smiling widely at Army. Cueball handed her a twenty and passed two beers to Army, then took the other two for himself. “Thank you.” The usherette’s gaze lingered on Army then she licked her lips and looked at Eagle, who yelled out his order.
“Thanks, bro,” Army said to Cueball as he brought one of the cups to his lips. He watched the woman as she handed glasses of beer to Eagle and the others. The woman looked hot in her uniform, which consisted of tight spandex shorts and a low-cut blouse, and he knew all he had to do was give her a wink and they’d be tearing up the sheets later that night. She glanced over at him and bit the corner of her mouth, but he looked away; he’d promised Taylor that they’d hang out.
The bell rang and the fighter in bright yellow shorts held up his arms in victory as blood streamed down his face. “And ‘Torturer’ does it again!” the ring announcer yelled. “Elio Sandoval is hot right now. This is his seventh win in a row.”
“Has Taylor fought that dude?” Cueball asked.
“No. He’s in the heavyweight division. Taylor’s middleweight.” Army motioned for the beer girl to come over.
She winked at him and rushed over, leaning in deeply to show off her stunning cleavage. For a split second, Army debated on whether he should fuck her later that night, but decided that he could catch her the next time he came up to see Taylor fight.
“What’ll you have, sugar?”
“She didn’t call me sugar,” Cueball said under his breath.
“Because you don’t have my blue eyes,” Army said as he held up two fingers. Women were always complimenting him on his gunmetal blue eyes. “Brown eyes are damn boring.”
“Fuck you,” Cueball said, taking the cup Army handed him.
Sangre nudged Army’s side. “Taylor’s up next.”
A rush of adrenaline surged through him as the announcer stood in the middle of the ring. He saw his brother seated on a stool in the right corner as two muscular men hovered over him, most likely giving Taylor last minute pep talks and instructions. Then Taylor rose to his feet and moved to the middle of the ring, meeting his opponent with a scowl etched across his brow.
Fuckin’ nail him. Army perched on the edge of the chair, his left hand gripping the metal corner of the seat. Taylor’s opponent was a stocky guy, a couple of inches shorter than him. Army didn’t think he looked any more or less muscular than Taylor, but anything could happen at a mixed martial arts match.
The bell rang. “Fuck,” Army whispered under his breath as he watched his brother and Calvin “Destroyer” Hemsley assess each other. Suddenly, red and green gloved fists threw punches: fast and hard, over and over.
“Taylor’s gonna own this fucker,” Eagle said, his eyes fixed on the two fighters.
Before Army could agree, Taylor’s fist connected with a right punch behind Destroyer’s ear and it was done; he’d knocked out his opponent in the first round. The crowd went wild and Army leapt to his feet, screaming out his brother’s name as his chest swelled.
“Mayhem takes the win!” the ring announcer yelled.
“That was so fuckin’ awesome!” Paco said, clasping Army’s shoulder.
“That’s my brother. That damn Destroyer didn’t stand a chance.” A grin spread across his face as he continued to pump his fist in the air. The two men who’d been around Taylor before the fight started ushered him away from the ring. Glancing at his friends, Army said, “I’ll be back. I’m gonna congratulate my little brother.”
“The next match is between Stiletto and Athena. They’re competing in the lightweight division.” The ring announcer’s voice filled the room.
“They’re chicks,” Cueball said.
Army glanced at the ring then stopped dead in his tracks. A woman with long, toned legs wearing high-as-hell red heels walked up the steps. She turned to the audience and flashed a seductive smile. Then she looked at him—her eyes held his and suddenly he felt as if he was drowning in their depths. They were a beautiful golden amber and shone like the glow of morning sunlight.
“You going or staying?” Eagle asked.
“What?” Jerked back to the moment, Army realized that he’d spent the last thirty seconds staring at this captivating woman.
“Damn, these chicks are hot. All they need is a vat of mud,” Cueball said.
Army sat back down and watched the amber-eyed fighter slowly take off her high heels. Her caramel brown hair was in braided cornrows that came together to form a bun on top of her head. Simple movements like slipping on black open-fingered gloves, shaking out her arms, and tucking in a few stray strands of hair into her bun struck him as the sexiest moves he’d seen from a woman in a long time. The fighter wore tight black shorts that fit around her high, rounded ass perfectly, and a neon purple sports bra, which showcased her tits. Fuck. Why the hell didn’t Taylor tell me about this fighter? His brother would call him and share some gossip and anecdotes about the different fighters, but he hadn’t remembered Taylor ever mentioning this hot-as-sin MMA fighter.
“Maybe they’ll pull each other’s tops down,” Eagle said and Cueball and Crow laughed.
“Get serious,” Army said, his voice laced with irritation. “The women fighters work just as hard … maybe even harder than the dudes. They have to prove themselves to everyone.”
“You got a hard-on for one of them?” Eagle laughed. “There’s no way you’re giving us a lecture on chick fighters unless you want to get into one … or maybe both of their shorts. With all that strength and flexibility, I bet they’d be great fucks.”
Chains and Crow busted out, and Cueball slapped Eagle’s back. “Good point, bro.” He turned to Army. “Maybe Taylor can introduce them to us after the fights … and the ring girls, for sure.”
The bell rang, and Army watched, transfixed, as Stiletto and Athena squared off. The way she moved with her hands punching Athena’s face in a series of boxing strikes, and her toned arms flexing with each hit, caused a surge of heat to burn through Army’s body. The people in the row ahead of him were on their feet, and he stood up just as Athena delivered a kick to the side of Stiletto’s head that made her fall to the floor. Army held his breath, his insides tight, as Athena pounced and caught Stiletto, forcing her into submission. For a few seconds it looked like Athena would be the victor, but the lithe fighter escaped from the hold, leapt to her feet, and continued her assault on Athena with elbow strikes and several strong kicks. Taut skin, shiny from sweat, covered her well-toned muscles, and a wicked dragon tattoo glared while it hugged the fighter’s side, disappearing around her back. Fire blazed out of its fanged mouth with its blood-dripping talons raised as if to strike. It was mesmerizing, but not as enthralling as the way Stiletto delivered high kicks and Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves. Then a devastating elbow jab and right kick knocked Athena to the ground.
“Damn. These chicks can fight,” Crow said.
“Afraid they’d beat your ass?” Goldie laughed.
“They’d definitely make me break some sweat,” Crow answered. “My money’s on the chick with the sexy as hell purple bra.”
“I’ll bet on the other chick. The one on the floor with her legs spread wide. Fuck, what a waste.” Cueball took out a twenty-dollar bill. “Who you betting on?” he asked Army.
Without taking his eyes off the fight for one second, Army crossed his powerful arms. “Stiletto, all the way. She knows her shit and can she move.”
Before any of the other guys placed their bets, Stiletto had her legs closed together, one of them on Athena’s neck, the other right below her armpit. As Stiletto straightened, she held her opponent’s wrist tightly, bending it in a way a wrist wasn’t supposed to be bent. Tears streamed down Athena’s face.
“Stiletto has her in an arm bar. Pay up.” Army held out his hand, his gaze still fixed on the fighters. Then he saw Athena tap the ground, signaling the referee to stop the match, and he closed his hand around the crisp twenty-dollar bill.
“I wanted Athena to win,” Cueball said, shaking his head. “I’m a sucker for blondes.”
“That was the hottest thing I’ve seen in a while,” Eagle said.
“Hailey should’ve been here to watch that fight. She’s getting into mixed martial arts.” Goldie plopped down on the metal chair.
“Really? I didn’t think there were any MMA training gyms in Alina,” Army said as he watched a large muscular guy escort Stiletto down the stairs, his bulging arm wrapped around her.
“She goes to Alina Martial Arts.”
“I bet the training is weak as shit over there. I still say there isn’t a decent training gym in the whole damn county.”
“Breanna goes to their self-defense classes. She’s trying to get Chelsea to join her,” Steel said as he glanced down at the schedule.
“Hailey doesn’t want to compete. She just wants to learn some tactics and self-defense. I tried teaching her but we always ended up fucking at some point, so she decided to go to the gym.” Goldie laughed.
“I’ve been there with Breanna, bro. We never finished a full lesson.” Steel tipped his chair backward.
“Are there any more chicks fighting tonight?” Chains asked.
“Doesn’t look like it,” Goldie replied, laying the schedule on his denim-clad thigh.
“I’m gonna see how Taylor is. I’ll be back in a few,” Army said.
“Bullshit. You wanna see that Stiletto chick up close. You’ve got a boner for her,” Eagle said as Army slipped past him.
Ignoring his comment, Army made his way toward the ring. Two burly men stood sentry at the door leading to the back area.
“Where’s your badge?” one of them asked.
“Taylor ‘Mayhem’ Conway is my brother, dude.”
Stone-faced, he stared at Army. “That means shit. You got a badge?”
Anger pricked his nerves and he took two steps until he was almost nose to nose with the man. “I just fuckin’ told you, Taylor’s my brother.”
“Anyone can say that. Step back. Now.”
Army’s hands clenched into fists and blood rushed to his throbbing temples.
“He’s cool, Rocky. I know him,” a sultry voice said behind him.
Army whirled around and the air sucked out of his lungs as his eyes locked with Stiletto’s.
“If you say so,” Rocky said dully.
Army tore his gaze from her face and ran it slowly over her body, tensing when it landed on the swell of her tits, which spilled over the top of her tight-fitting sports bra. Desire raced through him as he drew in a raspy breath.
“I’m up here,” she said, a frown creasing her forehead. He snapped his gaze back to her face. She shook her head then brushed past him and went through the door Rocky held open. “Get in, or your chance is lost.”
Army watched her hips sway and her ass bounce as he followed her. “You did a great job in the ring.”
Stiletto looked over her shoulder as she kept walking, her high heels clacking on the concrete floor. “Thanks. Taylor’s in there.” She pointed to a door on the right.
“Wait up. How about a drink or something after the fights?”
She stopped so abruptly that he ran into her, her fine ass bumping against his hardness. Turning around, her face wore a mask of contempt. “I was just helping you out because Taylor’s been talking about you coming to the fight for the past week.”
“You sure that’s the only reason?” Army leaned back on his heels.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not into cocky jerks.”
“Army,” Taylor’s voice said behind him. “Way to go, Stiletto. You kicked Athena’s ass good.”
Her chuckle was slow and warm like honey. Army stared at her lips. I wonder if she tastes as sweet as she sounds.
“I’m glad I broke my losing streak. Later.” Stiletto glanced at Army. “You can stop fantasizing now.” She spun around and walked away. Army watched the tattoos on her back move until a firm clasp on his shoulder diverted his attention.
“Did you catch my fight? I looked for you earlier but didn’t see you,” Taylor said.
Army pulled his brother into a bear hug. “I wouldn’t miss your match. You fuckin’ nailed the bastard. A knockout in less than five minutes? The recruiters will be banging down your door.”
Taylor patted Army’s back then stepped back. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I still have losses in matches I should’ve easily won.”
“That was a while ago. Your last several fights were great. No way the UMMAC doesn’t want you.” He glanced around the small room and spotted a mini-fridge in the corner. “You got some beer in there? We gotta celebrate.” He went over and bent down.
“Get one for you,” Taylor answered.
“I’m not drinking alone. You can have one fuckin’ beer. Your fight’s over, bro.” Army took out two cans and handed one to Taylor. “Don’t argue about it. Just drink the damn thing.” He sat on the small couch, cracked open the top, and took a deep gulp, then he motioned his brother to drink up.
Taylor plopped down in an armchair. “Did any of the Night Rebels come?” He slowly brought the can to his lips and stared at it as though it were poison.
“Yeah. My prez and VP are here.”
“Steel and Paco came?” Army nodded. “That’s cool,” Taylor said before he took a small sip.
“Cueball’s here too and some of the others. They wanna go to Harry’s Hall after the fights. They’ll expect you to join them.” Army shook his head. “Don’t give me that look, dude. You can come out to play for an hour. Damn, you can’t train all the time. You gotta have some fun too.”
“Now you sound like Dad.” Taylor put his beer down on the table. “It’s hard for you guys to understand, but I’m trying to go pro. It’s all I think about. Once that happens, I’ll slow down a bit.”
“I get it, but you need to relax. When’s the last time you got laid?” Army crushed his can, tossed it in the trash, then went over to the fridge and took out another beer.
Taylor snorted. “How the hell is that your business?”
Army rubbed his hand on Taylor’s smooth head then sat down again. “It’s not, but as your big brother, I’m just making sure that you’re keeping all of your parts toned.”
“I’m doing just fine.” The corners of his mouth curled up.
“What’s the story with the chick in the high heels?” Army stared at the metallic writing on the can.
“Stiletto? I don’t know. She’s an MMA fighter.”
“I fuckin’ know that. I mean, how long has she been training at the gym with you? I don’t remember seeing her before.”
“She’s been there for a while. You probably didn’t pay any attention. You like your women blonde, stacked, and with a ton of curves.”
“She’s been there for years? No way.” I definitely would’ve remembered her, and she’s stacked just fine.
“Not that long. She moved to Durango from Arizona. She’s been with us for a year or so. You’ve only been to the gym a few times in the past year, so I’m not surprised you didn’t run into her. She usually trains at night. Anyway, she’s really good. When she came to Champion, she was in the middle of a losing streak.”
“She kicked ass tonight.” Army wanted to ask if the dude he saw escorting her from the ring was her man, but he didn’t want Taylor to give him that look. He was also pretty sure Taylor would do everything in his power to make sure he kept Stiletto away from his big brother. Army had the reputation of being a heartbreaker, and neither of his two brothers would ever hook him up with any women. Not that he wanted to hook up with Stiletto, he was just curious, that was all.
“She fought real well. Mia’s worked hard for tonight’s win. I’m happy for her.” Taylor looked down at his phone. “Dad’s saying he’s sorry he missed the fight.”
“He’ll make it to the next one. So Stiletto’s name is Mia?”
“What?” Taylor looked up.
“The chick who fights.” Army hated himself for asking.
“Oh … yeah. Her name’s Mia. Why all the questions?”
The hair on the back of his neck bristled. “Are you going to Harry’s or not?”
“Yeah, I’ll go. Why’re you pissed all of a sudden?”
“I’m not pissed.” Army rose to his feet. “I gotta get back to my seat. I rode my bike, so we can just meet at Harry’s after the fights.”
“Okay. Are you sure you’re not mad?”
“Yep.” The truth was—flames of anger licked through him. He wasn’t the type to ask questions about a chick. If he saw a woman who piqued his interest, he’d lock eyes with her then give her his boyish grin, and by the end of the night, they’d be fucking up a storm at her place. Asking about Stiletto or Mia or whatever the hell her name was reeked of weakness, and it pissed the hell out of him. Big time.
“Come in,” Taylor said.
Army jerked his head back; he hadn’t even heard anyone knock. Taylor opened the door and she stood there. Long, glossy caramel-brown hair with toffee streaks running through it tumbled loosely over her shoulders. Stiletto had changed into a short-as-hell black dress that hugged her hips and thighs and showed off the tempting swell of her breasts. Army ran his gaze down the length of her, his pants growing snug as he took in her shapely legs, the chain tattoo around one of her ankles, and the high heels. For a split second, all he could see was himself pounding inside her with those fuck-me heels digging into his ass.
“What’s up?” Taylor asked.
Taylor’s voice took Army out of the moment, and he lifted his gaze to Stiletto’s face. She glared at him with high color in her cheeks. If you didn’t want me to stare at you, sweetheart, you shouldn’t have worn that sexy-as-hell dress. You came over here to see me. You’re not fooling me one fuckin’ bit.
“Goliath wants to see you,” she said, diverting her attention away from Army.
Army walked over, and the scent of lemongrass and basil swirled around him. “You smell good,” he said in a low voice.
Ignoring him, Stiletto leaned against the doorframe.
“If you don’t want me to rub against you then get out of the way. But … maybe that’s exactly what you want.” He quirked his lips.
“Army!” Taylor’s voice boomed behind him as Stiletto moved away.
“See you at Harry’s. Oh … and bring the ring girls. Me and the guys wanna have some fun.”
From his peripheral vision, he saw Stiletto’s eyes widen and a bolt of satisfaction raced through him. Feeling her gaze on him, he swaggered down the hall with a big smile plastered across his face.
We’ll be fucking by the end of next week.
He went back inside the arena.