Chapter Eleven

She whimpered and pressed closer; her hand touched his arm and shot electricity all the way through him. Lust slammed into him, and his free hand curled into a fist.

“We need to go now, mo anam. Or the next place I’m taking you is back to the hotel room where I’ll show you exactly what you do to me,” he whispered against her mouth.

Her slender body shook. Lera’s eyes were wide as she stared at him, lips full and inviting. His cock swelled when she licked them and nodded. “Right. Rissa.” She slid back and hooked her seatbelt. “I need my bike, Kori.”

His beast pounded so hard he barely heard her. But he did and headed back to the hotel, watching her jump out swiftly and head to her bike. He ogled her as she swung a leg over the Hayabusa, zipped up her jacket, tugged on her gloves, and put on her glasses. Kori shifted when his shaft throbbed as he witnessed the sensual look which passed her face as she started the motor.

“She loves that damn bike. Fuck, I’m so hard I could pound nails. That look on her face should be outlawed.”

Lera turned her head in his direction and grinned. Then, she gestured for him to go. All Kori wanted to do was haul her off that damn bike and drag her up to the hotel room and teach her how it should be between two halves of the same whole. Instead, he shoved his overwhelming need for her back and pulled out of the parking lot.

He watched her in the rearview mirror as he led them to the address they’d been given. She would drop back then come flying up on his ass, slow down and do it all over again. For the moment, she remained close behind him. Riding with one hand on the handlebar with the other upon her thigh and looking somewhat relaxed. Focusing back on the road, he realized he longed to take her out for a real date. Someplace nice. Lera deserved that and so much more.

Glancing back in the mirror, he frowned when he saw her back on the road, paused at an intersection. Kori braked and looked over his shoulder. Lera stared off to the left, her feet bracing the bike. His heart stuttered when he heard her rev the engine. She wouldn’t.

He breathed a bit easier when she followed him again. But before he could feel better, she whipped around and gunned it. His heart clenched when he watched her take the corner without slowing and vanish from sight. Muttering a round of curses his father would beat him for, Kori squealed his tires as he spun around and headed after her.

‘Lera!’

‘Why am I not surprised to hear you back in my head, Kori?’ Her tone was calm and slightly amused.

‘Where the fuck are you going?’

‘I have to check something out. Let me do this, Kori. Please, go to Butch; don’t let that lead get away.’

‘Get back here to me, Lera.’

‘Kori, please.’

Her tone amplified her desire for his compliance, and he pulled alongside the road and smacked the steering wheel. “Damn it!” ‘You will not put yourself in any undue danger, Valera.’

‘Thank you, Kori. I’ll just look. I’ll meet up with you.’

He didn’t like this, but he was doing his damndest to not demand her compliance. Lera was a hardheaded, strong woman. A survivor, who at the moment was desperately searching for her friend.

‘One more thing—’

‘I’ll be careful, Kori. Promise.’

He smiled over her need to finish his sentences even through his mind. With a deep breath, he turned his Humvee around again and headed off. About thirty minutes later, he pulled up before a rundown shack with rusted cars in the front yard and a few bathtubs as well. There was a nice bike that he parked by.

Two big ugly dogs came up snarling and barking. Kori jumped out of the cab and growled at them, smiling in perverse pleasure when they ran off, tails tucked between their legs. Then, he headed for the door and stepped up cautiously on the porch before knocking.

A brunette with not much on answered the door, a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth. “Yeah?” she snapped.

“I need to see Butch Caine,” he said as a rank odor poured from the house to cover him.

“Butch!” she hollered. “Some man’s here to see you.”

“Who the fuck is it?”

“I don’t know. Get your fat ass up here and see for yourself.” Her eyes traveled over Kori one more time before she walked away, leaving him alone in the doorway.

Okay, now I know what it feels like to be looked at like a piece of meat.

‘Got yourself an admirer do you, Kori?’ Lera’s arousing voice floated in his mind.

‘Jealous, mo chroí?’

‘No.’

He knew she lied. ‘I thought motorcycle chicks were possessive of their men.’

‘I’m not a motorcycle chick, Kori. And you’re not my man.’

‘We can agree on one of those statements and disagree on the other.’

He felt her snort of amusement. ‘Have you found out about Rissa?’

‘No, he’s on his way to me now. What are you doing?’

‘Looking at a quarry.’

A large, unwashed man walked into view, and Kori stared at him.

“Butch Caine?”

The biker grunted and scratched himself. “Who’s asking?”

“Mine name isn’t important. I want to know what you know about a young woman named Rissa.”

He shot a stream of brown juice onto the porch floor. “Don’t know no Rissa.”

Kori was agitated for being away from Lera so he wasted no time. His wolf at the surface, he snarled at Butch. “Tell me what you know, human.”

The man’s eyes grew wide, and he began to blubber. With an angry snap of his jaw, Kori grabbed him around the neck. He invaded his mind and found the information he needed. The vile things this man had done sickened him. Kori tightened his grip.

‘Kori?’

‘Yes, mo anam?’

‘You can’t kill him.’

‘The hell I can’t.’

‘Kori, they’ll come after me. I was looking for Butch Caine.’

He growled dangerously. Releasing the man, Kori stepped close and glared down at the fat man. “Listen to me, human. I will be watching you. You even think of doing anything close to what you’ve done before, and I will find you. I will find you and peel your skin off layer by layer. Then, I will start to torture you.”

The man’s eyes grew even bigger. “What are you?”

Allowing his wolf to seep through, he peeled his lips back, exposing lengthened canines. “Pray you never find out.”

Kori turned around and headed for his vehicle, just wishing the man would take the opportunity of his exposed back. The thought of making Butch Caine bleed brought a feral smile to fill his features. There was no attempt. Stepping up into his vehicle, Kori looked at the dilapidated house.

“What’d he want?” The woman’s shrill voice reached him.

“Shut up, woman, and get your ass in the house,” Butch said before actually shoving the woman back inside then shutting the door. Kori heard the click of the lock and shook his head.

Like that would stop me if I wanted in.

Kori started the Humvee and ignored the bickering which filtered to his ears. Backing up, he drove away from the house and sighed.

‘Where are you, Lera?’

‘I jaunted off to the Bahamas.’ Her tone smacked with sarcasm. ‘Where do you think I am? And what did you find out?’

‘At the hotel, we’ll discuss it.’

He could feel her sigh.

‘Fine. I’ll be there in a while.’

Not what he wanted to hear. Kori wanted her in his arms, to be able to put his eyes on her and ensure she was fine. ‘Not long, mo ghrá, and—’

‘Be careful. I know, I know.’

A smile curved up his lips. ‘Exactly.’

Her amusement could be felt. He relaxed a bit and headed back to the room. His calm didn’t last, and he paced while waiting for her to return. Anxiety hovered around him like a dark cloud.

“Okay, so I don’t want to be separated from her,” he muttered, flopping back on the bed. He started up at the ceiling and allowed himself a fantasy or two about Lera.