“I want you in my bed. My bed atmyhouse. I wanna walk to the kitchen naked. I wanna shower with you and take you against the wall. I don’t need my brothers hearing me screaming your name.”
Colt’s fingers plowed through my tangled hair as he brought his mouth to mine. It was over far too soon and he released me. He sat up to swing his legs over the side of the bed.
“Spare toothbrush in the drawer,” he said.
I shot him a grin as I rose and went to the bathroom. After washing up, I slipped on my dress. I took one last look in the mirror, pulled back my hair into a ponytail, and went into the bedroom. Colt was already dressed, and I watched him reach for his Glock on the nightstand and put it in his vest.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded. He opened the bedroom door, took my hand, and we walked through the clubhouse. The party had clearly moved indoors some time during the night. Empty beer bottles littered the floors and tables. Not to mention the naked bodies, including Boxer who had two busty, bare women in his arms. I lifted a hand to my eyes to shield my view and heard Colt chuckle.
“I have to open the gate,” he said when we got out onto the porch. “Prospects usually do it, but they were allowed in to the party last night, so they’re all still passed out.” He reached into his pocket to grab his truck keys and tossed them to me. “Get the engine going, yeah?”
I nodded and headed for his truck while he went to the gate. I unlocked the vehicle and was about to climb into the driver’s side, but I stopped to watch Colt. He was crouched over something I couldn’t see.
Out of sheer curiosity, I walked through the open gate toward him. When he heard my steps on the gravel, he turned and looked at me over his shoulder. “Babe, stop.” He stood up quickly, but he wasn’t able to conceal a pair of legs twisted at an odd angle.
“You don’t want to see this,” he stated, coming to stand in front of me.
“Yes, I do,” I said softly. “Please?”
He paused in obvious hesitation and then Colt moved aside to reveal a naked body sprawled on the ground. The swollen and bruised face was covered in blood, matting the dark hair and scalp. Grotesque burns covered the chest.
A sound of disbelief escaped my mouth and I dropped the truck keys that were in my hand. I shook my head in denial. A faint breeze stirred, carrying the smell of blood and charred flesh toward me.
My stomach revolted, and I turned my head and retched.
Chapter 12
Richie was dead.
All that was left of him was a scorched, beaten corpse. I heaved until there was nothing left.
“Mia,” I heard Colt call as I shuddered and wiped my mouth. A hand went to my back, and I jerked away.
“Don’t,” I said.
“Look at me,” Colt commanded.
His face was stoic and unyielding. Something inside of me broke; I threw myself at him and he caught me, hauling me to him, his strong arms wrapping around me.
“I got you,” he whispered against my hair. Shaking, I refused to cry. I wouldn’t break down, despite the sight of my former boss’s body.
“We were looking for him, babe,” Colt murmured.
“You were? Why?” I asked into his chest.
“To get some answers. We wanted to know what he had gotten himself into and why Dev sent his boys to grab you in the middle of the night.”
“Colt,” Zip called.
I turned my head to see the Blue Angels had roused themselves from sleep and were now standing on the porch of the clubhouse. There was no evidence in any of their postures that there had been a raging party the night before. They all looked fierce and ready for battle. I thought of the women who had spent the night. They would see Richie if they came outside.
Colt gestured with his chin. Reap and Boxer came down off the porch and went to Richie’s body. “Go back inside, darlin’,” Colt said, still holding onto me. “I’ll be there in a bit.” To Reap and Boxer he said, “This could be a trap. Get this body out of here now before the cops show up.”
He let me down and I bolted for the clubhouse, wanting to forget what I’d just seen.
Women from the party had finally begun to stir. They were too hungover to peer at me with much interest as they began slithering into their microscopic clothes. There was no chatter or greetings. They grabbed their belongings and stumbled toward the exit. When the clubhouse was finally quiet, I looked around at the mess, hating the disorder. I sprung into action immediately and began to clean up.