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  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m keeping you in place, which is where you belong.”

  “I don’t like you very much right now.”

  “I don’t care what or who you like.” He dropped a kiss to her lips. “I made a deal with you. What I’m about to tell you, you really can’t let anyone else know.”

  “Fine. I’ve got to prove to you anyway I can keep my mouth closed.” She frowned. “Hold on a second. You’re not going to trust me, are you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m here because you don’t think I can keep my mouth shut. Are you going to kill me? Silence me? What?”

  “When we know we can trust you, you’ll be free to leave.”

  “You’re keeping me in the clubhouse now as a prisoner?”

  “You’re free to walk around, so you’re not a complete prisoner.”

  “Oh, yay, me. I don’t have to worry about being locked in one place. Just call everyone with how excited I am.”

  “Stop being an ass.”

  She glared at him. “I’m not being anything.” She folded her arms. “Tell me.”

  Landon stroked his hands up and down her thighs, watching her.

  Crouching down, he lifted one of her feet and slid the shoe off, then the other.

  “For the club it’s a tradition if you will. Something to separate the old ladies from the club whores. When you become a man’s old lady, in the eyes of the club, it’s not by a wedding band. It’s by a certain claiming.”

  “What do they do?”

  “In front of several members of the club, they fuck,” Landon said, pulling her skirt down her body.

  Anna put a hand to his chest. “Wait, what? There’s no way anyone would agree to that.”

  “The club recognizes the claim. No other man is allowed to touch her, but for the rest of their lives, they will risk everything to help keep them safe. All of the old women wearing leather cuts, they have all done it. Been claimed by their man in front of the club. I’ve witnessed a couple.”

  “And how does it work for the club whores?”

  “Several men fuck them. They’re not off limits.”

  “Ew, that’s gross.”

  “You’d be surprised how many enjoy it. They’re here to serve, nothing more.”

  “I don’t think I like you very much right now.”

  “I don’t need you to like me, just to want me.” He pressed a hard, demanding kiss to her lips, and she moaned, cupping his cheek and sinking against him.

  “You make me forget everything,” she said.

  “That’s the idea.” He kissed her again, harder, urging her back against the bed.

  She didn’t fight him. His hand slid between her spread thighs, and she moaned his name.

  “I’ll never be an old lady. I don’t like performing for an audience.”

  “Good, because I haven’t asked you to.” He took control, stopping all conversation as he kissed her harder still, and she melted against him, not wanting to let him go.

  ****

  Several days later, Landon knew he didn’t have much choice left. He had to go and see Maya. Leaving Anna’s care to a couple of the club brothers, he took his bike and rode the distance to the rehabilitation center. They were paying a great deal of money into the place for her to have a private room and round-the-clock care.

  He took a few minutes with the doctor to discover Maya was still in withdrawal, and her mood swings showcased how she was dealing with being forced not to take drugs. She didn’t always eat, so they had to insert a feeding tube, and she would attack the nurses. Duke had already told him how he’d sent in a generous donation to help with them being nice to Maya.

  Entering the room, he saw Maya, sitting up. Her hands were chained to the bed. She looked filthy. Her long hair was greasy, and looked like it hadn’t been washed in days.

  “Hey,” Landon said.

  Maya glared at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see how you’re doing.” He closed the door behind him but didn’t make a move to go any closer to give her more space. A part of him still felt like he’d betrayed her. In a way, he had. He’d promised to take care of her, and in the end, he’d done this.

  “How do you think I’m fucking doing? Look at me, Landon. Believe it or not, I didn’t ask for this. Wow, who knew you could be so touchy about me wanting a fuck. It makes me wonder if that’s what you want from me.”

  “I don’t,” Landon said.

  “Could have fooled me. Don’t you love all the pussy you can have?”

  “This person isn’t you.”

  “Oh, please, you didn’t know me before.”

  “I knew you after, and if this is the real you, you wouldn’t have been able to keep up the act for so long. This is the drugs. Your need. You’re acting out.”

  “I’m not a child anymore. You need to stop fucking treating me like one.” She started to scream and fight against the restraints. “I hate this. I hate you. And I hate that fucking club. All of you. Men are all the same. You use and abuse women. It’s what you do. So I decided to get ahead of the game. I wanted to have a little fun.”

  “And you had to be completely stoned to even enjoy it.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “No, thank you. They’re running some tests to see if you caught anything while you were enjoying your freedom.”

  “Oh, please, I didn’t catch anything.”

  “You also didn’t use a condom.” He tutted. Landon didn’t know what to do with this woman before him. She was nothing like the woman he’d been living with, at least not when she arrived.

  “Just give me something for the pain. Come on, Landon, you know how hard it can get for me. I need something. I’m afraid here. Please.”

  One moment she went from begging, to sobbing. She sounded like a child. There were a few glimpses of the old Maya, but that was all they were.

  “There’s nothing I can give you.”

  “Fucking useless.” She swiped at her face.

  “What happened, Maya?” Landon asked. He grabbed a chair, dragging it over toward his friend. He’d taken care of her and done everything he could to protect her.

  “What is it you want me to say? You expected me to remain a child forever, is that it? Some sad little girl with a damaged past?”

  “I don’t believe you’re damaged, Maya. I didn’t expect anything from you. I certainly didn’t want this for you.” He pointed at the bed, at the cuffs.

  “Then get them to take them off me. Please.” She started pleading again.

  “Not going to happen.”

  “Useless fucking asshole. What good are you to me, huh? You’re a waste of fucking space. That’s what you are. Waste of space. You’re nothing. Not even worth wearing the leather cut.” She started to fight against the restraints again. “Let me go.”

  “You’re going to stay here until you’re well again.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “We caught Winston,” Landon said.

  Maya immediately stopped moving. “What?”

  “We arranged a meeting, and it would seem you owe him a lot of money. You ran through your allowance really fucking fast, didn’t you?”

  “What did you do to him?”

  “No matter what happens, you’ll never find any supplies from him.”

  She burst out laughing. “You think he’s the only fucker who can get me drugs? You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think there’s a problem in Vale Valley. Anything you want, you can get. Haven’t you learned that already? Nothing is sacred, and people don’t jump through hoops for the Trojans MC.”

  Landon smiled. “You think we don’t know a problem. We’re already dealing with it, sweetheart. You get well. We’ll make sure your name is blacklisted, and anyone who sells you anything will have to deal with us.” He got to his feet and headed toward the door. “You know, I never understood when parents said how disappoin
ted they were with a kid. Looking at you, hearing you, I know completely what they’re going through.”

  “Fuck you.”

  She was sobbing now though, and to Landon, they looked like real tears. He doubted they were, but he was going to pretend otherwise.

  ****

  Holly lowered the book she was reading as Duke walked into their bedroom. They weren’t at the clubhouse tonight, which she was thankful for. She didn’t mind hanging out and having a couple of days there, but she did miss her home.

  “Did the kids go to sleep okay?”

  “They’re sound asleep,” he said, dropping down on the bed beside her. “You’re studying to impress our latest friend to the club?”

  “I’m thinking about it. I’m wondering if it would be worth feeding her,” she said. “Do you think Landon is going to keep her around?”

  “I don’t know when it comes to him. He’s kept her longer than I expected.”

  “He has feelings for her. You should have heard the way he talked to Scarlet the other day. He pushed her down a couple of pegs and then some.” She closed the book, rolling closer to her husband, seeing how troubled he was. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You can tell me.”

  “I know.”

  “If you’re worried about scaring me, don’t be. I’m here. I’m by your side for whatever it is you need.” She cupped his cheek, drawing him closer to kiss him. They’d been through so much together, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him. “What is it?”

  “Maya, the drug problem. Ned Walker.”

  “I thought you decided against Ned.” She knew Ned Walker was connected to The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds MCs through family, but in the last decade, they no longer ran drugs or guns. From what she knew, they helped another MC with witness protection, and were on the right side of the law. Again, she didn’t know everything because her love was of the Trojans, and they didn’t accept an alliance with any other club.

  “I had.”

  “Now you’re doubting yourself. You think Ned has found another way to get into Vale Valley?”

  “I don’t know.” He ran a hand down his face, reaching out to push her hair off her shoulder. “It seems to be too much of a coincidence, doesn’t it, that Maya ends up becoming a druggie, and Ned’s looking for a new distribution chain.”

  “I thought he had the Vegas chapter of The Skulls,” she said.

  “I don’t doubt it for a second he has everything. I’m going to organize a meeting with Lash.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes. I want to know if he’s got anything to do with the drugs.”

  “What has Danny said?”

  “He’s asking around, but again, he’s playing it low key. We don’t want his cover blown, and this way, he can find us the link.”

  “He’ll find it.” Danny was one of Duke’s old friends. He’d been doing a lot of traveling around the country and Europe before finally taking a chance to settle in Vale Valley. He didn’t want to be part of the club, and Duke respected that. Their friendship wasn’t known, so it made for the perfect cover for him to check out any drug sources while also being the town’s ink man.

  “I know. We’ve got to wait. Be patient.”

  “Why don’t you wait for Danny to come through and then reach out to Lash? I doubt The Skulls will have any idea about the problem. They’re all clean now,” she said.

  “I won’t do anything to make The Skulls believe I don’t have control of my town, but I’m not going to risk your or anyone else’s safety. You mean too much to me to give up.”

  “I know.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you so much.”

  He held her close, kissing the top of her head. “I love you too. Always have and I always will.”

  Chapter Eleven

  With her legs folded and her hands resting on her knees, Anna closed her eyes and tried to meditate, even as the music from downstairs kept on getting louder.

  Landon had to run some special kind of club errand, which she couldn’t know about. The secrets in the club were so exhausting. She missed her apartment. It had been nearly a week since she’d been back home, and she was in some serious sewing withdrawal. She was also tired of trying Holly and Mary’s food with them staring at her like she was some kind of bug.

  Kasey, one of the other club women, assured her it was natural to them. For Anna, it really wasn’t. She didn’t want to keep on staying at the club.

  Someone made a bang, and she heard laughter. Trying to meditate was useless with all the racket.

  Moving toward the window, she slammed it closed. “Bye, bye, gentle breeze.” She glared down into the yard. A couple of trash bins had flames coming out, and they looked like a bunch of schoolchildren who had finally been allowed out to play. “I just want some peace.”

  “It’s party day,” Landon said, entering the room.

  “All you guys do all day is party.”

  He pressed a hand to his heart. “You scold me.”

  “What is it you want?” she asked.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m attempting to meditate. As you can see, it’s not working.”

  “Meditating is all about relaxing. Find yourself at one with nature, right?”

  “I have no idea,” she said.

  “Fucking can be just as relaxing.”

  “I want to go home.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Why not? I’m not going to tell anyone about you guys killing the drug dealer.”

  Landon pushed her up against the wall, slamming his hand across her mouth. “Let’s get one thing clear, okay? You want to be able to breathe and speak again, you better not speak another word of what went down here. This is what Duke was talking about. Not one word, not even a hint of what you know. Got it?”

  She nodded her head.

  He let his hand down, and she stared at him, a little shocked. “I’m starting to think you need anger management.”

  “There are rules here, Anna. Abide by them.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “You’ll get killed.”

  “I don’t like being pushed into a corner. That guy sold drugs to your friend. He was a bad guy. I get it.”

  “Do you get it, or are you just saying that?”

  “Did anyone tell you, you’ve got trust issues?”

  “Noted. Most women want something out of us.”

  “Believe it or not, I want to go home.”

  “And one day you will. First, you’re going to the party downstairs.”

  “Why? Is Misty going to be there? Danny?”

  “Nope. Neither of them have been invited.”

  “Then I hate to break it to you, I’m really not interested.”

  She saw the smirk on his face.

  “What?”

  “I seem to remember you being very … interested in how bad a party can get.”

  “This is one of those parties?”

  “Why not? Beer is flowing. Kids are nowhere in sight. Some of the old ladies are here, but they don’t mind to party hard.”

  “Where are the kids?” she asked.

  “I believe Leanna and Lindsey agreed to have them tonight. They’re babysitting with the help of Crazy and Pie.”

  She hated to admit she was intrigued by the idea of seeing them without any restraint. She didn’t for a second believe it could be worse than what she witnessed a few weeks ago. Was it a few weeks ago? It seemed like a lifetime already to her.

  Landon had entered her world, and with it, he’d brought so much … intensity into her life, and good sex. She couldn’t forget the amazing sex they’d enjoyed.

  “You’re tempted,” he said. “Come on, baby, you know you want to see it.”

  She looked out of the window, hating to show any kind of weakness, but she’d be lying to herself and to Landon if she told him otherwise.

  “Fine. I’ll come down, for, like, a couple of drinks
, so long as you don’t leave me alone with Holly and Mary.”

  “You don’t like them?” he asked.

  “It’s not that I don’t like them. They seem like great women, but they ask a lot of questions. It’s not always fun or good.” She shrugged.

  “You’re like a new toy to them. It’ll be fine. Trust me. They want to make you welcome is all.”

  “Why? What we’re sharing is only temporary. I’m sure you’ll find a replacement for me who’ll be into the whole public display of sex and stuff.” She glanced through Landon’s small closet at some of her clothes. Landon went by her place to pick out a couple of items of clothing, and this was what he brought back. She wasn’t going to complain as she pulled on a dress and a pair of panties.

  Next, she put on a pair of flat sandals, and she was good to go.

  Tucking her hair behind her ear, she stepped out to see Landon pulling on another shirt before he put on his jacket again.

  “Do you ever take it off?” she asked.

  “Only when it’s hot. It’s important to all of us.”

  He held out his hand, and she knew part of her didn’t want to leave the room. Her curiosity got the better of her, and taking his hand, she followed him out of the room and downstairs toward the main clubhouse.

  “Whatever you see tonight, you can’t talk about.”

  “It’s top secret and private. Got it.”

  “I’m not joking around here.”

  “I know. You can trust me. I know you don’t think you can, but I won’t tell another soul. I promise.” She knew how to keep a secret, plenty of them.

  Landon opened the door, and the music was even louder. The lights had also been turned down to give a gentle hue. The music was slow, sexual, made for people to fuck and enjoy.

  Once she adjusted to the light, she saw Holly and Duke in the corner. There was no reason for her to worry about conversation. Holly straddled Duke’s waist, and the two were kissing. She could guess more was going on, but Holly’s dress hid most of the action, which she was pleased about.

  She spotted a few other couples in the main room.

  Landon placed a hand on her stomach, drawing her back.