Samurai (Devil's Boneyard MC 9), page 2
His brow furrowed.
“Julia Roberts? Pretty Woman? Where she’s a prostitute and he picks her up in a fancy car on the side of the road?”
“You’re not normally a whore, though, are you? There’s too much innocence in your eyes,” he said.
“No. I’m not. This is… It’s a one-time thing.” I licked my lips. “I needed the money and didn’t see another way to get it.”
“For now, you’re my little whore.” He brushed his nose along my jaw. “Only mine.”
I had a feeling the no kissing rule would be important if he kept saying things like that. It shouldn’t turn me on or make me feel special. But the way he said I was only his? Dangerous words to say to someone who’d had no one except their son… I’d given up on fairy tales and romance, but those two words made me wish I could have more in my life.
I no longer worried he’d break me physically. Emotionally was another matter. He called this a business transaction, and I knew it was, but the way he touched me, the possessive look in his eyes, it all made me want someone to look at me like that for the rest of my life. Someone who could hold me at night and show Ryo what it meant to be a man.
One day. One day you’ll find your knight in shining armor. A biker who’d paid for a whore wasn’t that man. I’d have to distance myself from everything that happened in this room. And when I left, I’d never look back.
Chapter One
Grey -- Four Months Later
I didn’t want to be here. I had a feeling this would end badly, but I didn’t know what else to do. Ryo clutched my hand and I shifted from one foot to the other while the guy behind the gate looked me over. His gaze landed on Ryo and his eyes slightly widened as he took a step back.
“You said Samurai?” he asked. “Not Phantom?”
I didn’t know who Phantom was, or why this man would think I didn’t know who to ask for. Clearly I’d come here for a reason. Did women show up and get the men confused on a regular basis? I wasn’t sure how to take that.
“Samurai.” I took a step closer. “Please. It’s important.”
His gaze dropped to Ryo again. “I bet it is.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when he opened the gates and let us through. At least we’d made it this far. Samurai might very well tell me get to lost and never show my face here again. At least I’d get the chance to find out.
He pointed to a building not too far off. “He’s probably at the clubhouse. But um… you may not want to take the kid inside there. It’s not too wild at this time of day. Doesn’t mean people aren’t smoking, or that he wouldn’t see something he shouldn’t.”
Right. Because I was at a biker compound. Who knew what went on behind the gate, much less in the building he’d called a clubhouse. I doubted they were in there playing video games or watching movies.
“I can’t leave Ryo outside on his own,” I said.
The guy looked around and let out a shrill whistle. “Hey, Sam! Lady needs her kid watched for a minute.”
The other man jogged over. I noticed both wore the leather vest like Samurai had, but neither had a name on theirs. It only said Prospect. I had no idea what that meant, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“Sam, this is…” The guy rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “Sorry. Didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Grey and this is Ryo,” I said.
He nodded. “Right. Grey and Ryo. She’s here to see Samurai.”
Sam’s eyebrows rose as he stared at Ryo a moment. “All right. I can sit outside with him, or I can go in and get Samurai. Might be better to have him come outside.”
“Going inside doesn’t bother me,” I said. “But he said it wouldn’t be a good place for Ryo.”
Sam shook his head. “No, I have a feeling Samurai would kick my aa… uh, rear, if I let either of you into that building. You can sit in the shade. There’s a few chairs up on the porch.”
I led Ryo over to the building and claimed a chair while Sam went inside. I could hear laughter and music spill from the open doorway, as well as the sounds of women. My stomach soured when I pictured Samurai with them. It was stupid to come here. He wouldn’t want this baby, or me. Wouldn’t care about my problems or that my son was in danger.
I stood and lifted Ryo into my arms. “Come on, sweetheart. We shouldn’t have come here. We’ll go home and figure something else out.”
I walked down the steps and toward the gate, but the guy who’d let me in was shaking his head and pointing back at the clubhouse. “Nope. Sorry. I’m not letting you leave until you see Samurai.”
“Are you serious right now? It’s obvious I made a mistake coming here. Let me go before he comes out and…”
I heard heavy steps behind me and stopped mid-sentence. My nape prickled and I had a feeling the man in question was right behind me. Ryo’s head remained tucked against my chest, and I tightened my hold on him. If I’d had anyone to watch him, or felt safe leaving him behind, I wouldn’t have brought him with me.
“Before I come out and what?” Samurai asked. I’d recognize his voice anywhere.
Slowly, I turned to face him. He rocked back on his heels, his gaze going to Ryo. “Sorry to disappoint, but no fucking way that kid is mine. Your math is off by a few years.”
“I never said he was yours.” I backed up a step. “I needed help, but I shouldn’t have come here. He won’t open the gate and let me leave.”
Samurai’s gaze went over my shoulder and I saw him scanning the road. I knew what he’d see. Nothing. I didn’t have a car or any other transportation. I had to walk everywhere and coming way out here hadn’t been easy on either me or Ryo. Thankfully the weather had cooled a little, so I at least didn’t have my clothes and hair plastered to me from sweat. Could have been worse.
“You walked here carrying him?” he asked.
“Yes, and if you’ll tell him to let me go, then I’ll walk right back home. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Why did you?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest.
I shifted Ryo in my arms and felt my dress pull tight over my stomach. I tried to hide the small bump before he noticed and seemed to have managed since he didn’t say anything. Or maybe he didn’t care. This version of Samurai was very different from the one at the Pleasure Emporium. The man who’d made me cry out his name, who’d melted my bones with multiple orgasms, wasn’t the one eying me now.
“Some people in town have talked about the good things your club does. Toy drives and helping homeless women. I’d hoped you might know of a way to solve my problem, but it was wrong to even ask.”
“You sure the kid isn’t Phantom’s?” the guy at the gate asked.
Samurai’s eyes narrowed as he studied Ryo. The look he slid my way held a hint of hostility. I didn’t know why they kept bringing up Phantom.
“I’ve never met anyone named Phantom,” I said. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“He’s my older cousin, and your son resembles him,” Samurai said.
I didn’t want to do this out in the open, or where Ryo could hear, so I chose my words carefully. “Do you remember my first reaction to you, and why I said it happened?”
His chin went up and he cursed softly. “The guy who hurt you. The one you said was Japanese, like me.”
I ran my hand over Ryo’s hair. “He saw me last week, with Ryo. He knows, and he… he said he’s coming for us. I survived him once. Even if I could live through it again, I won’t let him get his hands on Ryo. My baby is a good boy. He’s sweet and innocent. If Itachi gets his hands on him…”
“Itachi Suzuki?” Sam asked. “That’s who you’re running from?”
I nodded, worried how he knew the man’s full name. Did they do business with Itachi and his crew? I’d thought maybe these were the good guys, despite the motorcycles and black leather. Had I been wrong?
“Sorry, little whore. Your problems aren’t my problems,” Samurai said before turning and walking back to the clubhouse.
My heart shattered at my feet, and I was thankful my son didn’t know what that word meant. My cheeks flamed as Sam and the other guy eyed me. Tears burned my eyes and I motioned to the gate. “Can you please open that now?”
I tried not to cry in front of them, but the tears started slipping down my cheeks. I didn’t want these men to see me as weak. Bad enough they now knew I’d spread my legs for money. Didn’t matter it had only been the one time, or I’d been desperate.
An SUV pulled up to the gate and a woman rolled down her window. Her corkscrew curls were wild about her head, and she slid her sunglasses down her nose, looking first at me, then at the guys. “Which one of you made her cry?”
Sam lifted his hands and backed up. I noticed the other guy did the same. I almost laughed at the absurdity of the men looking scared of a woman.
“Samurai,” Sam said. “We didn’t touch her, Clarity. Swear to Christ!”
Her gaze narrowed. “No swearing in front of children. Let me in, and you…” She stared at me, her expression softening. “When I pull in, climb up front. You look like you could use something to drink, and a bit of a rest.”
I looked at the men, but they were hurrying to obey her. Who was this woman? I backed up as her SUV pulled through and hesitated only a moment before I went around to the passenger side. I climbed in and noticed the soccer ball in the back seat, as well as a kid’s discarded jacket.
“I’m Clarity,” she said, holding out her hand. “The VP is my husband.”
“Grey.” I shook hands with her and situated Ryo on my lap a little better. She noticed the swell of my stomach and shook her head, muttering about idiot men, before continuing down the road that cut through the compound.
“Your son, is he…”
“Samurai’s?” I asked.
She nodded.
“No. But his father is why I’m here. I’d hoped Samurai could help me find a way to hide or disappear into another town or state. Itachi said he’s coming for me and Ryo. I can’t let that happen.”
“And you know Samurai how, exactly?” Clarity asked.
My cheeks burned hot, and I looked away. “We had some business about four months ago. I don’t know why I thought he’d care about my problems. I was desperate.”
“That business give you that bump under your dress?” she asked wryly.
“Doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want anything to do with me. He made it clear when he called me…” I pressed my lips together.
Clarity parked in front of a large home and shut off the car. “Come on. Your boy can play or watch a cartoon while you and I talk.”
I followed her into the house and set Ryo down. He clutched at my hand as we followed Clarity into the kitchen. She opened the back door and motioned to a fenced yard. “My boys are too big for the slide and swings. I just haven’t been able to take them down. Every time I think about asking my husband to remove them, I realize I don’t want to let go of their childhood yet. He’ll be perfectly safe out there, and you can see him from the table.”
I led Ryo outside and realized Clarity was right. If I sat at the table, I could watch him play. He toddled over to the slide and started to climb. I watched a few minutes to make sure he could handle the toys out there without assistance before I went back inside.
Clarity handed me a cold glass of tea and I took a seat.
“My youngest is nearly thirteen,” she said. “Some of the kids here are only a year old. If I keep the slide and other play equipment, it gives them a place to hang out when their moms need a break. And I can pretend my kids won’t be grown soon. I promise your boy will be fine out there.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked.
She leaned back against the counter. “Because I think you’re a bit like me when I was your age. You’re what? Late teens, maybe early twenties?”
“Twenty-one,” I said.
“That boy out there. You said his dad is coming for you and him. This guy is a bad man?” she asked.
Bad man? Understatement. I’d often wondered if Itachi had any other kids running around from his attacks on women. I knew I hadn’t been the first, nor the last. Men like him got off on the pain and humiliation of forcing themselves on women.
“Yeah. Itachi Suzuki. He runs one of the local gangs.” I looked out at Ryo. “I was seventeen when my mom died. Nearly eighteen. A week after her death, Itachi broke down my apartment door and attacked me. Ryo is the result of that night.”
Clarity’s brow furrowed and I could tell she was trying to organize her thoughts before speaking. “Your boy is a few years old. Why would this man try to come for you now? Why wait so long?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I moved when I could and have kept to myself. I don’t think he knew how to find me, or even wanted to. It was an accident I ran into him while I was out with Ryo. He took one look, and somehow knew Ryo was his.”
Clarity looked at my stomach. “And the other one?”
“My mom had been really sick. I didn’t know she’d taken out loans to cover her medical expenses. When I turned eighteen, the lenders started coming to me for their money. I thought I’d paid them off or had a good enough arrangement they’d leave me be. I didn’t know about the more unsavory lenders until about five months ago. They gave me thirty days to pay them off, or they’d make me pay the loan back in other ways.”
Clarity winced. “I know exactly what they wanted from you. Doesn’t tell me how you got mixed up with Samurai. Or how you got pregnant.”
I hated telling this woman all my secrets. I didn’t know her. Wasn’t entirely certain if I could trust her, but it wasn’t like things could get much worse. If I didn’t find a way to hide from Itachi, then pretty soon I’d be on my back in his bed, or worse, he’d have me on a street corner. And Ryo would turn into a monster exactly like him.
“I heard about a place where you could make a lot of money.” I pressed my lips together, hoping she wouldn’t judge me for what I’d done. “I signed a contract with Mr. Knox at the Pleasure Emporium. And Samurai paid for several hours of my time.”
I stared at the table, not sure I could handle the disgust I’d see in her eyes. I took another swallow of the tea, just in case she threw me out. It was a long walk back home. I wondered if she’d let Ryo have something to drink first. He was innocent in all this.
“He didn’t use protection?” she asked, her voice soft.
I looked up and tears blurred my vision when I only saw compassion in her eyes. “No. Apparently the contract I signed was supposed to have a clause in there about birth control. I don’t remember seeing it. Only that I had to provide proof I didn’t have any diseases, which I gave to Mr. Knox.”
“You hoped he’d help keep you safe since you carry his child?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I didn’t plan to tell him about the baby. It’s clear he didn’t want one. He… He called me a whore. Men don’t want to claim babies they have with women like me. I didn’t want anything from him except assistance staying away from Itachi. I’d heard the Devil’s Boneyard helped the community. With no one else to turn to, I’d thought maybe Samurai would protect me or get me somewhere far from Itachi.”
Clarity took a seat next to me and patted my shoulder. “You’ll be safe here, Grey. You and your children. I’m going to call my husband and fill him in, and we’ll go from there. If Samurai won’t step up and help you, then we will.”
I had no doubt the man wouldn’t come anywhere near me. He’d made it clear what he thought about me. My throat still ached with the tears I’d shed. He’d hurt me, even though he shouldn’t have had the power to do so. We’d had a few hours together, a contract signed for him to use my body, and nothing more. I’d blame pregnancy hormones if anyone asked why it felt like my heart was breaking.
“I’m not going to force him to do anything,” I said. “That’s not what I want.”
Clarity stood and pulled a pad and pen from a drawer near the sink. “Write down your address. I’ll send someone to gather some of your things. I don’t think it’s safe for you to go back there in case Itachi is watching the place. That baby you’re carrying is part of the Devil’s Boneyard family, whether Samurai will claim them or not.”
I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and jotted down the address. I pulled my keys from my purse and set them on the table too. All the key ring had on it were the keys to the three locks on the front door and the two on the back door. When I’d rented the small house, the locks hadn’t been sufficient. The landlord had agreed to add more since I was living there alone and was pregnant with Ryo at the time.
I didn’t have much, but I’d worked hard for what I did have. The furniture had been secondhand, and the dishes were from the dollar store -- the one where everything is one dollar or less, not the other one where things can be as high as twenty dollars. I’d never understood calling it a “dollar store” if things cost more than that.
“Thank you for helping me,” I said. “If there’s anything I can do to repay you…”
She waved me off. “I won’t get into a long, drawn-out story, but the short version? I was a single mom and homeless when my husband found me. I’d taken shelter with my son in the doorway of a shop. Didn’t realize it had a security camera until a big biker showed up asking what I was doing at his shop. He took us in with no strings attached and ended up marrying me. So I’ve been in a similar situation to yours. I know how hard it is to have no one to rely on. You don’t owe us anything, Grey.”
I bit my lip so I wouldn’t start crying or thanking her again. While she stepped away to make a phone call, taking my keys and the paper with her, I walked over to the door to watch Ryo. Even though he was playing by himself, I could tell he was having a blast. I couldn’t remember seeing him smile so much. Samurai might not be the one helping us, but coming here had worked out after all. I’d take whatever help they offered and pay it forward if I got the chance. Anything to keep my children safe. I’d do whatever it took. My happiness came second to their needs.
