Lulu (Desert Rebels MC), page 1
LULU
Book 7
Desert Rebels MC Series
By
Tory Richards
Copyright © 2022 by Tory Richards
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Editor: Alisha Corsi
Prologue
Lulu
I ran. I ran so hard, yet I got nowhere. His evil laughter sounded so close behind me that it touched me with its icy fingers, threatening to hurt me. To kill me. I screamed and pushed myself some more, determined to put distance between us. But it was hard running in my bare feet, in the dark, through the forest surrounding the house. Branches ripped at my thin nightgown, tore at the flesh on my face and arms. Blood mixed with tears and my heart was about to burst out of my chest, it was beating so hard and fast. I couldn’t breathe. A pain in my side brought me to my knees as I struggled to stay on my feet, to catch my breath. For a full minute it was all I could do not to give up and collapse as I tried to fill my starved lungs.
He was going to catch me.
And kill me.
The harshness of his breath sounded like the panting of a wild animal as he tore through the same tree branches that I was. His growl sent goosebumps down my thin body and turned my blood cold. The threats that he’d shouted after me when I’d first run from the house caused a chill to spread over me. I had no doubt that he would carry out every threat he’d uttered. I’d seen too much. I knew too much. I knew the truth. And there was no one to save me.
I had to save myself.
As the tears flooded from my eyes and I continued to kneel, panting, I thought about my mother’s and sister’s bodies that I’d found at the house. If I hadn’t come down for a drink when I had I would have missed seeing Eddie butchering them. I’d have missed seeing the frenzy he’d been in as he’d gripped the bloody cleaver in his hand. He’d hardly resembled a human being. His expression had been so demonic, his actions so brutally barbaric. I’d stood there in the doorway in silent shock before something alerted him that he wasn’t alone. He’d snapped his head in my direction and seen me.
I’d never forget the madness I saw reflected in his eyes.
For a quiet second we’d stood there and stared at each other in disbelief, almost as if we were both too afraid to move.
A gasp for breath had drawn my attention away from him to where my mom lay bloody on the floor. She was still alive, but barely. Her chest had heaved for every gurgling breath. I’d met her eyes and clung to the tiny light of life still in them as she croaked, “Run, baby girl!”
Eddie had raised the hand he had clutching the blade above my helpless mother, and I’d known what he was about to do. I’d let out a single bloodcurdling scream, and then turned and fled from the house, hearing my mother’s weakened voice beg Eddie not to hurt me, even as I knew that he was finishing her off.
I’d managed to make my body move, but I’d been too shell-shocked to form a thought. I hadn’t known where I was going. I just knew that I had to run and keep on running, or Eddie was going to catch me. The thought of being hacked to death was more terrifying than anything I could imagine.
He was getting closer, and I forced myself to my feet. If I couldn’t outrun him, I would have to find a place to hide, and then, when he’d stopped searching for me, I could run somewhere for help. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to make it all the way into town, but there were plenty of places between our house and town that I could stop at.
I heard a loud thud, and then Eddie swore harshly. It sounded as if he’d fallen. I had a split second to think about what I was going to do next. If I kept running, he would hear me and
follow. I glanced around for a hiding place, but it was too dark to really see anything, and Eddie was getting closer. In the end, panic and fear won out, and I rushed off in the opposite direction he was coming from, tears running down my cheeks.
The Dickerson’s were the closest neighbors, so that’s where I headed. With Eddie cursing and hollering behind me I ran and ran some more, praying to God that I made it. I broke through to a clearing and fell to my knees again, but this time I got back up. I could see the Dickerson’s old farmhouse in the distance, the single light coming from their living room a beacon to guide me. Old man Dickerson would most likely be up waiting for his wayward daughter to get home.
I ran and ran and didn’t stop running until I raced up the rickety old wooden steps and slammed into the old chipped and peeling wood door. I began to pound with my fists. “Help! Help! Please open the door! Please!” I screamed over and over, not taking my first breath of relief until the porch light came on and I heard the doorknob turn. I took a step back. “Please hurry!” I cried in a panic, looking behind me for Eddie.
The door opened.
I swung back around, screamed, and passed out.
Chapter 1
Lulu
Present day.
My eyes flew open and I sucked in a loud gasp that almost choked me. It only took me a second to realize that I was safe in my bed, and that it had only been a dream. Why now? All of a sudden? It had been years since I’d had that particular nightmare. As I continued to lay there and force myself to breathe calmly, I couldn’t help but wonder if the changes I’d made in the last year had been the cause of it returning.
Maybe it was because after all the years of sharing my bed, I was sleeping and waking alone these days. I was finally moving on with my life, leaving the Desert Rebels and moving in a direction that was new and exciting. Oh, I was still connected to them, and always would be. They were family, and I was close to some of the old ladies, but I no longer made my body available to their men.
My whoring days were over.
For good.
So were my hiding days.
After eleven years of hiding, Eddie had finally been captured and sent back to prison. Now I had a life that was my own. I had a real job, one that I loved, and I had a place of my own. All thanks to the generosity of the Desert Rebels. They’d paid for my education, encouraged me to pursue the dream I’d had of becoming a veterinary technician, and had given me a generous down payment to buy my little house in the desert. After years of putting my life on hold, of being afraid, everything was falling into place.
Maybe in time I’d meet someone and have a family.
Not that I was in any hurry to do so. I wanted to live a little first. Enjoy my new life and prove that I could be independent. That I could take care of myself. For so many years everything I’d had had been given to me by the club. They’d taken care of me, and all I’d had to do was be there for the men in whatever capacity they needed me.
I’d learned to love them, some more than others. I’d thought that I’d loved LD once, but I didn’t have what he needed, and he’d been right to push me away. I was happy that he’d found Jolene. She’d given him back his life, and with a second baby on the way he was truly a family man now.
Someday I’d have what they had.
For some reason thinking about settling down with someone and having a family brought Brody’s rugged, unsmiling face to mind. I don’t know how I’d discovered his first name when I’d always heard him referred to as Savage. The first time I’d seen him was when he walked into the clubhouse one day. I’d caught my breath at the way my body had responded instantly to his strong-featured good looks. But it had been more than just his looks that had caused a flutter in my belly and my core to clench with awareness. He’d exuded the same dark and dangerous qualities as the men I was surrounded by.
I’d always been attracted to the bad boy.
When our eyes had met for the first time, something had happened between us. Something strong, immediate, and intense. Something I’d wanted to explore, but knew that I couldn’t. For a moment it had felt as if we were the only two people in the room, or at least the only two people who had mattered. And then Loco had called me over and pulled me down onto his lap, and the spell had been broken.
In a big way.
It had been one of the few times that I’d wanted to deny the use of my body to a member of the Desert Rebels. Especially when I’d looked back to meet Brody’s eyes again and had seen his realization of the ugly truth of what I was. His initial interest had hardened into a cold, condemning glare. His expression and pressed lips had held nothing back, and I’d glanced away with deep regret. Loco would have let me up if I’d insisted on it but the damage had been done. Ever since that day, whenever Brody or I found ourselves in the same room together, one of us left. Usually me.
He didn’t even try to hide his unspoken contempt for me.
It didn’t matter now anyway. I knew that he was around, but since I’d moved out of the clubhouse I hadn’t seen him in almost a year.
I pushed any thoughts of me and him together away. It was what it was. I hadn’t planned on growing up to become a whore, but my years in the club had been necessary to survive, and not something I’d have changed. As long as Eddie had been out there possibly looking for me, I hadn’t taken any chances. Surrounding myself with strong men in a culture known for keeping to themselves and living on their own
I hadn’t ended up at their clubhouse by accident.
With a sigh I closed my eyes and willed myself back to sleep. I had a busy day ahead of me. Dr. Bowers and I were going to set up her new office today. Six months after being hired on at the multi-vet facility she’d been working at she’d approached me with an offer to become her lead tech at her new clinic outside of Las Vegas. It was a rural location, not far from my house, and I’d jumped at it. She’d been a local vet for years and had a good list of clients.
The prospect of working in a smaller office in the country was too tempting to pass up. I’d always been a country girl at heart. The raise in pay and the opportunity to work closer to home were big pluses. A bigger plus was that I liked Dr. Bowers, or Elizabeth, as she’d told me to call her when we weren’t working and with clients. We got along great and had good chemistry. She valued my opinions and made me feel like her equal when we were working together. The fact that she was familiar with biker culture had also helped in building our relationship.
Ugh! I realized that I had too much on my mind to go back to sleep. I was excited about the day and the opening of the clinic the following Monday. Elizabeth had hired another vet tech, Stephanie, and one receptionist, Megan. Stephanie and I would cover the desk on Megan’s days off. Dr. Bowers wanted to run her small clinic with just a few dependable people. At her age and after many years of hard work, she was tired of working in a fast-paced environment and wanted to slow down.
I could live with slow.
As I pulled back the covers, I could make out the sound of a motorcycle coming down the road. For as long as I lived the sound would always remind me of the Desert Rebels, and most of my memories with them were good. I’d developed the attitude early on that my happiness was in my own hands, and that I would make whatever was going on in my life work for me.
I rolled from my bed to my feet, stood, and stretched, catching my appearance in the floor length mirror against the wall. Some habits were hard to break, and sleeping naked between crisp, cool sheets was one of mine. I gave myself a critical look, searching for the subtle changes that came with getting older. But I had to admit, I still looked good.
My tits were still perky. My belly still flat. My ass still where it should be. Nothing sagging yet. I’d taken care of myself.
I smirked at my thoughts and walked to the bathroom where I took care of my needs and then grabbed a quick shower, careful not to get my long hair wet. It took forever to dry and I didn’t feel like dealing with it today. Once I was dressed in jeans and a tee I went to the kitchen for coffee. As I waited for it to brew, the sound of another bike drew me to the window over the sink. I pulled back the curtain in time to catch a single rider flying down the road. It was too dark to make out if they were wearing a cut or not, but whoever they were, they were in a hurry, and they were big.
I turned back to pour my coffee. I still had an hour before work. Plenty of time to enjoy my first cup out on the porch and watch the sun come up.
Chapter 2
Brody
I was on my way back to my house when I rounded a corner and slammed on the brakes, but not fast enough to avoid hitting the mutt that chose that moment to run across the road. Swerving did no good when the animal zigzagged right in front of me. Shit! I grit my teeth and prepared myself for impact, which was followed by a screeching yelp that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I lost control of my bike, but only for a moment, and pulled over onto the shoulder. I looked over at the dog as I sat there for a moment, and when I saw movement, I knew that I couldn’t just leave him there.
Goddammit! I was angry at myself, not the dog. I was already late for a meeting that I’d missed once before, through no fault of mine. If Sanford ended up giving the job to someone else because of this it wouldn’t be any skin off my back, but when I said I would be somewhere I was there. I’d been thinking about slowing down, possibly even retiring, and maybe this was the sign I’d been looking for. I had enough scratch that I’d never be able to spend it all in my lifetime.
I stood over the poor animal who was lying on the road, scared, whimpering, and looking up at me with big, brown eyes. It was a stray, I could tell. Filthy, hair all matted, and half-starved. My mouth turned down when I didn’t see any blood, but I knew that I’d hit him. I crouched down. “Hi buddy.” I reached out a hand so that he could sniff it. “That’s a good boy.” I let him sniff me for several minutes. When he licked me, I felt a flicker of some emotion I couldn’t name. “I’m not going to hurt you.” I spoke in a soothing tone, one I saved for animals and babies. “Where you hurt, huh?” I scanned his body, what I could see of it, and then used my hands to carefully check for injuries. When I got to his leg he yelped and jerked away.
I was fairly certain that he had a broken leg. I pressed my mouth tightly, patting his head while I thought about where I could take him. There was a new vet office that had just opened up at the base of the hill not too far away. Getting the injured dog there on my bike might be a problem, though. I pressed my lips and continued patting him on the head.
I had a blanket in my saddlebag. I could wrap him up in that and ride with him across my lap. Take it slow. “Be right back, buddy.” I went to retrieve it, hearing him whimpering behind me as I walked away. By the time I pulled the blanket loose and turned back to him he’d made a pitiful attempt to drag himself over to me.
Shit.
I stood looking down at him for a minute and shook my head. This was not going to end well. With my line of work I didn’t have time for pets. I was gone a lot. But something in my gut told me that this dog was already getting to me. There was just something about him. The pitiful, sad look in his eyes as he stared up at me, silently begging me for help. He reminded me of a mongrel I’d had while growing up. That dog had been my best friend, but I remembered how much it had hurt when he’d died of old age. I shook my head again. Nope. Not going to end well.
I wrapped him up like a burrito, being as mindful of his leg as I could, and climbed on my bike, arranging him across my lap. He let out a whimper every so often as I rode slowly to the vet’s office. Thank fuck it wasn’t far, and I was glad to see two vehicles parked behind the small, square building when I crested the hill. I hadn’t been a hundred percent certain they’d be open on a Sunday. I pulled into the lot.
“Let’s get you taken care of, okay, buddy?”
The door was unlocked, but the small lobby was completely empty. Carrying the dog like a baby, I went up to the counter and hit the bell to alert someone that I was there. Almost immediately I heard someone call out from the back that they would be out in a minute.
I felt a warm tongue lick my hand, almost as if the dog wanted my attention. “You can lick my hand all you want. I’m not keeping you.”
The door from the back opened, and I found myself looking into a pair of brown eyes that had haunted me for a year. That’s about how long it had been since I’d last seen her. The pixie haircut had grown out, and her thin frame had filled out some, but the changes looked gorgeous on her. And just like every other time I’d been in Lulu’s presence, my dick took notice. I’d wanted her since the first moment I’d seen her across the room at the Desert Rebels’ clubhouse that day.
Christ, it had been years ago.
She paused only briefly upon seeing me, mild shock spreading across her pretty face, before she continued to the counter. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Or should I say dog?” she said in that sass that I remembered so well. Her eyes dropped down to the dog in my arms.
“So is this your day job?” I smirked. “Or is your back sore from all the pounding it takes?”
Just for a second hurt flickered in her eyes, so miniscule that I may have imagined it. I was being a jerk, but I couldn’t help it. Ever since I’d seen her fucking one of the Desert Rebels, I’d hardened my heart to feeling anything for her. But those fucking images she’d planted in my head wouldn’t go away.
