Rain Shadow 5 Read online

  Just as I reached the gate to the backyard, two motorcycles turned the corner. Even with helmets on, it was easy to see that Jericho was on the front bike and Cash was on the second. Angel was tucked in behind him.

  I had to make a conscious effort to unfurl my fingers from the tight fists at my sides. The bike motors vibrated loudly as they rolled toward the house. As they neared, I told myself to wait for an explanation. There had to be a good reason, a good fucking reason, that they’d ridden off on motorcycles with Angel. I was sure that Dreygon had done enough shit to prove that he was dangerous, but it seemed Jericho and Cash needed more.

  I scrubbed my hair back, but it did nothing to cool the flames.

  Jericho pulled in first, and it was more than obvious that he had not expected to see me standing on the driveway. Stay calm, I reminded myself. She’s safe. There’s no reason to get pissed. I stretched my fingers out in an effort to keep them from curling, but the second that Cash took off his helmet and stepped off the bike, my internal battle was lost. I lumbered toward him and drew my arm back. Angel stepped in front of him.

  “Don’t you dare, Luke. No more broken noses or black eyes. I swear to all of you, if I see one more eruption of testosterone, or one more fist being thrown, I will walk away from all of you.” There was enough determination in her tone to make her threat convincing.

  I looked at Cash. He was still on the defense, ready to fight if necessary.

  I turned back to Angel. “You should have let me know.”

  “You would have said no.”

  “Yep.”

  Cash gave a cue to Jericho to head back out on the bikes. I could only assume the one bike had been borrowed.

  Angel reached for my hand, but I pulled it back. “You’re asking too much, Luke. I hate being this piece of precious cargo that’s being shipped from place to place under tight security. Maybe it would be better if we just lived our lives and we’ll see what happens.”

  I was feeling the sting of betrayal, and it was hard for me to keep my cool. “Great. And maybe I’ll just walk down the middle of the fucking street instead of the sidewalk and wait to see what happens.”

  “How is that analogy even close?”

  “That’s just it, Angel. It is close. Both ideas are ridiculous and dangerous.”

  She fell silent as she seemed to be absorbing my words. One of her long, thin braids fell across her cheek, and she pushed it off her face. Everything about Angel, even those thin, out of place braids, made my heart ache for her. She’d made it home safely, I reminded myself. My heart was just returning to its normal pace. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears as she faced me again.

  “You have a dangerous job. I have to watch you leave every day and wonder if you’ll be all right.” The tears broke free. “Jericho and Cash aren’t going to stick around much longer, and I can’t blame them. I hate being tended to like a helpless, little girl.”

  “They’re in just as much danger as you, but they’ll have to make their own decisions. We’ll figure something out once they leave.” I stepped closer to her and brushed another errant strand of hair from her face.

  “I can’t live like this for much longer, Luke. Just like Richo and Cash, I’ve been stuck in the club life. Now that I’m free, I want to work.” More tears fell. “I want to learn to drive a car.” She sobbed. “I want to take some college classes. I want to be normal.”

  “Normal is highly overrated.” I pulled her into my arms. Her moist eyes were teal-blue pools. “I want all that for you too, but you’re not free yet. I’m working on it. Just promise me you’ll stay safe in the meantime.”

  She pressed her face against my shoulder. “I’ll try. But those cheeseburgers and shakes were really worth the risk.”

  I squeezed her. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  She peered up at me. “I couldn’t eat another bite, but if you brought me a candy bar, I might find room.” This was a girl who’d had few good surprises in her life, and she never expected much from anyone. But she was big on giving. It was one of the many traits that made her so amazing. It was ironic to consider, but it seemed that much of her character could be attributed to her highly unusual upbringing.

  “Then I promise to buy you a candy bar for the road. I’ve booked us a cabin in Lake Tahoe. I thought we could drive up there tonight and spend the weekend on the lake. The summer tourists have cleared out, and it’s too early for the winter skiers. It should be perfect.”

  She kissed me. “Sounds more than perfect to me. Will there be a bathtub?”

  I laughed. “Not sure.”

  “Can you teach me to drive on the way up there?”

  “Uh, have you been on the road around Tahoe? I’ll teach you when we get back, preferably on roads that don’t have five hundred foot drop offs on one side.”

  Chapter 3

  Luke

  Angel pulled her faded army jacket tighter around herself.

  I flipped on the car heater. “It’s going to smell dusty. I haven’t turned on the heat for months.” The perpetually green trees around the lake masked the beginning of fall, but the chill of the new season was in the air. “We’re at a much higher elevation.” The sun was just setting, and parts of the lake were still brightly lit by its rays, while other parts were shrouded in the chalky silver of dusk.

  Angel gazed out the window. “I haven’t been here since I was a teenager, and then we only rode through.” She smiled over at me. “Although, it’s pretty damn amazing on the back of a Harley.”

  “I’ll bet. They have boat rentals. Maybe we should go out on the lake tomorrow. Or we could hike down the trail to Emerald Bay.” I pointed ahead through the windshield to the round green cove.

  “I forgot about that tiny island. The water around it is so rich in color. I’m definitely up for a hike.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Angel sat up to get a better view of the lake. “It almost doesn’t look real. It’s like a surreal image some landscape painter dreamed up in his head and then used the darkest blues and greens he could find to create.”

  “It’s definitely one of the jewels of the west,” I said.

  I pulled off onto the road that led to our rental. Tall pines lined both sides of it, tossing us into an artificial night. We came to a row of tiny cabins with gray, metal roofs that were littered with pine needles. “Look for number eight.”

  Angel pressed her face to the window. “It’s that one with the barbecue on the front porch.” She sat back. “They almost look like the cabins at the compound.”

  I faced her. “Is that all right?”

  “Of course. I do occasionally feel moments of homesickness for that place. It was my home for years.” Sadness crept into her words. “But it’s hard to separate the bad stuff from the good. It’s all like one big blur now.”

  “That big blur is called life. We all have good and bad mixed together. Your blur is just more colorful than most.”

  She leaned over the console and kissed me. “I’m looking very forward to this, to all the hiking, and sightseeing and stuff.”

  “The stuff. I fucking love the stuff.”

  The small cabin opened into a living room with a faded couch sitting in front of a squat, stone fireplace. There was one bedroom, a postage stamp sized kitchen and a bathroom. Wood floors stretched throughout, interrupted only by the occasional braided rug. A highly polished plank of pine served as a mantle over the hearth, and a vase with dusty fake flowers sat perched on one corner of it. A basket of precut wood waited nearby. The kitchen was one long, white tile counter and a small refrigerator and stove. There was a radio with a CD player on the end of the counter. The CD case lying next to it had Frank Sinatra on the cover. I pressed the play button, and Sinatra’s mellow, deep voice sailed around the room.

  Angel pee
ked into the bedroom that was mostly bed, with little room to walk on either side. “I love it. It’s perfect.” She pushed open the bathroom door. “Well, almost. There’s only a shower.” She walked over and threw her arms around my neck.

  “About that stuff—” I said.

  She looked around and tapped a finger on her chin. “I say since we’re in a rustic cabin, we should do as the rustics would do.”

  “The rustics?”

  “That’s right. I say we scoot back that couch and carry the bedding out here. Start the fireplace—”

  “I like where this is going.” I went directly to couch moving. I shoved one side, and it slid back easily. I grinned up at Angel. “Must be the adrenaline that came from thinking about stuff.”

  “You mean like the people who get super human strength in an emergency and suddenly they can lift a car?”

  I laughed at the comparison. “Something like that, although moving a couch for sex might be a little less heroic.” I pushed the sofa back far enough that it nearly blocked the front door. “Hey, there we go. Now a bear can’t come inside. That reminds me, I told Gage about that bear that visited on the rainy night. Gage said he shows up whenever there is a storm. He doesn’t like to get wet.”

  “That is so cute. How is Gage?”

  “I guess he got bucked off that horse he was breaking and hurt his shoulder. But he said it wasn’t broken. I think he sort of liked having us there. That place gets kind of lonely, and he doesn’t have a girlfriend at the moment.”

  Angel stared out the window. “I do miss that place. I think if I ever become a doctor, I would like to work in a small town like that.”

  “You mean when you become a doctor. Don’t know if there’s much call for my line of work in a small town, but you never know. That is, assuming that once you’re a big shot doctor you’ll still want to hang out with the likes of me…and my testosterone.”

  She sashayed over and pressed against me. “I’m pretty sure I could make time for you in my busy schedule. And I rather like the testosterone, as long as it’s being put to good use.” Her hand smoothed over my cock that was already hard just from having her so close. “You start the fire, and I’ll bring out the blankets.”

  There was a box of long fireplace matches on the mantle. I tossed a few good chunks of wood and some of the smaller kindling into the hearth. The wood was dry, and the fire started quickly. Angel returned with the blankets and pillows just as I slid the fireplace screen in front of the emerging flames.

  We spread the blankets down on the floor. The air inside the cabin was cooling with the loss of daylight. The flickering glow from the hearth illuminated Angel’s face, and I leaned against the arm of the couch and watched her arrange the pillows. I could not draw my gaze away.

  She straightened out the quilt and then glanced up briefly and smiled. “What are you looking at?”

  “I’m looking at you.”

  Even in the wavering light of the newborn fire, I could see a blush rise in her cheeks. She continued to smooth out the bedding.

  “Leave it,” I said. She peered up at me. “Take off those clothes, Evangeline. I want to see you naked in front of the glow of the fire.”

  With uncharacteristic shyness, she tucked her hair behind her ear and slid her jacket off as if this was the first time I would see her naked. She was so fucking hot, it actually seemed like the first time. Every time we were together, it felt like new. She was such a puzzle— wild and uninhibited one minute, a woman so hot with desire that she practically begged for rough sex. The next minute, she was sweet and coy, and I knew she wanted me to be gentle. And she could change midstream without warning.

  She peeled off her shirt in a manner that told me the slightly shy Angel was standing in front of me, but as each piece of clothing came off, she seemed to be absorbing both the warmth of the fire and the heat of my gaze on her naked skin.

  She pushed off her boots and socks and then smiled seductively before turning her back to me. Her fingers pushed her pants and panties all the way down to her ankles. My erection pushed against the fly of my jeans as she exposed herself fully to me. Slowly, she stretched up and turned around. Her hands went behind her head, to give me a perfect view of her beautiful breasts. The rose colored nipples were taut and beckoned me to touch them. I walked over and wrapped my arm around her back and drew her close. My palm moved over her smooth, bare skin. Holding her naked in my arms was always pure pleasure.

  She rested her head on my shoulder, and we moved to the music. “Reno, at moments like this, it’s hard for me to believe that we’ll be anything but happy for the rest of our lives. Tell me I’m right.”

  “Happily ever after. I promise.” I slid my hand along the curve of her back and turned her around in my arms. She leaned her back against my chest as I moved my hands over her breasts and belly, exploring her entire silky body. Then my fingers trailed down to her pussy. A small moan of pleasure puffed from her lips, and the sound of it made my cock even harder. I caressed her clit and she melted against me with each stroke. Moisture coated my fingers as they slid in between the folds.

  Without warning, she dropped to her hands and knees on the blankets. I couldn’t get my pants off fast enough. The fire crackled and waves of heat lapped over our bare skin. I knelt behind her. I pushed her knees farther apart and held her still with one hand while the other hand reached around and continued massaging her clit. She lifted her ass high in the air to meet my cock as I pushed deep inside of her pussy. She rocked against my hand.

  “Harder Reno, please.”

  I drove into her faster, slamming against her with every thrust. She lifted herself to meet each blow. My fingers moved through the cream between the folds of her pussy until she clutched the blanket in her fingers and cried out in ecstasy. Her screams of pleasure sent me over the edge and I pulled out and pressed my cock against her ass, spilling hot seed over her skin.

  I wrapped my arm around her and I pulled her toward me as I rolled down onto my side. I kissed the back of her shoulder and neck and she nestled against me.

  She took hold of my hand and pulled my arm tighter around her. “That fire feels so nice. I think it’s going to get cold up here tonight. I’m glad I brought my long underwear to sleep in.” She laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I really am a rustic. Most girls planning to spend a sensual weekend in a mountain cabin with their boyfriend would pack lacy lingerie. I’ve packed long johns.”

  “Then I’m a rustic too. While I have nothing against lacy lingerie, I find you incredibly tempting in those things.”

  The flames had softened and the wood glowed red, pushing an astonishing amount of heat into the room. Angel spun around and faced me. “So, what you’re saying is, I’ve spoiled you with my provocative long underwear?”

  “You’ve definitely spoiled me. Can’t tell you how many times during the day, I get hard just thinking about this mouth.” I ran my finger over her bottom lip and then I brushed my thumb over her nipple. “And these breasts.” I trailed my hand down. “Or this pussy.”

  She kissed my chest. “An erection at work, that must be rather inconvenient.”

  “It’s torture. In fact, every moment away from you is pure agony.”

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, there are times in the day when all I can think about is you touching me.”

  “Good to hear. Of course, knowing that is only going to intensify my feelings during the day when I’m away from you because I’m going to be thinking about you, thinking about me and…”

  “It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it?” She curled into my arms. “I hope it never ends.”

  Chapter 4

  Angel

  The majestic scenery changed at every corner of the trail. My feet plodded down the uneven, semi-paved path, and
I had to make an effort not to trip on a jutting stone or take a careless step that might send me skidding down to the bay on my butt. But with the incredible views in front of me, it was hard to focus on my feet. “I just realized something,” I said, as I practically skipped down the slope.

  “What’s that?” Luke stopped and hopped up onto a large boulder to look down at the cove below.

  “This is all very nice and pleasant and easy because we are heading decidedly downhill. Something tells me, the return trip might not be as enjoyable.”

  “Good observation.” He jumped down and took hold of my hand. “We hiked down here as a family when Seth and I were six. My mom had been wanting to go on a tour of the Vikingsholm. We had a great time on the beach, but when it was time to walk back up to the car, we got about a hundred feet and Seth just stopped. He begged my dad to carry him, but Dad told him he was too heavy. He sat in the center of the trail with his arms crossed and the funniest baby face. Gage and I kept making fun of him—of course—because that’s what supportive brothers do.” He laughed. “We still tease him about it.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “My mom looked at him and told him that he’d miss out on the ice cream we were going to eat once we got off the trail. He hopped up and basically ran all the way to the top.”

  “Clever woman, your mom.”

  “Yeah, she always had lots of those tricks up her sleeve.”

  “Look at that.” I pointed along the wall of granite that bordered one side of the trail. A small waterfall cascaded from a fissure in the side of the rocks. Neon green moss and tiny plants grew alongside it. “It looks like a miniature nature scene for fairies.” I turned my face up to the bit of sunlight that managed to poke past the evergreens. “This place truly is magical. It would be a cool place to get married.” I had no idea why I’d brought up marriage except that we were having such a great time together, and while I knew it wasn’t the case, it felt as if everything was perfect in our world.