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The garage door closed as he entered the kitchen. The house was dark and quiet. He opened the refrigerator and took out a small bottle of orange juice, downing it in one large gulp before throwing the empty container in the recycle bin. He ambled up the stairs and headed to the bedroom.

Pulling back the comforter, he slid between the cool sheets. He breathed in and out a few times, trying to relax so he could get some sleep. All his senses were still on high alert, and the frustration of a plan thwarted so completely chocked his nerves.

“You’re home early,” Trisha, his wife, said as she turned over on her side, her hand sliding down his bare arm.

“Change in shifts.” He scooted closer to the edge of the bed.

“The thunder’s been awful. It took me almost an hour to calm Kyle. You know how he is about rainstorms.” She moved closer to him, then pressed her lips against his shoulder. “Kyle’s fast asleep now, and Jade’s been in bed for over an hour. Let’s take advantage of it.”

“I’m not really feeling it.” His jaw tightened.

“You could’ve fooled me.” She laughed as she placed her hand on his semi-hard shaft.

That was for Hailey.“It doesn’t mean anything.”

“I’ll let you use the handcuffs and spank me the way you like to. We just can’t be too loud on account of the kids.” She kissed him firmly on the lips.

He knew she’d keep bugging him about it. The truth was he couldn’t really get off with his wife. Even when she let him spank her and occasionally flog her ass, he knew she wasn’t scared of him even though she tried to fake it real well. He needed the rush of real fear: terror at its best for him and at its worst for the victims.

Turning toward her, he decided to play along. He watched as she pulled open the nightstand and took out the handcuffs. “Fuck me from behind. I like that.” She handed him the cuffs and went down on all fours. He restrained her arms behind her back, shoved her head and torso down on the mattress, and smiled when she pushed up on her knees, making her butt rise higher.

Staring at her, he no longer saw his wife’s blonde hair and lithe body. Instead he saw Hailey’s long, chestnut hair and rounded hips. In his mind, he pictured his knife skimming across her shivering flesh, fear etched in her face. Her striking blue eyes filled with terror.

“Not so hard!” Trisha gritted as he pummeled into her.

Before he could answer, he’d come hard. Panting heavily, he took off the cuffs, tossed them on the floor, then flopped on his back.

“What the hell wasthatall about?” Trisha sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her wrists.

“You wanted to get fucked so I fucked you.” The coldness in his voice even surprised him.

“You bastard.” She got up and went into the bathroom.

He rolled over and fell asleep.

Chapter Eighteen

Goldie’s chair leanedagainst the back wall as he listened to his brothers rant and rave about the Satan’s Pistons. It seemed the surviving members hadn’t taken too kindly to the Night Rebels’ tactics in showing them who’s boss in the southwestern territory of Colorado. Normally, Goldie would’ve jumped into the discussion, but his mind was on Hailey. She’d taken such a hold of him, and he didn’t know how the hell it’d happened.

He’d always been careful not to get too emotionally involved with any of the women he knew because he never had any plans to settle down. It wasn’t that he was afraid of commitment like a lot of women had told him over the years. If he had to be honest, it was that he just loved women too much. The thought of settling down with just one woman for the rest of his life didn’t make sense to him. There were so many women to experience, and his style was to indulge, give them a damn good time, and move on to the next. He never looked back, let alonethoughtabout them. “Out of pussy, out of mind” was the way it worked for him, yet he couldn’t get Hailey off his mind. And he hadn’t even had a taste of her.

What the fuck is up with me? She’s just a chick.

He’d said that often enough to himself hoping it’d convince his damn dick and mind, but so far, it’d been a bust. Even though he shouldn’t even think of Hailey as someone he’d fuck, that was all he’d been thinking about since she’d come into the tattoo parlor.

“Are you zoning out on us, Goldie?” Paco’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Yeah. Sorry. Are we still talking about the asshole Pistons?”

“Don’t start that up again,” Army said as Crow jumped up and started cussing up a storm about his nemesis.

Steel pounded the gavel on the wooden block. “Come to order. We know the Pistons are a bunch of whiny pussies, and I don’t give a shit what they’re saying. If they come back into our territory, it’s all-out war, and the Insurgents will be by our side. Banger and Hawk are sick as shit of these assholes coming into Colorado and acting like they own it.” The brothers erupted in cheers and whistles as Steel pounded harder on the block. “We got shit to discuss about the upcoming rally.”

“Which brings us back to you, Goldie. What’s going on with the charity poker run?” Paco asked.

“It’s great. I have the whole route and itinerary firmed up, and we have a hundred bikers signed up. I’ve been busy with Chains running backgrounds on them. I don’t want any fuckin’ Satan’s Pistons, Skull Crushers, or Deadly Demons to slip in. Plus we don’t want any shit from the wannabe gangsters who think they can pretend to be bikers for the rally.”

“Good work. Have all the dudes who signed up cleared the background checks?” Paco asked.