"Umm... are you about to get freaky on me? I watched that movie, you know. The one with the red room."

"I can promise you, however freaky I get, you'll like it."

"I want a better safe word than the lame one they used."

He seems shocked at my reply, but smiles. "That's doable. What word?"

"Bastard."

"Bastard?"

"It'll be the easiest word to remember if you piss me off."

"Fine, whatever. It's not like you will use it, anyway. So, are we making a deal here?"

"Do we seal it with a kiss?"

"Well, we can start with a kiss," he says, taking my mouth.

I hope I didn't just let my hormones make a huge mistake.

"I want to know where Beth is."

I wince as I hear Skull's voice. He's pissed. He's more than pissed.

"I'm not telling you," says Katie. "Torch says you won't hurt my sister, but I don't trust you."

"You will tell me what I need to know."

"Not 'til I know for sure that you're safe. I have my sister and my niece to look out for."

"Listen, perra..."

"I've been called worse. But I'm not the fucker who gave the woman who loves me a pile of cash and told her to get lost with my child. So you can back the fuck off. I'm already regretting agreeing to this," Katie growls, throwing the phone back to me.

I make a judgment call. I hope I'm doing the right thing. "Sweetness..."

"He's such an ass. I have no idea why my sister loves him."

"She loves him?"

"Don't be an asshole. Of course she does."

"Two years is a long time."

"It's been longer than that, and of course she does. She hardly gives anyone but me and Gabby the time of day. Men throw themselves at her and she's oblivious. When she got his note that night in the hospital, it almost destroyed her."

With that, I carefully turn the phone off without drawing attention from Katie. "Let's talk about something that doesn't make you so tense. I have plans for you today."

"Plans? That doesn't sound cryptic at all."

"Nothing for you to worry about, remember?"

"It came back to me when you demanded I not wear underwear and put on a skirt this morning."

"You look amazing."

"I'm not used to men telling me what to wear."

"You're not used to having a man around at all. I'll make you like it."

"You keep saying that."

"I'll prove it," I tell her, pulling into a parking lot.

"You have got to be kidding me," she says, finally seeing where we've pulled into. "A dildo shop?"

"Shame on you. It's adult novelties," I correct her. "They sell much more than dildos. Of course, if that's what you want, I'll be glad to get one of those, too," I add with a wink.

"I am not going in that store with you."

"I never pictured you as a prude, sweetness."

"I'm not. I have toys. I just tend to order them."

"You have toys? I didn't see them in your things."

"I planned to buy more when I got settled."

"Then we can pick them out together because, sweetness, I'm definitely the only man who will use them on you."

She turns away from me, but I can see the way her breasts harden under her shirt. That tells me all I need to know.

Time to go shopping.

I listen to the woman-Beth's sister-blather on until Torch obviously turns the phone off. I look at my cell for a minute, then hurl it across the room. I take no pleasure in the way it shatters. Fucking hell, I'm so tired of going in circles. Torch called me earlier to tell me about the traitor I have in my crew. The only drawback is, no one has given me a fucking name. My gut tells me it's Pistol, but I can't be sure. He took a bullet to protect Beth. Maybe... Shit.

I'm so fucking tired of going around in circles. My life has been a fucking mess since I found out Beth is alive. I hate her. I puta la odio! Yet, I still want her. She's a poison in my veins and nothing I do has gotten rid of her. I get her back in my hands and-Christ! I have no idea what I will do. I just know I want to take every minute of the hell she has put me through out on her. I want to make her suffer.

The phone on my desk rings. I pick it up, ignoring the way my hand shakes. "What?"

"Brother. Tried your cell, but it just goes to your voicemail. I got some intel you might want."

Dragon's voice hits me. As much as I've come to like the motherfucker, his voice right now's unwelcome. He's a reminder of what I should have had, of what has been denied to me.

"What's that, hermano?" I ask, tired as fucking hell.

"My boys decided to check out the people on duty the night your woman was there."

My woman. Isn't that a fucking joke.

"Tried that route," I spit back. "No one in the admitting or the maternity wing could tell me one damn thing I didn't already know."

"Well, it just so happens, we have a friend who works there. A doctor, Teena Torres. She patches up the members sometimes when Poncho isn't available. Nailer has taken a liking to her, so we see her pretty often, and we got to talking to her."

My stomach churns. I know Teena. I know Teena well. I haven't talked with her about this shit for many reasons...

"And?" I ask shortly, being an asshole and just wanting this conversation over.

"She delivered a package delivered by your crew to a young woman. She didn't remember names, but she remembered the Devil's Blaze cut."

"Son of a bitch."

"You can say that again, amigo. It doesn't stop there. Teena didn't work the emergency room. She was on break that night, but she talked to the man."

"I want to talk to her."

"No need. I had Freak dig up some pictures of you and your men. By the way, that's a fucking ugly mug shot you got on file with the KPD."

"Fuck you." Dragon laughs. If I didn't like the son of a bitch, I'd hate him even more.

"Guess which man she ID'd?" he asks.

"Fuck. I already know, don't I, hermano?"

"That you do. Pistol. I told you, you needed to take that motherfucker out years ago."

"That, you did. I shall take you up on it now, however."

"Make it hurt."

"Que es un hecho. Thank you, Dragon."

"Holler if you need us," he says, and I know he means it. He's been a strong ally the last year or so. After he had Nicole sewed up, that is.

I don't answer him, however. I grab my gun off the table and walk straight into the main area. Pistol is standing by the bar nursing a whiskey. He turns to see me and notices the gun in my hand. His eyes go wide as I take aim. I empty two rounds into one knee and two into the other.

Pistol screams out along with a few other muffler bunnies. Briar, Beast, and Shaft all come into the room at about the same time. They look at Pistol and back at me. Pistol is cursing and screaming. I can't stand to hear him anymore. It's a big temptation to finish him off, but instead, I take the butt of my gun and slam it against the side of his head. If that kills the fucker, so be it. I hope it doesn't, though. I'm going to take revenge out of his hide so fucking slowly he'll pray for death, but it won't come. That'd be too easy.

"Chain him up," I order my men. "Get a man to patch up his legs, enough to keep him alive for a while."

"I take it we've found out who our traitor is?" Briar asks as Beast and Shaft drag the unconscious bag of shit away.

"Wait," I tell them once they get him halfway up. I yank his cut from his body and throw it on the ground. I spit on it and throw my knife, watching as it hits the Devil emblem on the back and pins the vest to the floor. "I want that fucker burned," I demand. "But save the ashes; I'll feed them to the asshole," I growl, walking back out.

In the distance, I hear Briar answer his own question. "Yeah, we found him."

I slam the door on him, on all of them. One down. Next is Beth. I will find her.

"Explain to me again why we're going out tonight?" Katie asks, sounding put out, but I think she's enjoying dressing up. She should. That little outfit I picked out for her was made for her. It's green and sets off her brunette hair perfectly. It's got thin straps going over her shoulders that invite a man to pull them down. The silken material curves perfectly over her breasts. Her large globes stretch the fabric tight and very little is left to the imagination, especially since I forbade her to wear a bra. The dress fits the rest of her body just as well, including the way it hugs her ass.

When I see her from behind, my dick jerks in reaction. I want to bend her over the bed and fuck her hard. I don't, but the need is definitely there. It's short and stops nearly at the top of her thighs, reminding me of what she wore the night we met.

"I want to show off my woman," I tell her, only telling her half the truth. No, there's a reason we're going out tonight. Katie is about to have her first lesson in being owned by a man, by me.

"Shit, Hunter. If I bend over, you can see my panties," she says, peeking at her ass in the mirror.

"Katie, lie on your stomach on the bed."

"What?" Her head raises up and she looks in the mirror, but I know it's my face she sees there.

"Bed," I order. "On your stomach. Now."

For a minute, she looks like she might argue with me. It's almost a disappointment when she doesn't. She gives me what I ask. I get up and slowly approach the bed. We're checked into a nicer hotel tonight and have a king-size bed. I'm definitely going to give that a workout later. My hand brushes over her ass. My ass now. She gave it to me. She gave me her body to use as I wish. She has no idea what that means, but I do. I reach over for the bag we left lying on the table from our shopping excursion at the local adult store. Some of the things I bought, she saw. Others, I wouldn't allow her to. I take out the items I will need, line them up on the table, then push her dress up.

"Hunter, we'll be late," she whimpers.

She's called me Hunter almost all day. I doubt she notices the difference. Still, it's not her place to tell me I'm late. So, I deliver a smack across her ass, half of my hand delivering on the bare skin, the other half on the silky black material of her panties.

"Fuck," she whispers, as my hand brushes over the already reddening skin.

I reach over and rip the cleansing wrap from the container. I see Katie trying to lift her head to see what I'm doing. "Keep looking straight ahead, Katie. Don't make me punish you."

"I don't remember you being this bossy our first night together. I mean, okay, you were a little, but-"

I slap her ass again, and I'm glad she can't see the smile on my face.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Just wanted to," I tell her, using the cloth to clean the small butt plug I bought at the store. I put it back on the table and take the tube of lube I also purchased. I squeeze out some onto two fingers. "Did I tell you, sweetness, how much I love your ass? It was one of the first things I noticed about you. It reminds me of a plump, juicy peach and I want to take a bite out of it," I tell her, leaning down to run my tongue over the edge of her ass cheek that's exposed from her panties.

"Hunter," she whispers, thrusting her ass up. In reward, I bite the rim of her ass. She moans and the sound nearly drives me wild. When I lift up to see my mark on her ass, my dick pushes against the zipper of my jeans, demanding more.

"You're so perfect, sweetness. You were made for me."

I'm starting to believe the words, too. I push her panties down over her hips to her knees, leaving them there. My hands palm each cheek of her ass, and I groan at the way she overfills my hands. I push into the cushiony flesh, groaning out loud at the way it feels. I pull the cheeks apart, loving the dark valley that's exposed. My eyes zero in on that bright pink rosette opening... a small, dark, virginal paradise.

I'm claiming that ass, and soon. Perfection.

The lube I have on my fingers, I slowly paint around that little hole. Katie whimpers, but she doesn't tell me no. Carefully, I push one finger in until just the tip disappears. Her muscles immediately latch on, squeezing.

"Hunter." Need and indecision wars in her voice.

In answer, my fingers move to her cunt, already wet and eager. I rake them through the creamy wetness I find there. I gather her desire on my fingers and bring it back to her ass, mixing it with the lube and working my finger in further.

"Relax your muscles for me, sweetness. I promise, you're going to like where I take you," I encourage her, stroking her back from her neck down to the curve of her ass. When I feel the give in her body, my finger sinks in past the knuckle. I leave it there, letting her become adjusted. "That's it, baby. You're doing so good. Soon, you'll be ready to take my cock in this tight little ass of yours."

"Jesus," she whispers, but her ass pushes back towards me, wanting more. I move my finger around before pulling it almost out and thrusting it back in. "Hunter!" she cries out, but she doesn't have any idea what she's asking for. I can tell in the frantic way her body is trying to find more. I want her on her knees, but I can't risk her hurting herself more. I make a note to order a swing. I've always wanted to play with one and the idea of having Katie suspended from the ceiling for my pleasure is definitely a must.