Diaz applied the condom, then lifted her legs over his hips, drawing her butt off the mattress.

“You have such a pretty pussy, baby.”

She snaked her hand down over her belly, capturing her cl*tbetween her fingers. “Fuck me. Make me come. I need it.”

Her harsh words ratcheted up his arousal. He drove inside her, his balls quivering as she gripped him in a tight vise, taking him on a wild, fast ride. Jessie continued to massage her cl*tas he f**ked her, her face tight with strain as she worked herself.

He enjoyed watching her touch herself, loved this position where he could see the two of them joined, could watch his c**k disappear between her plump, moisture-drenched pu**y lips. She was close to coming, her back arched, her fingers moving faster.

But something was different. Her head was tilted back and her eyes were closed. He realized then what was different. She was completely disconnected from him, unlike the way they’d made love before. Other than his c**k inside her, she wasn’t touching him.

“Yes. Fuck me harder,” she said, lifting against him, strumming her cl*tin a frenzy. “I’m close.”

Her eyes were squeezed shut, one hand clenched in the sheets. He drove into her, feeling her walls close in around him, gripping him. Her lips parted and she let loose a low moan, shuddering as she came. He watched her—so beautiful when she let go like that—and then allowed himself to orgasm.

She panted, opened her eyes, offered up a satisfied smile that had zero warmth, then pushed back, separating them. She slid off the bed and went into the bathroom briefly, came back and grabbed her clothes to get dressed.

Diaz cleaned up and dressed, feeling utterly empty inside. He sat on the couch and slipped on his boots, refusing to look at Jess.

He stood, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door, feeling the need to say . . . something.

“Jess, I—”

Her head jerked up. “Don’t. Just don’t.”

He stared at her, the blank expression on her face, the utter lack of any spark.

And for a split second he wanted the old Jessie back. The one who spit anger at him, who laughed, who cried, the one he could pull into his arms and wring emotion out of every time he touched her.

But he had no rights to that Jessie. This was the game they played now, by the rules he’d set.

And he hated it.

FIFTEEN

JESSIE WATCHED DIAZ WALK OUT. AS SOON AS HE CLOSED THE door, she collapsed onto the bed, her eyes filling with tears. She swiped at one rolling down her cheek, angry at herself for feeling like this—for feeling anything at all. She’d thought she could handle it, had been so aroused that she’d let the physical sensations take over, figuring it would be enough to sustain her. She’d pushed back all her emotions, refusing to let herself feel them.

Holding back had been so hard, had wrecked her. She couldn’t do it again. Maybe Diaz was capable of sex without feeling, but she wasn’t. She put her heart into it as well as her body.

That had been the last time. And it had been unpleasant. Well, not entirely unpleasant. The sex had rocked her, of course. She’d come, but it had been distant, not at all like what they’d shared previously. Before, they had connected in more than just physical ways. A few moments ago it had been nothing more than two people f**king—getting off and going their separate ways.

She loved Diaz. She couldn’t just f**k him. Maybe when she had more experience, she’d be better at using men for physical release. Until then she’d go back to her hand and her vibrator. It was less painful to her heart.

The door opened and Diaz walked back in. She blinked, hoping her face wasn’t streaked with tears.

“Spence said Rex and a couple of other guys took off about a half hour ago.”

Work was exactly what she needed to clear her head of emotion. She jumped off the bed and grabbed her boots, sliding into them and grabbing her jacket. “Why didn’t he call?”

His lips lifted. “Said he did. My cell was on vibrate. In my jeans, which were on the floor.”

“Oh.”

“You ready to ride?”

She shrugged into her jacket. “Yeah. Is the GPS picking them up?”

He nodded, held up the tiny GPS tracking unit. “I’ve got a read on their location. It clips to my wrist so it’ll be easy to keep track while we’re riding, and I can keep it hidden under my jacket.”

“Let’s go, then.”

They climbed on their bikes and revved them up. They hadn’t taken off yet when Crush rode up next to them.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

Uh oh.

“Yeah,” Diaz said. “We’re going for a ride.”

“How ’bout some company?”

Diaz shook his head. “My lady and I need some private time.”

Good thing Diaz could think on the fly.

“Not tonight you don’t. I’m coming with you,” Crush said.

“Excuse me? I just said we want to be alone.”

“And I told you that’s not gonna happen. Not after what went down with Spence last night.”

“I think I can take care of myself, and my woman, without a babysitter.”

Crush narrowed his gaze. “The two of you plus Spence are new to my gang. I feel responsible for what happened to Spence—it’s never happened before. We ride hard, we play hard, we brawl . . . but I don’t want trouble like that.”

Diaz cocked a brow. “Are you saying what happened was Spence’s fault?”

Jessie chewed her bottom lip. This wasn’t going well. And with every second that ticked by, Rex and the others were riding farther away.

“It wasn’t Spence’s fault, Crush,” she said, feeling like she needed to get involved. Maybe he’d listen to her. “Surely you aren’t blaming him for being shot?”

“I don’t know what to think. Rex said he and the others weren’t anywhere near where Spence was last night. No one in my gang had been shot before you all joined.”

“My friend was on the receiving end of that bullet,” she argued back, thinking this was ridiculous. What kind of point was he trying to make?

“I just need to keep an eye on all of you, so if you want to ride tonight, I’m going with you.”

Diaz hated that they’d lost this argument, but he didn’t see any way around it. Crush was the leader of the Skulls, and as members they were obliged to do as he said. If he wanted to ride with them, Diaz was going to have to let him.

Maybe this was an opportunity to test Crush under fire, see if he knew anything, gauge his reactions. They could still follow Rex, and if they came up against anything suspicious, it would be a chance to see what Crush knew about it.

He shrugged. “You’re the boss. Let’s ride.”

Diaz had the GPS and he intended to follow Rex’s trail. If Crush tried to stop them or veer them away, he’d know why.

After they left the lodge property, they rode west down the main road, which was the same way Rex and his group had taken off in. He’d let Crush lead for a while, as long as they were heading in the right direction. Diaz kept close watch on the GPS unit, pinpointing Rex’s location. They were still riding west.

When Crush turned north, Diaz and Jessie didn’t follow. Crush turned around and pulled beside them. They stopped.

“I thought I’d show you this road that curved along the river,” he said. “It’s a nice night ride.”

Diaz shook his head. “This is my ride tonight. If you want to come along, that’s fine, but we’re going my way.”

Crush’s narrowed gaze showed suspicion. Diaz didn’t care. This whole mission was coming to a head and soon, so if Crush was going to show his hand, it might as well be now.

“You have somewhere specific in mind?” he asked.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” He was hoping Crush would pick up on his resentment and think it was because Crush insinuated himself into this ride, and nothing more.

Crush studied him for a few seconds, then gave a curt nod. “Lead the way, then.”

After about thirty minutes or so, Rex and his group had stopped. Soon they’d catch up and Diaz was going to have to figure out what to do with Crush, because Diaz and Jessie were going to have to find a place to park the bikes and determine what Rex and the others were up to.

Diaz turned off the main road and headed south, into a well-forested area, following the tracking device. He pulled off about a half mile back from where Rex was located.

“Why are we stopping here?” Crush asked, parking his bike.

Diaz held up his hand. “I saw something. Stay quiet and follow me.”

Fortunately, Crush didn’t argue, and Diaz wasn’t about to explain that he picked up Rex on the GPS. Sometimes you just had to let things unfold, and this was Crush’s test. Besides, Diaz and Jessie were armed and he wasn’t about to let Crush get behind him in case Crush knew what was going down. He could handle Crush if necessary.

They crept toward Rex’s group, Diaz monitoring the GPS. Crush wasn’t even aware he had it on. Now that he had a clear path in mind and knew where Rex and the others were, he didn’t need to use it, just followed due north, keeping as silent as possible, setting up behind some felled trees until he had clear sight of the group.

They had lanterns set up in what looked like a clearing on an old abandoned campsite.

“Hey, that’s—”

Diaz held up his hand to silence Crush. If Crush was going to try and give away their location, Diaz intended to coldcock him with the butt of his gun. But Crush stayed silent and watched.

Within a few minutes there was a roar of engines, the sound heading their way. Diaz instructed them to get down as they waited to see who was approaching. More bikers maybe?

It wasn’t bikes. ATVs, six of them, pulling into the camping spot. They turned off their engines and climbed off, approaching Rex and the others. Diaz pulled out his hearing device, as did Jessie.

Crush cast him a questioning frown. Diaz shook his head, looked at Crush then back at Jessie, who nodded. Crush hadn’t given them away, hadn’t pulled a weapon, hadn’t done anything to indicate he knew what the hell was going on here. Taking a chance, Diaz dug into his pocket and pulled out another ear device, motioning for Crush to stay silent as he handed it over.

Now they could all hear what was being said.

Diaz heard an unrecognizable voice first.

“Are you sure you weren’t followed?”

“We’re hardly amateurs, George,” Rex said in reply. “We’re alone, so quit worrying.”

“Heard you had some trouble last night. Had to shoot someone.”

Crush shot a glance to Diaz. Diaz held his hand up, a signal for Crush to remain quiet. Crush was either acting innocent, or he really didn’t know about any of this. How could he not know? Diaz still wasn’t convinced.

“Who told you that?”

“You think we don’t watch you? We don’t want no trouble. We do this deal straight up and without no law involved.”

Rex paused. “There is no law involved. I told you, we’ve got it covered. It was just one of the new guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. He got too close so we scared him away. Now do you want the guns or don’t you?”

Bingo.

“You got ’em with you?”

“You know we do. But I’m anxious to get rid of them. Have you got the money?”

“Yeah. We got the money. You just bring the merchandise like we set up and we’ll make the swap.”

No one else was talking but Rex and this George guy, so the two of them must be in charge of the deal. Diaz slanted a glance at Crush. He held one hand over the ear holding the communication device. Otherwise, he hadn’t moved. He looked shocked as hell.

Diaz still wasn’t convinced.

“Tomorrow night. You bring the rifles and ammo. We’ll be there.”

“So will we. You bring the money.”

“I got your money. Don’t you worry. You just keep the law or anyone else from tailin’ ya. You bring trouble with ya, boy, and you’re all gonna be dead.”

Diaz listened as they discussed the designated meeting place. They’d have to alert Grange so they could get the Feds assembled and in here for the takedown.

The ATVs took off and headed out. Diaz and the others stayed low. Diaz instructed Crush to stay down until Rex and his group took off on their bikes. When the roar of their exhaust faded away, they stood.

“What the f**k is going on?”

Diaz figured Crush would be the first to talk. He just wasn’t sure he was ready to provide any answers.

Jessie had stayed quiet the whole time, too. “Is that what you expected to find?” she asked.

He gave her a short nod.

“Is someone going to tell me what the hell’s happening here? Do you two know what’s going on?”

“Yes.”

Diaz turned a sharp gaze on Jess.

“Tell him. He doesn’t know.”

“He doesn’t need to.”

“Tell me what?”

“Diaz. It’s obvious he’s not part of this.”

“We don’t know that.” The longer they stood in front of Crush talking about it, the more he was going to learn. It could be a setup. Crush could be acting, learning what he could about Diaz and Jessie. This whole thing could blow up in their faces.

“What the hell do you two know about what we just saw? What arms were Rex talking about? Who were those guys?”

Jessie held up her hand. “Crush, please. Just give us a minute to talk about this.” She turned to Diaz. “Tell him. He can help us.”