Broken Saint by E.M. Gayle

18

Rock

Iled Nova through the myriad of hallways and elevators and corridors that eventually led to the parking deck. These resorts were designed to keep guests inside spending their money. Either at the tables, in the shops or the restaurants. When marketing and architecture came together it resulted in a maze that took a fair amount of effort to actually exit.

By the time we finally made it out to where I'd parked, I was as antsy as her. Without the added benefit of being tipsy to take the edge off. I could have just taken her upstairs and fucked both our brains out and been done with it. That would have been the smart thing to do.

But I'd already broken protocol and crossed so many lines, there was no turning back now. Still, the skin at the back of my neck itched as the rest of my shit day refused to give me any rest. The judge had not only denied our request for visual access to Anthony Cullotta's surveillance, but he revoked the audio as well. And despite all the evidence we'd gathered in the last forty-eight hours we still didn't have enough to get shit done.

Which meant I was worried about her safety more than ever. If her father had plans to visit her, I wanted eyes and ears. First and foremost, for her safety, but also for the potential information he might accidentally spill.

I stopped in front of my bike and Nova looked at me like I might be out of my mind.

"This is what you meant by a ride?"

"Of course." I said, opening a saddle bag and retrieving a helmet for her. "It's a beautiful, warm night. Once we get out of the city, you'll be able to see the stars, and we can both forget about the insanity of our busy lives."

"Well," she said, taking the helmet. "When you put it that way, it doesn't sound so bad."

"You've never been on a bike before?"

She shook her head. "There's a lot of things I've never done before. Being raised by strict parents didn't exactly lead to a life of adventure."

I hesitated, unsure what to say. She usually said so little about her family and I feared she’d clam up again. It was time to learn more about her than her sexual preferences.

"Sounds like we've got some experimenting to do." I winked, trying to lighten my mood. I wanted to spend some time getting to know this woman because I liked her, not because I had a job to do. And if she had some adventures to fulfill, I would love to do it at her side.

I fastened my own helmet, took a seat on the bike and then adjusted my position so she could comfortably climb on behind me. To her credit, she only hesitated for a moment before hiking up her skirt and climbing on. I didn't want to mention the flash of panty I'd gotten when she did so, but hot fucking damn. That simple, tantalizing tease made me think about adjusting my dick as it grew from its half hard state to a full-on rager.

That was Nova, though, blissfully oblivious to the effect she had on me until it was painfully obvious. And tonight it was going to be painful, since I had already decided we would not fuck. It was past time we explored more than just our sexuality together.

"Ready?" I asked as she wrapped her arms around my waist and plastered her front to my back. Just the feel of her soft breasts with their hard nipples pressed against me almost changed my mind. I could have us both upstairs, naked, and in her bed within ten short minutes. I shook my head free of that thought. As enticing as it was, it couldn't be tonight's focus.

"Yes, " she said at my ear.

"Don't let go." She'd been drinking, and the last thing I wanted was for anything else rotten to happen.

"Yes, sir." She answered throatily, the words I loved from her going straight to my dick. Fuck, but she was going to make this no sex tonight rule hard.

We roared out of the garage and shot out into the busy streets of Las Vegas. I took backroads to avoid the traffic jam on the strip, but until we got to the outskirts of town, I focused on navigating the jam-packed roads. That was Vegas for you. Didn't matter what night of the week it was, or what time of day, this town literally never slept. It wasn't just a lame travel slogan.

Which was why Las Vegas had such a large criminal and legal presence. It was a never-ending fight that resembled a game of whack a mole. Take one down and two more would pop up. And still, we never gave up. Well, some of us didn't. That fucking judge did. It was so fucking obvious he was on the Cullotta payroll it wasn't even funny, and at the moment, there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it.

After about thirty minutes we passed over the invisible line of traffic and into the more peaceful side of the night. These parts weren't exactly crime free since they were fairly ideal when it came to burying bodies, but it wasn't wall to wall people either. I breathed deep, letting the warm night air fill my lungs and my head.

Work could stay behind, for once. This was my time with Nova and I wanted it clear that nothing mattered more. We drove into the canyons, and as we climbed, the quickly changing elevation the air cooled considerably.

Another fifteen minutes up into the mountains, and I finally pulled over and parked the bike in a spot that directly overlooked Vegas. The lights glittered in the distance while here above us it was dark enough to see the stars as I'd promised.

"Wow. This is gorgeous."

"One of my favorite spots when I need to get away." I hopped off the bike and then lifted Nova from her seat and deposited her gently on the ground. While she removed her helmet, I set mine down and unpacked the blanket I kept in my saddle bag for just this type of occasion.

"I can see why. I've heard the views from here were spectacular, but I've never seen them."

I turned and looked at her. "Really? Why not?"

"Well, for one, in case you haven't noticed, I pretty much work all the time. When I do venture out with friends, we don't usually go far. We're all pretty busy women, and the city really does offer a lot of fun places to go."

"Guess that makes you more of a city girl at heart," I joked as we walked the short trail head to the rock formation at the top. I spread out on the blanket and took a seat. When she started to take the spot next to me, I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her into my lap. "It's chilly up here." That was the excuse I was making to keep her close when actually the only one I really needed was the fact that's where I wanted her.

She wiggled in my lap in response and made me groan. "If you say so."

I could hear the laughter in her voice and it made me smile. Her resilience and ability to embrace the moment seriously turned me on. A lot more than the tits, ass, and legs did. Well, kind of. Those were some serious assets she sported.

As she settled down, I started thinking about home and how nice it would be to have her with me in those mountains. "Where I grew up, the city was a little farther away. Only about an hour, but still it felt like a trip. I've always preferred fresh air and the outdoors."

"Where was that?" Her voice had a dreamy quality to it, like she was floating carelessly in the moment. I hoped it was true, considering we both needed the escape.

"About an hour outside of Seattle. A teeny tiny town called Sultan. It may not have seemed like much with its two stoplights, but what it lacked in amenities, it more than made up in outdoor activities. We were close to everything. Mountains for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, a river for kayaking and fishing, not to mention hunting, and the various hot springs that fill the area.”

"And motorcycle riding?" She asked. "Is that a thing you did back home too?"

"Oh yeah. My father was the president of a motorcycle club. I learned how to ride a bike long before I ever drove a car."

"Sounds dangerous. How old were you?"

"I started out on dirt bikes when I was five and graduated from there. Didn't bother with a car until high school, and even that was only borrowed from my mom when I needed it. Didn't see the point."

"You mother let you do that? Oh wait. Never mind. You're a boy. Of course she did. Boys are allowed to do anything, and girls have to stay home and play quietly."

The bitterness she clearly harbored came out loud and clear. "I guess I know why you haven't ventured out much if your parents were that overprotective."

"My parents were and are assholes. If it was up to my dad, I would have been married for five years and probably popped out a few kids by now. Sons, of course, because in our family, girls just aren't worth a damn."

"Whoa." I don't know how we got on this track, but it was building steam and Nova was on a roll.

"I'm sorry," she said squirming to get away. "It's the liquor talking. I'll stop now."

"Bullshit. Your family sounds toxic, and it sounds like whatever is going on you need to get it out."

"I really don't want to talk about them. It doesn't make for a fun time. I'd rather hear more about you. Do you have family in Sultan or are they somewhere else?"

His family life wasn't easy to talk about either, but for her, he'd do his best. "My father is in Sultan. Still runs the MC. Although it's a little different than it used to be."

"How so?"

"Back in the day, they were probably just as you imagine. Up to their eyeballs in illegal businesses. Guns, drugs, and anything else that suited their fancy. They were younger and just didn't give a shit about the law. Eventually, that changed and now they do things a little more legal like strip clubs, coffee huts, distillery, even got themselves a fully legal marijuana dispensary now that recreational use is legal in Washington. My brother left Sultan shortly after I did. He joined the Marine Corps, got hurt, went back to the MC and then left again. He lives in Vegas now. But you know him, since he's married to Izzy now."

"That's right. I didn't realize until the party the other night. There was a lot going on that night, though, so I kind of forgot."

"You also didn't tell me it was your birthday. Found that out from my brother and then got blindsided by a fiancé at your party. I think I still owe you some birthday spankings."

She giggled. "Rock, are you just looking for an excuse to get me on my knees again?"

"I don't need an excuse, babe. If I want you there, I'll put you there."

While she didn't exactly squirm in my lap when I said that, I picked up a slight tremble.