Warlords MC: Book 6 – Traven : Chapter 17

“Maybe we should wait until this Birch guy arrives to make our hit,” Dax suggested. “That would give us time to make a good plan and believe me we are going to need a good plan.”

Phantom nodded and looked over at Traven. “He’s got a point.”

“I know he does,” Traven admitted. “But before we do anything, we need eyes on the camp.”

Heathen grinned. “That’s my specialty. I can get in there, set the cameras, and get out before they know I’m even there.”

“I can help with that too,” Joker admitted.

Jack snorted. “And that means I go to watch your backs.”

Flint shrugged. “I’ll go along too.”

“Ok, you guys can go after dark tonight and get things set up,” Traven agreed.

Jack and Heathen went to see what kind of stuff they would need to set up.

Ace and Deuce joined Traven and Winter, Will, Phantom and Venom at one of the tables.

Ace sat down and mentioned, “So Whittaker not only used his government contact to send our men into combat with defective weapons, and vests but he was also part of the Thorn group huh?”

Traven looked over at him and nodded. “Yeah, so what does this mean to you?”

Ace rubbed his hand along his jawline. “Well, I happen to know about this Thorn group. Not enough to identify with them but I’ve heard some rumors over the years, you know?”

Traven leaned back in his chair and studied the other man. “What kind of rumors?”

Ace shook his head. “You remember Shay Montross, don’t you?”

Traven nodded. “Yeah, he’s one man that’s hard to forget. Why?”

“Well, this was more his style than mine,” Ace admitted. “He was looking into an organization but it wasn’t the Black Thorn, it was called the Red Thorn. He was looking for them because too many of our weapons were ending up in our enemy’s hands. And from what I heard, it wasn’t only the hand weapons but other weapons as well. Weapons that our enemies never should have gotten their hands on.”

“Like what kind of weapons?” Venom asked.

“Weapons, like bombs and missiles and such,” Ace admitted.

“Well, shit,” Traven swore. “That sounds like a very sophisticated and complex operation.”

Ace nodded. “But like you said, there’s layers. You peal one layer off and there’s always another one underneath. We only got the first layer off.”

“Don’t forget that Will said he found three more camps besides this one,” Winter reminded them.

“Then this will only be our first strike won’t it?” Traven looked over at her.

“Maybe we should look for a new safe place in case they find this one,” Venom suggested.

“We could look at the land Joe left my mom,” Winter suggested. “The attorney told my parents it was all set up for occupancy already. All they had to do was claim it.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to check it out and see what’s there at any rate.” Phantom nodded.

“We can’t, the land isn’t ours to claim,” Traven told him.

“It could be if you allow us to join your team,” Winter said softly. “Will and I need a place to live now and I feel safe with you guys. I can cook and Will can do his magic on the computer. We can earn our way if you allow it.”

Traven wanted her and Will safe, but he wasn’t sure it could be with him and the Riders. They were always in danger. “Let me think about it. But right now, I think we need some sleep. It will be dawn soon and I’m tired.” He got to his feet and held out his hand to Winter.

She paused and looked down at it.

The room went quiet as no one knew what to expect out of Winter.

She finally took his hand and they walked down the hall to his bedroom.

Venom, Phantom and Ace watched them enter Traven’s room.

Venom shook his head. “Damn, I never thought I’d see this day.”

“You got that right,” Phantom agreed.

“What do you mean?” Deuce frowned.

“I’ve known that man for fifteen years,” Venom explained. “Hell, we grew up together. The first few years I knew him, he was hellbent on finding his sisters. He never gave up looking for them and we did some shit we shouldn’t have to find them. But he wouldn’t give up and nothing could stop him from looking for them. Then about seven years ago, he found them. He even went undercover to keep track of them.”

“Yeah, he joined up with Whittaker for a while. One of his sisters is my woman,” Deuce claimed.

Venom nodded. “Yeah, I know. Luna had to run to survive and she ran right into your arms.” Shaking his head, he warned the other man, “You better treat her right or you will face his wrath and that my friend, you never want to do.”

“Don’t you worry about Luna,” Deuce told him.

“Anyway, to get back to my surprise,” Venom admitted. “Since you and your sister got here, he’s been changing. I didn’t believe it but t’s true.” He shook his head at Will.

“She’s changing too, I think,” Will added. “I’ve never seen her trust anyone like she trusts him. Everyone else she doesn’t even let touch her.”

Venom shook his head again. “Three weeks ago, he never would have taken a woman into his room, that’s for sure.”

“Her room is adjoining,” Will stated.

“He would give her a choice,” Venom admitted.

“He better not break her heart.” Will growled. “She’s been used and abused enough for two lifetimes.”

Ace looked at both Traven’s men and Will. “But he’s right about one thing, we all need some sleep, so we’ll have fresh minds to deal with planning the camp’s destruction.”

They all broke up and moved away to find their own beds. Nite Stalker and Jack volunteered to stay awake to watch over the compound.

Winter followed Traven into his room.

He let go of her hand and let her chose to stay or go.

She took a step toward the door between the rooms and he growled then grabbed her and hauled her back into his arms. He stared down into her face and slowly leaned down to crush her lips under his. He gave her a chance to stop him, he did but he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Wrapping his arms around her body, he held her close and then his head dipped and his lips pressed down on hers.

A bolt of electricity shot through them both and she gasped. His tongue pushed inside her mouth.

Winter groaned as her arms wrapped around his waist and she melted under his kiss. He deepened the kiss and her heart began to pound in her chest. His hands reached down and grabbed her ass, lifting her slightly. Winter wrapped her legs around his waist and held on. Her arms wound around his neck and he walked her closer to the wall.

Breaking the kiss, they both gulped in air. “I want you in my bed.” He growled and gazed into her eyes.

“Ok,” she whispered breathlessly.

Traven paused and looked down at her. “If we do this you belong to me, not just for the day but forever.”

She looked straight into his eyes. “I like the idea. But just know I don’t sleep around so this is serious for me. And if you cheat one me, I don’t give second chances either.”

“I don’t share either.” He growled. “And once you’re mine, I won’t need a second chance, cuz I’m not throwing away the first one.”

Winter looked him in the eyes. “Then, take me to your bed and show me how much you want me.” She gazed into his eyes.

Traven growled as he lifted her up and carried her to his bed. Tossing her lightly down on the mattress, he followed her down and covered her like a blanket. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her silly.

The next thing Winter was aware of was the fact that her clothes were gone and they were skin to skin. She lost the few minutes of time that it took him to undress them both.

Traven looked deep into her eyes and smiled. “I love the feel of you skin to skin. Your scent is driving me crazy.”

“Oh? What do I smell like?”

“Citrus and sunshine,” he murmured as he spread kisses on her neck.

She inhaled deeply. Smiling she told him, “You smell like leather and earth.”

Traven chuckled. “You think I smell like dirt?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t say dirt, I said earth. Freshly turned earth‒ ready to take seeds in it and watch those seeds break through the ground and grow‒ kind of earth. The seeds stretching toward the sun, as they grow strong and hearty. It’s a good scent for a man.”

“And the leather?” he asked.

“Leather that has been tanned and worked to be strong and blanket a body. It will protect a person it’s wrapped around, protect him or her and lend that person warmth that cannot be stripped away that easy.”

He lowered his mouth to her breasts and sucked a nipple into his warm mouth.

Gasping at the feel, she grabbed his head and arched her breasts upwards. He switched nipples and suckled the other one.

His groans made her heart pound wildly and she got wetter and wetter.

He lined up the head of his cock with her cradle and began sliding through her folds, using her juices to coat his manhood. “I need to be inside you,” he warned her. “I can’t wait any longer.”

“Then please, get inside me,” she whispered.

He surged inside her, breaking through the barrier that was hers to give to only one man. He noted the pain on her face and he knew then he’d just received her gift. His heart swelled she would be his from this moment on.

He slowed down as he tried to be gentle, despite his need.

Winter wrapped her arms and legs around him and pleaded, “More.”

They danced the dance of the ancients and he watched the expressions on her face as she climbed the steep assent of the abyss. She might just be the most beautiful thing he ever saw. The darkness in his life seemed to move aside. As her light took front and center.

She raised up and kissed along his neck, tasting him actually, and he was having a hard time controlling his body… that had never happened to him before. He felt her body rushing to the rim and he couldn’t wait any longer. His hand dropped down and he began thumbing her clit. Gasping and whimpering, she flew over the edge. She clamped down on his so hard, he followed her over the edge. He growled as he filled her. He crushed her lips to swallow her cries as he came.

He tried to move off her but she wrapped her legs around his hips and reused to let him go. Traven looked down at her and told her, “I’m too heavy for you, I don’t’ want to crush you.”

“You won’t,” she moaned but finally loosened her hold. “That was incredible.”

“Yeah it was. I’ve never felt that before.” He shifted to her side and then looked at her. “This was your first time.” It wasn’t a question.

She shrugged. “I had a hard time trusting anyone to get that close.”

“But you trusted me?” He smoothed his fingers over her face.

“I trusted you that much.” She met his eyes. “Please don’t break my heart.”

“Never. I’ll never break your heart,” he assured her. Then he smiled. “If you promise not to stab me?”

Winter chuckled. “If I’d wanted to, you would have already been stabbed.”

He grinned. “Yeah, that’s what Will told me. You are in my heart and soul now, little girl. I’ll never hurt you, nor will I abuse you. I will protect what’s mine and you are mine.”

She rolled over and sat up to look at his chest, then his arms. “I knew it!”

Her sudden moves surprised him. He stared at her. “What?”

“You have a reaper sickle tatt.”

He chuckled. “Yes…”

“Well, that matches your name, right?”

He laughed and framed her face with his hands. “My name is Traven. I think it’s time that you knew this. It has never been Reaper.”

“B-but…” She touched his tatts. “These…”

“They stand for the life I was living before,” he whispered to her.

Tilting her head, she stared at him. “It was that bad?”

He let out a sigh. “I wasn’t a good man, Winter.”

She smiled. “I refuse to believe that.”

“Oh, really?” he asked. “What about. Mr. Spooky?”

She laughed and leaned down to speak to his lips, “Nah, you were always Mr. Sexy in my head.”

He chuckled. “You sure could have fooled me.”

“Ok well, Mr. Dark and Sexy then. Is that better?”

He raised a brow at her.

She laughed. “Really though, just look at it from my point of view. You show up like a ghost from nowhere, all in black. With your dark eyes and hair and you are built like a tank too. Then you whisk me away to here. Where men like Phantom, Nite Stalker, Heathen and Venom are? Come on!”

He laughed. “Ok. Ok. I get it.”

She laid down and snuggled into him.

He brushed his lips over her temple. “Sleep now little flame. We have a full day ahead of us and you need some rest.”

Winter nodded and closed her eyes, “You do know that is an oxymoron right?” she whispered. “Little flame and Winter.”

He kissed her head as he smiled. “No, it isn’t. It describes you perfectly.

With a happy sigh, she snuggled in and laid her head on his chest.

Traven laid on his back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. He felt so light now. So calm. For years, there had been nothing but chaos and darkness driving him every day. Now, he simply felt alive and good. Is this how it feels to be a normal person? Not like a killer and a hunter? It must be and he would embrace it with all his might. Traven wrapped his arms around his little flame and closed his eyes.