All the Sky (Signal Bend Series)

by Fanetti, Susan

  He took a step forward, and she took one back. If she’d been turned just a little, she’d probably be in or near the open doorway, but instead, he’d about backed her into the wall.

  “I like him. Reminds me of a friend of mine. He wants to hang out, that’s good. I’ll look out for him.” He took another step, and then she really was backed against the wall.

  “Havoc—”

  “I don’t kiss chicks.”

  Now it was her turn to blink. “What?”

  “I don’t. I fuck chicks. I don’t make out with ‘em.”

  Well, wasn’t he the charmer. She had no idea where this conversation was now going, but it couldn’t be anywhere she’d like. And maybe that was a good thing. “Okay…”

  “You piss me the fuck off. You’re a mouthy little bitch.”

  Definitely a good thing. Now she was angry, and angry was better. It gave her focus. “Likewise. You’re a rude asshole.”

  “So why did I kiss you?” He took the last step that brought him directly in front of her and put one hand on the wall next to her head. “What is up with you?”

  She had no idea what he was talking about or why the hell he was asking her questions only he could know the answer to. She put her hands on his chest to push him away, but he leaned in, his muscles flexing against her palms, and did something strange and disarming. With his free hand, he pulled the neckline of her shirt out, bent his head to her shoulder, and sucked on her collarbone. For the second time in the same day, he’d shocked her into stillness.

  He sucked along the length of the bone, all the way from her shoulder to her neck. It felt strange, not quite erotic—except for the clear sense she had that he was acting practically against his own will, which was strangely, powerfully hot. Then, when he reached her neck and growled, his face firm against the skin at the base of her throat—then it was fully erotic, and she moaned and bared her neck before she was aware that she had.

  With that unspoken concession from her, he was on her completely, fiercely, grunting, his mouth sucking her neck, his hands suddenly moving all over her body, pulling up her shirt, going for her jeans, yanking them open—and she realized that he was trying to fuck her, right now, no more to it than a rut against the wall.

  She shoved her arms back between them and pushed as hard as she could. At first, she had no effect on him. “Hav, get off—get off. Stop! Get off me! Stop!” Just as she was beginning to think that she wasn’t going to be able to stop him and he wasn’t going to stop himself, he backed off. He was flushed and breathless, and he looked very confused.

  “What?”

  “Jesus! Are you so challenged that you can’t understand ‘Stop’?” She closed her jeans and straightened her top. Maybe she was going to lose this job anyway, because she couldn’t work around him like this.

  “I thought—I felt—I thought you—fuck!” He hit his head with the heel of his hand. “Fuck! What is up with you?”

  “Why do you keep asking me that stupid question? You’re the one being weird.”

  “I thought you wanted it. I felt you want it. I know I did.” He was almost talking to himself, and an odd feeling of sympathy came over her. She was beginning to understand something about him, something sad.

  “I did. But then you went all gorilla, like you forgot there was a person attached to the interesting parts. Crazy gorilla sex might be great, but not first, not for me. Don’t you know how to be sweet?”

  “Fuck you. Yes.”

  She thought his defensiveness was a little cute, and she grinned. “I don’t think you do. I think it falls in your lap so much, you don’t know how to work for it.”

  It was very clearly a mistake to have made fun, even gently, because his eyes went stormy and his brow pulled in. “You’re a fuckin’ tease. Fuck you. Go home.”

  She suppressed the urge to apologize; if anyone should apologize, it should be him. So she nodded, said, “Okay. Good night,” and left, feeling deeply confused—not sure whether she had a job or not, and not sure at all how she felt about Havoc, or whether it even mattered.

  CHAPTER NINE

  As soon as Isaac and Show came into the Hall, the Horde stopped whatever they were doing—drinking, playing, shooting the shit—and followed them into the Keep. It was a regular Friday meeting, but Isaac and Show had been to Springfield to meet Becker, so there was a sense of import and urgency this night. Becker headed up the Brazen Bulls, a crew in Tulsa they’d worked closely with during their meth days and had been friendly with for much longer than that. Everybody knew that meet could only have meant that the Bulls wanted to do business again—and that meant working the other side of the line.

  Havoc, for one, would welcome it. The Night Horde had been mostly legit for four years. The money had been only fair, and the life was too quiet. He was a physical guy, and now he was spending his days managing a motherfucking wine bar. Not who he was. If he had to put up with that kind of fuckery, he also wanted to go out on a run and know that he had something on the line. That’s what got his blood moving. Danger. Risk. That shit got him hard.

  When everybody was at the table, and after Show had gone through the normal bullshit about financial reports and whatever—Havoc only paid attention to the part that directly concerned him: what he owed, what he was due—Isaac leaned back in his chair. “We have two pieces of new business tonight. One’s not much of a deal, just some scheduling. The other could change a lot, depending on what we decide. First the scheduling. We got half the Horde going up to Hemsburg next weekend, and I want to make sure those of you staying back are good and clear. Len’ll be in charge. The rest of you need to be covering the town—especially Tuck’s.

  Havoc tuned all that out. He was going on that run, and it sucked. It was fucking Oktoberfest. Isaac, Show, and Badger were going, too. To Hemsburg’s Oktoberfest, with all the yuppies or whatever they called themselves now. So Isaac could sell his wood shit, and Lilli and Shannon could do some kind of B&B shit. Havoc was going because of the goddamn wine bar, to talk to the winery people up there and place some orders. Made his teeth itch. Badger was coming to round out the run.

  Well, at least there would be beer and booze and decent food. And drunks. Lotsa drunks. He could probably find somebody who’d throw a fist his way, get something started.

  “Hav—ask that bartender, Cory, to join us. The one makes the jewelry. I got room in my booth, she could put some of her stuff out. She can ride up with Lilli, Shannon, and the kids.

  The old ladies and the kids. That was the kind of runs they went on these days. The family-friendly kind.

  Then the full import of what Isaac had said sank all the way in. He wanted Cory to join them for Oktoberfest. Cory. Away with them for a weekend.

  Two months, give or take, had passed since he’d pushed up on her and been rebuffed—twice in one fucking day—and in that time, Havoc had made a specific point to keep as clear of her as he could—at least not to be alone with her. He was okay with her when Nolan was around. And, anyway, she’d started letting the kid hang out at the clubhouse during the daytime—on weekends, when he wasn’t in school. He was hanging out with Badger, Omen, and Dom almost as much as he was with Havoc. Kid seemed happy in the clubhouse. A lot looser than he was anywhere else. Havoc was on the lookout for a trashed bike, something with good bones, thinking he and Nolan could restore it together. The kid was great.

  But his mother. That was something else. He couldn’t believe he’d kissed her. He’d told her the truth—he didn’t kiss chicks. Ever. In years. Too personal, and personal was not what he wanted out of a chick. But he’d kissed her, and then he’d been all over her in the office, and now she was fucking with his head. The way she smelled, the way she’d tasted, the feel of her skin against his mouth, his hands. Fucking hell. Is this how it had gone down with Isaac, and Show, and Bart, getting all trapped in pussy? Well, he hadn’t even gotten any of that pussy. She’d gotten him all worked up and then laughed at him. Bitch.

  Bu
t still all his senses remembered that one fucking day. He’d see her shut the till with a swing of her hip, or drag her hand through her hair in the way that she had, or he’d stand in the office doorway, when she was there to sing, and listen to her whiny chick music that didn’t bother him as much anymore, or he’d remember that tiny little skirt and those red boots she’d worn at the Midsummer Fair. Or he’d just get straight to it and remember the way she’d moaned when he’d sucked on her neck. And his cock would throb and swell.

  He did not want to spend a weekend away with her, not even in a crowd of Horde and family. Not even with Nolan between them.

  “No, boss.”

  “Why not? Be a good opportunity for her. She does some good stuff.”

  “She’s got the boy—and work.”

  Isaac laughed. “Well, you’re her boss. Give her the time off. Or call it work—she can help you at the wineries, too. You said she knew her stuff. And the boy can come—plenty of room in Lilli’s SUV.”

  Havoc had nothing to say more than he’d already said, so he stared at Isaac, feeling threatened somehow.

  “Well, ask, anyway. Right?”

  If Isaac was going to hear a ‘no,’ there had to be a good reason. Havoc didn’t have any intention of saying his good reason out loud, certainly not at the table. So he nodded, once. He’d fucking ask her. And make sure she said no.

  “Good.” Isaac leaned forward. “Now, the big business. You all know that Show and I met with Becker and Eight Ball today. They bring us a proposition. We’ll lay it out, tell you what we think, then we’ll all think on it, consider the angles. No vote today. We’ll meet next week, before we roll out, and make a decision. Becker’s given us the week.”

  Show took over, turning in his seat to face everyone. “The Bulls are looking for us to close a transportation gap. They’ve been shipping product around Missouri, because the corridor has been hot since Ellis. But it’s been expensive, and they’re thinking that four years, and the movie done and gone, is enough to make some room for a throughway. They want us running protection from Springfield, Missouri to Springfield, Illinois. Once a month. Twice, tops.”

  In a rhythm the Horde knew well, Isaac stepped in again. “That’s the first wrinkle. You all know I have limits on a bike I didn’t have before. That’s a three-hundred-fifty mile run—four hundred, since we go the wrong way to get to Springfield for the pickup. A good day, that’s five-plus hours on the bike, for sure. My limit. No way I’ll make it back same day. It’s a two-day run if I’m on it. But sitting still with work like this always increases the risk, even after the drop. So if we decide we want to take on this business, then we need to decide if it’s a one-day or a two-day run. And a President who can’t go on a run like that’s no leader.”

  “I don’t understand, boss.” Badger cut in. He’d started off so shy at the table he’d been almost like a child. Hell, he’d practically been a child when he’d earned his patch—youngest ever. But in the three years since, he’d learned to speak up, and he was one of the more thoughtful members. “I thought you just said it had to be a two-day run.”

  “If we vote a one-day run, Isaac will step away from the gavel.” Show’s voice and face showed every thought he had about that idea, and he was obviously not a fan.

  No way the club would tolerate that, anyway. It hadn’t even been a year since Isaac had come back, able again to ride, and they’d unanimously reasserted their desire to have him at the head. If they took the job, the run would be two days. So Havoc thought they were burying the lead. “What’s the product? What’s the upside?”

  Isaac turned to him, a smile playing on one side of his face. Havoc figured he was glad to move the discussion on. “Weed, for the most part, en route from California on east. There’s no drop points between on our route. It’d be a straight protection run, never have to see the inside of the truck. Upside is fifteen percent of the take, both sides.”

  Havoc’s jaw dropped. Something didn’t seem quite right, but he wasn’t sure he even fucking cared. His heartbeat picked up. This could be interesting.

  Len whistled. “Truckload of California jolly green every month? That take’s gonna be big. You sure it’d just be weed in those trucks?”

  “What’re you sayin’, brother?” Isaac’s eyes were sharp.

  His hands up in a sign of caution, Len answered, “Only thinkin’. Not sayin’. But that’s a big cut of a huge take for a small risk. Somethin’ doesn’t jive.”

  Isaac and Show exchanged a glance; Havoc read in it that they’d been on that page, too.

  “Okay. Dom—do some checking, see if you can find any kind of flag. You up for that?”

  Dom nodded. “Yeah, boss. No sweat.”

  Shifting in his seat, leaning on its wood-and-leather armrest, Isaac said, “Becker and the Bulls have been our friends a long time. I’m not so trusting of friendships as I used to be, but I hope this one is straight up. I want us to make a smart call here. Make the right call. You all know that I had to empty my chests to pay to get my legs back. We’re through the worst of that, but I got nothin’ saved but cobwebs now. What I had saved, Lilli’s money from her father, all of it gone. The B&B, the bar, those aren’t money makers. You know that—they pay for themselves, keep the roof up and the lights on. The town protection—well, you all know how far that goes, too. I like a quiet life. I have a family to keep safe. But being legit is about maintaining. I won’t lie—the money for this job turned my head a little. But whatever we decide, let’s acknowledge the greed and work past it. Let’s try to see the angles. Let’s be smart. Let’s know the risks and make sure we can accept ‘em. There are people who rely on us for more than money. We can’t take care of our families, this town, if we’re dead or inside.”

  He met the eyes of each brother. They each nodded in turn. Then he slammed the gavel on the table. “Let’s eat.”

  ~oOo~

  Nolan was playing a racing game on the Xbox with Wrench when they came out of the Keep. He must have come straight from his school bus. But it was early; there were a few hours before the party would get hot, and it wouldn’t be dark for another hour or two. Havoc figured Nolan was okay. He went back and got himself a beer. He wouldn’t start the Jack until the kid went home.

  The girls were setting up the food. He didn’t see Lilli or Shannon around, which meant that Isaac and Show would only be doing face time before heading home. It also meant the food wouldn’t be any big deal—and it wasn’t. Looked like beef stew and biscuits, which was fine but nothing special. The eats were great when Lilli ran the Friday supper, but that only happened once or twice a month anymore. She was home with the rugrats or doing some kind of town leader bullshit most of the time, he guessed. Frankly, he preferred it this way—he was willing to eat middling chow if it meant the old ladies weren’t fucking up the Friday vibe. Even the girls were more reserved when Lilli and Shannon were around, like they were pretending not to be the whores they were. Got on his nerves.

  The television went off as soon as Isaac and Show came out of the Keep, as Wrench hightailed it behind the bar. Nolan came around the couch and walked up to Havoc, where he was leaning against one of the support beams, watching the girls bring the food in. He caught Nolan checking Candy out. Typical Candy. Fifty degrees outside, and she was wearing Daisy Dukes that would make Miss Duke herself blush. Half her lush ass was bare, showing the stem of the rose inked on one round, perky globe.

  With a chuckle, he elbowed the kid. “Like the view?”

  Blushing stoplight red, Nolan shrugged. “I guess.”

  A thought occurred to Havoc. “You pop your cherry yet?”

  “What?”

  If he had to ask what, then probably not.

  “You know…” In the international sign for ‘putting it to ‘er,’ Havoc thrust his hips and pulled his fists back, still holding his beer.

  Now the kid was so red his face was shiny. “Uh…no.”

  “Your ma would shove one of her red boots up
my ass for sayin’ this, but you let me know before you do. I’ll hook you up. I don’t want you bein’ stupid.”

  “I know about condoms, Hav. I got the sex talk.”

  “Not what I’m talkin’ about, kid. Yeah—if you’re not carryin’ latex now, you should be. Don’t get yourself caught out. But what I’m sayin’ is don’t get all twisted up in love or whatever bullshit. That shit will fuck your head right over. Just pop your cherry. Don’t make more of it.”

  No longer blushing, Nolan turned his whole body to face him. He was smiling, and Havoc was struck by the sudden effect of age and maturity that smile cast over his young features. “You realize that what you just said is the exact opposite of what every other adult has ever said about sex to any other teenager in the history of the world, right?”

  Havoc grinned and put the bottle to his mouth. Before he drank, he said, “And see how fucked up the world is?”

  Nolan laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, I guess. Love didn’t get my mom much, that’s for sure.”

  Havoc finished his beer and waved the empty at Jerri Rae. Then he turned his attention to Nolan. “Your dad treat her bad?”

  The kid looked awkward, and he didn’t answer. Havoc figured he’d pried his nose in where it didn’t belong and was going to let it drop, acutely interested as he was. But then Nolan said, “Yeah. Cheated a lot, I guess. That’s why they split.”

  Havoc got pissed—and then he was pissed because he was pissed. What the fuck business did he have caring about shit like that?

  Jerri Rae brought over two beers, handing one to Nolan, too. He took it and turned to Havoc, as if trying to decide whether to ask him for permission. Havoc was trying to decide whether to stop him or let him do what he wanted. They stared at each other, at an impasse, neither of them knowing what Havoc’s role in this moment was. Finally, Nolan took a drink.

  “Just that one, though,” Havoc said. He thought it seemed like a fair compromise—and Nolan nodded, so it looked like he agreed.