Joker (Salvation Kings MC Book 2)

by Ana Night

  “Get up or you’re gonna be late for work.”

  “Do I have to?” Gabe asked, batting his lashes at Joker.

  “Baby. I’m not your boss. Len is, and she’ll rightfully give you an earful if you’re late. Again.”

  Gabe huffed and pushed himself into a seated position. “Last time was your fault. Actually, every time I’ve been late, it’s been your fault.”

  Joker found himself grinning at Gabe because he was absolutely right.

  When they’d gotten home from D.C. Gabe hadn’t moved back into his old room. He’d walked straight into Joker’s bedroom, dropping his bag on the floor and hadn’t moved it since. Joker hadn’t asked him to, either. He liked Gabe in his bed. Wanted him there every night.

  Joker moved back and stood to let Gabe get out of bed. Gabe walked around it to stand in front of Joker. When Gabe leaned in for a kiss, Joker leaned back.

  “Morning breath,” Joker said.

  Gabe gave him the stink eye and said, “You didn’t mind yesterday.”

  “I had morning breath then, too.”

  Gabe shook his head at him and pushed him a step back. Joker chuckled and grabbed Gabe by his shirt, pulling him close to press a kiss to his lips. Gabe pushed his body against Joker and smiled into the kiss. Joker kept it short, knowing if he didn’t, they’d just get right back into bed.

  He led Gabe into the kitchen where they both poured cereal into their respective bowls. They ate, each leaning against opposite counters. Gabe scarfed down his food, barely registering anything. Joker finished first and put his bowl in the sink.

  “No,” Gabe said between mouthfuls.

  Joker glanced at him, frowning for a moment until Gabe pointed at the sink with his spoon. Joker sighed and rinsed off his bowl and spoon, then put them in the dishwasher. He wasn’t entirely sure he liked the whole domesticated thing. Though he had to admit he did like it a lot more than he’d ever thought he could. But he was pretty sure that had everything to do with Gabe.

  He went to check his phone while Gabe took a shower. He found a missed call from an unknown number. No voicemail and no texts. He redialed but no one picked up, so he sent the number to Auggie and asked him to check it out. People weren’t usually calling him for shits and giggles so it could be something important.

  Gabe and he were both working at the auto shop that day because Sully and Jack were home sick for the second day in a row. He wasn’t looking forward to eight hours of trying not to stare at Gabe while he got dirty and sweaty.

  He was looking at his phone as he walked into the hallway, but the bathroom door opening had him glancing up and stopping. Gabe had a towel slung around his waist, drops of water running down his mouthwatering chest. Gabe’s eyes lit up when they met Joker’s gaze and he walked toward Joker. He stopped inches from Joker and tilted his head back.

  “No more morning breath,” Gabe teased, running his hands up Joker’s chest.

  Joker groaned and took a step back. “Not fair. Go away.”

  Gabe chuckled and followed Joker.

  “Gabe,” Joker growled. “We can’t both be late.”

  Gabe cocked his head to the side and said, “We do live together. I doubt they’d think anything of it.”

  “No. Nope. Not happening.”

  Joker shook his head and pulled Gabe’s hands off of him. The bastard was smirking, enjoying himself way too much. Joker leaned close, putting his mouth next to Gabe’s ear.

  “I’m gonna tie you up later and then I’m gonna fuck you so hard, so good, you’ll forget your own name.”

  A shiver went through Gabe’s body and he let out a whimper.

  “And you said I wasn’t being fair,” Gabe grumbled.

  Gabe shook his head and left Joker in the hallway, walking into their bedroom to get dressed. Joker stayed where he was, trying to convince his dick to calm the fuck down because all he’d just succeeded at was turning himself on.

  Once Gabe was dressed and they were both ready, they rode their bikes to the auto shop. When they drove up to the garage they found Zayne and Nash standing outside, busy trying to taste each other’s tonsils.

  Gabe pulled up next to Joker as they parked their bikes. They shared an amused look before getting off and walking to Zayne and Nash.

  “You know you’re gonna see him in a few hours, right?” Joker asked Zayne.

  Zayne and Nash pulled apart and Zayne raised a brow at Joker.

  “So?”

  Joker snorted, shaking his head. He couldn’t exactly fault his friend for it, seeing as he had to fight every second of the day not to touch Gabe. Not that Gabe made it any easier on him. Pretty much anything the man did was a turn on for him. He definitely wasn’t looking forward to another day of only looking and no touching.

  Gabe

  He was taking a water break when he felt someone walk up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Len standing there holding a box.

  “Hey, Len. What’s up?”

  “Would you mind doing a delivery for me? Cal just called and asked if we had some spare parts he needs for a customer.”

  Cal was Rooster’s cousin who owned an auto repair shop just out of town. Len had worked for him many years ago, which was how she and Rooster had met.

  Gabe dried his hands off on his pants and took the box from Len.

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks,” Len said. She pulled a pair of car keys out of her pocket and gave them to him.

  With the box under his arm, he walked outside. Len’s pickup truck was parked just off to the side of the garage. He got behind the wheel and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat. He turned on the radio and drove out onto the road.

  It was about a thirty-minute drive to Towson, but he barely made it to ten minutes before he noticed someone following him. A dark SUV who made the same lane changes and turns as him. He wasn’t entirely sure it was following him, so he made a sharp turn at a yellow light to see what they’d do. His heart was in his throat as the SUV made the turn.

  He tried to find a way to lose them, but just as he managed to get some distance between them, the SUV blew across a red light and sped up. Gabe’s pulse hit the roof as they caught up with him, looking intent on ramming into him. He jerked the car to the left, but the SUV still hit the back of the pickup, sending it spinning. He was thrown forward when the car came to an abrupt halt. The airbag deployed, pushing him back in his seat. He groaned at the pain shooting through his body, blinking his eyes to not fall asleep. He knew that wouldn’t be good and neither were the black dots dancing in front of his eyes. The seatbelt held him in place, and he knew he had a burn across his chest from it. He felt something trickle down the side of his head.

  There was shouting and then the unmistakable pops of gunshots. He jerked and ducked his head as much as he could for the airbag. His phone was miraculously still on the passenger seat. He tried to reach for it but found he couldn’t move much. He lifted his arm only to let out a yelp of pain. It was probably broken which wasn’t good. How was he supposed to fight someone off if he couldn’t use his arm? Or even just get out of the damned car?

  The sound of someone trying to open his door made him try for the phone again. There were voices. Someone yelling. But all he could concentrate on was the blinding pain. The last thing he heard before everything went black was the sound of sirens.

  Joker

  He was standing in the alley behind the shop, taking a break and just enjoying some quiet time when the door opened. Nash walked out and when he saw Joker, he narrowed his eyes. Joker sighed and leaned back against the wall.

  “Joker,” Nash said as he walked up to him.

  “Nash.” Joker arched a brow. “Something I can do for you?”

  Nash crossed his arms and said, “You can tell me if you’re really serious about yours and Gabe’s relationship.”

  “Why would I tell you anything?” Joker asked with a huff.

  “Because Gabe’s my friend and I care about both your ha
ppiness.”

  That surprised Joker and from the way Nash was looking at him, it showed.

  “Come on, Joker. Of course, I care about you, too. You’re a dickhead on a good day, but you’re loyal and honest. You’re also Zayne’s best friend. I know you wouldn’t be unless Zayne saw something good in you,” Nash said.

  “I know you hate talking about your feelings,” Nash started and before he could continue, Joker cut him off.

  “I don’t. Not really. I just don’t like talking about it with people I don’t trust.”

  “Which is me?” Nash asked with a raised brow.

  “I’m a very private person, Nash. I’ve been told I’m near impossible to get close to and I know you’ve been trying hard.”

  “Then let me the hell in,” Nash exclaimed.

  Joker snorted out a laugh. He shook his head, a smile gracing his lips.

  “I’ve realized that you’re it for Zayne. He’d never give you up.” He let out a sigh. “Gabe has helped me see that… that I have more to offer. I would like to be your friend, Nash.”

  Nash lit up in a bright smile. Joker couldn’t do anything when Nash took him by surprise and wrapped him up in a hug. He stood there, his body stiff as a board, while Nash squeezed him tight.

  “Just let it happen,” Nash said.

  Joker breathed in deep and exhaled. He began to relax and let Nash hold him. He patted Nash on his back and the man finally let go of him.

  Nash grinned at him and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t do that often. I just thought you had a major breakthrough there.”

  He probably wasn’t wrong about that. Not that he’d ever admit it.

  “So?” Nash prompted.

  Joker frowned at him. “So, what?”

  “Answer my question.”

  “Yes. I’m very serious. I like him. A lot.”

  Nash smirked at him. “You can say it.”

  “Say what?” Joker grumbled.

  “Love, Joker. Love.”

  Joker rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure I’d call it that.”

  Nash opened his mouth, most likely to argue, but he was interrupted by Joker’s phone ringing. He dug it out of his pocket and seeing the number from that morning, he picked it up.

  “Hello?”

  It was quiet on the other end for a few seconds before he heard some rustling and then Sean’s voice.

  “Joker,” Sean said, sounding breathless as if he was running.

  “Sean. What’s going on?”

  “You guys are in danger.”

  Every hair at the back of Joker’s neck stood up.

  “What do you mean we’re in danger?”

  Nash’s eyes went wide and when he opened his mouth, Joker pointed at the door. Whatever this was, it was club business. Nash didn’t look happy about it, but he went inside.

  They were always somewhat in danger, but he had a pretty good feeling that that wasn’t what Sean meant. It sounded much worse.

  “He’s coming for you. Wade.”

  “What?” Joker barked. “How the hell do you know that?”

  “Funny story, that,” Sean said and cleared his throat. “I kinda went back to Washington. Letting Wade just walk all over me didn’t seem right.”

  “Get to the point, Sean,” Joker said through clenched teeth.

  “Right. So as you know, I’m a bit paranoid, which means I’ve got cameras installed all over that warehouse. Apparently, Wade hasn’t found that out, so I was able to log onto the system from afar. The money is technically still mine so I’m planning on hiring someone to take out Wade, which is why I was looking through the footage. Then I found some from yesterday where Wade was talking with someone on the phone. He said yours and Gabe’s name several times and then he said he’d take care of it. As in take care of you. Permanently.”

  “Yeah, I got that part,” Joker snapped.

  He hung up on Sean, his only thought on making sure Gabe was safe. He knew Gabe was out running an errand for Len. He dialed Gabe’s number, cursing when it went straight to voicemail. Then he called King.

  The second King picked up, he said, “Gabe’s in danger.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Sean just called and said Wade is coming for us,” Joker said and pulled the door open.

  He ran down the hallway and into the garage where he looked for Len. King was talking in his ear, but he barely heard him.

  “Lennox,” Joker yelled.

  She popped up from behind a car, her expression one of confusion and surprise.

  “Where did you send Gabe?”

  “To Cal’s. Why?”

  He didn’t waste any time giving her an answer as he ran to his bike. He grabbed his helmet and said to King, “I’m going after Gabe,” before hanging up. He pulled the helmet on and got on his bike, kicking it into gear.

  The drive was hellish, the mere thought of something happening to Gabe made his heart clench painfully. He drove much faster than he should have, knowing exactly which way Gabe would’ve taken.

  When he heard sirens, his whole body went taut. He saw two police cars and a fire truck, and an ambulance just pulling up. He got off his bike, barely having time enough to put it on the kickstand. He ran towards what looked like a multiple vehicles collision. His heart stopped beating when he saw Len’s pickup truck. He was still running when he saw one of the cops point the paramedics towards the car.

  There were two men standing against one of the police cars, their hands cuffed behind their backs. He was almost at the car when one of the cops spotted him and yelled at him to stop. The only reason he did, was the gun pointed at him. He raised his hands and turned slowly towards the cop. The cop’s eyes shot down to Joker’s cut, his eyes widening comically as he grabbed his gun tighter. Joker fought hard to keep calm and not reach for his gun.

  “Get on the ground,” the cop yelled.

  Joker clenched his hands, his nails digging into his palms.

  “I didn’t do this. My partner is in that car,” he ground out.

  The cop looked confused, his gaze shifting between Joker and Gabe’s car.

  “Fuck you. If I wasn’t wearing my cut, you would’ve already let me through.”

  He turned his gaze on the pickup, his heart sinking as he saw the firefighters working to get the door off. One of the firefighters turned, her eyes landing on Joker. He’d only met Nash’s cousin twice, but he’d recognize her anywhere. He just hoped she remembered him, too.

  “Harper,” he yelled as loud as he could.

  Another cop had joined the first and they both had their guns aimed at Joker’s chest. Harper jogged toward them. She stopped a few feet from him.

  “Joker, right?” she asked.

  He nodded curtly, his eyes shooting towards the cops for a second before returning to Harper.

  “How is he?” Joker choked out.

  Harper pressed her lips together for a moment before saying, “We don’t know yet. He’s unconscious.” She turned to the cops. “I can guarantee you he didn’t have anything to do with this. He lives with the guy in the pickup.”

  The first cop still looked uncertain but the second lowered his gun and put a hand on the others shoulder, saying something to him that sounded like, “He wasn’t here when it happened.”

  “Go ahead,” he then said to Joker.

  Joker gave him a thankful nod.

  “Thank you, Ford,” Harper said before motioning for Joker to follow her.

  They made it to the car just as the firefighters and paramedics were lifting Gabe onto a gurney. There was blood running down his face and he was unbelievably pale. He didn’t look good.

  He went with the paramedics when they put Gabe into the ambulance. He sat down on a bench next to the paramedic and took Gabe’s hand. Everything felt so fucking surreal, he didn’t know what the hell to do or feel.

  Gabe had a mask over his nose and mouth and the paramedic was monitoring his vitals. He looked so fragile as he laid there. But he knew he
wasn’t. Gabe was strong. Stubborn as hell. He’d pull through. He had to believe that.

  Gabe groaned, opening his eyes a tiny bit. Joker leaned forward so Gabe could see him.

  “You’re okay, baby. You’re gonna be okay,” Joker said, as much to himself as to Gabe.

  Gabe’s eyes softened when they landed on Joker and he squeezed Joker’s fingers before his eyes fluttered shut again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Joker

  HE PACED the waiting room, unable to remain still for even a second. When they’d made it to the hospital and the doctors had rolled Gabe away, he’d damned near broken down. When he’d calmed himself enough to think clearly, he’d called Zayne to tell him what happened and to ask him to go get his bike. He hadn’t even thought twice about leaving it there. Gabe was much more important. The bike could be replaced. Gabe couldn’t.

  His call to King had been a short one. Polly had already been called by the hospital as they were Gabe’s emergency contacts and they were on their way.

  Nash and Zayne walked into the room, both looking concerned. Close behind them was the cop from earlier. The one who’d let him go with Gabe. Zayne didn’t stop until he was right in front of Joker and then he just pulled him against himself. Joker wrapped his arms around Zayne and dropped his head onto Zayne’s shoulder. His breaths were ragged, and he held on tightly as he tried not to fall apart in his best friend’s arms. He pulled back and met Zayne’s gaze.

  Nash laid a hand on Joker’s arm and said, “I know I said I wouldn’t do it again for a while, but fuck that.”

  Nash wrapped him up in a hug. Joker welcomed Nash’s embrace, needing it as much as he was sure Nash did. The cop waited patiently for them to finish. Then he stepped forward, holding his hand out for Joker to shake. He did so reluctantly.

  “I’m Officer Gerard Ford. We met earlier.”

  “Joker.”

  Ford nodded and threw a glance at Nash. “Nash told me a little bit, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

  “You wanna know what I know about the accident.”

  “It wasn’t an accident,” Ford said and eyed Joker. “But you already knew that.”