by Chiah Wilder
“I’m sorry if I disturbed you, Miss Rose. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m glad you came down. Something spooked me, that’s all. Are you sure you didn’t happen to see anyone coming down to the pool area?” She followed him upstairs.
Holding the door open for her, he shook his head. “Yup, but now that I think of it, someone could’ve slipped past me. I was pretty busy and had to leave the desk for a few minutes to help with one of the machines that was acting up. Was someone bothering you?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t see anyone. It was just a feeling I guess.”
He smiled. “It can definitely be spooky when you’re the only one in the pool. Sometimes when I go down there to lock up, all the noises and echoes give me the creeps, but that’s just between you and me.”
She laughed. “Your secret is safe. I’m sure that’s all it was. I’ll bring the tickets for next week’s show when I come back in a couple of days to work out.”
“Do you want me to walk you to your car?”
“Thanks, but I’m parked right in front.” She pointed to a black Kia Soul, relief warming her when she saw Mark’s vehicle. “I’ll see you.”
The whole drive home, she kept checking her rearview mirror, making sure Mark was behind her. The more she thought about what happened, the surer she was that someone had been trying to scare her. I didn’t imagine shit.
After she pulled into the garage, she tapped in Mark’s number.
“Is there a problem?” he said.
“No, not really. I’m just feeling kind of spooked. Can you come in and do a safety check?”
“Stay in your car. I’m coming now.”
When she saw him enter the garage, she slid out of the car. Feeling foolish, she shook her head. “I know I’m being silly, but sometimes I just get nervous.”
“No reason to explain anything to me. I’ll make sure everything’s secured.” He went in and walked around the whole house while she stood in the foyer chewing the dry skin on her thumb. When he finished, he nodded at her then went out the front door. She watched him get into his car then she set the alarm. Isla went over to the wet bar and poured a double shot of vodka, downing it in one long gulp.
She glanced at her phone, the urge to talk to Sangre overwhelming, but he hadn’t texted her back. Not even one sentence—he was ghosting her. Isla put the phone away and plunked down on the couch. What had happened that night reminded her of the night that her car had conked out. This wacko is playing a cat and mouse game with me. What the hell does he want from me? When is the cat going to catch the mouse?
She shuddered at the thought as she wrapped her arms around herself.
That night, sleep would not come easily.
Chapter Fifteen
Sangre bent down low and made his shot, two of the striped balls rolling into the pockets in the far left corner of the pool table.
“Fuckin’ lucky shot,” Shotgun said, a joint dangling from his mouth.
“Bullshit. You already owe me three hundred for the last two games.” Sangre picked up the shot glass Kelly had brought over and threw it back, its warmth coursing through him.
“You want another one, baby?” Kelly asked as she brushed against him. He nodded and watched her sway her hips sensuously as she went to the bar.
“She’s so damn ripe, dude,” Chains said.
“Why don’t you put her outta her misery?” Cueball added.
“She’s got you guys to do that, or aren’t your cocks enough for her?” Sangre picked up the cue stick. “Ten ball in the right pocket.” With one fluid movement, he made the shot.
“The way you’ve been staying away from her and the other club girls, I’d say your cock’s gonna forget what the hell to do,” Army said as the guys sniggered.
Sangre glanced at Army then back at the table. “Nine and twelve ball corner pocket left. And stop worrying about my dick, dude. It’s fuckin’ weird.” He bent low and the clack of the stick against the balls was music to his ears. “That’s another hundred and fifty you owe me.”
Shotgun groaned and smacked Kelly’s ass as she walked past him. Looking over her shoulder, she giggled at him then handed the drink to Sangre.
“Thanks.” He took a sip and placed his cue stick on the rack.
“What the fuck? I gotta earn the money back,” Shotgun said.
“I’m done. I have to go to the office.”
“I thought Eagle was there.” Shotgun put his arm around Kelly’s waist.
“He is, but I have to go over the books.”
“So, you’re leaving now?” Kelly asked softly.
“Yeah. You been good?”
She half shrugged.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so busy and preoccupied.”
“With that friend’s pussy,” Army said and the men laughed. Kelly’s mouth turned downward.
“Shut the fuck up,” Sangre said. He went over to the club girl. “We can go for a ride sometime next week.”
Her eyes lit up. “I’d love that.” She pulled away from Shotgun and threw her arms around Sangre. “I’ve missed being with you,” she said softly in his ear.
“We’ll just go for a ride. Maybe go to The Brass Plum for food.”
“Don’t forget,” she said.
“I won’t.” He pushed her back gently. “I’m outta here.”
“Are you going to Lust later on? Steel said you wanted to look at the books.” Army drew Kelly to him, putting her on his lap.
“Shit, I forgot about that. I’ll be over there in a few hours. Are you gonna be there?”
Army wrapped his arm around Kelly’s small waist. “I start work at four, so if you come after that, I’ll be there. Right now, I’m gonna relax a bit.” He nuzzled her neck, and she giggled then kissed him.
“See ya.” Sangre turned around and headed to the parking lot.
As he rode to the office, the only thing running through his mind was how much he missed Isla. It’d been several days since they’d kissed and she’d pushed him away, but he couldn’t get her out of his mind. She smelled so good and felt so soft in his arms, and when they kissed, it was like electricity sizzled between them.
As he neared her street, he almost turned and made a beeline to her house, but he didn’t. He rode past it, the raw anger from her brushoff still twisted inside him. The texts she’d sent to him that night and the following day just infuriated him more. It seemed like she didn’t know what the hell she wanted. He knew she was with Benz, so he shouldn’t have been surprised that she was sorry she let the kiss happen. No matter what, he was definitely not sorry it happened. The only thing he regretted was the guitarist interrupting them when he did. If he hadn’t have come over, Sangre was sure she would’ve let him into her sweet pussy. I bet she would’ve loved it.
When Sangre entered the office, he saw Eagle by the file cabinet, rifling through folders. Eagle glanced over his shoulder then went back to the task at hand.
“Did Jon ever call you?” Sangre asked, throwing his set of keys on the desk.
“Nope. He didn’t show up for his post either. I think he’s history.”
Sangre sank into his leather swivel chair. “The guy was weird anyway. I was just trying to help out my pops.”
“Do you think he’s the one who sent the letters to Isla?”
“Who the fuck knows? It seems funny that he lied to her about being on duty and then we never heard from him. I went over a few times to his apartment, but he was never there—or at least he didn’t answer the door.”
“How’s Isla doing?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sangre bristled.
Eagle rubbed his chin. “It’s not a fuckin’ trick question. Is she feeling okay?”
“How the hell do I know?”
He took out a file and slammed the drawer shut. “I thought you guys were friends.”
“Well, that’s what you think.” Sangre turned on the computer and stared at
the screen, looking at Eagle from the corner of his eye.
Tilting his head to the side, Eagle pursed his lips. “I guess you got some crazy shit going on between you two. We got a new contract today, so I’m gonna work on getting some guards together to train them on it tonight. Later.” He sauntered out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Sangre picked up his phone and stared at it. “How are you, Isla?” he murmured under his breath. The ring tone startled him and a jolt of excitement shot through him in anticipation of talking with her, but when he looked at the name “Mom” flashing on the screen, the feeling seeped out of him.
“Hey, Mom,” he said, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You sound like you’re trying to be sunny.” Her tone told him her “mom radar” was in overdrive.
“I’ve never been sunny in my life, so I’m not trying it out today. How’s Pops?”
“Good. I can’t talk too long because I’m watching Riley. Rachel kept him home from school, because he said his tummy was hurting, but the way he’s running around the house, I think he played her so he didn’t have to go today.”
“He’s in kindergarten. I think the ‘staying-home-from-school’ excuses will come in a few more years.”
“I don’t know. He can be awfully ornery and stubborn. Reminds me of you.” She chuckled.
Sangre heard his five-year-old nephew’s voice in the distance. “I want a cookie, Grandma.”
“I thought your tummy hurt.” The sound of ceramic on tile told Sangre his mom had just put the lid of the cookie jar on the kitchen counter. “Here you go. But just one. I’m talking to your Uncle Steve. Do you want to say hi?”
“Hi!” There was a lot of chortling until it faded away.
“Everything good with you?” he asked, reclining in the chair.
“Yes. I called to let you know that dinner on Sunday is at five. Let Jordan know. I mean Isla. What’s up with you two using names that you weren’t given?”
Not wanting to hear her lecture him again on what a horrible thing it was for him to go by Sangre when he had a beautiful name that she and his father had thought about for months, he cleared his throat. “Isla’s not coming.”
“Nonsense. Rachel saw her at the bakery yesterday, and she didn’t say she wasn’t coming. She just said she hadn’t heard from you. Why haven’t you called her?”
“I’ve been busy. I don’t think she wants—”
“Of course, she does. Tell her to be at the house between four and four thirty. Nicole and Stephanie are bringing appetizers. It was Stephanie’s idea. I think those things ruin people’s appetites, but she said she found some recipes in one of her numerous cooking magazine subscriptions. Jim must be spending a fortune on all those magazines. They’re expensive. I see them when I’m standing in line at the grocery store, and I’m appalled at how much they cost. When your father and I were first married …”
Tuning her out, he turned to the computer and opened one of the company’s newest contracts. He chuckled under his breath: In his mother’s eyes, his brother Jim was perfect, and his wife, Stephanie, was flawed. A couple of minutes later, he heard a loud, frantic voice, “Steve? Are you there?”
“Sorry, Mom. The phone dropped. I’m at work so I gotta go.”
“I do too. I just know Riley’s into something. He’s being too quiet. Make sure you tell Jor—I mean Isla to be at the house. Why don’t you pick her up? That would be so nice and polite if you did. You two used to be tight when you were kids.” A large gasp came over the phone. “I have to go. Riley’s covered in glitter and paint. He must’ve gotten into my craft supplies. See you on Sunday.”
Sangre put down the phone and scrubbed his face with his hand. Isla said she’s coming to Mom’s? He thought for sure she’d be pissed at him for dissing her, and a part of him wanted her to never want to see him. Something was going on inside of him that he didn’t want to acknowledge. He kept telling the brothers and himself that they were only friends, but he didn’t feel like a friend. When it came to Isla, he was one hundred percent male, wanting to touch her, taste her, and fuck her. All he could think about was how good it’d feel to be inside her as she screamed out his name until her throat was raw.
Those stirrings Sangre held inside were different than he’d had for any of the women with whom he’d been involved. There’d been lust with all of them, but nothing more than that. The lasting connection, the ease in conversation, the humor, and the need to be together were absent in all of his past relationships. His body, especially his damn dick, was in overdrive whenever he was with Isla or thought about her, which was all the time. She was turning his world upside down, and he didn’t think he liked that one bit.
And now, Isla would be at Sunday dinner with his family, and he couldn’t deny the rush of excitement at the idea of seeing her. Sangre pounded his fist on the desk, pissed at the way he was acting. It’s like I’m back in high school. Fuckin’ shameful, man!
The door opened and Eagle popped his head in. “Did you have a chance to go over the expenses for the new contract? I was thinking that we may want to put our new hires on it.”
Sangre swiveled around to the computer. “I was just getting ready to review it. I got distracted. I’d like Ron to work on the gigs that require a lot more than sitting on your ass at a post. He’s got the experience, and he’d be a good fit at the trucking company. The other two will probably work out okay at the new place.”
“Sounds good. Cue Ball just came in. He’s manning the phones tonight and making sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be.”
“Who’s on for Isla today and tonight?” Sangre kept his gaze on the computer screen.
“Keith’s on now, and Jeff is gonna relieve him for the graveyard shift. Mark has the day off. You good with that?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I know you feel real protective with her since you guys go way back.” Eagle walked over to the mini-fridge and took out a can of root beer. “Cueball said you’re headed to Lust later on.”
“I have to go over the books. It looks like we have a slight discrepancy, and I wanna make sure it’s just an error and not intentional.” His face grew tight. Anyone who tried to game the Night Rebels was playing with fire. A clerical error was understandable, but if he found out someone was cheating the club, there’d be hell to pay.
“When’re you going? I may join you. I haven’t been there in a few months.”
“I’m leaving in a couple of hours.”
“Count me in. Come get me when you’re heading out.” Eagle gulped down the drink, crushed the can, threw it in the waste paper basket, and walked out.
Pushing all thoughts of Isla from his mind, he squinted as he read the small numbers on the screen, hell bent on getting some work done before he headed over to the strip club.
When he and Eagle entered Lust, it took a few seconds to adjust to the dim lighting. Two women on stage wiggled and twirled on the poles while men sat transfixed by their movements. Army came over, smiling broadly.
“I didn’t think you were gonna show,” he said to Sangre.
“I had to finish up some things at the office. How’s business?”
“Real good. Between four and six o’clock we’re jammed during the week. It’s the time when the husbands can slip in, watch a few hot dances, and be back home with the wife and kiddies before their dinner is on the table. Works out well for us.”
The men laughed then Sangre headed to the office behind the stage. When he slipped behind the dark blue curtains, a few women milled around. A brunette wearing a tight-fitting short dress smiled at him.
“Where have you been hiding? It’s been too long.” She came over and gave him a hug. Her strong floral perfume made his nose stuff up.
“How’ve you been?” he asked, stepping back from her.
“Okay. Nothing too
exciting going on with me. What about you?” She ran her eyes over his body, her gaze lingering on his crotch.
“I can’t complain. I came here to get some work done, babe. I’ll catch up with you later.” He closed the office door behind him. Sangre hadn’t seen Elise since he broke up with her the previous year. When she’d first taken the job at Lust, he’d been surprised that it hadn’t bothered him when the guys leered at her. She’d blamed their break up on the fact that he was jealous and couldn’t handle her taking her clothes off in front of a bunch of men, but that had nothing to do with it. The usual policy for club members was that they couldn’t date or screw around with any of the employees at their businesses, so when Elise had been hired, Steel came to him and told him the policy didn’t apply. The way the club had seen it, Sangre was already dating the dancer before she was hired. What the Night Rebels hadn’t known was that he’d been on the verge of breaking up with her when she started working at Lust.
The fact that he’d never cared when she shook her tits and ass in front of the clientele told him he’d made the right decision in ending their four-month relationship; even seeing her just now, nothing stabbed at him. She still looked damn good, but his dick hadn’t even twitched when she pressed close to him.
An hour later, he went back into the club and joined Eagle and Army at the bar. Soon Rooster and Shotgun walked in and headed toward them.
“What’s going on?” Rooster asked as he plopped on a barstool.
“Not much. I just wanted to go over the books. It looks like the discrepancy was just an error, but I’m gonna keep an eye on it.” Sangre curled his fingers around his beer bottle.
“I’m surprised your ol’ lady let you out to play,” Army said.
Rooster’s pale blue eyes flashed. “Shannon doesn’t tell me what the fuck to do.” He swiveled around, his gaze focused on the stage.
“Shannon’s gonna have your cock if she finds out you were here,” Shotgun said while Sangre, Eagle, and Army chuckled.
“If she’s lucky.” Looking over his shoulder, he motioned to the bartender. “A double Jack.”