by Sadie Savage
Michelle laid back on the couch, her eyes heavy with sleep. It was really pathetic that at her age, she still had to worry about what her dad thought. Maybe, someday, she would find a way out of that mess.
Chapter 9
Jake spent the next few days recuperating from his stab wound. He had a feeling that Michelle had something to do with the sudden break he was allowed to have, because he hadn’t told Kent anything about his injury. Michelle, however, had come over faithfully every day to cook and clean the house and make sure that the kids were staying out of Jake’s hair. It was nice, really, and he had allowed himself to enjoy the domesticity of the routine.
The truth was that he hadn’t felt much like having a woman around since his wife had passed away. But with Michelle, it seemed as if everything was as it should be. Maybe that was because he didn’t have to worry about his kids. Or maybe it was for some other reason. Perhaps Michelle had opened him up to the possibility of moving on from the death of his wife. A man couldn’t grieve forever, after all. Especially not when a little flame like Michelle was flickering in front of him, day in and day out.
“Looks like you’re starting to feel better,” Michelle said, clearing the table and smiling at Jake.
“Can I have more orange juice?” Mary asked.
“Of course, honey,” Michelle said absently, pouring juice with one hand and holding a stack of dirty plates in the other.
She smiled brightly at Mary and pushed the juice to Jake’s daughter, who beamed and exclaimed, “Thank you!”
“Yeah, I’ve felt worse. I got lucky. The stab wound was shallow and it missed anything vital. I have a feeling that son of a –“ Jake cut himself off, remembering that his children were within earshot. They were used to him swearing, but that didn’t mean he liked them to think he was just a huge potty mouth. “I think that he was just trying to hurt me. Why would they want to keep me alive?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re planning something,” Michelle said with a shrug. “You know how the Raptors can be.”
“Yeah,” Jake said. That was exactly what he was afraid of. The Raptors knew just how thin the ice was that Jake was treading in the MC. It would be easy to set him up for failure. Kent didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him, and it meant that it would take nothing for his suspicion to cost Jake his position in the MC.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Michelle said. Jake looked into her eyes and couldn’t help but relax. There was something so serene about the oceanic color of Michelle’s eyes, and the sweet way she smiled. “I’m sure you just got lucky this time. But keep an eye out. And if you need some rest, just rest. All right?”
“No can do, hon,” Jake said, rising from the table and stretching. He was still sore where the knife had sliced through his skin, but it felt good to be able to raise his arms over his head again. He had always been a fast healer. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. Now that I’m feeling better, I think I ought to pay your father a visit.”
“What do you want to see him for?” Michelle asked darkly. “He about got you killed.”
“He’s still my boss,” Jake said. “And listen, maybe not so much shop talk at the table, huh?”
He glanced meaningfully at his kids, who were chewing slowly and staring at the adults with wide eyes. Michelle got the point and clamped her mouth shut.
“Right,” she said, heading to the sink to wash the dishes. The room grew very quiet, all but the sound of running water and the clank of dishes, until Michelle turned toward the kids and smiled. “I was thinking we could go to the movies today, if it’s okay with your dad.”
The kids gasped and turned to Jake with hopeful eyes. They hadn’t been to the movies since long before their mother had passed away. How could Jake refuse them? It was a weekend, after all.
“Of course it’s all right with me. How much do you need for it?”
“Oh, it’s my treat, Mr. Desmond,” Michelle said.
Jake frowned. The way she said his name seemed oddly formal. It’s not like they said each other’s names that frequently, but after all this time, wouldn’t it be all right to call him Jake?
“Nobody calls me Mr. Desmond but the banker,” Jake said, raising his eyebrow at her. “And I can’t let you do that with your own money, though it’s mighty sweet of you to offer. Why don’t you take this and go take them out to eat afterward. Movies are pretty long these days.”
Jake fished a $100 bill from his wallet and offered it to Michelle.
“Please, don’t. I can afford it. You’ve been giving me way more than enough.”
“That’s because you need something that’s just yours,” Jake said, looking at her seriously. “If you were my daughter, I’d let you have that.”
Michelle gazed at him, an attractive pink flush coloring her cheeks. She looked away quickly.
“Thank you,” she said, moving forward and taking the money. “So what do you guys want to go see?”
Jake smiled to himself as his children chattered excitedly, listing all of the movies their friends at school had gone to see. It could be hard not to have a mother around and Jake never seemed to have any time to do anything fun with the kids. They needed that kind of thing, though. And it seemed that Michelle was just the person to give his family exactly what they needed, and right when they needed it.
“All right guys,” Jake said, smiling at his kids. They quieted down and ran to hug him. They knew he was leaving without him having to actually say so. It was kind of heart-breaking in a way. But he was a single parent now. That’s just the way it was going to be from now on. At least he made more money working with the MC than he ever would at a regular nine-to-five job. That was some consolation, right? Even if the hours were unpredictable and dangerous.
“I hope things go well,” Michelle said with quiet meaning in her voice. Jake was starting to get the feeling that things between Michelle and her father weren’t quite as great as they appeared to be on the outside. What kind of man would have a daughter like Michelle and neglect to take care of her? It didn’t seem fair. In fact, it made his blood boil to think about it.
“Thanks,” Jake said, smiling warmly at Michelle. “They’ll go as good as they can.”
***
“Jake! Glad to see you’re feeling better,” Kent said. “I hadn’t heard much from you in the past few days and I’ve been working you kind of hard so I thought I’d give you some time off. Michelle told me about your stab wound. How is that doing? You manage to avoid infection?”
“Yeah, thanks to Michelle. I didn’t know she was a good nurse,” Jake said.
“Well, you don’t get hurt very often so you wouldn’t, would you?” Kent said with a jovial grin. “You’re pretty solid. But the green guys in the club get pretty familiar with her.”
“I’m sure they do,” Jake said. What was that feeling? Jealousy? But that was ridiculous. What kind of father made his own daughter’s accomplishment sound so lewd? Jake could only pray he would turn out to be a better father than Kent was.
“Well anyway, are you up for a job today?”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Jake said, grinning. As much as he loved being at home with his kids, he always got an itch to get out of the house and get involved in MC affairs. He was the vice president, after all. The club was his passion.
“Great,” Kent said. “There’s something I need you to do that nobody else can. I want you to go undercover.”
“Undercover?” Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Do you think it’s possible that we could stage a fight between the two of us so you can go to the Raptors and vow to take vengeance on me?”
“Vengeance? I don’t think they’d buy it, Kent. I can’t stand any of them and they all know it. They would see right through me.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Kent said thoughtfully. “Well in that case, maybe you should go out on a run to the docks and supervise some of the new kids. They don’t have the hang of the gig quite yet. I think yo
u would be able to give them some valuable insights.”
“That’s kind of light work,” Jake growled. “You don’t fuckin’ trust me to do anything better than that?”
“Calm down,” Kent said, raising an eyebrow. “Michelle told me I need to take it easy on you until you feel better. And what kind of father would I be if I didn’t listen to my only child? At least once in a while.”
Kent snorted and Jake relaxed his hackles. He needed to relax a bit. Kent was just trying to look out for him. Jake was just being paranoid. That type of thing wouldn’t get him very far. All of the tension about his wife had really been getting to him lately. Kent said he forgave him. He would just have to try to believe that and do his best to work hard for the MC.
Not only that, but apparently Michelle was looking out for him when he wasn’t around. Jake felt so unbelievably lucky to have her in his life. She had made everything go from bleak and difficult to almost pleasurable. There hadn’t been one day since his wife passed away that he actually looked forward to getting out of bed in the morning. At least, not until Michelle started coming over. She was really something.
“So how has my daughter been working out for you?” Kent asked, almost as if he could read Jake’s mind.
“It’s going great. The kids love her. You made a good call, boss. Thanks.”
“She’s been coming and going in a taxi,” Kent said, his eyes hardening. “Was that your doing?”
“Yeah, I arranged for that. I pay the drivers.”
“Ah, I see,” Kent said, relaxing. “For a moment I was worried that Michelle had some other way of getting money. That wouldn’t be very good, would it?”
“Why wouldn’t it?” Jake asked, genuinely confused. If his daughter showed initiative and found a job, he would be proud of her.
“Well you know young women. They go out and make bad choices. You have a daughter, you must understand.”
“Sure,” Jake lied. To him, it just sounded like Kent was being a controlling asshole who was afraid of his daughter showing any independence. He felt more powerful if everybody needed him. That was probably how he had managed to make it to the top of the MC. Ruthless, controlling men like Kent were the kind of guys who got shit done in the organized crime world, right?
“I thought so,” Kent said, grinning widely. “She’s a good girl. She’s never even had a boyfriend.”
This thought startled Jake. A woman as beautiful as Michelle never dated? What was stopping her?
But when he looked again at the self-satisfied smirk on Kent’s face, Jake knew exactly what was going on there. Of course Michelle had dated. She just hadn’t let her father in on the men she had chosen. And why would she? He would obviously shit all over her relationship and probably end it before it had a chance to begin. The poor girl. If she was his…
His what? His daughter? His lover? Whichever, he would treat her better. That was a fact.
“The guys are heading out in about half an hour. Maybe you should go along with them and give them some pointers before they go in there and fuck everything up. It’s not super important stuff, but it’s still important that things get done right.”
“Of course,” Jake said, nodding at Kent in parting. “Thanks again, though, for letting me borrow Michelle.”
Kent grinned again, another cocky, self-satisfied smile that made Jake glower inwardly. They were talking about her like she was property, to be on loan whenever it suited them best. She deserved better than that. But for now, he was going to have to play along. If Kent had any suspicion of the way Jake was starting to feel about his daughter, then all hell was going to break loose. And hell was exactly what Jake was trying to escape from right now.
Chapter 10
“Do you guys want popcorn?” Michelle asked.
“Yeah!” JJ exclaimed. Mary bounced up and down, gripping Michelle’s leg excitedly.
“And pop!” she cried.
“Of course,” Michelle said, laughing. After hours of debate, they decided to go see one of the movies that were based off a show she had enjoyed watching herself when she was a kid. All three of them were happy with the choice, and they walked into the dark theater together, Michelle balancing the snacks in one hand gripping Mary’s hand with the other. They both followed JJ as he bounded up the steps to find good seats.
“Here!” JJ shouted.
“Shh!” someone in the audience hissed. JJ’s face fell.
“The movie isn’t even playing yet, dipshit!” Michelle growled into the darkness. A few people laughed and she stalked up the stairs after JJ, who had an adorable, crooked smile on his face.
“That was funny,” he said.
“That’ll teach them,” she whispered to him, bopping his shoulder with her fist.
JJ nodded and they settled into the theater. Soon, the movie was playing and Michelle was sitting in between Jake’s kids, because both of them wanted to be beside her.
But she was having a hard time concentrating on the movie. As hard as she tried, it was difficult to focus. Her mind kept returning to the intimate moments she had shared with Jake as she tended to his wounds. His body was unbelievable for a man who was a little over 40 years old. And the way he was with his kids was sweet, really. Touching. Maybe he wasn’t the monster she had always thought he was.
Michelle really hoped not, because it was becoming more and more clear to her that Callie just might have been right. Jake was unbelievably handsome and her attraction to him had reached the point that she couldn’t deny it anymore. Even if she didn’t want to feel it, it was there. Whether she liked it or not, Jake was on her mind constantly.
Whether that was because she was at his house all the time or because he was really worth the space in her mind that he occupied, she had yet to find out. But one thing was undeniable: her body ached for him late in the night after she left his home. Whenever he looked at her or smiled that sweet, kind smile of his that he normally reserved for his own kids, she felt her chest tighten and a dull, provocative heat awaken deep inside her.
It seemed like no time before the movie was over. She was embarrassed to find she had spent the entire time the lights were dimmed fantasizing about Jake. If someone asked her to talk about the plot of the movie, she would have been in trouble.
“That was a good movie!” Mary exclaimed.
“Yeah!” JJ agreed.
“I’m really glad you two liked it!” Michelle said, smiling at them.
“That makes one of us.”
Michelle froze as a man strode toward them. She recognized the man’s jacket immediately. He was a Raptor.
“What do you want?” Michelle asked. She would get nowhere by showing her fear with a man like that.
“I just wanted to tell you that you were being pretty rude, before,” he said, scowling at Michelle. “The kid shouldn’t be fucking yelling at the movies.”
“And you shouldn’t be yelling at kids! Or watching a kid’s movie like a pervert, for that matter. Is this the only one with a title you could read or something?”
“Oh, you best watch yourself, little girl,” the guy said, his dark eyes flashing with fury. “You’re going to regret that.”
He glanced around at the crowd in the theater, his fists clenched. Many people had stopped to watch the confrontation, and she knew by the look on some of the faces of the men there that she had nothing to worry about. If he tried to attack, he would be stopped. Besides, she could handle herself well enough.
“Bye!” Michelle said, cheerfully. Clearly that guy didn’t recognize her as the daughter of president of the most powerful MC in the area. Which was for the best. She kept her Python medallion hidden beneath her shirt.
“Fuck off,” he muttered, his back already turned on them.
“Wow,” JJ breathed, looking up at Michelle with wide eyes. “You’re not afraid of anything, are you?!”
Michelle smiled down at him confidently. “I’ll take good care of you guys, don’t worry.”
But on the inside, she was cold with terror. If the Raptors were going to go after her, she was going to have to be a lot more careful from then on. She just hoped that the guy she had mouthed off to didn’t have a lot of power in the group, or she was fucked. Even with her dad as the MC, she would have to watch her back.
***
“Dad, did you know Michelle is really tough?!” JJ shouted as soon as they walked in the door and saw Jake standing in front of them.
“Is she?” he asked, flashing a curious look at Michelle that seemed to burn right through her. She looked down at the floor and scoffed.
“Your son exaggerates,” she said.
“No, my kids are perfect angels who never stretch the truth even a little bit,” Jake said with a twinkle in his eye. “So what makes Michelle really tough, JJ?”
“She told off a guy who yelled at me in the theater!” JJ said. “Even when he came up to us afterward and tried to pick a fight!”
“He tried to pick a fight?” Jake said, his eyes growing hard. They flashed to Michelle, and he seemed to be able to read the tension she was feeling from the event. “Are you guys okay?”
“Yeah! Michelle is so cool!” JJ said, laughing. “I can’t wait to tell my friends.”
Jake opened his mouth to protest, but JJ was already running upstairs, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Michelle is cool!” Mary repeated, following her brother upstairs.
“What happened?”
The humor was gone from Jake’s voice and he strode powerfully to Michelle, anger emanating from him.
“I don’t know. Some guy in the dark was being an asshole, so I told him to shut up. Turns out it was a fucking Raptor and now he has it in for me, apparently.”
“Does he know who you are?” Jake asked, his voice urgent. “Did he follow you?”
“I don’t know if he knows me but I made sure nobody was tailing me when we left. I do know a thing or two from being the president’s daughter.”
“Good,” Jake said, walking to the window and peering out suspiciously. “Maybe you should lie low for a bit. Tensions are really high between the gangs right now and I would feel responsible if anything were to happen to you.”