This Savage Love: A Bad Boy Romance Boxed Set

by Kathryn Thomas

  “Yeah, he was in for attempted sexual assault, but it was a bad charge, and the supposed victim dropped it when they couldn’t get any evidence. Turns out it’s not her first cry for attention.”

  Alex wanted to laugh. He knew the circumstances. Brett had told him about Shane and his inheritance, as well as his connections, but he had these guys convinced without question. And they all had big mouths, so if anyone else asked about it, they’d spill the same load of shit story. It truly was beautiful.

  Of course, it didn’t settle his own nerves. He had a different mission to accomplish, and he wasn’t so sure he could pull it off without a hitch. He was supposed to meet Pop here at the clubhouse before the party to find out exactly where he was going and who he was talking to. From there, he was supposed to be headed south to load up, hand over a wad of cash he was carrying with him, and come back. In the meantime, Pop intended to join the festivities.

  But if Alex had anything to do with it, Pop would never make it to the lake. He’d spent the day putting together a basic idea of how he was going to approach the situation, but he hadn’t focused on the details. There were too many ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’ out there to really form a logical progression of events, and he could either waste a bunch of time and effort plotting out the different scenarios or he could just stick to the basics and fill in with something spontaneous when the time came.

  Besides, if he created a specific path to follow, it would be easier to trace what he was going to do. And in the end, Pop would do something to veer off that path and take him by surprise, ruining the whole thing anyway. Or someone would fail to go to the party and show up at the clubhouse right in the middle of the confrontation, forcing Alex’s hand in a clean up effort he didn’t want to deal with.

  Tonight, he was more relaxed than he had been in the last three weeks, and he was enjoying his time with his brothers, too. He’d thought those days were over, but, as it turned out, Rusty wasn’t the only one nervous about the changes coming out in Pops and his way of handling the club. Everyone at the table tonight had concerns, and they had been talking in a corner, quietly, when Rusty called him over.

  Not feeling comfortable continuing the conversation here, with so many of the Ashes loitering around, Alex had suggested they start a game of poker, and he’d grabbed Brett, who had been on his way out the door, bored out of his mind.

  That had been over three hours ago, and the clubhouse had mostly cleared out. The few stragglers were busy making out with some of the women who showed up on a regular basis and would probably be on their way to one of the back rooms at any time. It was quiet enough that they could voice opinions freely very soon.

  Alex didn’t plan on telling them what he was going to do, and he figured Brett wouldn’t have put together such an elaborate cover story for the party if he had any intention of spewing the truth. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t figure out exactly what the others wanted in terms of Pop’s leadership. If they were ready to take him down and elect a new leader, Alex at least had backing, and they could work together to remove Pop and decide what his new role, in any, would be in the Ashes.

  A round of curses went up as Alex and the others lost another twenty apiece to Brett’s trip aces, and he glared at the boy. “Are you cheating?” he demanded.

  “No! I’m just lucky.” He grinned broadly as he collected the pot, Wyatt already shuffling for the next hand. “And I’m a good bluffer, so you never know whether I have something or not.”

  Rusty grumbled, “I had a damn pair of kings, you son of a bitch. What good does it do to have a worthy hand if someone else always gets something better?”

  “So fold,” Alex told him, giving him a teasing grin. “We’ll just throw your money into the blinds and take it a little at a time. How about that?”

  Shooting laser beams at Alex, Rusty sat back in his chair with the pocket deal, grumbling and shoving his ante to the center of the table. “If I’m gonna lose, I’m going down with a fight.”

  And that was exactly how Alex planned to handle things tomorrow. “You’re a champ, Rusty,” he taunted sarcastically. But Rusty just narrowed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut, causing the table to rumble with low chuckles.

  Alex missed this. He missed the life he’d led before Krishna had come into the picture almost as much as he missed her. He could have blamed her for the change, but that wasn’t fair. She might have been a catalyst, or she could have been the spotlight that showed the dysfunction that was rising up among them. But she certainly hadn’t caused the trouble.

  He longed to be able to enjoy both ends of the spectrum – the comfort and emotional fulfillment of being in love with a beautiful woman who was kind and caring and absolutely as gorgeous as she was intelligent, as well as the rough taunting and the nights of pure testosterone driven pleasure of hanging out with his brothers. There had to be a way to make it happen, and he hoped he could take the first step tomorrow with Pop.

  He foresaw three possible endgames. The first had Pop realizing he couldn’t continue to rule with an iron fist and expect over two hundred grown men to follow him around like orphan children, especially when his schemes became too overt to ignore. While that was probably less likely to happen than anything else, it was still possible. Alex was a realist, but he had to hold out some hope of a peaceful agreement.

  More likely, Alex would have to threaten the big guy with exposure and disgrace. Pop no longer thought in a reasonable manner, so that left cold, hard facts and calling him on his shit. If he strode in there with confidence and didn’t back down, there was a good chance he could force Pop to take a hike.

  The third outcome chilled Alex to the bone, but it was a very realistic scenario he had to consider. Pop had resources, and he’d turned into a cold, unfeeling man. If he had fears, he’d buried them so deep even he probably couldn’t remember what they were. That meant no amount of threats would touch him, and he’d make the call to have Krishna killed. And he wouldn’t stop there. He’d destroy every single member of the Ashes who stood against him.

  If things went south, and it came down to it, Alex would have to kill Pops. The real question was, was he capable of taking a life, even to save himself, his brothers, and the woman he loved?

  He had to believe that, when push came to shove, and Pop pushed too far over the line, he’d be able to take that step.

  “Anytime now, boss,” Brett said impatiently, but with humor written all over his face.

  Alex realized the flop was down, and he needed to make a decision. He looked at the pot; the bet was on him, and he had a king-high flush. He had to believe it was a sign from the universe that his luck was solid, and he could do this tomorrow without hesitation. Keeping his poker face, he counted out his money and threw in fifteen bucks.

  Brett stared at him in challenge. “You think you have something better than me?” he asked.

  Alex just shrugged. “I guess we’ll see, if you’re brave enough to call.”

  Brett nodded, shoving his entire pile in. “How about all or nothing?” Instantly, the other three men at the table folded, but Alex considered it for a minute.

  Meeting Brett’s gaze, they shared a moment of camaraderie and anticipation for tomorrow afternoon. Finally, Brett smiled and nodded. “Including everything I’ve thrown in already, I’ve got about one-fifty. I think you’ve got a good four hundred, right?” The kid nodded. “Well, either way, you win. So, let’s see if I can take you for something, at least.”

  He pushed his take into the pot and laid his cards down, face up. Brett followed suit, and winced. He had trip tens, but the odds were against a fourth landing on the table were slim to none, and Alex beamed. Wyatt laid out the final two cards, three of hearts and seven of spades.

  “Damn!’ Brett said, smacking the table. “Can I add those together for a ten?”

  “In your dreams,” Alex said, taking his portion and shoving the rest at Brett. He’d come into the game with one-twenty, and that was an incred
ible take, so he was ready to quit. But he turned to Brett and winked. “But like I said, we’re both winners, right?”

  “Damn straight!” Brett laughed, punching his shoulder.

  Wyatt passed him the deck, but Alex just held it rather than shuffle or deal. Speaking quietly to assure that even their preoccupied brothers wouldn’t hear, he asked, “So, what’s going on? What’s the temperature around here when it comes to Pop and his new Hitler like control?”

  Rusty leaned forward. “I told you what I heard. And rumor has it he’s sending some veterans out, too, without any kind of pay.”

  “I heard he’s trying to send you out,” Brett inserted.

  Alex nodded, seeing the shock on the other’s faces. “I’m riding out tomorrow. It’s supposed to be a day trip, short turnaround to Juarez and back. I’m not sure I trust that, though.”

  Chewy, probably the only man in the crew who spoke less than Alex, piped in, “He’s got it in for you, bro. He’d love nothing more than to see your head on a silver platter. If he’s sending you out, it’s on a suicide mission. That’s how he’s getting rid of everyone who stands up to him. It’s a perfect strategy for someone weak.”

  Chewy was probably right, and he wondered if Damien had ever been sent to another club. Most likely, he went on a run and didn’t come back, and that suited Pop just fine because the guy was making too much trouble and raising questions.

  Alex wasn’t done feeling out the mood here, though. “What the hell am I supposed to do, though? I can’t just not go.”

  “You could hide out for a couple of days, and maybe we can get enough of the Ashes together to take him down,” Rusty suggested.

  Alex reacted with adamant refusal. “No, if I run, he goes after Krishna, and I don’t care what anyone thinks or says. I’m not going to let anything happen to her. I still love her, and I’m trying to figure out how to have her.” He looked around the table. “I have to go on this run, but I need to know that whether I come back or not, you guys will make sure she’s safe and do something to turn this group around. Pop is going to drown us. His greed is gonna bankrupt us and leave us short the manpower we need to stay afloat.”

  All of that was true, and four men nodded their agreement. “You have to make it back, Alex,” Rusty said, his brow lined with worry. “If we get Pop out, we need someone in his place. I think you’re the best candidate, but if you don’t want it, you at least have to help decide who runs it from here on out.”

  Alex had considered that. If he managed to dismiss Pop tomorrow, in whatever fashion, he had the right to take over as leader or appoint someone else. He didn’t know yet if he wanted the job. But he also knew there weren’t many of his brothers strong enough to take over.

  “Don’t worry, I have every intention of seeing all of you on the flip side.” He collected his money and stuffed it in his pockets. “I got a long ride tomorrow, and I need to be alert, so I’m taking myself home and throwing myself into bed. Goodnight, boys.”

  “See ya!”

  The round of responses was hopeful, and Alex turned to meet Brett’s gaze one last time. Brett gave an almost imperceptible nod, and Alex returned a ghost of a smile in acknowledgement. They were as ready as they could be to execute tomorrow, and with that last win at the table, Alex felt confident that the stars were aligned.

  He wouldn’t expect it to be easy, but he had a good feeling that things would work out before the day was over.

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  Krishna laughed hysterically as Shane closed the door behind the two young entrepreneurs, who were the most hopeful and yet the least sensible people she’d ever met. “A miniature golf cruise?” she repeated, sending Shane into another round of laughter, too. “There are so many things wrong with that!”

  “I know!” He couldn’t seem to catch his breath.

  She started ticking off the problems with the crazy notion on her fingers. “Miniature golf is an inexpensive family activity. No one wants to spend thousands of dollars on that. And then, you can’t play a fair round because the boat’s tipping back and forth and influencing where the ball goes. And what else is there to do? Maybe if it was a day cruise, or a three hour tour like Gilligan’s Island. But a full cruise that doesn’t even pull into port anywhere?” She shook her head, exhausted from her mirth and finally calming down at how sad a prospect this really was for a startup.

  “It’s pathetic how enthusiastically they believe that the idea would explode,” Shane added, dropping into the kitchen chair. He met her gaze. “I guess we’re back where we started.” He gestured to the kitchen.

  Reluctantly, Krishna agreed and stood. “Well, I stayed, and you have my opinion. I guess I should be going now.”

  “You can stay as long as you like. The truth is, it gets pretty lonely around here. I like you, and I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to stay and watch a movie or something. I have a whole home theater upstairs.”

  While Krishna appreciated the invitation, red flags stood between her and accepting it. “Thanks, Shane, but I’m not exactly…”

  “On the market?” he finished for her, raising his eyebrows. “I know that. Brett told me about your man. I promise, I’m not hitting on you, and I won’t try to get into your pants. Not with my elegant charm or by force.” He emphasized the last part, and Krishna blushed. Apparently, Brett had told him everything. “Look, we could both use a friend in the ‘safe zone,’ right? Just stick around for a while. I promise to keep my hands and feet and all other body parts to myself.”

  Krishna giggled and relented. Shane seemed harmless enough, and he’d been kind and very trustworthy so far. He was right; she could use a friend, and she didn’t have a lot of options. She had started relying too much on her parents, and that wasn’t healthy for someone her age, in such a critical state of turmoil. A lot of change had occurred in a short period of time, and it was perfectly normal to make new friends and spend time with them to get through it. “Okay, I’ll stay,” she finally relented. “But only on the condition that I throw together some snacks. You can’t have a movie without snacks.”

  He sat straighter. “I’m totally on board. I have popcorn and movie butter, at least six kinds of cheese and several types of crackers, tons of chocolate and other sweets, and the makings of epic nachos. Come on, we’ll work together.”

  They spent nearly an hour creating the movie menu, and when they were done, Krishna’s eyes were huge. “I think we could probably feed a third-world country with all this. Maybe we overdid it a little.”

  But Shane scoffed. “Woman, you underestimate my appetite. I can guarantee you every last bite would be gone at the end of two movies. But I bet it’s close by the time we finish one.” He grabbed two heavy trays, leaving one for her. “Can you manage?”

  “Please! I work on bikes. I can lift and carry anything, and my balance is excellent.” She propped the heavy platter on her shoulder and beamed at him. “Lead the way.” She followed him up an ornate spiral staircase and down a long hallway to a door shrouded in black cloth. She slid by him to open it and entered the most luxurious theater she’d ever seen.

  Leather recliners with cup holders were stacked in stadium seating for three rows, with four on a row. The white screen covered almost an entire wall, nearly the size of a small public theater, and she saw the projector on the ceiling behind the seating. On the wall were some controls, and once he’d settled the trays on a serving table, Shane moved to them, pressing buttons and revealing a complicated looking computer device behind a sliding wall.

  He pointed and told her, “It’s a touch screen. Pick anything you want. If I don’t already have it, I can download it in an instant.”

  Her jaw dropped as she added her tray to the spread and moved to look at the screen. He showed her how to scroll and sort by genre or actor or era. “Does that include movies that are still at the theater?” she asked, eagerly exploring the options.

  “Sometimes.” He shrugged. “Those are more difficult, but I
can usually track down a good copy of most things.”

  She searched for a few more minutes but didn’t want to waste all evening looking for something to watch. Krishna knew she could get lost doing that, especially since she hadn’t seen much of anything in the last ten years or so. She spent too much time on sports and television. She went with a comedy; if she watched horror or suspense or even drama, she’d probably think too hard about her own life.

  Just as she started to sit down and dig in, Krishna froze. “I forgot drinks. You want a soda?”

  Shane shook his head and pointed toward the wall opposite where the computer screen was disappearing. It was turning to reveal a wet bar. “I’m having a cocktail. Would you care for one?”

  “I’m not a big drinker, but thanks. I’ll be right back.” He nodded as he perused his shelf, and Krishna rushed back down the stairs. She’d delayed Shane long enough, and she felt like she wasn’t being a very courteous, grateful guest. She opened the fridge in the kitchen and considered her options, and as she stood with two cans, knowing she’d drink both during the movie, she heard her phone ringing.