Blood & Bones: Deacon (Blood Fury MC Book 4)

by Jeanne St. James

  Did they think she was considering it? “I’m more curious than anything.”

  Stella and Autumn exchanged looks and Cassie stared at her red plastic cup with a knowing smile on her face.

  “I noticed on the run, you ladies wore vests, but yours claimed you were property of your men. You don’t mind being considered property?”

  “That’s typical for an MC. To be an ol’ lady your man has to claim you at the table. Not all women wear the vests, it’s not required.” Stella shrugged. “And we only wear them on the runs. Like Cassie said, you have to look past the surface, Reese. Not everything is what it seems.”

  “You wear a vest that says Trip owns you. How is that not how it seems? It’s a pretty clear statement.”

  Stella took another sip of her beer and, when she lowered the bottle, asked, “Do you think Trip owns me?”

  “You seem pretty powerful in your own right.” Stella didn’t seem the type to be easily owned or manipulated. Neither did Cassie, who was also outspoken.

  “Trip respects my opinion because we both witnessed the Blood Fury implode all those years ago. We were both victims when our lives fell apart due to how the club was run. Trip doesn’t want to make the same mistakes his father, the president at the time, did and I want to help him avoid those same mistakes. He’s invested in this club. We all are.” Stella made a sweeping motion with her hand, encompassing the other two women. “One thing I need to clarify... The MC life isn’t a life you choose, it chooses you. Then it’s up to you to decide whether to accept it or not.”

  Reese was starting to see that this club was much more than simply a group of bikers. The inner workings were more complex than what was shown to the rest of the world.

  However, it still had some crude practices most women in a serious relationship might not agree with. “The men seem loyal to each other but are your men loyal to you?”

  Stella smiled at her beer. Autumn’s expression turned soft. Cassie threw her head back and laughed openly.

  How these women didn’t start throwing things at her and chasing her away with a pitchfork, Reese would never know. They took her questions in stride. Luckily.

  “We don’t have to worry about them being loyal to us. They’re too busy worrying about us being loyal to them. You’ve seen them all. Besides the newest prospects, have you seen one you wouldn’t climb like a beanstalk?” This coming from Autumn surprised Reese. Maybe the woman wasn’t as sweet and innocent as she looked.

  Reilly muttered, “Dutch.”

  “Well, okay. But, whether you believe it or not, the old man has no problem getting women, either. I remember Dutch in his prime,” Stella added. “He might’ve always been rough around the edges but he wasn’t hard to look at. He also made two very good-looking sons.”

  Cassie glanced around quickly, then leaned forward and whispered, “Hey, I’ve seen Dutch naked. He has an impressive... asset.”

  Stella snorted. “We’ve all seen Dutch naked.”

  “I haven’t,” Reilly volunteered.

  “Just give it time,” Stella assured her.

  Time. With what the guys were meeting about upstairs, whatever they decided would hopefully mean it wouldn’t be much longer until Billy was captured and delivered to the bail bondsman in Philadelphia.

  “You know,” Cassie started with what sounded like a wine-induced giggle, “we should have them do a BFMC calendar. For charity, of course.” She did an exaggerated wink. “All profits donated to the Kids Can Do Foundation. Wouldn’t that be a good idea? I know we have the Poker Run planned in June, but I want to do more.”

  “The club does charity work?” Reese asked, surprised.

  “We’re just getting started,” Autumn answered. “You ladies won’t mind other women ogling your men?”

  “I don’t mind sharing if it’s for a good cause.” Stella laughed. “And there’s a difference between looking and touching. We get to see plenty of eye candy ourselves. As long as we’re not tasting that candy...” The black with blue stripes-haired, tattooed woman raised her bottle and both Cassie and Autumn clunked their plastic cups with it.

  “I only peek. I try not to be too obvious about it,” Cassie announced with a grin.

  “The men would mind you looking?” Reilly asked, again surprised. Especially when they had naked sweet butts wandering amongst them.

  “My man would,” Cassie said. “Judge has this mistaken notion that he’s the only man on Earth I should look at.” She slapped her own knee and bent forward with uncontrollable laughter.

  The other two ladies howled along with her.

  “Well, the guys certainly don’t hide anything, which makes it about impossible to avoid seeing their... goods,” Reese mumbled.

  “Yes, you got to experience an eyeful while you were in The Barn last night,” Stella said, still laughing while tipping her almost empty bottle to her lips. “Before you rushed out.” She finished the last swallow of her beer.

  Reese didn’t want to confess to the “eyeful” she got last night with Easy in the bunkhouse. Or the peeks she got this morning while sneaking out. She was getting to know these men better than she’d ever expect to in ways she never expected.

  Her gaze sliced to Reilly, who sat at the next picnic table over, also drinking a beer and looking like she belonged.

  Reese felt a flash of envy. Her sister could fit in anywhere, unlike Reese. She needed to work on that more. Maybe when she had more time she’d make more of an effort to find a hobby... And some friends. Like the women she was currently sitting with.

  “Speaking of an eyeful,” Stella said under her breath, just loud enough for them to hear. “Yours is coming our way.”

  Who was she talking to? Reese twisted her head in the direction Stella was staring. Her chest tightened when she realized Stella was talking to her.

  Deacon was headed toward them with Justice meandering behind him at a distance, stopping to smell and mark things along their path.

  “He’d look great on a calendar,” Cassie said on a sigh before guzzling down more wine. “He reminds me of a Viking ready to conquer a village with his big sword.” The blonde might need to be cut off from the box of wine. “Has he conquered your village yet, Reese?”

  “You just made my sister blush!” Reilly crowed way too loudly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blush! And hell yes, that Viking’s ship has been pounding the shores of her village.”

  The heat in her face turned another degree hotter. “Reilly! Stop before he hears you.”

  Her sister shot her a wicked grin.

  Cassie was laughing so hard, she was wiping away tears. Autumn had her face covered with her hands as she shook. Stella had jumped to her feet, giving Reese a standing ovation.

  “Stop it!” Reese hissed. “He’s... here.”

  The women’s laughter instantly sobered, even though they didn’t wipe the smirks off their faces.

  Deacon stopped in front of the picnic table where they were sitting and his gaze circled the group, his expression holding suspicion. “What’s goin’ on?”

  “Nothing. We’re just discussing history,” Reilly said quickly.

  His gaze landed on the box of wine sitting on the table, then the Solo cup in Reese’s hand. “The wine makin’ you red like that?”

  Stella snorted and dropped her head.

  Deacon frowned at her and looked to Reese again. “You done here?”

  “She’s ready for her village to be pillaged,” Reilly announced loudly, trying to keep a straight face. Cassie wasn’t the only one who needed cut off.

  Reese needed to get this conversation under control. “Yes, we need to discuss tomorrow’s plan.”

  Cassie arched an eyebrow. “Plan. Uh huh.”

  “You can use the apartment for your discussion. I’m going to hang here for a bit, then go to Crazy Pete’s with the boys from the garage. It’s open mic night and I could use some fun to get my mind off that motherfucker.” She leaned toward Reese. “That m
eans I’m going to be late.” She did an exaggerated wink. “Just change the sheets before I get back.”

  Reese gave her sister an eyeroll. “Thank you, ladies, for keeping me company and entertained.”

  “We’ll do this again real soon,” Autumn said.

  “We should make it a regular thing,” Cassie suggested.

  “That sounds like a plan,” Stella agreed. She threw both fists up into the air like a boxer who just won a match. “The official executive meeting of the ol’ ladies. No men invited.”

  “Right. Just a box of fuckin’ wine and a six-pack,” Deacon muttered. “Not sure Trip’s gonna like you women havin’ your own executive meetin’.”

  “Well then, good thing it’s not up to him,” Stella stated.

  “Woman power!” Cassie yelled.

  “All right, let’s go,” Deacon ordered Reese, jerking his head toward the building.

  She stared at him.

  “We’ve got things to discuss,” he tried again.

  Muffled snickers surrounded them, making Deacon’s frown deepen.

  Reese slowly got to her feet and turned to face the women. “Again, thank you, ladies. This was... enlightening.” She turned back to Deacon. “Is it safe for Reilly to go to Crazy Pete’s tonight?”

  “Besides them being assholes, yeah. With four Fury members there and Dodge? Ain’t gonna be a problem.”

  “See?” Reilly called out as Deacon grabbed Reese’s arm and dragged her away. “Don’t forget to change the sheets. I’m not sleeping in the wet spot!”

  “I’m not sure what pod she hatched from,” Reese muttered as she was pulled toward the back of the bunkhouse.

  “She just knows how to have fun. Somethin’ you need to learn. Let her have tonight ‘cause after tomorrow? She ain’t gonna be happy when she’s told she’ll be stuck at Dutch’s and here. That’s it. She’s goin’ on lockdown ‘til Warren pops up his weasel-ass head.”

  He released the tight grip on her arm and spread his hand along her lower back, instead, propelling her toward the bottom of the back stairway. Justice ran by them, racing up the steps.

  “Sounds like you got the okay on your plan.”

  He scrubbed a hand down his beard. “Yeah. Let’s hope it fuckin’ works.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  “It’s gotta. Now...” He paused and steered her around to face him. “We gonna go dirty the sheets?”

  Reese shrugged one shoulder. “How can I resist that grin?”

  “Told you I’m irresistible.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Didn’t have to. Can see it in your one good eye.”

  She rolled that “one good eye” at him. “Do you have a spare set of sheets?”

  “Fuck no. I just know I won’t be sleepin’ in the wet spot tonight.”

  “You think there will be one?”

  He tipped his chin down, his smile now blinding. “Challenge accepted.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ten days.

  Ten whole fucking days since they’d posted the first staged picture of Reilly in front of Dutch’s Garage. They’d even made sure the business’s sign was visible in the photo. They had her smile brightly with Rook’s arm wrapped around her waist, squeezing her close. Deacon’s club brother was also giving Reese’s younger sister a hungry look that appeared way more authentic than it should.

  The photo’s caption on Instagram was: New job! New HOT boyfriend! Life can’t be better! Along with five million hashtags and emojis. Some of those being flames, hearts and a dash of eggplants.

  They figured if it seemed as though Reilly was enjoying stuffed eggplant by a new man, it might bring Warren out of the woodwork a little quicker.

  They’d even tagged Manning Grove as the location to make it easier for the asshole to find her. Nothing like spoon-feeding the fucker to help him surface.

  If Warren went back underground and said fuck it to cleaning up this loose end, then they were doing this all for nothing.

  But Deacon had dealt with fugitives like Warren before. Abusers like him had a tough time letting things—or women like Reilly—go. Especially when Reilly was determined to send him to prison for what he did to her.

  Men like Warren didn’t appreciate a woman getting the best of him.

  About five days ago, Reese had lost what was left of the little patience she’d been clinging to. Not being able to go home, to court, or her office without an escort—who usually was Deacon, sometimes Judge, and in a pinch, Shade—had her climbing the walls and snapping at the smallest thing.

  Usually a couple hits off his joint and a glass of wine beat back the beast. But that dragon couldn’t be slayed until after business hours.

  Since setting her up at Justice Bail Bonds almost two weeks ago, she had completely taken over Deacon’s office by claiming every inch of desk space, and even a corner on the floor was piled high with files. Worse, he was locked out of his own damn office when she held virtual meetings with her staff or her clients.

  Though, he’d grin when he could hear her giving someone shit through the closed door. Sometimes it would even give him wood. Once she’d unlock the door, he’d go in, twist the lock and bend her over the desk, making her neat, organized piles of paperwork not so neat. Or organized.

  All of this also pissed off Judge because, even though they tried to muffle their noises, his office was right across the narrow hall and the walls weren’t thick. It didn’t help his grumpiness that Deacon was sharing his office and claimed his couch as a temporary work space. Judge would glare at him when Deacon would return with beads of sweat on his forehead and a satisfied grin.

  “You’d be doin’ the same shit with Cassie if she was workin’ here.”

  “It ain’t Cassie and it ain’t me. So, fuck you.”

  Comments like that would make Deacon howl which pissed off his cousin even more.

  But Deacon agreed, sharing Judge’s small office sucked. The only good thing about the situation was—besides getting an occasional bend-over action in the afternoon—Deacon was getting laid every night, too.

  Sometimes in his room in the bunkhouse. Sometimes in his apartment. Once on blankets spread in the bed of his Ford truck in one of the distant fields under the moonlit night and surrounded by stars. That night, Reese’s cries, sighs and whimpers joined the mating calls of the crickets. And Deacon’s grunts might have drove the bucks into early rut.

  Heh.

  Reese tried to insist he stay at the garage all day with Reilly, but between Dutch and the old man’s mechanics—Rook, Cage, Rev and Whip—her sister was more than covered.

  When business at the Tioga Pet Crematorium was slow, Shade would grab Cassie’s old Honda, park down the street from the garage and help keep an eye out.

  While Judge would have felt better if they weren’t using Reilly as live bait, they needed Warren to see normal activity at the garage—in case he was watching—and not suspect it was a set-up.

  But here it was ten days later and Deacon was stuck in a cranky pants sandwich while at the office. He was ready to go hang out at the garage all day, like Reese wanted, just to escape being snapped and growled at from both sides.

  They had posted two more photos on Reilly’s IG page since the first one. One was of Reilly behind the desk in Dutch’s now organized office, looking perky and giving a thumb’s up. Another of her and Rook kissing. Yeah, kissing. With tongues and everything. Rook’s hand was planted firmly on her ass with the other dangerously close to squeezing the young blonde’s tit.

  As soon as Reese saw it, Deacon knew he wouldn’t be getting any lunchtime action and he’d have to work hard to get some after dinner. He did, but he almost died trying.

  It was still fucking worth it. Angry sex with Reese was still damn good sex. And definitely better than no sex. Better yet, no stun gun was involved, both nipple piercings were intact, and his nuts remained tucked safely in his sac.

  Thank fuck.

  Just t
he other day, Reese finally put her high heel down and gave them a time limit. If Warren didn’t show up by April thirtieth, she was going home and back to her office. She didn’t care what anyone said.

  In reality, if Warren didn’t show up by the end of the month, Deacon doubted he would.

  But rumor had it that even when Reese went back to Mansfield, Reilly wasn’t going with her. She was having fun at her job and, in actuality, was pretty damn safe there. None of his brothers would let anything happen to her on their watch. Which meant, she was safer in Manning Grove than Mansfield. Or back in Philly by herself.

  However, he decided to stay out of that decision and let Reilly tell her big sister that news herself.

  Because his momma didn’t raise no fool.

  Justice whined and nudged Deacon’s hand as he pressed an ear to his office door, listening to a worked-up Reese giving someone a lesson about out-of-court settlements and why it benefitted them.

  She was so fucking good at it. At both teaching those lessons and her legal expertise.

  His dick was hard and heavy in his jeans from what she was saying and how she was saying it.

  However, her patience was at a breaking point. He had quickly learned what that point was and what it meant to him when it came to asking her to pull up her skirt so he could give her the business.

  And he wasn’t talking lawyer business.

  Listening in, he could tell she was approaching that tipping point at lightning speed. That meant he needed to intervene and quickly.

  He tried the knob and was relieved when it wasn’t locked. Pushing open the door, he blocked Justice from joining them and quickly closed the dog out in the hallway. He heard a muffled whine but having Justice in the office with him when naked body parts were flopping around within nose reach wasn’t smart.

  An uncomfortable lesson learned.

  Eventually, Justice would get bored waiting and head back into Judge’s office to hang with Jury.

  He turned and Reese’s narrowed green eyes practically pinned him to the door. She made a face, tucked her cell phone between her shoulder and ear, then made a strangling motion with her hands.