by Wilder, L.
“I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out. It’ll take some time, but if he’s gained new allies, my contacts will know about it.” Gus turned to Blaze as he asked, “Any word from Riggs on the cameras?”
“Yeah. He and Gauge managed to get them up, but they’re having some issues with the feed,” Blaze explained. “He’s hoping to have it all operating by the end of the night.”
“Good. We’ll meet back first thing in the morning and start making preparations.” Gus stood up from his desk with a determined look in his eye. “Lewis might be too blind to see it, but the Disciples’ days are numbered.”
“Hell yeah, they are,” Blaze roared.
“I’ll see you boys in the morning. Church at six.”
With that, we all started to walk out of Gus’s office. We were almost through the door when Gunner suddenly stopped and asked, “What about tomorrow night?”
Until then, I’d all but forgotten about his and August’s engagement celebration. Since August was Gus’s daughter, we knew it was an important night, especially for Gus. He’d only recently found out that he had a daughter, and having August and his granddaughter, Harper, in his life now meant a great deal to him. Knowing he wouldn’t want to put either of them in danger, I assumed he would cancel the party, but to my surprise, he replied, “As for now, it’s still on. We’ll double security and monitor Lewis’s every move. If it looks like we’re going to have trouble, we’ll call a lock down.”
“Understood.”
It was already late when we left Gus’s office, so I decided to skip going home and just crashed at the clubhouse. I was glad I did. We hit the ground running at five-thirty the following morning. I’d barely had a chance to down a cup of coffee before it was time to meet for church. As soon as we were all gathered in the conference room, we picked apart every bit of information we’d collected on the Disciples and started formulating the best plan for taking them down. The Disciples would soon regret the moment they decided to go up against Satan’s Fury.
Before we were dismissed, Gus gave out assignments for each of us to complete before the gathering. T-Bone and I were to help Murphy check all the artillery, not only to make sure we had everything we needed, but that it also was in working order. I followed them both over to the clubhouse storage room. There wasn’t much to it. Just a medium-sized room with two large metal tables in the center and safes lining the back wall. As soon as we walked in, Murphy started unlocking the safes while T-Bone and I unloaded all the guns and ammo. T-Bone grabbed an armful, and as he headed out the back, he grumbled, “Wish I had me a couple of those Disciple fuckers I could use for target practice.”
“You and me both.” I watched as he loaded his first AR and shot off a few rounds. There was something about his expression that had me asking, “You all right?”
“Yeah. Just ready to get this shit done.” He glanced over at me with a smirk. “Crystal is coming to the party tonight.”
“Damn. I’m impressed you actually convinced her to go out with you,” I poked.
“Wasn’t any convincing to be done.” He grabbed another rifle and shot off several rounds. “She knew a good thing when she saw it.”
I picked up one of the Glocks and fired a few test shots, then moved on to the next. With Murphy on one side of me and T-Bone on the other, the three of us continued to test each and every weapon. After we were done, we went back to the storage room and spread out all the ammo, then filled all the different magazines and took inventory of what was remaining. We were just starting to wrap things up when Murphy turned to me and said, “I thought we’d run over to KeShawn’s place and check things out when we finish up here.”
“Sounds good.”
Concerned, T-Bone asked, “You sure it’s a good idea for them to see you there?”
“For tonight, we’ll lay low. Don’t want to stir up any trouble before the party.” Murphy closed his case of ammo and moved to the next. “But if something’s going on over there, I want us to be the first to know about it.”
“You’ve got a good point.” T-Bone motioned his hand for us to leave. “You two go ahead. I’ll finish this up.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Murphy and I drove over to KeShawn’s place. Unlike the times before, we tried our best not to draw attention to ourselves and parked in seclusion. We sat there until almost dark, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see. Most of their crew were pretty quiet, so Murphy looked over to me and said, “Nothing’s happening here. Let’s head back to the clubhouse.”
“You got it.”
By the time we made it back, most of the guys were already there and setting up the bonfire. Murphy headed home to pick up Riley while I went inside to take a shower. When I was done, I went back out to join the others at the bonfire. I was having a good time with my brothers, drinking a beer and shooting the shit, but every time I saw a set of headlights pull through the gate, I’d find myself checking to see if it was Darcy. For over an hour, it was one disappointment after the next, but just as I was giving up hope, I spotted her bright red pickup.
I grabbed us both a beer from the cooler, then headed over to the edge of the parking lot to wait for her. Once she was parked, she fumbled around inside for several moments, then finally opened the door and stepped out. As soon as her high heels hit the ground, I knew I was in trouble. My eyes followed the line of her long, slender legs up to the hem of her black mini-skirt, which had inched its way up her thigh during her drive over. Damn. She looked down and slightly shimmied her hips, adjusting her skirt as she took a quick look around the parking lot. I watched as her beautiful, pouty lips slowly curved into a sexy smile the second she spotted me. Fuck. I’d never seen a more beautiful sight.
She closed the door to her truck, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she started towards me. That little black skirt hugged her curves in all the right places, bringing my cock to life right there in the fucking parking lot. At that moment, all my thoughts of the Inner Disciples were instantly forgotten. When she made it over to me, she smiled and said, “Hey, how’s it going?”
“It’s going good.” I motioned over to the bonfire. “The guys and I were starting to wonder if you were going to make it.”
“I almost didn’t, but some friends of mine convinced me to come.”
“Thelma and Louise?”
She giggled with a nod. “Yeah. They can be pretty persistent when they put their minds to it.”
“I bet they can.” As I offered her a beer, I asked, “You want to join the others at the fire or go inside to the bar?”
“Fire’s good.”
I nodded, then turned and started towards the others. As soon as the guys noticed Darcy walking in their direction, several of them called, “Darcy! Glad you made it.”
“Thanks for the invite.”
“Kind of strange seeing you out of your painter’s suit.” T-Bone took a step back and gave her the once over. “You clean up pretty good.”
“I wish I could say the same for you,” she teased.
They all started laughing, and a slew of bad one-liners ensued as each of them tried to one-up the other. As I stood there next to her, watching her hold her own with my brothers, it was hard to resist slipping my arm around her waist and claiming her as mine as we stood there with the others. When Darcy finished her beer, I took the empty bottle from her hand and asked, “You want another one?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I walked over and grabbed us both a cold one out of the cooler. When I turned to head back, I found Darcy standing next to me. She took one of the bottles out of my hand and smiled. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” She didn’t seem eager to get back to the others though. “Are you having a good time?”
“I am, but I could use a minute to catch my breath.”
“I can understand that. The guys can get carried away sometimes.”
�
��They’re great.” I could tell by the sound of her voice that she meant it. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know them.”
“I’m pretty sure they feel the same way about you.”
“I hope so.” After several moments, she crossed her arms and said, “So, um...tell me about this girl who’s caught your fancy.”
“Caught my fancy?”
“You know—the girl you were telling me about last night. The one you’re interested in.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, her posture changed. Her back stiffened as she shoved her hands in the back pocket of her skirt, and the muscles in her neck tightened. It was almost like she was trying to brace herself for what I was about to say, making me wonder if I should redirect the conversation. “What is it with women and all their questions?”
“Come on, Caleb. Don’t go trying to avoid the question.” She pulled her long auburn hair to the side, letting it cascade down her shoulder as she looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes. “Just tell me what she’s like.”
“Well, she’s beautiful and smart...talented like you wouldn’t believe.”
Raking her teeth over her bottom lip, she pushed, “Um-hmm. What else?”
“She’s also infuriating as hell.” I chuckled under my breath as I watched her brows furrow. “Yeah, she’s about as stubborn as they come—short-tempered and hard to predict. One minute she’s sweet as honey, and the next, she’s likely to rip your balls right off...and for the life of me, I just can’t get her out of my head.”
“Wow.” Sounding almost disappointed, Darcy muttered, “She sounds like she’s really something.”
I took a step towards her, closing the gap between us, and her eyes widened with surprise as I rested my hands on her hips. “You’re right...You are.”
“What?” she gasped. “You were talking about me?”
Confusion marked her face as she tried to make sense of what I’d said. She was still trying to work it out in her head when I replied, “Yes, Darcy. You.”
I leaned forward with my mouth hovering over hers for what seemed like a lifetime, waiting for some sign that I was making the wrong move. When she didn’t resist or even show the slightest hesitation, I took my chance. I lowered my mouth to hers and kissed her, long and hard. I hadn’t wanted to let myself admit it, but it was a kiss I’d been waiting for as long as I could remember. I felt her body trembled as I delved further into her mouth, exploring every inch with my tongue. A light moan of need escaped from her throat as we both inched closer. Damn. I’d tried to fight it, but the pull I felt towards her was even stronger than I thought. I wanted Darcy Harrington, every fucking inch of her, and if this kiss was any indication, she felt the same way about me. The kiss was quickly becoming heated when she placed her hands on my chest, gently pushing me off her. “I’m gonna need a minute here.”
I didn’t say a word. Instead, I gave her the time she asked for.
After several moments, her breath started to steady and a spark of annoyance flashed through her eyes. “You think I’m infuriating as hell?”
“You have your moments.”
“Well, I have news for you, Caleb Hughes…you”—she cocked her eyebrow high—“can be pretty damn infuriating yourself.”
“Oh, really?” Amused, I crossed my arms and grinned. “And how’s that?”
“You’re bossy and pig-headed, especially when it comes to something you want.”
“Can’t disagree with you there.”
“You’re also...”
Before she could finish her sentence, Riggs came around the back of the clubhouse and called out to me. “Hey, Rider!”
“Yeah?”
“Need you for a minute.”
“Be right there.” When I turned back to Darcy, she was looking up at me with a frustrated expression, making it clear that she still had things she wanted to say. I wanted to hear every fucking word, but now wasn’t an option. Even in situations like these, the club came first.
Darcy
“I need to go see what that is about.”
As much as I wanted to finish what he’d started, I simply nodded. “Okay.”
“I shouldn’t be long.”
“I’ll be fine, Caleb.”
“At least let me take you into the bar.” He motioned his head towards the back door of the clubhouse. “You can hang out with the other ol’ ladies until I get done.”
While I’d met most of the brothers at some point at the garage, I hadn’t met any of their women, and the thought of sitting in a room full of people I didn’t know made me feel a little uneasy. “I’ll just hang out here until you’re done.”
“Not leaving you out here alone, Darcy.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll wait in the bar for you.”
I followed him inside the clubhouse bar, and I was surprised by how big the place was. There was a large counter at the front with barstools all the way around, and seven or eight tables in the back. They had a jukebox in one corner, several pool tables and dart boards, and a large seating area with a sofa and a couple of chairs in the other. As soon as we started walking towards the front, several of the women turned, glancing over their shoulders as they watched us make our way over to them. A feeling of dread washed over me when I noticed two of them whispering back and forth, making me wish I’d never agreed to come inside. Caleb led me over to one of the empty stools next to the chick with long brown hair and eyes that were so dark they almost looked black. As I sat down next to her, she smiled and said, “You must be Darcy!”
“I am.”
“Well, it’s good to finally meet you.” A smile spread across her face as she placed her hand on mine. “Blaze has been talking nonstop about the work you’ve been doing in the garage.”
“Has he?”
“Girl, yes. The man is crazy about that garage, and he’s really glad that you agreed to come work there. He said orders for paint work have doubled since you started working there.” She glanced up at Caleb and said, “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Well, get going. We’ve got her,” she assured him.
When he glanced down at me, I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be back.” When he started to walk towards the exit, he looked back over to the other women and warned, “You girls behave.”
“Hush. You know we will,” one of the others teased.
As soon as he walked out, all eyes turned to me. They each took a moment to introduce themselves, not only by name but also whose ol’ lady they were. I had to admit that after the third introduction the names started to jumble together. It wasn’t all my fault. I was still reeling from my conversation with Caleb and the kiss we shared, and then I was suddenly thrown into a group of women I’d never laid eyes on before. It was a lot to take in. Once they were all done, I smiled and told them all, “It’s really great to finally meet y’all. I’ve heard the guys talk about each of you at the garage, and now I can finally put a face with your names.”
“The guys talk about you, too.” A big smile spread across Kenadee’s face when she said, “They say you’re very talented.”
“That’s very sweet of them. I’ve been trying really hard to do my best.”
“From the sounds of it, you’ve done great.” She gave me a little nudge as she chuckled. “And you made quite an impression your first day.”
“Oh, really?” I couldn’t remember what she was talking about, so I asked, “Why’s that?”
“That whole thing with T-Bone.” She giggled as she shook her head. “I would’ve loved to have been a fly on the wall for that.”
“Oh, yeah. Now that I’ve gotten to know him a little better, I kinda feel bad for crawling him like I did.”
“Girl, don’t sweat that for a minute.” Alex leaned forward. “It was the best thing you could’ve done. It’s the first time the guys have ha
d a woman around their business, and it was a lesson for all of them.”
Riley nodded. “She’s right.”
“Well, I’ve really enjoyed working with them all. They’ve got a really good thing going down at the garage. People all over talk about the work they do.” I took a quick glance around and noticed that most of the guys were gone—only three or four I’d never even seen before remained behind. After I finished off the last of my beer, I asked her, “Where did they all go anyway?”
A pained expression marked Kenadee’s face as she slightly shrugged. “There’s a situation that they’re trying to deal with before it gets out of control.”
“You seem concerned about it.”
“I am.” The others fell silent, letting me know she wasn’t the only one who was worried. “We all are, but the guys will handle things. They always do.”
Before I could reply, Riley changed the subject. “She’s right. They’ll take care of it. There doesn’t seem to be anything these men can’t do...except put their socks in the laundry basket.”
“Girl, don’t I know it!” Reece groaned as she took a sip of her drink. “They can’t seem to put a dirty dish in the sink either.”
“Well ..” Alex started with a mischievous smirk on her face.
“Well, what?” Reece pushed.
“Okay, so...the other night, I walked into the kitchen.”
“And?”
“And Shadow was in there...washing dishes.” A pale pink blush crept up her neck. “I don’t know about you, but there is something all kinds of sexy about a man who will help out in the kitchen. Damn, I can’t remember the last time I was that turned on.”
“I’ve gotta favor to ask.” Kenadee giggled as she asked, “Will you tell that story in front of Blaze?”
“She needs to tell that story in front of all the guys,” Riley snickered.
We’d just gotten another round of drinks, which included a beer and a shot, when another young brunette walked into the bar. As soon as Kenadee noticed, she waved her over. “Hey, August! Come here and take a load off.”
She seemed a little frazzled when she reached us and sat down next to me. “I finally got Harper down.”