by Jayne Blue
“What are you talking about? The way I see it, that’s twice you’ve had a serious lapse in judgment about how these people should be treated. If anyone’s putting this project in jeopardy, it’s you. I’m lucky Domino was even willing to talk to me again after what you pulled at Woody’s the other night. Never mind what you did last night. It was cheap and irresponsible.”
I knew the risk I took lecturing him like that. Noel could be a dipshit, but he was a necessary dipshit. Without the backing of his uncle’s studio, we’d both be out of work on this one.
“Change of plans, Quinn. I’m running the show down here. I don’t want you hanging around with or being seen with those thugs anymore. You mean well, but you’re naive.”
My head was spinning. I was naive? My eyes kept flicking to the bedroom door. Noel was so caught up in his own agenda, he couldn’t see what was right in front of his face. Dom’s Harley was still parked downstairs.
“Noel, you seem to forget I own the rights to that script. I bought it. You can’t shut me out of anything. Plus, you need me to keep this greenlit. Whether you like it or not, I’m a draw. You don’t get to have it both ways. You can’t trot me out and call down the paparazzi then turn around and tell me to lay low.”
He stopped pacing and squared off. “Don’t overestimate your own importance, Quinn. Nobody else was willing to take a chance on you with this. I probably should have listened to my uncles in the first place.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” My blood started to boil. Noel looked me up and down, his lips curling into a snarl.
“Nobody thinks you’re right for this part anyway. Not even your own agent.”
My throat ran dry. “Noreen works for me.”
“Noreen begged me to try and convince you not to keep going with this. Why do you think she showed up here the other day?”
I was livid. It got hard to breathe as I rose from the couch. “And I say again … Noreen works for me. And you work for your uncles. My contract is with them, not you. And if you ever put me in a position like you did last night, I’ll have you bounced off this movie so fast …”
Noel grabbed my arm. He pulled me forward hard enough I stumbled. I jerked away just as quickly as hot rage made my vision go white.
“Be careful, Quinn,” he said. “You don’t have as much power as you think you do.”
“I have enough. Now, we are partners, Noel. Full partners. I need you to work with me, not against me. My personal life isn’t part of the deal.”
“Personal life?” he said. “What, was that a date you were on, Quinn? With that ... that ... biker fucker?”
“No.” Shit. I was losing this. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, you’re not my publicist. This trip was supposed to be off book. I can’t work if I have to worry about getting mobbed by photographers. You’re not used to what that’s like. I can give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn’t realize how quickly that would escalate. That’s why you should have talked to me first before tipping those guys off as to where I’d be. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
“Yeah? Well, that asshole has cost us some capital.”
“Again, why you shouldn’t have tipped the paparazzi off behind my back.”
Noel got in my personal space again. His eyes were red-rimmed and flicking back and forth. Fuck. He was on something. Why hadn’t I realized that before? It was probably cocaine. Dammit. There was no getting around it. I would have to talk to the Ransom Brothers directly about Noel’s role on this project going forward.
“Just don’t forget who I am,” he said, grabbing my arm again. “You need me more than I need you, sweetie. For the moment, you’re a novelty. Everyone’s trying to see whether you’ll fall on your face if you try a part with real meat on it. That’s your value to this film. A necessary evil.”
I tried to jerk away from him. This time, Noel held firm. “Let. Go. Of. Me.” The white rage came back. Noel answered with a smirk.
Then an avalanche came down.
Domino charged out of the bedroom, eyes wild. He took one look at Noel and his hand on my arm and lost his shit. He crossed the room in three strides. Grabbing Noel by the throat, he pushed him against the wall.
“The lady asked you to take your fucking hands off her,” he said, spit flying.
Noel opened and closed his mouth like a trout. Two red dots colored his cheeks and he tried to pull Domino’s hand away. It was like trying to bend steel. Noel wouldn’t get free until Domino was good and ready. A second later, he loosened his grip and let Noel drop to the ground, coughing.
Noel straightened and looked at me. “Are you fucking serious?”
I let out a hard breath and crossed my arms. I knew what he thought. The question was what he’d do with it. Domino stood still as stone except for his flaring nostrils. He reminded me of a bull ready to charge. I just hoped Noel had the good sense not to wave the red flag.
“Typical,” Noel said, rubbing his throat. “My uncles warned me about women like you.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Noel shook his head and backed up all the way to the door. “Just answer your fucking phone the next time I call. I’m pulling the plug.”
“That’s not your call to make.”
“The hell it isn’t. We are done in Port Azrael. It’s a dead-end town. Not right for this project at all.”
Domino barked a laugh. He caught my eye and swallowed whatever else he meant to say. Noel opened the door, walked out, and slammed it behind him. The bang made me jump.
It felt just like a bubble bursting.
Chapter 11
Domino
I stayed away from everything for the next three days. I volunteered to make a quick ride up to Abilene with three of the probies, Moose, Toby, and Machop. Our biggest gun drop of the year was set to take place in three weeks. With things being a little shaky in our truce with the Hawks, Bear wanted somebody to meet with one of our main buyers face to face. We needed to reassure the powers that be that we were good. There’d be no delays in distribution. It was kind of a bullshit job, one that Bear usually delegated to someone else, but I needed the time and space to clear my head. Plus, I didn’t really want to be around the full crew until I cooled off.
A picture of me with Quinn hit the internet just like she was afraid it would. One of those fucking photographers caught one with my hands closed around the skinny neck of the dickhead who’d tried to touch Quinn. It was causing trouble for her. I hated that, but I didn’t regret sticking up for her for one second. But this shit was getting way more complicated than either of us intended.
I’d called and texted her a couple of times since I left her penthouse. Her voice brightened every time she answered. I can’t deny my own blood heated at the sound of her voice. I wanted her. That’s all there was to it. Except we both came with huge baggage that could fuck things up in our real lives. She wouldn’t tell me what was going on with her idiot business partner, Noel. But his threats to pull the plug on her time in Texas had been idle so far. She was still here. Part of me wondered if I had something to do with that. Damn. I wanted to see her again. Badly.
I knew the prospects were dying to ask me about the pictures they’d seen. Bear had even given me a cryptic text saying we needed to talk. I was dreading it. That last thing I wanted was a lecture about staying out of the damn newspapers. With our contact in the U.S. Attorney’s office on ice, we were flying blind. But Bear had heard enough rumors to think the Feds were circling. Any unwarranted attention, even in some stupid Hollywood gossip rag, was bad for business all the way around. Plus, Fitzie was still in the wind with the Hawks. That was a bomb just waiting to blow up.
With things in Abilene under control, I couldn’t avoid the clubhouse anymore. As we took the turn from the main highway to the rural one leading home, I signaled to Toby and Machop behind me. They were supposed to join Maddox on his pickups this afternoon in town. Moose stayed with me but kept a good distance.
The kid was learning. I bet on Toby to be the next to patch in, but he was neck and neck with Moose.
Rufus ran circles in front of the clubhouse as I pulled up. It was his way of greeting me after a few days away. I cut my engine and climbed off my bike. Roofie rolled onto his back, tail still wagging.
“Hey there, you ugly mother fucker,’ I said, smiling. I reached down to pat his belly. Laughter rose from inside. At mid-afternoon, most of the crew would be inside, coming back from their various runs. It was Friday; in another hour, a few of them would be shit-faced already.
“I’m gonna head out back and check on that V-Rod we had come in last week,” Moose called out. I held up a peace sign and waved him off. I’m surprised he didn’t want to watch the show when I walked in that damn door. No way I wouldn’t face merciless ball busting. All I could do was take a deep breath and brace for it.
The catcalls and cheers hit me like a wave when I opened the door. Sure as shit, somebody had made a copy of the photo of me and Quinn and blown it up to almost life-size. They had it hanging on the back wall.
“You fuckers,” I said, shaking my head. Mama Bear gave me a big smile from behind the bar and my heart lightened. She was usually a good bellwether for Bear’s mood and he for her. If she was pissed at me, she wouldn’t be standing back there pouring a draft for me. She slid it across the bar and closed her hand on my forearm as I reached for it.
“Hey, Mama,” I said.
“Let them have their fun.” She jerked her chin toward my crew. Shep stood next to the blown-up picture, mimicking my contorted facial expression as I tried to rip that photographer’s head off.
I took a big gulp of my beer. It helped but I needed something stronger. Most of us thought Mama Bear was part witch or psychic. More than likely, she’d just spent her life around so many bikers, she knew the drill. She slid a shot glass in front of me and poured three fingers of whiskey. I downed that too.
“Is she okay?” Mama asked, her face growing serious. Her concern for Quinn melted my insides as much as the liquor did. “That girl looks like she could use a real friend or two in her life.”
“I think she probably could,” I said. Mama’s eyes flicked over me, studying me. I tried to keep my expression stony, but she could always see right through me. She pursed her lips and leaned back against the bar. She didn’t have to say what she was thinking. Just one look at me and she already knew. There was no need for her to ask me how serious things were with Quinn. I didn’t have a good answer, but just that one look and Mama had already figured out we were something more than friends.
“I want you to bring her around, honey,” Mama said. The noise quieted down behind me.
I chugged the beer. I was gonna need a hell of a lot more than that to get through this night, it seemed. “You sure about that?” I asked.
Bear came out of the conference room. Mama smiled at him and he came toward us. He slapped me on the back and took the stool beside me. “How was Abilene?” He already knew the answer. I’d called him right after my meeting.
“Good, Bear. Real good.”
Mama poured him a beer and set it in front of him. He leaned over the bar and kissed her cheek. She blushed and touched his face. The moment was quick, but conveyed a deep intimacy that got to me. Bear and Mama had a turbulent history. Legend was she turned down his marriage proposal something like ten times before she finally said yes. She’d tried to end things by enlisting in the army and heading all the way to the Middle East. But she kept coming back. Bear was the love of her life and he was hers. They’d weathered every storm and here they still were.
It took a rare woman to put up with a member of the Dark Saints. This life wasn’t for everyone. One by one, my club brothers were beginning to find their matches. I winked at Mama and she poured me another cold beer. Axle walked in with his new wife, Maya. They too had traversed a rocky path to be together. Axle grinned as he caught my eye and looped his arm around Maya. She went up on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. He let out a sigh and slowly nodded, acquiescing to whatever it was she asked of him. Maya met my eyes and gave me a warm smile. It gave me a pretty good guess as to what she’d said. Probably something to the tune of, “Leave Dom the hell alone.”
“So,” Bear said. “Anything else interesting this week you want to tell me about?”
I took one more drink for strength. “Things got out of hand at Cups. I’m sorry about that. But I’m not sorry for why.”
“Gina filled me in,” Bear said. Gina was Zig’s wife. Her family, the DiSalvos, still owned Cups. She’d been handling some of the day-to-day operations there after her rat of a brother died.
“I hope it didn’t cost her business,” I said, and I truly meant it.
“The opposite, actually,” Mama answered. “They’ve been packed ever since. The bar made national news. There’ve been people lined up around the corner. What’s that old saying about there being no bad press? Don’t worry, baby. You did good. That poor girl you were with had to have been scared out of her mind.”
I fingered the handle of my beer mug. “That’s the thing. I think she’s sort of used to that. It was fucking crazy. Those assholes wanted to tear her apart. Just like vultures. What’s worse, it sounds like her own management set it up. I didn’t know they did that. But they fucking tipped those photographers off. They were waiting outside for her.”
“Jesus,” Bear said. “That’s fucked up. You sure she’s all right?”
“She says so. I don’t know. I don’t know how a person can live like that.”
“I was just saying to Dom that I want him to bring her to the club,” Mama said. A look passed between them that made me think this wasn’t news to him. Hell, she’d probably told him her plan as soon as she had it. I bristled. A little of that protective anger that always seemed tied to Quinn rose inside of me. I wanted to keep her safe, even from the club.
“Sure,” Bear said. “She’d probably jump at the chance. She still doing research for that movie?”
“Beats me. I think that fucking picture backfired on her a little. That pencil-necked puke she brought with her seems to control the money. He told her a few days ago he wanted to back out. I’m not sure what’s going on.”
“But she’s still in town?” Mama asked. I knew she already had the answer to that question too. Nothing happened in or near Port Azrael without the club knowing about it.
“Yeah.”
“Why do you think that is?” Mama asked. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she leaned over the bar and rested her chin on her palm.
“Josie, give the kid a break,” Bear said. He kissed her again. She waved him off and kept her eyes on me. “You and your matchmaking.”
“I’m not matchmaking,” she said. “But I have a hunch about these things. She should meet the club.”
I slid off the stool. A few of the other guys started circling around. Shep was hammered. He swayed sideways. Louanne, one of the newest banger chicks, slid an arm around his waist and held him up. It earned her a hard stare from Mama. God help any of us if Josie Bullock disapproved of a woman we brought around. And now she wanted me to drag Quinn into this?
“Call her,” Mama said.
“She’s probably got a million things going on.”
“Call her anyway. It’s not often I get to meet a real live movie star.” Mama crossed her arms in front of herself.
“Better do what she says,” Bear offered. “Mama Bear’s got a bite.”
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s what I’m fucking afraid of.” This earned me a chorus of laughter from the guys and a wet towel lobbed at my head from Mama. But the beer and the liquor loosened me up. Plus, my need to see Quinn again burned through me. Damn Mama Bear and her witchy ways. She could sense that too.
Before I could change my mind, I found myself outside again, pacing in front of the clubhouse. I pulled out my phone and hit Quinn’s number. Part of me hoped she wouldn’t answer. But of course she did on the second
ring.
“Hey, Dom,” she said, breathless.
“Hey, yourself. I’ve been thinking about you.”
Her breath hitched a little and that familiar wave of lust ran through me. If I closed my eyes, I could see her like she was the other night. Open. Wild. Gorgeous. And she’d been all mine. My fucking knees went weak just thinking about it.
“Really? What have you been thinking?” Fuck. I’m not even sure if she meant anything dirty by it. If she had, I wouldn’t be surprised if the damn phone turned red hot in my hand.
“You still in town?” I asked, knowing full well she was.
“You’re really asking me that?” She laughed. “You think I don’t know you’ve got the whole town wired, Dom? Why do I think you know exactly where I am at this very moment.”
“Hmm. I like this game. You’re hot. You’re out of breath. I’m thinking there’s only two things that would make you that way.” My voice dropped low.
“Dom ... I …”
“You’re either in the gym or just got back from it,” I said.
“Hmm. And what’s the other thing?”
As much as I wanted to, I wouldn’t take the bait. Not here. Not like this. I wanted this chick just about more than any woman I’d ever known. If I teased her, I damn well wanted her in my bed when I did it.
“You feel like taking a field trip?” I asked.
“Now you’ve got my attention.”
“The clubhouse,” I said. “Mama Bear wants to meet you.”
Quinn gasped. “Oh. Oh! I mean, are you sure?”
“I’m sure. There’s pretty much no use arguing with her when she sets her mind to something. Can you be ready within an hour? I’ll swing by and pick you up.”
“Um ... that’s a bad idea.”
My heart sank. Why had I assumed she’d jump at the chance?
“Dom,” she said, sensing the change in me. “I mean ... I’ll get a driver and come to you. Things being what they are, it’s not a good idea for any more pictures of me and you online. You know? I’ll come to you. Just tell me where.”