“You okay?” The ginger leaned over me. “He cut you?”
Frustration and rage bubbled up in me. “You scared him away!”
The man leaned back staring down at me like I was certifiable. And maybe I was because I felt my company slipping away from me. Who would I be without Jackson Bonds?
“I kept him from killing you,” he shot back. Flat lips and brows angled down in anger.
“I think I’d rather be dead.” I stood and my head swam, staggering back a step I righted myself. “Who the hell are you?”
He handed me a card. “I’m Rebel.”
The card read Brotherhood Bonds.
I gave him the stink eye. “You did scare him away so you can get him yourself.” I fisted hands on my hips.
He stared at me a minute before turning away. “You are crazy.” The words drifted toward me.
Well, now what? A thought hit me and I chased after the man walking away from me. He had a fine ass and broad, straight shoulders. He was just as cream worthy as the night in the bar.
Get your head on straight, Elle, you need him to catch Stone, not in your bed.
“Wait up,” I shouted after him.
He didn’t slow. I picked up my pace and ran until I was in front of him. I turned, facing him. “Stop.”
His expression turned arctic but he stopped. Arms crossed across his chest, he looked good enough to eat. But that was beside the point, I needed his help. “You owe me.”
His jaw slackened, incredulity passed across his face. “Say again.”
“You lost me Stone, so you owe me,” I asserted, standing arms across my own chest.
“How do you figure?” He spoke with a slow deliberateness as if he thought I was stupid.
“You just do.” I stomped my foot. “So now we’re partners, we’ll bring him in together.”
His brows crinkled then he threw his head back and laughed. “I got men to help me. Surely Jackson Bonds does too?”
Hell, he knew who I was, that wasn’t good. Every bounty hunter in Dallas was gossiping about the feud between Daddy and me.
“You have one of the five contracts, right?” I started again.
He blew out a breath before he nodded his head once.
“Stone isn’t going to go easy. You need help.”
“Not your help.” He glared at me, stepping around me, moving off again.
Shit. Desperation drowned me and I blurted out, “What will get you to help me?”
He walked on two steps before slowing and turning back to me. “The truth.”
Why couldn’t he have asked for a kidney or even my spleen? I had no desire to tell him the truth.
He gave me an expectant look then his face shut down.
I was losing him. “Fine! I’ll tell you.” I sucked in a breath and my ribs screamed in pain. “Meet me at the diner two blocks from here.”
“I know it.” He moved away.
I turned back to my truck trying to figure out what the hell I should say to him. How little could I get away with? Maybe I could make up a story? One that didn’t devastate my pride or make me sound pathetic.
I backed out of the driveway I’d blocked, should have run the fucker over, but too late for that. I drove to the diner, parking in the side lot. I hadn’t found a plausible story to tell what’s-his-name. What had he said? Rebel. I wonder how he got that name.
Never show your fear. I stood straight and reminded myself I was a Jackson before I strode into the diner. Rebel sat in the far back corner and a cup of coffee already sat in front of him. I tried to ignore the pulsing buzz of attraction. My nerve endings were sending up serious smoke signals. I’m sure the signals read Jump him. Jump him now. Stupid body. I had a lot more at stake than a night of fun.
I sat across from him. “I’m Elle Jackson.” I held out my hand.
“I know.” He eyed my hand before clasping it in a crisp handshake. Not too firm and not gentle like he feared I’d break. Already, I liked him.
“Are you sure you want the truth? I could think of lots more pleasant things to do.” Like getting my fingernails pulled out.
Fiery eyes dropped to mine and his lips tugged up in a half smile.
Shit, that wasn’t what I meant, but it’d be a better trade than the truth.
He must’ve read something on my face because his fell into serious lines. “The truth.”
I glanced down at my fingers and tried to get my thoughts in order. When I was ready, I looked up at him. “My father is crazy.” Shit, that wasn’t what I meant to say.
His lips twitched into that half smile again.
“He raised me to take over the business, then he had a heart attack, and now he is determined to sell the bonds business to save me from myself.” My hands shook. “He gave me two ultimatums—raise $500,000 in bonds or he’d sell the company.”
He stared at me as if he read every hidden thought in my mind. He spooked me, not only because I wanted to taste him more than take my next breath, but because he saw too much, made me feel too much.
“Why not use one of your own guys?” He lobbed the question at me, but I knew harder ones were coming my way.
He was too smart, too hard, and too damn perceptive to let me off easy.
“He’s...” My voice shook and I stopped until I pulled myself together. “He’s being a prick.” I spewed the words that pissed me off even more than the ultimatum. “If I use one of the people at the company, he won’t give me credit for the bust, even if it is my contract. That’s another thing—we can split the bounty, but it has to be turned in on my contract.”
“I didn’t agree.”
My world started to crumble, but I shored up my shaky core. Fake it ’til you make it.
“But you will.” I spoke with ferocity as if I could will the world to bend to me. I wish.
His lip twitched but he didn’t smile.
“How did you convince Gus to give you the 48-hour contract?” His eyes turned cold.
So that’s what had him on edge. He hated that I’d gotten an advantage on him. Rebel might be more competitive than me. Wouldn’t this be fun? Not.
“I went there with bourbon and begged.” I hated admitting how I’d had to play on Gus’s love for me. He’d been like my uncle growing up. “I’ll beg you if I have to.”
“Nope, just answer one more question. What was ultimatum two?”
Why that question? Fuck. My mouth opened and closed. Just say it, I castigated myself. But the words wouldn’t come. I stared out the front window trying to get my shit together. The simmering anger built into a raging fire. I wasn’t doing this. “That’s none of your business.”
“True enough.” He placed cash on the table and moved to leave.
“Stay.” I placed my hand on his wrist and electricity sparked between us.
My pride had already been decimated. Why did I care what this stranger thought of me?
“I can get married.” I spoke through gritted teeth, but I made sure he understood that option wasn’t happening. It’d be the same as letting my father win.
The bastard threw his head back and laughed, I contemplated choking the life out of him even as his sexy laugh sent quivers through my belly.
“Princess, there are hundreds of men in Dallas who’d line up for the honor. Pick one, get the business and divorce his ass.” His dancing eyes landed on me. “What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal?” I sputtered. I threw my hands up. “I don’t want to be married. My daddy didn’t get married to inherit the business nor my grandpa or his grandpa.”
“You’ll kill yourself trying to catch Stone, but not get married?” He leaned forward. “What the fuck does it matter how you get the company as long as it’s yours?”
“Yo
u ever had everyone look down on you, think you aren’t good enough?”
His face went black. “Yup.”
Something ate at him. I filed the information away before I admitted the next ugly truth. “They look at me like that now. Why the hell would I add to it? Or give that windbag who calls himself my father the satisfaction of making me?” I shoved down the hurt and let the pissed off reign free inside me. It burned away all the other emotions.
Cocking his head to the side, he stared at me. No doubt reading the sad shreds of my soul. I felt like I’d been chopped up, wrung out and spit out a mangled mess at his feet.
“True enough.” He held out a hand. “You got yourself a partner.”
Relief, cool and sweet, poured through me. With him, my impossible mission was still within grasp. Or maybe I deluded myself.
Chapter Seven
Rebel
I threw my jacket on the bed of my motel room and sprawled in the one chair. Thumbing through my contacts I found Charlie and hit send. Charlie was a good time guy who always had the best lowdown on parties. I needed an invite to the Angels’ party tonight and he was my best shot.
“Amigo, what’s up?” His happy-go-lucky nature rang in his words.
“Dude, I need a night of drunken hell-raising.” I always was down for that. “I’m in Dallas for a chick but she fucked that shit up, so now—”
“Compadre, I have the perfect party for us.” He laughed into the phone. “Bikers, willing women and booze that flows like a river.”
“Sign me up, bro.” Score. That had to be the Angels’ party. “When’s the party start?”
“You know me, it never ends. I’m over here at the Cantina. Drop by and we’ll go wild.”
I glanced at my watch. Three o’clock. Shit. I’d be pushing my limits to party with Charlie and still be upright by the Angels’ party.
“So I got a pinch of business for the club,” I lied, not wanting to meet up too early with a man who beat my impressive tolerance for alcohol. “Can I text you in a bit and catch up with you?”
“Long as it’s before seven, man. That party is by invite only. Come with me or stay home.” He chuckled. “And I know you don’t want to do that.”
“You got it, man. I’ll catch you by five for sure.”
We shot the shit a few more minutes before I clicked off. I kicked off my boots before I climbed in the bed. A quick nap before I met Charlie. With that dude, I never knew where we might end up.
In bed, I scrolled through my contacts to Elle’s number. We’d agreed to share information. I hit the text button and stared at the blank screen. Then I typed: Meeting up with a guy. May have more info on Stone by ten tonight. Will text you if I score details.
Not ten seconds went by before my phone pinged in response. Let’s take him tonight.
The woman was eager but crazy. No way to grab Stone while he was surrounded by his club. It’d be a suicide mission. He’ll be surrounded by Angels, but we can tag and follow. Take him once he’s away.
Seconds passed to minutes with no response. I set an alarm for an hour from now before I plugged my phone in to recharge. I let my eyes close. Images of Elle dressed in her tight jeans, T-shirt and boots replayed in my mind. Hell if I didn’t find her sexier dressed for work than I had at Lucky’s when she’d all but pranced around naked. Not many women could take down a man in five-inch heels or tackle Stone to the ground, for that matter. Her in-your-face aggression turned me on most of all, and I planned to taste her in the most personal way before we parted ways. The need to taste her had been the only reason I’d agreed to help because no matter what magic she pulled out, she’d never raise the cash. It was beyond impossible, and I should know, I was the king of longshots. But that deal wasn’t even a longshot, it was a pipe dream and my blonde beauty was headed for a painful crash with reality. Not mine. Why had I even thought that? I loved women and one would never be enough for me.
When my alarm rang, I rolled over to silence it before I headed to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face, staring at the stubble that had grown on my cheeks. I needed to run the razor over my face soon. Never one to be clean shaven like Dare, but beards were a pain in the ass.
I changed into a Brotherhood tee and slipped on my cut. No guns tonight because no matter how well I was armed, the Angels would be better armed. I’d settle for my fists and the two knives I carried in ankle holsters. I don’t think Stone got a good look at me today, but if he did then I might run into a bit of trouble. Trouble liked me because I loved that bitch. Part of me hoped someone would call me out, nothing beat a fight.
I opened a small case and removed two trackers. They were decent quality but nowhere near as sophisticated as law enforcement trackers. Within a mile or two, they did the job and the app was easy to use. Tonight would be a success if I managed to get one of my beauties on Stone’s bike and leave the party alive. I was almost certain of the second, but the first might be tricky.
Charlie still held court in the middle of the Cantina, so I headed his way. The dude was as chill as anyone I’d ever met, but there was serious shit underneath the chill because Charlie rode nomad for the Bandits. And nomad meant one of three things: enforcer, spy, or bat-shit crazy. Maybe all three. But he’d been in a bad spot a couple years back, outnumbered seven to one and I’d jumped in to help out. We’d been tight since then.
I’d never choose the nomad life because it defeated the purpose of joining a club—the brotherhood. I suppose there were lots of reasons for joining, hell not all my brothers had joined for the same reasons.
“Charlie, how’s it hanging?” I strode toward him, a smile on my face.
His long hair swung behind him when he stood up and embraced me. “Dude, it’s been too long.” He stroked his scraggly beard and stared into my eyes. “You ain’t got any shit going against the Angels?” He and I had spent many bottles of whiskey talking about my bounty business. I knew what he asked me.
“No shit, man, not today anyway.” I met his stare. He had the coldest fucking eyes when he wanted to but I had nothing to hide.
“Give Rebel your chair.” He glanced down at a guy sitting next to him. I spied his cut, another Bandit, a lot younger than either of us, maybe new to his patch. The kid all but jumped out of the seat and found a place down the table. “Whiskey, two bottles,” Charlie shouted toward the bartender.
In under a minute, the bottles and fresh tumblers appeared in front of us. Charlie and I drank to old friends and then another to new friends since I didn’t know half the people partying with the guy tonight.
“Tell me this shit about your club. Word is you’re stockpiling recruits. You expanding?”
Everyone was interested in the Brotherhood’s business these days. Jericho had shaken shit up and the waves still rippled through our biker brethren.
“No and never south.” No reason to even poke at that bear. Texas had a club within spitting distance of anywhere. California was the only place more crowded with MCs. “You seen the Old Man?”
I needed to know if he’d been spouting shit about us. We had few beefs with clubs and none of those were with serious fuckers like the Bandits. I’d personally end the bastard if the Old Man tried to start trouble.
“He tried to stop by but he wasn’t welcome. Hasn’t been welcome in any club I know of.” Charlie leaned back and puffed on his cigarette. The bar was no smoking, like every damn place these days, but no bar owner ever asked him to stop. If Charlie was in your bar, then hundreds maybe thousands of dollars hit the till each night.
I nodded and drained another glass. “We cleaned up and needed replacements, when we went looking they came to us like we were the fucking Pied Piper.”
With a laugh he drained his glass. “Good to know.” He leaned forward and the table quieted. “You guys hear how me and Rebel met?” Not wa
iting for any response he launched into the story of our first night out.
My phone pinged. Take me to the party. I can do undercover.
Can you fuck in public? I shot the reply off and deleted the text stream. No way was I taking my bounty hunter into the wolf’s den. She may have survived DeRulo’s kind of party but not mine.
Another ping sounded. Do you wanna fuck me in public?
My cock wanted to take her up on the proposal. In a hot minute.
Charlie laughed and looked at me. “Man, never met anyone who just jumps in like you did that night.”
If he only knew. “Shit, we Brotherhood boys started fighting on our mama’s tit. Nothing we like more. Hell, you should meet Dare and Thorn.”
“Thinking about heading up to your sex club. Heard good things about that place.” He winked at me.
Most of what he’d heard had been from me. I’d run the club for four years and bitched more than once what a pain in the ass those damn women were.
My phone pinged three times. Charlie’s eyebrow cocked.
“The girl trying to find her way back to my bike.”
He laughed. “Must have a hot pussy to go with the mouth that got her in trouble.”
I ignored my phone and bullshitted with the guys around me. I drained the whiskey and poured more trying not to look at my phone.
When my phone started ringing, I growled and walked out of the bar. Time to set Elle straight. She pushed my cover story with Charlie.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I snarled.
“This is my score. I need to be with you. Why are you ignoring me?” Her sexy voice did nothing to keep my cock down.
“Princess, you can’t handle my parties. Naked babes are everywhere and we party with bodily fluids. You down to fuck?”
“You?” A breathy sigh revved me up.
“Yeah, me.” Damn I wanted her. “And if you wander off, it makes you free game for anyone there.”
She sucked in a breath. “I can live with that.”
My cock was taking over the rest of me. This was a bad idea, but damn, for the first time in forever I wanted this woman on the back of my bike, in my lap, with my cock buried deep in her. I would no doubt regret this. “Charlie is my way in, so if I text you, it’s because Charlie is on board. Do what I say and you’ll be in.”
Bail Out Page 5