by Jayne Blue
“You!” she said heading straight for me. Switch had a regular shit-eating smirk on his face as the girl came to me. “One of you. You’ve got about ten seconds to produce my little sister or I’ll have the feds down here with a warrant so fast you’ll …”
“Now just hold on,” I said. Color dotted her cheeks. Her bottom lip twitched and my eyes flicked downward where the top button of her white silk blouse had come undone. I blinked hard, refocusing my attention. “Who’s your little sister and what makes you think I know where the fuck she might be?”
Even as I said it, I felt that bad karma again. There was a squealing giggle from the top of the stairs and then heavy-booted footsteps as Judd made his way downstairs. Behind him, another cute little brunette hung off Judd’s shoulders. She was wearing his t-shirt and it just covered the tops of her thighs. Her face dropped when she saw the woman standing in front of me. When she turned and caught sight of Judd and the girl, her lips pursed into a colorless line.
Damn. The girl looked young. Like, barely legal young. What the hell had the guys been thinking bringing her here?
“Bailey,” she said.
“Bailey,” Switch whispered next to me. “Not Brandy!” I slugged him in the shoulder as hard as I could, but it was too late.
“Maura?” the girl said, stumbling down the last step. Judd caught her arm. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Get. Your. Clothes,” Maura said.
“Now just hold on,” I said, trying to defuse whatever bomb was about to go off.
She whipped around, all fire and fury. “You hold on. Just ... just stay away from her. That’s my sister and you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
I reared back, more amused than angry. Clearly, she had no idea who she was dealing with. She was trying to act tough in her suit and heels. But she was shaking with rage and a fair amount of nerves. I couldn’t help but admire her a little. Charging in here unannounced maybe wasn’t her smartest move, but it was damn brave and it made her kind of a badass in my eyes. But this was still our club.
I rose to my full height, towering over her even with her heels. Her eyes went up and up. It was subtle, but Maura flinched.
“Judd,” I said. “Go help your friend find her clothes. Then I think it’s best if her sister, Maura, takes her home.”
“Dammit, Maura. You ruin everything!” Bailey stomped her foot. Shit. I shot a look to Switch. I actually thought about murdering him.
“Look, I think your sister wants to stay,” Judd said. “She’s over eighteen. She can make her own …”
“Judd,” I said, using a harsher tone so he knew this wasn’t up for debate. “Do what you’re told.”
Judd did as I asked. A few seconds later, he had a black dress, a pair of heels, and a huge red purse in his hands. Bailey grabbed it all from him and put on the shoes but nothing else. She shot a defiant look at her sister. She was over eighteen, thank God. Still, Judd was on my hit list for today, just like Switch.
“All settled?” I said, putting my hands out, palms up in a truce. Maura grabbed her sister by the arm.
“Far from it,” she said. “She’s drunk. Did you boys serve her alcohol? My sister is eighteen.”
“I’m nineteen!” Bailey pouted in her own, useless, defense.
Judd opened his mouth to say something but a quick, deadly look from me and he clamped it shut.
“Any of you come near her again, I’ll have your liquor license pulled.” She stormed out with a whining Bailey in tow. God help me, I couldn’t help staring at Maura’s ass as she went.
Sly crossed the room. He’d been so silent, I hadn’t heard him come out of the office. He stalked across the bar, nostrils flaring.
“Church,” he commanded. “Now!”
Chapter Two
Maura
“God, you are such a bitch, Maura!”
Bailey sat on the living room couch, her arms crossed tightly in front of her. Nineteen years old, and she could still curl her face into the same pout she’d used since she was a baby. I was only seven years old myself, but I could still vividly remember her pulling this number on me when I was just trying to get her to eat mashed carrots. Now I was just trying to save her future.
“You’re right,” I said. “I am. And I’ve been called a hell of a lot worse than that. And you are still acting like a child. Grow up, Bailey. This isn’t a game.”
“It’s my life. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was having you charge in there? Judd’s got to be furious with me.”
“Judd,” I said, throwing my hands up. She had me pacing in front of my apartment door. On the west side of Green Bluff, this place had been a steal at eight hundred a month. But I was barely scraping by even at that price. Twelve months since graduation, my law school loan payments had just started up and they were almost as much. I let Bailey live here for free provided she went to school, cleaned up after herself, and followed my rules. At the moment, she was zero for three.
“Judd,” I said again. “You’re worried about what that thug thinks? For crying out loud, Bailey, you sure can pick ’em.”
“That’s right. I can pick them. I’m over eighteen. You can’t tell me what to do.”
“The hell I can’t!” I hated that I was nearly screaming. But it was infuriating watching Bailey just sit there, still wearing that tatted-up biker’s t-shirt, barely anything else, and acting like I was the one in the wrong.
I clasped my hands together, prayer-style beneath my chin. “Bailey,” I said using a softer tone. “Someone has to look out for you. You keep going down this road, you’re going to end up just like Mom. Is that what you want? Pregnant at fifteen. No job. No education. Going from guy to guy, just to get by?”
“I am nineteen, Maura. I’m not like Mom. And I’m not pregnant.”
I tossed my head toward the ceiling. As usual, my little sister was entirely missing the point. “Right,” I said. “You’re nineteen. And you were plastered out of your mind. So tell me again what a great guy Judd and the rest of those thugs are? They served you. I wasn’t kidding when I threatened to have their liquor license pulled.”
“It was a private party,” Bailey said, as if that made a damn difference. Hell, I think it made it worse. “Do you have any idea how cool it was for me to get invited to it? They’re the Great Wolves, Maura. It doesn’t get more awesome than that in this shithole town.”
I squeezed my fingers against my brow. “You keep saying this crap like it’s a thing, Bailey. I’m well aware of who those guys are. They’re dangerous. Do you hear me? Don’t you read the news? They are seriously bad dudes. You don’t need to be hanging around that club.”
Bailey sat back hard against the couch. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. White spots flashed in my eyes. I had to remind myself to breathe. I took two hard strides toward her and ripped the cigarettes out of her hand.
“Just stop it,” I said. “What the hell were you thinking? No. Don’t answer that. You weren’t thinking at all. That’s your whole problem. You think that guy cared about you? When did you meet him? Six o’clock? So, less than six hours later, you’re up in his room.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Bailey said. “God, you’re such a prude. I actually went there with this other guy. Josh. We just didn’t hit it off as well as Judd and I did. Oh, and there was this other one, they call him Switch. I mean, how cool is that? They’re hot, Maura. Every single one.”
Those white spots came back and I slowly lowered myself into the chair across from the couch. “So, let me get this straight. You were willing to let yourself be passed around. And you’re telling me this as if it makes any of this better or even okay? Bailey, please. Have some common sense. Those guys are trouble. Everyone in this town knows it. There is literally no good that can come from hooking up with a guy like that.”
Bailey’s cheeks flamed red and her face split into a wide, knowing smile, so sinful it made my own blood run hotte
r. “Oh,” she said. “That’s where you’re wrong, big sis. It was sooo good. And don’t think I didn’t see your face when you got a look at Angel.”
Angel. I shook my head. Bailey was pretty much the only person on the planet who could render me speechless like this.
“That’s right,” she said. “Angel Bishop. He was the tall hunk who tried calling you on your bullshit. Do not try and tell me he didn’t rev your engine just a little. You might be trying to pull off this tough lawyer thing, but don’t ever play poker. I saw how you looked at him.”
Angel. His name was Angel. Of course it was. And now, I wanted to murder my little sister.
“Sure,” I said. “This Angel, he was cute. So what? That’s the difference between you and me. Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Grown-ups know how to exercise a little self-control. God, Bailey, I love you. Don’t you get that? I just want what’s best for you. Why do you have to fight me on every single thing?”
“I could ask you the same question. I am nineteen. How many times do I have to say it before you get it? I’m not trying to wreck my life. Sex is sex, Maura. That’s all. I didn’t say I was looking to marry Judd. We were just having fun. You should try it some time. Loosen up.”
She knew I hated when she said stuff like that. She also knew my usual response. I didn’t have the luxury of loosening up or indulging in wild weekends like she and our mother did. From the time I was thirteen, I’d been working, putting food on the table, making sure Bailey had clean clothes to wear, forging Mom’s signature on her school permission slips, getting her where she needed to go. I did all the things so that my sister could actually be a kid when she was supposed to. I never could. But she never missed the chance to throw it right back in my face.
“Maura, I’m tired,” she said, taking the edge out of her tone. “Can we just ... not ... right now? I’ve got a monster of a headache.”
“It’s called a hangover,” I said. It was in me to keep yelling. I had so much more to say. But it was almost nine o’clock and I had to get to work. Bailey made a big gesture out of throwing her head back on the couch cushions.
“Eat a banana,” I said. “Drink lots and lots of water. Take a couple of ibuprofen.”
Bailey smiled. “There’s the big sis I know and love.”
“Bailey, this guy. If he took advantage of you when you were drunk, I don’t care how good-looking he is or what club he belongs to. Decent guys don’t do that. You know that.”
“He didn’t take advantage of me,” she said. “God, Maura. You may be older than me, but you really have zero clue about guys. Or sex, for that matter. I mean, when was the last time you …”
“And, we’re done here for now.” I stood up and smoothed my skirt. It was the best one I owned. Designer brand. Jet black with a satin lining. I got it along with the white silk blouse I bought at a consignment shop. It just had a tiny tear in the kick pleat in the back. I matched the thread pretty well and fixed that.
I wanted to ask Bailey what she had planned for the day but didn’t want to push my luck. The one good thing about her hangover was maybe it would keep her out of trouble until I got back.
“I’ll be home a little after five, if I’m lucky,” I said. “I’ll be in the office all day. Unless there’s some emergency, I don’t have court today. You can call me if you need me. I’ll grab some burgers on the way home.”
Bailey put a hand in front of her mouth. “Ugh. No more Dougie’s Drive-In. It’s bad enough half your clothes smell like that place all the time.”
I dropped my shoulders in defeat. Dougie’s was two blocks down from the legal clinic I ran. He gave me half-priced burger combos because he liked me. I never had time to cook these days and Bailey was a menace in the kitchen.
“I can get chicken sandwiches this time,” I said.
Bailey flapped her hand in defeat. “Brilliant.”
I went to her. She’d repositioned herself on the couch, curling her legs up in a near fetal position. Her eyelids were already heavy. I smoothed her hair away from her face. She was my sister. Half-sister, really. And she looked so much like our mother with her big blue eyes, deep dimples, and long, thick white-blonde hair. We looked as different as night and day. My hair was dark, almost black in low light. I had a wide, square jaw like my dad’s.
I’d only met him once when I was nine years old. He was just there all of a sudden, full of smiles and hugs when I stepped off the school bus. Twenty-four hours later, after he’d cleaned out my mother’s jewelry box and my piggy bank, he was gone. I’d once heard my mother crying on the phone years later, saying he was dead. When I asked her about it, she said I was imagining things.
I gave Bailey a kiss on the cheek and pulled a blanket over her as she started to snore. “Sleep tight, Bailey-bug.” She snorted, then rolled so she had her back to me. I slipped her shoes off and lined them up in front of the couch.
I grabbed my leather messenger bag from the hall closet and headed out the door. Mrs. Endicott, my landlady, sat on the steps smoking a cigarette as I went outside.
“Hey, Mrs. E,” I said. She lifted her pack, offering me one. I waved her off. She knew I didn’t smoke, but it was her way of being polite. She was a force of nature unto herself. Seventy years old, almost six feet tall, she had steel-gray hair that she wore long to her waist.
“Hey, sugar,” she said. She called everyone that. “Rough night?”
“Not for me,” I said. “Will you do me a favor? Would you mind checking in on Bailey in a few hours? Make sure she eats something for lunch.”
She flicked her ashes and nodded. “No problem. Poor kid, you’ve sure got your hands full with that one.”
“I know. She’s got a good heart though.”
“Mmm hmm,” Mrs. E said, sounding less than convinced. “Too good. But I gotchu.”
“Thanks,” I said. I put a light hand on her shoulder as I passed. My little blue Honda was parked under the nearest street lamp. I said a quick prayer as I turned the key. She started on the first try, thank God. I waved one more time to Mrs. Endicott as I pulled out and headed toward town.
My route took me right past the Wolf Den again. I gripped the steering wheel hard and tried to steady my breathing. God. The Great Wolves M.C. Of all the trouble Bailey could get herself mixed up in, this one took the cake.
There were three members standing right outside as I slowed for the traffic light. I tried to keep my eyes locked straight ahead, but failed. I recognized one of them. The tallest of the three. He threw his head back and laughed, completely unaware of my staring.
Angel.
He was the guy from last night. He had thick blond hair and underwear-model good looks. He had icy blue eyes that straight up smoldered when he looked at me. Oh, I knew his type. Even this morning, he’d tried to turn that smolder on. He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it. Well, I wasn’t some biker banger ready to melt at the jerk of his chin even if it did have that sexy cleft in it.
Oh my God. Where the hell was my head? Something flared inside of me at just the briefest glimpse of Angel Bishop from a distance. It was like my mother’s DNA just activated in my blood. I shook my head to clear it. No. No way. When the light turned green, I hit the gas so hard my tires squealed against the pavement.
My office was prime real estate right across from the county courthouse. They’d actually donated the space along with California’s Access to Justice Fund. It was my little corner of the world and I was doing my best to make people proud of it.
The sign above the door read, “Green Bluff Family Law Project.” It was a mouthful. A lot of the local lawyers had taken to calling the place the Flip, for short. I hated it, but the nickname was starting to take on a life of its own. It was a legal aid clinic. The law school at Harrington College hired me as the supervising attorney just a few months ago. The clinic handled family law matters for county residents who couldn’t afford to hire private lawyers. My clients were mostly
indigent women with custody and divorce matters. A lot of our referrals came from the three battered women shelters in the region.
It was noble work. Hard as hell. The pay was about as low as you could get. But I didn’t have the resume for one of the big, high-paying firms closer to Sacramento. The truth was, other than school, I had no real legal experience after passing the California Bar last summer. It had been a trade-off. To pay for school, I had to stick with waitressing and bartending jobs. I couldn’t afford to apply for coveted, but unpaid, internships with the big firms and federal judges. So, when it came to interviewing after graduation, I hit a brick wall. Then the clinic job came along and I found myself making another trade-off. I could work here for my shit pay, but gain invaluable courtroom experience my law school peers with their fancy law firm jobs wouldn’t get for years. I hoped to be able to leverage that experience for something more lucrative as soon as I could. Until then, it was thrift shop business suits and Dougie’s Drive-In. Bailey didn’t remember it all, but we’d lived through far worse.
“Morning, Maura!” The receptionist practically sang my name as I walked by her.
“Good morning, Beverly,” I said. Beverly had come out of retirement to work at the Flip. She’d been a long-time clerk for Judge Bensen in Family Court across the street. She had pretty much taught me everything I now knew about real court rules. Sadly, they don’t teach you that in law school.
“Gonna be a dull one,” she said. “Judge Pierce’s clerk just called over. He’s down with the flu. Canceled his docket. Judge Lou is already on vacation. So, no domestic motions today.”
I gave her a nod. “Well, it’ll be a good day to get caught up on some paperwork. Are my students in yet?”
Other than Beverly, the clinic didn’t employ any support staff. Instead, I took unpaid interns from the law school.
“Nope,” she said. “Tracy’s got class until eleven. Cody’s not scheduled until two. You’ve got one appointment, Mrs. Dobson, at two thirty. We might get a few walk-ins, but plan for a quiet day otherwise.”