by Jayne Blue
A muscle jumped in Chase’s jaw and his eyes went hard. “Right. Well …”
I put my hand up again when he tried to move toward me. My breath caught when he stopped and withdrew. “See you around, Chase,” I said. “Thanks for the eggs.” God, I wanted to kick myself.
Chewing his bottom lip, he nodded. Then he turned and left. As the door shut, my heart cracked a little right along with it.
Chapter 9
Chase
We pulled into the clubhouse lot together. Bo and Benz dismounted with me right behind. Full dark with the stars out, Mama Bear stood with her arms folded at the back door.
This was bad. Real bad.
Mama put a hand on my arm as I walked by. If the hour and the circumstances behind this meeting hadn’t been enough to raise alarm bells, the look in Mama’s eyes did.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m the one who sent Bo and Benz to round you up.”
“Don’t worry.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you go get some sleep? I gotta feeling this will be an all-nighter.”
“That’s exactly why I won’t get any sleep. I’ve got a pot of coffee on. You want something stronger, you let me know.”
She swatted me on the behind and I followed the others into the conference room. E.Z. was pacing on one end of it. I was the last one to file in. I shut the door quietly but was too amped up to take my seat. A quick head count around the table made my heart stop cold. We were two men short. Kade was still gone with his new old lady. But Zig was missing too.
“Bear?” I asked.
He took his seat at the end of the table. Bear had his fists curled so tight, his knuckles turned white. “You wanna sit the fuck down?” he said to E.Z. “You’re driving me nuts.”
The rest of the membership was already seated. Dom looked green. Shep had probably been sent to round him up after he left with the waitress from Digby’s. By the looks of him, he’d done more drinking than fucking.
“We gotta move the next gun run up,” Bear said.
My back stiffened. This was never a good thing. Since our recent trouble with the Devil’s Hawks, everyone had been on edge. We had a huge shipment set for delivery next week. It was one of our biggest connections. The money we’d make would keep most of us flush for the year. Without it, shit would get real tight real quick. Zig’s absence was starting to take on a different shape in my mind.
“What the fuck’s going on?” Shep asked. It surprised me he didn’t already know. Shep was Bear’s son. Though Bear made a point not to show him any special treatment, that didn’t mean Shep didn’t get a heads up on club business before the rest of us sometimes.
“I had an interesting conversation with a close friend,” he said. “We may have some extra eyes on us real soon.”
“Sheeit,” Axle said. He slammed his fist against the table. “Locals?” He threw a hard look to Benz. Benz’s old lady was with the local sheriff’s office. Jenny was solid, but their hook-up had been hard for the club at first. Hell, there had been a lot of that going around lately. Bear hadn’t been happy when Zig started chasing Gino DiSalvo’s only daughter. Now we’d gained a crucial club ally out of it. Same with Benz’s woman. Jenny was a straight shooter, but she had the club interest at heart.
“Not locals,” Benz said, his tone growing hot. He flashed a middle finger at Axle. It was good-natured, but the message was clear. Plus, Axle didn’t have a hell of a lot of room to talk. His own wife had been an enemy of the club at first. Now, Maya looked after us almost as much as Mama Bear did.
“Fucking feds,” Deacon muttered. He pushed his chair back.
“Rivas,” E.Z. answered. “We had an off-book meeting with Marco this morning.”
Marco Rivas was in the U.S. Attorney’s office. Years back, he’d been a public defender here in Port Azrael. For a while, he’d wanted to make a run for the mayor’s office. Bear bankrolled him, but realized he could be a bigger asset to us if he could keep tabs on the FBI. Over the years, he’d given us a heads up or two when things started running hot. I don’t know if Rivas would ever go so far as to throw an investigation, but he’d been willing to tell Bear when to lay low.
“Fucking hell,” Shep said. “Who’s looking?”
“Nobody yet,” Bear answered. “But Rivas said there’s an informant who’s been stirring things up. He knew some shit that made me uncomfortable. Is there something somebody wants to tell me about the Abilene run the other day?”
“No way, Bear.” I spoke up. “Things went smooth as silk.”
Bear raised a silver brow. “Yeah, maybe that’s the problem. When’s that last thing shit went off without a hitch?”
Bo slammed a palm against the table. “You’re saying Rivas says we had eyes on us?”
Bear shrugged. “He wasn’t specific. He just said there’re some agents taking an interest in old news. So, to play things safe, I reached out to our partners in Dallas. They agreed to take delivery of their shipment a little early. I need you boys to ride out now. Everything’s all set up. The probies are already at the warehouse loading up. Get in, get out, get paid. Then we lay low for a while until Marco says shit’s died down. We can’t afford any extra scrutiny. The feds are looking for a club war.”
“Looking for a club war?” I said. “Who’s to say they won’t try lighting that fuse themselves?”
Bear drummed his fingers. “I’ve thought of that too. For now, I don’t see that coming. Let’s just get through this drop. It’ll be the last one for the year. Got it? Is there anybody here not up to riding?” Bear’s eyes zeroed in on Dom. He was slumped over in his chair.
“We’re good,” I said, reaching over to slap Dom on the back. “Dom’ll ride with the probies in the truck. What about Zig though?”
The air turned thick as we waited for Bear to answer. When he smiled, I started to breathe again. “Relax,” he said. “The baby caught some stomach bug and his whole house is laid up with it. He gets a pass on this one. He’s elbow deep in green baby shit.”
A laugh went around the table. The tension drained. Even Dom’s color got better.
“I’ll take Zig’s place on the ride tonight,” E.Z. said.
“No,” Bear said. “I’ll do that myself.”
E.Z.’s jaw dropped. Bear hadn’t gone on this kind of run with us for some time. I didn’t know how to feel about it. Sometimes it was just a matter of him wanting to let his wild side out. Other times, it was because he was worried about something big. I hoped to God tonight it was the former.
We filed back out into the main room. Mama Bear stood behind the bar wiping beer mugs that were already dry. I didn’t like any of this shit one bit. Bear was on edge which put Mama Bear on edge. Dom was still half in the bag and Zig and Kade were gone.
“I gotta bad feeling about this,” I muttered to Bo as we walked outside. He put a hand on my shoulder.
“You worry too much. Bear’s just doing his job looking out for us. We wouldn’t be heading to Dallas tonight if he thought things were going to get too hot. You know that.”
“I know,” I said as I strapped on my helmet. I checked my weapon. Ariel’s reaction when I pulled it out this evening ran through my mind. Hell, everything about her ran through my mind. Bo knew me well enough to notice.
“She’s the chick with the wrecking crew, right?” he said.
I slid my Nine back into its holster and squeezed my handlebars. Damn. I was wound up tight. Usually after a night like I’d had with Ariel, the opposite would be true.
“Yeah,” I said. “You wouldn’t believe what she’s done with some of the shithole houses out there. A real miracle worker.”
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” Bo said. “I’d heard some rumors.”
That got my back up. “What kind of rumors?”
Bo smiled. “Take it easy. Good ones, man. That the neighborhood’s starting to change. How much is she clearing, do you think?”
I didn’t like the look in Bo’s eyes. If he were
a cartoon, I’d have been able to see fucking dollar signs. “Forget it, man,” I said. “Hands off. We already ran this by the table, remember? We let Ariel do her thing. What’s good for the north side is good for everybody.”
Bo laughed. “You sound like a real businessman, Chase. You goin’ soft on me?”
I leaned over and slugged him in the arm. “Just the opposite.”
I’d meant something else by the comment, but Bo’s shit-eating grin widened. “Yeah? You owe me then. I made Benz hang back a little while. Bear called almost right after you lit out of Digby’s.”
“Shut the fuck up, man.” I smiled. Bear let out a whistle from the front of the group. We would ride out to the warehouse in pairs. I’d hang back with Bo right in front of me.
“You just keep your head straight,” Bo said. “Let’s just get through this fucking drop.”
“You had to go and say that shit,” I said under my breath. That kind of thing was bad luck. I didn’t have time to worry about it though. Shep pulled out of the parking lot, followed closely by Bear. Everyone else fell into formation. Bo shot me a thumbs up before peeling out in front of me. I took a deep breath and did a quick sign of the cross. We’d forgotten to have Deacon say a blessing at the table. Too many bad omens in one night for my taste.
I glanced behind me. Mama Bear stood in the doorway of the clubhouse with Rufus at her feet. She jutted her chin toward me. I gave her the okay sign. She was counting on me to watch Bear’s back tonight. I sure as shit wouldn’t let her down.
The road to Dallas was quiet this time of night, especially on a Saturday morning. We hooked up with the prospects at our warehouse just outside of town. If we rode straight and didn’t run into any trouble, we’d be there just before noon.
About two hours into the ride, we’d all settled into our usual rhythm. It was soothing, natural. For each one of us, this was our real church. I let the warm air fill my lungs as we flew down the highway. In the lead, Shep and Bear took it easy. No need to rattle any state trooper cages. The Dark Saints had been making this particular run since my pops’ days. He’d been a probie then. Bear had been careful with what he told me about him, but I knew the truth. My pops had been a lowlife, not worthy of the patch. For years, I was afraid that legacy would hold me back. But Bear judged me on my own merits. Now he relied on me to keep the club safe on the road.
We met our buyers at a warehouse just outside of town. It was wide open and away from the main highway. Benz and Deacon had run recon. We had prospects stationed at every entrance point along the way. If there was trouble, we’d hear about it.
My thoughts drifted to Ariel. I hadn’t meant to let things go that far with her last night. Sure, I’d thought about it a hundred times. Hell, I’d been thinking about it since the second I laid eyes on her, sledgehammer and all. But there was something about her. She was different. She was special. And now, I’d probably fucked it up for good.
When we finally reached the drop-off point, Bear had everybody hang back. He went in to meet with our buyers with just Shep and Axle. It was the kind of thing that would have ruffled E.Z.’s feathers. There was a weird vibe between him and Shep. As V.P., E.Z. was Bear’s second in command, but he always seemed jealous of Shep, like he wanted to make extra sure he earned his way.
“You good, man?” This time it was Maddox asking. He pulled his bike next to mine. I gave him a nod.
“And why the hell does everyone keep asking me that?”
Maddox laughed. “Cuz we were all with you last night, is why.”
I turned to face him. “What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just lookin’ out. You took some chances last night at Digby’s that weren’t like you.”
I clenched my fist at my side. Bear and the others finally came out of the warehouse. Bear had a smile on his face and for the first time since we’d left, my heart started to ease. Well, it eased enough for me to get good and pissed at Maddox.
“What the fuck are you talking about? What chances?”
“You were about to pick a fight with that shithead Fletch, in Mo’s place. You got a claim on that chick?”
I shook my head and let out a breath. “And you’re about the third person who decided it was his business to ask. What difference does it make?”
Maddox put his hands up in surrender. “Easy, man. Just making conversation.”
I let out a grunt I wasn’t proud of. It wasn’t like me to bite Maddox’s head off or any of the rest of them. Just as Bear gave the signal for us to mount up and clear out, my phone rang in my back pocket.
I shot Maddox a look and pulled it out. I wasn’t fast enough to hide the expression on my face. He was right. They were all right. Ariel had my head turned around. And my caller ID came up with her number.
Chapter 10
Ariel
I can’t believe I called him. I held my breath as I watched the three little dots on my phone screen as it tried to make the connection. Maybe he wouldn’t answer. My number would probably show up as unidentified. I never answered those, why should Chase?
“Good morning,” he said on the third ring, his voice still a little rough around the edges. God, it was sexy as sin and took me straight back to what we’d done in my hallway last night. Molten heat poured through me, taking my breath away. This is exactly what I’d hoped to avoid.
“Barely,” I said. It was ten minutes to noon.
“Sleep well, did you?” He was teasing me. Chase was cool and sultry, I was a mess. I’d gotten the idea to call him. Now I had no blasted idea what to say.
“Well enough,” I answered. “I’m sorry to bother you. I just sort of wanted to apologize.”
“Just sort of?”
There was ambient noise behind him, wind maybe, or cars rushing by. “Mostly,” I said. “And also to thank you for trying to take care of me.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone and Chase’s voice was muffled like he might be holding his hand over it. Shit. He was in the middle of something. Of course he would be. I was just another conquest for him. I knew that the minute I left the bar with him. At the time, it’s what I was after. The glow of arousal I felt at the sound of his voice turned quickly to the heat of embarrassment. I just wanted to end the call with whatever shred of dignity I could muster.
“Ariel.” He came back. “This is a bad time.”
“Of course.” My throat ran dry. “I’m sorry to bother you.”
Chase responded with that wicked little laugh that had revved my engine last night. I gripped the phone tighter, glad as hell he couldn’t see my face.
“You’re not bothering me. I didn’t mean that. I just mean I’d like to continue this conversation later. When’s a good time?”
“What? I didn’t ... I wasn’t. No. It’s nothing. I just wasn’t quite in my right mind last night. I wasn’t properly appreciative of what you tried to do for me.”
That laugh again. A tremor went through me. “Baby, if that’s what you think, I’d sure like to be around you when you’re in your right mind.”
Fire lit inside of me. Oh God. This man had a downright sinful effect on me. Even through the phone I knew what he was thinking. When I closed my eyes, all I could see was the mirror reflection from last night as Chase drove himself home, took me to the edge of pleasure and back again.
“Chase,” I said, biting my lip.
I could tell he was smiling from the tone of his voice. “I want to see you again.”
There it was, bold, commanding. What had I expected when I called him? Nothing. At least, that’s what I tried to tell myself. I’d wanted to take the upper hand. I wanted to do the decent thing and thank him for seeing me home safe. He’d been right about the eggs. I’d have a massive tequila headache right now if he hadn’t been there. And I’d wanted to be dismissive as if last night hadn’t turned everything upside down. I had soundly failed at all my objectives.
“I didn’t ... I meant …”
There
was a commotion on the other end of the phone. The noise was muffled again. Then Chase came back on. “Baby, I’m going to have to call you back. I’m out on business today but we’ll be back in town later tonight. Can I call you?”
“Call me? Oh. I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I was really just trying to thank you.”
There was a shout in the distance. Chase hollered back, “Got it. Let’s roll!”
“Chase?”
“Call you in a few hours,” he said. Then the call ended.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it. I jumped off the window ledge as if it had grown radioactive. “Well done,” I said into the air. I’d just failed on every level. I probably sounded needy as hell to him. It was the last thing I’d intended.
Leaning against the wall, I blew a strand of hair out of my eyes. I stood in the upstairs master bedroom of the Hutchins Street house. The desire to smash some shit poured through me. It would help me clear Chase out of my head. Because I needed to. That had been my whole point in trying to head him off with that phone call. But it seemed every intention I had where that man was concerned backfired on me.
Grabbing my sledgehammer from against the wall, I walked to the north window. The Hutchins Street house had a huge yard behind it. I wanted to change this slider to custom French doors, rebuild and extend the deck off the back. No other house on the street would have one like it. It was a beautiful view.
“We’re good to go with the water lines.” Bobby’s voice cut through the fog in my mind. Gripping the handle of my hammer, I turned to him.
“Everything’s shut off?” I asked. Bobby nodded.
“Great. Time to start smashing some walls.”
“We doing a complete tear-out with this hallway bathroom?” he asked.
“Yup. And the wall between it and this room. I want to build a master suite. There’s room for a half bath at the other end of the hall.”