Battlefield (The Covenant Book 2)

by Gwendolyn Casey

  I continued to drag items over the scanner and just ignored them.

  I took my lunch outside because I was still mad at Lauren. It wouldn't last, but today I wasn't in a forgiving mood. I sat on a milk crate eating my sandwich when Mark came out.

  “I noticed Jordan Mitchell dropped you off this morning,” he said.

  “Yeah,” I grumbled.

  “You two together?”

  “No,” I said quickly. “And since you bring it up, would you mind giving me a ride home tonight?”

  Mark sighed and shook his head. “I don't think that is a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it will get my ass kicked.”

  “What?”

  Mark laughed a little and sat next to me on another crate. “I've known Jordan since we were kids, and we are still pretty close. I know he wouldn't be willing to drop off and pick up a girl from work unless she was his…”

  “His what?”

  “His old lady.”

  I scoffed. “I am not his old lady.”

  Mark just smiled. “Maybe not, but I'm not getting in between you and Jordan.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Is what they're saying true?” he asked.

  I looked at the ground, knowing he was talking about Greg’s scene. “Yes.”

  “So, you can't be completely disgusted by him.”

  “It's not that,” I said with a sigh.

  “Then what is it?”

  “He's a biker.”

  Mark nodded. “Ah, this is about your mother.”

  I didn't reply.

  “Cece, you are a smart girl. Having a committed relationship with Jordan doesn't make you your mother.”

  “Maybe not at first,” I said, thinking about the woman I could become if I let myself feel something for Jordan.

  “Maybe not at all,” he said. “You are just scared.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, not bothering to deny it.

  “What’s the worst that could happen?” he asked.

  I didn't respond, too scared to even think about it.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jordan

  After dropping off Cece I came back to the club to get ready for the bank job. I shaved my face carefully and did some man-scaping that I usually never bothered with. I tried to keep it simple with dark blue jacket and pants over a pinstripe dress shirt. Izzy picked out the tie, which was paisley but in a subtle purple. I was supposed to be in pharmaceutical sales. Izzy said I was too handsome in a suit to make anything else believable. It was easy enough to set up an online profile for Doug Richards, sales associate.

  I met Izzy and Rem downstairs. She had on a dark brown wig with fringed bangs and contact lenses to make her brown eyes look green. Her make-up was subtle but sophisticated. She also wore a black dress that made her look slim, even with the baby bump, and her heels were patent leather. I hardly recognized her, which was excellent.

  “We ready?” I asked. Rem glared at me.

  “Yes,” Izzy said, taking her husband's hand. “Stop worrying. You'll be watching me the whole time.” He didn't look placated at all. She leaned in close to him. “Hey, just think about role playing we could do with this get-up. What do you think about being the plumber coming in to fix a lonely housewife's pipes?” She said it softly, but I could still hear every word. “Oh, or we could get you a suit and play the classic boss and secretary,” she giggled.

  Rem growled before he kissed her. She pulled away and tugged him toward the door. I followed to find Bobby already waiting outside. Rem and Bobby would follow in another car and park close in case of emergency. Izzy got into the BMW that I procured for this occasion.

  “Did you talk to Cece yet?” she asked eagerly as I pulled out of the gate.

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “She is going to take some convincing,” I said.

  “Good,” she said as she put on her sunglasses. “Any woman worth her salt should take time and patience. And you must be on your best behavior. You don't want to give her an excuse to push you away.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, honestly confused.

  “It means no other women, and I'm not just talking about sex. No texting, no touching, no talking to other women that isn't strictly business.”

  “Even you?” I asked like a smart ass.

  “You know what I mean. If this girl is skittish, even a whiff that you might cheat on her, she will run for the hills.”

  I nodded, knowing she was right. I had a plan when it came to Cece that involved subtle seduction while proving my honest intentions. I couldn't give Cece an excuse to push me away and another woman would be the perfect excuse. Then I would have to use the caveman method of simply kidnapping her and dragging her back to my cave.

  I made sure to drive to the bank on streets lacking public cameras until we got closer. It was unlikely that they would connect the robbery to this branch once I was on the inside, but I wasn't taking any chances with Izzy's safety. The bank parking lot was crowded, which was good for our cause. I looked over at Izzy, who was checking her make-up in the overhead mirror. She was outwardly calm, which made me worried.

  “You are going to do fine, Izzy.”

  “Don't patronize me. I may not understand what you are doing but I know it is illegal, and if they find out, I am an accessory,” she said brushing at the wig’s bangs.

  “You don't have to do this. We can find another way.”

  “No, I want to do this. I owe the club, and I owe you,” she said.

  “No. You don't owe any one anything, Isabel.” I used her real name, so she knew I was serious.

  She shook her head and didn't look at me. “You say that, but I know how you all look at me. I’m not one of you. After this, maybe I finally will be.”

  She opened the door before I could reply, suddenly worried that she was in the wrong state of mind for this. I’d asked Izzy to help because she was the perfect fit, not because she needed to prove anything.

  I'd have to make sure Rem was aware of how she felt. As an old lady, she had nothing to prove. She was Rem's woman. His love for her made her an Ace. I dreaded telling Rem that Izzy was doing this out of guilt, but it was too late seeing how she was already heading into the bank.

  We walked into the bank and were met by a greeter. The young man said, “Welcome, what can we do for you today?”

  I wrapped an arm around Izzy. “We want to pre-qualify for a home loan.”

  “Of course, let me get a banker.” The kid strode to a cubicle a few feet away and came back with a middle-aged man in a button down. He reaches a hand out to me. “Brad Sutton. Nice to meet you, Mr. …”

  “Richards.”

  “And I assume this is Mrs. Richards.”

  We followed him back to his cubicle. The walls were clear plastic, but it was roomy enough for a full desk and two chairs on the other side. I helped Izzy sit down like I'd seen Rem do a dozen times.

  “So, you two are looking for a bigger place for the little one?” he said, gesturing to Izzy.

  “Yep, our two-bedroom apartment is a little too cramped,” I replied.

  “And we want a yard, too,” Izzy added.

  “That's great,” he said and began the list of questions he needed answered. Izzy had memorized all the information I gave her and repeated it back fluidly.

  “So how many children do you have?” she asked, pointing to his pictures on his desk.

  Brad told us about his two boys with a third on the way. Izzy was great at the small talk and connecting with the man. We needed him to trust that we were good people just like him. Eventually, he told us about our rate and the amount we were approved for. Then he left the desk to go get the hard copies for us to take with us.

  “Are you ready?” Izzy asked on a cough.

  “Yep.”

  Brad came back to his desk. “Okay, here is all the information you'll need when you find the house you want, and you are ready to make
an offer.” He put everything in a branded folder along with this card. “Call me if it is accepted and we will work out all the details.”

  “Thank you, I'm so excited to start house hunting,” Izzy said as he led us out toward the door. Brad asked what neighborhood we were hoping for when Izzy suddenly grabbed my arm.

  “Whoa,” I said as she swayed backward. “Honey, are you all right?”

  “I'm sorry, I'm just a little lightheaded. Is there somewhere I can lie down?”

  “Should we call an ambulance?” Brad asked.

  “No, this happens sometimes,” Izzy said. “The doctor said it is fine.”

  He led us to the manager's office and quickly opened the door and turned on the light.

  Izzy sat down and reached for a bag of M&Ms in her purse. She hastily broke open the package and the pieces went flying all around the office and under the desk.

  “Oh, no,” she said and bent to pick up a piece.

  “Darling, just relax, I’ll clean them up,” I said.

  She leaned back and looked up at Brad while I began collecting the colorful chocolates. “Do you have any snacks?” Izzy asked sweetly.

  “Um, I think there are some pretzels in the break room,” Brad said and left without another word.

  I ducked under the desk casually and attached my discreet device. Sutton came back in with the pretzels as I came out from under the desk with a handful of M&Ms.

  Sutton gestured toward a trashcan in the corner. Izzy played the part for a few more minutes, slowly eating the snack and taking sips of water, while I discreetly checked my phone to watch the progress. Izzy kept the conversation light with Brad, talking about his wife’s pregnancies, but when I squeezed her knee, she said, “Hun, I think I’m feeling better, now.”

  “Okay,” I said, starting to stand up.

  “Oh, hun. I see an M&M you missed under the desk.”

  Brad tried to wave it off, but I quickly knelt and grabbed the small candy, along with the device.

  We thanked everyone on our way out, and I helped her into the passenger seat.

  As we pulled out of the parking lot, I gave the guys a subtle hand signal that everything was okay. Izzy smiled at me but didn’t say anything. When we were clear of any cameras I told her she could take off the wig.

  “Thank God,” she said. “My brain was sweating under this thing.”

  We pulled the car into the compound and Rem was at Izzy's door before I could park it. He yanked it open. “Are you all right? You look flushed. We should go to the hospital.”

  “No, Rem. I'm fine. I was supposed to look flushed,” she said as she got out of the car.

  Rem glared at me across the hood. “Is she lying to me to cover your ass?”

  “I'm not lying,” Izzy yelled and then marched past him into the clubhouse.

  I stopped Rem before he could follow. “Everything was perfect.”

  Rem pushed past me and into the clubhouse. We found Izzy at the bar, drinking a water. Rem wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Are you sure you're okay?”

  She turned to him. “Yes, JJ and I are just fine.”

  He growled. “We are not naming him Jacob Junior.”

  Instead of fighting him, she simply kissed him. I left the room as Rem quickly turned the kiss into more.

  I breathed a little easier as I took off my preppy clothes in my room.

  I sent off a quick message to let Mark know the job was done and then got in the shower. I stood under spray, rubbing one out as I thought about Cece. Jobs like that always left me amped for some action. But sex would be off the table until I could convince Cece we were more than just fuck buddies. I sighed, knowing there would be a lot of these showers over the next few weeks.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jordan

  When I pulled to the back of Bigby's, Cece was there waiting. The smile I gave her was met with the sour look she had this morning.

  “How was work?” I asked as she climbed in.

  “Fine,” she replied and put on her seatbelt. She stared out the windshield like a sullen child. I found myself getting hard as I looked at her. Even with her being a bitch, I wanted her with a fierceness that was frightening.

  “Did you give Lauren a hard time?” I asked.

  Her head whipped toward me. “Of course, I did. She shouldn't be meddling in my life.”

  I suddenly worried that asking for Lauren's help might not have been the best idea. She was on my side, but I didn't want Cece to hate her for helping me. I put the car in drive and headed out of the parking lot.

  “Listen, don't be mad at her. I was the one who wouldn't take no for an answer.”

  I could see her roll her eyes.

  “I want you to stay friends,” I said.

  “We are still friends. We've been in worse fights than this. But I'm still allotted time to be mad at her and she knows it. That’s how girlfriends are.”

  I nodded. Every friendship had its way of settling disputes. For the Aces, we usually made use of the boxing ring we had at the clubhouse.

  When I pulled into Jimmy's parking lot, Cece tensed. “What are we doing here?”

  “I'm buying you dinner,” I said. I climbed out of the driver's seat and went to her side. When I opened her door, she still had her seatbelt on with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “I want to go home,” she said.

  I reached over her lap and unclipped the belt, letting it slide away. Then I put my arms under her back and legs and hoisted her out of the truck.

  “Jordan,” she squeaked. I pushed the door closed and headed toward the entrance, loving the feel of her in my arms. She was light but not too thin. The smell of bleach and deli meats surrounded her, probably fused into her clothes from the store. But her hair still smelled of soap, like citrus. Having her against me had my cock standing at attention, wanting to feel her beneath me again. She squirmed against me, but I just laughed at her fruitless efforts. I had no problem carrying her into this restaurant like a Sabine princess stolen to be my wife.

  “All right, I'll go,” she said.

  I lowered her legs to the ground slowly, making sure to hold her close so our bodies stayed connected. When she stood on her own, I held her against my front looking down in her eyes. I could she was affected the same way I was, her jade green eyes turning soft. But when someone came out the door, she quickly tried to pull away. My hand on her wrist stopped her from going too far. I moved my hand down, so I could hold hers, something I didn't recall doing with any woman before. I led us into the restaurant, keeping a firm hold on her hand even as she tried to pull away.

  It wasn't until we were shown a table that I finally let her go so she could sit on the opposite side from me.

  Cece looked uncomfortable to say the least. Due to her history, she was probably embarrassed to be seen with an Ace. Also, Izzy told me how the gossip in this town had spread about us. Everyone thought that she was a slut that threw over Greg for his criminal brother. By taking her on a date in public, I was hoping to show everyone that what we had was more than just a fling.

  Unfortunately, I had Cece to convince along with the population of Clayton.

  “So, what are you scared of?” she asked out of the blue.

  Then I recalled our conversation from earlier. I knew the answer, but it was still hard to say it out loud. “I'm scared of forgetting who I am, who I want to be.”

  Her face became curious, which was better than the bitch-face she had when she sat down. “What do you mean? How could you forget?”

  “I know it is strange, but there have been times in my life where I had trouble deciphering what I was supposed to be and what I wanted to be.”

  “Why?”

  I couldn't tell her without a lot of back story, so I thought it best to divert the conversation back to her. “Let's talk about your fear. Why are you scared to become your mother?”

  “I don't want to talk about that,” she said, the bitch face returning.

/>   “You want me to leave you alone, right?”

  “Yes,” she said quickly, a little too quickly for my liking.

  “Then explain to me why being your mother is so bad and how being with me automatically makes you her.”

  She looked down at the menu, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. “She has been an addict for as long as I can remember. I've been told that before I came along, she wasn't that bad. Yes, she was a slut but not an alcoholic or druggie.”

  “You think your father had something to do with it? He broke her heart?” I asked.

  “Partly. But I think my presence in the world didn't help.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe I reminded her of him. Or maybe it was because she couldn't go back to being the free, single girl she used to be. Now she was a mom, and everyone knew it.”

  “If that's the case, why keep you?”

  She gave me a small smile and shrugged.

  “Okay,” I said. “So, you think if you give me a chance you'll become the same person?”

  She sighed. “Maybe not but I don't want to find out.”

  “Do you only fear Aces or bikers in general?”

  “It's all bikers. My mother has been trying to be an old lady forever. She has gone through every club in the state, one-percenters and straight. Not to mention, a few lone wolves.” The look in her eyes suggested that those men had been a danger to her and not just her mother.

  “Did any of them hurt you?” I asked, my voice turning into a growl at the end.

  “A few tried but no.”

  My mind raged at the ones who tried, wanting names, but that would have to wait.

  “You think all bikers are the same?” I asked.

  She leaned forward on the table and glared at me. “Yes. You are all selfish, egotistical, scum of the earth who do nothing but use the weak to support yourselves and perpetuate evil in the world.”

  I blinked. “Wow. You've got me pegged,” I said.

  Most of her assumptions were accurate, and I couldn't deny that they applied to the Aces and myself. “You're right about a lot of it,” I said. “And some of those things apply to me. I am selfish, and I will stop at nothing to get what I want.” I reached over and took her hand in mine. “And I want you, Cece.”