by Joanna Blake
“No reason.”
“Okay. You want to stick around and talk? We never got to.”
She shook her head.
“I’ll just ask him. These hormones are making me crazy.”
“I think that’s a good call.”
I walked her to her car and kissed her cheek. Then I ran back inside and grabbed some highlighters and permanent markers and walked all the way to the back.
Michelle was sitting in the driver’s seat of her rickety looking old car with the door open, looking just about heartbroken. The girl had the weight of the world on those delicate shoulders.
Dammit.
I felt my guts twist at the sight of her. Cass said the girl had been through something… I was starting to see what she meant.
She had only been with us a few days, and she was the best damn waitress we’d had in years. Not to mention the absurd schoolboy crush I had on her.
I cleared my throat and she flinched. Jesus. I was going to fix this. I had to.
“So, I could use some help.”
She looked up at me, looking terrified.
“You… do?”
I held up the markers.
“I’ve got all this extra paper. I could really use some new artwork in my office. If only there was someone to help me draw some pictures.”
A bright blond head popped up from the back seat. Cute kid. Looked happy enough, even though she was hanging out in the backseat of a car. I smiled, then looked at Michelle.
“What do you think? Is there anyone around here who could help me?”
Her eyes filled up with tears. She wiped them away and nodded with a heartbreaking smile. Goddammit. Had life really been this cruel to her? A little kindness shouldn’t make her cry.
That pissed me right the fuck off.
I held out my hand and a tiny little hand reached out to shake it.
“I’m Mason.”
The little girl grinned and my heart melted all over again.
“I’m Paton. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It is very nice to meet you too.”
I glanced at Michelle who was staring at the ground.
“Well, come on then. The walls aren’t going to decorate themselves.”
I was half afraid she was going to disappear. Just drive off, never to be heard from again. But she didn’t. She locked up the car and took Paton’s hand. Then she nodded.
Damn if I didn’t feel like I’d just won a great victory.
Chapter Nine
Michelle
“She’s conked out on the couch.”
I chewed my lip. It had been a little over a week and I was still overwhelmed by Mason’s kindness. He seemed to love kids, especially considering the frown he usually wore.
But he was a really good man, despite it all. The tats. The leather. The long hair and full beard. He was a kind person deep down.
The older bad boy I’d had a crush on had turned into a regular knight in shining armor.
Paton was happy as a clam, spending every day drawing on Mason’s desk and reading on his couch. Mason even bought real crayons for her. I’d checked on her constantly throughout the day. Mason went so far as hanging out down here so she could have the room to herself.
Though I noticed that he checked on her quite a bit too.
And the food. He’d made her so much food. Even stuff that wasn’t on the menu, like an ice cream sundae.
The man was pretty much a saint.
I swallowed and gave him a smile.
“Thank you, Mason. For the job. And for… well, everything.”
“We’re kind of like a family here. If you need anything you just holler, you hear me?”
I nodded, blushing. It was a good thing he didn’t know what I was thinking. Because what I really wanted was his arms around me.
But all I had to offer him was hard work. So I got back to it. The Jar had a barback on weekends and Thursday nights. He supposedly helped with bussing tables too, but for the most part, it was up to me.
Apparently, I was the only waitress they had.
That seemed weird, especially considering how long the rest of the staff had been on duty. Mason had called them family and that was the truth. Shorty and Jaken groused at each other constantly, but you could tell they liked each other just fine. It was almost like a sport to them.
Like brothers.
They reminded me of the three brothers who had lived down the block when I was a little girl. Less than a year apart, they’d looked like triplets. And they had teased each other mercilessly.
I was pretty sure it was a sign of affection.
Of course, they were a bit more respectful with Mason, but only a bit. They sassed him constantly, especially when I wasn’t around. In fact, the conversation seemed to dry up sometimes when I got close.
But by now, they were sassing me a bit too.
I grinned. It made me feel like I belonged. And soon, very soon, I truly would.
I had my eye on an apartment in town. I’d only read the ad but it said things like ‘historical details’ and ‘sunny windows.’ I had called the landlord and gotten a sweet old lady on the phone. No piggish man. The only catch was, I needed to have worked somewhere for a month, and that was almost three weeks out.
I just prayed no one else found it before I could make a deposit.
I’d never lived anywhere nice before. Someplace ‘charming.’
This place sounded like it was both.
“It’s getting late. I’ll close up. You two can take off.”
Mason was bussing tables. The place was slow tonight. No one was left who wanted food. Some of them probably needed it, but the remaining crowd was blissfully drunk.
I glanced around. There were less than twenty people left. Shorty had already closed up shop twenty minutes ago.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
“Nah, Jaken and I can finish up.”
I nodded. It would be nice to get to the motel before midnight. I could take a long hot shower and watch TV on real low while Paton sprawled on the bed. She took up a lot of room for someone so small. If there was room, she’d spread out and take all of it. She’d always been like that, ever since her days in a crib.
I liked to tease her that she slept like a starfish.
I used to call her that too.
My little starfish.
“Thanks Mason. That would be great.”
“I’ll carry her down and walk you guys to your car.”
Every night, he walked us out to the car. Every night, it made me feel safe.
Every night, I fell a little bit more for him.
Which was probably the worst thing I could possibly do.
I finished what I was doing and then grabbed my jacket. Paton was still out when Mason carried her down the stairs. He was so good with her, I was almost jealous.
But more than that, I was worried.
She was getting attached.
It was dangerous. I knew it. And I knew the risks. He wasn’t ours to keep. But I didn’t have the heart to stop it.
He helped me bundle her into the car and checked the back, just like he did every night. He laid a blanket over her in the front seat, even buckling her in.
“Not safe to ride in the back.”
“I know.”
His voice was oddly gruff, even for him.
“You probably need a day off.”
I shook my head swiftly. I needed all the money I could get. Plus, I liked working and staying busy.
Having someone to daydream about while I was there was just an added bonus.
“I don’t. Unless you want me to?”
“No. I definitely do not want you to take time off. But I also don’t want you burning out on us. You’re not getting tired of us, are you?”
I tried not to smile. It was hard but I tried. I didn’t want him to know how I felt.
“Not even a little.”
Then it happened. If I had blinked I would have
missed it. Bright white teeth shone in the darkness for a split second.
Mason smiled.
I nearly swooned. He was extremely good-looking in a rugged sort of way, but when he smiled, it was a whole other level. The man was beautiful.
Rough, craggy, and so handsome I forgot to breath for a second.
“Well, have a good night then. I guess we’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”
“Yes. You will.”
He stood in the dark and watched us drive off.
Chapter Ten
Mason
I stared at the rows and rows of coloring books. Some of them were too advanced, with intricate designs made for adults and big kids. Others were clearly meant to be scribbled on indiscriminately.
But Paton, she was somewhere in the middle.
A smart and sensitive little girl. Friendly, but wary. And she seemed just a little bit sad.
Just like her mother.
Damn, if it didn’t bring out my protective streak with a vengeance!
Michelle was on my mind constantly. I’d finally stopped fighting it. It didn’t mean I would make a move on her. But I wanted to. I wanted to so bad. It physically hurt not to reach out and touch her every damn minute of every damn day.
And that scared the hell out of me.
If I asked her out and she said no… I’d lose her. The chance to be near her and her wanting to work for me. We needed her at the Jar but that wasn’t half of it. I’d miss her. Not touching her was almost bearable if I could at least see her.
And I was getting way too attached to her kid.
I recognized all the signs. It had happened that night I found a fourteen year old girl shivering in the rain. Something similar had happened with the animals I’d rescued.
But Paton wasn’t a stray. She had a mother. A good, loving one.
Damn if I didn’t want to adopt them both. Well, adopt might be the wrong word for Michelle. Some sick part of me wanted to own her. I didn’t know what the hell had gotten into me.
I scratched my chin, running my hand over my beard. I picked up a coloring book with a science theme. It wasn’t for really little kids, or adult women who used coloring to meditate. Plus, the art wasn’t half bad.
And it had facts. I knew Paton liked facts.
I saw another one with horses and grabbed that too. What kid didn’t like horses? I was pretty sure that was true across the board.
I grabbed a box of colored pencils and a blank sketch pad too. She needed an upgrade from the crayons I got her last week.
I nodded to myself. The sketch pad was good. If Paton had her own ideas about what to draw, she’d have the option.
It was a lot nicer than copier paper from the bar she’d been doodling on.
My phone beeped and I glanced down at it.
Shit.
It was Cain.
I’d been avoiding him since he and Connor had a big blow out last year. It was just days after the wedding. Apparently, Cain had come calling for Connor’s little sister.
I grinned at the memory.
I’d actually had to intervene, holding them physically apart until they cooled down. Didn’t happen.
But I did get Cain out of there, narrowly avoiding a bloodbath.
That was one fight that would not go down well. Both men were strong as oxen and stubborn as mules. But seeing Connor puff his chest out and protect his little sister… after how he’d seduced my little girl, well, it made me laugh.
Connor hadn’t found the comparison as amusing.
But seeing how he was family now, well, I had a responsibility to keep him alive. Even if Connor won the fight, Cain’s men would even the score eventually. And that would upset Cassie.
Cassandra, once known as Casey. The little imp had waited years before telling us her real name. She’d been smart though, choosing a name so similar to her own.
She knew better than anyone that a half lie was way more effective than a whole one.
I hurried to the front to pay, grabbing some brightly colored candy by the register. I hoped Michelle didn’t object to the added sweets. I was in too much of a hurry to call and ask.
Not that I came running every time Cain asked me to. I didn’t.
But I was still part of the club, even if I’d turned it down when they asked me to lead. I wasn’t all that active, but I was still an Untouchable. And the meeting sounded urgent.
I zipped the coloring books and candy inside my jacket and hit the road.
The Untouchables’ clubhouse was a huge old brick building that used to sell car parts, complete with a big parking garage and a bay for repairs. It had belonged to one of the original members, who left it to the club in his will.
So once you were part of the club and paying dues, technically the place belonged to you. A tiny bit of it anyway. The club had grown over the past fifteen years, when I was just a skinny nineteen-year-old punk ass kid. A punk ass kid with a chip on his shoulder and a love of anything that went fast.
Women, motorcycles, cars.
In that order.
I just wanted to throw myself at the world back then. Now I mostly tried not to fuck things up. I still drove fast, but I was more careful where I did it.
Not in populated areas full of kids, that was for sure.
The less populated country roads out where my bar was… well, there I went hog wild. I still tried not to hurt anybody though.
Not even the deer.
Those suckers were pretty cute, to tell the truth.
I parked and looked around at all the hogs. This was probably the safest place on the planet to leave your ride. Security cameras were everywhere. And the fence that enclosed the lot was electrified.
A couple of prospects stood by the front gate to monitor who came in and out. A few others stood by the entrance to the clubhouse, keeping an eye on things.
The Untouchables did not mess around with security. Not since Cain took control. He was ex-military and ran the club with precision and total control.
Even I had to admit he was damn good at it too.
There was a huge meeting room with an ancient wood table and chairs. There was also a bar, which was semi-open to the public. Only if you were a really hot chick though.
Preferably a hot chick wearing very little clothes.
They’d let Michelle in, though. No matter what she was wearing. She was way too gorgeous. I tried to imagine her in here, getting a beer. The guys would go apeshit when they saw her.
Yeah, that was not a good idea.
Note to self: keep Michelle away from the damn clubhouse.
I didn’t even know if she drank. Or, more importantly, if she liked dirtbag bikers. I kind of doubted it. She didn’t seem the type. Not that she was judgemental or super straight. She was just… nice.
She was a good girl. Responsible. And she adored her kid too much to be out partying. I knew that if she had walked in here back in the old days, I would have done anything to have her. To be with her. And maybe, back then, she would have said yes.
It was pointless to fantasize about that. It would never happen now. She didn’t belong in my world, and I didn’t belong in hers.
She was a ‘normal’ not some club skank.
Still, the idea of her in a tight denim mini and one of those tops that looked like a corset… Goddamn! That was enough to keep me hard for a damn year.
“Mase.”
I nodded at Kendrick, one of the high ranking members. He waved me forward and told me to take a seat at the table. Then he left, closing the door behind him. A minute later, Cain walked in.
Cain was a big guy, like me. But he wasn’t scruffy like your average biker. He was clean cut. Polished. And he still wore his dog tags.
Even his boots looked shiny as he walked to the head of the table and sat down.
“Mason.”
“Cain.”
Neither one of us were big talkers. As expected, he got right to the point.
“Something’s going down
with the Raisers.”
I raised my eyebrows. The Hell Raisers were another club from a few towns over. Their old club Prez had been a real scumbag. Dante was a monster who didn’t care about human life. He’d even gone so far as to threaten Cass. Cain, Connor and I had worked together to protect her.
The new club Prez… well, he was just plain crazy.
“It involves Casey.”
“She goes by Cassandra now.”
Cain grunted. My attitude had shifted immediately. I was alert and ready, leaning forward in my seat. No one messed with Cass.
“There’s been another murder.”
I stared at him, my mind going absolutely haywire.
“What’s that got to do with Cass?”
“We aren’t sure yet. But it looks like it might be the same guys who offed Connor’s partner. And the guy in your parking lot. The one Cass saw go down.”
I blinked. Things started to fall into place. Connor acting distant with Cassandra. His late nights. The guy must be freaking out, but trying not to worry his pregnant wife.
Oh yeah, the shit was definitely hitting the fan.
“What about Shane?”
“We haven’t had a sit down yet. We are setting it up for soon. I was hoping you would be there.”
“Me? Why the fuck would you want me there?”
“He came to you last time there was a problem. He trusts you. That could be valuable.”
I rubbed my forehead. Dante had been a bad, bad man, but his successor was batshit crazy. I exhaled. At least I knew Shane didn’t threaten little girls, though.
“Right. Okay, man. So, who bit it?”
I saw his fingers clench.
“One of the Raisers. And his landlord, who had piss poor timing. Looks like he walked in on it and got the royal treatment.”
“Jesus. Same MO?”
“To a T.”
“Even the landlord?”
“Yeah, poor bastard.”
“Fuck.”
The last murder had been brutal. Not just a regular killing, for drugs or money. It had been drawn out, to cause as much pain as possible. They’d even cut out the man’s tongue.
They’d set the guy on fire.
It was gruesome stuff, and my first thought was that I had to keep it out of the Jar. I couldn’t let Michelle or her kid be exposed to it.