by Jayne Blue
Dark Honor
A Dark Saints MC Novel
Jayne Blue
Nokay Press LLC
Copyright © 2017 by Jayne Blue/Nokay Press LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
A Message from Jayne Blue
More Goodies
Books by Jayne Blue
Chapter 1
Zig
It was the kind of place where men like me don’t belong. I grew up in a trailer park on the outskirts of Port Azrael, Texas. I had to help put food on the table for my mother and two little sisters from the time I was ten years old on. Sometimes I could do it by earning an honest buck; most times, there was nothing honest about the way I survived. This place? All I could see was money and privilege. No. These kids had no idea what kind of world existed down the street from Mommy and Daddy’s country club.
The salt cedar along the lake bed had already turned amber. The tiny little campus overlooked Lake Meredith, just outside of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. It was quiet, clean, voices raised in laughter as a clock tower on the hill rang out four chimes.
I stayed in the shadows, leaning against one of those tall cedars. I took a long drag of my cigarette then snuffed it out in the heel of my boot. Signs on every building warned this was a smoke-free campus. They also didn’t allow anything with an engine down the narrow, cobblestone streets of the campus proper. The only thing missing was a life-sized picture of me with a damn line through it. I wasn’t wanted here.
As soon as the clock stopped chiming, the doors of the nearest building opened and fresh-faced college kids streamed out. Some of them talked to each other, but most of them had their faces glued to their phone screens or earbuds in. Shit. A bunch of over-educated rich kids here on their trust fund dime. They couldn’t even bother to have real conversations.
Though I’d put out my cigarette, the smell of it lingered long enough to earn me a few wrinkled-nose stares from kids heading across the lush green, manicured lawn. August in Texas and we were in the middle of a drought. My stomach turned thinking what a damn waste of water it was just so these spoiled brats could walk on green grass.
I tucked myself further into the shadows, not wanting to draw even more attention than I’d already garnered. This was a recon mission, after all. It wouldn’t do me a damn bit of good if my mark saw me right out of the gate.
I’d left my cut behind. For now, I was just some out-of-place thug hanging around where he shouldn’t. I doubted that any of these dipshits would appreciate the gravity of my Dark Saints patch. The closest thing any of them would probably have to someone like me was what they saw on some fucking TV show. Bunch of idiots. They filed out wearing designer jeans and carrying leather bags that probably held thousand-dollar laptops Daddy had paid for too. I wondered if any of them knew what it was like to work with their hands or get dirty.
Dirty looks. That’s what I got. That was fine with me. I wasn’t here for them. I was here for her.
She was in the last group of students pouring out of Houston Hall. I lifted my phone and tapped the screen. Her profile picture from her Facebook page popped up. In it, she was looking away from the camera, laughing with her eyes cast down and her fingers laced through her long, dark hair.
She was laughing now too as one of the girls next to her whispered something in her ear. At least the girl was having a normal conversation, not glued to a screen. My jeans got a little tighter as she walked my way. She still didn’t see me. With any luck, she wouldn’t.
Fuck. She was something else. Her profile picture didn’t do her justice.
Gina DiSalvo had the sweetest, roundest ass I’d ever seen. She wore black spandex shorts and a hot-pink tank top like she was about to go for a run. Her tits bounced and her hair swung wide as she turned to talk to a boy coming out of the building behind her. Her toned arms hugged her books to her side and her ample tits threatened to spill out the sides of the black sports bra she had on under the tank top.
The boy quickened his step to catch up with her. He had blond hair and one of those hipster haircuts with his beard too long and a silver hoop earring dangling from one ear. He reached for Gina, running his hand along her arm to get her to stop. Her body language rang as loud and clear as the clock chimes. She didn’t want him touching her. The d-bag took the hint and shot her a smile. He was lucky. If he’d gone for her, I couldn’t say for sure whether I would have stayed hidden.
My ringtone damn near made my heart jump straight out of my chest. I clicked it off and held the phone up to my ear. I already knew it was E.Z., our club V.P., calling in to check up on me.
“You got eyes on Gino’s little brat yet?” he asked.
Gina stopped about ten yards in front of me. She still hadn’t seen me. She set her books down on a stone bench and lifted her leg to tie her running shoes. It put her ass in full view of the d-bag and made the blood rush to my head. Gina bent just enough that I got a clear view of her cleavage.
“Yeah. I’ve got eyes on her all right.” My pulse thrummed. Gina put her foot down hard. Her hair swung over her shoulder and she rounded on the d-bag. He leaned in and said something in her ear that made her wrinkle her nose and roll her eyes at him.
“Good,” E.Z. said. “Stay close, but don’t stay too close. Bear just got off the phone with her mama. Shit’s starting to hit the fan.”
Gina turned, putting her back to the d-bag. His eyes traveled straight to her ass and the little fucker licked his lips and put a hand out, grabbing the air, making like he wanted to get a fistful of her. Then he actually pumped his hips a couple of times. His frat boy friend came to his side and patted him on the back, egging him on.
“Gina!” he called out. “What about tonight?”
She looked over her shoulder. “Call me later,” she said. When she turned back, the d-bag’s friend gave him a high five. My blood boiled at the idea of either one of them putting their hands on her. Fuck. I was no better. The minute that chick walked into view, I was probably thinking along the same lines. I knew better though. Gina DiSalvo was strictly off limits. Never mind her family connections, the girl was way too young for me and not my type.
“Zig!” E.Z. shouted in my ear. “You hearing me, man?”
“What? Yeah. I’m hearing you. What’s the word on her old man?”
Gina DiSalvo’s old man was none other than Gino DiSalvo S
r., head of one of the largest crime families along the southern border. They were also one of our biggest contracts. My club, the Dark Saints M.C., did a lot of the DiSalvos’ dirty work. Protection, gun running, and every once in a while we cleaned up old man Gino’s messes for him.
“It isn’t good,” E.Z. said. “His old lady’s still running things.”
Gino’s wife, Christine, had taken over operations in the last few months since her husband had a stroke. She downplayed it to the public but she’d had to come clean with Bear, my club’s president. Truth was, Gino was probably permanently incapacitated. He was in a nursing home outside of San Antonio. Two weeks ago, somebody tried to take him out with a pillow to the face. Nobody saw anything, of course. That’s why I was here. Christine DiSalvo wanted to play things safe rather than be sorry. If her old man was a target, it meant the rest of her family might not be safe. This was strictly a babysitting gig. Make sure little Gina stayed out of trouble until things cooled down for her family.
Only by the looks of her, Gina didn’t know shit about what was going on back home. I watched her sashay around the corner. Damn. She was giving the frat boys a real show. I wished I had worn my leather cut. I had half a mind to throw it over her shoulders and pull her out of view.
“Well,” I said. “It doesn’t look like his daughter has the first clue what’s going on back home.”
E.Z. snorted in my ear. “I’m not surprised. Bear says she’s been sheltered her whole life. I’d bet my left nut Daddy’s little princess doesn’t even know how her family really makes their money.”
Bitter laughter rose in my throat. Sheeit. I’d done my homework. Lake Meredith College was an elite, private university that cost six figures to go to. I wondered what Gina would think if she knew what paid for her tuition.
“So what’s the plan here?” I asked. “You want me to pick her up?”
E.Z. let out a sigh. “Nah. Stand down. Eyes only for now. Christine doesn’t want to spook her. She just wants someone close by in case shit gets hotter down here in Port Azrael. So keep an eye on her, but don’t make it look like you’re keeping an eye on her.”
“Fuckin’ A,” I said. “I hope Mrs. DiSalvo’s forking over a nice load of cash for this one.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” E.Z. said. “Just hold up your end. I know it’s a shit job, Zig. I told Bear one of the prospects ought to handle it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “I get it. Bear wants to make sure Christine DiSalvo knows she’s getting top-shelf treatment.”
“That’s about it,” E.Z. said. “We’ll make it up to you, man. That’s a promise.”
I laughed into the phone. Yeah. This was a bullshit job. But as I rounded the corner and caught sight of Gina DiSalvo’s tight little ass again as she headed for her next class, I decided I might not mind.
“Check in tonight,” E.Z. said. “And thanks again, Zig. Bear won’t forget this.”
I clicked off the phone and tucked it in my back pocket. Based on the schedule Christine DiSalvo gave Bear, I had a good hour before Gina came out of her next class. My Harley was parked in a shaded grove across the street. I headed there, fixing to wait.
I made it halfway across the street when a soft voice reached my ears and made the hair rise on the back of my neck.
“You planning on following me all afternoon?”
I turned. Gina DiSalvo stood on the sidewalk, eyes flashing.
“Aren’t you going to be late for class?” I asked. She got my blood pumping the way she looked me up and down. Gina stood with her hand on her hip, balancing her backpack on one shoulder. A tiny pulse beat a furious pace near her temple. It was the only telltale sign that I had her as unnerved as she had me. The rest of her was all cool eyes and sassy mouth.
That mouth.
She had full lips that curved up at the corners in almost a permanent smirk. I took a step closer, towering over her. At six four, I had a foot on her. Up close and personal, I hadn’t realized how tiny she really was. Short. Not skinny. The girl had meat on her bones in all the ways I liked. She had Sicilian fire in her eyes. They were dark, curious. She raised one jet-black brow as she eyed me.
“Did you think you were sly staring at me from across the quad?” she asked, undaunted by my presence. At least that’s what she wanted me to think. Her breath hitched just a little. A little blush crept up from the scoop of her tank top. I could see her nipples pebble beneath the stretchy fabric.
Damn. I needed to get a hold of myself. Best thing to do after this was find one of the banger chicks that hung around our club and blow off some steam.
“You should be careful who you hang around with,” I said, taking a bold step toward her. She didn’t budge but held her ground, defiant. Damn, she was sexy as hell. She might not have the first clue how her old man made his dough, but Gina DiSalvo had her father’s tough streak, that’s for sure. It was sexy, but it was also the kind of thing that could land her in real trouble, things being what they were.
“Oh, you mean Gareth back there?”
Gareth. Of course that was his name. I had a flash of jealousy. I wanted her to know mine.
“Yeah,” I said. “Little fuck could use a lesson in manners.”
Gina cocked her head to the side. “You think you’re the one to teach him?”
“Nah. I wouldn’t waste my time with a little shit like that.”
Gina took a breath and smoothed the hair off her face. We were standing in the middle of the road and a car slowed to get around us. The driver looked like he could be one of Gareth’s frat brothers. Whoever he was, he seemed to know Gina. He glared at me and rolled his window down. I gave him a hard look over my shoulder that made his eyes go wide. He swallowed hard and looked at Gina. She gave him a weak wave and he hit the gas, hightailing it out of there.
“Did my father send you?” she asked.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe her mother was wrong about how much Gina knew. So far, she’d made me quick enough and hit the nail on the head about why I was here.
“I was just in the neighborhood,” I said; of course she knew I was full of shit. “Thought I’d take a little stroll and see how the other half lives.”
“Right,” Gina said. She crossed her arms in front of herself. “Still, you’re pretty far from Port Az. We don’t see too many Saints riding around up here. You planning on branching out?”
I wasn’t wearing my cut, but Gina figured out who I was anyway. She’d grown up in Port Azrael where my club was based. Of course she could pick out my type. That, and I had Dark Saints ink on my left bicep, a kneeling angel with its wings folded behind it and a sword at its feet. She didn’t have to see my patch to recognize it.
“Like I said, I was just in the neighborhood.”
Gina’s eyes narrowed. She took a step toward me, bringing herself within a couple of inches of me. “Look, we can stand out here all afternoon making small talk. You can dance around me as much as you want. I know my father does business with your club. Why, I can’t fathom. But if you’re planning on hanging around, you think you could do it a little less conspicuously?”
I scratched my chin and smiled at her. I had two days’ worth of stubble growing and I knew it made me look even rougher than usual.
“And this,” she said, stepping around me. She went for my bike, running her long fingers over the leather seat. I felt a twitch in my groin. Just then, I had the hard urge to get her on the back of my hog and ride as fast as I could. I wanted to feel her chest against my back and her hands wrapped around my waist. Fuck. The absolute last thing I needed was to keep thinking about her this way.
“You don’t like my ride?” I asked.
Gina’s eyes glinted again. Oh, she liked it. Damn if that girl wasn’t thinking along the same lines as I was. Either way, it was dangerous for both of us. Gina DiSalvo had a rebellious streak, that was clear.
“That’s a lot of machine,” she said. “How fast does it go?”
“Fast
as you want,” I answered, biting my tongue past the urge to call her baby. This was no damn good at all. Never mind all the rest of it, the girl was too young for me. She was nineteen going on thirty and trouble all the way around.
“Hmm,” she said, gripping the chrome handlebars. She leaned over and checked herself out in my side mirror. Finally, she straightened and turned back to me. I crossed the street. Gina moved away from the bike. I climbed into the seat and slid on my sunglasses.
“Take care, Gina,” I said. “I’ll see you around.”
Her mouth opened, forming a tiny little ‘o.’ She’d guessed right about why I was here. I think it just still shocked her a little that I knew exactly who she was.
“Who are you?” she said. “Really. What’s going on?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I answered. It was true enough for now.
Gina got bold again and came toward me. She curled her fingers around my handlebar, brushing her pinky against my thumb. Electric heat sparked between us. I did the only thing I could think of to break the tension. I started the bike. The roar of the engine vibrated through my chest and I know it did hers. It made her suck in a breath and I couldn’t help but watch those luscious tits of hers rise and fall.
“Who are you?” she asked me again. I decided it wasn’t going to do me any good to keep it from her.
“Call me Zig,” I said then revved the engine once more.
“Zig,” she said. The sound of my name on her lips sent heat shooting straight between my legs. “See you around,” she said.
She stepped away from me. I shot her a smile and headed down the road.