“You asked the locksmith to give you a key?”
He shrugged. “How else would I get in?”
Jackie flipped to her back and eased herself up on the pillow. “You two just crack me up. Don’t mind me. I’m just going to lie here and watch the fur fly.”
Lana glared at James. “I didn’t offer you a key. I didn’t invite you in. This is a private party so I think you’d better leave.”
“Not if the party involves more of what was going down on the bed.”
Jackie barked a laugh. “Sorry to disappoint, J—I’m gonna call you J because you just don’t look like a James to me—but I don’t share my sugar.”
“Neither do I,” he growled.
“I do believe he’s threatening me.” Jackie looked over at Lana who was tossing panties back into her drawer. “Your boyfriend is threatening me.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
James caught a pair of green lace panties midtoss. “I remember these,” he said, musing. “I thought I tore them off you.”
Heart pounding, pulse racing, body tense, Lana snatched the panties from his hand. What the hell was he doing here? Hadn’t she made it clear last night was the one and only night? Did he not get the message?
“I believe I uninvited you from my apartment,” she said, her voice cold. “I don’t see your feet moving.”
Silence. She followed his concerned gaze to her suitcase.
“Are you going away?” He tapped the suitcase with his finger, and his voice rose from low to midrange. “Are you leaving because of me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” She sighed. “I have things to do and places to be. A life that doesn’t involve you. If you recall, you made it very clear you didn’t want to see me around the clubhouse again, which I took to mean around you.”
“You’re the one who said it was a mistake.” James paced across the room. Although her bedroom wasn’t small, he managed to take up almost all the space.
“And you’re the one who didn’t disagree,” Lana snapped. “So now that we have that sorted, you can be on your way.”
“Not until I find out if you’re packing or unpacking. And if you’re packing, where are you going?” He frowned and looked over at the bed. “Jackie?”
Jackie shrugged. “I have half a story and I’m sworn to secrecy. I can say she thought someone might be after her and I recommended she contact a certain police officer we know. However, I have since convinced her she might be delusional.”
“Jackie.” Lana gave her friend a warning glare.
All traces of humor disappeared from James’s face. “Who’s after you?”
Lana ignored him and continued to slam panties back into her drawer. Why was he here? They were done. He had made that abundantly clear by his silence after sending Rex out of his room. He had watched her dress, led her outside, warned her away and pecked her on the cheek. No discussion. No talking. No trying to convince her she was wrong. If that wasn’t a brush-off, she didn’t know what was.
“Lana, I want an answer. Now.” The tone of his voice—forceful, commanding—touched the last of her raw nerves. She rounded on him, drawing in a deep breath as she prepared to berate him for daring to speak to her like that.
And then he kissed her. His firm mouth closed over hers, taking her so deeply, so swiftly, she melted into his arms.
Sweet. Gentle. Tender… Concerned.
Angry tears welled in her eyes. “I hate it when you do that.”
Damn.
James tightened his arms around Lana’s waist and plunged his tongue into her hot, wet mouth. Her body softened and her hands snaked around his neck, pulling him close. If Jackie hadn’t been there he wouldn’t have stopped with just a kiss.
Christ. This was exactly what he hadn’t wanted. He had come to tell her she was right. They had made a mistake and the best solution was to stay apart. But because she was still on Rex’s radar—Rex had made that clear in their meeting last night—James had come up with a plan to protect her. A way to keep her away from Rex and Hades.
Away from him.
A quick morning call and it had all been sorted. She would stay with Tony in his West Vancouver mansion until Rex was arrested in the raid James had been promised would happen soon.
But then he’d seen the suitcase.
The thought of her gone had fuzzed his brain. It didn’t matter if it was for a weekend or a holiday, or even for business. His brain had registered Lana and gone, and his great plan had flown out the window. The potential threat Jackie had alluded to brought it all home. He couldn’t walk away. He couldn’t leave her. Not even in Tony’s care. Not now.
Maybe not ever.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he gently pulled away from her soft, sweet body and checked the caller ID. Ryder. He excused himself and headed for the kitchen to take the call.
They exchanged greetings and Ryder’s voice tightened. “Rex wants the weapons for the brothers who’ll be guarding an unexpected shipment coming in at the end of the week. Thought I’d give you a heads-up and we would arrange to meet to collect them.”
Damn. He had appealed the confiscation multiple times, but in the end the DEU had decreed the danger to innocents was a bigger risk than the danger to James’s life. Bitterness from that conversation still coated his tongue. He’d always been prepared to give his life in the line of duty, but he’d never expected to be a deliberate sacrificial lamb.
“I left them with a trucker buddy and he’s out of town until next week. He didn’t leave me with a key to his place. What does Rex need?” The prepared lie rolled off his tongue, unconvincing even to him.
“A couple of semis and a few pistols. He’ll be fucking pissed if you don’t bring them.”
James scrubbed his hand through his hair. “I need a day to figure out how to get in touch with my friend.”
Silence.
“Ryder?”
“Leave it with me. I’ll get Rex what he needs.”
James froze. No way could he let Ryder get dragged into this. “Appreciate it. But it’s my mess. I’ll handle it.”
Ryder snorted his disagreement. “The way I see it, you saved my ass at least four times over the last two years: the police shootout in East Van, the botched drop on Vancouver Island, the night we went trunking and picked up the wrong guy, and the time Bones faked that evidence to try and prove I was a rat. I’m not even counting the times you covered for me when I had to go away or when I knocked heads with Rex. Consider it handled.”
The phone went dead.
Damn. James pounded his fist on the wall. Except for Mark, who was almost like a brother to him, he’d never had a friend like Ryder: straight-up, loyal and damn good in a fight. Somehow he had to warn Ryder or get him out of the clubhouse before the raid. After being screwed around by the DEU one time too many, he no longer trusted them to heed the request in his report and let Ryder walk free.
He returned to the bedroom. Jackie and Lana were tossing clothes into her drawers with reckless abandon. He drew Lana to the side and stroked a finger along her soft cheek.
“Who’s after you, babe?”
She shrugged and her lips twitched. “No one. Jackie convinced me I was just seeing ghosts.”
Frowning, he studied her face, taking note of the shift of her eyes up and to the left. Finally, she dropped her gaze. Her long auburn lashes fanned out over smooth, creamy cheeks and her lips, pink, plump and glistening, tightened into a thin line.
“I can tolerate almost anything except lying.” Especially from someone he cared about. Christine had lied and the wound was still with him. Maybe if she had been honest that day, she would still be alive.
“Given what you do for a living, that makes you a bit of a hypocrite.” Lana’s soft, sultry tone took the bite out of her words.
“That’s different.” He brushed his finger lightly over the smattering of freckles across her nose.
“Don’t touch my freckles.” Big green eyes frowned at
him through her tangled thicket of curls.
James brushed her hair away and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. “I like your freckles.”
“Well, I don’t. So paws and lips off.”
He dusted featherlight kisses over the remaining freckles on her cheeks, smiling when her eyes slitted closed and her cheeks flushed pink. His Lana was a sucker for a gentle caress.
“Hellllloooo,” Jackie yelled. “Best friend across the room. Don’t forget about me.”
Lana’s eyes flew open and she spun around. “You want him to kiss your freckles too?”
“He can kiss any part of me he wants.” Jackie slid off the bed and walked toward them, swaying her hips and licking her lips.
James stiffened. He couldn’t tell if they were playing him, but there was only one woman he wanted to kiss.
Jackie’s eyes flicked to him and they shared a glance. He’d never looked at her closely before, but as he studied her face he saw a maturity that belied her age and her seemingly irreverent nature. For the briefest second, her mask slipped and he saw secrets hiding in the depths of her eyes, a lifetime of experiences a girl her age shouldn’t have, and a world of pain. No wonder she and Lana were so close. Lana was a giver, a healer. And Jackie desperately needed to be healed.
“Well damn,” she muttered, tearing her eyes away. “Guess I’ll have to get my kisses somewhere else. And suddenly I’m not feeling very wanted. You want me to skip out, J? Leave you to your sugar?”
“Actually, I have to be at a race in an hour and I’m thinking it would be best if you both came along.” He looked down at Lana and cupped her cheek with his hand. He had no doubt the suitcase meant a hell of a lot more than she was letting on, and her lack of trust hit him hard. But he wasn’t about to walk away. Not when she was in danger. He would tease it out of her, and then he would find whoever had scared her and pound the crap out of him.
“Rex made it clear last night that he’s not backing off,” he said to Lana. “And now you’ve got me worried that something else is going on. I don’t want to leave you alone but I have to race. Jackie can come and keep you company. If someone is after you, you’ll be safer with Hades.”
“Now there’s an irony,” Jackie said. “Safer with a gang of outlaw bikers.”
“You could tell me what’s going on…”
Lana stiffened. “It’s nothing. Really. And don’t even think about trying to pry it out of me.”
Christ. Didn’t she understand he had to know, just like he had to breathe? A danger so great she had packed a suitcase and prepared to run was a danger he needed to know about.
“Thanks for the offer but we’re staying in tonight.” Lana pulled away. “I’ve had enough of bikers. And it’s probably better if we don’t spend too much time together.”
“What?” Jackie’s voice rose in pitch. “We’re staying in instead of going to watch a gang of bikers racing their crotch rockets around a track? Are you crazy? It will be one hell of a party.”
“Jackie!”
“Give us a moment.” Jackie gave James a reassuring wink before dismissing him with a flick of her fingers.
James walked through the living room and over to the window. He spotted Kickstand outside, guarding their bikes. Good kid. Too bad he’d fallen in with the wrong crowd. He would get a wake-up call when his biker worship got him five to ten in the local penitentiary, and he hadn’t even been involved in any major crime. James sighed. Maybe he could save Kickstand too.
After five minutes, Jackie raced past him. “We’re coming. Back in a minute. Stay out here.” She returned a few minutes later with an armful of black leather.
Five minutes became ten, became twenty. James paced across the living room. If they didn’t leave soon, they would be late. Rex wouldn’t be pleased. And the way things were going between him and Rex, he couldn’t afford another black mark against him.
Finally the bedroom door opened. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened.
Lana and Jackie had kitted themselves out in black leather from their stiletto boots to skintight pants, corsets to fitted jackets. Lana’s glorious red curls spilled around her shoulders and over the creamy expanse of the swell of her breasts.
And he’d thought the milkmaid costume was hot…
No way was he allowing her at a Hades gathering dressed like that. No fucking way.
Jackie grinned at his scowling face. “Gotta dress the part. I keep some spare disguises in my trunk. This outfit was from the time I had to crash a Grease party. Lana’s got her own reasons for having a closetful of leather.”
Lana winked and posed for him. “What do you think?”
Christ have mercy. She was beyond tempting. “Change. Now.”
Her face fell. “I thought leathers were appropriate attire for your old lady.”
“Not those leathers.” He struggled against his stirring lust. “They’re too…tight and…leathery.”
Lana’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and she sauntered over to him, all fire and curvaceous charm. “I can move just fine. You want me to go with you, then this is what I’m wearing. If not, Jackie and I know a club where they appreciate a girl in leather.”
James’s scowl deepened. The thought of other men watching her, touching her, set his blood to boil. A low growl escaped him and Lana’s lips curled into a smile. “Does that mean I’m coming with you?”
He clenched his jaw and took a slow, deep breath. He didn’t want another fight. Too much was happening: Rex, the weapons, the DEU not having his back, Bones and his suspicions. Too many things to worry about. He needed to know he had one thing under control. He needed Lana soft and sweet in his arms. And if that meant letting her parade around in skintight leather, he would choke back his jealous, protective side and keep his mouth shut.
But only once.
And he would make sure Ryder, Kickstand and Jackie stayed with her. Maybe Claw as well. Slider was always on the ball. And Spook…
And maybe he could find a burlap sack to put over her.
“That means you’re going to pay for the stress you’re going to cause me.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and clasped her hand. “Let’s go. We brought extra helmets for the race. Might be a bit big but they should do the trick.”
“We?” Jackie raised an eyebrow.
“Kickstand is outside. I had just planned to stop in for a few minutes before heading off to the race. You can ride with him.”
Jackie grinned. “Oooo. The little golden boy. I’d like to get my claws into him.”
“Last I heard you were with Ryder.” James ushered them out and locked the door. Lana huffed and glared at his key. Well, she could huff all she wanted. No way was he giving it up. He needed to know he could get to her if she was in danger.
“It was just one night,” Jackie groaned. “Seriously, have you never had a one-night stand?”
He shot her a warning glance and followed Lana down the stairs. As if he was going to answer that question with Lana nearby. Especially after last night.
“I think what James is saying is maybe Ryder thinks differently,” Lana said over her shoulder. “And if he does, then he has to say it’s over. In the biker world, if the guy doesn’t say it’s over, it’s not over, and no one else can touch you until he does.”
James frowned. No way was Lana getting this biker information from television.
“Jeez Louise.” Jackie slapped her head. “I thought bikers were supposed to be anarchists, flouting the law, thumbing their noses at societal conventions. I’m beginning to think they have more rules than the real world has laws.” She waved to Kickstand as they crossed the street and then blew him a kiss. “As you know, I’m not one for rules.”
“Unfortunately, Kickstand has to be or he’ll never get his patch,” James said. “Talk it out with Ryder. He’s not an unreasonable guy.” Ryder had only briefly mentioned Jackie, and he had no idea what his friend thought of what had happened between them.
He helped Jackie mount up behind Kickstand and then held out a hand to help Lana.
“Babe. On the bike.”
“Where did you get the V-Rod Muscle?” She ran her hand over the artwork on the back fender—an exact replica of the Hades patch. “Where’s your Rocker?”
Hell, she even knew her Harleys.
“This one’s better for speed.”
“He won it in a poker tournament.” Kickstand grinned. “He beat out everyone in Hades until it was just him and Bones left. Bones was out of cash but he thought Ice couldn’t beat his straight flush. So he threw his bike into the pot.”
Lana’s hand flew to her mouth. “No.” She looked over at James. “What did you have?”
“Royal flush.”
Kickstand bounced on his seat, clearly eager to finish the story. “Bones accused him of cheating or counting cards. They had a big fight. Ice won. Bones never forgave him. He’s hated him ever since. Bones went trunking the next day and got some cash to buy a new bike but it wasn’t the same. He’d modded this one out and got that fancy artwork on the rear fender…”
Lana tilted her head to the side and studied the V-Rod. “It’s a nice bike but pretty heavy. Might not be a match for the crotch rockets.”
“You can judge for yourself when we get there. We’re already late but we should still make the first heats.” James circled his arms around her waist and lifted her onto the bike before swinging his leg over and taking his seat. He pushed in his earplugs and tugged on his helmet. Then he twisted around to give Lana a hand with her helmet.
“You weren’t planning to stay more than a few minutes at my place tonight, were you?” she said as she snapped the strap into place.
His stomach clenched. Fuck. Last thing he wanted her to know was why he had gone to her apartment or what had changed his mind.
“James?” She tilted her head to the side and gave him a questioning look.
He tapped his helmet, pretending he hadn’t heard her and then turned away to start the engine.
Some questions were better left unanswered.
Barely Undercover: Legal Heat, Book 2 Page 13