Shake Down

by Chandler, Jade

  After doing the bookwork, I bagged deposits for each day separately and stored them in the safe. A guy, Stork, would be by every day or two to collect invoices, credit card receipts, and the cash and check deposits, which was another odd bit because no one accepted checks anymore. But the Brotherhood did, along with other questionable practices.

  I’d volunteered to do the deposit drops, but Jericho swept away the suggestion, saying the bank was in Ardmore and no need for me to make the extra trip. Most bosses were all about others doing the grunt work, but then they didn’t have an unknown number of bikers at their beck and call.

  When I’d asked about how to get more cash for the registers, he’d told me to call the number taped to the desk, and Stork or one of his guys would bring it to me. I’d nodded and planned to ask more questions, when Jericho distracted me with the salary and free apartment that was part of the position.

  The need to escape my previous life had trumped my vague unease about the Brotherhood’s operations. Now my gut twisted like it had during the interview. What had I agreed to do? Did it matter if everything I did was legal if I worked for a dirty business? Despite my inner apprehension, I had no sense the business was a cover for anything else. In fact, the shop had lots more appointments scheduled than the last place, and the quality of the operation, from ink to artists, was the best I’d ever seen. Despite the extra overhead of quality product, the shop turned a very respectable profit, according to the ledger I’d flipped through.

  “Lila, come see this,” Zayn yelled from the back.

  Happy for the distraction, I hurried to the workroom. Dare focused on Mark’s shoulder, inking the outline of the piece with a steady hand. A man with an ink iron always caught my attention, and I almost tasted his sexiness—spicy with a touch of sweet.

  Zayn showed me the tribal pattern Dare had drawn. A complicated set of markings like the tats on The Rock’s arms—he’d made tribal artwork crazy-hot.

  I flipped through the art book Zayn handed me. A Chinese-inspired dragon impressed me. Wow. The dragons chased each other in a circle, destined to be frustrated for eternity. The center held a yin and yang on backgrounds of fire and ice.

  “Beautiful.” The word escaped and I clamped my mouth shut.

  “Dare’s a fuckin’ artist.” Zayn smirked. “He can draw anything.”

  I’d noticed the Z and D in the corners of some drawings. Dare’s art had a fantasy flair while Zayn’s was darker, sort of gothic. They were two of the most talented artists I’d met.

  When the buzz of the needle stopped, Dare gestured me over with a nod of his jutting chin.

  “Hey.” He cocked his head. “What do you think about some deep red accents?”

  Did Dare want me to comment? I grinned at Mark, a guy about my age, who assessed his work in the mirror.

  “Show me where,” Mark said.

  Dare grabbed my hand, using my finger to trace Mark’s skin in the area Dare proposed adding the crimson accent. A zing of electricity shot from where his hand touched mine and ricocheted through my body in a distracting, haphazard path, but it managed to hit all my important bits.

  Both guys gazed toward me.

  “What do you think?” Mark’s boyish smile gave him just the right combination of sexy, not that my bits responded to him, at all.

  Nope, my body lit up like a winning pinball machine for Dare. Not going there, I reminded myself.

  “It’d feel more like a fighting piece with the red, so it depends on the vibe you want.” I struggled to keep my words steady despite Dare’s distracting touch.

  He still hadn’t released the finger he’d hijacked.

  “Badass—that’s the vibe I need.” Mark traced the same place I had a moment before.

  I attempted to shake off the spell Dare created. “I would go for the red, then. You’ll be a total badass.”

  Dare’s mouth twitched in a hint of a grin, and I imagined kissing his seductive lips.

  Sucking in another breath, I moved away before I lost my impulse control.

  It wasn’t a problem he appeared to share. He finished the outline with a quick precision I respected. Mark waved away the offer of a break, so Dare started filling in the design. Intense concentration lined his brow and tightened his lips. He rarely spoke, working faster than any other artist I’d seen. The front door jingled and woke me from my trance.

  “That’ll be Mary.” Zayn waggled his eyebrows. “She’s wanting a boob piece, you can come watch me.”

  “She might want privacy.” I rolled my eyes at him. “And your undivided attention.”

  “Well, that’s true.” He followed me to the front and welcomed his client.

  As I thought, she batted long lashes at Zayn, dressed in tight-fitting jeans I wished I could wear and full makeup. She was angling for more than good customer service, and by the spark in his eye, she might just get lucky.

  The rest of the day was on fast-forward between the clients and trying to figure out how the shop ran. I only saw the guys a few times as they brought customers to me for check-out.

  Dare appeared next to me before closing time. “Lock the door.” Dare surprised me. Why did he want me to lock up early?

  I frowned up at him, pausing from counting my drawer. “We’ve got twenty minutes until close.”

  He stood arms crossed, waiting for me to do as told, I guess. I strode over and flipped the sign before turning the two dead bolts on the door.

  “Closing is simple, we clean our areas before we go, you make the front decent, close the register, lock up the deposit, and you’re done.”

  This was much easier than my last job where I’d had to do the final sanitizing on all the stations and clean the floors. I understood why shops had to be more sterile than hospitals and hadn’t minded the work of sanitizing, but not being responsible for the workroom was a huge relief. I’d be out of here in minutes, not hours, which was great tonight because the first day kicked my ass. Totally.

  “Z is already at Blue’s drinking beer, I’m headed over. You joining us?” The words were totally innocent, but his sexy undertone asked an entirely different question. “Not tonight.” I laughed. “I feel like I’ve been run over.” He frowned and parted his lips.

  “It’s good, I just need a day or two to get the routine down and let my brain catch up.

  “But, I’m ready to hit my bed tonight.” The worst thing to say, ever.

  A grin spread with a slow sexiness that hit me hard right in my already overstimulated parts. Dare might be a walking sex god who would enchant me if I didn’t leave fast. I hurried to the safe with the deposit, hoping he wouldn’t see the blush burning my cheeks.

  “Next time,” he called to my back, a laugh in his voice.

  I trudged up the stairs, tired from the ten-hour day. I hoped I wasn’t expected to work all the hours the shop was open. Why hadn’t I asked Dare? Instead, I’d almost invited him to my bed. Way to hold strong, Braham.

  Inside, I kicked off my boots, undressed and slipped between the covers of my fifty-dollar blow-up mattress from Walmart. The mattress welcomed me like a million-dollar bed tonight. I fell asleep in seconds.

  The next morning my alarm blared, and sun hit me in the face. Shit. I don’t want to wake up.

  I groaned and smacked the alarm. My body ached, not from work yesterday, but in sexual frustration. All night, I’d dreamed of the sexy biker, but dating the boss was one screwup I planned not to repeat. Too messy. My job was too good to lose for a nice ass and the bluest eyes on earth.

  I stepped into the hot shower and steam enveloped me.

  Dare pulled tight on the knot binding my ankles. He’d created a maze of ropes across my torso, firm but not tight. When I moved, the ropes slid across my skin, my nipples. I arched back, unable to resist the sensations. He positioned me with my ass in the air and secured my hands to the
bed in front of me before he fingered me.

  In the shower, the images played over again in my mind while my fingers traveled to my pussy. The hot water beat on my sensitive breasts, my fingers plucked with purpose, and I climaxed, remembering the intense orgasm from my dream. Panting, I leaned against the wall.

  One day, only one day, and he’d invaded my dreams.

  Between the long shower and fitful night, my morning routine took longer. Unable to speed up despite three cups of java, I managed to take almost an hour on my normal thirty-minute routine. I’d just picked up my trail of clothes from the night before when I glanced at the clock.

  Damn. It was five minutes until noon, I was beyond late by my standards.

  I almost ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, hurrying to hit the code and get set up for the day. Thankfully, our first appointment came in at two.

  I walked in to foreign voices, and stopped a minute before I called out, “It’s Lila, the new girl.”

  “Damn, girl, thought we’d have to open. You always late?” A gnarled guy well past thirty stared at me with beady eyes—snake eyes.

  “Weasel, lay off the new girl, you old goat.” A Hispanic-looking guy with bulging muscles leaned against the doorway. “I’m Rock, the ornery one is Weasel and his old lady, Angel, is piercing a chick now.”

  “Lila.” I frowned, worried I’d messed up already, missed an appointment, not even two days into my new job. “Great to meet y’all.”

  Weasel growled and turned back to the work area, so I moved up front, and Rock followed.

  “Don’t mind Weasel and Angel, they’re always sour.” Rock laughed. “I got enough sweetness to make up for them both.” He winked at me.

  I laughed and scoured the books. “Did I miss the appointment?” I bit my lip.

  “Nah, Angel called me this morning saying a girlfriend of hers needed a piercing, so I came in with them.” He still grinned. “You settled in?

  Don’t miss ENOUGH by Jade Chandler.

  Available now wherever Carina Press ebooks are sold.

  www.CarinaPress.com

  Copyright © 2016 by Jade Chandler

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks so much to the great editors at Carina Press, especially Deb. And it’s been wonderful working with my agent Jessica on this series. There are so many friends I want to acknowledge in helping me get here. My critique partners, you know who you are, have helped me improve my writing and supported me.

  About the Author

  I live in Kansas City with my children and animals in less than organized chaos. From an early age, bad boys piqued my interest as much as the strong women who could meet them challenge for challenge.

  A romance addict, I turned to writing when my own stories refused to stay in my head. A true believer in happily ever after, romance has always held the number one place on my bookshelf, and now my phone.

  If you would like to know more about my upcoming book releases or anything else Jade-related, visit me on my website www.jadechandler.com. Or enjoy my social media ramblings at any of these sites:

  Facebook: www.Facebook.com/groups/1745864482348641/

  Twitter: www.Twitter.com/jadechandlerrom

  Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/14jadechandler

  Goodreads: www.Goodreads.com/user/show/37229091-jade-chandler

  Also available from Jade Chandler and Carina Press

  Jericho Brotherhood series:

  Enough

  Release

  Deny

  Brotherhood Bonds series:

  Bail Out

  Shake Down

  Coming soon from Jade Chandler and Carina Press in the Brotherhood Bonds series:

  Get Away

  Introducing the Carina Press Romance Promise!

  The Carina Press team all have one thing in common: we are romance readers with a longtime love of the genre. And we know what readers are looking for in a romance: a guarantee of a happily-ever-after (HEA) or happy-for-now (HFN). With that in mind, we’re initiating the Carina Press Romance Promise. When you see a book tagged with these words in our cover copy/book description, we’re making you, the reader, a very important promise:

  This book contains a romance central to the plot and ends in an HEA or HFN.

  Simple, right? But so important, we know!

  Look for the Carina Press Romance Promise and one-click with confidence that we understand what’s at the heart of the romance genre!

  Look for this line in Carina Press book descriptions:

  One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

  Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise.

  Find out more at CarinaPress.com.

  Satisfy your desire for more dark, erotic motorcycle-club romance with titles from Jade Chandler.

  Jericho Brotherhood series

  ENOUGH (Jericho Brotherhood, book one)

  RELEASE (Jericho Brotherhood, book two)

  DENY (Jericho Brotherhood, book three)

  Brotherhood Bonds series

  BAIL OUT (Brotherhood Bonds, book one)

  For generations, there’s been a Jackson running Jackson Bail Bonds, and that tradition won’t end on Elle’s watch. But her father would much rather see a ring on her finger than a pair of cuffs in her hands. For Rebel, the Jericho Brotherhood is the only commitment he intends to make in this life and he swore there’d never be a woman on the back of his bike...until he watched Elle Jackson take down a thug with a smile and a Taser...

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  More satisfying erotic romances to fill your desires.

  Read one—or all—of these!

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  Twenty-year-old dancer Abby Williams is shocked when a spark of curiosity and taboo desire have her wanting more from the darkly handsome and commanding Rufus Kingsolver. She’s falling deeper in love with Rufus and the Little/Dom lifestyle, but it’s not long before she comes face-to-face with her darkest fear—judgment from the outside world.

  Daddy knows best, but what if, this once, he can’t protect her?

  PRINCESS BRAT by Brianna Hale

  Throwing tantrums may be childish behavior, but it’s the only way Adrienne Westley feels she can be heard. Bodyguard Dieter Vanderbroeck doesn’t give in to her bratty attitude, try as she might to defy him. With a commanding voice and a firm hand, Dieter’s authoritative tone calls to a part of Adrienne that she’s long kept hidden—and as Dieter begins to unravel her submissive nature, it becomes harder and harder to keep things professional.

  DONE DEAL by Lynda Aicher

  At night, behind the closed doors of the Boardroom, it’s members only. Stripped of their inhibitions, Bay Area moguls are free to indulge their most extreme fantasies, and business becomes pleasure. Never in his dirtiest dreams did CEO Trevor James expect to see Danielle Stables on the guest list.

  ACTING LESSONS by Katie Allen

  When aspiring actress Topher agrees to pretend to be Danny’s newest fling at his family’s Christmas celebration, she doesn’t expect to fall for his scarred but very sexy Uncle James.

  The Luminous series by Stacey Lynn

  DOMINATE ME

  The first time I felt Master Jensen’s presence beside me, I knew he would be the one to show me all the kinky pleasures of Luminous. That I would give my body to him. Begin my journey to sexual freedom at his feet. But when I dared raise my eyes to his, I saw he would get a part of
me no man had had before: my trust.

  “Well done and titillating. Interference from well-meaning friends adds an interesting measure of conflict to the story.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  CRAVE ME

  I know I shouldn’t covet my sister’s ex-boyfriend. She may have wanted nothing to do with his BDSM lifestyle, but I’m a born submissive. And the only place I want to be is under Simon’s command. But he won’t go near me. That leaves me no choice. If he won’t touch me when he knows who I am, I’ll have to come to him in disguise. He’s worth the risk. I’m meant to be his. Now I just have to prove it to him.

  LONG FOR ME

  I’ve seen what happens when you give everything to a man. That’s not what I want. I won’t have my heart crushed in anyone’s fist. Then he changed everything. Him. Bennett Ashby. My boss. Seeing him at Luminous, dressed in leather pants and wielding a whip... Do I crave this? My mind says no, but my body is starting to have very different ideas.

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  Connect with us on CarinaPress.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

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