Sin Bin

by Maureen Smith

  Meadow nodded.

  Huffing in exasperation, Jess picked up her phone and shot off a quick text to Emily. When the bartender brought their fresh drinks, she winked and blew him a kiss. He actually blushed like a schoolboy. The woman was dangerous.

  When her phone pinged, she glanced down at the screen and laughed. “Told you!” She triumphantly held up the phone so Meadow could see Emily’s text: Dealing with the fuckboy. Be out soon.

  Jess smirked at Meadow. “Happy now?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Now stop being such a mother hen!”

  “Sorry,” Meadow mumbled sheepishly, reaching for her drink. “I was a social worker. I’m hardwired to care and nurture.”

  “Well, you’re not a social worker anymore so stop giving a fuck!” Jess picked up her mojito. “Here’s to us—hell hath no fury like two bitches scorned!” She tapped her glass against Meadow’s and tossed back half her drink.

  Meadow did the same, hoping the alcohol would numb her pain. When her glass was empty, she didn’t object when Jess ordered her another mojito.

  The next time her phone buzzed against her hip, she ignored it and glanced over at Jess, who suddenly looked pensive.

  “I think he’s going to break up with me.”

  Meadow stared at her through a haze of rum and misery. “Why do you think that?”

  “We had an argument,” Jess said glumly.

  “About what?”

  Jess frowned, tracing the rim of her glass with a manicured finger. “Before the boys left for Winnipeg, Dubs and I were hanging out at his house. While he ran out to pick up some food, my mom called. She’s always lecturing me about snagging a rich man, so naturally she’s thrilled about me dating a professional athlete. Of course, she can’t just be happy for me the way Nadia and Scarlett’s moms are happy for them,” Jess grumbled bitterly. “She’s constantly nagging me about my relationship and offering unsolicited advice. She’s super critical of everything I say and do, and she swears I’m going to screw things up and lose Dubs to another woman. When she called that day and started one of her annoying lectures, I wasn’t in the mood for it. I just wanted to get her off my fucking back, so I said sarcastically, ‘Don’t worry, Mother. I’m definitely securing the bag. I’ve got him totally pussy-whipped just the way you taught me.’ Before she could say a word, I hung up on her, and it felt damn good.” She grimaced. “Unfortunately, Dubs overheard everything I said.”

  Meadow cringed. “Yikes.”

  “I know,” Jess wailed miserably. “He was so hurt and angry, Meadow. He called me a gold digger and accused me of using him for his money. I told him it wasn’t like that at all, but he didn’t believe me. He told me to pack my stuff and go home until he’s ready to see me again. And that was the last time we spoke.”

  “Damn,” Meadow said sympathetically. “I’m really sorry that happened.”

  “So am I.” Jess stared broodingly into her glass. “The worst part is…I think I’m falling for him. I never thought I’d say that, but it’s true. He’s not as rich or gorgeous as Viggo, Reid, Logan or Hunter. He’s not the star of the team, the face of the franchise. And you know what? I don’t care anymore. We have so much fun together and he makes me laugh. He gets me like no one else, and he’s seriously the best lover I’ve ever had. If he breaks up with me…” She trailed off, looking even more miserable.

  “Maybe you should try talking to him again,” Meadow gently suggested. “Did you tell him why you said those things to your mom? Does he know about your complicated relationship with her?”

  “He does, but it didn’t matter. He was all up in his feelings, and there was nothing I could say to change that.” Jess swigged her drink, set her glass down and sighed piteously. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that he went to the party. He was pissed off and trying to get back at me.” She glanced sideways at Meadow. “The real question is, what was Logan doing there?”

  Meadow didn’t have an answer. Which was deeply troubling.

  “Would you ladies like to dance?”

  They swiveled their stools around to look at the two guys who stood behind them. One was black, the other white. Both were tall and relatively attractive.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Jess tapped a finger to her lips as she sized up the two friends. The black guy was grinning hard, clearly dazzled by her beauty. When she batted her hazel eyes and flipped her long hair over her shoulder, he practically swooned.

  Suppressing her laughter, Jess leaned over and whispered loudly in Meadow’s ear, “I’ll take the colorstruck brotha and you can have the wigger. If I wanted a lame black guy dipped in white chocolate, I’d just date a lame black guy.”

  Meadow bit back a smile.

  “So do y’all wanna dance or nah?” asked the so-called wigger.

  “Sure, why not?” Jess knocked back the rest of her mojito and launched herself at the black guy, whooping delightedly when he scooped her up and spun her around. “C’mon, Meadow! Let’s par-tay!”

  Meadow downed her drink and slammed the empty glass down on the bar. Then she took the white guy’s hand, letting him help her off the stool and out to the packed dance floor.

  For the next hour she laughed and danced, trying to party her pain away. But the harder she danced, the more she wanted to cry. Even after chugging two more mojitos, the images in her head were as splinteringly horrific as ever.

  When she could no longer keep up the charade, she tapped her partner’s sweaty chest and shouted above the music, “I’m gonna sit down.”

  He frowned at her. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she lied. “I’ve just had enough dancing for the night.”

  “Aw, c’mon, baby girl. Don’t be like that. We were having such a good time, even though you won’t let me get closer.” He smirked. “Do I stink or something? Why the polite distance?”

  “Honestly, I shouldn’t be here. I have a boyfriend.” She forced an apologetic smile. “Thanks for your company.”

  When she turned to walk away, he grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back against him.

  She stiffened with shock. “Let go of me.”

  “Nah, baby,” he laughed, grinding against her backside. “I don’t care if you got a man. I’m not done with this phat ass yet.”

  “The hell you aren’t.” She struggled, trying to pry his arm from around her waist.

  “Yo, stop being such a fucking tease,” he spat angrily in her ear, tightening his iron grip.

  Fear and panic shot through her, fueled by memories of that terrifying night when she’d struggled in her uncle’s arms. “Let go of me! I’m serious!”

  Her shrill voice turned a few heads.

  Jess, who was nearby twerking on the black guy, called out playfully to his friend, “Everything okay over there?”

  “Everything’s good, sexy. Your little friend is just playing hard to get.”

  Jess laughed. “Don’t mind her. She’s just shy and repress—” She broke off suddenly, her eyes widening as she stared through the crowd. “Oh shit.”

  Meadow turned her head, following the direction of Jess’s alarmed stare.

  She froze.

  Logan was here.

  And he looked so furious, she could practically see the heat of his body rippling the air around him.

  Oh shit indeed.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  LOGAN

  * * *

  A fierce, primal rage gripped Logan when he looked across the noisy club and saw some asshole practically mauling his girlfriend.

  The mass of dancers parted as he stormed through the crowd, cutting a determined path toward Jupiter. He could hear people whispering his name excitedly as they pulled out their phones. Someone called out above the pounding music, “Nice goal tonight!”

  He didn’t acknowledge the compliment. Nothing mattered but reaching Jupiter and getting her the fuck away from that scumbag.

  The moment she spotted him, her
eyes flew wide and her jaw dropped. Her dance partner followed the direction of her stunned gaze and froze when he saw Logan charging toward them. A look of shock and fear crossed his face. But instead of releasing Jupiter, he tightened his hold on her waist and whipped her around so that his back faced Logan as he tauntingly rocked against her ass.

  Snarling with savage fury, Logan grabbed the motherfucker by the shoulders, hauled him around and punched him in the nose, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone.

  The guy screamed in pain and fell to his knees, clutching his face as blood poured from between his fingers. Logan delivered a vicious roundhouse kick, the heel of his boot smashing into the asshole’s chest and driving him backward into the crowd.

  Shocked gasps and shouts erupted as the music screeched to a stop and the remaining dancers rushed over to see what the commotion was about. Jupiter stood beside Jess, her plump breasts heaving in her low-cut dress as she stared at him in disbelief.

  All he saw was red. The red of her lipstick, the red of her dress, the red haze of fury swarming his vision.

  “Hey!” someone barked.

  Logan turned to see the guy’s friend hesitantly approaching him. He looked torn between the instinct for self-preservation and the age-old duty to have his boy’s back.

  “Decide quick,” Logan said menacingly.

  The guy gritted his teeth and charged him. Logan grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground, slowly squeezing his windpipe. As the guy’s eyes bulged and he started whimper-choking, Logan smirked maliciously and threw him over the nearby bar.

  Glass shattered. Girls screamed.

  Logan spun just as the first guy staggered to his feet, blood spilling from his nose and mouth. Screaming profanities, he lunged at Logan, swinging his fist wildly.

  Logan blocked the blow with his forearm and countered with a punishing uppercut that knocked the guy out cold.

  He wanted to keep going. He wanted to beat the motherfucker’s face to a bloody pulp. He wanted to kick him in the ribs, stomp him in the gut and crush his organs.

  A hand on his arm had him whirling around, fists balled, ready to pulverize the next opponent.

  But it was Jupiter who stood there, her head tilted back as she glared up at him. “Stop before you kill someone,” she hissed.

  He glared down at her, chest heaving, adrenaline rushing through his veins. “Let’s go.”

  Her chin lifted defiantly. “I came with Jess.”

  “And you’re leaving with me.” With one swift motion, he slipped his arm beneath her knees and picked her up, carrying her through the buzzing crowd.

  She was so shocked that she didn’t protest until they were outside. That was when she started bucking and kicking her legs, demanding to be put down.

  Clenching his jaw, he carried her to his waiting Porsche and dumped her in the passenger seat. As he squatted down to strap her in, she hissed like an enraged cat and swung at him, the blow glancing off his shoulder.

  He scowled before slamming the door and stalking around to the driver’s side. He was so furious he could barely talk as he floored the gas pedal and sped away from the club, tires squealing.

  Jupiter stared at him as he roared down the street, barely missing parked cars.

  “Wanna tell me what the hell you were doing back there?” he snarled.

  “What did it look like?” she shot back. “I was dancing!”

  “Obviously,” he said through clenched teeth. “My question is why? Since when do you go out clubbing and getting drunk?”

  “I’m not drunk!”

  “The hell you aren’t! You’re so fucking drunk you can’t even see straight!”

  She pierced him with a killing glare. “I’m seeing just fine right now.”

  Scowling, he slowed the car to the speed limit and looked at her. Her red-slicked lips looked way too wet and inviting for his peace of mind.

  “What the hell has gotten into you?” he demanded. “I’m the reckless and irresponsible fuckup, not you. What’s going on?”

  “Maybe I’m just taking a page out of your book,” she jeered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? What fucking page?”

  She flipped him the bird and crossed her legs, causing the hem of her short dress to ride up her curvy thighs. He cursed the punch of lust that hit his gut. It made him even testier.

  “How’d you even know where to find me?” she fumed.

  “The bartender recognized you and called me on the way home from the airport. He thought you might be in over your head—and he was right.”

  “What, you have spies everywhere?”

  “Not spies. Good friends who look out for me.”

  “Great. Just great.” She shook her head in exasperated disgust.

  “The next time you wanna go clubbing,” Logan growled, “could you at least call someone other than Jess?”

  “What’s wrong with Jess?” she huffed.

  “She’s a party girl. Not exactly the most responsible person—”

  Jupiter snorted harshly. “Look who’s talking!”

  He scowled. “I don’t want you partying with her, okay?” Hell, he didn’t want her partying at all. Period. End of story!

  She shook her head at him. “You are such a fucking hypocrite.”

  The words hit him like a slap. He hated it when she dropped eff-bombs in anger. It stung almost as much as her accusation.

  “How am I a hypocrite?” he challenged.

  “Oh, give me a break, Logan! You think I don’t know that you and Dubinski went to some party in Canada? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

  Logan’s jaw ticked. He knew that fucking party would come back to bite him in the ass. He didn’t even have a good time. “Nothing hap—”

  “Save it!” Jupiter folded her arms mutinously across her chest, making her breasts pop out even more.

  The punch of lust hit harder, tightening his groin until it ached. Dammit. How was he supposed to focus on the argument when his dick kept sidetracking him?

  Cursing under his breath, he focused on the road, trying to ignore the way her tight dress kept inching up her thighs with the angry swinging of her foot.

  Suddenly she turned in her seat, sneering at him. “On second thought, tell me about the party. I want to hear all about it. You looked like you were having a real blast, doing shots with your friend and cozying up to half-naked models—”

  “I wasn’t cozying up to anyone,” he growled. “Nothing happened at the party.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me about it?” she challenged accusingly. “Why’d you keep it a secret?”

  “I wasn’t keeping it a secret!”

  “You didn’t say a word about it! That’s the very definition of keeping a secret!”

  “No, it’s not!” he argued. “I was gonna tell you. I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. That’s not the same thing as deliberately keeping it a secret.”

  Her eyebrows lifted and then knitted together as if something had confused her. Her high IQ was no match for the liquor sloshing around in her veins. God only knew how much she’d drank.

  Suddenly she unsnapped her seat belt and twisted around on the seat.

  He looked at her. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Getting away from you!” She started to climb into the backseat, her dress riding up her round ass.

  He veered into the next lane. “Jesus, Jupiter! Are you trying to get us killed?”

  She was thrown against him as the Porsche swerved before he righted the wheel. Cursing a blue streak, he grabbed the back of her thigh and snarled furiously, “Sit the fuck down!”

  She flopped back in her seat, arms folded and bottom lip poked out. It was like dealing with a petulant child in tantrum mode.

  “Put your seat belt back on,” Logan barked.

  She didn’t move.

  “Do it before I pull over and do it for you.”

  Scowling ferociously, she buckled her seat belt and th
rew her head back against the headrest.

  And then she burst into tears.

  A dagger of alarm shot through him, causing him to jerk the steering wheel before he regained control of the car and stared at her. “Jupiter? What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head helplessly, tears streaming down her face.

  Guilt slashed through him. “I’m sorry about the party. I shouldn’t have gone. I was wrong—”

  “I don’t care about the stupid party!”

  “Then what’s the matter, baby? Why are you crying?”

  “It’s so fucked up, Logan,” she choked out between sobs. “So fucked up!”

  “What is it?” His voice was sharp with panic. “Tell me what happened.”

  She gave her head another shake.

  “Did someone hurt you? Was it that asshole at the club?”

  She screwed her eyes shut, more tears spilling out.

  When he reached over to touch her cheek, she flinched away from him. Then she dropped her face into her hands and wept harder, her shoulders shaking violently.

  Dread and fear burned the back of his throat. Her anguished sobs were ripping his heart out. He was ready to fuck somebody up. Anybody. Just point him in the right direction.

  He took a deep breath, striving for a calm he didn’t feel. “Meadow, baby—”

  She turned away from him, curling onto her side as she continued weeping inconsolably.

  His heart was banging against his chest. He didn’t know whether to pull over or floor the pedal to get her home faster. He opted for the latter.

  As her sobs quieted into pained whimpers, he whispered imploringly, “Will you tell me what happened? Please, baby?”

  She just shook her head, staring bleakly out the window.

  By the time they reached his place, she had fallen asleep.

  He parked in the garage and sprang out of the car, hurrying around to the passenger side. He unbuckled her seat belt and swept her up into his arms as if she weighed no more than a child. She didn’t stir as he carried her to the elevator and up to his floor, through his front door and down the hall to his bedroom.

  He laid her down at the foot of the bed, unslung her purse from around her neck and squatted to remove her high heels. Then he carefully took off her dress, gulping thickly at the sight of her sexy lace bra and panties. The sweet scent of her perfume rose from her heated skin, making his mouth water against his will.