by Jen Davis
For a moment her heart stopped. Then it started racing.
MANDY was written in thick, bold print across the expanse of his back. Each letter looked to be the size of her palm, and the word stretched over his shoulder blades.
Distantly, she heard raised voices echo from the next room. Kane was pissed; Scott sounded like he was mocking him. But she couldn’t focus on their words.
How long had he had it?
Why? Why would he do such a thing?
Even as she asked herself the questions, she knew the answers.
He loved her. He’d always loved her. Even when she broke his heart. Even now. She knew it like she knew her own name. Like she knew the sun would rise every morning and set every night. Kane Hale was as constant as the northern star. And she was so very ashamed she’d ever doubted him.
The club was not who he was, and even if it took time for him to figure it out, she knew it now. She’d wait.
When he returned to the room, the full-frontal view wiped out all ability to think. There were no tattoos on his torso, only muscular pecs and washboard abs, both dusted with dark hair. His dick hung heavy between his legs, all signs of arousal gone, but still impressive.
His gruff voice snapped her attention up to his face. “I’m so fucking sorry. He should have never spoken to you like that.” His eyes darkened. “Or seen you like this.”
Crap. She was naked too. At least the blanket covered most of her. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known what would happen.”
He grunted as he bent over to grab his underwear off the floor. “There’s no excuse.”
Why was he getting dressed?
“I have to go.” He buttoned his jeans, then sat beside her on the bed and took her hand. “God knows I’d rather stay here with you.”
So, do it.
He sighed. “But there’s club business I need to give my attention.” His scowl softened the longer he stared at her face. “You look so right, here in my bed. You belong here. With me.”
Damn right she did.
“Stay as long as you want.” He let go of her hand, then dropped a silver key into her palm. “Scott can’t let himself in anymore; I want you to have this. Be here any time. All the time. We’re going to figure this all out, Mandy, as long as we do it together.”
The image of her name on his back flashed through her mind, and her fingers curled around the metal in her palm. “We’ll figure it out,” she whispered.
He gave her a small smile, then stood and covered his beautiful chest with a T-shirt. “My brother is waiting outside. I’ll call you, okay?” His gaze raked over her one more time, and he strode out of the room. Moments later, she heard the door close behind him.
This wasn’t going to be easy. Nathan was going to be an issue. Scott. The club. Her father.
But they would figure out how to deal with it all. Together, they would find a way to put all their demons behind them.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kane
Scott had an obnoxious smirk on his face when Kane walked out of the apartment. Like he took pleasure in forcing him out of bed with his girl.
Where was the guy who gave up two months of Saturdays to help him rebuild his engine last spring?
“You’re an asshole.” The idea he had to ride bitch behind his brother only made his irritation burn brighter, which was quite a feat, considering how pissed he felt walking away from a naked Mandy.
They’d been so close to making love this morning. He’d had no doubt she’d wanted him. Her body had been so wet and welcoming. She’d looked at him the same way she did the first time they were together.
She was right fucking there, and Scott had to ruin it.
He growled as he climbed on the bike behind his brother, and the bastard had the nerve to laugh.
“Stop whining, man. It’s only pussy; it’s not like you can’t hit it later.” Scott fired up the engine and pulled out onto the street. The wind and the purr of the motor made talking impossible on the way to the clubhouse, but once they arrived, Kane had plenty to say.
“You enjoyed being a blowhard back there. You’ve never liked Mandy. You made it clear back in the day. You probably cheered in the hospital waiting room when she dumped me.” He shoved at his brother’s shoulder as he climbed off. His adrenaline still needed an outlet after the shit her ex pulled at the work site.
“Aw, fuck you. You always put that gash before your family. Who put your sorry ass back together when she dropped you like yesterday’s garbage? Me.” Scott stalked toward him on the sidewalk. “Hell no, I don’t like her. She’s a rich, entitled cunt who thinks she is better than everyone else. Everyone, including you.”
He cocked back his fist, ready to pound Scott’s mouth shut, but his arm was caught in an iron grip.
“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Cue Ball rumbled, “but y’all need to stop. We’ve got work to do.”
That’s right. Malcolm had insisted on a club meeting, but Scott hadn’t said why. He relaxed in his friend’s grip. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”
The rest of the crew already sat around the table when they walked into the chapel.
“So glad you could join us,” Malcolm muttered. “Now, let’s call this meeting to order.” The low rumble of chatter died. “My son and I have been talking about the intersection of our two current business ventures and how one could impact the other.”
Thank God. Malcolm was finally taking his warning seriously.
“We’ve been running guns for the Russians for a while now, and though business there isn’t what it used to be, it’s a relationship I feel we should maintain. I’ve been thinking over the best way to do it, and Scott had an idea.”
Scott? Aw, fuck.
“We should offer to keep selling our guns to Ace and his crew.”
Kane shook his head mutely. This was exactly what they shouldn’t do. Unfortunately, no one cared what he thought. He cursed himself for not taking the time to talk to each and every brother ahead of the vote, try to convince them one on one. At least this time, his vote would be heard. “I vote nay.”
A dozen heads swiveled sharply in his direction.
“Why not, brother?” Cue Ball tilted his head. “Sounds like a win-win.”
“Because Sergei doesn’t want us in the drug business.” He turned to Frank. “He made it very clear during our last run.”
“You think so, Frank?” Scratch asked, stroking his long goatee.
Frank shrugged uncomfortably. “I didn’t really hear much of what he said. I was checking out the guns when he talked to Kane.”
His face heated. “You questioning my word, Scratch? Since when have I ever lied to you?”
Now it was the older man’s turn to look uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat. “No, I’m not questioning your word. I’m only wondering if you really understood him right.”
Bullshit. “I understood him fine.”
Scott smiled and opened his arms wide. “Even if it’s true, Sergei is a businessman. When we sell his merchandise and give him the money, he’s not going to care where it comes from. Profit is a great motivator.”
“You’re wrong.” Wrong and pigheaded. “I vote nay.”
“It’s a yay for me.” Malcolm’s voice was ice-cold.
“And a yay for me,” Scott echoed.
The other guys shifted in their seats, clearly torn in their allegiance.
“I vote nay,” Cue Ball said quietly.
“Nay,” echoed Frank.
Scratch cleared his throat. “The word of my president is enough for me. Yay.” Every other man followed suit.
“The yays have it.” Malcolm grinned. “Kane, reach out to Ace. Extend the offer.”
“No.”
Everyone froze. No one told Malcolm no; moreover, no one worked against a club vote. This was no small transgression. He had just given the middle finger to a very sacred code.
Scott banged his fist on the table. “You’re back with you
r ex-bitch for five minutes, and you’re already turning your back on your brothers. Where’s your fucking loyalty?”
His fingernails dug into the wood. “This is loyalty. I love my brothers. I’m not going to be the reason a single one of them ends up dead.”
Scratch scowled. “You were outvoted, son. You’ve got no right to make decisions for the rest of us.”
“I won’t do it.” Damn the consequences. He was no fool…there would be consequences. “I’ll be out back. Y’all do what you have to do.”
He walked to the carport, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. This was a clear violation of club rules, and he’d have to pay the piper. The wait wasn’t long.
Scratch barreled out the door, fists clenched at his side. Kane dug his hands in his pockets and tensed his muscles against his friend’s punch to the gut. The guy fucking pummeled him, cursing after each hit until the next guy stepped in to take his place. Pete was up after him. Then Joe.
Every member of the club had the right to take a pound of flesh, but it seemed Scott was the last one in line. Kane expected him to smile when he threw his first punch, but his brother didn’t look happy at all. In fact, with each hit, his face grew more somber. He stopped at three, though he could have easily claimed more. Kane slid to the ground.
“Why can’t you be on my side?” Scott murmured. “I love you, man.” Shaking his head, he walked away.
Kane curled up, letting the warmth from the space heater wash over him. Everything hurt, but honestly, he’d expected worse.
What really threw him was the look of betrayal on his brother’s face a minute ago. No one could make him mad the way Scott could. For fuck’s sake, he’d been ready to deck the guy less than an hour ago. Still, he had no doubt his brother loved him. But Scott wanted a blind kind of devotion he couldn’t give. Loving someone didn’t mean you agreed on everything.
For Scott, though, love meant loyalty and unflinching faith. At the end of the day, he knew it was the root of his dislike for Mandy. Scott was jealous. It was one thing to share his brother with the club, but with a woman? No way.
It hadn’t been an issue for a long time.
He closed his eyes for what could have been a few seconds, a few minutes, or an hour before a deep voice prompted him to open them again.
“A ballsy move in there, brother.” Cue Ball’s big black shit-kickers took up his entire field of vision. “You’re lucky you’re still in one piece.”
He took the man’s proffered hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The world spun momentarily around him. “I was only trying to protect the club.”
His friend ran a hand over his bald head. “I understand, but it’s not how things work here, and you know it.” Cue sighed. “You look like shit. Let’s go get you cleaned up.”
He staggered toward the house, his mind moving faster than his bruised body. Tonight made it very clear his club would not see reason. If they kept blindly following his brother, it would be a disaster for everyone.
He knew what he had to do.
***
Amanda
The ride back to her condo gave Amanda plenty of opportunity for reflection. Her thoughts mostly centered on the almost-sex she had this morning and the view of Kane in all his naked glory afterward.
He could be hers again. He might be already.
She was still reliving it all when she pulled into her garage and found her father leaning against the trunk of his BMW, arms folded and crossed over his chest.
He stood up straight. “Where have you been?”
She sighed. “None of your business, Dad.” Walking past him, she headed toward her building.
He followed a half-step behind but didn’t speak again until they were inside her condo. “I saw Nathan this morning. He looks like he was hit by a truck.”
“Good.” She eyed the bathroom door. A shower sounded like heaven. Her feet had to be disgusting after walking around barefoot all morning.
His eyes widened. “Good? Are you stupid? He’s out for blood. Yours and mine, thanks to your knight in shining armor.”
She wasn’t sure how she still managed to be surprised by her father’s lack of interest in her well-being. “Sorry I wasn’t thinking about your run for governor while he was trying to choke me to death, Dad. I’ve always been selfish when it comes to breathing and everything.” With another longing look toward the shower, she then turned her attention to the kitchen. She hadn’t eaten in twenty-four hours.
“Always so dramatic. Nathan was not trying to kill you.”
With a dull laugh, Amanda unwound the scarf of Kane’s she’d donned in the car. The evidence of Nathan’s attack was an unmistakable palate of purple and black bruises around her neck. “Dramatic?” she deadpanned. “Get out, Dad.”
He froze for a fraction of a second, staring at her battered skin. Then, he continued his rant. “He says you were unfaithful to him while you were together. You couldn’t just keep your legs closed for a few months?” He paced the room. “He said you were slumming with one of the men on your crew.” He stopped, realization dawning in his eyes. “Kane Hale.”
She pulled a loaf of bread from the top of the refrigerator and started assembling a roast beef sandwich. No chance she was going to hash out her relationship with her father for the umpteenth time.
She got as far as spreading the mayo when her dad stepped into her space. “What is it about a piece of garbage like him you get so enthralled over? Tell me. There are hundreds of white-trash, blue-collar fortune hunters out there. Why this one? And for God’s sake, why now?”
She tossed the butter knife in the sink and lifted her chin. “Fortune hunter? You really think so? Kane doesn’t give a good goddamn about your money. He never has.”
“Of course not. He only wants you for you.” Her father’s voice dripped with derision. “Why else would he latch onto a woman he has absolutely nothing in common with?”
“Nice to know you think my connections are the only reason a man could want me.” She piled the deli meat onto the bread and took a savage bite.
“I’m sure your loose morals didn’t hurt either,” he sneered.
She forced herself to swallow before she choked. “I am a grown woman. Who I sleep with is none of your concern. I don’t ask where you stick your dick, Dad, and frankly, I don’t want to know.”
“I wish I had the same luxury. Unfortunately, your actions reflect directly on me, and I will not have you regressing back into a relationship with a thug you should have outgrown a decade ago.” His eyes blazed fury. “Kane Hale will rue the day he tried to enter your life again, you hear me? I am going to absolutely annihilate him. There will be nothing left of his life to put back together when I’m done.”
“Dad.” She dropped her sandwich back to the napkin on the counter and followed him as he strode to the door.
“No.” He looked at her over his shoulder as he turned the knob. “I’ve given you every opportunity to make something of your life. An education. An introduction to the right kind of people.”
“The right kind? You mean the rich kind. The kind who could help you with your aspirations. It never mattered if they were snobs or bigots or bullies. It never mattered if they talked down to me or got too handsy behind one of the potted plants.” Her voice climbed. “Because it was never about me. It was always about how it could benefit you. It’s probably the only reason you have me in your life at all. To use as a tool for your gain.”
“How dare you? If anyone is a user in this relationship, it’s you, darling.” He drawled the endearment with malice. “You made no secret you preferred your mother and Charlie’s family to this one. Their home was the only place you wanted to be. The only thing I was ever good for was my money.”
“That’s not—”
“Not true?” He laughed. “Whose money solved your little criminal’s legal problems all those years ago? Who bailed out your precious Charlie’s pathetic company? Dear old Dad. The s
ame one who used you as a commodity. The same one who doesn’t care whether you live or die. How do you reconcile the knowledge with your image of me, I wonder?” This time when he turned the doorknob, he pulled the door open and stepped out. “I meant what I said. Hale’s life as he knows it is over. He thinks he knows what it means to suffer. His suffering has only just begun.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Amanda
Amanda couldn’t force herself to finish her sandwich after her father left; the taste had turned to sawdust in her mouth. She texted Kane, then finally trudged to the shower.
The hot water was a balm on the tense muscles of her shoulders. Resting her palms against the wall, she lowered her head, allowing the spray to beat over her back.
Her confrontation with her dad had left her shaken. She had no doubt he’d meant every word he’d said. The part where he questioned her loyalty was par for the course. He’d always been paranoid she loved Charlie more than him.
What really worried her were his threats against Kane. He already had something in motion after his meeting with the Skulls’ rival biker guy. Now, who knows what he would do? He had the money and influence to do almost anything. His only limit was his imagination.
She turned to relax on the built-in bench, then massaged the soap over her feet. The time in the water had already made inroads into the dirt, but rubbing her thumbs over the pad of one foot, then another, comforted her. By the time she finally felt clean, her fingers had started to prune.
A quick check of her phone showed no response from Kane when she got out. So, she slipped into her favorite pair of flannel pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt before tumbling into bed for a nap. She didn’t wake until a knock sounded at the door.
Her chest tightened as her first thought flew to Nathan. Then, she remembered she’d told Mickey to take him off her white-list. Her father sure as hell wasn’t coming back. Only one possibility remained. “Kane.”
When she threw open the door, the tight feeling in her chest came back with a vengeance. Yes, it was him, but it looked like her father had already made good on his promise.