Zero Hour (A Prequel to Zero Tolerance)

by Autumn Jones Lake

  He shrugs. “You plan to look for another job?”

  “No, I love my job. When they’re not in session, I get to take long stretches of time off or work from home, so it all evens out.”

  I glance over and his eyes are shut. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bore you.”

  “You’re not. I love listening to your voice.”

  “Because it’s putting you to sleep?”

  He reaches over and grabs my hand, settling it on his crotch, all without opening his eyes. “No, because it gets my dick hard.”

  I squeeze him gently through his shorts and he groans. “You definitely need to stay the night. I need to fuck you again in the morning.”

  Impulsively, I lean in and kiss his cheek. “Whoever wakes up first can get to work on the other.”

  “Be prepared to wake up with my face in your pussy.”

  Laughing, I turn over and tuck my arm under the pillow. Behind me, I feel him shift. It’s dark and surprisingly quiet in the clubhouse, but I sense him hesitating or holding his breath or something. “What’s wrong?” I mutter.

  “Nothing.”

  He shifts again, the warm, solid wall of his body snuggling up behind me. His heavy arm drapes over my waist and he pulls me against his body. “You make a nice pillow,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple.

  Who would have ever suspected this giant biker with the impish smile was such a snuggler? I run my hand over his arm and curl into his body, before drifting to sleep.

  Z makes good on his promise and wakes me up at least two more times during the night. The last time, I don’t even bother to put his shirt back on.

  Way, way too early the jingle-jangle of my most obnoxious ring tone wakes me. Worried it will wake Z, I scurry around the room to find my phone and answer it.

  There are about a dozen texts from Sophie. Jesus, it’s not even eight o’clock.

  Sophie: Ben got called into work. Can you take me to get my car?

  Shit.

  I glance at Z and then at the phone. I really don’t want to leave him.

  Which is exactly why I should.

  Me: Give me an hour.

  Wake Z, or just leave? I’m not sure I can handle the thorny morning after talk. Plus, if I stay much longer, I’ll run into Hope and that will probably be awkward as hell.

  As I tiptoe down the clubhouse stairs, I realize there’s something much more awkward than running into my friend.

  Running into Wrath.

  “Morning, Lilly.” He greets me with a big grin on his scary face. His gaze shoots upstairs. “Didn’t want to do the awkward morning talk?”

  “No.” I stop to slip on my shoes. “I have to get home. Something came up.”

  “Sure, sure.” He motions to the front door as if saying I’m free to make my escape. I barely restrain myself from flipping him off. How does Hope stand him?

  Outside, the burly redhead is tinkering with one of the bikes in the garage. My car’s blocked.

  I bet Z did that on purpose.

  “Uh, hi.” I wave to get his attention. “Murphy, right?”

  “Yeah.” He lifts his chin when he sees me. “Hey.”

  I point at my car. “I need to get out.”

  He glances around. “Give me a minute.”

  My phone goes off again.

  Sophie.

  “All right already.”

  “Something wrong?” Murphy asks.

  “Just my friend needs me to take her somewhere and she’s damn impatient.”

  He kicks over the bike and pulls it out of the garage, then moves one of the other cars.

  “Thank you!” I hurry over to my car and ease my way out between all the other vehicles.

  Sophie owes me big time.

  4

  Wedding Fever

  Originally published in Between Embers

  (Lost Kings MC #5.5)

  Lilly

  “Don’t be mad, but I’m driving behind a really pretty girl.”

  “What?” I ask.

  Z repeats the bizarre statement.

  “Did you really call me to tell me you’re out picking up chicks on my best friend’s wedding day?”

  His laughter comes through the line low and rich. If he were in front of me, I’d kick him.

  “I’m driving behind you.”

  “Oh.” My gaze flicks to the rear view mirror, but all I see is a big, black SUV. “Figures that’s what you’re driving. It looks like an undercover FBI vehicle.”

  He chuckles again and this time his laughter melts me like butter. “It’s Rock’s.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I needed to run an errand for him. What are you doing? I thought you stayed with Hope and Trin last night?”

  “I did.” Z had been pretty annoyed I didn’t sneak out and come stay with him. But for once in my life, I chose girlfriends over dick. I didn’t regret it either. “I needed to run out for a topcoat.”

  “What?”

  “Nail polish. For the bride.”

  “Ohhhkay.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Let me get ahead of you, so I can open the gate.”

  I pull my car slightly to the right and he zips around me, flipping his blinker on and turning onto what barely looks like a road. It’s a good thing he found me because I’m not sure I would have remembered to turn here.

  It isn’t the first time I’ve wondered about all the secrecy surrounding the Lost Kings MC. Z’s usually tight-lipped about anything related to the club. Not that I ask a lot of questions. Or that we do a lot of talking.

  But now that one of my best friends is marrying into the club, I’m curious. Hope is a lawyer. And based on the multiple warnings my brother has given me to stay away from Z, the Lost Kings are criminals.

  Alexander—what I call my brother when he’s busy lecturing me on how to live my life, because it annoys him when I use his full name—doesn’t understand that Rock treats Hope like a fucking queen. It’s hard not to be intrigued.

  I don’t want that. I don’t need a man in my life permanently. Just in my bed from time to time. Z has been all too willing to offer those services on what’s becoming a regular basis.

  I park a little way down the driveway—in case I want to leave early. Z parks next to me and opens my car door before I have a chance to grab my bag and purse.

  “Why’d you park all the way down here?”

  “I didn’t want to get blocked in if I need to run out again.”

  He gives me a skeptical look, as if he’s not buying my bullshit. Before I explain further, he extends his hand and I swear to the big stone Buddha statue at the bottom of the hill, I want to swoon. And I’m not a swooner.

  A few seconds later, I want to do something else.

  Z shuts my door, then presses me up against it with his big bulky body. “You have any idea what it did to me last night? Having you under the same roof but not being able to touch you?”

  The minute his body brushes against mine, any self-restraint I’d been holding on to flies away in the sweet autumn breeze.

  * * *

  Zero

  Lilly’s beautiful eyes widen but her body melts against mine. “Tell me,” she says in the same husky tone she uses after we fuck.

  Rock expressed a strong preference that I not bother the girls last night. Since he’s the groom, and my president, I didn’t.

  “It made me crazy.” That’s not a lie, either. It’s been way too long since I’ve had Lilly. Knowing she was here last night under the same roof, and I couldn’t have her, made me half-crazed with lust.

  Tonight’s another story.

  The happy couple will be enjoying their wedded bliss, and I’ll be enjoying Lilly.

  “I forgot the stuff I ran out to get. Fuck,” she mutters, pushing away from me and opening the door.

  Inside, I’m groaning. The way her luscious mouth spits out the word fuck is incredibly hot. Reminds me of the way she says it when she’s riding my dick.

>   I need to make that happen again.

  Soon.

  Like right now. Because having Lilly bent over in front of me while she stretches across the front seat to grab her tiny plastic bag seriously tests my restraint. It’s a battle with my inner horndog not to fit my hands over her perfectly curved hips, yank her pants down and slam into her.

  I’m hard just picturing it.

  She backs out of the car, bumping right into my groin, and pure instinct makes me put my hands on her hips. “Sorry,” she says, straightening up.

  My hands stay where they are. I close the car door and this time press her front to the car, fitting myself against her back. Lifting her thick, heavy hair up, I push it over one shoulder. My lips find her neck and my hips grind against her ass—just enough to tease her.

  “Z, what are you doing?” She can barely get the words out.

  “Preview of what’s going down later.”

  “Oh, really?” she says in her teasing way. “I thought weddings were great for meeting chicks.”

  Slowly, I inch back and turn her to face me. “You’re the only chick I want. And we’ve already met. Several times.”

  She snorts, and I fit my fingers under her chin, lifting her head so she meets my eyes. “I’m not feeding you bullshit, Lilly.”

  Doesn’t she get it by now?

  “What if I wasn’t in the wedding party?”

  “Then you would’ve been my plus one.”

  She drops a little bit of her prickly wall, and leans into me, brushing a soft kiss on my cheek. Before she pulls away, I lift my hands to either side of her head, holding her still so I can kiss her deeper, really taking my time to remind her of all the ways our bodies fit perfectly together.

  A soft moan flows out of her mouth and into mine and her hands go to my waistband, yanking me closer.

  “Something to think about,” I say when we part.

  “I’ll be thinking about it,” she whispers.

  Instead of pushing her into the woods, tearing off her clothes, and fucking her up against a tree, I take Lilly’s hand and lead her up the driveway.

  There’s a wedding to get ready for.

  Inside the clubhouse, I reluctantly let go of Lilly’s hand. After yanking her to me for one last kiss. “See you in a bit.”

  Her cheeks turn a bit pink, which is cute on Lilly. Few things embarrass her.

  Like a lovesick pup, I watch her until she stops at Trinity’s door.

  Sparky and Stash are hanging out in the living room rolling joints. “Party favors,” Sparky says, then falls over into a fit of giggles.

  “Good to see you’re ready for the wedding,” I bite out. They ignore my sarcasm and keep rolling.

  “Idiots,” I mutter.

  “I heard that,” Sparky yells as I run up the stairs. Ignoring the stoner twins, I stride down the hallway and knock on Rock’s door. Well, after tonight it won’t be his room anymore. He and Hope are finally moving into their house. If I were sentimental, I might have some words about that.

  Okay, I’m a little sentimental. It’s the end of an era.

  Am I jealous?

  Maybe.

  Rock’s standing in front of his dresser fixing the knot in his tie. I flick my gaze at Wrath, positive it’s killing him not to poke fun at our best friend for the suit and tie. His mouth turns up in a grin. Twenty bucks says he’s already ribbed Rock about the suit.

  “Ready?” I ask Rock.

  “Fuck yes.” His eyes meet mine, and I sense the briefest hesitation in them. “She’s still here, right?”

  “Oh, Christ,” Wrath mutters. “Cinderella isn’t going anywhere.”

  “Nah, I made sure I locked the front gate after me,” I add helpfully.

  “Thanks, asshole,” Rock growls.

  Satisfied or fed up with the tie, Rock drops his hands and turns away from the mirror. “What’d Loco want?”

  “Oh.” Yeah, meeting up with Lilly had wiped my brain clean of the whole reason I went out in the first place. I yank an envelope out of my pocket and hand it to Rock. “Wedding present. I think he was insulted he didn’t get an invite.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” he curses under his breath, grabbing the envelope and setting it on the dresser without opening it. “With the crews we have coming in, that’s all we would have needed.”

  Imagining that scenario makes me laugh and Rock glares at me. “What? Come on, that’d be some funny shit.”

  “More like Loco would be trying to make deals with everyone behind our backs,” Wrath says.

  Rock doesn’t even turn around. “Exactly.”

  “He’s already got something set up with Sway.”

  “Yeah, can you imagine him trying to work a deal with Stump?” Wrath’s mouth curls into a smirk. “That old bastard would probably shoot Loco.” He chuckles as if he’s reconsidering inviting Loco up.

  “I don’t want anything going wrong today.” Rock’s so damn tense. When he’s not looking, I make a what the fuck face at Wrath.

  “Hope imposed a no sex before the wedding thing on him,” Wrath explains.

  Rock glares at him. “Shut up.”

  Well, that explains it. I take a more serious look at my best friend. I’ve known Rock since we were teenagers. Was there for his first shitshow of a marriage.

  “You did good, Prez. She’s a keeper,” I say to reassure him. Just in case.

  He responds with a brief smile. “Don’t I know it.”

  The three of us have been friends for a long damn time. Before the club. And we love to joke around, razz each other, and generally act like obnoxious fucks. But Rock turns to both of us with a serious expression. “Thank you for everything. I know I’m throwing a lot on both of you today—”

  Wrath isn’t one for all the feel-good shit. “Anything you need. You know that, brother.”

  Rock’s phone buzzes. Thank fuck. For a second I thought we were all going to kick back and pluck our eyebrows together.

  “Shit,” Rock grumbles, looking at his phone. “It’s Damon. Can you go meet them down the road and show them the way here?”

  Eager to get out of here, I’m saying yes before he even finishes the sentence. Wrath stands to join me, but I stop him. “I got it, bro.”

  He flips me off. Happy to have something useful to do, I hustle out the door.

  * * *

  Lilly

  “I’m back,” I call out as I enter Trinity’s room waving the bottle of topcoat in the air.

  “Thank God,” Trinity says, rushing over to take the bottle out of my hand.

  No one asks why I took so damn long. Good thing, because I’m too busy reliving my moments with Z. He seemed different somehow today. Do guys get fluttery romantic feelings at weddings the way some women do?

  Guys like Z? Doubt it.

  I certainly don’t.

  I’m thrilled for Hope, but I’m not standing here mentally picking out flowers and designing a wedding dress.

  While Trinity paints Hope’s nails, I duck into the bathroom to slip into my bridesmaid dress. Hope’s been a fun, un-fussy bride. She let us pick out whatever we wanted, didn’t expect elaborate parties, or any other bridezilla nonsense. The wedding really is about the two of them and their love for each other. Even someone as jaded as I am finds it sweet.

  Once I’ve secured my boobs and zipped my dress, I step out in time to watch Trinity fix Hope’s hair.

  We indulge in a lot of pre-wedding banter until it’s time for Z to come collect us.

  Other than trading in his jeans for a pair of gray cargo pants, he looks the same as always.

  “You didn’t dress up for the wedding?” I tease as I follow the girls outside.

  “Sure I did.” He grins, pointing to his pants and flashing dimples.

  Z’s drives Hope, Trinity and me to the wedding site. Heidi’s with Murphy. Teller gets Mara. When Hope first explained the wedding was happening at the clubhouse, I thought she was nuts. But as we maneuver through the woods in the UTV,
I understand why. It’s beautiful.

  I can’t imagine the trouble Trinity must have gone to setting this up. Guilt simmers over me for not being a better bridesmaid.

  We park and Z helps Hope out. She and Rock meet and, well, they’re in their own little world. Wrath meets Trinity and asks where Heidi and Murphy are. Somehow we lost them along the way.

  Z walks up and offers me his hand. “Hey, pretty girl.” His low, smooth voice does all sort of inappropriate things to my insides.

  My voice fails me, and I realize I’m staring at him like an idiot. Finally, I reach out and take his hand, and a jolt of awareness heats my body.

  He sort of dips his head, almost like a shy gesture. Z’s anything but shy, so I’m intrigued. “You’re…that color’s beautiful on you. You look amazing.”

  His words come out so serious that again, I’m at a loss for words.

  “Were you guys drinking this morning?” he asks as we join the others.

  “No. Why?”

  “You seem off.” He leans in close to whisper in my ear, “And because I need you fully sober for all the things I plan to do to you when this is over.”

  Our eyes meet and he winks.

  He takes his place across the aisle from me, leaning over to say something in Wrath’s ear. The big blond chuckles softly and nods.

  * * *

  Zero

  “Twenty dollars says they’re fucking before this thing’s over,” I say to Wrath in a low voice when I join him on Rock’s side of the aisle.

  He shakes with laughter and nods, but doesn’t respond. He’s too fixated on Trinity. Probably thinking about what kind of wedding she’ll arrange for them.

  My gaze drifts to Lilly. Fuck, she ripped the air right out of my lungs when I saw her this morning. She’s prickly, though. Probably have to trick her into marrying me.

  The ceremony’s over quick. Boxes of butterflies are passed around, and everyone releases them into the air.

  I’ve really had my fill of all this girly shit. But based on what I’ve seen some of my cousins go through with their wives, I suppose it could have been a lot worse. Rock’s a lucky bastard.