by Lilly Atlas
There wasn’t a man in the club who would balk at an order issued by their prez. Cop already knew all about Rocket’s past, though he was the only one. The club had an unofficial full disclosure policy. Copper’s policy, really. If a guy patched in, the club would have his back in any situation, no matter what. Something from a man’s past came creeping back around? The MC would be all over it, no questions asked. But that meant full honesty about the skeletons in the closet.
Copper wasn’t afraid of a fight, but he fucking hated surprises. As long as he knew what a man brought to his club from the get go, he’d take it on. So would any of the brothers.
Keeping shit from the prez was the ultimate no-no. “Esposito,” he said.
Copper’s shoulders heaved “Well, fuck,” he said.
“Been hounding me. I turned off my phone, and that’s why Z couldn’t reach me when the club was looking for you.”
Nodding, Copper rubbed his red-bearded chin. His signature I’m thinking move. “Much as I was hoping that fucker got killed in the field, I figured it was something like that. Ain’t like you to flake on the club.”
His laser gaze came back to Rocket’s. Copper didn’t say shit, just to say it. He knew something else was going on. Fuck.
“That’s not why I missed church though.” Rocket cleared his throat.
“It’s the woman, ain’t it?”
He couldn’t help it. Rocket laughed though nothing about this situation was funny. Leave it to Copper to figure out exactly what was going on with his men even when they were trying to be stealthy. And Rocket could do stealth. Copper was just that in tune to the pulse of his club.
“It is.”
“Hmm.” There went the chin stroking again. Lasted about thirty seconds before Copper rested his beefy forearms on the desk and leaned forward. “Ain’t gonna happen again, right?”
Missing church? Fuck no it wouldn’t happen again. He felt shitty enough about it. “No, Cop.”
“And I trust you aren’t doing shit that would endanger the club?”
Rocket swallowed. Did fucking her count? She didn’t have a clue who he really was. “No, prez. I’d never risk the club.” And that was the truth. Chloe would never learn who he was.
“Okay. I’m trusting you on this. I know finding that woman in the violated state she was in fucked with your head. You’re a stand-up guy, Rocket, figures you’d want to make sure she was handling shit.”
Rocket snorted. He was about as far from a stand-up guy as one could get. A stand-up guy wouldn’t lie to a woman to get her to fuck him. No, he was an obsessed guy, not a good one.
“You don’t agree?” Copper raised an eyebrow, a small grin visible through his beard.
A shrug was all Rocket could come up with as an answer to that question.
“You’re a protector. Have been from the moment I met you. Why do you think I made you Sergeant at Arms?”
What the fuck? “A protector?” Rocket nearly choked on the word. “I’m a killer.”
Now Copper was chuckling. Laughing at him. “Yeah, you’ve killed, to protect. Fuck, Rocket, how do you not see this about yourself? When we freed Mav, you were in on it. When we rescued the girls Lefty was selling, who drove them to the shelter? I swear I’d have had a fight on my hands if I told someone else to get the woman from the hotel room.”
Rocket shifted in his chair. This meeting wasn’t exactly going as expected. Receiving the praise and lesson in insight was almost worse than having his ass handed to him.
“You know what it stems from, right?”
Oh, no. Copper wasn’t going to bring up…yeah, he was. Couldn’t the ground just open up and swallow him whole?
“Yeah,” Copper said. “You know. Goes back to Elena.”
“Cop…”
The president shook his head. “Can’t believe I’m telling you this, but shut up. When that buddy of yours from the Marines died in your arms, you took it upon yourself to look after his wife, right?”
That was a time in his life Rocket never revisited, even on his worst days. Damn Copper for exposing that festering wound. His friend’s name had been Evan and they’d been closer than brothers. Even with his death being nearly a decade ago, thinking about him brought a fresh wave of agony.
“Right?” The prez waited with an atypical look of patience on his scruffy face.
“Right,” Rocket growled.
“They’d only been married a few months. She couldn’t live with his death, and killed herself only months after hearing the news, am I right?”
Jesus Christ. Rocket scrubbed a hand down his face as memories of the second worst moment of his life bombarded his brain. The sick feeling he’d lived with for nearly two years following that tragedy returned as well. “You’re right.”
“And you were the unlucky fuck who found her passed out on her bedroom floor, an empty bottle of pills next to her. Ever since then, you’ve made it your personal mission to protect those around you. Never could figure out whether it’s penance for what you think you didn’t catch in time, or just your way of making sure no one you care about gets hurt again. If it’s the first reason, you’re wrong, because that shit wasn’t your fault.” Copper shrugged. He knew he’d never break through Rocket’s guilt over Elena’s death, so he didn’t bother to try too hard. “Makes for a damn good SAA. Also makes you willing to go above and beyond for someone you care about. But if it fucks with club business again, I’m stepping in, hear me?”
Rocket nodded. As he’d been doing for years, he shoved aside the past and forced himself to focus on the here and now. “Heard and understood, prez.” He started to rise. Time to get the fuck out of here before Copper started telling him how handsome he was or some other equally ridiculous bullshit.
“Now, what’s Esposito want?”
Fuck. His ass hit the seat again.
Just hearing the name fall from Copper’s lips had Rocket’s hands itching to wring someone’s neck. “Wants me for a job.”
“You tell him to fuck off?”
“Yeah.”
“And I’m guessing he’s not accepting that answer.”
“Nope.”
“Jesus, Rocket, talking to you is worse than talking to a fucking teenager. Give me something here.”
Seconds ticked by. As much as he trusted and respected his president, he loathed the idea of bringing his personal shit to the club’s doorstep. Taking care of it himself came naturally to him even after years of helping handle the rest of the brothers’ issues. Why endanger his brothers if he could shield them? Huh, maybe he could be a bit of a protector. “Whoever the target is, Esposito wants me for it. Only me. He won’t even consider anyone else. I’ve been putting him off for weeks. Guessing at some point he’s going to turn up the heat. He’s an underhanded fucker who’ll do just about anything to get what he wants. I don’t have any blood family I give a shit about so I’d normally say he’d come after my club family, but he’s not stupid. He’d know that was a fucking mistake. Still, if he’s desperate enough…” Rocket shrugged.
“If he’s desperate enough he might fuck with the club.”
Rocket nodded.
Copper rolled his lips inward. “Okay. What are you thinking? What’s his style?”
“Well, his usual style is to threaten a wife, or kids. Show his face, let you know he can get you whenever. I’ve known him to fuck with people’s finances and shit too. Best guess? He’ll send the local PD sniffing around. Maybe make a few false reports. That kinda shit. Worse case, he goes after an ol’ lady, but I have trouble seeing him take that route. He doesn’t want a pissed MC on his ass.” Truth of it was, if any of the ol’ ladies were threatened, Rocket would go apeshit. He may not be overly chummy with them, but he considered each and every one of his brother’s women family. He’d maim, kill, or take a bullet to protect any of them.
Protective. Copper’s voice sounded in his head.
Two more strokes of his chin and Copper said, “I’m not ready to brin
g the entire club in on this yet, but you need to wrap your head around the idea that you might have to share your past with them if shit gets hairy.”
“Hairy shit. Fucking awesome.” Hence the rat that’d been gnawing at his gut the past few days. His club brothers wouldn’t judge, they weren’t that type, but it was shit he didn’t like thinking about, let alone blabbing to everyone he knew. “I get it.”
Copper chuckled. “Okay, keep me posted and let me know if he’s escalating to the point he wants to take some action. We’ll batten down if we need to.”
“Thanks, prez.”
Copper held out a fist which Rocket bumped his against. “Keep your head in the game, brother.” His tone was grave. “We’ll get Lefty and find a way to let the girl know he’ll never hurt another woman again. I get that you feel territorial and need to keep an eye on her, but don’t cross any lines, get me?”
Too late.
“Yeah, Cop, I get you.” Oh, the lines he’d already crossed. “Any news on Lefty?”
With a shake of his head, Copper said, “No. The fucker can hide, I’ll give him that much.”
The day Lefty died would be the best fucking day Rocket had in years. The club had a contact that owed them. They’d done a favor and were supposed to receive Lefty as payment. Only the damn gangbanger was way too good at living underground. “You know, Cop—”
“Don’t even think about it.”
Rocked grunted. “I didn’t even fucking say anything.”
“Yeah, but I know you. Known you for years. You were about to offer to reach out to some old contacts. Ain’t letting you do that.”
“Cop, I know guys with connections we only wish we had. Guys who could flush Lefty out with less effort than chewing fucking gum.” And he did. His contacts worked, even lived in the shadows. It’s where they thrived. Lefty wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Yeah, and before you could grab your dick, word would get back to Esposito, and he’d have exactly the ammunition he needed to get you to do his dirty work. Ain’t happening. We’ll get Lefty. And we’ll fucking end him. But it won’t happen at your expense.”
“Thanks, Copper.”
“Ain’t a thing, brother.”
Rocket extended his hand across the desk as did Copper. Just as they were about to clasp, Copper pulled back. “Oh wait,” he said. “One more thing.”
Rocket froze, hand in midair. Oh fuck.
The hair around Copper’s mouth parted, revealing an evil grin that had Rocket’s balls shriveling. The next words out of Copper’s mouth were not going to bode well for him.
“Gonna patch-in LJ next Friday. Shoulda happened already, but with all the shit that’s been going on, I put it off. The guys need a party and they need a big one. I’d like you to plan it.”
What. The. Fuck.
“Uh, don’t the ol’ ladies usually take care of that kind of thing?”
His president’s smirk grew. “They sure do. And they’ll be around to help. But you’ll be running the show.”
Narrowing his eyes, he pulled his hand away as he rested back in the chair. Fuck if he was gonna shake the president’s hand now. A punishment. That’s what this was. A damn joke of a punishment. The moment his brothers found out he was acting as party planner the torture would commence. “Shoulda known you wouldn’t let me off the hook.”
Copper laughed. “Sorry, brother. That’s the way it is.”
“Goddammit. All right. You want a piñata? Maybe some pin the tail on the fucking donkey?” He’d take a fist to the face over this damn punishment any day. Copper knew that shit. It’s why he chose the punishment.
Still laughing, Copper said, “You can have your first planning meeting tonight after church. Shell’s rounding up the ladies for you. Have fun, brother.”
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he rose.
“Damn, brother, the look on your face is priceless. I’m gonna enjoy the fuck outta this.” Copper rubbed his hands together like some kind of evil genius enjoying his master plan for world domination.
With a roll of his eyes, Rocket yanked the door open only to find Shell standing there with her fist raised, poised to knock.
“Oh, Rocket, hi!” she said, face splitting into a huge welcoming smile. She stepped in the room. “Hey, hon,” she said to Copper. “How you feeling?”
Copper rolled his eyes and huffed like her attention was a nuisance, but his eyes were soft as they landed on his woman. “I’m good, babe, same as I was an hour ago.”
“Don’t you get sassy with me, mister. I’ve already dealt with one whiny child this morning; I’ll take away your dessert too.” She winked at him.
Copper held up his hands. “I’ll be a good boy. I promise.”
Rocket snorted. Somehow, he didn’t think Copper’s dessert had anything to do with sugar and flour.
“Don’t be too good,” Shell said, her cheeks turning pink.
“All right, I’m out before I vomit.”
Shell grabbed his arm. “Wait. The girls and I can all meet tonight after you guys get out of church. Everyone is so jazzed to plan this party for LJ. Thanks so much for offering to help. We want it to be epic, since he’s been so patient waiting for his patch. Poor guy has been prospecting for almost fifteen months.”
Rocket’s eyes narrowed as he forced himself to nod in agreement.
Copper burst out laughing all over again. Goddammit, this was going to be his life for the next ten days.
“That’s fine, Shell,” he said sounding gruffer than he’d intended. Without so much as a goodbye, he stormed out the office, middle finger held high over his head.
Instead of pissing anyone off, all it did was kick Copper’s laughter even higher.
“What’d I say?” Shell asked, her voice laced with confusion.
“Nothing, baby. Close and lock that door. I got twenty minutes before I gotta get. Plenty of time to get a taste of your sweet—”
The door closed.
For a moment, Rocket looked over his shoulder at the blocked off room. The sound of Shell’s happy giggle followed by a squeal hit his ears. Cop sure seemed to be enjoying his newfound ol’ man status. The notion of having a woman, one woman, who cared about him as much as Shell cared about Copper was so foreign to Rocket, he could barely imagine himself in Copper’s place. Emotionally speaking. Physically? Yeah, he could imagine that pretty well. Closing the door while his woman stalked toward the desk, losing clothing along the way. Maybe she’d drop to her knees right there behind the desk. He could sink his fingers into all that auburn hair as he disappeared between plump pink lips. All the while, those green eyes would drill into his—
Auburn hair? Green eyes?
Shit, his fantasy woman bore a striking resemblance to Chloe.
CHAPTER NINE
CHLOE MANAGED TO trick Scott into hanging around the house for three days. They lounged around in their sweats, ate junk food, and spent more quality time together than they had in years. Of course, during the day she’d had to work some. Her accounting business couldn’t survive without some effort. Clients still needed her despite her plans, but she’d had plenty of time to devote to her brother. On the fourth day, Scott couldn’t stand it anymore, and begged to go hiking.
Hiking, as it turned out, was a fantastic activity for her. Not once did they run into another soul while traipsing through the gorgeous mountain terrain. For the majority of their five-mile trek, they didn’t even speak, just absorbed the peace and quiet of nature around them. Chloe wasn’t certain, because he was even more tight lipped about his problems than she was, but she was pretty sure Scott benefitted from the healing calm as much as she did. Maybe even more.
But now, it was Friday and Scott wanted to check out some festival at a local winery. Since when did her brother give a shit about wine?
“I don’t. You know I’m more of a beer or whiskey man, but I heard from a buddy of mine that the place was worth checking out. So we’re going.” He narrowed his eyes, prac
tically daring her to disagree.
“Okay,” she said. “Sure. Sounds fun.” Hopefully that came off as light and interested instead of dreading every second of what was sure to be a room jam-packed with people.
He strode past her and helped himself to a bottle of water from her fridge. The light gray T-shirt he wore was soaked with sweat from his forty-five-minute run. Chloe watched as he tipped his head back, guzzling the ice-cold liquid. Objectively, she understood why all her high school friends had flocked to her house whenever her big brother was home on leave. He was a good-looking guy. Charming too, when he wanted to be. Of course, as a sixteen-year-old, she’d been horrified and disgusted by her friends’ interest in him. The memories made her chuckle.
“What? Am I dribbling?” He asked wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Yes, but that’s not why I was laughing.” She sent him a sassy grin then drained the last of her own bottle of water.
He rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair like she was still six. “Smartass. What’s so funny?”
“I was just remembering how my girlfriends all went gaga over you back in high school.”
His brown eyebrows wiggled up and down. “Couple of those girls were easy on the eyes too, once they turned eighteen.”
Laughing, Chloe tossed her empty water bottle at him. It bounced right off his hard chest as though the plastic had hit a brick wall instead of flesh. That had him flexing in all sorts of ridiculous poses, making her laugh even harder.
Her heart clenched. Damn, she’d missed laughing. Missed him. Maybe it had been a mistake to isolate herself from her family these last few months. Well, poor choice or not, it’s what had to be done to keep her promise to the man who’d rescued her.
“Oh, hey, I forgot to tell you I won’t be around tonight. There’s a guy I met in boot camp who lives about ninety minutes from here. I’m gonna meet up with him and probably crash at his place.”
Chloe froze. Friday night and she’d be all alone. The unexpected development had her insides twisting. She could do it. Head to the bar, pick someone up, and find some peace.
