by Blue, Jayne
“Fuck that,” I said. “No deal, Bailey.”
“I thought that’s what you’d say. I told him as much. But it’s my duty to run it by you.”
“I think it’s time for a trip to the mayor’s office,” Colt said.
Bailey put up his hands. “And I think the less I know about club politics, the better. To be honest, that’s not the most pressing matter I came here to talk about today.”
He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a folded stack of papers. His lips formed a thin, grim line. He slid the papers over to me.
I took them and read the top. “Son of a bitch.”
I threw them on the table. Colt picked them up and read what I had.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Colt said. “Christy’s suing for full custody?”
I wanted to reach across the desk and strangle Bailey. I knew it wasn’t his fault but logic wasn’t really winning in my brain.
“This lawyer who filed on her behalf,” Bailey said. “He’s a Cleveland power player.”
“Cleveland?” I said. “Last I heard Christy was in Fort Myers or somewhere.”
“No,” Colt said. “But the Hawks have a chapter in Cleveland. I’d bet the bar on the fact they’re bankrolling this.”
“Maybe,” Bailey said. “That’s something I can put an investigator on.”
Any icy pit formed in my stomach. Pieces started falling into place. “This drug charge ... it’s all part of this. That was the setup.”
“Could be,” Bailey said. “This was filed as an emergency motion. Luckily the judge up here wasn’t willing to give it to her without a full hearing. Someone in that courthouse was looking out for you. When’s the last time you heard from Toby’s mom?”
I shook my head. “It’s been over a year. I send her pictures on his birthday. She calls every once in a while. But she hasn’t seen Toby in almost two years and even then it was from a distance. I don’t think he’d recognize her if he saw her on the street.”
“That’s all in our favor,” Bailey said.
“This is just meant to rattle our cage,” Colt said. “Somebody’s trying to prove a point that they can get to us on every level. We need to stay calm.”
“Calm?” I said. I kicked the chair beside me. “You wanna tell me how calm you’d be if they came after Cam and Carly? No. Not if. When. I was an easy target because Christy’s weak. She’s always been money hungry. I guarantee you somebody offered her a big payday if she went through with this.”
“So we give her an even bigger one to go away,” Colt said. “Whatever it takes. Because believe me, I’m not letting you or any other member of this club get hurt like this. We protect our own. No matter what.”
“Look,” Bailey said. “You boys have a lot to talk about. I’ve got my marching orders. No plea deal. Like I said, no promises, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the prosecutor’s office comes to their senses independently on this one. I’ll be filing a motion to suppress. I’m pretty sure I’ll win. Then there’s no case. We’ll set up a meeting to go over the strategy on Christy’s custody motion in a few days. For now, sit tight. Don’t do anything you’ll have to explain to a judge later. Okay?”
I waved Bailey off. Colt thanked him and shook his hand. I couldn’t see straight.
Colt walked Bailey out, leaving me stewing in the conference room.
When he came back, I’d calmed down a degree, but I still felt like a bomb about to blow.
“Bailey’s right,” Colt said. “All this shit can be managed. Nobody’s taking your kid, Joker.”
I turned on him. “You’re damn right. Colt, I swear to God. You know what I’ll do before I let that happen.”
He put a hand on my shoulder. “You won’t have to. The day you got that patch, this club made you a promise. One I intend to honor. We take care of our own. No matter what. I don’t care if it’s the chief, the mayor, the Hawks, your gold-digging ex ... whoever comes at us. They’ll lose.”
It should have made me feel better. On some level it did. Then I thought of Toby. That poor kid had suffered through enough in his young life. It hadn’t been easy for the two of us, finding a rhythm, finding our way together. He still cried himself to sleep sometimes, wondering why his mother didn’t care enough to be there to tuck him in.
I would not let anyone hurt that boy. Even if I had to kill to protect him.
“Look,” Colt said. “You’re wound pretty tight. Why don’t you go take a ride. Blow off some steam. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want you around the bar tonight. I know you. You’re liable to vent your frustrations with your fists. That’s the last thing we need right now.”
“Colt …”
He gave me a hard stare. “I’m not asking, Joker. I’m telling you. Consider it an order. Get the hell out of here. Where’s Tara tonight?”
Shit. Tara. With the bombshell Bailey dropped about Christy, I’d lost track of time.
“I, uh ... I’m supposed to meet her. I’m already late.”
Colt smiled. “You know, we don’t win any points with them for that shit. Go on. Get the hell out of here. Amy’s got the kids covered. Toby’s fine with her.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I mean it. I don’t know what Toby and I would do without Amy.”
“She loves it,” Colt said. “And she loves that boy of yours almost as if he were her own. Never mind the club protecting our own, Amy’s one fierce warrior queen. Christy should be more scared of her than anyone.”
Things finally felt a little lighter in my heart. My phone vibrated. Colt excused himself as I pulled it out to answer.
Shit. It was Tara. I was later than I thought.
“Sorry, baby,” I texted back. “Club business ran a little long. Give me about twenty minutes to change and I’ll meet you at the reception. How did the ceremony go?”
The cursor blinked for a moment. When it came, her answer made me smile.
“Bloody awful. Boring. And the whole time I couldn’t stop giggling at the bullet I dodged.”
“Got it,” I texted back. “I’m glad you dodged that bullet too. Gimme twenty. I’ll be right there.”
“Don’t change,” she said. “Come just how you are. Wear your cut. Because fuck it.”
That got an outright laugh from me. I gave her a thumbs up and slid my phone back in my pocket.
It was just a ten-minute ride out to Hidden Hills Golf Course. The wedding reception was being held in their ballroom. I got a strange look from the red-jacketed valet as I rode up on the Harley. Tara hadn’t asked for that, but if she wanted to make waves, this would do it.
“Er ... sir ... perhaps you’d like to park on your own?”
I slid down my sunglasses. “Yeah. That’d be best, Jeeves.”
He gave me a sour look and pointed a white-gloved hand toward an empty parking space. I took it and hung my helmet. My boots clomped on the sidewalk as I made my way inside.
A string quartet played in the corner. The whole place was decorated in twinkling white lights wrapped around fake trees.
The bride and groom sat at the head table. She was pretty enough, but in a superficial way. She looked like some pageant queen. I half remembered Tara telling me that’s exactly what she was.
An usher wearing attire that matched the valet came to me.
“Sir,” he said. “Do you have your invitation?”
“I’m here with a date,” I said, glowering at him. A few of the guests at tables near the door noticed me. A wave of murmurs went around the room.
I laughed to myself. I felt like some reverse Cinderella and knew that was exactly the effect Tara wanted.
Then I saw her. She walked ... no ... she glided across the room in a light-blue dress that hugged her every curve. It was tight through the waist and her gorgeous tits nearly spilled out the top. She wore her hair piled high on her head with little crystals pinned throughout.
She was the princess. And she outshone every other woman in the room.
“He’s with me,” Tara said, smiling. She said it loud enough that the tables nearby heard her. She thought they were staring at me. They weren’t. It was all about her.
I realized at that moment how badly I wanted her all to myself.
Tara came to me. Even in her killer silver heels, she had to go up on her tiptoes to reach my cheek. I leaned down to kiss her and put a hand on her waist.
“Sorry I’m late,” I whispered.
“No,” she said. “You’re right on time.”
The band struck up a slow song and couples took to the floor.
“Dance with me,” she whispered.
“All night long if you want,” I said.
I slid my arms around her waist. Tara blushed as I twirled her around the floor. She wasn’t expecting it. No one was.
“My goodness,” she gasped. “Joker. You’re good at this.”
“My grandma had a studio back in her prime. I know a box step.”
The crowd made way for us. All eyes were on Tara. I turned her, wanting to shield her from it. God, more than anything I wanted to take her into a back corner and run my hands all over her curves in that dress.
To our left, the bride and groom took to the floor. Windham stared hard at Tara. I read the look in his eyes. It was pure jealousy and I wanted to smash his damn face in for it.
“Is this what you wanted?” I asked, hating the edge in my voice.
Tara was mine.
The truth of it slammed through me. She didn’t belong here. These people didn’t know her. I wanted to tear her away and keep her safe.
“Joker?” she asked.
The music stopped. Tara’s breast heaved from the exertion of the dance. She blushed.
“If you want to stay, I’ll stay. But if you want …”
“No,” she gasped. “Get me out of here.”
With the whole crowd and Brian Windham watching, I pulled Tara against me and kissed her for all I was worth.
Chapter Fourteen
Tara
It happened so fast. I hadn’t gone looking for it. If anything, I’d done everything I could to avoid it. But then Joker Smith came blasting into my life. He upended my heart. Now, I wanted nothing more than to give him my body and soul.
“Tara?” Ruthie stood with her mouth hanging open, a champagne glass in her hand. “We’re just about to get together to give Em a toast.”
Ruthie’s eyes darted to Joker. He had his arm around me. Warm, solid, strong. What the hell was I doing here? I looked around the room. I’d been an idiot for so long. There wasn’t a single person in this room except for Laney who really cared about me. Who I could call a true friend. Everyone else was someone I stayed in contact with because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do.
I told Joker I felt like I’d dodged a bullet. It was more than that. Life with Brian Windham would have been like standing in front of a speeding freight train waiting to get clobbered.
He was looking at me from across the room. Even with his arm around Emmaline, Brian eyed me. His face had gone sheet white.
This was insane. Unhealthy. And I was done.
“You can do it without me, Ruthie,” I said. “I’m clocking out.”
“What?” she said. “Tara, you can’t just leave. What will people think?”
I went up on my tiptoes. Joker gazed down at me. That slow smirk lit his face. He kissed me, leaving Ruthie gasping. I did a fair amount of that too.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Ruthie called after me. I waved a hand behind my head and we walked out of that god-awful ballroom and out to the parking lot.
“I’ll give them one thing,” I said as the night air hit me. Late October, and summer was finally giving way to fall. “There’s magic in that sky tonight.”
A crystal-clear sky revealed a blanket of stars. Out on the golf course, with no light pollution, you could see billions of them.
Joker pulled something out from beneath his leather cut. I giggled. He’d snagged a bottle of champagne from the cart by the kitchen door on the way out.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go have a toast of our own.”
It was perfect. He was perfect. Joker led me to his Harley. I had to hike my dress up past my hips to straddle the seat. Then I straddled Joker. Heat pooled between my legs.
I wanted him. I wanted this. I only wished we hadn’t waited so long.
Joker took the golf cart trails, skillfully dodging the sprinklers as they sprang to life.
“Where are we going?” I shouted above the roar of the engine.
Joker didn’t answer. The course was deserted this time of night. It was as if we owned the place. Joker found a spot high on a hill but shaded by a cluster of pine trees.
He cut the engine and dismounted. Offering me his hand, I slid off the bike. My heels sank into the dirt. I kicked them off.
“What if someone catches us?” I asked.
“No one’s paying attention,” he said. “All eyes are on the ballroom. The Windhams spared no expense. Plus, I know the guy who owns the course. He’s a friend.”
“Hmm,” I said. “You trying to tell me I’m not the first bridesmaid you’ve kidnapped and brought out here?”
Joker’s wicked smile sent a shiver of pleasure through me. He popped the cork on the champagne. I laughed as the spray of foam nearly hit me. He handed me the bottle. I took a long, slow sip. The alcohol warmed me. But I burned for Joker.
He reached into the pack on the back of his bike and pulled out a thin blanket. He spread it on the ground.
“You come prepared,” I said.
“Always, baby.”
We sat on the blanket and looked up at the stars.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“This. The Windhams. I feel like I’ve been holding onto the past for no good reason. It felt familiar. Safe. I don’t know. Brian was the last guy I dated that my mother knew.”
“Did she approve of him?”
I shrugged. “Honestly? Not really. She didn’t say as much but I could tell.”
“Smart lady,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to know her.”
Emotion overcame me. I turned to Joker. I cupped his jaw with my hand and found his lips. His rough stubble scratched my chin. His leather vest creaked as he turned to his side. The length of our bodies touched.
I loved the feel of him pressed against me. My core heated. Joker’s hand went up my thigh. He found the slit in the dress. He slid his hand between my legs. I opened for him as if on command.
He found me wet, wanting. I moaned against him as Joker wasted no time hooking a finger under the crotch of my satin thong and slowly dragged it down.
“Yes!” I gasped. God yes. I wanted him more than any other man I’d known.
“Baby,” he said. “You have to know. I want you to be mine.”
My eyes snapped open. His flared darkly, with lust and a promise.
“Yes,” I said again.
Joker rose. He pushed me gently to my back.
“I want to look at you,” he said. “God, you’re beautiful. You know how hard it was for me not to tear that dress off you the second I walked into that ballroom?”
I arched my back. My hips undulated for him, unbidden. I was made for this. Made for him. I knew it in my heart.
“Take it off,” he said. “Or I swear to God, I will rip it off you.”
Oh, I wanted him too. I wanted him to make me his. I’d do anything for it. A sinfully wicked thought flashed through my mind. I would have ridden through the streets naked on the back of his bike like some kind of Lady Godiva if that’s what he wanted.
Anything. Everything.
I rose slowly. Joker stayed on his knees as I took a step back. I turned. Joker reached up and slid my zipper down. The dress shed from me.
I turned again to face him. I wore nothing but a white lace bustier, my thong, and white thigh-highs.
&n
bsp; “Fuck,” he whispered. “My God. You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. You have any idea what I’m going to do to you?”
“Tell me,” I whispered. My arousal growing.
“On your knees, baby,” he said. “I want to look at you.”
I did as I was told. I went down on all fours as Joker rose. I arched my back and spread my legs, waiting for his next move.
He was sure and skillful when he made it. He tore off my thong with one swift flick of his wrist. I shivered. He ran a finger up my slick folds. There was no denying my lust for him now. He tasted it on his fingers.
He reached around and slid a hand down the front of my bustier. He dragged the thing down so my breasts popped out. The stays held, so my tits were pressed high. He tweaked one nipple and I gasped.
Joker took my chin and turned me so I met his lips. With the other hand, he stroked my clit until I started to move my hips, begging for him with my body.
“So beautiful,” he said. “Look at you.”
I sucked his finger as he explored my mouth. He worked me everywhere. Circling a thumb over my sensitive bud. Tweaking my nipples each in turn until they ached with pleasure and formed long, hard peaks.
I’d never been like this for anyone. So wanton. So wild. So free. So unbelievably turned on. I didn’t know sex could be like this. Better than anything between the pages of the spicy romance novels my mother used to hide under her bed.
“Come here,” Joker whispered. He helped me up, turning me so I knelt before him. The moon shone behind his right shoulder, giving him a shimmering halo. But this man was built for sin. Sweet, sexy, toe-curling sin.
He slipped his leather cut off his shoulders and tossed it to the ground. I slid my hands up his thighs. His jeans bulged. I worked his zipper, sliding it carefully down.
He sprang free in front of me and my eyes went wide. He was so big. So hard. So thick and long. My sex pulsed with anticipation.
He tested me with his fingers, sliding two in, then three, stretching me a bit.
Joker pulled his tee-shirt over his head. I let out a gasp. It was the first time I’d ever seen him like this. I slowly rose.
