by K. A. Ware
“She’s never gonna change if we’re always coming to her rescue,” he bit out.
I’d promised Chains and my dad I wouldn’t say anything, but I had to prepare Jester for what he was walking into, and now that Harley knew, it was just a matter of time before the truth came out. “It’s not her normal bullshit. Chains is sick, she just found out.”
“Sick?” For once, Jester’s voice gave away his concern.
I blew out a breath, looking up at the dark sky. “Cancer. It’s bad, and she’s taking it hard.”
“Fuck.”
“Pretty much.” There wasn’t anything else I could say to make the reality less painful.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Jester just grunted and hung up on me. I’d have to buy him a beer or twelve for his trouble.
Forwarding the location Harley had sent while I was on the line with Jester, I shoved my phone back in my pocket and walked back inside. Rabbit and Stella weren’t at the table, but I could hear them arguing in the kitchen.
“You’ve got to stop saying shit that gives us away.”
“Calm down. I forgot okay? Why don’t you just tell him the truth?”
“Because telling anyone could get us killed!”
I wanted to keep listening, but Stella didn’t respond, and I heard footsteps approaching. Grabbing a couple of plates from the table, I headed toward the kitchen.
Rabbit almost ran right into me as I rounded the corner. “Oh hey, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Everything okay?” she asked, taking the dishes from me and setting them on the counter.
“It will be.”
“Who’s Harley Mae?” Stella asked as she rinsed off a plate at the sink. When I didn’t respond right away, she looked over her shoulder at me and rolled her eyes. “I saw the name on your phone when she called, so who is she?”
“My president’s daughter. She got in a car accident, needed some help.”
“Oh God, is she okay? Do you need to go?” Rabbit asked.
“She’s fine. Jester’s going to get her.”
Rabbit’s nose crinkled. “The big one that grunts more than he talks?”
I nodded. “That’d be him.”
“We should do this again,” Stella said suddenly. I didn’t miss the deer in the headlights expression that flitted across Rabbit’s face.
“I won’t ever turn down a home-cooked meal,” I said, flashing Stella a smile. She grinned back, enjoying making her sister uncomfortable about as much as I did.
“How about Thursday? That way Fin doesn’t have to rush off to work.”
I shook my head. “Can’t, I’m leaving for a run Thursday, won’t be back until late on Friday. We’re having a cookout at the club Sunday though. You’re both welcome to come.”
Rabbit shifted her weight from one foot to the other, eyes bouncing between Stella and me. “I don’t know, that could get kind of crazy, right?”
“I’ve got plans Sunday,” Stella said at the same time. “You should go though, Fin. You might even have fun for a change.”
“I have fun—” Rabbit started to argue, but Stella raised a hand, stopping her mid-sentence.
“Don’t even start with me, all you do is go to class, study, and work,” Stella said, snapping a dish towel in Rabbit’s direction.
“It’s a family party, might get a little rowdy after the kids clear out, but nothing too wild,” I offered.
“I’ll think about it,” Rabbit said, giving me a tentative smile. “But right now, I need to get ready for work.”
“Right, I’ll leave you to it,” I said, turning to Stella. “Good to meet you, Stella, dinner was delicious.”
“Thanks, it was nice to officially meet the guy that’s got my sister all stupid,” she said with a wink.
“Okay, that’s enough. I’ll walk you out,” Rabbit said, grabbing my hand and pulling me away.
Laughing, I let her guide me out the front door and down the steps to the driveway. Using my grip on her hand, I swung her around and into my arms. I’d been dying to feel her body pressed against me all night, but she’d managed to keep her distance during dinner.
To my surprise, she snaked her arms around my neck and pulled my head down as she rolled up on her toes. Our mouths came together hard, teeth knocking, but I didn’t care. It had been weeks since I’d been inside her and I was going crazy. From the way she pulled on my cut and rubbed her chest against mine, I wasn’t the only one in need of a release.
Pulling away, I rested my forehead against hers. “Startin’ to feel like the only time I get to taste those lips is when I’m saying goodbye.”
She let out a little laugh. “Yeah, ah, things have been busy.”
“Got shit to do this week, but you workin’ Friday?” I asked, my thumbs stroking the soft skin just above the waistband of her jeans.
“Always.”
“I’ll pick you up after your shift.”
She pulled away further, tilting her head back to look up at me. “I thought you had a run?”
Leaning down, I kissed her again, not able to help myself. “I’ll be back in time,” I said, swinging a leg over my bike.
“If you say so.”
Securing my helmet, I grinned. “I do, and pack a bag, I’m not taking you home after.”
“What, I can’t—”
“’Night, Rabbit,” I said, kicking the bike to life and effectively drowning out her protests. If I didn’t give her the opportunity to object, she couldn’t say no.
I’d learned that things worked in my favor when I didn’t give Rabbit a choice. I just hoped it wouldn’t blow up in my face.
Fourteen
FINLEY
With my last final in the books and nothing to do but wait for grades to come out, I collapsed on my couch Thursday afternoon to get in some serious Netflix binging. I was halfway through the new romantic comedy everyone seemed to be talking about when my phone buzzed from somewhere beneath the pile of blankets I’d cocooned myself in.
As soon as I saw Sierra’s name on the screen, I wished I’d left the phone buried. “I don’t care who didn’t show up, I’m not coming in for a mid-day shift,” I said as soon as I put the phone to my ear.
“Ness?” she asked, and then I heard her cover the phone and yell at someone in the background. “Somebody get her some fucking ice. Her eye is swelling shut!”
That got my attention. “Sierra, what’s going on? What happened?”
“It’s Amanda.”
“Who?” There were so many girls that worked at the club and I never called any of them by their real names. I racked my brain trying to figure out who she was talking about.
“The new girl, Emerald. She came in all fucked up. She won’t let me call the cops she said something about her mom’s boyfriend, but she won’t stop crying long enough to tell me what happened. I don’t know what to do.”
“Shit, I’m on my way. Don’t do anything until I get there.” Kicking off the blankets, I rushed up the stairs and into my bedroom in search of shoes. It wasn’t the first time a dancer came into the club busted up, but Emerald was so fucking young, it somehow seemed worse.
My phone buzzed again as I was climbing into my car. Opening the message from Sierra, tears instantly clogged my throat. It was a picture of Emerald’s face, her eye swollen and already starting to turn a sickly purple color. Her bottom lip was twice it’s normal size, split down the middle and bleeding. I wanted to murder whoever hurt her.
Pulling out of my driveway, I headed for the club, trying to calm down my growing temper. Emerald reminded me so much of Stella. Logically, I knew that I was projecting my feelings about my sister onto her, but I couldn’t stop the need to protect her from settling in my gut.
Without thinking too much into the why, I opened my contacts and pressed the call button for the only person I thought could help.
Baz answered
on the second ring. “Rabbit?”
“Hey, are you still in town?” I asked, my voice wavering at the end.
“Yeah, we don’t leave for a few hours, everything okay?”
I sighed, suddenly questioning whether I should’ve bothered him with my problems. “Not really.”
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” He sounded worried, which honestly surprised me. It shouldn’t have, he’d made it clear that he cared so why wouldn’t he be worried?
“No, not me. One of my girls. The new one I told you about? She came into the club beat to shit. She won’t let anyone call the cops, and I don’t know what to do. She’s just a kid, Baz.”
There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line, and I heard him calling for someone before he came back. “Where are you?”
“On my way to the club, the girls called me when she got there. I don’t think she had anywhere else to go,” I said, merging onto the highway.
“Alright, I’ll meet you there.”
I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to do about the situation, but the fact that he would drop everything to help wasn’t lost on me. “Thank you.”
“Haven’t done anything yet, babe.”
“You answered, that’s enough.”
There was a long pause on the other end, and I thought for a second he’d hung up. “Anytime,” he finally said just before the line went dead.
I stared out the windshield trying to figure out when Baz had become the person I called when I needed something as I drove the rest of the way to the club.
From the look of the picture Sierra had sent, Emerald wasn’t going to be able to work for weeks, and since she wasn’t twenty-one, we couldn’t even put her on a serving shift until she healed up.
There weren’t any bikes parked in the lot when I got to The Doll House, so I pulled around the back and headed in through the employee entrance.
Walking into the dressing room was like walking into a circus. Music was blaring, dancers were in various stages of undress, and everyone was talking at once. I caught sight of Emerald in the corner, her head down as she hugged herself. Sierra was nowhere to be found, but there were at least five grown ass women going about their business. The fact that a beaten girl was crying in the corner and no one was even trying to comfort her made my head want to explode.
“Everyone out!” I shouted, making eye contact with whoever I could. Girls scattered, grabbing their things and heading for the door.
Gwen, the blonde bitch who’d had her crotch in Baz’s face the week before, scoffed from her perch in front of the far vanity. “Fuck you. This is a dressing room, not a fucking therapy session. I need to finish my make-up.”
My mood had darkened on my drive to the club. The shit with Emerald had dredged up some seriously bad memories, and I was a hairsbreadth away from snapping.
“You do not want to test me today, Gwen. If you don’t get the fuck out, I’ll drag you out by your shitty ass extensions.”
The bitch opened her mouth but shut it when I took a step in her direction. “Whatever,” she said instead. Grabbing her clutch, she stomped out of the room—the rest of the girls scurrying after her.
When they were gone, I pulled up a chair next to Emerald and took her hand. “Wanna tell me what happened?”
She sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve. “My mom’s boyfriend found my stash of tips. Got pissed that I hadn’t told him about it like I fucking owed his junkie ass or something. It’s not like I could just hand over the rent money, they would’ve spent it on pills.”
“I thought you said your mom hurt her back?” I asked.
Emerald curled even more into herself. “She did, a few years ago. We couldn’t afford the surgery she needed, so she just kept taking pills to get through the day, ended up getting hooked on them. She fell at work six months ago and hasn’t been able to go back. They’ve been running through the workman’s comp payments and not paying the bills, that’s why I had to get a job.”
“Fuck. He went after you when he found the money?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. The tips were mostly in ones, so he put two and two together. Creepy fucker tried to get me to dance for him, when I refused, that’s when he went after me.”
Shit, her situation was way more fucked up than I’d originally thought. “Where was your mom?”
She wiped at her tears, wincing when her fingers brushed across the tender skin around her eye. “Passed out in the other room.”
“Jesus. Did he—”
A loud knock at the door pierced the moment. “Rabbit, you in there, babe?”
Emerald’s head jerked up, and she looked at me in confusion.
“Yeah, come in,” I called out, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Baz walked in flanked by Jester and a tall, lanky guy I didn’t know. The two men hung back by the door while Baz approached us, his eyes taking in the scene.
To my surprise, he didn’t greet me. Instead, he squatted down in front of Emerald and crooked a finger under her chin, lifting her face so he could examine the damage. “What’s his name, sweetheart?”
Emeralds eyes flashed to me and then back to Baz. “Ah, Joel. Joel Harrison.”
“He live with you?”
She nodded once, her lips trembling as she tried to hold back fresh tears.
Baz sighed and shook his head, his face solemn. “Gotta ask, babe, did he rape you?”
I glared at him for being so blunt, but he ignored me.
She shook her head. “No.”
Baz narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to decide if she was lying. “Got an address?”
Emerald looked to me, and I nodded for her to go ahead.
She rattled off the address as Baz typed it into his phone. “What are you going to do?” Emerald asked, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Teach him some fucking manners,” the lanky one said as he paced in front of the door, his fists clenched at his sides.
I shot an alarmed look Baz’s way. The guy looked like a loose cannon. “That’s Z, he doesn’t take too kindly to men who lay hands on women,” he said. Turning to Emerald, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We’re just going to help him move out and make sure he doesn’t bother you again, okay?”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “He’ll just come back.”
“Not likely,” Jester said, speaking for the first time. Unlike Z, Jester was standing stock still, his arms crossed over his massive chest. The two men couldn’t be more different. While Z was all manic energy and crazy eyes, Jester was stone cold, his face completely blank.
Leaning down, Baz planted a kiss on my forehead. “I’ll call you when it’s done.” Offering one last nod to Emerald, he turned and left, his brothers following on his heels.
“Was that your boyfriend or something?” Emerald asked when the door closed behind them.
I blew out a long breath, headed for the tequila stash in my locker. I had a feeling we were going to need it. “Or something.”
“Are they going to…” Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. “You know what, I’d rather not know.”
“You and me both,” I said, popping the cork off the bottle of Patron and handing it to her.
Fifteen
BAZ
“Not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy teaching the fucker a lesson, but when did we start doling out retribution for strippers?” Jester asked as we climbed off our bikes at the clubhouse.
Z had split off to run an errand after we finished taking care of the tweaker that had roughed up Rabbit’s dancer. It hadn’t taken long. Joel wasn’t as tough when he was facing three full-grown men instead of a scared teenager.
Pulling my helmet off, I ran a hand over my buzzed head. I was exhausted, and there wasn’t any time to catch some shut eye before the five-hour ride south. “We’ve always handled our own. Nothing’s changed. Finley’s mine, if she’s got a problem, I’ve got a problem.”
&
nbsp; “Is she though? Because from what I’ve seen she’s been pretty vocal about not having any attachments to you.”
“It’s complicated.” I was already over the conversation, but Jester had other plans.
“Never seen you run toward complicated before, brother.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged, leaning against his bike and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “Just tryin’ to find out where your head’s at.”
I mirrored his position and lit a cigarette of my own. Jester had been tiptoeing around me for weeks. If he needed to make peace with something, I’d rather it be before the run. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”
“I’m worried you’re too caught up in a piece of ass and not seeing clearly. We’re supposed to be prepping for a run that could change the entire future of the club, and you’ve got us out here playing knight in shining armor.”
“She’s not a piece of ass,” I growled.
“Then what is she? Because you haven’t claimed her as your old lady so the way I see it, she’s just a distraction.”
Mine. She’s fucking mine.
When I didn’t respond, he continued. “And brother, I know you don’t want to hear it, but the truth is distractions get people killed. You’re about to be sittin’ at the head of the damn table, you’ve got enough on your plate without trying to break in an old lady who doesn’t want to be an old lady.”
I hated that his words held some truth. Rabbit was fighting me every step of the way, so why was I so intent on making her mine?
Because she’s worth the effort.
Dropping my half-smoked cigarette to the pavement, I pushed off my bike and ground the cherry out with the heel of my boot. “Appreciate your concern, brother, but I’ve got it under control.”
“I hope so,” he said, unmoving.
Not wanting to fight, I let it go and headed for the clubhouse. If Jester wanted to worry about crap that had nothing to do with him, he could do it alone. I had shit to do.
