by Amelia Shea
“Glad to see ya learned your lesson.”
Jack laughed. “Well, I like my balls, darlin’.” They enjoyed a chuckle while Phoebe remained clueless. Her confusion was caught by Carla, who hooked her thumb at Jack.
“First time he came in, he snapped his fingers to get my attention.”
Phoebe widened her eyes.
“Told him he ever did it again, not only would I kick his ass out, I’d slice off his testicles with the butcher knife from the kitchen.”
Jack burst out laughing and turned to Phoebe. “The sexy women are always the craziest.”
Carla smirked. “What’ll it be?”
Phoebe opened her mouth, but she was cut off by Jack. “Two burgers, rare, double fries, and make ’em well done. None of the green shit on mine.” He turned his head. “You want anything else?”
Yeah, I want my salad. She glanced up at Carla. “I’ll take the green shit with mine.”
Carla snickered, writing it down on her pad. She grabbed the menus and turned to the counter.
“Double fries, huh?”
He grabbed his water, taking a sip and twisting his lips. “Ya ain’t gonna keep your ass eating salads.”
“You’ve got a point, Jack.”
He eyed her and furrowed his brows, setting his glass down. “Ya got a great ass, you wanna keep it.”
She curved her lips and nodded.
Lunch was amusing and enjoyable, as she knew it would be with Jack. He had stories upon stories, most she didn’t quite understand, but the way his face lit up as he told them, she wouldn’t ask questions.
Jack reached for his wallet and opened it up. His face turned a bright shade of red. His temple pulsed, and the lines in his forehead thickened. “Son of a bitch,” he shouted, gaining the attention of the whole diner. He tossed his wallet on the table.
“What’s wrong?” Carla rushed over, darting her gaze between them.
“Someone’s been swiping twenties from my wallet. Motherfuckers, bet it’s my boys. Those little shits.” His anger was increasing by the second.
Phoebe reached out and grasped his hand. He attempted to yank it away, but she gripped him tight, forcing him to look at her.
“I got money, Jack, it’s no big deal.” Her plan to calm him backfired. He ripped his hand from her hold, and his face hardened.
“I’m fucking paying,” he shouted with a menacing glare.
Carla inched closer. “Kase set up a tab, remember? It’s covered.”
“I pay for myself, don’t need a little fucker paying for my meal,” he snapped, and the rage built in his eyes.
Phoebe clamped her lips and tossed down a twenty and a ten. When Jack eyed her, she shrugged. “Not often I get to buy lunch for a biker. Let me do this.” She smiled, which only seemed to flame his fire. Shit.
Jack’s condition was easier to read. Phoebe had yet to see an aggressive side with Jack. It all changed a minute ago. Diffusing the situation was necessary, though she had no clue how to. A quick glance to Carla showed she wouldn’t be much help either.
He jerked his head to Phoebe. “Let’s go,” he ordered, and for reasons unknown to her, she followed. It was a feat to keep up with him as he stormed down the street. Leaving him alone in his irate state was not an option. She softly jogged, catching up to him.
He turned and swung open the glass door. “Get inside.”
She hurried in and glanced around. She hadn’t been inside the MC’s parts store, but she’d seen it from outside. Jack stalked forward, grasping her wrist tightly, and she was forced deeper into the store. The last thing she needed was a confrontation with Kase. She glanced around, noticing a few members rally at the counter. When she locked eyes with Gage, she smiled and raised her brows. He seemed confused and started toward Jack.
“What’s up, Prez?”
Jack whipped around at the smiling blonde and glared. “Where the fuck is Kase?”
Phoebe drew in a deep breath, prepping herself for the shit show that was about to happen. Gage straightened, eyeing Jack with a thoughtful smile. It was obviously not the first time he’d dealt with Jack’s outbursts. Gage lifted his chin over his shoulder and called out to the back.
“Kase, man, need ya out here.” Gage sighed and cocked his lip, smiling at Jack, but she read the hesitation in his demeanor.
Kase walked out from the back flanked by Rourke and Dobbs. He slowed his steps when he caught sight of Jack, and then his gaze locked on Phoebe. His eyes darkened, and his cheek twitched, but he kept his steady pace, stopping at the counter.
“What’s going on, Pop?”
Jack lunged forward, and Phoebe gasped. He didn’t make contact with Kase, who hadn’t even wavered.
“You been lifting cash from my wallet again?”
Oh, this is bad. She had seen the signs when speaking with Jack, but she was getting a full-eye view of how bad off he was. For Jack, he was set in another time, in years past. It was heartbreaking. She shifted on her feet, glancing down at the linoleum. It was incredibly awkward, and her face heated, wanting to be anywhere but there.
“No,” Kase answered in a calm and neutral tone.
She glanced up through her lashes. Kase was intently watching his father with a strained tightening of his features. She couldn’t even imagine going through this with her own father.
“Fucking liar,” he snapped and reached back, grabbing her wrist and pulling her next to him. “Had to have her pay for my fucking meal ’cause of you lying degenerate thieves.”
She bit her lip, refusing to look at the men. She curved her neck and whispered, “Jack?” He turned with rage blazing in his eyes. She forced a smile. “It was my treat.”
His brows twitched, and his lips turned down. “I pay for you, that’s the way it is.” He tightened his grip on her wrist and turned to Kase. “Give her the fucking money you stole from me.” It was a command.
She dared a glance through her lashes and saw the heated anger in Kase’s eyes. She was prepared for him to shout and yell at Jack. Instead he reached to his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, tossing two twenties on the counter. He remained silent.
Jack watched him and shook his head, giving her a reprieve on her aching wrist. He slapped his hand on the counter and grabbed the cash before placing it in her palm. He turned, not saying another word, and walked out of the shop.
She waited until Jack breeched the door. The air in the room was thick. She didn’t have much experience with the disease, but she figured she was getting a first-hand look at one of the side effects. It was a horrible scene all around. It was sad and frustrating for Jack as much as it was for Kase, she assumed. She didn’t bother looking at him. She stepped to the counter and put down the money. Even across the counter his heated anger resonated. She needed to get out from his crosshairs. She turned and started to the door.
“Take the money.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “It’s fine, I don’t mind paying.”
His brows dented, and the lines in his forehead deepened. “Take the fucking money.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Kase, it’s fine.”
His jaw clenched. Maybe she should have just taken it and left. While she enjoyed her banter with him, it was not the time or place.
He grabbed the cash and circled past the counter, charging over to her. He grabbed her hand and shoved the bills into her palm. “Take it. Made it fucking clear, want nothing from you. From what I hear, you fucking need the money.” His sneer was intended to hurt. He’d succeeded. He stepped back and pointed over her head. “Told ya to keep your ass clear of my old man.”
Phoebe bit back a harsh retort. She drew in a deep breath and silently counted. It was a ridiculous tool she’d learned from the anger management class. For Kase’s sake, she needed all the help she could get from not exploding on him. His aggression stemmed from Jack’s condition. She needed to focus on it and calm the hell down.
She swallowed a breath. “I was sitting a
t the diner, and he sat down with me. I didn’t invite him, but I certainly wasn’t about to send him away.” She glanced around his men, who were solely focused on her. “I tried to help when he got upset at the diner, but…”
She flinched when he stormed forward, leaving a small gap separating them. He leaned closer. “I don’t need your help. Don’t need your land. And I sure as fuck don’t need you in my bed.” His lips curved in a sinister smirk. “Take your help, your property, and your offer to fuck you, and get the hell outta my store.”
She gasped. A burning, prickled heat rose from her neck to her face. Humiliation had its own special blush. It was a horrific combination of twisting belly, pounding heart, and crimson heat spreading over her entire body. She breathed solely through her nose, flaring her nostrils because her teeth clenched down so hard it would have taken a crowbar to part her lips.
It was Arnett all over again. Punch him in his fucking mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced her fingers to stretch. She hadn’t realized they had balled into tight painful fists. While she had compassion for Kase’s situation with his father, he took it to extremes in his efforts to not only embarrass her in front of half his club but strike her with his sharp tongue.
Unleashing on him would have been easy. Walking away took maturity. She was a thirty-two-year-old woman who had learned her lesson. If Arnett could see me now. She turned and slowly walked toward the door, aware of everyone looking at her. An awkward chill raced over her flesh. Then she heard him.
“Cunt.”
She halted in mid-stride a few feet from her escape. Had she not heard the hushed remark, she’d be halfway to her car. I heard it. It was too much to let go. She turned and slowly walked back to the counter. Kase had stood on the opposite side, glaring at her through his hooded gaze. She slapped her hand on the counter.
“I don’t need your money, Kase, and I certainly don’t need you or anyone airing my business. You think you know about me?” She raised her brows. “You don’t know shit, but feel free to fucking ask ’cause as I’ve mentioned…” She leaned closer and squinted. “I am an open fucking book.”
His brows knitted, and his nostrils flared. He may not like the scene she was stirring. Then he shouldn’t have started it. She cocked her head.
“All ya gotta do is ask.” She pointed to her chest. “Me. Ask me, Kase.” She snorted and glared around the room, receiving harsh scowls from the members. Fuck them.
“I got everything I need to know.” He sneered. “You get the fuck outta here.”
She scoffed. “You don’t have shit, Kase. The only thing you have is you turned me down for sex.” She cocked her head and smiled. “But not for a little finger-banging in the back room.” If he wanted to out their shit, she would lay it all out for their audience. “That’s the best you got? I’m drunk on whiskey and come on to you and you turn me down. Am I supposed to be upset?” She had been, but after his two outbursts, she considered it a blessing in disguise. She pressed her hands on the counter and raised up on her toes. “Newsflash, sweetie, I’m not.” She snorted and was damn proud it came out as confident as it sounded. I wasn’t sure I could pull that off. She leaned closer. “Let’s put everything out there. Sound good?” she snapped and stepped back, smiling. “I’m Phoebe Shaw, thirty-two-year-old widow. I’m currently over forty thousand dollars in debt with a horrendous credit rating.” She cocked a brow. “Not my debt. That came courtesy of my husband. Apparently, he had a flare for wining and dining women before he fucked them. Son of a bitch even died in the bed of one of his whores.” She snickered. “It’s like a freaking Greek tragedy, huh?” She drew in a deep manic breath. “That’s what I’m paying for, Kase.” She laughed. “Yep, I’m the stupid, gullible, unknowing wife who was at home working her ass off while her husband was out racking up credit and fucking anything with two legs.” She glared at the brothers, aiming her stare on Kase. “I’m sure you all have mad respect for him.” She caught the small shift in his features. Surprise? She huffed a breath and shrugged. “Here’s another fun fact, Kase.” She pinned him with her stare. “Shaw is my married name.” She cocked her brow. “I used to be Phoebe Ross. Ring a fucking bell, asshole?”
She watched him intently for clarity to strike. Had she blinked, she would have missed it. Luckily, she was focused on Kase, and when his lids lowered and the corner of his eyes crinkled, she knew he understood fully.
“You wanna know something about me, Kase? Ask me.” She drew in a breath and raised her brows. “Don’t be a little bitch and ask my brother.” She turned quickly and stormed out in complete silence.
****
Never in his life had anyone dared to call him a little bitch. It took every ounce of restraint and two brothers not to go after Phoebe. Gage grasped his stomach and pulled him toward the back. It was all too much at one time, first his dad, then Phoebe. He was on the edge of losing his shit. Who the fuck did she think she was coming at him? And fucking Carter? He pulled away from Gage’s hold and stormed to the warehouse, heading toward the back door. He threw his shoulder into the steel door, sending it flying open wide. He yanked his phone and hit speed dial.
Motherfucker.
It rang twice. “Ross.”
Kase gripped the phone in his hand. It would take a miracle for the plastic not to break. “Your fucking sister?”
There was a moment of silence. “You stay the hell away from her.” The warning was sharp, however, not firm enough to cover the wavering concern in his tone.
Kase sneered and grinned with a manic snarl. “She lives next door, brother. I got easy access. Maybe you should have mentioned she was your sister from the start.”
“You lay one finger on her, Kase, and I will come for you.”
Kase laughed with zero ounce of humor. “You threatening me, Carter?” He sneered and gripped the phone. “You knew exactly who she was when I asked you, motherfucker. Putting your own in my hands, that’s on you, asshole.”
“You stay the fuck away, Kase.” It was a threat.
Kase smirked and mounted his bike. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.” He hung up before Carter could say another word. He started his engine and headed back to the clubhouse.
The ride seemed longer than ten minutes, and did nothing to calm his nerves. Phoebe was Carter’s sister. How the fuck did this get past him? He’d known Carter for years, and never once did he mention any family. Hell, Kase thought the asshole might be raised by wolves. He gripped his handlebars and started up the driveway. It took great effort not to glance over at Phoebe’s property. Who the fuck cared if she was home? He pulled into his spot in the front, and his gaze was drawn to her house. There was a small light in the front of the house, and her car was parked in the driveway out front. He slammed his helmet down and started to the doors.
The hallway was quiet with a low sound of music playing in the background. He stopped at the doors and glanced around the bar.
“Where’s Jack?” he asked.
Nadia glanced up from the bar. “Dobbs built him a fire out back.”
He eyed the brothers, who were watching him. Kase nodded and glanced back at the hall. He rolled his neck and gripped the edge of the bar. He was feeling way too fucking old. The scene with his dad had been a disastrous clusterfuck. He should have handled it better. And Phoebe? Fuck her and that fucking mouth.
He dragged his hand through his hair, feeling the stress of everything take over. Finally settled in Ghosttown, his stress level should have decreased. He pulled out a cigarette, setting it between his lips, and glanced around the room. A few brothers were scattered around the bar and the tables near the stage. One of the girls was working the pole, grinding her ass against the metal, and had slipped off her top. I need a distraction. How long had it been? For a man like Kase, a few weeks without sex was unheard of, especially when his house was crawling with eager and available pussy. The redhead on stage smiled and locked her gaze on him. One flick of his head and he’d be balls deep in minutes. All
he had to do was give her the sign to approach.
He jerked his head away and stared down at the bar. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Nadia placed a glass in front of him. He glanced down.
“Go hang with your dad, Kase.”
He gritted his teeth and glared at Nadia. Most of the women knew better than to tell anything to him. Nadia had a way of making it sound as a suggestion. Her small smile was warm. She lifted her chin to the back hall, and then she turned away, making her way back to the other end of the bar. How she wasn’t someone’s old lady, he didn’t know. Actually, he did. Nadia wasn’t interested in being tied down to one man. At least none of the men in the club. He didn’t have many conversations with the women in the club, but he recalled Nadia mentioning something that had stuck with him.
“For now, I love being here, but I know one day I’ll wake up, and I won’t love it anymore. And when that day comes, I’ll pack up and head out.”
Kase eyed her carefully. Of all the women to pass through the club, Nadia had been the most beautiful. She came with no strings attached. She was a perfect club whore. She winked and set her smile on him before turning around and sauntering down the bar.
He swiped his glass and headed toward the back. When he got outside, he found his Pop sitting on one of the stumps, Dobbs standing with a beer across from him. He glanced up and lifted his chin.
Her jerked his head toward the house. “Think Nad was looking for you.” It was bullshit, but Dobbs read through it.
“Later, Jack.” Dobbs slapped Kase’s back while he passed.
Kase moved closer to the fire, staring at the orange flames. He drew in a deep breath, calming his body. It hadn’t worked. He was still full on enraged adrenaline from everything that had gone down in his shop. He glanced over at his father, taking in his serene smile. For his Pop, that moment Kase was dwelling on had long passed.
“You remember the fire we built in the woods camping down by the river?” He rested his head back and stared up at the sky. “Flames were twenty feet high. You and Cade were small, maybe eight and ten. Begged me to let you night fish.” His throaty laugh turned quickly into a cough. “Swore the fish would be biting then.”
