Dance With The Devil (The Devil's Riders Book 4)

by Blake, Joanna

  But why did he have to be such an appealing one ?

  I harumphed and hung up my jacket, ready get out of my uniform and shower the day away. But first I wanted to check on my lil’ angel .

  “We’re in the kitchen !”

  “We ?”

  “We have a guest, Rebecca .”

  “Uh… be right in !”

  I tiptoed down the hall and peeked into the kitchen, feeling a bit nervous about seeing anyone after the roller coaster ride of what had just happened .

  Seeing Whiskey had turned my thoughts inside out. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore, let alone how I felt about him. I’d had to force myself to be mean, when I really wanted to kiss his stupid face .

  I wasn’t sure I was ready for another trip down memory lane, let alone facing one of Mae’s cronies .

  Seeing Whiskey had hurt, not surprisingly. But the other older feelings and memories of the good times had come back too. Seeing his face, and seeing Eliza in him… well, it kind of made my heart swell up like a balloon .

  Ugh .

  It took about ten seconds for me to come out of hiding and start squealing like a banshee .

  “KAYYYLIEEEEE !”

  She was on her feet in a second, turning to pull me into a hug. I squeezed her so hard she let out a squeak .

  “Careful !”

  I stepped back, holding her shoulders and looking her over .

  “ What ? Why ?”

  She gave me a secretive smile and I knew .

  “Oh my God! Are you ??”

  “Shhhh! Don’t say it out loud. Dev doesn’t know yet .”

  We smiled at each other in the way only two old friends could. I gestured turning a key in a lock and tossing it away. Mae had wandered out of the room to check on Petunia, so she hadn’t caught on yet .

  “I promise your secret is safe with me. But you are going to tell him soon, right ?”

  She nodded happily .

  “He’s wanted this for so long, Becks. I just hope… well, I hope he still loves me when I’m as big as a house !”

  “I’m sure he will. That man adores you. Happy ?”

  She smiled and her happiness shone out of her like a beacon in the darkness .

  “Oh Becks, I couldn’t be happier !”

  “How’s Janet? And Sally ?”

  “The girls are great. Everyone is popping out babies! Including you I hear …?”

  She left her comment dangling as Mae walked in the room with Petunia. Kaylie’s smile widened, then faltered. She gave me a quick glance and I wondered if she knew .

  But how could she tell? She couldn’t. Not really .

  I gave Eliza a quick kiss before Mae settled her on Kaylie’s lap .

  “She’s just beautiful! I’m so happy for you, honey !”

  I exhaled in relief. She hadn’t noticed how much Petunia looked like her father. I could relax .

  “So .”

  I smiled at her uncertainly .

  “So ?”

  “Aren’t you going to ask about the club? Or anyone in particular ?”

  I shook my head vigorously. I did not want to hear about Whiskey. I was sure he’d been busy with a long line of club skanks. Why wouldn’t he? He was the kind of man that girls would do anything to be with. It wasn’t like he’d been short on options .

  “Well, the guys are all good. Except Whiskey, of course. Mike’s been an absolute mess .”

  It was weird to hear Whiskey’s real name, but Kaylie was one of the few who still used it. Whiskey suited him better, in my opinion .

  I did not want to know. I did not want to know. I did not want to know .

  I asked anyway .

  “Why is he a mess ?”

  “Because of you, silly girl! That man was head over heels when you left without a word. Even I could be mad at you for that, you know .”

  She gave me a knowing glance and my stomach dropped .

  “But now, I think I know why you did .”

  Chapter Seven

  Kaylie

  I kissed the top of Eliza’s tiny head, inhaling that amazing baby scent .

  “So, when are you going to tell him ?”

  “Tell who what ?”

  I gave Becky a skeptical look. I thought of her as my little sister and I loved her like one. But that didn’t mean I was going to let her off easy .

  “Whiskey. The baby is his, right? She looks just like him .”

  Her pretty face blanched .

  “It’s okay, Becks. Just talk to me. Tell me what happened .”

  I exhaled. I trusted Kaylie. And I needed to talk about everything, anyway .

  “Mae? Can you put Eliza down for me ?”

  Mae came in quickly and took the baby away .

  “I’ll rock her a bit and see if she dozes off. You girls have a nice talk. Here, I made sweet tea .”

  I noticed that Becky hadn’t moved an inch. She looked petrified .

  “Sweetie, don’t be scared. It’s not my place to tell him. But I think you need to. Unless there’s something else… did he hurt you ?”

  “No. Nothing like that .”

  Her answer was so quick that I sighed in relief. Not that I thought Whiskey would ever do such a thing, but I had to ask .

  “I didn’t think so. But why did you run then ?”

  “I saw him. There were girls on his lap .”

  I stared at her. Whiskey never messed around with the club girls, as far as I knew. But I was never there late at night when things got really wild. I wondered if I could ask one of the guys without Whiskey catching wind …

  Maybe Jack. More than anyone, he knew how to keep a secret. He wasn’t as quiet as he used to be, but he still wasn’t chatty by any stretch of the imagination .

  He was deep. Kind. Loving and strong. And one of my best friends in the whole world .

  “ Go on .”

  “I know it was just a fling for him but I was so in love with him, Kaylie. He was my first, though I doubt that meant anything to him in retrospect. I haven’t been with anyone else since. I… I think I fell for him the first time I laid eyes on him at Mae’s .”

  I nodded. Whiskey was a big handsome man and held in the highest regard at the club. But he had a sweetness about him too, a loyalty that shone through in everything he did. I loved him like a brother, truth be told .

  Just like I loved Jack and Donnie. We were one big extended family. I knew we were beyond lucky to have each other .

  “I went to the club that night. I’d gotten out of work early. I knew he was coming to pick me up so I thought I’d save him the trip .”

  “And he was messing around ?”

  She nodded, looking heartbroken. Even a year later. I shut my eyes, squeezing her hand in sympathy .

  I could only imagine how she felt. If I saw Dev with another girl, I knew I would split in two. Thankfully, I trusted my man with my whole heart .

  “That really doesn’t sound like Whiskey to me. Are you sure it was him ?”

  “He had two girls on his lap, posing for a picture. They were all over him, Kaylie .”

  She swallowed .

  “They weren’t wearing… a lot of clothes .”

  I nodded. I knew that the girls who hung at the club were likely to be there looking for sex. The girls and I called them grease groupies .

  I wasn’t overly fond of the free-for-all atmosphere that happened at the club late at night after the wives left, but the girls themselves weren’t all bad. It was a free country and I didn’t judge women who were into having casual sex. As long as they didn’t drape themselves all over my man, I didn’t see the harm in it .

  Some of them were scary aggressive though, and didn’t care if the guy was attached. Jack had always been a favorite target, probably because he ignored them so completely. Donahue was too. And Devlin most of all .

  Dev was gorgeous. They all were. And being in charge of the club made them even more irresistible .

  Of course, Dev didn’t ha
ng at the club late night anymore. He was home for dinner every single night, and he was crystal clear that he’d rather be home with me than anywhere else. Especially the club. He didn’t like to leave me alone for more than a few hours if he could help it .

  I blushed, my cheeks warming at the thought of exactly how attentive he’d been .

  I wasn’t so sure I believed that Becky had gotten the whole picture though. It just did not make sense. Why would Whiskey be drinking himself into a stupor if he was just moving on with other girls? Why had the light gone out of his eyes after she left ?

  He’d been deeply in love with Becky, I had no doubt .

  “Becks… there is a chance it was more innocent than it looked at first glance. Was he touching them? Kissing them ?”

  She titled her head to the side, clearly trying to remember .

  “I’m not sure… I don’t think so ?”

  “Listen, I’m not going to lie. There is every chance he was being a dog. A lot of them are. But Whiskey… well, he’s got a reputation for turning down girls left and right. Like the night he was initiated he said no to three girls who all offered to… um… you know .”

  “All at the same time ?”

  “Yeah. It’s not all that uncommon from what I understand .”

  Her eyes were wide so I forged ahead .

  “Dev calls him the monk. Like, if he didn’t already have a nickname, that would be it .”

  “Oh. Really ?”

  I nodded. It was true. Whiskey was a monk. But it was pretty obvious that she was not convinced .

  “Let me do some digging , okay ?”

  She nodded, shrugging her shoulders .

  “I don’t want him to know. That you are looking into it .”

  “Please, look at me. I’m sneakier than I look .”

  That got a smile out of her. I took her hand again .

  “But Becks, I really think you should tell him. Dog or not. He’s got a right to know that he has a child. They’ll both suffer in the long run if you keep it to yourself .”

  Her head bowed and my heart just about broke for her all over again. She’d lost her parents early on in a tragic accident. She’d faced most of life’s challenges on her own, with only Mae as her entire family .

  And now she was facing even more. Just the challenges of giving birth alone, and caring for a newborn… I could not imagine how hard it had been .

  Single motherhood was not for the faint of heart .

  Thankfully, as sweet, innocent, and modest as Becky was, I knew she had the heart of a lion. That was a very good thing. If she was going to raise that baby girl to be strong and kind, never mind getting her man back, she was going to need it .

  “I’m here for you.” I pulled her in for a hug. This time it was me who squeezed her too hard. “We’ll figure this out together .”

  She nodded as I pulled back. She looked hopeful. Nervous, but definitely hopeful. I just hoped I wasn’t setting her up for disappointment .

  “Thanks Kay. You’re a good friend .”

  “I love you, girl. Never forget that .”

  “I won’t ”

  Chapter Eight

  Whiskey

  “W hat did I do ?”

  I moaned, my eyes closed and the stench of stale beer in my nose. My forehead pressed into my forearm where I rested it against the bar .

  “What did you say, brother ?”

  “Whuh dih ah duh ?”

  “You are mumbling , Mike .”

  A hand slapped my back. The hand was huge. I knew who it was without lifting my head off the bar .

  “Is Whiskey up ?”

  I nodded wearily, squinting up at Jack. I was tall. One of the biggest guys in the club, pound for pound .

  Jack was just a little bit taller .

  “ You okay ?”

  “I need ‘nother drink .”

  “You really are a glutton for punishment. Give him a ginger ale, Donnie .”

  Donnie grinned and slid me a soda as Callaway plopped into the seat beside me. I slurred his name loudly in greeting .

  “Callaway .”

  “Hey, brother. Ready for another tat ?”

  “Not drunk enough yet. Need ‘nother drink .”

  He cocked an eyebrow at me .

  “You look like you are .”

  I laughed. Maybe I was. Maybe a tat that warned people off would be more appropriate. It could say something like :

  WARNING: This man is an idiot .

  How would that look? I groaned, gulping the ginger ale to quench the stale taste in my mouth. I wondered what Becky would say about all of this. I wondered what the hell I had done to ruin the best thing in my life .

  Because I no longer had a single doubt in my mind that it was all my own damn fault, one way or another. She’d left because of me. I’d done this somehow .

  Just me .

  “ Need help .”

  “I’ll say you do .”

  “No, I mean… need Dev’s help. Need to ask Kaylie .”

  “Dev, you got a second ?”

  I was slumped over the bar again, my friends all around me. My family. They would help. They had to .

  I had to fix this or I was doomed to a hellishly long life without Becky .

  “What’s up man?” Dev peered down at me. “You don’t look so good, Whiskey .”

  “I did something bad , Dev .”

  “You did? I’m sure we can fix it. Tell me, Whiskey .”

  “Kaylie …”

  He stiffened up .

  “What about Kaylie ?”

  “She knows… her. She can… find out .”

  “Any clue what the hell he’s talking about here , Jack ?”

  “I think he’s talking about Becky .”

  Dev stroked his chin, while Callaway grabbed the back of my shirt and hoisted me into an upright position .

  I stared at my brothers and forced myself to drink more of the ginger ale .

  “It’s not like you to get so sloppy .”

  I moaned. Dev was right. Even this past year when I’d drank myself to sleep almost every night. I never got falling down drunk though. I would have been embarrassed but I was past caring .

  But he didn’t see the way Becky had looked at me. Like I’d ripped her heart out and not vice versa. Like I was the bad guy .

  I didn’t want to be the bad guy .

  Especially not her bad guy .

  “She hates me. Dunno why .”

  Jack and Donnie exchanged a look. Dev frowned. Callaway shook his head at me .

  “No woman hates a man without a damn good reason .”

  Donnie leaned on the bar, giving me a harsh look .

  “Yeah, Whiskey. Were you a pig with sweet little Becky ?”

  “No, man. I fucking love her .”

  Callaway let go of my shirt and I nearly fell off my stool .

  “Jesus, Whiskey. Love? I didn’t know .”

  Jack helped me sit up again. His deep voice rumbled. I kind of thought of him as a big brother, even though he only had a couple inches on me, technically speaking .

  “ I did .”

  Of course he did. Jack saw everything. Knew everything , too .

  Callaway wagged a finger at him .

  “Still waters run deep , man .”

  Jack just snorted .

  “I don’t know what I did. I honestly do not know.” I looked at Dev, ready to beg. I was still slurring but I could get the point across. “Can you ask Kaylie? She’s friends with her .”

  Dev rubbed his chin .

  “I can ask, but I doubt she’ll tell me. I had no idea that Janet was after Jack back in the day. Those girls stick close together .”

  Then Callaway came up with a bright idea. Or not, judging from the glare he got from Donahue .

  “Ask Sally. She used to be tight with Becky. They worked together the longest .”

  Donnie’s jaw clenched .

  “Sorry man, is she going by Laura now ?”

>   “No. It’s fine. But she’s way too loyal to spill it, even if she did know .”

  I grabbed someone’s beer and chugged it. I liked Sally. After everything she’d been through, she decided to keep her new name and start over as Sally Donahue .

  Not that she was afraid anymore. She knew she had the entire club behind her. She’d said she was a different person now, and her new name felt right. Even if it started out as a lie .

  The girls probably all knew why Becky hated me. Hell, they probably hated me too. I groaned .

  I was never going to get anyone to help me with this .

  “Just ask her what you did. If you can’t remember, it can’t have been that bad .”

  “Maybe she’s hormonal.” Callaway snickered .

  I glared at him. So did all the married guys. Cal didn’t understand women. Hell, neither did I .

  “Not the time , man .”

  Jack growled. I almost laughed, even though I was so miserable. Janet was pregnant again. This was going to be number four for them .

  Unless she had another set of twins .

  Jack loved those little carrot tops. It was beyond entertaining to watch them crawl all over him at barbecues. He was terrifying looking, but he softened right up for those kidlets .

  It was funny as hell .

  “Give me a shot .”

  Callaway slapped my back .

  “Me too, Big D .”

  Donnie shrugged and poured out a couple shots of tequila. He didn’t drink much anymore either. All my friends were way too settled .

  Grown up. Happy. Lucky fucking bastards .

  I was the only one who didn’t have a woman other than Callaway. He was a maniac though, with a different club girl every might. That’s who he was, and he had no intension of ever changing. The guy was happy as a clam, but it seemed like an empty life to me .

  I wanted more than that .

  The truth was I wanted a wife. Maybe even a family if I was lucky enough. At this rate, I never would get what I craved. I didn’t want any of that with anyone else though .

  I wanted it with Becky .

  “We’ll sit right right here and figure this out, big buddy .”

  “I’ve been trying and I can’t. I can’t think of a damn thing .”