by Brook Wilder
I just hoped that life wasn’t about to get worse.
Chapter 26
Voodoo
I could feel the anxiety radiating off Eileen as we walked into the squat building just on the outskirts of the Mexican border, feeling a bit anxious myself. When Gun Jesus had announced he’d called in the clubs to get us out of Mexico, I had wanted to bail out of the jeep with Eileen, to go on the run from both her club and my boss. By now, the CIA would be hot on my tail, and I didn’t care to be on U.S. soil any longer than I had to.
Thank God for offshore accounts for my retirement. No, I hadn’t laundered illegal money. I had literally gone to the Bahamas and opened up a savings account, arranging for a certain percentage of my check to go there in case someone was trying to track me.
Now I knew I had a nice penny in that account, enough for me and Eileen to start over if she chose to do so.
I rather hoped she did.
Gun Jesus moved out of the way and we found both Widow Maker and Chains glaring at us from across the room, their stances nearly identical.
I bet their bedroom life was lively and full of power struggle. “So,” Widow Maker said. “You survived.”
“We did,” I answered. “I’m afraid Polanco won’t be making it to the Christmas party this year though. He’s got a small problem with a hole in his head.”
Gun Jesus burst into laughter, waggling a finger at me. “That’s a good one, man! I will have to remember it.”
Unfortunately, he was the only one who appreciated a good joke. The other two were just glaring at me and I could feel Eileen visibly start to shake. “I’m afraid you need to get on with this meeting,” I said instead, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’m starving and am on the run from the CIA.”
Chains’ eyes narrowed. “You know we could demand retribution for Machine Gun, still.”
“Don’t you think he’s done enough by killing Polanco?” Eileen said softly. “Why can’t we all just move on from this and call it even? Why does any more blood have to be shed?”
Widow Maker let out a laugh. “That’s rich coming from a former road captain. Do you really believe that this debt is paid, Siren?”
Eileen lifted her chin, staring at her former president. “I do.”
Widow Maker held her gaze a moment longer before pulling out her cell. “I got your email, Voodoo. Thanks for the picture.”
I bowed slightly. “You weren’t the only one who received it.” I had also sent it through a secured, encrypted email to my former boss, along with my resignation. They would search for me for a few months until something else popped up and I became just an afterthought.
But until then, I would have to lie low somewhere other than on good ol’ U.S. soil.
Widow Maker gave me a tight nod, setting the cell on the table in front of us. “So the only thing that is left is to deal with the near-death of Machine Gun.”
“I would like a say-so in that.”
We both turned to find Machine Gun and Elisa walking in, hand in hand, the stoic expression ever-present on his face. I swallowed as I saw the gun strapped to his hip, hoping that if he was going to shoot me, he would have already done it by now.
Either that or he would give me a chance to say goodbye to Eileen.
Eileen moved in front of me, shielding her body with mine. “I won’t let you shoot him.”
“I’m not going to let him shoot him,” Elisa stated. “So don’t worry about it for now.”
Machine Gun grumbled. “She’s threatened me, and seeing that she is a nurse, I know she has ways of making me hurt.”
Elisa grinned, patting his cheek. “You know it, baby.”
The look he returned was unlike anything I had seen before. God, we were all saps when it came to the strong women by our side. “So why are you here?”
Machine Gun turned his attention back to me. “I heard you killed Polanco and blew up his mansion.”
I stood straighter, gently moving Eileen out of my way. “I did. Got the pictures to prove it.”
“Good,” he answered roughly. “While I would love to put a bullet in you, I’m feeling somewhat generous today. Your attempt on my life is wiped clean. I’m finished.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The debt was paid. I wouldn’t be dying today. “Thanks.”
He nodded to Eileen. “It wasn’t for your ass but for hers. Give him hell, Siren.”
She squeezed my hand. “I will, don’t worry.”
I squeezed back, really wanting to get the hell out of here and into a soft bed where I could ravage her body with my hands and my mouth, sleep, and then do it all over again. It was because of her that I had just survived the second attempt on my life and hopefully the last.
“Wait a minute.”
We all turned to Chains, who had his massive arms crossed over his chest. “We have the final say-so in this manner. Voodoo betrayed us.”
“Only because you let him in,” Machine Gun offered up, the look on his face telling me that he was not pleased with the Jesters’ president. “I’m saying this matter is done.”
Chains clenched his jaw, but Widow Maker stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. The president’s expression changed and though he didn’t look happy about it, he seemed to concede to whatever she had said.
Widow Maker patted his arm before looking at the crowd. “We are considering this debt paid, for both clubs.”
Thank God. Eileen threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek, her scent filling my senses. “We did it.”
“We did it,” I said, my throat clogged with emotion. While I would never be friends with these people or even hope to see them again, to know that I could walk away with a clean conscience was much more than I deserved.
“Siren.”
Eileen released me and stared down her former boss. “Yes?”
Widow Maker seemed to struggle with her words, finally looking away. “If you want your old position back, it’s yours. I was wrong to strip you of your title just because you fell in love.”
Eileen gasped and I really couldn’t fucking believe that Widow Maker was offering her position back. The gall of the woman to think that she could just play with Eileen’s life like that was beyond me.
But if she decided that she wanted to take it back, well, it didn’t bode well for me, I guess. I couldn’t set foot in Castillo again.
“Thank you for apologizing,” Eileen said after a moment. “But I don’t want my fucking job back. I’m finished with the club business.”
Widow Maker’s eyes widened and I realized that she’d fully anticipated Eileen would take her job back. I wanted to laugh in her face, to let her know that she had screwed up the club on her own and that everyone she thought would be loyal, she had pushed away.
But I kept my damn mouth shut, keeping my face neutral. “Well, since that’s settled. Can we get the fuck out of here?”
Eileen looked up at me, her eyes shining with the love that I felt in my chest. “Yes, let’s.”
I gave her a wink, looking back at the two presidents. Their clubs were fractured and likely beyond repair.
We didn’t give a shit. “Good luck for the future.”
Widow Maker gave me a long look before jerking her head in the form of a nod. “You too.”
I pulled Eileen toward the door, ready to get out of the way and on with our lives. Machine Gun caught my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. “Take care of her or you will have to answer to me.”
“Got it,” I answered, winking for good measure. “See you around, man.”
He let go and I moved us on outside. “Well. I wonder which car I will need to hotwire to get out of here.”
“Don’t bother,” Gun Jesus called from the doorway. “Take mine.” I turned in time to catch the keys to the car we had stolen near the border. “Thanks, man.”
“Call me if you need me.”
“Come on,” I told Eileen, feeling like a groom on his wedd
ing day. “Before they change their mind.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as I pulled open the driver’s side door. “More importantly, what are we going to do?”
I slid into the car, giving her a wink as she joined me. “Don’t worry. We will figure it out.”
Chapter 27
Siren
One month later
I put the bag on the counter, pleased with myself that I had been able to find what I had been searching for the past week. “Hey, sweetheart,” Daniel said, his attention on cutting up the vegetables for our morning omelets. “You have a good trip?”
I threw my arms around his waist, hugging his back. “I did, actually. I found your coffee.”
“You’re shitting me.”
I giggled. “No, I’m not.” What I wasn’t going to tell him was that I had asked the grocer to special order it for me weeks ago and it had finally come in.
He laid down the knife and spun around, grabbing me by the waist. “God, you are the best. Now I won’t be so crabby in the mornings.”
I pressed a kiss to his nose. “I don’t think any amount of coffee will solve that problem.”
“Minx,” he laughed, tickling my sides. I tried to break away, but he blocked me from leaving, tickling me until I was begging for him to stop. “All right,” he said, releasing me. “I’ve got stuff to do here.”
I watched as he turned back to his chopping, a stupid smile on my face. This past month had been heaven sent, really. After breaking free from the club and from the CIA (even if it was illegally), Daniel and I had found this small villa in a sleepy beachside town in Mexico, with the ability to rent by the month. I had fallen in love with the beach in my backyard, literally, and every morning we went for either a swim or a long walk on the beach without a care in the world. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel the crushing pressure on my shoulders or the weight around my heart.
Daniel had a lot to do with that release.
But we weren’t just being lazy. We had heard of the cartel terrorizing a nearby town to the point where the locals were afraid of going home at night and after a few discussions, we had decided to help them out. It turned out to be just a pocket of rebels working for the cartel that were easily eliminated.
Word got out and now we had more jobs lined up than we cared to mention.
The money wasn’t half bad either.
But more than that, we were building a reputation amongst the locals, so much so that they had protected us on more than one occasion with those that had started to sniff around.
I was glad. I was so happy here.
“Done,” Daniel announced, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel. “We’ve got time for a quick dip if you are up to it.”
“You know it,” I grinned. “Race you there.”
He growled and I took off out the door, shedding my T-shirt and shorts as I did so. The water was warm as I splashed into it, the beach deserted for the early time of the morning. I waded out a ways before Daniel caught up to me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Where do you think you are going?”
I turned in his arms, seeing the laughter in his eyes. There had been times in the first few weeks that the shadows had lingered there, but little by little, they had disappeared, and I hoped that we had banished them for good. “Nowhere but right here.”
He grinned, nipping at my nose. “Can you believe that this is our life?”
“No,” I admitted with a sigh. “But I don’t ever want to give it up.”
“Me neither,” he said, his hand roaming up my back. “I love you.”
My heart melted. I would never grow tired of hearing that from him. “I love you too.”
Daniel leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, taking me away to the place that I loved most. Anywhere was wonderful as long as I was in his arms.
His fingers undid my top and it floated away in the calm water, his fingers already moving down to push my bottoms aside. I gasped in his mouth as his fingers slid inside me, my body quivering around the intrusion.
“God, you wound me,” he whispered as his lips trailed down my jawline and to my collarbone, nipping at the skin there.
I kissed his shoulder as his fingers worked me gently, bringing me to the brink before he slowed his rhythm.
He loved to tease me. “Don’t tease me,” I panted, urging him on.
“You love it,” he growled, complying with my demands. I grasped at his shoulders as the pressure started to build and I let go, sobbing his name as the waves of desire rushed over me. Daniel held me close and I could feel his own need pressing against my throbbing mound, making my own thoughts change to what we both wanted.
I would never grow tired of him or of this between us.
When he pushed his own shorts aside and entered me roughly, I cried out, glad that there was no one around to hear me. It wasn’t the first time we had made love in the ocean, and I certainly hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
“Come for me,” Daniel stated, his hands gripping my hips and helping me move, the water lapping up around us furiously.
I clenched his shoulders, my fingernails digging into his skin as we moved together in the early morning light.
When I let go, he did as well, our cries melting together in the open.
Wow.
Daniel grabbed me close and held me there, our hearts beating together in a crazy pattern as I tried to catch my breath. “I think we are going to drown.”
Daniel let out a rusty laugh. “No, we aren’t, but if we did, they would find our bodies still fused together. Damn, I don’t think I can move.”
I grinned against his shoulder. “One day we are going to be too old to do this.”
“Maybe,” he said after a moment. “But it will be good on our joints to try in the water. Isn’t there such a thing as water aerobics or some shit like that?”
Laughing, I extricated myself from his grasp, snagging my top from nearby. “I don’t think they do this in water aerobics.”
He slapped me on my rear end, ducking under the water before starting to walk toward the shore. “Come on, my water aerobics Siren. It’s time for breakfast.”
I followed behind him, trying not to admire the nicely rounded backside barely encased in his swim trunks. He would never know how happy he had made me, what joy he had brought to my life, and how he had changed my future. I could tell him over and over again, but it would never be enough.
I just hoped that I never had to live without him.
Together we walked toward the villa before Daniel turned around, a grin on his face. “I have a surprise for you.”
I arched a brow. “Other than what you just gave me?”
“Yeah,” he said, pulling me toward him. “You see that villa there?”
I looked at the villa we had been occupying. “Um, yeah. Is there something that I am missing?”
“It’s ours.”
My eyes flew to his, widening. “Are you freaking serious?”
Daniel nodded. “I bought it yesterday.”
I threw my arms around him, laughing and sobbing at the same time as I thought about the renovations we could do to make it a home for us. “I-I can’t believe this.”
He pressed his face into my hair. “Believe it, sweetheart. You are now stuck with me.”
There was nowhere else I would rather be.
Epilogue
Two months later
Two Tone
I walked into the office and sat down in the chair, tapping my hand against my knee nervously. As much as I used to like to be here at the original Jesters’ clubhouse, I didn’t feel comfortable there any longer.
Chalk it up to the fact that the Jesters were barely hanging on as it was or the fact that the clubhouse seemed suspiciously empty since the big divide in the group. Either way, this wasn’t the same club I had joined.
Which was why I was surprised when Chains had called, asking me to come see him. I hadn’t talked to the Jesters’ pres
ident in two months, only sharing necessary information through other remaining members of the Jesters.
The true Jesters, that is. Since the fracturing of both the Jesters and the Bitches, two other smaller groups had popped up recently, challenging the original clubs while still using their monikers.
