“What’s this?” Shades’ piercing gaze moved from his ol’ lady to Jessie. “Little Mama?”
“They’re having a baby,” Skylar informed him.
“What?” Shades’ head tipped forward, and he waited for her to deny it. When she only smiled, his gaze shifted to Ghost. “You kiddin’, brother? And you didn’t say shit?”
Ghost grinned. “I was gonna get around to it. We were kind of busy.”
“Not too busy for six fucking words. Hey, I’m gonna be a dad.”
“It’s kind of fun keepin’ shit from you.”
“Well, don’t get used to it.” Shades turned to Jessie. “Congratulations, honey. I’m real happy for you. “
She couldn’t contain her happiness, smiling brightly. “Thank you.”
“Everything go okay?” Skylar asked him.
Shades pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Everything went fine, babe. You don’t need to worry.”
“I always worry when the DKs are involved.”
He studied her. “Your old boyfriend was there.”
“Rusty?”
“Yup.”
“Oh.”
“Said to tell you hello,” Shades grumbled out. “I wanted to clock him, but that would have started a war.”
Ghost chuckled. “So, instead he gave him his best glare.”
“Shut up, asshole.”
“So, we have news,” Jessie interrupted.
“Babe, you tryin’ to change the dangerous topic of men-Shades’-ol’-lady-has-slept-with to somethin’ safer?” Ghost asked moving to a chair.
“Fuck off, Ghost. What news is that?” Shades asked.
She waggled her brows. “We found out why Tink keeps turning down Hammer.”
Ghost slumped back, crossing his booted ankles. “Oh, yeah. Spill.”
She gave him a you-aren’t-gonna-believe-it look. “She claims he slept with her sister.”
Ghost whistled softly.
“Really?” Shades dragged out the word. “Don’t think I’ve met the chick. She been around the clubhouse?”
“Nope.” Skylar popped the end of the word.
Shades frowned. “So, how’d Hammer hook up with her?”
“Apparently they both go to the same gym.”
Ghost let out a huff of laughter. “Not surprising, considering how much time he spends there.”
Shades snorted. “Right. Lifting and staring at himself in the mirror.”
“I don’t think he’s been going much since he’s been taking care of Ethan,” Jessie surmised.
Shades corrected her. “The girls are taking care of Ethan, not Hammer.”
“Well, Tink and Sherry said he’s been really great about it, helping out and being real nice to them,” Skylar said.
“That’s because he’s afraid they’ll bail, and he’ll be stuck.”
“I’m sure that’s not all, honey.”
Ghost let out a chuckle. “So, poor ol’ Hammer ain’t got a shot with Tink, huh?”
Jessie shook her head. “He’s officially in the no-way-in-hell column.”
Ghost’s brows arched. “The what?”
She smiled at her husband’s cluelessness. “The column women put men they want nothing to do with in.”
“Girls got a column for that?”
“Darling, girls have a column for all sorts of things.”
“Oh, yeah? And what column am I in?” Ghost asked.
She winked. “The wait-till-I-get-him-home column.”
He leaned toward her. “Want to know what column I’ve got you in, babe?”
Jessie tilted her head to the side. “Not sure I do, honey.”
“The I’d-do-her-any-fucking-where column.”
“You think that, but—”
He grasp her chin and turned her to him. “I know so, babe. You’re also in the hot-as-hell-sexiest-thing-I’ve-ever-seen column.”
“Hmmm. I like that one better.”
Ghost stood, pulled her to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her. “Good, ‘cause I’m ready to take you home and carry you to bed.”
She slid her arms around his neck. “God, that sounds good.”
“Wait! Don’t you want to know what else we found out?” Skylar asked.
“Do I?” Ghost paused, looking over Jessie’s shoulder at her.
“Did you know she was planning to leave town?”
“Thought she was going to school or some shit.”
“She’s enrolled in the nursing program at Samford University, but her sister came back to town, and apparently they can’t stand each other.”
“Enough to make her quit school and leave?” Shades frowned.
Skylar nodded. “Guess so. Said as soon as Hammer’s sister comes back and as soon as she gets enough money saved up, she’s leaving.”
“Huh. That sucks,” Ghost replied.
“Hammer know her plans?” Shades asked.
“She hasn’t told him, so I’m guessing no,” Jessie answered.
Ghost and Shades looked at each other.
“Let me be the one to tell him, VP,” Ghost implored with a grin.
Shades huffed out a laugh. “Why should you get all the fun?”
“Guys, don’t torment him with it. This is serious,” Skylar said.
“Oh, there’ll be tormenting involved; do not doubt that, honey,” Shades told her.
Ghost grinned. “You can take that to the bank.”
“Come on, take me home ol’ man,” Jessie said, tugging him toward the stairs.
Ghost lifted an arm to his brother and Skylar. “Good night. You heard my ol’ lady. I’ve gotta go home and fuck her brains out. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”
Jessie slugged him in the arm. “Be sweet.”
“Babe, I’m gonna be real sweet.”
***
Shades watched them go, then stood and pulled Skylar to her feet. He bent and retrieved the baby monitor and her glass of sweet tea from the decking. “Here, hold these.”
When she took them, he reached around and smacked her ass.
“Hey!” she yelped.
“That was for having an ex-boyfriend that I had to deal with tonight.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Like that was my fault.”
He took the glass of tea from her, chugged it down, and set the empty glass on the table.
“I was drinking that!”
“Not anymore.” He bent, put a shoulder to her stomach, and tossed her up like a sack of potatoes.
She beat on his back. “Put me down this minute!”
He smacked her ass again. “Nope, Mama, takin’ you to bed, and you’re gonna do something special for me. Don’t know what yet but I’ll think of something.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because I had to be reminded of you and Rusty today. I deserve something for that don’t I?” He headed inside.
“Sure, honey. You deserve whatever you want. Tell me about today.”
“Unfortunately for you, today won’t be the last I see of Rusty’s smirking face.”
“What does that mean?” She twisted and squirmed.
He smacked her again. “Means you’re gonna be doing something special for me the first of every month.”
“Shades!”
He dropped her to her back on their bed and leaned over her, his fists in the mattress. “No more talkin’, babe. Gonna do you fast and hard. Then gonna do you slow and sweet. You gonna shut up and let me?”
She giggled. Then she shut up and let him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The next day, Hammer rolled up Highway 31 and pulled into the gravel lot of the old automotive garage Shades still kept. Now that he was VP, Shades didn’t work on as many vehicles as he used to, but it sure came in handy for all the guys in the club.
He usually worked Tuesdays and Thursdays, and around closing time, a lot of the boys would often show up.
Hammer parked his bike next to two others. Glancing over, he recognized them
as Ghost’s and Griz’s. Dropping his kickstand, Hammer climbed off and went through the open garage doors. It was cooler inside, and it took him a moment to adjust from the bright sun to the dim interior.
He found Shades bent over the engine of a small pickup. Ghost leaned on his elbows, pointing at something deep in the engine.
“There’s your leak.”
“Damn it. Gonna be hard as fuck to reach it,” Shades grumbled.
Griz leaned one shoulder to the wall next to a playmate calendar. His dark wraparound shades pushed up on his head.
“Hey, boys,” Hammer greeted them.
Shades looked over from under the hood. “Hey. Hand me that socket wrench, will ya?”
Hammer grabbed it off the tool chest and passed it over. Shades started whacking at some part under the hood with it. Hammer chuckled. “Don’t think that’s proper tool usage.”
“This fucking part is coming off one way or another,” Shades muttered.
Griz yawned and strolled over to a bench-style backseat that sat on the floor against the far wall. Eyeing it, he asked, “Where’d this come from?”
Shades glanced over. “Pulled it out of an old Bonneville. Why?”
“Is this like one of those couches where if I knew what happened on it I wouldn’t want to sit on it?”
Ghost huffed out a laugh. “Shit, Griz, you got one a those in your own damn living room.”
“Mavis won’t let me fuck her on our couch; wants to keep it nice.”
“And that’s why you don’t let women have nice things. They won’t let you fuck ‘em on it,” Ghost stated.
“You take your chances on that thing,” Shades said, lifting his chin to the car seat.
Griz reclined on it, crossed his legs and closed his eyes. “Wake me when you’re ready to go ridin’.”
Hammer rested his arm on the quarter panel and watched Shades work. A cell phone on the top of the tool chest dinged. He glanced at the incoming text and bust out laughing.
Shades twisted to look. “What’s so funny?”
Hammer picked it up and read it aloud.
“I’m down for round two if you feel like coming home.”
While Hammer held the phone, it dinged again.
“P.S. I’m not wearing panties.”
“Put that down,” Shades snapped.
“For someone who obviously got some this morning, you sure are cranky,” Ghost teased.
“Shut up. I’ve got to get this damn truck fixed when what I really want to do is go home and fuck my woman. And now I’ve got you two imagining her without panties.”
Ghost laughed. “Got that right.”
Shades whacked the socket wrench against something and suddenly fluid sprayed up, hitting him in the face. He jumped back, tossing the tool across the garage with a curse as Ghost doubled over in silent laughter, his shoulders shaking.
“Motherfucking piece of shit,” Shades snarled and kicked the driver door with his boot. Then gave it another kick for good measure. “Bucket of fucking bolts.”
“You probably shouldn’t have hit it so hard,” Hammer said.
“Thanks, Holly-hindsight,” Shades snapped.
The spurting fluid died down like someone turned a sprinkler off, finally piddling off to nothing, leaving a dripping engine and a pool underneath.
Hammer squatted, looking at the red puddle. “Transmission fluid?”
“Yeah, Sherlock. You’re brilliant.”
“Don’t get pissed at me, I didn’t bust it.” Hammer straightened.
Shades pulled a shop rag from his back pocket and wiped his face. “Sorry, guess I missed my anger management session this week.”
“Wiseass.” Hammer grinned. “Whose truck?”
“Heavy’s kid. I was doin’ him a favor.”
Ghost slammed the hood down. “Well, you know the saying. No good deed goes unpunished. Let’s go ridin’.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Shades asked.
Griz started snoring.
Shades wiped his hands with the rag and looked over at Hammer. “Any word on your sister?”
“No, man. Slick’s doin’ his computer tech thing, trying to see if he can locate any record of her. I don’t think she’s using any credit cards. Don’t even think she has any. He’s hoping she surfaces on social media somewhere.”
Shades nodded. “He’s good at what he does. Ain’t nobody he can’t find.”
“I hope so.”
“So, how’s it goin’ with the girls watching the kid?” Shades asked.
“Good. Real good.”
“What about Tink?”
Hammer’s eyes narrowed. “What about her?”
“You gettin’ along?”
“Yeah, why?”
Ghost cut in. “Oh, come on, bro. You told me I could tell him.”
Hammer’s gaze cut to Ghost. “Tell me what?”
Ghost grinned. “Just some info we found out.”
“Info?”
“Did you know Tink was studying to be a nurse?”
“What?” Hammer frowned.
Ghost didn’t let up. “Did you know she’s plannin’ to leave town?”
His stomach dropped. “What?” Leaving town? Goddamn.
“Know why she wants nothing to do with you?”
Every muscle in Hammer’s body tightened. He’d wanted to know that for a long time, and his fucking brothers knew the reason before him? It was a knife stabbing him in the back.
“She thinks you fucked her sister.” Ghost delivered the final nail in his coffin.
“WHAT?” The knife twisted. “I don’t even know her sister!”
Ghost grinned and folded his arms, rocking back on his heels. “Swears you did her sister. Said she saw you with her…dark haired girl at the gym.”
Hammer searched his memory for who the hell she was talking about. The gym? Who’d he fuck at the gym? Wait, there was that girl with the long dark hair who’d flirted with him, but he hadn’t fucked her.
He thought back, wracking his brain.
Ghost looked over at Shades. “It’s fun to watch his mind work. It’s like he’s flipping through snapshots in his head, trying to put the puzzle together.”
“That many, huh?” Shades asked. “How much pussy you get at the gym?”
“Believe it or not, I don’t make it a habit of fucking women where I work out. It makes it awkward. I’ve had to switch gyms because of it, so I stopped awhile ago.”
Ghost rolled his eyes. “I’m sure that excuse will fly with Tink.”
“Shut up and let me think,” Hammer growled.
Ghost looked at Shades. “That’ll take all day.”
Hammer tried to remember if there was an incident he was forgetting. There was one chick; she had short dark hair and a lot of muscle from lifting weights. Wanted to be Ms. Universe or some shit. They’d only done it once, then she’d moved to Atlanta. Or so he thought. That was her sister? He frowned. She looked nothing like Tink. “I need to talk to her.”
Shades shook his head. “If I were you I wouldn’t bring it up—not if you want her watching the kid, which might give you an opportunity with her.”
“So, I let her go on believing I did her sister?”
“I’d let it lie for now. After you find Josie, then yeah, you two definitely need to have a conversation. Maybe she gets past it, maybe she doesn’t.”
Hammer leaned against the wall and ran both hands over his head. “This is not the fucking life I ordered.”
Shades patted him on the shoulder. “Least now you know what the issue is. Plus, I got one piece of good news for you. Something else the girls got out of her.”
Hammer dropped his hands, ready to grasp at any straw he could. “What’s that?”
“She thinks you’re hot, and she’d do you in a minute if it weren’t for that other shit.”
Ghost grinned and rubbed it in. “That other shit bein’ that she put you in the no-fucking-way-am-I-fucking-him column.”
&nbs
p; “The what?”
“Ain’t you heard? Girls got columns. Lots of ‘em, apparently. You’re in a sucky one, though, and I have a feelin’ you’re stuck there for good, bro.”
Shades chuckled.
Hammer groaned. “I hate you. I hate all of you.”
Griz sat up. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothin’ much. Hammer’s life just imploded, that’s all.” Shades threw the rag at his face. “Let’s ride.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tink’s yellow Volkswagen Beetle was parked outside when Hammer pulled in late that night. He frowned. He’d expected Desiree to be here to take over from Sherry tonight, not Tink.
As he climbed off his bike, wondering about the change in schedule and why no one had called him. He took the porch in one leap, skipping over the two steps, hoping Ethan was okay.
The screen door creaked as he let it bang behind him when he strode inside. Soft music played on the stereo, and the aroma of something delicious hit his nose. Tink was at the stove. She put her finger to her mouth, shushing him.
“Ethan’s asleep.”
“Where’s Desiree?” He approached the bar.
“She picked up a shift at The Velvet Room. One of the girls called in sick.”
“Oh. So, she called you? I’m sorry if it spoiled your night.”
Tink shrugged. “I wasn’t busy. It’s no problem.”
“When did you get here?”
“About an hour ago.” Her eyes swept down him. “You hungry?”
“Starved.” His gaze darted to the fry pan. “What are you cooking?”
“I found some fish in the fridge. I hope you don’t mind.”
“The catfish? Not at all. JJ brought it by last night. He caught it yesterday.”
“That’s nice of him. To share with you, I mean.”
“Yeah. He’s a goofball, but he’s good with a fishin’ pole. Always catches more than he can eat.” Hammer moved around the bar to the fridge and pulled out a beer. “He lives just down the road.”
“Really?”
“Um hmm.” He twisted the cap off. “You want one?”
Her eyes hit the bottle. “No thanks. I’ve got water.” She dredged another filet in an egg mixture, then in a flour mixture, then added it to the sizzling oil in the iron skillet. She let them fry, turning them after a few minutes.
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