by Rie Warren
“Nope. Dude, you are done.” Boomer squinted at me while he rubbed his hands together, enjoying this all too much.
“I wish she’d do me again. We haven’t fucked in weeks because she doesn’t want Cara to get confused with me staying over all night.”
“Plan of action?”
“Get back into her panties before I die of blue balls.”
“Next option?”
“Find out if she could fall in love with me. Do the make a family thing.” Spinning to my desk, I planted my knuckles on the wood. “You think she could love me?”
“What’s not to love? You usually think with your dick, but you got a big heart.”
“Some support would be good here, Boom.” I shifted around to glare at him.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Try pantyhose for that shit. I hear it works”
“Cuntbag.”
“Dickface.”
“Hate you.”
“Love you more.” He kept on a’looking at me.
“What the hell you staring at?” I asked.
He relaxed into the chair and smiled. “This is good. You’re all growed up and shit.”
“Boomer. Shut it.” I walked behind him to open the door and kindly show him the way out—maybe with my boot up his ass. “PS. you could take a lesson and get yourself laid by any one of the honeys hanging out at Retribution.”
“Don’t like easy pussy.” He passed by me with a back slap and a dip of his head.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief and got back to work, not on the latest Dreamworld level of Candy Crush. Cara, a fellow addict, was stomping my ass on that game.
Not twenty minutes later, Cat burst into my office, long hair swinging, icy blue eyes flashing.
“You dawg!” She slapped her palms flat on my desk. “After years of being an asshole to Kingston, you’re screwing her?”
I sat back to get out of hitting range, just in case. My sister had a mean right hook when she wanted to use it. “Technically not screwing her at the moment.”
“Oh my God.” Cat started laughing as she pointed the jabbing finger at me. “You’re dating her?”
“Did you know she has a kid? A daughter?”
“You’re boyfriend daddy now?” Her laughter kicked up another notch. “Oh, this is so good.”
“Cat, I really like her, so shut the fuck up already.”
She dropped into the seat vacated by Boomer earlier. “It’s serious.”
“Want it to be.”
“I always liked her, you know. Aside from the part when she arrested me.”
“She’s a good woman. Might be too good for me.”
Cat reached across the desk and grabbed my hand. “You stood by me. You took care of me. You . . . made all the funeral arrangements for Mom and Dad, and the whole time you stayed with me. You are a good man, and an amazing brother, and you deserve her. You do.”
“You think?” I asked.
“I know.” She blinked up at the ceiling, and I squeezed her hand.
“When did you get so smart?”
“I learned it from watching you.” She leaned close to place a kiss on my cheek. “We need to get Boomer attached next, right?”
“You’re scaring me with this being-in-love stuff.”
“Awesome.”
****
Ashe insisted on a few things when she agreed to “attempt” a relationship with me. Saturday night was Game Night—not the kinky get your clothes off and tie me up variety and not even the PS3 kind, but board games. Monopoly, Mousetrap, Parcheesi, Scrabble. There was also Dinner Night, which meant every week on rotation we each chose a new restaurant to try out.
I got it. She wanted normality for Cara, not a deadbeat boyfriend. Better yet? I really liked it. Popcorn, soda pop, goddamn pop music on the stereo, and a lot of laughter.
One Friday night in mid-July, it was my turn to choose the restaurant. Home Team BBQ on Sullivan’s Island was our destination. We ate fried chicken, pulled pork, baby back ribs, home fries, and the sweet tea came on tap. Cara was soaking up her summer vacation, and I soaked up her mom’s presence, holding Ashe’s hand, strictly under the table.
Afterward I drove them home, an idea brewing in my head. I helped Ashe out and then Cara.
“You got that sitter for tonight?” I asked Ashe.
She’d hired her regular to look after Cara for a few hours. Sure, we could head back to my place and knock boots provided Boomer was MIA and Twatson put away her back scratching talons for the night, but I had something different in mind.
“Yes.” Ashe smiled up at me.
I wanted her to come to the club with me. Why the hell not? Everyone plus their plus-ones already knew about her, no thanks to Leta.
Fuck it.
I had a woman. I wanted to show her off.
“Mmm, Tigerlily.” I kissed Ashe, as chastely as I could with her daughter looking on, and then leaned back. “Got a surprise for you.”
“Oh My God. That is saweet!” Cara squealed from the porch. “Texting that to my friends.”
“You’re grounded if you do. iPhone gone.” Ashe threatened.
“Whatevs. I got straight As last year. And you love me. You are so not grounding me because you have a cool boyfriend. Everyone’s jelly.”
Whatevs? Jelly?
I kissed Ashe’s neck until her pulse butterflied under my lips. “Come to Retribution with me tonight?”
“Can I come? Can I come?” Cara squealed again.
“No,” we answered together.
As I helped Ashe back into my truck after the babysitter arrived, I muttered, “That kid have bat hearing or what?”
“You better get used to it,” Ashe grumbled.
I couldn’t freakin’ wait.
At Retribution everyone hushed when we walked in as if I’d grown three heads instead of a steady sort-of girlfriend, who was also a cop.
“Carry on.” I ignored the looks and steered Ashe toward the bar and Probie.
The cement floors almost sparkled from his handiwork with the mop and bucket. Against the wall opposite the bar, the dark wood and red baize pool tables looked polished, too. Low round tables appeared to be cleaned off instead of the usual sticky mess, and the long steel bar shined beneath the lights.
We didn’t exactly do swanky, but we weren’t completely low-rent either.
Acting like she’d been a regular all her life, Ashe skimmed her fingers down my jaw then strolled right on over to the pool tables. She took up a cue and placed some money down.
Go get ’em girl.
Although a few people continued to stare at Ashe, there was none of the former animosity toward her, which was good. I’d hate to have to kill someone while I was on a date. Maybe Tuck had talked some sense into the crew.
Leaning on the bar, I glanced toward the hallway that led to the storeroom, bunkrooms, and johns. “The shitters clean?”
“Spic ’n’ Span, man.” Probie worked a cloth across the bar.
“Good. You know, you might get a patch yet.” My gaze landed on Ashe as she leaned over to break the pool balls.
God, that ass.
Her shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of skin, and—oh yes—ass dimples. Her cut-off jean shorts hugged her curves, and her shoulders were bare in the sweet, sweet halter top. She didn’t look trashy, but she’d definitely switched from Mommy of the Year to Mama Mia. Add in the strappy sandals that showed off her legs, and I’d be lucky to get her back home without banging her. My cock wholeheartedly agreed.
“Two beers, two shots,” I ordered.
Probie handed me the drinks and I focused on him. I’d never really looked at the guy before, naturally assuming as the “probate” of the club he wasn’t yet worth the effort. He had short dark hair and heavy brown stubble. Guessed he hadn’t taken up the Lady Schick after all. He also wore a thick industrial chain around the cords of his neck and one wrapped around his wrist.
“That a real chain you got going on?” I p
ointed at his throat with the top of my beer bottle.
“Maybe I like kink,” Probie answered.
I smiled darkly, wondering if he was yanking my chain. Probie was almost becoming a living breathing human being instead of a scrubrat. But still, “Or maybe you want to be put on a leash.”
Probie peered past me instead of taking the bait. I swiveled to follow his stare. He was watching Ashe and her bent-over ass.
I knocked him on the side of the head, none too gently. “Hey fuckwad, stop oglin’ my woman.”
“Ogling?” He shook the dizzies from his head.
“Yeah. Staring. Eye-fucking—”
“Visually groping,” Tail rapped Probie on the other side of his skull, sealing the deal with a mean grin. “Off-limits, shit-for-brains. On that note, how are the crappers?”
“You are both asswipes,” he said.
Tail and I clanked beer bottles.
“She is hot as hell though,” Tail mentioned.
I scowled at him.
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for juicy blowjob lips.”
Sucker. Ha ha. I get it. Not funny.
“Taylor, I’ll probably kick you to Kingdom Come if you say anything like that ever again.”
“So that was my one and only freebie?” He angled his dark green eyes toward another woman, one who would no doubt end up half naked with him in the backroom within the next hour.
“Yeah. That was your freebie.”
“Got it.” He ambled off, rolling broad shoulders beneath the flow of his long black hair, intent on the new chick.
“Looks like it’s family night.” Probie jerked his chin behind me.
I glanced up to see Cat and Nick moving through the room, so I ordered their drinks. Beer for Nick, club soda with a lime twist for my sis.
“’Z’up?” I handed over their glasses, placing Ashe’s on a table near her with a touch on her shoulder.
She was busy cleaning house at pool. I didn’t want to disturb her. I just wanted to eye-fuck her for a little while longer.
Nick gave me a one-finger wave while I hugged my sis.
I dropped my voice. “Our significant others are newbies here together.”
“Significant others? Have you been watching Oprah reruns again?”
I looked at Cat like she was crazy. “That was one year. When I was nineteen. Post-high school identity crisis. Whatever.”
“Ashe is really hot, Brodie.” Cat grinned.
“What? You don’t get to say shit like that.” Jesus.
“I’m not the only one who thinks so. Half the guys in here are drooling over her.” My sister elbowed me in the ribs.
“Trust me, I’m well aware of that fact.”
“I agree. Ashe is hot.” Nick threw in from where he stood on the other side of Cat.
“Stop!” Cat and I said in unison.
He held up his hands. “I’m just showing support here. Family. Stuff.”
“Well, you must need a refresher course, Nicky Love.” Cat pinned him with her finger on his chest.
“Oh, c’mon. You’re the sexiest goddamn woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, Cat. And you started it.”
“I started it?”
An easy night at the club . . . a fun time with friends . . . not everyone staring at Ashe’s ass, that was all I wanted.
“Boomer! Ashe is hot, yeah?” Nick shouted above the barroom noise.
“Not bad.” Boomer ambled over, his shockingly blue eyes twinkling.
“Not bad? You must need your peepers checked, old timer,” I said.
“I’m thirty.”
“Okay, make that your prostate, too.”
“She is really badass.” A gal with blue streaked hair pushed between Boomer and me on her way to the bar.
“Who the hell is that?” Boomer’s head whipped around.
“No idea. Also, Ashe carries a Glock. Every day. For work. Kinda hot. Really scary. Because she’s a cop.” I pulled out a stool at the table beside Ashe and sat down.
“Detective. Not a cop. Promotion. Still have the gun.” Ashe didn’t even glance at me as she banked a ball and it sailed into the corner pocket.
“So hot,” Probie came up with another round of drinks.
He wanted to get himself killed, apparently.
“Toilets. Clean them,” I barked at him.
“But I just—”
“Tuck was in there. He just came out. Don’t say another word to me.”
Off he scuttled like the good little prospect he wasn’t. I let out a sinister chuckle.
Ashe won her game and came to claim her prize, a kiss from me that ended in loud whistles from the crowd in the room.
“You’re kind of mean to Cole, you know?” She ran her fingers through my hair and I pulled her to stand between my legs.
Oh yeah, Cole. That was the probie’s name. “Yep.” I smiled.
“Pleasure to see you again, Ashe.” Nick came over and offered his hand.
Manners. Wavy hair. Violet-colored eyes. Asshole.
“Okay, just because you’re a romance writer doesn’t mean you have to go all new man on my date,” I bit out.
Cat laughed. “Oh no worries about that. He’s more like a caveman.”
“Wildcat, there’s no need to broadcast what we get up to in bed.”
“We hardly ever make it to the bed.”
I held up both hands. “Stop. Stop talkin’ right there.”
I heard a light trilling noise and looked around for the source. Wait? Ashe was giggling? Ashe didn’t giggle. Was this a girl thing?
“M’lady.” Tuck approached and lifted Ashe’s hand to his lips.
Her giggling intensified, and I thought it was cute—except for the Tucker part, where he physically touched my woman.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, not you too.” I snatched Ashe’s hand back.
“Lay off, Brodie.” She took a sip of her drink.
“Excuse me?”
“I said back off. It’s all in good fun.”
“My club. I’m VP. I outrank you here.”
“Bullshit. I’m a police detective. I outrank you everywhere.”
I grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to me. I whispered real low with my lips against her ear as she clutched my arms. “You get to say that everywhere except in bed, babe.”
“Mm hmm. We’ll see about that.” She swished her hair as she swirled her hips and walked away.
“Where’s she going?” I asked no one in particular.
“I think it’s called socializing,” Nick interjected.
“Doesn’t she know she’s supposed to socialize with me?”
“Doesn’t look like she got that memo. She is badass, just like that new little lady said.” Boomer’s loud laugh cut through all the chatter in the club. And he laughed so rarely I had to join in.
Leaving us menfolk to it, Cat sauntered off to talk with some of the Ladies of Redemption—that petite little woman we called JB and the smartass Boomer couldn’t take his eyes off.
“So, where’s Josh and Leelee tonight. They can come too. Open invite. Lord knows Cat spends enough time at Stone’s.”
“Josh and Leelee are probably doing each other’s nails.” Nick chuckled.
“Correction. Josh is probably bangin’ Leelee every chance he gets before the baby is born, more like.” Boomer nodded.
We all knew about that. In the office, on his car, in his car . . .
Hmm. I had an office right next door. I visually assessed Ashe for the likelihood of some hot raunchy office sex later. Maybe.
“Baby’s due in about six weeks.” Nick smiled like he was the father-to-be, not the honorary uncle.
I thought about Cat getting her tubes tied, and the surgery she’d had in the spring to reverse it. All Boomer and I knew was the operation went well, not whether they were trying or not. I wouldn’t mind being an uncle.
“They find out the sex?” I asked.
“Fuck no. Leelee likes the surprise, and she k
nows it’s pure torture for Josh. She’s a little evil like that. One of the reasons to love her.” He finished his brew and wiped his mouth. “It’s a girl though. I’m sure of it. Heart-attack-making material for my best bud.”
“I’d say Leelee isn’t the only one who’s evil, Nick,” I said.
An hour later, Ashe was off getting fawned over somewhere in the compound no doubt, and Boomer, Nick, Tail and I were in the middle of a pool game when a commotion started across the room. Raised voices. People rubbernecking. The works.
Probie grabbed my arm. “It’s your old lady. And Leta.”
I dropped my pool cue. “What?” Breaking out of his hold, I rushed toward the trainwreck in the making.
“Cat fight?” Tuck puffed after me.
“Bitch fight. Ashe will win.” Tail slapped me on the shoulder.
“Bet on it?” Tuck asked.
“Not betting on it because I’m gonna break it up.” I busted through the circle of onlookers.
Ashe stood in front of Leta and Dirk Diggler with one flat palm toward Leta in a classic back the fuck off, bitch move—not even allowing her airtime. I certainly wasn’t worried about her taking any shit from Leta. And I knew Ashe could take care of herself with most anyone, she had years of training and some serious street smarts on her side, but Dirk was big, he was drunk, and he had a grudge.
“I said someone with a mouth like yours obviously hasn’t been taught a lesson with a firm enough hand in the sack yet.” Dirk squared off with Ashe. “Maybe I oughtta see to it.”
“It’s not a firm hand I need, but a firm cock. And I doubt you’re man enough to supply that,” Ashe spat.
Then Dirk raised his fist.
Pure rage shot through me, and I got in Dirk’s face, pushing Ashe behind me. “You better drop that fist and fuck right off before I break both your arms. This woman is here by my invite. And if you so much as look at Detective Kingston again, I will gut you.”
“She shot my dad! She got him sent down!” He slavered at me.
“The Feds did that because he was a deadbeat drug dealer and a gun runner, you fuck.” I pinned Dirk against the wall with his throat in my hand. “You don’t think I know your history? I know it inside and out. You were damn lucky to find a new family here, but I swear to God if you don’t learn to keep your trap shut, you are outta here. If you think Leta is your ticket to the Retribution round table . . . you are sadly mistaken. Doesn’t matter that she’s President of The Ladies. She’s got no fucking say here. She’s using you for a leg up, and the only thing she knows how to do is spread her legs for the next best opportunity.” I released Dirk with a snarl. “Get out of my sight right now unless you want to end up in a jail cell tonight or a coffin tomorrow.”
