She laughed and plucked two mugs out of the cabinet above the coffee maker. “Lucas is just being overly cautious I think.”
“I knew he had a thing for you, but I didn't’ realize you’d become such an item.” I took a seat at the round kitchen table. The kitchen was simple in decor and design. White walls brightened the room that was situated in the back of the house. A small window over the sink overlooked the backyard, and the patio doors a few feet away from the table let in most of the light from outside. The countertops were basic and bare except for the coffee maker and a paper towel rack. An equally bare peninsula separates the kitchen work area from the eating area. As simple as it all was, it came as close to a home than I’d been in since leaving behind the apartment I shared with my mom.
“Hey. Why so glum?” Jessica placed the mugs of steaming coffee on the table and sat across from me. “I know you’re in a shit situation, but you don't usually look so down.”
“I was just thinking about my mom.” I waved a hand in the air, and reached for the sugar bowl.
“It must have been so hard for you, taking care of her all those years and going to school and working.”
“Yeah. But it didn’t feel that way. It just felt normal. But after she was gone, when it was all over with, I don’t know—I freaked. Like I didn't know what to do.”
“Is that when you called Kerri?”
I snorted. “Yeah. We’d gone to high school together, but she moved away senior year. Most of the friends I hung out with had gone off to college, or I hadn’t talked to at all since my mom got real sick. That turned out great, didn’t it?” I tried to smile, but I didn't have the energy to force it. Staying up most of the night listening to the silence, and praying not to hear the drunken sounds of Jayson making his way to the bedroom, had drained me of what little energy I had had.
“Hey. It’s gonna be okay.” Jessica laid a hand over mine and her voice softened.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“We’ll figure something out. There’s shit brewing in the club and I think once it’s all over with you’ll be free of Jayson.”
I looked up at her with a new sense of hope. Something I’d told myself to forget. “What do you mean? Is that why Lucas doesn’t want you on the grounds?”
“I think so. He doesn’t tell me much, mostly because I don’t want to know, but Jayson’s been pissing off a bunch of members because of this deal with the cartel. He’s making decisions completely on his own, holding secret meetings, sending small crews on odd jobs.”
“Like that Bernardo guy?”
“Something with him, yeah. One of the Reapers didn't make it back from one of their jobs, and Lucas thinks Jayson knows what happened.”
“But I thought Lucas didn’t like the Reapers like the rest of the Disciples.”
“Lucas doesn’t care about the Reapers as long as they stay in their territory. He doesn’t like Marcus, their president, though. Says he reminds him of Jayson.”
“Do you think both clubs are making their own plays for the cartel?” My palms started to sweat at the idea that Mason could be in trouble. He said he’d be gone for almost two weeks, where else could he have gone. If he went down to Mexico to meet with Bernardo behind the Disciples’ back, he could be walking into a trap, or worse.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged as she sipped her coffee. “So, you and Mason?” She eyed me carefully, like she was judging my reaction to his name. “Lucas says you two are pretty close.”
“Lucas spends too much time gossiping, I muttered, and sipped at my coffee.
“Mason is pretty hot, I can’t blame you. Besides, these clubs, they aren't family to you.”
“They are to you?”
“Lucas has become family to me. Jayson took care of me when my brother died; they were his family, so I try.” Her eyes saddened at the mention of her brother. I patted her hand, I knew that pain. “But we aren’t talking about me. Now, about Mason—”
“Mason is the bossiest, most possessive guy I’ve ever met.” I tried to put heat into my words, to cover up how much those personality traits turned me on, but she laughed, seeing right through me.
“It has its bonuses.” She waggled her eyebrows, which made me laugh hard enough to nearly spit out my coffee. “He reminds me of Lucas. The way he watches you when he’s in the clubhouse. Even when you don’t know it, his eyes are on you. Lucas does that, too. I think he’s talking with his guys and I’ll turn around and he’s staring right at me. And he won’t’ let anyone so much as smile at me without running to my side. At first I found it barbaric the way he shoved his way into any conversation I was having, but then I got it. He was protecting me.”
“Well, that explains why he’s never tried anything with me. He’s probably the only member who hasn’t…well…” I felt the heat creep up my face. “Except his constant ogling. Always wanting to see my breasts.”
I looked at her through lowered lashes, expecting to see an angry glare. She let loose another laugh and patted my hand. “Honey, that man has a huge tit fetish. The fact that he’s only asked to look and never touched is what matters.”
I finished my coffee in silence, unsure of what to say next. My thoughts continued to trail to Mason, wondering where he was, what he was up to, and if I should just hightail it out of town. If Jessica was right and there was shit brewing in the club, Jayson may be distracted enough not to try and find me. It could be my out.
“You have that look.” Jessica picked up my cup and took to the sink. “The one you get when you try concocting some getaway scheme.” This woman had gotten to know me a lot over the last few months. It would be hard to leave her. And Lucas.
“If what you're saying is true, if there’s an uproar, or whatever within the club—”
“You think Jayson will forget about you because he’ll be busy with the club crap.” She nodded. “That might be true, unless he thinks Mason has anything to do with it all, then he’s going to be even more determined to find you. He’ll think you ran off with Mason.”
“But if Jayson’s not president anymore—”
“Unless he’s dead, Jayson won’t forget an insult. And you running off with Mason would be an insult.”
My shoulders sagged at her words. He would come after us. If Mason was with me, he’d come looking for Mason. Or he’d go after Mason’s mom. I couldn’t let that happen. “Then I go before Mason gets back. Keep Mason out of it. If Jayson sees him when he gets back he’ll know he’s not with me, and he’ll just let it drop.” She shook her head, but I kept working it through out loud. “There’s a cabin my mom used to take me to every summer. Doyle, Mr. Jacob Doyle owned it. He let us stay there for a few weeks each summer. Not too far away, up in the hills. Near Springville. He’d let me stay there for a while, I bet.”
“What about Mason? If he comes back and you're gone—”
“Mason is a grown man. He’ll understand. I have to get away from Jayson, and Mason shouldn’t have to give up his whole life just for me. I can’t have other people getting hurt because of me either.” With a new determination I pushed away from the table. My phone vibrated again, but I ignored it. I didn’t want to hear from him, I couldn’t. It was better to keep my distance. To do what needed to be done without worrying about him.
“He’s going to find you.” She followed me to the front door. “Mason will find you and he’s going to be pissed.”
“No, he won’t. Because you aren't going to tell anyone what I said. Besides. I didn't say I was leaving. I just said it was a possibility.” I tried to play it off, but she only sighed and pulled me into a hug. “Lucas will kick my ass if he finds out I didn't stop you.”
“You tried. Real hard.” I smiled at her.
“Wait here.” She ran back into the house. Drawers opened and closed, then she was jogging back to me. She pulled my hand out and slapped a wad of bills into it. I tried to shove back to her but she held tight. “No, take this. You aren’t going to get far at all withou
t cash, and Jayson won't let you near any of his. You’ll pay me back.” She pulled me into another hug.
Sure I would. I’d pay her back for everything, so long as I lived long enough to do it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
MASON
“Man, let it go. She’ll get in touch when she gets in touch.” Tick shoved my shoulder when I checked my phone again. Lucy hadn’t answered my last three text messages. We’d be home in a day and I wanted to be sure she was ready. Things were going to be happening quickly once we got back, and she needed to be prepared. How could I keep her safe if she wasn’t listening to me?
Maybe Jayson took her phone. Maybe he figured out it was me texting and not Susanne from the diner. There were a lot of maybes going on and no answers.
Julio wanted an answer from us, a promise to get the job done. He’d presented it to us as though we were actually being given a choice. As though if we said no, he’d just give us a pat on the back and send us on our way home. Right. Tick tried getting a hold of Marcus, but he wouldn’t take the call. That fucker. He put us right in the middle of his harebrained scheme and hadn't bothered to even give us a fucking choice.
“You realize, as soon as that bullet gets lodged in that fat fuck’s face, his boys are going to come hunting us. We need to be far away, somewhere we aren’t seen. If we just walk up to him and take care of it, we’re dead. And Massy will kill me if I get dead down here.”
“I wouldn’t be thrilled about it either.” I ran my hand through my hair, shoving it away from my face. “You think Marcus knows we want out and this is his way? I mean, he has to know he could be sacrificing us down here. Unless he’s got a deal with Bernardo. I mean, what if he’s playing them both? What if he sent us ’cause he thinks we’ll back out, or won’t get it done and Bernardo can swoop in get rid of Julio? In the meantime, Julio gets rid of us for failing.”
“You are giving Marcus too much credit in the thinking department.” Tick typed into his phone again.
“Why hasn’t he gotten back to either of us?” I held out my phone to him. I sent several messages as well, nothing.
“I don't know. But I do know if we don't handle this for Julio by tomorrow night, like he said, you and I aren’t getting back in that van and heading home. We’ll be in a few different garbage bags headed for some nasty swamp land.”
“If we do this, we’re dead. If we don’t, we’re dead.” I summed up our situation while I searched the room for a beer. A bucket of ice and a few bottles of local brew had been brought up after lunch.
“If we do it right, we’ll be home by breakfast on Monday.” He sat on the edge of the bed and tossed his phone to the side.
“Okay, how do we do it right?” I popped the cap off a beer and took a long swig. “You and I haven't exactly been executioners before. The only guy I fucking blew away was coming at me with a knife. It was do or die.”
“You make us sound like a bunch of pussies,” he argued.
“No. We are the guys who set up the runs, who make sure the fucktards running the shit don’t mess up. We’ve never had to pull our gun on anyone because they never gave us reason to. Marcus didn’t used to go around killing people,” I pointed out. Taking a life for the sake of taking a life held no appeal to me, but you fuck with me or my family—you won’t be seeing the sun rise again. That sat with me just fine.
“Carmella said she’s been asking him to take her to the market in . She wants to get some pottery or something. If she can get him there maybe we have a better chance. He’ll still have his guys with him, but we’d be in a crowded place. We might be able to get it done and get out before they see us.”
“What if we are looking at this wrong? If Carmella takes him to the market, she can get him to one of those food stands, right? What if we go wicked witch on him and just feed him some poisoned food.” I offered my suggestion.
“And the guy who owns the food stand gets killed for poisoning him?”
I studied him for a minute then agreed. “Yeah, that’s right. Fine. You figure out how to get me close enough and I’ll get it done. We’ll need to ask Carmella what time the market’s the busiest, and hope that he’ll go with her.”
Tick’s phone danced on the bed. His brows drew together as he read the message and tossed the phone to me.
Just do what ur fucking told to do.
“Marcus better know what he’s starting.” I gave the phone back to Tick on my way to the bathroom. “Let me just wash my dirty ass then we’ll go find Julio and get a message to Carmela. I want this shit done and be home by Monday.”
“You know you’ll have to do something with Lucy when we get back. Marcus isn’t going to let you see her and Jayso—”
“I’m aware of my fucking situation with her,” I growled, and slammed the bathroom door. This last job had sealed my decision about the club. I was getting out and it didn't matter how much money I had stashed away or if I was given good standing on my way out. We’d just leave town, the state. Hell, if I had to drag her cute ass to the other side of the country, that’s what we’d do. But no way was Jayson or any other fucking guy putting a finger on her any more.
***
Carmella stood at the foot of the stairs. Her hair primly pinned up into a neat, oversized bun on top of her head. Her makeup perfectly applied, and the painted on dress hugged her curves like a lover would. Three months ago just the sign of her standing there, her hand on one hip, her breasts about to spill out of her neckline, would have gotten my dick harder than steel. But now, next to Lucy, she just looked like any other woman. Lucy didn’t need an hour’s worth of makeup and hair time to make herself beautiful. It was her natural state that drove me crazy. The soft hazelnut eyes, her short pixie hair. I couldn’t wait to get my hands back in that hair. And those cotton dresses. Those flimsy dresses that covered up everything I wanted to get my hands on. Just the memory of her standing in one of those made my dick stir.
“Good morning, Mason.” Carmella’s eyes went to my groin and her smile widened just a bit more. It was tempting to let her know it wasn't her that got my dick hard, but the image of my girl back home—but I was trying to not get myself killed while down there.
“Carmella.” I looked around, but saw no one else. “Where is Julio?” I stopped a few steps higher than where she stood. Outside of her reach.
“He doesn't tell me everything he does.” She gave a gentle shrug. “Tick is in the dining room having his breakfast. Would you like to join him, or perhaps I could have breakfast brought out to us on the veranda?” And there it was.
“The dining room will work fine. We need to finish going over some details. Maybe you could give us more information on the marketplace. Like the layout?” Her shoulders dropped, only a bit, but enough that I noticed.
“Very well.” She dropped her hand from her hip and walked ahead of me, leading me to the dining room. The sway of her hips didn’t go unnoticed.
An overflowing plate of scrambled eggs and sausages sat in front of Tick as he shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. He nodded to me when he saw me enter the room, but went right back to eating. Carmella took the seat at the head of the table, then waved off the members of the staff in the room, speaking to them in Spanish before they all left.
“Has Bernardo agreed to take you shopping this afternoon?”
“Yes. I am to meet him for lunch at our home, then he will take me to the marketplace.” She tapped her manicured nails on the tabletop.
“And Julio. Where will he be?”
“He will be at my home, surrounded by Bernardo’s men. They won’t suspect him.” She watched Tick eat with a gross interest. I kicked his shin under the table. He grunted, then looked up at us, dropping his fork and wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“And you?” I folded my hands over my chest. Having a woman so brazen about betraying her husband, with his own brother, and then seeing her eyes on me the way they were when I came down those stairs—she wasn't to be trusted.
“Tell us again where we are going to be,” Tick said, then began to down his glass of milk.
“There is an apartment building just at the south end of the market. Two of the apartments are empty, the one on the second floor has a window overlooking the street. You should be able to see us clearly from there. The sun will be behind you; looking up at that building it's difficult at that time of day.”
“Good morning!” Julio bounded into the room, looking as tailor made as before. He stopped at Carmella’s chair to give her a kiss, then stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. “Are you both well prepared?”
Mason: Inked Reapers MC Page 15
