“Hey, honey. Kansas, Jinx, Ice,” said the one with a shaved head, dark eyes and a cool neck tattoo. “Where do we set this shit up?”
“Zee,” she replied. “And over here.”
She led them to Keira’s bedroom, stood aside, watched them troop right on in. It wasn’t a very big room to begin with, and the three of them standing in it made it look even smaller. God, these guys took up lots of space.
“So.” The only one to speak so far set down everything, wiped his hands on his jeans. He approached her, hand extended, and in her shock at his good manners, Zoe actually extended her own. “Let’s do this properly, right? I’m Kansas. We spoke on the phone a few times.”
“Yes. I remember.” Zoe smiled, making sure to not show her teeth. No sense being too friendly yet – not until she knew what she was dealing with with these three. “Thanks for the help today.”
The one with long, dark hair and mint-green eyes waved his hand. “No problem, darlin’.”
She almost sighed aloud at the pet name, decided to start keeping a mental list of every meaningless endearment that spilled out of these guys’ mouths. Maybe she could even make it a game of Bingo, or a drinking game where she’d take a shot every time some bullshit pet name got directed her way.
Let’s see: so far I’ve had ‘baby girl’ – though Wolf gets a free pass on that one – and ‘sweetheart’, and now ‘honey’ and ‘darlin’’. Waiting on ‘doll’, ‘babe’ and ‘baby’ and then we’ll have all the usual suspects. These boys aren’t known for their originality, after all, and it is one hell of an effort to remember a woman’s name, huh?
Zoe swallowed her sigh and stayed focused on being polite. These strangers had just done her a massive favor, and they hadn’t done a single goddamn thing to hurt or offend her. Reminding herself to dial down the bitch vibe, she shook the second man’s hand now, offered him a small smile.
“I’m Jinx,” he said, his green eyes somehow cool and sultry at the same time. She stared into them, feeling like she was looking at a crisp, sunny spring morning. “We’re glad you’re here. Maybe you’ll do me the honor of doing my next tattoo?”
She dropped her eyes to his strong collarbone, teasingly exposed thanks to four buttons on his denim shirt being casually undone. The ink across that sexy, hard chest was gorgeous, and she eyed it like the professional that she was.
“Yeah,” Zoe said, unbending slightly now in the face of this genuine kindness. “Yeah, I’d love that.”
“And this is Ice,” Kansas said, gesturing at the silent third man. Zoe turned to greet him, took one look at his face, slammed down all her defensive barriers again. Hard.
Ice was the living, breathing epitome of every single thing that she feared in the Road Devils. Tall, broad, rippling muscles all over the goddamn place, close-cropped blond hair, hard face, mouth clamped shut in a firm, uncompromising line.
But what really scared her was the blank, emotionless look in Ice’s ice-blue eyes. The stare that he gave her was freezing, biting cold, lacking anything remotely resembling warmth, kindness, or even basic politeness. It didn’t contain hostility, or dislike, or anger. It just didn’t contain anything; it was utterly devoid of anything human, good or bad.
She’d just met the man, but she knew with everything that she was, that in the club’s previous life, Ice had been a club Enforcer. He was the guy who’d been sent out to eliminate any and all threats and problems – and he looked like he’d never lost one second of sleep over anything he’d done. Hell, possibly killing men was the only thing that he really liked doing. Maybe it was the only thing that made him come alive, whatever the hell that meant for him.
It was a huge relief when Ice stuck his hands in his jeans pockets, and merely nodded at her. Didn’t say a word, didn’t make any effort to be friendly. Zoe nodded back, thrilled that he wasn’t forcing her to touch him. She’d lay money that his grip would be rough and chilly.
Idly, she wondered why Ice hadn’t gone with Dawson when he’d taken off and started his new one-percenter club. Wolf had told her that Ice was loyal to him, but surely Dawson’s criminal activities – and all the inevitable beatings and kills made necessary by partnering with a violent, criminal piece of shit like Kirk Jensen – were all way more Ice’s speed. Wolf’s kinder, gentler MC would have no use for Ice’s undoubtedly-extensive abilities… and Zoe found it hard to believe that a man like Ice would be happy in anything legit and by-the-book.
“So,” Kansas said cheerfully, and she turned to him in relief. “Where do you want everything?”
“Uh, well.” She pulled herself together. “The crib over here, and the changing table against this wall, next to this shelf.”
“You already got diapers and everything, I see,” Kansas remarked.
“Yeah. I picked stuff up this morning.”
“OK, doll.” Kansas looked around, missed Zoe minutely rolling her eyes as she mentally crossed another square off her Bingo Pet Name score card. “You scoot on out of here, leave all this to us.”
Despite her earlier resolve to stay the hell away from Wolf’s boys, Zoe lingered. She felt like she should do something, instead of just handing everything over to them. After all, Keira was her responsibility, not theirs, and Zoe wasn’t great at giving up what she felt was her job to do.
“You want me to help with anything?” she asked. “I’d like to.”
“Nah, babe,” Jinx said, and this time, Zoe mentally crossed off another square and did a shot. “We got this, like, for real. You kick back and when everything’s set up, we’ll call you back in.” His grin was teasing, cocky, drop-dead hot. “You can inspect. See how we are with our hands.”
She gave him a smile now, a real one, and the three men watched as her cold, closed face just lit up, opened up. God, it looked good on her and to a man, they suddenly cursed Wolf’s warning against taking up with Zee.
No, none of them were looking for permanent, not even anything close, and according to Wolf, that’s exactly what Zoe wanted and needed. Well, seeing as she was a single woman with a small baby, that shouldn’t be a big surprise, really. Any guy that she got serious about would have to be serious about kids, too. It was the only thing she’d be open to even considering, they figured, so they were all out of the running way back at the starting block.
“Yeah, OK,” she said now. “Maybe you want something to drink? Coffee? Beer?”
“We’re good, babe,” Jinx said. “You just go relax. You’ve gotta be wiped out.”
Zoe never admitted weakness, but damned if a sit-down didn’t sound good right about now. She’d had two solid days of driving, and all the rushing and running of that morning was now catching up to her. Parking her ass on the sofa for an hour or two sounded almost decadent.
“If you’re sure,” she said, already sidling over to the door. She knew that they were under strict orders from Wolf to not let her so much as fold a blanket, and she also knew that these men would cut off their own hands before they’d accept her help.
“We’re sure.” Kansas’ tone was final. “Get that cute little ass out of here.”
Startled, delighted, happier than she’d been in ages, Zoe threw back her head and laughed. Then she went out to the bright, sunny living room, and subsided on the sofa. In five minutes, she was fast asleep.
**
“Zee.”
Zoe sighed, snuggled deeper into the cushions.
“Zee… we’re all done.” The tone was gentle but insistent. “Wake up, doll.”
It was the ‘doll’ that smashed her into wakefulness. Stunned that she’d fallen asleep with three strange men in the house, Zoe’s eyes shot open with a gasp, and she exploded off the sofa with a panicked cry.
Kansas was almost as startled as she was. He stepped back, hands held up, his dark eyes taking in her shaking.
“Hey,” he said, his voice low. “Hey, it’s OK. Zee… it’s OK. It’s Kansas, honey. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “Oh, shit�
� I fell asleep?”
“Yeah.” He stayed back, still watching her closely. “You alright now?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry.” She ran her hands through her tumbled hair, agitated. “I just – it was a shock.”
“I get it,” he said softly.
“Anyway.” She scrambled to change the subject, hoping to lessen the crazy in her behavior. “You’re all done?”
“Uh-huh. The guys are already outside in the cage. We thought about leaving you to sleep, but I didn’t want you all alone in here with the front door unlocked. This is a good neighborhood, but still. No way we were leaving you like that, and fuck knows, Wolf would kill us dead if we did.”
She managed a small smile now. “Thanks, Kansas.”
“Sure.” He moved to the front door. “I know you said you’d be at the bar tonight, but maybe take the night off, huh? You look dead on your feet.”
Zoe shrugged. “I said I’d drop by to at least meet Scars, and I don’t like going back on my word.”
“The three of us can vouch for you, doll. You were snoring and drooling less than five minutes ago.”
She blushed. “Shut up! Was not!”
“Nah, you weren’t. Actually, you were pretty fucking adorable.”
Her blush deepened. “Shutuuuuup.”
Kansas laughed, the sound booming out of that broad chest. “Yeah, Wolf’s bratty kid sister for damn sure.”
“Bah. Like Wolf can talk about being a brat.”
Kansas’ eyes twinkled. “I get the feeling that you’re just about the only person on the planet who can sass the man and live.”
“Yeah. So far.”
He laughed again, liking her plenty. “So if you want to duck out, we got your six. Don’t worry about anything.”
“Well…” Zoe hesitated. The temptation to veg out on this amazingly-comfy sofa, eat potato chips, and watch some bad reality show on TV beckoned. When was the last time she’d just sat on her butt for a whole evening? “Well, I’ll see. Play it by ear.”
“Sure thing.” Kansas opened the door, and she moved to stand next to him on the tiny front porch. “See you around, Zee.”
“Bye, Kansas.” She gave Jinx and Ice a wave, they waved back from the truck. “Thank the guys for me, OK?”
“You know it.”
“Oh, wait up,” she said, suddenly remembering. “What do I owe you for everything?”
“Nothing.”
“But –”
“Nothing,” he repeated firmly. “This is from us.”
She paused. “You mean the club? Wolf will pay you back?”
“Nope. I mean, this is from us. From me, Jinx and Ice.”
“You – what?” She gazed up at him, blinking like a moron. “But why?”
“We want to help you, any way we can, and if you’ll let us. It’s tough being a single Mom. I was raised by one, so I know.”
“You’re sure?” she said. “Totally sure?”
“Totally.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes were prickling with tears, and she looked down. “I really – thank you.”
“Our pleasure, doll.” He winked. “If you come to Satan’s tonight, you’ll let me buy you a drink, yeah?”
“No way,” she said. “I buy a drink for you three guys to say thank you. Silver, too.”
“Deal.” He stepped off the porch now. “Take it easy.”
“You too.”
Zoe locked the door behind him, then went in to Keira’s bedroom to see how it looked now. What she saw both amazed and humbled her, made her feel sorry for her suspicious and superior attitude towards Wolf’s guys.
Kansas, Jinx, and Ice hadn’t just assembled the furniture. They’d also made up the crib with a gorgeous mattress cover and sheets; they’d even tied the bumpers around the bars. They’d put the diapers, baby powder, and cream on the built-in shelves above the changing table. They’d folded the extra sets of sheets, and put them in the closet. Everything was calm and orderly and neat.
But the biggest surprise was hanging over the crib: the guys had bought Keira a present. Zoe’s fingers trailed over the mobile, and she smiled at the brightly-colored flowers and rabbits on it. She wound it up, watched the flowers and bunnies spin around, listened to the calming music. Keira was going to love it, and Zoe was deeply touched that these three rough, hard men had bought such a sweet gift for her baby girl.
She stood and stared at the beautiful bedroom. An ache was starting up in her chest now, but it wasn’t a bad feeling, and it took her a minute to figure out what it was.
It was an ache to belong somewhere, a deep longing to have a place to call home. And what was a home without people around you, caring for you? These men – these huge, terrifying men with very questionable pasts – had done nothing but care for her all day, and both Wolf and Silver had done the same thing the day before.
They’d all taken care of her, and Keira too, and Zoe decided that she liked it. She liked it a lot. She looked at the mobile again, made up her mind.
So, yeah, OK. An hour at the bar and some chatting with the guys was no big deal. Not a big deal at all.
What the hell. She’d even put on a skirt.
**
Dear Reader,
I’ll keep you up-to-date about the release date of ‘The Devil’s Scars’ (The Road Devils MC #1) via my newsletter, Facebook and Twitter. Do check in once in a while, since I’ll be sharing sneak peeks, chances to win free copies and – of course – the release date once that’s been confirmed.
Thank you so much for reading!
Warmly, Marysol
About the author
Marysol James is the best selling author of the 'Open Skies', ‘Fighting For Love’, 'Unseen Enemy' and 'Dangerous Curves' series.
She writes steamy, sexy, slinky romances which feature strong, complex women and equally fascinating men. Marysol is interested in producing well-written and passionate stories with characters who learn to let go of control and to trust – both in and out of the bedroom.
Her stories are very sensual (very!), and offer smart plots, a bit of humor, and lots of character development, so her books will appeal to readers who want emotional connection as well as sexuality.
When not writing, Marysol can be found swimming, doing yoga, listening to music and drinking coffee. To stay up-to-date with her, visit her official author website at www.marysoljames.com
By the same author
Contemporary Romance
The ‘Unseen Enemy’ Series:
Enemy Within (Unseen Enemy #1)
Enemy Outside (Unseen Enemy #2)
Enemy Mine (Unseen Enemy #3)
Enemy From The Past (Unseen Enemy #4)
Solid Muscle (Unseen Enemy #5)
Solid Steel (Unseen Enemy #6)
Solid Heart (Unseen Enemy #7)
Solid Gold (Unseen Enemy #8)
The ‘Dangerous Curves’ Series:
Dangerous Curves (Dangerous Curves #1)
Hard Curves (Dangerous Curves #2)
Killer Curves (Dangerous Curves #3)
Gentle Curves (Dangerous Curves #4)
Secret Curves (Dangerous Curves #5)
Dark Curves (Dangerous Curves #6)
The ‘Fighting For Love’ Series:
Fighting Hard (Fighting For Love #1)
Fighting Strong (Fighting For Love #2)
Fighting Love (Fighting For Love #3)
Fighting History (Fighting For Love #4)
Fighting Back (Fighting For Love #5)
The ‘Open Skies’ Series:
Open Skies (Open Skies #1)
Open Arms (Open Skies #2)
Open Eyes (Open Skies #3)
Open Heart (Open Skies #4)
Open Life (Open Skies #5)
Contemporary Literature
The ‘Nakasee Lake’ Series:
What Happened That Day (Nakasee Lake #1)
Bringing Her Home (Nakasee Lake #2)
Thunderbirds (Nakasee Lake #3)
Short Stories
Stone Princess - A Collection of Short Stories
Solid Gold (Unseen Enemy Book 8) Page 24
