by Zara Teleg
“What day?” I gulped down the icy drink that was just placed in front of me. I could hardly hear her over the music.
“You know, Kai smiling and being smitten with someone.”
“What?” I circled my finger over the rim of my glass. “He’s not, I mean, I don’t know what he is.”
“Well, I have known Kai for a really long time.” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and leaned close to me. “I can tell Kai has it bad for you, and I really hope you don’t hurt him.” Her words were almost sad.
“Me, hurt him? I don’t know if I’m capable of hurting him, even though that is not my intention.”
“So, what is your intention?” She lifted her chin to me.
“I don’t want to label anything. I mean, this thing between us just started, I don’t even know what it is.” I stirred around the ice in my glass.
“Well, I can tell you this.” She looked around the table, making sure no one could overhear us. “Ripper practically raised Kai, and that man that everyone thinks is so happy, always joking around, had a hard life growing up. Once upon a time, Kai, the ladies’ man who doesn’t commit, he thought he’d found something special, then that bitch destroyed him.” She shook her head. “I never thought I would see the day that man would fall again. And you, my sweet,” she put her arm around me, “have done just that. I’m sure there are fifty women in this place going home with broken hearts. They all dreamed of one day being the one to settle Kai.”
Her words had my heart thumping in my chest. “Jenn, I think you’ve had too much to drink.”
I looked across the room to where Kai was talking to the other men. He may have been in a conversation, but his eyes were on me. A wave of heat swept through me. My hands tingled, longing to push my way through the crowd and wrap my body around his. I tried to listen to Jenn, but I kept getting distracted watching Kai wave off women as he spoke to his brothers.
“You may doubt it now, but I know what I’m seeing.” Jenn giggled. Her eyes were glassy, and her smile was painted on. It seemed the last margarita had taken effect
I placed my hands on her forearms, contagiously laughing with her. I was still just sober enough to know she had been one of several people to mention a woman in Kai’s past. Steeling my courage, I pointed to the empty glasses as our waitress whizzed by, nodding at my request.
“So who was the one that got away for Kai?” I tried to keep my voice casual. “You have not been the first to mention her.”
Jenn looked around, spotting Kai still across the bar. She scooted her stool closer to mine.
“Daisy.” She blinked, shifting her eyes around before she continued. “They were just eighteen when she spent the summer working at The Ridge with her cousins to save some money before going off to college.”
“Cousins? Is she Sully’s niece?”
Jenn nodded her head. “Kai was just prospecting with the club. Every girl in town knew Kai and begged for his attention. She was so different from the girls around here. She lived up north and had no interest in what she thought was the country ways. She barely paid any of the boys mind except when it came to working for tips.”
Jenn picked up my wedge and sucked on it, closing her eyes and puckering at its sour flavor. She tossed it at the empty glass, which was scooped up and replaced with a fresh one.
“Thanks,” we both said to our waitress.
“So if she wasn’t interested, how did Kai get so wrapped up in her?”
“She was one of those jealous girls who always wanted to take what was yours. Daisy had turned down Kai’s advances, but when she saw him with her cousin, she changed her mind. Kai was easily swept up by her beauty and charm. She played games and got him all twisted.”
Jenn squinted her eyes, crooked her finger to me, and got close to my ear. “Please don’t tell him I told you any of this. He’d kill me. These damn margaritas are like truth serum,” she hiccupped. “Ripper told me all this. He despised that girl. Said she was rotten and a manipulator. She thought she could influence him into leaving the club. And when he—”
“Ladies, what’re the serious faces for?” Kai placed an arm over each of our shoulders. Just then, Dave came and placed his jacket around Jenn’s shoulders.
“It’s getting late. I should get Jenn back to Reid,” Dave said. She stood and gave Kai a goodbye hug. She then turned to me, her arms stretched out.
“Paige, I’m so happy to have met you. You have to come to meet Reid. He’ll love you.” She squeezed me, whispering into my ear, “Please keep what I told you between us.”
“Of course.” I returned her embrace.
Chapter Seventeen
Paige
“Howdy, baby girl. You’re looking chipper.” Tracy tapped her nails on the bar as she inspected the beaming smile that multiple orgasms couldn’t erase from my face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I rolled my eyes.
“Uh-huh. Sure,” she said, turning to Amber, who had just walked in from the kitchen. “Doesn’t this girl look like she’s flying high on some good lovin’? Girl, I can see it in your eyes. You’ve been floating around here for days.”
“Seriously, Tracy, I don’t know what you are talking about.” I really tried to contain the smile that Kai had been tattooing on my face nightly. I swore, my lady parts shudder at the thought of him.
“She sure does look different,” Amber seethed, forcing a smile on her face. “So, Paige, who has you looking so vivacious?” Amber squinted, her lips tightened as her scowl formed, waiting for my answer.
I didn’t know what to say as I dodged the daggers that seemed to be shooting from her eyes.
“Amber, you ready?” Sully called, waiting at the door.
Amber threw her jacket on and headed for the door without a word.
“You are leaving during lunch rush?” Tracy hollered.
“Oh, I’ll be back, and with a surprise.” She batted her lashes and waved a dismissive bye.
I was relieved that she didn’t return during my shift. The tension was something I did not need to deal with today.
I met Kai at the house after work. He promised me a trip into town to get to a real grocery store that had more than just the basics. I was dying for good sushi, and I wanted to make it myself. I was surprised there was a decent selection at the grocery store he took me to.
I pushed the cart, which was quickly filling through the aisles as a distracted Kai kept texting.
“You ever going to put that down?” I pointed to Kai’s phone as I looked at the selections of rice.
“Tink, I got shit that happened with Colt, and I got to be available.” He rubbed his neck and glanced up. “Why are there so many kinds of rice? Can’t you just pick one?”
“Well, I like sticky rice for sushi and brown jasmine for my stir fry, but I can’t find organic.”
His eyes fluttered as he stuffed his phone back in his pocket.
“Why don’t you go grab a six-pack and a bottle of wine? I’ll meet you in produce. I need a few Asian veggies and some limes.”
“Alright,” he sighed, walking toward the beer section.
I began filling my cart with all the exotic veggies that I had been missing. I got to the limes and watched as two tattooed hands picked up the entire crate and placed them in his cart.
“Ugh, I’m too late,” I whined.
The man turned to look at me. My heart nearly stopped at the sight of his gorgeous face. His jet-black hair was streaked in deep purple and flopped over one eye. The sides of his head were shaved with crazy tattoos on both sides. His blue eyes were lightly lined in black. He had rings in his eyebrow, nose, and lip. With a muscular arm that had a massive tattoo of a snake coiled around his bicep, he reached into his cart and plucked a few limes.
“Chère, you need a few of these?” His voice was raspy and with a beautiful Louisiana accent. His ring-covered fingers offered me the fruit.
“Uh, yeah, if you wouldn’t mind sparing a
few,” I told the man who looked like sex and trouble. I breathed in his musky cologne as he added the bright-green fruit to my cart.
“Thanks,” I choked out.
His eyes met mine in a momentary lock.
“Have we met before?” He stroked his clean-shaven chin and studied my face. “You look really familiar.”
“No, I think I would remember.” I blushed, biting the side of my lip.
“I don’t normally take cases of lime from the store, but my vendor forgot them, and I need to prep them at the soft opening of my club tonight.”
A leather collar and a thick silver chain covered the flame tattoos that reached up to his neck. He wore a sleeveless hoodie over ripped black jeans, which met his well-worn, loosely laced Doc Martin combat boots.
“If you aren’t busy, you should swing by, bring some friends. It’s not too far up the road, in Torrentsville.” He pulled out his wallet, retrieving a black business card with gold writing that said Voodoo with a skull and the address.
“Do you happen to be from Louisiana?” My voice squeaked.
His eyebrow shot up. “Born and raised. How did you know?”
“Your accent. My Meme is from St. Genevieve.”
We both turned when a throat cleared, then a set of hands landed on my arms.
“Vice? What the hell are you doing here?” Kai’s tone wasn’t friendly.
“Well, if it isn’t Kai.” Vice’s smile widened, like the cat who ate the canary. He looked at me, sweeping his eyes up my body before returning his gaze to Kai.
“As I was just telling… I’m sorry, sweet pea… What’s your name?” Vice asked me.
“Pai—”
“It doesn’t matter to you,” Kai interrupted.
“I told…Paige…here that my vendor shorted me my limes for our soft opening of Voodoo. We can’t serve tequila with no limes. I cleaned out two stores, and hopefully I got enough. Are you bringing Paige to the grand opening masquerade?” Vice winked at me.
“What opening?” I turned my head to Kai. His jaw was tight as he shot Vice an I’m-going-to-murder-you look.
“I don’t think so,” Kai growled.
Vice chuckled, taking my hand and kissing it. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Paige. And if Kai doesn’t take you, come ask for me at the door anytime. I would be happy to have you and your friends as my guests.”
He handed me his business card and squeezed. “Hope to see you both there.” He winked and turned, pushing his cart to the checkout.
Kai was silent for half the ride home. He looked like he had something on his mind.
“So what’s got your tongue?” I peeled on orange, offering him some as we drove into Sugar Maple.
“Nothing,” he snapped.
“Are you going to tell me who Vice is and if I’m going with you to his club?”
“Vice is a problem that I don’t want you to be a part of. So, no, you will not be joining me ever to his freaky club.”
“Why?”
“Tink, remember you asked the other night about the Cajun Kings?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, Vice is the prince of the Kings. The son of the president. An arrogant spoiled child who I’m not fond of but have to tolerate. That’s all I’m going to say.”
My heart stammered as the words clicked. He’s a King. The letter. The heavy chain with a medallion. The snake tattoo. He may know my father.
My hands began to tremble as I measured my next question very carefully.
“The grand opening masquerade thing? Will there be a lot of Kings there? Is that why I can’t go? ‘Cause you think it would be dangerous?”
Kai reached an arm out and pulled me close to him. “Yeah, babe. The place will be crawling with Kings. We also anticipate there could be trouble with a common enemy we have. I think all the higher-ups will be in close vicinity if things go down.”
I rested my head on his shoulder as he stroked my hair from my forehead.
“It’s a no-colors club, which means no bikers can enter in cuts and it’s not as easy to detect who is from where. Colt promised him we would be there for support. I don’t like it at all. I don’t trust any of them.”
My mouth was dry, and my heart continued to pound in my ears. I felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen. I rolled the window down and inhaled the fresh, cold air as it whipped in the vehicle.
“What’s wrong?” He studied my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Just a little car sick,” I said.
How was I going to do this? I had to go to that masquerade. I had to see if any of them looked like the men in the picture. I needed to know. I may never get this chance again.
Kai
Paige acted strange all night. She said she was just going to shower and go to bed. Something was definitely on her mind. She seemed distant since the drive home. I was hoping to get to the bottom of it, but I was called away before that happened. It had been the first night in weeks I slept in my own bed. I used to love sleeping alone. Now, I craved her naked body curled into mine.
I showered and dressed before stopping by her apartment. I hoped she still had some coffee because after drinking hers, mine tasted like mud water. I tried the knob first. It was locked. Good girl. I tapped my special knock on the door and waited for it to open.
“Morning.”
I lifted her body into mine, inhaling jasmine and coffee as I buried my face in her neck.
“Kai.”
I placed her back down and caught a glimpse of her outfit. “You’re already leaving for work?”
“Soon. I have time for a coffee.” She grabbed my empty mug and filled it.
“You know, Johnny is making his famous gumbo today as the lunch special. He’s been advertising it all week. You should come in with Colt. Remember last time? He had to cut him off the bottomless bowl.”
“I think I will. We were going to meet in town around lunch. I’ll shoot Colt a text.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto my lap. “Are you going to make me sleep alone again tonight?”
“I don’t know. Did you miss me?” Her fingers trailed down my chest.
“I missed these lips.” I reached up and brought her face to mine, sucking in the bottom one. She gave a tiny moan that shot straight to my pants.
“You could be late,” I whispered in her ear and took her hand, placing it on my straining jeans.
“I wish I could. Sully needs me, and we can’t have two of us being late. Angelica is never on time.”
She leaned in, kissing me again, sucking my lip between her teeth. “I do get off at seven, so I could meet you back here if you want.”
“I want.” I stood, smacking her ass.
“Ow! I’ll remember that tonight.” Mischief danced in her eyes as she gripped the front of my pants. “I got to go. I hope to see you at lunch.” She pecked my cheek and gathered her things to leave.
Colt sat at a corner table in the crowded bar already draining a beer, his phone to his ear. He nodded his head for me to join him. Paige’s face lit up when she saw me. She placed a finger up, letting me know she would be over in a minute.
Before she could escape the table she was waiting on, Amber sauntered over with a wicked grin and a bottle of beer and a lime wedge sticking out of the top. My eyebrows knitted together as I looked at the bottle of Corona.
“Thanks, Amber, but I don’t remember ordering this. I don’t drink—”
“It’s on the house, for old time’s sake.” Something about her tone was puzzling.
“I won’t argue with free, I guess.” I pushed the lime into the bottle and took a sip. The flavor danced on my tongue as it revived memories of the summer I was eighteen.
“What’s up with you?” Colt asked as he ended his call.
“Nothing, just recalling old times,” I leaned the bottle in his direction.
He raised an eyebrow and blew out air. “Anyway, we need to talk about the Cajun Kings and their club opening. V
icious reached out again. He really wants a few of us present. Do you still have the tickets he gave you?”
“I do.” I rolled my eyes. “I meant to call you last night. Paige and I ran into Vice.”
“What? Where?”
A hand caressed the back of my neck. “I see you already got a drink. Sorry, table eight had a thousand questions about the ingredients in, like, ten dishes.” Paige shook her head and took her pen and pad from her apron.
“Good to see you, Paige,” Colt grunted. “We will both have the gumbo special. Can you speed it up too? I don’t have as much time as I thought.”
“Sure. It will be right out.”
I watched every step she took as she walked the order back, placing it on the carousel. I wanted to pull her in for a kiss, but I couldn’t. I hated that I had to hide my feelings for her; I was dreading the conversation I was going to have to have with Rage.
“Did you hear anything I just said?” Colt waved in front of me. “Shit, Kai, really? You could have every tail in Sugar Maple, please tell me you are not…” He rubbed his temples as he followed my line of sight.
“I’m not sure how it happened. I know, I know, fuck. I have to talk with Rage before he rips my balls off.” I set down the last of the second beer that Amber had complimentarily dropped on the table.
My fingers touched Paige’s as she sat the steaming bowls of gumbo in front of us. Her expression softened as she warned us how hot it was.
Colt and I went over the details of what he expected out of Ledge, Hack, and me. He wanted it to be the three of us with the rest of the guys on call in case the opening draws out any of the Devil’s Damned.
Colt placed a wad of cash on the table for the meal and the tip. “Make sure your girl gets this.” Colt shook his head again as he stood and put on his jacket.
I noticed Amber at the bar paying the same attention with a Corona to Officer Doug Jones. The same man with whom I had shared my last Corona. One of my oldest friends turned enemy. What was Amber up to?
“Already done?” Paige returned to the table as Colt was leaving. He picked up the cash and handed it to her.
