“I never needed to read. I just worked on the bikes. Every MC needs a good mechanic. My skills speak for themselves.”
Spyder tried and failed to seek patience. “Well, I already told Mars that you’re great with bikes. You’ll have to show them you can fix the fuckers even if you can’t ride them.”
“Like you said, we know I can ride them and they will too. Just not legally.”
“Which is all that counts. You know the cops are clamping down on shit like that. Last thing we want is to get you thrown back in a jail cell, even if it is only down at the local precinct.”
Sammy scratched his nose, middle finger facing out. “Are we ever gonna take off from this place or what?” he demanded.
Spyder shoved a helmet at his bro. “Can you manage that?”
It was awkward, but Sammy did, and the fact he remained silent throughout was a warning to Spyder to back the fuck off and let him work through it himself. It had to kill his ribs like a bitch but he managed. His baby bro had grown up in this fucking place. Spyder would have to come to terms with that on his own time.
Strapping on his helmet, Spyder climbed on the back of his hog and waited for Sammy to get on behind him. “You going to be able to cling on to me?”
“We can cuddle another time.”
“Jesus, your attitude just got shittier in that dump, didn’t it?”
Sammy laughed. “You think this is bad? You should see me when I’m high.”
“Do I even want to know how you got access to drugs in a state prison?”
“You answered that yourself, bro.”
“Fucking hell. We need to be having this conversation when we’re not within earshot of the fucking guards. You gonna get on the back of this ride or what?”
With a pained grunt, Sammy climbed behind Spyder and settled down. He groaned as he slid his right arm around Spyder’s waist, and clung on mostly with his leg. “Good to go,” he said hoarsely.
Spyder, wanting to kill the motherfucker who’d beaten up his baby bro, just nodded. It was either that or let loose a stream of curse words that would get him sent inside.
With a roar, the bike rumbled down along the prison’s drive. They passed the last checkpoint and as they made it onto the open road, Sammy let loose a holler that had Spyder grinning.
His bro was out.
He had a mate.
Could life get any fucking better?
“Are you still on that ‘errand’ for Mars?” Jessie demanded, and though she was only on the phone with Jayden, she knew he was rolling his eyes at her.
“I don’t know if you know a woman called Christie? Well, she’s my mom. I already have one, and I don’t need two.”
“Yeah? I agree, you don’t need two, and she is your mom so stop calling me to go and pass on messages to her. Chicken shit.”
“You’re making out like it’s something I do constantly. This is the second time. Jesus. You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“A pain in your ass who’s doing you a favor. Another one. If you want me to tell momma you’re staying out of town for a while longer, I want to know what you’re doing.”
Silence came down the line, then she heard her other brother, Jayden’s twin Kon, grunt, “Tell her. Or you’ll never get off the fucking phone. You know what she’s like.”
“Tell him I heard that. And since when was I she? Don’t I have a fucking name?”
“He heard and rolled his eyes at you.”
“Well, tell him I’m flipping the bird his way.”
Jayden grunted. “Children, we digress. Can we get back on topic?”
“Sure, if the topic is what the fuck you’re doing.”
He sighed. “We’re tracking someone.”
“What kind of someone?”
“Someone Mars wants us to track?”
There was a hopeful note to the remark that made it more of a question. It also sounded more of a plea. Like he was hoping that would be enough to satisfy her. Yeah right.
If they wanted her to do them a favor, then they had to pay out with information.
“Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral?”
Jayden grunted. “Woman.”
“Yeah? What kind of woman?”
“You really not going to let this go?”
“What do you think?” she asked with a snort. “I want to know. I’m curious. Plus, when momma starts crying on my shoulder about how her baby boys aren’t talking to her anymore, I can tell them you’re on a job and I can say, without lying, that you’re not in any danger.”
Jayden grunted, her guilt trip having worked. “She stole a lot of money from the brewery.”
“She worked for us?” Jessie demanded, scrunching her brow in surprise.
“Yeah. She worked in the admin block. Ava found the discrepancies and Mars sent us after the chick. Only, when we went around to find her, she wasn’t there. Mars asked us to look for her.”
“But you’re prospects. Surely that’s a big boy task?”
“You’re great for a man’s ego.”
“I’ll be sure to check up on that with my mate. He can tell me whether you’re right or wrong.”
When he made no remark, she realized he wouldn’t know about her and Spyder having bonded.
“He claimed you?”
Jayden sounded rather hoarse.
“Actually, I claimed him.”
“Goddess, I bet Dad loved that.”
“Yeah, he did. Really welcomed Spyder into the family, ya know?” she mocked. “I thought he was gonna break down the door and whoop his ass.”
“Yeah? What stopped him?”
“I told him his baby girl was buck naked on top of the man he wanted to beat up. If he wanted to get through Spyder, he’d have to get through me first.”
Jayden made a gagging sound which had laughter pealing from her.
“Yeah. He managed to see reason.”
“I can see why. Even though there was way too much information in there for my liking. You can cut down on the details next time.” He grunted. “Congrats, bat breath.”
“Thanks, shithead,” she told him brightly.
“You’re too young.”
“Fuck that. Like you’re not? You’re three years older than me. That’s hardly a lifetime and I totally know you both fuck anything that moves. Together and apart.”
A choking sound came down the line. “You do not know that.”
“Don’t I?” she retorted.
“No. You do not. And neither does Mom.”
“Like I’m gonna share shit about your sex life with Mom. I already hear enough gross stuff about her and Dad. Like I want to add to the torture. I just thought I’d let you know I’m aware of your naughtiness.”
“What? So you can use it against us at a later date?”
“Exactly,” she told him, satisfaction lacing her words. “Can’t blackmail you if you don’t know I have something against you, can I?”
“What the fuck did we do to deserve a sister like you?” Jayden moaned.
“I’m going to get a complex. I’m hearing that way too much lately.”
“That’s because the older you get, the more of a pain in the ass you become,” Jayden grumbled. “Anyway, are you going to tell Mom or what?”
“I’ll tell her. But what are you going to do with the woman when you find her?”
“Haul her in.”
“You’re not going to hurt her?”
He snorted. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. You two have been acting weird ever since you turned prospect. I don’t like the shit you’re getting involved in.”
“We’re not a real MC, Jessie. It’s not like there’s a lot to get messed up in. You know prospect is just a label. We’re fucking gofers for the most part.”
She bit her lip. “I guess not. I just don’t want you to get into trouble, that’s all. I care, dickhead.”
“I know you do. And we care about you too, a
ss wipe.” He paused. “Tell your mate that we’ll shoot out his kneecaps if he hurts you.”
“Yeah? Where you going to get the gun from?” She pounced upon that fact, smirking when he grunted. “Something else’s momma would like to know, I’m sure.”
“We have fucking permits,” Jayden retorted.
“Goddess, get off the phone before you owe her a thousand favors,” their brother complained in the background.
Jessie snorted. “Let’s make that a million. But, behave. For whatever reason, she only stole money. It’s not like she hurt us personally.”
Jayden grunted. “You do know that’s not how society works, right?”
“Yeah, but we work to a different set of rules, don’t we?”
He blew out a breath. “I guess.”
“I’ll talk to you later, okay? I’ll tell Mom you’re both fine.”
“Thanks, shithead.”
“Be safe.” She cut the call. Pressing her cell to her mouth, she stared up at the ceiling, trying to decide whether or not to believe the tale Jayden had told her.
She believed him about the woman embezzling funds, kind of. That was information that could be backed up. Something in his voice had caught though when he’d talked about the embezzler. Something that pricked her attention and she wasn’t entirely sure why.
Hearing a disturbance outside, she climbed off the bed and wandered over to the window.
As she made the decision to ask Ava if she’d really found evidence of embezzlement in the brewery’s accounts, she saw a gathering of brothers around the garage down below.
And when she said gathering, she meant it. Over a hundred, at least, had to be down there. Doing only the Goddess knew what.
Curious because she could only see the crowd and not what they were looking at, she pocketed her cell phone and headed for the door.
She barely passed anyone on her way out, and no wonder considering everyone seemed to be outside.
Making it to the garage, she started to shoulder her way through the brothers.
When they saw her, they stepped politely aside with a smile and let her burrow her way through. As she approached the center of the circle, she heard her mate’s voice.
Frowning, because she knew he’d gone to collect Sammy and had promised to bring him straight to her so she could be introduced to his brother, Jessie was prepared to glower at Spyder the minute she saw him.
Instead, her eyes widened at the sight before her.
The garage was where bikes kept on site were repaired and maintained. Her dad ran this particular workshop and one in Houston proper, the largest of the MC’s garages in the area. Most of the brothers traveled to the city though to get his expert eye to glean over any ‘wounds’ on the brother’s babies.
As this was more of a quick fix workshop, a lot of bikes that were too battered to make it to the city ended up being left here.
She recognized a lot of them because her father since in his spare time he tended to tinker with the more battered bikes. If she wanted anything from him, then this place was where she asked as he worked for fun.
But of the twenty or so bikes that were butchered beyond repair, some even cut apart as they’d been used for spares, the most damaged was an old Harley her dad had been working on the longest. Its engine had gone kaput a while back, and rust had started eating away at the bodywork.
Still, as she looked on, the engine was purring like a recently fed housecat. Spyder, his grin as wide as a Cheshire cat, was sitting astride it, revving the engine as a guy standing beside him wiped his hands on an oil rag.
“You just needed to look at the carburetor,” the stranger told her father who looked a mixture of pissed off and impressed.
Everyone knew her dad had a horse whisperer’s touch with bikes, so for the stranger to outfox him was no feat.
“That was one of the first places I looked,” Mundo grumbled as he peered down at the metal veins and arteries that were the bike’s innards.
She headed toward her father, and as she reached the man at his side, smiled. “Sammy?”
He turned to her.
Spyder snorted. “Say something, dumbass,” he demanded when Sammy just kept silent.
“I’m Spyder’s wife. Jessie.” She held the smile even though Sammy was just staring at her. After she flashed a concerned glance at Spyder, he took the hint and climbed off the back of the bike.
He curled an arm about his brother’s shoulder and asked, “Everything okay, bro?”
Sammy cleared his throat. “Yes. Everything’s fine.”
“Good. Aren’t you going to say hi to my wife?”
She felt raised brows at that, and knew the men wouldn’t have failed to pick up on the significance of that one word.
By using wife instead of mate, Spyder had inadvertently informed everyone that they hadn’t told Sammy he was now related to a Shifter Clan.
“Hi,” Sammy said woodenly, all of his excitement having flushed away at the sight of her.
“You certainly made an impression, short stuff,” her dad mumbled to her, and she elbowed him in the side. He grinned and pulled her into a hug. “You can’t win them all over, Jessie.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re used to having men fall at your feet. It’s probably a good job your mate’s brother hasn’t.”
She blinked at him in astonishment. “What the hell are you talking about, Dad?”
He frowned at her. “You know what I mean.”
His conversational tone was starting to piss her off. “No. I really don’t.”
“You know the way guys just fall about when you walk in a room. Leaping over mountains to get stuff done for you, to help out.”
“They do that because they’re kind.”
“They do that because you’re beautiful,” he corrected.
She frowned. “Don’t be silly.”
He studied her. “You really didn’t know?” Laughter hooted from him. “Wait until I tell you ma.”
“What’s there to tell her?” she demanded, folding her arms across her chest in discomfort.
“That you’re apparently as blind as a bat.” He shook his head. “You really didn’t know the effect you have on men?”
“No. Why would I? It’s not like...” She bit off her next word, and as she thought about how men did treat her, like just then—how they’d let her pass through, making way by forming a tunnel rather than just letting her step ahead. They always treated her with respect, but she’d figured that was more to do with Mundo and his place on the Council. Still, if what he was saying was true?
She immediately flushed, intensely discomfited by the idea.
Mundo nodded. “See. Although, actually, don’t. Forget I said anything. You’re already trouble without you having known that. Last thing I need is to make your ego any bigger.”
She sniffed at that. “My ego is just fine, thank you very much.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what concerns me,” he teased.
Before she could retort, Spyder approached her. Sammy had ducked down beside the bike and was working on it once more.
“Sorry about that. I’m not sure what’s wrong with him.” He looked concerned, and she didn’t like that; not when he’d seemed so happy moments before she’d arrived as the two brothers had worked together to stun the Clan with Sammy’s talents as a mechanic.
She’d spoiled it for both siblings, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she’d done that.
“He doesn’t have to like me straight away,” she tried to comfort him, more for Spyder’s sake than her own. It hurt that Sammy had taken such an instant dislike to her, but what could she do? She couldn’t make Sammy like her. “I guess he’s just a little unsure of how the land lies. I mean, he thought he’d be back with his brother, but instead he’s in an MC clubhouse he’s never been to before, and his bro is newly joined with someone he’s never met. It’s okay for him to be out of sorts.”
He kisse
d her temple. “What did I do to deserve you?”
Mundo hooted. “Ask yourself that twenty years down the line when you have a mini her to contend with. Goddess, you’ll be wishing you went to confession a hell of a lot more than you did.”
“Considering you’re not a Catholic,” Jessie stated sweetly, “that particular solution can’t be laid at your door.”
“Having kids like you and your brothers is enough to make anyone convert.”
“Like we’re worse than you. I’ve spoken to Aunty Cinda. She told me how difficult you were.”
“Difficult? I was an angel in comparison to her. You She Bears.” He said that on a hush for Sammy’s benefit. “You’re all the same. All big babies and you all throw your rattle out of the cot if you don’t get your own way.”
“I’ll bet momma would say the exact same thing about you if we asked her.” She folded her arms across her chest, not appreciating, yet again, being accused of throwing tantrums.
If nobody fucking listened to her, what was a woman supposed to do? Get an ulcer from holding her fucking tongue, or just letting it rip and getting the poison out?
And boy, in this fucking Clan, didn’t she have a hell of a lot of poison to lance?
“I bet she would, and you know why?” When she just frowned at him, he retorted, “Because then she can pass the blame on to me. Can say it’s all my genes. Ha! Like she wasn’t a troublemaker herself.”
“She’s a dentist, Dad,” Jessie replied, amused now by her father’s attempt to pass the blame of their ‘delinquency’ on to her mom. “You, on the other hand, ride for an MC, and have been to jail more times than I have fingers and thumbs. You’re not exactly angel material. Mom, on the other hand, kind of is. Plus, she’s like a saint anyway for putting up with you.”
He huffed. “I’m starting to take offense, young lady.”
Spyder chuckled. “Jesus, the two of you when you’re together... You belong on a comedy act.”
“We probably do,” she admitted. “Unless comedy shows ended with him trying to strangle me and me trying to trip him up.”
“Why not? It worked for Bart and Homer.”
She grinned at that. “True. Maybe we should, Dad. You up for it?”
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