Jase (Kings of Korruption MC Book 3)

by Geri Glenn

  I haven’t slept in three days, not since our entire world was rocked. Ryker and I had hauled ass to Gunner’s house, terrified of what we would find there. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know what Bosco had said to Ryker on the phone. I’d just passed Gabby off to the others and followed my boy out to our bikes.

  Bosco and Shank had been sitting on the front step of the tiny house, both shaky and looking a little green. Ryker took charge, heading right for them. “Show me,” he demanded.

  Bosco had stood and ran his fingers through his hair, warning us that it wasn’t pretty. For the first time, I noticed the blood on his jeans and dark grey T-shirt.

  Bosco was the first to go inside, followed by Ryker, me, then Shank. What we found inside will haunt me for the rest of my life. Two kitchen chairs sat back to back in the centre of the kitchen—Tess in one, Gunner in the other—both completely naked. Their wrists were bound together on each side, their hands holding tightly to each other, even in death. There were several signs that they’d been tortured before receiving a bullet directly to their brain.

  Nobody knows all the gory details of what we saw that day, and nobody else ever will. The humiliation the pair suffered does not ever need to be spoken of, but every single person here knows that it was bad. It was only a few months ago that we had all gathered here, in this very same cemetery, to lay Mouse to rest. Being back here again is gut-wrenching.

  At Mouse’s funeral, Gunner had delivered an emotional speech about family and brotherhood. Now it’s Ryker’s turn to do the same for him. When it’s Ryker’s time to go to the head of the crowd, he presses a kiss against Charlie’s hair and weaves his way to the back of both caskets.

  While he’s walking, Reaper leans in and whispers in my ear. “What the fuck is that evil cunt doing here?”

  I look at him and frown, then follow the direction of his stare. His hate-filled glare is pinned directly on Anna, Charlie’s sister, who’s dressed in black and clutching Charlie’s hand like a lifeline.

  “She came in with the Montreal chapter. Said she wanted to be here for her sister.”

  “That stupid bitch has a lot of nerve showin’ her face around here,” he growls. “She’s the one that started this whole fuckin’ mess.”

  I don’t get a chance to respond because Ryker begins speaking. “Gunner Monroe loved this club. He loved his kids, his wife, and the open road. I’ve known Gunner since I was just a kid, and one of the first things I learned about him was that you don’t cross him—ever.”

  I can’t listen. I know what he’s going to say because I helped him write the damn thing. The fact is, I can’t get the image of Gunner and Tess’s dead bodies out of my head. More specifically, the image of their clasped hands in death, from my head.

  Ryker is right. Gunner loved the shit out of his wife, and he did whatever he could to make that woman happy. There was no question that she loved him just as much. They’d met about ten years ago, but without knowing it, you’d swear they’d been together their entire lives. I’d never seen anything like it.

  To be honest, I’ve never seen many functional relationships. Only two of the Kings had had old ladies when I was a kid, and those women didn’t spend a lot of time at the clubhouse. My father never said much about my mother, but I knew she was a club whore who didn’t even know she was pregnant until it was too late. My father took me from her when I was just a baby, after finding her strung out on crack, and me starving in my crib.

  My dad never found an old lady, and had seemed perfectly happy with that. Until Gunner had met Tess, I’d never even seen a real relationship up close. Now they are everywhere. I look over at Charlie, her tear-filled eyes focused on her man as he gives a speech that I know is killing him to give. Ryker has changed so much since he met her. He’s happy.

  Beside Charlie is Laynie, her hands wrapped around Tease’s bicep. Tease had been one of the most broken motherfuckers I’d ever seen. It had taken Laynie to pull his head out of his ass and see that his life wasn’t over. He’s still no fucking Rosie Sunshine, but you can see the love they share just by looking at them.

  I see brothers from other chapters standing around, all focused on Ryker as he talks. Some of them are holding tight to the woman they love. Even Gunner’s daughter, Gabby, and his son, Derrick, have someone with them, holding them up as they struggle through the pain.

  My eyes move to Ellen. Her face is red and splotchy, her eyes full of tears as she listens to the eulogy. She looks beautiful. Her eyes meet mine from across the circle and she smiles a sad smile, using a tattered tissue to wipe her cheeks.

  I want to comfort her. I want to be there for her as much as I want her to be there for me. She was wrong the other day. Cutting me out is not going to make that fucker go away. He’s an asshole, and he’s in it for the long haul. But I was wrong too. I’d walked away too easily. I didn’t fight for her.

  She turns her attention back to Ryker, but I keep my eyes on her. Ellen had sent me packing to save a fight with her ex, but what she doesn’t know is that I’m going to help her fight this fight. It’s time for me to stop fucking around and claim my woman.

  Ellen

  I’m turning off the lights and checking the locks, ready to turn in for the night when there’s a knock on the door. My heart pounds out of control. It’s eleven-thirty. Who would be knocking on my door at this hour? I can hardly breathe as I stalk quietly towards the door. Nothing good ever comes from late night callers.

  Peeking through the window beside the door, I flick on the porch light and relief floods me when I see the leather cut. Jase. I reach for the locks and start to open the door. Why would Jase be here at this time of night?

  I open the door, ready to give him hell for scaring the shit out of me, when I see his slumped shoulders and downcast face. “Jase?”

  He raises his head slightly and looks up at me through his eyelashes. “Can we talk? It’ll only take a minute.”

  I don’t hesitate. He looks so lost, so alone. It breaks my heart. Stepping aside, I motion for him to come inside. I close the door and turn to see him running his fingers through his hair, his eyes flicking around the room.

  Before I even get a chance to speak, he starts talking, “I’m sorry to just pop over here like this, especially this late at night, but I wanted to make sure your kid would be in bed. He is in bed, right?”

  “Yeah, he’s—”

  “Good,” he cuts me off. “I wanted to thank you for coming to Gunner and Tess’s funeral today. I mean, I know you came to be there for Charlie, but it was really nice to see you there.”

  I don’t speak. He looks to be contemplating his next words, so I remain silent, ready to listen.

  “Nobody takes me seriously,” he blurts. His feet start moving and I stand in place, watching him pace back and forth in front of me. “All my life, I’ve been the funny guy, the nice guy. The one everyone can count on to cheer them up, or show them a good time. I never even noticed it until recently. Not a single person in my life takes me seriously.”

  I don’t know what to say. He’s right, to the best of my knowledge. All I’ve ever heard about Jase are party stories, or tales of his sexual escapades, but never anything serious. Never anything to indicate that he was about anything but being the life of the party.

  “The truth is, El,” he turns and looks at me, “I’m tired of being that guy. I’m tired of being the guy everyone laughs at, the guy people tell stories about. But most of all, I’m tired of being the guy that’s always alone.” My heart clenches. “My dad died a few years back, did you know that?”

  I shake my head.

  “He got in a wreck driving up to see his buddies in Montreal. Died on the scene.”

  I reach out and place my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Jase.”

  He covers my hand with his and threads his fingers through mine. “You know what? It’s fine. I’ve dealt with it. Me and my old man, we weren’t the closest. He was okay, but we never really connect
ed, ya know?” I give him a sad smile. “In every way imaginable, the Kings are my family. I grew up with those fuckers, but I’m learnin’ more and more every day that none of them really know me, except for maybe Ryker. Maybe Reaper too, but nobody really knows me. They all see me as Jase the drinker, the partier, the joker… the womanizer.” He lets out a brief laugh that doesn’t contain an ounce of humour. “Hell, even Gunner thought I was a fuckin’ joke.”

  “He didn’t,” I say, trying my best to soothe the ache I hear in his voice.

  “He did,” he whispers. “I’d never given him any reason to think anything else.” Jase grabs my hand and pulls me towards the couch where he takes a seat and pulls me down beside him, turning our bodies so that our knees touch on one side, holding my hand in his. The look on his face is determined.

  “But you…” He pulls in a deep breath and squeezes my hand. “El, you make me want to prove to everyone that I’m not a joke. I don’t want to be a joke anymore, or the life of the party.” He grabs my chin and his eyes pin me in place. “What I want is to be yours. I want to be the one you count on, the one you turn to. I want to be with you so fuckin’ bad, El.”

  My stomach sinks, my chest feeling tight and heavy. “Jase, you know I can’t do that. I told you, the court—”

  “I know what you said about the court, but what you don’t know is that there is nothing on my record that the courts could use against me. I’ve never been charged with anything.” He grins. “Not since before I turned eighteen, but those are stories for later.”

  I stare back at him incredulously. “How is that possible?”

  He holds his hands out and smirks. “Please, like I’d ever get caught.” His smirk fades and his face grows serious. “The truth is they just can’t nail me with anything. They can, and do try, trust me. I get hauled in once in a while, we all do, but they have nothing they can use to make anything stick. The only thing they can prove about me is that I’m a motorcycle mechanic. I’m clean, El.”

  I bite at the inside of my cheek, my mind racing through all of the things he’s just said, and what it could mean for us. “Why me?” I blurt out. “Why not one of the whores at the clubhouse, or one of the hundreds of other women that throw themselves at you all the time. What makes you want me?”

  He blows out a breath and shrugs. “There’s just something about you that draws me to you. Babe, I just want a chance to get to know you. I want to get to know your kid, even if he doesn’t seem to like me all that much. I want to be there for you while you go through this shit with his dad. I want to be there to help you put that fucker in his place, so he stops pushin’ you around and scarin’ you. For the first time, El, I want to take the time to start something new, something good. It’s the only thing I’ve thought about since the first time I saw you.”

  A tear rolls down my cheek. “I want that too,” I whisper, “but I’m scared.”

  His arms wrap around me and he pulls me into a tight hug. “I know, baby,” he says into my hair. “I know you are, but this… what we’re startin’… it’s gonna be fuckin’ incredible. You wait and see.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Jase

  I watch Ellen’s face as she takes in everything I’ve said, wanting more than anything for her to believe every word, to be the first person to take me seriously, believing me when I say that I want this—that I want her.

  Her expression gives away nothing as her eyes stare intently into mine. I stare back at her, an empty feeling forming in my stomach. What was I thinking? This woman has done nothing but tell me to get lost, and here I am, once again, practically begging her to take a chance on me. I feel like a fool. I open my mouth to speak, just as Ellen stands up.

  I don’t take my eyes off her as she reaches out her hand and says, “Come with me.”

  I take her hand, the rhythm of my heart beating completely out of time, and I stand. She turns, pulling me behind her and walking towards the hallway, where I can only assume the bedrooms are. We enter a small bedroom, decorated in black, white, and lime green. The walls are covered in framed pictures.

  She walks right up to the bed and turns, looking me directly in the eyes, and peels her T-shirt up and over her head, revealing the lacy pink bra underneath. The need I see in her eyes nearly matches my own, and for the first time in my life, I’m nervous. For the first time in my life, this means something.

  “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but this isn’t what I want.” I pull away from her, putting some distance between myself and her half naked body. “I want you, El, and that means all of you. I want to experience a life with you in every way, not just sex. I want to be with you.”

  “That’s what I want too,” she admits. I’m floored. My body hums with excitement, causing my head and my dick to tell me two entirely different things. “Jase, do you have any idea how long it’s been for me?”

  I shake my head. The truth is, I don’t want to know anything about the last time Ellen had sex. The idea of some other dude running his fingers over her creamy smooth skin makes me want to kill him.

  “Four years,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been on a few dates since then, but as I get older, the guys I meet are just not what I’m looking for. And I have never brought a man around Bryce.”

  I move closer and run my finger from the base of her throat, along the firm round hills of her breast until I get to the trim of her bra. Leaning forward, I press my lips to hers, my tongue sliding along hers, reveling in the taste of this woman.

  “Good,” I whisper, my hand coming up and palming her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad.”

  Releasing her breast, I trail my fingers even lower, skimming my fingertips along her belly and slipping a single finger inside the waistband of her thin cotton pajama pants. She gasps softly into my mouth, clasping her hands onto the back of my neck, deepening our kiss.

  Slowly, I dip my hand inside until I feel the small tuft of trimmed hair between her legs. My heart crashes inside my chest, and I have to focus on my breathing to keep it from getting out of my control.

  My finger finally finds her warm heat, and she lets out a sharp cry as I dip it all the way down to her wet centre, collecting the juices that are soaking into her panties. Bringing the tip of my finger back up, I circle the hard little nub that brings her so much pleasure, I have to wrap my free arm around her waist to keep her steady.

  “You like that, baby?” I rasp. She whimpers and nods, her mouth nipping and licking at mine. “Pull your tits out, El.”

  My cock strains against my zipper as I feel her body tremble in my arms and hear the sounds she’s making as I draw out her pleasure. She pulls down one cup, and then the other, proudly displaying them just for me. They’re fucking perfect.

  Each one is creamy and smooth, and just a little more than a handful. My mouth waters, wanting to taste her perfect pink nipple. Reaching down, I press one finger, then two, deep inside her pussy, hooking them in the perfect place while pressing the heel of my hand against her clit.

  She slams her mouth to mine to muffle her moans of pleasure. I break our kiss and move my mouth down to her tits to suck on her nipple, flicking it with my tongue. She cries into her palm, and I feel her pussy clench tighter around my fingers.

  Pulling away, I look up at her and can barely speak. “Come for me, El.”

  Her hips sway along with the rhythm of my hand. I feel her pussy grow more wet with every stroke, but it’s not until I lean forward and sink my teeth into her nipple, just hard enough to cause a little pain, that her body convulses, my name falling from her lips.

  Pulling back, I look and admire the pink flush that spreads across every inch of her skin. She yanks me back, slamming her lips onto mine as she fumbles awkwardly with my belt. “We need to stop,” I say.

  She grins and grabs my face, lips aiming for me once more, but I pull back, putting some distance between us. “I mean it, babe. We need to stop. As much as I want to fi
nish what we’ve started, it’s not the right time.”

  She folds her arms over her heaving chest, suddenly embarrassed. Taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I tilt her face up to mine and press a soft kiss to her swollen lips. “My dick is going to be more pissed than either one of us, trust me.” I grin as she giggles and fold her in my arms. “Let me take you out the day after tomorrow. We’ll do dinner, a bike ride, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll even buy you flowers or some shit.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Good. It’s a date.”

  Ellen

  The next morning, I’m pouring my coffee just as Bryce walks into the kitchen. His hair is a mess, and his pajamas are rumpled from a good night’s sleep. “Morning, Bud. How’d you sleep?”

  “Good,” he mumbles as he reaches for the cereal. I grin wide. For the first time in a long time, so had I. And if Bryce slept well, that means he didn’t hear what was going on in my room.

  Jase’s visit last night had changed everything. It had changed my mind about finally giving him a chance to prove that he’s serious about me, no matter how much that terrifies me. I’m no fool, and I’m still cautious about giving him my complete trust, but we’ll take it slow and see what happens.

  His visit also means that I have to come clean to Bryce about who he is, and what he means to me. He talks to his father, and I know that it’ll get brought up. I don’t want Paul to think I’m hiding something, and I want him to know that he can’t push me around and dictate who I can and cannot date. Besides, Bryce is a smart kid. There’s no way I could date Jase without him knowing something was going on.

  “Bryce, I need to talk to you about something.” His eyes lift from the iPad game he’s playing as he scoops Lucky Charms into his mouth. “I’m going out tonight. I already texted Brit, but if you want to to go to Jimmy’s instead, I can call his mom and see if that would be okay.”