by Lilly Atlas
Lila laughed and waved it away. “Honey, they weren’t my crowd either. I was raised in Washington DC. I’m the daughter of…” She paused, seeming to consider what she wanted to say to Emily. “Okay, I’m going to trust you with something that doesn’t leave this table. There are only a handful of people who know this.”
Intrigued, Emily nodded. “I’ll absolutely keep your confidences, Lila. I would also like us to be friends.” Guilt crept up her back and settled on her shoulders, a heavy weight.
With a quick glance around, Lila leaned in. “My father just announced his intentions to run for governor of Maryland.” She kept her voice low, and after dropping that bomb she leaned back and watched Emily.
Emily opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and opened it again. Lila chuckled and nodded at her. “True story.”
“That is not anywhere in the realm of what I thought you were going to say.”
“Well, now you know that these guys were nothing at all like what I was used to.” She shrugged. “Now they’re family, everything to me.”
“Jester is just so…huge in so many ways.”
One of Lila’s eyebrows rose. “Reeeally?” She drew out the word in an evocative manner.
Picking up on what she said, Emily laughed and covered her face as it flamed. “I did not mean that. I meant his personality, his height, and his whole presence. Oh, hell…that too.”
With a crack of laughter, Lila fanned herself with her napkin. “Trust me, Emily, I know how intense that aspect of these men can be. And I noticed that mark on your neck. My advice?” She winked and smiled. “Enjoy every damn second.”
“I sure have so far.” Emily’s face burned and her hand flew to her neck. So much for her makeup job. “I can’t believe I’m running my mouth to you like this. You must think I sound like a moron.”
Lila stopped laughing and grew serious. “I think you caught Jester’s eye, and that makes you pretty special. You’re right, he’s an intimidating and overwhelming man, but he’s the best. He’s loyal, protective, and trustworthy. You’ll find that out soon enough.”
Emily sipped her tea to stall before she delved into dangerous territory. “I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but I came because a college friend of mine told me about the area. She used to live in Sandy Springs.” Emily swallowed the nausea generated by the lie. Part of what she worked on while sitting in her car earlier was her cover story. It was all on paper, tucked away in her purse. “She always told me she liked living there except for the motorcycle club in that town. I think she called them the Grimm Brothers. The stories she had were terrifying. Are they, um, are they friends with the No Prisoners?”
Lila’s whole demeanor changed. She closed in on herself, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms as a haunted look entered her eyes. “They aren’t friends at all. They’re enemies, and the Grimm Brothers are a dangerous enemy to have, unfortunately. If you ever come across any of them, you need to tell Jester immediately. In fact, try to stay out of Sandy Springs as much as possible. The clubs aren’t the same, not at all. The Grimm Brothers are evil, plain and simple. While I won’t bullshit you and tell you the No Prisoners are choir boys, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty they are nothing like the Grimm Brothers.”
Emily nodded and stared down at her uneaten meal. The first bite had been delicious, but the second was like sawdust in her mouth. Her appetite fled the moment Lila told her to stay out of Sandy Springs.
Lila dropped her voice again. “Striker and I were ambushed by the Grimm Brothers last year riding from the clubhouse to our home. Six Grimms stopped us on the road, threatened us, roughed up Striker a bit, and Snake, their president, took me as collateral until some issues were resolved.”
Emily’s heart went out to Lila. She knew firsthand the fear Snake could instill. That fear had been with her for days. “Oh, Lila, that must have been terrifying. Were you hurt?”
She shook her head and stared off to the side. “No, thankfully. Anyway, it’s long over, but I just want you to know that the two clubs are nothing alike.”
Emily was torn. Part of her, the woman who’d just given her body to a man who made her feel things physically and emotionally that she’d never experienced before, was thrilled to hear Lila thought so highly of Jester. The other part of her, the part that had to sell him out to Snake, almost wished he was a monster. “Do you know a lot about what the No Prisoners do, business wise?”
Emily held her breath while Lila took her time answering. The question may have been too nosey. If Lila grew suspicious she might pass her concerns along to Striker. “I just, um,” she rushed to explain. “I find them fascinating. And now that Jester and I are…whatever we are, I want to know as much about his life as I can.”
“No, I don’t know much, at least not details.” Lila sighed. “I’m going to give you some important advice.” She took a sip of her tea. “Don’t expect Jester to let you in on much club business or secrets, now or ever. These guys are very protective of family, and once you’re in the fold, you’re considered family.”
Emily’s heart sank as she listened to Lila. The chances of getting any information directly from someone in the club sounded next to impossible. She’d have to find another way.
“Well, I need to get back to the hospital before they send a search party out for me.” Lila stood and placed a few bills on the table. She met Emily’s eye. “I’m really glad we had the chance to chat. Hopefully what I told you will help ease your mind. Enjoy the rest of your day, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Thank you, Lila.” Emily stood and embraced her before wishing her a good day.
Her phone buzzed again, reminding her she had an unread text from Snake. She stared at her purse as though the phone might attack when she reached for it. Snake’s answer to her request to pay him off awaited her. “Suck it up and look, Emily,” she muttered to herself as she reached in her leather handbag and pulled out the phone.
Nice try.
That was it. Nothing else. She dropped the phone to the table and stared down at the unfinished plate. Hot tears flooded her eyes. Deep breaths in and out helped to keep them at bay.
“Excuse me, miss, are you all right?”
Emily jumped and looked up at the waiter. Her mouth felt hot and dry. “Yes, um, I’m fine, thank you for asking. May I please have the check?”
“I’ll be right back with it.”
The phone buzzed against the table.
Conflicting emotions swamped her when she read Jester’s name on the screen. Part of her was thrilled he’d contacted her, while another part of her had been hoping Snake had changed his mind. It was a long shot, but if he would have taken money, Emily would have sold her house in a heartbeat.
Can’t focus for shit today. Keep thinking about how tight your pussy felt around my dick. I’ll swing by to get you in three hours. Pack a bag.
Emily’s mouth dropped open as she reread the text. She’d never been around anyone as free and confident with their sexuality as Jester. And why shouldn’t he be confident? He certainly had the goods, and the skills to back it up.
As Emily read the text for the third time, she reached for her iced tea. Suddenly the air felt hotter than it had only seconds before. She was also wet, again. Jester could turn her on like nothing else. Emboldened by his obvious desire for her, she typed out a response. If you thought last night was hot, you should know I’m not wearing panties…
Not true, but it was fun to play with him.
Christ woman, you’ll pay for that. I’m rock hard in a garage full of men.
Emily laughed out loud which drew the attention of the few other diners eating on the patio.
Three hours and she’d get more of the pleasure from last night. Three hours until she’d be alone again with the man who had the information she needed to save Johnny’s life. Emily pushed her plate away. There was no way she could stomach any more food.
Chapter Eleven
&nbs
p; Jester groaned in satisfaction and flopped to his back, taking Emily with him. She lay sprawled over him, her head nestled in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Legs intertwined, they remained silent for long moments, allowing their breathing to normalize.
The heat of her pussy around his bare cock was incendiary; there was no way in hell he’d ever wear a rubber inside her again. Hours ago they’d had the conversation. Emily was on birth control, and he’d never gone bareback before. The chicks who hung around the club weren’t exactly clean and couldn’t be trusted. The orgasm he had without the rubber nearly melted his brain.
Emily didn’t speak for long enough that Jester assumed she’d fallen asleep. Christ, he liked the feel of her naked body entangled with his. Soft breasts were cushioned against the hard wall of his chest, and her slender, yet strong arms held tight around his body.
She startled him when in a drowsy voice she asked, “Don’t you think it’s about time you told me your real name? And how you got your nickname?” She lifted her head so she could see his face as she spoke and he smiled down at her.
“Hmmm, I’m not sure we know each other well enough yet.” Teasing her was becoming one of his favorite activities.
“Jester, we’ve spent the better part of the last week naked together. I think we know each other well enough.”
He didn’t quite agree. Emily was guarded when it came to sharing information about her life and it didn’t resonate well with him. She’d been introduced to all of the important people in his life, and she hadn’t so much as hinted at a friend or family member on her side.
He’d promised her, and himself, uncomplicated, so he shouldn’t give a shit what she talked about, but he did. “I’ll make you a deal babe. I’ll tell you my name and how I came to be Jester if you answer two questions for me as well.”
Emily stiffened. It was impossible to miss, but it didn’t last long. In two heartbeats time she was back in the game. “Okay, sure, two questions all around. Sounds fair to me.” Her voice wasn’t as confident as the words.
Still looking down at her he grinned his approval. “Let’s see, my name, I need to think about it for a minute. No one’s called me by it in so long I think I forgot it.”
“Come on!” Emily gave him a playful pinch on his stomach. There wasn’t much to grab so it wasn’t very effective and he swore he heard her mutter, “Stupid six-pack,” under her breath.
Chuckling, he conceded. “My name is Mason, Mason Sterling.”
“Mason? Seriously?”
He laughed. “Yes, babe. Seriously.”
“Huh.”
“Huh what?”
She peered up at him with a sheepish look on her face. “Sorry, but there’s no way I could ever call you that. Nothing against the name. Mason is a good name. It is just not at all a name that fits you. It’s not…hmm.” She traced a tattoo on his chest as she thought.
“Crazy enough?” He tugged her hair.
“No, no, it’s not big enough. You are an imposing character, Jester. You’re insanely tall, your personality is substantial, and you have so many giant, hard, sexy muscles that…” She laughed at herself. “Okay, once I started thinking about your muscles I completely forgot the point I was trying to make was.”
She was hilarious. Jester couldn’t believe how much fun he had just talking with Emily. Aside from his friends’ wives, the sum total of his conversations with women usually entailed, “Top or bottom?” With Emily, he not only craved her body, but he found himself eager to be with her at all times. At least ten times a day he made mental notes to remember to share something with her. “You were talking about my giant and hard body parts.”
“Ha, you do have a few of those. I’m done talking. Somewhere in there I was supposed to prove how the name didn’t fit you.”
He nodded. “That’s probably because it’s literally been over ten years since anyone has referred to me as Mason.”
“Where did Jester come from?”
He groaned. “It’s a really dumb story. You know I like to joke around a lot, pull pranks and shit, bag on everybody?”
With exaggerated disbelief Emily gasped and her face took on a feigned look of shock. “You do? I must not be paying enough attention, because I didn’t pick up on that at all.”
“You want to hear the story or not, smartass?” He pinched her on the rear, much more effectively than she’d pinched him, and she yelped out a giggle. He smoothed his hand over the sting, any excuse to get his hand on her luscious ass. “Anyway, I bought this coffee pot after I moved in my then apartment, and the thing didn’t fit under my counter, so I had to return it. I dragged Acer and Hook with me to the store to get my money back. The clerk behind the return counter was this pissed off looking old hag, so I decided to have a little fun with her.” He smirked recalling the day.
“Oh, the poor woman. Please don’t tell me you did anything to scar her for life.”
“Shush, I did no such thing. I made up some elaborate story, to be honest I can’t even remember all the details anymore, maybe Acer does. That guy’s got a memory like a steel trap. I do remember I delivered it with an Oscar quality performance. The story was something about how I had a Great Dane who was the perfect height to turn the machine off, and I could never have a cup of coffee because he turned it off every time I tried to brew some.”
At Emily’s skeptical look Jester laughed. “I told you the story was dumb.”
“You were right.”
“Gee thanks. Anyway the ol’ battle-axe looked me up and down with her stern wrinkly face and disapproving eyes and said, ‘Surely you jest, sonny.’” Jester mimicked an aged female voice. “And that was that. Acer took the story and ran it right back to the club. I was a prospect at the time, and Jester was born.”
“Well, it’s more you than Mason is.” She shook her head. “How did you get involved with the No Prisoners?”
“Uh uh, that’s a third question. You willing to pay the price?”
She hesitated and Jester began to wonder if there was something in her past, or hell maybe in her life now, that was causing her trouble. Maybe something she was ashamed of. Why else would she be so hesitant to share? He’d have to find a way to draw it out of her. “Okay, yes, I am.”
Interesting.
“I moved here with my old man when I was sixteen. My mom passed the year before so it was just us boys. He was a violent, drunken asshole. I’d been obsessed with motorcycles since before I could ride a tricycle, the love of bikes was the one good thing I inherited from my old man. Anyway I started hanging around at the clubhouse, helping with shit, running errands etc. Shiv took pity on me. When I was old enough, I prospected. That’s all she wrote.”
He didn’t bother to tell her that his dad had borrowed money from the club, money he never intended to pay back. He got worked over real good, and sank even further into a drunk and drugged out state, completely unable to care or provide for his teenage son.
They’d never spoken about it, but Jester was pretty sure that was the reason Shiv let him hang around at such a young age. He was beyond grateful. The club had become his family and they had one hundred percent of his loyalty.
“That satisfy your curiosity, baby?”
Emily nodded.
“Good. My turn to ask the questions.” Was it his imagination, or did she tense and shift away from him a fraction of an inch?
Emily swallowed down her nerves, praying Jester wouldn’t ask her anything she would have to lie too badly about. The thought of being further dishonest with him made her stomach clench and her head throb. She’d already decided to keep any information she gave him as close to the truth as possible. For one thing, it would be easier to keep her story straight if she wasn’t making up wild tales, and maybe when this was over, he could find some comfort in the knowledge that she told him as much of the truth as she felt she could.
“Well, what would you like to know?” Despite the impending doom of their future, she loved being with
him like this, their bodies drained and sated while they quietly spoke well into the night. It was an intimacy she’d never shared with a man before, and she found it both comforting and arousing.
“You never mention any of the people in your life. Do you have family, friends?” The look in his eye was one of genuine interest, not nosy curiosity or mistrust. It helped to relax her. Maybe it would be okay to share a little of the truth with him without putting herself at any further risk.
“My parents died when I was eighteen. Car accident. A drunk driver hit them as they were coming back from some work dinner of my father’s. They were only two miles from our house.” She shook her head and lowered her eyes, a familiar sadness swamping her. It surged whenever she recalled that time in her life, which she tried not to do often.
“Jesus, baby, I’m sorry.” Jester brought his arm up to stroke her hair and down her back, providing more comfort than she’d received from another human being in the eight years since their passing.
“It was a long time ago now, but I do have a brother. He’s five years younger than I am.”
Shit! Why did she say that? She’d meant to leave out any mention of Johnny. When this was over, and she was gone, she didn’t want the No Prisoners to know about him. Jester may be a generous and attentive lover, but he’d make a deadly enemy.
Jester’s powerful hand caressed her bare back and she wanted to purr like a contented kitten. Unfortunately, her racing thoughts won out over her desires.
“Where is he?”
Emily’s mind spun and she shrugged. “Still in…um…Colorado, where I moved from. We’re not that close.” The lie tasted bitter in her mouth. Denying him when he needed her most felt wrong, even if it was to protect him. She wanted to spill every last detail to Jester and beg for his help, but she was too afraid. Johnny wasn’t an innocent victim in all this. He was a prospect for the Grimm Brothers. The risk of coming clean was too high. “So there’s one answer. Next question?”
