“Unlike what Rogue was saying earlier, I don’t plan to run the— What did you call the heroin? Bonita? —from my club. The Sons still hang there on a regular basis. They believe all is kosher between us.” Draven rolled his shoulders, no doubt to alleviate some of the tension settling in. “As long as I play that role to a tee, then they’ll have no reason to mistrust what I do outside of the club. My distributors have been instructed to steer far from the MC. May I ask a question of my own? Why heroin and not coke? I was under the impression we’d be running nose candy.”
“I know we originally agreed to run blow. Truth of it, we’re seeing bigger profits from the bonita.” Tank took a pull from his glass of whiskey. “The La Paz cartel haven’t risen to their position without being smart. Raúl is one of the richest men in Mexico. We want some of those profits. Raúl wants to target through the schools and there ain’t a damn thing we can do about it. The teens seem to be buying the stuff up like candy. As long as there is a demand, we’ll supply it.”
He glanced at Anton, no doubt waiting for another argument about selling smack to kids. Jesus. Hell, yes, he had a shit load of reasons. Now, more than ever, they needed to stop the son of a bitch.
“I think we can make a profitable compromise. We can still sell heroin on the streets, but I also need some of your men targeting the University of Oregon. You and your men are only about an hour and a half out from one of Oregon’s biggest schools. The student population is damn near twenty-five thousand. Those are some fucking big numbers.”
Draven nodded. “I’ll talk to my men.”
“You will do more than that, Draven. You either get a foothold on that university or the deals off. Raúl is ready to cut us all off at the kneecaps unless we comply.”
Tank grit his teeth and glanced back to Anton. “I wasn’t excited about taking our operation into the schools any more than you guys. I know your hesitation. Unfortunately, this isn’t negotiable. Raúl wants to make up for the past year in a big way. Kids are going crazy for heroin. It’s becoming an epidemic. Schools are stocking antidotes, for fuck’s sake. Raúl wants a piece of that pie. So, you are either in or out.”
He glanced back at Draven. “You, Preacher and Rogue are in charge of Oregon. I figure no one knows the Sons better than Rogue. He can help keep the heat off. The rest of our crew will concentrate on the universities here. We will start with USC, UCLA, and Berkeley. He wants to move this stuff up the coast. The Siuslaw River is perfect for getting you the heroin. The University of Oregon is damn near a straight shot through Pleasant to Eugene down 126. There will be plenty of opportunities along the Siuslaw River to get that shit on land under the cover of night.”
Tank was using Anton’s position as an ex-Sons member to keep a close eye on his old MC. Smart move. Regardless of the reason, he thanked his lucky stars for being sent back to Oregon. Being positioned back in Oregon allowed him easier communications with Kane, who could keep the heat off.
Having Bobby “Preacher” Bourassa tag along might pose a problem. Not that Anton didn’t like the man. Hell, no. Had he the choice, Bobby would’ve been his first pick to accompany him. Anton would need to get creative in shaking the man when meeting up with Cara and Kane. Any other day, he’d be thrilled about being given the opportunity to spend time with Kimber, but he couldn’t afford to put her on Bobby’s radar. If Bobby found out about his neighbor and the fact Anton had it bad for her, he could use that knowledge against him. No way in hell would he allow Kimber to get caught up in the mess, which meant he’d be back to keeping her at a distance.
“We got a deal?” Tank asked as he glanced between Draven and Anton. “I need to know we’re full throttle.”
Anton looked at Draven. “You cool?”
Draven nodded. “Are you cool with it? Last I knew, the Sons weren’t exactly singing your praises.”
“You let me worry about the Sons.” He looked at Bobby. “You okay with heading for Oregon? I can put you up in the farmhouse I still own. It’s off the beaten path, where we can lie low.”
“I’m in.” He pushed his overlong dark bangs from his face. The man’s piercing gaze could put the fear of God in any man. “You’ll barely know I’m there, man. I won’t be a nuisance.”
“Good.” Tank regained the control of the meeting. “You’ll leave in the morning. Scout out the schools. Once Raúl feels comfortable, I’ll be in touch. You best be ready with the fucking money, Draven. You jerk my chain and I’ll take you out. We cool?”
Draven nodded. “We’re cool, man.”
“You boys ride out at dawn.”
“What about Raúl?” Anton wanted a meet and greet, but couldn’t afford to be obvious. “We meet with him when it’s time to pick up the smack?”
“No need. The only one who meets with Raúl is me. His preference.”
Anton bit back a retort. He need to come up with a damn good reason to meet with the kingpin.
“Let’s go drink some fucking whiskey.” Anton strode from the church meeting and into the main bar to keep Tank from seeing his answering scowl.
Tank walked up behind Anton and clasped his shoulder. “I like you, man. You have some balls. This deal is going to make us very rich.”
Anton picked up the full glass placed in front of him by the bartender and downed the two fingers. He couldn’t leave Santa Barbara behind quick enough or the man standing to his right.
* * *
Kimber carried a silver serving tray of crystal tumblers, each filled with ice, and a pitcher of brewed tea onto the porch, and set it upon the glass oval stand between the twin wicker rockers. She poured Tena and Chad each a glass full of the unsweetened tea, handing them one.
“Sugar?” she asked, setting the glass pitcher back on the tray before taking her own seat. Kimber had brought out an extra folding chair to accommodate the three of them. The slight breeze made the day a pleasant one and it would be a shame to visit within the confines of her house.
“I’m sweet enough.” Chad chuckled at his own joke before taking a sip from the freshly steeped, black tea leaves. “So what’s the occasion, boss? I don’t recall you ever extending an invitation to us before. You have a nice spread.”
“Thanks.” Kimber was warmly pleased by the compliment. “I don’t know why I hadn’t. I suppose it’s because we’ve always met at coffee shops.”
Tena covered a chuckle with her hand. “I can count on one hand how many times you’ve hung with any of us at non-work related events, Kimber.”
Chad, looking sheepish, ran a hand over his closely shaved head. His natural good looks, blond hair and blue eyes, made him quite a catch. She had spied Tena’s attention on him several times over the past year of his employment with the library. Too bad for her the man batted for the other team, which left Tena hooking up far too often with losers from nightclubs who usually only wanted one thing. Tena was pretty enough, but her low self-esteem had her overlooking men who would treat her with more respect.
“Okay, so you might be correct. Call this a new start.” Kimber’s face heated. She needed to learn to be a better friend. Having Anton down the coast for who knew how long, she wouldn’t mind having a few friends to pass the time with. Reaching down and scratching Diesel’s head, she asked, “How did your date go with the man you met at the Rave the other night, Tena?”
“Not well.” Tena pointed the tip of her thumb toward the porch floor. “He followed me home, which was a good start. He was in and out of my bed so fast, though, I’m not sure I even had an orgasm. Haven’t heard from him since.”
“You little slut.” Chad winked, earning a slug to his biceps from Tena. Obviously, the two were used to poking fun at each other. “You need to keep those legs closed, girlfriend. Don’t be giving away the dessert so quickly. Make them work for it.”
“Listen to you.” Tena’s smile widened. “Coming from the king of one-night stands.”
“I haven’t found a man worthy of all this hotness yet.” His hand did an air sweep
of his body. “You’re just jealous I get more ass than you.”
Tena rolled her eyes and Kimber laughed. Kimber was certainly enjoying being included in on a little fun between coworkers. She had to admit, she liked the camaraderie. Why she hadn’t hung out with them more often, she couldn’t answer. Kimber had been so used to holding everyone at bay, she supposed it had become the norm.
Including Anton.
Truthfully, his parting words last summer had cut her more deeply than she cared to admit. It was much easier to hide behind the novels she had been reading, than to face the possibility of being hurt again, which included the coworkers sitting on her front porch.
What if they hadn’t liked her?
She would face yet another hurt. Now she saw how incredibly foolish she had been. Not to mention all the fun she had missed out on. It was time for a change. Anton had made it clear he didn’t want to share her. Not that his declaration meant any kind of relationship, but it did mean she’d have him in her bed on occasion. It would be enough for now. In the meantime, she’d have friends to call upon to pass the time between his visits.
“You are such a male slut.” Tena plucked an ice cube from her glass and threw it at Chad. “Such a double standard. You take off your pants and you’re a stud—”
“Glad you noticed,” Chad interrupted with a large smile.
His comment sent all three of them into a round of giggles. Kimber couldn’t recall cutting loose and having so much fun. Her life had been about excelling at academics and being the all-around good girl. Had she truly become such a stick in the mud? Regardless of the answer, all that was about to change. The new, fun-loving Kimber had just emerged. She’d no longer govern her actions by what someone else might think of her.
“Don’t get all full of yourself just yet, Chad. You ought to check out the hottie I spied Kimber talking to last weekend.”
Chad turned and looked at Kimber, raising one brow. “Spill.”
“We shared one dance.” Kimber shivered at the reminder. Grabbing the man and pulling him onto the dance floor to make Anton jealous wasn’t the smartest thing she had done. It had taken a bit to disentangle herself from him before escaping the club. “Trust me, he’s not worth the mention.”
“Not him, silly.” Tena’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Mr. Tall Dark and Dangerous you were hanging out with in the backroom of the Rave. Don’t act as if you don’t know whom I’m referring to. His gaze burned hot when you pulled the skinny twit onto the dance floor.”
Kimber hadn’t realized Tena had seen her speedy exit of the storeroom. “You mean my neighbor?”
“That man is your neighbor? Why the hell am I not getting an introduction?”
“No way.” Kimber tried to hide the rise of the green-eyed monster behind a sip of tea.
“You’re dating him?”
She quickly shook her head, busying herself with Diesel. “I’m not dating anyone.”
“Then you won’t mind getting me that introduction.”
Raising her head, she looked at Tena, trying damn hard to school her reaction. No. Way. In. Hell. “He’s hardly your type.”
“How would you know? Unless…”
Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she went back to petting Diesel.
“You little slut,” Chad chimed in. “You’re sleeping with him.”
Kimber giggled. “I might have.”
Tena sat forward, wrapping her long fingers around her glass, forearms on her knees. “I’ll repeat Chad’s request. Spill.”
“There is nothing to tell.”
“Are you serious?” Tena darn near sprung from her seat. “The man oozes sex. Just once—”
“Forget it, Tena.” Kimber wasn’t about to let up. No matter that there wasn’t a relationship. She wasn’t about to share. “You aren’t getting the intro.”
“Damn it. Then I want details, sister.”
Kimber laughed again, rising from her chair. “Who wants cake?”
“Nice change of topic.” Chad gave her a thumbs-up. “I’ll take a piece … then we get the specifics.”
Kimber walked into the dark interior of her house, her thoughts going to Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous as Tena had referred to him. He hadn’t been gone but a few days and she already found herself missing him. Even a glance would do. Being a good day’s ride down the coast, though, she knew it could be a month or longer before he made a trip back north. At least she hoped it wasn’t longer. Too bad he had refused her his phone number. Being able to call him on occasion might have placated her desire to see him.
Cutting three pieces of her toffee streusel coffee cake, she balanced the three plates on her hand and forearm and headed back for the porch. Diesel’s nose was plastered to the screen. She had yet to feed the dog even a morsel of people food, but it was obvious his previous owner already had. The vet had told her green beans and carrots wouldn’t harm the dog, so she grabbed a carrot from the refrigerator.
Chad opened the door for her. Kimber tossed the carrot to her front yard and Diesel bounded down the steps after it, the cake she carried now forgotten. Handing off a plate to both Tena and Chad, she took her own seat again.
“Damn, girl,” Chad piped up around a mouthful. “You are one mean baker. This cake is to die for.”
Kimber grinned and her cheeks heated, pleased they both seemed to enjoy her baking. “Thanks. Maybe we should start having weekly potlucks at work.”
“I agree.” Tena took another bite of the cake, moaning. “I’m not the best baker, but I can make a mean casserole.”
“Working with all women, I think I’d like that.” Chad winked as he set his now empty plate on the tray. “I can always bring a bag of chips.”
“I thought all gay guys were good cooks.” Tena laid down her own plate. “You can’t just bring chips. How about we get together and I teach you some tricks.”
“I’m all for it, sweetheart. But what’s the saying? You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Diesel trotted up the stairs, stopped in front of Kimber’s plate and barked. She laughed, knowing Diesel wanted her last bite. Speaking of teaching an old dog new tricks. But instead of feeding the sugary bite to him, she patted his head, then ate the last bite herself. “Sorry, Diesel. Anton wouldn’t be happy with me if I started to spoil you after all the dog food he purchased for you.”
“Anton? You’re neighbor?” Tena asked.
“Yes. Sorry, I guess I never mentioned his name.”
“He bought your dog food?”
“And the dog.” Kimber scratched his chin. “This far out he thought I needed a little protection.”
One of Chad’s brows arched. “And you’re not dating?”
“Nope.”
“Whatever, girlfriend. A man does not worry about your safety if you don’t mean a thing to him.”
Kimber thought about that and certainly hoped Chad was correct. The idea of her meaning more to Anton than what they did in the sack brought a smile to her face, leaving her a bit giddy. She hoped he called soon, if for nothing else than to find out how Diesel and she were getting along. Truth of it, she was already falling in love with the big lug … the dog. Of course, the dog. She didn’t know Anton well enough to have those type of feelings for him. Did she? Her mind refused to believe she might be falling for him, but her heart seemed to trip over itself every time she thought of him.
Kimber quickly closed the door on her current line of thinking. Feeling more for Anton, other than an occasional slip between the sheets, would bring her nothing but heartache. Loving him was not an option.
“We’re good friends.” She wondered at her declaration, not sure exactly what they were. “Who have slept together a couple of times. Just something to pass the time since neither of us were dating. I was quite surprised when he showed up with the dog. He was being neighborly—”
The sound of approaching motorcycles cut her off and kicked up the beat of her heart. She told herself it was just wishful t
hinking. Since it was more than one bike, she thought maybe it was a couple of the Sons of Sangue checking up on their rival’s farmhouse. She supposed it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to want to keep tabs on him.
The black motorcycle out front, sporting tall handlebars, was pretty hard to miss, though. Kimber stood and walked toward the steps as Diesel rushed down them and headed for the road. Both bikes slowed as they came near, but instead of stopping, they continued on their way. Anton barely acknowledged her with slightest tip of his chin. Thankfully, she had caught the small gesture or she might have wondered if he had paid her any mind at all.
“I’d rather my MC brothers didn’t know about you.”
Devils’ patches were centered on the back of their black leather vests. The idea Anton would come to Sons of Sangue territory with another Devil spelled trouble, and Kimber didn’t like it. If she got a chance to catch Anton alone, she meant to talk to him about it. He really shouldn’t be bringing his MC brothers across state lines. The last thing she wanted to see happen was a brawl over territories with Anton caught in the middle. It was one thing for him to be in Oregon. He owned a farmhouse and was likely expected to check on it from time to time. Bringing another Devil here was borrowing trouble.
“Is that your man?” Chad asked, his voice near her ear.
Kimber turned her head and found him leaning over her shoulder, trying to get a better look at the men and their motorcycles.
“Girl, you are flirting with danger. But damn, I can’t say I blame you. Did you get a glimpse of the guy with the tattoo crosses on his arms? That man is an absolute beast.” Chad whistled. “Please tell me you can score me an introduction and that beautiful specimen is not yours.”
Both bikes pulled into Anton’s driveway and disappeared behind the house. “No, the other one is my neighbor. Getting an introduction to the second man probably isn’t such a good idea, Chad.”
“Why? You don’t seem to mind Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous.”
Rogue (Sons of Sangue Book 4) Page 12
