Baz (CAOS MC Book 5)

by KB Winters

  “I haven’t seen you,” she pouted, devil-red lips ripe and ready for a blow job. If I was interested in what she was offering. “In ages.”

  “Maybe I’m not looking to be found.” Firm and direct usually worked but Pam wasn’t interested in being shoved off. Not if there was still a chance for her to become someone’s ol’ lady. “What do you want Pam?”

  “I want you Baz. How long are you gonna make me wait? You know I’ll do anything.” She pressed her tits up against me, pouting harder when I stepped away from her and that nasty ass perfume. “Anything.”

  “What part of—”

  “We’re heading out,” Trina began, a blank expression on her face, “and Jack wanted to say bye.” She stepped back when I reached out for her, letting Jack step in between us and telling me how she felt about me and Pam. Even though there was no fucking me and Pam.

  “See ya later, Dad!” He waved nervously and then went for it, wrapping his scrawny arms around my waist and squeezing hard.

  “Later, kid. Trina.” Without a word, not a single expression on her face, she turned away and I knew I’d be starting over again with her. “Goddammit Pam I told you I’m not interested in what you’re offering.”

  She grinned. “I can make you interested.”

  I shook my head. “And I can make you sorry if you don’t back the fuck off.” I hated being harsh with women but she’d just fucked shit up for me and I wasn’t in the mood to be kind.

  “Fine. You’re not such hot shit anyway.” I saw it for the defensive gesture it was but fixed my face into an expression that told her how serious I was.

  “Then move the fuck on,” I barked at her and went back inside Two Scoops where Dagger wrangled his kids like an expert. I had a shit load of questions for the club’s resident family man.

  ***

  “What do you want Baz?” Trina stood in the doorway with her arms folded, her expression cool and distant. Still.

  A week had passed and though she hadn’t made any attempts to keep me away from Jack she hadn’t gone out of her way to speak to me or let me in again. I flashed the smile she never used to be able to resist but so much had changed about Trina over the years. Dammit. “I was hoping we could talk.”

  She stepped back, her gaze still cold, but she moved warily away from me and took one of two solo seats in her living room, arms and legs crossed defensively. “What is it you want to talk about?”

  Shit, where did I begin? I had so much to apologize for before I figured the beginning was as good a place as any. “I wanted to apologize about before. Back then. I had no idea how much my life in the club scared you. I was a young punk and all I could see was my woman trying to control me. I didn’t see what you were trying to tell me.” I was too young and too set on joining CAOS to be able to listen anyway.

  She sighed and ran a trembling hand through her hair. “We both made our choices Baz and I really don’t see a point in going over it again. You know about Jack now and he’s thrilled to have you around so we should just move forward.” I would’ve believed her if her whole expression, her whole body hadn’t been wrapped up in a posture that said get the hell away from me.

  “How do you propose we do that?”

  She sighed. “Simple. Spend time with Jack like you’ve been doing. Here, for a few weeks and when you both are comfortable you can keep him over night. If that’s what you want.”

  Who was this cold, formal creature determined to piss me off? “If I want? What the fuck does that mean Trina? You know I want to be involved, more than anything.” I stood and closed the distance between us until I towered over her. “Fine. I’ll come back tonight for dinner.” Since there were no classes this week thanks to the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, I could come early and stay all day. “In the meantime—” I told her, stepping closer when she stood to face me, deftly dodging my touch.

  “—I think you have enough women to keep you busy, to warm your bed Baz. Just focus on Jack.”

  I heard what she was saying and what she wasn’t but that didn’t bother me. Grabbing her chin and tilting her head up, I made sure those pretty blue eyes looked right into mine. “Just like you haven’t been celibate all these years Trina, neither have I. But now the only woman I can think about is you, Sweetness. So get that through your pretty little head.”

  Her hands went to my chest to push me away but I gripped her forearms and kept her close. “We have both lived our lives Baz and our encounter the other day probably gave you the wrong impression. I don’t sleep around and I don’t do it casually.”

  But I did, at least according to her unspoken rebuke. “Well, just an FYI, I didn’t fuck Pam. Never have. Not interested.” Couldn’t she see the only woman on my mind anymore was her? “My cock only wants you Trina.”

  She opened her mouth to respond but I slipped inside with my tongue, teasing and tasting her, devouring her sweet hot mouth until every inch of me throbbed with the need to slide deep inside her tight, wet cunt. But not now. “Remember that,” I told her roughly and walked out.

  I needed to put some space between us, so I hopped on my bike and headed toward the clubhouse. These guys were my friends, my brothers and with them was exactly where I needed to be right now.

  “What’s up?” I walked in to find Torch, Mick and Cash congregated around the bar having a conversation that looked too damn serious for this early in the day.

  Mick turned with a frown dipping his red brows low. “What’s up is Wagman’s been spotted in town.”

  Shit. “Wagman? I thought that motherfucker was dead.” I thought we’d seen the last of that fucker. He’d disappeared after the shit went down with Rocky and the Devils, and I, we hoped it was for good. Now though, it appeared he was just lying low.

  “He’s been freelancing for all manner of criminals. Wet work, enforcement, security you name it and he’s been up to it. The fact he’s back means someone probably paid him. For something,” he added ominously.

  Instantly my mind went to Trina’s ex. “Jensen something or fucking other. He’s locked up in Connecticut for some financial crimes. I don’t know the details but he and Trina dated for a few months several years ago and he’s been stalking her ever since. If that asshole hired Wagman I’ll do my best to make sure both men regret it.” I went quiet for a second, thinking about my kid. I had to make sure he and Trina were both protected from these clowns.

  I was pulled from my thoughts and looked up to find three sets of eyes staring at me in various stages of shock. “Oh, and I have a kid. His name is Jack and he’s ten years old.”

  Calm descended for about five seconds before the men erupted in cheers, whistles and slaps of congratulations on the back. “That’s a reason to fuckin’ celebrate!” Torch clapped my back, shaking me in excitement, smiling widely. “Congratulations man, this is fucking unreal!” The big man hugged me hard and lifted me off the ground, giving my back a solid pounding.

  We cracked open a keg of beer and a few bottles of Jack and I sat through a few toasts and plenty of ribbing about missing the hard years. I took all the jokes with a smile because these guys were my family and I knew they’d step up to help me with Jack and Trina, and with whatever the fuck Wagman was doing back in Brently. “How you holding up?” Mick took a seat beside me with a slow, easy grin.

  “As good as a man in my position could be, I suppose.” I was happy to find out about Jack and getting to know him made me feel things I never thought I would. And even having Trina back in my life had changed things for me, but I couldn’t deny a certain hint of anger of what had been stolen from me all those years ago. I missed watching her belly grow round with our child. Missed seeing Jack losing his teeth, learning to ride a bike and all the other shit fathers are supposed to be around for.

  “She had her reasons, same as Talon’s mother did. Doesn’t make it right but at least you found out about Jack before it’s too late. Magnus didn’t get that chance.”

  “You had to go there, didn’t you
man?”

  Mick grinned and took a long sip from the frosty mug. “Yep. Eats up Talon every day that she never got to meet him, especially now that we have our own kids.”

  “So, forgive and forget and then move forward?”

  “Pretty much. It’s all you can do, or you can let your anger get the better of you and push them both away.” Mick stood and knocked his mug against mine. “Your choice.”

  I stewed over his words, knocking back a few beers and a few more shots as everyone made their way over to offer me advice, congrats and more booze. Mick had a point. Being pissed off about the situation wouldn’t magically turn back time and change anything, but if I let Trina see me that way, it might change the present. The future.

  “Smile man, I know you hated it when Trina left.” Torch grinned in my fucking face, refusing to let me sulk in my booze.

  “Yeah I did hate it but now I fucking hate that I didn’t pay more attention to what she said back then.” That’s the part that stuck with me. “She was trying to tell me about her fear but I wouldn’t listen. And she left.”

  “But she’s fucking here now Baz, that’s the part that matters. This is your chance, don’t be an asshole. Be a man.”

  “Fuck you Torch.”

  The crazy fucker laughed. “Nah you’re not my type. I like my ladies with bigger tits.”

  Torch had a point though. Trina is the only woman other than Cherie I’d let get close to me and her leaving fucked me up. Bad. But now that she’s back, I could have it all. The cool as shit son. The hot chick. But first I had to earn her trust and maybe her love again. Fuck, I must be drunk if I’m thinking about love. I didn’t talk—or think—about love other than my sister and my club. “Prospect get me some water. And some coffee.” I couldn’t get too damn drunk because I promised Trina I’d be back for dinner and I wasn’t about to show up shitfaced.

  I needed to show her that what she thought about CAOS wasn’t reality. We weren’t a bunch of fucking criminals. We were men who’d served our country with honor and distinction, but that service had given us a glimpse of how the real world fucking worked. So we made our own rules and our own lives. Our way. The outlaw way.

  I drank two cups of coffee fast enough to burn my fucking tongue but I needed to get going. After dropping my bike off at home, I grabbed my truck and headed to the grocery store. I had just the thing to warm Trina a little and get on my son’s good side. A sundae bar for after dinner.

  If I could survive basic training and several tours in the fucking shithole known as the middle east, then I could get one little strawberry blonde to open up to me.

  Again.

  Chapter Six

  Trina

  Since Jack was home all week, Baz had been spending plenty of time at the house which meant I could spend more time working on my novel. He’d stopped by earlier, offering to take Jack to the park a couple of blocks away so I could get some work done. I appreciated that because I’d had too many late nights over the past few weeks. I couldn’t deny the progress I’d made and it was all thanks to the same man responsible for my sleepless nights.

  Even though I refused to sleep with him again—no matter how much I wanted to—he’d been in my thoughts a lot. So much that my hero started to look and act like him—the heat between my characters resembled the heat between us whenever we were together. Every time he stopped by I couldn’t help replaying the hard and fast fuck we’d had. In my bed.

  The sound of the doorbell pulled me from my thoughts, wondering what kind of distraction would stop my progress now. “Delivery for Trina Mosley,” the friendly looking man said, handing me a bouquet of what looked to be two dozen red roses.

  I hated red roses with a passion. They were phony. Insincere. And I knew only one person who would send them, despite how I felt. “Thanks,” I told the kid and waved him off, dumping the flowers in the trash and slipping the card into the kitchen junk drawer. The card wouldn’t provide any evidence it was Jensen but I kept it anyway and went back to work.

  Unfortunately, back to work meant delving back into thoughts I’d rather forget because they always turned to Baz and his capable hands, hard lines and muscles, intoxicating mouth. Though I’d never been into drugs, Baz had always been my one true addiction. But I had to shake off thoughts of him even if they were helping me finish my novel because it also made me want him more than I should. More than I could afford to want him when I knew nothing could come of it.

  Because nothing could come of it. Nothing had changed. Baz still belonged to CAOS, was probably some kind of leader at this point and though I hadn’t seen any evidence of criminal activity yet, I couldn’t rule it out either. Which meant I couldn’t let toe-curling amazing sex or anything else soften me towards him or the idea of us.

  The doorbell rang again and I pushed back from my desk with a grunt at another damn interruption. A quick glance out the window revealed a strange man with long greasy brown hair and light blue eyes with a scar under the left eye. He looked dirty and mean so I pulled open the door cautiously, keeping the knob gripped in one hand. “How may I help you?”

  “You Trina Mosley,” he asked gruffly.

  “Depends on who’s asking and why.” Though I already had a feeling I knew exactly who’d sent this miscreant to my door.

  He stepped closer, grinning sinisterly when I stepped back. “Just someone offering up some helpful advice sugar.”

  “Yeah and what would that be?”

  He sneered, reaching out a hand to try and touch me. “When Jensen calls, take it or your boy might find himself in a really fucked up situation.”

  I stood, shaken and pale as he walked away, fucking whistling as he walked down the street. As soon as the man was out of my line of sight I grabbed the phone and dialed Baz. “Come back here. Now!”

  “Calm down Sweetness, what’s—”

  “—Now, Baz!” Still clutching the phone, I ran outside and up the block, thinking I’d meet them in the middle of the block. I spotted them soon enough with Baz’s casual amble and ran to them, wrapping Jack in my arms.

  “Ow Mom, too tight.” He groaned and stepped back, looking at me like I’d grown two heads.

  “Sorry baby.” I felt tears threatening but I knew they would scare Jack more than my behavior already had.

  “Trina what the hell is going on? Tell me what’s wrong,” he insisted as he pulled me up from the ground and wrapped an arm around my waist. He herded us both into the house.

  “Mom, what’s going on? Is it Jensen again?”

  I remained silent and went straight to the kitchen, pulling the grinder forward and dumping in coffee beans to keep my hands occupied. “Jack can you go to your room for a bit so I can talk to your father?”

  “Mo-o-om,” he whined.

  “I’ve called Dagger and he’s coming to pick up Jack,” he told me, sympathy shining in his eyes. “This way Jack has someone to hang out with while Dagger keeps an eye on him. So we can talk.”

  I wanted to argue, to tell him he had no damn right to make those decisions without me. But he was right—and he was his father. Dagger would treat Jack as though he was his own son, because as far as the club was concerned it was true. “Okay. Thanks. How does that sound Jack?”

  “Okay,” he mumbled. “Are you gonna be all right Mom?”

  “Yep.”

  “I’ll make sure of it,” Baz told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Treating him like the man he would become someday. Thirty minutes later Jack was gone and Baz turned to me. “What the hell happened?”

  I took a long chug of lukewarm coffee and let out a deep breath before I told him everything I could remember about the man, his words and the earlier delivery of the roses. He bit out a curse and I frowned as a cold sensation snaked through me. “You know him?”

  “Sounds like Wagman. He used to be a member but he and a few other guys killed one of our members, remember Magnus?”

  I nodded. “Of course. He was nice, owned Bla
ck Betty and always had a smile for everyone.”

  “Well they fucking killed him and we had to expel them. Some shit went down, and I honestly thought the fucker was dead, but I just found out the other day that he’s doing freelance work.” He bit out the words like they stung to say. “I’ll find him and shut this shit down Sweetness, I promise.”

  I knew he would but I couldn’t stop trembling. “He threatened Jack, Baz. I can’t have anyone threatening my son.”

  “Our son,” he corrected angrily.

  “Maybe I should just talk to Jensen, take his call.”

  He grabbed me and held me close, resting his chin on my head while I inhaled his strong leathery masculine scent. “Fuck no. Don’t let this asshole win Trina. You don’t want to talk to him then keep doing that. I assume you have a restraining order?”

  I nodded. “But I don’t know if it works across state lines or if the phone counts.” The clerk, the cops and even the judge hadn’t been all that helpful.

  “Doesn’t matter. Just don’t talk to him. Ignore the bastard.” His grasp was firm at first but then it gentled as a finger traced along my hairline and down to my jaw before coming to a stop under my chin. “I’m moving in.”

  I shook my head. “That is a really bad idea Baz.”

  “It’s a damn good idea and you know it. I’m the best option of keeping you both safe. Who’ll do a better job of it than me?”

  Shit, he was right. With Jack tying us together, Baz would move heaven and hell to keep him safe. But still, I wasn’t ready for that. “You don’t need to live here to keep us safe, do you?”

  “Yeah? Because trust me when I tell you that Wag is a desperate man who will do just about any fucking thing for the right price. Nighttime is the best time to strike and that’s when you’ll be most vulnerable without me here.”

  “No!”

  “Goddammit Trina, stop being so stubborn.”

  “This is my house Baz and you can’t just move in because you feel like it.” I didn’t even know why I was fighting him so hard. I knew it was the best option but I couldn’t not fight it. Having him so close and all the time would make it hard to keep my distance.