by A. M. Myers
“With me focused on keeping Ali safe, there’s going to be extra work for all of you. I just want to say sorry in advance.”
Kodiak claps him on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat it, brother. We’ve got your back.”
“Thanks,” he says, nodding at him. Blaze nods in agreement and glances down at the paper in front of him.
“Is this list up to date, Streak?” Blaze asks and Streak glances up from his laptop.
“Yep. You’re good to go.”
“All right. We’ve got one protection detail and one transfer this week and from the intel we’ve received, these are both going to be high risk, so I want, at least, two of you on each job. We’ll call in others to work the PI stuff and the shop if we have to.”
When Blaze pulled the club out of drugs and guns, he needed a way to make some money, so he started up the PI business and the motorcycle shop but I don’t think he was expecting them to explode like they did. Sometimes we were even turning away business and Blaze had to hire outside help, so we could still focus on the work we do off the books.
“The protection detail is for a woman named Amber and Rodriguez called us in on this one.”
That little detail grabs my attention as well as every other guy in the room. Detective Rodriguez has been working with us for a few years but it’s usually us going to him to make sure that we stay above the legal line. If he’s coming to us with something, it must be important.
“Why doesn’t he just put officers on her?” Smith asks.
“Amber was attacked and almost killed three nights ago and Rodriguez suspects that information is being leaked out of the department. We need to keep her safe until he can get her into a witness protection type situation.”
“We taking her to Emma’s house?” Fuzz asks and Blaze shakes his head.
“No, until we know why she was attacked and by whom, I don’t want to risk drawing a criminal to my family.”
I can’t help but smile. It’s so weird to see Blaze as a family man now when he’s been alone for as long as I can remember. He and his son, Nix, were estranged for a long time but when Nix came to us for help protecting his girlfriend, Emma, a year ago, it brought them all together. Truthfully, we all became more of a family when Emma came into the picture.
“Moose, you still friends with the guy who runs the motel?”
“Yeah, Boss,” Moose replies, nodding his head.
“Call him up. See if we can keep her there off the books. Tell him we’ll pay double. Now, the other transfer is going to be tricky because we only have a limited window and we have to grab Amy, the wife, and pick her two kids up from school before the husband finds out.”
“How is that tricky?” Fuzz asks, drawing on a cigarette.
“The husband doesn’t work regular hours and there is no telling when he’ll come home. If he comes home and his wife isn’t there, the first place he’ll go is the school, so you better hope you get there first.”
“Can’t we just pick the kids up at the same time that we’re picking up the mom?” Smith asks.
“Nah, the school will only release the kids to their mom or dad. Anyone else tries to pick them up and the first thing they’ll do is call the husband.”
“We gonna have someone tailing him?” I ask, already knowing that the answer is likely no. With us spread so thin, we may not have the manpower for it.
“I don’t think we can swing it. Just be careful and move fast.”
I nod. “Got it. Where are we taking her?”
Blaze glances down at his paper again. “Says here she’s got a sister in Tennessee that’ll be coming down the day after to pick them up. We’ll check them into one of the nicer hotels downtown under one of our names and they should be safe.”
“Sounds good, Boss,” Smith calls out and several of the guys nod in agreement.
“Anything else?” Blaze asks, looking around the room and after no one says anything, he nods. “See y’all later then.”
He stands and leaves the room, the rest of us trickling out after him and I grab a stool at the bar and order a beer.
“Chance,” someone says from my right and I peek over, trying to keep the smile off my face. Knew he’d come around eventually.
“Storm.”
He rubs the back of his neck and glances down. “Listen, about the other day…”
“It’s forgotten.”
He looks up and nods before slapping me on the back. “Thanks, dude.”
Laughing, I slide my unopened beer across the bar to him as I chuckle. “Have a beer with me.”
He slides onto the stool next to me and I look around the room at everyone laughing and talking.
“About Carly. If you want to date her, I’m not going to stop you. You both are adults; I’m sure you can handle it,” Storm says and I sigh.
“Thanks, man, but even without your approval, there was no way I was gonna walk away.”
Chapter Eight
Carly
“Damn,” I whisper, taking a sip of my vodka cranberry as Dalton, our regular bartender, looks on. Satisfied with my reaction, he smiles and leaves to go help other customers as I turn and scan the bar. Izzy, Ali, and I have been coming here for years and it’s our favorite place. A large circular bar sits right in the middle of the room and tables line the walls on three sides of the large space. The lights are low tonight and a remix of Sex by Cheat Codes blasts through the speakers on the little stage in the corner. Beneath that, the dance floor is packed, just a massive blob of writhing bodies as the beat directs their movements.
Taking a deep breath, I lean back in my barstool and take another sip of my drink as the music seeps into my system and carries my stress away. You’d think after getting laid, I would be relaxed but having the best sex of my life with Chance has done the complete opposite. I am a wreck and coming out tonight is exactly what I need to let it all go.
“There you are!” Izzy exclaims from behind me and I almost spill my drink down my top as I spin around to look at her. “I thought you stood me up.”
“Excuse me, lady. I was here on time.”
“So was I. I just got…distracted.” She glances away and I follow her gaze through the crowd to the door where a large man is checking IDs. Almost as if he feels her watching him, he looks up and smiles, flashing her a wink. Of course, she found a man on her way into the club. Only Izzy. “Did you know they hired a new bouncer?”
“I can’t take you anywhere,” I tease, rolling my eyes at the way she keeps glancing over at him. The truth is Izzy and I are much more alike than anyone would ever guess but I’m discreet about my affairs. Sometimes, I envy the way Izzy just totally owns who she is. She doesn’t worry about what anyone thinks of her and if it doesn’t make her happy, she doesn’t do it. I can’t even imagine the fit my mother would throw if she ever heard me explaining my sex life to someone. Although, if I did tell anyone, I would have to explain why I prefer to keep my relationships casual and it’s something I avoid at all costs.
“Did you get his number?”
Her mouth drops open and she plasters her hand over her heart. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
“You’re right. I lost my head for a moment. My apologies.” I finish my drink and just as I set my glass down, Dalton appears again as if summoned by magic.
“Ladies,” he purrs, flashing us a naughty smile as his eyes twinkle.
“Dalton!” Izzy all but squeals and I roll my eyes again, but a smile stretches across my face. God, she’s such a flirt.
“What can I get for you, gorgeous?”
“What would you recommend?” She props her chin up in her hand and bats her eyelashes at him. I can’t help but laugh as I turn to look out at the dance floor, my mind wandering to Chance. Normally, I would be seeing two or three guys at a time but as I stare out at the crowd, I don’t see a single option. And it has nothing to do with the rule Chance threw down. The truth is each guy I land on gets compared to Chance in my head
and inevitably, they come up short. Since when did this happen?
This is exactly why I’ve spent the last three days putting some distance between us. When he was in my house and in my bed, it was so easy to forget my rules and things got a little too intense. Our chemistry and the amazing sex blurred the boundaries of our relationship and we both lost sight of the fact that our arrangement is casual. We let our feelings run wild when we shouldn’t have. I just didn’t expect it to be so hard to ignore his texts and not call him back. And even worse, I actually feel bad about ignoring him. I’ve spent the last few days stressing over whether or not this is bothering him. I have to put a stop to it.
“Would you like another?” Dalton asks, pointing to my empty glass and I nod as he grabs it off the bar and turns to mix our drinks. Izzy spins to look out at the dance floor before turning back to me.
“You want to go dance?” she asks, wiggling in her seat and I nod.
“Yeah,” I tell her before turning to Dalton. “Hey, can you put a hold on those drinks? We’re going to go dance.”
He nods, offering me an easy smile and we slip off the barstools and start making our way to the dance floor, our bodies already moving to the beat. Just as we reach the edge of the group, Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot comes on and Izzy spins to face me with an excited expression.
“I haven’t heard this song in forever,” she practically squeals as she starts dancing and mouthing the words to me. I laugh and when the beat drops, I get swept up, too – dancing and singing along with her. She gets really into it, moving closer to me and pressing up against me as she shimmies. Throwing my head back, I laugh and she starts singing the words out loud.
“Shake that healthy butt. Baby got back.” She smacks my ass and I shake my head. Izzy keeps singing the words as we dance and I completely forget anyone else is here. It’s almost like we’re at my apartment instead of this crowded club and I feel more of my stress melt away. Everything from my mother to Dottie and Ivy’s fight to the recent anniversary I tried so hard to forget and the check that came in the mail, I let it all go. Closing my eyes, a smile forms on my face and I feel lighter than I have in a while.
The song bleeds into another remix – this one of Ignition by R. Kelly and Izzy squeals. “What is this? Throwback night?”
“You don’t seem like you mind!” I yell to her and she shakes her head with a big grin on her face. Folding her arms on top of her head, she rolls her body as she closes her eyes for a moment and lets loose.
“Oh my God, do you remember the time we had a sleepover at Ali’s and danced to this song?” she asks, opening her eyes and I nod.
“Yeah, you guys got so freaking drunk.”
“That’s just cause you didn’t pull your weight. You had like one glass and that was it. Everyone knows once you open the bottle of wine, you have to finish it.” She reaches out and grabs my hand, pulling me closer as we dance and I let her lead me for a moment before a feeling of uneasiness washes over me. Opening my eyes, I scan the crowd, but nothing seems out of place.
“Hey, I’m going to go get a drink now. You staying here?” I ask Izzy and she peels her eyes open just as a man steps up behind her and starts dancing with her. She peeks over her shoulder before meeting my eyes with a grin on her face.
“I’m going to keep dancing.”
I laugh and nod. “Okay.”
She spins in his arms and rubs her hips against him, effectively putting him in a trance and I laugh as I walk off the dance floor. Slipping onto the same barstool I was in before, I look out at Izzy as she puts the moves on her mystery man. Even from here, I can see the lust in his eyes and I know she’ll be having a good time tonight.
“You ready for that drink?” Dalton asks and I turn to him, nodding.
“Yes, please.”
He taps his knuckles on the bar and nods. “Coming right up.”
Despacito comes on and I tap the toe of my heel against the barstool as I scan the dance floor for Izzy. She’s managed to move the two of them into a quiet corner and she spins in his arms before dropping down as she swings her hips from side to side. When she sees me watching her, she winks and I grin as she spins back to face her dance partner.
“One vodka cranberry,” Dalton says, setting my drink in front of me and I smile at him.
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem, gorgeous,” he says, wiping down the bar in front of him. “Why aren’t you out there dancing with her?”
I chuckle and glance out at the dance floor as Izzy starts kissing her mystery man. “Oh, she found someone to occupy her.”
As I turn to face the bar again, I catch sight of someone watching me from one of the tables pushed up against the wall. He’s in the back corner so most of his face is hidden in shadow and maybe that’s why his attention sends a shiver up my spine. When he catches me watching him, he grins and my pulse spikes. Just as I start to turn away, he leans forward and I recognize him instantly.
Damian.
A violent reaction I don’t quite understand rocks through my body, telling me to run. But why? He’s annoying and seeing him definitely makes me want to bitch out my mother but he doesn’t seem all that dangerous. Sucking in a breath, I turn back to the bar and as I grab my drink, my hand shakes.
“You okay?” Dalton asks, his brow furrowed in concern and I force a smile to my face. I’m overreacting.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Dalton.”
He lays his hand on mine and arches a brow when he realizes I’m trembling. “You sure about that, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I whisper, my words weaker and I swear I can feel Damian’s gaze boring into the side of my face.
“Carly, if someone bothered you, we will deal with it. I can go get the bouncer.”
“No, that’s not necessary. It’s just… there is a man staring at me from one of the tables.”
Dalton lifts his head and scans the crowd, his face hardening. “Yeah, I got him.”
“He’s still looking at me?”
“Yeah, he is. Let me get someone to throw him out, okay?”
Hearing the concern in his voice, I feel stupid. Nothing about Damian suggests he’s a danger to me and my mother would be horrified if I had someone she knew thrown out of a club.
“No, you don’t have to do that. I’m being ridiculous. Sorry.”
He studies me, not buying what I’m saying at all, but he finally sighs. “I’m staying right here so you just yell if you need anything.”
I nod. “Thank you, Dalton.”
As Dalton walks off to help someone further down the bar, I casually glance in Damian’s direction again and when our eyes meet, he stands. A predatory smile stretches across his face as he starts moving toward me, almost stalking across the sleek wood floors as my phone rings from my bag. My heart races for some unknown reason as I dig the phone out of my purse and when I see Chance’s name on the screen, butterflies dance in my stomach. Damian weaves through the crowd and I stand up, throwing a twenty down on the bar as I accept the call.
“Fucking finally, woman!” Chance yells down the line and just the sound of his voice is enough to soothe me. I start working my way toward the door and glance back to see Damian standing next to the barstool I just vacated, searching the crowd for me. “Carly, are you there?”
“Chance,” I say into the phone, my voice shaky since I’m on the verge of tears. I’m annoyed with how weak I’m being lately – how weak Chance is making me.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Hearing how concerned he is, I shake my head as the exit comes into view. Sweet freedom. Glancing behind me one more time, I sigh when I find Damian at the bar. He smiles and waves at me before I whip my head forward again just as I reach the door.
“Carly!” Chance yells from the phone in my hand and I suck in a breath.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry.”
Hanging up, I slip out into the warm night feeling weaker than I have in years and completely disgusted with
myself. My cell rings again as I walk down the sidewalk to where I parked my car and when Chance’s name pops up on the screen, I silence it.
God, how could I be so stupid?
Once I reach my car, I climb in and lock the doors twice before finally releasing a breath. It’s never been like this before. Sure, that night has haunted me for twelve years, but I’ve always been able to deal with it. And while I’m more careful than other girls my age, I’ve never freaked out because a guy was looking at me. Maybe I’m finally losing my mind. Shaking my head, I start the car and turn up the music to try and drown out my thoughts but it’s not as successful as I had hoped. Add in the fact that Chance is calling me every two minutes and it’s a small miracle when I finally pull into the designated parking space at my apartment.
I quickly get inside and in the elevator, dreaming about falling into my bed and pulling the covers up to my chin. Lord knows I need a good night’s sleep tonight if I’m going to deal with my mother tomorrow. A groan slips out of my mouth and I press my fingers to my temple at the thought of seeing her. Maybe I should feel bad. I mean, she is my mother after all but she’s never done much to deserve the title. She has two modes – the first is when she’s more interested in her new man and his fortune. That’s when Ivy and I might as well be invisible. And then there are the times she’s trying to set Ivy and I up with men who match her qualifications. I spent most of my life missing the idea of the woman my mother could be or desperately trying to avoid her. There is no in between. I sigh just as the elevator doors open and it’s only then I notice the yelling coming from the hallway.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have anything!”
“Chance?” I call, stepping off the elevator and stopping to stare at him as he paces back and forth in front of my door, yanking at his hair like he might rip it right out. At the sound of my voice, he stops and jerks his head up. His eyes lock onto me and the relief on his face overwhelms me.
“Never mind. I’ve got her,” he says into the phone and hangs up, slipping the phone into his pocket as he storms down the hall. When he reaches me, he crushes me to his body and I breathe him in for a moment, feeling more at ease than I have since I left the club.
