True facts, though I’d learned a long time ago that if something seemed too good to be true, it likely was “You’re sure we can trust him?”
“I’m sure.”
“You willing to bet your life on that?”
Deacon never even faltered. “Absolutely.”
That was enough for me. “Then I’m in.”
“Excellent. Let’s toast to that.”
I yawned, unable not to. “I’d rather have another coffee.”
The barkeep frowned. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just tired. The fucking Black Angels are running me ragged.”
“Too many missions?”
“Too much partying.” I shook my head at his glare. “Not me, them. I’ve somehow become their designated babysitter.”
“Sounds like fun.” He handed me back my mug, having refilled it. “Mercy know about that?”
Her name on his lips pulled me up short. “Any reason she should?”
Deacon raised his hands, trying hard to look innocent under all that attitude. “I’m not trying to slow your roll, but that girl is Justice royalty. You mess with her, you’ll have the whole town coming down on you.”
I stared into my cup, my stomach churning. Mercy’s big blue eyes danced through my thoughts, and the memory of her lips on mine gave me just the shot of energy I needed to speak my truth strong and sure. “I’m not messing with her.”
“So, you’re sticking around, then? After we kill the Soul Suckers.”
“Which we won’t be doing on Sunday.” I raised my mug in a toast, knowing there wasn’t much I could do to lighten the mood considering the topic at hand. “I’ll stay. If she’ll have me, I’ll stay.”
“You’ve decided.”
I caught his eye, staring hard. “She’s mine.”
He didn’t back down, though. “And Beckett? Because he’s part of the package.”
“I’m aware.”
“Good.” He wiped down the bar, not looking at me. “People in town are going to talk. Everyone here knows how bikers tend to treat women.”
Like property. Like whores. Like sperm receptacles.
Not at all like how I wanted anyone—especially not me—to see my beauty.
“I’ll treat her like a princess. Like a goddamned queen. If she’s willing to let me in, I’ll never do anything but right by her. And Beckett.”
Deacon nodded, moving to straighten some of the bottles on the back shelf. Still decidedly not looking at me. “That’s all we can ask. For you to be good to them.”
“I plan on it.”
He stopped, finally turning my way, and gave me a sad look. One I didn’t understand at all. “You need to be good to her for sure, but be better to him.”
To Beckett. “That’s a done deal.”
“Then you’ll be fine.”
And for the first time, I thought just maybe I would be.
So I settled in, and I wrapped my hands around the mug of coffee. And I gave the man a shrug when he shot me a curious sort of frown. “I’m taking him to buy a bike tomorrow. And a helmet. My little man needs a helmet.”
Deacon smiled. “He definitely does. You taking Mercy’s rig to buy it?”
Because I couldn’t exactly toss Beckett and a bike on my motorcycle. “No, I’m buying a cage. In fact, I need to go meet up with this Jackson guy.”
“You looking at his truck?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
He shrugged. “It’s Justice. I know everything.”
Well, shit. “You know anything about this truck?”
“I do.” He grabbed his jacket and turned off the lights behind the bar. “Come on. I’ll take you up to Jackson’s place. Make sure this deal is fair for both of you.”
“I’m in. But I don’t want to take too long.”
“You got plans tonight?”
Remembering the glow from the window over the hardware store, I nodded. “Yeah. At least, I hope to. If I can get this deal finished in time.”
“These plans include Mercy?”
I grunted as I climbed into his truck. “And Beckett.”
He turned the key, bringing the big engine to life with a half smirk on his face. “We’ll have this deal finished, then.”
Chapter Ten
PARRIS
HOURS LATER—AFTER spending far more time laughing with Deacon than negotiating anything—I had a new-to-me truck, a plan for dinner, and a second wind that I hoped would get me through the night. But even my good attitude hadn’t prepared me to come face-to-face with a positively giddy Katie when I walked into The Baker’s Cottage.
“So, I hear you want to take dinner to my neighbors.”
Yeah, so Deacon may have known everything that happened in this town, but it was because he was the biggest gossip I’d ever met.
“Deacon called you.”
She shrugged, practically bouncing in place. “I never like to reveal a source. But you should be grateful because I was able to start right away. As soon as Beckett’s mac and cheese is done, I’ll wrap everything up for you so it stays warm.” She nodded toward the back, rushing through the restaurant. “Will you need a bottle of wine? No, Mercy probably wouldn’t like that with Beckett awake. Everything will be packaged in a way that you won’t need plates, but what about the rest? Do you want me to send along plasticware to eat with?”
I followed her into the kitchen, my head spinning from so many words. Goodness, the woman could talk. “Uh, I mean…I assume Mercy has some.”
Katie didn’t even pause, simply headed to the cabinet where all the carryout containers were stacked and grabbed three packages of utensils. “Sure, but then there will be dishes, which Mercy will want to do right away. That takes time away from you while you’re there. If I give you plasticware, you can just toss them in the garbage and be done with them, therefore being able to spend more time with Mercy and Beckett.” She gave me a grin and a wink. “But especially Mercy.”
Smart woman. “Good call.”
“I’m a planning sort of girl.” She grinned when Gage came in through the back, totally missing—or ignoring—the glare he sent me. “Hey, babe. I’ll be ready to shut down in a few.”
“Cool. Everything okay in here?”
In other words, was I harassing his woman? “I’m just picking up dinner for Mercy and Beckett.”
Gage bent down to give Katie a quick kiss. “They know you’re coming over?”
“Not yet.”
He nodded and then grinned, an almost disturbing sight. “Good luck with that.”
Katie smacked him on the chest as she passed, heading straight for the short oven in the wall. “Ignore him. He’s just cranky.”
I looked from one to the other, suddenly thinking maybe I’d missed an update. Not likely, seeing as how I’d been with gossipmonger Deacon all day. “Something wrong in town?”
Katie shook her head as she finished whatever she was doing. “Nope. He’s just always cranky.”
Ah. “Sounds like a personal problem.”
Gage glowered at my grin. “One all these fucking bikers in town are responsible for.”
Okay. I could give him that. I didn’t answer, instead watching Katie as she sorted and plated and…did things to food I wasn’t sure how to explain. But when she was finished, the kitchen smelled amazing and she had a huge grin on her face. Both things I took as good signs for a successful dinner.
“All set.” She handed me a bag filled to the brim with containers. “Go feed the family.”
The family. As in my family. They weren’t mine, though. Not yet, at least. “Thanks. You’ve got my credit card on file?”
She waved me off. “Of course. Go. Before Gage gets even crankier and makes you mop the floors or something.”
I nodded, giving Gage a chin nod. “Thanks. I appreciate you staying open for this.”
“No problem,” Katie said, even as Gage gave me a look that said it definitely was a problem in his mind. Not that I could blame him.
If Mercy were truly mine, I’d be just as protective of her and selfish of her time. If not worse. Okay, definitely worse, but mostly because her included Beckett. I’d be twice as cranky as Gage.
Lord help the town of Justice if that happened.
I walked out of the restaurant, bag of food in hand, and headed down the street. The cold had held off most of the day but was descending quickly over town. I’d be thankful for the truck I’d bought once the temperatures dropped. Heat would be much appreciated.
I hadn’t even made it to the corner when the rumble of Harley engines stopped me in my tracks. Out on the highway, a group of bikes passed by. Soul Suckers by the looks of them, which only made me more aware of how vulnerable I was. My bike sat parked in a garage around the block that I’d rented from Alder, most of my weapons in the saddlebags. I had a knife in the pocket of my Black Angels jacket, but that was it. One blade and a bag of food. Not exactly ready for war.
Thankfully, the Soul Suckers rode on past. Likely just a group trying to scare the people of Justice. A pain in the ass but not an immediate threat. That didn’t completely calm me, though. That group could have turned. They could have come straight down Main Street and stopped at the hardware store. They could have been inside Mercy’s apartment before I’d even gotten a chance to call for backup. And if I hadn’t been close enough to know those bikers were around? No one would have been able to help the Bells.
Mercy and Beckett being down here alone was asking for trouble. I’d need to figure out a way to convince her to listen to me, to persuade her to move out of town to someplace more defensible. To let me hole up her and the little man somewhere and keep them safe.
Which I already knew would never, ever happen. Stubborn women didn’t bend.
I sent a quick text to Gage, knowing there was no way Mercy would leave that business. Already accepting her stubborn streak as something impassible. The text was simple—let’s chat tomorrow about how to keep Main Street safe after hours. He sent back a thumbs-up emoji. That would have to be good enough for tonight because I wasn’t canceling this impromptu dinner.
When I reached the front of the store, the fixtures under the awning bathed the sidewalk in light and the open sign hung in the door. Mercy and Beckett were inside, laughing and talking about something. I stood just outside the light for a solid minute, watching the scene. Memorizing it. The smiles, the joy, the comfort. I wanted to remember every detail. To be able to play that scene back when things got rough, because they would. Because plans had started to form in my head, ones that would yank me from one life and drop me into another. Ones that could cost me everything. Ones I had the full intention of exploring…after tonight.
I walked inside and joined the two Bells, hopeful for the first time in a number of years. “Anyone hungry? I brought dinner.”
“Mister Parris.” Beckett came running, hugging my hips before skipping back toward his mom. “Mister Parris is here.”
Mercy smiled, looking confused. “I see that. And you brought food?”
I shrugged, thankful. The woman seemed happy to see me, and I would never not be grateful for the chance to put that look on her face. “I figured you might be hungry.”
“I’m starving.” Beckett raced into the back, yelling, “I’ll go wash my hands.”
Mercy passed me, heading to the door to lock up and flip the sign before coming to a stop right in front of me. Looking so fucking beautiful, it made my heart lurch to life in my chest.
“You brought dinner.”
I held up the bag as if in offering. “I did.”
“Sort of presumptuous, don’t you think?” Her snarky words were softened by the smile on her face and the way she grabbed the bag from me, how she led me through the back room, flicking off lights along the way to the rear stairs that would take us to the second level. How she never asked me to leave.
Mission accomplished, in my opinion. “Maybe, but I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“Oh, really? And why’s that?”
Time to roll the dice again. “Because you’ll be asking me to kiss you later.”
She laughed, which wasn’t quite the reaction I was going for. But at least she didn’t punch me in the face. “Never gonna happen.”
“We’ll see.” I held open the door for her, letting her slip past me once again as we walked into her little apartment. I set the bag on the counter and started pulling things out. “Katie said all of this is packaged to eat in the containers. She even sent plasticware.”
“No dishes to wash? Excellent. That woman is a saint.”
Score one for Katie.
Dinner ended up a raucous affair with Beckett running the show, constantly regaling me about his day and all the things he’d done and the bikes he’d looked up. The kid must have spent hours online researching options. Mercy and I couldn’t fit a word into the conversation, but neither of us seemed to mind. My beauty sat there watching her son with a soft smile on her face, and I was just happy to be included at all. Such a difference from the quiet of the motel room or the chaos of dealing with my crew.
“And I really wanted the red one, but the wheels on the blue are better for trails, and I think I want to ride the trails. Right, Mom?”
“Right.” Mercy tapped a finger on the table. “How about less talking and more eating, buddy?”
“My belly’s already full.” He pushed aside his plate. “May I be excused?”
Mercy frowned at the barely touched macaroni dish but simply said, “Sure.”
Beckett might have been done with dinner, but he wasn’t with me. He glanced my way then at his mom. “Can we watch a movie tonight?”
We. As in all three of us.
Mercy caught my eye, an expression of hesitancy on her pretty face. “Of course, though I’m not sure if—”
“Got any good ones?” I asked, focusing on Beckett instead. “Maybe something funny.”
The little man gave the movie choice some serious thought, screwing up his face and looking to the ceiling before a grin broke out. “I’ve got Zootopia. It’s my favorite and funny. We should watch that one.”
“Done. Let’s watch it.”
Beckett jumped up from his seat and took off running across the room. “I’ll go get everything ready.”
And then he was off, and I was left alone with Mercy. Just where I wanted to be.
“That kid has two speeds,” I said, shaking my head. “Sitting and full speed ahead. There is no in-between.”
“Sounds about right.” Her smile dipped, her brow furrowing and that pretty, pink tongue flashing for just a second to wet her bottom lip. “You don’t have to stay, you know. If you have things to do or something.”
As if anything could be more important to me in that moment. “I want to stay. If you don’t mind.”
Those light eyes stabbed into me. “You’re asking permission now?”
“I figured I’d invaded your life enough for one day, so I could go if you demanded it.” I grabbed her hand where it sat on the table and leaned closer, dropping my voice a bit just in case little ears were nearby. “But I’d really like it if you didn’t demand it because I missed you today, beauty. You and Beckett.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she smiled so prettily that I nearly fell out of my chair. “I’d like it if you stayed.”
“Then I will.”
I helped her clean up our mess, seriously thanking Katie in my head for being so thoughtful about the whole no-dishes thing, and then followed Mercy into the living room. Beckett had blankets out and the movie all cued up and ready to go on the television. He sat dead center on the couch as if he simply had to be between me and his mom. Which was fine. I could play by his rules.
“You ready, Mister Parris?”
I took the seat on the left, letting my arms fall across the back of the couch. Allowing my fingertips to brush along Mercy’s shoulder as she sat way on the other side of the piece of furniture.
“Ready. Hit play, little man.”
>
Not even half an hour into the movie, Beckett fell asleep. His garbled snore gave it away.
“He sounds like a man,” I said, fighting to hold back a laugh at the grunts coming from the kid.
“I know. It’s only when he sleeps in a funny position, though.” Mercy rose to her feet, reaching as if to pick up the boy. I nudged her out of the way and did it myself, knowing his weight wouldn’t bother me much but would be something she might struggle with. She let me pick up Beckett, blinking twice once I had him in my arms. Not moving.
“Which way?” I finally asked, and Mercy—looking startled at my question—jumped into motion.
She led me down the hall to a small room with beige walls and bright-colored posters all over. She tugged down the bedding for me, giving me room to lay the sleeping Beckett in the middle of the mattress. Then I moved out of her way, knowing this was a mother-son moment.
Mercy pulled the covers over Beckett then tucked a little bear under his arm. She leaned down to kiss his forehead, whispering a quiet “love you” against his hair. So sweet, this woman, and such a good mom. Something I’d never taken the time to appreciate in anyone before but that was such a fucking turn-on with her. Her dedication to her son was obvious, her love overflowing. I wanted to bask in the warmth these two people exuded. To stay right there in the middle of their happy bubble.
But I also wanted time with just Mercy, which was obviously what I was about to get. Mercy rose to her feet and gave me a look. One that spoke volumes. That twisted something in my gut and made tingles shoot off in my spine. Hard. One glance, and I was hard as stone for her.
The little temptress grabbed my hand and tugged me from the room, swinging those hips more than usual. Not letting go of me until we reached the living room once more.
“You don’t have to watch this,” she said, waving toward the television screen where the movie sat frozen, having been paused before we’d taken Beckett to bed.
“I liked it.” I shrugged when her smile showed up all crooked and cute. “Besides, now I need to know what’s been happening to the predators.”
Sabotage: A Vigilante Justice Novel Page 10
