Beyond Redemption: Joker (Serpents MC Las Vegas Book 1)

by Barbara Nolan

“Same thing you’re doing to me.”

  He leaned away from her, then rummaged through the nightstand, found a condom, and ripped it open. As Joker sheathed himself, Daisy’s eyes never left his. He paused—searching—something had changed. She reached out and traced his lips with her fingertip—a soft, gentle touch. Crazy shit that somehow seemed more intense than fucking. Her finger lingered, then grazed the scar along his jaw.

  “I know you’ve been hurt.” Her whispered voice made him shiver. He stilled, fearing her next words. Words that would touch him too deeply, make him feel shit he’d put away long ago.

  He attacked her lips in a brutal kiss, nipping and sucking, making her shut up. When he got his fill, he pulled away, and she smiled up at him.

  “Is talking about your feelings that painful?” Daisy asked.

  “There’s lots of ways I can shut you up,” he added with a wicked grin.

  “Don’t con a con. I can see right through you.”

  She fisted his dick again. This time harder, letting Joker know she wanted it. He shoved Daisy’s legs apart with his knee, then buried his face in her neck as he drank in her scent. His mind blanked and adrenaline shot through his body like a hurricane spinning out of control.

  He paused and hovered above Daisy, loving her body underneath him and taking him. “Trouble is, neither one of us might like what they get.”

  Her slow, sad expression told Joker that she understood exactly what he meant. No excuses, no apologies, just two obsessed people clashing together on a tragic spiral of fate—raw and real and out of control. He hit into her nowhere near where he wanted to be. Long strokes that sent him deeper every time. Hard enough to hurt a little. Hard enough to let Daisy know that he’d made her his, and after this, he wouldn’t let her go—he couldn’t let her go.

  That thought sent him twisting in all different directions. Joker thrust into her, and she held him tight with her arms wrapped around his neck and her long, sexy legs wrapped around his hips. They held on to each other like their life depended on it, teetering on the edge of a cliff with nothing below them but jagged rocks and deep, cold choppy water. One misstep, one slip, and both their lives would take a nosedive and plunge into a void so dark and dangerous that neither would survive.

  Daisy’s moans grew louder, and her body stiffened under him. With her pouty lips parted and her lids hooded, that sexiest fuckin’ look alone could make him blow, but he held out until she came down off her high, then he let himself go to a place where all was well.

  A dangerous fantasy for a man like him. Joker had never even told his son fairytales, yet here he was, a grown man, thinking like an asshole and wanting to believe in the unbelievable.

  He eased to her side, suddenly remembering her battered body. “Shit.” He cradled her head. “Was I too rough?”

  Daisy rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m fine.”

  He stroked her cheek with his palm, and held her tight to him.

  What kind of a fucked-up universe smashed two such screwed-up people together?—both fighting their demons with no hope of redemption—neither able to help the other out of the dark hole where their minds existed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Darkness surrounded Joker as he sat on the balcony with the sound of the crashing waves in the background. Perfect and tranquil, unless you were a thousand miles from home with a price on your head. Joker lit up a Marlboro, fixating on the glowing ember in the night. He sucked in a deep drag and held it, then blew it out as he geared up for the phone call he had to make. He hit the speed dial and waited, willing Eddie to pick up his cell.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Eddie’s rough rasp filled Joker with relief.

  “I’m in Miami.”

  “What the hell are you doing in Miami? Thought you hated the heat.”

  “I got some trouble.”

  “Too much pussy, not enough time.” Eddie laughed at his joke.

  “No, man … real trouble.”

  Silence, then, “What do you need?”

  “What do you know about a guy named Rico, works outta South Beach at a club called Mambo?”

  Eddie and his partner, Jonny, had nightclubs in Manhattan and South Beach with connections to all the local players.

  “Rico Chavez. Likes women, fast cars, and blow. Not necessarily in that order.”

  “Dangerous?”

  “Stupid. So yeah, dangerous. Tried to push his shit at Paradise II, but we shut him down.”

  “Can’t talk on the phone, but I want you to do something for me.”

  “Sure, name it.”

  Joker smiled into the phone. He and Eddie had some history in Manhattan, and Eddie had never forgotten how he’d saved him when a player in the Russian mob dosed him with a hotshot of heroin.

  “I want you to go up to the clubhouse in Riverside and get my son. Bring him to your place and make sure he stays put. I should be home in a few days.”

  “Sure.” Joker heard the flick of Eddie’s lighter. “Ditch whatever phone you’re using and get yourself a burner. And don’t worry about the kid. I got it.”

  Joker nodded into the phone, then disconnected. Even Digger couldn’t compete with Eddie and Jonny’s connections.

  Every instinct screamed at Daisy to run. To leave Joker before he left her. This man had the power to bring her to tears. A man with such a powerful effect that she’d revealed all her secrets and truths voluntarily, then became weak in his arms and cried for his pain. The crying broke Daisy. She’d barely cried for Jessie, and even then, she’d limited herself, knowing that crying was the most useless of all emotions. Yet Joker’s story and the raw pain in his voice brought her to tears. That alone was a gigantic red flag and another reason to retrieve the money and disappear.

  When Joker eased himself off the bed, Daisy squeezed her eyes shut and faked sleep. She heard the slider to the balcony open and then the muffled voice of Joker’s phone conversation. He’d mentioned calling Eddie, a contact in New York, and since his biker buddies had turned against him, this Eddie was the likely choice.

  Then the one-sided conversation stopped and the slider opened and closed. He crossed the room, and she heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on. Daisy forced herself to stay still even though her body wanted to bolt. After the shower ran for a few minutes, she assumed he was soaping up that glorious body of his. She’d miss so many things Joker gave her emotionally, but she had to admit, leaving the physical side of their crazy relationship behind hurt too.

  Quickly and quietly she slipped from the bed and then glanced at the bathroom door. Her plan to sneak out of that hotel room shredded her, but she couldn’t afford the luxury of listening to her heart’s bad choices. And Joker, who Daisy realized that she didn’t even know his last name, was a Times Square LED billboard for bad choices.

  She gathered her clothes and her purse from the floor, then hopped one-legged into her pants and threw on her blood-stained shirt. She had everything tucked together by the time she reached the entry door. The room spun as another wave of nausea hit, but Daisy willed it down, knowing she had to escape before she caved in to the overwhelming desire to stay with a man who would surely wreck her.

  And yes, Daisy did experience a twinge of guilt for not sharing his blood money, but she’d warned Joker about the hit, and a savvy guy like him would find a way out. She drew in a deep breath, then released the locks and pulled the door open, squashing down all pangs of conscience. After all, she’d done way worse in her miserable life.

  Hitching her bag on her shoulder, Daisy stepped into the hall and froze.

  “Goin’ somewhere?”

  Joker leaned against the opposite wall in his low-slung sweatpants, barefooted with his arms folded over his chest. All tight and taut and ready to pounce; for some reason, she pictured the cobra and the mongoose. Only was she the mongoose or the cobra?

  “You should be resting.” Joker pushed off the wall and crowded her against the door. “You might have a concussion.”<
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  He reached around her and slipped the keycard into the slot to release the lock, then nudged her through the open doorway. The door slammed behind them, and the sharp click echoed around their silence. Why wasn’t he shouting? Why wasn’t he accusing her? Maybe she’d go with stupid and claim she was stepping out for some ice cream. Joker circled her, an indeterminable smirk plastered on his face. His quiet observation rattled her.

  She took a half step backward, and his arm shot out, slamming his open palm against the door. Joker’s outstretched arm hovered over her head as he glared down at her, the shower still running in the background.

  “I’ve got to ask.” Daisy motioned toward the bathroom. “How’d you do that?”

  “You’re not the only one with skills. While you were fake sleeping, I made my phone call, then I turned on the shower and slipped out the other door. Always know your floor plan. That bathroom has two doors. Access from the entry hall and the bedroom.”

  Rookie mistake. Just showed how twisted up he’d gotten her, which was another sound reason for getting the hell out of there. She couldn’t even make a simple escape without screwing up.

  “I must’ve hit my head harder than I thought.” Although Daisy liked the way he guided her into the hotel room, as if he knew what she needed better than she did.

  “You know what they say, babe … fool me once and all that shit.” Joker lowered his arm and placed it firmly on the small of her back, guiding her forward. She could’ve easily resisted, but she had no illusions how that would go down. He nudged her onto the sofa in the living area, then pulled the chair closer and sat, their knees almost touching.

  “What do you think? Should we kill the elephant in the room?” Again that annoying, tantalizing, sexy-as-hell smirk covered his face, and it took all her willpower to keep her hands in her lap. “And please don’t say, ‘It’s not what it looks like’ ’cause we both know what it looks like, right?”

  Daisy let out the deep, heavy sigh of someone who had no other options. She hated to claim defeat on any level, but her head hurt, she was exhausted, and she didn’t give a damn anymore.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say.” It was the best she could do. It was all she had to offer.

  “Why don’t you say, ‘Sorry, Joker. After all we shared and all we confessed, I was still sneaking out to grab the money for myself like the conning thief I am.’”

  “That’s a little harsh.”

  “But fuckin’ true.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “My fault. I forgot to lay the ground rules. Rule number one: You’re getting back into that bed to rest. The last thing I need is you passing out or having a fuckin’ seizure. Rule number two: Don’t even think about sneaking out again. Rule number three: First thing tomorrow, you’re taking me to that money, and then we’ll decide where we go from there. Together.”

  “Rule number one sounds like you’re worried about me, and rule number three sounds like you might even forgive me.”

  He grunted something unintelligible and stood. “C’mon. Back to bed.”

  “First, I want to take a shower.” Daisy pulled at her blood-stained blouse. “I’ve been in these disgusting clothes all day.”

  She headed into the steamy bathroom with Joker close behind, then faced him in the oversized room. “I’ve got this.”

  “At least it’s already warmed up for you.” He leaned against the sink. “Take your clothes off.”

  “You don’t have to be in here. I’m not going to run again.”

  “All of a sudden you’re shy?”

  “Fine.” She yanked at the buttons and zipper until there was a pile of clothes at her feet, and she stood naked. Daisy’s blood ran hot through her veins. She liked Joker’s eyes on her, the slow and dirty smirk that curved his lips and the way the scar made him look dangerous and sexy all at once.

  Daisy told him she wouldn’t run again, and she meant it. In her own twisted way, her trying to leave was a test, and he passed.

  She stepped into the steamy glass-enclosed shower stall and dipped her hair under the spray, careful to keep the water off the cuts on her face. The chill of the air-conditioning entered the stall when Joker opened the shower door. His predatory grin chilled her in the warm cubicle, but his muscular tanned body sent a bolt of heat straight to the soles of her feet. He immediately dipped under the shower head, then slicked his hair back with his hands. Joker’s biceps flexed, his abs tensed, and the hot-as-hell V pointed to the most impressive part of his body. The water cascading over him only emphasized his exotic tats and the definition of every dip of his scarred, powerful body. She’d never seen a man so perfect and imperfect at the same time.

  “Turn away from the water.” Joker gathered up her hair in his massive hand and squeezed the bottle of hotel shampoo over the wet strands. Lathering it up gently, he loosened the blood-matted hair, then rinsed it all away. To Daisy’s surprise, he even followed up with conditioner, then rinsed that out too.

  “Thank you,” she said over her shoulder.

  “My pleasure.” He pushed her wet hair aside and growled into the back of her neck while his fingers slid down her side then around her waist. “Spread your legs.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Daisy parted her legs, and his fingers found her center. “Nothing I’d like more than slipping my dick in you, but I don’t wanna chance banging your head on the hard tile.”

  She leaned back into Joker as the water streamed over them from the rain shower-head like a soft summer mist. Perfect. And what he was doing to her with his expert fingers? Way past perfect.

  She rocked backward and forward as he filled her, twisting and hitting her spot. Every. Damn. Time. God, this man had mad skills when it came to a woman’s body. A brief thought of how he got those skills flickered through her mind and quickly evaporated. Her bloodless brain had one mission. Experience the sweet relief suspended just out of reach. Daisy rode his fingers faster, and when he leaned down and sucked the sensitive skin of her neck between his teeth, her body blew up and flew apart. Her heart hammered against her ribs, as her hands slid against the wet tiles.

  He slowly removed his fingers, lathered the soap, then slid them back between Daisy’s legs, washing her and causing little aftershocks. She concentrated on not sliding down the tile wall under the force of her pleasure. This man tuned her body up in the best possible way.

  “I’m glad you caught me sneaking out.”

  When she’d opened the door and had seen him standing there, she nearly collapsed with relief. Daisy had left so many others without a goodbye, but Joker was one step ahead of her, ready to catch her if she fell, ready to hold her tight and never let go.

  “I know.”

  She spun around so fast he caught her by the waist. She stilled for a minute as her sensitive head caught up with her body. “You do?”

  “You’re one of those people who has no fear. A good thing and a bad thing because sometimes a little fear keeps us safe or, in your case, keeps you from doing stupid shit on impulse.”

  She cocked her hip and feigned anger. Hard to do naked and dripping with water. “Did you just call me stupid?”

  “Unless you want me to forget about your busted head and fuck you blind against that hard tile wall, I suggest you don’t make any more moves like that one.”

  Joker soaped up and rinsed her breasts, and after sucking her right nipple into his mouth, he tipped his head all innocent. “And I didn’t call you stupid. I never would. I said some of your choices might be stupid. Not the same thing because you’re about the smartest person I’ve ever known, babe.”

  Then, he sucked her left nipple into his mouth. Little electric waves of pleasure shot through her. She scraped her fingers through his shiny, wet strands of hair, even blacker soaked with water.

  Daisy shivered when the water cooled, and he closed the faucets. “Let’s get you dry.”

  They stepped out of the shower, and he pulled a fluffy towel off the rack and wrappe
d it around her.

  “I like the way you take care of me.”

  “You need taking care of, or who the fuck knows what you’ll be up to next.”

  “No more games.” She held up her fingers in a little salute. “I promise.”

  “I doubt you were ever a girl scout.”

  “Like you were ever a boy scout.”

  “Shit, what kinda fucked up troop would that be. We could earn badges in stings, heists, and pickpocketing.”

  “And you could throw in a few classes on cage fighting.”

  Joker grabbed up the hotel robe hanging on the hook, then threw it on and cinched the tie. “Maybe I should wear this for my next fight.” He shadow boxed in front of the floor to ceiling mirror.

  “Is that you being funny?” Daisy stood behind him as he took shots at his mirror image.

  “Trying to live up to my name.”

  She slipped the matching robe off the other hook, then tugged it on and rolled up the massive sleeves. “My stomach feels a little odd.”

  “That’s ’cause you’re moving around too much. Club soda and pretzels in the minibar. It’ll settle your stomach.” He pointed to the bedroom. “Get into bed. You need to rest. And no more Jack.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Geez, are you sure you’re a biker?”

  “Pretty fucked up when I’m the sensible one.”

  Daisy slid back under the downy coverlet, burrowing deeper into the cool, soft sheets, and her lips curved into a grin as this hardened biker—who probably had a criminal record—rummaged around the mini-fridge, wearing a fluffy, white robe and mumbling to himself while looking for bland foods to ease her stomach. He straightened, and when he turned, her grin widened as he juggled an armload of snacks.

  “Couldn’t make up your mind?”

  Joker threw a Milky Way, a Snickers bar, a bag of chips, and Doritos onto the bed, then handed Daisy a bag of pretzels and club soda. “Nine bucks for a bag of chips that I could eat in two handfuls. Fuckin’ ridiculous.”