Corrupt Honor: A Motorcycle Club Romance (Rough Jesters MC Book 3)

by Brook Wilder

  She opened the screened door and walked in, dragging me inside. It was a far cry from how I had grown up, where my dad had spent most of the time beating on me and my mom in a hovel we called home. It wasn’t a home; it was a shithole of an apartment, with electricity that flickered on and off constantly and extremely high rent.

  This place was like a mansion.

  “Mom! Dad! We’re here!”

  “In the kitchen!”

  We walked through the living room and into the kitchen, where her parents eyed me. I could only imagine what they saw: a gangly nineteen-year-old holding the hand of their underage daughter, my first and second tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of my t-shirt. Combined with my trainee vest and scuffed boots, I clearly was not the all-American teenager they would want her to date.

  “This is Seth,” Alisha was saying, wrapping her hand around my forearm. “Seth, this is my mom and dad.”

  Her mom was the first one to move, wiping her hands on her jeans as she approached us. “Hi, I’m Paula.”

  I shook her hand. “Seth. Nice to meet you.”

  Her dad just continued to eye me with distrust, and I swallowed hard. Damn the man could stare down!

  “Don’t pay him no mind,” Paula said, cutting her eyes at her husband. “Can we get you something to drink?”

  A beer would be nice. “No, ma’am. I’m good.”

  “So,” Alisha said after a moment. “Um, I’m going to show Seth my room.”

  Her dad made a sound but didn’t object, though he could have killed me with his hard stare.

  “Let’s not do that today,” I muttered, stopping her in midstride.

  Her dad’s eyebrows rose, and I hoped that it was a good thing.

  “Really?” Alisha asked. I knew that look in her eye, and I had no intentions of having sex in her parents’ house.

  “Really,” I answered. “Don’t we have a movie to catch, Lish?”

  “Oh yeah, sure,” she said. “I guess we are going to leave.”

  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

  ***

  I rapped on the door and it opened mere seconds later to reveal a set of familiar eyes. “Seth.”

  “Mrs. Poole,” I said, giving her a smile. “I know I’m the last person you were expecting.”

  She closed the door behind her, gesturing for me to have a seat on the porch swing. “Not really. I was just wondering how long it would take you to get here once Alisha made her appearance. Didn’t think it would be this long, but I imagine you have been reuniting with my daughter at your house instead of mine.”

  Despite my thirty-one years, I blushed. “Yes ma’am.”

  “So why are you here, Seth?” she asked after a moment.

  “I was hoping to talk to Alisha.”

  Her mom gave a little laugh. “She’s not here. She went on into work this morning. After she took a shower of course.”

  Damn the woman knew how to make this awkward. I stood up from the swing. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

  “Seth, wait.”

  I turned to her, seeing a lot of Alisha’s features in her face. “Yes ma’am?”

  She gave me a small smile. “After all these years, you still love her.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because no one would be brave enough to face us to find her.”

  I chuckled. “Yes ma’am, I do.” I couldn’t shake her no matter how hard I had tried. Alisha was the only woman who had touched my black soul and made me think of something outside of the club. No matter what the outcome of the war, I was hoping I could keep her this time.

  But I sure as hell wasn’t going to stand in her way.

  “Good,” Mrs. Poole nodded. “Alisha needs someone to watch out for her, but I make you this promise. You drag my baby girl into that mess of a club again and I will cut off your balls and feed them to our hogs? Understand?”

  Rex could use someone like Mrs. Poole in the club. “Yes ma’am.”

  “Good,” she stated, patting me lightly on my shoulder. “Would you like to stay for lunch? Mr. Poole should be back from the farm any minute now.”

  “I think I will go find Alisha, but thank you,” I said dryly. Wouldn’t that be a sight, me having lunch with her parents?

  “A rain check then,” her mother stated as she reached for the door. “This better not be the last time I see you, Seth.”

  I smiled. “No, it won’t be.” Not if I could help it. This time I wasn’t about to let Alisha leave without a fight. I should have stopped her all those years ago, but she’d wounded my pride.

  “Good boy,” she said, stepping back into the house.

  My steps were a bit lighter as I walked back to my bike, shaking my head. I wasn’t sure if I had gotten approval or rejection from Alisha’s mom, but it was likely the weirdest conversation I had experienced in quite some time.

  Now I had to talk to Alisha.

  Chapter 15

  Alisha

  I stared at the pictures in front of me, feeling both pissed off and embarrassed someone had intruded on a very special night for me.

  “You’re lucky your face isn’t visible,” Garrett was saying. “But the office wasn’t the only place that got these. The media is all over it.”

  Great, just great. This was not the day I had anticipated. I had woken up early this morning, kissing a sleeping Seth goodbye before heading to my parents, a goofy smile on my face. I was on top of the world leaving his place, knowing I loved him just as much as I had ten years ago. Everything about us being together was complicated, but I chose not to think along those lines.

  Not until it mattered.

  That was before I knew about the pictures. Who would want to do this? Who would want to set me up like this? Was it targeted at me, or at Seth?

  Whomever it was, I wished I could have just five minutes with them. They were ruining the one bit of happiness I had found in my life.

  Realizing Garrett was waiting for me to speak, I pushed the pictures away. “I’m not commenting.”

  “No, you won’t,” he said, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “You will pretend this is not you and make some arrests so you can get your ass out of Castillo. I don’t want to see you go down like this, Alisha. Your counterparts speak highly of you and I think you could have my job one day. Hell, I’m sorry this got out.”

  I pushed back the chair, standing on shaky legs. “Me too. I won’t let it happen again.”

  Garrett nodded, gathering up the photos. “See that it doesn’t. I’m burning these by the way.”

  “Thanks,” I forced past my closing throat, hurrying out of the conference room. I was completely and utterly embarrassed he had to pull me in to begin with, hating that someone would be so vindictive that they would try to ruin my career.

  Pushing open the door to the women’s restroom, I locked it behind me and took a few deep breaths to clear my mind. It didn’t matter. What was done, was done, and there was nothing I could do about it.

  I wasn’t so sure I would do anything about it.

  Grabbing my hair, I let out a frustrated sound. Why did I have to choose between my happiness and my job? Why couldn’t Seth just be like any other normal guy?

  Because I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if he was, that’s why.

  I walked to the sink and turned on the water, splashing it on my face. I had to get my shit together. I couldn’t show any worry, any concern over this or the rest of the guys would eat me alive.

  Who had seen us go into that house together? Who had known we would even do that?

  I guess it hadn’t helped that my car was parked out front all night long, but Seth’s house was off the beaten path.

  Someone knew we were sleeping together. Well, the list of possibilities was probably endless at this point. I was certain half the Rough Jesters probably knew, as well as Jon and my parents.

  It could have been anyone, and now my damn career was hanging on by a thread because o
f it.

  I finished my business and exited the bathroom, determined to push this behind me. I had a job to do and I was damn well going to do it.

  ***

  “It’s hard to say who the agent is in bed with the criminal, but sources say whoever it is, they will be swiftly prosecuted.”

  I put my fork down. “It’s not what you think.”

  My mom cleared her throat as my dad took a large swallow of his beer, both of them avoiding my eyes. After the absolute worst day of my life, I had hoped to come home to a normal dinner with my parents and up until now, everything had been just fine.

  Damn my parents for wanting to listen to the evening news during supper!

  “Well then,” she finally said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “I’m assuming that agent isn’t you?”

  “No, I mean yes,” I sighed, slumping back in my chair. I felt all kinds of betrayed and defeated on this one, not sure where to go or even what to do.

  The big thing was I couldn’t see Seth. I had to stay away for my sake and his. If someone was targeting us, us being seen together was not a good idea.

  He had blown up my phone quite a few times today, and each time I had sent his call to voicemail, my heart breaking a little each time. Why was it that every time I thought I could be moderately happy, something like this popped up and ruined it all?

  “You know we would never tell you how to live your life, Alisha,” my mom was saying. “But do you really think this is a good idea? I know you have a fondness for Seth and all, but you are an agent and he’s a-”

  “Criminal,” I said dully. There was no other way to put it. Seth was in the Rough Jesters, so by default he was a criminal, one I had taken a vow to put behind bars at all costs.

  Because if I didn’t, someone else would.

  “That wasn’t quite the word I was looking for,” my mom answered, cutting her eyes to my dad. “But he’s probably not a person the ATF would want you to be in cahoots with.”

  “You mean in bed with,” I muttered, throwing my napkin on my plate. “I’m not hungry. Excuse me.”

  My dad caught my wrist as I tried to pass by him, forcing me to meet his gaze. “We will stand behind you, Peanut. Whatever you decide.”

  I gave him a fake smile. “Thanks. I need some air.”

  He gave me a nod, letting go of my wrist so I could escape to the back deck overlooking the quiet night. I couldn’t even hide my feelings for Seth from my own parents.

  Looking up at the star-filled sky, I wondered what he was doing right now. Probably something that an ATF agent shouldn’t really know about. Last night had been quite possibly the best night of my life. Seth and I had reconnected in a way I hadn’t thought possible, and honestly, it was like I’d never left.

  But I couldn’t do that again. I hated the fact that I couldn’t, knowing I would be ripping my heart out for the sake of my career, but it was my career. At the end of the day, Seth was who he was, and I was who I had become. No faded tattoo or a night in bed would change that.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, both relieved and disappointed not to see Seth’s number on the screen. Had he already given up on us? Had he made the same conclusion that we were two different people now?

  We had waited too long to reconnect.

  Pressing the button, I held it up to my ear. “Hey Jon.”

  “Alisha, where are you?”

  “My parents’ home, why?”

  “We got a good lead on Lopez,” he said excitedly. “I think we can take him down in the next few hours. You in?”

  “Yeah of course,” I answered, glad for the distraction. If we could take down the Aztecas’ commander, then some of the pressure might be taken off the Jesters.

  And I could get the hell out of here. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  “Good. We need you.”

  I hung up the phone, ignoring the pang in my chest right. I had a job to do.

  ***

  Three hours later, gun in hand, I knelt behind a rusted-out car with Jon ahead of me, my heart pounding under my bullet proof vest. On the other side of the car was the Aztecas’ target tonight, which coincidentally just happened to be a meeting place for the Jesters. As Jon had put it, we would get two birds with one bullet tonight, and wrap up this case.

  Which meant Seth would be here. A member of the council would definitely be in attendance, and I steeled myself against the possibility of seeing Seth in handcuffs tonight, or even dead if he put up a fight.

  I wanted to throw up.

  “Alpha one in place.”

  I pressed the earpiece with my finger. “Copy that. Alpha two in place.” Since we were the outsiders, this would be mine and Jon’s detail to run, and if it went bad, the two of us would be blamed for it.

  Jon looked back at me, his reflection full of unsaid words between us. We hadn’t talked about the news coverage, but I was sure he knew. He was probably just as disappointed as everyone else around me.

  I was used to disappointing people, so why did it feel so bad this time? All my life I had disappointed my family, my sister, even Seth.

  Now I didn’t have anyone on my side.

  The sound of bikes caught my attention and Aztecas quickly appeared in front of the building, clearly intending on ambushing the Jesters. The Jesters wouldn’t think anything of bikes pulling up and would not be expecting the bold move.

  It was now or never. “Now. We go now,” I said urgently, motioning to Jon.

  He threw a smoke bomb and all hell broke out. It was enough to turn the Aztecas’ attention to us, and with four teams’ guns pointed at the cartel’s minions, it wasn’t long before I had run out of zip ties to cuff.

  Tucking my gun in my waistband, I smoothed back my hair with my hands as the Jesters were led out, my heart stuttering in my chest when I recognized Seth’s tall form amongst them. He had been here, just like I thought. I turned my back as they passed, focusing my attentions on Lopez for now. They hauled out of the dirt by his bound hands, and I came to stand before him.

  “I got you,” I said softly, a lethal edge in my voice. “And when I’m done with you, you won’t ever see the light of day again.”

  To my surprise, he grinned. “Ah, you are a feisty one, aren’t you?”

  “Show some respect,” the agent holding him growled. “Or I will make you.”

  I held up my hand. “It’s alright. I’ve got the upper hand.”

  Lopez laughed, cocking his head to the side. “You remind me of someone I snatched off the streets, say about ten years ago. She was feisty, too, until I beat it out of her.”

  My entire body shut down at his words. He was talking about Jamie. Lopez had killed my sister. “You fucking asshole,” I seethed, launching at him. Someone caught me by the waist and hauled me back as Lopez continued to laugh.

  “Not here,” Jon said into my ear, holding me in place. “He will use it against you, and we will lose him.”

  “He killed Jamie,” I forced out, struggling against his hold. After all these years, I finally knew who was responsible for Jamie’s death.

  “And he’s in handcuffs,” Jon said gently. “I will make sure he goes down for Jamie’s death, but you touch him, and he will walk.”

  I fumed, but Jon was right. Lopez was no idiot. If I lost my shit, it was a guaranteed loophole, and he’d walk. “I will see you in court,” I growled as Lopez was pushed past me. “You will pay for what you did.”

  “We will see,” he called back as he walked toward the cluster of others in cuffs.

  Jon let me go then, blowing out a breath. “I thought you were gonna kill him.”

  I rounded on him, angry and hurt. “He killed my sister. The only justice he deserves is death.”

  Lopez would not spend his days rotting away in a jail cell. I wanted him to suffer for what he did. I wanted him to share my sister’s fate, my beautiful, vibrant sister who’d had the world at her feet.

  It should have been me. It wa
s supposed to be me. She should be standing here where I was, watching this murderer finally be brought to justice.

  There was no way Lopez was getting off.

  Chapter 16

  Seth

  I leaned up against the bumper of the truck, waiting my turn to be put into the wagon and carted off to jail. Someone had set this up tonight, someone other than the ATF, and it pissed me off I had gotten caught up in this shit.