by K E Osborn
“Yeah. I gave it to her when she was born.”
Jovie’s fingers loop with mine. “It reminds her of you. What’s its name?”
“Moo.” I smirk.
“As in the cow, moo?”
“These are things you don’t question with kids. They wanna name a rabbit, Moo, they name a fucking rabbit, Moo.”
Jovie bursts out laughing. “I love that. She sounds like me when I was a kid. I had a pet rock named Bucket.”
“Bucket?”
She tilts her head. “My brother, River, used to say that the rock isn’t alive. Like it’s kicked the bucket. So, I said I’d show him and treat the pet like a living creature… I had Bucket for years.”
“What happened to him?”
She shrugs. “I think my father stole him one day. Maybe the day he left when he told me to grow up.”
“I’m sorry.” I frown.
She waves her hand through the air. “This isn’t about me. Tell me about Lucas?”
“He’s younger, only four, definitely his age. He has all the ladies swooning over him. My little man has a small stutter.”
“Does he join Sadie at her tea parties?”
“Nah, he doesn’t give a shit about them. He’s too busy with his Legos. He likes to build shit. He makes all kinds of scenes with his sets. He’s pretty fucking smart for his age, actually.”
Jovie slides a little closer. “They sound like amazing kids. Like you’ve done a great job raising them.”
“Wasn’t just me, it was their grandparents and their Uncle Ethan, my brother. We have all had a hand in raising them. They’re doing okay. I just wish I could see them, at least talk to them. Being away from them is so fucking hard.”
Jovie leans forward, placing her hand on my knee. “I’m so impressed by the fact that you’re a father, Kevlar. It actually explains some things.”
“It does?”
“Yeah.”
“It doesn’t put you off?”
“No… if they’re anything like you, they’ll be amazing. I hope I can meet them one day?”
I turn away from her, unsure how to answer that question. I’ve never had to introduce a woman to them before. “Maybe… we’ll see, okay?”
“I get it, they need stability.”
I delve into her eyes, feeling nothing but admiration emanating from them. “Exactly.”
Her lips turn up cheekily. “Is it bad knowing you’re a father only makes me hotter for you?”
Jovie’s eyes stay focused on mine, intense energy circling us as we stare at each other. My heart begins to rapidly pulse against my chest in nervous tension. I haven’t had an inkling of emotion for another woman since Em, but Jovie is bringing out all kinds of fucking feelings in me.
Staring at her right now, she’s so damn beautiful, it’s hard not to get swept up in the storm that seems to be engulfing both of us. She’s the gale-force winds, and I’m the rain. Separately, it’s not enough to wreak havoc but put them together, and it creates a blizzard. And right now, Jovie is sending a chill right through me, and I feel it deep in my bones. She’s intoxicating, electrifying, exhilarating like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
My hand comes up, sweeping her blonde hair behind her ear, her skin tingling against the palm of my hand as she leans in. My chest squeezes as she licks her bottom lip.
I’m fucking done for.
I slide my hand into the back of her hair, the other to her hip, pulling her over the top of me. She moves so fucking easy, it’s like she was dying to make the move but couldn’t without my help. She straddles me, her pussy grinding down on me, her hands running up into my hair as we stare at each other for a moment, just a moment, then my fingers grip in her hair, yanking her lips to mine in a strong, powerful kiss.
The second our lips connect, it’s like the entire world turns upside down.
Her tongue slides into my mouth, colliding with mine in a flurry of passion. My cock jerks beneath her as the energy between us swirls around in a cacophony of unending adrenaline. My chest squeezes as I kiss Jovie with everything I have.
My hand grips her hair tightly, holding her to me like I need her to breathe. She kisses me back with as much enthusiasm as I’m showing her while we sit on the edge of the bed making out like horny fucking teenagers.
She tastes like vodka and sugar, the combination making me crave her even more. She’s fucking addictive as my free hand slides up under her shirt. She’s so goddamn soft, the silkiness of her skin is making it hard to keep myself under any sort of control.
Our tongues move together in perfect synchronization. It’s like we’re made for kissing each other. Her fingers on my scalp are like heaven as she presses her tits into my chest.
Damn, I want to feel her. All of her.
But I don’t want to rush this.
I don’t want to ruin this.
The last time I had a connection this strong with someone, it fucking meant something to me. I want this thing with Jovie to mean something too. I don’t want to fuck her and then shit gets weird between us. So, regrettably, I slow our kiss, needing to ease the storm that’s raging between us.
My hand in her hair, gently lets go as I bring it down to her bicep, sliding my fingers gently along her goosebump-laden skin. I keep my palm on her back under her shirt as we part lips, hers are fucking delectably swollen as our eyes meet. They are full of lust as she bites down on her bottom lip letting out a small sigh. Jovie’s arms rest over my shoulders as I shake my head.
“That was far better than I had imagined.”
She smirks. “So, you did imagine it?”
I chuckle, bringing my free hand up to caress her cheek. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Jovie’s eyes drop from mine. “Why do I sense a but coming?”
My fingers slide under her chin, lifting her eyes back to meet mine. “No but, I just want to make sure we do this right. I don’t want to run into this like Sav and Rush, then end up where they are now.”
“You’re not the one-night-stand kind of guy, are you, Kevlar?”
“Not when I care about someone.”
“You want to do this the right way?”
“Yeah, I’m not saying I’m sure where this is going to go, Jovie. Hell, I don’t even know where my life is headed. All I do know is, I don’t want to treat you like—”
“Like Hurricane would?”
I let out a laugh. “Exactly. You’re not a piece of meat to me, Jovie. Even he saw that.”
“So, what do we do now?”
I pull Jovie off me, placing her on the side of the bed. I can’t have her pussy so close to my fucking cock anymore while trying to tell her I’m being a decent guy. I can’t say one thing if I want to flip her over and fuck her like a crazy animal the next.
“Now, we continue on with our adventure in NOLA.”
Her eyes meet mine. “And us?”
“A day at a time, sunshine. A day at a time.” I grip hold of her hand.
Briefly, I press my lips against hers before standing and pulling her over to the window. I wrap my arms around her, holding her back to my front as we glimpse out over the Mississippi.
There’s something magical about this city. I thought I’d never come back here because of the memories of Em. But it’s almost like coming back has been the medicine I needed to be able to let me move on, to not only let go of the past, but also to help in finding a woman I deeply connect with.
Em would be happy for me.
I just hope when the dust settles, this, whatever this is with Jovie, is the right choice because my life is a mess right now, and there’s shit in Jovie’s as well. However, above all else, I need to worry about my kids, because Sadie and Lucas mean absolutely everything to me.
They are what’s most important.
KEVLAR
A Few Days Later
The past few days in New Orleans have been damn good, even with Savanah as a third wheel. She’s lightened up on her feelings toward me an
d seems to be enjoying my company as much as I am hers. We’re actually getting along.
Jovie and I steal kisses, but she stays in her room with Savanah at night. We haven’t crossed that line yet, just taking it slow. After all, we haven’t known each other that fucking long.
The girls and I have just gotten back from breakfast, and now we’re in my room trying to figure out what the hell we’re going to do today. We think we might go on a French Quarter, cemetery, and one of the voodoo tours. Try to learn a little more about Marie Laveau because she has piqued our interest after meeting Madame Bonheur in the voodoo shop. Jovie searches through some brochures as Savanah casually watches the television.
“So, there’s this tour that does the three things in one for just over twenty-five dollars,” Jovie states.
I walk over, taking the brochure from her, then lean in, planting a kiss on her temple. “Sounds perfect.” I pull back, glancing down at the brochure. “Do we need to book?”
Jovie nods as my cell starts to vibrate on the table.
We all glance at it.
I rush forward, Zero’s name is flashing on the screen, so I answer quickly. “Pres… I still haven’t heard from Ethan. Is there any news?”
“Slow down there, cowboy, there’s a reason for that.” He chuckles down the line.
My eyes widen as I take a seat at the table, not liking where this is going. “Zero, tell me nothing’s happened to Ethan or my fucking kids!”
Jovie has concern written all over on her face as she stands, then walks over to me.
Zero exhales. “A heap of shit has been going down the last few days. We’ve been working ‘round the clock to try to find a way to get you home. Ethan’s cell was tapped. Neon found an intricate bug hidden inside it, so Ethan couldn’t call you. It was the only way to keep you safe.”
“What do you mean was the only way?”
“We’ve had Finley working solidly on your case. You know how much she hates the Baron, and she’s been able to get to the fucking truth. She discovered the name of the cop the Baron was leaking false information to, and she turned him in. Finley informed the cop he was the one who was distributing cocaine throughout Houston and provided the cop with evidence of his shipments. Sure, we might have supplied the Baron with the cocaine in the first place, but the cops don’t need to know that, and there’s no trace, anyway. All they have been made aware of is that the Baron was then shipping and distributing. He’s going to have years added to his sentence…” Zero pauses for a few seconds, then continues, “… Kevlar, the warrant for your arrest has been lifted. Y’all can come home.”
I let out a booming laugh, catching everyone off-guard. I turn to Jovie, and she smiles. “Pres, I have a couple of tag-a-longs coming home with me.”
“Talk to me, Kevlar. What the fuck are you on about?”
“I rode to New Orleans, pres. Don’t worry, Hurricane knows I’m here, but that’s beside the point. While here, I met a few people, two of whom are a couple of women on the run.”
Zero groans. “Kevlar, with all your shit going on, do we have fucking time for more drama?”
“Zero… Jovie has family after her. They tried to attack her in San Antonio. I’ve offered her my protection.”
“Sounds like she has all kinds of trouble attached to her—”
“Which is why we need to help her, pres.”
Zero grumbles under his breath. “Fine, two rooms?”
“Yeah.”
“When will we see you?”
Glancing over at Savanah and Jovie, who are hanging off my every word, I state, “Tonight. We’ll leave right away. I want my own bed, and I need to see my kids.”
“Right. I’ll get shit prepared. And Kevlar…”
“Yeah?”
“If trouble comes knocking, I’m holding you fucking responsible.”
“Got it!”
Zero doesn’t say anything else, simply ends the call.
Jovie walks to my side. “We’re leaving?”
“You still wanna come to the club, right?”
Jovie looks at Savanah, then back to me. “You honestly believe the club can protect us?”
“Yes. My president, Zero, will want to know who we’re protecting you from exactly. So, you’re gonna have to open up.”
Jovie tenses but nods her agreement. “Okay. Sure. I’ll tell him when we get there. We’ll go pack our things and meet here in fifteen.”
I pull her to me, and nervousness swarms my body at the thought of taking Jovie home because I’m not sure how to handle her around my kids. But I don’t want her to know, so I lean my forehead against hers, then softly kiss her.
Savanah scoffs out a laugh. “I hope all the other bikers are as fit as you are, Kevlar.” She grabs Jovie’s hand, pulling her away from me toward the door. “C’mon, let’s pack, so we can get on the road.”
Jovie beams, then she rushes off with Savanah. “I can’t wait.”
I watch her leave, then turn to my duffle bag on the counter and get to work, even though my mind is racing a million miles a minute. What the hell am I doing? Effectively bringing a woman home to meet the family. Is this all too fucking soon? Emma’s been gone only three years, and while this thing, whatever it is with Jovie, is pretty damn fresh, I don’t want to be jumping into something when I still hold Emma in my heart. But then again, who am I kidding? Emma will always be in my heart. Maybe this is all wrong? Maybe I should just leave without them? Would that be so bad?
Letting out a long groan, I run my hand over my head. “Don’t be an asshole,” I mumble to myself.
I can’t leave Jovie here to fend for herself. She’s in danger and needs my help—the club’s help. I might be going back and forth on starting something up with her because of my love for Em, but I can’t turn my back on Jovie, not now, not since getting to know her. Leaving her to a fate of God only knows what, at the hands of her family, whoever they are.
Shoving all my shit in my bag, I glance out at the murky Mississippi and take a second to simply breathe. “Why is this so fucking confusing, Em?” I murmur.
Then, without warning, a gentle breeze wafts through the open balcony door, making the curtain sway up and out like a balloon. The bottom edge of the curtain slides along the small coffee table, taking my voodoo doll with it. Swiftly, it lands on the floor by my feet.
Then just like that, the breeze is gone.
My pulse quickens as I bend down, picking up the little purple and black doll, that same intense feeling I got from it before seeps into my soul once more as I stare at it.
Sniffing, I weakly smile. “Thanks, Em… I fucking miss you.”
What the hell?
Clearing my throat, I place the voodoo doll in my bag, take in a deep breath, and nod. I need to clear my damn head.
It’s time to go home.
The girls are all packed into Jovie’s car. I stocked them up on snacks and drinks, then I loaded Savanah’s GPS with the clubhouse location in case we were separated. The plan was that once we start the journey back to Houston, we were not stopping. With a target on Jovie’s back, it’s too fucking dangerous. So, as I check over my shoulder, Savanah waves at me, letting me know she’s ready, then I pull back on my throttle and start the journey back to Houston. My momentary lapse in judgment in my room seems to have evaporated, and I’m in a better headspace now. I think whatever was going through my mind, thoughts of leaving without them and fuck knows what else, was just a blip of me being uneasy. Perhaps anxious that Jovie could mean something to me one day. But for now, I’m going to take in the knowledge that I’m going home to see my kids, back to my brothers, back fucking home, back to what I know. That makes me happier than anything else right now.
Knowing Jovie’s watching my ass as I ride makes this all the more fun. She might be enjoying the view, but me knowing she is enjoying the view makes this ride all the better. The one thing I am a little curious about is how the club is going to take to these two women.
Savanah, she’s a fucking spitfire. Some of the guys she’s going to wrap around her little finger, others, I feel like there could be battle lines drawn. Savanah is one of those women who either gets on your right side or rubs you the wrong way.
Jovie, however, I have a feeling my brothers are going to take to her. At least, I really fucking hope so because there’s something here—at least there could be—and that’s fucking scary as shit. Lord knows I’ll need my brothers’ support if shit with Jovie is going to turn ugly, especially support from Fox. His opinion means everything to me. His and Bub’s. But that’s getting way too fucking ahead of myself. Right now, I have to keep my eyes on the road and get the three of us back to Houston, so I can see my kids.
That’s all that matters.
We make it to the intersection of Poydras Street and Loyola Avenue, heading for the Pontchartrain Expressway. Our light is green, so I zoom through, giving the girls enough time to make it through too when, out of the corner of my eye, a flash of something black catches my attention. I glance over my shoulder to see a black SUV rampaging like a fucking bull through the intersection toward Jovie’s passenger window.
I slam on my brakes, and my rear tire slides out from under me in a puff of smoke and tire rubble. My bike slides down on its side as I see the SUV slam into Jovie’s car. My stomach knots intensely as I watch their car flip. The sound of metal scratching and rolling jars my ears as I come to a halt. My knee scrapes on the asphalt as their car rolls in front of me. I breathe frantically, not knowing if the girls are okay. But what’s worse is the two men in the SUV are getting out, and they look like they’re on a fucking mission.
I pull myself up from my bike. Panic washes over me as I drop my bike to the ground—I’ll deal with that later—as the two men storm toward Jovie’s car. They both pull out their weapons, aiming right at the vehicle with reckless abandon. I reach around for my gun, diving behind a car that’s pulled over to help. The old lady’s eyes meet mine, and I gesture for her to duck down and keep quiet. She slides deep into her seat, yanking out her cell phone.
Fuck.
