He didn’t respond, probably irritated but accepting that I couldn’t do shit about the situation. Spurred to take action and keep myself out of trouble with my other boss, I called Flint, the manager of the Copper Penny Bar and Grill. He’d already heard about the situation.
“I’ll call in Stocks,” Flint said. “He’s been sniffing around lately. That man is bored out of his mind and lookin’ for somethin’ to do.”
Stocks was the newest patched member on our roster. He was a good man who’d lost his leg in service to our country and had been shot in service to our club. “Thanks. Tell him I owe him one.”
Flint disconnected. I pocketed my phone and rubbed the tension out of the back of my neck. Between the two jobs, the club, and my family, I spent most of my time in a state of wound-up exhaustion. I needed a vacation. Maybe just a weekend on a beach with a babe under my arm. More specifically, a certain babe, stripped of her power suit, hair released from its bun, glasses still on…
Before I could think too much on the fantasy, Jessica emerged from the back. As she approached, she flashed me a sweet, shy smile that did a hell of a lot more to unwind my tension than my neck rub had. “Carly messaged me and said you’d be giving me a ride? If it’s not too much trouble, that is. I don’t want to be a bother. You guys have already done so much to help me. Seriously, I don’t know what I would have done had you not shown up today, Spade. This is all so crazy. I still can’t believe how easily that psycho busted down my door. Who does that? And then you came along and…I… yeah.” Her cheeks reddened. “Sorry. I’ll shut up now.”
The asshole with the gun and the police hadn’t thrown her off, but I made her nervous enough to ramble. That was strangely hot. As she spoke, my gaze took in the way her pretty pink lips wrapped around my name like it was a lollipop, making me fantasize about shoving my cock into her mouth. I wasn’t usually such a savage, but this woman kept checking off my boxes and driving me out of my mind. “It was our pleasure, Jess. And I can’t think of a damn thing I’d rather do more than give a beautiful woman a ride.”
Yeah, that line was loaded with innuendo, but I meant every ounce of it and wasn’t the least bit sorry.
“Thanks. My parents live in Renton. I should probably go there, but it’s quite the drive. Especially in traffic. You know what? I can call for an Uber. You don’t need to mess around with this nonsense.”
There were too many eyes and ears on us, and I needed to say shit to her the cops had no business overhearing. I ushered her outside and down the steps of the cop shop to stand in front of my bike. “You helped us today, and you’re Carly’s friend, which makes you a friend of the club. We take care of our friends. We can offer you a room at the fire station we use as our headquarters. It’s not much, but it’s only a few blocks from your apartment and you better believe that nobody will bust down your goddamn door. You’ll be safe with us. Link says you can stay as long as you want.”
She seemed to consider my words for a moment. “Thank you.”
I shrugged off her appreciation. “It’s nothing. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re protected.” Actually, with her across the hall, I’d be too damn hard to sleep. Hopefully I could talk her into my bed, and we could both get some shuteye. After we got in a good work out, of course. That made me sound like an opportunistic bastard, but I couldn’t care less. I wanted to get to know Jessica’s mindandher body.
As she stared at me, her brow furrowed, and her eyes flooded with questions.
“What are you looking at me like that for?” I asked.
“I’ve heard about the Dead Presidents on the news and from Carly. She says you guys are a club, a brotherhood, and not a gang, and that you’ve always treated her right. But I never would have thought bikers who looked so rough and tough would be so… kind. I’m embarrassed to admit my surprise.”
“You stereotyped us?” I asked, pretending to be shocked. Most people couldn’t see past our beards, tats, cuts, and bikes to get to know us. Some treated us like we were the scum of the earth, unable to hold down a job. Because I was Mexican, I also fought assumptions that I was here illegally and should be deported. Nobody cared about the shit my parents had to go through to prove they weren’t terrorists and earn their citizenship to start a business and a family without worrying about getting robbed and shot up by one cartel or another.
Her expression fell. “I did. I’m so sorry, but I did.”
“Don’t even worry about it. You’re an attractive, intelligent,singlewoman. You are single, right?”
To my satisfaction and relief, she nodded in confirmation.
“As fucked up as the world is, you should be gun shy around any man. But most people in life will surprise you if you give them the chance. Sometimes it’s even for the better.”
She gave me a rueful smile. “Touché”
“Come on. I’ll take you to the station.” I drifted toward my bike, hoping she’d follow.
Her gaze shot past me to my Road King, and her eyes widened. “Onthat?” She made it sound like a poisonous snake rather than the sleek (although temperamental and unreliable) piece-of-shit it was.
“Yeah, babe. That’s generally how I get from point A to point B. It’s this or the work truck, and I’m not exactly on business right now.”
She gave me the stink eye like I was screwing with her. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before. They’re dangerous.”
Her cautious nature was fucking adorable. “Nothing in this life is safe, but riding’s just like anything else. You hold on tight, learn to lean with the curves, and you’ll be all right.”
“Deep.” She grinned, still eyeing my bike. “How much is that Spade wisdom going to cost me?”
If she thought my words drilled deep, I couldn’t wait to introduce her to my cock. Returning her smile, I mentally added ‘sassy’ to the growing list of qualities I liked about her.
“It’s your lucky day; wisdom’s on the house.”
“That’s good, but I can’t afford to take time off if that thing explodes between my legs.”
I’d be the only thing exploding between her legs. Fuck. I couldn’t keep my mind out of the gutter. I wanted her on the back of my bike so I could feel her body pressed against me, but I refused to be a dick about it. I knew I’d keep her safe, but her comfort with the situation had to take priority. “You’ve been through enough today and if you’re not up for riding on the back of my bike, I can order you an Uber.”
