Zep taps on his phone as we get off our bikes and nods to me as mine vibrates in my pocket. “Sent you the plate. Might get lucky.”
“They were watching Phoebe,” Scotty says, walking out to meet me. “This feels personal, Pacino. I don’t think the break-in was just an opportunity.”
“Does she have enemies?” Jethro asks.
Both Scotty and I laugh. “Doubtful,” I say. “She’s… You know what? You just have to meet her to understand.”
The moment we walk inside, Phoebe smiles at us and holds a box in her hands like she wasn’t just being watched by men in a blacked-out SUV. “Hi, Tucker! Boys. Pick your poison. We’re just getting ready to take everything to the shelter.”
“Tucker?” Zep asks, his eyebrow raised as he holds back a laugh.
I can only shake my head. “Don’t.”
“Lemon curd tart with strawberries?” Rooster asks.
“One of my favorites. Oh! Would you be willing to try my newest creation? Sarah and Scotty say I have to make it my new signature dessert.”
Scotty elbows me. “Say yes. Fucking fantastic.”
Everyone nods their heads, and she damn near glows as she floats into the back. It’s like she has no comprehension of the danger she’s in.
“Is she always like this?” Capone asks.
One of my fellow miserable assholes. He’s also the only person who truly knows my history since we come from the same background.
“Sorry, guys. You’re not special,” Sarah says, her light brown hair tied up on the top of her head. “You could come in here and hold her at gunpoint, and she’d offer to feed you.”
“Is she, you know… all there?” Kannon Reed asks, pointing at his head.
The third miserable asshole rounds out the mix. It’s always interesting when the three of us end up together. We’re nothing but glum fuckers ready to kill someone just to take the edge off. But compared to the two of them, I’m the cheery one.
“Doubtful,” Capone says.
“She’s just… She wants everyone to be happy and feel cared for. Even if it’s just with food,” Sarah snaps, glaring at us as though the bakery isn’t filled with bikers. “She’s the best boss I’ve ever had, and she’s generous to a fault.”
“Phoebe helps Sarah pay for her pastry school tuition,” Scotty says. “She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”
That explains where some of her income goes. I was surprised when she told me the options for the security systems were too steep to swing right now after making twelve grand in one day. We’re the fairest price in town. And the most reliable.
The door from the back opens, and Phoebe walks out with a tray of frosted cupcakes. “Here you go!”
Even Kannon has a sparkle in his eye as he grabs one. I give in, even though I know it’s only going to make me want more. Just like the fucking donuts.
I wonder if tasting her would have the same effect on me.
What the fuck? I never think about women like that. Not since… before.
Of course the cupcake is fucking amazing. Salty but sweet with a hint of… beer?
“You made Bernie’s birthday cupcakes,” Zep says, his mouth full. “A play on chocolate cheesecake.”
I remember the party. Misty’s daughter, who Zep treats like his own. She’s a cute kid. And has a hell of a lot of power over Zep.
Phoebe smiles and nods. “She helped make them. She’s a natural.”
The SUV drives by again, and we all turn, guns in hand. It speeds away quickly, and I can’t help but feel familiarity with the situation. Déjà vu.
This has happened before, but I can’t pinpoint when. I need to look into that plate.
