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“You better get your ass over there and stop the fights before they break out.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.” See, Ace knew what was what. He’d known Zeke a long time, and knew he was in the Reapers. But he didn’t give me any lectures, no stern words of warning. Ace trusted me to do the right thing. I wasn’t sure why, but he always had. And it made me trust myself.
As I was heading out, I finally got what I’d been looking for. Sky was heading down the hallway, struggling with an awkward, heavy-looking cart. Hands behind her to drag it, straining with effort, her full breasts pushed against her shirt. It gave me all kinds of wrong ideas.
“Here, let me help you.” I took a few long strides to catch up with her and grabbed the metal cart with my much-larger hands. She looked up with surprise, then damn if she didn’t smile up at me like the sun breaking through the clouds. Her eyes were the color of her name, so light blue, and her wavy, honey brown hair framed her face in soft waves. If I could see that smile every day, like I’d performed some kind of heroic magic, I’d die a happy man.
“Thank you!” She rubbed her wrist, then tucked it under her other arm. “That cart is crazy.”
“One of the wheels is stuck.” I pushed it back and forth, figuring out which one was giving her trouble.
“I can barely get it down the hallway, but I’ve got to deliver these books.”
“Why don’t you grab a few for the people who live close by? Leave the cart with me and I’ll give it a quick look.”
“Really?” She looked delighted. I guessed I didn’t have to buy her roses after all to see that look on her face. Her smile glowed even brighter than I’d imagined. Still, she seemed reluctant and a little shy to take me up on my offer. She gave a few more protests about how I didn’t need to take the time, like maybe she wasn’t all that used to accepting help.
“It’ll only take a minute,” I assured her.
She agreed, walking off to make some deliveries. I shuffled the remaining books off the cart, flipped it on its side, unscrewed the wheel and tightened it up with a tool on my Swiss army knife. The whole thing was back assembled, restocked and moving easily before she’d even finished.
But I didn’t leave. I couldn’t just abandon those books. Plus, sticking around might have something to do with wanting to see Sky again before I left. The few times I’d come to visit Ace and not seen her at all, I’d left deflated and disappointed. Even a brief interaction didn’t feel like enough anymore. I tried not to think about how fucked up that was.
Killing time, I checked out the books: mysteries and romances. Some of the romance novels had impressive covers, with bare-chested swashbuckling pirates and aristocratic, broad-shouldered dukes.
“Are you interested in borrowing that one?” Sky asked in a cheeky tone. The minx had sidled up to me without my realizing it and caught me checking out one of the steamier paperbacks.
“Spicy books they have here.” I put it back onto the cart.
“Tell me about it. I’m the one who has to read them out loud.”
“You do?” That I’d like to hear. She nodded, blushing a little. “Even the sex scenes?”
She burst out with a peal of laughter, the merry sound lifting up into the hallway. “They’d never forgive me if I skipped the best parts!”
“I’d like to hear you read those.” That came out huskier than I’d intended. She looked down and away. “Anyway, your cart’s fixed.” I took a few steps toward the stairwell in retreat. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thanks, Jax.”
“You’re welcome, Sky.” As I walked down toward the front entrance, I thought that might have been the first time she’d used my name. I liked hearing it on her lips. She was usually reserved around me, not meeting my eyes. I wasn’t too surprised. I was a big, tough looking guy. Though her husband was, too, so that shouldn’t be too off-putting to her.
Scowling, I slipped on my sunglasses. What was I doing, thinking about some other man’s woman? But I kept right on doing exactly that as I rode on over to my bar. She had such a sensual mouth. Those full lips, even with no lipstick they looked plump and delectable, tempting me to kiss, lick and bite.
I didn’t like the thought of her with Griller. I didn’t know him well, but from what I’d seen of him I didn’t want to know him any better. Messing with his woman was asking for trouble.
Speaking of, Zeke was standing outside my bar when I arrived. He and another guy, I assumed a fellow Reaper, were smoking cigarettes, their shoulders hunched, their eyes shifty and alert. As I walked toward them, Zeke broke out into a grin.
“What are you doing showing up here?” I asked. “You wanna be startin something?”
“Long live the King of Pop, brother.” Zeke hugged me with one arm, thumped his chest with the other, then held his fingers up in a peace sign to the dearly departed.
“You’ll be lucky if you get a dance-off in there.” I jerked my head toward the bar. Not all gang fights got settled like they did in a Michael Jackson music video.
“You know I’d win a dance-off.” Zeke gave me a cocky smile. He hadn’t changed a bit in the 10-plus years I’d known him.
“Who’s your friend?” I nodded toward his silent companion.
“Cotton here’s a good guy. Nothing to worry about.” The guy looked a little too jumpy for my taste. I’d bet good money he had a Glock inside his jacket and a switchblade in his back pocket. And I bet he liked using them both.
But Zeke was like family, so he and whatever he dragged along with him were welcome in my house. That didn’t mean they needed to walk in through the front door, though.
“C’mon in over here.” I led them in through the side entrance, then took them into my office. They’d already attracted enough attention as it was. Going on four years running the place, I’d gained trust in the community. Most of the Skulls knew I was tight with a Reaper and accepted it, even respected the fact that I’d done some time. Then again, trust turned on a dime with those guys.
Closing the door, I settled into an armchair. “All right, man. Tell me what the hell you’re doing here.” Zeke and I hung out from time to time, but never on this turf. Sometimes he’d come visit if I had a party over at my place, or we’d meet up at a bar we both liked down the coast about a half an hour. But this was not a social call.
Zeke and his buddy exchanged a brief look. I could read Cotton’s unspoken question, “You sure he’s cool?” and Zeke’s reassurance, “He’s cool.” Then Zeke explained to me, “We’re looking for a guy.”
I nodded, unsurprised. Revenge in the form of blood was a way of life for these clubs.
“His name’s Griller. You know him?”
Now I felt a little surprised. They were after Sky’s husband. But I’d been around the block enough times to keep my thoughts hidden behind an impenetrable wall of no reaction whatsoever. I gave a neutral reply. “I know all the Skulls.”
“Griller’s the one we want,” the jumpy guy piped up. Moving forward in his seat, I could tell he was eager to give me the whole story. “He’s—”
“I don’t want to know why.” Hands up, I stopped him from briefing me on all the gory details. The only way I stayed impartial, among clubs but not in bed with them, was by staying one step removed.
“Sure, sure.” Zeke flashed Cotton a “calm the fuck down” glance. “We’re not trying to drag you into this.”
“You’re not?” Sarcasm weighed down my words.
“Listen, all I’m trying to say is the guy’s a Grade A psychopath. He’s gone too far.”
And that was said by Zeke, a man I was pretty sure had a multiple body count to his name. So that was saying something. I hadn’t liked the idea of Sky with Griller even before knowing that. Was this Grade A psychopath hurting her? “OK.” I nodded.
“OK?” Zeke looked at me, questioning how far I’d be willing to go.
“I hear you.” I held back the protective growl forming deep in my throat, urging me to act
swift and strong to protect Sky. Because life was more complicated than a mythical fable of good vs. evil. I might want to draw my sword and strike down the dragon, but in reality sometimes the maiden in distress didn’t want to be rescued. Griller might be a bastard, but he was Sky’s husband and she might be in love with him.
Plus, it wasn’t as if handing over a brother to another club would go down quiet. I’d spent the past four years building up my professional reputation as a reliable, neutral party. Ratting someone out would blow up all the trust I’d earned. It wasn’t completely out of the question, but an extreme measure would require extreme motivation.
“Will you keep an eye out for him?” Zeke asked.
Setting my beer onto a table, I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, hands clasped together before me. I made eye contact with Cotton, then Zeke, making sure I had their complete attention.
