“He’s got a point. It’d be to our advantage to have him,” Diablo said.
Steel slowly nodded. “Okay, but don’t fuck this up. You’ll leave early morning.”
The slamming gavel adjourned church.
When the brothers went into the main room, Diablo declined the beer the prospect handed him. He turned to his team. “We’ll meet here at one thirty in the morning. Army, make sure we got the stuff we’ll need to make the bombs. Crow, is there somewhere we can camp out where we won’t be detected?”
“I know just the place.”
“Good. I’ll see you all at one thirty.”
Diablo hurried out of the club. He wanted to spend as much of the night as he could with Fallon. In his world, one never knew when death would come calling.
He revved his engine and then sped into town.
***
The restaurant wassmall and quaint, and the owner, Adelita, greeted Diablo with a warm smile and embrace. Her dark eyes darted to Fallon and she put her hand out.
“I’m Adelita. Welcome to my restaurant.” She shook Fallon’s hand heartily, then said in a low voice to Diablo, “About time you bring a woman around.”
Diablo narrowed his eyes, but there was a twinkle in them as he feigned being cross. Adelita had become like a mother to him, and he often attended her family’s fiestas, christenings, and weddings. She was also a good listener and knew him better than he cared to admit. She was always on his case about settling down and starting a family, parading woman after woman in front of him, but he wasn’t interested.
No woman had captured him physically, emotionally, or sexually until he met Fallon. And as he got to know and spend time with her, he became more and more hooked. Her fragrance, her touch, her softness, the sweet electricity that ran through his body when her loving hand caressed his head, rested on his chest, or gently stroked his forearm opened entire circuits of emotional feelings for him. Ones he’d never experienced before with any other woman. That’s how he knew she was the one for him. But he wasn’t going to share that yet with Adelita.I’d never hear the end of it.
The robust woman showed them to a table by the window. The window looked out to a garden replete with flowering trees and vegetation. It was a slice of lushness in a barren landscape.
After giving Diablo a bottle of Corona and Fallon a sangrita, Adelita hurried off to the kitchen. “It smells awesome in here,” Fallon said as the aroma of grilled meat and green chilies wafted from the kitchen.
“The food is killer. They have the best fuckin’ chile relleno burrito.”
“Sounds like it’d be a lot of food. I think I’ll just have an order of carnitas tacos,” Fallon said as she stirred her drink.
“You don’t eat much.” He grasped her hands in his and brought them to his mouth, kissing them tenderly. “I gotta go away for a bit on club business.”
Her eyes widened. “When? And what’s the business?”
“Very early in the morning, and club business is just between the brothers.”
“What does that mean? Why can’t you tell me what you’re doing? Is it something bad?”
He squeezed her hands. “There are certain things that go on in the club that only the brothers can know about. Club business is for brothers only. That’s just the way it is, so don’t ask me about it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t really get it.”
“You don’t have to. All you gotta do is trust me.”
“When will you be back?”
“Dunno. I’ll try to contact you if I can. If you don’t hear from me, don’t think you’re not on my mind, or that something’s wrong.”
“I’m afraid you’ll get hurt. I can’t lose you,” she said softly.
“I’ll be good. Don’t think about it. Let’s enjoy our dinner. Then I’m going to show you how much you mean to me when we get back to your place.” He winked at her, but her wrinkling brow hit him in the gut.She’s gonna have to get used to this.
The food was delicious, and even though they laughed, talked, and ate too much, Diablo knew anything could happen in Arizona. And from the way she’d been pinching the skin at her throat, she suspected he may be hurt or killed. He wished he could promise his safe return, but in a world of violent confrontations, nothing was guaranteed.Hell, nothing’s a sure bet even in the citizen world.He knew that all too well.
When they arrived at her apartment, Diablo took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, loving the way their breaths mingled. They took turns undressing one another, and when they slid between the cool sheets, he pressed her warm body to him, running his hands over every inch of her. She sat in his lap as he leaned against the padded headboard. Then he was inside her and they sat like that for a while, mouths together, chest to chest, not moving. She started to move, grinding against him, and he pushed up hard and deep inside her. Her small moans drove him wild, and he took her into his arms and pushed her back on the bed. Brushing away the hair from her eyes, he thrust hard and their sounds filled the room.
