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“Well looka here,” Kurt drawled, determined to cut Pageant off midsentence. He caught a scowl from Randon even though he should’ve understood. “I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays.”
“Mondays,” Bart Phillips muttered, making a point to correct him and dodge a handshake at the same time.
From what Randon and Pageant had previously relayed, Bart’s near death experience in Pleasant had left him a changed man. He’d become obsessed with catching the extortionists. Apparently Bart had a killing agenda and an arsenal to help him handle most jobs.
Unfortunately, Bart had yet to figure out it was tough to eliminate what couldn’t be shot, stabbed, or wrestled to the ground.
Fact of the matter was, they couldn’t kill the extortionists with guns. In an unexpected twist of fate, Pageant had somehow managed to put down one of them, but considering the small town had been abuzz with the news, it was unlikely they’d ever have a similar or same opportunity in the future.
“As always, it’s good to see you too, Bart,” Kurt muttered, immediately noting the tension between Bart and his ex-wife. Given the exchanged glares between former man and wife, the divorce had been anything but amicable. It was difficult to hold a family together and keep a woman happy when a man was crazy bitter at the whole world.
According to second-handed information, Bart wasn’t just plain furious. He had become a real lunatic. The former deputy had “retired” early and while Kurt doubted a pension would carry him through, Bart had seemingly worked the media appropriately. The press had labeled him as the extortionist’s lone survivor and he often appeared on the front of periodicals.
Realizing his thoughts had wandered again, right along with his gaze, Kurt smiled at Bart’s former wife but didn’t say hello. It was still too risky. He was too volatile and didn’t trust himself near her.
“Well I’ll be doggone. This is an unexpected surprise.” Deliberately dodging Bart’s ex and realizing he hadn’t greeted the former sheriff, Kurt shook hands with Blaine McKinney. The former Pleasant, North Carolina lawman had handed in his badge to start a special task force. Like the MC, Blaine had high hopes of putting an end to the extortionists once and for all.
Bart cleared his throat and turned to the woman beside him. “Suzette, this is Kurt Dandridge, a friend of Randon’s. He rides with the Bold and Free, too.” He glared at Blaez and Marcus before he averted his gaze and added, “Kurt, this is my wife, Suzette Phillips.”
“Ex,” Suzette snapped, sticking her chest out about as far as she extended her arm. “And we’ve met.”
Damn right they’d met. Kurt’s body went rigid as simultaneous flashes of previous meetings flashed in front of his mind’s eye. Those previously uneventful meetings now seemed quite memorable.
Unable to stop himself, Kurt lifted her hand to his lips and brushed her knuckles with a gentleman’s kiss. “As always, a pleasure.”
“Oh.” She blushed something awful and held her other hand to her chest. “Why, you too. Definitely. Pleasurable. Yes.” She fluttered long natural lashes over emerald-colored eyes. Her short breaths drove her heavy rack up and down and each time her breasts moved either way, he caught a glimpse of her red bra. The undergarment barely concealed her boobs and Kurt nearly cursed aloud.
A man could get lost in a chest like that.
Kurt liked big-breasted women. He admired the curvy type, but he’d never quite pictured himself falling head over heels for a plump gal.
Was he thinking about it now? He quickly wrapped his head around another thought. Before he’d ridden out that morning, the club had enjoyed a good lau
gh at his expense.
Poor Eva.
Apparently, if she could’ve reported back to Vince Daniels that they’d had a good time, he would’ve hooked her up with one of the full patch members. Instead, she was doomed to start stripping for the club sometime next week.
Eva wasn’t his problem now. He focused on Suzette.
He’d soon have his hands full.
In an instant, flashed images rushed through his mind like old black and white movie clips. For some odd reason, Blaez and Marcus were now present in the more illicit fantasies scrolling through his head.
He jolted forward and lost his balance. What the hell? He immediately swung his gaze to Blaez and Marcus. All eyes were on him then but no one said a word. Blaez slowly nodded as if he understood what Kurt had seen. Marcus looked away and Kurt couldn’t help but notice the balled fists hanging at his sides.
No. Surely not.
Shaking off the thought of a shared mate in a lasting relationship, Kurt decided Suzette couldn’t be the one. For starters, he’d met Bart’s ex-wife a year or so ago. He remembered thinking she was pretty, but he hadn’t noted anything extraordinary about her. Now she didn’t even look like the same woman.
He had to reasonably consider he’d had too much to drink the night before. Suzette couldn’t be his mate. Randon had been drawn to Pageant from the start. Most of the Bold and Free pack members told similar stories. They were all about love at first sight hogwash. And all the mated Bold and Free pack members were monogamous.
Kurt released a sigh of relief.
As he considered some of those tales, Kurt asked himself one pressing question. Then why did he find it nearly impossible to look away from her? More importantly, why did he fear his buddies had the same current problem?
Sensing Randon watching him, he bit out, “What?”
