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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
*Lace*
Idon’t even bother to try on the rest of the suits. Chaz said the dark brown one was his favorite, so I simply sample the bottoms of those, get approval from Bae, then get dressed into the cutoff shorts and airy linen tee he picked out.
A sense of warm reassurance fills my belly as I tick off another of my Hell for Leather men from the suspect list. Sure, I take a moment to consider that lust could fog my suspect elimination skills, but desperate for progress, I decide to take this as a win.
Bae needs answers just as much as I do. His job — his life — depends on it. As he admitted, I was right to think he seemed the most suspect.
I just wish we could talk more. Like really talk about it. Work together to figure things out.
Carrying my stage outfit and the pile of unused suits in our arms, Bae and I walk out of the changing room as though he didn’t just make me orgasm three times and come in my mouth with so much intensity I nearly passed out.
Well, he walks out like none of that happened, virile and already likely ready to go again. And again. And again. The only thing different about him is the look in his eyes; with every step, I can tell his thoughts go back and forth between replaying what we just did and everything that passed between us having to do with business.
I, on the other hand, walk out a little wobbly. Lack of sleep and a lot of inner explosions will do that to a girl. For that reason, I choose to leave my heels off, snagging a pair of sandals out of a discount bin on our way up to the register and keeping my platforms dangling from my fingertips instead.
We unload our arms into a bucket of items to be rehung, then I place the brown suit and a handful of tags on the checkout table, plucked from the clothes I am now wearing.
Chaz steps up beside me, removes a wad of cash from his suit pocket, and deposits the money onto the table, leaving Isla and Lainie a hefty tip, no doubt. “Find one you like?” he asks, snatching a bag from the pile and handing it to me.
I bundle up the suit and shove it inside, all the while Lainie just sorta stands there gaping at how abrupt these men are. “The brown one was perfect. Thank you.” I give him a kiss on the cheek. He takes the bag from my hands, passes it to Zane, who is now standing next to Kio, who apparently rejoined the group while Bae and I were up to no good.
“Nailed it.” Chaz absolutely beams, way over smug and proud.
Bae huffs out a laugh. “Sure did.”
Oh, my stars.
Chaz flashes Bae a wide glare, points a finger at him, and turns on me. His tempest-filled ocean eyes do a very — very — slow scan of my body, then his shoulders droop slightly, and he gives me an adorably dejected look. “I should have never let him go in there with you.”
“Guess the suit you picked out was a little too good. He liked it.” I press my lips together, trying not to smile.
“Hell yeah I did. Our girl will win tonight, hands down.”
I roll my eyes.
They roll toward Kio.
Kio gives me a pointed look then flicks his gaze past me and back again before crossing his arms and leaning against one of the poles holding up the tent, looking all ninja-like in his all-black garb with his dark features and tight bun at the base of his head. For the calm vibe he often puts off, he sure looks intimidating sometimes.
I swing my attention over my shoulder and immediately see who he was indicating. Jess is waiting — cowering and anxious — in the far corner of the booth. I drop my platforms, weave through the clothes racks, and throw myself at her. “Why are you hiding?” I ask, squeezing her tight. “Do the guys need to make a statement?”
Her beautiful green, watery eyes meet mine. “No. Please. I just want one normal fucking day. Hell, an hour. Ya know? Kio found me wandering around and brought me to you. Gabe said I could shop between endo kisses. He gave me some money to spend. Told me he was feelin’ real sorry for his behavior last night.”
“Hun, sounds like gaslighting if ya ask me. Spend that money, though. Suck him dry. Well, I mean… you know… not that way. Save that type of sucking for someone more worthy.” She gives me a quiet, but tired, chuckle. “Ready to shop?”
Jess nods, and our party of six finally leaves the Surf Shack booth, passing a dive shop vendor, a business that is generally in cahoots with the Surf Shack. Two of their main representatives are lounging around, seeking shade beneath their tent. Thayne is incredibly well known in the community. Nearly every dark crevice of it. For a lot of damn reasons. The other guy, whose name slips my mind at the moment, is best friends with Lainie. Or something. The way he watches her makes me think he wants more, if he doesn’t already have it.
Since none of us are into diving, or really even boating for that matter, we move right along.
The Behind Bars Vendors program really goes all out. There is a little bit of everything: car and bike custom shops, clothing boutiques ranging from southern chic to exotic wear, and tons of small businesses making things by hand like leather accessories and jewelry. There are, of course, several motorcycle club sponsored charity booths, too — not just Leather and Lace for Bikers Against Abuse.
The Stoners have one, in fact — a toy collection program for kids. Peeping at it from a distance, it appears they gave Nixie and her crew the responsibility of running it this year. Imagine that. They must have been taking a little break earlier just long enough to participate in the endos and get a bit of spotlight before going back to scrubbing toilets for Stoney.
Seeing Gabe all up in their business earlier is what reminded me of the day Hell for Leather showed up — when Coty found out Stoney had drugged me and then stormed into the office. Coty mentioned that Stoney ghosted and a prospect was sitting in as a temp manager.
That is exactly why my question hinted along those lines when I interrogated Bae earlier.
