Cursed (9 page)

They parked their bikes on the back road and waited for Rascal and Mac with the van. Plenty of guns and ammo filled the vehicle for their intended purposes. Tank was the sergeant of arms for the Charming Bastards and he was pretty good at doing his job. Getting Eddy would be a club victory and a major play in the war with the Reaper Boys.

“My contact said that he’s been hulled up in the cabin, doing blow and fucking club chicks.” Torque cocked a gun. “Let’s do what we’ve got to do.”

This was the part that Tank loved. While many liked to group the Charming Bastards into the same category as the Reaper Boys, the Charming Bastards didn’t abuse women or kidnap children. They were far from innocent, but it was a small price to pay to keep their families safe.

Family was everything.

Torque, Joker, and Dooley went to the front while Deuce and Tank went around back. Mac and Rascal stood on the side waiting for shit to hit the fan. With Torque making a grand entry of busting down the door with one swift kick of his steel-toed boots, shit hit the fan pretty quickly. Two men tried to escape out the back and ran right into Tank and Deuce’s arms. Tank backed the guys up and forced them back into the house. Torque had the men on the sofa and Tank added the two escapees to the mix.

“Where’s Eddy?”

“I don’t know.”

Tank glanced around at the room. It looked like cocaine central. White powder covered everything like the fucktards didn’t even know how to fix a proper line. They just snorted anything off of everything to get that high.

One of the club whores came out topless, her eyes bloodshot as she wobbled to the kitchen. She didn’t seem to notice that five men stood in the living room of their hidey-hole with guns pointed at her lovers.

Deuce pointed toward her and Tank watched her grab a bottle of water. Seconds later she vomited all over herself. He cringed. Deuce chuckled. They spent a good ten minutes trying to get information from the men before realizing that it was a bust. How the fuck could one shithead hide from them so goddamn well?

Joker stepped outside, pissed that Eddy wasn’t there. “The longer it goes, the worse it’ll get.”

“Calm down, Tonto.” Tank stuffed the gun in his waistband. “We’re going to get him.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down.” He shook, he was so angry. “He raped Scarlett.”

Tank understood Joker’s feelings. He’d been hell bent on going after Matthias when
Josslyn
told him about some of the stuff he’d made her do.

“He kidnapped my kid. Don’t say it isn’t the same. We both have valid reasons for wanting him dead.”

Before Joker could respond, gunfire blasted them and they leaped for cover. He didn’t have one fucking clue who the hell was in the blue Camaro but he really didn’t care. Tank and Joker returned fire, shooting around one of the vehicles in the yard.

“It’s him,” Joker commented. “The rat bastard is in the car.”

Tank aimed at the window and shot his entire magazine at the vehicle. It didn’t seem to faze them as they spun their tires and drove off. He and Joker ran toward the back road with the other guys following them. The last thing he fucking wanted to do was chase the damn idiots down the fucking highway.

He started his motorcycle and turned it around, heading after them. The road was narrow and lined with trees on both sides. He rode along the curvy pathway, following behind the blue Camaro. Eddy leaned out the front window and smirked at him as he pointed a gun in Tank’s direction. He swerved to miss the bullets as the crazy bastard continued to shoot at him. Someone beside him returned fire since Tank’s weapon was empty. He cringed as they went down the road, his shoulder burning like a bitch. He rubbed it gently and felt warm sticky fluid coat his fingers.

Ah, fuck.
Josslyn
was going to be pissed about that.

The guy driving the Camaro stomped on the gas pedal and left them. Torque moved in front of him, signaling that they needed to head back to the club. The sorry bastard had a death wish, Tank realized. There would come a day when Daddy couldn’t protect him and that day looked like it was coming real soon.

He shifted his shoulder and cringed at the pain shooting down his left arm. He was going to have one hell of a time explaining this one to her. He parked his bike in his normal spot and saw her car in the parking lot. She’d stayed. Even as much as she didn’t want Jeremy involved in club life, she stayed.

He groaned a bit as he moved his arm. “Fuck.”

“What happened?” Deuce asked. He glanced over at Tank’s arm and came to him. “Eddy shot you?”

“Don’t tell Joss.”

Deuce laughed and shook his head. He pulled Tank’s sleeve up and glanced at the wound. “It’s not bad. Just a flesh wound. You need to doctor it and bandage it up.”

“I will.” He stood from his bike and headed inside. Since she wasn’t in the front room, he assumed she was in his apartment. He covered his shoulder the best he could and went to find her.

When he opened the door, he saw her on his bed, talking on the phone with someone while Jeremy slept peacefully in the center. He hugged his toy motorcycle to him looking so damn innocent.
Josslyn
stood and walked toward the bathroom, ignoring him as he came into the room. All his medical supplies were in the cabinet inside the bathroom, right where she stood. He prepared himself for bitching as he went toward her, stepping past her to the bathroom.

“Okay, thank you. I’ll be in touch.” She hung up and turned to face him. “Why are you bleeding all over everything?”

He glanced over at her as he grabbed the medical kit. “Huh?”

“You’re bleeding.” She pointed to the floor.

He cringed. “Don’t freak out.”

Her eyes widened. “You were shot?”

He glanced back at Jeremy and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the bathroom with him before shutting the door. “Yes. It’s not that big of a deal. I just need to bandage it up.”

“Who the hell shot you?”

“Your brother.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Please tell me you put him in a body bag.”

He didn’t say anything as he found the gauze and bandage wrap. The stupid wound burned more than anything. Something about a bullet penetrating skin felt like someone had stuck a blow torch to him.

“Let me see.” She sat her phone down and tugged his sleeve up. “Are you sure you don’t need stitches?”

“Are you going to sew me up?” He sat on the closed toilet seat, taking up most of the space with his legs.

She gave him a dirty look and grabbed the gauze. There were a few butterfly bandages in the kit and she grabbed those too to close the wound. Tank liked her taking care of him. She leaned in close enough that he could smell her perfume. Her soft hands touching his skin was anything but platonic. Those hands had been all over his body before and he only imagined that now. She moved slightly, putting her breasts in his face. He chuckled and grinned up at her.

“Stop it.”

He slipped his hand along the back of her thigh. “Do you really think I’m going to take orders from you?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know why I stayed here.”

He leaned in, resting his face against her chest. “Because you want
me
to fuck you properly and we can’t do that at your house.”

“I’d forgotten that that was all you think about.”

He shrugged his good shoulder. “It’s been a rough day. I need to relieve some tension.”

“Good to know that that’s all you want me for.”

He rubbed his face against her breast as his fingers moved along her inner thigh. “Stop being dramatic.”

She stared down at him. “Are we together now, Tank? And don’t bullshit with me. I really need to know.”

He pulled back and stared at her. “I thought that was pretty much a given.”

She moved away from him and grabbed her phone. “Look, I know how things were before. I know if we get involved again that I’m setting myself up to get hurt.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I just don’t want Jeremy hurt. He can have a relationship with you without us having anything between us. It’s probably for the best.”

Tank stood and turned so that he blocked her between the vanity and his body. “Why would being with me end up with you hurt?”

She met his eyes. “Are you really telling me that you can keep your dick in your pants? You’ve never been one for monogamy.”

“When did I cheat on you while we were together?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m sure you did. Hell, you don’t normally have sex with just one person. I think you pile them in your bed just to break new records.”

“It’s because I didn’t fucking have you.” Tank moved back slightly, keeping his eyes on her. “No one can live up to you, Joss. I’ve tried to find someone and it didn’t work. I have fun, sure, but you’re the one I want.”

She blew out a breath. “I’m not the same person I was back then. Partying and drugs and wild sex just doesn’t fit in my life anymore. Quite frankly, I don’t want it in my life and I don’t want Jeremy exposed to it either.”

“You think I don’t know that?” He leaned in to kiss her. “Honey, I can read you like a book.”

And he could. She used to share everything with him. He was fairly certain that he still had that level of trust. She didn’t give it to too many people but it had been so easy with them.

“My son is
my everything
.”

“He’s mine too.” Tank gripped her shoulders. “Stop worrying about what this life may expose to him. He’s not going to grow up like you did.”

“I hope not.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I just see that admiration he has for you and the club. He loves motorcycles. He wants to go riding on one. God, he was even looking at the club bitches with that same damn look you have. That look of appreciation.”

Tank smiled. “He
is
half me.”

She shook her head. Tank chuckled and leaned in to kiss her soft lips. She could worry all she wanted about what may happen, but he didn’t give a fuck about that. He wanted what was real, what was now. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her body to him. He needed to feel her. He wanted to give her pleasure unlike anything she’s ever known.

“Let’s go to the playroom.”

“And leave Jeremy? What if he wakes up and wanders down the hall? That’d be one hell of a conversation we’d have to have with him.”

He kissed her. “He’s not going to wake up. And for good measure, I’ll close the door.”

“What if he finds drugs? What if he sniffs them by accident? He could die.”

Tank cupped her cheeks. “Joker’s girl is here. I’ll ask her to keep an eye on him.”

“I don’t know her.”

“I do.” He stared into her eyes. “Do you trust me?”

A hot puff of air blew against his lips as she exhaled. “You know I do.”

“Stop with the what-ifs.”

“I’m a mom. It’s part of the job description.”

He opened the bathroom door and led her out. He went to find Scarlett and thankfully, she and Joker weren’t planning to go at it like bunnies.

“Can I ask a huge favor?” Tank glanced over at Joker. “I really need some alone time with Joss and our kid is sleeping in my room. She’s afraid that something will happen to him and …”

“Go.” Joker waved him off. “Scarlett’s leaving in a few minutes to go back to work. I’ll keep an eye on him.”