Duke (36 page)

He opened Gen’s door, and when Jiminy got out, Dozer told him, “Duke’s on his way and will be joining you, but asked me to get ya’ll seated and make sure there aren’t problems. Welcome, and lunch is on the house. I’ll stay out of your way but will be close.”

Duke arrived shortly after the three had placed their orders, but he’d called his in ahead of time so it would be made with theirs. The four sat and talked comfortably, and Gen discreetly checked her phone when it vibrated, and then answered it as she explained, “It’s the other Realtor, hopefully he has good news for us.”

Gen smiled as she heard the counter offer, told her Realtor to give her a moment, and muted the call to tell Jiminy and Pebbles, “Their counter offer’s exactly what I said it’d be. I recommend you accept. He says he can have it in writing in the next thirty minutes, and I know his office isn’t far from here. Want me to see if I can get him to run by here with the paperwork for ya’ll to sign once he has it?”

Duke arranged for a bottle of champagne to be brought out when the other Realtor arrived forty-five minutes later, and the group toasted Jiminy and Pebbles’ new house.

Gen had ridden to the bar with Jiminy and Pebbles, because Jiminy had insisted on driving. Duke told them he’d get her back to her car later, and she hugged Pebbles goodbye. Gen was a little awkward at first with Jiminy, but hugged him back when he wrapped his arms around her.

“
You and Pebbles are good for one another,” Jiminy told her, “and I hope the two of you can be good friends. You’ll be welcome at our home anytime, Gen. Thanks for finding it for us.”

“
I’ll have to invite the two of you over for dinner and drinks to celebrate, when we close.” She looked at Pebbles with a smile. “Keep in touch, and I’ll see you soon.”

As they pulled away, Duke asked, “Do you really feel so close to her so soon, or was that business?”

Gen shrugged. “A little of both? We got along great before we were kidnapped, but the experience drew us closer, and I’d like to be friends with her. If you aren’t comfortable with it, or think it will be dangerous, I can back off, though.”

He shook his head. “No, Beautiful. Jiminy and I’ll work it out, and your friendship with Pebbles may end up creating some peace we may not have otherwise had. My men aren’t sure what to make of it, but we’re gonna have church this afternoon so I can address their concerns. Glad you texted me with a heads-up, though.”

As Gen walked into the bar area of the restaurant on the way to Duke’s office, she heard a commotion and turned to see a man slap a woman across the face as he rasped, “Fucking cunt, got that and more coming at you for running your stupid, cock-sucking mouth.” Duke took a step towards them, but stopped when he saw Dozer closer to them and already on the way.

Dozer’s fist flew at the man’s face, and Gen watched as the man’s eyes went soft, his body spun in a half circle, and he hit the ground. Out cold.

“
Get him in the back and lock him down,” Dozer growled at a prospect as he took a step to the woman, his voice going gentle as he asked, “Ma’am, can I escort you to the back and get some ice on that, please?”

She looked up, nervous, and Gen stepped forward to say, “It’s okay. I can come back there, too. Come on, let us take care of you.” She put her arm around the woman and walked her back, lowering her voice to say, “If you want to call the police and press charges, you should do that now. Once the RTMC gets through with him, you won’t be able to.”

The woman shook her head. “No police. It just pisses him off and then it’ll be worse.”

She heard Dozer growl behind her, and instinctively knew it came from the wolf as much as the man.

Duke handed a bag of ice to Gen, who lifted it to the woman’s face and gently put it on the red around her cheek, nudging it up towards what Gen could now see were the remains of a fading back eye, mostly covered by make-up.

“
I’m Gen, my boyfriend Duke came in with the ice, and the big fellow who floored the asshole who hit you is Dozer. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“
I’m Sunny. Thanks for the ice, but I’m okay. Where did they take Terry? I should check on him.”

Dozer stepped forward, replaced his hand where Gen’s was, and gently nudged her out of the way. “Terry’s gonna stay put for a bit, and then I’m gonna have a talk with him. He responsible for the black eye, too?”

Sunny looked up, and up, and up, until she met Dozer’s gaze, and nodded, looking like a wild animal about to run.

“
No one in this room will hurt you, Sunshine. Not now, not ever. How long you been with Terry?”

Sunny looked to Gen as if she needed rescuing, but answered, “We been seeing each other ‘bout six months, but I didn’t move in with him until last month. I knew he had a temper before I moved in, but it’s getting worse. I just need to learn how to keep from making him mad, is all.”

Dozer touched her chin, gently aimed her gaze back to him, and used an ultra-gentle voice to tell her, “No matter how mad a woman makes me, and some have pissed me off until I couldn’t see straight and had to turn around and walk out the door, but I’ve never lifted a hand to one in anger, and I never will. You were mine? I’d treasure you and take care of you. No call for a man to hit a woman like that. He’s trash, and you’re too good for him.”

Gen noted Duke texting someone on his phone, but she stayed silent and watched, secretly worried about the safety of the man being held in the back, if Dozer was to decide the man’s fate.

Five minutes later, Gen was sitting by Duke reading the texts, and watching as Dozer sat with the woman in his lap, talking to her about respecting herself enough to not let people treat her as less than she was worth.

Duke had Brain running a search on the man in the back, because Gen assumed her boyfriend wanted to make sure Dozer wasn’t going to start a war against another group with whatever he was likely to do to the man. Duke had offered to take care of the asshole, but Dozer had given Duke a no-nonsense look and said, “Oh no. He’s mine.”

Gen ordered a sampler appetizer tray and some sweet tea for Sunny, and then sat with her and talked while Duke and Dozer went to deal with her boyfriend.

“
What are they gonna do? They won’t hurt him, will they?’

“
I don’t know what they’ll do, but I can pretty much promise they’re going to hurt him, Sunny. No one comes on RTMC property and acts that way, but with Dozer taking a liking to you? It’s gonna be worse.”

“
RTMC?”

“
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club. They own the restaurant and bar, and they don’t mess around with security.”

“
I got him in trouble with a motorcycle gang?”

Gen smiled and tried not to laugh as she heard herself giving Duke’s correction of, “Club, it’s a motorcycle club. And no, you didn’t get him in trouble, he did that all by himself by striking someone in their place of business. He started it, they’ll finish it. Do you want to keep living with him, or do you have a place you can go?”

She shook her head. “My lease ran out and I gave up my place. I bought a new car because I thought I’d have less rent to pay, so I couldn’t move out if I wanted right now.”

“
No one you can move in with for a month or two, until you can get things straightened out enough to get your own place again? Parents, sibling, friend?”

“
She don’t have to move out today,” Dozer said as he came in the room. “Her ex-boyfriend was involved in a single car collision with the concrete fence surrounding our compound. He’s on his way to the hospital, where he’ll be for a while with a head injury and a broken left arm, which is a cryin’ shame since he’s left-handed.”

“
You hurt him!”

“
No ma’am. He drove out of our parking lot and just slammed right into the wall across the street. His car doesn’t have airbags, he didn’t have his seat belt on, his face hit the steering wheel, and his arm got caught in there somewhere, and he’s a mess. Also, he’d been drinking, so he’ll likely have to deal with a DUI with the cops, too.”

Dozer glanced at Gen as he said, “Duke’s handling the paperwork with the cops, he wants you to wait for him in here. Thanks for helping take care of her, Duchess.”

“
I thought you said your name was Gen?”

“
Yeah, but the guys call me Duchess, since I kind of belong to Duke. I’m guessing you’ll have at least a day or two to get your things together before he gets out of the hospital. Are you sure there’s no place you can go?”

She shook her head. “My mom remarried and no way will her new husband let me live with them. My dad lives in California, and my sister has a family and I just can’t ask.” She lowered her voice, thinking Dozer couldn’t hear her. “I wish they hadn’t hurt him, when he gets better he’ll just take it out on me, say it’s my fault.”

Dozer stayed silent, but I answered on his behalf. “My guess is Dozer gave instructions the asshole is never to lay a hand on you again, but you know you have to get away from this guy, right? Even if it means picking up another part time job so you can pay for your car and get a cheap apartment. You can’t stay with him, Sunny. If he’s this bad after only a few weeks, then in a few months he’ll be truly dangerous.”

“
I got a spare bedroom,” Dozer told her. “Hundred dollars a month, split electricity and internet with me, and if you know how to cook a good southern meal then I’ll buy all the groceries and clean the kitchen when you’re done. No strings, no sex, no expectations… though I won’t turn the sex down if you offer.”

Brain poked his head in, told Gen that Duke needed her, and she started to argue she needed to stay and help Sunny, but the look on his face told her something was up, so she came.

As Gen rounded the corner with Brain, she saw Duke standing next to his twin brother. “Gen, you remember Randall?”

Gen had worn all Armani today, and the jacket alone cost nearly seventeen hundred dollars. Pebbles had immediately recognized every piece, but Gen knew most men didn’t have a clue. However, as Randall eyed her from head to toe and back up, she could almost imagine him adding up the thousands of dollars in clothes and shoes she wore, which seemed surprising. However, she quickly noted his black designer Baxten jeans showcased his muscled body even better than Duke’s Levis. This man knew his clothes.

“
Duke tells me you’re Frisco’s little sister?”

Gen nodded, and Randall said, “He also says the two of you have already had lunch?”

“
Yes, but if you haven’t had anything, I’d be more than happy to sit and talk to you while you eat. I’m not driving so I can have a drink. I don’t know how Duke’s afternoon looks, but I’m free until my next appointment at five.”

Randall eyed his brother, then looked back to Gen. “I think I’ll take you up on your offer. Duke says he has some things to see to, perhaps he can join us later.”

Duke kissed the top of her head and told his brother, “She’s mine, Randall. In every way. No bullshit, yeah?”

“
I understand. I came to make sure the issue at hand is resolved without things blowing out of proportion. I’m not here to make things worse.”

Gen tensed as she asked, “Issue at hand? What’s going on?”

“
The gentleman involved in the accident across the street works for my brother’s construction company.”

Gen glared at Randall. “You know he’s a huge jerk, right? I watched him slap his girlfriend and call her a horrible name in a bar full of people, and tell her she had more coming to her. Dozer’s taking care of her now, ice on her face, making sure she’s okay, helping her figure out where she can move to get away from him.”

Randall shook his head with a happy smile as he looked at Duke and said, “I like her. She has spunk. No worries, I’ll just see how many embarrassing childhood stories I can fit in while we wait for you. Take your time.”

Randall offered his arm to Gen, and she grinned at him as she accepted it, and squeezed Duke’s arm with a smile as she let go and went back into the bar with Randall. She walked him to the rear of the room, found an open VIP table, and nodded to one of the waitresses. “Can you get his drink order, and me a rum and Coke?” She looked to Randall. “I’m going to make a pit stop in Duke’s office and I’ll be right back.”

She knocked on her way in to Duke’s office, but Dozer and Sunny were gone. She quickly opened the safe, put her weapon in, locked it back, and rejoined Randall at the table.

“
Sorry about that.” She took a sip of her rum and Coke and asked, “Have you been here before? Everything’s good, but the steaks are to die for.”

“
You removed your weapon. Why?”

Gen froze a second, drink still midair, and then put it down carefully as she asked, “Why would you think I had a weapon? Or that I removed it?”

“
I smelled it on you earlier, and now I don’t.”

“
Duke told you I know?”

He nodded, and Gen shrugged. “My carry license is void when I’m drinking. I may be dating an outlaw, but I prefer not to turn into one.”

“
Did you carry before you met him?”

“
Yes. I’m a Realtor, and regularly meet with strangers in empty houses and business offices. I’ve been trained, I know how to handle it.”

Randall nodded and smiled. “Good. I’d hate to think my brother has let his shit get you dirty.”

“
You don’t seem to have a high opinion of your brother.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry, that’s not actually the case. I don’t necessarily approve of his choices, but I understand why he’s made them and I’m sad it’s the way things ended up.”

Gen tilted her head, sensing there was more. “And?”

He shook his head. “And, my life’s easier because he made the hard decisions, so it’s difficult for me to fault him for them.”

Gen’s opinion of Randall went way up with the admission, and she asked, “Why’s your life easier?”