Jase (29 page)

“No, we didn’t name him after you. We decided we loved him too much to do that to him.” Daniel’s voice sounded tired, he thought, listening to his friend talk about his son, born just yesterday. “Jonathan Mason Rupert,” pride swelled in his tone and brought a smile to Jase’s face. “He’s so perfect, I can’t get over how it makes me feel. I was a basket case, but Mica was so strong, so brave.”

“So everyone’s healthy, wealthy, and wise?” Carrying the bag to the bathroom, he stood for a minute and looked around, noting for the first time the differences between his apartment and DeeDee’s. After only a couple of days, she had personal things everywhere. Touches that made it feel like a home. He stuck his head back into the bedroom and scanned the walls, furniture, shaking his head. Rented everything, no pictures on the walls, nothing of
him
on display. This was how he had lived since he left his parents’ home for juniors. Never settled, nothing that couldn’t be packed into a couple of bags.

“Yeah, probably take them both home tomorrow,” Daniel said, and there were more noises in the background. “Hang on,” he heard, then away from the phone, “Road Runner, you’re spoiling her.” Light laughter sounded, then a rumbling voice saying, “She’s worth spoiling, Danny Boy.”

Jase laughed, and then asked, “What did he bring her?”

Daniel relayed the question, and Jase heard the response from the biker cum chef, “Boneless, skinless chicken rubbed with mustard and parsley, roasted and served with a peppercorn-brandy sauce. Tasty for the pretty Mama, but bland enough that it won’t bother the bitty boy’s tummy.”

“You still have a full house of black leather?” he asked Daniel. Jase had heard how the Rebels had descended on the hospital when Mica went into labor, and he had heard something else. After Daniel grunted in acknowledgement, he asked, “Was Mason really in the labor room with you two?”

“Yeah, she wasn’t going anywhere without him,” Daniel said in a tolerant tone and Jase shook his head.
Odd ducks, all of them
, he thought.

“Give her a hug and a kiss from me,” he said, and then laughed. “I can’t wait to see little Jon. Congratulations, man. Daddy Daniel and Mommy Mica, you guys make a good pair.” His phone buzzed as he was hanging up, and he looked to see a text canceling the road trip due to bad ice.

Pleased, because he had been dreading leaving DeeDee for even a single night, he texted back an acknowledgement, then looked around the apartment again. “No reason to spend any time fixing this place up,” he said aloud, “it isn’t where I want to be.”

***

The next few days flowed past in a blur between rekindling her relationship with Jase and tying up the final details for Ruby and Slate’s wedding this weekend. He came to her condo straight from practice every night, and wherever he found her, he swept her into a tight embrace, standing for a long minute with his arms wrapped around her. Slate and Ruby came over for dinner one evening, and the four of them had talked and laughed late into the night. She had been in the kitchen when Ruby approached her, glancing nervously over her shoulder to check on the men.

“DeeDee,” she said and paused, taking in a deep breath. “You can’t tell Slate.”

“Tell him what, sweetie?” she asked, rinsing a plate before placing it in the dishwasher.

Ruby whispered breathily, “—ins.”

“Hmmm?” DeeDee asked distractedly, her mind already moving ahead to tonight. Jase needed to get to bed earlier than they had been managing. He had a game tomorrow evening, and she would be ferrying the first loads of supplies for the wedding up to Pokagon.

Ruby reached out and grabbed her shoulders, turning them face-to-face and pushing her forehead against DeeDee’s. Stilling, because the girl had gained her complete and undivided attention, she listened as Ruby repeated herself in a whisper, “Twins.”

Pulling in a breath to shout her happiness, DeeDee found her mouth covered by Ruby’s
strong
, tiny hand. “Shhhh. Don’t tell Slate.”

Shaking off her hand, DeeDee asked, “Why, baby? This is good news, surely?”

“He’s going to be so freaked out if he knows ahead of time. I want things to be easy for a couple of weeks. I’ll tell him when it’s time—” Ruby’s whisper trailed off as she quickly glanced to where Slate sat talking to Jase.

“Ruby,” DeeDee said on a sigh. “That man loves you more than he wants to breathe. You can do no wrong in his eyes. What possible reason could you have for keeping this close?”

Ruby’s eyes dipped then she raised them back up. “Just…do
n’t
tell him. He’ll know soon enough.”

“Baby, there are different risks with twins. You’ll likely go early, for instance. You’re due in just over eight weeks, and in two days, you’re leaving for the honeymoon. If he doesn’t know, how can he care for all of you like he needs to? If he doesn’t have all the facts, he’s likely to make
the wrong
decision.” She was frustrated with the
girl,
but knew she would never do anything to endanger her
baby—babies,
because she wanted them so badly. “How have
you
even kept this from him?”

“He was out west when I had the sonogram, and I told him what he wanted to hear, that our peanut was healthy. He didn’t ask anything else.” She shrugged, reaching a hand down and rubbing her rounded stomach.

DeeDee pulled Ruby into her arms, whispering into her ear, “Baby girl, if you have these babies in Georgia, I’m gonna be so pissed.” Stepping back, she smiled and asked, “Do you know what you’re having?” Grinning widely, Ruby nodded. “Well? Tell me.”

Grin still in place, Ruby shook her head and DeeDee groaned.

***

“I want to treat you, take you out. Dinner? Movie? What sounds good?” Sitting on the couch next to her, Jase cocked his head to the side, watching DeeDee’s reaction.

She yawned and stretched. “Honestly? I’m so tired, Jase. I want to just stay home with you.”

His face went still and she wondered what she said. They got back yesterday morning from Ruby and Slate’s wedding at Pokagon State Park. It had turned out beautifully, but she was exhausted. With Ruby pregnant, she had taken on most of the planning, and the whole wedding had been a whirlwind of effort, even after asking Maggie and Eddie to help as much as they could stand. Jase was probably bored,
because
with all the planning, they had been staying home every night the Tridents didn’t have a game.

“Never
mind,
Jase. Give me a minute to get ready and we can go wherever you want,” she said. She had begun to stand when his hand landed on her hip, pulling her back
to
his side.

“You’re tired. We stay here,” he said, nuzzling the side of her neck with his nose.

Sighing, she pulled away and moved to face him. “Jase, just give me a minute. Pick a movie and surprise me.”

Laughing, he gripped her wrists, pushing her body down onto the couch by stretching her arms over her head. Wedging her between his body and the back of the
sofa
, he gently kissed the tip of her nose. “Do you even know what you said?” he asked.

“Guess not,” she bantered, loving the feel of his weight against her. “Since I don’t know what’s going on now.”

“You called this our home.” He nuzzled the side of her neck again, nipping and kissing his way up to her earlobe. “
Our
home,” he repeated, gently kissing her lips, sliding a palm down the inside of one arm, trailing fingertips down to cup her breast. “As in
my
home, with you.” He moved to cover her, looking down at her with a soft smile. “
Je t’aime
, DeeDee.”

***

The next morning, she was standing in front of the coffeemaker, waiting for enough of the life-affirming liquid to trickle through the grounds and filter to make it worth her while to steal a cup. Eyes closed, she had leaned one hip against the countertop, making mental lists of things to do that day, when an arm slipped around her waist, tugging her back into a hard, male body. She
put
her hands back to cup his ass and amended that thought to a hard,
naked
, male body.

“Jase,” she said, leaning her head back for a kiss. “Good morning.”

“Mmmm,” he said, covering her mouth with his, pulling back to murmur a good morning against the side of her head before asking, “What’s on your agenda for today?”

“Clubhouse, make sure someone’s got the place cleaned up. Head over to Slinky’s; close out the month-end books. Go to the grocery store; pick up something for dinner.” She ticked off her list items on her fingers, laughing when he pulled her hand to his mouth, kissing her fingertips.

“Sounds busy,” he complained. “Too busy for easy. We both know I’m easy, so that means you’re too busy for me. In fact, there’s no me in there anywhere, and that’s just wrong. I’d like to amend your agenda to include me at some point. Slot me in, baby. My tab in your slot.” He nuzzled along the side of her neck, slipping one hand up to cup her breast beneath the light shirt she slipped on earlier.

Laughing, she turned in his arms, eyeing the coffeepot wistfully. “What did you have in mind, crazy man?” Pushing
backwards
off his chest, she levered herself far enough away to grab the mug waiting on the countertop, twisting to pull the pot out and pour coffee into the
cup
. Bringing it to her lips, she blew softly across the top of the liquid while keeping her gaze on his.

“Lunch. I have food on the brain now that I’m awake from the smell of that coffee. Let’s have lunch. How does Maples sound?” He mentioned one of her favorite places to eat, a swanky place downtown.

She frowned up at him, blowing the steam from her mug again, waiting another few seconds for her first sip. “It sounds too good to be true. Kinda like a bribe.
Whatcha
got
goin’
on?”

“Baby, I’m wounded you’d think that way, that I’d bribe you somehow with fancy food. Me using your favorite place in order to manipulate things
in
my favor?” He sighed dramatically. “No, you’re right; that totally sounds like something I’d do.” With a hangdog look, he tipped his head to the side, and she burst out laughing. He smiled at her, running his nose along her cheek. “I have a favor to ask.”

“Ask away.” She nestled into his chest, reaching out to set the still un-tasted coffee mug down.

“My lease won’t be up for another few months, but I found someone to
sublet
the condo.” He said this proudly.

She was glad he couldn’t see her face, because she didn’t know where he was going with this, but it sounded like…
Stop jumping to conclusions, woman
, she thought fiercely. Keeping her cheek against his chest, she said, “Mmm
hmm
, good for you.
There are
another few weeks of games and then done, right? What are your plans?”

“I thought I could move in here now, rather than wait.” He had stilled, frozen in place underneath her palms, but she could feel his pounding heart through the wall of his chest, and she smiled, because he was clearly nervous about asking. That gave her a warm feeling and she leaned back, looking up into his face, carefully keeping her smile at bay.

“That’s not a favor.” She watched his eyes dart from her lips to her eyes, back to her mouth.

His tongue slipped out, wetting his bottom lip. “It’s not?”

“Nope. Not a favor.” Holding steady, she waited for his response.

“What is it then?”

“It’s a gift.” Stretching up on her toes, she slid her lips
over
his with a grazing touch. “When can we move you?”

Jase counted his steps as he paced around the kitchen, six steps up one side, four
across
, six back, and so on. He was having a hard time believing what DeeDee had told him not fifteen minutes ago, standing in their bedroom, looking at a ten-year-old picture. He believed, but it was hard to allow himself the hope that his family’s long nightmare could be over.
Sharon
, he thought, shaking his head.
After practice today, he had a couple voicemails from DeeDee, the first telling him they would have a houseguest for the near future, then another letting him know that Gunny, the bouncer from the club, would be staying with them, too.

How was it possible that Sharon could be working for the club, could be working for DeeDee, and he didn’t know it? Here in Fort Wayne, only a few miles from where he laid his head last night, her ex-husband Elkins had been brutalizing her. Jase had looked
for
her for so long…so many years…it seemed like a dream to find her, but like this…a nightmare.

DeeDee was in talking to Gunny now; the man had evidently saved Sharon from being hurt worse than she already was. Even before he knew who the woman in their guest room was, his blood had run cold as Goose related the extent of her injuries. Now, he knew it was his baby sister, and he couldn’t imagine what he would do if left alone in a room with the animal that had done this to her.
Motherfucker doesn’t deserve to still be walking around and drawing breath
, he thought angrily, wondering what measures the club would take against the man once they found him again.

Pulling out his phone with jerky motions, he called Slate, hearing the tension in his friend’s voice when he answered the phone. “I don’t know anything yet, Jase. We’re doing a sweep for him, and we will pick him up. Gunny fucked him up bad enough he probably found a hole to crawl into so he can lick his wounds. It’s a matter of finding who knows where his hole might be. We’ll find him and bring that motherfucker to light. We’re going to
bring
him in; I promise you.”

“I want him when you do.” Breathing hard, Jase spoke in a low, brutal tone. “I want him. I want that motherfucker to pay. His ass is mine. You get it?”

“Yeah, I get that.” Slate blew out a frustrated breath. “Brother, I got another call coming in. I’ll text you when we come up with something.”

He angrily punched the disconnect button on the screen, trying to rein in his rage.

From what Goose had said, her ex-husband hadn’t been content with beating her head-to-toe; he also violated her with something other than his dick. With a wordless roar, he turned and leaned against the wall, fists pressing to either side of his head. He wanted to smash something, tear something to pieces. If the man
were
within reach right now, Jase wouldn’t be responsible for what happened. His family, his sister…
he
needed to protect her, to keep Elkins from ever touching her again. He would kill him, Jase decided, taking a deep breath.
If the Rebels hand him over, I will kill the man without a second thought.