Kincaid: Cerberus Mc Book 1 (9 page)

“Kincaid called Doc and told him he only wanted members there when he showed up with you. He didn’t want you walking into that chaos.” She reaches across the console and places a calming hand on my arm. “He didn’t say as much to Doc, but it’s clear he wants to protect you. He wanted to protect you from that.”

“Didn’t last very long did it,” I say bitterly. She stays quiet while I work through it in my head. “That’s how you and Doc got together?” I look at her but can’t see her being that type of woman.

She barks out a laugh, and it continues so long that her reaction brings a smile to my own face. “Fuck no!” She finally manages. “I was never a club girl. Doc and I were married when he went in the service. He was in for a decade before he met up with Kincaid and Shadow.”

“He likes you, Emmalyn.” She looks in the rearview mirror and checks her already perfect makeup. “You have to learn to ignore the club girls. If I’m right,” she turns her eyes to mine a small smile playing on her lips, “and I’m always right, you’ll never have to worry about or wonder where his interests lie from now on.”

“How do you live there and deal with all of that all of the time?”

“You’re mistaken. Doc and I don’t live there. Just like Kincaid, we have our own house. We have a room there to crash in if we stay too late, which doesn’t happen often, but we don’t live there.”

“But last night?”

“Last night was an exception, Emmalyn. Kincaid wanted a few of us there last night to make sure you were comfortable. He wanted me there, so you knew you weren’t the only woman in a building full of bikers.” She gives me a weak smile.

“He slept in my room last night,” I admit.

“I know.”

“We didn’t… I mean I haven’t slept with him.” I peer out the window again and watch as a mom tries unsuccessfully to fold up an oversized stroller. “And now that I know he’s sleeping with all of those women in the club I’m glad I haven’t.” I turn my face back to her. “I mean he hasn’t… it’s not even something we’ve… shit.” I look back out and see the mom has finally managed to get the stroller monstrosity into the back of her too big SUV.

“He doesn’t,” she says absently.

“Huh?”

“In case you were wondering. From the way the guys talk, he doesn’t have sex with the club girls.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Tell that to someone naive enough to believe it.”

“I’m serious,” she says indignantly, offended I wouldn’t believe her. “The guys say he may get a blowjob from one of them every once in a while, but he doesn’t have sex with them. They all hang on him, sure. They’re hoping that they can finally entice him enough to get him in bed, but it’s never worked.” She pauses. “They want on the back of his bike.” She tilts her head in my direction.

I have no idea what that even means, but I don’t have the time or inclination to even worry about that right now.

“That’s surprising.” I leave it at that, not certain if I believe her or not. More likely than not Doc is protecting his President’s image.
What biker wouldn’t want an image that says he can fuck anything that walks into his club?

“Bunny,” she says acidly. “That’s the skank that was hanging on him this morning. She’s the most aggressive club girl. She’s been around a year or so. He tolerates her at best.”

“He has great tolerance,” I spit as I think about her hand cupping his ass from inside his back pocket.

“Do you like him?” Her question is from out in left field.

“I don’t even know him,” I answer with a half-truth.

“He likes you,” she responds with sincerity. “I’ve never seen him as attentive over a woman as he was with you last night. The guys joke and say he’s the man who will end up single with no kids because he is so aloof when it comes to women.”

“Bunny seemed to know him really well. They seemed comfortable together.” I hate to even bring the woman up again, but Rose is trying to convince me that Diego is a good guy when his behavior this morning says differently.

“This morning was like a treat for her. She knew you were there; she was staking a claim that’s not even hers. Besides, Kincaid isn’t normally at the clubhouse first thing in the morning. Like I said, he has his own house, and he normally stays there during the week.”

“And he’s at the clubhouse because of me,” I say.

She smiles like her information is finally sinking into my thick head. “He’s there for you.”

“I’m still mad at him.”

“Best way to get back at him,” she says holding up the credit card she flashed earlier, “is to spend his money.” She laughs heartily. “Lots of it.”

I grin back at her and open my door.

“Which shop?” She asks meeting me at the front of the vehicle.

I think for a second. “All of them.”

“Blade,” I breathe into the phone, irritated that he’s calling now. With Emmalyn at the clubhouse, this has to be the worst time for a mission.

“Kincaid. I’ve got an interesting one for you.” Blade served with us in the Marine’s. After his discharge, he went back to Kentucky where his wife and kids were, but he still coordinates all of the jobs we get called out on. Injuries from his last deployment keep him from riding a motorcycle. We told him he didn’t have to sit on a bike to be here with us, but we still couldn’t convince him to pack his shit and move to New Mexico.

“Now is not a good time, Blade.” I pinch the bridge of nose trying to stave off the headache I can feel creeping in.

I hear him chuckle on the other end of the line. “Yeah, Shadow told me about the girl.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Why is everyone so chatty about Em?” I’m walking slowly by this point. There’s no sense in keeping up a steady pace when I’m fixing to have to discuss business.

“Em, huh?”

“Emmalyn,” I say in frustration since I just revealed to him my level of comfort with her by using a nickname. “What do you have Blade?”

“Senator’s daughter. Mixed up with the wrong crowd being rebellious.”

“Oh great. Another rich girl who needs to be reminded who her daddy is.” I can’t believe this is what I have to deal with right now.

“It’s a little more complicated than that. FBI is involved because they’re pretty certain she’s been sold.”

“Fuck,” I say. We seem to be getting more and more sex trafficking cases, and each one has been worse than the last.

“Yeah,” he says sadly. “The FBI has utilized all of the resources they have.”

Translation, the only options they have left are ones that either border on or are illegal, and the government agency can’t be linked to them, even though it is the FBI who’s hiring us. We don’t take private jobs; the contracts we get are from government agencies. We help them; they protect us.

“So we’re looking at an extended assignment.” I just got Em to the clubhouse, and now I’m going to be gone from her for weeks. My luck would be she’d be gone before I get back.

“We have some pretty good intel, but it looks like you guys will be headed to South Africa.”

“Fucking World Cup,” I mutter. When the World Cup is held, sex traffickers and thousands of slaves invade the area.

“Exactly,” he replies. “I’m going to email you all the specs. You leave out at midnight so you’ll need to be at the airfield by ten to go over the details.”

“Thanks, Blade. Tell Rachel and the boys I said hi.” I end the call and remind myself that someone’s daughter is missing, and I’ve been tasked with bringing her home; that’s if she’s still alive. My anger over not wanting to leave Emmalyn alone is petty and selfish, and clearly something I need to get over.

The unpleasant thoughts of returning from this mission to find her room empty are bouncing around my aching skull when my phone rings again. Looking at the screen this time though makes me smile.

“Brother,” I say with a smile.

“Hey, man.” Kaleb’s accented voice is much happier than the last time I answered one of his calls.

“How’s Josie?” I hear him laugh.

“She woke up a few hours ago. The doctors are happy with her progress.” He pauses, and concern begins to swim in my gut. “We’re having a baby, man. She’s pregnant.”

I can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s ecstatic over the news. “That’s awesome, Kaleb. Have you told your mom yet?”

I hear him sigh and know the answer before it even makes it past his lips. “I’m heading there now. I asked her to marry me, Diego. We’re getting married!”

I thought just getting her back home to her family was incredible, but now a baby and an engagement; she’s got to be overwhelmed.

“Keep her close, Kaleb. That woman is precious.”

“I know. Hey, I’ll talk to you later; I just pulled up outside of ma’s house.” I can hear the fear in his voice. Angelica Perez is no pushover, but news of a grandbaby and a soon-to-be daughter-in-law will be music to her Puerto Rican ears. My smile is a sad one as I make my way back into the clubhouse. My Uncle Gustavo would’ve spoiled a grandbaby rotten, so this is bittersweet news for all involved.

I sent out a mass text to the guys earlier to let them know they need to gear up to head out this evening and Kid, unsurprisingly, is waiting for me by the pool table with his arms crossed over his chest. I knew the adrenaline junkie wouldn’t be happy with being left out of this one.

“Don’t give me that look, Kid. I need you here.” I head to the fridge for a cold bottle of water; he follows me like I’ll change my mind if he annoys me enough.

“You know how much I like the international jobs, Kincaid.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of your ‘fuck a woman in every country’ plan.” I smile at him before tilting the water to my mouth.

“I’ve never been to South Africa, Kincaid,” he says it as if the news will have me changing my plans.

“I’m well aware you haven’t been to South Africa. You’ll have to wait until the next time to mark it off your list.” He huffs and grabs a beer out of the fridge, a show of defiance since he’s being forced to stay behind. I grin at his passive-aggressiveness.

“Do I even have to guess why I’m being left here?” He gives me a knowing look, but I feel the need to tell him anyway.

“Emmalyn,” I say. “I need you here. She’s more important than this mission, and I’m trusting you with her.”

He straightens, his chest filling with pride at what I just told him. “Not Shadow?”

He’s fishing for more compliments, and I have to smile even bigger. “I don’t trust Shadow not to try to fuck her while I’m gone.” I raise my eyebrows up at him, and he understands my warning immediately.

He nods and leaves me standing in the kitchen alone, leaning against the counter, and drinking another bottle of water. Summers in New Mexico are no joke, and I regret running out in the heat of the day.

A few minutes later I see Kid walk by with a few shopping bags in his hands followed by a laughing Emmalyn. Maybe leaving him here isn’t such a good idea after all.

Rose comes into the kitchen as I’m thinking of ways to take Em on our mission, which is completely illogical, but my desire not to let her leave my sight has me thinking many crazy things the last couple of days.

“How did shopping go?” I throw both of my empty water bottles in the trash and go back to leaning against the counter. “Didn’t look like she had much.”

“I almost had her convinced to buy everything, but she backed out.” She smiles at my frown. “She’s nothing like one of these club whores. She’s not thrilled about the idea of owing you.”

“She doesn’t owe me shit.”

“I know that.” She nods toward the hall to the bedrooms. “You can’t convince her of that, though. She has every intention of paying you back.” She holds her hand up to silence me before I can even respond. “She’s a keeper, Diego.”

Her use of my first name tells me how serious she is. “I know that,” I admit and walk out of the room.

I narrow my eyes at Kid as he comes out of Emmalyn’s room with a huge grin on his face; it fades the second he sees me coming toward her. I block his path in the narrow hall. “Did I make the wrong choice?”

He knows exactly what I’m referring to. “No, Kincaid. I’ll protect her with my life.”

“And?”

“And my dick stays in my pants.” I step aside and let him continue down the hall. I smile when I hear a relieved whoosh of air leave his lips.

Emmalyn’s door is open, so I stick my head around the corner and lean on the door frame. She’s pulling tags off a few clothing items and folding them.

“I’d hoped you would get more.”

She must’ve heard me walk up because she doesn’t startle when I speak. Worst yet, she doesn’t raise her eyes to me.

I stand in the doorway, refusing to leave until she acknowledges me.

“Rose said there is a laundry room. I’ll make this work.” Finally, her beautiful eyes rise to mine and my heart beat increases. “I’ll pay you back. I have the receipts.” She points to a small stack of printed register tape.

“I don’t expect you to pay me back.” She turns to put the clothes on the dresser. Her sudden indifference bothers me.

“I’ll pay you back,” she says with finality.

“How long do you plan to stay pissed at me?” I walk into the room but take a seat on the chair I spent too many hours alone in last night.

“Mad?” She says with the cutest look on her face.