Lock and Key (38 page)

They zoomed past us again. “Look at him.” Jump chuckled. “Reminds me of Wes at that age. Shit.”

“I just got a call from Butler. He’s back from Canada with bells on his toes. Wants me to come up today to celebrate.”

“Celebrate? Well, well. And you said?”

My gaze remained on Lock and my nephew cruising along the track. “I told him my dad was in town, and I had to spend time with him and Jake.”

“Hang on. This is perfect timing,” Jump said. “Get on the phone and tell him to get his ass down
here
. I need him here and very distracted tonight.”

“Glad I checked in with you first, prez.”

“Are you?”

My gaze snapped to his. Jump shook his head as he watched Lock and Jake. He yanked at my elbow. “Sister, you fuck whatever and whoever you want, but it does not interfere with business. Ever. You get me?”

“You don’t have to remind me of the golden rules.”

“Do I need to remind Lock? Never had to worry about him before. Am I gonna have an episode of “Young and the Restless” on my hands with the three of you?”

I turned to him. “‘Young and the Restless’?”

His face creased into a frown. “My ma watches that shit. Years now.”

I laughed.

“Shut up, Sister. I got a club to run and a bike to ride. I don’t have time for this shit.”

“I don’t like soap operas either Jump, on TV or in real life.” My hands jammed in the pockets of my jeans. “Club comes first.”

There it was, the credo that had shaped my adult life. For good, for bad, for the worst.

Jump narrowed his eyes at me. I ignored him and turned back to face the track. His cell phone buzzed loudly. He squinted at the screen and sniffed.

“Yo, big man, what’s up?”

Jump smirked at me and gestured at his phone. It had to be Butler calling.

“Yeah, I hear you, brother. She’s not herself, man. I don’t know what to tell you.” Jump rolled his eyes at me. “Alicia and I aren’t even quite sure how to talk to her these days. I feel you, I know what you’re saying. Listen, why don’t you come down, surprise her. We’re all going to the Tingle tonight. Of course she’ll be there, I won’t give her a choice. That’s what I’m saying, B… Sounds good, man… It will definitely be a good time. Okay. Ride safe, brother.”

Jump tapped his phone and sniggered.

“What did he say?”

“Romeo is concerned about his Juliet. Says he ain’t buying the shit you laid on him over the phone.”

“Really?”

Jump grinned at me. “You’re good, baby.”

“And yet you doubt me.”

He let out an ominous chuckle. “He’s obviously in the mood to celebrate and wants to do it with you.”

“Yahoo,” I said. “What’s this about a party at the Tingle?”

Jump shifted his weight. “He and his boys ain’t gonna turn down a freebie at the Tingle. We’ll give him a celebration he won’t forget. Tonight you play footsie with Butler, keep him happy, keep him busy. He’s bringing his boys for this party which means the goods from Canada he’s hiding tonight for Vig will only be left with a couple of dumbass recruits, and maybe Creeper, at best, who will all no doubt be high. Junk’s been up there with a crew since yesterday with their eyes on that truck thanks to your info. Tonight Butler will abandon it for a night with you. Oh, the things we do for pussy.”

“Give me a break,” I said. “The things your Old Lady does to keep your dick interested.”

He gave me a knowing look. “It’s a good thing. Live and learn, woman.”

I raised my hand up at him. “I’m happy that you’re happy.”

He laughed, took out his phone and tapped on the screen. “Junk, get it together, brother. We’re on for tonight. He’s getting on the road now, on his way here with Tail and a couple others, leaving it wide open for you. Sit tight. We’re gonna show him a good time at the Tingle. Yeah, yeah, exactly… I’ll be waiting to hear from you, man.”

“All set,” Jump said. “Let’s go.” Jump whistled hard at Lock and gestured that he was taking me with him inside. Lock jerked his chin at us.

Jump and I entered the clubhouse, passed the large kitchen, then rounded the corner for the stairs heading down to the cellar. My mouth went dry.

Dig had overseen the renovation on the cellar after we had first gotten married. It was taboo territory for the women, unless you deserved to be there, of course. I had never seen it and frankly had prayed I never would. So much for that.

Dawes stood outside a reinforced steel door. His tense eyes shot up at me then at Jump. His knuckles wrapped on the door. “Open up man, it’s Jump.”

The door scraped open. Boner stood in the center of the dimly lit room along with Bear and Kicker, blood splattered on the front of their shirts and on their arms. Boner’s flinty green eyes cut to me. Jump gripped my upper arm and ushered me further inside the square cement block room. A heaving bleeding figure was crumpled on the floor, his hands fastened behind his back with plastic cuffs. Boner hovered over him; his eyes gleamed like a predatory wolf’s. He dug his hand in the man’s matted black hair and jerked his head back. Globs of blood dripped from his face onto the cement floor.

My stomach churned, and I pushed down the sour bile that rose up my throat.

“This Crank?” asked Jump.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

Crank’s bloody, swollen eyes strained up at me. “Fucking cunt!”

Kicker let out a sharp hiss and jabbed Crank’s side with his pointy cowboy boots. “Manners, motherfucker.” Crank grunted and collapsed on the floor.

“Did you get anything more out of him?” Jump asked.

“Eh, a few crumbs,” Boner said. “Got plenty of time ahead of us.”

“It’s on, brother,” Jump said.

A smile flickered across Boner’s lips. His hand reached out to his side and wrapped around a short knife that had been impaled in a small table.

“Have fun, boys,” Jump said and led me out of the suffocating room. Dawes secured the door behind us.

I took a deep breath once we landed on the top of the stairs. “Alicia coming tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah of course. All the Old Ladies. Why?”

“I want girly backup at the titty bar.”

“You got it, baby.” Jump grinned and slung his arm around my shoulder. “Aw, we used to have good times at the Tingle back in the day, huh?”

I had driven Alicia to the Tingle plenty of times in the middle of the night and held my breath as she would charge through the club like an unholy avenging angel until she found Jump. She would usually find him either getting a lap dance or getting blown and then she would explode into one angry fire breathing demon. I didn’t blame her.

Tonight, Dig shook his head at me in disapproval.

“What do you want from me?” I asked. “She’s been spewing threats for hours and drinking non-stop. Should I have let her drive here on her own? I not only had to take her keys away from her, but the keys to all the trucks, even our car. Then she punched me in the stomach. The shit I go through for Jump’s dick!”

Dig let out a laugh, hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me into his body. He kissed me hard and my arms wrapped around his middle. I inhaled his spicy cologne and smiled against the skin of his neck.

“What is it?” I looked up at him from under my eyelashes. “Did you miss me?” My eyes darted over his shoulder to the two nude women dancing up on the bar who wore nothing but bright red lipstick, high heels and thin long chains slung low on their hips. “Or maybe these lovely ladies got you horny?

Dig’s hands fisted in my hair, and he tilted my head back. “No one’s getting this dick but you, baby. Isn’t that what this band of gold means?”

I grinned up at him and squeezed his hard ass with my one hand.

His lips brushed my mouth. “You and me, circle of life and whatever the…”

I laughed. “It’s circle of infinity, Dig. Circle of life is from
The Lion King
!”

“Whatever. It’s your circle around my dick, right?”

“Just your dick?”

He clasped my hand that lay over his chest. “And this little muscle right in here, wiseass.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “It’s got your name burned on it, and you know it.” My breath hitched at the deep tone of his voice.

“Good thing I like that dick then, huh?”

“You better. It’s the only one you’re getting.” He eyed me. “What’s not to like anyway? You got complaints?”

I laughed and buried my face in his chest.

“Fucking Wildflower,” he growled. Dig’s thumb stroked my lips. He took my hand in his and yanked me towards the back of the club and up the stairs.

“Baby?” I shouted over the blaring strains of Foreigner’s “Urgent.”

I knew where we were headed. The VIP rooms. My pulse raced. Luckily I was wearing a short skirt and… oh man… my husband was in for a surprise tonight. His fingers tightened over mine as he pushed open door number two.

“Hey!” shouted a female. I turned and there was Shannon, a brunette with serious fake lashes and dark eye makeup. She wore a mini red halter dress that sported a rhinestone buckle just underneath her breasts. She led a middle-aged man to the same doorway.

“Wait your turn, Shannon,” said Dig.

She rolled her eyes at us. “You two take the cake!”

“Sorry, Shan,” I said.

Dig yanked me into the room and slammed the door behind us.

“You were a bad girl, Mrs. Quillen,” he whispered.

“Huh?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Tonight was supposed to be boys’ night out.” Dig eased back on the small circular red vinyl sofa in the small dimly lit room. I stood in front of him. He stretched out his arms on the top of the sofa. “You weren’t supposed to be here.”

“My mistake, Mr. Quillen,” I said. “Please, don’t punish me. I was just looking out for a sister.”

I pulled my blouse off my shoulders and threw it at him. Dig caught it, crumpled it to his face, inhaled and dropped it to the floor. His eyes widened. He leaned forward, one arm planted on his thigh, his mouth hung open.

“What the hell are you wearing, baby?”

My eyes darted down my body clad in my new, very expensive, black lace bustier. I enjoyed splurging on occasion using my own money now that I had a full-time job. Today was that kind of special occasion.

Dig had proudly paid my tuition and rented us an apartment in Rapid City until I finished at Western Dakota Tech. He and Boner, Wreck, Willy, Jump, and Alicia had all cheered loudly at my graduation. Unfortunately, Ruby was still away at rehab. I had put my business degree to good use managing Pete’s Bar full-time as Pete began his slide into retirement. I also took care of Wreck’s accounting at the club’s repair shop.

“Today was my day off from work, and me and the girls went out and did a little shopping at the new mall this afternoon, remember? I bought this.” My face heated. “We got back to the club after going out for dinner, and I was trying it on again when Alicia got on her tear about Jump being here. I had to drop everything and deal with the situation, and I didn’t get a chance to take if off.”

Dig only stared at me.

“Do you like it?”

He let out a laugh and shook his head. I put my hands on my hips and sauntered over to him on my high-heeled boots. I leaned over him, my hands resting on his thighs.

“It was supposed to be a surprise for you, to celebrate,” I whispered.

“Celebrate?” His eyes were glued to my breasts which spilled out of the tight corset.

“I threw away the birth control pills this morning, like we talked about. We’re starting this for real.”

Dig’s eyes shot to mine. A grin split his handsome face. He leaned forward to kiss me, but I pushed off his legs and stepped back two paces. He tilted his head at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He licked his bottom lip.

“Can I be of any service to you, Mr. Quillen, or are you otherwise engaged?” I shimmied out of my skirt and let it fall to the floor revealing the matching thong.

Dig’s eyes darkened and hunger swept across his features. “Otherwise—what?”

“You know, busy?” I asked suddenly short of breath.

He crooked a finger at me, and I sashayed back over to him. He took my hand and kissed it, then pulled me in swiftly until I straddled him. Both his hands ran up and down the taut lace and tugged on the hanging garter belts. Dig nuzzled my exposed breasts. I arched my body up into his, my fingers tangled in his silky hair. Even after several years together, the electrifying thrill of being with him had not dulled or diminished. I loved that about us. I felt alive.

His thumb nudged past the delicate fabric of the tiny thong between my legs, and I gasped.

“Music to my ears,” Dig murmured, an eyebrow raised. I giggled.

His thumb continued teasing me as he slid two of his fingers of his other hand into my mouth. His breathing grew heavier as he watched me suck on them. “Yeah, that’s it, baby.” I released them, and he quickly slid them inside my wet center. I let out a soft cry.

“Look at me, Sister. Eyes on me.”

My eyes fluttered opened, and I held his heavy gaze.

“Is that my pussy?” he breathed.

“Uh-huh.” That twist of pleasure unraveled inside me. I squirmed in his arms and circled my hips.

His other hand left me and stroked the soft leather of my tall black boots at his side. “Shit, I don’t have time to do everything I want to do to you right now.”