White Heat (Lost Kings MC #5) (18 page)

As I’m leaving our room, I bump into Z. “How you feeling today, sugar?” he asks as he walks down the hall with me.

“Okay. Are you responsible for putting me to bed?”

I swear Z seems flustered by my question. “Yeah. I didn’t want to leave you downstairs.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry, I conked out like that.”

“You had a rough day.”

“It’s been a rough
week
.”

“I hear that.”

At the top of the stairs Z stops me with a hand on my arm. “Do you remember our conversation last night?”

“Which one? We had a lot of them.”

“About club life and stuff.”

I thought
all
we discussed was club life, but Z must see it a little different. “Yeah,” I answer slowly.

He glances away but still manages to maintain his signature cockiness. “Don’t laugh. Do you think Lilly would accept this stuff the way you have?”

My hand flies to my chest and I stop the “awwww” coming out of my mouth just in time. I sense Z asking me this took some courage and I don’t want to squelch it. “I don’t know, honestly. If you’d asked her if I could accept this life a few years ago, I’m sure she would have told you
hell no
.”

The corners of his mouth curl into a smirk. “Good point.”

“Wait a second. Are you talking about the whole
having a wife and still banging other chicks
thing?”

Z laughs so hard, he clutches his stomach. When he finally settles down he shakes his head. “No. I think I could commit to just her, if she’d take me seriously.”

Okay, this time I can’t stop the
awwww
. “Z, that’s so sweet that you’d stop sticking your dick in every chick you meet for my friend.”

He chuckles again. “That sounds like something Rock would say.”

“He
has
been a good influence on me.”

“Seriously, you’ve known her a long time, right?”

“Yes. I’m, or I was, closer to Sophie, but I’ve spent a lot of time with Lilly.”

“
Well, what does she want?”

“Honestly? I’ve only ever seen her seriously date older men with money. Which is weird because she always makes a big fuss to her family about supporting herself.”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten that impression,” he says dryly.

“You know she comes from a strict Russian-Italian family, right?”

“Yeah, I’m familiar with the type.”

This is news to me. Except for the tiny bit he revealed last night, I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about Z’s background. I don’t know why I feel guilty about that, since none of the guys are really forthcoming about their pasts. Unless they’re drunk or high. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but her parents might not be happy about her bringing a tattooed, badass biker home for Sunday dinners.”

Not at all insulted, Z grins. “Yeah, I met her brother once. He wasn’t a fan.”

Alex has never been anything but nice to me. Then again, I don’t want to bang his sister.

We finally make it downstairs and it’s killing me, so I have to ask. “What is it about Lilly? You don’t seem like you’d have a lot in common.”

Once again, thankfully, he’s not insulted. “Besides the obvious?”

“Her boobs, yeah I know,” I mutter, glancing down at my own rack.

“Don’t worry, yours are two thumbs up too, Hope.”

“Gee, thanks.”

He stops me with a hand on my shoulder before we enter the dining room. “I just like her. She’s smart and fun to talk to. We come from similar families. Although, I don’t think she’d ever be a traditional wife.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Kind of.”

I’m so confused, because Z could have his pick of any club girl here who would probably be thrilled to stay home and tend to his every whim—which is what he seems to be implying. Why on earth he thinks a career driven woman like Lilly is a good match, I have no idea.

“I’d let her keep working if that’s what she wanted,” he adds.

“How nice of you,” I mutter.

Instead of smirking, he frowns. “I can actually have a conversation with her.”

Murphy chooses that moment join our conversation. “Since when do you talk to chicks?”

“Oh, please. Looks who’s talking, blow and go.”

Murphy glances at me and he’s a little red in the face. I shrug. “Z fills me in on everyone’s exploits.”

“Asshole,” Murphy says, along with a fist to Z’s upper arm.

Z snickers and bounces on his toes away from Murphy. My hand settles on Z’s arm, so he doesn’t leave before we finish. “Have you ever tried having a conversation with any of your other, uh, friends?”

“Who? Club girls? No.”

“Why?”

“That’s not what they’re here for, Hope.”

See, it’s this attitude that pisses me off the most about the guys. “So, they’re good enough to fuck, but not talk to?”

“I talk to Serena,” Murphy says with a smug look at Z.

“Telling her how you like your dick sucked isn’t a conversation,” Z snaps back.

These two are giving me a headache. I rub my fingers into my temples. Both of them notice and quit their bickering.

“Sorry, Hope,” Murphy says and Z echoes him.

Z glances at Murphy as if he’s willing him away. “I’ve always been able to talk to Trinity, but that’s about it. She’s probably the only girl I’d consider a friend.” He must think my feelings are hurt, because he rushes to add, “You too.”

“Lucky me.”

Murphy chuckles at my sarcasm.

“Anyway, you want to know the difference, Hope? Club girls don’t care. One di—brother’s as good as the next.”

“Yeah, but you see them the same way.”

“I know. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. The ones who want a patch? It could be any one of ours. Mine, Murph’s, don’t matter. Preferably an officer so they have some power over the other girls, but that’s about it.”

“That’s sad.”

His shoulders lift. “It is what it is.”

The fact that I’m starting to see his point annoys me to no end.

Z’s lips curve into a devilish smirk—not unlike the face Wrath makes when he’s about to say something completely obnoxious. “Besides club girls will do all the dirty sex stuff a wife won’t do.”

Murphy rolls his eyes. “You’re such an asshole.”

“What?” Z shrugs.

“Show some respect,” Murphy says with a nod at me.

“Why are you all out in the hallway?” Heidi asks, interrupting what’s turned into an inappropriate discussion. We’re blocking her exit, so the guys move.

“Just talking, honey. How are you?” I ask.

“Nervous about a test I have to take.”

“What class?”

“Calculus.”

A chuckle works out of me. “Oh, I definitely can’t help you there.”

Heidi smiles, which is a relief. Lately she’s been so solemn. “Is your brother taking you to school?”

“I can take you, bug,” Murphy offers.

Heidi doesn’t seem as excited as she normally does when Murphy offers to take her out on his bike. “I don’t want to have helmet hair.”

Murphy snorts. “We can take my truck.”

“I got her, bro. Thanks,” Teller says, slapping Murphy on the back.

“Well, which one of you gets to take me downtown?” I ask once Teller and Heidi leave.

Murphy’s so fixated on the front door, he doesn’t hear my question. Z shrugs at me. “See what Wrath wants to do. I’ve got no problem running you down there. How long you think you’ll be?”

“At least a couple of hours.” In my head, I tick off all the things I need to do. For a second, helpless grief threatens to overwhelm me. Only knowing that I have something to offer, some way to help Rock, pushes the cloud away.

Wrath needed to check in at his gym, so Z ends up taking me to Adam’s office.

Somehow I lost the battle to drive my own damn car. Actually, there was no battle. Z simply plucked my keys out of my hand.

“It’ll be easier for me to spot a tail and lose it,” he explains, and I really can’t argue with his logic.

“I hope I didn’t offend you last night,” he says.

“Which time?” I tease, but then I realize, he’s being serious.

“I just want you to understand how important you are to Rock.”

His words tear at my chest. “Of course I do,” I whisper.

“You know the club will protect you and take care of you, right?”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Z this serious before. “I’ve gotten that impression.”

“All you need to do is be there for your man.”

It hits me all of a sudden what he’s worried about. “Z, I’m not leaving Rock.”

“I ain’t gonna lie and say this won’t be hard. But we’ll do everything we can to make it easier on you.”

Tears prick my eyes, so I wait a few seconds before answering him. “I know. You guys already have.”

“Good.”

We’re quiet after that, until we get to Adam’s office.

Where Z immediately causes trouble.

As soon as Adam sees me, he pulls me in for a hug. “Shit, Hope. I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

“Taking your hands off her is a good start,” Z growls from behind me.

I roll my eyes and brace for the pissing contest about to start up.

Adam’s mouth twitches. “Who’s your yummy bodyguard?”

“Z, this is my friend, Adam. Adam, this is Z. I think you guys met the night we celebrated my engagement.”

Adam nods. “That’s right, so Z…?”

“Z, as in zero tolerance for dudes touching my friend’s woman.”

Oh, good grief. He’s worse than Rock. I smack his arm to draw his attention away from Adam. “Adam and I have been friends for years. Rock knows him. Settle down.”

“Yeah, I’d rather bend
you
over my desk than her, every day of the week,” Adam says with a slow smile.

I bury my face in my hands. Why? Why me?

Z’s still busy digesting the mental image Adam conjured up for all of us and seems to be speechless for the moment. Good.

“I need to use your account to do some research for Glassman. Is that okay?”

“Wow, hanging out with the big boys now?”

“Yeah, right. Notice Glassman didn’t offer me so much as a cubicle to use in his big white shoebox.”

“Can’t let the riffraff in, Hope. You know that.”

“Right.”

“I know I haven’t done a lot of criminal work, but if you want to bounce ideas off me, don’t hesitate.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Z’s wearing a confused expression when I turn around. “Why wouldn’t Glassman want to work with you, Hope?”

“Uh, what’s lower than a prospect, Z?”

“Hangaround.”

“Well, that’s how firms like his think of solos. I’m also younger and female. I doubt he’ll even read whatever I send him.”

“No, he’ll read it. Then, mansplain it to you, Hope,” Adam says with a snicker.

The corners of my mouth stretch into a tired smile. “I don’t care. Any little thing I can do to help Rock is worth dealing with Glassman’s snobbery. And he
is
good at what he does. That’s all that matters.”

Z still seems confused, or annoyed. It’s hard to tell.

“You don’t have to hang out here all day, Z. You’ll be so bored.”

“I can use a receptionist if you want to answer phones,” Adam offers helpfully.

Z glares at him. “I’ll be fine, Hope. Do your thing.”

“Honestly, nothing’s going to happen to me here.”

“Didn’t you get attacked here?” Z reminds me with a frown, while jabbing a finger at Adam. “By one of
his
clients?”

Well, that settles that.

CHAPTER TWELVE

There are two types of criminals in county jail. Your “hardcore criminals” who are waiting to go to trial for the big ones: murder, rape, robbery, drug trafficking. Then there are the people in here for a short amount of time, your petty offenders. I suppose I fall into the first category. Even so, I keep my head up, don’t smile at anyone, don’t avoid eye-contact and keep my mouth shut.

Since the ones here for the short term are eager to get out, they’re not looking for trouble. They don’t want to do anything to mess up their release dates and spend another second here.

I also fall into that category.

Slater’s a shithole of a county, but surprisingly the jail isn’t overflowing with inmates. I have my own cell and few neighbors. This is good and bad. After my first forty-eight hours of good behavior, I relocated to a more “open door” wing of the jail, so I can come and go from my cell and visit the rec room during certain hours.

I’ve always treated everyone with respect until they forced me to do otherwise, and jail’s no different. As much as it irritates me, I treat the guards as professionals and don’t bug them or make more work for them if I can help it. That’s why it pisses me the fuck off that Lizard’s going out of his way to fuck with me.

With that in mind, I make the rounds in my unit, seeking out one of the longer residents. Chucky has family ties to the Wolf Knights MC and even though I could slit their president’s throat right now, Chucky’s a valuable source of information. He’s about my size and the other inmates give him the same distance they give me.

“What’s Izzard’s story?” I ask him while hanging outside his cell.

“He’s a shady motherfucker. Likes to step to the big guys. Makes him feel big, ‘cause he knows they ain’t gonna fight back in here.”