All In: ALL IN KNIGHTS OF MAYHEM (12 page)

“Hey.” She answers in a whisper.

“Hey, what is going on?” I whisper as well why I don’t know.

She pauses before she answers me, ‘um girl I don’t know but from what I can hear through the door it is bad and Leo is pissed.” She reaffirms my suspensions of
it being Leo who is yelling.

“So Dalton locked you up too?” I slump down on the bed.

“No he just jumped up and ran out leaving me naked and pissed.” She sounds so dejected.

Although Leo left in the middle of something
, it is not something I am going to use as public discussion especially not with Piper who sometimes can get diarrhea of the mouth in front of the wrong people, ‘he didn’t lock your door?”

“No why?” She yawns with boredom.

“Leo, that ass, locked our door from the outside.” I jump back up headed for the door pounding on it with my fist, ‘hey Beeker I know you are standing right outside.” I scream at the door.

“Calm down and stop yelling Avery, Leo will be back in a minute.” Beeker whispers on the other side of the door, I can hear Piper laughing on the other end of the line, ‘he is such an ass.”

Throwing myself back onto the bed I slump and sigh, ‘So what is going to happen now?”

“
Oh we sit and wait for them to finish their little pissing contest out there and then they come back all charged up on testosterone and fuck the hell out of us.”

“Piper!” I chastise her crassness.

“Well that is what is going to happen, baby hope you are ready cause you have the uber alpha male.” She giggles.

“It is not funny.” I sit back and enc
ircle my waist with my free arm, ‘well fine if you are just going to sit and laugh at me I am hanging up on you.” I huff as I slam the phone down on the mattress. I cover my eyes with my arm blacking out the fucked up situation my life has become since I have been in the vicinity of Leo.

I slink up to the pillows
lying still long enough to know that Leo is going to be awhile so l let myself drift off to a fitful sleep, my head filled with visions of a naked Leo moving on top of me.

****

Leo

Stalking down the hall to end someone,
rounding the corner I am greeted with the usual suspects hanging around the clubhouse on a Sunday night, Dalton was in his blue jeans after having just come from his room where he and Piper were probably doing the same thing Avery and I were. Roman had on a pair of gym shorts and was covered in sweat, he had been hitting the weights and Cowboy has showed up and was sitting on the couch with his ever present Stetson resting on his knee.

And then
Kent Delaney comes into view, ‘hey boss, why the late visit?”

Looking a little more withered than usual he turns to me, ‘just in the neighborhood and stopped by for an update on matters at hand.”
I am sure he was just in the neighborhood. He was probably tracking Avery’s vehicle and traced the beacon to our parking lot, in the fucking neighborhood my ass.

Knowing better than to challenge his words I prop against the wall and cross
my arms over my chest, ‘pretty much the same as around three hours ago, the last time we talked, but Matthew is on the tail tonight.” Matthew was young like Beeker, who took the shit work and shifts and was always ready for work on time, ‘he is getting information out of lockup some way, we just haven’t figured out how yet.” I look over at Dalton rolling my eyes, ‘we think it might be a guard.” My mind goes back to the conversation Avery and I had had about her job and why it put her in danger.

Nodding his head the man has yet to stop his constant pacing, ‘you need to find out and quickly,’ he pauses to look up at me, ‘keep a tail on them and let me know if anything new comes up.”

Swallowing hard, ‘there is something else you need to know boss,’ I paused before I dropped the bomb, ‘Avery is a nurse at the prison.” The room fell silent as all the eyes in the room settle on Kent waiting his reaction.

“And you are handling this situation how?” His hands resting on his hips, his posture isn’t relaxed.

Rubbing my hand down my face in
aggravation, as I am finding myself doing a lot these days when Avery is concerned. Laughing, ‘hell boss I have tried to talk to her about it but you and I both know how stubborn she can be so she isn’t having any of my suggestions about finding a new job.”

Then his face goes sullen and shifts from business to something else. Tilting his head in the direction of the parking lot, ‘she here?”

Toeing the shag carpet with my boot I avoid eye contact with him, ‘yea she is, but you already knew that.” I look up for the first time acknowledging having my boss’s daughter naked and in my bed only thirty feet away. I lick my lips and savor her taste still lingering on them, I stand and wait for whatever he has to say.

His face flushes with anger as he storms
the distance between us. Throwing his finger up in my face, ‘Leo, do I need to remind you of your line of work and the dangers that come with it, or are you going to make the wise choice on your own?”

I feel the side of my mouth pull up, ‘look man she is an adult
, able to make her own decision. It's not like I am holding her here against her will or anything.” At least it hasn’t resorted to me having to do that yet, I chuckle to myself and then give my head a shake trying to clear the images of Avery with her hands tied above her head as her naked body is laid out before me like an erotic buffet ready for my feasting.

Not pleased with my choice of words
Kent’s face flushes, ‘but I am sure she isn’t fully aware of the whole situation.”

Ticking my finger against my nose, ‘you are right sir but if you will remember I am just
complying with your request to keep her in the dark about all this.” I sweep my arm around the clubhouse. I realize then that the other men are still in the room and completely captivated with our conversation.

“And if I am guessing right
, I am sure she doesn’t know exactly what you do either, or the fact you know me?” I point out our deceit is running deep when it comes to Avery.

Placing his hands on hips he studies the floor
as he answers, ‘no she doesn’t, not entirely,‘ looking up at me, ‘and I would like to keep it that way for now.”

For the first time one of the others speaks up, ‘I don’t think it is a good idea to keep all this from her, it might blow back
on us and might end up getting her hurt,’ Roman shifts his weight from one foot to the other, ‘or worse and none of us wants that.”

Glancing over at him I give him a nod and then look back to our boss, who is going thr
ough his own internal battle, being the boss of a crew and trying to keep his daughter safe.

I cross over to the bar, ‘what’ll have
Prez?” Beeker asks as he throws the cloth he had been wiping the bar down with into the sink behind the bar.

“
A bottle and five,’ I look up at him, ‘make it six glasses of the strong stuff bud.” All the men come up behind me and cozy up to the bar each taking a stool to sit on.

Downing the first round we all wait as
Beeker fills our glasses for the second time. I study the amber liquid in my glass before I speak choosing my words carefully, ‘boss I want you to know I am serious about her.” Looking over at all the men staring in my direction, ‘more serious than I have been in a long time and I promise you I will do everything in my power to keep this shit out of her life.” The weight of acknowledging what I have just said hits me right dead in the chest, and it is not lost on anyone else in attendance either.

Kent swallows the last ounce of liquid, standing he braces his weight against the bar, ‘but her being in your life has already put her at risk and you know it.”
I don’t turn to watch him walk out of the door. It slamming closed is the only sound in the room.

Each of the men stand one at a time saying their goodbyes leaving me alone in the half lit room, struggling with the thought of walking away from her. Standing I turn and look down the hall at the door to my room, to her, I might be a strong man but letting her go is no longer an option.

I reach across the bar taking the whiskey bottle, shunning the glass I head for the now empty couch. Pulling a stogy from the pack on the table I draw in a ragged smoke filled breath, I need to clear my head before I go back to her and make damn sure I am doing the right thing.

Around midnight I raise my groggy head and push my numb body from the overused lounger
staggering back to my room I climb into bed with her, pulling her soft, warm curves into me.

****

Avery

I feel the bed dip,
blinking through the haze I turn my head and squint to see the blurry red numbers on the clock and see it is late. I turn into him, ‘Shhh baby go back to sleep.” He coos as he encircles me in his soft embrace, ‘sorry it took so long.” He kissed the top of my head.

“O
kay.” I snuggle down into him and plant my nose in his bare chest. He takes my thigh in his hand and brings it up to his wrapping it around his hip. His hand on my ass tucks me into him deeper, I don’t see how this is conducive to sleeping, but it doesn’t take long for me to drift back off in his arms.

I wake shivering and cold, wrapped up in a sheet. The tee shirt I
had chosen to wear gave little protection from the ice cold air conditioner keeping it cold enough to hang meat in the joint. Getting my barrens about me I hear a noise from the opening leading to the bathroom. I roll towards the smell of shampoo and shaving cream, letting them caress my nose, making my skin tingle.

A clean shaven Leo steps from around the door and out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel slung low on his hips. I push myself up on me elbows giving him a once over and smiling at him, ‘morning, waking up
to this every morning could spoil a girl.”

He brushes
another towel through his wet hair giving me a panty dropping grin, ‘that shirt isn’t a bad look on you either, especially since your panties are still laying right over there on the floor.” He points with his free hand, ‘that is what you are to wear to bed with me every night, understand the shirt and nothing else.”

Even though we had gotten interrupted last night a
n excited shiver runs down my body I raise myself up to my knees and reach for him. He walks over and I tug at his towel, taking my hand in his, ‘no time for that this morning babe, got uh court.”

I withdraw my hand, ‘court?”

“Yeah a drunk and disorderly from a few months back, it’ll be fine. I will just have to pay the court costs and then I will be ready to continue this later.” My hands find their way back up to his bare chest brushing his hard nipples with my palms.

“Drunk and disorderly uh, why am I not surprised?” I give him a little smirk. Because it doesn’t shock me at all, Leo disorderly sober is bad enough, but drunk Leo could probably redefine the meaning of disorderly. The thought spurs me on, I continue to caress his skin adding my tongue, glancing it up his stomach.

Wrapping his hand in my hair he drags my head back, ‘shit Avery,‘ he murmurs barely audible, ‘you are going to have to stop this shit, I can't do this right now.” Sitting back on my legs I pouch out my bottom lip pouting like a little girl.

His smile is wide and warm, his laugh sends tingles over me, ‘okay fine, I will get up and get ready, I have to work anyway.”
I sigh as I watch him out of the corner of my eye, the towel hits the floor displaying his firm ass. A little embarrassed I look away and feel my face flush with heat as the memory of the ass grabbing conversation comes to mind.

“
Avery baby, we need to talk about your job.” He has pulled on a pair of jeans, more decent looking, meaning no holes or oil stains. He shrugs on a crisp pressed button up shirt leaving the two top buttons open rolling the arms up displaying his tattoos, just like the night we had gone out.

“Ya know you might make a better impression on the court if you would not show those off.” I point out the tattoos color
ing his arms trying to dodge the topic of my job, more over where I am employed.

“Don’t go changing the subject babe, discussion, job
, find a new one.” He sits to pull on his cowboy boots. I never thought it but it is a great look for him. His long legs tight in the jeans with the black dress shirt tucked in accented by a belt with an understated belt buckle. His cologne is familiar but I can't quit put my finger on it yet making a mental note to ask later.

“What time do you get off this afternoon?” He puts the finishing touches on himself by slipping on a watch.

I look at him and giggle, ‘whatever time you see fit to put your head between my legs.”

He shakes his head, ‘Avery enough, what time do you leave work this afternoon,’ he shoots a devious smile at me, ‘you little pervert.”

He is telling the truth, since I have met him my mouth has become something of a public restroom and my thoughts are this side of me becoming a sailor. I stand and go looking for my jeans, ‘five.” I absentmindedly toss clothes up in the air behind me.

“So when is your next day off?” He is sitting on the bed now watching me get ready as I had done
with him.

“Thursday,’ I huff, ‘look Leo I don’t see how my job is your concern.” I pull on my jeans without underwear not completely unbearable but uncomfortable all the same.

“I told you already, people find out you are with me and they will see an opportunity.” He is now standing in front of me invading my personal space.

I knew it before they left my lips I should have never spoke the words, ‘you said yourself this wasn’t one of thos
e apple pie relationships, no expectations remember?” I am now fully dressed and headed for the door.

Taking me by the arm he spins me around to face him, ‘
I have not been a dick to you since we first met, hell I wasn’t a dick to you then, so why would you not think what you do for a living wouldn’t concern me?” His angry tone is palpable.

“Because maybe I have known you all of four days and you think because we have fucked you can start to tell me how to live my life, I need this job, there are no more jobs
Leo, why can't you understand?” I am screaming and I know everyone down the hall can hear us.

His
nose is within an inch of mine, ‘because I would much rather have you flipping burgers than put you in danger working at the fucking prison.”

“I w
asn’t in danger until I met you, besides what do you care where your piece of ass works? No strings, take it day by day, I think is what we agreed on.” I shriek. This conversation has taken a turn for the worse and it is going downhill quickly.

I watch as his face morphs into the Leo I had meet the first day at Mayhem, ‘is that how you want to play this shit
, fine,’ he leans picking up my other items of clothing and sandals shoving them into my arms, ‘here take your shit and get the fuck out then.” He turns his back to me and stalks into the bathroom, ‘I didn’t hear the door hit you on the ass while you were leaving Avery.”

I turn and do the walk of shame ou
t of the club and to my vehicle. Reaching it I see the new set of tires he had installed on it the day before. Jerking my checkbook out of my purse I quickly write a check for a general amount and stomp to the office. Throwing the check at the portly lady behind the counter I watch as it flutters down landing right in front of her.

“What is this for baby girl?” I can see she is a sweat lady so I keep my tempter in check along with my mouth.

“The tires from yesterday, tell Leo to shove it up his ass.” I turn and stomp back to my Ford, noticing Piper’s car was still parked next to mine. I quickly jot a note down on a fast food napkin leaving it under her wipers, telling her to call me at work as soon as she gets the time.

I had held them back but by the time I drove out of the sliding gate
tears had started flowing and there was no damming them up. As I pull through the gate I take one quick look back, to see Leo standing with my check in his hands and see him start to rip it up and toss it in the trash.

I turn and head for home and
hopefully back to the sanity I had once knew before Leo Tucker.

****