Exquisite Karma (Iron Horse MC Book 4) (24 page)

To my surprise, Sarah stood, then reached into her blouse and removed a folded piece of paper before handing it to a rapidly blinking Mr. Loktev.

“The codes,” she said in a cool voice, and Loktev nodded.

Damn, loved it when my baby went all badass on people.

“That is all wonderful,” Mr. Dahan said in a flat voice, “but there is still the little matter of what your mother owes us, Ms. Anderson, that priceless item she stole so easily. Unless you have it. Do you have it, Sarah?”

Sarah glanced at Mimi, who was staring at Mr. Dahan, and whispered, “I…no.”

I slowly moved my hand to where my gun was stashed, the mood in the room plummeting as Tom laughed. “I was wondering when you were going to speak up, Mr. Dahan.”

The look he gave Tom was apologetic, but cold. “I am sorry, but even for you, Mr. Sokolov, this is out of my hands.”

I’d forgotten about the envelope on the table before Tom, until he tossed it over to Mr. Dahan with a flick of his wrist. “Inside you will find something better than the product.

“And what would that be?” Dahan asked in a bored tone, his hand beneath the table, no doubt resting on a weapon of some kind.

“The person who made it.”

I resisted the urge to look at Sarah, wondering who the hell she was talking about, but now was not the time or place. In the brief moment we’d had to talk before walking into the meeting Sarah had shared with me that Mimi had a plan, a complicated one, but a plan none the less. Mimi had obviously coached Sarah through this, and I wasn’t going to screw it up by appearing clueless. The silver stuff belonged to the Israelis, as well as the trees, and I wondered what had happened to them since Sarah was obviously pretending we had no idea where they were.

His dark brows rose the slightest bit, and I could see a ripple of movement going through his bodyguards. “A very generous offer, but it will take at least a year to make. Even this will not save them from paying the price for their mother’s sins.”

Sarah leaned over and whispered, “Easy, Beach. Get your hand off your gun.”

I hovered on the edge of violence. “On my mark, we leave.”

She must have seen how close I was to losing it, to saying fuck it and getting her out of here, because her hand clamped down over mine beneath the table, pinning it to my gun as she whispered directly into my ear, “No, just wait. Mimi told me in the car she’s been working with Tom and his uncle, Petrov Dubinski, but she didn’t know if Tom would arrive in time. Please, honey, just give him a few more minutes.”

Rubbing at his jaw, Tom leaned back far enough in his chair that I could see the small smile he gave Mr. Dahan. “My cousin, Dimitri Novikov, is calling in his marker.”

My mind raced as I tried to place that name. Obviously Russian…ah yes, the Novikov
Bratva
. One of the most feared criminal families in the world, ruled by a monster, and Dimitri Novikov was one of the monster’s sons. I’d heard of Dimitri, that he was a dangerous yet fair man, but most of my business was done with the Dubinski
Bratva
.

Smoke was my main connection to the world of the Russian Mafia, he’d been over there a couple times on club business with Tom and had some connections. I stole a glance at him and found my stoic Master at Arms looking a little shocked. Mimi hadn’t moved and she still had her gaze locked on the Israelis.

When I looked across the table, I found one of Mr. Dahan’s bodyguards eye-fucking my woman and her sister as they whispered together, their pale blonde hair blending as their foreheads touched.

If I didn’t notice the pulse pounding in Mr. Dahan’s neck, he would have appeared utterly bored with the whole situation. “I will have to verify this.”

Smoke made his way over to Swan and squeezed between her and Mimi. I couldn’t hear what he said to her, but whatever it was, his words calmed her down. Around us rose and fell the soft hiss of low whispers.

Mimi met my gaze and for a brief moment she allowed me to see how worried she’d been, and how relieved she was, before her gaze closed back up. Sometime in the near future, me and her were gonna have a long talk about what had happened here, because I was out of the loop of information and I didn’t like that one bit. Still, if whatever she had done worked, I was gonna buy her a diamond tennis bracelet the size of boulders for saving my soon-to-be wife’s and child’s lives.

Sarah moved into my line of sight, breaking my gaze with Mimi.

Whatever she saw in my face must have disturbed her because she whispered, “It’s going to be okay. Mimi saved Dimitri Novikov’s life, he owes her big. We’re going to be okay.”

Before I could respond, Mr. Dahan started speaking to someone on the phone in Russian, his manner congenial and an actual smile cracking his normally serious face. Smoke and I exchanged a curious look before turning our attention back to Mr. Dahan. His bodyguards had backed off a few steps, allowing their boss to pace while the Russians silently looked on. Mr. Loktev was texting as he watched Mr. Dahan, the look on his ruddy face positively stunned.

Turning back to the table, Mr. Dahan smiled at my woman in a charming way that set my teeth on edge. “Ladies, it is a good day when two beautiful women such as yourselves are given a second chance. Your debt to us is forgiven and you are now under our protection. Congratulations, Sarah and Swan Anderson. You have become untouchable.”

For a moment there was total silence, then I found myself clutching an armful of warm woman pressed against me, her lips finding mine as we kissed long and deep, celebrating this moment in a way our words couldn’t. All around me people were talking in an excited rush, and I heard Mimi’s laughter as it rang through the room, the relief in it evident.

Sarah tore her lips from mine, tears streaking mascara down her face as she both smiled and cried. “We’re going to be okay.”

“We’re going to be okay,” I reaffirmed, holding her as tight as I dared with our baby between us.

Sarah

It was one day after we’d returned from Denver and I was on the back of one of Beach’s antique Harley-Davidson motorcycles, riding out of town to Birdie’s ranch for a Sunday brunch.

They’d demanded Beach share me with the world, and though he would have liked to ignore them and keep me tied down to our bed for another day, for real, he’d bowed to the combined pressure of Birdie and Mouse threatening his life if they didn’t get to see me. Only we didn’t know word would spread about our brunch plans, and when we arrived at the sprawling ranch north of Austin, with a large escort of armed-and-dangerous brothers spread out behind us, the huge circular drive was already filled with motorcycles and a few other vehicles.

Beach slowed his bike then pulled off onto the terracotta pavers lining the side of the massive concrete drive. He quickly turned off the engine, which rumbled to silence beneath my legs. Confused as to what was going on, I frowned as people began to exit Birdie’s house, but my field of vision was limited by the full face helmet Beach insisted I wear. He was taking no chances with my safety and I was lucky he hadn’t insisted on a bulletproof vest as well. I didn’t blame him, I was feeling a wee bit overprotective of him as well, but there was no way in hell I was wearing a heavy-ass vest in this heat underneath enough clothes to disguise it.

As I was pulling my helmet off, I heard what sounded like clapping and cheering.

Once I could see again, I turned to find the driveway and massive front porch of Birdie’s ranch house filled with familiar faces.

And they were all smiling and cheering.

When I turned to Beach he was grinning, with happy surprise bringing out the light blue flecks in his dark navy eyes. “What the heck?”

“Looks like we got us a welcome home party,
mi amor
.”

I glanced at the growing crowd then back at Beach. “Is it too late to turn around and go home?”

He laughed out loud then held my hand as I climbed off. “My mom threatened to disown me if I didn’t bring you.”

“Did you know everyone would be here?”

He grinned, not bothering to answer as Mouse yelled out, “Carlos! Sarah! Come here right this instant.”

Beach smiled at me again as people cleared a path for us, patting us on the back as we walked past them.

The look Mouse gave me held a fair amount of anger, as well as happiness, and I whispered to Beach, “Is she mad at me?”

“She wasn’t too pleased when she found out you’d run off.” Wincing, I tried to slow down our walk but Beach chuckled and tugged me along. “But I think she’s going to be too happy that you’re alive, and that you managed to save the club, to give you too much sass about it.”

He was right, because Mouse was already running down the steps, her tanned arms held wide as she engulfed both me and Beach in her hug, or as much as she could. Despite having a giant son, Mouse was only a little bit over five feet tall and her short, silky grey hair brushed my chin as she held us close. Her back hitched for a moment before she let out a deep breath, and I shot Beach a panicked look as I worried she might be crying.

“Mom,” Beach said as he patted her back. “Get it together. You’re freaking Sarah out.”

With a scowl that threatened to break into a grin, Mouse stepped back and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Beach. “I hope you feel like a right asshole for what you said to Sarah.”

Beach blinked twice, as stunned by the verbal attack out of nowhere as I was, then said, “What?”

Shaking her finger in his face, Mouse, snapped, “You thought Sarah betrayed the club, don’t deny it, and you accused her of it in front of everyone. That was an asshole move and I raised you better than that. Anyone with eyes can see she’s the best thing that ever happened to you, and it’s time you started treating her like it. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t make you sleep on the couch for the next two months.”

The crowd around us roared with laughter, and Beach narrowed his gaze at me as I couldn’t hold back my giggles.

“Really? After all this shit, I gotta come home to my mom busting my balls?” He grinned as he said this, and Mouse shook her finger at him.

“I didn’t say anything while all that trouble was going on, but now that you’re both safe and alive in front of me, I can remind you how to treat your future wife. If your father was alive right now, he would be mortified.”

Next to me, Beach rolled his eyes and muttered, “Ah shit, here we go.”

“I heard that!” It was getting harder to hold back my laughter as fierce little Mouse tried to stare Beach down, without much success.

When I made a choking sound, his gaze switched to mine and a snort of laughter escaped.

“Mom,” he said in a silky tone while holding my gaze with a smirk. “Sarah’s pregnant. You’re going to be a grandma. It’s a girl, but we don’t have a name yet.”

Inwardly I cursed at him for throwing me under the bus like that, and the best I could manage when everyone turned to stare at me like the baby was going to suddenly explode out of my body was a squeaked out, “Surprise!”

The crowd around us rang with voices as word spread to those in back that Beach had “knocked his old lady up” and that there was a new “club princess” on the way.

“Oh my sweet God!” Mouse screamed and everyone in a ten-foot radius winced. “Oh my God, a baby! You’re pregnant with my little girl grandbaby!”

At that point, everything descended into madness as the entire club lost its mind.

Deep down I knew that, while they were happy for us, the baby was also an excuse to celebrate and take their minds off of the terrible events of the last few weeks, something everyone needed. Kegs were pulled out of the cold-storage building next to the main bunkhouse where the single men who worked the ranch lived. Before I knew it, the fairy lights Birdie kept strewn around the place were on and we were having a party. Everyone seemed determined to fatten me up as quickly as possible, and I found myself grazing on calorie-loaded food. Thanks to the miracle pills, or being in my second trimester, I was craving meat again and ate the hell out of some killer ribs until I was so full I could barely move.

It hadn’t taken me long to find myself sprawled out on the couch with my feet up and a glass of homemade lemonade in my hand. I’d protested everyone catering to me, but Mouse whispered they needed to do this, needed to thank me somehow. Even though I hadn’t even come close to saving the club—it was mostly Mimi’s actions that had given us a blanket of protection—it seemed the members of the MC liked the idea of me single-handedly saving them. While I had their loyalty for being Beach’s old lady, the fact that I’d risked everything, on my own, to save the club had earned me their trust.

The women had driven the men from the large living room and they all sat on the couches around me, while I squished onto a brown leather couch with Birdie on one side and Mouse the other, wide-eyed as the ladies chatted about pregnancy and raising kids.

Apparently, I had all kinds of interesting things to look forward to. Like sore and leaking breasts, babies screaming for hours if they were gassy, and my vagina tearing all the way to my rectum. Oh, and if I was really lucky, I’d poop on the delivery table.

Then there were stories of the sweet smell of a baby’s hair, the heartbreaking pleasure of your child sleeping in your arms, and a love beyond comprehension.

I guess that made up for the stretch marks.

I was so intent on listening to Birdie’s advice on baby names that I missed the fact the chatter around me had silenced.

It was only when Beach stood before me, an immovable wall of leather and denim, that I realized everyone had stopped talking and were staring at the men.

Venom made his way into the room then, and Birdie pushed herself up from the couch with a little help from me, her silky black slacks with their silver stitching rustling as she hurried through the crowd of ladies over to her husband.

Beach stood before me, his hands clenched into fists. “Babe, need to talk to you.”

My skin prickled as a negative energy filled the room. “Okay.”

He helped me up and I was grateful for his assistance, my fear redoubling as I scanned the room and saw people talking together in small groups with shocked faces. More than a few women were crying, and the men were just flat-out pissed. The earlier good mood had vanished, and I startled when a woman made a loud sobbing noise.

“Beach?”

He pulled me upstairs and into a guest bedroom with a pair of bunkbeds covered in colorful cartoon-animal-festooned quilts. After flipping on the overhead light, a cute rocket-ship-themed ceiling fan, Beach sat me down on the edge of the bottom bunk. Stress deepened the grooves on his face, making him look weary beyond words. I cupped his cheek with my hand, silently lending him my strength.

“Hustler’s been arrested for murder.”

“What!” I dropped my hand and shook my head. “I don’t understand. Murder?”

“Someone shot Veronica, Smoke’s sister-in-law and Hustler’s ex-piece, in the back of the head, then dumped her on his back porch.”

My hands covered my mouth, as if by not speaking I could somehow stop this from happening, make it not true.

While I didn’t know Veronica well, she wasn’t one of my favorite people at the club. She was one of those fake women who’d grown up in normal suburbia but liked to pretend she grew up in the Spanish ghetto. Her brother, Tricks, had married Smoke’s sister Julia—a really nice woman with three little girls who I did like. While Julia went out of her way to help others, including animals at her veterinarian clinic in Austin, Veronica was about as selfish as they come.

And she was trashy.

Not because of her large fake breasts and tendency to wear stripper clothes, I cast no stones there, but because she liked to play with men’s emotions. She was kind of like a sweet butt, only she long-term dated a string of brothers, monogamous relationships that always ended with them getting sick of her shit, no matter how hot she was in bed. And none of them had ever put their patch on her. That’s how she’d ended up with Hustler. I’d warned him not to get mixed up with her, but he has a hero complex for damsels in distress, so crazy-ass Veronica was right up his alley.

Now, just because I personally didn’t like her and all the drama she loved to surround herself with, doesn’t mean I don’t feel badly about her dying in such a terrible manner.

“That’s horrible.”

Beach nodded sadly. “Yeah. I talked to Smoke and got him and Swan a flight out. They’re on their way back and Julia’s going to pick Smoke up, but the government is still trying to find Tricks so he can come home. They stashed him deep behind enemy lines and I’m guessin’ they can’t get to him easily.”

“Poor Tricks, to lose his sister like this.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Whatever you need me to do, I’m here for you. Just let me know.”

He closed his eyes and rested his head against my chest. “Fuck I missed having you at my back.”

I cradled him close, realizing my strong man needed me.

Threading my fingers through his hair, I cherished every moment we had together, memorizing the feel of him in my arms, the slight citrus of his cologne, the scent of his hair and the feeling of his breath on my skin. I loved him in a way that consumed me and when our lips met, I melted into his kiss, our tongues stroking each other in a slow, wet caress that had my nipples hard and my clit waking up. He pulled back and his gaze roamed my face as I stared at his before he stood with a sigh.

“I’m havin’ Thorn and Scarlet take you home. I don’t give a fuck who it is, you don’t let anyone into the house without my direct say so. Understood? Anyone tries to get in, shoot ’em in the face. Do as I say-no sass.”

Do as I say? No sass?

Evidently, my man had lost his damn mind.

The snark was heavy in my voice as I said, “What if it’s your mom?”

He gave me an exasperated look, but some of the tension fled from his mouth. “I trust you to use your judgement.”

“Then why bother forbidding me? Why not just tell me to be on alert?”

A knock came from the door as he lowered his head and licked his lips in a way that had me wishing I was back in his arms. “When I get home, we’re gonna discuss that smart mouth of yours.”