Authors: Jamie Begley
“Of course not,” Willa denied.
“Good, because I don’t think he likes you back.”
Willa’s chest filled with hurt. Sissy wasn’t being ugly; she was actually trying to be nice to her for the first time.
Willa turned away from her, wishing with all her heart she had reacted differently when he had stared at her. She had acted like the frightened virgin she was. Now Lucky was probably inside, laughing his ass off at her.
She bundled the kids inside her van before driving them home, and all the while, her mind played the last few minutes in the diner over and over. Had it been a figment of her imagination? For a second, she could have sworn she saw a spark of desire in Lucky’s eyes. If it was desire, though, what was she going to do about it?
What she always did when she became frightened—run.
*
*
*
Lucky returned to the table where Razer, Shade, and Viper were sitting. He motioned for the waitress to reheat his coffee.
“What did you say to her to send her running like a scared rabbit?” Shade asked after the waitress left.
“Nothing,” Lucky pretended innocence, which he knew damn well didn’t fool any of the experienced men surrounding him.
Shade wasn’t about to let him get away with it, though. “She reminds me of Lily whenever I frightened her.”
“There’s a big difference between Lily and Willa,” Lucky said, taking a drink of his hot coffee and nearly burning his tongue off.
Shade arched a brow, waiting for an explanation.
“Lily was afraid of her sexual attraction to you because of her past. Willa doesn’t want to be attracted to me because she doesn’t like the type of man I am.”
Shade gave a bark of laughter. “Lily hated me at one time. She definitely didn’t like the man I was when she stumbled into that Friday night party.”
“Willa’s attracted, all right, both to the good and bad in you. The question is are you going to do anything about it?”
“No.” Lucky threw some money down on the table then got to his feet, leaving the restaurant before Shade could ask more questions he didn’t want to answer, either to them or himself.
Instead of going to his bike, he crossed the street to the police station. The older woman sitting behind the desk gave him a wink. She had overly-tanned skin that had the appearance of dried leather. She was at least sixty and was wearing a tight dress that showed she weighed maybe ninety pounds. When he had been a pastor, she had attended church regularly, her behavior always respectful. However, since he had re-joined The Last Riders, she stared at him like he was one of Willa’s cupcakes.
“The sheriff isn’t busy; he’s in his office.”
Lucky avoided her appraising look, briefly knocking on Knox’s door before entering to find Knox sitting behind his desk, staring at a computer screen.
“What’s up?” Knox leaned back in his chair.
Lucky didn’t beat around the bush. “Have you found out any information on Georgia and Lewis’s next of kin?” The only way he could help Willa was to try to get the children off her hands.
Knox folded his hands across his stomach. “Found Lewis’s ex-wife, the younger three children’s mother. She’s in a state mental hospital. She can’t take care of herself, much less the kids. From what little her doctor told me, Lewis practically beat her to death when he found out she left him. She took off with the kids, but Lewis found her, took the kids back, and left her for dead.”
“Why weren’t charges filed against him? The son of a bitch should have been sitting in a jail cell instead of terrorizing Willa.”
Knox’s face was grim. “No witnesses and she refused to press charges.”
“What about Leanne and Sissy?”
“Georgia never told anyone who the fathers of the girls were.”
“Fuck. No other relatives are able to take the kids?”
“There aren’t any. The only other relative we know about is Georgia and Lewis’s half-brother, Clay Meyer, whose mother took him then disappeared years ago. She died twelve years ago in Tennessee. I’m trying to track Clay down, but it’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the earth. I have a couple of men searching for him, but so far, they aren’t making any progress.”
“What’s Willa supposed to do, keep them indefinitely? It would be hard for any set of parents to keep up with that many children.”
“Maybe that’s why Lewis was trying so hard to get Willa.”
Knox’s words struck Lucky’s temper, and his foot kicked at the chair Knox was leaning back in, nearly toppling the large man over.
“Son of a bitch! I’ll throw your ass in one of the cells!” Knox threatened as he stood.
“You can try.” Lucky braced himself as Knox scowled, sitting back down.
“I’ve talked to Willa. She understands this is going to take some time. Even if I find Clay Meyer, he’s never met those kids, so why would he agree to take them? I advised her to let me find foster homes for them.”
“I don’t have to guess what she said.”
“She feels too guilty over killing Lewis,” Knox confirmed.
“The bastard would have killed Rachel if she hadn’t shot him.”
“We both know that, and Willa knows that, but she feels like she’s doing the right thing. Maybe she is. They’re better off with Willa than in foster care. It’s her decision to make; that’s for fucking sure.”
“Offer the men you have searching more money to find the uncle. I’ll pay their fee.”
“It’s your wallet. I’ll give them a call.” Knox reached for his phone. “You going to tell me why you want to help Willa out?”
“She used to be a member of my church. I just want to help; that’s the only reason.”
“Keep telling yourself that, brother, and maybe you’ll start to believe it.”
Lucky left Knox’s office, going to his bike, while Knox was on the phone with his investigators. The other brothers were sitting on their bikes, waiting for him.
“Find out what you wanted to know?” Viper questioned.
“Anyone want to make a bet that it concerned Willa?” Lucky didn’t have to see Shade’s eyes behind his sunglasses to know they were mocking him.
“Kiss my ass!” Lucky snarled, already pissed off at Knox’s laid-back attitude toward helping Willa.
“No, thanks.”
Lucky sat down on his bike. “Shade, one day, you’re going to push me too far. You’ve had a problem with me since I was discharged, and I’m getting fucking sick of it. Either tell me what the beef is or get the hell off my back.”
Shade’s face, as always, was impassive unless he was with his wife. “You’re not ready to hear what I have to say. When you are, believe me, brother, I’ll let you know.”
Lucky’s hands tightened on his handlebars as he backed his bike up. “You’re a fucking asshole. I don’t know what Lily sees in you.”
His anger didn’t faze Shade. “Probably the same thing Willa sees in you. At least I was smart enough to catch my woman. I thought Rider was the dumb fuck in the club, but you proved me wrong.”
Lucky roared out of the parking lot, leaving the three men behind.
One day
,
he promised himself,
I am going to kick Shade’s ass
. The bastard would have to be drunk off his ass, and Lucky would have to leave town for a few weeks afterward to give Shade time to cool down, but it would be worth the beating Shade would give him to even the score. Some things in life were priceless, and getting one over on Shade would be one of them.
He eyed the street Willa lived on as he passed. Getting his mind off the curvy woman would be another. He hated to admit it, but he was beginning to believe Shade was right—he was a dumb fuck.
*
*
*
He was sitting at the kitchen table later that night when Viper called a meeting. The brothers gathered in the room next to the kitchen, filling the two large rooms.
Viper’s hand went up, quieting the room. “The brothers from Ohio will be coming in this weekend. We have two new recruits who are ready to be initiated. Also, Moon wants to stay here. He wants to get out of Ohio for a while.”
“Why?” Rider asked from the back of the crowded room.
“He’s feeling the heat. The mayor’s daughter wanted to join the club because of Moon, so now the mayor has the cops constantly watching the place. He’s hoping that, if he leaves, the bastard will leave the club alone.”
Train groaned. “Don’t tell us we have another Brooke on our hands.”
“Not hardly. Moon says the woman’s not the problem; it’s the father. She’s moved on, but the mayor’s holding a grudge. Guess he doesn’t want to be reminded that his daughter was fucked by a biker,” Viper reasoned.
“It’ll be nice having another member taking a shift at the factory,” Rider gloated. Lucky wondered if Rider would use his additional free time to renew his pursuit of Willa.
“I’m due some time off, so I get first dibs.” Lucky glared at a crestfallen Rider.
“That’s up to me,” Jewell spoke up, quelling the budding argument between the two members.
Jewell had taken over managing the factory from Shade and had been doing a good job. Lucky promised himself he would fuck her senseless tonight. When he was finished with her, Rider would be working the next two weeks without a day off. Of course, Lucky saw the same determined expression on Rider’s face.
Jewell sat on her chair with a grin on her lips.
As soon as Viper concluded the meeting, Lucky moved to Jewell, taking her hand and tugging her closer to his body until her breasts were pressed to his chest.
“Let’s go to my room,” he murmured seductively.
Rider came up behind her, pressing his cock against her ass. “Mind if I join you?” His mouth went to Jewell’s neck.
“Yes, I do. I’m not in the mood to share tonight. Pick another woman.”
“Don’t want another woman tonight. You pick someone else,” Rider countered.
Lucky pulled Jewell closer, notching her pussy against his cock.
“Before you two use your dicks to pull strings for days off, I’ll be doing the schedules.” Viper gave each of them evil grins.
Jewell’s face dropped. Seeing it, Lucky felt like an asshole for his plans to manipulate her.
“In that case, Rider, you can pick the bedroom,” Lucky offered to make amends.
“Why not here?”
Jewell’s eyes filled with lust.
Lucky checked out the occupants of the room, seeing Lily and Winter weren’t around.
His hands tugged off Jewell’s top, baring her breasts. “Good choice.”
Chapter 5
Willa stared at the empty space she was contemplating renting. Was she making the right decision? She had asked Drake for the key to take another look at the space. It used to be a small clothing store that had gone out of business and had sat empty for over a year. Drake had advised on renovating the building, but it would take a large amount of cash to convert the store to a bakery, and she was too afraid to sink all her money into a new business.
She was walking toward the back of the store, mentally debating if she was making the right decision, when a sound from the doorway had her spinning, her breathing accelerating in fear. Seeing a grim Lucky leaning against the doorway didn’t lessen her fear, either.
“What in the fuck are you doing here so late?”
His harsh question had her finding her backbone, resenting the tone he was using with her.
“It’s only eight o’clock,” Willa snapped.
“The diner closes early on Sunday. You shouldn’t be in a deserted building so late.”
She refused to feel guilty for her snapped response. “It’s right across the street from the sheriff’s office. If I needed help, all I would have to do is yell. I’m hardly in any danger.”
Her words didn’t lessen his anger; instead, his face became even grimmer as Lucky straightened from the doorway, walking toward her. Unconsciously, she backed away, coming to a stop when she felt the wall at her back. Lucky didn’t stop until he was practically touching her.
“You think someone who is going to rob or rape you will give you the time to make any noise?”
Willa tried to keep her breathing calm, afraid if she breathed too deeply, her breasts would brush his chest. She pressed back harder against the wall.
“There hasn’t been a robbery in Treepoint in ten years, and no one is going to rape me.”
“That’s the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard. Why are you in here, anyway?”
“I’m thinking of renting it to set up a bakery.” Willa was angry at herself for explaining anything to him after his cutting remark.
“This dump?” Lucky snorted. “Don’t waste your money.”
“You don’t have to be so negative. It’s in a good location—”
“It’s going to take a shit load of money to convert this to a bakery. You have that kind of cash?”
Willa turned her head to the side, tearing her gaze away from his intense focus. “Why do you have to be so mean to me? I’m never rude to you unless you provoke me.”
Lucky’s hand reached out, turning her face back to him. His voice dropped. “You really want to know?”
Willa shivered as her body reacted to the attraction she was helpless against.
“Because I’m a bastard. There’s nothing redeeming about me.” When he stepped closer until his chest was pressed against her breasts, her legs trembled, barely supporting her.
“Don’t say that.” Willa refused to believe anyone was unredeemable.
“Why? It’s the truth,” he stated.
Lucky lowered his head, and Willa felt the faintest touch of his mouth against the pulse beating at the base of her throat. Before she could tell him to stop, however, he was stepping away.
“Don’t waste your money.” Turning, he left her gawking after him as if she was an immature sixteen-year-old.
She looked around the store again, reluctantly agreeing with him. It would take more money than she wanted to spend on her initial investment. That left her with two options: either she built new on the property that Drake had suggested next to King’s restaurant, or she kept searching for another spot.
Sighing, she went to the light switch, flicking the lights out before going outside and locking the door behind her.
Willa saw Lucky across the street, sitting on his motorcycle as he talked to Knox. The sheriff had his back to her, but Lucky’s gaze was pinned on her as she got inside her van.