The Devil in Her Heart (Heartless Devils Motorcycle Club Book 2) (11 page)

Jenny stepped through the door to her apartment and went straight into the kitchen without a pause. There she pulled a partially consumed bottle of wine from the rack in the fridge and a glass from the cabinet.

“You want one?” she asked as she worked the cork from the bottle.

“No. I’ll get a beer,” Asher replied as he tossed her bag onto the couch.

Today was Jenny’s first day back in class since the Heartless Devils began looking for them, and she was overwhelmed with the amount of work she had to make up. It was going to be a long night and she had to fortify herself with a glass of liquid courage.

Asher stepped up behind her and held her loosely as he kissed her neck softly. “It’ll be okay. You got this. You know you do.” He was well aware of what was stressing her out as she had bitched about it the entire way home from school.

“This is all Dad’s fault,” she said before taking another hit from the glass. “Chasing us around, threatening to kill you. If he had just left us alone, I wouldn’t be so damn far behind.”

“That’s the past. Don’t worry about it. Worry about how you’re going to catch up. You still have almost a month before school ends.”

“Yeah, great. Seven weeks of work and four weeks to do it in. Sure…no problem.”

He kissed her again then let her go, reaching into the refrigerator for a beer. “How do you eat an elephant?” he asked as he turned and twisted off the cap of his beverage.

“One bite at a time. I know,” she sighed.

He took her glass from her hand and sat it on the cabinet. “Why don’t you go get started? I will fix dinner tonight. You can work as late as you need to and I won’t bother you.”

“Oh, hell no! I’ll hit the books, but you’re going to have to help me relax later.”

Asher snickered as he gave her a quick smooch on the lips. “Anything I can do to help. Now go,” he added as he gave her a gentle shove to start her moving.

She spread her books and papers out on the table and started her computer. As she hammered away at the keyboard, referencing her books and notes, Asher pottered in the kitchen. He could cook, but he typically made simple meat and potatoes fare. He thought about trying to make something light and healthy, the way Jenny cooked, but decided to go with what he knew.

“I’ll be back,” he said as he moved toward the door.

“Where’re you going?”

“Shopping. Everything is frozen. I won’t be but a minute.”

When he let himself back in, Jenny barely looked up from her task. He carried the plastic bag of ground chuck and potatoes in the kitchen, and as quietly as possible, began preparing the meal.

“You ready to eat?” Asher asked ninety minutes later.

“What? Oh! Yeah.” Jenny looked at the clock on the wall. “Is it really almost six?”

“It is,” he confirmed shoving a book out of the way with a plate before setting it at his place, holding the other plate until Jenny moved her computer.

“Is this meatloaf?”

“What? Don’t you like meatloaf?”

She tried to hide her disappointment. She appreciated Asher preparing the meal so she could study, but meatloaf? “It’s fine.”

Asher bit down on his annoyance. He was looking forward to some
real
food, meatloaf with creamed potatoes, instead of the highbrow, froufrou food Jenny normally ate. “Before you decide you don’t like it, you should try it first.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” she said as she cut a chunk from the piece on her plate. She had to admit it smelled good and was covered in a thick red sauce with bits of onion and green pepper showing, but the only time she had tried meatloaf was in the school cafeteria and she had found it less than appetizing.

Asher plunked one of two beer bottles in front of her as he sat down. “No wine with meatloaf. I looked it up. It’s against the law.”

She sniggered and, after blowing the steaming piece of meat cool, popped it into her mouth. She was determined to show no reaction, not wanting to hurt his feelings, but her eyes opened wide at the tangy sauce and the rich, complex, meaty flavor. “Oh, wow! That’s surprisingly good!”

“See.”

“I didn’t think I liked meatloaf, but I like this!”

As she ate, she could feel her spirits rising, the hearty meal warming her and boosting her energy level. When Asher had set the plate in front of her she didn’t think there was any way she could eat the entire portion, but she cleaned her plate, and even cut herself another thin slice.

“Oof! I’m stuffed,” she said as she pushed the plate away from her. They had taken their time with the meal, talking about everything and nothing, and the break had cleared her mind and buoyed her determination.

“I’ll clean up while you get back to work,” Asher said as he rose, picking up the two plates.

She picked up Asher’s empty bottle and her own, nearly empty bottle, as she came to her feet. “I’ll help. I need to move around some anyway.”

With quick, efficient motion, they set about the task of cleaning up the kitchen. “Are you and Dad getting along better?” Jenny asked as Asher rinsed and passed the dishes to her to place in the dishwasher. She was better at dishwasher Tetris so he normally rinsed and she loaded.

“Well enough.”

“That wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.”

“No. I guess not. He’s still not exactly thrilled that we’re sleeping together.”

“I don’t think it’s the sleeping that bothers him,” she said with a giggle.

He snorted as his lips twisted into a sideways smile. “No. You’re probably right.”

“I don’t know what his problem is.”

“He doesn’t want you involved in the club. I agree. You have a lot going for you and you don’t need the stigma of being attached to the Devils following you around.”

Jenny paused in the loading of the dishes. “What does that mean?”

“What?”

“That I don’t want the ‘stigma of the Devils following me around.’”

“Nothing. Just that, well, you know how some people think about motorcycle clubs – that we’re nothing but a bunch of thugs. Do you really want that hanging over you while you’re trying to find your first job?”

“I’ve worked!”

“Sorry. First position with a firm, then. How do you think a big firm would react to the fact that you are a biker’s old lady? Or worse, that you are knowingly involved in illegal activities.”

“The Devils are going straight!”

“I know that. But it wasn’t always that way and people probably won’t believe it anyway. And don’t forget what we did. If something like that were to get out, even if the cops couldn’t prove it, that could make your life more difficult than it has to be.”

“What are you saying? That you’re dumping me?”

“Of course not! I’m just saying that I understand where John is coming from. The farther we can distance you from the club, the better.”

She could feel her blood running cold. “Does that include you?”

“No. I hope not, anyway. I love you, Jenny. But we have to be careful. That’s all I’m saying. Better safe than sorry and all of that stuff.”

She paused as she thought about what Asher said. “I’m not sure I like how this conversation is going.”

“What do you mean?”

“It sounds like you are planning on leaving. Remember, way back, when you said it wouldn’t work and someone was going to get hurt? Remember how you said it probably wouldn’t be you?”

“I remember. But that was before.”

“Before?”

He pulled her in close. “Before I fell in love with you.”

She relaxed slightly. “Okay, but this talk of keeping me away from the club makes me nervous. I am never sure if keeping me away includes keeping me away from you.”

“Not in this lifetime,” he said as he gave her a kiss. “You need to hit the books again. I’ll finish here and then I need to go out for a while. Can I trust you to stay in the apartment and not do something stupid?”

Her brow crinkled in curiosity. “Where’re you going?”

“I need to meet with the Bucs and the Trifectas to bring them up to speed on what is happening with the HDs. I figured I would go to them this time since they have always been coming to me.”

Jenny looked at the pile homework on the table. “Yeah. I doubt I will be going anywhere. Ever.”

He smiled as he tipped her chin up. “I have confidence in you. You’re the best law student I’ve ever fucked.”

“I better be the last law student you ever fuck,” she replied just as she tasted his lips.

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