Penni was about to sit on the couch when she heard a knock on the door. Raising the curtain, she saw Jackal standing outside.
Penni opened the door and went outside, afraid that their voices would keep Shade from going to sleep.
“I wanted to kiss you good night.”
Before she could respond, Jackal placed a scorching kiss on her lips.
“Damn, how’s that supposed to help me sleep?” she mumbled around his lips.
“Too much?” Jackal eased the pressure on her lips to place a tender kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Not enough.” Penni jerked his face back to hers, not waiting for an invitation.
She tugged at his bottom lip, making room to explore his mouth, while pressing her hands on his chest.
Every time they kissed, she discovered something new about Jackal. His body would tense as if he were holding himself back. It was exciting to have a man who wanted you so badly he found it hard to control himself. Penni felt the same way toward Jackal. Invariably, she was the one who was unable to control herself.
“Let’s go to the hotel,” Penni panted out when she broke the kiss.
Jackal groaned. “Now you want to give in? Ice is waiting for me to talk.”
“It can’t wait until tomorrow?” She raised her hips up to notch her pussy against the bulge she could feel straining against her.
Jackal pressed his forehead against hers. “It could, but I don’t want Ice interrupting when I’m fucking you.”
“I can wait until you’re done.” Penni couldn’t understand the sense of urgency that was filling her with dread.
“I’ve waited years to get you in my bed, so I can wait one more night to make it good for you.”
Penni laid her head on his chest. “I can’t change your mind?”
“You can, but Ice will change it back if I keep him waiting much longer.”
Penni sighed, giving him a parting kiss.
“You going to dream about me?”
“I don’t have dreams,” she confessed.
“Everyone has dreams. You must not remember when you wake up.”
“I don’t.” Penni shrugged.
It was when she had heard children describe their dreams or nightmares in school that she had realized how unusual it was not to have them.
“You won’t have that problem after tomorrow night. I’m going to make your first time so memorable you’ll dream about it every night.”
Penni burst out laughing. Slapping her hand over her mouth, she turned toward the house to make sure she hadn’t woken the others up. When she turned back toward Jackal, she could make out his scar in the darkness. She thought his powerful silhouette seemed more sinister than what most women would consider dream-worthy.
“Maybe you’ll be the one dreaming of me.”
“Babe, that’s nothing new. I dream of you every night.”
28
Ice was waiting for him at the picnic tables. The front door was being guarded by two of Viper’s men, while Ice had offered to watch the back.
“What do you think?” Ice asked at his approach.
Jackal knew something was wrong when Ice had told him he wanted to talk where no one could hear them.
“I think it’s a little convenient that they managed to rig the gas when no one was watching. Viper installed security cameras when Genny was at work after she refused to move into the clubhouse.”
“Viper said he checked the security camera. Whoever it was came in through a window. They managed to avoid the security camera and knew to set the fire when Greer and Genny left the house.”
“Someone’s feeding them information.”
“Yeah.” Ice sat down on top of the picnic table.
“Any idea who?”
“No, and neither does Viper. This place is as tight a drum. Viper said his club in Ohio is, too.”
The men remained silent, staring into the dark night. Jackal speculated on who would have the opportunity to know exactly when Genny was going to the store.
“I’ll talk to her in the morning. She cooks breakfast for the men,” Jackal informed.
“Viper’s checking everyone’s cell phone, but it’s going to take a couple days to get the information.”
“We don’t have two days.” The person who had leaked the information of Genny going to the grocery store was a time bomb. The details provided could prove to be fatal to another member, either in Treepoint, Ohio, or Queen City. Jackal didn’t want to take that chance.
“No. The cartel wants Hennessy dead. To them, he stole their drugs without any intention of paying. Then, when they used the Unjust Soldiers to get them back, The Last Riders succeeded in taking out more of their men than they expected. It was the final nail in his coffin.”
Jackal sighed. “I told Hennessy to walk away from DJ.”
“He didn’t listen to your advice any more than when I told you the same thing about Hennessy.”
“Hennessy’s a good enough leader that he can turn the Road Kingz into a club to be reckoned with. I didn’t want him holding the grudge against the Predators for throwing him out. I still don’t.”
“If we don’t stop the cartel, you’re not going to have to worry about Hennessy much longer.”
Jackal raked his hair back.
Ice rested a booted foot on one of the picnic benches. “It has to be one of the women.”
“Why?” Jackal asked.
“Genny doesn’t talk to any of the men except Lucky, and I trust him.”
“I do, too.”
“Which means one of the women sold The Last Riders out.”
“Maybe no money was involved,” Jackal suggested.
Ice gave a whistle. “Cade said they use any means necessary to get what they want.”
“I’ll ask Shade to get information on them, but I already know he won’t tell me. He’ll recheck them himself. I can use my connections, but again, that takes time.”
“When you want information from a woman, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
Jackal nodded, his mind going back to last night when Penni had told him that being with another woman was a deal breaker.
“Rider told me the women can’t be with a man who doesn’t belong to The Last Riders. The one I can talk into breaking their oath will be the one betraying the club.”
“Bingo.”
“Fuck me,” Jackal cursed.
Ice stood up, smacking him on the back. “Sorry, but the sooner, the better. Whichever bitch is doing it could get us all killed.”
“When Penni finds out, I’ll wish I were dead.”
“Not many men would complain about putting their dick on the line for their club.”
“Stump could do it.”
“You want to put your faith in Stump? He’s more likely to get us killed before the cartel has a chance.”
Stump loved to fuck, and women smelled it on him. He could talk a woman out of her panties with her husband within earshot. The man had caused more fights than any other man in the club. There were always numerous boyfriends or husbands who had come searching for revenge, and because he loved to fight as much as he loved to fuck, he usually ended up behind bars for a couple months out of the year. The only reason he hadn’t been on the wrong end of a bullet was his connection to the Predators.
Penni opened the door and went outside, afraid that their voices would keep Shade from going to sleep.
“I wanted to kiss you good night.”
Before she could respond, Jackal placed a scorching kiss on her lips.
“Damn, how’s that supposed to help me sleep?” she mumbled around his lips.
“Too much?” Jackal eased the pressure on her lips to place a tender kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Not enough.” Penni jerked his face back to hers, not waiting for an invitation.
She tugged at his bottom lip, making room to explore his mouth, while pressing her hands on his chest.
Every time they kissed, she discovered something new about Jackal. His body would tense as if he were holding himself back. It was exciting to have a man who wanted you so badly he found it hard to control himself. Penni felt the same way toward Jackal. Invariably, she was the one who was unable to control herself.
“Let’s go to the hotel,” Penni panted out when she broke the kiss.
Jackal groaned. “Now you want to give in? Ice is waiting for me to talk.”
“It can’t wait until tomorrow?” She raised her hips up to notch her pussy against the bulge she could feel straining against her.
Jackal pressed his forehead against hers. “It could, but I don’t want Ice interrupting when I’m fucking you.”
“I can wait until you’re done.” Penni couldn’t understand the sense of urgency that was filling her with dread.
“I’ve waited years to get you in my bed, so I can wait one more night to make it good for you.”
Penni laid her head on his chest. “I can’t change your mind?”
“You can, but Ice will change it back if I keep him waiting much longer.”
Penni sighed, giving him a parting kiss.
“You going to dream about me?”
“I don’t have dreams,” she confessed.
“Everyone has dreams. You must not remember when you wake up.”
“I don’t.” Penni shrugged.
It was when she had heard children describe their dreams or nightmares in school that she had realized how unusual it was not to have them.
“You won’t have that problem after tomorrow night. I’m going to make your first time so memorable you’ll dream about it every night.”
Penni burst out laughing. Slapping her hand over her mouth, she turned toward the house to make sure she hadn’t woken the others up. When she turned back toward Jackal, she could make out his scar in the darkness. She thought his powerful silhouette seemed more sinister than what most women would consider dream-worthy.
“Maybe you’ll be the one dreaming of me.”
“Babe, that’s nothing new. I dream of you every night.”
28
Ice was waiting for him at the picnic tables. The front door was being guarded by two of Viper’s men, while Ice had offered to watch the back.
“What do you think?” Ice asked at his approach.
Jackal knew something was wrong when Ice had told him he wanted to talk where no one could hear them.
“I think it’s a little convenient that they managed to rig the gas when no one was watching. Viper installed security cameras when Genny was at work after she refused to move into the clubhouse.”
“Viper said he checked the security camera. Whoever it was came in through a window. They managed to avoid the security camera and knew to set the fire when Greer and Genny left the house.”
“Someone’s feeding them information.”
“Yeah.” Ice sat down on top of the picnic table.
“Any idea who?”
“No, and neither does Viper. This place is as tight a drum. Viper said his club in Ohio is, too.”
The men remained silent, staring into the dark night. Jackal speculated on who would have the opportunity to know exactly when Genny was going to the store.
“I’ll talk to her in the morning. She cooks breakfast for the men,” Jackal informed.
“Viper’s checking everyone’s cell phone, but it’s going to take a couple days to get the information.”
“We don’t have two days.” The person who had leaked the information of Genny going to the grocery store was a time bomb. The details provided could prove to be fatal to another member, either in Treepoint, Ohio, or Queen City. Jackal didn’t want to take that chance.
“No. The cartel wants Hennessy dead. To them, he stole their drugs without any intention of paying. Then, when they used the Unjust Soldiers to get them back, The Last Riders succeeded in taking out more of their men than they expected. It was the final nail in his coffin.”
Jackal sighed. “I told Hennessy to walk away from DJ.”
“He didn’t listen to your advice any more than when I told you the same thing about Hennessy.”
“Hennessy’s a good enough leader that he can turn the Road Kingz into a club to be reckoned with. I didn’t want him holding the grudge against the Predators for throwing him out. I still don’t.”
“If we don’t stop the cartel, you’re not going to have to worry about Hennessy much longer.”
Jackal raked his hair back.
Ice rested a booted foot on one of the picnic benches. “It has to be one of the women.”
“Why?” Jackal asked.
“Genny doesn’t talk to any of the men except Lucky, and I trust him.”
“I do, too.”
“Which means one of the women sold The Last Riders out.”
“Maybe no money was involved,” Jackal suggested.
Ice gave a whistle. “Cade said they use any means necessary to get what they want.”
“I’ll ask Shade to get information on them, but I already know he won’t tell me. He’ll recheck them himself. I can use my connections, but again, that takes time.”
“When you want information from a woman, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
Jackal nodded, his mind going back to last night when Penni had told him that being with another woman was a deal breaker.
“Rider told me the women can’t be with a man who doesn’t belong to The Last Riders. The one I can talk into breaking their oath will be the one betraying the club.”
“Bingo.”
“Fuck me,” Jackal cursed.
Ice stood up, smacking him on the back. “Sorry, but the sooner, the better. Whichever bitch is doing it could get us all killed.”
“When Penni finds out, I’ll wish I were dead.”
“Not many men would complain about putting their dick on the line for their club.”
“Stump could do it.”
“You want to put your faith in Stump? He’s more likely to get us killed before the cartel has a chance.”
Stump loved to fuck, and women smelled it on him. He could talk a woman out of her panties with her husband within earshot. The man had caused more fights than any other man in the club. There were always numerous boyfriends or husbands who had come searching for revenge, and because he loved to fight as much as he loved to fuck, he usually ended up behind bars for a couple months out of the year. The only reason he hadn’t been on the wrong end of a bullet was his connection to the Predators.
