Dirty Deals by Nicole James Page 0,42

brought her back. She was shocked to discover I was very much alive. I spent a long time recovering, but I made it.”

“Oh, my God.”

He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my wrist. “That was a long time ago. When I told you about her before, didn’t see the need to go into all this, so I skated over most of it.”

“What happened to the girl? You said the club found her and brought her back.”

“She vowed she was innocent. By then she’d hooked up with a member of the Evil Dead MC in Alabama. He came and offered evidence she wasn’t involved. It was a mess, but I saw the truth. I let her go. She’s with that guy now, and they have a kid.” He shrugs. “She’s happy. I’ve moved on. Some shit just isn’t meant to be, ya know?”

I nod, because I don’t know what else to do. I can tell she meant something to him, and it bothers me more than I want to admit. I feel the cold fingers of jealousy wrapping around my heart, and I hate that. I don’t want to feel jealous, because that means I’m starting to let my heart get involved.

I reach up and brush the pad of my thumb over his lower lip. He looks vulnerable, and I know it’s strange to describe this man in those terms, but he does. I lean over him and kiss his lips. He seems uncertain for a moment, before his hand cups the back of my head and his fingers lace through my hair. He takes my kiss and before long it’s not enough. He rolls me to my back, moving over me.

It’s several more orgasms before he lets me sleep.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Rusty—

I must have dozed off, because something makes me jerk awake. I curl at the spine, lifting my head off the pillow. Moonlight streams in through the lace curtains. Ashlynn lies on her side, turned away from me, the sheet draped over both of us. I’m not sure what woke me, but I swear it was a sound. I grab my phone off the nightstand and peer at the time. One a.m. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and sit, running a hand through my hair. I yawn and realize I could go for a smoke. I pull my jeans on and grab my cigarettes. I pad to the kitchen and flick the light switch. Nothing happens. I flip it on and off. I glance to the microwave, but it’s dark. I pull the fridge and its dark too. Fuck. The power’s out. I pull my phone from my pocket and flip on the flashlight app. I locate the fuse box just inside the back door. I flip the breakers off and on but still no power.

I frown. We didn’t have a storm.

I pad through the house and out onto the front porch. It’s warm outside, and I know without the a/c the house will soon heat up, too. I shake out a cigarette and dip my head to light it. When I lift my head to exhale, I notice the house down the road has a porch light on. I glance the other way. I can see a garage up on the rise, and it’s got a light shining above the door as well.

I take a drag, wondering why we’ve lost power here. I move to the driveway side and see the utility light up on the pole is lit. So, it must be just the house, because the wire from the road to that light still works. Odd.

I take a drag and sit in a rocker. It’s quiet as hell out here. I check my phone and see that Jammer texted about ten minutes ago. I frown, at first thinking maybe that’s what woke me, but it hasn’t been ten minutes. Whatever woke me was not that long ago.

I read his text. He, Quick, Bandit, and Gypsy are at the Cadillac Club. Wants to know if I’m coming out.

I grin and exhale a stream of smoke at the sky.

Standing, I slip the phone in my pocket and move to the side of the porch to pitch my cigarette butt into the driveway. As I do, the post near my head explodes as a bullet hits it. I duck and see a dark shadow dash around the corner toward the back door.

Out of reflex, my hand lifts toward my shoulder for the gun that