The man at the front of the stage who was pouring the water over the women’s bodies wasn’t given the chance to douse her. Jackal’s cruel visage had him handing the water hose over. She was so preoccupied with the freezing water hitting her body she didn’t have time to be embarrassed. The other women had been hit with the water on their breasts or pussy. Jackal aimed at the top of her shorts. Her breasts were still wet, but she wasn’t hit full force the way the other women had been.
Jackal jerked his head toward the crowd, reminding her of the reason for making a fool of herself.
She swayed toward the front of the stage, carefully scanning the audience for Striker.
Please be here, Penni pleaded to whatever powers in the universe that were listening as she tried to take her mind off the cold water. Of course, she didn’t hold out much hope anyone was listening with the loud music playing.
Her eyes were shifting from the middle of the crowd when she saw him. Excited, she turned toward Jackal.
“He’s over there, standing with the bikers with the orange happy faces on their jackets.”
Jackal immediately handed the water hose back to the biker he had taken from then took out his cell phone from his jacket. “You sure?”
“Yes.” Penni could barely answer him through her chattering teeth. She moved toward the steps off the stage as he talked to whomever was on the other end.
“Not yet.” Jackal blocked her before she could reach them. “What is he wearing?”
She had been so busy looking for his hair she hadn’t noticed his clothes. Penni turned to look again, but could not find him. She wanted to scream and cry at the same time. Where had he—
Then she saw him again when one of the men he was standing next to moved.
“He’s wearing an orange T-shirt—” Before she could say anything else, Jackal was leading her down the steps.
Cruz appeared.
“Take her to the hotel room,” Jackal ordered, wrapping a large towel around her shoulder that he had taken from a stack by the steps.
“Did you see him?”
Penni grabbed a handful of his leather jacket before he could leave, excited that her ordeal was almost over.
“I saw him, baby. Get changed. When I get back, I’ll take you home.”
Penni lowered her lashes so he couldn’t see the happy tears in her eyes.
“No way. I used to envy anyone who rode a motorcycle. From now on, my ass is only sitting in a car.”
13
Where is he? Penni had expected Jackal back an hour ago.
She sat there, staring blankly at the television screen, not watching the movie she had turned on to fill the silence in the room.
She turned and jumped up when heard the door open, her expectant smile dying as she saw Cruz in the doorway instead of Jackal.
“Hennessy wants you.”
Confused, she slid her bare feet into her tennis shoes. “Where’s Jackal?”
“He’s waiting, too.”
She wouldn’t find anything out being stuck in the hotel room. It wasn’t like she had a choice, anyway. Therefore, Penni went with Cruz, climbing onto his bike sitting outside the door.
The streets were strangely quiet as they passed the businesses that had been busy just an hour ago. Where were all the bikers in the bars? Her silent questions went unanswered as Cruz’s bike rode outside the city.
Penni began to feel afraid. Had Hennessy decided to kill her after all and bury her body in the desert?
As they rode, Penni saw the orange glow of a huge fire in the sky. Cruz slowed his speed, and Penni was able to see motorcycles parked in front of a huge bonfire.
Cruz maneuvered his bike through the swarming crowd. Relieved, she saw Jackal sitting on his bike with Hennessy and the Road Kingz. After they were parked next to Jackal, she leaped off Cruz’s bike, anxious to go home. At this point, she was even willing to ride Jackal’s bike to Queen City.
“Are you ready to leave?”
Penni didn’t like the grim expression on Jackal’s face as she eagerly came to a stop next to his motorcycle. Hennessy didn’t appear to be in a better mood than Jackal.
“There’s been a snag,” Jackal confirmed the dread she had been feeling when she had seen the Road Kingz stop talking when they had spotted her.
“I don’t care. You told me that, if I found Striker, you would let me leave. I’m holding you to your word. I want to leave now!” Penni demanded, facing Hennessy, her hands clenched on her hips, trying not to strike him. His men would probably kill her for disrespect, but Penni was at the point of not caring.
Jackal reached out, lifting her off her feet to sit sideways across the front of his bike. “Penni, I know you’re upset. Calm down and take a deep breath. It’s almost over. We only have one thing left to do, and Hennessy said we can ride out of here tonight.”
Penni clenched her jaw shut, unconsciously leaning back against Jackal’s chest.
“We talked to Striker. Unfortunately, he found another buyer.” Hennessy’s face looked so angry it was frightening. “Since he already took our money and doesn’t want to give me the product he has for sale, we’re at a stalemate.”
“What does this have to do with me? I can’t make him—”
“Yes, you can. I mentioned your connection to The Last Riders. Evidently, Striker has heard of them.”
Penni felt the angry flush heat her cheeks. She tried to pull away from Jackal. “Who told you about The Last Riders?”
“I did,” Jackal admitted. “I had to give him a reason to keep you alive. You might not have figured it out yet, but Hennessy doesn’t really like you.”
“Really? Let me tell you how I feel about him.” Penni shot her tennis shoes out, trying to kick him.
Jackal slid his hand intimately down her thigh, forcing her to stop kicking out. Cruz, who had made the mistake of stepping in between Hennessy and her when she had lashed out, found himself doubled over in pain.
“I’m killing the fucking bitch …”
Penni found that funny since he was still unable to move.
“Touch me, motherfucker, and—”
“You two shut the hell up.” Hennessy helped his enforcer stand up. “Take a walk,” he continued when Cruz managed to move. “Your brother teach you that language?”
“No, his friend Knox did. Want to meet him?”
While Knox and Hennessy were the same size and both shared the same lack of hair, Penni bet on Knox beating the shit out of him. Knox would jerk one of those diamond earrings out of Hennessy’s ear and use it as a tongue ring. The thought had her twitching in humor, making the men believe she had lost her mind.
“I’ll pass. The Last Riders might have everyone afraid of them in Kentucky, but I’ll put my money on any of these clubs from California.”
“You’d lose,” Penni confidently contradicted him. “You may not have heard of The Last Riders, but Striker’s heard enough that he’s going to hand over what you’re wanting.”
“That doesn’t mean shit—”
“You two stop arguing. I’d like to enjoy the music before Striker gets here. Cruz, go find us some beers. Hennessy, those bitches over there have been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes.”
Penni refused to look up at Jackal as the men stepped away.
“You cold?”
She remained silent, and Penni heard his sigh above her.
“The silent treatment again?”
She bit down on her lip to keep from replying.
“Your blaming me for Hennessy making you stay?”
This time, she couldn’t hold her tongue. “I blame you for telling him about The Last Riders and for not keeping your promise to get me out of here tonight.”
“Baby, I’m good, but I can’t perform miracles. You might think that Hennessy listens to me and we’re friends, but we’re not. He’s keeping you close because he thinks you’re too much trouble.”
“If he thinks I’m a pain in the
butt now, wait until he meets Shade.”
Penni heard the amusement in his voice when he said, “I don’t think he’s wanting an introduction.”
“He may not have a choice,” she muttered.
His voice became hard as he lifted her chin up so she could see his serious eyes. “Have you managed to contact Shade?”
“Why do you care? I thought you said you’re not his friend.”
“You’re the one I care about,” he said impatiently. “If Shade and The Last Riders show up, I don’t want you hurt if—”
“Shade would make sure I wasn’t hurt. You don’t care about me,” Penni denied his assertion.
“Then why in the fuck am I sitting with you?”
She frowned. “Because of Ice. You’d do anything he told you to do.”
Jackal’s hold loosened, his touch becoming a gentle caress. “Baby, I’m the enforcer, but not even for Ice would I let one of the other men play babysitter.”
“Hennessy has Cruz watching me, and he’s an enforcer.”
Jackal laughed. “Because you’re a lot of trouble, and the Road Kingz don’t know how to handle you. The Predators wouldn’t have the same trouble. Either Stump or Fade would have been able to watch over you.”
Her thoughts became a whirlwind as she tried to think of how she felt about Jackal’s admission.
“So, you like me?” Penni probed.
“Yeah.”
“You like all women.”
“No, I don’t. I have sex with a lot of women; that doesn’t mean I like them all.”
Penni turned her face. She had known that becoming involved with Jackal would be like watching a car wreck in slow motion. Now the asshole wanted to give her fair warning that it was going to hurt. No thanks.
When she fell in love, Penni was going to have a love like Shade and Lily shared. It was going to be all or nothing. Whatever Jackal was offering by laying his cards on the table, she was going to walk away with it.
Shade had taught her long ago how to spot a card shark, and Jackal had dealt her a losing hand.
14
“Where are you going?” Jackal caught Penni’s waist as she tried to squirm out of his hold.
“If I have to be here, Cruz can watch me until Striker gets here.”
“What ant crawled in your panties now?”
“You’ve done every woman in King’s club. Grace said the women who hang out at the Predators’ clubhouse joke they should name another day of the week after you. If I say I care, it means something—”
“Really?” Jackal snorted. “I bet Grace couldn’t name one of the women who said I fucked them. Can you name one from King’s club?”
Thinking back, she couldn’t. Mostly, they had stared at him with wishful eyes and veiled assertions of what had taken place with them or other women.
“So, you’re saying you haven’t slept with them all?”
“I’m saying that I don’t keep a fucking roster of how many women I’ve been with. The women I have been involved with all have a good time, and they don’t have to worry about me doing their friends.”
“But when you’re done, you’re done?”
Jackal shook his head. “Not like you’re thinking. We both know when it’s pretty much over and remain friends. I don’t have exes stalking me if that’s what you’re thinking. Has anyone said I lied or cheated or made promises of a future? No, because I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”
Jackal was tired of beating around the bush. “Why was Train’s picture in your bedside table?”
Outraged, Penni straddled his lap and grabbed a handful of his T-shirt. “How do you know what’s in my bedroom?”
Gripping her wrists, Jackal used his chest to push her backward until she lay prone on his motorcycle, her legs wrapped around his waist as she struggled to free herself. He circled each of her wrists and his handlebars, effectively trapping her.
“Why are you so embarrassed? Because I saw Train’s picture or the dildo?”
“When you let me go, I’m going to kill you!” Penni screeched.
“Did you need the dildo because you’re missing him or because you can’t have him?”
Jackal watched her reaction to each of his questions. She was furious. When she returned to Queen City, it was a safe bet she would never go out with him. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
His aching dick was pressed against her pussy. The seam of her jeans beckoned him, and unable to resist, he rotated his hips, hearing a gasp from her lips.
Jackal lowered his mouth to her throat, breathing in her scent.
“Damn, you smell good.”
She snarled up at him. Damn, he liked a woman with some fire in her blood. Penni was like no woman he had ever known, though. Every time he was near her, he was like a blind man gifted with sight, unable to see anyone but her. Only Penni.
“If I kiss you, are you going to bite me again?”
“Try it and find out for yourself!”
Jackal curled his lips up into a smile against the curve of her throat.
“No thanks. I’ll try my luck somewhere else.” He pressed a kiss to the hollow of her throat, flicking out his tongue to taste her. She tasted as good as she smelled, like peaches on a warm summer day.
She reminded him of when he had been a little boy and stayed with his grandparents for the summers in Georgia. They had an orchard of peaches, and he would help pick them. At that age, he had eaten more than he had picked, loving the velvet texture as he bit into one and the sweet flesh inside.
Sliding his lips upward, he nibbled on her earlobe. “Kiss me back.”
“Kiss my ass.”
“Don’t tempt me.” Staring into her eyes, he let her see how much he wanted her.
He was a Predator by name and nature. The brothers would mock him if they saw him appearing vulnerable. Sometimes, however, the predator became the prey.
Risking the chance of receiving another scar, he lowered his mouth to her lips. It would be worth the pain to taste her.
It was a mixture of heaven and hell. While Penni’s warm mouth was better than any woman he had kissed before, the knowledge that he might never taste her again was torture.
Step by step, he had led her to discover that he could give her what she needed. He could handle the fire inside her.
Using his tongue to rub against hers, he then twisted hers, leading her into his mouth. Her passion built as she lifted her hips up, pressing against the bulge of his dick behind his jeans.
Jackal was the one who broke off the kiss, pressing his forehead against hers.
“What’s wrong?” Penni’s raspy voice nearly had him coming in his jeans.
“I have to catch my breath.”
“Have you caught it yet?”
He raised up enough to stare down at her. “I have the feeling I’m never going to be able to catch it whenever you kiss me.”
She strained at his hold on her wrists. Releasing her, he expected her to smack him, but unexpectedly, she pressed her hands on each side of his face. Her blue eyes stared at him as if she didn’t see his scarred cheek.
“You have to remember to breathe through your nose.”
“I know how to kiss.”
“It was just a suggestion.”
Clearly, his kiss hadn’t rocked her world. Jackal could understand why her many relationships had failed. Penni’s abrasive attitude was a cock blocker. No normal man wanted his ego ripped to shreds. Fortunately, he wasn’t normal, and his ego could take it. She might twist his guts into knots, but like the kiss, he would risk it. He wasn’t afraid of pain.
He wanted to start his motorcycle and ride until no one could find them. The loud noises from the crowd were a distraction he didn’t want. He didn’t want anything to take away from this moment …
“You’re going to have to save this for later,” Hennessy interrupted.
Jackal groaned, lifting his head. Licking his bottom lip, he imprinted her pliant image
in his mind then helped her to straighten. She sat mutely, not butting in as Hennessy motioned for the Road Kingz to surround them. That’s a first, Jackal thought sardonically, not expecting it to last.
The dangerous tension spread among them. Cruz, as Hennessy’s enforcer, took his flank. Jackal was impressed as he maneuvered the Road Kingz so bystanders wouldn’t be able to see what was taking place from within the enclosed circle.
“If anything goes down, stick to me. Got me?”
“Okay.”
He was so proud when Penni didn’t show the fear she must be feeling.
Cruz stepped in to allow Striker to enter the circle then closed ranks, preventing prying eyes from watching.
Jackal stood in front of Penni, his hand riding low at his back, under his jacket and on the handle of his Glock. Any move that threatened Penni, he would drop Striker, regardless if Hennessy’s life depended on him.
“Where’s my money?” Hennessy demanded.
“I don’t have it.”
“Then there better be smack in that duffle bag.” Hennessy raised his T-shirt, showing the Glock tucked into the waist of his jeans.
“How do I know you won’t kill me as payback for DJ?
“You’re lucky that you’re not already dead.” Hennessy’s unfeeling voice had Striker’s eyes flickering over the men surrounding him.
“I didn’t lay a hand on him. I went to take a piss, and when I came out, Ricky had killed him.” He leaned sideways so that he could see Penni. “The bitch will tell you that I’m telling the truth.”
Hennessy turned so he could keep his eyes on Striker and Penni.
“That true?”
Jackal knew Hennessy was playing with Striker. Penni had already told him Ricky was responsible for DJ’s death.
“Tell him!” Striker demanded urgently.
Jackal hid his smile when Penni kept him waiting. Finally, when he rocked nervously back and forth on his feet, as if he were about to piss himself, she spoke.
“Why should I? You didn’t care that you were leaving me to get raped and killed.”
“He would have killed me, too!” Sighing and turning away from Penni, Striker dropped the duffel bag in front of Hennessy. “It’s all there. We good?”