Chapter Sixteen

Vivi

There were a dozen bikes parked outside of Jag’s house, which meant just one thing: a meeting of the Reckless Bastards going on inside. I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I was pretty sure it had something to do with Vigo Rizzoli. I fucking hated giving Jag that info but he was the only one who could decide how to fight. Whether to fight.

Of course he would fight. They all would. And someone might die. I just hoped it wasn’t Jag. Since I had no control over any of that, I focused on the layout of Siren Casino and Resort. Blaise’s campaign had reserved the grand ballroom but a prominent billionaire had paid the tab. Charitable donation, my ass. Still it was good to know where he would be and when because it gave me time to plot my revenge. Even if I wasn’t around to enjoy it, that motherfucker would know.

“Pack a bag Vivi!” Jag pounded on my door. “Be quick!”

I rolled my eyes and continued to eye the blueprints. Drake Foster had good cyber security at his place. It just wasn’t good enough. Getting in had been easy and so far, no one had been alerted that there was a breach in security. “Where am I going?”

I jumped a little when Jag’s hand smacked the door again. “Dammit, Vivi.”

I took a few screen grabs of the blueprints and shut my computer before opening the door. Lasso stood behind him but I fixed my glare just on Jag. “I am not a child, Jag. Don’t bark orders at me. Tell me what’s going on.”

He sighed and stepped up, getting in my space until I backed away. “Me and Cross need to go take care of some things and I can’t leave you alone. I won’t,” he amended to stop me from arguing.

“Where am I going? Exactly, Jag.”

“Lasso’s place. His wife is pregnant so he’s staying behind and—”

“I don’t think so. Fuck that.”

“Aw, c’mon sugar. I thought we were gettin’ along,” Lasso said.

I groaned. “You’re fine, cowboy. But you have a pregnant wife at home and I have people trying to kill me. Do I really need to do the math for you?”

He frowned and stepped into the camper to scowl at me, shrinking the space even further. “You sayin’ I can’t take care of you and my wife?”

“I’m saying the people who are after me won’t give a shit if she’s pregnant and has nothing to do with this.” I turned away and grabbed another pair of jeans and stuffed some other junk into a bag. “I’ll stay someplace else but not with you and not with anyone else. Enough people are in danger already.”

Jag butted in about then. “Dammit, Vivi, don’t make this difficult. Just go with Lasso. He’ll keep you safe. Hang out with Rocky and let her feed you. It’s one fuckin’ night.”

“Don’t use reason to sway me, damn you.”

He laughed and I rolled my eyes. “If anything happens, you protect her first. I can handle myself, contrary to what some people around here think.” I aimed that barb at Jag.

He stepped forward. “Vivi, I know you can handle yourself.”

I turned to Lasso. “Give us a minute.”

He nodded and stepped out, saying, “Grab your helmet ‘cause I didn’t bring an extra one.”

Jag pulled the door shut. “Vivi, I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself but if you think for one second these guys will come at you one at a time, you’re wrong. Plus I won’t be any good to my club, or my brothers knowing you’re here on your own.”

“You don’t fight fair.”

He flashed his beautiful smile again. It always made my tongue tingle with a desire to get a taste of it.

“No, I don’t. But I need to be able to focus. I need you to go with Lasso.”

“Fine. I’ll go.” I didn’t want Jag or any of his friends getting hurt because he was worried about me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“We won’t. This is just a pickup but we’re going through some unfriendly areas. I’ll be back tomorrow in time for a late dinner.” Jag hesitated for a second, but his mouth was on mine again and all I could think about was this man. Everything about him was good and I wondered if I could ever live in his world.

Plus he was sexy as hell, and those taut muscles were a personal weakness of mine. Just like the man, his kisses electrified my senses like they were being caressed by live wire.

“I already said I’d go, but I’m not above a little bribery now and again.”

He smirked. “Good to know.” When he stepped back my body rejected the cool air and the distance now between us. “See you soon, Vivi. Be good.”

“Why would I when it’s so much fun being bad?”

***

“It’s official,” Rocky said giving me one of her infectious laughs. “Any woman who can scare that big cowboy into hiding is my new favorite person.”

Rocky was a sassy redhead who talked like a cheerleader and dressed like a hippie. When I arrived last night she refused to let me wallow in my sullen mood, using compliments and then insults to get me to talk to her. She hadn’t stopped talking since.

“He’s not scared of me, just tired of my bitching. Not that I’m not appreciative of your hospitality or anything because I am. It’s just that, I don’t really stay at people’s houses.”

She blinked big green eyes and sat back, rubbing her belly. “Never? Not even a girlfriend or anything?”

“Nope. I left home when I was a kid and used my computer skills to get an apartment and pay my bills, which meant I didn’t have time for things like girlfriends and sleepovers.” I was glad Rocky didn’t look at me with pity because I hated that.

“So how’d you meet Jag? Lasso said you were his online girlfriend.”

That pulled a laugh out of me. “That’s how he would put it but we were just friends. We met online and talked and chatted. Only online. I met him for the first time now, when I got to Vegas.”

“That’s so cool. I don’t have any friends from Florida. I was too busy helping my dad plan bank robberies.”

Even though I could hear the pain in her voice, the wistfulness for a different, more idyllic childhood, I didn’t pity her. She’d moved past it and made a life for herself.

“Not as cool as it sounds, right?”

“Too right.” She stood and rubbed her belly. “Hungry?”

“Uh yeah, but I’m pretty sure you should be lying in a bed surrounded by pillows. Sit down, I can do it.”

“You cook too?” she said, heading for the kitchen and unloading the refrigerator.

I frowned at the disbelief in her voice. “I can’t cook? I can read instructions and follow them better than anyone. Besides I used to dabble in a bit of chemistry.”

“Just remember I got a pregnant nose.”

I didn’t know what the hell that meant but I stood and stared at all the things Rocky had lined up on the counter. “I take it that you can have all of these things on the counter?”

“Yep.”

I diced mushrooms and onions and peppers, whipped up eggs and slid bacon into the oven. It was a mechanical sort of activity, cooking. The perfect thing to do when I needed to stop thinking and just let my mind work in the background on a solution. “Sorry, I’m not a chatty cooker.”

“That’s okay. Are you really a badass hacker babe? Lasso’s words, not mine.”

Lasso was such a guy’s guy, so alpha yet so well-meaning it was hard to take offense. “I wouldn’t say I’m any of those things. But I do have mad computer skills that I use for good and for evil, but not too evil and only if the price is right.” I shook my head as an ironic laugh bubbled out of me. “And to think, it’s not the shady jobs that sent me on the run. How’d you end up with a cowboy biker?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Actually, it was a one night stand. He was in San Diego for a wedding and I was catering the reception. He was charming and stepped in when a few of my ex’s goons got a bit too handsy. One thing led to another and we had the most amazing night together. Like you, I ran to him when trouble fell in my lap.”

Damn. That was kind of cool but when I thought about what that could possibly mean for me, I froze. “Good for you,” I said uncomfortably.

Like she’d read my mind she breezed on. “It might not happen, but I’m pretty sure it will,” she said with a smug smile. “Lasso’s never seen Jag serious about a girl. A woman, sorry.”

“Jag isn’t serious about me, Rocky. We’re old friends and he’s a good guy who wants to help me out. If anything, he probably feels bad that he ghosted me.” Which was something I needed to keep in mind whenever my thoughts became a little too fanciful.

Rocky gave me a side-eye and said, “I don’t think so, but I can see you’re hardheaded. Plus I’m hardly going to lecture someone who took my weak ass breakfast and turned it into a feast. Me and baby thank you.” She dug in before I could even grab a chair, but I wasn’t judging. Sharing meals with another person was a rarity, so I tried to enjoy it.

“Not a feast. Eat up.”

She picked up her phone, typed a message and put it down before picking up her fork. “Your eggs are way fluffier than mine. What did you add?”

“Salt and pepper. I just cooked them on a lower heat so they get fluffy as they cook instead of flat.”

The bedroom door opened down the hall and Lasso’s heavy footsteps sounded on the floor. “Somebody said breakfast?”

“Have a seat. Look at all this food Vivi made for us! The baby is super happy!” Rocky even did a little dance as she ate, wiggling her hips with each bite.

“Thanks. You didn’t poison mine did you?”

“I didn’t have time to pack it on such short notice.”

He stared at me and then burst out laughing. “Yeah, you’re exactly what a serious dude like Jag needs.”

“I’m not what anybody needs.” I stabbed my eggs and ignored the stares between him and Rocky. “We used to be friends, that’s it.”

“Bullshit. But you’re scared, I get it. I was too, that’s why I married my baby before she could run away. Didn’t fall for her until later.”

Rocky frowned. “I thought you said you fell in love with me in San Diego?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Of course I did, babe. But later, when we were running for our lives that love changed. Grew up. Matured. My point, Vivi, is that you should be scared. Love is serious business.”

“Who the hell said anything about love?” I stood and got more coffee. “Just because you’re all coupled up and happy doesn’t mean everyone is headed that way. I have work to do.” With that, I stormed into the guest room feeling like a fucking child.

A petulant child.