Chapter Four
Rem
I came out of my office to get some air. My head hurt from trying to concentrate with little success. I thought encasing myself in a windowless room with a small lamp would help banish Isabel from my mind. No luck.
Every other thought was of her, from her dusty pink bow lips, to her perfect hourglass shape. Damn, the more I thought about it I realized that her body was my exact type. She was short, making her easy to control and maneuver in bed. Her body had all the curves of woman but was still thin and healthy. She would be light in my arms but not so fragile that I would hurt her with my rough wants.
Damn it, quit thinking about her.
Maybe I just felt guilty. I’m not sure why I was so harsh with her this morning. The girl was obviously frightened and looking for reassurance, but I just couldn't bring myself to be nice. At the time, I thought that I was teaching her a lesson. Now it felt more like pushing a pretty girl on the playground.
I turned the corner to find Sophie blocking my path.
"A word, VP?" she asked sweetly.
"What's up, Soph?" I didn’t want to talk to her, but she was the first lady of this club. This may be a male only club, but I knew better than to disrespect the queen.
"I just want you to know that I'll be taking Izzy to the doctor tomorrow and we'll probably need an escort."
"Fine. Get Skinny." I turned to leave but then stopped. "Why does she need to go to the doctor?"
"She needs birth control,” she said simply.
"What?"
"You know the drill. All the girls have to take it." The Aces had a strict policy about protected sex, and everyone was subject to testing regularly. But the Hearts also took birth control as an extra precaution.
"But she isn't going to be having sex, so what’s the point?" Did Isabel want to be a real Heart? That shit ain’t happening.
She crossed her arms and gave me a smirk. "It’s better to be safe."
Damn woman! I couldn’t read minds, but that smirk meant something. "What are you saying?"
"You'll thank me later." With that, she walked away.
Jordan held the door for her as she went back to the bar. “Vixen,” he said with a flirty smile.
“Stud,” she responded as she passed him.
Jordan walked toward me. “You ready? Hawk and Max are right behind me.”
“Yeah,” I said. I needed to get my head in the game and off Isabel. What she did with her body was none of my concern. But that body…
I shook my head and started walking. It was time for our meeting to discuss the shadier parts of the Aces’ business.
Jordan and I headed into the chapel where Greyson was talking on the phone. We grabbed a couple of chairs next to him.
“Did Hawk already do a sweep?” I asked.
Jordan just nodded. Hawk always swept the room for electronic devices before he met. Call it paranoia but it was better to be safe than in jail.
“Your mother already said no. End of discussion. I have to go.” Greyson hung up and gave a frustrated growl before rubbing his eyes.
“Sarah?” I asked.
He looked at me with an exhausted expression. “Damn girl is out of control. I swear she needs a couple of wranglers.”
Just then, Max and Hawk came in, looking relaxed and ready to do business. I wondered which one of the hang-arounds they’d convinced to take them both on last night. Max and Hawk had a thing about sharing women that I didn’t quite understand. Sure, I’ve shared occasionally as a novelty, but I prefer to have a woman all to myself. I want her focus all on me. Her hands, her mouth, her warm brown eyes.
Damn it. Just like that, Isabel was back in my brain. How the fuck?
“What you got, Jordan?” I said, ready for some distraction.
“The tip from Ms. Rochester checks out. We have someone trying to sneak under the radar in our territory.”
From Fargo to Rapid City, the Aces controlled all illegal activity. If the club wasn’t running it, then we were providing protection for a cut of profits. Max liked to call those small operations the club’s “renters”. The territory was the club’s property, and the others had to pay to use it. Those not approved were shut down immediately. Some thought they could keep it hidden, but we had our ways. Well, more accurately, Jordan had his ways.
“With what?” Greyson asked.
“Meth.”
“And who are the little entrepreneurs?”
Jordan looked to Hawk who did the physical reconnaissance. “Looks to be mostly skin heads and wannabe Aryan soldiers. They are operating out of a chicken farm near Water Lake.”
I appreciated their choice. A chicken farm was out of the way, and the odors would mask the smell of cooking.
“According to the county, it is owned by Jaser and Whickets LLC out of Iowa.”
“Which is Snakes territory?” I asked. The Covenant members controlled most of the Midwest, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Snakes were trying to earn their place among us with meth.
Jordan shrugged. “Possibly, but I couldn’t find any real connection to them.”
“You get the lay of the place?” Greyson asked.
Hawk gave a simple nod with his arms crossed.
“Okay. Let’s send them a fruit basket.” When no one objected, Greyson added, “And bring Duncan along on the delivery. He seems eager to get his hands dirty.”
I smiled. We’ll show the boy a good time.
We took another hour to sort the details and discuss the usual runs. As we stood to leave Greyson said, “And, Rem, don’t forget to prep Izzy and the boys for the party tomorrow night.”
Shit.