Hade watched his one-night stand lick her finger. What she did with that tongue of hers was dangerous. Everyone else seemed to have decided she was his already. His dick was certainly in on that conversation. Hade shifted a little as it nudged against the seam of his leathers, thickened from the sight of her sucking back the last of her tequila.

So? So what? He wasn’t going to do anything about it. Couldn’t.

Couldn’t or shouldn’t?

It was the same thing, wasn’t it? Leaders were always single and he was going to head the gang. His brother made him swear to it and would have killed him if he didn’t focus on making it happen. Of course, his brother wasn’t going to actually do much about anything anymore now he was six feet under. Hade felt the sharp tug of darkness behind his eyes that always washed over him when he thought about his brother’s death.

At least he’d be able to make a few changes if he was in charge. Cut out the drug shit for starters. Completely. Jason had been in a deal gone bad when he’d caught the wrong end of a bullet with his neck. Fucking waste. Fucking stupid thing to be shot over, too, as far as Hade was concerned. Drug money always ended up being more than just drug money. Blood, shit, and greed money was more like it. It might be profitable, but running coke like his brother had was stupid and dangerous. Hell’s didn’t need it. Didn’t need it and, when Hade was in charge, weren’t going to have it. They had a line on property “investments” and protection that was about to bring in big cash.

“Heads-up.”

Hade looked up as even more Hell’s Boys entered the bar. “We expecting a quorum or something? What the fuck?”

Then Rocco stood up on a table and Hade tried not to groan. He wasn’t ready for the spotlight. Not yet. He wanted a few more weeks. Looking over at Lee he saw her eyes taking everything in and then zeroing back to him. Her smile said she knew what he was thinking and promised to make it all better. She couldn’t know any of his fears, but in her eyes he saw her assure him that she’d smooth away his hatred of public speaking and reward him for stepping up anyway. Her look brought on a shiver that laced its way up his skin. She might be a party girl, but that one was sharp lady. Sharp, smart, and hella sexy.

“Shut up,” Rocco bellowed and the noise died away, all eyes on the gray-haired biker. “I don’t know whether it’s something in the water, or someone has decided to do a secret recruitment mission and not tell me about it, but there’s a shitload of you now. And rather than wonder about how to stop all of you fuckers getting into the sort of trouble that gives me a headache, I’m letting Hade deal with it. I’ll still head the gang and if you decide you really need to kill someone, for fuck’s sake talk to me about it first. But all the shitty day-to-day stuff, you can talk to him about. Hade . . .”

Rocco stepped down and Hade realized with a start that was it. That was all the introduction he was going to get. He glanced over at the bar and saw both Briony and Lee give him a slow nod. Huh. Briony, he’d known since they were kids. She was always going to be on his side, but Lee? If she was looking for a place to hide amongst the Hell’s Boys, she had reason enough to back him, but he didn’t know what her motivations were. And that made him nervous.

He didn’t bother getting up on the table; all eyes were on him anyway. “Yeah. Well. What he said,” Hade managed, to a great roar of laughter. Turning toward the bar he stopped and straightened. Fuck it. “First order of business,” he said, turning back to face the gang, “is to make up for what one of you dickwads did last week. Stealing cash from St. Catherine’s was a shit idea. You don’t crap in your own nest, and when I find out who did, well, we’ll have a little chat. And before you ask, your jacket was caught on camera, even if your face wasn’t. Take this as a warning. But seeing as the school’s fund-raising cash has been lifted by one of us, the rest of us are going to pay it back. Legit. It has to be green cash, on the books, ’cause it’s a school and all that. So someone think of a way to raise cash that doesn’t involve stealing it.” He paused, glaring around to see if anyone had a guilty look. Nothing. Oh well. As long as they paid the money back.

“You’re joking right? No one here knows how to make real money,” a voice called from across the room and Hade wasn’t sure who said it. But walking toward the sound, the crowd parted in front of him so he found the culprit easily enough.

“I’m not joking. And if I find out it was you who lifted the cash, first thing I’ll do is sell your bike and use your helmet to redecorate your face. Might do that anyway for being a dick.”

The man shrunk. “We’ll think of something. No probs. I’m on it.”

“Good. You owe me a beer.” And Hade walked back to the bar, not even glancing behind him.

The silence dissolved as people went back to their drinks and pool tables and Briony pushed a chilled glass along the bar toward him. He perched on a stool at the other end from Lee and watched the faces in the crowd while he sipped his drink.

A few men slapped him on the shoulder, but mostly they just gave him a nod if they caught his eye at all. Here we go. Rocco had warned him being a leader was a lonely road. Hade just hadn’t thought through quite how lonely it might turn out. He’d always thought he’d be a more solid type. Have a woman. Be ordinary. Whatever.

Heading up the gang was what was going to happen and he was going to make it work for him. Had to. Sort out the shit with drugs, turn this bag of misfits back into a tighter brotherhood. The gang had raised him and his brother—it was the only family he had—and he was going to make it great again.

A shriek startled him out of his contemplation.

Lee had slapped another woman on the butt and now had most of the gang’s eyes on her ass as she bent over to take a shot. “See, told you I could do it with no hands,” she said triumphantly.

“Never said I didn’t believe you,” the other woman said loudly enough that Hade could hear.

“Nice,” someone behind him muttered.

Nice was right. Girl is hell-bent on stirring you up like a bed of coals and dumping in a quart of diesel.

Lee knocked back another shot and looked around at her audience. “Damn, if you boys don’t make me about as wet as a bucket of water.” She ended the sentence with a wink and then, PING, it was as if a lightbulb shone from her eyes. “That’s how you do it.” She looked straight at Hade. “Get wet. At a car wash. To raise your cash.”

He snorted. “Car wash? I know this is for a school, but I think we’re a bit beyond that sort of shit. Can’t see anyone here doing much for a car except stealing it.” There was a rumble of laughter but all eyes were on the two of them, Hade felt it on his neck.

“You’ll need girls, of course. And lots of hot, soapy, water.”

The way she paused in between each word in her last sentence told Hade exactly what she’d be doing with that hot, soapy water, and holy crap if he didn’t want a private audience. In fact, the thought of her parading, Jessica Simpson style, in front of anyone other than him made his hard-on ache to be put to use between her thighs just to make sure she kept viewing privileges to him only.

“So you’re offering to be the one to get wet on our behalf?”

“Me and some other girls, sure. You’ll need to make sure the water’s good and hot though.”

Staying hot was not an issue. “One problem,” he growled, hoping to keep the lust out of his voice. “Anyone here actually own a car? Think we’d be better off turning this place into a strip joint for a night.” The room fractured into laughter again.

Briony held her hands up. “I love you boys and everything, but you trash my bar and you’re out of a home.”

“Go on, Bri. I’d pay to see you take your shirt off,” came the call from the back of the room.

“Fuck off,” she said. “Nope. Raise your money elsewhere.”

“That’s why you need a car wash.” Lee jumped back in. “And you don’t need to own a car yourself. It’s not for you. No offense but I can’t see anyone here getting out their checkbook for a four-figure tip. No, we take over a downtown lot. Get some A-listers to show up. Surely that won’t be too hard for boys like you. Got anyone in your back pocket?” She licked her lips with that tongue of hers and then gave him a smile. “So? Whatcha think?”

He thought he was going to have to either lock her in a room with his cock for about a week or stick it in a tub of ice, fast. But while her car wash idea seemed a bit soft for the Hell’s Boys, it wasn’t a bad one. They did have a couple celebrities that owed them for not splashing their indiscretions all over the press.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Briony piped up from behind the bar. “Have to be for cars and bikes. Hoods and hogs.” She gave the finger as someone slow-clapped her. “Brad Pitt’s in town this month. And he loves his bike as much as he loves kids. He could be your legit pinup.”

Lee beamed.

“Well then,” Hade said. “Unless anyone has got anything better?” The room was silent. “Fuck. I can’t believe we’ve stooped to washing cars. But I guess that settles it. You and you,” he pointed at his two riding buddies, “get the venue sorted. And you,” he pointed to another member, “find an A-lister who owes us. Make it someone who rides a bike for God’s sake. And I’m sure you ladies can rustle up some friends?” he said to the women at the bar.

“I’ll help,” piped up Lee.

He grunted assent to her perky offer. “Next week. Let’s make it happen, people.”