“We’re five minutes away.” Jackal raised his voice so Penni could hear him above the wind. He felt her perk up at his back.

He was as relieved as she was. If her ass was as numb as his was, she was going to be in bad shape. Should he offer to massage it for her? He laughed, knowing she couldn’t hear him. Since the first night they had stopped, he had made sure to treat her the same way he had seen her girlfriends behave when they were together.

Suspicious at first, she had gradually become more comfortable around him. Riding a motorcycle practically nonstop would do that for you, Jackal thought sardonically. He didn’t know why he hadn’t tried the friend trap before.

Parking his bike next to Cruz, Jackal helped Penni off. When she would have fallen, Jackal caught her by the waist.

“Thank you.”

Jackal kept her at arm’s length, solicitously releasing her as soon as she caught her balance.

“You’re welcome.”

He was wound so tightly from being near Penni it was everything he could do not to throw her down on the nearest bed. Jesus, he was being a fucking saint. The Road Kingz and the Predators would laugh their asses off at the dick-less way he was treating her. He was doing everything but painting her fingernails. He had never put so much work into getting a bitch in his bed, and he couldn’t explain to himself why he was now.

He had learned at an early age not to become a dependent on a particular woman. Jackal’s father had beaten that into him when his mother had left.

His mother had disappeared one day when he had gone to school. At eight years old, he had waited for her to come back. His father had told him that she wasn’t going to, that she had taken off with another man. Jackal hadn’t believed him at first. Then, as the days and months had passed, he had finally accepted that she wasn’t returning.

His father hadn’t seemed to miss her. Women would show up and stay a day or two then leave after an argument. Jackal was ten when he had begun calling him the nickname his drinking buddies called him. Bulldog had been waiting for him one day after school. From his furious expression, Jackal had known he was going to get a beating.

He had received a letter from school that he had been late three times. It hadn’t been surprising since Jackal had been the only one responsible for getting himself dressed and walking to school since he had usually missed the school bus. It had been a blessing in disguise when Bulldog had broken his arm. An ER physician had reported his father to the cops, and Jackal had been placed in foster care. It had taken Bulldog three months to get custody back. What had followed were years of being in and out of foster care. Then, when the beatings had become severe enough to send him back to the ER, Jackal had asked his father why he had even bothered to get him back from foster care. His answer had run chills down his back.

“I made sure that bitch you called a mother didn’t take you when she tried to leave me, and I’m fucking sure as shit not letting you leave me unless you’re in a casket.”

Bulldog had done his damnedest to keep his word. The scar that marked his face was the reason his father had received a prison sentence that was almost over.

“We’re not going to a hotel?”

“No, Hennessy wants to take a break.”

“Don’t make me regret my decision to let you take her in with us,” Hennessy warned.

Jackal wrapped his arm around Penni’s waist as they walked toward the restaurant to keep her from replying to Hennessy’s warning.

The town was filled with motorcycle clubs showing off during the Spring Rally. Several bikers eyed them as they neared the doorway of the restaurant, but none of them spoke. Jackal wondered which of their group they were most cautious of starting a fight with: his scarred face was a hostile mask; Hennessy’s height easily towered over the rest of them; and Cruz at the rear was no slouch, his muscular build drawing their attention.

Inside, Jackal led Penni to a booth near the front door. She slid in, and then he slid in after her. Hennessy and Cruz sat down across from them while the rest of the Road Kingz took two other booths beside them.

Jackal ignored Penni’s attempt to put more space between them, sliding another inch to pin her closer against the wall. If shit went down inside the restaurant, he would be able to block her from getting hurt.

“Do you mind?” Penni tried to push him back.

“No. I have plenty of room.”

“Good for you,” she snapped. “But you’re squishing me.”

“You could come over here and sit next to me,” Hennessey offered. “Cruz can sit at another table.”

“Never mind.” Penni quickly looked down at the menu she took from the waitress.

Jackal and Hennessy shared a grin across the table. It reminded him of the old times from before Hennessy had become consumed with watching out for DJ.

“What can I get you?” the waitress asked.

“I’ll take a steak and baked potato,” Jackal ordered.

“I’ll take the same,” Hennessy ordered, leaning back against the booth. “You’re buying.”

“Me, too,” Cruz repeated.

“I hope I have enough in my account to pay,” Jackal complained.

When Penni didn’t order, he looked at her then almost laughed out loud. She had kept up her pretense of being a vegetarian. He had taken several of her meals that they had ordered for them, but he had eaten his last veggie burger or bean burrito. She was on her own.

She pushed her short, blonde hair back from her cheek as she studied her menu, frowning. When she bit her lip, Jackal broke. Damn, he was a sucker when she did that. It sent a lightning bolt to his dick.

“Give her the same as me. You can blame me later. You’re going to need the protein for what I’m going to do to you tonight.”

Her mouth dropped open as the waitress snickered while she walked away. Penni’s face turned a bright red.

Leaning down, he brushed her hair back. “You want me to order you something else?” he teased then jerked back when she dug her nails into his thigh under the table.

“I can order for myself.”

He stared back at her, finally understanding why Penni had claimed to be a vegetarian. She had resented them making the choice for her instead of being asked what she wanted to eat. Penni was a control freak. Jackal wasn’t surprised. Penni and Shade didn’t share the same father, but they did have the same mother. The apple must not have fallen far from that particular tree.

“Aw, don’t feel bad about last night. I’m sure it happens to all men,” Penni cooed with a malicious glint in her eye.

Hennessy and Cruz shook their heads. “Not me,” they spoke at the same time.

When the Road Kingz looked with sympathy at him while they shook their heads, Jackal was tempted to spank her ass in front of the whole restaurant.

If he hadn’t been pretending as if he were her BFF, he would show her exactly …

The door opening distracted him from planning his revenge. The Predators filed inside as if they owned the restaurant.

“What the fuck!” Hennessy growled as he and the Road Kingz moved to stand up.

“Back down,” Jackal hissed. “The Road Kingz aren’t the only club here for the rally. The Predators are as tired as we are.”

Jackal laid his hand over Penni’s on his thigh. She was looking at Ice, Max, and Colton as if they could save her. It was the way he had wanted her to look at him. Jackal’s hurt pride had him pulling away from her.

“Ice doesn’t want any trouble. He just wants to feed his men and give them a chance to rest.”

“If he gets near Penni …” Hennessy sat back down.

“You keep your word to give her back, and Ice will keep his. Besides, if anyone starts some shit, Ice can help out.”

“I don’t need the Predators’ help.”

Jackal believed him. The Road Kingz weren’t cowards, and they all appeared ready to fight. Hennessy seemed to be returning the Road Kingz to their former glory.

The waitress arrived with their plates, and Jackal didn’t miss the beseeching look Penni shot her. When she lowered hurt-filled eyes as the waitress walked away, Jackal swallowed his hurt pride.

“You’re going to be okay.”

She nodded but didn’t look up, beginning to eat her food. He was a freaking sucker where she was concerned. He didn’t want her sitting there, disappointed that the Predators weren’t making a stand to force her release.

He wanted Penni as his woman. He wanted her to learn that, if anything happened to him, the Predators would take care of her.

“As soon you show me Striker, you can go. I don’t get my kicks from threatening women.”

“That’s not how it seemed when you took me hostage.”

“Don’t get me wrong; I’ll do what I have to in order to keep my men safe. To do that, I have to find Striker. Finish eating and let’s get out of here. The Predators are ruining my appetite.”

His word had the desired effect, and she began eating. Jackal spared Hennessy a grateful look for reassuring Penni.

Penni was one of the most confident women he had ever met, but even she had to be worried about her safety surrounded by so many outlaw motorcycle clubs. Hell, he was worried. The restaurant was filled with at least four different outlaw clubs that he recognized from their colors and patches.

When the waitress returned, Penni turned her head away. Jackal took the check when Hennessy mockingly handed it to him.

“If Jackal keeps feeding us like this, we might need decide to keep him,” he joked.

“If you would give me my purse back, I’d pay.”

“That’s not going to happen. I almost lost my hand when I searched it, and I should have sent Cruz to the ER for the cut on his finger.”

“I told you not to open it.”

“Yes, you did.”

Hennessy and Cruz stood up as Jackal reached out his hand to help Penni slip out of the booth. The Predators stared at them coldly as they filed out the door. Hennessy acknowledged Ice’s cold stare, saluting him mockingly.

Penni sat down on his bike. As he was about to get on, though, she stopped him.

“Ice did that for me, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he did.” he answered, knowing she had referred to Ice’s menacing attitude.

Sitting down, Penni perched her chin on his shoulder. “I’ll have to make him a cake when I get home. Grace said he loves cake.”

“You’re not making Ice a fucking cake.” Jackal started his bike, revving the motor then backing out of the parking spot.

“Why not?”

He wanted to snarl jealously at her, but he reminded himself to play it cool. “He’s on a diet.”

“Really? He doesn’t look like he needs to be on a diet. He looks really good to me.”

Jackal, backing up, planted his leather boots on the pavement. Did she just say that to me?

He’d had more of the BFF bullshit than he could stand. The thought of her staring at Ice’s body had him wanting to hit the nearest wall.

“Yeah, Grace is complaining he’s getting a big gut,” Jackal lied without remorse.

“I don’t want to break his diet.”

He nodded, relieved he wouldn’t have to kill his president because of Penni making him a fucking cake. He lifted his boot to the foot peg, accelerating toward the busy street.

“I’ll have to give him a big hug.”

His bike jerked when she yelled in his ear.

When he came to a stop at a red light, he turned back to her.

“I know something you can give him.”

“What?”

“Buy him his favorite liquor.”

“That’s a good idea. What is it?”

“Hennessy.” Jackal revved his engine. “And put a big ol’ bow on it.”