Fourteen
When I walked into the meeting room, Dukes, Danko, and Breech were already there. I smelled the aroma from the coffee sitting in front of them, and went to get a cup for myself. I lit up a smoke, settling down in my seat.
Breech said, “Aden is a slippery fucker. From the intel I’ve gathered, that isn’t even his real name—it’s Alfonse Ramero. He did a dime at Green Haven for something, but I can’t get into the file. The fucking records are sealed. Whatever it was, it happened a bit before he met your mother. I got a friend looking into his time up there.
“He set up a honey trap on that singles website; your mom walked right into it. When they started writing each other he was still in jail, but she couldn’t have known that from the way he had it rigged. When he got out, he already had his new identity, which he’d been using with her. For a while I’m guessing it worked. Looks like whatever he was into started going south, then everything went to shit after that. The house is gone, Fighter, he mortgaged it to the hilt; it isn’t worth saving. Your best bet is to get Jiji down there soon, get what she wants out of it, then let the bank have it.”
“Shit, he even took her home from her, that motherfucker,” I spat. Squinting at Breech through the smoke, I said, “Fucking sealed?”
“Yeah, something isn’t kosher, but I’ll be dammed if I can figure out what it is. Got people on it,” Breech said, looking up from his laptop.
Dukes spoke up. “Fighter, we think you should move Tish and Jiji into your 3rd street house. Dolly and her crew finished today. It’s unoccupied, plus it’s close enough we can have a couple boys watching them all the time.”
“They getting on your nerves, Dukes?” I asked.
Grinning he replied, “Love them girls, they been through a lot and came out the other side okay. They are a breath of fresh air around here. The club girls even like them, and that’s a miracle in itself. I think it’s the other way around. They need their own space. Three people living in one small room is a recipe for disaster.”
Mulling it over, I liked the idea of getting the girls out of the clubhouse, especially after Jiji’s blowup with Breech. I didn’t want their shit spilling over and messing with the atmosphere in the house.
The clubhouse was an old barn that had been converted years ago. The main floor held a bar with a pool table, a huge 70-inch TV, and a couple leather couches. The kitchen and dining room were off to the side of the bar, along with a couple bedrooms with attached bathrooms for the club girls that lived onsite. On the other side of the bar was the meeting room; it was a large, open space with a conference table in the middle. Comfortable chairs lined the table, and there was a coffee pot brewing 24/7. Upstairs is where the guys each had a room of their own. Some lived here full-time while others with Ol’ Ladies and families lived close to the compound.
Breech spoke up, “Fighter, your temper has been on a hair trigger lately. You need to get laid without your sister underfoot—although today you look a little more relaxed, peaceful even.” It was like a lightbulb went off in his head; I could see him putting the pieces together and come up with the right answer. He fucking grinned, laughing like a loon.
Dukes held up two fingers for quiet. “You finished adding up the clues, Breech? Is it okay if we continue with club business and not rehash Fighter’s love life?”
Breech couldn’t leave it alone. “Boss, we may never get this chance again. The lone wolf has been tamed. Fighter has traded in his man card. You have to let me run with it.”
“Asshole,” Danko said. “I can’t wait ‘til it’s your turn. I’m going to have a T-shirt made for you. It’s going to say Pussy-Whipped!”
Breech flipped Danko off. “Look who’s talking, man whore.”
Before they could really get started, there was a timid knock on the door. It had to be my girls, because any of the brothers would have been pounding, not knocking, and none of the club girls would interrupt. Sure enough, Danko let Jiji and Tish in.
Tish was wearing a pair of tight denim capris that hugged her ass and her T-shirt had a half-naked man riding on horseback. It said Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. Yeah, that’s gonna be a rag soon, I thought.
Jiji’s T-shirt read The more people I meet, the more I like my dog. She would have one of those. She loved all animals, more than some people, and she was proud to show the world how she felt. I saw Breech glance up; his mouth tightened when he saw her but he didn’t comment, which told me he was still mad.
“Sit down,” Dukes said, indicating the chairs across from him. Danko plopped a cup of coffee in front of each of them, showing them where the sugar, milk, and creamer were in the little mini-fridge. I noticed Tish only added some creamer while Jiji added a ton of sugar and milk. When the girls had their coffee to their liking, they resumed their seats across from Dukes.
He began without preamble, “That motherfucker Aden is alive somewhere; we haven’t been able to locate him yet. We don’t think it’s safe for either of you to go home, so we’ve arranged a place for you to stay ‘til we lock his ass down.”
Jiji looked up from her coffee. “Why can’t we stay here?”
Dukes eyed her for a second, then replied, “Jiji, the brothers love you ladies. You belong to Fighter; therefore you belong to us, but the clubhouse is a place for the guys to kick back, chill, drink a little, play some pool, or fuck some pussy. None of that’s changed since you landed here. But I think all of us would be more relaxed if you lovelies had your own space and we could go back to doing what we do.”
Tish’s head turned towards me.
“Babe, the only pussy I’m fuckin’ is yours; that’s not going to change whether you’re in the clubhouse or not.” Her face flushed, but she didn’t say anything.
Danko smiled. “So that’s the way it is, Fighter.”
“Yeah, that’s the way it is,” I replied. “Anyone have a problem with that?” I asked, looking around the table.
Breech leaned forward. “Nope, we got it loud and clear: look but don’t touch. Message received,” he said, saluting.
Jiji turned towards Tish, saying in a loud whisper, “Told you big bros got it bad,” then winked at me! I growled at her, and she sank back in her chair, grinning!
Breech spoke up, “Jiji, Opry’s girl Sandra is a vet downtown, she said she would sponsor you. The local shelter is only about a 20-minute drive from here, and her office isn’t far from the shelter. Fighter said that you were doing your coursework online, but there’s the community college in town you looked into as well.”
“Holy shit,” she said. “Really? That’s amazing, Breech.” Some of his swagger returned at her praise.
Reaching out, I took Jiji’s hand, locking our fingers together. “I’m sorry about Mom; I know you two were close,” I said.
She swallowed and her eyes glazed with tears, but she bit her lip and wouldn’t let them fall, her smile wobbled with the effort. “Love you too, big bro,” she said, squeezing then releasing my fingers.
“This is the best plan we could come up with, ‘til we find Aden and neutralize him,” I said.
“Tish,” Breech continued, “Boomer said there are a couple openings at the hospital where he’s an EMT, and with your resume you shouldn’t have a problem getting a job.”
Dukes spoke up. “We’ve had a couple guys drive down to Florida to close up both your places. It doesn’t look like anything was damaged or taken, but since we don’t know where Aden is, it’s possible that he could have gone through both places before we got there. The weasel could have slithered in and out again. If you give me a list, I can have them pack up some of your stuff to bring back. As for the rest, you should probably have everything shipped here.”
Tish shuddered a little, then straightened her spine. “I hate feeling helpless, like he’s taken control of my life, what I do, where I go. I had a good job, good friends, a happy life, but he’s ripped that away from me. Forcing us,” she gestured between Jiji and herself, “to rely on all of you, who don’t even really know us.”
I was out of my chair and around the table in a heartbeat, pulling her into my arms. I tipped her chin up, saying, “What he did was bring you to me, Tish, to the Devil’s Wind. You’ll never be alone or afraid here, babe. We are a family—we protect what’s ours.” I kissed her softly.
She brushed her hand across my face, whispering, “Thank you, Jameson,” and then she sat back down. Raising her eyes, she looked at all my brothers in turn. “Thanks to all of you. Jiji and I didn’t have any place else to run.” She turned to Dukes. “He would have killed us just like her mom if we had stayed.” She slapped her palm on the table as she continued. “But damn it, I don’t want him bringing his shit here, having it land on your doorstep.”
Jiji spoke up, “Mom told me a couple weeks before the attack that Aden bragged to her that he had dirt on Fighter. If she tried to involve my brother in their business, he would out him then get him arrested and thrown in jail. I don’t know what he was talking about, but Tish is right. If we can cause trouble for you, then we will leave. You find him, though, and I’ll make him talk,” Jiji said. “That filthy piece of slime owes me.”
“Hell fuckin’ no,” Breech’s voice boomed out, making Jiji jump.
“Shit, Breech, scare the pants off me, why don’t you!” Jiji said.
“Doll, I don’t need to scare them pants off you, I can turn ‘em inside out all by myself,” he joked.
Jiji’s face turned red. “Shut the fuck up, Breech!”
“Watch it, girl, your sass only goes so far,” he rumbled. “You get outta line with that mouth and I’ll paddle your ass ‘til it hurts, you feel me?” Breech said.
Jiji bowed her head, mumbling an apology, but wouldn’t look at Breech.
Dukes banged his gavel to get everyone’s attention. “Fighter, you take the girls over to the 3rd street house with Breech and a couple of the prospects. We should have been all over this before now, but since Breech hasn’t been able to locate Aden, we still have to be watchful. If he has a brain in his head, he knows the girls would run to you, so he’s got to know they are here. That gives him a tactical advantage because he can plan out his next strike, while we have to wait and see. I don’t like being put in a defensive position, so we have to take that advantage away from him and get him on the defensive, which means these ladies are never alone. Got it?” he barked, looking at all of us. Their safety is in our hands, and none of us will take it lightly.
“Ladies, why don’t you go upstairs pack your things, then I’ll send Fighter and Breech up in a few,” he said, effectively dismissing them from the meeting.
Tish and Jiji got up to leave, looking at me; I nodded my head, giving them a smile to convey they had done fine. Tish smiled back but Jiji just walked out.
When the door closed behind them, Dukes cursed, “Fuckin’ slime ball, douchebag motherfucker. Fighter, we gotta keep a couple guys on them all the time; we gotta have eyes 24/7. Sonny, talk to your contacts in the Department of Corrections. Get all you can on this guy; who his friends, family, dealer, cellmate, lawyer, every-fuckin’-thing, and do it yesterday.”
Sonny was already tapping away at his computer, talking to himself.
Dukes said, “Okay, that looks like everything for today. Meeting adjourned.” He banged his gavel on the desk.
Dukes got up, slapping me on the back. “Damn Fighter, why you been hiding this thing with Tish?” he asked, lighting up a smoke.
“Shit, Dukes, I didn’t even know it was a thing, but what I do know is I’m not letting go.” Reaching up, I ran my fingers through my hair, rubbing the back of my neck. “She’s warm and funny, naive yet sexy.”
He laughed. “That girl’s gonna give you a run for your money, Fighter. She isn’t like the club girls you been fuckin’ the last couple years.”
“Something about her pulls me in, Dukes. She took the beatdown Aden gave her, but still had enough wits to get them both out of there alive. She wouldn’t leave Jiji behind. I owe her my sister’s life.”
“You thinking it’s gratitude you feel for her?” He asked.
“No fuckin’ way it’s gratitude, Dukes. I have to see where this leads.”
Taking a long drag from his cigarette, he looked at me as he blew out the smoke. “Don’t let that feeling go, man; good women who can deal with our kinda life are few and far between. But if you’re gonna claim her, be sure she can live our lifestyle. You got this, Fighter; if she’s the one, I’m behind you 100%.” He crushed out his smoke and pulled me in for a man hug with a slap on the back. “Let’s go see what Sonny’s dug up.”
Jiji and I were packing the few things we had; I could hear her grumbling under her breath. “Spit it out, Jiji, what’s brewing in that ornery brain of yours?”
She turned her head, fury on her face. “They made decisions for us like we were two brainless twits. I get that Aden is deranged, that we have to be careful, but we’ve been watching out for each other for a long time. I don’t like being told what to do like a little girl. I appreciate the help, I really do, but Jesus Christ, let me make some decisions of my own,” she fumed.
I sat on the bed, folding my legs Indian style. “We’ve been friends a long time, girlfriend. I get that you just started to plan out the next few years, doing things for yourself, and that you’re loath to give that up. Then this shit goes down. But honey, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, you’ve set goals, have dreams, and that’s not going to change.
“When my mom died, I was alone; I had no family to rely on but you. You never let me down; you were always there to make sure I had someone to talk to or cry on or just be there. But Jiji, being alone isn’t safe, and we need safety right now. Jameson and the guys want us to be protected. Every single one of them is an alpha male. Their instinct is to put themselves in the line of fire. In a lot of respects, they expect submission from their women. We have to find a middle ground with them. They started the ball rolling; now we can make decisions, do what makes us happy.”
“Jameson make you happy, Tish? I know you’ve been crushing on him a long time.”
My head snapped up. “What?”
“Aww come on, did you think you could hide it from me?” she asked, staring into my eyes.
Despite her assertion that she’d known about my feelings even before I did, I hadn’t thought she’d known about my crush. It was nearly an instant crush, and therefore happened long before my true feelings developed.
“I know you, girl, I know what’s in here,” she said, tapping my forehead. “How was it that you just happened to be there every time I would Skype with Jameson while he was deployed?
“When he would answer the call, I could see him looking for you in the background. When you weren’t there, our conversations just weren’t the same. I know he loves me, but he looks at you with love—there is a difference,” she said.
“Pfft, that’s lust, not love. Any girl who looks halfway decent and has a nice rack gets that look.”
She burst out laughing. “Damn, babe, I see the look in your eyes when you see him, especially when you think neither of us is watching. It’s the same look. It’s there, plain as the nose on your face.”
I fanned my hand in front of me, making my hair fly around. “That man is hot, what can I say?”
“Eww,” she replied. “That’s my bro; I don’t wanna know about his hotness or anything else having to do with, well, you know!” She threw the pair of panties she was packing at me.
I caught them on my finger and twirled them around. “So, what about Breech?”
Her face immediately clouded. “What about him?” she retorted. “Out of all the men in the club, he’s the one that treats me the most like a child,” she said. “God damn the man! I don’t need a keeper.” She looked up and smiled. “That’s what I have you for.”
I slapped her with the thong she had thrown at me. “Bitch,” I griped.
“Class A,” she quipped back.
I burst out laughing. “You win, now pack, damn it! The boys will be back soon!”
There was a knock on the door. “Ladies, okay to come in?” Breech called.
Slapping my hand over Jiji’s mouth before she said something that would get her into more hot water, I replied, “Come in, please.”
“Babe,” Jameson said to me, “ready to go?”
I picked up the small bag from the bed, and he stepped forward to take it from me, stooping to kiss me as he did. I reached up, putting my arms behind his head and deepening the kiss.
I heard Breech remark under his breath, “Get a room.”
Jameson lifted his head and smirked. “This is my room,” he deadpanned.
Breech took Jiji’s bag from her, walking out as she followed. Like the little girl she just said she wasn’t, she stuck her tongue out at him. “I got better places for you to put that tongue, Jiji. Keep it up and that ass is gonna get beat,” Breech said.
She stopped dead in her tracks, hands on her hips. “How the hell—”
“I got eyes in the back of my head, little one,” Breech replied. “You best be remembering that.” Jiji stomped her foot, and Breech turned around, eyeballing her. “You sure are pushing your luck, babycakes.”
Jiji lost a bit of her swagger at that. Looking over at Jameson, she started to ask, “You wouldn’t let him—”
Before she could get the words out, Jameson cut in. “What, spank your ass? Jiji, I told you before: I can only intervene so far.”
Jiji’s smile fell, while Breech’s grew. Letting her off the hook, he said, “We’ll table this discussion for another time—let’s ride!”
I pressed a little kiss on the corner of Jameson’s mouth to hide my smile at the exchange then stepped back.
He bent down to whisper, “I wouldn’t smile if I was you, babe, spanking your ass for throwing shade will happen, mark my words.” My mouth fell open and he closed it with his fingers beneath my chin. “Cat got your tongue?” he asked, chuckling.
Turning away from him, I laid my hand on Breech’s arm, gripping it tightly. “Thanks for letting us know what you and the club have worked out for us, Breech. We are both happy to get away from the clubhouse for a while. Don’t get me wrong, you guys have been great, but Dukes is right; Jiji and I need our own space and you’ll need to be able to do your thing without an audience,” I said.
Breech shrugged, “No biggie, Tish, you’re always welcome here.” Looking at Jiji, he said meaningfully, “She’s talking about club business, not fucking the club girls.”
She huffed, “I don’t care who you fuck. It’s none of my business anyway.”
He took her chin in his palm. “Liar,” he said.
She shook him off, saying, “You’d like me to think so, wouldn’t you, Breech? But saying isn’t doing,” she said, and walked out the door.
Breech looked at us, started to say something, then shook his head and walked out behind Jiji.
Jameson took my hand, tugging me towards the door. “Babe, it’s gonna work out, don’t worry. Me and the boys are on your six. Nothing is going to happen, either here or at the house.” I squeezed him, letting him know I heard as I followed him out the door.
Outside, I unlocked the driver’s side of my little Chevy, sliding in behind the wheel.
Jameson bent down, his arm braced on the roof. “Breech and I will be on our bikes—just follow us, babe.” He skimmed his lips over mine, tapped the roof with his fist, and then slammed the door.
Jiji had gotten in on the other side and was watching the play-by-play between us. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
I let my hair swing forward to cover my face, helping to hide the heat in my cheeks. “Yeah, I am,” I replied.
She squealed, rushing at me and hugging me tightly. “I am so happy for you Tish, but I’m happier for me. You could actually be my sister if this works out.” A tear trailed down her face, but she brushed it away. “These are not sad tears, Tish, they are happy ones. I’m just wishing Mom could have been here to see you two fall in love. Okay, enough sappy shit, let’s roll—I wanna see this house.” Turning on the radio, she found a country station and started bouncing to the beat, singing along to Sam Hunt.
“Oh shit,” she said, stopping the song midsentence. “I hope I remembered the laptop Breech gave me.” She turned, scrambling over the seat while I backed out of the parking lot. I waved to Murph at the gate as we drove through, following the guys on their bikes.
Jiji was going through her bag when her head disappeared from sight. “Girl, what the hell are you doing?” She popped back up again, clutching my old cell. “I thought you ditched that phone,” I said.
“Crap, I thought I did too, but we were in such bad shape I must have dropped it and it slid under the seat.” She climbed back into the front with me, swiping at the screen. It was dead, of course, having been laying there since we got to the compound. Not sure what to do, she plugged it in to juice it but didn’t turn it on.
About fifteen minutes later, we stopped in front of this cute little house on 3rd Street. The guys pulled into the driveway, leaving room for me to park. Jiji rolled down the window, motioning Jameson over to the car. She unplugged and gave him my old cell. “I thought I threw both of them away when we left home, but I just found it under the seat on the way here. I didn’t turn it on but I plugged it in for juice while we drove. It’s Tish’s old phone.”
Jameson passed it to Breech then walked us up to the front door, where he took a key out to let us in. “What’s the unlock code for the phone, Tish?” Breech called to me.
“112012,” I replied.
The front door led into a cute living room with a couch and loveseat combo, in front of which was a circular coffee table with a bowl of colorful marbles and pretty rocks on top. Beyond the living room was a small kitchenette with a four-seater high-top table with chairs that looked out over a deck in the backyard. The galley kitchen had all-new appliances that were spotlessly clean.
To the right of the living room was a short hallway with three doors opening off it. Two were bedrooms, and between them was a Jack and Jill bathroom. I loved the house. It was light and airy.
I turned to Jameson, who had followed me down the hallway. The look in his eyes turned the air sultry. My body heated up; instantly I got wet.
He backed me into one of the bedrooms, fisting my hair. Looking down at me, he said, “I can’t get enough of you, babe. One time in that sweet little pussy and I’m addicted.” He pressed his hips against mine; I could feel the hard outline of his cock riding my belly. “You better get a bed in here soon or I’ll be fuckin’ you against this wall,” he growled into my mouth as he kissed me hard.
He began pulling my T-shirt out of my shorts. “Ride a cowboy, babe, really? You’ll be riding my cock soon enough, but I ain’t no cowboy.” He kneaded my breast through my bra before pulling the cup down to pinch my nipple. I arched into him, pressing my throbbing flesh further into his palm. He unzipped my shorts, sliding inside and pushing my panties away so he could glide his fingers into my pussy.
He could feel my wetness, knew I was more than ready. As I arched my back, he slid a thick finger into my heat. After a few hard thrusts, he added a second finger, rubbing my clit with his thumb. Grinding my pussy against his fingers, I latched on to his tongue in my mouth, sucking in rhythm with his questing fingers.
My core clenched down on his digits, my climax steadily building. I knew I was going to come, my body straining to reach the peak.
He released my mouth, pulling my head back by my hair so he could look me in the eyes. “Come for me, babe.”
The stimulation of my clit combined with the pace of his thrusts had me riding those thick digits, writhing and wanting more than he was giving, needing his hard cock—not just his fingers.
He pinched my nipple and my clit at the same time; I screamed as I crested the wave. He caught the sound in his mouth with a drugging kiss.
My legs sagged; I would have fallen had he not been holding me up. He withdrew his hand from my pussy, bringing his fingers to his mouth and sucking them clean. “You are so beautiful when you come, Tish.”
I watched, mesmerized, through heavy-lidded eyes. Dazed by the intensity of my orgasm, I shuddered in his arms, not wanting to come down from my high.
“Shit, Fighter,” I heard from behind him.
Peeking over his shoulder, I saw Breech standing in the doorway. Jameson yanked my shirt down, standing in front of me while I fixed my shorts.
“WHAT?!” he yelled.
Breech came further into the room, holding out my cell. “I’m really fucking sorry to interrupt, Fighter, but you gotta hear this, man.” His thumb moved as he passed Jameson the phone.
Then, Aden’s voice came out of the speaker.
“I will find you, you fucking cunt! Don’t think you can hide from me; I know you went looking for Jameson, but he can’t save your sorry ass. When I come for you, I will finish what I started. This time you won’t get away; you will take all the pain I can dish out—count on it. You’ll pay for stabbing me too, you fuckin’ slut—oh, and that little bitch with you will be next.”
I was shaking in Jameson’s arms again, only this time for a different reason, as the message clicked off. Silent tears fell at the filth spewing from my phone.
Jameson gave the phone back to Breech, motioned for him to leave. He soothed gently, “Shh…”
Lifting my chin, he wiped the tears from my face. “I swear to God, babe, he will never touch you again.” I cried harder, fisting his shirt, hanging on to his strength. “Shh, babe,” he cooed, rocking me back and forth.
It took a couple of minutes before I calmed, then, pushing free of his arms, I blew out a wobbly breath. Turning to the mirror on the dresser, I combed my fingers through my hair, piling it on top of my head in a messy bun. That small act helped to settle my nerves.
I stiffened my spine. That asshole wasn’t going to get in my head. Jameson said he had me, and I believed him, so I told him so. “I believe you, Jameson.” Lacing our fingers together, we left the bedroom.
Back in the living room, a tearful Jiji embraced me; she heard the message when Breech first found it. We held each other for a bit, soothing each other’s nerves, then broke apart when Breech came in the front door, thumbing his phone closed and giving a chin lift to Jameson.
“Dukes wants us back at the club; Murph and Gears will be here with the girls. Dolly said the bedframes and mattresses are supposed to be delivered today.”
Jameson walked over to me. “Babe, you stay with one of the boys or Jiji at all times,” he said before he kissed me softly then released me. “Let’s not go borrowing trouble ‘til we have something solid. Don’t assume anything ‘til we check it out, you hear? The prospects will be dogging you, so you won’t be alone, okay?”
Holding my head high, I replied, “I believe that you got me, babe, and that’s what I’m going to hang on to! He won’t be making me run and hide like a scared little rabbit. Let him bring it, because I believe in you and the Devil’s Wind to protect us. Jiji and I have nothing to fear as long as you have our backs.”
Jiji came to stand beside me, winding her arm around my waist. She looked at me, then her brother and Breech. “Ditto,” she said.
We could hear the bikes start up and the sound fade. Squeezing Jiji, we separated and went to work on setting up a home for the two of us.