Chapter Twenty-three

 

 

 

 

When I woke up, several hours later, Jessica was snuggled up against my arm, still sound asleep. It would have been fine if one of her hands wasn’t dangerously close to my morning wood.

Fuck, I thought, not only needing to pee but wanting to feel what it would be like to have her hand under my sweats, wrapped around my organ.

Suddenly, she turned over and her ass was pressed against the side of my hip. Unable to do anything but smile in amusement at the situation, I slid out of bed.

“Hey,” she mumbled, opening one eye. “What time is it?”

“Almost two in the afternoon.”

“Really?” Her gaze lowered to my crotch and her eyes grew wide. She quickly looked away.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, seeing her blush.

“Uh, sure.”

After I finished in the bathroom, I found her in the guestroom, digging through her backpack.

“How did you sleep?”

She looked at me over her shoulder. “Better. Thank you.”

I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the doorway. “Good to hear.”

“So, what are we doing today?”

“Well, for starters, I don’t know about you but I’m hungry again. How about we drive into town and eat somewhere?” I asked as she pulled out a pair of faded jeans and a light blue T-shirt.

“Sure,” she replied, taking out what looked like some kind of a makeup bag. “Would you mind if I called my mother again, later?”

“Not at all.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” I replied. “I’m going to go and take a shower. Let’s plan on leaving here in about an hour.”

“Sounds good.”

 

***

 

A little over an hour later, we were on my Harley and heading toward Ben’s Tavern.

“You doing okay?” I asked, as we stopped at a red light.

“This is great,” she answered with a big smile. “What a wonderful day for a drive.”

“I agree.” It was definitely perfect weather for a bike ride, with temperatures in the sixties. “Not too hot. Not too cold.”

The light turned green and for the rest of the ride, I took my time, so that we could enjoy the beautiful Alaskan scenery, which reminded me of why I’d moved there. When we finally arrived at the restaurant, we took off our helmets and went inside.

“I suppose my hair looks just wonderful,” she said dryly, running her fingers through it.

“You look great,” I answered, meaning it. Although her hair was a little flattened, from the helmet I’d given her, Jessica’s cheeks were pink and her eyes were sparkling.

“So, do you come to this place often?” she asked after we were seated across from each other in one of the booths.

I looked around the rustic bar, which had been featured in a popular television food channel, for their giant steaks and large selection of wings. “I’ve only been here once. I had a burger and it was pretty damn good, though.”

“Mm… I’m in the mood for a good burger,” she said, opening up the menu.

“A woman who can eat,” I replied. “That’s refreshing.”

“Oh, I can definitely eat, but I definitely have to work it off,” she replied, staring at the menu.

“How do you do that?”

She shrugged. “Pilates, Yoga. Kickboxing.”

“Good for you.”

She looked at me over the menu, her eyes twinkling. “It’s not by choice.”

“It usually never is.”

“You must work out,” she said, glancing at my biceps.

“I jog and do some weight training.”

“I’m sure you have to stay in shape to do what you do.”

“It helps. I think I’m going to try another of their burgers,” I replied, wanting to move the subject away from my profession. It was then that I noticed an attractive woman staring at me from across the room. Recognizing the blonde from the gas station, I quickly averted my eyes.

“My name is Kathy. I’ll be serving you, today. Can I get you two started off with a couple of drinks?” asked a gravelly voice.

“Hi, Kathy. I just want a glass of water,” said Jessica.

“Me, too,” I told Kathy, who I guess to be in her sixties. She was short, with curly, white hair, and glasses.

Kathy smiled and nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll be back with those shortly. Do you want to order an appetizer?”

I looked at Jessica.

“No. I don’t need anything,” she answered.

“What about you?” she asked, looking at me.

“What do you recommend?” I asked.

“Well, we’re known for our wings and right now, because it’s Happy Hour, they’re half-priced.”

“Is that right?” I answered. “I guess we can’t go wrong there, can we?”

“It’s definitely a good deal. There are fifteen different kinds to choose from, too. You can also get them plain, if you’d rather.”

“Nice. Tell you what - I’ll take an order of your spiciest. I’m in the mood for something hot.”

“That would be the Hellfire Wings. Have you ever had them before?” asked Kathy.

“No,” I said, smirking “But, they sound interesting.”

“That’s not how most people describe them,” she replied, looking at me in amusement.

“Believe me, he’s not most people,” said Jessica, chuckling.

“And I’m definitely not afraid of a little heat,” I added. “So, bring them on.”

“Okay. I’ll put in an order, but you should know, we make you sign a waiver indicating that you know what’s in them.”

“What’s in them?” I asked.

She smiled. “They’re made with ghost peppers.”

“As in Bhut Jolokia?” I asked.

She scratched her head and shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t really know what the hell that is. All I know is that these things are killers. They creep up on you and it’s all over but the crying for your momma,” she answered, winking. “Something tells me this isn’t your momma, either.”

“Nope,” I replied. “Gotta say, you’re not exactly selling me on the wings, Kathy.”

She laughed. “I know. Don’t tell my manager. I just want you to know, because I’d hate to see you cry in front of this pretty girl.”

I rubbed my chin. “Maybe I’ll pass on them.”

“I don’t know. Those wings sound like they’re right up your alley,” said Jessica, a twinkle in her eye. “You should try them. See what it’s like, being on the other side of pain.”

Kathy’s eyebrows raised. “Other side?”

“He’s an exterminator,” said Jessica.

“Oh, you kill bugs?” asked the waitress, with a grimace.

“Something like that,” I said. “I think I’ll pass on the wings.”

“Are you afraid of a little heat?” asked Jessica.

“You know, I’m beginning to think that you want to see me suffer,” I told her.

“I just want to see if you can handle the ghost peppers,” said Jessica, smiling.

“Can you?”

“Just because I’m a woman, doesn’t mean I can’t handle a few wings.”

“Tell you what, if you eat some of them with me, I’ll prove I can handle even more than you,” I answered, thinking she’d decline.

“Fine. I accept your challenge. Can I get a tall glass of milk?” asked Jessica, surprising me.

“You sure you want to take a chance with those, honey?” asked the waitress, frowning. “They don’t call them Hellfire Wings for nothing.”

Jessica smirked. “I don’t know, I’m starting to think that I haven’t been taking enough chances, these days.”

“And you really want to start making changes with wings that will knock you on your ass,” I said, chuckling.

“We’ll see who gets knocked on their ass,” she replied and then looked at Kathy. “Bring on the wings.”

“You heard the woman. Bring them on. We’ll both take an order and I’ll also have a glass of milk, too.”

“Okay. It’s your mouths. I’ll put in the order and bring you the waivers. You finish every last one and you get a T-shirt, by the way.”

“Get it ready,” I said. “Because only of us is going home with a shirt today. I take a large, by the way.”

Kathy shook her head, smiling. “We’ll see, honey. We’ll see.”

Jessica’s rolled her eyes. “Hope the collar is big enough to go over that fat head of his.”

Laughing, the waitress walked away.

“Have you ever had spicy wings before?” I asked. “I mean, wings so hot that they make your nose run?”

“A couple of times. Nothing with ghost peppers, though.”

I grinned. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. “If you want to back out, we can still catch Kathy before she places the orders.”

“I’m not backing out,” she said firmly. “I need something to take my mind off of things and I doubt there are many other contests that I can realistically beat you at.”

“So, you really think that you can beat me on this?”

She pulled off a black binder that was on her wrist and began pulling her hair back, into a ponytail. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but women can usually tolerate pain a lot better than men.”

“Right,” I said dryly.

“I’m a nurse,” she said, wrapping the binder around her hair. “I know these things, although I’m sure that your threshold for pain is pretty high.”

“You think right, Nurse Betty,” I said. “So, are you ready to lose?”

“Said the hare to the tortoise,” she replied, now playing with the sugar packets.

“Just remember, this isn’t a fairy tale, it’s real life,” I told her.

She grunted. “You don’t have to tell me.”

 

***

 

“Fuck,” I gasped again as I reached for the second glass of milk.

“What happened to ‘over-excessive swearing is lazy’?”

“Fuck lazy,” I replied, grabbing a napkin. I wiped the tears under my eyes and then swore again when they in turn began to burn. “And fuck what I said.”

“Can we get some iced-water, this time?” asked Jessica, when Kathy appeared back at the table with our burgers and fries.

“Of course. Are you okay?” she asked and then looked down at the plate of wings sitting in front of me. “How many did you eat, two?”

“Three.”

“He ate two and couldn’t finish the third,” said Jessica, who had eaten four of them. Although, she’d also thrown in the towel, she didn’t appear to be going through half as much agony as I was.

“You seem to be doing okay,” remarked Kathy.

“Better than him, anyway,” said Jessica. “I guess I made him eat his words.”

“Not only that, he knows better than to challenge you again,” said Kathy, her eyes twinkling.

“Still, I wouldn’t hold my breath,” said Jessica.

“Iced-water, please,” I said to Kathy.

“Actually, another glass of milk would be better,” said Jessica. “Water can make the burn feel worse.”

Kathy sucked in her breath. “Oh, sorry, I’ll get you something,” she replied, hurrying away.

“You going to be okay, over there?” laughed Jessica.

“I don’t get it. Why aren’t you dying, like me? And don’t give me that thing about being a woman. Not when it comes to eating Hellfire wings,” I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “Those damn things are evil.”

“I won’t argue that. Are you finished with yours?” she asked, looking down at my plate.

“Hell, yeah.”

“And you agree that I’m the winner?”

“I guess I’ll have to.”

She grinned. “Sugar.”

“What about it?”

“I put some in my mouth, when you weren’t paying attention, and it helped take the burn away.”

“Really?” I said, grabbing a packet. I opened it up and shook some into my mouth. After a few seconds, the burn started to recede. “That’s amazing. Would have never guessed.”

“I’m surprised that you weren’t aware of it yourself.”

I lowered my voice. “I’m paid to give pain, not remove it. Unlike you, Nurse Betty.”

“Seriously, enough with the Nurse Betty.”

I grinned.  “What’s wrong with that?”

“Everything. And don’t you dare call me that in front of Tank. With my luck, he and the rest of the club will start calling me it.”

“I won’t,” I replied. “I’ll keep it just between us.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I lowered my voice. “Nurse Betty.”

She groaned. “Has anyone told you that you’re really annoying at times?”

I laughed. “Yes. It’s part of my charm.”

“Right… well, your brother never mentioned how charming you were,” she said dryly.

“Raptor?”

She nodded.

“Makes sense. We hardly know each other.”

“And why is that?”

He paused and then shrugged his shoulders. “It’s too dangerous. I don’t want to mix my world with his or Sammy’s.”

“You do realize that Raptor’s world is already dangerous.”

“Another reason why I don’t want to make things worse. The Gold Vipers have enemies, but I have so many more.”

“You have to realize that these same enemies are now Raptor’s, too. Everyone knows you’re brothers now, Jordan. They’re already at risk.”

I sighed.

“So, there’s really no need to stay away.” She smiled. “And Sammy… he is such a sweet kid. You should really get to know him. I think he really needs to know who his uncle is.”

“That’s one thing he doesn’t need to know,” I said quietly.

“I disagree. The man sitting across from me is definitely worth knowing.”

Kathy returned to our table with the glass of milk and our meals. Both of us had ordered a cheeseburger and fries.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Yes, thank you,” said Jessica.

“Hopefully, these will go down easier than your wings,” said, Kathy, winking as she walked away.

“I still think you should visit Jensen more,” said Jessica, grabbing the bottle of ketchup.

I sighed. “Jessica, besides what you think you know of me, I’m not a family guy. I don’t want to pop into Sammy’s life and then have to feel guilty about staying away. I don’t want to-”

“Be like your mother, Mavis?” she interrupted. “Hey, you’re his uncle. It’s not a big deal if you’re not with him all the time. Come on, Jordan, let Sammy meet you. He really needs to find out what a great guy his uncle is.”

Dammit, she was persistent.

“I’m not a great guy,” I answered, wishing she’d drop it.

Jessica reached over and grabbed my hand. “Bullshit, Jordan. I know about your reputation and I know what you’ve done, but I also know that you’re trying to do the right thing, even if it’s a little… twisted.”

“You think what I’m doing is twisted?”

“Of course I do and don’t look at me like that. Murder is still murder, even if it’s for something that you believe in.”

“Are you finished?”

“No-”

“I didn’t think so,” I mumbled, feeling my eye twitch.

“It’s also obvious that you don’t want people in your life because you’re frightened of letting them in. Of getting hurt. Well, we’re all afraid of that at some degree, Jordan. Every last one of us, whether we were raped, or our parents beat us, or we had the perfect childhood.”

“You think you know me, but you don’t,” I said sharply.

Her eyes searched mine. “To be honest, I don’t think that you really do either.”

“You don’t know me, Jessica. Not really. And, don’t make the mistake of thinking that I’m something I’m not,” I replied, suddenly realizing that things were getting too comfortable between us. She was a woman in danger and I was her bodyguard.

“So, you think I have it all wrong about you?” she asked slowly.

“Yes, I do,” I replied, pulling my hand away, angry at myself. I had a job to do and here we were, holding hands? Hell, last night we’d slept in the same bed together. If she would have even so much as hinted at having sex, I would have been all over that, too. The woman was getting under my skin and as far as I was concerned, that was much more dangerous than the situation with Reaper.

She tilted her head, studying me. “Who are you, then?”  

“Who am I? Just a guy hired to protect you,” I said, grabbing the ketchup. I squeezed some onto my plate. I needed to put some distance between us before I really fucked things up even worse. “Apparently, it’s getting a little gray in that area.”

“I see,” she said quietly.

From her expression, I could see that I’d hurt her feelings. It didn’t make me proud, but at least she’d know that I wasn’t a man looking to be redeemed.

“How is everything?” asked Kathy, stopping back at the table.

“Great,” I said, dipping a fry into the ketchup. As I shoved it into my mouth, I noticed that the woman from the gas station was staring at me again.

“Yes, it’s very good,” said Jessica, still not looking at me. “Um, where are your bathrooms?”  .

“In the back,” she said, waving her thumb.

Jessica wiped her hands with a napkin. “Okay. I’ll be back.”

I nodded.

Kathy turned to me. “Can I get you anything else? Some water?”

“I’m good.”

“Okay,” she replied. “Enjoy the rest of your meals.”

“Thanks.”

After the waitress walked away, I finished up my burger while I waited for Jessica. As I started on the fries, the woman from across the restaurant, walked over to me.

“Hi. Remember me?” she asked, her perfume engulfing me. It was something bold and sexy. Like her.

I smiled. “The attorney.”

She smiled back. “Yes. I’m sorry to interrupt your meal, but I need to talk to you about something.”

“Me?”

“Yes, believe it or not,” she said, sounding amused.

“Am I in trouble?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Something tells me that you’re always in trouble.”

I smiled again. “You have me there. So, what exactly is this about?”

She lowered her voice. “Actually, I was hoping that we could talk in private. This isn’t something that I can discuss, out in the open. Can you meet me later tonight?”

I stared at her, still puzzled as to what it was that she wanted. I hadn’t even given her my name, on our last meeting. “Is this something that we could discuss over the phone?”

“No. It’s not that easy. It needs to be handled face-to-face.”

“It’s not about your lonely nights in Anchorage, is it?”

She laughed. “No. Not exactly.”

“Okay. We can meet up. When and where would you like to do this?”

“My secretary and I will be heading back to our office, over on Emerald Street. It’s only a couple blocks from here. I’ll be there until eight. Stop by before then.”

I reached into my pocket and grabbed a pen. “What’s the address?”

She told me.

“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She looked over her shoulder, where Jessica had disappeared. “You know… I think it’s best if you left your girlfriend at home.”

“She’s just a friend,” I replied.

Caitlyn relaxed. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Mr. Steele.”

I stared at her in surprise.

Noticing my expression, she touched my shoulder. “Yes. I know you’re name. I know quite a bit about you. But don’t worry, handsome, I’m on your side.”

“You are, huh?”

“Yes, I am. Oh, and speaking of your friend… here she comes. Don’t forget to leave her behind. The information I have doesn’t and shouldn’t involve her.”

“Okay,” I replied. “Can I at least get a hint as to what this is about?”

Caitlyn leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Just keep your gavel at home, Judge.”

I grit my teeth.

She stepped back and turned to smile at Jessica, who was now standing at the table. “Oh, excuse me,” she said, getting out of her way.

“No problem,” said Jessica, looking at Caitlyn with interest, as she slid back into the booth.

“I look forward to seeing you, later,” said the lawyer, her attention back to me. “We have a lot to discuss.”

I smiled coolly. “Apparently.”

Winking, she turned around and walked back to her table.

“Who is she?” asked Jessica.

“A lawyer.”

“Are you going to meet with her today?”

“Yes,” I said, looking back over toward Caitlyn, who’d joined another woman also dressed in business attire. They both caught me staring and smiled.

I turned away.

“I take it this is a private meeting?” asked Jessica, dryly.

“Yep.”

Jessica grunted.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she said stiffly. “I’ll finish my burger and we can head out. So you can get to your… meeting.”

“Okay,” I answered, my mind still on Caitlyn. She not only knew my real identity, she was a lawyer. On a lighter note, she apparently still wanted me. That had to give me some kind of leverage?