Chapter Seven
The next morning at work, Vick tried to concentrate without much success.
Her thoughts kept drifting from Simon and the bikers to her brother, and then back again. She’d been staring at the computer screen for an hour, willing her fingers to move, and her brain to work properly.
No dice.
She kept checking her phone but hadn’t heard a peep out of Justice and Ace. Vick hoped no news was good news. Maybe they’d confronted Simon, and he’d backed down, coughed up some money, and moved on.
Yeah, and I’m a fairy tale princess.
Things had a habit of going sideways in her life. Best not to get her hopes up.
“Want some coffee? I made a new pot.”
Vick shrieked. She’d been so lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t noticed Dix walk into her office.
“Dammit. What’s got you all jumpy?” He pressed a hand to his chest, as though he’d had a fright, too.
“Nothin’.”
“Uh-huh.” His tone was wry. Dix crooked a finger at her. “Come on, Fraidy Cat, coffee makes it all better.”
He could be right. Although with her recent streak of misfortunes, the added caffeine could give her a heart attack. After he’d poured her a cup of Starbucks’ House Blend and she’d added half and half to it, he pulled out a file.
“I need you and your boyfriend to go to Chinatown tonight.”
There was a large Chinese community in Houston, about five hours from Crimson Creek. She’d been there with Jasper twice. This past February, they’d celebrated Chinese New Year together by going to the annual parade.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She scowled.
“Then how’d you know who I meant?” Dix leaned back in his chair.
“Because you keep bringin’ it up.”
“I’ve seen the way Jasper looks at you.”
Curiosity got the best of her. “How does he look at me?”
“Like a thirsty man starin’ at a glass of cool spring water.”
“Oh.” A flush made her cheeks burn. She cleared her throat. “Did you want us to collect payment from Ms. Wu?”
A few months ago, Ms. Wu had borrowed twenty-five grand for her fledgling massage parlor. She had to get the cash through illegal means since she’d had a felony assault conviction a few years back. The small elderly woman had reportedly blown a hole in a man who’d tried to rob her.
Vick liked her immediately, and so had Dix. Her parlor, Xíngchéng, seemed to do well. She hadn’t missed a payment.
“Yeah, it’s time for a quarterly collection. Two more installments and she won’t owe us a dime.”
“And why am I goin’?” Vick didn’t do these kinds of runs.
“For one, she’s less likely to shoot you.”
Vick snickered. “Good point.”
“And she took a shine to Jasper the last time he collected.”
“Bettin’ you don’t trust Rebel with this either.”
“To a massage parlor with happy endings? Fuck no.” And then his eyes twinkled. Actually, freaking twinkled. “Oh, and it’s a nice long drive.” Dix placed his booted feet on the table. “You two could stay overnight, grab some dinner, and take in a show. Make a trip out of it.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“Matchmakin’.”
“Life is short, Vick, especially in our line of work. Settlin’ down ain’t so bad. You two need to stop fuckin’ around.”
She scrunched up her nose. “You shoulda used a different phrase.”
“I stand by my word choice.” He grinned, utterly unrepentant.
“Jerk.”
“Yeah, but you like me anyway.”
Sometimes Vick didn’t know if she should hug him or smack him. Despite his scary reputation, Dix was a kind boss. He gave her plenty of time off, valued her expertise and opinions, and always had her back.
She couldn’t ask for anything more. Well, yeah, she could—privacy.
“When do you want us to go?”
“Tonight.” He clasped his hands together. “As a matter of fact, why don’t you head out early? After you finish your coffee, of course.”
Vick groaned.
***
Two hours later, Jasper drove down the highway, with Vick in the passenger seat. They’d taken her vehicle because his stank to high heaven. He’d power washed the damn thing and left the windows open, but it hadn’t made a dent in the stink.
Jasper decided he’d hand it over to Rebel and get another one, on the outfit’s dime of course.
“Thanks for comin’ with me. Don’t get me wrong, Rebel’s a good guy and all, but…”
“He’s green?” Jasper chuckled.
“Yeah.”
“Talk about an understatement. This is a bit below my pay grade, but I don’t mind.”
Jasper had earned his position as a made man, but he still did the occasional favor for Dix or Byron. And he refused to let Vixen walk into a dangerous situation with an amateur. Sure, Ms. Wu hadn’t made a scene yet, but there was a first time for anything.
“Like I said, I appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry, Vixen, I got your back.”
And Lord knows he’d love to have her front, too. He wouldn’t mind getting to know all her curves intimately.
Being in an enclosed space with her drove him insane. He’d had hundreds of fantasies about Vixen, fucked her hundreds of ways from mild to wild. Sometimes he couldn’t get her out of his head. Jasper was distracted by all sorts of notions.
Maybe it’s because he hadn’t had a good excuse to touch her lately. For the past couple of days, she’d been too busy to train with him, and he missed the close contact. Their sessions felt like prolonged foreplay. And he’d taken to getting himself off while imagining her writhing beneath him. He envisioned pinning her down, pushing her thighs apart, sinking into her. Filling every single inch of her tight pussy with his big, thick cock.
At the moment, he had trouble keeping his hands off her.
He could detect a hint of vanilla and cinnamon in her perfume. She smelled like dessert, and God help him, he wanted a sample. Jasper longed to explore every single inch of her tasty body but feared the unavoidable fallout.
Vick wore a black skirt with a pair of matching leather boots. No nylons either, just smooth pale skin. He wanted to trace the slope of her leg, the curve of her thigh.
Jasper clenched the gear shift until his knuckles turned white.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Aw hell. Vixen had been talking about something this whole time.
“About…?”
“Belle and Dix? Their upcomin’ nuptials?”
“Right, yeah. What about them?”
“I should be the one to throw her a shower.” Her glasses had slipped down on her nose, and he’d had the urge to push them back up.
If I touch her, I’m toast.
“Maybe Mary can help you?” She’d overseen her granddad’s birthday party a few months ago, and it’d been a real success.
“Sure, but then I’d have to spend time at Tucker’s place and it ain’t gonna happen.” She shuddered. “Guy freaks me out.”
“You ain’t alone, Vixen, he gives everyone the creepy crawlies.”
He thought back to the meeting he’d had with the man. Jasper knew going up against Byron would be suicide, yet pissing off Tucker was out of the question. He was well and truly fucked on this one. At least he had the good sense not to drag Vixen into it.
“Did Jack make it back to the Brighton Place?”
“Nope.” She heaved a sigh.
“Sorry. How long’s he stayin’ for?”
“I told him 48 hours, but we’ll see. Jack’s got a choice—go back to the facility or head out on his own.”
He admired her loyalty, even if he was worried about her. Jasper knew she was torn between sisterly duties and doing what was best for herself.
Family had a strong pull on people. Hopefully, this weekend, he’d repair things with his grandmother.
“What will you do if he doesn’t go back?”
“Not a clue. I’ll worry about it tomorrow.”
God, he wanted to kiss her, tug her onto his lap, and hold her. Jasper had this urge to protect Vixen, shelter her from the worst of it. Vick was resilient, and she could handle anything, yet she was vulnerable, too. Vick didn’t belong in their world. She was better than the rest of them put together.
She shifted in the seat and laid her head on his shoulder. When he glanced down, Jasper had a bird’s eye view of her cleavage, and his filthy mind wandered once more.
Keep your fuckin’ hands to yourself. She’s your best friend. Act like a gentleman.
But walking away from temptation had never been Jasper’s strong suit. Vixen had large breasts. He’d imagined how they would feel in his hands, pictured the sweet weight of them settling against his chest. On several occasions as they’d danced, he’d accidentally brushed against her.
Jasper thought about teasing Vixen, sliding her blouse down, baring her nipples to his gaze. He’d suck them until they turned a cherry red. Then he’d slip his hands between those moist thighs.
He wanted her so badly, he couldn’t stand it. Jasper thought she might indulge his sexual whims, give in to him.
And just when did the temperature ratchet up fifty degrees? Jasper felt like he’d stepped into an oven and all he could hear was the roaring in his own ears.
Vixen wriggled in her seat, yanking her skirt down.
Jasper stifled a moan.
What if he made her strip, so she sat next to him, naked and ready? They were on miles of open road on a dirty isolated highway. He could pull off on the side and fuck her in the backseat.
“What the heck are you thinkin’ about? You seem awfully intense.”
He blinked, coming back to himself.
“Nothin’.”
“I don’t believe you.” Her full lips curved into a coy grin.
Oh, fuck me.
“Because you’re a very smart woman.”
“Anythin’ you wanna tell me?”
“Nope, not a damn thing.”
For the remainder of the trip, Jasper kept his hands to himself, his fly zipped, and his eyes fixed on the road.