Isaac and the rest of the Jungle’s Thorns usually held court above a bar in downtown LA. I’d been there a handful of times, most recently to drive by and check whether their bikes were there. I knew the MC pulled in a decent amount of cash, but I was wondering when they'd finally get their own clubhouse. For a gun-running MC, the Thorns didn't seem to be as wealthy as I would have guessed.

 

The bar was hopping. It was a Friday night and I’d dressed in a nondescript black tank top and black jeans with boots. I rode my bike up to the club, expecting to see it full of Isaac and his cronies. But there was a live band and people were dancing, and I was relieved to note that I was likely going to get away with hanging under the radar until I spotted Isaac.

 

I sat down at the lone empty stool that I saw. On the other side of me, a burly guy was hugging his girlfriend close and whispering in her ear as he fondled her ass. Part of me thought again of Isaac, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. It had been five years since I’d left him, and I could have gone another ten without thinking about him again. But here I was, right in the Thorn’s den.

 

“What can I get you, honey?” the bartender asked. She was a buxom blonde woman with a low-cut top and red lipstick. “Beer? Wine? Vodka?”

 

“Whiskey, neat,” I said as I slid over a wad of cash. “You seen Isaac tonight?”

 

The woman laughed. “Oh, honey, you’re only the third broad to ask me that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He’s real popular tonight.” She turned away before I could ask her anything else. I scowled. It would be just like Isaac to fuck everything in sight. I couldn’t believe that he was still running around like the big stud on campus. Isaac was the kind of sneaky guy to keep three girlfriends on a string at the same time.

 

When she handed me my glass of whiskey, I knocked the whole thing back without a second thought. If I was going to talk to Isaac, I needed to be a lot drunker than I currently felt.

 

“Is this seat taken?” I almost gasped as Isaac slid onto the stool next to me. He was still as gorgeous as ever—blond and scruffy with bright green eyes—and I felt my breath catch in my throat. Easy, Stephy, I told myself. This doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Just stay calm. This is for Jessica, and for your other girls.

 

“No,” I said, batting my eyelashes. “Except by you, that is.”

 

Isaac grinned an easy grin. I could tell he didn’t recognize me. I didn’t blame him—in five years, I’d changed a lot. I dyed my naturally blonde hair a dark shade of black and my blue eyes looked harder than they had when I was a teenager. Plus, I was a lot leaner and more tanned from being in the sun. Leading an MC came with a lot of sweat and grease, and I was more than proud to say I’d experienced my fair share of it all.

 

“Can I buy you a drink?” Isaac finished his beer and slid it across the counter.

 

“Sure,” I said, making my voice sound a little higher than it was naturally. “I’d like that. Whiskey sour, please.”

 

Isaac blinked. Back in the day of our underage drinking, that had been his favorite thing. He liked it because it was whiskey, so he still felt like a man, but it was sweet, so he could still drink it without cringing. I hadn’t had one in years, and I wondered whether or not it would bring back even more bitter memories.

 

“Two whiskey sours,” Isaac said to the bartender. She winked at me but thankfully, Isaac didn’t notice. When she slipped the drinks onto the counter, I grabbed one and discreetly dropped a pill inside.

 

“This is for you,” I said, sliding the drink across the bar towards Isaac. “I shouldn’t have grabbed it first.”

 

Isaac wrapped his fingers around the glass and lifted it to his wide, sensual lips. He swallowed some of the whiskey and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. When he looked at me again, I saw the same familiar fire in those green eyes. A shiver of lust went through me and for a moment, it took everything inside of me to not lean across space and plant my mouth against his. Just being around Isaac again was doing dangerous things to my libido, and I couldn't wait for this whole damn thing to be over.

 

“So,” Isaac slurred lightly. “What brings you out here on a night like this?”

 

I knew exactly how I had to play my cards: innocent but sexy and determined. “Well, I was lonely,” I said, looking down as I took a sip of my drink. It tasted exactly like I remembered and a small thrill went through me. “I wanted to go out and talk to some people.”

 

“I don’t love talking,” Isaac said. “But here I am.” He drained his glass and set it on the bar, snapping his fingers for another. He seemed more relaxed than I would have guessed, like he was completely at ease with the situation.

 

“So, are you in a motorcycle club?” I ran my finger down the side of Isaac’s sleeve. His jacket was emblazoned with Thorn stripes. This close, I thought I could catch a whiff of his scent—leather and tobacco—and I had to take a deep breath and focus.

 

“Yeah.” Isaac grinned, cocky and stupid as ever. “I’m the president of the Jungle’s Thorns.”

 

“Never heard of you,” I said casually, taking a small amount of pleasure in the way Isaac’s face fell. “Are you a local?”

 

“This is our bar,” Isaac said, rapping the dark wood of the bar with his hand. “You like it?”

 

“I love it,” I purred. “I love the band; you know those guys?”

 

Isaac nodded. “They always pull in a big crowd,” he said with a grin. “Can I get you another drink?”

 

I bit my lip. This was where I knew I really had to start acting. If I didn’t work quickly, the drug would, and Isaac would be asleep on the floor of the bar. Impulsively, I leaned over and pretended like I’d dropped my purse.

 

“Oh my god,” I squealed. “I just dropped my bag! Can you help me look for it?”

 

Isaac put a hand against his forehead. “I don’t feel so good,” he said. “I think I should actually go.”

 

“Come on,” I said, grabbing Isaac’s arm and tugging his sleeve. “It won’t take long! I don’t want to lose my wallet!”

 

We got down on our hands and knees and began scouting around the floor for the contents of my purse. I hadn’t brought any identification with me, and Isaac clumsily grabbed a handful of keys and mints and handed them over.

 

“There,” he said, breathing heavily. For a moment, his lids fluttered closed.

 

Yes. I wrapped an arm around Isaac and pulled him to his feet. “I’ll help you lie down,” I said sweetly. “Just help me out of this bar.”

 

Isaac staggered towards a dark staircase and I walked with him, supporting his weight. He seemed like he was going to lose consciousness at any second and I grinned to myself as I began helping him up the stairs.

 

“There’s a bedroom up here,” Isaac slurred. “Come on.” I half carried, half dragged him up the stairs until we were at the top. There was a door with a knob and I pushed it open, dragging Isaac inside and throwing him on the bed. With all of my might, I swung hard and hit him in the stomach until he was doubled over with pain.

 

“Who’s supplying your weapons?” I growled, straddling Isaac and pressing the blade of a knife into his throat. “You tell me, or I’ll kill you right here and now.”

 

Isaac’s eyes opened wide. Despite the effects of the drug, I could tell that I’d mostly caught him unaware. He blinked at me and then tried to reach his arms up and push me away from him. Even though on a normal day, Isaac would be much stronger than I was, I knew that he wouldn’t be able to get rid of me. Not yet.

 

“Who are they?” I demanded again, leaning over and staring into his face.

 

Isaac’s eyes met my own and I could feel some of my resolve melting away. “The Russians,” he managed to croak before his lids closed and his body went limp.

 

I stared down at him, feeling satisfied. Even though I knew I had to get out of there as quickly as I could manage, part of me wanted to stay behind and stare at Isaac. He was different than he’d been years ago—bulkier, heavier somehow. He wasn’t fat, but his body wasn’t as sleek as he’d been before. He was all muscle and bulk, all man. I shivered as I felt his weight slightly shift underneath of me.

 

Crawling off of Isaac, I pulled the collar of my jacket around my neck and hunched down, trying to hide. Now he was snoring evenly and I knew that he’d be knocked out for hours, just long enough for me to escape and head back to the girls.

 

The Russians. My heart hardened in my chest as I thought about what doing business with those crooked fucks meant. If Isaac and Jungle’s Thorns were really working with them, they were some of the most corrupt gunslingers in history. The Russians were brutal Eastern European thugs who would sometimes shoot you even if they liked what you had to say. Jungle’s Thorns had a lot of balls to deal with those men.

 

I shivered. I knew that when I brought the news back to the girls, they’d want to go in immediately. But we’d have to think of a plan; unless we wanted to be dead and buried by the morning, we couldn’t just go charging in and expect the Russians to give us everything that we wanted. No, in order to truly bring down Jungle’s Thorns, we were going to have work very slowly and calculate every move.

 

I left the room and quietly closed the door behind me. The bar was still raging and the band was still playing, everyone was dancing with a drink in their hand, looking drunk. As I slipped down the staircase, the music got louder and louder until I couldn’t believe that I’d heard Isaac at all. The room seemed twice as packed as it had been before, and I marveled at my good fortune. Isaac had sat down right next to me, I hadn’t even had to look!

 

The bartender didn’t even notice me as I slipped out of the bar and darted away into the night. After being inside, the cool night air felt like a blessed kiss on my face. I loved LA at night; it was gritty and it smelled of gasoline, but it gave me hope. It reminded me of how many people had come to this city to realize their dreams, and how lucky I was to be at the top of my game. When I got back to the rest of the Succubi, I’d tell them everything but I didn’t think any of them, not even Val, would understand the way that this city got under my skin and made me feel alive.

 

I grinned to myself. At least one thing had gone right tonight. And now, my girls and I were going to start ripping Jungle’s Thorns apart piece by piece.