Beast Brothers 2

“Ba-dum cha!” Tara says, and the women collapse into giggles. It lightens my heart to see Zoe so relaxed. The fun-loving side of her is one Lucas and I haven’t gotten to experience nearly enough of, and I make a silent vow to encourage it once the security issues are resolved.

“Time for dessert,” Megan announces. “We have homemade chocolate fudge brownies — some with nuts, and some without. And vanilla ice cream, in case you want your brownie warmed and a la mode.”

“Decadence!” Zoe exclaims. “Well, you know I’m the nutty type.”

“And I like my brownies pure and unsullied,” Tara adds, and the two of them are off on a teasing but spirited debate about the proper way to make brownies.

Across the table, Deke catches my eye. I’ve noticed him watching me a few times tonight, but only for an instant, and nothing about it set off any alarms. Now, he jerks his head to the side, and as everyone gets up to stretch, the two of us step away.

“Tara explained your situation,” he says without preamble. “She Randolph Kelleher’s kid?”

My eyes narrow, but it’s not exactly private information. “She is.”

“Her old man’s got himself a reputation.”

“That he does,” I agree, wondering where this is leading.

“He the one who hired you?”

“That information is confidential.”

“He hired you.” Deke nods, like that’s settled. “At least he’s man enough to not want his shit to blow back on his kids.”

“Where are you going with this?” I say, since he seems to be a man who appreciates directness.

He crosses those massive arms on his broad chest. “Happens I know people who know people.”

Suddenly, everything about him snaps into focus, and the last name Tara didn’t supply is there in my mind. If I hadn’t been distracted, I would have realized it sooner. “You’re Deke Abbott. You and your brother lead the Brimstone Friars Motorcycle Club.”

“Yeah.” If he’s surprised that I’ve heard of him, he doesn’t show it, just waits while I flip through my mental file on him. It only takes a moment because there’s not much there. The Brimstone Friars are the largest motorcycle club in the area, and while there are rumors that they may be connected to illegal activities, no one knows anything for sure.

“So, these people you know, who know people …” I prompt him.

“I got no use for Kelleher. His girl …” he turns to look at Zoe, who’s standing with Tara and Megan, laughing, head thrown back, eyes shining. “She ain’t like him.”

“No, she’s not,” I say, remembering the arro

gant, thin-lipped, autocratic man who hired us.

“Not right she’s caught up in this. Might be some of those people know something that’ll help you put this problem to rest.”

Every instinct I have says he’s right. His connections could well supply our missing piece. Am I willing to put myself and my brother in debt to a possible outlaw biker for Zoe’s sake? Damn straight I am.

“We’d owe you a marker, if so.”

He holds out his hand. “You got a card?” he says after we shake, and I pull one out for him. “I’ll be in touch.”

With that, he ambles back to the table. I do too, wishing I could tell Deke to go find out now, dammit. But he’s clearly not a man who takes orders from anyone.

Damn, I hope this pans out. The end is so close I can taste it. And then I’ll be free to taste Zoe.

27

Going Public

Zoe

This has turned out to be a really good evening. I’m glad I went through with it. I thought I’d be worried the whole time about the dynamic between my guys and Megan’s, but it turned out just like one of our normal evenings, only with a few more people.

Tara’s date is an eyeful. His dark hair is thick and worn a little long, and his eyes are the deep blue of a shadowed mountain lake on a clear summer day. All that muscle, all that leather, all those tats … I have to say I’m surprised, because Tara’s never dated anyone like him before. But given that her boyfriends have mostly been assholes, maybe that’s a good thing.

Between dinner and dessert, I sidle up to her. Deke and Alex are talking a few feet away, which makes me curious, but it doesn’t look tense so I’m not worried. Cutting my eyes in Deke’s direction, I raise my brows. Tara smiles a little. “I was not coming tonight without a date,” she says.

“Of course not. But where did you find him?”

“At Wheels.”

My eyes get big. “That explains a lot. But I can’t believe you went to a biker bar.”

“Where else was I going to find someone who could hold his own with these men and wouldn’t freak out about the living arrangements?”