Jack (The Kings of Mayhem MC Tennessee 1)

“Only if you show me yours.” I wink at him. I like winding him up in poker. He takes this shit way too seriously. Ignoring his curling lip, I fan my cards on the table. “Royal flush. Read ‘em and weep, big fella.”

Ares growls as he spreads his cards before him.

He has a full house, so he has to be fuming inside.

“You got yourself some crazy luck there, son,” my father says.

“You know I don’t believe in luck, old man.”

“Poker is one-half luck and—”

“One-half control of your ego. I know, I know. You taught me how to play poker before you taught me how to read.” I drag the chips over to my side of the table. I’m almost one hundred bucks up.

Ares’ big fist hits the table and because I’m a competitive jerk, I wink at him again.

Pulling on my beer, I look over the poker table and see Bronte walk through the clubhouse doors. and without warning, my chest tightens.

She looks stunning.

I tell myself not to look.

But it’s hard not to notice her in those tiny shorts and off-the-shoulder blouse that does nothing to hide her polished shoulders and flat, sun-kissed stomach. She wears a black choker around her slender throat and lets her hair tumble wild and loose down her back.

Inwardly, I groan when I see her because you have to be blind not to notice how beautiful and sexy she is, and I don’t know how I feel about that. I’m also not the only one to notice her.

As she moves through the clubhouse, all eyes zero in on her, and an unexpected protectiveness knots in my stomach. I have the sudden urge to punch any fucker in the throat if they lay a single finger on her. Without thinking, I put down my beer and stand, and she smiles when she sees me.

Something kicks in my chest.

I hate that kick.

Hate how it’s happening more and more.

“Everything okay?” I ask, walking over to her.

“Yeah, of course. Thought I’d come by and say hi to every—”

Before she can finish, Loki, the youngest of my twin boys, sneaks up on her and lifts her in his arms, then twirls her around. “Well, lookee what we have here! Miss Vale has finally come home!”

The sound of her laughter is music to my ears as I watch my son twirling her around. They’re like brother and sister, and her smile is a direct contrast to the haunted look she’s been wearing these past two days.

“Put me down, Loki!” she cries out with laughter.

Loki does as she asks but not before he presses a kiss to her cheek.

“You got big!” she says, feeling the size of his bicep as he lets her go.

He winks. “That’s what all the girls say, darlin’.”

She screws her nose up. “Ewww… TMI, Loki. T.M.I.”

He hits her with his trademark big grin. “You look like sunshine on a daisy! What brings you back to this part of the woods?”

“Thought I should come check on you and Bam, make sure you boys ain’t misbehaving.”

He gives her an innocent look. “Now, do I look like the type to misbehave?”

“Honey, you and your brother are the very definition of misbehave. Speaking of which, where is he?”

Bam walks up behind her. “If you mean the good-looking twin, he’s right here.”

She swings around, and with a squeal of delight, leaps into Bam’s arms.

“Hell, girl, you got tiny,” he says, putting her down and taking a sweeping look at her. “They not feeding you down there in Nashville?”

“Don’t pay my brother any mind,” Loki says. “Especially the part about being the good-looking twin. You know, we think we might have to get him tested to make sure he ain’t legally blind.”

“Don’t listen to him, bee.” While I call her wildflower, everyone else calls her, bee. “He’s just jealous because I’m two minutes older and got all the good bits when our mama was busy baking us. Boy, it’s good to see you. Come on, let’s sit down, and you can fill us in on life in the big city.”

Standing with Dolly at the other end of the bar, I watch Bronte walk away with my sons.

“Girl’s lookin’ good,” Dolly says.

Yeah, she’s looking good. I just wish I could quit noticing.

“She’s all grown up,” I say.

“Oh, she’s definitely grown up, all right. Though, I can’t help feel there’s a story there.”

“I think it’s more than a story, Dolly. I think she’s hiding something.”

“You do?”

“Could be that I’m just old and jaded.”

“Or maybe you’re onto something.”

“I don’t know. But I don’t want to go chasing shadows when there ain’t no shadows.”

Dolly leans down, so her cleavage blooms in her low-cut blouse. “One thing about you, honey, you got some of the sharpest instinct I’ve ever seen. You should listen to whatever it has to say, because it hasn’t let you down yet.”