“My friend Delainey asked me to look into the place to see if they’re still operating as a foster home. I guess a friend of hers fostered there and some bad things happened. She just wanted to see if anything could be done about it.”
“Man, that’s a blast from the past. Who’s her friend?” Jax asked.
“I don’t know his name. Delainey is helping him out because he’s in some sort of trouble but she really likes him and I guess she wants to do something nice for him.”
“And what does she plan to do if they are still fostering?” Hunter asked.
Zoe lifted her shoulders in an unsure shrug. “I don’t know if she has a plan or anything but I think she hopes to file a complaint on his behalf.” She paused a moment, then dared to ask, “Did something happen to you while you were in that house?” Both men were still as the grave then Hunter shot Jax a look that gave Zoe a stomachache and she had her answer. “What happened?”
Jax shook his head. “Shit best left in the past. The bigger question I have is…who is your friend shacking up with?”
“I don’t know. She’s being kind of secretive about it.”
“Sounds fishy to me. Does Delainey make a habit of acting like this?” Hunter asked.
Zoe shook her head. “No, not at all. Delainey is the sweetest, most open person I know.”
“And trusting?” Jax supplied and Zoe nodded. “Maybe we ought to do some checking around, make sure this guy isn’t bad news for your friend.”
“I don’t want to invade her privacy,” Zoe said, worried. “She came to me for help. I don’t want to make her feel as if I went behind her back over this guy.”
“Fair enough. We’ll keep it discreet.”
Zoe smiled with relief, knowing her guys had her best friend’s safety at heart. After the whole Dimas incident — nothing like getting betrayed by a supposed friend — Jax and Hunter had been extra wary of who they let into their inner circle and that concern extended to Zoe’s friends, too. She liked that they were so protective even if they went overboard sometimes. Hunter came up to her and pulled her close. “Now that that’s settled…guess what I was thinking about all day…” and before she could answer, Jax was at her backside, sandwiching her between them.
“Same here,” Jax murmured against the shell of her ear. “Are you up to having us both tonight?”
Zoe shivered with delight as she nodded. “Yes,” she answered breathlessly, loving how considerate they were right before they shredded her clothing and railed her without mercy. She knew Hunter would be the rough one while Jax would soften the violence of his thrusts with sweet kisses. How did she get so lucky? Stepping outside of their embrace, she beckoned with a crooked finger as she headed toward their bedroom. “Well, what are you waiting for…”
And that was all the encouragement they needed.
By morning Zoe would be deliciously sore in all the right places.
She loved her dirty boys!
***
Pyro spied Bronx sitting in the back of the dive bar, nearly obscured by the hazy, dim light and slid into the booth opposite him. “Did anyone see you?” he asked and Pyro shook his head. “Good. I don’t want anyone realizing I’m still alive just yet, you feeling me?”
“Yeah, sure. So what the hell is going on? There’s all sorts of talk going on about you. Is it true?”
“That I ratted out Charlie?” he supplied with a wry twist of his lips. “And what do you think?”
“I think Charlie was a no-good piece of shit who couldn’t be trusted,” Pyro answered, his dark eyes unreadable as fuck.
“That’s not what I’m asking. Do you believe I ratted out Charlie to take the fall?”
“I think I don’t give a fuck. As far as I see it, whoever did it, did the club a favor. Charlie was a loose cannon and bad for business.”
Probably as good an answer as he could expect. Bronx accepted it and moved on. “Listen, what’s the word on the street? Who’s got it out for me?”
“Hell, Bronx…you’ve made enemies. The list is long. Just come back and we’ll sort it out. Besides, whoever it was wouldn’t be so stupid as to try again so soon.”
There was a certain level of logic in that statement but he wasn’t ready to leave Delainey just yet even if he wasn’t going to admit that to anyone but himself. “Nah, not yet. I’m not about to make a gamble on my life with those odds. Find out what that blabbermouth Randy is flapping his yap about. Monica said he was spreading rumors.”
“Monica? How the fuck did you talk to Monica?”
“I went and got my bike; unfortunately, she was at my place. Couldn’t be avoided.”
“I hope you didn’t fuck her. She’s been getting around, if you know what I mean.”
Bronx nodded, suppressing a shudder. Yeah, he knew. Now he really wished he’d scrubbed his dick raw. “No I didn’t fuck her. Listen, you’re the only one I trust right now. Can you be my eyes and ears?”
“Yeah, man, you know I can.” Pyro shifted his long legs under the table. “So who you holed up with? Anyone I know?”
“No. She’s just a friend and I want her to stay out of this. If anything happens to my friend…let’s just say, nothing will stand in my way of getting even.”
Pyro chuckled. “You must like this chick to be so protective.”
“She’s all right. I just don’t want the complication. I have enough to worry about.”
“You got that right. Jaime wants to meet with us. He’s getting antsy.”
Basic street sense: one deal goes sour, have another started. Since the fucking Kings swooped in a year ago and stole his chance at brokering the big deal, he’d have to make do with the smaller cash-out but either way you look at it, fifty grand was still a lot of money. The problem was, he didn’t trust Jaime any further than he could toss the fucker. “Just tell him to sit tight. He’ll get his shipment.”
Pryo shrugged as if he thought Bronx was making a bad call but whatever. “I’ll hold him off as long as possible. Just remember, the Kings took one deal…they could take another. I, for one, don’t like the prospect of losing again.”
“Neither do I,” Bronx replied with a hint of malice. “And I won’t. Nothing’s getting in the way of delivering that shipment. Just do what I asked you and find out where the threat is coming from.”
“I’ll see what I can see,” Pyro said and then edged his way out of the booth, leaving Bronx alone again. Why was Pyro so keen on knowing where he was staying? That was the second time Pyro had asked where he was holed up. Something felt wrong. Was he just being paranoid? Pyro was the closest thing he had to a best friend. But Dimas had been pretty close to Jax and Hunter and that hadn’t stopped the fucker from dropping their girl from the ceiling and trying to run off with their cash. Was he wrong to trust Pyro? Unsettled by his own misgivings, he left the bar and took a circuitous route back to Delainey’s place.
The irony at work was that Delainey was the only person he could trust and he was the one person she shouldn’t trust.
-10-
Delainey felt pretty sure she was channeling Betty Crocker as she surveyed her dinner creation for the night, tickled by how well everything turned out. Grilled asparagus, red mashed potatoes, breaded chicken breasts, and homemade applesauce — and for dessert…apple pie (because she’d overdid it with the apples and had to use them up). Yep. Pretty darn domestic. But she liked feeding Bronx. There was something so primal about feeding the man who was, for lack of a better phrase, screwing the life out of her behind closed doors and she loved it. Bronx walked through the front door just as she was putting the wine on the table. “Hi,” she said brightly, noting that at least he wasn’t as surly as yesterday. “Are you hungry? I hope so. I kind of made enough to feed an army.”
“I’m starved,” he answered, eyeing the food with open interest. “Let me go wash up.”