“Fuck you.”
He laughs. “That’s not a no.”
“It’s an, I’m not dignifying that with an answer. This isn’t the time for pussy.”
That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the kiss, or that I won’t try it again. Probably. Definitely.
“Oh, shit. If you haven’t yet, then you plan to. Soon. Good luck. From what I’ve heard and seen, the chick seems like a handful.”
My hands twitch at Shades’ words because everything about McKenna, including her righteous ass and tits, is more than a handful.
“Don’t you have someplace to be?”
“I do, but giving you shit about panting after a rich girl is too much fun.”
He laughs and drops down on the closest flat surface and lights up a Marlboro.
“First Coop and now you. I’m gonna have to get a normal old lady, one with tattoos, scars, and big titties just to even shit out around here.”
“You planning on settling down? I don’t fucking believe it.”
He shrugs and passes me the pack of cigarettes. “Stranger things have happened, but first, let’s focus on who’s trying to turn the port into a fucking cemetery.”
“Agreed.” I take a cigarette and hand the pack back. “There’s just so much shit going on. It never fucking stops.” I light the cigarette and inhale, enjoying the feel of the smoke filling my lungs.
My mind parses up all the shit I need to worry about, so I can focus on them one at a time.
Shades stands and says, “Seems like it. Take care, man. I’m going to find Preacher.”
“Be careful,” I tell him as he walks away.
“Always am,” he shoots back, and seconds later, his bike roars to life.
I’m all alone for the first time in what feels like days. Part of it is my fault for sleeping at the clubhouse instead of the house where I pay a monthly mortgage. There’s always too much shit to get done from one day to the next. Between the repair shop, the sales floor, custom jobs, and the club’s black market businesses, I work the same hours as a straight-up CEO.
And pay the same amount of goddamn taxes.
Tonight, I’ll spend a few more hours at the clubhouse getting shit in order and then go home to sleep in my bed for the first night in more than a week, visions of McKenna’s lips on my cock wreaking havoc in my mind.
Chapter Nine
McKenna
I steel myself to visit Grace’s mother before knocking on her door.
“Oh, McKenna, I am so glad you’re here.”
Shannon Davies flashes a sad smile at me before she pulls me inside her small home and into a fierce hug.
“I just can’t believe she’s gone.” Her voice cracks and catches. “I can’t believe it.”
“Me either,” I assure her and squeeze her tight. Grace’s mother has been a better mother to me than my own ever has. She knows when to nurture and when to be tough, and she doesn’t look down on simple maternal tasks like making a favorite meal.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Davies. So, so sorry.” I fight to keep my own voice under control.
Shannon pulls back with another sad smile, tears pooling in her swollen, red-rimmed eyes.
“Me too. I know how close you girls were. It’s going to be hard to live without her.”
Her words bring forth more tears when I was sure I’d cried all the tears my body could handle over the past two days.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I wanted to get my emotions under control so I could be here for you.” The last thing Grace’s mom needs is to console me when she’s lost her daughter.
“Nonsense, you’re as much my girl as Grace is. Was,” she amends and looks away. “I just, I don’t know how this happened.”
“Have the police told you anything?”
Shannon nods her head. I can see she hasn’t showered, probably since she got the news of Grace’s untimely death. “Other than to show up and tell me someone did horrible things to my baby girl, they only asked a few questions.”
Her tears start again, this time with loud, heartbreaking sobs. I’m so moved. I pull Shannon into another tight hug, wishing I could take away some of her pain.
“I’ll have my father make a call to the department, make sure they treat Grace like the priority she is to us.”
Shannon blinked. “Oh, thank you, McKenna. Come inside. The place is a mess, and all I have to offer you is cheap red wine and cheese puffs. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I can order some food, take something off your plate for a while.”
She shakes her head, her blonde hair such a stark contrast to Grace’s long dark hair, but they share identical violet eyes. “Don’t trouble yourself with me, McKenna. I’ll be fine.”
She’d never be any trouble to me. “It’s no trouble at all, I promise. Grace would do the same,” I assure her and turn her toward the back of the house Grace always knew as home. “Take a shower and put on a change of clothes. You’ll feel…not better but at least refreshed to start grieving for a new day.”