Page 75 of StoryTeller's Tale

Will I ever be able to show my face?

Jake, it seems, takes it differently, slapping my ass with a look of pride on his face, and telling me we’ve got to get moving.

He dresses first, then throws my backpack my way. I take it into the bathroom and have a quick shower so I don’t smell of sex, even though it’s too late to hide what we’ve been doing. Once I’m ready, he leads us out into the clubroom which is teeming with men. One, the small guy called Mex, is fooling around, wearing a red wig. Seeing me, he comes over and flicks his fake hair over his shoulder and grins. He starts making fake kissing noises and pointing toward Jake.

“What’s going on?” I ask, while simultaneously, Jake tells Mex sharply, “Get out of here.”

He takes hold of my arm and leads me to a corner. He gives an uneasy grimace. “Kinda got to fill you in now that Mex is making an ass of himself. We’re going to set a trap for Knuckles.”

I’m quick to catch on. “With Mex pretending to be me?” I eye the short guy who’s still prancing around. He’s got about a hundred pounds and a few inches on me. The wig might help, but surely their plan will never work.

Then I realise the real downside to this. “And you’re going to be playing yourself?”

“Babe, I’ll be safe.” He tries to reassure me. “The brothers here will have my back.”

I’m worried about losing him and entwine my hands into his shirt. “Please don’t do this. I don’t want to lose you. Can’t we just disguise ourselves, get to the airport and disappear?”

“And worry about Knuckles turning up when we least expect him?” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Look, babe, I’m not one for hiding. And Knuckles signed his death warrant when he came after you yesterday. I’m not risking him being able to take another shot.”

“So, you think Mex will fool him?”

Jake shrugs. “Hopefully. It’s worth giving it a try.” He jerks his head toward where Mex is still cavorting, taking the wig on and off. “He’ll be wearing a vest and will be armed. All we need is for Knuckles to take the bait, and then we’ll turn the tables on him.”

“You ready to go, ST?” Strider yells out.

I grab at Jake’s cut, realising he must have known about this last night yet hadn’t said a word to warn me. Or worry me. At the apologetic look in his eyes, I realise this was how he’d planned it—spring the surprise on me and leave me no time to make a complaint. Or not, I think, without causing him embarrassment, viewing the men turning from the playful ones they were last night to being all business like now, They’re bustling around, checking weapons and wearing serious looks on their faces. If I created a fuss, trying to hang on to my man, he wouldn’t thank me for it. Not in front of the brothers.

Jasmine comes over to me, linking her arm through mine. “Smile,” she says, quietly. “Send your man off with a kiss and leave the remonstrations until the job is done.”

“You know what they’re doing?” My eyes go wide as I turn to her.

“Not a clue. But it’s club life. The men will do what they have to, and the least worry we give them the better.”

I can see by the set of Jake’s jaw that nothing I could say will stop him so I suppose she’s got a point. The last thing he wants is to ride into danger worrying about my temper flaring at home. But when Jake comes cautiously over to me with a look of uncertainty in his eyes, I pull him to me, crashing my lips on his and invading his mouth with my tongue.

He responds and quickly takes over. Despite the situation, my arousal flares. But there’s no time for that now, so I pull away, putting my lips to his ear and snarling, “You better come back to me in one piece, okay?”

His intense stare that makes it look like he’s trying to memorise my features does nothing to comfort me, but then it’s replaced by a cocky smirk as he retorts, “And you better keep up your strength for when I return.”

And then he’s gone.

The room empties of most of the men except for Mex who lingers. Catching my attention, he blows me a kiss and gives me an approximation of an effeminate finger wave before disappearing out the door after the rest.

It strikes me then how brave he is. It was me, riding pillion, who got shot yesterday. I might be worried about Jake, but the others are putting themselves in just as much danger.

I catch Jasmine’s eye, see her swallow, and recognise her resolve.

This is my first experience of life with a biker.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

STORYTELLER

Although I gave off an air of confidence while explaining my upcoming absence to Sheri, I’m not stupid and I know what we’re planning to do comes with no guarantee that it will succeed, or that we’ll all survive.

As Strider comes up to me and slaps my back, I indicate Mex with my cigarette. “He loco?”

“As a coot.” Strider laughs. “But he’s a solid guy.”

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