Bad For You (Rocktown Ink Book 4) Page 17

  Jodie nodded. “We go to rallies, some with thousands of people. Wearing your property patch means no one will mess with you. They keep us safe.”

  These women weren’t fools, they were tough, and smart, and extremely patient with me. I was sitting here questioning their choice to wear one. They weren’t taking offense, they were trying to explain, to help me understand.

  “We get it, it’s a lot to take in. But we’re a family. We look out for each other, always.”

  I liked the sound of that. My own family hadn’t exactly been loving or accepting. No, they’d thrown me and Kate away, like we were nothing. “Thank you for answering my questions. And I don’t think I have to worry about that just yet. Jesse and I are just dating. That’s next-level commitment, and we’re not there yet.” Even as I said it, I wasn’t sure that was the truth. And going by the looks I got, they weren’t buying it, either.

  The glasses were refilled again and the conversation changed to Kelly’s search for the perfect sexy underwear for her wedding anniversary.

  “I’ve been looking, but I don’t want whorish, I want classy slut, you know? Is that too much to ask?”

  We all burst out laughing again, and when Jodie nearly fell off her chair we all cracked up again. I wiped my eyes. “I think I can actually help you out there. I spend way too much on pretty underwear. I know just the store for you.”

  I searched for the website on my phone and handed it to Kelly.

  “Oh, this is perfect. Grinder will lose his shit when I walk out in something like this.”

  “Like what?” a rough voice said behind us.

  A biker with a scruffy beard stood there and Kelly held up my phone for him to see.

  His nostrils flared, then he growled and hauled her out of her seat. Kelly managed to hand the phone back to me before he strode off with her.

  The other women booed.

  “Traitor!” Jodie called after her.

  Kelly flipped her the bird and squealed when Grinder smacked her butt before he carried her out the back door.

  Warm lips and a whiskered jaw pressed against my neck. “Okay?” Jesse said against my ear.

  I turned and grinned at him. “Yep.”

  He hauled me out of my seat before I knew what he was doing. He sat down and tugged me onto his lap. Stones and Spanner joined us as well and we all hung out, talking and laughing and drinking.

  Jesse kept his arm around my waist, his hand just under my shirt, touching my skin, like he needed that bit of contact. I leaned into him, my arm around his neck. Every now and then, he’d kiss me, like he needed to do that as well. I loved it. It was one of the best nights I’d ever had.

  Later, before we left to head back to Jesse’s house—he wanted me in his house and his bed this time—Mandy and the other women exchanged numbers with me and promised to be in touch.

  As we drove away, I hoped I’d get to do it again. Some of Jesse’s family may be a little—okay, a lot—rough around the edges, but they were good people.

  I grinned at Jesse and he reached out and took my hand.

  He held it all the way to his house.

  Chapter Twenty

  Lila

  Everly sat back down beside me and grabbed my hand. I squeezed hers back and gave her a sideways look.

  My best friend blushed. “What? I had to go congratulate Dane on his win,” she said over the noise in the warehouse.

  “Oh sure.” I smirked, even as my belly rioted with nerves. “Your hair looks like you’ve been through a wind tunnel.”

  She blushed harder and Spanner, who was standing behind us, chuckled.

  It was fight night, and we were sitting at the edge of the ring, surrounded by a bunch of Ramblers. Jesse had seated me here, kissed me hard, then after saying something to Spanner, left to get ready for his fight.

  Jesse was fighting next and I was about ready to come out of my skin. I’d seen him fight here before. I’d come with Eves. She’d been looking for Dane at the time, and when we walked in Jesse had been in the ring.

  I’d never forgotten it.

  He’d been fighting a man much bigger than him, and the smack of his gloves hitting flesh repeatedly had shaken me to the soles of my feet. Jesse had won, and the sinister smile on his face, blood smeared across his mouth guard as he smiled down at his fallen opponent, had been etched in my brain since.

  “You okay?” Eves asked.

  I nodded, tried to smile, and failed.

  Jesse had been quiet on the way here, so deep in the zone, that he’d almost vibrated with aggression. He loved it. There was no mistaking it. I, on the other hand, didn’t know how I felt. Yes, there was excitement, but I wouldn’t be human if there wasn’t some fear as well.

  The man I loved was about to put himself in a situation where he could get beaten on.

  So yep, I was ready to jump up and start pacing.

  Eves gave my hand another squeeze. “It’s going to be fine. Jesse’s a good fighter.”

  “He’ll be fine, babe,” Spanner said, grinning wide. “Our boy’s a beast in the ring.”

  I tried to smile at Spanner, and obviously looked as wide-eyed and freaked as I felt because he laughed and shook his head at me.

  The room suddenly erupted with cheers and hoots, some boos as well. I shot to my feet.

  Jesse had just walked in, bouncing on the balls of his feet, gloves on his hands and stripped down to only a pair of nylon shorts and boot-like boxing shoes. His tattooed skin already had a sheen of sweat on it, and his beautiful ink stood out under the bright lights. His expression was fierce, fully focused. Dane met him in his corner and they huddled together. Everly’s boyfriend was obviously giving him a pep talk, his mouth moving rapidly, his face intense.

  Jesse’s opponent walked in to a similar reaction and climbed into the ring as well. They were close in size and looked around the same age. The other guy looked at Jesse like he wanted to tear him apart.

  I twisted in my seat and tapped Spanner’s leg. He glanced down at me.

  “Does Jesse know that guy?”

  Spanner smiled so wide all I could see was teeth. “He’s from one of our support clubs. He and Riff have fought a few times at parties. He hates our boy.”

  “Why?”

  “Not sure I should tell you that, sweetheart. But let’s just say he’d love to fuck Grifter up.”

  The bell dinged.

  I spun back, heart pounding.

  They advanced on each other. Jesse was focused, his expression cold, blank, alarmingly so. The other man, however, looked like an angry bull, nostrils flared, lips pulled back, teeth gritted. They started trading hits, fists slamming into flesh, ducking and jabbing. The other man wasn’t getting as many in, and that seemed to make him even angrier, had him making mistakes.

  Or what looked that way to my untrained eye.

  Jesse kept that emotionless expression on his face, like he’d switched off a part of himself completely. The look in his eyes was so frigid, it sent a shiver up my spine even as heat spiraled through my belly and I squeezed my thighs together.

  They fought two rounds like that, everyone cheering and booing, yelling taunts or encouragement.

  During the next round, Jesse took a few more hits. My nerves skyrocketed. The other man punched Jesse hard, then again and again, and Jesse fell back against the ropes as the round finally ended.

  “Don’t worry,” Spanner said. “Riff’s just playing with him. Letting him think he’s got him beat. We’ve got a lot of money riding on a win in the fourth round. Riff will finish him then.”

  I stared at him in shock. “Playing with him?”

  Spanner shrugged. “It’s what he does. These fuckers wanna beat him so bad they fall for that shit every time.”

  The bell rang again and they moved back to the middle of the ring. This time Jesse wasn’t bouncing on his feet, he just kind of stepped in, then back. And when his opponent swung, Jesse ducked and slammed his fist into the other man’s stomach.


  The guy gasped but straightened, looking a little unsteady. He swung again, and again Jesse ducked it and returned with a punch of his own. His fist slammed into the other man’s jaw and his head jerked back.

  He shook his head several times, then came back swinging. Jesse deflected the punch and grinned, that same deadly smile that I remembered seeing on his face in this ring all those months ago. Jesse advanced, hitting the other guy over and over. He took a couple more hits as well but didn’t seem to notice as he single-mindedly beat the ever-loving hell out of his opponent.

  When he was done toying with him, because Spanner had been right, it was easy to see now. He hit the other man one more time, hard. The guy fell to the mat, out cold.

  The ref counted down, then lifted Jesse’s arm in the air and cheers went up loud enough to make the floor vibrate.

  Jesse grinned, then reached down and helped his opponent up when he came to. After a couple words and some thumps on the back, Jesse climbed out and headed toward the changing rooms.

  Spanner nudged my arm. “Come on, I’ll take you to him.”

  I glanced at Eves just as Dane reached us.

  “I’ll be back,” I said to them, and nodded to Spanner. “Thanks.”

  People cleared a path as Spanner mowed through the crowd with me half jogging to keep up with him. We entered a long hall right as someone called Spanner’s name and said something. By the tone, it seemed important.

  He frowned. “You’ll be okay from here?” He pointed to the door at the end. “Riff’s just in there.”

  “I’ll be fine, thanks.”

  Spanner yelled a reply to his friend and disappeared back into the main room and I started toward the closed door at the end of the hall.

  “Lila?” a rough voice said behind me.

  I turned back.

  An older man stood there. He was wearing a Ramblers vest and there was something vaguely familiar about him. His head tilted to the side and he looked me over.

  “I don’t think we’ve met,” I said, feeling suddenly nervous.

  “You looking for Jesse?”

  “Spanner said he was down here.”

  He shook his head. “He asked me to bring you to him.” He grinned, and I knew who he was instantly. “I’m his dad,” he said confirming it. “He’s through here.” He motioned to the door beside him.

  I glanced at the one Spanner had pointed out to me.

  “Hurry up, girl. He’s waiting,” Jesse’s dad said gruffly.

  I offered him a friendly smile, despite his impatience. Jesse and his dad’s relationship was strained. He’d never gone into it with me, but if they were together now, that had to be a good thing, right? Maybe they were trying to work out their differences?

  He planted his hand on my lower back when I reached him, opened the door, and gave me a not so gentle shove through it. We weren’t in the warehouse anymore. We were outside, behind the building, and it was dark.

  I glanced around, trying to see into the shadows. “Jesse?”

  The door banged shut behind me and I looked up. Jesse’s dad stood in front of the door, his arms crossed, blocking the way back in.

  “Grifter isn’t out here,” he said.

  “What’s going on…”

  “Shut up.”

  I froze.

  The sounds from inside were muffled, but out here was eerily quiet. I didn’t think anyone would hear me if I screamed.

  His green gaze, the same shade as Jesse’s, bored into me. “We’re going to get a few things straight, and then I’ll let you go back inside.”

  I shivered, not just because I didn’t have my jacket and it was cold, but from the dead-eyed man looking at me. There was no warmth in his gaze, it was arctic, devoid of emotion. The same look Jesse got when he was in the ring.

  “Nod yes for me,” he said, voice rough.

  I did as he said because this man scared the crap out of me.

  “I’m not sure what you think you’re doing with Riff, a walk on the wild side maybe…”

  “No…”

  He took a step closer and I slammed my mouth shut, fear shooting through me. I didn’t know this man or what he was capable of, and I didn’t want to find out.

  “What you saw in there, the way my boy fights, it’s because of me. It’s who he is, who we are. That’s his biggest value to his club, his fists. You know he just gave up his chance at sergeant at arms?”

  I had no idea what that meant, any of it.

  He laughed without humor. “You had no idea, did you? Do you know what he does when he goes away for the club?”

  I shook my head, shivering, the coldness dripping from him, seeping into my bones.

  “He uses those fists. He hurts people who have tried to hurt us. He makes them bleed, Lila. He was on his way up the ranks. Could easily be president of this chapter one day, maybe the whole fucking club. People look up to him, respect him because of what he can do with those fists. What I taught him. He gave that up, for you.”

  He snarled the last, looking at me like I was worthless trash.

  “I didn’t know…he never said…”

  “You don’t belong here.”

  His words hit like a physical blow, cutting way too close to the bone.

  “You are not one of us. You will never be one of us, you’re a dead weight around Grifter’s neck. I don’t give a fuck how tight your pussy is, it’s not worth Grifter giving up his future. Our future. And that fucking pathetic tiny tattoo that he gave you sure as fuck won’t change that.” He shook his head in disgust. “So when you go home with him tonight, you’re going to end it.”

  I wasn’t just scared now, I was terrified. But somehow, I found the courage to shake my head. “No.”

  “Yes. You will.”

  He came at me, crowding me, and in that moment, I truly thought he was going to hurt me. That he might actually want to. That he was daring me to give him a reason to do it.

  “And if I don’t?” I whispered.

  “I’ll kill him.”

  He did not flinch or look away, or even blink. His words were an icy blast. He meant it. I could see it in his dead eyes.

  “He’s your son,” I choked out, horror taking hold so sharp and swift I was surprised I was still standing.

  “You think I won’t?” He gripped my arm, tight enough to hurt, and leaned in. The scent of stale alcohol washed over my face. “You have no idea what I’m capable of, the things I’ve done.” He rubbed a piece of my hair between his fingers, then tugged on it, painfully hard. “He’s only useful to me if he’s advancing my cause, which means climbing the ranks of the club. That can’t happen while he’s with you.”

  This man was a monster. I’d never met anyone so evil in my life. This was the man who had raised Jesse. He was the reason for the cold detachment I sometimes saw in Jesse’s eyes. The explosive anger when he saw a woman threatened or hurt. The reason his brother was a monster as well. And the reason Jesse could fight the way he did.

  I thought of Jesse’s mother and shivered. Jesse’s dad had hurt her. He had hurt Jesse. This cold and terrifying man. I knew it without a doubt.

  I was going to be sick.

  “Do we understand each other, Lila?”

  I nodded, trembling so hard my teeth chattered.

  “Give me the words,” he bit out. “What are you going to do when you leave here tonight?”

  A hot tear streaked down my cold face. “I-I’m g-going to break up…w-with him.”

  “And if you think to lie to me. If you’re thinking of telling him about our chat tonight, I won’t just kill him, I’ll hurt everyone you love. Your little friends. Everly’s with you tonight, yes? And there’s the girl who owns the café? And who’s the one living all by herself in the trailer? Trixie, that’s her name, right? Yeah, that’s it. A pretty little thing. I’d hate for anything bad to happen to your friends.” He gripped my chin, his rough skin biting into my flesh. “If you haven’t done it by tomorrow morning, and I e
ven suspect you’ve told Riff about our talk, I’ll send my boys to spend some time with your friends while I hunt Grifter down. Do we understand each other?”

  I swallowed several times, struggling to make my vocal cords work. “Y-yes.”

  He stood over me, eyes on mine, intimidating, making sure I didn’t doubt him. And I didn’t. He’d do everything he said and more.

  When he was satisfied that he’d successfully terrified me, he grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the door. Opening it a crack, he glanced inside, then opened it the rest of the way and shoved me through.

  “Now get the fuck out of my sight,” he said.

  I rushed back into the main room, spotting Eves and Dane on the far side.

  “Where’s Grifter?” Eves asked when I reached her side.

  “I couldn’t find him,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

  Eves frowned. “Are you okay?”

  Dane was frowning as well, watching me too closely. I couldn’t let them see the truth.

  I plastered a smile on my face, while I was dying inside. “Just a bit of a headache.”

  Eves took my arm. “Come on, we’ll find Grifter and get out of here.”

  I followed them on autopilot, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe this was happening. But I had no choice. I had to do what Jesse’s father told me to.

  And I didn’t know how I’d survive it.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jesse

  I woke and reached for Lila. Somehow, she’d ended up on the other side of the bed when she’d been pressed up against me all night, so tight I hadn’t been able to move.

  We’d left straight after my fight last night because she’d had a headache, which is also why I’d kept my hands, and my dick, to myself when it had literally been torture to do it.