Frisco

6. Kali

6

KALI

T he gravel parking lot was filled with Harley Davidsons and ten to twenty trucks. I recognized a few that belonged to the regulars. Yeah, some things never changed. It comforted me in a way, and then that made me sad.

A few guys sat outside at the tables, and a few others stood on the porch.

The music blaring was Kansas, but as soon as I walked inside, there was dead silence.

The music stopped.

In an uncomfortable, high-school kind of scene, all eyes would’ve turned my way. They didn’t. Instead, all heads turned toward the jukebox.

The song had stopped in the middle of the chorus, and holy—no one messed with Kansas. Especially “Carry on Wayward Son.”

“Hey! Where’d the music go?” That was the first grumble.

“What the hell?” came the second.

“Put it back!” That was a female grumble.

Then a new song started, and damn. Damn !

I recognized the first beats and looked at my mom, standing behind the counter. No one knew she could control the jukebox from her phone. She’d put on “Nasty Letter” by Otis Taylor. The whole song was about leaving a nasty letter for someone.

My mom started laughing, but I glared. “Not. Funny.”

She kept laughing, but reached for something under the counter. The music stopped, again. She yelled, “Everyone! A nice welcoming hello for my daughter. She hasn’t graced Ruby’s with her presence in twelve years.”

There was a smattering of cheers. More grumbling. I caught some chilly looks.

Someone yelled, “Put ‘Wayward Son’ back on!”

My mom waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget who runs this place.”

The same voice returned, “I mean, bring on more ‘Nasty Letters’! We love those nasty letters.”

She chuckled, the same hearty and almost baritone voice she’d always had, and Kansas came back on. A cheer rose up.

I walked to the end of the bar and my mom came to meet me, her arms out.

“Oh goodness, girl.” She enveloped me, though I was four inches taller than her five feet, five inches. Didn’t matter to Ruby Hinton. She was petite, but a bionic kind of petite—her hug was like cement. She rocked me, and I realized my mom didn’t have any fat on her. She was all muscle.

She patted my back, her voice in my ear. “I have missed you something fierce!” She gave me another tight squeeze before she stepped back, her hands still resting on my arms. “How are you? You look good. Holy shit, Kalista. Claude’s going to get so mad, because you could still model. I think you look better the older you get.”

I tensed and stepped back, out of her reach.

Her hands fell, and so did her smile.

“Hey, Mom,” I said.

“I used to be Mama to you,” she responded.

We weren’t talking about those days.

Noting my silence, sadness flared in her eyes before the corners of her lips moved up. The smile didn’t reach her eyes. She gently tapped me with her knuckles under my chin. “You got my looks and your dad’s smarts.”

“I got Dad’s height.”

“Yeah,” she said fondly. “You did.” Then her eyes flashed. She got serious and moved back behind the counter. Picking up a towel, she motioned to an empty stool. It was the only one considering the place was packed. “Whaddya want to drink?”

“I’m not here to drink.” I turned, scanning the bar. I’d been focused on my mother first. But now that I was looking, I remembered that Shane King was a Red Demon. All day I’d just remembered him as Shane, Connor’s Shane.

But also Ghost.

A whole bunch of scary bikers were watching me, and oh boy…

What had I just walked into?

I tensed, because how could I not?

There was a good group of biker ladies in here too. They were spread out. Some hanging on guys’ arms. Some on laps. There was a high-top in the back corner by the pool table, and a whole bunch had congregated there. They were playing pool against some of the bikers.

“Are these all Red Demons?”

I felt my mom moving closer behind me.

“Look.” She touched my arm. Her tone was serious.

I turned back, remembering that Shane had said they were helping my mom out. Did that include other MCs? I hadn’t known they were inclusive.

“I’m not saying this because of our past, and I’m due for you to be starting trouble for me, considering, you know…”

My wedding day. My chest tightened.

“But these guys can be dangerous,” she finished. “You should go.”

“No! Fucking! Way!”

We both sucked in our breaths at that high-pitched, female voice.

Well, now I knew where my sister was spending her time.

“No way! My sister! That’s my sister.”

Ruby grimaced. “She must’ve been out on a smoke break.” I caught the curse under her breath.

My sister’s body hit mine before I finished turning all the way around.

She hugged me, her arms wrapped tight and her cheek pushing into my shoulder. “Oh my word. I have missed you. You have no idea!”

You’d think family members who showed up drunk on your wedding day, crashed into three vehicles in the parking lot, stumbled into your wedding dance, and proceeded to claim the DJ’s microphone and inform your new husband that they had it on good authority (she claimed to be her own source) that he had a three-inch penis and would never fulfill their little Kalista would have better personal boundaries. We’d had no relationship for twelve years.

But nope. My sister was trying to pick me up and shake me like she was reenacting a Minion meme.

She was also three inches shorter than me. She got Mom’s height.

“You look so damned good!”

Whiskey breath was still a thing. My sister hadn’t changed her favorite drink.

“Damn.” Claudia released me and stepped back, panting slightly with sweat beads on her forehead. She tucked her hair behind her ears. Her eyes were bright, shining. There was some moisture there.

They were both so happy to see me, and here I was, locked down behind a cement gate.

“Hi.” I couldn’t help myself, looking her over. I softened, just a little. She couldn’t hurt me with a mere conversation. Or, I didn’t think so… “You look good.”

“Yeah.” She smiled, scanning me up and down. “You too. Foley was fucking stew -pid.”

Claudia and Ruby both looked good. Healthy. There was a glow to them.

“That’s what I said too,” my mom chimed in.

“No, you didn’t,” I countered.

“Oh.” She lifted a shoulder, a grin stretching her lips. “Well, I was thinking it. Fucking stupid.”

“Hey.” Claudia stepped close, grinning up at me. “Did you really walk in on him doing a foursome? I mean…” She shared a look with Ruby. “How ironic is that, right? I told him he had a three-inch dick, and that’s when he was hard.”

It wasn’t true. I was loath to defend him, but he had a normal dick size. The three inches was a fabrication.

She’d tried to defend herself later by saying she’d heard it from someone else. She never shared who the someone else was, but she assured me the woman had said three inches.

“And hey.” She bumped her hip to mine, tucking the same strand of hair behind her ear. “Were we right or were we right? Piece of cheating fucking asshole shit. Right? Right?!” The glazed look in her eyes, the almost sloppy smile—my sister had been drinking for a while. That said a lot because my sister could hold her own.

A pang sliced through my chest. She was right. She had been right, but…

“Jesus, Claudia!” Ruby smacked her arm with the towel. “They just got divorced. Some fucking tact, woman.”

“Wha—Oh!” Her eyes got big, and she took a full step away from me. “Yes. You’re right. I’m sorry. I, uh, want a shot? On me?”

Ruby snorted. “When’s the last time you paid for your booze?”

Claudia started laughing, the awkwardness forgotten that quickly. “It’s not like you pay for me either.” She focused on me again, and her eyes filled up. She grabbed hold of my arm. “Whoa! I should introduce you to Roadie. He’s my new man. He’s great. He’s a Red Demon too. They’re all hot—even the big ones are hot. It’s something about their cut, you know? And the mustaches. And the beards. There’s a guy whose beard goes past his stomach. I don’t even want to think about giving him a blow job. Can you imagine? Sucking and the hair’s right there? Weird. I think... ” She cocked her head to the side. “Maybe not. Maybe I’d like that.”

“Jesus Christ. My daughters. One’s talking about blowing a beard and the other’s barely speaking.” Ruby shook her head, glancing down the bar. “I gotta go. I gotta work. Only got so many employees, you know?”

Claudia snorted. “That’s Mom’s not-so-subtle hint for both of us to pitch in.” She hopped up on the empty stool I’d never taken and propped her elbow on the bar. “So. How’s it going? I heard you’re living with your two buddies from school. You went to school to be a nurse. Why aren’t you working at the hospital and not at the lame grocery store? You’re enabling Otis. You know that, right? Such a lazy piece of shit.”

I…had nothing. I shouldn’t have been surprised by any of this.

After a moment the stool next to her emptied, and I took it because as much as I tried to pretend, I’d missed my sister. I’d missed my mom too. Damn family, you know? You love ’em until you want to kill ’em.

Claudia wheeled to face me directly, her shoes resting on my stool’s footrest. “So.” She tapped her toes. “I want all the details. I know that cheating asshole didn’t want you to work, so I figure you didn’t keep up with your license? Did I get it right? Is that something you can study and get back?”

She was ripping off all the Band-Aids.

“Why aren’t you married?” Even as I asked, intending to turn the interrogation her way, she perked up. I’d forgotten how much my sister loved talking about herself, and everything that was going on in her life. I shot a hand up. “No. Never mind. I changed my mind.”

“Oh.” She deflated, her shoulders slumping forward. But her grin was back in a flash. “I know you’re all reserved and cautious, the type that wades into the lake. Not me. I run down the dock and do a belly-flop in, no matter if there’s water or ice or whatever. That’s me, but I need to respect you. You’re big on boundaries and shit. So yeah.” She eased back, straightening on her stool with a nod. “I’m here. Respecting that.”

Oh Lord.

This was painful to watch.

She was going to puff out her cheeks, move her tongue around. She was five years old sometimes.

Fine.

She was here. I was here.

Also, drunk funny Claudia could be fun sometimes. It was when she got sober, that was the other story. Or a mean drunk.

Caution be damned, let’s do this.

“I had two boyfriends in high school,” I told her. “You blew both of them.”

“I like giving blow jobs,” she shot right back. “And you’re welcome. It was a test. They failed.”

“You lied and said you slept with my husband.”

“I lied about the part that it was me. So again, you’re welcome.”

“I worked three jobs in high school to buy my first car. You crashed it the day I brought it home.”

She opened her mouth.

“If you goddamn say ‘you’re welcome’, I will find your vehicle and drive it into the river. Tonight.”

She closed her mouth and blew out a breath, laughing a little. “Same Kal, that’s for sure. And I was going to say your car wasn’t safe. That’s why it crashed.”

Right . I’d take a bat to Claudia’s car first. Might as well get some therapy done.

I started to slide off the barstool.

Claudia, knowing me just as well as I knew her, stopped laughing and grabbed my arm. “I’m kidding! I’m totally kidding. And I don’t have a car you can crash. I already crashed it. Seems there’s a pattern there with me. Roadie’s letting me borrow the cage while they’re here.”

I frowned. “Cage?”

She grinned, a laugh snorting from deep in her throat. “What they call a car—or a truck in his case. He said they needed to bring it on this trip. I don’t know why. He doesn’t say shit to me about anything with the club. He just likes to get drunk and fuck, and he’s really good.” She giggled and leaned close. “And he likes blow jobs too. We’re perfect for each other.” Her eyes trailed past me, lingered on someone, and then softened. “Goddamn, sis. I’m in love with him.” She blinked, sniffing, and sat back. “I wasn’t expecting that. You do that. You make me see things clearly. Everything gets all muddied up, and then my sister comes back in my life and it’s like—” She whistled, her hands touching each other and moving in opposite directions. “—the parting of the Red Ocean.”

“It’s the Red Sea.”

“—the Red Sea. Just like that.” She beamed at me. She patted my arm. “I really missed you. I’m glad you’re back, but for fuck’s sake, get a job at the hospital. You’re too smart to be doing Otis’ job.” She jerked, sitting straight up. “I just had an idea. Let’s get Otis fired! Tonight.”

My sister had been uptight, jealous, and insecure when we were younger. A sinking realization came to me: I could’ve been friends with her if she’d been like this back then. I mean, I couldn’t have trusted her, but we could’ve been friends.

No.

We had been friends.

That’s why it hurt every time she did a “Claudia.”

She stole from me.

She took credit cards out in my name.

She hit on Harper, thinking he and I were hooking up. That was before she learned he was gay.

She spread rumors about me. She spread a few about Aly.

There were so many other things, too many.

I wasn’t here for her. I needed to remember that.

She watched me, waiting. In her way, she was asking for forgiveness, or maybe she was just asking to be let back in, but… I wasn’t here for her.

I took a breath, pushed back from the counter, and slid off the stool.

I looked around the bar.

That’s when I saw him, at the back.

My eyes caught his immediately, and everything went blank for a full beat.

Shane King.

Connor’s friend. Connor’s “brother.”

He stood in the doorway of the back section, holding a beer. He looked like he’d been waiting for me to notice him. Once I saw him, he took a step back and walked outside.

The door shut behind him.

Well, alrighty then. Seemed he was waiting for me.

I didn’t look at my sister as I said, “I gotta go.”

I heard her suck in a breath.

And as I walked past the bar, making my way to the back, I didn’t look at my mother either.

I tried to ignore that I felt her watching me the whole time too.

As I stepped outside I heard, “Took you long enough.”

SHANE

Gloves’ sister. I still couldn’t believe it.

I remembered her, remembered her crushing on me from afar. Fuck . Connor knew. He’d teased me at times, but only because he knew I’d never touch her. But damn, I wanted to.

She was all grown. All woman. Long fucking legs.

Her body was strong. She was slender, but she had some meat. I loved that. I didn’t like fucking someone I could break, but her? She looked like she could handle rough. She looked like she’d give it right back.

But, fuck. Fuck, man.

With what we were going to ask Connor to do, I couldn’t do what I wanted with her. Not really. She’d kill me, and she’d have every right.

We were going to ask Connor to do it anyway. Hated it. But there was no one else.

The way she showed up to her mom’s bar—all defiant and pissed off—she wasn’t thinking of me as a biker. I was that guy she remembered from school, and she was pissed at me.

I loved that shit. Fucking moved me.

I liked this look on her—challenging me, wanting to rip my ribs out and probably spear me with them.

I’d never cared about attitude from my women before, but it was different with Kali. Kalista .

She’d been the one taking care of Connor back then. Claudia too, but Claudia had always been a hellion. I wasn’t surprised by how she’d turned out, and my investigator had warned me, said there was some bad blood between the girls and the mom.

Looking at her now, my gut reacted. I wished, for a second, that she had stayed in New York, that her fuck husband hadn’t been cheating on her since day one. I wished she was happy, and not here, not in front of me, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave her alone.

I was going to ruin her.

She still hadn’t said a word. The door closed behind her, but still nothing.

Her eyes flared as she looked me over.

She’d checked me out in the grocery store, and she was doing it again.

My gut churned. No way in hell I could leave her be, though if I was any sort of man, I would.

But I wasn’t. I hadn’t been that kind of guy since the service. I wasn’t before, and I hadn’t been after. No way I’d be going back. No more fucking sacrifice, unless it was for the club. Only the club mattered.

“Why the fuck are you interrogating half the town about me?”

I grinned. I hadn’t been, but I liked that she thought it was me. “Got your attention.”

She wanted to snap her teeth at me. I knew she did. If she was her sister, she might’ve.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Told you. Taking care of some things for your brother.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“He did us a solid in prison, helped take care of some of our guys. This is what we do.”

“He’s not in your club.”

“He’s my brother all the same.” And there was my gut moving again, because everything I said was true. Connor was my brother.

Fuck.

Fuck !

“I want you guys to leave this town.”

“We’ll leave when we choose to leave.”

She kept on as if I hadn’t said anything. “I want you to leave my mom’s bar.”

“Same answer, woman.”

And again, as if I hadn’t spoken, she added, “And I want your Roadie to stop fucking my sister.”

I grunted. I was right there with her on that one. “We fuck who we want to fuck.”

“And I want you to stop having any correspondence with my brother.”

I started for her. She’d said enough, but when she jumped back, I frowned. I didn’t like that happening. “You know bikers?”

“I know you.”

“We do what the fuck we want to do. You keep issuing orders, we’ll start responding. But trust me, it won’t be the way you want.”

“You guys are bad news.”

She wasn’t wrong.

I stepped closer, almost within arm’s reach, and her eyes flashed.

She knew. She knew, all right.

Fine. It was time to scare her a bit. “Your husband slept with two hundred and six women, and three men.”

Pain flared in her gaze before she shuddered. A wall slammed down.

She was a numb zombie now, but I added, “That was in the course of your marriage. Got a couple of investigators on you, and that’s the number they got in a day. They’re good at their job. Also found out the scene you walked in on that made you leave, but you knew he was fucking around before that. Why’d you stay?”

Her eyes flared again before that wall took out all her shine. “None of your business.”

“You love that hard? Accept that shit from him? Or what? Don’t know your worth—”

“Shut up!” She flew at me, but restrained herself a foot away.

I wished she’d kept coming.

“Why’d you stop?”

“Stop talking about my marriage.”

“Just now, why’d you stop yourself?” Fuck, I wanted to rile her up. I wanted her eyes to come alive. I wanted her skin to heat. I wanted to feel every inch of her against me.

She sighed. “This was pointless, wasn’t it?”

I gave her a once-over. Her tits strained against her shirt. She was bothered by me. I liked that—meant one touch and she’d burst alive.

“Not from my point of view.”

She groaned. “You used to be a nice guy…”

Now my grin was slow, because that was funny. “I was never a nice guy.”

She flicked her eyes upwards before looking away. “You weren’t a bad guy, not to Connor.”

Yeah … “Listen, we’ll leave, but you gotta give us something.” I dropped the flirting. It was riling her up, but she was a slow burner. “I’m not lying about your brother. Give us something to do for you, and we’ll leave.”

“ Leaving is what I need you to do. Leaving my brother alone.”

I stared at her, long and hard.

Fuck . She meant it.

That asshole did some major damage, but why would she stay with him?

I nodded, giving in because there wasn’t anything I could do to help her except what she wanted. “We’ll go in the morning.”

Her eyes got big. “Really?”

I nodded, then moved close and touched her face. I smoothed a finger along her jaw, then cupped the side of her cheek. I raised her head up and moved in even closer. She felt amazing. Smooth. And there was no makeup. She was fresh-faced and gorgeous.

She wasn’t anything like any other woman I’d known.

She was rare.

And she was Connor’s sister.

Still.

I looked down at her, feeling her chest lift up and pause. Her lips parted. A dazed look came over her, and I moved my thumb over her mouth. The best mouth I’d ever seen. I could dip in and taste her for weeks.

“Why the fuck did you stay with that piece of shit?” I almost groaned the question, because he should be put down for sheer stupidity.

Her glazed look deepened, and I ceased thinking.

VP of the Red Demons, my ass.

Right now, I was a man wanting to touch his woman, though she didn’t know she was his woman. So I dipped my head, touched my lips to hers, and I tasted.