• Twelve •
· Twelve ·
“No man drives over ten hours for tomatoes.”
Storm
There was no fucking reason I should be here. Not one. King wasn’t asking, and he hadn’t even mentioned anything about her in the past two weeks since Huck had come to check things out. To see if this was in fact where Briar Landry was working. When he’d gotten her location, it had been too close to coincidental that of all the bars in Miami, Briar had found herself a gig at Pepper Abe’s place.
Pepper’s connection to Blaise Hughes was through her brother and Blaise Hughes’s father-in-law, the president of The Judgment MC. When Blaise had hooked up with his now wife, it had been a given that The Judgment was now under the family’s protection. They’d been a powerful MC before, but with Blaise standing behind them, they were now untouchable on both sides of the law.
Huck had found no reason for concern and even suggested Pepper seemed protective of Briar. Was there no one that woman couldn’t charm? Jesus, she was dangerous and sexy as fuck. No, I wasn’t going there. She wasn’t using that voodoo shit on me. Reeling me in and choking me out. The line of men she’d wrung dry and walked away from was probably endless.
I should turn and go back to Georgia. Standing outside Paradise Brew, I glared at the building as if it had offended me just by being here. She was in there. The tracker on her car had brought me here, and it was currently parked in the back. I hadn’t told anyone where I was going. If they knew, I’d never hear the end of it. Especially from Thatcher. Even though the fucker would have come with me if he’d known.
I swung my gaze over the parking lot. So many damn bikes. Harleys mostly, but there were a few Indian Chiefs and one Black Shadow, which surprised me. Pulling out a cigarette, I stuck it between my teeth and lit it. I’d driven six hundred fifty miles. I was going in that damn bar, but not yet. First, I had to take the edge off and figure out why the fuck I’d gotten in my Jeep and driven south at four this morning. I’d checked into a hotel, taken a shower, and tried to talk myself into not doing this. It had failed.
Telling myself it was because I wanted to be sure Briar wasn’t using people that the family protected wasn’t a lie. But I knew I was also worried she was gonna fuck with the wrong man here and get a bullet between her eyes. Why had she had to come here? And to a damn biker bar? Was she asking for more trouble? I wasn’t her keeper, and I hated the fact that I couldn’t seem to shut it off.
“You standing outside my bar, looking at it like you might just burn it down, for a reason?”
Turning, I saw Pepper Abe walking toward me in a pair of tight jeans, boots, and a black halter top. She might look like a pretty picture, but I knew just how lethal she was. She’d been raised around bikers.
“How you doing, Pepper?” I asked, finishing up the cigarette.
She cocked an eyebrow at me. “I’m just fine. Saw you in my security cameras and thought to myself, Looks like Storm Kingston might be lost. This is a long way from Madison.”
I smirked and dropped the butt of my Red before stepping on it. “Or I might just be wanting some of those fried green tomatoes you serve up here.”
She let out an amused laugh. “Bullshit. No man drives over ten hours for tomatoes. But my entertainment now, I can see how she could bring a man that far away from home. What you got going on with Briar? First Huck, now you.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Not got shit going on with her. Just making sure she’s not causing problems here.”
The corner of Pepper’s mouth lifted, showing a dimple. “Is that so? Well, seeing as she has brought in a crowd every night she’s been here, my sales are up almost forty-five percent, and the tips that these fuckers are dishing out to not only her, but also my servers, I’d say she’s the opposite of trouble.”
Of course she’s got the business up. I’d witnessed her perform. Still burned in my damn head.
“She’s good at what she does. Manipulative, charming. You can’t trust her.”
Pepper visibly tensed. “Sounds like someone is bitter. What, she didn’t fall for your lines? Left town before you got her in your bed?”
Not an image I needed. Briar in my bed was one I’d let myself imagine more than once.
“My pockets aren’t deep enough for her, and I’m not married. I’m not her type.”
Pepper let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, your pockets are deep. Can’t bullshit me on that. With more money and power than any one man needs. But sounds like you’re calling Briar a gold digger, and if that were the case, she’d have latched on to you real damn quick.”
“You don’t know her,” I clipped.
“No. Seems you don’t know her,” she said, then pointed a red fingernail at me. “Stay the fuck out of my bar if you’re going in there to upset my entertainment.”
I should leave. Get back on the road and head north.
“Just stopping by for a drink and food,” I replied.
She looked at me as if she didn’t believe me.
“I swear I’m not here to cause a problem.”
With a rise and fall of her shoulders, she gave me one last once-over. “Fine. Keep it that way. Either go inside or leave. Stop standing outside like some psycho.”
I held up my hands. “Going inside,” I assured her before starting toward the entrance.
She didn’t follow me, and I glanced back to see her walking back around the building, where she’d emerged from.
When I reached the heavy wooden double doors, I pushed the right side open, and before I even stepped inside, I heard her. That voice. She was singing familiar lyrics that I’d never heard a woman sing. She changed the “her” to “he” as her smooth Southern voice, with just the right amount of country twang, sang about whiskey glasses.
The dance floor was covered with couples, tables were full, and the place was fucking packed. My gaze did a quick sweep of the room before they locked on the stage. Briar was grinning at some stupid fucker as she did a slow roll of her hips before moving to the other side as if she owned the room and knew it. From what I could see, she was right. I stood there, unable to take my eyes off her. It had been almost eight months since I’d seen her perform. Just like the first time, I was completely captured and wishing like fuck I weren’t.
“Mr. Kingston?” a female voice said beside me.
“Yeah?” I replied, not taking my eyes off Briar.
“Pepper sent me to show you to a table.”
Of course she had. Probably in the back, behind a wall. I nodded and tore my gaze off Briar for a moment to see a petite blonde with her hair high in a ponytail, wearing the same black crop top Pepper was with the words Paradise Brew stretched over her chest. She did a small pucker with her red-painted lips, and I knew she was trying to draw attention to them.
“Thanks,” I said, then turned back to see Briar finish the song.
The moment her eyes locked on me, I saw the smile on her face falter only slightly.
I gave her a small tilt of my head, then smirked, unable to stop myself. I’d shaken her up by being here. Why did that feel so damn good?
“‘Girl Crush,’” someone shouted from the crowd.
Briar quickly recovered from seeing me, and that smile of hers that could make anyone lose focus spread over her face. “All right then,” she replied. “One more for this set, and then I gotta get me a drink, y’all.”
“I got you a drink right here, baby!” some fucking biker called out.
She winked in his direction before she slid the guitar off her shoulders and set it in a stand, then walked over to a keyboard I hadn’t noticed sitting to the left of the stage behind her. She could play the fucking piano too? I stopped following the waitress as I waited to see just how well Briar could play yet another instrument.
Her fingers began to slide over the keys, and the music filled the place just before she leaned forward and began singing in her thick, sexy voice. Her eyes closed as she continued, and the rest of the place went silent. As if they were all afraid they’d miss something. I watched those pink lips and her bare, tanned shoulder lift as she felt the music.
“Jesus,” I muttered.
“Mr. Kingston?” the waitress said, touching my arm and reminding me that I was supposed to be following her to my table.
I jerked my eyes off Briar and blinked, trying to refocus from whatever haze she’d just put me in. “Sorry,” I told the girl waiting on me.
She gave me a tight smile. “No worries. She’s good.”
Goodwasn’t the right word for it. Fucking magical was more accurate, but I didn’t say that. I remained silent as I followed her to the table that was empty, right in the middle of tables covered up with bikers.
Well played, Pepper.
“What can I get you to drink?” the blonde asked as I took a seat.
“Maker’s, straight,” I replied.
She nodded and turned to head back to the bar. My eyes swung back to the stage just as Briar stepped down and made her way into the crowd. I didn’t have to see her to know she was headed to me. Probably pissed off, and I realized I was looking forward to it. She’d be brave here with all her fans surrounding her. That mouth of hers snapping off at me. Forgetting the performance I’d just witnessed was going to be a slight inconvenience.