Courting Danger (Rollin’ Jokers MC #5)

Chapter 1

Danger

“It’s worse than I initially thought,” Danger remarked as he sat across the desk from Mark in his office at Jokers Wild, going over the books from the strip club they owned.

The venue had been losing revenue for months now, until Danger had started auditing the books and done a deep dive into the new manager.

Mark had hired him when he’d pulled the place from Teddy’s supervision, and it had been a royal shitshow ever since.

“Son of a bitch!” Mark snapped when he looked at all the highlighted lines on the purchase orders and the way they failed to match the inventory at the club.

Liquor, the high-end stuff, in particular, had been funneled out the door like the bottles had sprung a leak. Not only that, but the headcounts didn’t match the take at the door, suggesting that either people were being let in without paying or someone was skimming from the till, maybe even both.

“Hate to be the one to point it out, Prez, but we never had any issues down there when Teddy was keeping the books and handling the inventory. Every t was crossed, every i was dotted, and he kept a running spreadsheet of the headcount, along with any specials they’d ran on the nights that saw a significant bump in numbers pouring in,” Danger said.

“He never handed me shit haphazardly shoved in a folder either.”

Grumbling, Mark scratched his head, looking grim.

“Yeah, he was meticulous about his paperwork. Kat’s been struggling to keep up with everything in the office without him, and I’ve got to admit, it was easier to keep a handle on things when he broke down all the reports for me. You know how I feel about that shit.”

“Thus, my abuse of those yellow and lime highlighters,” Danger remarked.

“Use the orange one next time,” Mark grumbled. “That green is too fuckin’ bright.”

“Will do.”

Danger knew that look, the one that scrunched up Mark’s face like he was sucking on a persimmon.

He was weighing options he wasn’t pleased to be caught between, trying to determine which he could stomach.

Growling, Mark dug his phone out of his packet and started scrolling through his contacts before finally hitting a button, fingertips drumming on the desk as he waited for someone to answer.

“Is Teddy on shift right now?” he barked, forgoing any sort of pleasantries or proper greetings.

There was a pause, then Mark sucked in a breath, lips set in a grim line. “Send his ass to my office at Jokers Wild immediately.”

He jabbed the red icon to end the call but left his phone on the desk while he turned his attention back to the paperwork again.

“This is no longer about the personal shit,” Mark said. “Jester’s Delight is one of our biggest moneymakers. We’ve got family counting on the income they earn working there.”

“You’re giving it back to Teddy, aren’t you?” Danger asked.

“I don’t see any other options, unless you want to take it on along with everything else you’re currently juggling.”

“Pass,” Danger replied. “Making sure Roan doesn’t get himself turned into a lawn dart has been taking up enough time as it is.”

“He’s feistier than I thought,” Mark replied. “Didn’t flinch when I laughed in his face after he told me he wanted to prospect. I didn’t think he’d last one month, let alone five.”

“Didn’t flinch when he and Cody were throwing down, either, though I was shocked you didn’t force him to face someone bigger,” Danger remarked. “I would have.”

“Figured Cody would beat his ass, but I underestimated the kid. I took him for soft when he’s not, just desperate, needy, and an all-around fucking brat,” Mark declared. “Though not the worst to ever come through here.”

The pointed stare he gave Danger was a reminder of his early days with the club, when he’d been the one being cast withering glares whenever he entered a room.

It was one of the reasons he’d offered to train Roan properly, so he learned where his role in the club ended and his role as a submissive began, because both were integral to who he was.

The only problem was that Roan was hell-bent on his attention-seeking ways, even now that he had a prospect rocker on the back of his kutte.

“Pope straightened me out quick enough,” Danger replied.

“He did, didn’t he?” Mark replied, stroking his chin. “I hope you do the same with Roan before he pisses the wrong person off.”

“If he’d stop fuckin’ flirting with every man with a pulse, he wouldn’t have folks lookin’ to knock his teeth out.”

“True,” Mark replied. “But if he were getting the attention he craved, he wouldn’t feel the need to seek it elsewhere.”

“When I agreed to train him, I never said anything about making him mine,” Danger replied. “Figured I’d have him ready for the next auction, unless he hooked up with someone else first.”

“The rate he’s going, I doubt anyone would bid on him.”

“Which would be his own damned fault.”

“You seemed interested enough, in the beginning, anyway,” Mark commented, his eyes getting that shrewd look in them again. “Sure you’re not backing off out of jealousy?”

“I’m backing off because no one needs a partner they’ve got to keep one eye on all the time just to ensure he doesn’t wind up in someone else’s lap,” Danger grumbled.

“See, this is like the argument about the chicken and the egg,” Mark said. “Let’s put a little wager on it, shall we?”

“What kind of wager?”

“If I’m right, he’ll quit his shit once he knows he has a Dom who’s gonna keep him,” Mark replied. “If I’m wrong, well, you’ll be justified in cutting him loose and a hundred bucks richer.”

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Danger couldn’t deny that he’d considered that possibility, but the underlying issue would always be that he craved Pope’s firm hand and the way the man had always known how to send him soaring, dark thoughts abandoned on the side of the road whenever he submitted to him.

While he craved a boy of his own, he also yearned to give up control again and be the pup he used to be, which left him torn.

Being firm and setting boundaries with Roan was easy, the same as disciplining him, but opening his heart to the boy when his own was still in tatters…not so much.

He was spared from having to discuss Roan any further when Teddy skid around the corner, careening off the open door in his quest to present himself to the Prez.

“I-I got here as fast as I could,” Teddy panted, still in his apron from the club-owned diner he worked at, three pens stuck in the bun in his hair, and his order tablet sticking out of the apron pocket.

“Sit down, Teddy,” Mark said.

Danger could hear the struggle in his voice as he fought to keep it impassive, even bored, when he addressed Teddy, who scurried to do as he was told.

Like the well-trained submissive he’d been before his falling out with Mark and Kat, he sat with his hands folded together in his lap, eyes on his former Dom, as he waited to hear what Mark had to say.

“We’ve been having issues with the books at Jester’s Delight since I pulled you out of there,” Mark began, getting right to the point. “Danger has everything here; you can go over the particulars with him. I want that club back running right before the end of the month. Can you do that for me?”

Teddy’s shoulders twitched, his spine straightening more. Danger waited to see how he answered, side-eying him to see him glance from Mark to the papers on the desk.

“Yes, sir,” Teddy replied. “Do you need me to clean house, or has it already been taken care of?”

“You’re going to do it, and you know how I want it done,” Mark declared. “Take whoever you need. Anyone tries to give you shit; you tell them it’s by my orders.”

“Yes, sir,” Teddy replied, body jerking in the direction of the door before years of discipline kicked in and he waited to be dismissed.

“Document everything you find out of order, no matter how small; send it and a report to me before the end of the day,” Mark continued, one eyebrow raising a fraction when Teddy moved before settling back into a stern scowl.

“Yes, sir.”

“Talk to the crew,” Mark said. “They were the ones who first noticed something off, especially with their tips at the end of the night. I want everything put back the way it was, and our people made whole again, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If there’s anything else we come across, Danger will text you the details,” Mark said. “Now get moving.”

That last part didn’t require a verbal response, and Teddy knew it. He scurried his ass out of there as fast as he’d come in, and moments later, Danger heard him informing Kong, Creature, Wreck, and Night of the Prez’s need for a cleanout crew.

While Teddy might be on the outs with most of them, they all jumped to follow him out the door a short time later, bikes revving before they roared out through the gate.

Mark propped his head up with his hand, a look of longing on his face that had nothing to do with the skulls that were about to be cracked and everything to do with missing Teddy.

“I’ll have to let Mourine know he’s been reassigned,” Mark muttered.

“His talents were wasted there, and we both know it,” Danger replied.

“You’re on his side in all of this, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because being suspicious is what’s kept me alive this long,” Danger replied.

“So I can’t fault him for being cautious.

Sinn’s charming, and yeah, he didn’t turn out to be a threat, but the way everyone was so taken with him didn’t sit right with me either, and that whole kidnapping thing, I have to be honest, I thought Sinn had set it up and I expected us to be riding into a trap. ”

Mark scrubbed his hand over his face and nodded. “What’s kept me alive this long is trusting my gut, which told me right from the jump that Sinn was legit. If Teddy couldn’t trust me to make the right decisions for the club, then something was already broken.”