CHAPTER 50
We all need a partner in crime who will help us murder, maim, and bury a body.
The thrum of soulful music and low murmur of voices is a balm to my nerves as I pull open the clubhouse door.
My Chanel boots thud against the concrete floor as I stride confidently across the room.
A few men and women are huddled in small groups.
My gaze sweeps over them until it lands abruptly on the couple in the corner and the man with a throaty, sexy laugh.
Bodie is lounging in one of the worn leather chairs with a girl draped across his lap.
He’s wearing only jeans and a black ball cap that’s somewhat shielding his eyes.
The girl’s arms are wrapped around his neck.
Her head is tilted, and the two are currently liplocked.
She’s moaning as she rocks her hips over him, her hands running over his ripped, sparsely tattooed chest.
Thankfully, she’s fully clothed.
The moment he hears my footsteps, Bodie breaks from the kiss and turns his head. His expression falls when he sees me. In one smooth motion, he nudges the girl off his lap. “Go on,” he mutters, voice low and clipped. She huffs, rolling her eyes dramatically as she struts away.
He grabs his shirt from the arm of the chair, throws it on, then adjusts his cap back over his blond waves. When he’s close enough, his voice cuts through the air, low and tight. “Lily, what the hell are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here without Goose.”
I wave him off. “Relax. I’m not here to cause trouble or hang out. I’m here for you. I need a favor.”
His mouth kicks up on one side. He crosses his arms over his broad chest, stretching the ash-white T-shirt over his large biceps.
“A favor, huh?” His tone is skeptical. “What kind of favor would that be?” He waggles his eyebrows at me in jest. “Want a shopping buddy? Need to try on some lingerie, and I’ll be your thumbs up or thumbs down guy? ”
I step closer, lowering my voice so only he can hear. “No, not that kind of help, you dope. The kind where I need someone I can trust to do some shady shit with me.”
“How shady?”
“Like level eleven, on a scale of one to ten.”
He laughs. “Which is?”
“Let’s just say today I’m Karma—since the bitch doesn’t know how to do her job right.”
He rubs his hands together in excitement. “Tell me more.”
“Murder, maiming, and mayhem.”
His eyes light up. “Oh, ho, ho! Now we’re tal—”
I place my fingers over his loud-ass mouth. “Shhh!” His eyes go wide… like, how dare I shush him. “It’s not something we want to shout to the rafters.”
He sweeps my hand away. “Why the fuck not? You think they care?” Looking around, he says, “They don’t fucking care. They’d have your back, too, if you let them.”
My gaze roams over the main room and lands on Dozer and Griz at the bar.
Griz throws me a sexy smile before taking a drag from his cigarette.
Dozer gives me a chin nod and a wave. Taz’s gaze is locked on us from the couch where a girl is kneeling before him and presently kissing her way down his chest. He’s sucking on a toothpick.
But yeah, girl or not, he looks ready to jump up and do just that. Come to my aid if asked.
Cap walks in from the hallway at that exact moment and says, “Hello, Sweetheart. How’s Goose this morning?”
“He’s doing good.”
“Tell him we’ll be up to see him the minute he’s up for visitors, yeah?”
I give him a soft grin. “I will.”
Cap heads to the bar, where Lita—one of the clubpieces, a pretty Latina—is standing behind. She hurries to grab him a beer when he asks for one.
I acknowledge that Bodie has a point. “Okay, yes. That may be. But I just need you. You’ll get why when we get there.”
“Me?” He raises a brow, his mouth lifting into a cocky grin. “You’re choosing me over one of the other guys? Really? Color me intrigued.”
“I’m serious, Bodie,” I say, voice steady, though my heart hammers beneath the surface. “I’m about to do something… that could send me away for a very long time. And I need the help of someone I can trust with my life. So, it’s you. Or no one.”
His brows lift, and he steps back slightly, appraising me like I’m a puzzle he’s just beginning to figure out. He recrosses his arms and bobs his head. “Then lay it out for me, Lil’. What do ya need?”
After exhaling, I say, “First, I need you to call off my babysitting detail. Grinder’s great. A real teddy bear, but he can’t follow me today. Tell him you’ll take over. Then I need your assistance taking care of a problem. Can you do that for me?”
His gaze narrows. “That’s givin’ me shit all to go off of.”
“Well, I need to know I can trust you to be on board with my plan before I fill you in on the details.”
He studies me for a beat longer, as if weighing my words. The hard edges soften, replaced by the Bodie I know—charming, teasing, always ready to have some fun. A slow, lazy grin spreads across his face. “I’ve gotta admit, Lil’, I’m liking this version of you. You don’t have a twin by chance?”
I roll my eyes, but a small smile tugs at my lips. “Not a twin, but I have a sister. A young, very innocent sister who knows absolutely nothing about the kind of life I lead.”
“Oh shit. That’s my crack. Where is she, and when do I get to meet her?”
I pat his chest. “Hahaha. The answer to that is never, Bodie. Never.”
“I thought you liked me. That’s fuckin’ mean, Lil’.”
“Unless you want a bullet hole in your dick, it’s a rule you’ll abide by.”
“Jesus! Woman. Who the fuck are you right now?”
It only takes me a second to think through my answer, and what I give him is the absolute truth. “This is me. Someone who knows how to handle herself. Someone you don’t want to fuck with. You get me?”
“Yeah, yeah. Fuck. But tell me—is it weird that my cock jumped in my pants at that statement?” He holds up his hands when I open my mouth to scold him. “Calm down. I mean that in a totally platonic way.”
“Aww, Bodie.” I pat his chest again. “I love you.”
He throws his arm around my shoulder. Looking down at me, he says, “I love you, too. You know we’re gonna be tight, right? Like a throuple, me, you, and Goose.”
He cuts me off before I can say a word, placing his fingers over my lips this time. “Platonic throuple. I mean… you two are going to fuck like bunnies, but I’ll be that third wheel to your love fest that’s clinging on to you both like a motherfucker.”
I wrap my arm around his waist. “I have absolutely no doubt.”
“Good. Just wanted to make that clear.” Reaching up, he twists his ball cap backwards.
“Alright, I’m in. Whatever it is, I’m your guy.
” His grin turns mischievous, that gleam returning to his eyes.
“But you better make it worth my while. You know how boring it is around here without Goose. I have shit all to do. Apparently, babysitting his ass was the highlight of my day.”
“Trust me, this isn’t gonna be boring.” I let a grin slip, matching his energy. “And if you play your cards right, I might even take you out for ice cream afterward. Like a good boy.” My voice dips low, teasing.
Bodie’s eyes light up with amusement. “Oh ho! You had me at ice cream, but asking me to be a good boy? Now you’ve gone too far.”
I laugh, and he flashes a broad smile, his dimples cutting deep into his cheeks.
“So give me the deets,” Bodie says, his smile fading like he’s ready for whatever chaos comes next.
Taz seems to be reading my lips with how hard he’s focused on my face. “Not here.”
Bodie grabs my hand and begins leading me out of the clubhouse. I trail after him, trying to keep up with his quick pace.
“I’m gonna need your real name so I can—” He covers his mouth, coughs, and mumbles under his breath, “Track down this sister just to make sure she’s, you know, not in any danger. Like, a distant bodyguard situation, if needed.”
“Oh God. I created a monster.”
He nods. “Yes, you sure in the fuck did.”
“It’s Lilian Bennett, by the way.”
“Lilian. I like that. Like a lioness, which suits you. So, Lilian, where are you from?”
I point at him. “That’s for me to know and you to find out. If you’re good and I can trust that you won’t go looking for my little sister.”
He laughs and waves me off. His carefree charm is back in full force, but beneath the easy smiles and jokes, I can sense the seriousness lurking there. He might play around, but I know when it counts, he’s got my back. And for what I’m about to do, that’s exactly what I need.
In the parking lot next to my car, I fill him in.
The laughter drains from his face so fast it’s like watching a switch flipping.
Gone is the comedian, and in his place is the Army Ranger I’ve only heard stories about—the man who saved Finn’s life when their Humvee hit a roadside bomb.
His face has morphed into one with determination.
His eyes blaze with fury, and every muscle on his body is taut.
It’s a side of Bodie people rarely see—the lethal side.
The protective motherfucker underneath all the womanizing is a good man.
His movements are sharp and deliberate as he mounts his dark purple motorcycle. The comic book character painted on the tank is what gave me the idea for tonight, and I can’t wait to see what he makes of my plans once he hears them.
The engine growls to life beneath him like a beast ready to be unleashed.
Knowing Finn is doing his part—slogging through detox and rehab—I need to do mine. He’ll be ready for answers soon, and I’m going to make damn sure I have them, no matter what.
The apartment building is so much nicer than I remember it.
The fact that Finn owns it makes me feel protective of not only the place but the occupants.
So setting fire to it is not an option, not when a half dozen of his tenants call it home and Finn himself has updated it from the derelict relic it used to be.