Chapter Nineteen
Wade
Last night was incredible, the scene still lingering in my mind as I drove to the Hartsfield airport in Max’s old BMW.
I never thought sharing a woman with other men in bed would be so exciting, but it was. Then again, it didn’t feel like I was sharing Lauren. During the times when I was inside her, both the first time around and last night, it felt like we had our own world. I was only focused on her pleasure and what she gave me.
And what a pleasure it was.
Just the memory of it was enough to make my body heat up and make me want to turn the car back around, but I calmed myself down. The fun and games were over. For now. I had a job to do.
“Do you think there’s a traitor in Black Storm?” Jake asked from the passenger seat, breaking his silence.
I had thought he was thinking about last night, too. Then again, he must have plenty of other things on his mind.
“What makes you say that?” I asked him.
“Someone clearly told the Devils about Lauren,” Jake said. “That’s why they targeted her. They didn’t know who she was when they tried to cause trouble the first time. It was me they were after then. But they definitely knew who she was when they ambushed her and tried to kidnap her.”
And they knew she’d been living with us, something they couldn’t have known unless they were spying on Jake’s house, which I would have been wise to, or they found out from someone in Black Storm.
I shrugged. “Maybe it’s one of the women who was at Billie’s the night Lauren was there. You know some of them have tried to catch your eye and Max’s.”
Not mine. My tattoos and my frown usually scared them off unless they were exceptionally brave. Or drunk.
Jake touched his chin as his eyebrows creased. “I didn’t think of that. You think one of them could have gotten jealous of Lauren and told the Devils about her?”
I gave another shrug. “It’s possible.”
“Right. Women can be ruthless, after all.”
A fact Jake knew all too well.
“However, when I went to the Devils’ HQ that night, I overheard them planning to ride to Lindale early the next morning. That’s probably why they didn’t try to kidnap Lauren until a day later.”
“So, you’re saying there wouldn’t have been anyone at their HQ for our hypothetical jealous bitch to talk to?”
Jake nodded.
“But didn’t that guy whose bike you trashed get left behind?”
“Nah. He would have gotten back at me right away if he had been left behind. Besides, he was riding a different one when he tried to get Lauren. A nicer one.”
That ruled the jealous bitch theory out. After all, I doubted she would have the number of any Devil. Those bastards weren’t as friendly as we were, with only a few select women allowed entrance to their HQ even when they were there.
But would a member of Black Storm have a way of contacting the Devils?
“Maybe someone in Black Storm just had a big mouth and a Devil happened to overhear,” I suggested.
Jake shook his head. “I doubt it. You know we don’t share the same circles.”
Right. I supposed I just didn’t want to think any of the men who I’d been treating like family for the past few years would betray Jake. Or me. I had thought the bond between the members of Black Storm was just as tight as the one I shared with the members of my unit back when I was a Marine, which was one of the reasons I joined.
We faced danger together and we fought together, and we tried to create our own little piece of paradise together in the midst of all the craziness of the world. Then again, betrayal had a way of seeping into the tiniest cracks and breaking apart even the most tightly knit families, and I supposed it was possible for a member of Black Storm to have sought out a Devil before and even struck some kind of deal.
“Who are you suspecting?” I asked.
“Everyone except you and Max,” Jake replied.
My eyebrows arched. “Even George?”
Hadn’t George been in Black Storm as long as Jake?
Jake touched his nape and sighed. “I don’t know. Everything is just a mess right now.”
Especially with Lauren’s past being tossed into the mix.
“Are you also suspecting that someone from Black Storm told Clyde Roarke about Lauren?” I asked.
“It could have been the Devils,” he answered. “I just know they were there at Billie’s. The way the Black Storm icon was destroyed just felt personal. And Sam’s picture, too. But I can’t rule out the possibility of a traitor. If someone already betrayed us to the Devils, what’s stopping him from selling us out to someone with much more to offer?”
True. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Also, I wouldn’t put it past Clyde Roarke to pay someone for information about Lauren. I’d checked his social media, and he made no secret of the fact that he had money to burn. Based on what Lauren said about him, though, he was more likely to use violence than money. He could have threatened someone from Black Storm just to find out who she was hanging out with or where she lived.
I’d have more information on him soon, but even now, I knew he was a piece of shit who would do anything to get his hands on what he wanted, and unfortunately, what he wanted right now was Lauren.
I gritted my teeth. Well, he wasn’t going to get her.
“Anyway, at least, Lauren’s safe for now,” Jake said. “Only you, Max, and I know where she is, so Clyde shouldn’t be able to find her even if he’s working with someone in Black Storm.”
I nodded. “It’s a good thing Max has a spare mansion.”
I couldn’t care less that he was as rich as Elon Musk, though I had to admit it did come in handy. Money always did.
“And that he’s made up with Lauren,” Jake remarked.
Oh, they definitely were on good terms now.
“What about you?” I asked Jake. “When I spoke to Lauren before, she said you were ignoring her.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Did she?”
“And that you were treating her like a child.”
Jake touched his temple as he pursed his lips. Clearly, that bothered him.
“Is everything all right between the two of you?” I asked. “I mean you seemed fine last night, but you also left quite quickly.”
By the time I’d finished tucking Lauren into bed, Jake was gone.
He drew a deep breath. “I…wasn’t sure if I was right to join in. I mean I wanted to, but there’s just this persistent voice in my head telling me I should keep my distance from her, that she’s better off without me.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Because of what happened in your past? Because you were in prison for something you didn’t do?” Jake didn’t answer, but I knew that was the reason. It was something that had always bothered him, like a thorn lodged in his chest.
“We all make mistakes,” I told him. “Lauren isn’t going to judge you for that.”
“She might when she remembers who I am,” Jake said.
I gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
Jake exhaled. “I’ve met Lauren before. Back when she was around five or six. We lived in the same apartment building, and I taught her how to draw. She loved art.”
I nodded. “I see.”
Now, I understand why Jake had brought her to his home.
I smiled as I patted his shoulder. “Then it’s a good thing you met again. Isn’t that destiny?”
Jake shrugged. “She doesn’t seem to remember me, but I know she used to look up to me like some hero.”
“And she still does,” I told him. “Didn’t she call you when she was in trouble? She knew you’d come and save her.”
“Yeah. And then I pushed her away.”
I sighed. So that’s what happened.
Honestly, I wished Jake would see what a good man he was. Loyal. Caring. Always ready to lend a hand or an ear. A great artist. A great cook. Any woman would be lucky to have him, and I knew Lauren would be glad to. She was the one who had invited him last night.
I knew he cared about Lauren a great deal, too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be stressing out so much about not being good enough for her.
“I’m not going to tell you what to do,” I told Jake. “I’m just going to tell you what one of the kindest and wisest people I know once told me that the past shouldn’t blind you to the good that’s right in front of you. You can’t let it hold you back from the happiness that is sure to come.”
Jake said nothing. He had probably forgotten those words, even though he was the one who said them to me. They had helped me through a tough time. I could only hope they could help him find his way now.
Just then, my phone rang. I saw the name of an old Marine buddy of mine, the one I’d been expecting to hear back from, on the screen. I answered the call.
“Tell me you’ve got something.”
“Hello to you, too, McMillan,” Sal replied. “And yes, I’ve got the information you asked for. I’ll be sending everything to your email in a bit, including the bill.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll pay you as soon as I can.”
Sal chuckled. “Just kidding. I’m not charging an old friend. You can just buy me a beer the next time we meet.”
I grinned. “You can count on that.”
“And one more thing?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful about this guy,” Sal said. “He’s got a rich dad and a foul temper. Bad combination.”
“Got it.”
“I’m honestly surprised you asked me to look into this dirtbag. I don’t know what you’re getting into, but just be careful. Okay?”
“I won’t do anything you wouldn’t,” I promised him.
He gave another chuckle. “Okay, man. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up. A second later, Jake was asking me a question. “What was that about?”
“I asked an old buddy of mine who now works as a PI to look into Clyde Roarke,” I told him the truth, finding no reason to hide it.
“I thought Max was doing that.”
I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy.”
Besides, I couldn’t just sit still while the woman I loved was in danger. I had to do something. No, I was going to do something.
Wait a second. Did I just admit to myself that I loved Lauren?
“And what exactly are you going to do with all that info?” Jake asked.
“Make sure Clyde Roarke stays away from Lauren,” I answered.
Jake sighed. “Just promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”
“Don’t worry,” I told him. “I’m not so eager to throw my life away anymore.”
Not now that I’d found Lauren, who I realized I had truly fallen in love with, in spite of everything. She just took me by surprise and then completely took over me.
I was going to find that jerk and I was going to make him pay for everything he did to Lauren. I was going to keep her safe. I was going to make sure she was happy.
In the past, I fought for my country. Now, I was going to fight for my woman.
And I was going to win.