THE BABY OATH Read online

  The problem solved itself as the door slowly opened behind me. A small hand tapped my back. “Rafe, it’s just me,” she said. I twisted around to look at her. All put back together, and looking even more fuckable than before.

  “Hey. I have to talk with someone real quick. Stick around, and I’ll take you home.”

  “We’ll get her home.” One of the twins poked my back. I decided to ignore it.

  “Just sit at the bar and have a drink.”

  “I came with them; they’ll get me home. Besides, it’s late. I have to get going. Long shift tomorrow.” She looked at her wrist where a wide leather banded watch clung to her arm. I hadn’t seen a woman wear a watch, much less such a practical-looking one, in almost a lifetime.

  “Rafe! Get your ass over here!” Jason’s bark could be heard easily over all the clanging and laughing of the bar. I held up my hand to let him know I heard him, and I’d be there in a minute.

  “Fine. Give me your phone.” I held out my hand. I had seen it in her back pocket but didn’t grab for it. With her friends playing mother hen and Jason waiting on me, her cooperation would make things easier.

  “What for?” She tilted her head. Her green eyes stared up at me, and I wanted to take her back into the office for another round of fucking, and teaching her not to question me. I hated explaining shit. The guys on our crew knew if I said to do something to just fucking do it. Don’t make me explain. But she didn’t know that about me yet.

  “I’m gonna put my number in it.” I shook my hand, indicting for her to hurry the fuck up and listen.

  She shook her head. I wouldn’t lie and say it pissed me off. The little rebellious streak of hers actually made her even more fuckable. A conquest.

  “Just write it down for me.”

  I leaned lower, so her friends wouldn’t hear what I was telling her. She could repeat it to them if she wanted to, but my words were for her ears only. “Give me your phone, or do we need to go back inside and talk about that mouth of yours again. Maybe this time, instead of one slap to your ass, I’ll give you a dozen. Or better yet, we could put that gorgeous mouth to better use.” I used the tip of my middle finger to pull her lower lip from where she bit down on it. “What’s it gonna be, Beth?”

  Damn if her pupils didn’t dilate right there on the spot. The soft pink tint to her cheeks when she looked past me over to her friends didn’t escape me either. “Fine,” she mumbled, and handed me her phone.

  After I tapped my info into the phone, I grabbed her arm and spun her to the side, sliding the phone back into her pocket. She shot me a disgruntled look once I let her go, but I just grinned and kissed her cheek. “Text me when you get home.”

  “And if I don’t?” Raised chin, narrowed eyes, arms crossed over her chest…woman liked to push boundaries. That was okay, I loved pushing back.

  “I’ll have to find you to be sure you’re safe and sound. Then I’ll make good on that promise to spank your naughty ass.” Teasing her was quickly becoming my favorite thing to do.

  Her eyes widened just a hair. Enough that I noticed because I was studying her reaction, but not enough anyone else would see. “Fine. Whatever.” I let her push past me and join her friends. She could pretend the last half hour in the office hadn’t happened, that she wasn’t putty in my hands, but that show was for everyone else. By the way she looked over her shoulder at me one last time before she disappeared into the crowd told me she knew damn well who owned that hot little body of hers.

  ***

  Jason shoved JC off his stool. “Beat it. I need to talk with our VP.” JC nodded toward me and took his beer elsewhere. I motioned for Jonny to bring me a drink then turned to my president.

  “What’s up? Why the long face?” Jason and I had been friends since middle school. His mom worked with mine at the diner where she waited tables while we were in school. Most of our time growing up had been spent goofing off and taking care of my younger brother and his little sister while our mom’s worked themselves to the bone.

  He looked around the motioned for me to follow him. I grabbed my drink from Jonny and for the second time that night found myself headed for Jonny’s office. “Holy fuck, it smells like pussy and sex in here.” He laughed after he shut the door behind me.

  “We could open a window,” I suggested with a wide grin.

  He laughed. “And not let you get a whiff of your conquest? Nah, forget it.” Jason walked his straggly figure around the desk and plopped down in Jonny’s chair. A knife fight a few years back left Jason with a slight limp and chronic pain in his back. The man used to be able to bench his weight plus a club whore or two, but since the fight he couldn’t do more than lift the weight bar before needing to take a break.

  “What is it?” I leaned forward in my chair.

  “I’m stepping down as president,” he announced. “This fucking back and knee make me useless in a fight and the club needs a leader who can offer both smarts and muscle. That ain’t me no more.”

  “Stephanie putting you up to this?” I asked with a hard tone. His wife blamed the club for his injuries. I wouldn’t say she wasn’t totally wrong—it had been a club fight that got him hurt. But that was the life. People got hurt, some got killed, but the risks were outweighed by the benefits. The club provided us plenty of money, more than we’d make waiting tables or hauling lumber over at the yard like most of the schmucks in town. When the money didn’t keep us warm, the abundance of women jumping on us took care of that just fine.

  “Nah, don’t go blaming her.” He shook his head, running his hand through his already messed up hair. He must have been thinking about it all day. “This shit with Hell’s Spawn is starting to get heavy. The more they push into our territory the more blood gets shed, and I can’t get out there with the guys no more. If I can’t lead my men into the thick of it, I can’t lead them.” His shoulders dropped, but the fierceness never left his eyes. He’d always told me leaders led by example, and he lived by his word if nothing else.

  “We can take them out, you don’t have to go charging into every fucking fight,” I pointed out. Hell, most of the run-ins came during our runs out of town; Jason didn’t need to be on those anymore anyway.

  He only shook his head at me. “I made my decision.” Leaning forward, resting his forearms on the desk, he pointed a single finger at me with narrowed eyes. “The members are going to vote for my replacement Monday night.”

  “Already?” I cursed under my breath. “Why the fuck are you just telling me this shit now?” I knew why. Jason and I grew up practically brothers, but his getting married and settling down had put distance between us. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Stephanie. Hell, when she hung around the club I’d wanted to get her legs wrapped around me a few times. If Jason hadn’t already sunk his dick in her, I would have, but as it went, territory had been marked. No, it wasn’t Stephanie. Jason’s priorities changed. He loved the club, that didn’t change, but he’d give it up for his wife—and that was what drove the wedge between us. The club was my family, second to no one. “You have to name your backing.” I sat back in my chair.

  The queasy feeling in my stomach told me he wasn’t telling me all of this at the last minute because he was going to be throwing my name on the table. A long minute passed between us before he finally let out a long breath. “I don’t know who I’m backing. You’re the fucking VP so logical choice, but Gray has as much hunger for the club as you.”

  “Gray?” I kept myself from launching out of my chair, but fuck if my heart wasn’t starting to pound in my chest and my blood was getting a little too hot to handle. Gray Anderson didn’t give two shits about the club. He wanted power. All of it. When I beat him out for the VP slot, he crashed up half his fucking room. He’d never done a damn thing for the club unless he reaped some benefit for it. With him as President the whole club would be at his fucking disposal. Even as VP I wouldn’t be able to stop his crazy shit. “You have to be out of your mind.” I pointed at Jason. “Yo
u know as well as I do what a fucking leach that asshole is. He’ll suck the club dry for his own gain. We’ll be at war with not only Hell’s Spawn but any other club he decides he wants to take over their territory.”

  Jason put up two hands to ward off my argument. “I know the fucker’s selfish as they come and power hungry as I’d ever seen, but some of the guys like the hunger he has. He’s got a few ideas for the club to make even more money—and not running more guns.” Every time I mentioned getting us out of the gun running shit, I had been shot down. Easy money everyone always claimed.

  “Like what?”

  “Strip club.” Jason’s lips pulled up in a tight smile.

  “Strip club? Fuck you, Jason. You told me no to that shit years ago when I brought it up.”

  He laughed. “You were fucking drunk at the time and was only saying that because you were fucking teasing me about my sister. Look, I agree he’s an ass, but the guys are warm to him.”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to fucking back him,” I pointed out, and heaved myself out of my chair. The scent of the room changed. Gone was the sexy aroma of Beth’s pussy, and in its place a foul, bitter air settled between us.

  “I’m not saying I’m going to back him!” He slammed his hand on the desk. “I’m saying I don’t fucking know!”

  “Same shit!” I nearly yelled back at him. Having known him since we were kids it was easy for me to get swept up and forget he was my president.

  “Look, I know you fucking love this club. I’m just saying that some of the guys want a second option. They know how far back we go, and me just choosing you right off the bat makes it look like it’s just a friend doing a friend a favor. In the end, the members choose the president. Not me.” He watched me with stern eyes.

  “You know, you do whatever you need to do,” I growled at him. “Gray will tear this club to shreds with his fucked up greed and ego. If that’s what you want to watch happen, then you fucking back him.”

  “Rafe!” His fist landed on the desk, making the contents rattle. “You and Gray will be up for the presidency. I’ll announce my backing right before we start the meeting. I want you beside me when I do it.”

  “So you can fucking announce his fucking name?” I closed in on him, placing my hands on the desk and leaning over toward him. Facing off with Jason never frightened me, he might kick my ass, but he posed no real threat to me.

  “So I can announce my fucking decision,” he growled real low, keeping his calm. Between the two of us, I would be considered the hothead. My fists talked better than my mouth, but that wouldn’t work with Jason.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to fucking back him.” I pulled away, dropping my hands to my sides.

  “I said I’m considering it. Just like I considered kicking your ass for kissing my little sister when we were in high school.”

  The memory of that afternoon made me grin. I’d only done it because he told me I couldn’t. He put Cassandra off limits to me, knowing full well that would only make me want her more. “You did try to kick my ass for that,” I reminded him. Cassandra had stepped in, saving my ass from the pummeling I could now admit I deserved.

  “But I didn’t,” he pointed out with raised eyebrows. “The guys need to know I’m considering you both. That I’m giving Gray his fair share of consideration.”

  I shook my head. “Fine. Do your thing.” I needed to get the fuck out of there. Just hearing him say he was giving Gray a moment of thought for the chair pissed me off. In the end, I didn’t doubt he’d back me, Gray was too much of an asshole, but Jason had surprised me before. Hell, I never thought he’d get married. Have an old lady? Sure. But marry her? Never. Yet, there I stood not four years before next to him as he exchanged vows with his woman. Yeah, he’s surprised me before.

  The bar had only gotten more crowded while we had been in the office talking. I pushed my way through, needing to get outside and some fresh air. Gray shoved into me as I moved past him but I ignored him. That was easy. Not throwing my fist into his face when he said, “Prez tell you the good news? Looks like you and me on the auction block.” Had been painful. His disgusting grin showed off how many teeth he’d lost over the years, and the ones that were left had a yellow tint to them.

  “Yeah. Looks like.” I motioned for the door and headed out of the bar.

  Once outside, I took a deep breath of the clean air. Looking up at the sky, I found the big dipper. Since I was a kid, every night I stared up at the sky and found the big dipper. No matter where I was, I searched for it, knowing that if it was still there, it hadn’t moved, then I was right where I needed to be at that moment.

  My thoughts drifted over to Beth. She hadn’t text me yet, and it had been almost an hour. I checked my phone and smiled when I saw nothing waiting for me. That little woman just loved to push the boundaries.

  Chapter Three

  I tried to get that woman off my mind the entire fucking day. Throwing myself into work, I headed into the garage at the club to work on a few bikes. Every club needed an income—a legit income. We refurbished old bikes and made a small profit on the resales.

  It didn’t matter how much I focused on the rebuild, my mind wandered over to Beth’s image every time. The delicious curve of her ass and the round heaviness of her breasts had my cock standing at attention almost all day. I needed to have her again, and again. But I didn’t do second rounds, not once they went home. It didn’t matter. I needed her and I’d have her. She still hadn’t text me, but I decided to give her a little more time before I went and found her. In our small town, it wouldn’t take me any time at all to find her, and when I did, she’d be getting that spanking I promised. Just the idea of bending that woman over my knee bare assed and ready for her punishment made my cock press against my jeans harder, the zipper making it uncomfortable. Fuck, I needed that woman now.

  “Hey, Rafe!” JC jogged across the garage toward the corner I was just finishing up in. “Hey! Jason’s on the phone.” He handed me the cordless. My cell hadn’t gone off, why would he call me at the garage and not on my personal phone?

  “What’s up?” From the look on JC’s face, I must have barked my greeting. Sexual frustration had my mood all fucked up, and knowing Jason gave even one second of thought to backing that asshat Gray.

  “Rafe, I need you get over here. I’m at the warehouse on 25th.” The rush in his voice got the hairs standing up on my neck.

  “What’s wrong, why you over there?” The warehouse on 25th had been locked down for months. Too many fucking raids from the cops to keep it a viable option for us, it had been empty ever since.

  “Just get your ass over here,” he yelled into the phone.

  “Sure. On my way.” Before I could click off the call, he hung up. “I’m taking off. Catch me on my cell if you need me.” I tossed the phone to JC and headed toward my bike. “And have one of those fucking prospects clean my station!” I called back over my shoulder.

  ***

  By the time I drove out to the warehouse the sun had disappeared. The street lamps didn’t burn all that bright around the place, but I could make out Jason’s bike parked near one of the loading docks. His bike was there, but Jason wasn’t. The whole place still looked locked down, no lights, no open doors. I cut my engine and slid off the bike, leaving my helmet on the seat.

  I stepped up to the garage door and banged my fist on it. “Jason!”

  “Fuck! Not so loud!” His raspy voice hissed at me from the corner of the building. He stepped out from behind the large bushes, zipping his fly. “I had to piss. Christ, you’re loud.” He straightened his kutte, looking around. “Did you tell anyone you were coming here?”

  “No, you didn’t sound like you wanted me to.” I watched him, his eyes darted behind me, then out over the empty parking lot to where the trees outlined the property. “What the fuck’s going on? What are you doing way out here?”

  “You remember that job we did a few years back? Hauling those fuckin
g barrels of oil for Javier?”

  It took me a second to remember, but then it came back to me. “Yeah, it wasn’t fucking oil in those barrels, but whatever, what about it?” The last job we did for that messed up cartel wannabe gang had seemed simple. Those barrels were full of fucking drugs and ammo, and we’d met a little resistance at the state line. Two of our men had been killed on that fucked up run. “Gray set that thing up,” I recalled.

  “Yeah, he did.” Jason nodded.

  “What the fuck does that have to do with anything now? That was years ago, we don’t deal with Javier no more.” I looked over my shoulder when Jason made another pass with his eyes at the tree line.

  “No, but I think Hell’s Spawn is doing runs for them.”

  I stepped in front of him, keeping my body blocking him from looking away. The man was downright jumpy and needed straight answers.