Page 41 of Bishop

Becker’s face turned even more red. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!”

Sure he didn’t. Before I could answer, I heard Evie’s voice behind me. Dressed in her worn, plush, purple bathrobe, looking thoroughly debauched, she entered the kitchen and stopped dead. I watched her take in my boxers, John on her front stoop, and his discarded flowers littering the ground.

“Is everything okay?” she checked the expression of horror on her face letting me know she knew it wasn’t.

Snagging the tie of her robe, I pulled her close and kissed her on the top of her head. “Of course, Babe. You got nothing to worry about with me around.”

Evie blushed and tried to put some distance between us, but I wouldn’t let her.

Watching me stroke her back, Becker shook his head with absolute disgust. “I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”

Evie began to tremble in my arms. Before she could defend herself, I stepped in. “She didn’t then. She does now. I know that feels like a complicated timeline for someone of your limited intellect to follow, John, but give it a moment. It’ll eventually sink in.”

At first, I thought Becker might escalate the issue. Hell, I was praying for it. But he didn’t. Instead, as was his custom, he took an underhanded approach.

He smiled smugly. “I wonder what your parole officer would say about this budding romance. I’m sure he wouldn’t like the fact that you two met in prison. Bet he might even say that’s a violation of your terms of parole, Wilmont.”

I smiled right back at him. “Nope. Don’t have a parole officer. Didn’t you hear? The Feds dropped their charges against me after my lawyers threatened to sue them for witness tampering. I’m a free man in every way, Johnny Boy.”

That didn’t sit well with Becker. He snarked, “That gang of yours must have paid off the right people then. Figures that biker scum would have the means to do that.” He addressed Evie then, “Did you know that your boyfriend trafficks in guns, sweetie? That’s who you’re choosing to shack up with. No-good, gun-running, biker trash.”

I felt Evie tense up and inwardly cursed. Becker wasn’t wrong. The Devils did sell weapons. But I wanted to explain that to her myself when she was ready to hear it. Not like this. Standing at her front door and being shouted at about it by an angry, petty, rejected suitor.

“I suppose you think she should date someone like you, Becker? Someone who hires Nazi thugs to handle your business?” I shot back.

John’s mouth opened and closed like a fish who’d been suddenly hauled onto dry land. “You can have the slut. I was just looking for an easy lay and it seems you beat me to it. Either way, she ain’t worth it,” he angrily retorted, before turning on his heel and walking back to his car.”

“What the fuck did you just say?” I shouted at his back, taking a step in his direction.

This time, Evie held me back. “No! Just let him go. It doesn’t matter what he said. He’s angry and embarrassed. Don’t make it worse by going after him.”

That wasn’t an excuse, but I didn’t want to upset Evie any more than I already had. Starting a fistfight on her doorstep wouldn’t help matters any. Besides, what I was going to do to Becker would be planned out and private. I’d meant what I’d said. When I settled my score with him, I intended it to be with bare fists and somewhere no one could hear the fucker scream. My girl didn’t need to witness that.

Closing the door and locking it, I stared into Evie’s eyes. “Let’s talk,” I said before she could make up an excuse to shut me out again.

Evie solemnly nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”

* * *

Evie

“I think that’s a good idea,” I told him.

My heart sank at the thought of losing Matty so soon after letting him in. But I didn’t see how this could work. He was a criminal, despite the Feds dropping their charges. And like Becker had pointed out, he was in a gang that was into some really heavy stuff. I couldn’t be a part of that no matter how much I liked watching TV with him, or how good he made me feel with my clothes off.

When we got back to the bedroom, Matty stepped into his jeans. Reminding myself not to stare at his mouth-watering body, I somehow willed myself to keep my eyes above his belt. However, just knowing what lay beneath that denim made me grow hot and wet all over again.

Matty faced me then, sitting me down on the bed with him. His simple, innocent touch was enough to make my pulse tick up and blood to flow south. This man had far too much power over me. No matter what he did, I liked it and wanted more. There was a name for that. And it wasn’t pretty. Addiction. And he was fast becoming mine.

“Ask,” Matty encouraged me then.

“Ask what?”

“About my childhood. About what just happened with Becker. About my prison record. About my Club. If you want to know it, and it’s my business to share it, I will. I don’t want there to be any lies between us, Evie. Not now, not ever.”

Wow. How was that for honesty? I’d rarely met a man who could tell me the truth about what I meant to him, let alone open up completely about his life story. I was on virgin territory, and I didn’t know how to proceed.

“Let’s start with Becker,” I began carefully. “Why was he at my front door tonight?”

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