Page 11 of Condemned Soul

“Like a little lamb to the slaughter.” He circles his finger around its rim while I down the rest of mine, ignoring the burn it makes as it slides down my throat.

“Oh, I don’t think you want to slaughter me.” I stand up and lean over the table, bravely placing a kiss on his cheek before I walk away to find my friend.

“Joanne, what the hell were you doing?” Carol looks shocked when I find her sitting at the bar.

“Poking the bear,” I admit, looking back over to the booth and seeing that I still have Jimmer Carson’s full attention. I like how it feels. I like it enough to know it’s going to end me up in trouble.

“Mom, did you hear what I said?” Ella snaps me out of the memory. “I was asking if you wanted to have the kids while I go to college today. It would give Jasmine a break.”

“Of course. I love having the kids.” I manage to quickly pull myself together. Whenever I think back to mine and Jimmer’s past I end up losing myself. It was a turbulent time, but also the best of my life.

“They like spending time with you too.” Ella’s hand touches over mine reassuringly. “And don’t worry about those men anymore, Mom. You're safe here. Nyx promises he’ll fix it.” My daughter kisses my cheek as she races back out the house to bring in my grandchildren.

“You gotta give me something, Jimmer.” Kathrine Consuela taps her manicured nails on the table impatiently.

“I know that, and I appreciate your patience but it ain’t easy.” I shake my head.

“I’ve got people on my back, if I don’t start making some progress they will take me off the case and you lose the chance I’m giving you to save your club. I’m trying to help you, here.”

“See, that's good of you, but what I’m strugglin’ with is, why?” I stare at her while I wait for an answer.

“You can’t just take a hand out, can you?” She shakes her head at me, and it only confirms the suspicion I have that she doesn’t wanna tell me what that reason is.

“Not when it comes from an ATF officer with everythin’ to lose. No, I can’t.”

“I told you, Burlusconi wants to protect you.”

“And you’re on his payroll?” Of course, I know this already from talking to him myself, but I wanna see if she’s gonna be honest with me.

“The deal I have with Burlusconi is between him and me, the deal I make with you is between us.” She shrugs and I swear I see a little seduction behind her mask of authority.

“I’m workin’ on it,” is all I’m prepared to give her right now.

“Why not just give me Cliff Adams? He’s the cause of all this?” she suggests.

“Because he’ll rat and because I’ve promised his soul to someone else. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m a man of my word.” I give her the truth because it’s all I have.

“So, how do you suggest I shut this down, Jimmer?” She stands up from the cheap, plastic chair in the corner of the motel room and when I shrug back at her, she moves toward the window.

“You know, the people who work here probably think we meet each other here to fuck.” She surprises me when she changes the subject, her finger pulling down one of the blind slats so she can look out onto the parking lot. “Isn’t that what most people do when they meet up in a motel room in the middle of the day?” She looks back at me over her shoulder.

“You askin’ me to fuck ya, darlin’?” I somehow manage to find a little humor in the very serious situation I’m in.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I prefer my men a little more sophisticated.” Her nails drag over my leather cut as she passes me toward the door and opens it.

“I’m prepared to help you save your club, Jimmer, but I won’t sacrifice my career for it.” She has a cocky-as-shit look on her face as she slightly tilts her head and gestures for me to leave, and it sets off a trigger she’s gonna wish she never pulled.

I move toward her like I’m about to do what she wants, but before I leave, I take the arch of my hand and pin her to the wall behind her, kicking the door shut with my foot and glaring into her wide, shocked eyes.

“I think you forget who you're talkin’ to. I could snap your neck and make ya disappear,” I warn, and her shock quickly fades into that clever grin again.

“You can make me disappear, but not your problem,” she reminds me.

“I told you I’ll fix it, I just need you to give me some more time.” I grip her a little tighter so her pulse picks up. “And, Kathrine, just for the record…” I slide my free hand into the waistband of her pencil skirt, watching her eyebrows raise and her mouth fall open when I dip it into her panties and let my middle finger slide between her pussy lips. It confirms another one of my suspicions

“Sophisticated men don’t make pussies weep like this.” I wait for her to gasp before dragging my soaked finger away and trailing it all the way around the ‘o’ shape her lips have made. Then, leaving her stunned, I see myself out and head for my bike.

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