Page 62 of Dark & Deceitful

And I know I won’t like the answers.

SIXTEEN

Sharing a fishing boat with ten celebratory men isn’t what I signed up for. There is no place to escape as we ride back to shore. I’m stuck in a booth between Dark and Sunshine as other bikers fill in the gaps, locking me in the corner as they count stacks of cash on the table and drink their fill of beer. Apparently, all those rich assholes brought cash to be stored in a vault to buy the women. Now that money is S.S. property.

Less than an hour ago, we watched from our deck as the yacht and all the bodies in it went up in flames. It’s now dark outside. Wind and waves knock the hull of the boat. The men don’t seem to mind, but they’re too busy drooling over bills to notice the mild storm brewing.

Dark slides two stacks of cash in front of me. “Yours,” he announces, and the men cheer, lifting their beers, as if I’m some hero getting paid for a job well done. Not knowing what to say, I tight-lip smile in thanks.

The Sacred Sinners have always taken good care of me, not only through Dark and Sunshine but also from the higher-ups for my assistance with the sisters and my expertise, if you caneven call it that. My businesses keep themselves afloat, but it wasn’t always that way.

Sure, money is great, but pride and satisfaction are far greater.

When Dark notices I won’t touch the cash, he tucks it into a bag I presume he’s keeping for himself. There’s more money there than I know what to do with. It’ll likely pay off the house and then some. Like the rest of the world, that’s one bill I’d like to never have to deal with again. I guess I should be grateful, but more than anything, I’m exhausted. Fighting, killing, sunbathing, and a bottle of wine takes a lot out of a lady.

Knowing I can’t get out of this booth, even if I need to, I rest my head on Sunshine’s shoulder and close my eyes. His hand lies on my knee under the table and remains there, heat seeping through my bare skin, as the storm outside rocks me to sleep.

SEVENTEEN

“Shhhh,” a deep timbre hisses as my lids flutter open for a moment before slamming shut.

When my eyes open again, I’m moving with my head tucked against a muscled shoulder. A scruffy jaw that I’d know anywhere is the first sign Dark is carrying me. His familiar scent of bergamot, lavender, and man curls into my nose, setting me at ease when it should do anything but.

“I’ve got you, babe,” he whispers as his boot heels scrape across the ground in a steady rhythm that lulls me back to Lala land.

When I awake again, we’re no longer moving, but I’m curled in a lap with arms wrapped around me in a protective cocoon. I nuzzle my nose to the side of a throat, not of my ex’s but Sunshine’s. A soothing rumble percolates there as I inhale a lungful of comfort, of safety, of home, of him.

“Go back to sleep, Sweets. I’ve got you.” Sunshine rocks me and hums a song to lull me back to dreamland.

Toying with the front of his cotton t-shirt and rolling it between my fingers, I yawn and rub the crusties from my eyes with my fist. “I can’t sleep anymore.”

A small chuckle rings through the space, not from Sunshine but Dark. “Babe, we’re in a hotel room for the night if you wanna sleep on a bed.”

The comfy body holding me hostage snuggles me tighter. “She’s fine right here.” He kisses the top of my head.

“Just put her on the bed. She’ll sleep better there.”

Sunshine grumbles as if he doesn’t like the idea, then sighs once he realizes me sleeping on something I can stretch out on is better than me curled in his lap. Either place is fine, as long as he’s sleeping with me, not Dark. I can’t do that again.

“How long have I been out?” I whisper to Sunshine.

“Six hours or so.”

“Oh.” That’s longer than I thought. Then again, the boat ride took a while. But I don’t remember getting off the sea, much less here. Weird.

Sunshine kisses my hair again. “Sleep all you need. We’re not goin’ home ‘til you’re rested up.”

“How are we gettin’ home?”

“Driving.”

I nod. “Thought so.” That’d been the plan since the beginning, though the details were murky. The less of a digital trail, like flight logs, the better. We don’t need any of Remy’s men sniffing around and pinning this on the club. After everything that popped off at the Mother Chapter, the clubhouses are already on lockdown.

“But I’ll drive,” Sunshine adds. “And you can play with the radio.”

So, exactly what we do whenever we’re in the car together. Not that I don’t consider his tastes. Our music, our movies, and most things we like are similar. They always have been, except beer. Beer is vile.

“Then you need sleep, too.” I poke him in the stomach.

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