Page 38 of Saving Blood

“Only this goes a little deeper than sinking your dick into some hot pussy for the night. Especially since you and I both know what’s at stake here. In case this hasn’t been clear to you over the last year, Tijuana is our last stop. We screw up again, and Jameson is gonna come down here and pull the plug on us, this club, and everything we’ve worked for is gonna end up in the shitter. No second chances, no bullshit stories. We lose our hold here, and we’re done.”

“And I’ve worked just as hard as you have for this, so why would I fuck it up?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds to me more like she’s working you instead of the other way around.”

“No way. You know I would never give club business to a woman, no matter how hot or how good I fit between her legs. I’m telling you, I’m working on a long con. She’s not stupid, and if she’s working with Rodriquez, it just might take a little more time than we expected.”

“Time we don’t have.” Smoke cracks his knuckles. “Rodriquez is known for striking when his enemies least expect it. Taking them apart piece by piece and hitting them where is hurts, so I wanna shut him down before he gets a chance.”

“And that’s what I’m trying to do. Shut him down by using Maxine.”

“Still doesn’t explain or excuse you missing a church meeting.”

“I know.”

“Which sends up a shit load of red flags. All the time I’ve known you, even back in Cali, you’ve never spent that much time with a woman, and you sure wouldn’t let a woman make you miss a meeting.”

I wouldn’t admit it to Smoke, but it did kinda scare me too. I never put anyone or anything before the club and sure not a woman. Shit, I’ve left women bare-assed and begging for more without a second thought when the club needed me. But tonight, with Maxine, the time just slipped away. Like we were in our own zone. The minute I left, I wanted to go back.

“Hit it and quit it. In and out,” Smoke adds. “That’s your usual.”

Smoke has me there. After I shot my load, I was out the door, most times never to be seen again, no less hanging around all afternoon and half the night.

“I also know from Diesel you spend a lot of time checking out her training in the gym. More so than any other fighters. So, I’m also thinking this woman is getting under your skin.”

“Who the fuck is Diesel to get in my business? I run the gym and the fighters, so I have to know what’s going on.”

“Right, but we both know what happens when we start thinking with our dicks.”

I roll my eyes. “You know, I could say the same thing to you.”

“That’s how I know I’m right. Me fuckin’ around was what sent us to this hell pit. Granted, we’ve made it work, but we can’t take any chances with a fucker like Hector. He’s a different animal than anything we’ve ever come across, and I’m not letting him get over on us ‘cause you got your mind on pussy.” Smoke leans over his desk. “And that’s all she is to us, and all she should be to you. Pussy, plain and simple—a way to get to Rodriquez.”

My gut tightens. I sure don’t need Smoke laying it out for me or bringing Maxine to that level. And that bothers me too. Why do I care how Smoke talks about her? Yeah, why do I care?

“You agree?” Smoke stands and comes around the desk.

“Yeah.” I push out of the chair. “Sorry about missing church.”

“If it ever happens again, you better be dead, ‘cause that’s the only excuse I’ll accept.” Smoke heads toward the door, and I follow him out of the office and into the club.

Smoke jerks his head at Bolt. “You know what I gotta do.”

“Yeah, bring it on.” I trudge toward the back door with Bolt close behind me.

Bolt’s hard face is shadowed by the security lights in the lot behind the club. “Shit, I hate to have to do this, Boss.”

I spread my arms wide. “Just fuckin’ get it over with.”

Bolt cracks his knuckles and shakes out his arms. “I’ll make most of them body shots, but I gotta at least hit you in the face once so Smoke knows I didn’t punk out.”

“Just do it, for fuck’s sake.” The sooner Bolt gets this done, the better.

“I just want you to know?—”

“That you got a tiny dick and you can’t get it up anymore.”

Bolt puffs out his chest. “Hey, that ain’t true.”

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