Page 25 of Live Love Steal
This time, he swore out loud, creatively. Finally, he stated, “I never thought you were a dumb ass.”
“Usually, I’m not.”
“Just when it comes to women.”
That was a low blow. But deserved. My ex was a piece of work. However, Isobel didn’t need to be lumped in with that. “Isobel is innocent in this.”
“How innocent?” His words hit like bullets slamming into a target.
How could I put this without being a jack ass? “Her father buys parts from us. That I can confirm. But she’s not…” I couldn’t find the right words.
Wolf grunted. “She knows our reputation. That’s good. Bear’s got her?”
I nodded.
Wolf gave it another thought. His eyes went to the door. “See if Tits is in the lounge.”
I peeked out, but she was nowhere in sight…which meant she was downstairs. I relayed that info to Wolf.
He smiled. “Problem solved.”
He had way too much faith in his wife. “You can’t honestly tell me Tits is going to put the fear of God into her.”
Wolf’s head went back. “I beg your pardon. You’ve met my wife.”
Met her, almost pissed my pants when she pulled a knife on me, and laughed my ass off when she beat one of our prospects in a cage match. “Yeah, I have. The problem is? She’ll take Isobel’s side.”
I’ve played poker with Wolf. He’s one of the best in our club. He truly doesn’t have a tell. But in that moment, he didn’t have his game face on. I knew I was right. He knew I was right.
“My plan so far is this. Lock down Isobel here. Find Whoosh at the drop point, fix the deal, get her car back, and send her home.”
Wolf shook his head. “We’re not babysitters. If you leave her here, someone is going to do something stupid.”
“More stupid than taking her on a run?” I bugged my eyes out a little to remind Wolf that I had the drugs sitting right outside in a stolen car I hadn’t had time to fix.
He stared at me. There was something in that heavy gaze that I didn’t understand. “Three times, huh?”
My eyes narrowed. What was he getting at? Before Tits, Wolf ran our hookers. It was an awful long time ago, and I should have forgotten that factoid. But it chose that moment to pop back into my head. “She’s innocent... an innocent.” I tacked it on with extra force.
“Not if she fucked you three times, man.”
I’d never won a fight against Wolf before. He had military training, I didn’t. Even with a bum leg and a few years on him, I’d bet hard money he’d wipe the floor with me. That didn’t stop my fist from clenching, or the adrenaline dump that swept through my system, preparing me for the fight of my life.
One I couldn’t do. I wasn’t an officer. Wolf was my president. Raising a hand against him was tantamount to treason. I loved my life here, the patch, my brothers. But what he insinuated was wrong.
Wolf raised an eyebrow and pointed at my fist. “That’s what I’m referring to, idiot.”
I straightened my hand and shook out the tension, trying to salvage the situation. But I didn’t have words right now. There was a reason I was called Sketch, and it wasn’t wholly because I could draw. It was the way my eyes turned crazy when I was angry. Even before I was a member here, people backed down after one look at my eyes. And when they didn’t? I fought like hell to make my “sketchy” reputation stick. “I’m not letting you take Isobel. I don’t think your wife would like that either.”
Wolf laughed in my face. “Sketch… you got it bad.”
“Got what?” I growled.
His laugher quieted, but the shaking of his shoulders and the amusement on his face only grew.
“Love.”
“No.” Oh fuck no.
