Page 20 of Jack of Hearts
“Why don’t you come to dinner with us? We can drop you back here before we hit the club.” Lauren peered up at Nelson. “You wouldn’t mind, would you?”
“Not at all.”
The man’s smile was lethal, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Did he not like Lauren inviting her along with them? “Thanks, but I’m going to finish up here, then crash in front of the TV and watchThe Voice.”
“She has a crush on Adam Levine,” Lauren told Nelson.
“Truth. As soon as he divorces his wife, we’re getting married.” She waved them away. “Go on. I have nothing better planned for tonight, so I’ll wrap things up here.”
“Thanks! I’ll make it up to you.” Lauren reached for Madison’s hand and squeezed it. “In fact, you take off early tomorrow night and I’ll stay.”
Madison started to protest, but then remembered Alex said he would stop by. Why not take a night off? Not that she’d decided she would go to dinner with him. Even if she didn’t, both she and Lauren had worked their butts off getting the shop ready to open, and she couldn’t begrudge either one of them an early night off.
“It’s a deal.” She smiled at her friend. “I’ll see you when you get in if I’m still awake.”
“You’re a sweetheart, Madison. I’ll take good care of her,” Nelson said.
“I’m counting on it.” She locked up behind them and watched out the window as he escorted Lauren to a fancy black sports car.Nice wheels, Lauren’s boyfriend.Considering the expensive clothes he wore and that car, he had to be doing well as a model. Funny that she’d never heard of him.
Did Alex own a car or just his Harley? It bothered her that she didn’t know. In fact, there was a lot she didn’t know where Alex was concerned, including why she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Maybe he was a warlock and had bewitched her. He was certainly dangerously dark and mysterious enough to be one.
She laughed, amused at her vision of him in a black cape, fog swirling around him as he cast his spells. “Come on, Hemingway. I need to get a shower and dinner over with before it’s time to watch my future husband on TV.” She flipped off the light switch, picked up Hemingway, and headed for the stairs.
As she did each night before leaving, she looked back to make sure everything was as it should be. Glancing out the display window, she frowned at seeing a black Hummer parked across the street, one exactly like Ramon’s. Goose bumps rose on her arms and neck. Was he watching her?
Creeped out, she hurried upstairs. Without turning on any lights, she went to the front living room window to peek out the blinds. The Hummer was still there, parked under the streetlight, and she could see that there was a man in the driver’s seat, but she couldn’t see his face. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see him, though, because there was no doubt in her mind that it was her cousin. Considering he was parked in plain view, it was obvious that he didn’t care if she spotted him.
A shiver ripped through her body. She dropped the blind back into place. Her intention had been to take a shower, put on some comfy clothes, then watch her show while plowing her way through a pint of ice cream. The thought of getting in the shower while Ramon was out there watching the building ... nope, not happening.
Bypassing the shower, she changed into a T-shirt and a pair of harem pants, fed Hemingway, and a few minutes later peeked back out the window. The Hummer was still there. Enough was enough. She was calling the police. As if he sensed her intention, he slowly drove away.
“What kind of game are you playing, cousin?” she murmured.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“There they are,” Alex said at seeing Ramon and Trina walk into Aces & Eights at the stroke of midnight. He’d begun to think they weren’t coming. The bar was open until two, but the last few hours were always the rowdiest. Tonight they were packed, Tuesday being the Demon Riders Club’s regular day to invade Aces & Eights. It was also a big money night, which wasn’t a bad thing for the two to see.
Court eyed the monitor. “This should be interesting.”
They watched as the couple stopped a few feet inside the door, eyeing the goings-on with alarm on their faces. At the moment, Black Jack, one of the biggest black men Alex had ever seen in his life, and Four Leaf, an Irish man almost as big, were arm wrestling at a table in the middle of the room. The two were best friends until it came to competition—any competition—and then they were as likely to kill each other as not.
The members of the biker gang surrounded them, money passing hands as bets were made. In the middle of it all was Nate, the referee for the match. One of the bikers, Big Dick, noticed Ramon and Trina, and a shit-eating grin crossed his face. The two idiots had apparently thought it a good idea to costume themselves out in shiny—obviously brand new—black leathers, and Ramon even wore a skullcap.
“Dumbasses,” Alex said. If there was anyone these guys loved to mess with, it was pretend bikers. “I better go rescue them.”
“You gonna bring them back here?”
“No, I don’t want them to know about our office. Don’t want to encourage them to come here and hang out.” Another reason tonight’s crowd might prove useful. Hopefully they’d get a look at the operation, realize everything Alex had told them was true, and then never want to come back again. He headed for the two, Court following close behind.
Big Dick had gotten there first, and he’d put himself behind Trina and was whispering in her ear. There was a certain rumor pertaining to his name, and Alex had no doubt the man was bragging about that to Trina. If he wasn’t mistaken, the woman wasn’t all that upset about what was pressed against her ass.
“Back off,” Alex said, pointing his thumb toward the arm-wrestling table. “Go play with your friends.”
“I’d rather play with her.” Big Dick blew in Trina’s ear. “Whatcha say, baby? Wanna know what it’s like to ride a real man?”
Trina visibly shivered, but Ramon looked like he was about ready to take on Big Dick. Alex pulled Trina to his side before Ramon could get stupid. “You’re encroaching on my property. Get lost.” If there was one thing that might worry Big Dick, it was getting banned from a bar his gang liked to hang out in.
“Dude, shoulda said she was yours right up front.” He backed away, his hands held up with the palms out. “You get tired of her, I got dibs.”
