Steel Justice (A Romantic Suspense) (9 page)

“He did what?”

The thought of Big Roy’s hands on Trish fills me with a murderous rage. I swear to God I’m going to kill that son-of-a-bitch.

“Were you going to do it?”

“No! Of course not!”

“I’ll see that red-headed motherfucker in hell first before I ever let him touch you. I promise you that. Go get your things.”

––––––––

I
’m too upset and exhausted to put up an argument about going back to Jesse’s hotel with him. Of the different alternatives, it seems like the best option at the time.

I dash back inside the bar and grab my bag from the break room. On my way out, I tell one of the girls that I unfortunately won’t be making it to the condo tonight. I was really hoping things would work out with them. For a brief few hours, things almost felt normal.

My mind is whirling as I hurry back outside to meet Jesse. Things keep happening so quickly and I don’t have time to adjust. Just when I think I have things figured out, at least for the next twenty-four hours, something else happens to flip my plans upside down.

Agreeing to meet Ty in the parking lot was a mistake. I know that now. God only knows what I was thinking. I shouldn’t have looked at his text messages after he was thrown out of the club, much less replied to them.

Old habits die hard.

He said he only needed a couple of hundred bucks. I stupidly thought that giving him the money would be a cheap way to get rid of him and get him off my back.

What a bad decision that turned out to be.

My plan was to give him the money and tell him to never bother me again as long as he was riding with the Liberators.

My brother wasn’t always an asshole. There was a time not so long ago when we were almost friends. I refuse to believe the brother I used to know is gone forever. Big Roy and the Liberators changed him. I hate them for what they’ve done to Ty.

When Jesse attacked him, I felt ripped right down the middle. For the first time in my life, someone was actually protecting me for a change. It felt good and was definitely something I could get used to.

At the same time, it hurt to see my brother getting beaten to a bloody pulp, even if Ty didn’t have any qualms about hurting me when it suited him.

“Did you get all of your things?” Jesse asks when I walk out. He is leaning against the building, waiting for me, just like he said he would be.

“Everything I own is in here,” I answer, patting the green duffel bag.

“If you need anything else, we can pick it up at the store tomorrow,” he offers. “Let’s get out of here before your brother wakes up and calls the Liberators for backup.” He takes my arm and quickly ushers me away from the building.

I glance back over my shoulder toward my brother, who is still lying on the ground at the edge of the parking lot. The crowd has thinned out and the few remaining customers aren’t paying him any attention. Probably assuming he is passed out drunk or high on drugs.

“Shouldn’t I call an ambulance or something?” I say. “What if he is badly hurt?”

“Trust me, he’ll be fine,” Jesse says. “A busted nose, maybe. That’s all. It’s nothing that a couple of painkillers and Band-Aids can’t fix.”

I abruptly stop walking. Now I’m starting to feel bad about leaving my brother alone and bleeding on the ground. I always take care of people. Leaving someone behind who needs me is not easy.

“I should at least go back to check on him,” I say. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” I turn around and start walking toward Ty, who is already stirring.

Jesse grabs the strap of my bag and jerks me back. “Damn it, Trish! You really don’t get this, do you? Haven’t you been paying any attention? Don’t you realize what kind of men the Liberators are? Do you think they are just playing around or joking about the things they are involved with?”

His tone is grim. He’s furious with me.

“Less than six months ago, I attended the funeral of a young woman the Liberators murdered and dumped on the side of the road like a bag of trash. She was Big Roy’s old lady, by her choice. She was also an old friend of mine from high school. She warned us that the Liberators were on their way to ambush my brother, Flint. They killed her for that. And she’s been an integral part of their club for years.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice faltering. “I didn’t realize.”

“What do you think they will do to you? A new girl who they don’t know or care about? Do you think for one second that they give a shit about you? That they wouldn’t hesitate to rape or even kill you if it suits them? When Big Roy said you were going to be his old lady, he meant one way or the other. In his eyes, he doesn’t need a woman’s permission to take what he wants. And right now he wants you.”

I’m shocked by everything Jesse is telling me, yet I don’t need any verification or proof. In my gut, I know every word is true.

“I feel like such a fool,” I stammer. “I didn’t know about any of these things. They didn’t talk much around me. And when they did, Big Roy always blamed everything on the Steel Infidels.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Ty pull himself up to a sitting position.

“Well, you know now and that ought to be enough,” Jesse says. “I don’t want to hear any more argument. Let’s get out of here. Your brother is coming around.”

He hustles me around the corner where his brother Sam is waiting by the two motorcycles.

“Where’s the girl?” Jesse asks.

“I gave her money for a cab and sent her home,” Sam answers. “If the Liberators are in town, we’ve got bigger problems to deal with than chasing pussy. She would just be a distraction for me tonight.”

“Good decision,” Jesse says as he slings my bag onto the back of the bike.

“I’ve already called Flint and told him to round up the rest of the crew for a sitdown when we get back to the hotel,” Sam says. “He’s rousing everybody and making coffee, so hopefully they’ll be halfway sober by the time we get there.”

Jesse motions to me. “Hop on.”

I throw my leg across the bike and wrap my arms around Jesse’s waist, at first hesitantly then in a death grip. I scoot up as close as I can get to his hard, muscular body.

I’m not about to let go of this man.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

“You go first,” Sam says. “I’ll make sure we’re not being followed.”

Jesse revs the engine. The motorcycle roars when he pulls out onto the road with Sam right behind us.

The short distance to the hotel flies by in a blur. The rest of the Steel Infidels are waiting for us when we ride into the hotel parking lot a few minutes later. Some are a little wobbly and unsteady on their feet, but at least they all made the effort to be there.

Jesse slides off the bike, pulls out his keycard, and hands it to me. “Go ahead and get settled in,” he says. “Don’t wait up for me. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

As I walk by the group, one of the men who is a spitting image of Jesse, only younger, throws up a hand at me in greeting, and I nod as I hurry past. Must be his other brother.

Once inside the hotel room, I head straight for the shower.

What a night this is turning out to be.

***

I
t seems like forever before Jesse returns. By the time he opens the door and steps inside, I’ve worked myself up into a frenzied state of anxiety.

I’m freaking out, not only over the situation with Big Roy and my brother, but also because I can’t imagine spending another celibate night lying next to Jesse. I don’t know what he expects from me or how long I can continue to hold him at bay.

Or even if I want to try.

I’m so confused and a mental wreck inside.

“Everything okay?” I ask, worried by the serious look on his face.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” he says, giving me a reassuring smile. “You’re safe here with me. To get to you, Big Roy will have to go through thirteen big men first. My crew knows that protecting you is our top priority right now.”

“You told them about me?”

He throws me a curious look. “Of course I told them. How could we keep you safe otherwise? We work as a group, a family. What hurts one of us harms us all. If I’m ever not here, any of my men will protect you the same as I would. You understand? You’re under our protection now.”

He moves to sit down on the bed beside me, leans back against the headboard, and stretches out his long legs.

“Not really,” I say, confused. “Why would they do that? I mean, all I have done is make things worse between you and the Liberators. Why would your men care one way or the other what happens to me?”

He takes my hand in his and rubs his thumb along the back. “They care because I care. This mess with the Liberators isn’t your fault. Bad blood has run between us for years. You happened to get caught up in it, that’s all. Don’t blame yourself. At least now they’ve finally come out of the shadows where they’ve been hiding. The Steel Infidels has an opportunity to make things right once and for all.”

“This is all a bit much for me to take in,” I say, still feeling partially responsible for everything. “Whenever I overheard the Liberators talking about feuds and fights, I always thought they were greatly exaggerating things and telling tall tales. Now I’m finding out it’s all real. Like stuff you see on television, except worse.”

Jesse chuckles softly. “The life of a biker isn’t always easy,” he says. “Especially for our women.” He continues slowly stroking my hand. “There’s something I need to ask you. Whatever you say won’t change things between us.”

“Okay,” I say hesitantly. “What is it?”

“Are you willing to tell me where we can find the Liberators? We need to know where they’re staying.”

I let that sink in for a moment. Of course he would need to ask me this.

“What about my brother?”

Jesse lets out a long breath and looks away. “I’m not going to lie to you. He’s a big fucking problem. I can’t promise you he won’t get hurt. I would be lying to you if I did.”

“But he...”

“You need to remember, Trish. He made the choice to stick by Big Roy, even after knowing everything he’s done in the past and what he wants to do to you now.”

“He’s still my brother,” I say emphatically. “The only sibling I have.”

“I get it,” he replies. “I have brothers too. It doesn’t change the circumstances. We can strike first or wait for them to come after us. Either way, you’re not going to be able to stop the inevitable from happening. The bottom line is if they come here, you’ll be in more danger than if we go after them. I would rather have the upper hand than sit around on our asses waiting for their move.”

Jesse lets go of my hand and waits silently while I think it over. If I tell him where the Liberators are, I’ll put my brother in danger. If I don’t, I’ll be endangering myself, Jesse, and the men who have agreed to protect me.

Once my decision is made, the words tumble out rapidly. “We were staying at the Beachcomber on the other end of the strip.” I need to tell him everything before I lose my nerve. “It’s a rundown dive of a hotel. There are six guys total: Big Roy, Ty, and four other members. They’re all carrying guns.”

Jesse pulls out his cell phone and rapidly sends off a text, I presume to one of his brothers.

Oh God! What have I set in motion?

“They have guns? Well, so do we,” Jesse says with a cocky grin. “What?” he asks when he catches the shocked expression on my face. “I said that to reassure you, not scare you. Every biker in Panama City is packing weapons of some kind. Do you know how to handle a gun? If not, I’ll teach you. Every woman should know for their own protection.”

Hell no, I don’t want to handle a gun!

I wonder what strange dimension I’ve stepped into.

“No, I don’t want to know,” I say firmly. “I’m scared to death of guns. They make me nervous. I’m not touching a gun.”

“That’s only because you aren’t comfortable around them. Once you learn how to handle one safely, you won’t be afraid anymore.”

“Do you honestly think I’m in enough danger that I should learn how to use a gun?” The thought worries me. “Or are you just trying to scare me?”

“I would never scare you unnecessarily. I only want to keep you safe. Whatever it takes to do that.”

His cell phone beeps and he checks the incoming text before snapping the phone shut.

“Your crew is going after the Liberators, aren’t they?”

“Not tonight, and definitely not without me,” he says firmly. “Flint and a couple of the guys are taking a ride over to the Beachcomber to see if their bikes are still there. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Liberators have already moved locations after hearing from your brother.”

I can’t help but be relieved that a confrontation between the two clubs won’t be happening tonight. I need time to catch my breath.

“You must think I’m crazy to still love my brother,” I say, feeling as if I should apologize. “He’s not all bad. I know it’s hard to understand after seeing how he treats me.”

Jesse puts an arm around my shoulder and tugs me closer to him. His body is hot. I want to lay my head on his shoulder, close my eyes, and melt into his warmth.

“No, it’s not so hard to understand. My Dad isn’t always the nicest guy in the world either. You can’t choose your family though, and you sure as hell can’t help how you feel.”

He reaches up to brush my hair back from my face. “Are you upset about staying here with me again tonight? I know it isn’t your first choice of accommodations, but it’s the only way to keep you safe.”

I give in to the urge to put my head on his shoulder. Immediately, I feel safer surrounded by his warmth.

“My plans seem to change every five minutes lately. I’m not upset. Uncomfortable is a better word. I hope you realize that I’m normally not like this. I don’t do one-night stands or hookups with strange guys I’ve just met.” I look up at him and realize I can’t think straight when I’m gazing into his blue eyes. “This isn’t the real me. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea and think I’m some cheap woman without morals.”

“I suspected that all along,” he teases, his eyes twinkling. “Tell you what. I’ll go bunk with Flint tonight in his room. He’s right next door. Give you some breathing space. You need time to calm down and get some rest. The last twenty-four hours must have been tough on you. We don’t need to rush things. There’s plenty of time. No hurry.”