She gave a muffled snort. “Not a lot of skill involved in having a mind-blowing orgasm.”
“But it took a lot of courage to give me your trust after watching me fight, knowing how you feel about violence.” Every moment he spent with her, he discovered even more about her he liked. He wanted to peel back all her layers and find out what made her tick. He wanted to know every detail of her life, from what she ate for breakfast to the kind of friends she’d had as a kid. And he wanted to give her the kind of life she deserved—a life free of fear and pain and hardship. A life where he could see her smile.
Stay with me always, he wanted to say.
Trust me.
But this wasn’t the time. Not with Mad Dog still on the loose. So he sat back, pulled her into his arms, and held her until the party was over.
TWENTY-TWO
I will give my life for my brother as he would give his life for me.
SINNER’S TRIBE CREED
Cade didn’t show for the party.
Dawn rubbed her sweaty palms over her thighs before loading up her tray. Banks had been less than willing to hand over the keys to the bar. But once Jagger’s mind was set on something, there was no going back. He’d paid Banks five times the going rate and given his word he would make good any damage.
As with any biker party, the old ladies and sweet butts were expected to serve, except, of course, Arianne, who had taken up her usual station behind the bar.
With Gunner’s mix of hard-rock tracks blasting through the speakers, and the Sinners working hard to charm the Brethren, the bar had a good vibe going. Only Cade’s absence and Jimmy’s presence kept Dawn from enjoying the evening.
She could feel Jimmy’s eyes on her as she circulated the bar, and just once she’d made the mistake of meeting his cold, dark gaze. She knew that look. The hard menacing stare, the leering, supercilious expression, and the way he flipped the bottle cap into the air, catching it without a glance. He only flipped bottle caps when something bad was going to happen, usually to her.
Dawn curled her hand around the edge of her cut. Aside from the look that always filled her with dread, something was off with Jimmy tonight. Unusually confident, overly cocky, he sat like a king with his supporters huddled around him, as if he fully expected to win the upcoming election, and he was here just putting in time.
Sweat trickled down her back. If he won the election, she would have to take the girls and leave town despite the risk of the police tracking her down. He’d come for her, and nobody, police or Sinners, would be able to stop him.
No. Dawn put the brakes on the fear train and rallied herself. She was a Sinner. She wasn’t alone. She had a plan to deal with the video tape of the fake drug deal and regain custody of her children. No more running away.
By contrast, Shelly-Ann was doing a lot of running away. Dawn didn’t know which of the Brethren bikers had invited her ex sister-in-law, but for the first time ever she was delighted to see her. Unfortunately, Shelly-Ann clearly wasn’t feeling the love, or maybe she sensed Dawn wanted to speak to her. Whatever the reason, whenever Dawn tried to corner her, she managed to slip away.
“You still worried about Cade?” Arianne opened six beers in rapid succession and placed them on Dawn’s tray.
Dawn shook off her morbid thoughts. “He hasn’t returned my messages, and when I asked Jagger if he knew where he was, he said it was Sinner business. I know this isn’t real, but I’m wearing a cut, and Cade is…”
“Your old man.” Arianne gave her a soft smile. “Yes, he is. And you deserve to know. I’ll talk to Jagger as soon as he’s done talking to Wolf.”
Dawn finished serving the drinks on her tray, casting the odd surreptitious glance at Jagger’s table. For the most part, Sinners and Brethren sat with their own, but here and there Sinners and Brethren mixed, and so far no one had been shot, stabbed, or hit over the head with a bottle.
After dropping off her tray with Arianne, she headed to the restroom. Pushing open the door, she was so distracted by memories of her heated encounter with Cade by the sink, that she almost walked past Shelly-Ann drying her hands.
“Shelly-Ann. I’ve been wanting to speak to you all night.”
“This isn’t a good time. Jimmy’s waiting for me. Maybe later.”
Dawn stepped in front of the door and turned the lock. “How about now? We never really get a chance to talk and we might get distracted outside.”
“Really, I gotta go.” Shelly-Ann gestured to the door.
“Not until I say my piece.” Dawn folded her arms and leaned against the door. “All this time, I’ve been trying to find a way to get my girls back, and you held the key.”