After their lips parted and Grizz drove on, she asked, “Does Anthony have a motel? A place where he runs his…um..." She paused as she contemplated her next words. "His business?”
“He meets with his crew at a former kids camp in the Everglades. It was abandoned in the sixties after one of the counselors was attacked by an alligator. The guy didn’t die, but once word got out, it scared off the parents of potential campers. And just like I have my bars which I run as legitimate businesses, Anthony has a landscaping company.”
“Does he live at this camp?” she asked. “You know, like we live at the motel?”
“No, but he could. It was a pretty classy place back when it opened. Apparently, it was the in thing for a while. The wealthy are always looking for unique ways to stand out, and giving their kids a real Everglades experience was supposed to be cutting edge back then. Unfortunately, I don’t think anybody considered how real it could be until after the gator incident. Anthony bought it for pennies on the dollar; that was a steal since it was built for wealthier clients. I was only there once when nobody was around.”
“So, is that where we're meeting him?” she asked as she started taking in her surroundings. “I feel like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“We are in the middle of nowhere. And no, I can't go to the camp. We’re going to his house.”
“Don’t you two still have this pretend rivalry? Isn’t there a chance we might be seen by one of his guys?” Her voice sounded worried. “What if it’s a setup?”
He glanced over at her and smiled. “Don’t worry, Kit. It’s not a setup, and Anthony has only one rule. No crew allowed at his house except for his second in command. Just like I have my second in command, Blue—who knows that Bear and I are friends. Anthony’s guy knows too.”
“Seriously? Only one rule? No gang names or anything?” Considering how many rules Grizz had, she was surprised by this.
“Nope. His club doesn’t even have a name. They don’t wear official jackets. No patch. Nothing like mine.”
“Well, how are they identified?” she asked.
“They’re not. And that’s how Anthony wants it. Although they're unofficially known as the Black Souls, the Dark Souls, maybe even the No Souls. I don't remember. Anyway, when we went our separate ways in the sixties, he came over here, not to establish a gang, but a business. However, Bear is a natural leader, and before he knew it, bikers gravitated toward him. He bought the old camp, established headquarters there but chose not to live there. I guess he just uses it for official club business. Like I use the motel.”
She didn’t say anything else as they rode in silence for what seemed like forever along a paved but extremely dark road. They finally rounded a bend, and a large ranch style house came into view, its front porch light the only indication that someone might be home. It was a starless night, but there was enough natural moonlight that Kit could see the house had bars on the windows.
She gasped and then asked, “Why does he have bars on his windows?” her voice a little shaky.
“Kitten, stop it. You’re acting like Bear is someone you need to be afraid of. People should be afraid of him, but you’re not one of them. He bought the house in an auction. It belonged to a drug dealer. Hence, the barred windows.”
A few minutes later, they found themselves standing in a tastefully furnished living room in front of the most handsome man Kit ever recalled laying eyes on. She honestly couldn’t remember ever meeting someone with such classic good looks. She extended her hand thinking he would shake it.
“It's nice to meet you, Kit,” Anthony said in a deep voice, the words sliding off his tongue like silk. He brought Kit’s outstretched hand to his mouth and laid a gentle kiss on it. She stared into eyes so dark they appeared black and bottomless. She looked away first and was certain she was blushing all the way to her toes. She chanced a glance at Grizz who rolled his eyes.
Grizz was sure that Anthony didn’t have a clue about the effect he was having on Kit. He was only being polite. Grizz wasn’t sure how he felt about his wife’s reaction to Bear. She did everything but giggle like a schoolgirl.
Kit was so wrapped up in Anthony’s greeting she hadn't even noticed the woman who'd sidled up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Working her way to his right side, the woman barely made eye contact with Kit, but did a double take after glancing Grizz’s way. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Anthony?” she purred as she raked her eyes over Grizz.
“No. It’s time for you to leave,” he told her as he removed himself from her grasp.
“My shift doesn’t start for two hours. I can stay a little while longer and keep you and your friend company,” she told him, glancing seductively at Grizz and ignoring Kit's presence entirely.
Kit thought she saw a flash of mild irritation on Anthony’s face, but it quickly dissipated. She couldn’t help but stare at the woman who was tall and slender with flawless caramel skin and straight black hair that fell just below her shoulders. She had dark green eyes, high cheekbones and dark, sultry lips. Lips that were whispering something in Anthony’s ear.
He gently shrugged off her advances and said, “You can walk yourself to the door, Veronique. Stop acting helpless.”
Her demeanor changed instantly and she practically stamped her foot as she grated loudly, “Fine. But next time you wanna get laid, don’t call me.” She huffed her way over to a nearby chair and retrieved her purse. “I’m a doctor! I don’t know why I bring myself down to your level. You're a criminal who rides a lawn mower for a living yet I’m not good enough to get an introduction. Do me a favor. Never. Call. Me. Again.”
With that, she charged out the front door, slamming it hard enough to shake the windows. They heard her car start and then peel out as she sped away.
Grizz chuckled and Kit elbowed him in the ribs.
“Um. I’m sorry we seem to be here at such an inconvenient time,” Kit stammered, not daring to look up at Anthony. When she finally did, Anthony was smiling at her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a dimple on his right cheek.
“Don’t be sorry. She marches out of here mad at me at least once a week,” he said, and Kit couldn’t be sure, but she was almost certain his dimple got a little bit deeper. "She'll be back."
Less than an hour later, Grizz and Kit were making their way home when she blurted out, “I’m just in shock how he took the news, Grizz. I mean, you told Anthony that not only was one of his guys sharing his business secrets with one of your guys, but that he was also throwing Anthony’s name around to get the attention of some unsavory characters that he plans on double-crossing. And when he does cheat them, they’ll be going after Anthony for retribution.”