Barely Undercover: Legal Heat Book 2(29)

“Convenient.” Bones’s eyes narrowed and they locked gazes for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, Diesel asked Bones a question, drawing Bones’s attention away.

Sweat trickled down James’s back. He knew Bones was suspicious, but he hadn’t anticipated him coming this close to an outright confrontation. If he wasn’t careful, he might wind up being the one with a bullet in his heart.

“Anyone seen Rex?” James asked. “He hasn’t been around this afternoon. Not like him to miss out on a party.”

Diesel frowned. “He was getting his chopper serviced this morning. Maybe he got held up.”

“I thought I saw him in his office.” Bones tossed his beer bottle in the trash. “And he wasn’t alone.”

Rex was inside. And so was Lana. Anxiety ratcheted through James and he shot Ryder a worried glance.

“I’m going to get another case of beer from the kitchen,” James stepped away from the group. “Looks like Dawg is running low.”

“Think I’ll join you.” Ryder clapped a hand on his shoulder and lowered his voice to a hushed murmur. “Can’t let you go hunting for trouble alone, and I had something to ask you before we were interrupted.”

They crossed the patio to the clubhouse. James pushed open the door and paused to let his eyes adjust to the low light.

“I’m leaving in a couple of weeks.” Ryder kept his voice so low James could barely hear him. “I’m taking ten guys and starting a new club. We’re going to run it clean. No drugs. No gun running. No serious illegal activity except for some vigilantism, the odd beating—but only guys who deserve it—and we might misappropriate goods, but only from those who stole first. There’s no one I would rather have riding beside me than you.”

Nausea roiled in James’s gut. Damn. He’d known this was coming, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. Ryder had butted heads with Rex so many times no one would be surprised to see him go, but taking ten brothers with him turned his defection into a rebellion. And James couldn’t afford to be in the middle.

“I’m honored. Let me think about it. Kinda preoccupied right now.”

Ryder nodded. “Take all the time you need, but I’m gonna keep riding you until you say yes.”

“That why they call you Ryder?”

The door slammed closed behind them and they walked through the workout area toward the lounge.

“My name is a whole different story,” Ryder said with a grin. “The day you ride up to my new clubhouse is the day you get to hear it.”

As they crossed the lounge, Tally and the girls headed toward them. No Lana. A chill wound its way up James’s spine. He called Tally over and she left the group to join him.

“You seen Roxie?”

Tally shrugged. “She skipped out to the restroom when we started doing each other’s nails. Didn’t come back. I thought she was with you.”

“What about Kickstand?”

Tally shook her head. “Haven’t seen him either.”

James’s heart pounded against his rib cage. He should never have let her go in alone. He had made her a promise—to keep her safe—and he had spent the last half hour drinking beer and shooting the breeze while she was alone inside with Rex. Dammit. He just couldn’t do right by her.

“We’ll find her,” Ryder said, his face tight. “She might have got lost.”

“She might have got caught.”

“If she did, make sure you leave a piece of him for me.”





Chapter Eight

Crap.

Crap. Crap. Double crap.

A shiver of fear slithered up Lana’s spine as she watched Rex strip off Portia’s clothes. Why hadn’t she just stayed in the doorway to get the pictures? Why had she felt it necessary to creep into Rex’s office? Her new lipstick camera had a zoom. Jackie could have blown up the pictures. She could have taken a few snaps of them lip-locked together and gone back to the party.

But no. Stupid Lana had to try for a better shot. Clumsy Lana had tripped. Terrified Lana had dived into the storage locker reeking of Rex’s unwashed gym clothes. And now, Peeping Lana had a front-row seat to a show she did not want to see.

A fully clothed Rex lifted a naked Portia and settled her on his desk. He barked a few words and she parted her legs and leaned back on her hands. Lana’s stomach clenched. Voyeurism was so not her thing.

Well, since she was here, she might as well make use of her time. She pulled out her lipstick camera and slid it through the crack in the door. She took a few shots of Rex fondling Portia’s breasts and sighed. Breast fondling was good but her 15 percent bonus hinged on Rex’s full nudity. She silently urged Rex to get on with it, not that she wanted to see him naked, but why waste time?