“They’re not ducks. They’re swans. I was elected into the position during the yearly HOA.”
“You were elected? You mean more than one person volunteered to feed them?”
Penni nodded eagerly. “Yes, well, I mean … One other person volunteered to feed them, but nobody liked her.”
“But they liked you?”
“Yes. I offered to pay for their food. The feed had gone up in price, and I offered to pay.”
“Why? You haven’t lived there long.”
“Because they’re beautiful.”
Jackal stared at Penni. Her expression went soft, and her blue eyes looked luminescent. He shifted on the bed.
He had been attracted to her since he had seen her walking out of the hotel lobby in Queen City. In his experience, when women saw the Predators, they either ran the other way or turned into provocative whores. Penni had flipped him off because he was parked in the wrong space. Then, when he had kidnapped her then released her, she had shown her disgust in him by spitting on him.
After Ice had married Grace, he had seen Penni at a couple of the parties that Grace had invited her to. It had only fueled his attraction.
Jackal had discovered she made friends easily, but only kept a few. It was the same with him. And she had dated most of the men in Queen City. They didn’t last long, and if they did, they joined the ranks of her friends.
He’d had no intention of being a friend. Playing the waiting game, he had patiently used any excuse to come into contact with her, only to become the brunt of her insults. Why Jackal had put up with it was uncertain. It was as if a part of her were calling out to him.
It was why he had been so pissed off when she had stood him up. When Penni had said sorry last night, Jackal had believed her, but he had also noticed that her contrition had been brief.
Jackal tilted his head as he studied Penni. King had warned him long ago that there was more to her than showed. Jackal agreed. He didn’t think he would live long enough to figure her out.
His stiff dick was tired of waiting, and he had missed having her in his bed like when they had gone to Treepoint. The Spring Rally was a four-day ride. That gave him four nights to build a fire that Penni would beg for him to put out.
Penni stared at him suspiciously as she headed into the bathroom. “What? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Jackal smoothed out his features as he picked up his saddlebag. “Nothing. Get changed. Hennessy is getting the bikes gassed up.”
“Why can’t we just take off while they’re gone?”
“A guard is outside.”
Disappointed, Penni went inside the bathroom.
Jackal had already considered making a run for it with her. However, they wouldn’t make it out of the clubhouse. The Road Kingz’ fate was in Penni’s hands. If they didn’t find Striker, none of them would come out alive.
When Ice had told him that the Road Kingz had Penni, he had been ready to call Shade and hand the mess over to him. However, it would have been a death warrant for Hennessy, and Jackal hadn’t been able to forget the fact that he had saved his life. Then Ice had further convinced him it was a bad idea.
Ice saw the benefit of having the Road Kingz if they ever needed to join forces. It was a risky move, but Ice had given his approval, letting Jackal face the Road Kingz alone.
Jackal stood when Penni came out of the bathroom. Her jeans looked like an old pair, hugging her slender legs snuggly. The blue, long-sleeved T-shirt was tight with a bright rainbow plastered across the front of her taut breasts. It was going to be a long ride to Riverside, California.
“Ready?” He dug his fingers into his back pockets to keep himself from touching the firm thrust of her breasts.
“Do I have a choice?”
“No.” Jackal knocked on the bedroom door. Hennessy had assigned Core to stay with them until they were ready.
Jackal took Penni’s arm, leading her to the clubroom where Hennessy waited.
As they approached, Hennessy nodded toward Core. “Go on outside. We’ll be there in a minute.”
What he wanted to say, he didn’t want his man to hear. Jackal had a feeling he knew what had his former friend incensed.
“Call them off.” Hennessy’s order wasn’t one that Jackal could follow. Trying to play peacekeeper between the two clubs was going take every skill he had.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jackal saw Penni’s attention go back and forth between him and Hennessy.
“They’ll stay back, but Ice wants to make sure Penni doesn’t end up as a casualty between you and all the shit you’ve got going down.”
A split second was all Jackal had to prepare before Hennessy launched his giant body at him. Planting his feet, he braced for the pain coming his way.