"When are we meeting him?" I asked, trying to focus. It was almost impossible, because the skirt was bunching around my waist and he'd found the bare skin of my a.s.s, exposed by my thong. Hunter's hands tightened on me, and he tugged me forward into his hips. His c.o.c.k was hard and ready to go, which made it almost impossible to breathe, let alone pay attention to his words.

"He's in town already, at the Panther, right down the street," he murmured, ma.s.saging my a.s.s. A finger slid toward my crease and worked its way under the thong. He'd been doing that more and more lately.

"The strip club?" I asked, trying to focus.

"Yeah," he said. "We're supposed to pick him up when we're done here. Says he wants to show me something. You up for that?"

I reached down between us to find his erection, squeezing it tightly. His breath hissed, fingers tightening.

"I'm up for anything," I whispered with a smile.

He gave a low groan, then spun me around and pushed me flat across the table. I heard the sound of his zipper going down and he caught my thong, wrenching it hard enough to snap the elastic.

b.u.mmer. I went through more panties that way ...

Hunter's fingers slid into me abruptly and I cried out. Holy s.h.i.t, that felt good, he always found the target. Always. Then he pulled back out, rubbing my own moisture along my crease. I felt his finger press against my rear opening, pushing slowly inside. It was a strange sensation, but he'd done it a few times now, and I knew he wouldn't hurt me.

"Someday I want to f.u.c.k you here," he said, and I shivered.

Someday I'd let him. But now I felt the head of his c.o.c.k tracing my p.u.s.s.y as he lined himself up with my opening. His free hand caressed the small of my back, soothing me.

"You ready?" he asked, his voice ragged. I nodded and braced my legs. s.e.x with Hunter was fantastic, but rarely gentle. Sure enough, he slammed into me, filling me in one hard stroke. My back arched and I moaned, tender tissues stretched to their limits.

"Christ, you're a good lay," he muttered, giving a few hard thrusts. Then he started hammering into me, all but attacking my p.u.s.s.y with his c.o.c.k. The finger made my a.s.s feel impossibly full, impaled and at his mercy.

Holy h.e.l.l. I'd never been so turned on in my life, which was a good thing. I didn't see how he-or anyone-could keep up this pace for long. Not that I needed much more time. Every stroke took me a little higher, and my legs started trembling from the mixture of physical strain and building desire.

"I'm close," I warned him, reaching out and catching the sides of the table. "Really, really close, babe."

He pulled out of my rear, then gripped my cheeks with wide fingers, digging deep enough that I'd probably have bruises later. I didn't care. All that mattered was the sensation of his c.o.c.k splitting me wide. He invaded again and again, until my entire body convulsed, the o.r.g.a.s.m hitting me hard and fast. I whimpered, collapsing even as he kept going. Then I felt his c.o.c.k start pulsing, hot come shooting deep into my body.

The sound of panting filled the shop. Probably shouldn't tell Cookie about this one, I decided.

"It's a lot better without the condom," I managed to say after a few minutes.

"Thank f.u.c.k for birth control," he muttered, leaning down to kiss the back of my neck. He pulled out, then stepped back. I pushed up shakily, catching my skirt with one hand and tugging it down. My shredded thong had caught around one leg, and I kicked it off.

"So when are we supposed to meet Burke?"

"About fifteen minutes," he said. "Just enough time to clean up and walk down."

"You want to bleach the table while I hit the bathroom?" I asked, feeling guilty. What would the health department make of that one? "Everything else is ready to go. Bleach is under the sink."

"Sure," he said, giving me a quick smile. "Gotta say, the idea of you out in public, wearing that little skirt and nothing else? It's turning me on again."

I snorted.

"Everything turns you on."

"Nope, just everything about you. Trust me, I don't feel this way at all when I see that fat chick at the DMV. Now get cleaned up. Or don't-h.e.l.l if I care. I like the idea of my j.i.z.z running down your legs for everyone to see."

"You're disgusting."

"Yup."

I turned to leave, but he caught my hand, pulling me back for another quick kiss.

"Thanks," he said, resting his forehead against mine. "I was wound pretty tight. Usually when Burke shows up without warning, it's not a good sign. You helped a lot just now."

"I'm a very helpful girl," I said, waggling my eyebrows. I pulled away, turning toward the bathroom. Hunter smacked my a.s.s and I jumped, laughing.

"Hurry up," he said. "Burke's waiting."

"Will I like him?"

"No," Hunter said, shaking his head slowly. "He's usually a complete a.s.shole, so don't be surprised if he says something rude. But he saved me and Kelsey as kids. That should count for something. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for him. Dead or in prison."

"Then I'll love him," I said. "I don't care if he's an a.s.shole. I still owe him, big-time."

"Kinda how I feel about your dad," he said. "Go get clean, woman."

I flipped him off and headed for the bathroom.

Hunter parked his new truck right in front of the strip club. Nothing fancy. In addition to everything else that sucked about the accident, he hadn't been able to collect on his insurance. Bullet holes tend to draw cops, and the last thing either club wanted was law enforcement poking around. I'd offered to help pay for the new rig, but Hunter had blown me off, making it clear he could afford to buy his own ride. I wondered about that ... Working part time as a mechanic wasn't exactly lucrative, but if the Jacks were anything like the Reapers, his income stream was probably creative.

Hunter texted Burke, who stepped outside about five minutes later. I don't know what I expected, but Burke wasn't it. He was old-way older than my dad or our national president, Shade. More like Duck's age. His hair was long and gray, and he kept it pulled back in a ponytail. He had a full beard, and it was long, too.

Skid followed him, and we eyed each other warily.

Me and Skid had an uncomfortable truce these days. Kelsey and I shared a place now, thanks to him. I still slept over at the house a lot, but nothing like before. I guess that was a winning solution for all of us. Well, all of us but Hunter. The idea of me and Kelsey living together seemed to scare him a little, and I guess I could understand that. It certainly made it easier to gang up on him.

"I'm Burke," the Devil's Jacks president said, stepping forward. "You must be Em?"

I smiled and nodded.

"It's very nice to meet you," I said.

"You're not much, for a girl who causes so much trouble," he said bluntly. "I pictured you with bigger t.i.ts."

My smile didn't falter for a minute.

"I'm still saving up for my b.o.o.b job," I told him politely. "Until then, I'm afraid Hunter's stuck with me like this. On the bright side, I give excellent head. He had to pay my father six whole goats for me, you know."

Hunter choked, but Burke burst out laughing. Skid's eyes widened, and he gave me a sly nod of approval.

"Well, she's not shy."

"Not even a little," Hunter said, wrapping his arm around my neck and pulling me close. "You said you wanted to show us something?"

"Yeah," Burke said. "I'll ride with Skid. You follow."

Hunter tugged me toward his truck and we climbed in.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack back there," he said. "And I think you gave him the wrong impression-it wasn't goats, it was kegs."

"My bad," I murmured. "It's so hard for me to hold all that information in my little female head. I get all confused."

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said blandly. "I can tell you what to do. We have to keep that feeble little brain of yours from getting tired."

I smacked his leg hard and he pretended to whimper as Skid pulled out ahead of us. Hunter followed, reaching over to lay a hand on my bare leg, running his fingers up and down my thigh as we drove.

G.o.d, how could I want him again so soon?

We didn't actually drive that far, but traffic was slow enough that it took a good twenty minutes before Skid pulled off into a residential neighborhood. The houses were all old, built in the typical Portland style. Narrow lots, high porches, trees everywhere. The house he pulled up to looked solid enough, but the paint was peeling and the lawn was practically a jungle. Interesting ...

"What's this?" I asked Hunter. He shrugged.

"No idea."

I opened the pa.s.senger-side door, then tried to figure out how to get out of the truck without showing my goodies off to the entire world. Hunter smirked, but he came around and lifted me down, setting me on the sidewalk like a perfect gentleman. Skid and Burke were already up on the porch, watching us with interest.

We climbed up the stairs to join them.

Burke stuck a key in the door and opened it, gesturing for us to go inside. The place was completely empty, and while you could tell it had gorgeous lines, the house clearly needed work. The floors were all wood, but they were scratched to h.e.l.l and back. It had a shotgun layout-living room, dining room, and kitchen all in a straight line. I a.s.sumed bedrooms were upstairs.

"What do you think?" Burke asked Hunter. "In addition to this, there's an old carriage house out back. You'd never know it, but it's a double lot. Spans the block."

"It's solid construction," he said. "But not quite sure why we're here."

"I'm buying it," Burke said. "Figured you and Em might like a house of your own. What do you think?"

HUNTER.

I stared at Burke, wary. Em's eyes were wide, but she didn't say anything-proof positive that she was her father's daughter. She'd drill me later, but she wouldn't give away s.h.i.t in front of witnesses. Good thing, too, because Burke was a twisty f.u.c.ker, and for all I knew this was some kind of elaborate test of some kind.

"Skid, why don't you take Em upstairs, show her the rest of the house?"

"Sure," Skid said, his tone neutral, but I saw a hint of something dark in his eyes. Whatever was happening here, Skid was already in on it. We'd have words about that later. He led Em away, and I turned to Burke.

"What's this all about?" I asked bluntly.

"Investment property," Burke said, offering a fatherly smile. "The market's still recovering, and it's a good value. Plenty of room out back. I might want to store some things there at some point. You kids do the work to fix this place up, you live here for free. In a few years, you can buy it from me. h.e.l.l, maybe I'll just give it to you. You're the closest thing I have to a son, Hunter. If you're really ready to settle down, I want you in a good place."

I stilled, not buying it for an instant.

"What's the game?"

Burke dropped the pretense, eyes hardening.

"That's why I like you so much, always have. No bulls.h.i.t. It's a f.u.c.king shame you can't go higher in the club, at least not for now. Until then, I like the idea of you playing house here in Portland. We've got a decent presence started, but it's touch and go. I set you up here with Princess Emmy, the Reapers will think twice about shooting up the place if things go south. Instant safe house."

I shook my head.

"I won't risk Em," I said, and I meant it. "Deal breaker."

"It's not a risk," Burke said. "She'll be safer here than anywhere else. We won't hurt her, and they sure as s.h.i.t won't, either. That girl is walking, talking neutral territory, and putting her in this house brings us one step closer to establishing a real chapter in Portland. The only place she'd be safer is in her daddy's house, but I'm willing to bet you won't be moving in with him."

"She's a person, you know. Not just a p.a.w.n for you to play with."

"We're all p.a.w.ns," he replied softly. If I didn't know better, I'd have said he looked almost human. "And the cartel will keep coming. This game doesn't end and we both know it. But that doesn't mean I'm not happy for you. Proud, too. You know, back when we first cooked this whole Em plan up, we figured she'd be a good old lady."

"Best ever," I agreed warily. G.o.d d.a.m.n, but he was a wily old b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"Then treat her right. You know, I used to be married. Didn't work out too well ..." he said, looking away. "I regret that, I honestly do. You got something good with that girl, so don't f.u.c.k it up. Now go upstairs and look around, see if Em's on board. If she is, I'll call the real estate agent."

Em stood by the window in the front bedroom, overlooking the street. There were two smaller rooms and a bathroom, too. I came to stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her small figure and dropping my chin to her shoulder. Burke wanted me to use this beautiful girl again, and I f.u.c.king hated him for it. I'd hurt her once already on his orders. It had to stop here ... although he'd been right about a couple of things. The first was the game-it wouldn't end. And the second was that I had something real good with Em.

Too good to lose for anything. Even the Jacks.

"Thoughts?" I asked, her small body tucked against mine, the feel of her completing me in a way even my club couldn't. It reinforced my decision and I felt a sense of something like peace about what I had to do. Sure, the thought of it still sickened me, but the thought of losing her sickened me more.

"I don't know," she replied. "Was he serious?"

"Yup. He wants to buy it and have us fix it up. In exchange, he'll let us live here for free."

"That seems a little ... out of character? I mean, based on what you've told me about him."

"You could say that," I answered. "He's not doing it out of the goodness of his heart, that's for sure. He wants neutral territory, and figures putting you in a house with me will help keep the peace."

I felt her stiffen, but then she nodded. "I can see that. What do you think?"

"I don't like the idea of using you again," I told her honestly. "I love you and I realized something down there, listening to him."

"What's that?"

I paused, taking a deep breath, my heart suddenly pounding. The club had been my life. My family. My brothers. Everything.

Jacks first.

I'd lived by those words for eight years.