Sinner's Steel

“Easy, brother.” Jagger steadied him with a firm hand. “You need a good night’s sleep.”

“Haven’t had a good night’s sleep in nine fucking years,” he mumbled, half to himself. “I doubt I’m go

*   *   *

“We’ve got a big problem.” Co

Small droplets of water slid down Co

“I guessed that from your unexpected visit in a downpour on our Sunday off.” Evie poured herself a second cup of coffee then lifted the aerosol container of whipped cream beside her and squirted it over the top. She had been awake all night trying to figure out how to introduce Zane and Ty without taking the risk Zane might not want to be involved. She didn’t want Ty to get hurt, and if Zane wasn’t interested in being a parent, it would be better to feel him out first before making the introductions so she could prepare Ty in advance, or even not tell him at all.

“That looks good in a bad sort of way.” Co

“Don’t go there.” Evie added a last dollop of whipped cream and then licked it off the top.

“Do you let Ty see you do that? What kind of mother are you?” Co

“The kind who’s addicted to whipped cream, and when no one is looking, sprays it into her son’s mouth to his utter delight.” She licked her lips and gri

Co

“I guessed that when he didn’t show up at work all week.”

“No. I mean gone as in disappeared. I haven’t seen him since the night Axle came in one door and Bill slipped out the other. I went by his place, and when I looked in the window, I saw food spoiling on the counter. I think the Black Jacks got him.”

Evie’s hand tightened on her mug and her mouth went dry. “Maybe he just ran after seeing Axle at the shop. He might have figured Axle had a message for him that he didn’t want to hear.”

“You think they found out about the skim?” Co

“We’ve been in the black for the last year, although we’re not making a huge profit,” Evie said.

Bill had sold half his interest in the business to Evie after he got involved with the Jacks. His gun ru

“Maybe he just panicked,” she suggested.

“That’s what I’m feeling now.” Co

“Then we’ll tell them where the guns are.” She had no doubt the Black Jacks were involved in illegal activities, but Viper rarely mentioned his club around her, never brought her to the clubhouse, never talked business, and except for Axle, had never introduced her to his biker brothers. He had a wide variety of interests, however, and when they were together, they talked about everything from politics to entertainment and from sports to art.

She laughed, trying to put Co

“I noticed them standing on the street on my way in.” Co

They left the kitchen to check out the bikers, now huddled together under a tree as the rain streamed around them. Evie recognized the blond from the night Axle had paid his first visit to Bill’s shop, but not his dark-haired partner.

“I texted Jagger,” she said. “Apparently Axle escaped from Zane so now Jagger has his boys watching my house and the shop in case Axle shows up again. I told him none of the Jacks know where I live, and Axle won’t be coming around again, but he insisted. They really want the poor guy bad. I’m afraid to think what they might do to him.”

“You know exactly what they’re going to do. Zane was trying to kill him.” Co

Evie tipped her head back and groaned. “You’re as bad as Ty when he’s trying to guilt me into buying him something he doesn’t need.”

“Please, Evie.” Co

“Okay.” Evie sighed. “They can sit on the porch, but you’re responsible for them.”

“I’ll just give them food and water and clean up their mess. And I won’t ask to keep them.” Co

Evie leaned out and waved the bikers over to the house. Yeah, the blond guy was cute, but she wasn’t looking for a man. She hadn’t had a serious relationship since Mark, and Viper was just … an interesting distraction. Especially now that she’d seen Zane. She brought her fingers to her cheek, remembering the heat of his breath, and how she had almost let him kiss her.

Zane.

The intense co

She let Co