He takes one shot at the first can, not missing.
Then he hands the gun back to me and says, “Your turn.”
I raise the gun, aiming it at the second can, fire, and miss. I feel nervous about using the gun, but also strangely empowered. I feel like a badass—or at least I will when I learn how to use it better.
“We’re not leaving until you hit at least five out of the ten,” Tracker announces, nodding toward the can. “We’ve got all day.”
Two hours later, I get my ice cream.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Vinnie
I STAND over the dead body, impressed. “That was a good shot.”
“I know,” Talon replies, not sounding smug, just stating a fact. “Shayla know what we’re out doing today?”
“Told her I was meeting you for an update,” I say, looking around the mansion we are in. The man now lying dead on the floor, Tony Addario, was a threat to Shay. Talon recorded a conversation between him and another man, Tony’s cousin Abe, who is a member of the Kings MC. The two of them were talking about raping and killing her in revenge for all the shit her father caused them since the feds have some information and were breathing down their necks. And now they had to watch their backs even among their own family members, since everyone was out for themselves. I felt no pleasure in his death, but I felt no remorse either. This man would have hurt Shay without a second thought, and the world is better off without him.
“Let’s go,” Talon says, heading toward the back door. “He has so many enemies no one will know who killed him. No one will suspect us.”
“What about the cousin?” I ask. After hearing the voice message, and the word rape coming out of their mouths, I wanted them both in the ground.
“We’ll take care of him next,” Talon says as we walk through the woods behind his house. “I have no issues with the Kings, and I will handle them. If this starts a fuckin’ war, then so be it. No one has any idea that Shayla is under your protection. They think she’s just fallen off the grid. That’s why no one has even tried to fuck with the club yet. What do you think is the best plan of action?”
I’d actually been thinking about this for a while now. With her father having so many fuckin’ enemies, I didn’t see how Shay was going to get out of this. We’d have to spend the rest of our lives watching our backs. While I’m used to living that way, I don’t want her to have to.
“For now, I think we should let everyone think she’s deep in hiding.” I pause, looking Talon in the eye. “And then I have another idea, but I don’t think anyone is going to like it.”
* * *
I thrust my hips forward, loving the feel of her. I’m on top, her legs over my shoulders, as I pump away, finding the perfect rhythm and angle. I lean forward to taste her lips, and she moans into my mouth. Finding her sweet spot with my thumb, it’s not long before she comes, and I join her. I pull out of her, kissing her once more, then collapse onto the bed. It’s the third time tonight that we’ve fucked, and I’m exhausted.
Shay had offered to babysit Clover, Cara, and Rhett for the day, so she had to be up in about five hours.
“You’re going to be tired tomorrow,” I say against her temple.
“I know,” she whispers in reply. “But sometimes you just have to take one for your vagina.”
I laugh at that, my chest shaking. “The shit you come up with, Shay. Get some sleep, temptress.”
“Okay,” she says, yawning, already half-asleep. “Love you, Vinnie,” she whispers, just before falling into a deep slumber. I, on the other hand, was suddenly more awake than ever, like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on my face. She loved me? But it was too soon. Will she remember saying it in the morning? For a second, I find myself wishing that she won’t, because I won’t know what to say back. I’m not ready to say those words to her; to be honest, I don’t really know what love is. Yes, I’ve seen it in the others, but I’ve never felt it, so how would I know? I’d never say it unless I knew that I meant it, and right now I’m not sure how I feel. More than I have for any other woman—sure, but love? That was a whole new playing field. I try to relax, holding her in my arms, her head on my chest, her soft breath tickling my skin. Before I fall asleep, one last thought crosses my mind.
If she really does love me—I’m the luckiest man in the world.
* * *
“So how is he?”
“How is who?” I ask distractedly as I look over the guest list at Rift several days later. There is an event tonight, and the club is going to be full. Luckily I get to leave before the doors open and people barge in, but Rake, Bailey, Shay, and I are stuck doing the day shift, making sure everything is ready for tonight. I didn’t want to bring Shay, but she practically begged me, obviously sick of being stuck inside, so I relented.
“Did someone do stocktaking?” I ask Sian, our bar supervisor.
“Yes, I did it,” she replies, looking toward the back. “I made a new order sheet for next week, but we’re good for now.”
“Talon,” Shay continues, looking at me and waiting for my attention. “You saw him the other day but never told me how he was doing.”
I put down the list and look into her beautiful brown eyes. “He’s fine. Don’t worry about him, we need to worry about you instead.”
She rolls her eyes and sticks her straw in her mouth.