Never Have an Outlaw's Baby (Deadly Pistols MC #3)(5)

“Piece, drag the kid to the door and throw him the f*ck out. His posse'll follow as soon as they see him hit the pavement. We've busted him up enough. They'll shit their pants when they see. Make sure they pay Tina, too.”

“No, no, it isn't right. I didn't even get a chance to finish their order,” I whined, too sad to see how little sense that made just then.

“Babe, don't you f*ckin' worry about it. We got it taken care of. Everything. We'll make sure none of these shitheads ever show their rat faces anywhere around here again.”

Frat boy groaned as Piece scooped him up. I listened to Joker's twin start humming a country tune as he pulled him out through the kitchen, no different than dragging out the trash.

Tina came rushing in a second later. Her eyes bugged out when she saw me wrapped up in Joker's arms.

“Holy Lord and Moses, Summer! What's going on back here? Should I get the police?”

“Fuck no,” Joker growled, turning his head to face her, without pushing me from his arms. “It's all under control, Miss Tina. Run along. I'll help the girl find her way home.”

“You, Jackson? But her shift's not over 'til...”

“It's okay, Tina.” Sniffing to clear my sinuses, I looked up, hating myself for being such a mess. “I'm going to stand by for a few more evening orders and then I'll go. Don't know when Uncle Robby will be back. He burned his hand real bad. I'll find a way home.”

“Jackson, she doesn't get on that motorcycle unless you have a helmet for her,” Tina said sharply, folding her arms.

“Dammit, Tina, it's Joker now. Joker. You use that Jackson shit again, we're gonna have a problem. Piece and me just did the bar a favor, unloading those motherf*ckers. Make sure they're paid up when you check the counter.”

Sighing, Tina threw up her hands. “Okay, whatever. I don't have a clue what this is about. You just...learn to keep your distance. Summer's a good girl. Her mama, Christine, don't need more problems, worrying about her daughter coming home with a guy like you. She's too sick for that crap.”

Joker gave her an icy stare on her way out. His muscles hardened around me, and for the first time, I noticed how huge he really was.

He could've hoisted me up without breaking a sweat. Probably could've broken rocks all day long, just like the old timers talked about, back when the mines boomed.

He must've been two hundred pounds of perfect muscle. Maybe more.

Just a tall, dark, and dangerously handsome twenty-something year old man. Walking, talking, killing steel stuffed into human skin and slathered with scary tattoos.

I looked up, slowly easing myself out of his arms. God, why was it so hard to leave?

“Thanks for the help,” I said softly, having a hard time keeping my eyes on his.

Those dark, hazel gems in his face had a grip even stronger than his hands. Every time I met them, I fell in.

I wanted to keep staring, sinking, defying every warning I'd ever heard about these men.

“Don't bother,” he said, running a hand through his short, but thick hair. “This'll all be our territory someday, babe. We'd be fools not to lay down the law. We already own the f*ck outta Tennessee. Gonna have Georgia, too, and the least my brother and I can do is start keeping order in our own damned town.”

“You really grew up here?” I asked, walking over to the grill to push the badly burned burgers off it. “I mean, I already know you did. It's just hard to believe. This town makes too many boring men.”

He chuckled, a rich, throaty sound that tempted me to get up close and personal. “Born and raised. Still come back every week or two to see our grandpa. Owe that man my left nut, and maybe the right one, too.”

Crude. I smiled anyway, eyeing him over my shoulder while he realized how rough he was talking, muttering an apology.

“Shit, let's pretend you didn't hear that. How long 'til the end of your shift?” he asked.

“Maybe another hour. I just need to cover for Tina a little longer in case anybody wants food. Sounds like the crowd is clearing out after the rumble back here...”

“Yeah, my brother's out there, playing peacemaker. Don't worry. We'll make sure those f*ckers gave your boss every cent she was owed. We'll leave some extra for the mess from our own pockets on top of it.” His lips twitched, and he looked down at the blood drying near his boot.

“You don't owe us anything else,” I said nervously. “You and Freddy have already been a big help. Really.”

“Babe, his name's Piece. Mine's Joker. Get it straight.” He looked at me sharply, and I nodded. Then he cocked his head. “Say, what the f*ck was yours again?”

“Summer,” I said, feeling my cheeks turn beet red. “Summer Olivers.”

“Ah, yeah, grandpa used to see your ma to hash out his VA shit at the bank. Christine, right?”

I nodded. Talking about mama reminded me I really needed to check in with her soon, just in case she needed anything on my way home.

She was stocked up on prescriptions. The days when she'd ask me for snacks or water were becoming less and less, the nausea catching up with her a little more by the day.

I tried not to think about it.

“You don't have to hang around if you have somewhere else to be,” I said. “Really, Joker. I can clean up and find my way home.”