Rev It Up (Black Knights Inc. #3)(31)

She clicked off without saying good-bye, but Johnny didn’t give a rat’s ass how rude his sister was, because the couple next door was ramping it up for the big finish, and despite the crudeness of the show, or maybe because of it, his cock began to throb with interest.

Tonight, he’d visit Michelle Knight, and before ending her life, he planned to put a period on his sexual slump.

A niggle of anticipation trilled up the length of his spine.

***

If someone had told Michelle when she woke up this morning that she’d be driving through the Black Knights’ secret underground tunnel about to take Jake home with her, she’d have said, Yeah, when hell freezes over.

Well, the devil and his demons must be sledding and making snow angels, because that’s exactly what she was doing.

This can’t be happening.

That thought kept circling around in her head, but all she had to do to convince herself that she wasn’t dreaming—or having a nightmare—was look over at Jake’s hard profile cast into shadow by the dimly glowing lights on the Hummer’s dashboard. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a tiny smirk tilting up one corner of his mouth.

This was exactly what he wanted, no doubt about it.

“I can change your mind.” He’d said it with such absolute certainly that just thinking of it now caused a cold shiver to race down her spine. Because there was small part of her, a very small part—okay, maybe not so small—that feared he might be right.

Of course, when he pulled the Hummer out of the dark, dank tunnel and into the parking garage on the opposite side of the river from the Black Knights’ compound and she watched in the rearview mirror as the concrete wall silently slid back into place behind them, completely camouflaging their route, she was reminded that Jake was the very least of her worries right now.

There were much bigger fish to fry. Fish that came in the form of hired gunmen.

Sweet Jesus. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans and tried to rake in a calming breath. It didn’t work. Especially when she realized Jake was obviously thinking about those same fish, because he exited the parking garage like his tires were on fire, careening around the corner and onto the street.

“Sorry,” he muttered, glancing into the back of the Hummer where Franklin was strapped into his car seat, still sleeping the sleep of the dead—or the sleep of tired three-year-old boys. “I’ve got to make sure we don’t have a tail.”

“Don’t worry,” she assured him, grabbing the handle above the door, the one Frank always referred to as the oh shit bar, when Jake took the next corner like he was manning the wheel of a sports car instead of a big, cumbersome Hummer. She closed her eyes and winced when they missed the back bumper on a parked Mercedes by no more than a hair. “He’s like his Uncle Frank in that he can sleep through anything.”

“Yeah,” Jake said, checking the mirrors, “I’ve noticed that.”

When they’d gone a few blocks, made a few more erratic turns, he blew out a breath and settled more comfortably into the driver’s seat.

“We’re good?” she asked him.

“We’re good.” He nodded.

“Oh, good.” Okay, she rolled her eyes, and just crown me Queen Lame-Ass. Geez.

He grinned over at her, his dimples dark shadows in his stubbled cheeks as he reached over and clicked on the radio.

The sound of KT Tunstall’s smooth voice drifted softly through the vehicle.

She quickly glanced out the window and for the thousandth time that night found herself on the verge of tears.

It would have to be this song, wouldn’t it?

***

Jake looked over at Shell, wondering if she was thinking the same thing he was thinking.

“Remember this song?” he asked. “It was playing that night me and all the boys of Bravo Platoon built that mammoth bonfire on the beach in Coronado to celebrate our last day of freedom before being required to embrace the suck and head back to Afghanistan. I finally got up the balls to tell you how I really felt that night, soldiered up enough to finally kiss you. Do you remember?”

Her whole body froze. Yeah, she remembered…

He took a chance. “The guys were playing football, we strolled down the beach and you…you told me you’d wait for me.”

“And I did,” she whispered, her voice strangled.

“Yes, you did. I came home four months later to find you the same wonderful, wholesome, beautiful Shell. But I came back different, didn’t I?” He’d been hurt and angry and, worst of all, broken. He’d taken that hurt and anger out on her. He’d said and done things that couldn’t be taken back, but they could certainly be explained and apologized for.

He opened his mouth to start in on all those apologies and explanations when Franklin piped up from the backseat. “Mama, I needa go potty.”

“Can you wait a little bit until we get home, sweetpea?” Shell asked, twisting around in the front seat, and Jake noticed, even in the darkness of the vehicle, the wetness in her eyes.

As much as he hated to see Shell sad, those tears gave him cause for hope. Because they meant that, despite everything, despite her claims to the contrary, she still cared.

He suddenly felt so light he was sure, had the roof of the Hummer not stopped him, he would’ve floated right up into the night sky.