Sinner's Steel (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #3)(28)
But that was before Zane returned. He was everything that had attracted her to Viper, but without the ruthless edge. Where Jagger and Viper wore their power for all to see, Zane commanded respect without the show. She’d seen how his biker brothers deferred to him, and how even Jagger looked to him for advice. Not that she wanted to get involved with Zane. Even though she now knew he’d returned to Stanton, he was three years too late, and he wasn’t there when she needed him. But more than that, he had broken her heart.
In his own way, Zane was as dangerous as Viper, and his very presence cast Viper in a new light.
“It’s not like we’re in a real relationship.” She pulled out the elastic from her ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair. “We don’t text or talk to each other every day. We haven’t slept together … just kissed.” Perfectly adequate kisses, considering the scratchy beard, the rough lips, and the fact he always seemed amused when he backed away.
“Then he’ll be all over you tonight.” Connie smirked. “Biker presidents aren’t known for their restraint. He probably didn’t know how to handle a civilian at first. Better bring some condoms ’cause I’ll bet he’ll be wanting more than a kiss tonight.”
Viper’s kiss. So unlike Zane’s kiss.
Oh, God. That kiss. Fueled by desire, filled with passion, Zane’s kiss had been deliciously hard and hungry. He had taken everything she had to give and demanded more. After her shower this morning, Evie had inspected the bruises he left on her skin, remembering how it felt to be held tight, totally and utterly claimed, if only for a moment. The spark was still there between them, but now, when her heart had finally healed and she had moved on with her life, he wasn’t the right guy for her. She couldn’t control a man like Zane. Or maybe the problem was that she couldn’t control herself around him.
So maybe she was better with second best.
A loud knock on the front door startled her and she peered out the window into the twilight, spotting the motorcycle parked on the street only seconds before Jagger shouted from outside.
“Evie. It’s Jagger. Gotta talk to you.”
She pulled open the door and he brushed past her, stalking into the house before she could speak.
“You with Viper, Evie? Is it true?” His gaze traveled down her body, taking in her outfit, and he scowled. “That where you’re going tonight? You’re meeting the f*cking president of the f*cking Black Jacks?”
Evie closed the door, taking a minute to compose herself before she whirled around. “Not that it’s any of your damn business, but yes.”
“Jesus Christ.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “All those bastards we saved you from in high school, and you’ve still going for the most dangerous f*cking scum of the earth. Except Viper’s not just dangerous. He’s lethal. He’ll f*cking chew you up and spit you out if he doesn’t kill you first.”
“Don’t patronize me, Jagger.” She folded her arms and leaned against the door, her cheeks heating in anger, only vaguely aware of Connie in the hallway behind her. “I’m a grown woman now and I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. I know who Viper is and he’s never been anything but kind to me.”
“Kind?” Jagger’s lips curled in disgust. “Kind is not in Viper’s vocabulary. Zane’s gonna go out of his f*cking mind when he finds out that Black Jack bitch wasn’t lying.” He pulled out his phone but before he could type out his text, his eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open in a manner unbecoming an outlaw biker president. “Holy. Fucking. Shit.”
Evie didn’t need to turn around to know the reason for his outburst, and it was too late to undo what had been done. Damn. She wasn’t ready for this. The timing was off. She hadn’t prepared or even thought about what to say. And really, Zane should have been the first to know.
“Hell, Evie. Tell me he isn’t—”
“He is.” She held out her hand to her son. “Ty. This is mom’s friend, Jagger. And Jagger, this is Ty.”
“Jesus Christ.” Jagger ran a hand through his hair. “He looks just like him.”
“He swears,” Ty said with delight. “Just like a real biker.” He ran to the kitchen and returned with the glass jar Evie had designated as their swear jar to curb the bad language Ty was learning at school. “You owe four quarters. Or does Jesus Christ count as two swears?”
“Ty!”
“I was just saying what he said.”
“Hey, Ty. How about we go find that board game so mom and her friend can talk.” Connie took the jar from Ty and led him down the hallway to the bedroom.
Jagger let out a long breath and then sat heavily on the couch, taking up the bulk of the space with the vast spread of his long legs. “Zane doesn’t know, does he?”
“He left Stanton before I even knew I was pregnant.” Evie sagged against the wall. “He told me he would come for me. And when I found out about the baby, I tried to find him. I didn’t believe he killed my dad like everyone said. I waited, kept trying to find him, but after a while I lost faith. He’s still wanted by the police, Jagger. There’s a warrant out for his arrest.”
Jagger leaned forward on the couch, dropping his hands between his legs. “I know about the warrant. He told me about it when he joined the club because he was worried it would come back on the MC. He had changed his last name, got fake ID, grew his hair. I didn’t give a damn. I know Zane and I didn’t need the details. Neither did the brothers. The club protects him now.”