Viper's Kiss (Back Down Devil MC #8)(19)

“You live here?” she asked.

“No,” Blaine said. “The people that live here are on vacation. So I’m squatting while they’re gone.”

Jessa gasped. “What?”

“I’m joking. Yes, this is my house. I really don’t have much use for it though. But I figure it’s better than the clubhouse. Plus, we need to talk. Serious talk.”

Blaine pointed to the kitchen table. Jessa took a seat. He walked to the cabinet and opened it, taking out a bottle of liquor.

“What are you doing?” Jessa asked.

Blaine twisted off the cap of the whiskey and gave Jessa the bottle. “Building your confidence.”

Jessa touched the bottle. “I…”

“Look, you’re terrified right now. That entire thing at the clubhouse? You were just trying to be strong. I saw you wipe a tear from your eye, sweetheart. You need to talk. We have to figure this out. I don’t want this to end up on the table of my club.”

“The table?”

“Where we meet, Jessa. There’s certain guys that are patched in that get to vote at the table. It’s how the MC works. Miller is the President. Gaige is VP. I’m number three.”

“What does that mean?”

“That means I get a lot of shit thrown at me.”

“Like you killing someone?”

“Jesus Christ,” Blaine said. “Let that go. Because if you can’t handle it, you’re dealing with the wrong person. I have to find Vin and I have to kill him.”

Jessa felt her heart jump. Those kind of phrases were usually idle threats, right? I’m so mad, I could kill him. But looking at Blaine, she saw it in his eyes. He was a killer. Maybe he was always a killer, but before he had a badge that maybe justified it. Now he was an outlaw. He did whatever he wanted based around… the table…

Jessa grabbed the bottle and took a drink.

“Good girl,” Blaine whispered and he sat down. He took the bottle and drank. “Now, can we have a conversation without gambling, darts, you hitting me?”

“What about the naked women?”

“What about?”

“Do you have any hidden here?”

“Only one woman in this house right now, sweetheart. No pressure.”

“Trust me,” Jessa said. “There’s none.”

She went for the bottle again and Blaine tugged it back. “Wait.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry for what they said to you back there. They’re drunk *s.”

“Like you usually are?”

“Yeah.”

“You think it bothers me?” Jessa asked.

“I don’t know. Does it?”

“No. I have small tits. I’ve known that since high school.”

“Ah, shit, sweetheart. Don’t say that. They’re not…” Blaine groaned and opened his hand, letting Jessa take the bottle.

She drank, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said.

“You do that,” Blaine said. “Now talk to me about Vin. Where was he? What did he do?”

Jessa relived the night he showed up. What he said, what he did to the cat. The fact that the security footage went missing. The fact that he had broken into the vet’s office and taken a cat to destroy like he did.

“Shit,” Blaine said.

“He did it because of what he said to me. He called me kitty. The last time I saw him. He said he would come for me.”

“That’s not going to happen. I’ll call in some favors and I’ll take care of it.”

“Blaine, I don’t want trouble with your club. I shouldn’t have even come here.” The three drinks of whiskey were starting to open the gates in Jessa’s mind and heart. “I’m sorry I did. You shouldn’t be dragged into anything. I should have called the police right away. He could have been taken away.”

“No,” Blaine said. “You know it doesn’t work that way. He’s got guys on the take probably. They’d come after you. You did the right thing by leaving. This won’t be easy, but we’ll make it work. We’ll find a way out of this. Together.”

Blaine touched Jessa’s hand. She quickly pulled away. “I don’t know how to deal with all of this.”

“I know.”

“No. You don’t know. You’re some biker guy now. You f*ck women all the time. You drink. You fight. You’re nothing that you once represented.”

“Seeing your fiancée and stepdaughter murdered will do that to you,” Blaine said through gritted teeth.

“Jesus, Blaine.”

“What? That’s what this entire thing is all about, right? I got Meghan and Janey murdered. There. I f*cking said it.”

Jessa leaned back. She shook her head. “Don’t say that.”

“I’ll say it again. I was the reason. I pushed hard at shit I shouldn’t have, trying to make a name for myself. I couldn’t rely on Petey anymore. Remember him? My partner? The guy who was buying for the department to build a case but also keeping for himself. He was asleep in a pile of cocaine the night they were murdered. I called him and got nothing. I tried to get to Vin but couldn’t find him. He was supposed to be in contact with Petey that night too. But something went wrong and Vin lost his edge. I panicked and called you. You were supposed to go there and get them the f*ck out.”