“The shed can wait. You’ll finish it later. Right now, stop askin’ stupid questions and do what I say.”
Jude salutes me and snaps to attention, like he’s in the army. “Sir yes sir!” he calls out. Then he turns on his heel and heads into the clubhouse by the side door.
“That fuckin’ kid,” I mutter, grabbing a smoke out of my pack. I’d be more pissed than I am, except his cocky-ass bullshit reminds me of myself at his age.
A few minutes later, he emerges out the front, paint cleaned off his hands and wearing a flannel shirt and his prospect’s cut over that. He climbs into the passenger seat of my Tahoe and slams the door. “So. What’s the job?”
“Tank has me doing protection for this lawyer chick he hired to handle Wren’s custody thing.” I put the Tahoe in drive. “You’re gonna be covering her when I can’t.”
Jude mulls over my words as I pull out of the lot. “So what does that mean?”
“What the fuck do you think it means?” I snarl. “You’re on call until further notice. You’re to remain in contact with me at all times, and be ready to take a shift whenever I need you to. Tonight, you’re takin’ midnight to eight a.m.”
Jude frowns. “It ain’t midnight,” he observes. “It ain’t even five o’clock yet.”
“Jesus, it’s tough to pull a fast one over on you, ain’t it? No, it ain’t midnight, you dumb shit. I’m showing you where her place is, and what you’re gonna be doing.”
My plan is to take Jude over to Ember’s office and introduce them. Then after that, I’ll take him over to her house to show him where it is. As I drive, I explain what’s up with Tank worrying about Cady’s ex causing trouble. “Angel’s got a guy he knows keeping an eye on the ex over in North Carolina, where he lives. Tank’s got eyes on Cady and Wren. We’re watching the lawyer until we figure out whether this asshole is gonna go ballistic on her when he gets the divorce papers.”
Jude rubs his chin. “Does Cady think that’s gonna happen?”
“Not really. But Tank thinks it’s a possibility. Anyway, after what almost happened to Cady and Wren, he ain’t willing to take any chances.”
“Yeah.” Jude goes quiet. “Can’t blame him there.”
Tank can be forgiven for being overprotective of his daughter and his old lady. After all, the two of them were kidnapped by a man with a long-standing grudge against the Lords of Carnage. The motherfucker, named Demon, planned the whole goddamn thing to use Cady and Wren to blackmail Tank into helping him destroy our MC.
Our club rescued Cady and Wren. In the nick of time, as it turns out. And we destroyed Demon and everyone associated with him. But the memories of that day — and what could have happened to Tank’s old lady and his daughter — still haunt him. I know that.
Hell. They haunt me, too.
My gut lurches at the thought of what could have happened to Cady and that little girl. Every time I think about it. That, and my own part in it. The fucking mistake I made that almost cost them their lives.
“Hey,” Jude says, interrupting my thoughts. “Light’s green, man.”
“What?” I stammer.
A horn honks behind me.
“Oh. Fuck.” I punch the accelerator, wave out the window at the pissed-off dude in my rearview mirror.
“You okay, dude?”
“Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to, prospect. This is where Ember works. That’s her name, by the way. Ember Wells. Esquire.”
“Hot,” he answers. I resist the weird urge to punch him right out the window.
When I pull into the parking lot of Ember’s office, the first thing I notice is that there aren’t any cars in the lot. Huh. Sure enough, when I try the front door, it’s locked, and the inside is dark. Well, fuck. She must have gone home for the day.
“I thought she’d be working later,” I say, half to myself. Well, starting right now, she’s under constant surveillance. I won’t make that mistake again.
I climb back into the Tahoe and take off toward Ember’s house. Jude keeps up a monologue as I drive, complaining that his night shift is gonna make a dent in his nocturnal activities. For a prospect, Jude is a big hit with the club girls. I tune him out.
We turn into her neighborhood, about a quarter mile away from Ember’s house, and lo and behold, there she is, jogging down the street away from us about half a block away. Bert’s leash is in her hand, and he trots obediently beside her. Even from here, I notice her curves, revealed by the tight black running pants she has on. Jesus Christ, the ass on that woman.
“Like two puppies fighting under a blanket,” I murmur appreciatively, as my cock stiffens.
“What?” Jude looks at me, arching a brow.
“Never mind.” I throw the Tahoe in park, open the door. “That’s Ember up ahead.” I give Jude her address. “Take the car and wait for us there.”
I hop out and start jogging toward Ember, who still hasn’t seen us. It only takes me a few steps to realize I’m gonna have to up my pace to catch up to her. She’s faster than I expected. I speed up a little, and the sound of my boots on the pavement must alert Bert. He turns his head back, still running next to Ember, and lets out a soft yip.
“Ember!” I call out.
Startled, she glances back as well. When she sees it’s me, she slows but doesn’t stop. It’s enough to let me catch up with her, though.
“You left work early,” I say when I’m even with her.
“Yes, I know,” she says between measured breaths. “I owed Bert a run. Oh, and I met Wren today. Cady stopped by with her. She had some information to drop off for me that she could have emailed. I’m thinking she brought Wren in so I’d see how cute she is and wouldn’t drop the case.”
“Did it work?” I ask, resisting the urge to point out she already promised me she wouldn’t do that.
“Unfortunately, yes, I think it did.” Ember lets out a rueful chuckle, her high ponytail bouncing behind her. “She had good timing, too. I actually was reconsidering.”
“I thought we went over this,” I growl. “Come on, Ember, this bodyguard thing ain’t gonna be for that long. Maybe Tank is overreacting, but believe me when I say it’s his right.”
“I know,” Ember says quietly. “Cady told me about what happened.”
“She did?” My gut lurches.
“Not everything, I’m sure. But enough.”
I swallow, relax a little. “So, you’re gonna let us guard you until Tank feels like it’s safe?”
“Yes. For Cady and Wren’s sake, I will.”
“Good deal.” I pause. “Hey, are you at the beginning of this run, or the end?”
“Why?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I ain’t exactly dressed for it,”
Ember looks at my cut, my jeans, and my boots, and lets out a peal of laughter.
“Okay,” she says, slowing, “I’ll take mercy on you.”
She does a loop in the middle of the street with Bert, and together we jog back in the direction of her place.