She slapped her hand against a stack of papers. “No, Jake. Not because you stayed here, but because he can’t trace you back to anywhere else except here.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Who are you?”
“I’ve told you. Jake Covington.”
“Where did you grow up, Jake Covington?” Her eyes were full of rage.
“Mississippi. Why?”
“Is there a specific town in Mississippi or is it like New York? What is there like a Mississippi City or were you born in several counties, maybe your mom went into labor while your dad was trying to outrun the law?”
“I was born in Robinsonville, Mississippi, right outside of Tunica.”
“Then tell me something. Why don’t you have a birth certificate? Why don’t you have a driver’s license or a social security number?” She rose to her feet. “Why don’t you have a past?” Her voice was pitched another octave and she slammed her hands against his chest.
He took all he was going to take then. He grabbed her wrists and held her as tight as he could, concerned she might hurt herself if she hauled off and hit him.
Seeing the hurt in her eyes, he loosened his grip just a tad and looked down at her trembling fingers. “I don’t have a past worth mentioning. I haven’t killed anyone. I haven’t hurt anyone.” He swallowed once, realizing that wasn’t entirely true. Apparently he’d hurt her and she was the last person he wanted to harm.
“Everyone has a past worth mentioning.”
“I don’t,” he said firmly, taking a step back and releasing her. At that moment, his life changed and he felt that sudden shift as if he’d been knocked off his feet and fallen from an eighteen-story building. He grabbed her by the face and framed her cheeks with his palms. “I don’t have a past I’d ever want to discuss with you because you’re too good, Autumn. You’re too good for all this and you’re too good for me.”
He pressed his lips against hers and kissed her goodbye. Then, he walked out of her apartment and out of her life.
****
“We’re compromised,” she said, clutching her phone.
“How do you know?”
“Damn it! I know!” Her heart was breaking. She’d only known Jake for such a short time and yet she was in complete shambles. He’d kissed her goodbye. She’d felt it in his kiss and heard it in the way he’d spoken to her.
He hadn’t signed on for chaos and he hadn’t signed on for her kind of trouble.
“The mess you have there? It’s a test. You passed. Clean it up and forget about it.”
“What do you mean, it’s a test?” Autumn felt as if the walls were closing in on her. She turned around and around in her bedroom, looking at her belongings scattered across the floor, the feathers out of her pillows, her ripped linens and drapes. “Chief Malory, have you seen my apartment?”
“I was on the phone with one of my field agents while he assisted a few others in ransacking your place. We wanted to make sure Jake believed your father sent someone to hassle you.”
“Why would you do this?” If she didn’t love her job, if she didn’t want to be the solution rather than the problem, she might have switched sides then. The ‘good’ guys had trashed her place. “I don’t know why you’d do this.”
“I told you. Now, pick up your chin and get out of there. Go to the clubhouse, Agent Lake. From what I understand the Heroes and Rogues know how to party.”
“From what I understand, they have a
pig
roast scheduled for later this month. Maybe I’d enjoy that little shindig a bit more.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Uh-oh.” Logan flipped a few burgers, watching as Jake parked his bike and threw his helmet at one of the closed bays. He then marched inside like his world had just come to a crashing halt.
Devon snarled. “I told him to try and get close to Lake’s daughter. What part of ‘bring her to the cookout’ didn’t he understand?”
“Something tells me Miss Lake might be behind that tantrum we just witnessed.”
“I don’t give a damn. Maybe if he wasn’t a cocky little bastard, he might be able to follow through and take one for the team!”
“Leave him alone, Devon.” Victory was always Devon’s voice of reason. “Jake obviously liked the gal or he wouldn’t have taken off to pick her up as soon as you suggested it. He would’ve told her to come on over if she wanted to party.”
“She’s got a point,” Logan said. “By the looks of that, he ain’t too happy to be back here alone.”
“Want me to go talk to him?” Mama asked, bringing out more burgers.
A resounding “no” hit the air like wind chimes.
Scott, Cara’s new man, walked up about the time everyone else had supplied a reply. “What’d I miss?” He wrapped his arms around Cara’s waist and nuzzled her ear. “And don’t tell me, it’s nothing.”
Logan turned his back to Scott. While he wasn’t a bad guy, Scott had seemingly moved right in at the club. For about a minute, Logan could’ve sworn he would end up with the club’s colors. Then he up and said he had no desire to affiliate with any club. He was nomad, he once claimed, but Logan wasn’t buying that either. In fact, he couldn’t believe much of anything that came out of Scott’s mouth and that worried him. Scott knew Logan was a cop and if Scott told Cara what he knew, Logan’s undercover stint was over.
“Why do I get the feeling this is about Jake?” Scott asked.
“Because it is,” Logan suggested, still flipping those burgers.
“Don’t hold back now,” Scott teased, grabbing a cold one out of the cooler.
“I wouldn’t dream of keeping a friend in the dark,” Logan said, hoping Scott realized he had been his friend. The others in the club were looking for an out, a way to show him the door, but Logan always stood up for him, understanding that the biggest reason he was still there was two-fold. Scott loved Cara but he loved his ex even more. If Sharon invited him back into her life before he tied the knot, he’d put the club and Cara in his rearview mirror.
“I don’t get it,” Scott complained. “What is it with Cara and Jake?”
“Don’t worry about Jake. He was Cara’s rebound.”
“The hell he was,” Devon said, half-looped. Devon had been matching shots with the prospects, trying to prove he could out-drink each of them.
Logan couldn’t help but laugh. Damn Devon was an immature runt wearing a man’s leather.
“Let me talk at him,” Devon said, stumbling around Logan and nearly knocking off the tray of burgers.
About that time a red sports coup came to a slamming stop next to Jake’s bike. Gravel flew all over the place.
“Who does that bitch think she is?” One of the prospects started for the parking lot, apparently under the impression he could swing around his weight after drinking with the club president.
“I’ll handle it,” Devon said.
Logan held out his arm. “Hang on there a second.”
“Is that her?” Victory asked, latching on to Devon’s hand as if she were afraid he might get away.
“That’s her.” Devon glanced at Victory. “Why don’t you run inside and tell Jake she’s out here.”
“I’m fine where I am,” Victory sang, shooting him a sweet smile.
“Ah for the love of God.” Devon pulled away from her and stomped inside.
“Don’t trust him with the local gun runner?”
“I trust him but I don’t trust her.” Victory tilted her head at the woman walking toward them. “If Jake was that upset either she’s playing with his head or there’s something more there.”
“Maybe it’s both,” Logan suggested, finishing off his job detail and scooping the last of the burgers off the grill. “If you ask me, she doesn’t look too happy.”
“If you ask
me
, it’s too early in a relationship to have the kind of tiff that leaves a guy throwing his brand new helmet at a brick wall.”
“I won’t argue there,” Logan said, tilting his head in greeting as Autumn joined them. “You’re a long way from the country club, Miss Lake.”
She forced a smile. “Nice to see you, too, Mr. Marcs.”
He stilled then, trying to remember if he’d ever been properly introduced to Autumn Lake. He thought back to the day on the hill. She’d introduced herself to Tigger, Devon, and would’ve made her way over to him only Jake had captured and held her attention.
He turned his back to her, grabbed the platter of food, and said, “Follow me, Miss Lake. I’m sure you’re here to make amends with Jake.”
“Amends?” She hung back. “We’re not at odds.”
“Did you hear that, Logan?” Victory chomped her gum and tapped her foot. “I guess Jake must’ve been upset over road rage.”
“If he’s upset, it’s not because of me.”
“Good to know,” Logan said, walking ahead of their guest. “I’d hate to see an outsider piss him off.”
“I’m not exactly an outsider, Mr. Marcs.”
He picked up his pace, glanced at Mama now perched behind the bar, and then entered the kitchen. As soon as the café-style doors swung closed behind them, he placed the burgers on the counter, pivoted to the left and grabbed Autumn by the shoulders, throwing her against the wall. “Who are you?” He slammed her against the surface once more. “And don’t waste my time with a bunch of hogwash. I want the truth right out of the gate.”
Caught off guard, she mouthed, “What?” Obviously stunned, she took a minute and quickly regrouped. She cleared her throat and steadied her ragged breathing. “Let me go, Marcs.”
“Not until you tell me how you know my name. I never introduced myself.”
“You didn’t have to. You’re somewhat of a legend around these parts.” Her voice was hoarse, raspy, as she tried to speak.
“That might work for some. Not me. Who are you and what business do you have here?”
She smiled at him as if she held all the cards and knew what the other players were holding as well. That attitude pissed Logan off but he slowly released her.
Obviously under the impression she’d won, she jiggled her shoulders and held her head high. Women who thought they had the one-up on the club all shared one major flaw. They never saw revenge coming for them.
Logan backed away, giving her another second to cock that attitude. Then, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her to the wall again. “Don’t fuck with me, Miss Lake. How do you know my name?”
She gasped for air, clearly struggling for her next breath.
“Tell him.” Sassy appeared at his side. “He will hurt you.”
“I’ve got this, Sassy,” Logan said out of the corner of his mouth.
“I don’t think so,” Sassy said, nudging him as Jake entered the kitchen.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Jake barreled across the massive kitchen with his fists balled. “Let her go, Marcs!”
She laid it on thick then, gasping and choking, putting on a real show.
Logan was smart enough to release her, but Jake wasn’t smart enough to let that be enough. Before Logan could back away, he took his best shot. Logan was ready for him. Taking a defensive position, he blocked Jake’s punch. “Hang on there, man. I’m not your enemy.”
“You choke my woman and you tell me you aren’t my enemy?” Jake snarled. “You touch her again, Marcs, and I’ll put you in the ground. Understand?”
Logan narrowed his eyes on Jake before shifting his gaze to the woman passing herself off as a gun runner, a mobster’s daughter. What was she up to and who the hell was she working for? How did she know his first and last name when they hadn’t been properly introduced? Logan hadn’t dealt with her father in the past so there was no reason for her to know anything about him.
“I said, ‘Do you understand?’”
“Yeah, man,” Logan mumbled, jolted from his thoughts. He gave Autumn one last go-over. He’d contact the Bureau and see if the chief could tell him anything. Maybe they’d run a background check and see if they grabbed any hits.
Without a word exchanged between the pair, Jake grabbed her hand. Then, he led her out of the kitchen.
“What was that all about?” Sassy asked, gripping his bicep.
“I’m not sure.”
“You just brought her in here and attacked her for no reason?”
He balked at that. “How long have you known me?”
“Long enough to know this has nothing to do with her and everything to do with what’s going on behind the scenes.” She kept her voice low. “You need to talk to Malory, Logan. Get a name. Otherwise, you’ll be looking at everyone through suspicious eyes.”
“That gal there isn’t one of us,” Logan said. “But she is up to something and considering I’ve studied her father like a science, I don’t think he’s the one who wants her in Jake’s bed.”
“You never know,” Sassy said, grabbing the condiments out of the refrigerator. “Maybe her father told her to get close to Jake.”
“Come on, Sassy. If her dad was going to put her in someone’s bed, he’d finger Devon or Tigger or me.”
She lifted her brows and thinned her lips. “And since all three of the aforementioned already have women of their own?”
Logan gnawed on his lip. By damn she was right. He looped his arm around her waist and said, “You’re pretty smart. You know that?”
“I pay attention to rumors, Logan. Sometimes, not always but sometimes, there’s a little bit of truth in club gossip. If tall tales carry any merit. The Devil’s Angels have Tigger and Jake fingered for two of the most dangerous guys in the MC. Who knows, maybe they’re right. If they are, then maybe you should start thinking about why Autumn’s father is doing business with the Heroes and Rogues instead of The Devil’s Angels.”
Chapter Fifteen
Jake didn’t care why she was there. The most important thing was running his hands all over her, checking her for tender areas, any sign of broken bones.
He kept his hand locked around hers as they made their way to his room. He never slowed his pace, never changed his stride. He pushed through the crowd forming a line for the burgers and marched down the hall.
As soon as he entered his room, he closed and locked the door. He didn’t ask. He didn’t talk at all. He just bent down, scooped her up, and carried her to bed.
Once there, he turned on the lamp, and studied her. “Did he hurt you?”
She quickly shook her head. “I’m fine.”