Keep It Sexy (KIS Series Book 3) (2 page)

Chapter One

Billie

Present day

And another one bites the dust.

“Come on, Billie, don’t leave. She meant nothing to me.” He didn’t even try to sound upset. His tone was that of a man who just caught his girlfriend cheating on him instead of the other way around.

Joey stopped me by pulling on the strap of my green military duffel bag. Behind me, I could still hear the screeching half naked blonde who was inside
my
house. In front of me was my last salvation, parked ten feet away in front of the Spanish style home Joey and I had been renting for the past year. I beamed as I noticed the green candy coat shining beautifully against the sweltering Nevada sun.

We hadn’t been outside very long, but I already felt sweat begin to bubble on my forehead. There was another tug on my bag. This time I shifted around to face the waste of time I’d been with for the past twelve months. The complete package—dark hair, dark eyes, tattoos, and bad boy oozing out of his hard body. Tall, dark and handsome was my type. Not to mention
cheater
. I had the uncanny ability to attract the worthless cheaters of the world. It was like I had the words “cheat on me” tattooed on my forehead.

With a firm grip on the longer strap of the bag, I swung it over my shoulder, forcing Joey to let go. He gave me his cocky little smile as he stepped closer to me. I could plainly see his intentions play out in his eyes; he totally thought I was going to fall for this. Smirking, I stepped forward, feeling the sun beat on the back of my neck, wetness started to collect on my upper lip.

The sun was having the same effect on Joey’s face; he glistened with moisture. Before, I would have thought it was hot, having Joey all wet with man sweat. Now the vision riled me up even more. Once he was within nut hurting range, I jerked my knee, hitting him right between his legs. Joey instantly fell with a wheezing gasp as he gripped his little Joey and commanding officers.

“Fuck. You. Billie,” he gasped, looking up at me with tears in his eyes and a beet red face.

Normally, I wouldn’t resort to violence. I don’t have a violent bone in my body. That’s not how us McAllisters operate. We believe in making your wallet bleed, not your body. But I was making Joey the exception.

“Fuck me, Joey? Not only have you been cheating on me since we moved in together, but I catch you doing business with Don. After I repeatedly told you not to.” I bent at the waist, gripping his chin so his attention was on me. “Future reference, don’t fuck around on a girl when you’re working for her father. Because chances are, her dad will be more than willing to give her your banking information.” Joey’s eyes widened with shock. “That’s right, dear, as of this morning, your bank account is sitting pretty with a big ol’ round fat
zero
. Thanks for paying me back for the deposit of the house and all the other times I had to cover your half of the rent.”

I pushed his face away as the roaring sounds of motorcycles circled around the cul-de-sac and stopped in front of our house. “Oh, and by the way, that skank you’re screwing is John’s old lady. You know, Big John from that motorcycle club that always drops by the diner?”

Joey’s pain was long forgotten after he realized he had potentially slept with the wife of the president of one of Nevada’s most wanted motorcycle clubs. I had lied; Big John wasn’t married to the skank. “Run, run as fast as you can,” I whispered as the bikes’ engines died.

Joey scrambled off the ground and did as I told him, leaving a plume of red dust in his wake. I think that was the fastest I’ve ever seen anyone run before. Straightening my back, I turned just as Big John walked up the concrete steps.

“That boy sure can run,” he drawled, flicking the cigarette butt on the desert sand. I shielded my eyes from the sun so I could get a better look at him and smiled.

“How long ’till he figures out we ain’t chasin’ him?” he asked.

I scoffed. “Tomorrow maybe. He isn’t the brightest crayon in the box.”

Big John unleashed a heavy chuckle before stepping forward and grabbing the bag from my hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you.” We strode down the concrete path to my bike. John’s crew waited for him on their bikes as he strapped my bag on the tail of the Ninja. This was all too familiar to me.

“Thanks for doing this, B.J.” I smiled at the man who’d saved my ass countless times. John pulled on the bind one more time to make sure it was secure before he handed me my helmet, which was hanging on one of the handles.

“Any time you wanna scare an ex, I’m there.” He chuckled. “You know it was his way of protecting you, right? In his own perverse way, he did it for you.”

“No, John.” I sighed. “Don’s only looking for a way to keep me in the family business. He wants me back for his own benefit.” John reached into his cut to pull out another cigarette. He lit it before releasing a puff of gray smoke into the air.

“Does he know you’re going back home?”

“No, and he won’t be finding out, right?” I asked as I pulled my helmet over my head. John laughed—I always made him laugh—then mumbled something about imports being pieces of shit, but I chose to let it go.

“Nah, I’m staying out of this one,” he said. “You’re staying with my girl, right?” I nodded. John took me into his big frame for a hug. “You tell my girl I love her,” he said around the hard plastic. I smirked even though he couldn’t see me and nodded while I wrapped my arms around his thick neck. John laughed again, then tapped the top of the helmet. “Drive safe,” he grumbled, then threw his cigarette on the ground. He signaled his guys with a whistle, telling them it was time to leave as he jumped on his bike.

With a salute, I gripped the handles of my own, swinging my leg over to straddle the seat. As I turned the key to start my Frog, the rumbles of the five Harleys across from me quieted the sounds of my engine. When they pulled out in a single form, I followed them out of the suburb but then parted ways as the entry for Interstate 515 North came to view. I let out a sigh of relief mixed with sadness. Ten more hours until I would arrive. Destination? Denver, Colorado. Home.

***

I wouldn’t arrive at Jade’s house until almost midnight. I thought I’d be able to drive straight through without stopping, hoping the adrenaline of leaving Nevada would keep me going, but midway through my trip I ended up stopping to stretch my legs and grabbing a bite to eat. I took the opportunity to call Jade and give her an update on the situation, but was pushed straight to her voicemail.

“Hey, it’s me,” I said after she told me to leave a message after the beep. “I’m in Utah, four hours away. I’ll see you soon. Oh, and your dad says he loves you.”

I hung up, slipping my phone back inside my bag then shrugged on my tan leather jacket and zipped it up. Straddling my bike, I looked down the endless road of pavement that led home before putting my helmet back on. Now that I was closer to Colorado, I fought harder not to turn back to Nevada. But what would I go back to? A job as a waitress in a shitty diner, or maybe back to Big John where he’d hook me up with one of his boys and become his old lady. Trapped in a life with a criminal cheating husband, as I stayed home obedient while taking care of his rug rats? Hell no, that wasn’t me.

I left Colorado once for a reason. I left to get away from one criminal father, but then ended up being around another. Although Big John wasn’t my biological father, he had as much input raising me as Don. Before John took his crew to Las Vegas, the Sinners Tribe was based in Colorado. He and his seven-year-old daughter had moved in next to us. Since then, Jade and I had been inseparable. She was my first real friend. When I turned eighteen, I left home to attend college in Wyoming, and it didn’t work out very well.

After a lifetime of living the easy way and cutting corners, working like the normal population was extremely hard. So, after struggling for a year, I dropped out, and moved to Vegas to count cards for another year. Then, after almost getting caught, I swore to myself I would never do it again. After that, I met Joey and wasted an entire year on his ass too. So, here I was, going back home. I figured I could go anywhere I wanted, but no state had what Colorado had, and that was Jade.

Turning off the Frog, I hopped off the seat and began to unlatch my bag as the front door of the townhouse opened. It was pitch black, but I still remembered every white piece of siding and every red shutter of this house. I looked up to the sound of the screen door slapping shut. Pete, Jade’s husband, blocked the yellow glow beaming out through the front door with his big frame.

“I could never figure out if you riding a bike was hot, or emasculating,” he said, rounding my bike. I laughed, standing on my tiptoes to hug him.

“How ya been, Pete?”

Pete bent his knees so it was easier for me to hug him. I am height impaired, and Pete is so big he needs to slouch in order to get through doors. We don’t make hugging a habit, because it’s awkward for both of us.

“I’m good. Happy you’re back. I haven’t been able to shut Jade up about you coming back no matter how many times my dick was in her—”

“Okay! I get it, no need to give me any visuals,” I said, pushing him back. Pete chuckled as he softly gave me a push back. Without having to ask, he started untying my bag off the tail end of the bike. Once it was unlatched, he draped it over his shoulder like it was nothing.

“Let’s head inside. Jade should be here in an hour or so.”

I nodded and followed him into the house. Pete showed me my room, the unfinished basement of their rental. It was a concrete slab, the wooden frame of the walls exposed. Jade had attempted to make it look as homey as possible. There were two large gray rugs, one in the center and the other next to the twin size bed that was placed in the corner of the room facing the opening to the stairs. The bed had Jade’s Little Mermaid comforter from when she was eight, with a firm looking yellow pillow against the wall. There was an old seventies style dresser across from the bed, and a floor lamp that stood next to it.

“This is yours, as long as you want it, Bil,” Pete said as he dropped my bag next to the bed. Radiating with joy, I beamed back at my best friend’s husband. Not many would do what he’s done.

“You’re a good egg, Pete.”

“Back at ya, toots,” he replied while fake jabbing me in the arms. “There’s food on the stove if you’re hungry, and if you want to get clean you’ll have to use the bathroom upstairs. It’s the only one with a shower.”

“Great.” I nodded. “And thanks again, Pete.”

“No problem. Welcome home, Bil.” He ruffled my head before he went up the stairs.

I sighed, looking around my new surroundings. It wasn’t much, but I was thankful to have somewhere to sleep where I knew I was safe, something that didn’t come with any strings attached. Above all, this was temporary; soon enough I’d get an actual job and have enough money to get my own place. I might even go back to school and actually finish this time around.

***

After I showered, I crashed on the tiny bed and didn’t wake up until late the next morning. Well…I was woken up, in the worst way possible. It felt like an air horn went off next to my head. I jerked awake, covering my ears as I watched Jade fall to the floor in laughter.

“You suck!” I yelled. I couldn’t hear anything so my voice was probably off by an octave or two. Throwing the covers off, I flung myself at Jade and sat on her chest, trying my best to immobilize her. Unfortunately for me, Jade was about a foot taller. She was a giant…not really. She was average size, I’m just tiny.

Jade easily bucked me off, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. As my butt landed on the concrete, I reached over, gripping the elastic band of her pajama bottoms and miraculously grabbing onto her underwear as well. Just as I felt the lacey texture, I pulled up, giving her the worst wedgie imaginable. Jade squawked and stood wildly. I was unable to keep it together; I laughed as soon as I heard her holler.

“My love-box!” Jade cried. “I’m going to be pulling out lace for days.” I laughed harder. “You’re a dirty fighter,” she whined, gripping between her legs.

“Hey, man, you’re the one who woke me up with an air horn! You could have caused permanent damage,” I replied. While on my back, I stared up at Jade. She’d gained a little weight, but she was still gorgeous. Her blonde hair was a little longer and she looked older. Standing up, I threw my arms open and hugged her.

“I gained weight,” she said against my neck.

“Bigger boobs never hurt anyone.”

“I’m getting wrinkles,” she whined. She was twenty-three, there was no way she had wrinkles. But I figured she was just saying it to be babied.

“A sign of wisdom,” I countered. Jade chuckled.

“Stop being reasonable and let me vent.”

I let out an amused grunt. “Okay, babe, vent all you want.”

Jade laughed, which made me laugh, but then she sniffled and I stopped instantly.

“Shut up, I’m crying. I’ve missed you. Suck my dick.”