Steele: Into Your Heart (Carolina Bad Boys #3 (15 page)

I glanced up to see Cat and Nick moving through the room, so I ordered their drinks. Beer for Nick, club soda with a lime twist for my sis.

“’Z’up?” I handed over their glasses, placing Ashe’s on a table near her with a touch on her shoulder.

She was busy cleaning house at pool. I didn’t want to disturb her. I just wanted to
eye-fuck
her for a little while longer.

Nick gave me a one-finger wave while I hugged my sis.

I dropped my voice. “Our significant others are newbies here together.”

“Significant others? Have you been watching Oprah reruns again?”

I looked at Cat like she was crazy. “That was one year. When I was nineteen. Post-high school identity crisis. Whatever.”

“Ashe is really hot, Brodie.” Cat grinned.

“What? You don’t get to say shit like that.”
Jesus.

“I’m not the only one who thinks so. Half the guys in here are drooling over her.” My sister elbowed me in the ribs.

“Trust me, I’m well aware of that fact.”

“I agree. Ashe is hot.” Nick threw in from where he stood on the other side of Cat.

“Stop!” Cat and I said in unison.

He held up his hands. “I’m just showing support here. Family. Stuff.”

“Well, you must need a refresher course,
Nicky
Love.” Cat pinned him with her finger on his chest.

“Oh, c’mon. You’re the sexiest goddamn woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, Cat. And you started it.”

“I started it?”

An easy night at the club . . . a fun time with friends . . . not everyone staring at Ashe’s ass, that was all I wanted.

“Boomer! Ashe is hot, yeah?” Nick shouted above the barroom noise.

“Not bad.” Boomer ambled over, his shockingly blue eyes twinkling.

“Not bad? You must need your peepers checked, old timer,” I said.

“I’m thirty.”

“Okay, make that your prostate, too.”

“She is really badass.” A gal with blue streaked hair pushed between Boomer and me on her way to the bar.

“Who the hell is that?” Boomer’s head whipped around.

“No idea. Also, Ashe carries a Glock. Every day. For work. Kinda hot. Really scary. Because she’s a cop.” I pulled out a stool at the table beside Ashe and sat down.

“Detective. Not a cop. Promotion. Still have the gun.” Ashe didn’t even glance at me as she banked a ball and it sailed into the corner pocket.

“So hot,” Probie came up with another round of drinks.

He wanted to get himself killed, apparently.

“Toilets. Clean them,” I barked at him.

“But I just—”

“Tuck was in there. He just came out. Don’t say another word to me.”

Off he scuttled like the good little prospect he wasn’t. I let out a sinister chuckle.

Ashe won her game and came to claim her prize, a kiss from me that ended in loud whistles from the crowd in the room.

“You’re kind of mean to Cole, you know?” She ran her fingers through my hair and I pulled her to stand between my legs.

Oh yeah, Cole.
That was the probie’s name. “Yep.” I smiled.

“Pleasure to see you again, Ashe.” Nick came over and offered his hand.

Manners. Wavy hair. Violet-colored eyes. Asshole.

“Okay, just because you’re a romance writer doesn’t mean you have to go all new man on my date,” I bit out.

Cat laughed. “Oh no worries about that. He’s more like a caveman.”

“Wildcat, there’s no need to broadcast what we get up to in bed.”

“We hardly ever make it to the bed.”

I held up both hands. “Stop. Stop talkin’ right there.”

I heard a light trilling noise and looked around for the source. Wait? Ashe was giggling? Ashe didn’t giggle. Was this a girl thing?

“M’lady.” Tuck approached and lifted Ashe’s hand to his lips.

Her giggling intensified, and I thought it was cute—except for the Tucker part, where he physically touched my woman.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, not you too.” I snatched Ashe’s hand back.

“Lay off, Brodie.” She took a sip of her drink.

“Excuse me?”

“I said back off. It’s all in good fun.”

“My club. I’m VP. I outrank you here.”

“Bullshit. I’m a police detective. I outrank you
everywhere
.”

I grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to me. I whispered real low with my lips against her ear as she clutched my arms. “You get to say that everywhere except in bed, babe.”

“
Mm hmm
. We’ll see about that.” She swished her hair as she swirled her hips and walked away.

“Where’s she going?” I asked no one in particular.

“I think it’s called socializing,” Nick interjected.

“Doesn’t she know she’s supposed to socialize with me?”

“Doesn’t look like she got that memo. She is badass, just like that new little lady said.” Boomer’s loud laugh cut through all the chatter in the club. And he laughed so rarely I had to join in.

Leaving us menfolk to it, Cat sauntered off to talk with some of the Ladies of Redemption—that petite little woman we called JB and the smartass Boomer couldn’t take his eyes off.

“So, where’s Josh and Leelee tonight. They can come too. Open invite. Lord knows Cat spends enough time at Stone’s.”

“Josh and Leelee are probably doing each other’s nails.” Nick chuckled.

“Correction. Josh is probably bangin’ Leelee every chance he gets before the baby is born, more like.” Boomer nodded.

We all knew about that. In the office, on his car, in his car . . .

Hmm
. I had an office right next door. I visually assessed Ashe for the likelihood of some hot raunchy office sex later.
Maybe.

“Baby’s due in about six weeks.” Nick smiled like he was the father-to-be, not the honorary uncle.

I thought about Cat getting her tubes tied, and the surgery she’d had in the spring to reverse it. All Boomer and I knew was the operation went well, not whether they were trying or not. I wouldn’t mind being an uncle.

“They find out the sex?” I asked.

“Fuck no. Leelee likes the surprise, and she knows it’s pure torture for Josh. She’s a little evil like that. One of the reasons to love her.” He finished his brew and wiped his mouth. “It’s a girl though. I’m sure of it. Heart-attack-making material for my best bud.”

“I’d say Leelee isn’t the only one who’s evil, Nick,” I said.

An hour later, Ashe was off getting fawned over somewhere in the compound no doubt, and Boomer, Nick, Tail and I were in the middle of a pool game when a commotion started across the room. Raised voices. People rubbernecking. The works.

Probie grabbed my arm. “It’s your old lady. And Leta.”

I dropped my pool cue. “What?” Breaking out of his hold, I rushed toward the trainwreck in the making.

“Cat fight?” Tuck puffed after me.

“Bitch fight. Ashe will win.” Tail slapped me on the shoulder.

“Bet on it?” Tuck asked.

“Not betting on it because I’m gonna break it up.” I busted through the circle of onlookers.

Ashe stood in front of Leta and Dirk
Diggler
with one flat palm
toward Leta in a classic
back the fuck off, bitch
move—not even allowing her airtime. I certainly wasn’t worried about her taking any shit from Leta. And I knew Ashe could take care of herself with most anyone, she had years of training and some serious street smarts on her side, but Dirk was big, he was drunk, and he had a grudge.

“I said someone with a mouth like yours obviously hasn’t been taught a lesson with a firm enough hand in the sack yet.” Dirk squared off with Ashe. “Maybe I oughtta see to it.”

“It’s not a firm hand I need, but a firm cock. And I doubt you’re man enough to supply that,” Ashe spat.

Then Dirk raised his fist.

Pure rage shot through me, and I got in Dirk’s face, pushing Ashe behind me. “You better drop that fist and fuck right off before I break both your arms. This woman is here by my invite. And if you so much as
look
at Detective Kingston again, I will gut you.”

“She shot my dad! She got him sent down!” He slavered at me.

“The Feds did that because he was a deadbeat drug dealer and a gun runner, you fuck.” I pinned Dirk against the wall with his throat in my hand. “You don’t think I know your history? I know it inside and out. You were damn lucky to find a new family here, but I swear to God if you don’t learn to keep your trap shut, you are outta here. If you think Leta is your ticket to the Retribution round table . . . you are sadly mistaken. Doesn’t matter that she’s President of The Ladies. She’s got no fucking say here. She’s using you for a leg up, and the only thing she knows how to do is spread her legs for the next best opportunity.” I released Dirk with a snarl. “Get out of my sight right now unless you want to end up in a jail cell tonight or a coffin tomorrow.”

Boomer dragged Dirk to the door and booted him outside. Leta followed with an unveiled glare as she passed me.

Ashe stepped in front of me as soon as the air cleared. “Brodie—”

“I know you’re a grown-ass woman, and you can do it all. But this is my turf and you’re under my protection. I will not sit by while you get insulted or assaulted. So go ahead and get pissed if you need to. I get it. As long as you understand—if the same thing happens again? I’m cutting in.”

“You’re protecting me now?”

“Yeah.” I scowled at the floor, and noticed a splotch Probie needed to mop up, preferably at three in the morning.

“I like it, Brodie. I like the whole thing. Well, maybe not getting ambushed by those two wastes of space.”

Lifting my gaze, I cocked my head at this new unfathomable side of Ashe.

“I told you I take care of myself, right?” She hugged me around the waist. “I do it all, all the time so it’s nice to have you looking out for me. Thank you.”

“I thought you’d be pissed.”

She tilted her head up. “Something you don’t know about most girls—even the ones who are hardcore? We like to be taken care of sometimes. Now, can I get another drink? That made me thirsty.” She hooked her thumb back at the bar, and before she even blinked, a smitten Probie put a shot glass in one of her hands and a beer in the other.

“I’m driving so have at it.” I kissed her softly on the lips. When I pulled away, I nodded at Probie/Cole. Maybe he was cool after all. But I still didn’t plan on cutting him any slack.

After the dust settled, I sat on a stool drinking ice water next to Cat.

“You’ve got it bad for Ashe,” she said.

“Possibly. But I’m not talking about it. How are you and Nick?”

Cat gave me two thumbs up. Cat didn’t give thumbs up. She was more likely to glare and scowl and spit words—kind of like me. I narrowed my eyes at her.

A few moments later Nick swooped in and gathered her in his arms. He whispered something in her ear that made her actually sigh. They looked so happy it was sweet. And a little bit sickening.

Breaking the embrace, Cat swiveled toward me. “So we’re heading out. And Ineedtwoweeksoff’kaybye.”

Then she and Nick hightailed it out of there.

’Kay bye?
I was only able to decipher her gobbledy-gook because Cara spoke in the same tongue when she was on the phone with her friends. My sis did
not
say
’Kay bye
, nor did she up and take two weeks off work without giving prior notice.

I followed the pair outside where Ashe came up beside me and slipped her hand into mine. “We done here?”

I watched Cat and Nick pull out of the parking lot on their bikes. “She’s up to something.” They had a secret. I could sniff that shit out just as well as Boomer.

“Me, too. Come with me.” Ashe tugged me to my truck. “So that was a roaring success.”

“You didn’t have to arrest anyone tonight. Success.” I stood next to my truck, giving her the all-over once-over.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I’m horny and you’re sexy.” I kissed her with a deep lunge of my tongue, grabbing two handfuls of her ass and grinding against her. “And we haven’t had sex in years.”

“When did I say we were exclusive?”

“Oh, we’re exclusive all right. I’m pretty sure that’s what you agreed to in order to be with me. Dating. Monogamous.
Exclusive.
If you even think about backing out on it or doing anyone else I’m gonna tie you up to my bed until I get it in writing.” I licked down the side of her neck as her breath hitched.

“Really? Because I could probably arrest you for that.”

“Nice one. You already tried arresting me, didn’t follow through.” Grasping her ass hard, I said, “Tell me you haven’t been fucking anyone else, Ashe.”