Author: Jaci Burton

Come to think of it, who the hell were all these guys?

“Seems like a pretty small town for all these bikers,” Pax said as he leaned against the bar and surveyed everything around him.

“I was just thinking the same thing. Greasy’s used to get maybe a half dozen, dozen at most on the weekends.” There had to be thirty or forty bikers in the bar right now, and it was still early for a Friday. “I have no idea where they come from.”

“We’ve grown,” Teresa offered, obviously overhearing them talk. She kept her voice low and leaned toward them, which made Pax and AJ move in to hear her. “Joey is managing a club on the south side here.”

AJ’s brows lifted. “Joey leads a club now?”

“Yeah,” she said, laughing. “Hard to believe, but he started riding with the Thorns not too long after you . . . left.” She let the word trail off. “Anyway, he’s been with them ever since, moving his way up as the group expanded. Now he leads the south side.”

“And what about the north side?”

She wrinkled her nose. “The Fists. Tough gang. Into some bad shit.”

“Like?” AJ asked.

“They’re running drugs on the north side. I don’t like serving them when they slide into the territory here, but not much I can do about it since their money is as good as anyone else’s. They’re looking to take over the Thorns.”

“Why?” Pax asked.

“They want territory expansion and they don’t make any secret of it. It’s gotten ugly a few times, but the Thorns try to keep things clean, so the cops have stepped in to keep it cool between the clubs.”

“Here?” AJ didn’t like the sound of this, or that Teresa was in the middle of it.

“Yeah.”

“Not a good position for you.”

She grabbed a cloth and wiped up the bar, her green eyes intense as they met his. “I can take care of myself. Been doing it for a long time, AJ.”

“I’m sure you can. But what happens when a Fist pulls a knife on you?”

She grabbed his wrist and pulled up on his thumb. AJ winced as she lifted just to the point of pain, just to get his attention. Her hold was firm and strong as she hit all the right pressure points, like someone who’d been well trained. AJ knew a countermove that would lay her flat, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to use it on her. She’d made her point. What she knew would take down someone who wasn’t trained.

She let go and AJ shook his hand.

Pax laughed. “I guess you can take care of yourself, can’t you?”

She nodded. “Damn straight.”

“Ow.”

Teresa rolled her eyes. “Pussy. I didn’t hurt you. But I could have if I wanted to.”

“I believe you. When did you become a tough girl?”

“When I bought the bar. I was dating one of the local cops who taught me some self-defense maneuvers. They come in handy.”

“So do their handcuffs, when used in the right situation.” Pax waggled his brows and Teresa laughed.

“Yeah, those can be handy, too.”

AJ did not want to hear about Teresa dating one of the local cops, or what they did with handcuffs. This whole thing was surreal. She had definitely changed. Grown up. Become a woman. With some other guy, who’d had what he could have had.

Fuck.

“Son of a bitch. AJ Dunn. I thought you were dead or in prison.”

AJ flipped around on the bar stool, then slid off and enveloped Teresa’s brother Joey in a bear hug. “You asshole. I thought the same about you. I even brought flowers for your grave.”

Joey Oliveri took a step back and smirked. “Prick. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Riding through. Teresa’s been filling me in on what’s been going on around here since I’ve been gone. I hear you’ve done well.”

“Yeah. Pretty good.”

“This is my friend Pax. Pax, this is my former best friend Joey.”

Joey snorted and shook Pax’s hand. “Any friend of AJ’s should have his head examined.”

Pax laughed. “I hear you. But somebody has to look after him. Nice to meet you.”

“You’ve gained weight,” AJ said, looking over Joey’s stomach. “Too much pasta?”

“You know how Italians are. We can’t resist spaghetti.”

“Doesn’t seem to have affected Teresa any.”

“She burns off calories working this bar. Me, I just sit on my ass and drink beer and ride.” Joey patted his protruding belly.

Joey and Teresa were twins, though you couldn’t tell it by looking at them. Same hair and eye color, and that’s where the similarities ended. Where Teresa was slender, Joey was filled out all over, and not all of it was muscle. But then again he’d always been a little on the heavy side, and the guy liked his beer.

“So what is this I hear about you leading a club?”

Joey grinned. “Yeah. Imagine that, me at the head of the Thorns. Pretty cool, huh?”

“It is. Teresa told me you have some trouble with a rival gang.”

Joey narrowed his gaze. “Yeah. The Fists are in our business, trying to take over our territory.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re dirty motherfucking drug runners and they want some of the action here.”

AJ stilled. “You aren’t...”

“Nah. No illegal stuff here. We keep it clean and have a good relationship with the law. But our presence keeps the Fists from gaining control in this part of the county, and they see it as a prime opportunity to expand their drug distribution operation. Plus we’re situated near the river, which is good for shipping. We have the best territory and the Fists know it. They’ve wanted it for a while now, but they’re not going to get it as long as the Thorns are here.”

AJ didn’t like the way that sounded. “You need to be careful. Some of these gangs will stop at nothing to get what they want.”

Joey nudged AJ on the arm. “I’m not a moron. I’ve got it covered.”

“You and your guys armed?”

Joey nodded. “We’ll use ’em if we have to. We protect what’s ours.”

Pax slanted his gaze at AJ, a look of concern of his face.

Yeah, AJ knew. In their line of work with the Wild Riders they’d infiltrated plenty of gangs looking to distribute anything from drugs to guns. And once these gangs wanted something, they’d let nothing stop them, including people.

“So what are you up to these days, AJ?”

AJ slid his gaze to Pax, then back to Joey and shrugged. “Nothing much. Odd jobs here and there. Pax and I just ride.”

“Yeah? Thinking about settling back here in town again?”

AJ noticed Teresa watching him intently. “No. Just passing through.”

Teresa averted her gaze and moved down the bar. AJ wondered what her life was like now. Was she married? Did she have kids?

“Teresa’s done well. I can’t believe she bought this place.”

Joey grinned. “Yeah. She’s always been damn smart. Smarter than me, that’s for sure. When Todd got out, she stepped in and scooped this place up, cleaned it up, hired the sexy bartenders, and bikers started coming in here by the hundreds. She made enough money to expand and it’s still going strong.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” He hesitated, but something drove him to know. “She ever settle down and get married, have any rug rats?”

“You want to know about my personal life, AJ, why don’t you ask me directly?”

AJ did a half turn on the bar stool to face Teresa, hadn’t realized she’d moved back into earshot again. Shit. “Just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

“I’ve always been okay. Since the day you left ten years ago, I’ve been just fine. I didn’t need you then and I don’t need you now, so you can quit worrying about me.”

TWO

TERESA WANTED TO WINCE, TO TAKE BACK WHAT SHE’D JUST said. She’d wanted to be cool and calm and unaffected by AJ, not take a bite out of him with her words. She’d wanted him to see her as a success, a woman who met life on her own terms, a woman who didn’t need a man—especially him—to be happy. Because, dammit, she was happy. Most days.

She’d never expected to see AJ again, figured when he left town all those years ago that was it, the end. When she looked up to see him at her bar tonight, her heart had done a flip-flop, her pulse double-timing it so fast she’d gotten dizzy. For years after he’d left she’d imagined what it would be like if she ever saw him again, had played the scenario over and over again in her mind. And each year that went by she thought of him less and less, until finally he’d disappeared from her thoughts. He was the past and he was supposed to stay there. Until tonight, when he showed up again, and everything they’d ever been to each other came rushing back, bringing with it a tidal wave of emotion.

But she could handle it. She wasn’t eighteen anymore and a lot had happened in the ten years since they’d last seen each other. What they’d meant to each other back then meant nothing now. She could smile and be nice to him and eventually he’d leave and everything would go back to the way it was.

She’d been doing just fine until she overheard AJ asking Joey about her, asking if she’d ever gotten married or had kids. Pain had ripped her inside and out, just like it always did when someone mentioned marriage and children, normal things a woman her age should be experiencing. Except there was nothing normal about her life. It brought back memories she fought hard to keep buried.

She pinned AJ with a hard stare, making it clear she didn’t appreciate the end run.

“Sorry,” AJ said. “I was just curious.”

“Not married. No kids. Satisfy your curiosity?”

He didn’t answer, just looked at her with sadness and regret in his storm gray eyes. She didn’t want his regrets, didn’t want to remember how simple and beautiful her life had been when he’d been in it, and how ugly it had gotten after he’d left.

“I didn’t mean to pry. It’s been a long time, Teresa. You look good.”

“She looks better than good,” Pax said, focusing a smile on Teresa. “She’s damn fine.”

Tingles skittered up her spine at the way AJ’s friend Pax looked at her. It had been a long time since she’d felt . . . anything. Pax didn’t know her past, didn’t know what had happened to her. He didn’t have preconceived notions, so he couldn’t have pity or remorse or revulsion. He just saw her as a woman. A desirable woman. She liked that look in his dark eyes. She liked the way he looked, period, with his spiked dark blond hair and his chiseled features and goatee. He was every inch a rugged, sexy biker. Who didn’t know a damn thing about her.

She winked at him, surprised to feel a little rusty in the flirting department. She flirted with her customers all the time, but that was meaningless. This . . . wasn’t. It felt like an awakening, which shocked her. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“I’ll bet you get them all the time.”

“I might. But I don’t necessarily pay attention to all of them. Or any of them.”

“Can’t say I’m unhappy to hear that, as long as you pay attention to me.” Pax’s gaze was intense. A woman could get lost in those whiskey-colored eyes. He could very well make a woman believe she was the only one for him.

“He’s full of shit, you know.”

Her gaze skirted to AJ, then back to Pax, and she lifted her lips. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”

“I’m crushed,” Pax said. “And AJ lies.”

“I don’t doubt that, either. And I can already tell you two are dangerous together.”