Who needed men when you could watch a good zombie movie?
21
Penni started to sneak past Lily and Shade’s bedroom, but the door was cracked open, so she thought they must have woken up when she had gone upstairs to shower and dress. She had fallen asleep on the couch, waking to see the sun shining through the curtains.
Shade and Lily were lying on the bed with John between them. They were asleep. Lily was lying on her side, her head pillowed on Shade’s shoulder. John was lying on his front on Shade’s chest.
She carefully reached out, closing the bedroom door. The private moment had Penni giving thanks to the universe. In this crazy world where dating had been taken over by apps instead of chemistry, Shade and Lily had both spun the roulette wheel and won.
Downstairs, she began to make a cup of coffee but found only an empty canister. Taking it, she decided to go The Last Riders’ clubhouse. With so many living there, she knew she could find herself a cup and bring some to Shade.
It was a little after eight on a Sunday. Therefore, Penni hadn’t expected any of the members to be up yet. The women would be getting ready for church in an hour, so she expected the house to be silent.
At first, Penni thought the music she heard as she opened the door had been left playing from the night before. It wasn’t until she was a couple of steps into the room that she discovered the source was coming from the basement. Someone must have left the music on in the gym. That was also where the laundry, hot tub, and a bedroom were located. Willa and Lucky were living there as they built their house.
The kitchen’s aroma of brewing coffee and the smell of cinnamon rolls baking didn’t distract Penni from going down the basement stairs. Someone had to be awake, or the backdoor wouldn’t have been open, and someone had started breakfast.
She had had gone down three steps, bending over to see who was there and alert them to her presence, when it dawned on her that the singing wasn’t from the radio. Stunned at the beautiful sound coming from the woman putting clothes in the washing machine, she saw it was Genny.
Penni had met her briefly when she had arrived. Willa had hired the young nineteen-year-old to help cook and clean.
Penni soundlessly sat down on the steps, listening to her sing as she took clothes out of the dryer. It was a common song, but she had given it a sultry, melancholy quality that tugged at her heartstrings.
As she carried the laundry to the bottom steps, Genny gave a small scream, dropping the laundry basket.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Penni felt terrible. Hopping up, she went down the steps to help her pick up the clothes.
“It’s okay. Did you need something?”
“No, I was just enjoying listening to you sing.”
“Genny? Penni? What’s wrong?” Lucky rushed from the hallway, wearing a pair of jeans he hadn’t taken the time to button. “I heard you—”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just doing the laundry and didn’t know I wasn’t alone,” Genny explained.
“You sure?”
Genny nodded. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
“I was getting ready to take a shower. You didn’t wake me up or anything. I’ll see you two at breakfast.” Lucky went back through the door that led to his bedroom.
“I’m really sorry. You had folded the clothes in such neat piles. I’ll straighten them out as soon as I drink my coffee.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Please, it’ll make me feel better.” Penni carried the basket upstairs.
Left with no choice, Genny followed her up.
Penni set the laundry on one of the chairs at the kitchen table before she poured herself a cup of coffee, sniffing appreciatively at the rolls Genny pulled out of the oven.
“Would you like one?”
“Yes, thank you.” Penni accepted the plate she was handed and took a seat at the table. “You have a beautiful voice.”
“Thank you.”
Penni glanced at her surreptitiously as she finished breakfast. Her light brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, she didn’t wear any makeup, and her clothes weren’t very expensive.
“How long have you lived in Treepoint?”
Genny turned from the stove, her complexion going pale. “A few years.”
“So you’re not from Treepoint? Where are you originally from?”
“Ouch…” Genny exclaimed, dropping the skillet back onto the burner.
Penni rushed to her side, turning the stove off.
“Put it under the faucet,” Penni directed her, turning the water on so the girl could ease her pain.
“I’m fine. It’s what I get for not paying attention.”
“I shouldn’t have distracted you. I knew you were busy. I’m sorry.”
Genny removed her wrist from the water, drying it. “It’s fine. See? It’s barely red.”
Penni moved back to the table, sensing the woman wanted to be left alone.
She had finished the last bite when Rider came in from the living room. Genny was standing at the stove as Rider made himself a cup of coffee then took a paper towel to take two of the cinnamon rolls.
Lucky came in as Rider was about to take a seat at the table.
“You ready?” Lucky asked Rider.
Nodding, Rider went to wait at the back door as Lucky readied his own breakfast.
“You’re not going to sit?” Penni asked as she started to fold the laundry.
“Can’t. My battery is giving me trouble. Rider offered to switch it out with one from one of his bikes.”
“I’ll see you in church, then.”
Lucky was probably the only pastor in Kentucky who rode a motorcycle to church.
Penni finished folding the clothes as they left, deciding to pour herself another cup of coffee.
Penni watched Genny make a large plate of bacon, eggs, and three cinnamon rolls.
“Whoever you’re making the tray for will have to hit the gym in the basement after eating all that.”
Genny blushed. “Too much?”
“Depends on which of the men you’re making it for.”
“I don’t know. He’s staying in the room beside Viper’s. I haven’t met him yet. From the way he sounds, he’s pretty big.”
Penni’s lips twitched. “He sounds big?”
“His room is over the kitchen. I hear him walking on the floor.”
It must be Hennessy she had been hearing. He was certainly large, and Shade had told her that he was next to Viper’s room so he could keep an eye on him.
Genny set an empty cup on the tray then turned to fry more eggs.
“His food is getting cold.”
“I thought Rider would have been back before now. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll put it in the oven to keep warm. I’d carry it up myself, but I’m not allowed upstairs.”
“I can do it.” Penni poured the hot coffee into the empty cup.
“Are you sure? You won’t get in any trouble?”
“They haven’t told me not to go upstairs.” It wasn’t an untruth, but it wasn’t strictly the truth, either. Usually when she had gone upstairs, it was when Shade or Winter had escorted her, and the men had all been told she was on the floor.
While she and Shade hadn’t been raised together, she had traveled with the band members, so she was sure seeing one of The Last Riders in their underwear wouldn’t have her screaming for help. And if she were lucky, she might catch a glimpse of Train.
“Whose laundry was in the basket?” Penni asked, hesitating before sitting on the chair.
“The same man.”
“I’ll kill two birds with one stone,” she joked, setting the tray on top of the folded clothes.
Penni had thought a couple of the T-shirts looked familiar, having seen him wearing them during the rally.
“It may be too heavy …”
Penni lifted the basket easily in her arms. Shade’s weight training had come in hand
y, and she hadn’t spilled a drop of the coffee.
“I’ve got it. Save me four of those cinnamon rolls for Shade and Lily in case Rider gets back before I come back down.”
“All right.”
Balancing the basket, she went through the living room and up the flight steps. The hallway remained empty as she walked to the door that was beside Viper’s. Damn, she had forgotten to ask which room. Viper and Winter’s bedroom had two doors next to theirs since it was at the end of the hall.
Left or right? Penni bit her lip in indecision then chose the one on the left, guessing it had a better chance of being directly over the kitchen.
She knocked on the door, hoping she had guessed right. If not, one grumpy biker was going to be pissed.
“Come in.”
Hennessy’s voice coming from inside the room had Penni opening the door. It was everything she could do not to drop the basket.
Shade had told her Hennessy was hurt, but she hadn’t expected how badly he had been incapacitated. Now she could understand why Viper hadn’t put a guard in front of his door. His arm was wrapped in a bandage and held in place with a sling. His ribs and upper body were covered with varying shades of blue and purple. It looked as if feet had stomped all over his chest, and his face made Jackal’s and Shade’s look like they had been done by an amateur. More than one person was responsible for the destruction she saw.
Barely able to hang on to the basket, she set it on the chair beside the bed.
“What are you doing here?” Hennessey tried to lift himself unsuccessfully into a sitting position.
“I thought you might be hungry.” She wanted to help him, but she wasn’t sure how without hurting him further.
Gingerly, she moved to the other side of the bed, gripping his good arm and helping him to rise to the mound of pillows at his back. When he was settled, Penni laid the tray on his lap.
Hennessy ate hungrily, devouring the cinnamon rolls.
“Did The Last Riders do that to you?” she asked.
“No.”
Penni let out a relieved breath. She had hated Hennessy for not letting her go, but what had been done to him made her sick to her stomach.
“Ice and Viper are the reason I’m still breathing.”
“Good. I mean, I’m glad you’re not—”
“Dead?” Hennessy finished for her.
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t mean I’ll be staying that way.”
“If Viper were going to kill you, he would have done it before now. He wouldn’t have bandaged you up. He would have let the Unjust Soldiers finish you off.”
“He would have done me a favor.” Hennessy’s grave expression had her wondering how he could eat. Had Viper told him he was going to be killed in retaliation for kidnapping her?
“I told Shade I would stay out of his clubs’ business. Jackal wanted me to try, anyway, to smooth things over between you two.”
“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t listen to anything a bitch had to say.” Hennessy grimaced in pain, trying to lift his arm into a more comfortable position.
“Fine. I’ll tell him you don’t want my help.”
If he weren’t already so hurt, Penni would have pounded him into the mattress.
Penni went out the door and into the hall. She was about to slam his bedroom door closed when she came face to face with Raci as she exited the bedroom across the hall.
She was only wearing a white T-shirt. Her perky breasts had Penni feeling envious until she looked through the opened door and saw Train standing by his bed, about to put on a pair of jeans in his hands. Penni wanted to sink through the floor in embarrassment.
“Excuse me,” she mumbled, not knowing how to get out of the awkward position.
“You’re not supposed to be up here,” Raci said as they stared at each other.
“I was … I …”
The door next to Hennessy’s opened.
Was the whole house going to witness her humiliation?
Turning her head, she saw Jackal standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean disturb anyone. I took Hennessy his breakfast.” Closing the door on Hennessy’s curious gaze, Penni tried to pretend it was a natural occurrence to see Train in the nude. “And I wanted to tell Jackal his breakfast is ready.”
Since she was in a shitload of trouble, she decided to go for broke. Before he could react, Penni kissed Jackal on his surprised mouth. The kiss lasted much longer than intended, but she blamed him for cupping her butt and pulling her into his hard body.
Leaning into him, Penni stared into his lowered eyes, feeling the world tilt. She imagined she heard the world crashing down around them.
The image of Train in the bedroom faded away as the sensation of Jackal’s firm lips on hers brought her mind to a standstill, making her forget they had an audience. Damn, when Jackal kissed, he was like a man on a mission. He didn’t try to make them sweet kisses. No, he took no prisoners. You stood transfixed, waiting for each brush of his tongue.
She nipped on his bottom lip when he pulled away.
“Pour me a cup of coffee. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Dazedly, she took a step past the door he had come out of, seeing the curvy bottom belonging to Jewell facing the open doorway.
Fury had her dodging Jackal’s restraining hand when he saw her reaction. First Train and then Jackal; how much rejection was a woman supposed to take? Technically, though, neither man was rejecting her. Train had no idea of her interest, and Jackal was only pretending to be interested.
“I was asleep when Rider decided to have company last night,” Jackal explained. “I spent the night in Hennessey room. I just came out of the shower.” Jackal nodded to the bathroom door. “I went to Rider’s room to get my boots and a clean shirt.”
The thump she had heard wasn’t the world stopping, but Jackal dropping his boots.
“So you didn’t spend the night with Jewell?” she asked.
“That’s her name? How can you tell?” Most of Jewell’s body was covered by the blanket. Even a pillow was tossed over her head.
Penni snorted. “I’m a girl, but even I can recognize that ass.”
Jewell turned in a huff on the bed. “If you’re discussing my ass, shut the fucking the door. I’ve got an hour before I have to get ready church.”
She laughed as Jackal closed the door.
“I’ll check on Hennessy. Don’t forget my coffee.”
“I won’t.” She started down the hallway, seeing Train standing in his doorway, his jeans now on. “Morning, Train.” Damn, now she remembered why she was in love with Train. His body would make any woman stand up and howl.
He didn’t speak, only nodded his head.
Jackal’s expression became thunderous when he caught her captivated gaze. Penni just shrugged, leaving the three behind as she hurried toward the kitchen.
Genny turned her head at her approach. “Did you have any trouble?”
“No. He said thank you.” Or he would have if he had any manners.
Penni barely had time to pour a cup of coffee before Jackal showed up. She had just handed it to him when Train came in. Penni conveniently forgot Train as she hurriedly gave Jackal his coffee then went to the counter for the cinnamon rolls, putting them down in front of him.
“I thought those were for Shade,” Genny said as she carefully maneuvered a hot pan she had taken out of the oven.
Penni bit down the inside of her cheek to keep from flushing. “I forgot Shade’s on a diet.”
“Oh … What about Lily?”
Could the woman give her a break? Penni rolled her eyes behind the men’s backs.
“Uh … Okay …” Genny muttered. “I’m getting ready to add icing; you can bring Lily some of those.”
Penni took the opportunity Genny had given her to save face.
“They’ll be warm,” Penni agreed as if that had been the plan along.
Penni took a seat at the table. Neither man
noticed. Jackal was too busy eating his food, and Train was watching them. Did he think they would make out at the table?
“Shade awake?” she asked Train.
Train lowered his coffee to the table. “How should I know?”
“I thought you might have texted him since you saw me kissing Jackal … the way you did last night.”
“He’s your brother. He wants to make sure you don’t get hurt.” Train didn’t deny it.
“I’m twenty-four, not sixteen and never been kissed.”
“There’s a big difference between Jackal and most of the men you’ve dated.”
“How do you know what kind of men I’ve dated?”
Train didn’t answer the loaded question.
“Shade doesn’t even know me, and neither do you. I’m a grown woman. When Shade was a mess because Lily wouldn’t give him the time of day, I was the one who kept him from making a mistake. My love life is none of your business, and I don’t need you tattling every five seconds. If Shade wants to know something I’m doing, tell him to ask me his own damn self.”
“I will.” Train stood, leaving the kitchen.
Penni looked at the swinging door Train had gone through. “I screwed up, didn’t I?” Penni asked Jackal, who had torn a cinnamon roll in two pieces, handing the other half to her.
“It could have gone better.”
“I better go apologize.”
“Sit still. You wanted Train to see you as your own person, not Shade’s sister. You’ve accomplished that. Don’t whine about it now.”
He was right. It was time Train recognized her as a woman. Whether that determined if they would develop a relationship or not, she had to find out. She couldn’t stay in limbo forever. Penni’s biggest fear was that life would pass her by in a blink. What if she died in a car accident or any other crazy shit she had a habit of finding herself in before she’d had a chance to make love?
“I finished breakfast,” Genny informed them. “I’m going home to get ready for church if none of you need anything.”
“No, thank you. I’ll see you in church.”
Genny didn’t seem overjoyed that she would see her there. Penni made a mental note to ask Shade about her.