Tin Queen Read online

  Mom had taught Shelby and me to always keep emergency supplies handy in case we ever got stranded. Cell service could be spotty in Montana and it was better not to count on a rescue. Women often had to rescue themselves.

  I didn’t go anywhere without the emergency kit. In a duffel bag, I had a first-aid kit and a butane lighter. Hand-warmer packets, a coat and gloves. I even had an extra gallon of gas. It was something I’d kept on hand for years, not for myself, but because TJ had been known to drive until the very last drop of fuel in his car or bike was burned.

  As a teenager, he’d called me at least five times to ask if I could bring him some gas. Then he’d died and I hadn’t been able to take out that plastic gas can. The gas itself was probably too old to be usable, but every time I thought about clearing it out, I couldn’t bring myself to pull it from the trunk.

  Maybe I would when this was over. Maybe then I could put TJ and his death behind me.

  There was an empty backpack in the trunk, one I kept for my disguise. I dropped my Nancy Lennox ID into the bag, then tugged the wig from my head and stowed it along with my glasses. My fingers dove into my dark hair as I shook it out, a sigh of relief escaping my lips like it always did when the wig was gone. I wouldn’t be needing Nancy for a while, so I zipped up the bag and put it into the hidden compartment in the trunk’s floor. A special customization Dad had put in the Nova before he’d given me the car as a gift. That compartment also held my gun.

  With my things stowed, I stripped off my blazer before climbing behind the wheel. It was always unnerving to lose the disguise and become me again this close to the prison. Even in my favorite sleeveless silk blouse, a gray pinstripe pencil skirt and patent heels, I was vulnerable.

  There was no way anyone knew I was pretending to be one of Dad’s lawyers. No way. If Emmett suspected anything, he wouldn’t have had sex with me again, right?

  “No one knows.” I spoke the words like a wish I desperately needed to come true.

  I’d covered my tracks. I’d been careful, so careful.

  No one knew.

  Except Dad.

  What would have happened if he had been more careful? The thought was one I’d had many, many times since his arrest. It was definitely not a question I’d be asking, but I wondered.

  If Dad hadn’t kept video footage of the club, what would the FBI have had on him? I suspected there was more evidence, that even without the videos, they would have had a solid case. But the videos had been so damning.

  I understood why he’d taken them. He’d been protecting himself from club traitors, using information to keep his members in line.

  Dad trusted no one but those in his inner circle—a circle I’d just recently joined.

  Still . . . the videos had been a mistake.

  A mistake I wouldn’t be making. I’d been keeping secrets my entire life. Soon we’d see if the Tin Gypsies were good at protecting theirs.

  Dad was one of the smartest, most cunning men I’d ever met. I had to assume that if he’d kept information on his club members, then the Tin Gypsies had as well. It was unlikely they’d destroyed it, hoarding their secrets for a rainy day.

  These assumptions of mine were a gamble but one I was willing to chance.

  Worst case scenario, I failed my father. I failed my brother. Then Dad would take it upon himself again until he had what he craved.

  Blood.

  My stomach twisted at the thought. The idea of Emmett’s death shouldn’t have bothered me so much, but death wasn’t what I wanted.

  There’d been too much blood spilled, which meant I couldn’t fail. Yes, I wanted to balance the scales. But death was not the goal.

  I shoved the car in drive and raced to Clifton Forge. An hour into my trip, my phone rang. I groaned at Ira’s name on the screen but answered with a flirty laugh. “Hey, you.”

  “Hey, sugar pie.” Gag. I hated the nickname. But Ira was fifteen years my senior and thought I was some young, sweet thing. Poor, delusional Ira.

  “How’s your day going?” I asked.

  “It’s been a long one. I was just hoping to wrap up work early for the day. And wondering if I could take my girl out for dinner.”

  “I wish I could.” Lie. “I had to head out of town for work. It was last minute, and I was going to call you tonight. I didn’t want to interrupt you at work. You’ve been so busy lately.”

  “You can always call me. Unless I’m with a client or in trial, I’ll always answer for you.”

  Ira Hug was Dad’s lawyer. Ira was Nancy Lennox’s boss. Ira was currently representing three senior members of the Arrowhead Warriors. Ira and I had been dating for two months. And Ira had no idea that I was Tucker Talbot’s daughter or that I was using him for information.

  Dad didn’t need to know that either. These were my secrets, after all.

  “How long will you be gone?” he asked.

  “Hopefully not long. I’ll call you the second I get home and we’ll take a rain check on dinner.”

  “Looking forward to it.” He blew a kiss into the phone.

  My lip curled. “Bye, sweetie.”

  I tossed the phone aside and hit the gas.

  Ira had been the Warriors’ club lawyer for years. He was far from clean and he wasn’t the type to have moral dilemmas about his clients’ crimes. As long as the money came in, he’d fight tooth and nail to prove his criminals were innocent.

  He was flashy and bold. He was a snake in an Armani suit. And I suspected Ira knew more than most about my father and his own secrets.

  But that wasn’t why I’d lured Ira into this little tête-à-tête. I wasn’t using him to get information on Dad. No, I was using Ira to get information on the other Warriors.

  It had been so easy to slip into Ira’s life. I was the younger, beautiful woman he could whisk away to expensive restaurants on the weekends. The woman he could show off to his friends around Missoula. Ira loved arm candy.

  And he loved his gin and tonics.

  During our dates, I’d let him parade me around the most popular restaurants. He’d always pick a table in the center of the room where everyone could see us eat. Then once the meal was over, we’d return to his place for a night cap. I’d slip a sedative into his gin and tonic, let him kiss me for a while, and like clockwork, just before he could suggest we go to his bedroom, he’d pass out.

  Leaving me free to explore his house.

  Ira really should leave his clients’ files at the office.

  I hadn’t found a file on Dad yet, not that I was surprised. His case was closed. And besides, I trusted Dad. If I needed a question answered, I’d ask him, not reference Ira’s notes.

  Otherwise, Ira’s client files were quite handy. I knew the status of each arrest and each ongoing trial. I had a log of visitors who’d seen each of the Warriors in prison and a long list of family names.

  It was all part of my arsenal. A way to protect myself from interference.

  I had to ensure there were no ticking bombs that might explode in my face while I was in Clifton Forge.

  Ira was just another piece of the game. The poor man didn’t even know just how much he was being played, not only by me, but also Dad.

  Per Dad’s request and a hefty cash payment, Ira had arranged for a copy of Nancy’s ID to find its way into the mail. I hadn’t been a part of that discussion, but the ID had shown up at my doorstep with a note to use it to visit Tucker Talbot.

  Ira would never know I possessed Nancy’s ID. Just like he’d never be invited to my home.

  On one of my first trips to the prison, I’d asked Dad how. I’d asked if Ira knew about me. He’d promised our father-daughter status was safe and that Ira believed I was just another player for the club. It was the truth, after all.

  And I was sure that the real Nancy Lennox was being compensated handsomely for the use of her identity. Not a single lawyer in Ira’s firm was what I’d consider ethical.

  Least of all Ira himself.

  It wa
s nothing short of a miracle that he hadn’t pushed harder with our dating relationship. I refused to have sex with him.

  Maybe I was crossing every moral line with Emmett Stone but at least there was a magnetic attraction there. An attraction that was probably going to get me into trouble. There’d only been the three times with Emmett, but I craved more. My core pulsed at the thought of him on his deck this week. The man had a way of turning me inside out with one thrust of his glorious cock.

  A shiver rolled down my spine.

  I shouldn’t want him this much. I shouldn’t let myself get caught up in the pleasure.

  “It’s just sex.” I’d say that as many times as I needed until it sank in.

  The miles flew by as I sped to Clifton Forge, ready to settle in for a while. After today, there’d be no more trips and I was looking forward to sinking into the small community, even if it was temporary.

  A smile pulled at my lips as I passed the sign welcoming me to town.

  On a Friday night, I suspected I’d find Emmett at The Betsy.

  Later, I’d go in and make sure he hadn’t forgotten about me. That he didn’t get ideas of replacing me with a skank from the bar. But my first stop in town was the grocery store. The rental’s fridge was nearly empty and though eating out was easy, most of the time I preferred simple food I cooked at home.

  I’d just collected a cart and was walking toward the produce section when a gravelly voice caught my ear.

  “Hey, baby.”

  Gotta love small towns. I smiled and turned toward Emmett as he strode my way with a bottle of water in his hand. “Hey, Ace.”

  The corner of his mouth turned up and the urge to kiss him came over me so strongly that I clutched the handles of the shopping cart, holding on so I wouldn’t go to him. So I wouldn’t appear as desperate as I really was for a touch.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Shopping. You?”

  He held up his water. “Hitting the road for a ride.”

  “Ah.” I nodded. So he wouldn’t be at The Betsy. That would save me a trip to the bar.

  “What do you say?”

  “To what?”

  “To coming along.” There was a glint in his eyes, one that told me we wouldn’t just be riding his bike.

  I answered by abandoning my cart and strutting toward the doors.

  Emmett was right behind me, his gaze leaving a scorching trail down my neck, over my shoulders and settling on my ass. Motives aside, it was heady to be wanted by a man like Emmett. To be craved as much as I craved. To be desired by a man I lusted for with every fiber in my being.

  Maybe I liked our nights together too much.

  Some other night, I’d sort that out in my head. But tonight, I wanted to ride.

  We hit the parking lot and I walked to my car, stowing my purse in the backseat and plucking my sunglasses out of the cup holder.

  Emmett was waiting on his bike when I locked the car’s doors.

  I went to him and hiked up my skirt.

  He grinned as I put both hands on his shoulders and straddled the seat behind him. There wasn’t much space but I held on tight, smashing our bodies together. My skirt rode up so high my thighs beside his were bare.

  “That’s hot, baby.” He trailed a hand up my skin.

  I wound my arms around his waist and pressed my palms against the snug cotton of his T-shirt, feeling the washboard abs beneath. “Pretty hot yourself, Ace.”

  “Hold on.”

  I nodded, molding my chest to the roped muscles of his back.

  Emmett’s masculine scent, spice and earth and leather, filled my nose and I rested my cheek against his shoulder, dragging it in.

  I closed my eyes and for just a moment, I wasn’t June Johnson. I wasn’t Tucker Talbot’s daughter. Emmett wasn’t my enemy, and this wasn’t all part of some grand scheme to get my revenge.

  For just a moment, I was a woman who shared a primal attraction with this sexy man. This man who pushed me to shed my inhibitions and be free.

  The vibration and noise of the engine snapped my eyes open. I tightened my hold before Emmett shot out of the parking lot and aimed us out of town to the highway.

  The air whipped through my hair and the smile on my face was impossible to hold back.

  How many times had I seen Dad ride off, wishing I could be with him? Wishing he would let me sit on his motorcycle, just once? But it had been as forbidden as my real name.

  Not today. Today I got to ride. As we settled into an easy cruise, the road as warm beneath us as the sun was above, I straightened. I gripped Emmett with my thighs and let my arms loose. The moment my arms unwrapped from around him, he dropped one hand to hold my knee and keep me steady.

  He gave me the freedom to let go.

  I opened, stretching my fingers to tickle the wind. And I flew.

  Tonight, I’d fly.

  Tomorrow, I’d get back to business.

  Chapter Six

  Emmett

  I’d forgotten how good it felt to have a woman curled against me on a ride.

  My hand went to her thigh, gripping it tight as she let go of my waist and spread her arms wide.

  I chuckled into the wind.

  Not many would let themselves go on a first ride, but she was fearless. She had this fire, and damn it, that fire was making it hard for me to walk away.

  I could have avoided her at the store easily enough. She hadn’t spotted me, and I could have kept on walking. But this pull between us was irresistible. She was a lure and I was her willing catch.

  “Hold on,” I called over my shoulder, ready to give her another thrill.

  She obeyed instantly, her arms clamping around my ribs. Then I gunned the engine, shooting us forward and reveling in the thunder of my bike on the road. She laughed in my ear, and that sweet sound went straight to my cock.

  I was going to need a name for this one because calling her baby wasn’t going to cut it for long. The smart thing to do here would be to end it before baby wore thin, but with every mile we rode, the more I didn’t want to call it off. Not yet. As long as she didn’t expect anything serious, why not have some fun?

  We rode for an hour, taking a highway loop that I’d ridden a hundred times. When Clifton Forge came back into view, she sagged against me, the disappointment in her body matching my own.

  “Got anywhere to be?” I asked over my shoulder as I pulled up to the first stoplight in town.

  “No.”

  “Good.” Straight would take us to The Betsy. We could have a couple drinks, then I’d take her back to her car at the grocery store. But right would take us to my place.

  I turned right.

  The clouds had come in while we’d been riding. They nearly blocked out the evening sun and with the deep gray overcast and plummeting temperature, rain wasn’t far away. It came just as we turned off the highway and onto my private drive.

  “Ahh!” She laughed as the first drops hit. Then she loosened her grip and tipped her face to the heavens, letting them coat her face.

  I hit the opener and eased the bike into the dark garage, parking it beside my truck.

  She climbed off first and I expected her to head for the inside door. Instead, she walked toward the rain, stepping outside as the clouds opened.

  The click of her heels was lost as the deluge began. She didn’t so much as flinch. She opened her arms and let the water soak through her blouse and skirt.

  She was mesmerizing. Sexy. Mysterious. I was a statue, my eyes aimed at her like my entire purpose in this life was to watch her.

  When she finally tipped her chin down, she glanced over her shoulder and gave me that sly smile while she crooked her finger.

  She beckoned. I followed.

  I strode into the rain. I walked willingly into her storm.

  Without hesitating, I went to her, gripped her by the hips and smashed my lips on hers, tasting the water and the sweetness of her lips. She opened for me, her arms looping around
my shoulders as I swept my tongue inside.

  Her breath hitched and I swallowed the gasp as I took her perfect ass in my palms and squeezed. Hard.

  Then I hauled her up by her legs, hooking my hands behind her knees and pulling them around my hips so I could carry her inside. The moment we walked through the door into the house, we were a mess of wet clothes and sloppy kisses.

  I keyed in the code on the alarm while she worked my belt free.

  She kicked off her heels while I toed off my boots. Then we left a trail of wet clothes, each piece smacking the hardwood floors as we fumbled our way to the bedroom.

  Her hair was soaked but by the time we were through, after a string of orgasms and more condoms than I’d ever used in a single night, most of the tendrils had dried on my pillow.

  “That was quite a ride, Ace.” She smiled into the sheets as we each panted, regaining our breath.

  I grinned. “Aim to please.”

  Her dark eyes sparkled in the muted light. The storm outside hadn’t calmed, the rain pattering on the roof and windows.

  “I’d better get going.” She moved to leave but I reached for her, wrapping my arm around her waist and hauling her closer before she could disappear.

  “Just stay. I’m not taking the bike out in the rain.”

  “Does that fancy black truck of yours not work?”

  “Not in the summer.” Unless there was ice and snow on the roads or the temperature was too cold, I was on the bike. But my vehicle wasn’t the reason I didn’t want her to go. I was wiped out and she felt good right here.

  “I’ll call a cab.”

  I didn’t respond. I just held her tight and buried my nose in her hair as I closed my eyes.

  She tensed but stayed still. Then finally, she relaxed and snuggled closer.

  I waited until her breaths evened out. Until she burrowed deeper into my bed.

  Then I let myself fall asleep too.

  The glass door slid open behind me.