Chapter 2

King/Dante

I tossed the wrench back into the toolbox, then heaved myself out from under the bathroom sink. Sinner had mentioned this morning that his sink was leaking and had asked me to send a prospect over to fix it, but I'd told him I would come over a little early and take care of it for him. I knew my dad hated to ask for help, especially for such a simple repair, but he had a bad back and really couldn't contort his body enough to get into such a small space to fix it. Hell, I could barely get to it myself.

After putting the toolbox back in the garage, I made my way to the kitchen and washed up, before grabbing a beer from the refrigerator and stepping out onto the back deck to make sure the grill was cleaned up and ready for later. It was already getting hot out, no surprise since it was the first of June in Indiana. Although it wasn't officially summer for another three weeks, the outdoor temps said otherwise.

A faint noise from next door caused me to glance over to the neighbor's yard. My grip tightened on the neck of the beer bottle as I took in the vision in spandex bent over with her gorgeous ass in the air. Fuck me, that was a sight I could get used to.

I'd heard all about Sinner's neighbor, Eleanor Chadwick, to the point that I suspected the old man might have a crush on the lady. I hadn't met her yet, but I knew she cooked for him, and her son and daughter helped him around the house when they were doing work for their own mother. My boys had met her, and she'd even volunteered to babysit for my grandkids a time or two. She sounded like a nice older lady, and I was pretty sure my mom would have been happy for the old man moving on after years of being alone.

If she looked anything like the woman I assumed was her daughter doing yoga in her back yard, then my dad had great taste. I would like to know why the hell nobody had mentioned her daughter was a fucking smokeshow though. I damned sure would have made it a point to meet Eleanor and her daughter before now had I been given that little bit of information.

I brought the bottle up to my lips and took a sip, then almost swallowed my tongue as I watched her slowly bend at the waist until her body was doubled over, her hands flat on the ground in front of her. Her dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, which flopped forward when she bent over. Holy shit, what I wouldn't give to be standing behind her, my hands gripping her hips tightly as I fucked her in that position.

Then again, if she was on her hands and knees on a bed, I could wrap my hand around her ponytail while I fucked her hard. A dozen different images flashed through my mind, each one hotter than the last. Shit, with that kind of incredible flexibility, the possibilities were fucking endless. I could feel my cock start to harden against my zipper and reached down to rearrange myself. I kept my eyes on her as she finished her workout, wiping down the mats and bending over to roll them up. My eyes were glued to her ass the entire time, mentally begging her to turn around so I could get a good look at the rest of her.

She slowly turned and used a small towel to wipe off her face, then ran it down her neck and across her chest, partially obstructing my view of what looked like a great set of tits barely contained by the sports bra she wore. I couldn't fully make out her features from here, but her body was the stuff of wet dreams. She draped the towel over her shoulder, and sauntered inside her house, so I made an effort to roll my tongue back up into my mouth and went back inside myself. The last thing I needed was for her to see me standing on Sinner's deck, staring over at her backyard like some kind of goddamned creeper.

I settled down on the couch and grabbed the TV remote, scrolling until I found a game to watch on ESPN. I was getting hungry, so I really fucking hoped Sinner and my boys got here soon so we could fire up the grill. My phone buzzed with a text message from Cowboy, and I spent the next few minutes giving him shit about missing the cookout today just so he could hang out with his new woman and his kids.

Cowboy had been my best friend for over twenty-five years, and had been married to my sister, BeBe, until she was killed three years ago during a robbery at the jewelry store she worked at. Their relationship had been rocky, mainly because my sister had not been a fan of the MC lifestyle at all. Pretty damned ironic, considering the entire family was involved with the club. Cowboy had only recently begun seriously dating again after my daughter-in-law introduced him to the principal at her school.

Molly had tried to get me to meet Michelle first and had moved on to Cowboy when I had repeatedly refused. I knew that Michelle – or any of the other women Molly had tried to set me up with – would be the kind of women who were looking for a relationship. That just wasn't my thing. Been there, done that, wasn't ever gonna fucking do it again. My seven-year marriage to my ex-wife Christy had been hell on earth, and I'd paid my dues and learned my lesson.

A little while later, I heard the familiar rumble of bikes coming down the road, and then heard Sinner's garage door open as he pulled inside. The bikes shut off as I stood up to head to the kitchen. I chucked my empty beer bottle in the trash and pulled the pan of steaks out of the fridge just as they all walked in.

"I'm glad you're all finally here. I'm fucking starving," I greeted them, then reached over to hug Molly and kiss her cheek. "Good to see you, sweetheart. You're looking pretty as ever," I told her with a wink, as Jagger rolled his eyes and shot me glare. I loved to yank his chain. I wasn't sure where they got it from, but both of my boys were jealous, possessive bastards when it came to their women. I didn't understand it, but then again, I never felt anything for their mother even close to what the two of them felt for Abby and Molly.

"Lucky texted and said he's not going to make it today. He's trying to get the paint job finished for that '61 Panhead," Rome said as he shut the front door behind him. A glance at him put me at ease. He was looking a hell of a lot better these days. He'd looked like shit for months after he'd blown his marriage up, and Abby had looked so sad it had just about broken my heart. I'd worried myself sick over both of them, and I was fucking thrilled that they were back together and were planning to get remarried in two weeks. Abby had taken the kids to a birthday party for her cousin, otherwise they would have been here today, too.

Sinner let out a low whistle of admiration. "That bike's gonna be a beauty once it's done." He grabbed the grill brush and meat tongs and handed them to Molly, then picked up the steaks. "I'll get the grill fired up so we can eat soon. Eleanor has a feast fixed for us."

I smirked at my dad as he and Molly stepped out onto the deck, then followed my boys back into the living room. They had both grabbed drinks, Sprite for Jagger and water for Rome, and we all sat down to watch the game.

"By the way, I've got a fucking bone to pick with the two of you," I groused, suddenly remembering the goddess next door. "Is there a reason why neither one of you assholes thought to mention that Eleanor's daughter is sexy as hell?"

Rome choked on the sip of water he'd just taken, and Jagger's eyes bugged out as he paused with his can of Sprite halfway to his mouth.

"What the fuck???" they said in unison, their voices rising in shock as they stared at me.

"You heard me," I retorted, not understanding their surprise at my statement. They were my sons, but it was no secret to them that I had an active sex life. Hell, they'd seen me take women up to my room at the clubhouse for years, and Jagger had even walked in on me getting a blow job back when he was a prospect. I hadn't been able to get it up for a week after that.

"You boys trying to cockblock me or something? I saw her doing yoga in the back yard a little while ago, and let me tell you, she's a fucking knockout in those tight little clothes. Shit, the things I want to do to her are probably illegal in some states."

"Uh, Prez, you…" Rome began, shaking his head in horrified bewilderment as Jagger just stared at me slack-jawed, "um, I don't think…" he continued to stammer before being interrupted.

"You fucking pervert !"

The boys and I all jumped up and whirled around at the almost inhuman screech that accompanied those words, and my eyes widened as I took in the sight of the beauty from next door – the very angry beauty from next door – and the wicked-looking knife she had pointed in my direction.

"It is most definitely illegal, in every state! My daughter is only fifteen – fifteen – you degenerate sonofabitch. If you even so much as look at her again, I'll take this knife and filet your mangy little cock from the tip to your balls. You won't have to worry about getting it up ever again, and you'll spend the rest of your life pissing in two different directions at once!" she spat furiously, jabbing the knife in the direction of my crotch to emphasize her words.

"What the fuck are you talking about, woman?" I asked in confusion, stepping back as I carefully eyed that goddamned knife she continued waving around. One part of my mind took in how sexy she looked with that flush across her cheekbones, and her glorious chest heaving with every breath, while the other part of my mind recoiled in horror as her words sank in. Pervert ? Fifteen ? Her daughter ?

I reared back in shock as I realized what she was implying, right about the time Jagger and Rome eased closer to try to calm her down.

"I think there's a big misunderstanding here, Ella. My dad wouldn't say something like that about a kid – "

"Nice try, but I heard him, Rome," she bit out, almost vibrating with rage. "I was right there in the kitchen, and I heard him say those disgusting things about my daughter," her voice broke, and she visibly tried to pull herself together as tears threatened.

"What in the holy hell is going on in here?" Sinner thundered from the kitchen doorway, and I glanced over at him quickly to see him shielding a very confused Molly behind him as he looked at the knife-wielding woman in shock. "What's wrong? Put the knife down, darlin', and tell me what's going on here," he soothed, slowly holding his hand out toward her as if settling a wild animal.

"I'm sorry, Pop, I know he's your son, but if he ever comes near my daughter, I'll gut him like a fish. I mean it," she said, the tremble in her voice making me want to wrap her in my arms and comfort her, which wouldn't exactly be a smart thing to do considering the death grip she still had on that fucking knife.

My dad flicked his eyes toward me in confusion, before concentrating his gaze on the woman in front of him. "What happened, Eleanor?"

Eleanor? Wait, what? This was Miss Eleanor , the old lady next door who cooked for him, and babysat my grandkids?

"You're Eleanor ?" I rasped. "Fuck, I thought Eleanor was an old lady! I saw you in the yard doing yoga, so I assumed you were her daughter…" my voice trailed off as the woman's eyes narrowed, and then those shitheads I'd spawned both started laughing their asses off.

She took a step back and slowly lowered the knife, her gaze bouncing from me to my sons, to my dad, and then back to me. "I don't understand," she said warily, as she shook her head slightly.

"That makes two of us, darlin'. Fill me in here. What did I miss?" Sinner asked her gently, before shooting an angry glance at me. "And if he did say something about your little girl, I'll gut him myself."

"Dammit, Sinner, you know me better than that!" I shot back, pissed that he would think for one damned second that I would say something inappropriate about a child.

"He said…um, I heard him talking about the neighbor's daughter doing yoga, and how she looked sexy, and he wanted to, um…do things, and…I thought…I mean, he said the neighbor's daughter, so I assumed he was talking about Mia like that, and she's only fifteen…" her rambling explanation trailed off as she stared at the floor, before carefully placing the knife on the end table. I noticed her hand shaking, and knew she was coming down from the adrenaline rush that she'd been riding when she first came barreling into the room.

I glanced at Sinner, who was glaring at me like he wanted to kick my ass. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to straighten out this mess without stepping on his toes. But fuck it, he was an old man. If he had the hots for this sweet piece standing in front of me, he should be fucking ashamed of himself. My mom would hop off her cloud and come down from Heaven to kick his ass up and down the block if he took up with a woman younger than me. Before I could say anything, Jagger piped up.

"Ella, babe, I think you've got it wrong here. I'm gonna guess that you are the knockout my dad mentioned doing yoga in the back yard," he told her with a smirk, before turning a shit-eating grin my way. "King, I seem to remember you bragging about how smooth you were with the ladies when I first met Molly. Gotta tell you; I'm not seeing it right now."

He and Rome both burst out laughing, and I flipped them off before turning my gaze toward the beautiful Eleanor, or Ella, as I'd heard my boys call her.

Molly giggled from her spot behind Sinner, and then Sinner choked out a laugh as well before stepping forward to wrap an arm around Eleanor's shoulder. I clenched my jaw as I zeroed in on that arm, wondering if I'd be out of line if I punched my own father.

"Eleanor," I began, and she slowly raised her gaze from the floor to meet mine. "Please believe me, I was not talking about your daughter. For some reason, I had it in my head that my dad's neighbor was an older lady, so when I saw you doing yoga earlier, I figured you must be the daughter I'd heard about."

She nodded, looking embarrassed as hell. "I'm sorry for threatening you with a knife, I just…I mean, when I heard you say those things and thought you were talking about Mia…"

"Don't ever apologize for protecting your kid, sweetheart."

She nodded stiffly, then turned to face Pop. Her back was ramrod straight, and my eyes quickly traveled down to zero in on her ass. Holy fucking shit, the view from the back was just as good as the one from the front. I shifted my stance, willing my dick to calm the hell back down. Now that the beautiful lady wasn't threatening him with a knife anymore, he thought it was time to come out to play.

"I'm so sorry, Pop," she offered quietly.

Sinner was shaking his head before she even got the words out. "King's right, darlin'. You don't need to apologize for protectin' that girl of yours. Now, why don't you stay for dinner and enjoy the delicious food you've made for us."

"I really need to get to the grocery store. Hunter is having some of the guys from the team over tonight, so I need to stock up on some things before they get here."

I knew I needed to say something to apologize for the things she'd overheard. Before I talked to her, though, I needed to find out just what the hell kind of relationship she and my dad had.

She slipped by Sinner and Molly without another word, and I heard the back door open and close seconds later.

Before I could say anything, Sinner turned to me and pinned me with a glare that would have withered the balls of a lesser man.

"What the fuck did you say about Eleanor?" He suddenly remembered that Molly was standing next to him and shot her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, darlin'."

She brushed aside his apology with a smile of her own, then motioned to Jagger and Rome.

"Why don't I help you two take care of grilling the steaks?" she suggested with a raised brow, being less than subtle about leaving Sinner and me alone to talk.

My smartass sons didn't even try to hide their snickers and grins as they followed her outside.

As soon as I heard the door close behind them, I braced myself for the conversation I needed to have with my dad.

"We need to talk, boy."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his use of the word boy . I had just turned forty-seven years old, for Christ's sake.

"What the ever-lovin' fuck did you say about Eleanor?" he demanded with a snarl.

"I think the better question is what the fuck are you doing with a woman young enough to be your daughter?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, old man," I told him pointedly.

Sinner shook his head as he chuckled.

"There's nothing like that going on with Eleanor and me. You damn well know your mama would haunt my ass if I so much as thought about going after a woman half my age."

I snorted, because he was right about that. Mom would turn into a raging poltergeist if that shit happened. There would be doors slamming on their own, dishes flying around the room, and Sinner would be lucky to escape with his life.

"Well, hell, with the way you always talk about her – she's always making food for you, and her kids are helping you – I thought she was an old lady next door that you had a thing for. Then I saw her, and she's not a fuckin' old lady after all, so what the hell was I supposed to think?"

Sinner eyed me like I was a damned idiot. Hell, maybe I was.

"I ain't looking for another woman, son. I was lucky enough to have your mama for over forty years, and that's a helluva lot more happiness than a man like me deserves."

I hated the look of guilt and sadness that was stamped on his face. I'd seen that look from him more than a few times over the years, and had seen the same damned look on Rome's face since he fucked up his marriage. Now that he and Abby had worked things out, I had hoped I'd never have to see it again.

"When Frankie left me for steppin' out on her, it changed me. I'd been a selfish, stupid motherfucker, and figured what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her." Sinner looked away then, lost in his memories. "Your mama was smart, though. She knew. She knew everything, and she just kept lovin' me, hopin' I'd realize what I was doin' was wrong, until she just couldn't take it anymore. Those are sins I'll take to my grave." His voice was gruff, and I wanted to kick my own ass for starting this conversation.

"When she finally agreed to take me back, I promised Frankie that I would be faithful to her ‘til the day I died. I didn't figure she'd go first, but life is just fucked up like that sometimes. The fact that she ain't here doesn't change anything. I promised her, and I'm gonna keep that promise. I had the best, and I don't want anybody else."

I swallowed hard, trying to ease the sudden tightness in my throat. My dad was quiet for a minute or two, before he heaved a deep sigh.

"Now, back to my original question. What the fuck did you say about Eleanor?"

I dropped my chin to my chest in defeat, before raising my head and looking him straight in the eye. "I saw her in her backyard doing yoga, and – "

Sinner barked out a laugh as he held up a hand and interrupted me. "Say no more, son. I've seen her out there. I can imagine what you said."

"What the hell?" I asked in bewilderment. "What was all that you just spouted about being faithful to Mom until the day you died?"

Sinner just laughed again as he shrugged. "I promised to be faithful. I didn't say I'd go blind."

"Tell me about her," I demanded.

"Why?" He asked warily.

"Because I want to know about the lady who pulled a knife on me."

He eyed me with suspicion, clearly trying to decide how much he wanted to tell me. After a few seconds, he started telling me what I wanted to know.

"Her name is Eleanor Chadwick. She rented the house from me almost four months ago. She's a graphic designer, divorced, and has two kids. Hunter is seventeen, on the football team at the high school. He's a good kid, respectful, helps his mama out around the house, even does a little work for me now and then. Her daughter Mia is fifteen, smart as a whip and sweet as can be. Eleanor's gonna have her hands full with that one." He shook his head as he frowned.

"She's just as pretty as her mama, and the boys are already startin' to swarm like flies, especially her brother's friends. When they come over, they spend way more time eyeballing her than they should. Hunter knocked one of his football buddies on his ass the other week for tryin' to flirt with the girl."

"Where's their dad in all this?"

Sinner shot me a look of disgust. "That cheatin', sorry-assed sonofabitch shows up just long enough to try to throw his weight around. Eleanor was lookin' to take on a side job because he did his damnedest to leave her with nothin' in the divorce but the bare minimum in child support. That fucker dragged it out, then had the goddamned nerve to take her back to court to try to get his child support lowered. He's a damned dentist, doin' those fancy veneers and shit for rich folks, so you know he's makin' money hand over fist." He punctuated his tirade by punching his right fist into his left palm, and I figured he was imagining that fist landing on her ex's nose instead.

"He lost, but she was left with a mountain of legal bills to pay. That's why she cooks for me. I pay her one hundred dollars a week, and she makes my dinners. It's a win-win, as far as I'm concerned. She gets a little extra to put toward her bills, and I'm eatin' some of the best food I've ever put in my mouth."

I listened as he explained their arrangement. He told me about the mowing and shit that Hunter and Mia had been doing, which explained why Sinner hadn't had the prospects over to take care of his yard or gutters yet this season.

He looked a little sheepish. "I've seen what people pay for cooked meals like she makes for me, and I'm gettin' one helluva deal, especially with all the extras she's always bringin' me. Don't you dare say a word to her about it, but about a month after she moved in, I lied to her. Said that I'd realized I'd put the wrong rental amount in the ad and on the lease. Told her I got that house mixed up with another one of my rentals, and that the rent was supposed to be three hundred bucks less. She argued with me, and I'm pretty sure she didn't entirely believe me, but I tore up the first lease and made her sign the new one at the lower rate."

I grinned and shook my head at the old coot and his machinations. He was getting soft in his old age, not that I'd ever tell him that. I rubbed the back of my neck to try to ease the tension that had suddenly gathered there. Eleanor sounded like one hell of a woman, and it was clear that my dad thought the world of her.

"I need to apologize for what I said about her, old man."

"You bet your ass you do. She ain't one of the club whores, or one of those damned hangarounds you're always bangin' at the clubhouse. She's a nice lady, and she damned sure better be treated like one, especially by my own flesh and blood."

"All right, I'll go next door and talk to her after we eat."

"No, let her simmer down first," Sinner commanded with a shake of his head. "She'll be busy with a houseful of teenagers tonight, and they don't need to hear whatever you need to say to her. Try tomorrow afternoon. Her ex takes Hunter and Mia to lunch on Sundays and brings ‘em home in time for dinner."

The sound of the back door opening caught my attention, especially since it was accompanied by the smell of steaks fresh off the grill.

Jagger popped his head around the kitchen doorway to let us know that the food was ready, and my stomach growled as if on command.

Thirty minutes later, I had eaten until I was miserably full. It was worth it though, because damn, the food was good. Rome and Jagger almost came to blows over the last spoonful of potato salad, and Molly was determined to ask Eleanor for the recipe for the marinade she'd used on the steaks.

Despite my full belly, I reached for one of the brownies in the container that Jagger just put on the table. I took a bite, and my eyes almost rolled back in my head as the flavor of rich chocolate, creamy caramel, and a hint of sea salt hit my taste buds. Damn, that woman has some serious skills in the kitchen.

I reached for another one, and the thought crossed my mind that I would need to add a few reps to my usual workout routine if I kept eating Eleanor's cooking. My mind drifted to other ways I could burn some calories – all starring her contorted into the various yoga positions I'd seen earlier. My cock thickened and I shifted in my seat, trying to shut down my thoughts. No way was I going to pop a hard-on at the dinner table, surrounded by my family.

When I stepped outside to leave a couple of hours later – with a baggie full of brownies that my sweet daughter-in-law smuggled to me without my dad or sons noticing – I glanced next door to Eleanor's place. I put the brownies in my saddlebag, then hesitated before swinging my leg over and mounting the bike. Sinner was right. The conversation I needed to have with his smoking hot neighbor needed to wait until her kids weren't around to overhear…especially if it ended with her pulling a damned knife on me again. Or better yet, with me kissing the hell out of her. Yeah, I liked that scenario a hell of a lot better.