Page 67 of Dirty Like Jude
“Meet youthere.”
I hungup.
Fuckwasright.
I’d just gotten out of the shower, put on a snug black sleeveless shirt, a pair of jeans that Katie had recently informed me made my ass look “smackable,” and some cologne… Way too much effort for the guys I was now about to spend the eveningwith.
I’d been looking pretty fucking forward to seeing Roni tonight. After jerking off thinking about her last night, I’d decidedWhy bother, when I could have the real thing… Or at least, I had a chance of having the realthing.
I’d texted her this afternoon, asked her if she’d meet me tonight for dinner. She said she was busy, already had plans, but could meet me afterwards for drinks. Which was in about forty-fiveminutes.
Bane confirmed that she was home, that Talia had gone into her building and stayed for over an hour, and left about half an hour ago. So I knew Roni wasn’t lying to me or having dinner with some other guy. She’d already told me Talia was helping her out on the New Year’s Eveevent.
Right now, she was probably getting ready for our date, just like I’d beendoing.
Shit.
I tossed my leather jacket on the bed and layered on a long-sleeved fleece shirt and a hoodie instead. I’d spent the afternoon texting with Roni, back and forth, fucking flirting, and this was definitely gonna throw her for a loop. She’d probably think I was playing games. But I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about that rightnow.
Right now, I had three guys committing a serious offense—several offenses, actually—on mybehalf.
So I pulled on my Kings cut and sent her atext.
Me:Sorry, sweetheart. Can’t meet tonight. Make it up toyou.
I should’ve called her, probably, so she knew for sure I wasn’t just blowing heroff.
But I couldn’t talk to her rightnow.
Adrenaline was already coursing through my body, my heart thumping as I got on my bike and hit the road. Seventy minutes, straight out of town, to thedump.
8:33pm.
I pulled off the sketchy dirt road onto the edge of theclearing.
It wasn’t an actual dump, but just what we called the place. Was pretty sure no one even knewwhy.
The property had belonged to a long-time King, a retired brother now, for-fucking-ever, and the stories about how the dump came to be called the dump were all over the place. Jokes about dumping bodies; those were obvious. A tradition of dumping old bike parts; that was true, but not so interesting. A story about a certain King bringing all his girlfriends here for a final screw before he dumpedthem.
Dumbass shit likethat.
Wherever the name came from, it fit. This stretch of land was used for all kinds of shit, but mostly, if you didn’t have a place to do something or didn’t have a place to put something… the dump was youranswer.
It was big, secluded, private, and varied to meet your needs. It even had a few random, creepy-ass buildings, if that happened to be what youneeded.
When I pulled up in front of the shed, Maddox’s van was already parked, headlights shining on the small, weather-beaten and slightly-sunken woodbuilding.
Maddox and Con stood in the beams of light, waiting as I parked mybike.
Lex came around from the back of the shed as I got off and strode over. “This place gives me the skeevies,” hesaid.
“Then quit wanderin’ around,” Maddoxsaid.
“Had to take apiss.”
“Inside?” I nodded at the shed and Con nodded back. I started toward the door. “Keep the chatter to aminimum.”
“You goin’ in alone?” Maddoxasked.
