"She wouldn't want me; I'm too old and ugly. She's going with Max now, anyways."

"Max will have someone new in a couple of weeks. When he breaks it off with her, ask her out. She'll go out with you."

"You think so?"

"Yes." King opened the door and went out with Henry following.

Going downstairs, he came to a full stop when he saw what was going on. Penni was sitting at the bar, surrounded by his workers who should be waiting on the men in the club or dancing.

"I better see what she wants before we don't have anyone left working for us. Send her over." King sat down at his booth, watching as Henry took Penni's arm and led her across the room.

"Hi, King." He found himself returning the unaffected smile the woman gave. Penni was as boisterous as Lily was quiet and reserved.

"Henry told me you're trying to steal my workers."

"I think everyone deserves options, don't you?"

"They have options, just none that can bring them the kind of money I can."

"So I heard. Sherri was interested until I told her the pay scale." She shrugged, unconcerned.

King noticed at that point that Ice, Jackal and Max came in through the door. They went to the end of the bar closest to his booth, unashamedly listening to their conversation.

Penni turned her head to see what King was staring at. Her blue eyes might be the same color as her brother's, but his always remained expressionless while Penni's showed every emotion she was feeling. Right now, they were spewing hatred at Jackal who was leaning sideways against the bar, facing the table with a beer in his hand.

"What can I help you with, Penni?" King drew her attention back to him.

"I heard you're going back to Treepoint."

King stiffened. "How did you hear that?"

"Vida, of course. Why? Is there a problem with me knowing?"

"I didn't want to advertise where I am moving to. It's safer for Lily that way."

Penni waved her hand, unconcerned. "You don't have to worry about that. I won't say anything. I can keep a secret." She gave him a wink.

King blasted Ice with a look for letting the information out. Colton was a member of the Predators who had obviously confided in his wife, Vida, of King's plans to leave Queen City. Ice shrugged, silently telling him Vida, Sawyer and Penni weren't his problem.

"I would appreciate it." King motioned for the bartender to bring him a drink; he had a feeling he was going to need it before he could get rid of Penni.

"Anyway, Evie left something behind for me, and I've decided I don't want it. Could you give it back to her for me?"

"Yes."

"Thanks." King watched as she then dug in her large bag. He expected her to pull out a pair of earrings, not the forty-five revolver she whipped out and slapped down on the table between them.

"Whoa," Jackal said, spilling his beer.

"Motherf.u.c.ker," Ice said, his hand going behind his back.

King lifted his hand to Ice, stopping him, while glaring at Henry to step back.

"She left it for me to use as protection, but I nearly shot my date last night when we went back to my apartment. I forgot it was under the couch cushion." Her red face told exactly how she had been reminded of its presence.

King picked it up from the table. Thankfully, the safety was on, so he simply placed it in his suit pocket.

"I'll see she gets it back." He would give it back to her along with some strong words for letting Penni have it in the first place.

"I appreciate it. I found something that will work that isn't so big." When she lifted her purse and started to look through it again, Jackal took the purse away from her.

"Give that back!" Penni yelled, beginning to get up. Instead, Jackal pushed her back in the booth, sitting down next to her while going through her purse. King saw her smug smile as he searched her purse. He raised a brow when Jackal came up empty-handed.

Penni jerked her purse back, reaching inside. When she pulled out her car keys, both men looked at them, stumped at how keys could be used as a weapon.

"You going to strangle them with the cord?" Jackal asked, amused. Her car keys hung from a nylon cord with a tiny ball at the end, wrapped in the cord.

"May I?" Penni asked him. King nodded, interested to see if she would try to use it to strangle Jackal, who was still laughing at her.

After Penni held the car keys in her hand and swung the ball at the table, Jackal quit laughing. King grabbed his drink at the thump the ball made against the table.

"If someone tries to bother me, I'll hit them with this. It's supposed to knock them out."

King closed his mouth, looking at the innocuous ball. It could be a deadly weapon if used by the right hand. King narrowed his eyes on Penni. The exuberant woman hid a vicious streak. She reminded King of a pet one of his strippers had several years ago. Sheena had a pet chimpanzee she had trained to take off her top during her act. The men had loved it. Everyone thought it was adorable right up until the moment the little f.u.c.ker had bitten off two of Sheena's fingers.

"I can see that." King reached out, picking up the ball from the table. It was a metal ball bearing underneath the wrapped cord. If swung with enough force at a man's temple, the damage could be permanent.

"So, like I said, you can tell Evie I don't need the gun," Penni said happily, picking her keys back up from the table.

King started laughing, unable to help himself. He should have known that if she was related to Shade, she would have a hidden side to her.

"What's so funny?" Penni asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. I'll give her your message."

"Thanks. Give Lily a kiss for me." When her facial expression changed instantly, King knew the two had a deep friendship.

"I want to thank you for being such a good friend to her."

"She's like a sister to me, King."

"Has she-" King cleared his throat. "Does she ever talk about me?"

"King, if you need answers from Lily, the best person to ask is her." Penni wouldn't betray any of Lily's confidences, but he had hoped to find out if she had discussed her feelings of him being in her life.

"I'll do that."

"Good. She's a special person. I'm happy she's my sister-in-law."

Penni moved to get out, yet was forestalled by Jackal, who was blocking her exit.

"Who did you go out with?" Jackal's question took the smile off Penni's lips.

"No one you would know. He's a gentleman and a law-abiding citizen, something you would know nothing about," she snapped.

Jackal gave a menacing glare. "Why would I want to be either one? The only p.u.s.s.y a gentleman sees is when he's staring in a mirror. Are you throwing up my record when your own brother-"

"Don't you dare say anything about my brother!" She leaned forward, putting her face in his. "He's a better man than you could ever be, you goon!"

Jackal's face darkened with fury. "Did you just call me a goon?"

"Something wrong with your hearing? Yeah, I called you a goon. Do you do everything Ice tells you to?" Penni blasted Ice with a furious glare. "Do me a favor and tell Jackal to go f.u.c.k himself."

"How about I stick my-" Jackal snarled, getting back in Penni's face.

"Jackal!" King gave him a warning look. "Perhaps you and Ice should go have a drink on me."

For a minute, King thought Jackal would ignore him, yet when Ice took his arm, Jackal got up, moving away. To add insult to injury, Penni wiggled her fingers "bye" at his being forced to retreat by Ice.

"I wouldn't antagonize him," King advised.

"I can handle Jackal," she said, gripping her keys tighter in her hand and then shrugging, letting the tension leave her face. "And if I can't, there's always Shade to back me up."

"He's in Kentucky," he reminded Penni. "Jackal is here in Texas."

"Don't worry, King. I plan on staying away from him." She stood up. He was startled when she reached over the table, giving him a brief hug. "Talk to Lily. Maybe she's just as nervous as you are."

"I doubt that," he said wryly.

Her bubbly laughter filled the dark club, bringing smiles to several faces.

"Take her some Chinese food. She loves it."

"Thanks for the tip."

"No problem." With that, Penni left him with the first smile he'd had on his face since before Evie had left Queen City.

Glancing over, he saw the predatory look on Jackal's face as the blonde weaved her way out of his club. The experienced biker and womanizer had no idea who he was stalking. King briefly thought about giving him a heads-up, but Sheena hadn't listened when he had warned her about that crazy chimp she had pampered and spoiled until it was too late. Therefore, if Jackal thought he was man enough to take on that woman, King could only hope he had 911 on speed dial.

"Sure you don't want to stay?" Henry asked from his side.

"I'm sure. Keep an eye on that situation." He nodded at Penni as she went out the door. "If it gets out of hand, call me."

"She'll be fine," Henry a.s.sured him.

"It's not Penni I'm worried about. Jackal has a temper, and she's used to dealing with a brother who doesn't have emotions. Jackal is a hot-head, so when she pushes him, she'll get more than she bargained for."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Henri promised. "You packed?"

"Yes, I was ready to leave a week ago." King sighed. He had one last piece of business to finish. He nodded to Ice and Jackal who took a seat across from him.

"You talk to Deacon?" King asked the president of the Predators.

"I did; I warned him to back off Desmond." Desmond had angered Deacon when he had bought a building Deacon wanted. While the two had been business enemies for the last three years, King had always managed to maintain the peace between them. However, now he was leaving, he worried Deacon would make a strike against Desmond.

"Did he listen?"

"He pretended to, even shook my hand and told me he would leave Desmond alone," Ice stated. "Do I trust his word? f.u.c.k no. I've placed a couple of my men on him, so if he tries anything, we'll be on him like Max on Sherri." The bikers laughed while Henry stiffened next to him.

King rubbed his temple. It was essential for Henry and the Predators to get along or Queen City would be out of control ten minutes after he left town.

"Max has four kids, all accidents. Desmond better not get hurt because of lack of precautions," Henry said drily.

King watched Ice and Jackal's reaction as the men gave Henry a respectful nod. His final doubt over whether Henry would be able to retain control evaporated. The bikers were aware that, with Henry and Desmond, they could keep Queen City in a stranglehold that would be lucrative to all of them.

He had chosen Henry as his bodyguard for a reason-he was able to spot trouble before it could do any damage. If the Predators and Desmond listened to Henry, he would be able to provide them with all the information they needed. The strip club catered to all walks of life, and men would let secrets drop when a beautiful woman was flashing her t.i.ts in their face.

He sat back, relaxing. He would miss his club and Queen City, but neither compared to being nearer to Evie and Lily. He was going to have to find a new challenge to keep him occupied.

Chapter 23.

As King drove through town, he saw that church service was beginning with the congregation entering the front of the Church. He didn't see Lily or Evie, so he continued on to the house he had purchased years ago.

It didn't take long to get situated. He had unpacked his suitcase before he'd tackled the job of opening the windows to let the house freshen out. He was turning from the window after opening it when movement in the house behind his caught his eye. Looking out the window, he saw Evie come out of Lily's house wearing a bikini and carrying a gla.s.s in her hand. He watched as she walked across the yard, sitting down on a lounge chair.

Why was she there? He had expected her to be at church.

Turning from the window, he went out the back door; there was no time like the present to let her know he was in town. It had been three months since he had seen her last. Three months of being away from her had taught him a valuable lesson-he didn't want to spend another day without her.

He was finally free to pursue the woman who had left him without a backward glance. He had asked Lily about Evie, but the only information she had given him had been vague and incomplete, other than she no longer worked at the factory after accepting a job at a local doctor's office as a NP.

He walked around the fence, seeing the opening between the two yards that a tree blocked.

She was lying down on the lounger on her back.

"Are you wearing any sunscreen?"

"That would defeat the purpose of lying out for a tan, wouldn't it?" Her stiff voice showed she wasn't happy to see him.

King ignored her smart-a.s.s remark, pulling a chair from the patio table to move closer to her. Taking a seat, he lazily let his eyes rove over her glistening body.