Uncover Me

  My life felt surreal. One minute, I thought Blue was gone forever and I’d been left to a dead-end life with no hope for change. Then wham! He was back and asking me to run away with him.

  My head had spun when he’d told me the truth about himself. I’d never had an idea that he was an undercover cop and not a true biker. The last thing I would’ve thought was that he had an entire family, a huge house, and a different life altogether.

  We all hide bits of ourselves, things we don’t want others to know, but I hadn’t thought that this was what he’d kept hidden from me. My secret was my full name. No one knew it. I kept that shit hidden away, the only thing I could keep just for myself. They saw my body, but they didn’t know all of me. I knew it was stupid, but when you take your clothes off for a living, you want to keep something from the masses. At least I did.

  Besides my mom, whom I barely spoke to, and my dad, who was now deceased, no one knew the real me—no one besides Thomas. My mom didn’t give a shit about me. She never had. It was all about becoming an old lady and hopping in the bed of her next victim. When the members of the MC had been arrested, she hadn’t even bothered to call me. She’d vanished too, probably on to her next victim.

  I sat on the couch, riffling through a magazine, as Thomas made a phone call to James. I’d had enough sitting around since I’d arrived here five days ago. I couldn’t remember a day in my life when I hadn’t worked. It was what I did; it was who I was. But not anymore.

  Stopping on a page, I stared at an article about education. Teaching would be an amazing career, filled with rewards and children. I wanted to do something that felt like I was making a difference. My only fear was that someone would find out about my past and use it against me. How horrifying would that be if, at conferences, a father walked in and recognized me? The thought of it turned my stomach and had me flipping the page.

  “Yeah, I think it’s a great idea,” Thomas said as he walked behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. Giving it a light squeeze, he continued to speak. “I think we should get a business plan together as soon as possible.”

  I looked up, smiling at him. I was envious of their ability to pull shit together. I had a world of possibilities, but each one made me freeze up with panic. Every job and career had pitfalls, but it all came back to being recognized. It was stupid, really, because the likelihood was low, but I couldn’t shake the fear.

  “Come over and we can discuss it further and maybe grab a bite to eat.” Sitting next to me on the couch, he pulled my magazine down and smiled at me. It was warm and genuine, and it made me feel instantly calm. He had that ability. Then he covered the phone and whispered, “Is that okay, Angel?”

  I nodded, not minding a little company. Plus, I could use a little change of scenery. I had become used to a lot of people around, and this week, Tommy and I had lain low. Now I was ready to bust out of the house. Company would be fabulous, even if they were only going to talk business.

  “Izzy?” Thomas asked James, his eyes darting to mine. Meeting his sister, the one I’d heard a lot about, would probably be best one on one. If she hated me, at least I’d know before having to be subjected to the entire family. “Yeah, bring Iz. The girls can get to know each other,” Thomas said, leaning back in the couch and setting his hand on my foot.

  Stroking the top of my foot with his thumb, he continued to talk business and plans. I tried to tune it out, silently freaking out about meeting a member of his family. Fuck. I can’t cook either. Maybe we could order a pizza or something, because cooking for an Italian family wasn’t something I felt comfortable with now—and I probably never would.

  After ending the call, he tossed the phone on the loveseat, giving me his full attention. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  Turning his body, he grabbed my feet and placed them in his lap. Continuing his light stroke, he looked at me with soft eyes. I loved the blue. I could get lost in the endless shades that changed slightly every day.

  I closed the magazine, dropped it to the floor, and let myself sink down in the couch. “Yeah. I have to meet your family sometime. I figure if she hates me, the rest of the family will too, and at least we’ll know ahead of time.” I stared at my hands, which were resting against my abdomen.

  “Angel,” he said, now gripping both of my feet in his large hands. “Look at me.”

  I raised my eyes to him but didn’t dare speak. His mouth was set in a firm line, devoid of playfulness and joy.

  “They’re going to love you. I told them a little about you on Sunday. My parents were overjoyed, and my siblings were curious.”

  “Please tell me—”

  He held up his hand. “I would never. They know the basics. That I met you while undercover and that I’m in love with you. They can be overwhelming, but they’re going to love you as much as I do.”

  His words made my insides warm. Professing his love and the future love of his parents had my body humming with excitement.

  “Will Izzy like me? Fuck. Sisters can be the hardest to impress.”

  He laughed, brought my foot to his mouth, and touched his lips to the side. “She’s going to flip when she meets you. My sister has always hated having so many brothers, so she’ll look at you as a possible trump card to equalize the males in the room. She’s loud and talks her mind, but I have no doubt my little sister will embrace you with open arms.”

  “I can’t cook.” I felt like I was making excuses to back out of the evening I’d just agreed to.

  “We’re going to order Chinese. No cooking tonight for either of us.”

  “But isn’t that against the family rules or something?”

  He held out his hand to me. “Come here, Angel.”

  I didn’t hesitate. Sitting up, I crawled into his lap, resting my head on his shoulder. He held my body, one arm behind my back and the other clutching my legs as he stroked my knee.

  “We don’t have rules. The only things that are required in this family are love and devotion. My ma is the one who does the cooking, and I’m sure she’d teach you someday if you’d like that. Tonight we’ll go out for Chinese. I don’t want to waste the evening cleaning the kitchen and all that shit. We’re going to have some fun tonight.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, tilting my head to stare into his eyes.

  Planting his lips against my forehead, he inhaled deeply, giving me a gentle kiss. “Don’t ever fear anything when you’re with me. I’ll never do anything that will make you uncomfortable. If you don’t want James and Izzy to come over, just say the word and I’ll cancel it.”

  I didn’t want him to do that. I had to get over the hump. Start meeting the family and crawling out of my safety net of this house and the cocoon we’d lived in this week.

  “No, I’m really okay with it.” Even if my insides were a jumbled mess of nerves, I knew it was the right time.

  “Do you want to meet my family Sunday? I know my ma would be so happy to meet you.”

  My lips trembled, and the thought of it made my eyes water. “I don’t know,” I whispered, bringing my hand up to rest against his cheek. I swiped my fingers against his freshly shaven skin, enjoying the closeness.

  “Let’s see how tonight goes. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

  “I promise,” I said, bringing my lips to his chin and peppering him with kisses.

  “What time are they coming?” I asked, still in my pajamas even though it was almost two in the afternoon.

  “Five,” he replied.

  When he adjusted my body, I felt his cock harden underneath my ass. Wiggling my bottom, I made him groan and make another adjustment, which resulted in his almost lifting me from his legs.

  “Five? Fuck, that’s early for dinner, love.”

  “Yeah, but we’re going to talk and then go to dinner later.”

  My mouth formed an O. I was happy that we’d be going to a restaurant. “Well, that gives us a couple of hours to waste.” I smiled up at him, giving him a se
xy wink.

  “Angel, when I get to feast on your body, it’s never a waste.” He stood, lifted me in his arms, and headed for the stairs.

  “A couple of hours?” I asked, swallowing hard and feeling my insides quiver.

  The man had an appetite for sex that was larger than most men I’d been with. He wasn’t a selfish lover, having given me more orgasms in an evening than I’d thought was humanly possible.

  “I’m going to make it impossible for you to think of anything but how I feel inside you. I’m going to eat your pussy until you beg me to stop, and then I’m going to fuck you again until you can’t form a thought,” he said, taking the last step and heading toward the bedroom.

  “I kinda like the sound of that,” I said, giggling as he carried me.

  The last thing I wanted to do was worry and pace the floor for the next three hours. There was no better way to spend an afternoon than in Thomas’s bed, wrapped in his arms, with his beautiful cock inside me.

  As I stood on shaky legs, I tried to finish my eyeliner before the doorbell rang. My entire body felt like jelly after having spent the last two hours in every position imaginable. I hadn’t even had time to be nervous about meeting his sister, and putting my makeup on had become a chore.

  Ding, dong.

  “Fuck,” I muttered, taking one last look in the mirror before tossing my black eyeliner in the drawer. Running my fingers through my hair, I brought my face closer to the mirror and gave it one final look. “It’ll have to do.” My auburn hair was crazy. I didn’t have time to straighten it, and after the last few hours in bed, it needed it.

  I smoothed out the black sweater I was wearing, trying to find something to make my features stand out and not wash away my pale skin. I was wearing my favorite pair of Miss Me jeans with a fleur-de-lis on the pockets and a pair of five-inch, black, strappy high heels to match my sweater, which hung off one shoulder, showing just the right amount of skin to be sexy but not slutty.

  I could hear talking coming from downstairs and a female voice laughing and loud. Without a moment to spare, I left the bedroom and headed down the hallway. Then I stopped before hitting the steps, took a couple of deep breaths, and counted to five. I can do this.

  Walking down the stairs, I saw a beautiful woman hugging Thomas with a giant smile on her face. Then she looked up, capturing me in her gaze.

  “There she is,” she said, pulling away from him before moving toward the bottom step.

  Please don’t let me trip. My knees still felt weak from the sexathon.

  She held out her arms, waiting for me, as I took the last step on shaky legs. Smiling, I attempted to hide my inner turmoil and stood straight, showing no fear.

  “It’s so good to meet you,” she said, wrapping her arms around me as soon as I was close enough.

  I froze for a moment, locking eyes with Thomas. His face broke out into a gigantic smile—this was probably the happiest I’d ever seen him. His eyes twinkled as the corners crinkled, brilliant blue shining from them.

  “You too,” I whispered, finally returning her embrace.

  “I promise I don’t bite,” she said in a soft voice. “But don’t ask James. He’ll say I do.” She chuckled, released me, and turned toward James, giving him a quick wink.

  I moved toward Thomas’s side, holding my hand out to James. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  He grabbed my hand, pulling it to his lips. “It’s great to meet you finally.” He gave me a tiny kiss and looked at me with a smile

  “Finally?” I asked, caught off guard by his words and the kiss. Swallowing hard, I waited for the shoe to drop. I figured the family would have to find out someday, but I wasn’t ready to start dealing with my past yet.

  “Yeah. I knew you were his girl while he was with the MC. I was his handler, and I knew his movements and people he spent time with.”

  I wanted to crawl inside Thomas and escape. It must’ve been written on my face, the panic and fear that started in my stomach and began to spread throughout my body.

  “Oh,” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off him or remove my hand from his grasp.

  Thomas coughed, breaking my trance. “Want a drink, Izzy?”

  “Fuck yeah. I’m parched, big brother.”

  They left James and me alone, standing in the foyer, as they headed to the kitchen. I started to pull my hand away, but James held it tightly.

  “Angel, don’t worry,” he said. “We all led different lives. It’s in the past. I have more secrets than a diary. Shit isn’t getting beyond Thomas and me.”

  I just stared at him, blinking, still frozen.

  “We’re all starting with a clean slate. Izzy doesn’t know shit, and no one else will until you feel the time is right. If you ever feel the time is right. Don’t give a second thought to the Gallos, either. They’re good people. They welcomed me in like one of the family and they’ll do the same for you.” He squeezed my hand, trying to give me reassurance.

  Family. It was a foreign word to me. I didn’t even know what it would be like to be part of one.

  “Thank you,” I said on a shaky breath, feeling relieved that he said that he’d keep my secret and everything would be okay.

  “How about a drink, Angel?” James asked, releasing my hand to guide me toward the kitchen with his hand on the small of my back.

  Usually, I’d take the gesture as a sexual one, but maybe he felt my hesitation and inability to move. “I could use one or ten.” I laughed, feeling some of the pressure release from my shoulders. If Thomas trusted James, I would have to do the same.

  “James, leave the girl alone,” Izzy teased, pouring a glass of wine. “Don’t listen to him. He acts all big bad wolf, but I know how to tame the beast.” She held the glass out to me, a playful smile on her face.

  “Izzy, I don’t want to hear about James’s beast. Ever.” Thomas glared at her, grabbing the bottle of wine and then filled three glasses on the counter.

  “I’m just fucking happy she called it a beast,” James told Thomas as he swiped a glass and wrapped an arm around Izzy’s shoulder.

  “No more dick talk. Let James and me talk some business, and then we can go to dinner.”

  I nodded, sipping the red wine and trying not to worry about being left alone with his sister. Maybe she was one of those girls who was nice when necessary and then turned into a viper when left alone. I had experienced a lot of them as a dancer. Girls could be so shitty to each other for no reason. I prayed that she wasn’t like that, that her kind, playful nature was the true Izzy.

  “You two go talk, and Angel and I will get to know each other better. We’ll go in the living room and give you boys some private time.” She stood on her tiptoes, giving James a kiss before motioning for me to follow.

  I smiled at Thomas, joining Izzy in the living room. She plopped down on the couch, somehow not spilling a drop. “You didn’t want to stay and listen to their boring shit, did you?”

  “Nah. They’re going to talk about work. I’d rather have some girl time,” I replied, sitting on the other end of the couch.

  “Girl talk is my favorite. I have been surrounded by dicks my entire life.” She laughed. “Do you love my brother?” she asked, not beating around the fucking bush.

  “Yeah, I do. He’s the first person I’ve ever loved.” My face heated; I was embarrassed for admitting it.

  “Wow. James is the first man I’ve ever loved. So, are you going to marry him?” She smiled, bringing the glass up to her lips and staring at me over the rim.

  “We haven’t talked about it.” I twirled the glass in my hand and wondered if he would ever ask someone like me.

  “Sorry. I get a little ahead of myself. Jesus, growing up in a house with four brothers, I swear to shit that all I wanted was a sister. No house should ever be that unbalanced.”

  “Yeah,” I said, laughing at the torture they’d probably put her through. I didn’t know from my own experience, but I’d heard that brothers were usually over
protective, and no woman wants to feel outnumbered.

  “You don’t even know the half of it. When all I wanted to watch was The Care Bears, we were stuck watching The Dukes of Hazzard reruns because they all wanted to stare at that brunette’s ass. It was horrible. Finally, the numbers are starting to balance out. Suzy, my brother Joe’s wife, and then Mia, Mike’s girlfriend, have helped bring the numbers closer together.”

  “You’re into this, huh?”

  “Girl, you have no idea. It’s been over twenty years of their bullshit and I’m ready to break the cycle. Suzy is having a baby in a couple of months and I’m praying that it’s a damn girl. I want to buy dresses and shit with lace.”

  I smiled at her and made the decision that I really liked Izzy Gallo.

  “I hope I get to meet them all someday.”

  “Well, my ma is dying for you to come to dinner this weekend. Any time she sees a new girl, she immediately thinks babies. So be prepared.”

  I swallowed hard, trying not to focus too much on her words, but they gnawed at me. “Have there been many girls?” I asked before taking a very large sip of wine. It was more like a gulp, but I didn’t polish off the glass.

  “Oh, no. No one ever brings someone home unless they know they’re the one.”

  “The one?” I asked, choking on the wine.

  “Yeah. I never brought a man to Sunday dinner. Technically, I didn’t bring James either. He just showed up. His ass is like a fly I can’t get rid of. He made himself at home.” She sighed before bursting into laughter. “I think they like him sometimes more than they like me.”

  I laughed too and then thought about being the one.

  “If Tommy brought you home and wants to introduce you to everyone, then you’re it for him.”

  “I don’t know. I’m trying not to get ahead of myself here, Izzy.” I took a deep breath, blowing it out on shaky lungs.

  “Just let it sink in. I can see by the look in his eyes how much he loves you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother look at a woman the way he looks at you.”

  A small smile spread across my face, my cheeks heating as she stared at me. “Maybe,” I muttered, downing the last drop of the wine and wishing there were another bottle sitting on the coffee table.

  “I’ll get another,” she said like she was a mind reader, patting my knee and standing.

  “Great,” I replied, watching her walk from the room. I slumped into the couch. “Holy fuck,” I whispered, letting the knowledge that I was possibly the one for Thomas sink in.

  Saying that you love someone and planning out a lifetime are two entirely different things. I knew he was fabulous. I’d be crazy if I didn’t want to be his wife. Why would this amazing man, who was filled with love, sexy as hell, and doing well for himself, want a girl like me? I wasn’t anything special. I wasn’t a runway model, I didn’t have money in the bank, and I sure as fuck didn’t have an education. I didn’t see much upside to me.

  What the hell did he see?

  Chapter 15

  “I don’t know, James.” I looked up, seeing Izzy coming into the room. “Hey. How’s it going out there?”

  “Fantastic. Just needed another bottle of wine.”

  “Don’t get drunk before dinner.” I sounded a bit like my pop, but I didn’t want to have them pass out on us before we ate. Wine was the worst shit to get drunk on—the hangover was nasty.

  “Okay, Dad. You boys worry about you, and Angel and I will talk about you and drink. Shush it.” She grabbed the spare bottle of wine on the counter and the corkscrew and stuck her tongue out before disappearing.

  “I don’t know how you put up with her sometimes. You must have the patience of a saint.” I laughed, knowing exactly how mouthy and outspoken my sister could be.

  “I have my ways, Thomas. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  “Fuck. I don’t want to know.”

  “Back to business. I put in a few calls, and I think it’s our best option. Neither of us wants to go back into law enforcement. We’re both unemployed and have more skills than half of the local sheriff’s department. I think it’s a killer idea.”

  “So, we’re going to be private investigators?”

  “We can be our own bosses. Hire some employees to handle the shit like computer work and phones. I think it’s the best fucking idea. You have a better one?” James asked, pushing the half-empty glass of wine away.

  I thought about it for a moment. I’d spent the last couple of days wondering what I’d do now that I didn’t have to go back to work for the DEA. Working at