I relaxed against him as the bike moved again with the cue of the green light.
“Have they told you anything about this situation?” Bronx asked.
I shrugged. “No. But your blatant honesty was so nice and such a new thing to me. Thank you. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to talk about it but thank you. Thank you for trusting me with it and just… saying it. You know?”
“I’m sorry they always feel the need to keep you in the dark.”
I snickered. “They’re always pulling the wool over my eyes. I know they think they’re trying to protect me, but I’ve grown up with no real sense of who I am in the process. I mean, I know who I am. That was a dumb way of putting it.”
“I get what you mean.”
“Oh, thank heavens,” I said, giggling.
He chuckled. “I take it they really don’t approve of your field trip to San Diego, then?”
“Not one bit. My father a little more so. I think he understands my need to piece together my family. Or some semblance of a story. I don’t know, I always felt growing up like there was a part of me missing. And maybe my heart innately knew I had a sister out there somewhere. Maybe she needs me. Or maybe I need her, and I don’t know it yet. I don’t know, I just grabbed a random bag of clothes, tossed myself into my car, and came out here.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” I said.
“Well, you’re much stronger than you look if that’s how all this came about. Especially when you have to go against what your parents want. I did that all the time with my mother. She’d shout at me to stay out of her things and get out of her way whenever she needed to get her next high. And even though it killed me to go against her wishes, I knew I was doing the right thing for her. Good for you for doing the right thing for you.”
“I just wish they didn’t underestimate me so much. They’ve done that all my life. They should know that if I want answers, I’m going after them.”
“Trust me, I know the feeling of being underestimated. Happens to me all the time,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, well. You know. Being judged for having a drug-addicted mother. People assume I come from a certain side of the tracks, so to speak. They’re shocked when they realize I’m so good with numbers and finances. The stock market. Investments. Trading. All that kind of stuff.”
“Wow. That’s incredible, Bronx. I don’t know a damn thing about that kind of stuff.”
He laughed. “Most don’t. But I’ve always taken comfort in numbers. They never lie, and they always forecast a future I can depend on.”
“That’s actually very comforting. I get that,” I said.
“I figured you would.”
We pulled off onto the side of the road and a restaurant came into view. Bronx parked in a space on the side of the road, then put his kickstand down. We slid our helmets off our heads, and I tossed it back to him, watching as he tucked it away in a storage compartment underneath his own seat.
Then, he offered me his hand.
“It’s lunch time,” he said. “Figured you could show her picture around while we eat.”
“Thank you so much. I’m starving,” I said.
He led me onto the sidewalk but stopped abruptly. I turned around and looked up at him, taking in his dark brown eyes. There was a hint of a golden tint in them, especially with how the sun caught the side of his face. I wanted to reach up and cup his brown skin. Feel that strong rawhide against the palm of my hand.
“You really are stronger than you think you are,” Bronx said.
And as I smiled up at him, he slipped his arm around my waist.
Before I knew it, he pulled me against his body. Against his pulsing, virile, thick muscles. His arm clamped down around me as our lips connected, and my hands flew to his jet black hair. It was thick. Coarse. Easy to grab onto as I rose onto my tiptoes. I pressed my lips further into his, feeling myself collapsing into him.
He wrapped his other arm around me and picked me up off my feet, my entire body resting against his.
And just as our noses nuzzled together, a cell phone ringing interrupted us.
A ringer I didn’t recognize.
13
Bronx
Of course, a fucking phone call would interrupt the moment. Her lips pressed against mine. Her soft curves hugged me in every possible way. Damn it, her nose nuzzling against mine was enough to shiver every muscle of my body. And there my phone was, ringing and vibrating and cock-blocking me in ways I’d never been before.
“I have to take this,” I murmured.
I put Freya back down into her feet and she let out the softest giggle. I watched her skin flush a beautiful shade of crimson and it rushed electricity through my body. Not just to the tip of my cock, but to the bottom of my heart.
“Fuck,” I grumbled.
I pulled my phone out and saw Texas was calling. I held my finger up to Freya and watched her nod, then stepped back over to my bike. Just taking those few steps away from her was painful. Physically and mentally taxing. I couldn't get enough of her presence, and I wanted to stay in it.
But something about this phone call told me that was about to change.
“What?” I asked as I picked up the phone.
“Wow. Let’s tuck that in and listen. Yeah?” Texas asked.
“I’m with her right now. Make it quick,” I murmured.
“Stone’s calling another church meeting.”
“Tough. I’m about to go have lunch with the woman. I’ve got her opening up and talking. I really should do this lunch.”
“Fuck lunch. We’ve found some serious stuff. There’s been—”
There was shuffling around on the other side of the line. I heard Texas fighting with someone and I peeked back at Freya. She dug through her purse and I saw her pull out that photo, her eyes locked onto it. Then, something flashed behind her eyes. A sense of longing. Of urgency. Of worry. I studied her carefully, watching her shoulders slump and her cheek puff out with a long, heavy sigh.
She already felt defeated.
“Bronx!”
Stone yelling in my ear pulled me from my trance.
“Yes. Sorry. What?” I asked.
“You good? Because we don’t have a lot of time. I need you back at this lodge,” he said.
“More than you need me to sit down and keep talking with her?”
“Get back here now, or so help me God I’m stripping you of your fucking cut.”
I rolled my eyes. “You always say that. I’ll be there. But if I can’t get back in touch with Freya because I’m about to piss her off, that’s on you.”
I hung up the phone, fully frustrated with the entire situation. I mean, I got it. Stone wanted to protect his girl. But I had a girl right here that didn’t just need protection, but guidance. Help. She was worried, and with that passing look on her face in a moment of vulnerability, I knew she wasn’t here to hurt Hayley.
In the pit of my gut, I knew.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and walked back over to Freya. She looked up at me with that beaming smile, and I wondered if it was the last time I’d see it. If it was the last time I’d see those eyes change colors right in front of mine.
Then, her smile slowly faded.
“Let me guess. Work calls,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She shrugged. “Eh, it’s not that big of a deal. My father did it all the time when I was a kid. Comes with the territory of rolling with a crew.”
The sadness behind her eyes slapped me across the face. Especially with how hard she tried to hide it.
“Listen, I’m gonna call you a taxi and give him the address of a few—”
“You really don’t have to do that. I’m just going to pick up some lunch and go back to the hotel,” Freya said.
“No. Listen to me.”
I walked over and cupped her cheek, making her keep her eyes on me.
/> “Go into this restaurant and order their veggie sub. I know it sounds insane, but it’s incredible. Get a side of their macaroni and cheese, then make sure you get a tiramisu for dessert. Whatever you want to drink. Then, tell them to put it on Bronx’s tab,” I said.
“You have a tab here?” she asked, giggling.
“It’s my favorite place to eat. I promise you it won’t disappoint. Go in there and get food. I’m going to get you a cab and give the driver four different addresses for you to start showing your picture around. I’ll get the driver paid, and after—if you haven’t heard from me—they’ll take you back to the hotel.”
I bent down and kissed her forehead, hearing her sigh into my chest. She leaned into the warmth of my lips and I wrapped my arms around her. I hugged her close, soaking up her perfume and her softness one last time. Just in case this really was the only other time I’d get to interact with her.
Then, I sent her off into the restaurant.
I got on my phone and ordered an Uber for her. I waited for the driver to come around, then filled him in on what was happening. I gave him more than enough money to sit and wait around for her, then I jotted down my number and handed it to him.
“Just in case she needs to get in touch with me. Okay? You take care of her, or it’s on your head,” I said.
The driver nodded quickly and I stood there, waiting for Freya to come out with her food. And when she did, I opened the car door for her. She slid in, her smile bright and her eyes dancing between colors that made my gut turn over on itself.
Then, I closed the door and watched them drive away.
I got onto my bike and sped back to the lodge. I was pissed more than ever at Stone for doing this to me. For sending me on some wild goose chase while he was in full-blown panic mode. But it didn't matter. I was just the numbers guy. What the hell was I doing that was so important?
I pulled up to the lodge and bounded up the steps. I charged through the front door, my nostrils flared and my fists balled up. What the fuck was so important, other than confirming her backstory, that I had to be here for another church meeting instead of filtering information out of the young woman herself?
“He’s here. Say it,” Texas said.
“We found the connection,” Stone said.
“What connection?” I asked, approaching the small circle.
“Between Detective Woolf and his utter hatred for crews,” Notch said.
I paused. “Wait, seriously?”
“Still pissed we’re having church?” Stone asked.
I rolled my eyes. “You gonna tell me or do I have to suck your dick to get it out of you?”
Texas chuckled. “I like it when you’re pissed. You grow a pair when you’re pissed.”
“Yeah, because all I do is run numbers and make sure you guys are set for life outside of that. Right?” I asked.
“Wow. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Notch murmured.
“We placed some calls and did some digging. Turns out, Detective Woolf’s wife was seeing one of the Celtic Riders before she was killed,” Stone said.
I blinked. “She’s not dead.”
The circle fell silent.
“What?” Notch asked.
“She’s not dead,” Stone said.
“No. She’s not. Freya told me her mother’s still alive and well. And since the girls have two different fathers, my only assumption is that their mother is the same. So, when Freya told me the other night that her mother was still alive–”
“—it means Hayley’s mom is still alive,” Texas said.
I nodded. “So, Detective Woolf must have it out for crews because he knows his wife ran off with a crew member. Who’s probably Freya’s father. The president of the Celtic Riders.”
“Holy shit,” Notch whispered.
Stone raked his hands through his hair. “What the hell am I supposed to tell Hayley? She’s dead set on the fact that her mother isn’t dead.”
“Tell her the truth. That she’s right,” I said.
“And then what? She’s going to want answers to questions. You know, after she’s done peeling herself off the fuckin’ ceiling,” Stone said.
“I think we should let the girls meet,” Texas said.
We all panned our gazes over to him.
“I think we should, too,” I said.
“Not a chance. It’s gonna be too much on Hayley,” Stone said.
“Trust me, you’re already too much on Hayley. If she can handle you, she can handle anything,” Notch said, chuckling.
“I mean, he’s got a point,” I said, grinning.
“Enough!” Stone roared.
“No, for once, Stone, you need to listen to us. You’re way too emotionally invested in this to be thinking straight. We’ve confirmed Freya’s story. Everything she’s told us checks out. And in checking her out, we found the connection between the detective’s bitter hatred for us and the lie he’s been feeding his own damn daughter. If she feels her mother is still alive, then she needs peace of mind,” Texas said.
“And so does Freya. You guys, she’s not here to hurt Hayley. I believe she’s genuinely here to try and connect with her sister. I mean, you should have heard some of the stories about her parents. They’ve kept her in the dark about shit almost her entire life,” I said.
Stone paused. “Go on.”
“She’s from Yuma, for one,” I said.
“Where the Celtic Riders are stationed now, I found out,” Notch said.
“Right. Yes. Good. And all her life, her parents have kept her in the dark about what her father does. Now, she’s not an idiot. She knows what her father does. But she’s had to claw through the darkness and the mud in order to get to it. Hell, she’s in San Diego right now of her own volition, and the only thing her mother is telling her is that her being here and looking for Hayley is dangerous for her. Not Hayley, but Freya. Her mother still won’t fucking tell her why she shouldn't be in the area. So, if anything, Freya needs our help and protection,” I said.
“And what about Hayley, huh? What if this is dangerous for her?” Stone asked.
“Then we can keep both of them safe,” I said.
“Okay, you two. I don’t like the balled-up fists. Take some breaths and calm the fuck down,” Texas said.
I drew in a few breaths through my nose while Stone turned his back to us. I’d never seen him so rattled. So frazzled. So… off-kilter before.
“What are you not telling us?” I asked.
“I’ve told you everything!” Stone roared.
He lunged at me and Texas stepped in the way. Notch grabbed my arm and ripped me back, pulling me away from Stone’s flying fist. Oh, hell no. There was something he was hiding from us. And I didn’t appreciate being sent on all these fucking wild goose chases if he wasn’t going to give us all the information he was working with.
Texas whispered with him as Notch got in front of my face.
“Just tone it down. He’s working through some shit,” he murmured.
“We all are, asshat,” I said, ripping my arm away from him.
“Okay. Look. If we can’t even agree on the girls meeting, then the only other option we have is to reach out to the Celtic Riders,” Notch said.
Texas and Stone turned around, looking at us as my face scrunched up.
“What, just call them up?” I asked.
Notch shrugged. “Why not? We know where they’re located. It won’t take much for me to track them down. We call and, between us and them, figure out what’s best for the girls and this entire fucked up situation.”
“No doubt they’ll already know what happened with their mother and the detective. Since the man who’s the president is in the middle of all this shit anyway,” I said.
Texas sighed. “It’s actually not a bad idea. It would keep us in their good graces. And work well toward a favor or two along down the line, which we’re going to need to fix the rest of this bullshit.”
Stone gro
und his teeth together. “Motion to contact the Celtic Riders and fill them in, raise their hands.”
We all quickly shot our hands into the air before Stone nodded.
“Motion passed. Under one condition,” he said.
Texas grumbled. “What?”
“Hayley, Ella, and Keva come and stay here. In the lodge. So we can easily protect them,” Stone said.
“And what about Freya’s protection?” I asked.
Everyone fell silent and I snickered.
“Wonderful. Save one sister and string the other out to dry. Nice to know that’s how we work,” I murmured.
“You know that’s not—”
“Dismiss church so I can get the hell out of here and make sure she’s okay. You know, since I’m the only one that seems to give a shit about it,” I said.
“Bronx, that’s not what—”
“Now!” I roared.
I expected Stone to be upset, but he looked more impressed than anything.
“Okay, then. Church dismissed,” Stone said.
And before the man could even snap his fingers, I charged out the door and back to my bike. Ready to get back to Freya and do whatever the hell I could in order to keep her safe until the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place.
14
Freya
We ended up going to the places Bronx told the driver to go to, and I ate in the back of his car. And Bronx was right. Holy hell, that place had good food. I inhaled the veggie sub, which had every single fresh vegetable on it I could have imagined. The macaroni and cheese was to die for. And my stomach was so full I could hardly move. But it didn’t chisel away at my disappointment for not running into anyone who knew who this woman in the picture was.
The Lost Boys MC Series: Books 1-4 Page 39
