Thrill Seeker (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 5)

by Winter Travers

  I glared at Rhino. “You’re losing your fucking mind if you think that shit is funny.”

  Rhino shrugged and pulled out of the parking. “Gotta laugh, brother, and just accept what life throws at you.”

  Pfft. I was a fucking expert at that.

  Deedra had blindsided me three years ago, and I had made it through that. I never thought that I would actually see her again, but life had a funny way of bringing shit around full circle.

  I just wished it could have left Deedra out of it.

  She was messing with my head all over again, and just like before, I was in a tailspin trying to figure out how to deal with it.

  A woman had never messed me up as much as she did.

  Damn her and damn all of these girls for dragging me to this cat shelter. This was not the shit I had signed up for.

  The sooner we got this bullshit over with, the sooner I could barricade myself in my room and get back to drowning out memories of Deedra.

  *

  Chapter Six

  Drowning in pussy…

  Deedra

  “I’m not holding a cat.”

  Pat cradled the tiny gray cat in his arms. “It will help with viewers. People love animals.”

  I shook my head. “With my luck, something will startle the little guy, and he’ll decide to claw his way up my face. No.”

  I didn’t have anything against cats, but I didn’t want to hold one while doing my job. The goal today was to get some shots of the cats, report my story, and then get the hell out of here. If all went to plan, I would head over to Main Street to cover the pothole story, too. How hard was that going to be?

  “Just hold the cat, Deedra. Try to look like you actually have a heart. The story about the kidnapped boy gave viewers a glimpse into you having a soul. This will tip you over the edge into actually being a human.” Pat pushed the cat into my arms and smiled. “Look like you’re having fun. This is a fun story.”

  “I have a heart,” I grumbled. I just didn’t need to wear it on my sleeve when I was doing my job. I needed to report the facts, not be a bleeding heart.

  “Just hold little Hulk and back up a bit to the cages.” Pat retreated a few steps and hoisted the camera onto his shoulder.

  I shuffled back and firmly held the cat in my arm. “If this thing so much as looks at me wrong, Pat, I’m out.” I was not above tossing the cat to Pat and booking it back to the van.

  Pat laughed. “It’s a stray cat, Deedra, not a wild tiger.”

  I looked down at the cat. “We’ll see about that. Don’t make me go Carol Baskin on you, Pat.”

  “She totally killed her husband,” said a voice from the right.

  My eyes darted toward it, and my jaw dropped.

  Queenie stood there along with Kimber and two other girls.

  And Point.

  Fucking hell. Why?

  “She did.” Another guy stepped into the group. “You made me watch that bullshit.”

  “You liked it, Rhino,” the woman whined to the guy I didn’t know.

  Rhino shrugged and tossed his arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Only because you ended each episode with a little happiness.” He wiggled his eyebrows and pulled the woman close.

  “Eww,” Queenie sneered. “I do not need to hear about the sexcapades between you and Petra.”

  “It’s better to walk in on them in the laundry room, right, Queenie?” Kimber laughed.

  Queenie held up her middle finger to Kimber. “We agreed to never talk about that, didn’t we?”

  Kimber hitched her finger to the woman next to her. “I’m pretty sure Fancy and I never made a promise like that.”

  Pat’s head bobbed from person to person as they bickered back and forth. I did the same.

  Things were always interesting when this group of people were around. Point was the only one who hadn’t said a word yet.

  His eyes were trained on me, and his lips were pressed into a grimace. He didn’t look too happy to see me. The feeling is mutual.

  “Are you getting that cat?” Petra asked.

  My eyes darted down to the cat. “Uh, no. I’m just using it.”

  Rhino snickered. “How exactly do you use a cat?”

  Pat chuckled. “I’m trying to make her seem more friendly.”

  “Pat,” I hissed. “I’m friendly, dammit.” He didn’t need to announce to everyone I wasn’t exactly a hit with the viewers.

  Petra stepped forward and petted the cat on his head. “What’s his name?”

  “Uh, well, Pat called him Hulk.” I didn’t know if that was really its name or if Pat had just made it up.

  “Hello there, li’l Hulk,” Petra cooed. “I think you could make anyone friendly, right?” Petra’s eyes snapped to me. “I don’t mean you’re not friendly. I just mean he’s so cute and even the bitchiest…” Her words trailed off, and she ducked her head sheepishly. “I’m going to stop talking.”

  Did I really come off as that big of a bitch? I was a bit reserved, but I wasn’t bitchy. “Uh, I know what you mean. He’s a cute…thing.” Yeah, maybe I came off a bit standoffish, which could maybe seem bitchy. Maybe.

  “Are you doing a story on the shelter?” Petra asked hopefully. “I got the text about the adoption drive today and had to come. If this hits the news I’m sure tons more people will come down and adopt.”

  I nodded and held out the cat to her. She seemed way more comfortable with Hulk than I was. “Uh, that’s the plan.” Marty had mentioned the shelter had reached out to the station hoping we would cover the adoption drive.

  She willingly took him and cradled the cat to her chest. “He’s such a little guy.”

  “No, Petra. You are not going to get a cat,” Rhino droned.

  Petra winked and pressed a kiss to Hulk’s tiny head. “That’s what he thinks,” she whispered. “You’re the one I saw a little bit ago at the last Book Club.”

  “Is that the little guy you were eyeing up before Queenie got shot?” Kimber asked. “Small freaking world that Deedra was using him. I mean, petting him.” Kimber snorted but gave me a wink. “I only tease the ones I like.”

  “You know him?” I asked. What were the odds that the cat Pat had pulled from the shelter was one Petra wanted?

  Petra nodded. “Yup. It’s him, and he is coming home with me.” She smiled at Rhino. “Today.”

  Rhino growled but didn’t say no.

  Petra pressed a kiss to the cat’s forehead and then handed him back to me. “First, he needs to be on camera with you, though. Hulk will totally make you less bitchy.”

  “Petra,” Fancy laughed and turned toward me. “We don’t actually think you’re a bitch.”

  Point scoffed.

  That hurt more than it probably should.

  Of course, he thought I was a bitch.

  “I’ll just need him for five minutes, and then you can get back to cuddling him.”

  Petra stepped back to her friends, and Pat focused the camera on me. He counted me in, and my mask of apparent bitchy professionalism slipped into place. “If you’ve ever thought about bringing home a furry kitten, now is the perfect time,” I rattled off.

  Petra and her friends watched me for a few seconds before fading back into the shelter looking at all of the cats available for adoption. All of them except for Point.

  His arms were folded over his chest, and a grumpy grimace graced his lips.

  I ran through my story, all the while knowing Point was watching me with unwavering eyes.

  Hulk thankfully stayed relatively still in my arms and didn’t cause a ruckus at all. At least, he was one less thing I needed to worry about.

  “That’s good,” Pat called. “I’m going to get some more shots of the cats. Maybe we can talk to one of the volunteers, too,” he suggested.

  I nodded. “Way ahead of you on that one. One of the volunteers said she’d talk to us when we’re ready.”

  Pat nodded and wandered away to get some more footage.

 
Point’s eyes were still on me, and I had no idea what to do or say.

  “Really reporting on the big stories, huh?” he drawled.

  I rolled my eyes and tamped down the urge to throw the cat at him. “I’m pretty sure Petra and your friends think the overcrowding of the animal shelter is a big story.” A lame reply, but he wasn’t wrong about this assignment.

  “If it’s got four legs and fur, those girls will be all over it. Or, if booze is involved, they’ll be all over it, too.”

  I nodded and stroked Hulk’s back. “Sound like my kind of people. At least, with the whole booze thing.”

  Point smirked. “Then, you’d definitely fit into their Book Club.”

  “I’ve been invited, remember? Not too sure you would be okay with me taking them up on that offer, though.” I wasn’t about to butt my way into Point’s world any more than I already had. I was sure Kimber had just invited me before so she could get the scoop on Point and I.

  Point shrugged. “The prez’s ol’ lady invited you. Not my place to tell you not to come. I’d have Quinn on my ass for pissing her off.”

  “You actually caring if you piss someone off,” I laughed. “I didn’t think I would ever see the day.” Point was very much laidback and did whatever he wanted without anyone’s permission.

  He unfolded his arms and shrugged. “Lot of things have changed since you walked out on me.”

  “Is that how this conversation is going to go?” I didn’t feel like hashing out everything in the middle of an animal shelter. I didn’t need him to throw the fact I walked out on him in my face all of the time. I know what I did, I didn’t need to be reminded of it.

  “Figure I need to take advantage of the time I have with you.” He smirked. “Three years, I don’t see you, and then suddenly, you’re in my face two times. For all I know, I may see you again soon, or it might be another three years.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You act like I’m purposely trying to see you.” Hulk fidgeted in my arms. “And for the record, today I was here before you showed up.”

  When I stepped foot in the cat shelter, I never would have thought that I would see Point here. This was the last place I ever thought he would show up.

  “You’re in my town, Deedra,” he drawled.

  “You own the town of Whitmore?” I laughed. “And for the record, I’ve been here for over a year. Your bike club didn’t even exist back then.”

  “What do you know about the Kings of Vengeance?” he asked.

  “I did my research before coming to the clubhouse. Not a lot of information out there, but I know it was a little fishy how the Kings came to be after another local MC happened to blow up.” I had connected the dots and figured the Kings had kicked the Devil’s Rebels to the curb.

  Point chuckled. “Funny how that happened. Must just be a coincidence.”

  Hulk crawled up my shoulder and cuddled my neck. “That must be what it is.”

  I wasn’t lying when I said there wasn’t much information on the Kings. It wasn’t like there were news stories about the club or anything. I had to comb through a lot of information to piece together what I had.

  “So, you gonna keep popping up where I am?” he asked.

  “You’re such an ass, Point. I remember you being sort of cocky, but I always thought you kept your ego in check.” I placed a hand under Hulk’s butt and gave him a gentle squeeze. I may not have been a cat person when I walked into the shelter, but Hulk proved to be a good kitty.

  “Like I said, things change.” He glanced to the side. “People change.”

  Evidently. “Well, I better get back to work.”

  “You’re not wondering why we keep getting thrown together, Dee? Why in this big town, you and I seem to keep running into each other?”

  I stepped toward him and held out Hulk. “It’s just coincidences, Point.”

  He grabbed the cat with his large hands, and Hulk seemed even smaller. “Or maybe it’s a sign that you and I need to iron out whatever shit there is between us.”

  “You always were a sap for fate, weren’t you, Point?” I laughed. Maybe there was a little bit of the guy I used to know in there. On more than one occasion, he had said it was fate that had brought us together at the Halloween party. Fate was also responsible for me walking out on our marriage then.

  “I just believe things happen for a reason.”

  I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Well, maybe you’re right, but I think things just happen.”

  I sidestepped around Point, but his hand darted out. He gently grabbed my arm and pulled me to his side. Hulk purred loudly against Point’s chest and stared up at me. Traitor.

  “We need to talk, Deedra. We’re not leaving things the way they are. We’re still married, after all.” Where did the grumpy jerk go? I could deal with him much better than nice Point.

  “And one piece of paper can fix that.”

  He leaned toward me. “You mean the piece of paper you said you would take care of three years ago?”

  “Yeah, that one.” I was a little too busy chasing my dreams to take my ass to the courthouse and legally end things between us. That didn’t mean anything.

  “Well, maybe we should talk before you walk your ass to the courthouse, yeah?”

  “Point,” I whispered.

  His eyes connected with mine. “You owe me that, Deedra. I want to talk. That’s it.”

  I was worried that talk wouldn’t go the way it did three years ago and I wasn’t sure how to handle that. I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Fine, whatever. If that’s what you want.” I didn’t know what he wanted from me. I didn’t know half of what I felt, and he expected me to sit down and talk to him? Yeah, good luck with that.

  “Tomorrow night, Mel’s Diner. Eight o’clock,” he rattled off.

  “That’s kind of close to my bedtime.” The saying was true—the early bird got the worm, and I lived by that. At least, when I worked the next morning. “Make it six.”

  Point laughed. “Eight, Dee. I’m calling the shots.” He turned on his heel, Hulk in his arms, and headed in the direction of Kimber and the girls.

  I sighed, thankful Point wasn’t within five feet of me anymore.

  Tomorrow night wouldn’t be the same, though.

  Point wanted to talk, and I wasn’t even sure I would be able to string two words together that made sense. Three years ago, I couldn’t, and I knew right now I wouldn’t be able to.

  “Yo, Deedra. Let’s get that other interview,” Pat called from the front of the shelter.

  I pulled on the hem of my shirt and sighed. Right now, I had a job to do and couldn’t worry about Point or what he wanted to talk about. I slowly made my way over to Pat and pasted a smile on my face.

  When I came to the shelter, all I had anticipated was petting some kittens and getting my story. Now I had slightly gushy feelings for a little cat named Hulk and a date with Point.

  Yeah, not what I planned at all, yet here I was.

  *

  Chapter Seven

  Three choices…

  Point

  “Church.”

  “Oh, man,” Sledge groaned. “What the hell is going on now, Quinn?”

  “Yeah,” I laughed. “Your tone sounds like there is some more shit about to be rained down on us.” It would be nice to have a few weeks where we weren’t trying to solve all of the world’s problems. Kidnapped ol’ ladies, psycho serial killers, and a dead cat were more than enough craziness the past few months.

  “You fuckers do know we have things we need to be doing and can’t just stand around all day with our thumbs up our ass, right?” Quinn growled.

  Core held up both his thumbs. “I don’t know about anyone else, but these guys are nowhere near up my ass.”

  Dyno scoffed and shook his head. “You’re an idiot.”

  Core shrugged. “Whatever, man. I’m just stating a fact.”

  “We gotta talk about the strip club. Just get your asses to church.” Quinn stalked down t
he hallway to church, mumbling under his breath.

  “You really think there isn’t anything going on?” Sledge asked.

  I grabbed an apple off the table and polished it on my shirt. “Who the fuck knows? It’s been quiet since the whole Gunner kidnapping. Maybe we’ve dealt with enough shit, and now, we’re gonna have smooth sailing.”

  “We can fucking hope,” Zephyr mumbled. “I’m keeping my head down and just praying all we have to do is hire some strippers and get some asses in the seats.”

  “You really think that’s all we’re going to have to do?” Dyno laughed. “We gotta fucking have a place for the chicks to dance in first. As of right now, we got nothing.”

  Sledge led the way down the hallway to church. “But what we do have is a hefty fucking debt to the Royal Bastards that is just waiting for us to fucking pay on it.”

  “I got the first couple of payments, but the sooner we get the club going, the sooner I can stop personally funding this club,” Dyno chuckled. “I thought I was sitting on a nice nest egg, but you assholes have been draining it.”

  Sledge held open the door, and we all filed in. Quinn sat at the head of the table, and Dyno took his seat next to him. The rest of us filled the chairs and waited expectantly for Quinn to talk.

  “Nice of you guys to actually come without too much complaining,” Quinn drawled.

  “Dyno was the one complaining about us using all of his money,” Core laughed.

  Dyno growled and glared at Core. “You forget where none of us really trust you, Core?”

  Core held up his hands. “Hey, Quinn said, you guys have to give me a chance.”

  He sounded like a fucking toddler hiding behind his mom’s skirt.

  “Yeah, I did,” Quinn agreed, “but I also said you needed to man the fuck up and be here one hundred and ten percent.”

  “One-fifty, brother. I am here and in this club one hundred and fifty percent.” He nodded to Quinn. “I know what I need to do if I want to stay in this chair.”

  Quinn nodded. “Good. Keep it that fucking way, and we won’t have a problem.”

  It was a good thing Quinn liked Core because if it weren’t for him, there was no way in hell Core would be sitting next to me. He had done some shady shit in the past few months that made everyone wary of him. Me included.