by Amelia Shea
She couldn’t be sure it was him, but she wasn’t taking any chances. The second day had been equally cowardly. She was grabbing her mail when she heard the motorcycles coming down the road. She practically ran up her driveway, never looking back, even when she thought she heard the faint yell of her name.
Her hiding came to a quick end. The town meeting was a place she knew she’d have to see him. Not going wasn’t an option. A vote always required a majority of residents’ attendance, and Bailey made her promise to show so they could pass the new park. She purposely stalled on leaving. If she walked in late, as usual, she’d avoid Kase.
When she pulled up at seven-ten, her anxious energy escalated into a fire in her belly. It was mortifying to have to face him. She hadn’t been this embarrassed since she struck up the nerve to ask Drew Cole to dance at the spring fling. He laughed in her face.
She grabbed her coat and walked through the lot, intentionally slow. As she approached, she noticed a few men standing in the doorway with their cuts. Just fucking great. She was hoping to hang by the entrance, keep a low profile. That plan had been foiled. Now, she’d actually have to enter the building.
As she started up the steps, one of the men, who she recognized from the garage, turned. His brusque disposition was off putting. For most people, they’d shy away, but for Phoebe, she saw him as a bit of a challenge. She’d spent a half hour at the garage forcing him to talk to her. He seemed slightly more open when she discovered his sweet spot. His wife, Macy.
She forced a smile. “Hey, Rourke. I miss anything?” She raised her brows. “Tell me we’re getting a water park!”
The corner of his mouth curved. “Same shit from the old guy.” He stepped aside, allowing her to pass through the wall of bikers.
Phoebe sighed. “He’s fun, isn’t he?”
She heard the low rumble of a few masculine chuckles.
She was relieved to see the place was packed. She did a quick inspection of the front of the room. She knew the Ghosttown Riders usually took up the back half, so Kase would be easily avoidable. She just had to make sure there was no eye contact. What am I, twelve?
“The noise. We need to address the noise ordinance.”
She groaned and rolled her eyes. She started past the front half of the room. A cool chill spread over her neck. A clear sign she was being watched. She refused to look over at the MC. She wedged herself between Marty and the snack table. She kept her focus on Arnett, until she felt a tug on her leg.
“I made banana bread. I knocked yesterday, but you musta been out.” Mary smiled and reached down in her bag, pulling out a rectangular loaf covered in foil. “It’s not warm, but I hope it’s good.”
My people. “Thank you, Mary.”
“No side talk,” Arnett snapped, and Phoebe jumped back from the aisle.
She straightened and glared his way. The last thing she needed tonight was his mouth. She grinned dramatically, and he turned away, starting up again about the bullshit noise curfew. She turned to Marty.
“His end has to be coming soon, right? He’s like ninety thousand years old.”
Marty snickered, lowered his head, and wrapped his arm over her shoulders. Phoebe fell into his side.
My people.
The vote for the park was taken. Most of the residents were in favor, with only six opposed. It would go through, much to the dismay of Arnett and the old geezer posse.
The meeting lasted another thirty minutes. She passed the time engaging in one-liners with Marty and Coop and munching from the snack table. She was pleasantly surprised to see a tray of apple turnovers among the food. Even though they weren’t quite as good as Karen’s, they were appreciated. At the end of the meeting, Maria and her husband were invited up to the front of the room at Bailey’s request.
Maria smiled. “I just wanted to thank everyone who has come in. We’re so happy to be back and in business. It was a hard loss closing down a few years ago, and we appreciate the town supporting us.” She smiled brightly, aiming her stare to the back of the room. “I know part of the deal was no public acknowledgement, so I won’t out those who helped us.” Her smile grew as she stared at the back of the room where the Ghosttown Riders sat. “We just want to thank you.”
Phoebe jerked her head for the first time of the night to the back of the room. Maria was thanking the club? Most stayed even keeled, but a few, including the women, smiled back at Maria.
Marty leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Heard the biker club threw in cash for the renovations and the start-up.”
She whipped her head and widened her eyes. “Are you serious?”
He nodded with a small shrug.
“Heard that too.”
She turned to find Coop next to her with Marley tucked into his side.
“Thanks, Maria, and the anonymous contributors,” Bailey said. She was about to hit the gavel when Arnett shot up from his seat.
Arnett stood facing Bailey and the councilmen. “I oppose the park and demand another vote. I think we could use our town money more wisely than on a park which will encourage delinquency.”
Town parks encouraged delinquency? She sighed and grabbed a pastry from the tray. With her body shifted to the back of the room, it gave her full view of all the attendees.
She bit into her chocolate éclair at the precise moment she locked eyes with Kase. He was seated in the same position as he’d been the first night she set eyes on him. With her recent rejection, it should have been easy to turn away. She had made a complete fool of herself. She got drunk, divulged information about herself, and threw herself at the president of a biker club.
Heat rose from her chest, up her neck, and spread across her face.
“Anyone?” The familiar voice yanked her from her daze, thankfully. For some reason unknown to even her, Phoebe raised her hand.
“Thank you, Phoebe.” Bailey said.
She spun around to face the mayor. From Bailey’s expression, whatever Phoebe just did made her excited. She eyed the folks seated near the front. She furrowed her brows. Why was Mary giving me the thumbs up?
“Oh hell, what did I do?”
Coop snorted. “You just offered to be the chairperson for the parks committee.”
She groaned and rolled her eyes at the ensuing snickers. At least she was fighting for a cause Arnett was against. That alone made it worthwhile.
A loud, sharp crack sounded through the room.
“Meeting is over,” Bailey said.
The meeting ended abruptly, and everyone began filing outside. Phoebe made a point of blending in with the crowd as she walked out the door and into the parking lot. As luck would have it, she was directly behind Arnett.
As if he felt her presence, he spun around, narrowing his gaze. “Don’t trust you behind me.”
Phoebe couldn’t resist. He was making it too easy. “You shouldn’t, Arnett.” She raised her brows and smiled.
“You threatening me?” He straightened to his full height, which towered over her. “Could have you arrested again.”
“For what?” She snorted. “Walking? Is that a crime now in Ghosttown?”
“You shouldn’t be here. No one wants you here.”
She burst out laughing. It was his own delusional bullshit, or wishful thinking. If there was any resident the town would love to see go far away, it was him, not her.
“No, you don’t want me here.” She sighed. It had all gone too far. As neighbors, they needed to call a truce. However, Arnett was impossible.
“I apologized, Arnett. I said I was sorry for everything that happened six months ago.” She inhaled a breath. “You don’t want to accept it, there’s not much more I can do.” She smirked and cocked her head. “I was an asshole who went to extremes with an asshole who baited me.” She shrugged.
Fuck you, Arnett. He needed to own his part in what went down.
His face transformed, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen anyone turn that bright shade of red. She tightene
d her lips to keep from smiling.
“Being an asshole ain’t no crime,” the graveled voice spouted from behind her. Phoebe turned to find an unfamiliar older man standing two feet away. “I been all over this goddamn country, been an asshole in every single state, and never did time for it.” His brow arched, reminding her of someone she couldn’t seem to place. “Other shit, though. Assault, attempted murder, but never for being an asshole.”
Phoebe bit back her chuckle and eyed the older man.
“Then you two have a lot in common,” Arnett sneered. “Criminals of both your kind aren’t welcome here.”
Phoebe balled her hands and sent Arnett a heated glare.
“I never assaulted a man who didn’t deserve it.” The gruff man stepped closer.
Phoebe aimed her amused grin at Arnett. “Me neither.”
Arnett turned quickly, eyeing her with a harsh scowl. If he made a move, she’d be ready, though she doubted he had it in him. Arnett was all talk.
“You,” the man snapped, gaining Phoebe’s and Arnett’s attention. “Get the fuck out of here and leave her alone.” He squinted. “I know your type. Pussy, going after someone you think you can intimidate. Makes you a weak fucker.”
Phoebe’s mouth dropped open. Her immediate thought was why am I not filming this?
“And I know your type, Jack.” Arnett shook his head and curled his lip in disgust. “Years later and you still haven’t changed.”
Phoebe flicked her gaze between the men. Arnett spoke with familiarity, leading her to believe they knew each other. She glanced over at Jack, whose brows furrowed, scowling at Arnett.
“I know you?”
Arnett curled his lip. “Same old arrogant son of a bitch.”
Phoebe widened her eyes in shock. Apparently, there was a history between these two. There were certainly bitter memories on Arnett’s side.
Jack barked out a laugh, which caught Phoebe off guard.
“I can’t remember ya, but I figure I kicked the shit outta ya at one time or fucked your woman. Either way, it don’t matter. You probably deserved whatever punishment I handed ya.” Jack turned to Phoebe and shook his head. “Weak fuckers piss me off.”
Arnett sputtered while stepping back. “Who the hell do you think you are, speaking to me…” Whatever he was going to say was interrupted.
“I don’t think, I know. I’m the man who’s gonna beat your ass from here to fucking Main Street then piss on your grave, you don’t get the fuck outta my sight in two seconds. You hear me, motherfucker.” His face burned red and his lips contorted, leaving no doubt it wasn’t an idle threat.
He held up his finger and barked. “One…”
Phoebe had no idea what Arnett was doing since her eyes were trained on the snarling man next to her. While she wasn’t opposed to seeing Arnett get his ass kicked down Main Street, having these two seniors fist fight in the parking lot would not do the town any good. She stepped in front of him and held up her hands.
“Let’s all calm down.”
“Pussy,” the man muttered, shaking his head. Phoebe glanced over to catch Arnett speed walking through the parking lot. She was actually impressed. She’d never seen Arnett move so fast.
She turned back to the find the man a step closer with his lip curling as his gaze trailed down her body. “Assault, huh?”
She nodded. “I’m a lot more dangerous than I look.”
His gaze shot up, and he grinned. “Back in my day, we’d a called you a spitfire.”
Phoebe laughed. “Which is so much better than now where I’m considered a psycho bitch.”
The man burst out laughing, catching the attention of the entire parking lot. Or maybe he had had it the whole time when she was in the middle of her confrontation with Arnett. Either way, she’d just made a new friend.
****
Kase stood next to the exit of the town hall, taking a drag from his cigarette and watching. He’d clocked her the second she walked through the doors, and had eyes on her the entire time. She was different tonight, quieter and more reserved. He didn’t like it.
She was avoiding him. However, it seemed another Reilly man was getting in with her. He stepped forward on the edge of the landing, watching his old man taking Phoebe’s back. His Pop had always been protective when it came to women. Little did Jack know, she was fully capable of handling Arnett.
His dad bellowed out a laugh and leaned closer to Phoebe, who was smiling. He was too far away to hear them, but his old man seemed in his element flirting with her.
Kase carried a lot of Jack’s traits. Flirting wasn’t one of them. Where his father had always been sweet on the girls, Kase had a harder approach. If he wanted her, she naturally submitted. He couldn’t remember a time when he sweet talked anyone. It wasn’t how he was built. Kindness came in short and rare spouts for him. His brother had inherited the softer side of Jack, Kase got all the piss and vinegar.
“Jack’s fucking up my chances with her.”
Kase snorted and glanced over to Gage, who was smirking. As if you’d get a fucking shot with her, asshole. She made it clear exactly where her interests lay the other night. On Kase. He fought against sharing a smug smile.
“Why don’t you go over and tell him to back off?”
Gage chuckled. “’Cause I enjoy breathing. Jack would slit my throat if I go in and mess with his game.” He paused. “She still up for grabs, or are you claiming that sweet ass?”
Kase clenched his jaw, dropping his gaze to her tight pants. Her round ass curved perfectly in the tight denim. Her taste, warm whiskey, and her soft fucking lips. Kase didn’t have many regrets in life, but there were a few. He was currently staring at one.
Phoebe cocked her head with a soft smile aimed at his father, listening to whatever the old man was saying. Fucking beautiful.
He could feel Gage’s stare and was relieved not to have to answer him when his phone rang. He jutted his chin and started off down the steps toward his bike.
“Yeah.”
“No, we don’t fucking miss you.”
Kase snorted. While bikers and cops usually didn’t mix, he had a mutual respect for Carter Ross. He’d helped him out on some intel in the past. While Kase was a firm believer in staying loyal to the brothers and never snitching or working with law enforcement, there were certain people the rules didn’t apply to. Those who preyed on women and children didn’t get respect of the club. When Carter had reached out to him a few times, Kase had used his underground connections to help out. In turn, Carter had become an ally to the club.
Kase had reached out to Carter a few days before Phoebe arrived in town.
“Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, been swamped here. How’s it going, man?”
“Good. Getting settled.”
Carter laughed. “Still can’t believe the club moved.”
Blacksburg had been home to the Ghosttown Riders for quite a few years. There were aspects of living in a bigger city Kase missed. The trade-off was worth it.
“Need something from you.”
Carter’s heavy sigh echoed through the receiver. “Ah fuck, I knew this wasn’t a social call.”
Kase smirked. “Just need information on a woman.”
“Kase,” Carter warned.
“You know me fucking better than that. Just need details.”
Kase eyed Phoebe, who was walking toward her car with Jack following closely. Originally, he’d reached out to Carter for more information when he needed an angle to work and force her hand at selling her property. Originally. Now, it was personal. He wanted everything on her for the sole purpose of knowing more about her.
“I got your word, nothing happens to her?”
“Yeah.”
There was a long pause and sigh. “Give me her name.”
Kase licked his lips, watching as she waved to Jack and got into her car. “Phoebe Shaw.”
“Wait, who?” Carter cleared his throat. “What’s the name?”
> Kase tore his gaze from her and furrowed his brows. Carter’s response seemed off. “Phoebe Shaw. Lives in Ghosttown but didn’t move in permanently until a few weeks ago. I need everything. Arrest record, court documents, financials. I want it all.”
The silence struck him as odd.
He watched as his dad made his way over to the brothers gathered by the entrance. Bailey offered to drive him back to the clubhouse, and they were waiting on him. There was a long, silent pause on the line, and Kase checked his phone to see if he’d hung up.
“Carter,” he snapped when he didn’t receive a response.
“Uh yeah.”
Something was off.
“I’ll uh, work on it and get back to you in a few days.”
“Okay. Later.” He hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket.
Chapter Seven
A week had passed since her last encounter with Kase. It proved harder than she expected to avoid him as neighbors living in an extremely small town. With all the members riding around town. she found herself on high alert every time a motorcycle drove down Main Street.
Today, however, there was nothing she could do about a run in. She would be spending some time on his territory. A run in was almost inevitable. If not for Bailey and her unwavering love and affection, she wouldn’t be stepping foot on the Ghosttown Riders’ property.
Unfortunately, she accepted the invitation before the incident with Kase. Phoebe sighed, grabbing her jacket from the arm of the couch while shoving her phone in her back pocket. Maybe if she’d mentioned her slight indiscretion to Bailey, things would have been different. The idea of raining on anything Bailey planned wasn’t doable. She’d take her licks and motor on through. Not the first time I’ve embarrassed myself, won’t be the last.
She yanked the door closed before crossing over the large patch of grass up to the fence. She weaved her body through, getting hung up on a piece of wood. A swift struggle and she was on enemy territory. She rolled her eyes and straightened her shoulders, prepping herself to see Kase. Hopefully, he’d ignore her, and they could forget their encounter ever happened. She snorted. I won’t be forgetting that kiss any time soon. Their moment, though brief, had played over and over in her head, especially at night.
