by Sarah Bale
Did I like it at the time? Yeah. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. I’m worried about what Bash will say when I tell him. So worried, in fact, that I thought about calling in. But Agent Hill must have a sixth sense, or something, because he texted me, reminding me of what my job is. I sit on the end of my bed. He says he wants information and I haven’t done my part in delivering said information. I have to wonder how long he is going to make me work there. I seriously doubt he’ll let me walk away after a month if he’s not satisfied with the information I’ve provide. Again, I’m really regretting not asking for more details before I agreed to help.
There’s a knock on the door, and I fear I’ve somehow summoned him. When I open the door I find Bash standing there, dimples showing as he smiles.
“Liv,” he says, leaning down to kiss my cheek.
I sidestep him and say, “Bash. I didn’t realize it was that late.”
“I’m early. I’ve got some business to take care of this evening, so it was now or never.”
He’s looking at me like he’s trying to figure me out and it makes me nervous. I move into the room, staying far away from the bed. He follows, looking around.
“Damn. You’ve been busy. Does this mean you found a place?”
I frown. “Sadly, no. I have to be out of the dorms by Monday. My roommate said I can leave my stuff with her until I find something.”
Which I really don’t want to do.
“I might have a solution for you. I mentioned your predicament to Saint. He said that we have a room available at the club. It’s yours for the summer, if you want it.”
Thinking back to how big and nice Jas’s room is, I say, “I doubt I’d be able to afford a room there.”
“There’s no rent.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Then how would I pay for it?”
Because, in my experience, nothing is free.
“Whoa, nothing like that. It’s just for a few months, and we aren’t even using it. You’d be doing us a favor just so we don’t have clean it while it’s empty.”
“I don’t know…”
“If it makes you feel better, you could always cook for us in exchange. I’m sure everyone will agree to it.”
His offer is tempting. I literally don’t have anywhere to go and I’m running out of time. But to be there where he lives? I’m not sure it’s a good move.
“You keep frowning like you don’t believe me. I swear I’ve got nothing but good intentions.”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Bash.” I sigh. “I think we made a mistake last night and I’m worried that it will be weird if we’re living at the same space.”
Emotions flickers across his face, but is quickly replaced with a neutral look. “I understand, Olivia. I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable. If it makes you feel better, I have my own place. I usually only stay at the club if something’s going on, or if I’m too hammered to ride.”
He’s being sincere, which kills me because I think I’ve hurt his feelings. But, I really need a place to stay. If anything, maybe I can stay at the club until I find something else.
“If you’re sure it won’t be too weird…”
He grins and his dimples are back. “Not at all. Come on. I brought the car. We can load a few boxes to bring with us and get the rest tomorrow.”
It’s crazy, but I feel better already. Lighter, even.
He points to a box marked clothes. “Want to bring this one?”
“Yeah. And I’ll grab my bag, too. I think I can get by without the rest, at least until tomorrow.”
“Good deal. I’ll get both.” He tosses me the keys. “When we get downstairs, will you start the car so we’re not melting?”
“Sure.”
I watch as he lifts the box and bag. He’s not as bulky as Saint, but his muscles ripple, nonetheless.
“Ready?”
I close the door behind us, leading the way downstairs and outside. He’s not wrong – it’s humid and hot, a typical summer day in Georgia. I’m glad I wore shorts again. As much as I hate them, I’m going to have to get used to it. I can already tell we’re in for a hot summer.
While Bash puts my stuff in the trunk, I get in the car, starting it. The engine hums and I let out a little sigh. Such a pretty sound.
“Want to drive?”
I look up and find Bash grinning at me.
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.”
I grip the steering wheel and nod. Bash goes around to the passenger side and gets in.
“You know how to drive a stick, right?”
I snort. “Please.”
“Okay. Okay. Just making sure.”
I take off, shifting with ease. The clutch is a little sensitive, but I figure it out and manage not to embarrass myself. Bash leans forward, flipping on the radio.
“Shit. I didn’t realize it was so late. Saint’s going to kill me if I’m not there by eight.”
I press on the gas and speed up. I don’t get to drive very much, so I really enjoy getting to cruise around in his badass car. I only wish we had more time.
“Why eight?” At his confused look, I clarify, “Things don’t usually pick up at the club until ten or so.”
“The guys and I are going on a run. We have to stay on schedule or Jesus will lose his shit. And, we’re short a guy, since Psycho was transferred to the Mississippi club.”
I’m glad to know I won’t have to see Psycho around the club, especially since I’ll be staying there.
“Do women ever get to go?”
He shifts. “Not on this kind of run. We do rallies and rides during the summer where anyone can come. Saint’s even been talking about doing a charity run at some point to support local low-income families.”
“That’s a great idea. Hopefully it happens this summer so I can be there.”
“I hope so, too.”
He gives me that grin that still makes my heart race even though I’ve told myself he’s off limits. Sure wish my body would respect my brain on this one.
We arrive to the clubhouse. The parking lot is packed and men wait at their bikes. They’re dressed in all black. When I glance at Bash I realize he is, too.
He says, “Just pull up in front of the club. I’ll make sure someone parks the car later.”
“Don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that. I just want to make sure you’re inside, safe and sound, before I go. There’s a lot of guys I don’t know much about here tonight. Plus, I’ve got to carry in your stuff.”
I do as he says and park in front of the club. We get out and get grabs my things from the trunk. I’m surprised when he takes me down a different hallway than the one where Jas’s room is.
I voice my thought and he replies, “Saint and the club officers have rooms in a different part of the club.”
“But I’m not in his inner circle.”
Even though it sounds appealing as hell.
“It’s the only room we’ve got. You’ll like it. Plus, it’s quiet on this side of the building.”
He goes to the second to last room at the end of the hallway and punches in a code on the keypad.
“You can change the code to something only you know tomorrow. Just let Razor know and he’ll fix it. For now, the code is 6969.”
I snort. “Very original.”
He grins and opens the door, letting me enter first. This room is massive. A king size bed is the centerpiece, sitting on a pedestal platform bedframe that reminds me of something I saw on TV once. I’m halfway expecting it to rotate or vibrate if I drop a quarter somewhere. The wall behind the bed is painted bright red and matches the bedding. Beaded curtains surrounding the bed are tied back with red ribbons.
There’s a large window that has a nice view of the front yard of the clubhouse, which is currently filled with motorcycles. I imagine it’s quite a sight at night, when the lights from the city can be seen.
Bash points. “The bathroom is th
rough that door and so is the closet. I’ve got to go. Just make sure to lock your door from the inside tonight and you should be good to go.”
He puts my stuff on the little table and gives me a wave as he leaves. When he’s gone, I go to the bathroom to look around.
“Holy freaking god.”
The bathroom is bigger than my dorm room. Hell, the walk-in shower might be bigger than the dorm room. It will easily hold eight people, with four showerheads mounted on the wall. The tile is white and blue, reminding me of photos I’ve seen of Greece. In fact, the entire bathroom has a very Grecian vibe to it. There are even two white pillars surrounding a door, that I assume is the closet. I peek inside and laugh. Or, the commode.
The closet door ends up being on the opposite wall. It’s decent sized and I can walk into it. Who am I kidding? The closet is amazing. Built-in cedar shelves line both sides of the wall. There’s a display area for shoes or handbags, not that I have either. But, a girl can dream, right? The floor in here is a fuzzy white carpet that looks so soft. When I lie down, I let out a sigh. It’s what I imagine a cloud would feel like.
My phone dings and I pull it from my pocket.
Douchebag: Anything to report?
I glare at the phone as three dots appear.
Douchebag: I received a report that you were seen carrying boxes from your dorm with one of the members of the Devil’s Regents.
Me: If you know this, then why are you asking?
Douchebag: Is there anything else I need to know?
Douchebag: We’re getting reports that there’s a lot of activity at the clubhouse tonight.
I’m not sure what to do. He’s obviously not lying when he says someone else at the club is working with the feds.
Douchebag: Olivia?
Me: They’re letting me stay at the clubhouse until school starts again.
Douchebag: Interesting. We’ll talk more about this later, but, for now, I think you should be safe there.
Douchebag: Anything else?
Me: Someone mentioned they were going on a run.
Douchebag: Who mentioned it? Was it Saint?
Me: I don’t remember.
Douchebag: Did they say when?
Me: I don’t remember.
Douchebag: You have to do better, Olivia. But, this information helps.
I don’t hear back from him and I let out a little sigh of relief. I didn’t tell on Bash and I didn’t say when the run was, but, I was also able to give Agent Hill information. A win-win, if you ask me. Now, I can sleep knowing I didn’t do anything wrong. Not today, at least.
Saint
All hell broke loose on the decoy run tonight and two of my guys were hurt. We finally get back to the clubhouse and I call a meeting with my inner circle. Razor is the first to arrive, blood splattered across his tan face.
“What in the fuck happened out there?” He slams his fist on the table. “They fucking knew what we were up to.”
King comes in and throws a cut down. “This was on one of the guys we got. A fucking Inferno Bastards patch.”
“I want to know how they knew,” I say, spitting on the cut.
Bash, who’s in the doorway, replies, “I’m on it.
Razor adds, “We’ll make this motherfucker pay.”
“Anyone know how Big E and Willie are doing?”
King answers, “Big E wasn’t doing too well.”
“Someone needs to call his old lady. Tell her we’re doing what we can, but that she might need to get here.”
King makes a face. “I don’t think they’re on speaking terms. She found out he’s been fucking with Mama Bear.”
“Call her, and if she doesn’t come, let Mama Bear know, so she can be with him.” I go on, “We need to send a team out there to make sure we can’t be incriminated at the scene.”
Razor answers, “It’s being taken care of. I don’t think anyone saw us in the area, and we’re making sure there weren’t cameras.”
I rub my temples. “If this was the Inferno Bastards, this means war.”
The men freeze, knowing I’m right.
“And find out how in the fuck they knew. If we have a mole, they’re going to pay.”
13
Olivia
The club is eerily silent as I make my way to the kitchen. I’m not usually here this early, so maybe this is how it always is, but it’s creeping me out. When I woke up in my new bed, I decided to do something to show everyone how appreciative I am of my new room. So, I’m going to make omelets, since there are a ton of eggs in the walk-in refrigerator. Really, someone must be on a high protein diet to justify this many eggs.
I’ve made twelve omelets and started a pot of coffee when Jas stumbles into the kitchen.
“Damn, I’m going to like having you around,” she says after yawning.
I point with the spatula. “The ones on the left are ham and cheese, the right are bacon and cheese, and the center row is veggie.”
She grabs a plate and gets two omelets.
“I’ll let the other girls know.”
With my back to her, I ask over my shoulder, “Do you know what time the guys get up?”
She grins. “You should know Bash isn’t a morning person, but if you mean the others, it’s hit or miss. But, as my Grammy used to say, the scent of bacon and coffee is enough to wake the dead.”
She pads away, leaving me to my thoughts. I never heard anymore from Agent Hill, so that’s a plus, but I wonder when he will want to meet. I don’t like the position he’s putting me in, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t know Saint and his men well enough to tell them. Besides, who will believe that I didn’t know what I was getting into? That’s the million-dollar question, or, in this case, two grand.
I’m deep in my thoughts when Bash comes in the kitchen.
“Good fucking god. I knew I smelled bacon.”
He goes to the stove and grabs a piece from the pan, shoving the whole strip into his mouth. The moan he lets out goes straight to my core, reminding me of what we did the other night.
I clear my throat. “Thought I’d show my appreciation for the new room.”
“Are you settling in?”
He turns and I gasp.
“Bash! What happened to your face?”
He has a shiner on his cheekbone and his lip has been split open.
He shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. “Had to take care of some business last night.”
I go to the fridge and grab a bag of frozen peas, handing it to him. He gives me a sheepish smile, putting the bag on his cheek.
“Thanks.”
“Was this, uh, expected last night?”
I’m not sure what all he can or can’t say.
“Not. We ran into some problems.”
Razor comes into the kitchen and snorts. “Problems? More like we were ambushed.”
He goes right to the stove, grabbing bacon. I want to warn him that he shouldn’t stand too close to the pan since he’s not wearing a shirt. But then I get distracted by the intricate tattoo that peek across each shoulder, disappearing to his back. He catches me looking and grins.
“It’s a devil.”
Turning, he shows me the black and red devil that is literally covering his entire back. The two pieces that peeks over his shoulder are the horns.
“That’s, uh, interesting.”
He winks over his shoulder. “You ought to see where the tail goes.”
My gaze goes to his waist, where the tattoo disappears.
“I can only imagine.”
“The ladies love it. Let me know if you want to see more, sugar.”
Bash sighs. “Ignore him, Olivia.”
“Oh. That’s right. You have the hots for her.” Razor turns to me, bowing at the waist. “Forgive me, Olivia.”
Well, this just took an awkward turn. I’m saved from replying because King comes in, scowling.
“If you two are finished, we have work to do.”
“Calm your tits. W
e have to eat, you know. We’re not all robots like you.”
King replies, “I’m more focused on finding out who in the fuck ratted on us. The only people who knew we were going out are members of this fucking club. So, no, I don’t care if you’re fed or not. What I do care about is answers.”
“I get it, man. I want answers, too, but we’re at a stopping point. Everyone is doing what they do best, so Bash and I took a moment to eat.” Razor points at the stove. “You can’t blame me. I know you could smell the bacon, too.”
King sighs. “Sorry. I’m just-”
“Dude, I get it. We’re all feeling the same way. We’ll find out who turned on us.”
My entire body feels like I’ve been drenched in ice water. They were hurt last night and I’m fairly certain it’s because of me, more specifically what I told Agent Hill.
King asks Razor, “Did we hear anything on Big E?”
“His old lady refused to go to the hospital to see him. Mama Bear is pretending to be her so she can sit with him.” He pauses and shakes his head. “It’s not looking good.”
My hands shake and I can’t tell if this is a panic attack or something else. Either way, I need to get the fuck out of here.
I get Bash’s attention. “Are you going to have time to take me to my place to get the rest of my stuff? If not, I can find someone to help. It’s only a few boxes.”
He looks hesitant and replies, “Better plan on seeing if a friend can help. I’ve got some other things to take care of.”
Razor bumps his fists to Bash’s. “Damn right, brother. We’re going to get to the bottom of this and find out who the mole is.”
Now I feel like I’m going to pass out. Or vomit. Or both.
I walk away and call out over my shoulder, “Don’t worry about cleaning up. I can do it when I get back.”
I manage to make it to my bathroom before I vomit. When I’m finished, I curl into a ball on the cool tiled floor. Oh god. This happened because of me. And now someone might die? Sitting, I pull my phone from my pocket and send Agent Hill a text.
