Outlaw Souls MC Box Set: Books 1-6

by Hope Stone

  “Come on, Paige,” Rocky said over her shoulder. “Let me show you the freezer in the back.”

  The heat coming off my body was so intense that a little time in the freezer was a really good idea.

  “Nice to meet you, Paige,” Ryder said. “It’s good to have a fresh face around here.”

  “It’s fucking cold in here,” Rocky said before laughing. “But then, that’s why they call it a freezer, right?” She walked out of the huge room that was filled with ice cream, frozen meats, and other things that needed to stay frozen.

  I must have still seemed dazed after that strange encounter with Ryder because Rocky said, “I think it’s time for your fifteen. Let’s ask Julie if we can take them together, since it’s a little slow right now.”

  I didn’t really want to talk to her during my break. I needed some time to process what had just happened to me. I was no virgin. I’d dated some guys in college. I’d even gone skiing with Caldwell Blacktone’s family.

  But this was different. This was something I’d never felt before in my life. It made everything else pale in comparison.

  What the hell just happened to me?

  Five minutes later we were sitting in Rocky’s truck and she was smoking and talking like I was some kind of friend, not a coworker she just met three hours ago.

  Evidently she’d been kicked out of high school and sent to a continuation school that she also was asked to leave. She did a short stint in juvie for shoplifting, but the record had been sealed, which was why she was able to get this job.

  “Trouble has a bad habit of finding me wherever I go,” she said, offering me a drag of her cigarette.

  Shaking my head no, I asked, “Why is that?” I wasn’t trying to be a therapist, but my guess was that trouble didn’t find her; she found it.

  “I don’t know. You know that guy earlier? The one with the whipped cream kid? He’s trouble with a capital T. We had a thing last year, but I knew he was a problem so I got out of it as soon as I could.” She flicked the cigarette butt out the window and twisted open the top to the Dr. Pepper she’d brought with her.

  Rocky had slept with Ryder? That was interesting. “What kind of problem?” I asked. I couldn’t get my brain around him with her.

  “He’s the kind of guy who seems like a decent guy on the outside…took his kid sister in when their parents were killed by a drunk driver. Helps old people and animals. Shit like that. But underneath it, he’s a cold-blooded killer. Other guys get drunk and sloppy. Not Ryder. Everything he does is calculated and for his own benefit. I figured that out real quick and now I stay away from him.”

  My eyes gazed out the window and I could see the biker bar across the street. Chalupa and the guys were pulling in and I could see them laughing and patting each other on the back as they walked inside.

  Maybe I ought to go and check out this biker bar myself…you know…for research.

  Ryder

  I was sitting in my usual seat in the back corner of the Blue Dog. It was a normal day, with the regulars sitting at the bar, the day bartender Connie serving drinks, and some talk show on the TV overhead. The pool tables were empty, but by the end of the night, there would probably be a lively game going on. Chalupa and Dog had an ongoing battle and they kept winning back the same twenty bucks from each other every week. Just a regular day at the bar.

  Why, then, was my mind still across the street at Tiny’s? Thinking about that waitress with the long blond hair, wanting to grab that ponytail and crush those lips with my mouth…

  What the hell was wrong with me?

  I’d been in love exactly once. It was before my folks had been killed and it was my senior year in high school. It was one of those storybook first love kind of romances. We met in English class, wrote each other poetry, went to the carnival and made out on top of the Ferris Wheel. She was my first sexual experience and I was hers. It was supposed to last forever.

  I had a girlfriend, I was getting ready to go off to college and start my own life. When the accident happened, though, everything changed. I got really angry. Not just angry—I was filled with so much fucking rage that I took it out on everyone around me.

  My rage got the best of me and I lost the job, lost the girlfriend, and almost ended up on the streets with a little sister to support.

  That’s when I met Padre. He ran the auto shop and gave me a job, a place to live, and eventually the chance to prospect for Outlaw Souls. He taught me how to fight, how to shoot, and how to kill. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened to me.

  But love? Love wasn’t in the cards for me again. My life was no life for a woman. I’d seen what happened to guys—and Swole—who tried to balance being in a relationship with being in the club. It didn’t work out for long. You ended up having to choose one or the other. Tiny chose his wife and that’s how he ended up opening the diner. My loyalty was to Outlaw Souls and Padre, not some woman.

  Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t exactly a monk. When the urge struck, I could easily find women to be with. There were plenty of women who were happy, like that waitress Rocky, though they always wanted more than I could give them. So we’d fuck around for a few weeks and then I’d break it off. No sense getting anybody hurt. I didn’t feel anything for them, and as soon as they started to have feelings for me it was time to end it.

  This thing with Paige, though. That was different. Scary different. My body wasn't cooperating with me, and that could be very dangerous for everyone. It was best for everyone that I just steer clear of her.

  A ray of yellow light came in the room as the front door opened.

  “Padre,” Connie said as his lumbering shadow came into the room. “Long time no see. You want the usual?”

  Padre’s usual was a Tecate with lime and a tequila chaser. “Yeah.”

  I could hear the bar stools scrape the floor as he pulled it out far enough to sit on. He was a large man, but under the layer of fat was as much muscle as a gorilla. He was strong as fuck and one hit from him was enough to render a man unconscious. Even though the man was well into his sixties, everyone knew not to mess with Padre.

  I wanted to know where he was when he missed the meeting, but didn’t want to ask. I figured he’d tell me if he wanted me to know. But it was time for a refill of my coffee, so I grabbed my cup and went up to the bar, opposite where Padre was. The Enforcer was next to me, stuffing peanuts in his mouth.

  I held the cup up and said, “When you get a minute, Connie?” She nodded at me as she slid the beer and shot over to Padre.

  As she poured the coffee in my cup, I watched as Padre took his shot and then a long sip of beer. An audible “ahhh” came next.

  “Hey Padre,” I said.

  “Ryder.”

  “Did you get Trainer’s email about the Vegas run? Looks like we’re up to twenty guys.”

  “Yep. Saw that.” He didn’t look in my direction as he answered me.

  I really didn’t have anything else to say to spark a conversation without it seeming weird, so I grabbed my coffee and headed back to my table. Padre was in a weird mood and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was pissed at me for something. I couldn’t imagine what it would be, though, so I dropped it.

  As I sat back down, the Enforcer turned to Padre and said, “You were missed at church.” The combination of the peanuts in his mouth and the heavy accent made it almost impossible to understand what he was saying.

  Vlad “The Enforcer” Kushniruk came to us when he got asylum in the US from the Ukraine. It was some kind of political deal. He came here in exchange for doing some shady shit for the government. His reward was that he wasn’t tortured and killed by his own government. He moved to La Playa, got a job selling cars at the dealership down the street, and graced us with his sharpshooter skills. He was the only guy in the club who was a better shooter than me, and for that reason I made sure to stay on his good side. You can only expect so much loyalty from a guy who was willing to be
tray his whole country.

  “You were sick or something?” The Enforcer wasn’t one to pick up on subtlety. Asking Padre why he missed the meeting was not something to do. But Padre would let it slide.

  “Nope.”

  Just then the door opened again, and even though I couldn’t see who it was because of the darkness of the bar, I knew it instinctively. It was Paige. I could see the silhouette of her curves against the yellow light streaming in.

  The door swung shut behind her and she stood still while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. I instinctively shrank down a little in my seat so she wouldn’t see me. At the same time, my cock decided it was time to come out and play. Further reason to leave the chick alone.

  Paige looked around and then pulled out the stool next to Padre.

  “What can I get ya?” Connie asked as she slid a coaster across the bar.

  “Uhhh…I don’t know. What chardonnay do you have?”

  “The white kind.” Connie chuckled at her own joke.

  “No, I mean the vineyard. What brand is it?”

  “Honey, I don’t know. Not too many people order wine in here. We have white and red. We might have some pink in the back. That’s it.”

  “Okay. I’ll have…”

  “She’ll have what I’m having.” Padre’s gruff voice interrupted her. He turned to Paige and said, “Trust me. That wine is older than you, and not in a good way. If you don’t want the shot of tequila, I’ll be happy to take it for you.”

  “Oh! Okay then.” Paige looked at Connie and said, “I guess I’ll have what he’s having.”

  Connie shook her head and turned around to get another beer and shot of tequila.

  Paige started to fish around in her purse, probably for money, when Padre said, “I got it.”

  “Thank you, but you don’t have to, really…” She smiled at him and I felt it like a kick in the gut.

  I didn’t like the way Padre was looking at her, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. “No problem,” he said as he looked at the TV.

  “I’m Paige,” she said as she stuck her hand out to meet his. “I just started working at Tiny’s.”

  Stay away from him, Paige. My inner alarm was screaming out, but it was probably just a strange case of jealousy. He was old enough to be her father, and he didn’t fuck around on his wife Nancy. Not anymore, anyway.

  Padre shook her hand briefly and said, “Tiny’s a good guy. We’ve known each other since he really was Tiny.” He laughed at his own joke and then coughed a little. “I’m Padre.”

  “Well, Padre. Thanks for the drinks.” She took a dainty sip of the beer, and then threw back the shot like a pro. She didn’t even wince as she sucked on the lime.

  Well, well. Paige might not be as innocent as she looks.

  “My pleasure.”

  The shot took effect, and Paige slid off the barstool, grabbed her beer, and started to look around the room. It was just a matter of time before she was going to see me sitting in the corner, so I tried to make myself as invisible as possible. That woman was trouble, and I needed to stay far away. I needed to get out of here.

  As soon as she turned to look at the digital jukebox, I grabbed my bag and headed for the back door. Connie would close out my tab for me. Just as I pushed open the door, I heard Paige say, “Ohhh pool! I love shooting pool.”

  Imagining her bent over a pool table with those long fingers wrapped around a cue? Yeah, definitely time for me to leave.

  Paige

  I was disappointed, I’ll admit it. When I went into the Blue Dog Saloon, I had been hoping to run into Ryder. Instead, I saw an old guy wearing an Outlaw Souls jacket, and down at the other end of the bar was another guy who looked foreign—maybe Russian—wearing the same jacket.

  It was really dark in there, but as far as I could tell, they were the only two there. That bartender had kind of an attitude, but whatever. I knew that I didn’t look like I’d fit in, but I’d win them over in time.

  After the beer and the shot, and working a full day, I was tired. I didn’t really want to go back to my apartment, but I really didn’t have a choice. I had the afternoon shift tomorrow at work and I didn’t know anyone in town other than Rocky, and I really didn’t want to get to know her as anything more than coworkers.

  I stopped at the Mexican market that was just down the street from the bar. It was called Southgate Martinez and had a whole burrito bar inside the store. I made myself a huge one and got a bottle of water and a cup of mangoes and yogurt for breakfast. When in La Playa, right?

  As I was carrying my stuff inside, my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, and even though I don’t usually answer calls, I was hoping it was one of the jobs I applied for. I pulled the phone out of my back pocket.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Paige Anton?”

  “This is she.”

  “Hi, this is Elizabeth Maroni from Californians for Social Justice.”

  “Oh yes! Hi. Thanks for calling.” This was the job I’d been most interested in.

  “We received your application and would love for you to come in for an interview.”

  “Great! Oh, that’s great news. Yes. When?”

  “We are interviewing several candidates and have an opening tomorrow afternoon. I’m sorry for the short notice, but our regional manager is only here for a short time.”

  “No, no. That will work.” I had my shift at Tiny’s, but hopefully I could do it on my lunch break. “What time?”

  “How about 1:30?”

  “You got it. I’ll be there.” This was such great news! “Thank you!”

  I was so happy the rest of the night that I didn’t even mind the sirens and the helicopters or the shouting neighbors. I had a job interview tomorrow!

  I should have known something was up when I couldn’t find parking in Tiny’s lot. There were so many cars that they overflowed onto the street. Even the lot across the street in front of the Blue Dog was packed. I had to park at the gas station on the other corner and hope my car didn’t get towed. I’d move it to the regular lot when I got back from my interview.

  Walking in the door to Tiny’s, the place was even more jammed than the parking lot. The waiting area was full, and there were parents and kids lined up to use the claw machine. Rocky and Julie were racing around with plates and cups of coffee, and customers were calling to them as they hustled by. “Excuse me, Miss? Can I change my order?”

  “What on earth is going on?” I asked Bobby, the cook.

  “Fundraiser day for the local elementary school. Every year Tiny donates a percentage of the day’s meals to Carter Elementary.”

  “Are you going to just stand there or are you here to work?” Tiny’s wife Martha was plating orders and throwing them under the heat lamp. I hadn’t seen her since I’d been hired.

  “No, no, of course.” I washed my hands and grabbed a ticket to see which orders went to which tables. “By the way, can I take my lunch at 1:00 today? I have…an appointment.”

  “No lunches, no breaks today. We need all hands on deck.” Martha didn’t even look up at me as she was throwing orange slices on plates.

  “Right, but we are legally supposed to take breaks every shift.”

  She looked at me, and her watery blue eyes were as serious as could be. “You gonna call the labor board? You’re free to leave if you got a problem, otherwise get these sandwiches to table 24.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes as I grabbed the plates. I needed the interview to get a better job, but I needed this job to pay my immediate bills. I just hoped I’d be able to step away and at least call to let them know I couldn’t make it. And hope that they would reschedule me.

  My feet were killing me. Actually, everything was killing me. My feet, my legs, my shoulders. Even my fingers.

  I’d made decent money in tips, but I hadn’t had one second to sit down or even go to the bathroom. It wasn’t until we finally closed at 10 pm that I got the chance to check my phone.
There were several text messages from Elizabeth Maroni wondering where I was. It was too late to call now, but I’d return her call first thing in the morning.

  The night was chilly as I walked to the crosswalk to get my car from the gas station. I could hear music and laughing coming from the Blue Dog, but otherwise, the night was quiet.

  Maybe I’d get a package of cookies or something from the gas station for dinner. I hadn’t gotten to eat and there wasn’t anything at home, but I was too tired to go to the market.

  Crossing the street, the awareness dawned on me and my stomach clenched in panic. Where was my car?

  Frantic, I looked around. The gas station parking lot wasn’t exactly large, and it was very clear that my Honda was not there.

  Bursting in the overly bright gas station, the clerk behind the counter was counting out lottery tickets for a woman holding a huge soda.

  “Excuse me. Do you know where my car went?”

  “Wait your turn, lady,” Lottery Woman said to me.

  “I just want to know where my car is. Was it stolen or towed?” My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

  The clerk didn’t even look up. “I dunno,” he said.

  “Did you see a tow truck or anything?” Why was no one cooperating?

  “Nope, I just got here.”

  “Dammit.” I pushed the doors open and walked out into the brightly lit gas pump area. What the hell was I going to do now?

  I stood out there for a full minute looking around. My apartment was only a couple of miles away. Should I walk home? Was it even safe in this neighborhood? Maybe I should call an Uber or something. Then again, I didn’t want to waste my precious dollars on a ride.

  The first thing I needed to do was call the cops and see if the car was stolen. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and walked over to the space where I’d parked the car.

  I was about to call the La Playa non-emergency police number when a voice spoke behind me. “It was probably towed. They’re pretty crazy about it in this town.”