Outlaw Souls MC Box Set: Books 1-6

by Hope Stone

  “Nah, I’m good.” If I started drinking now, I could end up drunk by nightfall. While sober me was totally in control, I didn’t want to think about if my drunk alter ego could avoid sending Claire a message.

  “Well, I’m gonna indulge,” Moves said, opening the fridge. “I need one after all the Las Balas bullshit.”

  I raised my brows as I remembered. This was good. Or, well, not good, but it was a real issue. Something actually important. “What went down the other day?”

  “We just got word of some dealing on our territory,” Moves said, taking out a beer. He opened it and frowned, eyes zoned out as he seemed to think. “It wasn’t a big deal, but something was off.”

  “What do you mean by off?” I asked.

  Moves had been around the block. He didn’t get rattled by just anything, nor did he overthink. He was the enforcer. If something was out of line, he cracked some heads, told a joke, and moved on.

  “We ran the dealer down outside some seedy bar,” Moves said. “I hadn’t even seen this guy before.”

  “So?” Not even Moves had a catalog of every active dealer in La Playa. They came and went so quickly, popping up, getting sent off to a stint in jail, coming out of jail, moving towns, or straight-up just dying (and not of natural causes).

  “Dunno,” Moves said. “Just something off about him.”

  I didn’t want to badger Moves, but he was going to have to be more specific before I got concerned. I was the analytical one in the club. I trusted facts and hard data. I didn’t make decisions off of bad vibes. Not to say that Moves made bad decisions. He had excellent instincts. It just wasn’t my way.

  “Young,” Moves said. “He was real young.”

  I raised my eyebrows and looked at Moves. His face was almost haunted.

  “What did you do to him?” I asked.

  “Nothing major,” Moves said. “Just scared him off, told him to stay outta Outlaw Souls territory.”

  “How young?” I asked.

  “Couldn’t say,” Moves said. “He’d been using, you know how that fucks you up and makes you look way older.”

  I nodded. I had come across too many addicts in their twenties who could have easily passed for over forty.

  “But something about him,” Moves said. “Really young.”

  Moves glanced at me and his face broke into a wry grin as he shrugged.

  “But forget that,” Moves said. “Tell me about your night, I hear you went for revenge with Kimmy.”

  “Yeah, it was pretty funny,” I said.

  I told him about Kim getting even with Trey, but I was careful to not mention Claire. Just a night with a minor adventure. I could tell that Moves wasn’t thinking of her, which meant that Kim, if she was playing matchmaker, had not enlisted Moves’ help. Which was all for the best.

  Because I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to see Claire Brennan ever again.

  Claire

  When I woke up, I wasn’t certain where I was for a few seconds. When I realized I was in my bed, I was confused. Something was different about my bed.

  I rolled over, and there was no Pin where I had fully expected a Pin.

  I sat up and checked my clock. It was just after eight. When had he left? I could have sworn he was there when I fell asleep. I had drifted off in his arms with my head rested on his chest. I reached up and touched my hand against my cheek, and then was instantly mortified at the sappy gesture.

  It was good that he left. Definitely for the best. If he was still here, I would have to feign politeness and maybe even have coffee with him. All the while I’d be trying to figure out how to let him know it was just casual sex. There was no need for us to waste time with the pleasantries.

  Not that it had been bad. Definitely not bad.

  Very good, in fact.

  But still casual. Still nothing to get serious about.

  I rolled out of bed and scampered to the bathroom. I wasn’t that hungover since I hadn’t had that much to drink the night before. I just felt hungover for non-alcoholic reasons. My body was worn and tired, my mind blurred with memories from the night before. I could still almost hear the heavy breathing and the moans of pleasure. Nothing a scalding hot shower couldn’t banish.

  I still had work to do, after all. I needed to compile all the damning evidence against Trey and hand it to Daniel today. Then I would get another case. A better case. There was a small twinge of regret when I pictured closing this case. I had been enjoying this particular job. Or at least one part of this particular job.

  After the shower, I tugged on my usual outfit for a day at the office; loose jeans and a comfortable T-shirt with some ballet flats. I clipped a chunk of my hair out of my face and fixed myself a breakfast consisting of a muffin and some coffee.

  As I chewed my muffin, I decided that I had zero regrets. The night before had been a fun spur-of-the-moment dalliance, but it was a one-time thing. I didn’t want to waste any time seeing Pin only to realize that he, like every other guy, was boring and predictable. Underneath the biker leather and the cute smile, could he really be that different?

  I needed to focus on my job. If I wanted Daniel to give me better cases, I needed to bring my A-game and advocate for myself. I didn’t want to be stuck trailing dumb corporate cheaters for the rest of my days.

  If a juicier case came into the firm, and Daniel was busy with something else, he would usually hand it off to Veronica. It made sense. She was my senior and had way more experience than I did. But if I kept finishing up my cheating husband cases as quickly as I could, at some point, Daniel would have to give me a bigger case. Veronica would be tied up, and he would pass the ball to me.

  And I would be ready when that time came.

  I had to be ready, because I was pretty sure parts of my brain were withering away with every idiot husband I had to track down. I wanted something complex. I wanted twisted motives and dead ends. I wanted the whole bulletin board with a series of photos and notes.

  That’s why people get into my line of work in the first place. Ask any private investigator, or even a homicide detective, it’s not a totally altruistic career. There’s this thrill you get when you’re chasing something truly elusive. It’s almost like an adrenaline high where you can’t think of anything else. The mystery of the case consumes you.

  I got it a few years back when I tag-teamed an old murder case with Veronica. The guy had died a few years ago so the police had put it aside, but the family was desperate for closure. And unlike the police, private investigators don’t have to play by the rules. When Veronica and I caught the scent of the killer, it was amazing. It was the feeling I’d been chasing my whole life.

  Yeah, you’re also doing it for the people who have been hurt or are missing it. For justice. But when it comes to the thrill of the hunt, you’re being selfish. Pin had been incredible, I wouldn’t deny that. But when it came to long-term satisfaction, there was no way he could compete with a big case. I wasn’t going to let him distract me.

  Thirty minutes later, I walked into the office with a spring in my step. I had beaten Veronica and Daniel in, which was fine by me. I sat down at my desk and started putting together everything Olivia Cook would need to get rid of Trey.

  An hour later, I was done. I had all the messages between Trey and Kim, all the photos, plus my own notes and observations. Veronica had arrived by that point and flashed me a smile when I pushed away from my desk with a sigh.

  “All done?” she asked.

  “Trey Cook is officially screwed,” I said.

  “Unless the wife gets all sentimental,” Veronica said.

  It happened sometimes. A wife would see all the evidence, her heart would break, but she wouldn’t leave him. He would make some empty promises (probably to get out of paying alimony) and she would choose to believe them. She would close her eyes and tell herself that it wouldn’t happen again. He had changed.

  It’s not fun, but it’s not really my problem. I can’t tell people how to l
ive their lives.

  I glanced down at the photo of Olivia atop my file, and I prayed she had a backbone. Then I waltzed into Daniel’s office and tossed the notes onto his desk with a satisfying thunk.

  “Finished this already?” he asked.

  “Yup,” I said.

  Daniel leaned back in his chair and regarded me with a wary expression. “Careful, Brennan. A cocky PI makes mistakes.”

  “I’m not cocky,” I said with a saucy grin. “I’m just fast.”

  He chuckled and leafed through the notes. I knew he wouldn’t find anything fishy. There were no cut corners, no sloppy work. I had crossed my t’s and dotted my i’s.

  Daniel tapped his finger on a page of my typed notes. “The mistress Kimberly Delasante. She’s the one that’s tied to the biker club.”

  “Yeah,” I said. I had kept Daniel appraised of my plan with the case, including my alliance with Kim. “The Outlaw Souls.”

  “And you were friendly with her?” he asked.

  “I guess,” I said. “She came through last night anyway.”

  So did Pin, but I wasn’t about to mention that to Daniel.

  “Excellent work, Brennan,” Daniel said, flipping through the rest of my notes and then setting the file aside. “As always.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “But you know I want something bigger.”

  I liked Daniel, and I respected him. I didn’t talk back, but I had let him know of my frustration with the easy cases and the cheating husbands. He had assured me that when a case was the right fit, he would make sure I got it. He gave me a big smile, and my heart started racing with anticipation.

  “Today is your lucky day,” he said. “Sit down.”

  I sat down in the seat across from him and pulled it closer to his desk. He tapped his hands against the desk, giving me a look. “We haven’t officially gotten this case yet, but I met with potential clients yesterday.”

  “What is it?” I asked. My mind raced with potential issues I could sink my teeth into.

  “Two sets of parents with runaway teens,” Daniel said. “A fifteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old, both from La Playa.”

  “So?” I asked. “Teens run away.”

  “Yes, that’s what the police have told the parents,” Daniel said. “But the parents are convinced the teens were coerced by some sort of drug dealing ring.”

  I raised my brows. That was interesting. “What are the parents like? Social status? Any step-parents or divorce?”

  Daniel smiled at my eagerness. He could tell I was chomping at the bit for information.

  “Suburban, no divorce,” he said. “Seemed like nice people. Classy. White picket fence.”

  I let out a low whistle. Now that was interesting. Teens run away from poverty-stricken homes or broken families all the time. Most times, if the parents are divorced, the teen runs away from one parent to be with the other one.

  But a suburban upper middle-class family had much lower rates of runaways. That wasn’t to say that some dark shit can’t lurk behind a nice picket fence. The statistics are just different.

  “Why do they suspect drugs?” I asked.

  “The teens didn’t really know each other, but they went to the same school,” Daniel said. “West La Playa High – and both of them had been getting mixed up with an older, shadier crowd right before they ran away.”

  I furrowed my brow. I was already desperate for more details. I needed the age and personality traits of these teens so I could figure out who they were. What would have motivated them to run away from their safe homes? And how would we get them back?

  “Brennan, they were mixed up with bikers,” Daniel said. “The parents are convinced the biker club is using their kids for drug dealing.”

  My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “Outlaw Souls.”

  “The police poked around, but they didn’t find much,” Daniel said. “But Outlaw Souls is one of the major clubs in the area and let’s face it, guys like that are good at evading police questions.”

  I propped my forearms on Daniel’s desk and chewed my lower lip as I thought. Pin wasn’t like that. At least I didn’t think he was. But it was a big club. What were his so-called brothers like? I had to find out, and I could find out. I just needed to text Pin. Or even Kim. Go out with them at the Blue Dog Saloon again. Keep my eyes open.

  “I want this case,” I whispered.

  “I know,” Daniel said. “The parents are considering another PI, but I think they liked me. I made sure to play up your new connection to the Outlaw Souls.”

  “When will we know for sure?” I asked.

  “They should get back to me this afternoon,” Daniel said. “As soon as they hire us, it’s all yours.”

  I gave Daniel a massive smile. This was exactly what I wanted. A serious case with different factors. Not just some mopey asshole wanting to feel like a real man with some shiny mistress.

  “Thanks,” I said. “I won’t let you down.”

  I stood up and headed for the door. The parents would hire us, I was sure of it. I would start researching drug activity in La Playa right away. Once I had all the information and profiles on the teens – the real work would begin.

  Then I would figure out how to infiltrate the Outlaw Souls.

  Pin

  I never really thought of myself as a fickle guy. Once I made up my mind about something, I stuck to it. I made my choices, and I never looked back or felt regret. I prided myself on sticking to my guns.

  I wasn’t proud anymore.

  Three days after hooking up with Claire, and I was doubting every choice I had made. I had sworn I wouldn’t reach out, but I kept talking myself in circles. Maybe she wasn’t as risky as I thought. Maybe we could keep it casual as long as we were really clear with each other.

  I had gotten a taste with Claire and the day after I convinced myself that just a taste was enough. Now I wanted more. A lot more.

  I had my rules and I had stuck to them for a long time, but I was no masochist. I wasn’t going to suffer forever. Surely one (or several) more nights with Claire couldn’t be dangerous. I would be on guard. I would be careful to keep it casual.

  The only question was how to reach out. I had heard nothing from her, but that made sense. I was the one who had booked it out of her apartment. She probably thought I wasn’t into it. Which was so deeply untrue, it almost made me angry to think of Claire sitting somewhere imagining that I was ambivalent about our night of passion.

  Not that Claire was moping. I hadn’t known her long, but I could tell she was not someone to suffer from low self-esteem. She probably had shrugged me off and decided to move on if I wasn’t interested. So it looked like I was going to have to make the next move.

  As I took care of some accounting business in my apartment, I wracked my head about how to instigate another carnal meeting. The problem was, too much time had passed. If I had texted Claire the day after about how I had a good time, it wouldn’t be so out of the blue for me to text her today asking if she wanted to hang. Also, I had no clue how she had reacted to the night. She could be offended by a booty call. Or disinterested.

  I shoved my work away and stalked across my apartment in frustrated strides. This wasn’t me. I didn’t overthink when it came to women. I never hemmed and hawed over how to phrase a text message. If I wanted to hang out with a woman, I usually just asked. If she said no, so what? There were other women for what I wanted.

  I paused in my pacing and frowned. Why wasn’t that logic working anymore? There were still plenty of other women in La Playa.

  But now the idea of simply reaching out to another past hook-up to see if she was game, or going out to a bar to try and meet someone new had no appeal. In fact, I downright winced at the thought of pursuing anyone but Claire.

  She had gotten under my skin, that was all. We had chemistry. She was like a scratch I needed to itch. Once I was done, I would go back to other women. It wasn’t like I was addicted to her or anything. No one could
fall that hard in just one night, especially not me.

  I nodded. It was stupid to torture myself any longer by analyzing it. It was time to take action. Since a sudden text seemed too abrupt, I decided I needed a plan with a bit more subtlety.

  I checked my watch. I was due to meet a few club members across town for a ride that afternoon. Kim was going to be there. All I had to do was ask Kim if she had heard anything from Claire. It was a normal question to ask. I had helped them out the other night. Kim might even volunteer information.

  And if she hadn’t heard from Claire, I would suggest we all go out again. Kim could take the lead with organizing it. If all else fails, I would just tell Kim I was interested in Claire. Kim was cool, she wouldn’t tease. She had probably already guessed we hooked up, it wasn’t like we were being secretive.

  Kim could probably sort the whole thing out for me. She could be a little nosy with Claire, find out where she stood, and then let Claire know what I wanted. Girls were good at that kind of thing.

  Yeah, it was lazy and felt extremely high school to just let Kim play matchmaker, but I didn’t really care. All I cared about was repeating the other night.

  I pulled on my jacket and made for the door, a new spring in my step. This was good. I was going to get in touch with Claire, enjoy a few more wild nights until I was satisfied. I would get her out of my system and then move on with my life.

  The group was planning on just a quick ride around part of our territory to see how things were. Since the minor incident with the Las Balas dealer the other night, we were all on guard. It was unlikely we would spot anything during daylight hours, but it was good to make our presence known in case Las Balas was planning anything.

  We met up at a gas station in Southern La Playa, just off the highway. I smiled as I pulled up and saw the dark curtain of Kim’s hair. She was chatting with Hawk. I walked over, nodding a greeting to Hawk.

  “Hey, Pin.” Kim flashed me a cunning grin, and I could tell she knew or had assumed everything that had happened after we had parted ways outside the club.