Ghost walks up to me and pulls me to the side. “Hey, brother. Can I have a word with you?” He looks uneasy which makes me uncomfortable.
“What’s going on?”
“Let’s talk in the other room.” We go into our usual Church meeting room and he closes the door.
“Damn it must be serious.”
“It is and it isn’t. I just don’t want you to make a scene out there and I don’t want anyone accidentally hearing.”
“Come on. What is it already?”
“Well, next time you want to fuck in your garage, you might want to do it away from the window on the garage door.”
“What the fuck? You saw her naked?”
“No, so chill the fuck out. I only saw your lily-white ass working, so I turned as quickly as I came and left you alone. I wouldn’t have stopped by, but I noticed it wasn’t open and I wondered if some crazy shit was going down and you couldn’t reach us.”
“Sorry for snapping. And you’re right to have checked up on me. I made them take a long lunch and got carried away with Mackenzie. I definitely need to be more careful. I didn’t even hear you come through the gate.”
“Well when I saw it locked up, I used my code to get through the side door on the gate. You were pounding steel so you wouldn’t have heard me anyway.”
“Fuck off. But thanks for being honest with me. I’ll be extra careful next time.”
“We good?”
“Of course. Now let’s go out there. I don’t want them too suspicious.” We go out to the group, but most are so engrossed in the little baby that they don’t pay us any mind. I go to the bar and grab another drink because I need it. I’m going to have to tell Mackenzie and she might never let me fuck her in there again.
She walks away from the baby and Crystal and over to me by the bar. “What’s going on? You look upset.”
“I am and I’m not. It’s sort of funny.”
“Well, don’t get mad, but Ghost accidentally walked in on us at the garage that day.”
“What?” I explain the rest to her, and she lets out a giggle.
“I happen to like your ass. It’s sexy as hell. Although I’m glad he didn’t see me naked. You’re already a crazy caveman.”
“Damn right I am.”
“Although I need to watch out for him. He better not be checking out your ass,” she says, giggling while doing her best to sound serious.
“Next time I’ll make sure I take you in my office.”
“Maybe next time just cover the window and you can do me hard against that cold steel again.”
“You like it against your heated flesh?”
“You know I do.”
“We’re going home.” She giggles as I drag her off to say goodbye.
Chapter 10
Mackenzie
Meeting his mom.
Those words go through my head a thousand times. It’s not like I don’t already know the woman. I’ve known her longer than I’ve known Simon. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is. I’m freaking out over here. Tonight’s Sunday dinner is a tradition of sorts for them and I’m the first girl he’s ever brought home for it. Again, I shouldn’t panic since she handpicked me for her son, but I am totally tripping.
“Dash, are you ready?”
“Almost,” I call out from our bedroom, hoping he can’t sense the tension in my voice. I hear him coming up the stairs in a hurry, opening the door to stare. I can’t stop my own gawking. He’s dressed in a expensive looking black dress shirt and matching slacks with a light grey tie. His hair is slicked back, sides trimmed, and his scuff has been tightened up. He looks so damn sexy.
“Wow. You clean up very well, Mr. West.”
“I’m at a loss for words at your beauty. Although I’m that way nearly every day. Some days I let it fall from my mouth. You’re perfect, Mackenzie, so if you’d stop scrunching up the ends of your dress that would be great. My mom picked you before I even knew you existed. You couldn’t be more welcomed by any mother in the world.”
“I know. I know. You read me like an open book.”
“Good. I don’t like secrets sweetheart. Come on. Let’s go so my mom can finally calm down. I’m betting her nerves are worse than yours right now.”
“She’s nervous?” I don’t know why she would be. The first time I met her she walked up to me and said I’d be perfect for her son.
He waves his phone at me. “From the twenty texts and five calls in the last hour? I’d say yes.”
“For real?”
Simon’s getting a laugh out of all of this, but this is a big deal. What if she doesn’t think I’m good enough for her boy now that she sees me outside of work? “Yes. So come on, beautiful. Let me introduce you to my mom as the woman I love.”
“Wait. You love me?”
“Of course I do. Seeing you for the first time took my breath away. I don’t just mean your beauty. I felt the overwhelming feeling to hold you, protect you, and do anything for you.”
“I love you, Simon.” He kisses me until we’re both pulling away panting.
“We better get moving or she’ll show up here.”
He rushes me out of the house and into his SUV. The drive is shorter than I expected or maybe it’s my anxiety, but as we pull up his mom comes out of the front door. “Told you. She couldn’t wait for us to come to the door.”
“Mrs. West, thank you for having me over for dinner.” I hand her the dessert I made. It’s just some homemade brownies that Sarah taught me how to make.
“Thank you, dear, but you’re welcome here anytime. I’m so happy you two have finally met,” she says. The last bit is blurred through her squeal of excitement, pulling me into her arms for a super hug which takes me by surprise.
“Mom, can you let her breathe?”
“Sorry.” She lets me go sheepishly. “You are so gorgeous. I can’t believe you finally gave him a chance.”
“Thanks, mother. Can we please get inside?”
“Oh sorry. Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Simon, will you set the table while Mackenzie and I finish up the food?”
“Yes.” He leans down and kisses my temple before walking away.
“Momma, be good.”
“No promises.” She winks and leads me into the kitchen before Simon can object.
“I’m so glad you’re here. My boy deserves a good girl with a kind heart.”
“Thank you, Mrs. West. I think Simon’s wonderful.”
“He is. So what did you bring?”
“Oh, it’s homemade brownies. It’s my friend’s recipe from her grandma.”
“It doesn’t have any of that funny stuff in it, does it?” She scrunches up her nose.
“Oh goodness no.”
“Good, so tell me about your family, Mackenzie.”
“I don’t really have one. My uncle took me in when my parents died in a car accident when I was nine. He’s a piece of crap though.”
“I heard about that. I’m so glad you’re safe. I’m sorry about your parents though. You have Simon and me now. I’m sure he’s never letting you go.”
“I hope so.”
“So what are your plans now that you’re free from those jerks? I know I push Simon and tease about having babies right away, but I know it’s just a lonely old woman’s dream.”
“I don’t have any at the moment. I hadn’t thought it out. Finally not having to hide is only recent, but I’m hoping to find a job in town. I don’t know about the babies. I suppose they happen when they do, but I love Simon and if we have a baby now or in two years, I’ll be happy either way.”
“I love you too, Dash. The sooner I knock you up, you’ll be slower and can’t get away from me.” He winks, pulling me into his arms. “Mom, I’m so glad you were hard at work finishing dinner. The plates are set.” It’s the first time I notice that there’s a catering meal out. I let out a huge belly deep laugh.
“What? I ruined dinner, so I had to get something quick.�
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“Oh that’s why you left me all those messages. You were stalling me.”
“A woman’s gotta do what she got to do. Now, since you have a big mouth, please go ahead and help me bring this to the dining room.”
“Yes, mother.” It’s cute to watch them go back and forth, bantering like crazy. I take the tray of salad and follow.
We’re in the middle of serving the food when she lets down a tear. “I’m so happy.”
“So am I, mom. So am I.” He steals a quick kiss before passing the mashed potatoes.
“I am too,” I say before taking a drink of my water. Once we are all set and eating catered food from Dallas, I ask, “So what do you usually make for Sunday dinner?”
Simon laughs, “You’re looking at it. Don’t let her fool you. We order this every Sunday.”
“So it’s a tradition. That’s sweet.” I’m feeling uncomfortable because his mother is wearing a wedding ring and yet I don’t see his father. I don’t want to ask, but it’s a bit about Simon I don’t know. He’s never mentioned it.
“Yes, ever since his father left, we’ve been doing this Sunday dinner.”
“I’m sorry. He died?”
“No, he left us when Simon was eighteen. I’m sure the ring takes you by surprise, but it’s not the one he gave me all those years ago. It’s the one I bought myself, to keep men away. It’s surprising how many men are interested in a fifty-year-old woman.”
“That’s because you’re gorgeous still.”
“She’s a keeper,” she says conspiratorially in Simon’s direction.
He nods. “That’s good because I wasn’t planning to let her go.”
We manage to get through dinner with small talk and avoiding all things related to his dad. Apparently that’s a very sore subject. We only stay a while longer because Simon has to work in the morning.
On the drive home he opens up, “It was my eighteenth birthday. He turned to my mother with papers in his hand—divorce papers. He said his obligation to us was over. He didn’t love my mother and never had. He only wanted her family wealth and had a mistress that was expecting his third child. See my parents only had me and my mother miscarried a couple of times, giving up and being happy to have me. He walked up to me and said, ‘Good luck. Don’t marry for money’ and brushed past me. I haven’t seen him in ten years.”
“Wow that’s fucked up.”
“I know. I had money though because he’d been given nothing but a small chunk of her family wealth. The rest had gone to me when I became an adult. My mother still has a large portion for herself, but she’ll never get involved with anyone again. He played with her heart for so long that she thought he truly loved her.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’ve moved past it. I have some siblings, but we don’t talk at all. There are five of them with two different women. The second woman is the one he finally left my mother for.”
I sit silently until we get home. He gets out and pulls me into his arms, holding me as a cool breeze passes over us. “I love you, Mackenzie. I don’t take that lightly and I’ve never said that to a woman before. I’m not my dad.”
“I know. I know. After all, I don’t have any money.” I stroke his cheek. “I love you because you make my heart race at a distance, up-close I feel like I can’t breathe, and when you look at me, I know where I belong. Now take me inside and make love to me until we pass out.”
“That sounds wonderful.” He smiles and scoops me up into his arms, taking the porch steps two at a time.
Chapter 11
Wrench
It’s been a month of peace as things have quieted down since her uncle has been released on house arrest until his trial. He hasn’t tried to contact Mackenzie and neither has his associates, but I know that’s too fucking good to be true. It scares me how nice things are.
Mackenzie hasn’t gone back to work at the grocery store, but she does help out around town for all the new moms. Penny and Morgan had to slow down and stop working all together when their babies arrived. The Steele Riders are growing, and I hope one day soon we’ll be in that same boat. Although, as of last week we aren’t members of that club.
My phone rings as I’m in the middle of my paperwork and it’s my woman. “Hey baby, how’s your day at the bakery?”
“Simon, I swear I saw Johnny in a dark car today. He drove past the bakery, heading toward the grocery store.”
“Stay put. I’m on my way. I’ll call Law.”
“Okay. I’m in the backroom. I don’t know if he knows I’m even here.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I end the call as I rush down the stairs two at a time because I have to get a hold of Cyber. I want to track this fucker. “I’ll be back,” I call out without another word to my staff. They know by now that if it’s an emergency to mind their business.
As I get in my truck, I call him. “Cyber. Johnny Boy’s lurking. He passed by the bakery and headed to the grocery store in a dark sedan.”
“Okay. Did you call Boomer?”
“Not yet. I need to know where this fucker’s going first. I’m on my way to get Mackenzie. She’s at Penny’s bakery.”
“Okay. I think I have him on camera. He definitely is prowling the streets.” He doesn’t say anything for almost a minute. I can see his call on my dash, so I know I still have him there.
“What’s going on?”
“Shit. He’s nabbed someone. A teenage girl. She’s wearing one of the green shirts.”
“Shit.”
“I’m sending out a wide alert. I’m a minute behind in the video, and damn, he’s flooring it out of town.”
“I put out an alert to the state troopers. The privilege of running cybersecurity. Law’s calling me.”
“Okay.” I end the call just as I pull up to the bakery. Rain starts coming down just as I step out of my truck. Damn it. That’s not going to be good. I hope they don’t end up on a high speed chase. When I get into the shop, Mackenzie comes from around the counter, her eyes red-rimmed with tears streaming down.
“Simon,” she cries out, throwing herself into my open arms.
“Babe, I won’t let them get to you, but we have to go. Do you got this, Penny?”
She nods, holding their baby in her arms. “Jackson’s coming over right now.”
“Mackenzie, Mackenzie.” I call her name, but she’s shaking and focused on the window. No one is there, but I’m betting she’s looking for Johnny. “Dash—” That gets her attention. I cup her cheek and ask, “He’s not coming after you. I need to know. Who’s the blonde teen that works at the store?”
“That’s Vanessa. Oh no. What’s happened?” Her eyes widen and I do my best to control the need to kiss her fear away.
I don’t want to tell her the truth, but I think she can help us if he gets away. “She’s been kidnapped by Johnny Boy.”
“Oh no. Somebody has to get her. They’ll try to give her as a trade for me.”
“We’re going to get him. Trust me. I won’t let this go down like that.” Just then Jackson walks in and I nod. “We’re out.”
“Law says they lost him outside of town. Boomer wants us at the clubhouse to discuss a plan.”
“Okay. We’ll meet you there.”
“That works for me.”
I take Mackenzie and lead her out to the truck. Once she’s secured, I go around to my side and hop in, watching the roads. I wonder if the son of a bitch circled back to come after Mackenzie.
“Simon. I think I have an idea that might help us find him.”
“Do you know where he’d hide out?” If she does that would help tremendously.
“Sort of; I know of a couple of places, but I was thinking maybe I can call him, and you can trace his whereabouts. I can see what he wants in exchange for her and then you can create a plan then.”
“You’re a smart cookie. That could work.”
We pull into the clubhouse entrance where the prospects are waiting to op
en the gates. We’re let in and Jackson follows right behind us. “Get the girls inside,” Boomer says, stepping outside the steel door.
“Boomer, Mackenzie’s got an idea to call him.”
“That’s what Cyber said. It could work. He’s ready to go right now, but let’s get everyone together first.”
We’re the last two to come in, so we gather on the main floor. “Ladies, keep busy for a few minutes. Guys, if anything happens to them it’s your heads,” Boomer barks out, warning the prospects. We move into Boomer’s office where Cyber has his computers and trace running. “Take a seat,” he says to Mackenzie.
“Cell phone, please,” Cyber says, sticking out his hand.
“I didn’t know you had his number saved.”
“It’s on a Google doc of mine. I didn’t store it, but it’s on the document just in case.” Cyber returns the phone.
“You’re good to go when you’re ready.”
“Are you sure you can do this?”
“I didn’t like Vanessa, but that doesn’t mean I want anything bad to happen to her.” I sense there’s more to her dislike than she’s letting on, but now isn’t the time for that conversation. She looks to me and I nod. “Okay, I’m ready.” She dials the number and then waits for it to ring.
“You piece of shit. You took her.”
“I didn’t take anyone.”
“You liar. They called me from the store telling me the guy that was looking for me kidnapped my coworker. Why? What are you going to do to her?”
“Like I’d tell you anything.”
“She’s just sixteen. She’s young. Please just let her go.”
“You sound so cute begging. I bet you’d look good begging on your knees.” Before the sound gets out of my throat, Ghost has his hand over my mouth and shakes his head. I nod and calm the fuck down.
“Whatever. That’s never going to fucking happen. Why don’t you just be a good human instead of a lap dog for my uncle?”
“You little bitch. Listen, I’m no fucking lap dog. Your uncle’s already dead. He’s been chilling on ice at his home for two days now. This little bitch is to get at you.”
Wrench: A Steele Riders MC Novel Page 7
