“Why don’t you take a deep breath, Miss Dante? You look a bit flushed,” I said.
“Just hitting some roadblocks, Mr. Anders. It appears the shipment in an international one and still needs to go through customs.”
“Now that wouldn’t make any sense. The shipment was coming from Alaska.” I gritted my jaw slightly. Roscoe must have had issues with getting this shipment through. I needed to fix this or there would be hell to pay.
“Sir, the shipment clearly states… it’s from…”
I was staring hard at her. Harder than I normally would. It was what I had to do in order to break the new people in. The women behind her were shuffling around papers and doing mindless work to try and not be picked to intervene. Most of the workers here knew exactly who I was. They knew that I was a part of the Ghost Riders motorcycle club and with that came a reputation. A reputation that was not to be fucked with. The club wasn’t afraid to do what it needed to, to get its way.
Hell, more like my father’s way.
“I-I-I’m uh… sorry, Mr. Anders. But the computer says-”
“Miss Dante, I’m sure there’s something we could do about this issue,” I said.
“I believe there’s nothing I can do to help you,” she said.
“There’s always something,” I said with a grin. “Tell me, do you have any family?”
“Um, y-... yes sir. A son.”
“A son is a thing of pride for many parents. I bet he’s a beautiful boy. Especially if he’s got your eyes.”
The woman smiled and blushed, dipping her head out of sight as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“He’s actually got his father’s eyes,” she said.
“That’s a shame. Yours are probably more striking than his,” I said. “Now, Miss Dante. I need this shipment pushed through. I assure you, that it was shipped from Alaska, not internationally.”
“Mr. Anders, that’s simply impossible, I can’t-”
“Oh, I know you can, Miss Dante. The lovely women behind you have done it for me on several occasions. I’m in a bit of a bind and all I’m asking is for a little bit of help,” I said.
“Sir, I can’t just change a location where a shipment is coming from.”
Shit. This fucking woman was forcing my hand. I could feel my emotional walls going up. I could feel the compartmentalizing taking place. I slipped my hand into my pocket, retrieving my phone as I closed off the rest of my conscience to the world. Everyone was turned away from us, fearful of what was coming next as I opened up my phone.
I pulled up the picture of the little boy my father sent to me and placed it on the counter.
“Miss Dante, is this your son?” I asked.
“What are you-? How did-? Where’s my son?” she asked.
“He’s fine, Miss Dante.”
“How did you get that picture of him?” she asked. “That picture is on my-”
“The point is, I have ways of getting what I need. If you don’t wish to help me in an easy way, we can always take the hard route. I’ve done both, and both have boded well for me. What I’m not so sure about is how well the hard way will bode for you.”
“If you lay a finger on my son-”
“You misunderstand, Miss Dante. I am not in the business of hurting children. I am, however, in the business of selling. I need that shipment, and I need it in the next forty-eight hours. If you push it through for me, I can tell you nothing will happen to him.”
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“If you refuse to help, then I can guarantee that your ex-husband, Randy, will know exactly where you and your son are.”
The woman’s eyes were filling with tears. Fuck. This was the part that I hated. I could tell from the fear in her eyes that Randy must have been a real dick, and here I was threatening to bring the fucker back into her life.
But I had no choice.
Parker, our resident hacker in the club was most likely behind the intel. My father had sent it over to use. I was hoping that flirting with a single mother who was forced to do everything on her own would get me what I wanted, but I gravely underestimated her stubbornness. The only other option I had was my father’s tactics. The way he went about getting what he wanted.
The woman began typing away furiously at the computer as I stuck my phone back into my pocket. I straightened up and smoothed my hands down my jacket, knowing I was doing what needed to be done. Or at least trying to convince myself that it was.
The club needed this shipment in order to keep growing and making money. We only made money when we sold guns to our buyers. Without this shipment, we wouldn’t make our next sale and the club would be out of cash.
And my dad would fucking loose it.
“I’ve pushed your shipment through, Mr. Anders. If you give me a second, I’ll grab the status and you can be on your way,” Miss Dante said.
“I really do appreciate it,” I said.
She shot me a nasty look and it tapped into the small part of me I could never conceal and lock away. The job was done and my father would have what he wanted, but it was at the expense of frightening a woman. At the expense of showing this woman I had a grip on her son when really, I had nothing to do with any of that shit. It was my father. He controlled what the club did and he was the ruthless one. He was the one with no soul. The one with no boundaries and no ethical code and no morals.
He was the one people needed to fear.
Not the club.
And not me.
“Just sign right here, Mr. Anders.”
I picked up a pen and scribbled my signature before I reached for the official paperwork.
“Have a wonderful day, Miss Dante. And give my regards to your son.”
Chapter Six
Reagan
I stretched and sighed, reaching out for the man in the bed beside me. I had stayed cuddled up to him all night, waking up with my cheek flat against his chiseled chest. He was a beautiful sight. Landon or Maddox or whoever the hell he was, had been mind-blowing in bed. Commanding and gentle. Ferocious with a quiet sort of fire in his eyes. It had been a long time since I’d felt beautiful during a one-night stand, and I was ready to roll over, straddle his cock, and take on a second round for myself.
But when I reached for the other side of the bed, all I felt were the cool sheets against my skin.
I peeled my eyes open as the sun shone heavily through the sheer white curtains. The bed was empty. I was in this man’s home, in his bed, and he wasn’t even here. Furrowing my brow, I sat up and raised my hands over my head. I groaned as my back popped all the way up my spine, aligning my body and spreading relief through my veins.
Apparently being curled around a massive hulk of granite didn’t agree with my bones.
I slid from the bed and reached for a shirt on the floor. I pulled it over my head, sighing as it fell all the way down my thighs. I piled my hair on top of my head and secured it with the band around my wrist, then I began my search for the man who had tossed me around like a rag doll and worshipped my body like I was his goddess.
“Hello? Anyone here?”
It was like my voice echoed off the corners of the home. I turned my head to look down the hallway, listening out for any sort of sound. A coffee pot brewing or something sizzling on the stove. A television droning in the background or maybe a conversation taking place. There was no way I was here by myself. There was no way he would simply leave a woman he didn’t know alone in his place.
But the more I looked around, the more convinced I was that he had actually left me here.
I kept pushing doors open, finding more empty rooms instead of his presence. I walked down the stairs, my bare feet taking in the cool temperatures of the floor as I made my way to the kitchen, my stomach growling out with hunger.
The kitchen was amazing. Stainless steel appliances that looked like they’d never been touched. I kept walking through the house, my eyes looking for where Maddox could possibly be.
I stopped in my tracks when I found a room with a fireplace with built-in bookshelves lined with books that looked as if they’d been read dozens of times.
So, the man was a reader.
It was kind of hot.
I found my way back to the living room and stood in there, dumbfounded. A television was mounted to the wall and the deep-seated microfiber couches looked juicy enough to sleep on. I gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the lower portion of the house, taking in the beautiful view of his backyard. It was covered with colors and bursting with life. Trees were in bloom and bees were buzzing around. There were rose bushes and lush, green grass. Tulips in every corner of the yard out back and a stone walkway that led straight into an overhang of budding vines.
It was like I had been ripped into a fairytale.
And while all of it was beautiful, it still didn’t answer my question of where the hell Maddox had gone. Why he chose to leave me to wake up alone instead of waking me up when he did so I could leave. Did he expect me to stay here? Did I need to call some sort of cab?
Hell, I wasn’t expecting a ton of romance in the morning, but I was hoping to at least have him here.
Especially after the connection I felt last night.
I started through the living room, racing down the hallway before something caught my eye.
On the front door, there was a piece of paper. Taped and moving lightly with the air that had kicked on in the strange home I was in. I moved towards it, my feet carrying me slowly as I regarded my surroundings.
A note.
This man had left me a note.
Reagan,
If you’re hungry, feel free to eat whatever you wish from the kitchen. If you’re still tired, feel free to take a nap. I have work to do, but know you looked beautiful underneath the sunlight of the morning. There’s a car out front waiting for you to take you wherever you wish. I do have one request of you, however. Dinner, with me tonight. There’s a place downtown I think you might enjoy. Mambo’s. Seven o’clock. I’ll see you there.
Maddox
Was this man serious? And did I even have a choice? This note felt as if he was giving me no choice in the matter. I read the note over and over, trying to process everything he had thrown at me in it.
A driver?
Someone was waiting for me outside?
I tiptoed over to the window by the door and peered outside. There was a light gray car sitting there, idling with its engine on. There was a young man in the front looking down at something in his lap, biding his time until I got out there.
Holy hell.
There was a car waiting for me.
Who the hell was this man? He bore such a striking resemblance to Landon, and yet… nothing about him was like Landon at all. Last night, I would’ve bet my life on the fact that he had been Landon. I would’ve sold my firstborn’s soul to prove that he had been. I closed my eyes and leaned against the door, allowing the events of last night to bombard me. The way he kissed me and scooped me into his arms. The way he easily stripped me of my clothes. The way his muscles twitched in the pale moonlight and how he took control of my body and brought me to heights I hadn’t experienced in years.
Oh yes. I was doing dinner with this man tonight.
I raced upstairs, squealing and clapping my hands as I quickly got dressed. There was no need to clean up. I’d be doing it again anyway to get ready for tonight. What I had to do, however, was check in with work and then go find something appropriate to wear for tonight.
I got changed, gathered up my things, and headed for the door. I stepped onto the porch and quickly got to the car where I was greeted with by tall guy with long hair. He looked rough around the edges just like Maddox did, and I noticed that he was wearing a similar leather jacket that Maddox had on. He smiled at me and told me he was friend of Maddox’s and that he would take me home. It was strange that his friends were willing to just be there for him, but I had no other way of getting home, so I got in the car. I rattled off my home address before he pulled away from where I’d stayed in last night, then I removed my phone to call work.
But instead, I found dozens of messages from Nova.
Where are you?
Are you okay?
Reagan, pick up.
If you don’t, I’m calling the cops.
I shook my head as I dialed her number and laughed when the phone didn’t even ring in my ear before she picked up. Nova had always been a worry-wart. She’d been like that ever since having Mariah. She started rattling off all sorts of questions before I could even breathe, but I knew the one statement that would catch her attention.
“He wants to have dinner with me tonight,” I said.
“Wait, what?” Nova asked.
“Yep. He wants to take me to Mambo’s at seven tonight.”
“What happened last night?” Nova asked.
“Just… everything. Fuck. I haven’t felt this confident and sexy in years. And he wants to see me again. Can you believe it? That shit never happens to me.”
“You’re not still convinced this is Landon, right? Because you know this isn’t Landon.”
“It’s insane. Last night I would’ve bet my life on the fact that it had been. They both have a striking resemblance.”
“That’s called a ‘type’, Reagan. We all have it. So, what’s his name?”
“Maddox. He said his name was Maddox.”
“Okay. I take it you stayed the night at his place?” she asked.
“Yes, but he was gone before I woke up. And you wouldn’t believe the size of his-”
“He was gone? He just… left you there?” she asked.
“Not in a weird sort of way. He left a note saying to help myself to anything. Nova, he had a car waiting outside for me.”
“A what?”
“Yeah. Someone was there to take me to where I wanted to go.”
“So, he has a driver?” she asked.
“Not really. He said he was a friend of Maddox’s.”
“That’s odd, but I guess nice that he at least got you a ride home.”
“I know, I know. But look. He wants me to do inner with him and I think I will. Am I crazy for that?”
“Did you enjoy your time with him?”
“I did.”
“Did you feel threatened by him in any way?”
“Not one bit,” I said.
“Then what could it hurt? What do you plan on wearing?”
“I was thinking of going shopping for something fun to wear. That was the second thing on my list after checking in with work.”
“And where was checking in with me on that list?” she asked.
“Uh… not on it because it’s an automatic response?”
“Good. If you want my opinion on the outfit, go with something black. Black and hot.”
“Anything else?” I asked.
“Heels. If I had legs like yours, I’d never stop walking in them.”
“All right. Black, sexy, and heels. Red-bottomed?”
“Nope. If you want an accent color, I’d keep it with something a little more neutral, like a pale yellow.”
“Beautiful. I can do that. I gotta go, though. I’m about to pull up to my apartment.”
“I thought you were checking in with work and then going shopping?” she asked.
“I can check in with work from my laptop, then I need some coffee.”
“I’m shocked you didn’t make any at his home.”
“He had one of those fancy ones. With mine, you shove some shit in there, fill it with water, and press a button.”
“You are the unfanciest woman I know. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for your date tonight. You’ll have to call and tell me all the ways you screwed it up later.”
“You’re a bitch, but I love you. Don’t expect me to check in with you tonight, but I will call you in the morning.”
“Planning on going home with him again?” she asked.
“Planning on it? Nova
, I’m praying for it.”
“‘Bout time you got yourself some. Okay. Love you, Reagan. Text me a picture of your outfit later. I wanna see it.”
“Will do, Nova. Love you, too.”
Chapter Seven
Maddox
With the information on the shipment in hand, I slid onto my bike and raced off. I was ready to get this damn day over with so I could focus on my upcoming evening. While Reagan didn’t strike me as the kind of girl to take instruction, I knew I could change that about her. Women didn’t want a say no when it came to romance and taking her to dinner would be hard to pass up. If she showed up at the restaurant, then I’d know she enjoyed last night just as much as I did. And I was ready for a repeat of it.
Especially since I was about to face my father.
I pulled up to our mechanic shop and saw my father already yelling at someone. I groaned as I parked my bike, not giving enough of a damn to park it straight and give him the time of day. I grabbed the shipment paperwork and hopped of my bike, catching my father’s angry gaze. His stare fell to my hands and he heaved a giant sigh. Like seeing me was the first decent thing to happen to him all day.
“‘Bout fuckin’ time I saw you,” he said.
“Morning to you too, Dad.”
“The hell were you doin’ last night?” he asked as he held out his hand.
“Winding down,” I said as I handed him the paperwork.
“Uh huh. What lucky bitch did you bed this time?”
I clenched my fists, shoving them into my pockets so I wouldn’t be tempted to take a swing at him. My dad respected my in many regards, but he didn’t give a damn about anyone else. It was truly disgusting to me how he talked about and treated people sometimes. He wasn’t always like this. There were brief moments in my childhood where I could remember a calm, collected, soft side to my dad. But that was what happened when someone staying in the MC for too long.
They hardened like my dad.
And I wanted to be nothing like my dad.
“Why weren’t you here an hour ago? I sent you all the information you needed at six this morning,” he said.
“It’s here. What’s the problem?” I asked.
Baby and the Biker: The Ghost Riders MC Page 4
