Long Live the Rebel

by E L Irwin

  A deep silence settled around the table for a moment or two. Then Paige said, “I’m so sorry, AJ. This is horrible. I’m assuming the police are involved. What are they saying?”

  “They are involved. They’re trying to figure out who she is and where she is.”

  “What does she want? Why is she doing this?” Poppy asked.

  “I don’t know. She was angry when I came up here, said she felt like I was letting my fans down. Then she was furious when I said I was staying.”

  “Are you in danger?” Jo asked. Her face had paled noticeably.

  “Not exact—” I started to say.

  Then Ryler said, “Chief and I are keeping an eye on things.”

  “AJ, maybe we shouldn’t do the signing then? I mean, if it’s not safe…” Paige said.

  “No, Paige.” I shook my head and gave her a reassuring smile. “No, it should be fine. I’m not worried. Of course, I’ll do it.”

  “We’ll be there to keep watch. She’ll be all right,” Chief assured everyone.

  Harley’s phone rang then, bringing an end to the path the conversation had been on.

  “Tell Kevin I said hello,” I told her as I spied the blush that tinted her face.

  She got up, taking her phone with her, and left the room for some privacy.

  Harley’s exodus seemed to indicate an end to the evening’s activities. By silent agreement, we stood and began cleaning up. I kissed Jo goodbye, gave a hug to the Paiges, and told Chief I’d see him soon. He’d pulled me close for a quick bearhug before heading out. Ryler stayed to help me finish drying and putting the dishes away. Then we settled on the couch before the fire.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said to him after a few long moments had passed just savoring the soothing sounds of the flames as they crackled. I relaxed, sinking deeper into the cushions. “I’d wondered if you would, you know.”

  Ryler had been absentmindedly rubbing the back of my neck. When he heard that, he tilted my head in his direction, a question in his eyes.

  “Well, I know you’re not exactly a big fan of crowds and things. So, yeah, I wondered.”

  “Hmm,” he grunted in a noncommittal sort of way. His gaze shifted south, landing on my mouth. Maybe he hadn’t been so absentminded after all.

  Ryler knew he probably had a lot of other things to be considering, other than AJ’s mouth. Her lips… her heat… and those sounds he knew she’d make. But right now, that was where his mind was at.

  Sure, dinner had been amazing. And he had to admit that Harley was not a threat to his relationship with AJ. The conversation had flowed with ease. Any concerns he’d arrived with regarding Harley had completely dissipated by the evening’s end.

  Heck, he might have even spared a thought or two about Amber and the possible threat she posed to AJ.

  But no. No, his thoughts were focused on something much more pressing. More primal. Because desire was quickly morphing into need. Ryler needed AJ. He needed to tell her the truth about himself. He needed to give her that chance, that choice. He needed to face this fear and conquer it.

  Other needs were making themselves known. Deep, writhing ones. Ryler needed to get ahold of himself, control the flame. Leash the animal and stay calm. But she was right there. That mouth was right there…

  Try as he might, Ryler knew he was going to fail this test, he was going to give in. Because she was right there.

  He leaned toward me, his blue-gray eyes somehow turning molten, searching mine.

  “Your mouth is driving me crazy, woman. You’re driving me crazy.” And then he kissed me. Slow. Easy. Thorough. So incredibly thorough. With a near silent groan, he pulled back a few minutes later and said, “I know that we started off a bit rocky, and I know there are still things to work out, things you’re trying to figure out, and things that I’m still trying to figure out. But I want to be here. With you. We’ll get through them.”

  I heard the together in his words, even though he hadn’t spoken the word out loud. My heart swelled at the sentiment, and my eyes misted. Blinking the tears away, I buried my head against him, breathing in his earthy pine scent and letting myself believe in us, if just for this moment. Time would have to tell whether or not Ryler and I went the distance. But right now, at this time, it seemed things were looking brighter. I was pretty sure the road ahead held curves, maybe even painful, deadly ones, but sitting here with Ryler, I felt the confidence bloom in the knowledge that we’d face them, together.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Rolling Thunder

  Those women you always see in movies, the ones wearing leather like a second skin, as if there was nothing to it? All lies. It had to be. Because I’d only been able to keep the leather pants on for a half hour tops before I was melting into a sweaty puddle on the floor.

  Harley had convinced me to give them a shot. And I had, but no more. I’d stick with a pair of jeans, my ice-pink long-sleeved t-shirt, my black combat-style boots, and that leather vest — or cut, as real bikers called them — that I’d found at the thrift store.

  Three days ago, I’d driven Harley back to the airport. We said our teary goodbyes and admonished each other to be safe and to stay in touch. “Next time, bring Kevin with you,” I’d told her.

  “Next time — I promise,” she said as she got in the long line at the security check point.

  I waited, watching her until she was through and beyond my viewpoint. Then I’d headed home, reminding myself that we’d see each other again soon.

  Now, as I stood in front of my mirror, I felt I looked, if not like an actual biker-chick, then at least like I wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb for the event. Ryler would be here shortly. He was picking me up, like a real date, and I was beyond thrilled. Although we’d been out together before, this was the first time that he’d asked me.

  Kissing Josephine goodbye, where she was sprawled on my bed, I headed downstairs to wait for Ryler. I didn’t have long to wait, just enough time to wash my coffee mug, dry it, and put it away. At the sound of his knock, I grabbed my small purse and headed for the door.

  After knocking on AJ’s front door, Ryler stepped back, not wanting to crowd her. Who was he kidding? He wanted the space to be able to study her. AJ required a careful study, and Ryler didn’t want to miss a moment of it. He was facing away from the door, staring off into the trees, reflecting on the last couple of months. Hearing the door open, he took a moment to settle himself before turning to face her.

  Ryler let his eyes travel her slowly. Taking in each and every detail. He started at her feet, at those wannabe combat boots she was wearing. He marveled at the length of her legs, showcased to perfection in those soft, well-fitted jeans. He enjoyed the way her shirt seemed to hug her shape without being vulgar. And where she’d found that unadorned cut, he had no idea. A grin slowly grew on his mouth, lighting his eyes. He planned to get her on a bike today, wanting her wrapped around him, the wind in their faces.

  Ryler took a slow, deep breath.

  For the first time since I’d been coming to Charlie’s, the parking lot was filled to overflowing. A band was set up to the west side of the establishment, some kind of rock group. They sounded good. Several food trucks were parked around the lot, offering anything from Mexican to burgers to ice cream. Families strode about, talking and chatting with each other. And row upon row of motorcycles for as far as I could see, at least in the parking lot. Every kind I could imagine. Some were obviously made for show and probably saw very little use. Others seemed more like an extension of the person riding them.

  Ryler parked across the street, and we made our way slowly and carefully through the bikes and riders, several stopping Ryler to say hello. They eyed me curiously, no doubt wondering just who I was. He was friendly, not open, but not aggressive either. I’d wondered how he was going to do in this kind of environment. With all the people, all the noise. But Ryler seemed to be fine, even though he’d left Shiv back at the cabin. “Too much noise for the hound,” he’d
said, and it was noisy. If I’d been a painter, I’d have titled this scene as Rolling Thunder.

  We made our way inside to see Chief. He had a packed crowd in here as well. Every spot at the bar was filled, as were each booth and table. I noted the three new helpers behind the bar with him, all hard at work slinging orders. Ryler took my hand, leading me through the crowd, clearing a path for me.

  Chief smiled as he saw us then came around the bar to give me a hug. I liked that we were on those terms. We chatted over the volume of the crowd for a minute and then ordered a drink. “Full house, huh?” I said to Chief over the roar.

  “Sure enough. Not all are military. Some are just along for the ride. There’ll be some idiots in the crowd, so stay close to Rye.”

  I chuckled at that and said, “Will do.”

  Chief got to work on our drinks and told us to make sure we checked out the burgers being grilled to perfection just outside. As we waited, I felt Ryler become still beside me. Glancing at him, I saw that his focus was across the room on a group of people standing near the other side of the bar. Three men and two women. Two of the men and one woman were in riding leathers, obviously a party to the ride taking place today. The other man seemed somewhat out of place here. Not a biker at least. He was tall, slim, but not skinny. Well-proportioned, I’d say. He had strength but wasn’t as built as Ryler. He was darker though — dark hair and eyes — maybe of Italian descent, I mused. He was dressed simply in dark jeans, boots, and shirt. The woman with him was petite, nearly childlike next to his tall frame. Her hair was a beautiful shade of red.

  Looking back to Ryler, I saw the calculating look in his eyes. “What’s up?” I asked. “Do you know them?”

  “Maybe,” he said quietly. Ryler took my hand and led me over to the group. Again, I trailed behind him as he moved through the press of people, not because I was somehow inferior to him, but rather due to the density of the crowd present. I liked the feeling that Ryler was looking out for me. The three in riding leathers were walking away as we approached, moving on to greet another set of people. Ryler didn’t spare them a glance. His focus was on the man.

  They turned toward us, almost as if they could feel Ryler’s regard. The man’s dark eyes were sharp, discerning and calculating, like a predator. His focus had shifted swiftly to Ryler as soon as he’d seen us. I saw his quick assessment, determining we weren’t a threat. The woman’s gray eyes were calm as they took us in, her small baby bump evident through the soft green dress she wore. Freckles were sprinkled endearingly across her face.

  “Darrante,” Ryler said, extending his hand. “It’s been a long time.”

  The man took it, offering a firm grip. “Ryler Dean, how the heck are you?” His voice was deep, yet even.

  “I’m still kicking,” Ryler replied. He pulled me forward, a hand settling on my back. “Samuel, this is AJ McAdams. AJ, this is Samuel Darrante.” Ryler continued, “We met a few years ago.”

  Samuel shook my hand, then Ryler told him, “Jake Daniels was her father.”

  Dark brows rose at this. “I heard the news.” His gaze shifted back to me. “Sorry for your loss.” At my nod of appreciation, he turned to the woman beside him, his arm going around her shoulders. “This is Tiffy, my wife.”

  Tiffy was beautiful and had that pregnancy glow to her. Standing beside her, I realized I was only an inch or so taller than she was. She’d seemed so small next to Samuel. Then again, I wasn’t really known for my height either. Taking her offered hand, I said, “It’s nice to meet you. When are you due?”

  “February.” She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

  “Samuel and I served together a few years back. And he knew your dad from before then,” Ryler told me. Turning back to Samuel, he said, “So what’s new? You still in?”

  “Nah. Got out just after I last saw you.” He glanced at Tiffy. “It was time.”

  “What are you doing in this neck of the woods?”

  “Just passing through. Happened to see the event. Thought we’d stop in and see what’s up, lend our support.”

  “It’s appreciated. Where’re you guys heading?”

  “Some friends of ours suggested a cabin over near the Forks area. It’s near the beach, supposed to be really nice. We’re going to stay for a few days, just relax.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty over there. Lots of green. Real nice. You still in California then?”

  Samuel shook his head. “We bought a place in Wyoming a few years back. Tiffy loves the country life. And I love Tiffy, so now I’m a rancher.”

  The blush that touched her face was soft and sweet. She looked up at him with eyes that were full of love, and I wondered if I’d ever look at someone that way. If that someone would be Ryler.

  Ryler chuckled at Samuel. “You? A rancher? Never thought I’d hear that coming from your mouth, Samuel.”

  “Oh, I know. But times change. A friend of mine got into the dude-ranch business up near Cody. Tiff and I met there. And she liked it so much we decided to stay, start our place.”

  “You’re working a dude ranch?”

  “No,” Tiffy said now. “We just have a small place, a little under fifteen acres. We have a few horses, some chickens, a couple cows and pigs. Enough to keep us busy and happy.”

  “How about you guys?” Samuel asked, his eyes moving between the two of us, having already glanced at my ring finger. “You guys…”

  “We’re thinking about it. AJ just moved here, just heard about Jake, so… we’re taking things slow.”

  “Good idea. No rush,” Samuel said, his gaze drawn to Tiffy. He pulled her close, kissing her forehead. “Well, we’re going to head out. If you’re ever in Wyoming, look us up.”

  “Will do. You guys take care.” Ryler said, shaking his friend’s hand once more.

  Smiling at Samuel, I then turned to Tiffy. “Well, you guys enjoy your time in Forks, and it was very nice to meet you.”

  After watching them go, we turned back to the bar and waded through the crowd to reach it. “It’s a bit tight in here,” Ryler intoned, close to my ear so I could hear him, causing a delicious shiver to skim over me. “You want to head back outside?”

  Somewhat breathless, I glanced around and indicated my agreement. We said goodbye to Chief; told him we were going to get a bite to eat. Then as we stepped back outside, as I was blinking my eyes against the glare of the sun and reaching for the sunglasses on my head, I caught a whiff of cloves. Looking around, I tried to find its source. The scent was so familiar, like those cigarettes that Paul would smoke. But there were so many people in the crowd that I ended up just shrugging it off. He wasn’t the only person who smoked that particular brand, after all.

  Ryler ordered our meals: a cheeseburger, fries, and a soda. Then we took them to the Bronco to eat. We sat on the tailgate, just listening to the music, and watched the various groups ride in and then after a while, head back out. We’d been sitting there maybe forty-five minutes or so when I again caught that scent of cloves. Carefully, I searched around me, scanning the faces, trying to locate its source.

  “Looking for someone?” Ryler asked several moments later.

  “No… not really. Do you smell cloves?”

  “A little, why?”

  “Can you tell where it’s coming from?”

  “Not exactly. It’s pretty faint. And with this crowd, it could be from anywhere.”

  “One of the roommates that had lived in the house on Coronado used to smoke those clove cigarettes, and this smells like those did. It just made me curious, I guess.”

  “Huh.” Ryler looked around carefully now. “You think they’d be here?”

  “No… well, I don’t know. It would be a pretty big coincidence if he was. Like I said, the smell just made me think of him.”

  “Were you guys close?” I heard the steel in his voice, mild but still present.

  Laughing at that idea, I said, “No, definitely not. He was just a quiet guy that lived in the same house
where I did. He writes for a travel magazine, journeys around doing his stories.”

  Ryler covertly studied the throng of people milling about, taking the measure of each one of them, evaluating. After a couple minutes had passed, he said, “Nine o’clock. Tan jacket. Against the building.”

  Ryler flicked his gaze in the direction he’d indicated.

  Taking a minute to swallow my last french fry, I casually turned, just stretching from sitting too long in one position. And then I saw him.

  Paul was standing in the shadows, leaning against the wall of Charlie’s. A camera of some kind hung from its strap around his neck. The clove cigarette was between his lips. He saw me, had been looking in my direction. He raised his hand, just a shy, casual, two-fingered wave, before lowering it once more. Then he shifted, adjusting his position, as if he was embarrassed to be caught staring.

  I waved back at him and smiled. Now I was faced with the dilemma of deciding whether or not I was going to walk over and say hello. I guessed it would have been rude to stay over here and ignore him now that we’d already acknowledged each other. Besides, I’d take Ryler with me, and then I wouldn’t be obligated to stay and chat.

  “That’s Paul,” I told Ryler. “My former roommate.”

  “What’s he doing here?”

  “Working, I guess.”

  “Hmm,” Ryler rumbled.

  “I should probably walk over and say hello.”

  “All right.”

  “You wanna come with?”

  “Oh, I’m definitely coming with you.”

  I chuckled at the tone in his voice. “He’s harmless.”

  “Maybe so, but I’m still coming.”

  He lifted me down from the tailgate, his hands lingering just a moment longer than necessary around my waist.

  I tried to control the flutter in my stomach as we gathered our trash, and then he led me toward where Paul was still leaning.