by Bella Jewel
“No way. I’ve never ridden on a bike. I’m not getting on one now. No.”
“We’re not leavin’ until you agree, so unless you want your little cop boyfriend to see us here, I suggest you accept,” Kendric tells me, his voice laced with amusement.
“For god’s sake,” I snap. “Fine, fine. Just leave.”
Alarick grins and Kendric nods his eyes, letting his eyes scan over my breasts before meeting my ice-cold stare once more. “That dress is tellin’ him you want to fuck, just so you know.”
With that, they turn and leave.
Sweet Jesus.
I glance down at my dress, and it is showing a fair amount of cleavage but I didn’t think that was a bad thing. I didn’t think it looked trashy in any way, but now I’m thinking about it, we’re just working a case over dinner. This dress very well might give the wrong impression. Freaking out, I turn and rush inside, changing into a pair of jeans and a nice button down blouse. I make it out just in time for Steven to knock on the door.
I open it to find him dressed casually, and I thank the dear lord I changed the dress because I would have felt stupid the moment I opened this door. Steven is dressed in jeans, a light grey shirt and some casual shoes. It’s strange to see him out of uniform. Even in all the pictures you see of him, he’s always in uniform.
He smiles. “You ready?”
“Yep, ready.”
I step out and lock the door, then we get into his car and go to a nearby restaurant. I’m nervous, and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the slight unease that he might have something to do with all this that’s running around in my head. Maybe he does have something to do with it? I just can’t see how. I honestly can’t imagine why you’d risk everything. I shake my head and take a seat, planting a smile on my face.
Alarick is wrong about him. He is.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asks me just as a waiter stops at our table.
We order wine and a share platter, and then we get straight into work. We talk about the case, the suspect, and how the interview went this afternoon. It’s thrilling to be sitting here, working with the best detective there is. I love every moment of it and the night goes by way too fast for my liking. I get along with Steven easily, our interactions are light and fun. He’s so genuine that by the time dinner is over, I’m sure Alarick has got it wrong.
Still, I can’t help but bring up something to see if he’ll tell me the truth.
“Did you hear about Constable Bennett being murdered?” I ask over a sip of wine. “That really rocked the station.”
Steven looks to me and nods, his face dropping just a little. “He was my cousin; his mom is really taking it hard.”
No lie.
Straight up truth.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that. That must have been so hard for your family.”
“It hasn’t been easy, especially considering he’s been accused of doing some pretty bad things. He was involved with some people that, let’s just say, aren’t the kind of people he should have been involved with.”
I nod. “I was there the night of the arrest, it’s all very ... strange.”
My heart is racing, mostly because I’m scared he’ll figure me out and know that I have a lot more information than I’m letting on, at the same time, part of me really wants to know if he has something to hide. I just need to know, even though I don’t believe he does.
“I did read that on the report. You arrested that biker.”
“I did.”
“He’s out now, trial is in a few months. He’ll go down for being involved in that. It’s a dangerous operation and the people running it aren’t to be messed with.”
How does he know it’s a dangerous operation?
“We’re still looking into the man who got away, Dax,” I say casually. “He basically disappeared without a trace. We’re not silly enough to believe he was working alone with the biker.”
I hate calling Kendric the biker, but at the same time, I can’t refer to him by name because that’ll raise suspicion.
“I don’t know, that biker club is pretty powerful. I know there were more involved, we just don’t have enough to take them down. Dax was working with them, Bennett got too close and was killed. A club is more than big enough to run an operation like that.”
He believes the club is responsible?
“I didn’t see a great deal about the club’s involvement,” I lie. “Just the one biker.”
“That’s because they’re good at covering their tracks. All the same, they’ll make a mistake. The department will find Dax and that club will go down when they do.”
“They’re still looking into the club?” I ask, shocked.
“Of course they are.”
I keep my face calm as I stare at him. I try to look interested, anything other than what I am in this moment—which is shocked. I don’t want him to see the weaker side of me, I don’t want him to get suspicious, but the fact that they’re going to try and tie the whole club in is scary. It’s scary because people are corrupt, it’s scary because if that’s the road they want to go down, they’ll make it happen.
Those people, they’ll all go down.
I shrug nonchalantly even though my insides are screaming at me to get up and run and warn the club, like that’s going to make any difference.
“Well, I guess if they did it then they’ll pay for it,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm.
“They did it,” Steven says, his voice scarily steady, like he’s so damned sure of that fact.
Why wouldn’t he be? He doesn’t know what I do. I wonder if I should come forward, tell them what I know. I could help the club, I could stop any investigation, but I’d lose everything in the process.
I take a deep breath, calming myself down.
I’ll talk to Alarick tomorrow, I’ll sort it out.
Everything is going to be fine.
Right?
8
ZARIAH
The rumbling of motorcycles has me fidgeting on my front porch. I’m wearing jeans, a jacket, and boots, but I’m still not loving the idea of getting on the back of one of these bikes, especially not with a man who can’t stand me. I’ve never been on a motorcycle; you could say I’ve seen far too many accidents involving them and I’m not really all that keen on risking my life. I also know I’m not going to get a choice because Alarick wants me there, and I can’t say no to anything right now, not if I want to keep the club safe.
The large group of bikes rumble to a stop outside my house, and I stare over at them, shocked by how powerful they look in a group like this. They’re scary and they’re dominant, like a pack of wild wolves that you would never dare mess with. I’ve seen them together before, but never like this. Their jackets are like a sea of leather, a warning to anyone who dares mess with them.
I rub my arms and see Briella wave to me from the back of Alarick’s bike, then I see Merleigh riding with Bohdi. I raise my hand, nervously, and then watch as Kendric pulls up, throws his leg over the bike, and strides toward me with a purpose that makes me uneasy. He stops in front of me, intense eyes locking with mine. “Let’s go.”
“I don’t ... I don’t know about this. I’ve never been on a bike before.”
“Get on the bike, Zariah.”
Bossy. As. Fuck.
“Look, maybe I can just follow you in my car. Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m not comfortable with this. I’ve seen what happens on those things.”
Kendric leans down, so his face is close to mine. “Get on the fuckin’ bike.”
Oh, no. Hell no.
“Excuse me?” I snap, crossing my arms. “You want me to get on the bike with you when we both know you can’t stand me. For all I know you’re going to do something to hurt me.”
“I’m not a fuckin’ monster,” Kendric growls. “I don’t hurt people for no reason. I’m not your fuckin’ boyfriend. Now, get on the fuckin’ bike before I put you on it myself. You don’t want
to look stupid in front of everyone, do you?”
My mouth drops open, but before I can say anything else, he shoves a helmet down onto my head. I gasp and my hands fly up to slap his away so I can do it myself. He turns on his heel and walks toward the bike, climbing on and starting it up. The loud rumble is barely heard beneath all the other bikes. I walk over, legs wobbly, and when I reach the bike, I stare at him. I can’t see his eyes anymore through his dark glasses.
“Get on,” he yells over the sound.
I swallow, glance at Briella who gives me a thumbs up, and then I throw my leg over the bike and position myself behind Kendric. I didn’t realize until this moment just how close I was going to be to him. My body is pressed against his, and I can feel every inch of his hard back. My fingers tremble and I wave my hands around aimlessly for a few seconds, not really sure where to put them. Kendric reaches around, grabs my hand and jerks it around his waist.
Oh, god.
I put my other arm around and link my fingers in front of him. My heart is racing and I’m so nervous I could vomit. Everything is alive inside my body right now, I don’t know what to feel, I don’t know if I’m nervous or excited. I do know that I’m wrapped around a biker who, right now, can’t stand me. Yet, I feel strangely good. I like the feeling it’s giving me deep inside my chest. We won’t get started on my vajayjay, because that’s betraying me in all kinds of ways now.
Damn thing doesn’t know what’s good for it.
The bikes take off with a loud roar, and I squeal into my helmet and tighten my arms around Kendric’s waist as we pick up speed. Then, oh then, I feel the freedom in my bones. I’ve never felt something so exhilarating in my life. All at once, I understand why they do this, why they risk their lives, why they ride these loud machines. It’s for this feeling, the one I’m getting right now. It’s attacking my whole body. Joy and excitement, a rush I’ve never experienced.
I can’t stop the huge grin from spreading across my face. I want to throw my hands into the air and scream at the top of my lungs, I want to whoop with utter joy. So, this is what freedom feels like?
Every single moment I hang out with these men has me realizing exactly why they do what they do.
They live a life so many of us could never begin to imagine.
They don’t answer to anybody but themselves.
They have a family that isn’t bound by blood, but something much stronger.
They’re a brotherhood that would literally die for one another.
I’ve never had that in my life.
The ride is over too quickly, even though we’ve been on the road for two hours. I could stay on here all day, curled around Kendric, not worrying about anything but the wind blowing against my body. Nothing in the world can touch me, and I love how that makes me feel.
We arrive at a large warehouse and the bikes all come to a stop, shutting down. Suddenly it’s way too silent. My ears ring as I get off the back and pull my helmet off. Right now, standing amongst them all, I don’t feel like a cop. I feel like family. Just family. Like I’m part of this club. Part of them.
I kind of like how that feels.
Kendric turns to me when he removes his helmet and says, “Not so terrifying, now was it?”
I shake my head; I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. Something in his expression changes when he sees it, like his face goes a little softer, like he’s surprised to see me smile like that.
He makes a huffing sound, but not an unhappy one, almost like a silent chuckle, and then turns toward Alarick who is walking toward us, Briella in tow. They stop in front of me and Briella asks happily, “So, did you love it?”
“I have to admit I kind of did,” I say.
She claps her hands with a thrilled squeal.
“Down to business now,” Alarick says, interrupting his woman’s happy dance. “We’ve got shit to get through here. The man we’re about to talk to has information that we need. He happens to have inside knowledge, and we hear he may very well know Blanche well. Nobody speaks but me. You’re all here for backup, nothing more.”
I want to say something, but I don’t.
He calls the shots here; I respect him enough to ensure I don’t overrule that.
“We’re takin’ five inside, the rest wait outside. Zariah, you’re comin’ in with us. Mostly because you can see things we can’t, like lyin’ or evidence. We need you to have your cop head on, but don’t show it. Clear?”
I nod.
Kendric, Alarick, Cohen, Bohdi, and I are the ones who enter the warehouse. I have no idea what we’re about to walk into, or if it’ll end badly, all I know is that they’ve brought me here for a reason. Backup maybe? Or proof that Steven is involved somehow. One way or another, I’m certain that Alarick has a plan, and I’m part of that plan.
We enter the warehouse through a side door and, once inside, we’re immediately faced with eight very big, very burly men. They’re all standing, guns in hand, and I immediately tense up and reach for my gun, only to remember I don’t have it. That’s a bad move, because one of them looks at me, and his eyes narrow. He’s a big guy, maybe six foot, but he’s built like a brick building. The man is pure steel and he’s got the darkest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s gorgeous, without a doubt, and I’m unable to look away.
“You brought a cop.”
His voice is husky and thick, it perfectly matches him. Is this another club? Some sort of gang? They’re all wearing similar clothes, but not leather jackets. They’re seemingly a group, all of them standing the exact same way, all of them incredibly good looking. Cartel maybe? I’m not totally sure.
“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Alarick says, his voice low and incredibly deadly.
“She reached for a gun, moment she saw us. Nobody does that.”
“I do that,” I say, my voice strong and unwavering. “I do that because I always carry a gun.”
The man holds my gaze, tipping his head to the side. I don’t break eye contact—I stay strong and stand my ground. He needs to know that I’m not going to back down. He needs to know none of us are.
He finally breaks contact and looks back to Alarick. “What do you want?”
“We want information.”
The man smiles, making him look so breathtakingly dangerous it sends shivers up my spine. “Don’t we all.”
“We’re not here for a war. We stick to ourselves, you know that. We’re here to find someone who fucked over my club. Someone who needs to be taken down. We’ve got word you know somethin’. Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to be.”
“What’s in it for me?”
Alarick cracks his neck, and then growls, “What do you want?”
“You’ve got somethin’ I want.”
“No,” Alarick mutters, his voice a low hiss. “Not happenin’.”
Wait what has Alarick got that he wants? I don’t understand.
“No deal then, you can leave or I can make you leave. We both know I’m goin’ to win if it comes down to that,” he growls, stroking his gun.
Alarick’s fists clench and Kendric steps forward and, in a voice that’s so terrifying my skin prickles, he says, “You can have it.”
Alarick goes to argue, but Kendric puts up a hand. “I’m goin’ down if we don’t get movin’, Pres. We need the information they have. Gotta sacrifice somewhere.”
“We’re not fuckin’ doin’ it, no fuckin’ way,” Alarick barks.
“We are fuckin’ doin’ it. She don’t wanna be around us, she’s goin’ to do a runner anyway. He can give her what she fuckin’ wants.”
“I won’t fuckin’ do it,” Alarick snarls in a voice so deadly it makes me jerk.
Her?
Who is her?
“Give me Cova, I give you everythin’ you need to know,” the man says, his voice a low boom in the large warehouse.
Wait, what? Cova? He wants Cova? Why in the ever-loving hell would he want Cova? What has he got to do with a
ll of this?
“It ain’t happenin’, I’ve got twenty men outside, armed. You want a fuckin’ war, we can lay it out right here,” Alarick snarls. “Your choice.”
The two of them lock gazes for so long I feel my knees tremble. I didn’t know this was going to go like this. If I thought there was a chance of bloodshed, I would have come prepared.
“She’s mine; one way or another I’ll have her. It’s only a matter of time. You know this.”
Who the fuck is this man?
“Right now, I’m not here to sell lives that don’t belong to me. You goin’ to give up what I want or am I goin’ to leave?” Alarick asks, crossing his arms, but his expression remains steely.
“I’ll give you what you want, you give her a message ...”
Alarick nods.
I don’t understand what’s happening.
I don’t get it.
What the hell is going on?
Is this man related to Briella and Cova somehow? Is he an ex-lover? Is he someone she dealt with in the time she was living with Bryant after being sold? I don’t understand. I have so many questions swirling around in my head, and very little answers. I need those answers, and I need them now.
“Your cop owns an island south of here. Don’t know what goes down there, but I do know that he’s runnin’ somethin’. Got names, people who can give you answers, locations. As for your boy Dax, got word he was seen in a town where boats from the island dock. Not tellin’ you who gave that word. Got the niece, Aviana, and her location just yesterday.”
Jesus. Who are these people?
Alarick nods. “Appreciate what you can give me.”
“Now, it’s my turn,” he says, his voice low. “You tell Cova that I’m comin’ for her, and she will be mine.”
Jesus. Christ.
What the hell is happening?
“I’ll pass it on.”
“You can’t hide her forever. One way or another, I will have her with me.”
“I’m not hidin’ her, she’s free to make her own fuckin’ choices now. She wants to be with you, she’ll come to you.”
