“What about the warehouse deal?”
Xavier cleared his throat. “The papers were signed a week ago. Didn’t they tell you?”
“I found out two days ago. The warehouse blew up. What do you know about it?”
“I don’t know anything, man. I swear to it.”
Riley had the distinct idea that Xavier knew far more but he didn’t have any idea as to how he could persuade the man to tell him something. Was he in on the secret as to why the warehouse blew up? Rather than waste his time, Riley cut the call. He called Tania’s friends, the few people he’d met while they were dating but none of them knew anything.
Now, it was time to up the ante. He went to visit Charlie, one of the high members of the board at the biker’s club. When he rang the bell at Charlie’s house, the man opened the door and looked astonished to see Riley. “What’re you doing here?”
“I need to talk,” said Riley. He pushed past him and went inside his house before Charlie closed the door again. “Where the hell is Tania?”
“Who? What?”
“She was the woman who was talking to Xavier about the warehouse. We were dating. Where is she?”
“I don’t know, man. You were dating her?”
Riley grabbed Charlie’s collar and hurled him against the door. Enough was enough. Where Tania was concerned, he couldn’t afford to be patient anymore. “Where is she?” he shouted. “She was with me when the warehouse blew up, and now I can’t find her. What did you guys do with her?”
Someone screamed. While still holding Charlie, he looked back and saw Charlie’s wife. “I’m calling the police,” she said.
Riley was as calm as he could be. He was totally in control. Nothing could shake him until he found her. If he had to go to jail for her, he would do so gladly. “Go ahead. I would love to see him sweat when they tell him to answer a few questions.”
“Babe, go back in,” croaked Charlie. “Riley is a friend. This is just a misunderstanding. Riley, come on. We’ll talk inside.”
The woman appeared confused and scared but she followed his instructions. Riley glared into Charlie’s eyes. He saw fear, but he also saw something that made his blood chill. “What did you do to her?”
“Leave me, and we’ll talk.” He let go of the man, ready to punch him if he tried to escape but Charlie walked over to a door and opened it. “Let’s sit inside.”
It was Charlie’s study. After a brief moment of hesitation, Riley strode in. He wasn’t going to leave until he got to the bottom of this. Something was going on here and he was right in the center of it with Tania. What had they done with her? Now he was even surer that the biker’s club had something to do with her disappearance. Why would they do something so insane?
“Where is she?”
“Look, man!” Charlie ran a hand over the edge of his desk as he kept it between Riley and him as if he wanted to make sure that there was enough distance between them.
It didn’t matter, though. Riley could lunge across the desk and grab him at a moment’s notice. He wasn’t willing to take this shit anymore. If Charlie didn’t give him the answers he wanted, he would make sure he regretted it. Riley was prepared to go to the police and turn this matter over to them if he didn’t find her. She was important to him. He loved her. Now that they weren’t together, he realized that his heart was in her hands. Without her, he was nothing. She was the love of his life, and he’d already screwed up enough times. He couldn’t afford to make matters worse. When he found her, he would tell her everything he knew and beg for forgiveness.
He would tell her that she was his sun and moon, and he wanted to spend his life with her. But, in order to do that, he had to find out where she was. And Charlie was going to help him discover that, whether he wanted to or not.
“You look here now,” said Riley in a voice that brooked no argument. “If I don’t find her, I’m going straight to the police and then we’ll see what you guys know.”
“Don’t threaten me.”
Riley banged his hands on the desk. “Then don’t push me so hard. Where the fuck is she?”
“You are crazy. Why are you throwing away your career with the Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood over a woman?”
“She isn’t just a woman, Charlie. Where is she?” he yelled. “And why the hell did that warehouse blow up?”
“The board is happy with your work, Riley. You found that place. It was a good location…but our interests lay in it for other reasons. You don’t know it but the club had run into a lot of financial difficulties. We needed money, and we needed it fast. So someone came up with a scheme.”
Riley took a seat. He knew he wasn’t going to like what he heard. There was something fishy about this whole thing. He’d been feeling that way for quite some time, but it was silly of him not to trust his own feelings. If he’d asked the hard questions earlier, this might not have happened. “What’s that got to do with Tania?”
“Listen to me.” Charlie breathed a sigh of relief and took a seat opposite Riley. “Okay, I am going to tell you this straight out. We blew up the warehouse because of insurance. All the papers were signed and now we’re going to get a lot of cash from the insurance company because the property is legally in our name.”
Riley felt as if his mind shut down. He couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate. He didn’t expect this. How could they do something so illegal? Had they gone mad? How desperate was the club to earn money? He never realized that this could be the problem. He had assumed that the explosion at the warehouse was an accident. “You guys are insane. We could’ve died.”
“You weren’t supposed to be there. The way we’d planned, it was empty at that time. I don’t know what you went there for, and it’s damn lucky that you both survived or else we would’ve been embroiled in a murder investigation,” said Charlie.
Riley was amazed that he could be so selfish at a time like this. “My bike didn’t survive.”
“I am sorry to hear that.” Charlie’s smile was cold. “Sometimes you have to make the hard choices. We didn’t want to let you in on the secret because you weren’t ready to deal with the implications of it.”
“What does this have to do with Tania?” As soon as he found her, he was going to get clean away from these people. There was no way he could hang out or work with them now that he was privy to their underhanded ways. He didn’t join the biker’s club for that reason – and he didn’t want anything to do with this. Of course, he could go to the police but it wouldn’t serve any purpose, as he didn’t have proof. Still, he wanted to bring them down. And he would do it after he found Tania. She was more important.
Charlie leaned back with a satisfied grin. “The guys took her. When they found you both at the warehouse, they panicked because she wasn’t supposed to be there. Even you weren’t meant to be there.”
“Why did they take her?”
“They wanted to know how much she was aware of our schemes. I tried to tell them that she wasn’t privy to anything since you also didn’t know…but you know how hard some of these men are. They didn’t want to take any chances.”
His heard thundered in his chest. What the hell did they do with her? Did they hurt her? Tania didn’t know anything. She would be confused as hell. “Where did they take her?”
“I don’t know. Someone else decided where she was going to be kept. It had nothing to do with me.”
“You bastard.” Lunging across the desk, Riley grabbed his collar and shook him hard. “Nothing to do with you? How the hell can you say that after kidnapping a woman? You’re knee deep in this shit and if anything happens to her, I’m going to make sure that you go down along with others.”
“You are also embroiled in this mess.” Charlie didn’t appear perturbed by Riley’s rage. He glanced down at Riley’s hand that gripped his shirt. The smirk that lifted his lips was annoying. “If something happens to us, you’ll be thrown in jail, too. After all, you’re the one who started the negotiations with Xavier. Your
name is there on all the papers, and even though you didn’t sign them, you are as involved as we all are.”
Riley couldn’t believe what he heard. He had to be kidding, right? No, he wasn’t. Sure, his name was there. After all, he was the one who contacted Xavier and sent in all the papers. If this matter went to the police, he would be thrown in jail along with the rest of them. It wasn’t fair – but it was his fault. He should’ve trusted his instincts and not listened to them when they all assured him that nothing untoward was going on. Now Tania was in their hands and God only knew what they were doing to her.
Letting go of Charlie’s shirt, he slipped back into his seat. Riley had played these games and was well versed with the rules. They wanted him to do something. What was it? “What do you guys want? I’m willing to do anything as long as you let her go.”
Charlie’s smile was cold and didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Unfortunately, that is no longer an option. Tania is no longer with us. She escaped.”
Riley blinked his eyes. Good for her! She wasn’t a pushover. No wonder they couldn’t hold her for long. She must be out there somewhere, plotting their end – and he was going to help her achieve her goals. “Escaped?”
“Yes, she…vanished from that place. I just got the news an hour ago. We don’t know where she is, and I want you to find her and bring her back.”
He laughed at the audacious request. “Why the hell would I do that?”
“If you don’t, we’ll tell the police that it was all your idea. Your fingerprints are all over this shit. Your name is on the papers that were sent to Xavier and you were the point man. We’ll sacrifice you to save our ass.”
Riley shook his head. What the fuck? “If you do that, you won’t get the insurance money.”
“We’ll take that risk if we have to. Right now, everyone is more concerned with that woman. If she remains on the loose, we’re all in danger and, frankly, I have no intention of going to jail. If I have to let go of that money to avoid jail then we’ll do it, and you’ll be the one who to get arrested.”
Shit! Shit! What the hell was he supposed to do now?
Chapter Three
Tania was home long enough to take a shower, pack a bag, and head out. Although she instinctively headed home, it was only when she got inside did she realize it was no longer a safe place. They knew who she was, and they could – and would – follow her to find her. She couldn’t stay here. Damn it!
Who were these people? What was Riley’s connection with them? Where the hell was that bastard? Whenever she set eyes on him, she was going to break every bone in his body. Violent thoughts permeated her mind and she didn’t push them away. Instead she nurtured and caressed them, giving hope and definition so when Riley came, she would be prepared to deal with him the way she saw fit. It wasn’t enough that he broke her heart and made her fall in love with him, but he also bloody tried to kill her. No punishment was good enough. Only his complete annihilation would satisfy her.
Tania didn’t have her phone. They must have taken it away when they grabbed her from the warehouse. She didn’t want to waste any time getting a new one. It wasn’t important. What she needed was to find a place where she could hide for a while until things became clearer. As she strode out towards the cab that waited for her, she wondered where she could go. She didn’t exactly have a place in mind. A hotel? No. It would be too expensive and now that she didn’t have a job, she wasn’t prepared to blow money and she didn’t know how long she would need to crash. Perhaps a friend’s house? The place had to be big enough so, if she stayed, she wouldn’t be in their way. Preferably someone who didn’t have a family, and who was prepared to deal with this web of intrigue and danger that she was involved in.
Many names flitted in her mind but she discarded them all. Finally, she hit on the right idea. Jason Salon was the perfect man for her needs. As she reached his home, Tania took a moment to straighten her dress and rang the bell on his gated property.
“Who is it?” said someone in heavily accented English.
“I am Tania, a friend of Jason. Is he in town?”
Shit! She should’ve called ahead but since she didn’t have a phone, that option never occurred to her. He wasn’t in town during many months out of a year. If she talked to him, he would tell his people to let her in. Of course, she would have to explain everything over the phone, and she didn’t quite like the idea of that.
“Wait a minute, please.”
Tania crossed her fingers. Did that mean that he was inside? The gate swung open after a few moments later and she breathed a sigh of relief. Dragging her bag behind her, she went inside. The huge, manicured garden that was set on either side of the driveway was replete with flowers and dense, thick bushes. Trees grew alongside the wall to give privacy. As she walked to the front patio, he sauntered out.
Dressed in jeans, a green t-shirt, and holding a mug of coffee in his hand, Jason looked the picture of decadent wealth. Yet, he wasn’t what he projected. He had earned the money through hard work and sheer talent, and she admired him for it.
“Lovely Tania.” His gaze flitted over the bag she held but he didn’t mention it as he strode forward to envelop her in a warm hug. “How are you, my darling?”
He was only the second man in the world who was allowed to address her with such an endearment. The first was Riley, and he wasn’t going to live for long after she got her hands on him, so it didn’t quite matter. “Gotta be honest. I’m not so good.”
Immediately, he took the bag from her and viewed her out of his dark, deep eyes. Jason was stunningly handsome. He had dark hair, an aquiline nose, and smooth, dark skin that he inherited from his Spanish mother. “Tell me all about it.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “A story in exchange for a place to stay, Jason? Does that sound like a fair deal? I can’t stay at my place and I need a place to crash. It’s possible that my presence here may be dangerous for you, so think carefully before you answer.”
Rather than answer, he grabbed her arm and tugged her inside. After dumping the bag in one corner of the foyer, he turned and took her hand in his. He lifted it to his lips. “You’ve intrigued me beyond measure, darling. Come, have a cup of coffee, and tell me everything. Don’t leave out the tinniest of details.”
Keeping her hand in his, he led her inside into his study. She glanced at the trophies that lined the wall. Jason was a world-famous director. He’d directed some of the most fascinating movies that were released in the past ten years. Although he lived in LA part of the year, the rest of the time he was in Boston. They met many years ago when she helped him buy this property. Tania was a beginner at her work and he was already well on his way to earn the fame that he enjoyed now. But they hit it off and even dated for a year. It was a mutual decision to part ways; he was never in town for long and she wasn’t interested in a part time relationship. But he was always someone that she could count in.
Seeing the gleam in his eyes, she sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell you everything, but please…make up your mind only after you’ve heard my sad and pathetic tale.”
“You could never say something that was sad and pathetic, darling. Why don’t you take a minute to relax while I order some coffee for you?”
He went out and she took a seat. Tania leaned back and closed her eyes. How had she have gotten to this state? It still amazed her to know that she got entangled in this mess that had nothing to do with her. It was Riley’s fault. The bastard! Asshole! Jerk! She couldn’t wait to see him and exact her revenge. He would suffer. Oh, how she would enjoy watching him squirm.
Images flitted through her mind, but rather than see something that showed her inflicting damage to Riley, she saw his hands on her body, his lips on hers, and his smooth skin when he rubbed his body against hers. Immediately, she opened her eyes. No way was she going down that road again. Once was enough. She would never give him the opportunity to lay his hands on her.
Jason walked in and put a cup of hot, stea
ming coffee in front of her. He sat on the edge of the desk and stared. “It started weeks ago,” she began. Tania told him the tale from the moment she set eyes on Riley. He was handsome and delightful, and although they were at loggerheads at first over the property, they quickly made a truce and decided to keep each other in the loop as the deal progressed. They started to date. Unknown to her, he went behind her back and finalized the deal and made the purchase. It made her look like a fool. She lost her job and when she confronted him, he tried to kill her by blowing up that damned place.
Tania didn’t leave anything out. She was honest and direct. It wasn’t fair to ask for sanctuary when she knew perfectly well that it might land Jason in a lot of trouble. The kidnappers wouldn’t be far behind. They would want to bring her back. She couldn’t hide here forever and, whenever she stepped out, Jason might also become a victim.
After she finished talking, he stared at her as if he couldn’t quite believe her. He finished his coffee and walked behind the desk. She picked up her cup and took a sip of the coffee that had now gone cold. As if on cue, someone walked in the room, carrying a tray. “Some more coffee and cookies, as you ordered, Mr. Jason,” said the Spanish housekeeper whom Tania had met earlier.
Full Throttle (Devil's Mafia Brotherhood Motorcycle Club Book 2) Page 2
