I turn back to my computer to finish what I was doing, but Louie isn’t done yet. “I’m not being nice to you because of them. I’m just saying that they trust you, so that means that I want to trust you as well. It’s not going to be an automatic friendship by any means. I know we have to work on it, the both of us, and I’m gonna fuck things up, it’s what I do best. Just ask Toby,” he laughs a little before getting serious again. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, none of us do, so when I say that I care about you, I mean that. You can continue with the way things were, but eventually, you’re going to have to let me in. You offered a shoulder yesterday, now I’m offering mine. Just think about it, okay?” I don’t look up from the computer, but he doesn’t linger, either.
This is all just a little too strange for my liking. I mean, why want to be my friend after being so mean and cold last night? Whatever. He can do what he wants, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna jump on the friendship train with him. Friendship takes a lot of work, from both people, so I think we’ll just see where this goes and then I can decide if he’s genuine or not.
The next couple of hours go by without problems. Louie stays in his room unless he’s walking a customer out and I stay at my desk, unless I’m taking a customer back to him or getting a drink from the break room.
It’s weird, but I can feel the difference with Louie and me. Even before what happened last night, there was always this wall or something between us. I felt weird around him, like I needed to watch my step, but now it’s like we’re both working in harmony with each other. It’s kind of nice, actually. I’m not worrying about what he thinks or if he’s gonna snap at me again, I’m just doing what I need to do and not thinking about anything else. Even Louie seems more at peace with me, or maybe he’s just good at putting on a front. Regardless, my day has been getting better, so I’m not gonna complain.
About an hour before closing, I pull my phone out of my purse to call Dani. I noticed that we’re short on some supplies and was gonna put an order in, but don’t want to do it without her approving it first.
I’ve had my phone on silent, so I wasn’t aware of anyone trying to contact me. I have several missed calls; one from an unknown number, one from Dani, and a couple from Toby. I only have two voicemails though.
Deciding to check my messages before calling Dani back, I hit the button for my voicemail. The first message is from Dani. “Hey, girl. Just wanted to check in, see how you’re feeling today. Give me a call later, maybe we can get dinner. Later, babe!”
The next message is from Toby. “Doll, I really wish you’d answer your phone, or at least text me to let me know you’re okay. I know you’re still upset about last night. I called Louie to make sure you were safe, but would really like it if you would call me ‘cause I’d really like to hear your voice. I’m still at the club, so if I’m not there by the time you get off work, Louie, or the prospect, will be staying with you till I can get there. I love you, always.” Just hearing his voice brings back all the turmoil I felt last night. I have a lot to think about, but don’t want to get into it right now. That personal conversation with myself is for a night I’m alone, preferably with a bottle of wine.
Next, I notice the text messages from Toby.
Toby: Hey, Doll. Just wanted to see how your day was going.
Toby: Still at the club. Miss you.
Toby: Wish you’d answer me back, but at least I know you’re safe. I’m sorry about last night. I really hope you can forgive me. Please text me back. I love you, always.
Figuring I should let him know I got his messages and quell his worry, I text him back.
Me: I’m fine, Toby. I just need time. <3
I want so badly to tell him I love him too, but for now, the heart will have to do.
It’s not that I don’t love him anymore. I’m not sure there is anything he could do to make me not love him. I need to figure out what is best for me, and to do that, I need to keep a level head and as much distance as this shitty situation will allow.
Dialing Dani’s number, I wait for her to answer. “Hey, babe. I was just thinking about you.” Dani says as soon as she answers. I laugh.
“Well, you know what they say about great minds. Anyway, I was going through some of the inventory and noticed that we are running low on some things. Did you want me to put in an order for you?”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Do you need me to come down and help you with it, or do you have it covered?” I pull up the order document that I’d already done before calling her.
“I actually already have the order filled out. I was just waiting for your approval. I can go ahead and send it now and CC you on it too so you’ll have it.” I say proudly. I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about all the things Dani does here so hopefully I can help her out a lot more, especially once the baby comes.
“Oh my God, you are amazing. Yes, go ahead and send it out, though you don’t need to CC me. They usually send me a copy once they ship anyway.” I hit the send button as she continues to talk. “Oh, while I’ve got you on the phone, I called earlier but you must have been busy. I was thinking maybe you could come over and hang out for a bit tonight. Zane said that he could pick you up, or maybe Louie can bring you by after close?”
I don’t really want to go over there, especially if Blaze is going to be there, but how do I say that without hurting Dani’s feelings? “Actually, I’m not sure. I’m pretty tired and was just going to head upstairs and go to bed. Maybe another night?” It’s not completely a lie because I am tired. The last couple of days are starting to drag me down, so even though I wasn’t planning on it initially, it sounds like a good plan now. “Oh, uh, okay. Sure. Another day then,” Dani says sadly.
I’ve never really heard her sound sad before. I’ve heard her angry, I’ve heard her upset, and of course I’ve heard her happy, but I don’t recall a time that she’s ever really been sad. Knowing I’m the cause of it doesn’t sit well with me, not one bit.
“I guess I could stop by for a little bit, but I don’t want to be out long.” I concede. Maybe she’ll be okay with that compromise, though I hope I don’t have to see Blaze at all. That would be weird.
Dani instantly becomes happy again. “Great! I wanted to show you some things I picked up for the baby. I’ll order some pizza, then maybe after we’re done eating, Toby will be done at the club and he could take you home.” Not sure I want Toby to take me home, but knowing it’s probably for the best, I agree with her. Toby would be better than Louie or Blaze any day. The least amount of time I have to spend with either of them, the better. I know I can’t get out of seeing Louie since I work with him, and Toby, of course, will be with me every night at some point. But Blaze? Now he’s someone I don’t care to see.
“I’ll message Toby to let him know what I’m doing and to pick me up when he’s done. I should be done here in about an hour. Do you think you could call one of the prospects to pick me up?” I ask, but before Dani can answer me, I hear Louie behind me.
“No need. I’ll take you.” I turn around to tell him it’s no problem, but he cuts me off. “I’m taking you, end of discussion.” Knowing there will be no getting out of it, I just nod and watch him walk into the back.
“Okay then. I’ll see you when you get here.” With that, she hangs up and I get back to work, almost wishing I could work longer.
When I’m ready to close up, Louie walks up to me desk. “You ready to go?” He asks nicely.
“Yeah, I’m just powering everything down. I can meet you out back,” I say without looking up from my computer. Maybe if I give him the cold shoulder or act like a bitch long enough, he’ll revert back to his old self around me, but realistically, is that what I really want? No, not really.
He doesn’t say anything, but after a couple of seconds, he finally starts walking towards the back. Thank goodness. I hate it when people just stand there and watch me as they wait for me. Grabbing my purse, I make sure the front
door is locked, turn off all the lights and head out back to meet up with Louie.
When I walk outside, I don’t see him right away ‘cause he’s not by his bike. Then I hear a door slam a little further down the lot and notice someone getting out of a truck. Wait, that’s Toby’s truck. What’s he doing here? He didn’t reply back to my message about me going to Dani’s and him possibly picking me up, but I didn’t think that was because he’d be picking me up here.
Just as I’m about to question him, I notice that it’s not Toby, but Louie.
“Why do you have Toby’s truck? Something wrong with your bike?” It’s not like I haven’t ridden on a bike before, so I’m not sure why he would feel the need to get the truck instead of just taking his bike.
“No, there’s nothing wrong with my bike.” That’s all he says before he closes the door behind me once I’m inside the truck. When he gets in on his side, I look at him, waiting for him to elaborate more, but I get nothing.
For some reason, I’m bothered by this and want to know, so I ask again. “So, if there isn’t anything wrong with your bike, why are we using Toby’s truck?” He’s quiet as he pulls out of the parking spot and gets us onto the road.
Once we’re on the highway, he finally answers. “Because it would be disrespectful to Toby to have you ride behind me on my bike. I don’t know how much Toby has told you about club laws, but that’s one of them. Once a brother has laid claim to a woman, she shouldn’t be on the back of anyone’s bike but her old man’s.” That’s interesting. Toby hasn’t told me much about the ‘laws,’ but we’ve spoken a little about their way of life. I guess he hinted to different rules, but we haven’t gone over them in detail.
“But wait a minute. You said she shouldn’t be on the back of anyone’s bike, except for the man who’s claimed her. As in, it’s not really a law?” I’m actually curious about this, not trying to be a smart-ass. I find it kind of fascinating the way the club lives and thinks.
Louie glances at me for a few seconds. He must see the curiosity in my eyes because he laughs a little before answering me. “No, it’s not a law. More like a rule of thumb, or a code between brothers. Like I said, it would be disrespectful, so I told him I was borrowing his truck.” I nod my head and think about what he’s said. I guess I can see how it would be considered disrespectful to a brother if he saw the woman he was seeing on the back of another brother’s bike. I’ve never even seen Dani on any of the guys’ bikes, but I guess I just assumed that was because she was pregnant, but maybe it’s because of the same reason I’m not riding behind Louie right now.
We make it to Dani’s house in what seems like no time at all. As soon as we pull up, instead of keeping the engine running, Louie surprises me by turning the engine off and getting out of the truck. Before I can even gather my stuff and open my door, he’s already there.
Hopping down from the truck, I walk beside Louie. Without even knocking, he just walks right in. “Yo, where’s my beer, bitch?” Even though the words sound cruel, I can tell by the smile on his face and the tone of his voice that he’s messing around. Dani confirms my suspicions when she walks into the room smiling.
“Go get your own beer, bitch!” She yells back before walking up to him and giving him a hug.
After she lets him go, he goes off to get a beer and find Blaze, I would guess, and Dani walks up to me. “You look nice,” she says before pulling me in for a hug as well.
When she releases me, I look down and laugh. I’m wearing an old pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. “If I look nice, then you look like Queen of fucking France.” That has us both cracking up.
Heading into the kitchen, she asks if I want a beer. I nod and wait while she grabs a bottle for me and a bottle of water for herself, then we head out back where they have a porch swing set up. It looks cozy and relaxing.
We’re both quiet for a couple of minutes, just swinging and drinking our drinks. “So, do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?” Dani asks, finally breaking the silence.
Not really in the mood to talk about it, I shake my head. “Not right now, if that’s okay?” I don’t look at her, just down at my lap while I pick at the label on my beer bottle. She reaches over and places her hand over mine, stopping me.
“Of course it’s okay, but I’m here when you’re ready to talk about it. You can tell me anything and I won’t judge, I promise.”
Finally looking up at her, I smile and squeeze her hand. “Thanks. Why don’t you show me the baby stuff you were talking about?” She’s instantly giddy, which is another thing I’ve never seen Dani be, and grabs my hand before leading me inside the house and up the stairs.
CHAPTER 15
Toby
I’m still staring at the computer screen, waiting for something to pop out at me, something I missed to show me where this fucker is hiding. I’ve never had so much trouble finding someone before, and this dickhead is supposed to be an amateur, at least that’s what we’re assuming, anyway.
It’s quiet in here, just the way I like it, but the quiet suddenly vanishes when Tom Tom comes barreling into the room. “We’ve got a lead. He was spotted a couple of towns over, heading into a strip club.” I stand up as soon as he says he’s got a lead. It’s about fucking time.
As I grab my jacket, I say, “I want someone on him. Make sure he doesn’t leave.” Tom Tom nods and puts his phone to his ear.
Going down the hall, I open the door to Mack’s office to let him know we’re rolling out, but he’s not alone. Our “House mom,” whom we all call KitKat, is currently on her knees in front of Mack, bobbing her head to a fast rhythm, up and down his dick. “Sorry Pres, but we got a lock on him. Tom Tom and I are heading out. Blaze and Louie are with the girls now, but I’m gonna send them an update to let them know to keep them there until we have the fucker.” It wasn’t my intention to interrupt and cut off his happy time, but he pushes Kat aside, not nearly as rough as he would have if it were any other club whore, and stands.
“I’ll notify Blaze and Louie, but I want to roll heavy. Get every other available brother ready to ride in five,” Mack says as he rights himself, buckling up his pants.
I head out of his office and let Tom Tom know the plan, then head into the main room to see who’s here.
Five minutes later, we’re rolling out of the clubhouse. There’s seven of us total; Mack, Skinner, Tom Tom, Slayer, Lyle, a prospect, and myself. We should have no problem getting our hands on him and neutralizing any problems that may arise.
The only thing that makes us nervous is that this is the first time we’ve gotten a lock on him. We have no idea if he’s playing alone or if he brought someone else in. We know he has money, so he could easily pay some muscle to help carry out whatever plan he has, and we know he has a plan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here anymore―he’d be home.
Regardless, with the seven of us, I know we’ll be able to handle whatever comes at us. It’ll be a piece of cake. Even if this is a fucking trap, which it very well could be.
It took us only about thirty minutes to reach the town where Rick was last seen, a couple of minutes to find the strip club he was said to be at, and less than a minute to figure out he was no longer there.
“You have got to be shitting me! Which dipshit was supposed to keep his eye on him and make sure he didn’t get away?” I yell at Tom Tom. I can’t fucking believe we were this fucking close to having him, and now he’s gone―again. Who knows when he’ll turn up next.
Tom Tom looks a little pissed off as well, but tries to hide it, probably because he can tell I’m hanging on by a thread. “I had called in a favor to a guy that I used to hack for. He said he was close and would keep me posted,” he says.
“Yeah? And where the fuck is this guy now, huh? Some fucking favor.” I am beyond reason and watching my tongue anymore. We should’ve fucking had him and we don’t.
“All right, just calm the fuck down, Toby. Tom Tom, call your guy and find out what happened. Skinner, tak
e Slayer with you and talk to everyone inside, show them the picture and see if they remember anything useful. Lyle, head back. I want you at the door for the next couple of days in case he stops by our strip club. I don’t know why he came here, but it can’t be as simple as him needing a little peep show. Take Ryan with you to help out,” Mack orders.
After everyone leaves and does his bidding, it’s just me and him. “Call and check on the girls and let the boys know what’s going on. I’m gonna put some calls out to surrounding clubs to have them keep an eye out. I think it’s time to bring more allies in.”
As much as I don’t like the idea of relying on anyone other than my brothers, I know that it’s a good decision. The more eyes we have out for Sara’s ex, the easier it should be to track him down. Maybe we should even call in reinforcements from a few of our other chapters. We could use the extra men to find him faster.
Walking over to my bike, I take out my phone and dial Blaze.
He picks up after the first ring, probably waiting for an update. “You got him?” he asks as soon as he answers.
“No,” I growl into the phone. “Tom Tom’s man is nowhere to be found and neither is that fucker, Rick.” I hear Blaze shuffling around or moving, hopefully somewhere away from the girls so they don’t hear. We didn’t want to worry or upset them so we didn’t even tell them we had a lock on him.
“Son-of-a-bitch. What’s the plan now?” he grits out.
I give him the rundown of what’s going on here and what we’re gonna do now. “How are the girls?” I ask, hoping they’re still none the wiser.
“They’re upstairs looking at baby shit,” he tells me. I laugh a little, even though I feel anything but happy.
“Of course they are. Anyway, you think you can keep Sara there till I get back? Not sure how long it’s gonna be yet.”
He’s quiet for a little bit, which has me worried. Blaze is rarely quiet. Finally he says, “I’m not sure. I’ll do my best, brother, but unless we tell her what’s going on, it may look suspicious if I ask her to stay.” He’s got a point.
Fighting Destiny (Forsaken Sinners MC; Book 2) (Forsaken Sinners MC Series) Page 16
