Inferno: A Devil Chaser's MC Romance

by Wilder, L

  They ran to Tessa’s car, and she made record time getting to the hospital. When the front doors opened, Bobby was waiting for them in the lobby. Myles ran to him and put his arms around his waist. “Is Dad okay? Did they hurt him?”

  “He’s gonna be okay, Myles. Just knocked the wind out of him and put a nasty bump on his head. You know your old man is a tough guy.”

  Myles started crying the minute he heard that his dad was going to be okay. His little body folded into Bobby’s arms. He was overcome with emotion. He’d been worried about his dad all along, and no one even knew it.

  Tessa touched Bobby’s shoulder to get his attention. She needed to know what was going on, but didn’t want to rush Myles. Bobby seemed to understand and whispered that Goliath was in the waiting room. She gave Myles a kiss on top of his head and left them to find Goliath.

  He was standing by the main doors, waiting on the doctors to give him more information on Bishop’s condition. He looked up at the sound of Tessa’s heels hitting the tile of the hospital floor. He gave her a brief smile and said, “He’s gonna be okay, Tessa. Just a mild concussion.”

  “What exactly happened, Goliath?”

  “He was on his way to make our weekly deposit for the garage. He got on his bike, started it up, and realized he forgot the deposit slip. When he got off, the damn thing exploded. He had only taken four or five steps away from the bike. He was lucky it didn’t kill him.”

  “Was that the intention? Was someone trying to kill him?” Tessa asked. “Myles mentioned that he was worried that someone was out to get him. He said he heard some man tell you he was going to take him out if he didn’t make some delivery? Is that true?”

  “Damn. Myles heard all that? Well that sure explains a lot,” Goliath replied as he crossed his arms.

  “Goliath, is it true? Is someone trying to kill Bishop?”

  “It’s not my place to get into this with you. You need to talk to Bishop. He’ll explain everything to you when he can.”

  “Well, you know what? I’m not sure I want Bishop to explain everything to me. This is just plain crazy! Fires! Motorcycles blowing up. I don’t need to get mixed up in all this. I don’t even really know him. What was I thinking?”

  “Don’t go getting all dramatic now. Bishop looks after the people he cares about, and from what I can tell, you are one of those people. Give him a chance to explain everything before you go all postal on him.” Goliath gave her a wink and left her to her thoughts. She needed to figure this one out for herself.

  After an hour of waiting, a nurse came back to get any visitors for Bishop. Goliath suggested that Tessa take Myles back to see him first. When they walked into the room, Tessa was surprised to see all the machines they had hooked up to Bishop. Goliath said it was a mild concussion. This looked so much more serious. His head was wrapped in a white bandage, his hand was hooked up to an IV, and monitors were attached to his chest. His hands were covered in cuts and scrapes, and there were large bruises forming on his cheek and elbow.

  Myles started to cry again as soon as he saw his dad. His sobs filled the room as he tried to climb up on the bed with him. Tessa tried pulled him back. “Easy Myles. You don’t want to pull any of these wires loose, and I’m sure your dad is going to be pretty sore after all this. You’ll need to give him a little time to get back on his feet.”

  “He looks like shit! Look what that motherfucker did to him,” he shouted.

  Bishop’s eyes eased opened and gave his son a stern look. His voice seemed weak when he said, “Myles, watch your mouth. You know I don’t want you talking like that. Now, come here and give your old man a hug.” Myles leaned over and Bishop pulled him close to his chest. His eyes lifted over to Tessa. “Thanks for bringing him over. I appreciate it. I hate to ask, but do you mind taking him to our neighbors tonight? I think they’re gonna make me stay the night.”

  “No, I’ll take him home with me. I’ll let him run home and get some clothes. He can hang out with Drake, and I’ll order a pizza or something. Are you doing okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanna get the hell out of here, but the doctor’s being a pain in the ass.” He took a deep breath and released Myles before he continued. “I’m gonna need a favor from you, and I don’t want you to fight me on it. It’s something I need to do.”

  With a raised eyebrow, Tessa replied, “What exactly do you need to do?”

  “I’m going to have Bobby put in a security system at your house, and I’m going to have the guys keep an eye out for you and the kids for a while. I need to know that you are all safe.”

  “Bishop, what’s going on? Do I need to be worried about all of this?”

  “Let me handle it, so you don’t have to worry about it. It’ll make me feel better about things knowing they are looking out for you. I just need you to trust me to take care of it.”

  “Fine. I’ll try my best to trust you for now. Do what you need to do, but I’m not done talking about this.”

  “Didn’t figure you would be. I’ll have Bobby come by your place tonight to start installing the new system. He’ll get everything set up in a couple of hours. He’s really good at it.”

  Myles wiped his tears from his eyes and asked, “You really gonna be okay?”

  “Yes, Myles. I’m gonna be fine. I’ll even pick you up after school tomorrow. It’ll be in the truck. Can’t believe my bike got totaled. Maybe you can help me start looking for a new one this week.”

  “That’d be awesome. Maybe we can find a new Harley. I think a Street Glide like Renegade’s would be cool!” Myles said excitedly.

  “We’ll look into it. I want you to be good tonight and don’t give Tessa any trouble.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll see you after school tomorrow. Don’t forget I stay after to finish up working on the fair stuff. I told Ms. Campbell that you would get some of the guys to help us out on Saturday. You still gonna be able to help?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Pops and Bobby are planning to come help, too.”

  Tessa leaned in to give Bishop a kiss on his cheek, but he quickly turned his head. He slipped his hands up to her neck as he claimed her mouth. She tried to pull free, but he wouldn’t release her. His tongue brushed her bottom lip, and when she opened her mouth to protest, he took advantage. His heated kiss made her forget where she was momentarily.

  When she realized Myles was still in the room, she pulled Bishop’s hand from her neck. She slapped him on the shoulder, and whispered, “Really? Can’t you show some restraint considering you’re laid up in the hospital, and your son is at the foot of the bed?”

  “Hard to restrain myself with you. Those damn teacher skirts get me all worked up,” Bishop said with a wicked smile.

  “Get some rest, and I will come by later and check on you.”

  “Don’t worry about coming back. I’ll be out of here in the morning. Stay put until Bobby gets the security system installed. And, thanks for taking Myles tonight.”

  “No problem. I’ll text you later.” Tessa put her arm around Myles and led him out of the hospital. She needed to get him some clothes for tomorrow before picking up Izzie from the sitter’s.

  When Tessa made it back home, Bobby was already there working on her new security system. For the first time, Tessa noticed how handsome he really was. His sandy blonde hair was covered by an old ball cap, and his jeans were worn but fit snug around his waist. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, so she was able to see the well-defined muscles in his abdomen. He was in great shape, and it didn’t seem to be something he had to work at. He was one of those guys that was good looking without even trying. Tessa could tell he’d been working hard on installing her new security system. There were wires wrapped around his shoulder, he had dark smudges on his cheek, and he was sweating like it was the middle of summer.

  When she approached him, he turned to her with a big grin. “Hey there, Tessa. How’s life treatin’ ya?”

  “I’d say things have been better. It’s not every
day I have to come home to someone putting in security lights and cameras around my house to keep my kids safe from god knows what. Other than that, I’d say it’s been going okay.”

  “Ah, don’t let it get ya down. Better to be safe than sorry. Bishop just wants to keep an eye on things for a while. All this mess has his knickers in a knot. It’ll be over soon,” Bobby said as he continued to adjust the new security light over her front porch.

  “I hope so. This all has me worried, and maybe I don’t know Bishop well enough to be putting my kids at risk like this.”

  “He’s a good guy. He’ll do right by you and your kids. Trust me on this. You wouldn’t have been all freaked out at the hospital if you didn’t already care about him. I’d say that’s reason enough to stick around.”

  “Maybe so. You need anything? You want a cold drink? I have some sweet tea in the fridge,” Tessa asked as she started to walk into the house.

  “Nope, all good here. I’ll be done in about an hour. I have a few more things to install out here, and then I need to fix some of the wiring inside before I go.”

  “Okay. Holler if you need me,” Tessa said shutting the screen door. She decided it was time to order their pizza. The sooner she got the kids fed, the sooner she could get them all ready for bed. She needed a hot bath and a good night’s sleep. It had been a long day, and she could feel a tension headache starting. She needed some quiet time to herself before she got a migraine.

  After soaking in the tub for over an hour, Tessa decided she would check in on Bishop. She got out her phone and sent him a text.

  Tessa:

  How are you feeling? Are the nurses taking good care of you?

  Bishop:

  Doing better. Ready to get out of this place. These nurses are mean. Where are all those sweet, hot nurses you see on TV?

  Tessa:

  I would think you would have them eating out of your hand by now. Did that bump on your head make you lose your touch?

  Bishop:

  I’ll let you answer that as soon as I get out of this place.

  Tessa:

  :)

  Bishop:

  Did Bobby get you all set up?

  Tessa:

  Yeah, I think he went a little overboard, but he is done. Left a couple of hours ago.

  Bishop:

  Good. Some of the guys will be by there off and on over the next few days to keep an eye on things.

  Tessa:

  You do know that this is all freaking me out. I’ve never thought about having a security system. Most days we don’t even lock the door.

  Bishop:

  Lock your doors! Always!

  Tessa:

  I got it, boss! Anything else I need to do?

  Bishop:

  I have a few things in mind, but that will have to wait till I get out of here.

  Tessa:

  I like the sound of that, but we talk first.

  Bishop:

  Talk first

  Tessa:

  Try to behave yourself tonight

  Bishop:

  There’s no fun in behaving

  Tessa;

  You are so bad :)

  Bishop:

  That’s what you like about me

  Tessa:

  Get some rest Cole Bishop. You’re going to need it. :)

  Bishop:

  You got it Tess

  Chapter 19

  Bishop

  Bishop fired the construction company that was working on the garage. They should have known who they had working for them. The new guys were scheduled to start working by the end of the week. The Bishop’s guys were still cleaning up fire damage, and new materials had to be purchased. The delay pissed him off, but nothing compared to how livid he was about losing his bike. Some motherfucker had rigged an explosive up to his fuel line. He was more than lucky that he didn’t die when it exploded. He knew that Duce had something to do with it. You don’t mess with a man’s bike. Ever. It took a lot of nerve for Duce to go after him like that. He would pay for that shit. He knew Duce was going to get what was coming to him.

  Pops was able to make contact with the Jackals. They were more than willing to take the deal with them when Bishop offered to pay off Duce’s debt with an additional twenty-five thousand dollars pay off. The Jackals arranged to meet the Diablos that Thursday night at one of the old city schools that had shut down several years ago. It was abandoned and had easy access to the interstate. Bishop knew the area and agreed that it would be a good place for them to arrange the set-up. Duce agreed to be there personally to pay off what his club owed and deliver ten cases of 9mm pistols. Renegade and Sheppard would also be there to make sure everything went as planned. They would remain hidden during the drop and relay information back to the club.

  Tessa had been busy most of the week getting things ready for the school fair. She seemed pretty excited about it, but it meant she was too busy to see him over the past couple of days. They’d made plans to do something after the fair on Saturday. Her parents were going to take the kids back with them after the festival for a few days during their fall break. Bishop was looking forward to having some extra time with Tessa. He just needed to get this mess with Duce sorted before the weekend. He wanted his focus to be on her, not what was going on with the club. Waiting to see her was becoming more and more difficult. He needed a distraction from the meet tomorrow night. He needed to see her, and he wasn’t going to be able to wait until Saturday night.

  Bishop:

  Need to see you

  Tessa:

  Is everything okay?

  Bishop:

  No. You’re not here, and that’s a problem. I need to see you.

  Tessa:

  You’re going to see me Saturday ;)

  Bishop:

  Looking forward to it, but that’s not now.

  Tessa:

  What do you have in mind?

  Bishop:

  Got all kinds of things in mind, but gotta see you to make it happen.

  Tessa:

  It’s kinda late. Not sure what I can do about the kids.

  Bishop:

  Check with Courtney and see if she can watch them. If not, I can send Bobby over.

  Tessa:

  OK. Give me a few minutes to see what she has going on.

  Bishop waited to hear back from Tessa. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his time with her in his room Friday night. He didn’t regret slowing things down with her, but couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to be inside her. He had to adjust his cock just imaging taking things further with her.

  Tessa:

  She’s on her way. What’s the plan?

  Bishop:

  Headed that way. I’ll be there in 15 mins

  As he pulled his truck into her driveway, he watched her rush down the porch and head over to him with a wide smile. She seemed excited to see him. He got out and walked over to her side of the truck. She was wearing jeans and an old college t-shirt. Her chestnut hair was pulled up in a messy bun with some hair falling down around her neck, and she wore just a hint of makeup. It always amazed him how beautiful she was without even trying. He opened the door for her and helped her up into the truck. Her eyes quickly turned to the towels and blankets he’d put in the back seat.

  “What’s with the towels and blankets?” Tessa asked.

  “You’ll see in a minute. It’s a surprise,” Bishop replied. His hands cupped her face, bringing her closer to him. He gave her a deep kiss before he walked back to his side of the truck.

  When he started the truck, Tessa asked, “Are you up to something, Cole Bishop?”

  “I’m always up to something,” he said with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow.

  He drove them to one of the boat ramps by the lake. He backed up to the ramp with the tailgate facing the water. He grabbed the blankets and towels and got out heading for the back of the truck. Tessa followed him and watched as he made them a spot to sit with the blankets
on the tailgate. She sat beside him and took a minute to take in their surroundings. They were the only people there, and the stars lit the sky. The full moon made it easier to see the beautiful scenery around them. Trees outlined the boat ramp, and the parking area was empty. The moonlight reflecting off the smooth water made it look like glass. Frogs and crickets chirped in the woods, but no other sounds could be heard.

  “It’s really nice out here. It’s so peaceful.”

  “I thought you might like it here. I thought we might go for a swim,” Bishop said with a mischievous grin on his face. He raised his eyebrow and waited for her response.

  “I didn’t bring my swimsuit, and it’s kinda cold for swimming, don’t ya think?

  “We don’t need our suits, and the water is still warm. It’ll be a little cold when we get out, but I have blankets to warm us up.”

  Bishop stood and slowly began removing his clothes. He liked the fact that she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him as he undressed. Her wide eyes roamed his chest and flew downward as he began undoing his belt buckle. She blushed and turned her eyes towards the water when he began to remove his jeans and boots. He laughed as he realized she wasn’t going to look at him.

  “Tess, you can look. I’ll keep my boxers on if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

  Her eyes locked on his, and her tense shoulders immediately became more relaxed. She stood, turning her back to him, and began to remove her t-shirt.

  “Turn around,” she said sternly, twirling her finger in a circle.

  “Really? You do know that I’m gonna sneak a peek, right?” he responded with a chuckle.