“Meredith is awake and she’s not being very forthcoming with the information that we need. Dad seems to think that you may be able to talk to her.”
Allowing herself a moment, she snuggled up to him, shivering as his hand gripped her hip and flipped her over. She ran her hands over his chest when he leaned over her, capturing her body with his. Their lips were inches apart, and she wanted to beg him to kiss her again, to let her feel the slow sweep of his lips, slide of his tongue.
“I don’t know why he thinks she may talk to me. The last time we said words to each other, she warned me away from y’all.”
He grinned before kissing her softly on the lips. “Well, I see the two of you seem to take advice right about the same way. I’m glad you ignored hers.”
“Me too,” she agreed, even though it was soft and he almost couldn’t hear her. She still wasn’t exactly sure just what she had gotten herself into.
When they arrived at the hospital, Denise gawked at the number of bikes parked outside. Liam had told her the whole club was on the lookout, but she hadn’t thought he truly meant everyone. This group even looked like it included other clubs since she observed colors and patches that weren’t familiar to her.
“These aren’t all Heaven Hill members are they?”
He shook his head, grabbing her hand as they made their way up to the entrance. “Not all, no. There’s about three clubs here that are friendly with us. We don’t have enough members to make this large of a showing.”
Feeling shy because his club witnessed them walking up together, Denise fell in step behind him, waiting for the ground to eat her up. Her face heated because she was sure everyone could tell just by looking at her what they had been doing.
He refused to let go of her hand, causing her to turn her palm so that she could keep up with him. Approaching the group, Liam called out to his dad.
“Anybody showed up?”
The older man took a drag off the cigarette in his mouth, shaking his head before blowing out a steady stream of smoke. “Nothin’. I figured somebody would at least do a drive by, you know, to see what’s going on. If they have, we haven’t seen them. Tyler’s kept everybody but doctors and nurses out of the reporter’s room too, so she should be up for a visitor,” he threw a pointed look at Denise.
“I’ll do what I can,” she promised, tightening her grip on Liam’s larger hand that held hers. William scared her – he was so different from his son – she did not want to be on the business end of his fist again.
Liam saw the uncertainty in her eyes as she gazed at his dad. He understood, because sometimes he was just as scared as she appeared to be. Liam pulled her body even with his and put his arm around her neck, tugging her securely to him. “Dad, she’s not a miracle worker. Back off.”
“We don’t need a miracle worker here, we just need to know what the hell’s goin’ on.”
“And we’ll figure that out, just give us some room to work,” Liam brushed past his old man and dragged her along with him.
“I don’t want to get hit by him again,” she whispered as they made their way down the hall.
He growled, looking back to where William still stood outside the main door to the hospital. “He ain’t touchin’ you again. It’ll be alright. You get us what info you can, and we’ll work from there.”
They had arrived at Meredith’s door, and Tyler stepped aside to let her enter. Searching for strength reserves she didn’t know she had, she took a deep breath and walked inside.
Denise had never been in many hospital rooms. The only time she’d ever had an overnight stay was when the twins were born. It looked much different than she remembered. Meredith lay in a bed that looked five sizes too big for her. There was dark bruising on her face and her wrist was wrapped in an ace bandage.
“Are you okay?”
Turning her head to face her visitor, Meredith ran her tongue along dry, cracked, lips. “Yeah, I guess so.”
This was not going to be easy. Apparently the reporter didn’t like to admit when she’d fucked up.
“Who did this?” Denise tried again.
“Would you believe me if I told you I don’t know? I have a contact at the bank, but I don’t know his name. In fact, I’m only assuming it’s a man. He covers up his voice. He’s the one who got me an in with the Vojnik. I might as well have written my own death warrant tonight.”
She winced as she situated herself higher in the bed. While she hadn’t been hurt too badly, soreness marked almost every inch of her body.
“Why didn’t you listen to Tyler? He tried to tell you not to do this.”
Anger flashed in Meredith’s eyes. “Why didn’t you listen to me? Besides, how do I know he didn’t do this?”
“C’mon, we were all at the clubhouse watching the news when you started talking and the explosion happened. If he was going to do this, why would he warn you? I think we both know that he has more than a passing interest in you. Don’t be stupid. He’s standing outside that door, not allowing anyone in just to keep you safe.”
“Why isn’t Tyler letting people in? Why is it so hard to believe that he did this? He did warn me, but what if the warning wasn’t that? What if it was a threat?” Meredith wrapped her arms around her waist. “I don’t know who to trust at this point.”
Denise couldn’t argue with her logic but knew for a fact that the bombing was not Heaven Hill’s doing. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Meredith. You’re a good journalist, and a decent person, but messing with the stuff you are is going to get you hurt worse?”
Trying very hard to keep her composure, Meredith spat back. “Is that a threat?”
“No. Anyone with half a brain can see where this is going. Is being famous and having that ten o’clock job every night worth all of this?” She gestured to the hospital room and bed with her hands. “You have some person feeding you information about outlaw biker gangs. There’s a reason they’re outlaws. They don’t play fair. You’re a pawn, and they’re using you to the best of their ability. Do you want to die?” Denise pleaded with her. Surely she was smarter than this.
“No,” she whispered. “But now I don’t know how to get out,” she admitted. “I know so many things, and I don’t know if any of it’s the truth. I know that this was a play on Heaven Hill now, but I didn’t before. It had to be to set them up for something they haven’t done, and I don’t know who did it. I have too many informants, too many contacts.”
“Do you need protection?” Denise asked, feeling like it was her place as an affiliate with the club to offer. Still felt weird to know she had the affiliation, but she wanted Meredith safe.
Meredith thought about the big man who stood guard at her door since she’d been brought in. She wanted him and only him to protect her, but with him came the rest of them. Now wasn’t the time to show anyone just how scared she was.
“No,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
“I’m going to tell them what you’ve told me. It’s some guy at a bank.”
“I know.”
Denise wanted to shake her. It was obvious Meredith wanted help, but she’d be damned if she asked for it. “Do you have anything else you can give me, Meredith? These guys will protect you if you give them a reason to.”
Sighing deeply, she reached her hand out. “My purse is over there under the chair. One of the EMT’s brought it to me.”
Denise handed it to her and waited, impatiently rocking back on her heels. She wanted this over as quickly as possible.
She pulled out a manila envelope, somehow salvaged from the explosion. “This is the information my contacts gave me. I don’t want it anymore. I can’t stop what I’ve already started, but maybe I can keep it from getting worse.”
Denise walked out, envelope in hand. “She gave me what info she has. I’m not sure what’s useful to you, but maybe we can start trying to figure out who’s setting the club up and why.”
Liam kissed her forehead. “Thanks for gett
ing this for us, I know it’s not easy to do this kind of stuff. We really appreciate it. I appreciate it more than I can tell you.” At his hip, his pre-pay buzzed, he flipped it open and read the text he had just received. Cursing loudly, he ran his hands through his hair. “We need to figure this out now.”
“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked, concern etched on his face.
“They just picked up Dad. Steele says they’re takin’ him to county lock-up. I’m heading to the clubhouse. You stay here and watch over Meredith. Denise you come with me. Whoever has decided to make us an enemy doesn’t know what match they just lit.”
“Be careful,” Tyler called out.
If there was one thing Liam Walker didn’t stand for, it was someone shitting on his club. Now that they’d picked up the president, Liam looked ready to kill.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Rooster, you got nothin’ on me,” William appealed to the young man he’d known since birth. “What you have is a bunch of circumstantial bullshit.”
“Pretty good bullshit though, even you gotta admit that. We have Tyler Blackfoot at Meredith’s house hours before the newscast. What she said implicated your club in the death of a prominent citizen.”
Grinning, William interrupted, “We are Harley enthusiasts.”
“You wanna talk about some bullshit? That’s the biggest load I’ve heard in a while. You’re fingerprints are all over this, William.”
“Then show me. Where are they? What can you pin on me? Because if you can’t, then cut my ass loose.”
Rooster got up from his chair and walked over to the door. “You know what? I think we might have some more questions for you. I can legally hold you for twenty-four hours, and I think that’s what I’m going to do. Maybe I can even dig up an old warrant.”
“Fuck you, Rooster.”
“My name is Officer Hancock. Don’t forget it.”
William smirked. “Don’t forget who you’re talkin’ to.”
“I could say the same to you, old man.”
When the door closed, William slammed his head on the table. This was turning into one hell of a clusterfuck.
“They should be setting bail or releasing him within the next few hours. Until that happens, there’s really nothing we can do.”
Liam sighed as he got off the phone with Lee, the club’s attorney. It sucked having your hands tied. He’d called Roni and let her know that their dad had been picked up. Now he sat at the clubhouse trying to make sense out of just what in the hell was going on.
“So, Lee says it’s gonna be a few more hours on the old man. Let’s try and see if we can make heads or tails out of the information Denise got from Meredith.”
“I think we can safely assume that the man feeding her this load of shit is Richard. The question is, why? What’s in it for him?” Steele asked, taking a drag off his cigarette. “I hate to say this, but you know who could probably tell us?”
Liam didn’t want to hear this. “Aww fuck you. Not right now. I can’t deal with her right now.”
“I think it’s time we call your mom.”
Lauren Walker was and always had been a sore spot for Liam. The betrayal and hurt of her leaving was a wound that still festered in his chest every time he allowed himself to think about it.
“If we call Lauren, it’s gonna be my sister talking to her. You know I can’t stand her.”
He knew that Roni was outside with Denise watching the kids. Before he asked her to do this, he had to get his emotions under control. Every time his mom was mentioned, he felt like a little kid again. He’d watched her leave that day, and he’d screamed through the door begging her to come back. Not once had she turned around and looked at him. With a sigh, he lit a cigarette and made his way over to where the two women sat.
“I need a favor,” he directed to Roni as he had a seat in between the two of them.
“You always need something. Why should this be any different? What do you want?”
“I need you to call Lauren.”
“Are you ever going to call her ‘Mom’ again?” Roni asked. This was a point of contention between the two of them. She had somewhat forgiven their mother. He wasn’t sure he ever would.
“Look, don’t give me any shit,” he snarled. “I don’t like asking you to do this, but you and I both know I can’t talk to her.”
“Can’t or won’t?” she challenged.
Denise looked between the brother and sister, wondering just what had gone on with his mother that caused him so much pain. Behind the harsh words, she could see the eyes of a little boy. She’d seen those eyes on her own son when he spoke of the father he’d never met.
“What do you want me to ask her?” Roni asked, giving in like she always did.
“Thank you. We need to know what exactly Richard had to do with Jeffrey’s death. Obviously he knows something, but I want to know how he knows. This was supposedly kept strictly among club officers, and he never was one. Dad had a gag order in place on that shit. Do we have a leak here? Is it a bigger problem than what we think?”
“I’ll call her and let you know what she says. Why don’t you go home and try to get some sleep? By the time we put all of this together, Dad will be out – hopefully. Denise, why don’t you go with him? I’ll get the kids to help me clean up the clubhouse. Ya know, keep them outta your hair for a while.”
Liam couldn’t help the shit eating grin that broke across his face. Reaching down, he grabbed Denise’s hand and pulled her up beside him “Let’s go.”
Hours later, they lay in what had become her favorite place at Liam’s house, the screened-in porch. A blanket covered them as they lounged, just enjoying the quiet and each other’s company. She could hear his deep, even breathing which told her that he slept soundly. It was the first time she’d seen him sleep since she’d moved in. It seemed like he was always on the go, always doing something for the club.
When she wondered what he liked to do for fun, what his favorite foods were, and what he normally wore to bed at night, she realized just how little they knew about one another. It made her want to know everything about him. He sighed deeply, snuggling her up in his arms.
“Hey,” she greeted, smiling softly. “Did you sleep good?”
It surprised him, but he had. “Yeah, I did. I guess I needed it.” Stretching, he leaned forward, kissing her lightly. “Has my pre-pay rang?”
“I didn’t hear it, but I fell asleep for a little while myself.”
He reached over the side of the chaise, where he had thrown his jeans and pulled the cell out of the pocket. “Shit,” he breathed when he saw three missed calls and a voice mail.
“Everything okay?”
Putting the cell to his ear, he help up a finger and pressed the buttons to listen to the voicemail. After a few moments he put the phone back in his pocket and leaned back against the bed.
“Dad’s out of jail, and Roni’s interrogating Lauren as we speak. She’s taken the kids over there, hoping to soften the old witch up, then she’s taking them for the night. Darlin’, looks like we have a night to ourselves. What should we do?”
Lying back down, she bit her bottom lip between her teeth. She knew what she wanted to do but wasn’t sure if he would go for it. Inspired, she sat up, pulling the blanket tighter around her body. “I have an idea.”
“I’m all ears. I need a relaxing night.”
“One of the many things I’ve had to put off because of my kids has been dating. I haven’t been on a date in years. Do you think we could have one?” she asked, biting her nail nervously.
“Will you dress up for me and do your hair and makeup and all that shit? Ya know, look like you did the other day when you did that job for us?”
He seemed so excited, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure.”
“Then I’m giving you an hour. You better be down here ready to go. You want a date, baby, you got yourself a date.”
Gifting him with a gorgeous smile, she got up, holding th
e cover around her and leaving him in the nude. As she stepped over and around his body, his hand smacked her ass and she shrieked playfully.
“Is that a preview?”
Eyes darkening, he chuckled. As she ran up the stairs, he called after her. “It can be.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The smell of hairspray caused Denise to cough as she finished her hair. She was trying desperately to make it look how the hairstylist had made it look. Taking her hands to it, she artfully mussed it, smiling at the end result. She had never been good at hair or cosmetics, but tonight she wanted to be. Unlike most nights, she had also taken great care with her makeup, hoping that Liam took notice.
Walking over to the bed, she glanced at the outfit she’d laid out for herself. Sparkles had convinced her she was wearing clothes two sizes too big, and she had to admit Sparkles had been right. Smoothing her hands down the shirt she wore, she blew out a nervous breath.
“What the hell, Denise. You only live once, right?” she whispered to herself. This was the time to make the changes she had wanted to make for years. Liam was giving her that option, and she knew that she’d be crazy not to take this opportunity and run with it.
Liam sat on the couch in his living room, twiddling his thumbs. He didn’t think he had ever been so keyed up in his life. Excited didn’t even begin to describe his feelings at this moment. He felt special. This wasn’t some woman who was a friend of the club. She wasn’t a hanger-on just looking for a good time, a quick fuck in his dorm room so that she could go back and tell all the other women how big his dick was. This woman was actually upstairs trying to look cute for him. In all his years, he’d never had what one would consider a girlfriend, much less an old lady. He’d just had a couple women here and there in his life who had warmed his bed, and that was never for long. He always got out before it got too serious, before they started demanding his time and requesting words he didn’t want to say. This was just as new for him as it was for her.
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