B00M39ZWUO EBOK

by Michelle Woods - Catching Trick (Red Devils MC #3) , 25th July

“Why call you? I knew that Pretty Boy was here already. I also knew that since you’re a bunch of old women, instead of bad assed bikers, you’d find out anyway. Get a grip! I don’t need you to baby me, Trick.” Katie wanted to throw her phone across the yard. The man made her so mad.

  “Don’t make me paddle your ass, Katie,” Trick gritted through clenched teeth. “You will call me if something like this happens again!”

  “Trick, that’s ridiculous! If he’s already nearby, why should I call you?” Katie really wanted to know what his logic was here. It didn’t make a damned bit of sense.

  “I. Need. To. Know. That’s why!” He growled out.

  “Fine! Next time, I will call you, but it’s stupid. He. Was. Already. Here!” Katie screamed with real anger. Screw him. He wanted to protect her like she was his sister, and she was done with the bullshit. It made her that much more determined to get over him. She needed someone who understood logic. Not an idiot that made no sense.

  “Good. Now, put Pretty Boy on for a second.”

  “Are you kidding? I have things to do. You call him on his phone, I’m leaving.” Katie didn’t bother to say goodbye, she just hung up and stormed to her truck.

  “Shit,” She heard Pretty Boy growl, as he stood watching her slam the truck door, and cranking the engine. Putting it in drive, she pealed out of her driveway.

  He answered his phone. “Can’t talk. Your girl just took off like a bat outta hell.”

  “Fine, but call me when you get there. We need to talk.” Trick slammed down the phone. He was mad that he was not able to fix this for Katie. He wanted to beat the son of a bitch who was threating her to death, only he had no idea who the hell it was.

  He wanted to destroy whoever dared to cause her even a moment’s discomfort. He’d still been upset over his stupidity from yesterday, when he’d gotten the call from Bone. He’d almost put his fist through the wall in his office, when he heard what was in that box this sick fuck had sent her. It was a clear threat. Whoever was stalking her was trying to make her frightened and he didn’t like it. Not one damned bit.

  He needed to get through this dinner with his sister, and then he needed to figure out a way to get Katie to go to a safe house. If all else failed he would kidnap her and take her against her will. Nothing could happen to her, or he was going to lose his shit in a big way. That girl was not going to have even a hair on her head harmed. He couldn’t handle the thought of any other outcome.

  Katie was still pissed when she finished her shopping. She was even more determined to make this date with Travis a success. She wanted to get over the man. That thought in mind she headed over to the small salon. She needed a trim, and perhaps her nails done. She entered the salon seeing Becky her normal stylist was sitting in a barber chair reading a book. Marie was using a brush to paint highlights in a women’s hair and Barbara was sitting at the front desk.

  “Hey, sugar,” Barbara said, causing Becky to look up.

  Katie smiled. “Hello, ladies.”

  “Need a cut, doll?” Becky asked.

  “Yeah, I was thinking I’d like something a little different, sexy.” Katie said, as she watched Lou, who was followed by a client, enter from the back. Lou waved, moving to her station, and Katie saw that the woman following her was Monica. Great that was all she needed. That woman was a pain in the ass. Always asking personal questions, and then trying to have a bigger, better story than whoever had told it.

  “Hey, Katie,” Monica said, vibrating with an annoying about of happy. “So, you finally went home with Trick. He’s amazing in bed. Isn’t he?”

  Katie wanted to punch her in the face with a two by four. This was part of the reason she hated the woman, Katie finally admitted to herself. She’d dated Trick for two months. Well, maybe not dated, but she’d definitely slept with him.

  “I wouldn’t know.” Katie replied, walking to Becky’s station plopping down in the chair the woman had vacated.

  “But you went home with him the other night. Didn’t you?” Monica asked, with a confused look on her face.

  “No, he just took me home. It’s not like that with me and Trick.” Katie’s heart squeezed a bit with the pain that admission caused.

  “Oh, huh.”

  “Well, now what did you have in mind?” Becky asked, as Monica took her seat while Lou took up her scissors and began to trim her hair.

  “I was thinking layers and maybe some bangs,” Katie replied. She looked at her hair, with its straight strawberry blond locks, which were boring, with a slight frown.

  “Humm…we could take a bit off here and make some framing around your face. Only, no bangs, I think. They’re a little over done.” Becky began to tug at her hair trying to give her an idea of what she was suggesting. Katie couldn’t see it, but having allowed Becky to do her hair for over five years, she was okay with agreeing to her suggestion.

  “Sounds perfect. I need to be out of here by two though. I have a date tonight.”

  “Ohhh…tell me more. Is he handsome?” Becky demanded.

  “I don’t know. Mary Ann set us up.” Katie replied, as Becky began to lead her to the back to wash her hair.

  “Wow, Mary Ann never sets me up.” Monica said, with a frown.

  “Yeah, maybe she doesn’t think you’re desperate like she thinks I am. I’d be grateful.”

  “Huh, maybe.” Monica said, as Lou turned her around toward the mirror.

  About an hour later, she walked out of the salon with a gorgeous new style, and a manicure both making her feel like a new woman. Her hair had been the same for three years. So, the new cut made her feel as if she was ready to take on the world. Now, she just needed to get home so she could write a bit before getting ready for her date with Travis.

  Trick walked up the stairs to the clubhouse with a frown. Pretty Boy had brought the gift into the conference room where they held church, so that could see if there were any clues about the stalker in the package. Log had arrived and he was watching Katie. Trick entered the room see Duck, Bone, Tank, Dog, Pretty Boy and Rock sitting at the table. He sat down looking at Bone.

  “I don’t know that there is anything here. It’s a doll with a yellow dress. The knife is even just a market variety not anything that might lead us to anyone. It can be bought at three different stores in the surrounding areas. The doll too.” Tank told them as he set the box and its contents down on the table.

  “Damn,” Trick had been hoping they would find something in the gift to help them find this son of a bitch.

  “Those were my thoughts, too. When I heard the same thing an hour ago. That’s why we’re here. I know that I can trust that the stalker is not anyone in this room or Tiny and Slim. As for the rest of the club, I just don’t know. I’d like to say that I know for a fact that it’s not one of our own, but I can’t be certain.” Bone grumbled, slamming his fist down on the table. “Damn, this is a cluster fuck!”

  “We need to come up with a plan to protect our girl. She refused the safe house again and for now I say we let her have the illusion of choice, but if shit seems to be going south we jerk her ass into the safe house. Then we hunt this bastard down.” Tank growled.

  “What about calling in Tick. We all know he’s the best at tracking people.” Duck asked, from his seat beside Bone.

  “It still too soon. The man should have time to grieve. Vivi’s only been gone for ten mouths.” Dog said. Referring to the death of Tick’s old lady in a flood that had almost killed Racheal and Molly, Bone’s old lady. Thank God they had both made it. Otherwise the club would have lost three good men instead of one. Tick wasn’t the same after Vivi. He’d barely spoke to anyone other than Max, his son, and Ratchet, his best friend, for the first three months after her passing.

  “I agree. It’s too soon, Duck. You of all people should know that.” Bone replied, looking at Duck.

  “The man needs to get back into life. Shutting down like he has isn’t good for him, or his son.” Was Duck’s gruff reply to that.


  “I know, but for now we’re letting him heal. It takes a long time to get over losing someone you care about that way. If it had been my Molly…” Bone’s voice trailed off, and he shuddered at the thought.

  “You can’t keep babying the man, Bone. He’s needed.” Duck growled, a scowl on his face. “With the Jackal’s stirring and now Katie’s stalker’s return, we need to get him back into the world before we really need him and he’s still frozen.” Bone slammed his fist on the table.

  “Damn it, I will not listen to this speech again, Duck! Leave this be. I will handle it.” Bone was glaring at the older man, dark scowl covering his face.

  “Can we discuss, Katie? I need to get this settled, so that I can meet Charity for dinner.” Trick asked, watching the men. It didn’t really matter to him what they decided here. If he felt Katie was in danger he would run with her no matter what they thought about it. She wasn’t going to be in danger while they pussy footed around trying to figure out what to do.

  “Fine, I say we give you a week to convince her. Then if she’s not ready we force her. Until then we give her the illusion of choice.” Tank said. Trick didn’t think that it would be a week. If he had his way Katie would be in a safe house tonight.

  “Agreed.” Duck said.

  “Agreed.” Dog and Rock said together.

  “Good, then it’s set. We put her in a safe house and we find this asshole.” Bone nodded agreeing. Trick also nodded when all eyes turned to him. Even knowing that he would do whatever he had to do to protect her regardless, but it was nice to know that his family had his back. Although, he still hadn’t forgiven them for keeping this from him the first time.

  Chapter 7

  Katie was ready, she thought, looking at herself in the mirror. She wore her black strapless dress, with a pleated skirt that flared a bit at the bottom. The top of the dress caused her breasts to look like they were a size bigger than they were. The push up bra was helping that allusion. Her new hair style made her look soft, and sexy. With the light makeup she’d used to create a smoky eyed complexion, she looked sultry. Nodding at her reflection she exited the bathroom. Walking down the hall, she entered the living room. Her father looked up from the accounts he’d been balancing and whistled.

  “Wow, kid, you look just like your mother. That boy’s not going to know what hit him.” His eyes filled with a sadness that was familiar. She knew that he missed her mother. She’d died in a fire when Katie was three. It was the reason they’d ended up here in Red Devil territory.

  “Thanks, Dad. What are you doing tonight?” Katie asked, sitting down on the couch next to him.

  “I have to get these accounts together. Then I think I will read a bit.”

  “Dad, you need to take more time away from working at the club. It’s not healthy to only work. You need to take a break. Go hang out with friends or play poker or something. Sitting around here and working so much is not good for you.” Katie groused, looking at him with concern.

  “Humm…well, that may be true, but I want to be around here more. Seeing as the stalkers back, I don’t want you to be alone here.” Sal looked at her, a dark frown forming on his face. Katie cringed. With all that was going on with Trick, she’d forgotten to tell him about the stalker.

  “They told you already?”

  “Yes, Katie. They told me already. I’m your father. Did you think that they wouldn’t tell me?” Sal stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  “Sorry, I guess with everything going on I forgot.” Katie said, looking at her father with a sheepish smile.

  “Katie, it’s your safety, and you know I want to be involved. I watch you at the house they watch you everywhere else. That’s how this works. You should have told me, kid.”

  “I know, dad. I just didn’t think about it.” Katie muttered, her father pulled her into a bear hug.

  “I feel like you’re not taking this as a serious threat. This man is dangerous,” Sal complained.

  “Dad, I’m taking it serious and if it gets worse I will let Bone put me in the safe house, okay.”

  “Okay,” Sal released her and looked at her again. “Your mother used to wear her hair this way, you know.” He pulled playfully at a strand of her hair a smile on his guff face. Making her realize she didn’t see it much lately, which worried her.

  “Yes, I noticed when I got home tonight that she did. I saw it in the pictures.” Katie thought of the photo of her mother and father on the wall halfway down the hall to her room, smiling. They’d had their arms around each other, and the smile on her father’s usually solemn face always surprised her. They had been so happy. It was too bad that they had found the safe haven of Devils Falls too late. The Jackal’s had run the town near theirs. It had been a nightmare. Drugs, vandalism, and murder had been just a few of the things they’d dealt with. A fire set by the Jackal’s had killed her mother while she was at work. She didn’t want to think of anything else that could have happened to her before she’d died in that fire.

  “When I met her she wore it just like that. You really are the very image of her.” Sal’s words trailed off when they heard the pealing of the doorbell.

  “That’s him. How do I look?” Katie asked.

  “Beautiful beyond words, kid.” Was Sal’s gruff reply.

  Katie walked to the door. She opened it to find a handsome man with dark brown hair, a strong masculine face. He wore his hair short and he was muscled in all the right places. His skin was tan and he was looking her up and down with a very sexy smile on his face.

  “You must be, Katie,” He said, then whispered. “But if you’re not, we could still run away together.”

  Laughing, Katie replied, “I’m Katie, I guess your, Travis. Didn’t you say you don’t date much? I can’t believe that, you’re too much eye candy for any woman to be uninterested. I think this might be a case of misleading references. I’m not sure I can date you now.”

  “Damn, I guess…” His voice trailed off. He was looking behind her, his face a mask of surprise. “Sal?” He asked.

  Katie realized that her father had come up behind her, most likely to meet her date. He was just as overbearingly protective as Trick. She looked over her shoulder shifting to the right to allow him to step into the doorway with her, so she could introduce the two men. Travis seemed to already know her father, though.

  “Travis? Damn, am I glad it’s you that my girls going out with tonight. I was worried when Mary Ann set her up with some yahoo. Now, I feel so much better.”

  “You two know each other?” Katie asked, surprised.

  “Yep, known Sal for what? Ten years.” Travis asked, holding his hand out to shake her fathers, smiling.

  “I think it was that long. It was before you left the club to take care of your mom.”

  “You’re part of the Red Devils? Mary Ann told me that you weren’t.” This news made Katie a bit worried. Trick would be pissed if she dated someone in the club. Wait! Why was she worrying about what would upset that man, again. She needed to stop that. Katie looked up as Travis spoke again.

  “Not really, at least not anymore. I was a prospect ten years ago. The club Prez. let me go over to the Bandit’s territory where my mother was living, because she was sick and needed someone to take care of her. The Bandit’s wouldn’t have let me stay there if I was still in the club. So, I was allowed to leave. It was only because of the circumstances. But I still get called on for a few jobs here and there.” Travis explained, in a matter of fact way, adding. “It’s why I needed Mary Ann to set me up. My friends say I have become a hermit since my mom passed a year and a half ago.”

  “I’m so sorry for you loss, and for bringing it up.” Katie wanted to hit her forehead with her hand, shocked at her own insensitivity.

  “It’s okay. Mom was almost incoherent by the time she went. It was better for her, even though I didn’t want her to leave. Alzheimer's.” Travis told her with another one of those grim smile.

  “It’s s
trange that they’ve found cures for so many of the things that ail us, and yet they still haven’t found a cure for Alzheimer’s.”

  “Yeah, sad really.” Her father said.

  “Not to be rude, but this wasn’t really the way I wanted to start our date. Can we change the subject?” Travis asked, his handsome face still twisted into a grim smile.

  “Of course. Now, that dad’s okay with his adult daughter going out with a man,” Katie growled, looking at him and glaring over her shoulder at his over protective behavior.

  “Hey, no harm in making sure you’re safe. Would think less of any man who wasn’t concerned about his daughter’s safety.” Travis responded with a grin, and a nod to her father.

  “Oh, dear, not you too.” Katie grumbled. She’d been hoping he wouldn’t be as overprotective as Trick and her father. But his overprotective side was already showing. With a sigh she decided it was as good as she was going to get, if she wanted to convince her fickle heart Travis was a better choice than Trick.

  “Sal, I will take good care of your girl. I’ll even bring her home by midnight.” Travis grinned, winking at Katie as he replied.

  “Well now, don’t bring her home early on my account.” Sal growled, chuckling. Katie rolled her eyes at the two of them. Travis offered his arm with a light laugh.

  “You heard the man. We can stay out all night.” Travis wiggled his eyebrows at her making her let out a startled laugh. Katie liked him, a lot. It might just be possible to enjoy a relationship with a man who wasn’t Trick, she thought, as he led her to the sleek black corvette.

  “Nice ride.”

  “Yeah, if I have to take a cage this one seemed like a winner. I usually take the hog, but since I didn’t know if you enjoyed riding one. I decided to drive this instead.” Travis opened her door, handing her into the passenger seat, then shut her door and went around, getting in.

  “I think this was a good choice. If I wasn’t wearing a dress the hog would have been okay, though.”

  “Duly noted.” Trevor said, cranking the car, which purred like a kitten.