He called me in just as the last customer paid and left. That meant we were completely alone. I hated the idea but held my head high. I stopped just outside the office door, this time, not even stepping in. I really didn’t want to have a one-on-one with him.
“Come on in,” Kenneth said and beckoned. I really would rather have stayed outside, but I stepped into the office, just two paces from the door.
“I’m about to lock up,” I said. “Customers left early, no point keeping it open.”
I was expecting Kenneth to argue. He liked staying open almost until midnight so that if someone needed a late cup of coffee they could come in. “Money was money, no matter what time it was,” Kenneth always said.
“That’s fine,” he said. I frowned slightly. Kenneth got up and walked around his desk so there was nothing between us. I wanted to step back but resisted. Kenneth leaned against his desk, half-sitting on the edge, and I couldn’t help but notice it was the exact spot where Saxon and I had been.
“I wanted to talk to you about the video,” he said. Not that again.
“I don’t know what else I can say to you about that,” I said. “If you feel it would be better if you let me go—”
“Now, don’t jump to conclusions,” he said, interrupting me. “I wanted to ask you where the videos from that night were.”
I stopped mid-sentence with my mouth still open. When I closed it, I feigned looking confused.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“They’re missing. I know those are videos you don’t want getting out. Where are they?”
“I didn’t take them,” I said. Technically, that was true. I gave them to someone else. Saxon was the one who took them.
Kenneth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
“Those videos are important. They have the face of a very dangerous man on them, and I want to be able to cover us if something happens.”
“Like what?” I asked.
Kenneth looked like he was going to answer me, but then he shook his head and pushed up from his desk. He walked toward me. I felt like I wanted to get away again, but I held my ground.
“This is a very difficult situation,” he said.
Difficult because he’d seen me, or difficult because it compromised him? I didn’t want to ask because I didn’t want to know the answer. I was scared it would be the former. Kenneth was in front of me now, and he was standing too close. His chest was almost touching mine, and I could smell his aftershave. I didn’t like it.
Kenneth put his hand on my shoulder. I stiffened.
“If I can connect the missing tapes to the outlaw on that video, I’m calling the police.”
My body went cold, and I felt numb. “I want you to be under police protection so that something like this doesn’t happen again,” he said. This made me relax a little. He wasn’t calling the police on me. But he was going to make it harder for me, and that wasn’t a good thing either.
“That’s really not necessary,” I said.
Kenneth slid his hand from my shoulder to my neck, his skin on mine now. His hand was rough, and it burned on my skin. I tried to duck away, but he stopped me with his other hand on my elbow.
“I need to look out for my waitresses,” he said. His face was too close to mine, his voice was too low and intimate, and both of his hands were on me.
“Kenneth, please,” I said and pulled away, pushing his hands off me and trying to get out of his reach. “I have to go. I’m…late.”
I turned and left the office. I was going to leave Kenneth to lock up. I didn’t want to get up close and personal with him. He was disgusting, and his advances creeped me out. Even if the situation was different and he wasn’t my boss, I still wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with him.
“I’m just looking out for you, Tanya,” he called after me, but I walked through the door, and it slammed shut, cutting off whatever else he could have said to me. I shrugged into my coat as I walked, nausea turning in my stomach. I could still feel the imprint of his hand on my shoulder, and no matter how many times I tried to shrug it off, it wouldn’t let me go. I had to get out of there. I had to get out of the diner and away from Kenneth, who had obviously gotten the wrong idea.
And it was my fault, because I had been careless and stupid and thrown myself at a man when it was below my standards. This was some kind of punishment or karma or whatever.
I took a deep breath and blew it out with a shudder, trying to get rid of some of the tension that sat like a fist under my ribs.
The diner door slammed. I would recognize that sound for miles. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Kenneth coming out of the diner. The darkness felt like it wrapped around me, tripping me up. The fear inside of me, already looking for an outlet, drove me forward—and even though I looked like a coward, I started running.
CHAPTER 10
I cut the engine and let the bike roll forward until I could see the diner without coming out of the alley all the way. I was acting like a stalker. Pathetic. But I didn’t want to just storm in there and give her a scare. I had to get ahold of that boss of hers and have a chat with him, but I didn’t want to do it when Tanya was around.
As a biker, I’d always prided myself by my appearance. I was scary. Leather was the way to go, and the tattoos made mothers with toddlers turn the other way. I’d practiced for years to perfect my heartless stare. I moved with care, so I looked dangerous—and it worked.
And I didn’t want Tanya to see that side of me. I didn’t want her to see the one person I’d worked so hard to become. I was a criminal and a gang member. We didn’t think twice about hurting or killing if that’s what it meant. And still I wanted her to see something good in me.
So when I went in there to question her boss—Kenneth Sherman I’d found out his name was—I wanted her to be far, far away. I was going to wait for her to leave if she hadn’t already, and then I was going to follow Sherman home and have a chat.
I clenched my hand into a tight fist, cracking my knuckles. Our chat could go a couple of different ways.
The door of the diner opened and Tanya stepped out. My pulse picked up the pace. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with strands escaped and framing her face. She wasn’t wearing her coat yet, and I could see her hourglass shape, her beautiful curves. She owned them, and those stick models had nothing on her with the way she moved. Her feet were fast, moving along the curb as if she had somewhere to be.
I watched her climb into her coat and wrap it around herself, as if she was seeking solace.
She made it to the end of the lot where the asphalt turned into brick and the lot bled away into narrow roads and alleys between tall buildings. She was about to disappear around the corner. I watched her, not wanting her to disappear and willing her away all at the same time. The sooner she left, the sooner I could get down to business.
The diner door opened, and Sherman stepped out. The door slammed, and Tanya whipped around as if the sound was a warning. Her face changed. Those already big brown eyes widened, and then she turned and ran. She disappeared onto a narrow road between two buildings before Sherman picked up his pace and set after her.
I didn’t know much about what was going on at work for her. What I did know was that her boss was a problem; she’d mentioned as much when we’d spent time together. Now, he was after her. And she was scared. A woman didn’t run like that unless a man was after her with the intention to bring her bodily harm.
I’d seen it enough times in my life to know what it was that was happening in front of me. The one thing I knew was that I was not letting that man put his hands on her. I had some personal business to take care of with him, but that was going to have to wait.
Tanya was my first priority right now.
I kick started my bike and put it in gear. The Harley roared to life, the sound echoing through the buildings and coming back at me like the growl of a monster. I opened throttle and tore across
the lot, heading toward the narrow street where Tanya had disappeared and Sherman had gone after her. I wasn’t thinking anymore. My body had taken over. It was pure male instinct and hormones surging through my system.
I sped past Sherman. The man who was after Tanya had a jog, serious about catching up with her, and that just confirmed my suspicions. I didn’t have time to check his reaction when I drove past, but his face was serious, and I doubted he paid me any attention. His focus was on Tanya. So was mine.
She noticed the roar of my bike, but she didn’t respond. She was breathing hard, and I could almost feel the fear I saw on her face. I drove on a little and then turned the bike onto the curb, skidding to a stop. I was right in front of her now, and she had no choice but to notice me. It took her a moment to register who I was. She stopped, panting.
“Saxon,” she breathed. She looked over her shoulder, and I saw Sherman closing in. I could take him, easily, but I didn’t want to get violent in front of Tanya. I just wanted her safe.
“Get on,” I said.
She looked confused for a moment.
“Get on,” I said again. She glanced back one more time. Sherman was getting closer, and he looked angry now on top of his determination.
“Tanya!” he called. I didn’t know what went through her mind. Emotion flickered across her face too fast for me to read.
“You can trust me,” I said, not sure why I felt the need to reassure her of that. It was what she’d needed to hear because she gave me a quick nod and swung her leg over the back of the bike.
“Don’t go with him!” Sherman called. He was close enough now that I could see his face, and he had dark eyes that were furious. “I’ll call the police,” he threatened. Tanya wrapped her arms around my body, pulling herself against my back.
“Go,” she pleaded, and I did what she asked. I backed up until I was on the road again and turned the bike down the street. The engine roared, as I opened throttle again. Sherman shouted something after us, but I couldn’t hear it above the sound of the engine, and we were losing him.
Tanya leaned against me. I felt the heat of her body against mine through my leather jacket. Her arms were clamped around my body, as if she was scared she was going to fall off the bike. It felt good to have her close and safe. I wanted to keep her here, where nothing could get to her.
And I knew that this wasn’t good. I was starting to think things and feel things about her that I shouldn’t have been feeling. I was starting to worry about her safety. This was a problem.
I pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter right now. She was with me, and it was my job to keep her safe. I’d taken it upon myself, and I was going to see it through. I would pick up the pieces later. I could still walk away once it was all over.
I drove through the backroads of the city, taking routes I knew were quiet and there weren’t often police. We weren’t in danger now; I doubted Sherman would set the police on the woman he obviously wanted. But it was a habit, and it was better to be safe than sorry.
Finally, we reached my neighborhood. Here, people in the streets recognized me. It was quiet this close to midnight. The smart ones knew to stay off the streets, and the others were the ones from whom they were hiding. I pulled my bike into a parking bay and switched it off.
Tanya took a moment before she let go of me. She slid off the bike and stood next to it, looking lost.
“Come on,” I said. I didn’t hold my hand out to her, even though I wanted to. I wasn’t going to place her in the predicament. I didn’t want her to feel like she owed me. She looked up and down the road, as if she was looking for someone.
“He won’t find you here,” I said. “You can stay until it’s safe, and then I’ll take you home.”
She shook her head. “He knows where I live. He followed me home.” The words she didn’t say hung between us. She was scared to go home. I was the last person in the world who should have been protecting her. Trouble followed me wherever I went. However, I wasn’t going to let her go. I couldn’t take her to the police and jeopardize myself. I couldn’t just let her go home and fend for herself. So I got myself into a bigger mess than I already was.
“You can stay with me,” I said. As I spoke the words, I knew that it was a mistake. But some mistakes were worth making. She looked vulnerable. I put my hand at her back, not touching, and guided her to the door where we climbed the stairs to my floor. I didn’t have a fancy elevator in the building to take her up to my apartment, but she didn’t look like the snobby kind.
We climbed in silence, and when we got to the apartment, I unlocked the door. I was aware of what a mess it was when we stepped inside. I lived alone, and I was a man, which meant the counter was stacked with takeaway cartons, the coffee table had empty beer bottles, and there were dirty shirts on the floor.
“I wasn’t expecting company,” I said. I put the beer bottles in the bin and kicked a dirty shirt under the couch. Tanya stood in the middle of the room, hugging herself. Her whole posture was a question mark.
I walked to the cabinet next to the door and pulled out a pillow and a blanket. Thank goodness I had spares. I handed it to her.
“Stay as long as you need.” She took it from me and looked at the couch where she was going to spend the night. I wanted to offer her the main bedroom, but there was too much in there that I didn’t want her to see. A gun in the drawer. A knife under the pillow. Dirty underwear on the bed. Coke on the desk and blunts in the ashtray. I didn’t want her to know how much of a criminal I was.
“Thank you,” she finally said, and it was the first time she spoke since I picked her up. Her voice was thin, and I wanted to do more to help.
“Don’t mention it,” I said. She looked smaller than she was, and she hugged the pillow to her chest. Until now, every time I’d seen her I’d wanted to touch her. I’d wanted to take her body and explore all the different ways I could have her. But now, with her standing in front of me, looking out of place and uncomfortable, I didn’t have sex on my mind. I just wanted to protect her.
“The bedroom is right through there,” I said, pointing. “Shout if you need me.”
I turned and walked to the room.
“Saxon?” she called after me. I turned and looked at her.
“Do you have something I can wear?” She looked down at her clothes. She was still in her coat and diner uniform.
“Let me see what I can find,” I said. I rummaged through my closet and ended up with an old gray shirt and slacks that I hadn’t worn in a very long time. I took it to her.
“It’s going to be too big for you,” I said.
She took it from me. “If I can sleep in it, I’ll be okay.”
I nodded and turned again. I closed my door and fell back on my bed, blowing out my breath in one long sigh.
She was on my couch right now, wearing my clothes, curling my blanket around her body. She was right here in my house, just on the other side of that door. There was no way I was going to get to sleep. I lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, painfully aware of how close she was.
“What are you doing?” I asked myself and then felt like an idiot in case she heard me talking. I was getting in too deep. I shouldn’t have asked her to stay.
But where else was I going to let her go? It wasn’t my problem. I shouldn’t have made her my problem. People got in trouble all the time; it didn’t mean that I had to save everyone. There was no reason I needed to save her. When the night was over, I was going to send her home. She could deal with her perverted boss herself. She could do what everyone else did—report him or deal with it.
I had other things to worry about. My stomach clenched into a knot of nerves when I thought about Sherman and those tapes. It had already been a week, and I hadn’t gotten around to it. Now he’d threatened to phone the police, and I’d rather gone after the girl than Sherman. I should have let Tanya go and pulled Sherman to the side, taking care of business.
Keeping Sherman busy would have
saved Tanya just as much as what I was doing now. And it would have solved my problem
God, I am such an idiot.
My skin got hot, my blood boiling in my veins. I was getting angry. Angry at myself for being stupid enough to run into a diner with cameras. Angry that I had fallen for the stupid waitress. Angry that I’d gone back—even when I shouldn’t have. Now, she was on my couch, in my apartment, much closer to me than anyone had come in a long time. I was angry that I’d gotten myself in more trouble rather than sorting it out.
She was definitely leaving in the morning. And then I was going to find Sherman. I was going to make him sorry he ever thought about the police, and everything was going to be fine. With that woman gone, I was going to go back to my life, take that security job Skinner wanted me on, and be done with all this bullshit that was getting to my emotional side.
Filthy Ride: A Motorcycle Club Romance (Iron Bones MC) (Whiskey Bad Boys Book 3) Page 6
