“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He winked at me and I felt this strange shiver running down my spine. A draft maybe?
“You guys going back to headquarters?” Jones had tidied things up and rejoined us.
“Yeah, why don’t we all head out?”
“Cool, I’ll see if anyone else wants to ride with us.” Jones stopped to look at me. “Is there any way I could convince you to ride with me?” He asked, lowering his voice, trying to be seductive, but all he managed to do was sound super creepy.
I backed away until I bumped into Kyle. He wrapped his arms tight around me and smirked. “Get lost Jones, she’s mine.”
“You always get the cute ones. It’s not fair.” He sighed, giving me one more look before walking away.
Kyle chuckled. “Good to know you’d pick me over Jones.”
“Well, you’re just the lesser of two evils, that’s all.”
“I can’t believe you still hate me, even after I taught you how to become such a good pool player.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then why do you cringe every time I try to hold your hand?”
“I don’t.”
“Really?” Just to prove his point, he grabbed my hand, squeezing it. I instantly regretted my stubbornness, but at the same time, it felt kind of nice to be holding his hand, especially when our fingers locked together.
Without another word, we walked outside to his bike. Just like last time, he helped me with the helmet, taking his time. It was strange to see all these different sides of him. It seemed he could be really gentle if wanted to, but that didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t also a pervert or a thug. I wondered which one of those personas was the real Kyle.
“Ready?” Knowing I had no other choice, I wrapped my arms around his chest and moved close to him until our bodies were practically locked together. The motorcycle started up and my whole body shook with the vibrations. I nearly moaned as they ran through every inch of my body. I blushed deeply, but I couldn’t deny that there was something sexual about riding a motorcycle. I didn’t really know what it was. Maybe the surge of adrenaline was a big part of it.
Kyle chuckled and shot off, followed by a few more members of his crew. The group made quite a ruckus, but it wasn’t annoying. With the noise from all the engines, it was almost as if we were all warriors, letting out a rallying cry before heading into battle.
I tightened my grip on Kyle. To think, I was supposed to be in bed by now, but instead, I was cruising the highway with a bunch of bikers.
***
Soon enough, we arrived at what looked like an old warehouse. The brick building was covered in graffiti. A few of the windows were boarded up. “Where are we?” I asked as I got off the bike, letting Kyle help me. I couldn’t allow myself to fall into his arms like last time.
“This is the Blackbird headquarters. This is where our members come if they need someplace to hide or relax. It’s also where I live.”
“What? You live here? But this place is a dump!”
“Sure. On the outside. But you haven’t seen nothing yet.” He took my hand and guided me toward the entrance. Jones was already there, pushing the metal doors open.
Light spilled from the building onto the dark street. I blinked, my eyes taking their time to adjust. Kyle kept walking and I had no choice but to follow him. When I could finally see again, I was completely shocked.
The warehouse had in fact been converted into a rather cozy place. The main area was a sort of lounge with various furniture throughout as well as a bar. There were a few tables set up, where a group of men and women played blackjack.
“That’s 21. Pay up boys!” A girl with bright pink hair and an ear full of piercings got up from the table, pulling a pile of chips in her directions. The men grumbled, throwing in their cards.
“That’s the third time in a row. Why don’t you pass me some of that luck, Izzy?”
The girl laughed. “Just keep paying me and maybe tonight you’ll get lucky in other ways.” She winked, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. The man went red in the face as everyone else burst out laughing.
“Don’t mind her. She’s the group flirt. If you’re alone with her, she won’t hesitate to flirt with you too.”
“But I’m not…”
“Don’t matter. Lizzy just likes to have fun, doesn’t matter who she’s with.”
“Okay then…”
“Just one more reason why you should hold on tight to me.” He whispered in my ear, his lips just barely grazing my earlobe. I immediate let go of his hand and moved away from him. He laughed. “When are you going to learn to like me?”
“Maybe when you stop making stupid comments.”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, but if you aren’t going to hold my hand, at least follow me to the back. I want you to meet someone. I think she might change your mind on the whole Ross thing.”
“Look, I don’t know what you’re going to show me that the private detectives haven’t already.” I crossed my arms, refusing to budge.
“Please.” He turned to look at me. “You and I both know that the private eyes in this city don’t do half the work they should. They’re sitting in their cars birdwatching half the time.”
“What is it that you want to show me?”
“When the detectives brought in witnesses, did they bother to bring in Ross’ sister? Did they bother to tell you that she’s now taking refuge with the Blackbirds because she thinks there’s a traitor in the Iron Horses?”
I was floored. I didn’t even know that Ross had a sister. If I did, I would have asked her to make a statement. “Fine. Show me.” I followed him, my arms crossed over my chest. I was starting to think that Kyle had been telling the truth from the start. Maybe there was something fishy about the whole thing. Besides, if he was the murderer, why would he let me talk to the victim’s sister? Maybe he was innocent after all…
We stepped into another room. The doors were open, making it very cold. I rubbed my arms, goosebumps forming all over my skin. Kyle shrugged off his leather jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “I don’t need this…” I started to take it off, but he stopped me, offering a soft smile.
“Your teeth are chattering. Stop being so stubborn for once and listen to me. It might actually do you some good.”
I glared at him but didn’t say anything else. His jacket was really warm. I slipped it on, enjoying how comfy it was. It was much too big for me, but that was part of the appeal. Plus… it smelled just like Kyle… that earthy scent was slowly driving me… No… What had gotten into me?
I shook my head and followed him down the steps where people were hard at work fixing up motorcycles. Most of the guys were covered in grease, wiping the sweat from their brow. “Are you sure that Ross’ sister is down here?”
“Positive. If you’re going to find Olivia anywhere, it's working on a bike.”
We passed a few men, all of which complimented Kyle as we went along. Finally, in the back of the garage, we stopped in front of a large black motorcycle with the Blackbirds symbol on its side. There was a girl laying on the ground, tightening something near the exhaust pipe.
“Liv, you got a minute?” I glanced over at Kyle, wondering why he was talking to her as if they were the best of friends. Weren’t they supposed to be enemies?
The woman shimmied out from under the bike and sat up. She had a boyish cut to her dark hair. Her face was covered with grime and her black shirt had a few holes. “Kyle. Good to see you.” She grabbed his hand and hoisted herself up. The woman looked strong, well-built, and tough. She wore some heavy combat boots that slammed into the floor with her every step. She placed her wrench on a workbench before leaning back.
“Something the matter?”
“I just wanted you to meet Linda here.”
Olivia wiped her hand on her pants before holding it out to me. I shook it and offered her a smile. “I’m sorry for the loss of your brother.”
She shr
ugged. “It was hard, but we always knew that his life was in jeopardy, being the leader of the Iron Horses and all.” I couldn’t help but glance at Kyle. Did that mean he was in jeopardy too? I bit the inside of my lip and quickly looked away. Why did I even care? As far as I was concerned, he was a felon who had committed murder.
“Sure, but don’t you feel strange being here with the Blackbirds, knowing they killed your brother?” I asked, determined to get some answers. I wished I had a notepad with me so I could take some notes. Hell, I wish I had my phone so I could have called for help a long time ago…
Olivia just laughed. Her laugh was hearty like I had just told a good joke.
Kyle looked smug, his hands in his pockets as he leaned back.
“You know, that’s a good one. I can’t believe you fell for all that media bullshit. Kyle had nothing to do with that murder. Neither did anyone else around here.”
“What are you talking about? It all makes perfect sense.”
“Sure, to the average Joe who knows nothing about motorcycle club culture. It’s not always that simple in here.” She ran her fingers through her silky hair before she picked up a screwdriver and headed back to the bike.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying that what the truth appears to be and what it actually is…” She was muffled as she stuck her head next to the engine and started to tinker with something.
“So if you don’t think Kyle is the killer, then who is?”
“She straightened up, holding a belt on her finger. “Isn’t it obvious? A member of the Iron Horses.”
“But why?”
“Well, for one they could take over and two, it would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of the Blackbirds.”
“I don’t get it…” This was the same story Kyle was telling me back at the precinct. Could it be that he had been telling the truth all along?
“Well, think about it this way. If one of their own members killed the leader, then that position opens up, right?” I nodded. “Then you frame the leader of the rival gang for the crime and all of a sudden, you got all the members of the Iron Horses thinking this is a turf incursion. People get riled up. A war starts and whoever this mystery man is, well, he gets to reap all the benefits.”
“Exactly as I told you.” Kyle finally butted in. “I was trying to tell you all this before the hearing, but you didn’t want to listen to me.”
I fidgeted on my feet, looking into the woman’s green eyes. She seemed to be telling the truth. Why would she hang out with the main suspect for her brother’s murder, unless she was one hundred percent certain Kyle didn’t do it? “Okay, so if Kyle isn’t the killer then who is?”
“Daniel Smithson.” The name fell like a rock in the room. Everything went quiet. Even the other men seemed to stop working. Olivia’s eyes had suddenly darkened and her hands had clenched into fists.
“Who is he?” I hesitated to ask, not wanting to break the ominous silence that had settled throughout the room.
“He was Ross’ second in command.”
I nodded. “So you think he killed your brother to take his position.”
“I don’t think, I know. Daniel is scum. A few years ago, he tried to date me just to get a foothold in another club. At the time, I was part of the Drifters. They paid me good money to work on their bikes and I was little pressed for cash. Ross was in jail at the time and needed bail money. But anyway… the son of a bitch… he tried to hit on me and I was a goddamn fool for going for it.” She was starting to shake now. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she just kept going. “He used to hit me constantly. If it wasn’t for Kyle here, I probably still would have been trapped with that dirt bag.”
I looked over at Kyle in surprise. If this was all the truth, then things were starting to make a lot more sense. Daniel would have a grudge against both Kyle and Olivia, making the murder of Ross the perfect crime. Not only was it a step up for himself, but the fallout affected both Kyle and Olivia. “I had no idea…”
“That’s why I had to come here. Daniel is still out there somewhere and the cops refuse to acknowledge it.”
I gulped, suddenly feeling guilty.
Chapter 7
Kyle
Linda refused to look at me. I could tell she was finally coming to terms with the error of her ways. Great. This was exactly what I needed. I grinned, taking her hand into mine and pulling her out of the garage. “Thanks, Liv. Means a lot.” I waved at her and she nodded, immediately getting underneath the motorcycle she was working on.
“I didn’t know…” Linda trailed off, looking away. I squeezed her hand, the smirk on my face deepening. I knew I’d be able to convince her.
“I told you I wasn’t the big bad wolf.”
“I never said you were.”
“But you were thinking it. There’s no point lying to me. I could tell by the way you were looking at me. You thought I was a criminal.”
“I still do.”
“Do you?” I stopped her in the middle of the hallway, pushing her into the wall, our bodies pressing together. I could feel her chest shudder against mine. Her bright blue eyes were beautiful. “Do you really believe I’d kill a man?”
“I… I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip.
“You should be careful doing that.”
“What?” She stopped, looking even more frightened.
“Biting your lip like that… you might just tempt me to kiss you.” I got closer, our lips mere inches apart. “Hell, you’ve been tempting me for a while now. You’re just lucky I’m a gentleman.”
Her lips moved as if she was about to say something before she suddenly pushed me away. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’d never kiss you.”
“I didn’t say you would.” I leaned against the wall, my hands in my pockets. “How do you like my jacket, by the way?”
It was only then that she realized she was still wearing my leather jacket. Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink that made her look even cuter. I didn’t think it was possible. Throughout my body, I could feel my desire for her to grow. Blood kept rushing from my head, down to my groin. I repositioned myself, glad for the dimness of the hallway.
“Can you just bring me home? I get it. There’s more to this case than I originally thought. I’ll look into it again.”
“That’s not enough. I want to make sure you believe me.” I moved closer, placing my hand on her cheek. “I want you to be able to look into my eyes and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I’m not a murderer,” I whispered, pulling her closer. “Until you stop pushing me away.”
“Well, you might have to wait a long time for that.” She responded, maintaining her stubbornness.
“I have all the time in the world.”
“Not if the cops find out you kidnapped me.”
“Aren’t you on vacation?”
“Yes…”
“Then people wouldn’t start looking for you for a while… and if I really am a murderer that gives me plenty of time to hide your body.” I smirked at her, seeing fear flash across her eyes. I grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close. “You really think I killed that guy, don’t you?”
“No…”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll come around eventually. If not one way, then another. Anyway… there’s something else I want you to see.” Her body was tense against mine, but as I placed my hand on the small of her back, she started to follow me.
“Where are we going?” She asked me. We were back in the main part of the warehouse. The poker game had dissipated and the atmosphere had relaxed a bit.
“You’ll see.” I guided her toward the back, opening a door with one of my keys. “I live here. No one else has access to this part of the warehouse.” I explained, ushering her inside. The lights turned on automatically, illuminating a studio style apartment.
“Wow… This is impressive…” She did a 360, taking everything in.
“I bet you didn’t expect this from a
criminal, huh?” My apartment was modestly decorated, but it definitely held an aesthetic appeal. Everything was neatly in its place. There were throw pillows on my couch. Books were stacked meticulously on a series of bookshelves pushed against the wall.
“You’ve read Homer?”
“Believe it or not, I finished high school. I even went to Everest College but ended up dropping out in my second year. I was studying classical history.”
“What? Really? That was my minor…”
She walked up to the bookshelf and took down one of my more valuable tomes. “Supposedly, that one was written by Julius Caesar himself. I haven’t gotten around to having it authenticated yet.”
Trust Me: A Bad Boy MC Romance Page 15
