Don't Say It: Ronacks Motorcycle Club

by Debra Kayn

  "Swiss," yelled a man from across the room standing beside a table. "Bro, come here."

  Swiss kept his hand on Gia and took her with him. Glad he wouldn't dump her at a party for his club after the warning about the men, she grabbed onto the bottom edge of his vest and made sure she stayed with him.

  The man, another biker with a Ronacks vest on, pointed at Swiss. "Tell Sander about that twin cylinder you can hook him up with."

  Swiss cocked his head in Gia's direction. "Gia, that's Rod, Ronacks Vice President, that's talking. The guy next to him with the black eye is Sander and the woman with him is Jana. Everyone, this is Gia."

  Jana swung her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled. "I'll show you where the food is and help you get Swiss a plate, too, while he bullshits with the guys."

  "Thanks," Gia said, stepping away from the table.

  "From past parties, I know Swiss can eat his weight in food. You'll need an extra pair of hands to fill his plate."

  Gia's stomach growled. "Okay."

  "I haven't seen you around Haugan before." Jana passed her a paper plate. "Or, at a Ronacks party."

  "I just moved here last week." She peered down at the food. "Swiss is my neighbor."

  "In the duplex?" asked Jana.

  Gia's gaze snapped to Jana hearing curiosity in the woman's question. Was she one of Swiss's old girlfriends or a hookup at the last party?

  "Yes." Gia shrugged. "It's a starting point for me at the moment."

  "No, I don't mean it in a bad way. I was surprised because the last I heard nobody would or could rent that side of the duplex. It's been empty since I can remember, and I grew up here." Jana pointed to a bowl. "Oh, you have to try the seven-layer salad. Raelyn brought it for the first time. It's really good."

  "Raelyn?" she asked.

  Jana nodded and pointed to Gia's right. "See the woman holding the baby on the couch?"

  She found the couch and spotted the woman with what appeared to be a little boy on her lap. The baby had fluorescent orange foam earplugs in.

  "Yes, I see her. Her baby is cute," said Gia, glad the mother was protecting the child's hearing with the loud music playing.

  "She manages Pine Bar and Girl in town." Jana grinned. "When I'm not working at the bar, I babysit Dukie. Do you have any kids?"

  Gia picked up a piece of cheesy bread and added it to her plate. "No, I'm not married."

  Jana laughed. "Honey, you don't have to be married to have a kid."

  "Sorry." Gia relaxed. "That came out wrong."

  "Don't sweat it. I don't have kids either." Jana held up the plate. "Do you think this is enough for Swiss?"

  "Uh..." Gia laughed. "I have no idea, but if he eats enough food to feed three people, I think that'll be plenty."

  Jana grinned. "Come on. You can sit down at the table where Swiss is talking to the guys, and I'll keep you company. When bikers start talking about motorcycles, it'll keep them going for a while."

  The other woman led the way. Gia concentrated on not bumping into anyone and not spilling her food. At the table, she sat beside Jana and glanced up at Swiss.

  He'd taken his plate from Jana and dipped his chin at Gia in thanks. She smiled and rubbed her hands on her bare thighs. It felt good to have him pay attention to her when he was busy with his friends. It wasn't as if they were on a date and he was obligated to keep her entertained. Tonight was all about sharing another meal together, and nothing more.

  Jana put her cell phone on the table and picked up a bottle of beer. Unsure of what to talk about, Gia ate from the plate and forced herself to take her time. The others had no idea how hungry she'd become and how wonderful real food tasted to her.

  Swiss sat down beside her and leaned closer. "Eat up. It beats cooking and eating out."

  She ducked her head and took another bite of macaroni salad. Of course, Swiss would understand her position. He'd seen her lack of groceries or at least her grab-and-eat selection of convenience food, plus he'd fed her last night.

  Unable to follow most of the conversations around her, she enjoyed her meal and the comfort of having food in her stomach.

  A woman with dark red hair approached the table. "Has anyone seen Battery?"

  "He's out red boxing," said Rod.

  "Figures." The woman smiled, and her gaze fell on Gia. "Hi."

  Gia ran her tongue over her teeth to make sure her mouth was clear of food and then said, "Hi. I'm Gia."

  "I'm Bree. Who did you come with?"

  "I brought her," said Swiss.

  "Ah..." Bree raised her brows. "Awesome. Well, I'm going outside to find my husband and then going to the pond, so if anyone wants to go swimming before it gets too cold, come on out."

  "Swiss?" Jana scooted her chair back from the table.

  Swiss lifted his chin. "Go. I'll stay with Gia."

  Jana left the table. Gia's spine straightened, and she raised her hand to call Jana back and tell her she forgot her phone on the table and changed her mind.

  "Swiss?" Gia wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "What's red boxing?"

  "It means Battery is outside having a cigarette."

  "Oh." Gia turned in her chair. "You can go with the others to the pond. I'm fine waiting in here for you if you'd like to join the others. You don't have to babysit me."

  All she needed was one short phone call on Jana's cell phone. She could call Bianca in Seattle, check in, and find out if there was any more news that would end her nightmare.

  Swiss shoved the last half of a buttered roll in his mouth. "I don't swim."

  "None of the members ever swim in the pond." Rod stretched his arms out to the side and joined the conversation. "We go to make sure none of the women drown. You never know when one of them could get a cramp or need to be pulled out of the water."

  Gia laughed catching amusement in Rod's reasoning. "Don't let me stop your fun."

  Rod smacked Sander on the back. "Grab a bottle of whiskey on your way out and let's go play lifeguard."

  Gia inhaled deeply. Her stomach full and her plate almost empty. The others left in the room would assume the phone on the table belonged to her. She only needed to get rid of Swiss for a few minutes and make her call.

  She leaned back in her chair, spotted a garbage can for the used paper plates, and said, "Where's the pond at?"

  "About two hundred yards from the east side of the house." Swiss wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Did you want to go out there?"

  "Sure." She sat up straighter and grabbed his empty plate and hers. "Let me throw away our garbage. Is there a bathroom I could use before we go outside?"

  Swiss stood. "Back of the room, go through the hallway. It's the second door on your right."

  "Thanks." She stepped away and stopped. "Go ahead and go outside. I'll come out when I'm done."

  Swiss nodded, falling into the universal man's code of manners of never questioning a woman's bathroom habits or why she needed privacy.

  The door shut behind him. She threw the plates away and walked back to the table, aware of a dozen eyes in the room. Besides a curious glance, nobody gave her too much attention. She worried about her actions and tried to stay relaxed as she picked up the phone Jana left behind.

  She tapped out a phone number she knew by heart and waited.

  After the third ring, the call connected. "Hello?"

  "It's me," she whispered. "Oh my God, it took me forever to find a phone I can use without any worry."

  "Where are you?" asked Bianca.

  "I'm with Swiss around, uh, the people he hangs out with." Her heart raced, and she watched the front door. If anyone came in, she'd put the phone down before getting caught. "I can't talk long, and I don't want to say too much. I'm using someone's phone without them knowing. Is there any news?"

  "No. There's been nothing in the paper and the police even removed the crime scene tape from the building. The company hasn't reopened, but they're free to do so."

  The muscles in Gia's neck ti
ghtened. "Stay away from there. You have no idea who could be watching, and they'll wonder why you're curious."

  "I'm careful." Bianca paused. "How is everything there?"

  "Okay." She glanced around the room before staring at the door again. "It's harder than I thought it would be."

  "You're safe, though?"

  "I think so."

  "What do you mean? Has something happened?"

  Gia swallowed, remembering her panic coming home from the grocery store and believing someone followed her. "I'm more paranoid than I thought I would be, but so far, nobody has questioned me, and the duplex seems safe."

  "The living conditions are okay?"

  "I'm dealing with them." She sighed. "Swiss is nice, and he's gone out of his way to help me on several different occasions."

  Bianca's silence spoke volumes.

  "I better go." Gia's gaze blurred and she blinked. "I'll try to find a phone faster next time."

  "I worry about you. Maybe I should've had you stay in Wyoming or even here at the shelter."

  "No, I think we did the right thing. The police weren't going to help, and you have other women staying at the shelter. It'd kill me to know I brought danger to their already perilous existence." Gia ran her finger under her eyelashes. "God, it's so good to hear your voice, though."

  "Stay strong. This could all end soon, and the police will catch them and you can come back to Seattle."

  "I hope so," she whispered, knowing she'd spent too long on the phone, and Swiss could come looking for her any moment. "Bye."

  "Bye, Gia. Stay safe."

  Gia disconnected the call, brought up the call log and deleted Bianca's number from the record before shutting off the screen and putting the phone back where she'd found it on the table. Her heart raced with a depressing thrum. So many lives changed from the act of a couple of men, and yet she wondered if everyone's path had already been decided. Something bigger was happening. Something she couldn't pinpoint. Something that had the power to change everyone involved.

  Chapter Ten

  Swiss stepped away from the window after observing Gia use Jana's phone. She hadn't gone to the bathroom and instead decided to use someone else's phone.

  He wanted to know who she called and why she'd lied.

  The fact she never asked to borrow his phone only brought more questions instead of answers. What the fuck was she doing in Montana?

  She came unprepared to live on her own, and she accepted the condition of her side of the duplex without any concerns. Renters had rights in the lease. The owner was obligated under the law to provide a safe and healthy environment.

  Rod jogged around the corner of the house and slowed to a walk until he stood in front of Swiss. "Did you see?"

  "Yeah." Swiss had asked Rod to go through the back and keep an eye on Gia, knowing something was going on. She flipped from being there with him and enjoying the meal to using him, and he allowed nobody to use him.

  "When she comes out, I'll need you to find out who she called on the phone." Swiss took out a cigarette and lit the end. "I knew something else was going on."

  "I'll grab all the information from the phone and run the number of who she called through the system when I get it." Rod looked through the window and stepped away. "She's coming out."

  Rod walked off toward the pond and ducked around the corner of the house out of sight. Swiss exhaled a cloud of smoke in the air when the front door opened, and Gia strolled outside.

  "Sorry, it took so long." Gia gazed out across the yard and found the others at the edge of the pond. "The property is gorgeous. I can see why the others like to hang around the pond."

  "Did you still want to go down to the water or are you ready to go back to the duplex?" Swiss rubbed the end of his cigarette against the thigh of his jeans, putting it out.

  His gruffness rolled over her, and she frowned. "I'd like to see the water if you have time."

  He put his hand on her lower back and directed her across the yard. His attitude sunk lower. Not knowing what happened when Gia was inside, he could only wait to find out if Rod found out anything by looking at Jana's phone.

  Gia meant nothing to him. She could lie and make up stories all she wanted. She had no obligations toward him. He wanted her gone.

  He never asked for a neighbor or the responsibility of making sure she had food inside her.

  "Look." Gia pointed ahead of them. "They're going to jump in."

  Raelyn and Bree stood at the end of the dock, prepared to go in the pond. All the men were at the bank or sitting at the three picnic tables close by in the yard. Not in the mood to be around the others, he guided Gia off to the side, near a pine tree, and sat down on the grass.

  Gia lowered herself to her knees beside him, picked up a pinecone off the grown, and rolled it on her hand while gazing out at the water with a smile.

  He looked away from her. The less involved he became, the less he had to worry about what she was doing.

  An orange glow had settled on the peak of the mountain and dusk already settled on the water. The outdoor floodlight at the end of the dock buzzed, growing brighter as it powered on.

  A loud shriek drew his attention to the picnic table. Sander wrestled with Jana, picking her up and running down the dock with her over his shoulder. He turned his attention to Gia. She'd caught her lower lip between her teeth and appeared to enjoy the entertainment. Yet, she knew none of them, and he wondered what she was doing here with him.

  He'd invited her, and yet she had other reasons for everything she'd done since she moved into the duplex.

  "Swiss?" called Mel.

  The prospect held up a bottle of alcohol. Gia glanced at Swiss, and he could feel her judging him on whether or not he drank.

  He shook his head at Mel. He'd like nothing more than to drink the whole bottle and forget his reasons for bringing Gia. Since she lied to him about using the bathroom to nab Jana's phone, he only planned to stay long enough to give her a look at the pond, and then he was taking her back home.

  He should never have brought her to the clubhouse without knowing more about her. In the meantime, he'd keep her away from the members and out of earshot of any conversations. Even being around the other women posed a risk until he understood what she was doing in Montana.

  "You don't drink?" she asked.

  He huffed. "I drink when I'm not responsible for getting a woman home on the back of my bike."

  The disappointment in her eyes before she looked away pissed him off. Swiss gritted his teeth, recognizing a familiar look. One his ex-wife threw his way often when they were married. He'd also seen the same look in women around town who judged him. First for wearing a patch on his vest and second for his lack of commitment. He preferred the women who partied with the club and led an independent life with no desire to commit to any man.

  "I'm getting pretty tired. It was a big deal." Gia stood. "You can take me back to the duplex and still return to party with your club."

  That was the best idea yet. He followed her to his feet. "Let's go."

  There was no more to do or say. Gia belonged on her own. She came to Montana to strike out on a new life for herself, and he needed to stay far away. Whatever she was up to, he wanted no part in her games.

  Rod stood outside the front door when he reached the driveway. Swiss stopped. "Go ahead and wait for me by my Harley. You can put the helmet on."

  Gia nodded and looked everywhere but at him, and walked off. He headed toward his V.P. Tonight, he'd put distance between Gia's need to be around him and all her problems. He couldn't risk getting sucked into being responsible for her.

  "Did you find out anything?" he asked Rod.

  Rod shook his head. "She either never made a call or she deleted the record of having made one. There's nothing on the phone, except calls from when Jana had possession of the phone. Jane uses one of ours, it's untraceable unless we put our own tracker on it."

  "Fuck," he muttered. "You and I both saw her
use the phone. I want to know what she's up to."

  "Maybe you're too close to seeing what is going on. She's a beautiful woman." Rod shrugged. "If you want, I can watch her for a few days. The prospects are close to her age. I could send one of them over to friend her up."

  "No." His cheek pulsed, uncomfortable with the idea of anyone else around her. "Can you take me off the work roster for two days. I rather get this problem settled before it turns into something bigger."

  "Call it done, man," said Rod. "Anything else?"

  "No. She'll slip up, and I'll be there when she does." He lifted his chin. "Thanks, brother."

  "No problem." Rod strolled off toward the pond. "Are you coming back after you drop her off?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, for a couple of hours. Save me a bottle of the good stuff."

  Swiss shoved the conversation to the back of his head and walked to Gia. He could return to the clubhouse, loosen up, find a friendly woman, and stomp out his need to deal with Gia at the moment.

  He sat his bike, put his hand out to help his neighbor on the seat, and rode away from the clubhouse. The warm body pressed against his back a quick reminder not to get involved. It would be too easy to take Gia to bed. He'd feel her out for any problems over the next couple of days, and be done with her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Swiss passed the duplex and continued riding down the street. Gia patted his stomach to get his attention. He had said he was taking her home.

  His body taunt during the route back to Haugan, he ignored her attempt to get his attention and kept riding around the corner. She held on tighter, instantly alert that something was wrong. The motorcycle leaned further around the corners than before, and he was going faster than the speed limit.

  She had no recourse but to cling to Swiss's back to keep her seat on the bike.

  His sudden odd behavior at the clubhouse when she'd joined him outside, and the silent ride sent warning bells throughout her. Had he catered to her need for protection and made her blind to how he really was? Where was he going? Could he be working for the men who were after her?