Chasing Taz

by Khloe Wren

  “Wanna go via your place first? Then over to see Gus.”

  She gave me a sad little smile as she pulled her dirty shirt back over her head. “That’d be great. You know where it is?”

  “Of course.”

  Hadn’t been inside it, though. Seemed strange that the first time I’d be seeing where she’d lived while she’d been in Bridgewater was on the last day we had together.

  “C’mon, let’s get moving before everyone starts arriving for church.”

  We managed to get out of the clubhouse without too much trouble and it was a fucking bittersweet feeling having her wrapped around me on the back of my bike. It wasn’t until I pulled up to the front of her building that it hit me, and I chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Just realized you’re in the same fucking hotel that Zara stayed in when she first came to town.”

  “Huh. Guess there’s not much around here that’s this cheap. Bet Mac liked her staying here.”

  I scoffed. “First time he came and saw the inside, he packed her up and shifted her down to the clubhouse. Of course, she did have trouble on her heels.”

  The conversation stalled out as she slid off from behind me.

  “You wanna come in while I get changed?”

  I shook my head with a wince as my cock hardened at the thought. “Better not. Or I’ll have you up against the wall and we’ll never get to the hospital.”

  Her eyes dilated and she licked her lips, making me groan. “Woman, quit that shit right now and go get changed. I only got so much control around you.”

  With a completely adorable little gasp, she spun and fled up the stairs to her apartment, or was it a hotel room? Not that it mattered, she wasn’t staying. Which left me alone to adjust my erection—riding with a hard-on was a bitch and a half. I tried to think unsexy thoughts as I waited but my brain wasn’t playing fair. It seems stuck on a loop of images of Flick and wont fucking quit.

  Ten long minutes later, she came back out and slid on behind me without a word. I took off toward the hospital, half wanting to get this day over with, and half wanting to drag it out. This shit was why I’d never done relationships. This feeling rejected shit at the end of it fucking sucked. Big time.

  Flick

  This prolonged goodbye shit sucked ass. Sorrow radiated from Taz like a fog that surrounded him. It was gutting me to watch him suffer, but I couldn’t fix it. I didn’t have that power, at least, not at the moment. My uncle however, I could cheer up. We entered the hospital and I ignored all the stares from the staff. I was sure by now everyone knew I’d been led out at gunpoint yesterday. With my chin held high I walked to Uncle Gus’s room, where I found him looking almost as miserable as Taz did. They were a pair.

  “Hey, Uncle Gus.”

  His face brightened as I entered the room with Taz beside me.

  “Damn, it’s good to see you, girl. Come here.”

  I went over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “You’re a good man, Taz. Thank you for bringing her back. What did it end up costing?”

  “It was the club that saved her, Gus. Most of the Charons rode up to get her back late yesterday. We got back early this morning.”

  The older man winced. “Never thought I’d see the day I’d owe a fucking MC.”

  I cocked my head at my uncle. “Why do you hate them so much? MCs, that is.”

  “Because they cost me my life.” He paused and with a sigh gave my hand a squeeze. “I had a girl once. Suzi. She was the love of my life. But her parents wouldn’t let us be together. Not with me being who I was. Single mother, no father. We’d both just turned eighteen. So fucking young.” He gave a sad chuckle. “Young and dumb. Anyhow, Suzi threw a fit at her father for stopping her from seeing me. Told him if he thought I was bad, just wait for who she brought home next. Crazy girl went out to the local MC, wanting to find a biker to bring home to daddy.” With a shudder, Gus rubbed his face. “She was so sweet and innocent. Feisty as hell, but no match for those bastards. By morning she was dead. They’d drugged her up, used her well, then drugged her up some more till she OD’ed.”

  I couldn’t speak. That was horrific, and I could feel his heartache, it was that strong. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder.

  Taz’s voice was rough. “I’m sorry for your loss, Gus. The Charons would never allow that to happen. We’re drug-free. You have to have seen that we keep that shit off the streets here. We sure as fuck don’t allow it in our clubhouse. Hell, if we heard of that happening to a girl now, we’d ride out to fuck up whoever was responsible, no matter who they were.”

  Gus’s large hand patted my back a few times before he spoke again.

  “Of course I’ve heard the rumors. But a lifetime of hate is a hard thing to let go of, son. You saving my niece goes a long way toward it, though, depending on what the fuck it’s gonna cost me. Tell me, do I still have a business?”

  “I’ll leave you alone with Flick for a few, then we’ll chat about what needs to happen going forward. But rest easy, you and Flick are safe.”

  “Not overly reassuring there, Taz.”

  Taz shrugged and ducked out of the room.

  “Girlie, what the hell is going on here? Don’t think I missed the doctor and nurses suddenly calling you Abbott instead of Vaughn.”

  I huffed out a breath, wincing as my ribs protested. Turning, I dragged a chair closer to sit beside the bed.

  “It’s a long story. Basically, when Andrew vanished after he returned stateside, I wanted to find him. That led me from accounting in private practice, to becoming a forensic accountant for the FBI. Then, my supervisor sent me down here undercover for an assignment. It’s all blown to hell now. So, I have to go up to Dallas today to report in to my supervisor. No clue if, or when, I’ll be back in Bridgewater.”

  “You don’t sound too happy about that. You fall for that man, Taz?”

  Damn, but he didn’t miss much.

  “Yeah. I didn’t mean to, but I totally did. Not that it matters. My life isn’t my own at the moment.”

  “Some advice? Make it your own, sweetheart. Plenty of jobs out there. You don’t have to stick with the same one as though there are no options. If the FBI is controlling your life to the point you can’t live it, maybe it’s time to leave, yeah? Assuming I still have a damn business after all of this, you’re always welcome to come work for me. I’d be more than willing to hand over all the bookwork.”

  I gave him what I knew must look like a weak grin. “I’d kind of been thinking the same thing about my current employer, but I need to hear what they have to say. And I’m sure you’ll still have your business. Taz won’t allow you to be hurt like that.”

  “So you say. Now, off to Dallas, to do what you have to, then if you want to make Bridgewater your home, you come back here and do it.”

  I gave him another kiss on the cheek as I stood to leave.

  “I’ll see what I can do, and I’ll see you later.”

  I paused at the doorway when my gaze caught on Taz, pacing the hallway like a caged lion. When he caught sight of me he stormed up to stand in front of me.

  “I need to go back to Dallas. Report in.”

  He nodded, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Then with that growl he did that made me melt, he snatched me to him and covered my mouth with his. Thrusting his tongue between my lips, he invaded me all the way down to my soul. I gripped his arms as he held me close and continued to kiss me stupid. Someone clearing their throat, loudly, had us pulling apart. Then with a shake of his head, he was gone, slipping into my uncle’s room and shutting the door.

  I have no idea how long I stood there, just blinking and trying to catch my breath and get my brain firing again.

  “Darlin’, if I found me a man who kissed me like that, I’d have him in front of the nearest preacher so he could never get away.”

  I shook myself free to see a nurse fanning herself over
at the nurses’ station. I gave her a tight smile before I turned and rushed out to my car, which was thankfully where I’d left it yesterday. Had to love a small town.

  I wanted to go home, have a long shower and curl up in bed for a day or two and feel sorry for myself as I caught up on sleep, but I couldn’t. My day was far from over and I had a feeling none of what I had to do once I got to Dallas would be enjoyable.

  CHAPTER 21

  Taz

  By the time I made it back to the clubhouse, I was so fucking over this day. Eagle was behind the bar, stocking and cleaning. Great. Our punishment had begun.

  “Hey, mate.”

  “Hey, yourself. How’d it go?”

  I shook my head. “She’s gone. We all knew she wouldn’t choose me.”

  Not wanting to discuss it, or hear Eagle’s opinion or sympathy, I kept moving before he could respond. I needed to find Scout, get this shit over with so I could get on with whatever shit job he’d found for me to do. Figuring he’d be in his office, I headed in that direction.

  “Hey, prez.”

  “Hey, Taz. How’d things go with Gus?”

  “As predicted, he was pretty happy to see Flick alive and well. Before she left, Flick asked him about his hatred for all things MC. He has good reason.” I filled him in about Gus’s lost love.

  “Well, damn. It explains a lot, though. You set him straight that we’d never let that shit happen?”

  “Yeah, told him we’re completely drug-free and if we’d ever heard of something like that happening we’d take care of it. Anyway, as it stands Gus is happy for me to work out there. He signed the paperwork to make me his manager, so we shouldn’t attract too much attention from the authorities with me running the place while he recovers. He still doesn’t want to sell it yet. Says he’s got nothing else to do with himself, so he doesn’t want to let it go.”

  “Ask him about the bunker?”

  I nodded. “He didn’t know anything about it, but he did admit that he’s never really bothered to deal with the land outside the range. He figured early on that he’d let nature take care of it. He’s happy for us to go search and use whatever we find, so long as we don’t let any of it ever fall back on him.”

  Scout nodded. “That’s good. When are you opening up the shop for him?”

  “Up to you. I could go this afternoon, or leave it till the morning. It’s only been shut a couple days and Flick’s already put a note on the door saying Gus was in hospital.”

  “Okay. Leave it till morning, and I’ll send out a group to start looking for this bunker while you’re running the place. I’m guessing the fucking thing will be below ground and built by some doomsayers. Damn, I hope there’s no fucking traps set on the thing.”

  I shrugged. “We’ll deal with it if there are. Gus told me about some of the toys he’s got out there that’ll help us look for it. The boys will have a field day.”

  Scout scoffed. “Yeah. I’m sure they will. So, Flick’s left for Dallas?”

  I blanked my expression, not wanting to get into it. “We all knew what she was going to fucking do. It wasn’t really a choice.”

  Scout sat there staring at me for so long I wanted to squirm, but I held strong. I was a fucking Marine, not some pansy who’d cave at being stared at.

  “Fuck me, get out of here. I want to mess with you over this shit, but I feel like I’m kicking a fucking puppy. Go, drown your sorrows tonight, and be ready to work tomorrow.”

  With a nod, I took the out and left. On my way to the door, I passed the whore room. I could go in there and bury myself with all the fucking I could handle, but considering my cock was limp in my pants, that wasn’t an option. I shook my head. Even if I was hard, I knew I wouldn’t be going back in that room. Only one woman flipped my switch these days. With a sigh, I headed out to my bike. Maybe I should go see if Silk could fit me in for a new piece. With a chuckle, I scrapped that idea. Knowing Silk, she’d ink a fucking cat on me someplace I couldn’t see what she was doing till it was too late.

  I could go fire off a few rounds at the range, but knowing I’d be out there alone had me scrapping that idea too. That left drinking or working out. Since it was still early afternoon, I figured a work out first, then I’d go get shit-faced.

  Starting up my bike, I made my way over to the gym, grateful I kept my gear there so I didn’t have to go home first. I started questioning my decision when I strolled out of the locker room and Mac took one look at me and winced. What the fuck? I pointed at him.

  “Not a fucking word. I don’t need anyone’s pity or fucking opinion right now.”

  His expression cleared into a mask of indifference.

  “If you don’t want to talk, how about we head out the back and beat the shit outta each other for a while then?”

  That made me smile. “Sounds fucking perfect.”

  I followed him toward the rear of the building, through the adjoining door and into the back room. This room hadn’t been touched in the renovation. Where everything out front was smooth, clean lines and modern technology, back here was the opposite. I was pretty sure the ring had been installed by some of the Charon brothers who’d come back from World War II and the bags hanging around the outside of the room looked nearly as old. This room was everything you thought of when you thought about an old-school fight club.

  Mac tossed me a pair of gloves and head gear. “Don’t give me shit, insurance demands it.”

  I scoffed at him. “Bullshit it’s about insurance. You don’t want to explain to Zara why you’re beat to shit because you got in the ring with me.”

  He smirked as he geared up. “Well, yeah, there is that.”

  Flick

  After heading back to the apartment to pack up the few things I’d brought with me, I drove out of Bridgewater. I’d barely cleared the township when my phone began ringing. Hitting the answer button, I identified myself.

  “Vaughn.”

  Greg’s voice flowed from my car’s speakers. “What have you got for me?”

  Yep, that was my boss. No “how are you,” or “glad to hear you’re in one piece,” just “what have you got for me.”

  “I’m coming up to Dallas now to report in person. It’ll be late by the time I get there. So, I can come straight in, or can you wait till morning?”

  “Is it safe to wait until morning?”

  Oh, now he fucking cared whether I was safe? Typical.

  “It’s safe. I want a night in my own damn bed, after a long fucking shower. Then I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

  I ended the call and focused back on the road. I hoped between the four hour drive, and the night in my own bed, I could calm down enough to not simply tell Greg to go fuck himself and walk right back out again. I doubted that would end well for me.

  Flipping the radio on, I settled in for the long drive. Maybe I’d figure out what the hell to do with my life by morning too. Because right now, I wasn’t sure what the fuck to do. I’d joined the FBI for two reasons—first, to find my brother, or at least find out what had happened to cause him to disappear from our lives. The second was to help make America a better, safer, place to live. But was that what I was really doing? I wasn’t sure. Most of the time, I was safely tucked away in my office pouring through accounting records of various corporations and individuals. It wasn’t just that I thought I’d find answers about Andrew on this case that had me excited—I was getting out of the office and into the field finally. The real field, where I got to interact with other people, not just sit alone in some high-rise office where I stared at computer screens and ledgers until I discovered whatever crime had been hidden.

  Solving corporate crime wasn’t thrilling in any way, shape or form. And who did it help? More often than not, the only one who profited from my work was the IRS. But what else could I do? I guess I could go back to being an accountant in a private firm somewhere.

  Or I could do what I actually wanted to do. Go back to Bridgewater and help Uncle
Gus run his shop. I certainly had the training to do it. I sighed and changed the radio station, trying to find a station with music, not just a DJ who loved the sound of his own voice way too much. Once I found one, I went back to pondering my life.

  When I finally pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building in Dallas, I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. Deciding against cleaning up first, I headed straight to my bedroom, dumped my bags in the corner, then fell on my bed.

  Bright light across my face woke me. I blinked awake to see I hadn’t shut my curtains before crashing. Turned out to be a good thing, because I hadn’t set my alarm either. I probably would have slept half the day away if the sun hadn’t been so kind as to wake me up. Checking the clock, I groaned and forced myself to move. It was already nearly eight am, so I only had about half an hour to get my ass down to headquarters.

  After the world’s fastest shower, I pulled on some clean clothes and rushed out the door. Figuring I would make better time on foot, I bypassed the parking lot and headed straight for the busy Dallas streets. I only lived a couple blocks away from the office, so it didn’t take me long to get there, and up to my office. I’d just put away my handbag when the phone on my desk began ringing.

  “Vaughn.”

  “Great, you’re in. I need to see you right away.”

  “Be there in a sec.”

  Hanging up, I stopped to take a few deep breaths. I hadn’t had time to plan out what exactly I was going to tell my boss. I glanced around my office. Assuming I wasn’t about to get fired, was I really ready to walk away from this for a man I’d met less than two weeks ago? I shook my head when I added it up. Ten days. It had been ten days since I’d first been given this assignment, and only seven since I’d first met Taz. Talk about explosive, instant chemistry. With a sigh, I headed through the door and over to Greg’s office. Might as well get this shit over with.