by Jayne Blue
“Neither do I.”
“So let’s get this Georgie guy.”
“I will. You were a huge help and maybe we talk again tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Movie night again, or John Green?”
“I finished the book. I can go get it so you can have it back?”
“No, it’s yours; maybe donate it to the reading area here?”
“Good idea.”
I made a note that the girl devoured the one book to her name. I would be buying more.
“Enjoy movie night. Mrs. Williams will be glad to have you.”
“See you tomorrow?” She asked with such a vulnerable hopefulness that, at once, I was thrilled that we were connecting and at the same time terrified that me, the system or the cops would let her down again. I was determined that I would not let that happen.
“Either me or your caseworker Cassidy. She’s going to start visiting.”
“You’re not my caseworker?”
“No, I’m the boss of the caseworkers. You’re getting special treatment.” I winked at her.
“Wow, so all you have to do is get kidnapped and sold into slavery and you go to the front of the line?” Her sardonic wit was decades beyond her years.
“Yes, great deal eh?”
“Yeah, fantastic.” She was breaking my heart, this kid.
I made a b-line from her to Detective Murray.
“I’ve got something.”
“What’s that?’”
“We’re looking for a Russian named Georgie. Here’s his picture.” I texted it over to his phone.
“How’d you get this?” Murray gave me a sideways look.
“Not your problem.”
“It’s from Sawyer.”
“You know if you’re going to interrogate me we’re never going to get anywhere.”
“Georgie, Russian, and somewhere in Grand City.”
“Yep.”
“And oh, one more thing, he drives a maroon sedan of some sort.”
“Well, there you go. And what do I arrest him for?”
“Alexis says this is the guy that grabbed her in the Flint Mall and brought her here, he also drugged her, and transported her all over the state.”
“A drugged up runaway’s testimony is usually rock solid.”
“Listen smartass you met her.”
“I did and she’s as bright as a penny. I’ll get to work on this George and see what I can come up with.”
“Thank you.”
“And Bess, be careful around Sawyer McCall. He and some of his crew could be just as dangerous as these Russians Alexis claims kidnapped her.”
“That’s why I came to you. Let’s do this the right way.”
“Okay, I’ll keep you I the loop.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, and she’s going to have to look at a lineup. Can she do that?”
“She can do anything.”
“Sounds familiar.” I felt better knowing that Alexis and I had at least given the police one viable lead. It was something.
DeAndra and Kirstin were still missing but we pushed back a little.
It was late by the time I pulled back into my parking space at the office.
A giant Harley with a dangerous-to-know man atop it was waiting right next to my space.
He pulled his helmet off, shook that hair that was way too long to ever work in an office, and fixed a couple of intense eyes on me as I got out of my car. I literally felt my heart flutter when he did it. Damn he was good looking.
“Your paperwork requires you to drive to the halfway house and to the cops today?”
“How the hell did you know where I was?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t stay behind your desk or let me help you.”
“So you followed me.”
“Let’s just say I have eyes all over town.”
“Let’s just say you’re a creepy stalker.”
“Fine. I have been called worse. Liar, though, no one ever called me that.”
“And are you calling me that?”
“If the name fits.”
“So what are you doing here now?”
“I wasn’t kidding, I’m your shadow like it or not.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Come on, a part of you likes it a helluva lot.” Sawyer’s eyes ran up and down from my shoes to me eyes. I could not help it, but I blushed.
“I’ve got an hour or so more work to do today, at least.”
“I’ll wait.”
I was exasperated and didn’t want to fight. I wanted to find these girls.
“Whatever.”
“Do you need me to pick up Henry in the meantime?”
“No, it’s his dad’s turn.”
“Okay, so I’ll be down here.”
“You may as well come up with me.”
“As you wish.”
I do not know why I didn’t just let him sit there. I probably should have.
We got back to the office with a very worried Cassidy and an eye-rolling Norm.
“I’ve made so many phone calls. I have put up flyers. I just don’t know what DeAndra was thinking.” Sometimes I forgot how young Cassidy was. Her life had been tough too and it made you think she was older sometimes. She was still learning this job and still a raw nerve when it came to her love for her clients.
“She’s making herself sick over it. I looked at Kirstin and DeAndra’s files, same deal, no one’s fault. Just runaways.” Norm lifted his hands in resignation.
“I don’t always agree with Norm, but in this case, it could very well be the case,” I told her.
I didn’t want Cassidy to beat herself up about this for days. She had done a good job on the placement, she had Norm sign off on all her follow-ups and evaluations of the file, but no matter what you do sometimes, it just does not turn into a happy ending.
“Norm you can head out. I’ll get Cassidy sorted out.” As annoying as Norm could be he was always there, that was not the case with others. My staff burnout rate was high and Cassidy would be the next one to flame out if I didn’t get her to realize it was not her fault when a kid ran away.
Sawyer had hung back and he passed Norm as Norm left.
“Hey, Cassidy, rough day?” Sawyer asked her.
“Yes, the worst.”
“Let’s all head to my office and hash it out one more time. Kirstin and DeAndra, maybe the three of us can come up with one more lead to check, one more way to reach out to the girls.”
“Come on, Sawyer reached out a hand to Cassidy and she took it. He was a protector. I had seen it with Cassidy, Dylan, and now my Henry. The man took it all on his shoulders. In that way, I had to admit we were more alike than different. I did it in heels and he did it on a bike.
The three of us talked, racked our brains, and went over the details again. Good foster parents experienced even. Then the online component was the same with both girls. Their parents reported they posted a message and in Kirstin’s case that she was running away. It was pretty cut and dried.
They both had online “boyfriends” that no one had ever met.
“And that’s what happened with Alexis too?” Sawyer said.
“Yes, I guess.” I had not actually asked her about that part. Norm said the same thing had happened with her. I made a point to ask her specifically what led her to run off. Maybe it would help me, at least, understand the other girls.
Cassidy’s own personal protection army showed up in the parking lot. Sawyer was relieved to see Craddock Flynn in the car with Dylan, waiting on Cassidy to come down.
I was relieved too. She could lean on Craddock tonight after what had been an awful day for her at work.
We hugged her goodbye and then Sawyer and I were alone. I put a little distance between us.
“You afraid that I might bite?”
“I know you will.”
“So you know I’m not leaving your side?”
“It appears that way, yes.”
“My place or yours?” We had been at my place enough. With Henry off with his dad, I decided a change of scenery was a very good idea.
“I feel like a beer with a biker outlaw. Know any?”
“Follow me beautiful, and don’t worry, I’ve got clothes for you at my place.”
“You do?”
“Size six jeans, a small t-shirt, replacement underwear from the other night which I owed you, and a toothbrush. That cover it? Otherwise, you will be naked in my bed. Now follow me with your car unless you want the staff to wonder why you left with an outlaw on a motorcycle.”
“I think they’ve figured out why.” I smiled and bit my own thumb to try to staunch the red face I had just given myself.
“God you’re cute.” He said and grabbed it out of my mouth and kissed me.
I followed Sawyer McCall to The Wolf Den.
I was highly interested in spending a little time in his world. I needed a distraction from mine.
Chapter Thirteen
Sawyer
Initially, I was a little worried about Bess Geary and The Wolf Den. The only time she had been here was when she was celebrating Cassidy and Craddock’s engagement. She had her friends here with her then.
This time, it was Bess and the Bikers. My classy public servant mixing in with the rough men who I called family.
Stone, Ridge, Hagen, Ryder, and even Steel were all at various positions either working the bar or enjoying a night off.
They all noticed my beautiful guest, of course, but none of them was stupid enough to be anything but polite. Except Larry.
Bess had decided the bar was where she wanted to be and had taken up an easy conversation with Dusty. Dusty, another formidable woman in my life, they were adding up.
“So I think he needs new leather that’s all I’m saying,” Dusty was trying to recruit an ally in her war against my old shit.
I was tuned in and out of their conversation. I liked my leather but was sure I could not keep my defenses up against Dusty if she got Bess onboard.
Larry sat down on the other side of Bess and put an arm around her. I thought I might murder him.
“Well legs, what’s a classy bitch like you doing in a place like this.”
“Hey!” Dusty interjected.
“Present company excluded, Dusty, you’re always a rose among thorns.” I held my breath at what Bess was going to say to Larry’s bullshit.
“Well, classy bitches need beer too.” Bess lifted her bottle; she refused a glass and tipped it to Dusty who smiled. Bess had made two new friends and I started questioning the wisdom of bringing her here. She had the charm to have everyone up my ass if she wanted.
If all three teamed up against me, I would have to move back to California.
“You don’t look like any old lady I ever saw, but Sawyer sure likes the way you’re put together,” Larry said to Bess whose eyebrows were about as far up as eyebrows could be.
“We’re not even Facebook Official Larry, I’m not sure the title Old Lady is apropos.”
“Apropos or affianced, just let me know where you’re registered when the time comes and I’ll get you towels or something.” Larry matched Bess’s vocabulary and she looked surprised.
Dusty and Bess both laughed with Larry and I finished my own beer. The truth was, this was actually nice, bringing the woman I could not live without to meet the bikers no one could live with but me.
We had a good time eating, drinking, and giving each other shit.
Ryder came over, later Ridge and even Hagen joined in. It was a good night and Bess Geary finally got a chance to relax. Something I do not think she had done in years.
Well before the rest of the bar emptied out, I put a hand on the lower part of her back and started a slow circle the edged its way down. She wore a blazer over her blouse today, still dressed from work, and it provided the perfect cover. I edged my fingers until I found a little skin.
The tiny point of contact was enough for me. I wanted to take her to bed, now. I tugged at her skirt and stood up. She said her goodnights and I led her down the hall up the staircase to my apartment above The Wolf Den.
“Wow, this is actually really beautiful,” she walked in and looked around.
“I get that a lot.”
“Women up here frequently?”
“Two or three a night.” It was a joke but I saw a fire in her eyes. Jealousy! Ha. I never had women up here unless it was someone like Raleigh when Mace brought here. I let Bess be jealous, though.
I had an open kitchen, TV area, and dining room. A hallway led two small bedrooms and then a big one for me.
Dusty and her dad, the former Prez, lived here before me. After he was killed, she wanted me to have it and to go out on her own. It was because of Dusty that it was so nice.
Her dad let her fix it up and she did. Now I was the beneficiary. I always thought it was a bit too much but I was glad right now that I had somewhere decent to bring Bess. Dusty also arranged for a group of the old ladies and bar flies that loved the club to clean my place. I am not going to lie. It was good to be Prez when it came to those details.
I grabbed Bess by the hand and pulled her down the hall. I did not want to talk about our days anymore, the club, her office, or the dozens of problems we both had to deal with. They would be there tomorrow.
She may have been pissed at my comment about the women at my place but that evaporated when we kissed. I laid her down on my bed and planned to strip her slowly. It was something we never had time for. It had been so fevered with us since the first time I had touched her.
I wanted to savor this night, look at her, love her, and take my time on every inch of her.
I leaned over her and she wrapped her fingers around my neck. I unbuttoned her blouse, always a blouse and skirt with her; I got her down to her bra and panties.
“You have the body of porn star under those boss lady clothes.”
“Are porn stars the ones you bring up here?”
“Shut up.” I made her shut her mouth with a kiss. I dragged my fingers up and down her tummy and the attitude disappeared again as I found out how ticklish she was.
“Stop!” She cried and I did but not before thoroughly enjoying her wiggling around trying to get away.
Then I had her nude, spread out, and mine on my bed. She helped me out of my leather and jeans and we were toe to head touching. Her skin was on my skin. My hands roamed every place I had wanted to explore.
She wrapped her legs around my thighs and I was there, in the best place on earth, inside Bess, with Bess, and around Bess. It was the slowest burn we ever experienced and the payoff was worth it. I got to savor every curve, every little gasp, every pulse of her hips, and every clench that brought me closer and closer to the edge.
I held on, though, wanting to be sure that I gave her the same feeling. She rocked her hips to mine and I felt her legs tighten around me. She dug her fingers in and her breath was shallow.
“Oh, Sawyer, there, oh, there.” She was right where I wanted her. As she crested, I let go too. The slow pace gave way to the primal need to be deep inside her. To mark her as mine forever. I came so hard that I saw fucking stars in front of my eyes. I was surprised they didn’t roll back in my head.
Everything about being with her was fucking sexy, perfect, challenging, easy, hard, everything. Bess was everything to me now.
I fell asleep with the most gorgeous woman in the world. Lucky Sawyer, very, very lucky Sawyer I thought.
It was a perfect sleep.
It was short-lived.
“What was that?” We both jolted awake.
“Gunfire.”
“What?”
I was up fast and grabbing my clothes. She searched for hers. It had to be at least three or four in the morning.
“You’re not going down there. If you need clothes in a hurry stuff I bought you is in the bathroom, crawl there, and hide.”
“What are you even saying?”
“
Do not come downstairs. If you do not hear me or the guys announce that it’s us, assume it’s not and shoot ‘em.”
“What?”
I handed her a small handgun. She looked horrified.
“The safety is off. That means it is loaded. You pull that trigger if the asshole that comes up here isn’t in leather.”
“But.”
“No fucking argument.” I prayed she didn’t have to shoot anyone but I trusted that she was smart as a whip. She would shoot well if her life depended on it. I hoped it didn’t come to that but I heard more pops, then screaming as I ran downstairs.
Too late. I was too late.
The club was shot to hell. Broken glass, the front door wide open, blood, bullets, and spilled beer.
Who was hit? Were they gone? I dropped low and crawled behind a table. Most of the guys were either out of the room or on the floor too. I had no idea what the situation was.
I heard shouting outside. I decided whoever shot the place up had run back out.
“They fucking slashed all the tires.”
I did a head count. There was Ridge, Larry, Steel, all accounted for. They ran up to me.
“Who was it?”
“Well, they weren’t speaking English.”
“The fucking Russians,” I said.
“Who’s hit?” I asked.
“Inside our guys are all inside,” Larry said.
We ran back in to see what the Russians had done. Hagen was for sure the worst off, dead. I could see it before I got close. His eyes were open, his hand at his neck, and blood soaked down from the wound.
I looked around, “Victor!” The big man was bleeding too. Hopefully, we could help him. He was still alive but would not be for long by the side of the red glossy liquid oozing from his gut.
I yelled for Steel, who came around and put a hand on the gushing wound.
“Call 911 Larry,”
“Already done.”
“You got this?” I asked. Steel nodded, and he had seen worse, I knew. He would keep the pressure on as long as it took.
Dusty popped into my mind. Where was she? Oh God where was Dusty?
I ran to the bar and leaped over it. There was Stone, bleeding from the shoulder, gun pointed out, looking first like he would kill me, and then registering who I was.
“Fuck Sawyer, I nearly shot you in the face.”
