by Chiah Wilder
PACO
A NIGHT REBELS MC ROMANCE
CHIAH WILDER
Copyright © 2018 by Chiah Wilder
Kindle Edition
Editing by Hot Tree Editing and Lisa Cullian
Cover design by Cheeky Covers
Proofreading by Rose Holub
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Please purchase only authorized additions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials.
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Insurgent MC Series:
Hawk’s Property
Jax’s Dilemma
Chas’s Fervor
Axe’s Fall
Banger’s Ride
Jerry’s Passion
Throttle’s Seduction
Rock’s Redemption
An Insurgent’s Wedding
Outlaw Xmas
Insurgents MC Romance Series: Insurgents Motorcycle Club Box Set (Books 1 – 4)
Insurgents MC Romance Series: Insurgents Motorcycle Club Box Set (Books 5 – 8)
Night Rebels MC Series:
STEEL
MUERTO
DIABLO
GOLDIE
Steamy Contemporary Romance:
My Sexy Boss
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
Notes from Chiah
Author’s Note
Upcoming Books
Other Books by Chiah Wilder
Chapter One
Streaks of white-hot lightning broke the blackness, ripping the night sky like paper. Seconds later the rumbling thunder came. Another few miles down the highway, the lightning forked close to Paco’s Harley. More booms reverberated overhead, and then the rain fell, slow and spattering at first and then lashing down, torrential, relentless.
Paco slowed down, cursing the semitrucks as they barreled past him, burying him in a blinding wave of water as their tires hit the puddles. He squeezed the water out of his foam grips and debated about pulling over and taking out his rain gear.
A second series of jagged lightning bolts zigzagged across the sky. I gotta get out of this fucking storm. Riding wet on a bike with lightning too close for comfort was just asking for trouble. The rain came down in sheets, obstructing his vision, pelleting his skin like bullets. The brake lights on several of the large trucks in front of him glowed eerily in the mist, and he decided to follow them, hoping they were headed to the nearest truck stop.
Sure enough, the semis took the next exit and turned right with Paco following behind them. Bright lights filtered through the thin mist and a yellow neon sign read “Eagle Truck Stop,” the word “Diner” flashing in blue lettering underneath it. Three of the large trucks turned in and drove to the fuel pumps. After following them in, he veered to the right and parked in front of the eatery. The rain had soaked him, so he opened his saddlebag, took out a change of clothes, and rushed into the diner. Drops of water rolled down his face and neck, his feet squishing with every step he took.
“It sure is coming down,” a woman behind the lunch counter said as her eyes traveled up and down his muscled body. “You need somewhere to dry off?”
“Yeah. Do you have showers here?” he replied.
She pointed to the right. “You gotta go next door for that. They got showers, plus a trucker lounge with TV and video games. No laundry though. The shower will cost you twelve bucks but that includes a towel, washcloth, soap, and a floor mat. Where’re you coming from?” The redhead gave him a smile that said she was available. He’d seen that smile more times than he could count.
“Thanks for the info.” A gust of wind blew past him when he opened the door, and, with head bent, he walked next door.
Thirty minutes later, Paco was back at the diner in a booth by the window, watching the trucks as they moved from the pumps to parking spaces that lined the large lot. The rain was steady now, and he saw several women move between the lanes of parked semis.
“My name’s Holly,” the redhead said as she handed him a menu. “I see you got yourself all dried off. Nice pair of jeans, by the way. When you came back in, I noticed you wear them real good.” She licked her pink-stained lips.
“Get me a cup of black coffee,” he said, looking at the menu.
“You got a name?”
“Yeah. Get me that coffee.”
Holly snorted, then walked away. Several men came in yelling out greetings to her. Paco watched as she laughed and flirted with them, bending over the counter and playfully smacking a couple of them on their arms when they commented on her tits. Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone and shifted his focus to the parking lot. The door to a truck opened and an arm reached out to help hoist a woman with long dark hair inside.
“Hey, dude,” he said to Steel.
“Where the hell are you?” the president answered.
“I got caught in a fucking storm so I pulled into a truck stop. I’m gonna wait it out. If it doesn’t get better, I’ll have to spend the night drinking coffee in the diner. How’s the weather in Alina?”
“Clear. Are you still in Utah?”
“Yeah. I’m close to the Colorado border though.”
“How’s your sister?”
“Great. She had another boy.”
“Here’s your coffee,” Holly said as she put the cup in front of him.
“I gotta go. I may not be back until tomorrow. Later.”
“There’s a motel behind the truck stop in case you stay the night. The beds are real comfy too.” She undid the top two buttons on her uniform.
“Thanks. I may need a room.”
“Holly, bring your sweet ass over here. My buddy Rich wants to ask you a question.”
&nb
sp; The waitress turned sideways and laughed. “You just hang on. I got a customer here.” She looked at Paco and winked. “I’m popular with the men around here.”
“I’ll have a burger—medium—fries, and a cup of green chili.”
Her brows knitted. “You’re not very friendly, are you?”
“No, I’m not.” He picked up his cup and took a sip. The coffee tasted stale and harsh, like it’d been sitting out all day. “Give me a fresh cup of coffee and bring me some cream.”
“Don’t you ever say ‘please’ when you want something?”
“No.”
He scrolled through his texts as she walked away. The majority of them were from women he’d hooked up with in the past six months, asking when they could get together.
Shaking his head, he put his phone down on the table. The truth was he didn’t want to see any of them again. He’d had fun for a while, but no one had interested him enough to pursue anything for more than a few weeks. It wasn’t that he was against relationships; it was just that the one woman who’d captured his heart had also shattered it, and he wasn’t looking to have that happen again.
“Here you go,” Holly said, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. “And I opened a new carton of creamer just for you.”
“Thanks.” He stirred a splash of cream in the coffee. The earthy scent filled his nostrils as he brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. Bitter sweetness snapped at the back of his throat as the hot liquid warmed him.
Glancing outside, he saw three women in short shorts huddled under the eaves of the diner as the rain poured down. A cold rush of wind swirled around him as the front door opened and a woman with too much makeup and too little clothing entered. Head down, she walked over to the booth next to his and slid in. Drops of water trickled down her face and neck, and she grabbed a napkin and wiped them away before running it through her long dark hair.
Then she looked up and locked gazes with him. Her eyes were like an endless stretch of midnight sky. A bundle of sorrow, pain, and loneliness swam in their inky depths along with threads of fierceness and pride. They drew him in. Something down deep, very deep inside him stirred faintly. He sucked in a breath. Damn.
“Here you go, handsome.” Holly put a plate in front of him. “I’ll be right back with your green chili. Can I freshen up your coffee?”
Dragging his eyes away from the woman, he nodded slightly as he pushed his cup toward her. “I need ketchup.”
“You got it,” Holly said, walking away.
He glanced at the woman again. She stared down at her phone while she blew her nose. Bringing the phone to her ear, she looked over her shoulder at a group of men at the lunch counter who were talking with Holly.
“I’m real sick tonight,” she said in a voice loud enough for Paco to hear. “I made about a hundred bucks, but I’m burning up.”
Paco picked up a fry and put it in his mouth. The woman looked like she was about twenty-three or so, and from the way she was dressed and the amount of makeup she had on, he guessed her to be a working woman. The other women still huddled under the eaves were older and looked worn out. Two of them had the signs of meth on their faces: sores, scarring, gaunt.
“Please, Bobby. I promise to work extra hard tomorrow. I just need to sleep. I’m really sick.” Tears trickled down her face, and she grabbed a napkin and wiped her nose.
“Here’s your chili and some fresh coffee.” Instead of putting the bowl of chili down next to his plate, Holly leaned way over and set it on the other side. Her chest brushed against him and she giggled. “Sorry. My boobs are so big that they always get in the way. I noticed your jacket when you walked out earlier to go next door for your shower. Is the Night Rebels a motorcycle club?”
Paco nodded while he squirted ketchup over his burger.
“Is your club one of them one-percenters?”
One of the truckers had swiveled around on his stool and stared at her. “I think one of your customers wants you,” Paco said.
She looked over her shoulder. “Oh. Him. He can wait. It’s not every day that a biker comes in here, especially one as good-looking as you. I love seeing a guy on a big Harley. I mean, you guys must be pretty strong to handle such a powerful motorcycle.”
“Okay. Don’t freak out. I was just asking if I could take tonight off. Forget about it.” The young woman set her phone down, then blew her nose again.
Paco glanced back at Holly. “I’ve got everything I need.”
The waitress narrowed her eyes. “You trying to tell me you wanna be left alone?”
“Yeah.” He picked up his burger and took a big bite. The woman in the booth watched him.
“Whatever.” Holly walked away.
“Can I have a cup of chicken noodle soup?” the woman asked the waitress.
Holly stopped at her table. “You got any money?”
She shook her head. “Put it on my tab.”
“Carl told me not to serve you anything until your tab’s paid up.”
“Didn’t Bobby pay it?” she asked in a small voice.
“Nope. And since you don’t have any money and can’t order anything, you gotta get outta here. You’re taking a booth away from paying customers.”
The woman glanced around. “There’s hardly anyone here. I don’t feel so good right now. Can I have a glass of water?”
Holly shook her head. “Carl doesn’t want your kind taking up space unless you’re gonna pay. You need to move on.”
Paco watched as the woman’s chin trembled, her lashes blinked, and her hand clutched at her throat. “Put whatever she wants on my tab,” he said.
Holly spun around, her mouth gaping, her brown eyes flashing. “What?”
The woman cleared her throat. “I don’t want any charity,” she said as pride shone in her eyes.
A smile twitched on his lips. “I’m not giving any.”
Holly came over to him. “Are you sure about this? She’s a lot lizard.”
Anger burned inside him as the waitress smiled smugly. “I don’t like repeating myself. Put her order on my tab.” He turned away and pulled the bowl of chili closer to him.
Mumbling something incomprehensible under her breath, she stormed away. “Remember the bowl of chicken soup, and bring me a cup of tea, please,” the woman said as Holly passed her table.
“Unbelievable,” Holly said, looking behind her shoulder at Paco.
When she’d gone to the kitchen, the woman stared at him. He kept eating, acting like he didn’t know she was watching him, but he was acutely aware of her. A woman had never had such an effect on him after only a few minutes. Even when he’d met Cassie, he hadn’t been immediately drawn to her.
What the hell’s going on? I must be tired or something.
Holly slammed the soup and tea down and rushed away. The woman grabbed several crackers, and the crinkling sound as she opened them made him smile. He looked at her.
“Thanks for this,” she said. “I’ll pay you back tomorrow. I promise.”
“You don’t have to. You sound like you’re sick.”
“I am. I feel like shit. I’m sure once I finish the soup and tea, I’ll feel a lot better.” Steam rose from the bowl. She looked up. “I’ve never seen you around here before. You new to the road?” With the spoon near her mouth, she blew.
“I’m not sure I know what you’re asking.”
“I mean are you new to long-haul driving?”
“I’m not a trucker. I’m just passing through. I got caught up in the storm.”
Holly came back over. She darted her eyes from him to the woman, then back to him. “I thought you weren’t the friendly type,” she said as she picked up his empty bowl.
Ignoring her, he said, “Give me a piece of apple pie and warm it up.”
“Fucking unbelievable,” she muttered as she walked away.
The woman’s phone rang and she grimaced. Slowly she picked it up. “I’m having some hot tea before I go back out there.
” A long pause. “I know. I understand. I’ll have the money.” She placed the phone on the table, then wrapped her hands around her cup.
From where he sat, Paco saw tracks of fear streak her face. Something about the way she sat, her eyes watering and her hands clinging around the mug, hit a chord inside him. She’s scared to death. I bet this Bobby fuck is her pimp. Sensing she was in trouble, he wanted to help her. I should just pay my bill and forget about her. But he couldn’t. There was something about her that grounded him. He didn’t know what it was, but he wanted to make sure she was okay.
“Here’s your piece of pie. Did you decide to stay at the motel? The rain’s still coming down pretty good.” Holly leaned in closer.
He glanced out the window. “Yeah, it’s still raining. You can bring the bill.” He jerked his head toward the small woman in the booth. “Make sure she doesn’t want anything more.”
When Holly went up to her table, he saw the woman shake her head and then take out a mirror from her purse. She wiped her face and took out what looked like lipstick and a pencil.
The waitress walked over to his table. “Here you go. You pay up front. I wrote my number on the back, just in case you want some company tonight.” Holly smiled widely.
“Don’t want any.” He stood up and shrugged his jacket on. Picking up the bill, he glanced at her taut face. “The pie was good.” She glared at him, and he gestured her to walk in front of him.
When he went by the woman’s table, he jerked his head at her.
“Thanks for the soup and tea,” she said, her mesmerizing eyes stopping him.
“You’re welcome. You got somewhere to stay?”
Nodding slowly, she chewed on her lower lip.
“I overheard your conversation on the phone. You really gonna haul your ass outside in this freezing rain?”
Sinking down in the faux-leather seat, she broke eye contact. “I don’t have a choice,” she whispered.
“Are you gonna pay your bill?” Irritation laced Holly’s voice.
Ignoring her, he stood silent by the woman’s table. She looked up at him. “What? We all gotta do junk we don’t want to sometimes.” She resumed chewing the corner of her bottom lip.
