The Biker's Protection - Book 3 (Motorcycle Club Romance) (Ghosts of the Prairie Motorcycle Club)

by Fox, Regina

  The Biker's Protection

  (Motorcycle Club Romance)

  (Book 3)

  By

  Regina Fox

  Copyright 2015 by Regina Fox

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  BLURB:

  Caught in a never-ending battle with her stepmother and a wicked estate lawyer over her late father’s money, Savannah Payton finds love and passion in the strangest way. She meets a gorgeous biker and fireman named Foley Durham who stops to help her when a truck collides with her beloved dog while riding his bike in front of her beautiful Devil’s Lake home. Fortunately, Foley’s stunning ex-wife is both a veterinarian and lives down the street.

  Foley enlists his fellow biker club members, the Ghosts of the Prairie to watch over Savannah. Savannah falls in love with the biker way of life…and the biker himself.

  Dogged by rival bikers and greedy ex-family, Foley and Savannah set their bed ablaze with rare, flammable passion. But someone is literally setting fire to the town and as a fireman, Foley is kept busy and apart from Savannah. While trying to figure out what is going on, Savannah and Foley keep finding ways back to each other.

  Chapter 1

  Devil’s Lake was just about the most beautiful place Savannah Payton had ever seen. Every morning when she gazed out upon the lake view, all was fresh and beautiful. She was a little bit prejudiced on that score with so many wonderful memories associated with it, all of which outweighed the bad ones. She grew up in Devil’s Lake, and she hadn’t actually been a lot of places. Most of her visiting was done by surfing the web. Both her parents had passed away, and she was an only child.

  Two of her best friends had moved away last year, but they kept in touch through Skype and Facebook. She had a few other friends leave over the years. She was the only one left out of her high school friends to stay in Devil’s Lake. She dated a little bit, but nothing serious. Maybe she needed to move to the big city if she wanted to find the man of her dreams, because he sure wasn’t showing up at her doorstep.

  Her late father said Savannah suffered from a strong desire to see the world coupled with acute empty pocketism. She actually acquired a few pen pals globetrotting on the internet. So when she checked her mail and sipped her coffee on her wrap-around porch looking over Devil’s Lake, she often got pictures of Paris, London as well shots from a few choice cities in the United States.

  She sat in her rocker with a cotton afghan across her lap, coffee in hand, soaking in the wonder of the North Dakota scenery. Savannah threw on her jean jacket over her yoga pants and tank and went out the front door to let her Border Collie-Lab mix back inside. She blinked when she realized the line had snapped. Where did he go? She looked around.

  “Beau!” she hollered.

  When she glanced down the driveway, she saw Beau crossing the street. A red truck passed, and then a high-pitched whine echoed in the air. Beau had been hit! A motorcyclist suddenly stopped to help.

  What the fuck? How could this be happening? Her heart thundered. Savannah thought she would throw up. She frantically ran down the driveway yelling for her dog.

  “Oh my gosh!” she screamed.

  “He got clipped,” the biker said.

  “So the truck just nicked him.”

  “The dog was fast. Almost got by. I don’t think it’s serious.”

  “Are you sure he didn’t get hit?”

  “Just nicked.”

  “Then why’s he acting like this? He’s drooling and not moving.”

  “He wasn’t hit. Grazed at best. I saw the whole thing.”

  Her dog was alive. She didn’t know what she would do if Beau would’ve died. Her dog was injured, but he would live. The biker said he wasn’t hit head-on. But Beau was zoning out. Something was wrong.

  “Thanks for stopping,” Savannah said.

  “Not a problem.”

  Beau let out a whimper and she petted him.

  “I’m going to take you to the animal hospital!” she said. “We’re going to get you checked out.”

  “Grab the dog. Hop on. I’ll take you.”

  Savannah was a wreck. She couldn’t drive. And the biker seemed nice enough. The guy had medium length hair, boots, a skin tight T-shirt, and bulging muscles. It was like he was her knight in shining armor. She ran inside and grabbed a blanket. Together, they wrapped the dog up.

  “I know the vet,” the biker said. “She’s my ex-wife. I’ll call right now and let her know we’re coming so they’ll be ready.”

  “Thanks. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

  “I’m Foley Graham.”

  “Savannah Payton,” she said.

  There was a lingering look in Foley’s eyes which absolutely sparkled. He was tall and had broad shoulders, lots of tattoos. He was absolutely beautiful. He was as gentle as a lamb, but Savannah would hate to see him if he was riled. He looked like he could be lethal if crossed.

  He punched numbers on his cell phone and made the call. Savannah held Beau close as they sped off to the animal hospital. It was so surreal how her morning–her life–could turn upside down just like that. Savannah tried to fight the worry overwhelming her. If he was grazed with the truck, how come he’s acting like this? What if there were internal injuries?

  Once they made it there, Foley went to the waiting room.

  “I’m Dr. Susan Gretsky,” the vet said. “Foley can come back here.”

  “I just met him,” Savannah said. “He stopped to help when he saw Beau get hit.”

  “Isn’t he a sweetie? Don’t let the tough exterior fool you. Foley is such a softie. But don’t tell him I told you that.”

  Savannah was swept away to a private room in the back. She told the vet everything. After checking the dog’s gums, the vet stooped down and did her initial exam. It felt like an eternity.

  The vet looked up at the tech. “I need a blood sample right away. And I want x-rays to make sure we don’t have any broken bones.”

  “A blood sample?” Savannah asked.

  Dr. Gretsky met her gaze. “I think your dog was poisoned. I need to run more tests.”

  She gasped. “Who would want do that?”

  “We’ve got sick people in this world. Is they any way your dog could have gotten into any medication? Prescription of yours maybe?”

  Savannah was taken aback. “I don’t have anything like that.”

  “I’d swear Beau has been dosed with something. The blood draw will confirm it. Accidentally, or I hate to think, on purpose,” said the vet. “Maybe that explains the accident.”

  Savannah sank into preoccupation. Who on earth would give her dog medication? Who would want to hurt Beau? Did somebody snap his line on purpose?

  “Well, whatever he got into is wearing off. He has no broken bones no signs of internal injury. I want to
make sure there were no adverse side effects. I’ve rushed the lab results.”

  “I don’t understand. Who would hurt my dog?” asked Savannah. But then again, a couple of people came to mind. Her stepmom and her crooked lawyer were first on her list.

  “Well let’s just find out what it is first,” she said. “Maybe that will give us a clue as to the source. Try to stay positive,” said the vet. “Once we identify the poison, we can counteract it and flush it out of Beau’s system.”

  Chapter 2

  Savannah spent some time with Beau. She stroked his fur and told him everything was going to be all right, then she went back out to the waiting room. Foley was still there waiting patiently.

  “I can’t believe you’re still here,” she said.

  “I wanted to make sure your dog was okay.”

  “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “You’re not. How is he?”

  She went on to tell him everything the vet said.

  “That’s fucked up!” he said.

  “Tell me about it. Who the hell would do this to my dog?”

  “Do you wanna a ride home?” he asked.

  “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  “Thank you.”

  Dr. Gretsky called after them.

  “Yes?”

  She smiled. “You’re going to need this if you are going to be hitching with Foley here.”

  Foley smiled. “Thanks, Susan. I couldn’t ask for a better ex-wife.”

  “No, you couldn’t.”

  When the doctor left, Savannah looked up at Foley. “You guys seem cool,” she said.

  “Yeah. She wants me to be happy. We didn’t work out, but we’re great friends.”

  “That’s great.”

  Savannah and Foley said goodbye to Beau one more time. Foley petted the dog and was very comforting.

  She looked away.

  “What?” Foley asked.

  “If somebody messed with my dog…well, maybe I shouldn’t go home. It might not be safe.”

  “Hey,” he said. “Don’t worry. If there’s an asshole out there, I’ll help you get him.”

  There was a darkness in his eye, a shift in the air that made her believe him. As kind and chivalrous as Foley Graham had been, she had no doubt he could be brutal.

  “And if there’s not, nothing to worry about. Okay?” he said.

  “This is more than a grumpy neighbor poisoning a barking dog,” Savannah said. “I have enemies.”

  “Don’t we all?”

  “I have a wicked stepmother who’s shacking up with my dad’s lawyer. They’re fucking pissed I got the house and exposed their little operation. My stepmom is making this personal by killing the only thing she knows I love most. She’s a fucking douchebag.”

  “Do you think she’d try to hurt you?”

  “I didn’t think so. But I didn’t think she’d hurt a dog either. She’s playing by a different set of rules.”

  “Then you gotta be careful.”

  “I know.”

  “Let me help.”

  “Sure,” she nodded. “So what’s your plan?”

  “Me and a few of my buddies will keep an eye on you, if that’s okay with you. Tough job but someone has to do it,” he winked.

  She gazed into those gorgeous eyes and smiled. “So now I have bodyguards?”

  “Let’s just see if the dog was really drugged. We’ll go from there.”

  “I still don’t feel safe going home. At least, until I know for sure.”

  “I’ll do a sweep of your house,” he said. “If you want me too.”

  “Thank you. I’d feel safer if you’d do that.” She sighed. “So who are these buddies of yours?”

  “I belong to a motorcycle club called Ghosts of the Prairie,” he said.

  “Ah, yes. I know them. Who doesn’t?”

  “Is that a bad thing or a good thing?” he asked.

  “It’s a great thing.” It was decidedly good. Savannah suspected downright wonderful.

  “So wow, just like that I have security?” she asked.

  “Yep. Just like that.”

  “Thank you for everything. I owe you.”

  “Hmm,” he said. “I may take you up on that.”

  He winked again. That was just about her undoing.

  Foley and Savannah walked out of the veterinarian’s office toward his boss, both in awe of the morning’s turn of events. They were definitely fast friends. Just the sight of Foley swinging his long, powerful leg over the bike was a most personal experience for Savannah.

  “My, my, my, my,” she said, shaking her head.

  He looked over his shoulder, a smirk washing his face.

  “Oh my goodness,” she said with a start. “Did I say that out loud?”

  “Fuck, yeah. And it was flattering,” he chuckled. “Now come here.”

  Savannah approached the bike timidly, flushed with embarrassment.

  “I won’t bite,” he said.

  He adjusted her helmet on her. Their eyes locked, and they had this incredible moment.

  She cleared her throat.

  “You look adorable,” he said.

  “Do I?”

  He grinned. “Put your hands on my shoulder and climb on.”

  Savannah placed her hands on his hard shoulders. The sensation sent cording wirings of pleasure coursing through to her very center. Touching him was better than a cup of coffee, by a long shot. He was so handsome, so physically perfect, and such a nice guy too. How the hell did she pick up a biker? She chuckled inwardly.

  As she straddled the bike, Foley gripped the backs of her knees, and pulled her close to him so she fit him snuggly. Every bit of the front of her made contact with every bit of the back of him. Of the several things that Savannah was aware, being on the back of a bike of a gorgeous man, made her feel like a beautiful woman.

  And she was a lucky woman; she knew that. Something strange happened to her dog, but that looked like it was going to turn out okay. She lost her father a couple months before. She had some super ugly scenes with her stepmother and the estate lawyer but that all went away. She was now riding on the back of a motorcycle with the most handsome man ever on the way to her lakeside home. It was all good.

  Foley smoothly leaned to turn down her windy driveway. The bike glided to the steps of her front door. Sadly, the sweet like ride was over. He parked the bike. When he removed the helmet from her head, her mass of honey-colored hair fell in a dramatic sweep. Her face was bright and alert as he looked past her, toward the house.

  “Oh, hell no!”

  “What?” he asked.

  “I didn’t leave a window open,” she said. “They’re fucking with me.”

  Foley looked. A curtain fluttered through the side window around the door. The closer they got, it was evident that the window was not opened. The glass was broken.

  Shit! This wasn’t happening.

  “Stay here!” said Foley.

  “You can’t go in there alone,” said Savannah.

  “Darling, I can handle myself.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  He took her hand as he led her into the house. She could feel her heart racing. Maybe they should just call the police. That would be the smart thing to do.

  “I’m going to call 911,” she said.

  “I got this,” he said. “I’m going in.”

  “I’ll cover your back.”

  Just before they actually entered the house, Foley pulled a gun from his boot. Savannah shivered. She went back to remembering Foley Graham was a stranger.

  An armed one.

  “Fuck! You carry a gun!” Savannah said.

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Whoever broke into the house, unlocked the front door. It appeared as if someone had ransacked the house. But nothing seemed to be missing. It was like somebody was looking for something. Foley and Savannah went from room to room. He checked every closet, under every
bed. He checked the attic, the crawl space. Every possible nook and cranny.

  “It’s clear,” he said, putting his gun down.

  “They’re trying to scare me,” Savannah said. “They know I live alone. I think they wanted to kill my dog and break into my house to send a message so they can scare me. This is just the beginning. They want revenge.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m here now. If they fucking mess with you again, I’m here.”

  “Thanks.”

  He smiled.

  Foley looked around. “This is a cool room.”

  Savannah’s father put in a pretty neat home theater before he died. It was one of the pleasures they shared because he could convalesce during his terminal illness and watch movies together.

  “You’ll have to come and watch a movie with me sometime,” she said.

  “I would like that,” he winked.

  He had to stop doing that. He had no idea that it did things to her.

  “C’mon,” she said. “I’ll get you a beer.”

  They went to the kitchen, and she handed him a cold one.

  “Tell me more about your stepmom,” Foley said.

  “My stepmother and her estate attorney hate me. My dad was terminally ill. I learned that they were having an affair. They were doing some stuff to take over the estate. My dad found out about it before he died and changed the will. Went to another attorney. Trenton Gillis. Fixed everything. Found out how they were cooking the books. Got the estate fees back. My stepmom was cut out. She wasn’t happy.”

  Foley smiled. “I know Trenton. He happens to be the attorney for our club.”

  Savannah was surprised. “A motorcycle club needs a lawyer? Well, I guess they do.”

  “And just what does that mean?” he asked playfully.

  “Well, bikers do have a reputation for being bad boys,” she replied.

  “I think we ought to have the sheriff come out and fill out a report. I do have to go, but you leave it to me. Like I said, I’ll have our guys keep an eye on your place. You’ll be safe from here on out. You and your dog,” he promised.

  Chapter 3

  Savannah thought it was best to call the police and put the incident on record. She immediately filed a police report. They promised to send someone out soon as they could. She wasn’t the type to live and die by her cell phone, but while she was waiting for news of her dog, she kept her phone in hand. She might as well keep it in hand for the cops too.