Luring the Biker (The Biker) Book 7

by Cassie Alexandra

  “Damn. You’ve got a lot of shit going on right now. You need anything from us, we’ve got your back,” said Phoenix.

  “I appreciate it,” I replied.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Come on in,” called Phoenix.

  Devon peeked her head into the church. When she saw me, she gave me a weak smile. “Am I interrupting anything?”

  “No. We were just about ready to take off,” said Brass, standing up. “Come on in.”

  She stepped inside and walked over to me. “Dom, I just want to tell you how truly sorry I am. Brass sent me a message, explaining everything, and I feel just awful. I should have never suspected you of that shit.”

  “Hey, considering the evidence pointing toward me, which is what these guys were shooting for, I’d have probably felt the same way,” I told her.

  “I just can’t believe the lengths these douchebags are going through to fuck with the club,” she said. “To even go as far as finding someone who looks like you. They’re insane.”

  “Definitely, which is why I’m having you, Lily, and the other Old Ladies shadowed by prospects until we take care of this shit,” said Phoenix. “I’m not risking any more kidnappings.”

  Devon patted her purse. “I’m carrying now, Phoenix. Anyone tries shit with me and I’ll splatter their brains all over the fucking place.”

  “Armed or not, we’re not taking any chances. These guys are unpredictable,” said Brass. “You’re getting shadowed when I’m not around.”

  “Fine,” she huffed.

  “Oh, and one other thing,” Brass said, opening up her laptop. “We’re using your Facebook account to try and draw out the guy who sent you the dick-pic.”

  She watched as he went into her messages.

  “Who’s that supposed to be? Me?” she said, staring at the naked photo he’d sent.

  “Yeah,” he replied.

  “Any moron can see that it’s not me. That chick has no tats,” she said. “You, of all people, know that I’ve got them all over.”

  “Shit,” groaned Brass. “I didn’t even think about that.”

  “Apparently not,” she replied.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “This guy knows what we’re up to. We could have sent a photo of the real Devon and it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

  “So, what are you going to do next?” Devon asked.

  “We wait for a response,” said Brass.

  I stood up. “While you’re waiting for a response, I’ve got a dinner date. I’m taking off.”

  “With the same woman from last night?” asked Devon.

  I nodded.

  “Where’d you meet her?” Phoenix asked.

  “She showed me the house I’m about to purchase,” I replied.

  “You close on that deal yet?” Len asked, smiling.

  “The house?” I said.

  “No. The chick,” Len replied, smirking. “I suppose not if you’re feeding her two nights in a row.”

  “You don’t get many dates, do you?” I said dryly.

  “Dates? No time for that. I hook up through Tinder. That way I get what I want and there’s no opening up my wallet. Unless it’s for a rubber,” he said, winking.

  Devon rolled her eyes and then looked at me. “Anyway, you should invite her to the barbecue tomorrow.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Club get-togethers could sometimes be a little overwhelming for outsiders. I decided that I’d see how dinner went and go from there.

  Chapter 16

  Peyton

  Dom called me at four-thirty in the afternoon to say he was on his way. After hanging up, I changed out of my white pants and into a pair of jeans, excited that he was going to give me a ride on his motorcycle. I heard him pull onto my driveway twenty minutes later, and met him outside.

  “Nice place,” he said after shutting down the engine.

  “Thanks.” I glanced back at it. Other than I’d lived there most of my life, I knew there really wasn’t anything spectacular about it. In fact, the white siding needed to be replaced, as did some of the windows. The roof was also in rough shape. Fortunately, it was paid for and I’d been able to tuck some money away for repairs. I just needed to find someone. “It was my parents’ house. I inherited it when they passed away.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know. You never mentioned they were deceased,” he replied softly. “I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks,” I replied, my thoughts on them. They’d met long ago, when they were teenagers, at a Leukemia cancer support group. From what my mother had said, it had been love at first sight. Although my father had died before I was even a teenager, I would never forget him. He’d been a soft-spoken man who used to carry me on his shoulders and read me bedtime stories.

  “Can I ask how they died?”

  “Cancer,” I replied. “My father died from it when I was eleven. My mother died five years ago.”

  “Both of them? Wow. That must have been pretty rough.”

  “It was, but,” I smiled sadly, “my parents always tried to keep a positive attitude about everything, even through the worst of times. I did my best, too, even though it was heartbreaking to watch what they went through. With all of the chemo and pain, they had enough on their plates to worry about. I didn’t need to add to it.”

  “They appreciated the fact that you were such a great daughter,” he said. “You were the light of their lives.”

  I smiled. “It’s funny. My mother always used to say that to me almost every night, before I went to bed.” I used to think that it was because I’d been adopted and she wanted to make sure that I felt loved and appreciated. I pictured her bending over my bed and kissing me on the forehead. You’re the light of our lives, Pey, she’d whisper before leaving the room. Nobody could make us prouder.

  He nodded, as if he knew.

  I chuckled. “She didn’t send you some kind of psychic message, did she?”

  Dom shrugged. “It was just a feeling I had. The dead don’t speak to me. It’s probably good because my mother scolded me enough when she was alive,” he said, his eyes merry.

  I laughed.

  His smile faded. “So, what kind of cancer did they have?”

  “Leukemia.”

  “Both of them?”

  I nodded.

  “Wow.”

  I explained how they’d met and how wonderful they’d been. “They always loved and supported me through everything. I couldn’t have asked for better parents. I guess it’s true what they say—only the good die young.”

  “It seems that way.” He sighed. “I know it must have been horrible for you, but you seem to have adjusted fairly well,” he said studying my face.

  “From the time I was young, I knew about the cancer. They used to participate in fundraisers and races, back when they were in remission. The sad thing is, they thought they’d beaten it. It was one of the reasons they brought me into their lives.”

  He stared at me silently and I knew what he was wondering—was I at a high risk for cancer?

  “I was adopted.”

  “I thought that might have been the case, but didn’t want to bring it up,” he replied.

  “It’s okay. As far as I’m concerned, my real parents couldn’t have come close to loving me the way that they had.”

  He nodded.

  “Anyway, enough about that. Are you excited about your new place?”

  “Hell yeah, I can’t wait. Like I said, I’m going out of town on Monday to meet Ruby, but I’m hoping we can close by the end of the week.”

  “That sounds pretty reasonable.”

  “So, are you hungry?”

  I smiled. “Yeah.”

  He backed the bike around and handed me his helmet. “Here.”

  “Don’t you need one?” I asked, taking it from him.

  “I’ll be fine.” He restarted the engine and told me to get on.

  I put the helmet on and stared at him helplessly. “Is t
here a trick to getting onto this thing?”

  He laughed. “No. Just get behind me and swing your leg over.”

  “Okay.”

  I did as he said and felt a small thrill in my lady-parts because of the rumbling engine. He showed me where to put my feet, along with some other instructions.

  “Ready?” he asked, straightening up.

  “Yeah!”

  “Put your arms around my waist.”

  I slid my hands around his stomach, enjoying the feel of his tight abs.

  He patted my leg and then we took off.

  Chapter 17

  Tarot

  The ride to the restaurant went by too quickly. Not only was it a nice night for a ride, I loved the feel of her arms around my waist.

  When we arrived at Melano’s, the Italian restaurant in downtown Stillwater, I parked the bike and shut off the engine.

  “So, what did you think?” I asked, noticing the way her face glowed as she removed the helmet.

  “I loved it,” Peyton replied, running a hand through her hair. “It was just… amazing.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. We’ll have to take a longer way back to your place when we’re finished eating. So, have you ever eaten here?”

  She looked at the building, which was built into a sandstone cave at the bottom of a huge cliff. “No, actually I haven’t. I heard it’s basically a landmark here, though.”

  “That’s what they say and I can understand why. I’ve been here a couple of times. They offer tours inside of the caves. Unfortunately, they’re not doing it tonight.”

  “Bummer, that would have been fun,” she said, handing me the helmet.

  “We’ll just have to make our own kind of fun tonight,” I replied, grabbing her hand.

  She smiled.

  ***

  It was a nice dinner and we talked about our lives some more. I learned that she had a cat named Lucifurr, who sounded like a real character, and I told her about the ferret I used to own, Winston.

  “Really? What was that like?”

  “It was a lot of work, because he was always getting into trouble, but fun,” I said, smiling as I remembered how playful he’d been. “They’re pretty loveable, in their own ways.”

  “I heard they’re mischievous creatures,” she replied.

  “Yeah. A lot of energy. He used to get into everything.”

  “I bet. How did he die?”

  “He just got old.” I sighed. “They don’t live very long. He was nine when he died. Because of that, I don’t know if I’d ever get another one, to be honest. It was tough letting him go.”

  “I bet.”

  She took a sip of her wine and set it down. “Speaking of pets, are you going to buy any now that Ruby might be coming to live with you?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it. Like I said, when Winston died, I was pretty wrecked.”

  “Children love animals, though. I was just thinking that it might be a great ice-breaker.”

  It actually was a good idea, but it would also be an extra responsibility for me. I was already anxious about Ruby and what it would take to care for a young girl. Fortunately, having sisters gave me a little edge. I wouldn’t be going in blindly, at least.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said as the waitress returned to the table.

  “Did you care for another glass of wine or some dessert?” asked the woman.

  I looked over at Peyton. “You want anything?”

  “I’m good,” she said, draining what was left in her glass.

  “I guess we’ll just take the tab.”

  She nodded. “No problem. I’ll go and grab it.”

  I checked the time. It was just after eight. Still early enough for a number of possibilities. Although I wanted to bring her back to my apartment, something held me back. I knew it wasn’t the right time for her. As much as I wanted to get her into my bed, I knew she wasn’t ready. A woman like Peyton didn’t have sex on the second date. As old-fashioned as it was, I liked the fact that she wasn’t easy. Not like most of the women I’d met.

  “So, what do you want to do now?” I asked.

  She looked a little anxious. “Well, I have to work at Olive Garden tomorrow, but not until the afternoon. So, I’m game for whatever you want.”

  “Let’s go for a drive,” I said. “We can cross over into Wisconsin and drive through Hudson.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” she replied, smiling.

  Chapter 18

  Blade

  Cane called him back a couple of hours later, giving the go-ahead to answer Devon on Facebook.

  “So, he’s not at the clubhouse?”

  “The tail I put on Tarot said he’s having dinner with some broad in Stillwater.”

  “Okay.”

  “I also need you to head on over to his apartment and plant that safe.”

  “At Tarot’s?”

  “Yeah. Make sure it’s hidden so he doesn’t find it.”

  “Okay. I’m going to need someone to keep tailing him then.”

  “Will do. I’m thinking he might be preoccupied with his date for a while though.”

  “He could bring her back to his place.”

  “Then we’ll let you know.”

  “Okay,” Blade replied.

  “Update me with the Devon thing after you set up a time.”

  “Sure.”

  ***

  Blade sent “Devon” another message, asking if she wanted to meet up on Monday night at eleven o’clock.

  Love to, she replied.

  Great. See you then.

  The person replying sent an emoji of a kiss.

  Rolling his eyes, Blade turned off the laptop and put the safe inside a rolling cooler.

  Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to Tarot’s apartment complex and walked up to the front doors with the cooler. Fortunately, a guy was leaving the building and held the door open for him.

  “Hey, man. What’s up? Having a party?” he asked, nodding toward the cooler.

  “Nah. Just a couple of friends coming by later,” Blade replied, realizing that the tenant must be mistaking him for Tarot. “Thanks for holding the door.”

  “No problem. Have a good one.”

  “You, too.”

  Blade rolled the cooler to Tarot’s apartment, his second time there. He listened at the door and then picked the lock. Once inside, he hid the safe behind some unpacked boxes in Tarot’s walk-in closet. As he stood back up, he noticed a Gold Viper denim cut on one of the hangers, and grabbed it. One never knew when it would come in handy.

  Chapter 19

  Peyton

  Riding on the back of Dom’s bike was like nothing I’d ever experienced. Not only was it nice to snuggle up against him, but being on a two-wheeled machine, surrounded by air and not metal, was both scary and thrilling. I definitely understood the allure of being on a motorcycle, and by the time we pulled up to my house, I almost didn’t want to get off.

  “That was wonderful,” I told him when he shut off the engine. “I had no idea how enjoyable it could be.”

  Dom grinned. “Yeah. There’s nothing quite like it.”

  I handed him the helmet. “So, how long have you ridden?”

  “Since I was seventeen.”

  “How many bikes have you owned?”

  “This is my fourth,” he replied.

  “Impressive.”

  “Thank you. You should get one,” he said, smiling.

  I laughed. “Me? Right.”

  “Sure. We could go on a road trip together. I mean, you’re welcome on the back of mine, but something tells me you’re a hands-on kind of girl.”

  It did sound exciting and I could almost picture myself going on a long road trip with him. “It sounds like fun. I just couldn’t afford one right now.”

  “There are some inexpensive used ones. I could help you find something. When you’re ready, of course.”

  “Thank you. I’ll think about it,” I replied, my mind moving to other th
ings. We were standing outside, in the darkness, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Part of me wanted to invite him into my house and see where it went. Another part was terrified.

  “It was nice, tonight. We’ll have to get together when I get back from my trip,” he said, getting off of the bike.

  “Definitely,” I said, my heart racing as he walked over to me.

  Was he going to kiss me?

  Hell, did he know I was wondering if he was going to kiss me?

  “I’ll walk you to your door,” he said, looking at the house, which looked unusually dark. I’d forgotten to put the porch light on.

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Dom took my hand and we walked to the front door together. When I pulled the key out of my purse, he volunteered to open it.

  “Sure.” I handed him the key.

  He opened the front door, turned on the light, and stuck his head inside. “Looks safe enough to enter.”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  He chuckled and looked at me. “A beautiful, young woman like yourself should always be leery of what’s hiding in the dark. Especially when living alone.”

  “I have my guard cat,” I replied with a smile.

  “Oh yeah? He seems to be failing on his guard duties.”

  “He’s lazy. What can I say?” I said.

  Dom chuckled.

  “Uh, did you want to come in for a drink?” I asked as he moved aside to let me in.

  He sighed. “As much as I’d love to, I’m going to have to take a raincheck.”

  I felt both relieved and disappointed. “Okay.”

  “Can I call you tomorrow?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh. Before I forget, the club is having a barbecue tomorrow. I’d love it if you’d go with me.”

  “I have to work at Olive Garden.”

  The disappointment on his face made me regret having a second job. “I’ll see if I can get someone to work for me.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. I’ll just pick up an extra shift during the evening.”