The couple started arguing and I left the trailer, a satisfied grin on my face.
Chapter 32
Peyton
The next time I heard from Dom, it was shortly after seven. I was at Olive Garden, taking my break. When he spoke, there was a calmness in his voice that hadn’t been there earlier.
“How did it go? Did you manage to find a puppy and win her heart?” I asked, anxious to find out what happened.
“I found one. Her name is Chilly and she’s a Husky.”
“Oh, you’ll have to send me a picture of her,” I gushed after he described what the puppy looked like. “What does Ruby think of her?
“I think she approves,” he said. “You do like Chilly, don’t you?”
Someone answered in the background.
“Is that Ruby with you now?” I asked.
“Yeah. We’re heading out of town,” he said softly.
“How’s she taking everything?”
He sighed. “Better. I’ll have to talk to you about it later, though.”
“I understand,” I replied. “When do you think you’ll make it home?”
“I’d like to drive straight home, but it wouldn’t be fair for Ruby or Chilly. So, we’ll probably find a motel room later tonight and then, see what happens tomorrow. I’ll call you, though.”
“Sounds good. I can’t wait to meet Ruby and your new puppy.”
“I can’t wait for you to, either. So, how are things with you?”
I’d already been missing him. In fact, Dom was all I’d been thinking about. I didn’t want to sound clingy or desperate, so I kept it to myself. “I’ve been busy working. I’m at Olive Garden right now. On break.”
“Oh. Perfect timing.”
“Yeah.”
“We just ate McDonald’s,” he told me and then described what each of them had eaten. “Oh, and Chilly had an ice cream cone, along with Ruby. They both seemed to enjoy it.”
“I bet,” I said, smiling.
He sighed. “I suppose I should let you get back to work. I just wanted to check in.”
“Thanks. I was wondering how things were going.”
“So far, so good,” he said softly.
I was happy for him. I had a feeling that fatherhood was going to be good for Dom. He was big into family and I knew Ruby would be well cared for. I just wondered how he was going to juggle everything. Not only did he have the club, but his job, and now a new puppy. He was definitely going to have his hands full.
Chapter 33
Dom
Between McDonalds, and our road trip, there’d been a lot of awkward silences between me and Ruby. Fortunately, with patience and persistence I was able to get her to open up and even talk a little. I knew we had a long ride ahead of us, but with every mile, I felt more hopeful. Fortunately, I learned that Jimmy hadn’t touched her, although he’d said some fucked-up things, and even threatened to hurt her if she didn’t keep quiet about it.
“Ruby, I want you to tell me if anyone ever tries doing something that makes you feel… frightened or uncomfortable,” I said, resisting an urge to turn the car back around and beat the fuck out of Jimmy. “And, if anyone threatens you, make sure you tell me right away. I’ll take care of it. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t beat him to a bloody pulp,” I mumbled, my knuckles aching to connect with his face. He’d gotten off too easily. Although, I hadn’t wanted to scare Ruby any more than she’d already been.
“Jimmy said that he would hurt Aunt Hannah if I tried waking her,” said Ruby softly.
“I’m going to tell you something—he was lying to you,” I answered. “That’s what bad people do sometimes. Scare you so that you keep quiet. The truth is they’re cowards themselves and that’s why they go after people they think they can scare.”
She stared down at her hands. “So, he wouldn’t have hurt her?”
“No, because he would have been thrown in jail and he knows it,” I said, not sure myself, but wanting her to believe it. The only defense a child had against perverts like that was to ask for help. And if she thought someone else was going to be hurt if she told, it wouldn’t help her one bit. “Like I said before, Ruby, if anyone threatens you or someone you care about, let me know. I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”
“Okay.”
“And if they try threatening me, you definitely let me know.” I knew it was another technique that pedophiles sometimes used to scare kids. Threaten to harm their parents. “I’m not going to lie—I will fuck them up more than they could ever hurt me.”
She nodded.
I didn’t know if telling a kid that I would fuck someone up was the best thing, but I wanted her to know that I wasn’t going to stand for any shit. And I definitely wanted her to have faith in me and my ability to protect the both of us.
We drove for a several miles in silence. After a while, I asked her if she had any questions.
Ruby shook her head.
I knew she was nervous and probably had a lot of things that she was wondering about. Especially about me. I knew I had to be patient and let her ask when she was ready, though.
“So, have you ever been to Minnesota?” I asked, a few minutes later.
“No.”
“You ever seen snow?”
“Yes. I love it,” she said, her eyes lighting up.
I chuckled. “Well, you’re going to see a lot of it next winter. Have you ever been sledding?”
She told me she hadn’t.
I smiled. “You’re in for a real treat, baby girl.”
Ruby scowled. “I’m not a baby.”
“I know you’re not.” I rubbed my jaw and looked at her again. “It’s a nickname. One that my grandfather used to call my mother, your grandmother, even when she was a grown woman.”
Ruby didn’t say anything.
“I, um, I have a nickname. It’s Tarot.”
She gave me a puzzled look.
I told her what it meant and then explained that I sometimes knew things that I shouldn’t.
Her eyes widened. “Like a psychic?”
“You know about psychics?”
Ruby nodded. “I saw one on TV.”
“Ah.”
“I dreamed that you were going to come for me,” she replied, her voice hesitant.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Before even Hannah told me.”
So, she also had the gift?
“Do you ever know things before they happen?” I asked casually.
She nodded. “Mommy always said it was just a coincidence.”
Jenna hadn’t known about my abilities, so it made sense. We talked more about some of the ‘coincidences’ in her life.
“It’s frightening sometimes, but with a gift,” I told her, realizing that she was also a budding clairvoyant. “Some people won’t believe you and some will not understand. It’s kind of why I don’t talk about it too much. You can always come to me with questions though, okay?”
She nodded.
We drove in silence again, and after a while, I told her more about Minnesota and of the house we were going to live in. “You can pick out your own bedroom, and if you’d like, we can paint it any color you want.”
Ruby gave me a shy smile. “Okay.”
I talked some more, telling her a little about the Gold Vipers. She looked intrigued and asked me if I had a motorcycle.
“I sure do,” I replied, grinning. “Would you like to get a ride on it?”
“Yeah,” she said, sitting up straighter. “My daddy bought one, but he never gave me a ride.”
“Paul?” I asked.
I didn’t like her calling him ‘daddy’, but that’s what he’d been. It was just shitty that he was now avoiding her.
“Yes,” she said, her smile fading.
“Was he good to you?” I asked softly, knowing that she was thinking about him because her eyes were glossy again.
She nodded.
&
nbsp; I reached over and touched her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry. He’s just struggling to make sense of everything. He loves you.”
“He doesn’t,” she said, crying softly.
I knew she was too young to understand.
“Yes, he does. I’m sure of it. Look, I’ve never met him but, if you’d like, I can send Paul a letter with our new address. We’ll write to him and I’m sure that in time, he’ll come around.”
It took Ruby awhile to answer. “Okay,” she finally said, wiping her tears.
Seeing her upset was painful. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. She’d lost her mother and the only father she’d ever known. As far as Paul, I had nothing against him, although he probably hated me. If he was any kind of a man, he’d stop taking his anger out on her, though. He may not be her biological father, but that didn’t mean she saw him as anything less than ‘daddy’.
“Hey.”
She looked at me.
“If you want, you can change Chilly’s name. She’s your pup, you know. The pet store named her, but that’s your job.”
Ruby sniffled. “I like her name.”
I grabbed one of the extra McDonald’s napkins and handed it to her. “I do, too. I just want you to be happy.”
The look she gave me tore at my heart-strings. It was one that said she’d never be happy again. In that moment, I vowed that whatever it took, I’d prove my baby girl wrong.
Chapter 34
Peyton
I was beat after my shift at Olive Garden, but wanted to pick up some items for Ruby, so I drove to a Target store in Forest Lake. Dom had mentioned that she didn’t have many things with her, just a suitcase. I really didn’t know what she needed, and ended up purchasing two night-gowns, shorts, and a couple of tops. I also bought her some shampoo, toothpaste, and a toothbrush, just in case.
As I was paying for the items, I noticed a man watching me out of the corner of my eye. I turned and was shocked to see that he resembled Dom so much, I almost thought it was him.
“Have a good night,” said the cashier, handing me the shopping bag.
“Thanks. You, too,” I replied, glancing back over at the stranger. He was still watching me in a way that made me uncomfortable.
I quickly turned away and headed out to my car, which I’d parked on the side of the building. I threw my things into the passenger seat and got in. As I slid my keys into the ignition, I heard someone starting up a motorcycle. Sure enough, when I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw that it was the guy from inside the store. He was parked a few spots away and was now staring at me under the streetlight.
“Creepo,” I mumbled.
I locked my doors, started the engine, and backed out of my spot. I didn’t look directly at him, but still felt his eyes on me. Although, he might have just found me attractive, the warning bells were going off in my head. It became even more disturbing when he pulled in behind my car and started tailing me.
Stay calm, I told myself, as he followed me over the bridge and toward East Bethel. I tried telling myself that it was a coincidence, but the further I drove toward home, the more paranoid I became. It didn’t help that he was making every single turn that I was.
Suddenly my phone went off, scaring the living daylights out of me. I reached into my purse and pulled it out.
It was Dom.
I sighed in relief and answered the phone.
“Did I wake you?” he asked, sounding tired himself.
“No. I was just on my way home,” I replied, grateful to hear his voice. Just talking to him had a calming effect on me. “Are you still on the road?”
“No. We’re staying at a motel. I just tucked in Ruby and took Chilly outside to pee.”
“You have her trained already?” I asked, surprised.
“Hell no,” he said, laughing softly. “But, I bought one of those dog books and it says that I should bring her out, even if she’s constantly peeing everywhere else.”
“Has she been having a lot of accidents?”
He grunted. “Yeah. She’s a puddle machine.”
I turned down the next road and sure enough, the biker followed. I swore.
“What’s wrong?”
“Probably nothing,” I said, looking into my rearview mirror again. The motorcyclist was staying at a safe distance behind me and yet, I still felt threatened.
“What do you mean, ‘probably nothing’?” he asked, sounding more awake.
I told him about the guy behind me, explaining that I’d seen him at Target.
“Some jackass is following you?” Dom asked angrily.
“I don’t know. I’m sure I’m just being paranoid. He probably lives in the area and I just never noticed him before.”
“What does he look like?”
“A lot like you, actually. Only, you’re much more handsome,” I said, trying to smile.
Dom swore. “He seriously looks like me?”
“I thought so, at first. I don’t know. He wore similar clothes and was muscular like you. You have the same hair color. I guess there aren’t too many bad-assed bikers in the area, so that’s why I thought he looked like you,” I said, trying to make light of the situation.
He swore again. “Okay, whatever you do, don’t go home,” he said firmly. “Get to a cop station or someplace where there’s people around.”
Realizing that he was worried, too, and it wasn’t just me, I began to panic. I looked back into my mirror and saw the biker was still there. “Okay.”
“Better yet, go to my clubhouse. I’ll call Phoenix and let him know what’s going on. I’m thinking this could be the guy fucking with me, so you need to be very careful.”
“Why would he be going after me?” I asked, frightened.
He sighed. “I don’t know, babe. I’m sorry.”
“Where’s your clubhouse?”
He gave me directions. It was back in St. Paul. A far drive when someone was tailing you.
I bit my lower lip. “Maybe I should just go to the police station.”
“He’ll take off right away if you do that.”
“Isn’t that the point?” I asked dryly.
“It’ll just take care of the problem for a short time. We need to deal with this guy once and for all. Now, I know you’re scared. Just remember that he’s on a bike and you’re in a car. You’ve got the advantage. You’ll be safe as long as you don’t panic.”
It was much too late for that kind of advice. “I’ll try not to, but,” I looked in my rearview mirror at the biker, “I just don’t understand what he wants with me.”
Dom sighed again. “I don’t either. Is he still tailing you?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I’m hanging up and calling Phoenix. Get your ass over to the clubhouse and I promise you’ll be in good hands.”
“Okay.”
Chapter 35
Blade
After confirming that the Gold Vipers had found the safe, Cane had given him information on Peyton Francis, the woman Tarot was supposedly seeing. He’d been instructed to keep an eye on her.
“If Tarot returns and the Gold Vipers are after him, he might show up at this chick’s place,” he’d told him.
And that’s what he’d been doing. And now, Peyton knew she was being followed, and it was scaring the shit out of her.
Blade grinned, despite the fact that he’d fucked up. She wasn’t supposed to have seen him. In fact, she hadn’t even noticed him for quite a while. He’d followed her home from her day job, and then to Olive Garden. Once she’d stepped inside wearing a uniform, he called the restaurant and asked if Peyton was working.
“Yes, she actually just got here,” said the woman on the phone. “Did you need to speak with her?”
“No. I just want to make sure she’s working. She’s a great waitress. My wife and I always request to be seated in her section. What time does she work until, so that we don’t miss her?”
“She’ll be here until close,” said t
he woman.
“Thanks.”
So, he’d left for a few hours and then returned to the restaurant, just before closing time. After she finished her shift, he followed her to Target; that’s when he’d fucked up and had gotten too close. To make matters worse, he’d followed her outside, knowing very well that it might freak her out.
And it had.
But, he couldn’t help himself. He loved the thrill of scaring people, particularly women. It was almost better than an orgasm, especially when there was a chase involved. And, because she was now turning and heading away from home, obviously scared, it looked like there might be one. As much as he knew it was going to piss Cane off, he couldn’t stop himself. Besides, if Peyton disappeared, it would only cause more turbulence in the club, as far as he could see. If his Old Lady went missing, the shit would really hit the fan, and Tarot would be on his own. Especially now that Phoenix had found the safe.
Unfortunately, he’d taken his motorcycle. He didn’t have the Blood Angels’ van and knew that she was probably heading to a police station. So, Blade turned down the next road while she continued straight.
Forty-five minutes later, he was in Cottage Grove. As he shut off the bike, Cane stepped outside of the farmhouse and walked up to him.
“What’s up, brother?” he asked, smoking a cigarette.
“I need the van,” Blade said.
“For what?”
“I can’t keep following her with my Hog. She’s going to realize what I’m doing.”
He nodded. “I suppose. The keys are under the visor. The van is parked in the barn.”
“Thanks.”
“Any sign of Tarot yet?”
“Nah.”
Cane dropped his cigarette and put it out with his boot. “Okay. Keep me posted.”
***
Blade stopped at Walgreens and purchased some duct tape. Afterward, he drove back toward Peyton’s house. Before pulling up her street, he turned off his headlights, and then drove slowly through the neighborhood, noting that everyone’s lights were out, including hers. He parked the van, the next street over, and snuck back over to Peyton’s on foot. From there, he crept into the backyard and noticed that there was a light on upstairs.
Luring the Biker (The Biker) Book 7 Page 13
