“Thanks. So,” I leaned over to put them on, “I imagine you’re used to seeing half-naked women and men coming through here.”
“Pretty much.”
“Perks of the job?”
“I get a lot more guys than women, so it’s not usually a perk,” he replied, scratching his chin with a smile. “Today was definitely an anomaly.”
I smiled. My cell phone went off and I groaned inwardly.
It had to be Millie.
It was late and I hadn’t called her. I loved the woman, but she was far too overprotective.
I picked up my purse and reached inside, muting the ringer. “So, we’ll finish this up on Monday?” I asked, looking back at Jayce.
“Yeah. I should be here around six.”
“Okay, I’ll be here. Let me give you my number, in case something changes. My new number.”
“Sounds good.”
I gave it to him and then pulled out my wallet. “So, how much do I owe you again?”
“Let’s not worry about it until Monday.”
I had to admit, I was surprised he wasn’t collecting on it now. He’d put a lot of hours into it and if I really wanted to, I could walk away and be totally satisfied with the way it was now. But, I wanted Andrew’s name on it. I also wanted to find out more about the club.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” I put my wallet away. “I suppose I’d better get going then.”
He yawned. “It’s late. Let me walk you to your car.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
We walked out of the shop and he accompanied me to my vehicle. The parking lot was completely empty.
“No club gatherings tonight?”
He shook his head. “Nah. Thursdays are usually pretty quiet here. At least lately.”
“I’ve never been in a biker clubhouse before,” I said, looking back at the building. “Or a party.”
He smiled. “That’s probably a good thing.”
“Why?”
“Because you’d probably be claimed by now.”
“Claimed?”
“Someone would want you as their woman. You’re pretty… special.”
Chapter 27
Jayce
I’D WANTED TO say “hot”, but it would have made me sound like a punk. From the smile on her face, I guessed I’d made the right choice.
“Thank you. That’s sweet,” she replied, her cheeks flushing.
“It’s the truth. Anyway,” I leaned back against the counter. “My club is having a party tomorrow night. You want to come?”
“Aren’t you going out of town?”
“If I do, it’ll be Saturday morning. We don’t have to stay very late. I just figured since you’ve never been to one before, this would be the perfect opportunity.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“I should warn you, though, this one could get a little crazy. You’ll be with me, though. You won’t have to worry about anything.”
“Okay. Are they having it here?”
“No. This one is going to be at a farmhouse in Chisago. We needed more room because some of the other chapters will be showing up. It should be a pretty big bash.”
“Sounds like fun.”
I nodded. “Why don’t you give me the address to where you’re staying and I’ll pick you up?”
“Why don’t I just meet you here, instead?”
I smirked. “You don’t want me to know where you’re staying, do you?”
She snorted. “That’s not it. I’m actually just up the road at a motel. I’d rather not leave my car parked there unattended for too long—not that it’s worth stealing. Last night there were some shifty characters in the parking lot, drinking and partying. I could see one of them deciding to take it for a joy-ride, because I’d ignored them when they tried talking to me.”
“This definitely isn’t the best area.” I didn’t like the idea of her staying at some shitty motel, but knew if I offered her my sofa, she wouldn’t take it. “Maybe I should follow you back there tonight, so you don’t get hassled by anyone?”
It took her a few seconds to answer; I thought she was going to refuse, or make up some other excuse, but then she nodded. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“I’ll lock up the shop and then we can go.”
“Okay.”
THE MOTEL WAS definitely a dump. I followed her to the parking lot, and sure enough, there were two cars parked near her room, surrounded by punks. I recognized one of them, a guy named Sharpy. He was a knucklehead drug-dealer who wasn’t even supposed to be in the area. Phoenix had warned him before about selling on our streets and Sharpy had promised to stay away. Apparently, he’d forgotten all about it.
Normally, I didn’t deal with guys like him unless I was armed. Although I kept a pistol in my truck, I didn’t carry one on me. But the hell if I was gonna drive away without checking on him.
I parked my Hog next to Candi’s car and shut it off. As I got off of my bike, I could see Sharpy and his five friends watching me warily. They were listening to loud music, and from what I could tell, passing around a small pipe.
I nodded to Sharpy and he nodded back.
“See what I mean?” whispered Candi after she got out of her car. “I mean, who parties in a motel parking lot?”
“Losers. They hassled you last night?”
“Just some catcalls. Nothing serious.”
I looked over at the group again; they were still watching us silently. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
“Okay.”
I followed Candi to the door and she unlocked it. She flipped on the lights and then turned around to face me.
“So, what time should I meet you at the shop tomorrow night?” she asked.
“I’m picking you up here.”
Her eyebrows knitted together. “But, what about them? What if they mess with my car?”
I knew her car wasn’t of any interest to the likes of them. If she owned a Mercedes or something worth selling, then I’d have been worried.
“It will be fine. How about I pick you up at eight?”
“How do you know it will be fine?” she replied, frowning.
“Because I’m going to talk to them.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Relax. They know who I’m associated with and wouldn’t dare make a move.”
She bit her lower lip, not looking very convinced.
“You worry too much,” I tapped her bottom lip with my finger with a smile, letting it linger there. “Now”—I moved my finger from her lip and traced it along her smooth jawline—“go and get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Her eyes widened. “O… okay.”
“Would you mind if I kissed you?” I whispered. “I want them to think you’re my girl. That way, they’ll for sure leave you alone.”
“Um, sure,” she said, running her tongue along her bottom lip.
My pants immediately felt like they’d shrunk two sizes as I pulled her into my arms and kissed her softly. At first, Candi was rigid, but she slowly relaxed and slid her arms around my neck.
Hungry for more, I deepened the kiss and after a few seconds, she seemed to be into it as much as I was. Unfortunately, the punks in the parking lot began whistling and howling, ruining the moment.
I let her go reluctantly.
“I guess that worked,” she said, her cheeks flushed.
“Apparently. Thanks for playing along.”
She smiled.
“I’d better go. Goodnight, Candi.”
“Goodnight, Jayce.”
She shut the door and I waited to hear the lock engage before I walked over to Sharpy.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, looking nervous.
“Not much. Aren’t you a little far from home?”
His eyes hardened. “I’m just visiting my buddy, John,” he said, nodding toward the guy standing across from him.
I looked at John. “You staying at this motel?”
John, who was tall, skinny, and looked a little nervous himself, nodded.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow night,” he replied.
“Do me a favor and keep an eye on my girl’s car. You see anybody fucking with it, or her, you get ahold of me,” I said firmly.
The guys all nodded.
“How do we get in touch with you?” asked John.
“He’s a prospect for the Gold Vipers, dumbass,” Sharpy said, spitting out a wad of chewing tobacco. “I told you that. See his cut?”
“You just have to get a message to my clubhouse,” I said to him. “Sharpy knows where it is.”
“Okay,” John said.
“Thanks.” I looked at Sharpy. “I’ll let Phoenix and Tarot know you said hi.”
Sharpy gave me a dirty look. “Why? I’m not doing anything wrong here. Just visiting. I’m not dealing.”
“So, you don’t want me to tell them that you said, hello? That’s kind of rude, isn’t it?” I replied with a smirk.
“You know what I mean,” he mumbled.
“I know exactly what you mean, but you’re in Gold Viper territory and if memory serves me right, you’re banned from this area. Now, I’ll tell them you said hi and if they ask if you were dealing, I’ll tell them the truth, which is I didn’t see anything. Maybe they’ll leave it at that. Maybe they won’t. But, if I were you, I’d make myself scarce.”
He glared at me.
I looked back at John. “Around here, it’s important to know who your friends are and who they aren’t. Stay out of trouble and you might even make some new ones.”
He nodded.
I looked at the other three guys, who were silent. I didn’t recognize any of them. “You all have a good night.”
“You, too,” they each replied.
I turned to head back to my bike when I noticed Candi peeking through the curtains. As I swung my leg over my Hog, I smiled at her. She smiled back and closed the curtain.
Chapter 28
Ava
I DON’T KNOW what Jayce said to the guys in the parking lot, but soon after he pulled away, they took off.
Relieved, I called Millie and apologized for not answering and for calling her back so late again.
“It’s okay. You’re a busy girl. I understand.”
“You have no idea.”
“You work too hard. How long are you going to be away?”
“A week or two. It might be longer. It’s hard to say.”
“I hope you find time to relax so you don’t overwork yourself.”
“I do.”
“Good.”
“By the way, I’m going to a production party tomorrow night,” I said to her. “So, I probably won’t call you until Saturday.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun. I’m glad you’re able to enjoy yourself a little out there.”
I thought of Jayce’s kiss, which admittedly, I’d enjoyed the hell out of. “Yeah, me, too.”
We talked a little longer and then hung up.
Yawning, I headed to the bathroom, removed my makeup and changed into an oversized T-shirt. As I got into bed, my mind lingered on the kiss we’d shared. It had been unexpected and had taken my breath away. The man certainly knew his way around a woman’s mouth and I started to wonder if he was just as talented with the female body, too.
Reminding myself that he was associated with the enemy, I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I dreamed that I was Jayce’s girl, riding on the back of his bike and happy to be there. At first, it was all good, but then his club surrounded and then tore us apart. At one point, they were threatening to kill Jayce for being with me, and that’s when I awoke.
Relieved that it was just a dream, I turned to look at the clock and saw that it was almost nine a.m. I crawled out of bed, used the bathroom, and then prepared for my shower. I took the bandage off carefully and saw that the skin under my tattoo was still very pink. After taking a cool shower, I followed Jayce’s instructions by drying the tattoo carefully and then putting the moisturizer on. I then put on a two-piece bikini with a pair of loose-fitting black cotton capris and a midriff T-shirt, featuring Tweety Bird on my boobs. I wound my hair up into a messy bun, grabbed the car keys, and left my room.
The weather was perfect. The sun was shining and almost eighty degrees. Humming to myself, I got into the car and drove to a bagel shop a couple miles away. I bought myself something to eat, a along with a cold-pressed coffee. Not knowing what else to do with my time before meeting up with Peyton, I stopped at a bookstore. Remembering that Jayce liked fantasy books, I headed over in that direction, and after a few minutes of searching, found The Hobbit. Although I’d never read it or had seen any of the movies, I decided to give it a try. It would give us something to talk about later.
After buying the book, I went to a nearby park and began to read. Admittedly, it wasn’t the easiest book to get into. Especially for one who wasn’t into reading to being with. But, I forced myself not to give up.
About an hour later, when I was actually starting to enjoy the book, I received a text on my new cell phone.
It was Jayce.
He asked me about my tattoo and then after I answered him, apologized for forcing me kiss him.
You didn’t make me, I typed back, thinking it was kind of sweet. Besides, it was for a good cause.
Jayce: I agree. It was also a good kiss.
Me: I thought so.
Jayce: I might have to do it again at the party tonight. Just to make sure you’re left alone by other guys.
I grinned.
Me: If you think it will help.
Jayce: Definitely.
He sent me a devil emoji, which made me smile again. I was about to flirt back, when I caught myself. As much as I was enjoying the banter between us, and the kiss, it was dangerous. I couldn’t let myself get too comfortable or I’d fall for him. And, from the butterflies in my stomach, I was already heading in that direction.
Me: Have a good day at work.
Jayce: Thanks. What are you up to on this beautiful day?
I told him that I was in a park and reading The Hobbit.
Jayce: Cool? How’s it going?
I admitted that it was hard to read, but I was still enjoying it. He then asked if I’d seen the movies and I told him I hadn’t.
Jayce: I have the entire series. We should watch it together.
Me: Sure.
He sent a happy face and then told me he had to get back to work.
Me: See you at eight.
Jayce: Looking forward to it.
I put my phone away, frustrated that I was giddy about seeing him later. Almost like a love-struck teenager. He was definitely getting under my skin and I couldn’t have that. I picked up the book and started reading again, determined to take my mind off of Jayce.
A couple hours later, I was stiff from sitting on the bench, my side was aching where the tattoo was, and the park was getting crowded. Kids were racing around and laughing and screaming. Not that I disliked children, but it was hard to concentrate.
I closed the book, headed to my car, and ended up at a nearby mall. As I was walking by one of the shops, enjoying an ice-cream cone, a summery, wrap-style dress caught my eye. It was white with yellow flowers and spaghetti straps. Flowy and cute and maybe even a little sexy. I finished my cone, tried on the dress, and purchased it for the party.
Chapter 29
Jayce
I FINISHED WORK early again and headed to the clubhouse for a meeting.
“You all know that Tank, Raptor, and some of the others are coming down here for the party tonight, so it should be a kickass time. Even better, Doug’s Smokehouse is catering it for free, which is pretty fucking generous. Especially knowing how much you fuckers eat,” Phoenix said after calling the meeting to order.
Doug’s Smokehouse was some of the best barbecue in the state, so it put smiles on all of our face
s.
“As far as booze goes, you want some, you bring your own bottle. There will be beer supplied, of course. I’ve ordered four kegs, which should be enough.” He looked at me. “I need someone to bring ’em out to the farm before the party starts. You up for it?”
I groaned inwardly but couldn’t refuse. “Yeah,” I said. “Can I deliver them around seven?”
He nodded. “That’s fine. Bring one of the other prospects, too.”
I sighed in relief. I wanted enough time to pick up Candi and already couldn’t wait to see her again. All day long she’d been on my mind. I thought it was cute how she’d started reading The Hobbit.
Knowing that she wasn’t sure about staying in Minnesota or traveling on, I pulled Tarot aside after the meeting about getting Candi a job. He owned Wild River Saloon and was always in need of good waitresses.
“I’ll hire her if you think she’d do well,” he said and then lowered his voice. “By the way, Peyton mentioned that Candi called her yesterday. She wants to look at some houses. She’s meeting her at five.”
That surprised me, especially since she hadn’t mentioned it. I was stoked, though. I definitely wanted to see more of her.
“Sweet. I hope she finds something. She’s staying at this shitty motel. Incidentally, I ran into Sharpy.” I told him about our conversation.
Tarot’s face darkened. “He’d better not be dealing his shit over here.”
“He said he wasn’t, but you never know.”
He leaned back and got that faraway look in his eyes. “I think he might be up to no good, regardless. I’m going to have a little talk with him next week. In the meantime, if you see him again, let me know.”
“Will do.”
“And, don’t tell Peyton or Candi that I mentioned anything about house-hunting. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
Destroying the Biker (Book 8): (The Biker Series ) Page 11
