by Marla Monroe
Irish kissed her temple. “Tell us what happened. Who is bothering you?”
“About a year ago, this man started calling me on my work number.” She rubbed her face. “I need to explain how it works. They choose someone they want to talk to based on web pages that explain their specialty. Some of the girls specialize in what they call daddy’s girls and some in domination and things like that. I don’t really specialize in anything. Just straight I guess. Anyway, they choose and call in to that number using the pin and they are connected to me through the system. They don’t have my number or anything and can’t trace the call, or so I thought, but evidently he’s somehow figured out who I am and is calling me on my personal phone now.”
“A good hacker can find their way through any system no matter how secure they think it is. I should know,” Turk said. He sighed.
“So, he’s never called your private number until today, right?” Irish asked.
“No. Only my work number. As soon as he calls, I hang up and get the company to block that number so he can’t use that one to call me again. He’s been buying disposable phones to call me so that he can keep bothering me. I don’t understand why he hates me so much. What have I ever done to him?”
“Nothing. He’s crazy and using you as his crutch. For some weird reason, he’s focusing on you. It’s not your fault, Piper,” Turk assured her.
“I don’t know what to do. Now that he has my personal cell number he knows where I am. I’m sure of it. He’ll come after me.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’ll have to go through us to get to you, babe. We’re not letting anything happen to you. The Ghost Riders will keep you safe.” Turk kissed her forehead.
“Why? I’m not one of your women. Sure, I’m Jessie's and Ginger’s friend, but why would you put them at risk for me?” she asked, looking up from one of them to the other.
“Because you’re important to us, Piper. We care about you, and that means the rest of the club will, too. Do you understand?” Irish asked.
“No. We just met a week ago. Why would I be important to you in just a week? You hardly know me.”
“We know all we need to know. You’re great with the other women without treating them badly despite the fact they live with two men. You’re funny, smart, and there’s just something about you that makes us want more with you.” Turk gently kissed the corner of her mouth. “Trust us to take care of you, Piper. We’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t understand how you could want to take risks for me. I like you guys, but we don’t really know each other very well.”
“Do you trust us?” Irish asked.
“Yeah. Actually, I do. I trust Jessie and Ginger, and they trust you, so I do. I like both of you, but I still can’t understand why you’d risk yourselves for me.”
“Just trust us, Piper. Let us help you. We’ll get you through this and see where this”—Turk indicated the space between them—“leads. I know where I want it to go, but you have to be ready for it, as well.” Turk squeezed the back of her neck before pulling her into his arms where he had her rest her head on his shoulder.
Irish brushed away her tears then kissed the top of her head. “Come here. You need a nap to relax after that. Give Turk your phone, and he can start working on it to see if he can find anything out about the caller.”
Piper handed over her phone then let Irish remove her shoes and tuck her into his side as they lay on the bed. Turk watched as his cousin stroked their woman’s hair and murmured in her ear before he took the phone and walked out of the room to see what he could dig up on the number the bastard had used to call Piper.
* * * *
Piper slowly came awake feeling safe and well rested. Then it all came crashing down on her again as reality smashed her in the gut. She started to jump up, but a warm body kept her still as Irish spoke.
“Easy, Piper. You’re safe. No one is going to get you. Just relax.”
“I need to get up. I’ve got to make plans.” She wasn’t sure what kind of plans, but she needed to do something instead of sleeping like she had all the time in the world.
“Leave the planning to us, babe. Turk and I have your back. Just relax. If you’re ready to get up, we can go see what he’s managed to dig up,” he said.
“I don’t want you guys mixed up in this. I don’t know what he’s capable of. He’s been stalking me for months now.”
“He can’t do anything we haven’t handled before, Piper. None of us would ever allow anything to happen to you. Turk’s already talked to the others, and they agree that you’re one of us and we will all stand for you.”
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me, Irish. What if he goes after Jessie or one of the other women?”
“We’ll take care of it. Now go freshen up and we’ll see what Turk’s dug up. He’s the best when it comes to hacking. If someone’s hacked into the system you work from, he’ll be able to track it.”
Piper rubbed her hands over her face and nodded. What else could she do at this point? They’d decided they were going to help her. She’d see where it went, and if necessary, she’d run to keep them all safe. For now, all she could do was see what they’d uncovered and if her stalker was closer than she’d imagined.
After washing her face and running her fingers through her hair, Piper joined Irish in the main room, where several of the other women were sitting and chatting. As soon as she walked over to the couch, Jessie jumped up and grabbed her in a fierce hug.
“Are you okay? Why didn’t you tell us you were in trouble? You know we would have helped you, Piper. You’re our friend.” Jessie hugged her again then popped her on the back of the head. “Idiot.”
“Ow. I don’t want anyone to end up hurt because of me, Jessie. You’ve all got so much going on. You don’t need my troubles.”
“They’re our troubles now. Stop it. You’re one of my best friends. I’d never turn my back on you, and the guys won’t either. We’ll stop this asshole from bothering you. They’ll make sure he never bothers you again. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises like that, Jessie. We don’t know where he is or what he’s capable of. I’m worried about all of you if you’re tied to me.” Piper sighed.
“Too late. You’re already one of us. Irish and Turk have claimed you as theirs. They won’t allow anything to happen to you,” Raven told her.
“What? Theirs? I don’t understand.”
“They care about you and plan to make you their woman. I’m sure I’m spilling secrets, but they’ll get around to talking to you about it once all of this is behind you. Just know that we all have your back.” Jessie squeezed her again. “Better go with Irish and find out if they need more information from you to track this asshole down.”
Piper allowed Irish to tug her free of the women and hold her hand as he led her back to their office. When she walked in with Irish at her back, it was to find Turk and Reese talking as they reviewed whatever Turk had pulled up on the monitor.
“How’s it going?” Irish asked as he settled Piper in his chair.
“Well, I’ve tracked the hack back to the hacker. He’s someone I’ve dealt with in the past. He isn’t wanting to give up his customer, but I’m tearing through his programming to find it myself. It will mean time and money for him if he doesn’t relent soon. I’m trashing it as I go.” Turk tapped on the keyboard as he peered hard at the lines of code on the monitor.
Piper was sure she could read most of it if she were close enough, but at that point, she didn’t much care. She was so tired of being afraid and too scared to log into her account to work.
“How did you trace him to the hacker?” she finally asked.
“Hacked into your account. Used your laptop, Piper. Sorry, but we needed to figure out how he found you.”
“Oh…my…God. You’ve read through my profile on there, haven’t you?” She covered her face with both hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”
>
“Don’t be. You’re sexy as hell. I can’t wait to hear that voice talking dirty to me one day soon,” Turk told her.
“Not fair. I haven’t heard it yet.” Irish kissed Piper’s cheek. “You can give me the first live taste of it later, babe.”
“What have you found out?” Irish asked.
“He lives in Memphis, Tennessee, but I don’t have anything more about him than that so far. Digging through his history to find out more. If the hacker would cooperate with me, I wouldn’t have to trash his code to get what I need on the bastard. I want to be able to trace his cards to see if he’s on the move or not.” Turk continued pecking away as he spoke.
“If he figures out where she lives, we’ll be ready. I’d rather he come here where we can stop this once and for all than for it to continue long distance. I don’t like handling things like this on the road. Too many unknowns that way.” Reese stood up. “I’ll leave you to it. Let me know when you find out anything more.”
Piper watched as the vice president of The Ghost Riders walked out of the office, shutting the door behind him. She couldn’t believe he was so calm about all of it. She’d dragged them into a mess without meaning, too, but it was one.
“Why are you helping me? Really. What would make you guys risk everything just to help me?” she asked.
Turk looked up from the monitor and stared over at Irish before talking. “Because we want you as our woman. I know it’s been a short time, but the moment we saw you and heard you talking to Jessie, we knew you were the one for us. It’s early in the relationship to talk about more, and there’s too much going on to get into it right now, but we care very much for you, Piper. Just leave it at that for now. Okay?”
She shook her head but sighed. “Okay. I guess I can do that. I like you guys a lot, but Jessie said you were making me your woman and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
Irish brushed her hair from her face. “You’ll know when you are. For now, we’ve got your back, and so does the club.”
“I want all of this mess to be over with. I’m so tired of being afraid and never knowing when I answer the phone if it’s going to be him.”
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore. We’re going to find him, and when he’s close enough, we’ll stop him once and for all.”
Piper prayed she could believe them, but she was scared of what might happen if the creepster showed up there. She didn’t want anything to happen to any of the people she cared about. If it came down to it, she’d run and make sure he knew she had.
Chapter Ten
“He’s on the move.” Turk’s voice had Irish jerk his head up from what he was working on.
“How do you know?”
“He used his credit card to buy gas and some snacks at a station in Helena, Arkansas.”
Irish scratched his head. “How long do you think it might take him to get here?”
“Depends on if he takes his time or pushes through. He could be here as soon as tomorrow, or he might break the trip up and get here the day after. It’s only about thirteen hours from Helena.”
“Do we tell Piper?” Irish asked.
“No. The less she has to worry about, the better. I can’t imagine how much pressure she’s been under knowing about this bastard for as long as she has. I don’t want to upset her any more than she already is.”
“Better update Dom and Reese. We all need to be ready.”
“I’ll go do that. Why don’t you spend some time with Piper? It’s just about time for bed. I want her between us even if nothing happens yet. I’m not sure how she’s going to react to that right now.” Turk picked up some papers and followed Irish through the door.
Irish found Piper outside with the other women sitting in the sun and drinking lemonade. Poor River looked exhausted as she rubbed her protruding belly. She was bemoaning how round she’d gotten.
“I tell you there has to be a sumo wrestler in here. He’s huge and bounces around all night long,” she said.
“I can’t wait until I can feel the baby move,” Jessie gushed. “Aren’t you excited the closer it gets?”
“All I’m excited about is getting the little bugger out of me.” She sighed. “Yeah. I’m excited. Just tired. I’m going inside where it’s cooler. It’s too hot out here for me. I think I’ll take a nap.” River stood up with a great deal of effort and walked toward the back door.
Irish kissed her on the side of the head then held the door for her. He chuckled when she groaned. He felt for her. He knew she had to be miserable, but he, along with the rest of the guys, couldn’t wait to have a little one to spoil and teach all about bikes.
“Hey, babe. How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat next to Piper.
“I’m okay. We were just getting some sun. It’s almost too hot to sit outside now though.”
“Dog days of summer are just around the corner,” Irish agreed. “Thought we’d make a run to your place and pick up a few things so you’ll be comfortable here until this all blows over.”
“What? You plan on me staying here?” she asked.
“Of course you’re staying here,” Jessie interrupted. “You’re not staying alone for that creep to find.”
“I…I hadn’t thought about it. I just assumed I’d go back home.”
“Nope. You’re staying here where we can protect you. He’s dangerous, and we’re not taking any chances where your safety is concerned,” Irish told her.
“I don’t know. It will put all of you at risk.” She continued to balk.
“You’re staying here. End of story. Let’s go get you what you need. I want to be back by dark.” Irish grasped her hand and gently tugged on her until she stood up.
He waited while she said goodbye to the others then led her to a truck and helped her up into the cab. They drove to her little apartment where he waited as she packed a few changes of clothes, her toiletries, and her computer gear. He’d urged her to pack anything of value since he was sure the bastard harassing her would go to her apartment first and there was no telling what he might do when he couldn’t find her there.
“This is a lot of stuff for a few days, Irish.”
“If you need it, then you’ll have it. Besides, we plan on your moving in with us permanently once this is all over.” Irish dropped an easy kiss on her forehead. “We told you that we’re serious about you, babe.”
“This is all moving too fast, Irish. I don’t know what to think.”
“Don’t think right now.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You aren’t having your life turned upside down.”
Irish smiled. “I know, but it will all work out in the end. Just go with it for now. Let us worry about everything.”
“I want to believe you.”
“Good, because you can.”
Piper blew her hair from out of her eyes then handed over one of her bags. She kept the one with all of her computer stuff.
“Leave that there. I’ll come back up and get it. I don’t want you to trip and fall with that. You can wait in the truck while I finish loading everything.”
“I’m not helpless, Irish.”
“I know. You’re one of the most independent women I know, but I want to take care of you. Humor me. Okay?”
She stared hard at him for a brief second then nodded. He helped her up into the truck and stowed her things in the back seat before returning to her apartment to place a few well-hidden bugs so they could monitor when the bastard found her apartment. Then he grabbed the last of her things and locked the door behind him.
On the way back to the clubhouse, Irish held on to Piper’s hand. He liked touching her, feeling her warmth beneath his hand. He wanted to show her just how much he and Turk cared about her, wanted her, but she was too uptight right then. Maybe later that night when she was more relaxed.
They made it back just in time for dinner. The women had cooked a huge pot of spaghetti and several loaves of garlic bread. He forked up a salad for h
im and Piper then let Turk serve himself. They all ate, joking and talking about general things as they ate. He watched Piper closely and noted when she finally seemed to let go of the tension that had been a tight knot in the way she’d held her shoulders all day. It loosened the same one in his shoulders to see her finally relax.
He glanced at Turk, and the other man nodded. He’d seen it, too. They would work on getting her to relax just as much between them later that night. He had no intention of seducing her into having sex with them. They just wanted her to let them make her feel good when everything seemed to be crashing down on her. He prayed it would work.
* * * *
Piper was exhausted. Too much had happened in a short amount of time. Knowing that the creepoid who’d been harassing her had managed to get hold of her personal cell number was a heavy weight that she had only been able to shake for a little while during dinner. Now it was back, shackling her to it like a prisoner in a dungeon.
“Tired, babe?” Irish asked her.
“Yeah. I think I’m going to go on to bed. Where do I sleep?” she asked.
“You’re staying where Turk and I can watch over you. We’ll show you.” Irish and Turk stood up and said good-night to everyone at the table. They’d been talking for over an hour once dinner had been over.
“I should help with the dishes,” she said, but Irish pulled her along behind him.
“You can help next time. You’re dead on your feet. Let’s get you in bed.” Turk scooted her along with his hand at her back.
“Where will you guys stay?” she asked when they’d ushered her into the room she’d thought was Irish’s.
“We’re staying with you, babe.” Irish folded back the bed sheets. “There’s no way we’re leaving you without protection.”
“But there isn’t room for all three of us on the bed.”
“Sure there is. You’ll see. Come on. Get out your stuff and go get ready for bed.” Irish handed her the toiletry bag she’d packed.
Piper sighed. She could tell they weren’t going to bend on this. She searched around in her bag for her sleep shirt then walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. It didn’t take her long to get ready for bed, but she hesitated before leaving the bathroom. What would it mean for her to sleep with both men? Did it tell them that she was okay with being their woman? Maybe they needed to talk about it before they climbed into bed. She didn’t want them to get the wrong idea.
