by Dale Mayer
“I sure as hell hope so.”
Borg came from the other side of the room. “Let me check.”
But Morgan got there first, snatching up the gun and holding it downward at the ready just in case. Borg shook his head. “I’m no danger to you.”
“It’s been a really tough week,” Morgan said. Jazz walked to his side. She bent down and checked Perl. “There’s no pulse.”
There was a commotion outside the front door. Jazz looked at Borg. “You better run while you can.”
He studied her for a long moment, then looked over at Morgan. As if waiting.
Morgan nodded. Saying a final goodbye to another stage of his life. “Just don’t come back. Ever.”
One curt nod, and Borg slipped out back like the ghost he was. Jazz stared into the shadows he’d disappeared into. “Surely the cops would have men around back, wouldn’t they?”
“Oh, I think so. But he can’t blame us for that.”
The front door opened. “Morgan?”
“It’s all clear. Perl is down.”
Men streamed in, strong flashlights lighting the room. Jazz stood up and looked around. “Roxy!” She raced over to her friend crumpled on the floor by the reception desk. “Someone help her, please.”
There were paramedics at Roxy’s side before she made it to her friend. “She’s alive. Looks like she was hit over the back of the head.”
Jazz stood in the middle of the room, wrapped in Morgan’s arms, tears dripping down her cheeks as the place swung into organized chaos.
“It’s over. Roxy will be okay.”
Jazz nodded. “Thank God. I just wonder if I ever will be again.”
“You will. It’s just going to take time.”
*
And now for the first time since this mess started, he knew they’d have the time. The time to heal. The time to forgive. The time to love.
There was a lot to mull over. A lot of questions still, but hopefully they could get answers. A lot to explain to the police. A lot for the police to explain to them.
Given the people that were here when they arrived, he assumed that Borg had been Roxy’s date tonight. How unfortunate for her, but then Borg would have done almost anything to get his money. And had he disappeared for good? Or did the police already have him in custody? After this mess, his crimes would keep him behind bars for years to come.
He held Jazz close as she watched the men work on Roxy. The two women would need each other after this mess. Finding a viper in their nest would be hard on anyone.
His brother’s murder had been solved and maybe it was wrong, but he couldn’t be sorry about the outcome. He was saved from having to deal with a murder trial and rehashing his brother’s life. Much better to be able to make peace and move on.
Into a future he – they – could now look forward to.
Roxy was being loaded onto a stretcher and pushed out to the waiting ambulance.
He bent and whispered, “Do you want to go to the hospital to be with her?”
Jazz looked at him, her eyes overly bright with tears, and said, “Yes, please.”
“Come on. Let’s go. I’ll tell the police where they can find us.”
She winced. “I guess we still have to face that, don’t we?”
“Yes, but the good news is – it will soon be over. And we can get back to living a normal life. Just the two of us, forever.”
“Promise?” she whispered as she stared up at him.
He smiled, reached up, and stroked her lips, loving that she kissed his finger at the same time. “I promise.”
This concludes Part 3 of Biker Blues: Morgan.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Biker Blues: Morgan, Part 3! If you enjoyed the book, please take a moment and leave a short review here.
Dear reader,
I love to hear from readers, and you can contact me at my website: www.dalemayer.com or at my Facebook author page. To be informed of new releases and special offers, sign up for my newsletter. And if you are interested in joining my street team, here is the Facebook sign up page.
Cheers,
Dale Mayer
Next is the preview of SKIN. Turn the page to read the preview. After the preview are blurbs of other books and my book list.
SKIN
A journey of exploration…
A journey of healing…
A journey of love…
Two people are forced by circumstances into a therapy class to help them deal with their problems. They are strangers. Forced to be partners. Naturally opposites.
Kane is dealing with anger of betrayal at the deepest level, needing to find his way back to forgiveness. Tania is a previous rape victim hoping to deal with her fear of intimacy so she can have a loving relationship.
Tania’s medium of expression – her camera.
Her subject – the human body – Kane’s physical body.
Looking through the lens of a camera, she learns to find beauty and compassion…and the strength to find wholeness…with him.
To Read a Preview of SKIN turn the page
SKIN is available!
Chapter 1
Tania took her seat in the small room. She was early, and the seminar room in was empty. She liked to arrive early in class, because it gave her time to settle before things got started.
She’d been in similar scenarios before. She could do this; again and again, if she had to. Using the meditation tricks she learned, she practiced her deep-breathing techniques to ease back the stress threatening to choke the breath from her body. Therapy was good for her. She was getting better. She could do this.
This particular program was special, a university workshop type of thing. Intensive. Invasive. Guaranteed to help bring about change.
She could do this.
Liar. She so sucked at this.
She stared out the large windows, her nerves raw, hot. Morning sunshine shone through the curtains, giving a muted look to the bright light. Kind of like her own life. As if she were living only a shade of the life she could be.
And that was precisely what she was doing.
Several other attendees entered and took their seats. Special group, special problems, and they’d all signed up to do this willingly; had even paid for it. More than that, once committed there was no quitting. They were all students here at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. They were all associated in one way or another with the professor who’d be leading this week-long session. She was friends with one of the participants and recognized most of the others from Jenna’s lectures on internal healing.
In her case, her best friend had paid the hefty deposit to hold Tania’s place while she convinced her to get help. Five days in a hotel at the edge of campus. Workshops in the mornings, assignments in the afternoons and therapy sessions dotted the rest of the evening. Even those who lived locally weren’t allowed to leave at the end of the day; it was all-inclusive. She wished it were otherwise, and then she could return to her normal life instead of this intensive, no-hiding type of session. Which was, of course, the purpose of the seminar.
She was scared, but she was more scared of staying caught in this limbo forever.
It was stupid. She shouldn’t need help. Not after all this time. It had happened years ago. She should be over this.
But the sad fact was – she wasn’t. And if she didn’t do something about it, her life would never go in the direction she wanted it to go. Her dream of a small house and white picket fence with the perfect two kids was never going to happen if she didn’t find a way to let a man into her bedroom. Sure, she thought moodily, I could adopt. She had actually seriously considered it.
But she wanted the loving relationships she saw so many of her friends enjoying. And to get there, she had to heal herself first. So not easy.
She smiled as her friend, Robin, came in and sat down beside her. Robin said, “Hi. How are you doing this week?”
Tania smiled wider. �
��Fine. As long as I avoid men, as usual.”
“Ha.” Robin grinned. “Defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”
“It’s what I can do.” Tania shrugged. “Leaving that safety net is not easy.”
“I hear you.” Robin settled in beside her. Tania’s scars were inside, but Robin’s were outside. She had been in a horrible accident and was dealing with reconstructive surgery and the fact that she might never be ‘normal’. She had trouble going out in public and had barricaded herself in a secular life of school. Robin was here to deal with her fears and how she looked now and to find the strength to get out in public where she’d be ridiculed and stared at. After children had run from her screaming in a park almost a year ago, she’d gone home. And stayed home. It had become the safe haven that she didn’t want to leave, but that also made it a prison. She had to force herself to go to class. Had to force herself to come to this seminar.
Tania understood.
They were all here to deal with issues – big issues. Whatever issues stopped them from living full lives. Their professor was a special woman who’d walked their path and had healed herself. Now, she was on a journey to help others do the same.
Just then, several men walked in, loud and boisterous. There was just something about that big, dominant energy as it filled the small, casual lounge. It was the same three men that had arrived as a group last night, the first day of the seminar, and the same way they arrived at Jenna’s classes on campus. Every week, the quiet disappeared, and Tania and Robin became even quieter. This wasn’t a normal therapy group; she’d been to those. This one demanded a commitment to complete the session and participation at all times. There was homework, assignments that forced participants to step out of their comfort zone.
Everyone knew something about each other, but the details had been offered at the discretion of the person. They were all here for a week. One week. Working together, pairing up for various assignments.
She could do this.
Then he walked in and sat down beside her.
Her stomach dropped and her blood heated. She could hardly breathe. She straightened and shifted ever so slightly closer to Robin like she always did. Like a moth to a flame, she knew better than to get any closer to Kane, a huge muscled guy that seemed too rough and…angry for her to be safe. But, just like the moth, the attraction went at the cellular level and she was helpless to resist.
God, she wanted him.
And she’d never wanted a man in her life.
He terrified her. She wanted to want a small man. Someone her size. Someone…she’d have a chance to escape from if he turned abusive. Someone gentle, tender, understanding.
Kane oozed strength, power, bitterness.
Not at all what she wanted. Or needed.
Kane crossed his arms, his muscles bulging beside her. She shuddered. How could she want to stroke her fingers across his skin at the same time that she wanted to run away from him? He could pound her into the ground with one punch. Why? Why would her body want anything to do with him? It made no sense.
And only reinforced that she was crazy.
“Ah, Tania? Can you move back over slightly?” Robin gave her a concerned look then nudged her shoulder and, using her chin, pointed to Tania’s half-empty seat.
Tania realized she’d damn near crawled into Robin’s chair with her; she was that close. With a sideways glance at Kane, Tania flushed and settled back into place. “Sorry,” she whispered to Robin.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Two voices said the same thing.
She wanted to yell ‘snap’, that silly remnant from her childhood, but was too busy staring in surprise at Kane. He gave her a stone-faced look. She’d never considered how her constant avoidance of him must look. He was no monster; in fact, he was stunning – to her. He had a lean face full of angles and planes. She thought of granite when she contemplated him. Strong. Infallible. Unyielding.
She had no basis for such an assessment. She didn’t know him outside of seeing him the odd time in Jenna’s classes. They were of a similar age, she thought, but he seemed older. It was his demeanor; slightly off-putting in that he almost always had a sneer on his face. As if he was here under duress, but he didn’t truly belong.
But then, she’d been like that in her last therapy class. That she wasn’t now meant she’d grown a little. Maybe he just needed a bit more time. Accepting one had a problem was a hell of a start – and often the most difficult step.
He might not want to see himself as one of the participants here that needed help, but that’s what he was. And being here meant he had issues regardless of his attitude. So he was no better than she was.
But his attitude needed some adjusting if he was going to get any benefit from the class. And considering the money he’d dumped into this, he’d better.
She couldn’t help but wonder at his story. That he had a chip on his shoulder was obvious, and that there was that thin layer of bitterness just below the surface. She had to think relationships were involved. From what she’d seen, there were some pretty screwed-up people in the world, and those here for this session had taken a hit from some of the worst.
It had been good for her to come here and see she wasn’t alone in dealing with her problems, or that her problems were by no means the worst. One of the men was young, like nineteen…maybe. Or possibly younger, considering the sparse bristles on his chin. He had a raunchy humor and dead eyes. Another, Sean, was tall and lanky and seemed seriously-old on the inside. He both scared her and struck a deep cord of sympathy inside. He’d been horribly abused by his mother for years before she finally OD’d on drugs, and he’d been left with a legacy of pain.
And like so many others here, he’d been working on his healing for years. He hoped this retreat would get rid of his last stumbling block.
Tania wasn’t so sure it would be. Or that it could be. That look in his eye…
She shuddered, grateful she’d come as far as she had.
Now if only she could kick this fear and go all the way. Yet another school idiom that made her want to chuckle. What was wrong with her? It was as if she had a delayed teenage-hood. Maybe she had. She certainly hadn’t spent it dreaming over movie stars or giggling in groups waiting for the special guys to walk by.
The door opened, admitting Jenna Price, their professor and therapist. She was a mix of ruthless compassion and steely resolve. She was determined that everyone here get something useful from this session. They weren’t randomly accepted into this workshop; there had been a long list, which grew even longer every term, apparently. Money hadn’t been the only criteria. The problems you were dealing with had to be something she felt would work in a group setting and that she could help you move past. That the other participants could help you to deal with your issues, too. She wasn’t about everyone getting along, more about how the interaction would work to benefit everyone involved.
Jenna walked to the empty chair, her hand wrapped around a large china mug with a lid. She was a tea drinker. Apparently, at any time and any place she could always be seen with the mug. She was a stately woman, anywhere from her late thirties to mid forties. Tania had no idea, just that she appeared to be competent. Now if only she held that magical key to getting Tania’s life back on track…
“Good morning.” Jenna placed the mug on the floor beside her. “Last night was basic. Today, we are going to get into the nitty-gritty stuff, and you are going to hurt. It’s hard dealing with the issues we don’t want to look at. It’s painful to step out of our padded cloud and deal honestly and openly with what needs to be dealt with.” She cast that warm but determined gaze around the room. “Remember, none of you are here by accident. You came because you want to deal with something, and you want change for yourself. Today is Day 1. You will have changed by Day 5; I guarantee it.” Her gaze landed on Tania and Robin, a slight softening warming her chocolate-brown eyes. “We’ll be working together as a group all morning. But after lunch,
you will be put into groups of two with your week-long assignment.”
Week-long assignment? That was the first Tania had heard anything about that. As long as it was in pairs, she was probably okay with that. She could work with Robin. That would most likely suit both of them.
Taking a deep breath, Tania turned her attention back to the morning’s work.
A long time later, Jenna opened a folder she’d brought with her and handed out sheets of paper to everyone. “This is the outline of the assignment. You will be given all afternoon every day for the rest of the week to work on this, with my help if need be. But let’s make no mistake here: the assignment is not a cerebral one. Each of you must deal with people, the public, and yourselves for this to work.”
A small knot of dread formed in Tania’s stomach as she realized how very difficult such an assignment could be. Poor Robin; she’d have the worst time with this. Already, Tania’s mind was wandering, looking for ways to make it easier on her, and came to a full stop. No. That was not the answer. She’d be enabling Robin. Better for her to deal with the issues that surfaced than to have Tania automatically assume she couldn’t do it.
Tania would have her hands full herself.
She accepted the sheet of paper from Robin and handed the last one over to the silent Kane. At least he’d lost the bored look. She studied his body language, seeing him sit a little straighter and lock his jaw. He wasn’t as comfortable as he was putting on.
Interesting. So, control was important to him. She filed that tidbit away and turned her attention back to class. Jenna had been taking pairs of people off to one side and speaking with them privately. She’d watched as Robin and the abused young male walked out of the room together. Tania was surprised at the compassion on Robin’s face. And on Sean’s. What was going on?
She turned her attention back to the paper in her hand. The project was intended to push her out of her comfort zone while being within the scope of what she needed to learn to do. Given the private nature of her problem, she really didn’t want to have to do anything really uncomfortable. It would be embarrassing and potentially crippling. As another pair of attendees left the room, she realized Jenna was speaking to two more. Leaving her and Kane.
