RYKER
MC ROMANCE
Percy Preston
Contents
1. Ryker
2. Anna
3. Ryker
4. Anna
5. Ryker
6. Anna
7. Ryker
8. Anna
9. Ryker
10. Anna
11. Ryker
12. Anna
13. Ryker
14. Anna
15. Ryker
16. Anna
17. Ryker
18. Anna
19. Ryker
20. Anna
Epilogue: Ryker
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This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.
1
Ryker
Sweat trickled down my back. It was one of the hottest days in Coronado, and even the wind from my bike wasn’t enough to cool me off.
I parked my bike and wiped the sweat from my forehead. Glancing over my shoulder, I checked to make sure that no one was watching me. If all went well today, I would get answers.
The old, grimy suburban house I parked near had character, but the grass was overgrown, and the drain pipes were hanging off the side. It looked like it had been abandoned, or maybe the person inside didn’t care about the state of the place anymore.
I made my way around to the back of the house. I needed to get inside without anyone spotting me, but after seeing its terrible shape, I suspected getting in and out undetected would be easy.
I glanced into the murky window, unable to see much apart from the mold collecting at the windowsill. Reaching the backdoor, I fiddled with the lock on the door. It was worn down and weathered, making it easier to break past. It was so worn it tore right out of the frame.
The door creaked open, giving me the green light to head inside. I pulled my gun out of its holster from underneath my jacket and held it close in case there were any surprises.
Lucifer, what’s John got to do with you anyway? It looked like this guy didn’t care about anything if this was the shithole he lived in.
Glancing down at my wrists, I held my gun firmly between my fingers. I caught sight of my tattoos peeking out from underneath my sleeve––my mark that I was a Black Soul. My ink crawled up each of my fingers and stretched out as my finger found the trigger.
I made it into the hallway, the sound of the television droning from the living room. I prepared for chaos, but the house was still. John’s head poked out from the top of the recliner, the remote sitting on the arm rest. I continued to move in.
I thought about how I was going to play this, and shooting first probably wasn’t going to be needed. John wasn’t armed. It concerned me that he didn’t move or react to my entrance. I wasn’t exactly quiet coming through the back door. The floor underneath my black boots creaked, and the back door’s screen slammed hard when I stepped inside.
As I stepped closer, a rancid smell of decaying flesh hit me. Even though I knew he wasn’t going to answer me, I called out to him anyway.
“You going to at least say something, buddy?”
I furrowed my brow and made my way around to the front of the chair. His skin possessed a bluish hue, and his eyes were wide open, a bullet wound right through his skull. He had been dead for a while––the once dripping blood was crusted around the entry wound.
Disappointed I wouldn’t be getting any information from John, I searched the house. I hoped he had something laying around that would point me in the direction of another lead. If Lucifer believed John had something to do with the threats he had been dealing with lately, I had to believe him.
What are you hiding, John? Someone got to him before I did, and I hoped they didn’t run off with the information I needed. Looking around the room, I held my t-shirt over my nose to keep the scent from making me lightheaded. Judging from how bad it was, he had been gone for a few days.
I was there to get information on the people coming after Lucifer, not investigate how John died. Even though things had been quiet around town lately, I knew that wasn’t going to last forever. There had been talk of bikers planning a revolt and taking down the new Black Souls MC President for the way he was commanding the rules around the city. Word spread fast that Lucifer was in charge around these parts, and our enemies didn’t like it.
Lucifer had spotted John talking to a few other bikers outside a bar near the border between Coronado and Tijuana, and he asked me to check him out. He hoped I would find something concrete that would help us figure out who was after Lucifer and why we all still felt so on edge even though we spotted no obvious reasons to be alarmed.
I pulled out my cell phone, dialing Lucifer’s number. He wasn’t going to be happy with the fact that our only lead was dead. I wanted to believe that John’s death had to do with the Black Souls, but something about it rubbed me the wrong way. I had a hunch that there was more to the story.
“Ryker? Did you find anything?” Lucifer’s voice beamed through my phone.
“Your boy John is a dead end.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’s dead,” I said, making my way up the stairs. I stopped every few feet and glanced around to make sure I was alone. The last thing I needed was someone sneaking up on me when I least expected it, especially with a dead guy downstairs.
“That’s not possible. I just saw him a few days ago at the Wise Sidecar. Fuck.” Lucifer’s voice rose, and I could hear his frustration.
“He’s dead, Lucifer. If he had any information about the threats you’ve been getting, we’re going to have to find another way to figure it out. I’m searching the rest of his house, but the place is a pigsty.”
“It’s worth the look. Call me if you find anything,” Lucifer demanded.
“You got it,” I said before he hung up. I stuffed my cell phone back into my pocket, slowly making my way up the stairs.
I found two bedrooms, one that looked untouched, stuffed with unopened boxes, dusty sheets, and old furniture. But the other had to have been John’s room. There were clothes all over the floor, and the place was stuffy. I opened the bedroom window to clear the air and looked around before I started searching for clues.
His keys and his wallet were on the nightstand. I found nothing of value in his wallet and hoped that didn’t mean someone else had already cleaned it out. I dug through the drawers on the nightstand still coming up empty-handed.
Lucifer didn’t tell me much about the conversation he overheard, but judging from how angry he was about it, it was safe to say John knew something that could affect the Black Souls. I wondered if it had anything to do with the missing guns from the warehouse. I had a hunch this had something to do with the Hell Riders MC, but I didn’t want to bring that up to Lucifer without proof. I was pretty sure Lucifer suspected the Hell Ryders as well, but he had gotten colder over the last few months, and I didn’t want to add to his stress. He went through a lot after becoming President, and there wasn’t a day that went by where he wasn’t on edge.
I worried about him, especially after what happened to the Black Souls last President, but I had to trust that everything would work itself out. I trusted Lucifer. Even though I didn’t know all of the details about what was going on, I was getting close to finding out. He would tell me the rest of the story when he was ready
.
The members of the Black Souls had been through enough over the last few months, and Lucifer was doing everything within his power to protect us. Keeping the theft a secret from the full membership was a decision I supported, but I still worried about my friend. Lucifer took on too much himself.
We were all scrambling to make sure that we did everything we could to protect the club, and Lucifer needed to learn how to lean on some of us more. There were still people out there that wanted to hurt the Black Souls, and having more members could help. There was someone out there that wanted to fuck things up for Lucifer. He knew it. I knew it. And everyone else suspected it. Lucifer had regained his confidence, and everyone could see it. It was a matter of time before we jumped right back into battle.
There’s never a dull day around here.
I arrived back at the clubhouse and was immediately hit with the scent of sweat and stale beer as soon as I opened the door. Lucifer was sitting in the armchair in the corner of the living room and glanced up at me, eager to hear if I found anything else. I shook my head, and I watched the look of disappointment wash over his face.
“Nothing?” Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Not a thing. The man was a slob, but I didn’t find any evidence of hidden biker secrets, or at least none that would suggest he had some sort of vendetta against you.”
“I thought for sure he had information.”
“You want to tell me what you really overheard at the Wise Sidecar that’s got you so paranoid?” I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to answer.
He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “John was with a few other bikers outside Wise Sidecar, and he said that there were some people he knew planning a hit on me. He didn’t say who or where they could be found, but he sounded serious. In fact, he was pretty stoked about it.”
I could see the worry in his eyes, and it went way beyond the worry I had seen when we were dealing with Reaper. Whatever was going on, this was more serious than I thought.
“There are a lot of people that want you dead, Lucifer. What’s so different about this one?” I asked.
“Comforting, Ryker.” He rolled his eyes as he dropped back in the chair. “He was talking specifics like he was in on it himself. He knew about the stolen guns, and I can only imagine what else he knew about.”
“What do you mean he knew about the stolen guns?” I asked, shocked Lucifer left that detail out.
“I heard John say he knew who stole them, and that was only the first step in taking us out. He knew enough. Maybe that’s what got him killed. Now, our only other option is to try to track down the bikers he was with, but I don’t know who they are,” Lucifer said.
I could tell that there was a part of him that felt defeated, but he wasn’t going to give up. He had been chasing dead ends for far too long, and something was bound to turn up sooner or later.
“We’ll figure this out. John may be dead, but that doesn’t mean the person out there doing this isn’t going to find a replacement. We gotta keep our eyes peeled, and they’ll come out of the woodworks eventually,” I said.
“Here’s to hoping.”
2
Anna
I never thought that I would be back home so soon.
Coronado feels different this time around, and I hoped it meant things were finally going to change. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this excited to start working. It took a long time to put myself through school while raising Hope. She was so little still, and she deserved to have a better life than I ever did. My new job was going to make everything better, and I would finally be able to live up to the kind of mom I wanted to be.
I stared down into my daughter’s big beautiful blue eyes and ran my fingers through her blonde hair. She looked up at me with a smile that warmed my heart. This new job at the police station would be great for us, but it also meant I would be spending less time with Hope. I had to constantly remind myself that this was a position I worked my ass off for.
I studied hard in school so I could give Hope the life she deserved. This was the first step in rebuilding our lives and making sure she had the stable life she needed to thrive. Hope hurried inside our small apartment, excited my aunt was arriving any minute to watch her while I headed out to pick up a few things for our new home.
“I like our new home, Mommy!” she squealed and played with the stuffed penguin in her hands. She clutched it tightly, and I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around her, squeezing her while she giggled. It was those precious moments that made everything worthwhile, and I was worried I would miss too much with all the time I was going to spend away from her. She would grow up too fast.
She was my little fighter, and there were a lot of things that she had to endure that no little girl should ever have to go through. Leaving Seattle was hard on both of us. She had to say goodbye to her friends, her home, and her father. He and I always had a rocky relationship, but when things started to get out of hand. He came home every night drunk, and left me with no other choice but to leave.
He was always so angry, lashing out at me. But at least he tried to sober up whenever Hope would get scared. It was never enough, though. I had had my heart broken too many times. When I saw the fear in Hope’s eyes, I knew I couldn’t put her through that anymore. I was tired of our lives being at a standstill. So I left him.
We stayed with a friend until I finished school. Only then could we start over in a new place. That day was finally here, and I could see how happy she was now that we were somewhere new. Her father couldn’t scare her here. She would be safe and happy. That was all I ever wanted for her.
I took a deep breath as I looked out into the stuffy little one-bedroom apartment, my feet cold on the wood floors. I felt safe here, and it was the first time in a while that I remembered what home felt like.
Before I managed to finish unpacking one box, there was a knock at the door. I looked out into the peephole to see my aunt standing there with a basket of baked goods in her hands and a big smile on her face
“Oh my goodness, Anna!” she exclaimed. She startled me when she embraced me in a deep hug.
“It’s so nice to see you, Aunt Fern,” I said.
She shoved the basket of baked goods into my hands. My stomach rumbled, and I placed the basket down on the white kitchen counter. Whatever she baked smelled delicious.
“Hope! Someone’s here to see you!” I exclaimed.
Hope came running toward Aunt Fern and jumped into her arms. Aunt Fern was paler than the last time I saw her, but that smile of hers was never going to fade. It felt good to have family around, to feel like I could really get back on my feet again. After everything Hope and I had been through, it was time we knew what it felt like to be happy.
“You look good, Anna. I’m so happy that you’re back in town,” Aunt Fern said warmly.
“It feels so good to be back. Thank you again, Aunt Fern. I don’t think I would have been able to do this if it hadn’t been for you agreeing to watch Hope.”
“Nonsense, Anna. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since you told me you were coming. She’s gotten quite big, and I’m more than excited for you with that new position of yours.” Aunt Fern smiled from behind her round glasses.
“Detective. I never thought I’d be able to say that,” I confessed.
“You two have been through a lot, and I’m just glad to help in any way that I can,” she said, tickling Hope. I listened to the bubbly sound of her giggle as she and Hope went off to play.
“I need to head out for a bit to get a few things for the house, and I promised a friend of mine I would meet her for lunch. I hope that’s all right.” I glanced down at the floor, tucking my strawberry blonde hair behind my ear.
“Don’t feel guilty for needing a break, Anna. You’re an incredible mother, and this is going to be a big change for the both of you, but I’m here to help. Take as long as you need,” Aunt Fern said, and her words were
genuinely comforting.
“The furniture guys are going to be here soon,” I said, grabbing my keys and my purse before reaching down to plant a kiss on Hope’s head before heading out the door.
“I’ll look out for them. Have fun, Anna. You’re allowed to do that, you know.” Aunt Fern waved as I walked toward the door.
“Thank you. I’ll see you two later.” I stepped out the door and locked it behind me.
When I left the elevator, the sound of my heeled boots clacked throughout the small lobby. I pulled out my phone to check the address of the bar I was meeting Elle. The apartment building I now lived in was older, with its antique scent, and large cork board near the front entrance with flyers tacked to it like a community center board.
The Coronado heat washed over my bare shoulders the minute I stepped outside. The streets around me were lively with people going about their days. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this normal, and there was a part of me that wondered whether it was going to last.
Aunt Fern was right. I had been through enough. It was okay to be happy, and it was okay to look forward to my new job.
I hailed a taxicab and asked the driver to drop me off at Jackroller Pub. I glanced out the window, watching the cars pass by. I heard the loud sound of a motorcycle engine popping and turned my head to see it whiz past the cab. It sent chills down my spine, reminding me of my ex-husband. I had to endure that very sound every night he came home drunk and ready to pick a fight.
I pulled the thought from my mind and took a deep breath as the cab pulled up to the side of the road. I paid the driver and got out, staring up at the large red lettering and saloon doors. I headed inside, hoping I wasn’t too early. I was excited to see Elle but still couldn’t stop thinking about my responsibilities.
Ryker: MC Romance Page 1
