I whip out my phone and dial the number of a man who owes me a favor.
The phone gets answered on the second ring. “Yeah.”
My back stiffens. “It’s time you repay your debt. I’ll be there in a few hours. Have some shit ready for me to look at.”
“I thought you didn’t—”
I quickly cut him off. “I do now.”
* * *
I roll into the parking lot of Jimmy’s Garage. Jimmy and I go way back. We’ve been friends since grade school, and when the automotive repair business he started began to go south, he got into selling guns. Jimmy didn’t know how to handle assholes who refused to pay him, so he called me, and I handled his light-work. It wasn’t long before it was understood if you didn’t pay Jimmy, your ass was getting beat.
I pull in front of the garage door, and it opens, allowing me to drive inside the building.
I cut the engine and shove myself off the bike.
“What the hell, man? I thought you didn’t pack heat? You said it was too messy,” Jimmy complains as I walk toward him.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, but he’s still tall and lanky with dirty blonde hair. He’s looked the same since we graduated high school.
The moment I’m close enough for Jimmy to get a good look at my face, he grimaces. “What the fuck happened to your face?”
I sigh. “Never mind about my face—the shit I’m about to jump into…let’s just say the only choice I’m going to have is messy, so I need some heat. Someone took something that belongs to me and I intend to take her back.”
Jimmy lifts on eyebrow as he leads me over to his sales counter where several guns are laid out for my inspection. “Her?”
I narrow my eyes because I didn’t mean to let anything about Piper slip. The less Jimmy knows the better. “What?”
“You said take her back. Is this shit over a bitch?”
For the first time in my life, hearing a man call a woman I’m with that name strikes a nerve inside me. “Don’t ever fucking call her that again.”
I pick up a glock and inspect the cold, hard steel.
“Calm down.” Jimmy raises his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m only looking out for you. I don’t want to see you do something stupid over a woman.”
“She’s not just some woman.” I pop the clip back in the gun after noticing it was empty. “She’s my wife.”
Jimmy’s dark eyes widen. “When in hell did you get married?”
“Yesterday.” My answer is short and to the point.
He scratches the back of his head. “Jesus, man. Who the hell would kidnap your new bride? Who the fuck has a death wish?”
I stuff the gun into the waistband of my jeans. “Frank.”
All of the color drains out of Jimmy’s face. “Frank? Are you sure? Why would he…I mean, he’s been like a father to you.”
His confusion is warranted considered everything about this situation is so fucking outside my character. Like I said before, I always obeyed orders Frank gave me. This is the first time I haven’t done exactly what he wanted.
I can’t explain what it is about Piper, but when I think about her it feels like someone reaches into my chest and squeezes my heart. I can’t deny I’ve caught feelings for her. What started out as just sex has turned into so much more. I want her with me. Always. And I’ll go through hell to get her back if that’s what it takes.
“If Frank won’t let my girl go…” I lift my chin, knowing there’s no other choice but to go into the club with guns blazing. “Our past becomes irrelevant and he’ll get a bullet, just like anyone else who stands in my way.”
Jimmy sees the resolution in my eyes and a frown etches into his face. “You sure?”
“There’s no other way, Jimmy. Frank won’t negotiate. It’s not his style.”
He nods, because he knows me, and knows when I set my mind to something there’s no changing it. He holds his hand out to me and I clasp it before he pulls me into a tight hug. “Take care, brother.”
I give his back one hard pat, knowing this might be the last time I ever see my friend. “You too.”
When I head back to my bike, I let out a sigh and ready my game face. This shit is on.
Chapter Sixteen
Piper
The older man who runs the Maverick club tilts his head as if to study me when the men who kidnapped me present me to him. “So this is her?”
The long-haired man I’ve learned they call Lemy nods as he tightens his grip on my arm. “Yep. Found them together in Vegas, Frank.”
Frank lifts a gray eyebrow. “And Cade?”
“We left him back at the motel. Fucked him up real good. He won’t be coming for her any time soon.”
He shakes his head and there’s a hint of a smile on his face. “If you didn’t kill him, he’ll be here. And he’s going to be pissed. We need to keep things on the down low until we figure out our next move with the Disciples. This little girl is our leverage to take control of more territory.”
My back stiffens when he mentions using me as leverage. If things don’t go right, and this man doesn’t get what he wants from my father, then there’s a good chance I’ll be killed.
Fear of dying must be evident on my face because Frank clucks his tongue. “No need to be scared, girl. None of the boys here will lay a finger on you unless I give them the okay, so behave yourself, and don’t give me a reason to let them loose on you.”
I’m tempted to scream if they touch me my father will gut them, but I hold back because I don’t know if that’s the truth. “You’re wasting your time. My father doesn’t give a shit about me and he won’t risk himself or the club by coming here. They’ll be no rescue party, so you might as well do yourself a favor and think of another plan.”
He chuckles. “You clearly underestimate what a father is willing to do for his child. He’ll come for you. Once he knows I have you, he will.” He raises his hand to touch my face, but I dodge him and swat at his hand. He catches my left wrist and his eyes zero in on my ring finger where I sport my simple gold band.
Our eyes lock and I swallow hard.
“Lemy, take Mrs. Cade to the back room and lock her in. I want to have a discussion with her husband when he gets here,” Frank orders.
Lemy laughs darkly as he leads me down a hallway and when we’re out of earshot, he says, “This is going to be good. He’s been Frank’s pet too damn long. It’s about time Cade had his ass handed to him and I’m going to have a front row seat.”
We stop in front of the door at the end of the hall and I don’t know what comes over me, but I can’t bite my tongue. “You won’t be laughing after my husband gets here.”
“Shut up, bitch,” Lemy snarls as he opens the door and shoves me inside. “I hope Frank kills your husband and your fucking father, because after the people who can save you are out of the picture, I’m going to find out first hand why Cade went crazy over that pussy between your legs.”
“I’d rather die than let you touch me. You disgust me.”
His lip curls, revealing his yellow teeth before he slams the door in my face, locking me alone in the darkness of a small closet.
“Sweet dreams, bitch,” he growls on the other side of the door as the lock clicks.
I feel around in the dark. All I feel are clothes hanging on the rack.
After I’m sure there’s no way out, hopelessness fills every inch of me as I realize I’m trapped in here and my fate is undetermined. My back presses against the door as I slide down it and drop my head into my hands, allowing myself to cry.
Chapter Seventeen
Cade
The first plan I had was sneaking into the clubhouse, shooting anything standing between Piper and me, but I decided not to take the coward’s way out. Frank knows me, and he’ll be prepared for my attack. I’d be a fool to believe I could take them all out on my own, so I’ve decided to face him head on.
I park my bike outside
the club, and then swing my leg over it. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt uneasy about passing through the front door of the club. It’s been my home, so to speak, for over ten years, and now I’m not welcomed in it.
There’s no one here. It’s completely empty, which isn’t usual, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
“You look like shit,” Frank’s deep voice cuts through the otherwise quiet room.
My gaze whips over to the seat he always occupies at the head of the table. Frank casually lights a cigarette, seemingly unfazed by my presence while he sits alone in the room.
The sound of my heavy boots against the wood floor echoes around me.
He takes a long drag and then blows a large cloud of smoke into the air. “Are you sure she’s worth it? Are you willing to lose everything in order to be with her?”
I lift my chin, but I refuse to answer him. He already knows the answers or else I wouldn’t be here.
Frank’s eyes never leave me as he considers what to say next. “You know you can’t have her. She doesn’t belong here—not with us.”
My fists clench by my side. “She does—with me.”
“Cade, guys like you and me…we’re cut from the same cloth. We don’t settle down and we don’t risk everything for love. That’s not who we are.”
“That might be true for you, but you and I…we’re nothing alike.”
“We’re exactly alike.” There’s a hard edge to his voice.
“No, we’re not,” I fire back.
“We are!” Frank slams his fist down on the table. “Because you’re my son.”
I flinch at his words. “What?”
Frank pushes himself up from the chair he’s sitting in. “It’s true. Your mother was my girl back in the day, but I wasn’t good to her and I wouldn’t put her above the club. That’s why I’m willing to give you a chance to reconsider going against me.” He takes a few steps toward me. “Turn around, and walk back out the door. Think carefully how you want your life to go, because I see you taking over the club someday. Throwing it all away for a woman…it’s crazy.” I’m listening to him, but it’s like my brain is in a fog and this is some strange dream.
He steps in front of me and places his hand on my shoulder. “Go home. Think it over, and then call me in the morning to apologize for going against my orders.”
I lock eyes with him. “And if I don’t?”
Frank shakes his head. “Don’t make me go there, Cade. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to that pretty wife of yours, so don’t force my hand.”
The mere mention of Piper causes me to snap. I grab the glock from my waistband so fast, Frank doesn’t have time to react. I press the barrel of the gun to his temple. “Don’t ever threaten my wife. You might be my father, but I won’t hesitate to pull this fucking trigger.”
Del bursts through the door with a gun drawn and trained on me. “Want me to waste this fool?”
I knew there was so way we were alone in here. Frank’s not stupid.
Del takes another step toward me and I say, “Make one more move, and I will put a bullet in his head.”
“Get the girl, Del. Let him have her,” Frank orders. “I don’t feel like having my brains splattered over some shit like this.”
“You’re letting him go?” The disbelief in Del’s voice is clear. Our prez usually doesn’t show mercy.
Frank stares me in the eye. “He’s my son. I owe him that much.”
Del shakes his head, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he stalks off, but I don’t dare change my position. We stand there, unmoving for what feels like an eternity. I’m not even sure if Frank’s telling me the truth, but he’s got my head spinning.
Del leads Piper into the room by the arm and then shoves her in my direction, causing me to lose my position on Frank as I catch Piper.
Del’s gun is still drawn on me, but Frank puts his hand on the barrel, forcing him to lower it.
Piper clings to my side and I wrap my arm around her. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” her voice is barely above a whisper.
The rumble of a pack of bikes catches my attention and I whip my head toward Frank. He grabs a gun from the waist of his jeans and yells to Del, “Ours?”
“No way. I told everyone the clubhouse was off limits today just like you told me to.”
“Fuck,” Frank mutters just as the door flies open.
My eyes widen when four of the Disciples come barging in with Lemy flanking their side.
That motherfucking traitor.
The Disciples prez levels his stare at Frank. “I’ve come for my daughter.”
“Lemy, you fucking traitor,” I growl. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
Lemy’s top lip curls and his eyes narrow. “I’m sick of Frank cutting you all the breaks and not recognizing the one with real talent around here—me. I’m the one with the skills, and he’s not made me a patch. The Disciples recognize talent when they see it.”
He’s committed the ultimate act of betrayal and what he thinks is going to be a long-term relationship with his new club is going to be cut short once Frank puts a bullet in his brain.
Chapter Eighteen
Piper
My fingers dig into the fabric of Cade’s shirt the moment my father bursts into the room.
It’s been a few years since I saw my father. Not much has changed about him. His hair has more salt than pepper and there are a few more wrinkles around his eyes, but his scarred face is still the same. Those marks on his face have been there since I was little. He came home with his face all carved up one day and I cried because I was scared of him.
Guess much hasn’t changed since then. I still fear him more now than ever—maybe because I know what he’s capable of. He’s a monster. He won’t think twice about me if I die. If I had to guess, he’s only here because he doesn’t like the idea of the Mavericks making him look weak by kidnapping his own daughter.
He’s here to save face, not to save me.
“Have you lost your goddamn mind, Owen? You must have balls of steel to come barging into my place,” Frank growls at my father.
“I could say the same thing to you. Family’s off limits unless you want war,” my father fires back.
“I think you’ve got some crossed wires, my friend. Your daughter…she is my family.”
For the first time, my father’s gaze turns to me. His eyes trail down Cade’s torso to where the fabric of his T-shirt is balled up in my left hand, giving him a perfect view of my wedding ring. His face twists with anger.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Father growls as he swings his gun at Cade.
Cade shoves me out of the way as the gun discharges.
I scream Cade’s name as Frank throws himself in front of my husband and they both fall to the floor. The gun that was in Cade’s hand skids across the floor and stops at my feet and I reach down for it. Cade and Frank lay on the floor, but as they begin to move around, my father starts toward Cade with his gun drawn, clearly ready to finish the job.
I can’t let him hurt my man.
I take aim at my father and squeeze the trigger, but my hands are shaking so bad I don’t even come close to hitting my target.
My father’s cold stare locks on me and his face twists as he points his gun in my direction. My hands tremble as I raise the gun to shoot him first, but the sharp blast of a gun going off before I have the chance to pull the trigger makes me clench my eyelids shut.
My father grunts and I open my eyes as he falls to his knees in front of me. A small bloodstain blossoms out to cover most of the material of his white T-shirt. He coughs; blood spurting out of his mouth and then oozing down his face.
“You fucking bitch,” Father says to me. “You’re a whore just like your mother.”
My nostrils flare and there’s not one ounce of sympathy in my body for this dying man in front of me. “Go to hell.”
His eyes narrow, and before he can say anything else, he falls
forward, landing flat on his face against the hardwood floor.
Once it’s clear my father is dead, the rest of the Disciples, including Lemy, flee from the building to their bikes. Doesn’t seem like they’re too keen on sticking around for the aftermath of this shootout.
Cade crawls over to me and cups my face in his hands so he can inspect me. “You okay?”
“Yes,” I answer as I grab his vest and open it wide, instantly relieved to discover Cade isn’t shot. “Thank God.”
Cade presses his lips to mine. “I love you, Piper.”
Tears stream down my face as I cling to my husband. “I love you, too.”
He presses his forehead to mine before he kisses me again. Hearing him say he loves me, makes all the screwed up shit we’ve just been through worth it.
“Let me help you up, Prez,” a man says to Frank as he bends down to extend a hand to him.
“Thanks, Del. Thought I was a fucking goner there for a minute.” Frank glances down to his shoulder where there’s a deep gash in his arm. “Fucking bullet just grazed me.”
Del pats Frank’s back. “You’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Crazy as hell, but lucky.”
Frank gaze flicks over to Cade. “Some people are worth taking bullets for.”
A small grin tugs at Cade’s lips when he locks eyes with Frank and then puts his arm around me. “Yes, they are.”
Frank nods, and some sort of unspoken moment passes between the two men. “You two need to get out of here. We have to call the cops—explain how Owen burst in here and I shot him in self-defense. Less people around when they come, the better. Don’t want too many stories floating around. Me and Del will handle this shit.”
Cade pulls himself up to his feet and then helps me up before he walks over to Frank.
“Thank you.” Cade extends his hand and Frank takes it before he pulls Cade in for a hug.
“It’s the least I can do for you,” Frank says. “Believe it or not, I do have a fucking heart.”
The Biker’s Virgin Page 7
