by Naomi West
“Don’t you look cute today,” Alexa said as she poured herself a fresh mug of coffee and admired the way the bright red suit hung on Piper. She gestured at her own outfit, simply made of khaki trousers and a Morning Star polo. “You make me feel like a total bum.”
“Don’t say that. You always look good.” Piper helped herself to the coffee next, careful not to spill any on her outfit. It had been a bit of a stretch to buy the suit in the first place, but the last thing she needed was to add a high dry-cleaning bill on top of it.
“That’s not true. I’m plain.” Alexa flicked her deep brown hair over her shoulder and stirred cream into her coffee. “Everyone is always staring at you, and there isn’t a guy in this office who doesn’t want to sneak you into the supply closet. Even the married ones.”
“That’s not much of an achievement when Mr. Walter won’t give me any decent stories,” Piper replied, the disgust thick in her voice. She’d often wondered if her looks were holding her back. If she had been a television reporter, then it might have been different. But she had always loved the idea of working for the paper. It felt more authentic, somehow. That is, until she actually got the job she thought she wanted. “I waste all my time tracking down interviews for thing like pet shelter fundraisers or a friendly duck who lives in the pond at the park. It’s nice, but it’s not the kind of thing that makes people notice your byline.”
“You’ll get there,” Alexa assured her. “You just haven’t been working here long enough, and Mick will really piss off his senior reporters if he doesn’t give them something decent. He’ll lose everyone he’s got, and he’s already lost too many to the Daily Bugle. Just be patient.” She stirred creamer into her coffee and shook her head. “Give it a little time and you’ll work your way up.”
Piper wanted to agree with her. In fact, she had told herself the same thing many times when she stood in front of her bathroom mirror and got ready for work. Several of the big shots had left right before she started with the Morning Star, and she had thought that meant it would be easier to work her way up. But the fact was that her assignments weren’t getting any better. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was because she was blonde and pretty, and it wasn’t fair. “I think I might run out of patience. I’m so busy tracking down these little stories that I don’t even have time to come up with my own. I wish it were like old times, when reporters hit the streets and did their own investigations, turning up all the good dirt and then bringing it back to the editors.”
The two women made their way down the hall, following the stream of their fellow reporters. “I don’t think you’re being realistic on that part,” Alexa admitted. “Nobody really does that anymore. The news is already out via social media as soon as it happens, so we’re lucky that the paper even exists. Our digital platform is practically the only thing anyone reads, and the actual papers just line people’s birdcages. And it’s not very safe to go find scoops like that. You don’t know what you might run into.”
“A good story, that’s what.” Piper wasn’t going to allow herself to be convinced. Maybe she should be like some of the other reporters who had left and gone to the Bugle. The rival paper had no real reason to hire her, and her clip file was nothing but fluff, but there had to be someone out there who could appreciate her.
“All right, all right. That’s enough of your coffee and your chitchat. Get your asses in here.” Mick Walter stood at the door of the conference room, impatiently waving his employees in with the file folder in his hand. His large, wireframe glasses looked like he had gone back in time and retrieved them from 1980, and he had probably bought his entire wardrobe at that point, as well. His wild hair, going gray at the temples, was disheveled as usual. The ensemble gave off the vibe that he had gotten drunk and spent the night in a ditch, which only made Piper resent him more for his position in the company. The tangle of gray chest hair that peeked out of the V-neck of his shirt completed the picture.
The reporters filed in obediently and sat down at the large conference table, laptops and clipboards ready to go on the pretense they would be taking notes. It all looked very serious and professional, but Piper knew this was just a show; nobody even paid much attention during the morning meetings but her, and it hadn’t done much to get her anywhere.
Alexa sat down next to her and gave her a confident smile, sending her a message that today would be the day.
Piper desperately wanted to believe her.
“All right. Settle down.” Mick stomped to the head of the table and leaned on it instead of sitting down, glaring at his employees. “It should be a pretty busy day today, and I expect you all to be out there doing your jobs. If your ass is here in the office, then you damn well better be on the phone scheduling interviews or typing up your copy. No sitting around and playing on your cell or just killing time until the end of the day. I shouldn’t have to remind you that we’re on a deadline, people!” It was the same speech every morning, and the reporters simply nodded their understanding.
Piper wondered just how many times Mr. Walter had actually managed to catch someone goofing off on the job or if it was just something he said to make himself seem more powerful. There were rumors that he was the one playing on his cell in his office when he didn’t think anyone was looking. Maybe that would be the story she pursued: “Arrogant boss caught crushing candy.” A small smirk tried to turn up one corner of her mouth, but she forced it back down again.
“And please, for the love of all that’s good and holy, proofread your work before you send it to me! I know we have editors, and I’m the editor-in-chief, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend all my goddamn time fixing your mistakes. We can’t send that shit out into the world. You’re adults, and theoretically you know how to write. Use your skills. Now, I’ve got some assignments for the day.” Mick slapped the file folder on the table and flipped it open.
Piper’s stomach jumped up hopefully inside her. If it truly was a busy day in the news world, then maybe Mr. Walter would finally decide to let her have a little slice of the pie. She watched him like a dog watches its master eating dinner, her eyes following each piece of paper as he took it out of the file. They were scraps of paper with various scribbles in Mr. Walter’s illegible writing, but to her they looked like doors to the future.
“Johnson, I want you on the mayoral race. It’s really heating up, and politics are on everyone’s mind these days. Just make sure it’s nice and neutral; only the facts. Readers are weird these days, and if they think they’re getting anything but solid truth they’ll trash us all over the internet.” Mick flung a piece of paper at the senior reporter, who snatched it up and quickly trotted out of the office.
“Alexa, looks like there were some break-ins last night, might be connected. Get on it.” The next paper was flung at the brunette, who gave a nervous glance to Piper and then left.
“Clint, go check out that crash on the highway. I just heard it come over the scanner, so you should be able to get there in time with the way you drive. Snag a photographer on your way.” The redheaded reporter was out of the office in a flash.
“Gordon, I want you to check out the sudden uptick in gang-related activities. I don’t know all the details—cause that’s your job, right?—but get it covered. Bikers, other gangs, whatever. Find something.”
Piper’s hope slowly sank back down inside her as the stories were handed out to everyone but her. It was customary for a journalist to leave as soon as they received their assignment; Mick expected them to literally get on it right away. It was nice that it saved her some of the humiliation she felt at getting the assignments she so often received, because at least nobody else was in the conference room to see her. But it didn’t make her feel much better when everyone else had finally left and it was down to just her and her editor. It was like getting picked last for gym class, except this was real life.
Mr. Walter had calmed down a lot by this point. The urgent stories were off his desk and in the hands of capa
ble reporters. “Piper, here are a few leads for you,” he said simply as he flipped a paper at her, shut his file folder, and turned toward the door.
It took her only a second to glance over the leads and know they were shit. “Sir.”
Mr. Walter turned on his heel, his eyebrows scrunched and his mouth in a hard frown. “What?” he barked.
“Don’t you think it’s time you gave me something a little more substantial?” She hadn’t planned to confront him about this today, but it had come out and now there was no stopping it. “I mean, I’m kind of tired of writing stories about Girl Scouts who sell a record number of cookies or a new fence around a playground.”
“You’re bored, is that it? You don’t think the Girl Scouts deserve to sell their cookies or that the playground needs a new fence?” he retorted. “Are you telling me that it isn’t newsworthy because it doesn’t entertain you?”
“It’s not that, it’s just that I want to report on something real, something that impacts the community in a big way. I want to get out there and see what’s happening on a bigger scale.” She just needed to explain to him that she was ready for something more than the little stuff. Then he would give her a chance.
But Mick ripped his glasses off his face and swiped the back of his hand over his eyes. “You just don’t get it. You don’t like these little stories because you don’t think they’re important, but that shit is the bread-and-butter of the news industry these days. There are plenty of headlines about government scandals and fatalities, but people actually like to read about kids and pets and fundraisers. It gives them a little bit of hope in this fucked-up world.”
Piper hadn’t really thought about it that way, but she still wanted to get her hands a little dirty. “Then maybe I could work on something a little bigger in addition to these stories,” she pressed, not ready to just give up. “It’ll be a little bit of a time crunch, but I could make it work.”
The snort of laughter that came out of her editor told her just how fruitless this conversation was. “Listen, Piper. That’s just not how this works. And don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. You want to see your byline in bigger print. You want to make a name for yourself, just like every other reporter that has ever walked through this door. But you don’t have seniority. Those little stories are bread and butter, but I’ve got other, seasoned reporters for the meat and potatoes. Stick with the bread, and I’ll let you know when you’re ready for a bigger meal.” He stormed out of the room, leaving Piper with her piddly little stories.
Shoving the leads into her own folder and heading for her cubicle, Piper could feel the steam rising off the top of her head. She would do as her boss said and write the crappy little articles that he insisted were important. Mick had only said that because he thought it would shut her up quickly. Still, she would do the job he had asked of her, and she would do it as quickly as possible. Nothing said he could stop her from digging up a story on her own.
Later that night, when her copy had all been turned in and she had headed home, Piper slipped out of her business attire and into something a little more casual, even a little revealing. As she had worked, her plan for the evening had been continuously formulating in the back of her mind. It was a little risky, a little scary, but she couldn’t just linger on the back page for the rest of her career. The Dive had a reputation for being the most dangerous bar in town, and she had to blend in.
3
Tank
Tank kept his eyes locked with the blonde woman’s, determined to intimidate her before he even spoke to her or got close. It was something he had been good at for a long time, and he never missed a chance to exploit it. This one was going to be too easy. He could probably stroll up and say, “Boo!” and she would go screaming for the door.
Surprisingly, she didn’t flinch as he approached and towered over her, leaning one hand on the bar. “Are you lost? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Maybe I could put you on the back of my bike and give you a ride somewhere. I’ve got a Harley Softail out there that’s just waiting for you to straddle it. It’s dark blue, and you’d look great on it.”
“No, thanks.” The woman wrapped her soft pink lips around the straw in her Long Island iced tea and sucked gently, immediately making Tank think of other ways she could put that mouth to use. “I’m just relaxing a little after work. What do you do for a living?”
“Whatever I want to.” He nodded toward the insignia on his vest. “Have you heard of the Chrome Kings before?”
She shrugged, indifferent. “I think I have. It must be an interesting life.”
“You have no idea.” He laughed inwardly. This chick was just as innocent as he had hoped. She barely even knew what his MC was, much less who he was. She probably thought he just rode his bike on the weekends and had some sort of normal job from nine to five. “What about you? What do you do?” Tank didn’t really care, but he knew there was always a little small talk involved.
The woman shrugged again. “Just a boring desk job. Tell me more about you.”
Wow, she was really into him. Those deep brown eyes roved over his chest and his arms, and she made no effort to hide the fact that she was admiring him. “A little bit of this. A little bit of that. Whatever suits the club. I’m the president, so I have to look out for my men.”
Her eyes widened in appreciation. “Really? Wow, that must be really exciting. How many men do you have in your club?”
“Over a hundred.” He flexed his pec when he caught her staring at his chest again. Sure, this was more effort than just fucking Rita in the bathroom, but it was going to pay off. This girl was sweet and innocent, and he was going to corrupt her in every way possible. The way she held her back straight and her chest out, and the way she crossed her long legs, he could tell she was no virgin. That was all right, since he was sure she still hadn’t seen all the things he was going to do to her.
“And the stuff you do, is it legal? I mean, I’ve heard about guys like you, living on the edge of the law.” She batted her eyelashes prettily.
“Or past that edge, sometimes.” Tank moved an inch closer, making sure she knew just how much bigger than her he was. He liked the way those dark eyes drank him in. “Tell me, sweetheart. Have you ever been with a real man?”
He had lowered his voice, melting it like butter for her, and it was working. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her chest came out a little more. She was practically lying back on the barstool and spreading her legs for him. “I guess that depends on your definition. Tell me what a real mean is.”
Tank laughed. “I don’t need to. I know your type. You’ve been with men, but they were just skinny little pencil pushers who couldn’t deliver in bed.” He noted the slight shift in her eyes and he knew he was right. “It’s not the same with me, darlin’, and you deserve something much better. I could blow your mind. Why don’t you come home with me?”
Her mouth quirked up in a pretty little twist, one that made him want to bend her over the bar and take her right there in front of everyone. “I’m sure that’s true, but I don’t really do sloppy seconds.” Her nose wrinkled cutely.
She had caught him off-guard with that one. He increased the distance between them by an inch and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
The woman gestured slightly with her head toward the bathroom door. “I know what you were doing just a few minutes ago.”
So, she was more observant than she looked. Tank had already forgotten about his encounter with Rita, he had been so focused on this new woman. “I’ll hold you to that. What’s your name, beautiful?” He was always sure to sprinkle in a lot of pet names, even for a girl he hadn’t met before. They seemed to like it.
“Piper.”
“Now that is a sexy name,” he said honestly. It made him think of a woman who was wild and fierce underneath, even if she looked innocent. He was starting to wonder if that was an accurate description of her, and there was only one way he would find out for
sure. “I’m Tank, and you’d be smart to remember it. My club and I have quite the reputation around this town.”
“Oh yeah? I’d like to hear more about that.”
She might have turned him down, but nothing was set in stone yet. He still had her on the hook, just where he liked to have them. There was nothing like slamming some new pussy, but there was also a thrill in knowing he was going get it. Damn. He was going to have to take Rita back into the bathroom again, and this time he really would cram his dick in her mouth. “We’re dangerous, Piper, more dangerous than you probably know. I don’t give a shit what the law says, I do what I want when I want. I know how to make money, and that’s all that matters.”
She was intrigued, her lips parting slightly as she listened to him. “Yeah? Like what? Drugs? Weapons? I’m sure you’ve got connections all over the place.”
“I do, but why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself? I need to know how to track you down when you’re ready to finally have a good time.” He could tell her all about his business. There was a fifty-fifty chance of it scaring her off or making her jump right into bed with him. He had to wait until she couldn’t escape before he went into too much detail. Still, he knew from experience that women got hot and wet for bad boys. He imagined her tight little pussy was glistening already.
But her phone beeped, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. But I’ll come back and find you again sometime.” She sucked down the last of her drink, winked at him, and hopped off her barstool.
Tank watched her go. It hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped, but he knew she was still a promise for another day. If he ever saw Piper again, it wouldn’t be an issue to close the deal. Depending on how desperate she was—and he had a feeling she really did need to get laid—he might even be able to convince her to stick around for a while. She was observant, and he had a feeling she was smarter than she let on, but the way her ass looked as she walked away made up for all of that.