Thrill Seeker (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 5)

by Winter Travers

  Joseph looked around and tucked the envelope in his back pocket. “That fell through or something.”

  I eyed him warily. Or something? That seemed like a pile of horse shit. “Fell through?” I drawled. “What are you not telling me?”

  He stepped toward me. His voice was lowered and his eyes were hooded. “There is nothing to tell, Deedra. Just take my word on this and let it go.”

  Joseph had never sounded so worried. Every other time I had talked to him, he was so nonchalant and flippant. Something or someone had him running scared. “You can talk to me, Joseph. If something or someone is threatening you, I can help.” I may not be able to help him, but the police were only a phone call away. I was looking for information, but I didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Joseph included.

  He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I think that’s the first dumb thing I’ve ever heard you say, Deedra. How is a classy chick like you who lives in a duplex over in the ritzy part of town going to help me?” He opened his eyes and stepped away from me. “Thanks for the cash, and I’ll see you around.”

  “Same time next week?” I called. I knew I sounded desperate as hell, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t be talking to Joseph again. At least, not about any information regarding the possible new person or group of people coming in to take over for the Clarks.

  Joseph just raised his hand in farewell and walked away.

  “That why you didn’t want to meet at eight? Had a date before?”

  I whirled around and clutched my hand to my chest. Jesus. How the hell had Point snuck up on me like that? “Hell, Point. You may want to give some warning before you sneak up on someone.”

  He smirked. “Then it really isn’t sneaking around, is it?” He nodded in the direction that Joseph had disappeared in. “He’s a little young for you, isn’t he?”

  I rolled my eyes and hitched my purse on my shoulder. “I’m old enough to be his mother.”

  “Hey, hey,” he laughed. “Not trying to knock your kink or anything like that. I didn’t know you turned into a cougar.”

  “I’m slightly offended that you think I’m old enough even to be considered a cougar.” I tugged on the hem of my dress and tried to find words that made sense and didn’t sound incredibly bitchy.

  Point leaned against the brick building. “If the shoe fits.”

  I growled. “You’re early.” Yeah, there went not being bitchy.

  “Yeah, sure am. Been that way all of my life.”

  I nodded at the restaurant. “You wanna go in?” Maybe I just needed to eat. Point had pushed my usual dinner time back by two hours. I was getting hangry.

  He shook his head. “Not until you tell me who your date was.”

  “He wasn’t a date, Point. Can we just please go inside and get this over with?” I had planned on being done talking to Joseph by the time Point showed up, but I forgot that Point was always fifteen minutes early, no matter what.

  “Then, who was he?”

  He wasn’t going to let this go. Point would beat this thing to death until I told him who Joseph was. “He’s a guy I get information from. Or, he was the guy I got information from. He wasn’t too thrilled when he left.” That was something I was going to have to worry about now. Did Joseph really know nothing, or was he hiding something? Something that seemed to make him a bit scared.

  “What kind of information do you get from a kid like that?” Point shook his head. “Telling you all the gossip going on at the high school?”

  “You’re an idiot,” I grumbled. “Joseph isn’t in school. He just lets me know what’s going on in the streets. That’s it; the end.” I didn’t want to go into it with him.

  Point shook his head. “I know that’s what you want to believe, but you seem pretty frazzled by whatever just happened between the two of you.”

  “It was nothing. There is nothing. Now can we eat? I’m starving. I normally have eaten by now and am getting ready for bed.” Feed me, let me go home.

  “Wild woman,” Point chuckled. “I really am keeping you up past your bedtime tonight. Hopefully, you can make it all the way through the meal without having to take a nap.”

  I stepped back. “If you don’t get me in there right now, I can’t make any promises if I will or won’t fall asleep.” I was more than able to stay up past nine o’clock. I just didn’t like to if I didn’t have to. I could fall asleep any and everywhere as long I cleared my mind and closed my eyes. It was a rare talent that most people didn’t even know existed.

  Point grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the front door. Finally.

  His palm felt familiar pressed to mine, and I didn’t try to yank it away. I had once loved this man, and for months I craved even the simplest touch from him. I indulged myself and didn’t throw a fit as he walked in the door, talked to the waitress, and led me to a table in the back.

  I sat on one side of the table, and Point settled on the other.

  “I’ve never been here before,” I marveled as my eyes took in all of the amazing décor. It was like we had stepped into the fifties. Mel’s Diner was absolutely amazing.

  “Been here a couple times with the guys before.” Point grabbed a menu and set it in front of me.

  “And the girls?” I laughed. “It seems like the guys of the club don’t really go anywhere without their ol’ ladies.”

  He shrugged and opened his menu. “Yeah, they’re all pretty much attached at the hip. Though with this Book Club shit going on, it seems more like you can’t see one of the girls without seeing the rest of them close by.”

  “It’s like they have their own club going on,” I laughed.

  Point glared at me. “You have no idea how right that is. Swear to God, they’re all going to drive me insane with all of the going here and there that they do.”

  “Nothing wrong with that. And it’s not like you have to go with them or anything.” None of them were Point’s ol’ lady so he didn’t have to keep an eye on any of them.

  Point looked me dead in the eye. “You really think I went to a cat shelter without being forced to?”

  I shrugged. “You’re the one who said you’ve changed. Maybe you’re into that kind of thing.” I doubted it, but I found it hard to believe that Point went to the shelter because he was told to.

  “I’m into doing what my prez tells me to do. There was no way in hell Rhino would have been able to keep an eye on the girls by himself.”

  Well, and there you had it. Point had changed and actually became a part of something that was bigger than him. “And why do the girls need someone watching over them?” I questioned. Seemed rather overbearing to me.

  “Because,” he replied bluntly.

  “Because, why?” I countered. There was way more behind what Point was saying. I smelled a story. At least an interesting fact or tidbit.

  “Because things are going on that you don’t need to know about, Deedra.”

  “What don’t I need to know about?”

  “Fuck’s sake, woman. This right here is why you’re a good reporter. You just bug and bug ‘til you get the info you want.” He chuckled and shook his head.

  That was right. I had the patience of a saint and went after something like a dog on a bone. “So, tell me why the girls need someone always watching them.”

  Point opened his menu. “I think I’m going to have the patty melt and fries. What about you?”

  “Burger and the soup of the day.” I didn’t need to look at the menu. I had spotted the board on the way in saying what the soup of the day was, and you never could go wrong with a burger at a diner. “What’s going on that the girls need someone watching over them?” I asked again.

  “Nothing.”

  The waitress came over and set two tall glasses of water in front of us. “Can I get you two anything else to drink?”

  I smiled up at the waitress. “Unsweet tea for me.” She was interrupting my interrogation of Point, but she was just doing her job. “And two packets of Splenda.”<
br />
  “Coke.”

  The waitress walked away, and Point closed his menu. “Why don’t you just get sweet tea if you’re just going to add sugar to your unsweet tea?”

  “Because I don’t want sugar. I want Splenda.” I struggled with my weight the way it was. If I was going to be naughty and have sugar, I liked to eat it, not drink it. “What’s going on with the club?”

  “Nothing, Deedra. Now drop it.”

  His tone was final but I had to try at least one more time. “Come on, Point. I don’t kno—”

  “Stop,” he growled. He leaned toward me. “There are places you shouldn’t stick your nose, Deedra, if you want to have a nose left. You have nothing to do with my club and don’t need to know why we do things the way we do.” His eyes darkened, and his lip snarled. “Drop. It.”

  I sat back and held up my hands defensively. Maybe I crossed that invisible line. “Got it.”

  *

  Chapter Nine

  Running…

  Point

  Fucking hell.

  I had forgotten how relentless Deedra was when she wanted to know something.

  There wasn’t anything to tell about the club. Not to someone who wasn’t a part of it.

  With so much shit that had been going on with the club, we were all just cautious about anyone being out on their own. The girls were good about finding trouble wherever they went, so it was just best to have a brother or two with them when they went out.

  “Did you get your story done today?” I asked.

  Deedra shrugged. She was pissed. I knew it wasn’t often when she didn’t get the story she was after. She was sniffing around for one about the club, but she wasn’t going to get it. “Pat was working on editing when I left work today. I’ve got a couple of other ones I’m working on. I’m assuming they’ll be up in the next couple of days.”

  “What other story did you work on?”

  “Potholes around town,” she said simply.

  “On Main Street?” I guessed.

  She pursed her lips. “Uh, yeah. How did you know?”

  I chuckled and sat back in the booth. “Swear to Christ, I almost lost my bike in one the other day. Fucking ridiculous, they let it get as bad as it is.”

  “Oh, sure,” she muttered. “I’m sure it’s hard dodging them on a bike.”

  That was an understatement. “So, what have you been up to for the past three years?” Time to get to the information I wanted. Where had Deedra been and what had she been up to?

  “We’re gonna act like you didn’t go all cranky biker on me?” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Typical.”

  I leveled my gaze on her. “We’re gonna act like you weren’t going all reporter on me when I told you to stop three times?”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Whatever.”

  The waitress came back with our drinks. “Okay, what can I get you two to eat?”

  I ordered for both of us, and the waitress left with a smile.

  “I could have ordered my food,” she muttered.

  “You used to like when I ordered for you. You’re just a brat because I’m not telling you what you want.” Deedra was a piranha when she was working. Taking no shit and doing everything she could to get the story. When she would come home, she liked to unwind and not have to do anything.

  “I’m not a brat,” she mumbled. She ripped open the packets of Splenda and dumped them into her drink. “Next thing, you’re going to call me a bitch like all of your friends did.”

  “Whoa, whoa,” I laughed. “No one called you a bitch exactly. I think it was bitchiness that was said. You’re the one who said bitch.”

  “That’s not splitting hairs at all, Point.” She rolled her eyes. “And, I’m pretty sure they said I wasn’t friendly.”

  I shook my head. “No, Dee. Your camera guy said the viewers didn’t think you were friendly.” She wasn’t going to go blaming everything on the girls when it was her camera guy who had started it.

  “Well, no one seemed to disagree with it.” She pulled the wrapper off her straw and stuck it in her cup.

  “When did you start caring about what people think of you?” Deedra was never one to care if someone liked her or not. She lived how she wanted to, and if someone didn’t like it, she told ‘em to fuck off.

  She shrugged and swirled her straw around in her cup. “Having it said straight to my face is a little different.”

  “You know you’re not a bitch, Deedra. That is the furthest from the truth, and you know it.” I took a sip of my drink. “You think we can actually talk about what we came here for?”

  “Um.” She took a sip of her tea. “I think I’d rather talk about how big of a bitch I am. My feelings can handle that better.”

  “Not happening.” I had a list of questions for Deedra, and I wanted to know the answers to them. “What have you been up to?”

  “Working, Point. The thing I was always doing when we were together.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know about that. You always made time for me.”

  Sure, Deedra worked a lot, but you kind of need to do that if you want to have a comfortable life. It was also her dream. She wanted more than anything to find the next big story and be the first one to report it.

  Hell, no matter what she needed to do to get it, she did. I always thought she got off on the thrill of the possible danger.

  “What have you been doing?” she countered.

  I pointed to the patch on my chest. “Joined an MC after I kicked my drinking problem. Got a group of guys who’d die for me. The usual,” I chuckled.

  “You always were good at making friends,” she muttered.

  The club was more than friends. “They’re my family, Dee.”

  She nodded. “I’ve seen Sons of Anarchy, Point. I get it.”

  “Uh, not sure that’s accurate but okay.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I mean, I get the whole brotherhood thing. I hope you’re not doing half of the stuff they did on the show.”

  I cleared my throat.

  “Jesus, Point. Please don’t put me in the position where I have to report on what your dumbass is doing.”

  I held up my hands. “I plead the fifth when it comes to you, Dee. I know you are always looking for your next story.”

  “I already know you guys are opening a strip club.” She leaned forward. “Are you seriously going to use the old funeral home?” she whispered.

  What in the fuck? “You wanna tell me how the hell you know any of what you just said?” How the hell did Deedra know about the funeral home? Hell, how the fuck did she know that we were planning on opening a strip club? We didn’t broadcast our business for anyone.

  “You know I have connections, Point. I don’t know why you’re surprised.” As if that was going to be a good enough explanation.

  “I’m surprised because I didn’t know any of what you just said until earlier today. Who the fuck do you have snitching? Is it fucking Core?” I hadn’t recognized the kid she had been talking to earlier so I didn’t know how he would have known anything about the club. It had to be someone connected to the club.

  Swear to God if it was Core, I was going to kick his ass personally.

  She tipped her head to the side. “I don’t know who that is.”

  “He’s part of the fucking club, Deedra. Who from the club is telling you our business?” She had about ten seconds before I lost my shit.

  “No one from the club told me anything. Do you really think everything you guys do is a secret?” She laughed and shook her head. “It’s not like you guys move around underneath invisibility cloaks or something.”

  “Who. Told. You.”

  She rolled her eyes. “My informant who has no connection to the club. He has a friend who saw one of you guys looking at property and overheard him talking about opening a strip club. Honestly, Point. I’m glad that you found the club and they became your family, but you’re wound a little tight.” She sipped from her tea.
“I think you need to have a beer or something.”

  I wasn’t wound tight. I just didn’t want people knowing shit about the club that wasn’t public knowledge yet. “And what in the fuck is an invisibility cloak?”

  Her jaw dropped. “You don’t know what an invisibility cloak is?” she gasped. “Have you never seen Harry Potter?”

  “I don’t watch shit movies.” I actually didn’t watch movies, period. I didn’t have three hours to sit down and stare at the TV. A TV show now and then, sure. A long ass movie? No.

  She clutched her hand to her chest and struggled to breath. “How did you just call Harry Potter shit? I mean, I’m not a huge fan of the fifth one, but you need it to tell the story.”

  “Been busy doing other shit. Now back to the person who told you about the club.” It had been my own fault to distract her from telling me about who told her information about the club.

  “Gawd, Point. I thought I beat things to death.” She moved her cup to the side and made room for the plates the waitress was bringing over. “He’s the kid you saw me out front with.”

  The waitress set the plates down and pulled a bottle of ketchup from her pocket. She asked if we needed anything else, but I dismissed her with a shake of my head.

  “What’s his name?” I grunted.

  Deedra took the top off her burger. “Uh, I’m not telling you his name. I do that, you find him, yell at him, and then he never talks to me again. Although, I’m pretty sure he dried up with information because I think there was something else he wanted to tell me but he was too afraid to.”

  She poured an obscene amount of ketchup on her burger and slapped the top bun back on.

  “Name,” I growled.

  “No. You’re not gonna get it from me, Point. If he would have said anything bad about you or the club, then I would tell you. What he told me is pretty much public knowledge to anyone that was there. Knock off the caveman biker shit.”

  I growled but didn’t persue it. “If you hear anything more about the club that doesn’t come from the club, then you need to tell me.” No one needed to be talking about the club.

  She rolled her eyes. “As if you guys are that interesting. I didn’t really know much about you guys until I did the story about Queenie and Gunner.” She leaned forward. “It might be crazy, but there is more going on in Whitmore than your motorcycle club.”