Outlaw Souls MC Box Set: Books 1-6

by Hope Stone

  The gas station wasn’t far from the library, and he happened to have parked on the edge of the parking lot closest to me, so it wasn’t a surprise when he spotted me watching him. I didn’t even try to pretend that I wasn’t staring, just lifting my hand and waving at him.

  Trainer looked at me, then at his candy bar before shoving the thing into the pocket of his jacket, still half-eaten. I could swear that he almost looked embarrassed, which had me giggling as he bypassed the motorcycle and walked over to me.

  “What’s so funny?” he growled, but his eyes held amusement.

  “That chocolate bar is going to melt.”

  “Oh, hell.” He pulled it out of his pocket, pulling the wrapper back once again, and I saw that it was a Snickers. “You want a bite?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “No, thanks. I’m not a big fan of nuts.”

  “How unfortunate,” he said, taking a big bite and wiggling his eyebrows. I slapped his arm playfully. “So… this is how you spend your Saturday mornings.” He looked around thoughtfully. “Nice enough spot to sit, I suppose.”

  “Please.” I rolled my eyes. “I’d much rather be at home, wearing pajamas and eating cereal in front of the TV.”

  “It’s almost ten o’clock.”

  “Yeah, and I like sleeping in.” I pinned him with a fierce glare. “Don’t you judge me.”

  “I had no idea you were so defensive.” Trainer grinned.

  “You’re supposed to be intimidated.”

  “Oh. My bad.” He rolled his eyes and took a seat on the bench beside me. “So what dragged you out of bed against your will?”

  “Dominic. He’s nuts about reading, always has been, and he somehow found out that this library has a youth reading program every other Saturday.”

  “Reading, huh? How old is he?”

  “Seven.”

  “Damn. At that age, I was obsessed with video games. I had an original Nintendo, which was outdated even then, but I took really good care of it. I was on that thing all the time.”

  I loved the image that his words conjured in my mind. A little boy with dark hair sitting on the floor in front of the TV with a controller in his hand, working his way through the classic games.

  “Dominic likes video games too. I mean, what kid doesn’t? It’s funny that you mention the old game system since he’s been using a Gameboy that I’ve had since I was little. Once I get a few more paychecks, I think I’ll get him a system he can play at home on the TV.”

  “Sounds like he’s lucky to have you.”

  Warmth filled my chest. How many times had Jeff told me that I was a horrible mother? Too many to count. It was hard not to believe his words sometimes.

  I had to stop doing that. Thinking about Jeff and the shit he’d put me through wasn’t helping me move on, and it mentally took me away from the intriguing man in front of me. My focus should be on him alone.

  “Thanks,” I said. My eye caught on something on the front of his jacket. Looking closer, I saw that it was another patch that had been sewn on. It was diamond-shaped and inside was “1%.”

  Trainer followed my gaze. “Wondering about the one percent patch?” I nodded. “It’s part of being an outlaw motorcycle club. Basically, we aren’t a part of the ninety-nine percent of clubs that belong to the AMA.”

  “Outlaw?” I wasn’t too sure I liked the sound of that.

  “It’s meant to refer to the fact that we aren’t an AMA sanctioned group, but…”

  “But you guys do illegal stuff?”

  “There’s not a good way to answer that,” he admitted.

  I wasn’t sure that I actually wanted him to, but wasn’t it reckless of me to keep this thing going with him if I didn’t ask?

  “Let me put it this way,” he continued, “we’ve broken the law. The club has a history of doing some bad things. But we’ve turned it around… for the most part. These days we try to do better for the community.”

  “That’s good.”

  I noticed that he didn’t say that they were no longer lawbreakers. I wanted to press him for details, but I didn’t think I would get them. I was no expert on motorcycle clubs, but I figured they were probably pretty secretive. So I had to decide if I could accept that the Outlaw Souls - and by extension, Trainer - were probably involved in some questionable activities.

  I studied him for a long moment, and he met my eyes directly, not shying away or hiding. I felt like I could see him clearly for who he was, and I knew that I was looking at a good man. That was what really mattered, right?

  Someone might look at Trainer and have doubts about him because of the patch on the back of his jacket or his large stature, but that stuff didn’t really tell you anything. It made me think of Jeff. He was always well put-together, fitting in well with the high society types that he associated with. But on the inside, he was a monster.

  Damn it. Wasn’t I going to stop thinking about him?

  I didn’t know what to say to Trainer to let him know that I was okay with what he told me, so I reached out and took his hand. I hadn’t realized that he was tense until I did that, and I saw him relax. We sat there quietly for a while, and it was nice to just relax with him like this without feeling like I needed to fill the air with endless chatter.

  The door of the library opened, and I turned, releasing Trainer’s hand. Dominic stepped out, looking far too worried. I hadn’t seen him with that look on his face since we moved here, and guilt flooded me. I should have realized that he’d be freaked out if he couldn’t find me. It probably brought up some stuff from the past that I didn’t want him to dwell on.

  “Hey, buddy.” I stood. “I just stepped out for some fresh air. Are you all done in there?”

  “Yeah,” he said, all concern disappearing as if it had never been there at all. “We read a book about elves.” He looked quizzically at Trainer. “Who are you?”

  “Trainer.” He walked forward and held his large hand out. Dominic took it, looking suspicious. “I’m a friend of your mom’s.”

  This was not how I would have had them meet. Actually, I hadn’t even started to consider how or when to introduce Dominic to a man I was dating. Until recently, I had no real plans to date at all.

  Dominic turned to me with puppy dog eyes as Trainer released his hand. “Mom, can I go to Glenn’s house? Please?”

  “Who’s Glenn?”

  A woman had just stepped out of the library, and she smiled brightly at me when she heard my question. “That would be my son. Elaine Hargrave, nice to meet you.”

  She stepped closer, like she was going to shake my hand, but stopped when she saw Trainer. Elaine’s emotions were printed across her face, and I saw apprehension there. She seemed immediately unsettled, and I had the urge to defend Trainer, to tell her that he was nothing to be afraid of.

  “I’m Erica, and this is my friend, Trainer.”

  Elaine refocused on me. “It seems that our boys have hit it off.”

  I looked at Dominic and saw that another little boy had come outside and joined him. They were in the middle of an animated discussion about Spider-Man.

  “We’d love to have a playdate. I can take the boys to my place for the afternoon. Glenn is always looking for friends to share his love of comic books with.”

  “Can I go, Mom?”

  I felt almost like a cornered animal as I looked from one hopeful face to the next. My instinct was to say no. I just couldn’t think of a good reason on the spot like this. I didn’t even know this woman; how could I trust her with my child?

  “It would be no problem, really,” Elaine assured me. “I’ll give you my phone number so we can coordinate pick-up later.”

  “Well…” I had to put my fear of people behind me. “Okay.”

  “Yes!” Dominic and Glenn both cried out.

  “Fabulous,” Elaine said, pulling out her cell phone. “Tell me your number, and I’ll text you so that you have mine.”

  As I rattled off the digits, I could feel Trainer wa
tching me as if he could sense my distress about this situation. He stayed on the bench as I grabbed Dominic’s booster seat from the car and put it into Elaine’s minivan, which was conveniently parked beside me. I stood at the curb and watched them drive off before returning to him, practically collapsing on to the bench once again.

  “You know, you could have said no,” he told me, confirming my suspicions about his perception of my feelings.

  “And Dominic would have been heartbroken.” I shook my head. “He was so excited to make a new friend, and he deserves some good in his life.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  I cast my gaze around, searching for a way to change the subject since I couldn’t seem to keep my big mouth closed. It landed on his bike.

  “Would you take me for a ride? I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”

  Trainer didn’t respond right away, and I was worried that he wasn’t going to let it go, insisting that I explain my comment about Dominic. But after a few seconds, he stood and held his hand out to me.

  “Never been on a motorcycle? That should be a crime.”

  I held his hand as we walked the short distance to his Harley, our fingers intertwined. When we reached the bike, I was surprised by how tall it was. It didn’t look so high up from further away. I was average height, but I wouldn’t even be able to skim the ground with my toes if I sat on it.

  Trainer grabbed a hold of the handlebars and raised the kickstand before swinging one leg over the side. When both of his feet were flat on either side of the machine, he turned to look at me.

  “Put this on.” Taking his helmet off of the seat behind him, Trainer handed it over. I could tell already that it was going to be too big.

  “It won’t fit.”

  “I know, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll get you your own for the future.”

  The future. It should probably scare me that he was making plans like that, considering my situation. I might have to run away again at a moment’s notice. But I didn’t feel scared at his words. A glimmer of hope sparked within my heart, and I shoved the helmet onto my head, tightening the strap as much as possible. It was still a little loose, but not too bad. I wanted to protest his lack of head protection, but I had a feeling it would fall on deaf ears. There was no way that a man like Trainer would allow me to go without a helmet so that he could have one.

  Reaching up, I held on to his shoulders and placed my foot on the passenger footrest before hoisting my body off the ground and onto the motorcycle. Settling into the seat behind him, I felt my core clench as my thighs had to spread wide to fit on each side of his body. My chest was pressed against his back as I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his waist.

  Trainer fired up the bike, the growl of the engine making me jump. I settled down quickly, resting my head against his shoulder blade. When he pulled out of the parking lot, he turned left, passing by the front of the library just as Dave emerged with his daughter. We made eye contact, and I smiled as his jaw dropped.

  Then Trainer shifted gears, and we were gone.

  Trainer

  I didn’t usually ride with people on the back of my bike. It wasn’t a hard rule, but riding with a passenger changed the balancing and made me responsible for someone else’s safety. I wasn’t a big fan of either of those things.

  But I didn’t think I could deny Erica anything. The more time I spent with her, the more I could see glimpses of vulnerability beneath the surface that made me want to take care of her. So if she wanted to experience the thrill of a ride, I’d give it to her.

  I noticed right away that turning made her nervous. Her entire body stiffened up behind me when I leaned into a turn, and her arms tightened to the point of almost hurting. Not wanting to make this a nerve-wracking experience for her, I headed to western La Playa. There was a straight stretch of road that ran along the beach. It was a bit boring for riding, with no twists or turns, but I thought she might enjoy the view.

  The sun shone brightly off the sand, making me thankful for my sunglasses. I felt Erica relax against me, and even her arms loosened their death-grip, moving lower on my abdomen. An erotic excitement sparked, and I wanted her touch on my bare skin, moving lower and lower until she gripped my throbbing erection.

  Okay, time to take a break.

  We’d been driving for almost an hour anyway. It would be good to stretch our legs. I pulled over as we came upon the boardwalk. It was the most popular tourist attraction in La Playa with a Ferris wheel, carnival-style games, a family pavilion, and a stage where bands often performed on the weekend evenings.

  The place was crawling with people, so I made sure that Erica stayed close to my side as we walked along the wooden planks.

  “I had no idea this was here,” she commented, her gaze on the ocean. “Do you come here often?”

  “Nah, it’s usually too crowded for me, too many tourists.”

  “I kind of like it.”

  “I thought you might.”

  We passed a caricaturist drawing three sisters as they posed with their heads pressed together and a little boy with his dad flying a drone over all our heads. Finally, I spotted a pretzel cart ahead.

  “In the mood for lunch?” I asked, pointing it out to her. It was no gourmet meal, but I thought it was best to keep things real with her. I was never going to be a fine-dining kind of guy.

  Erica didn’t mind. She pulled me over to the cart, taking her time picking out the “perfect pretzel.”

  I wasn’t aware that such a thing existed, but she was almost scientific about it. Apparently, the amount and distribution of salt really mattered in these decisions. Me? I just pointed to the first one I saw and asked for extra cheese sauce.

  “I think that thing is bigger than your head,” I told Erica as we took a seat at a small, metal cafe-style table nearby.

  “The bigger, the better,” she said. Her eyes widened as the words left her mouth, and she glanced down at my lap. My erection twitched, as if begging for more of her attention. She bit her lip, and I groaned.

  “Don’t do that,” I said, reaching out to gently tug her lip out from between her teeth. “Not here.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s too sexy.”

  And now she blushed, the pink tint of her cheeks evidence of a sweetness that was driving me crazy. I wasn’t used to spending much time with a woman before taking her to bed. Casual flings were really only about one thing.

  “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a man look at me like you are right now,” she said, a little breathlessly.

  “And how’s that?” I asked, leaning closer to her across the table. Our pretzels were lying in their paper sheaths between us, all but forgotten.

  “Like you need me. Like you’ll starve without me.”

  That was a hell of a way of putting it. But she was right.

  Before I got the chance to respond, I picked up something in my peripheral vision that distracted me. It was a biker, but I didn’t recognize him. Which meant that he was probably a Las Balas member. Or a Prospect.

  My attention wasn’t just drawn by the man’s attire. It was his behavior. He looked shifty, his eyes darting around as he bounced on the balls of his feet. He didn’t seem to be able to hold still. The guy was definitely on something. Based on the way that he kept checking his pockets and clenching his jaw, I assumed he was holding and anxious about it from the drug use. A dealer maybe?

  Someone should have told him not to take his own shit. It was bad for business.

  “What are you looking at?” Erica asked, turning to look in the same direction.

  “No, don’t look,” I commanded, my voice coming out harsher than intended. The guy looked way too jumpy, and if he caught on to being watched, things could get ugly. I was packing, of course, but I didn’t really want to get into a public fight with a rival gang member.

  No, this would have to be handled with some finesse. I needed to talk to Ryder.

  “What’s wrong
?” Erica’s question came out as more of a demand for an answer, and I smirked.

  “It’s kind of club business, but I’ll tell you that there’s a guy to our left, next to the beer garden, that looks like trouble to me. Maybe a drug dealer. I just don’t want you to turn your head his way too because it will be too obvious. This guy looks like the unstable type to me.”

  “A drug dealer? Should we call the police?” To my surprise, she didn’t sound too keen on the idea herself.

  I shook my head from side to side. “No. We handle this.”

  “We? You mean the Outlaw Souls?”

  “Yes.”

  Erica didn’t say anything else, just turning her attention to the pretzel. I watched her pick pieces off of it, nibbling on them with a troubled look on her face.

  “You want to tell me what’s wrong? Does it bother you that I won’t call the cops?”

  “No,” she said, meeting my eyes. In the sunlight, her vivid green orbs were even more entrancing than usual. “I just… I don’t like the idea of you in dangerous situations.”

  The woman couldn’t seem to stop astounding me. She was worried about me?

  “Don’t worry about me. The Outlaw Souls have each other’s backs. They’re pretty much the only family I have.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, there’s my foster mother, Mama Mae. She insists that I call her that.”

  “You were a foster child? What happened to your parents?”

  “Dad was never around. Mom was a mess. I was taken from her when I was twelve, and I haven’t had contact with her since.” I kept it short, not wanting to rehash my tragic backstory. There was no point in lingering in the past. “What about you? You have a good relationship with your parents?”

  “No, they died when I was eighteen. It was a fire at the house. I was still living with them, but that night I had gone to an overnight college orientation, so I wasn’t there.” Her voice cracked, and I thought I saw tears in her eyes, but they didn’t fall down her cheeks. “Maybe if I had been, I could’ve helped them.”

  “You don’t know that,” I argued. “You could’ve gone with them, and I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted that.”