Gunner (The Bad Disciples MC Book 1)

by Savannah Rylan

  “I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to come in here,” Ember said.

  “No, I mean in general. If I had that money in my pocket it would be burning a hole. I’d have to spend it on something awesome,” Liza said.

  “And you would be broke tomorrow,” Ember replied. “I’m a bit more responsible than that. I’m not going to buy anything special. That money is there for emergencies and crazy life stuff.”

  “Ok, that is so lame,” Liza said.

  “You are hopeless,” Ember said.

  “So, I take it you are not going back to the auction?”

  “No, of course not. If I’m in a relationship then—wait, am I in a relationship? Ugh, I don’t even know what we really have.”

  “It’s probably too early to really define it, but if you think this is really going somewhere and judging by how insane you two are acting I would say it is, then you should probably stop escorting. Unless you know, you just don’t do everything.”

  “I’m not sure you can survive in this line of work without it. I mean they say that it is optional and up to you exactly what happens, but I think a lot of that is just the legal loopholes so it isn’t called prostitution.”

  Liza laughed. “Well, if you are in a relationship then you have a very wealthy boyfriend, so I don’t think you have that much to worry about.”

  “But that’s the thing, I don’t’ want to rely on him for anything financially. I don’t think I could ever bring myself to ask him for money or something.”

  “You probably won’t have to,” Liza replied.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if this gets really serious then I imagine you will eventually move in with him, right? And if you are living together he will probably take care of most of your bills.”

  Ember thought about this a moment. The thought had not really occurred to her about this yet, but it was something to consider.

  “I don’t know if I would be comfortable with that. I’ve always kind of done my own thing and paid my own way. He is going to have to get used to that.”

  Liza rolled her eyes. “Really? If he offers to take care of you and spoil you then you are going to say no? I don’t think so.”

  “No, you would not say no. I’m too stubborn. Besides we are talking about something that might not even happen. Zander and I have very strong feelings for each other, but it might not end up there. This is all very new and exciting; it’s difficult to say where it will end up.”

  “I hear that, but I’m just saying that with a guy like Zander Michaels you had better get used to living a certain lifestyle,” Liza replied as she began thumbing through some tops on the rack.

  Ember knew that Liza was right. If things went to the next level with Zander she might be thrust into some kind of a spotlight that she was not going to be thrilled with. She’d always been a pretty private person; if she suddenly became the significant other of the most sought after bachelor in the city then she was going to have a spotlight thrust on her.

  Was she prepared to handle any of that?

  18

  Zander

  Zander lifted the weight off his chest and set it back on the rack. He took several deep breaths and sat up careful not to bang his head on the bar (this happened more than he’d like to admit). He grabbed his bottle of water with the branch chain amino acids added to it for enhanced performance and flavor. They also turned the water a pretty blue and made it taste like berries.

  He decided to get a quick workout in before he got ready for his date with Ember. The phone call that afternoon had gone very well with her. Luckily, she had understood when he broke everything down to her. There had been a few things he’d left out, but nothing that really mattered. He was done with the club and he had spent most of the day scolding himself for even considering getting involved with Harrison again. The guy was a germ. He was scum of the earth as far as Zander was concerned and he was not going to associate with the jerk ever again.

  Zander wiped his sweat off the bar and bench, grabbed his water, and hit the showers. This was technically his second workout of the day; his first had been a five-mile run shortly after Ember had walked out on him. He typically adhered to his morning jog and high protein breakfast ritual. It always helped keep him laser focused and prepared for the long day ahead. If he did not get a good blood pumping workout in within an hour of waking up then he was just in a bit of a brain fog the rest of the day. His body thrived on activity. If he didn’t get it then he often felt half asleep.

  He especially need the jog this morning to help him clear his head and he was pretty sure he had sprinted a good majority of it, running faster trying to eliminate the little bit of stress that had crept into his head that morning. By the time, he got back he was soaked with sweat and his body flooded with adrenaline. It had been a bit difficult to sit down to his breakfast, but replenishing the body with a high protein and complex carb breakfast was a must.

  It had been a few days since he’d had time to lift weights with his hectic schedule, but it felt great to get back in the gym and pump the iron. The gym was actually in the basement of his mansion that he owned outside of the city. He usually spent time on the weekends there. It was a great place to get away and on the rare occasion that he decided to take some time off instead of traveling to some exotic locale he retreated to his palatial estate. He would have to show it to Ember soon. She would love it.

  His estate encompassed a huge amount of property which held a horse stable with a track, tennis courts, and a large outdoor patio with an outside heated pool and Jacuzzi. It was a place that if he allowed himself to stay in too long he never wanted to actually leave it, which was one of the reasons he did not stay there during the week when he was in full blown work mode.

  He finished up his shower and started to get dressed. He figured he would pick up Ember in the limo tonight and they would begin their evening, which would end up back at the estate. He wanted to show her a magical evening.

  As he was putting the finishing touches on polishing his shoes his phone rang. The call ID display said it was Harrison.

  A groan escaped him as a pit of rage ballooned in his stomach. What the hell did he want now?

  Maybe he wanted to apologize. He laughed to himself. Knowing Harrison, the way he did, that was very unlikely.

  “Yeah?” Zander answered.

  “Hey, buddy. I’m just calling to give you another chance to reconsider some things,” Harrison said.

  Zander laughed out loud. “Reconsider what exactly? Was I unclear in anything I told you earlier?”

  “You don’t want to do this, man,” Harrison said. “But fine. Have it your way. I do want to remind you that you have a contract as a member of the club that you are locked into for the next year.”

  “What? I never signed any contract,” Zander said. “I was there as an invited guest, invited by you.”

  “Well, all that changed when you signed that agreement when you picked up that girl you paid such a generous sum of money for. I guess you didn’t read the fine print of what you were signing. It is basically acknowledging that you have a contract with the club and will pay a membership to stay eligible to bid in the auctions of twenty grand a month.”

  “That’s ridiculous! I never signed any damn contract!”

  “I’m afraid so,” Harrison said.

  “Well, fine. I’ll have my lawyer look into it. A measly twenty grand a month—did you forget who I am?”

  “No, I haven’t forgotten. But I am curious what the other investors you work with in your other ventures would think knowing that Mr. Zander Michaels is involved with such a shady place. One of the richest guys in the northern hemisphere has to pay for women? It isn’t the sort of thing that looks well.”

  Zander laughed. “Wow, that is your angle? You are going to try to guilt me this way? It’s not illegal; there is no prostitution going on there.”

  “Well, it is not technically prostitution. I mean I would never r
emain in business if it was. But to the public at large and to certain people in our world, mainly the older women like Mary Stern, and Angela Keane—you know the women who have invested heavily in your real estate empire—they probably would fail to really see the difference. And not to mention the public at large, the tabloids, TMZ, and anyone else who would love to have pictures of you bidding your heart out with the rest of the animals.”

  “Same old Harrison, still trying to blackmail people. Is that the only thing you know how to do? Have you ever made a dime off anyone without it?”

  “You know how it is; no one makes a dime in this world without stealing from someone else, or forcing someone else to do what they don’t want to do. That is how the world runs. I’m sorry if you haven’t figured it out,” Harrison gloated.

  “Oh, I figured out the way of it long ago, which is why I’m richer than you are. And in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t scare easily. Your club is supposed to protect the privacy of its members; if this gets out then I will make sure that you pay one way or another for any loss of business it ends up costing me.”

  “Good luck with that,” Harrison said. “I am giving you one last chance. You have three days to make up your mind. You know where to find me.”

  “Let’s be clear about something here,” Zander said.

  “What’s that?”

  “You don’t need me because you are afraid I’ll steal your idea; you need me because you need my talent. You know I can take this business to a level that will make your head explode with riches. You need my abilities; that is why you are doing this. Be honest with yourself.”

  The phone was silent for a moment. Zander could practically hear Harrison’s head splitting open with rage.

  “Three days,” he said.

  With that the line went dead.

  Zander grabbed a bottle of bourbon and poured a glass. He downed it quickly. How dare that little worm try this stunt on him? Oh, Harrison had no idea what kind of hell he had just unleashed on himself.

  But he was damn sure going to find out.

  Zander did his best to push all thoughts of Harrison out of his mind for the time being; he had a very special lady to pick up.

  Thirty minutes later Ember was in his limousine on her way to a restaurant called Colombi’s. It was a five-star upscale Italian restaurant he had not been to in a little while. Lately he’d been craving some of their signature garlic bread. There was something about that bread when you mixed it with the right merlot that for some reason felt like Heaven in your mouth for several minutes after each drink. He was aching for Ember to try it out.

  She was dressed to kill. He’d told her to wear something formal. He’d considered asking her if she had anything really formal to wear, but he remembered the dress from the auction night and figured this was a woman who knew how to dress, although he was relatively aware of her financial troubles. It was easy to see that by looking at her small apartment she shared with her roommate. He said nothing about it though; he did not want to insult her, especially after she’d just decided to give this another chance.

  He was glad that he was out of the business of Club Privaat altogether, but he was a bit worried about how Ember had reacted. This was obviously a girl who had trust issues. Some jerk had treated her badly in the past, possibly more than one. In time, he hoped that she would feel comfortable enough to tell him about it, but he wasn’t going to press. Ember was a remarkably fearless and strong woman, but he could tell that deep down she did have a streak where she wanted to fall apart. And if that ever happened he wanted to be right there to pick her up.

  They arrived at their table in Colombi’s. One usually had to reserve a table there at least a month in advance, but because it was him he was able to get it the same day. Truthfully, they did hold a few tables that they could have empty for men in his income bracket. It wasn’t just because of who he was, but the fact that he was willing to pay a monthly stipend of ten thousand dollars in addition to whatever money he spent while he was there. So, it was a good investment. They reserved it for only those special few like himself, even though there were a lot of people who could afford it and would be glad to do it. It helped to have friends around.

  “Wow, this place is great,” Ember said looking around.

  Zander smiled and checked her out for possibly the twentieth time that evening. She was wearing the most seductive blue dress that came to mid-thigh, which was perfect for showing off her killer legs and it also revealed the perfect amount of cleavage to showcase her large, voluptuous breasts without giving too much away. He could not wait to ravage her.

  “I’ve been coming here for a while,” he said. “I highly recommend the Cajun alfredo—it is excellent,” he said in his most fake posh accent.

  She smiled. “I might give that a try,” she said. “I do love me some alfredo.”

  “Well, who doesn’t?”

  The waiter came just then. “Good evening, Mr. Michaels. How are you this fine evening, sir?”

  “Very well indeed, Serge,” Zander said. All of the waiters were expected to know the names of all the wealthiest and most regular customers. Serge had been working there for almost two years; he was the best waiter that Zander had ever had the pleasure of being served by. He always requested Serge when he ate at Colombi’s.

  “What can I start you off with?” Serge asked.

  “I believe a bottle of the Masoki Merlot 1985, as I requested earlier,” Zander said.

  “Oh, excellent sir,” Serge said. “I will be right back.”

  He walked away briskly to get the wine.

  “Wow,” Ember said. “I guess they know you around here.”

  Zander smiled. “I’m sure they will get to know you as well.”

  “Well, I’m already impressed, so I think that is a distinct possibility,” Ember said. She looked down for a moment as if she was trying to come up with the right words.

  “What is it?” Zander asked.

  “I want to apologize about earlier,” she said. “I do let things go to my head and I jump to conclusions sometimes. I’m sorry I behaved that way. I’m a bit ashamed.”

  Zander smiled and reached over to grab her hand in his. “Honey, its fine. I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt you. And as for any doubts you had about me and my intentions, I care about you. The past few days have been some of the most spectacular of my life and I’m looking forward to even better days ahead. I promise I will never give you any reason at all to not trust me.”

  Ember looked as if she might cry. She blinked several times and smiled. “Thank you,” she said.

  Serge came back with a bottle of the Merlot. He poured each of their glasses about halfway full and then sat down a basket of garlic bread. The smell was almost dizzying, filled with that full rich, garlic and butter flavor wafting up to the nostrils, tingling the senses. Zander watched Ember’s expression as she caught a few whiffs of the scent.

  “Wow, that smells amazing,” Ember said.

  Serge smiled as he grabbed a bottle of olive oil off his tray.

  “Is this your first-time dining with us, madam?” Serge asked.

  “It is,” Ember said. “Zander said this was the best place in town and I’m starting to believe him.”

  “Well, Mr. Michaels has excellent taste. In food, wine, and women,” Serge said. He gave Ember a wink catching her eye.

  Zander chuckled to himself wondering if he should be worried.

  Serge sat a small bowl on the table and poured a small amount of olive oil into it. Sitting the bottle of oil back on his plate he grabbed a container of turmeric off the table and placed two small scoops into the olive oil with a small spoon. Then he sprinkled some parsley into it and added a bit of ground up mustard.

  Zander watched intently. He knew it was a silly little thing, but he loved to watch people doing simple rituals like this one. He’d always felt there was something charming about it.

  Last serge sprinkled a decent h
elping of freshly grated parmesan cheese over it. Then he grabbed a small spoon and began to stir slowly and deliberately.

  Zander saw Ember watching the whole ritual closely with a sweet smile on her face.

  After he was done with the mixture Serge then picked up a piece of garlic bread with a pair of tongs and placed a piece on both plates.

  “What soups shall I start you off with this evening, sir?” Serge asked.

  “I believe two bowls of your Gnocchi potato please,” Zander said ordering one of the restaurant's signature bowls.

  “Very nice selection, sir,” Serge replied. “House dressing ok for your salad?”

  “Yes, that will be fine,” Zander replied.

  Serge left then to prepare the soups and salad.

  Ember seemed very impressed with the way things were going so far. Zander was glad, but he knew that the evening was going to be even better as it progressed.

  Ember took a piece of the bread and dipped it in the sauce that Serge had put together. Her whole face lit up as she bit into it.

  “Oh, that is the best thing I have ever tasted,” she thought.

  Zander smiled. “I told you, this place is the best kept secret in town.”

  “Wow, I have a feeling I am going to learn about a lot of interesting things being with you,” Ember said.

  Zander smiled.

  “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the evening?” Ember asked.

  “Oh, I can’t tell you now; it will ruin all of the surprises,” zander said.

  “I don’t normally like surprises, but you happen to be unusually good at it,” she said.

  “Well, I do have my ways I guess,” Zander replied.

  Zander ended up ordering them both the Cajun pasta dish he mentioned earlier to Ember. She seemed on board to try anything.

  “After all, you’ve been perfectly right about everything so far,” Ember commented with a bit of flirt in her eye.

  By the time, they finished dinner they were halfway through the second bottle of wine. Ember was getting a bit tipsy, but she was still remaining in control.