Meeting Danger (Danger #1)

by Allyson Simonian

  He glanced at the time on his phone, and after a moment of debate, dialed Eli. The running joke among the team members was that their director never slept.

  Eli sounded wide awake as he answered. “How did the rest of the night play out?”

  Camden filled him in on the altercation he’d witnessed at the bar. “There was an emergency meeting afterward, but I have no idea what the resolution was.”

  “Still no talk of the heroin operation?”

  “None.” Camden sighed. “It’s all about cards and women with those guys. The good news is I just found out we’re going on a run tomorrow, a recreational trip to the Poconos. We’ll be meeting up with some other chapters, so hopefully Cobb will be there. Maybe something will spill out then.” He provided the details about the weekend’s itinerary that he’d learned during the card game.

  “You take care of yourself, Cam.”

  “I will.”

  Camden tossed his phone aside and dropped onto his bed for a few hours of sleep before he had to get up to join the brothers on the run. Hopefully tomorrow—no, today—would be the day he finally learned something useful.

  CHAPTER 12

  Newburgh, New York

  At the roar of the approaching motorcycle, Autumn’s pulse spiked. It never failed. Whenever she heard Butch’s bike pull up to the house, a sick feeling would come over her. She’d spend the next minutes wondering what kind of mood he was in. Then he’d come in and she’d be able to gauge how the rest of the night would go.

  But since the night he’d choked her, her dread of being around Butch had grown even worse. Obviously, he hadn’t wanted to kill her that night, so what had been his intention? To punish her? Terrify her? He’d certainly succeeded. The past several weeks had felt as strained as those when she’d first lived with him.

  The front door swung open and Butch strode in whistling. As he shrugged off his riding gear, Autumn tried not to stare. Would the fact that he was in a rare good mood mean they’d have a peaceful night?

  “We’re going on a run this weekend.”

  She gazed at him. “To where?”

  “The Poconos.”

  Autumn thought of Kristen. Would she be going? It was unlikely, especially since the weather was still a bit cold for riding. Disappointment rose as she followed Butch into the kitchen.

  “When will we leave?”

  Butch uncapped a beer. “First thing in the morning.”

  Autumn walked to the counter, picked up a plate, and glanced out the window. “I’ll pack for us after dinner.”

  Between the cold weather and Butch’s moods, this past winter had seemed endless. She’d felt even more trapped than usual. Now spring was officially here, blooms were visible on the trees. It would be nice to get out into nature and the fresh air . . . even if it was with Butch.

  • • •

  The next morning, Autumn strapped on her helmet and looked up at the sky. It had rained overnight but the sun was out now, drying the wetness and providing some welcome warmth.

  Because Butch had slept late, they were getting a late start on the run. It was past ten o’clock now as he locked up the house. Autumn climbed onto his bike, breathing in the fragrance of cherry blossoms.

  She grabbed hold of Butch’s waist as he climbed on and started the bike. Once he turned out of the long driveway, he opened up the machine. Autumn closed her eyes as the wind blew hard against the face shield of her helmet.

  It had been months since she’d been on Butch’s bike. That winter they’d mostly used his truck for the few outings and shopping trips they’d taken, since the weather was too cold and the roads were often icy or covered with snow. He was good on a bike, and riding was pretty much the only thing she enjoyed doing with him.

  She drew in a slow breath. With the soothing noise of the bike drowning out everything else, it wasn’t too hard to put her troubles out of her mind.

  Butch made a right turn and they passed an old Victorian house that Autumn had always liked. The couple who’d bought it the previous year had already done a lot to fix it up. It looked nothing like the dilapidated structure it had once been. Rotted siding had been replaced and a new roof put on. But it was the new paint job that had really made the difference. The green color and contrasting creamy trim made the house look bright and cheery.

  The owners were outside now, taking advantage of the nice weather to work in their yard. The man pushed a mower while the woman weeded the front beds. A pang hit Autumn’s chest at the thought that this was what a normal couple looked like.

  As the roar of Butch’s motorcycle approached, the woman looked up. Her face immediately pinched into a frown at the sight of them, and Autumn couldn’t blame her. Butch on his motorcycle was an intimidating sight, but get the club together on their bikes and it was even worse. They were sure to get a lot of stares that weekend as they rode through the small towns they’d pass on their way to the Poconos.

  Several minutes later, Butch pulled into the clubhouse parking lot. The brothers stood waiting outside, their bikes lined up in a row, gleaming in the sunlight with bags strapped on.

  Autumn looked around and breathed in a sigh of relief that none of the club women were there. It was always awkward being around them. Butch thought she was too stupid to realize what was going on, but from day one she’d known that he slept with them.

  With the exception of worrying about STDs, though, she didn’t care who he slept with. She’d been labeled as his girlfriend but she’d never felt that way. They had no emotional connection and never would.

  • • •

  Hours later, the group was riding up the mountains with Butch and Autumn in the lead. They’d just reached a level stretch of highway when Butch made a hand signal to the brothers behind him before he turned into a lot filled with motorcycles and men wearing riding gear emblazoned with Wicked Disciples patches.

  A crash van with a Pennsylvania license plate was parked alongside the bikes. A member of the Scranton chapter had to be having trouble. As Butch set his kickstand down and got off his bike, Autumn took off her helmet and smoothed down her hair, but she stayed where she was.

  The first time she’d been on a run with Butch, she’d made the mistake of speaking to a member of the Connecticut chapter. That innocent conversation had earned her several bruises from Butch. He didn’t like her speaking with the brothers much, especially those from another chapter. He didn’t like her speaking to anyone, in fact.

  Hale and Kristen seemed to be the only exceptions, and Autumn suspected it was because they weren’t part of any MC. But if it meant peace with Butch, then she was fine with keeping her distance.

  Her gaze went to the pine trees surrounding the lot. The nature around them was magnificent. Once they reached the cabins, Butch would be busy. Maybe she’d be able to take a walk in the woods.

  She turned her gaze back to the brothers from the Scranton chapter. She recognized all but one—a handsome younger man with light brown hair that nearly touched his shoulders, and a short, neatly trimmed beard. He was crouched down, attaching a bike ramp to the side of the van. A box of tools lay in the dirt beside him. Given his age, he was probably a prospect.

  She was about to turn away when he looked up. Autumn sucked in a breath as he did a double take and his gaze latched onto hers. She froze, unable to stop herself from staring back.

  Her immediate impression was this man was different from the other brothers. There was something about his eyes, something about his intense golden gaze that sent a rush of awareness hurtling through her body. The look he’d sent her was curious but warm, with a kindness that she wasn’t used to seeing directed toward her.

  Rattled from the intensity of her reaction, Autumn finally broke eye contact.

  CHAPTER 13

  Scranton, Pennsylvania

  “You’re not riding,” Beck had told Camden that morning. “You’re driving the crash car.”

  Camden had gazed at the white van with dismay—the Wicke
d Disciples’ version of AAA. The crash car followed the brothers on runs in case anyone broke down, offering repair assistance to those who needed it, and a lift home for any bikes that couldn’t be repaired on the spot.

  He’d been looking forward to riding his own bike, and was disappointed not to be riding on his first run with the brothers. But he kept his feelings to himself and took the keys to the van from Beck without a word.

  Twenty minutes ago, he’d been put into service. Romeo had gestured to him for help before pulling into this lot. Camden parked the van near where Romeo had parked his bike and walked over.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Bent my frame somehow.”

  “You hit something?” The frame of Romeo’s back wheel was twisted.

  “Pothole.”

  Despite his efforts to straighten the metal for the past fifteen minutes, Camden had been unsuccessful. He finally had to acknowledge that the tools in the van weren’t going to cut it for this repair.

  “Let’s get it inside.” He took out a ramp and began attaching it to the van.

  Motorcycles from another chapter rolled into the lot, and Beck walked over to greet them.

  “Hey, Butch.”

  Cobb? Camden quickly looked up to see Beck bumping fists with a tall, dark-haired man of about forty, and his gaze moved past Butch. His eyes widened when he saw the woman seated on the bike Butch had just parked.

  She was young and looked innocent, not hardened and jaded like so many of the brothers’ women and the club groupies he’d met in the past weeks. When she removed her helmet, her blond hair tumbled over her shoulders, a light wildflower-honey shade that glowed when the sunlight caught it. Based on the length of her legs draped over the bike, she was petite, but rather than sit up straight, she pulled her shoulders forward, as if trying to make herself seem even smaller.

  Everything around him seemed to stop for a few seconds as his breath was snatched away. The girl’s wary, almost frightened body language stirred his protective instincts, and he wondered what her story was. Then she glanced his way and blinked hard, most likely wondering who he was and why he was staring.

  Romeo tapped him on the shoulder. “Butch isn’t going to appreciate you looking at his woman.”

  Shaking himself out of his daze, Camden turned back to the ramp, trying to focus on his work.

  “Is it ready?”

  Camden took in a breath. “Yeah. It’s ready.”

  Romeo gave him a knowing look as he rolled his bike up the ramp. “Can’t blame you, though. She’s a looker, all right.”

  Camden’s gaze was drawn back to the girl. Even though she’d turned away, a pulse of heat still shot through him, warming him from the inside out. “She’s Butch’s girlfriend?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How old is she?”

  Romeo shrugged. “Not sure. A lot younger than Butch, at any rate.”

  “How long have they been together?”

  “Years.”

  Years? The girl couldn’t be much older than twenty.

  “You got this?” Romeo asked.

  “Yeah. I’ve got it.”

  “Good.” Romeo headed for the passenger door. “Then let’s hit the road.”

  • • •

  Later that afternoon, the group arrived at their destination, a wooded campground in the mountains with a couple of dozen rustic cabins and some bunkhouses along with a dining hall. It had once been a popular summer camp for kids, but the camp had fallen on hard financial times in the nineties and the place had changed hands. Camden had learned that the Wicked Disciples chapters in the region rented out the entire campground each spring and fall for semi-annual meetings, and had been doing so for years.

  Camden walked into the dining hall and set the bags of groceries he was carrying down on the counter. Across the room, Butch was seated at a table next to a big man who looked like a bodybuilder. They stopped their conversation and looked up.

  “You the prospect?”

  “Cameron Shea. You’re Butch, right?”

  “Yeah.” Butch nodded at the bags. “You makin’ us dinner?”

  “Ribs.” Camden had been tasked with barbecuing by Beck that morning. He took the meat out of one of the bags as the man beside Butch raised his hand in a greeting.

  “I’m Hale.”

  The man wasn’t wearing a cut, which surprised Camden since he seemed a little old to be a prospect. “You’re a Disciple too?”

  “No. Just a friend of Butch’s.”

  Hale and Cobb resumed their conversation as Camden put the groceries into the refrigerator. Seconds later, the men’s conversation became heated.

  “I’m just saying you shouldn’t do that,” Hale said loudly.

  Butch picked at the label on his beer bottle, grumbling something that sounded like, “Whatever.”

  “Why don’t you just try treating her nicer?”

  Butch pushed his beer aside. “What the fuck is this, Hale?”

  Hale sat back and crossed his arms. “I’m just calling it like it is. Someone has to. You run around on her when what you should be doing is treating her like a queen. She’s a nice girl, not like the others, and deserves better.”

  Butch darted an angry glance Camden’s way before turning back to his friend and lowering his voice. “How I treat her is none of your fuckin’ business.”

  “I just—”

  “Well, don’t.” Butch stood. His face turned red as he pounded the table. “Don’t just anything. Because I don’t fuckin’ want to hear it,” he bit out before he stormed from the room.

  Camden set a jar of barbecue sauce onto the counter and glanced at the door Butch had slammed through before turning back to Hale. “You really pissed him off.”

  “Looks like.” Hale shook his head and took a sip of beer. “Why do you even want to join this club?”

  “What?”

  Hale sighed. “Forget it.”

  Camden cast about for a conversation starter, not wanting to lose this opportunity to learn more about the Newburgh chapter and Butch Cobb.

  “How do you and Butch know each other?” he asked, deliberately keeping his tone nonchalant as he busied himself with starting dinner.

  “We grew up together. Went to school together.” Hale snorted. “Not that either of us got much out of it.”

  “Do you ride?”

  Hale nodded.

  “But you don’t want to be part of the club?”

  “Considered it before I met my wife. Now I’ve got no interest.”

  “You live in Newburgh?”

  “Yeah. Right near Butch. My wife and I were living in Alaska, but we moved back here last year. Jobs dried up, and the wife wanted to be near her family.”

  “What were you doing up in Alaska?”

  “I ran fishing tours. Here I drive a truck. How about you?”

  “I’m working at the Wrench in Scranton.”

  Hale nodded.

  “Is your wife here this weekend?”

  “Nah. She and my daughter stayed home.” Hale frowned and looked toward the door. “And I’m beginning to wonder why I’m not with them.” He stood and walked out, calling his good-bye over his shoulder.

  Camden watched out the window as Hale disappeared down a dirt path through the woods that led to some cabins. What were the chances the man could be turned and used as an informant?

  He quickly shook the thought away. Loyalty around here ran deep. Even if Hale did know what the club was doing, he and Cobb had history. He wouldn’t just turn.

  In a way, the loyalty was admirable. Too bad it was on the wrong side.

  CHAPTER 14

  APRIL

  Scranton, Pennsylvania

  Camden walked inside the Wicked Disciples’ clubhouse when he got off work on Wednesday, trying to keep his spirits up. Nothing much had changed in the three weeks since the trip to the Poconos, and he was frustrated.

  It was early for church yet, and there were only a few brothers and
their women in the common area when he walked through. He nodded to one or two who looked up from their pool game as he passed. Deciding to hit the bathroom before he grabbed a beer at the bar, he headed down the hallway to the back of the building. As he passed a storeroom, he paused for a second, surprised to hear a banging noise coming from behind the door.

  He opened the door cautiously and was shocked to find a man inside, bound to a chair and gagged. It was Joe Mann—the Helmsman who was seeing Blade’s ex.

  “Mmph!” Mann’s eyes widened and he struggled against the duct tape binding him, yelling through the tape covering his mouth.

  Shit! Camden’s heart thundered at the dilemma he faced. Free the prisoner and risk blowing his cover, and therefore the whole operation, or look the other way. His conscience quickly made up his mind for him.

  Just as Camden stepped forward to free the man, Grizzly stormed into the room behind him.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He circled around Camden as he glowered at him, backing him out of the room. “You’re not allowed in here.”

  “What’s going on?” Camden asked as Grizzly slammed the door shut. “Why is he here?”

  “Nothin’ you need to know about. And we don’t need you here for church tonight, so just go ahead and get out of here.”

  Camden clenched his jaw and gazed at the storeroom door.

  “Now!”

  With no other choice, he followed Grizzly out to the back door. As he hurried through the dark parking lot to his bike, his mind raced. Could he rescue Mann himself, or would he need to bring in help? One or the other would need to happen quickly, because the brothers surely hadn’t tied the guy up just to have a friendly chat with him.