by Piper Reagan
He unties the back of his shirt I’m wearing, picks me up, and places me on the ground, making sure the shirt is pulled down and completely covering me.
“Let’s get you fed and up to bed. I’ve got a date to plan for tomorrow night.” He turns around, giving me his back, and dips down. “Jump on my back, babe. I can’t have you attempting that road barefoot again.”
I climb on board and let him carry me back to the house and back to our second chance.
***
The next morning, I get to the salon early in hopes of combing through the books again to see if my suspicions are correct. After spending an hour going over the financials and inventory reports over the last two years, I find a lot of little things that don’t add up. Sway is due in any second and I don’t want him freaking out about this until I know what’s really going on, so I grab my phone and pull up the only other person I know who can help me. Thankfully, Juice programmed in the new numbers this morning.
“Hello.” The deep timbre comes through the line in panting breaths.
“Caleb. Hi, it’s Gin. I’m sorry to interrupt…” Oh shit, what am I interrupting?
“Just running, no big deal. What’s up?”
Oh, thank God. “I was wondering if you could recommend someone to do a little recon work for me. I need it to be discreet. If Sway finds out I’m looking into his girls, he’ll freak out.”
Caleb laughs. “Yeah, for the sake of our eardrums, let’s not make Sway panic. You say you want discreet?”
“Yes. I need one hundred percent confidentiality.”
“I know the perfect man.”
Caleb recommends Corps Security, giving a brief rundown on everyone who works there and the ties they have to the girls at the salon. He tells me about the specific person he thinks will work the best for me, and I jot everything down. After we hang up, I make a quick call to set up an appointment. Luckily, he can see me today.
I spend the rest of the morning dodging Sway’s constant attention. If he tries to check my pupils one more time, I’m going to have to smack his sassy ass. I appreciate the concern, but my head and I are totally fine.
“If you want to help, don’t leave glitter on the floor for someone to fall on.” I raise an eyebrow at Sway.
“Why don’t you let Sway give you a new ’do for that sexy blond Adonis of yours? Get his motor running if you know what I mean.” Then he mocks me, and raises his own eyebrow, followed by a wiggle. This guy.
I’ll give him credit—he distracts me with thoughts of Jarrett. I shake the vision and work on figuring out a way to go to Corps Security, which is right next door, without being noticed. “I’m going to walk down the block to grab some lunch. I’ll be back. Do you want anything?”
“No, sweet child, Sway needs to keep his girlie figure.” He runs his hand down the side of his body. “I need to keep my man happy.”
“Pops!” his daughter, Stella, yells from her station then rolls her eyes at her over-the-top father.
I take a second to check out the salon floor. Dani is working on a client, and Stella is cleaning her station. Let’s see… Maddi and Lyn are doing a bridal party consultation while Amy is sweeping the waiting room. That girl must have ADHD, because she is always doing something. As I complete my scan, I find Tammy Jo once again reading a magazine. This time she’s sitting in the waiting area while Amy sweeps around her feet.
This shit has to stop.
I slip out the door and go to my car, discreetly stuffing my hoodie and sunglasses in my oversized purse. I head around to the side of the building, as if walking to lunch, and put on the hoodie and sunglasses. I stall for a few minutes, then I make my way from the other direction as fast as I can before slipping into Corps Security. No sooner do I get through the door than I slam face first into a wall.
“Whoa.” Two ginormous hands grab my shoulders, preventing me from hitting the ground. “Shouldn’t you be in school right now?” The giant literally picks me up and places me to the side.
I keep my head down, not sure who will possibly recognize me and rat me out to Sway.
“Dad, I need to get back to Dirty Dog and there’s a random kid out here,” he calls toward the back.
Jesus… I groan inwardly. I’m not a fucking kid.
“Thanks, Nate, I’ll see you at the house for supper tonight.”
I chance a look through my sunglasses and see another giant man in the lobby. Did I just walk into some growth hormone study center?
“You lost, young lady?” His tone is soft and kind.
“I have an appointment. My name is Luciana.” Dumb me couldn’t come up with anything off the cuff, so I gave them my sister’s name when I made the appointment. Clearly, I suck at the PI business.
“You came to the right place, Luciana,” he soothes. One hundred percent misreading this situation. “You’re safe here.”
Holy shit, he probably thinks I’m a battered child or something. I tuck my chin. May as well keep my cover. “Thank you, sir.”
Special Agent Pip Squeak, at your service.
He looks at the computer screen on the reception desk. “Follow me. He’s waiting on you.” He gives me a kind smile. “I’m Axel, by the way. If you ever need anything, anything at all, you come straight here, okay?”
I nod and curl in on myself a bit to really amp up the show, keeping my sunglasses in place. “Thank you again, sir.”
I now realize that this is Axel Reid, Dani’s dad. Caleb warned me that Axel will lose his absolute shit if he thinks any trouble is brewing around his daughter or in the salon, and he said to avoid Axel in this situation if I want it to remain quiet.
Overprotective dads are the best, aren’t they?
He leads me through a door, into a room where multiple computers line the desk. Huge monitors cover the dark walls, and what looks like surveillance footage on multiple locations covers the screens.
“Luciana’s here.” Axel gently squeezes my shoulder.
“Close the door.” The deep timbre coming from behind the screens scares me a little, and for a split second, I’m not one hundred percent sure I should be left alone.
“I’ll be right down the hall.” Axel leaves, and I debate following him.
A pregnant pause fills the air before the man behind the screens finally stands.
What in the actual hell do these men eat around here? They’re batting three for three in the giant department, except this one is dark. Not in a literal sense, but in a “don’t spend one second fucking with me” sense. He looks about the same age as Axel, with some salt sprinkled through his black hair. His dark, virtually black, eyes are intense and leave little room for any bullshit.
“Are you a kid?” He cocks his head and studies me, his expression softening. “Are you hurt?”
“Why would you think…?”
“Sunglasses. Hoodie.” He waves his bear paw in my general direction. “It’s ninety-five degrees outside.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I pull off the sunglasses then remove the hoodie. “I just needed to sneak in.”
He takes in my very adult outfit, and his lips go into a thin line. I wonder briefly if I’ve pissed him off, but decide to push forward, knowing that I can always scream for Axel and he’ll probably come and save me.
“My name is Gineva Derosa.” I extend my hand and pray for the best. “You came highly recommended to do some discreet work for me.”
“Maddox Locke.” His hand swallows mine. “You’re not an abused child.” It’s a statement, not a question. When his arms go across his chest, I know I’d better just hurry this shit along.
“Um… no, I-I was wondering if you could do some work for me without your partners knowing?” I nod toward the door that Axel left through.
His dark, serious eyes study me with a sharp intensity. “How about you fill me in on what you’re here for, and I’ll decide who needs to know about it.”
All righty then… “I think someone is robbing Sway.”
This grabs his attention, but he remains stoic. “What do you know about Sway’s? My Maddi works there, and I sure as fuck would know if something was going on.”
Shit. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. “Sorry, maybe I need to find someone else for this.” I turn to leave.
“Sit,” he barks. Nodding to the empty seat.
My ass hits the chair so fast I get a little dizzy.
“Tell me what you believe is going on, and I will fix it.”
Sounds simple enough. I take a deep breath. “Sway has hired me to help get his shop on track. He’s slowly running out of money and has been for a while, but he has no idea why. When I looked into his files, I noticed that not everything is balancing out. Yes, he spends too much and he gives the girls extra all the time, but after the large amount of money he made doing Sway All the Way, he shouldn’t be anywhere near the debt he’s heading toward. And fast. Which in the end leads me to believe that one of the girls is skimming from him.” I bite my fingernail as I look at the statue of a man across from me.
His expression gives away nothing. He remains silent for a long time and I contemplate going to grab Axel, but I’ve come this far and don’t want to blow my cover just yet.
“I know this may be a conflict of interest with Maddi working there—”
“Consider it done.” He types rapid-fire on his keyboard, faster than I figured those big hands could move, then levels me with his stare. “I’ll figure out who’s stealing, remove the rat bastard, and get Sway back on track.”
I exhale in relief. “How can I help?”
A full smile covers his face and stops my heart at the same time. The man is scary and stunning all at once. “I’ll be in and out, have this shit fixed, and Sway won’t even know I was there until I haul the thief off to jail myself.”
“Oh… ahhh, great.” I stand and start to put my disguise back on. “So what should I do in the meantime?”
“I’ll be in touch.” He walks me to the door, deciding for the both of us that this meeting is over.
I slip out, thankful for no other run-ins, and head off to finally get some lunch. I’m feeling better already, because after meeting Maddox Locke, I know for certain that whatever is going on in that salon, it will be taken care of.
Even if the man does scare the shit out of me.
Twelve
Jarrett
“Yeah, Dad, I’ll be heading for the track tomorrow. What time do you think you’ll be rolling in?” My dad is meticulous with race weekend schedules. If you’re under Marcus Dean’s regime, even if you’re his only son and number one driver, you shut the hell up and respond yes sir. “All right, I’ll see you in Atlanta tomorrow evening.”
I’m relieved he doesn’t want me there earlier, as I’ve got plans to take Gin out tonight on a date. The presumptuous side of me even went so far as to get a hotel room. If that’s where this night leads us, I want to be somewhere we can stay naked until the bellboy kicks us out.
I check my watch then head to get my bike out of the big garage. I check the side bag, and everything I need for the night is in there. I fire up the engine, and just like every time I’m sitting on a fast motor, I let the vibrations run through me and know that life is good. Georgia is a helmet state, so I put mine on and try to look at the bright side of wearing the skull bucket. At least I’ll be able to talk to Gin while we ride.
I pull up to Sway’s, and before I even get the engine turned off, she’s bustin’ ass out of the salon.
“You’re taking me out on the Harley?” Excitement fills her words as I swing my leg over the seat, anxious to get her ready.
Sway is out the front door faster than I can grab her things. “Holy mother of chrome.” He fans his face. “Can Sway have a ride?”
“No!” Gin snaps, making his jaw flop open. “Stay away from my date. He’s mine.”
I know she’s just horsing around with him, but hearing her call me that has my adrenaline running on full steam. I pull out the leather jacket and chaps I bought earlier, and her hazel eyes flare.
“What the hell is that?” she asks.
I smirk, knowing my expression is laced with filth. “You need to protect that body.”
“What the…” She looks as though she wants to argue but has no idea what to say. “Are we going on a long trip?”
“If you’re on the back of my bike, you’re under my protection,” is all I give her as I hold the chaps out for her to step into. I’m shocked when she steps into them without argument.
“I think Georgia is having a heat wave. Sway needs to go cool off.” He heads back into the salon as I finish hooking the belt for her.
I use the second we have alone to give her a proper hello and kiss her softly. “Hey, Gin.”
“Hey, Juice.” After I help her into her jacket, she quickly braids her long dark hair and tucks it in before zipping it.
“Jarrett fucking Dean, is that you?” Nate Reid stops in front of Corps Security and detours our way. “Wasn’t sure if I would see you before the weekend. Thanks for the tickets, man. We’re all looking forward to the race.”
“No problem. Glad the entire crew can make it.” I give him a fist bump then look at my girl. “Nate Reid, I’d like you to meet my girl, Gineva Derosa.”
“Speedy Gonzales!” is belted from where Nate just came, then Greg Cage hollers back through the open door. “Everybody get your ass out here. Jarrett’s out front.” He summons everyone from the security office, and even though I’m anxious to get going, I’m excited to say hey to the guys.
Beck comes out right behind him. “How come I find out from the local PD that you’re in town before you stop by to say hi?” His son, Liam, must have told him about our roadside showdown.
“Sorry, man, I meant to stop by and see you guys but I’ve been a little—”
“Distracted?” Beck looks at Gin in her full leather get-up then back at me with a knowing smirk.
“Have we met before?” Nate studies Gin for longer than necessary, raking his eyes up and down her as though she’s a science project.
“Eyes off, motherfucker.”
Gin lets out a little squeak beside me. Her cheeks burning bright and chin tucked a little, almost hiding her amusement.
Nate laughs. “Damn, loverboy.”
The other men also laugh at my expense. “Let the poor puppy go. He’s pulling at his leash.”
“Very funny.” But true. “It really was nice to see you assholes, but as you can see, I’ve got more pressing matters at hand.” I give them all a chin lift and ignore the raised eyebrows and shit-eatin’ grins. I put Gin’s helmet on her head, her cheeks still bright pink. “I’ll see you guys after the race Saturday.”
I got them all VIP tickets for the private suite this time, so they could bring their families. The boys never miss a race when I’m in Atlanta, and I’m not only grateful to have my cousin there to watch, but the extended family he has brought me into as well.
I get on my bike and pull the kickstand before Gin hops on right behind me. I turn on the Bluetooth and test out the system. “If you can hear me, baby, hold on tight. We’re ready to go.”
She wraps her body around mine, and we pull out of the lot with a blaring roar. “Juice.” Her hands lock together at my ribs, and I’m momentarily thrown back to the memory of us sledding as teenagers. The day I realized that my love for her was so much more than just friendship. Her laughter hits my ears and fills my heart with everything that’s been missing for the last nine years.
I can’t keep letting my mind go back there. To that night when we had everything for a short time. It’s too painful and it’s unchangeable. I need to put my focus forward and figure out how we can try to make something between us work. Because after just the little bit of time we’ve had together, even when we’re fighting, I can’t imagine ever spending another day without her.
I take her on a long ride through the hills and follow the lake line. The view is breathtaking, and I could totall
y see myself settling down here. Not just for the view and the serenity of the small town, but for the people who come with the package.
I slow down and turn onto the dirt trail that Caleb and I run when I’m here. I find the perfect spot down by the water to park my bike and help her off. No sooner do we remove our helmets than my lips are on hers. Her warm mouth accepts my seeking tongue in a kiss I’ve been thinking about since that last time I touched her. Her palms run up and down the sides of my beard, and it both comforts me and turns my dick to granite. I force myself to pull away and remind myself that I’m not going to have our first time back together be on the hard ground. Despite the fact that both of our bodies are primed and ready, I want to spend a few hours with my friend before I spend the night with my lover.
I grab the “date kit,” as Honor called it, out of my saddle bags and spread the blanket out by the water. By the time I have everything set up, Gin is out of all the leather I put her in and pulling the braid from her long dark hair.
I groan at the loss of her in the chaps. “You took the leather off?”
“It’s, like, a hundred degrees outside, you perv.” Her hazel eyes dance with humor. “I’ll leave it on sometime in February.”
I know she’s just making a weather reference, but the thought of still seeing her in six months has my chest tightening. I guide her to the blanket and pull out the food.
“I’m impressed. This is like a dream date.” She grabs all the perfectly prepped containers and sees Honor’s Kitchen stamped on the plastic and the logo stickers that hold the sandwich wrap together. Excitement fills the air when she realizes where the food came from. “You got all this from Honor’s?”
“You don’t think less of me for not making it myself?” I pull out the two bottles of Mtn Dew. “Though I did pack our beverage of choice.”
“I can’t believe you still drink that! Does it still make you bounce off the walls?” She’s completely taken over unpacking all the food. “Cookies! Oh, sweet Jesus, no… I’m not upset you didn’t make this yourself. I would have been upset if you did.” She takes a bite of the chocolate chip confection and moans shamelessly.