“You knew him?”
He nodded. “Good man. Rebel with a cause from the time he got back from Vietnam.” He pointed to another photo, which included a younger Native American man with a long, dark mane of hair and coal black eyes. “That’s Jimmy, Joe’s best buddy from the war. They came back home and started the bike shop together.”
“Wyndryder?”
Landers nodded again. “Named after the gang they had joined.” He referred to the other photos.
“Outlaws?” Kelly asked.
Landers shrugged. “Not in their minds, I reckon. They had a code of honor, but sometimes they had to administer outlaw justice. They were never big fans of red tape. There was a bit of a brouhaha when Richard joined the police academy,” he added with a smile. “But they did a lot of good though, especially after they got back from the war. Riding for charity. Raising money for Christmas gifts for the needy. Providing security, stuff like that. Then Pops starting doing solo missions all on his own.” He sighed. “That’s where it all went to hell.”
“Yeah,” Kelly murmured as his eyes slid back to the image of M.J. “I know.”
They walked over to a small table by the jukebox. “I don’t know if anyone knows who wasn’t there,” Landers said.
Kelly nodded as he sipped his beer. “M.J. was witness to her grandfather’s murder, I know that much. That’s why she hates the chief.”
Landers shook his head. “She hated the chief long before that. You know how her mother died?” Kelly nodded. “Well, I think a lot of people assumed that Joe met his fate for the same reason. Richard started his career pinpointing organized crime. It wasn’t that much different than what the Wyndryders were doing. Only his way was legit. His family paid the price anyway. But it was more than that. Joe was balls-deep in his own efforts to fight injustices he found, and he wasn’t waiting around for Richard to help him. In the end, it made him a target. After he died, M.J. took up the mantle. To the exclusion of everything else,” he added as he waved his hand at the room. “This was her world and she turned her back on it. That’s what she does. That’s who she is. It’s really that simple.”
“Is that a warning, partner?”
“Does it need to be?” Landers asked as he looked Kelly in the eye.
Kelly shrugged it off. “You know me. I’m the job.”
“So why are you here, Kelly?”
Kelly sighed. It was clear Landers thought he was investigating more than just a murder case. He was clearly getting in too deep with M.J., and all this information, which wasn’t particularly new or surprising, was meant to deter him. “Following a lead, Harry. That’s all.”
Landers wasn’t convinced, so Kelly nodded toward the bar. “See that kid? M.J. wanted me to do a records check on him.”
Landers glanced at Xavier. “Find anything?”
“Petty crime, much of it when he was a juvenile. His nose has been clean for a few years now.”
Landers nodded. “It’d have to be. Snake wouldn’t hire him otherwise.”
“Snake?”
“He owns the bar. Inherited from his family, who were friends of Joe Bennett’s. Honorary Wyndryders, as it were.” Kelly glanced back at the wall, realizing that those were the pictures featured there. Old members of an old gang. “It probably would have died with Joe, but M.J. and Snake kept things going for a while. Lasted maybe a year before everyone scattered.”
“Wonder why?”
Landers shrugged. “Lack of purpose, probably. Lack of leadership. Everyone had their own reason to ride. M.J. wanted to honor her grandfather, but she was just a kid. Snake just wanted revenge.”
“For what?”
“He was there the night Joe was shot. Got pretty beat up, too. He was off the rails for a while, but he finally straightened up and flew right. M.J. never could.”
Kelly nodded as he took it all in. He even lingered after Landers left and Llewellyn took Lori home. He studied the pictures along the wall until closing time, when he headed straight back to the station to research the owner of the Snake Pit.
22. SOBER
The Fourth of July fell on a Wednesday, but that didn’t damper the celebratory mood at Wyndryder. They were going to close early and have a massive barbecue for friends and customers in the parking lot. X and Lori represented the Snake Pit with a makeshift bar, serving refreshments for the thirsty bunch who showed up for the festivities. Jimmy even got his hands on some minor fireworks to thrill the kids while they waited for the big show down at the pier.
As the impromptu DJs, Mad Dog and Kid set up a sound system on the fly. Baby teased them that they were the Technology Twins, who could take over the world when their knowledge was pooled between them. For recognizing their awesomeness, Mad Dog treated her to the first dance.
Snake was the guest of honor, but Baby could see that his birthday wish—that M.J. would show up—had not come true. She stayed close to him to cheer him up, making sure he drank, danced, and laughed. She dragged him out to the makeshift dance floor, and Kid played “My Girl” as they danced. She smiled at her mentor as he twirled her around, like a father and daughter on her wedding day. They laughed throughout, and when the music faded Snake lifted the girl high in his arms in a big bear hug, reminiscent of the Joe Bennett bear hugs of old. And just like Pops had felt about M.J., Snake adored this little ray of sunshine that had spilled into their life without warning. They’d had no clue how cloudy and dull their world was until she walked into it.
She took care of the Scogginses, both at home and at Wyndryder. They were her family and she doted on them whenever she could, easily blending into their lives despite the short time they had spent together.
She even pulled Kid out from behind his computer to share a dance as the evening went into full swing. She was having the time of her life, so much so that she barely noticed the two detectives who had infiltrated their gathering.
Landers hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Snake, or Wyndryder, since he and Kelly had had their chat at the bar. Now that he knew M.J. had questions about Xavier, he was curious to see what it all meant. He found out about the party and decided to make an appearance . . . as did Kelly Harris, the very instant he connected the dots between Cooper “Snake” Scoggins and Eugene Fitzpatrick from San Clemente.
“You know her?” he had asked the bearded man at Slick, after that man had prevented him from taking off after M.J.
“We’ve met,” the man had answered.
Indeed, thought Kelly as the pieces began to fall into place.
So Kelly kept a low profile when he got to Wyndryder, sticking to the shadows as he watched the people interact. He recognized Jimmy Guerra and X, of course, and Snake as well. M.J. was nowhere to be seen, which only convinced Kelly he was on the right track. She wouldn’t want to draw attention to this event, because she wanted to keep those closest to her out of the line of fire.
By the look on Snake’s face, that was not how he wanted it to be. He could tell, because he had seen that look on his own face in the last few weeks.
Like Landers, Kelly kept his eye on X, taking particular interest in the young girl he asked to dance. She fit in so well with all the bikers and outcasts, with her dark hair and alternative clothing, that he likely wouldn’t have noticed her at all. But then she danced with Snake, and he could see how fond the man was of this girl, like a little sister or a daughter.
He blended in as best he could as he tried to get a closer look. Eventually she made her way through the raucous crowd, like a teeny hostess. She passed around trays of food and drinks, and finally stood face-to-face with Detective Kelly Harris.
He wore a black T-shirt and jeans, along with a nondescript hoodie, to blend in with the crowd. She bestowed a sunny smile as she asked him if he wanted some lemonade.
He studied her face up close. She had stunning lavender eyes that shone bright behind the novelty red, white, and blue glasses she wore. But he could see that her eye color was enhanced by contacts, which o
nly made him study her further. She was young, clearly under eighteen, with no discernible features to set her apart from any other young girl.
But he knew he had seen her before.
“I’d love some.” He grinned and she offered a cup. When he looked down, he saw the tattoo around her wrist—a familiar tattoo that he had seen in several pictures at the Snake Pit. “Cool ink,” he said as he sipped from the cup. “Significant meaning?”
She looked down at it for a second before she grinned back at him. “Yeah. Family.”
Like a butterfly, she floated easily on toward the next guest, making sure everyone was having a good time. She wouldn’t have taken a break had it not been for X asking her for a dance. “I really shouldn’t,” she said, but he took her by the hand and led her to the middle of their makeshift dance floor.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he bent close. “Your security is standing nearby.”
He swung her around to the music until she was laughing, holding onto him so she wouldn’t lose her balance. He pulled her close to his body, which should have sent her running for the hills. Instead, it spread warmth to every finger and every toe.
“Later, I want you to watch the fireworks with me,” he whispered against her ear.
“Why?” she asked breathlessly.
His eyes were deep and dark as he stared down at her. “So I can kiss you.”
Her stomach toppled all the way to her feet. She knew she should refuse, but it almost seemed like the perfect way to top their perfect day. “Where should we meet?” she asked in a trembling, excited voice.
“On the beach,” he decided with a triumphant grin. “Let them party,” he said as he spun her around. “I want you all to myself.”
“Okay,” she found herself saying, though she didn’t know why.
“Meet me at nine,” he said, then broke away to resume his duties at the bar.
“I will,” she said as she watched him walk away.
Snake watched the interaction from where he stood near Kid’s sound system. He made a mental note to do some research on his newest bartender. He had left it up to Lori, but she had just been focused on finding help. If this kid wanted to date Baby, he had a lot more hoops to jump through. Snake glanced at Kid. “You okay?”
Kid nodded as if he hadn’t noticed what had transpired between Baby and Xavier. Snake knew his kid brother too well. He hadn’t missed a detail about anything from the moment he’d been born. He definitely wouldn’t miss one about his new favorite person. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Hey, listen,” Snake started as he leaned in toward his brother. “If you want someone, you have to go after her. Throw your hat in the ring.”
Kid shook his head and started to move away. “We’re friends. I’m safe.”
“Hey,” Snake said, pulling him back. “There’s nothing at all wrong with safe. Or friends. But if you want something more, you have to make your move, dude. What do you have to lose?”
Kid’s eyes met Snake’s. “I tell you what. I’ll make my move when you make yours.”
That stopped Snake short. He glanced around the parking lot full of people, many of them his friends, coworkers, and customers. But it wasn’t complete, and wouldn’t be, not until M.J. was at his side. Suddenly he couldn’t remember why she wasn’t.
He thought about that first kiss he had given her on her sixteenth birthday, right as the sun set. Snake smiled. “Deal.” They bumped fists. Then Kid went to find Baby, and Snake escaped the festivities altogether. Only Kelly Harris noticed his departure. And only Kelly Harris knew exactly where he was going.
He was on his way to Hollywood.
Maybe this had been her plan all along, he thought. It was so like her, to preoccupy him with Xavier so that Snake could sneak away for an undisturbed liaison. He felt like a fool as he turned on his heel and left the wild goose chases to his partner.
For one night, Kelly wanted nothing to do with bikers or Hollywood or people in general.
M.J. couldn’t concentrate on the screen in front of her. She’d been using every resource she had to figure out if Xavier was a new threat, and Kelly had yet to report back to her on what he had found. In fact, she hadn’t seen the determined detective in days.
Maybe he had been as thrown by their near kiss as she had been.
Things had shifted between them since they’d sparred. It stood to reason. She truly believed one of the three instances when a person showed their true character was in a fight. The other times were during sex and when facing death, and she had no plans to experience either of those with Detective Kelly Harris.
She shook her head to rid herself of thoughts of his body, his eyes, or that damnable smirk. He was under her skin, taunting her like a misspelled tattoo. She hadn’t planned on giving him the tip about Xavier, but she’d have cut off her own arm to get him out of her apartment before they could do something as monumentally stupid as kiss.
Her heart, such as it was, belonged to only one.
She slammed her laptop closed. It was because of Cooper Scoggins she couldn’t concentrate at all. It was his birthday, and normally she’d find a way to be with him, even if it was in the dead of night when nobody but the two of them knew it. Ever since that first kiss on her sixteenth birthday, celebrating these significant moments didn’t seem right unless they were together. They’d been two halves of the same whole since they were kids. Her heart was broken that she couldn’t be at Wyndryder with Snake, and with Kid . . . and with Baby. Their time together had been so brief, but it was a glimpse into the past she’d shared with her Pops and her Gramma, way back when she believed she was good enough to be part of a family.
She hadn’t always felt that way, and she certainly didn’t feel that way anymore. She’d made her peace with being a lone wolf, but secretly she longed for a pack to call her own. When she closed her eyes, she could reach back in time to when she was a little girl, snuggled tight in the arms of her mother. Those memories had long ago begun to fade, but had been resurrected briefly by her Pops and then once again when Baby landed right in their midst.
It was a precious thing to find a place where one belonged. She knew better than to trust it, as it never lasted very long. Worse, it usually ended with someone dying. That was how the universe liked to remind her that the only person she could ever count on was herself. They all had it wrong, thinking she walked alone by choice.
She walked alone because that was safest. For her, and for everyone else.
Kelly Harris was an idiot to try and get close to her. But, she thought with a snarl, if it was going to happen to anyone, it might as well be a cop. She grabbed her jacket from the chair and stalked to her front door, determined to chase down Kelly before he got a chance to corner her again.
When she swung the door open, however, it was Snake who stood, larger than life, in her doorway. He carried one red rose, which he held to lips that were pulled into that shit-eating grin she adored.
“Snake,” she breathed. Without thinking about it, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed the man she had loved for more than a decade, crushing the flower between them as she practically climbed him like a jungle gym.
He picked her up easily, slamming the door shut behind them as he carried her effortlessly toward the bedroom.
She was his gift, and he was going to take his sweet time unwrapping her.
23. SIMPLE MAN
Kid’s hands were shaking as he walked through the crowd looking for Baby. She had yet another tray full of cups, passing out refreshments for the guests. She brightened when she saw his familiar face. “Have you seen Snake?” she asked.
“He left,” Kid told her, and she was crestfallen.
“Wasn’t he having a good time?” It broke her heart to think that he wasn’t, after all their planning and their effort. After everything he had done to save her, she wanted Snake to have the best birthday ever.
“He was missing someone,” Kid replied, and she nodded. She was no dum
my. She knew his heart longed for M.J.
“I hope he finds her,” she said, placing the tray on a table.
“He will,” Kid said. “That’s the only gift he wants.”
They walked together away from the crush of the crowd. “You know, your birthday is coming up,” she reminded with a smile. “Given any thought to the kind of party you want?”
He glanced down into her endless blue eyes. “I’m a pretty simple guy,” he said. “I don’t need much to make me happy.”
She linked her arm with his. After weeks of sparring, tumbling, and tackling, he was familiar to the touch. It was a safe way to indulge her cuddly side, which she found herself wanting to do more and more. Now that she was in a safe environment, she wanted nothing more than warm human contact. In fact, he was as comforting as a security blanket. “So . . . games to play, tunes to blast, and noms to nosh,” she supplied with a knowing smile.
He laughed. “You know me so well.”
“I pay attention,” she chirped happily. “I think Mad Dog and I can arrange something pretty kickass for your birthday.”
They crossed the street toward the beach. It was one of her favorite places to be, especially as the sun set. They parked themselves in the sand, sitting close, as the sun began its descent. His heart nearly beat a hole through his chest as he looked down at her. “I was thinking I’d like to keep it small.”
“Just the family?” she asked.
“Just you,” he answered.
Her brow furrowed and he looked away. “But if you don’t want to, it’s okay. I understand.”
She immediately felt bad. She wasn’t used to rejecting people. And she certainly wasn’t used to hurting anyone, especially someone as close and dear to her as Kid. She took his hand in hers. “No, you don’t.” He looked back up into her face. “It’s not you, Kid. It’s me.”
He scoffed. “That’s original.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not like that.” She took a deep breath and looked into the ocean. “I’m broken, Logan.”
Chasing Thunder Page 22