We stepped into another room. The doors were open, making it very cold. I rubbed my arms, goosebumps forming all over my skin. Kyle shrugged off his leather jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “I don’t need this…” I started to take it off, but he stopped me, offering a soft smile.
“Your teeth are chattering. Stop being so stubborn for once and listen to me. It might actually do you some good.”
I glared at him but didn’t say anything else. His jacket was really warm. I slipped it on, enjoying how comfy it was. It was much too big for me, but that was part of the appeal. Plus… it smelled just like Kyle… that earthy scent was slowly driving me… No… What had gotten into me?
I shook my head and followed him down the steps where people were hard at work fixing up motorcycles. Most of the guys were covered in grease, wiping the sweat from their brow. “Are you sure that Ross’ sister is down here?”
“Positive. If you’re going to find Olivia anywhere, it's working on a bike.”
We passed a few men, all of which complimented Kyle as we went along. Finally, in the back of the garage, we stopped in front of a large black motorcycle with the Blackbirds symbol on its side. There was a girl laying on the ground, tightening something near the exhaust pipe.
“Liv, you got a minute?” I glanced over at Kyle, wondering why he was talking to her as if they were the best of friends. Weren’t they supposed to be enemies?
The woman shimmied out from under the bike and sat up. She had a boyish cut to her dark hair. Her face was covered with grime and her black shirt had a few holes. “Kyle. Good to see you.” She grabbed his hand and hoisted herself up. The woman looked strong, well-built, and tough. She wore some heavy combat boots that slammed into the floor with her every step. She placed her wrench on a workbench before leaning back.
“Something the matter?”
“I just wanted you to meet Linda here.”
Olivia wiped her hand on her pants before holding it out to me. I shook it and offered her a smile. “I’m sorry for the loss of your brother.”
She shrugged. “It was hard, but we always knew that his life was in jeopardy, being the leader of the Iron Horses and all.” I couldn’t help but glance at Kyle. Did that mean he was in jeopardy too? I bit the inside of my lip and quickly looked away. Why did I even care? As far as I was concerned, he was a felon who had committed murder.
“Sure, but don’t you feel strange being here with the Blackbirds, knowing they killed your brother?” I asked, determined to get some answers. I wished I had a notepad with me so I could take some notes. Hell, I wish I had my phone so I could have called for help a long time ago…
Olivia just laughed. Her laugh was hearty like I had just told a good joke.
Kyle looked smug, his hands in his pockets as he leaned back.
“You know, that’s a good one. I can’t believe you fell for all that media bullshit. Kyle had nothing to do with that murder. Neither did anyone else around here.”
“What are you talking about? It all makes perfect sense.”
“Sure, to the average Joe who knows nothing about motorcycle club culture. It’s not always that simple in here.” She ran her fingers through her silky hair before she picked up a screwdriver and headed back to the bike.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying that what the truth appears to be and what it actually is…” She was muffled as she stuck her head next to the engine and started to tinker with something.
“So if you don’t think Kyle is the killer, then who is?”
“She straightened up, holding a belt on her finger. “Isn’t it obvious? A member of the Iron Horses.”
“But why?”
“Well, for one they could take over and two, it would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of the Blackbirds.”
“I don’t get it…” This was the same story Kyle was telling me back at the precinct. Could it be that he had been telling the truth all along?
“Well, think about it this way. If one of their own members killed the leader, then that position opens up, right?” I nodded. “Then you frame the leader of the rival gang for the crime and all of a sudden, you got all the members of the Iron Horses thinking this is a turf incursion. People get riled up. A war starts and whoever this mystery man is, well, he gets to reap all the benefits.”
“Exactly as I told you.” Kyle finally butted in. “I was trying to tell you all this before the hearing, but you didn’t want to listen to me.”
I fidgeted on my feet, looking into the woman’s green eyes. She seemed to be telling the truth. Why would she hang out with the main suspect for her brother’s murder, unless she was one hundred percent certain Kyle didn’t do it? “Okay, so if Kyle isn’t the killer then who is?”
“Daniel Smithson.” The name fell like a rock in the room. Everything went quiet. Even the other men seemed to stop working. Olivia’s eyes had suddenly darkened and her hands had clenched into fists.
“Who is he?” I hesitated to ask, not wanting to break the ominous silence that had settled throughout the room.
“He was Ross’ second in command.”
I nodded. “So you think he killed your brother to take his position.”
“I don’t think, I know. Daniel is scum. A few years ago, he tried to date me just to get a foothold in another club. At the time, I was part of the Drifters. They paid me good money to work on their bikes and I was little pressed for cash. Ross was in jail at the time and needed bail money. But anyway… the son of a bitch… he tried to hit on me and I was a goddamn fool for going for it.” She was starting to shake now. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she just kept going. “He used to hit me constantly. If it wasn’t for Kyle here, I probably still would have been trapped with that dirt bag.”
I looked over at Kyle in surprise. If this was all the truth, then things were starting to make a lot more sense. Daniel would have a grudge against both Kyle and Olivia, making the murder of Ross the perfect crime. Not only was it a step up for himself, but the fallout affected both Kyle and Olivia. “I had no idea…”
“That’s why I had to come here. Daniel is still out there somewhere and the cops refuse to acknowledge it.”
I gulped, suddenly feeling guilty.
Chapter 7
Kyle
Linda refused to look at me. I could tell she was finally coming to terms with the error of her ways. Great. This was exactly what I needed. I grinned, taking her hand into mine and pulling her out of the garage. “Thanks, Liv. Means a lot.” I waved at her and she nodded, immediately getting underneath the motorcycle she was working on.
“I didn’t know…” Linda trailed off, looking away. I squeezed her hand, the smirk on my face deepening. I knew I’d be able to convince her.
“I told you I wasn’t the big bad wolf.”
“I never said you were.”
“But you were thinking it. There’s no point lying to me. I could tell by the way you were looking at me. You thought I was a criminal.”
“I still do.”
“Do you?” I stopped her in the middle of the hallway, pushing her into the wall, our bodies pressing together. I could feel her chest shudder against mine. Her bright blue eyes were beautiful. “Do you really believe I’d kill a man?”
“I… I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip.
“You should be careful doing that.”
“What?” She stopped, looking even more frightened.
“Biting your lip like that… you might just tempt me to kiss you.” I got closer, our lips mere inches apart. “Hell, you’ve been tempting me for a while now. You’re just lucky I’m a gentleman.”
Her lips moved as if she was about to say something before she suddenly pushed me away. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’d never kiss you.”
“I didn’t say you would.” I leaned against the wall, my hands in my pockets. “How do you like my jacket, by the way?”
It was only then that she realized she wa
s still wearing my leather jacket. Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink that made her look even cuter. I didn’t think it was possible. Throughout my body, I could feel my desire for her to grow. Blood kept rushing from my head, down to my groin. I repositioned myself, glad for the dimness of the hallway.
“Can you just bring me home? I get it. There’s more to this case than I originally thought. I’ll look into it again.”
“That’s not enough. I want to make sure you believe me.” I moved closer, placing my hand on her cheek. “I want you to be able to look into my eyes and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I’m not a murderer,” I whispered, pulling her closer. “Until you stop pushing me away.”
“Well, you might have to wait a long time for that.” She responded, maintaining her stubbornness.
“I have all the time in the world.”
“Not if the cops find out you kidnapped me.”
“Aren’t you on vacation?”
“Yes…”
“Then people wouldn’t start looking for you for a while… and if I really am a murderer that gives me plenty of time to hide your body.” I smirked at her, seeing fear flash across her eyes. I grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close. “You really think I killed that guy, don’t you?”
“No…”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll come around eventually. If not one way, then another. Anyway… there’s something else I want you to see.” Her body was tense against mine, but as I placed my hand on the small of her back, she started to follow me.
“Where are we going?” She asked me. We were back in the main part of the warehouse. The poker game had dissipated and the atmosphere had relaxed a bit.
“You’ll see.” I guided her toward the back, opening a door with one of my keys. “I live here. No one else has access to this part of the warehouse.” I explained, ushering her inside. The lights turned on automatically, illuminating a studio style apartment.
“Wow… This is impressive…” She did a 360, taking everything in.
“I bet you didn’t expect this from a criminal, huh?” My apartment was modestly decorated, but it definitely held an aesthetic appeal. Everything was neatly in its place. There were throw pillows on my couch. Books were stacked meticulously on a series of bookshelves pushed against the wall.
“You’ve read Homer?”
“Believe it or not, I finished high school. I even went to Everest College but ended up dropping out in my second year. I was studying classical history.”
“What? Really? That was my minor…”
She walked up to the bookshelf and took down one of my more valuable tomes. “Supposedly, that one was written by Julius Caesar himself. I haven’t gotten around to having it authenticated yet.”
“What? You’re kidding. It has to be a fake. Do you know how much something like this would cost if it was real?”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not after money.”
“So… what is it that you’re after?”
“Just like everyone else, all I want is to be happy.” I took the book from her hand, our fingertips brushing together. The world seemed to stop for a moment and it felt like I had been struck by lightning. My pulse raced and I suddenly looked away, shocked by the feeling. I placed the book back on the shelf. “C’mon. I didn’t bring you here to show you my collection of books.” I grabbed her hand, but this time, nothing spectacular happened.
We climbed another set of stairs to my bedroom. I watched her eye my large, king-sized bed. “You know… if you’d like, we could test it out.”
“In your dreams.”
“Some have called me a dreamer.” I pulled her toward a set of dark curtains. I tied them to the side, exposing a large window. The chilly air rolled into the room as I opened it, sticking my head outside. The night was perfect. Back inside the room, the wind played with Linda’s curly blonde hair. Her scent permeated my world and I had to take a deep breath. Why was I suddenly so affected by this woman? I shook my head slightly, hoping to clear the cobwebs.
“What are you doing?” She asked when I jumped out the window and onto the fire escape.
“C’mon. Stop asking so many questions and just trust me for once.” I held out my hand, wondering if she would take it. She bit her lip, which just drove me insane. It was getting harder and harder to control myself, but I had to let her make the first move.
She took her time, but eventually, she placed her hand in mine, using it as a support to jump out the window. She looked down and noticed that the surface we stood on was perforated. “We’re so high up…”
“Are you afraid of heights?”
“No one has a fear of heights. It’s a fear of falling.”
“Unless you suffer from acrophobia.” I pointed out.
“Are you always this much of a smartass?” She asked, pushing away from me but the second she did, she lost her balance, tottering dangerously close to the edge.
“Careful.” I grabbed her arm, pulling her to my body, pinning her there. My arms wrapped around her tight as if I would never let her go. The thought of her getting hurt sparked a feeling of concern deep inside my chest, almost like an instinct I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“S-Sorry…”
“It’s okay. Just don’t push me away again. Even though you don’t want to admit it, you’re in my world now. You depend on me.”
She didn’t say anything. I sighed, squeezing her against me for a moment before easing my grip and taking her hand once more. “C’mon let’s get on the roof.” She remained silent even as we climbed the ladder. On the roof, I noticed her fingers were shaking. Carefully, I came up behind her, covering her eyes with my hands.
“What are you –”
“Shh, I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” I whispered in her ear. My lips were so close to her neck that I was tempted to kiss her, just to see how she would react, but I managed to restrain myself. I wasn’t going to do anything that she didn’t want me to do. I just wasn’t that kind of man.
Together, we moved toward the edge of the roof, where there was a small wall that kept people from falling off. “Okay.” I let go of her and stepped back. She gasped the second she saw the skyline. We were on the outskirts of the city so it was quiet. Occasionally, there was a car that passed by on the street, but for the most part, the warehouse was serene.
“This is beautiful…” She placed her hands on the wall and leaned forward, her body bent slightly. My eyes rested on her ass and again, I felt lightheaded as if all the blood from my head had rushed down to my cock. This woman was intoxicating. She was going to drive me crazy, I was sure of it.
“Not as beautiful as you…” I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close.
“You’re just saying that.”
“I think I’ve already proven that I’m not a liar.” I sat down on the wall, my hands around my knee. “But if you want to keep believing that, go right ahead.”
“Why did you want to show me this?”
“To show you that I’m a human being. I have the feeling that you think that I’m just a biker who is supposed to act a certain way. But I’m not some stereotype, babe.” Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I sighed. “I come up here when I’m having a tough day… or if I’m just lonely. I’ve had days where everything seems to be against me. I come out here to get some fresh air and clear my mind. To enjoy the view. I don’t go out and kill people.”
“Okay… so you’re telling me that you’re some sensitive guy?”
“Now, now. Let’s not take it that far. I wouldn’t want you to tarnish my reputation. There’s a reason why no one has access to my apartment. Wouldn’t want them to find out that I’m a bookworm.”
“Why not?” She questioned, getting closer. She was right in front of me, her hip touching my outstretched leg. I wanted to grab her right then and there. To kiss her lips and take her breath away.
“I’m the leader of the Blackbirds! You saw all those
people downstairs. They depend on someone they can trust, but also someone they believe is strong. Books and strength don’t usually go together.”
She just looked at me, her eyes changing for a split second. Something seemed to click inside of her. “Who are you really?”
“What?”
“Why are you are a biker if you dream of being a historian?”
Touch Me: A Bad Boy MC Romance Page 4