by Chiah Wilder
The great room seemed different without the usual chatter of the brothers. Blade was behind the bar, making sure the liquor was in order for the club party that night. A few of the old ladies had also come back early from the rally to finish last-minute preparations for the family barbecue.
“The food smells fantastic,” she said as Axe led her by the hand to his room. “How many are coming to the party?”
Axe peeled off his t-shirt and kicked off his boots. “A lot, like a hundred, but that includes the women.”
Baylee looked around his room. It was simple with just a queen-sized bed, two tables, one desk lamp, a computer, one desk chair, one recliner, and a forty-two-inch flat-screen TV. The room did not show any markings of a home; the white walls were bare, and cheap plastic blinds covered the large garden-level window.
“How do you like my place?”
“It seems convenient.”
“It serves its purpose. Now, get your sweet ass over to the bed.”
“There must be mostly men at the party, since there’s only a handful of women in the club,” she said as she shuffled to the bed.
Seizing her hand, he pulled her on the bed, and Baylee landed half on him and half on the mattress.
Tugging her top up with urgency, Axe answered, “The barbecue is for the family, brothers, charter and affiliate members. After the dinner, the women clean up, go home, and the party starts. The women who come to the parties are the club whores and the hoodrats. You know what they are?”
“I remember reading about them in my research. I didn’t think it was real.”
“It’s real. It’s the way the club works. The old ladies know it, and they’re cool with it as long as their men don’t stick their cocks in another chick’s pussy.” He twisted her top over her breasts. “Damn, babe, help with this.”
Baylee flung off her top. “Am I going to the party?”
“Yeah. You’ll be with me, but you gotta stay with me so there isn’t any problem.” He pulled her shorts down, taking her sheer panties with them.
“Don’t worry. I won’t leave your side.”
Hovering over her naked body, Axe bent forward so his face was inches from hers. “Good girl. Now, give your man some love.”
She yanked him on top of her, his hard dick flat against her belly, and covered his mouth with hers.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tuesday
“You want to meet for lunch?” Baylee asked as she snuggled in Axe’s arms.
“Today isn’t good. I got stuff to do. We can go out to dinner, though.”
In a soft voice, she said, “I’ll be going back to Denver soon.”
“I know, babe.” Axe squeezed her tighter.
After holding on to each other, and Baylee hitting the snooze button several times, she groaned as she untangled herself from Axe’s arms then rolled out of bed. She padded to the bathroom so she could get ready to start her day.
When she arrived at her office, there was a new floral arrangement on her desk. She opened the card, and the brief “Can you forgive me? Let’s have dinner” note from Palmer turned her stomach. Doesn’t this guy ever give up? She picked it up and marched over to Tina’s desk, setting the bouquet of carnations and roses on her desk.
Tina smiled widely. “Thank you, Ms. Peters. I’m sorry you’re allergic to flowers.”
“I’m very allergic, especially to these. Enjoy.”
When she went back to her office, she was surprised to find Gary sitting in it, since he’d gone back to Denver the past weekend.
“Hi, Gary. What brings you back to Pinewood Springs?”
Gary looked up from the document he was reading. To her, he looked tired—weary, really. He was probably over-worked since the firm had taken on more projects than they should have. Baylee was going crazy juggling several jobs they’d given her in addition to the strip mall gig. The newest assignments were all in Denver, so at least being back in the city would help make her workload more manageable. Her stomach lurched, as it always did, when she thought of leaving Axe.
She knew he wanted her to stay in Pinewood Springs, but how could she give up her career, something she’d worked so hard for? It’d be like her asking him to leave the Insurgents. He’d told her it wasn’t the same since the club was his family, not a job, but there was a Denver chapter he could be part of. For the past two weeks, she’d been musing over possible ways for them to make their relationship work long-term, but it looked like nothing would help. They’d decided on taking turns visiting each other, but Baylee knew from a past relationship with a fellow architect she met on a project in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that it would only work for a while. Then life came up and one or the other party couldn’t get away until the whole relationship fizzled out.
For her, the difference with Axe was that she adored him. She loved him more than she’d ever loved any other man, so she’d try hard to make a go of it. She worried Axe would grow restless. Without her around, would he succumb to the advances of the women who seem to always make a play for him? He is very sexual, and he is a man. She shook her head, not wanting to think about that. What were they going to do?
“Baylee?” Gary’s voice transported her back to her office.
“I’m sorry, Gary. I was thinking about the projects I’m working on. Is there something wrong with the strip mall?”
Gary darted his eyes around, as if to avoid her gaze. Baylee sensed something was wrong. He seemed more nervous than usual, and he wouldn’t look her in the eye. Maybe he’s come to tell me I didn’t make partner.
“What is it?”
“Stop asking me that,” he snapped.
Taken aback, Baylee leaned back in her chair, the sting of his comment weaving its way through her. She’d not say anything more and let him take the lead, since he obviously wanted to tell her something. They sat in awkward silence which seemed like hours to Baylee, but was only a few minutes before Gary, locking his fingers together, leaned forward.
“You’ve been a great employee, Baylee. A real asset to the firm, and we’ve been impressed with your fresh, creative designs. You have your pulse on the look for the future.” He paused. “I’ve enjoyed watching you grow as an architect. Your mother would’ve been very proud of you.” His voice caught.
Is he leaving the firm? Is he sick? What’s going on?
“Thanks, Gary. I love working for the firm, and I’m happy you and Bob gave me a chance.”
“Your mother was a lovely woman. She was so creative. You remind me of her. She was also very ethical—sometimes too much.” He muttered the last part of the sentence so she had to lean in to pick up his words.
“It makes me happy to hear you compare me to my mom.”
Okay, this is getting weird. Why does he keep talking about Mom?
“Is your biker friend still in the picture?”
“Yes.”
Gary nodded then stared at her with piercing eyes, the tenderness of the past few minutes gone in a flash. “Is he going to pick you up after work tonight?”
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“I noticed your bodyguard is gone.”
“Yes. I haven’t had any more problems. I guess it was just some loony who got his kicks scaring me. He was probably doing the same type of things with other women. Some people are very strange.”
“You see, I told you there wasn’t anything to worry about.” He smiled thinly at her.
For a split second, an icy fear froze her as she looked at him. Then it melted away, leaving a sense of confusion in its wake.
Gary rose to his feet and walked to the doorway.
“You’ll have to work late tonight. I have some things I need to go over with you, but I don’t have time now.”
“On the strip mall?”
“Yes.”
“I thought everything was on target.”
“Well, it’s not. Are you questioning me?” he asked tersely.
“No. Sorry. I’ll see you at seven-thirty.”
>
“Okay.”
Then he stalked away.
That was weird as hell. I wonder what he’s talking about. Too strange.
She walked down the hall to Logan’s office. He was staring at his computer screen intently, so she knocked on the door frame. He pivoted to the door, a smile crossing his face when he saw her.
“Baylee, come on in. What’s on your mind?”
“Gary’s back in town.”
“I know, I just saw him.”
“Did he tell you about the meeting tonight?”
Slowly shaking his head, a frown crossed his brow. “No, he didn’t mention any meeting. When did he tell you that?”
“Just a few minutes ago. That’s strange.”
“It is.” Logan tapped his pen against the desk.
“Maybe he forgot to mention it to you. He seemed a little out of sorts,” she offered.
“Yes, that’s probably it. You’re right, he didn’t seem like his normal self.”
Pushing up from the chair, she said, “I’ll let you get back to work. I was just checking. Are you excited to be going back to Denver?”
“Hell yes. Small-town living isn’t for me. It’s been a long summer.”
Baylee ambled toward the door when she heard Logan call out.
“Baylee, thanks for the heads-up about the meeting. What time?”
“Seven-thirty.”
“I’ll be there. See you.”
“Later.”
Back in her office, dread pricked at her, and as hard as she tried to shake it, it persisted. She chalked it up to her anxiety about leaving Axe and going back to Denver. She was tired and over-anxious, and the strange visit from Gary didn’t help. Why hadn’t he told Logan about the meeting? Her hands shook as she brought her lukewarm coffee to her lips.
What if I’m going to be fired? I bet that’s it. That’s why Gary was so weird, and didn’t tell Logan. There is no strip mall meeting, the firm is letting me go because I dated Axe—a client. It all made sense. Gary probably felt guilty about the firm’s decision to terminate her, so that was why he was reminiscing about her mom.
Her eyes stung and her stomach churned. How could she have been that stupid to think they would keep her after Gary warned her about getting too friendly with Axe? She’d known she was taking a huge risk with her job by seeing him, but she hadn’t cared. But it was all coming crashing down. She pulled out her phone and dialed Axe, needing to hear his voice.
“The firm’s letting me go because we went out,” she blurted out when he answered.
“Whoa, babe. What the fuck? Who told you that?”
“Gary. He wants to meet with me tonight. I know he’s going to fire me. He was acting so off this morning.”
“Gary’s in town? Good.”
“Good? Why the hell is that good? He’s going to can me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“He’s not going to do that. Why would he come all the way up here to do that when you’ll be back in Denver in a few days? It doesn’t make sense, babe.”
“I know something’s wrong. There’re no loose ends with the strip mall project. No reason for a meeting. Plus, I have this feeling…”
“Calm down, sweetheart. Breathe deeply. No reason to get yourself all worked up until you know for sure what’s going on.”
“I do know. Gary’s going to fire me. I’m not going to the meeting.”
Baylee waited for Axe’s response, but when it didn’t come she thought her phone had disconnected.
“Axe? Are you there?”
After a long pause, she heard him breathe out forcefully.
“I’m here.”
“Are you doing something else?”
“No. You have to go to the meeting tonight. You’re jumping to conclusions. Maybe he’s going to tell you that you made partner.”
“From the way he talked earlier, I doubt it. At first, I thought he was leaving the firm or that he’d been diagnosed with an illness, you know? He definitely acted like he was indirectly saying goodbye to me. Now, I get it. He’s canning me.”
“Go to the meeting.”
“Why do you care if I go or not?”
“I know you. You’ll obsess about it for weeks if you don’t know for sure. Just go, and we can talk about it when I pick you up after.”
She sighed. “You’re right. I’ll go, but if I’m going to the slaughterhouse, I’m going to treat myself to a helluva shopping spree.”
Axe chuckled. “That’s my woman. Call me when the meeting’s done, and I’ll come by.”
“Thanks. Love you.”
“Me, too.”
The heaviness in her heart lifted after she’d spoken to Axe. He was her elixir, and she couldn’t imagine him out of her life. Don’t go there, Baylee. Stop it. Right now.
She grabbed her purse and sunglasses and headed down the hallway. When she passed Tina’s desk, she said, “I’ll be out for a couple of hours. I have something very important I have to do.” With cash and credit cards in her purse, Baylee left the building to do some serious shopping.
* * *
The green-eyed man stretched his arms over his head as he looked out the window. In less than three hours, he’d do what he should’ve done seventeen years before—kill Baylee Peters. He’d let his spineless cohort talk him out of it too many times. He’d tried to do it again by saying Baylee would never be able to positively identify the killer with the green eyes, but as long as she lived, the green-eyed man had no peace. Against his better judgment, the killer had left a mess for all these years, but later that night, he’d rectify it once and for all.
He smiled as he watched the clear blue sky slowly take on tinges of gold. Having the Insurgents involved in all this had given him some anxiety, but he depended on their stupidity, and he wasn’t disappointed. Not able to figure out squat, they’d hired a private investigator to track the murderer down. He laughed. The inept PI bungled his way around town trying to track down clues, and all the while, he—the man of Baylee’s nightmares—sat back and watched, enjoying the farce.
The nice-looking man went over to his desk, opened the drawer, and stared at his Glock 20 semi-automatic pistol. He loved the power of the gun; it was a pistol on steroids, and it’d make his job a lot easier. He closed the drawer then glanced at the clock. The man figured he’d have time for a prime steak dinner before he met up with Baylee and his partner. By the end of the night, the killer would have struck again, but this time, there would be no loose ends.
Chapter Thirty
After dropping off numerous shopping bags at her hotel, Baylee drove back to the office with a heavy heart. Not knowing for certain what the meeting was about drove her crazy. Even though Axe thought it was about making her partner, she’d seen how dejected Gary was, and her instincts told her something was amiss. She’d known Gary since she was born, and she’d never seen him as downhearted as he was that afternoon.
As she pulled into a parking space, she knew that if she did lose her job over her relationship with Axe, so be it. If she had to do it over, she would in a heartbeat. Falling in love with Axe had been one of the few highlights in her life since her mother died.
When she got to the office, no one was there. It was eerie. Usually a couple of the engineers worked late, but they were gone. Even the cleaning crew had come and gone. She checked out Logan’s office on the off chance he may be there, but he was gone, as well. It was seven o’clock—not enough time for her to run back to the hotel or even do an errand. No, she’d pull up a game of Yahtzee on her computer to pass the time before the chopping block fell.
When she caught a shadow in her doorway from the corner of her eye, her breath hitched, her heartbeat pounding erratically until she recognized Gary.
“Oh, it’s you. I didn’t hear you come in. You startled me.”
He lowered his head and walked in, his shoulders rounded. He fell into the chair opposite her desk, rubbing his eyes. Gary sat quietly, staring at the floor. Baylee shift
ed uncomfortably in her chair. He seems so sad. I am totally getting canned.
She cleared her voice. “Gary, I know why you wanted to talk to me.”
He lifted his head and gazed at her, his eyebrows raised. “You do?”
“Yes, and I know this is hard for you. I mean, you’ve known me since I was born.”
His eyes glistened.
Oh, my God. It looks like he’s going to cry. He must really not want to fire me.
“But it’s okay. I understand.”
Gary’s eyes widened. “You do?”
She nodded. “I screwed up. I knew the firm’s policy, and I got involved with Axe anyway. I know you can’t make an exception because you and my mom went back a long way, and I wouldn’t want you to. I take full responsibility. I only ask that you, Bob, and Warner give me a good recommendation.”
Tilting his head to the side, Gary said uncertainly, “You think we’re firing you? That’s crazy. You’re one of our best employees. We decided to make you partner.” His smile faded. “Isn’t it ironic?”
“Wait, you mean I still have my job and I’m a partner?”
He nodded. She squealed then jumped out of her chair, her thoughts scattered.
“This is awesome, Gary. Oh, thank you!”
She hugged his stiff body and gave him a peck on the cheek. Pulling back, she placed her hand on his wet cheek.
“You’re crying. Why?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He lowered his head again.
“Gary, talk to me. Are you sick, or something?”
“I’m sorry,” he choked out.
“For what?”
“For being a coward,” a cold voice said.
Baylee spun around. “What are you doing here?” she asked Stephen Rodgers, then gasped as she stared into his flinty green eyes.
Eyes she’d seen before. In her dreams.
Her nightmares.
Baylee’s limbs went weak and she fell back, hitting the corner of the desk. Looking at Gary, she noticed he avoided her gaze.
“Gary? What’s going on?” she asked weakly.
Gary lowered his head while shaking it.