by Jamie Begley
“Wait, I have the other children … I can’t just leave.”
“They’re at the sheriff’s office.” His statement had Willa’s protests dying on her lips.
“I’ll be ready.” Willa disconnected the call before hastily punching in another number. Thankfully, her neighbor from across the street agreed to come over.
Willa was stepping out her front door when Drake pulled up in her driveway.
“What did they do?” Willa asked as soon as she closed his car door.
“You know as much as I do. Knox told me he would talk to both of us when we reached his office.”
“Do you think it’s really bad?” Willa asked worriedly, never having dealt with a problem like this before.
Drake took his eyes off the road for a second. “Yes, Willa, I think it’s bad.”
His grim response had her apprehension increasing until her nerves were wrung tightly. When they arrived at the sheriff’s office, she followed Drake, who seemed much more familiar with the situation than she was.
They took a seat until Knox called them into his office. Then Drake demanded answers as soon as Knox closed his door, confirming her suspicions that Drake had been in this position before.
“What did Jace do this time?”
Knox motioned for them to take a seat. When they were both seated, the sheriff took the chair behind his desk.
“Jace, Cal, and Sissy were caught breaking into the factory of The Last Riders.”
Willa’s heart sank in dismay.
“Why in the fuck did they want to break into the factory?” Drake was angrily unfazed.
“Jace said he had heard that one of the buildings held a motorcycle collection, and he and Cal wanted to see it. Sissy went along with them.”
“Who caught them?” Drake’s hands clenched on the arms of his chair.
“Shade. Their security system alerted them to the break-in.”
Willa was unable to raise her voice past a hoarse whisper. “How much trouble are they in?”
“Viper’s not pressing charges this time, but if he catches them trespassing again, he will. They busted the lock on the front door, and he wants it replaced.”
“I’ll take care of it. I’ll call Viper and thank him for not pressing charges.” Drake stood.
Willa, still following Drake’s lead, stood also, drawing Knox’s gaze.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Tackett was in the office, dropping off paperwork, when Shade brought them in.”
Willa paled. Flora Tackett was the worker supervising the case involving Georgia and Lewis’s children.
“I was able to keep the bitch from taking Sissy into state custody, but if she gets in trouble again, that’s where Sissy and the rest of the children will be placed.” Knox’s words stopped Willa in her tracks.
“I’ll keep a better eye on her,” Willa promised. “Thank you, Knox.”
“That girl has more problems than you can handle.” Knox’s stern voice sent warning signals through her brain. If he could see it, then everyone else did, too. It was only a matter of time before she lost all the children due to her inability to control them.
“I’ll talk to her and make her understand what’s at stake.”
A flicker of sympathy shone in his eyes. “Would you like me to talk to her?”
Willa shook her head. “I’ll handle it.”
Both men didn’t hide their skepticism. However, Rachel had already tried and had been met with resentment, and Knox didn’t seem the type to tolerate Sissy’s disrespect for authority.
Knox picked up a set of keys from his desk. Opening the door, he motioned them forward as he walked down a hallway, leaving them in a small room alone as he went to get Jace, Cal, and Sissy.
“I think’s it’s best if Sissy doesn’t see Jace again,” Willa broached the sensitive subject.
“You think you’re going to be able to keep two randy teenagers from seeing each other? It will make the situation worse,” Drake warned.
“I think it’s for the best,” Willa repeated firmly.
Drake shrugged. “It’s your call. I’ll have a talk with Jace.”
The metal door opened, and the three teenagers were led into the room with varying expressions. The boys were apprehensive, while Sissy was openly defiant.
“Let’s go home, Sissy.” Willa started to touch her arm, but she jerked away.
“I don’t have a home.”
Willa didn’t become angry at her reaction since it was her fault the girl’s world had been turned upside-down.
Sissy was smart enough to recognize the others weren’t as sympathetic to her treatment of Willa.
“I’ll drive you and Sissy home,” Drake offered.
As they left the office, Willa and the others were the center of attention. Lucky, Rider, and another biker Willa didn’t recognize were standing in the waiting area. The teenagers lost what bravado they had when they saw the bikers waiting for them.
Rider was the one who took a step forward, blocking Jace and Cal.
“All you had to do was ask me to see my bikes. You didn’t have to resort to breaking and entering.” Rider’s reaction wasn’t what Willa was expecting. The biker was almost affable to the teenagers.
Jace and Cal both looked shamefaced, while Sissy was too busy ogling the bikers.
“We’re sorry, Rider,” Jace apologized when his father gave him a nudge forward.
“Make it up to me. How did you find out about the bikes?” Rider’s voice was friendly, as if they were all good ol’ boys. Regardless, sudden comprehension filled Willa as she realized his true motive for coming across laid-back. He wanted to know who was talking about their club’s business. Willa had a horrible feeling she knew who had inadvertently supplied the information.
“I told them,” Willa spoke up, turning bright red.
With all the attention now focused on her, she felt the flood of red run up from her chest to her face.
“How did you find out about the bikes?” Rider asked quizzically.
She became nervous under his scrutiny. Unconsciously, she licked her bottom lip before tugging on it with her teeth. “I-I … must have heard it from somewhere. Drake was telling me he was going to buy Jace a motorcycle, and I told him maybe Rider would sell him one.”
“Is that so?” Rider turned to Drake.
Willa’s eyes wildly flew to Drake who was staring at her in bemusement at her flustered behavior.
“Uh … That’s right.” Jace and Cal’s faces had lit up with excitement before Drake crushed their burgeoning hopes. “Of course, now after this lame-ass stunt, I wouldn’t buy him a secondhand tricycle to ride.”
Their disappointment provided Drake with the opportunity to punish them more effectively than she would be able to Sissy. She never asked Willa for anything. The only thing Sissy would let Willa provide her with was food and a bed. Anything extra she needed was provided by an allowance from her mother’s insurance money, and Sissy kept track of every penny in the account.
From the men’s expressions, they knew she was lying. She had deliberately made a fool of herself to protect someone else, which Willa didn’t regret. Everyone thought she was useless unless she was baking, anyway. She was just proving them right.
Lucky’s eyes narrowed on her as she wiped her clammy hands on the side of her jeans. His gaze lowered to the tight jeans she had thrown on when Drake had told her about Sissy. The top she had on was an older, pink one that had faded from numerous washings. She always wore it when she was baking. The buttons were strained at the breasts, threatening to pop at any second.
Becoming even more embarrassed at her appearance, she focused on the stranger with them and almost lost what little composure she had left. The biker was tall and muscular through his chest, tapering down to a lean waist that Willa was sure had a six-pack of abs hidden behind his T-shirt. His wavy, brown hair and finely chiseled features would have made him too pretty
if not for the square jaw and the dangerous aura that clung to him.
Willa wasn’t the only one having a hard time keeping her eyes off him. Sissy’s gaze was glued to him, too.
“Ready, Drake? I need to get home.” She needed to get the hormone-riddled teenage girl away from the bikers. They were even affecting Willa, and she was older.
Wishing she had the courage to act like one of The Last Rider women, Willa did what any sane Christian woman would do—she fled.
“I’m ready.” Drake moved to the side, motioning for her to go in front of him.
Willa started for the door, somehow bumping into Lucky, though she could have sworn she had left more distance between them. Her nipples hardened behind the thin shirt.
When Rider nearly tripped over a chair rushing to open the door for her, she gave him a smile yet didn’t stop until she reached Drake’s car. The teenagers followed reluctantly, not wanting to leave the presence of the bikers.
Cal and Jace both admired the motorcycles sitting in the parking lot, while Sissy was in la-la-land. Willa could imagine the teenage fantasies going through her mind, picturing herself on the back of one of the motorcycles with her arms wrapped around one of the good-looking men. Willa knew because she’d had a few of those fantasies herself. For Sissy, though, those fantasies had a possibility of becoming a reality in the future. For Willa, not so much.
The most hurtful insult she had ever been given to her had been from Sissy’s mother when she had said her fat ass was too big for a motorcycle. She had wanted to burst into tears from the remark; instead, Willa had never allowed herself to fantasize again. She kept her feet and mind planted in reality. Fantasies were for women who didn’t wear a size eighteen on a good day and a twenty when it wasn’t.
The car ride was silent to her house, each lost in their own thoughts. Willa tried to determine the best way to deal with Sissy and came up blank. When Drake pulled the car to a stop in the driveway, Sissy jumped out.
Drake’s “good luck” sounded in her ears as she rushed after her.
Mrs. Stevens opened the door, and Sissy barged past her. Willa took the time to thank her then waited for her to leave before going upstairs to knock on Sissy’s door.
“Go away!”
Willa didn’t want to wake the rest of the children. Leaning her forehead against the door, she admitted defeat for now.
“Go to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” She kept her voice low.
Hearing no response, Willa went into her room, sinking down on the side of her bed. Then she buried her face in her hands and let the tears of frustration, hurt, and anger escape. When the last of her tears were spent, she lay back on her comforter.
“God, I thought I could do this without any help, but I was wrong. Anything you could do to help, I would appreciate.” Her swollen eyes closed in exhaustion then opened quickly. “And if there was any way to make Sissy like me, I’ll never miss church again.”
* * *
“That sweet piece of ass live in town?” Moon asked, still staring at the door Rider was watching Willa through.
Lucky’s teeth ground together, leaving Rider to answer his question.
“Yeah.”
“And you fuck-wads haven’t brought her into the club?”
“No,” Lucky managed to answer this time. “She’s not the type.”
Moon burst into laughter. “Are you fucking kidding me? Did you see those tits when you tried to cop a feel? The least you motherfuckers could have done was to introduce me to her. The next time I see her, I’ll introduce myself.”
“Stay away from her.” Lucky’s body went taut. “You’re in enough hot water in Ohio from fucking the wrong woman.”
“Sweet tits daddy the mayor?”
“No.”
“Then who’s going to give me shit? You should be kissing my ass for trying to accomplish what you haven’t had the balls to do. By the time I head back to Ohio, she’ll be our newest member.”
If any other brother was doing the bragging, Lucky would doubt they would be successful with Willa. However, Moon was notorious for his skills with women. He had been given his nickname because the brothers all joked, when the moon came up, the women’s panties dropped. They were attracted to him like flies to a corpse.
“I am.” Lucky’s voice dripped ice.
“Since when do you care who I fuck?”
“Since you think you’re going to fuck Willa.”
“The Last Riders share, and you’ve never had a problem with it before.”
“I’ll share any woman you want, just not Willa. She’s not ours to share,” he reasoned.
“Yet,” Rider broke in. “I agree with Moon. He may be able to convince her to join. He’s new to town, so she may lower her guard with him.”
Lucky glared at Rider’s anticipatory grin.
“Never.” Lucky blasted both men with a heated glare. “Besides, she’s seeing someone,” Lucky threw out another attempt to dissuade the two men.
Knox was standing by, watching the men impassively.
“Who?” Rider grumbled.
“Drake.”
“You sure? I know they had lunch together, but I don’t think they’re together.”
Rider’s perception of the relationship between Drake and Willa loosened a knot in his stomach he had been unaware of.
Lucky shrugged. “How do I know? It’s not like we’re best friends.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.” Moon slapped Rider on the back. “Sit back and watch the master at work.”
Lucky frowned. “It’s not going to be as easy as you think.”
“Why not?”
Moon’s attitude toward Willa had gradually been getting on his frayed nerves, but his cocky arrogance was the last straw. Lucky turned on his heel, he had to blink several times to clear the red mist of fury nearly blinding him. He stood in the doorway as Drake’s car pulled onto the road.
“Don’t worry, brother; I’ll make sure you get a taste.”
Moon’s voice behind him released the fury that Lucky had been holding back. Without thinking, Lucky swung around.
“Willa wouldn’t look at you on a good day.”
“Brother, it must be my day then ‘cause she was looking,” Moon retorted.
“Only because I was standing in front of you. Everyone in town knows it’s me she wants,” Lucky ground out, trying to convince himself that Willa wouldn’t be swayed by Moon.
Rider shook his head. “I don’t know about that.”
“Shut up.” Lucky’s scowl had Rider taking a step closer to Knox.
“Is that a challenge? Let’s make a bet, brother. The first one who manages to get sweet tits in bed gets the pick of Rider’s bikes.”
“Fuck no!” Rider shouted. “Why should I give up one of my bikes?”
“You getting anywhere with her?” Moon surveyed him critically.
“No,” Rider admitted.
“That’s why. Isn’t getting that bitch to become a member worth giving up a bike?”
Rider’s face reflected his dilemma. “Shit, if she wasn’t such a good cook, I would say no. I wouldn’t give one of my bikes for a hundred women, but Willa’s peanut butter candy anytime I want it is worth a bike,” he reluctantly agreed.
The chance to get one of Rider’s cherished motorcycles didn’t tempt Lucky, but he had no intention of standing back and watching Moon initiate Willa into the club when he had stayed away from her for her own good. There was no way he could prevent Moon from trying to go after Willa, but he could place a road block in his path.
“Fine, I’ll take the bet. To make sure it’s fair, none of the other brothers can get in on the bet, just you and me,” Lucky stated his terms.
If the other brothers who didn’t have an old lady heard that one of Rider’s bikes was the prize, all the single men would be trying to get in on the bet.
“Works for me,” Moon agreed with a calcula
ting expression.
Lucky’s fist connected with his cheekbone, knocking him backward and pushing several chairs over in the waiting area. Lucky then reached down and took a handful of his T-shirt, lifting him out of the chairs enough to punch him again. Knox and Rider both pulled him off the dazed man before his fist could connect a third time.
“Stop it, Lucky!” Knox yelled. “What in the fuck is wrong with you?”
Lucky shook him off. “Leveling the playing field.”
After Moon was helped to his feet by Rider, spitting out blood onto the floor, Rider stared back and forth between Moon and Lucky, his body taut, waiting for the two men to go at each other. Moon sat on the chair that Knox had placed near him until the brother could regain what sense he had left.
Lucky wanted to punch Rider for agreeing to put up a motorcycle because it would only incite Moon further. Moon’s bet would provide him with the woman he wanted with none of the work to actually get to know Willa.
Lying in wait for Willa at King’s was the most effort Rider had put out on a woman. Usually, he sat back and let someone else lead his prey to him. As a result, Lucky wasn’t worried that Rider would get near enough to Willa to seduce the woman, because he lacked the one thing that would lure Willa to his bed.
Lucky stormed from the police station before he changed his mind and taught Rider his own lesson. Reaching his bike, Lucky managed to calm his raging fury. With his hands on his handlebars, he sat facing the church that was completely dark.
“I won’t be led back to you.” Unconsciously, Lucky lowered his head. “For years, I’ve watched and waited as others lived the life I wanted. I can’t live the life I would have to in order to serve You. Let me go.”
Lucky raised his head, and the invisible thread that always seemed wound around him felt like it was suddenly released. Blood rushed through his veins, his heart pounding as Lucky felt the last tie holding him back evaporate. He breathed in as if his lungs were no longer constricted for the first time in years. Lucky breathed in deeply again then released it, tasting freedom on the tip of his tongue.
Starting his bike, he pulled out of the parking lot, riding away from the church without glancing back.