I nodded.
Walters pointed toward the bag I was holding. “Is that the surveillance video?”
“Oh, yes.” I handed it to him.
“Great. I’ll have it analyzed and see if we can figure out who the caller was. In the meantime, why don’t you head out and get some rest?” he said. “You’ve had a rough day.”
It was just past six p.m. and admittedly, I was beat. “Okay.”
He studied my face. “Actually, why don’t you take tomorrow off as well?”
“No. I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to be at the hearing tomorrow morning.”
“Isn’t your sister’s bachelorette party this weekend?” he asked, smiling. “Now that sounds like a crime scene waiting to happen.”
I grinned. “Oh, so you’ve met my sister and her friends?”
Walters chuckled. “Sounds like your weekend is going to be crazy. Well, you’re young and deserve to let loose once in a while.”
He was probably right, although I’d always been more of a home-body. It was probably because of my career, but more than anything, I preferred my nights quiet and stress free. Admittedly, it wasn’t much fun spending those nights alone. “Maybe. Anyway, could you let me know if and when they find Ronnie?”
“We’ll keep you posted. I’m about ready to head out of myself soon,” said Walters, looking at his watch.
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I replied.
“Have a good night,” he answered.
Still ignoring Bronson, I wished Walters the same and then left the office.
On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few items. When I arrived at my apartment, my cell phone began to buzz. It was my mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart. Are you still working?”
“No. I’m home now.”
She let out a ragged sigh. “I heard what happened and I’m so very thankful that you’re okay. You are okay, right?”
“I’m fine,” I answered as I unpacked my groceries.
“They didn’t really say much on the news. What happened?”
I gave her a brief rundown, leaving out the part where they were talking about raping me. She didn’t need to know that.
“Thank goodness for that young man who walked into the deli. Who was he?”
“A guy named Cole.” I explained that he was a member of the Gold Vipers. “Don’t say anything to anyone, Mom. I probably shouldn’t even be talking to you about it.”
“You know me. I know how to keep my mouth shut,” she replied.
Which was why I told her almost everything. Unlike my sister, our mother was good at keeping secrets. She worked part-time as a grief counselor. Prior to that, a child psychiatrist. She knew the importance of confidentiality.
“Yes, I do. Anyway, like I said, I’m fine and they now have two of the men in custody.”
“What about the owner of the deli? Have they found him yet?”
“No,” I replied.
“So, they were members of the Devil’s Rangers, huh? Did I tell you that I’m friends with Frannie Fleming? She was married to a member of the Gold Vipers.”
“Yeah. I know. Slammer. He was the president,” I replied. “I spoke to Torie earlier about her. I heard that you two are planning on being at the bachelorette party.”
“I’m not sure yet. I asked her and she said she’d need to think about it. To tell you the truth, the only reason why I thought of going in the first place was to try and cheer her up.”
“I heard that you two used to work together at the nursing home,” I said.
“Yes. She just quit recently. To take care of her new grandson, Billy.”
Raina’s boy.
“What is she like?” I asked.
“Frannie is a sweetheart. Always polite and friendly to everyone. Honestly, when I learned that she was married to one of the Gold Vipers, I was quite shocked.”
“Why? Because she isn’t your average biker chick?” I asked, amused.
“Yes and that’s an understatement.”
“Do you know how they met?”
She laughed. “At church.”
My eyes widened. “Church?”
“Yes. They met during a Bingo game and started talking. I don’t think she realized who he was at the time. Anyway, he was very nice to her and had her laughing so hard, that she almost peed her pants I guess,” said my mother, a smile in her voice.
“Do you think that changed after they tied the knot? Her laughing?” I asked wryly.
“I don’t think so. She made a comment once that he never brought any of his troubles home with him. Even when she knew that things were tough, he wanted to protect her and Jessica.”
“Who’s Jessica?” I asked.
“Her daughter.”
I hadn’t heard anything about Slammer having a step-daughter. Interesting.
“She’s been staying with Frannie, but I heard she’s moving to Minnesota soon, to begin her internship as a nurse.”
“Oh. I wonder if we should invite her to the bachelorette party?”
“I guess she’s in Vegas right now. Oh, I’m getting another call. It’s from Torie.”
“Okay.”
“Call me tomorrow and let me know what’s going on with the case and if they find the deli owner.” She sighed. “I hope he’s not dead.”
“I hope not either. Goodbye, Mom.”
“Goodbye. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
After I hung up the phone, I made myself a large salad and then decided to go to the gym. It had been a couple of weeks since I’d last visited and after struggling to chase down Chips, I knew I needed to get back on the treadmill.
After I finished my dinner, I put on a pair of white nylon shorts and a blue tank. Then I filled a water bottle, slipped on my tennis shoes, and headed out.
I arrived at Total Gym just after seven-thirty. It was packed and there was a wait for the treadmills. In the meantime, I decided to do some strength training, so I headed over to the weight area and started looking through the dumbbells.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” said a familiar voice behind me.
I turned around and couldn’t help but gape at Cole, who was standing there wearing black shorts and a white tank top that showed off his hot bod. He was holding two enormous dumbbells and his face and muscles glistened with sweat.
I laughed nervously. “Oh, wow. I didn’t know you worked out here.”
“I usually do it in the morning, but didn’t have time to today,” he said, setting the weights down. He removed his shirt and wiped the sweat from his face. “How about you?”
My mouth went dry as I stared lustfully at his sexy pecks and abs.
How long had it been since I’d had sex?
Too long. Much too long…
“Detective?” he said.
My eyes met his and I could tell that he’d caught me checking him out.
My face burned with embarrassment.
Twenty
Cole
Hell yeah, I knew she was checking me out. I couldn’t help but do the same.
Terin lowered her eyes and told me that she usually worked out in the evenings.
“I’ve been slacking lately, though,” she said, placing a hand on her stomach. “I need to get back into shape.”
From where I was standing, her shape looked mighty fine to me. She was curvy, yes, but in all the right places. It was especially noticeable with the tank she had on and shorts, which showed off a nice set of legs.
“I’m sure if I told you that I don’t look like you’ve been slacking, it would sound like a come-on. So… I’ll just keep my opinions to myself,” I answered.
“Considering our conversation earlier, yes. But… thanks for the compliment,” she said looking pleased. She nodded toward me. “You look like you’re able to fit in time here relatively often.”
“I get here when I can,” I said, glancin
g over at the clock. My shift at Griffin’s started at nine and it was almost eight.
Fuck. Now I didn’t want to leave.
“So, do you normally use a personal trainer?” I asked her.
“No. I typically just get on the treadmill, but since they’re all full, at the moment, decided to try my luck over here.” She looked down at the five pound weights she was still holding and smiled. “I don’t really know what I’m doing, to be honest.”
“If you’d like, I can show you some basic moves for toning up your arms and torso. I used to work as a personal trainer, part time.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“No problem,” I said and then proceeded to show her how to do basic dumbbell curls.
As she was doing them, she glanced down at her chest. “My sister stopped using weights, complaining that she toned up but lost in places she didn’t want to lose. I guess that’s why I’ve always shied away from lifting. It’s not like I have a lot to begin with,” she mused.
My eyes moved to her breasts. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. From what I could tell, Terin’s were more than a handful, which was all that was needed.
“Lifting weights will definitely raise your metabolism and you’ll burn fat, even when you’re not moving,” I said. “Obviously, it will probably include some breast tissue. That being said, even if you shrink a little I’m sure yours will still be perfect.”
She blushed. “Perfect? Right.”
“Don’t let your back slouch,” I said, moving closer to her.
Terin brought her shoulders back, straightening her posture.
“There you go. Just do five more reps,” I said, staring at her perky tits. They were rising and falling with every rep. I imagined cupping both of them in my hands and it gave me an instant boner.
“Five more?” she repeated.
“Yes. You’re doing great,” I replied moving behind her so that she couldn’t see my hard on.
“Okay,” she said, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Our eyes met for a brief second in the mirror before she looked away. I looked at her chest again and noticed that her nipples were rock hard.
Fuck.
I wanted her so badly that even my balls ached. Unable to help myself, I leaned closer to her. “By the way, Detective,” I whispered in a husky voice, “If it’s one thing I do know, it’s breasts. And I meant it when I said… yours are perfect.”
Twenty-one
Terin
His breath was hot on my neck as he said the words and it sent shivers all the way down to my pelvis.
“Well, thank you,” I said laughing nervously. I quickly moved away and set the weights down. “Actually I think I’m good with strength training for today.”
“You didn’t finish,” he said, looking disappointed.
“My arms are sore already,” I lied, running a hand over my bicep. “Don’t want to tear anything, right?”
“True and you should stretch out your arm muscles, or they’ll be sore tomorrow.”
“Okay. What do you recommend?”
He showed me some arm stretches that I’d seen before but somehow looked better on him. Torn between jumping his bones and running like hell, I followed his instructions and did some stretching.
“You sure you don’t want to try something else? We could work out your triceps next. Or your deltoids?” he said, bending down to pick up his tank top from the floor.
I stared at his nice, firm butt, and imagined what it would be like to work the muscle hidden in the front of his shorts. The thought made my lady parts flutter. “No, I’m good.”
He turned around and sighed. “I should probably get going anyway. I need to take a shower before heading to work.”
I imagined his muscular body in the shower, naked and hard. I decided to buy batteries on the way home from the gym. For my vibrator.
“You okay?” he asked, giving me a funny look.
“Just a little out of breath from doing reps,” I lied. I laughed nervously. “I really am out of shape.”
“If you ever do need a personal trainer, or just want someone to work out with, give me a call,” he said, giving me another of his sexy smiles. “We can hook up anytime.”
My eyebrow arched. “Hook up?”
His grin widened. “I still meant working out but if you need help in that area too, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
As manly and sexy as he was, I knew that sleeping with Cole Johnson would be a horrible mistake. I could even lose my job.
“I’m going to forget that comment, so it’s not awkward between us,” I replied, trying to appear unaffected. “Especially if we run into each other again.”
“I’m sure we will, Detective,” he said, walking back over to where I stood. “And as far as having an awkward moment,” he placed his hand against the wall and leaned into me, “I don’t think you can get anymore awkward than a man with a raging hard-on for a woman who wants it, but is to chicken to do anything about it.”
Thank goodness there wasn’t anyone near us. I swallowed. “And… how do you know what I want?” I asked, my pulse racing.
“It’s in your eyes,” he said, staring into them. Then he looked at my lips. “In the way you’re breathing.”
I sucked in my breath and held it.
He gave me a wicked grin and traced his finger along my arm, giving me goosebumps. “And in the way your nipples are begging for attention,” he whispered, the side of his hand brushing against my breast.
He was right.
They wanted his mouth. His tongue.
Getting no resistance from me, Cole’s hand dropped to my shorts and I felt his finger lightly stroke my thigh. “Something tells me that there’s more evidence down yonder.”
My womanhood ached with need and I wanted nothing more than to hump his leg like a bitch in heat.
“What do you say, detective? Should I follow my hunch?”
I looked around, noticing that the only other person in the weight room was a muscular young man doing leg presses. He wasn’t paying us any mind, and I was so horny that my own was racing with irrational thoughts, like dragging Cole into one of the supply rooms and having my way with him. Thankfully, before I could give in to my reckless needs, my cell phone rang.
“Excuse me,” I said breathlessly, moving away from him.
Cole sighed.
Twenty-two
Cole
As she walked away, I vowed that one way or another, I was going to have her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be anytime soon.
Terin answered the phone and a puzzled look spread across her face. “Who is this?” she asked, frowning.
The caller said something else and hung up.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said, putting her phone away.
From the expression on her face, I could tell that she’d been rattled by the caller though. “You’re okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Who was it that called you?”
“Some crank caller.”
“Oh. Okay.” I glanced at the clock and noticed how late it was. “Shit. I’ve gotta go.”
Relief spread across her face. “Running late for work?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Where?”
“Griffin’s,” I said.
“Have fun,” she said a little curtly.
“Hold on a second,” I said, moving toward her.
She stopped and turned around. “What?”
I grinned. “Do you want to get together later?”
Terin snorted. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No. Of course not.”
She sighed. “Look, I admit, I’m attracted to you but other than that, we have nothing in common.”
“We both like to work out,” I offered.
“I never said that I liked to. I have to.”
“Then let me show you a workout you’d enjoy,” I said, wi
ggling my eyebrows.
“Give it up, Johnson. It’s not going to happen,” she answered, trying not to smile.
“You keep telling yourself that.”
Shaking her head, she left the room.
Twenty-three
Terin
Luckily, I found an available treadmill. As I began jogging, I saw Cole leave the weight room and head toward the men’s locker area. Some of the other women in the gym watched him leave as well. There was no denying that Cole was one fine specimen of a man. But, he was also dangerous in so many ways. One night with him could potentially get me fired and I wasn’t about to take any chances.
My phone began to vibrate again. Sighing, I slowed down and noticed that the person who’d called me earlier, someone who’d obviously had the wrong number, had just sent me a photo. I stopped the treadmill and opened up the message.
What the hell?
It was a picture of me and Cole, in the weight room. Both of us were staring into each other’s eyes and it looked much too intimate for comfort.
The phone buzzed again and there was a message from the same number.
Fraternizing with the enemy?
It was the same words the caller had said to me when I’d answered earlier.
Angry, I called the number but nobody answered. I listened to the voicemail.
“You’ve reached Cole Johnson. Sorry that I can’t take your call right now. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Cole’s phone?
Stunned, I left him a message. “Uh… hi. It’s Terin. Could you give me a call as soon as you get this? Thanks.”
Still confused, I hung up and went back into the weight room. The other man who’d been working his legs earlier was still inside, doing butterflies. Convinced that he’d somehow gotten Cole’s phone and was messing with me, I decided to talk to the asshole.
“Excuse me,” I said, walking over to him.
He continued working out. “Yeah?”
“I need to ask you something.”
The guy, who I noticed had very light blue eyes and almost a baby face, sighed and stopped doing his reps. “What can I do for you?”
Loving The Biker (MC Biker Romance) Page 10