Ash (Dragon Riders MC Book 3)

by Savannah Rylan

  So, I threw on my clothes and headed straight for my bike.

  I wasn’t sure what I expected when I got to work. Maybe some paperwork. Maybe the guys bombarding me with questions about Hannah. Maybe even the guys congratulating me on this new step in life. But I didn’t get either of those things.

  Instead, I got the one piece of news I didn’t want to hear.

  “Skeleton’s no longer underground,” Link said.

  I blinked. “And a good morning to you, too.”

  Bowser sighed. “We’ve been waiting for you to get here all morning. Where the fuck have you been?”

  I furrowed my brow. “The name ‘Hannah’ ring a bell?”

  Sly put his hands on his hips. “How’s she doing anyway?”

  I held my hand out to him. “At least someone wants to ask. Thank you, Sly. She’s doing well. Got some pain meds and some other things to help her with being uncomfortable. But she’s home resting and that’s good enough for me.”

  Link nodded. “Great. Can we get back to business now?”

  My eyes snapped to his. “I take it this won’t be a short workday that gets me home by two.”

  Knuckles chuckled. “Doesn’t sound like it.”

  Link walked up to me. “Three of Steel Cobras members are in critical condition in one of their own medical facilities because of their latest run-in with the Jags.

  My eyebrows rose. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Bowser nodded. “The Steel Cobras saw activity on their side of town with more sex trafficking. Caught those Jagholes loading up seven different women from around town.”

  I blinked. “That’s more than they’ve ever loaded up before.”

  Knuckles walked up to me. “And get this. I was doing some monitoring online, right? They’ve sold that fucking motel.”

  I slowly looked over at him. “The motel we raided for Joanna?”

  Link nodded. “That’s the one. It’s officially been sold off to a restoration company that plans to reopen it completely to the public.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, not getting home by two, then. What happened with the Cobras? Did they storm the Jags compound or something?”

  Sly snickered. “We wish. Those idiots thought they could take them right then and there. Three of their guys were out on a patrol, decided they could take on the hoard, and got their asses kicked.”

  Link shook his head. “Have some respect, Sly. One of them’s practically dead.”

  My eyes widened. “This isn’t good.”

  Bowser sighed. “No, it’s not. And our suspicions and what we saw were right, too. The Jags have superior firepower right now, as well as bulletproof armor.”

  I clicked my tongue. “I take it one of you guys have talked to the injured Cobras.”

  Sly walked up to my side. “No, this is all second-hand information through their president, Ice. But you know how reliable he’s always been with his information.”

  I paused. “He wasn’t there, though. Right?”

  Link sighed. “Ice is one of the ones in critical condition right now.”

  I cursed beneath my breath. “Fucking hell.”

  Bowser put his hand on my shoulder. “Ice says they’re working with automatic weapons and a grenade launcher. Somehow, these idiots got their hands on a fucking grenade launcher and blew them to hell and back again. And their bulletproof armor? It even comes with helmets.”

  Sly nodded. “They’re gonna be hard to take on with that kind of gear.”

  I scoffed. “Where the hell did they get shit like that?”

  Knuckles raised his hand. “Working on it. But it’s taking some time.”

  I closed my eyes. “What the fuck were they stockpiling for in the first place? I mean, taking on some rival crews couldn't be it. Could it?”

  Sly snickered. “That’s our issue. We can’t figure out what the fuck kind of war these guys are gearing up for. But whatever it is? Our sources tell us they’ve accepted another shipment from the docks as of last night.”

  My eyes whipped open. “You’re kidding me.”

  Link shook his head. “I wish we were. All of us have been working this angle all night.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry, guys. Why the hell didn’t anyone call me? I could’ve helped.”

  Link grinned. “You were helping. You were taking care of your woman, which is what any of us would’ve been doing after yesterday.”

  Bowser nodded. “You sure she’s doing all right?”

  I smiled. “She’s a strong woman. Plus, the pain medication knocks her out. I’ve got food for her in the fridge, coffee in the pot, and her medicine within reach. She’s good.”

  He patted my shoulder. “Good. Because we’re going to need you on the road with us to put a stop to this once and for all.”

  My eyes held Bowser’s. “When do we leave?”

  Link piped up. “As soon as we can. Is that something you’re comfortable accommodating?”

  I looked over at him. “Hannah will understand. Especially if it’s because we’re taking down that asshole.”

  Knuckles clicked his tongue. “Heard anything from Slash lately?”

  I chuckled. “We’ve got shit from all sides, don’t we?”

  Bowser barked with laughter. “One thing at a time, guys. Right now? Slash and those backstabbing bitches are the least of our worries.”

  Link nodded. “He’s right. First, we take down Skeleton. And after we do that, those girls won’t have a double-crossing deal to cash in on, and that’s when we deal with them.”

  I blew a raspberry. “Let me file some quick paperwork on my end, then I’ll be ready in half an hour to ride whenever we need to. All right?”

  Bowser sighed. “Make it twenty. And the rest of you? Gear up. Take whatever you can and stow away what you need. Because we’re going to need all the firepower and help we can manage if we get ambushed.”

  Link clapped his hands, dispersing us in our own directions, and I high-tailed it to my office. I knew Hannah wouldn’t like this. I knew she’d be pissed. But I had someone I could call to check in on her and make sure she was all right. This was for her, though. Going after Skeleton meant keeping her safe once and for all. Now that her ex had been taken care of, this was the last piece of the puzzle we needed to clean up in order to make sure Hannah could live the life she wanted without fear or hesitancy hanging over her head.

  She might be angry with me now, but she’d thank me in the end.

  And I clung to that thought as I closed my office door to quickly get to work.

  18

  Hannah

  “Yes, hello. I was just calling to see if you guys were hiring any sort of help right now?”

  “Hello there! My name is Hannah. I was calling to see if you guys had an online resume I could fill out for the position you’re advertising online?”

  “Hi! My name’s Hannah. I’m calling in regard to a job offer of yours I found online.”

  After waking up around lunch time, I felt better than ever. Maybe it was because of the drugs or the time I spent with Ash. But nevertheless, I felt great. I pulled myself out of bed, got myself a shower, and even put on some decent clothes. Then, I poured myself a mug of coffee and sat down with Ash’s laptop.

  It was time for me to get on with my life.

  “Hi there, my name is Hannah. I was wondering what kind of job you guys were hiring for? It didn’t say anywhere on the online application.”

  “Hello! My name is Hannah. I was calling because—oh. Well, thank you for taking my call anyway. Uh huh. Yeah, the job offer is still up on Indeed. You’re very welcome. Buh-bye.”

  I sighed as I drained my first cup of coffee. I got up to get myself another one, and already I felt the aches and pains setting in. I couldn't take another pain pill until the end of the day, but I still had another anti-inflammatory I could suck down. So, I walked back into Ash’s bedroom and made good use of the other pill I was allowed to take.

  Then, I sat back down and contin
ued my search.

  I must’ve cycled through thirty applications within a fifty-mile radius of this town. Not that I wanted to drive over an hour to get to work or anything. But a job was a job, and I wanted to be able to pull my weight around here.

  I wanted to be able to make my own money and be proud of it.

  Then, I stumbled upon a local dress shop that was looking for someone part-time. Not ideal, but it was something. The place was called “Dress Up Less Up,” whatever that meant. And when I picked up the phone to call, I took a long pull from my coffee.

  Come on, you can nail this one.

  “Dress Up Less Up, this is Brandy speaking.”

  I put on my best smile. “Hi, Brandy! My name is Hannah. I was calling about the part-time position that is posted on Monster.com?”

  “Oh my word, I just threw that up there a couple of hours ago. I didn’t realize it would work so quickly! How are you, Hannah?”

  I paused. “So, the position hasn’t been filled?”

  “Not at all. You’re my first phone call about it, actually.”

  Perfect. “Well, hopefully I’ll be your last, too.”

  She giggled. “One can only hope. It’s a pain in the butt to hire new employees and onboard them, only for them to leave after a couple of months.”

  “Well, I can assure you that I won’t be leaving so soon after you give me the job. If you want to give it to me, that is.”

  She snickered. “Tell me about yourself? Have you submitted your resume yet?”

  I clicked a few buttons and started the uploading process.

  “It’s being sent to you right now,” I said.

  “Wonderful! Do you have any retail experience?”

  “I do actually, yes. I know my resume is going to make me seem like I bounce around a lot, but that was more due to lack of income in higher-priced places than anything else.”

  “I’ll take that into consideration. Where all have you worked?”

  I drew in a deep breath. “Let’s see: I worked at a shoe place in California for about a year. I’ve got experience with working at Walmart for just shy of six months. I worked part-time in a jewelry store over on the East Coast for three or so months.”

  She giggled. “So, you have quite a bit of retail experience.”

  I nodded. “Yes ma’am, I do.”

  “Bah, no need for ‘ma’ams’. May I ask why you bounced around so much?”

  I paused. “To be honest? Nowhere ever felt like home. The glamour of a new city was nice for a few weeks, and then it would eventually wane. But this time it’s different.”

  “How so?”

  I smiled. “I have a reason to stay this time.”

  “Ah, found yourself a man?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’ve found myself a home. That just happens to have a man in it, yes.”

  She barked with laughter. “Well, congratulations. Oh! Your resume just came through. Let me pull it up and skim it really quickly.”

  I sat on pins and needles as I sucked down the rest of my second cup of coffee.

  “Well, it certainly is impressive. I’ll have to call around to your references just to make sure of some things. But as far as I’m concerned, you’re more than qualified for the job.”

  I smiled brightly. “That makes me very happy to hear.”

  “I know it’s only a part-time job right now, but it has the potential to turn into a full-time job if you stick around for the holidays. I’d hire you on full-time during Christmas and the summers. Those are our busiest times.”

  “That’s just fine with me.”

  “The job entails not just running a cash register and things like that, but also styling. There are some clients that will come in and pay for our stylist services, which is a premier service we offer. Think you can handle something like that?”

  I tried not to jump out of my skin. “Let’s just say I’ve always had a passion for fashion, especially when it comes to bigger women. I’m definitely your gal for this one.”

  “Oh, please tell me you’re a plus-sized woman. I know that seems so weird to ask, but we have so many women who come in here and make the complaint that they’re surrounded by women that don’t look like them.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. Because I happen to be a plus-sized woman.”

  “You’re hired!”

  I threw my head back, laughing. “Who knew my fat would come in handy like this someday?”

  “Oh, nonsense. Screw what your references say. You tick all the boxes, and you’re going to help make future customers much more comfortable coming into my store. That, in and of itself, is invaluable. When can you start?”

  “There’s something you should know upfront before we talk about that?”

  “Oh, boy. What is it?”

  I cleared my throat. “I was in a car accident the day before yesterday.”

  She gasped. “Oh, my goodness! Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Home from the hospital. On a bit of medication, but nothing that impedes my sensibilities. I do look a bit rough around the edges right now. I can start work as soon as you need me, but you might not want me in front of customers for at least another week.”

  “That’s totally fine. I need your input on some inventory space I’ve got anyway. I want to get some more plus-sized fashion in this store, but for the life of me I can’t seem to find decent-looking plus-sized clothing.”

  “I’m your gal for that job. You sit me in front of whatever catalogue you’re looking at and I’ll fill your entire store with clothes that’ll fit a woman like me just fine.”

  “You’re a lifesaver, you know that?”

  I smiled. “Trust me, you’re saving mine as well right now.”

  “Can you come in tomorrow morning? The boutique opens at nine and we stay open until seven. You’d train for the first week for three hours a day, then I’d get you a regular part-time schedule that’s around twenty-five hours a week. How does that sound?”

  “How much does the job pay?”

  “10 bucks an hour for training, then that goes up to thirteen once you start part-time. And after your six-month review, if things are going well, that gets upped to fourteen an hour. With chances to keep getting raises every six months, provided that you meet review marking standards.”

  My heart filled with delight. “I’ll take it.”

  She squealed. “Oh, this is fabulous! I can’t wait to meet you. I’ll go ahead and get everything in the back office set up. My back office is usually for all employees, but until you’re comfortable being on the floor, it’ll be your personal space.”

  “One week is all I’ll need. I promise.”

  “This is fantastic. Meet me here in the morning promptly at nine. You’ll train until noon, then we’ll start the process all over again the next day.”

  “I’m looking forward to it, Brandy.”

  I heard the sound of a motorcycle off in the distance just as I hung up the phone and I leapt from my seat. A job. I finally had a job! And I couldn't wait to tell Ash all about it. I knew he’d be happy. I knew he’d support me. But more than that, I knew this meant that I was finally solidifying my life with him. Here, in this small upstate New York town.

  He’s gonna jump out of his skin with happiness.

  However, when he finally walked through the front door, I knew something was wrong.

  “Uh oh,” I said.

  He dropped his helmet. “I’m so sorry, Hannah.”

  I furrowed my brow. “What happened at work?”

  He walked up to me. “I promise I’ll be back soon.”

  “No.”

  “Hannah…”

  I shook my head. “We just got back, Ash! Where the hell could you possibly be going now?”

  His hands gripped my shoulders. “Skeleton’s reared his head again, only this time he’s taken out three of our friends.”

  My face paled. “Are the guys okay? Who’s hurt?”

  He shook his head. “No
one from our crew. But some good friends from a crew we play poker with once a week are in critical condition. Skeleton’s making some moves that have all of us nervous. Not just for our safety—or yours—but for the safety of this town.”

  I sighed. “When do you leave?”

  He cupped my cheek. “Tonight.”

  My eyes watered. “And you really have to go? Even with me in this condition?”

  “You say the word, and I’ll stay behind to take care of you.”

  I can’t do that to him. “There’s no need. I actually feel great, despite the superficial stuff. I even got myself a job today. I start tomorrow morning.”

  He blinked. “You found a job?”

  I nodded. “Working at a dress boutique as a plus-size stylist and fashion extraordinaire.”

  He kissed my forehead. “I’m so proud of you.”

  I resisted the urge to sigh again. “I start tomorrow for three hours of paid training, and that’ll last for a week. Then, she bumps me up to twenty-five hours a week with the option to work full-time during Christmas and summers, when she’s the busiest.”

  “I’m so fucking proud of you,” he whispered.

  I wrapped my arms around him. “Let me hug you before you start packing.”

  His arms blanketed my body and I closed my eyes. I committed every feeling and smell to memory as my face nuzzled against his chest. Well, what part of his chest I touched anyway. I pressed my ear against his shirt and heard the echo of his heartbeat rattling inside his body. But once his arms finally went slack, I forced myself to back away.

  “I really am sorry, Hannah.”

  I shrugged. “Hey, this is part of being a club gal. I get it. I can handle this, as much as it sucks.”

  He cupped my cheeks. “I’m coming home to you. We’ll all be back soon. You have my word.”

  I nodded. “I know you are. You’re a strong, capable man. I know you’ll come back to me.”

  His lips pressed against my own and I tried not to act like it might be our last one. But part of me understood the danger he was walking into. I didn’t know much about this Skeleton asshole, but I knew he wasn’t someone to be messed with. I wanted to ask him so many questions about what he was going to do, but I resisted the urge. I knew that the less I knew, the better. Though, I’d have to sleep with a knife underneath my pillow while he was gone.