Destroying the Biker

by Cassie Alexandra

  “I get it.”

  After thinking about it some more, I gave in and told him my address. Tarot had every reason to be angry with me and was instead treating me like a friend. I’d been wrong about him. The more I thought about it, the more respect I had for his club, too. I could see why Jayce had been proud to be a apart of the Gold Vipers, even if some of their ways weren’t on the up-and-up.

  “At least you know for certain that your brother was a good guy,” Tarot said to me.

  “I always knew he was,” I said sadly. “I’m just glad you set me straight about everything else. I’m so sorry for what I did to you, your family, and everyone else.”

  “I forgive you, Ava,” he replied. “And I want you to know that you can trust me with anything. I mean it.”

  “I know. The same goes here. I don’t feel as if I deserve your trust, but I swear that I’ll never lie to you again. Or… to Jayce.”

  “You need to tell him that yourself.”

  “I know,” I replied, softly. “I just need to find the courage to do it.”

  “You? You’re one of the most courageous young women I’ve ever met. Seriously.”

  I smiled. “That means a lot coming from a hard-assed biker like yourself.”

  “Well, I appreciate that. Oh, I’ve gotta go. Peyton is calling me. I’ll keep in touch.”

  “Sounds good.”

  I hung up, did some more packing, and then headed back to my place. As soon as I arrived home, I called Millie, who was staying a couple more days in the hospital, and we spoke for a few minutes.

  “I’ll give you a ride home when they’re ready to release you,” I promised her. “Just let me know when you can check out.”

  “Thank you, honey. I’ll keep in touch.”

  I hung up and took out Andrew’s letter again. I searched the Tampa Bay address on Google Maps and zoomed in on it. It was a newer-looking townhome and in a decent neighborhood, from what I could tell.

  I logged out of the Internet and was about to put my phone away, when I thought about calling Jayce. The thought of him rejecting my apology terrified me, though.

  “You already lost him,” I told myself, staring at my phone. “Let it rest.”

  Sighing, I plugged it into the charger instead. I’d lied to him too many times and probably didn’t deserve his forgiveness anyway.

  Chapter 49

  Jayce

  TAROT CALLED AND told me about the conversation he’d had with Ava.

  “So, her brother was actually living with Blade?” I replied, stunned. “Wow.”

  “Looks that way. I called Tank and we did some more digging, or rather the Judge did. Anyway, the townhouse belongs to a man name Felix Doberly.”

  “Blade?”

  “I’m thinking so.”

  “So now what?”

  “I want you to jump on a plane and accompany Ava to the townhouse.”

  I clenched my jaw.

  “You still there?”

  “Why me?” I said, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. “Can’t you ask another prospect?”

  “She trusts you,” he replied. “And I want someone with her just in case.”

  “In case of what? Blade’s dead.”

  “I know, but she might need help getting into the house. Besides, what if her brother’s there? Dead?”

  “Why doesn’t she just call the police and find out?”

  “Because we’re doing it my way,” Tarot said in a stern voice. “Now, I know you’re pissed off at the girl, but you have to put that aside right now and get your ass out to Miami.”

  “Okay.” I didn’t want to piss him off any further. I’d worked too hard to not get patched. Disobeying a direct order would definitely get me booted from the club.

  “I’m buying you the ticket,” Tarot said. “And renting you a car.”

  “How about a bike?”

  “Fine. I’ll rent you a bike. Ten or twelve-speed?”

  “Very funny,” I replied.

  He chuckled. “I’m going to check around for flights. I’ll call you back.”

  “Okay.”

  TAROT GOT BACK to me twenty minutes later.

  “I booked a flight for you on Delta. It leaves in two hours. You’d better pack a bag and get your ass to the airport.”

  I sighed. “Okay. Does she know I’m coming out there?”

  “I thought it might be better to surprise her. A little friendly payback, you know?” he said, a smile in his voice. “Since she’s the queen of surprises.”

  I smirked. “You have her address?”

  “Yep. Grab a pen and paper.”

  He gave it to me.

  “You sure this isn’t all bullshit?”

  “No way. She’s the one who called me about this to begin with.”

  “Okay. You rent me a motorcycle?”

  “Good try. I rented you a cage. I figure that way the two of you can talk while you’re driving out to Tampa.”

  “Thanks,” I groaned.

  “My pleasure,” Tarot said with a smile in his voice.

  Chapter 50

  Ava

  I SPENT THE next few hours obsessing over what I might find in Tampa Bay. I was even tempted to call the police, just in case my brother was buried in Blade’s backyard. Considering my last conversation with law enforcement, however, I decided that they wouldn’t be much help which was frustrating.

  In the end, I got tired of waiting around. I needed answers and sleep was eluding me. I took a shower, packed an overnight bag, and jumped into my Navigator. Almost forgetting to call Tarot, I sent him a text telling him that I couldn’t wait any longer. He called me back immediately.

  “Hold up, you’re going out there now?”

  “Yeah. I’m sorry. I just can’t wait. I need to know if he’s there,” I replied.

  “So, you’re going by yourself?” he said.

  “Yes.”

  “Have you left your place yet?”

  “I’m about to, why?”

  He swore. “I was hoping that this would be a surprise, but obviously that’s not going to happen.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  A loud knock on my side window startled the hell out of me. When I saw who was trying to get my attention, I almost peed my pants.

  Jayce.

  “Jayce is here,” I said, rolling down my window.

  “I know. Talk to him,” Tarot replied.

  I hung up with Tarot, my heart beating wildly in my chest. So many emotions rushed through me at once. I felt like jumping out of the SUV and throwing my arms around him, but the ornery look on his face held me back.

  “Hi,” I said, feeling a little self-conscious. All of the times he’d seen me, I’d been wearing makeup and had done something with my hair. At the moment, I wore a ponytail, a baggy T-shirt, and running shorts.

  “Where you off to?” he asked in a pissed off tone.

  “Tampa Bay. What are you doing here?”

  “Tarot wanted me to drive out there with you. He said you weren’t leaving until tomorrow though.”

  “That had been the original plan, but I changed my mind. I need to know what happened to my brother, you know?”

  “Why don’t you move over? I’ll drive.”

  “It’s my SUV. Why don’t you get in on the passenger side?” I replied, narrowing my eyes at him. This was definitely not going to be a friendly visit. Jayce had obviously been forced to help me, and it was very evident that it was the last thing he wanted.

  “Fine,” he mumbled and turned on his heel. I watched as he walked around my truck and got in next to me.

  I frowned. “You don’t have to come with me, you know. I can tell Tarot that you did and he won’t be any wiser.”

  “Lying doesn’t solve anything. Apparently, you haven’t figured that out yet,” he said coldly.

  I growled between my teeth in frustration. “Look, I’m sorry I lied to you, okay? I thought I was going after the men who’d killed my br
other. I had no idea that Blade wasn’t Andrew.”

  “You used me to get information. We spent hours together and I was honest with you the entire time, but everything that came out of your lips was a lie,” he said angrily. “And then after the party… when you had the chance to come clean, you still didn’t.”

  “I still thought you were the enemy at that point!” I replied loudly. “And if your club had done what I thought they’d done, admitting the truth would have gotten me into some serious trouble. Hell, it probably would have gotten me killed.”

  “We don’t go around killing innocent women,” he snapped.

  “But I didn’t know that. I thought you all were murdering assholes. And don’t go acting like you guys are angels, anyway. Your club’s history is surrounded by death.”

  “Oh, yeah? Where in the hell are you getting all of this information?”

  “From the Internet.” I folded my arms over my chest defiantly.

  He laughed coldly. “Well, then it must be true.”

  Screw this. I didn’t need him. I certainly didn’t have to put up with his bullshit. “Look, this is obviously not going to work. Get out.”

  “I’ve got a job to do and I’m going to finish it.”

  “I’m not a job!”

  He grunted. “Ironically, lady, you really are a definite piece of work. Now, I’m going out to Tampa Bay whether you like it or not. If you don’t want me to drive with you, then I’ll meet you at the address you gave Tarot.”

  I put both hands on the wheel and gripped it tightly, refusing to look at him. “Fine.”

  “Fine what?”

  “I’ll meet you there,” I said coldly.

  He let out an exasperated sigh and got out.

  Chapter 51

  Jayce

  I WAS SO pissed off at Ava that I could barely see straight. I went back to the rental car and got in. As I started the engine, I watched as Ava tore out of the parking lot with attitude. Admittedly, it was a little amusing seeing a chick burn rubber like that.

  I shifted the car into drive, turned on some music, and soon caught up to her. I half expected her to try losing me, but she didn’t.

  The ride to Tampa took just over two hours. Eventually, my temper cooled so by the time we faced each other again, both of us were calmer.

  “So, that must be it,” I said after we parked our vehicles across the street from the townhouse and I stood outside of her window again.

  “Yeah. I wonder if anyone is staying there?”

  Although the place was dark, the yard looked like it had been kept up.

  “Someone’s obviously been cutting the grass,” I noted.

  “Yeah.”

  I rubbed my eye wearily. After driving for the last two hours, and flying earlier, I was beat. “Obviously, it’s too late to go knocking on the front door.”

  It was just after midnight. If someone was living there, we’d scare the hell out of them.

  “Right.”

  I scanned the area. There were several townhomes on the street, and at the moment, they all appeared to be quiet. “I’m going to sneak into the backyard and see if I can look into any windows,” I replied, already plotting my course.

  “Didn’t you get hurt the last time you tried something that?” she whispered. “Tarot told me about your meeting with Blade and how you got hurt.”

  “That was different. He caught me by surprise.”

  “Someone else might catch you by surprise.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’m coming with you.”

  “No.”

  “I brought my gun,” she said, ignoring me. “Did you bring anything?”

  “My fists.”

  She snorted.

  “Never underestimate the power of a hard right hook,” I added.

  “You’re bringing fists to a potential gun fight.”

  I sighed. “Let me have yours. I’ll go and check things out myself.”

  “You sure love to give orders, don’t you?” she said dryly.

  “One of us has to stay here and be the lookout.” I held up my hand. “Give me the gun. Please.”

  Ava frowned and then reached into her purse. She pulled out a pistol and quickly handed it to me.

  “It’s loaded?” I asked, glancing around as I shoved it inside of my jacket pocket.

  “Yes, and the safety is on.”

  “Okay.”

  “Text me if you see something unusual. I’m going to go around the block and come up through the alley.”

  “Good idea.”

  I sprinted down the street and around the block, eventually entering the backyard from the alley. There was a small metal fence. I hopped it and crept up to the patio door, which was covered in blinds. Unable to see anything below, I looked up at the deck and made a decision to climb it. It was a pain in the ass, but once I made it up there, I was awarded with a clear view inside the kitchen from the sliding glass door. Inside was a distressed ebony dining table with matching buffet on the wall behind it.

  I was about to try the slider door when a large, orange cat leaped onto the dining table, startling the hell out of me. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then it hissed at me.

  Fuck.

  From the looks of the cat, it wasn’t missing any meals. Someone was definitely living there.

  A light went on in one of the bedrooms above us. Not wanting to risk an arrest, I quickly climbed down and made my way back to the vehicles.

  “What did you find?” Ava asked.

  I told her.

  “At least it wasn’t a dog you saw. It would have barked and woke up everyone in the house.”

  “Yeah, well someone did get up, though. I saw a light turn on inside,” I said, glancing back at the house. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be looking out of the windows or turning on any front porch lights.

  “We’d better get out of here before someone notices us and calls the police,” she replied.

  “I agree. Let’s meet at the gas station up the road. From there, we can decide what to do tonight.”

  She held out her hand. “My gun?”

  “I’ll give it back to you later. Let’s worry about getting out of here quietly, first,” I replied.

  “Okay.”

  Chapter 52

  Ava

  JAYCE SEEMED TO be in a much better mood, which was a relief. I had a feeling that he was still angry with me, though, but at least we were on speaking terms.

  When we reached the gas station, we talked about getting a room for the night and both agreed it was the best solution. We looked online and found a hotel room not too far away, with two queen beds available, and booked a reservation. It wasn’t anything fancy, but both of us were too tired to care.

  Thirty minutes later, we walked into the room and both of us collapsed on separate beds.

  “Not bad. Better than that shithole you were staying at in Jensen, huh?” he asked, stretching his legs out and looking over at me.

  “Very much so.” I kicked off my tennis shoes. “This place is actually… clean.”

  “Speaking of clean, I could definitely use a shower,” Jayce said, rolling out of bed and then removing his leather jacket and cut.

  “I’m taking one right after you,” I replied, watching him pull his T-shirt out from the waistband of his jeans. He raised it above his shoulders and took it off, leaving me a little breathless as I stared at his hard muscles and medieval tattoos.

  “Would you like to go first?” he asked, not noticing the effect he was having on me.

  I swallowed. “No. It’s fine,” I said, staring again at some of the artwork on his body. Although I’d caught a quick glimpse at the studio, it was nothing like seeing him without a shirt. “Sorry, I’m just in awe of your tats. They’re incredible.”

  He looked down and ran a hand over his six-pack “Thanks. It’s become an addiction. The more you have, the more you want.”

  “I bet.”

  “How’s yours healing? If you want, I can
take a look.”

  “Great. In fact, I’d still really like you to finish it for me sometime.”

  “Sure. If you ever make it out to St. Paul, look me up.”

  “I’ll be around,” I replied. “I can pay you for what you’ve already done, too. Anytime.”

  “We can talk about payment later.”

  “Sure,” I replied, noticing glint in his eyes.

  He turned around and began walking toward the bathroom. “I’ll be out soon. Unless,” he looked back at me with a grin tugging at his lips, “you’re in a hurry? There’s room for two in there.”

  His words startled and excited me at the same time. I stared at him, wondering if he was joking or serous.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he said, grinning. “Anyway, don’t run off.”

  “I won’t,” I replied.

  He disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. Hearing the water turn on, and knowing that he was getting totally naked, made my mouth dry.

  Heart pounding, I crawled out of bed and went over to the mini bar. I opened up the refrigerator and saw that there were cans of soda, water, and beer. There was also a small bottle of red wine. I grabbed the bottle, removed the cap and took a few sips until a new kind of heat began spreading through my veins. I took several more sips and then set the wine bottle down on the dresser. Taking a deep breath, I began removing my clothes. For once in my life, I was going to go after something I wanted, even if it scared the hell out of me.

  Chapter 53

  Jayce

  AFTER REMOVING THE rest of my clothing, I stepped into the shower and opened up the small bar of soap I’d found. As I began lathering up, I thought about the look on Ava’s face when I asked her to join me. For a brief second, she almost looked like she was going to take me up on it. But then her eyes filled with panic.

  It was such a shame.

  A beautiful woman like Ava deserved a healthy and happy sex life. Obviously, it wasn’t going to happen between us. I just hoped that one day soon, someone would help her overcome her fear and anxiety.