He didn't like the guy. This clubhouse wasn't nearly as friendly as the rest he'd been too. They seemed edgy here—like none of them really wanted to be around. It made him wonder why they were.
“You don't alter much from the usual drink do you?” She approached without a sound.
Her name was Velvet. She wasn't a club girl really. She wasn't an old lady. He wasn't totally sure what her place was here, but he knew that she was here a lot.
“Trying to stay consistent,” he answered.
The truth was that Johnny drank whiskey because that is what numbed the pain and the heartache of leaving Beth and losing Dan. He was fearless and painless when he was drinking whiskey.
He didn't want to say all that because it would start a conversation, and he wasn't in the mood to talk. The tall redhead didn't seem to understand that though because she pulled the stool beside him out and sat down.
Her hair was past her shoulders in giant wavy curls, and her pale skin was adorned with just the right amount of makeup. Had he seen her from the shoulders up, he would have easily believed she was nothing but an ordinary chick. However, past those shoulders, she was squeezed so tightly into leather and spandex that it was quickly obvious that she was far from ordinary.
“What brings you to California,” she asked, as he chugged his drink and ordered another.
“My bike,” he answered without even glancing at her.
Johnny didn't want to give the wrong idea. He wasn't into this woman, and he wasn't going to pretend to be—even with the guys sitting across the room watching him. At this point, it didn't matter one bit what they thought. He'd deal with that later.
On his mind that night was Beth. He hadn't seen her smile or heard her voice in so long it almost seemed like a really good dream. He longed to hear her giggle at a movie scene that most wouldn't have found funny. He wanted to see what kind of pizza she would order and how much she would drink.
He tried hard not to remember the feel of her body beneath his and the way she had moaned his name with the look of complete satisfaction on her face. Instead, he focused on the things that wouldn't drive him crazy—the little things that most didn't notice.
However, he had always noticed—and now he remembered. And it hurt. Badly. He wanted to see her. But he couldn't.
They'd made their way to California because that's the last known location of Hell's Order. They weren't making their plans known. They were simply cruising around and forming a plan along the way. So far there'd be no other word about the club or what they were planning to do. He was hoping their attack would prevent any further damage.
Johnny knew that Chris kept an eye on things and sometimes that was more painful than helpful. She'd been dating some douchebag from the library who was not even employed there. Apparently, he just hung out there to make moves on Beth; but, Chris said he didn't seem much of a threat. He was some boring accountant named Darryl. They'd been on a few dates, and he hung around a lot.
Chris said she was smiling a lot, but it kind of seemed fake. Part of that made Johnny feel good and part didn't. He wasn't sure what he felt.
How could she just move on? How could she start dating some loser the minute he left? Wouldn't she understand that he'd be back for her?
Those thoughts are what spawned his constant love for whiskey. He wanted to take out this club and get it over with. He wanted to go home and tell her he loved her, before this Darryl took her away.
Not that he could. His brothers wouldn't allow it. They wouldn't be okay with his need to love her. So even if he went back, it'd still be a big secret, and apparently, Beth wasn't okay with that.
Chris found it funny she was dating such a boring person. He'd said it was just a way to pass the time, but Johnny wasn't so sure. She was looking for something neither Dan nor Johnny had been able to give her. Stability. Security. Normalcy.
Johnny took another long shot of whiskey and tried to ignore the lady on his right. Beth was all he wanted. He would take out the Hell's Order Club, and he would have her back. One way or another.
“You don't seem very friendly,” she taunted.
“I'm not,” he answered.
“Why not?” she asked.
What the fuck was her deal? Johnny couldn't figure this woman out. She didn't seem to want to leave him be and that was the only thing he wanted.
“Because being friendly means people want to be around me,” he snapped. “I obviously don't want that.”
She seemed to think that answer over a little bit before she spoke.
“You bikers are all the fucking same,” she accused. “Only want the attention of the whores.” With that, she ordered herself a drink and decided to be quiet.
“Do you see me with whores?” he asked.
There was no way Johnny was letting that kind of an accusation go. He was tired of women and their petty shit.
Velvet shook her head. “But it doesn't mean you won't be,” she answered out loud.
“Look,” Johnny began. “I'm not a whore kind of guy. I'm just a nice guy. I'm out here with very little on my mind but fucking over those who fuck me over.”
“You married?” Velvet changed the subject without acknowledging his statement.
“No,” he answered. “Why?”
“You talk like my husband,” she laughed. “Ex-husband. Soon. I Hope.”
Johnny nodded. He kind of felt bad for treating her like he was. Maybe he should talk for a few. Might do him some good to have companionship. None of the guys really had much to say. He didn't have to fuck this chick to enjoy her company, right?
“Sorry to hear that,” he replied in a nicer tone.
“The ex-husband part?” she asked, and he nodded. “Don't be. He was a douche.” Johnny laughed at the comment.
“Aren't we all?”
“Yes,” she answered definitively. “But he was worse than most. Evil really.”
“Belong to a club?” Johnny was curious. She was at a clubhouse, but she had no real place there.
“Yes,” she answered. “I was so accustomed to coming here that I didn't want to be at a typical bar.”
The thought made sense. Most people preferred clubhouses once they'd experienced them. It was hard not to. It was a different environment. One with loyalty and honesty.
“You know we don't fuck with the old ladies of our brothers,” Johnny mentioned.
His hope was that she'd realize he had no interest in her that way. It didn't work.
“Generally,” she answered. “But there are exceptions.”
Her reply intrigued him. Exceptions. Like him and Beth? Did she know? He wanted to find out more but couldn't unless he feigned an interest in her. Maybe this was part of a game. A set-up. Something that was going to cause him further problems.
“What exceptions are those darling?” he asked with a sickeningly sweet smile.
“If the brother is mostly hated, the club would overlook it,” she replied. “Except his club. But who gives a fuck about them?” She smiled.
“I do,” Johnny answered. “I'm pretty loyal to my promises, and one of those was to respect the relationship between a brother and his old lady, even if it failed.”
“I understand.” She smiled. “But do you feel the same when the brother,” she emphasized the word brother in a negative way, “is the leader of Hell's Order?”
Johnny sat his glass down and turned to face the woman on his right. For the first time since he'd met her a few days prior, Johnny had full interest in what she had to say. All it'd taken was the knowledge that she was somehow tied to the group he was trying so desperately to find.
How lucky was he that this had landed in his lap? He was trying to find a way to locate them without setting off alarms, and it was hard to find someone with information that was willing to even look at another club member.
Now, he had a bitter ex-wife who wanted him and didn't know his ties to her ex-husband. He couldn't have asked for a better fate.
&nbs
p; “I see that changed your opinion,” she smirked.
“Yes,” Johnny agreed with a nod. “Drastically.”
“I thought so,” she answered. “Interested in people talking to you now?”
Her comment worried him. Was she setting him up? Did she know what to say to get to him?
“What do you mean?”
“I presume you blew me off based on the fact I'm an old lady.” She smiled. “Now that you know, you don't care about an oath in regards to my ex-husband, maybe you aren't so keen to blow me off.”
Johnny smiled. She knew nothing. She just overvalued her place in his world and undervalued his lack of interest; but, it turns out she was right because in that moment not even Beth could top Velvet for the woman he most wanted to talk to.
Grabbing another drink, Johnny led Velvet to a table in the corner. Over the course of ordering some food and sharing a meal together, he initiated a relationship that she would go for. In other words, he teased and toyed with her and touched her as they talked.
It was like taking candy from a baby. She just opened up and gave it to him.
“Why would anyone let you go,” he asked seductively, as he kissed her.
“He didn't.” She laughed. “I left him. He was sadistic.”
Johnny nodded and pondered how well he knew the sadism that was involved in Hell's Order.
“He wanted me to be okay with the shit he was planning. I wasn't.” She looked away. “I'm still not. But I don't have a fucking clue what to do about it.”
“He told you club plans?” Johnny asked.
“No,” she answered. “I overheard them. I thought he was cheating. So, I had something put on his phone to record shit. I wanted proof.”
Johnny was amazed that any old lady would stand up to a Hell's Order member. She was ballsy. He had to give her credit for that.
“And you found he was?”
“Not at all. Well, I guess now he is.” She smiled a weak smile. “I found out he's planning to attack an innocent person.”
Johnny's hair stood on end along the back of his neck. Had she just said what he thought? He could only hope she could give him the information he'd wanted all this time. When? Where? How was he going to attack her?
It was possible that Velvet meant someone else; but, the timing made it seem right.
“Attack? Innocent?” Johnny acted like he had no clue what was going on or she was talking about.
“Some chick,” she rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I don't know her name; but, her man was involved with a club that hurt one of my ex's brothers, and she is now involved with another dude that they want. Badly. So they are going after her.”
Johnny felt his breath go. She was talking about Beth. He knew that now. A few more of the right moves and words and he'd find out the plan.
“Wow,” he exclaimed as his hand moved up her thigh. “That's crazy.”
Pretending a lack of interest was the only way to go. If she knew how badly he wanted this information, she wouldn't give it so easily. She had to think his desire was her.
“Yea,” she replied and slid her hand inside the zipper of his jeans. As she stroked his shaft, he had to envision Beth to get hard. “It's beyond crazy. That douche was planning to go to her and romance her. Make her fall for him and then bring her here to do the job.” She laughed, but it was a hesitant and guilty laugh. “When I told him I wasn't okay with that,” she stopped for a moment, “he told me to get the fuck over it. That he was honoring his brother.”
“Wow,” Johnny pretended to care about her touching him. “That's a pretty fucked up scheme. When was he planning to do this?”
Velvet shifted her body and began to bend down. She was going to blow him right in the middle of the clubhouse. Holy fuck. However, her words right beforehand ended any hopes she had of it happening.
“He's already doing it,” she huffed. “Darryl doesn't waste any time.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“What's up?” Chris answered the phone as quickly as he could.
Johnny was already pissed and yelling before he even said anything. What the fuck did he expect? Hell, that brunette was giving him the ride of his life when his phone had rang. Was he supposed to stop her so that he could tend to the needs of a brother?
“Where's Beth?” The breathless sound of his friend annoyed him.
“What do you mean?” Chris asked. “You interrupted what I was doing to ask that?”
“Fucking shit man, it's important!” Johnny screamed. “Where the fuck is Beth?”
“I don't know,” Chris answered. “Why?”
“What the hell do you mean you don't know?” Johnny was livid. “Isn't it your job to watch her?”
“Not twenty-four-seven,” Chris argued. “I have needs too, ya know?”
“So you are getting your rocks off while Beth is currently being romanced by the man that wants to kill her?”
The words jolted Chris out of his world of hot sex and babes. Did Johnny just say what he thought? Beth was dating a killer? What the hell had happened since he'd seen her last? It'd only been a day.
“What do you mean?”
“Darryl,” Johnny said, as if that was all he needed to say.
“The douche accountant?” Chris asked.
“No,” Johnny said. “The leader of Hell's Order that's pretending to be a douche accountant.”
Chris fell into the chair behind him in shock. Damn, that dude had faked his persona very well. He was a highly skilled liar, and Beth was in serious danger. What kind of a fuck-up wouldn't have seen this game?
“I'll head there now,” Chris answered. “I'll call you back in a few.”
The drive to Beth's seemed long and tedious. Chris berated himself the entire time for the way he had mishandled this situation. He knew better. She needed to be watched over all the time—even if it meant he didn't get any.
He also had missed the danger completely. He'd thought being with Darryl would keep her safe. No one was going to strike with a nerdy boyfriend in the way. Boy had he been wrong. Holy shit. How was he going to tell Beth her boyfriend wanted her dead?
Turned out he wouldn't have to. When he got to her house, there was no one home. He had a key, so he let himself in to wait on her. Before he could even sit on the sofa, he saw the note she'd left him. He read it three times before the message sank in and another three or four times to make it something he could talk to Johnny about.
Still, he wasn't ready to call him. Granted, the club needed preparation. But how was he going to tell them of the danger that she was in? Or where she'd gone? Or why? Or anything? Mostly how was he going to tell his brothers that he'd been so absorbed in sex that he'd let Beth slip through his hands?
“Well?” Johnny answered when Chris called him back. “Been damn near long enough.”
“I've got some bad news,” Chris stated.
Really bad news, he thought. Bad enough to make Johnny hate him forever—not that it mattered. If anything happened to Beth because of him, Chris would hate himself. He was just glad he was talking to Johnny and not Stan—that asshole wouldn't have even faked decency.
“Fucking talk,” Johnny yelled, and Chris thought maybe Stan would have been better.
“She's gone,” Chris answered.
“Gone? Where?” Johnny was in panic mode.
“She left a note,” Chris stated.
“SO fucking read it,” Johnny yelled at him.
“Okay,” Chris paused and Johnny could hear paper being situated. “Hey Chris, I assume you will be by to check on me. I'm not here. Darryl is taking me to a friend's wedding in California. I'll be gone for like a week. If you need me, call. Otherwise, I hope to be enjoying myself. Take care and I'll be back soon. Hugs and Kisses, Beth”
“Hugs and kisses?” Johnny asked.
“Friendly ones,” Chris answered.
“I see,” Johnny stated. “Where in California?”
“I have no clue. That's all it said.”
/> “Did you try to call?”
“Yes, Johnny,” Chris answered. “It goes right to voicemail.”
“Fuck!” Johnny exclaimed.
“What now?” Chris asked.
“I guess now I find out where the fuck they are, and I go take him out before she gets hurt,” he answered.
“And if you can't do that?”
Johnny thought long and hard about his goal.
Never Let Go (Devil's Chariots Motorcycle Club Book 2) Page 8