by London Casey
“Mr. Strokner,” Emily said. “This is a surprise.”
His face was drawn. His eyes intent on Emily. “Haven’t you heard yet?”
“Heard…?”
Emily felt her body sweating. She needed to hold the lie together.
“Oh, Emily,” Mr. Strokner said. He sighed and offered his hand.
Emily took it. “What’s wrong?”
“When was the last time you spoke to Rachel?”
“I, uh, yesterday,” Emily said. “She stopped by my apartment. She, uh… is something wrong?”
Mr. Strokner nodded. “There is.” He looked at the building and swallowed hard. “Did Rachel ever come here with you?”
“Here? No. She actually doesn’t know I work here. It’s not the most flattering job. I told her I was in school. I’m sorry I lied to her. How did you…?”
“I find out everything I need,” Mr. Strokner said. “Emily, I need you to get into the helicopter with me. Please.”
Emily knew she shouldn’t go with Mr. Strokner, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t reveal that she knew the fate of Rachel. So Emily walked with Mr. Strokner and got into the helicopter. When Mr. Strokner leaned forward to the pilot she feared he was going to order the helicopter be started. Instead, Mr. Strokner told the pilot to take a break. He exited the helicopter and then Emily was alone with Mr. Strokner.
“I have to tell you something,” Mr. Strokner said.
“Okay,” Emily said.
“Rachel was shot yesterday.”
“Shot?”
“Multiple times. She’s… gone…”
Gone.
Emily shut her eyes and felt the pain swell in her stomach.
“Gone?”
“Murdered.”
Emily’s eyes welled with tears. She was finally able to openly cry for good reason. This only sold the lie more to Rachel’s father. He pulled a small cloth from his suit jacket and handed it to her.
“You know why this happened?” he asked.
“No. She never mentioned any problems to me. How…?”
“This wasn’t an accident,” Mr. Strokner said. “I have the report already.”
“She’s really gone?”
“She was shot several times in the back. She was placed into her car. She was in an alley near a junkyard that has a nasty reputation of bikers. Know anything about bikers?”
Emily buried her face in the cloth. She shook her head. “How is she gone? I should have known something was wrong.”
“Emily, clean yourself up and look at me,” Mr. Strokner ordered.
This was getting too serious.
Emily wiped her face and looked at Mr. Strokner.
“What was the last thing you remember about Rachel?” he asked. His eyes were like stone.
“She came by my apartment yesterday with coffee. We talked for an hour. I told her I was studying, but I wanted to just have a night alone and catch up on some sleep. She said she was going out and left.”
“Going out where?”
“I don’t know. Just out.”
“And you didn’t go with her?”
“No.”
The lies were swelling throughout Emily’s body. She could feel herself wanting to crack. This was all going to blow up in her face. She knew it. She just fucking knew it.
“My little girl was shot,” Mr. Strokner said. “Near a junkyard that has a reputation for trouble.”
“I guess we were both lying about our lives then,” Emily said as tears filled her eyes again. “I can’t believe this.”
“Imagine my shock,” Mr. Strokner said. “As far as I knew, Rachel was a good girl. Kept to herself. Stayed out of the trouble.”
“Maybe it was an accident,” Emily said.
Mr. Strokner smiled and stretched an arm out to Emily. “It wasn’t just a random bullet. She was shot at. I want to know who did it and I want to know why.”
“I can’t… I don’t know…”
Mr. Strokner blinked and Emily saw tears. The big bad businessman was starting to cry. “I’ll find the truth. Perhaps you should think really hard about everything too. Just in case she said something that slipped your mind. Maybe she had a new boyfriend. Maybe she was trying to give you hints and didn’t realize.”
“Mr. Strokner…”
“I’m not blaming you,” Mr. Strokner said. “I came to tell you in person before all of this gets released. And in case you were trying to call Rachel and couldn’t find her.”
“I’m sorry,” Emily said. “So sorry.”
“So am I.”
Emily sat for a few more seconds and then left the helicopter. She stood and watched as the pilot got back into the chopper. Within a minute, the helicopter roared to life and lifted off the ground. Mr. Strokner looked at Emily one more time and she got the feeling that he knew she was lying to him. The man wasn’t stupid.
She reached for her cell phone and froze.
What was she going to do? Did this really involve Gaige? He and the MC were already busy enough looking for the shooters. Dragging them into the business of Mr. Strokner would only make things worse.
She could not believe this was happening. It was the exact reason why Emily kept to herself all the time. Why she liked to stay hidden. The second she showed up to a biker fight, her entire life changed.
Yet it wasn’t all bad.
Emily’s body warmed thinking about her and Gaige together the night before. Maybe that was a big mistake and maybe it would ultimately be something she would regret, but she needed it. She succumbed to Gaige not only because he was hot and commanding, but because she wanted that protected feeling again. To be in the arms of someone who could and would kill for her. That meant something.
When Emily returned to the office, she had to hurry back to the bathroom. Her emotions were now winning the battle. She was back at the same sink but this time, she was crying.
One of the stalls opened and she saw the reflection of one of the women adjusting her short skirt. She touched her nose and smiled. She had been getting drugged up before going to work. The woman left the bathroom and a second later, Janine came walking in. Emily tried to wipe her eyes to hide the fact she had been crying, but it was to late.
“Oh, no… what happened?”
“Nothing,” Emily said. “Just nothing.”
“You don’t have to lie to me.”
Emily looked at Janine. Maybe it would do good to get some truth off her chest. “My best friend was murdered yesterday. That was her father who came to see me.”
Janine rushed to Emily and hugged her. Emily lost it again. She cried, finally able to really let it out. She was hugging someone who was, more than anything else, a stranger. Yet it felt good to be hugged like this. To be able to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Emily,” Janine said. “You should go home. You shouldn’t be here like this. Do you have someone to call?”
Emily nodded. “I do.”
“Good.”
Janine looked at Emily and handed her a paper towel to wipe her eyes. Emily took a deep breath. She washed her face, again, and took out her cell. She sent a text to Gaige to come get her.
“Okay, are you good now?” Janine asked.
“Yeah, I think so. Why?”
“There’s a client out there looking for you. He’s here to pick up Belle. But he wants to see you first thank you for setting up his meeting.”
Emily took a breath and nodded. “Okay. That’s fine.”
“Are you sure? I could go lie to him…”
“No. I don’t want to hurt business.” Emily wiped her face. “I can do this. It’s okay.”
“Let me take you home,” Janine offered. “We’ll sneak out the back. I’ll use my lunch break. Okay?”
“Thank you but I don’t need that.”
Emily sucked in a breath. She left the bathroom and went to her desk. When Janine walked by, she nodded. Emily then went back to work, waiting for the client. There was a need of discretion and
secrecy to make the business work and to keep clients happy. Quite often, these were married men who wanted something on the side. It also meant leaving a lot of moral and ethic beliefs at the door.
As Emily worked, she heard Janine direct the client to her desk. When she heard the words, “Thank you, love”, Emily froze. She sat straight up and watched as the client walked toward her desk. She blinked a few times, waiting for the image to change. But it didn’t change.
He was here.
“Emily, look at you.”
Emily was so cold she started to shiver.
“Speechless, I’m sure.”
Belle came walking from the back, her long legs strutting to perfection. He looked at her and took Belle’s hand.
“As beautiful as I thought,” he whispered. “Let’s get out of here, love.”
Emily slowly stood, her mouth dry.
He looked at her and smiled. “Don’t worry, this is just for fun. Just to take the edge off. I’ll be back… for you. For what you took.”
He winked and walked out of the office.
Emily grabbed her bag and her cell. She hadn’t blinked yet even though her mind was screaming at her.
He was here… Max found her…
And Emily hadn’t forgotten his last promise to her years ago.
“I’ll find you and I’ll fucking kill you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Gaige got the text while sitting on a pool table next to Nate. They were sharing a joint because Gaige needed to really clear his mind. They had run recon on Eight Under, going toward the junkyard but not getting too close. They were officially in hiding, which was expected for the moment. Being the pussies they were, they’d hide for a day or two, celebrate their little victory in ambushing a fight, but soon they would need their fix for money, pussy, and drugs. That’s when Back Down Devil would be waiting.
Within minutes Gaige was on his motorcycle speeding toward the building. He couldn’t wait to get Emily back in his arms. She was still in a state of shock, even if she wouldn’t admit it. Gaige knew the feeling Emily had rolling through her body. She needed to toughen up though and realize death was at everyone’s door.
Thinking about death made Gaige ride faster. He lived as though death was chasing him and all he could do was use the two wheels and throttle to keep ahead of it.
As he turned up the road to get to the escort service, a black car came flying in his direction. Gaige cut to the side and threw the middle finger at the driver. The car sped right out onto the main street without looking. The tires squealed and then the car was gone. It gave Gaige an uneasy feeling.
Before he could think another thought, he saw Emily standing outside, hugging herself, tears streaming down her cheeks. Gaige looked back, knowing that black car had something to do with it.
He rushed to Emily and wrapped his arms around her. “What happened?”
“I have… there’s…”
Gaige held Emily while she cried. He kissed the top of her head and kept his eyes moving. Just in case.
“It’s okay, beautiful. I’m right here. I’m going to protect you.”
“Take me away from here,” Emily said.
“Okay.”
Gaige gave Emily his helmet and they were off again. Back down the secret road and then back into town and to the clubhouse. Gaige pulled to the side of the road near the clubhouse and killed the engine.
“Beautiful, I need to know where you want to go,” Gaige said.
“To your room,” Emily said. “I can’t go to my apartment.”
“Fuck. Are you in danger?”
Emily’s eyes filled with tears again.
“Fuck,” Gaige said.
He started the bike and pulled into the parking lot of the clubhouse. He felt Emily’s head against his back. He didn’t care; it wouldn’t be the first time tears fell upon his leather.
Gaige stopped the motorcycle and took Emily by the hand. He took her right where she wanted to go. Gaige opened the door to his room and Emily rushed inside. She was hugging herself again.
“You’re afraid,” Gaige said. “What the fuck happened at work today?”
“Just too much,” Emily said.
Gaige spun Emily around. “Talk to me. Fuck.”
“No. I’m not going to hurt anyone else. It’s bad enough Rachel is dead.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“I should have forced her to stay home. Her father came to see me.”
“Wait a second,” Gaige said. “Her father? Bob Strokner?”
“How did you…”
“Oh fuck,” Gaige whispered. He backed away and ran a hand through his hair. “Police were here today. Questioning us. Gave us a friendly tip that Strokner would be coming to town. That he would investigate…”
“He’s here,” Emily said. “He knows everything.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing, I swear.”
“Good.”
“But he’s smart. He’ll figure it out. He’ll know I lied. What if… I have to go.”
Emily took one step and Gaige was there to stop her.
“Like fuck you’ll go. You’re staying.”
“No. You can’t tell me what to do.”
“You gave that up last night. I warned you.”
Gaige wasn’t afraid of Emily. Her eyes were deep and full of pain. She could try to act tough and angry, but it didn’t mean shit to him. When Emily slapped him across the face, Gaige didn’t move. When she attacked his chest with punches, he accepted them all.
Over and over, groaning as she attacked him, Gaige waited as long as he could. When she slapped him a second time, Gaige lifted Emily by the waist and tossed her to the bed. She cried out and bounced, then fought her way off the bed. She lunged at the door but Gaige was quicker. His arms wrapped around Emily and he lifted her. She kicked but he wasn’t letting her go.
“You’re not leaving,” Gaige said. “Not on my fucking watch. You belong here. Tell me what else is going on.”
“Fuck you,” Emily said. “I won’t hurt anyone else.”
“I’ll stand like this all fucking day.”
Emily came to a sudden stop. Her body went limp. She began to cry. Gaige walked her to a chair and sat her down.
“Are you done now?” he asked.
She looked at him. “I didn’t mean to hit you.”
“What else happened?”
“I’m hiding, Gaige,” Emily said.
“Hiding? What the fuck does that mean?”
“That means there’s a reason why I keep to myself. I’m hiding from someone.”
“Who?”
“Someone who found me today.”
“Enough bullshit,” Gaige said. “Talk.”
“I was involved with a guy in northern California. Five years ago. He was third in line at the table.”
“You were with another club?” Gaige asked.
“I was with someone in a club. I had no real idea of all that came with it. But it was real. It was intense.”
Gaige crouched down and touched Emily’s waist. “Tell me everything right now.”
“He got into drugs. It went against the club, but he didn’t care. He had other guys involved, too. The drugs made money but the drugs he took made him into a monster.”
“He fucking hurt you?”
Emily looked down.
“I’ll kill him,” Gaige said. “For you.”
“He’s a bad man,” Emily said. “One night when he came home I told him I was pregnant, so he wouldn’t hit me.”
“Pregnant?”
“I wasn’t though,” Emily said. “But it hit a nerve with him. He confessed to me he lost his mother, father, and baby brother in an accident when he was a kid. I think he thought me being pregnant would replace his little brother. I had to leave him though. I couldn’t take it. So I told him one night to get really high and celebrate and he did. When he passed out, I left. I went north and let him chase me. He threa
tened me, over and over, telling me he would kidnap me, let me have his baby, and then kill me. I pretended to slip up and made him believe I was going into Canada. That’s when I took a flight south to Los Angeles and then came here to Frelen.”
“Why here?” Gaige asked.
“Small, quiet, and near a beach.”
“And he fucking found you?”
“He came into my office today.”
“Fuck,” Gaige said. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, but he has a woman.”
“Kidnapped?”
“Technically, no,” Emily said. “He called me and I set him up with the woman. Belle.”
“What the fuck?”
“He used a fake name, Gaige. This was all a setup. To scare me.”
Gaige saw Emily’s lip quiver as tears came to her eyes again.
Fuck, she was beyond petrified of this asshole. That didn’t sit well with Gaige. He wouldn’t allow Emily to be in fear like this. Not because of some fucking guy.
“What did he say to you when he saw you?” Gaige asked.
Emily shook her head.
“I don’t play games,” Gaige said. “If you don’t tell me, I can’t help you. If you don’t want my fucking help, you know where the door is. I’ll have Blaine take you to your apartment.”
Emily wiped her cheeks.
Gaige closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn’t in the business of wasting time. It was sometimes best to just spill words instead of waiting.
“I want to help you,” Gaige whispered. “I want to protect you. I never want to see you in fear like this ever again. But I can’t…”
“He said he’s going to fucking kill me,” Emily yelled. “Okay? Fucking kill me. And he looked at me with those eyes… those same eyes when he used to hurt me.”
Emily hurried to stand, kneeing Gaige in the face. He fell back to his ass and Emily gasped. Gaige touched his lip and looked at the blood on his finger. He licked his lip, tasting his own blood.
“You better sit the fuck down, beautiful,” he said.
Emily started to sit, but Gaige stopped her.
“What?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you when to sit,” he said. “First, you’re going to take your pants and panties off.”
“I’m… what?”
“You heard what I fucking said, beautiful. Now.”