by Jennifer Ann
After I’ve cleaned up and strapped the leather bag to the sissy rack on his bike, I wait on my Sportster, helmet strapped to my head. It isn’t long before Colt struts over to place a kiss against my lips. “Sure you’re okay to drive?”
“Just get me the fuck outta here,” I plead, starting the engine.
I let Colt lead the way as I’m too caught up in a dizzying back and forth of emotions.
Everyone in my family is dead.
Not that I should give a shit about Axel, especially after he murdered Remmy, but it’s still hard to swallow the fact that the family of four I was raised with has been whittled down to one. Colt’s my only family now.
We pull into a locally owned motel a few miles up the road from the clubhouse. Our room is cramped, dingy, and reeks of cigarettes, but I don’t give a shit. I’m just glad to be far away from my brother’s dead body. I hope to never set foot in that apartment again.
Axel’s dead. I’ve repeated this to myself a thousand times since we left. I’d become accustomed to witnessing prison murders and seeing their mangled bodies as there were generally three or four every year, but none of them hit this close to home. None of them changed my future. The visual of Axel’s head blown open will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Colt turns the dead bolt on the motel’s door before joining me on the bed. He sinks down to his stomach to take my hands in his, pressing his lips against their palms. When he looks up, his eyes are heavy with sympathy. “What can I do for you, darlin’?”
“Find Cheyenne,” I answer without batting an eye. “I need to know what Axel was to her. I need to know why they had it out for me.”
“I know where we can find her,” he confesses, his jaw tight. “I’ve been waitin’ until I had somethin’ concrete to nail her with.”
“Take me there.”
A rough hand touches my cheek. “Are you absolutely sure? If we mess this up, there may not be a second chance.”
“I’m ready for it to be over,” I say with a firm nod. “Until I get closure, I’ll just continue to lose my damn mind.”
His features harden and his eyes grow dark. “Okay.”
We ride to the part of town known as ‘trailer trash alley.’ Jawa brought me to it once as a kid, but I can’t for the life of me remember why. I just remember being intrigued by the rectangular houses when Jawa explained there were wheels underneath their metal skirts.
Colt parks in an empty lot and dismounts his Heritage. “Stay put until I text you, darlin’. I’m not fuckin’ around. She could be in there with a shotgun, or even a bunch of guys who wouldn’t think twice about hurtin’ you. She’s been hangin’ around some real dirt bags.”
I nod and set my helmet on my handlebars as he crosses the gravel road. Meeting my gaze, he points at the back side of a trailer before slipping around the corner. I swear it’s only a matter of minutes before my phone buzzes with a text simply saying, “OK.”
I sprint to the trailer, eager to finally have my moment with the person who sent me away. Inside the outdated dump filled with empty beer cans and the smell of something rotten, Cheyenne sits in a chair next to Colt, plastic ties holding her arms behind her back. Rather than the usual revealing top, she’s wearing a T-shirt that’s several sizes too large and no pants. Her blond hair looks ratty as if Colt pulled her out of bed.
She lights up when I walk in through the front door. “Harley, thank god! Get me the hell outta here! Your boyfriend is a fucking psycho!”
“Shut up,” Colt tells her, shaking his head. “You’re not goin’ anywhere until Harley gets answers.”
“Who are you?” I demand, resting my hands on the arms of the chair at either side of her. “How did you know me before I went to prison?”
Our faces are mere inches apart when her mouth drops and she blanches. She realizes we know what she did. “You don’t know anything.”
“I know that you ruined my life when you blackmailed Shawna into sending me away. I’m here to find out why.”
With a sneer crossing her face, she spits on me. “Fuck. You.”
After wiping her saliva off my face, I slap her so hard that it feels as if I broke every bone in my hand. The satisfying sound of the loud slap echoing through the metal trailer makes me want to do it again. Really, I want to kick the shit out of her instead. It still wouldn’t be enough compared to all the beatings I took in prison, thanks to her.
“Bitch!” she screams, setting her fingers against her small cheek.
I hold my hand beside her face, ready to strike. “Who the fuck are you? Why did you make Shawna testify against me?”
“Better answer her,” Colt adds, removing his gun from his vest and crossing his arms so she can clearly see it. “We aren’t fuckin’ around.”
“Why’d you do it?” I roar, slapping her again.
She cries out with tears falling from her eyes. “Because our father gave you everything and I got nothing!” she screams with a dark sneer, dabbing at a blotch of blood on her split lip.
I stumble backward, jaw dropped. “Our father?”
She laughs with a dry bark. “You had no idea Jawa had another kid, did you? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He tried to make my mom get an abortion, said having a kid with her was a mistake. He wanted nothing to do with me. Wouldn’t give us a single cent. When my mom lost the house, I was sent to live in foster care.”
Studying her face, I shake my head. “You look nothing like him. Or me.”
“There’s a record of the blood test at the courthouse. Go look it up if you don’t believe me. You can’t argue with ninety-nine percent accuracy.”
“How old are you?” I ask.
“Just turned twenty,” she answers with a crooked smile. “And yeah, before you hurt yourself doing the math, that means your parents were still together when he fucked my mom.” With a crinkled nose, she tilts her head in Colt’s direction. “Probably best you learn now that bikers are nothing but a bunch of unfaithful assholes before you make the same mistake your mom did. Loverboy here was pretty eager to kiss me when he was in the hospital.”
Colt grunts at my side, but I’m not going to discuss the kiss when I’ve already forgiven him, especially after I slept with Logan and Ranger. But the revelation that my parents were still together stings, even though I’m not surprised to hear Jawa was unfaithful in a marriage that had been one-sided from the start.
“That means you were sixteen when you started bribing Shawna,” I say. Then the truth hits me square in the chest. “Axel knew you were our sister way back then.”
Her lips pull back in a dark sneer. “The set-up was all his idea. He approached me about it after he met your friend’s brother in the Army. He hates you more than I do. Didn’t think that level of hate was even possible, but from what I understand, he has good reason. He wants you dead. He paid me to run you two off the road.”
A growling noise rips from Colt’s throat as he springs forward, slipping her arms over the chair. “Cheyenne Ryks, you’re under arrest for extortion, blackmail, solicitation to commit a crime, attempted murder, and a shit ton of other charges the sheriff will be able to nail you with.”
“You’re a cop?” she squeaks. Her eyes are wild when she swings around to face him. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“You have the right to remain silent when questioned,” Colt continues, nostrils flaring. With the gun still in his hand, I’m worried he’s going to lose his shit and shoot her. “Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law.”
“This is bullshit!” Cheyenne yells, struggling to break free. “You can’t do this!”
“Imagine how it would feel if you actually didn’t do anything worth going to prison for,” I tell her with a scowl. “I only hope your welcoming party is every bit as enjoyable as mine was.”
Her eyes are wide on me as Colt calls someone on his cellphone, asking for a squad car. “Can’t we work something out? I’ll pay you or something. Please, Harley! I w
on’t survive in prison!”
I snag an open pack of cigarettes off the ancient coffee table and light one with the matches stuck in its side. Inhaling a deep drag, I smile at this bastard half-sister I don’t give two shits about. “I hope you don’t.”
Gotta love karma.
41
COLT
Harley’s out cold in the hotel bed at my side in the mornin’. If I weren’t so worried about her gettin’ enough rest, I’d wake her to get rid of the hard-on I always get whenever seein’ her naked. Never seems to matter whether she’s just showered, or covered in sweat, her skin always smells like nothin’ I’ve ever experienced before. It’s the smell of heaven and makes me lose my fuckin’ mind.
She seemed to be in shock over her brother dyin’, but she was a little more herself after I took Cheyenne to the sheriff. After I finished writin’ my report on what happened with Axel, we grabbed a bottle of Jack and she begged me to make love to her. She passed out during the second round, so I covered her up and held her in my arms half the night.
Before sneakin’ out for the day, I can’t resist brushin’ a piece of hair off her face and pressin’ a kiss to the soft skin on her shoulder. Times like this—when her beautiful face is soft and vulnerable in her sleep—makes me wish her mother was still alive so I could thank the woman for bringin’ her into this world. Who knows what my life would be like without Harley? I hope to god that I never find out.
Drivin’ down to San Diego in what I hope to be the last time, it’s as if I see everything with a different eye. The beach, the laid-back feel of the locals, it’s somethin’ a guy could get use to. I know Harley loves the city just as much, but isn’t crazy about drivin’ in the heavy traffic. Maybe she’d be open to livin’ down here as long as we avoid the major highways.
It’s been several months since I reported to work. Half the people look like their damn eyes are gonna fall out of their heads when I waltz through wearing my MC vest. I suppose they’re all curious what went down with me an’ Grace before she died. Guess they’ll all have to wait until my report is released.
I don’t even bother knockin’, knowin’ my supervisor is waiting for me. When I walk in, Darren is sittin’ back in his leather chair, chewin’ on the end of a pen while lookin’ over my report. Fuckin’ thing took almost a whole day to write, and not just because I’m not too quick on computers. I had to map the scenario out in my head to make sure there was nothin’ I missed, nothin’ that would draw questions over what happened.
Darren has always been a pretty stand-up guy as far as bosses go. He served in the Army, and was stationed in Vietnam for a time. Bein’ a former SEAL was somethin’ that caught his eye when I came lookin’ for a job. He was even willin’ to overlook the fact that I was discharged after goin’ about the wrong way to capture our assigned target. Like me, he understood that sometimes a man has to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
“Sit down,” he orders.
Grabbin’ the chair across from him, I rub the palms of my hands against my knees. If I were to get locked up for what went down, it’s not me I’d worry about. Harley thinks all our problems are over, and she wouldn’t understand why I did things the way I did. I’ve worked too hard to keep her from harm and couldn’t bear it if I were the one to hurt her the most.
A double chin pushes into Darren’s tie when he looks over his glasses at me. “This covers everything from yesterday?”
“As best I can remember,” I say. “It went down pretty fast.”
He tosses the file on the desk, and sets his glasses down on top of it before runnin’ his fingers through his military regulation hairdo. “Always thought pairing you and that blonde wildcard together was a bit of a gamble. Guess I can’t blame you when she didn’t follow protocol. Just wish we would’ve gotten his written confession to killing Remmy Kraig before she shot him.”
I spread my hands out between us. “The forty-five they found in Axel’s apartment will match the one that killed Remmy. I’d bet my life on it.”
Darren rubs his chin, sighin’ like he has one of his belly aches. “Guess this means your assignment is over. Take a few days off to recuperate before I fill you in on the next one.”
“There won’t be a next one,” I tell him. “I’m handin’ in my resignation.”
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” he growls, leaning over the desk to glare at me. “After all the strings I pulled to get you in on my team, you’re just going to throw in the towel?”
“Sorry, boss. I was under too long. Realized awhile back this shit isn’t for me. That MC was filled with good people. Didn’t feel right that I lied to them all that time. I was hopin’ they wouldn’t have to find out, either. We may come from different divisions of the military, but there’s a camaraderie there regardless.”
“Guess I can understand that.” He sits back in his chair again, eyes registerin’ that I’m not messin’ around. “What are you planning on doing next?”
“Not sure,” I answer with a shrug. “Probably spend some time figurin’ out what I wanna do with the rest of my life. Maybe get a shack on the beach somewhere, give out surf lessons and shit until I get it figured out.” Yeah, it’s a bold-faced lie, but I’m not ready to go there with him. Besides, I have enough money stashed away that I don’t have to worry about how to make ends meet for a long time.
“You never were the office type.” He releases a hard chuckle. “Damn squids. Can never keep you out of the water for long.” Liftin’ his hand over the table, he offers me a real smile. “Best of luck to you, son. Still hate to see you leaving my team.”
“Thanks for takin’ a chance on me,” I answer, acceptin’ his hand.
Walkin’ outta that office feels like dodging the biggest bullet yet. He could’ve demanded my ass on a platter and picked apart every last lie. If he hadn’t let me walk away, I wouldn’t be free to finally start a new chapter of my life with my lady who will be my wife soon if I have my way.
By the time I’ve cleaned out the desk I rarely used and filled out the discharge papers, it’s late afternoon when I hit the highway headed back to Harley. I’m not surprised to find her at the clubhouse bar with Kandi and Lacey since the three of them have become so tight.
From the wide-eyed look Harley throws me, I know she’s curious how things went with my boss. Still, I see the usual spark in her brown eyes that she always seems to have when we’re about to fuck. “About time,” she teases.
“Afternoon, ladies,” I say, tippin’ my head at each of them. I take Harley’s hand to help her off the stool. “Sorry, but this one’s all mine for the night.”
Kandi’s eyes roll up in her head. “Always the alpha male.”
“See you tomorrow,” Harley calls to the girls over her shoulder.
The minute we’re in the parking lot, I pull her in for a searing kiss, and groan quietly when her arms wrap around me. I’ll never be able to get enough of this gorgeous creature.
She backs away, eyes lit with excitement. “Well? How’d it go?”
“I’m out,” I say, unable to hold back a goofy smile. “Signed the paperwork, the whole nine yards. Last paycheck will be in the mail.”
Her soft body slams back into me right before she delivers another kiss that gets my dick’s full attention as it’s practically saluting her. I’m not ready to be done when she pulls away. “I feel like we should do something fucking epic,” she says in a tone as giddy as I’ve ever heard. Her arms loop around my neck, and she stretches up to kiss my lips again. “We’re finally free to enjoy our life together! Without Axel, or Cheyenne, or your job, we can both start over! I mean, it still scares the shit out of me that we’re both broke and homeless, but damn, baby, we really need to celebrate!”
“Thought that was the whole point of goin’ out with Ranger tonight,” I say, laughin’ and holdin’ her tight.
“Except we can’t tell him why we’re really celebrating,” she says before chewin’ on her bottom lip. “You tell
him yet that we’re getting married? With everything that’s happened, I kind of forgot we have to figure out how we’re going to tell everyone.”
Even without academy trainin’ where they taught us to read body language, it’d be obvious how worried she’s become about breakin’ the news to him. If I hadn’t agreed to share her with Ranger in the very beginnin’, I’d probably be ready to crack his skull the same way I want to crack the skulls of that stripper asshole and his buddies.
“Figured I’d leave that up to you.” I squeeze her hand, and take a deep breath. “I know you love him too, darlin’. With all you’ve been through since meetin’ us, I wouldn’t expect any different. The news will be hard for him to swallow.”
As Ranger’s headlights cut across the parkin’ lot, her pouty lips quirk with a little smile. My cock twitches yet again when I think how badly I want a taste of those and her other lips. Always gets me off feelin’ her wiggle against my mouth. It’s so damn hot to watch her become vulnerable that way.
She stops me when I start for the pickup. Her small hands rest on either side of my face as those gorgeous eyes of hers make another imprint on my heart.
“You’re right, baby,” she says with a serious expression. “I do love him and I’m sure it’ll sting when he learns we’re moving on without him. But I hope you understand what I feel for you is so very different and on another level. What the three of us had was hot, and beautiful, and rocked the shit out of my world at a time when I needed it most, but you’re the only one I want to come home to and sleep with every night. You’re the one I couldn’t live another day without. You’re the one I can’t get out of my mind or my heart, even though I resisted like hell in the beginning and questioned my sanity a thousand times for staying. You’re the only one I’d even consider giving up everything I believe in to become someone’s bitch. Your old lady.”