“I’ve got a lead on Jace, but you got trouble. The crew...you can’t trust them. I’m pretty sure they want you out, Alec. They’re loyal to Jace.”
It was pretty much exactly what Alec had expected. He could see the lines being drawn in his club, and he didn’t like it. The sooner he had Dawson’s head on a platter, the sooner he could take care of those who weren’t loyal and rebuild his club. How dare they turn on him, question his orders? With all the money he’d brought into the club, they should be singing his praises, not looking to cut his throat the first time they got the chance.
“Follow the lead, Ron. If you find him, kill him, or bring him to me so I can have the satisfaction of doing it myself.”
Jace had been his best friend, but as he hung up the phone, all he could think about was betrayal. It didn’t matter whether Jace disagreed with Alec’s decisions or the direction that the club was taking. He should have remained loyal. Now all Alec wanted was to see him dead.
He growled, slamming the phone down and reaching out to Patty, pulling her into his embrace. She smiled up at him curiously. “What’s going on, Alec, baby?”
He took a deep breath, trying to bury his anger and concentrate on the woman in front of him. “I was just thinking about our dream house in Italy. I just need one more month, Patty. I need one more month, and we’ll be on our way. And I’m putting a ring on that finger of yours.”
She blinked at him in disbelief. “But Alec, I thought you said you never wanted to get married. Don’t toy with me like that.”
“I’m not toying with you, Patty. You’re the only person I can really trust. Besides, what’s the difference between what we have now and signing a damn piece of paper? It just proves that I appreciate what you are to me, right?” He gripped her shoulders and kissed her hard on the mouth. “Once I finish this deal, I’m going to take us away from all of this.”
Patty laughed. “I think that sounds amazing, baby.”
Patty leaned in for another kiss, her lips brushing over Alec’s, leaving a red imprint behind with her bright lipstick.
* * *
Carrie looked up from her seat at the nurses’ station and smiled pleasantly at the good-looking Latino standing in front of the desk. “Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?”
Alvarez gave her a charming grin in return and pulled out his badge. “I’m with the Dallas Police Department. My name is Detective Tomas, and I just have a few questions for you about a patient who was here a little less than a week ago.”
Carrie was intrigued and held up a finger to ask him to wait. Picking up the phone, she paged Tami, and the other nurse joined her momentarily. “Tami, this is a police officer. He wants to ask some questions so I thought I’d take a walk with him if you wouldn’t mind watching over things here.”
Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, Tami nodded. “Of course. I’ll be here if you need me.”
Standing and coming around the desk, Carrie offered him a smile. “I’m Carrie. Follow me and we’ll see what I might be able to do for you.” She led him down the hall to a private room. Closing the door so they could have some privacy, she perched on a desk and faced him, crossing her arms to push her breasts up higher on her chest.
“So, what do you need to know?”
Watching her and knowing exactly what she was after, Alvarez decided he would use it to his advantage. “You admitted a patient here. Jace Dawson. He was a gunshot victim.” She nodded. “See? I knew you were my woman.” He inched closer, watching her preen. “So when did he check out of here?”
She narrowed her eyes as she answered. ”You know, it was pretty strange. Several people were in and out of the room, and then before the doctor even came in to see him, he insisted on signing himself out. I didn’t even see him leave, he was out of here so fast.”
Alvarez nodded. That had to have been almost right after he and Hargrove left.
“Okay, there was a nurse in there when I came to see him. She asked us all to leave and give him some time to recover. I had planned to see him the following day, but he was already gone. Would she happen to know anything about his whereabouts?”
Carrie laughed. “It’s extremely doubtful. You know, it would be good for Piper to do something a little exciting like run off with a biker. She’s the most upstanding, least adventurous woman I know, and I have a lot of respect for her. But pardon my language, she needs to get laid. She never even dates. And I know she had to have been attracted to your boy. He really was something to look at, even if he wasn’t exactly my type.” She raked a glance over him suggestively.
Alvarez nodded with a grin. “I see. So, Piper...you really don’t think she had anything to do with his release?”
“Oh, gosh no. Piper’s too much of a good girl to help a biker escape from the hospital.”
Alvarez nodded. “I see. ”
Carrie stood. “Listen, I’m supposed to work tonight, but I can be out of here by eight if you wanted to get a drink.”
Alvarez smiled at her. “I’d love to, but I’m really busy with a case. Why don’t you take my card and give me a call in a couple of days, or if you think of anything else unusual about that day you might want to share with me? And you can also let me know when your friend Piper is back at work so I can ask her a few questions.”
Looking disappointed but lighting up as she took his card, she gave him a suspicious look. “Piper’s not in any sort of trouble, is she? I wouldn’t want her to get caught up in all this when she’s got nothing to do with any of it.”
“No, no, not at all. It’s just that, as far as we know right now, she was the last person to talk to a key witness in an important case, and she may have some sort of idea where he is.”
He thanked her and left. It was time to head down to the administrative office and get information on where he could find this Piper. If he could get her name and address, he was willing to bet he could easily track down Jace Dawson. Somehow, he’d talked an innocent woman into harboring a criminal, which meant he was smarter than they had counted on him being. And when he found his target, he’d talk to Hargrove so they could bring the man in, make the deal with the ATF, and take the credit. This was going to be his big break, his chance to get in with the FBI, and he’d do whatever it took to make sure it happened.
Chapter Twelve
Piper watched Jace with growing trepidation. After they’d finished eating, he’d insisted they go by the hospital and get his bike. He’d ridden back to her place in a fury, and as soon as she’d opened the door, he’d started packing his bag. It wasn’t taking long, and Piper’s fear grew. Whether it stemmed from concern for his well-being or from the idea that he might disappear and she would never see him again, she didn’t know.
“Why do you have to leave now?” she asked, wanting to understand. She wanted him to stay with her more than she had ever wanted anything.
He shook his head. “I have to keep moving. That guy, Ron? He’s bad news. I have a feeling that he’s working for Alec and if he finds me here...”
“But you lied about who I was,” she protested.
He rounded on her, his concern boiling over. “Listen to me, Piper, it doesn’t matter what I told him. He’ll add it up somehow. It’s Alec that’s put him on my trail, and he won’t let that trail grow cold. He’ll find me and I won’t put you in danger. I want you to pack a bag and stay with a friend for a while. Or I’ll get you a hotel room until this blows over and they know I’m not with you anymore.”
“You can’t just leave like this!” she exploded, panic rising like bile in her throat. But as she spoke, her phone rang, and she frowned as she saw the number on the caller ID. “Just wait a minute.” She picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey girl, have I got some news for you.” Carrie’s voice was full of excitement and mystery.
“It’s really not a good time, Carrie. I’m in the middle of something.”
“Well, put it on hold because I have to tell you a couple of t
hings.” Now she sounded serious, and it raised all sorts of red flags. “Listen, I have an amazing date. Well, actually, it’s not confirmed yet, but that sexy cop who came in a few days ago to talk to our gunshot victim came back in today and gave me his card. He told me to call him so we can have a drink in a couple of days.”
“Wait, which one?” Piper asked, her heart dropping to her stomach.
“The Latino one with the nice ass.” She laughed. “But anyway, he came in to see me and to ask about you and the gunshot guy. You know, the hot thing that signed himself out? He’s probably going to try to come in and talk to you in the next couple of days, see if the guy happened to tell you where he was in such a hurry to go. He said the guy just sort of disappeared, and he’s a big witness in some case they need to talk to and that you were the last person to talk to him. So if he comes by when you’re working, let me know. I’m sure he’ll probably ask for me.”
“Alright, Carrie. I’ll see you at work.” She hung up and turned to Jace. “The local police are looking for me to try to track you down.”
Jace cursed under his breath. “Like I said, you need to lay low for a while. You can’t be seen talking to the police just in case anyone looking for me is watching you.” He started to continue, but this time, it was his phone that went off. He cursed again and looked at it, a sinking sensation in his stomach. “Hold on,” he told Piper as he answered on what was likely the last ring. “Hello?”
“I assume you’re looking to make some sort of deal, Mr. Dawson,” Jason Morris sounded almost amused. “Why did it take you so long to call me?”
Jace grunted. “Oh, come on, Morris, you have to know I’ve got more than just you guys hunting me down. My own brotherhood wants me dead, not to mention other biker clubs. And by now, someone’s probably gotten word out to the fence and the supplier so they’re trying to find me, too. I had to bury myself where I couldn’t be found. I didn’t have time to call you.”
“Interesting. By the way, how did you get this number? I only left my direct line with a nurse at the hospital.”
Damn, he thought. He didn’t have a good answer for that. How did they overlook something so important?
“Dawson? I’m pretty sure I can guess. That nurse at the hospital seemed awfully sympathetic. Whether you knew her before or not, I think she might have found a way to help you out. Now, you can come talk to us, or we can hunt her down and question her, maybe charge her with accessory to a crime. I don’t think you want that to happen, do you?”
Grinding his teeth, Jace said, “I don’t need your threats, Morris. Remember, I called you. We just need to find a safe place and time, and I need to know that if I answer your questions, I’ll have immunity.”
“That’s a pretty tough order if you’ve been buried deep in this smuggling ring all this time. I might be able to get reduced charges for you.”
“Not good enough, agent. Think it over and let me know when you can help me out.” He hit the mute button and waited.
With a sigh, Morris came back. “Here’s what I can do. If we can get the information we need and use you to get us inside, I can guarantee you immunity. For now, I can tell you I’ll do my best. That’s all I’ve got until I know what you have for us.” There was another pause. “Come on, Dawson, work with me here. Give me twenty-four hours. I’ll get you a safe house and I’ll see if I can’t get you immunity. We’ll work from there.”
Jace growled, his expression twisted. “I’ll have my phone on me and I’ll be waiting for your call.” He hung up and shook his head, trying to clear his mind before he looked up and faced Piper, whose worried eyes burned a hole through his heart.
“Do you have a backpack?” he asked her, his voice heavy with resignation.
Piper nodded. “Yeah, you need it?”
“No, you do. You’re coming with me.”
* * *
Ignoring the vibration of her phone as it rang steadily in her pocket, Piper wondered what the hell she was doing on the back of a motorcycle, cruising down the road with the wind in her hair behind a man who both thrilled and frightened her. She had money, a family, an incredible job that she loved, and now, she was almost a fugitive herself.
There were dangerous men who had seen her face and would likely kill her on the spot if she didn’t tell them where to find Jace, and according to Carrie, the local authorities were tracking her down. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones calling her phone right now.
And yet for some reason, she felt safer sitting behind this gorgeous biker, nuzzled against his back, her hands clutching his strong waist, than she ever felt with anyone else. She didn’t even know where they were going except that they were headed south on 35, but it didn’t seem to matter. Piper knew to the depths of her soul that Jace wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. He would protect her with his own life.
When he finally exited the highway, she didn’t recognize the area. She only knew it was south of Dallas, and they had been on the road long enough that they might be as far as Hillsboro. Either way, he turned toward a quaint little motel, pulled into the parking lot, and shut off the engine.
Turning to look at her over his shoulder, he smiled. “It’s just temporary, but it’ll get us out of town for a day or two until I hear back from the ATF.”
She smiled with all the encouragement she could muster. “It looks fine to me.” She hopped off the bike and he led her toward the front lobby to an older man who waited to check them in. He smiled patiently, and Jace pushed a hundred dollar bill across the counter at him. “We’d like a room with two beds for the next couple of nights.”
“Of course, sir. And your name?” The little man with thick glasses poised a pen over a page that looked like old-fashioned registration paper, which made Piper want to giggle.
“George Walker. George and Laura.” Jace’s lie was nearly her undoing, playing off the ex-president and First Lady, and Piper had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as the elderly man wrote down the information without a questioning glance. Rather than presenting them with a key card that most places used these days, he handed Jace an actual key attached to a very large key ring containing a placard with the room number.
“Hold on one moment, Mr. Walker, and I’ll get your change.”
Jace waved him off. “Don’t worry about it.” Taking Piper’s hand in his own, he started toward the hallway in search of the room. When they were out of earshot, Piper giggled.
“Liked that, did you?”
“I liked it very much...George.”
Jace chuckled. “He doesn’t remember me, but he was friends with my grandfather when I was a very little boy. I’ve been here a few times over the years just to get a little peace and solitude.” Twisting the key in the lock, he opened the door. Piper stepped inside and tossed her backpack on the small desk in the room, eyeing the two beds and trying to decide which side she wanted to claim.
Watching her shoulders as they slumped and tensed, Jace stood behind her, trying to figure out if he’d done the right thing. He should never have gotten her involved in this mess, but now that she was, he felt responsible for her. At the same time, he’d just taken her away from everything she knew when he probably should have sent her straight to the police station in Dallas to divulge every bit of information she had on him. It would save her from other implications.
On top of that, she was obviously tired and trying her best to hold up under the pressure. She could lose her job, even her nursing license, for the things she’d done, and yet she’d never questioned him at all. Before he could consider his actions and think better of it, he moved up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulders and squeezing, pulling her back against his chest and inhaling the scent of her hair, which was still mussed from the motorcycle ride.
She sighed, and he could feel her relax against him even as he turned his head and dipped his face into the crook of her neck, placing a kiss just behind her ear that sent a shiver down her spine. He har
dened instantly, wanting to possess her, to have her pressed to him like this without any barrier between them, skin on skin. Jace ran his hands up and down her arms gently and she moaned, making him grit his teeth against his own body’s reaction as his groin tightened further.
Jace’s warmth seeped into Piper’s bones and she turned in his arms, feeling like she was unable to get close enough to him. Facing him was better. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to kiss her lips the way he’d kissed her neck. He tasted of wind and something wild, and she wanted to drink from him until she was drunk with pleasure. She threaded her fingers up through his hair, pressing his face to hers, and she sighed into his mouth as his hands swept up her back, lifting her and pressing her into his strong embrace. His passion was evident, rock hard against her stomach, which caused a fiery heat to build between her thighs.
“Jace?” she asked, her voice so breathy she didn’t even recognize it as she moved her mouth to the corner of his lips. He ran his tongue over her neck in response, his teeth nipping at her skin, and she moaned, clenching her thighs together. “Jace, wait.”
He growled furiously and pulled away, frantically searching her eyes. He knew she was as hot as he was; he could feel her desire. He ached with the thought that she might stop everything now, as desperately as they needed each other, as tangible as their desire for each other was in the air around them.
“What’s wrong?”
Her heart and mind were racing at the same speed, and only one of them making sense. She shook her head. “Promise me this means something.” She didn’t know why she insisted on hearing him say the words, but she did.
“I have every intention of keeping you,” he rasped, his lips once again at her neck, her chin. He caressed the sensitive skin before wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her in. “And of pleasing you...over and over again.”
Piper shuddered as the wave of pleasure washed over her. Jace’s fingers worked through her hair, pulling her face to his, his mouth covering hers in a possessive kiss.
Riding Danger (BBW Biker Romance) Page 6