Deceived (Frontier Reapers MC Book 1)

by Brook Wilder

  He nodded back and walked off toward the other bikers, gathered not far from the car.

  “Come on,” Brendan said, holding out his hand to me. “I’ll take you back to the house.”

  I hesitated, looking at his outstretched hand. I should leave tonight, go back to Anchorage, and forget that I was every in Paradise. I could let Brendan handle my dad’s affairs and move on.

  But I was also looking at my weakness. Brendan had been everything to my brother, to my father, and to me before the tragedy struck. I still had an obligation to my dad, no matter what I knew was best for me at the moment.

  “Alright,” I finally said, not taking his hand. “I-I would like to go to my dad’s house.”

  He dropped his hand, his jaw clenching tightly.

  “Fine. I can take you there if you don’t mind riding.”

  I looked over at his bike.

  “I haven’t ridden in years.”

  I didn’t need to tell him when I had stopped. Even after my parents had divorced and we had moved, it was my dad who had come to visit me, not the other way around. Mom would refuse to allow him to take me on his bike, so we had settled on taking her car when he had visited.

  Recognition flickered in his eyes, and he turned, walking back to his bike without another word. I drew in a shuddering breath and followed him, ignoring the way my stomach flipped over as he slung his leg over the bike. Without a word, I did the same, pressing my body against his back and wrapping my arms around his waist as he gunned the engine, the bike vibrating under my legs. It was a familiar feel, something I hadn’t felt in a long time, but it still felt like coming home.

  “Hold on,” Brendan said before pulling onto the highway, my arms tightening around his lean waist.

  The wind whipped around us as he started back toward town, and I pressed my cheek to his back, tears falling from my eyes as I shut them tightly.

  What the heck was going on with my life? Why did my dad have to die? Why did I feel the need to come back here, to Paradise where the heartache still lived?

  And why was I holding onto Brendan for dear life? I was putting myself through torture by allowing this, torn between the need to honor my brother’s memory and the need of my own heart, even after all these years.

  What the hell was I going to do?

  Chapter 6

  Laura

  I breathed a sigh of relief when Brendan pulled into the driveway of my dad’s house, cutting the engine. My body felt like it had been beaten, and I knew that, by morning, I would have bruises from the car crash. I was alive, but only because of Brendan.

  He climbed off first, reaching back to assist me in doing the same.

  “I… We haven’t cleared the house yet. Most people are gone, but a few are sleeping it off.”

  I didn’t care. All I wanted was a warm bed and a few hours to forget any of this happened.

  “I-it’s fine.”

  He swallowed, dropping my hand as soon as I had my two feet on the ground.

  “You will be safe here tonight, but I think I should be close, in case.”

  I laughed, unable to help myself.

  “Like sleeping-in-the-same-bed close or in-the-same-house close?”

  Brendan grinned.

  “Bed, of course. How else will I protect you?”

  I rolled my eyes and pushed past him, walking up the driveway to the back door.

  Inside, I walked over to the fridge and opened it, grabbing a bottle of water I found amongst the beer. Untwisting the top, I took a long drink, suddenly feeling very dirty. Hell, my suitcase was in the car along with my purse. I would have to raid my dad’s clothes to find something suitable to wear.

  “I’m not trying to be weird.”

  I jumped and spun around, shooting Brendan a glare.

  “Quit sneaking up on me!”

  He had the gall to look unabashed, his grin making me feel flutters in my lower half.

  “I’m sorry. Someone tried to kill you tonight, Laura. I can’t let that happen again.”

  I pushed the hair out of my eyes, knowing I must look like a wild woman after that bike ride.

  “I understand, and I appreciate it Brendan, but I can’t. We can’t share a bed. I’m exhausted, and I’m just going to go to sleep.”

  “That’s all you should be doing,” he stated, pushing away from the doorframe. “At least let me take a look before you do.”

  “Fine,” I said, placing the cap on the bottle. “Lead the way.”

  Brendan walked out of the kitchen, and I followed him, noting the bikers on the floor in the living room, the snores filling the air. The scene reminded me of my younger days, when my dad’s friends used to do the same. Mom used to complain, but he would shrug her off and tell her to let them sleep. They weren’t bothering anything.

  Now, in this moment, I could hear his voice in my head, urging me to do the same.

  “You coming?”

  I turned back to Brendan and cleared my throat.

  “Of course.”

  He gave me a short nod and led me to my dad’s room at the end of the hall, pushing open the door. I waited as he stepped inside, looking under the bed and in the closet before giving me a grin.

  “Nothing here. You sure you don’t want me to stay?”

  I groaned and gave him a shove in the chest.

  “Get out.”

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said softly, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “Get some sleep. No one will bother you.”

  I wanted to say thanks but, instead, let him walk out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. I turned around and looked at the spot that used to be my dad’s domain and slid down the closed door, falling into a puddle of tears.

  ***

  The next morning, I woke with a jolt, wincing at the sunlight streaming through the window. My entire body from head to toe hurt in some fashion.

  I forced myself to roll out of bed and go to the connecting bathroom. I looked in the mirror. A crisscross of bruises covered my neck and chest, presumably from the seatbelt last night. I looked exhausted, the dark circles under my eyes more pronounced than they had been.

  But I was alive.

  With a sigh, I cleaned up, my stomach rumbling. Who had been left outside that door this morning? Would I run into Brendan and the awkwardness that would follow? I needed to do a million things today, but all I could think about was him and the way he had treated me last night. This could not be good. I had to figure out a way to harden myself against him for the duration of my time here.

  Well that and keep myself alive at the same time.

  With a sigh, I found one of my dad’s old shirts. I kept my own jeans on. I would have to get my suitcase today, but, for now, it was going to be no makeup for me.

  Opening the bedroom door, I walked out, holding my head high and hoping like hell that no one was around. After my breakdown last night, I was still too emotional to have any true conversation with anyone, but, as I had laid down in my dad’s bed, his scent had wrapped me tightly and allowed me to fall asleep with some peace in my heart. He was no longer suffering, and I knew he was happy, watching the scene below them with Aaron. Now, I had two guardian angels.

  The house was empty as I walked through the rooms on my way to the kitchen; it had even been cleaned up from the party the previous night. There was even a slight scent of lemon in the air as I entered the kitchen, spying a note in the center of the table.

  Car is at my shop, call me when you are ready to talk.

  It wasn’t signed, but I didn’t need it to be. I knew who it was from.

  Dropping it back on the table, I opened the fridge and immediately closed it back again. I wasn’t going to find any food in there. But, luckily, I knew my way to the diner two blocks over. After a good breakfast and some coffee, I would plot out the rest of my day.

  And how I was going to handle Brendan.

  Chapter 7

  Brendan

  I couldn’t stay away
from her.

  I shifted on the bike seat, watching from across the street as Laura made her way to the diner, wondering what in the hell I was doing. All last night and this morning I had thought about her while banging the dents out of her car. I had thought about her curves, the way she had clung to me after her car accident.

  After someone had tried to kill her.

  My mood darkened, and I spat onto the ground, unease creeping through my body. I had sent feelers out last night, trying to find out who would want Laura dead, and, so far, everything had come up empty. No one had beef with her; she didn’t owe anyone any money. Very few even knew she was back in Paradise at all.

  But someone wanted her dead, and I was determined for that not to happen.

  Laura approached the diner, and I got off the bike, wiping my hands on my jeans. I would go offer to buy her breakfast, give us a chance to talk and for me to convey my condolences about Jonah. She had to be hurting from his death, even more so since she had come here, to Paradise, to bury him. I had heard she had cremated him, but there was still the burial ride to happen, our way of saying goodbye to him. If nothing else, I wanted to tell her about that so that she could see that her father was loved by his club.

  I started across the street, drawing up short as I noticed that Laura was about to encounter two members of the Blood Eagle club, the only other club in town.

  Shit! While I didn’t think they would know who she is, them damn curves of hers would bring trouble to her in a heartbeat.

  I was nearly across the street when Laura reared back and punched one of them in the nose, blood spurting onto his face instantly. Laura didn’t run either, but put her hands on her hips, her mouth going a mile a minute at the other one.

  So, she hadn’t lost any of her tomboy attitude after all.

  Impressed and now dealing with a raging cock, I closed the gap on the small party, grabbing one of them by the arm as he reached for her.

  “Now, now! I believe the lady doesn’t want any part of you.”

  “Morrison,” he spat, attempting to shake off my grip, while his friend howled in pain. “I should have smelled the trash a mile away.”

  “If you had, maybe your friend here wouldn’t have gotten his nose repositioned,” I said darkly, shoving him a good distance. “Go on, before I unleash her on you next.”

  The biker sneered, his eyes drifting to Laura.

  “You will pay for that, little lady.”

  “Bring it on,” Laura shot back over my shoulder. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “Shit! Can we just go to the hospital? That bitch broke my nose!”

  With another dirty look, the two men walked in the direction they had come, and I turned to Laura.

  “I see you haven’t lost your left hook.”

  She glared at the retreating bikers, a frown on her face.

  “He touched my ass like he owned it. I couldn’t just let him get away with it.”

  Hell, no, she couldn’t. Now I wanted to hunt them down and give them the beating they deserved for even thinking about touching her.

  “I’m glad to see you can defend yourself.”

  Finally, her eyes drifted to mine.

  “Did you think I was a weakling? Don’t you remember who my dad was?”

  Chuckling, I reached out and grabbed her left hand, rubbing my thumb over her reddened knuckles.

  “I haven’t forgot, but he wasn’t the one who taught you to fight. Aaron was.”

  Her breath stilled, and she snatched her hand away from mine, taking a few steps back.

  “I… Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

  I felt a coldness descend on her immediately, cursing inwardly that I’d had to go and ruin the moment. There was still a wall there, one that I could try to forever get over and never accomplish the feat. She still saw me as Aaron’s killer.

  Clearing my throat, I ran a hand over my hair.

  “Where were you going?”

  “I was heading to breakfast,” she said slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. “There’s nothing to eat in the house. Thank you for getting everyone out by the way. The place looked normal.”

  I didn’t tell her that I had stayed there until the wee hours of the morning, setting it to rights and guarding the door until Colby had come to relieve me. It had nearly killed me to think about her in that bed all alone.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Laura shifted her stance, her cheeks blooming, before she tore her gaze away.

  “I guess I better head that way.”

  “Can I take you to breakfast?” I blurted out, feeling like a damn schoolboy trying to get his first date. “Those guys will be back, and I doubt they will leave you alone.”

  She swallowed.

  “I-I don’t know, Brendan.”

  Fuck, my name on her lips caused my cock to strain uncomfortably against my jeans.

  “Please. It’s just breakfast. For last night.”

  Laura looked at me, and I could see the turmoil on her face. She was probably thinking about her brother and the terms we had parted on all those years ago. Jonah had warned me long ago that his ex. had brainwashed his daughter into thinking that this place and all that lived here was hell, but I didn’t believe it until now.

  “Okay.”

  Her word stunned me.

  “Really?”

  She laughed, and it was the best fucking sound I had heard in quite some time.

  “Yes, unless you have changed your mind.”

  I grinned.

  “No, I haven’t.”

  Hell, I would take her to breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night whatever-she-wanted, just to spend time with her.

  Shit, I had it bad!

  She gave me a tiny smile before resuming her course toward the diner. I followed close behind, attempting not to stare at her ass in those jeans. Hell, no wonder that Blood Eagle had wanted to touch it. I wanted to grab it with both hands and squeeze.

  I wasn’t going to survive her trip here.

  Chapter 8

  Laura

  I didn’t know what I was doing.

  Pushing open the door to the diner, I held it for Brendan, my heart racing inside my chest.

  I was glad that he had been in the right place at the right time, though I would rather it had been him who had punched that biker. My hand was still killing me.

  And I should have ended it there, gone on to my breakfast without his company, but something had urged me to reconsider. Something had taken hold, and now I was about to have breakfast with a sworn enemy.

  I found an open booth and slid in, Brendan choosing to sit across me.

  Great, just great. That meant I would have to look at his sinful good looks over my eggs and pray that I didn’t jump him from across the table. Despite it all, my raging hormones craved to touch him.

  “What’s good here?” I forced out, the menu nothing but a blur in front of me.

  Brendan laughed, folding his hands before him.

  “Nothing’s changed since probably the last time you were in here, Laura. I doubt they have even changed the grease in twenty years.”

  I pursed my lips to keep from smiling, laying the menu aside. He was right. I knew everything on the menu by heart.

  “We used to come eat here every Saturday.”

  He draped his arm over the back of the booth, relaxing.

  “Jonah still did. I would meet him up here at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday, and then we would go riding afterward.”

  I tried to picture my dad sitting in this very booth, laughing and joking with Brendan. As if he were his son.

  “I-I’m glad he had you.”

  His eyes darkened, and I saw the same loss that I felt reflected in their depths.

  “I will go with you to pick up his ashes later if you want. The club, they want to give him a proper send off.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. The club meant more to my dad than anything else in the world, and I knew they wanted to ha
ve one last ride with him.

  “I… Thank you.”

  He inclined his head as the waitress came over and took our orders, waiting until she had left before continuing the conversation.

  “How are you feeling this morning?”