“Probably.” She gestured toward the other side of the room. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom for like the fiftieth time today.”
I laughed. “Okay. I’ll wait here.”
I scanned the near-empty diner while she walked away. My mind replayed all she’d told me about her family, and I finally gained a better understanding as to why it seemed so important to Bear that he protected everyone.
The waitress approached our table, and I asked for the check. She was back around the same time as Becs, and we walked out together.
We stopped in front of her car. “I’m glad we did this.”
“Me too.” She agreed. “Next time, I’m paying.”
She leaned in and gave me a hug, which I returned before crossing the street to my own car. Pulling my car door open, I lifted my head when I heard the loud roar of a motorcycle just in time to see two motorcycles slow down while they passed, their heads turned, and eyes on me.
The man closest to where I stood lifted his finger and pointed it at me as if it was a gun, but then dropped it and smiled.
That smile.
My mind slammed back to that night not even two weeks ago when he smiled as he squeezed his fingers tighter and tighter around my neck. He slowed almost to a stop and revved the engine loudly before laughing and pulling away.
I watched them until they turned the corner, and I began to feel a throbbing in my hand. Looking down, I saw that I had wrapped my hand so tight along the top of the car door that it had dug in hard enough to cause a deep line in my palm.
After taking a few deep breaths, I slid into my car, then quickly locked the doors.
Sitting quietly, I laid my head back and waited for my pulse to slow.
But one name kept running through my mind.
Manny.
CHAPTER NINE
BEAR
“Where the fuck is she?” I growled into my cell phone.
“Just walked into an old warehouse building right on the line between New Hope and Cranberry.”
“What’s in there?”
“Not sure. There’s a small sign on the door, but I can’t see it from where I’m parked. Wasn’t sure how close you wanted me to get.”
“Dammit.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Just stay on her until I get there. Call me if she leaves.”
“Got it.”
I pulled the cell from my ear and threw it down on the table in front of me. I was in the middle of church with the officers when Dozer called. He was instructed to call if she deviated from her usual schedule in any way. For the past week, she’d gone to work and then home, only stopping a few times at the grocery store and once for dinner with Becs, but that had been days ago, and since then, she’d been quiet.
“She good?” Pop asked, and my head snapped up to see all eyes on me.
“Dozer followed her to an old warehouse building.”
“Where?” Bull sat forward.
“Edge of New Hope, heading to Cranberry.”
He shook his head. “Only building like that is Manny’s.”
“Who the fuck is Manny?” Tank asked.
“Ex-military,” Bull replied.
“Ex?”
“Yep, but that’s all anyone seems to know about him,” Bull explained.
“Dammit.” I growled before grabbing my phone from the table. “I’m heading out there.” I walked toward the door. “Bull, you’re with me. Gunn”—I glanced back at my VP—“finish the updates.”
Tank smirked. “What are you gonna do?”
“Find out what the fuck a school psychologist is doing in an old warehouse building.” I gritted my teeth before continuing. “And then drag her ass out.”
With Bull right behind me, I continued through the bar area and out the front door, my eyes immediately scanning the parking lot and our surroundings for any sign of trouble. Seeing nothing, I snagged my helmet from the handlebars, jumped on my bike, and started the engine. The roar did nothing to calm my nerves.
I’d backed off.
I had my boys watching her, different ones following her to work and then picking up her trail when she left around five in the evening. She never did much, so this call was not expected. Revving the bike once, I pulled from the parking lot with Bull alongside me, and we headed across town. It was about a twenty-minute drive from our location and one I’d typically enjoy because it was me alone on my bike. But today, I wasn’t enjoying it. Today, I just wanted to get there and get her out.
With Bull behind me, we pulled along the side of the road and got off our bikes. I’d noticed Dozer’s truck parked a little way down the street, but I barely had my helmet off before Dozer was standing in front of me.
“You goin’ in?” he asked.
I nodded. “You can head back.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll be working pretty long hours for the next couple of weeks. The boys want to finish up a few big jobs while the weather is still good.”
It was getting more challenging to have someone on her every morning and every night. The men in my club had jobs and families, amongst other responsibilities. I wasn’t surprised by what Dozer was telling me, considering he worked for Dimarco Construction along with Race. Both of them had been swamped with overtime while the crews tried to finish up before the weather turned. I was going to have to come up with something better. “Alright.”
He turned and jogged across the street toward his truck. Facing the building, I glanced at Bull when he spoke. “How do you want to handle this?”
“We get her out.” I shifted my attention back to the building.
He grunted, and I faced him fully. “You got a problem?”
Bull gestured toward the building. “How long are we gonna chase this girl before we do what we need to do?”
I shook my head because he was right. I had to make some decisions about how thin I would stretch my men to keep her safe when she continued to buck me at every turn.
We walked side by side to the large steel door on the side of the building. Narrowing my eyes, I read the small sign on the door that just said, “Manny’s,” before reaching out and trying the knob, surprised when it turned. Pushing it open, I walked through, stopping in an open room, and heard Bull let the door slam closed behind us.
“You have an appointment?”
Turning slightly, I watched a man walk toward us, his eyes settling briefly on my vest before meeting mine again. “Looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“Josie Carmichael.” When he didn’t respond, I continued. “She here?”
“Don’t know that name.”
Either he was lying or she used a fake name. Somehow, I knew he was lying. “You got a back door?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“’Cuz I watched her walk in here a half hour ago, and unless you got a back door, she’s still here.” When he didn’t answer, I continued. “You Manny?”
He didn’t need to answer. I’d never even met the fucker, but somehow, I knew he was the man I was looking for.
“Who’s askin’?”
I smirked. “I think you know.”
He stared at me a moment longer before he nodded and turned to face the door he’d been standing in front of. He pulled it open and disappeared, leaving us alone to look around.
“Something shady’s goin’ on here,” Bull said from beside me, and I couldn’t agree more. The space where we stood held two doors on the back wall and the one we came through from the outside. Staring at the door across from me, I wondered what I’d find behind it.
I pointed at the door. “Make sure her car is still out there.”
He yanked it open and looked outside but closed it almost immediately. “Same place.”
I shifted my eyes back to the door Manny had just disappeared through and waited. How the hell did she even find out about this place?
The door was pushed open, and I felt heat bubbling right at the surface when Josie walked through wearing h
er work clothes. At least today she had on pants instead of those damn skirts she wore. I think I would’ve hit the fucking ceiling if she was alone with Manny in a skirt and heels.
She crossed her arms over her chest after she walked to stand in front of Bull and me. Either her bruises were completely healed or she’d covered them with makeup, but my mind remembered them vividly.
“What are you doing here?”
When her voice pierced the otherwise quiet room, my attention shifted, and I met her eyes. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Bull grunted, and her eyes flicked his way but almost immediately came back to me. I took a step closer and lowered my voice. “I’m only going to ask you one more time. What are you doing here?”
I thought for a moment that she was going to continue this dance, but she didn’t. “I’m here to practice.”
“Practice what?” Bull growled.
“Shooting,” she admitted and uncrossed her arms. “Manny’s giving me lessons.”
“You have a gun?” I asked, not able to keep the surprise from my voice.
She lifted an eyebrow. “I do now.” Her eyes shifted back and forth between Bull and me. “Or at least I will after this lesson if I want it. How did you know I was here?”
I ignored her question that did nothing but piss me off more. “Why do you want to learn to shoot?”
“To protect myself.” Her expression told me she thought her reasons were fairly obvious.
“You ever shoot a gun before?” Bull inquired.
She shook her head, then gestured behind her at the closed door. “That’s why I’m having Manny teach me.”
“How did you find out about Manny?” When she didn’t respond, I jerked up my chin. “Get your shit. We’re leaving.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
I leaned down and lowered my voice. “You heard me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m losing my patience with you, Josie,” I shared quietly. I knew my voice sounded menacing, and I wanted that. I needed her to understand how serious I was. “I’ve been very patient with you, but that ended when you walked into this fucking place and decided to take shit into your own hands. A gun will not stop these guys if they want to get to you.”
“Are we done here?” she asked. I had to admit she did a great job of sounding confident, but I saw her swallow hard and knew Josie wasn’t quite as sure of her decision as she was trying to convince me she was. “I have a lesson to finish, and my hour is almost up.”
Knowing I wasn’t going to get anywhere with her, I glanced back at Bull and gave the order. “Grab her shit.”
She side-stepped when Bull started walking, which placed her in front of him. “Do not do that.” Bull paused and looked back at me, but Josie spoke again. “I have no idea when I gave you the impression that I could be bullied, but make no mistake”—her eyes flicked back and forth between ours—“that is not going to happen.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. “Do you know anything about Manny? Have you really looked around this place? Don’t you recognize that something else is going on here?”
“The same could be said about your club, Bear.” She tilted her head as if daring me to deny that, but I couldn’t, and we both knew it.
Making a quick decision, I took a step back. “Finish your lesson and make it count, Josie, because it’s the last one you’ll get from Manny.” I watched her closely while I uttered the words I was almost positive would force her to do exactly what I wanted. “You don’t want to piss me off and lose the protection we’ve been providing. You can’t keep your kids safe without us.”
Rather than argue any further, she spun on her heel and walked right back through the fucking door, but not before I saw her face pale. I tore my hand through my hair in frustration and shoved open the door, stepping outside.
Bull shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the wall of the building, looking completely relaxed. I had a feeling that was about to change when I told him our next course of action. It was something I’d been considering since I told Race my fear was that the Widows thought she was mine.
“I need you to date her.”
Bull lifted an eyebrow. “Date her?”
“The Widows already think she’s in the club. If you’re dating her, and Luke isn’t questioning them, they’ll know she’s not going to talk.” I nodded as I spoke, knowing this was the only chance we had to get her off the Widows’ radar.
“Think she’ll do it?”
“She doesn’t have a choice.” I scratched my beard. “It’s the only fucking option I have for protecting her.”
“Sounded to me like she wasn’t interested in that protection.”
“That’s not her decision to make,” I repeated.
“That why you brought up the kids?”
“The only time I break through her stubbornness is when I mention those kids. I’ll use whatever shit I have to in order to keep her safe.”
Bull smirked and pushed off the building before brushing past me and heading for his bike.
Suspicious, I called out, “You got somethin’ to say?”
He swung his leg over his bike and settled into his seat. “This ain’t gonna be boring.”
His engine roared to life, and I watched while he turned in the middle of the street before heading back toward town.
He was right.
Josie knew exactly what to say and do to light my fuse every time we were together.
She challenged me in a way I’d never been challenged in my life.
Her attitude, her stubbornness, and her sexy ass clothes drove me crazy.
But as much as it pissed me off, I respected the hell out of her.
CHAPTER TEN
JOSIE
As I walked through the doors of the small coffee shop on Main Street, I glanced around until my eyes landed on Luke sitting in the back at a small table. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes briefly when I saw Bear sitting across from him, and both of their stares were locked on me.
Why the hell was he here? I’d specifically called and asked Luke if we could meet and suggested doing it somewhere neutral, assuming Bear didn’t hang out in places like this, but I guess I’d been wrong. I wanted to go over my idea with Luke and then planned to ask him to let Bear know, but seeing them together, I could only assume Luke had told him we were meeting. I was also beginning to wonder just what kind of relationship a cop had with the local motorcycle club president.
I rubbed my palms along the sides of my slim navy blue skirt while walking toward the table. I tried to ignore Bear’s eyes, which always watched me closely. I also refused to acknowledge that part of me liked his eyes on me.
Arriving at the table, I smiled at Luke and slid onto the tall stool beside him. “Thanks for meeting me.”
Luke nodded. “Sure. I am curious as to why we’re meeting here.”
I glanced over at Bear, who was watching me closely. “Could you give us some privacy?”
He studied me before a grin slowly crossed his face. “Luke called me to meet with you both.”
My eyebrows drew together, and I settled my attention back on Luke. “Why?”
“Because,” Luke said quietly and glanced around the near-empty coffee shop. “Bear told me about your conversation, not to mention that he found you at Manny’s yesterday, and I realized we needed to explain a few things to you.”
I held up my hand because I didn’t want any more information. I wanted this to be over. “Don’t bother. I asked you to meet me here to tell you that I want the investigation to be stopped. I have no plans of testifying or pressing charges if you find the men responsible.”
Luke looked surprised. “What changed?”
I gestured toward Bear, who had remained quiet, but I didn’t look at him. “I listened to what Bear told me and realized I don’t w
ant to put any of my kids or staff in danger.” I laid my hands on the table. “So as much as it annoys me that these people will not suffer any consequences, I’m doing what’s best for everyone by keeping them safe.”
“They will have consequences,” Bear clarified, his low voice flowing over me. Turning slightly, I looked at him. “I promise you, they’ll pay for what they did.”
“I don’t want your promises, Bear,” I stated as nicely as I could while also trying to convey that I didn’t want him in my life at all. “I’m moving on as if this never happened.”
“You’re going to have a scar to prove it happened.” He leaned his forearms on the table. “A scar that’ll piss me off every time I look at it.”
I refrained from touching the scar left behind after the stitches were removed from my temple. “Then consider yourself lucky because you and I”—I gestured back and forth between us—“should have no reason for contact after this meeting.”
Suddenly, I was glad Luke invited him. I could end all of this in one shot.
“Dropping the case doesn’t really solve any problems,” Luke explained, and I broke Bear’s stare to face him. “It’ll help, don’t get me wrong, but these men have very long memories, and if there is even a hint that you may talk, you’ll still be a target.”
I let out a long, frustrated breath. “Then please tell me what I’m supposed to do to ensure they forget about me.”
“I want to put full-time security on you,” Luke replied immediately.
“No.” I shook my head and held up my hand when he opened his mouth to argue. “I don’t want anything to interfere with the work I’ve been doing with the kids. And no offense, Luke,” I spoke gently, “But not all of them like or trust the police. That was one of the reasons I didn’t want to meet you at my office and chose somewhere neutral.”
“I understand that, but the people we’ll put on you will not be suspicious to the kids. They’ll live in the shadows, so you shouldn’t even see them.”
“We?”
He gestured back and forth between himself and Bear, but I shook my head while he spoke. “Bear has some men who can be less conspicuous.”
End Game (Sinners MC Book 2) Page 8