Ryker: MC Romance

by Percy Preston

  I was scared to be out late, especially being on my own. I had a lot riding on this upcoming position of mine. If there was one thing I remembered clearly about Coronado, it was that there was trouble lurking around every corner, and even more so when the sun went down. When I was young and stupid, this didn’t frighten me as much. I had even slept with the kind of men that would make me run in the other direction today. To say the least, I had made poor choices back then. That was before I had Hope. Now, I had to stay away from trouble for her sake.

  Sweat trickled down the back of my neck, slicking my hair to my skin. It was so much warmer here than in Seattle, and I sighed as soon as a cool breeze from a nearby fan hit me when I walked through the door. I saw Elle’s pearly white teeth from across the room. She embraced me, squeezing tightly until my face was lost in a mess of her dark brown hair.

  “Anna! Oh my God, it’s so good to see you,” she said, motioning for me to sit down with her.

  “I really thought I was early, Elle,” I teased. She handed me one of the menus that were sitting near the filled glasses of water. I took a sip, thankful for the chilly water trickling down my throat. I already felt cooler.

  “You know I’m never late. Plus, I was nearby doing some shopping. It got too hot, so I grabbed a table to get a drink while I waited. Enough about me. I want to know how you’re doing,” she said eagerly.

  “It feels good to be back, that’s for sure. I hope that this position at the police station pans out. I really want to start getting my life back on track.”

  “And you will. I know you, Anna. You go after what you want, and you work so hard. There’s nothing you can’t do.”

  “I try my best, but the only thing I’m worried about is Hope. I don’t know what kind of trouble I’m going to get into once I start taking on more work at the police station, and having a position as detective means I’ll be chasing down Coronado’s petty criminals, when all I really want to do is stay at home with my daughter,” I replied, twirling the paper straw in my glass.

  “Coronado’s petty theft and robbery might not be the only things you’ll have to look out for,” Elle said.

  I looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

  She pointed to the television screen that was behind us. It played a news clip involving a shootout between bikers. The screen panned in on the broken, smoking bike and the cop cars surrounding the scene. I immediately had a sinking feeling in my stomach, remembering the sound of the motorcycle whizzing by on my way here. But also of a man I’d rather not think about.

  “Bikers,” I said softly.

  “Motorcycle clubs have quite the reputation around here, Anna. I have a feeling that you’re going to be seeing a lot of them, and they’re bad news. I’ve heard rumors about one group called the Black Souls. From what I understand, it’s a lot of illegal shit.” To someone like Elle, this was just gossip, something to talk about over lunch when our lives got to be a bit too boring. But the same couldn’t be said for me. My stomach turned at the thought of what this biker gang really got into, and if everything goes well at the police station, I would probably find out.

  “I guess I have been away for a long time. I don’t remember them being such a problem before,” I said.

  “It’s like they’ve had a resurgence. Everything was quiet for a while, and they were sparse, but now I swear I see them everywhere.” I followed Elle’s eyes as they scanned the room, picking up a few leather-jacket wearing bikers who were huddled in a corner. I could tell by the way they sat, they were trying to stay out of sight while they finished up their meals.

  “I’ll keep my eyes out for them.” I sighed as I realized that this was probably going to be the last time in a while that I got the chance to do anything leisurely. My mind was running wild with the worry about what these bikers were really doing around here. I had a hunch that Harold, the Chief of Police, had probably been trying to get rid of them for a long time.

  If there was one thing I could pride myself on, it was the fact that I like a challenge. I had done everything in my power to protect my daughter and to fight back against the people that hurt us. This was no different. I would make sure Hope was safe and that I would do my part as detective to get rid of these bikers once and for all.

  I had worked long and hard to make sure I would be good at my job, and I would make sure everyone at the office knew I would get the job done.

  3

  Ryker

  The clubhouse was empty when I arrived that morning. I was still groggy, but the ride over helped me clear my head. There was nothing I loved more than heading out onto the open road right before dawn, especially when I had a lot on my mind. My stomach was in knots, and I was worried about all of the threats Lucifer had been receiving.

  We were all just starting to calm down after what happened to Reaper, our former president, when things started to get hairy. Between the stolen guns, attacks on Francesca, and now threats to Lucifer’s life, the Black Souls were experiencing more than our fair share of issues. To make matters worse, the issue with the stolen guns still wasn’t resolved. It made Lucifer antsy, and it was eating him up inside.

  I poured myself a cup of hot coffee, enjoying how the steam hit my face as I took a drink. Lucifer called me out early this morning which only meant one thing. More trouble. After what I saw just a few days ago, there had to be more going on.

  Finding John dead had just about done me in. It didn’t add up. If John and a few other bikers had it out for Lucifer, then why was John the one that ended up dead?

  Biker clubs could be very political, and right now, Lucifer was a target for all of them. The Black Souls did a good job of staying on top. As such, we were always the target of other clubs. But to target Lucifer directly was highly unusual.

  I sat in the living room of the clubhouse, finishing my coffee as the front door opened. Lucifer walked in looking exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. His skin looked duller than usual, but the determined expression on his face was what made me cringe. I ran my fingers through my dark hair, trying to mentally prepare myself for whatever news he had to deliver.

  “Rough night?” I asked, holding up my coffee cup as an offering to pour him a cup as I refill mine.

  “It’s okay, I got it. Yeah, rough night. I haven’t been getting much sleep since you found John dead. This puts us right back to square one,” he said, following me into the kitchen to get his own cup.

  “Are you sure this is as bad as you think it is, Lucifer? Is it possible this had nothing to do with you? Yeah, sure, John and a few other guys were talking about killing you, but does that mean that they would actually do it?” I wondered if this was all getting to his head and that maybe he wasn’t in as much danger as he believed he was.

  “I already told you, Ryker. They had plans, concrete plans to get this done. If I turned up in any of the places they were talking about, I could be dead right now.” He snapped at me.

  “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to doubt you. I just need to know what we’re really dealing with here. I’ll admit it’s strange, but I need to know why it’s such a cause for concern. I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.” I challenged him.

  He huffed and motioned for me to sit down at the kitchen island while he sipped on his coffee. “A few days ago, I heard a few bikers down at Jackroller Pub talking about me. I was tucked away in the back booth, so they didn’t see me. They were talking about how the Hell Riders were planning their return to Coronado, and they were getting everything in place to make sure that the Black Souls wouldn’t be able to fight back.”

  It looked like it physically hurt him to admit that. Lucifer hated to be doubted, even if he was the one criticizing himself. He had always done such a good job at protecting us, and I wasn’t surprised that he was worried that this was going to be more than we could handle.

  We both still had so many unanswered questions. Mainly, our uneasiness with regard to the suspicion that there was
a member of the club feeding information to outsiders. We didn’t have any physical proof, but we were certain it was happening.

  Lucifer slammed the coffee cup down on the kitchen island so hard I swear it had to have chipped. He was frustrated, angry, and downright bothered by what we were dealing with.

  “We still don’t know how they’re getting their information because we never did figure out who was involved with those stolen guns. Maybe it’s time we try something different because if the Hell Riders are planning their return and they’re getting lone riders to do their dirty work, we need to be one step ahead at all times,” I explained.

  Lucifer took a deep breath like he was trying to center himself. He knew I was the only person that he could lash out at without causing more distress amongst the other club members.

  “We have to play just as dirty,” Lucifer said. I could already tell where he was going with this. “Ryker, there’s something else you should know.”

  “What?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

  “The police seem to be paying closer attention to club activities. While we’re trying to get rid of our internal threat and the potential breach by the Hell Riders, we have to make sure we keep a low profile. The last thing we need right now is the cops knocking at our doors. I need you to do more digging, but you have to make sure no one sees you. I can’t promise you that I’ll be able to bail you out if they catch you,” he said.

  “Catch me where?”

  “Crossing the border into Tijuana where you’re going to be scoping out the area before returning to Coronado. Someone’s bound to talk soon. It’s been too long, and whoever is responsible for the stolen guns will give something away eventually. If not with the truth, then with another threat. Until someone actually takes a strike at me, we don’t have much to go off of, but if you get around the right crowd, you might be able to learn something new.” Lucifer was asking me to do something risky, but I could see how important it was going to be.

  “I’ll get it done, Lucifer. For now, try not to worry. All we can do is protect the club with the information we have. I’ll get someone talking, and hopefully we’ll get a bit closer to the source of these threats,” I replied.

  “Keep me updated.”

  “You got it.”

  I got back onto my bike, the sound of the police sirens ringing in the distance. Lucifer was right. I had been in and out of the city taking care of business, and I didn’t realize how much the police were starting to crack down on us. I could hear Lucifer’s voice in my head telling me to be careful, reminding me that we weren’t going to be in a very good position if we were to ever get caught, especially in the middle of a weapons delivery.

  I drove to the warehouse to make sure everything was up to par before making the trip out to Tijuana. There was a time when I would have argued with Lucifer about him going out there himself, but now that things had started to become tense again, we really had no other option.

  Lucifer couldn’t risk going out to Tijuana alone anymore because there were too many people counting on him, and I hoped things didn’t get to be too bad too fast. I gripped the handles of my bike, whizzing down the highway. In no time, I was back near the city where the warehouses were tucked away. I pulled up outside of our main weapons warehouse, staring up at the rusting metal doors. I had the same feeling I did the morning I found out someone had stolen merchandise, and the only logical explanation had to be a Black Souls member. I wondered then if we were ever going to solve that mystery.

  There were so many people that wanted Lucifer dead. How were we going to weed out the ones that were actually serious? There was something strange going on here, and it was up to me to determine what that was before we lost our only chance at keeping our heads above water.

  The clock was ticking, and I had a bad feeling we didn’t have time on our side.

  4

  Anna

  I had my coffee cup in hand, my suit neatly pressed. I was just about to head out the door when Hope’s soft murmur called from her bedroom. Aunt Fern was in the bathroom, so I rushed over to Hope and planted a kiss on her forehead. I smiled as I watched her fall back to sleep before I left.

  I trusted Aunt Fern would be able to handle everything while I was at work, but it still pained me to be away from Hope even though I knew without a doubt that this was the best thing I could do for her right now.

  I had a familiar sense of excitement and nervousness melding together in my stomach over starting my new job at the police station. I had worked hard for this opportunity, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

  I hopped into my car and drove down the highway. I turned on my car radio to listen to the morning news. The announcer said there was another incident involving bikers, but there was no mention of who they were or what their motives might have been. I suspected there was a lot more to it than the news reported—there always was—and it didn’t help the uneasiness that blanketed Coronado.

  When I pulled up outside the station, the looks on pedestrians’ faces were concerning, and a vast majority of them looked worried. What are we really dealing with here?

  It was probably safe to assume that this was something I would be heavily involved in, especially if the police spent a great deal of their resources trying to put them behind bars. As far as I was concerned, that was exactly where they belonged.

  I parked in my assigned parking space, got out of the car, and locked it as I slung my tote bag over my shoulder. I took a deep breath, staring up at the intimidatingly large building. This was the last step before I truly started turning my life around.

  I stepped inside and was immediately hit with the scent of the coffee machine brewing, the soft chatter of other employees, and the exasperated look on the receptionist’s face. She had a full head of messy brunette hair, big brown eyes, and full lips that were curled downwards into a frown as she tapped her pen on the desk. She looked positively bored, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Hello, I’m here to meet with the chief,” I said politely.

  “Name?”

  “Anna. He’s expecting me. I’m—”

  “Ah, you’re the call-back for the detective position. Head straight down the hall. His office is the first door on your right.” She didn’t bother to look at me as she pointed to the corridor behind her.

  “Thank you,” I replied.

  She collapsed into her chair and returned to her stiff expression. I shrugged it off and hoped others around here would be more pleasant. Nothing made for a worse work environment than sour coworkers. I guess I couldn’t be too picky. I have a job, and I should be content that I even got this position in the first place. There were a lot of candidates, and I had been overjoyed that he picked me.

  The sound of my pumps clacked on the wood floor as I walked down to where the receptionist pointed. I knocked lightly on the chief’s door.

  “Come in,” he said.

  I opened the door with a smile. The man behind the desk was in his late fifties with a receding hairline and strong jaw. He looked tired and busy like he had spent a good chunk of his life trying to get the bad guys. I had a feeling that was something that hadn’t changed over the years.

  “Hello sir, it’s nice to finally meet you in person,” I said.

  He motioned for me to sit down. “Anna, is it? It’s nice to meet you too. You can call me Harold. You have a glowing resume and a great reputation even though this is your first real job, correct?”

  I nodded, trying to hide the nervousness that was starting to settle underneath the surface of my skin. “It is, and I couldn’t be happier to work for you.”

  He nodded but didn’t show the least semblance of warmth. I was used to men like him, and I knew the only thing I could expect him to do around here was his job. I couldn’t let his cold demeanor get to me. I wasn’t here to make friends. I was here to get ahead and make a name for myself.

  I watched him study my face. I hoped he couldn’t see the doubt in my expres
sion and the worry that washed over me. It wasn’t too late for him to change his mind about giving me the job.

  “We’ll start you on a trial basis. If you are as good as your papers say you are, then you will have a permanent place here. Sound good?” he asked.

  My head bobbed a little too fast, eager to get started and prove my worth. I couldn’t wait to get started on what he was going to have me look into first. A part of me hoped it would be something simple, but the same uneasy feeling I had in my stomach earlier returned. He could have me work on the issues with the local bikers, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that level of crime or drama.

  “Thank you, sir. May I ask what I’ll be starting with?”

  “You’ve only just got into Coronado, right? I take it you have no idea about the MC Clubs that operate out of here.” He squinted from behind his glasses, pulling them off to pinch and pointing them at me while he talked.

  A sickness settled in my gut. Was I ready for this? “I’ve only just got back into town, yes. I was born here and lived most of my life here before moving out of state. Though, I know enough about Coronado to see that things have definitely changed,” I said, choosing to be honest. I hoped that was going to help me get into his good graces.

  “Well then, you might be more useful to me than I thought. We’ve had issues with illegal MC Clubs for a long time, namely the Black Souls MC. I know they’re nose-deep in illegal activity, but we don’t have anything to convict them on. Every time I see that ridiculous sigil of theirs, it makes my skin crawl. There have been a lot of biker gang-related incidents happening around the city as of late, and I need to figure out how to clear them out for good,” he explained.