by Wilder, L.
I hadn’t realized that Gus had come into the room until I heard him ask, “And what exactly are you planning to do with this information?”
“Don’t know just yet.”
“Hyde know you’re looking into this fella?”
“No.” I knew he didn’t like my response. It was written all over his face. Before he could try to talk me out of pursing this guy, I told him, “This doesn’t have anything to do with him.”
“If it involves his sister, then I’d say it has plenty to do with him.”
“Hyde had his chance to fix this thing with Lucas, Prez.” I stood up and took a step towards him. “You know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”
“Going behind Hyde’s back isn’t the way to go about this.”
“How about this? I won’t do anything with Lucas before talking to him.”
“I have your word on that?”
“You know you do.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I turned my attention to back to Riggs. “I’m gonna need everything you gave Hyde.”
“You got it.” After a few strokes of the keys, his printer started shooting out page after page. When it was done, Riggs grabbed the stack of paper and offered it to me. “This is everything I’ve got.”
I took a moment to flip through the pages, then said, “I’m gonna need you to track his phone and credit cards. I want to know every move this motherfucker makes.”
“You got it.”
“Appreciate it, brother.” Before leaving, I turned to Gus and asked, “You got a minute?”
“Yeah, let’s go down to my office.”
I followed him down the hall, and once we’d made it to his office, he closed the door behind us. “This about the girl?”
“It is.” I waited for him to sit down, then said, “Things just got really fucking complicated, and I got no one to blame but myself.”
“You want tell me what the hell you mean by that?”
I sat down and sighed. “I let myself get too close…Crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed.”
“Alright, so what are you gonna do about it?”
“That’s just it. I don’t have a fucking clue.”
Gus leaned back in his chair and studied me for a moment. We’d been friends for a long time. He knew me better than anyone, so I had no doubt that I could trust him to lead me in the right direction—even if he led me in a direction I didn’t want to go. I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for a reprimand, but instead, he said, “You’re a good man, Bone. I trust you to do the right thing by her and the club.”
“But what if I…”
“I trust you.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk, and looked me dead in the eye. “Now, it’s time for you to do the same.”
“Damn, brother. As much as I appreciate you saying that, you’re not giving me here,” I complained. “I came to you for advice on what to do.”
“You didn’t need my advice when you crossed that line you say you shouldn’t have crossed,” he scoffed. “But if I had any advice to give you, it would be to take things slow. Keep it as simple as you can for as long as you can.”
“And Hyde?”
“He’ll come around when the time is right. Like the rest of us, he knows you’re a good man.” His expression grew hard as he warned, “Just don’t give him a reason to think otherwise.”
“I won’t. You have my word on that.”
“Best be getting to work. I’m sure Darcy is already there waiting on you now.”
“No doubt.” As I started to leave, I said, “Thanks, Prez.”
After I left his office, I headed out to the parking lot. Once I’d made it to my bike, I put the papers Riggs had given me into my saddlebags and headed to the garage. As much as I wanted to stop and look through everything Riggs had given me, it would have to wait. I had to get to the garage and finish breaking down the 1969 Camaro I’d been working on for the past couple of days. Darcy had already started painting and was waiting on me to finish sandblasting the rear end. Darcy wasn’t exactly patient, so I wasn’t surprised that she was waiting for me when I pulled up to the garage. She was standing at the front door in her painting suit, and her hand planted on her hip. “Well, look who finally decided to show up.”
“What the hell, Darc? It’s not even eight o’clock yet.”
“You know I have to finish priming today.”
“I’m well aware of that.” I walked past her as I started inside. “That’s why I got here ear-ly.”
“Well, clearly your idea of early and mine are very different.”
I could’ve shot back at her. Hell, under any other circumstance, I would have, but I knew she was just eager to get the job finished and finished right. Darcy might’ve been a chick, but damn—she worked as hard as any man I’d ever met, and I respected her for it. We all did. With her following close behind, I walked over to my station and picked up the sandblaster. “I’m on it… I’ll have it ready for you in thirty.”
“Okay.” Her expression softened as she said, “Thanks, Bone. I knew I could count on you.”
“Um-hmm. Sure ya did,” I scoffed. “That’s why you were waiting at the door to bust my balls.”
“Well, they’re still intact, aren’t they?”
I reached down, took my balls in my hand, and after holding them for a moment, I smiled. “Yeah. They’re just fine. Thank you very much.”
“Such an asshat.”
“Yeah, but you love me. You know you do.”
“Shut up and get to work, Bone.” She turned and started to walk away. “The clock’s a ticking.”
I shook my head as I watched her go back into her paint room. I knew better than to keep her waiting, so I immediately got to work. As promised, I finished the rear end in less than a half hour, and after Gauge and I carried it into the paint room, we got busy on the engine. The entire time we were working, I was thinking about Brant and all the intel on him that was waiting for me in my saddlebag. Sensing that something was bugging me, Gauge nudged me and asked, “What’s with you today?”
“Just got some things on my mind.”
“I see that. You wanna talk about it?”
Gauge was a good guy. I knew without a doubt that I could trust him with anything, but I’d made a promise to Alyssa and I intended to keep it. “Thanks, man, but I’ve gotta handle this one myself.”
I turned my focus back to the task at hand, and together, Gauge and I busted our asses to get it done. When we finally wrapped things up, I cleaned up my station and headed out to my bike. I wasted no time getting on road and to my place. Once I got there, I grabbed the papers on Lucas out of my saddlebags and went inside. I sat down at the kitchen table and went through every page, line by fucking line. At first, the guy seemed like your average Joe, but then I came across his police record. It seemed that Alyssa wasn’t the only woman he’d raped. While the charges were either dropped or never formally made, there were at least five other women who’d accused Brant of rape, and just like he had with Alyssa, the motherfucker had gotten away with it—and, that shit was about to fucking change.
CHAPTER 8
Alyssa
“What’s up with you?” Jack teased as he carried a load of dishes to the sink. “All smiles like all is good in the world. You must’ve had one hell of a night last night.”
“I did.” I smiled. “That doesn’t mean I’m gonna tell you about it.”
“Seriously?” He turned on the water and let it run over the dirty dishes. “You’re really gonna hold out on me?”
“Sorry, dude.” I could’ve told him about my night with Beckett, but I found it doubtful that he’d understand how much it had meant to me. I couldn’t put it into words how after being with Beckett, I felt like a weight had been lifted off me. I couldn’t remember feeling so alive, so free, and happy—really happy. I grabbed my crate of potatoes and gave him a wink. “This one I’m keepin
g to myself.”
“I’m gonna remember that! Next time I’ve got tea to spill, I’m keeping that shit to myself.”
“Um-hmm. Sure you will.” Over the past few weeks, Jack and I had become pretty close friends. He made it easy. He was always goofing around, doing his best to lighten the mood whenever things got tense in the kitchen, and he was a great listener. It also helped to know that he wasn’t the least bit interested in me. He’d let it be known early on that he was involved with someone—someone who just happened to be named Benjamin. They’d been dating for over a year, and from the way Jack spoke, they were very happy together. I looked back over my shoulder as I smiled at him and said, “As soon as Benjamin does something sweet for you, you’ll be itching to tell me all about it.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.”
I went over to the cutting board and started peeling my second crate of potatoes. I’d been at it for almost an hour when Bisset came over to me. He stood silently watching as I continued on with my task, and after several moments, he cleared his voice. I looked over to him and listened as he said, “I’m moving you to plating.”
“Oh…okay,” I answered, unable to hold back my excitement. I’d only been there a few weeks, and to be moved so quickly was a big deal. As much as I wanted to reach up and hug his neck, I simply gave him a nod and said, “Thank you for the opportunity.”
“I’ll be watching. One screw up, and you’re back to the potatoes.”
“Understood.”
Bisset then turned and made his way over to Jack. I watched as they spoke for a couple of minutes, and seconds later, Bisset went back to his regular routine of barking out orders to the rest of the crew. Jack was smiling ear to ear as he made his way over to me and said, “Looks like I’m finally moving up.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I’m moving to the line,” he answered proudly. “I’m gonna be taking your place with the vegetables and salad.”
“That’s awesome. Congratulations!”
“Thank you very much.”
“I didn’t realize you were interested in becoming a chef.”
“Ain’t like I’m gonna be bus dishes the rest of my life.” He lifted his head and placed his hands on his hips as he rocked them back and forth. “I’m working my way up in the world, sunshine. You just wait and see.”
“I have no doubt that you will do great.” I motioned my hand towards the crate of potatoes. “You best get busy.”
“Right back at ya.”
I was walking on cloud 9 as I headed over to the main cooking station, but the second I got into position, my nerves kicked in. I knew Bisset would be watching my every move, and he would be expecting me to keep up with the fast pace of the line without making any mistakes. While I made plenty, none of them were too major, and I made it through the night without a single plate being returned to the kitchen. That in itself was enough to have me smiling as I headed into the locker room at the end of the night. I about to gather my things when Jack walked in. “How’d it go?”
“Could’ve been better.” I shrugged with a half-smile. “Could’ve been worse. How about you?”
“Peeling potatoes isn’t an ideal job, but it sure as hell beats washing dishes.”
“Yes, it does.” I took my purse and umbrella out of my locker as I asked, “You about to head out?”
“Yeah. You want me to walk you out to your car?”
“That would be great.”
Eager to get home, I took my keys in my hand and followed him towards the door. When we got out to my car, I thanked him and quickly said my goodbyes. As soon as I was in my car, I rushed home. I wanted to be ready in case Beckett came by. He’d been coming by every night for the past couple of weeks, but after what had taken place the night before, I wasn’t sure that the same would hold true tonight. I didn’t want what happened between us to change things between us. I wanted us to remain friends and keep things simple, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t possible. There was no way that things wouldn’t change after the night we shared, but I hoped the change would be a positive one. After I took a shower and changed clothes, I went into the kitchen and to search the fridge for something to make for dinner. It had been a couple of days since I’d been to the grocery, so I was down to the basics. I pulled out a carton of eggs, some bacon, and a can of biscuits.
I was just about to turn on the stove when I heard a knock at the door. A big smile crossed my face when I opened it and found Beckett standing on the porch. “Hey…I wasn’t sure if you were going to come by.”
“Me either.” He gave me a half-smile. “But I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m good. I was actually just about to make a bite to eat if you’d like to come in and join me.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I reached out and grabbed his arm, tugging him inside. “Now, get in here and help me cook.”
“Bacon?”
“Yeah. I’m making breakfast for dinner.” As we walked into the kitchen, I told him, “I haven’t been to the grocery in a few days, so my options were kind of limited to bacon and eggs.”
“Sounds good to me. Just tell me what I can do to help, chef.”
“How ’bout you cook the bacon, and I’ll start the biscuits?”
“You got it.”
Beckett took the bacon off the counter and went over to the stove, while I got out my cast iron skillet for the biscuits. I opened the can and was just starting to put them in the skillet when Beckett asked, “A skillet for biscuits?”
“It makes the biscuits rise better.” I took the skillet and slipped it the stove. “It’s an old trick my mother taught me.”
“Is that right?” A sexy smirk crossed as face as he stood there looking at me. “What other tricks did she teach you?”
“Just a few things here and there, but they were nothing like the tricks you showed me last night,” I teased.
“What kind of tricks are you referring to?”
“Oh, come on, Beckett.” I walked over and took a bowl from the cabinet. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Can’t say that I do.”
I started cracking the eggs into the bowl as I shook my head. “That thing you did with your fingers for one.”
“You liked that, did ya?”
“Um-hmm.” I kept my eyes on the bowl of eggs, scrambling them with the whisk as I muttered, “Liked that kissing thing you did on my neck, too.”
I hadn’t realized that he’d come up behind me, until a felt the warmth of his breath on my neck. A delicious tingle shot down my spine the second his lips touched the curve of my neck. “You mean this?”
“Um-hmm.”
It felt so good and I didn’t want him to stop, so titled my head. Just as I hoped, he continued nipping and sucking down to my shoulder. Just before he stopped, he softly clamped his teeth down against my skin, giving me another jolt of pleasure. That pleasure was quickly replaced with disappointment went he abruptly stopped and walked back over to the stove, turning his focus back to the bacon he’d been cooking. It amazed me that a simple touch could have such an effect on me, but that’s how it was with Beckett. He brought out feelings in me that I never dreamed I would have. I thought I would always be guarded, untrusting and cold, but he’d shown me that I was wrong. I could feel trust and passion, and everything in between. It was one of the many reasons why I liked to be around him so much. I didn’t have to see his face to know that he was smiling as he asked, “How those eggs coming along?”
“Such a tease,” I whispered under my breath.
He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes dancing with mischief. “What was that?”
“Nothing.” I walked over to the stove and dumped the bowls of eggs into the frying pan. “How much longer on the bacon?”
“It’s done. Might wanna check on those biscuits.”
I nodded, then opened the stove. When I saw that they were ready, I reached for an oven-mitt, t
hen pulled them out and set them down on a hot plate. Beckett leaned over and gave them an appraising nod. “Looks like your mom was right about the skillet.”
“That she was.” I took the spatula and stirred the eggs, and once they were done, I carried them over to the counter. “Looks like we’re set.”
“Plates?”
I motioned my hand above his head. “They’re right behind you in the cabinet.”
After he got us a couple of plates, he walked over and sat down on one of the stools next to me. We each made a plate and started eating. After he taken a few bites, he looked over to me and said, “You didn’t finish telling me about those tricks.”
“Well, I was trying to, but then you had to go and distract me before I could finish.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.” A smile spread across his handsome face. “Couldn’t help myself.”
“Um-hmm. Sure, you couldn’t.”
I poked around at my eggs, then took a sip of my tea. I knew he was waiting for me to tell him about the other things he’d done that had turned me on, but as I sat there I suddenly became embarrassed and regretted ever bringing it up. I had no idea how to explain it to him, so I just kept quiet and pretended to eat. Beckett had just finished the last of his biscuit when he leaned towards me and asked, “Why don’t you stop stalling and tell me what’s really on your mind?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.” I shrugged. “And a little embarrassing.”
“You’re gonna have to give me more than that.”
“Let’s just say that after last night it’s pretty clear that you have a lot of experience… experience I don’t have.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“I don’t think you get what I’m saying.”
“No. I get what you’re saying,” he reached out and placed his hand on mine, “and you’re wrong if you think there’s anything wrong or embarrassing about the fact that you haven’t had a lot of experience. I personally think it’s a good thing. A very good thing.”
“And why’s that?”