Page 42 of Dirty Salvation

If Rider looked closer he'd see the tie had one of those fancy knots Texas liked best, what did he call it again? Something British or other.

It was more at home at a tea party than an outlaws MC, but somehow Texas fit like a glove.

Of all outlaws, Texas was antithetical to the rest of Rider's crew in every way possible, except the ones that counted. Namely loyalty and brotherhood. The guy was club-faithful to a fault, when Rider had needed a money man there Texas was with his immaculately cut hair, manicured nails and a well-spoken voice offering his services for a trial period, a savior in among the dirt and with some deep down shoveling he'd dug the club out of a shithole. He’d been patched in four months later. Rider would always give the guy the same kind of loyalty.

He looked up. "Hey, man. Yeah, now we got rid of the eyes from the compound. They poke into anything inside?"

"Not a thing, though I stressed loud enough that they hadn't produced a warrant of any sort to be searching and touching. Timmons' boy, that young thing Barry? No, Larry the lamb tried to puff his chest at Hawk, you can guess how that went. I think the boy defecated himself right there in the common room. He got out of there real quick." A grin split Texas' face.

Rider laughed, rising to his feet, he'd had enough of this freezer box and enough of brooding.

"Hawk's got that kinda face. We'll keep a low profile for a few days, Grinder's ridin' the tailcoats of a few contacts he has closer to Westbank, he'll let us know if the sheriff begins to look at us again. I pissed Charlie off enough to have him thinkin' he'd insulted the club, should have the good church boy turned around for a while."

"You sure we can't use him, Prez? It would be nice to have an insider sometimes, for this kind of situation, luckily this time we were prepared beforehand."

Leaving the office door ajar, not as though the weather could make the cabin any colder, Rider strode in step with his money man, sharing a look with him. His fingers flexed as he flicked his index finger over his thumb ring, moving the black metal around.

Cops were buzzing around his place like mosquitos waiting to suck his blood dry, he was sure the ATF still had eyes on some of the other chapters, maybe here, too, a good ten years ago, when his uncle was running the MC into the ground they'd had a hard-on to pin shit on them. So, with all that, the last thing Rider should be thinking about was a sweet-as-candy girl.

Her scent was all over his room now, she left clothes on the chair, her toiletries were scattered on the bathroom counter, and he was instantly hard every time he stepped into the shower knowing they were sharing soap.

Turned on by soap.Fucks sake.

He pushed the troubling thoughts aside before he sported wood.

"Thought about it a while back, but nah. Not that I think Timmons would go for it, the man bakes crap for the fuckin' church." he chuckled darkly, his steps drawing him closer to the clubhouse.

To where Zara was. His body stirred. "We're outlaws, Tex, we don't climb into bed with the law, not if we can help it, and I'd kinda sleep with Hawk first."

"Unless she's a five foot eleven leggy bit of a blonde cop with a giving mouth, Prez. Then all bets are off because I believe my pants would just fall off."

He believed.Rider barreled a deep laugh cuffing his treasurer around the back of the neck in a bro-affection way as he laughed as well. Only Texas would talk of boning a lady-cop with the manners of a Prince.

"Funny fucker."

"That’s better than ugly fucker. Are you joining us? we have a few pool bets going with the prospects, they've got no idea what kind of hustler Snake is, one of his lady friends has stopped by as well, she's entertaining if you like half-naked drunk girls whose giggle sounds like a braying donkey. I'm already up seventy dollars. Schmucks keep laying down the cash like big-shots, I'm going to keep taking it from them. Teaching the kids, a lesson."

After an unscheduled visit from the local law upholders Rider would have happily sunk a few drinks with his brothers to unwind, but not today, not when his skin itched.

He punched in the key code to get inside, Tex followed behind and gave anahhto Rider's silence.

He cocked his head, brow raised in question. "You'll be looking for the girl then? What's happening there, are you claiming her?"

"What makes you ask that?" Curious, he wanted to know. Was his boner for her clear to all his brothers then he thought? He hadn't made his protection towards her a secret.

"She's in your room, Rider. We don't see her unless she's trailing behind you when it's mealtimes, when you're not here she's hidden away in your room again. It doesn't take much to reason you’re... Well ... you know."

Rider scrubbed his nape, let out a long breath. Yeah, he wasyou knowalright. "It's not like that." he wished, but too soon was a saying for a reason.

Zara had baggage he didn't think she could ever drop. "But I'm about to do something about this hiding shit. Catch ya later, man."

Texas laughed, wished him luck. Luck had nothing to do with it.

His Icy needed to hear a few truths from him.

CHAPTER TEN

“Get to know your man, baby...” – Rider