Page 11

Akira

The text chimed on my phone from an unfamiliar number. We needed to talk, sugar. Meet me at The Daily Grind in an hour. -Scarlet

I stared at the message, my brow furrowing. I’d run into Scarlet a few times, and knew she worked as a dispatcher with Logan. And he definitely complained about her quite a bit, mostly about her lack of work ethics. But when did she get my number? I sure the fuck hadn’t given it to her. What the hell could she want with me? My gut told me to delete the text and move on, but curiosity gnawed at me. Against my better judgment, I tapped out a reply. Fine. See you there .

An hour later, I pushed open the door to The Daily Grind, the rich aroma of coffee and baked goods enveloping me. The café hummed with activity -- the clinking of cups, the hiss of the espresso machine, the chatter of patrons. My eyes darted around the room, scanning the faces for Scarlet’s signature blonde bun and pinched expression. At least, that’s how Logan described her.

I wove through the crowd, my senses on high alert. Years of growing up in the MC world had taught me to always be on my guard, especially when dealing with someone as unpredictable as Scarlet. The fact my dad still had Reapers following me made me braver than usual. Although, I hadn’t noticed anyone shadowing me today. Didn’t mean they weren’t there.

I spotted her at a table in the back corner, her hazel eyes fixed on me as I approached.

My heart pounded against my ribcage as I slid into the seat across from her. The air felt thick with tension, a palpable unease settling between us. I met her gaze head-on, my own eyes narrowing.

“All right, Scarlet. I’m here. What’s this all about?” I kept my voice steady, but my hands clenched beneath the table.

She leaned forward, a saccharine smile playing at her lips. “Bless your heart, Akira. Always so direct. Can’t a girl just want to hang out?”

I arched an eyebrow, not buying her act for a second. “Cut the crap, Lettie. We both know you didn’t invite me here for a friendly chat. So why don’t you tell me what you really want?”

The use of the nickname her coworkers had given her made her pause. Yeah. Logan had talked about her, and now she knew it. Scarlet’s smile faltered for a moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. She straightened in her seat, her fingers drumming against the tabletop.

“Fine. You want to get straight to the point? I can do that.” Her southern drawl thickened as she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I know about your little situation with Logan. And I thought it was high time we had a chat about where your loyalties lay.”

Her eyes glinted with a dangerous edge, a subtle threat lurking beneath her words. What the hell was that supposed to mean? This woman didn’t know me, had never met me before. Who the hell did she think she was? My loyalties? I didn’t know what she was talking about, and frankly, it wasn’t any of her business.

She chuckled, a low and humorless sound. “You really shouldn’t have messed around with Logan.”

I bristled at her accusation, my defenses rising. “I wasn’t ‘messing around’ with anyone. Not that it’s any of your business.”

Scarlet leaned back in her chair, her gaze appraising. “Please. I’ve seen the way you two looked at each other. And yes, I’ve seen you out on your secret dates. Did the two of you really think no one knew?”

“Both his club and mine are well aware we’re seeing one another. But since you don’t belong to either, what’s it to you?” I asked.

She smiled then, a slow, calculating curve of her lips. “I want to help you, Akira. Believe it or not, I’m on your side. But if you want my support, you’re going to have to do something for me in return.”

I narrowed my eyes, suspicion prickling along my spine. “And what exactly is that?”

Scarlet leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table as she fixed me with an intense stare. “I need information. Information that only someone with your… connections… could provide. “

She hadn’t offered me anything in return yet. I felt like I needed to draw as much out of her as I could. Maybe then I’d have some clue what all this was truly about.

Her smile widened, a glint of triumph in her eyes. I’d never been more creeped out by someone in my life. I saw movement from the corner of my eye, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to look away from Scarlet. I couldn’t trust her, which meant I didn’t dare lower my guard. A quick glance didn’t show me anything out of the ordinary, but I couldn’t shake the feeling something about this situation was really off.

Suddenly, Scarlet tensed and stood up. She still hadn’t told me a damn thing. What the hell was going on? I reached out a hand toward her, but she backed up and grabbed her bag. “I’ll be in touch. I just remembered an important appointment.”

And with that, she walked out of the café. My chair scraped back, the sound almost drowned out by the frantic thudding of my heart. As I scanned the faces around me, one made me pause. Isaac Vermont. His face had been plastered on the news not too long ago. Otherwise, I’d have never recognized him.

The man had done his time and was now free. It shouldn’t bother me to see him here. So, why did I feel like it wasn’t a mere coincidence? I’d never had any connection to him before. As far as I knew, the Reapers hadn’t had anything to do with him either. Maybe this entire ordeal with Scarlet and the weird car Logan and I had spotted were just freaking me out and making me panic over every little thing. Not to mention the night I’d thought someone was following me.

With a deep breath, I pushed myself forward. I needed to get over it. I couldn’t live my life expecting the worst out of every situation. If I did, I’d never leave the damn house. What the hell was wrong with me these days? I’d never let things rattle me before.

I stepped out onto the sidewalk and paused for a heartbeat. I’d had to park a few blocks over. The new bakery in town had drawn quite the crowd with a special event, and all the parking had been taken by the time I arrived in the area.

I made my way to my car, or tried to. The sidewalk was packed with people. Spotting an alley ahead, I shot down it, hoping to get out of here quicker. It was daylight, so it didn’t feel dangerous. Just as I was about to step out onto the next street, I heard a voice behind me.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

I turned slowly. Scarlet and Isaac stood behind me, their faces twisted into smug smirks. Their eyes gleamed with a predatory glint.

“It looks like your luck has run out,” she said. “I have to admit, this was easier than I’d anticipated. Being the daughter of a Dixie Reaper, I’d expected much more from you.”

She’d expected more? What the fuck was this bitch’s problem? What the hell had I ever done to her? As far as I could tell, she was a total nutcase.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Why are you doing this?”

Isaac chuckled, a low, menacing sound that sent shivers through my body. “You’ll find out soon enough. But for now, you’re coming with us.”

“You think so?” I straightened my back, not daring to look over my shoulder at the street behind me. I didn’t need to give them even a hint of what I might be thinking. They thought they had the advantage, which meant they’d be sloppy.

“Get her,” Scarlet said. “It’s time to make that little whore pay for what she’s done.”

Seriously, what the hell did I ever do to this psycho? I pivoted my foot and before Isaac could make a move, I darted into the street and took off in the direction of my car. I didn’t know what they had planned for me, or why. Going to the Dixie Reapers seemed like a bad idea. I knew what my dad would do if he thought someone was trying to hurt me. And since Scarlet worked for the town, it made her too high profile. Sure, from what I’d heard, the Reapers had taken down a dirty mayor, some rotten cops, and probably a lot of other important people over the years. But if there was even a chance Logan could get connected to her disappearance, I wasn’t going to risk it.

I made it to my car and popped the locks. The moment I slid inside, I shut the door and locked it again. Using my mirrors, I checked the area. Not seeing either Scarlet or Isaac, I put the key in the ignition and took off. There was only one place I could think of right now, somewhere people might know how to handle this situation… The Swift Angels clubhouse.

I used the Bluetooth in my car to send Logan a message. Meet me at your clubhouse. It’s an emergency .

He didn’t respond, but I saw he’d read it. Which meant he was likely in a panic right now and on his way to meet me. If he’d taken the bike, he wouldn’t pull over to send a text. Not if he thought I was in trouble. No, he’d do what he could to get there as fast as possible.

The Swift Angels’ clubhouse materialized ahead. I pulled to a stop outside and locked my car before heading to the door. Since it was unlocked, I knew that meant at least someone was inside. I’d met them all at one point or another, even though we hadn’t exactly hung out. Of course, they’d known me as Dawson’s friend, not Logan’s girlfriend.

Speaking of… “Hey, Dawson.”

He narrowed his gaze at me. “What are you doing here?”

I bit my lip and shoved my hands into my pockets. “Um, I think I need help, and going to my dad would have probably just made things worse.”

He nodded to the empty seat across from him. I took it and folded my hands on the table. “Are you familiar with Scarlet?”

“The dispatcher?” he asked. “I’ve met her a few times. Don’t hear her as often over the radio as the others. From what they’ve said, she’s a flake and is always calling out of work. Why?”

“I’m not sure why it happened, but she texted me to meet her at the café. I did, and it was just… weird. Then on my way to my car, she came up behind me with that ex-con who recently got out. Isaac Vermont. She made it sound like they were going to hurt me or kidnap me.”

His brow furrowed. “That doesn’t make any sense, Akira. Why would Scarlet want to hurt you?”

The clubhouse doors burst open and Logan came running in. He didn’t stop until he’d reached me, then he hunkered beside me and started running his hands over me. “What’s wrong? You scared the shit out of me.”

“She said Scarlet and an ex-con tried to kidnap her or something,” Dawson said. “Doesn’t make any sense to me. She doesn’t even know Akira.”

Logan straightened, his hands fisting at his sides. “She did what?”

“But I take it you understand why,” Dawson said. “Care to share with the class?”

“Scarlet has been acting weird. More so than usual. I get the feeling she’s been stalking me. I’ve also been getting these creepy texts.” He pulled one up on his phone and showed us. “I wasn’t sure if the angel they referred to was Akira or someone in the club. Now I guess I know.”

Diego came over. “Whoa. What the fuck is going on?”

I told them what I knew from my end, but then when Logan spilled everything, we started piecing things together.

“Sounds to me like Scarlet is obsessed with you,” Diego said, glancing at Logan. “Enough to see your girlfriend as a threat.”

“She knows my dad is a Dixie Reaper,” I said. “She mentioned something about expecting more from a Reaper’s daughter.”

“Which explains why she’d want to involve someone like Isaac. Not sure what’s in it for him, unless she’s offering money,” Dawson said.

Logan snorted. “Not sure how she has any. I swear last month, she called out every damn week. Month before that, she was out an entire week. Somehow, she always comes up with excuses or doctor’s notes. Makes me wonder if she has someone that will write one for her regardless of whether or not she actually needs medical attention.”

Diego grunted. “I feel like we’re still missing some pieces of the puzzle.”

“I hope we can figure them out before someone gets hurt.” I dropped my head to the table, the adrenaline long gone. “If Dad hears about this, all hell will break loose.”

“For now, we just need to stay vigilant. Go about our business as usual.” Dawson stood. “And Akira needs to be armed at all times. I know she can take care of herself, but not if she’s running around without any weapons.”

Diego held up his hands. “Didn’t hear that.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Took a class and everything, even though I knew what the hell I was doing before I even got there.”

Logan crossed his arms. “I know the two of you don’t want to involve the Dixie Reapers, but I’m not taking any chances with Akira’s safety. Sorry, Dawson, but I think we may need your dad’s club for this one. And Akira mentioned a hacker. Could he find something we might be missing? Paint a better picture?”

Dawson pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fucking hell.”

“Now you sound like your dad,” I said.

“Shut it.” He glowered at me, but I just grinned. “As much as I want to keep them out of this, maybe Logan is right. Every mystery solved by the Reapers was thanks to Wire and Lavender. If we had their help with this, we might wrap things up faster. Who knows? Maybe you can convince them to even do things the mostly legal way.”

“Fat chance,” Dawson muttered. “The Swift Angels don’t work in shades of gray. I never wanted to walk that path.”

“I didn’t either,” Logan said. “But for Akira, I’m willing to risk anything.”

“Then let’s go. I’ll call Justin and see if he wants to meet us over there,” Dawson said. “Akira, ride with Logan. At least if anything happens on the way there, the two of you will be together.”

“Um, aren’t you sort of barred from going inside the compound?” I asked.

“Apparently my ban has been reversed. Dad called and said I can stop by whenever I want,” he said.

I stood up and gave him a salute, which he didn’t appreciate in the slightest. He flipped me off in response, which made Logan tense and growl. I patted my boyfriend on the chest.

“Easy. This is just how we are. You’ll get used to it. Eventually.” I kissed his cheek and headed outside toward his motorcycle.

It looked like I was going home whether I wanted to or not. I just hoped this didn’t end up being the biggest clusterfuck in history.