Page 22

Riley

W e’d been at the underground shelter for coming up on eight days, and I was going stir crazy. Spending quality time with Havoc had been like a dream come true. Although Mace and Alicia had left after the first day, other brothers and prospects had been cycling through on a regular basis. They were all nice, respectful, trustworthy men. And I appreciated them volunteering their time to protect me, particularly when Havoc had to go out on club business, like he did today, for instance.

I watched as Havoc pulled on his leather cut. His expression was grim and determined. Right now, he was all business. He glanced once more at the screen of his phone, reading the encrypted message from Hacker out loud for me to hear. “The IT guy slipped our net. I located a secondary server location, and we think he’s using it as a hideout. We have to move immediately or risk him slipping away yet again.”

“It sounds like it’s now-or-never time,” I told him encouragingly.

Havoc sighed and tucked the phone away in one of the inside pockets of his cut. “Yeah, I’m eager to move on Hacker’s intel, ‘cause we’re all tired of chasing this fucker. He’s been a gigantic pain in the ass."

I sat perched on the edge of a worn leather couch watching him ready himself for battle. He stuck guns all over his body and hid a small one in his boot. He also put a bulletproof vest on under his shirt. This whole situation made me extremely uncomfortable.

Two of the prospects hovered around the entrance, trying to look tough. Havoc jerked his chin at them.

“I’m going, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. It might be late tonight or even tomorrow. You two are to stay put until I get back or Storm sends relief. Got it?”

They both said, “Yes, sir.”

“Keep the doors locked. No one comes in or leaves without my direct approval.”

I frowned, reminding Havoc, “I have that appointment with Misty today at three PM. I’ve already rescheduled it once. She has OCD, and I can’t do it again without risking her progress.”

He nodded but had a stubborn expression on his face. “Helping her with her OCD is not worth risking your life for right now.”

My expression hardened. “It’s my life. I’ll be the judge of how important it is. Besides, you promised to escort me to the session, so I already verified with her that I was coming.”

“I don’t even like a little risk where you’re concerned.”

I decided to try catching flies with honey. “You know I wouldn’t ask unless it was important.”

Finally, Havoc stopped trying to run out the door and squatted down to talk to me about it. “Look, I know that woman trusts you. And you’ve helped her make real progress. I also get that this is your business. I’m not trying to wreck your business. My goal is to keep you safe until we catch Slater.”

“You’re not the only one who can escort me. You have people for that,” I said, gesturing to the two prospects. “Alvin and Jamie are going to be guarding me anyway. Why can’t they just guard me at the restaurant I’m meeting my client at? My sessions only last forty-five minutes. And then we’ll come right back.”

Havoc opened his mouth to object, but I cut him off. “I’ll be fine. You really don’t have time to argue the point. If I want to go and the prospects are willing to take me, that should be the end of it.”

“Alvin and Jamie are both competent. Listen to what they say when it comes to security. They’ll make sure you get there and back safely,” he said, shooting the two prospects a warning look that made them jerk to attention.

“Don’t worry. We got this, sir,” Jamie stated confidently. “We’ll leave our vests behind so as not to draw attention to ourselves and make sure your fancy life coach is within our sights at all times.”

“You’d do well to think of her as my old lady, prospect. Do not let her out of your sight. I don’t trust Slater any further than I can throw his hefty ass.”

Alvin added, “We won’t, sir. I give you my word on that.”

“Alright, text me when you leave, if anything pops off while you’re in the community, and when you get back. In other words, keep me in the fucking loop.”

They promised they would, and Havoc leaned over, gave me a quick kiss, and whispered, “Be careful out there today, sweetness.”

My arms came up, and I pulled him down for a long, lingering kiss.

When I let him go, he told me, “You’re right, I can’t keep you locked in a tower, a gilded cage, or this fallout shelter. You’re a woman with a job to do, and I respect you for wanting to get out there and do it. You’ve got this, Riley.”

I nodded, my expression relieved but also a bit uneasy for Havoc’s sake. “Thanks, babe. Just remember the promise you made to me about being careful, okay?”

“If I make a promise, I always do my best to keep it.”

“I know that you do, and I really respect that about you. Now, get out of here before you keep Storm waiting and he shouts his head off at you.”

He chuckled. “Storm might get wound up at times, but he doesn’t usually shout at us for being late.”

“I know. That was supposed to be a joke. It just didn’t land very well.”

“Love you, sweetness. I’ll be back before you know it with that IT guy’s head in a bag.”

My eyebrows flew up. “I don’t know much about tracking down bad guys, but I can tell you one thing. You can’t wring information out of him if he’s dead.”

Havoc just laughed as he headed for the door.

I glanced at Alvin and Jamie. “Are you two really okay with escorting me to my meeting this afternoon?”

Alvin asked, “What time did you say the appointment was?”

“We’re supposed to meet at three this afternoon.”

“Sure,” Jamie replied. “Whose bike do you want to ride on?”

I narrowed my eyes at him and told him firmly, “Neither. I’m not riding on the back of your bikes.”

Alvin rolled his eyes. “I told you she was true blue. She ain’t gonna be riding with no one but her old man.”

Jamie murmured, “He’s a lucky fucking dog. I hope he knows that.”

“Oh, he knows,” Alvin replied. Turning to me, he explained, “I was just pulling your leg. Mace left his car behind. I’ll drive it as far up the hill as I can, and then you and Jamie can walk down. It shouldn’t take me long to get back with it.”

“Thank you, Alvin. I want you to know that I’m grateful for every single thing you do. I mentioned to Havoc how you’re always taking the initiative. You seem like a real go-getter.”

His face lit up. “Thanks for that, Miss Riley.”

“Havoc told me that he already noticed that, and a lot of your club brothers have as well. He seems to think you might be getting patched in soon.”

“God in heaven, I hope so,” he replied dramatically.

***

I spent the day reading and preparing for my meeting, anything to take my mind off this situation with Slater. I grabbed a shower and put on one of my nicer outfits before pulling my hair back into a bun in the afternoon. When I went into the front room both prospects were ready to go. Everything went off without a hitch, and we pulled into the restaurant ten minutes early.

We went in and got a table by the window. I knew that bringing Alvin and Jamie along was a risk. The plan was to be on the lookout for her, meet her at the door, and for us to sit at a separate table. So, I watched as Misty approached the entrance. She was always slow and careful when she walked on uneven surfaces. Her eyes were constantly scanning the area for possible threats. She wore white gloves again. One of her goals today was to try to make it through one session without them. Her little flatware kit dangled from a neat little crossbody purse. As always, her overall appearance was pristine and pulled together.

She paused at the entrance, so I walked to the door to meet her. Misty saw me through the glass, pushed the door open with her gloved hand, and stepped inside. Her smile was bright enough to light up the room.

As we walked into the dining area to find a table, Jamie got up and pulled out a chair for her with an exaggerated flourish. “Mornin’, ma’am.”

Misty blinked at him and then shot me a confused look.

I spoke up immediately. “I’m sorry. I really should have clarified that Misty and I will be eating alone.”

“Alone? Nonsense. We’re all here together. Why sit separately?”

Trying to be discreet, I lowered my voice, “This is a work meeting, while we eat.”

Jamie looked truly disappointed and a little dejected.

Misty spoke up, her voice unsure. “I suppose we could sit together. It would be rude to make your friends dine separately.”

Her words floored me. Misty stepping outside her normal routine was the wild card I wasn’t expecting this morning.

Jamie immediately pulled her chair out a little more.

Misty lowered herself into the seat, looking ten kinds of uncomfortable.

I dropped down into my seat, perplexed about how to proceed. I decided to play it by ear. When I glanced over at Alvin, he gave me one slight shake of his head, alerting me that this was not a good idea. My anxiety spiked a bit.

“Thank you,” Misty murmured to Jamie.

He sat back down in his seat, all smiles. “You’re more than welcome.”

While we waited for the waiter, I tried to make small talk. I rose to greet Misty. “Hey. Your outfit looks nice.”

Misty gave me a shy smile. “I changed three times.”

“You picked a good one,” Jamie told her. Smiling politely, he added, “Pink is definitely your color.” Somehow the prospect tasked with guarding me had turned into a social butterfly.

Misty looked a little flustered, so I told her, “If you want, we can just have a bit to eat and discuss the things we came to talk about another day.”

She sighed, “It’s alright. This is a small town. Everyone already knows about my OCD.”

Jamie perked up. “You have OCD? So does my mom. What a small world.”

This whole situation was making me mortified. But suddenly Misty looked interested in what Jamie had to say.

“Really? Did she get diagnosed properly?”

“Yeah, they put her in a bunch of treatment years ago. but it didn’t help all that much.”

“I attend a support group over in Gilmore County every Saturday morning. Your mom’s free to join me if she wants.”

Jamie’s smile grew wider. “She might like that. She always did say that talking about it helps.”

Misty quickly lost some of her shyness in the face of talking about her favorite subject.

“What kind of OCD does your mom have?”

“The regular kind, I think,” Jamie responded.

“Is she a hand washer or germophobe? Those are the two big ones.”

“She’s a neat freak. She doesn’t like a messy house, and we have to wash all our fruits and vegetables three times to make sure they’re clean. She soaks her spinach in vodka for a few minutes. Claims it kills any bacteria that’s lingering on the surface.”

Misty’s eyes lit up. “She’s a germophobe like me.” The excitement in her voice was noticeable.

When the server took our drink order, Jamie ordered a coffee and a cup of hot water for tea. Then he proceeded to dump his flatware into the cup with the handles up. I decided to just ride this one out. Either Jamie was going to help Misty feel normalized or breed a bunch of new phobias for her.

Misty leaned over to peer into his cup.

Jamie grinned. “I bet you want to know why I did that. Am I right?”

Misty looked up at him, clearly awestruck. “I know why you did that. It’s to make sure your flatware is germ free.”

“Bingo. You’re a real smart lady.” The way he gazed at her was admiring and respectful. Misty noticed it too. She got shy again and admitted, “It never even occurred to me to scald my eating utensils.” She pulled her flatware utensil kit off her purse and opened it up to show Jamie her pretty pink flatware. “I usually carry my own. That way I can make sure it’s extra clean.”

His eyes rose from her little kit to her, and he smiled indulgently. “Your kit is pink. It suits you perfectly because it’s cute, like you.”

She blushed furiously. Then before any of us could say anything, she grabbed her metal flatware from the restaurant table and dumped it into Jamie’s steaming cup.

“Maybe, just this once, I could use the restaurant flatware,” she told him. And just like that, her daily goal was met.

“This is great. You wanted to be able to eat at restaurants without pulling out your kit. This is an easy hack to make that happen.”

Misty nodded. “Yeah, this idea really makes sense to me. I’m definitely going to be using this technique moving forward.”

I excused myself to go to the restroom, taking the burner phone Havoc gave me. I could hear Misty and Jamie laughing over how germ ridden most toothbrushes are and how they keep theirs germ-free.

I didn’t really have to use the restroom. I just needed to take a minute after seeing Jamie wreck the session I had planned with my client. I decided to call Havoc. Not to tattle on Jamie but just to hear his voice, hoping it would calm me down. He must have been in a meeting because my call rolled right to voicemail.

I tried calling my friends one by one but only one answered. Maritza picked up but then the call dropped. Something about that call dropping worried me. So, I texted her.

Me: Maritza, is everything okay?

When she texted me back, my worry only grew.

Maritza: Yes, girlfriend. I am fine. Where are you right now? Want to get a drink?

I’d texted with Maritza hundreds of times. Her grammar was normally atrocious, she never used periods and used a lot of emojis and text slang. This read like a robot wrote the text, something wasn’t right.

Me: Ritz what’s wrong? Girl, have you had a head injury?

Maritza: Go somewhere where others can’t hear and call me. I am in trouble and I need your help.

That text sent a chill right up my spine. She clearly had some kind of problem if she needed a private conversation.

I slipped out the back door onto the restaurant’s dock and dialed her number again. It rang three times before she picked it up. The connection was bad, but it sounded like she said hello, so I started a conversation.

“Ritz! Long time no see, girl. What have you been doing with yourself?”

My question was met with a stony silence and then a deep, dark voice I recognized came onto the line. “Your friend can’t talk right now. So, you’ll have to settle for talking to me, Riley.”

My stomach did a sick little flip-flop when I realized who I was talking to. “Slater, what are you doing? Where’s Maritza?”

“She’s safe for now, but her life now depends upon how well you follow my orders this morning.” His voice was smooth, confident, and slimy as hell. I was growing to hate the sound of his voice, and the thought of him holding Maritza hostage to get to me pissed me off like few things had in my life.

“If you lay one hand on her, I swear to God, I will make you pay.”

“I wish you’d stop assuming the worst about me,” his slimy voice sounded wounded. “I’m not a monster, and you jumping to conclusions is not good for our relationship.”

“We don’t have a relationship. We never did and never will. I’m sick and tired of being stalked by you.”

“I was trying to protect you. From those dirty bikers, Riley. But you’re always so obstinate.”

“What do you mean? All the ones I’ve met were nice and respectful.”

“You are incredibly gullible, Riley. You need someone familiar with the way the world operates to protect you.”

“Someone like you, no doubt,” I flung back with no interest in making it easy for this man to exploit me.”

“I can’t think of a more trustworthy man than me.”

I forced myself to calm down because I couldn’t afford to let my guard down around him. “What exactly do you want?”

Slater paused the conversation before announcing, “I want to have just a conversation. One hour in a public place. Just you and me. No one else. You say your piece, I say mine. After you hear me out, if the answer is still no, I’ll show myself to the door.”

“After what went down in the parking lot at my apartment complex, I can’t believe you expect me to buy that load of hogwash.”

“I don’t expect you to believe me. But I know you’ll meet with me because you’re worried about your friend, and meeting in a public place carries no risk for yourself. It would be foolish to refuse.”

A short silence spun out between us as I thought over his offer. “Let me talk to Maritza,” I said.

There was a short pause. Then her voice came over the line.

“Hey, Riley.” Her voice was shaky, and she sounded like she was scared but trying to put up a brave front.

Panic ripped through my brain. “Ritz? Where are you? What’s happening?”

“I’m scared. This nutjob is violent. It took a lot for him to make me contact you and I can’t take it anymore. He says he just wants to talk to you.” Her voice turned muffled, and she whispered, “Please just meet with him. He’s scary when he’s mad.”

Before I could respond, Slater was back on the line.

“Tick-tock, time to decide, Riley. Are you meeting with me or not? I don’t have all day to wait for you. I’m an important man with things to do.”

Feeling defeated, I agreed. “Where and when?”

“The Seafood by the Sea restaurant. It’s two blocks due west. The time is right now. Better get moving, Riley. The clock’s ticking, and after hunting you for days, I’m running out of patience for you. Come alone or you’ll never see your friend again.”