Page 1 of Her Outlaw Biker (Vanishing With the Rebel #2)

Clover

I stare a little too hard at the lopsided neon sign above the door to the club. Snakebite Lounge. I’d hoped I would never have to come back to this filthy place. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, willing my heart to calm.

You’ve got this, Clover.

The stench of beer, smoke, and leather hits me the second I step through the door. It’s like walking into a different world, one I never belonged in, but was somehow forced into anyway.

The bar is dim, loud, and pulsing with bad decisions.

Neon signs flicker above the warped floorboards, and a Lynyrd Skynyrd song bleeds from the jukebox like a dying animal.

Eyes swivel in my direction as I pass, some curious, some leering.

I pull my flannel tighter around my chest and keep walking, boots tapping steady even though my heart’s racing wildly.

The Iron Vultures’ table sits in the back, like a throne looking out over hell. I spot the president almost instantly. Black leathers, inked knuckles, laughter with an edge sharp enough to bleed.

Rigs Cross is unmistakable.

He’s thicker than I remember, beard longer, arms roped with tattoos that curl up his neck. A snake on one side, a skull on the other. How fitting.

He glances my way and my heart slams hard against my chest.

Oh God, maybe I don’t got this…

“Well, well,” he drawls when I reach the table. “If it ain’t little Clover Raymond.”

I fist my hands at the “little” he’s attached to my name. I’m nineteen now, but this man has had me running errands for the MC since I was only fifteen. My fingers dig into my palms as I suppress the urge to turn on my heels and run.

“You called. Now, I’m here,” I say, managing to keep my voice calm. I can’t let him see my fear. Men like Rigs prey on the terror of others, and I’ll be damned if I let him catch me off guard. Again.

Rigs grins, showing a gold tooth that catches the light. “Didn’t think you had the balls.”

I don’t. Not really.

But my father’s life—well, what’s left of it—hangs in the balance.

“What do you want?”

He leans back, spreading his arms like some twisted preacher. “Your old man’s in deep. You know that. Loan’s overdue, interest climbing by the hour. With him drinking all day, his garage is worthless now, and we ain’t a charity.”

“I know,” I say quietly.

Rigs leans forward again, folding his hands on the scarred wood table. “The way I see it, you owe the Iron Vultures fifty grand. But…I’m feelin’ generous tonight. We’ll clear the debt. Wipe it clean.”

I blink. My stomach drops, because I know there’s a catch. “What’s the price?”

He smirks. “Ghost.”

My blood runs cold. “Ghost?”

“Yeah. Jack Maddox. Went dark on us three years ago. Lives out in the desert now, hiding like a ghost in his tin-can trailer.” His voice hardens. “We want him back for one last job. You bring him in…and your old man’s debt disappears.”

I stare at him, stunned. “I’ve only heard about Ghost. I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve got his location. You just have to…lure him out. Use what you got.” His eyes sweep over me suggestively, his mouth curving in a leering smile. I resist the urge to puke. “He won’t see you coming.”

I clench my fists. “And if I say no?”

Rigs shrugs. “Then your daddy dies broke and drunk and all alone. Maybe you do too. Accidents happen.”

My chest tightens, my stomach twisting into knots even as I raise my chin defiantly. “Is that a threat?”

“Yes.”

I swallow hard. “Fine. I’ll do it,” I say shakily, forcing the words past my lips.

His smile returns, smug and victorious. “Atta girl. Cutter will send you his location. This mission is top secret. Move with stealth.”

I don’t answer, just turn and walk away. I try to hold my head high, but the weight of my mission rests heavily on my shoulders. My dad is officially out of the MC, so I thought I could finally catch a break.

Turns out that was wishful thinking.

What did I expect? That a vicious MC like the Iron Vultures would just let me be?

Of course not. An alliance with them can only be broken by bloodshed.

Just like Ghost. I’ve heard terrifying whispers. I’ve seen things, but this man is capable of things beyond the imagination of a girl like me.

And I’m supposed to lure that kind of man back to a place he doesn’t want to be…to do a job he doesn’t want to do.

I step outside the club, the glaring desert sun making me squint. The air is warm, but we’re nowhere near the hottest part of the year, so I know I’ll be grateful for my jacket once the sun sets.

I straddle my dad’s old Harley, the one I rebuilt with my own hands, and reach for my helmet. When my phone dings, I take it from the front pocket of my leather jacket and glance at the screen; it’s an encrypted message from an unidentified number.

Ghost’s location.

It’s on the outskirts of town. I’ve never ridden that far from town alone. Never had a reason to.

But now I do.

I start the engine. It sputters, coughs, then roars to life.

As I pull onto the highway and the club disappears in my rearview mirror, I try to ignore the knots forming in my stomach, try not to think to hard about what a girl like me can do to “persuade” a ghost to come out of hiding.

The road ahead of me stretches out into the desert like a bad dream.

How do I find a ghost who doesn’t want to be found?

It isn’t long before my thighs ache from gripping the bike too tight. My back is stiff, and my fingers are numb from the wind, but I don’t stop. Can’t.

The weight of the deal Rigs offered me is pressing down harder than the desert sun.

The bike starts sputtering again.

“Don’t do this,” I mutter, giving it a little throttle. It jerks, coughs, then steadies out with a low growl. Good girl.

Sweat trickles down the back of my neck, soaking into my shirt. I’m running on fumes, gas, energy, and hope. My mouth is dry, lips cracked. If Ghost isn’t here, if this is all a wild goose chase, I don’t even know what I’ll—

There.

I crest a ridge, and a structure appears like a mirage—small, boxy, sunbaked and forgotten. A lone trailer parked like it’s hiding from the world, tucked behind a stand of dying mesquite trees and one battered truck with flat tires.

My heart kicks hard. This has to be it.

I kill the engine and coast to a stop, the quiet settling around me thick and strange. No dogs. No music. No signs of life.

I swing off the bike and stagger a little, my legs stiff. I walk up the dirt path, boots crunching gravel, and stop in front of the door. It’s dented, scorched around the edges. Bullet holes pepper the siding.

This is the kind of place where people disappear.

I raise my fist and knock.

Nothing.

I wait. Sweat drips down my temple. I knock again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

Is he gone? Is this some kind of test?

I step back, shielding my eyes from the setting sun, trying to make sense of the silence. Should I wait? Come back later? Yell his name? Hell, I don’t even know if he goes by Ghost anymore. What if—

A hand grabs my arm.

I scream.

Another grabs my waist, yanking me back. “Easy, sweetheart,” a gruff, male voice sneers in my ear. “We’re here for the same reason as you anyway.”

What the heck? Is this a setup?

Panic claws up my throat. I twist and kick. My boot connects with someone’s shin, but there’s more than one of them. Two, maybe three. One’s laughing, another’s reaching for something tucked in his belt.

“No!” I shout, my throat raw. “Get off me!”

Gunfire cracks through the air like a thunderclap, and blood sprays across my shirt.

The guy holding me jerks, stumbles, instantly letting me go. He clutches his bleeding arm, groaning as he staggers backward. More shots—precise, spaced out. Controlled. The other men scatter, ducking for cover behind the truck.

Then he steps out from the trailer’s side.

Ghost.

He’s taller than I imagined, broader too. Dressed in black, combat boots and worn jeans, a rifle held steady in his arms like it’s a part of him. His face is shadowed by a ball cap, but I make out a strong jaw covered in dark scruff, and an expression cold enough to freeze hell.

He doesn’t say a word. Just walks toward us, one slow, deliberate step at a time.

The guy who grabbed me is already gone, crawling back to the bike he came in on. His buddy follows, limping, muttering profanities. They peel off, engines roaring, dust swallowing them whole.

And then it’s quiet again.

My heart slams against my ribs. My legs won’t stop shaking. I look at him—the man I came all this way to find—and for a second, I forget how to breathe.

He lowers the rifle, but his gaze sharpens, cutting straight through me. “Aren’t you leaving with them?”

His voice is quiet, the kind of quiet that makes the hair on your neck stand up. Controlled. Dangerous. Like the pause before a storm hits.

“What?” I gasp, heart still hammering. “No—I don’t even know them!”

He stalks closer, each step deliberate, precise. “You led them here, didn’t you? They showed up right after you did.”

He must have been watching. He must have seen me the moment I stepped into his territory…

“I don’t know,” I croak, shaking my head. “I—I swear, I didn’t mean to lead anyone. I came alone. I came for you.”

His expression doesn’t change. He’s ice beneath the desert heat, staring at me like I might explode. Fury simmers just beneath the surface, not loud or theatrical, but heavy. Measured. And somehow, that makes it worse.

He’s terrifying.

And God help me…he’s so insanely sexy.

His jaw tightens, the muscle twitching like a loaded gun. There’s something coiled in him, something feral and disciplined all at once. I should be afraid. Maybe I am. But not in the way I should be.

“You came for me?” he scoffs. “Who the hell are you?”

I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. My throat is sandpaper. My heart’s slamming like a drum in my chest.

“I…” My voice cracks. “I’m…”

I don’t even get to finish. Everything hits me at once—

The ride. The heat. The deal I made with the devil.

The threat Rigs made.

The fight.

Him. Ghost.

My knees buckle. The world tilts sideways.

“Shit,” I whisper, blinking fast as the darkening sky wavers above me. My body isn’t listening anymore, just folding under the weight of it all.

Then everything goes black.