Page 11

It was hotter than the devil’s asshole out there, so I ducked into the shade of a makeshift bar area, just some big tent with crates of beer. That’s when I heard a commotion. I was half listening, as a man with a scraggly mustache accosted some girls.

I spit out my beer. Did she just say she had a full bush? What the hell? That had my attention. The biker suddenly had a grip on some girl’s vest, yanking it down. I heard her startled yelp over the noise.

I stepped forward instinctively, eyes zeroing in on the woman. She was tall, with dark, wavy hair, green eyes wide in shock. She had glasses perched on her nose, fogged slightly with the heat. Her body was insane. Curvy in all the right places, hips that filled her tight black skirt, and to top it off, a perfectly plump and perky breast that had just spilled out of the half-torn vest. The combo of that sexy body and the nerdy glasses made my brain short-circuit for a hot second.

When I saw the asshole pull her top so low that a succulent breast popped free, before I even thought it through, I was shoving him back, my fist connecting with his jaw. He staggered, cursing. The girl scrambled to cover herself, cheeks flaming.

“Back the fuck off,” I snarled, grabbing him by the collar. “You don’t put your hands on a woman who doesn’t want it.”

He spat blood. “Mind your own business, Road Monster.”

I tightened my grip. “Take your shit elsewhere or I’ll break your goddamn jaw.”

He blanched, dropping his gaze. “Fuck you,” he mumbled, but he stumbled away, nursing his busted lip.

I turned to the girl, her chest still heaving with anger. She was adjusting her clothes, face flushed. A blonde friend stood beside her, looking ready to throw punches herself.

“You all right?” I asked gruffly, forcing myself not to stare at the generous cleavage she was covering, but my eyes went elsewhere to her exposed belly. Damn, her flawless skin. She was downright gorgeous.

She nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. Thanks. I was handling it.” Her voice trembled a bit, but her eyes were fierce, even behind those foggy lenses.

“Sure you were, princess,” I jibed.

Goddamn, she was pretty. Like real pretty, akin to a pinup girl of days gone by. That dark hair fell around her face in intoxicating curls. When she looked up at me with larger-than-life green eyes, I felt a jolt, like she was electrocuting me.

No. She was a fucking defibrillator, bringing my dead heart back to fucking life.

Her hand was in her vest, adjusting the breast I just saw. My dick noticed, instantly becoming an unmovable rock. How I wished her hand was mine. I reached out. “Name’s Maverick.”

Her tiny hand slipped into mine, warm and soft, and I imagined it was that titty. Her pretty lips parted, but her friend spoke. “She’s Smutty, and I’m Slutty.”

This princess’s face scrunched up as she glared at her friend. Damn, she was adorable when she was angry.

“What? Maverick’s not his real name,” her friend said, and I couldn’t argue with that.

“Smutty?” I asked, thinking my dream had come true. My tent plans for the evening just changed. “With a full bush?” On her, it didn’t matter. I’d bring my machete to get inside her.

Her cheeks turned bright red. “Lexi,” she breathed, pushing her fogged glasses up.

Fuck, I wanted to rip them off her face and kiss her.

“This is my friend, Nova. Or at least she was.”

I acknowledged her friend, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off her as she bit her bottom lip nervously. “What’re you doing here? You’re obviously not from this crowd.”

Before I could say more, a familiar, boozy voice chimed in from behind me, “There you are, big boy!”

I turned to see Diana stumbling over, arms outstretched like she wanted to hug me. I stepped aside to avoid her wet-lipped kiss. She pouted, then noticed the dark-haired girl. A flicker of recognition passed over her drunken features as she caught herself on my arm.

“Hey, baby.” Was she talking to Lexi? “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

My gut tightened as I saw the likeness, but Lexi was so beautiful. Diana was probably beautiful too before life chewed her up and spit her out.

So that’s Diana’s daughter.

The brunette’s eyes flew to Diana, then to me, confusion etched on her face. Her friend looked equally dumbfounded.

“Mom?” the girl said, voice tight. “What are you… Who is…?”

Dirty Diana giggled drunkenly, leaning on me. “This is Maverick. He’s been takin’ real good care of your mama.” She patted my chest like she owned me. “Isn’t he fine?”

My face flamed for reasons I couldn’t quite name. That was the last introduction I wanted right then. “Hey, so you’re her daughter,” I said, trying not to sound like a complete dumbass.

She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing under her glasses. “Yeah. I just got here. She called me for help. Didn’t realize she was…preoccupied.” She shot me a look that screamed, she did not approve of whatever she thought was going on.

I bit back a sigh. Although I wished to clarify the misunderstanding, I was on a mission. I couldn’t blow my cover.

Diana cackled, apparently missing the tension. “He’s shy,” she teased, throwing me a saucy wink. “But oh, you should see him in action.” She gave me a not-so-subtle up-and-down.

Lexi looked appalled. Her friend, that tall blonde, rolled her eyes. The moment was awkward as fuck. I cleared my throat.

“Lexi, baby, you made it!” Diana wrapped her arms around her daughter. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. I was telling Maverick all about you. My sweet, smart daughter, who’s a lawyer now!”

My mind was everywhere at once learning the fact that Diana did in fact have a daughter, and she must’ve taken my advice and told her of the danger. Her daughter was panicked, asking her a million questions, and Diana wasn’t being too forthcoming. Since she was shitfaced.

I leaned into Lexi to let her know what I knew. “Diana’s told me a little about it, but not enough to figure out who’s behind the threats. She’s…not real specific.”

Lexi frowned. So, Diana told her someone was threatening to kill them.

Her friend cleared her throat. “Perhaps we can all find somewhere quieter to talk?”

Diana wanted more drinks and after everything, I figured getting her sloshed was our best bet when it came to milking the truth out of her.

“We can move over to the bar tent,” I suggested. “Less dust, at least.”

Lexi continued to pepper her mom with questions, but Diana didn’t want to talk here. I had another excuse to get close as I whispered in her ear, “Your mom’s known around here as Dirty Diana. She’s, uh…gathered a lot of intel on different clubs, different men, all that. Some of them might not want their secrets out in the open.”

“Secrets,” Lexi practically shouted.

Diana creaked out, “I’ve had to…survive, Lexi. You do what you gotta do. But anyway, this man who’s threatening me says he’ll sue me for defamation if I ever breathe a word about him or his…connections.”

As Lexi and her mother argued, I spotted Chigger and flagged him down. I introduced him around, pretending he was just another Road Monster, not a man who could’ve been my brother-in-law. I never knew him before the Road Monsters, so I tried not to think of him that way. He was my brother, and that was it. Him and Nova made eyes at each other almost immediately. Knowing Lexi and I were a dead end, I ignored her. I needed info from her mother. I couldn’t make any moves on the daughter.

So, we drank, and I listened. Diana wasn’t giving up anything. I danced with her, did all I could to loosen her up. But soon, the old woman was too plastered and hadn’t even told her daughter anything useful. I let her wander off to the dance floor with Chigger and Nova as Lexi and I stayed behind at the bar.

“Thanks again for stepping in earlier,” Lexi said, surprising me. She’d had quite a lot to drink.

I recalled that perfect titty. “No big deal. I don’t tolerate that shit. But I do expect a peek at that full bush you’re sporting.”

The girl looked like I about killed her, turning beet red.

“I’m joking.”

Her eyes drifted over my arms, over my tattoos. The ones I’d gotten in haste for lovers long gone. I moved my arm out of her view.

“You’re new here,” I said, trying to take her mind off my ink. “Never seen you around.”

Her laugh was music to my ears. “I’m not a biker groupie, if that’s what you’re asking.”

No shit. “Figured that much. Since your mom said you’re a lawyer. You carry yourself like it. This isn’t your scene.”

“I am a lawyer. Mom called me for help, or I would never be here. What about you? You didn’t get that black eye from rescuing me earlier.”

“I’m a fighter, in the ring and out.” I probably looked like ground beef. “Recently went a couple rounds with a grizzly.”

“A bear?” she asked as if she took me literally.

“No. An asshole.” I bent to her ear. “Your mom’s a handful,” I said, wanting to tell her of all the danger. Not just the death threats, but that I was trying to figure out what she knows, but I couldn’t. “She’s been stirring up a hornet’s nest for a while.”

“Why are you with her, then?” she asked, like she gave a damn. Damn, she was disappointed, thinking I was taken. Or maybe just thinking I was with her mother. “She’s… She’s quite a bit older than you.”

I couldn’t give up my cover. “She’s a grown woman. We have…business.”

“Right. Well, do me a favor and don’t hurt her. She’s all I’ve got.”

“I won’t,” I started before her mom was calling us to the dancefloor.

I had to hold the old woman up, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Lexi as she swayed, dancing alone. I longed to scoop her up in my arms. Soon, Diana was too wasted to walk, so we took her back to her tent.

“Are you staying with her?” Lexi asked me, like she was asking if I was sleeping with her. I had to make a choice.

“She’s hammered. But I got somewhere to be, so I can’t babysit right now. You two should stay with her.” I wanted her to know I wasn’t sleeping with her mom. Plus, I had to do some digging. Diana, her and her friend should be safe from the mob here, surrounded by hundreds of bikers.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re with her, right? Or…something?”

“Diana does her own thing. Don’t worry about it.”

“So, you’re just gonna leave her here?”

“She’s got you, doesn’t she? And your friend?”

“Fine. But I prefer an actual bed.”

I had the tent beside Diana. Maybe when I got back, I could ask Lexi to join me in mine. “You might find out you like it out here, princess. A real bed can get overrated.”

“I’m not a princess,” she tried, but damn, she was my princess.

I made the rounds, rubbing elbows and getting the lowdown from any and every biker who ever had dealings with Diana, but came up short. When I got back to my tent, my mind was on Lexi. Pulling back the flaps of Diana’s tent first, I only found the old woman snoozing, her chest rising and falling. Damn.

Needing rest, I went to my tent. Inside, a red headed pixie waited for me. I remembered Hoops and her invitation. The memory of those lithe hips spinning, those neon rings stuck in my mind.

Her eyes lit up. “You came.” She yanked me in by the front of my vest. We wasted no time with small talk. She pressed her lips to my cock, and I let the tension of the day slip away in the heat of that moment. She wasn’t shy, and I sure as hell appreciated it. There was a bottle of tequila, as promised, but we barely touched it. I was too busy burying my frustration and my cock into some easy pussy, while I thought about another. About that curvy lawyer, princess with glasses and possibly a jungle in her panties.

At some point, we collapsed on her sleeping bag, dozing in the humid night air. And the next morning, sunlight filtered through the tent’s thin fabric, jolting me awake. Hoops stirred, half-naked beside me. I kissed her shoulder, muttering something about needing a drink. She giggled, pulling me back down. I wasn’t a man to refuse.

We were mid-round two when I heard a frantic voice outside. A woman’s voice, angry, shouting. A whoosh of air. Then my name. “Maverick!”

I froze. What the fuck now? I looked over my shoulder. My stomach dropped when I saw Lexi, tears in her red-rimmed eyes, hair disheveled, her glasses askew. “Diana’s dead,” she gasped, choking on the words.

I disentangled from Hoops, yanked on my jeans.

“She’s… in her tent.”

It felt like someone punched me in the chest. Dirty Diana? Dead? My mind spun, half from shock, half from the remnants of last night’s lust-filled haze. “When? How?” I managed, my voice hoarse.

Her face twisted in grief and fury. “I don’t know! I found her this morning. She wasn’t breathing.” Her tone became accusatory. “Where the hell were you? You said you were taking care of her!”

I bit down on my jaw. “I told you to watch her, remember?” The words came out sharper than I intended. A flash of guilt cut through me, though. Dammit.

Lexi’s eyes flashed with anger. “So it’s our fault?” She wiped at her cheeks, trembling. “Just… The cops are coming. They’ll want to talk to you.”

Fuck. My ex-cop senses lit up like a siren. If the cops poked around too much, they’d find all kinds of skeletons, not just with me, but the rally in general. And Kingpin would have my hide for bringing the law down on this place.

Hoops peeked out, eyebrows lifting at the drama as she sounded like a siren herself. I ignored her as I zipped up my jeans fully and shoved my arms through my cut. “All right, calm down,” I told Lexi, though I knew calm was the last thing she’d feel.

But as we hurried toward Diana’s tent, I saw the flashing lights of a police cruiser on the horizon. Sure enough, the rally was already abuzz with folks either scattering or stepping forward to gawk. My insides churned. Kingpin had told me to keep her safe, and now she was fucking dead. Shit.

We arrived at the tent. Lexi’s blonde friend, Nova, I recalled, was near tears, trying to give a statement to a pair of uniformed cops who looked overwhelmed by the chaotic scene. A paramedic was crouched inside, presumably confirming that Diana was gone. With each step, my heart hammered harder. I peered inside, glimpsing Diana’s lifeless form. The sharp smell of vomit and stale booze stung my nostrils.

“She’s…” I started, but the words died.

Lexi turned on me, her voice quivering. “I blame you,” she hissed, eyes brimming with tears. “She trusted you, and you vanished.”

I bit back my retort. Now wasn’t the time to argue. People were gawking, the cops were watching. I saw Kingpin in the distance, a dark scowl on his face, and I figured he was about to blow a gasket. This was all going sideways.